No more trees! (for now). Today I is mostly talking about penal reform! Well, not really (well, a bit), but, as any aficionado of this tripe will attest, whilst the historical significance of anything I visit is of great interest to me, in many ways it is its current political implications that interests me even more.
And I can sum up what we have learnt from Alcatraz in one word: NOTHING!
First off though, what a brilliant visit. I've said before that I admire the US National Parks for their protection of environment, ecology, wildlife and historical sites. This is just another example of that. A really informative visit with not too much and not too little information - rather a goldilocks visit.
The cell block is truly an eye-opener. Each occupant crammed into a cell 9ft x 5ft with a tiny toilet, a basic bed and seating arrangement. Given that it is very likely that the majority of inmates had some level of mental health problem before they went in, I am amazed that they didn't all go mad.
Escape was famously virtually impossible and the most celebrated example by the Morris brothers got them as far as the water, having enlarged the air vents with spoons (the mind boggles!) to escape, but they were never seen again. Drowned or escaped? Nobody knows. Their bodies were never found so I like to think they did escape. Undoubtedly some of the inmates were a danger to society but some cleary were not and the conditions of incarceration were at times inhumane, even if they did feed them well enough!
Alcatraz was finally shut down by the Attorney General of the time, Robert Kennedy, but not because it was inhumane, but because it cost too much.
But anywhere that sees it fit to shut human beings in solitary confinement for extended periods IN THE DARK, should have been shut down long before.
So about that penal reform. One of the reasons I enjoyed the visit so much was that as well as the peek into history, stories of men who had worked there and been locked up, the visceral sense of what it must have been like to have been in one of those cells, was that they placed the history in a modern context and addressed the inequalities and racism of the modern USA. There are still 61,000 people being held in solitary confinement - today!
The final exhibition, after having one's senses assaulted by the sheer cruelty of the past, provided a commentary on modern penal policy in the USA and around the world.
No prizes for guessing that the USA locks up more people per capita (2.1 million at the last count, not that far short of 1% - and almost 3% locked up, on parole or on probation) than any other nation and yet continues to have amongst the highest crime rates. For comparison, Norway (any one who reads this will know I like Norway) has just about the lowest incarceration rate in the world and has a re-arrest rate as low as 20%, miles lower than the USA or the UK.
When oh when will we see penal policy based on evidence rather than political expedience?
And just for comparison sake, the country with the second highest incarceration rate is Russia and the United Kingdom is premier league as well, currently residing in 8th place just behind Australia, but probably rising up the charts if our current Home Secretary has anything to do with it. Oh yes and guess which country is 3rd? Yes you guessed, Rwanda, where we have just signed an agreement to dump our inconvenient asylum seekers. You coudn't make it up. I can't decide if Johnson or Patel is the more odious. I'm sure anyone who reads this outrage will know but just in case, we don't allow asylum seekers to apply for asylum until they are in the UK and then make it virtually impossible for them to reach our shores. Catch 22. A more cynical approach is hard to imagine.
Right, enough of the politics today - and I promise for the next few.
Yesterday was blogless, mainly because we spent the day driving in torrential rain, over the mountains from the coast.
Unbelievably, in an attempt to find something to do in the decidedly unfriendly weather we even stopped briefly at an outlet park - where we of course bought nothing, but we managed to waste 45 minutes, and we ate left over pizza in the car! And all while you back the UK are basking in warm spring sunshine. Don't worry I can hear the sound of tiny violins.
But having arrived in Berkeley last night, home of University of California, flower power and ... I don't know, weed?, we first found a cracking bar where I got verbally abused (I think it was banter) for mistaking a South African for an Australian and followed that with a stupendous Thai meal. Yep, we are definitely back (briefly) in urban US. And in a great little neighbourhood which seems to have changed little in many years.
And on queue, the rain clouds parted overnight to leave us a cloudless blue sky, perfect for our 20 minute train trip into San Francisco and the much waited for boat trip to Alcatraz. I have been here twice and not managed it, having failed to have the foresight to book in advance. No chance of that this time - we booked the tickets at Christmas! And just look at that blue sky!
Finally, this afternoon, we had a wander round a great city, checked out the trolley cars - and with apologies to my friends Steve and Eric, have I ever told you that they are pulled by continuously revolving underground cables? Its brilliant! The cables keep going for miles underground and when the trolley wants to move it grabs on with some sort of ... er, grabber! Not sure how they brake but they do - otherwise they would all be in the bay. As anyone knows, San Francisco has a lot of hills!
Finally, finally we lounged in Union Square for afternoon coffee before setting off back to our Berkeley digs.
Tonight Spanish tapas is on the menu, and don't tell Nareesa but there is a bar with I reckon 40 odd different bottles of Scotch! What could possibly go wrong? A few pictures to sign off for the day...
The iconic Transamerica building (and a curious flatiron like building that appeared to be clad in copper!)
Chinatown
Alcatraz - yet more stolen land.
Nareesa in the exercise yard. She must have been good and obeyed the rules.
Just chillin' in the sunshine, waiting for the boat.
Masks on in public indoor spaces - and boats!
Last silly selfie in front of a cool water fountain down by the bay.
Happy man, belly full of last night's Thai curry!
Morning Alan, apologies for radio silence but it was Easter weekend and with the "kids" down I refrained from e-mail! Looks like San Francisco hasn't disappointed - looks like a great city. Enjoy!