My day in San Francisco. Day 6, Tue. 5th February 2019.

I chose to see as much as possible of San Francisco during my one full day here before leaving California for Honolulu, my last day in the United States, for the time-being. The hotel concierge suggested the San Francisco Big Bus round trip of two and a half hours. That, I felt, was a good use of the few hours available. However, I was going to have to come to terms with how cold it was, and eventually brave riding on the wind-swept top deck, and “just get on with it”. These hop on- hop off buses are, to my mind, far better than many of the organised shore excursions where the tour guide feels compelled to entertain, rather than inform. To begin with, I sat in the sheltered lower deck before venturing up stairs and seeing the spectacular vistas on offer. I hopped off, and back on again firstly at a viewing point which gave something of an opportunity to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge, and panoramic scenes accross the Bay. After around 20 minutes, I continued on a second bus to Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39. I didn’t take much persuasion to accept an offer of 30 minute “round the bay” cruise on a tiny motor boat I shared with just two others of Oriental origin. Two of us accepted an offer of driving the boat. This brought to mind a former work colleague who is said to have boasted that he docked the Queen Mary single handedly in New York in 1949. I don’t doubt that he sailed both ways accross the Atlantic even if such a trip was much more of an event in those days. Going anywhere abroad in the late 40ss was very much the exception rather than the rule it is today. I had planned to have “a good lunch” at Fisherman’s Wharf. However, my new-found navigational skills merely allowed time for a coffee, hot dog and muffin! In reality, I was only at the helm of this little vessel for around three minutes! I walked around Pier 39 much as I did in 1991 when it was so much warmer.

Here are some pictures which I hope are fairly self explanatory.

In the evening, I joined the night tour of San Francisco. It was freezing on the open top deck, but the sights of a city bathed in its profusion of light were something to behold in awe. I have seen his kind of thing before, but such magnificence never fails to impress. Among the pictures, an image of Cunard’s Queen Victoria, having arrived for the first of two days. Also worthy of mention are the sea lions which have made (according to the bus guide) their home at the foot of Pier 39, after the 1989 earthquake.

I hope something brings me back to San Francisco; there is so much left to see. And I would very much like to do these bus trips again, and some others.

Tomorrow my journey continues gradually to warmer, then hotter climes.

Thanks for reading.

David.