San Francisco - Pier39 e Downtown

A jetlag has something good about it too.

He drove me and the kids to Pier39 shortly after 6 am so we could finally visit the sea lions. Julius is a big fan of seals, sea lions & co.

And indeed, there they were on a platform. I wonder how they can sleep. One constantly climbs over the others and then the big complaining begins, until shortly after the situation calms down again and everyone sleeps peacefully.

Except for a few joggers, there was nothing going on, so we could explore the area in peace. You have a beautiful view of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and downtown SF while you can listen to the calm waters of the SF Bay.

Next to Bubba Gum Shrimp, there is even a knife specialty store with knives from Böker 😉.

After our return to the hotel, we had to wake up Anita before we went to the city center.

Since one of the 3 cable car lines starts right around the corner from the hotel, we decided to take it to the city center. At this time, there wasn't much going on yet and we were able to join a quickly growing line far ahead. While waiting, a very nice older gentleman who grew up around Fisherman's Wharf gave us some good sightseeing tips.

The price of €8 per person is absolutely ok for an adventurous ride to Union Square. You know the streets of San Francisco from numerous movies - they are even steeper than they seem there.

Being a cable car operator requires good skill to not lose your nerve even at a 25% decline. That's why only 1/3 of the applicants actually pass the entrance exam.

After a break at Union Square, we went to the interesting Chinatown. It is one of the oldest and most authentic in the whole USA. Already during the big gold rush, over 25,000 Chinese people were drawn to SF.

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Side note: SF consisted of a tent around 1830, which was later replaced by a log cabin. It was only due to the gold rush that the population grew rapidly. The rapid growth caused lawlessness, which contributed significantly to the myth of the 'Wild West'.

And now, almost 200 years later, don't be surprised if a driverless car suddenly appears at an intersection, cruising confidently through the city. SF is known as a test area for autonomous driving. Very futuristic.

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The food in Chinatown is extremely cheap - €10 for a large main course is more the standard, and it tasted very good too.

The rich Chinese settled a bit further on Nob Hill, where later the 4 extremely rich railroad magnates built their villas. Unfortunately, only one of the villas remains - but you have a great view of the city from there. Nob Hill is one of the wealthier areas downtown. It is relatively tidy, the houses are magnificent, and the streets are lined with tree alleys.

Up and down the hill, we continued our march to Lombard Street, which attracts tourists because of its beautifully decorated steep curves. It wasn't particularly spectacular for us, but as a SF visitor, you should see it once.

With a few meters of altitude in our legs, we returned to the hotel in the evening where we fell tiredly back to bed.

Tomorrow we will continue with a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and beyond.