Pier 39: And the Saga Continues

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Still on my “field trip” to the Americas…

I’ve never been to Pier One, one of the hottest nightspots in Metro Manila, but I have been to Pier 39 on Fisherman’s Wharf, one of the must-sees in San Francisco.

Despite not immediately seeing water, I knew we where near the wharf because of the huge number of birds traversing the Embarcadero. There were pelicans and sea gulls and albatrosses. These birds were not flapping abut as in Florida. Instead, they were nesting on top of cars, scavenging for food, walking along the streets with people… it was so amazing to be in a bird “sanctuary” where people and birds coexist! I’ve never seen this large bird populations in the Philippines primarily because I don’t live or work near the sea.

Dining at Fisherman’s Wharf is all wrong without taking the traditional fare of seafood. Ah, my good cousin Donnell knew the best place for clam chowder. We went to one of the oldest restaurants in the area (no Bubba Gump of the Forrest Gump fame… I’m very allergic to shrimp) and ordered clam chowder in sourbread bowls. Yum! It’s the first time I’ve eaten clam chowder in a bread bowl!

After the scrumptious dinner, we trooped to the boardwalk to see the local attractions. There were many street acts along the way. I was amazed at an actor who didn’t have his shirt on, and yet I was covered with a jacket! The wind was brisk and cold. There was no way I could stand that cold without a jacket on! Then, there was a lady acrobat smack at the center of the boardwalk. She asked two guys from the audience to carry a pole on which she was doing all of her stunts!

Frankly, I liked the boardwalk of Fisherman’s Wharf better than the concrete floors of Universal Studios’ CityWalk and DisneyWorld’s Pleasure Island… I felt, in this small spot of California, like I was really away from home and into a strange part of the globe. It had so much atmosphere, and so many stories to tell.

A really great experience!

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