Gringos in Central America

Saturday, February 18, 2017

San Francisco

We arrive after a somewhat dull flight - COPA Airline food is not exceptional, nor is their service and there are only about a dozen movies.

We took the BART into the city where we are staying not far from Union Square and the famous trolley car. I did this when I had a day on the way to Panama last year but we did it again as My Friend hadn't. It was crowded and tiresome waiting in the bitter cold (can you believe it?!) but My Friend was very interested in the workings of it. The forecast for tomorrow is wet so I figured this afternoon was the best time to do this.

We got out before the end - the traffic was backed up and the trolley had come to a stop at the top of the last hill before it continues down to the bay. We got some nice views of the water, the bridges, Alcatraz and the posh houses as the light was fast disappearing.

We had some yummy takeaway lobster bisque chowder at the Embarcadero (waterfront) and caught a bus back into town (Frank at our hotel was very helpful about this and it was as 'cheap as chips' compared to the trolley car).

I really like San Francisco. I feel comfortable here and it's easy to navigate. We were headed for a restaurant I'd read about but somehow passed it and, as we were near a large hotel, I popped in and asked them. They recommended another place nearby (the Wayfare Tavern) which turned out to be great! Wonderful service. We sat at the bar and ordered food. It was an ENORMOUS meal. My Friend couldn't finish his. Unheard of!!! I had the BEST chips with my hamburger. And we chatted away to people on either side - they are so friendly here!

We walked back to our hotel. I really like it and am very pleased with my choice. Apart from being right in the downtown and the staff being friendly and helpful, it is an older style building - which I like: we have a great room - small, but nicely appointed - with windows on two sides looking out high above the street. Quiet. Windows that open(!!).

So after a lovely relaxing morning and the rain starting to drizzle outside, we checked out about 11 a.m. and HIT THE SHOPS!!!! Wheee!

When we were OVER that, we found Mazarine - a coffee shop I had read about - and had a deeelish coffee and Rueben pastrami sandwich.

Off then to SFMOMA, an internationally acclaimed modern art museum where we whiled away a couple of hours. Tremendous!! Especially wonderful were the Diego Riveras and Frida Kahlos. Very exciting.

As we walked back towards Union Square (near our hotel where we have left our bags for the day), we passed through a park with a nice waterfall memorial to Martin Luther King. Prescient are some of the words on the plaques:

Had a couple of drinks 'for the road' (keeping those liver enzymes stable ...) at the Cable Car Bar (where else?!) and had long chat with a father and son from the UK (the son is living in LA; dad is visiting - and they have just done the road trip up from LA to San Francisco for the weekend but were detoured off Highway One due to the Oroville Dam spillway crisis and catastrophic flooding in California at the moment).

Then off again on the BART (the local rail system) out to the airport - now for the long haul home. We left late due to a carton of oranges being dropped on the tarmac in the boarding process and the union having to be negotiated with as to who and how to deal with the problem... the Captain sounded very exasperated.

Panama days

And so we pass our time ...

Regis has tasks around the house for My Friend like getting the bikes operational which we are more than happy to do as that means we can get out and about.

We play with Sophie who is The Head of the Household, although she gets sick with a bad cold and misses 'school' for 3 days and is miserable - poor thing. No doubt we'll end up with the same thing. We are amazed that Kathryn and Regis can contact their paediatrician by phone in the evening and get a list of drugs from him to go to the local pharmacy before it shuts that night - all without a Rx or any cost for the call to the doctor ...

Before Sophie's cold peaked, Kathryn and I both spent a day in bed sick with some nasty stomach illness. Glad THAT didn't last too long!!

We go out for coffee with Kathryn a couple of times (there are a couple of lovely local patisseries) and My Friend and I return to one of these of our sorties out on the bikes. The Car is King here so we stick to the sidewalks - such as they are - power poles in the middle of them, HUGE potholes.

There is the swimming pool in the estate where they live but we only get there once with Sophie unfortunately - due to her cold.

I plant Regis's herb garden for him but he'll need to get the shade cloth over it fast before everything dies in the heat.

And Bobba the Dog gets walked everyday - always with 2 poop bags in my pocket for his super large doggy dumps!

My Friend has fixed a few door handles, put together Sophie's trike for her birthday (but her feet don't reach the pedals yet much to her mom's disappointment) and he installs a kids' table and chairs for her room (14 screws per chair he tells me!).

Sophie gets entertained with books, etc.

Plus a ride with her daddy now that the bikes are pumped up and oiled - and to make up for her own being too big yet.

Niah works in and around all this - she is a quiet delight and it is lovely to get her on her own - she falls asleep being gently rocked on your knee; or she wiggles around on her play mat surrounded by toys which she swats at haphazardly. And there are some little smiles.

We are up early our last morning (Friday). Evelio gets us out to the airport - traffic is good at that hour but is already building up in the opposite direction going towards the city - Carneval is starting.

Alison and Alex arrive Monday - hopefully the traffic won't frustrate their plans.

So it's goodbye to Kat & Regis and Bobba; Niah and Sophie are asleep - another restless night for Sophie and mum and dad due to her bad cold.

Despite allowing 2.5 hrs for checkin, it took 1.5 hours queuing to get to the boarding gate where we were security checked a 2nd time (!).

Flight is 7 hrs to San Francisco where we will overnight it before flight home tomorrow night. We fly back over Guatemala and Mexico where we have spent a good part of the past month and into the US of A.