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Published: April 17th 2006
After visiting Tijuana in the morning, I bought a transport day pass in San Ysidro (the US side of the US-Mexico border) and took a San Diego Trolley to Old Town San Diego. Old Town is the original site where Father Serra, supported by a brigade of Spanish infantry, established the first mission in California in 1769. The site is preserved and converted into a state park, where some of the orginal buildings still stand and the other buildings were reconstructed. Some of the buildings house restaurants serving Mexican dishes and shops selling historical souvenirs and Mexican products.
After exploring Old Town, I took a bus to Point Loma, a peninsula west of San Diego owned b the US government. At the tip of Point Loma, there is this Cabrillo National Monument and the Point Loma lighthouse. From there, I had a wonderful view of San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. According to my travel guidebook, at Point Loma, one can see whale migrating in the Pacific Ocean from mid-December to February. However, when I was there, I didn't see any whales...
Later, I went to explore Balboa Park, considered by many to be one of the finest parks
in the world. The park consists of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, as well as dozens of museums and cultural attractions. What makes the park so outstanding is the magnificent Spanish colonial architecture of the various buildings in the park. El Prado, the main promenade in the park, is lined with splendid and ornate museums. I found it a pleasant delight to stroll through the park and see all the wonderful architecture. However, due to time and financial constraint, I didn't manage to visit the San Diego Zoo and the museums in Balboa Park.
In the evening, I went back to the Greyhound Depot to collect my luggage. Then I made my way to my hostel in the Gaslamp Quarter. The Gaslamp Quarter is a historical district of San Diego (besides Old Town). Formerly the city's Red Light District, today it houses antique shops, Victorian buildings, trendy restaurants, vibrant nightclubs, and numerous hotels and hostels. (It reminds me of Vancouver's Gastown.) When I reached my hostel, I was relieved to know that the hostel provided free wireless internet. Since I brought my laptop along, I could surf the internet and chatted with my friends on MSN.
On the
next day (28th Dec) I woke up early and started to explore Gaslamp Quarter, Downtown San Diego and San Diego Harbor. I had a pleasant time strolling along San Diego Harbor, as the weather was splendid and there was a gentle breeze. I started to feel jealous of the citizens of San Diego, as they have so many fantastic attractions and recreation venues, and the weather in San Diego is always mild and comfortable. If things become expensive, they can always hop over to Tijuana, Mexico to do their shopping. No wonder some lifestyle surveys put San Diego at the top of the "USA's most liveable city" list.
After exploring the San Diego Harbor and the nearby Embarcadero area, I made my way back to my hostel to collect my luggage and check out of the hostel. Then I proceeded to the Greyhound depot and took the next bus to Los Angeles....
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