Far Eastern Explorers

Onwards to the Lion City

2010-03-09T01:37:00.003Z

We took a bus from Melaka down to Singapore to go on the trail of something quite significant. Over 50 years ago John Dunbavand and Andrew Armstrong spent two years here, serving Queen and Country and making fantastic music. Well, 52 years later, Jon Owen and Simon Dunbavand have come to seek out one of the favourite haunts of an intrepid duo of an earlier generation!

And here it is! A Muslim Indian restaurant called "Zam Zam'. Now John always used to talk about the fiery Nasi Goreng here being the best in town. The restaurant was founded back in 1908 and is still going strong, turning out its famous dishes such as Mutarbarak.

Here's Simon with a photo taken of John back in November 1958, at a location somewhere near here! Two of these photos came on this trip, and one is already floating in Singapore harbour, to close the circle, as it were. There are still plenty of photos of the Cheshire Regiment band in action, and plenty of stories Andy can recollect. Simon always remembers mention of the name Zam Zam's.

Simon and Jon both started off the special meal with a fantastic "Milo Dinosaur"!

Soon a fabulous pair of Nasi Gorengs arrived...

Jon played it safe with a Chicken Korma with plenty of chicken meat, but maybe too much ghee?

Job done! And so the pair went off to Changi Airport, but where do you think they are going next then...?

Vrai: Malacca?

2010-03-07T15:37:00.003Z

Today we've been on the trail of many Malaccan delights: St. Francis Xavier; Chinese temples; Baba Nyonya grub! But exactly how successful were we?

This Lion Dance was a riot of sound and colour, highlighting for us the whole concept of "Baba Nyonya": the blending and melding of Malay and Chinese cultures.

One local speciality is "Oyster Eggs".
Fried noodles are always very welcome, as you can see from this shot of three hungry diners, the two Simons and Jon:

Keep watching our blog in the next few hours, for there are going to be a few mystery destinations coming up very soon...

Shooting (Rapids and Targets…)

2010-03-06T12:43:00.002Z

Are you ready to get wet? Well in the hot, humid and steamy climate of this rainforest, it’s a terrific idea. There are seven rapids to shoot right upstream from the village here at Kuala Tahan, and doing it in the longtails will mean a fair amount of water sloshing around all over us. And then to recover, we’ll visit a small settlement of the Batek people (only 3,000 remain), a tribe of the Orang Asli (this term simply means original people, the aboriginal tribes of peninsula Malaysia) where more shooting is going to take place, this time involving Jon and a very long blowpipe.
But before we went off to get a soaking, we bumped into a chap from St. Austell. Small world, isn’t it? And it’s shortly about to get even smaller…

The rapids shouldn’t really be compared to the grade 5 rapids we encountered up at the Last Resort in Nepal, or to the wonderful kayaking experience we’ve recently had on the Nam Ou up in Laos. Here the encounter with water involved a motor, but much, much more water. It didn’t last nearly long enough, but long enough for us to wish that we could do it all over again. Fast running water always appears to be freezing, but putting your hand into this river is quite a different experience. It’s very shallow and as the rapids woosh over the stones, it appears that the river is boiling. The temperature is more akin to a Jacuzzi, though! The wooden longtail in which we were seated had to almost come to a complete halt before the captain steered harshly from side to side to create the large sprays that completely drenched us.

Visiting the Orang Asli settlement seemed slightly staged, but in any event gave us quite a good insight into the life of this semi-nomadic people, deep in the heart of the forest. Firstly, we witnessed the making of fire. They really are skilled at this technique, and try as he might, Jon didn’t quite manage to get the wood to smoke.

Leave it to the pros and you can guarantee that the leaves will burst into flames. But then there was the blowpipe demonstration. These blowpipes are much, much longer than you might imagine, and the poison darts are skilfully made on the spot. It takes a considerable amount of puff to get your dart out of the blowpipe, let alone hit the target. Here we weren’t aiming at the monkeys, but at a target closely resembling a dartboard, but with the names of animals inscribed around the concentric circles. Whmmmmmph! On his very first attempt, Jon hit the target! An elephant. Great shot! Not as good as our new friend, Caroline, who hit a deer (that’s two rings in towards the bulls-eye, which resembled a human).

Meanwhile, back at the floating restaurant in Kuala Tahan, it was time to chill out for the evening over food and liquid refreshment (being a Muslim restaurant, there’s absolutely NO alcohol, but nevermind because they always manage to rustle up a tasty juice, tonight’s involving rosewater. It was at this point that we discovered than Jon’s new friend was actually his long-lost school friend from Berrycombe school, Simon Welch: they haven’t seen each other since they were five, and now here they are, reunited up the jungle on the other side of the world! Plus, it turns out they both recited the same poem in a festival competition at St Austell’s Methodist Church (next to the fire station and Ozzel Bowl, for those of you who are familiar).

“A little sardine saw its first submarine,
It was scared and watched through the peep-hole,
Come Come Come, said the Sardine’s mum,
It’s only a tin full of people”

He’s just spent a whole year teaching Maths and IT on Vanuatu, and is now heading home to Cornwall. Talking of which, we’ll shortly be heading home too!

But first, here’s an idea of just what might be lying in store for us in the next few weeks: something for you to look forward to! Coming up in the next few days will be the glories of Malacca. No, not the old Portuguese quarter; not the colonial Dutch architecture; not the historical museums, of course not. What will be interesting us on our visit to this sultry city? Well, the answer can be found in the name ‘Baba Nonya’, but you’ll have to keep on reading to find out exactly WHAT we’re on the trail of! And then the best part of two weeks in Sri Lanka, whale watching amongst other things. Which brings us to out traditional Middle East stopover on the way back home. Not Jordan this time, but something much more mysterious: the frankincense trail in Oman. Finally, would you like to know what Dubai is like? Well, we’re going to find out on your behalf, but just for an afternoon.

The Canopy Walkway

2010-03-06T12:42:00.002Z

If you tend to suffer from vertigo or have a bit of a fear of heights, then look away right now. This blog entry is all about heights, for virtually all of the interesting action in a rainforest takes place right up in the canopy, and for us this is 45m above the forest floor. The trip started with a quick hop upstream by longtail, and then from the riverbank up, up into the canopy for a 500m stroll on some pretty rickety walkways. Take a look at this in action:

Following this experience, there was a further climb up to the hill Bukit Teresik to admire the view all the way to Gunung Tahan, the highest peak on peninsula Malaysia, 55km to the north. In the hot and steamy jungle, this climb was fairly demanding, but very rewarding when we finally made it!

There were some spectacular sights along the way too, particularly millions of organized ants going about their daily chores. Several lines of these wonderful creatures scampered along semi-exposed tree roots and then reformed even more orderly to single-file as they reached a thin twig en route. The morning concluded with a hearty lunch for the weary climbers, with some tasty fried rice enlivened with freshly chopped red chilli and a local air-dried river fish sautéed with ginger.

A Night Walk in the Jungle

2010-03-06T12:41:00.003Z

Do you have any idea of the noise a rainforest makes? It seems deafening and goes on incessantly, whilst somehow this effect seems to be magnified at night. The purpose of our night time trek was not to view the larger animals of the national park, but to get up close and personal with all the insects: spiders (including tasty tarantulas…) scorpions, centipedes and stick insects. They didn’t seem to mind being illuminated by torchlight, all except the scorpions, who were very shy! Before we set off, there was time for a tasty Malay curry!

We made it to the hide overlooking the salt lick, where we waited for thirsty deer to come to the watering hole. Unfortunately, just like the tigers of Palamau in Jarkhand, they remained elusive. But that didn’t really matter, for the whole point of the night walk was simply to experience the other-worldliness of the rainforest. It’s almost impossible to put this into words, and being night, rather tricky to put into pictures too. So take it from us, being inside the rainforest at night is a pretty special experience.

The Journey to Taman Negara

2010-03-06T12:40:00.002Z

Leaving Kuala Lumpur in the direction of Jerantut the scenery becomes spectacular: very hilly, with lush, green vegetation directly either side of the roadway. Upon reaching Jerantut, it’s necessary to transfer to Kuala Tembeling jetty for a three-hour boat journey, which actually seems way too short: we wanted the experience to go on and on. The boat is just a small dug-out longtail with a 40hp engine at the rear, the luggage perching precariously in the bows. In a matter of thirty minutes or so, we had reached a tranquil paradise where the multitonal trees of the Taman Negara towered on both sides of the meandering river. We sailed upstream, fighting against the current, and spotted ripples over the shallow areas where large pebbles laid menacingly. Observing a leafy outcrop from the riverbank to our right, we were fortunate to spot a stork-billed kingfisher. It was hard to spot initially, but it’s blue, shiny feathers and it’s red and yellow bill radiated reflection from beneath the forest’s shrubbery. Continuing upstream we were being watched by a terrestrial reptile, in fact, it we noticed that it was a montitor lizard as we got closer to the pebbly on which it was crawling. I don’t think that it’s meant to be the dry season here right now, but there has been no rain since January. Places along the river look like the water levels could go at least two metres higher, and then: crunch! Just like our kayaking in Laos, we’re aground, and won’t budge. There’s nothing for it but to get out and push, so Simon and Axel, our Swedish friend hop out into the river and attempt to get the boat off the rocks. Eventually we’re freed and continue upstream. This river is running worryingly low at some points, and the boatmen seem to know every turn in the river and exactly where the best channels are to be found, so we find ourselves meandering even up otherwise straight stretches of water.

As we reached the floating restaurant where a couple of guides greeted us and directed us to the hostel on site. There’s nothing quite like travelling on a river by small boat; this time around three hours just flew past and wasn’t nearly long enough. Dangling your hand languidly in the hot water of the river as the boat chugs along, taking in the myriad types and sizes of trees and creepers on the riverbank is simply magical.

Kuala Lumpur: KL, ok?

2010-03-03T17:19:00.005Z

The metro here is great: efficient, clean and cheap. The day started by hopping on, then changing to the rinky-dink monorail to get to the Golden Triangle. It’s a stiflingly hot and humid city, built relatively recently where virgin rainforest once stood. Sometimes the pavement seems irregular where vegetation seems to be making an impressive effort to reclaim the land. The clearing of forest is an explosive issue here in Malaysia. Coming in to land yesterday we descended over a carpet of lush, green tree cover which looked fantastic from a distance, but upon closer inspection bore all the hallmarks of vast palm-oil plantations. Elsewhere in the country, logging is a force to be reckoned with. The stewardship of the natural habitat seems to have been handled in a cavalier-like fashion here in the past; the green spaces in this city seem all the more poignant as a result. It’s a brash, modern metropolis, yet everywhere you look there are trees and parks.
By the time we’d made it to the Golden Triangle, it was time for lunch, so we ducked down into the Lemon Food Court for inspiration.

Nasi Goreng jazzed up with some sambal really hit the spot, but an unexpected and welcome dessert came in the form of churros with butterscotch and lemon dips. Chilled sugar can juice with some fresh pineapple chunks rounded off a really great snack… Suitably fortified, our curious pair hit the electrical goods mall, checking out the latest Viao laptops and netbooks, but not finding the Apple Tablet, even in the Mac store. Nevermind, it’s time to climb the fourth highest telecommunications tower in the world!
The Menara TV Tower has a lift that whisked us all the way to the observation deck in 58 seconds. At first visibility was poor, although the thrill factor was high as we watched fork lightening strike all over the city, but as the rain cleared it became possible to see the forest clad mountains to the west, shrouded in mist. Next to us stood the Petronas Towers, looking fantastic by day, and even more impressive from such a height!

At the base of the tower we visited a menagerie of exotic animals (the racoons were the most entertaining) and did some Formula One simulated driving (Jon beating Simon partly by virtue of the fact that Simon completed one-and-a-half circuits with his left foot on the brake…)
Meanwhile, back at the KLCC mall, it was time for some cooling down. Here the ice cream comes in such amazing flavours and weird, exotic colours. Imagine Black Sesame flavoured ice cream, which is actually very dark grey. But the taste, ahhh the taste! We went more mainstream for our bigger order: Honeydew melon (surprisingly accurate and very thirst-quenching) lemon&lime (sharp!) and a very mellow mango. Yum! |Ok, ok, it’s a mall; it’s the best mall in KL, so I suppose we should actually do some shopping. We did.
Ending up once more at the top, there was nothing for it other than to have supper. Jon gave the Penang-style stall a chance, with a massive bowl of fragrant, saffron coloured Curry Mee soup, whilst Simon went for the black-bean chicken from Little Wok, again aided and abetted by the fiery sambal. This level of fortification will help our pair of intrepid explorers, for tomorrow they are to spend the entire day travelling deep into the heart of a rainforest 130 million years old. If you don’t hear from us by Sunday, send a search party…

Onwards to Malaysia

2010-03-03T17:07:00.002Z

Up and out! We released ourselves from the giant scissor doors of our hotel by reaching through the gaps to unlock the hefty padlock imprisoning us. We encountered the airport bus at about 7:00am, which also played as a public bus as people seemed to jump on and off as they pleased, often creating a slightly crowded carriage. Arriving in plenty of time, we checked in for our flight to Kuala Lumpur and browsed the duty free shops, mainly using the bookstore as a library and refreshing our itineraries for future stops. They had illustrated guidebooks for everywhere that we’d ever want to go! The latest Lonely Planet ‘South America on a Shoestring’ is now out: March 2010. I wonder when we’ll get to use it?
After a slight delay in boarding, the Malaysian Airlines 737-400 plane set off and before we knew it, our in-flight meals were served in front of us. A typical Malaysian curry, with fruit cake and even Ferrero Rochers. Delicious! We had one of the emergency exit rows over the wing; more room but a very loud whooshing sound!
As we landed we were ready to embark upon an hour-long bus journey into the centre of Kuala Lumpur and, to our surprise, it couldn’t have been simpler. The honest bus drivers directed us straight to the cheap airport bus, without suggesting a more expensive taxi first. Unusual for this neck of the woods, or should I say ‘rainforest’ since we are planning to visit the world’s oldest rainforest in the Taman Negara National Park on Thursday. In fact, we managed to organise that as soon as we located our hostel in the China Town area. This hostel is way overpriced compared to what we have managed to sniff out throughout our journey so far. Our windowless room is like a furnace, the toilets are shared between several other backpackers resulting in a bathroom that smells like Indian Railways, and the bedroom light takes a while to get going. However, a great travelling philosophy is that “ Out of all the places you stay during your trip, it is always the absolute dives that remain most vivid in your memory”. This is actually quite true, and certainly applied to us last year when we found a cockroach in Jon’s bed in Bangladesh. No sign of cockroaches in here so far, nor spiders, nor monsters under the beds. “Touch wood”, I say, as I tap the wooden back piece of the nearest chair). Talking of “Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite”, our reliable Lonely Planet guidebook mentions that the hostels in the entire China Town region were riddled with the critters this time last year. Perhaps we’ll have to get our sleeping bags out and use them as a barrier between our beds and our skin.
After the afternoon of sorting things out had passed, we wandered in the direction of the almighty Petronas Twin Towers. We strolled past a quaint mosque, the Masjid Jamek, which looked like it came straight out of Aladdin’s Arabia. Eventually the towers hove into view: wow! So this is what the erstwhile tallest buildings in the world look like!

It’s hard to find adequate words to describe something so magnificent. Perhaps these towers are the most impressive man-made structures in the world. Certainly at night, with the lights from the windows, the floodlights and the flashing lights, it’s an awe-inspiring sight. It made Jon jump for joy, and (for once) Simon was speechless…

The Surya KLCC shopping mall is located at the base of the towers, and at the top of this mall is a typical Malaysian food court, selling all manner of tasty delights. The fresh pineapple and sorbet frizzle is very refreshing; the sweet and sour chicken, together with chicken in a black pepper sauce with rice both came from a great stall called ‘Little Wok’. The concept is simple, take a look, and note the addition of a feisty little sambal in the pepper dish, which they say is their secret house recipe. It’s beautiful but explosive!

Orange muffins completed the meal, making Simon opine that a long journey in Asia (such as the ones we made last year and this year) is really all about the food: that’s what makes the continent tick, and the BEST place for food is right here in Malaysia. It’s a melting pot (well, cooking pot) of cultures, and the fusion this creates really tantalises the taste buds.

Phuket Fulfilment

2010-03-01T16:15:00.002Z

Well it’s our final day in Old Phuket; things are all coming together. Ron, our friend from the Netherlands is on Koh Phi Phi for the day and will be off to Australia tomorrow (oh, did we mention that he’s cycled here all the way from his home near Amsterdam?!); we’re almost ready to fly down to Malaysia and plan our visit to the world’s oldest virgin rainforest; Terri has been waiting for her son Michael to fly in from Saigon, and now he’s made it; Ollie from Pembrokeshire (a Sports Scientist from the University of Glamorgan working for the time being in Vietnam) has found us at the oasis of calm that is the Old Town Hostel and has joined our little group.

The day has no programme, and sometimes these can be the most enjoyable type of day, which just seems to evolve organically of its own accord. If you’re wondering what we’ve been doing all week, then the answer must partly be found in the fact that twelve days in Burma can take its toll, and recovery time is a healthy and necessary respite. This morning we sat around and chatted whilst Terri went on a mission of mercy: the chocolate run. She returned from the mall armed with Belgium chocolate buttons: dark for Simon, milk for Ollie and Mikey and white for Jon. Terri is a real, intrepid traveller, and is introducing her son to the glories of exploring the world. None of this ‘resort’ malarkey, just moving around meeting real people, eating real food and experiencing the ‘real world’. Talking of keeping it real, we went for lunch:

Just a short stroll from the hostel and off on a narrow street, there it was! It was a small Chinese fast food restaurant displaying a hearty welcome with its soothing air-con and smiling faces behind tossing woks. The remnant smell of tempura drifted through the air and we just knew that this was the place to go for lunch. Good call Terri! This place had become famous for dishing up the best “Hong Kong style won-tons” in town.

