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This travel article is dedicated to Herb Caen the late San Francisco columnist who used to wax poetically about his favorite city.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Dave
2004-02-21 18:05:34

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to truly get a feel for Chinatown. It is as if you were in a foreign country. Very few people are speaking English and the markets contain some truly exotic fruits and vegetables. At the Xuong Market near Grant Street I was able to purchase many small packages of food ranging from dried oysters, to seaweed, to fresh shrimp. This food contributed greatly to my Chinese cooking for the next several weeks.

The Chinese Culture Center located on the 3rd floor of the Holiday Inn is a great place for finding information about Chinatown and viewing Chinese art. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 986-1822. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am until 4pm and then again on Sundays from noon until 4pm. Admission is FREE.

The Chinese Historical Society of America is located at 650 Commercial Street. They document the history of the Chinese in San Francisco. They are open Tuesday and Friday from noon until 4pm. Admission is FREE but donations are accepted. For more information call PHONE NUMBER (415) 391-1188.

The Financial District is located in the downtown area. You are lucky if you see the sun in this part of town. The tall buildings tower above everything and you feel like you are in a forest of tall trees. On weekdays the most common scene you will see are business people dressed in their finery walking from one place to another.

The Haight Ashbury is well worth a trip if you want to see an area that is unlike anything that you have ever seen. Many homeless, young and old are lounging around on the streets. Colorful dress is common. Tie-die shirts and pants are the norm. There are many small cafes and bookstores located here. The place has a feel of drugs, extreme loneliness, emptiness, and a lot of searching for something that I was not able to put

my finger on. Many young people are wandering around with vacant empty stares on their ...