City passes in hand, we headed out to make the most of the day. We rode the cable car up the steep hills from Union Square heading this time to Fishermans Wharf. Just as we reached the crest of the hill there was a grinding noise and we stopped quite precariously on the precipice of the hill. We waited expecting to move along but it didn't come, we overheard another passenger asking why the delay to be informed a truck was coming to bump us over the hill. At this, we decided to walk, the thought of flying backwards down the hill was too much to handle and as we were at the top it would be all downhill anyway. Once arriving at the dockside near Pier 39 we went to enquire what time the Yellow & Gold Tour boat went out to be told it was going imminently. So we figured it was as good a time as any and jumped on board. Moments later we were heading out to sea, passing sea lions to our right, for a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge and a circular navigation round Alcatraz Island.
The boat bobbed up and down quite a bit with breakfast rising and falling inside with each wave. We headed out to the bridge when the captain told everyone to hold on! It was so choppy he aborted the scheduled trip under the bridge to turn round and head for calmer waters. We did however get some good views of the bridge from both the front and back of the boat. We were a bit disappointed to not make it into the "Red Triangle" so called due to the number of Great White Sharks in it. Next we cruised over to "The Rock" getting a low down on it's history as we passed around. This again gave some great views of all around the island of Alcatraz and gave a real impression as to why it was so foreboding. We got some great pics and headed below deck to ride back to shore. We were both a bit green around the gills by the time we arrived back.
Next on our schedule was the Aquarium of the Bay. In the entrance hall there is a 14 foot model of a Great White Shark hanging above the ticket gate. Kelly's eyes instantly lit up. We headed around the first few tanks which seemed fairly standard fayre for any aquarium that any large pet shop might house and information about the bay. For example, we found out that the water in the bay is very brakish containing both fresh and salt water and so is pretty much free of Great Whites which is good news for sea lions. We then rounded a corner to take an elevator down to the lower level. Now this was more like it, large plexiglas glass domed ceilings with massive viewing walls both sides with sharks swimming above your head and a number of rays and other very big fish! It was cool and nice to get up close and personal with some big fish and other marine life doing their thing. We then came out to an open top pool with some rays and a few small sharks in a petting pool. Kelly's sleeves were back and before I knew it she was elbow deep stroking the wings of the rays and skates and the backs of 2 different sharks. Me, I wimped out, fish never really being my thing.
We went by the gift shops and picked up a few mementos. Before finally leaving Kelly had me posing with that plastic shark, just for the perspective of the size they are (it was actually modelled on a real shark that was 16 foot long). It was nearing lunch so we opened up our voucher book, and grabbed 10% off each from Luigi's, an Italian, that had an all you can eat buffet of pizza, pasta and soup perfect for the cold day it was. Following a suitable endeavour at denting Luigi's profits we headed to Alcatraz's landing bay just a few piers down, tickets in hand from our previous false start we were about to be shipped off to "The Rock".
Once at the island, only a 10-15 minute boat ride, we were split into groups and allocated a guide to take us up the steep climb and given an introduction en-route. Then we entered a weather worn atmospheric building. We were initially led into the shower room where prisoners originally got their uniforms and left freedom behind. It's now home to audio headphones in preparation for the self guided tour ahead. The prison itself is in a better condition than I'd initially expected: the building was fully intact and cells lay empty in row after row. I guess back when in use this place felt intimidating and grim especially as it is only about a mile from San Francisco with the sounds and skyline of the city loud and clear. It must have taunted each prisoner to hear the city noise carrying on the wind and to see the skyline so near yet so far. We self-guided ourselves around taking plenty of pictures trying eagerly to capture corridors of cells without other tourists in shot. The history of the island is long, varied and interesting even it's later, post-prison history of Indian occupation which directly helped this group move forward their fight for civil rights. By the time we were around the kitchen and hospital wing of the old prison the light was going and it was getting dark, this added to the eerie feel of the place and made it really atmospheric. The hospital wing was definitely the creepiest part of the prison. We both then headed back towards the dock to watch a short film about the escape attempts at the island during it's tenure as a prison. Apparently only one convict was known to have swam from the island and made it to the opposite shore. All other attempts had been either aborted, un-accounted for or known to have drowned. The fortunate or unfortunate chap who made it actually beached at a millitary base at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge and was promptly returned to Alcatraz after nearly dying of exposure in the freezing cold waters. So the island wasn't in-escapable but you ran a severe case of death by trying. We then took the last boat back to San Francisco and caught a cable car back to the hostel for a well deserved rest from an eventful day!