tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43153296566937721972024-03-19T09:16:17.973+00:00 Berny eats the world...Travel, Food, Drink and Experiences...Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-2710312281149717412021-08-27T16:11:00.002+01:002021-08-27T16:11:42.285+01:00Is it the end of BernyEatsTheWorld?<script src="//s3.amazonaws.com/cashe-js/143e7cdebf193d2764.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDtlABNm9y_XWurWqFhArXTU4Lqqj1o4lUW7DTDyHw4D6NfSfjLKjsXync_0ac67Ywc1DRE6M11LJqlSEsRqAZ05DE_AbVWmhqviMV9p7Xi3EAAJZi39sGkeBVDlVqntRgzsg-6BRqYA/s1070/map.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1070" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDtlABNm9y_XWurWqFhArXTU4Lqqj1o4lUW7DTDyHw4D6NfSfjLKjsXync_0ac67Ywc1DRE6M11LJqlSEsRqAZ05DE_AbVWmhqviMV9p7Xi3EAAJZi39sGkeBVDlVqntRgzsg-6BRqYA/w400-h313/map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>February was the last time I managed to post something! February!? I have been writing this blog for almost 12 years, with my first post written by a recently graduated and ready for the world 21 year old (and seemingly illiterate if you read that first post!). This blogs soul purpose has always been to help me keep track of which National Dishes I have successfully ticked off. The fact that people read it and I made enough money to buy myself a pint every now and then was just a nice bonus. Of course it was not going to last forever, but when would be a good time to stop?!<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLbnIB832qN4KbHcD0UQN-ac7vuhenAvykZI3BGbkYjMysXHigjdizP6kumys0fzkAasBP8u4ezJWOPrUbVL4TDx9H8its-2RTw-bUmysxUh_W9EScXAJ80Xk6giIN80WCsN81RYVOw0/s960/finch.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLbnIB832qN4KbHcD0UQN-ac7vuhenAvykZI3BGbkYjMysXHigjdizP6kumys0fzkAasBP8u4ezJWOPrUbVL4TDx9H8its-2RTw-bUmysxUh_W9EScXAJ80Xk6giIN80WCsN81RYVOw0/s320/finch.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>Since leaving China, several events have brought me to this point in time. A time where I haven't eaten a delicious aeroplane meal or smelt the sweet scent of mozzie repellent for over 2 years. I have been busy though. When we decided to come back to the UK we were absolutely adamant that it would not result in the end of our travels. Covid-19, however, had other plans. 3 lockdowns later, a much more wonderful pause to our travels arrived in March in the form of our baby boy. <p></p><p>What excites me now is to be able to share the world with him soon. Had Covid not been such a pain I am sure he would have experienced his first plane ride by now but instead we have been staycationing it up. I have no doubt that we will soon be back on our travels, but whether I will be writing like I used to is anybody's guess. At the very least I will keep the national dishes checklist up-to-date. At the very best I may write a couple of paragraphs and throw up a few pictures. You never know, I could still be going for another 12 years. Watch this space! </p>Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-42508964257637863402021-02-24T21:00:00.005+00:002021-02-24T21:02:09.532+00:00Korean Fried Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV71DXH5ub-l5Hn0petjzL2N3P5qOcyZNHNclnj0wszOoIpnjKEyzSSwn26A10jeE4iTm2-Vg2mhHQ7fjwsU-6Nf03TUvdnKZ7F_OppNHqKEIicwukj64KtIyewoZ8aNy5bBUm0pJ51lA/s1280/chicken5.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV71DXH5ub-l5Hn0petjzL2N3P5qOcyZNHNclnj0wszOoIpnjKEyzSSwn26A10jeE4iTm2-Vg2mhHQ7fjwsU-6Nf03TUvdnKZ7F_OppNHqKEIicwukj64KtIyewoZ8aNy5bBUm0pJ51lA/s320/chicken5.jpg" /></a></div>I was surprised to see how popular fried chicken was in South Korea but the way they prepare it makes it 100% a South Korean speciality. The star of this show is the sticky, sweet and spicy sauce that is unlike any other sauce that you have tasted. I make the sauce quite regularly even if it is not for fried chicken! Dip your chips in it or whack it into a stir fry; it is possibly my favourite sauce. <div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Main<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 KG Chicken Thighs with bone (chicken wings or thigh fillets work too)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2 tbsp Rice Wine<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 tbsp dark soy sauce <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 tbsp Ginger paste<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">0.5 tsp pepper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 cup corn/potato flour<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Plenty of oil for deep frying<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2 chopped Spring onions<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3mVAh9KofS-wOE5WwKPzQfeBgCpuoUVPAJQ-4bRHjWqFiHzNkpUA9XOydnKRRlrFuiQJcuGD6jir-_dVoEg91fDTcHaICuqqbE6Y4nDulsvAn5qFS-BX2O5iKorIBPtueHrtvqUPwZA/s1280/chicken2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3mVAh9KofS-wOE5WwKPzQfeBgCpuoUVPAJQ-4bRHjWqFiHzNkpUA9XOydnKRRlrFuiQJcuGD6jir-_dVoEg91fDTcHaICuqqbE6Y4nDulsvAn5qFS-BX2O5iKorIBPtueHrtvqUPwZA/s320/chicken2.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Sauce<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">¼ cup Ketchup<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">¼ cup Honey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">¼ cup Brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2 tbsp GoChuJang Chilli Paste (from your local Oriental Supermarket - No Substitutions!!)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2 tbsp dark Soy Sauce<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2 tbsp garlic paste<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1 tbsp Sesame Oil<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Method:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Sauce can be made ahead of time. Simple as putting it all into a saucepan and bringing to a simmer for 10 minutes. GoChuJang is a special Korean fermented chilli paste and is what gives the very unique flavour. Your lock Oriental Supermarket will definitely have it as it is such a key ingredient in South Korean cuisine. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffMbqIT41JVOGNLqilrVexGUbrN1KcBvr9agYRe17mmkKlnCeQVd-k5nhdpqhguh9jgLB0OCQJrXMFHbAziMb3dzFHVDDrhRpmh0Igw8q8E3PxoGBhS3BhKc8dDcupjFdODbkgbhZ-UM/s1280/chicken1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffMbqIT41JVOGNLqilrVexGUbrN1KcBvr9agYRe17mmkKlnCeQVd-k5nhdpqhguh9jgLB0OCQJrXMFHbAziMb3dzFHVDDrhRpmh0Igw8q8E3PxoGBhS3BhKc8dDcupjFdODbkgbhZ-UM/w240-h320/chicken1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Slice thighs in to two pieces close to the bone so you have
boneless and bone pieces.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Marinade chicken pieces in the rice wine, ginger paste, salt and
pepper for an hour and then d</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">redge the chicken pieces in corn flour. Keep the skins on!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Separate the bone and boneless pieces as they will cook at different times. Fry the bone chicken for around 5 minutes and set aside. Fry the boneless </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">pieces</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> for around 3-4 minutes. Make sure not to </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">overcrowd</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> the pan.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcNWuPeST4esGb3q_RSp9garEIkqmIyz7f5wSdAlXVCJIfxxDxyAYj5uPYc4VimoL9FOv952YM-K4lCvsy2gtr5w4hFU5ZumZteVhWxxqCRk1vxmcjgcbw6GsjwlkrloSTHRlseHY4po/s1280/chicken4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcNWuPeST4esGb3q_RSp9garEIkqmIyz7f5wSdAlXVCJIfxxDxyAYj5uPYc4VimoL9FOv952YM-K4lCvsy2gtr5w4hFU5ZumZteVhWxxqCRk1vxmcjgcbw6GsjwlkrloSTHRlseHY4po/w240-h320/chicken4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The chicken may look a little anaemic still but don't worry. It will go in for a <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">second</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> fry! Put the bone chicken back in the oil and fry until nicely golden and crispy. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes. Place the fried chicken on kitchen roll whilst you finish frying the rest of the chicken.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Warm the sauce up and once all the chicken is fried place it in a large bowl and pour over the sauce. Toss the chicken in the sauce, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onion and serve </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">immediately</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">For a vegan (and much healthier) alternative, roast a load of </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">cauliflower</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> florets until a little charred and crisp and stir fry it into the sauce (<i>picture below</i>)! </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2U2VTssWK393Aux8EV4xGIzLh633Ag8aNJwLhmKxjWcKdWnE6s-PnCguT7hbYvUA6XQRUkzDnSJps_oFNS7w-3WQx6KsWgshfP4UWTMlG30ojQGUpIBTNec5-HyXLCnqv4-vZ4KFC7I/s1280/cauliflower1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2U2VTssWK393Aux8EV4xGIzLh633Ag8aNJwLhmKxjWcKdWnE6s-PnCguT7hbYvUA6XQRUkzDnSJps_oFNS7w-3WQx6KsWgshfP4UWTMlG30ojQGUpIBTNec5-HyXLCnqv4-vZ4KFC7I/s320/cauliflower1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br /></div>Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-45611830822663170822020-07-09T23:12:00.001+01:002020-07-09T23:12:29.720+01:00Braised Pork on Rice - Lu Rou Fan (卤肉饭)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8nQEstgYPh18BQxFRItDxKXTBo58uqNwRGRO-v6KGuqMtvavET7NTzDQ9fGvwAIvxERM-1gzu4IgHdTMbO_IIYedQECBRY-IkJKEM-eS-jZ21NJi4LRVFEXraRRBrO6vrJbrG2DjawA/s1600/lu+rou+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8nQEstgYPh18BQxFRItDxKXTBo58uqNwRGRO-v6KGuqMtvavET7NTzDQ9fGvwAIvxERM-1gzu4IgHdTMbO_IIYedQECBRY-IkJKEM-eS-jZ21NJi4LRVFEXraRRBrO6vrJbrG2DjawA/s320/lu+rou+fan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It may not be a National Dish but this is the ultimate comfort food and distinctly Taiwanese. I first ate this in Taipei in a restaurant that cooked it up in big vats that were simmering away all day. People queue out of the door where they are handed a little slip of paper and pencil to tick which sides they want with their steaming bowl of savoury pork. It is traditionally cooked and served with whole boiled eggs but a gentleman next to me in the queue convinced me that a runny fried egg was the way to go. The mix of salty belly pork, rice and silky egg yolk is just incredible and so my Lu Rou Fan is not cooked with boiled eggs. You can boil and peel some eggs and add them at stage 7 if you wish. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXXryT-B2y4n54VoYG9SWkDIRyjwLAFOtEC9EU8tYcQfm9rfg9kgw8crl9IKc6cuiOW0ane1mgkn5ysp98y4jHlBmGB9gAKr1PQZKySWMW5DnAbKFW0zQZgwvXjqPTNv6Fsqiw1MJJ_E/s1600/lu+rou+fan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1176" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXXryT-B2y4n54VoYG9SWkDIRyjwLAFOtEC9EU8tYcQfm9rfg9kgw8crl9IKc6cuiOW0ane1mgkn5ysp98y4jHlBmGB9gAKr1PQZKySWMW5DnAbKFW0zQZgwvXjqPTNv6Fsqiw1MJJ_E/s320/lu+rou+fan1.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
You really can't substitute belly pork for a leaner cut and you definitely can't swap out Shiitake Mushrooms for any other kind of mushroom. In Chinese, Shiitake mushroom directly translates as "Fragrant Mushroom" and is where the main scent of the dish comes from.<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u> (Serves 2-3)</b><br />
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<b>The Bulk</b><br />
1 Onion (diced)<br />
500g Belly Pork<br />
1 Pack of Shiitake Mushrooms (usually around 125g)<br />
3 Cloves of Garlic (bashed)<br />
3 Slices of fresh Ginger<br />
1 Egg per person<br />
Handful of fresh Chive<br />
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<b>The Sauce</b><br />
4 tbs Shaoxing Wine<br />
3 tbs Dark Soy Sauce<br />
2 tbs Light Soy Sauce<br />
3 tsp Brown Sugar<br />
2 Cups of Water<br />
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<b>The Spices</b><br />
2 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns<br />
0.5 tsp Black Peppercorns<br />
3 Star Anise<br />
2 Sticks of Cinnamon<br />
6 Cloves<br />
3 Bay Leaves<br />
<br />
Oil for frying<br />
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<b><u>Method:</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
1) When using belly pork the Chinese always like to blanch the meat in boiling water to "remove impurities". I don't know if this actually does anything but I tend to follow suit - it makes the dicing much easier either way. Boil the meat for a few minutes and then dice into cm lardons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_Nw5bAiOhSVe17H5E1Gx5mt4Z4D-u3_5AuY0h6OGsmiothEKCoQ8sR4HsA1BHbfrlofsqIn_6qYWpkyQl6-fB6DBMVO6tI4BWiYQ8fuYE4kdIL1DuPgAYIMp-gOOv7LXOkGQ7X4z5Lc/s1600/lu+rou+fan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_Nw5bAiOhSVe17H5E1Gx5mt4Z4D-u3_5AuY0h6OGsmiothEKCoQ8sR4HsA1BHbfrlofsqIn_6qYWpkyQl6-fB6DBMVO6tI4BWiYQ8fuYE4kdIL1DuPgAYIMp-gOOv7LXOkGQ7X4z5Lc/s320/lu+rou+fan2.jpg" width="320" /></a>2) Add a tablespoon of oil to a heavy bottom pan and fry the Sichuan Peppercorns, Black Peppercorns and Cloves. Once fragrant, remove these spices from the oil and tie up in a cheese cloth - I find that my tea leaf infuser ball does the trick. Ultimately these are the spices that nobody really wants to bite into, but are essential to flavour the dish. Set this aside for later.<br />
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3) Add the rest of the spice ingredients to the oil and fry until fragrant once more. Add the diced onion and fry for a few minutes.<br />
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4) Dice your Shiitake mushrooms and add to the pot. Once everything has had time to fry for a few minutes add the diced pork belly.<br />
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5) De-glaze the pan with the Shaoxing wine before adding the two soy sauces and the sugar. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the water.<br />
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6) Reintroduce the spices you fished out earlier in the cheese cloth and cover. Simmer on low for 2 hours stirring occasionally. <br />
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7) Remove the lid and crank the heat up to thicken the sauce (if needed!) to a consistency that will both sit on top of the rice and also slowly sink through it - In other words, you don't want a watery sauce!<br />
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8) Serve over plain boiled rice. Fry an egg and place it on top. Drizzle some sauce from the pan over the egg and then sprinkle generously with freshly chopped chives.<br />
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Any simple steamed green will go on the side quite easily. Bok Choi is probably the vegetable of choice but broccoli or french beans work just as well.<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-75461053856977005522020-06-07T17:46:00.001+01:002020-06-07T17:56:21.408+01:00Ras Malai Ice Cream (Cardamom Ice Cream)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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At the risk of sounding completely up myself, my favourite ice cream is the one that I make. It is a recipe that I came up completely by myself and after a few trials, it tastes exactly how I intended - like the Indian dessert called Ras Malai.<br />
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Now it's no secret, Indians don't do dessert very well. Starters, mains, sundries - All incredible. Dessert - Not so much, how is it possible that every single dessert in a country's cuisine tastes exactly the same as each other?! That said, there is one hidden gem in there that doesn't instantly give you cavities. Ras Malai consists of a kind of curdled cheese bathing in the most floral, fragrant, sweet milk you have ever tasted. I know what you're thinking - Curdled cheese in a dessert?! I'm thinking that too, but it was not the cheese that I had in mind when I set out to make this ice cream recipe, it was the incredible, sweet, cardamom milk. Get ready for your new favourite flavour of ice cream.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
20g Peeled Pistachios<br />
<br />
20g Cashew nuts<br />
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30g Almonds<br />
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10 cardamom pods<br />
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400ml Full-Fat Milk<br />
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300ml Double Cream<br />
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200ml Sweetened Condensed Milk<br />
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3 Egg Yolks<br />
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3 tbs White Sugar<br />
<br />
0.25 tsp Salt<br />
<br />
15g Butter<br />
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5 Threads of Saffron (optional)<br />
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<b>Method: </b><br />
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1) Roughly chop the nuts and toast them in a dry pan for a couple of minutes.<br />
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2) Peel the 10 cardamom pods and collect the seeds. Grind the seeds to a powder in a pestle and mortar.<br />
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3) Add the butter and ground cardamom to the pan with the toasted nuts.<br />
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4) Cook on low for a few minutes before adding the milk, cream and condensed milk. <br />
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5) Simmer and stir for 15 minutes. Do not allow to boil.<br />
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6) Put the 3 egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and whisk to a paste.<br />
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7) Pour the milk mixture through a sieve and set aside to cool down a little.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoUzRvK24W9J1Y8WTwnbfnK6yxHdCmQMH3xLDzdYthtC6VLFGQA6Kx-jpnEoLMqW4lnZx_qTY7wNeIHMkYLcaEvd6KgfaDJG3ENLv3GLnuBJpLpmQDd6cIKgfx9rRXJcSEqw4jP3Pyh4/s1600/ice+cream+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoUzRvK24W9J1Y8WTwnbfnK6yxHdCmQMH3xLDzdYthtC6VLFGQA6Kx-jpnEoLMqW4lnZx_qTY7wNeIHMkYLcaEvd6KgfaDJG3ENLv3GLnuBJpLpmQDd6cIKgfx9rRXJcSEqw4jP3Pyh4/s320/ice+cream+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>8) Pick out about half the nuts from the sieve and set aside. Now I choose to peel the nuts at this point but it is probably unnecessary and takes forever.<br />
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9) Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolk bowl and whisk continuously. Transfer to a pan and bring back to the heat. Stir continuously until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Add the peeled nuts.<br />
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10) Transfer the mixture to your ice cream container and put in the fridge.<br />
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11) Once cool, put the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the usual instructions.<br />
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12) Enjoy now and thank me later. </div>
Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-9628186620497067312020-05-13T22:08:00.001+01:002020-05-14T10:05:40.417+01:00Hotel RRR Biryani<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0aa_MhJ7b9ZsSj2654-6MwmHYX0hQC0tSAELof7tafYfvhRNiFsfL2mbGu_3I0z8UrgWEoTwM5UGM7kwEUv79mlapGMERq_c7uoLnMSN3REVjKdZ695MUpSgytbju5ovmYAJC1SoGyE/s1600/rrr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0aa_MhJ7b9ZsSj2654-6MwmHYX0hQC0tSAELof7tafYfvhRNiFsfL2mbGu_3I0z8UrgWEoTwM5UGM7kwEUv79mlapGMERq_c7uoLnMSN3REVjKdZ695MUpSgytbju5ovmYAJC1SoGyE/s400/rrr.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel RRR - Mysore</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy7_6CnhbwbKHig35OKpzBVRbeDVTLIiJp03nF9kUyoF-j-O6As9PoDBNaRExtOIEhGHkXgl6AM_Z3g0o2om5pwv2l_q4uY5EaqjfvzVQvT-bMYMxDgTjFQVVLRYCfTVCK-cdNtbzIxQ/s1600/biryani3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy7_6CnhbwbKHig35OKpzBVRbeDVTLIiJp03nF9kUyoF-j-O6As9PoDBNaRExtOIEhGHkXgl6AM_Z3g0o2om5pwv2l_q4uY5EaqjfvzVQvT-bMYMxDgTjFQVVLRYCfTVCK-cdNtbzIxQ/s200/biryani3.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I never realised the delicacy of a proper Biryani until </span><a href="http://bernyeatstheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/south-india-easter-2011.html"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">my trip to India</span></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">. Firstly, I learnt that it is not a side dish! I think that I had only ever eaten it as a fancy add on instead of rice, but truth be told I don't think it ever really was proper biryani. At Hotel RRR in Mysore they served nothing but biryani and a few side dishes, alternating chicken and lamb each day. It was carried in giant bags on the waiter's shoulders and poured directly onto your table (lined with banana leaves) for you all to tuck in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It is not simply rice and curry mixed together. It is a lengthy process that takes dedication and a good spice rack. For this reason, most restaurants in England will make it completely incorrectly to save time, which results in a dish nowhere near as satisfying. Like microwaving a jacket potato instead of baking it slowly; it makes ALL the difference. Each individual grain of rice should be oozing with the most amazing fragrance made up from all the whole spices that have helped steam them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Choose your cooking vessel carefully. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It needs to be big enough to fit everything in and be able to go in the oven. It also needs a tight fitting lid so the perfumed steam doesn't escape and so cooks the rice. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">Some people use chapatti dough to seal the lid properly but foil works too. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">I find that my cast iron casserole dish works perfectly. It can be made on the stove but I have learnt the hard way that this method has a greater chance of burning the bottom before the rice on top is cooked. So here are your 10 steps in making the perfect biryani. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><u>Ingredients:</u> (Serves 6)</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1Kg of lamb shoulder or chicken pieces (Keep the bone on and avoid breast meat)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">6 Onions (sliced)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1-5 green finger chillies halved (you decide the heat)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">4 Star Anise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 big sticks of Cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">8 Cloves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 Teaspoons of Cumin seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5 Black Cardamom Pods</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">8 Green Cardamom Pods</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">10 Whole Black Peppercorns </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5 Whole Dried Kashmiri Chillies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5 large Bay Leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 tsp Curry Leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 tsp ginger paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 tsp garlic paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">3 tsp ground cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2 tsp ground coriander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1 tsp ground turmeric</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1/2 cup plain yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">3 cups rice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1 cup chopped fresh coriander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1/4 cup butter (or ghee)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Salt to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Plenty of oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Optional:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1 large potato quartered and parboiled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">4 boiled and peeled eggs (common with chicken biryani) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1/2 cup Cashew nuts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Couple pinches of Saffron (or cheat with a c</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">ouple of drops of red food colouring mixed with 2 tablespoons of water.)</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Method:</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">1. Dry rub the meat with the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and some salt. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Wash and leave the rice to soak in water. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Set both aside for an hour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">2. Start frying four of the sliced onions in a separate pan with a bit of salt to help caramelise them. These dark caramelised onions will be sprinkled on top of the biryani and will take a long time to get to the colour they need. So start now and hopefully they will be done when you are ready for them. Once they are almost done, add the cashew nuts to brown slightly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">3. Add half a cup of oil in the pot that you plan to make your biryani in. Throw in 2 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, all the cumin seeds, 3 black cardamom, 4 green cardamom, 5 peppercorns, 3 chillies and 3 bay leaves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">4. Fry until fragrant and then add the two remaining sliced onions and the split green chillies. There should be enough oil in the pan to fry everything properly rather than steam/boil them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">5. Fry the meat in a separate pan until brown and transfer to the main cooking pot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">6. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Give it 5 minutes and then add the yogurt (put the parboiled potatoes and/or eggs in at this point too). Cook it through until the oil separates and the meat is soft. We shouldn't have too much liquid so cook down until the sauce is thick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">7. In another pot add the remaining whole spices plus the curry leaves. Fill with water and bring to the boil. Add salt (or a chicken stock cube!) and add the rice. Only half cook the rice so it is still a little hard before draining. Keep a cup and half of this drained </span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;">fragrant</span><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, monospace;"> rice water for later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">8. Now it is time to construct! Remove half of the meat mix from the biryani dish. Layer half of the rice over the remaining meat in the pot. Sprinkle with a few leaves of saffron (or your food colouring!) and add the rest of the meat mix layering it evenly. Top with the rest of the rice and sprinkle over the remaining saffron. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3tJARhF32pP_dMGzc1WW10POF0hAnKHFtuoIXgPy2jAi16tz_zmcXH0pAR_WCqFUk53rGrSdqzpcKzXHPX75EaRL2cu-8uPy0n8P3atibcXoYHSC7HnLGSTy0RA_XBVgUJHLa-vnnnA/s1600/biryani2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3tJARhF32pP_dMGzc1WW10POF0hAnKHFtuoIXgPy2jAi16tz_zmcXH0pAR_WCqFUk53rGrSdqzpcKzXHPX75EaRL2cu-8uPy0n8P3atibcXoYHSC7HnLGSTy0RA_XBVgUJHLa-vnnnA/s320/biryani2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">9. Top it all off with the caramelised fried onions(and cashews) and the chopped fresh coriander. Place cubes of butter on top and pour in a cup and a half of the saved rice water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">10. Finally bake for 40-50 minutes on gas mark 4. Test a few grains of rice; if still a little raw, add half a cup of water and put it back in the oven. Rice on the edge of the pot may be crunchy but that's fine - it all adds to the overall texture of the dish! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">And that's it! Your whole house smells like an indian restaurant and your hair is greasy with a fried onion stench but it will all be worth it. It is a lot of work and so only really worth it when making a lot of it! In hotel RRR a biryani is served with a basic vegetable sambar or <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/sandeeps-best-onion-raita.html">onion Raita</a> with sides of salty pickles, deep fried crispy chillies, a couple of lime wedges and raw sliced onions. Don't make the mistake of serving a heavy curry with it; the biryani is the star of the show and doesn't share the limelight well. Enjoy!</span></div>
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-51670994196471686422020-04-09T11:21:00.001+01:002020-04-28T08:31:40.111+01:00ChongQing Noodles (重庆面)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Having lived in Beijing for 5 years I have learnt what Chinese food is really supposed to taste like. It's not fluorescent sweet and sour chicken balls or boiled ribs drenched in BBQ sauce. Not once did I see any of that! A lot of my favourite dishes come from the Sichuan Province and this dish was our go to at least once a week.<br />
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You will struggle to cook real Chinese food without a trip to your local Chinese supermarket. My cupboard is always stocked with the Chinese staples of Sesame Oil, Dark Soy Sauce, Chinese ChinKiang Vinegar, ShaoXing Wine and Chinese Dried Chillies. They last a long time and essential for all Chinese cooking. The Chinese Chilli is mild and flavoursome and you could easily find 20+ chillies in a standard Sichuan dish.<br />
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Another essential is MSG which for absolutely no reason has a bad rep. There are hundreds of scientific articles on how bad salt is for you and literally zero on MSG, but we all happily still use salt. If you want to make good Chinese food, you will need MSG.<br />
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<b>Ingredients: (Serves 2)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>200 grams Dan Dan Noodles. It has taken a few trials to work out the correct noodles. Look for the chinese characters 担担面.<br />
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10 dried Chinese chillies (these and only these!)</div>
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2 tsp Sichuan Peppercorns<br />
0.5 tsp Black Peppercorns<br />
1 tbs ShaoXing Wine</div>
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4 tbs ground pork (I know, who buys pork mince in such small portions?! I have found that the meat from sausages also works brilliantly and they come perfectly pre-portioned! One sausage each.)</div>
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2 tsp Sesame Seeds</div>
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4 spring onions<br />
0.5 cup chopped fresh Coriander<br />
4 tbs cooked Soya Beans (optional)</div>
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Salt<br />
Oil</div>
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<b>Per bowl:</b></div>
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1 tsp Sesame Oil</div>
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1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce<br />
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce</div>
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1 tbs Chinese Vinegar</div>
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1 tbs ShaoXing Wine</div>
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1 tsp MSG</div>
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0.25 tsp crushed raw garlic</div>
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0.5 tsp Sichuan "Toban" paste</div>
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0.5 tsp Chinese Chilli Oil.</div>
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJLBQxrSXDBgHUCoB2pFPWltZu_6Qn1EBsgmlppgYT2PCufNV5FIaxdGNAM_Kcssk0W84MkR_Hzqmy4h6Nfd86FJGfhQpBOCPAByZqBdtnwK01GVSTOUbvRA9IOgZAN8Clv2Ab_pBtqY/s1600/ChongQing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJLBQxrSXDBgHUCoB2pFPWltZu_6Qn1EBsgmlppgYT2PCufNV5FIaxdGNAM_Kcssk0W84MkR_Hzqmy4h6Nfd86FJGfhQpBOCPAByZqBdtnwK01GVSTOUbvRA9IOgZAN8Clv2Ab_pBtqY/s200/ChongQing1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Put all the "bowl" ingredients into the individual bowls that you will be serving the meal in. Give it a good mix and set them aside.<br />
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Grind the 10 chillies, Sichuan Peppercorns and Black Peppercorns into a course powder.<br />
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In a tablespoon of oil, fry the pork for a minute and then add the ground spices. Continue to fry until pork and spices are thoroughly cooked and almost crispy. Add the sesame seeds to the pan, stir and deglaze with a splash of ShaoXing wine. Turn off the heat.<br />
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Boil the noodles as instructed on the packet. Place half in each bowl plus half a cup of the noodle water. This noodle water is vital!<br />
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Top with the fried pork. Sprinkle with a healthy amount of chopped spring onions and coriander. Put 2 tablespoons of soya beans on the side.<br />
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Serve with the instruction to mix it all together before eating.<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-45871613960135532802020-03-15T16:08:00.000+00:002020-03-15T16:08:29.483+00:00Nana's 6 onion Chicken Pathia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnfAiYn1uHzUifZJAaysyZlhr0Wk8OKfe24L7zx09gIMFz2c6hzFBnS5HBrKrZEmCkr2T99clpDdljkaW5-Y-IZUn-27LczFCwgsq3SkPmZ449jtoN_GMU7Eq-g56OdIkUbJbe4PQeCo/s1600/Chicken+Pathia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnfAiYn1uHzUifZJAaysyZlhr0Wk8OKfe24L7zx09gIMFz2c6hzFBnS5HBrKrZEmCkr2T99clpDdljkaW5-Y-IZUn-27LczFCwgsq3SkPmZ449jtoN_GMU7Eq-g56OdIkUbJbe4PQeCo/s400/Chicken+Pathia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
My Nana was born in Mangalore in India, got married young and moved to Kenya, leaving everything that she knew behind. She had 6 children and a husband who's ambition was to get his family to the "Promised Lands" of the United Kingdom. She has always been a brilliant cook but with over 60 years away from India her recipes have evolved and now at the ripe age of 85 there are just a few tried and tested recipes that remain. I spent a day cooking one of her favourites with her a few weeks back and after a few attempts to remake it this is her extra special Chicken Curry. It follows no recipe that I know, but, tastes like the most incredible chicken Pathia you have ever eaten. Like that classic hot, sweet, and sour you get from a British Indian restaurant's Chicken Pathia but homemade with a fraction of the sugar and oil used.<br />
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u></b><br />
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<b>The bulk</b><br />
6 Onions<br />
2 Peppers<br />
1-5 Green Chillies (Depending how hot you like it - this dish is meant to pack a punch)<br />
6 Chicken thighs (I prefer on the bone but fillets work just as well)<br />
5 Garlic Cloves<br />
1 inch piece of Ginger<br />
1/4 cup of cooking oil (maybe more - I never actually measured)<br />
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<b>The Sauce</b><br />
2 tbs Tomato Puree<br />
1 tbs Tamarind Paste<br />
2 tbs Brown Sugar (or Jaggery if you have it!)<br />
Chicken stock cube<br />
Juice of one lime<br />
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<b>The Spices</b><br />
3 tsp Curry Powder (I use Madras hot curry powder)<br />
1-2 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder (Kashimiri is for colour and flavour. Not heat)<br />
1 tsp Turmeric Powder<br />
1 tsp Coriander Powder<br />
2 tsp Cumin Powder<br />
1 Cinnamon Stick<br />
1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper<br />
Salt to taste.<br />
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<b><u>Method:</u></b><br />
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1. Find someone to peel and dice the 6 onions for you. Blend one of them with the ginger and garlic and set aside. Dice the peppers, chunky chop the chillies - big enough for somebody to pick them out if they choose to.<br />
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2. Mix all the sauce ingredients and set aside.<br />
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3. In your biggest pot, add the oil and fry the cinnamon stick for a minute. Add the chopped onions. It will take time to fry this many onions properly but make sure that the onions are caramelising. Add half a teaspoon of salt to help.<br />
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4. Add all the spices. At this point you might need to add more oil if the pan gets dry. Spices need to <b>fry</b> in oil so don't be afraid of it. You are never going to add as much as your local takeaway does. Fry for 5 minutes.<br />
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5. Add the diced peppers and fry. Add the blended onion/ginger/garlic mix and fry thoroughly. The main sweetness of this dish comes from this fried onion. Steamed onion does not taste the same. You should have a nice shine to the gravy.<br />
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6. Add the sauce mix and simmer for a few minutes. Add the raw chicken and cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes. Keep covered for the first 15 minutes. If the sauce is looking thin then remove the lid to allow it to thicken. If it is drying out just add water.<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-40706389702058794772020-01-19T20:46:00.001+00:002020-01-20T19:53:15.554+00:00Real Goan Pork Vindaloo <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Like most curries in a British Indian Restaurant, the Vindaloo has lost pretty much all resemblance to it's original, traditional form and has become the generic "extra hot" dish with it's 3 chilly symbols. It is correct that a Vindaloo is jam packed with chillies, but somewhere lost in translation was the fact that the chillies specifically used in a Vindaloo are the much milder kashmiri chilly that packs little heat but a ton of flavour and colour. The overriding taste of a good Vindaloo should most definitely be chilly but that does not equate to overbearing heat. After chilly, the second most important flavour must be vinegar; this brings the spices together providing a fragrant that instantly takes me back to Goa. When I say that this dish tastes better the next day, I really mean that this dish should only ever be eaten the day after it has been prepared. Allowing time for that vinegar to slightly pickle the meat is key to this Vindaloo and you will see for yourself that the difference in flavour is staggering! If you don't like pork or fatty meat; move on, this dish is not for you. There is no real substitute for what the belly fat brings to the dish. If you really want you could substitute half the pork belly for pork shoulder. I have used chicken thigh before and it is still tasty, just not a spot on how good the pork version is. I have Goan roots and still have family living in Goa which makes me very proud to share with you my Goan Vindaloo.<br />
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<b>Ingredients: (Serves 5-6)</b><br />
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1 Kg of pork belly (rind removed and cut in chunky cubes)<br />
15 whole dried Kashmiri Chillies<br />
3 tsp whole cumin seeds<br />
1 tsp whole peppercorns<br />
7 black cloves<br />
3 black cardamom pods<br />
1 cinnamon stick<br />
1 tsp tumeric<br />
80ml apple cider vinegar<br />
3 onions<br />
6 cloves of garlic<br />
1 inch of ginger<br />
4 tsp tamarind pulp (tamarind pastes come in different concentrations so be careful with this - add it to taste at the end if you need to)<br />
2 tsp brown sugar<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Oil<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Toast the chillies, cumin seeds, peppercorns and cloves in a dry pan until fragrant and then grind into a coarse powder either using a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar.<br />
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Blend the garlic and ginger into a paste.<br />
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Combine half the vinegar with half the ginger/garlic paste and half the freshly ground spices.<br />
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Marinade the pork with this mix (overnight is best but a couple of hours will do).<br />
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Dice 2 onions and blend the other 1.<br />
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In a hot pan add enough oil to cover the base and put in the cinnamon stick and the black cardamom. Fry until fragrant.<br />
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Add the diced onion and fry until soft. Then add the remaining freshly ground spices. Add more oil if the spices have made the pan dry - a fair amount of oil is needed to properly fry all ingredients.<br />
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Add remaining ginger/garlic paste and blended onion. Fry thoroughly until oil bubbles through holes in the sauce. Stir often to stop it from burning.<br />
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Add sugar, tamarind pulp and remaining vinegar.<br />
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In a separate pan brown the marinaded pork and then transfer into main curry pan.<br />
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Simmer for 1 hour allowing the curry to thicken. The picture on the left was taken as soon as the meat was added. A slow simmer with the lid off brought it to the consistency shown in the picture at the top of this post. I prefer using my cast iron pot and putting it in the oven.<br />
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Once the curry has cooled down put it in the fridge ready to enjoy the next day. Trust me, it is worth the wait!<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-37029249650545733182019-12-18T12:52:00.000+00:002020-01-05T13:16:45.307+00:00Barbados - Autumn 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Sun, Sea, Sand and Straight Rum</b></span><br />
<b>Sunday, 3 November</b><br />
