Pura Vida, Mañana Mañana and other useful phrases...

Photo Album for San Francisco done!

<---------------------- Check it out!!

It's not really in order, but at least the pictures are up in the right way, and the photos are there in date order!! What can you expect from a rush job on super expensive Internet?

This is probably the last post - not sure when we'll get to a computer next in Costa Rica. It's now 1.46am, Glen is packing, and we need to wake up at 330am to catch the 4am transfer to the airport!!

Sleep, what's sleep?

Things Glen and I have actually said since we've arrived in San Francisco

'What side of the road do they drive again?' - Me asking Glen as we're strolling around the city

'It's left, Sandra, left. No...left LEFT LEEEEEFT!!!!!' - Glen yelling at me as I walk onto oncoming traffic

'Bloody tourist!!' - Me muttering loudly behind my husband as he fumbles to get the BART train ticket into the oh-so-deceptively-tiny gate slot

'What's a triple grande vanilla dulce de leche latte? A double in a grande, and what's in a venti? Skim is non-fat, right? Oh god oh god I just want to order a coffee!!!!!!!!!!' - Me flustered at the front of a busy and cranky queue at Starbucks, 7am Monday morning.

'Right, let's quickly get this home so we can feed the whole PARTY of people at our house, ok Sandra?' -My husband, in response to the judging look from the Walgreen check out girl as we heave a pile of Hohos, Dingdongs, Twinkies, Peanut Butter M&Ms, Reeses Pieces, Chicken in a Biskit, Mini Marshmallows, and Orange Cheese In a Can. Just wanted to see what they tasted like from all the US movies and TV shows! Hey! Don't judge us!!

'HEY!! I'm WAAAAWKING here!!!' - Me trying to do the only American accent I can think of, and of course, failing miserably...

'Glen, this whole time-space continuum is totally doing my head in. How can it be 5am here, when it's like, 8pm back home?' - Me, not being able to sleep this morning.

'Mmmmmph.......SaAhfjd...shurrrup' - Glen, in response to that question

'I'd like to book this city tour please. Ummm, this city tour. It's not really very touristy touristy is it? I mean, I know we are tourists, but is it like cheesy touristy? Okay, I'll just shut up now.' Me again, talking to a very unamused customer service person at the hostel.

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Anyway, as Glen mentioned in the earlier post (yes, you'll have to scroll down. Oh the confusion and the mayhem), we have ARRIVED!!! It is so bizarre being here. I think yes, I can safely say that it's FINALLY sunken in that we're travelling, we're here, but it still feels so WEIRD!

I am happy to report that I wasn't all blubbery mush at the airport. It was at 530am in the morning (yes, Sarah if you're reading this, 530 AM IN THE MORNING..), I think we were all a little too weary to cry. I did tear a little as my mum walked side by side with me all the way to the very gate itself. But as I was walking down the runway, I held my head high, and strutted proudly next to my husband.

It was only THEN, when we sat down, that the tears came. Completely out of nowhere. I was fine one second, and then the next thing I know, Glen turns to me and says:

"Sandra, would you like a Kool Mint?"

I started out trying to say yes, but what came out was:

"Yeerrr...BAWHAAAAAWHAAAAW!!!!!!!!!" *sniff sniff*

I was doing that funny hiccupy cry thing where I would sob uncontrollably, and then laugh at how ridiculously I am, and then cry again like a crazy woman. I had six hankies in my bag, all were used up in seconds!!!

It was kind of a relief though, I was starting to suspect I was becoming a bit of an ice queen with my nonchalant goodbyes last week!!

Anyway, San Francisco IS great. Not really what I expected it to be, but then I'm not sure what I was expecting anyway. Probably something out of a TV show I guess. With Brad Pitt cameoing - serving me a kebab around the corner, something like that?

So far, we have pounded the steep pavements and rode on the streetcars and went to Alcatraz. I am glad we only have three days now - I can't wait to get to Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Tomorrow, Glen and I are hiring bikes and riding across Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back. Should be awesome - I can't wait!! We'll try and post some pictures up as soon as we can - as soon as we figure out how that is!!

Love you guys heaps - Mum, Dad, Jie and family, have a great family dinner tonight without me!!

*muah*

San

Sittin in San Fran, tappin' away.

We have made it!!!!!

After two years of planning and then, the last few weeks of agonising about what we are doing, i am in San Francisco in a hostel, typing away while the little internet counting thingingy is slowly dwindling away. That is the shame about being a really poor typist.

