The Hotel Front and reception for later reference!
The first part of the day was spent in SF, we took the a 20 minute Ferry in, which was really interesting, we went past some bad boys, serves em right,
then past the Golden Gate Bridge, is it just me or is the Humber Bridge just as good?
Then past Alcatraz, (better photo's to come tomorrow), that looks a stark place and much closer to land than I ever expected. We are visiting Alcatraz properly on Saturday with a 12 bike ride into the city.
We did the obglitory Cable Car ride, the cable by the way is under ground and the car driver (2 of em, 1 back and 1 front) grab and release the cable with levers to move the car, when they release the cable they are effectively in free fall and only have a brake that they apply with the effect of their own body weight, No i didn't offer to help.
You don't really get the feel of the extent of steepness of the road from the pictures.
Also surprisingly there were many beggars and itinerants scraping in bins and pulling discarded uneaten food out nest to a hot dog stand, you don't get any help here, whether you need it or deserve it or not.
But it was a stunning city with many beautiful buildings.
In fact several of the guys here all said that the Stars and Stripes in full flow is an impressive flag, they don't do small Flags here, I want a BIG Union Jack and St Georges flag flying over Sheffield City Hall.
Mid afternoon was spent waiting until until mid evening for the bikes to arrive by Truck, and this turned up at 6.30.
Late evening we went off to the bar for a beer and as it turned out I had Fillet (feelay) Mignon and Truffle Pizza no less.
THEN THE DAY BECAME MEMORABLE - there are no photgraphs as you may appreciate
Coming back from the bar (Friday night here) we see 4 cop cars in the grounds with lights going and as we got nearer the hotel we see 4 more big black and white squad cars and two large 4 x 4 / van type cars and 2 dogs.
On the hotel steps was an audience of other guests, watching a chase. see 1st photo.
2 cops came back to the hotel reholstering their guns, they had got one young lad who turned out to be 11 and he had run in to the hotel grounds whilst being chased by 2 lads with guns, thru reception and out of some fire doors, the night porter was a chinese gentleman and his eyes were like saucer plates, they had brandished and pointed the gun at him and told him to stay out of it and scared him to death.
I offer no more detail other than to say it was like a live episode of Cops and we were in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The bikes were of course in front of the Hotel but they were fine.
Tomorrow 12 bikes riding into S F and then onto (in a boat) Alcatraz.
They are all freekin crazy here I tell you.
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