Category Archives: Culture

Ferry Building Farmers Market and the whining and whinging in the background

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On Saturday morning, we decided to take a Waymo out to the Ferry Building for the famous Saturday morning farmers market there. I love that farmers market; it’s likely my very favorite one in all of the U.S. that I’ve visited. As a native San Franciscan, I quietly feel a lot of pride and joy when I walk through the endless fresh produce stalls there. Every time we walk by the stalls, whether they are selling various (all labeled by variety!) heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, strawberries, or peaches, it’s as though the perfume of these fresh fruits and veggies beckon to us. I have yet to visit any farmers market in the U.S. that has such rich fragrance coming from the fresh produce all around. If my parents’ house weren’t as cluttered and dirty, I’d be tempted to buy a bunch of the produce there to prepare simply and eat at home, but I guess that is not to be.

While I enjoyed seeing, sampling, and inhaling all the deliciousness around me, it felt like there was someone whining in the background every time I reveled in a tasty piece of tomato or local Valencia orange. No, it was not my toddler. It was actually my mom, mulling in the background, complaining that this peach or that strawberry was too expensive. Seemingly every stall we visited, she’d remark how expensive something was and how could anyone pay so much for any of this produce. It almost dampened my experience of the market. Unlike her, these people take pride and joy in the produce they grow and sell, and they should be charging what is a reasonable price to make a living and continue to sustain themselves. Not everyone has the luxury to not work and have several paychecks come in every month. But she is so out of touch that she never thinks about this.

My mom said she wanted to come with us to spend time with Kaia. But I think we all know there was no quality time spent together. The one moment I actually stopped to pay for a small basket of sun gold tomatoes, I asked my mom to watch Kaia. That didn’t work out. She held her hand for maybe five seconds, and then Kaia ran off. My mom ended up luring her back with candy, which I explicitly told her not to give. If it’s not one thing, it’s always something else that is going wrong.

A friend of mine, who also has a dysfunctional relationship with her mom, reminded me that our parents will never change who they are, and we’re incapable of changing them. The only thing we should be focused on is making sure we are an improvement from them and try to be better parents to our children than they were to us. Each generation should be “better” than the previous. I hope I am achieving that — I hope.

The evolution of Stonestown Galleria

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When I was growing up, malls were always exciting places with lots of different stores, various foods to eat, and experiences to have. Since I went to Lowell for high school in San Francisco, I was just a couple blocks away from Stonestown Galleria, what was then considered a more modern, chic mall in the city. Back then, it had a Macy’s, a Nordstrom, a number of mid-price-range shops, as well as a movie theater. I oftentimes would go there to get a quick smoothie or dinner during my late nights in the high school journalism room. Other times, I’d just go there and wander the mall with friends to kill time or procrastinate on studying. It was a pleasant, clean, fun place to hang out and just be.

Malls haven’t been doing so well, though, across the U.S. And according to the New York Times, the only ones that are really surviving are the ones that have successfully pivoted into experiential spaces… or become really, really Asian. Stonestown has become far more “Asian” since the last time I visited when Ed was still working at Macy’s. Almost all the restaurants inside are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or some Asian fusion, including Supreme Dumpling, where we ate with my cousins tonight (which had a wait of at least 75 minutes and a huge crowd outside when we left). What was a bit surprising is that they had a fast casual ma la tang restaurant (like individual hot pots) where you choose your proteins, vegetables, noodles, etc., and pay by weight. Then, they cook it all for you and put it in your chosen broth of varying spice/heat levels. The seating was all open, and this place was pretty busy! Even the dessert, snack, and drink places scattered throughout the mall outside the food court are heavily leaning Asian. As soon as you enter from the main front entrance, Onigilly, a Bay Area-based mini-chain of Japanese onigiri (Japanese rice ball) and Japanese snacks greets you. On the first floor, they had WanPo, a fresh bubble tea place from Taichung, Taiwan, as well as Uncle Tetsu, a Japanese jiggly cheesecake I already had familiarity with given that they have a location in both Melbourne and New York already. The food court was unrecognizable to me, as the only place that survived from my high school days was Panda Express (ugh, but it’s still pseudo-Asian, I suppose). They had a Taiwanese night-market-type stand named after the famous Shilin Night Market, a poke bowl stand, and Matcha Cafe Maiko, a matcha/soft serve spot I like, which is originally from Hawaii, but also has a location just around the corner from Kaia’s school in Manhattan Chinatown.

