On my trip to Bulgaria, I had the chance of visiting the interesting country of Greece.
I was on an organized bus trip with local tour guides and a number of planned events.
The trip had 3 distinct stages.
The first night we spend at the city of Kalampaka, which is situated under the rock towers of Meteora. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't heard of Meteora. It seems to be a sort of a sheltered place, but you should know - you are missing out. It's an amazing natural wonder, which has been completed with grandiose human achievements to top it up. To begin with, there are those huge rock formations, which are sticking out of the ground like needles, hundreds of meters tall. They have vertical, rock walls supporting a small, flat surface at the top.
It escapes me how people got to the top to build there or the determination needed to do this.
The second part of our trip was Athens (Atina) and the surrounding sites. We had a couple of days there and had a chance to see a lot of the wonders that are there. It is really unbelievable the amount of history that could be found in this one tiny part of the huge world we live in. The tour guide told us a story about the time when the greeks were trying to build a metro, they constantly kept running into more and more remains of the ancient city and eventually they had to give up entirely. As a proof of her words however, everywhere throughout the city you can see remains of 2-3 thousand year old houses and public buildings. The Aghoras (the ancient meeting grounds) are particularly well preserved. I loved the story about the tallest remaining building in the old aghora - the tower of the winds. It's an octagonal building, with a side for each of the major winds (north, south, east and west) and the directions in between (north-east, south-west, etc).
Of course the Parthenon was the main attraction. It's on the tallest (well, actually second tallest) hill in Athens and it is truly majestic in both size and beauty. We also had a round trip around Peloponnese, seeing some of the beginning of the Ancient Greek civilization. We drove through miles and miles of olive trees and pretty, white rocks.
On the way back, we stopped by Delphi. To get to Delphi, you have to travel through what has to be one of the narrowest roads in the world. When going through the city of Delphi, we were literally inches away from the walls of the buildings on the street. Anyway, the ancient city of Delphi was really amazing. It has a lot of history with all the ancient embassies of the different Greek cities as well as a eerie feeling, created by all the mythical stories about the magic of the place. At the very top of the ancient city, there is a huge arena (of course). There was also an amphitheater, where we tested the acoustics of the place and you can hear a voice from one end of the huge construction to the other without any assistance of technology (apart from the mechanical tricks they used, like empty amphorae under the stage and the careful construction of the seating in such a way as to carry the sound waves in the most effective way).
The last part of the trip was in Thessaloniki (Solun in Bulgarian). It is a particular favorite for Bulgarians because of the rich history that connects that city to our own history. It also happens to be quite heavily populated with Bulgarians. It is a very pretty city, with a nice sea view. The main plaza is very beautiful with lots of flowers and surrounded by some amazing old-style hotels. We also had a chance to visit the local market (where you get to see some display of survival bravery only typical for third world countries). Our last stop was the remains of the oldest parts of the city in the middle of the modern day city.
All in all, if you get a chance to visit this country with such rich history, you should seriously consider it. There is so much to see, enjoy and appreciate. It leaves you with a sense of insignificance in a sense after seeing what people were able to do thousands of years ago. Greece rocks.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Red Sox Game
Just one of those things. It spans across countries, across cultures, across languages. The experience to go to a Red Sox game is more than the ultimate fantasy of a baseball game fan, but it has not any less of a significance for anyone - even if they happen to hate watching sports.
Sure, it has been commercialized to a stage that parallels political campaigns. From the way to the stadium with hundreds of shady characters buying and selling tickets, to the entrance with a number of fan merchandise, to the stadium itself covered in banners and every free inch of space around the walkways filled in with food stalls, and you have your mandatory hot dog and coke guys walking around and making an extra buck the entire night. But that's just how it is these days. If it wasn't for the money involved in it, it would have been left out like a blind dog by the street and would have never been perfected and polished to the stage where each and every game is a piece of art, giving spirit and inspiration to young and old alike.
