I love SF, Its like visiting an old friend – jumping buses and trolleys, stopping off at regular spots or discovering new ones. First stop is to buy a Muni pass – you can get a one day for $11 or a 3 day for $18 and ride all the Muni system and the cable cars – great value as one trip in cable car is $5. Hint – catch the cable car early in the day before the rush, otherwise it can be a wait for an hour.
I am staying with a friend on Telegraph Hill, near the Coit Tower – one window looks out on Alcatraz the other onto the Golden Gate Bridge (when it is not shrowded in fog). So I started the day with a walk down to Fishermen’s Wharf and Pier 41 where I caught the 9.45 ferry to Angel Island ($15) – I just did the round trip of ¾ of an hour, but if I had a whole day I would go out and bike and hike this beautiful island and catch a later ferry back.
I caught the tram along the Embarcadero, then hopped the California Cable Car to Grace Cathedral – a regular stop when in SF, to walk the Labyrinth. This meditative walkway is always balm to the soul – a process of letting go – centring – refocusing.
I use the word ‘liminal’ to describe the space I am in as I travel. Its a term coined by anthropologist Van Gennep, and introduced to me by my UK friends Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild in their book. Liminality describes the transitional time when you have left one life but have yet to embrace a new one.
Its a time of great spiritual power and great danger – because all of the traditional boundaries are gone. Hence my friend’s book title – Guard the Chaos. I am grateful to have friends who have helped me to guard and manage this chaos before I left, and walking the labyrinth was a perfect thing to do so early in this journey.
Then it was back to the Castro for a hair cut, then home to meet my friend Jude. We walked through North Beach to Chinatown for a fabulous meal, then a tea tasting and a leisurely stroll back home. It was the perfect end to a day in SF.
After the stress of packing up my home and my life back in NZ, I am enjoying the little things
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the bark of a seal at night and foghorns by day
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a bird diving for fish
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the flipper of a seal emerging from the water
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a dozen birds flying beside the ferry as if they are racing us
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Golden Gate Bridge half shrouded in fog
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jazz playing on the street in North Beach
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a meal of sour dough bread dipped in garlic infused olive oil and a ripe juicy nectarine
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lighting a candle and walking the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral
