Tranquila Adelita: San Francisco, somehow still Latin America?

A very spontaneous and thought-through decision put me on this flight from Mexico to L.A, and then on a Greyhound bus to San Francisco, where I have just spent 17 fabulous days.

I was lucky to be hosted by my friend Martin who I had just met a month before in Guatemala as I was working in Semuc Champey. I messaged him out of the blue for a drink, and there I was, crashing in his little house in Oakland.

Fruitvale is considered as a dangerous suburb of SF. (I did hear shot guns last night!) however, I was feeling pretty safe during the day, walking on International Bd to go to the BART station (suburb train). There are plenty of restaurants, shops and food trucks where one language is surely required: Spanish!

Sobre International Bd, se habla espanol!

People greet you with a friendly 'Hola', you can buy fresh fruit cups in the street, it smells fried chicken everywhere, street ads are often exclusively in Spanish... What else would I need to feel I am still travelling in Latin America?

El pollo loco! Que sorpresa! tu aqui?!

But that is where I sleep. Now San Francisco is where I spend my days and this is to me one of the greatest city in the world. I have walked all over the place, and I can tell: this is not a typical American city! What makes it different? Let’s see:

- It smells Marijuana almost everywhere in the city. (But don't even try smoking a cigarette less than 10 feet from the terrace of a café! Smoke is not tolerated! ha ha!)

Coco loco: Coco with a lot of rhum!

Dolores Park on sunday... you can find coco loco, space chocolates, and joints!

- Men can walk around in the street naked without shocking anyone (but me)! See the picture... Only a golden sock to cover the sex. Add flip flops, a hand bag and a coffee to make it look natural! Yep!

Naked city man

- Lots of great street art!

In Mission District

- They have the Giants and lucky me, I was there for the final games of the World series, Where the Giants were competing against ?? the Giants, supported by everyone and everything, won and set the city on fire!

The City Hall giant screen for the big Giants game!

- Streets are so hilly and stiff! Walking through SF is sport! They have the city bikes too! (never seen anybody using one!)

The colored sisters, from Alamo Park

- People talk to each other in the Metro! Try to sing some Lionel Richie hit song, you'll get 3 girls singing along! Thank you Martin, it was so much fun!

- You can find dog food at the counter of some coffee shop. Pets are like a must have here... but if you have the chance that your landlord lets you have it it, he might also make you pay an extra for the rent! He he!

- There is an "authentic" Medieval castle in the Napa Valley, finished to be built only a decade ago by some rich Italian wine maker! crazy!!