Coming back to San Francisco @ 54th Day

Yesterday finally I had arrived at San Francisco!!

I feel home now because I had studied here for 2 months before I came to Washington DC.

I know a lot about San Francisco but the reason why I came here is to meet my friends and host family.

The purpose isn't sightseeing, but for people.



Well, although I said sightseeing isn't my purpose, I wanted to feel SF atmosphere again.

I stayed near San Francisco Bay, so I walked around Fisherman's Wharf.

 

I could smell the sea.

This is Pier 39, which is the most popular place in Fisherman's Wharf.

It's winter season, so there are less people than the time I stayed in SF (April~May).


Yes, I remember this port.

At the first time I came here, my wallet was stolen in this ticket station.

It was my fault... but...

I took out the wallet from my bag to buy a ticket, but I forgot to put it back to the bag...

After I realized and came back, there was no wallet here.

At that time, I recognized this is not Japan...

Later I headed for San Rafael, which is located in the north of San Francisco.

On the way, I drove Golden Gate Bridge!!

It is amazing that about 80 years ago people built such a big bridge.

The view from the bridge is beautiful. (I didn't take a picture.)

Hey, the view after Golden Gate Bridge is also nice.

I didn't know that because at that time I always took a bus.

About 1 hour driving led me to San Francisco Bay in San Rafael.

I could see Berkley in the opposite side and Richmond Bridge.

This path is very nice while jogging!

I visited then-host family, Hiroko and Mike.

 

Hiroko cooks well and I looked forward to dinner every day.

We had a good time having dinner together for a first time in 8 months.


Leaving from San Rafael, I went to San Jose to meet my then-classmates.

It took 2 hours to get there...

San Jose is opposite side of San Francisco.

We ate Chinese food because it's cheap~~

Chinese food, not junk food, is the last food I ate in the US...


When I came back to San Francisco, it is almost 1:00am...

I need to use laundry tomorrow, the last day in the US...

Nice but Tiring Long Driving @ 53rd Day

As I said yesterday, I will introduce Venice a little!!

First, this is the beach.

It's different from Santa Monica beach, isn't it?

It was early morning (8:00), so there are less people and opening shops.

That's too bad...

I wanted to tell how nice Venice is, but I can't.

Well, I needed coffee as everyday custom.

This shops is small like a hiding place...

 
At 9:00, my long journey started.

Today's destination is San Francisco by using CA-1 and US-101 highway.

According to GPS, it takes 7 hours by car.

In the left, I can see blue ocean, and in the right mountain.

With window opening, I drove. Wind is very comfortable.

Malibu, here, is also nice beach spot.

However long I drove, long beaches last like forever.

I wander how many beaches are there in CA?

When I drove a little far way from coast line, next I saw is huge farm in Oxnard.

Here, Santa Barbara, I took a rest and walk around the downtown.

This place is a resort area.

White houses, orange roof...

 Like Andalusia in Spain. I thought the same thing as I heard.

Well, let's have a lunch in Santa Barbara.

I ate hamburger as usual, but this is good taste, different from fast food!!

After Santa Barbara, the highway is in mountains.

After I passed through Santa Maria, I met Pacific again!

This is not a beach but nice place to take a rest.

Gradually, I didn't want to drive any more...

Since this morning, I had driven for almost 5 hours.

In 7:00 I arrived at San Jose.

I was looking forward to go sightseeing here because this is famous worldwide.

But my expectation was destroyed when I saw poor town...

There are nothing but buildings...

This is the place for business, not for sightseeing.

I understood....

From San Jose, I drove 1 hour more.

Finally I got at San Francisco~~

It was almost 9:00...

I was exhausted...

Over 430miles (700km), over 8 hours driving...


Thinking about this drive, CA has wide variety of landscape from good nature to good city.

I recognize CA is very nice state again.

Variety of Common and Fancy in LA @ 52nd Day

Yesterday I failed to reach Hollywood sign...

I felt something like chagrin...

I was supposed to go another place, but I retried!!

I can't come back without seeing Hollywood sign closely.

Well, Of course I chose "Hollywood sign" way.