Together, we all sampled some sweet and sour pork with notorious egg noodles, deep-fried wontons and wonton noodle soup. The sweet and sour pork was infused with a pungent frutas-do-mar flavour that had leached out from tiny, but feisty, prawns.

Simon couldn’t stop with spoonfuls of fiery chilli chutney that must have come straight from Dantes Inferno, though I think he’s building up a type of stamina as the sweat quotient is decreasing and the time lag between dinner and a toilet stop is increasing. After lunch it was a perfect opportunity to get together for a group shot! Here we are!

At this stage of the game, we are about to go to the book exchange and swap our old travel guide for one that may be useful to us in our next stop. Let’s see if we get lucky!

Stop press: we got lucky. We are now the proud owners of two vintage guide books from the 1980s. Namely a Lonely Planet survival guide to Sri Lanka, and also a Fodor’s guide to Central America. Do you think we will make it to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua in August September? Who knows what may happen after Greenland!
Dinner was also great; perhaps the most enjoyable evening we’ve had on this trip, purely for the cammeraderie and bon hommie. All of the newly made friends from the Old Town Hostel went out on the town for a really great evening of food and good company. Here’s the evidence:

What to do on a Sunday night in Phuket?

2010-02-28T15:33:00.004Z

This was the question that we and our new friend, Ron, who is from the Netherlands, asked ourselves as we sat in the front of our hostel with some drinks. After a couple of cans each, we decided to head out around the corner into town. We ended up in an "Irish bar", though the only thing Irish about it was the harp emblems on the door. The rest was quite typically Thai, what with the bright red walls and a Thai family enjoying their supper around a large table.
As we sat down for drinks, one of the Thai ladies running the bar asked if we wanted to play a game and, to be honest, it was a great idea! She brought over a Jenga set! Not only were we thoroughly entertained but so were the bar staff and the on-watchers who were guzzling their noodle soup. The more wooden pieces we cunningly took out of the tower, the more concentration was required in order to keep the stack from tipping. It was possibly the best game of jenga that I have ever played. Such stiff competition! The bottom third of the stack was so wobbly as it was only being held together by "threads". Alas the game had to come to an end. As Ron used a straw to poke out a centre piece from the wooden mountain, he pushed all of the top blocks a little too far and, low and behold, it collapsed! Lots of heads turned to observe the loser in action! :-D

On the way back to the hostel, we saw a large vehicle that was loaded way beyond capacity with pineapples!

Saeng Tham Shrine

2010-02-28T05:09:00.005Z

Phuket Town is a major centre for the Hokkein Chinese diaspora: sometimes it feels more Chinese than Thai, and we’re not complaining. The position of this island between China, Malaya and India meant that in the past it became a melting pot for international cultures.

Chinese New Year tends to stretch on a bit, and last night we stumbled into the closing ceremony of all the celebrations at the interesting Saeng Tham Shrine. Among the deities served, there’s Phra Ong Sun Tai Sai, and hordes of people queued up to make their offerings and give thanks for an ensuing peaceful year.

We, on the other hand, hot-footed it in search of dinner, where Simon managed to track down the HOTTEST chicken sautéed with red curry paste and basil leaves. Yum; Ouch!

Tamarind Ice Cream!

2010-02-27T10:46:00.004Z

There’s far more to Phuket than beach. Most westerners would come here without ever setting foot in Phuket Old Town, but we’re based right here, at the Old Town Hostel. This entire street of evocative Sino-Portuguese shop-houses is being restored to create a living quarter of town reminiscent of the glory days of trading ships on the spice route and the coming and goings of salty old sea dogs. Our little place used to be an opium den, but it’s serving us well as our den (without the iniquity) for this week.

Further down the street is a fantastically fully restored shop-house called the China Inn, and this is where our Californian/Hawaiian friend Terri took us for ice creams following another spring roll fest.

It’s full of amazing Chinese antiques, and once ‘out back’ there is an oasis of calm to be found in the tropical paradise of a garden.

Do you remember that we found a tamarind tree as we descended from the mountains to Indein in Burma, and we gorged on fresh tamarinds that could be pulled or shaken from the branches? Well that taste was magical, and both sweet and sour. So today Simon ordered a tamarind ice cream; would it match up to the fresh, real McCoy? Yes! It even surpassed the fresh version by clothing the sharp taste with the creaminess of the vanilla base. Heaven on a spoon.

Jon decided that you can’t have enough coconut when in these tropical climates, so he enjoyed a fantastic formulation halfway between an ice cream and a sorbet, complete with real coconut shavings throughout. Delicious!
Terri gave us two Saul Bellow books, so we’ll be up until the wee hours with some full-on reading! We walked back to the Hotel and departed from our colonial buddy, until 7:30pm when the three of us intend to go back into town for some drinks, and more food of course!

Kamala Beach

2010-02-26T16:11:00.002Z

Did you know that Kamala “is one of the most beautiful, and still largely untouched, beaches on Phuket”? So we are told in the Phuket Explorer magazine. Well, it’s a nice beach…

The outward ride to the beach was a nice experience in its own right. We hopped onto the back of a local bus, which looked just like a gigantic tuk-tuk and headed out of town. Typically Thai, the bus driver tended to drive about the town on the prowl for more customers before actually putting his foot down and getting us to where we wanted to be in the correct amount of time. Once we got going, the cooling breeze was a relief from the tropical midday heat and we managed to see a small dose of Phuket’s marvellous countryside. Jagged hills lined with dense rainforest was such a contrast to the light, golden sands of Kamala beach, as we found out for ourselves as the bus stopped to let us off.
The cool sea breeze was deceptive: the refreshing airs disguised the fact that the sun here is fierce! It is certainly a good job that we brought along sun lotion, otherwise there would have been nothing left of us but cinders. Having used the sun lotion, we are appearing as two large rare steaks! Not funny!
Our lunch was really fantastic. Simon ordered Chicken Satay, and what arrived was almost as good as the Chicken Satay we always rustle up in Mevagissey. This time the chicken lollipop skewers were bright yellow-orange from the turmeric colouring. Did you know that turmeric is a root of the ginger and galangal family, looking almost identical to ginger? Well neither did we until we saw it in Burma. The peanut sauce that came with today’s dish was smooth, with plenty of yoghurt, just like a lassi. Very tasty in the hot sun! Later in the afternoon, Jon hailed an icecream vendor so that we could indulge ourselves with refreshing ‘feast’ lollies, one vanilla and one chocolate.
After lunch, we chilled out a little more and swam in the sea. Is it the warmest sea I have ever been in? Or is the Seychelles still winning on that one? Perhaps we’ll have to go back to the Seychelles one day, just to check. And how about that blue and turquoise water? Does Mauritius win, or the Maldives? We also looked out to sea. “What’s out there?”
Well, we were probably looking towards Sri Lanka, where we’ll strangely be in a couple of weeks’ time! Will we look back to Phuket?

As the time came to get back to headquarters, we waited for the bus, which the driver of the one we took to the beach told us to catch at 4pm. No show! So the outward journey cost just 40Baht each, whereas we each had to fork out 300Baht on the return.
It was an awesome day though, and what was really amazing was the fact that the 2004 Tsunami had hit Phuket really hard causing so much destruction. The majority of buildings and landscapes had to be rebuilt and it has come a long way to become, once again, a beautiful location.

Jon & Simon's Thai Cooking Class

2010-02-25T16:49:00.003Z

Go to the market, seeking out only the freshest and juiciest produce. You might very well end up with the following:

7 chicken feet
Cabbage and Morning Glory
Fine rice noodles
1 medium, ripe pineapple
3 limes
Bunch of fresh coriander
2 large stalks of lemongrass
Ginger or galangal
4 cloves garlic
3 large shallots
6 assorted red and green chillies (you should deseed and be careful!)
Thai red curry paste (go easy with this!)
Coconut cream
Peanuts (crushed, to garnish)

Right, let’s make Chicken Feet Red Curry Noodle Soup with Pineapple! First you need to make the base of the soup: a great stock and a flavoursome curry. The chicken stock is made very simply by frying off 7 chicken feet in some vegetable oil until slightly brown (with burnt edges here and there if you are cooking on a hob that has no midpoint between high flame and zero, i.e. like us tonight!). Add water and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, then let this pan of chicken feet simmer until the water turns to a dark brown. If you feel the need, add a few drops of fish sauce to create that extra tang!

Meanwhile, squirt some vegetable oil into a wok and chuck in chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chillies and allow to brown.

Follow up with the addition of red curry paste (but not too much: consequences can be severe! Take it from us!) and then pour in coconut cream. The result is a warming yellow curry sauce, which begs to be eaten! But not yet, because the work is not yet done. Chop limes into halves and squeeze in the juice to taste. Once this concoction is complete and still brewing, the chicken stock can be tipped in to the mix, and then this can be transferred to a larger cooking pot.
For the final delight of our gorgeous grub, the wok can be reused to fry up some cabbage, “morning glory” (a vegetable that the Thais love) and some fine, fresh rice noodles. For the real deal, pineapple chunks should be added here! Once this has been fried to satisfaction, chuck this into the bubbling cauldron previously created, wait a minute, garnish with coriander and crushed peanuts, then serve! This is REAL Phuket food: we know, as we made it in Phuket: There’s no taste on earth like it!

If I were you, finally pop down to the Seven-Eleven for some milkshakes to quench the thirst…

Phuket Phood!

2010-02-25T10:26:00.008Z

Well, you guessed correctly, we’ve made it to Thailand’s most popular island! But why? Well, we’re not here for the glitz, that’s for sure. Here in Phuket town, the streets are evocative of Sino-Portuguese trade in past centuries; the cuisine is top notch, and there are some hidden gems around the coast which we’ll be reporting on as the weekend approaches.

Arriving back into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport from Yangon, we had no idea exactly where we would end up. We moved slowly around the airline ticket desks asking about stand-by tickets and good deals leaving immediately. All flights to Kuala Lumpur were full: that will have to wait until next week. But the excellent Bangkok Airways could send us to Phuket that afternoon, and give us full use of their snazzy executive lounge. And here we are, at the Old Town Hostel, in the old quarter of Phuket town.

We managed to do what we do best: sniff out the local places for REAL food, and make them OUR locals, too. So, down to business:
1. Thai Spring Rolls. A few blocks away is a café doing a brisk trade in these large, tasty snacks.

They are fresh, not deep-fried like the Chinese variety. Crispy and crunchy, the spicy hoi sin sauce makes the flavours explode in the mouth. This guy must be turning one out every ten seconds or so; he looks like he’s being doing it for years, and it tastes like he’s an expert!

2. Hokkian Noodle Soup. The sign outside this little café says it’s the best noodle soup in Phuket. Who are we to disagree?

3. The Day Market. This is packed with ALL the ingredients for some tasty authentic Thai dishes.

We’ve already been shopping and bought lots of tasty food to create our interpretation of Southern Thai cuisine. Some people would pay upwards of $20 for a Thai cookery class. Well, we can go one stage better. For just 120 Baht, we’re going to take you through the stages of cooking an amazing dish: Chicken feet red curry noodle soup with pineapple.

Does that sound mouth-watering? You must cook this with us; just go down to Asda and get all the ingredients (maybe replacing chicken feet with chicken wings…) and we’ll do it all together! Look for the recipe in the next blog entry…

Burma in Pictures

2010-02-24T08:47:00.006Z

Remember we promised you a pictorial record of our amazing adventures in Myanmar? Well, here it is! If you'd like to make a link between the pictures or work out where we were in each shot, you'll have to read all the blog entries from Burma (Myanmar). No problem: you'll enjoy hearing all about the journey!

Can you guess where we are yet? Ok, no? Well here's a clue: call us on 0066 87 80 78 663!
No more blogs until somebody posts us the correct answer!!

Mystery Destination!

2010-02-23T06:59:00.005Z

Well, the sights, sounds and smells of Burma have occupied us (consumed us would be more accurate) for the last twelve days. But where are we off to next?

Yesterday we experienced Yangon in all its glory. The grid-pattern of streets in the central part of the city are teeming with exotic life; the old, rotting colonial buildings tell of a faded glory; the stark, austere and fortified military buildings hint at the horrors of this evil regime, and the odours of all manner of dried spices and herbs in street and market stalls recall the pungent flavours of Burmese cuisine. This city ceased to be the capital some years ago, when a new city was born at Naypydaw. Foreigners are not permitted here, and we passed through on the train at night to see bright lights and concrete buildings. Yesterday we heard the true reason for the relocation of the governement to this new city, and the reason for many parts of the country near where we stayed being out-of-bounds. The hills which surrounded us are rich in Uranium, and the extraction is on a vast scale. One of the Generals was recently executed for blowing the whistle on a top-secret meeting with North Korea to develop a nuclear programme. So there it is: this austerely Buddhist country with the kindest, most gentle people has a government hell-bent on joining an arms race along with the usual suspects when it comes to rogue states. Nobody in the west seems to care, after all, there's no oil here...

To give just one example of the kindness which seems almost genetic here, as Simon was walking along past a market stall, his flip-flop broke in two just on the bit which goes between the toes. A young girl carefully fixed it with a safety pin, and refused to accept any form of payment. Everybody (grateful pedestrian included) grinned for a long time before normal life resumed! This happened on a stroll to visit the vast, golden Shwedagon Pagoda for sunset, when the air is heavy with incense and the sound of chanted prayers as the sun lights up the golden stupa. Magical.

But now, Burma lies behind us! So where, exactly, are we off to next? Well have a guess and see if you are right! We'll tell you when we get there, and now that we have a more resonable internet connection, we might just treat you to a blog entry devoted to many more of the fantastic photos we both took back in Myanmar. As for now, it's time to get some more sunblock and dig out the swimshorts...

Why not give us a call over the next few days if you'd like to hear our impressions of Burma, a recipe for Tom Yum, or just a general chit-chat about our new itinerary?! 0066 87 80 78 663

Our Return to Yangon

2010-02-22T13:12:00.000Z

Sadly it was time to say farewell to the magic of Inle Lake as the tuk-tuk sped us at 06.45 towards the train station at Shwenyaung. We eventually managed to set off on the slow train to Thazi at around 10.00, in the relative comfort of Upper Class. The long wait at the station flew by, aided and abetted by the delights of MRTV. Here the tv monitors on the station don’t show train times, but traditional and folk music from Myanmar. You should try watching or listing to some: it’s both excruciating and entertaining all at the same time!
We said ‘auf wiedersehen’ to Jörg at Kalaw, and were in Thazi in next to no time: a mere eleven hours after pulling out from our station of origin! Journeys such as this are made special not only by the breathtaking scenery; it’s all about the people you chat to along the way. The language barrier doesn’t matter one jot. A young guy with an Abercrombie baseball cap came to join us bearing quails eggs and handfuls of oranges. “Eat, eat!” he bade us, and eat we did. And grin, for that was all we could do. He grinned and grinned. Later an elderly man made a sterling attempt at engaging us in conversation, but the more whiskey he drank, the more tricky it all became. Across the aisle from us a large party of women were going on a pilgrimage to Mandalay to pray at a large Buddhist shrine. How did we glean this? Well, mainly from mime, since our Burmese stops just after “Mengala-bar”. We gave them a big fat cigar which they promised would become an offering in their ritual; they gave us oranges. Finally, our longest and most fulfilling chat came with three soldiers. Yes, the wicked government with its army…it’s full of really nice people, just like you and I. The eldest of the men was 53, an ex-soldier. We talked about many things, perhaps the most shocking of which was the divided Germany between East and West. He had no idea of, and was bemused by the reunification. Some news doesn’t get through here, does it? The other two soldiers were electrical engineers, and although both 20, looked much younger. They were proud of their uniforms, their families whom they showed us in photographs, and their graduation diplomas. They smiled, laughed and grinned all the way to Thazi with us, thrilled to be connecting with two English guys!
We only needed to doss down on a station bench at Thazi for three hour’s sleep before we made it onto the express train bound for Yangon, once more in the luxury of the reclining seats in the antique Chinese Upper Class carriage. As the train bounced through the night (sometimes so violently that we feared a derailment) we drifted in and out of sleep. At around 07.00 we were woken by the steward offering tea, coffee and fried rice. Now this fried rice was sensational, flavoured with paprika and fresh, green chilli. What a great breakfast! We pulled into Yangon on time at around 13.30, in time to find the Whitehouse, where we are to stay for just two nights. Our visit to Burma is drawing rapidly to a close, and we wish we had more time to spend here. The scenery is stunning, the local practices exotic and the people shy but totally endearing.

Around Nyaungshwe

2010-02-22T13:08:00.002Z

After all these days of exertion, it was time to live by one of THE most important travellers’ rules: have a day off! Breakfast was a leisurely affair, taken on the balcony of the Joy Hotel: great coffee and tea, oranges and fresh papaya, together with a tasty tomato omelette. Each reference we make to fresh fruit and vegetables here in Nyaungshwe is unique to this area: everything is grown on the lake in the floating gardens and is brought into town by the characteristic longtail boats. Tomoatoes this fresh and this unusual are very special tomatoes, and we can’t get enough of them. Watching all the farmers bringing their produce to market on the canal right next to the hotel is absolutely fascinating. This just goes to prove that the agricultural economy here is booming, and day and night the lorries loaded with fresh produce bound for Mandalay and Yangon bear witness to this. It’s refreshing to see that a place which could so easily have become a tourist trap can also maintain its true heritage.
Jörg took us on a stroll into the countryside to the south east of the town, exploring some ruined stupas and a fascinating monastery which had a number of novices. Here the prayer-hall was also their schoolroom, complete with blackboard, exercise books and cane. A large collection of cats also lived alongside these monks, but this time there was no jumping for the tourists!

