tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81157448142628157952024-03-13T23:17:11.699-07:00Drea's Food AdventuresEating the world, one trip at a timeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-91796485657488941522015-10-18T20:24:00.001-07:002015-10-18T20:47:43.378-07:00A thing or two about yogurt and why you should make your own<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My husband and I have been making our own yogurt pretty regularly since about 2010 when our sweet neighbor in San Diego introduced this great idea to us. At the time money was tight. I’d cook as often as possible but always bought yogurt at the store. I knew better than to buy the individual 6 to 8 oz small cups of yogurt because the bigger 32 oz tub was clearly a better deal. Little did I know that I could be eating something way better for way cheaper and that’s when I learned about the possibility of making my own. Our neighbor Del showed us which <a href="http://eurocuisine.net/product_detail.php?p_id=9" target="_blank">yogurt maker </a>to buy and how to do it. Soon enough we were on our way to eating healthier yogurt that cost at least half of what we were spending. </div>
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It's been a few years and now I’m a bit of a yogurt snob. I haven’t quite gotten to buying my own <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/15/391927036/hey-yogurt-maker-whered-you-get-those-microbes" target="_blank">lactobacillus bulgaricus</a></i> et al concoctions, so from time to time I still buy some yogurt at the store to use as a starter. I refuse to buy anything with additives or added sugars because I’m a purist at heart when it comes to yogurt. Yogurt is just one of those magical foods rooted in simplicity. </div>
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About yogurt and the home made process</h4>
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So let’s start with the basics. As far as ingredients go, all yogurt is—and is supposed to be—is milk and bacteria. The process that turns the liquid milk into yogurt is just a heating process: milk has to heat between 180-195 or even 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then brought back down to 110 degrees. At that point, bacteria is added to the milk usually in the form of a starter from another batch of yogurt. About a cup of yogurt is mixed into the warm milk and then the mixture sits in a comfy warm container for about 9 hours— a typical ‘work day’ for the bacteria. Afterward, the container goes in the fridge and once it cools down, voila! you’ve got yourself yogurt. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVIvWIpTFdIRGzbiKDW4o7eTPVQcoILmP7nfRCRy3NicAIsLZKWYx83nOQb29sUKLPLeneXNXbcXRqjKOdueJYXlfuskTamEJS6Txx-JpjRjKMrOuWBwnawu8Uq2JCpNevRwXEn-ibX9U/s1600/IMG_1699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVIvWIpTFdIRGzbiKDW4o7eTPVQcoILmP7nfRCRy3NicAIsLZKWYx83nOQb29sUKLPLeneXNXbcXRqjKOdueJYXlfuskTamEJS6Txx-JpjRjKMrOuWBwnawu8Uq2JCpNevRwXEn-ibX9U/s400/IMG_1699.jpg" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Homemade goodness</td></tr>
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What’s really cool about this food is that it’s full of protein, calcium and probiotics and even has a bit of sugar, which is naturally there already from the milk. A cup of pure whole milk has about 11 grams of sugar, it’s just the way it is. Yogurt also has fats in it from the milk (mostly saturated fat), and whole milk makes the best kind of yogurt, especially when it comes to consistency. The fats in the milk help give yogurt that smooth creaminess to it, which can be enhanced even more by straining it for an hour or two. Straining removes the whey in the yogurt and leaves you with a bit of a “yogurt concentrate”, aka greek yogurt. All greek yogurt is is strained yogurt, which is why it’s more expensive: you need more yogurt to make the equivalent 8oz container. It also has more of everything (more fat, more sugar, more protein per ounce) so you don’t need to eat as much greek yogurt as you would regular yogurt. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDKAui_m_a4BPB_SiaEgIFJIAaMH5btUDuy1wDyYQf7gZsFFevdcT94K2unK1jLhwAM1yD1h4aPagdky4X0-Bar5Y2RuOOJ0hJPIijxspUb87wSiiQYHayta-Fo9IJjj6pNqneF2b_bID/s1600/IMG_1696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDKAui_m_a4BPB_SiaEgIFJIAaMH5btUDuy1wDyYQf7gZsFFevdcT94K2unK1jLhwAM1yD1h4aPagdky4X0-Bar5Y2RuOOJ0hJPIijxspUb87wSiiQYHayta-Fo9IJjj6pNqneF2b_bID/s400/IMG_1696.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Putting our homemade yogurt in the "Wave" strainer to make Greek Yogurt -- leave it straining longer and you've got <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/05/labneh-labne-yogurt-cheese/" target="_blank">Labneh</a>!</td></tr>
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Store bought yogurt</h4>
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Ok, so back to my snobbery with yogurt. When our homemade yogurt sits in the fridge for more than a week, I don’t like to use it as starter because it doesn’t have as much useful bacteria that I can put to work later. We’re pretty good about making yogurt once a week or so but when we forget, we have to replenish the starter with a fresher batch of store bought yogurt. </div>
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Ideally I’ll make it to a fabulous store like <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2015/02/if-youre-foodie-in-berkeley-and-you.html" target="_blank">Berkeley Bowl</a> that offers plenty of choices. I usually buy organic yogurt and I devote time to looking at the ingredients. If the yogurt only lists two ingredients—milk and probiotics/bacteria— then I get it. If it starts listing crazy things like pectin, sugar, the evil, evil high fructose corn syrup, gelatin, citric acid, etc. I put it back on the shelf. When I’ve been in a bind and go to stores that don’t have a lot of variety, I’ve had to buy yogurts with things like pectin in them and my homemade yogurt just isn’t as good. A good, pure organic yogurt starter is essential to making great homemade yogurt. </div>
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But that’s only half the battle. Milk is just as important and should not be skimped on. I always opt for organic whole milk and I buy the whole gallon so I can make my 64 oz tub and use the rest of the milk in coffee/tea. If I feel like splurging, I’ll buy the really fancy milk like the <a href="http://strausfamilycreamery.com/products/item/organic-whole-milk" target="_blank">Straus</a> whole organic milk from grass fed cows that comes in a glass container but at 9 bucks per container, it’s not something I always do. Still, even then you’re more than breaking even if you compare the cost of a store-bought 32oz fancy organic plain yogurt to the cost of the milk, which will yield more than 64oz of fancy organic plain yogurt anyway.</div>
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<b><i>"Yogurtnomics"</i></b></blockquote>
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<table border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="width: 551px;"><colgroup><col width="209"></col><col width="79"></col><col width="113"></col><col width="108"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="TOP"><th width="209"><br /></th><th width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Cost per ounce</span></th><th width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Total cost (excl. taxes)</span></th><th width="108"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Savings per 32 oz container</span></th></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">32 oz. Store bought Leading brand yogurt, non-organic, “all natural”</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.087" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">$0.09</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="2.78" width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><u>$2.78</u></span></td><td width="108"><br /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">1 gallon non-organic milk</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.025" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">$0.03</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="3.2" width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">$3.20</span></td><td width="108"><br /></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">32 oz. Homemade non-organic plain yogurt</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.03" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">$0.03</span></td><td width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">$0.96 (not even a buck!!)</span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="1.82" width="108"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b><u>$1.82</u></b></span></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>32 oz. Store bought Organic plain yogurt (fancy)</i></span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.15" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>$0.15</i></span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="4.79" width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i><u>$4.79</u></i></span></td><td width="108"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>1 gallon fancy organic milk (yields 4 32 oz containers)</i></span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.06" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>$0.06</i></span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="7.7" width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>$7.70</i></span></td><td width="108"><i><br /></i></td></tr>
<tr valign="TOP"><td width="209"><i><span style="font-size: 9pt;">32 oz. Homemade organic plain yogurt</span></i></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="0.06" width="79"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>$0.06</i></span></td><td width="113"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>$1.92 (omg that's less than store bought non-organic)</i></span></td><td sdnum="1033;0;[$$-409]#,##0.00;[RED]-[$$-409]#,##0.00" sdval="2.87" width="108"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><b><i><u>$2.87</u></i></b></span></td></tr>
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<u>Return on your $40 yogurt maker investment (comes with a 64 oz tub):</u><br />
Total cost of buying two 32 oz tubs of fancy store-bought organic plain yogurts: $9.58<br />
Total cost of making two 32 oz tubs of fancy organic plain yogurts: $3.84<br />
Difference in cost: $5.74<br />
Pay back period: after making 7 homemade yogurts</blockquote>
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Low-fat and yogurt marketing nonsense</h4>
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When it comes to store bought, I also don’t even bother with the non-fat or low-fat yogurts. Almost every single one of them has added sugars to compensate for the lack of fats and to enhance the taste so now you’re eating something that is less healthy even though you think you’re eating a health food. I’d rather eat naturally occurring fats, aka whole plain yogurt, than added processed sugars, aka low or non-fat yogurt. I refuse to buy those branded flavored yogurt single-serving cups that pretend to be healthy; you might as well just eat a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and call it a day. If you want to eat yogurt because it’s healthy, I would avoid anything that isn’t plain. You can add fruit or honey to it at home and keep it healthy that way. I’m also weary of "extra-creamy/smooth" claims because there are usually additives that make that happen. For example, I was really excited when I saw a new yogurt at the store claiming to use a secret Australian recipe. When I was in Australia I ate yogurt like it was my job and I’ve missed it dearly. I could barely contain my excitement at the dairy section when I saw that we were finally getting Aussie yogurt in the States. To my surprise, however, this yogurt wasn’t pure goodness but instead had the pectins and gelatins I like to stay away from. So the lesson with plain yogurts is to always look at the ingredients and to just walk away if the list has anything other than milk and bacteria. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Why get pre-flavored ones when you can just DIY?</td></tr>
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Anyway, if you want to save a couple of bucks on your grocery bill, eat a truly healthy product and stay away from additives, make your own yogurt at home. If it seems like too much of a hassle, at least do yourself a favor and get the good ol’ stuff with just milk and bacteria in it. Your gut will appreciate the friendly bacteria and your organs will appreciate taking a break from processing any extra sugars! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-1695976316038792802015-04-27T14:50:00.003-07:002015-04-27T14:51:41.283-07:0004.25.2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTMcLIrz6-WNOEyc-z6-xvzNy7dFjdhb3z4bEdrdqJOe6R9C56oWUDU-nHL7PObTOsmhSr3WsHzn3Di5817cyiLFVjnojjCiRdiDw7avtnxGaPm6WyXlVQ0JLGCepdFevlK6iXZgn5PUc/s1600/BWN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTMcLIrz6-WNOEyc-z6-xvzNy7dFjdhb3z4bEdrdqJOe6R9C56oWUDU-nHL7PObTOsmhSr3WsHzn3Di5817cyiLFVjnojjCiRdiDw7avtnxGaPm6WyXlVQ0JLGCepdFevlK6iXZgn5PUc/s1600/BWN.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Namaste.<br />
<br />
I just donated to <a href="http://www.directrelief.org/">Direct Relief</a>, one of the highest ranked non-profits according to <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3626">Charity Navigator</a>. Please consider donating to their Nepal Earthquake program.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://secure2.convio.net/dri/site/Donation2?df_id=2105&2105.donation=form1&_ga=1.191646378.1428624615.1430013169">https://secure2.convio.net/dri/site/Donation2?df_id=2105&2105.donation=form1&_ga=1.191646378.1428624615.1430013169</a><br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-38652024657900031582015-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:002015-02-21T09:00:01.123-08:00If you're a foodie in Berkeley and you haven't been here yet...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">... you're missing out! And no, it’s not Chez Panisse. Or Cheesboard.</span>— <span style="font-size: small;">co-posted with fellow foodie, Nancy Li
(photos/captions)</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">Think back to your childhood memories and try to
remember how you felt when you visited your favorite toy store. The
sheer joy from being in the store is hard to forget and even harder
to replace. Throughout my life, I have found several blissful spots
that make me explode with joy — although I have yet to write about
them, <a href="http://taiwan-photography-blog.com/2010/07/07/hiking-jade-mountain/">Yushan</a> in Taiwan and my godmother’s dining room are two of a
handful of these places. These powerful places that heighten almost
all my senses are hard to find and to my surprise, and unexpectedly, I found one of
those places last year in Berkeley, California.
What was most surprising to me was that I suddenly felt overcome with
joy and I wasn’t outside hiking a mountain or in the middle of a
fantastic meal. No. I was in a supermarket. And I was ecstatic.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBx32yzjvKcYQW57qMG6Tv-6Xgg8FMLnvaTaTh893ouHl7l16Tg3-XuZEPopC2j6TBQ51Z85OMRnSkjq7PSHcM1aG_s_N3R_8MAwVTF4Yz46Sr4lEES4wvMzDkz7BzabAJ-iw-3e-i5IG/s1600/IMG_3184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBx32yzjvKcYQW57qMG6Tv-6Xgg8FMLnvaTaTh893ouHl7l16Tg3-XuZEPopC2j6TBQ51Z85OMRnSkjq7PSHcM1aG_s_N3R_8MAwVTF4Yz46Sr4lEES4wvMzDkz7BzabAJ-iw-3e-i5IG/s1600/IMG_3184.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Berkeley+Bowl,+920+Heinz+Ave,+Berkeley,+CA+94710/@37.853303,-122.290393,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x80857ef4ed73ead3:0xb830a76c4743abf5">Berkeley Bowl West </a>in Berkeley, California</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK9utEXmNPqFNlNKBXzydbg10e7V7G9jLHl88iHbB_yQh2CXVwglqQdH9ZHjBdrCT6pNIrzo0V1m6neFA9EShZOeBHSwkb9JoiDGKGqWMvlBvW5g9ghOmKFB7rRInLWPjJ88ZK6odJqBT/s1600/IMG_3185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK9utEXmNPqFNlNKBXzydbg10e7V7G9jLHl88iHbB_yQh2CXVwglqQdH9ZHjBdrCT6pNIrzo0V1m6neFA9EShZOeBHSwkb9JoiDGKGqWMvlBvW5g9ghOmKFB7rRInLWPjJ88ZK6odJqBT/s1600/IMG_3185.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greetings, foodie!</td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It’s hard to describe a <a href="http://www.berkeleybowl.com/">Berkeley Bowl</a> (West)
experience in writing but we will give it our best shot. The back of
the massive 54,700 sq. ft (5,000 sq. m) space feels like it offers a
curated version of everything that grows in California’s Central
Valley plus a variety of many other fruits and vegetables you’d
find in farmer’s/street markets throughout the world. The produce
section in the back splits into the organic and the non-organic
section and has a fantastic bulk area with four rows of bins full of
dry goods. The organic section is much more seasonal and the majority
of the produce is actually affordable. Now that dark leafy greens are
in season, I saw at least four varieties of kale, at least seven
different kinds of organic mushrooms and a kind of lettuce I had never seen before, leopard lettuce. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5c-FDqksMTrjUPBEu3zsVtMLsbIuxudvGOG-rq-tST6FGBRvAcYSxbJbXie3cORNn8OM43NprOknWlu-h9wuRPz47CGDRoJAqwYEj26okLxe6wnP8OTCVOAOEatLAQkUqUg0LNmKXUi8/s1600/IMG_3197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5c-FDqksMTrjUPBEu3zsVtMLsbIuxudvGOG-rq-tST6FGBRvAcYSxbJbXie3cORNn8OM43NprOknWlu-h9wuRPz47CGDRoJAqwYEj26okLxe6wnP8OTCVOAOEatLAQkUqUg0LNmKXUi8/s1600/IMG_3197.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organic glory!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The larger non-organic section
could be a produce market just on its own and there is almost nothing
they don’t have — my recent favorites are the bins full of
shishito peppers, baskets full of Mexican guayabas/guavas, the bulk
section where you can fill your own bags of baby kale, wild arugula,
mizuna or the banana/plantain section where, even if my 6 ft 3 in
husband were to stretch his arms out, he would still not be able to
hug all the kinds of bananas and plantains offered. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIliETZEQv3bJsrhtUGIM9Mj0-Fm9TUTnREh7yVPX8lcGehm-h3nCB0sEGlfh2cabgI9P6WEEonNWBp-QypCzCC7osEL9p1ea6TuinAoQYnE0wPaU-CJ-cmEaw_b1MXOEPnHjmCU3uhzR/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIliETZEQv3bJsrhtUGIM9Mj0-Fm9TUTnREh7yVPX8lcGehm-h3nCB0sEGlfh2cabgI9P6WEEonNWBp-QypCzCC7osEL9p1ea6TuinAoQYnE0wPaU-CJ-cmEaw_b1MXOEPnHjmCU3uhzR/s1600/IMG_3191.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Them 'shrooms!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">The bulk section,
my go-to spot for granola-making, has three rows of floor to ceiling
bins stocked with anything from organic coarse pink Himalayan salt
and goji berries to roasted salted, roasted unsalted, raw, smoked,
slivered or crushed almonds. I may or may not have spent one hour in
this back area during several of my visits there. Time flies when
you’re food shopping, I have proof!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNKy78AC1lLHAdR4EruRk1pcTCeIsIp9XtwgsQFEqO61D4_6IWuODVt_v8yu4cVM40-Q52oCXa3EwGuNfCv2awWT5m1kqPmXki-mllVIEQWsv7XenFSgTJYh6s3WNjZsiO41xqk1GFRcr/s1600/IMG_3194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNKy78AC1lLHAdR4EruRk1pcTCeIsIp9XtwgsQFEqO61D4_6IWuODVt_v8yu4cVM40-Q52oCXa3EwGuNfCv2awWT5m1kqPmXki-mllVIEQWsv7XenFSgTJYh6s3WNjZsiO41xqk1GFRcr/s1600/IMG_3194.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I'm a sucker for value and spend a lot of time at the bulk section<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The rest of the perimeter consists of a large and
busy meats and seafood section where you can get their deli peppered
bacon, massive cuts of pork shoulder or the wild caught, seasonal
fish. There is also a huge L-shaped refrigerated dairy section that
wraps around the south-eastern corner of the store. If it wasn’t so
frigid, you may be able to spend more time thinking about which of
their 20+ selection of egg dozens to get or which of the milks to try
next: organic whole, organic whole cream top, Strauss in a glass
container or in the larger plastic gallon? Decisions, decisions! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V2fXhVm5MO_o2GeOjb-mUjX0ukIJ6VcihpD5Iso72KUjlE9OG-M7O_6kir6l0VJ8lbCUassfvyAQLtzzJmZoWaXguKxf4wPZqk6CddXXwICTt6XUXQ9gQ2h248A6dJuny9szMnYjnlxa/s1600/IMG_3186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V2fXhVm5MO_o2GeOjb-mUjX0ukIJ6VcihpD5Iso72KUjlE9OG-M7O_6kir6l0VJ8lbCUassfvyAQLtzzJmZoWaXguKxf4wPZqk6CddXXwICTt6XUXQ9gQ2h248A6dJuny9szMnYjnlxa/s1600/IMG_3186.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life without yogurt would be miserable! They've got St. Benoit further down the aisle (can't see it though!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;">Across the store in the north perimeter you can go snag a free sample
of the featured cheese and walk around the DJ-booth-like cheese
section. You may go bananas if you’re a fan of zee goats; you’ll freeze
in excitement about all of the opportunities — humboldt fog, raw
goat milk cheddar, the truffle tremor, the cremont, the goat gouda or
any of the other Cypress Grove ones. For me, if I visit the Bowl with
a type of dish in mind, I’ll get stuck on various sections as I
move down this little piece of cheese heaven. The other day it was
all about the blue cheese; I was struggling to pick the right mix of
blues for <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/04/blue-cheese-scallion-drop-biscuits/">Smitten Kitchen's blue cheese and chive buttermilk biscuits</a> I was
planning on making. Mind you though, I’m not complaining. For those of you with a sweet tooth, there is a lovely selection of delicious desserts immediately adjacent to the cheeses and they feature a phenomenal Tiramisu according to my friend Nancy. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2_cQ5UC8vqBe0NxIT3XLJABIMrnHcgeTfxx-8CY6NPRDhNZJrEsdF94EiAEUV01JVptEm8kaKOUq_ie3IfOEK2qHOggyrPfGwG2YIT-EbTFjuzx8T5g-6ENs8dCPB31puUdRMHLyqdKO/s1600/IMG_3193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2_cQ5UC8vqBe0NxIT3XLJABIMrnHcgeTfxx-8CY6NPRDhNZJrEsdF94EiAEUV01JVptEm8kaKOUq_ie3IfOEK2qHOggyrPfGwG2YIT-EbTFjuzx8T5g-6ENs8dCPB31puUdRMHLyqdKO/s1600/IMG_3193.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A lady ate half the samples after this picture was taken -- goat cheese can have that effect on people<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Knowing that the middle section is full of the more
processed, packaged and high-margin goods, I tend to skip it. But
from time to time I do get sucked in. You can find yourself spending
way too much time picking the next mustard or three for your fridge
door - how about a green peppercorn or a seeds and suds (beer) one?
