Esperanza

Our villa was located in the Esperanza Resort complex, touted as the only private beach resort in Cabo. It's an Auberge Resort and rooms at the resort are ridiculously expensive. Take advantage of package deals or rent a villa.

The resort is on the Punta Ballena coastline. There's a nice walking/running trail along the coastline.

In the distance, you can even see Los Arcos, the famous arches of Cabo.

The resort is studded with cacti.

But, it's also quite lush.

There are several pools in the complex. Since we were staying in a villa, we didn't have access to the pools. Who needs them though when we had our own pool?

Adult only pool at the resort was an infinity pool.

Setting up for a wedding on the point. Wonder how much that costs? I guess if you need to ask, you can't afford it.

2019 02 15

Casa Maravillas, Cabo San Lucas

Went for a Girls' Weekend in Cabo San Lucas over Presdients' Day in February.

On the way to our villa, we stopped at Costco and picked up groceries. The Cabo Costco had the same items as can be found in our local Costco. I was disappointed because I was hoping to find some unique items. As we exited, 2 guys came running up to help us push our cart to our van then helped load the van. Of course, they expected a tip.

We rented a 4 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath villa at the Esperanza Resort. Our villa was Casa Maravillas and it had a great ocean view. We could even see whales from the back yard.

We had a private pool and a jacuzzi.

It had a small outdoor dining area.

The back doors opened completely, making it an indoor/outdoor living area.

Living room with seating for 8. The TV had Netflix already installed.

The kitchen was nicely set up. I was surprised there was All-Clad cookware.

The villa had 2 master bedroom suites with king beds and ocean views.

Each bedroom had an attached bathroom, which were huge.

A 3rd bedroom had 2 queen beds and an en-suite bathroom.

The 4th bedroom was located in its own casita. It had a king bed and an en-suite bathroom.

2019 02 15

Dish & Dash

Back in the Bay Area, dinner was at Dish & Dash.

I ordered the Lamb Shawarma Wrap--$15. This was too greasy for my taste. The Baba Ghanouge side that I chose was good though.

2019 01 20

Ximending

We spent our last night in Taipei in Ximending. It's a lively pedestrian neighborhood just southwest of the Taipei Main Station.

From the Taipei Main Station, walk west to the North Gate--one of the original gates into old Taipei.

Soon you'll find the bustling Ximending District. It's especially lively at night.

365 had oyster omelettes.

I liked this better than the one we had in the Ningxia Night Market--NT$65 ($1.85).

We also ordered Tofu with Thousand Year Old Egg.

There was a huge line at Hot Star Chicken. Ironically, it was below a KFC.

Huge patty of breaded chicken, perfectly moist and tender inside with minimal greasiness. This was NT$70 ($2).

Braised Beef Noodle Soup at Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles--NT$220 ($6.30). I liked this much better than Yong Kang. The noodles were chewy and the broth had much more depth of flavor.

We ended with Shaved Snow with 4 Toppings--NT$60 ($1.70). This shop was just closing but they let us order. We were glad they did. The boiled peanuts were so good.

2019 01 20

Foot Massage & Reflexology

There's an abundance of places to get foot massages in Taipei.

We got ours on Hankou Street. I judge the place by how clean it is. NT$499 ($14.30) got you a 50 min foot, shoulder and neck massage, including a foot soak. They do your shoulder and neck massage through your clothes. If you have jeans on, they give you a pair of loose shorts to wear so you don't have to worry about getting your jeans wet.

40 minute foot massage and soak cost NT$399 ($11.45).

2019 01 20

Qingye

Qingye is a restaurant specializing in Taiwanese dishes. It's located on Zongshan North Road, not too far from the Taipei Main Station.

Marinated clams--served cold

Soy Sauce Braised Chicken

Stir-fried Kidney--one of my favorites

Lumpia wrapped with vegetables

Sliced Beef--so tender

Crab with Glutinous Rice. The crabmeat was so sweet.

Springrolls

Deep Fried Intestine

The best pork sparerib soup. This was so rich in flavor and the meat was so tender. Yum!

2019 01 20

Chia Te

Chia Te is one of my favorite bakeries in Taipei. It's located on Nanjing East Road in Songshan.

Judging by the line, it's a favorite for a lot of people. Get here when it opens at 8am. They have a tendency to run out.

Chia Te is famous for pineapple cakes. Some describe this as similar to fig newtons but so much better. The pastry is very flaky and the filling is soft, chewy and delicious. It has a shelf life of 40 days and cost NT$30 ($0.85). They also have a version that has egg yolk inside. This has an even shorter shelf life of 15 days and cost NT$35 ($1)

I personally like the Sun Cakes better. They're flaky and has a slight chew in the center. The shelf life  is 15 days and cost NT$30 ($0.85). I went to Chia Te on my last day in town and unfortunately, they ran out. I was BUMMED!

2019 01 20

Smoothie House

Further down Yong Kang Street, you'll find Smoothie House. You can also find Smoothie House in China, Korea and Singapore.

There's a line here as well.

They're known for shaved snow. Red Bean/Taro with Peanut NT$210 ($6) shaved snow on the left and Mango/Tapioca NT$250 ($7.15) on the right. It comes with Panna Cotta (in the middle). I liked the mango one better.

2019 01 19

Yong Kang Beef Noodle Soup

After our xiao long bao feast, we switched to beef noodle soup. The most famous beef noodle soup is Yong Kang.

Be prepared to wait in line. Fortunately, the line moves fast.

Steamed Spareribs--NT$130 ($3.75). These were good. It's not a big portion. The bottom of the steamer is halfway up the steamer.

Steamed Pig Intestine--NT$130 ($3.75). Good as well.

Small Eats of Fried Tofu and Vegetables.

Boiled Wontons--NT$130 ($3.75). I didn't think these were that good.

Spicy Beef & Tendon Noodle Soup--NT$290 ($8.30) for a large. The beef was very tender and the noodles were good but there was a slight grease layer on top.

Stewed Beef Noodle Soup--NT$270 ($7.75). The clear broth was flavorful but I prefer the spicy broth.

2019 01 19