2nd February 2015- A day at the Californian Academy of Sciences

We had seen a video on the ship about the planning and building and completion of this major San Francisco project which is a combination of a large aquarium as well as tropical rain forest plus many other exhibits and also a planetarium.

So following an in room and self-purchased breakfast we picked up the Clang Clang, Ding Ding San Francisco cable car down to Market and Powel where we changed on to a municipal bus to take us in the direction of the Golden Gate park. The journey went through some very poor areas as well as some very nice area and needless to say the recently renovated town hall and concert hall looked great.

We arrived at the park and purchased the over 65 tickets and headed inside but first stopping for a cup of tea. It said English breakfast tea but in fact it was earl grey and not our favourites but hey ho at least it was hot. So after the tea we started looking around the main concourse and then down in to the aquarium where there are approximately 4500 fish of all types from little ones up to some really guys. There were tanks of small frogs and large toads, snakes and spiders and many different types of animals. The areas were split in to Californian Coast, Madagascar, Philippines etc and all well prepared.

A White Albino Crocodile

The roof of the structure has been designed specifically to be covered in wild flowers and some grasses and along with a huge amount of solar panels it is intended to be almost self-sufficient on power. We then went to the planetarium where there was a new production showing about life and the intermingling of all the animals and what place they have in the food chain, they did not say food chain but that is what they mean. This was a well-produced film and was very informative; our only complaint was that it seemed a little dark.

Lunch followed with an excellent chicken and vegetable soup and we also purchased a Caesar salad before we got the soup only to find that the soup bowls were huge and so that was enough for lunch and we would retain the salad for dinner tonight in the hotel.

A Fish

We then visited the tropical forest where you walk around the building going higher and higher until the top and all the time butterflies are whizzing past you or perched on various plants and hand rails etc.

This was a most interesting visit today and we left there about 4pm and caught the bus back to Market and Powel and stopped in the Westfield shopping mall where Jen got some new sun glasses and we also bout some food for our journey tomorrow. We saw some shrimp, a small packet of about 8, which we had for dinner back in the room and they were really so good, best we have had for a long while.

We did consider going North East out of San Fran but then was concerned about the weather and the fact that at night it can be freezing when crossing some of the mountains and then said to ourselves we came for the sun and warmth so let’s head south instead. We have planned to go to Monterey tomorrow and have found a good priced Hotel on Hotwire. We have to pick up the hire car tomorrow morning and so the journey to Monterey will only be a few hours subject to traffic and the final routing decided by sister mappie (Jennifer).

Jennifer has had a cold all day so let hope it better tomorrow.