We woke up to more rain and cold in Corpus Christi this morning, so we got the heck out of town by 10 a.m. Interstate 37 north was flat and easy driving, if not scenic.
Our airbnb in San Antonio is a strange one. It's very inexpensive and located only six blocks from the River Walk.
The neighborhood is more than a little sketchy, but the place has hundreds of good reviews--mainly for value because the hotels downtown a few blocks away are outrageous.
Because we arrived a couple of hours before check in, we parked in a well-lit and well-traveled area of upscale stores and took Callie for a long walk. When we returned, there was a dude parked directly behind me in a place that really didn't have room for another car. His rear tires were pressed up against the curb, and the front of his vehicle was less than two inches my ball hitch. I have no idea how he was able to park there without damaging his vehicle or mine.
To make matters more interesting, he was sitting in his beater-mobile (with driver's side-mirror barely hanging on and dents all over) with the engine running. The windshield and windows were too deeply tinted to get a good look at him. I checked over the rear of my vehicle for damage, and walked back to the driver's side. At that point, he got out of his vehicle, and he was a well-groomed, young Hispanic man. He didn't walk towards me but crossed the street instead--his car still running. I drove away, puzzled, but glad if we interrupted anything potentially nefarious.
The Airbnb was a no-contact, self check-in. It's an older home with three or four units. We are in the back of the property. It's nice enough, but the light fixtures in the living room and bedroom don't work. Several people commented in the guestbook. I'm not sure if anyone is paying attention. Both smoke alarms lack batteries, and the battery compartments have been exposed to alert whoever is supposed to be replacing them, I suppose. The owner has not been answering the messages which we sent him.
The most interesting and maybe disturbing thing to me is that there is a small pet door in the rear door leading into the kitchen. The type allowing a small dog or cat to enter and leave via the fenced in back yard. I've never had one of those doors, but I believe they are supposed to have some covering or swinging door closing off the outside. This one doesn't. Julia stuck a towel in the hole to the outdoors. Temperatures are supposed to dip into the mid 30's tonight.
Late this afternoon, we crated up Callie and took off on our own for the River Walk. It was cold and drizzly, but eventually the rain stopped and skies cleared. We went into Dirty Nellie's Irish Pub for beer and to warm up.
They had some local beers and a piano bar with singer. It was just what we needed to take the chill out of our bones.
Later, we went to an Asian fusion restaurant called Suck It Asian Kitchen. Despite the name, the food was amazing. We had Hanoi egg rolls, which are small fried egg rolls that are placed in a leaf of lettuce with carrot and then rolled up like a burrito. A dipping sauce is also available.
Then we had ramen with pork bone broth cooked for over 48 hours. It has to be top three of the best ramen that I've ever had. Not at all traditional but delicious!
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