12 May, 2006 (Friday) San Diego, California

Summary: Arrival in San Diego. Four Dutch girls. Two Swedish guys. Two Australians. A pack of cards.

AJ decided to accompany us through San Diego to Vegas. We installed her in the back section of the jeep and were on our way.


San Diego and Ocean Beach
Good morning San Diego! After two hours driving through crazy 6-lane traffic we found ourselves in the quiet beach-bound neighbourhood of Ocean Beach, San Diego. The place has a kind of alternative surf vibe, with bikers cruising the street and a few shops reeking of incense. It also feels considerably older, with a slight Mexican influence to it's cantinas and uneven concrete sidewalks. (Picture: The Vine - Sean, AJ)

The Ocean Beach International Hostel sits in the middle of the strip, all white-washed walls and wooden deck. We checked in for a bargain $US17 a night. The place fits about 90 people.None of the lockers were big enough to fit my laptop and case.

After exploring the beach front - the beach looks absolutely putrid, not the white sands of home - we found our way into the back common room of the Hostel. AJ soon identified Mel, Britt and Julie as fellow Dutch(esses?) (how come if you come from Holland you call yourself Dutch, when everyone else just adds a few letters to their country of origin?). The four girls were soon chatting away in Dutch, swapping where they were from and what they were doing in San Diego.

A beer stop at the local shop later (6x twist tops for $6) we were sitting at a table playing a Dutch variant of Kings - where you have to do different silly things every time a playing card is turned over. Sean was soon saying "lick me" at the end of each sentence and I took a particular liking to the draw where you have to chant "*&^% the Viking" while making little horns out of your fingers. AJ refused to play properly, claiming that the game was "just silly" - but I thought that was the whole point!

Mel (19), Britt (my mistake - 19.5) and Julie (18) have been in the US for 12-months on field hockey scholarships. Mel and Britt have been studying in Ohio, while Julie has been at Duke University. Their year is over, so they're doing a little parental-funded travel before heading home. We were joined by Marcel and Cyrill (pronounced "Cereal"), who are two traveling Swedish youths. A nice little posse. We all agreed to meet up the next morning and see Tijuana together. (Picture: At the trolley station - en route to Tijuana: Cyril, Marcel, Julie, Mel, Britt)