And hello Yosemite!

WOW - Yosemite was amazing! I arrived Thursday afternoon and left Monday morning so I had three full days to explore and I could have done so much more. I was going to visit Yosemite later in my trip but at the last minute had to swap things around. The timing could not have been better. There had been quite a bit of rain so the colours were vibrant and the waterfalls going strong. I will definitely post photos soon so you can see what it was like. I was staying in the park in what is called a tent cabin. Which is like a canvas covered cabin. They gave me very strict instructions when I arrived about not having any food, liquid or scented toiletries (such as soap) in the cabin but instead to keep them in the allocated bear proof locker outside. I obediently followed their instructions and went to bed happy that I had done my duty. I woke up in the middle of the night (and I should warn you that what follows might upset some nieces...) to hear a distant roar of a bear. This turned to panic when I soon heard it snuffling outside my cabin! Rational Kim stayed asleep during the entire episode while irrational Kim decided that playing dead was the best option. So here I am playing dead in a tent cabin which afforded no obvious defence against a hungry bear. Well the moment (which felt like hours) passed and the next morning I discovered that someone had left some rubbish outside. I disposed of the rubbish and meticulously followed the anti-bear instructions from then on!!
The next day the new and braver Kim (after the bear encounter) ventured out on one of the harder walks to Nevada Falls. This was an 11.3 km walk climbing 570 metres. Thankfully I met some nice americans on the way up who became my walking companions for most of the ascent and descent. It was nice to chat as we walked. One of them visited Yosemite regularly and said that the weather was the best he had seen so that was nice to hear. The following day I took things a little easier. I went on a free photography walk in the morning where I found out what all the features on my camera actually do! I wish I had known about them at the start of the trip but I guess that at least I knew about them to take some good shots at Yosemite and especially before visiting Mirror Lake which I did that afternoon.
Sunday was my very exciting day. After church in the morning I headed off toward Glacier Point which is over 15 kms and a climb of 960 metres. It took me over three hours to get to the top and I was so proud of myself for making it. I did stop quite a bit because it seemed like every step was another photo opportunity but I got there just in time for my turnaround deadline. I had decided in advance that at 2.30 pm I would have to head back because once it gets dark here it really gets dark and I didn't want to meet another bear! Anyway, I made it to the top (photos to come) and after a short rest got down just as the light was fading. It was quite slippery coming down so I am pleased I didn't leave any later. I was so happy I did it. I was almost going to do something else but someone at breakfast said it was THE walk to do because of the fabulous views of Half DOme. Yosemite has probably been the most challenging part of the trip physically but also I have found it to be quite challenging because the place is so awe inspiring that I felt a little overwhelmed at times.
Yosemite is like the natural Manhatten but instead of being surrounded by buildings you are surrounded by these amazing cliff faces that change minute by minute as the light shifts. I will definitely post some photos but they don't really capture the magnificence of the place. It is like the ultimate outdoor cathedral!!
Again, the people here are very friendly so there is always someone to chat to. People think I am English when they meet me. I think my accent has dropped but also alot of Americans can't tell the difference between the accents. When I remember I say G'day instead of hello to avoid the confusion. I stayed overnight in San Francisco on the way to Yosemite and then on the way back on the way to Washington DC. On the way back I went on a free tour of San Francisco that was run by the hostel. It was run by a friendly but somewhat eccentric economics teacher who used the tours as a way to convert people to the Henry George approach to taxation. I guess everyone has their passions and this was obviously his but he meant well. At the start of the tour he said the tour would change our lives. I immediately was worried he would use it to try and convert us to some sort of Californian new age fern religion and started formulating an exit strategy but it turned out to be a fun way of seeing the city and a few of us went out for dinner afterwards. It is late here in Washington so I should go but I will post photos soon and tell you all about Washington DC when I see it in daylight!