Month: August 2026

Galapagos – Charles Darwin Research Station and Fausto Llerena Breeding Center (Puerto Ayora)

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

After lunch and a short break we headed back to Puerto Ayora. This time we were in the town of Puerto Ayora itself. With a population of over 12,500 Puerto Ayora is the most populous town in the Galapagos. Our destination was the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Established in 1959 by the Charles Darwin Foundation, it’s basic function is that of research and conservation.

There are several areas that are open to visitors. We were first led to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, whose purpose is to restore endangered tortoise and land iguana populations. The center collects hatchlings and eggs of the 12 unique species of tortoises, raising them until they can released on their respective islands.

It was quite amazing to see!

There are also adult tortoises that are endangered and are being preserved to keep the species going.

I also got to chat with our guide about Diego. You know that story, right? Back during one of the expeditions in 1934 several tortoises from Española Island were sent to the San Diego Zoo. In the 1960’s, the rather new Galapagos National Park Service from the Charles Darwin Research Station did a survey of the island and found only 14 of this species of tortoises left on the island! The 12 females and 2 males were sent to the Charles Darwin Research Station to start a breeding program. It was then that a male of the species was found at the San Diego Zoo and in 1977 returned to the Galapagos. The rest is history as the breeding program released over 1,800 hatchlings back in Española Island. According to this post by the Galapagos Conservation Trust, genetic testing revealed that the tortoise, now named Diego “fathered almost 60% of all the captive-bred hatchlings”. In 2020 Diego along with the other 14 were returned to Española Island to enjoy their retirement! And according to this Diego is still enjoying his retirement! So there you have it, a San Diego connection!

We were told that over 200,000 tortoises were taken from the Galapagos for food and other purposes.

And then there’s the story of Lonesome George, who was the last of the Pinta Island Tortoises.

Tortoises were taken as food and then goats were introduced to Pinta Island. And by the mid 60’s Pinta Island Tortoises were thought to be extinct. And then in 1971 George was discovered and in 1972 was moved to the Breeding Center. Further expeditions were done and inquiries were made around the world, but no other Pinta Island Tortoises were to be found. Attempts to have George mate with Volcán Wolf giant tortoise which are the closest match genetically to Pinta Island Tortoises failed. And in June of 2012 George died, the last of his kind.

After his death he was sent to the American Museum of Natural History and their team of Taxidermists went to work. He was then on display there until 2017 when we has returned to the Galapagos and the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center where he now resides.

On the panel outside the display are these words: “Whatever happens to this single animal, let him always remind us that the fate of all living things on Earth is in human hands.”

We spent a bit more time checking out the displays and things at the research center.

We then walked back to Puerto Ayora where we did some shopping and explored a bit.

We noticed that folks used cones to mark off where the sea lions were located.

And we headed back to the port at our assigned time for the ferry back to the Evolve.

Back on board we had a nice cocktail hour.

And got to watch the sunset over Puerto Ayora.

Then freshened up before meeting everyone on deck for a lovely farewell cocktail with the crew.

Hard to believe that this was out last evening in the Galapagos!

Bacari (North Park)

Mediterranean Restaurants, Middle Eastern Restaurants/Cuisine

The Missus was having Her hair done in North Park and I was passing time with JJ. We were walking on 30th Street when I noticed the host stand outside what used to be Urban Solace which was a favorite of the Missus.

I recalled hearing of a restaurant with several locations in LA taking over that spot a while back…it just kinda seemed like a hipster-chain so I really didn’t pay much attention. But while waiting for the Missus, I took a look at Bacari North Park on my phone and it was both dog friendly and the patio was covered. They also open at 430 for dinner service….so I figured why not? I made reservations for patio seating and once the Missus was done we walked over for an early dinner.

The patio is nicely covered and JJ was quite comfortable.

It was quite relaxed and empty when we arrived, but the place filled up quickly after 5pm.

The service was quite friendly and the gentleman, who I believe is the manager was super nice and even brought J some water.

We were brought menus, which are just a single sheet, but it’s just crammed with dishes.

All the dishes are designed for sharing and we were told that 2-3 dishes per person is the norm….so we went ahead and placed our orders and the Missus got a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

The first item to arrive was the Salatim ($16.50), a term I actually remembered from when we visited Israel as meaning something along the lines of salad and similar items. This was an interesting array of vegetarian style “dips” which mimic items like pate and muhamarra. The pitas were almost fluffy, seemed so fresh, arriving hot, and were quite good.

My favorite item hands down was the Hazelnut Beet Muhamarra. I really do enjoy traditional Muhamara, the roasted red bell pepper – pomegranite dip…but man, this was so good…it was slightly spicy, tangy, somewhat earthy, with savory tones, and seemed to have a slight butteriness to it. The Tahini Hummus seemed almost ordinary in comparison, but was still good, very rich, not super acidic. The cashew pate was vegan, but still quite savory and nutty. But that Muhamarra was so delici-yoso!

Next up was the Lamb Hummus ($16) which featured ground lamb in what was called a Lebanese Stew placed in some of that nice Hummus.

