GREETINGS FROM SAN FRANCISCO
Hello all,
Well, here i am. I am safe and all, but a little bit tired of course (my day will be 38 hours long if i go to bed at 8pm tonight.)
From the beginning:
I got through customs ok, its not too hard if you just follow other people. I was really numb going on the plane. Sat next to a middle aged guy who was alright to talk to and had a bit of experience in the US. i also spoke to .... oh my god english girls just walked in - yay some people who speak english!!! ... a girl next to me who was really disorganised and didn't even have a VISA.
It was a long long long long flight - 13 hours in total. After staring at the back of the seat for two hours, numb, i watched "big momma in the house" and "last holiday'" and "the perfect man," listened to slightly depressing music, and started shivering a lot toward the end (tired i guess, plus it was -50 degrees outside). Meals were ok although i had a huge nervous lump in the throat so couldn't really get into them.
Got little or no sleep - its hard when you are in the middle seat.
Coming in to san fran to land, we were really really really close to this other plane, that i am dead serious, would have only been twenty metres away, and it was that distance from the ocean below as well, i thought we were going to hit it. They thought i was such a dickhead on the plane because i am such a little'un i guess. They are all so suprised when i say i am 18 and traveling around the world.
Once i got my luggage and went through customs and got eye-scanned and finger-printed, i found my way (eventually) to an "airtrain." I had no idea where it went, but i got on and got off where it connected to BART (the funny name for their train systems.)
Then i had to work out their bloody ticket machines. After pressing buttons and it spitting out strange noises at me, a guy came up and said "do you want some help?" I said "yeah, i think i need to go to Emberecerado or however the hell you spell it." Thing is, you need the perfect change. I only had a $20 note so he put change in for me. I got my ticket and he wished me a great stay in san francisco.
Then i caught the train to that E-place, and lugged my bag up 40 steps, getting to the top and seeing a sign saying "lift on something street."
Wandered around completely lost. I needed to get some change for a pay phone to ring Pacific Tradewinds hostel. So i bought a water bottle in subway and asked where the nearest payphone was, and she completely 'threw' me off. So i wandered outside, and ANOTHER guy came up and helped me: lending me his phone "is it a local call?" So i got my call and subsequently got my room. The next problem was actually finding the bloody place. A homeless guy asked me if i was lost, and gave me some rough directions. So i followed them, then went to the bus stop expecting it to go up the street, but then realised they drive on the wrong side of the road, and there was no busstop on the other side. So i wandered around again and ANOTHER couple came up to me and pointed me in the right direction. I walked up and must have walked straight past it (all it is from the front is a little blue gate - they share with a chinese restaurant on the lower floor. (its skirts chinatown). So i walked around the block, and after a final piece of advice from yet another stranger, i found it.
I hired a towel and bought a lock so my stuff is all tucked away nice and neatly. And i hit the shower - i stunk after around 24hours of traveling, so felt a lot better. The receptionist is a really cool guy - young, who has long hair and wanders around with no shoes on. He is taking me on an 'experimental' walking tour tomorrow, which will be good because i have no blody idea where i am going.
I am now faced with a dilemma: i have four nights in san francisco. Should i stay here for the whole time and forfeit my $30 deposit on the Hostelling International place that the receptionist said isn't great. Or should i just go there and take advantage of their better view and free breakfast? I haven't met anyone here in the hostel yet. There is a strange japanese guy who looks nearly 40, who is walking around wearing a pink towel and refuses to do his cleaning duties; a group of irish girls who go out and get drunk every night; some russian guys who speak little english, and thats it. I guess i will meet my room mates. I don't know what to do about accommodation. Should i try out the other place (which has a much better location but more curfew rules??)
Feedback soon would be appreciated.
Over and out,
Mii the adventurer but still very scared x x x x x
Well, here i am. I am safe and all, but a little bit tired of course (my day will be 38 hours long if i go to bed at 8pm tonight.)
From the beginning:
I got through customs ok, its not too hard if you just follow other people. I was really numb going on the plane. Sat next to a middle aged guy who was alright to talk to and had a bit of experience in the US. i also spoke to .... oh my god english girls just walked in - yay some people who speak english!!! ... a girl next to me who was really disorganised and didn't even have a VISA.
It was a long long long long flight - 13 hours in total. After staring at the back of the seat for two hours, numb, i watched "big momma in the house" and "last holiday'" and "the perfect man," listened to slightly depressing music, and started shivering a lot toward the end (tired i guess, plus it was -50 degrees outside). Meals were ok although i had a huge nervous lump in the throat so couldn't really get into them.
Got little or no sleep - its hard when you are in the middle seat.
Coming in to san fran to land, we were really really really close to this other plane, that i am dead serious, would have only been twenty metres away, and it was that distance from the ocean below as well, i thought we were going to hit it. They thought i was such a dickhead on the plane because i am such a little'un i guess. They are all so suprised when i say i am 18 and traveling around the world.
Once i got my luggage and went through customs and got eye-scanned and finger-printed, i found my way (eventually) to an "airtrain." I had no idea where it went, but i got on and got off where it connected to BART (the funny name for their train systems.)
Then i had to work out their bloody ticket machines. After pressing buttons and it spitting out strange noises at me, a guy came up and said "do you want some help?" I said "yeah, i think i need to go to Emberecerado or however the hell you spell it." Thing is, you need the perfect change. I only had a $20 note so he put change in for me. I got my ticket and he wished me a great stay in san francisco.
Then i caught the train to that E-place, and lugged my bag up 40 steps, getting to the top and seeing a sign saying "lift on something street."
Wandered around completely lost. I needed to get some change for a pay phone to ring Pacific Tradewinds hostel. So i bought a water bottle in subway and asked where the nearest payphone was, and she completely 'threw' me off. So i wandered outside, and ANOTHER guy came up and helped me: lending me his phone "is it a local call?" So i got my call and subsequently got my room. The next problem was actually finding the bloody place. A homeless guy asked me if i was lost, and gave me some rough directions. So i followed them, then went to the bus stop expecting it to go up the street, but then realised they drive on the wrong side of the road, and there was no busstop on the other side. So i wandered around again and ANOTHER couple came up to me and pointed me in the right direction. I walked up and must have walked straight past it (all it is from the front is a little blue gate - they share with a chinese restaurant on the lower floor. (its skirts chinatown). So i walked around the block, and after a final piece of advice from yet another stranger, i found it.
I hired a towel and bought a lock so my stuff is all tucked away nice and neatly. And i hit the shower - i stunk after around 24hours of traveling, so felt a lot better. The receptionist is a really cool guy - young, who has long hair and wanders around with no shoes on. He is taking me on an 'experimental' walking tour tomorrow, which will be good because i have no blody idea where i am going.
I am now faced with a dilemma: i have four nights in san francisco. Should i stay here for the whole time and forfeit my $30 deposit on the Hostelling International place that the receptionist said isn't great. Or should i just go there and take advantage of their better view and free breakfast? I haven't met anyone here in the hostel yet. There is a strange japanese guy who looks nearly 40, who is walking around wearing a pink towel and refuses to do his cleaning duties; a group of irish girls who go out and get drunk every night; some russian guys who speak little english, and thats it. I guess i will meet my room mates. I don't know what to do about accommodation. Should i try out the other place (which has a much better location but more curfew rules??)
Feedback soon would be appreciated.
Over and out,
Mii the adventurer but still very scared x x x x x
posted by Amy at
5:14 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home