The long flight and resulting time delay held a silver lining for one of our students who enjoyed a 40-hour birthday.

Jetlagged and feeling rather anxious we approached the intimidating customs officials where we were finger-printed, had our retinas scanned and assured them we were not members of the Communist Party.

After getting accustomed to our new surroundings we headed to a typical Diner for our first taste of American culture.

The following day we explored Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Alcatraz and took a near vertical walk up a cable car route to the famously crooked Lombard Street.

To top off an action packed day we purchased rush tickets to see the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – an amazing experience.

Alcatraz is worth a special mention. A scenic ferry ride took us to this infamous island penitentiary. Upon arrival we were taken aback by the imposing structure that exists as a grim reminder of what was the most notorious prison in America.

The forty minute audio tour (narrated by previous inmates) explained the horrific environment and desperate escape attempts, making the experience all the more confronting.

The following day, we witnessed the “Gay Pride Rainbow Festival” which was a terrific eye opener and exposed us to sights not seen in Ballarat.

We then climbed aboard the Parker bus and headed to the California Academy of Science, where the skeleton of a fearsome T-Rex greeted us in the dimly lit planetarium where we were fully immersed in a 3-D presentation on the birth of our solar system.

In the words of Hugh Sullivan, the experience was “mind contorting and reality twisting”.

Equally engaging were the alarming facts and predictions on the effects of global warming. We were left with much to digest and ponder.

Over the next few days we plan to visit Berkeley University, reMatch Sport, San Francisco University and then head down to Palo Alto. We will write about our experiences at these companies and institutions in our next posting.