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California II

Hmm. Too much text in the past few posts. Time for some more pictures! =P

But first, travel is exhausting. It already seems like ages ago that I was on my vacation. Anyway, miraculously, I made it home just after midnight even though my original flight back was delayed almost 4 hours (which is greater than the actual flight time, mind you) and probably took off less than 2.5 hours ago. Basically, I got myself onto a flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico from where I connected to JFK. So instead of going through U.S. Customs at JFK, I entered the U.S. through PR. Interestingly, they didn’t stamp my passport upon reentry into the U.S.! Maybe I should come back through Puerto Rico more often since my passport is running out of stamping pages! =)

Anyway, unlike the last time I was back in California , I had a functional camera during my short but much needed vacation during the first week of July. =)

Unfortunately, I seem to have forgotten to take pictures of people and just took photos of places and things. Hrmm.

Well, it was amazingly great to enjoy a week of mid-70s sunny and humidity-free weather while seeing familiar faces and enjoying great, fresh food!

Well, definitely not an all-inclusive list… but here are some things that seem to define California for me… =)

Bright blue beaches …

Hidden coastal harbors…

And majestic sunsets into the Pacific… The plentiful “S”s along the 1,100 mile coastline… surf, sand, sky, sea, sun and sunsets! =)

What would a trip to California be without the taste of In-N-Out burgers? A definitive example of the freshness of Californian eats! =)

#1 & #2 Animal Style ! Great for the indecisive! Only three choices! =P

The ever present palm trees dotting the skyline rather than skyscrapers! =)

I suppose it wouldn’t be fair to withhold some of the negatives… like unending traffic . =P But the palm trees still rule and seem to be bigger than the downtown skyscrapers! =)

Such blue skies! A closer look at the US Bank Tower (white with a circular crown), the tallest North American skyscraper west of Chicago with 73 floors. I worked here during the summer of ‘04… and ironically, my current company has an office in the same building just a few floors down!

And lastly, a series of photos of a random baby seal pup sighting! This is why my screen name is Marine516 … =P

Swimming ashore…

Crawling further ashore…

Reflecting on the ocean waves… look at the scars on its side! Most likely survived a vicious shark attack! =(

To return to the water or to not return to the water… that is the question!

Alas, as I was too busy enjoying myself, I failed to take more photos… just relaxing, absorbing… and enjoying! Note to self: Take more pictures of/with people next time! =)

Amusing Signs

So while in California, for some reason, a handful of amusing signs kept me entertained for a short while. =)

“Marine Mammals are Wild Animals and Can be Dangerous!” – That baby seal pup surely terrified me!

Don’t feed the animals because it falls under “harassment of animals” and increases “their dependency on people food” instead of nuts and stuff!

“Warning! Contact with this water may cause serious illness. Bacteria levels exceed health standards.” However, “The beach is open for public use. Swimming is allowed, but not recommended.” Yes. Please contaminate yourself at your own risk. And indeed, people were swimming… =)

Which reminded me of similar signs I’d seen in Latin America… except a bit more simple…

Chile 2003 – “Beach not suitable for bathing”

And, last of my recent photos, a sign many tend to ignore in climbing down coastal cliffs to explore hidden coastal harbors!

But I already thought about it! And, regardless, am going up and over to climb down the cliff to play in the tidepools with the marine creatures. =)

And a few other signs that have always stuck in my mind over the past few years…

Mexico 2002 – How about taking 10% off if I buy multiple items? =P

California 2002 – Where’d my car go? I could’ve sworn it was here 11 minutes ago!

Peru 2003 – “NO SIGA PELIGRO” [Danger. Do Not Proceed] Discovered at the top of the cliff after we’d climbed all the way up risking life and limb. Great! =)

And, lastly, while I don’t have a picture… one of my favorite signs is a bright yellow one that is often found near schools…

“SLOW CHILDREN”

Yes, the power of punctuation. ” Slow! Children!” vs. ” Slow Children”… =P

Haha, ok. Enjoy and do share if you’ve any other fun sign sighting! =D