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This is my first post as a married man! A lot has happened since ChengDu and none of it has involved any kind of travelling. In the last 4 months we have upped and moved our life in China back to the UK; started new jobs; got married and bought a house (almost!). My travels haven't halted, but, I'm sure may have slowed down somewhat. So here I am in Barbados... on my honeymoon!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixY3NfYSZbzMnR-zkGmk2PaXjbYs-M5PS6u06Avcg0n25Eb6s0Qw-5lWqN_YZO0HjvYvfiU35gVb5VXGO6dCJhaNF_Qmoyo6IuGhwCXsLu6lzpT5iAl_n-ZBvjcrL6arYtbggHqPS1c48/s1600/South+Gap+Hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixY3NfYSZbzMnR-zkGmk2PaXjbYs-M5PS6u06Avcg0n25Eb6s0Qw-5lWqN_YZO0HjvYvfiU35gVb5VXGO6dCJhaNF_Qmoyo6IuGhwCXsLu6lzpT5iAl_n-ZBvjcrL6arYtbggHqPS1c48/s320/South+Gap+Hotel.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0kJyR_VB9IRVQEf8wtu_Vv6xBk5uK49agHwppVXCu1AsU3T87-fSC2QnUfQHsSinJEs73fULgeYkQX7KqE6OR0qO_QPQuwuFT8N-b8FrwLaJgXiRSod2221GrfOmhMmWS0Z_ALlbnls/s1600/becky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="681" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0kJyR_VB9IRVQEf8wtu_Vv6xBk5uK49agHwppVXCu1AsU3T87-fSC2QnUfQHsSinJEs73fULgeYkQX7KqE6OR0qO_QPQuwuFT8N-b8FrwLaJgXiRSod2221GrfOmhMmWS0Z_ALlbnls/s200/becky.jpg" width="170" /></a>I can't think of a better reception to a country than the one we got in Barbados. The second we got off the plane we were each handed a rum punch! We hadn't even collected our bags yet and we were sampling our first Caribbean rum. Our second rum punch was an hour later by our hotel pool overlooking the stunning aqua waters of Barbados.<br />
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Our hotel is on the South Coast in a place called "The Saint Laurence Gap" which seems to be the bar and restaurant scene of Barbados. A popular tourist spot and where young Bajans go to party, but, not necessarily the best place to find cheap, local food. Our first meal was at a restaurant near our hotel and set us back a good £60. We're no longer rich international teachers anymore so a £60 dinner hurt a little! Our first full day was mostly spent lying down either on the beach by the sea or on a sun lounger by the pool (which is also by the sea) as we let our first term teaching back in England stresses thaw out under the Caribbean sun. We had a great lunch at a much more local feeling part of the South coast called <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1183186-d6418614-Reviews-Sand_Dollar_Cafe-Dover_Christ_Church_Parish_Barbados.html">Sand Dollar</a> where beers cost £1.50 and a chicken curry roti with a side of macaroni pie for not much more. This is more like it! We liked it so much that after happy hour cocktails back at our hotel we headed straight back there for dinner. We ate fried dolphin (not flipper - as is written on all the menus!) which I now know is just what the Bajans call Mahi-Mahi. It's a delicious meaty fish that can be eaten guilt free knowing that it is not an actual dolphin. We finished our evening around the back of Sand Dollar cafe where the locals were gathered singing some real old-school karaoke, playing dominoes and drinking straight rum out of plastic cups. A perfect first day on the island.<br />
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With the restful day out of the way we had at least one activity organised for each day thereafter. Monday was food tour day in Bridgetown. We caught a "Reggae bus" into town which was an experience in itself but super easy and cheap. These are bashed and dented mini vans that do not look official at all, blasting out rap music and pulling over at no noticeable bus stops. We thought it would be difficult to flag it down but they essentially stopped in the middle of the road, shouted "Bridgetown!?" to us and then told us to hurry up and get in. I'm not going to lie, the potential of getting kidnapped did cross my mind! <a href="https://www.lickrishfoodtours.com/">Lickrish Food Tours</a> is different to your standard city food tour as this has a whole lot of history thrown in too. In fact, I would call it a historical walking tour of the city with local food stops, which is great if you know that that is what you are getting. We skipped breakfast and the first food stop was a good 45 minutes into the tour after some fascinating history about our meeting point - Independence Square - and even then it was a very small bowl of soup! I sound like I am complaining, and I am a little bit, but the talks throughout the tour were actually very interesting and an important part of the tour. I was just hungry for the majority of the tour and whenever food was there it was more of a gesture of food than something you can really chow down on. Part of the issue here was the fact that the food was so incredibly tasty and moreish that 3 mouthfuls was just not enough! My favourite dish was the BBQ pig tails which sounds and looks disgusting (it looks like a turd!!) but my god did they taste good! Sweet, sticky and fatty it was served with a bit of sweet potato and I could have eaten 5. This was at a very local feeling diner called <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g147263-d7785263-Reviews-Tim_s_Restaurant-Bridgetown_Saint_Michael_Parish_Barbados.html">Tim's Restaurant</a> where everything on the menu looked deliciously comforting. We would not have found this restaurant by ourselves and so a big reason why it is always worth doing a local food tour. Another restaurant called <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g147263-d2445129-Reviews-Mustor_s_Restaurant-Bridgetown_Saint_Michael_Parish_Barbados.html">Mustor's</a> ticked the same boxes and is where we ate half a child's portion of beef stew and experienced a horribly bitter, but weirdly addictive drink called Mauby; a very old traditional drink made out of the bark of a Mauby tree.<br />
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The National Dish of Barbados is in a bit of a crisis at the moment in that the main ingredient, the usually massively abundant flying fish, have swum away! They are all in Trinidadian waters at the moment and the Bajan's are not allowed to fish there. The one time I come to Barbados they have run out of their National Dish!? Luckily, our food tour guide told us that though it is true the fisherman have not been landing any flying fish, some hotels still have reserves in the freezer. Our hotel just happened to be one of them and so I successfully managed to tick off "Cou Cou and Flying Fish" for dinner that evening. Not fresh out the sea Flying Fish but a tick nonetheless. Flying Fish is like a milder mackerel and Cou Cou is your standard African cornmeal mush like pap. I have had this mush under a number of different names (one of which is actually called "mush"!) in a number of different countries. If you want a word that describes it best then that word is sustenance. That single word describes everything about it - its flavour, its texture and its smell. Sustenance.<br />
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Tuesday was our surfing day with Barry's surf school. This is my third attempt at learning to surf after a brief try in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2012/07/newquay-england-summer-2012.html">Cornwall</a> and a 2 day course in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2017/02/lombok-indonesia-spring-2017.html">Lombok</a>. Has it got any easier? No! It's the single most knackering activity I have ever done. The disappointment of failing to stand up after spending what feels like the very last of your fat reserves to paddle into the starting position still hurts. Successfully standing up and then falling onto a pile of rocks also hurts. We had a lot of fun and definitely stood up way more than last time but we made zero use of the "free full day surf board rental for every 2 hour lesson" deal. With bruised ribs we gave the boards back with a smile and had some chill time back at the hotel before grabbing a Reggae bus to The Boardwalk in Hastings. We hit the boardwalk just in time for sunset and had a few slightly overpriced cocktails. It is a stunning walk at sunset, but, more importantly is walking distance from "Just Grillin" where they make the most amazing grilled island ribs.<br />
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The two most expensive tours we booked were the "Sunset Boat trip" and the "Mount Gay evening tasting". We booked our catamaran through <a href="https://www.coolrunningsbarbados.com/">Cool Runnings</a> on recommendation from our hotel and we enjoyed two snorkelling trips, a decent buffet and an open rum bar! Our first snorkel was with a well placed turtle which I am sure most animal lovers would hate. I felt a little sad for it but it did seem happy to follow our guide around to be fed and it is always awesome to swim alongside a turtle! The <a href="https://www.mountgayrum.com/tour-mount-gay/">Mount Gay Rum</a> experience was sadly nowhere near the actual distillery but this did not dampen our mood. With the amount of rum we drank, nothing was going to dampen the mood! I don't think I have ever sipped or downed a straight shot of rum even in my uni days and I was very surprised how warming and satisfying it felt. Like a good scotch, some rums are best drunk uncontaminated. After tasting a lot of rum we were given a cocktail making challenge where we were given all the rums that we had tasted along with a whole load of ingredients that would have kept even the keenest mixologist happy. We made a jerk inspired cocktail with muddled sweet pepper, scotch bonnet and thyme which went down surprisingly well! Both tours were pricey and if we didn't have the excuse of "It's our honeymoon!" we probably would not have done them and missed out on some pretty unique, fun experiences.<br />
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We hired a car for the last couple of days and this gave us the freedom to see much more of the island. Driving felt safe and easy as we headed to the very north to visit "Animal Flower Cave" which was closed for the day due to the enormous Atlantic Ocean waves. This did not disappoint us as just sitting on the cliff's edge watching these immense waves was exhilarating enough and worth the trip in itself! From here we drove to Farley National Park which is possibly the smallest National Park that I have ever visited. That would not have been worth the trip on its own but combining it with a mini tour of the North made it OK. There is a view which is alright as far as views go and there is a very run down building which has a cool dystopian feel to it but is completely fenced off. Continuing our mini tour we drove down to Bathsheba for lunch to marvel at the unique rock formations on the beach before heading back to the hotel.<br />
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For our final full day in Barbados, having done our little north of the island driving tour, we did the middle of the island driving tour. It's a small island, you really could do it all in one day but it's nice to take our time. First stop, a food shack that has been recommended to us on 3 separate occasions as a place that sells the best "fish cutter" on the island - <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g147263-d3453434-Reviews-Cuz_s_Fish_Stand-Bridgetown_Saint_Michael_Parish_Barbados.html">Cuz's Fish Stand</a>. A cutter is anything served in a salt bread bun which itself is uniquely Bajan. Fry some fresh fish on the beach with a few spices and salad and put it in a freshly baked that day salt bread bun is never not going to taste great. I love a food place that only sells one thing and this is one of those gems! After our breakfast on the beach we drove up to <a href="https://harrisonscave.com/">Harrison's Cave</a> for a tram tour of possibly the biggest cave I have ever been in. The second gem of the day, however, was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1310451-d13992562-Reviews-Celestine_s-Saint_Thomas_Parish_Barbados.html">Celestine's</a> restaurant which was walking distance from Harrison's Cave car park. If you want real home cooked food prepared by an old Bajan grandma then this is the place to eat it. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">Nothing fancy, just solid comforting Bajan food served by the most beautifully welcoming owner. We both enjoyed our meals very much and washed them down with very tasty fresh juices. It </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">deserves to be much more popular than it is so if you are going to Hunt's garden or Harrison's cave then you most definitely need to visit. We had a nice little nature walk along <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1310451-d148503-Reviews-Welchman_Hall_Gully-Saint_Thomas_Parish_Barbados.html">Welchman Hall Gully</a> before driving to a beautiful, secret, slightly hidden away tiny beach called sharks hole. It's not that secret. Google it and you'll find it! There was a local couple having a romantic time until we completely ruined it for them... but then they left and we had it all to ourselves. It's our honeymoon!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">Our final evening in Barbados ends at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1183194-d1771793-Reviews-Oistin_s_Friday_Night_Fish_Fry-Oistins_Christ_Church_Parish_Barbados.html">Oistin's Friday Fish Fry</a> where half of Barbados go to socialise and eat fresh grilled seafood and other fantastic BBQ affair. Some more grilled pig tails caught my eye but after a full plate of grilled snapper and island sides I just couldn't bring myself to queue for a pig tail on a full stomach. We arrived early and so managed to be seated pretty quickly at "<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1183194-d3972674-Reviews-Chillin_Grillin-Oistins_Christ_Church_Parish_Barbados.html">Chillin and Grillin</a>" but it got pretty crowded pretty quickly. We watched some break dancing kids on stage, browsed through the many craft markets and bought a bag of "Legendary Hot Fish Cakes" for the ride home. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4a4a4a;">Barbados was the ideal honeymoon for us as it had the perfect balance of romance, chill and activity to fill out a week. Every tourist we met were there for their second or third time - it was one guys 16th time - which shows what kind of of place Barbados is. Somewhere you instantly feel welcomed when you arrive and instantly feel missed when you leave. Friday night Oistin's Fish Fry was the perfect end to our time in Barbados and I am sure I'll be back soon!</span></span><br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-71134726985426276852019-08-14T10:23:00.000+01:002019-08-14T11:01:45.579+01:00Sichuan, China - Summer 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Schezwan Shredded Beef</b></span></div>
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<b>Sunday, 9 June</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTEvblmeIw5QSb2aG2btHNDpiZgJKS2NzoW7xzlDPZqX5dgZ2gNkAMz2gVSCjZKfsWKo3w6Sc-pAgpO800qVt4umrlkZoZCewzVdcpGV_5knjuuS6CV15dNjr2MVedeasXVxcV04Ra2g/s1600/fried+chilli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTEvblmeIw5QSb2aG2btHNDpiZgJKS2NzoW7xzlDPZqX5dgZ2gNkAMz2gVSCjZKfsWKo3w6Sc-pAgpO800qVt4umrlkZoZCewzVdcpGV_5knjuuS6CV15dNjr2MVedeasXVxcV04Ra2g/s320/fried+chilli.jpg" width="320" /></a>Before coming to China, Schezwan (or Sichuan as I now know it) was the word that meant "spicy" on a Chinese Take-Away menu. Though so much of the British Chinese menu is incredibly inaccurate to actual Chinese cuisine the association of the word Schezwan and chili could not be more accurate. "Schezwan shredded beef" was a favourite of mine growing up but you would probably not be surprised to hear that I did not find a single shredded beef dish in my time here. When I say that a typical dish in Sichuan would have around 30 chillies in it that is no exaggeration. If anything it is an under estimation. In fact, some dishes are nothing but chili (<i>right</i> - a bar snack of stuffed fried chillies). I am in Chengdu on my own and I intend to push my bowels to the limits! </div>
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I left the Pandas at around lunch time which was the perfect time to head to Jinli Street, better known as "Snack Street" - My new favour street in China. Not only does this street have a massive range of Chinese delicacies it is also stunningly beautiful. It is filled with bright red lanterns, overhanging trees, old (looking) wooden buildings and the odd water feature here and there. Although I was wary that I was booked onto an evening food tour I really could not help myself buying a new snack the second I finished my previous one. I started quite heavy with a paper cup filled with a variety of skewers dipped in a deep red, numbing chili oil. It is known as boboji(钵钵鸡) and is utterly addictive. There have been reports of this kind of chili oil having opiates in them which definitely explains why you can't get enough of it's fiery goodness. In total I ate 5 different snacks of which the most fascinating one had to be the rabbit heads. Spicy rabbit's head is a very popular snack here so I had to give it a go. Perched on a littler wooden bench by a stream I began my attempt at munching every tiny morsel on little Thumper's skull - without making a mess. It really was not easy and after breaking poor Peter's jaw open and scraping the brain out with it's own bottom teeth I couldn't help but feel a little bit psycho. With 30 minutes gone, hands covered in brain and beard drenched in chili oil it was time to move on to Roger... I knew I shouldn't have bought two.<br />
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From Snack Street I cycled, using a public bike, to the People's Park (人民公园 - ren min gong yuan). Chengdu is filled with beautifully maintained parks and the People's Park is the largest one. The Teahouse culture here is a revelation as I happily sat there reading a book and people watching for a good hour or so. The Teahouse in the People's Park is over 100 years old and they serve a flask of hot water and a cup of whatever tea leaves you ask for. I hadn't quite mastered the art of sipping the tea without getting a mouth full of leaves but sitting in the shade of a tree and overlooking a tranquil koi pond it really was the perfect spot to relax. It was full of Chinese people sitting and chatting but with a gentle hum of a busy library; a million miles away from how it would be in Beijing. Another popular thing to do here whilst sipping your tea is getting your ears cleaned which I was a little nervous about but thoroughly enjoyed it. Followed by a mini massage I could have stayed there all day. One cup of tea leaves can make up to 7 cups of tea and so I topped up my tea until I finished the flask of water - the only reason I left the tea house was because I needed to pee. Also, I could not pass on the opportunity of feeding the Koi Carp using a baby bottle attached to the end of a stick. The best 10rmb I ever spent!<br />
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Still quite a bit full from my 5 snacks earlier, it was time to head onto my food tour with Lost Plate. I have used Lost Plate in Beijing and knew that I was in for a real treat. Lost Plate specialise in visiting proper authentic local food stops using rickshaws as the mode of transport. What makes it extra special here in ChengDu is that rickshaws have been banned in the city except for the very few disabled drivers in which the ban would have meant having an extremely low chance of being able to support their families. Our guide was called Bo and he handed us a cold beer on arrival. What better way to spend an evening?!<br />
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Our first stop was a famous street vendor who has been making this particular kind of pancake for decades. The vending cart that he used to lug around and sell on the streets back when it was allowed now makes the counter at the front of his hole in the wall shop. With a reminder from our guide that "don't feel like you have to finish it as we have 4 more meals to come" followed by "there are three very popular fillings, which one would you like?" I was put in a very difficult position. I went for the spicy, sticky pork filling and devoured it in seconds. It would have been rude of me to just stand and watch the others who chose to eat their's in a much more reserved fashion so I figured that I would ask for one more. Noticing my keenness the guide brought me two more - one spicy green bean and one shredded potato with another reminder of "don't worry about eating them all it's just for you to try". The spicy green beans were slightly pickled and crunchy and the shredded potato was savoury against the slightly sweet pancake. I finished both. "Oh and they do a slightly less traditional filling of peanut butter and chocolate if anyone wants to try?" Bo happily informed us. No but I will have another sticky pork if you're buying another round! I ate four pancakes and cemented a strong impression on the group. Bo explained the concept of "Fly Restaurants" which tend to be family run restaurants in what look like family homes. They are known as fly restaurants as these hard to find spots in residential blocks do not advertise their whereabouts, but simple word of mouth spreads so quickly people flock like flies to these hidden restaurants. We queued outside one such restaurant that was famous for their Chao Shou (抄手) Dumplings and sat in what was definitely once a bedroom and sampled all five kinds of dumplings that they made. We then exited through the living room window that had stairs on the other side onto the street. My favourite stop was probably the noodle restaurant where I got to stuff my face with all the famous noodles of Sichuan. Dan Dan Mian (担担面) is probably the most famous but Tian Shui Mian (甜水面) or "sweet water noodles" stole the show for me. Don't get me wrong, every noodle dish we ate was utterly scrumptious and I would have licked every bowl clean had I not been in public, but the Tian Shui Mian was different in taste and texture with thick chewy noodles in a fiery but sweet sauce.<br />
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After yesterday's busy day on 4 hours sleep it was a joyous moment when I heard that if I wanted to visit the giant budha without 4 hours of queuing I'd better catch the 7am train to Leshan. Factoring in getting to the station and buying a ticket in plenty of time meant a 5:30am wake up. I almost considered just taking the 4 hour queue and having a lie in but deep down I knew what a mistake that would be. I got there early and still queued for a good 2 hours. As I was leaving the park the mildly fiendish side of me cracked a smile at the queue that had grew at least 4 times the size. You can see the Giant Buddha from the top of it's head without any queuing at all but the view from the bottom was completely worth the wait. Maybe not the 5-6 hour queue midday but I certainly took my time at the bottom marvelling at the world's largest Buddha. I didn't hang around for too long afterwards as there seems to be very little to do in Leshan outside of Giant Buddha based activities. I could have taken a boat to get another perspective from the river but that was another queue I didn't fancy tackling. Instead I managed to find the one remaining noodle dish on my list just outside the park before catching the train back to Chengdu. These slippery noodles are made out of mung bean and drenched in the standard Sichuan spicy, nutty, garlicky and sour sauce. Utterly impossible to eat without slurping which luckily in China, much like burping and farting, is not rude at all.<br />
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Back in Chengdu for my final evening I decided that I couldn't leave without eating a hotpot. Hotpot really isn't something you do by yourself but in the end I decided that on a good day I can eat for 2 or 3 people so figured what the hell i'll treat myself! Another bonus is that my spice tolerance has grown to "Te la - 特辣" which stands for especially spicy or the hottest they go which I probably couldn't go for if I was sharing the pot. I absolutely love hotpot and everything that comes with it - it's a full on experience every time. First you select your cold items that you want to put in you bubbling pot, then you mix up you sauce bowl from the massive selection of sauces, spices and garnishes. Sesame paste is your standard but if you are doing it properly like a local "成都人" you need to empty a full can of sesame oil into your bowl too. I took my time and endured an hour of sweating and, though I may not have looked like I was enjoying it, I really would do it all again. Hotpot is the ultimate example of the Mala (麻辣) effect that will make a masochist out of anyone; it hurts so bad but for some reason you can't help yourself but wanting more. It was the spiciest meal I have ever eaten and I left having eaten 3 peoples worth of food. My stomach wasn't uncomfortable but I could definitely feel the warmth of a small internal fire brewing. Did I spend a disastrous evening on the loo? No! Did it play havoc on my early morning flight? Surprisingly not. In fact I had absolutely no ill feeling whatsoever. Some of the best food I have eaten in China has been in the last two days. Sichuan food is everywhere in Beijing and people will literally queue for hours to get their mala kick. It's not for everyone though and if you don't like your spicy food then I really don't know what you would do for food here. I however loved every last bit! :o)<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-47758731343492997652019-06-04T14:23:00.001+01:002019-06-11T13:28:29.267+01:00Thailand, Chiang Mai - Spring 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Captain Carp</b></span><br />
<b>Sunday, 7 April</b><br />
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Who is this Captain Carp and why is everybody talking about him?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijItnb0hKSb0Z8Tq8Gd2uQDmDw0Mv870HGH-E0oZ4UHlGqT9OLaqBkWp6ghqbyxHRnGXEJBLRqJ0ZHTET4jn_xp4P4CpJROqFkuI-qNpb0x_6A-SDap1byPmMNp4I1C2FgYEJ8xZyK6wc/s1600/wat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijItnb0hKSb0Z8Tq8Gd2uQDmDw0Mv870HGH-E0oZ4UHlGqT9OLaqBkWp6ghqbyxHRnGXEJBLRqJ0ZHTET4jn_xp4P4CpJROqFkuI-qNpb0x_6A-SDap1byPmMNp4I1C2FgYEJ8xZyK6wc/s320/wat.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are few countries that I have chosen to holiday in twice, but having only seen the <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2014/05/thailand-spring-2014.html">beaches and small islands of Thailand</a> I feel like I was missing out on true Thai culture. Flight tickets to Chiang Mai were also really cheap... an amazing AirBnB with a swimming pool split 6 ways was pretty cheap too!<br />
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It was just the 3 of us boys for the first 2 days and so we tried to minimise our activities to things that the girls would probably not want to do or things that we would happily do again. Full body Thai massage anyone? Twice? The first one was at Lily's Massage on our first day to help us ease into our holiday. The second one was in a woman's prison... actually, full on inside the prison bars! It being a prison we weren't allowed to take anything inside but we managed to snap this shot of us looking like prisoners before we went in. Given that a Thai massage can often feel like getting beaten up at the best of times we were not surprisingly nervous about getting the same treatment from prisoners. There was no need to be nervous; they were all super friendly and the massage was awesome. It really was a great experience and we left feeling like we were supporting a worthy cause.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhapDLJUp9-WPhNE81B-E32m7rem7OeTBPYT7rUrm2-S-Wad1tjOyoYpWS7zmWQp45a8E3kx3IGBp-q3rCvfA0KfrWXYfl9kmrY5HpIWmbwuROqdf6I1kenue9SZ5QHdNU4GhyRU6kLM/s1600/walking+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhapDLJUp9-WPhNE81B-E32m7rem7OeTBPYT7rUrm2-S-Wad1tjOyoYpWS7zmWQp45a8E3kx3IGBp-q3rCvfA0KfrWXYfl9kmrY5HpIWmbwuROqdf6I1kenue9SZ5QHdNU4GhyRU6kLM/s320/walking+street.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIANijLygbdRjusZRbxue4XAeq55V-9SjToW-zd6bphhIr7BId2a9SlkzPsH_vowH9M5P4Hx-ch_9FZfC0codWp8VeAtREydmuTkhbEBcEIgUP-FyDnBPFTYlKaz8SQwrOq9uOMHMPH0/s1600/Somtam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIANijLygbdRjusZRbxue4XAeq55V-9SjToW-zd6bphhIr7BId2a9SlkzPsH_vowH9M5P4Hx-ch_9FZfC0codWp8VeAtREydmuTkhbEBcEIgUP-FyDnBPFTYlKaz8SQwrOq9uOMHMPH0/s320/Somtam.jpg" width="320" /></a>We got the early plane mainly because we wanted to see the Walking Street Market which only opens on a Sunday evening. It is an enormous market that covers several streets selling all sorts of food and nik-naks. If we limited the market to have zero repeated stalls then it would probably fit on one street but where's the fun in that? The "flash mob" of when everyone stood still for the National flag to come down was interesting. My first proper Thai meal here was what I would call my favourite salad in the entire world with <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2015/11/myanmar-burma-autumn-2015.html">Myanmar's Green Tea Salad</a> coming a close second. Som Tam is fresh raw papaya that is shredded and mixed with raw green beans and maybe a few bits of carrot and tomato here and there. Most importantly is the raw garlic and however many fresh chilli's you are willing to brave. The chilli and garlic are pounded in a wooden mortar with ingredients methodically added every few bashes. Nowhere will you find a more perfect balance of salt, sweet, hot and sour. The market doesn't break the mould of your standard Asian night market but it's an interesting thing to do for an evening. I bought nothing but food which suited me just fine.<br />
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The trick to a proper chill-out holiday is planning 1 activity a day and having the rest of the day taken up by waking up late, sleeping on a flamingo lilo in the pool, massages and maybe even some gaming on the Switch that we brought with us. No matter what, the day must finish with a nice meal and somewhere we can have a drink outside. The brain knows that if you have a beer in hand and your outside then you must be on holiday. Monday's activity was Prison massage and evening beer was on the Walking Street market - though I must point out that drinking whilst walking was strictly forbidden. We sat at a small bar owned by an old transgender lady who you just knew had a fascinating life story. Not that any of us dared to ask about it.<br />
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Tuesday's activity was an evening cooking class with <a href="https://www.thaiakhakitchen.com/">Thai Akha Cooking School</a>. This being our activity, our nice meal AND our evening outdoor beer all in one I didn't actually leave the house for most of the day. In fact the above picture represents my day pretty well. The cooking course was brilliant. I did a Thai cooking class last time I was in Thailand but Northern Thai food seems so different. I learnt a lot about the Akha people from our main host and enjoyed that we all got to pick what we wanted to cook from a list. Having done cooking classes in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand I can tell you the number one rule in all South East Asian cooking... Blenders are for wimps. They seem to swear by using a pestle and mortar over a blender and not just so they can make their cooking course last a little longer. You couldn't possibly put all 10 ingredients required for a green curry paste into a blender. You must add them one by one and bash them with your pestle (or mortar? I'm not sure which is which... but you'll get the same result either way!). I have read people say that you can taste the care that has gone into the curry which I do like the idea of. I also like the idea of using a blender and then saying I slaved for hours over my pestle and mortar. You will still taste the care that went into it even if it's a lie.<br />
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Wednesday's activity was by far the most incredible activity of the trip. One that I had to research a lot in order to find an ethical day with Elephants. Clearly the Social Media train hit hard here as all the brochures confirmed and double confirmed "no riding" and "no hook" and 100% rescued elephants. The one I booked did not say any of this but the online reviews more than confirmed that the <a href="https://www.karentribenativeelephants.com/">Karen's Tribe Native Elephants</a> were possibly the happiest elephants in Chiang Mai. Our guide, a local Karen tribesman, was very honest with us from the start - these were not rescue elephants. Elephants are part of the Karen tribe's daily life and treated very much like a member of their family. The tribe had owned this family of elephants for many generations and knew absolutely everything about them. They compared it to owning horses and how there is absolutely nothing wrong with riding these elephants. These elephants are not wild and so the infamous "Elephant Crushing" that goes around on social media is not a thing for an elephant born into the tribe.<br />
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Each pair was assigned an elephant to look after for the day; mine was called Melanjai (most definitely spelt incorrectly) and he was awesome. Their baby elephant was called David and the tribe explained that he was fearless and just wanted to treat you like his elephant friend and so be prepared to be headbutted and barged every now and then. We started by putting on some Karen Tribe outfits so the Elephants recognised us and then to make the Elephants like us we fed them two entire buckets of banana, sugar cane and what seemed like a full tree's worth of leaves. Me and Melanjai were like this <i>*crosses index and middle finger* </i>within the first hour. Next up was giving Melanjai a wash in the stream using the soapy bark of a special tree. This is when the guide told me to climb up on it's back to scrub his head and so I nervously climbed up - managed to sneak in a few hugs whilst scrubbing his head, Melanjai was loving it!<br />
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Lunch was in the Karen's tribes village which was a short elephant ride away. No guide required to lead an elephant that has grown up with humans. I just jumped up on its back and it followed the rest of the elephants. The only indication to me that he knew I was on his back was him lifting his trunk up to me every now and then for me to pass him a banana. Lunch was super tasty and filling and then we had a final couple of hours to make elephant medicine (in an elephant sized pestle and mortar of course...) and hug our elephants goodbye. At the end we even got a CD with high quality photos that one of the guides had been taking throughout the day. For free!? No picture or review will explain how wonderful this day was. Hanging out with the elephants was of course incredible but hanging with the lovely tribe really added to the amazing day.<br />
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One epic day followed by another as I had booked myself on to a full day of fishing. Nobody else fancied it so it was just me and the fishing guide - a new friend for the day. I read that you could half the price if you went to the fishing spots yourself but the convenience was far better with a guide. I had a morning fishing in a stocked lake for giant catfish followed by an afternoon fishing in a reservoir for giant Snakeheads. I caught 6 catfish in a morning which means it is a very well stocked lake! Many fishermen would turn their noses up at this but not I... it was exhilarating every time my rod went. These fish were enormous, easily the biggest fish I have ever caught. A Chinese man next to me had his entire rod taken in a blink of an eye. What was crazy is that the last fish I caught brought his rod along with it! He was very grateful. The reservoir fishing was also pretty cool even if the fish were not nearly as big. The fact that they had teeth and were called Snakefish was enough to keep my adrenaline pumping when I hooked one. I got so close to catching a great big momma too and have actual video evidence so you know that genuinely the biggest fish did really get away! I could have cried.<br />
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We ate at Dash! (I'm not shouting, there's actually an exclamation point in the name) that evening and I sampled the amazing Khao Soi; a dish created here in Chiang Mai. It is a steaming bowl of creamy coconut chicken curry with noodles and a whole bunch of small side plates to make your dish as spicy, sweet or sour as you want. I threw it all in and didn't regret it. Dash! was the number 1 hit on Trip Adviser and I definitely recommend a visit. It is in a nice area for pre and post drinks too so easy to make an evening of it. Just as we were about to head home we found a vendor of possibly the best dish in the entirety of Thai Cuisine - Mango Sticky Rice! There is something so inexplicably comforting about the combination of 3 very simple ingredients. Warm rice steamed in coconut milk along side cool, perfectly ripe fresh mango, drizzled with sweetened, condensed coconut cream. It is absolute heaven that is uncontrollably devoured in seconds. After a 10 hour fishing day, this was everything I needed in an evening out!<br />
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For our final day we had lunch at "Nun's Restaurant" which is a sweet little concept though none of us were overly impressed with the food. Nun is the chef, waitress and owner who simply enjoys cooking and wanted to share that with everyone. My Pad Thai was a bit over cooked and stodgy; the outcome of trying fry several portions of Pad Thai in one pan. I made the mistake of looking over curiously at the plate of bugs being eaten on another table and so Nun brought us our very own plate of bugs. For free! I was picking hard, spiky bug legs out of my teeth for hours. One last Lily's Massage followed by a stroll around Ploen Ruedee Night Market finished our final day. Ploen Ruedee night market feels quite different to the other famous ones and a nice change of atmosphere. Food was very good too as I shared an enormous seafood medley followed by yet another mango sticky rice.<br />
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Being in Thailand (or anywhere in South East Asia for that matter) and not seeing the sea certainly felt a bit strange. But, where else can you eat your meal and have a fish foot spa at the same time?! Where else can you get massaged in a real life prison? Where else can you catch a giant catfish and hug an elephant in 24 hours? Only in Northern Thailand! What Chiang Mai is lacking in a beach it more than makes up for in culture and incredibly unique experiences.<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-88348878605988276962019-02-24T04:14:00.000+00:002019-03-30T04:15:56.740+00:00New Zealand - Spring 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What's plural for Kiwi? </b></span><br />
<b>Thursday, 7th February </b><br />
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It depends on whether we're talking about the bird or the person! Well I found it interesting anyway...<br />
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So here we are at the furthest place I have ever travelled, and possibly ever will travel, from home. The furthest away from home but in a climate and landscape not too dissimilar to where I grew up. OK Leicester looks nothing like this but parts of the lake district aren't a million miles away (11722 miles to be exact...). The difference being, every square inch of New Zealand is outstanding beauty where lush green rolling hills turn into snow capped mountains and eel filled mirror lakes become whale filled seas. The air is crisp and blue and felt like it cleared the the 5 year build up of Beijing pollution in my lungs in the first breath. This is New Zealand and I think we have fallen in love with it.<br />
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We woke up in Wellington with the plan to pick up our Jucy Camper van, get on the first ferry to the South Island and drive the 4 hours to Kaikoura before dark. Maybe even visit a few wineries on the way! This didn't completely go to plan... we got to the ferry port to find that the first departure was not at 11AM as we thought but actually at 1PM. No major concern. We ate lunch in town, drove back to Jucy to pick up the camper chairs we realised they forgot to pack for us and drove back in time for our 1PM ferry. However, somewhere lost in the communication between me and Jucy, we were never booked on to the already full 1PM ferry... After a phone call to Jucy we were booked on to the next ferry... at 8PM! So much for our wine filled, leisurely drive to Kaikoura. Instead, 4 hour drive through the night and arriving at half 2 in the morning. Determined to not allow our first day in New Zealand to be a wasted day we filled it with Wellington activities. First stop was of course a late breakfast on the harbour side where I chowed down on a delicious bowl of Cloudy Bay Clam Chowder. Not quintessentially New Zealand...ic? ish? Kiwi? Clam Chowder is not necessarily a local delicacy but made with Cloudy Bay clams it can't be from anywhere else! The only clam chowder I had ever eaten before was tinned and my go to "posh" meal whilst I was at university. Sitting outside with the sun on my back, slurping a beautifully rich chowder let all the ferry stresses drift away. The current Gallipoli exhibition in the <a href="https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/">Te Papa Museum</a> is like nothing you have ever seen and will ever see again. Created by Peter Jackson's Weta Studios, it boasts 24000 hours of work to create these hyper realistic giant replicas capturing ordinary New Zealanders at the heart of the Gallipoli war. It is mindbogglingly impressive.<br />
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We drove up to the Wellington viewpoint and ate a cracking late lunch at <a href="https://karakacafe.co.nz/">Karaka Cafe</a> where National Dish number one, the Hangi, was ticked off. Kind of. Researching the Hangi before the trip, I knew getting a traditional Hangi in New Zealand was going to be close to impossible. Put on for big celebrations it is hunks of meat buried underground with hot rocks and an array of vegetables. The most important vegetable being the Kumara - a type of sweet potato. I could live in New Zealand for a year and struggle to get my lips round a real Hangi. However the Karaka Cafe made their's, under the ground or in the oven, I am ticking it off anyway! It was smokey and succulent and could very well have been cooked in the ground. Even though I read their website and know for a fact that it wasn't... Ticked!<br />
