Day 1: Let the games begin

EAT:
Straight from the San Francisco airport, I headed to Berkeley to meet up with two old friends. When I exited the BART station, I walked right into 60 degree weather (!). Now I know that 60 degrees isn't terribly warm, but when you compare it to the 14 degree New York weather I left, this was cause for a celebration. I made a beeline for a street that looked like it had many cute eateries. And what did I have? Gelato. Nice, cold, creamy chocolate gelato from the Rockridge Market Hall.

I was still licking the chocolate off my fingers as my friends arrived with the expectation that we would be off to lunch. Luckily, since domestic flights have cut costs by stripping away any semblance of a substantial meal (even on an 8 hour flight), I was still a tad bit hungry. We went for Ethiopian. Like every other time I have gone for Ethiopian two things happened. 1) I ordered the veggie combo. 2) I ate myself sick. The food was fantastic (although admittedly, I am probably not the most discerning eater when it comes to Ethiopian). The real highlight was the decor though. We ate off of tables that had glass tops and when you looked into them, there were pulses and beans separated into separate sections to create a little feast for the eyes.

DRINK:
When deciding how to spend the evening, I challenged my friend to come up with a suggestion that was a little bit out of the ordinary. She racked her mind for awhile and came up with Bourbon & Branch. Back during prohibition, this was a speakeasy with 16 different secret entrances and exits (or so they claim). It has stayed true to its roots and operates with an air that something illicit is going on. Reservations must be made in order to get the password for entry. Cell phones are prohibited. Masked doors lead you into different parts of the establishment.

We were in the library, which has a limited drink menu, but shelves and shelves of battered, well-worn books. In other areas of the bar, you can peruse the anthology of labor-intensive drinks that they serve. But only one bartender mans the library and so we were given nine options. I chose the blood and sand - a whiskey-based drink that has enough sweetness to allow for a smooth ride as it wet the throat. Although I must admit, I preferred my friend's gimlet, which embodied everything that you crave on a hot summer day.

YOGA:
No time for yoga. The yoga tourism must wait a day.