Macy’s and Nordstrom, the two major department stores that made up Stonestown once upon a time, are now a relic of history. Instead, they’ve been replaced by a chain-based fitness center, a bowling alley, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. It was strange to be in there and see all the changes that have happened in the last twenty years. My cousin pointed out to me that Supreme Dumpling, where we were dining and sitting in, had previously been LensCrafters, which I had completely forgotten about. A sushi-boat eatery on the second floor was previously Banana Republic, which I used to browse all the time during high school breaks. But if he didn’t remind me of these places, I would have totally forgotten. I almost felt like I was outdated walking through the mall myself. I like the changes, and given the types of food are at the mall now along with Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, I could even see myself going here more often if I lived in the area. But the whole experience also made me sad to think that Ed wouldn’t recognize the majority of it if he just miraculously came back to life and plopped himself in there. The last time I remember being there when Ed still worked at Macy’s, Trader Joe’s was brand new, the main attraction. And Ed would occasionally go there and buy things. But now, Macy’s no longer exists there… And neither does Ed in this world.

Mosaics across the NYC subway stations – Avenue U at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

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It’s a bit hard to appreciate when you are in the daily grind of commuting to and from work on a tight schedule, but one of the things I love the most about the New York City subway, other than the fact that it runs 24/7 and allows me the privilege of not needing to drive or own a car here, is the gorgeous artwork across many of its stations. To be honest, I’ve really only taken more time to appreciate it once the pandemic hit, and ever since I started working remotely and never went back into an office. I remember thinking about it a bit during one of Chris’s parents’ visits pre-pandemic, when he set them up with a NYC walking tour that had them look at subway art across many stations. Since then, when we transit through stations I go to rarely, I take more time to look at the artwork inside. The subway stations in Manhattan that I’ve always enjoyed include the random brass-colored figurines placed in conspicuous (and semi-hidden!) spots at the 14th Street A/C/E subway station, the hat mosaics at 23rd Street N/R/W, the mosaic portholes of different New York City-specific scenes at 8th Street / NYU / N/R/W, the vibrant blue glass mosaic called “Queens of the Night” at the First Avenue subway station, and the many scenes of Harlem history, music, and people across the many uptown subway stops from 125th Street up to 145th Streets.

Today, we spent the day in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and the subway station from which we exited was Avenue U. As soon as we got out, I noticed the beautiful mosaic flowers that led up to the subway exit. There are multiple pink, red and yellow flowers all made up of glass mosaic pieces, and they are constructed in such a way that they actually look realistic. The flowers appear to be almost climbing up the wall of the subway station. The collection of flower mosaics is called Brooklyn Seeds. After further investigation, it looks like it even won awards for public art back in 2012. You could have fooled me quite easily that it was already 13 years old, as to me, the mosaics were in such pristine condition that I would have thought they were newly put up! This is the free public art across New York City that most people never take the time to appreciate or even notice, but I think it’s a great way to brighten up the stations and make it seem like a fun place to go through.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredients; appreciation for culture

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I’ve never been a pro medicine person. I avoid pain medications for as long as I can possibly stand, which is a bit odd to say because luckily, I rarely have a need for them unless I’m having a god-awful period, or suddenly a headache is coming on. I would much rather do whatever “natural” remedy out there exists. For period pain, if possible, I would use a heat pack on my abdomen. For headaches at night, I would rather just sleep it off or drink more water. But sometimes, the medication is absolutely vital, like when you get pertussis (good ol’ whooping cough!) or a peri-tonsillar abscess (the miserable joy from last November that I would much rather forget ever happened to me). Then, you have to take the damn pills and give in.

