Since I am returning to work next Mon, 17 Nov (I just read my bank is going to further cut 600 jobs...hmmmm) and its pouring...and after some leftover Pepperidge farm cookies which stirred up memories of SF, I thought I'd pen something about the trip...
Returning to SF 10 years since I last visited, (Edwin's last visit was 20years ago!) anticipation was naturally in the air. I rememered staying right smack in the middle of town (Union Square) and I vividly recall the compact city with scenic slopes lined with houses, old-school cable cars (or trams as we call them), Fisherman's Wharf, homeless people and the SFPD' wailing sirens in the middle of the night.
Well guess what, nothing's much changed. And that was comforting in a way. But of course with more time (and without parents), we managed to scratch the surface of SF a little more.
Having endured a long flight (much longer than it seemed due to Northwest's lack of service and in-flight entertainment) with a brief stopover in Narita (thank god!), we checked into Hilton San Francisco in the Financial District. To be precise, this hotel was at the end of the Financial District and borders Chinatown (7 blocks from Union Square). Can't complain much since I got it via priceline at a steal.
But as the hotel was very old, the walls were paper thin. So as I laid jet-lagged and wide awake at 3am, some frisky couple in the room above decided to get it on. The creaking went on for the next 30mins...fast, slow, fast, slow....walking, fast, end. Even the creaking woke Edwin up, so you can imagine.
And so with our very first meal of Wanton Mee, we started exploring Chinatown which is one of the largest in the USA. Surrealy, all you hear is Cantonese, and I was afraid Herm would jump out from some dried goods store with"Wai Dim Ah!"The next 2 days were spent exploring the city. Hampered by the rain, we found ourselves headed back to the mall more often than we desired. But thanks to Edwin's trusty guidebooks, we managed to check out some breakfast gems (Dottie's True Blue in the Tenderloin area and Mama's at North Beach). Both breakfasts came up to more than USD40 but worth every single cent, especially since we skipped lunch. Think heart-busting sausages, home-styled chunky potatoes bacon, eggs and to top it off, pancakes with seasonal berries!
Union Square had the usual suspects - Gap, Diesel, Saks, Barneys etc. But one area worth mentioning was Hayes Valley (lots of interesting shops and restaurants), think a small er Holland V but with a much less commercial feel.
Halloween was an extremely interesting sight . Although we did not participate, it was nice to just watch people dress up (or not wear anything!) and roam the streets.
The sky finally cleared the day we were to drive to Napa Valley. But before that, we made a huge detour to the Gilroy Premium Outlets which caused us rush to Napa. And this was why I was stopped on the highway by the Police (exactly like what you see on TV with sirens and all), apparently I was driving at 25mph above the limit of 65. So, escorted by the police car, I pulled over onto the highway shoulder. Immediately, I found multiple high beams flooding my mirrors and the loudspeaker went "Move your car slowly forward till I say stop."
My next reaction was to get out of the car but was greeted with a stern " STAY IN YOUR CAR". Next thing, the police officer walked over and as if it wasnt bright enough, flashed a torch and signalled for us to wind down the window. After check my driver's license, he asked for my passport. As I had to retrieve it from the boot, he asked " Do you have any weapons?"
Anyway, after he ascertained we were not related to Kim Dong Ill, we soon continued on to Napa. I remembered my dad asking just before I left "why are you going to Napa Valley when you don't drink?!" Well, the answer is food! Napa Valley is home to many well known and some michelin-starred restaurants, I suppose the most famous being Thomas Keller's The French Laundry. At USD270 per pax for the tasting menu, we opted for the more affordable Bouchon (his diffusion line in HH speak). We also had one of the best burgers and milkshakes at Taylor's in Napa.
After 2 days of pigging out in Napa Valley (and for the first time I felt strangely overloaded on fries), we embarked on the long journey (5 hours) to Yosemite Park, which we felt was the highlight of the trip. Home to black bears, mountain lions, squirrels, rattle snakes and chipmunks and the highest waterfall in North America, we were rewarded with one stunning scenery after another. Majestic cliffs, gigantic trees, mirror lakes, words simply cannot describe the natural beauty of this place and despite spending 2 days, we wanted to return for more, maybe in summer.
We made a brief stopover at Sausilito on the way back, a quaint little seaside town facing SF. The vibe here is entirely different. With canopy fronted shops, countless convertibles roaming the streets, multi-million dollar hilltop homes that own the best views of the SF skyline, I imagine it to be similar to Cannes or St Tropez since I've never been to these places. With pistachio almond and blueberry cheesecake ice-cream nicely in tummy, we drove over the Golden Gate bridge in all its sunset glory back towards the City centre.
Goodtimes always seem to pass like an instant and we are now down to our last day in SF. This was spent exploring Golden Gate bridge (walking), Haights-Ashbury neighborhood (excellent place to visit and where we got souvenirs!) and the most touristy thing of the whole trip, the eery night tour of Alcatraz Island, home to one of the most famous former US prisons.
All in, it was a very fulfilling (and filling!) trip and I could not ask for more. The thing with cities like these (just like Tokyo and New York), they are constantly evolving with new neighborhoods, shops, eateries but somethings just stay the same. 10 days might be short but there's always next time. Maybe in another 10 years... 
Later,..Tiger!
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