By Luis Navarro
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A few months ago I received an e-mail from Mr. Wilfred Fong introducing himself and extending an invitation to do a presentation for the san Francisco Aquarium Society.

I was completely shocked that an aquarium society would invite me, since all I do is planted aquariums. I couldn't have been more wrong. They have a great interest in planted aquariums, and many of their members are very well known planted aquarium aquarists from the San Francisco bay area.

Immediately after I arrived Wilfred took me to the most popular places. It was a great experience. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful and unique cities in America and I was lucky to have a crystal clear day. Later I was invited to Wilfred's place where I was treated to the best green tea I've ever had. At dinner time I asked him to take me to a good Asian restaurant, and all I would say is that you need to go to San Francisco and try the food yourself because the food is so good that is hard to describe! On the way to the presentation I was amazed by the strong Japanese influence present in many of the house gardens we passed by, and I couldn't help but notice many beautiful rock arrangements.

My presentation was about aquascaping Nature aquariums. I would like to thank every one who attended especially the people who drove all the way from Monterrey, CA. After the presentation I did a workshop on setting up a planted aquarium using a 20 gallon "high" tank that was donated by "Albany Aquarium" - a local aquarium store. They also kindly donated the substrate for the workshop. After a long day I went back to my hotel for a very much needed rest.

The next morning Erik Leung drove me to Oakland to visit Jeff Kropp. He, like Erick, is not only an aquatic plants enthusiast, but among the first in America who took aquascaping seriously. After sharing an excellent coffee and pastries, we went to see Jeff's planted aquariums and talked for over 2 hours (which by the way was not enough!). Erik had planned to show me a couple of aquarium stores, but once we arrived at "Albany Aquarium" (located at 818 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706) he couldn't get me out. Guy Oei, the store owner, is not only a businessman, but a very well known aquarist who has made countless contributions to the hobby. He was instrumental in the making of the book "Aquariuim Plants, The Practical Guide" by Mr. Pablo Tepoot. His plant selection is outstanding and some of the rarest plants are available at all times.

I walked out of Mr. Oei's store with a bag full of plants and ready to go to the open house at Erik's place. As we were running a little late Erik almost had to drag me out the store. On our way he had to step on the gas to get us back on time. When we arrived I photographed Erik's wonderful planted aquariums and talked with almost everyone attending the open house. Erik's place is very nice and there was plenty of food and drinks so time passed fast! After exchanging plant clippings and making a few club announcements, it was time to say good bye. I met a lot of nice people and I can't say enough about how much interest there is in aquatic plants. It's always wonderful to associate the faces with names, and I will never forget what all of you guy's did for me!

For the rest of the Saturday afternoon we went on a city tour guided by Guy Oei himself. Heshowed me San Francisco and in the end took me to the place I couldn't see before - Chinatown. We walked down the streets, ate a wonderful dinner, and just talked plants until the day was over and it was time to go back home. I promised myself to go back to San Francisco and visit all the new friends I met there. I hope that this will happen soon.