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Showing posts with the label Santa Cruz

Danaus plexippus then some Gochujang w Bibimbap

A hazy fall day in the bay area courtesy some seriously climactic climate to the north of us.  Left bunch of humans dead is how bad it got with a sudden wildfire burning out of control in a sleepy town north of Sacramento. There was poor air quality advisory prompting many to familiarize themselves with a hitherto unknown short form called AQI as in Air Quality Index in the area where they live.  Ours was showing air quality worse than New Delhi and that is saying something.  New Delhi as in India's capital, has its denizens burning wood and cow dung patties along with garbage as a source of fuel to cook food and bake bricks for construction sites.  Result is an atmosphere with cancer causing particulate abundant in volume so much as to block out the sun from shining through. So we scoped out some pockets of relatively clean air in the bay area and decided to hit the coast of Santa Cruz.  A former mission lends its name to the town that was established in ...

Our last resort

English is indeed a strange language.  Readers are forgiven for thinking I was about to narrate a rather sordid tale describing our predicament and the last ditch efforts we might have undertaken to escape it.  Far from it.  I mean far from it is the real tale.. That of our weekend spent relaxing at a resort in the hills of Santa Cruz last weekend.  Named by Spaniards as the Heavenly Cross (hence Santa Cruz) it is a 250 year old establishment that came to be as the preachers rode up from Mexico into California spreading the word of the lord. Today while tourism is a mainstay it also houses one of the UC campuses and remains a easy weekend trip from the bustle of Silicon Valley to relax by the waters and stroll the many boardwalks or beaches. Bougainvillea accent an archway The Pacific is at the horizon The Venetian - colorful motel by the sea Nice wharf with a view of the town and the ocean Street Art Santa Cruz Breakwater Li...