Working up quite an appetite, we called in for lunch at the Pancake Kingdom. Their tag-line on all the signs in town was “Are u bored of rice?” Far from it, the rice dishes here can be fantastic; but we are a little bored with the inappropriate use of text-speak… The pancakes were good, but the star of the show was a fruit salad with yoghurt. The generous portions of apple, papaya, pineapple, banana and strawberry were all grown right here, whilst the yoghurt had that zesty tang which characterises the lassis we had last year. The strawberries were tiny, bursting in the mouth with a massive punch! Over lunch, we planned dinner!
The afternoon brought one fascinating shock to the system: the local dentist. There buried in the warren of stall of the Mingala Market was the most basic of dental surgeries we have ever seen. Really, it’s a junk shop, but pride of place in the centre of the lock-up was an antique, 1940s army field dental drill, operated by pedal power. The dentist told us that his grandfather used it, then his father. Today he was giving one proud gnasher-owner a bit of a polish. His mouth red from years of pan-chewing, he grinned and nodded, setting his seal of approval on the proceedings.

For our last night in town and to cement our friendship with the knowledgeable and articulate Jörg (who, incidentally, has travelled in Burma numerous times and in Asia in general frequently) we visited Shan Land Restaurant. Good move! The mains slanted towards the Chinese border with Shan state: hot and sour pork; sweet and sour pork (with carrots, tomato, sweet and sour sauce and little crispy cubes of pork which had been battered and deep-fried). The sides were amazing: a hot cauliflower salad with chilli and peanut; a tomato salad heavily laced with coriander. Chicken fried rice and steamed rice completed the order; the table groaned under the weight, whilst the grateful diners munched contentedly, speaking the odd phrase in English, the rest in German.

The Trek to Kakku

2010-02-22T13:06:00.000Z

Much of the high plateau of Shan state is vast and untamed; it’s also out-of-bounds to foreigners. This level of governmental control is hard to figure. What don’t they want us to see here? Maybe it’s just because they are acutely embarrassed by the poor quality of the roads; maybe they don’t want us to see normal village life. Well, whatever the reasons, we managed to circumvent the rules: today we went right off the radar! We set off with our new German friend, Jörg, and discovered this out of bounds location.
In order to do this, we had to undertake a gruelling six-hour trek into the mountains. We were up and about again around 6.00 am to take the wonderful longtail boat journey down to Nanpan (it’s just like being in Venice with these sleek, black gondola-like vessels). As our plan was to delve deep into the Pa-O territory, we picked up a knowledgeable local guide, who greeted us in his smart Pa-O tribal clothes: navy blue flowing long trousers and jacket, white shirt and colourful turban: the Pa-O don’t wear the Burmese ‘longyi’. The trek began without any hesitation, and from the off involved cutting across fields, rice paddies and through woodland. The rural way of life here is very simple, but totally compelling. We called in on a small cottage industry: here sugar cane juice was being boiled up and made into squares of tasty, moreish jaggery. Nothing here is wasted, for the furnace was being stoked by the dried sugarcane stalks, and the ash is recycled as fertiliser on the fields. It tasted good too!
The ascent to the top of Hti Ne mountain was both steep and winding, but totally worth it for the magnificent, breathtaking views along the way, back down the valley. Eventually we made it to the smart, large village of Naung Kei. Here many of the houses were reinforced with brick and proudly sported bright blue window frames. From here there was a short ride to Kakku: “A hidden treasure, an unusual magnificent collection of Buddhist stupas, unheard of by historians and unlisted in guidebooks lies in the deepest Pa-O territory southern part of Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State in Myanmar.”

The taxi ride back increased our adrenaline levels, as it seemed as though cars played “Chicken” with one another. When our taxi met oncoming traffic, our driver tended to wait until the very last half-second before swerving out of the way. Saying that, our driver had attitude and most people were moving out of our way as he beeped his horn fiercely. On arrival to Nyaungshwe, we followed Jörg to his favourite local pub where we enjoyed the best green salad ever (was it Morning Glory or watercress, none of us can be quite sure…) with an accompaniment of peanuts and lashings of Myanmar beer! Prost!

Samkar: The Second Lake

2010-02-22T13:03:00.003Z

This was just an all-round awesome day! We reunited with Marije and Seth at 7:00am and we all clambered into an engine-powered wooden boat! It was interesting to watch over the quaint typical housing with people dressed in longis, showering using a bucket that they would dunk into the dirty canal water and pour over themselves. There were others who were trudging through the muddy banks, either with their goods or allowing their water buffalo to bathe in the refreshing coolness of the water; not that it was needed at this hour! Shan state has a large variation in temperature throughout the day, just like in Luang Prabang where were were just over a week ago. The sun’s rays have the ability to absolutely frazzle anything in their path, but in the early morning it can be quite cold. As we continued on our boat trip, the bitterness of the combination of cold ambience and wind chill kept us all shivering in our hoodies and wrapped up in the boat’s complimentary blankets.
Today was to be very meaningful because we were to explore the section of the Inle lake area for which foreigners need permission to access, and a guide that we had to meet further out on the lake. Burma is not touristic, especially when comparing how many Westerners we’ve seen in other countries, but it was still fantastic to get away from the few tourists that explore the Nothern part of Inle. Everything we saw was real life as from the closure of the Northern lake into a meandering streak with long grass curving towards us, which created an illusion of narrowness. We encountered more of the creative masterpieces for houses that stood on stilts, and we observed the people of Inle as they fished, or as they paddled smaller, basic boats full of vegetables to trade at the markets. Sometimes the boats were so full that it looked as if they were about to sink, but the experienced people of the Inle waters knew their limits! Armed with our Pa-O guide, we passed the check point into the restricted zone: Samkar, where Pa-O farmers, Inthe fisherfolk and native Shan tribes happily co-exist.
Once the lake had reopened up into another vast body, we gazed for as far as our eyes could see to the surrounding mountains and the green landscape was interrupted by the occasional red blossoms that were hanging on some of the trees that were lower down with us in the valley.
That day there was a lakeside market at Lont Kant, and here we bought some very tasty deep-fired snacks. Then it was off to Samkar itself to visit the ancient stupas and large village, before a tasty lunch of fried rice with vegetables.

This managed to soak up the rice wine we had been quaffing at the small still which had been set up just where a spring from the mountains disgorged its pure, chilled water into the lake. This rice wine came in two versions: 40% and 60%. Cheers!
The trip back north was magical, observing water buffalo and villagers bathing in the river, as well as smartly dressed women walking from village to village. This rural idyll is being carefully preserved, and must surely rate as one of the most fascinating, beautiful, peaceful and well-balanced places we’ve ever visited.

Meeting The Venerable U Kon Dala

2010-02-22T13:00:00.002Z

The following morning, we awoke to the sound of prayers being chanted. This floated up to us, wafted with the aroma of onions frying. Being awoken with the sound of a sung litany of devotion is nothing new to us: remember last year how the muezzins’ call to prayer would intermingle above the roof tops of Old Jerusalem? But here the sound is more fervent, more individual, and somehow much more exotic. Breakfast was Shan style: noodle soup with lashings of fresh and dried chilli, complete with some UFOs (that’s ‘unidentified floating objects’, so we broke Greg’s number one rule of travelling, which is: “never put anything into your mouth that you can’t identify). Followed by a quick trip to a tour office to collect two ‘Giant’ 24-gear mountain bikes. And did they ride like a dream, so much better than the Laotian ones? Oh, YES!
Out from Nyaungshwe we sped, past the rice paddies and massive water buffalo. Then, “what’s this?” To our left was Ywa Thit village with its vast monastery, complete with stupas, and a track, which the bikes could manage. “Shall we see this place from close up?”
It all looked so grand! The monastery was made entirely of teak and, despite its huge size, only two monks were living there. In fact we noticed one of the monks at the window beckoning us to go over and chat. He was very excited to meet us, as he probably doesn’t get visitors as often as he’d like. We removed our shoes before climbing up the teak stairs to the large prayer room, complete with Buddhas, flowers and lanterns. The monk introduced himself to us. His name is The Venerable U Kon Dala. He threw open the massive teak windows of the prayer hall to flood it with light and gave us plenty of oranges to eat (and for jon to juggle with…) as we chatted. For a man in his eighties, he moved around in a sprightly way, making sure his newfound friends had everything they might need. In exchange we put some notes into the donation box and shared a packet of cookies with him. He was ecstatic to hear that we were English.
“Ing-ger-land, Ing-ger-land” he chanted as a litany of delight;
“Very good quality!” he exclaimed as he put his thumbs up, listing English companies and products from the 1950s, many of which are no more. His view of the great colonial power was exceedingly high, and his knowledge of British workmanship was viewed through rose-tinted spectacles. He showed us round the monastery, and was sad to see us leave. As we parted, shaking both of us by the hand, his other hand placed over his heart, he began slowly and deliberately, miming each word: "My dear brother..." as he wished us both bon voyage and contented lives. It must be a lonely existence out here, meditating for the peace of the world and only receiving alms from the few villagers who come here, the mighty monastery which once thundered with the sound of countless novices now home to just two wise men.

The day was still very young and we still had some exploring of the Western side of the lake to do, so we departed from the monastery and waved back to the chirpy monk. As we proceeded along the slightly bumpy and undulating roads, we met our friend, Gary, from Hong Kong. He pointed us in the direction of another stupa that stood high on a hill overlooking the lake, boasting a white dome and a large, old bell. It was at the very tip that we met two new friends, Marije and Seth who are both travelling together all the way from the Netherlands! There were also two Canadians there with whom we briefly talked about past travels. We stuck our curious noses into the interior of the monastery to find a monk sitting on a large straw mat with a flask and some small glasses. He beckoned us over, and over we went! We enjoyed several cups of green tea with this monk and the Hollandaise!
After chilling out for a while, the four of us cycled back towards Nyuangshwe, where we were to find a small restaurant to get some tuck and to organise the next day’s epic adventure. We arranged to meet Marije and Seth in the early morning, before splitting off to enjoy some more cycling around local villages. We pedalled on dusty tracks, passing houses made entirely from flattened bamboo, rice paddies, oxen pulling hefty carts and another monastery, which had a large Buddha sitting upright looking as though he was keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding villages.
As the sun was setting, we headed back to return the bikes and onwards to meet Gary for dinner. He knew of a restaurant serving traditional Burmese curries with all-you-can-eat rice, soup, pickled mango and dried up fish flakes and beans. It was very good value, but we needed to override the aftertaste with an avocado milk shake and a papaya version! We have established a local bar “Min Mins”, which is just sec secs away from our hostel. This is the ultimate place to have a smoothie, or five, to pass the night away!

A Day on Inle Lake

2010-02-22T12:58:00.000Z

This is what we had been waiting for, and not only that; it has been the highlight dream during the planning of our Southeast Asian expedition. After having a substantial breakfast, we strolled eagerly to meet our guide who was waiting at half-past ten near the jetty, as arranged. “Mingalabar!”, we exclaimed as we greeted him in Burmese.
The single most wonderful thing about the people of Myanmar is that they are so appreciative of foreigners greeting them in Burmese. It seems to put smiles on their faces and they almost always respond with “Mingalabar”, but it a very enthusiastic tone.
We stopped quickly to pick up some bottled water to avoid dehydration and mounted the long, thin boat, which was wooden with an engine at the back that provided power for the propeller. Due to the fact that it is currently the dry season in Myanmar, Inle Lake and the canals surrounding this body are all relatively shallow, meaning that it is fairly common to see the propellers half out of the water at the moment. For the same reason, it didn’t go unnoticed that traditional working families were using oars, not for paddling, but for pushing against the bed of the lake to move their boat forward.
As we were released into the vast openness of the still lake, we stared at the incredible fishermen doing what they do best. It was all very mysterious because, from a distance, the fishermen appeared as silhouettes that were backlit by the morning sun. They seemed to row their boats in a very unique manor in that they were standing on the very front of their boats with one foot, whereas their other foot was pushing a large oar behind. As a silhouette, it fairly accurately resembled Long John Silver with his wooden leg! The fishermen also took a large bell-shaped net aboard each of their wooden boats to aid their catch. In order to catch fish, the fundamental importance appears to be rowing whilst stood because it allows the fishermen to glance into the lake’s clear water in search of fish. Then they place their net in the water and beat their oars on the surface of the lake, which disturbs the fish so that they frantically swim into the centre of the net where they are speared by the watchful eye of the captain. We couldn’t help but watch in amazement on a fishing technique that is so different to what we know.
We proceeded alongside floating clusters of hyacinths here and there and gazed upward to see that we were being followed every so often by swallows, herons, and cormorants. This was wilderness! Our first stop was at the Nampan Market, a considerably busy market given the fairly small population around Inle. As our boat pulled up to the side of the lake, we resisted the temptation of buying some useless junk from two women rowing their boat straight for us. We clambered across two other boats that had moored up already so that we could get our dry selves on land without falling into the water. At first sight, there were some souvenir stalls for the tourists, but exploring deeper resulted in a very rewarding experience of the real life of Shan people. We stopped for tea and coffee at one of the stalls, as well as snacking on vegetable samosas, chapatis and sweet spring rolls. We were also able to observe of the daily market trading of local produce, from axes and woks to chillies and even medicines. The market was an organised chaos of low-hanging tarpaulin canopies, dusty pathways and merry people shouting to one another. It was a fun environment to be in!
Alas we couldn’t stay in the market all day, but it was all very exciting because we were about to embark on another interesting experience. We were taken to a small complex of wooden houses that were supported above the lake with long, wooden stilts. On entering the buildings we watched women who were weaving wonderful works with warp and weft. One elderly lady was sitting on alone on the floor snapping lotus stalks, in order to collect the very fine fibres from within. The fibres were rolled together to make a single thicker aggregation, similar to string and this was wound around a reel for storage until further use. Lotus fibres weren’t the only materials being used in this textile workshop, but cotton and silk were also aplenty. We observed a room full of ladies seated at their complicated-looking weaving machines. Thread was set up in several vertical and horizontal assemblages within a large wooden framework that was mostly controlled by four foot pedals. Rhythmic knocking sounds of the small wooden blocks carrying the thread seemed to be helping the weavers keep consistently efficient. On the way out we had a look at some of the finished products and it certainly was incredible to realise that they had produced beautiful, delicate scarves, shirts, and trousers to name a few, all from scratch: from the stage of picking the lotus plants, or collecting the cotton.
After taking in these incredible works, it was time to relax with a cigar, though this was the last thing we expected. We crossed to another section of the lake and entered another suspended house where there were a few young ladies inside making cigars of all sizes. These women had tobacco ready to be wrapped up in decent sized leaves to make the bulk, but they didn’t forget to include the filters, which were made using leaves of maize that were wrapped into tight coils. We were offered some sweet rice crackers and a small cigar that had been made in this very place. The cigar was good but we preferred the rice crackers!
After a quick stop at a floating restaurant for noodle and egg soup, we carried on to see something that we really wanted to see. The boat pulled up beside a small, rickety pier and we walked up to this wooden shop. But inside were tribal Burmese women who had maintained a tradition of wearing large, heavy coils around their necks. These women had been wearing these golden coils since the age of nine years old and have been able to extend the length of the coil over many years as the coils caused their shoulders to be pushed permanently downwards. These coils are never removed because without these, there isn’t enough muscle development to support the vast length of the neck. Without the coils, their necks would simply snap.
It was time for the final highlight of the day: the jumping cats. To see these, we had to visit the monastery of Nga Phe Kyaung, where we moored the boat, took off our shoes in respect, and approached the feline curiosities. They jumped.

Nyaungshwe

2010-02-22T12:57:00.000Z

After the rugged trek we had just completed, we followed our group’s cook to the Joy Hotel. The room was clean and cool, which is always good to escape from the harsh rays of the sun. As the cook departed, we didn’t forget to say “Cezubeh” to thank him for the delicious meals he created during the hike from Kalaw.
Talking of food, it was shortly to be our teatime! Mr Cook is a restaurant that we had heard good things about and so we headed there, admiring the occasional golden stupas on the way.We needed an excuse to eat lots to congratulate ourselves for finally reaching Nyaungshwe, so we were thankful that it was Chinese New Year. We firstly filled up with pizza, then stretched our stomachs to accommodate for a delicious grouper that had been caught in Inle Lake accompanied with fried vegetables, and coconut pancakes to top it all off! The power generator couldn’t really cope with Jon’s coconut smoothie: as the blender whooshed into life, the lights dimmed!

The Trek Continued: From Htitain Monastery to Indein

2010-02-22T12:56:00.000Z

At six in the morning we awoke. We had bedded down in the vast, dark prayer hall of the monastery, just a few feet away from the magnificent images of the Buddha. Last night in the gloom all the pillars appeared black, but now with some electric and candle lighting it became obvious that they were decorated with gold-leaf. The novices knelt in a line before the statues, having lit candles and incense before their ritual commenced. Sometimes prostrating themselves in prayer, sometimes upright, these tiny boys launched themselves into song. Very loud for such a small number, their throaty, hypnotic chanting was magical. Sometimes the unison line would split into simple two-part harmony, with either a descant in thirds above or a lower part also shadowing the melody. On and on it went!
It was difficult to draw ourselves away from this experience, but onwards we had to move. The day held magnificent things in store: vistas of the mountains with monasteries perched high above, and the expectation of our first view of the lake. Heaven come down to earth! Our boat ride took us all the way from Indein up to Nyaungshwe, past a strange white forest of stupas, onto the lake with its Intha fishermen rowing with their leg as they balanced on the other waiting to spear a fish, and up to the village where we intend to stay for about six days.

