A stroll in the tourist area

Headed down to Fishermans wharf today and spent my time investigating the area (set up for tourists with prices to match - you are better heading for little Italy or china town for lunch/dinner). I finally find myself seated in one of the bars for dinner and find a good atmosphere with a crowded bar/restaurant (Expect to pay $20+ per head along here). By the time I am ready to head back to the hostel it is pouring with rain… there are no signs that it is going to finish soon so I strike out to cover the 1km back to the hostel and end up as wet as I had been after my hike on Kagoshima’s volcano!! 0_0 [Advise - even if the weather looks good in San Francisco when you go out… Take a jacket or umbrella as it could turn overcast and rain within an hour)…

Another day and another walk along the coast, this time along the ‘tourist’ trap of the piers… Being a gloriously sunny Saturday morning the place is heaving with people and some very competitive swimmers making their way out into the bay in seal suits ;) My objective today was to buy a ticket for the Alcatraz tour - there is only one place to get these tickets if you want to set foot onto the island and this is pier 33 - arriving I once again find a phalanx of tourists but after a little wait in the queue I soon find that tickets are sold out… so I book a ticket for 9am on Wednesday J Hopefully this will be quieter as it is early in the morning for tourists and during the week… Top tip here - book your ticket ahead and do not expect to be able to go on the day you arrive!! The lady in the both said that the line was quiet in comparison to the high season just a few weeks away 0_0
One short walk well worth the effort is along the coast to ‘Sissy Fields’ and the modern ‘dog friendly’ café. A cool spot to hang out in the sun facing the Golden Gate Bridge and watching the kite surfers and yachtsman navigate around the incoming container vessels.