Birthday Stuff

   Hey gang. Just when you thought you'd seen enough of my lunatic travel ravings, I'm baaaack. Today is Saturday so what better place to start this than Thursday as it comes before Saturday and... well, it comes before Saturday. Sigh.

  For my birthday (thank you) the kids chipped in and bought us the night tour at Alcatraz so we headed down to the waterfront to spend the afternoon and grab a bite beforehand. We've studiously avoided the "touristy" parts of SF on this trip since Penny and I have been here before and thought there wouldn't be much that was new to us. Were we ever wrong! First, the wharf area has completely changed since the 1989 earthquake and it's a huge improvement. No longer is the area overrun with expressways and overpasses. It's bright and open and welcoming... and windy.

  The Alcatraz tour is new and improved since we were last there 30-something years ago and it was interesting, disturbing and illuminating. I know modern prisons don't resemble Alcatraz but the idea of being locked in a place like that should make anyone think twice before doing something that would land you there. Anyway, here's a couple of pics for those of you who've not seen The Rock:

Since the National Park Service took it over they've strived to keep it authentic, even recreating the signage painted by the Indian occupation in the early 70's.

  Friday, Penny set us up with a food tour in the Mission District. We agreed to meet in front of the Pirate Supply Store at 826 Valencia. Unfortunately, it was closed but we did manage to read the notices in front of the door while we waited for our guide (click on the picture and expand it to read them):

  A short while later we met up with Spud Hilton, a travel writer and long-time resident of the neighbourhood. Although we were supposed to be in a group tour, it turned out Penny and I were alone so we got a private tour, echoes of our time in the backcountry in Kruger National Park last year. Spud spent the next three hours leading us through a series of excellent Latin eating establishments and bakeries all while regaling us with stories of neighbourhood history along with personal experiences that kept us enthralled and smiling.

  A large part of the Mission's character is represented in murals. They're everywhere and, if you've spent time in Latin America, an integral part of these communities. There is a group that curates the murals, ensuring the creators maintain them to avoid these walls becoming repositories for random graffiti artists, etc. Many of them carry social and political messages, reflecting the deep social conscience present in this area.

... and this one of local boy Carlos Santana reminded Spud of an interesting story...

  Those of you who enjoy Mexican food are familiar with burritos and likely think of them as large and overstuffed with the kitchen sink. Back in the 70's they were much smaller because traditional tortillas will only hold a small amount of meat, beans and cheese. This restaurant, in an effort to satisfy their customers' demand for meals they could eat on the run, wanted a larger version that would hold more stuffing. Enter Carlos' brother, Jorge, who was hired to make a new, large tortilla and, poof, the modern burrito was born.

  If you know the SF street art scene you'll be familiar with fnnch who's become infamous for painting various versions of his honey bear around the city for the past few years:

  Well, it seems he's gone somewhat mainstream and here's one of his pieces, commissioned at a bar right across from the SFPD (note the swizzle stick):

  Anyway, our tour was over too soon and we bade a fond farewell to Spud. What a great host and ambassador to SF. A terrific time was had by all and we left knowing a whole lot more and feeling like we'd like to get to know SF a little bit better in the future.

  With a full afternoon of food and drink in us we went off to see the new Mission Impossible at the IMAX theatre Friday night and it lived up to the hype... a thrill a minute. On the way there we did happen upon this place:

... and these guys:

... another example of how you're never far from the movie biz in California.

  Today is our last day here so we're cleaning. The owner returns this evening and we hit the road for Vancouver first thing in the morning. Stay tuned for our next round of adventures!