The energy is undeniable. The thousands of people piling to get in feed expectations from the start. There is something about so many people in one place, all thinking positively about achieving yet another victory. Once you find your way to the stadium instead, after going through the maze of dungeon-like walkways, you are greated by an amazing site. A garden of eden amidst the concrete jungle of Boston. It illuminates (under the stadium lights) the healthiest green light. The whole field shines like an emerald, rewarding whoever decides to look at it and enjoy it an eternal bliss of serenity.
I refuse to go beyond this on expressing the experience. Sure, there was an actual game to follow, but it was the energy of the people around this amazing place that really created the experience for me and presented itself as one of those times where the power of the people really exists in unmeasurable, yet just as real proportions.
I leave on this note - no matter who you are, what you enjoy and how much you like (or not) sports, reward yourself with this experience at least once in your life. If you regret it, come and complain to me about it :)
Sure, it has been commercialized to a stage that parallels political campaigns. From the way to the stadium with hundreds of shady characters buying and selling tickets, to the entrance with a number of fan merchandise, to the stadium itself covered in banners and every free inch of space around the walkways filled in with food stalls, and you have your mandatory hot dog and coke guys walking around and making an extra buck the entire night. But that's just how it is these days. If it wasn't for the money involved in it, it would have been left out like a blind dog by the street and would have never been perfected and polished to the stage where each and every game is a piece of art, giving spirit and inspiration to young and old alike.
The energy is undeniable. The thousands of people piling to get in feed expectations from the start. There is something about so many people in one place, all thinking positively about achieving yet another victory. Once you find your way to the stadium instead, after going through the maze of dungeon-like walkways, you are greated by an amazing site. A garden of eden amidst the concrete jungle of Boston. It illuminates (under the stadium lights) the healthiest green light. The whole field shines like an emerald, rewarding whoever decides to look at it and enjoy it an eternal bliss of serenity.
I refuse to go beyond this on expressing the experience. Sure, there was an actual game to follow, but it was the energy of the people around this amazing place that really created the experience for me and presented itself as one of those times where the power of the people really exists in unmeasurable, yet just as real proportions.
I leave on this note - no matter who you are, what you enjoy and how much you like (or not) sports, reward yourself with this experience at least once in your life. If you regret it, come and complain to me about it :)
Monday, September 24, 2007
Printing Press
I got to go to a printing press today. That was pretty exciting. I work for a news paper company now and as part of the job, I got a tour of the printing company they use to print their paper.
It was a pretty interesting experience. I learned a lot. They led us through the entire process they use. First they get PDF files (CMYK) uploaded to them via FTP or other means. Then these files get checked and post-processed if needed. From these files, they create aluminium master plates (big sheets of aluminium), which serve as master for the printing machines. Each sheet fits 8 pages of the paper. There is also a plate for each of the major colours.
After these plates are created, they are fitted onto the printing machines. For colour printing, there are four printing machines going on at the same time, feeding into each other to get the colours overlayed on top of each other to produce the final product. The way the printing press works (from what they explained to us) is that the aluminium plates, produced in the previous step, have special coating on them where colour is supposed to be printed. The machines then apply water and ink to that plate. The coating attracts the ink and then it's impressed on the running pages. Before they run the press in full speed, they do multiple slower runs to adjust alignment of the different colours and setup the right amount of ink on each page (there are a sequence of about 20 knobs along the length of the page to adjust that). Once the machine runs in full speed, it is running amazingly fast and they can print more than 16000 8-page sections per hour. For bigger papers, they queue a number of printing machines in such a way that all the necessary pages come together in the end, where a machine is cutting and folding them to the ready product. It is unbelievable how fast and exact the machines are doing their job. The final step of the process is to combine all the different sections, which is done by another set of folding/inserting machines and to package the papers for posting.
Now I know :)
It was a pretty interesting experience. I learned a lot. They led us through the entire process they use. First they get PDF files (CMYK) uploaded to them via FTP or other means. Then these files get checked and post-processed if needed. From these files, they create aluminium master plates (big sheets of aluminium), which serve as master for the printing machines. Each sheet fits 8 pages of the paper. There is also a plate for each of the major colours.
