Well, here we are finally in San Francisco...bleary-eyed, jetlagged, but thankfully off that bloody plane!
Our journey did not start well: it took nearly an hour to check in at Sydney Airport due to a rusty Air New Zealand staffer who hadn't been working the check-in desk for 4 years. Then we get through Customs and I get selected for the explosives detection test - no biggie, I've done it a few times before and it's quick and simple. But then we get to Auckland and I'm selected again for not only the explosives detection test but also a frisk search. OK, just a coincidence right? But then, as we are going through Customs at Auckland to get onto our SF flight, I am informed that I have been "randomly selected" for another search: explosives, frisk AND they asked me to take off my shoes so they could check them!!! (Sucks to be them: I had my stinky shoes on). I thought I was being randomly selected for an upgrade to business class...sad. So, if you start getting postcards from me from Guantanamo Bay you'll know why...I'm obviously a "suspicious character"!
The flight itself was your usual long-haul cattle class nightmare. I was doing OK until about 7 hours in when I started getting a sore bum and feeling fidgetty. I'm sure I'm not the only economy-class traveller who reaches a point where thoughts of falling from the sky in a burning fuselage seems preferable to another 5 hours cooped up in an increasingly claustrophobic metal cylinder. All I could think about was my comfy bed at home where I could sleep lying on my side without some stranger's elbow poking me in the ribs. It was even more pleasant sitting next to this fellow as he had obviously had 1000 cigarettes before boarding to calm his nerves...delightful! The only positive was the service from Air New Zealand - excellent as per usual. And the food was really good. Their new safety video featuring Richard Simmons is priceless - here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iaTEgoezNQ. Laugh out loud funny.
Nerves were a little frayed by the time we landed in SF. Chris apologised to me in advance before we left home for anything he might do while we're away that might piss me off (so of course I had to reciprocate). Good thing we did because it didn't take long to start speaking to each other through gritted teeth. OK, I did raise my voice once too. But it's all good, we found our hotel (http://www.baldwinhotel.com/), and it's quite nice (bar the overflowing toilet....grrr....which was quickly fixed). We are very central, about a block from Union Square. The room is not spacious, but it has gorgeous high ceilings, a claw foot bath and (gasp) a window that opens. Bliss! After showering and changing (divine) we jumped in a cab to check out the tourist nightmare that is Fisherman's Wharf where we scarfed down fish & chips for lunch and browsed all the overpriced shops. We booked our Alcatraz tour for Monday and then caught the Muni (the cable car public transport network in SF) back to our hotel where we finally collapsed in a wordless, grunting heap. After a 4 hour nap we headed off to get a late dinner and cruise Walgreens, the massive pharmacy / convenience store ubiquitous in most US cities. Love love love this store - cheap everything. How come make up is less than half the price it is in Sydney?? Don't know, but I will be stocking up on mascaras that's for sure.
Well, that's it for an action-packed first day. Tomorrow: shopping and maybe a tour of the city. Tune in tomorrow for more scintillating updates!
Love,
Vxxx
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