What a romantic scene - Cherry blossoms covered with snowflakes! I was so captured by the beautiful scene that I forgot to take pictures.

When I arrived at the airport, I was told my flight had been delayed.

"No, bad weather there."

I popped my eyes.

"Bad weather there means rain. They closed one of the two runways."

San Francisco airport kept calling Vancouver airport to reschedule my flight. I was delayed by over 2 hours. 

I didn't stay in Fairmont. Rather, I stayed in the hotel across from Fairmont. Look at the slope of the street. Yes, 3 levels!

The Grace Cathedral became the first stop of my downtown tour.

I never expected the cathedral to have a labyrinth. One cathedral in Vancouver has but I never visited. There is an outdoor one in UBC Theology area.

www.gracecathedral.org

 Although I wasn't thinking about seeking divine, I took off my pink boots and started walking on the carpet.

Yet I got new insights about my life.  I seem to have walked extra miles, turning round and round, feeling lost. I may not be truly lost. If I keep walking, I may still be able to get to where I wanted in the first place. What do you think?

Arrh.. even I wouldn't want to drive stick shift!

So when I was going to pay $5 for a 3-block ride downhill. I saw the cable car stopped in the middle of the intersection (Of course, no way there are 2 rails along the road sides). I hesitated, thinking, should I slowly and politely walk up or jump on it like a double-decker bus in London? I jumped.

As I approached my stop, I asked the driver how to pay. I asked twice. He asked me back, "Do you want to get off? Get off then. Go." He didn't want to take my money!!

On my way back, I tried to walk back uphill as I didn't want to get another free ride. I walked 1 block up. That was tough. I gave in, I'd take the cable car. A cable car was approaching... Goodness! The same driver.. oh no.. I turned around and hiked uphill back to my hotel. 

See No Evil

Speak No Evil

As I was planning my trip itinerary, I selected 2 restaurants. One of them is called Côté Sud. Benedict then said, "It's in Castro." My reaction was, "What's about it?" Dumb as a pig, I had no idea Castro is the gay neighbourhood. I was a little uncertain if I should insist. Afterall, even it's a neighbourhood I would only want to go with a guy, I don't want to be looked at with a queer eye and I certainly don't want Benedict to be looked at with a queer eye.

I was shivering, alot. So much that my politeness couldn't hide my coldness... Luckily, the walk was short and it stopped raining. Benedict even brilliantly changed the itinerary to a ride around town. Yeah, so much warmer inside a car heehee.

At first, the IEEE gang thought I was going to miss a good time with them. The next morning when they saw me, haha, they said I was smart not to have hung out with them. Why?! They went to this restaurant in chinatown for rat-hunting. I am serious! They were seated and noticed a rat running around then up the blinds. Phew~ an adventure in Castro was much better with nice French food.

Benedict and Joni are lovely. I invited them to play tourist with me as this is my first "real" visit to San Francisco. Joni planned my Sunday afternoon itinerary shortly after I mentioned the sites I want to visit. Saturday night, Benedict showed me places not covered by the Sunday plan. I got to see way more than I expected for the short stay.

Call me Lucky!

Since all of us would starve too badly to go to Sausalito for lunch, we ate first and then played tourist.

Ha, we needed umbrellas to walk to the restaurant but it was sunny by the time we got to the red bridge.

See me smile (sweetly), See me shine (brightly)!

How sweet! I find this picture almost perfect. Do you read my mind and know what I think is missing? Heehee.

Yes, I am naughty. Walking downhill hurts my knees. Hiking up hurts my back. But I hiked Nob Hill in downtown anyway, this one is as worthy.

I didn't expect anyone to hike with me. When we got to the top of this steep section of Lombard Street, I took time to respond whether I wanted to hike because my thought froze on Option 3.

Option 1: Joni would walk with me and Benedict would pick us up at the foot of the street

Option 2: All of us would walk together. If I decide not to hike upwards, just one person (i.e. Benedict) would need to hike back as chauffeur.

Option 3: I leave my heavy bag in the car and I walk and hike by myself.

See the warning sign?!

Downhill 5 miles per hour please.

My tour guides are too kind. We hiked altogether!

I hope there is no black ice here in the winter (*o*) We saw a big truck barely making its way down the street. It was tight.

Done downhill walking. Phew~

This is the art of my quick wit. Taking the photograph of the photographer, heehee.

Then Joni's quick wit caught my back. Is this really a tree that has its roots grown on its branches? For sure, it is native to the region. I just feel too puzzled.

Our next stop, Coit Tower is clearly visible from Lombard Street.

See how sunny it was at Lombard Street. My face was so well-lit. I couldn't open up my eyes. Yet the sky over Coit Tower in the background was cloudy.

Perhaps this tower on Telegraph Hill is famous for its view. Taking advice from my tour guides, I didn't pay to get to the top of the tower.

 However, I enjoyed the murals which depict the history of the region. I rushed through them.

See the rain soaked exterior

It's a bylaw that adjacent houses cannot be painted with the same colour. I like this bylaw as I like colours.

I didn't quite expect to see tropical trees in San Francisco. I didn't notice them the night before. Hmm.. probably other things caught my eyes.

I almost wanted to start chanting. After a day of rain and shine, we saw a rainbow. What a good picture to mark the end of this short San Francisco trip. (^_^)

Bliss Bliss~ Kiss Kiss~