After these plates are created, they are fitted onto the printing machines. For colour printing, there are four printing machines going on at the same time, feeding into each other to get the colours overlayed on top of each other to produce the final product. The way the printing press works (from what they explained to us) is that the aluminium plates, produced in the previous step, have special coating on them where colour is supposed to be printed. The machines then apply water and ink to that plate. The coating attracts the ink and then it's impressed on the running pages. Before they run the press in full speed, they do multiple slower runs to adjust alignment of the different colours and setup the right amount of ink on each page (there are a sequence of about 20 knobs along the length of the page to adjust that). Once the machine runs in full speed, it is running amazingly fast and they can print more than 16000 8-page sections per hour. For bigger papers, they queue a number of printing machines in such a way that all the necessary pages come together in the end, where a machine is cutting and folding them to the ready product. It is unbelievable how fast and exact the machines are doing their job. The final step of the process is to combine all the different sections, which is done by another set of folding/inserting machines and to package the papers for posting.
Now I know :)
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Car Accident
After the day in Cambridge, I caught up with a friend of mine from Canada called Nate from back in the days of KUA. He's one of the most fun loving creature on earth and naturally throws the best parties. I had pretty good fun at just one of those that night. It was good catching up with him and letting a bit loose after all the work.
The focus on this post however isn't exactly the fun parts of life. It's about the deep and meaningful, brought by the sudden moments of realisation that our lives hang by a thin line at any point of time, which can easily be snapped by the ever tempting fate. I just ran into one of these close calls in life in a vicious car accident.
It was late. We were getting home from a fun and busy (hence tiring) day. We were almost home, when the quiet, neighbourhood streets took a turn after a long, straight stretch about a mile down from home. Only too later did I realise that as much as the road was windy, it had stayed straight for long enough for the driver to fall asleep and by the time I realise he has no intentions to turn in the upcoming turn, it was too late to do anything about the immanent crash. All I was left with was trying to shake him awake and brace for the impact. I can spend quite a bit describing the eternity of the next couple of seconds, but the main point is: we crashed. We piled through a road sign and crashed into an utility pole, cracking it quite badly. There were no tire marks on the road, so I'm pretty sure no brakes were used and we crashed full speed in it.
Police were there right away. Within 5 minutes we had an emergency vehicle, an ambulance, a fire truck, a tow truck and three police cars surrounding us from everywhere. Nobody could believe, based on the condition of the car, that we just walked out of there without a scratch. They kept asking us if we are alright and if we were the only ones in the car. After all the noise and the standard rain of questions, we were left to go home and relax. The next day we could assess damages. The only thing I had was singed hair and slight burns on my hands. All damages were caused by the stupid air bags, which exploded to engage and filled the car with smoke. I didn't even touch the blasted (no pun intended) thing. My seatbelt kept me a fair distance from it (and that's a good thing, cause I could have been looking at broken ribs or something from the killer safety device). That's about it. I could keep going, but I think there is enough said.
Here are some pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/cyberhorse/Accident
Now (2 weeks later) the pole is replaced and we've named it tentatively "our pole" :) It's kind of good to look back onto this experience and learn from it. Also appreciate the fragility of life.
The focus on this post however isn't exactly the fun parts of life. It's about the deep and meaningful, brought by the sudden moments of realisation that our lives hang by a thin line at any point of time, which can easily be snapped by the ever tempting fate. I just ran into one of these close calls in life in a vicious car accident.
It was late. We were getting home from a fun and busy (hence tiring) day. We were almost home, when the quiet, neighbourhood streets took a turn after a long, straight stretch about a mile down from home. Only too later did I realise that as much as the road was windy, it had stayed straight for long enough for the driver to fall asleep and by the time I realise he has no intentions to turn in the upcoming turn, it was too late to do anything about the immanent crash. All I was left with was trying to shake him awake and brace for the impact. I can spend quite a bit describing the eternity of the next couple of seconds, but the main point is: we crashed. We piled through a road sign and crashed into an utility pole, cracking it quite badly. There were no tire marks on the road, so I'm pretty sure no brakes were used and we crashed full speed in it.