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The saddest part of not catching our intended ferry was that the stunning views from the ferry and scenic drive to Kaikoura was blanketed in the night sky. Our first day in Kaikoura was probably my most anticipated day of the trip as we had the "Dolphin Encounter" booked. This was the single most extraordinary wildlife experience I have ever had. Coming from somebody who has <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2016/10/south-africa-summer-2016.html">cage dived with Great Whites in South Africa</a>; <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2018/03/borneo-winter-2018.html">seen Orangutans in the rain forests of Borneo</a> and <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2016/09/zimbabwe-summer-2016.html">watched lions eat an elephant in Zimbabwe</a> - this was incredible. We took a boat out to sea and found a pod of well over 200 dolphins and jumped in, with snorkels on, right smack in the middle of them. These were completely wild Dolphins and they just wanted to play. Encouraged to make silly noises to attract them it was surprising how curious they were about you. I sang high pitch versions of Super Mario Bros and Tetris through my snorkel and watched dolphins actively seek me out and hold eye contact as I swam. They would literally swim by as if you weren't there and then you sing and watch them turn back and swim with you. Then you run out of breath because, as it turns out, swimming and singing at the same time is hard work and they all leave. We had three separate swim sessions with them followed by a casual viewing from the boat deck where we learnt more about the pod. It was the most amazing experience and should be the number one thing on your list of things to do in New Zealand. I don't think there is anywhere else in the world like it.<br />
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We still had most of the day to play in Kaikoura and so we drove up to the peninsula to see the sea lion colony. After a morning of<b> </b><i><b>swimming</b></i> with dolphins, I knew that just <i><b>looking</b></i> at sea lions was not going to be the highlight of the trip. It was something to do! But, more importantly it had a well known street side lobster shack on the way! Come for the sea lions, stay for the lobster. Or as they call it here - Crayfish. I am not even a great fan of lobster so I don't know why I get so excited about it. I much prefer a well prepared crab or an enormous prawn. It was a very tasty lobster but for that price I could get five times as much crab! I also got to tick off a New Zealand's own Whitebait Fritter which was also a tad disappointing. When I think fritter I think deep fried, crispy goodness. Fritter here actually means anything fried in egg - or an omelette as the rest of the world know it. It was a satisfying meal all in all but nothing I'd be rushing back for.<br />
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We started our drive to Arthur's Pass the next morning via a few Wineries in Waipara to pick up a couple of bottles for our evenings camping. These wineries are all stunningly beautiful and we couldn't resist an early lunch at "Black Estate" where we shared the most succulent joint of barbecued lamb I had ever eaten. With bottles of wine in hand we journeyed on through the rolling hills and mountainous landscapes of Arthur's Pass. We parked up our van in Klondyke Corner where we paid 8NZD each into an honesty box and enjoyed our first wild camping experience. We cooked a bacon and mushroom risotto out the back of our van and sat at a makeshift table sipping award winning wine from plastic wine glasses whilst the sun sank behind the mountains.<br />
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A 5 minute drive in the morning took us to clean toilets and a cafe to eat breakfast. This is a popular stop off for road trippers and the rare local bird, the Kea, have learnt that this is the best spot to get a meal. Signs are all over the place warning of the Kea as they like to destroy things for no other reason than simply just for fun. I watched as one pulled rubber caps off the front of a car and throw them on the floor whilst another pierced holes in the back. I probably should have stopped them from destroying somebodies car but instead I just stood and <span style="color: red;">took photos</span>. A little bit of hiking around the cafe to some waterfalls was a nice activity before leaving Arthur's Pass for Fox Glacier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj8VDfYv6_t-x_xRM0pv2NCZI5nsvckVyOVNYjOBMB0_qXAJadEEK-7wF53R5jsW0f-SftUw1GwJfQEdu3x4VOZ5AUnBXZUePf2WLbRNvSJxQBoaL-XJyrN_WQTjDdSNHsDaWv2ll-Q4/s1600/NZ+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuj8VDfYv6_t-x_xRM0pv2NCZI5nsvckVyOVNYjOBMB0_qXAJadEEK-7wF53R5jsW0f-SftUw1GwJfQEdu3x4VOZ5AUnBXZUePf2WLbRNvSJxQBoaL-XJyrN_WQTjDdSNHsDaWv2ll-Q4/s640/NZ+lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtxAo285vL4e8YBEfKQhNNyJzlKff3un3dLYLCsZ876L38fj6o9weVJOMEP3ZpYL8gcWZms-Og7VgUtMt-1eXuoA2_MkdxbSXF4pa3efTjRv7RPbIg1fufFGk-rjSzKhPZaZujBk9B2o/s1600/gorge+NZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtxAo285vL4e8YBEfKQhNNyJzlKff3un3dLYLCsZ876L38fj6o9weVJOMEP3ZpYL8gcWZms-Og7VgUtMt-1eXuoA2_MkdxbSXF4pa3efTjRv7RPbIg1fufFGk-rjSzKhPZaZujBk9B2o/s400/gorge+NZ.jpg" width="400" /></a>There is so much to do between Arthur's Pass and Fox Glacier! The drive would take 3.5 hours if you didn't stop but that would be silly. We spent the whole day getting there but our stop offs were brilliant! We ate lunch by the beach at Hokatika before driving to the milky blue gorge for a swim. We took towels and trunks and felt very excited to jump in when we saw the water. Then we got close enough to put a hand in and learnt very quickly that this water comes directly from the glacier that we are heading to. It was FREEZING but utterly refreshing - an instant mood booster. Another car stop at a lake was a nice leg stretch opportunity before arriving at Fox Glacier. AA Campervan site had everything you need as a camper and gave us a chance to recharge the van's batteries and cook on their provided gas barbecues. We bought steaks and an all in one fajita kit and had a barbecue night with a bottle of wine. We had a drink at the Bigfoot Bar and Restaurant before finishing our day on a sweet little glow worm trail just a few minutes walk around the corner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73v-J0Si5jq24TFCBby36VzKLrkOuoOsKlvYTM4fI1A-JShW7KFqxn7kZZ-AnBQtEQwC8352_unM4XaF-YDns5IEHLQ3q_tYc3GIeaoMdwfQ-zBT_Mgf7hcylE67BAfOUYUHD59c1Zyo/s1600/lake+matheson+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73v-J0Si5jq24TFCBby36VzKLrkOuoOsKlvYTM4fI1A-JShW7KFqxn7kZZ-AnBQtEQwC8352_unM4XaF-YDns5IEHLQ3q_tYc3GIeaoMdwfQ-zBT_Mgf7hcylE67BAfOUYUHD59c1Zyo/s400/lake+matheson+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-vd7HgshEwuT1UTfX7nBrOAV0V2a3a7l6XiaFFRipVl9Wfdpe7RSPFQIhYUFhFql4KIQ5402ACaXeT2CTQRMCVm3POhoF5hW9QEAPgRz9mJKd-BQozZozSBsavsbYwpdX8hTSg5jRaw/s1600/helihike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-vd7HgshEwuT1UTfX7nBrOAV0V2a3a7l6XiaFFRipVl9Wfdpe7RSPFQIhYUFhFql4KIQ5402ACaXeT2CTQRMCVm3POhoF5hW9QEAPgRz9mJKd-BQozZozSBsavsbYwpdX8hTSg5jRaw/s320/helihike.jpg" width="243" /></a>We woke up early to see Lake Matheson - the most photographed lake in New Zealand. A beautiful morning hike took us around the entire lake with superb views of its famous mirror effect. My first ever helicopter ride was today as part of the Fox Glacier Heli Hike which had come recommended by a number of friends. It was a half days hike where apparently 50% get cancelled due to poor weather conditions. What made it more exciting was being informed about the possibility of being stranded on the glacier overnight if bad weather suddenly appears and helicopters can't pick us up. How many people can say that they have spent the night on a glacier before?! I have done a glacier hike once already in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2013/02/iceland-spring-2013.html">Iceland</a> and really if you have been on one glacier then there's not going to be any major changes on the next one. The helicopter ride made it for me and sadly we did not get stranded.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I hate Sand Flies</span></b><br />
<b>Tuesday, 12th February </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZnAZb-SMEIZ1dBqIPI23afgIk4oM4WQHte6Y3AXLfaaeqeGk35rXR5KN_P_GNb6IfXbpUvssyOonLsDX3hkTOP_xxjiDiE_WOc-41DxZezXgmr-KjaLtD9o8TidfNTwUlTQakvoY08w/s1600/New+Zealand+green+lipped+mussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZnAZb-SMEIZ1dBqIPI23afgIk4oM4WQHte6Y3AXLfaaeqeGk35rXR5KN_P_GNb6IfXbpUvssyOonLsDX3hkTOP_xxjiDiE_WOc-41DxZezXgmr-KjaLtD9o8TidfNTwUlTQakvoY08w/s320/New+Zealand+green+lipped+mussels.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
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I am surprised that New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels are not listed as a National Dish here. No where else in the world do they grow so big and meaty and I leapt at the chance of devouring a mountain of these before leaving Fox. These giant, juicy mussels were sweet and delicious bathing in a garlic and white wine sauce. Crusty bread mopped up every last flavourful drop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb8cHFnp3BfZcW9rXSC-ttXcRjrlt_pzqCDYluPUKlJt2-TN_eAMESf5nAShNdb1MqtrmVkL0VuMyXEeIUZXKqC8cf5Oo4ZDYlfV6Ko7l_aSjWRWrf_-k8dCila-seAPcsQthvJr_pr0/s1600/sand+fly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb8cHFnp3BfZcW9rXSC-ttXcRjrlt_pzqCDYluPUKlJt2-TN_eAMESf5nAShNdb1MqtrmVkL0VuMyXEeIUZXKqC8cf5Oo4ZDYlfV6Ko7l_aSjWRWrf_-k8dCila-seAPcsQthvJr_pr0/s320/sand+fly.jpg" width="301" /></a><br />
We were booked to stay two nights at AA Campervan Site but after our night in Klondyke Corner we knew that free camping was where the real beauty was. We found an amazing spot overlooking a deserted beach and set up camp for the night. It was perfect to sit and drink a few beers and play some beach games whilst the sun set. Sand fly have been prevalent throughout the trip but it was here where we really got to know one another. locked in our van for the night I spent a good half an hour killing all those that got in. This, you will be glad to know, is easy! They don't move fast and they like to gather on the lights so one swat of a light takes out like 10. Surprisingly satisfying. Then the morning came and the view outside was like the fly version of Hitchcock's The Birds. Our mini sunroof was open but with the netting and you could see a thousand swarming over it as if they just knew that fresh blood was inside. And when I say a thousand, I mean a billion. We would have just driven off had we not stored our beach chairs under the van! With a countdown we thought we would open the doors, grab the chairs, close the doors and drive off. What actually happened was the second we opened the door, every single sand fly in New Zealand swarmed in as we all jumped out, left the car open and ran down the beach. Solution? We covered ourselves in DEET, got back in the car, held our breath in fear of inhaling fly and drove to the nearest car park with all windows and doors wide open. By the time we got to the car park the majority of flies had been blown out and we managed to keep hold of the majority of our blood. We unpacked the entire van into the carpark and repacked fly free. So much for our planned morning swim in the sea!<br />
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We got out of there pretty quickly and made our way to the stunning Lake Wanaka for a stop off before arriving at Queenstown. The drive on its own is worth it with lake views from the mountains followed by mountain views from the lakes! We parked up, itched our bites, and took a stroll along the water front imagining how much fitter we all would be if we grew up here. The water was sparkling under the hot sun and groups of kids and adults were taking part in a number of water activities from paddle boarding to windsurfing. It would be so hard to live a sedentary life here and everyone looks fit, happy and healthy. For lunch I ate a Kiwi Burger and washed it down with a Lemon and Paeroa drink; both local icons. The Kiwi burger is made from neither Kiwi bird meat or Kiwi fruit. Instead, for some reason, what makes it a Kiwi burger is the addition of beetroot and a fried egg. And the plural for Kiwi burger... is Kiwi burgers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PB0twRnGH7bZJlW1Fy_GE6XIuwxCEWtoGgbHxqC6abq2DT7V_J_x-zWQQ9YlihQb9Ep1ExIYUGYHruvtMOuSZDwiA77XGJm4nIIpUNpElFD-o_TNLa70k_X38jVtsXm-p9iZ7poormU/s1600/Queenstown+Campsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PB0twRnGH7bZJlW1Fy_GE6XIuwxCEWtoGgbHxqC6abq2DT7V_J_x-zWQQ9YlihQb9Ep1ExIYUGYHruvtMOuSZDwiA77XGJm4nIIpUNpElFD-o_TNLa70k_X38jVtsXm-p9iZ7poormU/s320/Queenstown+Campsite.jpg" width="257" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtNjZCqB4efpRba6bcYtq-hluoz_w1Zczin2o-bJTbg7bAfJdyY5YGXDdJquKDRei0NMmqEcRa4sMlks_MGJriD3931wcCYpoEkfxrpgujlWO6t6y93or4XT2w_sG4M_dy7io0JLwluc/s1600/Queenstown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="1417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtNjZCqB4efpRba6bcYtq-hluoz_w1Zczin2o-bJTbg7bAfJdyY5YGXDdJquKDRei0NMmqEcRa4sMlks_MGJriD3931wcCYpoEkfxrpgujlWO6t6y93or4XT2w_sG4M_dy7io0JLwluc/s320/Queenstown.jpg" width="312" /></a>Before long we were in Queenstown marvelling at a different lake and still pondering how awesome life would have been if we grew up here. For me, Queenstown has the perfect urban to rural ratio with Lake Wakatipu at its heart. After a brief wonder around the city centre we drove to our camp site and claimed a peaceful spot with views of the lake. With a quick swim followed by some beers and a few games of Exploding Kittens we had a perfect restful evening - largely without the damn sand fly. Our first full day in Queenstown was a bit of a shambles as over a month ago we decided to go Sky Diving instead of doing the canyon swing; both famous activities here. When booking I remember very specifically thinking "why would I choose to go at 6AM when I could have a lie in and go at 11AM!?". Turns out going early is very important when it comes to sky diving as wind speed is at its lowest. We got there, we did all the safety talks and we even had the suits on! We were in line getting ready to board the next plane when we were told that the winds had picked up and it was no longer safe. Absolutely gutted! The most annoying part was that we had wasted the best part of the day when we could have been doing 100 other things in this beautiful city. Full sadness. To make up for it we spent our refund on the Shotover Whitewater Rafting with Go Orange for the following morning. We spent what was left of the day sat on the grass and enjoyed the sun.<br />
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The rafting was great fun with grades 3-5 rapids it felt like the right amount of exciting danger. It was slightly annoying that I was not allowed to take my camera with me as I now have no way of showing you how great it was! As soon as we got back from the rafting we did some quick shopping and got on the road towards The Milford Sounds. We had booked a spot for our van at <a href="https://www.milfordlodge.com/">Milford Sound Lodge</a> but had we known about the beautiful free camping sites just outside Milford Sound we definitely would have gone for that. The drive down there was four and a half hours of stunning scenery. We could certainly have done it quicker but the desire to stop and get out to take in the surroundings was too much. We got to a point where we had to restrain ourselves if we wanted to arrive in day light and have enough time to cook! A short walk from the lodge took us to the famous spot just in time for the sunset. It is an incredibly dramatic scene and our boat trip the following day did not really add anything to it. The view is impressive from this perfect distance and so getting right up close to the waterfalls and rock was not really necessary. But then if you did not do a boat trip then there really isn't much left to do. I know that partly I have been spoilt as a clear highlight of the boat trip was seeing the Sea Lions but my <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2018/09/ecuador-galapagos-islands-summer-2018.html">last holiday</a> involved swimming with Sea Lions so I struggled a little to get excited about them. We agreed that, though it is very pretty, we may have had preferred some extra time somewhere else as it was quite the detour to get down here. On this occasion, it was the journey that was better than the destination.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I love a Riesling</span></b><br />
<b>Sunday, 17th February</b><br />
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Our final night on the South Island was in a lovely hotel on the outskirts of Queenstown. A bit of pamper after 10 days camping was a real treat. Swimming pool, sauna, steam room and an actual full sized bed! Just a few minutes drive from our hotel was a take-away restaurant that had three dishes: Roast potatoes, Coleslaw and 4 hour slow roasted lamb shoulder... I don't know anywhere else in the world that does take away roast lamb but we had to try it. We picked it up and devoured it on our balcony with the last bottle of wine from the Black Estate wineries bought what feels like a lifetime ago. The bone slid out of the meat with ease leaving behind the softest, juiciest cut of lamb you will ever have the pleasure of eating. </div>
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Though leaving our camper van behind felt like the end of our trip, flying back to Wellington and picking up our rental car felt like starting a whole new one! To finish our time in New Zealand we decided to spend some time in Martinborough wine region which was just a couple of hours drive north east from Wellington. Martinborough is the lesser known wine region compared to the famous Marlborough and is known to be where New Zealanders go to drink wine rather than where tourists go. Our AirBnB was awesome and stepped directly out onto a field of grape vines. A short walk took us to a gently bustling town centre with a hum of people relaxing and chatting over a cold glass of locally grown white wine. A few bars, a few restaurants, all pleasantly full but not overcrowded. It was warm enough to sit outside and so we shared some tapas and drank a few glasses of wine under the stars at a bar called Cool Change. </div>
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We contemplated many forms of transport around the wine regions with my favourite option being the four person bicycle cart but we ended up deciding to just walk it all. In hindsight, considering the amount of wine tasted, this was probably for the best. The day started like all great days; picking up bacon sandwiches from a local cafe. We booked a 10AM tasting at <a href="https://atarangi.co.nz/">Ata Rangi</a> where we had 6 taster wines each and given a nice talk on the history of the area. This was one of the few wineries that required booking and so for the rest we just turned up and decided to enter based on whether we liked the sound of their name or the look of their building. With 4 wines at Vynfields followed by 7 more at <a href="https://www.poppiesmartinborough.co.nz/">Poppies</a> it was definitely time to eat. Poppies was certainly our favourite as Poppy herself explained her wines with full on passion and did serve deliciously crisp wines. We ate the most exquisite platter of local produce sloshed down with a bottle of her Rosé. Hot smoked salmon, wedges of local Brie, Martinborough grown Olives, crispy pork belly, just everything on the plate was perfect with the Rosé. With stomachs re-lined we walked up to <a href="http://www.tkwine.co.nz/">Te Kairanga</a> winery and had our final 5 wine tastings before stumbling back to our AirBnB. To finish a full days worth of wineries of course we had to enjoy a full 5 course meal with wine pairings at a popular restaurant called Pinocchio. Followed by a night cap of a sweet dessert wine back at the Cool Change bar. So total number of wines tasted in one day in Martinborough was 28! 6 more than my previous record in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2016/10/south-africa-summer-2016.html">Stellenbosch</a>!<br />
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Our final days were back in Wellington where our adventure started. By far the best thing we did in Wellington for me was the Weta Studios which is the special effects and props company commissioned for films such as Lord of The Rings, Avatar and The Planet of The Apes. A truly fascinating place and the tour guides talk with such passion making you want to go and make things out of scrap and foil. A jaunt around <a href="https://www.visitzealandia.com/">Zealandia</a> gave us a last chance to see the Kiwi bird and other local flora and fauna. We didn't see any Kiwi but it filled an afternoon quite nicely. It is a bird watchers absolute paradise and we got really into ticking off as many bird species as we could; listening for unique bird calls and scanning the trees for them. A last meal at the Crab Shack allowed my to tick off Tua Tua, a type of clam, as the last item on the list. Every part of New Zealand life seems idyllic to me and getting on a plane to return to the beautiful chaos of Beijing feels a little daunting. I put New Zealand in the same category as Canada with its fresh air, dramatic scenery and outdoor lifestyle. Except New Zealand is out in the middle of nowhere and really hard to get to. I got on the plane knowing that it is incredibly unlikely that I would be stepping on New Zealand soil again. Sad, but very much true. New Zealand, it has been a delight! :o)</div>
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-39126363377403010802018-09-25T15:17:00.000+01:002018-09-26T15:18:57.792+01:00Ecuador, Galapagos Islands - Summer 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Someone to Lava</b></span><br />
<b>Sunday, 8 July</b><br />
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<script src="//s3.amazonaws.com/cashe-js/143e7cdebf193d2764.js" type="text/javascript"></script>To me, that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4dTLJ9q9o">Pixar song about the volcano</a> needing someone to "lava" is set in the Galapagos and it was here where I chose to propose to my girlfriend. What's more, we got to witness a volcano eruption! I found an idilic spot watching wild flamingos to get down on one knee and of course she said yes... I write my own, not massively popular, food blog - how could she resist!? It turns out that the Galapagos was not the most expensive part of the holiday after all! But enough of that - we're in the GALAPAGOS!! It really was not cheap to do the Galapagos justice as research told me that the best way to see it all was on a live-aboard boat and it is recommended that you go with a qualified guide. Qualified meaning a guide who has studied all that is Galapagos from rocks and volcanoes to Sally Lightfoot Crabs and Blue-Footed Boobies at university. We booked the <a href="http://www.yachtanahi.com/">Anahi Catamaran</a> and organised it all through <a href="http://galapagosislands.com/">GalapagosIslands.com</a> who were incredibly helpful. First stop, however; Quito!<br />
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Personal safety was even more of a worry here than in Mexico! I only know two people who have been to Ecuador and BOTH got mugged!? So nobody would blame us for being a little aprehensive in walking around too much on our own. We stayed at <a href="http://www.hotelviejacuba.com/">Vieja Cuba</a> in the Guopalo area which was a beautiful boutique hotel. With our room on the 3rd floor and no lift, we very quickly learnt the affects of being at 3000m above sea level. Either that or the pigging out on tacos in Cancun had really taken its toll! With zip up pockets and on constant alert we took a stroll down the main street and booked in a free evening walking tour from <a href="http://www.elhostelito.com/en/home/">El Hostelito</a>; there was no way we were going to walk around in the evening ourselves and so this seemed ideal. Before that though, we visited a slightly dull <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g294308-d3183498-Reviews-Museo_Etnohistorico_de_Artesanias_del_Ecuador_Mindalae-Quito_Pichincha_Province.html">Museum</a> and found one of the three National dishes of Ecuador: Fratada. Spiced pork meat fried in pork fat was succulent and sticky. Unlike the western recommended 1/3 carbs, 1/3 veg and 1/3 meat and dairy balanced meal, Ecuadorians go for a more 4/5 carbs and 1/5 meat balance. My fratada came with mote (a type of boiled corn), pork fat fried plantain and boiled sweet potato. Maybe it's not the altitude afterall...<br />
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I couldn't recommend the walking tour enough and it really allowed us to see the area at its best; guided by a cool, hip, young local. A visit to the evening food market was obviously my favourite part and allowed me to sample all sorts. This food market was all about the offal with two stalls selling flame grilled intestines which were seriously good and a couple of stalls specialising in Gautitas, another National Dish, which is a stew of tripe in a peanut sauce. Putting cow stomach in your National Dish is certainly brave, but, it made for a warm, hearty meal that didn't have that infamous offally taste at all. In other words it didn't taste like a goats backside one bit! The tour finished at an awesome little cafe where we had some Ecuadorian coffee and went to bed buzzing - partly from 11PM coffee and partly from the excitement of heading to the Galapagos in the morning! <br />
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Excitement was bubbling as we headed to the airport. We met with a <a href="http://galapagosislands.com/">GalapagosIslands.com</a> representative who handed us our tickets and guided us through the somewhat unique checking in process required for the Galapagos. Within a few hours we were touching down on the beautiful volcanic islands where even just the transfer to our catamaran was full of wildlife. In the port the waters were teeming with sharks and sting rays just casually swimming whilst giant pelicans torpedo dived in to catch fish. We stood on the boardwalk with jaws dropped eagerly waiting for our dinghy to take us to our home for the next 8 days. 8 days!! We were feeling so incredibly lucky.<br />
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Our guide is called Galo and he knows absolutely everything there is to know about the Galapagos; every single animal, plant, tree and rock. All the way down to the fine detail and deep science of it all he was bursting with passion for this amazing place. We spent the first night at the boat's bar with introductions to the crew and a briefing from Galo about the plans for the following day. Every night is briefing followed by dinner and things generally run on a tight schedule. Food on the boat was fantastic but nothing that warrants writing about. We're in the Galapagos, who wants to read about the food!? We travelled to Isabella Island over night and started our first full day at 7am with a walk around a breading area for the sea iguanas. Baby Iguanas were absolutely everywhere and often swarmed the walking path making us walk round. In one morning hike we saw a stupid amount of different animals. Just standing and looking into a small lagoon we had iguanas, sea lions and turtles all in one scene. This is where we learnt that Galo's talents have no limit as he can actually speak to the sea lions and call them out of the water! It was not even 10am and it felt like we had done so much. Back on board we decided to swim around the boat until we noticed that black tip <b>and</b> white tip sharks had the exact same idea. We jumped in and even with Galo's reassurance that it was totally safe I couldn't help but curl my toes and tense up when one swam underneath as I tread water. We didn't even have our snorkels at this point so it really was quite scary just seeing shadows whilst people on the boat told you how big it is!<br />
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Our afternoon activity was a hike on Isabella Island climbing up Sierra Negra volcano to see the immense view of its caldera. I say that like I knew what a caldera was before the trip... It's the enormous mouth of the volcano that is entirely covered in lava from its last eruption. It is stunning and with dimensions of 8km by 9km it is the largest in the Galapagos. We visited the giant tortoise breeding sanctuary afterwards followed by a boardwalk to see the fluorescent pink flamingos which is where I decided to pop the question.<br />
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For some reason I just assumed that these islands were completely untouched and uninhabited. I was wrong; full communities can be found on four islands here and Isabella is probably the main one. The sea lions and giant iguanas fit right in lazing on the deck as if they have no care in the world. The urge to get down on your knees and cuddle a sea lion is unbearably overwhelming but under the forever watchful eye of Galo and knowing deep, deep down its not good for the wildlife, I resisted. After the proposal we celebrated at a beach bar where we drank Galapagos's own brewed beer (where!?!) whilst sea iguanas covered the bar wall; sea lions chilled on the beach and the fins of white tip sharks poked out of the shallows. Not a bad day at all. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtqFcFjqaFYpbhyphenhyphen8NlyXJylzpdkAOC7VUN2aBRXmzUMTKLaaLXTSvFV1ml3kI-j7Np3JKNHWnlZfGLkf8Rvk0ItUnSFGTCKBarm_b1WSxRIpOkDMZUIUHY3Cr1NbVPJGzSFtkbN1eFfY/s1600/penguin+galapagos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1334" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtqFcFjqaFYpbhyphenhyphen8NlyXJylzpdkAOC7VUN2aBRXmzUMTKLaaLXTSvFV1ml3kI-j7Np3JKNHWnlZfGLkf8Rvk0ItUnSFGTCKBarm_b1WSxRIpOkDMZUIUHY3Cr1NbVPJGzSFtkbN1eFfY/s320/penguin+galapagos.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Today we arrived on the west side of Isabella in which Galo regularly reminded us how lucky we were to get such a long time in the west and how no other itinerary he knows does this. Adding to our luck was the fact that a volcano was erupting and we woke up to the view right outside of our window. An erupting volcano is one of those sites that doesn't really change much but you can't take your eyes off it. Fixated like watching a camp fire. Our morning hike was over lava rock, looking in small volcanic lakes where sharks circled and turtles bobbed all with the erupting orange and yellow glows from the volcano in the distant background. Galo really showcased his knowledge going into fine detail about volcanic activity, rock formations and the pioneering cactus that seems to just grow out of solid stone. We knew he was knowledgeable on the wildlife side of things but this felt like another level with him even drawing diagrams in the sand to help explain. Our morning boat ride put us side by side with cute little penguins hopping from rock to rock and the strange flightless cormorant disappearing into the sea and reappearing with fish dangling from it's beak. It turns out that I took zero decent photos of the flightless cormorant but a half decent video which I will post at the end!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yGgJRqBP9zqGQXUSFrfhPTBDoA2PkR31adgLMhVK81rmCIx3ce_7E27AqpT8r1iMdfiqC0baxTPuNqAJwNxZdmunak00qO1jVkp6Eads3IvCJjSuooYgEVYeMBIML5MUcoQu7SNpbFk/s1600/turtle+galapagos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yGgJRqBP9zqGQXUSFrfhPTBDoA2PkR31adgLMhVK81rmCIx3ce_7E27AqpT8r1iMdfiqC0baxTPuNqAJwNxZdmunak00qO1jVkp6Eads3IvCJjSuooYgEVYeMBIML5MUcoQu7SNpbFk/s320/turtle+galapagos.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
All of this activity seen from the boat meant we were itching to get into the water ourselves and our first snorkel of the trip was right in those waters with the penguins and cormorants. We hired our wet-suits (US$40 for the week) and rolled backward into the cool water. My first view into the underwater world was a seabed covered in these fluorescent green urchins. Fish were everywhere and it wasn't long until we were up close and personal with turtles. Penguins darted in and out of view so quickly that I gave up trying to snap their photo and just enjoyed watching them whipping around in every direction seemingly for no other reason than to play. The flightless Cormorant chased fish in the rock crevices beneath us before coming to the surface to sit eye to eye with us. We got out of the water ecstatic knowing that from here on we will have the opportunity to snorkel twice a day!<br />
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We travelled a little closer to the volcano after lunch and enjoyed a "panga ride" as the sun set over the volcano. By now the volcano was boiling the sea and sending immense clouds of steam into the sky. We saw all the usual (because in this alternate universe seeing turtles, penguins and sea lions have become the norm) on the panga ride and introduced ourselves to our first blue footed boobies. A fever of golden rays(yes I looked that up) stole the show though and dunking my camera in the water and clicking aimlessly was surprisingly successful! I feel like we have done so much already and we are not even halfway through our trip. What else could the Galapagos possibly have to offer?!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 24pt;">Are you bored of turtles yet?</span></b><br />
<b>Sunday, 15 July</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Yer
a little... I hate to say it but what kind of life must I live where swimming with turtles has
become just a tad mundane!? Snorkelling (and scuba diving for that matter)
always ends up being about the least likely thing you would see and usually
the turtle is on that list! In the Galapagos, it was anything that we
were yet to see: The Hammerhead Shark, the Giant Manta Ray and the Sun
Fish. All of these fish we have seen from the boat but none whilst
snorkelling. Turtles on the other hand, on a single snorkel trip, we
easily saw over 50. We saw a baby Hammerhead Shark from our panga boat as
we went to our snorkelling spot and then never saw it again. We did,
however, come nose to nose with an enormous Galapagos shark that darted by me
close enough for me to feel its push of water. It was to beautiful to be scary.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Without
a doubt the favourite snorkels were easily all the ones when the sea lions came to
play. Pretty much all other animals in the water here just swim by and
ignore you; not the sea lion. The sea lion's are like excited dogs that
will do tricks for treats. Swimming beneath you on their backs and
watching you; zooming towards you and changing direction last second; and
blowing bubbles whilst keeping eye contact the whole time (all of this can be
seen in the video at the end). Swimming with sea lions was one of my favourite
experiences of the trip (and maybe even in life!) and we got to do it several times! Even with this
mammoth sized one, at no point did I feel threatened or uneasy; they just want
to show off and play with you. We snorkelled out into the deep a couple of times in the hope to find something big but both times were unsuccessful. We found a few white tip reef sharks that almost made up for the mole mole or giant manta we missed but not quite. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_O9s7hoAq3MQiHbOCO4Y0sFV8p212aQ-VVospnkPS9VBbo_0BDYRCeM_JNQLRT0bCQulJGJxFHtYgKQqySAF4f4neh4AaSg62QxOLS1qM5-SHlkyhQZK4l1JkrBjnqwEdku8VRPX-nM/s1600/racersnake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_O9s7hoAq3MQiHbOCO4Y0sFV8p212aQ-VVospnkPS9VBbo_0BDYRCeM_JNQLRT0bCQulJGJxFHtYgKQqySAF4f4neh4AaSg62QxOLS1qM5-SHlkyhQZK4l1JkrBjnqwEdku8VRPX-nM/s320/racersnake.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17f1b6ZRwg1NdBUjLZSC_Rl0qc-u1JTfLOEEVBEt8WyQKTlBK6T8t_xHVCB7BLhNSBUhWwvxna9D3ElgNbKmcG46y_lTzMicL3NAvBegDDiuPiPcNjjPeZ8Q30t_eUEo71GRCgjYSgvU/s1600/sealion+pup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1218" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17f1b6ZRwg1NdBUjLZSC_Rl0qc-u1JTfLOEEVBEt8WyQKTlBK6T8t_xHVCB7BLhNSBUhWwvxna9D3ElgNbKmcG46y_lTzMicL3NAvBegDDiuPiPcNjjPeZ8Q30t_eUEo71GRCgjYSgvU/s320/sealion+pup.jpg" width="243" /></a><span style="font-size: 18px;">On land we had equally impressive experiences. Fernandina Island is the spot where David Attenborough's famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr1mx9z87yk">Racer Snakes and Iguana Scene</a> was filmed for Planet Earth 2. We saw the snakes and we saw the lizards but gladly didn't have to relive the nightmare scene. At the tip of the "Seahorses nose" (The shape of Isabella Island) we crossed the equator and we gathered around the Captains GPS computer and cheered with cocktails when it hit 000. The journey to our next destination was sat on the sun deck as Galo pointed out all the wildlife: flying fish, sea lions, turtles, dolphins, giant manta rays, mole mole and even a breaching whale (I missed that one!). Ultimately I learnt that if you stare at the sea for 5 minutes in any direction something big will jump out of it. We arrived at Isla Santiago and Isla Rabida late afternoon where the sand was a deep red and we saw fur seals and the Galapagos hawk. Cute sea lion pups slept on the walking paths caring not at all as you stepped over them and the iguanas chilled on rocks sneezing salt water from their noses. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbDwoaLaPH6_71Dxjfi0pc622nCVhMMi2VjoJsYDM8oT6WABuiscKG2WVYAICma0dpAU32A9eaFfH2kPsoom943lYXUpCtsPsj76CtHx5LKeXicx4ITx3n-RIKUPxxwGhXqAxfJMcWFc/s1600/shark+galapagos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1224" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbDwoaLaPH6_71Dxjfi0pc622nCVhMMi2VjoJsYDM8oT6WABuiscKG2WVYAICma0dpAU32A9eaFfH2kPsoom943lYXUpCtsPsj76CtHx5LKeXicx4ITx3n-RIKUPxxwGhXqAxfJMcWFc/s320/shark+galapagos.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">Our last hike was on Isla Bartolome which Galo promised to be the most beautiful of them all. Not because of the animals, but because of the stunning landscape. The feeling of the experience coming to an end began here as we attempted to do a whole group panoramic shot. Our final dinner was a BBQ set up on the sun deck and we toasted a spectacular trip. Galo told us that the boat was in the most shark infested waters of the trip and that if we wanted to swim with them we needed to be prepared to punch them on the nose if they got to "inquisitive". We laughed and he put his stern face on and confirmed with us that he was deadly serious. So... we're not going for a swim then. Instead, after dinner, he told us that we could shine torches and find them. When I first pointed the light into the water an actual shiver went up my spine to see that "infested waters" was no exaggeration! Galo confirmed that if we were to fall in now we would most certainly be eaten. These were the same sharks we saw when snorkelling but apparently they only hunt at night. It didn't stop us tying Go Pros to the end of sticks and shoving them in the water though! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WCUl6MzGVDA71kYUbk2SeM6Odu6bhOElVU4pZgjbumLRNthOiIR7q5OdNpKD4D82oanKDaomekd4pN4wUyG7u7kS8ZUwJtclgdHg2gkSP8XsCQ40_HM_jjyMeUr8_-4gfM_ttpHzvKY/s1600/baby+frigate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WCUl6MzGVDA71kYUbk2SeM6Odu6bhOElVU4pZgjbumLRNthOiIR7q5OdNpKD4D82oanKDaomekd4pN4wUyG7u7kS8ZUwJtclgdHg2gkSP8XsCQ40_HM_jjyMeUr8_-4gfM_ttpHzvKY/s320/baby+frigate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOXUydhyq2csMLuvkDygH8g8jyWjP2hmGsBFTmoQ1AhSWo_1XuBC7CrjiTYvC4Ht_GXCX13oZylDSQ5nXrbynYMvbO_zdzT27Oz-BjfhIyqAoPm_ntl2ZiFVQ8y6jzmme3t9e9aXEwKo/s1600/small+boobies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1340" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOXUydhyq2csMLuvkDygH8g8jyWjP2hmGsBFTmoQ1AhSWo_1XuBC7CrjiTYvC4Ht_GXCX13oZylDSQ5nXrbynYMvbO_zdzT27Oz-BjfhIyqAoPm_ntl2ZiFVQ8y6jzmme3t9e9aXEwKo/s320/small+boobies.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 18px;">Given the option to wake up extra early to do one final mini excursion before heading to the airport we all jumped at the opportunity - A small island that has become the nesting and mating site for Boobies and Frigates. Even on the last day the Galapagos still had something to offer. Baby boobies are like giant, balls of cotton and the Frigate birds put on an impressive throat scrote inflation show narrated wonderfully by Galo. He also narrated a foot stomping mating dance from the blue footed boobies. We said our goodbyes to Galo at the airport and sadly went our separate ways. The Galapagos lived up to every expectation and more and we left already planning our next visit to SCUBA dive Isla Wolf. Seriously, Google image "Isla Wolf diving" and instantly feel the need to book your tickets. One day...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1dOVK2EYICzefwcYEA5Osx6KQQVy7lDeQL8ATlPrOOd7LT8rLYbp5OKV3gcnrsH8ZACgGnkBUwxe-HGM3naedQpJSdMh30IcRNc_XYTkhFyRgv8EECa4qGfCr0-CDIhTFmHtD6Z-Row/s1600/quito+courtyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk1dOVK2EYICzefwcYEA5Osx6KQQVy7lDeQL8ATlPrOOd7LT8rLYbp5OKV3gcnrsH8ZACgGnkBUwxe-HGM3naedQpJSdMh30IcRNc_XYTkhFyRgv8EECa4qGfCr0-CDIhTFmHtD6Z-Row/s320/quito+courtyard.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8UX6R2g2nJLZjYcOZL_2JbUbWz-mhpcKwUgika2-Zng5AIHDOMojHT02AsWN1YXSbf0OOqVbguvflnI3TFnUhcK7OHnDbECZ5RDpeqYZFlO6gc4JYE9FcNh6wq22w4qYv0RurHSvY1g/s1600/quito+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8UX6R2g2nJLZjYcOZL_2JbUbWz-mhpcKwUgika2-Zng5AIHDOMojHT02AsWN1YXSbf0OOqVbguvflnI3TFnUhcK7OHnDbECZ5RDpeqYZFlO6gc4JYE9FcNh6wq22w4qYv0RurHSvY1g/s320/quito+church.jpg" width="274" /></a><span style="font-size: 18px;">We arrived in </span><a href="http://portaldecantunaquito.com/" style="font-size: 18px;">Hotel Boutique Portal de Cantuna</a><span style="font-size: 18px;"> in the "Historical Centre" this time to see a new part of Quito. This part of Quito is beautiful! Seriously pretty. It is an actual world heritage site and the architecture is incredible. Buildings here date back to the 16th century and you can witness the entirety of civilisation in an hours walk. Is there anywhere else in the world like this? We had a romantic evening stroll, a coffee in one of the many gorgeous courtyards and then a posh Italian meal to have our first actual celebration of getting engaged. It was a little sad not to eat locally but Ecuadorian fine dining doesn't really seem to be a thing. Local dishes are all hearty home foods that don't use any special ingredients. Ecuador has 4 national dishes and all 4 can be found from a vendor on the street. I ate Fritada and Guatitas before and had Ceviche on the boat in the Galapagos. Ceviche is more famously the signature dish of Peru but Ecuadorian Ceviche is prepared with cooked fish instead of raw fish and so is still claimed as a uniquely Ecuadorian National Dish. This left just one dish to seek out called Encebollado - a fish stew made from albacore tuna.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">We joined our second "free" walking tour of the holiday for our last day in Ecuador to learn more about this fascinating area and get tips on where to find a good Encebollado. We used </span><a href="http://freewalkingtourecuador.com/" style="font-size: 18px;">FreeWalkingTourEcuador.com</a><span style="font-size: 18px;"> because unsurprisingly it was the first hit when I typed "free walking tours in Ecuador" into Google. Our guide was the brilliant Berto and he talked us through the vast history of the area, but most importantly, finished the tour at a wonderful food market where he guaranteed a delicious bowl of steaming Encebollado. The market was perfect and we sat with Berto as he tucked in to the most succulent pulled pork I had ever seen (called Hornado) whilst I slurped away at my spicy bowl of fish soup. The albacore was soft and fatty, the pink pickled onions were tangy and the popcorn... yep I said popcorn... acted like croutons. It was a real treat but the pulled pork was what my taste buds were yearning for. Luckily Becky ordered the pulled pork too and now that we are engaged what is her's is mine right?! The pork melted in the mouth like salted butter and it took all of my might not to order another. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">They were both incredibly tasty and</span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> it was a sad thought to think they were </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">dishes that I don't think I will ever see again. Sad until I remembered that this time tomorrow I will be back in Mexico eating a mountain of tacos! Goodbye Ecuador, it truly has been an adventure. </span><br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-2628041674551736262018-07-19T23:08:00.000+01:002018-08-02T13:12:49.926+01:00Mexico - Summer 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Una Cerveza Por Favor</b></span><br />