The same could happen in the spice section where you could buy at
least six different brands of spices or over by the tofu racks where
you can get organic firm tofu, organic non-GMO firm, non-organic
silken or how about some teriyaki, BBQ or spicy baked tofu? I don’t
know about you but this kind of decision-making is something I get
really excited about.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I still don’t think I’ve done Berkeley Bowl
justice. Hopefully the images below will help. But even better, next
time you’re in the Bay Area and you’re in the East Bay
(Berkeley/Oakland), make sure to pay a visit to one of the best food stores on earth. Fellow foodie adventurers, you won’t
be disappointed.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM_B5ixYG1w1dzpILP0RUO74qgMaxkN5o16kmSi-hz-mt9Pz_bTZsEAmEYOkIQ_9k7QpUf0bYGIBvdbi6gVRStvmJhsFoo3UDgwHh5n7jp7-KMcjh1f3CtaYF-XQ56CWoDv0IzCQJD53k/s1600/IMG_3196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCM_B5ixYG1w1dzpILP0RUO74qgMaxkN5o16kmSi-hz-mt9Pz_bTZsEAmEYOkIQ_9k7QpUf0bYGIBvdbi6gVRStvmJhsFoo3UDgwHh5n7jp7-KMcjh1f3CtaYF-XQ56CWoDv0IzCQJD53k/s1600/IMG_3196.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulk meets organic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR18wUqLap_VPS9oXuM4zZpXVRfYdDIVfvNrqAxjxKmT6fzZhjs5meO5fNAQY_xOdvtAJs6vWBBsxAptJ2TzcViyvC0ZNf58KdYZoi68AkTu3w_VpjbmbNxR58ocxt5eKH4icMV0SvmHi/s1600/IMG_3187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZR18wUqLap_VPS9oXuM4zZpXVRfYdDIVfvNrqAxjxKmT6fzZhjs5meO5fNAQY_xOdvtAJs6vWBBsxAptJ2TzcViyvC0ZNf58KdYZoi68AkTu3w_VpjbmbNxR58ocxt5eKH4icMV0SvmHi/s1600/IMG_3187.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The milk rainbow at the Bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fyuPML6D4OlinOOZeMjRXedn7ALqWsyS1pOWrUHHLbRXgOTY3Ojzmiq46q3tU4Cari9K2bXERWQR4QPhUpXqye02rXdM6OWTS-47Zjfz9UImLC5TP2ZDCz54zrJJ-7mLJ06Re26Kwp5Y/s1600/IMG_3192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fyuPML6D4OlinOOZeMjRXedn7ALqWsyS1pOWrUHHLbRXgOTY3Ojzmiq46q3tU4Cari9K2bXERWQR4QPhUpXqye02rXdM6OWTS-47Zjfz9UImLC5TP2ZDCz54zrJJ-7mLJ06Re26Kwp5Y/s1600/IMG_3192.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">J'aime le fromage<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBAi99jy-ad05FBxKZYVG168qZz-jmjLz1uUD_AQt_QoSCGsO9nl4UUOgnCuT2UwJMpS72_wINZZiCjiiHU_QFgaCHmlzfkQAGu8ePe_dH4L-cODyb6eRJ7jd5EtyitW8DF14MHj5gumh/s1600/IMG_3188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBAi99jy-ad05FBxKZYVG168qZz-jmjLz1uUD_AQt_QoSCGsO9nl4UUOgnCuT2UwJMpS72_wINZZiCjiiHU_QFgaCHmlzfkQAGu8ePe_dH4L-cODyb6eRJ7jd5EtyitW8DF14MHj5gumh/s1600/IMG_3188.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Blueberries, anyone?<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BQnpWOzZUqN2iQLzT5sapYVoriJJKkWnc38C1aiR4f5gQMh99b5Q1U9iwVqHNxYttSnjCHcXoaKDXy9L1ukVk1oiY3yVMYPKP0JVCZYkakMBw5lreLd5cMd4CRo2OzmW_4Z6IgavD6G6/s1600/IMG_3189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BQnpWOzZUqN2iQLzT5sapYVoriJJKkWnc38C1aiR4f5gQMh99b5Q1U9iwVqHNxYttSnjCHcXoaKDXy9L1ukVk1oiY3yVMYPKP0JVCZYkakMBw5lreLd5cMd4CRo2OzmW_4Z6IgavD6G6/s1600/IMG_3189.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The spot for 'rug and other salad greens<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsxISnAb3bEN5HFRADuUx59sbQObQLW8KSYvNI-1B6CoQoAj3pRmrB9oQNfIp1vQbsXPRbJgH-xvPTTpA-wZ-q0Dti03aOE2-HBlPlhXUp_YoM87GjzAO10_kXFBvGpEpmyJo7AcL4hkk/s1600/IMG_3190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsxISnAb3bEN5HFRADuUx59sbQObQLW8KSYvNI-1B6CoQoAj3pRmrB9oQNfIp1vQbsXPRbJgH-xvPTTpA-wZ-q0Dti03aOE2-HBlPlhXUp_YoM87GjzAO10_kXFBvGpEpmyJo7AcL4hkk/s1600/IMG_3190.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It's hard to capture how huge the Bowl is, those apples are so far (behind he toddler)!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFR25b5yCdnnzz6DF0-ODSNdBQ81ehoOFXLnFjSzPjcfoULPqSrDNBU6oVJvkrhUa19j0JFzzwHAliqVPg-Mhoeb-5SiftETG92-ecHll6OMPlmbHXsJhPXJzUx1JuSRWQlgAnj53cClW/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFR25b5yCdnnzz6DF0-ODSNdBQ81ehoOFXLnFjSzPjcfoULPqSrDNBU6oVJvkrhUa19j0JFzzwHAliqVPg-Mhoeb-5SiftETG92-ecHll6OMPlmbHXsJhPXJzUx1JuSRWQlgAnj53cClW/s1600/IMG_3198.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great stop before camping trips</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjCW8wn535sgitAhimLyjEAQik74Z3idUCSZZo4gcIMU6zDl_v2UCZVqJ9DDADrbOoVsf122DxIypTZoI4C7Y3t6tNDLDPzy7Ovff88WmB-kyDxZIPVYYTunK-jc7FNEWUwlPTmqNkDIJ/s1600/Desserts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjCW8wn535sgitAhimLyjEAQik74Z3idUCSZZo4gcIMU6zDl_v2UCZVqJ9DDADrbOoVsf122DxIypTZoI4C7Y3t6tNDLDPzy7Ovff88WmB-kyDxZIPVYYTunK-jc7FNEWUwlPTmqNkDIJ/s1600/Desserts.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have much of a sweet tooth but Nancy definitely recommends these</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFSGSC0LjTScmWqroJsLj_y8nD11c2cV6Q0CisLN4cMS6k7MT4K27S5-jiZ-HhBcw5iT4zhQAGIiMl6UakFQdOTo2OISYupfwublhCmrNqbjRz5sxb84UMHaoB1xfmJUzLpvpHWtxzlwL/s1600/oxtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFSGSC0LjTScmWqroJsLj_y8nD11c2cV6Q0CisLN4cMS6k7MT4K27S5-jiZ-HhBcw5iT4zhQAGIiMl6UakFQdOTo2OISYupfwublhCmrNqbjRz5sxb84UMHaoB1xfmJUzLpvpHWtxzlwL/s1600/oxtail.jpg" height="640" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hear this ox tail is one of the best in Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzIrAAecxvvkvP1w6Kl9W-VW49cN493x6fVJyteWzzraD7RTRi54rEy7R0CYj4XbWBDRDa0zZaTIZXqFkDCd6pcwymxvkUnwxqZl8WAVurNBeq83DzibKfI1JhyphenhyphenTbxEesC55DHaLKE6xa/s1600/meats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzIrAAecxvvkvP1w6Kl9W-VW49cN493x6fVJyteWzzraD7RTRi54rEy7R0CYj4XbWBDRDa0zZaTIZXqFkDCd6pcwymxvkUnwxqZl8WAVurNBeq83DzibKfI1JhyphenhyphenTbxEesC55DHaLKE6xa/s1600/meats.jpg" height="640" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall to wall meats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh2839bKrRlMykT90knQjpPGbf6LGOvdDeKP_cR-H_A5FGMncm65JBfiA8PPbugKaiDSl9Y7RCixADOVIOeN6n7-wYJpIUHU95Jvow2TPMlkE_lQPq5Lbw3hYdZNbp4fxF3UlfenUf4rA/s1600/oxtailresults.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh2839bKrRlMykT90knQjpPGbf6LGOvdDeKP_cR-H_A5FGMncm65JBfiA8PPbugKaiDSl9Y7RCixADOVIOeN6n7-wYJpIUHU95Jvow2TPMlkE_lQPq5Lbw3hYdZNbp4fxF3UlfenUf4rA/s1600/oxtailresults.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Delicious results after a day at the Bowl: Ox Tail Soup at Nancy's!<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com8Berkeley, CA, USA37.8715926 -122.2727469999999837.7713231 -122.43410849999998 37.9718621 -122.11138549999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-6552926866254379692014-07-29T06:30:00.000-07:002017-02-13T11:06:40.971-08:00The Definitive Guide to Planning a Foodie Wedding on a Budget<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If 2013 was the <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/how-to-afford-6-month-globe-trotting.html">year of world-wide travel</a> for us, 2014 has been the year of weddings. Starting with ours. We got married in May. And in June. We got married twice so we could share and celebrate with families both in North and South America. For us, the timing was just perfect: we had been engaged for a few years already and our original intent was to honeymoon it in Brazil for the World Cup. However, the timing was not ideal for our wallets since we had just returned from our nine months of travel and had just started to replenish our piggy banks.<br />
<br />
Instead of stressing out about it, we knew from the beginning we were going to have a very casual, budget-friendly wedding in California. I also knew from the beginning that as far as logistics went, food was my priority and I would not budge on in terms of quality and deliciousness. During our multi-day treks in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Ethiopia">Ethiopia</a> and long bus rides in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Sri%20Lanka">Sri Lanka</a>, we would mentally plan our wedding and throw numbers together in our heads to see how we could work with a tiny budget.<br />
<br />
Our challenge was to do a great wedding with a hundred and forty guests for five thousand dollars. Insane. I know. But it didn't seem too impossible and I love getting creative with money and food. In the end, we got our dream wedding for $6k and I loved every blissful second of it. I never turned into a bridezilla (so I'm told) and the whole thing was a ton of fun and not all that stressful.<br />
<br />
If you are tight on money and want to have a foodie wedding, this is the definitive how-to guide. Or at least it's <i>my</i> how-to. But first, three words of advice on general wedding planning:<br />
<br />
<b>First</b><br />
Set your priorities. For us it was food as #1 and then a casual vibe as #2. Your priorities will drive your budget. If you want a foodie wedding, then make sure that food makes your top two.<br />
<br />
<b>Second</b><br />
Congrats! You're engaged so make sure to give yourself the gift of time if you can. Try not to rush into the wedding. If you can give yourself a year or at least nine months to plan, you will increase your chances of not turning into a nut-case and having an enjoyable wedding planning experience.<br />
<br />
<b>Third</b><br />
DIY. When it comes to budget, planning and doing a wedding yourself is key. Ask family and friends to help. From the point of view of saving money, I would advise against a wedding planner (make friends and family your planners), a DJ (iPod or iPhone plus portable speakers are great DJs), table staff (we hired college kids) and bar tenders (tap a keg and give people wine bottle openers for self-service). The only exception is a photographer so go ahead and spend money on that. Buy all of your decorations piece by piece over time and store them at home. On wedding day, recruit your planners to help you decorate. Oh and by the way, a day wedding is more economical than a night one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_0vHjMthu5jNY1aR7Or3Qav8AC0UPIyzA4cdM8H29_rHEGAi5LvKx5zbrOUlxS0nepSR-0PnClvWjVIy4Hst7t3lFFmMq3iIu6uEgOjqfUCAThB6yf2RkP17S-jhRpweoUjZOHZSZ6Ay/s1600/wedding02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_0vHjMthu5jNY1aR7Or3Qav8AC0UPIyzA4cdM8H29_rHEGAi5LvKx5zbrOUlxS0nepSR-0PnClvWjVIy4Hst7t3lFFmMq3iIu6uEgOjqfUCAThB6yf2RkP17S-jhRpweoUjZOHZSZ6Ay/s1600/wedding02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycled wood and white paint: voila!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Now, the FOOD.<br />
<br />
<b>Venue</b><br />
Definitely go for a venue that gives you 100% freedom to figure out your own food. For a naturally beautiful setting, I'd highly recommend you consider renting out a space at your local county or state park. It's cheaper than almost any venue and they allow you to do almost whatever you want. Plus, if there are tables there already then you don't have to spend money renting them. We reserved two picnic areas in a park and the whole thing cost us $600. Tables and chairs included.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcLR_6OzHv_D6hBybA1W_cnAqaCAIty-pvTOQiI3E95GvO46hotMEjKYPBrHqbJkITF3Rn-ILf1NU-EhTWjsCsuToC9xLo-gmnWOYDdOxnM_RWn0XwK9O2d-t6M8kENF91xRgij0BP0G7/s1600/wedding05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcLR_6OzHv_D6hBybA1W_cnAqaCAIty-pvTOQiI3E95GvO46hotMEjKYPBrHqbJkITF3Rn-ILf1NU-EhTWjsCsuToC9xLo-gmnWOYDdOxnM_RWn0XwK9O2d-t6M8kENF91xRgij0BP0G7/s1600/wedding05.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Redwood park venue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Choosing a restaurant/caterer </b><br />
Since we have agreed that food is a priority, the first thing to do is to not go with a traditional wedding caterer. They're expensive and the trick to their business is not delicious food but the sweet margins they'll make from you. A strategy that worked really well for us was to think outside the box and to ask the most unusual suspects if they catered. Our first choice was an amazing seafood Sinaloa taco truck in a less than ideal part of East Oakland. Unfortunately, food trucks couldn't drive into the forest so that didn't work out. Too bad because they would've done the whole thing for $900. Instead, we found a great tiny hole in the wall Mexican joint further down the street from the Sinaloan spot that had delicious home-made cooking and even used Niman Ranch beef! Although it was only $300 more dollars than the food truck, it was still a great deal. Plus, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/taco-grill-oakland">Taco Grill </a>is the best Mexican food we have found in the Bay Area so far and the owner was a pleasure to work with. So what I suggest is to go "hole in the wall hopping" and sample a wide variety of food from these small restaurants. Once you have found a few that you love, ask them if they cater. If they do, you're probably in business.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPosv2gVDZoxq7PBOj8mg_QjykREP5ZLyjO3_QkdXnqDxwDUxq4c-V2JsiUWhCm7VPD1mne_DqG0fSLa4lWFsf1gWON_1lycYC3-tQBMOsrkDcAeyXYyPVbY5MIHtqoveU6Veo6Nfc_76e/s1600/wedding07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPosv2gVDZoxq7PBOj8mg_QjykREP5ZLyjO3_QkdXnqDxwDUxq4c-V2JsiUWhCm7VPD1mne_DqG0fSLa4lWFsf1gWON_1lycYC3-tQBMOsrkDcAeyXYyPVbY5MIHtqoveU6Veo6Nfc_76e/s1600/wedding07.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taco Grill Goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Ordering</b><br />
Try not to mention the "w" word from the beginning just because it tends to hike up prices by at least 20%. Say you're curious about their catering options for your party size—ours was 140—and you're wondering what kind of service they offer. We opted to not get any appetizers or drinks (seemed like it just added to the bill because people would be guzzling beer and wine) and just focused on the food. We wanted to make sure every guest could stuff themselves (God forbid you run out of food!) but we estimated about two tacos and a tamale for each person, which is already too much, plus side dishes like veggies and salad. We ordered food we actually liked instead of trying to cater to our vegan, gluten-free, dairy intolerant, raw food, whatever-else-is-out-there friends. We only got pork, beef and veggies.... because that's what we wanted. As far as finances, the total came out to under $9 per person for a very filling lunch. Not bad. Plus, set up and two servers were included in our order.<br />
<br />
<b>Appetizers</b><br />
We didn't get appetizers from Taco Grill because we figured we could do it ourselves. The only exception was the 380 oz (almost 3 gallons) of their home-made guac—it's to die for, we didn't want it running out and was worth the investment! This is when Costco really came through. We kind of have a thing for cheese so we bought 13 pounds of all kinds of gourmet cheese for a massive cheese platter. We finished up the appetizer tables with strawberries, blueberries and grapes, all kinds of fun crackers (we didn't opt for bread or other types of fruit because it would've been a pain to slice/cut), chips and guac. I think we spent around $300 total on appetizers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qYKjd7UKWPRdGYdSo9H6HQ5TQCNunXVr50ym15ApOp81tWsoRtxzT3PaW6AavPORQtNcNkgP_mjNxjqEGF_ILKJc-DFoHc0yFhEGJyXbZooJiFhH0xXgtG5xl8oGeafKkM24nEng-LiZ/s1600/wedding01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qYKjd7UKWPRdGYdSo9H6HQ5TQCNunXVr50ym15ApOp81tWsoRtxzT3PaW6AavPORQtNcNkgP_mjNxjqEGF_ILKJc-DFoHc0yFhEGJyXbZooJiFhH0xXgtG5xl8oGeafKkM24nEng-LiZ/s1600/wedding01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping it simple: berries, cheese, crackers /chips and guac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Drinks</b><br />
Our venue did not allow hard liquor so it made our choice nice and easy: wine and beer. We got a 15 gallon keg of golden ale, a 15 gallon keg of black lager, and a five gallon keg of IPA from one of our favorite local breweries, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/linden-street-brewery-oakland">Linden Street</a>, for about $150 total. We could've easily gotten away with one 15 gallon keg plus a five gallon keg and spent even less. Wine was a big challenge initially. Our goal was to spend $5 per bottle for GOOD wine, which involved a lot of sampling but gave us a great excuse to have a lot of wine dinner parties! Living in the Bay Area, we decided we would be able to score at some of the Sonoma wineries so we did some tasting weekends up in wine country. There were no deals to be had! We then tried the 0.5 cent sale at BevMo! but those wines were actually too expensive and just not very good. Maybe $5/bottle was too ambitious... until we wine sampled at Trader Joe's. We were shocked at how good their less expensive wine tasted. We ended up settling for about six cases of mostly red and some whites. There were definitely $3.99 bottles in there that tasted quite good! We also got lucky and one of our friends who works at a winery in Napa hooked us up with three cases of very good wine and charged us at cost so we were able to offer our guests a very nice bottle for their first few glasses. So my advice is to go on some wine tastings just for the fun of it if you're going to have wine at your wedding but if you're pressed for time just skip it all and give <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/guides/wine-guide.asp">Trader Joe's</a> a try. We ended up spending around $500 on wine and stayed on budget. To be honest, no one drinks that much wine at a day wedding so we could've spent $350 total and still be fine. The risk of running out while we were planning the wedding kept us on the more conservative end of things but, oh well, now we have wine for the remainder of the year!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yP-3S864cEiweufa8KDJpPnCuikJ40GrQOMNCQG_jMMyAr749f5UCk0dHNC45pt4xx5-M-NtPyQ1PA9iFaYNUciEGGHRdD11gnazuU2ph8qADpi3ChL3fKOCvXrCSAG7rOVJw9cn2eGH/s1600/wedding03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yP-3S864cEiweufa8KDJpPnCuikJ40GrQOMNCQG_jMMyAr749f5UCk0dHNC45pt4xx5-M-NtPyQ1PA9iFaYNUciEGGHRdD11gnazuU2ph8qADpi3ChL3fKOCvXrCSAG7rOVJw9cn2eGH/s1600/wedding03.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget the non-booze drinks! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Cake</b><br />
I don't have a sweet tooth and I don't really like cake or anything sugary for that matter. Neither of us wanted a wedding cake so we were looking for alternatives like huge bowls of sliced fruit or dark chocolate truffles. But there was no time to buy a lot of fruit and cut it up and a minimum of 300 chocolate truffles would ruin the wallet. A month or so before the wedding we still had no f***ing clue about the whole dessert thing and it was starting to get a little stressful. Thankfully, our dear friend and neighbor invited us over for a charcuterie and sangria party and they randomly got a red velvet bundt cake for dessert. I focused 99.99% of my attention on the beautiful salame, smoked turkey, fig, goat cheese, green apple, honey and brie display he had made and I wouldn't have even tried a pinch of that cake if it wasn't for his urging. I gave in and had a tiny taste of the cake and I was sold. It was a delicious, chocolatey, velvety, moist, ridiculous cake! We ordered eight for our wedding from <a href="http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/">Nothing Bundt Cakes</a> and were finally able to solve our dessert conundrum. For your wallet's sake, my advice is to avoid the whole traditional wedding cake route and get something you actually like to eat. If it does not come in an extra large size, just order 3 or 4x the amount and you'll be all set. I think we spent about $240 on all eight cakes and it was such a hit I know I went for seconds and almost everyone else I talked to at the wedding did too!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnvHE-EzrpKY6sLs27vRO-IwGS3pkKjJfWZqGNJf0AJD5Go3vwxF38fieoAVNx0aLWpr9XxOl_FsZ7ZspSCTAWfrCEtDcs7S5LqV5wDPk4DCS5OhNSVYxZ0E5crepbmZQ0D8Vz-KXCIuN/s1600/wedding09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnvHE-EzrpKY6sLs27vRO-IwGS3pkKjJfWZqGNJf0AJD5Go3vwxF38fieoAVNx0aLWpr9XxOl_FsZ7ZspSCTAWfrCEtDcs7S5LqV5wDPk4DCS5OhNSVYxZ0E5crepbmZQ0D8Vz-KXCIuN/s1600/wedding09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few cakes I'll ever eat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So, let's run the food tab:<br />
