Leave my heart? Maybe not.

Now i know that San Francisco has a thriving gay community but I'm pretty sure there weren't this many gay dudes last time i was here. My mum reckons it has something to do with it being Mardi Gras but maybe my gaydar has just improved since my last visit to fog city. I have absolutely nothing against gay men and have worked with and been around them for years but i have to laugh at the amount of guy liner that seems to be the norm these days. Man, these dudes must spend so much on make up and products. I could never be gay. Not just because of all the bum love but I'm pretty sure i couldn't afford it!

San Francisco seems so different this time. Way more congestion can be attributed to the fact that it has been a holiday weekend here but all i seem to hear is sirens. At least 4 or 5 a day. Also, we are seeing exactly why San Fran is known as Fog City. Last time i was here, it was never mentioned and i certainly didn't see any. This time however, every morning the city and bay area has been shrouded in pea soup. It's a strange phenomenon and it's so weird to see areas of the city in brilliant sunshine but not even able to see other parts due to the fog. The fog rolls in and out frequently throughout the day which really adjusts the temperature too. It makes deciding what to wear for the day a hassle as one minute you are sweltering and then freezing the next. Today was different however with some rather unseasonably warm (over 70 degrees) weather.

I have explored the city much more this trip. Last time i was here it was over Labour day weekend and there was a huge celebration and air show which obviously attracted a lot of tourists and made travel in the city a nightmare. Although i haven't walked nearly as far as i did last time we have been on the cable cars and got an open top bus tour ticket which covered 5 districts of the city, including Marin county which is north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It gave us a lot of freedom as the ticket was for 48 hours and the buses were pretty frequent. We did the usual city stuff, checked out china town, saw Lombard street (the zig zag street), went to fishermans wharf, saw the presidio and of course, checked out the Golden Gate bridge. Driving across the bridge was pretty amazing. It was also amazing just how different the landscape was across the bridge in Marin county. Much more greener with lots of sheer tall cliffs. Sausalito, which is a town we visited, was beautiful with lots of gorgeous houses overlooking the bay.

Other differences i have noticed include a health surcharge on unhealthy foods. I know that makes sense but since all i seem to eat at the moment is lard, it works out as pretty pricey. We noticed it after our trip to the cheesecake factory the other day. I picked out a slice of white chocolate caramel macadamia nut cheesecake which had an absurd 1243 calories! It meant that the whole cake would've been 20,000 calories! That's enough for 10 days. I guess when you make foods that have so much calories and trans fats in you need a health surcharge eh?

Today we went to the rock, Alcatraz. Now before i went all i really knew about Alcatraz was that it means pelican in Spanish and that the only people to have escaped from it were hollywood legends Sean Connery and Clint Eastwood. It was a daunting place made even worse by the sheer decrepid-ness of it. Parts of it have felt the full force of some harsh weather and are beyond repair. We did the audio tour through the cell block which was narrated by former guards and inmates. It was very intimidating being in the cells. I can't imagine how people survived not just the confinement, but all the violence and the constant threat of anal rape. Still, it seems downtown San Fran is no different these days!? In fact being on Alcatraz was probably the least likeliest place i was gonna be bum raped. That said, i was no way risking picking up any dropped soap in the shower block. I was also amazed they didn't have a starbucks or a Walgreens pharmacy on the island as the city has around 240 of them combined! Seems San Franciscans need a lot of coffee and drugs and don't like to walk more than 25 feet to obtain them.

We leave San Fran in the morning. The last time i was here i feel in love with the place but this time i don't feel as affectionate. Yes it is a truly unique and picturesque place with such a vibe and personality but although i have seen more of the city this time, it just feels unsafe. We have been through the Tenderloin area of the city which shows its sordid underbelly. Long lines for soup kitchens, pan handling and drug rehab. I know every city in America probably has this but i have never seen it before and it just made me feel uneasy. Just 8 blocks separate the poor from people shopping at Gucci and Burberry. It just doesn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong San Fran is still one of my most favourite places in America and i urge anyone who hasn't been to visit. I would certainly come back as there is still so much to see and do. Seems i won't be leaving my heart here this time as Tony Bennett suggests in song but who knows for the future.

So we head north in the morning. Watching the winter Olympics on TV is certainly wetting my appetite for more snow and skiing. Mmmm, i can't wait.

Peace

D

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