"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men/ Gang aft a-gley" Rabbie Burns

Weather San Francisco Max 19 Min 13 and rainy

For dinner last night I had my first ever Vietnamese meal at a poky little place over the road from the hostel. It was a pork dish and it was fantastic and it cost $8.80. A bargain.

Great food. Great Value

After 2 x 3 hours nights of sleep I popped a pill last night and slept for 10 hours straight. I could have easily gone back to sleep again this morning I but didn't want to push my luck and end up not sleeping tonight.

I awoke to grey skies and it was pouring with rain which effectively put paid to my plans for the day. The quote in the heading translates from the Scottish into the Australia's Murphy's Law. I had planned to do the walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and back but if its grey, cold and rainy where I am it will be 10 times worse on the bridge and then you can  add in some bloody big winds.

I spent some time Googling "what to do in San Francisco on a rainy day". I discounted movies because I save them for "too pooped to pop" days. There were a variety of museums and art galleries and indoor games places but I opted for the Musee Mecanique. This is next to Fishermans Wharf and it holds antique  and vintage arcade games. These date back 100 years or so and went up to Space Invaders and PacMan days. You can play the games and some of the earlier ones - like The Opium Den - are hilarious.

Old Arcade Games

The Opium Den

When I came out the skies were blue and the rain had stopped so I bought a 2 day "hop on / hop off" bus ticket (another granny discount - thank you, I'll take them all). We went over the Golden Gate Bridge again and into Sausalito. This is where the rich people live apparently. It's a pretty place but if I was spending a million or so on a house I would want it to be off the Tourist track. I did like the name of this Socks shop.

Good name for a shop in Sausalito.......

.......selling socks

One of the Tour Guides was saying that there are more dogs in San Francisco than children and dog walkers can earn up to $50k a year if they walk 6 to 8 dogs at a time. Woof!!

The bus driver on the Sausalito part of the trip was the original Basil Fawlty. She kept talking to herself saying something about a nachos chicken burger and moaning out loud to herself about being tired and she was checking her phone all the time. Any touristy things she had to say or questions she was forced to answer came in a ho hum voice. OMG!! She then phoned up - while she was driving - and ordered a chicken burger. Driving - on the phone - pouring with rain again. lol. As we left Sausalito she said "Come on. Let's go. I feel as gloomy as the weather."  I never gave her a tip. Everyone on the bus was just doing a lot of eye rolling lol

Mrs Basil Fawlty lol...mumbling
and playing with her phone. I was
too scared to get a photo from the front

We got back to the area by the bridge to wait for the big bus and the rain came bucketing down. There were about 50 people - men and women - all squeezed into the Ladies Toilets because there was no other shelter.  hehehe!

I hopped off the bus in the Ashbury / Haight area famous for my girl Janis Joplin and also Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and....as they say....many many more. This was where the whole hippy thing from the late 60's and the 70's and the summer of love started. A few of the people I saw there looked like they were there at it's inception. It amuses me that the whole peace and love thing originated in a place called Haight. Because of my great Vietnamese dinner last night I tried another meal for lunch in Haight and it too, was wonderful.  I think I have found me a new favourite cuisine. I ran in to my old friends.......Ben & Jerry and had a nosh. They are right at home in the Ashbury and Haight area with their slogan "Love, Peace and Ice Cream"

Haight

Ben & Jerry - Happy face

Hmmm  HAPPIER face

I think this means don't drive in the power lines

I was waiting to Hop On the bus again but had urgent need of a restroom and the McDonalds I was outside wouldn't let me use them unless I bought food. As I had just eaten (which is why I needed the bloody loo) I bought a burger and fries and coffee and gave them to a homeless man outside who was both surprised and delighted and I was equally delighted - and greatly relieved - to use the facilities.

Back on the bus the guide said San Francisco is the most expensive place in the world to live and a 2 bedroom apartment with 1 bathroom would be $3000 per month, which is nearly $4000 Aussie - very expensive and as the wages are very low, this would  explain why there are so many homeless people.

I saw a portable toilet on a building site but wasn't quick enough to get a photo - it was called the Honey Bucket. I kid you not. They obviously aren't on a Vietnamese diet.

The dodgy area that my hostel is in is called The Tenderloin. Apparently this is because there was so much crime here that no Police Officers wanted to work in the area. Eventually they paid them extra money to do so and the other Police weren't happy. They used to say they got so much money they could afford to buy tenderloin steaks. Anyway...this is the story the guide told but it doesn't make me feel any safer going out after dark.

Here are a few more pics from the top of the bus. We actually went past the Addams Family house but again too quick for a photo. grr.

City Hall - 5th tallest in the country

A random musical group of which there are many.
I like the sign "Clowns are People too"

Outside the Asian Art Museum.
The largest collection outside of Asia
but it still looks like a Pokemon to me

Lyrics from an old Beatles song but
I think it is in reference
to the upcoming election

All the high end shops in one little group

I got off the bus at Fishermans Wharf again and had a coffee and a beigert I think it was called. I still don't know what it is but it was hot and was served with cream and was tasty. It was almost donut-y.

Back at the hostel and it's blog time. I'm almost finished it now - how quick was that lol. (Actual time 2 hours). I have just crossed the road for another Vietnamese delight. A homeless woman approached me and said "can you give me some fucking money" and I said "no" and she said "why".  Well I cant think of any reason...good grief.

Tonights Dinner US$7.70