Day 1 - 13th Sep 2012
Arrival at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Daddy, being the worrywart that he is, sent me off at the airport to make sure I was in time. Alas, Dennis' parents couldn't get a cab so they were late. Daddy was ultra worried we might not make it. Nevertheless, all went well (: It was a 16-hour flight with stopover at Taiwan. We arrived in Taiwan just in time for dinner and freshen up before boarding the next flight. Luckily I managed to get wi-fi at I-Mei Cafe at Taoyuan International Aiport (TPE) so I was able to inform the boyf that we've arrived safely.
As usual, he was up all night doing the packing and preparation. I think he was also too excited he couldn't sleep! Hehe. Everyone kept asking if I was excited but I guess the long flight made me more tired than anything else.
We finally touched down at 4pm (PST) and it took a really long time for us to clear customs and collect our baggage. It was already 5+ when we passed the arrival hall. I was the first to spot Dennis (of cos!) and gave him a big bear hug (and blocked the exit, hurhur)!
We didn't have a car for the first day cos we were flying off the next day. So we travelled by public transport which was a different experience. We took the BART (similar to our MRT but only within the city area) from the airport to the main city in San Francisco for dinner. The weather was super chilly when we came out of the BART station at Civic Centre. Omg all of us were trembling! It was about 17 degrees, and they call this summer?!
The thing about being in a huge country with no car means you have to walk, a lot! Thankfully it was cold so we don't feel tired (and sweaty) from too much walking. The legs get a little tired though. Boyf recommended this Vietnamese restaurant for dinner:
TU LAN
8 Sixth Street (at Stevenson Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103
San Francisco, CA 94103
Omg I just went to find the address online. Apparently, Tu Lan is closed for being pest-ridden!!! (Link here) Wtf this is so horrible! I was about to recommend this to all of you. But rest assured that we didn't get any food poisoning whatsoever. The portion is huge and the food is pretty tasty. So if they re-open, do try! But at your own risk.
After dinner, we went shopping at Forever 21 because I brought all t-shirts and shorts but it looks like I needed jeans and jackets instead -.-
Back to the hotel at 10pm to do all the unpacking. It was freaking exhausting I tell ya! We fixed the SIM cards, settle some bank statements, unpacked all clothes that needed to be stored elsewhere, and confirmed the meeting time and place for the next day. His parents had an early night while the boyf and I walked back to the train station with the other luggages. This is the hotel address if you need! The room was good but the service not so, as we encountered some situations later. More details when I blog about that day.
BEST WESTERN PLUS AMERICANIA HOTEL
121 Seventh Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
San Francisco, CA 94103
Took the Caltrain (double-decked train that travels further out of the main city) to Mountain View where Ali was waiting for us. He's super kind to drive us from Mountain View station to Dennis' place. Reached his place at almost midnight and we had to unpack our stuff and move them to the garage. Fell asleep shortly after our heads touched the pillow.
Day 2 - 14th Sep 2012
Exploring San Francisco and visiting the Golden Gate Bridge.
We woke up at 6.30am cos we needed to take the BART and Caltrain to Dennis' parents' hotel. And we needed to catch the 8am train. It was super hectic cos he timed exactly 20 mins for us to walk to the train station. He forgot that my legs are shorter than his -.- so for every step he took, I had to take 2. I was cursing and swearing the whole time because I didn't want to miss the train (it only comes once every hour). I kept ranting to the boyf that I hated him for making this such a hectic trip. Boooos.
Thankfully everything went smoothly (:
Met up with his parents and grabbed a bite at Subway before starting off the day's itinerary. First stop was the famous Golden Gate Bridge! I love the colour (international orange) of the bridge and how can we not take touristy shots?
As usual, the boyf was explaining the physics behind the construction of the bridge. I was only half listening because the sea breeze made me tremble the whole time. We were pretty lucky there was no fog that day so we could view the magnificent bridge in its entirety.
Thereafter, we took a bus back to the main SF area for lunch. The boyf made a reservation at The Stinking Rose.
THE STINKING ROSE
325 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
It was fantabulous! Food was as good as they claimed to be, service was top-notch and the ambience was just right. Love that place! Do note that the price is a little steep so be prepared. But I think it's worth every penny. Since the restaurant was situated at "Little Italy", next to "Little Chinatown", we decided to pop by John's place. Too bad they were not home.
Dennis' parents decided to walk around Chinatown to shop for American ginseng while Dennis and I just followed the crowd, which eventually led us to Union Square. I love Union Square because there's just tons and tons AND TONS of shopping places! Malls after malls, shops after shops. It's never-ending! Plus the shops are hugeeee so you can spend a long time in there. I love it! :D
Settled dinner at Westfield. This is also the place to shop for normal stuff like H&M, B&BW, Abercrombie, AE Outfitters. They are already pretty reasonably priced and you wouldn't find nice designs at outlet shops too.
WESTFIELD SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE
865 Market StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103
Decided to head back to hotel after dinner for an early night as we have a flight to catch the next morning.
xx
Ok, do check back for more updates soon! (: