BikeCrossing the Golden Gate

[skyring]

Golden Jay
Originally uploaded by skyring

Days do not get any better than this.

I waited for Jay to show her face, waiting in the hostel lounge, snarfing freebie internet wondering if I dared to go knock her up in the ladies dorm.

But she showed, and we went to the hostel cafe, Franco's, overlooking the Bay, where we had the very light breakfast. Light, that is, until I smeared peanut butter and jam/jelly all over my waffles. Figured I needed energy for the day ahead, you see.

We walked down the Fort Mason headland, past the Aquatic Centre and onto the fringes of the Fisherman's Wharf district. A little windy and chillsome as we came down, and I wondered if we might stand to get a couple of the cheap fleeces they sell to the tourists. Jay was thinking the same thing. "It's cold here, what will it be like out in the middle of the bridge?"

I suggested that we could use mutual body heat to stay warm, but she was having none of that. The exercise of riding would heat our bodies, but if it was blowing hard on the bridge, we'd be frozen and unhappy.

So we found a souvenir shop and bought the cheapest possible fleeces in appropriate colours. Blue for Jay and maroon for me. Jay was upset because the fleece jacket she'd been wearing for the past twenty-something years had finally given up on the zipper front and been cast aside.

Our bikes were easily obtained. The sales folk were randomly snagging passers-by from off the footpath, actually, and we got snagged. I'd brought along a voucher from the hostel, and we got the bikes at half price. Helmets, bike locks, maps and ferry tickets were tossed in free.

And then we were off, cycling up through the gears, laughing as pedestrians scattered before us in terror. Jay managed to go further up the hill than I. She hadn't cycled for months, whereas it had been years, possibly decades, in my case.

Down, through the park, past the Marina Safeway - the best supermarkt in the universe, give it a look someday - and along past yachts and seagulls.

We turned in past the Palace of Fine Arts, where I took a movie under the dome. One of my favourite buildings - so spectacular, so classical, so grand and empty beside its lagoon.

And then down to the path following the shore. this was fantastic. Every fifty or hundred metres the Bridge would foreshorten a little more and the path would rise a little until the views and photo opportunities were amazing. We were slow, because we'd barely get up a bit of speed and have to stop at some even more spectular outlook.

And then, at last, we were on the bridge itself, and the stops became more frequent.

It was a glorious, brilliantly clear day, my friends, and not chilly at all. A golden day on the Golden Gate, with ships and ferries far below us, the tall blaze-orange towers soaring above, and the footpath alive with happy walkers, bikers, strollers, children and grandmothers.

And the happiest of all were we two. This was the climax of the trip. Something I'd wanted to do for a long time, but never had much chance. Of course, i could have cycled it alone in 2006, when I had two days here, but with a companion, it is far more than double the pleasure.

And what a smiling, delightful companion Jay is! Bright and bubbly, each BookCrossing adventure with her is a treat, full of jokes and silly photographs. We left a couple of books - small pocket-sized books - here and there, just to say we'd BookCrossed the bridge.

Eventually we passed the midpoint and the road sloped slightly down. Downhill all the way to Sausalito, and we fairly flew down the road, coming in past boutiques and galleries, little restaurants and houses climbing the steep hillside to our left, enjoying the Bay views to our right.

An hour before our ferry left, and while I wanted fish and chips, there was no time. An Anchor Steam with its salty overtones to wash down quiche and chowder, while Jay had some pasta and lemonade. She hasn't gotten America yet. If she truly loved the States she'd be drinking root beer.

And then we left, unlocked our bikes and followed the stream wheeling bikes onto the ferry. There may have been a few walkers, but it was bikes, bikes, bikes!

I honestly don't have words to describe the pleasure of the ferry ride back. The beautiful day, the feeling of triumph of having ridden over the bridge, the pleasant aftermath of lunch, the golden glow of my companion, the incredible beauty and fascination of San Francisco and the Bay. It all added up to something special.

Bittersweet because Jay was leaving soon. Leaving for New Zealand after months in America, and it would be a long long time before I got to share another roadtrip, another convention, another silly prank.

We slowed as we passed Alcatraz, and for a few minutes we were with the convicts on this prison island in Paradise.

Then we pulled away, past the crippled Bay Bridge and it gradually dawned on me that we weren't landing at Fisherman's Wharf. We were aiming for the main terminal. And us with a deadline to meet: Shendoah was coming to pick us up for the airport at three, and we had, ummm, half an hour to get back to the bike rental joint, climb the hill to the hostel, retrieve our bags and be ready.

But we did it. Cycling along the Embarcadero at a furious pace, we made it all with a minute to spare.

Goodbye to our happy hostel, goodbye to Fort Mason. Hello to great burgers and root beer floats at Mel's Diner on Lombard. Jay had a thickshake, which she declared was much better than my root beer, but I didn't believe her.

Shen was good enough to park so that we could get Jay checked in safely. I was worried she'd be overweight, and I'd have to act as a mule for some vital item.

But she was okay, and she reported back that security had been no problem. I didn't believe her. Scissors, bottles of softdrink, knitting needles and Pineapple Lumps - Jay tries to smuggle all sorts of things aboard.

The saddest part of all was saying goodbye. Hard to break the hug of a delightful companion, but we smiled at each other and promised that we'd have another adventure somewhere down the years.

But I can't believe that we'll ever have something this good.

Comments

[gummihuhn.livejournal.com]

I waited for Jay to show her face, [...] wondering if I dared to go knock her up in the ladies dorm.

Err. Does that mean something else down in Oz, then?

[apocalypticbob.livejournal.com]

Thank You! I knew I couldn't be the only one who read that and thought, "Um... I don't think that means what you think it means, at least not here."

[skyring.livejournal.com]

As it happened, she arrived before I needed to go bang on the door.

[apocalypticbob.livejournal.com]

For clarification's sake, in American slang, if you are "knocking a girl up", you are getting her pregnant. Hence our amusement.

[skyring.livejournal.com]

I knew that...

and

[newkaligula.livejournal.com]

the "bang" was deliberate too. Those who had to ask don't know the writer very well :)

Re: and

[skyring.livejournal.com]

Newk, you are too much of a worry, the way you know my mind!

[skyring.livejournal.com]

No. Why do you ask?

[discoverylover.livejournal.com]

I actually got a pair of knitting needles through three sets of security would you believe! Bamboo ones even (and no, I didn't know they were there :s)

And yes, knocking me up does me getting me pregnant down here too, but he's referring to waking me up, which is almost as difficult ;)

[holmesfan.livejournal.com]

I've just been to a lunch time BC meet-up with Jay who astonished me when I learned that having arrived back in NZ the previous day, she was staying with her family miles away in Plimmerton, had caught a train into Wellington central accompanied by her sister's bike and then ridden through the hectic city streets to the OBCZ at Martha's Pantry. The same smiling lovely Jay who you'd been with not so long before.

[skyring.livejournal.com]

She's a wonder, but of course her body probably thought it was mid-evening two days ago...

Personally, I'd ride across the Tasman to see you.

riding across the Tasman

[newkaligula.livejournal.com]

I'd like to see that