It came with large crudites….which were kind of unwieldy, the carrots being somewhat past their prime. The lamb stew was quite gamey, nice savoriness, not as spiced as I expected.

The one dish that we really didn’t care for was the Flat Iron Steak ($18), which, while done to a nice medium rare was really tough, lacked seasoning.

Look at the size of those zucchini slices! The bearnaise sauce was creamy, but really lacked that “rich zip” and herbaciousness that I like.

The Missus really enjoyed the Lamb Pistachio Kebab ($17), though I thought the three sauces (kale, tumeric, and beet tahini) were a bit of an overkill.

The texture of the kebab was really good, so tender, while still being slightly gamey. The pistachio added a nice textural contrast and an almost sweet nuttiness to things. Like I said, the Missus really enjoyed this.

We did order a bit too much food for us and had leftovers. Though the lamb kebab in the sauce didn’t heat up well.

We both enjoyed this meal and the Missus wants to return soon. We’ll probably do an early dinner again as the place was getting quite busy and loud as we left. A lot of folks were headed upstairs to the bar. Great service and some delicious dishes. We’ll be back.

Bacari
3823 30th St.
San Diego, CA 92104
Current Hours:
Mon – Wed 430pm – 1030pm
Thursday 430pm – 1230am
Friday 430pm – 1am
Saturday 1030am – 230pm, 4pm – 1am
Sunday 1030am – 230pm, 4pm – 1030pm

Having the Toroniku Hiyashi from Santouka

Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Man, it’s been so hot this year….at least to me. It seems like there’s even less of a marine layer as well. I have to say, I’ve never really craved Hiyashi Chuka much….but for some reason this year…..I just needed something with a bit of an aaahh effect. So, I decided to head on over to Santouka which usually has a version every year…and of course they did.

They’re calling it Toroniku Hiyashi now…even though it’s been on this dish for years…even back in August of 2019 when I last had this here. Back then it was $12.50; these days, the cheapest version with Shoyu Tare is $16.50 for the “medium” size. Still, here I was and there was no going back into the summer heat without some Hiyashi Chuka. I got the shoyu version, medium size. I paid and was given the handy-dandy buzzer thing. And when it went off, I went to pick things up.

First thing I noticed was how much more toppings and garnishes there were from what I’d had before. It now featured corn, “krab”, a lot more eggs and kikurage (wood ear). And those slices of toroniku seemed quite large as well….or perhaps there were less noodles than what I’d had here before?

And since I’m doing this a lot these days – here’s what it looked like in August of 2019.

There was basically little or no strategy this time as I piled all the “stuffs” on.

Then did an initial mix….then added the pungent mustard…a must since the broth while slightly savory is on the milder side. Though this time, it had some nice sour tones, which I found refreshing; though I think a hint of sesame oil would be a big plus. The toppings were quite nice; though I leave the ginger out and use to cleanse my palate between bites. That cucumber, scallions, daikon sprouts were nice and refreshing; the corn added a nice sweet-crunch…the wood ear really added some crunch as well. Though there wasn’t enough tomato to make much of a difference and that fake crab really didn’t bring much to the dish other than an illusion of fancy?

The two slices of toroniku were fairly tender. And were quite large.

The noodles were perfectly cooked, nice and chewy the way I like it. I think it could be that that I preferred the ratio of broth to noodles this time around as well?

I don’t know if I’m getting soft in my old age; but I actually enjoyed it much more than I did when I last had this six years ago. It wasn’t perfect, but it did “hit the spot”.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd.(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

So, please share what you’ve been dining on to beat this heat!

Sunday Sandwiches – Kearny Mesa Deli and a Revisit to The Sandwich Place

Sandwiches

Well, the recent hot weather has me hitting up those sandwich shops again. But this one was quite random as I’d never heard of it before.

Kearny Mesa Deli:

I was cutting thru Ronson Road to Kearny Mesa Road when I saw this sign.

Hmmm……if you’ve been reading our little blog long enough you know that I have a fondness for these business park type sandwich places. They keep the masses fed. I was thinking it might be nice for an early lunch so I went and parked in the one of the complex’s stalls and walked on over.

Like many of these type of shops, it is a bit cramped, with drinks, chips, and breakfast items being offered in addition to sandwiches.

You know what I decided to go with, right? Yes, I’m so predictable…..I got the California Club, which for these times was priced at a reasonable $11.49.

I took sandwich to the table outside. It seemed a bit “light in the wrap” if you know what I mean.

Two slices of Swiss, a nice amount of thinly sliced turkey, bacon, a smear of avocado, a larger smear of mayo, and lettuce on fluffy, mild sourdough. I do prefer my bread at least slightly toasted, but it held up well.

Nothing really stood out and though the bacon was crisp, there just didn’t seem to be enough of it. So, I went and opened up the sandwich.

Well, yes maybe one whole slice of bacon with some crumbs…..

Overall, just an average, by-the-book sandwich, but enough for a light lunch. Convenient and reasonable prices if you work in the area, but not worth a special trip.

