Alcatraz Island is across the sea from downtown San Francisco.
The scenery of San Francisco Bay is charming. At sunset, the cruise ship sails towards the Golden Gate Bridge, watching the flying gulls dance and listening to the band performance, just like enjoying a sunset poem. Enjoy seafood and sea lions at Pier 39. Every inch of time means freedom. But the Alcatraz Island, which is 10 minutes away from the ferry, has the appearance of paradise, but inside it was once a prison. The official name of Alcatraz Island is "Pelican Island". When the Spanish discovered it in the 18th century, it was named after the island's many waterfowl pelicans. Pelican Island faces the city of San Francisco across the sea, but it is surrounded by extremely cold waters. It is said that crocodiles appear everywhere. The special geographical environment made the federal government set up a prison here in 1934. The prison function was terminated on March 21, 1963. The government turned the prison into a museum on the spot, attracting 1.5 million tourists every year. In 1996, the Hollywood superstar Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage co-starred in "The Rock" (also translated "The Rock") once again made Alcatraz Island famous internationally. The birds that live on
are free.
boarding from San Francisco Pier 33, you can board the island in a few minutes. Today, pelicans, seagulls, and wild herons are like the masters of the island. The 22-acre island is overgrown with rocks and lush trees. Standing at almost any position, you can enjoy the beautiful view of San Francisco Bay. The birds are full of presence in every corner of the island, standing on the wall of the ruined building in a daze. They fly as long as they want, reflecting the remaining barbed wire on the wall that restricts freedom. Before entering the "prison", I only felt that this was still an ecological paradise.
4.18 square meters of cell, there are also prisoners' hobbies.
Then, I finally walked into the prison for the first time in my life. Put on the scene-style audio guide and walk from "Broadway Street" to "Times Square", step by step. The first thing I walked through was the public bathing area for prisoners. Although it was enclosed by steel bars, the space was not depressing. Go to the second floor and enter the cell area. The two-story cell is 4.18 square meters in area and 2.13 meters high. It accommodates simple wash basins, squatting toilets, beds, stools, tables, and mirrors. The doors are thick and heavy. Of iron pillars.
"Broadway Street", with cells on both sides.
The corridor called "Broadway Street" is a must-pass for new prisoners. Every time a new prisoner walks by, the prisoners on both sides of the cell scream frantically, like a fixed ceremony. The cell where the felon was held was divided into two compartments inside and outside. When the outside door was closed, the whole cell was completely dark and gloomy. Every night from 6:30 to 7:30, it is a music time for prisoners. You can play the harmonica, the saxophone, the guitar, and the trumpet. In each cell, there is also a socket for listening to the radio, like the plug of the on the plane. Prisoners can listen to the radio as well as basketball and baseball games. Certain prison cells showed the interests and hobbies of prisoners, drawing pictures, and playing guitar. The "breath of life" in these cells instantly brightened my depressed mood. However, no matter how warm it is, it is relative. In a 4 square meter cage, where can a bright life come, it is impossible to romanticize the prison anyway. The small window of the
library shows the bustling downtown San Francisco.
"Times Square" is the canteen, the most open space inside the cell. The U.S. Department of Prisons has strict regulations that the food in prisons must be delicious. It is said that the food at Alcatraz Prison is very popular with prisoners and has never received complaints from prisoners. Only once, the prisoners rebelled for food. The reason was that they ate spaghetti once a week. At first, everyone thought it was delicious, but later it became more and more unpalatable. On this day, the prisoners couldn’t bear it anymore. They refused to eat it and took one. The dining table was all overturned and the noodles were scattered all over the place. This is also the scene of the good Lewu movie we are familiar with. The reading room is also a public space for prisoners to entertain and relax. The blue bay can be seen through the small window of the reading room. And to talk about relative freedom, that is the venue for prisoners to release the air, about three basketball courts size, blue sea and blue sky outside the high walls, and a little further away is the bustling downtown San Francisco. A free and abundant life is close at hand. For the prisoner, this is a kind of expectation to rush out of the cell, or it is also a kind of mental torture.
"The existence of Alcatraz Prison is not good for anyone."
The cell corridor displays information on the felons who have been held, including the Chicago "Godfather" Carbon, and the murderous but talented "Birdman" St. Lauder and the cold-blooded "machine gun" killer Kelly and others. There has also been a bloody escape from prison. Five prisoners cooperated in a premeditated operation. They first stunned the guard on the gun stand to get the key, then hijacked eight supervisors, and engaged in fierce gun battles with guards outside the prison. Later, the U.S. Marine Corps arrived. Knowing that the escape failed, the five prisoners shot and killed all the eight supervisors who had been hijacked at the last moment. In another escape incident, three prisoners escaped successfully and went missing. Later, someone said they had found them in South America.
repeated the black jail, gloomy and depressing.
In 1969, the federal government believed that enlightenment should be used instead of disciplined prisoners, and Alcatraz’s prison history came to an end. When you leave, you might as well buy a memoir of the prisoners after their release at the store at the exit to see their "unforgettable painful experience". Combined with the visit experience, perhaps this trip will have a profound impact on us in our life: we can breathe the air freely. What a happy thing.
route: San Francisco cultural and leisure trip
flight: you can choose to take a direct flight from Guangzhou to Hong Kong International Airport on Hong Kong Airlines-San Francisco on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It will depart at 1:10 pm and arrive in the morning of the same day. You can choose the same date for the return journey, departing at 12:30 pm and arriving at 17:35 the next day.
D1: Arrive at the airport in the morning and visit the SF Museum of Modern Art in the afternoon. The museum is the largest modern art gallery in the United States and often has very cutting-edge exhibitions. In the evening, take the Hornblower Dinner Cruise to watch the sunset and have dinner.
D2: At 8 o'clock in the morning, go to Pier 33 and take the Alcatraz Ferry to visit Alcatraz Island. It takes three hours. At noon, I recommend going to Pier 39’s Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, where all kinds of seafood are excellent. In the afternoon, stroll along the beach, watch sea lions, go shopping, and recommend the Fog Harbor Fish House in Pier39 for dinner.
D3: In the morning, go to the De Young Museum to see the exhibition. This museum also has many cutting-edge exhibitions, such as the Cult of the machine exhibition we saw that month, which lasts until August 12, 2018. The art gallery also has an observation deck at the commanding heights, with a sweeping view of downtown San Francisco. If you have enough time, it is recommended to visit the California Science Museum opposite in the afternoon. Remember that the souvenirs in these two places are very good.
D4: Stroll in the old neighborhoods, each neighborhood has its history and culture, feel the free spirit of San Francisco; taste the specialties of each neighborhood.
