| My coworkers made plans to go out for dinner but I already had plans to meet my friend Adam who met me in the lobby shortly after I'd checked in. I've known him for about five years now but I've never actually met him in person. He's an Internet friend but we have a lot in common. We're both into photography and computer technology. We both lived in Japan and we both married Japanese ladies. So the conversation flowed easily after we met. Basically, just a continuation of the various email conversations we had had in the past. Adam took me to a place a short walk away called Scoma's. An Italian seafood place which was quite good, I'd definitely go back. Actually it was a pretty nice place -- the kind you might take a date to. I probably would have felt a little odd at this kind of place in Michigan but this being San Francisco, probably two guys having a nice dinner together didn't raise any eyebrows. The food was good and plentiful and not overly expensive. I had the crab risotto. Afterwards we walked down to Fishermans Wharf where, Adam explained to me, that nobody but tourists go. I didn't doubt him. The presence of the Rainforest Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump pretty much confirmed it. We walked down to the end where we could see the lights of Alcatraz. It wasn't as far out in the bay as I imagined. Next to the pier were the famous sea lions. Well, actually, I'd never heard of them but, trust me, they're famous. Apparently, the 1989 earthquake somehow drove sea lions to congregate there and they stuck it out and multiplied with some of them sticking around year round. They were pretty noisy and active. In the day, according to my host, they don't do much of anything except sleep. We walked back and stopped for a drink at a jazz bar next to the hotel before Adam headed out and I headed in. |