Today began with yet another early start which was made easier by a breakfast offer we couldn't refuse: eat as many pancakes as you can for free! James was chief pancake maker and the pancakes were damn good. The hostel we were staying at had a wall that we were allowed to paint on so before we left we branded the place with the Roadtrip Nation logo to ensure we were never forgotten. Soon after, we were on our way to San Diego to meet a guy called Gary Beck, the founder of an aid organisation called Rescue Task Force which is an organisation that carries out aid missions all over the world. His daughter and wife are both very involved in the project and we were all surprised when we found ourselves teary as they each told us some incredible stories. We reluctantly left Gary's house to start an arduous eight hour drive to San Francisco. We decided to take Route 101, which took a little more time but was supposed to be more scenic. However, we had barely past Los Angeles at sunset because of the crazy, annoying LA traffic. Despite the mammoth journey we were in alarmingly high spirits, making up jingles and dances and other such nonsense as we drove along... perhaps it was the state of delirium but it was fun all the same. After such treats as the Hollywood sign and the scenery we'd been promised as we drove along the coast, slowly but surely the mileage signs for San Francisco got gradually smaller and before we knew it we were there. At the not-so-ungodly hour of 1am nonetheless. A slightly less-than-friendly hotel owner greeted us... (we were 2 hours later than we'd anticipated). Today we have spent our hours strolling around the rolling San Francisco hills, making sure we see all the necessary tourist attractions. The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, trams... you name it. And this evening we're going to see a REAL LIVE BASEBALL GAME! None of us know the rules mind, but it should make for an interesting evening all the same! Right now we're off to downtown San Fran to explore some of the artistic vistas and soak up the multicultural vibe that the city is famous for. Ciao for now xx