Realised looking at my little map that I hadn’t actually been to Fishermans Wharf, so not feeling like climbing that hill again, I go down to take my little cable car, which I’m now getting quite fond of, to clunk and clank my way to the bay. I don’t know if its because the sun is shining, but the city has a nicer feel to it today. I must say that I did not immediately warm to San Francisco, maybe because I’d chosen a hotel right in the middle of Downtown. After being here for a few days the place has grown on me and has also opened up to reveal a lot more than at first sight.
Fisherman’s Wharf is like an outdoor mall with lots of small shops and artists along the waterfront. A chinese voice draws my attention - a street artist. ” Ohlee fife dollaar. sar. You no like, you no pay”. Having no particular place to go ( good line for a song, that) I say OK, why not ?
Half an hour later and he’s still sketching and still talking. 70 years old and been drawing for 50 he tells me. “Ah, you live France, me like France - velly good art, France”. With a flourish he shows me the finished article. Not bad actually, except he has made my face look a little bit fat, but then maybe my face is a little bit fat.
I continue to walk along the front where various artisans and street vendors are trying to persuade you to buy, or at least have a look at, what they’ve got for sale. There’s all manner of things, most of which you can get through life without, as well as fortune tellers and palm readers etc. Now normally I don’t have time for this, but I was accosted by a woman who said she could tell me what the future had in store for me, and being in an aimiable mood, I let her speak. She began by describing my personality and character and I can tell you she was frighteningly accurate in her assessment. She then offered to read my palm, and again came up with a pretty close description of my past. I declined her offer to spend more time with me, saying that I didn’t really want to know what was going to happen in my life - what would I do if I knew ? To be honest, although I was curious, she had been a little too close for comfort and I was beginning to wish I hadn’t stopped. She wasn’t pushy and said if I changed my mind, to come back and she gave me her card. I walked on and some minutes later I looked at her card - ” Fortunes told, palms read by BARBARA ! It was a hot day but a shiver ran down my back as I cast my mind back to that day in Kuala Lumpur when the man with the turban warned me to be wary of a woman called Barbara - ” She will do you harm” he had said. I thought ” Don’t be stupid, it’s a load of rubbish, and anyway you don’t believe in it” But….. Barbara ? - not a very common name. No, no, just a coincidence. I turned right onto another street and went back a different way.
Back on the cable car - this time standing on the step, hanging onto the pole, trying to look so cool, but really gripping white-knuckle tight for fear of falling off
