OceanviewinOakland

 Overall it was a lovely afternoon to stay in the harbor and then, I headed to the train station ready for departure, discovering the big world continually.

It took me only about half an hour to transport from the city center of San Francisco to Oakland, which is the port city with Oceanside and manufacturing with a controversial reputation because of safety concerns. In fact, it’s a modern designed city with diverse cultures and hustling streets.

I was not disappointed when standing at the Broadway street near the city center. Quite a few contemporary skyscrapers were standing there and walking across the nearby city plaza there were a variety of restaurants and shops around. Quite a lot of people walked around, relaxed, and had lunch. It’s a great environment with a metropolitan taste. I walked across the long Broadway road towards the oceanfront train station as I would depart that night to visit another state.

Only a few blocks from the city center I saw different decorations reflecting diverse cultures On the right side there were lots of colorful little umbrellas hanging on the top ceiling and quite a few stores selling merchandise. On the left side, there were Chinese characters, here was the Chinatown of Oakland with a unique culture boost. There are Asian markets restaurants and squares attracting people to visit. It seems nearby streets got expanded and more people moved into the areas.

Then I kept moving forward towards the harbor side. About halfway in between there was a tunnel corner with lots of garbage blocking the way that made me a bit disappointed as all the other parts of Broadway were decent, neat; but why was nobody cleaning up this corner?

Reluctantly a few pedestrians including myself pulled the luggage to pass through. With another five to ten minutes walk, I arrived in the harbor square, and the train station was only a few blocks away.

It was such a warm spring quiet afternoon beautiful weather and a nice ocean view. The ferry is just around the corner. Like a few others, I sat at the bench on the oceanfront, watching the ships running further away and pondering what was underneath as the water got stirred and created ripplings. The square looks elegant but has limited space and facilities. There are a few restaurants and cafes, but no other shopping area or entertainment around the place.

The open view and soothing atmosphere boosted my energy and made me creative in shaping fresh thoughts and exploration of the world. A group of school kids took off the ferry starting their tour of the city discovery. What could be their feedback on the city and how to make the city a better place to visit?

I had Pan Tai noodles for dinner in a decent restaurant near the sea harbor. The food is fine with sufficient nutrition. It was almost the sunset; the ocean changed its color, wavering calmly. Overall it was a lovely afternoon to stay in the harbor and then, I headed to the train station ready for departure, discovering the big world continually.

Posted in: Global Trips