Booze: .......... $650<br />
Appetizers: ... $300<br />
Lunch: .......... $1,250<br />
Cake: ............ $240<br />
<br />
Let's round that total up to $2,500.<br />
<br />
The rest looked more or less like this:<br />
Photographer: .... $1,300<br />
Decorations: ...... $500<br />
Wedding dress: .. $40<br />
Venue+Uhaul: ... $800<br />
Miscellaneous: ... $400<br />
<br />
For a $6,000 wedding, that's not bad at all. And to be honest, we really did get a lot of food and booze. Although we had a small budget, we never compromised on taste or quality and focused on getting truly delicious food for our guests and us. We had a keg and a half of great local beer left over, about three or four glorious cakes that we ate for the rest of the weekend and froze, BOMB Mexican leftovers even after people went up for <i>triples</i> (!!), about two blocks of awesome cheese we stashed in our fridge and approximately four cases of really good wine. I'm not saying that I wanted to—a foodie's worst nightmare, running out of food, kept me in check—but less food <i>could have </i>been purchased, allowing even more breathing room for all the rest of the wedding stuff. But regardless we were thrilled to accomplish our goal of having a fun, relaxed and casual wedding with the best food ever.<br />
<br />
If you're a foodie, don't let a small budget scare you into compromising on your passion. Have fun with it and get creative, you'll be amazed at how exciting the process can be and how budget-friendly wedding food can be. Remember to relax and to enjoy sharing the best day of your life with your closest friends and family. Most important, eat, drink and be merry.<br />
<br />
**This post is dedicated to our friends who came from far and near, our amazing and supportive families who put up with us and dedicated countless hours to help us plan and set up our wedding, our amazing wedding officiant and his wife, our musicians and all of you we know wish could have been there but could not make it. Above all, I dedicate this to my brilliant, loving and talented husband <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">Eliot</a>: I'm excited about the adventurous and food-filled times we'll get to share for the rest of our lives.**<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF_z3atBeXrieg59nUuhgWPkiMOiHO4GFQWLujEXdO-K4AdZUx8p7cTcf5LVB75UgZJ1x4DV4ax3hhFdWs6NFSQPrVwVq6m4JyVNjQoaGYo98dILdT3fyoql_XEG80RnjEiOFXX5rbHAQ/s1600/wedding11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNF_z3atBeXrieg59nUuhgWPkiMOiHO4GFQWLujEXdO-K4AdZUx8p7cTcf5LVB75UgZJ1x4DV4ax3hhFdWs6NFSQPrVwVq6m4JyVNjQoaGYo98dILdT3fyoql_XEG80RnjEiOFXX5rbHAQ/s1600/wedding11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. and Mrs. Peper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>PS: feel free to reach out to me with any questions. I left out a LOT of wedding planning stuff because there is just so much that goes into a wedding but I'd be happy to try to help if I can!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">All of the photos on this post were taken by our great photographer, Praise. Check her out if you want a good, affordable photographer: <a href="http://www.comeplum.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">www.comeplum.com</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com45Oakland, CA, USA37.8043637 -122.271113737.603596200000005 -122.5938372 38.0051312 -121.9483902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-63827607577340673212014-06-18T07:30:00.000-07:002014-06-18T07:30:01.002-07:00Confessions of a Sabbatical Returnee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Whoa, those BLUES came out of nowhere...<br />
<br />
It happened within hours of returning to California from Burning Man and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The 9-month world foodventure that started in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Nepal">Nepal</a>, brought us to <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Ethiopia">Ethiopia</a>, <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Indonesia">Indonesia</a> and a lot of other places in between had just ended. Although we spent a few days in Los Angeles and San Diego immediately after we left <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Singapore">Singapore</a>, it was all in preparation for <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/12/got-any-regrets-burn-em.html">Burning Man</a>, which felt like it was closer to being in Mars than being in the USA. The acknowledgment process that our fantastic sabbatical was finally over did not start until we unpacked our playa dust covered backpacks and started cleaning up after spending a week in the insane desert up in Black Rock City.<br />
<br />
From one moment to the next, there wasn't somewhere to be, something to pack or some way to figure out how to get from point A to point B. It all just felt "settled" and static. I realized something was wrong when I was sleeping-in and did not even want to get out of bed, talk to anyone or go out to socialize. I didn't know why I was feeling so funky but after a few days, as I was sitting in the parked car just staring out into space, I jerked back a little and realized I was depressed. <i>Depressed! </i>How did I just go from being so obnoxiously happy and content to actually feeling depressed? Change.<br />
<br />
I'm a fan of change. I like spontaneity. Routine can get boring. But routine can also get addicting and it doesn't take much to get used to. When that routine is fun and involves traveling the world, it's even easier to get used to. <i>This</i> change was too abrupt. Everything was too different. Everything seemed too dull. Worst of all, everything felt too serious. I felt immense amounts of pressure to "get serious" and go back to work and start being productive. Thinking about it made it worse and I felt even more depressed. I started feeling anxious that I was getting myself into some deep negative emotional hole that I had no interest in experiencing. This whole return business was just awful.<br />
<br />
It remained awful for a few days until I broke my awkward silence and started talking about it. I broke the silence because I realized I was focusing on the wrong things. I kept wishing that I was back on the trip and not permanently in California. I wanted to hop on a plane so bad and disappear again. But I realized that this was no different from dealing with reverse ear block 15 feet below the ocean surface, mouse infested guesthouses in the middle of nowhere or being covered in white and green gunk from a sickly woman who just sneezed all over you in a cramped bus (gross, I know, but that did happen). <br />
<br />
Those of us who have the luxury of choice are extremely fortunate. I finally got out of the fog and chose to have a different perspective and to start talking about how I was feeling. By making this choice and with Eliot's incredible support and patience, I was able to get out of what felt like a self-induced brief spout of mild depression. I'm lucky it was easy for me. It's not that easy for others <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/2014/05/how-to-kill-dragon.html">tormented by this illness</a>...<br />
<br />
I have since loved being in the Bay Area, and have gone on endless hikes in the redwoods, eaten at the best hole in the wall places and discovered that if you're a foodie, Christmas is possible every day if you live close enough to Berkeley: it's called <a href="http://berkeleybowl.com/">Berkeley Bowl</a>.<br />
<br />
Fellow travelers: if you're ever stuck in that dark hole, just remember that you have a choice and make sure you surround yourself by a strong, supportive community who'll help you get out of it. The adventure of life never stops, no matter what changes may come or where you may find yourself. Get out there. Eat your heart out. Never stop adventuring.<br />
<br />
****<a href="http://www.gofundme.com/brianlofland">In memory of our beloved friend Brian</a>****<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-32526257512658601072014-06-08T18:24:00.000-07:002014-06-08T18:24:10.169-07:00The food adventures continue in California!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a very brief post but I just wanted to announce that the food adventures are back! Get ready for several posts on California food adventures: from olive oil and shrub tastings to finding authentic lebanese and thai hole in the wall establishments, the eating and finally the cooking (oh the COOKING!) has <i>not</i> stopped.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibomrgtS-k7xzeMEVNhOBlAP2IGj-4vgNRTkevpJmti-zwlXL8yNR1WjIXKjQIbZ8TUMNFv26eCsCm4UGkl-gmUcqVbHJF5W9WT9ULY0SjF8eq-6zz0hNcJjqTbqiSjtVE6uxyvHV16R5Y/s1600/IMG_0948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibomrgtS-k7xzeMEVNhOBlAP2IGj-4vgNRTkevpJmti-zwlXL8yNR1WjIXKjQIbZ8TUMNFv26eCsCm4UGkl-gmUcqVbHJF5W9WT9ULY0SjF8eq-6zz0hNcJjqTbqiSjtVE6uxyvHV16R5Y/s1600/IMG_0948.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday funday: home-made brunch!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com122tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-42461516520044000522013-12-17T07:30:00.000-08:002013-12-17T07:30:00.056-08:00Got any regrets? Burn 'em!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmlThZlgT3me-uaEVZZ3H2JDYWI-KEYGBa9oaWju5mXk8RHg9Dcba4g24Ub78qLRis6i9YX57QH0GB8xM4S8IWKh7wnvqw27SR_07A48xK0ixVoXqIVq2X8glepeK-XU0S4XyMNJIl896/s1600/BM2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmlThZlgT3me-uaEVZZ3H2JDYWI-KEYGBa9oaWju5mXk8RHg9Dcba4g24Ub78qLRis6i9YX57QH0GB8xM4S8IWKh7wnvqw27SR_07A48xK0ixVoXqIVq2X8glepeK-XU0S4XyMNJIl896/s1600/BM2013.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Not a bad bonfire</td></tr>
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Dust storms rage across an apocalyptic landscape filled with brightly painted bodies writhing to the pulsing rhythm of electro beats highlighted by intricately orchestrated laser light patterns and roaring belches from a dozen military-grade flame throwers. </div>
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<div class="p1">
Sound like a good place to seek enlightenment? Maybe not, but <a href="http://www.burningman.com/">Burning Man</a> is the frenetic center of the world's creative class and there are a lot of lessons we can all learn from what for many is an annual pilgrimage.</div>
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<div class="p1">
In 1986, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Harvey">Larry Harvey</a> was dumped by his girlfriend. He took it hard and the doom and gloom of a failed relationship soon set in. But then he had an idea. He invited some of his friends to a bonfire on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Then he crafted a wooden figurine and added it to the flames. </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The "Burning Man" was himself. More specifically, it represented all the things he wanted to let go of so that he could turn a new page in life. It wound up being an interesting page to turn: since that first year Burning Man has moved to the desert in Black Rock City, Nevada and evolved into a 60,000+ person event.</div>
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<div class="p1">
There are <a href="http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/about_burningman/principles.html#.UmQUx2Q6VgI">10 core values</a> that form the cultural foundation for the event. The seriousness with which participants live by these values really transforms the event. Three of those values in particular shaped our experience every single day :</div>
<div class="p1">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Radical inclusion.</b> Anyone and everyone participates. Whether you're into tap dancing, software development, BDSM, environmental activism or corporate finance, you're invited. Participants set aside judgement and accept each other for who and what they are.</li>
<li><b>Radical self reliance.</b> Everyone is camping in an extremely harsh desert environment. Given the sheer volume of people, large art installations, moving parts, sandstorms and flamethrowers my guess was that approximately thirty five people would die during the event. To our amazement, <i>nobody died</i><i>. </i>The worst injury we witnessed during the entire week was a bike collision (the riders were naked which didn't help). Everybody has to pack in and out their own shelter, food, water, shade, etc.</li>
<li><b>Gifting.</b> No cash is allowed at Burning Man (the only exceptions are for buying coffee and ice). Instead, participants bring things to give away if they want. We were gifted individually made Vietnamese iced coffees, a ride in bike taxi, gourmet Montreal meat sandwiches, ceremonial green tea worth more than its weight in gold, a lecture on microeconomics, and much much more. It reminded me of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potlatch">potlatch ceremonies</a> of the Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.</li>
</ul>
The unifying theme of the event is letting go. Whether it's your cultural moors, societal norms, emotional baggage, or clothing, you're encouraged to leave it at the door. The result is an atmosphere of imagination. The air is permeated with possibility (and dust) and thoughts are unleashed beyond their normal boundaries.<br />
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You may not want to go camping in the desert, but every one of us could let go more often. We require permission only from ourselves to live the lives we want to live. Burn those regrets, tomorrow's a new day.<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-79627000261865166572013-11-08T09:21:00.000-08:002013-11-08T09:21:00.812-08:00Less and longer: a few words of wisdom on traveling right<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So you’ve saved and budgeted for your trip and now it’s finally time to plan your itinerary. Six months of travel time stretches out before you like a magic carpet. So many opportunities to explore exotic locales! So much time to explore all those places on your bucket list!<br />
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Ahh, your bucket list… How many boxes will you be able to check? You have six months. Why not do the Inca Trail, explore Patagonia, go shark diving in South Africa, eat dumplings in China, climb Mount Kilimanjaro, go to a full moon party in Thailand and find yourself at an Indian ashram? Hell, you should probably throw in an Italian cooking class and a camel riding in Morocco for good measure. It all sounds great. Until, of course, you hit the brick wall of reality.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lyio_F9TFAHGjUR2ZnkUVsz216ZhiUhhOYG6UBjug1KLzG0xF9r8ofdxUYgHDxxJVmMEUcJX5UUxL2stBe6QWirh9er42_rsEbtMwcvGHsCbaUFXss1AmS7alEJCmLfVaiOExA4iMHzj/s1600/IMG_3763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lyio_F9TFAHGjUR2ZnkUVsz216ZhiUhhOYG6UBjug1KLzG0xF9r8ofdxUYgHDxxJVmMEUcJX5UUxL2stBe6QWirh9er42_rsEbtMwcvGHsCbaUFXss1AmS7alEJCmLfVaiOExA4iMHzj/s1600/IMG_3763.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Inside a hellish bus for a heinous ride through Nepal</td></tr>
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Travel can be hard, frustrating and draining. You start to think about that into your second day into a thirty-hour bus ride in Nepal where the space between the seats was apparently designed to be perfect for two-year-olds and there’s a box of meat rotting in the back. Or when you arrive in your fourth Tanzanian town and every single local is trying to cheat you for forty times the proper cost of accommodation. Or maybe when you get violently sick in the middle of the wilderness with no hospital (or road) for days. These are the times when you start to appreciate two magic words: less and longer.<br />
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Less really is more. Don’t stack your itinerary. It’s far better to spend two months than two weeks in any given country on your list. And in that country it’s far better to spend two weeks rather than two days in any given city or destination.<br />
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By doubling down on particular places you kill two birds with one stone. First, because you’re in one place for a long time you’ll find that perfect beach bungalow owned by the local mayor’s family and get invited to a massive wedding party where you make friends for life. If you were only there for two days you’d probably be at that guesthouse with decent but outdated reviews from Lonely Planet that now has a cockroach infestation.<br />
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Second, you minimize your exposure to the bane of all travelers: logistics. You don’t spend half of your time in country on a local bus. You don’t discover that your fourteenth taxi driver rifled through your bags. You don’t loose you luggage on an avoidable regional airline flight. You've taken six months off, use that time wisely: with less and longer you'll interact more with locals, enhance the quality of your experience and maintain very healthy levels of personal relaxation.<br />
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Basically, you’ve taken the work out of the travel. By staying longer in each place you actually get a feel for the local life there instead of blazing through in a series of photoflashes. As you get ready to plan your trip, doing a country a month would be a good rule of thumb. You may not check as many boxes but you’ll learn a lot more about yourself, a lot more about the country you’re visiting and a lot more about the true meaning of fun!<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-73482157772509484842013-11-04T17:30:00.000-08:002013-11-04T17:30:01.145-08:00Finding mind-blowing coffee in the most unusual places<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If I had to pick one thing that makes Ethiopia one of the most unique traveling experiences, I would say it's all in the small <i>Coffea arabica</i> beans. I'm not one of those coffee crazed people who needs coffee to function but I do enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee every once in a while. The great thing about Ethiopia is that I found fabulous coffee <i>everywhere</i>. Instead of my usual three cups of tea a day habit, I started drinking coffee at least three times a day while visiting the former Abyssinia empire. Being completely surrounded by the wonderful frankincense, freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee smells made it impossible to refuse a cuppa. Cafes felt like magnets and we'd often find ourselves walking in and ordering macchiatos almost involuntarily. Even while we were trekking for a few weeks in the northern highlands of Ethiopia where there is absolutely no running water or electricity whatsoever, we found light, medium and dark roasts and <i>still</i> enjoyed coffee before and after almost every meal.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoFgHy2F0S_oRQYcAdmhAGsnTuA8nrh6y0chdTNhwX2RArvxTW-ENY9dhAlg0PpEpeI-dxrWR2_zlD8TZ5uyKsJoB88jfnHodIMbjtcJc17pG_27m-idi0ExX5qbYSQg1VvoVmLPDL6BG/s1600/roasting1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoFgHy2F0S_oRQYcAdmhAGsnTuA8nrh6y0chdTNhwX2RArvxTW-ENY9dhAlg0PpEpeI-dxrWR2_zlD8TZ5uyKsJoB88jfnHodIMbjtcJc17pG_27m-idi0ExX5qbYSQg1VvoVmLPDL6BG/s1600/roasting1.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good with our Sumatran breakfast but not the best coffee ever</td></tr>
