Day: 102
We Packed our bags and left them with the bellboy, having about three hours before we needed to get on the BART to head to the San Francisco airport we decided to make our way towards the Wharf on foot. We made it to Northbeach when we started to notice the massive 10 block streetfair complete with beer gardens on every block. Sarah and I immediately realized we’ll never make it to the Wharf this morning.
On top of the “Northbeach Streetfair” the world cup match of Italy vs. USA was about to start! Northbeach being a heavily Italian area, the crowds seemed divided over who should win. The streets were throbbing with this energy. We quickly found our first beer in the beer garden just after ten thirty, starting to be a little bummed we only had a few more hours here, but ready to make the most of it. A few beers later we got out of the sun and into one of the bars that was literally overflowing into the streets, and the game hadn’t even started!
Beer, Beer, Jager shot, Beer, Lunch. Oh shit! Ten more minutes and we have to get a cab back to the hotel to grab the bags and jump on the BART.
On the train to the airport I start to do that thing were you start to fall asleep but at the last second you jerk your head back real quickly and look like an ass. Over and over.
We made it to the airport, found our plane was going to be a little late, and sobered up in the waiting area.
Thus ends another leg of The World Tour. My next adventure is me, and a carload of three friends, chasing after the classic American roadtrip from one coast to the other. I leave on July 5th, so no real post between now and then, but in the next few days I will be putting up a page with some of my favorite pictures that you can buy prints of to help support my wanderings. Hopefully I can fund a few more days this way. Check back soon!
Oh, and to you Riverside(rs?) and Corona(ns?); If anyone wants to hang out in the next couple of weeks, send me an email (Robertcpaetz@yahoo.com). I don’t really have any grand plans (except sitting by my mom’s pool) for the next couple of weeks.
Day: 101
WOW! Was I ever hung over this morning! It was a great night but felt like It’d be a rough day to come as I rolled out of bed today. Sarah finally got up a while after me, looking well rested (I assume because she threw up all those drinks and awful Jack in the Box last night), and wanted to go explore San Francisco.
We made it to Union Square and Chinatown where our tourism lasted about two hours before the nights events and the sun cought up with us. We headed inside for Mojitos and lunch in the air condition.
Naptime.
We finally woke up again aound five, but still weren’t hungry so we postponed our plans for Ruth Chris (a spectacular steakhouse) and headed into the movies to see Nacho Libre instead, then made our way to have a slice of seared dead cow. mmm….
Day: 100
Day 100! Time to celebrate the fact that I was able to keep the world up to date for this long. I hope I still have a few readers and I haven’t chased you all off with my plate throwing antics, drunken nights and bad grammar.
Sarah, my sister, showed up in San Francisco today to take a two day hiatus from her children and pretend that she could still drink like she did years ago. When she arrived I had already checked into the tiny hotel room on the other side of town, near Union Square. Here’s the real reason my sister and I get along so well; before she got here I went across the street from the hotel to Rite-Aid and bought a bottle of Ketel One (vodka) and a couple of mixers to start our night off right; When Sarah got here she opened her suitcase and what was in there? Another bottle of Ketel One! As siblings we kick ass! We said our hellos over cocktails and prepared ourselves for the night by ironing our clothes and drinking half a bottle of Ketel One.
Feeling quite nice, we made our way to a nearby sushi bar to enjoy some raw fish, Sake, Japanese beer, and Sarah talking to load about the people around us. We even thought it’d be a good idea to order the giant squid tentacle, seered, that the girl next to us was enjoying. We powered through all its chewiness hoping that it wouldn’t try to swim its way back up later. Stumbling out of there we headed into Union Square to go over to an Irish bar I had been to a couple of years back that was pretty badass. As we struggle to make our way to the bar to order a couple of pints of Guinness, Sarah leans over to me and asks:
“Is that singer a guy or a girl?”
“I believe “Trans-gender” is the P.C. word.”
She gives me a quizzical look…
“It was a man at one time, now s/he is on his/her way to womanhood.” I replied.
“Oh.”
