We were so busy yesterday, I didn’t have a chance to write, but I”m still feeling the effects of our hike. Did you flatlanders know that there are these huge mounds of land called hills and they are harder to walk up? Yes, it’s true. Yesterday we went to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and did a 3.5 mile hike into the hills about the beach. It was beautiful and only took a couple of hours. So strange how crowded the Bay Area is, but the open spaces feel so free. Mahru’s dog, who you met yesterday, loved the hike, too. We think he found a rattlesnake just inches off trail in the brush. We heard it, but didn’t see it. That’s fine by me.

After lunch, we stopped at the Columbia sportswear employee store and did some “I don’t need this” shopping by which I mean I walk around with things I like and then put them back because I don’t need them. We were really killing time until the East Brother brewery opened at 4. We each had a light, lemony pilsner called Bo Pils. Perfect for after a hike. The brewery is in a Richmond  industrial park and has some picnic benches outside, so we sat in the East Bay shade and relaxed. We got there right at 4, when it opens, but there were already a couple of people there. By the time we left, it was filling up. There’s no food, so a revolving list of food trucks parks outside. Yesterday was Thai. We didn’t eat any, but Mahru said she had and recommends it.

Then, we headed back to Oakland to get ready for an open mike and poetry slam. Once a month, MLK Cafe, an Ethiopian restaurant that also serves burgers and pizza, hosts the Root Slam. The community is welcoming and the artists obviously find great inspiration and support though the organization and events. Plus, they can write and perform! Just listening to other people’s stories and views makes it worth the trip. The food is pretty good, too, but shout out to my own neighbor, Eden, who makes the best Eritrean food ever. By the time we got home from that, I brushed my teeth and crashed.

P.S.: So far, the traffic is not nearly as bad as I imaged it would be. Maybe my bar was very low.