San Francisco dia 2

                                                   
Un informante (anteriormente amigo) nos habia dado el chivatazo de que la mejor forma de ver San Francisco era en bici. A pesar de que todas las señales indicaban lo contrario: cuestas interminables, integrantes del grupo que no saben montar en bici, existencia de transporte publico... nos hicimos con 4 bicletas, nos pusimos los cascos e iniciamos una etapa de alta montana que finalmente se alargo unos 30km.

Vimos el Palace of Fine Arts, el parque del Presidio (donde los padawans nos cortamos la coleta a los ojos de la fuente de yoda), Golden Gate Park y Ocean beach antes de comer. Comimos viendo delfines en un acantilado en frente del Golden Gate y cargamos con las bicis al estilo ironman-woman por escaleras interminables hasta volver al camino que nos llevaba al puente de Golden Gate. El mejor momento del dia fue atravesar el puente pensando que lo peor ya habia pasado. Pero no sabiamos que quedaba otro puerto de primera categoria para acabar de rompernos las piernas. Llegamos a Sausalito, donde cojimos el Ferry tras una dramatica espera en la que tuvimos que pelear con otros ciclistas por no quedarnos en tierra. La vuelta por mar, con las vistas del puente y Alcatraz hicieron que mereciera la pena tanto sufrimiento y dolor. Nos aplaudieron al devolver las bicis, con lo que intuimos que no daban dos duros por nosotros cuando nos vieron partir.

En el restaurante donde cenamos los camareros nos ayudaban a levantar los cubiertos y llevarnoslos a la boca debido a nuestro estado de catatonia. Y para volver al hostal mas cuestas con lo que nos animamos a utilizar el medio de transporte mas moderno de la ciudad, el tranvia. Hay personas que ven huecos donde nadie mas los ve y cuando pensabamos que el tranvia iba lleno, el conductor tiraba de los frenos, se caian 5 personas del vagon y subian otras 10. Nos bajamos donde caimos y buscamos el hostal despues de un largo dia sobre ruedas.

An informant (previously friend of us) had told us that the best way of visiting San Francisco was on a bicycle. Despite all signs indicating otherwise: steep streets, some members of our group not being able to ride a bike, availability of public transport... we got 4 bicycles, fitted our helmets and we started the mountain stage of this Tour of San Francisco.

We cycled to the Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio Park (where our padawans in the group cut their ponny tails in front of the Yoda Fountain). Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach before lunch in a cliff overlooking the city and with dolphins swiming below us. With our energies restored we had to carry our bikes up a neverending set of stairs as if we were doing an ironman/woman race to get back to the road that would take us to the Golden Gate Bridge. The best moment of the day was to cross the bridge thinking that the worst was over but it was not, we didn't know that we still had another special climb that would destroy our legs completely. Finish line, Sausalito, where we took a Ferry back to SF after a  dramatic wait fighting with other cyclists for a space in the boat. The ferry trip had brilliant views of the bridge and Alcatraz that made it worth all the suffering and the pain of the day. 

We got cheered when we went back to the shop to return the bikes, they obviously didn't think we had it in us to finish the route.

In the restaurant we had to be spoonfed due to our catatonic state. We couln't face the hills back to the hostal and we took one of the most modern means of transportation in the city: the tram. Some people see empty spaces where some others don't  and when we thought the carriage was full , the driver pulled the brakes  handle, throwing 5 people out and allowing 10 more to jump in. In this way we fell out rather close to our desired stop and walked back to the hostel to finally dropped dead in the bunk beds of our overcrowded dorm.