San Francisco: December 2007

Hello to all our new Daily Explorer readers and a warm welcome back to all our regulars from me, Nick Elandimer. As most of you know, I have been keeping an eye on what Ray has been up to since he arrived in the USA last month. In our last issue, he was on the east coast in New York, taking A Bite of the Big Apple, as he explored a work opportunity for 2008 and met with friends in the 24 hour city.

In this issue, you can find out about Ray's arrival in California, on the west coast. So far, he has been in San Francisco where he attended a two day film school, linked up with some very special old friends and made contact with some newer ones he met whilst travelling in Asia. And he has taken in some of the unforgettable sights in and around the Bay area.

For those readers who do not know, California is a state located in the western Pacific region of the United States and is the most populous state in America. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, and Arizona to the south-east, as well as BajaCalifornia in Mexico to the south. California's capital city is Sacramento, with the four largestcities being Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco.

Before becoming a part of the United States, Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire in 1769. After Mexican independence in 1821, Alta California remained as part of Mexico until 1846, when it was the independent California Republic for one brief week. Following the conclusion of the Mexican-American war of 1848, California was annexed by the United States and was admitted to the Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1850.

Above: California ranks among the top ten largest economies in the world and were it a separate country, it would be 34^th amongst the most populous countries, just behind Poland, as well as the world's 6th largest economy (San Francisco is circled in red)

Meeting Ray on his arrival, I asked him how it felt to be back in the Bay area. "I have a long standing love affair with this city" said Ray, "having been here several times, with my first trip in 1974" he told me. "Since then, I have returned both as a traveller and on business. Now I know quite a few people that live here so my visit this time is very special" he added. "An old friend of mine has invited me to stay with him - he lives in Mill Valley, which is one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in the area" explained Ray. "To get there will mean going across the Golden Gate bridge, which is one of the most romantic and beautiful bridges in America, or the world for that matter!" remarked our global traveller.

Above: The majestic Golden Gate bridge and the San Francisco skyline - "How could you ever get bored of seeing this every day if you lived here?" asked Ray

Below: Mill Valley, with the Richmond-San Rafael bridge in the distance. This is the view from the Panoramic Highway, where Ray was staying whilst visiting

I was curious to know a bit more about Ray's 'old friend', so I asked him to fill me in. "His name is Michael Banks, and he is the quintessential Englishman living in America" Ray told me. "We have known each other for over 25 years, meeting in a company we both used to work in" recalled Ray. "He moved to the USA about 18 years ago and has been happily living and working here ever since. Although we have seen each other occasionally during the last few years, it is usually for a few hours at a time, so I am very pleased to have a few days with him without having to rush off anywhere" he told me.

Above: Michael Banks is the quintessential Englishman living in California - he also happens to be Captain of the Marin County Cricket Club!

Marin County is located in the northern Bay area and is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics and affluence. According to the US census, Marin County has the highes per capita income in the country. The areas many beautiful natural sites include the famous Muir Woods redwood forest, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, Point Reye National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais, the birthplace of mountain biking.

Above: Michael lives with his partner Karin in Mill Valley, a stunningly beautiful area in Marin County, which is on the north side of the Golden Gate bridge and has some great treks, including Mount Tamalpais which you can see in the distance

Below: Mount Tamalpais viewed from Berkeley, on the far side of San Francisco Bay

Arriving at Michael's house, I could tell Ray was quite excited. "The last time I saw Michael was about four years ago and so much has changed in both of our lives since then" Ray told me. "We have loads of things to talk about and I can't wait to see him and meet his partner Karin, as I have heard a lot about her on the phone" he told me.

Above: Ray can hardly contain his excitement as he arrives at Michael and Karin's home

Below: Michael and Karin take Ray to one of the local eateries in downtown Mill Valley shortly after his arrival

With the initial excitement of their re-union out of the way, Ray and Michael began the process of updating each other. "From our recent conversations on the phone, I was aware that life has been quite tough for both Michael and Karin, as they tragically lost their previous home in a recent fire" explained Ray. "The cause of the fire is still unknown and they lost pretty much everything - their clothes, momento's, photographs and valuables. I find it hard to imagine what the experience must be like for anyone who suffers a trauma like this and my heart goes out to them" said our sympathetic traveller. "It was so generous of them to invite me into their new home, as they have only been there a few weeks and are still getting used to it themselves - and are slowly, bit by bit, replacing many of the things they lost" added Ray.