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I knew I wasn't going to drink good coffee either in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/high-on-ceylon-tea.html">Sri Lanka</a> or in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/tropical-intrigue.html">Maldives</a> but I was genuinely excited about Sumatran coffee. I was actually quite disappointed with the coffee there and the best one I was able to find was an Illy roast served at a small cafe at <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/on-island-on-lake-in-volcano-on-island.html">Lake Toba</a>. Everything else paled in comparison to Ethiopia's delightful coffee so I stuck to fresh coconut water instead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhuhoHS4NSyiROw0TgFgg3ZwBTqTWmsiW2bFLyB5bhyBzRKWYUTR57ud5ijWvW78mR7HZ0uAd8BFIDArm1c9OuvrH7KvCtV30S0eXhyphenhyphenmxbrXsPIZibfoCN4C8X972Li9rPmyl5oHhkt6r/s1600/roasting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhuhoHS4NSyiROw0TgFgg3ZwBTqTWmsiW2bFLyB5bhyBzRKWYUTR57ud5ijWvW78mR7HZ0uAd8BFIDArm1c9OuvrH7KvCtV30S0eXhyphenhyphenmxbrXsPIZibfoCN4C8X972Li9rPmyl5oHhkt6r/s1600/roasting2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the fanciest roasting equipment but it works!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had not lost all hope on good coffee as I knew we'd spend all of September up in the Bay Area and I had heard very good things about new cafes that were doing exceptionally well. I decided to check them out and first went to Blue Bottle Coffee in Downtown San Francisco - the cafe is very hipster and they have all the chemistry experiments set up to brew what many people say is amazing coffee. Amazing in San Francisco comes with a price so <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">Eliot</a> and I ended up paying $9 for two iced coffees. I anxiously waited for my order and I grabbed the tall, skinny glass full of ice and coffee. I took my first sip and did not like it at all. Wait, what? My taste buds must have clearly been wrong. Everyone here seemed to love the coffee and even at 3pm, there was a line of at least 15 people going out the door and wrapping around one of the street corners. I took my second sip and I sighed. I sighed out of disappointment because my iced coffee just wasn't that good. For the price, it was actually bad. I have to admit I only had one of their drinks so I can't speak for the rest but I do not get what all the hype is about with Blue Bottle Coffee.<br />
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Later that week I decided to give San Francisco's hip and trendy coffee scene another shot. This time I went to Four Barrel Coffee in the mission and I decided to stay away from the iced coffee and just get their cup of coffee. For $2.50, I received a freshly brewed cup of coffee and didn't add any milk or sugar to it. Four Barrel Coffee roasts its own beans so I was hopeful that my coffee would be delightful. Again, pretty big disappointment with my first two sips. It wasn't the worst coffee I've ever had but it just wasn't spectacular - I left half of it behind and didn't even finish my cup. Four Barrel Coffee had a full house that day and it was 4pm. Everyone there seemed to love their drink except me.<br />
<br />
Is exceptional coffee just that hard to find? Or is my particular and biased taste towards Ethiopian coffee ruining my coffee drinking experience now that I'm back in the US?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpQGRYZJLJCr1nuUM6BISE9x8q1eNBxpV9CB6HB5P7bvgZ4kM885-LwOohgJsNs3RsC0h-VamjuU4gLrgJFmpeV2NHDNh0hzxEIITOn3jBAQ-ee2S6xtpGxKjL7Vr_9jhYT0wUW7XQ-WW/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpQGRYZJLJCr1nuUM6BISE9x8q1eNBxpV9CB6HB5P7bvgZ4kM885-LwOohgJsNs3RsC0h-VamjuU4gLrgJFmpeV2NHDNh0hzxEIITOn3jBAQ-ee2S6xtpGxKjL7Vr_9jhYT0wUW7XQ-WW/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado and amazing coffee, who would've guessed?</td></tr>
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The answers seem to be maybe for the first one and thankfully no to the second question. Just was I mentally preparing for giving up on most cafe's, I happened to run into an amazing micro roaster and cafe in Leadville, Colorado out all places.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cityonahillcoffee.com/">City on a Hill</a> is one of the few cafes in this small mountain town. They pride themselves on roasting their own coffee and on serving great cappuccinos. I was a little skeptical based on my Bay Area experiences but decided to give it a go anyway. And my oh my was I glad I did! Finally! A fantastic cup of coffee! There was no bitterness whatsoever to my drink and it was neither too wet or too dry. Although the taste wasn't exactly like the coffee in Ethiopia, the quality was insanely high and I have a feeling it all had to do with the care City on a Hill takes when roasting their green coffee beans, just as Ethiopians care so much about taking 45 minutes aside to make a few cups of coffee from scratch. If you ever find yourself in the Leadville area, a trip to this coffee oasis will be worth the stop (hours and directions are here: <a href="http://www.cityonahillcoffee.com/about-us/">http://www.cityonahillcoffee.com/about-us/</a>).<br />
<br />
Can non-export quality coffee beans still make good coffee <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/the-ethiopian-coffee-craze.html" target="_blank">just like they do in Ethiopia</a>? Can you still get just "meh" coffee even if the beans are high, export quality?Is the secret to fabulous coffee in the roasting? I think it is, and I think I'm onto something...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLh4H3swSyUEDiLc1yTyJ0zGM74w2KT5zRDASCsBfZmW__nKLi2VRbv_kXtKnZ3mHg_1ufpUK0DgoiEsRVa1bdrT7M0RQBrMKs3KNgvdzlRg5lZlMBDrtK2L5pOpp_J6Ej06USB_EFCab/s1600/roasting3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLh4H3swSyUEDiLc1yTyJ0zGM74w2KT5zRDASCsBfZmW__nKLi2VRbv_kXtKnZ3mHg_1ufpUK0DgoiEsRVa1bdrT7M0RQBrMKs3KNgvdzlRg5lZlMBDrtK2L5pOpp_J6Ej06USB_EFCab/s1600/roasting3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smell that heavenly goodness! </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-42275648879373267352013-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:002013-10-29T08:00:00.813-07:00Words of wisdom from grill master Mr. Castle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Grilling is a very fun and tasty way to prepare food. Throughout our travels we found plenty of coal BBQs and outdoor cooking with wood. In the United States, gas grilling is much more popular and we've been enjoying very flavorful and juicy meals, straight off the grill. But not all food from a grill is, juicy, tender or delicious. So what's the secret?<br />
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First things first, buy the right equipment. Look for a gas grill with a high BTU output. Look for about 10,000 BTUs per burner anything lower could jeopardize your grilling experience. Look for a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FZB8XA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003FZB8XA&linkCode=as2&tag=dresfooadv-20">grill</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=dresfooadv-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003FZB8XA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> with stainless steel components (burners, flavoring bars and grates). This will cost you more initially but will last for ever.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCshNAgXQZGCxYJ_55Lyxeq2CUTaR9hSS_x6wmlK_g2ZcpQkYyezNNGBvvftgEKwX54DMfZ_E51OhLn7D1o7RzjlSNM-S59_dUsgH-VATgUlJ_3wSWaCItDMpv706taVwKC7i_s2QOa_b-/s1600/grill13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCshNAgXQZGCxYJ_55Lyxeq2CUTaR9hSS_x6wmlK_g2ZcpQkYyezNNGBvvftgEKwX54DMfZ_E51OhLn7D1o7RzjlSNM-S59_dUsgH-VATgUlJ_3wSWaCItDMpv706taVwKC7i_s2QOa_b-/s1600/grill13.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/10/indonesian-food-is-terrible-or-not.html">Grilling in Indonesia</a> - coals and low BTUs</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Taking care of your grill. </b><br />
The best way to clean the grill is with a steel wire
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045UBBO0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0045UBBO0&linkCode=as2&tag=dresfooadv-20">brush</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=dresfooadv-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0045UBBO0" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
immediately after you're done grilling your food. Dip the brush in water and brush the grill racks while they're hot. This is very similar to giving your gas grill a steam bath. It gets hot so it is best to wear heat resistant gloves if you want to keep your arm hairs on you. You'll probably keep the grill outside so make sure to get a snug cover for it, it will reduce rust and wear and tear.<br />
<br />
For grilling meats, novices will do best by using a meat thermometer. So, here's a quick guide to grilling like a pro -- no more dry, rubbery, un-chewable meats!<br />
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<b>Part I.</b><br />
<b>Chicken</b><br />
<br />
Turn on your grill and turn on your burners on high -- as high as they go (for larger grills you only need to turn on one side). If your grill has a built-in thermometer, check it and you know it is done once it's reached the highest temperature (between 400 and 500 degrees F depending on the grill). Grab your marinated chicken and put it directly on top of the flame. For chicken breasts with bone and skin, put the bone side down first about 3 minutes. Then repeat on the other side. For skinless, boneless breasts, put the convex side down first (this part of the breast has a thin film on it). For non-breast chicken pieces, put them on the grill any way, cooking on high for about 3 minutes on each side.<br />
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After cooking on high heat - you can either move the chicken away from the flame or you can leave it in the middle, turning off the middle burners and turning on the laterals. The point is you want the chicken off the direct flame and you want it cooking with an indirect flame.<br />
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When is it done? For smaller pieces like drumsticks and thighs, it should take about 15 minutes. It will be done once the meat is tender and coming off the bone (if there are bones). You can open it up a little bit with a knife and make sure there is no pink, the meat should be completely white. For the chicken breast, a
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AQL23/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000AQL23&linkCode=as2&tag=dresfooadv-20">grilling thermometer</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=dresfooadv-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000AQL23" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> will be your best aide. Once you reach the poultry temperature, you're all set. Once you've grilled enough, you won't even need a thermometer and you can "just tell".<br />
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Important tip: once you turn down the flame, close the lid and keep it closed until it's done.<br />
<br />
<b>Part II.</b><br />
<b>Salmon</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o-mrkYW58owXxWCMeUdRCsiuTUlQXBWgkb-3pVnvnSbiewchJ8Abi6oxUAD-e4B-44AvlukspmxdXVRrlZ1IWPXRjP_odSbcoeMhmuzHjEbeiLBr9yb9hl60RJuGah6P4l01xHmXiOXl/s1600/Salmon_grill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o-mrkYW58owXxWCMeUdRCsiuTUlQXBWgkb-3pVnvnSbiewchJ8Abi6oxUAD-e4B-44AvlukspmxdXVRrlZ1IWPXRjP_odSbcoeMhmuzHjEbeiLBr9yb9hl60RJuGah6P4l01xHmXiOXl/s1600/Salmon_grill.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfectly cooked salmon</td></tr>
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Heat up grill on the highest setting. Use heavy duty foil and put a little bit of oil on it, placing the foil directly on the rack as the grill heats up so the foil is hot.<br />
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Place the salmon on the foil skin side down. If you don't want to use foil, that's fine but the skin might stick to the rack, giving you extra homework during clean-up time. Turn down the heat without moving/relocating the fish and close the cover. Keep an eye on it and when you see white juice oozing to the top of the fish, that means it's done.<br />
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Remember: don't flip the salmon, just cook it skin side down with the lid closed!<br />
<br />
<b>Part III.</b><br />
<b>Meat (medium done)</b><br />
<br />
Heat up grill to the maximum temperature. Place steak on the grill, cook one side for about 3 minutes on high heat. After, turn down the temperature to medium high and flip the steak. Leave the steak on top of the flame and do not close the lid for cooking your steak. For medium done steaks, it will be done once juices (blood) start flowing to the top (a meat thermometer can also help you out here).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrrxebvYPrh27JZcWV8CKOTABcv0IhkXxO2ICCcQbVTEaJGkAz98Qj8IsvN_goU3hMNEiUVlqNLugFrirSSHprI-NdK2YQZkId9ZiXg21TM7dZ8uzwIvyNpt_f81bBcTcdL4AHO3mh2_x/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrrxebvYPrh27JZcWV8CKOTABcv0IhkXxO2ICCcQbVTEaJGkAz98Qj8IsvN_goU3hMNEiUVlqNLugFrirSSHprI-NdK2YQZkId9ZiXg21TM7dZ8uzwIvyNpt_f81bBcTcdL4AHO3mh2_x/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's gotta be hot for steaks!</td></tr>
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<br />
Tip: A very tasty and simple steak marinade is simply adding salt, pepper and a little bit of oil to the steaks just before grilling them. No more, no less.<br />
<br />
<b>Part IV.</b><br />
<b>White fish</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWi2JcM_1T-UX_CICXlggmGK3vXdbYlw6ZvP7_HCOf-ZULe9qBRk6tDoCByNzbu3d-YvM77Rx6p0hCwHx_reP8rRASJAoB8-uX3HAcuBESClc9wfNnxBNzrO8UY5-ty13WH3zNr1zr7_b/s1600/grill12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWi2JcM_1T-UX_CICXlggmGK3vXdbYlw6ZvP7_HCOf-ZULe9qBRk6tDoCByNzbu3d-YvM77Rx6p0hCwHx_reP8rRASJAoB8-uX3HAcuBESClc9wfNnxBNzrO8UY5-ty13WH3zNr1zr7_b/s1600/grill12.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow and low temp "grilling", Iraqi style</td></tr>
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The best way for white fish is to use the French method for steaming. If you place the fish directly on the grill rack, it will probably get stuck and create a mess. Grab yourself two pieces of foil. Place a nice bed of vegetables on the foil so they go underneath the fish. Place the fish on top and then add another layer of vegetables. Use the other piece of foil to put it on top of your fish and veggies. Seal the foil well so that no air escapes and place your foil pouch on the grill.<br />
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This whole process should take about 10 minutes and should be cooked on medium high. <br />
<br />
<b>Part V.</b><br />
<b>Pork loin</b><br />
<br />
You'll need an extra tool for this: a meat injector. Also, give yourself a whole day to prep this. Marinade the pork loin by injecting it with your favorite marinade, leave in the fridge over night. Heat up your grill to the ultimate maximum (just like for chicken and meat). Put the loin on the rack once your grill is hot and cook each side for no more than 3 minutes. Once the entire outside is cooked, turned the heat to the lowest setting possible, close the lid and cook for at least 4 or 5 hours (ideal cooking temperature is about 300 degrees F so that it's slightly pink and delicious juicy inside). <br />
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I have been very lucky to enjoy wonderfully grilled meals by Mr. Castle for decades now. Thank you dad for these wonderful grilling tips!<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-64265488850372123142013-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:002013-10-22T07:30:01.961-07:00Man vs. Mule <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Stubbornness and sustainable trekking in Nepal</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwyGHHRkM6qjHW0qMnmZEeOsTqE29Bokm166bmxLhQGTs8hAuvzqV-cK1fHkwIzh8Od6Q7MfXMnw5pgGhKN8EY67asXgIeAXVgnM3Q38ckxbJ46Zqkk0PGfDheCjQHE7iQ-8fuVq7y7IH/s1600/ManMule3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwyGHHRkM6qjHW0qMnmZEeOsTqE29Bokm166bmxLhQGTs8hAuvzqV-cK1fHkwIzh8Od6Q7MfXMnw5pgGhKN8EY67asXgIeAXVgnM3Q38ckxbJ46Zqkk0PGfDheCjQHE7iQ-8fuVq7y7IH/s1600/ManMule3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite a heavy load in that basket...</td></tr>
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<div>
There's a dark side to the beauty, enchantment and amazement of Nepal's Himalaya Mountains. Some of the treks in Nepal can be easily done without assistance from a guide, porter, or sherpa. </div>
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You can just show up with your backpack, have almost nothing planned and do a week-long trek such as the <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/the-himalayan-weightloss-plan.html">"ABC"</a> one without any hassle. The trekking infrastructure in Nepal is actually quite good, the trails are in good shape and there are plenty of guesthouses offering accommodation and food for as much as $5 a night (food included). </div>
<div>
For <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/into-wild.html">longer treks</a>, camping trips or treks in restricted areas, however, at least one guide is often required and a crew of sherpas, porters and/or mules might be needed. Camping trips, especially, require many supplies as there is no food, water or shelter readily available.</div>
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<div>
I noted in one of my earlier posts that trekking agencies need to be looked at closely but I decided to write this post to really focus on the issue. The problem with "staffed" treks in Nepal is that they can result in gross abuse of the porters who carry all the supplies. Porters are Nepalese men (typically) who go on trekking trips and bring all the supplies on their backs. If done right, mules are also employed to share the load. Neither men nor mules are not supposed to carry more than 40 kilos or so.</div>
<div>