I never thought much about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) even though I was given endless tonics, herbal teas, and soups lovingly made by my grandma, mom, and aunt growing up. They always said that at a given time of year (depending on the season), your body needs these herbs or these berries or special ingredients. I generally just smiled and nodded, obediently drinking or consuming whatever they gave me and assuming that it really was all good for my health. It’s not that I ever doubted it; it’s more that I wasn’t sure how much “better off” I was now that I had consumed said soup or tonic. I didn’t start actively thinking about TCM until I got pregnant in 2021 and was carrying my Kaia Pookie. Then suddenly, I was reading about all the benefits of all these Eastern ingredients and assuming that of course, they all must be nourishing and making my baby and me stronger! I wanted whatever natural remedies and herbs were out there to help me recovery more quickly and to potentially help give me a good milk supply!

One of my best friends is about to give birth any hour now. And I told her that I would make some of these TCM herbal teas and soups for her after she came home. So now, I’m once again immersed in all the ingredients. I had to restock a bunch of things I ran out of from my postpartum period, and I went to a herbal shop in Chinatown today with English/Chinese/pinyin notes ready in case I couldn’t find what I wanted and needed help. This was my list:

Red dates (hong zao): High in antioxidants; “heaty,” so good for postpartum recovery and “warming the body”

Dang shen root: Good for restoring “qi” or vital energy; helps combat fatigue and exhaustion; nourishes blood, supports digestion by strengthening spleen and stomach; boosts immunity; like “poor man’s ginseng” because it’s milder but still beneficial

Goji berries (gou qi): Combats fatigue, boosts immune system, high antioxidants

Dried wild yam slices (huai shan): Restores energy and vitality; good for kidney health, can increase milk production, cleanses system after giving birth, helps with hormone balance

Dried longan (gui yuan gan or long yan gan): Improves blood circulation, increases energy and vitality; can increase milk production

Astralagus root (huang qi): Immunity boosting, high in antioxidants, good for kidney function and sleep quality

Dried hawthorn berries (shan zha): Rich in antioxidants, boosts digestion, improves skin health

I suppose it’s true that with age, we start believing more of what our elders taught us when we were young. I guess that may be the reason, along with my general anti-medicine approach, that I’ve started reading more about TCM. In the last two years, I’ve gotten more into making nourishing, homey Chinese soups; it’s made me realize that many times, less actually can be more. And I’ve also read more about what traditional Chinese herbs and ingredients I could incorporate into everyday cooking. It’s not only been fascinating and fun to learn about, but the other way I look at this is that I’m delving into yet another aspect of my (Chinese) culture that I hadn’t previously paid much attention to. No, I won’t be using or suggesting any of these herbs to cure anyone’s cancer or HIV, but I do believe that a lot of these herbs can play a role in everyday health maintenance and wellness, so why not incorporate them? Plus, it’s another way to diversify one’s diet and ensure you’re eating more plants, which is a win for anyone!

New trends, new pizza spots, and a different kind of waiting

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Ceres Pizza opened earlier this year just a couple blocks from Kaia’s school. Every time I’d pass it, I barely even knew what I was passing back in the winter months. It was really quiet, barely had anyone in it. And then suddenly, these crazy long lines started forming, and it became the pizza spot that was showing up on every “best of” list in New York City. A major pizza critic/YouTube influencer gave it a 9.2/10 rating, thus catapulting it into “pizza nirvana.” They used to sell slices, but now given their popularity, you have to commit to a full pie. When I’ve passed it in recent months, there was never NOT a line.

