Rizal arrived in San Francisco on April 28, 1888 aboard the steamer Belgic. All passengers were quarantined due to fears of a cholera epidemic in the Far East, though Rizal protested as there was no actual outbreak. After a week, first class passengers like Rizal were allowed to disembark while others remained on the ship. Rizal explored various cities in the United States like Oakland, Sacramento, Reno, Utah, and New York over a few months before departing for London from Liverpool aboard the City of Rome. However, he also observed racial prejudice and a lack of true civil liberty in the United States.