The Long Trek From Kalaw

2010-02-22T12:53:00.002Z

Your two intrepid explorers are once again right out there in Asia, reporting back to you about life in this corner of the globe. Remember last year we revelled in the different modes of transport we had to take, from Indian Railways to the rickshaws of Bangladesh? (Does a bungee jump count as transport…?) Well there was something missing from that list, especially when we went to Nepal. Feet! Yes, we’ve managed to travel all this distance without taking a long hike, and that needs to be put right, immediately. Would 45Km be about right for you?
Off we go, armed with water and aided and abetted by our Sikh guide Harri (his great grandparents came to settle in this area with the British to build the railway we used yesterday) and a friendly, multi-national little group. The dusty scenery is not especially inspiring; we all comment on how it looks like rural Iberia. But just wait until tonight and tomorrow. We have lunch in the Pa-O tribal village of Konehla, where an old woman lets us use her house. The cooking fire occupies the centre of one room, wooden sticks placed above cow dung. Hanging some distance above is a small cradle for the drying and smoking of all manner of foodstuffs. There’s no chimney, which creates a magical and eerie effect. Later on we find ginger drying out in the village, again as a means of preserving the crop. All the rice paddies are arid and brown, for here there is only one rice harvest and now we are in the dry season. Occasionally during our huge hike, we were met by oxen and cart!

As the sun begins to set, we arrive at our destination where we are to spend the night: a monastery. In the twilight we explore this amazing place: built entirely on stilts, with walls of teak and with corrugated iron roofs, the carved metal decoration of the towers seems worlds away from anything we know. This country, with its sights of stupas as every turn, both rural and urban, its sounds of exotic music and smells of home cooking must surely be the most unusual we have experienced. Even down to the unique make-up worn by many people. Supper by candlelight at the monastery was a feast, with many memorable dishes: a tomato salad laced with peanuts; fried okra; a light, fragrant chicken curry. But don’t get carried away with the significance and spirituality of the candles. The government of this country is both wicked and incompetent: the power-cuts kick in every day, just when you need the electricity the most!
Now do you remember last year that Simon told us his childhood dream? It was to spend the day trekking and to arrive, weary and in need of shelter at a distant Buddhist monastery, complete with monks, incense and candles. We shall shortly see if this moment was to become the fulfilment of that ambition…

Kalaw: "By Any Means"

2010-02-22T12:51:00.002Z

Dazed and confused, we managed to alight from the train at our destination: Kalaw. The gangway between the benches was still blocked with local women carrying all their wares to market, so Jon lept through the open window and down onto the tracks with all of our luggage. Simon took the more delicate route, trying not to step on school children and politely squeezing past the women as the open doorway became visible.
With both safely down on the ground, what happens next? Arriving in a strange town in an even stranger country can be a daunting experience, even for our travel-wise, experienced heroes. But the intrepid pair quickly realise that they have fallen on their feet once more: there to greet them was a short man, grinning from ear to ear.
“Where you go? I take you. Money no problem…”
Well, who were we to refuse such an offer? And once outside the station hall we behold our next mode of transport. Charlie Boorman, eat your heart out, for we are to travel on a horse and cart! Eventually we started to feel sorry for poor old dobbin: the combined weight of us and the backpacks (a little under 200Kg if you count the hand luggage and water, too) made him really work for his 1,000 Kyat. At the end, Simon thanked the owner. Jon thanked the horse.

Kalaw is surrounded by beautiful scenery, but doesn’t really offer much itself for the weary traveller. Up the hill we went to admire the view from the stupa, and down again we came to Sam’s Family Restaurant. Now this really WAS a family place, since the owner was letting his two charming nieces loose on the customers for the first time today. They were shy, but very polite and they had a huge inquisitiveness to learn English! The vast state of Shan is an untamed corner of Burma, which the government finds difficult to control. Hence the large military presence in the area, and the frustrating disappearance of all the interesting artefacts from the Museum of Shan Chiefs, only to be located in the Civil Defence Museum back in Yangon. But often a region can best define its ethnicity in its cuisine. Jon chose a peanut curry. “Excellent choice!” cried Sam, “A dish from right here.”

The Slow Train from Thazi

2010-02-22T12:48:00.004Z

This must surely be one of the world’s most interesting railway journeys! And in typical Burmese style, it saves the best wine until last: the view rises in a crescendo of mountain scenery. We shared all this with some amazing local people, all crammed together as we chugged up the mountainsides. Take a look!

The Mandalay Express

2010-02-22T12:46:00.002Z

At 12:15pm the train we were on slowly crept away from the station and our coach seemed to bounce after the wheels had rolled over each joint in the sleepers. This brought back great memories of the Jalalabad Express that we caught in Bangladesh last year. The only difference was this inexplicable sensation of security that we experienced this time round. We steamed through rice paddies, cabbage patches, banana plantations and gazed at the incredible houses on stilts that were composed of jute. Grazing water buffalo was very much part of the scenery and many were bathing in water-filled trenches to escape the scorching effect of the sun.
The excitement peaked as we were united with food-wallahs who were selling all kinds of weird and wonderful bites! Jon, with his incurable craving for sweet sticky rice, could have sworn that he saw exactly this being sold in a huge banana leaf. He called over the sales girl and got himself one of the mystery packages: opening it was like opening a surprise on Christmas Day. However, this little present was vile! It was indeed rice, but it had banana inside and it smelled like rotting corpse. Out the window it went without the girl noticing, but they sheer enjoyment of opening up the leaf to see what was inside was worth every kyat!
As the sun dipped slowly behind some hills, the layers of mountains in the distance became highlighted in various shades of oranges and had somewhat formed an artistic collage. It was only about half an hour or so later that the extending plains had been left in the darkness of night. The only lights at this point were those emitted from the flickering flames of controlled fires and cooking hobs that would appear every so often outside the stations and the jute houses.
After about twelve hours on the train in the bottom class carriage, we managed to barge our way out onto the platform at Thazi, where we were to wait for a change of train to take us to Kalaw after another five hours waiting. We splurged on fifteen pence each to hire a collapsible bed each and we slept outside amongst monks and other passengers. We felt like we had become Burmese ourselves!

Into Myanmar: Yangon

2010-02-22T12:45:00.000Z

Our descent into Myanmar’s erstwhile capital was very quiet; almost silent, infact. That’s because Air Asia, the area’s leading budget carrier, has a policy of turning off the plane’s engines before landing as a means of saving on fuel. Bang! We hit the ground running. Well, actually in both senses. Swiftly through customs, we are accosted by a fantastic chap called Khin Maung Toe, who honestly directs us to a cheap shuttle bus as opposed to one of the expensive taxis. What a change from the rest of Southeast Asia so far. He also told us where to get a good black market exchange rate for Dollars to Kyat. OK, so the bus appeared to be straight out of the 1950s with edges fringed with rust, but it got us into town and dropped us beside a main road nearby the train station. We had to walk for what felt like miles but we surely made it in plenty of time to get our tickets. Fortunately we had a glance at the famous Shwedagon Stupa in the centre of Yangon, and we saw some green parks as well! As we walked along, Simon paused to ask directions from an elderly, bearded man selling all the accoutrements for paan chewing.
“Excuse me, please!” said Simon, at which point the man solemly, and with no sense of irony, saluted him. Wow, we’re certainly in Burma now!
After purchasing the tickets to Thazi, with still a couple of hours to spare, we snooped around a small, dusty market section of Yangon in search of a money exchange shop and snacks for the long journey ahead.
We eventually found a suitable location to change dollars for kyat inside the huge, teaming and majestic Scott Market. After counting the money thoroughly to make sure we hadn’t been done out of pocket, we handed over a new, crisp and unsullied one hundred dollar bill each to the moneychanger, feeling very rich: 100,000 kyats sounds very good, doesn’t it?
Before heading for the station we stocked up on water, popcorn, coconut bread buns, chocolate bread buns, biscuits, chicken sandwiches and more! At the station, the stationmaster guided us onto the train and we were greatly welcomed by fellow passengers, who were all Burmese, low and behold! Not a single westerner in sight. We really had swerved onto the beaten track once again. Foreigners aren’t permitted to travel with the locals in ‘ordinary class’ so how we managed this will always remain a mystery. But it’s the best move we’ve made so far; cheap too, which means that few of our dollars will make it over to the coffers of the wicked regime.

Leaving Luang Prabang

2010-02-10T17:31:00.002Z

Leaving this sacred, serene and magical place was a wrench: we really didn’t want to go. But the last full day and the final half day before our journey back to Bangkok was quite eventful.

Our morning was spent again at the Wat Sirimounkhoun Sayaram where our friend Khamchanh is a novice. Just sitting under the large tree in the corner of the Wat courtyard in the shade, feeling the light breeze and watching all the restoration work on the Sim (the main temple of the monastery) is perfect! Whilst this Sim is nowhere near as splendid as that in Wat Xieng Thong, it’s more homely and is being carefully and lavishly decorated. And what’s more, now that we see Khamchanh every day, several times a day for chats and exchanges of ideas and information, it’s OUR wat! Sitting here talking to our monk friend gives us a unique privilege: living life at the pace of the wat, almost becoming part of it, and perhaps slightly resenting the tourists who come along, poking in both their noses and their cameras. But they’re only here for a few minutes, and we’re here becoming part of the furniture!

The afternoon had something else special in store: a trip across the Mekong river to explore the caves, temples and villages on the other side. On our journey across on the car ferry we met our new friend Dip who was looking forward to leaving Laos for a period of study in California. We had a great time strolling through the village on the opposite bank, and made the most of this alternative aspect of Luang Prabang.

The evening held something very special in store: as darkness fell, we returned to Wat Sirimounkhoun Sayaram to visit Khamchanh again. Tonight he invited us into the private living quarters of the monks, and we sat in his room for about an hour and a half talking. We covered many subjects, all described with the care and detail of a devout Buddhist. We talked about his exams, his love of languages (Korean, French and English especially,) his science subjects (Chemistry was featuring this week), football, world politics, world history, and above all his love of Laos and the history of his country. We also touched upon some of the hardships of his life. What a great friend to have made!

Our last few hours in town on the following morning were likewise spent at the wat, saying our farewells. This is one person with whom we’re going to make an effort to keep in touch and to see again. Then it was off to the airport for a smooth flight on Bangkok Airways down to the concrete jungle in the Land of Smiles. Which is where we are now, waiting just a few hours for our flight on Air Asia over to Yangon (Rangoon, of course) in Burma (oops, the uniforms there prefer ‘Myanmar’).

Of course you know that the regime there doesn’t really permit internet access, and that international phone calls cost the earth. So maybe the blog will fall silent for a few weeks. But if this happens, fear not readers! For on February 23rd you’ll be able to read all about it!

Why are we going? Well, two reasons:
1 It’s not to support the government, rather to be able to testify about the place upon our return.
2 Maybe the people we meet will realise that the outside world is not quite how they are made to imagine it….

A Sunrise and a Sunset

2010-02-09T15:22:00.002Z

There are two MUST-dos when you come to the ancient and sacred city of Luang Prabang: climb to the tiny temple atop Phou Si to watch the sun slip behind the mountains over the Mekong, and then rise for 6.30 to line the streets where the processions of monks and novices leave their monasteries in search of alms. It starts with a beating of a drum and, once awake, the monks start their morning stroll.

Simon is here feeding the traditional sticky rice to the monks. The monks were a huge sight, with their saffron-coloured robes and their large silver bowls that they carried over their shoulders. The monks were generally very young, with an average age of ten years, roughly, though there were two that we saw who were sixty plus.

After the monks had been on their food patrol, they walked back to their respective monasteries, not forgetting to take a small helping of their rice to leave on the wats, as well as inside a small shrine, as a grateful offering. I guess after all this happens they go back and feast! After all, it was lunchtime of the day before when they last ate as they don’t eat a meal in the evening, just breakfast and lunch.

Let's Learn Lao!

2010-02-08T13:17:00.002Z

We’ve made a new friend. Remember the monk ringing the 4pm bell? Well his name is Khamchanh; he’s a novice aged 18 and we have long chats with him each time we pass his monastery towards the tip of the peninsula where we are staying. It’s serene and idyllic here, and we wish we could stay more than five days! Well today we had a 10am appointment with Khamchanh: a language lesson in which he would teach us some basic Lao sitting under a tree in the cool breeze as we observed all the goings-on in the wat around us.

The pillars of the main temple had recently been painted black, and today the task was to decorate them with gold paint with the aid of a large, elaborate stencil. Overseeing the work of the novices restoring the main temple is a much older monk, perhaps in his 80s but still agile. He possessed an aura of calmness and tranquillity, but seeing as we were in the middle of our Lao lesson, we decided to practice on him! “Sabadee!” said Jon, initiating the chat, “Jao Sabadee bor?” The old monk grinned and replied “Huay sabadee!”
“Jao sim nyang?” said Jon, to find out his name.
“Bunpeng” said the monk. So our fluency is developing, isn’t it?

“Sabadee” seems to be very much like the Bengali saying “Balo achi” so maybe when we get back, Simon will write a song in Lao. Meanwhile, here’s what else we learned:

Huay si Jon. Huay ma der Ankit (England). Huay hien khao! (I’m hungry) Based on this, Jon’s devised a little role play which we’ll try out tonight at the night market. It goes like this:

Jon: Sabadee!
Lao cook: Sabadee bor?
Jon: Huay sabadee
Lao cook: Chao der?
Jon: Huay ya dai kao nyo.
Simon: Jao ma kao nyo bor?
Jon: Chab lai!
Lao cook: Namdim?
Jon: Jao huay ma. Tao dai?
Lao cook: Sip pan kip.
Simon: bargain!

We thought it would be a good idea to visit the Wat which lies right outside the courtyard of our little guesthouse. Take a look, it’s called Wat Xieng Thong, and it’s the most magnificent of all Luang Prabang’s temples:
Can you spot the Tree of Life?
Inside the Chapelle Rouge
Cuckoo!
Blending in to all the Buddhas inside the Funeral Chapel

Beer Lao

2010-02-08T10:21:00.003Z

They say it’s some of the best beer in the world. It’s not expensive, it’s quite sharp and has a deep flavour; it’s 5%. We met the guy in his 50s who spoke excellent German, even to the extent of having a Saxony accent. He said he’d lived in Leipzig for three years. Now either he was being trained by the Stasi for the Pathet Lao, or he brought back some expert brewing knowledge from Das Land mit dem Bier. Who knows?

Cycling and the Kuang Si Waterfalls

2010-02-08T09:54:00.008Z

Straight up and go! Today was a big day and we wanted to make the most of it! We had prepaid for bike hire the day before, so at quarter to nine sharp, we went to collect our hogs! They were mountain bikes with gears, which is a change to what we have been used to in Asia. We set off in search of breakfast, but were laid back enough to suggest getting it as we saw it. Just a few kilometres outside of Luang Prabang was a lady sitting on a tiny stool, deep-frying some gorgeous looking banana and pumpkin fritters.

We stopped to enjoy them and Jon went to the “restaurant” (it was little more than a garden shed really, but very atmospheric) to ask if it was possible to buy rice and vegetables to take away in a banana leaf. The Lao man looked puzzled and said “Ummm…. Deutsch?” It was obvious at this point that this gent couldn’t speak English, but his German proved to be very good!
Jon asked again in German and found that it was not possible to take food away because he was only serving noodle soup. He was very curious about what we were doing today and about our country, so the three of us conversed for ten minutes or so before getting back on track.
Shortly, we approached a huge hill but we made it to the top nevertheless and appreciated an extremely rewarding five-minute acceleration down the steep mountainside. From then on it was a gentle undulating bike ride through rice paddies, woodland, and small rural villages, where children were playing happily and people were cooking up great-smelling grub!
We arrived at Kuang Si about three hours after setting off from the town centre and parked our bikes. We were able to pay the guard a small fee to watch them for us whilst we walked into the park.

First thing’s first! Stopping off to observe the Asiatic Black Bears in the rescue centre was just awesome. It was possible to see the bears play fighting, resting, swinging in hammocks… You name it really! It was great knowing that they were all perfectly happy and under protection.

We proceeded up hill towards the waterfalls. We arrived at the first pool at the bottom of four more tiers of these lagoons. It was very picturesque as the water was really turquoise blue, cool, and nestled cosily in the middle of the forest. Some would describe it as a jungle oasis. There were many giant blue butterflies, just like our day yesterday on the Nam Ou river. In fact, there was a whole range of insect species that were both beautiful, and eerie. Jon was climbing on top of one of the waterfalls and walked into a tiny spider’s web, and the spider was bright yellow!

One of the pools had a few backpackers around it and many were making use of the ropeswing that had been put there. My turn! Jon climbed up the steps (planks of wood that had been nailed into the tree: the top one was very wobbly!) to reach for the rope. One, two, three… JUMP! It was like being Tarzan! It was great to cool off in the water below as well!

Later, Simon took a dip in a pool lower down. Refreshing!

We made it upwards to the larger waterfall, and then finally made the steep ascent into the rainforest and up to the vantage point. Below us lay the valleys and rice paddies of Laos, with the mountains in the background. Spectacular!
The journey back didn’t seem like the 30 or so km of the outward trip. The picturesque villages with their painted wats, wooden and jute houses with corrugated roofs, cooking fires and friendly dogs seemed to whiz by, and the hills seemed less severe. The sun illuminated the landscape, piercing through the haze surrounding the distant mountain peaks, each one with its own tone or hue in a layered effect stretching as far as the eye could see. At the highest vantage point it was possible to look in two different directions: north to the sacred confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers, where in the far distance we could see the UNESCO world heritage town of Luang Prabang nestling at the foot of Phou Si hill. Nearer, someone had lit a large bonfire on the side of one of the hills and the smoke gradually filled the sky across to the right. The vista in the opposite direction was even more dramatic: the mountains and jungles of northern Laos. Simon was ecstatic! Up until our visit to Luang Prabang, his favourite destination had been Equador. But now he has found a country even more beautiful, more compelling, more thrilling in the views, more exciting with the exotic flavours of the food, more fascinating in the architecture and heritage of its ancient cities.

