2 July 2017. I don’t need to say which big holiday was around the corner, and it was so evident everywhere I went with Natalie and Alfredo. Almost every house had the American flag hoisted outside, and there were placards advertising where to get fireworks on every street corner.
Before I even begin writing about this day, may I just take a moment to show appreciation for the view from Natalie’s deck of the Bay, with Oakland in the background and SFO on the right.
Natalie wanted to get fireworks but didn’t quite want Alfredo to know because I think she likes to go a little overboard. At least, according to him. She was so excited about the 4th and was trying to time her trip to get the fireworks in such a way that Alfredo would only come to know about it on the day. After he left for the gym, Natalie and I went to the Bayhill Shopping Centre nearby where there were a handful of stands set up exclusively for the sale of fireworks. Natalie came for one in particular; “I like supporting the old-timers”, I remember her saying.
The old-timers seemed to know her well, and as funny as it sounds, it was the first time I thought “This is like a scene from some movie I’ve seen”. They were the typical elderly American men, the kind you’d see sitting on a front porch having a good old chat about something stupid they did to make their wives laugh. There were at least 5 of them in that stand, which resembled a container. They had loads of fireworks on shelves behind them and on the floor, and Natalie knew exactly what she wanted from the lot.
We went back to the car and headed back home, where Natalie proceeded to hide whatever she bought among all the other stuff in her spare room which functioned as a store room, office, a bedroom for her 18 year old cat Dina (may she rest in peace), and I don’t know what else. She was pretty sure Alfredo wouldn’t be able to find it there.
*Spoiler alert* Alfredo found everything that evening.
Alfredo insisted that we needed to time the tour right because he had created it in a such a way that the light was very important. I have to admit that it was difficult taking him seriously, but he was so excited about it that I figured I’d just go with it.
We left just before 1pm and headed straight for the city via the 280 Interstate freeway. One of the first things he told me about was the reason why all the homes in San Francisco are freshly painted and so brightly coloured – people have a disposable income. That was the first eye-opener for me about what life is really like in this city.
AT&T Park showed up unexpectedly, and before I knew it we were driving passed the Dropbox and Amazon buildings and my personal favourite, Ubisoft. In case I haven’t said so before, I’m a big fan of Assassin’s Creed, and as nerdy as it sounds, I kind of knew where I was thanks to Watch Dogs 2 which was set in San Francisco, so naturally the Ubisoft entrance immediately caught my gaze.
It was not too long before we got to the Embarcadero. We wanted to grab some lunch but traffic was impossible thanks to some road closures in the vicinity. We didn’t know what it was for so Alfredo had to find a long way around so we could park somewhere. Natalie and Alfredo were debating about where to go for lunch, until they finally agreed on going to Pier 23. I had no idea what to expect there but I put my complete trust in those two. We parked about a block or so away, right across the road from a winding staircase leading up to Coit Tower. Natalie said if we had time then we’d take them, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. We walked through a small park, passed the Levi Strauss building, until we got to the Embarcadero. Some people were marching in protest of God knows what, and there were some cops around, but the crowd dissipated as we began to cross the street.
Natalie asked for a table but because it was so busy, the lady behind the podium had to take down her name and phone number so that she could call us when there was an available table. She said we could walk around a bit, but we lingered around outside for the next 15 minutes or so until she called us in. She called someone by a name that sounded very close to Natalie’s a couple times, so we got unnecessarily excited each time.
We got a table right on the waterside, with Coit Tower behind me. I kind of hoped I’d be able to go up close to it at some point during the next 8 days, but I was satisfied with being able to see it this way. Even though the sun was streaming down and practically blinding Natalie, it was still slightly chilly because of the wind, so we kept our jackets on for most of the time that we were there. It took a while for Natalie to get the hat she asked for to stop her forehead turning tomato red, but she was grateful when it eventually arrived.
