San Francisco October 3, 2007
The morning is beautiful and windy ...
If you come to San Francisco and even if you are a true gentleman, you have to change the habit at least twice during the day ... or dress in layers during the day but you take a rucksack on his back ... so do the ladies and go back home to change.
The temperature is in fact very strong and they told me that it is so throughout the year.
the early morning and evenings are chilly but the day is hot enough.
There is always wind and the air feels a special scent, maybe because of filtering systems that every car, every restaurant and home they own, which make it not stink ... you smell the sea and the scent of plants and flowers.
's funny get on the tram orange and meet ordinary people, a very heterogeneous population and very colorata.Dal tram I see my shop ... in fact find out that a chain is called in America, "Ross dress for less " (dress up little ...)
After a long walk we pass by a supermarket, my favorite game, and I realize how fast the employees at the cash, but in Tokyo where the procedure is rather slow, in fact, while in Tokyo packed with care divide the market by type and name each item, then wait patiently for time to pay, you hold out the money with both hands and withdraws the rest in the same way, getting a bow and thanking mica ... bad!
In San Francisco, but then all America, if you're not quick you say, " next " with a bit ' of impatience (the next ...) here no word and no fitting ...
I have to remember how to do it to be fast!
Change the space, the proportions, change the eyes. In the East
eyes hard to find, intense when you seem to have succeeded in catching them ...
Simon, and Zac's parents, they tell me it is better not stare at anyone in the street, at least in certain areas.
American enough??
Here there are supermarkets of all kinds and for every budget, every time you enter there is a beep that indicates the presence of a human being ... because of security, but when you come to Tokyo
There is a jingle that sings a "welcome" irashaimase , irashaimase " ... or the ladies a bit ' coarse that is repeated endlessly, naturalmente a seconda del tipo di negozio, con voce più o meno alta!! Nei negozi di lusso è sussurrata...
Si, continuo a notare le differenze, qualsiasi sia la scena che mi si presenta.
Dopo una lunga camminata che ci permette di visitare la città a piedi di guardare le macchine che circolano e i distributori di giornali, notiamo che non c'è l'ombra dei distributori di bibite e caffè a cui eravamo ormai abituati,vediamo le persone che lavorano e quelle che si prendono una pausa per fumare una sigaretta.In America è proibito fumare in qualsiasi luogo interno, fumano solo i neri e i poveri, mentre in Giappone fumano in tanti anche se è preferibile non fumare per strada dopo che un bambino è stato ferito a un occhio just a passer-by who smoked ... a Shinjuku, central Tokyo, there are policemen that hands you a portable ashtray and invite you to put out the cigarette, of course telling sumimasen strong suction on the premises ... allow this gesture as damaging as it is pleasant. It
bé, we get to car, choose a nice and spacious car silver, a Trailblaizer Chevrolet petrol with automatic transmission. Strange use only one foot, the left, to accelerate the clutch and brake ... no ... I wonder if they might like to ... James and I smile to myself ... Very
efficienti ci consegnano la macchina che Simone aveva prenotato da Tokyo insieme a un navigatore che sarà la nostra voce guida....
L'impiegato resta allibito quando scopre che vogliamo arrivare a Miami ,dice che 12 giorni sono pochi,che il viaggio sarà molto lungo...
Lo sappiamo veramente solo ora,dopo aver percorso tutte quelle miglia
Abbiamo nel frattempo intervistato persone incontrate per caso,in molti ci dicono che la strada alta è più scenica, che Yellowstone è un parco formidabile, me lo scrive anche mia zia Linda;
altri, per esempio un signore anziano rilassato su una panchina di fronte al mare, al porto di San Francisco, con whom we have a good conversation, after which accompanies us to see a statue of Gandhi close to boarding the ferry to Sausalito ... he advises us to go south through the missions, the parents of Zac tell us that Arizona and New Mexico are beautiful ... "heads or tails? Here we say "heads or tails? Head or tail ?
In truth draws us all, but as always you have to choose ...
California is a very extensive and very populated, his nickname is "The Golden State" because of the famous gold rush.
Decided: we leave for the Yellowstone Natural Park !
Way!!
Back to the hotel to take all our luggage and after making some good laps in the car down the hill towards the sea, we leave this beautiful city, we cross the Way Bridge and head north-east to Sacramento, the capital of California.
through two beautiful valleys Sonoma and Napa entirely cultivated with vineyards, it has yet to harvest and the plants are laden with grapes. We also see fruit plantations, are very fertile land and cared for.
begin to see the beautiful colorful truck, with the funnels ... I'll see a lot during the trip and will never cease to admire ... too good!
We arrive at dusk to Best Western of Napa Valley .
We will use this chain of motels throughout the journey.
I am very comfortable clean and affordable, some really beautiful and with many services, laundry, parking, ì cos we can leave our luggage in the car, plus there's always the swimming pool and the beds are three squares (they call them king bed) ... huge, but useful in this land of fatties ... but the little futon on the tatami in Japan ... everything here is enormous, even the bottles of coca !
