Difference between revisions of "1415T1g1 Silicon Valley/Participant Information/Reflection"
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| − | <div> | + | <h1>Day 1: The tour</h1> |
| + | <div>We first gathered at the City Hall of San Francisco. While waiting for the tour guide, we were amazed by the intricate architecture of the surrounding buildings. After Don, our tour guide, gave a short overview of the buildings around us, we learnt that there was a fire in 1906 that burnt down most of the buildings, including the magnificent City Hall that stood in front of us. At the same time, it’s a little sad to see many homeless people in the area. I guess SF isn’t the only city where the rich-poor divide is so apparent. | ||
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| + | Along the way, we visited other places of interest such as the “7 sisters”, which is a row of the most photographed houses in the bay area. The owners were smart to copyright the houses so they earn passive income through royalties. It reminds me of the owner of “Grumpy Cat”, who has recently earned millions in royalties. | ||
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| + | Before we knew it, we were taken to the highest point in SF, Twin Peaks. Just to give you an idea of how high it was, my ears popped as the bus was coasting up the slopes. It was so foggy up there that one could barely differentiate the fog from the clouds. Thankfully, it wasn't too windy so the temperature was pleasantly refreshing when we stepped out of the bus. After countless selfies and landscape pictures, we were on our way once again. | ||
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| + | One of the highlights of the day has to be the Golden Gate Bridge. Having seen the bridge in postcards, it was surreal seeing it up close. The story of the bridge itself was intriguing. Between the 2 towers lies a ridge 400 feet deep and about 1km long. There were many naysayers because there was no suspension bridge that could span such a length. The bridge was built in 4 years despite an economic crash. It is indeed a testament of perseverance of the people in SF. | ||
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Revision as of 03:17, 10 December 2014
Day 1: The tour
Along the way, we visited other places of interest such as the “7 sisters”, which is a row of the most photographed houses in the bay area. The owners were smart to copyright the houses so they earn passive income through royalties. It reminds me of the owner of “Grumpy Cat”, who has recently earned millions in royalties.
Before we knew it, we were taken to the highest point in SF, Twin Peaks. Just to give you an idea of how high it was, my ears popped as the bus was coasting up the slopes. It was so foggy up there that one could barely differentiate the fog from the clouds. Thankfully, it wasn't too windy so the temperature was pleasantly refreshing when we stepped out of the bus. After countless selfies and landscape pictures, we were on our way once again.
One of the highlights of the day has to be the Golden Gate Bridge. Having seen the bridge in postcards, it was surreal seeing it up close. The story of the bridge itself was intriguing. Between the 2 towers lies a ridge 400 feet deep and about 1km long. There were many naysayers because there was no suspension bridge that could span such a length. The bridge was built in 4 years despite an economic crash. It is indeed a testament of perseverance of the people in SF.
Had a tiring Day 0, travelling and finally arriving in SF! But alas! We're going into the city to see the the tourist sites! Been 10 years since i came back to SF!
We started our tour at the Civic center checking out the different buildings that were built a long long time ago and it was impressive that they were still so well maintained.
Next we moved on to the Vantage point which features the 7 Sisters or some say the 6 Painted Ladies which are 6/7 of the most photographed houses around SF due to their prime location that features the entire SF skyline behind. It featured in the famous sitcom, Full House, which span from 1987 to 1995 - Click HERE for a link to the sitcom's intro which showcases the 7 Sisters.
After our visit to the 7 Sisters we climbed up to the Twin Peaks to get a better vantage point of the entire city, the view was impeccable and breathtaking especially since we were particularly lucky that today was not as misty as when i last came to San Francisco. We could see the entire city if i could i'd showcase pictures i took here but it'd take up too much space - probably link the Facebook images of the others in the future.
