I buy my day trip ticket and take a sip of the hot dark brown liquid in the large size paper cup. It was the only taste I had for it was so burned and putrid that it ended up in the rubbish tin, paper cup and all. Bugger.
My plan was to go to Fashion Valley and work my way back towards the city so armed with my train pass I hop on and enjoy a neat ride through beautiful suburbs until I get to fashion Valley. As the name suggests this was a large outdoor mall with many fashion shops. As I had found at the mall the day before I found nothing that begged to be bought but did have a great fish taco meal at a restaurant chain. Sat in the sun and nibbled on three different seafood tacos, each with a different salsa and unique flavour. Nothing like the "Mexican" sauces we get at home. Tomatilla was my favourite but both of the others were divine.
Next stop I get off at Old Town. This I loved. Just what I imagined a Mexican town would be like and at last I found things I wanted to buy. Too much in fact and I couldn't decide. Beautiful Mexican inspired pottery, superb olive oils, great art; everything. Oh I will find more later on so I didn't buy a thing. Epic FAIL. I regret every moment of being strong and not spending for I have come home to NZ with not one souvenir of this country.
I board the train again and this time get off at the Little Italy stop where I wandered round the Italian neighbourhood and wished that I was hungry enough to have another meal. I did, though, find the most adorable little handbag shop which I went into three times trying to convince myself that I needed another handbag. But I resist and board the train again.
This I time I get off close to Santa Fe Station and wander down to the water front where I see beautiful old ships, lovely restaurants, a huge statue of a sailor embracing a nurse and lots of people.
It was along the Embarcadero that I bought my ticket for the Coronado ferry and soon board for the short journey across the harbour. We pass the USS Midway, the aircraft carrier that is now a Museum. My god it is HUGE.
Reaching the other side I enquire about transport to find that the shuttle bus round the island had just left so I decide to walk. It was a lovely walk, and it was very hot so close to Hotel del Coronado I needed to rest and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. My last Mexican feast was so good I decided it had to be Mexican again. Oh boy so wrong. My Quesadilla oozed fat, lacked taste and both the beans and rice tasteless. Oh well.
A caramel and sea salt gelato as I walked along the street took the horrible taste out of my mouth and kept me going until I reached the hotel.
And it was worth the walk. This hotel has been home to many celebrities and 2013 was it's 125th birthday. What a beautiful sight. A stunning victorian building sprawling along a beautiful white sand beach, crowded with people, the waves rippling on the shore. Truly magical. I don't normally like five star hotels as they all feel the same but this was different and quite indescribable. And then a jet flys over. It ruined it all.
I manage to get the shuttle back to the ferry and again cross the harbour from where I wander the waterfront taking in the statue again and then moving on to Seaport Village and the Convention Centre.
I stop at Tender Greens which, despite being a restaurant chain, was a neat place where you could get any manner of salads accompanied (or otherwise) by grilled meat or chicken. No sodas just freshly squeezed lemon and mint drink, no junk just good healthy stuff and cheap. I loved my meal and made a note to go back the next day.
And so 11 hours after I left this morning I weave my way back to the hotel, tend to my bleeding and swollen feet and crawl into bed.
An awesome day.
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