Slow Start

We got to a slow start to our journey to Thailand by sitting in the Boise airport for 2 hours while waiting for clouds to clear at the San Francisco airport. Unfortunately, we missed our connection to Tokyo. so we had the privilege of spending the day and night in San Francisco.

After an hour on the phone with customer service, we arranged flights for the next day, today. Because the delay was weather related, United would not cover meal and hotel expenses and San Francisco is not known for inexpensive hotel rooms! In our trip budget, I did budget an extra $100 for unforseen expenses, but didn't want to spend it all on the first day of our trip! After a meal at the airport, We needed a plan and came up with quite a few options.

Plan A: Kyle suggested we save money by sleeping in the airport. It would be fun! The downside, we would not be able to go into the city unless we took our bags with us. We could go outside the ariport to store our bags at $20 a pop.

Plan B: We rent a car (a big one...there`s 10 of us), drive into the city and lock the bags in the car while we did some sightseeing. Then drive back to the airport and sleep there. The downside, a rental car that size would be expensive and also quite a temptation for theft and we wanted our bags to be more secure.

Plan C: We rent a discount airport hotel room, lock our bags there, take the train into the city and back. Downside, there were no discount rooms to be had, what was available was $200 and then Bart train tickets would cost at least $20 round trip.

Plan D: Try to find a cheaper hotel away from the airport, take the airport shuttle there, store our bags in the room, then take the city bus the rest of the way to Fisherman`s Wharf and back. Jenna found a room for $94 at the Travelodge, which was a real bargain.



What actually happened: We took the airport shuttle to our room and realized it wasn't such a bargain after all. It did have two queen beds, hardly any floor space, a bathroom door that didn`t close properly and didn`t lock,and a bathroom with excessive amounts of caulk to kinda hold everything together.

We took the city bus to downtown (an hour ride) and at the end of the line got off and asked our bus driver the best way to get to Pier 39. He said it was only about 10 blocks and it would probably be easier to walk. Well, let me just say that he was a tad bit off in his reckoning. After around 30 minutes we were only to pier 15! But it was a beautiful day. Carpe Diem, right? We arrived to Pier 39 around 8 pm and split up into two groups in search of food (Boudin`s for my group, crepes for the other.....yum). By then it was pretty chilly down by the beach, an a few sweatshirts were purchased.

During this time, we received a call from Brian Hanson, offering to help pay for hotels rooms, so after consulting with the group we (especially the boys) decided that it might be a bit more comfortable for everyone if the boys had their own room. When we got back to the hotel, however, it was fully booked. thanks for thinking of us, though, Hanson's

At 9:30, we met up to start the trip home. No one was enthusiastic about making that long walk back to the bus station. We could hire 3 cabs at a cost of $45 to the bus station and then pay another $4 per person for the bus ride home. I could see our "slush fund" slipping quickly through my fingers. I then spotted an airport shuttle type van and approached the driver. I thought hiring him for all of us would be cheaper than taking 3 seperate taxis. Besides, although the risk was low of anything happening, I wasn't crazy about letting any of those kids drive away in a vehicle without me also in it.

I ended up negotiating the driver to take us directly to our hotel. He started at $170 and I got him to do it for $100 instead. A bit more than the taxi/bus combintion, but about an hour quicker!

Back at our Travelodge, we looked at our space and decided it would be best to change the bedding so that we slept with head and feet on the sides of the beds, that way we could fit 4 girls per bed, and then the two guys would sleep on mats on the floor. The coveted location in this scheme was back to the head board. The least desirable was clutching to the end of the bed. Even sleeping on the floor was better then that! Sorry, Lauren and Brianna!

After a late night visit to IHOP and then much maneuvering of 10 suitcases, 10 backpacks, and ten people in a very small place, we settled in for the night. We turned off the air because it was blowing directly on the heads of the 4 girls next to the machine. As the night progressed, it got increasingly hot and humid in the room until I couldn't take it, so I got up from my middle of the bed position, and tried to make it across the dark room without stepping on anyone. First I noticed a body on the floor in between beds (Danni). I avoided stepping on her by stepping across her to stand on the other bed. Wait, Lauren should be where I was stepping. Where's Lauren? As I looked around the room, I felt myself slipping off the end of the bed. I knew Kyle was on the floor right at the foot of the bed, so a took a little hop across him to the area next to the door....and landed on a body, Lauren's body curled up in that pitiful little space. She screamed, I screamed and scrambled off her right onto Kyle who added to the mayhem by yelling. By now everyone was sitting up in bed wondering what the heck was going on. Then I got the extreme giggles as I tried to pry open a sealed window without success, and then fumbled in the dark to try to figure out how to turn on the A/C. On my way back to my bed, I stepped on Danni, who didn't make a peep and indeed seemed to be the only one who slept through the confusion.

When I woke up in the morning, Danni was back on my bed, and Lauren was literally clinging to the edge of hers, poor girl. But I think we all got some sleep or at least more than we would have in the airport, as well as a little bonding time.



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