<b>Wednesday, 4 July</b><br />
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This was supposed to be the dull part of the holiday! Pretty much at the top of my bucket list and one of the first things to go on there was a trip to the Galapagos. After spending several wage packets on our Galapagos tour we couldn't bring ourselves to spend another packet on the flights to Ecuador. After a few hours of clicking "my travel dates are flexible" and searching "How much does it cost to get to Ecuador by boat?" I found that going via Mexico cut the cost in half! I suppose I could check out what Mexico has to offer?<br />
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Our choices were either go touristy and safe or go off the beaten track and get kidnapped by the Cartel and held for ransom. Sooooo a week in <b>Cancun</b> it is then... Cancun is as much Mexican as Fosters beer in Australian, but at least we're safe!. I booked transfer flights and accommodation before reading news articles titled "<a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/trouble-in-mexico-from-thriving-paradise-to-murder-capital/news-story/12b3ec5b81a554f6994600ec2ca9b4de">Cancun: Thriving Paradise to Murder Capital</a>"; "<a href="http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2017/03/human-head-with-threatening-message-found-in-cancun/">Human head with threatening message found in Cancun</a>" and "<a href="http://www.ladbible.com/news/news-mexican-police-find-three-severed-heads-as-rampant-bloodshed-continues-20180524">Three more heads found</a>". So really our choice was getting our heads chopped off in Cancun or getting kidnapped by the Cartel off the beaten track. But does that scare me?! Yes it is absolutely terrifying. Did I feel in any way unsafe in Cancun? No! Cancun was AWESOME!<br />
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It pains me to say that I am of an age where clubbing every night (what most people know Cancun for - Wooo Spring Break!!) doesn't quite appeal anymore, but that is such a small part of Cancun. We spent a very busy 5 days here and visited the club strip once and spent no time at all on the beach!? It seems crazy now to think we visited Cancun and not once sun bathed on their luscious, white sand, pristine beaches. There is just so much other stuff to see and do here! We stayed at Brisas Suites in the Hotel Zone which is a small self-catered residential compound perfect if you <strike>can't afford</strike> don't want to feel imprisoned in your enormous all-inclusive hotel resort. I hate the idea of having to eat at the same hotel every night!? Why do people do it? We picked up the keys from a neighbour and instantly felt like we were in a home away from home. On our doorstep there was a bus that cost 12 pesos (50p) and took you everywhere you could possibly want to go in Cancun. The layout is perfect here with one long road with the sea running along one side and a giant lagoon on the other; the bus runs the full length and back regularly, all day, every day. For our first evening we hopped off at St Isla and ate at Taco Grill overlooking the lagoon.<br />
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I forget how vast Mexican Cuisine is! We had spicy pork tacos and I ordered a serving of Escamoles which I had on my "The Sides" list since the beginning of my blog. Escamoles are known as Mexican Caviar, a delicacy that I have not found in any other country so far - more commonly known as ant eggs. Fried with chili and garlic and served with fresh tortillas it was surprisingly tasty. Even Becky enjoyed it until I told her what it was. I have eaten enough bugs now to conclude that bugs as a food group have a taste all of their own. They don't taste like any meat but if I were to compare it has a definite hint of prawn head or that crustacean smell you get when you barbecue shellfish. This is my summation of all bugs: the dried mapone worms of <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2016/10/south-africa-summer-2016.html">South Africa</a>; the fried tarantulas from <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2013/10/cambodia-summer-2013.html">Cambodia</a>, Skewered scorpions from <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2014/12/">China</a>, and now ant eggs of Mexico... distinguishably prawny but uniquely buggy. Washed down with my first real Mexican Margaritas it was easy eating.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isla Mujeres</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxIQhxdD0GF_mgHOiyfMbHy8CaMF03TVr3rBHGvPvSxVNSTXsmPs6Elx59CMpfYyoUduzjnbm1At6xilOnR4L6w6loX_QOeEjxOFvbz_T-ZDn0rhavhx4a4VTy9d-nWIVhP8A3PQxJUs/s1600/Ik+kil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxIQhxdD0GF_mgHOiyfMbHy8CaMF03TVr3rBHGvPvSxVNSTXsmPs6Elx59CMpfYyoUduzjnbm1At6xilOnR4L6w6loX_QOeEjxOFvbz_T-ZDn0rhavhx4a4VTy9d-nWIVhP8A3PQxJUs/s320/Ik+kil.jpg" width="241" /></a><br />
Though it felt like everybody we met was trying to convince us to hire a car we just didn't fancy driving. So, instead we just booked ourselves onto a load of tours. I easily preferred this to driving and definitely saw more this way than we would have otherwise. It's Cancun: the place runs on its tourism and we found all the tours brilliantly planned and really easy to organise. Our first morning took us to <a href="https://aquaworld.com.mx/en/">Aquaworld</a> to book in some SCUBA diving and we booked a tour with <a href="https://www.eknxtours.com/">Ekinox Tours</a> to Chichen Itza online. We spent the rest of the day touring Isla Mujeres by golf cart stopping off at beach bars and visiting the recommended sites such as the turtle sanctuary and "The Best Margaritas in Cancun". The Chichen Itza tour was perfect. On the way we stopped at a historical town which looked like a beautiful scene from Breaking Bad with pastel coloured buildings and an old, beaten up church. Then we stopped for lunch where an old Mayan lady cooked corn tortillas on an open fire and Cochinita Pibil - pork roasted underground with hot stones. Yes it is all a little put on for tourists but I really enjoyed the whole experience. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and walked us around Chichen Itza telling us all about the Mayans. All about the daily human sacrifices to the Sun God to give it energy so it can battle the underworld. Then the extra sacrifices into the sinkhole nearby to appease the underworld God whenever a natural disaster occurred. It was also great to have the guide's advice on how not to get tricked by the vendors; where is best to buy certain souvenirs and the optimum angle for the best pyramid selfie. After a couple of hours baking under the sun at Chichen Itza our tour took us to Ik Kil sinkhole to have a swim; another place where the Mayans tied stones to people and threw them in for the underworld God. A beautifully unique swimming hole where 40 meters of water separated us from a bed of human bones (I imagine...). It would be the most tranquil place in Mexico if there wasn't a thousand other people there... Below you can see my attempt at making a video to give the impression that it was just the two of us there. Failed.<br />
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Our first diving day was in a cenote (like a cave but for some reason not quite a cave) which was a brand new experience for me and a pretty damn nerve racking one at that. We dived cenote Tajma Ha <i>(video below)</i> which had the most stunning aqua blue entrance with small, black catfish and those fish that you find in a foot spa. I know this because I sat with my feet over the side and saved myself £14.99. On the surface you just see the most welcoming, cool, crystal waters. Duck your head under and you see a much less welcoming dark hole into the abyss. With a torch strapped to our wrists and a guide taking the lead it is more exhilarating then scary. Controlling your breathing when diving is very important but knowing that you are completely closed in with the only access to the surface being through the small crevice you entered 20 minutes ago, it's not that easy! It is stunning, but it is not for the panicker. Some crazy, unusual cave dwelling fish would have been cool but it is the rock formations and incredibly clear waters that make the experience. Our second day diving was at MUSA or the Underwater Museum of Art which has over 500 life-size sculptures where fish and coral have made there home over the years. Not as abundant with fish and coral as some would wish but the sculptures really make it a unique dive.<br />
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I am loving eating Taco's here and it is difficult to order anything else. There are places that make nothing but tortillas and they sell them by the kilogram. Street vendors, restaurants and families buy these and fill them with the most incredible meats, selection of fresh salsas and always one red hot sauce and one green hot sauce. Which one is the "hot" hot sauce is a game you play each time you eat as it is always different. Most places just give you the meat in a tortilla and leave you to add your own salsa, sauce and sprinkles to your taste. Leftover tortillas are quartered and fried into nachos and served with more salsa or guacamole the next day - amazing! We had fish tacos at a beautiful restaurant called <a href="http://naviosseafood.com/es/">Navios</a> built out onto the lagoon; ate beef tacos with a cactus salsa at St Isla whilst watching England beat Columbia; and ate amazing street pork tacos at 70p each before our night out to Cocobongos. Cactus has a slime not unlike okra which made the salsa taste as if a family of slugs had walked through it. The cheap street tacos were, not surprisingly, the tastiest! They lined our stomach perfectly before our completely off the wall, all you can drink experience at <a href="https://www.cocobongo.com/">Cocobongos</a>. Cocobongos gives you everything that could be expected of a club owned by Jim Carrey. It is exactly what I imagine stepping inside his brain would be like and we both absolutely loved the whole thing. We got a bus home at 3am buzzing on what we had just watched.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Actual Real Life Mexico</b></span><br />
<b>Wednesday, 18 July</b><br />
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This is a little mixed up in dates as since the last post I have been to Ecuador and the GALAPAGOS before returning back to Mexico but I wanted to keep Mexico as one entry. I am sure 80 year old me will appreciate it when I am reading my life story back to the grand children.<br />
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Before going home we have 3 full days to explore Mexico City and really experience Mexican food and culture. We are staying in Zona Rosa, The Pink Zone, which is known for its busy nightlife and gay community. Well if you are going to name it the pink zone what will you expect! :o). We sat at a busy bar and ordered a taco sharing board and an enormous michelada also known as a bloody beer. I have said enough about tacos in this blog (but look how good these were!!) but this was my first michelada - a beer with lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce mixed into it and served with a chili salt rim. What Worcestershire sauce is doing in Mexico I have no idea but we have regularly seen it keeping the ketchup company on restaurant tables; you don't even see that in Worcester! We had dessert next door at <a href="http://elmoro.mx/">El Moro Churreria</a> who have been making Churros since 1935. Over 80 years! Needless to say they were perfect. Soft and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy, Cinnamon sugar coating. I am ashamed to say that we (Becky) ordered churros in Cancun and boy were they a disappointment... These more than made up for them! We finished the evening off drinking a much dreaded but surprisingly smooth Don Julio 70 Tequila and watching a Mariachi Band toot, hoot and whistle. Within just 3 hours I think we had absorbed more Mexican culture here than we had in 5 days in Cancun!<br />
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On the following day we had a walking food tour booked with <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/uk">Intrepid Tours</a> starting in the Historical Centre at 8am. After reading about the craziness of the metro during rush hour we decided that the 1 hour walk to get there would be a nice way to see the city. Thoughts on keeping safe are always at the back of the mind but the walk was absolutely fine as the whole city was buzzing with people already. On the tour we visited 5 different markets looking at painted murals and sampling some well known local food spots. Our first bite were some very tasty tamales. Tamales are made by wrapping corn dough in a corn husk and steaming it with lard. We had some stuffed with pork and some with cheese and felt completely full with another four markets still to visit. My favourite stop, however, has to be tacos once again. We had barbacoa and cecina tacos from one popular vendor <i>(right)</i>. Barbacoa is shredded lamb and cecina are thin slices of salted and dried beef steaks. I was full from the tamales but there was plenty of room for these! The tour was an ideal way to spend your first day to get a good grounding on how the city runs. We used the metro, a local bus and an uber to get around in the tour and our guide answered all of our questions. We sampled fruits like cactus fruit and mamey; marvelled at potions at the witches market and ate Mexican delicacies such as huitlacoche - a fungus comparable to truffle that destroys corn crops but worth more than double that of the corn in the first place.<br />
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I think this is my first country where corn is the staple food. There are over 50 different varieties of corn here and the tastes and textures can be completely different. I really enjoyed esquites which is a kind of corn salad I had served in a corn husk and topped with mayonnaise and cheese; Sweet, creamy and savoury it's a cheap and delicious snack. Part of me wishes that 20 year old me chose South America to backpack around as food is seriously cheap here. We ate at one place with a queue out the door that had giant containers filled with 4 different types of tacos and help yourself enormous vats of guacamole and pickles. It fed both of us for 28 pesos! That's just over a pound. There were even a couple of homeless people eating there too! Coming to think of it it may have just been a really good homeless shelter... Either way we were stuffed!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All this time eating delicious Mexican food and only in the final days did I actually eat a National Dish - Mole. I did get to sample different Mole pastes like it was ice cream on the food tour but I had to visit </span><a href="http://www.restauranteelbajio.com.mx/?lang=en" style="font-family: inherit;">El Bajio</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to eat it cooked into a sauce. A typical Mole Sauce has well over 20 different ingredients in it </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">(This is a recipe I found on google: <span style="background-color: white; color: #3d414a;">12 dried ancho chiles,
12 dried guajillo chiles, 6 dried pasilla chiles, 4 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1
teaspoon whole aniseed, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves,
1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, 3 dried bay leave, 1 stick
cinnamon, 2 cups canola oil, 7 1/4 cups chicken stock, 1/2cup skin-on almonds, 1/2
cup raw shelled peanuts, 1/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, 1/3 cup raisins, 2
slices white bread, 2 stale corn tortillas, 1 medium onion, 10 medium cloves garlic, 2 large
tomatillos, 1 large tomato, 1 cup
finely chopped Mexican chocolate, 4 tablespoons sugar and Kosher salt.</span>)</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> with chocolate being the most significant and two types of dried </span>chilli<span style="font-family: inherit;"> coming a close 2nd. It's sweet with a little spice and flavours that combine to make something truly unique. Really like nothing I have ever eaten! I had chicken thoroughly </span>smoothered<span style="font-family: inherit;"> with Mole </span>Pablano<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and resorted to the slightly more acceptable finger wipe and suck when what I really wanted to do was lick my plate clean.</span><br />
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For our final couple of days we did the typical touristy sites made easy by the "<a href="http://www.turibus.com.mx/#1">Turibus</a>" which was great value. We bought a one day hop on hop off ticket but could have easily done two days. We made the mistake of having the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150800-d153711-Reviews-National_Museum_of_Anthropology_Museo_Nacional_de_Antropologia-Mexico_City_Central.html">National Museum of Anthropology</a> as our second stop and spending the rest of our day there! The Anthropology Museum is one of the best things you can do in Mexico City as you explore the entire history of human existence; definitely something not to be rushed. The history in Mexico City is immense and so the turibus facts and figures through the headphones were a nice little bonus. We attempted to go to the Frida Kahlo museum but the queue for pre-paid tickets was enormous and we didn't even have those. We didn't really know or care for Frida Kahlo before coming to Mexico so we didn't fancy waiting the hours required in line. Instead, we went to nearby Museo del Carmen which was an abolute gem find and fascinating to see the facial expressions on their 6 unidentified, well preserved mummies! However, At the top of my list of "cultural" things to do in Mexico was to watch some Lucha Libre wrestling at the Mexico Arena and so we went and bought tickets the day before the show. I've always loved a bit of wrestling but even Becky got really into it! It was great fun and after two double Corona Micheladas it was the best show I had ever seen!<br />
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There is a lot to keep you busy in Mexico City. We had a day where we just jumped on and off the metro (with our new found confidence after our tour) and visited small cobbled street markets, unusual museums and out of the way cafes. I ate Huevos Rancheros at Lalo Cafe, fresh ceviche at San Juan Market and Tlayuda<i>(right)</i><i> </i>from a vendor in the park as my final meals in Mexico (ignoring the rack of ribs and plate of wings from Chili's before heading to the airport...). Our number one concern before visiting Mexico was safety. Taking a few precautions we kept to busy streets and didn't stay out overly late and so never ran into any problems. You could very easily be to cautious and miss out on so much of what Mexico has to offer and so our Intrepid Tour on day one really helped us understand what we can do. As long as you have your wits about you, safety should not be the reason to not visit Mexico. On the other hand, I spent 5 days in Cancun and 3 in Mexico City so who am I to judge?!<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-47378631788068615252018-04-09T11:23:00.000+01:002018-08-01T21:52:53.624+01:00Taiwan - Spring 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: 24.0pt;">Nobody spits on the street </span></b><br />
<b>Wednesday, 4 April</b><br />
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We have a world map on the wall in our international school in Beijing and
every now and then we get a government inspection to check that we are following all of the
rules. We pass with flying colours every year bar this one map that they have grave issues with - it shows Taiwan as a separate country...<br />
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Within the first day of arriving in Taiwan we started
comparing it to Mainland China. The sound of the middle aged man hawking
up his guts and cars honking their horn 20 times to encourage the old lady to cross the road faster definitely seem to be one thing that
separates the two nations. The love of tiny ratty dogs and stinky tofu; however, is
something that keeps them very much the same. In fact, on the dog front, Taiwan may be
even worse as I challenge you to walk down a Taipei street
without seeing a little dog being pushed in a pram or carried in a back
pack. I can't help but realise how ridiculous that sounds whilst I type it but they actually do have, I assume, baby buggies specially made for dogs
here! What they don't have are streets covered in the tiny, worm like,
ratty dog turds...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXAgaYtF2pUZy_pCJScGwsUI0eEcOHmZoszKgawInaL2m0F-UxxINxviYjWAmkhSltAPo-y8pJi6EiHlii7l2Cu5kd3OL8m7MTb1n7g4bS0JKpC-lWLUF0zLOenrQX9YtHjQkmZlXAjU/s1600/Taiwan+beef+noodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXAgaYtF2pUZy_pCJScGwsUI0eEcOHmZoszKgawInaL2m0F-UxxINxviYjWAmkhSltAPo-y8pJi6EiHlii7l2Cu5kd3OL8m7MTb1n7g4bS0JKpC-lWLUF0zLOenrQX9YtHjQkmZlXAjU/s320/Taiwan+beef+noodles.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
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We spent a full day walking around the popular areas
visiting Peace Park, the Botanical Gardens and Longshan Temple. Our day
was essentially walking for an hour, sit down to eat, walk for another hour,
sit down somewhere else to eat. Sometimes even eating whilst walking and
then sitting down somewhere... to eat. Taiwan is certainly a foodies
heaven. Little cafe style restaurants line every street and I can't walk
past something I haven't seen before without buying it; much to the annoyance
of Becky who constantly found herself losing me as I had followed my nose
somewhere down a side street. Taiwan's National Dish of Beef Noodle Soup
was found in one of these small restaurants and was slurped up in an
instant. I very well could have queued for an hour at a famous Beef Noodle
joint but I figured that any restaurant that specialises in making beef noodles
are going to make pretty damn good beef noodles - it's Taiwan!</div>
<br />
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv2dbVw8gXkyylY5uipQPX1EtY2Oi36QN0q3KXTPGhmBJFmRpJ3voYWc6l-q6StjeVjUX0x8Y5ver0ivUXrqxfzdPJzy-VXzmtJQ2Gv4skRWRIY6YhSG14B9YM3kCkMqgsu2AAiYVOmo/s1600/FengChia+night+market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv2dbVw8gXkyylY5uipQPX1EtY2Oi36QN0q3KXTPGhmBJFmRpJ3voYWc6l-q6StjeVjUX0x8Y5ver0ivUXrqxfzdPJzy-VXzmtJQ2Gv4skRWRIY6YhSG14B9YM3kCkMqgsu2AAiYVOmo/s640/FengChia+night+market.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrqINLJ6aLe3bqj-kbYP9RXtNZSqLtKinwwsJ9jQAgNS4EyJtimXqdnd852Q3xRw9bn-u_qZ7gTV1cuvhcsk-BHnllhg_lyH8YiuGU-pi7p5nmq0vJdJO1pOg4q63o9e_Rp_CN3REW4Y/s1600/night+market+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="478" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrqINLJ6aLe3bqj-kbYP9RXtNZSqLtKinwwsJ9jQAgNS4EyJtimXqdnd852Q3xRw9bn-u_qZ7gTV1cuvhcsk-BHnllhg_lyH8YiuGU-pi7p5nmq0vJdJO1pOg4q63o9e_Rp_CN3REW4Y/s320/night+market+gif.gif" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<br />
The biggest thing I was looking forward to in Taiwan were the incredibly
famous and abundant Night Markets. Just in Taipei there are over 50 night markets that
each have their own pull with individual stalls specialising in
something. Like Spain have their tapas, Taiwan has "XiaoChi (<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun;">小吃</span>)"
which translates to "small eat". I have spent every evening so
far munching my way through a different Night Market; it is literally my
idea of heaven. Our first Night Market was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g13806879-d1367969-Reviews-Shilin_Nightmarket-Shilin_Taipei.html">ShiLin</a> which is Taipei's
largest. Deep fried needle mushrooms on a stick and crispy baby soft shell
crabs were may favourites there. The best Night Market so far; however,
was <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g13808534-d2373958-Reviews-FengJia_Night_Market-Xitun_Taichung.html">FengJia</a> in TaiChung which felt much more local. I had a delicious
sticky grilled Taiwanese sausage that was stuffed inside another grilled white
sticky rice sausage which I thought was a genius idea. A meta sausage! My favourite night
market snack would have to be the oyster omelet though. The
combination of textures and flavours are perfect and clearly a fan
favourite. The one thing that's missing from these awesome night markets
is a decent place to buy a beer. Spain's tapas sole purpose is to
accompany your alcohol and all of Taiwan's <span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; mso-bidi-font-family: SimSun;">小吃</span> would sit perfectly next to a cold
beer. We spent at least an hour hunting down a pint at FengJia
Night Market until we eventually found a stall with two proper pub style beer
taps. Glorious! What came out of those beer taps? Tea... tea!? Not even long island ice tea. Plain, old, regular tea. Oh the
disappointment!<br />
<br />
<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXT0TN6KyzBBAcXRk_sCHJ8LbD_U2zaX6KbOqt8-5OLTqE2Ma_Lqistvcvr2LG0YW3-xLvV4j1B4XY7rV-UfITSxfGQun4YGRVKwkzkIlelTup9atQ_ixIjF5AI8beOgVvLJMxwwbOY0/s1600/taroko2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXT0TN6KyzBBAcXRk_sCHJ8LbD_U2zaX6KbOqt8-5OLTqE2Ma_Lqistvcvr2LG0YW3-xLvV4j1B4XY7rV-UfITSxfGQun4YGRVKwkzkIlelTup9atQ_ixIjF5AI8beOgVvLJMxwwbOY0/s400/taroko2.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8bMru3YV_r9M7cDAUqfgVVNgfStcjt5sxfskFfSKTKu8eQG9zgb2n3FUS4wCIdhGmJCfn8aUrvLm095TjJcy3eI0kyqgz0nEzQovEnlVzeVGgIPhEe2MjoqeX7xbesX81G8RBW7_TqA/s1600/taroko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1131" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8bMru3YV_r9M7cDAUqfgVVNgfStcjt5sxfskFfSKTKu8eQG9zgb2n3FUS4wCIdhGmJCfn8aUrvLm095TjJcy3eI0kyqgz0nEzQovEnlVzeVGgIPhEe2MjoqeX7xbesX81G8RBW7_TqA/s320/taroko.jpg" width="226" /></a></span><br />
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Other than food, probably the best thing we bought was an
"Easy Card" for the Metro. Not only was it easy to get around
Taipei but we get to use it in Kaosiung too! After a full day of Taipei
we woke up early the next day and got on a train to visit <a href="https://www.taroko.gov.tw/en">Taroko Gorge</a>. With lush
greenery, mountain cliff views and easy access paths we very happily spent the
day here. The help desk told us everything that we needed to know at the
start; what sites to visit in our time frame; which buses to catch and even
where to eat lunch. After a day of rambling we slept on the train
ride back and felt that we had a very successful day. It's an early start
to do it all from Taipei but it was very easy and we didn't feel rushed. Being back in Taipei also meant that we could have a lush foot massage after a day of hiking. Winner! </div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W7qmri3UNL8X2h3BJEmlukGnPI8LaB7OlCsQqmDRnZ1SMIdXy77h5OxxT3nUkIjcRLosmMlvcjvsLVnDGFAM5JuJ0mQK6-S7Xj24U7I565_v4SnKEhhBocpeNIdYBfs6QcHK43O-4kY/s1600/bubble+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2W7qmri3UNL8X2h3BJEmlukGnPI8LaB7OlCsQqmDRnZ1SMIdXy77h5OxxT3nUkIjcRLosmMlvcjvsLVnDGFAM5JuJ0mQK6-S7Xj24U7I565_v4SnKEhhBocpeNIdYBfs6QcHK43O-4kY/s320/bubble+tea.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDZ6t1V2Fgx6b09YVt1JdantjeAoZ68MeIWZZrLp5aYbl1-Ag78u7AXFwWNlfg_DRUlatmfE634-lP_NTZCboTONDV2QVchzkLoZNUuslbCmBOTGoPiBp5Y9L9jHXZRZyW1GjtFBpups/s1600/tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1188" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDZ6t1V2Fgx6b09YVt1JdantjeAoZ68MeIWZZrLp5aYbl1-Ag78u7AXFwWNlfg_DRUlatmfE634-lP_NTZCboTONDV2QVchzkLoZNUuslbCmBOTGoPiBp5Y9L9jHXZRZyW1GjtFBpups/s320/tea.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnADukymWZvlhyphenhyphencicjVGTWvZfdhpxnp8MrVWtDaZe3LujhKRG-6GZrDvOGnftHEPpqiu3eZR28DmChEbPR3bwwciHgPNXMKPc7oQh3U04UM6MPE6gkXTXVBijdxyAzyHb_T9m7TtAYxY4/s1600/houfeng+bikeway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnADukymWZvlhyphenhyphencicjVGTWvZfdhpxnp8MrVWtDaZe3LujhKRG-6GZrDvOGnftHEPpqiu3eZR28DmChEbPR3bwwciHgPNXMKPc7oQh3U04UM6MPE6gkXTXVBijdxyAzyHb_T9m7TtAYxY4/s320/houfeng+bikeway.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
The following day we went to the station and bought all the
train tickets required for our trip. That is a single to Taichung, a single from
Taichung to KaoSiung and finally a single from KaoSiung all the way back to
Taipei. In total, on the fast train which is substantially quicker, it
cost us just under £75 each. TaiChung has a few draws but mainly for
being the birth place of the incredibly tasty bubble tea. If you have not heard
of bubble tea it is a sweat milky tea with giant tapioca balls that you slurp
up through an extra thick straw. Living in China I have drunk many bubble
teas but I did not expect it to be so different here. Every corner in
TaiChung has a bubble tea store but we decided to take the store with the
queue. This particular store has several outlets and it's the brown sugar
bubble tea that will change your world. Bubble tea aside, TaiChung itself
is worth the visit as it is the nearest city to the popular Sun Moon Lake and
even better it is home to the largest night market in Taiwan - FangJia Night
Market! Though this was where we spent an hour trying to find beer and
ended up finding tea; a pint of delicious papaya milk almost filled the void. We decided to do a bike ride on the "<a href="https://www.rtaiwanr.com/taichung-city/houfeng-bikeway">Houfeng Bikeway</a>"
that I had read about and we thought it was a brilliant afternoon activity.
We rented bikes for cheap and cycled over 20km on bike only paths through parks
and gardens stopping at points of interest indicated on our little map provided
by the old man that hired his bikes to us.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfmkuaf0ZHgMsAKrZxNvwXjF27xRKLYWHzSL5RBvLYIj1sDdWA1zlQMi9b4rvpe6W46Zlr93P6KDY6HNhUwtW01g7KpZngbe1kfHCQp4wQ2ycxGqsS-OqOy0NZ6kFsiSjOCPrhFFxj1I/s1600/sunmoon+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfmkuaf0ZHgMsAKrZxNvwXjF27xRKLYWHzSL5RBvLYIj1sDdWA1zlQMi9b4rvpe6W46Zlr93P6KDY6HNhUwtW01g7KpZngbe1kfHCQp4wQ2ycxGqsS-OqOy0NZ6kFsiSjOCPrhFFxj1I/s640/sunmoon+lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We took a public bus (paid for on our easy card!) to Sun Moon Lake for another bike ride <i>(above)</i> but all in all felt that it was a little
underwhelming. It is a big lake and we had a nice day out but I arrived
thinking that it would be a highlight of the trip but so many other things
outshone. The most unexpected highlight of TaiChung was probably the little <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g13806759-d2236866-Reviews-Rainbow_Village_Taichung-Nantun_Taichung.html">Rainbow Village</a> we visited on the way to the fast train train station before
heading to KaoSiung. The story behind the Rainbow Grandpa and why he
decided to start painting these houses is so sweet and he was even there with
paint on his hands after his morning paint session. Sun Moon Lake was nice
and all, but I'd make Rainbow Grandpa my priority! Him and a slurp of brown sugar bubble
tea.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "simsun"; font-size: 24pt;">台湾人很亲切</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b>Sunday, 8 April</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALfcxTdSSuNF1W7-XsmlPVYzTrwQ1JAGoU_2FRBCYjEXWNz069oxGRtvRqQv8YIRi9EKWoXUYHwovmml0vS3nNFXG8IftMdfiLCakG4ADGKsCdp_Es1LkD2W1kDAs_SdYcjAVyfx8ncQ/s1600/fish+feast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1417" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALfcxTdSSuNF1W7-XsmlPVYzTrwQ1JAGoU_2FRBCYjEXWNz069oxGRtvRqQv8YIRi9EKWoXUYHwovmml0vS3nNFXG8IftMdfiLCakG4ADGKsCdp_Es1LkD2W1kDAs_SdYcjAVyfx8ncQ/s200/fish+feast.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmHR1zqn5FNZyzR4slu_ZhS3DmU2GGOdAKdGQsUUnFF9oWZZ9_QS4RBqbLplcxU3F3CMrE0i4Wapq3JMJSmxh51g04kDHHhUlpDjz576VU3dQPtxuwLHodwxWKm6tOyu2Ls8UuAhyphenhyphenfTI/s1600/cijin+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1136" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmHR1zqn5FNZyzR4slu_ZhS3DmU2GGOdAKdGQsUUnFF9oWZZ9_QS4RBqbLplcxU3F3CMrE0i4Wapq3JMJSmxh51g04kDHHhUlpDjz576VU3dQPtxuwLHodwxWKm6tOyu2Ls8UuAhyphenhyphenfTI/s320/cijin+island.jpg" width="227" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxdqVpl3v-YVrklbaakjyyu4lY6M4x9zKHNY835DHBWa5e9KuLcUGSwix5T0mJ9RnlHWBMFs7QdZhPWN75iaUzvP6I7-yBfv97X1M-IkuVkMQ6XFsYx-tTT_9UNrTx4YlZJd1KLVbbzc/s1600/qijin+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxdqVpl3v-YVrklbaakjyyu4lY6M4x9zKHNY835DHBWa5e9KuLcUGSwix5T0mJ9RnlHWBMFs7QdZhPWN75iaUzvP6I7-yBfv97X1M-IkuVkMQ6XFsYx-tTT_9UNrTx4YlZJd1KLVbbzc/s320/qijin+island.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">We're
using the fast train which is a little more money but so convenient! From the
top of Taiwan (Taipei) to the bottom (Kaohsiung) takes 90 minutes! This
made it totally possible to see a good range of Taiwan in our short time.
Kaohsiung instantly feels more relaxed with a less busy city like
culture. People are sitting out on the street eating shaved ice desserts
as the sun sets and the general hum of the city is of chatter and laughter over
car engines and horns. We arrived late afternoon and after checking in
we walked to the port and took a ferry </span>(again using
our Easy Card!)<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> over to Cijin Island to spend the evening. It is such
an easy excursion and whilst there you just hire a bike and roam around.
Or in our case hire the horribly bright love buggy with heart shape backrests
because <s>that was the one you got the best deal on</s> you totally
love your girlfriend that much. We explored for a couple of hours driving
to the important sites and seeking out the best places to eat. We settled
for a seafood feast at a busy looking restaurant where you pick your seafood
from the iced up tables outside and tell them how you want it cooked.
Being able to speak a little Chinese definitely came in use here! </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQR2uBph_hMyTIJU6-mcmtDqbysFZD8HBwT971jBH5IO5bdVQLeBhbaSzhMPpubdvy3LEhWdmGNoLto2XUPR4mN8XHIuD9IjX2aVPOBS9VlT8DWH5MUdXs0cGzpm-DzBBw03ii8yz7WQ/s1600/icecream+burrito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQR2uBph_hMyTIJU6-mcmtDqbysFZD8HBwT971jBH5IO5bdVQLeBhbaSzhMPpubdvy3LEhWdmGNoLto2XUPR4mN8XHIuD9IjX2aVPOBS9VlT8DWH5MUdXs0cGzpm-DzBBw03ii8yz7WQ/s400/icecream+burrito.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">With
a belly stuffed full of fish and clams we were waddling towards the beach when we
came across a dessert I had read about online - the ice cream spring roll
(locally called </span><i>Run Bing</i>). Ice cream
wrapped in a pancake like wrap doesn't sound that interesting. Add
shavings of peanut brittle to the mix starts to make it sound a little more
exciting. Throw in a few sprigs of fresh coriander and you have gone
from "a little exciting" to "what's wrong with
you!?". So that's ice cream (we had the choice of peanut, taro and
vanilla flavours), peanut brittle shavings from the biggest block of peanut
brittle I have ever seen and coriander leaves wrapped up in a thin
pancake. I was dubious but my god it tastes extraordinary! It's not
like Chili-Chocolate where people just agree that they taste good together in
fear of being dubbed a food dunce; the coriander is genuinely what makes this
dessert. It's sweet and creamy but with the most amazing, fresh, aromatic layer to it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmMAjm5eFvWyiMZIBb0j_MksYeAv6WvKQjOsWjaFahJcbOnPW2uheMkUM9lry1tsZBmlAJz3dIsP3NaZO2K77Rfh1VAx1UV4hReeIiRpvDvygPejSNCmByiIcChL4JPJdvqaJpNeeGi4/s1600/fo+guang+shan+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmMAjm5eFvWyiMZIBb0j_MksYeAv6WvKQjOsWjaFahJcbOnPW2uheMkUM9lry1tsZBmlAJz3dIsP3NaZO2K77Rfh1VAx1UV4hReeIiRpvDvygPejSNCmByiIcChL4JPJdvqaJpNeeGi4/s640/fo+guang+shan+temple.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBb_ffPHk6V8amibH4U8bXvyW6o3ofFcrW7kOBgFqxpC1DzXK0k-V52JsPXgI9wS4gd3fQP2cxo3KivipzJfrarcPG0RcsYXsdoA7pVCsb5KaB7X6cr3aQisQzY56BFiFIMWq2kUXvHo/s1600/fo+guang+shan+temple2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1412" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBb_ffPHk6V8amibH4U8bXvyW6o3ofFcrW7kOBgFqxpC1DzXK0k-V52JsPXgI9wS4gd3fQP2cxo3KivipzJfrarcPG0RcsYXsdoA7pVCsb5KaB7X6cr3aQisQzY56BFiFIMWq2kUXvHo/s320/fo+guang+shan+temple2.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypG9hJST5DIZsp5yg2FZkA1AigF6A6hRm6gIfFlZ4S5zvTPgMcOui_9gfDzfjA-lFM6itqPHiDwwiqmyoRDSwws57E7NhtLPKIPkTQzk5XjaUJwcBvlLAqKegqzBGmRjBEGP7pZ-nEkI/s1600/Lotus+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypG9hJST5DIZsp5yg2FZkA1AigF6A6hRm6gIfFlZ4S5zvTPgMcOui_9gfDzfjA-lFM6itqPHiDwwiqmyoRDSwws57E7NhtLPKIPkTQzk5XjaUJwcBvlLAqKegqzBGmRjBEGP7pZ-nEkI/s320/Lotus+lake.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Kaohsiung
is just a very beautiful city. We both agreed that we could happily live
there. We spent the best part of our day at <a href="https://www.fgs.org.tw/en/">Fo Guang Shan Temple</a> which
was an Easy Card coach ride away. Like most travellers in Asia I feel
pretty templed out but there were a few new offerings here. It kind of
has a Buddhist temple theme park feel to it. Though if you go expecting
theme park you will leave very disappointed! We found ourselves watching a
not so exhilarating Buddhist cartoon in 4D. Lots of taking your shoes off to
enter rooms, walking around for a minute or two looking mildly interested in
things before putting your shoes back on and doing it all over again in a
different room. The worlds tallest sitting Buddha took a good
photo... Like I said, if this was my first temple I would have probably
been blown away. We walked around Lotus Lake for the sunset and ate at
the Rui Feng Night Market desperately trying to find one last ice cream burrito
with no luck.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyRNk5q-DJsJS-h-9-PN7vv4FALaYRgOrGz3LFiVw0hpZSSIlt1wyV-kO81bOgkL1hewctm8KU3OK3g3VW2bRyOt1SQaVeDqnGrcYJOcjPFHb5nAmAoUZsgZmao7-012Tu7bvNTUxfyc/s1600/taiwan+train+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyRNk5q-DJsJS-h-9-PN7vv4FALaYRgOrGz3LFiVw0hpZSSIlt1wyV-kO81bOgkL1hewctm8KU3OK3g3VW2bRyOt1SQaVeDqnGrcYJOcjPFHb5nAmAoUZsgZmao7-012Tu7bvNTUxfyc/s320/taiwan+train+food.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Like
Japan, Taiwan has a very impressive food selection when it comes to
trains. A full meal conveniently packed to take on the train with you
will set you back a couple of quid and it is like taking a delicious home cooked
packed lunch. Slightly different to your Ginsters pasty and a bag of
cheese and onion crisps back in the UK. 90 minutes later we were back in
a cold and strangely miserable looking Taipei. Arriving in Taipei from
Kaohsiung felt like returning from a lovely summers holiday. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKPLLxPlWrio_GuTvIpwhsTkY-wW5C0UGrRrK6EX0M3NiD2U0IlU_ZkLLURDFINM8_Q2wsJ_QRIcl1LaszWbV_iqlcakgVM511C1pW4Y3T6hduHexXz1IiLRR53YuCm-kNEMldwJd15w/s1600/addiction+aquating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKPLLxPlWrio_GuTvIpwhsTkY-wW5C0UGrRrK6EX0M3NiD2U0IlU_ZkLLURDFINM8_Q2wsJ_QRIcl1LaszWbV_iqlcakgVM511C1pW4Y3T6hduHexXz1IiLRR53YuCm-kNEMldwJd15w/s320/addiction+aquating.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">If
I were ever to open a restaurant I would attach myself to a fish market or a
butcher. Fresh produce guaranteed every day and the specials board will
be whatever fish/cut was going cheap at the end of the day. Taiwan fish
market has taken this idea one step further and opened an entire food
court! <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g13808671-d3497582-Reviews-Addiction_Aquatic_Development-Zhongshan_District_Taipei.html">Addiction Aquatic Development</a> is a genius idea and I just had to
check it out. The place has a wonderful buzz about it in the evening and
after gawking at all the different stalls and beautiful seafood we settled for
a sushi spot. I loved it and would happily come back to try a different
restaurant.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">We
did very well on the food front in our final days in Taiwan. If Taiwan
chose to have a second National Dish it would undoubtedly be braised pork over
rice (lu rou fan). Fatty belly pork cooked with whole boiled eggs is
Taiwanese comfort food and we found a small place with a fast moving queue
outside. Being able to read Chinese came in use here as a small sheet of
paper and a pen was thrusted into our hands and we were to tick the dishes we
wanted. No pictures, just Chinese writing. A friendly local
standing behind us spoke English and confirmed with us that we actually ticked
what we wanted. He also confirmed that without a doubt this was the place to eat Lu Rou
Fan in Taipei. It was called "Tian Tian Li (</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "dengxian"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">天添利</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">)" on HangZhong street and it truly did serve the best
bowl of delicious melt in the mouth braised pork over rice. Sweet,
savoury and fatty it is certainly not something that you should eat every day
but if I lived here it would be unbelievably difficult not to! I washed
this down with possible the most unusual juice I have ever imagined.
