Video

Quick video of the apartment, similar to the photos with a bit more furniture.

More oysters and some science ...

I caught the Caltrain into San Francisco and met Alister for lunch at the Hog Island Oyster Bar. The Caltrain was a different carriage from last time, this one had two single rows upstairs with the space in the middle being the headroom of the lower floor.


I had a dozen of the 6 different types of oysters that they serve. All were yummy and all the types tasted different depending on species and where they were grown.


And I had the cheese sandwich. ;)


We were originally going to Alcatrz, but it was blowing near a gale and we decide not to. I still got a photo taken in front of the island.


We went instead to the Academy of Sciences and went through their rainforest exhibit.


It was very cool with a circular ramp going up three stories around the rainforest and a lagoon at the bottom. On each story were different animals from the rainforest.


This was the Sambava Tomato Frog from Madagascar.


I love the gecko, they are very cool. This one is Henkel's leaf tailed gecko because his tail looks like a dried leaf.


The chameleon was also cool and very colourful with funky eyes that could swivel around.


These guys were cute and you know... just hanging around. They were Klemmer's yellow-headed day gecko and aparently amazing climbers although that wasn't obvious at first glance.


A closeup of a butterfly that looked like it had a big eye in it's wing. It was just hanging around the walkway.


This was from the second tier of walkway on the way to the third floor. You can see the lagoon at the bottom. The elevator is behind the forest screen at the back, it was very cleverly done.


After looking at the animals onthe third floor, we got into the elevator and were taken down to the basement. We emerged into a tunnel under the lagoon in the rainforest. Very awesome !
Being engineers, we determined that the roof of the tunnel was about 300mm thick plexiglass.


There were very big catfish swimming over the top of us. They would have been about a metre long.


Further on there was a tank full of Hidden Treasures.


But I'll tell you more about that another time ...

Apartment

Just a quick post. I have my apartment and here are some photo of the inside.

Main lounge area with kitchen at the end. Door to balcony is behind me to my left.


View from balcony.


Lounge from kitchen end, bathroom and bedroom are to the right.


Kitchen.


Bedroom, walk in robe to the right, bathroom behind me, balcony through triple glazed windows.


Bathroom.


And finally one of the silly signs in the car park on the way out. This is so that California doesn't get sued. Ridiculous.

Walking home from San Francisco

I was a little tired by this stage. ;)

Part one, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part 5 and the map.

Some people have a great view ...


I then went down Filbert st, which is a street and not a footpath. The potise must have legs of iron on this route.


Art-deco building just down from the tower on Montgomery st opposite Filbert st.


Not sure if this one is earthquake proof. Looks funky though.


This is one of the original buildings in the area dating to 1863.


Looking down Montgomery st towards downtown.


I was standing at the bit where the road stops and then continues on about 10 metres lower down. You can see the abutment in this photo at end of the road on the right.


The road was steep again just for a change. The scafford guys must have a lot of fun.


This street was block off because it was too steep and had a rather nice garden section with a winding path through it.


The other side of the street fell away towards the bay.


You may have noticed the little tower in the previous photo. It's the Transamerica Pyramid building.


The lower structure is quite amazing and obviously designed to be earthquake proof.


I was standing on a street corner and a trolley car went whizzing by. I think that they look a little bit like a cricket with the long antenna above them. ;)


There were some very cool old buildings along the street like the Russ building.


And the entrance to the Palace Hotel.


And this one with the roof top garden, was a stockbroking firm.


And the front of the Marine Firemans Union might have been done by Diego.


This is a fire alarm box on a street corner like a traffic light button.


And then I finally made it to the Caltrain after getting lost and asking directions and went home.


The End.

Lots more San Francisco

Coit Tower.
Part one, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four and the map.

There was a great view of the city from the road on the south side of the tower.


And looking back to the hill I'd just walked up and down. Lombard st is 2 blocks to the right of the street in front of me, where the tree is on the skyline.


There was a wedding party using the city and the bay as a backdrop.


I don't think that she would have blended in ...


Looking across Christopher's shoulder (and carpark) to the bay and Alcatraz.


It was a long way up. That's the vacant land that I took a previous photo across, down the bottom.


Looking back to where I started from.


Pier 39 (and Alcatraz !)


One last shot of Christopher and the tower.


I then walked down to Downtown and onto the Caltrain home. But that's for tomorrow.

All of the photos from the day are here.