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Other entries in Alcatraz

The Rock!

After a very filling breakfast of pancakes - yes we really are getting into the american way of life, we took a stroll (well maybe not!) down to Pier 39. Now when I say stroll, it really wasn't that far but it took us at least 40mins because the roads were just so steep, and not just in one direction, it was up and down at scary angles but even if you had tuned left or right you would still have found a hill- there was no side of the hill. There was just no getting away from the steep roads - don't ask how we still can't figure it out.

Anyway we made it to the Pier and caught the 12.45 Blue & Yellow Ferry out to the rock. It was not a long journey Alcatraz is only about a mile from shore. It is a rock in the middle of a bay housing building which were originally Military headquarters then a military prison then a federal pententiary from 1934 - 1963 (prison). Alcatraz - nicknamed the Rock was notorious for being the prison from which no one could escape and for this reason most of the prisioners here were here because they had tried to escape from other prisons.

When we arrived we listened to a ranger tour about soem of the escape attempts made - they were very well planned but due to the strong currents, cold water and number of guards the attempts failed. After this we watched a video and then did an awesome audio tour of the prision. The tour was narrated by former inmates and guards and so it was all first hand information which was good. You could go in the cells and see how tiny they were and see where the famous inmates like Machine Gun kelly & Al Capone stayed. We found out that Al capone was only in prison for tax evasion but because he had escaped form his prison he was sent to The Rock.

It was a mind blowing experience, the prison is so much bigger than we thought and is really not in that good nick because it is now a bird sancutary, we were surprised that such a famous landmark had not been preserved better. In fact, we were talking to a lady who had grown up on the island and was back signing the books she had written. We were surprised to find out that she had grown up here as her father worked here as a prison warden, she described how the houses that the wardens families had lived in had been demolished rather than renovated as the were unsafe.

It took us ages to look around and only just finished in time for the last boat at 4.30. When we got back to the mainland we stopped off at Safeways to get some food for dinner then went to find Lombard Street, famous for being the steepest street in San Fran and is so steep the cars have to zig zag down it rather than going straight down it.

 We caught the bus back to the hostel and stopped off at the local bar - The Cellar, very trendy underground bar with free pool table, wicked lighting and $1 beers!! Then back cook dinner and watch comedy on the TV!!

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