Sendiri's Journey
'Around the World in 70 Days'

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Day 52 - Yosemite!
Day 53 - Yosemite! (19km hike!)
Day 54 - San Francisco!
Day 55 - San Francisco!
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Yesterday afternoon I left Portland, Oregon on Amtrak and travelled south to Sacramento. Originally I was going straight to San Francisco. I don't know why I changed my mind to go to Yosemite instead but it was a late change of plan. I'm glad I did!

The train arrived at Sacramento at 6am. I had a terrible night's sleep. The bus to Stockton (to catch the train south) left at 8am so it was a pretty boring 2 hours. No breakfast!

At Stockton I caught the train to Merced, arriving at 10:30am. In Merced I rented a car. Being Sunday there was a $15 call out fee! The Midpines hostel was about 50 miles east from Merced on Route 140. The country was flat for the first 20 miles but then changed to rolling hills covered in dried grass as I entered the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The country side reminded me very much of Australia.

The hostel was quite nice although it was quite dry and dusty there (can't complain - it was summer after all!). Yosemite National Park is 20 miles further on from Midpines so it's a good thing I had a car.

Links:
Yosemite Bug Hostel
HI Midpines

A young couple (Lisa and Brett) were looking for a lift to the Park so we all drove in. The Yosemite Valley was something to behold! Grasslands and forests on the valley floor surrounded by huge granite cliffs (4000+ feet) either side.

We did some shopping and then went for a short hike up to Vernal Falls (along with hundreds of other tourists!) The late afternoon light and cool air were delightful. The scenery was breathtaking.

Brett and Lisa were good company. Lisa had travelled quite a lot in the past 7 years (she was only 25!) including 2 years working on a cruise ship as a personal trainer. We arrived back at the Yosemite village at about 5:30pm, bought some beer and then drove back to the hostel. I was exhausted!

Day 53 - Monday 22 September
Hiking Yosemite National Park

I had a reasonably early start, getting away at just before nine. Brett and Lisa again came along with me and we decided to hike to as close as possible to Glacier Point. A 10:30 start saw us arrive at Nevada Falls at 12:30pm for a lunch break. It was quite a walk - about 4 mile going up all the way (about 2000 feet is my guess).

The top of the falls was a great place to sit and rest - looking out over the valley and up at Half Dome. The water was rushing over the falls and I was able to get a spot right near the edge.

We continued our walk towards Glacier Point. It was very steep going - up about 1000 feet and then down 1000 feet to some small falls. The scenery was magnificent all the way. Unfortunately, it was quite hot and we decided not to push on to Glacier Point. After a short break to cool off our feet, we started the trip back (just over 6 miles).

Up 1000 feet, down 1000 feet in the two miles back to Nevada Falls. There we met Chis and Barbara who were from Mountain View (just south of San Francisco). We all hiked down to Vernal Falls via the granite slopes. Wow! It was steep and really hard on the knees but it was worth it. It was a very scenic route - past a big pool of crystal clear water just above the falls - and then down the cliff right beside the falls. It was really quite wonderful!

I was exhausted! It was too hot to be climbing mountains! I bid farewell to Chris and Barbara with a promise to catch up in a few days. In the cool evening, we drove out of the valley for the last time. On the way out we passed El Capitan - a sheer 3000 to 4000 foot wall of granite. There were dozens of people standing by the road looking up. On the wall there were quite a few climbers scaling the wall. It was an amazing sight. This passage is from the Yosemite.com site:

El Capitan, the massive granite monolith standing sentinel near the valley entrance, is believed to be the largest single block of exposed granite in the world. Its summit rises 3,593 feet (1078 m) above the Merced River. Rock climbers from around the world challenge their abilities on the face of El Capitan; frequently they can be seen attempting the difficult and hazardous ascent.

That night, after dinner, there was a sing-along around the camp fire at the hostel. There were quite a few Irish people staying at the hostel. With a couple of guitars, Irish songs, a few beers and the occasional green smoke, it was a grand night. We went on for hours - finishing around 1am.

This was one of the best days!

Links:
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Moon
Yosemite.com

Day 54 - Tuesday 23 September
San Francisco

I spent most of today travelling. I waited around for Brett and Lisa because they wanted a lift to Merced. I returned the car and then caught the train to San Francisco. Apart from being a bit upset at Brett and Lisa for not contributing towards the cost of the car, I was feeling quite good. I was extremely satisfied with my travels so far. Everything was going well. I had seen some magnificent places, met a lot of great people and had some wonderful experiences.

I had trouble finding a hostel in San Francisco so I followed Brett and Lisa to a rather awful place in Chinatown. Everyone was packed in like sardines.

I went out for dinner on my own and had genuine chicken noodle soup. Later, Brett, Lisa and I went out to a club and restaurant district (Beach Street I think). We called in to "Jazz at the Pearl" and listened to some good music. The drinks were very expensive though.

I didn't last long that night. I was exhausted. I went back to the hostel early and crashed!

Day 55 - Wednesday 24 September
San Francisco

I awoke feeling quite low and homesick! Big city syndrome! It took me a while to get going this morning. I decided that I would leave San Francisco today so booked a room at a hostel in Los Altos - Hidden Villa.

I walked to the "downtown" area to buy some shorts. I then caught a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. I really enjoyed the ride - standing on the back as we went up and down the hills. It was great to see this part of SFO - as seen many-a-time on TV and film. It had a character all of its own. I loved the architecture!

Below are a couple of the many photos I took of houses!

I returned to Fisherman's Wharf and walked straight through (at pace)! What a disappointment! It was over commercialised and too "touristy" for me. I have been to many much nicer wharf/waterfront developments - Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver, Fremantle - to name a few.

I continued walking around the waterfront to downtown to grab some lunch - sitting with scores of office workers near a large fountain. I enjoyed the rest! Unfortunately, I lost my hat there somewhere.

It was time to leave. After collecting some cash, I walked back to the hostel, collected my bags and caught a bus to the airport to pick up a car. I then drove south to Los Altos in Silicon Valley and found the Hidden Villa Hostel.

What a wonderful place - located about three miles west of Los Altos in the Los Altos Hills - the hostel is a working farm. It is clean, quiet and very peaceful. After meeting manager Diny and checking in, I drove back into Los Altos and picked up some food at a very classy supermarket. I also had a few quiet ales before returning to the hostel.

That night I spent quite a while talking to some of the other guests. They were all locals who were on "retreat" or studying at one of the nearby colleges or universities. Allison a writer who was working on the farm, Jamie a student, Tess on sabbatical, and mixed-up Melinda who was studying Psychology and wanted to become a therapist!! Unbelievable! (Sorry Melinda!)

Links:
Hostels in Northern California
HI Hidden Villa