Eric's Beijing Diary

I first sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge on a British ocean liner called the Himalaya when I was seven years old. We had just left Vancouver, B.C. a few days earlier, and were on our way to Japan.

As I said earlier, just another port of call. The next time I sailed under the Golden Gate was back in the summer of 2002 when my company sent me to San Francisco for training. That time I was on a harbor tour boat. Had to hold on to my hat; it was really windy. This time I decided to visit it on the land. Glad I did. Lots of wide open space here, with really nice hiking trails. My only regret is that I have to leave today. Next time I do San Francisco, I am definitely going to spend some time here. I didn't actually go out onto the bridge, because I was more interested in the old military encampments near the Golden Gate. Lots of interesting history. But I think you would want to spend the better part of a day exploring it.

The Bridge Cafe right near the bridge isn't anything like the one I usually go to in Wudaokou. This one is sort of a fast food type place, not a study bar. But the name caught my attention. Just another tourist place right by the parking lot. But it's handy to have, because these hiking trails out here are quite some distance from the city, so you could grab something in between hikes or something. Wish I had more time. I should have done this the first day.