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Galapagos – Tagus Cove and the “Meeting of a Lifetime” and Latitude 0°

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

**** I know “FOY” Peter was looking forward to this post. So here ya’ go! Hope you enjoy it Peter!

After spending the morning exploring the mangrove forest at Elizabeth Bay, the Evolve headed off to Tagus Cove while we had lunch and relaxed.

These rocky cliffs toward the northwest on Isabela Island in the Bolivar Channel is where, according to what Fabrizio told us Pirates and Whalers used to anchor. And so, we did anchor and folks could do SUP….which the Missus loved and hadn’t done since we had been in June Lake. I did some kayaking…..we could even see names etched in the stone along the cliffs of the cove….sorry, too busy paddling to take photos.

Once done, we freshened up, then boarded the pangas, which took us along the cliffs. You can see some of the graffiti along the cliffs below.

The pangas took us to an area to do some snorkeling.

And this is where the Missus and I would have one of the most unforgettable moments in our travels. While just enjoying the clear ocean I felt like something or someone was watching us. Soon enough, an adult male sea lion started following us. He would dart between us and around us.

Showing off his “skills”. He seemed quite curious.

He apparently enjoyed the attention. Twice, when my attention got diverted, he came by and gave me a little “bump”, as if to inform me that he was the “star of the show”! Remember that you can’t approach wildlife and are supposed to stay at least 2 meters away. But what do you do when a sea lion going at like 25 miles an hour under water zooms toward you?

Several times he went to the rocks for a few seconds….I think he expected us to follow him? Because a moment later, he’d stick his head into the water looking for us!

Seeing us, he’d dive back in!

He just ignored the other folks snorkeling. Maybe he was curious about Asians? Anyway, this went on until we were back in the Panga. Fabrizio was quite surprised at this; he’s been a Naturalist in the Galapagos for almost 20 years and had never seen this behavior by an adult male sea lion before. The pups are very curious as was noted when that little fella tried to board our panga on Isla Plaza Sur. But this was a new one for him and of course, we’ll never forget this experience!

We got back to the Evolve and washed up. The day wasn’t over yet! We boarded the pangas and headed off for a tour of the coast. And we quickly came across an inhabitant we hadn’t seen yet on this trip.

See the little one “striking” a pose? Here’s a closer look.

Yes, it’s a penguin! The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin found North of the Equator. And is only found on Isabela and Fernandina Islands. You just had to take a bunch of photos of these cute little ones.

And of course, there were Blue Footed Boobies!

Among all the other wildlife.

But for most of us; it was all about those penguins.

This one is enjoying the afternoon sun!

There was so much to see along the cliffs of Tagus Cove.

There are many caves along the shoreline here.

And we visited several.

It was quite stunning. Each day was a new adventure that seemed to top the experience of the day before! We almost didn’t want to head back to the Evolve!

Back on board we had a nice predinner snack and aperitif.

Watching the sun set in the horizon.

Before heading to our briefing for the following day by Antonio.

We were given this while having our little snack.

Which meant that we would be dining at the Captain’s table this evening. Yikes! Well, we did dress a bit better than on previous evening! We had a wonderful time chatting with Captain Jhon.

Man, that Guariche Crab Cake; made from blue land crab was super tasty….so much crab!

The Pork in Guava Sauce was also delish….almost like something I’d get back “home” in the islands.

Usually, the Missus and I would get one each of the appetizers/main….but on this day, these dishes sounded so good.

Dinner went well and we got back to our cabin….it had been quite a day, right?

But it was not quite over yet. Around 830pm an announcement came over the speakers for folks to head on over to the bridge. So, of course we did.

What was going on you may ask? Well, at this moment we were at Latitude 0°!

Even though we had already done Intiñan Equator Museum and Latitude 0° there, this was still quite exciting! Man, twice in two weeks!

This was quite an unforgettable day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Galapagos – Elizabeth Bay (Isabela Island)

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

After viewing the amazing eruption on Fernandina, the Evolve sailed back to Isabela Island while we slept. Isabela Island is the largest of all islands in the Galapagos. It was noted that Isabela is larger than all of the other islands of the archipelago combined.