Nikki was actually a great singer, but we couldn’t stop looking at her little, genetically enhanced, titties poking through her white shirt. Sarah and I had a great time drinking beer and doing whiskey shots (which in retrospect may not have been the best idea) until we couldn’t feel our faces and we started our stagger back toward our hotel. Sarah “had” to find some drunk food, so we set out on a mission to stagger our way towards Jack in the Box.
After another ““fantastic meal”” we found our tiny room and the world started to spin.
Three minutes later Sarah jumps up and runs around, finds the window and sticks her head out.
“I just threw up…”
I crack my eyes, completely oblivious, and say “That’s some funny shit…”
World goes to black.
Day: 99
I’ve had it with this chick, she keeps causing me problems. This morning I headed into REI to see what could be done about her. I went in with the possibility of taking advantage of REI’s complete satisfaction policy, and being rid of all her, and all her baggage once and for all. After all, I had already booked a plane ticket to fly home on Saturday so not having to transport a bike that was falling apart would be sweet. I got to San Francisco’s REI just after eleven and told them everything I had been through with Moanahh (although I didn’t refer to her by her name, I thought it might confuse them), and they said they would be happy to exchange it with a new bike or a full refund! I opted for the refund so I wouldn’t have to ship the new bike home, promising myself to buy another bike in Southern California because I have come to really enjoy riding. Although the mental aspect of riding alone for extended periods of time is taxing.
Thoroughly impressed by REI’s service I bought a duffel bag to pack my stuff in for the flight home and walked out onto streets of San Francisco to see what I could see. I wandered around for a few hours, ate a tuna melt for lunch, and jumped on the cable car for my obligatory ride back up to the Fisherman’s Wharf area. In the late afternoon I headed back to the hostel to do some blogging. A side note; for some reason this hostel lacks the spirit of travel friendship that I have found in most ever other hostel in the world. Any other hostel I’ve been to has people who all want to make friends, go out, and are interested in learning whatever there is to learn. Here everyone seems quiet and reserved and every time I try to talk to anyone, no one shows any interest (and I don’t think it’s me because my clothes don’t smell anymore because I got “pimped out” with new clothes yesterday). They all seem to sit around and read all night, not even talking to those around them; I find it weird.
I wanted to make myself dinner, I have been spending to much money eating out and know it’s only going to get worse when Sarah shows up tomorrow, so I headed down the hill to the Safeway to buy myself something to cook. I bought some Pad Thai noddles, shrimp, curry and mushrooms; and headed back to the hostel kitchen with hopes that cooking with some new people might help to make friends.
No such luck, everyone still wanted to be left alone, but my dinner was amazing and I just resigned myself to an sunset walk along the Wharf. I wandered about taking pictures and headed up to Ghirardelli for a $7 sundae that I’m sure ran somewhere in the 2000 calorie range (so much for all the exercise I got on my bike).
Future Plans: I get back to Southern California on Saturday (So much for this bike touring, next time I’m buying a motorcycle) and on July 5th I was invited to join three of my friends for a five week North American road trip, to the east coast and back. After that I’ll probably go down to Costa Rica for a few weeks. I have 10 days of work (everyone gasp!) in early Sept. that will bring my budget back up, then in Oct. Ill most likely make my way to South East Asia. I know, I am not really one who keeps to any plan I make, but I am sure having fun.
Day: 98
To Do:
See the Golden Gate Bridge.
Ride Moanahh across the Golden Gate bridge.
Not Jump.
Ride Moanahh into town and do a little shopping to pimp myself out in San Francisco.
Eat lunch on the roof of Macy’s in the Cheesecake Factory, who by the way, makes the best dirty martini’s, complete with blue cheese stuffed olives.
Actually buy clothes.
Ride Moanahh back to the Hostel in Fisherman’s Wharf.
Blog.
Wander into a bar hoping to make it to the A’s game but instead get really drunk on $2.50 Happy Hour Anchor Steams and have to settle for a trolley ride across town to the movies.
