The day at San Diego zoo turned out unbearably sultry, though. We still did head to Coronado Island, which is just off the coast of San Diego and loosely forms a part of the city, similar to the islands of Mumbai. Coronado is a pretty island, with lavish and quaint hotels and inns, and of course nice beaches. It also has a number of interesting restaurants, and we ate at an Asian restaurant - we had a Thai curry with rice, and stir fried tofu in orange sauce with rice. The stir fried tofu seemed much more likely fried than stir fried, but we quite enjoyed it regardless. By the time we were done with lunch, we decided to give the beach a skip and head over to Old Town San Diego. We would of course visit another beach the next day.
Although it didn't hit me immediately, soon after I left Coronado beach, I began to have a pounding, migraine like headache which just wouldn't go away, nausea, chills and a fever and general weakness. I had to have a painkiller to sleep that night, something I generally don't like doing. From what I understand, heat strokes are commonly experienced in San Diego, especially given its recent heat waves. California is reeling from a terrible drought, and everywhere the land seems parched and dry. Rains are few and far between, and farming is being affected. Farmers also seem to be finding fault with governmental policies - there were many boards on the way that said "Congress created dust bowl" next to parched, dry and dusty lands. There is of course a lot more to it, but the drought and the heat waves, during winter, are truly worrisome.
My experience at the zoo and its after effects meant that I was taking no chances when we visited Mission Beach the next day. I kept my shades on, wore light coloured clothes, and decided to test the weather. But it was a lovely day!
S and I tend to go to beaches either in an unplanned manner, or in a planned manner but without the right attire. We rarely get into water in our swimwear, usually entering in whatever shorts we're wearing and either buying a change of (trampy) clothes as in Gokarna, or "drying" ourselves off walking around. Of course it's a lot of fun doing it this way. This time was no different. The weather was perfect - warm but not hot, a somewhat gentle breeze which was cool but not too cold. The water was cold at first - ah, the Pacific Ocean is never warm! - but we got used to it very quickly. There were some huge waves, and many people were surfing. We stood in the water for a while, soaking ourselves and having a wonderful time, before heading out to see the USS Midway.
If we ever return to San Diego, I would want to visit more of its beaches.
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