September 11, 2004
From the Sky
The last weekend in San Francisco has come. I enjoyed the view of this beautiful city again, but from the sky this time. I came on board a seaplane.
The Pier
The seaplane departed at Pear39. It was a famous tourist site in San Francisco. I arrived a bit early. So, I had time to stroll around shops and stands. At one stand, I bought fresh orange juice and handmaid donuts. Then, I went to a deck to see wild sea lions. They came there spontaneously years ago. Now, they attract tourists.
The Seaplane
The departure time has come. A beautiful plane was waiting at the end of a deck. Passengers were five, including the pilot and me. I was lucky because the sky was clear. But that was not all. I could seat myself next to the pilot.
The plane left the pier slowly. I felt waves below me. The pilot pulled the stick. We were in the sky in no time. Just below us were cruisers moving slowly. First, we headed for Muir Woods. Mur Woods was where I went by bike about a month ago. It was fun to find where I struggled to climb up and where I stopped to enjoy the view. Another thing that I found were trails that I have never visited. I wish I had time. At that moment, an island came to my mind. I saw it just after the take-off. It had a bike trail around it. I came to remember that it had an easy access by ferry. It won’t take more than half a day to enjoy cycling there. Thus, my plan in the afternoon was decided.
The plane started going back to the city. It flew above Golden Gate Bridge, which was covered by clouds today. It started to go down. It flew next to the downtown, and landed near the pier. The trip was only for thirty minutes, but it rekindled my good memories here.
The Island
I hurried to the ferry terminal, which was next to the Pier39. The ferry was about to leave. But I was in time. I was lucky again. They had only three departures a day.
I started cycling after I arrived at the island. The bike trail had a quiet forest and a view of nearby bay area. I saw the city of San Francisco above the clouds from the Ocean. So, the direction of the wind might have been reversed again.
"A Dangerous Bike Trail"
I came back to San Francisco bay. From there to my accommodation, a bike trail was available. The trail connected two places directly. But I had never used it because it went through an area that was designated as dangerous by a Japanese guide book. So, I went cautiously into the trail, checking if there were people whom I can shout for help. There were a few suspicious-looking buildings. But I encountered no danger. I arrived at my accommodation safely.