Kayaking the Nam Ou River

2010-02-08T09:43:00.002Z

Is Laos possibly the most beautiful place on Earth? Nestled in between miles of mountains, with only tiny rural settlements in the vicinity, Luang Prabang is a small town with a charismatic twist! The location is very convenient for extreme activities, such as kayaking, which we enjoyed ourselves today.
After about forty minutes drive from the tiny centre of town we were in the middle of nowhere clambering down from the roadside towards the calm Nam Ou River, with our canoes and paddles! This was, in fact, a skill of its own as the slope was very steep and it was difficult not to trip over. We felt inferior to the high reaching mountains that accommodated vast forests and stood in a trance for just a moment, intrigued by the blanket of haze that swept through the landscape. Accompanying this beauty was a quiet splashing in the river and we noticed a local fishing. He had jumped out of his small wooden boat and appeared to be wearing part of a snorkel so that he could see where all the fish were.
After clambering into the canoe, with Jon steering at the back and Simon paddling like mad at the front, we realised that we were in a paradise and just started our expedition with a couple of minutes drifting away from the riverbank. All we could hear was running river water and a few cicadas humming in the trees.
We casually paddled downstream and then it got exciting! We encountered some lively ripples in the water, which led is straight into some rapids. We paddled like mad towards the rapids to gain speed and maintained it whilst descending the choppy current. We were very careful in dodging the unwelcoming rocks and boulders that stuck out of the water.
After roughly three hours of canoeing we followed the meandering river flow and pulled up onto a sandy riverbank for lunch. The lunch was typical Lao food; flavoured noodles, spicy vegetables, sticky rice, some mystery Lao sauce made from vegetables (and plenty of chilli) and some very sweet bananas to follow. The fantastic element of this meal was that the whole lot was served up on large, green banana leaves. Who needs a ceramic, or even a bone china plate?! It made us feel as if we were really getting by on natural resources. Like jungle rats!
Some local boys came to eat the leftovers!
During the lunch stop there was also time for a quick dip in the river, which was desperately required, as we had worked up quite a sweat from all the canoeing. The water was so soothing, especially in the roasting afternoon sun. The sun was so powerful that we dried in no time once we got out.

We continued canoeing and, as we did so, we admired the humongous peaks of the mountains surrounding us whilst glancing around for small tribal villages, fishermen and locals who were panning for gold.
Further downstream, the dynamic duo were not so careful of the rocks in the water as we said earlier in this blog entry. It was the grand finale of the rapids and our chance to paddle towards it like we never had before. Instead of following the deeper sides of the flowing river, we went for the centre streak and found ourselves lodged on top of stones. Our group was flying past us at the speed of light as we were jolting our bodies in order to shift the canoe through the rocky path. We got there in the end though. It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it!

After taking our minibus back to the centre of Luang Prabang, we had a cool shower and then hit the street markets! We went to a food stall where the woman in charge gave us a fairly small plate and we had to choose what we wanted from a selection in front of us. Jon’s technique proved successful for us in terms of our received quantity. He started by cramming rice together to form another base on the plate, chose some vegetables and noodles to pile up, starting from the outside in so that it would balance. This small plate was intended for one person but we actually managed to get a meal for three onto it. Get in! We then handed the plate back to the lady and she sizzled it for us in the huge wok that she had. She then had slight difficulty with re-piling the cooked food back onto our plate, but the point is that she did it. It was all very delicious by the way!

The Journey From Vietnam to Laos

2010-02-06T13:33:00.008Z

The alarm was set to wake us at 05.00. At 05.29, we awoke with a start: the taxi was due at 05.30! But eventually we made it onto this vintage Fokker, and down to Luang Prabang!
Our 1970s old fashioned time machine taking us back in time!
So, how exactly should we get around exploring Laos?
Guess who loves communism!
High five, low five?
What should we expect in the "Freshing redients meat" dish? Sounds exotic!
Wat's that? That's a Wat! That's wat!
Jonny goes Monk-y!
Ding Dong! It's 4pm! This calls for a celebration!
We are nimming! "Nim" means "Smile" in Lao!
Wat more could we wish for right outside the door of our hostel?
I'm getting my 10,000kip's ($1.30) worth of street food!
Cheeeeeese!
This lady is wokking wonders!
We are only truly happy when we're full!
Notice the wat with high wattage bulbs at night!
Trekking down to the Mekong River!
A very rickety bamboo bridge!

We're a little bit tipsy right now due to Beerlao, so excuse all the puns!

Ho Chi Minh

2010-02-04T05:01:00.007Z

This year is a great time to be visiting Hanoi: the city is bedecked with red banners and red flags (some with the yellow star signifying the Vietnamese flag, others with the Hammer and Sickle). 2010 marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnamese Communist Party, the CPV:

"The 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was celebrated in provinces throughout the country on February 1 with the participation of local leaders, revolutionary veterans, heroic mothers and others." (VOV News)

Although Ho Chi Minh firmly expressed the wish to be cremated after his death, his body lies preserved in the mausoleum. Today we joined the line to pay our respects to this great leader.

Hồ led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-governed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. He lost political power inside North Vietnam in the late 1950s, but remained as the highly visible figurehead president until his death in 1969. Six years after his death, when the communists were successful in conquering South Vietnam, several North Vietnamese tanks in Saigon displayed a poster with the following quote, "You are always marching with us, Uncle Hồ".

In Vietnam today, he is regarded by the Communist government with almost god-like status in a nationwide personality cult, even though the government has abandoned most of his economic policies since the mid-1980s. He is still referred to as "Uncle Hồ" or just "Uncle" (Bac) in Vietnam.

"The Vietnamese people deeply love independence, freedom and peace. But in the face of United States aggression they have risen up, united as one man."

Chao Bac!

So enough already; tomorrow we must move on. The weather is going to get much hotter for us as we fly down to spend six days on the banks of the mighty Mekong. It will be a time away from big city living; a time of temples, monks, languid river boats and waterfalls. And, of course, another new country. Keep watching for our new phone number in Laos, and keep following to hear all about our time in the magical town of Luang Prabang.

The Temple of Literature

2010-02-03T15:48:00.003Z

Well, it's time for one of the most important sights in Hanoi!

Hanoi is a city of rich contrasts. Today we set off on foot, right across town all the way back to the Myanmar embassy to see if they had issued our visas. This was by no means a certainty, as most people have to pre-book package tours just to get into the country. But we’re intrepid travellers, and like to go it alone. So some weeks ago we booked our flights in and out of Yangon (that’s Rangoon to anybody but the evil remnants of the Ne Win government.) Two days ago we had a telephone message at our hostel saying that we had to call the embassy. What on earth could be the problem? Well, we know that the Myanmar government is scrupulous in checking up on people’s backgrounds, perhaps to make sure that we’re not journalists. But perhaps they didn’t want us snooping around their country without some official minders in tow? Jon called them back on our cell, and their was a massive language barrier. It transpired that they required more details of our proposed programme within the country; Simon spent a few hours this morning putting together an official-looking document detailing our every move. Hopefully this would suffice, but one never knows with these types of regime.

We turned up nervous and very early for our appointment. What was about to happen? The receptionist looked at our newly published itinerary for under two seconds, read aloud the title to the office girls, gave us back the receipts and handed over our passports. There inside was the Myanmar visa: game on!

Meanwhile, we had also built in some cultural activities: a visit to the Temple of Literature. Here we found ancient buildings, traditional music, statues, bells and drums. What a welcome oasis in the frenetic city. Jon couldn’t resist a few booms on this massive drum, but I’m not sure whether the authorities saw it as a particularly good idea…

Tomorrow brings something altogether more creepy. Can you guess what it might be? Think Lenin, think Chairman Mao. Who (or Ho) might we be going to visit?

Ninh Binh Province

2010-02-03T15:32:00.005Z

What a great mission statement for this wonderful country! Maybe it just goes to show that a Marxist revolution is the way forward for us all? But as we explore this wonderful country and delve deeper, it gradually becomes more and more inconceivable that just forty years ago, American bombs rained down upon the ground where we stand, on the houses and townships we visit, and on the noble, elegant and proud people that we encounter. And why? Merely because the West feared the spread of communism? Or perhaps because of a deep-seated Xenophobia from the Uncle Sam who labelled the children of Uncle Ho with a word so hateful that I dare not even type it here.

We are slowly building our fluency in Vietnamese. Today Jon managed to converse merrily to ferry-boat rowers as they passed, whilst Simon got through ordering both supper and a large consigment of French-style confectionery without resorting to English. The local women love it when we make this type of effort! The letter ‘h’ at the end of words is a tricky one: think of Ho Chi Minh. It’s almost a ‘g’ but placed in the throat as you would in the middle and at the end of the word ‘singing’. So today we went to Ninh Binh. Can you say that quickly, each word short and sharp, ending in a gentle ‘g’? To make it slightly more complex, they put glottal stops everywhere. It’s jerky, that’s for sure.

So breakfast was on the hoof as we made the journey 180 Km south towards breathtaking scenery. We had Ca Phe Den: each cup of coffee has its own little filter, so you pour in the hot water and out comes the black, unctuous gunk. Then a steaming bowl of Pho Ga. (Pronunciation update: remember back in London we said that Pho should be pronounced ‘fair’? Well that’s not quite accurate. In local Hanoi dialect you must say ‘far’, with a long aaaah sound. Ok?) This Pho is a chicken soup, with lots of chicken meat floating on the top, plenty of rice noodles, lots of greenery (spring onions and herbs) all brough together with a sweet, intense chicken stock. If this wasn’t enough, we always add a fiery chilli sauce just to get things going. We also ordered the innocuous bread and eggs. But this was wonderful: pieces of sweet baguette, creamy butter and not one, but two wok-fried eggs.

We were suitably sustained for our day. And what a day this turned out to be! First a visit to the ancient citadel and temple of Hoa Lu. Did you realise this used to be the capital of the Dragon Kingdom until it was moved to Hanoi? The temple had an air of serenity and an aura of sanctity. Then a stimulating bike-ride, along rice paddies and through magical, sleepy villages until we reached Tam Coc. These villages took us on a step back through time, with their white-washed houses, fragrant cooking fires, dogs and chickens roaming freely.

It was time for lunch. This area of Ninh Binh has many goats, and sure enough, goat was on the menu. This took the form of skewers, sweetened with spices. Very tasty when dipped in chilli oil and soy sauce. There were more Nem to enjoy, plenty of rice, platters of stir-fried goodies such as cabbage, beef, onions: you name it!
The highlight of the day came after lunch: a two-hour rowing boat ride through some of the world’s most staggering limestone scenery. Think Halong Bay, but along a river beside the rice paddies. Think Guilin; think ‘James Bond Island’ (that stack in Thailand which features in ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’ which, incidentally, we’re not going to visit, as Tam Coc trumps them all!)

This boat ride was awesome. Rather than describing it, let us show you some of the pictures instead. This is rural Vietnam at its all-time best!

Halong Bay

2010-02-03T15:19:00.005Z

Four hours on a bus there, four hours on a bus back. But it was totally worth it! Our passion for Northern Vietnam spiralled as the bus pulled up nearby the harbour in Halong Bay. Looking out far into the distance was like observing the best masterpiece that a painter could create. The water was relatively calm with mellow ripples and the occasional subtle wave. An array of karst limestone formations appeared to be floating as each one boasted its own glory.

It was evident that none of these formations would be anywhere near as magnificent without the others, as together they create a winding labyrinth in which the extremely curious could easily become lost, never to return. Fortunately for us, our captain knew where he was going!

Setting sail on the wooden two-storey junk was no mistake. As we retreated from civilisation, we had some tasty grub that consisted of fish that had been lightly fried with ginger, rice, traditional tofu, nem (spring rolls), a helping of vegetables and some octopus! After wolfing that down, whilst using only chopsticks must I add (we are experts now), we headed upstairs to the exposed deck to absorb the overcast, and slightly peculiar atmosphere. It was just like being in Treasure Island or Pirates Of The Caribbean! Especially with the ravenous eagles and their large, and in fact, intimidating wingspan, which appeared even larger as they swooped down close to us. These magnificent birds of prey weren’t swooping to greet us unfortunately, but as they also have stomachs to fill, they were making a dive for some of the vulnerable marine life to catch some dinner!

We proceeded into the depths of the maze, where a small, floating fishing village emerged. Our captain pointed out where the people were living and he even showed us the floating school, which was little more than a small shack itself. In fact, it’s not dishonest to say that most of the people’s houses there were larger than that school. It was just magical to think of the families there that have no need to go onto the main shore ever. Many of them just grow up and live there happily, surviving on their catches and trading with other locals for produce and other necessities. We hopped off ship to say hello briefly, before jumping into a canoe for some of our own exploration!

“What’s that? ... Is it a tunnel?”, we wondered as we paddled as fast as we could towards it. As we neared the opening we gazed at the majestic stalactites that were pointing down menacingly. To continue was the only option and through the dark, shallow arch we went (being watchful of our heads).
On the other side lay a silent valley of tranquillity where only eagles nested in the walls formed by the tree-covered limestone. Nobody was around! It was only us in the centre of the towering limestone enclosure that had formed a complete circle over many years. The only way out now was back through the tunnel we came. We never got tired of canoeing in and out of tunnels throughout Halong Bay.
When the time came to get back on board the boat, it was indeed disappointing that the canoeing time was over even though the fun wasn’t. The boat sailed around a large limestone peak and entered a small, secret bay within where there’s a large cave that nobody would know existed!
Up the side of the limestone mountain we climbed, through the forest, eager to find the entrance. It was almost like were visiting Hades in the underworld as we exchanged daylight for dark, winding catacombs. The cave became brighter as we ventured deeper into it because artificial lighting had been installed every so often so that us travellers can see our way around! There was an awesome moment inside the cave where the electric lights disappeared for a moment to allow the sun to emit its radiant beams through an elliptical crevasse that slanted in the cliff side. Magical!

After exiting the cave, but before starting our journey back to the main shore, it was popcorn time! We came across a lady on her stall of delicious goodies and a small tub of sweet popcorn caught our eyes. Who says you have to be in the cinema to eat popcorn?!
Sailing back to shore was relaxing as we just sprawled out over the top wooden deck of the ship, watching the karst limestone peaks drift away into the distance.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

2010-02-03T15:13:00.001Z

The thousand year-old tradition of water puppetry grew up in the rice paddies as the people would amuse themselves and each other whilst working in the fields. Now it is a sophisticated art form, demanding many skilled puppeteers and drawing much appreciation from the audience. There’s plenty of comedy, but little narrative: rather than relating an extended story, each short scene is a tiny, self-contained drama. The music, commentary and singing bring the whole thing to life!

The show started with the orchestra. Woosh! What animated, thrilling music, with its swift moving pulse and pentatonic patterns. Very different from the Khmer musicians we had heard both in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh: these guys were both consummate professionals and virtuosos. Do you remember the Indian dances we saw at a performance last year in New Delhi? The whole show that time was driven by an elderly man on the drums. So it is here, too. And this guy punctuates everything with his battery of percussion. The most memorable puppet scenes were the Dragon Dance (with four dragons dancing on the surface of the water); Fishing (just how did they get the fish puppet to jump onto the fisherman’s line?); the Phoenix Dance (here the two phoenixes engage in a stylish courtship leading to a large egg!); Harvest Festival (in which a graduate returns in a procession to his village); the Legend of the Restored Sword (King Le Loi triumphs over the Ming invaders and gives back the magic sword to a giant turtle living in Hoan Kiem Lake.)

As we left the theatre, thrilled and captivated by the wonderful performance (they travel all over the world giving shows!) we gazed over Hoan Kiem lake to see if the giant turtles were still there: nobody has seen one for four years…

A Weekend in Hanoi

2010-01-31T09:29:00.005Z

As the sun went down on Saturday night, we prepared ourselves for the onslaught of the party atmosphere here in Hanoi. In Vietnam they work jolly hard, but they play even harder, and Saturday night here is the new Saturday night... Needless to say, we lived life to the full!

We went to the 11 a.m. French Mass on Sunday morning at St. Joseph's Cathedral. Despite not knowing any of the music, we joined in lustily and sang our little hearts out: "Fait lever le soleil, notre terre attend l'aurore; fais lever le soleil, notre vie promet d'éclore!"
After all that singing and concentration (trying to understand French after not practising for so many years is NOT easy) we did the usual thing and sought some delicious grub! We walked past a bakery, and took two steps back as we were attracted to the chocolate tarts, brownies and pains au chocolat! Soon after scoffing, Simon started getting "drowsy" so we went on a mission critical search of Ca phe den (very, very strong black coffee). We had a cup in a petite, old fashioned corner shop where all the wooden tables and chairs were in miniature. It was just like being at primary school, actually. It was great to soak up all of the surrounding Vietnamese community, communicating in such an alien language!

Beautiful bunches of flowers like these are traditional components of major family occasions such as funerals and weddings. Seeing the women put these works of art together in the street makes us realise the time and effort required to make someone's day. As well as cut flowers being transported, we also saw a middle-aged chap nip by on his scooter with a whole orange tree that he must have dug up himself from somewhere!

At the Music Shop

2010-01-30T14:24:00.002Z

Jon plays one of his hits to the shop assistants and the street!

A quick reminder: 0084 164 9507 254
Yes, it's a cell phone number, but saying "Hi" is just as easy as counting up to two in Vietnamese!

