Walk a mile in my shoes

I dont know how many miles I walked today around San Francisco but my whole body is aching as I sit here typing!


Downtown

I spent the morning walking around the slightly seedy downtown area looking at shops. I was searching for a digital camera and maybe a watch. It is unbelievable how many grifters and slightly crazy people approach you wanting all sorts of things. I got grifted (minorly) within the first 2 minutes of arriving in the city yesterday. Today, this really drunk guy spent about 15 minutes trying to tell me some riddle about how a bank teller gave him $53 cash without using any coins or dollar bills. I dont think he actually knew what the answer to his own riddle was in the end so I just smiled and backed away slowly. People seem to be able to just sense if you are not from San Francisco.
My brain is having a hard time adjusting to little things like cars being on the other side of the road - for example I keep stepping out onto the road and almost getting hit by bikes or cars because I forgot the look the other way! It's also funny that the traffic walk signs are just on an automatic timer so you just wait for them to turn green - unfortunately they dont make a sound so im often left staring at the ground while the lights change (maybe thats how everyone knows im from outta town?)


Tenderloin

My hostel is right on the edge of the slightly "ghetto" area of town which is called Tenderloin (Yes, like the cut of meat). I've been warned not to walk through it but its kind of a bitch to go all the way around it so i've walked through it a couple of times and not much happened. Theres lots of bums and crazies hanging about but nothing too sketchy. I feel more unsafe walking through certain parts of Sydney at night to be honest.


Castro street

Today I escaped the CBD and caught one of the tram/bus hybrid things down to Castro and Mission. Castro is like the main gay/lesbian area of the city and its absolutely amazing. Castro steet and the surrounding blocks could be compared to Oxford st and Darlinghurst, I suppose, but its really so much better! Oxford street is really quite dirty, with trucks and buses pouring past, but this is a wide, tree lined boulevard with a beautiful village atmosphere and amazing shops and eating spots. There is nothing pretentious about it at all really, its fairly down to earth with couples strolling down the street hand in hand and people laughing and chatting in cafes. As much as I hate the american obsession with cheese, meat and bakery goods - I couldnt resist trying an apple bagle with butter and jam. Yum! On the topic of food, I have had a hell of a time trying to find anything healthy to eat anywhere. There doesnt seem to be much in the way of vegetarian / organic eateries or anything. It's a continous stream of Pizza joints, Burger Joints, Bakeries, Taco Joints, and more burger joints!. I don't understand how everyone survives of this diet! They must cook their hearty meals at home, something I would love to experience but unfortunatly no invites (yet)!



Castro



Beautiful San Fran Homes


The steep streets around Castro and Mission (The Latino district)are lined with the most beautiful 2, 3 and 4 (!) four story townhouses that I have ever seen. Its almost impossible to describe how beautiful and unique the homes are in the this city. Almost every neighbourhood is lined with these beautiful and homely dwellings.



View from Buena Vista Park

I made my way on foot from Castro over the steep hills to Haight-Ashbury - epicentre of the 1960's hippie counter culture in San Fran. On the way, I stopped in a massive park called Buena Vista Park, which is basically a giant hill covered in amazing tall trees (not sure which species) and dense "woodland" style vegetation. There is a myriad of pathways that criss cross through the shade of trees - making an interesting labrynth of pathways to loose yourself in. A red tailed eagle swooped down from a tree near me while I was walking and carried away some sort of mouse-like creature...possibly a mouse. (poor thing - being shredded to strips by an eagle would be an unpleasant death im sure but that's nature for you) Buena Vista is spanish for 'good view', which is certainly what we were awarded with at the top of the hill.

Back to Haight-Ashbury, this is the famous intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets where a very creative counter culture developed during the 60's. It peaked around 1967 apparently suring the "summer of love" but once it became exposed it was swamped with thousands of disaffected youths and edgy types from across the country which changed the social fabric quite a lot. It still has resonances of that bohemiam feel to it but the presence of shops like the gap and ben and jerry's ice cream certainly seems to be evidence of a gentrification process that is underway. (Im embarrased to say I did try a "chocolate therapy" ice-cream from B & J's). It was not that disimmilar to King Street in Newtown or Brunswick street in Melbourne but it was certainly still buzzing with it's own unique energy. As I walked along gazing up at the beautiful ramblimg townhouses, it was awesome to think that musicians like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Aeroplane and Janis Joplin were all jamming and living in those very houses 40 years ago. Now the sounds of Hip Hop were drifting from one of the windows as a DJ practised his scratching technique whilw overlooking the street from his window.
Finally I should mention Aemoba Music, supposedly the largest independent record store in America (and most likely the world!) This place used to be a full sized bowling alley! It was crammed with records and cd's of almost every genre you could think of. I was completely lost for words.



Amoeba Music (Please dont let me back there!) Notice the Felix the Housecat vs. Sasha record in the botton corner of the nearest record shelf

I managed to spend almost 100$ US on some new CD's to put on my I-pod. I figure I's splash out because new cd's are so cheap in the states (about 15-20$ Australian) and I figure I will not be able to get much new music or perhaps any at all for the next 3 months in Central / South America.

purchases;

Henrik Schwarz - DJ Kicks
Midnight Star - No Parking (On the Dancefloor)
Tosca - Souvenirs
Nortec Collective - Tijuana Sessions Vol. 3
The Timewriter - Jigsaw Peices
BT - This Binary Universe
Jimmy Van M - Balance 10
Four tet - Remixes

Mmmmmm onto the ipod they go

Over and out

Love,
Luke

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