San Francisco

We got to San Francisco the next day at midday, returned our rental car and met there with Karen. Karen is an argentinean friend, we've known each other since we were about 15 years old and she's been living in USA for about 12 years. We stayed at her house during our stay in San Francisco and she was such an awesome host! She is pregnant (due any minute now!) and so was on maternity leave from work, but that didn't stop her from driving us around everywhere and walking around all day with us.
The day we arrived we went to her house in San Jose (about 40minutes drive south of San Francisco), settled in, chatted with her and her husband Leif for a while and then we went down to Capitola and Santa Cruz. We walked along the beach and the promenade and had some dinner in a mexican restaurant famous for its margaritas.
The next day we picked up a friend of Ana's (Javier, he's and argentinean guy that lives in Australia and is in San Francisco visiting his sister) and the 4 of us did our first day of San Francisco city tour. We went up to Nob Hill for city views, then to the Golden Gate park (beautiful and huge park) and lunch at a restaurant by the waterfront. After that we drove to Haight-Ashbury, the hippie area of town and walked around looking at shops. Next stop, Alamo Square, with its beautiful colourful Victorian houses on a hill "the painted ladies", and from there on to Lombard street- "the crookedest street in the world" (a zigzaging street about 100 metres long only, with 8 corners and downhill, so much fun we did it twice!). After that we went to Coit Tower for more views of the city and drove along Market street and the city centre. We then went to Mission, the latin area, and to Castro, the gay area. The 4 of us stayed the night in the city, at a friend of Karen's place, who was not there cause she is on holidays.
Next day, we went to Crissy Field, a beach with beautiful views of the Godlen Gate bridge and the city, and from there drove on the Golden Gate Bridge to the north side. Up a mountain for views, and then on to Sausalito- a cute area where rich people live by the water. We then went to Muir Woods- a national park with Redwood trees (since we couldn't see the Sequoias at Yosemite NP due to the snow, this was the second best) and did a short hike around there. We then went to Javier's sister's house for dinner, she cooked empanadas and milanesas for us (traditional argentinean food) yum! And back to Karen's place for the night.
The next day Karen, Leif, Ana and I went up to Napa Valley, famous winery region. We spent all day going to wineries, doing wine tasting, and took a guided tour in one of the wineries. We got back to San Jose at night and went out for dinner to a nearby Japanese restaurant.
Last full day, back to San Francisco for city tour part 2. We went back to Lombard street, just to take a nice picture of it from the bottom end, and then to Union Square, a square surrounded by posh stores. Then on to Chinatown for a late lunch and we walked around the area. After that Ana and I got on a trolley (travelling standing up hanging from the sides of course) and Karen followed us in the car up to Fisherman's Wharf. We walked along there, past famous pier 39 and then did the night tour of Alcatraz. It was awesome!! Really interesting and beautiful views of the city by night. Back on the mainland we tried to see the sea lions on pier 39, but it was too dark already, but we could still hear them making loud noises. We got back to Karen's place late at night.
Next day, time to go. We just got up, packed up, and Karen dropped us off at the car rental place. And that was it. Wonderful, beautiful San Francisco!

Llegamos a San Francisco al dia siguiente al mediodia, devolvimos el auto alquilado y nos encontramos ahi con Karen. Karen es una amiga argentina, nos conocemos desde que tenemos 15 anios y hace como 12 anios que ella vive en USA. Nos quedamos en su casa durante nuestra estadia en San Francisco y fue una anfitriona increible! Esta embarazada (a punto de tener en cualquier momento ya!), asi que estaba de licencia de embarazo del laburo, pero eso no le impidio llevarnos de un lado a otro en auto y caminar con nosotras todo el dia por todos lados.
El dia que llegamos fuimos a su casa en San Jose (como a 40minutos en auto al sur de San Francisco), nos acomodamos, charlamos con ella y con el marido Leif un rato y despues fuimos a Capitola y a Santa Cruz. Caminamos por la playa y por al costanera y cenamos en un restaurante mexicano famoso por sus margaritas.
Al dia siguiente pasamos a buscar a un amigo de Ana (Javier, un argentino que vive en Australia y que esta en San Francisco visitando a su hermana) y los 4 fuimos a hacer nuestro primer dia de tour por la ciudad de San Francisco. Subimos a la colina Nob a ver vistas de la ciudad, despues al parque Golden Gate (enorme y lindisimo) y almuerzo en un restaurante con vista al agua. Despues manejamos hasta Haight-Ashbury, la parte hippie de la ciudad y caminamos mirando negocios. Siguiente parada, Alamo Square, con sus hermosas y coloridas casitas victorianas en una colina, "las damas pintadas", y de ahi a la calle Lombard- "la calle mas chueca del mundo" (una calle en zigzag de como solo 100 metros de larga, con 8 esquinas y en bajada, tan divertido que lo hicimos 2 veces!). Despues de ahi fuimos a la Torre Coit para mas vistas de la ciudad y manejamos por la calle Market y por el centro de la ciudad. Despues fuimos a Mission, la zona latina, y a Castro, la zona gay. Los 4 nos quedamos a dormir en el centro, en la casa de una amiga de Karen que no estaba porque esta de vacaciones.
Al dia siguiente fuimos a Crissy Field, una playa con vista buenisima del puente Golden Gate y de la ciudad, y de ahi manejamos por el puente Golden Gate hacia el lado norte. Subimos una montania para tener vista, y despues a Sausalito- una zona divina donde la gente rica vive a orillas del agua. Despues fuimos a Muir Woods- una parque nacional con arboles Redwoods (ya que no pudimos ver las Sequoias en el Parque Nacional Yosemite por al nieve, esto fue la segunda mejor opcion), e hicimos una caminata cortita por ahi. Despues fuimos a cenar a la casa de la hermana de Javier, nos cocino empanadas y milanesas, riquisimo! Y volvimos a dormir a lo de Karen.
Al dia siguiente Karen, Leif, Ana y yo fuimos al Valle de Napa, zona famosa de vinedos. Pasamos todo el dia yendo a bodegas, probando vinos, e hicimos un tour de una de las bodegas. Volvimos a San Jose ya de noche, y fuimos a cenar a un restaurante japones ahi cerca.
Ultimo dia completo, volvimos a San Francisco para el tour de la ciudad 2. Volvimos a la calle Lombard, solo para sacarle una foto desde abajo, y despues a Union Square, una plaza rodeada de negocios caros. Despues a Chinatown para un almuerzo tardio y caminamos por la zona. Despues de eso Ana y yo nos subimos a un tranvia (viajamos paradas agarradas de los costados por supuesto) y Karen nos siguio en el auto hasta Fisherman's Wharf (la zona del puerto). Caminamos por ahi, pasamos el famoso muelle 39 e hicimos un tour nocturno a Alcatraz. Estuvo excellente! Re interesante, y vistas lindisimas de la ciudad de noche. De vuelta en tierra firme tratamos de ver los lobos marinos en el muelle 39, pero estaba demasiado oscuro, pero los escuchamos haciendo ruidos fuertes. Llegamos de vuelta a lo de Karen tarde a la noche.
Al dia siguiente, hora de irnos. Nos levantamos, nos alistamos, y Karen nos llevo al lugar de alquiler del auto. Y eso fue. Increible, hermoso San Francisco!