As the sun rose, I headed up to the deck. As always the view was beautiful.

There was another Ecoventura Yacht in the bay as well.

Some of the other passengers were out having morning coffee; checking emails, etc….

There are quite a few little islets in the bay…each looking like its own little world.

An hour after a light breakfast, we boarded the pangas and headed off to Elizabeth Bay. We saw a sea lion doing his “pose” for us along the way.

As this turtle swam by……

There would be no landing on this tour as Elizabeth Bay is known for the mangrove forest that adorns its shores.

And all the interesting wildlife that can be seen.

Like this school of Golden Cownose Rays that glided past us.

We went further into the bay lined with vegetation.

Sorry to say that I don’t have a ton of photos, since we made good use of our binoculars to view wildlife.

Though I did enjoy taking this photo of a sea lion hanging out on the branch of a mangrove tree.

It was very peaceful, serene, and relaxing. Seeing the school of Spotted Eagle Rays passing us in what almost seemed like a choreographed water ballet just seemed to fit right into the ambience.

As we headed back, we saw that the sea lion had settled in for a morning nap.

Time just seemed to slip away as we headed back to the Evolve.

When we were all aboard, it was time to pull up anchor and head to our next destination.

We had lunch…which included some really nice lobster tails.

Then had a nice post lunch siesta/break.

Our next stop would be Tagus Bay, where the Missus and I would have one of most memorable experiences…well….ever!

Chicken Wing Wednesday – BHC Chicken Revisited (Sorrento Valley)

Chicken Wings

After my not so great visit to Bonchon, I was wanting some decent chicken wings. I had recently revisited both Pelicana and Cross Street, both of which left me wanting for more. So BB.Q and BHC came to mind. I had thought that BHC was more to my liking on my previous visits, so I went ahead and placed a takeout order. And then I headed over to pick up my order.

I don’t know if it’s just me….but it’s always seems like the businesses in this strip mall….other than MickeyD’s is closed?

Anyway, my order was waiting when I arrived.

I had selected and order of wings ($8.99) with a side of Chickem Mu (pickled radish – $2).

The wings seemed a bit larger than what I recalled. I do prefer more medium sized wings as I enjoy the batter-meat ratio more.

This seemed a bit more heavy-handed with regards to the batter, but I did enjoy the “flats”. The coating reminds me a bit of cornflake-cornstarch fried chicken. I enjoy the balance of crispness to crunchiness. I know that folks, especially those IF influencers really go for thick, crunchy batter, but I like something a bit lighter.

I did like the basic seasoning the wings came with. It wasn’t overly salty and one could taste the chicken.

To hedge my bets, I also got the ever popular Bburinkle sauce….but I’m just not a fan of the slightly cheesy, sour…almost milky sauce. The pickled radish was decent, not overly sweet like some versions these days…it’s a good palate cleanser (especially after trying a few bites with that Bburinkle sauce). The portion size was much larger than I thoguht it would be.

Back to the wings. The batter was nice and crisp, not overly thick. The flats were really nice and moist and you could taste the chicken.

The drumettes were a bit more chewy, but were also moist, with no off colors or flavors. A bit unwieldy, but not bad.

This was a decent “KFC” meal….I didn’t feel overly fry-o-lated and it was enough food for me. I guess BHC might be my current favorite for KFC in San Diego.

BHC Chicken
9450 Scranton Rd. #112
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Sun – Wed 11am – 10pm
Thurs – Sat 11am – 11pm

So tell me. What’s your current favorite purveyor of KFC in San Diego?

Niu Rou Mian from Mein St Asian Kitchen

Chinese Restaurants, Niu Rou Mian, Taiwanese Food and Restaurants

Back in my post on the Niu Rou Mian from Zen Modern Asian Bistro, “FOY” Dereck mentioned that the NRM from the “original” location of Zen was still quite good. So, during one of our local sessions of “May Gray“, I decided to check out the restaurant that had replaced Zen; called Mein St Asian Kitchen. Which, I believe had moved from the Little Italy Food Hall? Since it was a Sunday, the restaurant wasn’t open until 11am….they open at 10 during the week and I was somewhat concerned with finding parking. But much to my surprise, the parking lot was qutie empty at five to eleven. Heck, that location of March & Ash always seemed busy to me!

