San Diego

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San Diego Sat. 22 May

this is a catchup being written on the lappie on the Amtrak train from San Diego to Santa Barbara - better doing it here where have 5 captive hrs to spend rather than staying up all night! The 3 hr trip down cost 30 - this 5 1/2 hr trip only cost $33 whihc is really good value it seems to me. Beats the bus at whatever price - more room, can move around etc. And you do not have to get off and change etc.

Anyway what of Sat. 22 May?
Walked off down Broadway to the waterfront on early Sat. afternon and marvelled at lack of people and or cars much - it is the CBD I guess and no real retail shopping there. I decided to try my 2 Visa debit cards for some USD cash. I had started with 200USD and had only 2 dollars - have used cards for virtually everything but things you can't. Tried 4 bank ATMs and got rejected at all - as I have 2 maybe i was getting the PINs mixed up as they are different in both card no.s and PINs. In frustration tried my CBA savings card - that connected and just as well I was limited to $200 out as it cost a fortune - hat USD cost me $255 cos the AUD has plunged against USD - its at about 0.80 whereas I am proud to say my debit Visa card was locked in at 0.905 - for once I was right. Trouble is after starting with 6000 I now only seem to have 2300. Think I will be re-examining those more affordable hotel options from here on in so that I can spend more on gourmet reportable food. The case of the overspend at the Ramada Gaslight in San Diego already mentioned refers - but t least it was bookable on-line a few hours before. N of LA options seem cheaper and I have picked up a couple of booklets with $50-60 hotels which i think will become the norm. Best Westerns tend to be around 89 + tax so call it 100. With a notional 150 per day budget all up, with a stray extra 500 on top + full-fat Visa (but at new woeful AUD rate + bank fees of 3%!o(MISSING)n everything) this is not preferred option!

Enuf money stuff dude - where are the sights?? Well the big sight at the bottom of Broadway is the USS Midway aircraft carrier - little dubious about this at $13 price in 2005 Rough Guide - but definitely out at $18 now - but it was not available at 4.30pm anyway and I was not at all tempted. Continuedup the waterfront N - various old ships and subs ec wich may/not be pictured - not tempted by paying to go on board what I could see from the shore. From there jumped a tram/trolley to somewhere closish to Balboa Park - but it waas still quite a long walk up Park Ave. Lots of small speciality museums (cars/flght etc) there - virtually all closed by 5ish. Discovered that the Park (as you have already seen in some snaps) i a trnage counterpart to Kaunas in Lithuania in terms of being wedding central for snaps - and stretch limos and hoods and their ho's - more crimes against good taste of people being poured into tight satin dresses that should not be - and Puf Daddy takes on wedding suiting. They all seemed pretty young too - good runup for the divorce down the track maybe? Rather more cultured toffs out at the Globe Theatre. But strange shows - one called Golda Meir's Balcony or some such. And another one with some sorta Jewish theme in the Civil War - oy vay already! A walk across a very tall viaduct over the freeways to the other side of the valley. It was goign on 8pm Sta. nite so time for grazing. A pretty busy Cucina Urbana got the vote over the white table cloths in the Hexagone French restaurant which I must admit did ot look very french. Cucina Urbana was a really hopping place and lucky to get a seat at the bar. Next to 2 ladies of a certain 50s age who engaged me in conversation real friendly like (no not like that). The one next to me had been downsized by HP so was also retired. She was from LA her friend from San Fran and she was down dog-sitting her daughters dog while she was on holiday - as you do. Ordered myself a glass of Banfi Super Tuscan for $9 (little dubious about the claim at the price as we are usually talking premium $60+ bottles. It was nice enough tho not that super/complex. The ladies left me to my own devices to continue my grazing. This was BBQ octopus (quite spicily crusted) and with some sald - te waitress later grought me some more octopus as the chef realised he had short-changed me somewhat in terms of the quantity. I had then decided on pizza - this was very yum! - pear and gorgonzola and caramelised onion. Eaten in the hand (of course)it was deliciously goo-ey and delicious. the 'girls' had said that her daughter had said you MUST go there - I would concur with that and well recommend for all up $40 or so I think. Then down the hill to finally find the tram home. Close to the airport - Lindbergh Field - which is really downtown and the planes fly in really low.

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Photos

tail end Chevy
you've already seen the front

Comments

[Huddo]

Beaut food!
Hi Mike, Cucina Urbana looked great in the photo, food sounds better. More octopus! When would that happen in Oz! Chatty girls as well. Keep em coming. Huddo.