The heat is finally on.

We got up late this morning. It was nice to sleep in but I was still cranky before breakfast. Coffee resurrected me. We had booked tickets to Alcatraz on the ferry and had to get to Pier 39 by 1 to make the trip. It was only 11, so we ambled down Chestnut to the touristy cusp of San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf. The heat was fierce, about 30 degrees, so we stayed on the shady side of the street all the way down and got there sweaty with two empty water bottles.

Alcatraz is an incredible place. The island is named after a Mexican term derived from alcatrices, a nod to the huge amount of Avian wildlife on the island.
In a hilarious duality, since the Ice Age flooded the bay area and left Alcatraz as an isolated unfriendly rock, there has never existed predators on the Island to threaten the bird population, making it an ideal nesting spot.
If you are ever in San Francisco, you can see Alcatraz from the top of virtually every hill. Its a permanent fixture on the horizon, about a mile off the coast and very easy to spot.
I had noticed it before and was really excited about going back there. Of course I visited it when i was first in San Francisco, but only had a postcard memory of the place that I wanted to cement with an ambience.
The place has atmosphere. The architecture is imposing, a product of a hodge podge of many generations of different building styles, as its structures dated from as early as civil was era, and as late as the late fifties. Its history is colourful, and steeped in blood and redemption. It exists now as an independent national park, complete with park rangers and no smoking signs.
We strolled around behind bars, and heard stories from old prisoners and prison officers on the audio tour. it was fun and creepy and occasionally sent shivers down my spine.
We finished up our tour at about 4:30 and headed back to the pier to wait for the next Ferry and swat the many flies that had suddenly come out of nowhere to annoy us all day.
The ferry took 15 minutes of humpy bumpy on the Pacific to land back in tourist land. We went to In n' out burger, an acceptable fast food place near Fishermans Wharf that trades on the freshness of its produce and making food to order.
After that we took the long walk home, though my legs, knees and ankles ache from walking. It feels good to get all that exercise, and I like arriving home caked in sweat to stand in front of the air conditioner drinking icy cold beer.

I must admit I am getting very anxious as the prospect of Melbourne and a new continent as the time to leave California draws near. We are leaving on friday, which leaves us with just two more days near. I don't even want to think about leaving. This trip is so strange and weird and wonderful that I just don't want to return the tone to apartment and job hunting and the reality of the money chase.
I am missing driving and cooking and my own place and home and friends though.
I'm wondering how much mental strength I can muster to thrive there. Sarah is doing great, checking the net for hostels and hotels, reading guidebooks and feeding me facts to help me digest the lump of unknown that faces me, and occasionally manifests as a dull panic in my stomach.
Sometimes I really hate being so precious.