Above: "Moosey" is one of the few things that Michael and Karin were able to save from their previous home and he has become very important to them both - "Thanks to Karin, Moosey has his own personality - she had Michael and me in stitches some evenings as she narrated some of Moosey's observations for us" said Ray

Below: The view from the kitchen window - "Look closely and you can see a deer just the other side of the fence, as I did (much to my surprise) one morning when I was doing the washing up" said Ray

With his base established, Ray wanted to get in touch with some of the other people he knows in the Bay area. "Coming here was quite a different experience from some of the places I have visited in the last few months, as I arrived with quite a big list of people to call which gave me a sense of 'belonging', if only for a while" said Ray.

"In February 2006, whilst in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, I briefly met and exchanged email addresses with one of the other participants, who happened to live in San Francisco" recalled Ray. "She had been reading The Daily Explorer from time to time and sent some feedback to me via the office a few months ago, so I emailed her to let her know I was passing through and we arranged to meet" said Ray.

Above: Michelle Rosen, who Ray met in Thailand about 18 months ago. She lives in San Anselmo, about a 20 minute drive from the city

Below: San Anselmo is a small, pretty little town in Marin County - "It looks just like one of those places in an American TV show" said Ray

Was it good to meet Michelle properly after five minutes in a Buddhist monastery? "I have met many people on my travels and at a guess, have stayed in touch with about ten per cent of them. And from this group, I reckon there is the potential for a real, lasting friendship with about ten per cent of those" explained Ray. "So I was delighted to discover that Michelle and I actually got on really well and our 'let's meet for an hour over coffee' turned into a whole day and evening" recalled Ray. And she kindly offerred to show me some of the local sights too" added Ray.

Above: Michelle (right) took Ray to Sausalito, which has a huge Marina, a great Indian restaurant and plenty of waterside cafes

Below: Sausalito has been used as a location for many movies, including the fictional "Cetacean Institute" from Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (look for the city skyline to the left of the picture)

Another local area of great natural beauty and a popular location for the movie industry is at Stinson Beach. "One of my favourite movies is an old Woody Allen film called 'Play it Again Sam' and one of the scenes was shot at Stinson Beach" explained Ray. "If any readers have not seen it, it is hilarious and highly recommended - Allen is brilliant at playing the neurotic, hung up single man - maybe that's why I like it so much!" joked Ray.

Above: Ray and Michelle went with Michael and Karin to take a closer look at Stinson Beach. Unfortunately for them, an oil tanker had spilled it's load in the sea nearby the day before and the beach was closed as the huge clean up operation got underway

Below: To watch a video clip from the hilarious film 'Play it Again Sam', CLICK HERE

When staying in an Englishman's home, there is nothing that can beat a cup of freshly brewed tea after a day out. "Michael and Karin are still in the process of replacing all of the items they lost in the fire a couple of months ago and I noticed they had not yet bought a new tea pot" recalled Ray. "So I went with Karin to a local store in Mill Valley and picked one out for them, then took it back to the house so we could surprise Michael with it" he told me.

Above: Karin and Moosey (left) look on with great anticipation as Michael (right) opens the box and takes out his surprise gift!

Below: The three of them are ecstatic with their new tea pot and can now 'brew up' to their hearts content. Editors Note: Safety warning - unlike Moosey who has very thick skin, we do not recommend that you sit on a hot tea pot at home!

With plenty more natural beauty spots to explore, Ray and Michelle headed for Point Reyes and Drakes Bay, which are about one hour north of Mill Valley. "When I was last here in 2003 on a road trip with my friend Nic Meredith (more about him in the next issue of the Daily Explorer), we visited Point Reyes" recalled Ray.

"At that time, I had just separated from my ex-wife, my father was very ill in hospital and I was about to dismantle my business in England upon my return, so I had an association of pain in my mind with the place" explained Ray. "It may sound a bit weird, but I was quite keen to return as I am now. Four years have passed and my outlook is so different, I simply wanted to give thanks for how my life has turned around and experience the place from a new and different perspective" added our seasoned traveller.

