‘I’m Going Back, to San Francisco’

Just to set the scene, it is Sunday, 2nd February and, as ever, I have been on a quest to find some good wifi, so I have left Val back on the ship after our trip to Waikiki and ventured out to downtown Honolulu in search of a suitable location, ending up in an outside bar that has a loud, but excellent band and is about to show the Super Bowl on multiple TV screens. Having purchased my standard WiFi beer, here we go with the latest update….

24^th – 26^th January, 2020 (written during a Scrabble match with Val on 31^st January)

Not a lot to report on our 3 days at sea on the run up to San Francisco. I have had some success at the table tennis and have even won the individual quiz a couple of times. Val and I had to pack, ready for our change of cabin, but it was not quite the seamless process we would have liked, unfortunately. For a start, they could have told us earlier that there was no need to pack up our hanging clothes as someone was supposed to come and transport all that for us in situ, so that was a bit of a waste of time. More on this soon, after a description of our visit to San Francisco.

We did have a rather rougher sea for part of our trip up the Mexican coast – due, apparently, to the off-shore winds, which were gusting at something like 70 knots at times. Personally, I rather like a bit of a sea, rather than the peaceful gliding that we do most of the time, though it can be tough for those with a propensity for motion sickness. Even in this case it was not so bad that there were absences at supper, but it was severe enough that going on deck was a challenge, not least trying to get the door open!

The table tennis players have formed a strong camaraderie and we have a match against the crew tomorrow. Here is the commemorative photo…

 

San Francisco

27^th and 28^th January, 2020

As experienced a few times before, getting into an American port is unlike anywhere else we have ever cruised in as much as it is not a simple case of handing over the manifest of passengers and crew and someone stamps it and we just disembark. Oh no, in the USA, they are rather more thorough and everyone has to queue up and be seen by an immigration officer and have their passport stamped. Now, there are about 2,800 people on board, so even 7 officers at 30 seconds apiece would take 200 minutes working flat out, but unfortunately, I don’t think there were 7 officers. Whatever, they started at 0700 and were still going at about 1300. We were given a slot of 1000-1030, but then advised over the Tannoy that everyone would be pushed back 30 minutes. So we started queuing at 1030 and were eventually seen about 1200. It was all done on the ship, so at least Val could sit down. The queue actually ran the whole length of the ship! We took a turn around the deck while we waited and enjoyed the advantageous view that the ship can give when berthed so close to the sights.

Our plan was to meet up with a friend of ours, Justin, whom we had met in Bali last year and who had come to visit us in London over the summer. We had not appreciated that driving from his home in Grass City, the other side of Sacramento, would take him about 3 hours, but he did not seem too phased, which was good and we met up in the parking lot just opposite Pier 35 where we had berthed. Val and I had done SF a couple of times so we were very happy to try something new, so Justin’s suggestion of a drive southwards along Route 1, the Pacific Highway, sounded good, especially with the prospect of lunch thrown in.

The ocean route was certainly spectacular and we were blessed with some good weather, which was good as Val and I were actually dressed up for something far colder (relative to where we had visited recently). In the end it was about 14 degrees, but felt very pleasant with the sun out. A bit of posing by the beach….

Lunch was at Sam’s Chowder Shack (not particularly shacky, indeed quite pricey), but was delicious. As ever, you have to take a step back from US portions, which are huge. I wonder if it has got out of hand and no restaurant dares to serve a sensible amount. It is like an arms race. It didn’t stop us having a pudding!

It was then back to the city and a walk along the piers. Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf are regular tourist traps and decidedly tacky, but there are some gems to be found further along, such as the Pepper Palace, where you can try the sauces – with a conveniently close ice cream parlour for the after burn. A bit of a walk and then it was back to the ship for supper.

The next day, we walked down from Pier 35 to The Ferry Building to catch a ferry to Larkspur where we were to meet up with Justin who would then drive us to Muir Woods where we would see the giant Redwoods. It was decidedly atmospheric on the 30 minute ferry ride and very grey with what I believe are lowering skies, but we did get a great view of the city, the bridges and Alcatraz.

We duly met up with Justin at a very up-market, Yuppie type café with artisanal coffee and bakery products. While we waited for him we had a cappuccino and a chai latte (which I managed to get mixed up, which elicited the comment that my cappuccino tasted very different) as well as the largest almond croissant I have ever seen. It was about half the size of a rugby ball. Delicious (indeed one of the best I have ever tasted), but I have no idea how one person could eat it. Maybe you can eat half and they will keep the remains for you for your next visit.

As ever, I have my gripe about excessive tipping. In the café they had a screen into which they would put your credit card, then swivel it over so that it is facing you with suggested tips, going from 25% down to 15% (no 10%) or nothing at all. This was for taking our order apparently, without which they could not really conduct their business. And he was not particularly engaging. I was caught on the hop so went with the 15%, but is does amaze me. The order was not even brought to the table. I know that they claim that the serving staff are poorly paid so need the tips, but why not pay them a decent wage. After all, I don’t feel that good service should be an optional extra. Ho hum, OK, I have had my rant – and apologies if you have heard all this before.

Unfortunately as we drove towards Muir Woods, the rain started falling (yes, it does rain in California) and visibility was down to about 25 yards, so we decided that it was not worth the entrance and parking fees to walk along a flooded trail to try to see a tree that is in the region of 250 feet high and therefore unlikely to be visible beyond a few feet up. And we didn’t have an umbrella. So Justin drove us to Sauselito and we caught the ferry back from there. More views of SF.

Back to the ship and supper again, but not before we were able to enjoy a crescent moon and an extremely bright star as per the photos below, which I am guessing might be Venus? Answers on a postcard please. The tug pushed us round so we were facing the right way and we sailed off, under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Pacific Ocean. No photos of our passage under the bridge as it was darkness by then – and dinner was being served.

Next stop Hawaii!

 

All at Sea!

29^th January to 1st February, 2020

I stupidly decided that I needed to pay another visit to the launderette the day after our visit to San Francisco, along with, it would seem, half of the other passengers on the ship. So that was a long morning, but at least it is done. And then it was back to the old routine, though we did vary it a bit getting a slight cough each. It is the sort of nocturnal cough that only seems to come out at night, especially when you are trying to lie down to sleep. Nothing too drastic, but irritating. It has got better, I am glad to report.

I have made a rather half-hearted effort to see some dolphins, but every time I go up on deck to try to capture some on film, I am greeted by the rather more serious and dedicated watchers with the cry of ‘you should have been here 20 minutes ago’. I think they (the dolphins) know I am coming. It reminds me of that Hamlet advert of the chap trying to photograph some pandas who do nothing whilst he is watching but then do a song and dance routine the minute he looks away. One day!

We have two more dining companions, Janet and her niece, Marcia, which is fun. Marcia, I would add, is over 75, so I am not sure how old Janet is! Apparently their former dining companions all got off in San Francisco. We have also had a table tennis match against the staff, though only four of them could play (they do have jobs to do, after all). I decided this would be the day I would play really badly – but then it is just a game, isn’t it…….

Well, Honolulu tomorrow. No sure what we will do as we have been here before for a week. Maybe a walk around the shops and Waikiki beach or maybe a bit of snorkelling. And of course catch up with some wifi and posting to the blog.

More soon.