[caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is what is left when you know how to use a sledgehammer!"]
[/caption]It was 7:59 on Sunday Morning! We had not even had coffee yet and they were here ready to work for 5 hours.
Don't ever say anything to me about a lazy Mexican because it is just a media myth like so many other things about this great country.
Heather and I retired to the roof to enjoy the morning view
[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The view from the roof"]
[/caption]with our coffee as we try to do everyday but Sunday is special. Sundays we generally take off, we relax, we read, we remember why we moved here in the first place.
So as we sat on the roof enjoying our coffee the men below loaded the back of the pick up with concrete pieces and bricks. The truck loaded Alfonso yelled up that they would be back and we heard the truck doors close. And then we heard the sound. The sound that a 1977 Ford F-150 makes in Canada when the night before it was -25 celsius and you forgot to plug it in. The starting whine but no catch. A 20 second break and they try again. The whine but no catch. This goes on for a few minutes before I wander down the stairs and to see what is happening. The hood was up. There was space. You forget that 30 years ago there was actually room under the hood of the car. Space under a hood, what a concept, but this is not a blog about what they have done to our cars so on we go.
After many tries the truck was not going to start. Hmm, what to do. I ask if they have battery cables. No. It was at that point that Alfonso realized they were out of gas. (there is no working gauge, speedometer, heater or a/c controls or radio in this truck) So we decide to siphon some out of my tank as it was full. No go, who knew that a Jeep had a plate to stop siphoning of your tank.
Off to the Pemex we go. Bought 6 litres of gas and return to give it another try. The truck sounded better but still no go. They decided that it was because the truck was not level so it was then necessary to push the truck on to a level spot on the street from its current resting point. So there we were; Alfonso behind the wheel, the two Mexican men, Alfonso's son, Heather and I all at the back of a fully loaded pick up pushing it into the street. It reminded me of a cable car incident in San Francisco 2 years ago tomorrow.....
November 7, 2008 - Sonoma, California 9:00 AM. Checked out of the Best Western and headed down the highway to San Francisco. One of my favourite cities. Has been from the first time my parents took me to it in 1967. As always, I am looking forward to my return. Don't know what it is about the Bay Area but if I can find a reason to go there I will.
We are driving in a fog, a fog that has nothing to do with the bottle of Eric Ross wine we had with dinner the night before, it was Bay area fog. The type of fog they always talk about in old english novels, thick, very thick. We were in no real hurry as the drive was a short one but we took it easy just the same hoping it would lift soon. The main reason is we knew that in about 30 minutes we should be able to see the bay and the scenery surrounding it. By the time we got to the bay our hopes were answered. The fog was gone, the sun was bright and it was very, very warm.
[caption id="attachment_70" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="San Francisco from across the bay"]
[/caption]Just prior to crossing the Golden Gate Bridge is Battery Spencer. The US Military considered San Francisco Bay to be a major strategic location so they built installations throughout the bay with the Battery being the last as weapon firepower had increased to such a point that previous installations at locations such as Alcatraz were no longer needed. It was in operation until the end of World War ll. Now you can do a self guided walking tour. The stop provides a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
[caption id="attachment_71" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Battery"]
[/caption]The thing about San Francisco is there are just so many things to see and do one never really knows where to start. We had reservations at the Best Western Carriage Inn downtown but we could not get in there until 3 so what to do to start. We did what all tourists do, we head to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. The Wharf was my favourite as a kid. Dungeness Crab Cocktail available everywhere for a buck. Fresh from the sea. For someone from landlocked Edmonton it was totally unbelievable that crab could taste this good. Well it was 2008, Crab Cocktail is no longer a buck but it is still fresh and tasty! And this is a lesson. Watch the Seagulls! We had just got our lunch from one of the many stands that line the wharf and were crossing the small street to eat in the park. As soon as Heather stepped out from under the canopy she was dive bombed by a seagull who almost knocked her down and got her food. We retreated to a more quiet area around the corner that had a roof to enjoy our food in peace.
It is easy to waste time in that area, there are lots of things to see. The seals lying on the docks by Pier 39,
[caption id="attachment_72" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pier 39"]
[/caption]the Musee Mecanique on the wharf (really cool), the buskers and really interesting public bathrooms in the middle of the street. The bathrooms sanitize themselves after every visitor.
It was hot, sunny and truly a beautiful day. We walked throughout the area looking at the shops, the seals and taking pictures. It was great.
