Well, the day did start in Ariona!
I'm in Palo Alto at the home of my friend "Leyla". I had a good flight up from Phoenix to San Francisco; got a window seat and the middle seat was empty.
Here are some photos taken from the plane; I think we were flying up the peninsula south of San Francisco: It was a beautiful day with great views!
Then I took the Sky Train to the BART station.
From the Sky Train there were nice views of the network of overpasses around the airport, and of the front of the San Francisco Airport.
I had been told that I needed to catch the CalTrain at the Millbrae BART station. It was confusing trying to get on BART, because you couldn't take the BART going south to Millbrae BART station, at that time of the day and on that day of the week.
What one had to do was to take a northbound BART to San Bruno BART station and then catch the southbound BART to CalTrain.
The BART map does note that different trains run at different times between the airport and Millbrae (or at other times they don't run).
There were no signs to tell me this, just a sign saying "All Trains" which pointed downstairs. Once downstairs, I found the southbound side blocked off. I had to go upstairs again and ask the BART employee behind the glass window.
She pointed dourly to a little slip of paper which told me I must take a northbound train one stop north, first, and cross over to the southbound train at San Bruno BART station. I ran downstairs and just barely caught the northbound train before it left.
I was a little miffed at how confusing it was. What would have helped would have been a big sign saying the same information which was on the little slip of paper which I had to go back upstairs and ask for!
The Millbrae station adjoins the Caltrain station, so that part was easy.
It was also easy to buy the CalTrain ticket from a machine. It cost around $10.00. for a ticket to Palo Alto. They have the stops divided into four zones and an audio speaker takes you through the steps. The only problem was that when a noisy northbound CalTrain passed by, I missed some of what the audio speaker was saying! But I managed.
Both times I've ridden on CalTrain, no one has checked my ticket. But if they do check and you don't have a ticket with you, the fine is $250.
"Leyla" picked me up at the Palo Alto station. Her given name is Lois White, but she used "Leyla" as a performing name when she was younger, and as most of her friends are in the "belly dance community", everyone calls her "Leyla".
I've never asked her her age, I'm guessing that she is maybe five years older than I am.
(Leyla was a computer programmer at the Stanford Linear Accelerator until she retired. When she started programming, there were no classes for it, and the machines used punch cards.)
First we went to a Fed Ex copy place, where she made programs for tomorrow's dance festival. Then we went to a pizza place and got the lunch deal, which was one slice of pizza, a small salad, and a drink.
When we got back to her house this afternoon, I napped a bit. She's taking her shower now and then I'll take mine. We want to take our showers this afternoon, because tonight we are going to hear an Arabic band at the Tannourine (sp?) restaurant, and tomorrow morning we must leave early as she has supplies to deliver to the festival venue. She is one of the organizing members of BABDAMA ("Bay Area Belly Dance and Music Association")
Love, Lennie
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