Taiwan like to juice a vegetable that just the name itself tells you it's
absolutely not a good idea. There is no masking the flavour of a
bitter gourd but I had to do as the locals do! Turns out that Taiwan
prides itself in its farming and the bitter gourd with its surprisingly sugary, sweet flesh is one
of their success stories. Another food experience we had was shrimp
fishing. I had done this once before in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2010/12/singapore-winter-2010.html">Singapore</a> but it was nice to
introduce it to Becky. We caught 9 in total and had them simply grilled
with salt on site. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Our
last days in Taiwan were spent ticking off any final touristy spots like the
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and the impressive ceiling in the Formosa Boulevard
Metro Station. It has been a great week and fascinating to compare with
mainland China. Chatting to our masseuse we learnt the word "qinqie
(</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "dengxian"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">亲切</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">)" which she used to
describe the Taiwanese. Qinqie means caring and perfectly describes
them. Every Taiwanese person we had the pleasure of talking to did
genuinely seem interested in what we had to say. One night, 4 of us were
drinking beers in a local bar and a young lady came and told us that the old
gentleman sitting on the other table insisted he bought our drinks for
us. We tried to politely decline but he came over and just seemed so
pleased to host us in his country. He kept saying in mandarin "thank
you for coming to Taiwan". You just help yourself to beers in the
fridge in this particular restaurant and the waiters count the number of empty
bottles you have to calculate your bill and this lovely old man
insisted that he took our bottles and put them on his table. I feel like
our time in Taiwan can be summed up in that one bar. Time to look up some international schools in Taiwan... </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-28450131994620039332018-02-25T15:39:00.000+00:002018-03-28T15:18:27.336+01:00Borneo - Winter 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXun1YpfFqmUgRoMoOqyjTn_XlxLWEHarJ_SXX4TJk8DYnxEaNTU02NGaiCTK7bmc4dz067usNBT4m_b1Ls3jplmw4SIIr1SC3TIelPrPUdRUtGaQSdYKSDDGHLBlFcRL3cf-QMtMylRo/s1600/orang+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXun1YpfFqmUgRoMoOqyjTn_XlxLWEHarJ_SXX4TJk8DYnxEaNTU02NGaiCTK7bmc4dz067usNBT4m_b1Ls3jplmw4SIIr1SC3TIelPrPUdRUtGaQSdYKSDDGHLBlFcRL3cf-QMtMylRo/s640/orang+banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Fried Bananas and Cheese</span></b><br />
<b>Wednesday, 14 February</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Borneo has always been that exotic place where you only hear about it on TV. Whether it was a documentary on its magnificent ecosystem or a reality "who can survive in the jungle" show it was never a place that I imagined I would ever have the opportunity to visit myself. Low and behold I am a lucky, lucky man and have a week SCUBA Diving in the lush blue waters around Sipadan followed by a week in the green, green jungle searching for the Borneo Big Five. Oh how wonderful life is! Now lets not get Dengue...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4yEA5Z7_a95l33NXdspXQseyb2ponCgtavF40thzx92fSya8_KPdICMw7FtW4khOlGpU1sJHJi8jWGJ7bSxU9LjfKSYktv_feBaEMd6y5TCBWmHXFZlupUeGLy1icWzaQbfpdH0kptM/s1600/banana+and+cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="1600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4yEA5Z7_a95l33NXdspXQseyb2ponCgtavF40thzx92fSya8_KPdICMw7FtW4khOlGpU1sJHJi8jWGJ7bSxU9LjfKSYktv_feBaEMd6y5TCBWmHXFZlupUeGLy1icWzaQbfpdH0kptM/s320/banana+and+cheese.jpg" width="320" /></a>We arrived in Semporna in the evening and checked into the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g635753-d12124849-Reviews-Cube_Bed_Station-Semporna_Semporna_District_Sabah.html">Cube Bed Station</a> and headed straight out the back door onto the board walk for dinner. Overlooking the sea our first Malaysian meal was a delicious seafood feast where we picked our fish and prawns from tanks and told the cooks how we wanted them. This was followed by street cart fried bananas topped with brown sugar and grated cheese. It doesn't sound great but it really was scrumptious - a word I only ever use when it really does fit. A plate of sweet, sticky banana with salty, stringy cheese and chewy yet crunchy batter. Your mouth is watering right?<br />
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We start our trip on Mabul Island, an island off an island, where we have an all inclusive stay booked in with <a href="http://www.scuba-junkie.com/">Scuba Junkies</a>. 6 days and 5 nights with 9 none Sipadan dives and 4 Sipadan dives. Sipadan is why most people are here; a world renowned island off an island off an island in which there are limited permits for tourists to visit each year. Our booking with Scuba Junkies guaranteed us one days permit which was on the last day of our stay. Having been instructed to wear our bathers to our 8:00am pick up in Semporna we were in wetsuits and full SCUBA gear within 20 minutes of arriving on Mabul island. Instructors, both local and foreign, were incredibly helpful and you instantly felt happy to rest your life in their hands. We did our refresher dive straight off the jetty where we recalled all the methods of how not to drown whilst an abundant of fish watched us. Just off the jetty the waters are thriving with all kinds of colourful creatures. Instantly we knew that we were in for a real treat with Scuba Junkies.<br />
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The next few days played out largely the same. Early mornings for a filling buffet breakfast; onto a boat for two morning dives; back to the resort for lunch and a rest; back on to a boat for an evening dive; pass out in a hammock; buffet dinner; drinks and cards in the bar. Diving 3 times a day is hard work! I looked into it and we were burning around 1000 calories a day just in our underwater expeditions. It is by far the best form of exercise that I could ever think of. Mabul is really just the holding ground for Sipadan but the diving still offered a great variety of dive sites. Enormous man made underwater structures in North Kapalai (A resort situated on an "island" 10 minutes from Mabul - we almost stayed there but glad we didn't) housed giant tree trunk thick Moray Eels and enormous Green Sea Turtles. <a href="http://seaventuresdive.com/the-rig-near-mabul-sipadan/">The Dive Rig</a> (another resort we almost stayed at - a converted oil rig which we could see from our resort. Again glad we didn't! It was nice to have a beach to chill on, a village to explore and locals to interact with.) was home to other monsters like the Giant Grouper. But it is the tiny things that are popular around Mabul, things that our dive instructor had to point at several times before we could see them. Like the ornate ghost pipefish and the teeny tiny decorator crabs. Lots of things that look like coral but aren't. I only took my camera on the first dive and my pictures really do not do justice to how beautiful the dive sites were.<br />
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Plastic waste is a hot topic right now and our diving around Mabul really highlighted its devastating effects. I collected a number of plastic bags on a dive around Mabul island and saw all sorts of packaging that could quite easily be several years old. I avoided the nappies. A lot of reviews online seem to complain about this and mark down the surrounding resorts because of it. What they don't realise is that it is these resorts (though I can only speak about Scuba Junkies for sure!) that actively seek out a solution to clean the seas. It was a massive eye opener and I have already started to refuse the straw and carry a water bottle around with me.<br />
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Mabul island is small but has a thriving local community largely made up of settled Bajua Laut people known as the sea nomads. These were made famous through various documentaries showing their fascinating life based entirely out on the sea (I learnt about them from the BBC's <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00llpvp">Human Planet</a> documentary). Now settled on the island most families have still chosen to build their house on stilts out on the water. It was fascinating to walk around among these super friendly people and absorb such a alien culture. At first glance it would seem like the island is only inhabited by children as they are everywhere running around, sword fighting with sticks, flying homemade kites and capsizing makeshift boats. Kids free to roam wherever and do whatever. Where the only strangers on the island are tourists and their playground is the sea; no adult supervision required. I explored the island twice. Once to explore the village life and then once again to seek out some local food.<br />
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The Scuba Junkies food was always perfect for post diving bellies and genuinely really good food (though no seafood for sea-friendly reasons... I was happy to support this!). But there was very little to actually blog about. If I were to experience some real local food I had to go seek it out myself away from the resort and so on a free afternoon I conducted my own walking food tour of Mabul.<br />
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<b><u>The Mabul Food Tour</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-q16UVcP_1WzZJ_lOcnVh34klnd7I1iRy7J4UeJ9oSIXYPAMA_YckAKJtvr0k7wl_KyhJ78d_jj1-mc9EZHROLw5Sm54ABXXqp_-qCkutwnJviytgDqU_ZAUZ4qzcfGEPBQuWfnKsbQ/s1600/mabulfood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-q16UVcP_1WzZJ_lOcnVh34klnd7I1iRy7J4UeJ9oSIXYPAMA_YckAKJtvr0k7wl_KyhJ78d_jj1-mc9EZHROLw5Sm54ABXXqp_-qCkutwnJviytgDqU_ZAUZ4qzcfGEPBQuWfnKsbQ/s320/mabulfood.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKONGbb1CUKvuR20pHZcnM834z6nljlkNi9jpocDiL_D4yS27i-xluRNZG2SHfRjHjn7X5Hf9vPqa9skKOIb33JgMXD1xTGddYadXt35d6hvOItphLzjoFVR40XicZBgjCofEHhGCKy4/s1600/mabul+food+tour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKONGbb1CUKvuR20pHZcnM834z6nljlkNi9jpocDiL_D4yS27i-xluRNZG2SHfRjHjn7X5Hf9vPqa9skKOIb33JgMXD1xTGddYadXt35d6hvOItphLzjoFVR40XicZBgjCofEHhGCKy4/s320/mabul+food+tour2.jpg" width="320" /></a>With a wad of ten 1 ringgit notes in my pocket I just walked around the island taking any random paths I found and bought from every food stall along the way. Most things I bought I had no idea what they were. I found 3 different vendors selling fried bananas and so my first ringgit was spent on that. After my bag of fried bananas I was pretty full (I didn't think this through...) and so I ended up just sampling from each stall and then giving the rest of the bag to the next group of ecstatic kids I came across. This was particularly useful when it was the bag of greasy, slightly off fish smelling strips of fried dough(?). Raw guava fruit soaked in a diluted soy sauce (I think?) was a little strange but palatable and a bag of soy sauce noodles were relatively bland. 4 items and 4 ringgit later I struck gold twice with a curry puff vendor followed by a little restaurant selling the first of my National Dishes: Roti Canai! Curry puffs were being folded in front of me and fried to order at 4 ringgit per portion. A very basic potato curry encased in a light, flaky pastry it was surprisingly good. It was the Roti Canai that made my friends jealous though. I told them that they should have come with me! A fluffy, layered flat bread rolled and "flicked" out using a technique that I would never be able to replicate was served with a curry sauce. Fish head curry sauce is by far my favourite with a roti which I had back in <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2010/12/singapore-winter-2010.html">Singapore</a> but this much simpler curry sauce still did the trick. Besides, it is the roti that is the star of the show - I could quite happily dip it in Bisto! I bought another bag of curry puffs to take back to the others but having newly become known as "the guy that gives out free food to kids (not in a weird way... hopefully.)" a group of bouncy boys ran over to me and sheepishly asked for them. I couldn't say no. Mainly because I don't know how to say it in Malay. Anyway, even if I had found Roti Canai and nothing else I would have called this walking food tour a success! Right... back to the resort. Just in time for dinner... :-/<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sipadan - Into the Blue</span></b><br />
<b>Thursday, 16 February</b><br />
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Today was one of those once in a life time days. An experience that you will remember in great detail and recall when anyone mentions anything remotely connected to diving. "Anyone fancy fish and chips for dinner?"... "Talking of fish I went to a place called Sipadan 10 years ago...". Sipadan is well and truly incredible!<br />
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A tiny island famous for its 600m sudden drop off just a few meters out from the beach. From the surface you can see this with a very clear line separating a light aqua from a deep, dark, somewhat scary blue. This means stunning coral reefs and their colourful inhabitants next door to wide open blue emptiness where the sea giants like to hang out. After a not so brief briefing about the island and the many rules that we must abide by during our stay we were out on the boat ready for our first dive. The boat ride was less than 60 seconds and before we knew it we were in the dark blue part of the sea. Our guide told us that we will swim 30 of the 600 meters down and then swim out into the blue until we could no longer see the land. Oh and to be careful of the down current that pulls you even further down if you swim into it... Never in my life have I experienced such nothingness. Where every direction looked the same and where even up and down could get muddled up. Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of this experience but I have managed to recreate it on Microsoft Paint <i>(left)</i>. We sat, floating in the vast, empty blue for something big to swim by but alas, this time, it remained empty and silent. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenquGNnQNiTBOr9_n5A-rUXjtK52mu5T8Ivu3gcuIKVQyfA2QOVWXqAnRVSdJJJP2FAwkapGA1u3fUh8dh5C4mhnxxSWN7eYX8TuZFYUBjS_qBOJf0jlwpjd6fq6atGF2VpFeON6g5iE/s1600/Sipadan+turtle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenquGNnQNiTBOr9_n5A-rUXjtK52mu5T8Ivu3gcuIKVQyfA2QOVWXqAnRVSdJJJP2FAwkapGA1u3fUh8dh5C4mhnxxSWN7eYX8TuZFYUBjS_qBOJf0jlwpjd6fq6atGF2VpFeON6g5iE/s320/Sipadan+turtle.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
After a rest on the island our second dive was the popular Barracuda Point which regularly finds itself in the list of top dive sites in the world. The second I back rolled into the water I found myself completely swallowed up by an enormous school of Big Eye Trevally. There were literally thousands of them and they did not seem to care one bit about our presence. We got the signal to "go and play" and so I swam into the mass of silver until I disappeared. From the last dive where in all directions was blue this time it was a busy swarm of fish in which every single one felt like it was looking at you curiously. Sad to leave the Trevally behind we carried on with the rest of the dive where we were treated to turtle after turtle after turtle followed by White Tip Reef Shark after Grey Reef Shark after White Tip Reef Shark. Sharks and turtles easily hit double figures in just the one dive and we all surfaced absolutely exhilarated. Bobbing at the surface and sticking your face in the water to see circling sharks feels mental. Swimming along side them down at 20 meters doesn't seem so bad! Why is that!?<br />
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Lunch on the island was well needed before completing our final two dives. We were given a choice to go back into the blue and hope for some big stuff or to redo the best dive I have ever done in my life at Barracuda Point. We chose the latter though in hindsight maybe we should have risked it all to catch a glimpse of something big. Whale sharks, Giant Manta and Hammerheads are all commonly seen in the deep and we left Sipadan seeing none of them. Having said that we left Sipadan feeling 100% thoroughly content. Only a video could even come close to help share the experience with you and so using the rented underwater camera from Scuba Junkies I managed to put one together.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>My Nose Is Bigger Than Yours</b></span><br />
<b>Tuesday, 20 February</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-jguVeuvhMi_p7WeudAZlV7urpDGehML1abs5ZkWghY1mGk72PEz9xU9gFUoGS2-BPVnW9sDKSPiRqSej99JkqnO6n7AI6zXTZAXOBXrYfSiXVX9vSxvHBSKxOwVOD1bUHZ4r4Z7sS0/s1600/roti+canai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-jguVeuvhMi_p7WeudAZlV7urpDGehML1abs5ZkWghY1mGk72PEz9xU9gFUoGS2-BPVnW9sDKSPiRqSej99JkqnO6n7AI6zXTZAXOBXrYfSiXVX9vSxvHBSKxOwVOD1bUHZ4r4Z7sS0/s320/roti+canai.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
With a single transition day we went from the stunning clear blue seas of Sipadan to the murky brown water of the Kinabatangan River deep in the Borneo Rainforest. An early boat ride from Mabul to Semporna and then a 4 hour, 450rm (£80) taxi got us to Sandakan, the city where our next all inclusive experience begins. Now I know that it has to be all inclusive, there are no restaurants in the rainforest; but, it is making it really difficult to seek out the best food Borneo has to offer. With our last stop also an all inclusive chill-out stop on Gaya Island these transition days have become extremely important. From this perspective, our one and only night in Sandakan was an outright disaster. We found a nice outdoor restaurant where we could tick off some nice local dishes. After waiting for an hour and a half it turned out that everything we had ordered went to the Chinese family next to us and they chose to just eat it all. At about 10pm we found ourselves in a McDonalds. First evening on Borneo that wasn't a buffet dinner and we ended up in McDonalds! I made up for it in the morning by having two full breakfasts. First one was a sambal fish with rice which didn't seem like a breakfast item to me but it was what everyone in that restaurant was eating. This was shortly followed by a Roti Canai at a "Curry House" next to our hotel which just about made up for the complete and utter failure of the night before.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute Orangutan</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evil Orangutan</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpllE5Vq51Hee7OuE7YMGJOPVJNEoygfmTDu69NIokxoWRT_0Rr_DxqmQGIzdXw02QJtIJMsArMTyz_2YVg9dPu_W70zFxydfjlFBr_EDZ_pGOx4VLQarkuxG5i3SBIMATCqigzjc3PFo/s1600/sunbear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpllE5Vq51Hee7OuE7YMGJOPVJNEoygfmTDu69NIokxoWRT_0Rr_DxqmQGIzdXw02QJtIJMsArMTyz_2YVg9dPu_W70zFxydfjlFBr_EDZ_pGOx4VLQarkuxG5i3SBIMATCqigzjc3PFo/s320/sunbear.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Our bus picked us up from the hotel and drove us to <a href="https://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/about-us/sepilok-orangutan-rehabilitation-centre">Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre</a> where we saw our first wild but not so wild orangutan. Wild because they are not enclosed in the vast rain forest but not so wild in that they know this is where they get looked after and fed. They are free to leave whenever they want. But why would they? It is where I took the above photo - my favourite photo of my trip so far. It is also where we had to actually run away from an orangutan <i>(left)</i> that just last week put a security guard in hospital. Even our guide looked scared. It was pretty much scary orangutan, 5 meters of boardwalk, us and then a thousand Chinese tourists that were in no rush to move whatsoever. Luckily for us his trainer was around and literally just held his hand and took him away. It was like a rampaging child at school when its mother turns up. It was very much a situation of just needing to be able to run faster than the person next to me! After a visit to the Sun Bear Centre next door we got on a boat and travelled for a good hour up the Kinabatangan River right into the heart of the Borneon Rainforest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxtCS0JuYtRYqLLpv_6AAy7C3gSI6beL6XN1XqUz21zs3_oxdcyvoLozRzDpoycvg06YQwnlDaviSpgYhDHgvuIeUT9er8OivG-ey16IdYdKuNImpKO1L9LQNAc-e9a4hcYPVT4KEp5A/s1600/sakau4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="941" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxtCS0JuYtRYqLLpv_6AAy7C3gSI6beL6XN1XqUz21zs3_oxdcyvoLozRzDpoycvg06YQwnlDaviSpgYhDHgvuIeUT9er8OivG-ey16IdYdKuNImpKO1L9LQNAc-e9a4hcYPVT4KEp5A/s320/sakau4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-CadHgl3e9t2cypnRBi5KbWP1Mcv0zi_hJqRUOqajTT2tuWhLHch7piNUDQvLNmSjbylkS_qHxPl-4iwbjK4GkeXYXBATcNOdxAqxXOsaqosvlFjR4C-6dNcw94NZt4b6eRiXO2OL5k/s1600/sakau2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-CadHgl3e9t2cypnRBi5KbWP1Mcv0zi_hJqRUOqajTT2tuWhLHch7piNUDQvLNmSjbylkS_qHxPl-4iwbjK4GkeXYXBATcNOdxAqxXOsaqosvlFjR4C-6dNcw94NZt4b6eRiXO2OL5k/s320/sakau2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Borneo's big 5 are Orangutan, Pygmy Elephant, Crocodile, Proboscis Monkey and the Rhinoceros Hornbill. On our boat ride to <a href="http://www.sukau.com/">Sakau Rainforest Lodge</a> we saw the pygmy elephant - the rarest of them all. Our guide on the boat, Jumanji, was the same guide for the most part of our stay at the lodge and he was excited that after seeing the elephant he was confident that he could get us the remaining four. Our lodge is simply divine; it is where Sir David Attenborough stayed! Every detail has been thought about and makes a stay in the rainforest comfortable for even the least adventurous. Now that's not to say you won't have the odd leaf insect fly into your hair or that a juicy spider won't walk across your dinner table but it is the rainforest after all! It has it's own boardwalk allowing you to venture out into the forest without actually stepping on the forest floor so avoiding the horrible leeches and anything else that can crawl up trouser legs. The restaurant overhangs the river so you can bird watch whilst you drink your morning coffee and it even has a swimming pool so you can cool down after a days river safari. A small part of me feels like I am cheating my way out of the real rainforest experience, the rest of me is sitting in a cool swimming pool struggling to care.<br />
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The boats are stored under the restaurant deck and we are taken on a morning and a late afternoon boat safari with the option to pay for an extra night safari. Our first evening safari found us none of the big 5 but it was a perfect time for our guide to tell us all about the rainforest and the affects palm oil is having on the area. Plastics in the sea and palm oil in the forests, Borneo is certainly feeling the brunt of human beings. It's great being out on the water and seeing something colourful move in every direction. We may not have seen any of the big five but playful macaques and an abundance of beautiful birds were all over the place. I could have easily sat for an hour watching the family of macaques playing on felled tree in the water.<br />
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Going to sleep and waking up in the rainforest is exactly like those meditation tapes you get. The gentle chirps and rustles almost sound fake from a movie but the insects, birds, wind and trees all come together to sing gently. The insects are incredible here. They are the reason you scream and slap your head every 5 minutes the second you feel something tickle but 9 and 10 times it is all in your mind. The remaining 1 could be anything from spiders and beetles to leeches and bats. Yes blood sucking leeches drop from the trees here! On the boardwalk they have a big white sheet lit up at night to attract the bugs and I visited it every evening to find something different. Yes it is annoying constantly feeling like something might be on you but hey, it's not Australia; none of it can kill you! Well not right away anyway.<br />
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We saw the famous penis noses Proboscis Monkeys (not their scientific name) on our second day. These comical looking monkeys can only be found here and they really do look bizarre. The bigger the nose the better the male... I think this has evolved because their actual penis is quite small. Not only is it shamefully small but it is bright red and erect for 90% of the day. Not to mention that their mouths look like they are painted on with a black marker pen and they all have massive gas filled bellies which means they must fart a lot. The least evolution could have done is give these primates something else to brag about. Our first wild Orangutan was on our third boat safari where we found a shy but curious lone adult. I love the human emotions that you can find in Orangutans; this guy would peek at us through a little hole in the canopy as if he was secretly spying on us. He was beyond cute. Cute until our last wild Orangutan encounter of a mother very evidently teaching its baby how to get around using her own body to bridge the gaps in the trees that were to wide. Seeing Orangutan in the wild warms the heart and makes you cry a little inside. They were beautiful and I will never forget my first experience of the little guy peeking at me through the trees.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcAzqLtVZsqQ0DvVBkIkJVJr90jK74gUvnaJj_rJ6y0Atl82UaaVuGVtzy0c9gQW1rW_XfPO1TXj0HylRV0c_tFIxHcWqovHVjil2rxZvKllQJnHWyS4Z1T5LRHpeCNQekSWIl9JAklk/s1600/cockroaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1401" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcAzqLtVZsqQ0DvVBkIkJVJr90jK74gUvnaJj_rJ6y0Atl82UaaVuGVtzy0c9gQW1rW_XfPO1TXj0HylRV0c_tFIxHcWqovHVjil2rxZvKllQJnHWyS4Z1T5LRHpeCNQekSWIl9JAklk/s200/cockroaches.jpg" width="175" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgE2nA2pv-ELfXvjEV1ArbpryxeS-8cUZ7W3KTAcE1_LsgPmeIv8rqANeEhotUBIHPNo9bK3tp2uUR4Nfsf3S1ESw_h9XoGbqrlsN1pnkY1khYuu4jGbVNGx38hsKaWTgkrod420RUHkU/s1600/bug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1600" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgE2nA2pv-ELfXvjEV1ArbpryxeS-8cUZ7W3KTAcE1_LsgPmeIv8rqANeEhotUBIHPNo9bK3tp2uUR4Nfsf3S1ESw_h9XoGbqrlsN1pnkY1khYuu4jGbVNGx38hsKaWTgkrod420RUHkU/s320/bug.jpg" width="320" /></a>For our third day in the forest we had a little trip to Gomantong caves booked made popular for its impressive mass exit of over 250,000 bats in the evenings. The problem is that there are two exits of which only one is accessible to people and the bats will only ever use one or the other. Or in our case... neither! Our guide helpfully informed us that on occasion the bats decide not to leave at all and so we did not get to experience this once in a life time spectacle. Walking around inside the actual cave was still worth the visit though! It didn't quite smell as bad as people made out but it definitely isn't for the squeamish. It is absolutely heaving with cockroaches... as in every step you take in the dark is an audible crunch under the foot. If that wasn't enough the walls are filled with webbed holes housing stripey tarantulas and these horrific looking giant centipedes <i>(right)</i> that have a paralysing poisonous bite. It is inside this cave where the worst job in the world lies - armed security guards sleep in this cave! To most people this cave is famous for its bats but to many it is known as the place to find the stupidly expensive birds nests used for birds nest soup in China. So expensive that they need to be protected from nest thieves 24 hours a day.<br />
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On our last safari we just had the Rhinoceros Hornbill left to find and so we made that our focus with Jumanji. First, however, we found an owl trapped on a fishing line just standing there in the mud. It's big yellow eyes looked up at us like a puppy and so we had to try and save it. This wasn't made easy with its powerful claws and sharp beak but with a cloth thrown over it we managed to keep a safe hold on it and get the hook out of its wing. It hopped off into the bushes probably to get nabbed by a croc but we felt good about it. Jumanji heard the call of the Rhinoceros Hornbill but we couldn't see it. This made him reveal his incredible talent in bird calling as he let out a perfect mimic! Low and behold the Hornbill responded and we cruised in the direction of the call. Another squawk from Jumanji made the stunning bird fly into site and call back. What a skill! <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>It's not goodbye it's see you later</b></span><br />
<b>Friday, 23 April</b><br />
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I am currently sitting on a little cushion island (an island on an island off an island off an island) in the middle of a swimming pool writing my finishing points for this blog. We're on <a href="http://www.gayaislandresort.com/">Gaya Island Resort</a> for the final few days of our trip for some chill time. Another all you can eat buffet kind of deal gives me little to write about but the snorkeling just off the resort is incredible and after a morning yoga class I do feel utterly relaxed. There really isn't much to write about my time here on Gaya Island; yesterday I ate, drank and slept. Today has pretty much followed suit with the exception of a nice long snorkel. Tomorrow will be no different. Food and animals are quite possibly my two favourite things in this world and Borneo delivered on both fronts. I will be back in Malaysia soon I am sure and will have to have a much more food focused itinerary. For now, my buffet all you can eat dinner is waiting for me and I have to fight my way through the million Chinese tourists to get there. Wish me luck!<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-9043615359260748482018-02-09T10:09:00.002+00:002018-02-09T10:09:16.862+00:00Australia - Winter 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Smashed Avos and Beetroot</span></b><br />
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<b>Friday, 22nd December</b><br />
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Having been here for little under a week I have already come to the
realisation that anything can be made Australian by adding a couple of slices
of betroot and slapping on some smashed avocado. Sorry, not avocado... it's "avo"! Which must not be confused with "arvo"
which means afternoon... I've eaten more avocado in the last 5 days than I have
my entire life!<br />
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A Christmas down under was only made possible by brilliant
friends with brilliant families that invited us over to their home towns for 3 weeks of glorious
sunshine, spectacular coffee and great food. We touched down in Perth on
Sunday and was welcomed by the wettest, coldest summer day Perth has witnessed
for a long time. Great... After a quick freshen up and chin wag with our awesome
new family for Christmas we all went out for brunch at a busy <a href="http://northbeachdeli.com.au/">North Beach Deli</a>.
