The city by the bay
Our most awaited spring break kicked off to a great start on 13th March, Friday evening. It was my first time in a pub, every inch of the place tightly packed with people. We danced all night, enjoying the short but much called for respite from studies and assignments. I was in raptures having landed an opportunity to enjoy the pleasurable company of my roommates and friends outside our school environment. We spent some time on the Santa Monica pier, gazing at the boundless ocean, trying to tell apart the pitch-black night sky from the Pacific waters. It is a staggering fact that we could spot a few people at the beach at that particular time, after 2 AM! The amusement park near the pier was lit up and enticing. We reached home with just enough time to grab a nap before the journey began.
I was on a bus to San Francisco, to spend the week with my cousin, who I was meeting only for the second time now. My roommate, who was travelling to stay with her brother, kept me company. The eight hour bus ride was fairly uneventful, looking out the window yielding a monotonous view of barren land extending far and beyond. My cousin and her husband were at the bus terminus to receive me.
They stay in a town called Dublin, which was accessible from San Francisco by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) as well as by road. I could not hide my childish fervor when I came to know that we were travelling under the ocean for a while during our journey. I was happy I was going to stay in a beautiful house in this picturesque locality for a week.
We enjoyed the sumptuous lunch at an Indian restaurant the next day, engaged in a conversation with my newly rediscovered relatives. The initial estrangement quickly disappeared as we learnt more about each other. I realized how much I missed watching television when I got the opportunity to watch a couple of relatively new Malayalam movies being aired on the weekend. It felt like home away from home.
It was the perfect holiday for me, with the right amount of lazing around, catching up with friends, good food and movies. I also tried in vain to fit my studies into my schedule. My friends in India were quite excited about my San Francisco visit too, and suggested I watch some movies featuring this city and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. We visited another Indian restaurant nearby, relishing the food which both our minds and palates alike found delightful.
A day in and around the metropolis made me wonder if it was better than Los Angeles, surrounded by the ocean, with the bay bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge in its vicinity. The din from the crowded marketplace and restaurants nearby did not interfere with the unperturbed stillness of the ocean. We thoroughly enjoyed our walk along the Fisherman’s wharf, encountering strangers with a book in hand, enjoying the quietude. I was envious of the sea lions basking in the sun at a pier numbered 39. Some of them were smarter than the rest, staying away from the ruckus they created as they tried to find a place to rest on the pier. There were many street performers, their charisma not giving away their daily struggle to make ends meet.
We saved the visit to the Golden Gate Bridge for the last day of my stay. It looked as magnificent as it was made out to be. It was a mild letdown that there was fog and the whole bridge seemed to have disappeared from where it was a moment ago. We joined many others for a walk on the bridge. As we reached the other end, the view got a little better. I could not help but notice how there were so many Indians visiting.
On our way back to Los Angeles, I and my roommate contemplated that it was time to concentrate on academics again. We would plan this journey again, probably during the summer break.
