We awoke this morning to a perfectly blue sky, but there was a real chill in the air.
After a light breakfast we jumped in the car and took a quick whirl around this sea-side little place. It is extremely clean, well run, great zoning laws obviously and very picturesque.
I do not think that Santa Barbara manufactures or produces anything. It must be tourism and a retirement area, it has a very nice climate and is not a city in the ugly sense of the word. There are no tall buildings, the picturesque city hall, built in the Spanish style is about the highest in the area. Twice as high as a palm tree is about it.
Last night we took a little stroll prior to retiring. We are housed near the beach area, a bit touristy as opposed to upscale five star hotels in other areas. In our walkabout we came across several 'street-people', mostly middle aged, settling down for the night on the beach front, under arcades and in other areas out of the cool wind.
They all had bundles of possessions or a shopping cart stacked high and with bags hanging on the handles. I remember one woman, holding what I supposed was her night wear, in front of her like she was ready to step into them, amongst a row of other homeless, getting ready to go to bed on her sleeping bag on the cement floor. Just like you and I except she was under the glare of fluorescent lights with passers by just 20 feet away. Her dignity has obviously long since gone. [She was fully clothed.] How sad that was to see.
Tonight we went uptown a bit in the more upscale area for a light Italian dinner. Guess what, on the way out we encountered the street people up there as well, sitting, waiting for the night to come, and go. Others were slowly shuffling along going who knows where for another chilly night with an empty stomach and the prospect for the same tomorrow.
I am not going to judge whether these people are here because of bad choices or whatever, it is just so sad to see men and women reduced down to that level. Not too often do they make eye contact with us.
Santa Barbara is a lovely place. It will always stick in my mind as a place where the well-to-do and the down-and-out mix freely without any contact between the two. The homeless seem to be the invisible people. I can only assume this is not limited to Santa Barbara and the same can be found in Vancouver.
I would not have written this blog if I had not encountered scores of other handicapped and homeless people ever since we set foot in San Francisco. Sorry to leave you on a down note.
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