When that “open” sign lit up, I walked on in. While the furnishings look much the same as before; the place seemed a little more worn with “stuffs” stacked everywhere.

The nice older gentleman handed me the menu. While Mein Street has everything from Kimchi Fried Rice, Sushi, to ABC (American Born Chinese) Dishes on the menu, I immediately located what I wanted.

I was here for the NRM, while $19 for a bowl of noodle soup seems kinda steep, the version at Zen is $22 (+ $1 for suan cai), so this was quite a bit cheaper. So, I placed my order.

Soon enough, the absolutely steaming, molten bowl of NRM arrived.

Strong anise fragrance danced in the air! Trying not to singe my tongue, I cautiously took a sip of the broth.

Huh…..pretty light in terms of richness and beefiness, though the flavors of soy sauce, the aromatics, white pepper, and a bit of spice came through quite cleanly. Making the broth acceptable.

Like what I’d had at Zen, the noodles weren’t very springy, a bit overcooked, and the relative thinness of the broth made it not coat the noodles very well.

The highlight of this bowl was the beef….and there was quite a bit of it.

It had been nicely prepared. Tender, but not falling to shreds, it had been cooked well and had retained a wonderful beefiness and some of the aromatic tones as well. It was delicious.

This was the one category where I think Mein St was better than what I’d had at the new Zen location. Though I think the version I’d had at the “old Zen” was better than this.

The two folks working were nice; especially the woman working who quickly told me she “didn’t speak English”…she was so sweet and using Google translate I managed to let her know my wife is from China; but I only know “bad words” in Mandarin. She cracked up! I then busted out “Kuài diǎn, kuài diǎn” (hurry up, hurry up) and “Bì zuǐ” (shut up) and she really laughed.

To put things into perspective, I do think that Mein’s NRM is better than the versions I’ve had on Convoy or Mira Mesa. Though with gas prices these days….I need to take the 45 mile round trip (Zen is “only” 26 miles) into consideration when thinking about future visits!

Mein St Asian Kitchen
13510 Sabre Springs Pkwy Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92128
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 10am – 9pm
Friday 10am – 10pm
Saturday 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm

Thanks for reminding me about this location Dereck! Hope you get to try the NRM at Zen’s new location to compare!

Sunday Sandwiches – Mali’s Deli

Sandwiches

A few weeks back, I was in the Balboa and Ruffin Road area. I decided to grab something for an early lunch. Bud’s immediately came to mind, but I just wanted something smaller and I think I’d like to bring JJ along for brunch there. I also considered getting a sandwich at Unique Deli, which I believe is now named Unique Sandwiches….. But, I was at the intersection of Ruffin and Sky Park Court and recalled having read about a deli nearby? So, I drove to a parking spot and did that “Google” thing. Which led a bit farther up that parking lot; where I saw a rather discreet outdoor dining area. Turns out, it was the place I was searching for; named Mali’s Deli.

It is a rather hidden looking shop.

The interior was quite spacious.

And the menu vast; from breakfast items to burritos, burgers, quesadilla’s, and of course sandwiches.

And it must have been my lucky day as Mali’s does half sandwiches! I wasn’t really very hungry and the prices for half sandwiches weren’t bad for these times. The names of some of the sandwiches have a San Diego link; like the Coronado Chicken Club (probably raised in a Coopacabana), California Girl Veggie (a “Hippie Dippy Cali”?), or the Top Gun…..which I didn’t really “feel the need” for at that moment.

Regular readers know that I have a special place in my heart for club (older locals would call it “clubhouse”) sandwiches…so, I went with a half California Club ($7.49). My sandwich only took a few minutes. Opening the package, you immediately knew what kind of deli meat they used.

The half sandwich was enough for a light lunch for me. I had picked sourdough, which had been decently toasted and held up fine.

