2California: DAY FOURTEEN - Thursday 28 April 2011 Old Sandiego

Neal has finally succumbed to the San Diego culture and was up and out early this morning, jogging, followed by a swim and jacuzzi. My excuse is that my cold just won't go away and I'm far too poorly to try jogging or anything more physical than picking up a cocktail glass.

We headed off to old town San Diego by bus - now that we've returned the hire car, we got a day pass for $5 each so we could jump on and off the public transport at will. Old Town San Diego is considered the "birthplace" of California and San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement. A little known, but fascinating fact, is that there were absolutely no horses in America until the Spanish invaded and introduced them. A lot of the stuff we've been fed by the cowboy films is just historically incorrect.

The buildings have been kept as the originals and furnished as they would have been in the day. Sacramento old town was far more commercialised than this and it was a refreshing experience to see they were being true to reality as far as they could.

The old town is a fascinating area, now designated a state historic park. Unlike a lot of our UK museums and historical sites, it is free! They do have the usual gift shops but the merchandise looked like it was authentic and good quality. This is no dusty old museum piece either, it's surrounded by 'real' Mexican restaurants, lively cafes and shops http://www.oldtownsandiegoguide.com/index.html.

Soaking in all that history is thirsty work so we sidled into the Cafe Coyote for a margarita and a couple of tacos in that order. http://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/

We made two new friends - Yolanda Borja and Jennifer, from Kentucky. They've given us their address and invited us to stay in 'the middle' of America if we get a chance to come back. Call me cynical, but I can't see it happening.

By the time we got back, we just had time for a quick shower and off along the 'prom' (or boardwalk) for a stroll to watch the sunset. It's amazing how many people are waiting for it - locals and tourists alike. It's an almost spiritual experience... or is that the margaritas talking...