The Bike Ride from Hell and Back
/John Lennon
Ok, I agree, Los Angeles is nothing but a bunker, without any feeling of true history like for examples european, medieval cities can flaunt with. And. I do understand the charm with this city, San Francisco. I visited SF for the first time in my life this autumn. I can see why people have loved this city for centuries: the hills, the houses, the beaches, the people, the trolley cars, the international atmosphere etcetera. But the truth - my truth - is that this standing-ovation-part-of-the-world merely was gathered to only a few positive flashbacks after my visit there. With a rental bike. The perfect way to visit San Francisco I imagined.
I started riding from Embarcadero and took Market street down to the Castro area. First of all I hade way too much clothes on, it was a very hot day. Second of all I did not think that this city would be so full of homeless people sitting in every corner, every park area and every pedestrian crossing in Market Street; the latest where my impressions started. It is so sad to watch. More sweaty than I could endure, I arrived to Castro and that famous street where all the hippies and gays are dwelling. I looked in my bike-bag and could observe that my LG phone was totally gone.
So around this area I paniced and saw my phone-bill rising to several thousand crowns if someone would lay his/her hands on it and use it in the States. I started crying and forgot all about my pleasant visit. I rushed over the hills to Ashbury Haights and asked a sweet girl to direct me to an internet spot where I could arrange so my phone plan in Sweden would be blocked for any use. So by the end of Height Street with all the vintage shops I did not have time to see, at the beginning of Golden Gate Park at Stanyan Street I found one. Even more sweaty I arranged everything with my phone with my other phone, an Iphone which I only use as a music-player these days. I noticed, as my drink was fully emptied and my throat still dry, that I was running out of time. I had only one day, a limited time of 5 hours, and had to go back to Monterey that same day.
So around this area I paniced and saw my phone-bill rising to several thousand crowns if someone would lay his/her hands on it and use it in the States. I started crying and forgot all about my pleasant visit. I rushed over the hills to Ashbury Haights and asked a sweet girl to direct me to an internet spot where I could arrange so my phone plan in Sweden would be blocked for any use. So by the end of Height Street with all the vintage shops I did not have time to see, at the beginning of Golden Gate Park at Stanyan Street I found one. Even more sweaty I arranged everything with my phone with my other phone, an Iphone which I only use as a music-player these days. I noticed, as my drink was fully emptied and my throat still dry, that I was running out of time. I had only one day, a limited time of 5 hours, and had to go back to Monterey that same day.
I rushed throuhg the Golden Gate park with my goal in mind: The Golden Gate Bridge.
When I finally decided to get rid of my map I could see the bridge emerge in front of my eyes.
I took the pictures I had planned to take during the last year and heatedly asked some guy and his wife to take an Iphone picture with me and the bike in front of the attraction. I was actually happy to bring my rental bike all the way back to Embarcadero. And the Bart taking me to San Francisco airport. And the Monterey Airport Shuttle back to that cute, little fairytale-town Monterey (which I unfortunately did not have time to visit nor shoot this year). But this time I was riding along the water, passing over-crowded and not, what it seemed like, so funny fishermans wharf. And some other spots I did not have time to soak in since I was in much more of a hurry now. Almost impossible to go by bike here because of all the people.
Maybe I could use some more time here to be able to love/like this city; go to museums, coffee shops, restaurants and bars and gaze at all the diversity and all the people and appreciate the european feeling. But that is just not me. I am a small town girl who loves calm, small cities and I think I will remain that forever. But one thing I do think: San Francisco seems way more fun than Los Angeles.