I enjoyed the pickle spear. Appreciated the fact that the sandwich wasn’t over dressed…a good amount of mayo and mustard for me. I actually liked the pepper jack cheese which added a mild milky-spice to things.

The turkey was as expected, though nice and moist. The bacon was cold and on the chewy side, but overall, pretty much what I expected, which was a good thing.

I do appreciate spots like this; located in an office park, they keep all the working folk fed. Plus, I did think that $7.49 for lunch was a bargain for me!

A week or so later; I found myself in the area and decided to drop by for another half sandwich.

Wanting to see how their hot sandwiches were; I went with half of a Reuben ($9.99) which was on the higher end of the half sandwich price scale.

This one was a bit disappointing. First off, the rye bread was not toasted and it quickly became a soggy mess.

Too much Thousand Island which nullified the flavor of the coleslaw and Swiss cheese and sogged things out rather quickly. The pastrami was as expected for this brand, mildly peppery, decently salty, et al….. But not toasting the rye was a no-go for me.

I am glad that I tried Mali’s. If I return; I might even go for a breakfast item….or stick with a basic sandwich.

Mali’s Deli
9265 Sky Park Court Suite #105
San Diego, CA 92123
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm
Closed on weekends

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Galapagos – Urbina Bay (Isabela Island) and Volcanic Eruption on Fernandina Island

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Beer, Ecuador, Galapagos, Travel

After exploring Punta Espinoza and an awesome snorkel session, we headed off to Ubina Bay which is on the largest island of the Galapagos Archipelago, Isabela Island.

We did a smooth wet landing. Apparently; this bay really didn’t exist until 1954, when a tectonic uplift caused the seabed to rise over 16 feet, creating an additional half mile of coastline. We were told to keep our eyes peeled as the largest known land tortoises, the Volcán Alcedo giant tortoise, named after the volcano in the area and some of the largest land iguanas live in the area.

We started seeing the giant tortoises immediately after the trail edged away from the newly formed shoreline.

There was one large empty tortoise shell from one that had died a while back.

And then we started seeing the land iguanas in the scrub.

And yes, they looked very large and well fed.

We ended to walk a bit early and were told that we were going to make a detour for something special.

So, while folks settled in, our Concierge, the wonderful Jocelyn said she had set up something for us and directed us to the a small door. Thru the door was the tiny galley. The couple of days before, both the Missus and I had noted how much we had enjoyed the chimichurri that was served. Jocelyn had apparently been overhearing the Missus and I chatting about our meals during the trip….were we that obvious? Sheesh….

Anyway, we were led into the phone booth sized galley and met the chef. And then he went thru making the chimichurri.

Jocelyn explained that they serve a “smoked” chimichurri…that is, once the chimichurri has been prepped, two hot stones are placed in the sauce to create a deeper, smokier flavor!

Pretty cool, huh? This little “excursion” really gave me an immense respect for what was being served….it all came out of this tiny kitchen!

From here, while the Missus freshened up, I sat on the deck, having some liquid refreshment….

While watching our “escort” to our next destination.

As we got back to Fernandina, it became clear what our destination was going to be…..

No, you can’t see it here….but….

You see what I see?

Yes, La Cumbre Volcano was erupting!

The lava getting to the ocean made for quite a dramatic sight!

Especially as the sun started to set…..

Lest you think this is an everyday occurrence…..even the crew wanted their photos taken. This is Farley and Luiz, two of the amazing bartenders/staff……

As night settled in; the view got even more dramatic.

And for most people; this would be a once in a lifetime view.

I now feel that I’ve been blessed by Madame Pele twice in my life!

And our dinner on this evening was one of our favorites on this cruise!

The grilled prawns were really delish!

That sopa de choclo, was quite good….great corn flavor…..and it gave us a taste of some Ecuadorian cuisine.

That chimichurri we saw them making was presented with dinner on the beef. Though it was the roasted potatoes with a hint of truffle that I enjoyed.

All in all, a fun, eventful day!

Friday Findings – Potato Powder Love Noodle, Di-Chan Thai, and Makai Sushi Closes

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Chinese Restaurants, Poke, Thai Restaurants

Man, there seem to be so many places closing recently….all the rising costs and such. I saw these three in just the last week….