Run across the street (quite sauced) at dusk to get to the theater, step on a sprinkler head in the median and almost brake my ankle.
Watch the only movie I hadn’t seen that the theater was playing, Cars.
Get up 10 minutes into the movie to pee, to much beer.
Watch the rest of the movie.
Limp from Market St. back up to Fisherman’s Wharf to my hostel.
Limp in for a chile verde burrito somewhere in North Beach.
Get back to the hostel with a throbbing ankle and hope it won’t be to sore in the morning.
Sleep.
I accomplished everything I’d planned today! I rule…
Day: 97
I found out yesterday that the last stretch of PCH to San Francisco was currently closed due to a landslide, which meant I was going to have to take the route through the hills (although they seemed like mountains) and add 7 miles to today’s ride. I was up a little earlier than normal, around six, to get a started up the hills and into SF where I had a reservation at a hostel tonight. The ride wasn’t exceptionally difficult, and had a beautiful 10 mile stretch along a bike trail on top of the San Andres fault, next to a couple of lakes. After a few hours of riding I settled in next to one of the lakes for some leftovers from last night for breakfast.
I made it to the outskirts of SF by eleven and into Fisherman’s Wharf, where my hostel was, by noon. I checked in, showered, and went down the street to get some blogging in at this blocks Starbucks. After getting caught up on everything I needed to do I feeling like I was ready to wander. I set out to see the Wharf area of SF and find a crab cake sandwich for lunch. Washed that down with a couple of beers, found out about a $10 comedy show tonight at the Cannery, and headed back to the hostel for an afternoon rest.
I took a nap and finished reading Veronika Decides to Die, then went out to try some sunset shots of the area before I went to the comedy club. I wandered around and took more pictures in the great evening light, ate a crab sandwich (which had so much mayo that it gave me a stomach ache), and went to the club’s bars for a martini before the comics started. There were seven comics, all beginners, and I was disappointed with about five of them. I am normally a huge fan of comedy clubs, but after the first hour where I knew I could be funnier than these guys, I was starting to get aggravated. Fortunately the last couple of comics were able to pull the show from the gutter, I guess I only get what I pay for and $10 is $10.
Day: 96
I decided to chill out a today when I peaked my head out of my little yellow tent and the rain and grey skies. I snuggled back up I my sleeping bag for another couple of hours until I started getting hungry and motivated myself to go find some breakfast. I had seen a sign yesterday that said “Sunday Brunch”, and to me nothing says Sunday like all you can drink Mimosa’s!
Unfortunately upon reaching my desired goal I found out they only do the brunch during tourist season, which to my dismay doesn’t start until next weekend.
Bastards! I’ll have to have a sober morning.
I just found a diner and ate some Eggs Benedict sans Mimosa’s, and spent the rest of the morning wandering up and down the five blocks of mainstreet looking at all the little tourist and antique shops. The day was passing slowly but I spent a good portion of it readingVeronika Decides to Die and blogging, then just walked along the beach to the grocery store to find myself a dinner feast of a roasted chicken (1/2 of which I ziplocked for tomorrow), some cheese, bread, carrots and an orange. I washed it all down with a couple of German Beers.
Moanahh is falling apart to my dismay. She lost a spoke yesterday, the brakes are giving me problems, and the shifting is slipping. When I get to San Francisco I’ll have to take her into REI for a check-up.
I finished my night with the last 40 minutes of my movie from yesterday on my laptop and was asleep before the sun was fully down (around nine), trying to prepare for my ride into San Francisco tomorrow. It looks like I’ll be there for about 5 nights, the first three in a hostel, then my sister is flying up and we have a hotel for the next two.
Day: 95
So leaving Capitola this morning someone had told me there was a campground at Pescadero, about 40 miles north into the wind. It was a rough ride with gusts in my face the entire way but finally made it after about five hours of riding, I was exhausted.
Hmmm… this campground looks empty. Where are all the tents? And whats that no camping sign doing where there is supposed to be campsites?
Freakin Damnit!