Next we visited the Golden Gate Park and Bridge, the park was particularly tranquil and we were able to visit the top of the observatory to get a 360 degree view of the entire park and the city from on top. The Golden Gate Bridge was superbly magnificent standing strong and linking up Marin & San Francisco Bay. We were able to take pictures of the iconic structure which signifies San Francisco as well as walk across to the first pillar. I was amazed by how huge the entire structure was standing at the base of one of the pillars.
At the Fisherman's Wharf, We managed to chomp down on some delectable seafood! Me, Amanda and Jun Ming shared 3 of the more famous dishes that they serve at the pier - Clam Chowder Bread Bowl, Fried Calamari with Fries and the Crab Cocktail. Later, we boarded the Red & White Fleet Cruise which brought us under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz Island. Once we were done with the cruise we were given some free time to wander around and a group of us went to the Ghirardelli Square where we sat down and had some great chocolate drinks!
The reason for this fog is attributed to the warmer temperatures from the land and the cooler temperatures from the surronding waters of the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean - when the two are brought together by sea breeze, condensation results and forms the fog. One interesting thing to note is that when the lands get warmer in summer, it brings about a thick and low cloud layer on the surface and this makes San Francisco cold even during the summer! This makes it a great city to visit all year round because of it's natural "air-conditioning".
Structures and monuments in San Francisco all have its fair share of history to tell. We got a tour round the Civic Center learning about the how the structure withstood the numerous earthquakes and fires that surely will bring any other structures to the ground. The classical architecture of these structures was indeed something that one should stop and admire. We went past blocks of Victorian Houses which were decorated in designs brought from all over the world before arriving at the Painted Ladies which gave us a glimpse of San Francisco's skyline.
Mouthwatering Scenery
Want to view the whole of San Francisco? Twin Peaks is one of the highest points in SF which offers a 360 degrees of panoramic view of the city and the bay. Other than the beautiful scenery it offers, be prepared to enjoy the chilly winds or just the company of your loved ones. Next up, the icon of SF. The Golden Gate Bridge offers yet another photo-taking spree as we started snapping as soon as we alight. You will be fascinated about its history, especially when you learn how much it contributed to SF's suicidal rates and how the bridge ridiculously bent.
For seafood lovers, Fisherman's Wharf Pier is one stop you MUST surely visit. Boosting a variety of international cuisines, it is surely one of the best dining places in San Francisco. Indulge in fresh Dungeness crabs, steaming hot Clam Chowder and tasty Calamari which are served along the outdoor stands of the Wharf. If you still cannot decide the one seafood to try, I recommend getting Seafood Cocktails which are a hit among tourists. A group of us finally treated ourselves to some smooth Hot Chocolate at Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory which is situated a few streets away from the bay.
Since young, I have always been watching American shows but could never get the concepts behind them. It is probably due to the lack of relation between Singapore and San Francisco. However, it really opened my eyes of how San Francisco looks, and more importantly, feels like. Being at the top of Twin Peaks, the feeling was awesome as we had unobstructed view of about a third of San Francisco. Blessed with good weather, we had a phenomenal outlook of the beautiful city. At that moment, one will feel that everything else is so small and insignificant. Subsequently, a trip down to the Golden Gate Bridge was one of the most exciting part of the journey that I was looking forward to. There was only one word to describe the Golden Gate Bridge: Breathtaking. When I look at the bridge, the entire concept of building it seems impossible even by today's standards. It took strong determination and guts in order for such a massive project to succeed. It was really an awesome feat. One interesting fact that we learned is that the painters will have to start over from the beginning of the bridge once they are done with painting the entire bridge. This truly demonstrated the importance of determination when we are doing anything, and not to let critics bring us down even though everything seems impossible. Fisherman's Wharf is the true definition of a port. The number of seagulls, occasional blasting of ship horns, fisherman boats, smell of fresh seawater and the cool sea breeze all made up the picturesque port. Combined with a few street musicians singing a few tunes, it was truly 'American'. This short but meaningful tour really opened my eyes to San Francisco.