Police were there right away. Within 5 minutes we had an emergency vehicle, an ambulance, a fire truck, a tow truck and three police cars surrounding us from everywhere. Nobody could believe, based on the condition of the car, that we just walked out of there without a scratch. They kept asking us if we are alright and if we were the only ones in the car. After all the noise and the standard rain of questions, we were left to go home and relax. The next day we could assess damages. The only thing I had was singed hair and slight burns on my hands. All damages were caused by the stupid air bags, which exploded to engage and filled the car with smoke. I didn't even touch the blasted (no pun intended) thing. My seatbelt kept me a fair distance from it (and that's a good thing, cause I could have been looking at broken ribs or something from the killer safety device). That's about it. I could keep going, but I think there is enough said.
Here are some pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/cyberhorse/Accident
Now (2 weeks later) the pole is replaced and we've named it tentatively "our pole" :) It's kind of good to look back onto this experience and learn from it. Also appreciate the fragility of life.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Cambridge
Today I got a quick tour of Boston (the city). A guided tour throughout the city - Southie, The Commercial District, Beacon Hill, and ended in Cambridge. I didn't realise Cambridge was pretty much a part of Boston. It's across a bridge from the heart of the city.
Cambridge felt like a magical place on that summer day. The majestic campuses of MIT, Harvard and Cambridge blending into each other joined by lush parks create a sense of long history of achievements. Cambridge is a true college city. It's full with vibrant dinners and hip shops full with young and multicultural people. Even though it was the summer holiday still, the city was already getting filled by excited new students from all over the world, eager to begin what would equate to opening their world.
At the centre of Cambridge, there is a big plaza where a lot of people were enjoying performances by buskers. There is the Harvard Coop - the official school supply shop of Harvard, a news paper stand with worldwide publications, a few nice cafe places, and of course a garden. About 200m from there, we visited the Cambridge Library - an icon of education recognized everywhere.
While I was there, I also couldn't help myself but do some shopping. Got myself a pair of street Adidas shoes from an original Adidas store (had the DJ and everything). I'm pretty happy with them.
Overall, spend the better part of the day walking amidst the funky atmosphere of the place. Had a fantastic lunch at one of the local places just across the street of the Harvard Coop and met with a few students from Cambridge College. After that, I was left with a subtle desire to come back and study there one day.
Cambridge felt like a magical place on that summer day. The majestic campuses of MIT, Harvard and Cambridge blending into each other joined by lush parks create a sense of long history of achievements. Cambridge is a true college city. It's full with vibrant dinners and hip shops full with young and multicultural people. Even though it was the summer holiday still, the city was already getting filled by excited new students from all over the world, eager to begin what would equate to opening their world.
At the centre of Cambridge, there is a big plaza where a lot of people were enjoying performances by buskers. There is the Harvard Coop - the official school supply shop of Harvard, a news paper stand with worldwide publications, a few nice cafe places, and of course a garden. About 200m from there, we visited the Cambridge Library - an icon of education recognized everywhere.
While I was there, I also couldn't help myself but do some shopping. Got myself a pair of street Adidas shoes from an original Adidas store (had the DJ and everything). I'm pretty happy with them.
Overall, spend the better part of the day walking amidst the funky atmosphere of the place. Had a fantastic lunch at one of the local places just across the street of the Harvard Coop and met with a few students from Cambridge College. After that, I was left with a subtle desire to come back and study there one day.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Boston
Boston (or close to it). I was glad to be in Boston. Walking out of the airport, at the opening of the outside door I was greeted by a blast of the familiar sea air that tastes so sweet. It's like a breath of life and summer joy.