Above: Map showing the location of Point Reyes and Drakes Bay, both spots of outstanding natural beauty

Below: The Pacific coastline at Point Reyes - "Things have really changed for me since my last trip here" said Ray

Above: Point Reyes is a very popular spot for whale watching

Below: Drakes Bay has long been considered to be the most likely landing point on the West Coast for the English seaman Sir Francis Drake during his circumnavigation of the world by sea in 1579

For much of the last two years, our global traveller has been constantly on the move, often staying in hostels which are very basic. "It was so nice to be in a real home, as opposed to a make-shift temporary accommodation for a change" Ray told me. "Aware of the generous hospitality being extended to me, I tried my best to get involved with the daily chores in the house and one thing I knew I could handle well was doing the washing up" explained Ray. "At least, I thought so until Michael came and made a close inspection of my work and awarded me 8 out of 10 because I had failed to rinse all of the soap suds off the dishes" recalled our helpful guest. "So I took the feedback on board and stepped up my efforts to make sure I did it perfectly next time - it was as if Michael had become my Zen teacher!"

Above: Ray and Moosey watch and wait anxiously as 'Zen' teacher Michael inspects the washing up.....

Below: ..... the relief is obvious as Ray is awarded a perfect ten score by Michael!

Whilst staying with Michael and Karin, Ray marked a very special point in time, completing two consecutive years on the road since leaving England to explore the world, in November 2005. "It was very good timing being here, enabling me to celebrate that moment with the two of them, as I felt they really understood what the experience had been like for me" said Ray. "Who knows where I will be in a year from now?" pondered our traveller.

Above: Congratulations to Ray from everyone at The Daily Explorer as he celebrates the end of his second year on the road with friends at The Buckeye in Mill Valley - and thanks to Ray for constantly supplying us with great photo's and stories that enable us to compile this publication

Below: Ray tries one of the famous 'Buckeye' oysters - "They are supposed to be good for your libido. It's a wise precaution, just in case I am called into action!" joked Ray

So what else did Ray get up to whilst in the Bay area? "Quite a few things, Nick" was his reply. "Michael knows many people round here and had been invited to the launch of a new retail venture called "William Good" said Ray. "Its a really neat idea - there is an organisation in the USA and Canada called Goodwill, which is a bit like Oxfam in the UK. A creative chap called Nick Graham, who founded a very successful clothing company called Joe Boxer, heard that many of the second hand clothes donated by people never get sold and eventually end up in landfills" explained Ray. "So he came up with the idea of transforming them into fashion items by employing local designers to slightly modify the clothes, and re-brand them under the fashion label "William Good", making them moreappealingtoenvironmentallyfriendly, fashion conscious purchasers. We were invited to the official launch of the pilot store in San Francisco" said Ray.

Above: The official launch of William Good, at the Goodwill store in San Francisco drew a huge crowd of people, who were delighted to discover that this new business was good news for the environment and would raise more money for homeless people at the same time

Below: Nick Graham (centre) welcomes everyone to the launch of the pilot store. To his left is the CEO of Goodwill and to his right are a couple of the designers who have helped him get his venture off the ground - "Since they launched in a small section of the Goodwill store a couple of weeks ago, William Good clothes have outsold the rest of the store by two to one, even though they are five times the price - it seems to be working!" said Ray

Above: There was a special bonus treat for Ray and the other guests at the launch - "Nick Graham is a good friend of Sean Penn, who lives in the Bay area and musician Jerry Hannan (right), who composed a song for Sean's recent movie "Into the Wild". Jerry kindly agreed to come and perform for everyone there" said Ray. "His song is one of several sung by Eddie Vedder on the original soundtrack for the movie, which is awesome" added our movie buff

Below: The story in Sean Penn's movie, "Into the Wild" is very compelling and beautifully told, about a young man who shuns conventional society to discover the truth about life for himself, and the soundtrack is amazing. To watch a clip from the film and hear 'Hard Sun' sung by Eddie Vedder, CLICK HERE

So did Ray meet any of these celebrities? "I am not going to mention that we all subsequently went to a party attended by Sean Penn a few days later, as I hate to name drop for the sake of notoriety" was his reply, so unfortunately we will never know.

