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Conclusion

This saga is over. The journey is done. Its hard to begin, and its even harder to end. A big thanks to all who have read this. It has been a fun adventure, as I grow each day of the trip more so than I would at home. I hope to visit many other places in the coming years

-cssounders

Berkeley Day 21: Aug 26

Tearing down the Bay Bridge westbound towards San Francisco, we were driving over what we would kayak under later. City Kayak is located on Townsend Street off of the Embarcedero, adjacent to the At&T Ball Park. Suiting up is rather easy, as the worker was pretty helpful and friendly. The San Francisco Bay waters are choppy at some parts, especially towards the center and away from the harbor, so it is best to have some experience, and if not go into a double kayak with an experienced person. The Mc Cove route behind the At&T Park would be great during games to watch a little bit and maybe catch a home-run. Drawbridges are rather low on the McCove route, so caution should be exercised.

Other routes within the rental area are down south to another harbor, or up and around two poles of the bay bridge. Ask for a map, as the routes chosen are well picked and useful. If you have been on the bay a couple times, you can try to venture farther, even to Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, which should take about 3 hours round trip. The water looked exceedingly rough near the islands, but it seems doable with some strength. Going under the bay bridge is especially beautiful, as you can see as far as Berkeley, San Francisco, Alcatraz, Hayward, and almost Fremont into the distance. Water is surprisingly salty, making the hands very crusty, so gloves are advisable.

No words can describe how pristine kayaking on the bay was. You just have to try it out. Low romantic fogs rolled in hovering around buildings and filling the maze of streets in San Francisco. Large tankers rolled up over the bay charging towards the kayaks at full speed, even though through illusion they look as if they are in a standstill. Riding the surf on a kayak is an awesome feeling, gliding effortlessly towards the sun with the current.

After a tiring kayak experience, we headed to Telegraph Hill where Coit Tower lays. Parking on Sansome and Green, one can easily walk up the stairs to a total 0.3 miles one way to the Coit Tower. The view is slightly obstructed by the trees, but it cannot be denied with views of all over. Hiking up is well worth it, giving you exercise and a good view.

Dining at San Francisco, especially seafood and clam chowder is supposedly renowned. A place where there is bound to be something to eat for everyone is Pier 39, next to the Bay Aquarium. An abundant amount of shops, dessert places, and restaurants line the pier, giving off vibes almost equivalent to Monterey. Even on a Wednesday, this place is relatively busy, giving off a festive feel. I had fish and chips which were really good, while my dad and sister had a chowder bowl and a strawberry crepe.

It has been a tiring day, with two physical activities packed into one. Going home to Seattle tomorrow. One month of traveling all over. Thanks for reading, can't wait to go again.

Berkeley Day 20: Aug 25

Since my dad and I stayed up watching a particularly interesting tv show, we woke up for breakfast,slept through lunch and got up at 5 pm. Picking up my sister from her apartment, we walked over to the Farmers Market on Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Derby, southwest of campus. This one is rather small, and not as big as the flea market down the streets that opens on weekends, but this one has a good selection of fruits, some bread, one cheese stall, one honey stall, one expresso stall, and one thai food stall.

Subsequent to waiting for my sister's meeting to be over we headed to a corner Thai Noodles Cafe for a late dinner. This place is open til 130 am, and gains plenty of business for just that reason, as other area restaurants are usually closed. The food has big portions and is served on clean white plates, and if you go, be sure to look at the specials. However, one feels a little over-encouraged to stay in the restaurant when the door hesitantly opens then slams shut, or when waitresses keep on saying "yes, yes". Upon arriving, some decide which table is better to sit at, as one wall is dirtier than the other. The floors could use some sweeping, and one should ignore the cleanliness factor if they are a germaphobic. Remember, I came from Malaysia though. This is like five star-literally. Beverages are served in classy tall glasses, giving you the illusion that you are drinking more when you are not. The restaurant is a mix of old and new, with 70's neon lights lining the dirty wall, while a deep wood covers the kitchen at waist level. Maybe a mixed bag for some, I definitely like this place. It's on Shattuck Ave, slightly north of campus. Tomorrow is kayaking around the San Francisco Bay. Yess

Berkeley Day 19: Aug 24

Being very tired from staying up again to watch Slumdog Millionaire, I groggily woke up, and then fell back asleep again until about 2. A costco trip with my sister and her roommates in Richmond was the next thing we did. Costcos are big wholesale warehouses if none have been there. Things are cheap per unit, but you have to buy a lot of something to get the good unit price. Most of the time, some people have trouble finishing all of one product.