North Vietnamese Cuisine

2010-01-30T14:03:00.004Z

One of the great dishes here is called Bun Cha: It's noodels with pork. We had it at a restaurant called, wait for it: "Bun Cha". It's not quite as simple as just noodles of pork though. Here's what happens:
Up the grimy looking staircase we go to sit at a table in not much of a better state. But the friendly waitresses bring over a large tray piled high with fresh mint, coriander and lettuce along with a large plate of rice noodles and freshly chopped limes. They disappear for a second and return with the desired "Bun Cha", which is floating on top of beautiful chopped green papaya in beef stock. The pork comes two ways: in little fritters, and as a sweet-cure bacon. Yum! and if that's not enough, there's a vast side helping of spring rolls. It's then up to us to decide how much of the raw chopped garlic and chilli we want to mix into the Bun Cha! Admittedly we both got a little carried away today and the result? World record smashing garlic breath! We even tried eating toothpaste later in the afternoon once our extreme cases of halitosis had somehow gone from bad to much worse! It did not work, by the way. This place is permanently packed with locals, but shuts early...

At the weekend Night Market, the Canadians Ti and Marc join us for Pho and spring rolls.

Another great thing to have for lunch is Bun Bo: this is noodles with beef. Of course it's not that simple. Ours came with some spicy chopped peanuts.

Hanoi Explorers

2010-01-30T13:32:00.003Z

The first day in town was spent exploring almost everywhere, from the beautiful lake to the massive Long Bien Bridge. Due to the fact that Hanoi is such a maze to find yourself again when you're lost, the lake is a very welcome orientation point! It's our second day here and we can now find our way back to the hostel without a map! Success! But every avenue looks the same to us. Signs in Tieng Viet, hoards of nifty mopeds with the occasional car or truck trying to barge through and small fires that the locals make to burn their litter. The coals are aerated by electric fans that locals place on the pavements anywhere they like and, of course, it's up to us to watch out for the leads in case we trip over! At the same time there are motorbikes parked, and sometimes even moving, on the pavements.

Market Day!

2010-01-30T13:27:00.004Z

The markets lining the streets of Old Hanoi gave us some idea of just what makes this place tick. For us, getting right off the well-trodden tourist path, down the side alleyways to where the real people live their lives is what travel is ALL about. And the economic powerhouse that is modern day Vietnam is refreshingly absent from this part of town!

Blending In

2010-01-30T13:22:00.003Z

To commemorate 80 years of the Communist Party in Vietnam, and in anticipation of our our visit to the mausoleum of Uncle Ho, do you think we did the right thing when the cap vendor thrust these two pieces of headgear in through the open window of the cafe? A snip at 80,000 Dong, and maybe we can blend in a little bit more....

Vietnamese Street Bakery!

2010-01-30T13:12:00.002Z

Look at this cute harmless lady with her welcoming smile and her yoke full of weird and wonderful shaped doughnuts! She spotted us a mile off and she just knew how vulnerable we were! We gazed in temptation at her two baskets of goodies and couldn't resist (as she jolly well knew!). We took three small ones and asked her how much it would come to. She charged us 40.000 Dong and, as we weren't familiar with the currency at this point, we thought we were getting a good deal! We, in effect, paid US$2 for 3 small pieces of dough! Result (for her)!

And, talking of getting ripped off, how can it cost 190,000 Dong for a short taxi ride from the Old Quarter to the Myanmar embassy? It seems that some shady operators have meters which can run fast. And fast it ran for us. But the good news, for us, is that now our passports are well and truly lodged with the Burmese authorities for our visas to be processed!

Vietnamese Bakery!

2010-01-30T12:59:00.002Z

After spending a little while in this exotic area of the world, it was impossible for us to resist a stop in the French style bakery we stumbled upon. They had all sorts of goodies from french-style baguettes to pains au chocolate, from chocolate brownies to cute little cakes with teddy bear toppings on top. Tempting! As Jon was craving icing (for some reason) we had to opt in for the teddy bear cakes! We let our teeth sink into what we thought was the sweet icing that would recreate some of the home comforts! Wrong! Instead it was like chomping on a stick of semi-melted butter, only slightly sweeter! And I mean slightly! The cake underneath was gorgeous though! It consisted of a beautiful light, fluffy sponge and was absolutely loaded with sugar! Perhaps the sugar from the icing leaked out into the sponge cake below?

Call us in Vietnam!

2010-01-29T09:31:00.002Z

Would you like to hear first-hand just what life is really like in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam?
Do you want to hear an exciting description of the vibrant city of Hanoi?
You'd like to ask the guys on the ground some questions about this amazing country?
Or maybe it's time for you to get an up-to-date recipe for Pho Bo?

Then give us a call within the next 7 days! Or just send us a text to make sure the number works. It would be great to hear from you either way!

0084 164 9507 254

To Hanoi we go!

2010-01-28T17:03:00.000Z

It was another tense journey by tuk tuk to begin with. Mopeds weaving in and out of each other without a care and the richer with cars beeping aggressively to remind everybody that they are the kings of the road. It was at this time where we realised that we really are obsessive back seat drivers! On every frequent occasion where we were just millimetres away from neighbouring vehicles that would fight to push past us, our feet were pushing down helplessly on our imaginary brakes as we sat in fear! But what an adventure! How was it possible to be so excited, scared and exhilarated all at the same time?
We saw more of Phnom Penh as we left in both good and bad lights. We marvelled at extra golden symbolic sculptures nearby the waterfront along with the cheerful people of Cambodia going about their everyday life. On the lower end of the spectrum we viewed the mould-infested slums that stood high above roadside markets. The run down apartments had very little going for them as there were no windows, just dirty-looking clothes that were drying in with the dust that was being thrusted up from the busy road below. In fact, we sometimes had to cover our mouths with our t-shirts to avoid inhaling dust clouds ourselves.
Once we had reached the airport, there was very little waiting around before checking our luggage in. The whole process ran smoothly (apart from realising that we had to pay twenty-five dollars departure tax… no biggie). The rumbles in our stomachs by this point were way above the deadly 8 on the Richter scale so we went to see what we could find. The cheapest thing in the airport was a western McDonald’s kind of meal where we had a hotdog with chilli con carne inside. We didn’t forget dessert either! Simon had an ice cream with Pineapple flavour, whereas Jon needed to kill a chocolate craving thus diving into ice cream with crumbs of Oreos inside. As the lady handed over the ice creams she said, “If they can’t be served upside down, then they’re free.”
That sounded like a great deal! She quickly turned the tubs over and not a single drop of the ice cream fell out! Why couldn’t they have just fallen all over the floor???
Following consumption of our delicious lunch, the tannoy warned us that our plane was getting ready for boarding passengers! With that we picked up and went.
Our flight from Phnom Penh to Hanoi was not a direct one however, which was great because we had an awesome half an hour in Vientiane airport, Laos. We didn’t do much there during the forty-minute wait, but it was a beautiful landscape to see on our descent. Mountains fringed the horizon, whilst plains of luscious green rice paddies, coconut palm trees and woodland stretched for miles and miles. Luckily for us we are planning to go back to Laos later in the trip, but to see more than just the airport.
On the other half of the journey from Vientiane to Hanoi, we were able to watch the night creep up in the east at the same time as watching the warm, red sun roll itself over to you in the west.
The landing in Hanoi was possibly the worst landing we had both experienced! It was nothing major besides a sharp jolt as the wheels touched down onto the tarmac of the runway, accompanied by a loud bang! The most impressive sensation was being released from the plane into a slightly colder climate. These few days in Hanoi are going to be a fantastic break from the fiery heat of the sun, which we have experienced in both Cambodia and Thailand especially.
The minibus to the Old Quarter of Hanoi was an equally thrilling ride as what we have experienced previously. Our driver was having to toot his horn constantly to warn others that he was there and that there was no stopping him coming through. He was a friendly enough guy though and he assisted us in reading signs in Vietnamese after we amused him by trying to read them ourselves. He dropped us in the Old Quarter where we began talking to two Canadian backpackers, Ti and Mark, who were also interested in finding the “lowest of the low” accommodation. We scored ten out of ten on the accommodation we found though as the rooms are spotless, fantastic views, free internet (though there are only two computers for about fifty people) and great service! Oh! And very cheap considering!
The night had to end by going out for a Vietnamese chicken and noodle soup, seasoned with plenty of coriander and pepper! We even added extra chilli just for the extra kick. Dipping the deep fried bread into this dish (Pho) was a thrill to the tastebuds. This was what we had been waiting for and it was a bonus to have our two new friends joining us! From them we learned a lot about Laos and the fantastic activities available for us to do there. We will hopefully be meeting up with them tomorrow after we have handed our passports to the Myanmar embassy in the hope of obtaining a visa.

Lia suhn hao-y Kampuchia!

2010-01-28T16:22:00.007Z

Farewell Cambodia! The sunset here is always wonderful, but it doesn’t quite happen where you’d like it to be: sitting in a café with an ice-cold Angkor beer looking over the Tonle Sap, the sun goes down behind you. This means that it casts an orange glow onto the opposite bank, but in order to see the sunset at its best you need to see it sinking down behind the Royal Palace.

Well, we’re on our way to Vietnam. But let us tell you about our final day here in Phnom Penh. You have to pronounce the name of this city quickly, as if it were just one word, with the stress on the final syllable, which is quite nasal. Say it quickly like this: “Pnompain”. OK so far? Then here’s the report from our fact-finding mission to the Psar Ta Pang:

Of all the myriad stalls here, three took our fancy. Firstly, an amazing BBQ with hot, glowing charcoals and tasty kebabs.

The sauce which is constantly being pasted over these little sticks is not at all spicy, but sweet, fruity and tangy. Needless to say, we had quite a few of these miniature skewers.

Next, we tried some different types of dumplings! Did the French introduce this when they were the colonial power? Imagine a steamed dumpling about the shape and size of a pork pie, but the outer casing is white. The charming girl opened the lid of a massive steamer to reveal a huge hoard of them. The filling was minced pork, sweetened with dried fruit and various spices. Awesome! The next variety was a filling of egg yolk whisked with sugar, and a perfect way to accompany our daily ingestion of Doxycyline.

Then it was on to the juice bar. Tropical fruit juices are simply the best way to enjoy the flavours of travelling, as well as boosting the vitamin C intake! There are some important rules to follow, which, from time to time, we blindly disregard. Most importantly, you must never eat a fruit that you have not peeled yourself. Put another way, the water that may have washed the otherwise visually appealing mouthful will almost certainly make you very, very ill. Remember our unfortunate incidents last year? But here, it seems that the fruit is safe to order in portions and in shakes. After all, we’re not ill. Yet…

We ordered Durian. Just two small platefuls to say that we tried it. We waited. And waited.

And then IT arrived. “Eeeeeeew”. What a peculiar smell! And the texture: very strange. And the taste……..The best way to convey all this to you (in the comfort of your own home; thank God they haven’t invented scratch-and-sniff computers yet) is to think of the smell of rotting garbage, with the texture and flavour of thick vanilla custard with a slightly sour note: very cloying and unctuous.

They look far more interesting though with their numerous vicious spikes that cover their large, heavy mass. What’s more is that they grow high up in trees and could be fatal should one fall on somebody as they walk beneath it, which is rare but not unheard of. We needed soothing shakes to wash the durian down and get rid of the taste. Simon had a custard-apple shake, but Jon played it safe with the ubiquitous coconut shake.

The Cambodian’s aren’t short of a sweet tooth. Condensed milk is used plentifully in these shakes as they pour it into the mixture of ice and the chosen fruit, plus heaps of sugar just to make sure that you and your dentist keep in touch.

Thirst struck again a little later so we stopped for a couple of Cokes on the way back to the hostel, which turned out to be a bad idea as it gave us the burps and with each one came the strong aftertaste of the durian. Yuck! It couldn’t have been pleasant for anybody with whom we talked. No wonder it’s banned from airlines and hotels. Oh, wait, we’ll be using both in just a few hours…

Just before setting off for the airport, we made a quick morning dash to the amazing market of Psar Tuo Tom Pong. Here amidst hundreds of stalls selling household goods and hardware were some fantastic souvenir stalls, and right at the heart of the market was the food section, with fruit and vegetables to tempt all the senses, and numerous species of fish and fowl, together with their entrails, being prepared for grateful consumption. The smoke of cooking fires, charcoal and steam filled the dense air under the corrugated tin roofs.

At this point we thought it would be a great time to sit down with the locals at the tiled counter and join them in a hearty breakfast! This consisted of a large omelette filled with prawns, spring onions etc, laced with a spicy sauce and washed down with an iced coffee with a layer of condensed milk at the bottom. Not just great, but another successful exercise in total cultural immersion!
We even managed to find a stall selling wonderful ethnic musical instruments:

Ron, our fantastic American friend from Michigan who accompanied us all the way through Cambodia from the very first hour at the border town of Poipet, managed to buy a set of Cambodian coasters to take back home, whilst Simon invested in chopsticks: two pairs each of wooden and silver ones. Something tells us that these will be put to good use in the eating of traditional Khmer food… in Cornwall.

Khmer Classics

2010-01-27T07:39:00.003Z

Here in Cambodia, the cuisine is absolutely amazing! Above is a simple basket of everything you will need to create an authentic Cambodian stir-fry.
Jon's taking a close look at all the produce on offer at the bustling Psar Chaa; "Psar" means market. We tried Khmer sour soup with lemongrass and fish; Amok curry with chicken (it's very fragrant and a little like the Thai red curries); sweet and sour chicken; fried rice with vegetables. Actually the fried rice rules above all: tasty and filling. Later tonight we're off to the little Psar Ta Pang night market for a nibble from each of the street stalls!
If you eat a little too much, you'll end up like this! Don't forget that Phnom Penh is a city of vast contrasts: the regal architecture and sculpture doesn't sit well with the grinding poverty and hardships. Just below the surface of urban life is the usual poverty of the favelas, with all its attendant sights and odours. The French may have let Cambodia fester, whilst the evil regime of the Khmer Rouge has cast a shadow over the chances of the drive to modern development. We can still feel this down on the street with every step we take.
Tomorrow brings new experiences, for we are to fly up to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. So watch this space!

The Perfect Rambuttan shake

2010-01-26T11:10:00.003Z

Well here it is! The essence of Indochina in a glass: after you've been pounding the pavements of Phnom Penh all day, what you need is the most tasty fruit experience, all whooshed together with ice. Yum!
You don't want rambuttan? Ok, why not select from custard apples at the top, to mangosteen.
We can't wait to try this, both as a shake and as something to nibble on. I wonder what it smells like.....

The Killing Fields

2010-01-26T10:44:00.004Z

The era of the Khmer Rouge is far too complex to sum up in our blog, and still demands a fair amount of background reading for us on our return. If you don't know what happened here, the wiki is fairly comprehensive, so paste this into your browser: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing_Fields
Otherwise, just let these simple pictures tell the story of our day exploring the reality of this holocaust.

Some Monkey Business?

2010-01-26T10:39:00.004Z

Yesterday we managed to take in a massive swathe of the city of Phnom Penh. Here, at the base of the Wat Phnom, we encountered a troupe of cheeky monkeys. The older members of the group were extremely well fed by all the visitors, whilst the youngsters couldn't resist performing for us with some nifty acrobatics in the trees!
Next it was time to explore the markets of the city, from malls to local produce markets: the contrast between the two was both stark and fascinating!

What's the weirdest thing you've eaten?

2010-01-25T04:18:00.005Z

That's a classic question that floats around between travellers!
Imagine yourself strolling aimlessly along a busy road where there just doesn’t seem to be any Highway Code. Then, suddenly, something catches your eye on the other side. By now we have learned that the easiest and safest way to cross the road is to disobey everything that you were ever taught as a child and just walk out into the path of vehicles (when they aren’t going too fast nor when they are too close of course!). But unlike on our trip in India, these people will generally slow down to let us live another day anyway. So to continue, imagine that you have crossed the loud and congested street and are now standing at a peculiar looking food cart. The food cart is small, white, it moves around on two wheels and it even has a hob on the top for cooking. What delicious delicacies can you see? Have you feasted your eyes on some western style hotdogs with the finishing touches of ketchup and mustard? Or have you spotted more of our favourite Asian noodles being tossed several metres into the air? Maybe you have seen colourful fruits that you’ve never even dreamt of? If you are thinking along these lines, then you’d normally be correct. But not in this case!
Our curiosity indeed got the better of us as we were gazing into baskets of maggots, crickets, cockroaches, quails, duck embryos, snakes, beetles and tarantulas. Simon was a little stuffed after the small banquet we had at the night market, but Jon figured that he’d be able to stretch out an extra pocket of gastrointestinal space. And that he did! Only enough to enjoy a tarantula and a snake though. The tarantula was ever so slightly crispy and it had been slightly flavoured to taste like BBQ ribs. Jon started by shoving the front four legs into his mouth and reported back that they were similar to crispy chilli beef that us westerners have in our Chinese takeaways. As for the body, it was very much like the legs only it was much more succulent! Jon also exclaimed that it was like he had reached another galaxy!

The snake on the other hand can be described as having a texture of roast chicken (apart from in the beginning when Jon thought that the vertebrae were also edible! Duh!).

In terms of wishful thinking, the same stall should be there tomorrow!

Don't forget: +855 978689454; yes, it's a cell, but just give us a few minutes to say "hello"!

The Phnom-enal Penh night market of Psar Chaa.

2010-01-25T03:55:00.007Z

What better introduction to Phnom penh than strolling alongside the Tonle Sap? Observing the nifty motorbikes interweaving between the tuk tuks, buses and cars was slightly hair raising, but we think that they know what they're doing. We felt well received as we saw the Union Jack waving in amongst several other flags that spanned the length of the riverside paving.
As we reached the end of the boulevard with its more uptown restaurants, we turned the final corner and found ourselves immersed in real Cambodian life.