Alfredo and I ordered the fish and chips. I wanted to keep it simple and figured the fish should be crazily fresh considering where we were. Besides, the fact that it was haddock was enough for me because that’s my favourite fish.
The dish was to die for. It was undoubtedly the best fish and chips I’ve ever had in my life. The chips were hand cut and garlic-flavoured, and sprinkled with coarse salt. The fish was in the tastiest batter in the world and was as flaky as ever. The one I had had 2 months prior in Cape Town absolutely paled in comparison. I had a cranberry mimosa to wash it down – a first for me. Natalie loves mimosas and was shocked that I hadn’t had one before. Before I even got to the US, we agreed that we’d have one together. Thinking about that lunch makes my mouth water every time.
After lunch, Alfredo still had some things he wanted to show me. Despite being so full, we had to go to Ghirardelli – probably the most famous chocolate and dessert shop in San Francisco. Alfredo said that the chocolate aroma is so strong, you can smell it from down the street. He was right.
We had to park pretty far away and walk through the Fishermans Wharf and marketplace before we reached Ghirardelli. We figured since we’d be having such high-calorie desserts, we’d need the exercise. Once we got there, the queue extended out of the door. Luckily it was moving, so we didn’t need to stand for long in it. Once we got inside, Alfredo ordered, and we found a place near the counter to hover. It was jam packed inside with at least a dozen or so people waiting around the counter for their orders. We were watching 2 young guys who got there just before us and were debating as to whether or not they were locals. One random guy also wore a shirt most locals would consider offensive, though I don’t recall what it said – something to do with Texas I think. Merica!
The size of the desserts from Ghirardelli are not child’s play. Actually, no, let me rephrase that. The size of the desserts from Ghirardelli are not bad, it’s the richness that gets you. I ordered a sundae that came with a brownie on top, and Natalie and Alfredo got a Sundae to share. Each one was around 2000cal. Yes, you read that right. I was hoping they’d have some of mine too but I had to try to have the entire thing by myself which didn’t really work out. Suddenly, out of the blue, a waitress plonked a banana split on our table and asked us to have it because whoever ordered it never picked it up. We were shocked because we couldn’t think of having another morsel, so after just having a spoon or 2 of the ice cream that was about to lea over the edges, Natalie and I left it. I decided to take my Sundae with me because it was so expensive and I had barely had half of it. Alfredo got us some water and I alternated between that and the remainder of my sundae as we walked back to the car. I didn’t want to see food for the rest of the day and I don’t think they were interested in eating anything more either.
Our next stop was near Crissy Field, just opposite the Palace of Fine Arts. It was a hidden spot most people don’t know about that Alfredo was proud to show off. Once we got out of the car I understood why – on the left was the Golden Gate Bridge, and on the right, Alcatraz.
With that preview done, it was time to actually go over the Golden Gate. I was tingling with excitement and couldn’t believe it was actually going to happen. Despite the fog that was rolling in, we could still see the top as we drove across the bridge.
Once we got to the other side, Alfredo took us up to a viewpoint where, on a good day, we’d be able to see the entire bay up until the Bay Bridge. Today wasn’t a good day, obviously, but I got the idea. There was very annoying traffic to get there because the road was not only windy but also only a single lane, and the parking areas were small and spaced out. Once it was safe to do so, Alfredo turned the car around and somehow managed to pull over so that Natalie and I could get out to take photos. I had never been in fog like that before so I didn’t realise how freezing it could actually be. I was glad Natalie advised me to wear my jacket (she’s always cold, but still) because it really came in handy. And don’t even get me started on the wind. We were shivering when we got out of the car but it was worth it because despite the poor visibility, we didn’t lose sight of the precious Golden Gate.
We headed back home afterwards and made a final stop at the San Andreas Lake, a small lake which is not accessible enough for us to have gotten access to it, but close enough for me to see it. Of course, by the time we got back to San Bruno, the fog had lifted and the sun came out.
My mission was to see the Golden Gate on a perfectly clear day; I guess it wasn’t ready for me yet.