[San Francisco] An afternoon in Fisherman' Wharf

Week 1
Day 5 (Nov 24th, Monday)
Day 3 in San Francisco - Fisherman's Wharf

There are many different façades to San Francisco life, and Fisherman's Wharf is one of them. The Wharf is remotely different from the prim and proper neighbourhoods of San Francisco with their quiet European charm and trimmed lawns, and looks blue-collarish compared to the classy Union Square area.

A remnant of its seafaring past, it is now best known for its many restaurants and hawker stands serving fresh seafood. I couldn't wait to try it... I wonder what's the difference between Malaysian and American seafood?

We were overwhelmed by the long row of seafood restaurants and our ravenous stomachs, not to mention the huge lunch crowd. Didn't know which shop to choose from, so we simply entered the one which had the most fresh looking seafood on display! Sabella and LaTorre.

The yummy clam chowder is a must try. I didn't take any photos of it, but the creamy soup comes served in a breadbowl. Complimentary and refillable 'sourdough bread' in a basket - famous in San Francisco - was also served with our meal. At first taste, the bread put a frown on our faces cos it tasted real sour and we were thinking it had gone bad! I had many firsts here: first time eating lobster and first time eating raw oysters. It was a bit of a gastronomical adventure for me, cos I didn't know whether the oysters were really clean. They smelt of the sea. I spritzed some lemon juice on top, and gulped down. Yummy!

Lunch special: crabs, clams, shrimps and oyster.

The difference between American and Malaysian seafood: the crabs and shrimp were served cold, whereby here we usually get them cooked in sauce.

Fish and chips...

Boudin Bakery, where you can see how they make the famous 'sourdough bread' behind glass windows...
You can't miss this landmark at Fisherman's Wharf!

After having our fill we walked a short distance to Pier 39, which is an incredibly touristy spot filled with gift shops, restaurants, video arcades, stage performances, etc. The place was jam-packed with Asian tourists and American families...

The sky is blue at the Pier

One very interesting sight to behold is the sea lions basking on the docks at Pier 39! There were so many of them with making their lazy gawking noises... It was fascinating to see so many of these animals grouping so peacefully close to mankind. Funnily, the sea lions like to group together on the fully-packed docks, even though there were so many other empty ones... @_@... and they like to bully too! For the latecomer that tries to clamour onto the dock, the others will kick him until it falls back into the sea, but then it tries again, and falls again...

Beautiful view of Alcatraz Island... with yachts!

Blurred photo of Pier 39... argh... I only have one!

We were spending a lot of time inside the gift shops because it was freezing outside! This musical merry-go-round has all the Disney characters on it! Love it but it's too expensive!

Dead Santa sea-lion

Around 5pm, sunset at the pier. It was beautiful and romantic. We stayed there to watch the sun as it went down. It was tremendously chilly there as the sea wind blew at our faces and I hugged my jacket closer and pulled my beanie and hood down to my eyes, covering as much face as possible.

About 6 o'clock was the Christmas Tree Lighting which was the highlight of the night itself with many song performances. It was beautiful... this was the only clear picture I could get.

After that we went for dinner at one of the restaurants inside Pier 39. The food was similar to what we had for lunch, but the dining experience turned out extremely unmemorable because of the very unpleasant attitude of the waiter. Leo wrote down our complaints on the bill!

Next, we walked to the row of souvenir shops outside the pier which sold stuff at less expensive prices compared to the ones inside Pier 39. Here, I got my keychains, mugs, photo frames, and a musical cable car that sings "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as it turns and rewinds.

Took the cable back to Union Square area... this is us inside our hotel lift, tired but happy from all that sightseeing... ^__^