Today, I passed it around lunch time to find that there were at least 20 people in line, along with all the tables fully occupied inside. A person who had already taken her pizza to go told me that she actually only waited about 20 minutes in line before ordering, and her pizza came out pretty quickly. So at around 4pm, I went to Ceres to see if I could get a to-go pizza and bring it home for dinner. When I got up to the front, I got disheartened when I heard the cashier tell the woman in front of me that if she ordered now (4pm), her pizza would not be ready until 8:30!! The woman said that would be too late, and she left. I confirmed that I heard this correctly with the cashier, and she said I did. She suggested that in the future, if I wanted to order pickup for 5pm, I’d need to get in the same single pizza line, place my order and pay by 1-1:30pm, then the pizza would definitely be ready at 5pm. They have no phone line to call, no online ordering system. It almost felt like they were manufacturing demand. Then again, given that the small kitchen is fully open and in view from the front, I guess it wasn’t like they had endless manpower or ovens to get all these pizzas cooked that quickly.

So in this case, there would be two types of waiting to get this pizza: the first wait would be to get the order in by standing in line; the second is that I’d have to come back hours later to pick up the pizza, which would be in a “to-go pizza” queue. This would necessitate being in the area for at least half the day. Granted, since Kaia is in school down there, it would be easy for me to do this on a day I’m working from the co-working space office. But if this were any other situation, it would likely never work! I’ll probably just need to throw the towel in and wait until the hype dies down in six to twelve months, but I’ll continue keeping my eye out since I’m nearby often to see if this hype ends sooner.

Voluntarily singing and learning new Chinese songs

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Ever since Kaia started at her Chinese immersion school for 3K, she has been a lot more receptive to Chinese language and songs. Around Lunar New Year, she was excited to listen to and sing a number of Chinese New Year related songs. In the weeks leading up to the end of the 3K school year, she was constantly singing parts of “Gan Xie Lao Shi” (Thank you, Teacher). When I’d play the song on YouTube for her to listen, she’d always get really excited. Based on playing this a number of times, YouTube suggested a few related songs, like “Mama, Wo Ai Ni” (Mama, I Love You) and “Ting Wo Shuo Xie Xie Ni” (Hear Me Say Thank you), plus a few others. And Kaia’s really gotten into them. We’ve only played them a handful of times, but she’s already getting most of the words correct. I am not a native Mandarin speaker by any means and do not always understand even the basic kids’ songs word for word, especially when they sing very fast. I usually will understand the gist or meaning, but I won’t always get every word or word’s meaning correct. Kaia, on the other hand, had only heard one of the songs just a handful of times, and she was actually able to pronounce even the non-chorus words correctly! It was really sweet and endearing to witness this. I love seeing her embrace Chinese language and culture; I actually feel warm and fuzzy on the inside when I see this happening and just want to squeeze her in my arms.

I don’t know how fluent or literate Kaia will become in Mandarin Chinese; my basic hope is that she will surpass my extremely rudimentary knowledge. But I do hope that this exposure lays a basic foundation for understanding and appreciation of Chinese language and culture.

Bay Ridge food crawl: Yemeni coffee and food, and Brooklyn Baklava

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Yemeni coffee houses have been popping up all over New York City in the last several years. We first learned about Qahwah House in Williamsburg, which has been expanding its footprint in Queens and also now in Manhattan, around the pandemic period. Then, Haraz Coffee House at Spring Street opened in this huge, luxurious corner space in downtown Manhattan. My friend is obsessed with it ever since since we went because she loves that it’s a coffee house that stays open so late. This is actually by design: many of these Yemeni coffee houses are open late as a safe, comfortable place for people to hang out and catch up given that it’s not in Yemeni culture (which is 99 percent Muslim) to go out and drink alcohol. And yes, these are actually places with space, with proper tables and chairs, for you to enjoy your coffee and socialize. Thankfully, they are not just teeny tiny places to grab coffee and go that have zero seats. Yemen is considered the birthplace of coffee, and so it’s been really fun and delicious to enjoy their coffee flavors and traditional brewing methods. The coffee and tea flavors are also adjacent to my favorite Indian chai flavors, as the traditional Yemeni style tea is brewed with milk, sugar, cardamom, and ginger. So it seemed only natural that I was going to like Yemeni coffee houses.

