Back from Sunny California

It seems like it was only yesterday when I posted my last blog. Well, we are back now after a week in sunny California. It was a nice break from the unpredictable weather in Boston. Everyday was so warm, sunny and bright that I felt I had to give my eyes a break half the time and wear sunglasses. It just goes to show that I have been buried like a mole too long in New England. :)

We stayed in the Welk Resort in Escondido, which is a really nice family resort. They have a golf course, tennis courts, pools of different sizes for kids and adults, some with slides, a clubhouse with foosball and ping-pong tables, a kid's room with different kinds of children's books and toys. There are activities all throughout the week that guests could join like Tai Chi, Yoga, Aerobics, Bridge, Karaoke, movie night, etc. Needless to say, it was wasted on us since we hardly spent any time there. Michael and I spent the week driving to San Diego, Tijuana, the coast and Los Angeles. We did not have a set schedule as we just did what took our fancy on a particular day. It was a vacation after all and we did not want to be under any time pressure. The only exceptions were the two late afternoon dental appointments I had with my cousin in Glendora which both segued into a karaoke party. My cousins love karaoke and do not miss the chance to have me sing when I visit. It is always a hilarious event as everyone just gets crazy, trying to sing and dance. Usually, the kids are made to perform whatever talent they have or think they have. Heheh! It is our revenge for the time our parents made us perform before our relatives. At one point during a disco (karaoke) number, someone said that we ought to have disco lights. My cousin turned the lights off and promptly brought her spinning disco lights with matching smoke machine. Of course, the dancing started. Michael was cracking up! He could not believe that she had the set-up at home. Michael had his time at the microphone too. I think they saw how much fun he had that we were gifted with a karaoke player right before we left!

San Diego reminds me of Florida although the topography is more interesting and the city planning is better. The nearby coastal towns are charming and full of character. We spent our first day just driving around and taking in the sights.

We also went south of the border to Tijuana, Mexico. We left our car in the border and took the bus across. Tijuana reminds me of the less modern urban areas of Manila. Walking through Avenida Revolucion brings back to mind Escolta. They have all sorts of vendors of all kinds of things you can think of. Kids surround you in the hopes of selling some of their wares. Michael, being the softie that he is, ended up with stuff that we did not need just to humor the girls, some of whom were probably barely five years old.

We met up with my friend, Lito and we spent a day at San Diego's Wild Animal Park. It's not as great as Disney's Animal Kingdom though but still leaves you fascinated and entertained. Their collection of animals is impressive and add the three of us to that list, it made for quite an interesting day. :)

Hollywood Boulevard hasn't changed much. Different shops still line the street, a lot of which were either selling souvenir items or clothing and items which can be considered "risque". We went to the new Hollywood & Highland Mall beside the Kodak Center and the Chinese Theatre. They were taping Ryan Seacrest's show there and showed it on the giant screen across from where we were having lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen's outdoor tables. From there, we went to Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills and watched the sunset in Santa Monica Beach.

Venice Beach is like Harvard Square by the sea. You see all kinds of people, artists, performers, flower children, vendors, psychics and tarot card readers enjoying "La Vie Boheme". It's truly a melting pot of all colors and flavors. It is an interesting area and I wouldn't mind spending a few days there just to experience it in full.

After an overdose of sunshine in all these places, Michael and I flew back to a cold and drizzly Boston. It made it an all the more painful ending to a nice, warm and relaxing vacation. Ugh! I want to move! :)