I checked my camping map (which I hadn’t done before) and guess what? No camping for 15 more miles…
I called my sister to bitch for a minute on the side of the rode and jumped back on Moanahh. Perturbed that I was going to have to ride another 15 miles, at least the wind had died down, but the rain was just starting to come down! Lightly at least. I pedaled through the mist/light rain for a couple more hours and arrived, beat, at Half Moon Bay (30 miles south of San Francisco) to pay my $3 and set up my tent. I took a much needed hot shower and set out to find some lunch/dinner and somewhere to connect to the internet. I ate a burrito and spent about 2 hours at the local Starbucks just to be out of the weather.
I made my way back to camp with the intention of reading until dark then watching my $1 copy of Pirates of the Caribbean (from Charity and Spooners “Estate Sale”) until my battery died on my laptop 30 minutes from the end. I didn’t actually do any reading, I ended up talking for a couple of hours with an English guy who is on his way south on his Bike from Vancouver. I did watch most of my movie though after that, Ill have to recharge tomorrow and watch the rest then.
P.S. Sorry about the blah picture… it was a rather dreary day. I was barely motivated to take my camera out for this one just to prove how dreary I found it.
Day: 94
This morning Aaron was heading north up PCH to catch the 101 home, and I was just heading north to the great whatever. The difference is that he has a car and I was sick of biking these monstrous hills on a windy mountainous road with no shoulder. Guess who tossed his bike in the back of Aaron’s Civic and hitched a ride to just north of Monterey? That’s right. Me. I still haven’t decided how to judge this situation, a 30 mile short cut was nice on my legs, but did it sacrifice the integrity of my journey? That’s what I said too. There hasn’t been any integrity so far, why start now.
Just after nine Aaron and I split up and he headed south to his new apartment that he moves into tomorrow and his new job at Nick on a new cartoon. He is days away from starting “adulthood”, I told him I’d call on Monday night and ask what it’s like, because I sure don’t know. I continued my running away from adulthood by pedaling another thirty miles or so to New Brighton State Beach, just outside of Capitola. I set up camp (happy to only be paying $5 again) and decided to spend the day doing what I really love doing on Fridays, going to the movies. I asked the ranger and he sent me a couple of miles away to a small theater just outside the Capitola mall (which by the way also had a Starbucks for blogging). I blogged and played online for an hour or so while I waited for The Break-Up to start.
After the film I made my way back towards the beach to have sushi at a small restaurant I passed on my way to the theater. I wandered the tourist area of Capitola for a while until last few nights heavy drinking started to catch up with me and I went back to camp for a relaxing evening. I even visited the forest rangers campfire program with all the kids and sung a few campfire songs before bed.
Day: 93
What Are We Going To Do? That was the question of the day. Aaron and I had bought food yesterday for a breakfast and lunch picnic today, so food was the least of our worries. We had the whole day to fill so we decided to do some hiking after breakfast. We hiked the campground’s Valley View and Falls trails, taking our time to enjoy the journey and spent lots of time just catching up with each others lives. After our hikes we went down to the creek, read, had a picnic and feed the squirills. We sat their for what seemed like a good few hours, but when we looked at the time it was still barely three pm.
What Are We Going To Do? The question came back at us. The day seemed to be passing extremely slowly, but I suggested we take a drive down the coast and see what there is to see. we found what might be the best looking beach in California, probably because they didn’t allow people on it. Aaron and I look down from above, and Aaron strategically planned multiple routes down the cliffs to the beach below, but their were to many people around so we settled for just hanging around the tops of the cliffs for an hour or so.
What Are We Going To Do? Once more the question was posed. I suggested we stop at a shop on the way back to camp, find some food and stock up on beer for the evening (it sure is nice having a car, I don’t have to ride around with beer on my bike). We got back to our site and started drinking and drinking, we ran out of beer and had to switch to some left over vodka, we ran out of vodka and we had to walk to the camp store for more beer, we ran out of beer and balance, and just staggered around the campground trying to make friends in our inebriated state. It was good fun until we were completely done. To bad Aaron’s leaving tomorrow, these last few days have been great.