Today, we went out to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, and we tried a new Yemeni cafe called Crafted Cafe, where we got a Yemeni style latte (espresso with ginger and cardamom), a honey whipped iced latte with whipped honey and cream, garnished with Varlhona cocoa), and a nutella croissant (to tide Pookster over since she seemed a bit hangry). The latte tasted exactly like it sounds and really hit the spot; I loved the spice flavors. Chris really enjoyed his honey whipped latte, which was carefully crafted and extremely luxurious in its texture and taste. We ate at a Mexican spot in their backyard, and then we ended our dining-in time with another Yemeni business, a restaurant called Yemenat. There, we had the foule, a rich starter of mashed fava beans with smoked ghee, which came with a huge, Yemeni charred flat bread; the lamb haneeth, or braised lamb shoulder over Hadrani rice, and a Yemeni sundae, which was a cardamom gelato over Abu-Walad crumble, topped with Samna caramel and hawaji almonds. For drinks, we enjoyed the aseer leem, a sweet limeade flavored with mint and milk, plus a pomenegrate juice (mostly to appease Pookster). I always feel like these outer borough restaurant meals we have are always the show-stoppers, the ones where literally every dish and even every drink we have is incredible. Everything we ordered here was delicious and noteworthy. The bread that came with the foule was a huge highlight, but it’s hard to say that was better or even less good versus the Hadrani rice, which had grains all perfectly separated and seasoned; the lamb was fall-apart tender and perfectly seasoned. I was pretty stuffed by the time we left, and we had ample food left over to eat the next few days.

We also stopped by a place we found last year when we came to Bay Ridge called Brooklyn Baklava. I am partial to this business vs. other Middle Eastern pastry shops in the area because they are not only friendly, but generous with samples. As soon as we came in, the woman behind the counter gave Kaia a little coconut bar, on the house! I asked about their sesame cookies, and the employee immediately opened a box of assorted sample cookies for each of us to take one and try. When she saw that I split one with Chris, she said we could take one each, and also insisted that Kaia get a cookie sample (we declined that, though). So I picked up a small box of the sesame cookies, and I couldn’t resist the maamoul cookies stuffed with pistachios I got from last year. “Maamoul” literally means filled” in Arabic, and it’s usually filled with date paste or nuts (usually pistachio or walnut). At Brooklyn Baklava, they are shaped like fat half moons. Maamoul are super delicate, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are little symbols of hospitality and celebration in Arab culture. They are so delicate and buttery that each cookie is wrapped in paper for you to eat, as the creators are mindful that the cookie will literally shatter everywhere and cause a mess if not contained in the tiny paper bag! I forgot how good these cookies were. When we got home, and after my stomach had a few hours to rest and not eat, I decided I had to try one of these maamoul fresh. And as soon as I took one bite, I realized they tasted even better than I remember. They are so buttery and delicate; I got crumbs all over the kitchen counter. And the pistachio was mashed into this thick, delicious paste that was almost chewy, but definitely “not too sweet” and very nutty. The scent was like a mix of pistachio, sugar, and maybe rose or orange blossom? The cookies are not cheap, but they are most definitely worth it.

Bay Ridge is a delicious place. Every time we have one of these Saturday outings, I remember again and again how lucky and privileged I am to live in the diversity and deliciousness of New York City.

Chocolate, cherimoya, and strawberry ice cream for Kaia

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I was rummaging through my pajamas when I came across a pajama top I hadn’t worn in ages. It’s a white muscle tank that has three ice cream cones going across: one brown, one white, and one strawberry. The average person would read this as chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice creams. But, my toddler had opinions of her own regarding what flavors they were.

