Texas Travelogue - Part 3: A Day Exploring San Antonio

Text and photos:Phan Quoc Vinh

After browsing online for travel information about Texas, I clicked on a request to have brochures sent to my home address so I could read them at my leisure. Just a few days later, my room was overflowing with hundreds of brochures of all sizes, colors, and content from thousands of cities across Texas inviting people to visit.

Imagine nearly 1,215 cities of all kinds (28 cities with a population density of over 100,000), including some with only two or three thousand inhabitants, all inviting tourists to visit. It made me realize that just scheduling a day trip to each place would take almost four years of non-stop travel! Every place claimed to be paradise, the most amazing place ever. So, "the beginning is always the hardest," and I chose San Antonio for my first solo backpacking trip in America simply because the bus fare at the time of launch was incredibly attractive: $1 (However, after only a week of trial running without success, the bus company cut the route!).

After more than six hours, I arrived in San Antonio at dawn. Stepping off the bus, I shivered, huddled alone in the quiet surroundings, as all the tourist attractions only opened at 9 a.m., leaving me three hours to go. Clutching a can of instant hot cocoa I'd hastily bought from a roadside shop, my excitement was slowly being overshadowed by the chill. Should I really rent a hotel room to escape the cold for a few hours?

I made a decision (perhaps one of the wisest) to hop on a $1.10 city bus and sit in the heater, letting the bus take me all over the city, through every nook and cranny, without caring where I was! The driver, carrying such a strange passenger, had to ask me a few questions, and when he found out why, he laughed heartily and didn't forget to recommend places I needed to visit in his deep, proud Texas accent, typical of a long-time Texan.

After sitting in the park and eating a quick meal of sticky rice with peanuts that I had brought from home, the clock struck 9 a.m. The city came alive, activities became more bustling, and the sounds of traffic began to urge me to grab my backpack and walk deeper into the city center.

The first stop was the Vietnam and Korean War Memorial, with statues of American soldiers caring for wounded comrades on the battlefield, poems expressing the longing to return home from the battlefield by young American soldiers, and memorial plaques for sons of San Antonio who died in the war. What I liked most were the vibrant red flowerbeds beside the monument, as if trying to heal the somber images, and the sunrise peeking through the leaves, signaling the return of peace everywhere.

Passing through Travis Park – named after a key figure in the liberation of Texas from the Mexicans – I visited the Alamo. Formerly a small village, the Alamo is a historical site commemorating the war for southward expansion and the fiercely contested border between the United States and Mexico. It is particularly significant for the American struggle for Texas independence from Mexican rule in 1836, during the siege from February 23rd to March 6th, 1836.

Considered a national historic site that every American should visit at least once in their lifetime, it's understandable that I had to stand in line for over an hour to get inside the memorial house. The exhibits, including artifacts related to the battle, letters exchanged between the two sides, imposing artillery pieces, and dioramas depicting the battle, all contribute to a deeper understanding of this turning point in American history.

My greatest fortune was witnessing a reenactment of the Alamo battlefield right in front of the citadel ruins, complete with artillery positions and the uniforms of ancient soldiers. The deafening sound of artillery fire shook the streets, though there was only smoke and explosions; the retaliatory gunfire, the shouts of generals from both sides…in short, the culmination of all the "seeing is believing" was right there. But even amidst the constant noise inside, street performers outside poured their hearts into melodious music under the gentle early spring sun, inviting visitors to relax in the peaceful city of San Antonio.

Here, visitors can explore museums for free and should also consider spending some money to visit the Guinness World Records museum, the art museum, see the wax figures, and if you're not faint-hearted, take a stroll through "Ripley's Haunted Adventure," where many hideous ghosts will try everything to scare you to death, or use a laser gun to shoot at the bizarre 3D characters from the famous action-adventure film "Tomb Raider."

After devouring a huge, three-handspan-long loaf of bread, I took a double-decker bus for a city tour: passing through the main inner-city streets, visiting the Mexican flea market with its many fun activities for tourists, the old town of King Williams, La Villita… and of course, I couldn't miss stopping at Hemisfair Park to visit the Tower of the Americas. This was the tallest tower in the United States from 1968 until 1996 when the Las Vegas Tower was completed, standing at 215 meters tall with 952 steps, the fastest climber having achieved a time of just 5 minutes and 18 seconds back in…1981.

As the tallest building in San Antonio, once visitors reach the top floor and take a circular tour, they can take in the entire city. Adding a few 25-cent coins to the binoculars, in a minute visitors can bring every house and tree closer, as if within their grasp. The sky is clear, the space is vast, and the view is maximized. Perhaps the dream of being a white dove, like in the song "Voluntary," has come true upon arriving here.

As evening approached and my stomach rumbled with hunger, I stopped by a high-end steakhouse by the San Antonio riverside promenade (also known by its Spanish name, Paseo del Río). Along the tranquil river, a secluded pedestrian walkway had been created, adorned with flowers and greenery, and lined with tastefully decorated restaurants, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The clear blue water reflected the people's shadows, and the lights from the boats above and the shore shone down like flickering fireflies. Here and there, young couples were taking wedding photos, adding to the lively scene along the river. Only by experiencing it firsthand did I understand why this place is considered a must-visit spot for couples from all over the world.

As dusk fell, people flocked out to eat, stroll after a day of exciting sightseeing, and admire the pairs of wild ducks frolicking along the riverbanks. The melodious music and the warm yellow lights reflecting from both sides of the river made the nighttime city tour by boat feel like being in Venice, Italy, or like Alice lost in Wonderland.

Everything felt like a dream until the alarm clock chimed, signaling the time to go home… The moon had risen, and the bus had rolled away from the station, lulling me into another six hours of swaying sleep. I’ll probably dream about San Antonio again tonight and tomorrow night!

Additional information:

San Antonio is the seventh most populous city in the United States and the second most populous in Texas, with a population of 1.3 million. Located in the southwestern United States, in the central part of Texas, and the southwestern metropolitan area known as the Texas Triangle, which includes Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston, the city is named after Saint Anthony (Spanish for "Saint Anthony"), whose feast day is June 13th, commemorating the stopover of a Spanish expedition in the area in 1691. The city receives an estimated 26 million visitors annually, according to the city's tourism promotion center.

- Before sightseeing, it's a good idea to visit the city's tourist center to get a free map, tourist information booklet, and discount coupons to save money. Buying a package ticket for 3-4 attractions at once is cheaper than buying tickets for each place individually.

Visitors can explore the city center on foot or purchase horse-drawn carriage, trolley, or double-decker bus tours to visit the main attractions. San Antonio's city bus system is diverse and easy to find stops on. For destinations further from the city, there are dedicated tourist bus routes available.

If you enjoy backpacking, you can find cheap bus tickets online.http://www.megabus.comTickets can be purchased for $1 if booked in advance.

The Thanh