4 of 4

Write now Article Tools

It is a cloudy day in San Francisco (no, not foggy, cloudy!) and we have our tickets to go to Alcatraz.

We get on the ferry over along with hundreds of others! and I was going to stand outside to video but it started to rain. This set the pattern for the day short showers of heavy rain, but mostly just overcast and dull. As we approached the island the rain stopped, so went on the deck to video quite an amazing feeling to be approaching this rocky and forbidding isle even if you know nothing of its history. Also good views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and also the Bay Bridge not as classic lines as the Golden Gate, but a very long bridge, and, I'd have thought, a great technical achievement.

Anyway landed at Alcatraz now part of the Golden Gate National Park and a Park Ranger gave us an orientation talk. They have an audio guided tour, with comments from some former inmates and wardens. Very interesting tour quite spooky, really lots of people all walking round listening to their earphones if looked on from above, I'm sure it would look like a group of automatons, all walking and turning at the same spots! You obviously don't get a feel of it all, but the size of the cells, and the way it all worked was quite chilling. One of the most memorable comments made was from on of the former inmates, who explained how you got attached to your cell not surprising, I suppose, when you spend 18 to 23 hours a day there. Also the "treatment" cells totally enclosed with no light I walked into one, and even with the door open it was quite scary. One inmate said he would take a coin, throw it into the air, and scrabble round on the floor to find it. The repeat this over and over, just to keep sane.

I also learned of the Indian occupation of the island after the prison was shut down from Nov 1969 to June 1971. And the "escaped" plants! huge "money plants" one even in bloom fuchsias and others spilling out over the stonework of the prison all from imported plants brought over by the prison staff.

As we boarded the boat to came back to the main land, I noticed that a film crew (from America's Most Wanted) where just loading up their boat. We hung around for a bit, and then the captain came on the speakers to apologise for the delay apparently the America's Most Wanted people wanted to film our boat leaving so we all waved at the film crew, and filmed them, filming us! . As I said to my partner only 3 days in America, and already having a guest spot on a hit TV show - well, that's California for you:)

Learn more about this author, Derek Knight.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Visiting Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay, CA?
We want to hear your view. Write now!