SAN FRANCISCO BIG BUS

A nap and shower later, making the most of one of the city’s many open topped bus tours to get our bearings and explore the neighbourhoods beyond Union Square.

City Hall as seen from the Big Bus

San Francisco traffic

Like all large American cities, San Francisco is a sprawling metropolis with many distinct neighbourhoods. Big Bus ($50 for a 2 day unlimited use ticket per person) is a good way of getting a feel for some of the more colourful parts of town that are too far to walk to.

Pier 39

Yacht marina at Pier 39

Pier 39 our first stop. One of the many maritime piers that line the harbour area and premier grockle attraction being full of tacky souvenir stalls and snack huts. It also has a population of resident sea-lions. Here they are lazily enjoying today’s glorious sunshine.

Sea-lions lazing in the sunshine

You're over the line

Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco’s iconic landmark and if you can see it then think yourself lucky as more often than not, it’s shrouded in a thick layer of fog (another thing San Francisco is famous for). Strapped into our top deck seats, we braced ourselves for the bridge crossing. The bus hurtled across into the thick fog, whilst we were assaulted on all sides by a vicious, cold wind that could have frozen the very marrow in my bones. Newly washed hair now looking like a porcupine in a wind tunnel.

Bridge - what bridge?

Oh you mean that one

Golden Gate Bridge

Aside from fog, San Francisco is famous for its hilly streets and when I say hills, what I mean is a suburban mini Mount Everest. Forget clutch control on one of these gradients and only Jesus is going to save you. However, the locals have got round this natural phenomena by inventing cable cars which have the pulling power of a team of shire horses and are great fun to ride though not cheap. ($6 fare per person)

Powell & Mason cable car - all aboard

Most cities across the globe have a large resident population of Chinese people and San Francisco is no exception, with its Chinatown suburb sprawling messily and noisily across a large area just off Grant Avenue.

Chinatown

We stopped for a bite to eat in one of the local restaurants (Yee’s) and being budget savvy travellers opted for the combination plate, a good filling dish of noodles, sweet and sour pork and veg for only $7.50 per person. Yee’s gourmet offerings included crispy fried pork intestines and pigeon (Diet has taken a hammering these past few days what with the free cookies and now this … )

Chilling out after lunch in the laid back suburb of Haight, which seems to be pot-head central and is renowned for its Bohemian shops and even more Bohemian characters. Apparently, this hippie neighbourhood is one of the most popular areas of the city to live in and most expensive in terms of property prices although I’m not sure I’d really fancy all that free love. Maybe they give out free space cookies in the hotels round these parts.

Psychedelic shop fronts of Haight

Victorian houses

Fog has lifted since this morning so it’s back for a second helping of Golden Gate hair and a few more photos of the iconic structure before nightfall.