Potato Powder Love Noodle Being Re[;aced by Arbor Sushi & Grill:

It seems that the food court at the 99 Ranch Market in Balboa has become a revolving door. There was Dao Xiang Noodle, which replaced Mama Lin’s, which replaced Saigon 5. Dao Xiang that didn’t last a year and was replaced by Wang La Ya in February. Back in August of last year Potato Powder Love Noodle, another chain with locations in the SGV, replaced the rather long running Shann Xi Magic Kitchen.

Imagine my surprise when I took a peek at the food court and noticed that the place is gone!

Sheesh…another place that didn’t last a year. I only made that one visit and was meaning to return…but I guess not now! I think it’s kind of how things might go with regards to chains?

So, it’ll be interesting to see how a sushi and “grill” does in this space.

5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Makai Sushi Being Replaced by La Rotonde:

Now this one was another surprise which I saw when driving down 5th Avenue.

I know I was really intrigued as to why a fellow from Kauai would open a poke/sushi place here. During my visit the really friendly owner, Matt, who is from Poipu explained that the place kind of found him. I’m guessing that it was perhaps almost a spur of the moment kind of decision? So perhaps I shouldn’t have bee overly surprised at this?

I did a little searching and found that Matt is currently back on Kauai…..hmmm……I’m wondering if he’ll return?

3968 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103

Di-Chan Thai Closes:

Now, both of the previously noted closures were short timers. This one however, is for one of those businesses that has been around seemingly forever. On Tuesday, I went over to Leilani’s Attic to get some “stuffs”. Man, that strip mall….Madison Place has gone thru some major renovations and the businesses looked empty. I did notice that Ma’s House was still open. But Di-Chan Thai seemed closed so I drove on over.

And I quickly saw the sign on the door, “after 25 years we’ll miss you all”.

Whoa….though I’ve never been a huge fan of Di-Chan; I know quite a few folks who enjoyed eating there, so this is kind of a sad one!

5535 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Time’s seem to be hard on businesses right now…..I think I need to head to some of my favorites to give them support!

Galapagos – Punta Espinoza (Fernandina Island)

Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Ecuador, Galapagos

After visiting Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill), having dinner, and our evening briefing we had a wonderful night’s sleep. Our stop the next morning was to be Punta Espinoza (Espinosa Point), on Fernandina Island, the western most and youngest island in the Galapagos. Doing a bit of reading, I realized that Punta Espinoza is the only one visitor area, and the island is uninhabited, which for some reason piqued my interest.

Upon waking and heading to grab a morning coffee, I saw Fernandina Island……

It looked quite lovely.

After a light breakfast…..

We boarded the pangas and did a dry landing on Punta Espinoza.

As we landed on the lava rock…the usual Marine Iguanas were there to greet us.

As I’ve mentioned before, because humans cannot approach the wildlife in the Galapagos, many of the creatures have minimal fear of us. And so, we get to observe, some sometimes “interesting” behaviors…..

Like this Lava Lizard, who seems to be helping this Marine Iguana as a “look out”.

Or these two “best pals”……

Though along with the charming vignettes; there were those scenes of “real” life…..

There’s an active volcano on Fernandina Island (more on that in my next Galapagos post)…..and it’s an interesting walk on the old lava flows. Something that harkened back to our wonderful trips to the Big Island and Volcanoes National Park.

It was interesting to see the plant life that was actually starting to grow on the flows.

Fabrizio, one of the Naturalists, was quick to point out the Flightless Cormorants, which can only be found in the Galapagos, and only on two islands; Fernandina Island and Isabella Island.

They are among the largest of the species and the only that have lost the ability to fly. I actually love their “T pose” which they strike to dry off their feathers.

It was a fun walk…..

And then we were brought to an amazing site on the lava rocks……

Yes, an honest to goodness whale skeleton.

This was supposedly the exact spot where the whale washed ashore and has never been moved!

It was an awesome way to end our walk on Punta Espinoza!