I was met at the airport by a dear friend of mine. A guy that has helped me fit in throughout my first experiences in a foreign world. A guy that has appreciated who I am and what I do and has remained a friend of mine over the years besides distance and time. It was good meeting an old pal.
I was treated with a fantastic basketball game as a welcome gift. It is crazy how good people are at sports around here at all levels. Although I may in general not sympathize with the reckless waste of time and body with sports, it's hard not to admire the dedication and deserved achievements some people get to.
By 10 at night I was at my new home. I can't even begin to describe the beauty and serenity of the view from the bay. Duxbury, my new address, is on the south shore of Boston. Famous for it's wealthy residents and endless party life, it sounds like the perfect place to be during the summer. I didn't have much time to enjoy the view as it was already getting late and after travelling for close to 20 hours I was ready for a rest.
The morning came with another pleasant surprise. The people in the main house were so naturally warm and helping that I felt very welcome and comfortable. It was just a natural reaction for them to get on with their day by joking around and having a laugh, truely enjoying life. Even though I knew them from before, I was amazed that our relationship was back to what it was 7 years ago, without skipping a beat.
Even more so was I surprised when the same shiny personality greeted me everywhere I went. My new work place, the shopping centre, the gas station. Wherever I entered, I was greeted by warmth and good heartedness. I really like this because that warmth is all I need to allow me to get out of my shell and return the good intentions. It's nice and easy to live a life of joy all the time :) I had memories of people here being very warm from my school years and ever since I wondered if that was just a glorified memory and if it wasn't just a college experience. To my surprise I get the impression now that my experiences weren't a rarity but rather the norm around these parts. I guess it only makes sense - life is so much easier when instead of sizing the people around you as potential criminals you take them as your family and try to have as much fun with everyone as possible, regardless of the situation.
In that spirit, the weekend was a fantastic experience. It was a constant party, where the house was filled with kids and adults from all our neighbours and the good times rolled from the early morning, way into the late night around a fire. Add to that a swimming pool, a gorgeous weather and a few beers and you have the makings of one of these moments of life you remember for the peaceful comfort only higher planes of existence promise.
On the Saturday, like some sort of sign, there was a wonder of nature to enjoy. The sky was torn by tens if not hundreds of meteorites, the biggest of which leaving a bright trail, measuring at least a quarter of the sky. It was an amazing display of lights under the clear, summer sky, which I'm sure to remember as one of those wonders that happen once in a hundred years and you can't help but feel lucky to add to your memories of beautiful things in life.
On the tedious side of things, I had to rebuild my life here. I've been shopping every day after work since I came here. Food, kitchenware, furnishing, bathroom things, etc, etc, etc. There is always more things I can't live without :). It's a good surprise to see that most things here are actually cheaper (sometimes by little, sometimes by lots) than in Australia - it only makes shopping easier. Another bonus is that most shops are opened pretty much any time I've tried to get to them. This never ending shopping spree seems to finally be quieting down. Both because I probably have everything a shop can offer as well as having spent all the money I had. I'm down to my last dollar now. At least food shopping was one of the first things on my list so I won't die of starvation. I'll have to be patient until my first cheque now.
I also had to do all the official things - organize my social security number, open a bank account, get a sim card for my phone here and so on. I think I've handled most of the services that make you a human here by now.
Ok, ok. There is also work here. Going from 9 to 5 (and later), building a new site from scratch pretty much on my own (I had no idea that's what it will turn out to be), working with 5 other people working on all the websites here (at least three of them). Still trying to get a handle of everything, especially when it seems like there has never been a clear direction of where things are going and no real management of how projects progress.
The project I'm working on seems quite interesting and with all my previous experience I should have an initial prototype knocked up pretty quickly. If all goes to plan, it may become one of the biggest online databases of its kind on the Internet. The existing site already has the visitors to be a good launching pad.
Ok, so that's it for now. I'm alright and happy and I hope so are you :)
I was met at the airport by a dear friend of mine. A guy that has helped me fit in throughout my first experiences in a foreign world. A guy that has appreciated who I am and what I do and has remained a friend of mine over the years besides distance and time. It was good meeting an old pal.
