I think it has been a long time since most people have travelled abroad. For me, last pleasure trip out of the country was back in January 2020 and it was just a short weekend trip across the border to the US from Canada. This year has flew by and definitely one of the most unusual years for everyone. All aspects of our lives have by affected by the pandemic, whether it is from the economic perspective to the travel and leisure perspective.
But I think for Local Guides, we all have a ton of stories, especially travel ones. I’m going to share one of my most memorable experiences here on a #ThrowBackThursday or #TBT.
Just over two years ago, in October 2018, I was very fortunate to attend Connect Live held in the San Francisco Bay area. Shortly after the event, @NunungAfuah and I decided to embark on an alternative method of seeing the city. We decided to travel using the Go Car. What is a Go Car you ask? It literally looks like a little go kart, something that you may see in the Mario Kart game.
We were very excited for this in the morning. You can just sense our excitement as we were getting ready (to sign our waivers and safety briefing). We were going to be in one together and you may ask, what is the driving requirements for this? They seem to accept any driver’s license! So if you’re planning on doing this, make sure you bring your valid driver’s license with you. We shared one Go Car for the two of us. I was the driver for the day as some time before this, Nunung was my motorbike driver in Bali. This was my opportunity to take her around, especially since we had thought the way you drive this is more similar to a vehicle. But once we arrived, we found out, it isn’t! It’s actually more like a motorbike! I’ve been to San Francisco numerous times before this and it was Nunung’s second visit but neither of us have ever explored the city like this! We were totally ready to take on the city, once we put on our safety helmets! Nunung has planned this very well with her outfit!
What is the first thing everyone thinks about when they think of San Francisco? The Golden Gate Bridge and what better way to see it with Karl (the fog), it is what the locals call it. This became our first stop of our little journey. We stopped in the Crissy Field Beach and it was just the perfect way to absorb this view, very quintessential while visiting the city.
We got to drive through the hills of the city and see the streets. I have to admit, it was quite fun to drive in a tiny vehicle. The car is driven on the same streets as usual cars. Of course, you have to be careful and watch for cars, pedestrians, cyclists, buses, trams, etc. The cars are bright yellow, so they will easily see you on the road as well. The vehicles are also equipped with GPS activated tours. If you’re brand new to the city and doing the exploring all on your own, it’ll give your some tidbits about the city as well.
And of course, we needed to drive down Lombard Street. It is a very crooked street with lots of hairpin turns. I think Nunung trusted my driving until this point. See, or rather listen, for yourself in our video!
Overall, this was a great way to spend a few hours while exploring the city. Definitely a very different experience. I’ve never considered driving a car like this before. I’ve never actually seen cars like this before in other cities.
What about you guys? Do you have any throwback Thursday travel stories to share with other Local Guides? Tell us what you’ve missed or really enjoyed or what you can’t wait to do when it is safe to travel freely again! In the meanwhile, stay safe and stay healthy!