In about another half an hour, we noticed the welcoming night markets opening up and they were already teeming with people wanting to browse for gifts or eat something in the pleasant ambience of the cosy food market square! This was new to us! Having decided what may take our fancy, we were given a small plastic tray to put in all of our chosen raw consumables. We eagerly handed the jam-packed tray back to the market wallah and watched as he emptied the contents into a wok ready for shallow frying. Whilst waiting for our pick and mix meal, Simon went to grab a sugar cane juice drink, which was sweet, delicious and quite moreish. Back at the wok, things had come along and in a matter of seconds we were carrying our plate of chicken feet, quail, tofu, breaded prawns, crabs and dim sum like goodies to the communal eating area that covered a large square in the centre of all the surrounding food stalls.

The ground was covered with large mats that were made from palm leaves and we relaxed and enjoyed the pungent aromas wafting from the stalls as we ate. We will definitely consider returning tomorrow!

The Road to Phnom Penh

2010-01-25T03:48:00.001Z

The vernacular architecture of rural Cambodia is possibly the most amazing scene in any country we’ve ever visited! The ribbon developments along the roads are not so much villages as one long stretch of settlement, with each homestead possessing its own livestock, cooking fires and unique house on stilts. Whilst the flatness and lush greenery of the countryside reminds us very much of Bangladesh and that journey we took last year in Bengal from Kolkata to Dhaka, the pride taken in the presentation of each home and small-holding, together with the cleanliness and orderliness of the rural idyll contrasts this part of Indochina starkly and strongly with the squalor of parts of India. But why are the houses on stilts? Is it to protect the home from flooding, for the Tonle Sap backs-up in the wet season covering much of the flat plains with water. Or is it to protect the family from vermin which is unable to scramble up the wooden legs of the house? Or is it to provide garage or storage space: somewhere for the cattle to shelter?

Giant, fluffy haystacks line the road at the entrance to many small-holdings, whilst water buffalo wallow in the adits at the side of the road leading down to the rice paddies, just to gain a little respite from the searing heat of the midday sun. A large family of ducks waddle from a small pond to bask in the sunlight on a small grassy bank. Cooking fires stoked by lengthy logs waft their fragrant smoke over the road, whilst above them, their cauldrons emit the steam of a spicy brew. Can this scene really be genuine? It’s so magical and yet unlike anything we’ve seen before in Asia. Can it be true that just thirty years ago this landscape was the living hell for the millions of starving victims of the Khmer Rouge?

Feasting: the Khmer way!

2010-01-23T16:18:00.006Z

Q: What's a Cornish Pasty doing on a market stall in Cambodia?
A: Being used as an incense holder, that's what! ... Still, a home away from home!
Meet Cambodia's Delia Smith! She cooked for us three nights running. She was always smiling and pleased to see us!
OK! I am especially happy now that I'm full!
This is her signature dish: Fried rice with vegetables, Khmer style, all wokked-up in a matter of seconds, and devoured in.......a matter of seconds!
They ran out of coconut shakes, so we settled for mango and pineapple. It's a hard life, isn't it?

Don't forget: +855 978689454

Call Us!

2010-01-23T12:42:00.002Z

If you'd like to give us a call up until lunchtime on 28th January (that's local time to us and 6am to you!) then phone us on:
+855 978689454

Siem Reap

2010-01-23T12:10:00.003Z

Very impressive! A very skilled acrobat will do anything for a bit of cash as he risks his life, minute by minute, by jumping through a ferocious hoop of sharp knives and a flame of fire! It was in this street that we also met Douk, a victim of a land mine. Here there is a massive problem from unexploded mines, and this man had lost both his forearms. As he approached us, he put out his right arm to shake hands, which we did. We chatted for a short while about his horrific injuries, and of course it made us realise that there is far more to Cambodian history than the ancient Khmer Kingdom. Next week we will be witnessing first-hand just exactly what this means.

Having been lost in the rabbit warrens of the night markets here, we appreciate very much that the Cambodians are very skilled in what they do, and are also very practical! Last night, Simon bought two 'kramas', which are essentially large patterned cloths that slightly resemble tea towels with their checkered colours. Cambodians are very proud of these and some may even say that it marks their national identity. They can be used in a variety of ways such as scarves, headscarves and a type of visor that may shield against the dust of a busy city. In more specific terms of being skilled, it may be easier not to tell you what we mean but to show you in the fantastic picture above.

It was absolutely necessary to taste the unusual fruits of Cambodia. We stumbled across a quiet market stall where we saw some unusual fruits that included the mangosteens (above) and the Rambutans (below). The flesh of the mangosteens, once peeled, was jelly-like and resembled garlic cloves with its whiteness and shape. The taste, however, was very different and could be described as a complex vanilla flavour! The Rambutan also contained a flesh of similar texture, but was much sweeter and succulent.

The day started off with a stunning, spicy noodle-soup and a baguette. Don't forget that the French influence still lingers on in some quarters! The coffee here is frankly fantastic. Remember the coffee roasting ceremony in the streets of Sihanoukville last week? Well today it was time to try the real thing. Angkor coffee is rich, intense and very, very smokey. Great!
Cambodia is also famed for producing the best peppercorns in the world, from Kampot. Rick Stein thinks so anyway, and based on the stir-fried chicken with onions and black pepper we had at our favourite haunt last night, he's bang-on right.
During the afternoon we sampled Khmer spring rolls and a revelation of a soup made from pumpkin and coconut. the background taste was of Amok, a typically Khmer flavouring. Last year we raved about the lassis in India; this year the big taste sensation on the drinks front is coconut shakes. The recipe will follow, but basically, think slush-puppy with a deep, rich and intense coconut flavour!

Angkor Wat (Part 2)

2010-01-22T12:37:00.004Z

Angkor Thom… Bayon
This temple was very mysterious and made the day! We curiously tunnelled through archways and trekked up steep steps, though a maze of boulders that had united to form one of the most complex temples we’ve seen. As well as delicate carved patterns, there were other aspects of detail in the lifelike heads in some of the boulders. We couldn’t leave this place without a good pose in front of one!

And then, finally:
we made it to Angkor Wat itself!

Angkor Wat (Part 1)

2010-01-22T11:55:00.007Z

On the road to Banteay Shrei

After the exhausting day we had yesterday, we had ourselves an early night but what comes with that is an early rise (again)! After arranging a tuk tuk driver (Ti Ti) to transport us around the temples of Angkor with an American friend we made on the bus we caught to Siem Reap, we all set off at 7am eager to see what was in store. On the way to the temples we had to stop to pick up a day pass before continuing into the jungle. The tarmac roads were very well maintained and there were forests of trees that extended deep into true wilderness. We couldn’t help but imagine what it would have been like for the local people at the time of the guerrilla warfare involving the Khmer Rouge.
As we ventured far out towards the temple we visited first, Banteay Srei, we all momentarily skipped a heartbeat as we became confused by a loud hissing noise. It turned out that our driver had driven over a pothole and burst his left tyre. He wanted to continue driving at first, but we all came to the conclusion that he needed to actually fix his tyre. So he said, “OK! Keep walking along this road, I’ll go ahead to get my tyre mended and then I’ll pick you up on my way back.”
This was a great idea because we were able to stop and mix with a few locals along the way and gawp at strange looking items on market stalls. We walked past several wooden dwellings that were raised off the ground and some had notices up in recognition of foreign aid that allowed such houses to be built there. After an amazing half hour or so, we were delighted to see Ti Ti motoring back to us on his repaired tuk tuk. Off we went once more to continue our exploration!

Taking expert advice from Denise Heywood, we spent plenty of time exploring the mysterious Ta Prohm:

Bye Bye Bangkok!

2010-01-22T11:46:00.002Z

...and "Hello Cambodia!" (again...)
Consider Bangkok well and truly ‘done’! On the day following the temple marathon, we managed to get a day rover ticket on the Sky Train, fitting in lunch with Scott and Kathy near Nana station (see you both in Arizona soon!!), a trip to the Burmese Embassy, a sortie to the Qantas representatives, a visit to the Patpong post office to send things back home, not to mention a fantastic evening walk and street food extravaganza with Alisdair. The day after it was time for waterborne transportation, taking the express boat up to explore the Khao San Road area. Simon managed to get a hair cut to look like a Buddhist monk, whilst the intrepid pair had a spooky blast from the past. There in the middle of Khao San Road itself was the very same dodgy Indian fortune-teller we had met last year at Janpath in New Delhi. This year he had two black eyes… After a quick exit (again) it was time to relax and prepare for a big journey, deep into the heart of rural Cambodia. Will it match our experiences in Bangladesh, and will it live up to the expectations set up in Sihanoukville last week?

We cannot even begin to tell you how much will power was required to pull ourselves out of bed at 5am this morning! But it was difficult, especially after getting to sleep at 2am due to last minute packing. But it was all worth it!
A taxi had been arranged to take us to Bangkok’s Hualamphong Station where we were to hop on a train for 6 hours in order to arrive at the Cambodian Border in Poipet.
The taxi ride across Bangkok was wonderful as the city was still wrapped in the darkness of night, allowing the miscellaneous lights from the skyscrapers gleefully to radiate dim glows of slumber. There was by no means a complete standstill in the city at this hour but, when compared to the inescapable blockade of traffic congestion by day, it seemed almost silent.
Catching the train towards the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet was simpler than we expected. We approached the booth to request our tickets and before we knew it, we had embarked on a 6-hour train journey for a whopping 48 Baht each! This equates to roughly 95p. We had come very well prepared for our journey with ham and chilli sandwiches we made the day before, plus extra goodies from the Seven Eleven market, which included a bread bun with sweet kidney bean paste filling, an orange flavoured Swiss roll, banana muffins, biscuits and croissants! We feasted like kings as you can tell!
On arrival at Aranyaprathet, we were approached by tuk tuk drivers trying to rip us off; but after some negotiation we managed to complete the final leg of the journey towards the border. But wait for it! During transit we thought it odd to find ourselves taking a slight detour to a dodgy looking Cambodian Visa stand. Fortunately we were already clued up on this scam where they tell people that they must buy their visa at this point for $35. We politely rejected and told them that we wished to make a beeline for the Cambodian border crossing where we could pick up the visa for $25, and to their disappointment that is exactly what happened! Our visas were sorted in a flash and through into Cambodia we went. We took a free shuttle bus to the nearby bus station and met up with some other travellers with whom we caught a minibus to Siem Reap.
Our hunger levels had peaked on arrival, so after checking in at the Popular Hostel we headed straight for the night market. It’s probably a safe gamble to say that it is not streetlights that bring Siem Reap to life at night, but rather the night markets that sell souvenirs and local foods! We stopped for a Vietnamese style noodle soup (Pho) and then we headed to a popular food court, which had plastic tables and chairs beneath a tarpaulin shelter. The twinkling of the hanging light bulbs, the crowds and most of all the marvellous cook with her huge sizzling wok of delights created an atmosphere that told us that we really are in the heart of South East Asia. It was here that we wolfed down rice, chicken and noodle salads with vegetables. We did not hesitate on the addition of chillies either! Luckily we had soothing coconut shakes to rescue our palettes from the inferno! This honestly was the best meal we have had on this trip so far!

Bangkok (Part II)

2010-01-20T02:23:00.002Z

Food update: we went with our friend Alisdair to the Suan Lum Night Market for a fantastic feast! Morning Glory is a tasty green vegetable which seems to be a cross between spinach and cabbage; spicy papaya salad is a Thai staple; fried prawns with holy basil and rice with fried egg; Fried rice with prawns and crab; spring rolls; deep fried pasty shaped objects with minced chicken. Plenty of dips and the traditional Thai condiments including small, fiery chopped red chilli in vinegar and Naam Pla which packs a punch.
Net result: yum!

One Night in Bangkok (ok, ok, three actually)

2010-01-19T11:06:00.006Z

We've made it from Leam Chabang into Bangkok. Massive city with many different quarters, all with their tower blocks of varying vintages. But it's the Chao Praya river where it's really at: the long tail boats zoom up and down here with a mighty roar! Of course the main focus for our experiences here has to be food. Thai cuisine is right up there with the best in the world. And now we know why!

The day started with a fascinating exploration of what makes Bangkok tick: temples and Buddhas, the river and the Klongs and of course the food. Later that night Scott and Kathy took us to explore a night market: great for both shopping AND eating!Outside the temple of the Golden Buddha:over 500 tons of solid gold!
This one's outside the temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Royal Palace. He's much smaller. And green.
The Reclining Buddha is massive. Huge, infact...

Before we met up with Scott and Kathy, we had to suss out how! In fact it was really easy! We decided to try out the sky train, which is fairly cheap and works efficiently. It operates on a raised track, which meant that we were able to watch the city of Bangkok fall into a hazy sleep as the skyscrapers commenced their attractive glowing displays. Once we had arrived at the evenings treffpunkt, Scott and Kathy took us to the night bazaar where we browsed around the stalls and watched tourists haggling and the locals taking advantage of the naive people who may think that ten pounds for a postcard is a remarkable saving!
This became "Hungry Work" after a while so we decided to go to the food section of the night bazaar. All the flickering stalls had many people inside cooking all kinds of things! There were so many dishes that it was hard to choose just one! We clubbed in for a traditional papaya salad, Thai basil in a curious mystery sauce (tasted a little like Hoi Sin sauce with some other unidentified flavours, and watered down), chicken satay sticks and spring rolls with a sweet chilli dip. Oh and let's not forget the small deep fried crabs, which were also delicious!

Impressions of Sihanoukville

2010-01-17T10:12:00.005Z

Both these images and the one below of Jon are copyright (our friend) Scott Blessley, www.blessley.net

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

2010-01-16T13:09:00.002Z

Do you realise how complicated it can be to obtain a Vietnamese visa? You can’t just turn up at a land border or fly/sail in and buy a visa on the spot: oh, no. You MUST be in possession of a visa in advance, and our visit to Vietnam starts on the 28th January. Do you realise that the easiest place to buy a Vietnamese visa in Indochina (is that term still acceptable, or must we say “Southeast Asia? The nostalgia and exoticism of “Indochina” is more evocative….) is at their consulate in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. And guess where we are today!

The trek to the consulate was a great introduction to the style of this particular country. For many varied reasons, we loved Bangladesh last year, and right here we are starting to feel a similar and welcoming vibe. Smiles all round from the people, and a gentle, light-hearted hassling for tuk tuks which takes a polite ‘no’ at face value. Such a refreshing experience after Indonesia. But there’s more to it than that: the contrast between the opulent, ostentatious architecture of the rich, and the aching poverty of the shop-houses, with the angled concrete slabs covering the sewer beneath as you approach from the street. All this was familiar territory for us. But the luscious Bougainvillea, the smells of cookery and the nostalgia of the massive mansions now used as bars and small restaurants, the rear of the property far too big for the small business being transacted out front. All this added a new dimension to our first impressions of this country. When you’re out travelling, the first 24 hours in a country pretty much sum up the vibe you are likely to experience on the road. And Cambodia seems pretty special right now.

Take the coffee roaster in the street. We could smell it long before we encountered the spectacle on the street corner, complete with charcoal, roasting thurible and turning handle. They like their coffee smokey here in western Cambodia. Oh, yes, the consulate. We filled in the form, handed over our passports together with $40 each for a single entry visa, and in about two minutes flat, the process was complete and we are now the proud owners of visas for Vietnam. But you’ll have to wait till the 28th January to find out how we go on with immigration actually getting in there. Before that there’s three whirlwind days of Bangkok to experience, then the breathtaking majesty of Angkor Wat and the stark reality of Phnom Penh.

The vast, blue covered market started out as just trinkets, baseball caps and denim, but as we delved deeper into the alleyways and lanes which ran off the main drag, it became obvious that this was a treasure-trove of local produce. First we encountered the fruit and veg. aisles, and then we were into the paradise of the seafood and bugs department. This market must surely be the most fascinating we’ve ever seen for exotic sea-life and other edible creatures.

As we approached Sihanoukville in the dark, we were surrounded by the glow of the lights from myriad small fishing boats, and here in the gloom of the tiny market alleyways was the fruit of their labours. Yesterday afternoon we spied our first Cambodian vessel, wallowing in the turquoise swell behind us. “Pirates!” someone exclaimed, for the old wooden ship with its finely crafted superstructure seemed to come straight out of Captain Pugwash. But back here in the market we were surrounded by their catch: all manner of fish we could not name, prawns, shrimps, crabs, catfish, sardines and even shark. Each tiny market stall was equipped with its own shallow fish tank, for all these creatures were still alive! And as for the grubs, well we’re looking forward to trying all this when we return to Cambodia next week!

After walking 3 miles in the blistering heat, we decided that a visit to the Snake House could be fairly rewarding. This place is set back away from the main centre of Sihanoukville so we decided to take a tuk tuk for another 3 miles in the direction of our base to get there. This ride should have cost us $10. I don’t think so somehow. We got him down to $4, which is nothing, especially when split between 3 people. Our friend Scott Blessley came with us to explore Sihanoukville and was curiously snapping away with his machine gun of a camera. We hope that he may have a few good shots for us. The tuk tuks in Cambodia are different to ones that we have seen on our previous expeditions. Picture a carriage with two benches facing towards each other, all sheltered by a soft-top roof and being towed by a motorcycle. This was it and was a great novelty! During our 3-mile journey to the Snake House we embarked on a learning curve of the basic mutualism between the people here. It was impossible to cease staring in pure admiration at two young boys transporting a huge pane of glass from A to B on their motorbike. The one at the front was in a sheer trance of concentration as he was driving the bike with one hand on the handlebars and with his other hand on top of the pane of glass behind him. The younger lad on the back was holding the pane with both of his hands. This demonstrates very well the importance of symbiosis here, which, for some, may be the only way of guaranteeing food on the table. Without such teamwork, there would be no income.