Australia may not have delivered on the glorious sunshine but the coffee and
food were certainly on point! Obviously my first meal in Oz had to be smashed
avo - a beautifully fresh plate of warm rustic toast, chunky smushed avocado, spinach,
feta and topped with an oozing poached egg... and a side order of
bacon. Look how beautiful it is - <b>this</b> needs to be the National
Dish!! This was my thought until we were taken to <a href="https://littlecreatures.com.au/agegate/">Little Creatures Brewery</a> in the
evening for some more Australian affair where we consumed numerous beers and
enjoyed dishes like roast lamb pizza and Kangaroo skewers. Kangaroo! Now that should be National Dish! Kangaroo meat is very inoffensive tasting; lean and a little gamy it is like a healthy beef steak.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hilary's Boat Harbour - Weather is improving...</td></tr>
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Over the next few days we pretty much saw out the storm. It was actually quite nice as it forced us to properly sit down and relax after a long term. We got to wake up late, watch a few movies and generally feel Christmassy without the guilt of having to make the most of our time here. Did a bit of Christmas shopping; ate smashed avo about 9 more times; visited a few local sites and attempted to swim at City Beach but got a little punched in the face by waves. I did get to eat a delicious Australian burger at <a href="https://www.grilld.com.au/">Grill'd</a> though. It's like a regular burger but with... can you guess?! Yes a slather of smashed avo and a fat slice of beetroot! Our Christmas family invited us for a classic Aussie Webber BBQ and we all just had a nice chilled few days.<br />
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Over the space of 3 days in Perth, like true Brits, we went from being miserable in the cold to complaining about being to hot. We hired a car and drove 3 hours south to Dunsborough where we had a few nights in an AirBnB in <a href="http://capevilla.com.au/">Cape Villas</a> booked in. It was this road trip where I got to eat the first of Australias National Dishes - the mighty Meat Pie! Since then I have had 5 pies... Most places sell lots of different types but seriously go for the bog standard cheapest one - the one simply called "Meat Pie". If Thai Green curry went well in a pie then Thailand would have put it in a pie! I tried some of the others and they are tasty but nothing beat the simplicity of perfectly cooked beef and gravy. A filling with the right amount of ooze for a hand held pie! Successfully squirt some ketchup on top (Ketchup sachets here are dangerous...) and you have a snack that beats any sandwich. This is why I have eaten 5 and will be sure to eat 5 more by the end of this trip. A grab and go National Dish!<br />
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Dunsborough really is a perfect location to stay. It is home to the most beautiful beach I think I have ever been to. I have seen a lot of beaches and this is currently, without a doubt, my favourite. Meelup Beach has the clearest, most aqua blue water ever! We all took a deep breath on first glance of the beach front as we entered the car park and couldn't wait to jump out of the car and into the cool, crystal clear water. From Meelup Beach we drove to a nearby winery called <a href="https://www.wisewine.com.au/">Wise</a> for a small drink followed by another drink at <a href="https://eaglebaybrewing.com.au/">Eagle Bay Brewing Co</a> just across the road. Both had incredible views and we saw our first kangaroo (that wasn't on a skewer... or lying on the side of the road) whilst sipping on delicious crisp cold beers. Can a day really be this perfect!? Sods law says no and something has to balance it out. First failure of the evening was buying a load of juicy steaks, fresh fish and butcher sausages for an amazing Webber BBQ back at the AirBnB without checking the gas tank... Second failure was driving to watch the sunset on a beach where the sun doesn't set... but we did see dolphins so not a total fail! And who cares, fried steak still tastes good and the next day had a full day winery tour booked in!<br />
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I don't really remember much of the following day. I counted past 30 different wines before I lost count but recall favourites being <a href="https://credarowines.com.au/">Credaro Family Wines</a> and <a href="https://www.margaretriver.com/members/cape-naturaliste-vineyard/">Cape Naturalist Vineyard</a>. A full day of truly stunning vineyard views, pretending to know more about wine than I actually do and agreeing to tasting flavours that I can't actually taste. Has anyone actually ever eaten pencil shavings?! The first question I was asked was "Do you prefer a round wine or a crisp wine?" and it didn't feel like "both" would have been an acceptable answer. I said round knowing absolutely nothing to what that meant. I did; however, taste a lot of wines that I really liked and some that I didn't like as much. That is about as far as my ability to distinguish between wines go. As my favourite lady in Cape Naturaliste said, "The best wine in the world is the one that you like to drink". I couldn't agree more. I like the red one. <br />
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It felt sad to leave Dunsborough, it was like a holiday within a holiday and it was all over so quickly! We did a lot in the few days and we spent our last day visiting Sugar Loaf Rock and Bunker Bay. Any beach, for the rest of my life, is probably going to get the response "...well it's no Meelup..." and I am just going to have to live with that. We had two very important last stops before heading back to Perth - a couple of hours paddling at Meelup beach followed by a couple of ketchup topped meat pies from Dunsbourough bakery. After 3 hours on the road we arrived at City Beach in Perth, the same beach where I got beaten up by the sea just 4 days ago, to eat fish and chips whilst watching the sunset. Lets never leave Australia. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Chrissy in Straya</span></b><br />
<b>Tuesday, 26th December</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULtw7MWMZY8Nx6-rxPqK5Z-HJtevIEelkkEsWTAkZpooUexQyds-ZfOTcyLRcgcc-BF9LtQrplG2yXlmMT3va6zXDux6rnF52EqtcOaprb9Vjh169hP_tJgZw4rRHEt-HVLIOYFhPQrM/s1600/australia+spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1134" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULtw7MWMZY8Nx6-rxPqK5Z-HJtevIEelkkEsWTAkZpooUexQyds-ZfOTcyLRcgcc-BF9LtQrplG2yXlmMT3va6zXDux6rnF52EqtcOaprb9Vjh169hP_tJgZw4rRHEt-HVLIOYFhPQrM/s200/australia+spider.jpg" width="141" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOzwKHoloJKoDlv6HHtUO9b2ClxnIA1HC_6HMNEh1IubIHE9px6H8vR_ENO6ZeHirdsSkdX9Uw17cUOGeI4SirZeW3e9tt6LP2iZRuBqUxlGz-cPqgmq9qZHYBWcKwKAJnA6BDlEobYg/s1600/caversham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOzwKHoloJKoDlv6HHtUO9b2ClxnIA1HC_6HMNEh1IubIHE9px6H8vR_ENO6ZeHirdsSkdX9Uw17cUOGeI4SirZeW3e9tt6LP2iZRuBqUxlGz-cPqgmq9qZHYBWcKwKAJnA6BDlEobYg/s320/caversham.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUFltH4ZIm0GHMF2S3QxpxLOAAtpp29m7LV9UbcC-VyIY6ru4jddy03Hnc77E68vDcedJB5p6lTI6f0w9paDhr_a3dpd2O1_RNGTYEQOSirbFT_8PDEGu2IB3O_TDuUaAKXqAaNhRmrM/s1600/caversham+kang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUFltH4ZIm0GHMF2S3QxpxLOAAtpp29m7LV9UbcC-VyIY6ru4jddy03Hnc77E68vDcedJB5p6lTI6f0w9paDhr_a3dpd2O1_RNGTYEQOSirbFT_8PDEGu2IB3O_TDuUaAKXqAaNhRmrM/s200/caversham+kang.jpg" width="150" /></a>What kind of sadistic place offers you the most amazing beach and then puts ferocious sharks in the water and venomous snakes on the sand!?One thing Australia is certainly well known for is its wildlife... wildlife that can kill you. Whether it is a poisonous Red b<br />
Back Spider that gets tangled in your hair whilst you sleep; a croc that grabs you whilst you play golf; a shark that mistakes your surfboard for a seal; or a cuddly koala that gives you chlamydia, you really do have to watch yourself! My spider photos were just taken in our friends garden! Scary animals aside we did; however, thoroughly enjoy our morning at <a href="http://www.cavershamwildlife.com.au/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6PWP4MCY2QIVlpS9Ch0aKw8XEAAYASAAEgKmwfD_BwE">Caversham Wildlife Park</a> and getting up close and personal with all sorts of Australian fauna. You get to actually play with kangaroos and stroke a koala. You read a lot about these kinds of places where they drug the animals so tourists can stroke them but this is not that kind of place - that's just how koalas look! If you were only awake for two hours a day you would look like that too. Definitely a to do if you find yourself in Perth.<br />
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We conducted our own mini walking tour of perth town centre starting with lunch on the Elisabeth Quays. Feeling like needing a little break from avocado I ordered the most incredible crab linguine dish that can only ever be made in a place where crabs are fresh out of the water. It was truly divine! Seriously sweet crab meat in a zingy, light fennel and tomato sauce. Certainly in the running for dish of the trip. After a bit of shopping we had a lovely stroll through King's Park before getting back to our AirBnB. Our AirBnB is situated right next to the park and so in the evening I decided to walk back and experience their open air cinema. I've never been to an outdoor cinema! On a warm night under the stars I watched "The man who invented Christmas" whilst sat on my <a href="https://www.tesalate.com/">Tesalate beach towel</a> (- LOVE it!). With popcorn and beer in hand it was here where I first started to feel a little bit Christmassy. Santa in red board shorts and holding a surf board kind of Christmassy but Christmassy none the less!<br />
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95% of Christmas is food and family. The family team work in preparing Christmas dinner; the family decorated Christmas tree; the family banter around the Christmas dinner table - all of these things are essential for a brilliant Christmas. What I have learnt this Christmas is... it doesn't have to be <b>my</b> family!! Any family as awesome as mine will do! The remaining 5% is a log fire and snow which we will just have to do without this year. We made our own Christmas breakfast of avo, salmon and eggs washed down with Mimosas before heading over to our Christmas family's house. We were so very lucky to get to spend Christmas day with the Lees family and even more lucky that it was a family that share a similar outlook on the importance of a well prepared Christmas dinner. Potatoes roasted on the BBQ was novel and the turkey was succulent. A beautifully glazed Christmas ham was a brilliant addition that sadly never makes it on to the D'Souza family Christmas dinner table. A post turkey "try not to sink to the bottom of the family pool challenge" was also novel. The "try not to throw up in the pool challenge" less so. Thank you to the Lees family! Time to fly to Sydney.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Long Macchiato topped up</span></b><br />
<b>Saturday, 6 January</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Pz75ID8KEMhoF8iQh6iVG7k0U57NVG9Xa3mhgAM_Y8ji3vmiFVpVHz2l_Mo-1-KpGfqLISx3xIb5LFEUOV9IQtFXuxUcx4zwk1xpjGjBu-bPO__l6FZegvsGMLQriahx0lk1JOHD_s/s1600/long+mach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Pz75ID8KEMhoF8iQh6iVG7k0U57NVG9Xa3mhgAM_Y8ji3vmiFVpVHz2l_Mo-1-KpGfqLISx3xIb5LFEUOV9IQtFXuxUcx4zwk1xpjGjBu-bPO__l6FZegvsGMLQriahx0lk1JOHD_s/s200/long+mach.jpg" width="200" /></a>To say that Australians are big on their coffee would be a massive understatement. You will struggle to find a Starbucks or similar big chain coffee company as the quality preferred here is too difficult to mass produce. Instead you will find beautiful independent coffee shops with endearing super coffee nerds behind the counter taking their sweet time over each and every cup. I have found my perfect coffee here in a Long Macchiato topped up with milk. It's the perfect strength and always perfectly made.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwpZX1UW9jXqOxxzzs5YL8Qd-Cu1pnsusydwKL1vezahIyC7T2hv6FAc20FmMyJ1lxspU2F7FdMOienguIZ1piXs7bYXXSyXN3h5WR6LQos9xO2ckX69iQCfXb5ORNMPACphOWNj68bM/s1600/shark+sighted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1600" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwpZX1UW9jXqOxxzzs5YL8Qd-Cu1pnsusydwKL1vezahIyC7T2hv6FAc20FmMyJ1lxspU2F7FdMOienguIZ1piXs7bYXXSyXN3h5WR6LQos9xO2ckX69iQCfXb5ORNMPACphOWNj68bM/s640/shark+sighted.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyIET0Ix5CXFjbDtUFvJou6AKMrRFQ541kq-VZSvtbNprbMBdA_vdPVIfTA_Do8rAbpuVITak1c3Ni_oGKZ0-8fXHRUMyuTMQCpztDEFKtbHf5b7J-7aLaKGHBfbcHQ_tTO9G-hQLFAM/s1600/opera+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyIET0Ix5CXFjbDtUFvJou6AKMrRFQ541kq-VZSvtbNprbMBdA_vdPVIfTA_Do8rAbpuVITak1c3Ni_oGKZ0-8fXHRUMyuTMQCpztDEFKtbHf5b7J-7aLaKGHBfbcHQ_tTO9G-hQLFAM/s320/opera+house.jpg" width="320" /></a>We were lucky enough to stay with friends in Sydney and have a touch of local knowledge. Having bought an Opal card to get around we took a ferry over to Manly where the journey was more important than the destination. From the ferry you can get your classic shot of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. We decided not to swim at Manly with a "Shark sited today enter at your own risk" sign put us off somewhat. Though it didn't deter the many Manly surfers already out there. Part of me wondered whether they were swimming whilst the sign was put up and so had no idea!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxV9FXUMIy-3e5yCmHYKgrLW4hkg1k98e5wKkG2MZmIQ_K6uCXcVjD62VN0p4DUHE6G6IgHQ0bRYxRV2nYGwF6wECkw8ffVs-duz9AK_xuQuXBHbbvhRdWZpNx8_qkoJm2S6kiwqWpfk/s1600/Sydney+harbour+bridge+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1058" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxV9FXUMIy-3e5yCmHYKgrLW4hkg1k98e5wKkG2MZmIQ_K6uCXcVjD62VN0p4DUHE6G6IgHQ0bRYxRV2nYGwF6wECkw8ffVs-duz9AK_xuQuXBHbbvhRdWZpNx8_qkoJm2S6kiwqWpfk/s320/Sydney+harbour+bridge+tower.jpg" width="211" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKmP2_8nI1KGIwzKxbmHLTB6faYW0ONak4HyLHKwJBkdBS83S0Ea1-DaPuncIco4lB-MkPnzQWcck31S8k0UXGVfnGoy8gsCVRAY2TpHvWpPHDaVUux72WaZ8OqZLhstQa2OLMxi5wkE/s1600/Iceberg+Bondi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKmP2_8nI1KGIwzKxbmHLTB6faYW0ONak4HyLHKwJBkdBS83S0Ea1-DaPuncIco4lB-MkPnzQWcck31S8k0UXGVfnGoy8gsCVRAY2TpHvWpPHDaVUux72WaZ8OqZLhstQa2OLMxi5wkE/s320/Iceberg+Bondi.jpg" width="276" /></a>After Perth, Sydney has a much more "lived in" rustic feel to it. You will meet a few more homeless people or the odd day time drinker arguing with their hand. We did the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk which was stunning and definitely worth doing. It took close to 3 hours but that included lots of photo stops and just standing taking in the views. Bondi beach was busy and well... it was no Meelup! What Bondi does have though is an awesome saltwater swimming pool known as the <a href="https://icebergs.com.au/">Bondi Icebergs</a> which we spent 7 dollars to swim a few lengths in the chilly Olympic sized pool. This place is famous for its winter swim team and in the height of summer it was already pretty damn cold. After a long, hot coastal walk it was absolutely lush to jump in. A climb up the Sydney Harbor Bridge tower was 180 dollars cheaper than a climb up the actual bridge and we were allowed to take our camera up this tower so it felt like a no-brainer. Opera House - tick. Coastal walk - tick. Sydney Harbor Bridge - tick. Sydney - big fat tick!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ5Shx0cqmgeaOlunnuV48MtVbxFuT_ClEFLNipEVFxcp0VR94WyhDgAZnZ11-foAYhcKBLzHFyLLRaWycEeE4A24u16rl5mtG3WouA5szZFVGC7dydzdvZ7vlwF1HalqWiHl05Z_Cuo/s1600/vegemite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJ5Shx0cqmgeaOlunnuV48MtVbxFuT_ClEFLNipEVFxcp0VR94WyhDgAZnZ11-foAYhcKBLzHFyLLRaWycEeE4A24u16rl5mtG3WouA5szZFVGC7dydzdvZ7vlwF1HalqWiHl05Z_Cuo/s320/vegemite.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcL1yPxww5w_4nO1fsetfWEvkAJBEYb2geX2p_yNpzNiBhJcXvlUvLMpo9q0-7gR1aRld-3g9gIdeXL4MjSDuuO_BrqwG66YJn2d2yJhrDCpdpfwFZrm38Oo67XPhllfdM2PK9DwbvPE/s1600/Scollap+bloody+mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1354" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcL1yPxww5w_4nO1fsetfWEvkAJBEYb2geX2p_yNpzNiBhJcXvlUvLMpo9q0-7gR1aRld-3g9gIdeXL4MjSDuuO_BrqwG66YJn2d2yJhrDCpdpfwFZrm38Oo67XPhllfdM2PK9DwbvPE/s200/Scollap+bloody+mary.jpg" width="168" /></a>So what is Australia's other National Dish? I have done the Meat Pie and ready for the potentially more famous National Dish that is pretty difficult to find in a restaurant. This is the true delicacy of Australia and goes by the name of Vegemite. The only way to tick this one off is buying your own jar and loaf of bread from a Coles and making it yourself. It's a lot like Marmite but not quite as strong which means that you can slather more of it on your toast. Breakfast of kings. We had some delicious food in Sydney; everyday I tell myself that I am done with eating avocado and pretty much everyday I find myself ordering another plate of smashed avo. Everywhere has there own take on it and I can't help myself but want to try all variations. A scallop infused Bloody Mary served with actually grilled scallops was a revelation and reminiscent to my <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2017/07/canada-summer-2017.html">Summer of Caesers in Canada</a>. We were told that Sydney was for food and Melbourne was for Coffee and so upwards and onward to the final leg of our trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHVBU7Zz6Dv8FazjIh0qBrXWv_nEc5C3LHq8g-a5CDr9kZlZWwxWXKbefkgoma77gGHE5HbpdthT-WTYY7qONWVRCLHnlccm81Y03_yxc_-iRgUVOCbxJLxVFIllKGt7Zt0I4-ryLGbw/s1600/lagoon+australia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBHVBU7Zz6Dv8FazjIh0qBrXWv_nEc5C3LHq8g-a5CDr9kZlZWwxWXKbefkgoma77gGHE5HbpdthT-WTYY7qONWVRCLHnlccm81Y03_yxc_-iRgUVOCbxJLxVFIllKGt7Zt0I4-ryLGbw/s320/lagoon+australia.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKUU57hoOJLgW7TZ69yg254yKt9_UWpiGeSn0lWgd56MNT39g3p_oNBaPXWqrsgAABlYaPhCuOKkR3L0UiaJoLXqhftFPvTaSLnMiCnnDTzWRqBUsWTS-2DSJFKvGXGVEV2FqC-kPZds/s1600/Oyster+coast+australia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKUU57hoOJLgW7TZ69yg254yKt9_UWpiGeSn0lWgd56MNT39g3p_oNBaPXWqrsgAABlYaPhCuOKkR3L0UiaJoLXqhftFPvTaSLnMiCnnDTzWRqBUsWTS-2DSJFKvGXGVEV2FqC-kPZds/s200/Oyster+coast+australia.jpg" width="200" /></a>Leaving Sydney marked the start of the road trip section of our holiday with the aim to drive to Melbourne over 3 days. The first day we pretty much drove most of the day to arrive in Merimbula - a strange old school kind of holiday resort. We ate at a really bad "Thai" place that served no Thai food but fried stuff in different luminescent sweet and sour sauces and decided that Merimbula was not for us. From here we drove along the "Oyster Coast" through Eden and onward to "Lakes Entrance". We stopped in Eden and bought a dozen fresh out of the sea oysters that we devoured in minutes. Australian oysters are small but they pack a ton of flavour in comparison to your regular oyster. With a firm, meaty texture these could convert any oyster haters out there; they were delicious and I ended up eating 6 more from the supermarket. Even the petrol station here sold oysters! On a detour to find petrol we came across a stunning lagoon on an almost deserted beach which made for a nice break off the road. Lakes Entrance was a quiet town serving as a nice stop off but nothing more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIKqs_UWE_O0miLm8wlSEq2Byzh6jtzk4n5c4dxn3-v2dPYVntroyHIvFvRoTGEjPC0eRWQ4NZSBIoPZZJ0xJe626WNGsER1ebTv80MfP8cXbtBKljAJka-iOl2Em_MtAP4YcZo4mVLk/s1600/galah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1352" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIKqs_UWE_O0miLm8wlSEq2Byzh6jtzk4n5c4dxn3-v2dPYVntroyHIvFvRoTGEjPC0eRWQ4NZSBIoPZZJ0xJe626WNGsER1ebTv80MfP8cXbtBKljAJka-iOl2Em_MtAP4YcZo4mVLk/s320/galah.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Our favourite stop on the road trip was <a href="http://www.raymondisland.net/">Raymond Island</a> where Koalas can be seen in the "wild". I say "wild" because it is a rather small island and they were put on the island with no feasible means of getting off so really they are just in a great big invisible cage. It was a lot of fun roaming around trying to spot them though! Until we noticed that the mosquitoes on the island were relentless and none of us had brought bug spray; if it wasn't for them we would have stayed to find the albino kangaroo and maybe even an Echidna or two. Definitely worth a trip because even the birds are incredible. I swear all the birds that we keep as pets at home are the everyday common birds you see on the street in Australia. The Australian equivalent to the London Trafalgar Square Pigeon (yes the species...) is the beautiful red chested Galah. In among the bright green King-Parrot and the Daz white Cockatoo they really did leave us Brits with the dregs of the bird community.<br />
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A lot of people questioned why we would leave Sydney just two days before New Years. The New Year Fireworks on Sydney Harbor are famous representing one of the first countries to welcome in the new year. But just like Christmas is about family, New Years is all about friends! And we were invited to have New Years with different Australian friends from work at their house in Melbourne. Christmas with a proper family and New Years with proper friends - how lucky are we! We arrived in Melbourne and headed straight to Coles to by the essentials for a New Years BBQ. This meant going to a separate, creatively named, Bottle Shop. Original unique names and Australia do not mix. They go for a more "Just name it as your see it" kind of approach. The
Red Back Spider being a good example; or the black snake with a red
belly which is called a Red Belly Black snake; or that great road running along the ocean; or that barrier reef which is pretty impressive. New Years was awesome with great food on the Webber and a Lamington the size of my face. The Lamington, though not a National Dish, is the second to last item (the last being a witchetty grub which I don't think I will ever find unless I go foraging!) ticked off my list. It's a light sponge cake, smothered in chocolate sauce and dipped in desiccated coconut. It won't blow your mind but it does nicely fill a perfectly cubed size hole. <br />
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We are staying in an AirBnB on the quieter end of the buzzing Chapel Street which was perfect. We would walk 5 minutes down the street and be surrounded by quaint little coffee shops and hip cafes. Of course I had to try the Melbourne take on smashed avos. I mentioned earlier that Perth felt brand new whilst Sydney felt lived in... Melbourne takes the term "lived in" to the next level. The number of homeless and day time drinkers trebled and riding the tram in particular areas was a little uncomfortable. St Kilda's beach was pumping music that made me realise that I was getting old. The sandy beach was missing the backdrop of endless blue sky and crystal waters that we had grown use to in Australia. It was no... Skegness. Whether it was the crazy many shouting to himself, the beach music blasting in your ear or the Luna Park entrance screaming in your face it was safe to say that we were not massive fans of St Kilda's. The sad truth is most likely that St Kilda's is a cool, hipster area and I am just not cool or hipster enough! We did enjoy the penguins returning home from their day out on St Kildas pier though. There is something quite relatable to notion of coming home to the same spot every evening after a long days work. I am not sure how the penguins feel about finding 100+ humans waiting for their arrival though. I probably wouldn't be best pleased. They happily played along and smiled for our photos.<br />
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We had a little self planned tour on our last full day in Melbourne using the trams to get around. We hit most tourist spots but my favourite was easily the <a href="https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/">Royal Botanic Gardens</a> which may just be the best garden on this blog. Who would have thought plants and trees could be so fascinating!? You could very easily spend the entire day there trying to get through the plus 8000 different plant species they have. It's set up is perfect and you can read all about everything they have... or skip all the signs and just awe at the prettiness. The Eureka Tower was nothing to write home about. We heard that Brunswick street was a place to go but again our lack of hipster-ness got in the way. It felt like it was possibly dole collection day and the dole office was on Brunswick street... and a free "Bottle Shop". We all agreed that Chapel street was the perfect balance for us. Our final night in Melbourne was at the theater watching the incredibly funny, slightly inappropriate, Book of Mormons. If this wasn't a food and travel blog I could happily write pages on how amazing this show is but I will limit it to simply insisting that you go and see it!<br />
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Out of all of my friends that have moved abroad, the majority have moved to Australia. The pros of pristine beaches, top quality food and wine, and gorgeously hot weather far out weigh the cons of being eaten by a shark or bitten by a killer spider. A final family BBQ with our Christmas family back in Perth let us throw some Shrimp on the Barbie for a proper Aussie send off. Without a doubt I will be back to do the North and hopefully in time to see the Great Barrier Reef before it disappears altogether. Until next time, I may have a break from avocado...<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-41663949628529997802017-10-07T10:10:00.002+01:002017-10-07T10:11:32.463+01:0010 foods you must eat in Beijing that are not Duck or Dumplings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A countries food looks very different through a tourists eyes than through a residents eyes. This is particularly true with Beijing. As a tourist you tend to focus on the dishes you could quite easily get back in the western world - your roast duck and pancakes and your dumplings. But what about everything else? What do local people look forward to eating when friday evening arrives? Now entering my fourth year living in Beijing here is my list of things to really eat here.<br />
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<b>Number 10: You Po Mian(油泼面)- Hot Oil Ribbon Noodles</b><br />
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These were my favourite noodles in Beijing until I came across number 9! Often just one extra long ribbon of noodle they are spicy with a slight numbing from the Sichuan peppers. I good starting point for people not use to the Sichuan flavour. Not too dissimilar to the more famous Biang Biang Mian <i>(middle picture)</i> but definitely tastier. Biang Biang is only more popular because it has the most difficult Chinese character of all characters<i>(right picture)</i>. As far as spicy ribbon noodles go it is You Po Mian all the way! You can find it <a href="http://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/lingerjiu-youpomian">here</a>. </div>
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<b>Number 9: Chong Qing Xiao Mian (重庆小面) - Chong Qing Noodles</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwkmtBY-5eayoxHulNv7ZgMtb6Nm1w97YdxceaE7eoXKDD_KL6R7fVaM4bbRTgxTaRb6VMJxtkD4asyhe3m784nXDpAfgJSZ6Ovl7xiPhvaUbWNAQIXKNPe3tXmclv93OiURY6qeKCG8/s1600/Noodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwkmtBY-5eayoxHulNv7ZgMtb6Nm1w97YdxceaE7eoXKDD_KL6R7fVaM4bbRTgxTaRb6VMJxtkD4asyhe3m784nXDpAfgJSZ6Ovl7xiPhvaUbWNAQIXKNPe3tXmclv93OiURY6qeKCG8/s200/Noodles.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Slightly more soupy and maybe a little spicier than number 10 these noodles are the ultimate in flavour. I do prefer a thinner noodle but the mixture of minced meat, beans and the rich spicy broth is delicious. Hands down my favourite noodles in China. The best bowl can currently be found above <a href="http://www.lugasbeijing.com/">Lugas</a> in Sanlitun.<br />
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<b><b>Number 8: Huo Guo(火锅)- Hot Pot</b></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAyMSM_qSnNtEsUTDaiDVhDwUWLWY94vDOZ1LSNNCnAFKBEGE9jOSzu5FoNUL14uYEF9EaGwaszinXuYvsIZC_jvt0ziWH7A91Pp9bUCAZ-lUnEAAPLlqxQ4HwA5UHH1xeZ4BEeG0rPQ/s1600/hotpot.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1017" data-original-width="1296" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAyMSM_qSnNtEsUTDaiDVhDwUWLWY94vDOZ1LSNNCnAFKBEGE9jOSzu5FoNUL14uYEF9EaGwaszinXuYvsIZC_jvt0ziWH7A91Pp9bUCAZ-lUnEAAPLlqxQ4HwA5UHH1xeZ4BEeG0rPQ/s640/hotpot.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK30iUVR68notZp4T7K3XqB3eBKZq4WI0i6WxEgyn63HNo0n0VU943vSp1wqeb77mT4snHq04RVLvG5FLoAWztFmQO95MnAhYcVdDGMrwMAbl8pfQPL7n0NGZo6u7Tihv5TkM6MBZswh8/s1600/malatang3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK30iUVR68notZp4T7K3XqB3eBKZq4WI0i6WxEgyn63HNo0n0VU943vSp1wqeb77mT4snHq04RVLvG5FLoAWztFmQO95MnAhYcVdDGMrwMAbl8pfQPL7n0NGZo6u7Tihv5TkM6MBZswh8/s200/malatang3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ma La Tang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA3dM9-Y5Kip69fXhr2xd2aqdQ2jpULM7lXRAXSfj4aXM1gb8PpNEEZPqWXQGgwDDLBhoCrKCCFa2JyRl7H3pUoUFmy_pGQ6GhsQtOcT44JLOd1lldRJ8ZOr9S7zmaXhslaNMpoSUoA8/s1600/Zhangmama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIA3dM9-Y5Kip69fXhr2xd2aqdQ2jpULM7lXRAXSfj4aXM1gb8PpNEEZPqWXQGgwDDLBhoCrKCCFa2JyRl7H3pUoUFmy_pGQ6GhsQtOcT44JLOd1lldRJ8ZOr9S7zmaXhslaNMpoSUoA8/s200/Zhangmama.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zhang Mama</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRWoWKS71UKFXEo2E3uW1BIg8LuGbNwS_27WorGwIthGCQpHY3OuXnjCk5EPpX_wTkkmQj9ahRMTbpCV1K4eiWirdhLf_cUo6yqi_K64jTPOdGxafPucGStz30vAb4MqdqIzAeBMhjrI/s1600/MaLaTang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRWoWKS71UKFXEo2E3uW1BIg8LuGbNwS_27WorGwIthGCQpHY3OuXnjCk5EPpX_wTkkmQj9ahRMTbpCV1K4eiWirdhLf_cUo6yqi_K64jTPOdGxafPucGStz30vAb4MqdqIzAeBMhjrI/s200/MaLaTang.jpg" width="200" /></a>Hot pot does come next on the list after Duck and Dumplings as things you will almost certainly eat as a tourist. But it is the type of hotpot that distinguishes a tourist from a local. <a href="https://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/haidilao-hot-pot-1">HaiDiLao</a> is the main DIY hotpot that both tourists and locals enjoy. But there are a ton of places to eat hotpot and a ridiculous amounts of different types to choose from. I have translated a picture I found online to help you understand the types. The main feature is a shared boiling pot of broth (usually with a heck of a lot of numbing spice in it!) in which you order raw foods to bathe in it. My favourite is having your own personal lava bowl at <a href="https://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/zhang-mama">Zhang MaMa's</a> where you dunk precooked items and eat it with as much rice you can possibly fit into your mouth to counter the heat. The Ma La Tang (麻辣烫)option is an easy and healthy way to get a lot of veggies down you and popular among my vegan friends. Delicious, though less healthy, when topped with the optional (compulsory!) sesame paste sauce. <br />
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<b>Number 7: Yu Xiang Rou Si (鱼香肉丝)- Fish Fragrant Shredded Pork</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-aiO-9UbUClGzlZk9kUX5h9plgNUDvxHQItIUZtgySpw4eoYOhoKpRxqgTULMTVe2apGbWrUwyjw1V3UHumFjDbjq1TFjU1QULg78rTh6VoxWeVS7I9wqViw789QWb_f9qgswJdFvtI/s1600/fish+fragrant+pork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-aiO-9UbUClGzlZk9kUX5h9plgNUDvxHQItIUZtgySpw4eoYOhoKpRxqgTULMTVe2apGbWrUwyjw1V3UHumFjDbjq1TFjU1QULg78rTh6VoxWeVS7I9wqViw789QWb_f9qgswJdFvtI/s200/fish+fragrant+pork.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Don't be put of by the name. It is fish <i>fragrant </i>which means that it just smells/tastes (in Chinese the word for smell and taste is the same!) like fish. There is actually no fish in this dish and many would argue that it does not actually smell or taste of fish. It is more of a hot, sweet and sour flavour with lots of veggies thrown in and of course a touch a sichuan pepper. This dish can be found in most Chinese places and shouldn't set you back more than 20rmb.<br />
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<b>Number 6: Gan Bian Si Ji Dou (干煸四季豆)- Sichuan style spicy green beans </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGA33Y6DNYxTZx4I47sGzdjhwwFR_DUzhVTHCERAcejD7wLhRxd3qUsxw2d4C46Qo5NTXR7Yzwbe_Jvnox6F_ufvFuLv_Ta8mM5VU-JYf-M3cE9ygyYaEC8fihgxA6bqcj34zaoQ2sbg/s1600/spicy+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGA33Y6DNYxTZx4I47sGzdjhwwFR_DUzhVTHCERAcejD7wLhRxd3qUsxw2d4C46Qo5NTXR7Yzwbe_Jvnox6F_ufvFuLv_Ta8mM5VU-JYf-M3cE9ygyYaEC8fihgxA6bqcj34zaoQ2sbg/s200/spicy+beans.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
"Eat yours greens!" my mum always said. She probably did not mean these. Fried, salty, crispy and spicy you can try and convince yourself that these green beans are good for you. To add to this a spoon of deep fried savoury minced pork is also in the mix. Yum. Like number 7 this is a Chinese staple and found in most places.<br />
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<b>Number 5: Ma La Xiao Long Xia (麻辣小龙虾)- Spicy Crayfish</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwqlOjOPFNO7lyRrfM4nXTA2xAbCaT7kQ5XCN2eQ8osfrhDsmTP6B4E8Nko79dRxMQIW72D0NsjM-m1j1xb0g6FC4jh6Hdl1b5BOdCs-0bC69DF7Ma8u9dvrETXyOvVHO4omSSN0c-yA/s1600/Crayfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwqlOjOPFNO7lyRrfM4nXTA2xAbCaT7kQ5XCN2eQ8osfrhDsmTP6B4E8Nko79dRxMQIW72D0NsjM-m1j1xb0g6FC4jh6Hdl1b5BOdCs-0bC69DF7Ma8u9dvrETXyOvVHO4omSSN0c-yA/s320/Crayfish.jpg" width="320" /></a>There is a whole street dedicated to this dish called Ghost Street (Gui jie - 鬼街)where 90% of the restaurants there serve spicy crayfish. Be prepared to take a ticket and sit outside as they can get very busy, but don't worry they will bring beer and free sunflower seeds to you whilst you wait. I have waited over 2 hours before and even when we had finished eating, gone midnight, people were still queueing! Once you are in you select the size of crayfish, how many you want and wait for them to bring out your crustacean tower on a tray. Put on your absolutely useless plastic gloves and get stuck in!<br />
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<b>Number 4: Eat some offal</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWhkH6mdYiAEMbBi95dX507tAw5G_XdPzQixMOSlyd15ifxpvfO6l4DKWu3kpxViIhqNduAUBRfpeSgtaTAzYr1oeW3EgkmbqqiXfHs-r_x8fdDQkOX-igQxSJY36wiLszLRxNYhrFQc/s1600/Cow+stomach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWhkH6mdYiAEMbBi95dX507tAw5G_XdPzQixMOSlyd15ifxpvfO6l4DKWu3kpxViIhqNduAUBRfpeSgtaTAzYr1oeW3EgkmbqqiXfHs-r_x8fdDQkOX-igQxSJY36wiLszLRxNYhrFQc/s320/Cow+stomach.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cow stomach number 2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddywack on the left, throat on the bottom.</td></tr>
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I am not one to support stereotypes but world famously "The Chinese eat anything". Now this of course is not true but they do enjoy a slightly more adventurous palette. Whilst in Beijing I thoroughly recommend getting on board with this! I have grown to love and understand that though flavour is important, It is texture that they adore here. Sliced cow stomach dipped in sesame sauce is popular and prices range depending on which of the 4 cow stomachs you eat. You can buy a bag a deep fried chicken knee caps and probably pay more than you would for a bag of deep fried chicken breast! Knee caps!? But the most bizarre for me has to be two separate parts of a cow that I never even considered eating. The first one - sliced cow oesophagus; soft and spongy dipped in a spicy, vinegary sauce. The second one - google translated to cow paddywack... What on earth is a paddywack I thought! Further research told me that cows have an extra strong tendon, of which it's sole purpose is to hold their enormous head up. It's most common use around the world, if used at all, is keeping your pet dog entertained for several hours as it tries to gnaw though it. It was chewy beyond belief - like eating a hot water bottle. I chewed for 5 minutes, took it out of my mouth and found it to be exactly the same as when it was served to me.<br />
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<b>Number 3: Jian Bing (煎饼)- Pancake</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4UQu_ke99A-_ekQA_GpITDyVlJ994-RIZ6pDdRNvnsa7mLp-ORUEBsc5vaccoiK-4HCPZ3Rs57SnlZRJB2gEe3TKIyIxhe2uWishhtiSepfFvile5h87OJyvO8aEH3jZYaorBhAYUac/s1600/Jian+bing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4UQu_ke99A-_ekQA_GpITDyVlJ994-RIZ6pDdRNvnsa7mLp-ORUEBsc5vaccoiK-4HCPZ3Rs57SnlZRJB2gEe3TKIyIxhe2uWishhtiSepfFvile5h87OJyvO8aEH3jZYaorBhAYUac/s200/Jian+bing.jpg" width="200" /></a>Made to order pancakes with the egg fried onto the outside. The inside is filled with lettuce, soybean paste, chili oil (optional), spring onion and some fried crispy thing. After that you choose what extras you want to add from peanuts to sausages. If it costs you more than 10rmb you have been totally ripped off. Don't worry it happens to the best of us, especially on the great wall!<br />
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<b>Number 2: Kao Leng Mian (烤冷面)- Roasted Cold Noodle (directly translated...)</b><br />
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Imagine a giant A4 piece of paper sized noodle fried so it is slightly crispy, slightly chewy. Then fry an egg onto it, slice up some spicy chicken, sprinkle on sliced spring onions and coriander and smother it in soybean chili sauce. This thing you are imagining probably looks nothing like a Kao Leng Mian; my description is awful so just go out and buy one and try it out for yourself. Usually found from the same street vendors making Jian Bings.<br />
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<b>Number 1: Kao Chuan (烤串儿)- Chinese Barbecue</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAdac3m1SfrrjLVuTIsYFN_FdWoW284mDsgWzfuBdsnN46jo7iFtqEkdzDmIDCV4v5SaGLSqIww7BLtDyg46iTzPgMuCLR5ukhEGV_mWkBCKxLBryL08m9grJ0diR6jY5YC42undukXI/s1600/Chuan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAdac3m1SfrrjLVuTIsYFN_FdWoW284mDsgWzfuBdsnN46jo7iFtqEkdzDmIDCV4v5SaGLSqIww7BLtDyg46iTzPgMuCLR5ukhEGV_mWkBCKxLBryL08m9grJ0diR6jY5YC42undukXI/s320/Chuan.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIb-0csjBOHUSIlyUkFM6LMt5XWyJvMaVz3uWYsSGUGChTQK5acqpQJJrbaHilpxsl5JAL8vf1U3nafZqPT1MDxBM0g-dl8k0zPLDVewYDhh9V_tvWdxY-q5c3C5WrnTosRjPdfeLUNg/s1600/Chuan1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIb-0csjBOHUSIlyUkFM6LMt5XWyJvMaVz3uWYsSGUGChTQK5acqpQJJrbaHilpxsl5JAL8vf1U3nafZqPT1MDxBM0g-dl8k0zPLDVewYDhh9V_tvWdxY-q5c3C5WrnTosRjPdfeLUNg/s200/Chuan1.JPG" width="200" /></a>There is no real order to my list of 10 apart from the number 1 slot. This is my all time favourite thing to eat in Beijing and you can do nothing better on a warm summers evening. Bottles of cold beer cost 4rmb and each skewer ranges between 2-5rmb depending on what it is. Cumin lamb skewers are probably the most popular item to order but just point at the massive variety of things on sticks in the fridge. Feel free to avoid the chicken heads and sheep testicles also popular at these places. Pay a bit more and get a whole lamb shank grilled to perfection.<br />
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Eat all ten and feel like a proper "Beijing ren". Though you would be excused to skip number 4. How many have you eaten? Have I missed anything? If I have please do contact me, I'll just be out sipping on a cold YangJing and chowing down on some Chuan. :o) </div>
Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com330tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-55730270186113942872017-07-29T11:15:00.000+01:002017-08-06T15:13:41.759+01:00Canada - Summer 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Stamping around</b></span></div>
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<b>Wednesday, 12 July</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajx9lNiXf-ITLOGywZ0TJjmUitijQT6RO5dL7zA7dS3hkSq78f6iCYbjMx8bOPAIaRVh8l4Ex7UFu33DOFGwivhBdGfkjZ5WL_r4ir9_SvEZks5hhRprvB3YBhEchGsgWmz62W9VxKgc/s1600/vancouver1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajx9lNiXf-ITLOGywZ0TJjmUitijQT6RO5dL7zA7dS3hkSq78f6iCYbjMx8bOPAIaRVh8l4Ex7UFu33DOFGwivhBdGfkjZ5WL_r4ir9_SvEZks5hhRprvB3YBhEchGsgWmz62W9VxKgc/s320/vancouver1.jpg" width="320" /></a>How it has taken me this long to come to Canada I have no idea! If it wasn't for super proud Canadian colleagues waxing lyrical about their home towns I may never have witnessed such an awe inspiring, beautiful place. I am spending two weeks in the lush greenery of British Columbia and Alberta and my hiking boots have never smelt better...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEIp2ihO1KUHxVGy5BgZiNuXB15DSNkehEXLXLSNIiGWwshxDSnev0UisKdWINHsLwIVtPVK3Rj5UwQ9iDXEIFwEiSVWA-XOcs7SeSOZAwgker-WO7VkQgKkAsCckV51OQdiNFgwUNsE/s1600/IMG_4494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEIp2ihO1KUHxVGy5BgZiNuXB15DSNkehEXLXLSNIiGWwshxDSnev0UisKdWINHsLwIVtPVK3Rj5UwQ9iDXEIFwEiSVWA-XOcs7SeSOZAwgker-WO7VkQgKkAsCckV51OQdiNFgwUNsE/s320/IMG_4494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif40GhW_XJ9zx18TPtPy4SauU7-b_rkQdmfJLDvMOPivssXqLWgqh4Fnr1nergT5PJnsquIFr_A96Ppeto1igpjk8rzTNhUg5D1OaRWWYqfaYSUutLLNSImjsKf87ICnBeRY2dnPnntXc/s1600/Montreal+smoked+meat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif40GhW_XJ9zx18TPtPy4SauU7-b_rkQdmfJLDvMOPivssXqLWgqh4Fnr1nergT5PJnsquIFr_A96Ppeto1igpjk8rzTNhUg5D1OaRWWYqfaYSUutLLNSImjsKf87ICnBeRY2dnPnntXc/s320/Montreal+smoked+meat.jpg" width="301" /></a>So what's a foodie to do when they touch down in Vancouver early evening? Go and eat poutine of course! What's he to do the following morning? Go and check out some Montreal Smoked Meat! We checked in to <a href="https://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/vancouver-guest-house.en-gb.html?label=gen173rf-1BCAsoJ0IVdmFuY291dmVyLWd1ZXN0LWhvdXNlSDNYA2hQiAEBmAEuwgEKd2luZG93cyAxMMgBDNgBAegBAZICAXmiAgplY29zaWEub3JnqAID;sid=0a5ea2549575e196e2a3c2c1a4497980;dist=0&sb_price_type=total&type=total&">Vancouver Guesthouse</a> and set out on foot to explore and seek out Mean Poutine. Most of Vancouver feels like a leafy suburb from a teeny chick flick where every house has a different shape, size and colour, fresh cut lawns and a warm sea breeze. Across the bridge to downtown Vancouver sees the buildings get taller and the greens and browns turn into the gay pride rainbow! Entire buildings are painted showing their support with shops, banks and restaurants proudly waving their flag. It doesn't take you long to feel settled here; People talk to you like they know you and help you like you're family. The poutine was as expected - It's not like I haven't eaten chips cheese and gravy before! The curds were squeaky on your teeth, the gravy was meaty and the chips were half crunchy and half soggy; pretty much everything you want in a comfort food. For breakfast the following day we stumbled across <a href="http://siegelsbagels.com/">Siegel's Bagels</a> and inhaled a delicious Hot Montreal Smoked Meat Bagel. The bagel on its own was incredible but when you add layer upon layer of this thinly sliced smoked meat, a light spread of hot mustard and a dill pickle you get taken to a whole other world. A great start to a long day!<br />
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Our first full day was dedicated to Stanley Park, the winner of TripAdvisors best park in the world <span style="font-size: xx-small;">2014</span>. We bought a day pass for the bus for $10 and got the bus to the park edge. We walked most of the day following the coastal path along sandy beaches and sleepy forest trails deep into the centre to Beaver Lake. The park is essentially an enormous forest in the middle of the city and I really think it says a lot about Vancouver for not choosing to build on it. With extra bagels and a pot of flavoured cream cheese for a lakeside picnic it's an easy full days worth of activity admiring the flora and fauna. Without a doubt the number one thing to do in Vancouver is put on your walking boots and spend a day here.<br />
