Azazul Fikar took a week away from work this past month to visit San Francisco, California. It was his first time in the city, and he enjoyed visiting the different sights he’s heard so much about.

As a native of Bangladesh, Azazul Fikar has not spent much time traveling in the United States. He moved to San Fernando, California around 2005, but before last month had not yet had the opportunity to travel north to San Francisco. He enjoyed his time in the Bay City and looks forward to returning in the near future.

“It was such a neat city; maybe one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to,” said Azazul Fikar. “There is just so much to do, so much diversity.”

Azazul Fikar stayed in the heart of downtown, right off of Union Square. Azazul Fikar spent the first night just walking around that area, famous for its good shopping and live music.

Azazul Fikar spent the next day traveling up and down the Embarcadero, or the north side of the peninsula. Here he saw popular tourist destinations like Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and Alcatraz. Azazul Fikar particularly enjoyed touring Alcatraz.

“The Alcatraz tour was great. I had never read all of the history on it, but have since become really interested,” said Azazul Fikar. “I was also surprised at how beautiful the view of the city was from there.”

Azazul Fikar spent the rest of the week checking off the other major destinations, including the Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, the famous cable cars, and the Haight-Ashbury district.

“I was just so amazed at the diversity in the city. One block I feel like I’m in the middle of China, and the next I’m taking a trip back in time to America in 1960,” said Azazul Fikar. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in such a diverse place. It was great.”

In between his sightseeing, Azazul Fikar made time to indulge himself in the many great dining establishments in the city. San Francisco offers a wide variety of restaurants, ranging from Chinese and Japanese to Greek and Russian. Azazul Fikar especially enjoyed eating authentic “dim-sum” in Chinatown.