Identity, Security & Me

I know I have been fairly quiet on the blogging front recently. Not only have I had a lot on at work but I have been travelling quite a bit.

I also find it interesting when I travel to compare the different places I have been and to make some observations. Over the past couple of weeks I have been to both Munich and San Francisco. Unfortunately, I didn’t get chance to see much of Munich so don’t have much information to compare.

However, this week I am in San Francisco. I love America. I have only been here a couple of times (last time was Boston in 2004) but really enjoy it here. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much chance to do a lot of sightseeing due to work (it always gets in the way) but I have managed to see a few things whilst here.

My ‘piece de resistance’ this week was visiting Alcatraz. This has always been a childhood dream, so turning it into reality was fantastic for me. It was just as I expected and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. I would love to go back there again. I have also done a few other obligatory tourist things like drive over the Golden Gate Bridge etc.

Despite my limited time here, I couldn’t help but compare SF to Boston. I must say there seems (to me anyway) to be a stark contrast.

Boston seems clean, spacious and friendly. However, SF seems the opposite. For me it just doesn’t have the same experience. I am stopping in a hotel just off Union Square but despite being central, the area seems a bit rundown. There are tramps and beggars on every street corner and I don’t have the same sense of safety whilst walking down the street as I did in Boston.

I’m sure there are some lovely parts of San Francisco but so far I haven’t managed to find them. It looks like I might have a bit of spare time on Friday so if anyone can suggest some nice places I should see, I would appreciate it. I would hate to leave SF with a negative view of my time here and the city in general.

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