Once again, I return home from vacation in searing anger. Last year rage was sparked in Sydney, the previous year, inflamed in Singapore. This time it's San Francisco.
Last week I strolled along their waterfront. The experience is not mellowing for a Hongkonger who believes the Fragrant Harbour should be our glittering gem. As with Sydney and Singapore, 'Frisco's waterfront is accessible. Wander the waterfront footpaths and venture onto piers to breathe in views of the city by the bay.
I wandered from the stately old Port Authority headquarters down the Embarcadero to the delights of Fishermen's Wharf and maritime museums. The two-hour stroll, about the distance from Central to North Point, was a walk through history. Some of the piers house restaurants and offices. Many remain working godowns with cargoes being busily laden and discharged; like Hong Kong, San Francisco's harbour is very much a working port.
But above all, it's a people's harbour. Joggers, map-flapping tourists, gossiping mothers pushing prams and geriatric keep-fit fanatics on roller blades moved with me. Others clutched the inevitable plastic coffee container and stared into the surprisingly clear waters.
Reaching the culinary icon of Fishermen's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge comes mistily into view. Crowds are dense. Clowns, buskers and street artists create a vibrant atmosphere. Further on, the working trawlers and crab boats are tied up; you can see how your lunch was caught.
Those with nautical leanings can ponder a second world war submarine, a magnificent Scottish-built square-rigger, old ferries, harbour freight scows, riverboat paddle-wheelers, steam-powered tugs and other preserved vessels that once ploughed purposefully over San Francisco harbour.
Close by is the fascinating San Francisco Maritime Museum in a sprawling art deco building erected originally as municipal swimming baths. I sighed; in Hong Kong, this would have been handed over to a real estate developer to turn into a profitable tourism venture. The wonderful harbourfront arc is an enormously compelling attraction.