I was treated with a fantastic basketball game as a welcome gift. It is crazy how good people are at sports around here at all levels. Although I may in general not sympathize with the reckless waste of time and body with sports, it's hard not to admire the dedication and deserved achievements some people get to.
By 10 at night I was at my new home. I can't even begin to describe the beauty and serenity of the view from the bay. Duxbury, my new address, is on the south shore of Boston. Famous for it's wealthy residents and endless party life, it sounds like the perfect place to be during the summer. I didn't have much time to enjoy the view as it was already getting late and after travelling for close to 20 hours I was ready for a rest.
The morning came with another pleasant surprise. The people in the main house were so naturally warm and helping that I felt very welcome and comfortable. It was just a natural reaction for them to get on with their day by joking around and having a laugh, truely enjoying life. Even though I knew them from before, I was amazed that our relationship was back to what it was 7 years ago, without skipping a beat.
Even more so was I surprised when the same shiny personality greeted me everywhere I went. My new work place, the shopping centre, the gas station. Wherever I entered, I was greeted by warmth and good heartedness. I really like this because that warmth is all I need to allow me to get out of my shell and return the good intentions. It's nice and easy to live a life of joy all the time :) I had memories of people here being very warm from my school years and ever since I wondered if that was just a glorified memory and if it wasn't just a college experience. To my surprise I get the impression now that my experiences weren't a rarity but rather the norm around these parts. I guess it only makes sense - life is so much easier when instead of sizing the people around you as potential criminals you take them as your family and try to have as much fun with everyone as possible, regardless of the situation.
In that spirit, the weekend was a fantastic experience. It was a constant party, where the house was filled with kids and adults from all our neighbours and the good times rolled from the early morning, way into the late night around a fire. Add to that a swimming pool, a gorgeous weather and a few beers and you have the makings of one of these moments of life you remember for the peaceful comfort only higher planes of existence promise.
On the Saturday, like some sort of sign, there was a wonder of nature to enjoy. The sky was torn by tens if not hundreds of meteorites, the biggest of which leaving a bright trail, measuring at least a quarter of the sky. It was an amazing display of lights under the clear, summer sky, which I'm sure to remember as one of those wonders that happen once in a hundred years and you can't help but feel lucky to add to your memories of beautiful things in life.
On the tedious side of things, I had to rebuild my life here. I've been shopping every day after work since I came here. Food, kitchenware, furnishing, bathroom things, etc, etc, etc. There is always more things I can't live without :). It's a good surprise to see that most things here are actually cheaper (sometimes by little, sometimes by lots) than in Australia - it only makes shopping easier. Another bonus is that most shops are opened pretty much any time I've tried to get to them. This never ending shopping spree seems to finally be quieting down. Both because I probably have everything a shop can offer as well as having spent all the money I had. I'm down to my last dollar now. At least food shopping was one of the first things on my list so I won't die of starvation. I'll have to be patient until my first cheque now.
I also had to do all the official things - organize my social security number, open a bank account, get a sim card for my phone here and so on. I think I've handled most of the services that make you a human here by now.
Ok, ok. There is also work here. Going from 9 to 5 (and later), building a new site from scratch pretty much on my own (I had no idea that's what it will turn out to be), working with 5 other people working on all the websites here (at least three of them). Still trying to get a handle of everything, especially when it seems like there has never been a clear direction of where things are going and no real management of how projects progress.
The project I'm working on seems quite interesting and with all my previous experience I should have an initial prototype knocked up pretty quickly. If all goes to plan, it may become one of the biggest online databases of its kind on the Internet. The existing site already has the visitors to be a good launching pad.
Ok, so that's it for now. I'm alright and happy and I hope so are you :)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
If you're going to San Francisco ...
Well, well, well dear readers,
Here is my story about a long flight and a short day at San Francisco.