<br />The problem is that many trekking agencies promise their trekker clients that they pay fair and don't overload their staff. In reality, many of these agencies charge for, let's say, 10 porters, only hire six and keep the difference in their pockets. Not only do they underpay their porters but they also force them to carry as many as 100 kilos on their backs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjienG5yRYYKaLSm-pQ5IdxtWgqE1gTXYB3w-kGo2QEjPfU9KL3V8gD_V9Spgn8xdnCWLkjbzrPlz7R5iaavwTp7MvQ5b5P3nfi5XvJeWmJUAcJK56g-dk6bbSAWL4j_u9kEnOs02xFAxV/s1600/ManMule2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjienG5yRYYKaLSm-pQ5IdxtWgqE1gTXYB3w-kGo2QEjPfU9KL3V8gD_V9Spgn8xdnCWLkjbzrPlz7R5iaavwTp7MvQ5b5P3nfi5XvJeWmJUAcJK56g-dk6bbSAWL4j_u9kEnOs02xFAxV/s1600/ManMule2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A backbreaking 100 kg/220lb 28-day journey</td></tr>
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<div>
These treks can last as many as four weeks and porters have to carry these loads up and down insanely steep and difficult terrain. That's basically lugging around 220 pounds every day for a month at more than 13,000 feet in altitude! </div>
<div>
Unfortunately, many porters have low income and families to support so they're willing to put up with the heavy loads in exchange for a few dollars a day of pay.</div>
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</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
One of the best ways to go about trekking in Nepal to ensure these hard working people are not abused, is to work with an independent guide who hires his own staff and ideally has his own mules. This guide should go with you on your trek and you should get to know him quite well prior to your departure. Get to know your crew and ensure that they are well paid and carrying appropriate weight. Trekkers should support a wholesome and sustainable trekking industry in Nepal where human rights are respected, not abused. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And what about the mules? Well, mules are known for their stubbornness so if they're overloaded with more than 40 kilos, they simply won't move. No matter what. Regardless of any beating, yelling or screaming, these stubborn animals won't move an inch with so much weight on their back. Why should anybody else? </div>
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<div>
<i>If you're interested in going on a sustainable trek in Nepal, contact our fantastic guide, <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/so-this-is-what-life-was-like-two.html">Karma Mustangi. </a></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYGXgqepwlGAhaRYhe6XL9XcrwTKgL13fIGrN0NEvyPQ3Dw7dfJVSxD7I8CeybL8lXVTfIL5iRePBHeNWjxsavO0ZCXx3OcvK6UQwTJxEl_olIL1MgbSRSpLlkiMonoN4ohj1VIPPD-Sl/s1600/ManMule1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYGXgqepwlGAhaRYhe6XL9XcrwTKgL13fIGrN0NEvyPQ3Dw7dfJVSxD7I8CeybL8lXVTfIL5iRePBHeNWjxsavO0ZCXx3OcvK6UQwTJxEl_olIL1MgbSRSpLlkiMonoN4ohj1VIPPD-Sl/s1600/ManMule1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too much weight on their backs: one of the packs constantly leaked kerosene all over the porter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIjEZw3gaKx4gJboAM45IIAowGWmVFWEjvPH6H3_fCfCvRpCOi2R2eaqsOxIiLw0HEhxHWBX34ybPP1WRWoFo1i0sErjLMdGhj601YrVbaeQprpWkom9uNoMhnTIxpIpucqP5Q-YRI5Eb/s1600/ManMule6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIjEZw3gaKx4gJboAM45IIAowGWmVFWEjvPH6H3_fCfCvRpCOi2R2eaqsOxIiLw0HEhxHWBX34ybPP1WRWoFo1i0sErjLMdGhj601YrVbaeQprpWkom9uNoMhnTIxpIpucqP5Q-YRI5Eb/s1600/ManMule6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our porter Manoz was stoked we packed so little, asking us "and the rollie bags"? There were none of course.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Bq7qfCoevzS9oUdeO3YFRAUmzmXe_S7xAf5vO63KJh65I0se-8RFHHtnb7Kj1qDmujoOyW0KC5ookRk7-Y97cf-xdeqg_Hqm9lvZuuHXQN8aShASuIkeA7hMXChBofxccnOota3E9KTD/s1600/ManMule5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Bq7qfCoevzS9oUdeO3YFRAUmzmXe_S7xAf5vO63KJh65I0se-8RFHHtnb7Kj1qDmujoOyW0KC5ookRk7-Y97cf-xdeqg_Hqm9lvZuuHXQN8aShASuIkeA7hMXChBofxccnOota3E9KTD/s1600/ManMule5.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more reasonable load</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY0f-Ep8HildW_dZJM7ff5258COBV76POmBXnrP264U09vLLcwVBdeq1Rqfg1J-iZR3_y4TK6jg1psupzn3fiv4SKhfTvHeq5YuYnBoxpz_HkGXuW3vDX6Mddc0qRYWdXMkdllfyHI11a/s1600/ManMule4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjY0f-Ep8HildW_dZJM7ff5258COBV76POmBXnrP264U09vLLcwVBdeq1Rqfg1J-iZR3_y4TK6jg1psupzn3fiv4SKhfTvHeq5YuYnBoxpz_HkGXuW3vDX6Mddc0qRYWdXMkdllfyHI11a/s1600/ManMule4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about right for what a mule will handle</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-59215475624025807682013-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:002013-10-17T08:00:00.753-07:00Can smartphones lessen the impact of reverse culture shock?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2gqH4b1EuPQd1Sfus-QSH9bAPV7rK973i77IppUlyFjDVPNQMbNubz9nNM62uy-BB5VYut-PYdv2DcwkXnotYYFkiSh2_zEBTkAS7VhUr04-0N4JHh_vGovCUboBxX-hQw7jtP3XTPfm/s1600/SmartPhones1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2gqH4b1EuPQd1Sfus-QSH9bAPV7rK973i77IppUlyFjDVPNQMbNubz9nNM62uy-BB5VYut-PYdv2DcwkXnotYYFkiSh2_zEBTkAS7VhUr04-0N4JHh_vGovCUboBxX-hQw7jtP3XTPfm/s1600/SmartPhones1.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 2008 relic versus my new MacBook Air</td></tr>
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<i>We borrowed an iPhone 4 for our trip. It has a SIM card slot and it came in very handy for the duration of our trip. One of the unfortunate parts of returning to the US was giving up the phone -- we have Verizon and they don't "do" SIM cards -- and it made me think about the possibility of finally replacing my six year old Samsung flip phone from forever ago (I hate to admit it, but, at this point my rebellion against smart phones might be coming to an end). Part of life back in the USA means more e-mail and flip phones just can't handle it. I e-mailed a great friend of mine who is not a techie, but gave me better advice than any other tech website or blog out there. Here is what she had to say about the iPhone vs. everything else debate:</i><br />
<br />
I think that unless you want the fingerprint security (so you can be a show-off), you may as well stick with the 5. I have the 5. It holds a little more thrill than my 4 (extra row of apps on your screen) but for my small hand, it is not as comfortable as the 4. Plus, my one-handed texting speed is diminished because there is an extra stretch involved from the added height.<br />
<br />
If you are looking at the 5c (5cheap), they will probably work fine. It's an apple product, so you can't go wrong. But the colors are a bit day-glo and probably meant to attract non-professionals and kids. I see the Wendy's drive-through workers or Jersey Shore thousandaires sporting them (similar to the BMW 1 series or mercedes hatch-back from 15 years ago, these will be entry-level products). If you're going with the 5c, keep your dignity and choose either white or black. You can always buy a festive case later and you won't be married to a bad mistake that clashes with your wardrobe.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER, in my attempt to find something good about the 5c, it would be a good "trial" iPhone. If you like it, you can upgrade to the macdaddy version without hesitation or regret.<br />
<br />
So. Bottom line. The plain old 5 is prettier than the 4, but not as comfortable to use (for female hands).<br />
<br />
The 5c is fine for a 1-year test drive, but watch your color choice or people will think you're credit score sucks.<br />
<br />
The 4S will probably cost the same as the 5c, and may be more comfortable. Plus the casing is glass and metal, not plastic.<br />
<br />
The 5S is for show-offs and people with money to burn (think Shahs of Sunset). My husband wants one, but that's because of the fingerprint security. I give him a pass only because he's military and into that stuff. I may get the 5s, but you know me. I'm an impractical show off, and I own that quality.<br />
<br />
<i>And what about non-iPhones??</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I pay no attention to non-iPhones. They are meaningless on the world stage and are kidding themselves by calling themselves competitors. It's like Nadya Suleman (octomom) comparing herself to Angelina Jolie. The only one making that comparison is Nadya.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPutAAcRwb4TWlXr5tFsetLnOfK5O2CkwjhO3JoikNas1JfJOtuIFyZeasNSJ_1jo5DKabA7BAMoQ47Su1P65gq6xCkMVvdadhRKGp9Kw0xVAAEak0AlidTs2ZmD5rljAR5oPnVO9SMcIq/s1600/iphone1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPutAAcRwb4TWlXr5tFsetLnOfK5O2CkwjhO3JoikNas1JfJOtuIFyZeasNSJ_1jo5DKabA7BAMoQ47Su1P65gq6xCkMVvdadhRKGp9Kw0xVAAEak0AlidTs2ZmD5rljAR5oPnVO9SMcIq/s1600/iphone1.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friends in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/so-this-is-what-life-was-like-two.html" target="_blank">Samar, Nepal</a> (accessible only by foot/horse) have brand new iPads. I'm getting the message...</td></tr>
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<i>Conclusion: I bought the iPhone 5c and it works very well. I was used to the 4 so the transition made sense. The best thing to do is protect the investment so I got it a
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F3N63O6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00F3N63O6&linkCode=as2&tag=dresfooadv-20">protective case</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=dresfooadv-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00F3N63O6" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and now I have the phone on the <a href="http://preyproject.com/" target="_blank">Prey app</a>. If you're ever a victim of theft, having the tracking app and reasonable insurance (check the deductible!) could save bad headaches from happening. This recently happened to a very close friend of mine (at gunpoint nonetheless!) and it wasn't insured or with a GPS tracker on. Cost of a new smartphone can be well over $500.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-76190172803237279672013-10-14T07:45:00.000-07:002013-10-14T07:45:00.713-07:00Gourmet extraordinaire and desert camping in Nevada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Desert camping isn't for everyone. Conditions can be harsh, especially for peak heat times in the middle of summer. Without natural sources of water and shade, dehydration and sun poisoning could easily happen. Extreme self-reliance is the best way to survive and lack of preparation could have devastating consequences.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmC3HKg67FNFPVIO8WFFtAxw7EfLY4GcwbydI0D7aKJZYOGUegbplio2UrVrPmpIPrais5l1kVQxBPR9vso0gP4T_nBafeou5LsOhG_YMMRb68zr2JDjCobNzZsMGkbFVW6eFzeF5bPyy/s1600/BM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmC3HKg67FNFPVIO8WFFtAxw7EfLY4GcwbydI0D7aKJZYOGUegbplio2UrVrPmpIPrais5l1kVQxBPR9vso0gP4T_nBafeou5LsOhG_YMMRb68zr2JDjCobNzZsMGkbFVW6eFzeF5bPyy/s1600/BM1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very fancy desert <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Dubai">(Dubai)</a></td></tr>
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Good thing we're not everyone and we love extremes! For our first week back in the United States of America, we decided to go desert camping for a week, in the middle of the northern Nevada desert. We had actually planned on going there before we left on our <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/how-to-afford-6-month-globe-trotting.html">6-month sabbatical </a>and paid $380 each to secure our spot for our tent. Usually, camping is never that expensive. However, this type of camping is as unique as it gets so we had to commit eight months in advance to it.<br />
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We're talking, of course, about Burning Man: absolutely, 100%, one of the most epic events we have ever attended in our lives. Burning Man is very hard to explain so it is best to just go see for yourself. The reason it's so hard is because the event becomes what you want it to be. Many people bring their children for a family experience, many people come to do ultramarathons and others, like us, come as <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/food">foodies</a>, not knowing what to expect but excited about everything.<br />
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Our two good friends spent all summer planning for Burning Man. One of them, in particular, planned everything in insane detail and we had everything from 1,000 baby wipes to superglued seals on every single car window to keep the majority of the playa dust out.<br />
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All four of us are total foodies so we went on very fun food shopping sprees and prepared meals in advance. We packed the 'obvious' camping food such as canned beans, corn, rice and curries in pouches, but we also packed exciting foodie treats. We were thrilled to find bacon jerky and purchased the Costco size bags of that amazing treasure. We brought two huge logs of goat cheese, a large wedge of Manchego cheese, an entire wooden box stuffed with smoked salmon from Seattle, garlic and jalapeño stuffed olives, a case of V-8 fruit and veggie juices and our home mix of hemp and almond granola with raisins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr_gyzbXkk8_Ac7Y_hiJ-SVPg-aH8NHGZbEIEJ3Gp6hIfKi0r-8eg3ByOmI9v5Xv-8pjwrpPfNDz410ZYqrFcw-GDOB_dm8hXQTATqOLSMV2PaTzA_zfmPa2Cw2fjCeDzjYR1_6QZit-q/s1600/BM2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr_gyzbXkk8_Ac7Y_hiJ-SVPg-aH8NHGZbEIEJ3Gp6hIfKi0r-8eg3ByOmI9v5Xv-8pjwrpPfNDz410ZYqrFcw-GDOB_dm8hXQTATqOLSMV2PaTzA_zfmPa2Cw2fjCeDzjYR1_6QZit-q/s1600/BM2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing the lasagna sauce</td></tr>
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Eliot made a gallon of home-made cold brew <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/coffee">coffee</a> and Drea made <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/iced%20tea%20soda">cinnamon tea soda syrup</a>. We also made two pans of home made lasagna with beef and de-cased <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/07/you-say-you-like-ethiopian-food-wait.html">Italian</a> sausages (Drea did this by hand), an <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/garlic-breath-garlic-sweat.html">entire head of garlic</a> and a dash of nutmeg to give it a Bologna twist. Our friends made an amazing summer gazpacho with tons of parsley, lemon, Tunisian olive oil and refreshing cucumbers plus at least two dozen juicy home-made meatballs in an amazing home-made tomato sauce (peeled AND seeded tomatoes!). Oh and let's not forget their tasty garbanzo, parsley, parmesan cheese salad.<br />
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We showed up at Burning Man and were in awe for at least 144 hours. The dry heat suppressed our appetites a bit but we still found time to indulge in decadent meals. Thanks to our extremely detail-oriented friend who planned 99% of our journey to the desert, we were able to keep our pre-made meals frozen solid with the 50 pounds of dry ice we stuffed in three coolers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyoefsQql54_TBrR-Q59Pc9x-_ahiLcW5llDEgmRAPPrRXxbdmETJ7X_MfEKeWO0ZUOQA_zIDLNhmvDOt-M6odTJBPPghjTjEfyS_niEONQw0c5mcrCo9jeMAEdpSZQka0NlCvEy0QAla/s1600/BM21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyoefsQql54_TBrR-Q59Pc9x-_ahiLcW5llDEgmRAPPrRXxbdmETJ7X_MfEKeWO0ZUOQA_zIDLNhmvDOt-M6odTJBPPghjTjEfyS_niEONQw0c5mcrCo9jeMAEdpSZQka0NlCvEy0QAla/s1600/BM21.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Man</td></tr>
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De-frosting was super easy: we took out the containers in the morning and by dinner time, they had naturally thawed. We ate the gazpacho and garbanzo salad cold and then heated up the lasagna and the meatballs on the propane camp stove. Our other campmates brought a healthy kale and broccoli salad and we destroyed it our first night. We also indulged in the best home-made grilled cheese sandwiches we've ever had! Part of the secret was toasting the bread on both sides and using three layers of cheese (we're getting hungry just writing this!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAihR8MnVdH3G-JPYWWxrwPnXqKkoTQ3z3jXaa_IIDS68dadQUXuLZeGjNzrQ58Fope7mNWQNaw5Ks1iuQiYde-9ZLbRSRpU1YnfvPEhuLVa0W0R4kSw9xxYPPYWQN8NX5NZhfEhyphenhyphentBKU/s1600/BM31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAihR8MnVdH3G-JPYWWxrwPnXqKkoTQ3z3jXaa_IIDS68dadQUXuLZeGjNzrQ58Fope7mNWQNaw5Ks1iuQiYde-9ZLbRSRpU1YnfvPEhuLVa0W0R4kSw9xxYPPYWQN8NX5NZhfEhyphenhyphentBKU/s1600/BM31.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire cyclones as the Man burns on Saturday</td></tr>
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Burning Man thrives on a gift economy and we were lucky to have delicious treats along the way. At Burning Man, you give. The gifts we received were absolutely fabulous. As far as food goes, we had Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches (think gourmet smoked/corned beef and spicy mustard) served by our Canadian neighbors, <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/the-ethiopian-coffee-craze.html">fresh ground coffee</a> used to make legit Vietnamese iced coffee (ice is a <i>highly</i> coveted item at Burning Man), emperor's tea from China prepared in front of us at a formal <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/tea">tea</a> ceremony (the tea had to be smuggled into the US because it is worth more than gold by weight!) and cheese fondue straight from a fondue pot!<br />
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We will try to make this a yearly event for us and we look forward to the foodie events we missed: bacon bloodys, morning hash browns, home-made pickles, massive barbecues and whatever else we are bound to walk or bike into. <br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvPrtF17SGwK7SvE0fWbWThUZvKFBiuVHRbkAnwOWRNbt9nWeHw-yIP5RYyFYRADpWPmjhvIIxMP6TZrBBPU5nK1hSnOyCm18aBTvCTOhhRGFRP5bBAgdGhyzADyo6ETMCRj8l7YiW7TK/s1600/BM41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHvPrtF17SGwK7SvE0fWbWThUZvKFBiuVHRbkAnwOWRNbt9nWeHw-yIP5RYyFYRADpWPmjhvIIxMP6TZrBBPU5nK1hSnOyCm18aBTvCTOhhRGFRP5bBAgdGhyzADyo6ETMCRj8l7YiW7TK/s1600/BM41.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robot Heart Party</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IUuvVWiZLHdav4zh2rtBbTz1XW17au4bZnPWInj_BrYR8Z5oBAdi971DsaK6KLzFb8FdWroaHprQLdKV1VdG_OVmqZTNwXIJIHt0eiZzPAjoQuqNYzJrfF5H_6YJtJgQpZQWlkchkHPz/s1600/BM51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IUuvVWiZLHdav4zh2rtBbTz1XW17au4bZnPWInj_BrYR8Z5oBAdi971DsaK6KLzFb8FdWroaHprQLdKV1VdG_OVmqZTNwXIJIHt0eiZzPAjoQuqNYzJrfF5H_6YJtJgQpZQWlkchkHPz/s1600/BM51.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome Playa Sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx01PoOvWDOICnsAE6NsrzxLo_vZZvYfZuTImBhSTm7RinTISCzF_mJqWmi2BR3dWxTTgWDXV8I0fIXiIJig17ahjiRHd84n2lTRpHRHZnhOXkpwvsIUqSAJNv15uYpcLu32uSP7J-FZL/s1600/BM61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx01PoOvWDOICnsAE6NsrzxLo_vZZvYfZuTImBhSTm7RinTISCzF_mJqWmi2BR3dWxTTgWDXV8I0fIXiIJig17ahjiRHd84n2lTRpHRHZnhOXkpwvsIUqSAJNv15uYpcLu32uSP7J-FZL/s1600/BM61.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking around, checking out art exhibitions everywhere</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-64496073088995677092013-10-10T08:09:00.000-07:002013-10-10T08:09:00.283-07:00Mango sticky rice in a climbers' paradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxYsMnFq6vdzTyBzOTBP8anXR16xzAYT0r0Wfxrp4ntLq3E-Cv024TpnmZ8NwGxKW0Vop0krGChBrOKnrzM_hXg1KYnMa0hSI9LBJIKYTtUkzr14mwyPIbgIf-WD0P5hVHz0ABqIuYzOE/s1600/IMG_7678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxYsMnFq6vdzTyBzOTBP8anXR16xzAYT0r0Wfxrp4ntLq3E-Cv024TpnmZ8NwGxKW0Vop0krGChBrOKnrzM_hXg1KYnMa0hSI9LBJIKYTtUkzr14mwyPIbgIf-WD0P5hVHz0ABqIuYzOE/s1600/IMG_7678.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Approaching Tonsai</td></tr>
