Here the journey became rather unpleasant. Rather than exactly retrace my steps, I figured I could cut over here, get across to there. . . . Don't EVER do that---at least not in an unfamiliar city. :P Soon, I found myself hopelessly lost.
I stopped in this little "mom and pop" place---something to do with some sort of Italian (I think it was) cuisine. I only went in to ask for directions; however, I thought it good form to at least buy something. So, I got some sort of drink from the cooler, and waited for the woman in the back to stop talking and acknowledge me---and waited, and waited. . . . She deliberately ignored me for several minutes.
Finally, she quit gabbing and came to the counter. I told her I wished to pay for my drink. There was other stuff on the counter, and she asked me if I was going to pay for that. It was already there; I more than strongly suspect that it was just left there---left by someone who didn't like being ignored for minutes one end. Then, when I paid her, she made a great show of not having any part of me touch her, and just how distateful it was for her to take money that I had been holding. She did give me directions--which turned out to be bogus---perhaps even deliberately so. It was undoubtably one of the very worst customer experiences I have ever had---and that's saying something--as I live in the far north.
So, I knew I had to go downtown. I ended up just traveling toward the largest buildings. . . . :P :P For a while there, I was in some for of Chinatown. I always find it weird going through those---since my very first experience with one in New York City. (That must've been in the late '80's. . . .) I'm an acromelagic giant, there. Given that I'm the tallest Styers for at least seven generations--you'd think I'd like (or at least be accustomed to that); nay, nay, I say---it weirds me out every time. :P
Eventually, I figured I must've overshot the trolley line by now, and that a moving cable in the pavement would be hard to miss. So, I started heading up hill.
It turned out I was right, and after over and hour and a half of wandering, I saw a trolly car go by. I didn't know if one was allowed to "jump" them while they're moving--so I just followed it to the end:
This was a piece of "old San Francisco." They turned that bu . . . er, beggar around by hand. The people doing it looked about as bored and disgusted as the people 100 years ago probably did. :) I'm sure the tourists and cameras were new, though. . . . :)
I was tired, and the trolley cars were going to run for some hours yet (I checked); so, I stopped in some weird half-Indian restaurant, half-bar. I struck up a conversation with a young woman bartender. She was up from Florida to work here, and seemed quite interested in the fact that I was down from Alaska for a conference.
She gave me the remote, and told me that I could watch whatever I wanted. I don't have cable anymore (Laura's conscientiousness at bill paying. . . . Never mind. :P ), and rare indeed have been the times I have had control of a remote in a bar. Thus I enthusiastically surfed through until I found the original Star Trek on the Sci-Fi channel. It was the one about the "Elaan of Troyius" (Episode number 68, third season, I looked it up---isn't the Web great? :) ) I told the bartender that she [the elaan, not the bartender! :) :) ] definitely was like my ex-wife. That (and possibly my choice of viewing material :) ) ended a previously animated conversation.
Against my better judgment, I had three pints of Guiness. I don't remember a whole bunch else about that day. :)
I was a little slow taking this picture on the trolley ride back. -There was a "Mew" (or maybe it was a "Mew Two. . . .")---just to the left on Pikachu. (This one is for you, Laura. :) )
I was little too slow on this one, too. -And it's a real shame that this one didn't come out better. It was a really cool effect. It was as if the front of this apartment building was a living thing. California is often "green" like that. :)
A mail box in The Castle:
The view out of the window of my room at the hotel:
There's always a bigger fish. :)
On to more San Francisco pics, 'n stuff.