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Cramming all the Canadian food in the first 24 hours I had booked us in to "<a href="http://www.salmonandbannock.net/index.html">Salmon n' Bannocks</a>", a restaurant focusing on the aboriginal cuisines of Canada. America has its Native Indians, Australia has the Aborigines, I never really thought about first nation Canadians. We ate smoked, candied, pureed and grilled "Sockeye" Salmon with the aboriginal bread called bannock. Tasty food and nice to experience some history via food. My favourite kind of history!<br />
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After just one full day in Vancouver we flew to Calgary. Ideally we would have spent a little longer in Vancouver but there was one thing I really did not want to miss - The Calgary Stampede! We arrived with no expectations simply because we had no idea what to expect. I knew nothing about it other than it is a big deal in Canada and draws in over a million visitors every year. I booked tickets for an evening show (again with absolutely no idea of what it was showing!) which included entrance to the park in the day. Even now I can't really explain what exactly we experienced. It was a thoroughly entertaining day where we ate a ton of fried food from whole deep fried onions to maple dipped corn dogs. We petted horses, listened to big band and country music, watched daredevil motocross stunts and supported a "cutting competition" where the competitors had to separate a cow from a herd on horseback <i>(video below)</i>. It was all very serious with a large sum of money for the winner (in the tens of thousands!). The entire day opened my eyes to a whole new world that I never experienced before. We ate competition winning BBQ ribs (pork and beef) for dinner before sitting down for the show I booked. Why don't we do Beef ribs in England?! Done well it is the best morsel of meat you could ever put in your mouth. I went primal and got a whole box of just ribs! Succulent but not<b> </b>fall off the bone (I <b>hate </b>fall off the bone why do people make out that it's a good thing!? I want to bite and pull the meat off!) The evening show ended up being a waggon racing competition followed by a full on production called "Together" - a show celebrating the relationship between the British, French and Aboriginal communities in Canada. Everything about the stampede was more than I anticipated. I may be leaving a stone heavier and with slightly more clogged up arteries but I'd do it again!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Keep calm and play dead</b></span><br />
<b>Sunday, 16 July</b><br />
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We picked up a car and drove out of Calgary up into the Rocky Mountains to a village called Field. We had rented a small log cabin (<a href="http://www.stephencreekguestcabin.com/about/">Stephen Creek Guest Cabin</a>) for two nights and use this as our base to see the area. It was a beautifully scenic 3 hour drive with a stop off in Banff for groceries. We are in the heart of bear country and so our cabin came with a can of bear spray. Unlike mozzy spray you don't spray yourself with it! It's not bear repellent but more like a pepper spray strong enough to take down a 300kg beast. We had mixed thoughts about having a grizzly encounter but part of me was definitely disappointed not to see one. Our cabin is 5 minutes drive from the stunning, perfectly named Emerald lake. The most deliciously bue-green colour draws you in for a swim. The biting cold glacial water gives you second thoughts. With canoe hire at $60 for an hour we decided to dip our feet in and take the two hour hike around the lake instead. <br />
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Our cabin in Field is cute and the lack of wifi was somewhat liberating. You could walk from one end of Field to the other in about 10 minutes and so there is pretty much only one place to eat - <a href="http://www.trufflepigs.com/bistro/">Truffle Pigs</a>! Luckily it's a damn good place to eat without ridiculous "you have no choice but to eat here" prices. My best Caesar was drunk here; Caesar is to Canada as Pimms No.1 is to the UK (or Gin and Tonic?!) accept slightly more adventurous maybe. It is like a bloody Mary with a superb umami hit. The main ingredient is "Clamato Juice", a tomato and clam broth mix that you can by anywhere here. Mixed in with vodka (though the English in me preferred the Gin version!), horse radish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and a bunch of unknown spices, finished with a spicy/salty rim and a pickled green bean or asparagus. I love it, Becky hates it - it's certainly not for everyone! A hearty meal set us up well for our full day hike the following day. We picked up a map and information on all the hikes in the area from a very helpful information centre at Emerald Lake. They recommended the "Twin Falls" 6 hours round hike and gave us advice on staying safe with the bears. The advice was as follows:<br />
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1) "Don't surprise the bear. Play music, talk loudly, walk in big groups so the bear knows you are coming." If the bear is hungry, however, your noise will only tell it where to find lunch.<br />
2) "first work out if the bear is in predatory or defensive mode". In other words does the bear want to kill you and eat you or just kill you. <br />
3) "If in predatory mode spray it in the eyes with the bear spray", kick it in the nuts and run away. The bear spray only lasts 7 seconds until empty so make sure you are close enough to smell its breath and have a good enough aim.<br />
4) "If defensive... play dead." Sorry what?! You want me to lie on the floor whilst it sniffs me as I question my ability to distinguish between a predatory and defensive bear?<br />
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All sound advice but didn't do much in easing our bear fears. Nonetheless, the hike was divine! I love a hike where the destination is inaccessible by any other means. The fact that you can drive to Machu Pichu makes the 4 day hike so much less desirable. The hike itself, though tough, had wonderful waterfalls, creeks and natural wonders to awe at. The twin waterfalls at the top of the hike was absolutely breathtaking and a perfect spot to sit on the rocks with your feet in the water and eat your Montreal Smoked Meat from a Banff deli packed lunch. The hike back down is via a glacial lake and an avalanche devastation zone where the snow is still piled high covering a ton of felled trees. There was so much snow that we couldn't actually work out where the trail was so we ended up walking back and going the way we came. After Emerald lake and the hike of a lifetime the actual top tourist attraction in the area, Lake Louise, ended up being a bit underwhelming. Take away the fluorescent blue water, add a thousand more tourists and double the price of the canoes (over $100!!) and you've got Lake Louise. The snow capped backdrop is iconic but you will wait hours if you want a photo of it without another person taking a selfie in it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCJ-vzn1BMlEWRgf2HxqLtbApoHOz30_qSDE7BW8n7SZlIrhZWDZL5BU1iaAc74-OcH5UkhJ1oEQxIqG39KXYFCbqDozoLqAD-dLY2KDRQJi-pJwZbW54VrfZJPMkQBZqWDNz09X5jEY/s1600/grizzly+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1411" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCJ-vzn1BMlEWRgf2HxqLtbApoHOz30_qSDE7BW8n7SZlIrhZWDZL5BU1iaAc74-OcH5UkhJ1oEQxIqG39KXYFCbqDozoLqAD-dLY2KDRQJi-pJwZbW54VrfZJPMkQBZqWDNz09X5jEY/s320/grizzly+house.jpg" width="282" /></a>After Lake Louise, by complete accident from missing our junction, we drove the longer scenic route to Banff through Bow Valley Parkway. Now it's pretty much impossible to drive anywhere in this region and it not be a "scenic" route but this place was the next level! We even saw a black bear foraging on the side of the road. We eventually arrived and checked into <a href="http://banffinternationalhostel.com/">Banff International Hostel</a>. Having spent a few hours roaming along Banff Avenue we took a recommendation and ate at "<a href="http://banffgrizzlyhouse.com/">The Grizzly House</a>" restaurant which specialises in fondue of all kinds. Not at all Canadian but the area has a strong Swiss influence for some historical snowy mountain based reason that I read all about at Lake Louise and then instantly forgot. A starter of cheese fondue with crusty bread pieces, a mains of hot oil fondue with steak and chicken and a dessert of chocolate fondue with mixed fruit. Plain deep fried meat wasn't really to my liking but I could do the cheese and the chocolate again!<br />
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Banff is a beautiful little town with a lot to do in the summer but you can clearly see that it is built for the winter. We spent an evening in the hot springs which really just turned out to be an over crowded uncomfortably warm swimming pool. In the winter, however, it would be a perfect place to spend your evening surrounded by the snow. Other activities include using the various ski lifts to get to the top of peaks for the views and hikes. We took the Banff Gondola which was pretty expensive at $62 each but there were spectacular views at the top and an overly curious Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel (yes I Googled it!) provided much entertainment as it was adamant that we had food. A "lunch" of Beaver Tails filled us up before our drive back to Calgary ready for our flight to Vancouver the next morning. Beaver Tails aren't actual tails from beavers (I'll admit this discovery was slightly disappointing to me) but flattened out deep fried dough drizzled with sweet stuff. We initially intended to share one but then Becky wanted a whole one to herself... I agreed. Goodbye to the Rocky Mountains, it has been an absolute pleasure!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Camping with Orca</span></b></div>
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<b>Tuesday, 25 July</b></div>
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The final leg of our trip is what I was looking forward to the most. We have booked a 5 day camping adventure with <a href="http://www.kayakbritishcolumbia.com/">Wildcoast Orca Camp</a> for a kayaking whale watching experience. It took the best part of a day to get to the remote starting point on Quadra Island from central Vancouver. A bus, a ferry, a bus and then another ferry later we arrived at <a href="http://www.aprilpoint.com/">April Point Resort</a>; a real treat with our room balcony hanging over a small crystal clear harbour. We had a family of Orca Whales swimming alongside our ferry over here and so we were super excited about experiencing some nature. The seals swimming by whilst I enjoyed a Caesar only got us more ecstatic. We went to bed feeling like it was christmas eve with an immense sunset painting our entire room orange, then pink, then blue, then black.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo8phlykSSBXRnvXJFnLmVAN_Demefhn9Ncu1Lr9a6Ji5asXdQzFBWf3B4KHKp3eJ_w1NLtKwT38QEFVJoPKL5CdglbYZrytROW5dFs9QG5_M4Td0dIMB8IGhvdw_kZ2d0Z_Eg_p3rlQ/s1600/kayaking2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo8phlykSSBXRnvXJFnLmVAN_Demefhn9Ncu1Lr9a6Ji5asXdQzFBWf3B4KHKp3eJ_w1NLtKwT38QEFVJoPKL5CdglbYZrytROW5dFs9QG5_M4Td0dIMB8IGhvdw_kZ2d0Z_Eg_p3rlQ/s320/kayaking2.jpg" width="320" /></a>We were picked up by Wildcoast from the little harbour in the morning and taken two and half hours up the Johnstone Strait by boat. We really are camping out in the sticks. The Orca Camp site was the perfect balance between glamp and camp. As close to zero environmental impact as you can get but still the luxuries of a hot shower and slap up meals. That's without mentioning the wood fired sauna and hot tub! That's right, we're camping 2.5 hours from civilisation and we get to sit in a hot tub and watch the sunset on the sea. Situated just across a narrow creek to an <a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/eco_reserve/robsonb_er.html">ecological reserve</a> we have 4 days on the doorstep of whale paradise. This indeed is whale paradise but at a very particular time of year. This is the bay where the salmon start their annual run back up the rivers to lay their eggs. The kind you've seen on TV being swatted by bears. When the salmon arrive they arrive in their thousands and with them bring along all the marine life that love to eat them. Including 500+ orca whales. Unfortunately the Salmon arrived just a few days after we left; I know this because I have been watching the <a href="http://explore.org/live-cams/player/orcalab-robson-bight">orca live stream</a> set up from the ecological reserve. As I am writing this right now the water is swarming with salmon jumping out of the water and orca whales just chilling.<br />
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Kayaking is by far the best way to feel close to the marine life. When the weather is right the water is like a polished mirrored floor that we just glided along. There is no better atmosphere than sitting quietly waiting for a black fin to split through the mercury surface or a blow hole to break the silence. When the porpoises (like dolphins but apparently not dolphins) turned up it felt like we were sitting right with them - eye to eye! We saw these on two occasions and both felt magical. At sunset when I was salmon fishing from the kayak a humpback whale swam by! It was in the distance but close enough to make the hair on your neck stand. I pretty much went fishing whenever we had free time and it was so peaceful and chilled. I would not have cared if I didn't catch a salmon but the fact that I did made it all the better! I had caught a rock fish and couple of tiddlers that were put back but finally a beautiful pink salmon found its way on to my hook. One of the guides gutted and cleaned it up within minutes and I asked if I could have a go at preparing some sashimi. They gave me a knife and a chopping board and that kept me entertained for a good half hour. It was fresh, lean and everyone agreed that it was delicious. Evenings were spent in the hot tub and when you got to hot there was always the ice cold creek to dunk in. We may not have seen orca whales but that only gives us a reason to come back to this brilliant camp. The food, the socialising, the hot tub, just everything was what you'd hope for. <br />
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We had a couple of spare days in Vancouver before and after the camp which we used to see a bit more of the city. A trip to <a href="https://www.capbridge.com/">Capilano Suspension Bridge</a> was expensive but we enjoyed it. More ideal for families really with lots of activites and treasure hunts prepared for kids. We did another visit of Stanley Park but this time by tandem bike and had a potter about Granville Island Market. You have to cycle the Stanley Park sea wall at some point as the views and breeze are awesome whilst cycling. Bike rentals are right next to the park and not too expensive at all. Granville Island is perfect if you have some spare time or souvenirs to buy. Nice little food court there too but any local I spoke to said that it is all over-priced and aimed at tourists. For our final meal before catching the plane I insisted that we queued for well over an hour to have breakfast at <a href="http://jamcafes.com/vancouver/">Jam Cafe</a>. Is it ever worth to queue for that long just for breakfast!? Turns out yes! Yes it is! Becky had pulled pork pancakes and I had buttermilk fried chicken and waffles. What a dream it would be to be able to make my way through the entire menu; the two dishes we ate were incredible. The perfect end to our time in Canada was an enormous, hearty breakfast. Few countries do I say that I'd be back and maybe the lack of orca whales this time round influence my thoughts a little but without a doubt I will find myself on Canadian soil at least once more in this life time. :o)</div>
Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-83850376616007133172017-04-09T03:40:00.000+01:002017-05-13T04:04:41.081+01:00XinJiang, China - Summer 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Living in two timezones</span></b><br />
<b>Monday, 3 April</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3ol6DKxX4oKmUt77lkHeP_XhXcURQlDsfwjjCcgmJs6g8kb19xth6OGNgEW3gxlqNgzGKGZ4fEvmeAv1hnlB_ALHGl6F7k445UJlcvkoRr-3S8JrqvgETTwlynUpYV13Nq5xCpcwF5g/s1600/Uighur+news.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3ol6DKxX4oKmUt77lkHeP_XhXcURQlDsfwjjCcgmJs6g8kb19xth6OGNgEW3gxlqNgzGKGZ4fEvmeAv1hnlB_ALHGl6F7k445UJlcvkoRr-3S8JrqvgETTwlynUpYV13Nq5xCpcwF5g/s320/Uighur+news.png" width="272" /></a></div>
As I sit on the plane I open the BBC news app on my phone to read a front page article about the exact place I am flying to. It is fair to say that XinJiang is not at the top of anybody's travel list at the best of times and right now things are very sensitive. Land that has, for decades, been pulled back and forth between being independent "East Turkistan" and Chinese owned "XinJiang". The local Uyghur people try to hold on tightly to their culture and dream of a land that was once their's, the shipped in Han Chinese people see it as an opportunity to make money with fewer people and less competition. The contrast between the two could not be greater as two very different cultures try to coexist rather than intermingle. How long XinJiang has been owned by China is down to who you speak to. Some would say thousands of years, others would say since 1949. Our Uighur guide said... "no comment".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuF7-aNC896n73BeJXVI-gMN29EpJjvY26otsA6uxX6LNXgXbSt8T4_2E2MFQJaYzk8p19xDg3nWkhBh0kKAi0ONXPNYlijz5IgzybP3l42JyQzr73lJtYO6tGjhfmX77kI8K8M_h2p-c/s1600/kashgar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuF7-aNC896n73BeJXVI-gMN29EpJjvY26otsA6uxX6LNXgXbSt8T4_2E2MFQJaYzk8p19xDg3nWkhBh0kKAi0ONXPNYlijz5IgzybP3l42JyQzr73lJtYO6tGjhfmX77kI8K8M_h2p-c/s320/kashgar.jpg" width="320" /></a>The whole of China runs on the same time - Beijing time. That makes my flight from Beijing the furthest you could possibly fly longitude and still remain in the same time zone. Turns out that this is not entirely true. Ask a Uyghur for the time and you will get "local time", a time two hours earlier, more fitting for the surrounding countries. Ask a Han Chinese for the time and you will get the official Beijing time. Schools start at 10am and rush hours at 7pm. We learnt quickly that our guide is working on local time and so when he told us to meet him at 5pm in the hotel lobby we weren't two hours early. I have local time on my phone and Beijing time on my watch and pick and choose which one to follow how I fancy. It's great going to bed on Beijing time and waking up on local time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgFS2Fm-X551kfbef2qGaGVEWC3u76CeMOf-b4ipEtkTzja3PGR7QCAH_dcikeP1IwYNYzHUKSg-k1U6EYtUf81UjTlfeI6Ri_vfem5ZQF00Xd2bNiTX6iVcCtmpHyduajLx6WtCrCMs/s1600/army+turck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgFS2Fm-X551kfbef2qGaGVEWC3u76CeMOf-b4ipEtkTzja3PGR7QCAH_dcikeP1IwYNYzHUKSg-k1U6EYtUf81UjTlfeI6Ri_vfem5ZQF00Xd2bNiTX6iVcCtmpHyduajLx6WtCrCMs/s320/army+turck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0wM2gyVef-e2gFDlIXVAOLanoUfPS0fm7-vGkvfaNjqn3xArGU939mjC1Fkj4pGnjuLwGLVzxSLo85h7jNJjqPPwDm_fTqyiEZxG6UVWJ0EkagdNQxhJVxZWkwsr7qoYgLIcERmGj20/s1600/xinjiang+bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0wM2gyVef-e2gFDlIXVAOLanoUfPS0fm7-vGkvfaNjqn3xArGU939mjC1Fkj4pGnjuLwGLVzxSLo85h7jNJjqPPwDm_fTqyiEZxG6UVWJ0EkagdNQxhJVxZWkwsr7qoYgLIcERmGj20/s200/xinjiang+bread.jpg" width="161" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr9dY_G2UyJNsKhti77PxwWKRVSLU60M_MFu-Fo10o18MOtT3icAoCPGILnEUTGetgcN8hBHdT4Ps1dySQ5g-fez485nO3x1AtDiRF557fLGIgAn6TjqXSyM6YJ_aruHYvnrRxJRU4SE/s1600/kashgar1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr9dY_G2UyJNsKhti77PxwWKRVSLU60M_MFu-Fo10o18MOtT3icAoCPGILnEUTGetgcN8hBHdT4Ps1dySQ5g-fez485nO3x1AtDiRF557fLGIgAn6TjqXSyM6YJ_aruHYvnrRxJRU4SE/s320/kashgar1.jpg" width="231" /></a><span style="line-height: 107%;">And
so here I am writing a blog post that I feel needs to be worded delicately but
truthfully. My experience so far has been breath-taking with no comparison
to anything or anywhere that I have been before. Military presence is
strong here and we arrive at our hotel guarded 24/7 by a number of army men and
a heavily armoured vehicle. Our guide warned us about taking photos of any
military (but clearly one of us enjoyed the risk - not me!) and gave us the general pep talk on staying safe. With this we
used our first evening roaming around the fascinating old town of Kashgar.
A refreshing look at age old traditions still standing strong that have
not been taken over by modern day conveniences. Where pottery, hat
making, wood carving and blacksmithing are real skilled and respected
professions done by hand. Where family run bakeries and butchers sit on
every street and food vendors have just one item that they make and make well
and seem to have made their whole life. It is like stepping back in time
before machines and technology took over and every direction you look makes you
smile. </span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMZE_8zybGLqJJvb6B8RS0JvoRaWjTlwhWM31NhsG_qNE4VGdJ29qWNq9kfQrz9MLh3XPrPAHaPf1xH1DtcOWEOKSpt7WVlhn6bMdVZvnwz9X1XcdBh6czSm_O5fnt1AXE5Lj_YxHx-E/s1600/halfcow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMZE_8zybGLqJJvb6B8RS0JvoRaWjTlwhWM31NhsG_qNE4VGdJ29qWNq9kfQrz9MLh3XPrPAHaPf1xH1DtcOWEOKSpt7WVlhn6bMdVZvnwz9X1XcdBh6czSm_O5fnt1AXE5Lj_YxHx-E/s640/halfcow.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA4vmnhYS3ydWblUCHF2aYIvHxYBbNurJAmfbd1niCjXbryBNWfYEKsabgu0kt4aaYXHsTKanpgWoWIFXRZd6-00Lo76OaJKMgr1pdnPU2GM_3Rt8pBzIIDZvnvELvs1595gOChkjTnI/s1600/hotpot+xinjiang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA4vmnhYS3ydWblUCHF2aYIvHxYBbNurJAmfbd1niCjXbryBNWfYEKsabgu0kt4aaYXHsTKanpgWoWIFXRZd6-00Lo76OaJKMgr1pdnPU2GM_3Rt8pBzIIDZvnvELvs1595gOChkjTnI/s320/hotpot+xinjiang.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08HvUBOb1iQqNP1KoiAyyj8tcfdZ-VGkNTcgJgd11w_T2LvDYORliOL6IvWNbo7TC6i77QZmnhvZaR_vs9d2Sq3FVQaSNYOE7LI3aHvlunOq6jbqGYH9U1lglvUfhAxhD3fPFu9o4k7Y/s1600/tea+house+kashi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08HvUBOb1iQqNP1KoiAyyj8tcfdZ-VGkNTcgJgd11w_T2LvDYORliOL6IvWNbo7TC6i77QZmnhvZaR_vs9d2Sq3FVQaSNYOE7LI3aHvlunOq6jbqGYH9U1lglvUfhAxhD3fPFu9o4k7Y/s320/tea+house+kashi.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DhdYlWseLzyjN-A8QafKb_Mod4ujWLeAOJtXwosrOYAyZuk-ou7K9flOVpNpXeEZ0T_nrwEN-FheCtOUv27wcPHypgkMWGGi5wIczjVMIxWCe_mba1SAacewO_cv28CRBJTg857SY0E/s1600/stomach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DhdYlWseLzyjN-A8QafKb_Mod4ujWLeAOJtXwosrOYAyZuk-ou7K9flOVpNpXeEZ0T_nrwEN-FheCtOUv27wcPHypgkMWGGi5wIczjVMIxWCe_mba1SAacewO_cv28CRBJTg857SY0E/s200/stomach.jpg" width="200" /></a>Everyone we interacted with were very friendly and utterly amused to have us sampling their butter icing ice cream or buying their samsas fresh from the tandoor or sharing Uyghur bread on the street. With so many new sites, sounds and smells in one place we could not help ourselves but buy, sample and taste absolutely everything! From a bag of the most delicious raisins I have ever eaten to a stomach sac filled with offal, Kashgar is overloaded with the weird and wonderful. We sat among old cheery Uyghur men and drank tea in a 100 year old tea house and we shared an enormous mixed grilled meat platter for dinner at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1152622-d6579242-Reviews-Eden_Cafe-Kashi_Xinjiang_Uygur.html">Eden Cafe</a> - Apparently the most popular restaurant chain in XinJiang. It was great and we vowed to return before the end of the holiday. We all agreed that Kashgar was completely unique and utterly fascinating. I couldn't feel further away from China!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAx1Og8SHCXGqdI2rb1lNnP3rErWfyclnOrvIn8LqgWN_GSySA0uJEPvGzilGKKOFy6Dw_6io1AsEMeSR_B_7nk6_nl9wtjMuo9HPQdUZuUxRuA8Mj_F6pY3YAvCLufmN-qjF9I6VkV4/s1600/cattle+market5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAx1Og8SHCXGqdI2rb1lNnP3rErWfyclnOrvIn8LqgWN_GSySA0uJEPvGzilGKKOFy6Dw_6io1AsEMeSR_B_7nk6_nl9wtjMuo9HPQdUZuUxRuA8Mj_F6pY3YAvCLufmN-qjF9I6VkV4/s640/cattle+market5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lXq9Rmflm9WIGGhiqCkA568zIb6aMy9ZK1ZZ8x0spbhOSj2OkNbX-eG_Pwo3yg44TLR8N0JGlLSfCnEEKzML4Ca52MPDV6RY4nM9nQpvhiqsiWs0XWa8E6pl_qMYCyMmg9WptlcGpHA/s1600/cattle+market1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lXq9Rmflm9WIGGhiqCkA568zIb6aMy9ZK1ZZ8x0spbhOSj2OkNbX-eG_Pwo3yg44TLR8N0JGlLSfCnEEKzML4Ca52MPDV6RY4nM9nQpvhiqsiWs0XWa8E6pl_qMYCyMmg9WptlcGpHA/s200/cattle+market1.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjfo88yoJI0IbAJRFwxGTl8uJSo4Av_jYAqN85M7h0A_je-YIaLeTgIxEdi9kBMHWy_8tnBGnspk4m1bM8rGDDpXEFPajhXxGoOsDiDv4AfnANmMJPXRrMmhiDU7KNLQ5Jv-_qZEsTw/s1600/cattle+market4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjfo88yoJI0IbAJRFwxGTl8uJSo4Av_jYAqN85M7h0A_je-YIaLeTgIxEdi9kBMHWy_8tnBGnspk4m1bM8rGDDpXEFPajhXxGoOsDiDv4AfnANmMJPXRrMmhiDU7KNLQ5Jv-_qZEsTw/s320/cattle+market4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNCLETHeN-nZwlzhEEqRf_PV8NcWvnc3Eq98196mHDM18aooZVSVS7QyrsoH39YEFOnAa390GqhcW5PB3EJlUH45PoNJDyJrgMki4FIMZHwup3M88OfGE5pn_x3TiM48iRQ5lxEd4xa0/s1600/cattle+market3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNCLETHeN-nZwlzhEEqRf_PV8NcWvnc3Eq98196mHDM18aooZVSVS7QyrsoH39YEFOnAa390GqhcW5PB3EJlUH45PoNJDyJrgMki4FIMZHwup3M88OfGE5pn_x3TiM48iRQ5lxEd4xa0/s320/cattle+market3.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMg-SoKQCZJNSR6AN1f81AIHwS7Ja8d5fugg4i5YQwmDEDO471f9fY84hl-WVLjcK2gNVNYtvvOlY2Z6nGTF-Zw9TreDI7g544j61xAZvl2R22oXvAp_4riG-aBYjQ6LJVOWClhR9T-ao/s1600/cattle+market2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMg-SoKQCZJNSR6AN1f81AIHwS7Ja8d5fugg4i5YQwmDEDO471f9fY84hl-WVLjcK2gNVNYtvvOlY2Z6nGTF-Zw9TreDI7g544j61xAZvl2R22oXvAp_4riG-aBYjQ6LJVOWClhR9T-ao/s320/cattle+market2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Yesterday was the Sunday livestock market which again took us back in time where farmers from all over Kashgar brought their livestock to sell. Anyone and everyone was welcome from the big farmers bringing trucks of camels and cows to little old white-bearded men bringing their 2 or 3 hand reared sheep ready for the slaughter (the J-Lo of the sheep species may I add with seemingly human buttock implants!). Yes, you feel a little heartache for them but when you think of the bigger picture you could guarantee that these animals lived a much fuller life than the western mass reared intensively farmed animals. No doubt about it! It is still not for the faint hearted; animals are slaughtered there and then and little shacks along the sides will cook up the freshest meat you could ever eat. I never would have thought that the tastiest grilled lamb skewers would have nothing more than a bit of salt on them. Smokey and juicy with the odd crunch of charred fat is a taste sensation that could never be replicated outside of this market. Uyghur "Laghman Noodles" are hand stretched, thick and have a nice bouncy chew to them; delicious tossed up in a meaty broth with a heap of vegetables. The Sunday livestock market is without a doubt my number one thing to do in Kashgar. All human senses are overwhelmed in the first 10 minutes. It's busy, its smelly, its loud and you have to be on constant alert for the stray hoof of a cow, butt of a sheep, spit of a camel and trample from a horse. All of which we nearly experienced in some way or other. Not to mention the highly probable odds of being defecated on by any of the aforementioned animals. </div>
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;">Long live the Chinese-Pakistan friendship!</b><br />
<b>Wednesday, 5 April</b><br />
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Over time I have started to witness the Chinese influence here and the difficulties that the local Uyghurs face. We visited mud built towns that will soon be knocked down taking old local traditions along with it. When we went to the<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1152622-d500603-Reviews-Id_Kah_Mosque-Kashi_Xinjiang_Uygur.html"> Id Kah Mosque</a> our guide told us that he doesn't pray there anymore since Chinese law has enforced the requirement of an ID card to enter. He says he worries what else the ID cards are really used for. Other rules include no Korans to be seen in public and no traditional call to prayer from the mosque speakers. Even the typical greeting of "As-salamu alaykum" between Uyghurs is hushed and discreet. I purposely shaved my beard right down to avoid potential problems but had to keep some beard to still look like my passport photo for the regular passport security checks. I was still singled out by the Chinese military as "not English" and questioned about my religion. Instead of the call to prayer waking you up in the mornings you have big TV screens and radio towers placed in busy areas blurting out Chinese propaganda instead.<br />
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On Monday we drove 7 hours to get to Tashkurgan - a town that borders closely with Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It's a good 7 hour drive but the scenery along the way is incredible and Karakul Lake (above) looked beautiful with the mountainous backdrop. At an altitude of over 3000m the landscape and atmosphere is drastically different to Kashgar. Tashkurgan is one of those places where you walk around and thank the lord that you grew up somewhere else. It manages to have the stunning surroundings of snow capped peaks and yet still feel a bit tired, dingy and small with very little to do; I dread to think what the winters are like. It's also my first experience of being at altitude which may contribute to the general sense of dullness. At 3200m it kind of feels like the times you say, "I'm not hungover but I can definitely tell that I have had a drink"; a little spaced and the overwhelming desire to just sit and do nothing. With a large population of Tajiks and some shipped in Chinese it's another interesting dynamic where the two rarely exchange pleasantries. When we arrived, we had a bit of a walk around the quiet, somewhat eerie town centre and a dinner of spicy lamb skewers and noodles. I think I have probably had at least one lamb skewer a day so far and they're still amazing. Even when you're in the middle of the absolute armpit of nowhere.<br />
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We were woken up by the radio towers booming out their routine propaganda at 7am before we started our drive to the Khunjerab Pass which is the border to Pakistan. The journey was beautiful in the snow but the end product is essentially a box tick of the "highest border in the world". In the snow, their really was not much to see. As mentioned earlier there are a tonne of police checks and passport checks and they like to single me out as "not English" or "他不是英国人" thinking I don't understand. I happened to mindlessly snap a photo at one of these checks which resulted in a police officer going through all of my pictures and deleting anything he didn't like. Annoying but I was warned to be careful with my camera by the guide and I accepted the punishment! More annoying was the fact that the same officer proceeded to ask if he could have a selfie with us all... Another difficult police check, heading back from the Khunjerab Pass, was not resolved so easily. So much so that we were escorted to a police compound, asked a load of questions and ultimately got the car impounded. Something along the lines of tourists not being allowed in this particular car. This took several hours into the evening and refusing to allow our guide to takes us they decided to call us a taxi to drive us the 7 hours down the mountain back to Kashgar. We decided that we would rather not go down the snowy mountain in the dark and instead spend one more night in the lovely, happy town that is Tashkurgan.<br />
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With more snow overnight and not our usual car with snow ready tires our journey down the mountain was dicey to say the least. There is no exaggeration when I say I think we almost died! Before we even started our descent we slid uncontrollably on flat road and ended up head on with the side of the mountain. We all got out, pushed the car out of the ditch and got back on our way. A little shaken but all OK... and then we actually started our descent. No road to be seen, just compacted ice and snow on a 20% gradient slope. The view down over the tight corners of the road were truly horrifying and having already slid and crashed on the straight and flat roads none of us held much hope. "Let's just get out a walk down" I nervously muttered but then decided that, as a way to depart from this world, being hit by a sliding car or freezing to death probably isn't preferable over flying off a cliff. With a slow, cold shiver down the spine, sweaty palms and one hand on my belt buckle I was ready to jump out of that car if necessary. At one point my buckle was undone as we held our breath and slid in slow motion towards an un-bollarded corner. Our driver was more confident as he told us not to jump out of the car as we gradually came to a stop on the edge. No reading, no listening to music and absolutely not relaxing was had on that journey. Just a dead silence in the car as we all stared out the front windscreen, through the snow, passing other crashed cars and gripping the seats.<br />
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Never had I thought it would feel this great to be back in Kashgur. We walked around the old town like it was a well-loved old village that we grew up in. It almost felt nostalgic. We ate fried fish off the street and consumed an innumerable amount of chapatis with curry in a small Pakistani restaurant. All of this went down extremely well. Oh Kashi how we missed you!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Meat and bread</b></span><br />
<b>Saturday, 8 April</b><br />
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I'm still not sick of it. We've eaten some seriously tasty food in Kashgar many of which our fusions of Chinese and Uyghur cuisines. The best example of this is the incredibly moreish Da Pan Ji (大盘鸡) which literally translates to big plate of chicken but I can assure you that it is much more than that! Full of mild chillies fried into the sauce with vegetables and bony chicken it is a deliciously spicy dish. Also made with lamb or Oxtail it is perfectly accompanied by the dry, hard Uyghur bread that just sits in the sauce ready to be slurped up at the end.<br />
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I feel like I may have mentioned lamb kebabs at some point already on this blog post but it really is the backbone to XinJiang cuisine. The old town is completely taken over by a thick meaty smoke in the evenings as every butcher that was selling their meat in the day have now turned to barbecuing their leftovers. The city seems to evolve around barbecued lamb. You will see truck loads (literally!) of lamb carcasses and you may even be lucky enough to witness a street side slaughter. The smokiness is key to the flavour which is caused by throwing a few pieces of the butt fat mentioned earlier into the burning coals. It makes the pollution worse than Beijing every evening but totally worth it!<br />
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Yesterday we sought out a popular breakfast called Polo which is a lamb rice pilaf which does not seem to differ in recipe no matter where you are in XinJiang. Carrot, onion, big chunks of lamb and a substantial amount of lamb grease. A comforting bowl of sweet and savoury stodge that fixed us up well for our hike to the biggest natural arch in the world! <br />
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There was no mention of snow and any pictures we Googled of Shipton's Arch looked warm! With one of us in shorts, most of us in trainers and our guide in a 3-piece suit I don't think any of us expected snow. Completely ill-equipped we spent the best part of 3 hours hiking in the snow to reach Shipton's Arch and the chances of it being worth it seemed enormously slim. Everyone slipped at least once and sometimes it was just easier to slide down on your backside. It really was 100% totally worth it. The trek was actually a lot of fun in itself but the final view at the top was genuinely stunning. You instantly recognise a view that you have never witnessed before and will probably never witness again. This was one of those views. <br />
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Our final day was spent in a bazaar off-season theme park come desert that barely filled the criteria of either. Other than break my life long vow of never riding a camel again we didn't do much here. We saw out our final meal with one more enormous meat feast at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1152622-d6579242-Reviews-Eden_Cafe-Kashi_Xinjiang_Uygur.html">Eden Cafe</a> and talked over our completely mad holiday in far west China. None of us have ever had a holiday like it! Fascinating culture? Check! Tasty food? Check! Beautiful scenery? Check! Chilled out relaxing atmosphere? Ch...not so much. It is probably the closest I have come to dying, being arrested and being pooped on by a cow all in one trip... You should go I recommend it! Jokes aside I genuinely do recommend it. It is one of the few trips that I would call a once in a life time experience. It's not for everyone but if you're a fanatic foodie, culture vulture or just simply fancy something different you really must check out XinJiang.<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-32999799292450141412017-02-05T06:44:00.000+00:002017-02-19T07:45:12.259+00:00Lombok, Indonesia - Spring 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Thursday, 26 January</b><br />
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Indonesia to me marks the country that got me hooked on travelling. It was <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2010/04/indonesia-summer-2009.html">my first real backpacking trip</a> where parents were left worried sick at home whilst me and some friends learnt how incredible and surprisingly unscary the world was. You couldn't ask for a more perfect introduction to travelling than Indonesia. A lot has changed since I wrote my first blog on this country and it's almost a little embarrassing looking back at my ignorance to cruel wildlife tourism, fashion and general spelling and grammar! I remember my first ever snorkeling experience blowing my mind in Padang Bai and not being able to stop myself eating everything and anything new that I saw with zero care or knowledge for hygiene, health and safety. How life has changed since being young, inexperienced and poor.<br />
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Saturday felt like the longest journey I have ever done! I just assumed Beijing to Lombok wouldn't be so bad but when you factor in a 6 hour change over and a budget airline it's not the best. It's a damn good job that the destination was Lombok - a small tropical island across the water from Bali that has yet to be ruined by the unstoppable tourist train. Giant building sites and extravagant adverts for new hotels assures you that the train is coming but I definitely feel like I have made it just before its arrival. We met with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=peyeng%20die" target="_blank">Di</a>, a contact a made on facebook for surfing lessons, at the airport and he looked after us throughout our time in Kuta. We arrived late but with enough time to drink a Bintang at our hotel (<a href="http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=318615;label=English_United_States%3A-California_EN_US_29561945185-o67bNensPbwK_ndGXHF_XgS113415609985%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atidsa-206308680745%3Alp1013962%3Ali%3Adec%3Adm;sid=e1de40725b8650809d337b6aad5af68d;dest_id=-2683841;dest_type=city;highlighted_hotels=1060412;hlrd=6;keep_landing=1;redirected=1;source=hotel&gclid=CKHn8vD09dECFUYIvAodcOoGJA&" target="_blank">Puri Rinjani Bungalows</a>) bar and eat a Nasi Goreng (National Dish number 1) whilst looking out over Kuta beach. After a long 2 weeks back at work after our 3 week Christmas break I have been looking forward to this... :o)<br />
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A beach bum holiday isn't usually my kind of thing but it was decided that after our last trip to <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2016/10/mongolia-autumn-2016.html" target="_blank">Mongolia</a> a bit of sun and relaxation wouldn't be so bad. To break up the potential build up of boredom I have managed to add a few exciting days to our itinerary of which the first was surfing lessons. I did leave one free day to find our feet first though and so we chilled by our pool and wandered into the <b>slightly </b>busier area around the corner. Kuta is clearly built for tourism but on such a small scale that Lombok life still shines through. We are here during the off-peak season which I am sure contributes to this feeling but it all still feels very chilled and natural with locals outnumbering tourists on the beach and in the restaurants.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltYS1ncK4M6oDiHyt-Zl6G16MFO7D6n3GiOaldP7j19i5pSDb3KEWrjAE6XLg9QAlDDd02bYAocjsrxzTQJJWm071jGP50wBpla9ukoZ5CYTGBcEegL6L2coOvmYxqtqr1FtDSIDVArE/s1600/gerupuk+surfing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltYS1ncK4M6oDiHyt-Zl6G16MFO7D6n3GiOaldP7j19i5pSDb3KEWrjAE6XLg9QAlDDd02bYAocjsrxzTQJJWm071jGP50wBpla9ukoZ5CYTGBcEegL6L2coOvmYxqtqr1FtDSIDVArE/s320/gerupuk+surfing.jpg" width="204" /></a>I have tried to surf once in my life on a school trip to <a href="http://www.bernyeatstheworld.com/2012/07/newquay-england-summer-2012.html" target="_blank">Newquay</a> and my claim to have stood up is pitifully shameful. This time I was going to do it properly with lessons and everything. It cost 800k IDR (around £50 in the current awful brexchange rate) for the day including all rentals and pick ups for the two of us. Di picked us up and drove us to his home town Gerupuk where we met Barry, our surfing coach. All surfers around the world; British, Australian or Indonesian all look like surfers. Barry was no exception with his long bleach died hair, sun kissed face and absence of any body fat. He made us practise the "pop up" on Di's front porch and explained how this was the start of a life long love for surfing. We took a boat out to a "point break" which was far out at sea rather than on the beach and though this did mean the waves lasted much longer to attempt to stand up it also meant that we had to paddle the entire length to get back to where we started. Luckily for me standing up wasn't something in my skill set just yet. After day one of surfing I stood up maybe once for a short amount of time spurred on and motivated by Barry's comments of "Your girlfriend is very good...".<br />