If I had chosen the other way, I would have gone this horse house.

We can go to the top with riding on a horse.

Sometimes I saw horse waste...

I might have step on that...

Later, the only thing is to walk and walk...

I did the same as yesterday

The difference is whether I walked right way or not.

Yes, I noticed I had walked wrong way yesterday.

 Finally I reached to the sign!!

It was much bigger than my thought.

As think usually, it must be big to be seen from the city.


The view is extremely good because of the top (of course) and my sense of achievement!

I asked a guy to take a picture!

 

After descendent, I drove to the West.

What I saw is gorgeous houses in Beverly Hills.

Many famous people have their big houses there.

Well sometimes I want to have a house like that, but I prefer useful house, not gorgeous.

Before that opinion, I might have no choice but common house.


I drove from Hollywood to this place!

U...C...L...A....

University of California, Los Angeles!!

In the public school, it's a top school...

Without any plan, I walked in the campas.

I just wanted to walk and feel atmosphere.

I felt something serious.

Oh, I found an interesting cafe named "cafe SYNAPSE."

I ordered small latte.

The taste is as usual....

The same thing that I experienced at the cafe in Harvard happen in this cafe.

Clerk : "Are you a student in this school?"

Takumi : "... N, No..."

I couldn't say yes because I can't be a UCLA student....



Next where I came is Santa Monica.

This is downtown Santa Monica.

It seems nice, but this street is full of fancy shops and restaurants.

I just saw outside and passed through...

Santa Monica is famous for its beach that is thought NO.1 beach in West Coast.

I can see blue sky, blue ocean, mountains in the left, downtown in the back and wide beach side.

I imagine people's activity in summer.

I want to come in the summer vacation~~ 

At that time, it is time of sunset.

Many people gathered to the pier.

I saw the sun settling in the horizon with birds instead of people.

How nice (!?) is it!!

 

At night I moved to Venice, which is next to Santa Monica.

There is a hostel that I stay tonight.

Actually, I prefer Venice to Santa Monica.

This is the place for commoner.

It doesn't have order and is a little dirty.

 However it's more interesting for me. Much more interesting!! Really. Yes.

 

I will walk around Venice tomorrow morning and update good pictures next blog.

You'll got to like Venice by my pictures!!

The Capital of Movie @ 51st Day

If I say movie, it must be this place.

Hollywood!!

I also came such a place!!

I can see Hollywood sign from our hostel~~


The main street, Hollywood Boulevard, near the hostel is like this.

 

Street lights are like filming lights!!

On the way to main area, I stopped by a post office.

Here is Hollywood, so there are posters of famous actor stamp in the wall.

Next what I saw is real filming~~.

I was excited when I saw this!!

I took pictures across the road.

Woooowwwww~~~ 

I really thought I came to the movie city.

Later I found this sign...

I regret taking pictures just in front of the camera because I should have walked through as usual.

Due to my behavior, they might have to take again....


This is Hollywood Highland, which is used for Academy Award Ceremony.

Every star seems to walk this stairs to the Kodak Theater.

Next to Hollywood Highland, there is a Chinese Theater.

Lots of people were taking pictures.

But I don't know why this theater is so famous...

I don't know about Hollywood or movie so much...


Along this street, star's name is written in the tile called Walk of Fame.

Even the person who don't know movie so much (means I) found some star's name.

"Tom Hanks" I know, I know.

"Johnny Depp"

Oh, I caught him today using "modern phone", not compass.

"Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldin, Michael Collins

Are they movie stars?? But definitely they are stars.


Actually the city is too much for me.

There seem to be a lot of fum but I like calm, quiet place...


In the evening, I decided to go hiking!

I heard I can come close to Hollywood sign!!

After I got out of car near the mountain, I started to walk.

There is about 2 miles walk to the sign.

I walked through the path like this....

 ??

I couldn't go any more because of barricade.

From that point, it's about 200m to the sign...

 

At that point, I saw much green and the city.

And nice sunset.

And amazing night scenery of the city... (I couldn't take a good picture.)

Well, I really like this place rather than downtown.