Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay

We have been to Half Moon Bay a number of times. In previous occasion, we always struggled to find a good place to stop. The parking is expensive and if after you parked you find the place to be too crowded or not ideal, you are out of luck.

During the Memorial Day weekend, our friend YM took us to the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay. You might think it is going to be expensive to even get in and park at the hotel. However, we were surprise, even on a holiday weekend, we were able to find a parking spot at the parking structure, free of charge. All we have to do is to inform the guard that we wanted a coaster access pass, and she immediate gave us a code for the parking garage. She even suggested to us where else we can park if in case we couldn't find a spot in the parking structure.

Beside the free parking, the beaches in front of the Ritz Carlton is gorgeous. Within a few minutes walk, we came to a stair way that leads us down to the beach.

From high above, we get to enjoy the spectacular view just like all the hotel guests. We couldn't even buy an outdoor meal there but we elected not too.

Taste of Tropical

Hidden in the Sunset Area of San Francisco is this small and unattractive looking gelato outlet calle Marco Polo. If it wasn't our friend Jean, we would not have drive all the way to come to this place. I was never a fan of durian ice cream, as I have never tasted any that is made from fresh durian. And when I walked in to the store and decided what to buy, I saw a photo of soursop, asked the store keeper for a sample, and decided I would go with that. My wife picked the Guava and we didn't even bother to taste the durian. But after repeatedly urged by Jean, I decided to give it a try.

If you looked closely at the photo, I have actually tried them all before taking the shot. And they were all wonderful. They are not merely great tasting ice cream, but they brough out the favour of the real things.

The guava taste just like guava juice that was very popular when many years ago in Malaysia. I think it is still one of the more popular drinks now a days.

As for the soursop, I think it's the best way to taste the fruit. The favor is so intense and real, sweet with that pleasant sourness.

And last but not least, the durian gelato is the king. It reminds me of the durian kuih (concentrated durian paste) made by my grandma. You know it's real durian, but it isn't really equivalent to eating real durian. However, it is a whole new experience, and it doesn't make the whole place smelly, nor force you to brush your teeth 10 times before going out to meet other people.

This will no doubt be a must stop for us every time we go in town in the future.