Afternoon in the City

After six hours of touring, the visitors wanted to return to their rooms. The hotel was on Broadway between Stockton and Grant, on the edge of Chinatown. There were still a couple of hours to burn before dinner. I asked if anyone wanted to join me for a walk up Nob Hill. The men assessed the angle and distance and decided to smoke cigars instead.

The hike up Jackson is a tendon-stretching trek. I passed Stockton and Powell, where the Powell cable car makes a left turn.


The buildings are old, and some residents still hang their laundry from the balcony. Despite the near-shabby appearance and the constant ringing of the cable car bells, the apartments easily run over $2,500 a month.

The shop on Jackson and Jones has been selling the “world’s best” beef jerky for decades. The brisket is sliced into thin squares and is sweet and smoky. It’s not as salty or tough as the jerky one finds at supermarkets but because it’s expensive and I don’t come this way often, a few years had elapsed since I last masticated these magnificent meat morsels. The price had risen even further -- $9.50 for an 8-oz. package – so I only picked up a couple of packages.

Walking down the hill along Washington, I turned into the Cable Car Museum, whose name is slightly misleading because it’s also the barn and powerhouse for the cable car system. Those of us—nearly all males---who are fascinated by motors and wheels spinning around could spend hours gazing at the moving cables and other exhibits. Admission is free.

Back at the hotel the others were ready for dinner. We walked across Broadway to one of my favorite jook joints, Hing Lung.
The sign in the back advertised Peking Duck for the unheard-of-price of $9.99, so we were compelled to add it to our order. Ten minutes later, a platter of buns and crispy skin was brought to our table, along with another platter of duck pieces. I dabbed on the hoisin sauce and green onions. Delicious, as advertised.

I bade goodbye and wished the travelers luck in Sacramento and especially Reno, their following destination. It had been a pleasant day spent with friends, but it was time to get back to work. © 2006 Stephen Yuen