24 July 2016

We woke up at a super early time! Andrew couldn't sleep past 4.30am, but Oli and I managed until 6am. So we got up and decided to treat ourselves to breakfast in the hotel. It was delicious! I've never seen so much choice; fruits, nuts, seeds, bakery, yogurts...and then the hot food; bacon, eggs, potatoes..it just went on and on.

We ate until we were about to burst, and then made our way to the BART ticket office, where we bought three '3 day travelcards'. This would cover our travel on all cable cars, buses and trams. Despite this, we decided to walk to Fishermans Wharf, which is quite a long way from Union Square, where we are based, but we realised that most cable car riders get on at the first stop and the cable cars rarely stop enroute (we found this out after we got tired and tried to catch one).

We walked up Nob Hill, zigzagging until we reached Polk Street, and caught the 19 bus to Ghirardelli Square, which is a really nice place (being a former chocolate factory), full of quaint shops and restaurants. We could see Alcatraz Island really clearly from the edge of the bay. We couldn't see the Golden Gate Bridge as the fog was so heavy.

We then waited for a cable car at Beach Street, which was a LONG queue (over an hour), but it was great to watch the cable cars being turned at their final stop and to watch them get loaded with what seemed like hundreds of people.

We finally got on, and Andrew and Oli sat on the outside, whilst I 'rode the boards' by hanging off the side. What a fantastic experience! Oli changed from sitting to riding the boards after a man standing next to me offered to help him if he looked like he might fall. He used to drive buses, and knew the route really well, and I think that gave Oli the confidence to have a go. He didn't regret it! He had a huge smile when we got off.

We then went into the Westfield Shopping mall at Powell, had a quick snack and browsed the shops. Had to drag Oli out of the Razer shop.

Realising we were wasting time shopping, we then caught a bus, the 47 bus, and then the 28 bus and got off at the Golden Gate Bridge visitor centre. We turned the corner, and there it was - not shrouded in fog, but shining in the beautiful sunshine, looking every bit as beautiful as it looks in pictures.

Breathtaking.

Oli and I walked halfway (Andrew felt the effects of vertigo, so waited for us at the start of the bridge), it was SO windy, and cold, but we had jackets and we just made the most of the fact that we had finally made it.

A rather eventful two bus rides back, as the great unwashed shared our bus journey (since when do down-and-outs drink Grey Goose vodka), we made it back to our hotel, and flopped straight into bed. Another night with no dinner, as jet lag got the better of us, but we all just needed the sleep.

It's been a fantastic day, we feel so lucky.