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Day two of surfing lessons got cancelled due to some major sunburn on the back of the legs and half cheeks of Becky. We noticed a possible error in our ways when all other white girls had long sleeves and swim trousers on whilst surfing. I'd bet a lot of money that once upon a time they had all made the same mistake of thinking suncream will do. I can tell you now, no matter how many times you reapply, suncream will not do. The sun is a little more forgiving on my skin and I still had some peelage. The following day, when the thought of sitting on a surfboard didn't feel like sitting on Tobasco covered razorblades we went back out for day two. My tired arms, aching back and bruised ribs secretly appreciated the days rest. This time Di ensured that Becky was suited head to toe and even I donned a t-shirt. Barry took us out to the same spot where Becky advanced to the next class learning how to turn whilst I was held back a year still learning the basics. There's nothing more disheartening than constantly failing to "pop up" when it takes soooooo much time and effort to paddle back to the starting position whilst being pounded by waves that take you further and further away each time they swallow you. Each failure came with a new piece of advice from Barry and by the end I was consistently standing up and surfing the whole way whilst everyone cheered around me (I think everyone was cheering or I just built it up and heard it in my head!?). It felt great and by the time Barry signalled "One more wave!" my sore ribs smiled and my body was well and truly done for the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPD_zRsVvL9CNanMQmquoA5Mje2oSbE37T8R0yeOh-HrTWnLgOPBDHC78wvT7UnhUOVl9mmM24-Zx39CXJAPkXttWslDJKqFlDY4lh3rUMfnG88tpc6RHEEFr0B_4ezKonrh9awfCp5E/s1600/lombok+lobster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPD_zRsVvL9CNanMQmquoA5Mje2oSbE37T8R0yeOh-HrTWnLgOPBDHC78wvT7UnhUOVl9mmM24-Zx39CXJAPkXttWslDJKqFlDY4lh3rUMfnG88tpc6RHEEFr0B_4ezKonrh9awfCp5E/s400/lombok+lobster.jpg" width="400" /></a>You will never have a better meal than the one you eat straight after surfing. It's like the fish and chip shop that was outside my local swimming baths when growing up. They served the best food I had ever eaten and I only ever went there after swimming. Water sports makes you ravenous! We went to the same beach front cafe after both days of surfing and feasted contently. I ordered a Gado-Gado which is best described as a steamed vegetable salad with a peanut sauce dressing, though that description does not sell it very well. To be fair, without the peanut sauce it would be the most dire dish ever but Indonesian Sate sauce could turn a bowl of overcooked mashed up brussel sprouts into a delicious sweet nutty delight. It came with Tempe which was something new - soya beans somehow fermented into a cake and then sliced. It felt like the kind of dish that could turn a Vegans life around but wouldn't do much for most people. Gerupuk, the village we surfed from, is also home to Lombok's lobster farm in which our cafe over looked in the sea. With no lobster on the menu Di assured that they would happily buy some and prepare it "Spicy Lombok style" for the following day. For 500k (approx £30 or 250rmb which sounds so much better!) we shared a kilogram of grilled lobster with vegetable sides and the most incredible spicy sambal, the Indonesian's take on chilli sauce, to drizzle on top. Post surfing lobster possibly beats post swimming fish and chips... but only just.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiThzZh3N0q3Da0KApj0ZulQRtujSK4IDzwtqyhgA0xYur9_BJ-NjOYjO6B2IQ9DM9biXE3JBuqfhDAuvMuot0m3E0JjeGRnh8qDHQRUhkHDRMRI_EhV1VjILRU568OJEH4jQPCzU3-U/s1600/Ikan+bakar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiThzZh3N0q3Da0KApj0ZulQRtujSK4IDzwtqyhgA0xYur9_BJ-NjOYjO6B2IQ9DM9biXE3JBuqfhDAuvMuot0m3E0JjeGRnh8qDHQRUhkHDRMRI_EhV1VjILRU568OJEH4jQPCzU3-U/s320/Ikan+bakar.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitcEXpqWtppdvZQhu-gL5LZD1J9tBgvjnM8ToTAnmMEDeLjc1LLWcflccnPCr0EicEA1OG3l66tTKwACWI2Nevfkchq1d7lL40dfKLzP9zP4ndYCh1Dx0k0vUXZebJsH3xzTAXyif7O0/s1600/fish+masak+kuning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitcEXpqWtppdvZQhu-gL5LZD1J9tBgvjnM8ToTAnmMEDeLjc1LLWcflccnPCr0EicEA1OG3l66tTKwACWI2Nevfkchq1d7lL40dfKLzP9zP4ndYCh1Dx0k0vUXZebJsH3xzTAXyif7O0/s320/fish+masak+kuning.jpg" width="320" /></a>For the ultimate send off Di insisted that we ate grilled fish with him at his house before he drove us to Senggigi. We paid him 100k to buy the fish from the market and his wife prepared them in two ways: grilled Ikan Bakar over coconut husks and curried Masak Kuning. Ikan Bakar means burnt fish and it is this sweet, smokey flavour in the crispy yet sticky skin of the fish that makes it so tasty. The Masak Kuning was flavoured heavily with garlic, galingal and lemon grass giving two very different but equally tasty preparations of the same fish. I think I ended up eating 3 whole fish! Our time in Kuta was made brilliant by Di who suggested the best things for us to do in or spare time (Ashtari Cafe), beaches to hang out at (Tanjung Aan) and places to eat (our lobster meal!). He was completely honest with his prices and suggested cheaper options too. The shuttle bus to Senggigi would have cost us 100K each but we chose the convenience to go door to door with Di at 400k. If you find yourself in Kuta, Lombok - Contact <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=peyeng%20die">Di</a>!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 24pt;">Cooking up a storm</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Sunday, 29 January</b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">We
are staying at The Chandi Boutique and Spa Resort which is just outside of
Senggigi. This was the posh part of our holiday where we planned to do
very little. Sit on hammocks, laze in the pool, have a few massages and
drink cocktails. As we are here during rainy season its the perfect place
to be whilst it's pouring! Seeing through a tropical lightning storm whilst
drinking lychee mojitos is pretty sweet. A short walk down the beach took
us to a well known seafood restaurant called "Warung Menega" where a
seafood platter came with 4 different types of sambal; I have decided that
Indonesia does condiments extremely well. Even their table sauce
"Kecap Manis" is awesome with a thick sticky treacle like consistency
and taste. There are well over a dozen types of sambal but I have seen 4
that seem to be the most common. With our fish platter we had sambal
matah (fresh, raw and colourful with sliced lemongrass, chillies and shallots)
and sambal terasi (also raw with mashed up chilies, tomatoes, shallots and
terasi - a dried shrimp paste). The following day we did a cooking course
and made sambal bajak (fried sambal with shallots, chillies and tamarind making
it sweet, sour and spicy) and sambal kecap (chopped chillies and shallots mixed
with lime juice and the Indonesian favourite sweet soy sauce Kecap Manis).</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">The
cooking course(</span><a href="https://anggrekputih.com/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Pondok Anggrek Putih Cooking Class</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;">) was outstanding as we were guided by a brilliant
chef called Linda and assisted by Chris and Monica - the owners of Pondok
Anggrek Putih. We each had our own dish that we were in charge of and I
had the job of preparing the fish and the sambals; the two things I<span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>really</b>, really wanted to learn. Becky was in
charge of chicken sate (her favourite dish and National Dish number 2!) and others prepared Soto Ayam (National Dish number 3!), a
local curry and Corn Fritters. It all tasted amazing; I knew that I was a
good cook but I didn't realise I was this good! Chris replaced Di as our
new amazing local to know and helped us with all sorts. If we had more
time we would have definitely stayed here for a few nights and taken one of
their tours.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;">A
few more massages, a few more cocktails and an attempt to go fishing like a
local saw out the rest of our time in Senggigi. Renting all the fishing
equipment from a fisherman for 50k for a couple of hours was money well
spent! I didn't catch a thing but thoroughly enjoyed it. We ate at
Linda's (the chef from the cooking course!) restaurant called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1592993-d3431224-Reviews-Papa_Besar_Cafe-Senggigi_Lombok_West_Nusa_Tenggara.html"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Papa Besar Cafe</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">which we agreed was our best meal so far. The calamari was
perfect and the spicy Prawn Balado was absolutely delicious. We happened
to bump into Chris there too who offered to drive us to the port the following
day to get to the Gilis. He warned us that it's not the easiest at the
port with "The Mafia" (the horse and carts vs the taxis!) that try
and fight over you and rip you off. He sorted it all out and we had zero
issues. Gili Air here we come!</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">This island life</span></b><br />
<b>Friday, 3 February</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasl3nomx2AHFMz66GI03pwRTvKy9aQHGtANa5o4gaRLjrXZt7wTGwxXNhyphenhyphenJUlNtBFlSmLGfmgfxGylvJCO6726XDqMyYDJswSkDGQs8UQ8bOWiePlBf96a1VdYZI-mKrs1LeLlidQ2zY/s1600/Gili+air+cycling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasl3nomx2AHFMz66GI03pwRTvKy9aQHGtANa5o4gaRLjrXZt7wTGwxXNhyphenhyphenJUlNtBFlSmLGfmgfxGylvJCO6726XDqMyYDJswSkDGQs8UQ8bOWiePlBf96a1VdYZI-mKrs1LeLlidQ2zY/s320/Gili+air+cycling.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are 3 main Gili's and according to Chris they are all rubbish. He recommended Gili Layar and other smaller, lesser known Gili's. Had we known we definitely would have taken him up on his advice but we had Scuba plans and Gili Air would just have to do. His main gripes were with Gili Trawangan but we already knew that Gili.T was not for us. We read that Gili.T was the loud, party island, Gili Meno was the quiet honeymoon island and Gili Air was somewhere in the middle. I can now concur that Gili Air has the perfect balance. With no motorised vehicles but plenty of bars and restaurants it's the right amount of peaceful. Our plan for the first full day was to hire bikes and cycle around the entire island... it took 20 minutes. A new plan for the day saw us renting snorkels and fins and cycling to the spots on the island that looked perfect for snorkeling. Rumours of turtles arriving every evening like clockwork got us excited but choppy waters and almost no visibility foiled that plan too. The idea of cycling around a tropical island and stopping off every now and then at crystal blue waters to snorkel was nice... Sitting and reading in a beachfront bar was equally lovely. <br />
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We had friends join us on the island and our afternoons together tended to evolve around the sea and the evenings around the food. The rest of the time was reading, sleeping and generally staying out of the rain. 900k got us a private boat with all the kit for a full day of snorkeling. Having seen absolutely nothing the previous day on our own snorkel expedition I was a little apprehensive but it was easily the best 900k we had spent. Turtles were absolutely everywhere and the visibility was crystal! We had 4 different locations which took us around all 3 Gilis including a lunch stop on Gili Meno - this also reaffirmed our choice to stay on Gili Air. The following day we went Scuba diving with <a href="http://manta-dive-giliair.com/">Manta Dive</a> to get up close and personal with the turtles whilst also catching site of mantis shrimp and massive, beautiful shoals of snapper. No sharks or mantas but I was not even a little bit disappointed. The turtles, the size of me, on their own made up for it. The hunt for lazy beach bars and awesome food was always successful in the evenings where we chowed down on giant prawns and grilled fish every night and turned down mushroom shakes and Marijuana. Yes the waterfront restaurants are built for tourists but great local food was easy to find. Even the local street vendors had a place to sell their Bakso (spicy meatball noodle soup), Urap (spicy salad with grated coconut served on a giant cracker) and Sate. The percentage of meat in the Bakso meatballs is questionable but if you are on a budget you will have no problem filling your belly. <br />
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Why don't you get Indonesian restaurants?! I don't think I have ever come across one outside of Indonesia. General rule of thumb; if a country has more restaurants of its own cuisine than any other cuisines then there must be a reason for it. Case in point; England certainly has less "English" restaurants than any other kind. Indonesia, however, you will be hard pushed to find anything but Indonesian restaurants. It is just as diverse as Thai food and you get Thai restaurants everywhere! Our last night was spent in Mataram with the idea that we just wanted to make our trip to the airport nice and easy the next morning. In my head the holiday had finished when we left the Gilis but Indonesia had one last surprise for us - the actual best meal of the holiday. We ate at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297734-d9721789-Reviews-Roemah_Langko-Mataram_Lombok_West_Nusa_Tenggara.html">Roemah Langko</a> which on arrival was a clear favourite of the locals. Located in the courtyard of a great big Dutch colonial building it offers the most incredible Indonesian food for the lowest prices we've paid all holiday. I finally got to eat the spicy grilled chicken taliwang and we ordered a lot of our favourites discovered over our two weeks. The combination of spices on the taliwang were completely unrecognisable to me (though tasted a bit like Goan sausage!) but I could eat it again and again. A sweet rose water and condensed milk Indonesian "Soda Gembira" washed it all down and saw the actual end of the holiday. I only now realise how lucky I was that Indonesia happened to be my first venture into travelling. The warm people, hot food and scorching sun is enough to convince anyone into a love for travel. <br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-87112619020961645252016-10-31T13:13:00.002+00:002016-11-10T13:44:03.289+00:00Mongolia - Autumn 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Salty tea with sheep fat</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><b>Monday, 3 October</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">I always thought that I would only see Mongolia at the tail end of a Mongol Rally or the Trans Siberian Express. Instead it was because I typed "from beijing to <b>anywhere</b>" in to Skyscanner and it was the cheapest flight that came up. When else would you go to Mongolia!? With no itinrary or plan we landed in Ulaanbaatar at night and had a pick up arranged by <a href="http://www.ubguesthouse.com/" target="_blank">UB Guesthouse</a>. I had contacted the owner, Bobby, beforehand and she said that she would plan our trip with us once we had arrived. Low and behold the next morning we put together a real adventure taking us through the countryside of Mongolia staying in "Gers" with actual Mongolian families. Me, my girlfriend, 3 Spaniards, an English speaking guide and a driver took to the roads the following morning giving us one full day to explore the capital city where half the population of Mongolia live. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">A crisp, cool morning welcomed us to the streets of Ulaanbaatar where we first headed to eat breakfast in a local cafe. The National Dish of Mongolia is Buuz and was what everyone was eating in this cafe and so within 12 hours of being in the country I have managed to tick it off. Steamed dumplings filled with juicy, fatty, mutton mince and onions had a strong smell of sheep and a taste that stuck with you for the morning like a bag of cheese and onion crisps. The tea is pale with lots of milk, few tea leaves and salt (!?) and I copied fellow diners who were dunking their buuz in it. I definitely didn't <b>dislike</b> it, it was just a little weird having savoury tea that tasted like lamb. We did our own little walking tour visiting the Gandan Monestry, Chinggis Square and climbed up to Zaisan Memorial where you could see the entire city in one view. An evening of traditional Mongolian performances at <a href="https://tumenekh.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tumen Ekh</a> was very impressive with a throat singer making noises that I didn't even know the human body could make! Followed by live music and a drink at the top of the Blue Sky Tower we felt like we had used our day well! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Yesterday we met with our travelling buddies and started our Mongolian adventure put together by the amazing Bobby at UB Guesthouse. We stacked our bags in a battered but sturdy minibus and made our way into the wilderness where no buildings were to be seen and animals replaced cars. By lunch time we arrived at a family Ger (a Mongolian yurt) that owned a number of horses for us to ride. We spent a good hour riding little mongolian horses with the family before sitting in the ger eating homemade cheese and drinking airag. The cheese was by far the sourest cheese I have eaten. The airag was surprisingly tasty. Surprisingly because airag is fermentend horse milk, a mildly alcoholic drink that tasted a bit like creamy apple cider. Not like liquid blue cheese which I was expecting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Bobby had contacts and suggestions for everything and also k</span><span style="font-size: normal;">new about my life ambition so added things into our trip accordingly. She even organised with a family to prepare
Khorhog for me - </span><span style="font-size: normal;">A dish usually made for celebrations where they cook a whole sheep with vegetables in a big metal barrel with hot stones. We paid the family a little extra for it but it was completely worth it. Not because it tasted great, you just get a lot of sheep for your buck! Our guide told us that Mongolians would never waste a sheep by killing it when it is a lamb and so mutton was generally the meat of choice. Mutton is tough, grisly and has a much more pungent smell. A whole sheep cooked in its own juices for a long time just intensifies it all. Furthermore, nothing stays hot for long in a Ger this time of year and before long it was all covered in a thick white paste of fat. It was really tasty whilst it was hot but didn't take long to go from soft and succulent to cold and pasty. How wonderful for this family to cook it for us though! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">We spent the night chatting with our guide and admiring the milkyway and stars in the absence of light pollution. Our Ger was warmed by a wood stove which seconds as a cooker. We went to sleep toasty but with nobody adding wood to the stove by 3am you could see your breath! Luckily the family came in at about 7am and restarted the fire for us meaning getting out of our sleeping bag wasn't so dire. We had breakfast in the family ger and were served salty tea with a bowl of left over mutton fat to stir in. Mongolians love their tea and put a lot of time in its preperation but to me it tastes more like soup than tea and when I have the mind set that it is soup it is actually quite nice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Mongolian hospitality is world famous and rightly so. As soon as you arrive into a new family ger tea is put on the fire and a bowl filled with a mish mash of rock hard cheeses, dried curds and fried dough is passed around. Our guide told us that the number one rule is if it's offered you must accept, even if it is a tiny bit. The dried cheese curds were a little strange with a kind of sweet and sour crumble; the hard cheese only became soft after about an hour of sucking and the dough balls were served with homemade thick creamy butter which was absolutely delicious! </span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;">I had no problem with this rule of never saying no up until the bowls of pure vodka started to be passed around... I took a big sip and handed it back to a face that smiled at me in a "You haven't finished it" kind of way and waited until I had. And then the bowl of airag came round and the smile forced me to down that too! </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ger life</span></b></span><br />
<b>Friday, 7 October</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Living in a ger isn't easy; I haven't showered for 6 days! The simplest tasks are made difficult when it is cold outside and there is no running water. Taking a dump is the biggest chore and requires thighs of steel and a deep trust in the two planks of wood that hold you above the pit of utter misery. The long drop makes a lot of sense here but man you need a strong stomach. I have learnt that going first thing in the morning meant that though it was painfully cold the mountain of mouldy fecal matter was frozen and just about bearable to squat over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Hard times aside, this trip is probably the most engrossed
into a culture I have ever been on a holiday; we are truly in the thick
of mongolian culture. Bobby managed to get us invited to a family
ceremony to celebrate the first haircut of a young boy of 5 that symbolises
them leaving babyhood and entering childhood. The family invite all the
friends and relatives from local ger communities for a feast and we were lucky
enough to be included! We spent the day travelling there and ate a lunch
of horse meat Khuushuur by the lake on the way and visited a few families our
driver seemed to know to drink tea and eat more rock cheese. Khuushuur
are fried dumplings usually with mutton but our guide picked these up locally
and handed them to us with a jar of vegetable sauce. Vegetable sauce is about the healthiest thing I have eaten here. Pretty much every dinner has been meat and dairy with rice. It's kind of useful concidering the long drops are such an unpleasant experience. The longer I can go without using one the better!
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiEvEztnYfuIBWjJB_dwxE2UPelRn34y6NcBddQs4T08MZ8dXbGPM4dCO8YQMPo4yoBpe4fd_cxI8Pdn8N_guvD6Mkcb8jIrwE015FJF1seR5jF8md5mRgS4zoh9sNsPvgv4rA-rrib0/s1600/kids+mongolia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiiEvEztnYfuIBWjJB_dwxE2UPelRn34y6NcBddQs4T08MZ8dXbGPM4dCO8YQMPo4yoBpe4fd_cxI8Pdn8N_guvD6Mkcb8jIrwE015FJF1seR5jF8md5mRgS4zoh9sNsPvgv4rA-rrib0/s200/kids+mongolia.jpg" width="200" /></a>We arrived the evening before the event and got to witness all the preperations. 4 sheep and a goat were slaughtered for this ceremony and they prepared each one differently. The goat was deboned and rolled up to make ham and the sheep were hung in barrels and steamed whole. The family were clearly busy but they still managed to feed us and force us to drink more airag and vodka. We also got to play with the rediculously cute children who blew raspberries at us and insisted we chased them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35zbjGA8RCwVmKWADgY2LoUr8pRuil8KJs_C3N9GUQ78CExxj1wIS7iNT7-_bkCYucXgNshv5JP6Wl9JnduDpz1KUKcm3icW5B525FdydlxTMw5Vgd6DefGtX3nZmNKEOc-lZHAyJ-V4/s1600/mongolian+ceremony+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35zbjGA8RCwVmKWADgY2LoUr8pRuil8KJs_C3N9GUQ78CExxj1wIS7iNT7-_bkCYucXgNshv5JP6Wl9JnduDpz1KUKcm3icW5B525FdydlxTMw5Vgd6DefGtX3nZmNKEOc-lZHAyJ-V4/s320/mongolian+ceremony+2.jpg" width="320" /></a>We woke up to snow with the little boy whos "party" it was smiling cheekily at us through the open door as if to say wake up and come chase me! By 10am the party was in full swing with the family ger filled with friends from all over and the table piled high with food. A strange combination of foods were being passed around from plates of sheep tripe egg mayonaise to plates of gummy worms. The meats prepared the night before were served cold and pastey and the family guests lapped it up like it was the first time they had eaten mutton. I have never eaten so much mutton in my life! A big bowl filled to the brim with airag and another filled with Arkhi took
centre stage. Arkhi is a clear homemade vodka created from milk - not
as strong as vodka but similar tasting. Before long we were being handed small bowls of alcohol by the master of the family who insisted each man had to consume 3 bowls of Airag, 3 bowls of Arkhi and 3 shots of Vodka. The young boy came round and tradition had it that every guest had to cut a section of hair, drink a sip of yaks milk, kiss him on the head and give a gift. Every other bowl handed to me I had to finish so, much to everyones surprise, I downed the yaks milk in one and everyone giggled. It felt very special to be part of this event and it was sad to leave early but by 11:30am the ger was spinning and we had a long journey ahead of us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">3 hours on bumpy roads in a stuffy mini bus is exactly what you need with 6 bowls of alcohol made from milk sloshing about with sheep fat and egg mayonaise inside you. The views of endless snow were beautiful but it was difficult to truly appreciate them. I slept most of the way and woke up to hike the volcano. It's probably worth it when you are not on the hump between drunk and hung over. It was an exhausting climb in the cold but a nice break from the roads before arriving at White Lake. The silence of the Mongolian countryside is never more noticable than when you are walking along the White Lake. Like walking around wearing earplugs even the horses seemed to gallop with fluffy slippers on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Ger life has been an experience but by now we were starting to flag and seek some comfort. There's only so many mornings that you can wake up shivering and days you can spend in 6 layers of clothing. Luckily our next stop was at a natural hot springs with real life toilets and hot showers! Man it felt good to sit in a hot a tub in the great snowy caped outdoors. The restaurant on site was cosy and served up the most delicious mutton ribs. Still as tough as cowboy boots but part of me has accepted that and really enjoyed them. Just means you have to chew it for a little longer which is fine when it tastes good! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;">The hot springs marked the end of our trip. We journeyed back via Karakorum city, the old capital of the Mongol Empire. A very historical site where we visted a few temples but we were more excited about the fact that our ger had wifi. We spent the evening in silence staring at our phones and looking forward to normal life again. Mongolia isn't a place you go for a relaxing holiday. It's somewhere you go for a completely unique experience; be thoroughly engrossed in a different culture and realise a life that is not completely strangled by modern day society. An experience that you only really need once...</span></div>
Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-77140161541222195632016-08-01T04:40:00.000+01:002018-08-12T03:38:01.557+01:00South Africa - Summer 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="font-size: xx-large;">Zebra Kebabs</b><br />
<b>Wednesday, 27 July</b><br />
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After camping for as long as we have we totally deserve some R&R. To that end we are staying in an amazing AirBnB in Camps Bay, Cape Town. We're a few minutes drive from Table Mountain and again from the beach in the other direction. Not that it is the time of year to be going to the beach; we have a lovely swimming pool but it is far to cold to use. In fact, not just cold, full on wet and stormy. The cable cars for table mountain are going through there once a year maintenance check for the one and only week that we are here. We had a breazy beach side walk and ordered an indian takeaway whilst we waited out the storm. Fire blazing, t.v on, wine glasses full - the opposite end of the spectrum that camping sits on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpg2Nb7M5cQE4AFjS3KBphAA282Cd8BvnUril_YPoJh8PcfkuMy-rNBMAUWkY4Inj9M4Yn3nrU69syS4u8jeJkAsBvC-KpiTmSsF3HBigrjSuUfJihVNSTlUqKLte1jCL9K5kaR83x5M/s1600/mapone+worm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpg2Nb7M5cQE4AFjS3KBphAA282Cd8BvnUril_YPoJh8PcfkuMy-rNBMAUWkY4Inj9M4Yn3nrU69syS4u8jeJkAsBvC-KpiTmSsF3HBigrjSuUfJihVNSTlUqKLte1jCL9K5kaR83x5M/s320/mapone+worm.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeQGudChxs0Ha4s1SnwrmRD0LqO0uEe6wL5YN0ii4CzmafsCHOMugaX10EKWcWVIPddtFYAi2gPWOs0tXDnu8fhCIe_dFvpgV37azcShAyl6WAZeln8DXKj_0sc6-njl3NLk-vWUGgOo/s1600/malva+pudding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeQGudChxs0Ha4s1SnwrmRD0LqO0uEe6wL5YN0ii4CzmafsCHOMugaX10EKWcWVIPddtFYAi2gPWOs0tXDnu8fhCIe_dFvpgV37azcShAyl6WAZeln8DXKj_0sc6-njl3NLk-vWUGgOo/s200/malva+pudding.jpg" width="200" /></a>A bit of shopping and some normal day to day western life was on everyones to do list so we headed out to V&A Waterfront and had some well earned retail therapy. Lunch at their food market gave a nice insight to locally produced products and I took the opportunity to sample some zebra, warthog, crocodile and ostrich meat skewers and some fried mopane worms. Are these popular and regular eaten meats in South Africa? I'm not sure, the mopane worms definitely are though! Kind of crispy on the outside and pasty on the inside not a desirable texture or flavour for a western palette. Warthog was incredibly tasty with a perfect amount of fat and more flavoursome but not to disimilar to pork. We cooked like a big family in the evening and finished with a Woolworths Malva Pudding, propbably our most South African dish of the day. Malva Pudding trumps all puddings. This shop bought version was the definition of scrumptious. A freshly baked Malva Pudding must be out of this world! <br />
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Today was the day I have been nervously looking forward to since we landed in Cape Town. Today we got up close and personal with the <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Great White Shark</span></b> in the freezing cold atlantic ocean. We got up early, swallowed some sea sickness tablets, wrapped up warm and drove out to Simon's town for a real once in a lifetime experience. We took a boat out to a small island densely populated with <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Seal</span></b> and told to keep an eye on any seal stupid enough to try and swim through open water to the main island. A few hours passed and nothing happened. Then we dragged a fake seal from the back of our boat for an hour and still nothing; our luck was seemingly down. Then we were instructed to change from our cosy, warm layers into cold, slightly damp wetsuits to get into the ice cold Atlantic ocean where there may or may not be any sharks. I have to admit that it definitely crossed my mind whether I should bother or not. I went first, with a <i>lets get it over and done with</i> kind of mind set, got into the cage and within 30 seconds had everybody on the boat screaming and the guides telling us to dive under. My first ever sighting of a great white shark was with it being no more than 50cms away from my face!! For the rest of the afternoon we had some awesome sightings from in the cage and on the boat. We loved every second of it even with the biting cold. Would do it all over again... and again and again. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">How to wine and dine...and wine </span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday, 30 July</span> </span></b><br />
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I have been to South Africa before and did not manage to get round to ticking off the National Dish of Bobotie. Second time round I am leaving once again without having eaten it. Not to worry, it's not like I missed out on other South African delights. One local delicacy I 100% definitely did not miss was a beautiful glass of South African wine... or seven. We drove to Stellenbosch and checked in to <a href="http://www.albarosa.co.za/" target="_blank">Albarosa Guesthouse</a> for a few nights. On our first day we hit 4 different wineries and tasted 22 different wines. 22!? Most places were free especially if your bought a bottle. A "taster" is no less than half a normal glass of wine so pretty much 11 glasses of wine. I started the day turning my nose up at the people spitting their wine out in to the spittoon but by glass 17 I totally understood it. 5 glasses of South Africas version of Champagne, J.C.Le Roux, were paired nicely with 5 nougat and then lunch was a 4 season pizza paired with 4 more wines and then dinner was a Gemsbok steak with... a lemonade. I couldn't bring myself to drink another wine let alone pay for one!<br />
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The wine regions are stunning and a million miles away from polluted Beijing. We spent the following day visiting another 4 wineries and making full use of the Rand to Pound exchange rate. We were washing down steaks, lobsters and oysters with posh plonk and paying with pocket change. There's nothing like a good bottle of wine to ponder over how immense your last 5 weeks have been. I have bought 4 bottles of wine to take home (with zero space in my rucksack...) and it will serve the same purpose in a few months time when I want to reminisce once more how frickin amazing this trip has been. :o)<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-63189030450753718702016-07-25T04:39:00.000+01:002016-09-25T10:55:56.399+01:00Botswana - Summer 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzJRlewOUXIEeFxZYFileT-ImprBV8DVUxmv195fZjZ_Fs1jEB4tkUVcs3ZlsF8-Ms4fxC_FeKQN30oPkHAKuTA8wB7lPccKz7JFuBvDiQAsKxKboVvFQBI9NbD8YPSofxgwD5ry6dV4/s1600/Botswana+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzJRlewOUXIEeFxZYFileT-ImprBV8DVUxmv195fZjZ_Fs1jEB4tkUVcs3ZlsF8-Ms4fxC_FeKQN30oPkHAKuTA8wB7lPccKz7JFuBvDiQAsKxKboVvFQBI9NbD8YPSofxgwD5ry6dV4/s1600/Botswana+banner.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Has anybody seen my Bush Baby?</b></span><br />
<b>Sunday, 24 July</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2-Z54aEU7WYX5GeVs94ONAydebG6WMsZLnJLU_hnNzgseustSQvLkbkncvhHmZRUGs4HatKvi08poqsvOCCExhIJd7Hqz1bUH3PID3zxWOv5KsUMEP4Ib56bFd9knUsqtYHFWt5Ink0/s1600/seswaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2-Z54aEU7WYX5GeVs94ONAydebG6WMsZLnJLU_hnNzgseustSQvLkbkncvhHmZRUGs4HatKvi08poqsvOCCExhIJd7Hqz1bUH3PID3zxWOv5KsUMEP4Ib56bFd9knUsqtYHFWt5Ink0/s320/seswaa.jpg" width="233" /></a>The general air of Botswana is immensely different than Zimbabwe. The boarder was truly pleasant with two larger than life bouncy ladies proudly dressed in their flag colours, making us smile all the way into Botswana. Instantly you feel like you are in a country where the locals deeply love their identity as Botswana people. What a difference 50 meters makes! Before starting our drive to our first camp we did a small shop for essentials and this is where I managed to tick of the National Dish of Botswana: Seswaa. It is a long cooked beef dish that is dry and has a consistency and taste of corned beef. I like corned beef and so of the National Dishes of this trip so far this is an easy favourite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaWL7kr5gIwrCPdXwNNiDNdDO8uf2iQkCkLeqo_LgIYLRkOdWDQXsbyn67-o4bqze55L7kiCnR7sroHo7yH920itRz-XMeMQdFI-aNmExMM42eKpZVKVLIX0sWzdnk9swySkJ1c9tC6s/s1600/elephant+sands+bushbaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaWL7kr5gIwrCPdXwNNiDNdDO8uf2iQkCkLeqo_LgIYLRkOdWDQXsbyn67-o4bqze55L7kiCnR7sroHo7yH920itRz-XMeMQdFI-aNmExMM42eKpZVKVLIX0sWzdnk9swySkJ1c9tC6s/s400/elephant+sands+bushbaby.jpg" width="400" /></a>We drove to <a href="http://www.elephantsands.com/" target="_blank">Elephant Sands</a> encouraged by a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrm7_xgVT_Y" target="_blank">video</a> that went viral of an elephant drinking out of the swimming pool whilst people were sat in it. Clearly the video was old as now there was no way the elephant could get to the swimming pool. Spiky rocks and knee high walls are all it takes to create a barrier between you and a herd of elephants! It did mean that we could sit at the bar and play cards whilst elephants bathed in the water hole right next to us. Had this been at the beginning of our trip we would have been blown away but the fact that we spent the previous night by the best waterhole ever in Zimbabwe with elephants, lions, hippos and crocodiles made Elephant Sands seem just mediocre. Mediocre until we were settling down for the night and a<b><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Bush Baby</span></b><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>came and sat with us! A fearless bush baby that climbed into a small zip opening of one of our tents and tried to snuggle itself into Sophie's fleece whilst she screamed her head off. It was massively entertaining and eventually I got the bush baby to sit on my shoulder and get it out of the tent. It did attempt to crawl into my hoody but eventually<b> jumped</b>(they don't walk, they bounce like tigger!) around chasing moths on our cars for the rest of the night. Bush babies are my new favourite animal. <br />
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We're at a point now where we have to start thinking about finishing up our left over food. With no Safari drive we managed our first mini lie in followed by a proper breakfast of eggs and beans on toast. We've seen no Rhino this entire trip due to the horrible poaching over the past years; all the parks that we have been to have said how they used to have plenty of Rhino but now they have zero. We knew this would be the case and so had always planned our final safari to be at <a href="http://www.khamarhinosanctuary.org.bw/" target="_blank">Khama Rhino Sanctuary</a>. On the way to Khama Rhino Sanctuary are the salt pans that gave us some incredible scenery and added two new species to our list! We saw magnificent herds of <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Wildebeest</span></b> and the odd few <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Ostrich</span></b>. We're just at the end of the wet season and so Pelican and Flamingo were bobbing around what was left of the lake. The lake was so still it just looked like a mirror reflecting the blue sky where the horizon line between the two was blurred. <br />
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Our final meal was a giant vegetable curry in which all left over tins were thrown in. We bought some gem squashes that roasted nicely directly in the coals as did some corn on the cob wrapped in foil. It was sad to say goodbye to cooking on an open fire. And then in the morning it was sad to say goodbye to safariing! Our last drive this time looking for Rhino ended in disappointment. Even at a Rhino <b>sanctuary </b>we saw no Rhino! And so the time came to start our drive all the way to Johannesburg where the hardest of all goodbyes was waiting - our beautiful, hard working and never faltering jeeps. Well, maybe once faltering... on our way to Johannesburg. Smoke started coming out of our bonnet and it didn't take us too long to realise that we were missing a fan belt. Luckily this was Botswana and every second person that drove by asked us if we needed help! One of which phoned his mechanic friend who came and fixed it on the side of the road and refused to take any money. I dread to think how different the story may have been if this happened in Zimbabwe! 2 days in Botswana clearly is not enough time and I will definitely find myself on these soils again soon; we didn't even touch Chobe National Park or the Okavango Delta! For now upwards and onwards to our final leg of the trip - South Africa!<br />
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4315329656693772197.post-8521274398622229872016-07-23T11:52:00.000+01:002016-09-25T04:41:40.468+01:00Zimbabwe - Summer 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">That will be a fine of $20</span></b></div>
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<b>Friday, 22 July</b></div>
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Between driving from our Hostel in Zambia and arriving at Hwange National Park we have been fined a ridiculous number of times. Ok so the first fine for $900 was <a href="http://www.bushlore.com/" target="_blank">Bushlores</a> fault for filling the papers in wrong but they footed that bill. The boarder into Zimbabwe is just strange, unfriendly and i'm pretty sure a bit of a con. We had to pay some random "agent fee" that was signed off by a guy on the street (literally a man on the side of the road that we dismissed and later recalled). We had to pay the random man and the boarder control people and then saw them split some money around the back. It's all a bit iffy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyFjLn2qcBfOyTHfMB7eK6m_49N4534yjbmP4YpVCzx6pEbxxwyBpmg07rnRWXefmYc-a_k5l8F1S00K4XR7M71kC0ZuS3pdecrVKAClrsE1TJu8CsK01ckgWgQ9fFYvhjhFppN1x-EQ/s1600/Sadza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyFjLn2qcBfOyTHfMB7eK6m_49N4534yjbmP4YpVCzx6pEbxxwyBpmg07rnRWXefmYc-a_k5l8F1S00K4XR7M71kC0ZuS3pdecrVKAClrsE1TJu8CsK01ckgWgQ9fFYvhjhFppN1x-EQ/s400/Sadza.jpg" width="400" /></a>We knew this about Zimbabwe but didn't think it would be so smack-in-your-face obvious. Finally into Zimbabwe we got stung so many times! Our first fine was for entering a big car park through the entrance... Kind of our fault but surely not illegal?! $20 per car within 20 minutes of arriving. We were planning to sit and have a nice meal but after dealing with arsey Zimbabwe policemen we just wanted to get into the National Park. I did manage to buy the National Dish of Sadza from the supermarket though so not all misery! It looked disappointingly familiar - cornmeal made into a thick, stiff porridge this time served with stewed beef.</div>
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The national park was only a few hours away but in that time, between the two jeeps, we paid $20 at every police check on the way. The light on our registration plate wasn't working; the pressure in our fire extinguisher was too low; the brake light has a crack in it. The police knew and we knew that $20 was never worth arguing over and so we just paid it every time; the policeman here haven't been paid since January! I just saw it as an expensive toll where the proceeds go to "charity". Never have we been happier to enter a National Park! </div>
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Hwange is known for having pumped waterholes all year round and so when dry season comes there is only one place you need to be to see <b>everything</b>! I find it fascinating how you can use one animal's behavior to find others. A nervous Puku usually means there is something around that might eat it; circling vultures in the sky can be seen for miles and means that there's a fresh kill below. We used the spiralling tower of vultures to find our best kill siting of the trip. A pride of around 7 lions, with cubs(!), eating a small elephant. We sat there on our own watching a lion trying to gnaw the tip of the trunk off and chew it like a deflated rubber dingy whilst another fended off vultures. This was truly a once in a life time experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many legs?!</td></tr>
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Just two minutes up from the lions was Masuma Dam campsite with a beautiful hideout overlooking a water hole crowded with playful elephants. This campsite only allows one camp group at a time and James tried to book us in months ago to no avail. We were allowed to hang out there though and so switched between the hideout and the elephant remains for a few hours before the campsite guard (our new best friend Edward!) told us that he didn't think the people who booked the site are coming. We just had to wait until the National Park gates closed, radio the men at the gate to confirm that they never arrived to the park and the campsite was ours! In the past few weeks we have stayed at some stunning locations but Masuma Dam was my all time favorite. The Zimbabwe cops seemed a million miles away and Edward was so smiley and warm (with his AK47 in hand) Zimbabwe was well and truly back in my good books. We watched entire herd of elephants come and go, our full bellied lions quench their meat sweats and every other animal we have seen throughout our trip pay a visit to our waterhole. Whilst the lions were drinking the elephant carcus was drowning in a sea of vultures. The night was filled with roars, snorts and trumpets (not just from my girlfriend sleeping next to me!) and we woke up early to sit in the hideout for a stunning sunrise.<br />
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We left Zimbabwe without leaving Hwange Park which suited us just fine. We made sure to stop by our lion pride before leaving and found the bones picked clean and two determined lions still chewing on the hide. Zimbabwe didn't disappoint - I expected beautiful scenery and got beautiful scenery, I expected to be bent over by police and certainly got that too. </div>
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Bernyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15290926627048118284noreply@blogger.com0