Our flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco and to the Travelodge Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf
Our flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco and to the Travelodge Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf

A morning rush to overcome logistical problems to catch our flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco and to the Travelodge Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf. I was glad to be away from the Southern Californian rat-race. Unfortunately, Debbie had left one of her cuddlies in LA and we failed trying to locate it.

I did get a chance to call round the computer shops in San Francisco to see about getting one of the new DX250 Texas Instruments colour "lap-top" portable computers.

Waking a little later each morning, we were still out and about by 4-5.00am and then out to Coco's soon after their 6.30am opening time. The restaurant was more crowded than previous days and we did not think too much of the service, but we were fascinated to watch the locals eat. There are still a high proportion of grossly overweight people here and they seem to eat in moderation in public but must really stuff themselves in private or they would not be so gross. Once back, a scramble to get everybody through the bathroom, packed and out of the hotel and into the car before a dash up the freeways to get the Hertz rental car back on time for 10.00am.

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These days, an operative with a hand-held terminal checks the car back outside in the parking lot and so we were away in the courtesy bus to Los Angeles Airport in no time. We checked in for the noon 1110 United Airways flight to San Francisco and we arrived there after lunch an hour and a half later but were served no meal on the plane. We were met by the British Airways representative who just ordered us a courtesy coach to take us to the Travelodge Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf. They were welcoming and I had no trouble getting our inward-facing interconnecting rooms.

The weather was warm and sunny and we enjoyed sitting and eating a late lunch at the restaurant in the hotel complex. We felt very pleased to be away from the Southern Californian rat-race and back in civilisation again but we were soon to encounter the street tramps that took the edge of the joys of this city. We feel sure that nobody would go to Los Angeles or Anaheim if it were not for the theme parks as that environment is truly ugly, dirty and unsafe. I took walk around the Fisherman's Wharf area with Debbie after she and Della had been in the hotel pool. I bought some fruit from the supermarket for Debbie, some burghers and chips from McDonalds for Della and a crab sandwich for me from the wharf.

Problems back at the hotel: Debbie had conspired to leave one of her cuddlies in Anaheim and, try as we would by telephone, the management of the Holiday Inn could not find it. Also, despite me alerting Diana to the possible risk, Della had managed to key on the "pay TV channels" and run up an $8 bill! I did get a chance to call round the computer shops in San Francisco to see about getting one of the new DX250 Texas Instruments colour "lap-top" portable computers.