Thursday, June 21st

In San Francisco - Updated at 10:00hrs on Friday, June 22nd

Whew! We were on the move and on our feet from 0800-2200hrs today. The walking tour of working, Chinatown was awesome. I can highly recommend http://www.allaboutchinatown.com/ for their services. The tour stuck to the "day to day side of Chinatown" and away from the tourist streets. We saw how the locals live, where they shop, how they shop, where they worship, and basically how live their daily lives.

Below, an herbal pharmacist doles out his medicine from a list provided by a very elderly, Chinese man. The rudimentary scale you see in the pharmacist's hands was used for all measurements.

There are many, open air, produce markets in Chinatown. At 1030hrs, each store was packed with shoppers picking over very high quality produce.



The store in the photo below, sold a wide variety of dried foods and nuts, some bizarre and most recognizable.



Ah, the Chinatown meat market. This was a real treat for the kids. This market not only sold fresh fish, poultry, pork and beef but there was also live chickens, frogs, rabbits, quail and various sea creatures that could be slaughtered , wrapped and prepped for purchase on the spot. I will cover this establishment in detail in my photo gallery at http://pjcnlv.smugmug.com/ in the months ahead.



Croakers! Their demise is near and PETA is nowhere to be found to save them!



UMMmmmmm!



The architecture and colors of Chinatown are a photographer's paradise. I shot many images that will be in the above mentioned gallery. Here are two as a sample.



One of the many alley's in Chinatown. Some are just as busy as the main streets.



We also visited Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf and what follows are just a few of the images from Alcatraz.

Looking, north, north-east from the Island through ruins near the powerhouse.



An area of the old Military fort and prison, vintage 1850's.



The main cell block area of the former US Penitentiary.



Fisherman's Wharf - Crab stands, not to be missed for fresh Clam Chowder, local crab and shrimp salad sandwiches.



Sunset on the wharf.

It's time to roust the troops to hit the road to Bodega Bay.

Just in time! This weekend there are two featured events in the San Francommieco area, the Gay Pride parade and the NASCAR event at Sears Point Raceway.

WE ARE OUTTA HERE!!!!