The American Tour Extended (2)

We slept a little later that morning. I couldn't remember what time we booked ourselves for Alcatraz, it must be for the 11am ferry I believe. We arrived just in time (phew)! It was a 10-minute ride to the island. I always had the perception that its a spooky little island since it was a prison, but actually I was wrong! It had some unbelievable stories of how the convicts escaped from their cells. We did the audio tour where you listened to the narration and followed the instructions around the building. It took about two hours but was very worth it.

Adam was telling us he knew some guys who gave him access to some places not open to the public. LOL. Wonder how true was that! We didn't get the special privilege that day. The island was peaceful despite the amount of tourism it was attracting, the seagulls made themselves too comfortable on the island they were practically the new residents of Alcatraz. I regretted not buying the overpriced Alcatraz jacket as a souvenir, not knowing if I would ever be back again.

Upon leaving the island, we bumped into the Koreans, 3 of them and we decided to do lunch together at Pier 39. The girls picked "Crab House", they served delicious food but they came with a hefty bill (+ 18% compulsory tip, 4% mandate fee & 8+% tax). Shocking! So beware if you are dining out at these touristy spots.

We went to take a look at the deserted Pier 39, all the sea lions seemed to have disappeared (compared to the photo Angela took!). Oh boy! Where have you gone???

We lost Adam on the way to lunch. I didn't know how it happened. I think he got pissed and didn't want to meet for dinner which we were supposed to have. I was supposed to meet Shawna, an old schoolmate while Syndy would meet up the sister of her friend, both of them living in San Francisco. So we took the cable car for the first time (finally) to Union Street. It was so packed we had to sit in the carriage but later we managed to sit on the side and then I was holding by the pole in no time! What a fun ride!!

We managed to meet up with Shawna who took us around to some of her favourite boutiques and of course not forgetting Syndy's favourite - Levi's Store. And we were in the hometown of Levi's!! I didn't manage to buy anything that day but Syndy surely got some happy buys.

Then Shawna took us to this Vietnamese restaurant she liked, we managed to get Syndy's friend to join us as well. We started ordering a few dishes but the waiter wasn't very pleased about the quantity we were having (this place seems like a family business). But the food was pretty good, so we didn't fuss about the hostile service. When Esther (Syndy's friend) arrived, she brought a friend along whom could speak Vietnamese. It turned the whole situation around when she started talking to them and we ordered a few more things! Thanks to Esther, we had a satisfying dinner as well as a ride home to our hotel (which was quite faraway!!). It was a great day in San Francisco.

The following morning, Syndy left super early to catch her 11 hours train (must be really scenic but I think I would rather save the time for more time in the city) back to LA while I slept in and then spent the day catching up with Adam and the rest roaming around in Burlingame before my late afternoon flight! Burlingame is really small yet filled with character! I had fun shopping and dining, I found myself yummy crepe, bought a cake as takeout, a new pair of boots and a few dresses. Then I had to leave for the airport for my Southwest flight to LA.

The flight was punctual and I even had free checked in baggage (for a budget airline!!). During the 1-hour flight, I was also given a complimentary drink and snack. Out of all my budget flight experience in Europe and Asia, I have to say Southwest would easily top it all! I would love to fly with them again.