Last summer I decided to take the double-decker Hop-Off-Hop-On-Big Bus tour of Philadelphia that highlights the important sights and locales of this historic city. I had never taken this tour before and it was on my ‘bucket list’. I also had a sudden craving for sweet, juicy, tropical fruits, something exotic, something different. Why not visit Chinatown while I was in Philadelphia where there are several good grocery stores? I may just find what I was looking for. And after that, I would stop for a delicious lunch. This would be a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. So, one fine sunny morning I set out.

I took the SEPTA train to Philadelphia and got off at Jefferson Station. It is conveniently situated right on the edge of Chinatown. I exited the station and saw the iconic, colorful Chinatown Arch on aptly named Arch Street. It is also called the Chinatown Friendship Gate, the historic portal to the neighborhood. A large stadium is planned close by and that may irreversibly change the nature and even threaten the very existence of Chinatown. That would be unfortunate.

I strolled along the streets and saw a grocery store with merchandise invitingly displayed on the sidewalk under a colorful awning. Deciding this was worth perusing, I entered and started browsing. I immediately saw bunches of bright red lychees. They looked luscious and inviting. I picked up a bunch, paid, put it carefully in my backpack and stepped out.

Next, lunch. I found a small Vietnamese restaurant and stopped in for a lemon grass chicken Bánh Mì and a bowl of spicy soup. The bright young woman at the counter thought I was vegetarian and carefully explained the ingredients of the sandwich, which was just as well. I requested that they hold the pork liver pâté. The lunch was delicious and so fortified I walked over to catch the Big-Bus Tour.

Big-Bus Tours is one of the biggest names in the industry and runs city tours in most major countries across the globe. Here, they have English speaking tour guides and audio in several other languages. You can hop-on and hop-off at any of the stops to peruse at your leisure and then get back on to continue your trip. This is a quick, convenient way to get an overview of the city of interest, especially for first timers.

In Philadelphia you can buy tickets for the Big-Bus on line and also at three places en route. This year, an adult, one-day ticket costs $36. The hotel Marriott (12th and Filbert Streets) was close to Chinatown and one such place. A bus was waiting. I bought my ticket from the helpful attendant, got a map and boarded. I headed for the open-air top deck. Soon the tour guide, a cheerful young man with a ponytail and a red cap, took up his microphone, tapped it a couple times and welcomed us on board. We took off. The route is shown below. We took the blue route which should take about ninety minutes.

We saw the iconic City Hall with the statue of William Penn on top. Originally, there was a gentlemanly agreement that no building in the city would be higher than the top of that statue. But soon that agreement fell by the wayside. William Penn and the beautiful Beaux-Arts City Hall are now dwarfed by much taller buildings.

We saw several buildings and plazas in quick succession. The ornate Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania with its Romanesque Revival facade was next. In the picture below you can see our guide who kept entertaining us with interesting tidbits of information on the buildings, Philadelphia and life in the city. He was a young college student trying to earn some extra money. I understood his motivation—college tuition today can be expensive. I made a mental note to give him a good tip.

We saw The Government of the People, an interesting sculpture that may be hard for some to interpret. Here is one interpretation I read, A symbol of democracy, continuous struggle, mutual support and eventual triumph. Hmm. Perhaps.

We soon came to the spectacular Museum of Art with its many steps up which Rocky ran in the movie of the same name.

But more popular than the museum is the statue of Rocky with his fists raised which now stands on the grounds of the museum. Our guide told us this statue was originally displayed inside the museum but some objected it was not “artsy” enough, suitable for display there. A long argument ensued over many years at the end of which they decided to remove it from the museum but display it on the grounds. It is very popular and there is always a long line of tourists waiting to have their picture taken with Rocky. I came home and watched the movie again. Plucky fella, that Rocky.

We saw the golden statue of Joan of Arc by Emmanuel Frémiet, shining in the bright noon sun, proudly holding her lance and banner. The PHLASH in the picture is another city tour bus that is much cheaper but does not have a tour guide, nor does it run throughout the year.

We passed another impressive statue, that of our beloved first president George Washington. It depicts him in military uniform astride a horse. Several figurines adorn the base of the pedestal. It is placed in a prime locale, in the Eakin’s Oval opposite the Art Museum steps facing down Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Our guided pointed out the Comcast Technology Center, now the tallest building in Philadelphia. Comcast (the owner of Xfinity) is a major provider of internet and cable services throughout the country. Our yearly cable bill continues to rise since a few of these providers have a near monopoly. But we cannot do without internet these days, so have to keep paying. C’est la vie.

Heading east we soon came to the Delaware river and turned north to head back into the city. We saw the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the distance.

We soon crossed Elfreth’s Alley with its row of historic, preserved houses and then the iconic Betsy Ross House. She is well remembered as the maker of the first American flag. Independence Mall came into view with its Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and the Constitution Center. I had visited them before and the three posts are here.

The bus stopped at the Bourse and we got off for a break. It was cool inside with restaurants and restrooms. I came outside and waited for the next bus. It was from a competitor service— the City Sightseeing Bus (or the Red Bus, obvious from its color). By some quirk, these two competitors sometimes share services, and profits, a good trend. You can also buy the tour ticket here from the ticket stand in front.

From the Bourse, the Red Bus took me back to the Marriott. The entire tour was just over 90 minutes with the break. It was comfortable, enjoyable and educational for me. The young guide was informative and humorous. He kept us entertained and informed. I put a suitable tip for him and the driver in the donation box, stepped off and headed for Jefferson Station for my train home.

Back home, my wife and I savored the lychees from Chinatown. They were simply delicious, juicy and sweet.

What a perfect end to a perfect day!