San Fransisco Day 6 -Warship and Alcatraz Island
Trip Start
Feb 28, 2005
1
16
45
Trip End
Ongoing
San Fransisco,
California,
United States
Thursday, March 17, 2005
I tried to book a sunset tour for Alcatraz but could not get on until Friday (I will be gone by then) so booked for 14.15 and went to the Museum Mechanique which is loads of al dime and quarter machines, where you race horses, or watch the earthquake of 1906, or get a machine to read your destiny. I didn't want to do the last one as I thought I might get young again like in the film 'Big', and there is an FAO Schwarz Toy Shop in San Fran and I could just see me playing Chopsticks on the giant keyboard.
I then went on the Liberty Jeremiah O'Brien which is an old warship that was used during WWII. Just getting on the ladder to board the boat scared me - it swayed everywhere. You could walk anywhere in the ship you like, so I went to the front and sat on the 5" gun and pretended to shoot Alcatraz, then to the other end of the boat to shoot San Fransisco. I didn't want to press the trigger in case anything happened! I also went 4 decks down to the engine room, which was used for the filming of Titanic. The old machinery was beautiful and I only wish I could have seen it working - the engineer told me it is quite amazing to watch. I also got to see where all the crew slept (rather like the dorm rooms at the hostels!) and talked to a few of the crew while they were painting the floor.There was also a submarine I could go on but i didn't have the time for that, but will go on one at some point.
My ferry left to Alcatraz at 14.15. The journey was short and then you have to make a walk up a hill to the Penetentiry. there were some people that were so big (and not old) that had to get the tram up the hill which I thought was a shame. I had brought a ticket to do the audio tour as everyone had told me it was a 'must -do'. I found the tour really interesting, especially the old prisoners talking about their time there, and the noises they had put in the background of the tape that made it feel a bit creepy. I would love to do the tour again at night - I think it would really freak me out! The prison is divided in to blocks, with gun galleys above, and a section for prisoners who are kept in their cells 24 hrs a day. The other prisoners were allowed out for meals, and work if they had earned it. I went in to the 'black hole' and tried to imagine what it would be like with nothing to look at or hear for days on end. I like hearing about the prisoners who had escaped (three of them) and thought about whether they were alive or had died whilst trying to swim across the bay. I also like hearing the former prisoners, and how they had been affected/ disciplined by the prison. After that I watched a short film about the history of the island.
Upon return to the hostel, and after the free meal of the evening (Mexicans), I did my washing - a bit boring I know but I still had sea legs and kept feeling a little wobbly! Plus trying to do your washing here is a bit of a chore - 2 machines to about 300 people, and only 1 drier.
Warren invited me to go down in the car to San Diego, which i wish I had done but had already booked for Death Valley. I'll do some road-trippin in Oz to make up for it!
