San Antonio

We were pretty tired by the time we got to San Antonio. It was meant to be a 3.5 hour train journey from Austin, arriving at 10:30pm, but I think we didn't even leave Austin til about 11. So though we got up for breakfast at the Travelodge at 9 (no sense passing up free food after all), we went straight back to bed afterwards and didn't head out until lunch time. Thus our first stop naturally was a cafe, where we had a very tasty lunch. San Antonio was pretty quiet compared with Austin, but everything was in walking distance which was nice, as public transport is ok but it can take an age to get from A to B sometimes.

Obviously the first thing we felt obliged to see was the Alamo, which confused us at first because we didn't fully read the signs so then we didn't really get what was going on. But once we'd figured it out it all made sense. Basically it's all to do with the Texas Revolution: first the Mexicans had it (the Alamo) then were driven out by colonists, who defended it against the Mexicans even though it seemed like a sure thing that they would lose, which they did in a short battle one day that started before dawn and finished by morning time. Anyway, it's all about it being an heroic struggle against impossible odds, etc. Also Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were there fighting with the Texians, so they have a bunch of stuff about that too. Well, I'm sure that was a very illuminating account for you all but I never was that into history :P However I did enjoy the gift shop, which was full of Texas- and Alamo-themed souvenirs such as Alamo biscuits (shaped like the front of the Alamo), Texas flags, magnets etc, Sheriff badges, etc etc etc. I bought a bonnet because they'd had them in the cool museum shop in St Louis but I didn't buy one then because while I thought it would make a fun silly souvenir I couldn't think of any sensible reason to buy one. But I decided that if I saw one elsewhere I'd buy it, then Oz said if he saw a Mexican wrestling mask somewhere he'd buy it, because we'd seen those previously as well and he'd wanted one for the same reasons as me but hadn't bought one.

Afterwards we went to the Mexican market, which was filled to the brim with tat, but we both bought genuine Mexican blankets because they were only $6 and the over-zealous air conditioning on the trains was starting to get to us, especially at night because it's hard to sleep when it feels like all of San Francisco's finest breezes are breathing down your neck (more on that later). Oz also bought a Mexican wrestling mask, because I'd bought my bonnet. We also went to a pharmacy because somehow I managed to get a cold. In Texas. Where it was 35+ degrees Celsius. I blame the trains! Then we walked along the river for a little while before heading back to chill out for a little bit. 

In the evening we found a big shopping center to go to, so we went there and bought hats in the hat shop and I got some shorts (not from a shorts shop), then we had some dinner in the food court. We've learned that mall food courts are good places to get cheap, half-decent food. The American food courts are generally a lot more extensive than English ones and there's always a Chinese option so you can get vegetables, or a place to get salad (though, salads here are quite often some leaves drenched in sauce with lots and lots of cheese on top). On our way back we stopped in a convenience store to get some food for the train to El Paso, as the train was at 5:40am and was 12.5 hours long, and train food is limited and not cheap or particularly nice - microwave pizza anyone? 

Oz in aforementioned Mexican wrestling mask...

...and me wearing my bonnet. I think we both look rather fetching!