[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Inhabitants of Pier 39"]
[/caption]As the day wound down we worked our way back to the car and headed off to find the hotel. The Best Western Carriage Inn is located in the center of town a couple of blocks off Market Street. It was in our price range and had recently been renovated. We were looking forward to kicking back for a bit and resting our legs before dinner. We checked in and did the usual trek to the room with all of our worldly belongings.
As we walked to the door we saw there was a sign on the door. The room had a name, The Pink Man room. Ok, that is a little odd but through the door we went.
[caption id="attachment_74" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Is that cool or what!"]
[/caption]To say they had done a renovation is one thing but they did not tell you what kind of renovation they had done. It was a throw back to the art deco period but updated. The room was spectacular, not your usual run of the mill hotel room.
[caption id="attachment_75" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It was comfy!"]
[/caption]The decorations would be eclectic but fitting with what they were trying to do. On the table there was an old Royal typewriter exactly like the one I had typed my term papers on in High School with a piece of paper in it. On the piece of paper was the story of the Pink Man. It turns out they had named the rooms based on San Francisco legends. I have stayed in some nice hotels in nice spots in my time but this one was located in an older part of town is one that I will remember forever. It was neat, cool, groovy or sweet depending on your generation and I would stay there again.
My oldest brother had once told me that San Francisco was the coldest place on earth. Well after the first day in town we would not agree with him, it was spectacular. So the next morning we dressed for the same. We walked out of the hotel and were outside for 30 seconds before we did an about-face and headed back up to the room for jeans, sweaters and jackets. It was bone chilling cold. No sun, lots of clouds. Ok so maybe he was right.
We bought a day pass for the transit system and left the car in the parking lot as everything was easily accessible by transit and we could get off and on as we pleased. Today we did the areas we did not see the day before. Chinatown, Ghiradelli square, Market Street. It was a full day with the highlight of the much-anticipated cable car ride up and down the hills of San Francisco!
[caption id="attachment_76" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The standard tourist shot but how can you not take one"]
[/caption]We boarded the car just off Market in a retail district with the idea to ride the route. And what a great idea it was until the car came to cable crossing where the driver has to release the grip on the cable to get over the cable going the other way and then he has to grab the cable again. He has to hit the intersection with the right amount of speed to get to where he can grab the cable to continue up the hill approaching. Well, our driver didn't make it. He could not grip the cable. So here we were at the bottom of the hill going nowhere fast. The driver tried a few more times to get the cable but it was not going to happen. At that point a transit truck was going by and they stopped to see what was happening and what they could do. They were driving a Freightliner. They backed up the truck and took a run at the car (all while it was still fully loaded with passengers) and tried to push it up to where he could get the cable.
[caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="He's going to do what???"]
[/caption]No go, one more try. Still nothing. It was at that point they asked us to get off as the truck was going to have to push it up the hill and we could get on the next one.
[caption id="attachment_78" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="I think I can, I think I can...."]
[/caption]Well, we were a block from Chinatown and we were hungry so we decided to catch a much later one!
[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Chinatown"]
[/caption]In Chinatown it started to drizzle so we bought an umbrella and toured the shops, the alleys, and stopped for the most important meal in Chinatown, Dim Sum. It was lovely, not quite the same as you find in Edmonton but still excellent. From Chinatown we caught another cable car to finish the route we had started earlier.
It dropped us down by Ghiradelli Square which while interesting was more shops though it did have a very interesting art gallery with some works by Tony Curtis. We spent at least an hour in there talking to one of the sales reps and examining their works of art. It was a very enjoyable visit.
We walked along the waterfront, there is just something about a waterfront to people from landlocked Alberta, and found the San Francisco Maritime Museum on Hyde Street Pier. They have restored many old sailing vessels that are accessible for touring. It is quite fascinating.
[caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="San Francisco Maritime Museum"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="I was really there!"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_82" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It was cold but we still had fun!"]
[/caption]It had been quite a day, we hopped another cable car headed back to Chinatown for some quick take out and back to the hotel as we had a long drive down the Pacific Coast Highway in the morning to get to LA.
[caption id="attachment_83" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Man it is a long way...."]
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Wow your second and third posts were as interesting as the first. I am glad to hear you take Sunday's off to reflect on your reasons for venturing to Mexico to live.
ReplyDeleteI like the read - will look forward to the next chapters!