As I arrived in the centre of San Francisco today it felt like I had stepped onto the set of a TV show! So many things that I had seen on screen for years - now I was experiencing it in real life.
I heard the accents. Random snatches of conversation that I overhead. Someone mentioning their portfolio, another the NFL. I felt like all my senses had been amped up a touch.
I saw a USPS truck and a police car - black and white and square with the bar of lights on top.
I smelt hot dogs.
So many little things are different here - like the pedestrian lights to cross the road. I'm used to a red and green man but here 'go' is indicated with white and red numbers count down the seconds until you need to be off the road. It all seems familiar in some way - but different to home.
Today I explored the Ferry Building and had a late lunch at Mijiti, overlooking the water. The only bad part - there were so many BIG creepy birds. It seems like the seagulls here are on steroids!
Later I climbed up and up and up the crazy steep roads and staircases to the Ciot Tower. I haven't been dazzled by the Golden Gate bridge yet - it was a little foggy so the colours didn't gleem - but the view of all those rolling hills is wonderful.
I did stop in at City Light Bookshop - famous for its Beatnik history although I'm not really sure what that is - but that was it for the day. The time change and long flight have done me in.
So with that I'll sign off. Night.