Returning home from the launch, Michael and Karin thought it was time to introduce Ray to the local Mill Valley 'Bar Culture' and took him to the "2am Bar" downtown for a nightcap. "I love coming to places like this. They make me feel like your typical tourist and summon images of hundreds of bars I have seen in American movies" said Ray. "It made me think of the character in 'Love Actually' who leaves London to head for a 'typical' American bar at Christmas time in search of a holiday romance - it was exactly like that bar in the movie, but without the four sexy girls!" observed Ray.

Above and below: Michael introduces Ray to his local bar in downtown Mill Valley - "It's so typically American" observed our traveller 

When I met up with Ray on his arrival, he mentioned a two-day film school which he was planning to attend with Michael, so I asked him to tell me a bit more about it. "The school is run by a guy called Dov Simmens, who is an experienced Hollywood movie producer and perhaps the best teacher in the world for anyone wanting to know what it takes to make, sell and distribute a successful feature film" said Ray. "I had heard about his two-day course some time ago and have always been interested in films and film-making, so I decided to take the course for my personal interest, whereas Michael has actually written a screenplay for a movie and wanted to learn more about how to get it made into a successful film" explained Ray.

Above: 7.30am on a Saturday morning and Michael and Ray cross the Golden Gate bridge to head into the city for their two-day film school - "It was horrible having to get up so early, but the view on the way in was some consolation" said our tired traveller

Below: Michael and Ray back at home on Sunday evening, after the completion of their course - "In two days, Dov covered everything (in microscopic, step-by-step detail) that you would need to know to have a chance of success, although the odds are slim and there are thouands of wannabe's having a go, which he made very clear to us" said Ray. "Nonetheless, it was brilliant and the whole process has been de-mystified for me. I strongly recommend the course for anyone who may seriously be considering film-making am very happy that I have completed it" said our apprentice movie maker

Back in 2003, when Ray was living in London, his consulting business was located in an office in Chiswick and he became friends with an entrepreneur running a software company nearby. "My friend and fellow Chelsea fan, Tony Hayward, has since moved to San Francisco as his company makes a product that is highly suited to the American market, so it makes sense for him to live here" explained Ray. "I was delighted when he invited me over to his home for lunch with his wife Jill and surprised to find out where he lived" recalled Ray, as it turned out that his home is on Lombard Street, at the bottom of one of the city's most famous tourist attractions" he added.

Above: Lombard Street is one of the most famous attractions in San Francisco and is commonly known as the 'crookedest' street in the world - "Of course, I have driven down it several times" admitted our traveller

Lombard Street is best known for the one way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns (called switchbacks) that have earned the street the distinction of being "the crookedest street in world". In fact, Lombard Street is not the crookedest street in San Francisco, let alone the world. ^"Vermont Street,between 20th and 22nd Street, near the San Francisco General Hospital is the crookedest street in the city with only seven turns and is located in a much less picturesque location" said our well informed traveller. 

"The switchbacks design, first suggested by property owner Carl Henry and instituted in 1922, was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles to climb and a serious hazard to pedestrians used to a more reasonable sixteen degree incline" added Ray. "The speed limit is a mere 5 mph on the crooked section, which is about 1/4 mile (400 metres) long" he told me.

Above: Ray enjoys a coffee with Jill (left) and Tony Hayward (centre) at their local coffee house - "It's quite different from their home in England and I think they like it here" said Ray. "One of the reasons I love travelling is being able to hang out with friends like Jill and Tony once again - I am very lucky to have the freedom I enjoy in my life" he added

Below: The view from Tony and Jill's apartment shows just how hilly the city is

In the life of a traveller, timing is everything and Ray just happened to be in the Bay area during Thanksgiving, which is a traditional American holiday that takes place every year on the fourth Thursday in November. "The purpose of the holiday is to give thanks for everything that one has at the conclusion of the harvest season and for most people, it is a big family event" explained Ray. "I was delighted when Michelle invited me to my first ever Thanksgiving dinner, with her brother and his family in Oakland" recalled Ray. "We met for breakfast in San Rafael so she could tell me all about it and get ready for the day, as she had generously agreed to cook the dinner with a friend of hers" added our lucky guest.