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<b>“For the stone from the top for geologists, the knowledge of the limits of endurance for the doctors, but above all for the spirit of adventure to keep alive the soul of man.”</b> <i>--<a href="http://thewildestdream.com/" target="_blank">George Mallory</a>, British mountaineer </i><br />
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We were really tired of spending Ramadan in Muslim countries. It turned into a real hassle in <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/tropical-intrigue.html" target="_blank">Maldives</a> and <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/10/indonesian-food-is-terrible-or-not.html" target="_blank">Indonesia</a> so we made a game time decision to seek out the Buddha instead. Luckily Thailand isn't too far from Sumatra so we jumped on a quick flight to Krabi via Kuala Lumpur (KL). This, of course, wasn't part of our <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/how-to-afford-6-month-globe-trotting.html" target="_blank">budget plan</a> but we decided it would be worth it nonetheless.<br />
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Our evening spent in KL was surprisingly fun. We stayed in the budget friendly Chinatown area and explored the local night market for street eats and cheap gear for Burning Man later that month. Then we zipped back to the airport and hopped over to Krabi. </div>
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We stayed in Tonsai, part of a series of three beaches on an isolated peninsula on the Andaman Sea that doesn't have road access. Visitors have to take the traditional long-tail boats from Krabi beach to get out there. We wandered around for a while in the jungle up behind the beach searching out places to stay. Tonsai is the cheapest of the three beaches on the peninsula but we were still surprised at the costs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9H4Ui7to3cpRgGhTGTBt7_XOzpHr4j4qscSVxzaoyhHQ3VboA3vAzoMoZc5W496768O1pVXSR1uPYnCU4lLsLLADd4qpPooHHJsIIZ1WuEvmuKC8ls1LJTmNqHBBcqWSrlMUydYxlQhC/s1600/IMG_7682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9H4Ui7to3cpRgGhTGTBt7_XOzpHr4j4qscSVxzaoyhHQ3VboA3vAzoMoZc5W496768O1pVXSR1uPYnCU4lLsLLADd4qpPooHHJsIIZ1WuEvmuKC8ls1LJTmNqHBBcqWSrlMUydYxlQhC/s1600/IMG_7682.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Our guide only climbed barefoot</td></tr>
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Lucky for us, the week turned out to be indeed well worth it. We signed up for a three day lead climbing course with <a href="http://www.basecamptonsai.com/" target="_blank">Basecamp Tonsai</a>, the most reputable climbing operator in the area (German-m<span id="goog_1595700735"></span><span id="goog_1595700736"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>anaged). Before starting <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/Adventure">our sabbatical </a>we had spent a year climbing three to four days a week in a climbing gym in San Diego. Climbing in Tonsai blew all of that away.</div>
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The rocks in Tonsai are absolutely epic. Spires of limestone jut thousands of feet up from sparkling tropical ocean and verdant jungle. We were there in the 'wet' season and it rained for about three hours total for the whole week were there. There are a lot of overhangs so even if it rains a lot of the rock stays dry. There are tons of bolted routes for sport climbing and literally thousands for trad, which attracts some very serious climbers. Even during this low season, most of the decent places were pretty full and the majority of the best climbers we saw were from Spain, Australia and England. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfhbxEhdQwtvD35g57knVaivhXqXPhdXom4oWOSPiD6U-IAJMa92Ahwk9EiSQFSlDeMZgH9n82R91bV-tRb80q1QcUVwE829XptcXOS3LACs7n-H_nm754PDE2pshIsSEI18w-5xl2iuP/s1600/IMG_7868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfhbxEhdQwtvD35g57knVaivhXqXPhdXom4oWOSPiD6U-IAJMa92Ahwk9EiSQFSlDeMZgH9n82R91bV-tRb80q1QcUVwE829XptcXOS3LACs7n-H_nm754PDE2pshIsSEI18w-5xl2iuP/s1600/IMG_7868.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Eliot leads a beach route</td></tr>
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We had a blast learning how to lead climb. For the uninitiated, lead climbing is when you set up your own safety ropes as you make your way up the rock. It means you often take longer falls than you otherwise which alters the psychology of your climb: you tend to be more risk averse. We climbed all day every day and even tried deep water soloing, climbing without safety but jumping off into the ocean. Unfortunately on the last day of our class Drea took a dangerous fall and hurt her ankle. It could have been a lot worse so we racked that up as a win.</div>
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The other rockin' thing about Tonsai is that once you're done scaling rocks, you get to gorge on delicious Thai food and wash it down with Eliot's favorite: Thai iced tea! We gobbled up mountains of mango sticky rice to fuel our climbing adventures and look forward to returning to Tonsai to sharpen our skills some more!</div>
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But we had a flight back to California via <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/10/unstoppable-appetites-during-our-48.html" target="_blank">Singapore</a> scheduled for the next week. Some might say it was the end of <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/search/label/trip%20planning" target="_blank">our trip</a> but we thought it was just the beginning. We were headed to Burning Man.</div>
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCgrvOP7iUUE5iukWeUo28T3VwHlmpLcS_BQkrDDHdSd-nlX71Wsrqz_YjhvtwckRH9lt4SyWSJY0VWZihyKIF-QeoPMzde96LDGI02s8V9ImrpbnVG9VWbbWo0zh6ioNsWbT_PFyPL6Q/s1600/IMG_7917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCgrvOP7iUUE5iukWeUo28T3VwHlmpLcS_BQkrDDHdSd-nlX71Wsrqz_YjhvtwckRH9lt4SyWSJY0VWZihyKIF-QeoPMzde96LDGI02s8V9ImrpbnVG9VWbbWo0zh6ioNsWbT_PFyPL6Q/s400/IMG_7917.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Drea's about to fall</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSKuyP9QEcP3RHbFurMu4XUYWyz0JvT7xBo_fbtIn48n-hilftfww1GtxSskKWPJZ02JXZe3drNbjJ96tdefrWMhZPQkJl58P5-xoci9g1xH_6qq3eL8FyructM4IH2QxTQmY6qdpx2vb/s1600/IMG_7695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSKuyP9QEcP3RHbFurMu4XUYWyz0JvT7xBo_fbtIn48n-hilftfww1GtxSskKWPJZ02JXZe3drNbjJ96tdefrWMhZPQkJl58P5-xoci9g1xH_6qq3eL8FyructM4IH2QxTQmY6qdpx2vb/s400/IMG_7695.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Drea's awesome belay attitude!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLMdu0Ta-tXVptmoIABakYjzDnTte4utl6ZUvVlm2-CuFCwnNUSHnQGbvwXzYUT6wJP84OL6p3oG5fhG96kE5xo7wnr1XpDMj3rJO1FKbkjbjo3FzJ8NzBVctaQVl4o9rTnwIfeX4esV/s1600/IMG_7702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLMdu0Ta-tXVptmoIABakYjzDnTte4utl6ZUvVlm2-CuFCwnNUSHnQGbvwXzYUT6wJP84OL6p3oG5fhG96kE5xo7wnr1XpDMj3rJO1FKbkjbjo3FzJ8NzBVctaQVl4o9rTnwIfeX4esV/s400/IMG_7702.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Eliot fends off local mozzies</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXIIkcPPvbiUi-ZnHFoAKyHCUsmSfEu50sFqaksDBuoMCaSj9SC-P1GH0d2Dci35-hDgcR5xwBOZ84Epp4fQ-2BoaJbKs-XA3qPe7PueqohFXQ0Y-SQsMtirNbBe_K4zYaQHV1lWwvR2S/s1600/IMG_7819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXIIkcPPvbiUi-ZnHFoAKyHCUsmSfEu50sFqaksDBuoMCaSj9SC-P1GH0d2Dci35-hDgcR5xwBOZ84Epp4fQ-2BoaJbKs-XA3qPe7PueqohFXQ0Y-SQsMtirNbBe_K4zYaQHV1lWwvR2S/s400/IMG_7819.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Not bad, not bad at all</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig63PWZS0tUVvL8tqv_F3H8m12Uce9ycWp66IdDbHGCT_zx_RlIPvkZrcO-kO2n_XPy196netWFupAVYi1J5cKKNgkZE8ItSeQbhPaFfgT-j_Uew65ibbO9_m-HbVVrOV2hNqayNKVNBNC/s1600/IMG_7944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig63PWZS0tUVvL8tqv_F3H8m12Uce9ycWp66IdDbHGCT_zx_RlIPvkZrcO-kO2n_XPy196netWFupAVYi1J5cKKNgkZE8ItSeQbhPaFfgT-j_Uew65ibbO9_m-HbVVrOV2hNqayNKVNBNC/s400/IMG_7944.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Deep water solo territory</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NFhCCchPt4qWcEKqOWP2zHbH2Z_QN2Iu_D_Sorl8K1odX4n3Oc879zwIYdEOxPwSz06Tx5J_ec06RwMu9-LrDmw-J0h_kcLYjqjuyUZtY9GsS4TRsJkxoIveznPepBepIALWP8M78DwN/s1600/IMG_7989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NFhCCchPt4qWcEKqOWP2zHbH2Z_QN2Iu_D_Sorl8K1odX4n3Oc879zwIYdEOxPwSz06Tx5J_ec06RwMu9-LrDmw-J0h_kcLYjqjuyUZtY9GsS4TRsJkxoIveznPepBepIALWP8M78DwN/s400/IMG_7989.jpg" height="300" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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At last, Thai iced tea...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com3Krabi, Thailand8.0862997 98.9062834999999726.0742161999999995 96.324496499999967 10.0983832 101.48807049999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-54935882698823863612013-10-07T07:30:00.000-07:002013-10-07T07:30:00.893-07:00Indonesian food is terrible! Or not...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have to admit it, initially we chose to go to Indonesia not for its spectacular food but rather for its nature and adventure potential. When we were trying to choose which island to focus our travels on, we wanted the path less traveled and Sumatra became a candidate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcExNz6ZL9Ia1Xy8ue_BwXVb9wBFvwAYUYyR7oPX70psdfzRG9bCZv98Gg8kJ4fte_l1GxWIrFwXxfX0hLlXAqixJ5FtXBljhp8j_6DM60tT_dpaqpi5WwDBl0XJ0hrxvXIIVwuliehPab/s1600/IndoFood18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcExNz6ZL9Ia1Xy8ue_BwXVb9wBFvwAYUYyR7oPX70psdfzRG9bCZv98Gg8kJ4fte_l1GxWIrFwXxfX0hLlXAqixJ5FtXBljhp8j_6DM60tT_dpaqpi5WwDBl0XJ0hrxvXIIVwuliehPab/s1600/IndoFood18.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sumatra, beautiful, wild and delicious!</td></tr>
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We finally settled on it not just because of adventure but because contrary to all popular belief, Sumatra was supposed to have <i>the</i> best food in all of Indonesia. Could it be true? We figured there's only one way to find out so we booked our ferry and plane tickets to our first destination in Sumatra: Padang.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirddKH4-Kk7wIuYErwOMIOtSVjYBrlz8DrJogYVFk5PBRrtb_GmLayOZRGyWVX1sLV5-thiD9UqVO65HDOS_o77mfjSkm3BOCXKC3-d9S8Pc-OBbU00vDSo3uDvX9Pclnk2SFoSpCjM4Sl/s1600/IndoFood02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>As a city, Padang is just "meh" and surprisingly expensive. Like $30 dollars for a shared room expensive. Turns out Padang is the launching point to the surfing mecca at the Mentawai islands and prices are hyper inflated. The saving grace for the city is that supposedly, it has the spiciest food in Indonesia. That's definitely something to get really excited about! But wait, it's Ramadan, will there even be anything to eat? Yes. Oh yes there was.<br />
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We got the impression that Muslims in Padang are pretty chill about the whole Ramadan thing as we saw hoards of them 'cheating' and eating throughout the day. Good news for us! Our first stop was a coconut stand on the side of the road prior to arriving at our hotel. After a long flight, a nice juicy coconut was exactly what we needed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6ndbYm6Eky9kpLW2G2lhTZ9cyGRKe00jZ45Mg7vyJLc_qo_BzrFT-zuaok5rXxfxLOOHxrDYf-LWnIXmCUmRo4DChD7wg3EUuUj0_ItBeogSv5khpROL6uSYkdONqRgFZX62VtFfa7e9/s1600/IndoFood01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6ndbYm6Eky9kpLW2G2lhTZ9cyGRKe00jZ45Mg7vyJLc_qo_BzrFT-zuaok5rXxfxLOOHxrDYf-LWnIXmCUmRo4DChD7wg3EUuUj0_ItBeogSv5khpROL6uSYkdONqRgFZX62VtFfa7e9/s1600/IndoFood01.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pile on the goodies please!</td></tr>
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We then walked over to one of the best restaurants in Padang (according to our guesthouse) and just drooled as the waitstaff piled plate after plate of all sorts of dishes all smothered in bright red hot chilies: braised tofu, beef, potatoes, fish, dry beef, curry beef, yellow chicken, saucy chicken, silken tofu, eggplant and boiled eggs among many, many others. This amazing dish pile is apparently called Nasi Padang. YUM!<br />
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Similar to Ethiopia, the custom in Padang is just to dig in with your hands and enjoy. We didn't realize that you don't really get to "order" your food, instead they just pile it on and you ask them to take away the reject plates. Naturally, we just tried eating <i>everything</i> on the table until we were stuffed beyond belief. The favorite was definitely the Beef Rendang, tender chunks of beef cooked in a toasted coconut sauce. We tried ordering more of it but they had just run out and the three of us nearly fought over the last little piece. A close second was a deep fried spicy fish that felt more like fish jerky but was so crisp that you could even eat all the bones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkpcx3hnF0fokmBe1gB21juqFmiOn0LY6-ACrp1PSdMHif6kEksKDuPlScciK2Nt7eQWR-SqVNspk2XNcjQ4pMhJx68ZmS6bZ455PDbE476NHSdeb-G5AvE7BQnPQWn9kGlryHDbR0qcJ/s1600/IndoFood03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkpcx3hnF0fokmBe1gB21juqFmiOn0LY6-ACrp1PSdMHif6kEksKDuPlScciK2Nt7eQWR-SqVNspk2XNcjQ4pMhJx68ZmS6bZ455PDbE476NHSdeb-G5AvE7BQnPQWn9kGlryHDbR0qcJ/s1600/IndoFood03.jpg" height="321" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roll up your sleeves, and scoop it all up (crispy fish @ 10 o'clock, the last of the beef Rendang at 5 o'clock)</td></tr>
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We only ended up staying in Padang for a short day and decided to hit up the dinner spot once more for lunch before heading out to the airport. At 1pm, the place was <i>packed</i> with locals and there was even a live band playing. You wouldn't have known it because the whole city looks like it shuts down between sunrise and sunset but luckily for us, the restaurant was definitely open, you just had to know to pull away the curtain and slip in through the very narrow entrance. Apparently in Padang, not even Ramadan stops people from eating and given how delightful the food was, it's no wonder!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirddKH4-Kk7wIuYErwOMIOtSVjYBrlz8DrJogYVFk5PBRrtb_GmLayOZRGyWVX1sLV5-thiD9UqVO65HDOS_o77mfjSkm3BOCXKC3-d9S8Pc-OBbU00vDSo3uDvX9Pclnk2SFoSpCjM4Sl/s1600/IndoFood02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirddKH4-Kk7wIuYErwOMIOtSVjYBrlz8DrJogYVFk5PBRrtb_GmLayOZRGyWVX1sLV5-thiD9UqVO65HDOS_o77mfjSkm3BOCXKC3-d9S8Pc-OBbU00vDSo3uDvX9Pclnk2SFoSpCjM4Sl/s1600/IndoFood02.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got chilies?</td></tr>
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So Padang was kind of a bust but from a foodie perspective, it was definitely worth the visit! Plus I was able to find a fruit I thought only Colombians had, <i><a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/02/food-i-love-you-travel-i-like-you-too.html" target="_blank">tomate de arbol</a>.</i> I ordered it as a fresh fruit juice from this little old lady who couldn't believe I didn't want <i>any</i> sugar in my juice. It was delicious, just like the Colombian version and I was in heaven! I was also very glad I didn't get any sugar in it: apparently Indonesians have one of the highest per capita consumption of sugar <i>in all of Asia.</i> Watch out for spikes in diabetes, Indonesia! [China, by the way, is the #1 in Asia and <a href="http://www.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/sugar.pdf" target="_blank">India is the top consumer in the world</a>]<br />
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[Note: I found this nice blog where you can read much more about Padang cuisine. This blogger had a bit more time to explore the food options than we did: <a href="http://afastar.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/west-sumatera-cuisine/" target="_blank">http://afastar.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/west-sumatera-cuisine/</a>]<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nQ60KzLArduKxLEmGjGtJQt2YA7Y-SYW8mzwV6V1943p3LA8a6_4RNOKMcGPy1TMqNJri98bFr5eyEupqU0veRZ3S5NkK2Kyz8Mua75UIYuZxNQZ1AwSF-r4xSrhh8yKNDf2L5MZNY6C/s1600/IndoFood13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nQ60KzLArduKxLEmGjGtJQt2YA7Y-SYW8mzwV6V1943p3LA8a6_4RNOKMcGPy1TMqNJri98bFr5eyEupqU0veRZ3S5NkK2Kyz8Mua75UIYuZxNQZ1AwSF-r4xSrhh8yKNDf2L5MZNY6C/s1600/IndoFood13.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best way to end a meal: fresh fruit and coconut</td></tr>
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While Padang was quite the exciting food city, we were shocked to discover one of Sumatra's best kept culinary secrets: the Batak people in Lake Toba are food geniuses!! One of my good travel buddies from Spain even commented how she does not like Indonesian food at all but Batak food was really good!<br />
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I think one of the tricks to this simple but delicious food is the lake itself. Lake Toba, a few hours west of Medan, is a gem of a place. The depth of the lake (almost 1 kilometer!) helps to keep the water clean and is home to delicious fish. We walked into a small hole-in-the wall restaurant for a late lunch, hoping they would serve us food. They were happy to have us and we all decided to order their fried fish. As is typical in most developing countries, our fish was deep fried whole and served with some veggie garnishes. We weren't expecting much but as soon as we took the first bite, we looked at each other all wide-eyed and almost simultaneously went "mmmmmmm!!!!!!!!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_MXuvfgOgqS56xXPSc41gT0rAL0qNgYl96Y1uh5rXVNfUpJoMm4rWuy0bbUg2GfJi4hNcO59e5Bzeq2kNCMDK_BnwKOIkueRyawy6ni5bNcS6A5UDRTYxSbK3Av5Z2Ln6OqFRulMci2E/s1600/IndoFood04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_MXuvfgOgqS56xXPSc41gT0rAL0qNgYl96Y1uh5rXVNfUpJoMm4rWuy0bbUg2GfJi4hNcO59e5Bzeq2kNCMDK_BnwKOIkueRyawy6ni5bNcS6A5UDRTYxSbK3Av5Z2Ln6OqFRulMci2E/s1600/IndoFood04.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One word: succulent!</td></tr>
