mark his words: San Francisco: A city of highs and lows.

After the memorable drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, our arrival into the city of San Francisco was slightly underwhelming. Some misinformation resulted in a taxi ride from our car rental drop-off to our hostel costing a little bit more than we had hoped, and our hopes to catch a quick glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge were dashed by the ever present fog that swallows the city.

San Francisco, it seems, is not only a popular tourist destination for those from abroad, but also for those from elsewhere within the USA. This, along with seemingly endless amount of hills that are dotted around the city make visiting local landmarks on foot a torturous experience both on the journey, and upon arrival. But, in the end, the views were always worth it. Whether it be from Lombard Street, Coit Tower, or Golden Gate Park, the various vistas were reward for the pain my calves would endure on the journey. Or, in the case of traversing the Golden Gate Bridge, the incredible cold, blistery wind. Because my hair is normally so neat and tidy.

Like many other seaside walks, a saunter along Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 seemed obligatory, but aside from the glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz (of which tours were unfortunately booked out weeks in advance), I could have been in any other tourist destination, as the street performers got on with their usual antics.

A trip to the Mission District allowed me to get a small glimpse into a slightly more grittier side of San Francisco, much like Haight Street contained various remnants of its hippie culture of past. The former seemed to contrast against the postcard like views throughout the rest of the city, and was an area I wished to explore in more depth. The Mission District, perhaps slightly more than other areas within San Francisco consisted of an astonishing amount of homeless people lining the streets and it is quite clear that poverty is an issue that the city needs to continue to address.

The contrasts between sections of San Francisco continued, with some parks provided some enjoyable views and contrasts between new and old San Francisco, none moreso than Alamo Park, which sits aside the famous 'Painted Ladies' houses. Both geographically and socially, San Francisco felt to me as a city that had quite distinctive, polished highs, and lesser known and hidden lows.