Having survived the flight from Vegas it was time yet again to board the Super Shuttle, which time was indeed Super and my driver very very helpful. I was given insider tips on where to go and where not to go (beyond 10th street), which i discovered was good advice on a trip to Walmart, more on this later. The Hostel is slap bang right in the middle of the Gas Lamp quarter which is very very cool, lots of busy bars and restaurants. Having sort of recovered from the night before i went for a little explore and to find some food. I ended up in the New Yorker, a nice bar that served the most amazing pizza, and at $1 a slice and $2 for a beer you can't really go wrong. Having had a chat with the locals and being made to talk so they could listen to my accent by 8:30pm i was on my way back to the Hostel to go to bed.

The next day it was time to board the Old Town Trolley tour as recommended by my Super driver. It was to be a hop on hop off tour of San Diego, the first stop being Coronado which was lovely, a a beautiful sandy beach which looked to go for miles, the famous Hotel del Coronado looked fab and very very expensive, just a small coffee for me here. Having wandered about for a bit and bought some postcards (they are not written yet and i have to actually find them before i can send them!) it was time to get back on the trolley, next stop Little Italy, this was a really lovely street, full of well, you guessed it Italian restaurants and bars and shops, it was really really nice, i could have spent quite a lot of time here just wandering. The water wasn't too far away so i had a little walk down here too, it was tempting to have a dip in the various water features there, it was soo hot! After another slice of pizza it was time to jump back onboard the trolley and off to Old Town and the market we went. A bit of shopping later and having a good look around the market stalls and having convinced myself i didn't have space (or the money) for a new handbag it was time to leave. The Old Town was really great, lots of old style buildings showing lots of history, if i had had more time i would have stayed for longer.

Next stop was back at the hostel as i was knackered, Vegas really did take it out of me, good job we only did 4 nights. The Trolley tour gave me good taste of San Diego and was a good way of working out what i would be doing over the next few days. This is going to sound a bit weird, I've had to get myself back into travelling mode, having spent the last 3 weeks with family and friends on holiday (there is a difference believe it or not between holiday and travelling - i didn't think there would be,but there definitely is) its taken me a few days to get back into the swing of organising more stuff and being back on my own again. The hostel i was staying at was pretty quiet so a bit of lack of people to meet at times.

The next day is a trip to San Diego Zoo, and this one has Pandas as part of a long running breeding program. I board the bus, and actually get on the right one and in the right direction! Ive never been the best with buses! I arrive at the zoo, I've never seen a Panda before so was very very excited! Firstly I boarded the zoo bus for a 45min tour of the zoo, the zoo is enormous!! It was to be a long day of walking I thought. I then boarded the skyline over the zoo and got a great view of the zoo and the San Diego skyline as well as the enclosures. Having got easily to the other side of the zoo I headed off the visit the Pandas, wow! So so cute, I want one! Yes, i was acting like an excited 5yr old! Having stopped acting like a small child, it was time to see the Giraffes, I think these are my 2nd favourite after the Pandas, Elephants, Lions (very close up), Polar bears and loads more animals. The zoo is probably the best one I've been too, its enormous and a really great day out, lots of exercise too, its very very hilly in parts! Having got back from the Zoo I went for dinner in Henrys bar and was in bed by 9pm! rock n roll!

I am still trying to locate a cheap sim card, having accidentally racked up a massive phone bill from accidentally switching on data roaming whilst in a nightclub in vegas, this upcoming purchase therefore was of vital importance. A few more phone bills like that and i will be coming home early! I digress, I locate Walmart where there is said cheap sim card, i find location on my phone, 1.5miles from the Hostel, i set off. So you will remember the Super Shuttle driver suggested i shouldn't go beyond 10th Street, well before i knew it i was on 16th street! Not ideal, I'm a tourist who is now lost in very much the wrong part of town and stuck out like a sore thumb. So, i find a friendly looking security guard who helps me and point out I'm not there yet and that i have to go under a bridge, by this point I'm thinking i should probably give up….but i don't, and as result I'm absolutely terrified walking through here. I take a different route back, that was even worse! And to top it off the store didn't even have what i need! Grrrrrrr. It had been however another useful lesson for me, i need to be more aware of where i am and where i am heading to on my own out here, its been a bit of a bumpy start in the 'do i feel safe' stakes, but weirdly a useful one.

So, having put that behind me its skate time. Yay!!!! I board another bus and make my way to Mission beach, where there is a good bike lane. I arrive and discover it is literally covered in sand :( To be honest today hadn't really been going to plan, so i decided i wouldn't risk the skate in the sand, it was going to be very very sliding on quads and at the rate I'm going today id]d probably fall and break something :( so i went for a walk instead which was very nice, then a frappucino and back to the hostel.

In true Lou tradition, tomorrow is a travel day which always means its the big night out the night before! I drive myself nuts sometimes, every time i say no nights out the night before a travel day and what happens its the day you actually meet people in the hostel and go out……..cue Irish pub, live music and pints of stella.Enough Said!

I love San Diego, I will definitely be back. Next stop Santa Monica!