After breakfast at a Subway in the downtown area, off we went to the zoo. San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous in the US and I was looking forward to seeing the Giant Panda that they have there at the zoo. We took the cable car ride at the entrance and got a nice aerial view of the zoo and in 4 minutes we were at the other end. From there we started walking back, covering all the animal enclosures one by one.The most interesting ones were the polar bears, the giant panda, the giraffe, the elephants, the urangutans and the aviary. The aviary there has 160 birds which belong to 80 different species and we saw parrots and other birds which I have never seen and their names I cannot remember.We took the bus ride around the zoo as we were very tired to walk around any more.The bus ride covered most of the animals but we were even more tired at the end of the ride because we sat on the top and the sun was beating down so hard on us.I had turned all pink in the face.

 

 

We then decided we had had enough of the zoo and anyways we had seen most of it and the next important thing to do was HAVE LUNCH.So we went to a nice Indian restaurant in the Downtown area and we hogged like we had never seen food in a long time. After that we were all charged up to go to a beach. We went to two beaches, one was a pebble beach and the other was a sand beach. We played in water for sometime, as the water wasn't that cold compared to the beaches in the Bay Area, and actually felt nice as the gentle waves lapped against our legs, as we stood there watching the sunset. So we decided to go back to the beach again before leaving San Diego which we didn't quite get around to doing.

After a nice dinner and a card game session we are all set to hit the bed as we had to go to Sea World the next day.

We thought Sea World was an amusement park and I was happy about it because it has been quite sometime since I have been to one but when we found out it was not, I was disappointed...not for long though.It is a place where all the sea animals, which we never get to see, are kept and not only that, they perform as well. I was so happy to hear this and was twice as enthusiastic to go there.

We reached there at around 11:30 in the morning and the stars of the first show we went to were KILLER WHALES. We had to wait 45 minutes for the show in the blazing sun but it was all so worth it in the end. A video was played about sea animals and some quiz questions were thrown at the audience and I learned something which I didn't know.Killer whales belong to the dolphin family and that dolphins are smaller whales. Just before the show started there was a beautiful presentation about animals and it ended with this quote which stuck to my mind, "Look into the ocean and you will see what you want to be." And then came the moment I was waiting for, more than 100 odd people in that stadium were waiting for, the show. The trainers came and spoke and as they introduced the performing whales, right on time, the biggest sea mammal made its entrance, a beautiful navy blue and white in colour, a hole on its head, looking majestic as it swam around the brilliant blue water and as though one was not enough for two small eyes, in came 4 more truly amazing whales.They were so well trained that they left the audience breathless with their flips in the air, as they jumped out of the water, as they splashed water on the audience, as they nodded when the trainer asked them a question, as they swam with their trainer balancing on their snout. One of the killer whales they have there, Shamu is a star and you can dine with him if you reserve in advance. A kid was picked from the audience to participate in the show and got to feed the whales and I was so jealous.

After the Killer Whales' stunning performance we went to see the Dolphin Show. The show started with the caretaker singing a few songs and making the audience sing with him and then the dolphins made their entry.They were really cute and their performance was brilliant and it ended with one dolphin making this 16 feet jump to touch the flag.

I wanted to see another show after the Dolphins but the others were hungry and so we grabbed some food before we went to the next show, Pets Rule. Pets Rule was a fun show with animals like dogs, cats, pigs and birds performing on a stage which was designed like a playhouse for them. The show began with the song, Who let the dogs out as dogs ran in from all sides of the stadium on to the stage and then just before the song stopped a pig ran in. It was quite funny to see a pig. The whole show we were laughing as dogs raced, pigs raced to beat the dogs, cats ran up the walls, as dogs wrote letters, prepared for their date. As though this was not enough, there was funny act where dogs ran into something and cats ran out, black cats fell into a milk bottle and came out as white cats, white cats fell into the trash and came out as black and white cats and as a small dog went onto this machine kinda thing and came out as a big dog. I was laughing so hard, my stomach hurt.

After this show, we stayed back as I wanted to meet the dogs from the show and then we went to feed the Dolphins. Bhasker and I went and the others just sat out and watched. We had to buy fish for them and feed them. They were so cute and made noises as they came to the sides of the pool, mouth wide open waiting for the fish to be given. I touched them and fed them. They felt like rubber. Then Bhasker touched and I was so happy about touching them that I forgot to take a snap of Bhasker touching them and I felt quite bad about it. We went to see the penguins and I got to see yet another variety of them, apart from the normal ones and Macaroni Penguins which I had seen in the Edinburgh zoo and after that we went to see the show performed by Gymnasts which was rather boring though Bhasker said he liked it.

After this, we went to watch sea lions and otters perform and truly speaking, I was amazed to see them perform. They had their act right and never made a mistake and they were really funny. It was like a play where the sea lions, otter and the crew (the trainers) of a submarine were working very hard to save the submarine which was in danger. The otter was really cute, running in with Pepsi in its hand, going completely still when a member aimed a gun at it and said "Freeze" and running in again to help the seal shoot the member with a cannon ball. It was a treat to watch them.

We then went on the Sky Ride which gave a splendid view of San Diego and then we set out to the last show of the day, a Spoof Show performed by Sea Lions again. We laughed as the sea lions made fun of all the other shows at Sea World and as they made fun of American Idol and as the otter ran in with the results.

By the time we got out of the show, it was 10 in the night. The day had gone by so fast. We had seen so many shows and each one left us with the feeling that it was better than the previous show. I was amazed by how well these animals were trained and how much of patience and effort must have gone in by the trainers and how intelligent these animals really are to understand instructions and carry them out so well and entertain. It was one day in my life that I will never ever forget.

We left Sea World at 11, had dinner at 12 and played cards and dumb charades till like 5 in the morning, slept for 4 hours and then left San Diego at 11 in the morning. I was so tired that I slept for most part of the journey.

In the evening, we saw one of the most beautiful sunset. The sky was a brilliant orange with patches of grey clouds here and there. It looked like the sun and the grey clouds were fighting, as the sun cast its beautiful orange light across the sky in an attempt to keep away the darkness and looking brilliant as it slowly dipped below the horizon while the darkness fought back.Finally the sun gave in and slowly made its way below the horizon leaving traces of brilliant orange light as though prominsing to come back with a brighter and better tomorrow and I smiled as I thought about it.

We reached home, richer in terms of memories and experiences which we will cherish and talk about. It was indeed a nice trip!!!