We started off the day with a late lunch at Thai Noodle House on Park St. I had sautéed tofu and vegetable with Thai basil and brown rice and a Thai iced coffee. The food was good but I don't think it was great enough to be called the best in town, which was what led us to it.

After lunch, my parents needed to buy a suitcase so I sat outside and waited in the sun, taking in the fresh air while reading my new book - The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton.

We then set off for the Ferry Terminal to take the Ferry from Alameda, where we were staying, into San Francisco. The weather was beautiful while we waited in the sun and The Beatles were playing from an unknown speaker in the distance.

Once the ferry came, we boarded and bought our tickets. It took us under the Oakland Bay Bridge which was scenic enough. The foggy windows prevented a lot of nice photos but I still managed to get a nice shot of the bridge.

Once getting off, we headed for Fisherman's Wharf which was quite a good walk away. While walking, we had scenic views of the iconic triangle building (which I believe is a bank) and the Bay Bridge. The Bay itself was gorgeous and clean. The weather was starting to get nippy so the walk slowly became a chore. We decided to get a ride from a Rickshaw dude halfway there, which was an experience. My first time on one!

Fisherman's Wharf is a quaint area and very touristy. With the frigid wind deterring us from looking around, we dashed straight for an indoor restaurant - Alioto's. The view was quite gorgeous, facing a dock with the setting sun and it was nice and warm. My parents had the well-known fish and chips while I ordered a vegetarian Penne Alfredo and a hot green tea. Having just ate lunch a few hours ago, we were forced to pack most of our food. The fries were delicious at this place though!

After dinner, we walked to the dock to get some picturesque photos and then headed towards the ferry terminal to get back; the unusually cold weather was getting to us. On the way to the ferry terminal, we stopped at a souvenir store and I was able to find exactly what I had in mind and wanted - a Golden Gate Bridge figurine, a magnet and a keychain- so I was glad to get my shopping out of the way. The prices were pretty good, too!

At the ferry terminal, we had a nice view of the historical prison, Alcatraz, in the the Bay. Upon reaching the ferry terminal, we went into a store to get away from the cold while waiting for the arrival of the ferry back to Alameda. The store we were in was incredibly cool. They had star lamps, which I am definitely going to look for on Ebay when I get back home, and cute little trinkets. I bought a handmade glass koala bear for my friend in Singapore.

The ferry came at 8:05pm and we enjoyed a nice, warm ride back to the terminal and then a smooth drive back to the hotel. We didn't do that much today, but I'm excited about what else we're going to do. Thus ends day 1 in San Francisco!