First things first. I was lucky with my flight. Flew Air New Zealand from Adelaide to Auckland and then from Auckland to San Francisco. On the first flight, there was only one person next to me, and he got upgraded to first class, so I had two seats for myself for the full 9 hours. I had only a short stay at Auckland's airport (less than an hour). And then onto another 12 hour or so flight. Luck strikes back, the flight was almost empty, so I get moved next to an empty seat. That made the long flight so much easier :).
Then there is San Francisco. After a bit of a confusion with the shuttle to my hotel, I finally get there at close to 3 and had to get a taxi to the city to make my Alcatraz cruise on time at 3:20. I'm so happy I made it. Got there at the last possible moment, yet just in time to get to one of the legendary attractions of the city.
Alcatraz was great. I didn't realise that, but the island has a history, which spans much more time than just its story as a prison. It used to be a military garrison, and then military prison. It also houses one of the original light houses for SF, which is quite impressive and is still used today. It used to be a prison for only 60 years or so until the 60s, when it was decommissioned. The island is pretty big, with a whole bunch of historical buildings scattered around as a proof of its rich history. There are also amazing gardens on the island, grown by the prisoners under the warden's supervision. The island has one of the most breathtaking view in the world. West - golden gate bridge; South - San Francisco's downtown skyscraper skyline; East - another fantastic bridge, split in two by a small island; North - the ocean and another peninsular in the distance. All in all, makes you wish you could live there. Then in the back of my head creeps in the thought of what it must have been for the prisoners there, having this great view, and being so close to the greatest of civilization, yet so far away from it. The prison itself is quite morbid. It was the largest steel & concrete building in the world when it was first built. It looks solid and lifeless like the rock it sits on. The prisoner cells were tiny and bare. I never could understand what's so bad about prison - you get a quiet place for yourself and you get free food and place to sleep. Not until I saw the actual conditions of Alcatraz. Maximum security prison really didn't look like such a free ride after all. Four rows of 3x2m cells in three stories. And then there is "D" block. The tough guys got a special treatment of complete isolation. Half the cells there are completely bare and with no light. That was the home for some of the most famous prisoners like Al Capone.
The island tour took about two and a half hours. Never would have thought there would be so much to see - it was pretty amazing. After that, it was free program. Went up through the Fisherman's Wharf, which has some really nice shops and restaurants. Had a local, fresh seafood sandwich from the street and it was the tastiest seafood meal I've ever had. Then, went for a climb up the steep streets where the cable cars go. It was quite a bit of a hike. I walked up for only 4-5 blocks, but at 40 degrees incline or so, it gets up puffed out. I was pretty much just walking around aimlessly without a clue where I came from and where I was going to, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself looking at the crazy, winding street in San Fran. You know the one, from the movies. It was so pretty. It's full with flower gardens and the pavement is brand new.
Next stop was was downtown. On the way there, I went down Columbus St., which was like little Italy, but very, very long going all the way from the beach to downtown. The sky scrapers in the city were pretty cool. Some of them so tall, their tops were in the clouds ... literally. I had a few hours walking around there (half enjoying the sights and the walk, half searching for how to get to my hotel). My journey ended on the "BART" - an underground railway (like a subway) going out of the city in pretty much any direction for hundreds of kilometers. God knows how and when they built that, but it's mighty convenient and really fast.
I didn't have much time on the next morning for anything more than to get to my flight. I was "lucky" enough to be "randomly" selected for additional "screening", so that was a blast ... On US airports, you are not allowed any liquids and you have to take your shoes off when going through the security. On top of that, I had to go to this weird blowing machine and also had to empty my backpack. I can't describe how "exciting" that was. Meh, at least somehow I ended up being upgraded to "Economy Extra" class, with the extra 2 inches of legroom or something, which I didn't need anyway. I felt bad. I felt like swapping with someone that needed it, but I didn't.
6 hours or so later, I was in Boston. I was met at the airport, went to see a basketball game and got to my new home.
next week ... Boston :)
Here is my story about a long flight and a short day at San Francisco.
