San Francisco is a coastal megacity yet at times it can feel like a foggy hill station full of picturesque views, recalls Dinesh Raheja after visiting one of America's prettiest cities.
IMAGE: Mission District has bold, eye-catching street murals. We had super-tasty Mac and Cheese at a restaurant nearby. All photographs: Dinesh Raheja
San Francisco is a modern futuristic metropolis with Silicon Valley nearby -- Uber has its world headquarters here, the city metro runs both below and above ground, and youngsters coast on its roads on with-it E-scooters and Segways.
Yet this city quaintly also opts for two old-fashioned modes of transport -- cable cars and streetcars which run on tracks laid in the middle of the streets.
These distinctive Frisco features don't seem like an anachronism, even when our cable car grunts to a sudden stop after navigating a steep hill; and all the able-bodied passengers are called upon to push it further along the track. Success is greeted with resounding cheers!
IMAGE: Two of San Francisco's modes of transport are a legacy from the 19th century -- its cable cars were introduced in 1873 and streetcars started up in 1860.
San Fran is a coastal megacity yet at times it can feel like a foggy hill station full of picturesque views.
A city built on several undulating hills, San Francisco offers amazing vistas.
A cable car drops us off at the top of a hill from which you can see Lombard street running perpendicularly, far into the distance.
A lush-green, one-block section of Lombard street is called Crooked Street thanks to its multiple hairpin curves. I have found driving down Mumbai's Zigzag Road in Bandra and Harkness Road in Nepean Sea Road a challenge but Frisco's Crooked Street is at another level. Cars navigate Crooked Street at the strict speed limit: 5 miles per hour. San Francisco streetscapes captivate me.
IMAGE: Crooked Street is oh-so crooked that cars must travel no more than 5 miles per hour
Not all of its contradictions, however, are happy. San Francisco is one of the richest cities in the world. yet on almost every downtown street corner, I see several homeless people and panhandlers, their meagre belongings packed into supermarket carts.
IMAGE: Scores and scores of sea lions loll near Pier 39
How many urban centres offer you a chance to see wildlife in the open the way San Fran does?
I had a scintillating time at the city's Fisherman's Wharf, where I see hordes of sea lions basking in the open. The salty air draws me in instantly as I stroll past the many commercial attractions and head for the end of the Pier 39. The overcast skies make Alcatraz island (once an infamous prison housing notorious criminals) in the distance seem more mirage-like than real.
Hundreds of sea lions perch on the floating docks below the pier, I remain transfixed for the next half hour. The shrill cries of the seagulls and the deep bellows of the sea lions combine to make hypnotic natural music. I watch these fascinating creatures dip into the sea or just laze languorously.
Later, I am also lucky enough to spot two dolphins below the Golden Gate Bridge gliding in perfect sync -- like lithe ballerinas in the sea. Walking on the bridge, a city landmark, is an adrenaline rush thanks to views of the cityscape, the sea, the sailboats and the surfing enthusiasts challenging the waves.
IMAGE: The San Fran skyline is punctuated by an array of unique structures.
San Fran has its share of modern architecture like the unique, pyramid-shaped Transamerica Tower and the Salesforce Tower, but it also blessed with several elegant turn-of-the-last-century buildings built after the 1905 earthquake that devastated the city.
The boutique hotel we stay in near Union Square is housed in a 1925 skyscraper and I love the ole world décor, the carefully restored and maintained wooden beams, the working fireplace and the huge elevator that has wooden panelling and a lime-green sofa!
Also gorgeous is a row of Victorian houses at Alamo Square, which are painted in different vivid colours and are eloquently called The Painted Ladies. You might remember them from the theme song of the excessively sweet but incredibly popular TV serial, Full House.
IMAGE: Dinesh Raheja at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Despite being a densely packed urban area, this bustling metropolis has several green oases. The Golden Gate Park is bigger than New York City's expansive Central Park. Even better: Just 20 km to the north of San Francisco is a sprawling expanse of forest called Muir Woods, with its treasure trove of Coastal Sequoias or Redwoods, the tallest type of tree in the world.
IMAGE: Muir Woods is deep, dark and mysterious.
I find stepping into Muir Woods is like entering a Green Wonderland. The tallest tree in Muir Woods is reportedly 250 ft high and 750 years old. You feel you have entered a primal space, with just you in sole communion with nature. I ask a forest ranger what the woods are like at night after the tourists have gone. He admits: "It can get pretty eerie."
San Francisco's food scene is expectedly eclectic, covering practically every cuisine from Indian to Vietnamese to French. America has a mouthwatering array of vegetarian restaurants yet the easiest available quick food options remain bread, cheese and salad.
IMAGE: Dinesh Raheja tucking into his hearty Huevos Rancheros, the rancher's breakfast. It has two eggs served over a quesadilla slathered with tomato gravy, and a huge helping black beans topped with sour cream, plus a side of guacamole.
Chabaa Thai and its Japanese neighbour Katana Ya (hot veg ramen, slurp!) become our go-to dining options as they are near our Union Square locale in downtown San Fran. At the Ferry Building, after disembarking from a short cruise, we sample the South American empanadas. In the Mission District, we check out the intriguing street murals, and then indulge in the most delicious Mac and Cheese ever at a neighbouring restaurant. We also indulge in raclette cheese melted over roasted garlic potatoes with Brussels sprouts and cornichons (pickled cucumber).
Alongside the smorgasbord of options from all over the world, certain San Francisco culinary traditions remain strong. Ghirardelli Square is confection heaven with its chocolate and ice-cream sundae shop. Ghirardelli chocolates have been a San Francisco speciality since the 1850s.
IMAGE: Sourdough bread is a San Francisco tradition. Boudin's Bakery has an assortment of interestingly-shaped bread
Sourdough bread too has been a SF classic for over a century. I find the sourdough bread with melted cheese at Boudin Bakery & Café delicious. I also had the steaming hot tomato soup, served in an interestingly shaped sourdough bread bowl.
On our last day in San Francisco, we putter around Union Square.
There is a street performer playing the bagpipes ... It is beautiful soul music and travels a surprising distance (we could often hear it in our hotel too). The music from the bagpipes melds with the clanging of a cable car bell -- the conductor builds up a rhythm -- and the result was one of the most pleasant sounds of this curiously quaint city which harmonises its many contrasts into one captivating whole.