Downtown Oakland

My first trip into downtown Oakland. One would have expected me to make a visit before two years, but no. It's been almost two years and here is my first trip. Now I have been to Oakland, many times. I've been mostly in the neighborhood communities - the part you might be a little wary for your safety, the part where you would believe that Oakland is the 4th most dangerous city in America. So when I saw downtown - it was a contrast, an interesting one. I always find it fascinating the way places cater to tourists. They construct these elaborate images of what a place is like, but for a resident - that image is completely different. It speaks to the display or spectacle that cities tend to put on for visitors who never get a chance to see the real communities. So when you visit a place, what are you really seeing? How can you be sure it's "authentic"? Enough of this theoretical blabbering. Just a thought.
I would like to know what is going on with this contraption, but there wasn't any placard or anything informative. There wasn't even any water in it. I do enjoy the bright colors. It looks like it would be easy to climb. I was so tempted.There was a protest going on in front of City Hall. I regret not remembering what they were protesting about now. I don't think they had very obvious signs either because it took me a while to read them. But it was a good day to protest because there were lots of people circulating the area on account of the Oakland Earth Expo was going happening.