Kaia loves clothing with food on it (definitely my kid). As soon as she saw me put this top on, she squealed and said it was a new top (well, new for her to see) and got excited that it was three ice cream cones. I asked her what flavor was each. She pointed at them, left to right, and said: “this one (brown) is chocolate. This one (in the middle, white) is cherimoya. And this one (on the right, pink) is strawberry! Ice cream for me!”

I immediately started giggling. She didn’t call the white ice cream “vanilla” as she normally would and instead called it “cherimoya” because we ate a lot of cherimoya during our trip in South America. So now she associates the food color white with cherimoya! It was such a sweet and cute thing to say, and also made me realize she truly was taking in everything we talked about and experienced in South America.

Parenting is not an easy job; it’s likely the hardest job in the world. But little sweet moments like this always make me gush and remind me why I love being a parent to my Kaia Pookie.

Caraguay Market, Ecuadorian chocolate, and lulo ice cream

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Saturday was our last full day in Ecuador and in South America for this trip. It was a bit bittersweet to have the trip come to an end. On our last day, we visited the Caraguay Market, a very local market for fresh food, produce, and food stalls. There, we got a real taste of local blackberries that were a very interesting mix of sweet and tart. They definitely tasted like the un-sugared version of the mora (blackberry) ice cream we enjoyed at La Dulceria La Palma the other day! We also had a really deeply flavored sopa de mariscos from a prepared food vendor stall for just $2. It definitely felt like we could have been the only tourists at that market. The interesting thing about this market versus other markets we’ve visited in South America and around the world is that here, we saw endless vendors selling bags and bags of freshly picked beans. They ranged from fava to what looked like borlotti beans and white beans. I knew they were fresh because I actually saw some vendors freshly picking the beans out of pods! In addition to that, for the very first time I saw hibiscus flowers being sold fresh. Usually when I see them, they are already dried, but here, it was as thought they were freshly plucked! Hibiscus juice or “jamaica” is also very popular down here, though we never had any since we favored coffee or freshly blended juices like maracuya or tomate de arbol.

The last stop we had was at San Fernando Chocolateria in Guayaquil. It was quite touristy since it was right next door to the national chocolate museum, but here, we had a cookie brownie, a hot chocolate, and a scoop of lulo (fruit) ice cream — likely our last taste of lulo this trip. Kaia asked for chocolate, but well, we had to veto her and get lulo. She didn’t seem to mind and kept on wanting more and more bites of the lulo ice cream.

Every time we’ve had chocolate either here or in Peru, I’ve noticed that the chocolate just tastes fruitier. One of our guides told us that the chocolate here tends to be cacao plus sugar, and little else. Occasionally, they will add milk, but there are no other additives. While a lot of other chocolate manufacturers around the world will add “fat” to chocolate from things like various vegetable or palm oils, in Ecuador and Peru, the fat comes purely from the cacao butter, so the actual cacao bean itself.

After doing some further reading about Ecuadorian chocolate specifically, I learned that two different types of Ecuadorian cocoa plants are grown — National (arriba) and the CCN51 hybrid. The National/Arriba beans (“fine aroma”) beans are recognized for their fine floral flavor and fruity aromas. Ecuador produces about 63 percent of all fine Arriba chocolate in the world today. Unfortunately for us, though, Arriba beans only account for less than five percent of the entire world’s cocoa crop. So less people will be able to experience the complex flavors of Arriba cacao beans. CCN51 hybrid is a stronger plant in that it’s more resistant to disease and thus easier to grow. It also produces larger beans. Sadly, though, these beans are supposed to have a less nuanced taste. But they’re cheaper, so they make it easier for more people around the world to taste chocolate.