After going back to finish Slumdog Millionaire, while my sister and her friends ate at the Ethopian Restaurant, while my dad and I ventured for a thai restaurant for dinner. Through some wandering around, we found Neecha Thai on West Grand Ave in Oakland, a short drive on East I-580. The setting was very nice, with plants along one side, a clean, tiled floor, and spotless tables. Lighting is set to a dark brown, spurring a warm feeling. The menus are set up pretty nicely, but have almost too much text, and just aren't up to par with the environment. Portions come as enough for one person, usually coming with a salad or rice depending on the dish. Food was tastefully presented, and the taste was all the better. Parking is free after 8 pm, at a public lot at the back. Neecha Thai was filled with customers, even at 9 pm, and looked much more busy than the Thai Restaurant one block down.

Berkeley Day 18: Aug 23

Since it is near the start of the school year, for the University of California, Berkeley, foot traffic and all traffic is considerably up. My sister wanted to go to Caltopia which is an expo for Berkeley businesses. The expo is great for getting free stuff, competing, and just having fun. Soon, it was time for my sister and mom to go back home from the Oakland Airport. I'm staying bit longer until Thursday to stay with my other sister who goes to school at Berkeley.

After the airport, my dad and I had lunch at Panda Express. It was pretty good, with friendly, but a little pushy people. It seems they want you to order certain things. This one is on Oakport Road about two miles north of the airport.

My sister really wanted to shop at Union Square in San Francisco. Over here is the Powell Street streetcar, American Eagle, Gap, Apple, etc. There are plenty of street musicians playing their hearts out, homeless dancing around, drummers playing on overturned trashcans, people walking out of theaters, giddy teens and worn out parents walking to the Westfield Shopping Center. Unfortunately Union Square is ignored by shoppers, where newly paved grounds actively discourage loitering. Mean-spirited city planners built them that way lest visitors get too comfortable and forget to shop around at the several department and chain stores.

Driving back to East Bay, I slept at the hotel while my dad and sister went running to the Berkeley Marina. At around 9 pm, we headed to dinner at House of Curries on College Ave at East Berkeley. This restaurant is a chain with 4 locations, 2 in Berkeley, 1 in Alameda, and 1 in Oakland. House of Curries is significantly cleaner than other area Indian restaurants, although its bathroom could use some work. I got a classic Chicken Tandoori and Naan, which were both super flavorful, although the chicken was almost too burnt. The menu is simple enough and contains curries with meats, seafood, and veggies. It's almost one and I am wide awake. This is actually almost fun, being able to stay up all night, which I don't, but have the ability to do so. Night.

Berkeley Day 17: Aug 22

One of the worst things about travelling is jetlag. Feeling those effects, I woke up on Saturday morning at around 5 am, after going to sleep at 2 am. Dragging myself to breakfast at holiday inn at around 6, I was greeted with a barrage of people at breakfast. Crazy people.

Unfortunately for me, I seemed to be the least tired, so the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent staring at my sleeping family. Catching up on the blog, sitting around, and doing other boring stuff kept me entertained. When everyone woke up, we headed to Ikea, where my sister wanted some random stuff including hangars, envelopes, and my other sister found other miscellaneous items. My sister found Mufasa and Barbar (two stuffed animals obtained, 50 cents a piece). We all ate a a snack at Ikea, which is actually pretty good. Their menu showcases on bright signs, swedish meatballs, sandwiches, pasta, cakes, soup, corn muffins, all very cheap and good for a snack. Still feeling jetlag, I had trouble trying to eat everything, but finally managed to down my corn muffin. The only thing about Ikea is that you have to bus your own dishes, but seeing as no one is ever lazy in this world, that shouldn't be a problem..I walked out seeing cluttered tables, as if a high speed foot chase had taken place. Maybe people are lazy. Duh.

The next stop on our errands trip was Sports Authority to find some clothing and shoes. Staff are generally hit and miss, as most are probably under payed unfortunately. However, the signs are very good, so you don't really need the workers, except to pay. Surprised that it was almost 9 pm, we rushed to the Noodle Theory restaurant on College, right on the boundary between Oakland and Berkeley. Most of us ordered appetizers, but there was also a salmon miso ramen and some spinach noodle in miso soup. My chicken potstickers were very good, serving a big portion of 6 rather large potstickers, even if it was at a steep price of $9. The restaurant is built for parties of two or four predominantly, and has a nice, small setup, making it feel like a small town cafe. If you aren't entertained at the person sitting across from you (which in some cases you probably should be interested), then you can watch the chefs deep fry and cook lots the food.

That night I finally got to watch Slumdog Millionaire, which was a very good movie, with a nice layout of the movie, switching between present and past. Some of it can be complicated, as with all movies, but it's easy to get the main idea. I had a pretty decent sleep, but it was not too deep, as it felt like a nap in Malaysia time. Glad to be back in the U.S., but also miss Malaysia.