First things first. I was lucky with my flight. Flew Air New Zealand from Adelaide to Auckland and then from Auckland to San Francisco. On the first flight, there was only one person next to me, and he got upgraded to first class, so I had two seats for myself for the full 9 hours. I had only a short stay at Auckland's airport (less than an hour). And then onto another 12 hour or so flight. Luck strikes back, the flight was almost empty, so I get moved next to an empty seat. That made the long flight so much easier :).
Then there is San Francisco. After a bit of a confusion with the shuttle to my hotel, I finally get there at close to 3 and had to get a taxi to the city to make my Alcatraz cruise on time at 3:20. I'm so happy I made it. Got there at the last possible moment, yet just in time to get to one of the legendary attractions of the city.
Alcatraz was great. I didn't realise that, but the island has a history, which spans much more time than just its story as a prison. It used to be a military garrison, and then military prison. It also houses one of the original light houses for SF, which is quite impressive and is still used today. It used to be a prison for only 60 years or so until the 60s, when it was decommissioned. The island is pretty big, with a whole bunch of historical buildings scattered around as a proof of its rich history. There are also amazing gardens on the island, grown by the prisoners under the warden's supervision. The island has one of the most breathtaking view in the world. West - golden gate bridge; South - San Francisco's downtown skyscraper skyline; East - another fantastic bridge, split in two by a small island; North - the ocean and another peninsular in the distance. All in all, makes you wish you could live there. Then in the back of my head creeps in the thought of what it must have been for the prisoners there, having this great view, and being so close to the greatest of civilization, yet so far away from it. The prison itself is quite morbid. It was the largest steel & concrete building in the world when it was first built. It looks solid and lifeless like the rock it sits on. The prisoner cells were tiny and bare. I never could understand what's so bad about prison - you get a quiet place for yourself and you get free food and place to sleep. Not until I saw the actual conditions of Alcatraz. Maximum security prison really didn't look like such a free ride after all. Four rows of 3x2m cells in three stories. And then there is "D" block. The tough guys got a special treatment of complete isolation. Half the cells there are completely bare and with no light. That was the home for some of the most famous prisoners like Al Capone.
The island tour took about two and a half hours. Never would have thought there would be so much to see - it was pretty amazing. After that, it was free program. Went up through the Fisherman's Wharf, which has some really nice shops and restaurants. Had a local, fresh seafood sandwich from the street and it was the tastiest seafood meal I've ever had. Then, went for a climb up the steep streets where the cable cars go. It was quite a bit of a hike. I walked up for only 4-5 blocks, but at 40 degrees incline or so, it gets up puffed out. I was pretty much just walking around aimlessly without a clue where I came from and where I was going to, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself looking at the crazy, winding street in San Fran. You know the one, from the movies. It was so pretty. It's full with flower gardens and the pavement is brand new.
Next stop was was downtown. On the way there, I went down Columbus St., which was like little Italy, but very, very long going all the way from the beach to downtown. The sky scrapers in the city were pretty cool. Some of them so tall, their tops were in the clouds ... literally. I had a few hours walking around there (half enjoying the sights and the walk, half searching for how to get to my hotel). My journey ended on the "BART" - an underground railway (like a subway) going out of the city in pretty much any direction for hundreds of kilometers. God knows how and when they built that, but it's mighty convenient and really fast.
I didn't have much time on the next morning for anything more than to get to my flight. I was "lucky" enough to be "randomly" selected for additional "screening", so that was a blast ... On US airports, you are not allowed any liquids and you have to take your shoes off when going through the security. On top of that, I had to go to this weird blowing machine and also had to empty my backpack. I can't describe how "exciting" that was. Meh, at least somehow I ended up being upgraded to "Economy Extra" class, with the extra 2 inches of legroom or something, which I didn't need anyway. I felt bad. I felt like swapping with someone that needed it, but I didn't.
6 hours or so later, I was in Boston. I was met at the airport, went to see a basketball game and got to my new home.
next week ... Boston :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)