We boarded the pangas and headed back to the Evolve. Lest you think the morning was over….well, it was not!

Next up was some deep water snorkeling. We’d done some snorkeling the day before, but it was nothing like this. It was amazing watching the Marine Iguanas and Sea Turtles in their habitat.

Not paying us any mind…..just going on with their daily life!

You get a totally different view of things from below…..

Digital Camera

Man, it was quite a morning! I was kinda disappointed to have to reboard and have lunch!

But was quite happy to note that we still had the afternoon and evening ahead of us. And it was going to be quite the afternoon!

Phở Gà Go at Crab Hut Mira Mesa

Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

Sometimes I just wait too long to post. Case in point would be Phở Gà Go, which is Crab Hut’s kinda pop-up. I say kinda because it made quite a stir doing just take out back at the end of last year. You’d put your order in online, choosing a pick up time…..between Sunday and Tuesday. On Sundays, the pick up was between noon and 3pm. On Monday and Tuesday from 4pm to 7pm at Crab Hut Mira Mesa. So, not having had decent Pho Ga in San Diego, I was interested and eventually I did place an order. The pick up time for weekdays was a bit of a hassle with regards to traffic and such…but what the heck.

Everything was packed nicely and you just zipped in and picked up your order. Of course I chose the dark meat chicken. The herbs were fresh…there was ngo gai.

The broth was nice and rich, with strong chicken tones……kinda like what your mom would make….if you were born into a Vietnamese Household. Look at the golden color.

Not overly salty, the chicken toothsome, I enjoyed the Banh Pho, which were of the wider variety….it did a better job of getting coated by the rich broth.

It’s definitely the best Pho Ga I can recall getting in San Diego (and no, I don’t care for Cow Cali’s MSG laden version)……which I’d pretty much given up on decades ago.

So, I was going to do a post after doing another take out visit….but I must have taken too long….getting slow in my old age I guess? ;o)

By the time the weather had cooled off, Pho Ga Go was now doing dine in…between 10am and 2pm during weekdays. The time suited me even better, so I decided to grab an early lunch on a Friday. As a bonus, this location of Crab Hut has a patio….so guess who could come along?

The drill is interesting….you walk in and order at the host stand and pay….it’s credit card only right now. The menu is a lot larger than what I recalled online.

And then had a seat on the patio.

As with takeout, the basil, ngo gai, and bean sprouts were quite fresh. It was interesting to note how quiet things were. In fact, one of the security guards driving his buggy drove by and stopped…asking me if they were now open for lunch! I guess he hadn’t noticed?

The Pho Ga came out steaming hot; but looked a bit different.

It was much lighter in color, lacking that yellow tone that I’d had previously. Though it was still nice and rich. In fact, this had nice aromatic/spice tones; anise, clove, coriander, ginger…….even stronger than takeout!

I actually enjoyed it more. Though I did make one mistake….the broth really didn’t need the basil nor lime, which masked a lot of the flavor of the spices to me….I had just wanted to see what the effect would be. Lesson learned; rookie mistake.

Same type of Banh Pho, decent cooked.

Though the noodles seemed to be chopped into shorter strands? Well, no slurping for me, I guess?

This time around; the poultry was a bit more toothsome, but actually had an even stronger savory-chicken flavor.

I found this quite comforting. And I guess I now have a place to get my Pho Ga fix.

I hope they continue making pho ga and perhaps even expand their hours a bit. Especially when winter comes around.

Phở Gà Go at Crab Hut Mira Mesa
8280 Mira Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92126
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 2pm
Closed Weekends

Post 5785 – mmm-yoso Makes 21!

yoso-silly

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day long weekend! I just looked at the calendar and realized that another year has gone by, We’re now 21!

And trying to a do a bit of math, we’ve got 5785 posts over 7670 days (252 months)! Go figure!

And so….now that the blog is of legal drinking age!

Here’s a toast to all of you who have read, commented, and emailed me over the years! Even though I look at our posts as being a food and travel diary, I don’t think we’d still be doing posts if not for all of you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart (and glass)!

Cheers!

And I’ll be back tomorrow with another food post!