Flying out was long and hard. We were late into Sydney and then we jumped onto a bus that took us to the international leg of our trip and landed in San Fran 306 hours later. I do not think that i slept a wink on that really long flight but it is so helpful the way adrenaline will kick in when you land.

We searched around for the best way into the city, 'cos I kinda did not want to be a total pussy and get a taxi straight away. We train-ed it into the city and found our hostel, which is nice and small and sort of clean.

We headed down to Fishermans wharf and just meandered around for the rest of the night. We also did what everyone should do so headed to Boudin 'Tourist Trap' Bakery, where Sandra ate New England Clam Chowder from a bowl of sour dough bread, and I had some stomach churnin' chilli.

The trip is still kinda surreal to me but the three days that we will spend in San Fran will help with the transition. It would have been so painful to fly straight to Costa Rica from the Get Go. I think that being in America has made me dislike a lot of their quirks and realise now why American Bashing is kind of fun. They do seem a bit bland and way too safe. They give you precautions on just about everything including getting off the bus (they will actually stand out on the road just to make sure that you do not walk into the oncoming traffic, and there are signs everywhere negating liability for everything from losing your stuff in a hotel room, to slipping over and cracking your head on a boat).

I might actually do another post tonight or at the very least I will do another post tomorrow so that I can tell you about the uber steep streets and the crazy fog that comes over the city in seconds and covers out everything. It is the oddest thing I think I have ever seen from a weather point of view.

Love to all and especially my family (including Gypsy, whom i fear has forgotten all about us)

Glen

Madre mia!

Two days left to go and the whole week has been a little crazy. I've had:

1) 2 meltdowns

2) 1 random bout of tears

3) 4 irritable 'Are you calling me fat?' moments with Glen (What? He said that my shirt was too short, which means that my belly is showing, which means that it is also hanging out, which means that he is implying that I am fat - just linking the dots here..)

4) 3 ice queen moments when I am getting the 'goodbye face' (tilt head to right, big eyes, breathe deeply and look as if to say 'Well, this is it. Goodbye!'

And I am spent. Isn't travelling meant to be easy? Aren't I meant to be unemployed? Where's the sleeping in until 1pm? Where's the Oprah? What a gyp!

It is going by so fast, I'm almost scared to go to sleep at night because I feel that when I wake up, another day is going to slip away again. It's like *BLINK* Oh I've gone to Dublin! *BLINK* It's the last week of work at Flight Centre *BLINK* I'm having my going away party *BLINK* I'm packing up my house *BLINK* I'm saying goodbye *BLINK* and so on......

Anyway, I'm having to wind this up now because today and tomorrow is catch up day before we go. Tonight is Lina and Dario. Tomorrow breakfast with mum, lunch with Sarah (i am NOT looking forward to that goodbye!), dinner with MArk and Bernie.

*BLINK*

We are out of here!!

Next post will be in Costa Rica - gawd, that sounds weird.

Pura vida, mate!

Oh Shit

We have 2 days left

Things are happening way too fast

Help

I do not want to make any decisions anymore.

Can I call my mummy now?

Kitty Konundrums

We gave up our cat!!!

We went down to Bunbury on the weekend and we gave up our cat to my Mum and Dad. First we drugged her, packed her in her little carrying case and then did the two hour drive down to Bunbury. I have never seen such abandonment as we left on the Sunday. The look on her face, the pitiful mewing and the running around the house to find some razor blades (our cat has EMO tendencies) so that she could make us feel even more shitty for leaving her. I knew in my heart that she would be missing us for the next few months and that she will not have a good time in her new home.

CATS SUCK

I get back to Perth (2 hours only) and I call Mum and Dad to find out if our cat had committed suicide in her desperation. Our affection "slut” of a cat was sitting, happy as can be, getting bathed in cuddles by my parents. Not only that she was purring. We rescued this cat, protected her and fed her. Took her in at night when it was cold, scared off other cats when they stepped into her territory and she has now dumped us within minutes for her surrogate parents.

STUPID CATS

By the way… two more days at work to go. House is Semi packed and the frequency of freak out moments is increasing. I think I am also being slightly grumpy cos I am a little stressed. But only slightly.

Glen

Testing new email feed

I am so proud of myself - I finally managed to set up a widget on the side of this blog, so if you want to subscribe to us, you just need to enter your email address!

I am so hot, it's not funny!

Anyway, I'll probably change this soon!