I should have known that there were a variety of different cacao plants in existence in the same way there are dozens and dozens of different mango, apple, and any other fruit out there. But having learned this and hearing more about chocolate from our guides, I realized that the higher level of fruitiness of the chocolate we were tasting was not just in my head. The flavor of chocolate actually is richer, deeper, and more layered here than I am used to. While I still enjoy milk chocolate I think my tastes are definitely preferring darker chocolates now in search of more flavors and nuance.

Six crabs for $18, iguanas, and my beloved alfajores in Guayaquil, Ecuador

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Guayaquil is an interesting city. It’s the largest city in Ecuador, both by population and size, and is considered the country’s main port and economic capital. From a tourist’s standpoint, it’s also seen as the main access point to get to the Galapagos Islands. While I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived in Quito to see that the traffic was really predictable and orderly, I was shocked how different Quito traffic was to Guayaquil’s. In Guayaquil’s, it seemed as erratic and crazy as in Lima. Cars didn’t always stop at stop signs or red lights. They rarely give way for pedestrians here. It almost felt like we were once again in a different country!

Chris described Guayaquil as feeling “gritty.” He doesn’t mean it as though it’s dirty, but he says it has a different feel to it than Quito. It’s definitely far less manicured and picturesque here. In my own mind, Guayaquil is most definitely not as clean or orderly as Quito. On a lot of the streets, it smelled like an unpleasant mix of excessive bird poop and mildew. But I suppose that adds to the “character” of Guayaquil for those who choose to stop here for a few days.

The biggest highlights to our first full day in Guayaquil yesterday were 1) the cheap crabs (six for $18!) at Mercado del Rio, 2) the iguanas at a park in the middle of the city, and 3) Dulceria La Palma.

After the exorbitantly expensive crab experience I’d had in Hong Kong earlier this year, I really wasn’t ready to pay much money at all for any crabs again. Plus, I dislike cracking crabs by myself and think it should really be a group activity. But when we saw cheap crabs on the menu at Mercado del Rio along the water, Chris insisted that I get them. So it was supposed to be five crabs for $18, and somehow, I got a sixth bonus one! These weren’t anywhere as fresh as the Dungeness crab I had in Hong Kong, but it’s okay since it didn’t feel like robbery like the Hong Kong crab was. I mostly focused on the claws and larger legs and left the rest. Chris and Kaia also had their seafood fix via some freshly grilled fish and seafood stew.

When we got to the Parque Seminario, known for iguanas just hanging out, I was wondering when we’d come across one… and then, suddenly, there were many! And once again, my child never fails to surprise me. Kaia shocked me when she exhibited no fear of the Andean condors outside of Quito just days ago. Then, while at a park in the middle of Guayaquil known for having lots of iguanas today, she was once again unfazed seeing these scaly looking reptiles. She tried to feed and even throw leaves on them and didn’t even look the least bit scared.

Another place we visited that we all loved was Dulceria La Palma. It’s a local institution for coffee, breakfast, snacks, and sweets that originally opened in 1908, but now has several locations. We went to the original location and had coffees, a tomate de arbol (local fruit) juice, two (yes, TWO!) mora (blackberry) ice creams, and sampled a few bite sized pastries. People were constantly streaming in and out for coffee, ice cream, ham and cheese sandwiches, and massive takeout boxes of pastries and cookies. The prices were insanely cheap and most definitely accessible to anyone and everyone. An alfajor for only 36 cents? YES, PLEASE.

For me, the highlight here was finally, finally having alfajores on this South America trip. I originally ordered just two to try, but we ended up ordering two more (and our kind, friendly waiter threw in a third one on the house for us!). The alfajores were small, bite sized, and topped generously with a big sprinkling of powdered sugar. The biscuits shattered on contact as they should given their buttery quality. And the insides were so funny: the bakers who prepared them simply piped on a small dollop of caramel without spreading them. They were probably thinking, “yeah… we don’t have to spread them in this sandwich cookie for you; you get the idea, so go eat it!” These little bites of alfajores really topped off this trip for me.