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The fish had definitely just been caught that morning and our hosts clearly knew what they were doing because it wasn't that greasy, which probably means they heat up the oil just right: even the tail was crunchy enough to eat it all! As a Colombian, deep fried whole fish is just one of those things you grow up with and the ability to eat the tail of the fish so that it feels like a potato chip is a true sign of excellence in the kitchen (my dad taught me this when I was probably 5 years old).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFY7eB64YUw_7z3VjAVxBavu6KeomD7xvyZ1u5flmpc9cJ-uRVnpvL09fDIK-ufYXY6IhW1MJaNnL7YVg-mI5d_hjjffsq92xSPupYbnW3bJ0td91M61MGxKlAlreu8fT5tLtwXZ3PLeWO/s1600/IndoFood12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFY7eB64YUw_7z3VjAVxBavu6KeomD7xvyZ1u5flmpc9cJ-uRVnpvL09fDIK-ufYXY6IhW1MJaNnL7YVg-mI5d_hjjffsq92xSPupYbnW3bJ0td91M61MGxKlAlreu8fT5tLtwXZ3PLeWO/s1600/IndoFood12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best BBQ fish in town</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdKSmdLH749_mpI-hO6ki0F-PMrKTvDNEJQAAH0Y6WMWngQmhdjQ71X28y6h_Dul3sZZyuaWopTMSsJOg4xXtPePWYC8yhb-e6OHmpyhCQz96-vijnwwbG3FBrtTGNQBgutvWs9cd8EPf/s1600/IndoFood05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>Anyway, "Shugary Restaurant" is a must if you ever find yourself in Tuk Tuk. The fried fish was topped by our chef's dinner the next day: slow cooked whole fish on the barbecue. The chef made a little BBQ brush out of lemongrass he used to keep the fish moist with home-made marinade as it cooked for almost an hour. His wife fixes a great veggie salad (with cheese!) and she makes toasted coconut from scratch, which she then uses to top off a fruit salad with passion fruit.<br />
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Shredding coconut is a very laborious process and actually a great arm work out. My friend Jamie and I took a cooking class in Tuk Tuk and we had a first hand experience on how tiring this process is! But, regardless, making things from scratch is probably the other secret to Batak cuisine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJanRnMH2Y0XzfGnAclU7uhLfp7kjqta8EC0NxmPnUvakoZZ22q3Ua0Mt0B19GwWwqw9283GsZ-e_VgVuVNdCZmGTJoo1-wwirq4e5riDIevtl5b_DKvehLevSVD7cWtgF6wRbB6AonAl/s1600/IndoFood06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJanRnMH2Y0XzfGnAclU7uhLfp7kjqta8EC0NxmPnUvakoZZ22q3Ua0Mt0B19GwWwqw9283GsZ-e_VgVuVNdCZmGTJoo1-wwirq4e5riDIevtl5b_DKvehLevSVD7cWtgF6wRbB6AonAl/s1600/IndoFood06.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A coconut grinder really helps to get all that meat out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HUCrIA1IVQ0XTSmzy5xdGhJTfNchH6_4HSuM2IzxnAViinPyV7F_f3A0syfsW3yA6_dazzRlXMguBQbEThvolR5F5yw7IlGskYFen1JoM809eEfraW64iELxQwg1U4-LuPc_fCI7lxix/s1600/IndoFood10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>We learned to make sambal (like a chili paste) from scratch without the use of any electronic devices: we used a good ol' round stone and stone tablet to grind chili, garlic and shallot into a deliciously spicy paste. I learned to wrap fish in banana leaves to trap all the flavor and moisture as it steams. We also used heaps of the ground coconut to make our own coconut milk and used a mortar and pestle to make a coconut paste we used for a chicken Rendang. Similar to beef Rendang, we coated pieces of chicken in a toasted coconut paste and slowly cooked them until tender perfection!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NVeme_p9UWcpN6MaBup6m2h0YKB6VowyFQf-IoU1GmiwUG1JGaa0I7hucqZkRYYGG61RFjRdBCLc5xoLr6DfCqhZLHzjLqQKs0QccZ6SUR-wAJoLoQoipn9E7unWaqh-KJKXnEr3YyCK/s1600/IndoFood07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NVeme_p9UWcpN6MaBup6m2h0YKB6VowyFQf-IoU1GmiwUG1JGaa0I7hucqZkRYYGG61RFjRdBCLc5xoLr6DfCqhZLHzjLqQKs0QccZ6SUR-wAJoLoQoipn9E7unWaqh-KJKXnEr3YyCK/s1600/IndoFood07.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana leaves keep the fish nice and moist</td></tr>
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<br />
All in all, Batak cuisine was simple, yet flavorful, fresh and cooked with tender loving care. As an added bonus, the Batak eat a lot of pork and although it wasn't the best pork I had ever had, my tastebuds happily welcomed the change and made me long for bacon...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TLC @ Shugary</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdKSmdLH749_mpI-hO6ki0F-PMrKTvDNEJQAAH0Y6WMWngQmhdjQ71X28y6h_Dul3sZZyuaWopTMSsJOg4xXtPePWYC8yhb-e6OHmpyhCQz96-vijnwwbG3FBrtTGNQBgutvWs9cd8EPf/s1600/IndoFood05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdKSmdLH749_mpI-hO6ki0F-PMrKTvDNEJQAAH0Y6WMWngQmhdjQ71X28y6h_Dul3sZZyuaWopTMSsJOg4xXtPePWYC8yhb-e6OHmpyhCQz96-vijnwwbG3FBrtTGNQBgutvWs9cd8EPf/s1600/IndoFood05.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shugary's delicious toasted coconut fruit and home-made muesli with passion fruit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What do you do with all that ground coconut? Make coconut milk, of course!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7trOKAojUkBnIdqSL8-GhgdpWMTtx56tPFMmCCo3BCgiQaYqFkVziAN7cIhp5pbJ3VuXnmY00GuXIVTiX2wYI_PusA-b86lqMdcfT558pnCTkjGtbBaqZ8Mb17LM1pC9m-7s2Lj0Vusy/s1600/IndoFood08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7trOKAojUkBnIdqSL8-GhgdpWMTtx56tPFMmCCo3BCgiQaYqFkVziAN7cIhp5pbJ3VuXnmY00GuXIVTiX2wYI_PusA-b86lqMdcfT558pnCTkjGtbBaqZ8Mb17LM1pC9m-7s2Lj0Vusy/s1600/IndoFood08.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mortar and pestle for Rendang dishes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making chili sambal like a cavewoman</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com5Sumatra, Indonesia-0.589724 101.34310579999999-16.63549 80.68880879999999 15.456042 121.99740279999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-28767036277009957502013-10-03T07:30:00.000-07:002013-10-03T07:30:03.593-07:00Unstoppable appetites during our 48 hour stay in The Little Red Dot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Isn't it amazing that there's such a place on earth that's only about 270 square miles in size (yes, this includes all the reclaimed land), can't really grow much of anything because the whole island is a rock, is home to about 5 million people and has more than 3,000 restaurants? That's approximately 11 restaurants per square mile!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jbaIXsWDYO_1tr40g_iGUvuKjUwvoKKnMzlE0AdjjUpwM3pKKhcN7l4Kxpi967qo6Tik5GfKmcEhW4TBpP_iDZyig9komJPSoXPG5njSXAZ07FvoyetKpbQNSY6LS2DaxY8jxwdztFsJ/s1600/Singa01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jbaIXsWDYO_1tr40g_iGUvuKjUwvoKKnMzlE0AdjjUpwM3pKKhcN7l4Kxpi967qo6Tik5GfKmcEhW4TBpP_iDZyig9komJPSoXPG5njSXAZ07FvoyetKpbQNSY6LS2DaxY8jxwdztFsJ/s1600/Singa01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mighty and flavorful little city</td></tr>
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With so many places offering so much food, it's the perfect destination for non-stop eating, drinking, savoring, sampling and tasting. Plus, every type of palate and wallet will find a suitable place: from the lavishly expensive at over $400++ for dinner for one (plus, plus, of course is for all the extra taxes on top of the restaurant price) according to a <a href="http://danielfooddiary.com/2013/02/20/wakughin/" target="_blank">local blogger</a>, to the deliciously cheap at just a buck fifty for one of the most famous local delicacies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTT5D5_Idhxl0aYC3xWyMgMGnqT_cpoeBhbRL5UkfuCIEXP0bV54sEz4-rAyU-2ruBjILHKVeoUdtFa2nRwt2qguDf5yXT9va2jBEf_idEXimQX50cHnd4D1wCroJPjcPTk9j8X4aZjuIs/s1600/Singa11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>Ever since Drea first visited this foreign land back in 2005, it has always remained the best hub in the world for food and every time we visit, it never disappoints. Singapore offers just about every type of food and is the foodie's Shangri-La. Which is exactly why, if we can help it, we always try to make Singapore one of our long connections or short-term destinations when traveling throughout Asia.<br />
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So, what's the big deal with food in Singapore? Well, let us count the [eight] ways:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Thirsty much? Singapore has an amazing selection of tropical fruits so you can grab any type of exotic fruit juice no matter where you are: soursop, lime, mango or kumquat are extremely refreshing. Tea and coffee are great alternatives if you crave a little energy: grab yourself a kopi-o (black coffee), kopi-c (coffee with milk, "c" was originally for Carnation milk in a can) or Eliot's favorite, tea tarik (pulled tea). On a budget? pop into any 7-eleven and grab an iced milo or an unsweetened green tea.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj4zFVOd75fWoHc7ks8hpKCvkmk_kYXN59QiSywPo95Vvo4VYBC6M-h9AQrYWefbFGCS-zwxQBfuebRbc3C74qSnJ3fa6b6QB_W0c8P0Gvcf9ObKwnbnhWdVYvTsAeD6ch7PtDU8MSgC3/s1600/Singa12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj4zFVOd75fWoHc7ks8hpKCvkmk_kYXN59QiSywPo95Vvo4VYBC6M-h9AQrYWefbFGCS-zwxQBfuebRbc3C74qSnJ3fa6b6QB_W0c8P0Gvcf9ObKwnbnhWdVYvTsAeD6ch7PtDU8MSgC3/s1600/Singa12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Tarik with mushroom and cheese roti paratha and fish curry sauce: Breakfast!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>Love fruit? So do we. In Singapore you can find the most amazing selection of tropical fruits including: the local favorite durian, which we still find repulsive and don't even recommend you try unless you're feeling very, very adventurous, the queen of all fruit, mangosteen, juicy rambutans, lychees and longan (or lamyai), jackfruit (tastes like Starbursts!), jambu which looks like an apple but tastes more like a pear, green guava with powdered plum or the magenta dragon fruit among dozens and dozens of others.</li>
<li>Breakfast time? Grab yourself a roti paratha stuffed with cheese, potatoes, mushrooms or bananas and dip it in your pick of chicken or fish curry sauce. Or go local and grab a kaya toast set. Kaya is a coconut based jam and you can eat it on seriously buttered toast and dip it in soft boiled eggs with a drop or two of dark soy sauce.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYk6SmHyi5V5zs7B9B9FJSRbZfG5iECcxtRkt5XRynRB1nZY995fXWjm6rlbZWteI96SS32e34_FUQpF8TViNYs8DlhcE_1jL7iYmEdwatPVJxSTxS-0ob4rwMMJHZ2yJJo9E_5dRHL8_/s1600/Singa32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYk6SmHyi5V5zs7B9B9FJSRbZfG5iECcxtRkt5XRynRB1nZY995fXWjm6rlbZWteI96SS32e34_FUQpF8TViNYs8DlhcE_1jL7iYmEdwatPVJxSTxS-0ob4rwMMJHZ2yJJo9E_5dRHL8_/s1600/Singa32.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaya toast with chunks of butter</td></tr>
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</li>
<li>On a budget? Two words: chicken rice. For less than $5 dollars, you can snack, lunch or dine on a plate of chicken rice: it's just roasted chicken on top of rice cooked in chicken broth. This national dish is sold at nearly every food court and its simplicity (similar to <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/07/you-say-you-like-ethiopian-food-wait.html" target="_blank">Italian</a> food!) is what makes it so damn irresistible. Make sure you get it with the special spicy sauce!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfjbOf9HVTODoaEj8s6Etuf6RTk0lplH4yy-60xvvNYLY-f1kVRNxjwyvCFsgEmgOXt4Qu_iVXyY7a3mJaH7Cmq30EYurnRa9pICPHreXARfqp5V7UZ4vSENFMtw9BGlCcfzsLJMNhh66/s1600/Singa31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfjbOf9HVTODoaEj8s6Etuf6RTk0lplH4yy-60xvvNYLY-f1kVRNxjwyvCFsgEmgOXt4Qu_iVXyY7a3mJaH7Cmq30EYurnRa9pICPHreXARfqp5V7UZ4vSENFMtw9BGlCcfzsLJMNhh66/s1600/Singa31.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Rice! Don't forget the sauce!</td></tr>
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</li>
<li>Ready to have your mind blown? Grab yourself a pepper crab! Pepper crab is another national dish: whole crabs are served smothered in an insanely peppery, dark thick sauce that infiltrates every little crevice of the claws, legs and body making the crab meat amazingly juicy and flavorful.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRihrfEOz-0cBr3327_asABjfjCtj9Q8GtWsE6R7ZmN2Y-7DeCLv4gwDiVNlMzZTPZ03fL1dvuieG8aHuuGrLRsdzxyl0Ryu-uI3lOUv63blOIre7cWT0bwrmwP7hUXqC4lrF8JbEAdaJ/s1600/Singa3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRihrfEOz-0cBr3327_asABjfjCtj9Q8GtWsE6R7ZmN2Y-7DeCLv4gwDiVNlMzZTPZ03fL1dvuieG8aHuuGrLRsdzxyl0Ryu-uI3lOUv63blOIre7cWT0bwrmwP7hUXqC4lrF8JbEAdaJ/s1600/Singa3.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peppery pepper crab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>Ready to have your mind blown again? Three words: Xiao Long Bao (XLB)! Although not a national dish, we were just ecstatic that Singapore hosts Taiwan's famous Din Tai Fung at several locations. For those of you poor souls who have never gone through the XLB experience, make it one of your life's priorities. These dumplings are delicately stuffed with pork and soup. Yes, soup, so that once you bite into them, you experience an explosion of flavor and delight. XLB isn't unique to Singapore by any means but we just really wanted to write about it!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gd412rgwwkvAES0LUKBEMsPzSqW-00CvIKsm9QBiF4L3ph6K6ByFmEaems67aV6BZ_40_Dh-mRlmIW_fIgH4nuj9UA99Q4OaiMOygs6N37HMiGR1FlRtPH3xagcbIsjj9-BMyH6aND24/s1600/Singa13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gd412rgwwkvAES0LUKBEMsPzSqW-00CvIKsm9QBiF4L3ph6K6ByFmEaems67aV6BZ_40_Dh-mRlmIW_fIgH4nuj9UA99Q4OaiMOygs6N37HMiGR1FlRtPH3xagcbIsjj9-BMyH6aND24/s1600/Singa13.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The XLB experience</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li>In the mood for soup? Grab a Laksa! This one is definitely Singaporean (and Malay) and it consists of a thick coconut broth typically served with shrimp, sliced fish cakes, boiled eggs, thick rice noodles and fresh sprouts. This is a heavy one so it's fun to share if you want to keep on eating.</li>
<li>Want to grab a light snack? Try popiah! This insanely crunchy but non-greasy spring roll is stuffed with fresh veggies, shrimp and dipped in peanut sauce. For a meatier snack, grab some satay. These meat skewers are originally Indonesian but are found everywhere. Enjoy with rice cakes, cucumbers, onions and dip it in spiced peanut sauce. For a more traditional Chinese snack, grab a simple rice bun stuffed with braised, tender juicy pork belly and a lettuce leaf (gotta make it healthy somehow!). <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRfphRpIMvrybjHNdB1cL80pbxkMp2N0cevOFlC7XeKQLOjrk9fUaCbtA3Y8LlfEBeC7TK6kjYO1j3Q9mubz2CLhvcsvYePhTommUCpIIWdeNsLHfsZ8ry33n9WHGhRAYeUTNbhsjViYZ/s1600/Singa15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRfphRpIMvrybjHNdB1cL80pbxkMp2N0cevOFlC7XeKQLOjrk9fUaCbtA3Y8LlfEBeC7TK6kjYO1j3Q9mubz2CLhvcsvYePhTommUCpIIWdeNsLHfsZ8ry33n9WHGhRAYeUTNbhsjViYZ/s1600/Singa15.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popiah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTFvmCsaj-kiCt6VCHwNVZQ9tSZzF5nnnv5JUoqsGUx1f30k99t8DKJKNRn7cqAOgTebPwAM-FQXcFxESxP7HxZW4G2Oied2ZSf5ymR1p-qtGnn-voyvk8vOTN27pj0-sHrlW4GTVAE8u/s1600/Singa18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTFvmCsaj-kiCt6VCHwNVZQ9tSZzF5nnnv5JUoqsGUx1f30k99t8DKJKNRn7cqAOgTebPwAM-FQXcFxESxP7HxZW4G2Oied2ZSf5ymR1p-qtGnn-voyvk8vOTN27pj0-sHrlW4GTVAE8u/s1600/Singa18.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork belly bun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9utwNIl09XCwjCSd6oYldWPNB4x4Zh1BY5maNv8WFq4fFuYBuTSyyUXzj5CkvTurtic5jCm2N0Nwix4UF-HAOT73q2wmi4UVV-DDzJgrnyG2grtR2apUsTr4Pm0kubt5vItIGR76pd4sm/s1600/Singa16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9utwNIl09XCwjCSd6oYldWPNB4x4Zh1BY5maNv8WFq4fFuYBuTSyyUXzj5CkvTurtic5jCm2N0Nwix4UF-HAOT73q2wmi4UVV-DDzJgrnyG2grtR2apUsTr4Pm0kubt5vItIGR76pd4sm/s1600/Singa16.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Satay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ol>
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Believe it or not, we ate every single thing on our list above (and then some more!) during our 48 hour visit to Singapore. Next time you look at a world map, just remember that there is indeed a small country underneath that red dot capital marker where multitudes of lucky visitors and residents experience some of the best variety of quality food the world has to offer. <br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a></div>
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And then some....</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQTcSGgkAuN16Pw6Jka0uT0MzX0LZ3bybGjeyKtap5XO3JOYiZsAL0O-K3w55Xy4yBaLQMc-IxV9-_2SFLPfvWqydzGVU4eZt6vdQClPipusn6_m4XjNLDMXs5nvLvz4lH2tFGbdyiFR3/s1600/Singa121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQTcSGgkAuN16Pw6Jka0uT0MzX0LZ3bybGjeyKtap5XO3JOYiZsAL0O-K3w55Xy4yBaLQMc-IxV9-_2SFLPfvWqydzGVU4eZt6vdQClPipusn6_m4XjNLDMXs5nvLvz4lH2tFGbdyiFR3/s1600/Singa121.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So lucky our visit coincided with Singapore's food festival!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wV28G00_GDfrbMsKxkAhguVR05V_BK_E2q-6qQNwMn_ruQ1lZrOf-hzJ_g-PeEYo6-O4P5dhoxz1tyX_rtMlxNCyMLN1Vm_Qn9h7nK6wAVW4sIilTVktjUzJ1cRq93WakuKPEVSUc48i/s1600/Singa19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wV28G00_GDfrbMsKxkAhguVR05V_BK_E2q-6qQNwMn_ruQ1lZrOf-hzJ_g-PeEYo6-O4P5dhoxz1tyX_rtMlxNCyMLN1Vm_Qn9h7nK6wAVW4sIilTVktjUzJ1cRq93WakuKPEVSUc48i/s1600/Singa19.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kwai Tiao - delicious noodles w/oysters</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJetnyfMAokE3PiuffB8AYNi1H1c6JPiEXbfX7hG1glW5WWWNBRz2lwz3OGFsxuhVHfiVGPnD2H1y5jUCiO5lBOVTjOzUooNlgf45jIS8RSa_7lw7Y4uSVe7btXf6Wnsu0FA2N1GSLy4VH/s1600/Singa14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJetnyfMAokE3PiuffB8AYNi1H1c6JPiEXbfX7hG1glW5WWWNBRz2lwz3OGFsxuhVHfiVGPnD2H1y5jUCiO5lBOVTjOzUooNlgf45jIS8RSa_7lw7Y4uSVe7btXf6Wnsu0FA2N1GSLy4VH/s1600/Singa14.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feasting at Din Tai Fung in addition to our 30 XLB order!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigc5jveS0PYA4pbKP_6IeFjMKXvPERksKRE7Px0aCJ4vitD2sBFB2DbpzPUMRc67DyJgO5iptAkUAiIfBPwYQyqH8bOk6lQFgpHzpy_9u53dEw6rXKuI6PimKPBCbmidhNDatvCK0XJqYy/s1600/Singa17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigc5jveS0PYA4pbKP_6IeFjMKXvPERksKRE7Px0aCJ4vitD2sBFB2DbpzPUMRc67DyJgO5iptAkUAiIfBPwYQyqH8bOk6lQFgpHzpy_9u53dEw6rXKuI6PimKPBCbmidhNDatvCK0XJqYy/s1600/Singa17.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did we mention Singaporeans are really friendly?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_SOQo87rlvhJh5YxLDsxGy5_xY3Lt3hgpHvHRYcjwwO37a4577RORa3sAl8926GjM6Lh4tsBblGnh75IbCzcOGiqvSVpi-B9Hq3rT9Cplsak9EyNrmrPBStaGXw4qWfw-zTYIYZaPzvT/s1600/Singa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_SOQo87rlvhJh5YxLDsxGy5_xY3Lt3hgpHvHRYcjwwO37a4577RORa3sAl8926GjM6Lh4tsBblGnh75IbCzcOGiqvSVpi-B9Hq3rT9Cplsak9EyNrmrPBStaGXw4qWfw-zTYIYZaPzvT/s1600/Singa1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiled, soft peanuts</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NOWLqM0Bt0ozSNT2i_wMDMJCfNF3ByzPLQMiMOlTQLFKgmMFsOmC-mxqSuuhkFTn4Zw6MnwdkqwZcgSI44A6WHWYi4ApSNYCXlXqOeMljXNbVGgT4WxB-BPRXB_oeVhdrOt-jY60hoF2/s1600/Singa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NOWLqM0Bt0ozSNT2i_wMDMJCfNF3ByzPLQMiMOlTQLFKgmMFsOmC-mxqSuuhkFTn4Zw6MnwdkqwZcgSI44A6WHWYi4ApSNYCXlXqOeMljXNbVGgT4WxB-BPRXB_oeVhdrOt-jY60hoF2/s1600/Singa2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy chicken rice with crispy tofu and braised greens</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com30Singapore1.352083 103.819836000000010.84410649999999987 103.174389 1.8600595 104.46528300000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-8708860133702474812013-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:002013-09-30T06:00:12.960-07:00On an island on a lake in a volcano on an island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Coffee, volcanoes, civil war, orangutans, epic surfing and the epicenter of the 2004 tsunami make Sumatra a well-known island in Indonesia. However, it is not very popular with tourists (yet) probably because of the lack of infrastructure and fear of something going down in Banda Aceh where most of the violence occurred several years ago. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLo_IxHrNU6LF7fTkXsymPaxLlgsT2CL9pQ4sa-d1KKc1laQyTq79HwyLebw5XLwDAK5R58pssqAANLWiaEBczLAHVA90TThZPS8oc0N4e23CcyxKpZx9Ywz_z9ddgFB6MXwhC_3a1U-y/s1600/LakeT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLo_IxHrNU6LF7fTkXsymPaxLlgsT2CL9pQ4sa-d1KKc1laQyTq79HwyLebw5XLwDAK5R58pssqAANLWiaEBczLAHVA90TThZPS8oc0N4e23CcyxKpZx9Ywz_z9ddgFB6MXwhC_3a1U-y/s1600/LakeT2.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padang: great for food! But that was about it</td></tr>
