Checking in...email no.4

Hi again!

We just thought we'd check in again before we head to Mexico City tomorrow.

The past few days have mainly involved walking around, taking in the city, atmosphere and people, and enjoying the crisp air. We are both in love with San Francisco - it is so beautiful, its buildings are simply amazing, its parks are breath-taking and the food is delicious. We've done a fair bit of walking (5 1/2 hours yesterday) and love the roads - it's so hilly and there are some seriously steep climbs. It's also very cyclist-friendly, with a number of the road shoulders being very wide and accommodating. We also found some really nice coffee...at a few places (FINALLY!), so will be sorry to leave that behind.

We undertook the night tour of Alcatraz this evening...very interesting and educational. It's crazy to put yourself in the prisoners' shoes and try to conceive of spending 16-23 hours a day in such a cramped, cold and bare cell...and although it was a maximum security prison, to earn a sentence there all the prisoners needed to do was commit a crime in the community and then commit another crime in the prison they were incarcerated in (varying from exploiting the system to work to your advantage to kidnapping a Warden/murdering a fellow inmate). So really, the prisoners weren't necessarily the biggest and baddest dudes on the block...just those the government believed should be isolated from other prisoners on the mainland. Interesting...

As mentioned, we head to Mexico City tomorrow morning (arriving in Mexico in the evening). We'll be spending the next 10 days there before making our way home...hopefully it should be a fun and enjoyable experience.

We hope you're all healthy and happy...and looking forward to Christmas!

Lots of love
Dave and Fi
xoxox