We arrived at the Snake House. It’s not so much a restaurant as a bar, a restaurant and a zoo all rolled in to one! Plus there are fantastic two storey cottages where you can stay. The eating area is surrounded by wildlife: vast fish tanks, smaller glass cases containing a wide variety of snakes, plus a chained up crocodile just a few metres from our table. Oh, and of course, our table itself was a snake pit, with a glass top revealing a massive somnambulant python beneath. But oh, no! There was no snake to choose from on the menu; only crocodile was available to order, but at the price displayed, we opted for a small amphibian, rather than reptile fillet. Scott had snails, Simon had a mind-blowing eel broth laced with fresh chilli and coconut, whilst Jon had Roti Frog. This looks like tandoori, but seemed to have a barbeque sauce glistening all over it. Oh, and by the way, this was most certainly not just frogs’ legs, but the whole frog. And Jon had two of them!

After this exotic feast, it was time to move around the Snake House, looking at all the species of snakes, turtles, lizards, birds, and, of course, the large number of crocodiles in the pit. Didn’t James Bond come across something just like this at the villain’s lair?

The Food Hall in Kuantan, Malaysia

2010-01-15T07:12:00.007Z

Just incase your taste buds were yearning for more details of yesterday's feasting, here are some shots!

That's Jon and Kathy after trying the tasty Nasi Campur!
The tasty mussels:

Food halls like this provide cheap and scrumptious meals:

Those banana fritters, remember? They're called Pisan Goreng. Does anybody have a good recipe for them? If so, feel free to post a comment!

Kuantan and the First Nasi Campur

2010-01-14T11:01:00.000Z

Our day (the first of many to come, but much later in our Eastern Odyssey) in Peninsular Malaysia started with a successful internet flight-booking session. This means that our itinerary is now fixed right up until our return to Malaysia in March. To find out where we will be going (and when) then keep following: we’ll keep you posted soon enough! Now, onto one of the main features of the forthcoming blog entries: food!

Nasi Campur starts off with the opening up of the lid on a large vat of hot, steamed rice, and the scooping up of a large portion onto your plate. The server uses a small plate as a spoon to get the mound just right! Next, you proceed along the buffet line, selecting spoonfuls of whatever takes your fancy. Today, fried fish was a particular speciality, with many different varieties to tempt the hungry diner.

Our version of Nasi Campur commenced with mounds of rice, to which we added a grilled chicken leg in sweet and sour barbeque sauce; a chicken leg in a korma-type sauce; mussels in a rich and spicy tomato sauce with onions; cubes of beef rolled in sesame seeds with peanuts; vegetable stir fry; Chicken Rendang; a thick and unctuous soy sauce, which really made the rice taste fantastic! Then for the icing-on-the cake…..sambal: this will feature heavily in our dining blogs for the next three months. It’s a fiery chilli relish. Wooooosh, was this one HOT! We couldn’t resist finishing off with a freshly fried banana fritter. Sweet and totally yum!

The mussels were perhaps the star of this feast (17 Malaysian Ringits for the lot!)
We’re going to try this one at home…..

The Chinese Temple at Gam Lombok

2010-01-11T13:08:00.003Z

Despite the colonial Dutch influences throughout the older quarters of Semarang, which include numerous protestant churches and elegant town houses, there is a vibrant Chinese community. This China-town has its own unique street food, of course, but also one of the largest and most impressive temples of the Chinese diaspora in the Far East.

From the moment we set foot inside this busy, working temple complex, it was obvious that this was a place of sanctity. This shot captures the mood perfectly, with the incense sticks wafting their pungent perfume in the morning air. Did you know that we had been planning to visit China? Well for reasons of time and budget, not to mention human rights and Copenhagen-related issues, we're not going.....well, during this trip at any rate. So this spiritual flavour of China will have to suffice.

Kopi Luwak

2010-01-11T08:44:00.003Z

This coffee is just awesome and so unique. It wasn’t so long ago that Rick Stein was on the television singing the praises of this drink. At US$9 per cup we decided to share just to get a taste of this Javanese speciality in Semarang. So what’s so special about this coffee? Let us tell you!

Kopi luwak (Civet coffee) adalah kopi yang diproses dari buah kopi yang dimakan oleh binatang luwak, sejenis musang atau Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).

Translated into English by a friendly member of staff, here it is:

"Kopi luwak (Civet Coffee) is a coffee that is processed from coffee beans, which are eaten by Asian Palm Civets. The coffee beans are selected coffee beans. The civet only selects fresh beans from the rape tree. The beans will remain in its digestive system for 10 to 12 hours."

The coffee farmers have many rape trees on their plantations and there is a strong mutual relationship between the farmers and the civets. The civets survive by eating the raw red coffee cherries as part of their diets, but because only the outer layers of these are digested, the actual coffee beans that were enclosed are passed out again in the faeces. The locals then collect these and use them to make this type of coffee. It's so valuable because the civets only choose the best kind of cherry to eat, thus providing farmers with the best coffee bean as the locals collect the turds.

We had heard about Kopi Luwak and we have been trying to find it everywhere. Semarang, Java, was our last chance saloon and we found it inside a shopping mall in the downtown area. It was absolutely delicious and went down smoothly... No funny turns as yet...

Semarang and Kopi Luwak

2010-01-11T06:06:00.002Z

We're sitting here writing to you from the Cafe de Excelso in the centre of Semarang on the Indonesian island of Java: it's a massive city at the foot of the mountains, and this morning we've already visited the huge Chinese temple at the square of Gam Lombok. The temple is shrouded in incense, with hundreds of candles illuminating golden statues, the gloom being also pierced by the glow of red lanterns.

We walked a few kilometres from the docks, being hassled constantly by taxi drivers, moto riders and such-like. Eventually a persistent old man with a captivating smile ushered us onto his rickshaw. Here, unlike in Bangladesh the rickshaw driver peddles from behind, the passengers sitting upfront. In the swarming traffic of the busy city, it's a hair-raising ride. We are due to meet him right now for the ride back!

We've just finished drinking a cup of Kopi Luwak. Frankly, it's the world's best coffee! We paid $9 for one cup. Why is it so expensive? Well, to find out, take a look at the next blog entry when we post it. Don't try this at home folks.......

Komodo

2010-01-09T15:11:00.003Z

Why on earth did I wake up at 6:00am when the alarm was set for 7:15am? The truth is that there is no answer for that, but I can only assume that it was written. For I peered out of the window and through sleepy eyes watched over the water as the rocky outcrops of Komodo grew. In an instant we were both awake, probably because I let a load of light into the cabin when I opened the curtains. Oops! Sorry. As we both continued to stare into the sea, we saw something in the water… And another something… And another something. Right beside our cabin portholes were a pod of dolphins following us and we could see their arched backs creating ripples in the water. Then suddenly one leapt right out into the air so that we could see all of its body. It was so beautiful to see them all frolicking in their liberty.
We were indeed hoping to observe some spectacular wildlife out here in Komodo, but dolphins weren’t the first things on our minds. The real draw here is the notorious Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis, the world’s largest living lizard species that grows up to around 3 metres long and weighs roughly 90kg. This predator is huge in itself due to its low metabolism and it thrives on carrion most of the time, but prey species such as birds, deer or boar should not let their guards down due to the fact that these monitor lizards wait to ambush them or, if they are feeling really energetic, they will actually go and hunt.
As we tendered towards this almost deserted paradise Island, there was already a prehistoric atmosphere about the place and, to be honest, I don’t think we would have been all that surprised had we seen a tyrannosaurus rex or something. In fact, it would not be a lie if we said that it looked as though we were entering the fictional Jurassic Park.

Our exploration of the island of Komodo commenced at Loh Liang, where we took a trail encompassing the Tamarind Forest, the Water Hole, Frigate Hill and ending back at the beach where we saw some Timor deer. We were told beforehand that it would not be wise to wear red clothes, nor would it be all that clever to go ashore with open wounds due to the fact that these lizards can smell blood up to 6 miles away. Blood is a sign of dinner! It was not long before we came to a clearing where there was a quaint water oasis where four large Komodo dragons were lying in wait for thirsty prey species. From the first sight, we were only too aware that these guys mean business! We kept our distance but watched for a while in a trance. One of the dragons gave us a demonstration of his forked tongue! We just couldn’t believe that we were there, on Komodo, with the Komodo Dragons in their natural habitat. Nowadays this species occurs only on three named Indonesian islands (Komodo, Rinca and Flores) and there are 17,508 islands in the entire Indonesian archipelago. Wow!

Towards the end of the trail we came upon a smaller, two-year-old dragon which was taking a stroll through the woods. Again, what a wonderful sight! To complete a truly fantastic day, the sail back west amongst this particular archipelago was truly breathtaking. The volcanic islands under the moody sky had a look of northern Norway, but the temperature outside reminded us that we were in the most beautiful part of Indonesia.

Bali

2010-01-09T01:02:00.005Z

How impressive the rolling hills were: each one seemed to be competing to be the highest, or the greenest. A virtually untouched paradise awaited us and we were certainly not disappointed! Most significant of all was the active volcano, Mount Agung, standing high in pride with its blend of luscious forest working up to the barren peak. It was incredible to know that this volcano erupted fairly recently in 1963, killing thousands of Indonesian nationals, and that the powerful force of the eruption blew 126 metres off the top of Agung.

These days, the soil evidently remains extremely fertile and accommodates for a huge species diversity of both flora and fauna. We mostly gazed over stretches of rice paddies, terraces and banana plantations when travelling in between villages, and the small and tranquil roads were almost like tunnels of intense greenery. It is not only a case of every cloud has a silver lining here, but it is more common to see that every road has a green lining!
Our first impression of the Island of Bali was just magical. Balinese women greeted us on either side of the pier whilst throwing colourful petals over our heads, and to really put the icing on the cake, a traditional Balinese Gamelan orchestra created unique masterpieces of music, involving the crashing of huge gongs and metallophones. Behind all this was the everyday life of the locals who hassle tourists to buy sarongs, watches or sunglasses (usually), or alternatively many are swarming around sightseers and offering transport at a “good price”.

We noticed small homemade baskets, which were about the size of ashtrays, dotted every now and then in front of some doors and in the middle of pavements. These were filled with leaves, petals as well as a few rice grains and we quickly learned that these are offerings to their Hindu gods, namely Shiva, Krishna and Vishnu.
As we continued to stroll down the winding streets and alleyways of Padangbai, we could get a feel for the real street life, complete with happy children at play and wandering stray dogs. Down a narrow alleyway a boat builder was working on a thin tree trunk which he was fashioning into a hollowed-out outrigger boat, just like the hundreds we found on the beach at Padang Bai. He greeted us cheerily before we moved onwards.
Taking a hike out of town led us up a hill on the main road up into the mountains, where we found an old man struggling with his cart, laden with banana tree trunks to be used as pig-fodder. We decided it would be only polite to help him with his heavy load upwards to his animal enclosure. Boy, was he strong: his ancient frame still clad with the muscles from a generation of hard labour. We left him bemused by our efforts!

On several corners and alongside many walls were cockerels imprisoned in basket-like cages made of palm leaves. We discussed and concluded that a lot of the locals would be eating well that night. How wrong we were! A voice behind us shouted, “Cockfighting!”
We looked at him and asked what this was about, and he said that at 3:00pm there was to be a fight between the cockerels, where the locals bet money on which ones will win. The cockerels are provoked into fighting one another as the people hit their feet with sticks; the reasoning is probably to make the cockerel think that it was the other who pecked him, thus initiating an aggressive response. Although this may sound inhumane, it’s an integral part of their lifestyle; fortunately, rain stopped play.

The cockfighting wasn’t on our schedule anyway. Finding a traditional Balinese village was priority, and that we did. Entering the tucked-away village of Tenganang was like stepping back in time. Cobbled streets with enclosures up both sides and thatched barns in the middle, with the village meeting-place at the head of the ascending street. We came with sleeping bags intending to stay the night, but the meeting-place wasn’t the most hospitable of floors to doss down upon, and the animal life of the village was already showing and unhealthy curiosity in our presence. The chickens were friendly enough; the geese slightly territorial; the herd of sacred cows had no intention of budging; the dogs were already sniffing around our ankles. Let’s look at the traditional weaving, take in the temples in the compound with each building bedecked with an elaborate roof, chat to the calligraphers, then head for the coast!

We managed to blag a ride to Candi Dasa, another nearby village, which was little more than a road running parallel to the coastline, housing a selective array of restaurants, small hotels and bars down either side. We remained alert when we noticed that the gentleman who gave us a ride down to this village was completely blind in one eye. Nevertheless his driving could not be faulted. After all, he didn’t hit anything.
The general atmosphere appealed to us as this was what the locals described as real Bali, as opposed to having gone towards the western side of the Island. We asked our driver to help us arrange accommodation in a homestay, which he agreed to do. He pulled up at the side of the road and shouted to one of his mates on the street and was pointed in the direction of a homestay possibility. This however was full so he told us “You will find something…”
Was this his way of saying that he could no longer be arsed searching for an unforgettable all-Balinese experience? Yeah. It was. So we were dropped off in the street and left to our own devices. And what great devices we have! We stumbled upon a hotel that did not offer rooms, but even better, whole cottages! Each dwelling had comfortable beds with shower rooms down a few steps. I bet people pay £56.93 per night for this kind of thing when arranging it through a travel agent, whereas we got it for £8.50 or so. www.balibeachfront-cottages.com
Once we had settled in, we took our packed lunch (extra sandwiches that we had made earlier on the ship and wrapped up during breakfast) and explored. We made a beeline for the beach and walking past all the cottages, it felt like being in the jungle, what with the high humidity level and the richness of plant species. This WAS the Balinese paradise you can imagine when you close your eyes, and for now it was ours! Upon hitting the shore we talked to some locals for an hour or so whilst marvelling at the beautiful shoreline fringed with coconut palms. There is no beach left: some years ago the government exploded the coral reef to make cement for the hotel building programme, decimating the foreshore and leaving just volcanic pebbles. But it’s still a marvellous place. With a great bar and its own live band, tasty food and locals willing to open up to us the delights of East Bali, our watering hole for the night really got the party started. Ketut Surya, the talented guitarist from the band led us all in a unique version of “Bamboleo” and told us about his fantastic bike rides down the side of the volcano: eastbalibiketour@gmail.com
A pre-breakfast walk past the large temple in Candidasa to the lilypond with its lotus blossom set us up for a tasty snack accompanied by Kopi Bali, a rich coffee with plenty of sediment but lots of taste. The “Bemo” ride to Padang Bai was all set to be superlative value and an exciting journey: until a guy got on, together with three massive barrels of petrol. Have YOU ever travelled on a motorised incendiary bomb? Well, take it from us, it’s no great shakes… And then who would have guessed it, we find the Buddha Bar in Padang Bai, with its inviting blue lagoon-style swimming pool and swim-up bar. On this trip, some things just HAVE to be done: no negotiation. So we take a dip and some liquid refreshment, before preparing ourselves mentally for the next leg of this exploration of Indonesia: Komodo. Here be dragons!

Singapore

2010-01-05T09:14:00.004Z

After 12 hours and 40 minutes of being sat in a Quantas aeroplane, we were beginning to wonder whether or not we had, by this point, acquired the unwelcome deep vein thrombosis. Ok... we got away with it this time. The descent was spectacular as we gazed down on hundreds of boats in the harbour and marvelled at the glowing city lights. Unfortunately after landing, there was not a moment to grab a snack, rather we dashed to the minibus and headed for the docks to join our ship. The palm trees lining the avenues that we were driven down cast sleepy shadows beneath the distinct skyscrapers that whispered glows of purples and blues. It must be one of the world's greenest cities as there was a wide variety of flora everywhere we looked. After our brief tour of the city, we headed for the (not so attractive) docks and boarded the ship. We were the last people on the gangway and with an hour still to spare, we were able to stand up on deck and watch as we exchanged the lights of Singapore for the darkness of the Java Sea in the night.

Pho

2010-01-03T12:39:00.003Z

Well, we're now officially on our way to Singapore, but not without a quick pit-stop for refuelling purposes in London. We managed to hunt down Covent Garden's best coffee and largest Brigadeiro at the cinnamon-inspired Portuguese/Brazilian cafe 'Canella' and tried a bit of Hong-Kong Pho-ey at the all-time favourite 'Wong-Kei's' just off Gerrard St. All the usual suspects were present: deep-fried crispy seaweed, a quarter spicy Peking-duck, crisp chilli beef and Szechuan praws. But wait for it, there's a new Vietnamese soup and noodle bar opened in Frith St called NAM. And in anticipation of our visit to Hanoi, we went for a massive bowl of Pho. Yes, pho (pronounced 'fir')which is a sensational noodle soup.

So the cullinary journey is already begun!

Antipodes

2009-12-23T13:39:00.002Z

On this epic journey, will Jon manage to visit the exact antipode of his trip to Amazonas/Manaus somewhere on Borneo, and will Simon manage to achieve the link between Cambodia and Peru? You'll have to follow us to find out!

Our Southeast Asia Itinerary

2009-12-22T15:05:00.003Z

JANUARY: Bali, Komodo, Java (Indonesia), Kuantan (Malaysia), Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Bangkok (Thailand), Vientiane (Laos), Hanoi (Vietnam).
FEBRUARY: Hanoi (Vietnam), Yangon & Inle Lake (Burma), Phnom Penh, Siem Reap - Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
MARCH: Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), Bandar Seri Bagawan (Brunei), Sandakan ( Malaysian Borneo), Sri Lanka, Muscat (Oman), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), London (Back home in the UK).