I landed in San Francisco on July 4th and stayed at the Pickwick Hotel. My original plan was to go see some fireworks for Independence Day but those plans were quashed by jetlag and unexpectedly low temperatures. It was surprisingly cold in San Francisco. Having gotten used to the high temp and humidity of southeast Asia, and being unprepared for the weather with adequate apparel, I was frequently shivering during my stay.
Since I was so exhausted I didn't do much on the 4th besides visit a dispensary and sleep off the jetlag.
On the 5th I scheduled a telehealth appt for my PA medical cannabis card which I would like to keep active even though I may only ever use it once a year. After that I visited and walked around the Haight Ashbury area. For those who don't know, this area was a center of counterculture and hippy lifestyle in the 60s, and that legacy lives on today. I walked from Buena Vista Park to Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden where I enjoyed tea and a light lunch.
My friend Cristian and I were planning to meet up and camp for night in Potwisha Campground, which was halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, due to some medical concerns he was having with his infant daughter, those plans were scrapped. As such, I made a point of finding some other outdoor activities.
I drove to Cataract Falls and enjoyed a lovely hike.
Then I went to Stinson Beach, Red Rock Spring, Red Rock Beach, Muir Beach, and Pirates Cove. Each location involved varying degrees of hiking. While it was certainly too cold to swim I still made a point of putting my feet in the water at Muir Beach. The photos below are not in the correct order.
I am disappointed I did not hike all the way down to Pirate Cove but I was running out of water and the terrain was getting quite difficult.
On my drive back I stopped for this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Later in the day I wandered around San Francisco Center Mall to kill time.
On July 7th I checked out of the Pickwick and went to the Travelodge by Windham, which was closer to the airport. Before going to my new hotel I got some Mexican food at El Faro, then did some hiking at San Bruno Mountain State and County Park, as well as took a walk on the San Andreas Trailhead.
July 8th I checked out of my hotel early, returned my rental car, and took my flight to Philadelphia. San Francisco was cool but expensive. It was my first time in California and I expected warmer weather. I will return again but next time will likely fly through LA instead.
As I sit here, drinking a beer in Shenzhen Seaworld, and reflecting on my adventures during the Christmas holiday I cannot help but feel mixed feelings. On the one hand I am overjoyed that I had a great time and enjoyed some new places while on the other I feel a a little bit of ennui with travel. The winter break began on December 21st. I caught a flight from Hong Kong to Koh Samui via a short layover in Bangkok. Upon landing in Koh Samui late in the evening I took a taxi to the Chaweng Cove Beach Resort. Then I set out to the nearest dispensary for some herb and returned to my hotel. The first night I was restless and unable to sleep. The bed and pillows were uncomfortable and the hotel restaurant was under construction so I could hear a circular saw buzzing away almost all night. Furthermore, since it was my first solo trip in a long time, I missed Faye and the king sized bed felt empty. I finally fell asleep at almost...
Japan is an amazing place to visit. During the Golden Week Holiday Faye and I had the pleasure of going to Japan for our second time. This time we enjoyed the beauty and glory of nature as we hiked the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route before shopping in Osaka. We arrived in Osaka Kansai Airport on September 28th in the early afternoon. We immediately hopped on the metro to Hineno to catch a JR train to Tanabe. The ride was about 2hrs long and by the time we arrived in Tanabe it was already dark. I stopped very briefly in Tanabe train station to play this charcoal xylophone. We took a taxi to our hotel. Staying in the Kumano Kodo Winery Guesthouse was a fantastic choice. When we arrived they were already making us a delicious dinner with locally sourced ingredients. The sound of crickets and chirping frogs filled the night air as we enjoyed our meal and some drinks. Then we repacked our bags and went to bed....
Dear friend, neighbor, loved one, relative, colleague, classmate, and/or etc. On November 5th 2024 America made history by electing its first wannabe dictator as POTUS. You were among the majority in this country who decided this was their guy. For the other half of the country this was a dark day. This letter aims to explain why we are so afraid for the future of our country, our health, our safety, and our livelihoods. It is also an attempt to open up a dialogue. I am not trying to change your mind. I am simply sharing with you facts that scare the living shit out of us and hopefully you will understand our concerns. After you have read this letter in full please know that you are welcome to share your thoughts. If you are open minded enough to read this till the end then I will be willing to hear you. Let's keep it respectful. Here are the facts: 1) Trump (and republicans in general) are worse for the economy. S...
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