Kearny Mesa Deli
8125 Ronson Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 2pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

I thought the prices at Kearny Mesa deli was quite affordable for these days. But it had me wondering about some of the inexpensive little sandwich places I used to visit. And the Sandwich Place came to mind. Even though I only did one post on the shop…like over 12 years ago…I did visit on a fairly consistent basis until our offices moved a few years later. It was the definition of a little mom-and-pop sandwich shop discreetly positioned on Convoy Court.

Revisit to The Sandwich Place:

So, I decided to head on over to grab lunch.

The same really sweet couple still run the shop. And prices, while it used to be under $6….most things are still under $10.

I was just going to order a Clubhouse Special which at $9.85 is now priced in “Banh Mi territory”!

There is one personal, ongoing issue I have here though. I even posted on the results all those years ago. I get distracted by the “Today’s Special” board.

And yep…being so easily distracted, I ended up getting the “Bulgoki” Wrap, which happened to be the most expensive item in the whole shop at $13.65. It truly didn’t hurt my wallet much!

Opening the wrap, well lookee here!

Don’t you look like a darling carne asada burrito? Perhaps I need to name you “El Bulgogi”?

Anyway, the mass produced flour tortilla had been decently heated. And wouldn’t you know, other than the meat there’s avocado, a fairly spicy pico de gallo, shredded lettuce….

Not a whole lot of meat in the middle; there was more at each end of the “boo-rit-to” (부리또) umm wrap.

As expected, the meat wasn’t caramelized as I could hear that microwave pinging in the background while waiting. It could have used more sweetness and some sesame oil. But honestly, what would one realistically expect from this little mom-and-pop shop.

At least this wasn’t bland and was quite filling, mainly due to that wrap. In this case, I had a bit of fun trying this out. Now it’s time to move on.

The Sandwich Place
7112 Convoy Ct
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 6am – 3pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Road Trip – Revisiting Blue Moon Over Avila and Checking Out Some Other Places

Dog Friendly, French Restaurants, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After hitting up some of our favorite places the day before, then spending the night in Solvang we headed up the 101 to a stop that we had enjoyed a few months before; Avila Beach.

On the way up, we stopped in Los Alamos. The Missus had always enjoyed shopping at Los Alamos Gallery.

As there were always things that She never knew She needed!

Los Alamos Gallery
515 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440

Still running a bit early, we made a stop in Pismo Beach, so that the little “crazy guy” could run around on the beach.

With a stick he found of course.

We got to Avila Beach and was able to score an early check in.

And after taking a break, we went to our favorite restaurant in Avila Beach; Blue Moon Over Avila.

Which is open all the way thru from 1130am….so we did a late lunch-early dinner kind of thing. The place is totally dog friendly and we got seats at the rail so we could see what was happening on Front Street.

Since we had a fridge, we ordered more food than we needed.

Like this huge Charcuterie Board.

Nothing fancy mind you; but quite satisfying; I enjoyed that cheese that seemed like Manchego which was nice and milky. We saved a good amount of this to have as an evening snack.

We also got the Beef Bourguignon, which was just as good as on our last visit.

Not overly “winey”, it was quite savory, with the mushrooms adding the perfect earthiness, the lardons saltiness. We saved some of this for later as well.

And I was glad to know that our favorite item from our previous visit; the Croque Monsieur was just as delici-yoso!

That perfectly crisp layer of Gruyere makes this for us. It’s a bit milky-savory, with a hint of what seems like sweetness.

Buttery Bechamel, rosemary ham, and a nice yeasty sourdough completes the set. Man, I wish this place was in San Diego. Totally our favorite Croque Monsieur!

Blue Moon Over Avila
460 Front St.
Avila Beach, CA 93424

Sadly, my favorite stop for a local brew, Locals Taproom was closed because it was a Tuesday, but because it was early in the week; all the kids from SLO and other visitors weren’t around. So it made a nice afternoon; then evening stroll really nice.

Of course we took a walk down the pier with J.

This little town of about 1,600 is quite mellow during days like this. And JJ even met a “cousin”!

We then headed on back to the hotel…relaxed. They had a free wine tasting during the evening which the Missus enjoyed. I had also gone to the little market and got myself a brew to have with the leftover Beef Bourguignon. We enjoyed a nice night of sleep and of course JJ got me up at 430am!

The beach is open to pups before 10am and after 5pm daily. So once the sun was up, we took JJ for some fun on the shore.

And there’s always something “new” to notice!

Our accommodations serves breakfast which is nice. We checked out and then headed back South.

We made a couple of stops on the way to our final destination for the road trip. Since this was in early December, I decided to stop at the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. Which is a well known migration spot for Monarch Butterflies between November and February.

There were a couple of people on the trail…two folks with major camera gear. But unfortunately we saw maybe 4-5 Monarchs.

I read that there’s been a 90% drop in the Monarch Butterfly population in recent years. So sad…..

We took a short stroll around the Meadow Creek area.

Before heading back to the car and our final destination….we were actually taking a bit of a longer route since there was a place I wanted to stop at!

Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!