Panama Canal 2015 7 Mar. Day 16

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Up early to submit to U.S. customs on board, mandatory for all non-U.S. citizens. Long wait. Our guy has trouble finding our entry stamp in our passports, which I guess is more important than I thought. But, of course, it is there.

Relatively efficient disembarkation. Outside the weather is beautiful; warm but not humid, not a single cloud in the sky. I call our hotel, which sends over a van to pick us up. The hotel is not too far away from the cruise port, located on the outskirts of San Diego Old Town.

After checking in at the hotel, we spend the day exploring Old Town. This is a reconstruction of the original San Diego town on the original site, the first permanent European mission on the Pacific Coast in 1769 and the first official city in the the state of California in 1850. We visit a number of sites, including the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the old cemetery, the Sheriffs Museum (where Violet locks me up in a jail cell), the Casa de Estudillo Hacienda, and the Fiesta des Reyes.

Something that strikes us oddly is the number of items for sale connected with death: skulls and skeletons. Apparently the celebration la Dià de Meurtos on Nov. 1 and 2 is a huge event here and the associated paraphernalia is sold year-round.

For both lunch and dinner, we binge on Mexican food. One place, Miguel's, is particularly good. I mean, grilled bacon-wrapped scampis in chipotle cheese sauce? Count me in.

San Diego is absolutely beautiful. The weather is beautiful, the buildings are beautiful, the physical setting is beautiful, and the people are beautiful (if skimpily dressed). The city reminds me a bit of LA, except it is more relaxed, cleaner and has better air. And apparently, the weather is like this all year round. I now understand why San Diego has such a good reputation.

Early to bed, as we are beat, and clocks are "springing ahead" tonight.

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