Above: Michelle (sitting on counter) and Ray met for breakfast at this classic diner in San Rafael - "These diners are another thing I love about this country" said Ray, "especially the way your coffee is continuously refilled the whole time you are there" he told me

Above and below: To get to Oakland from San Rafael, you have to cross the bay via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge on the 580 Highway - "It may not be as famous or glamorous as the Golden Gate bridge, but it's double deck design is spectacular and it is a staggering five and half miles long" said Ray

Oakland was founded in 1852 and is the eighth largest city in the U.S. state of California. It is also the sixth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States. Based on 2006 statistical data, Oakland is the 44th largest city in America. "I discovered that Rand McNally named Oakland as having the best weather in the United States" said Ray. "According to the U.S. census, Oakland and LongBeach,Californiaarethe most ethnically diverse cities in the country, with over 150 languages spoken" added our well informed visitor.

Above: A classic American movie theatre, on the corner of Grand Lake Avenue, which is one of the exits off the 580 Highway and close to the house where Michelle's brother Larry lives

Below: This lake in the centre of the neighbourhood adds a touch of serenity to an otherwise chaotic, noisy metropolitan lifestyle

So how was Ray's first Thanksgiving dinner with an American family? "Nick, it was really great" was his reply. "Michelle and her friend Jane made us all a fantastic meal, with Chicken in red wine and persimmon, sweet potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, cranberry relish and buttermilk biscuits (known as bread rolls in the UK). And as if that wasn't enough, there was also pumpkin pie and apple pie for desert" added our mouth watering guest.

Above: Michelle in the kitchen at her brother's house, preparing the wonderful Thanksgiving feast for everybody. She was assisted by our novice kitchen apprentice - "I only did the peeling and the wine tasting" admitted Ray

Below: The meal, which took a good couple of hours to prepare, was devoured in minutes, with everyone very happy indeed! Clockwise from left to right; Michelle's friend Jane who helped prepare the meal, her brother Larry with baby Lila in the sling, his wife Shelley and her colleague, Tanya, with Michelle in the foreground - "It was so kind of Larry and Shelley to include me in their family celebrations, having only just met me!" said Ray

With Thanksgiving over and most of America returned to normality, Ray was presented with a golden opportunity to experience his first live sporting event in the USA. "Michelle is a dedicated fan of a basketball team called the Phoenix Suns, who happened to be playing a game the following Monday evening against the Golden State Warriors, whose stadium is in Oakland. "She managed to get two tickets to the game" said Ray. "The seats were brilliant and the atmosphere was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire game although, unfortunately for Michelle, her team lost" recalled our sporting fan.

Above: The Phoenix Suns (in purple) were the visitors in their NBA League game against the Golden State Warriors (in white). The most popular player on The Suns team is number 13, Steve Nash (just to the right of the yellow area) - "Michelle admires him in much the same way as David Beckham is admired in the UK" said Ray

Below: The game took place in a spectacular 25,000 seat stadium and in the intervals between each quarter of play, there was plenty of entertainment. For those readers who are sports fans, you may want to see short video clips of both teams scoring. To see the Phoenix Suns, CLICK HERE and to see The Warriors, CLICK HERE

Editors Note: Thanks Nick for bringing us the news and pictures from San Francisco! It looks like Ray has had a very interesting visit there. In our next issue, Nick will update us from Sacramento, where Ray is staying with his long time friend Nic Meredith. And we will be revealing how he got on when he went with Michelle to visit the famous prison on Alcatraz Island in the heart of San Francisco Bay. It will be online in a few days.

Above: In our next issue, Nick Elandimer catches up with Ray in Sacramento, the capital city of California, as he visits his long standing friend Nic (centre) and his wife Regina (left) and finds out more about their life and online media network business

As always, if you have enjoyed reading The Daily Explorer or think we can improve it, please email your comments to me at thedailyexplorer@gmail.com

MOZZIE BYTE

Above: A very warm welcome to the world to Thomas Joseph Vale who joined us on 21st November. He is pictured aged one day and is here thanks to Abbey Vale (nee Tunbridge) and her husband Graham. Congratulations from all of us at The Daily Explorer!

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