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Sumatra is a great place to visit but perhaps not during Ramadan. Although food was generally available to non-Muslims (and those Muslims who decided to cheat), it was tough to find good food. </div>
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In spite of this hiccup, we still had a lot of fun especially because one of our good friends from California came out to visit. The top two destinations in Sumatra, in our humble opinion, are Lake Toba and Pulau Weh. As a side note, the biggest trap in Sumatra, we found out, was the Mentawai islands, one of the world's surfing meccas. The locals have taken advantage of the surfing fame and charge insane prices for food, lodging and transportation. A simple 10 minute round trip on a local wooden boat to a surf break will cost you $200 US dollars and most people buy instant noodles in Padang, the launch point, because local food is outrageously expensive. No thanks!!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjjNFeYEXH34DSoN4YvCIpXOp1g7f8TvgyVHEbg8JgPTfP4dRpQmFiOpZpF5YQlqeBng5oKEhLZKjtVp9cFJSAoLnmyclZ4UlaQuo_s24GsmYqgJXSC9Rufi62MZvWpRXptdhRSTvcyxb/s1600/LakeT11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjjNFeYEXH34DSoN4YvCIpXOp1g7f8TvgyVHEbg8JgPTfP4dRpQmFiOpZpF5YQlqeBng5oKEhLZKjtVp9cFJSAoLnmyclZ4UlaQuo_s24GsmYqgJXSC9Rufi62MZvWpRXptdhRSTvcyxb/s1600/LakeT11.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joyriding around Lake Toba</td></tr>
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Lake Toba, on the other hand, is an amazing destination just a couple of hours outside the terribly crowded and polluted city of Medan. Lake Toba is actually a lake inside the crater of a giant volcano and it is, in fact, the world's largest crater lake. An island called Samosir sits in the middle of this crater lake and is larger than all of Singapore. </div>
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Tuk Tuk, a small village on Samosir, is home to the Batak people, one of the few Christian communities in the world's largest Muslim country. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMZrAN27bOH09OMDWwHvLdcTaJuyDlce_uIdYxQjeytNDwBA16kTBdQK6YpwjgTq7vB-lBB2oRevxWMHIuVOPBqLYA8_dFygVhEwcjfB2q7d_pdWPSmlTD0-_kjAbrxr77Ho_K7GNQ02D/s1600/LakeT12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMZrAN27bOH09OMDWwHvLdcTaJuyDlce_uIdYxQjeytNDwBA16kTBdQK6YpwjgTq7vB-lBB2oRevxWMHIuVOPBqLYA8_dFygVhEwcjfB2q7d_pdWPSmlTD0-_kjAbrxr77Ho_K7GNQ02D/s1600/LakeT12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batak architecture </td></tr>
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Batak culture is very unique and they have their own architectural style, consisting of beautiful wood carvings on large roofs dominated by red, black and white colors. The island has many lake front guesthouses, great cafes and lots of delicious little hole-in-the wall restaurants. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRYd4C9PRD3DIilchbRzX8Wyo7HyrzTP2O7uMnihcsmZPu6u_3gSHi8LK5voVcsyC9sKxFAUlSUVB3Mxxc8LWdRihNzYjAEeYGEbZcHila5CAAJ6BXw_QN1kFRBgkgqoVG0OeyF5MAon5/s1600/LakeT1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRYd4C9PRD3DIilchbRzX8Wyo7HyrzTP2O7uMnihcsmZPu6u_3gSHi8LK5voVcsyC9sKxFAUlSUVB3Mxxc8LWdRihNzYjAEeYGEbZcHila5CAAJ6BXw_QN1kFRBgkgqoVG0OeyF5MAon5/s1600/LakeT1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilling and kayaking on the lake (with Guiness on board!)</td></tr>
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Each night, you can enjoy fresh, locally caught fish which is barbecued to perfection, along with an ice cold beer plus fresh fruit salad for no more than $6 bucks total. The fish at Lake Toba was definitely some of the best we had in all the countries we visited (up there with Masqouf in Dubai and the fresh fish in Zanzibar) due to its freshness and the slow roast preparation over coals. </div>
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The lake is surprisingly clean and really fun for swimming or kayaking. Our day activities consisted of lounging by the beaches on the lake, taking a cooking class (Batak cuisine was one of the best we had in Indonesia), renting bikes to explore Tuk Tuk, hiking up to see the small lake on the island on the lake in the volcano on the island or grabbing scooters to see the incredible views from the top of the island. </div>
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You can easily spend two weeks on this awesome lake eating like royalty, relaxing and exploring.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw2s_XGP7ulKX3ZQjTXlI5wFxOb1RdMSSxf8nUA5nndc1fWK6mvKCpb84Yk5M4YZ8uEjMILgNYLo25y_tuQqMHDX1MY-3deif9BOaFTvlXYVIZWIhLGv2KqXwGiM6xeV10zN8P3WKIeRb/s1600/LakeT112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw2s_XGP7ulKX3ZQjTXlI5wFxOb1RdMSSxf8nUA5nndc1fWK6mvKCpb84Yk5M4YZ8uEjMILgNYLo25y_tuQqMHDX1MY-3deif9BOaFTvlXYVIZWIhLGv2KqXwGiM6xeV10zN8P3WKIeRb/s1600/LakeT112.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulau Weh's pristine waterfall</td></tr>
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Pulau ("island" in Indonesian) Weh is an awesome little island off the north coast of Banda Aceh. Banda Aceh itself was a very nice city and we wouldn't have minded spending a little more time there. Anyway, Pulau Weh sits very close to the epicenter of the 2004 tsunami and is a gem of a spot. </div>
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The humidity is remarkably low and temperatures are not too high, making the weather in Pulau Weh extremely pleasant. Pulau Weh is a big island, completely covered by dense jungle where tons of monkeys and snakes thrive. </div>
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There is a beautiful waterfall tucked away in the thick of the jungle but accessible by foot and there's even a local 'volcano' where sulfur hot springs abound. A tour of the whole island can be done one a scooter in just a few hours.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicge7yqgK04SYamZ9AdS4Qq73uyoK_FtZ2f9jt46YXRl4DRcs5R61yReI46cOTTMuL1k69t2RoSScu35B9uzm_LJ0QPPsBkjf3oSYAs60v7Om4GuYy8df-3l0JWCvarokDm7F2ERwKsnW5/s1600/LakeT111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicge7yqgK04SYamZ9AdS4Qq73uyoK_FtZ2f9jt46YXRl4DRcs5R61yReI46cOTTMuL1k69t2RoSScu35B9uzm_LJ0QPPsBkjf3oSYAs60v7Om4GuYy8df-3l0JWCvarokDm7F2ERwKsnW5/s1600/LakeT111.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of Pulau Weh's hills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
The fame, however, behind Pulau Weh is its awesome diving and snorkeling. The northwest part of the island has the best beaches and diving spots so we parked it there for almost three weeks. Although the local reef suffered very intense damage and bleaching from a freak rise in water temperature back in 2010, the abundance of marine life is amazing and definitely makes up for the lack of color. </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuck5_X_jLCyrjDf6gi-LCEFAy2D1QNGfEzhptH_b-zG7irqsmXoHjmypdlGQb3gDsN2kagfiO2E2NCh4bzi-UUth0RlqwK4UGd-5jDx5iZNrhqqtOLdhg4m_u1exNfFgh5kKO-VdsGWKC/s1600/LakeT131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuck5_X_jLCyrjDf6gi-LCEFAy2D1QNGfEzhptH_b-zG7irqsmXoHjmypdlGQb3gDsN2kagfiO2E2NCh4bzi-UUth0RlqwK4UGd-5jDx5iZNrhqqtOLdhg4m_u1exNfFgh5kKO-VdsGWKC/s1600/LakeT131.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine diving with the folks at <a href="http://lumbalumba.com/" target="_blank">LumbaLumba</a></td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
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<div class="p1">
We saw some of the largest schools of parrot fish we had ever seen, there was a honeycomb eel the size of Eliot (he's 6'3"!), sea turtles, reef sharks, psychedelic crazy looking octopi and hundreds upon hundreds of colorful little reef fish all over the place. </div>
<div class="p1">
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<div class="p1">
Unfortunately accomodation was mediocre at best and the food, unfortunately, is just average. However, we were lucky enough to find lodging at the only Italian restaurant on the whole island for our last week. Drea got to practice her Italian with the owners and their ridiculously cute multi-lingual child. We ate heaps of lasagna, pasta puttanesca and drooled over some of the best tiramisu ever. </div>
<div class="p1">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2wRXBs3_r5_tv7ZceNhRrSyuNZiSKXOH2OPdCHD19jt6ABzWLEVL8LJGKzIOIZAWCqbIx5REtLZulKjWB3_QFQMzRAlANn-Af9F1aPfwUSGLGuhSoRUqJqfrEwgTx8aVezF1FcbLlC3E/s1600/LakeT222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2wRXBs3_r5_tv7ZceNhRrSyuNZiSKXOH2OPdCHD19jt6ABzWLEVL8LJGKzIOIZAWCqbIx5REtLZulKjWB3_QFQMzRAlANn-Af9F1aPfwUSGLGuhSoRUqJqfrEwgTx8aVezF1FcbLlC3E/s1600/LakeT222.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu madness at the one and only Italian restaurant: <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1787388-d3702573-Reviews-Bixio_Cafe-Pulau_Weh_Aceh_Sumatra.html" target="_blank">Bixio</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p1">
Pulau Weh sucked us in a little bit and we suddenly realized we were running out of time. Although we would have loved to go white water rafting on some world class rapids that apparently rival the <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/10-days-and-180-km-of-whitewater.html" target="_blank">Karnali in Nepal</a> and hiking on some of the volcanoes north of Lake Toba, we couldn't make anything work because of the craziness of the week after Ramadan. We can't wait to get back to Sumatra during a different time of the year so we can avoid Ramadan, find some cheaper surfing spots and get our paddling on!<br />
<br />
But for now, we were going to escape to the nearest Buddhist country: Thailand...<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0egG0QVtc2AC9NDjhke-NTnYm0rfI0KEeWnocEEyPeRpOfC8Nrc2DQA-TjxnAAmvhMMIyi3vhOKh5C7mCfZ7spZfKafatLuziKS6G0zuq4F9SDS8bZ2Kg8-dO0xvlPMjEVfpssOqU3dM/s1600/LakeT221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0egG0QVtc2AC9NDjhke-NTnYm0rfI0KEeWnocEEyPeRpOfC8Nrc2DQA-TjxnAAmvhMMIyi3vhOKh5C7mCfZ7spZfKafatLuziKS6G0zuq4F9SDS8bZ2Kg8-dO0xvlPMjEVfpssOqU3dM/s1600/LakeT221.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our backyard for a week @ Pulau Weh!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-42875027200367755312013-09-26T08:00:00.000-07:002013-09-26T08:00:09.074-07:00Tropical intrigue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMb2h9XqfilUeVUuackt3a-SjiJv14jHyWnXjaKRG4TNH1hdaUGt0ER8BbkU4mgLOtCJPHgEzU0thO1JjC42fm7gsQkdoWCC3Q8lDFQCkcFc07L8UkjYqYd0jrFlwaSpixCgPbWPIXgqP/s1600/Photos+-+6335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMb2h9XqfilUeVUuackt3a-SjiJv14jHyWnXjaKRG4TNH1hdaUGt0ER8BbkU4mgLOtCJPHgEzU0thO1JjC42fm7gsQkdoWCC3Q8lDFQCkcFc07L8UkjYqYd0jrFlwaSpixCgPbWPIXgqP/s1600/Photos+-+6335.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hard at work in paradise</td></tr>
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<br />
Our first mistake was to fly from <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/2013/09/why-colombo-is-food-and-shopping-gasp.html" target="_blank">Colombo</a> to Maldives on the first Friday of Ramadan. Maldivians take their religion seriously and not only is there no food for sale <i>anywhere</i> during the day but no ferries run between the islands either. For a country made up of thousands of tiny coral atolls that's a serious transportation challenge. We were forced to stay in the capital city of Male, a tiny island where skyscrapers appear to jut straight out of the sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGEz9laOIXYCDNHHO4lFIJPE36BIIz_ct4XxsAigM22EZaw5GRyOeEXn9q4QrE9cJQhHOW_D__Q5NVZU7qvU8OY4dd7j23FaQ1WVXaZynr6WncCLzzkMf1-8LRjj-nw0Xv496AGWkB4PU/s1600/Photos+-+6337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGEz9laOIXYCDNHHO4lFIJPE36BIIz_ct4XxsAigM22EZaw5GRyOeEXn9q4QrE9cJQhHOW_D__Q5NVZU7qvU8OY4dd7j23FaQ1WVXaZynr6WncCLzzkMf1-8LRjj-nw0Xv496AGWkB4PU/s1600/Photos+-+6337.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Going fishing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv6zCpnquB6T5LDj9k-1qmF2X9Ez6fTfirolgFIGjwpqU5SPQ9-ZTpNorWL2c8sJ9lX9vzZrcwzRFzcyfIgTo7iNAq1I9kFIrJyu-YwobFPNzcg-nhZ5c4l1OJUHUs_Chco6FAU0Ab1SP/s1600/Photos+-+6340.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Gone fishing</td></tr>
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Luckily we met a friendly local who invited us to join his family on a night fishing trip to celebrate the first Friday of Ramadan. We cruised out under cover of darkness and fished by throwing hooked lines over the side of the boat and hauling them back in with gloved hands. Everyone caught a number of fish and we even dragged up a few eels (don't worry, we threw them back). For our first time fishing, we were amazed we managed to catch anything!<br />
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Our local friend has political ambitions to become the senator for island where he was born. Recent Maldivian political history is a veritable soap opera of tropical intrigue. A very popular young opposition candidate ousted the longtime incumbent from the presidency a couple of years ago. He had big ideas for changing the country, opening up the tourism sector and developing the outlying atolls. But the incumbent wasn't happy losing his throne and organized a coup with the help of the Male police. Our friend was actually alongside the young president during the coup and was on the front-lines of the subsequent riots between police and angry constituents.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oArYnMRPb-G44RJLDKedaoHEtzCPCG4F-zn0VsYb2dAI6qZhs91Tw-sia7lsIc-cpKr45bjrGEDID7LA7B3Xrsbs8kc5-AeRwQS3flRkWJn8u_4gT5dn6AI4c_DMdNnvJ7Jte2qTTSYi/s1600/Photos+-+6459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oArYnMRPb-G44RJLDKedaoHEtzCPCG4F-zn0VsYb2dAI6qZhs91Tw-sia7lsIc-cpKr45bjrGEDID7LA7B3Xrsbs8kc5-AeRwQS3flRkWJn8u_4gT5dn6AI4c_DMdNnvJ7Jte2qTTSYi/s1600/Photos+-+6459.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">No sex scandals for this little guy</td></tr>
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A new election was about to take place when we were there and tensions were running high. A non-stop series of incidents have rattled the political scene, from complex corruption schemes to high justices involved in sex scandals (especially big news during Ramadan!).<br />
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Luckily we were able to escape the embroiled capital unscathed to the beautiful island of Maafushi. Maldives is best known for its massive, five star, all inclusive resorts. But those were far beyond the reaches of our modest pocketbook. Luckily over the past few years the country legalized 'local guest houses' (thanks to the ousted young president). These are the equivalent of a nice budget hotel in the US. They had relatively spacious rooms with AC and all the amenities but without the attached resort.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uA43lED6cyUKpS51851lMyIMz68WJFJtoRlj8qDWZ4FlbGT9bM-xcixYZKgc6KpFP8nLtSz2kUu35mKJuDO9rUMSAlzxuQKzRUrZLs4EmgNiBMjJ8-RXpBDgJGRGOgUJbiVL66CYqwZD/s1600/Photos+-+6440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uA43lED6cyUKpS51851lMyIMz68WJFJtoRlj8qDWZ4FlbGT9bM-xcixYZKgc6KpFP8nLtSz2kUu35mKJuDO9rUMSAlzxuQKzRUrZLs4EmgNiBMjJ8-RXpBDgJGRGOgUJbiVL66CYqwZD/s1600/Photos+-+6440.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">We both felt like this after the Maldives</td></tr>
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We spent our week there relaxing on the snow white beaches (a different shade of white compared to <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/08/chillin-like-villain-in-east-africas.html" target="_blank">Zanzibar</a>), swimming in the perfect turquoise water and diving pristine coral reefs. The marine life is in exquisite condition and residents are very aware of its importance to the local economy so they keep it well protected. There was no shortage of sharks, turtles, napoleon fish, sweetlips, eels and of course, plenty of Nemos. We munched on fresh seafood in the evenings and slurped down coconuts throughout the day (well hidden from the prying eyes of Ramadan of course). Though the coconuts were sub-par compared to <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/why-colombo-is-food-and-shopping-gasp.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka's King Coconuts</a>, they still did the job and kept us well hydrated throughout the hot, hot days.<br />
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It was a wonderful week, all the more so because a week is the perfect amount of time to spend there. It's a great place for a short-term holiday. But our ambitions ran beyond the scope of a short-term holiday, we had our sights set on the smoldering volcanoes, verdant jungles and deserted beaches of Sumatra...<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/">www.dreacastillo.com</a><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTYpTxUwVaWMuh02xma0_fwnLfpSstmwVpSDstoSwHGm4SSG8n-qDB4OVSs3OPRjw1p_Ko7nsjYuGbdlKzO7gqaW8aX3b2XHhMuVZ-YltCooKZKLTgeuqTrFblUYhCWZENNzmS216BbW7/s1600/Photos+-+6468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTYpTxUwVaWMuh02xma0_fwnLfpSstmwVpSDstoSwHGm4SSG8n-qDB4OVSs3OPRjw1p_Ko7nsjYuGbdlKzO7gqaW8aX3b2XHhMuVZ-YltCooKZKLTgeuqTrFblUYhCWZENNzmS216BbW7/s1600/Photos+-+6468.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Can't complain</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeuVtXPI-eaAqbtKRhbWu7SGHwNDEqXrDLlg3mqTp_IFSIL1ESbPWJQmGkZw93KsjzTrUj5V1xjiJAsAhHGoRA_1x7uAkNjo-HVX0wIKDKMcjBGhkF5c3YIgJMLcZhYtMKNUj1mY5GcYh/s1600/Photos+-+6465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeuVtXPI-eaAqbtKRhbWu7SGHwNDEqXrDLlg3mqTp_IFSIL1ESbPWJQmGkZw93KsjzTrUj5V1xjiJAsAhHGoRA_1x7uAkNjo-HVX0wIKDKMcjBGhkF5c3YIgJMLcZhYtMKNUj1mY5GcYh/s1600/Photos+-+6465.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Island life</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_53j5U22hFDGyFlUcfZkftKbmtTQmLmWhWL30Vt7YE6mQLiuAFPiO60tHz4hm9vRLl2-FFGd95lLTxxZRElsYyB0FH8L8oUeYD49wAgqscgpyFJq_vZWQcARtuVqQyJFiNmkxY0utuM3/s1600/Photos+-+6492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_53j5U22hFDGyFlUcfZkftKbmtTQmLmWhWL30Vt7YE6mQLiuAFPiO60tHz4hm9vRLl2-FFGd95lLTxxZRElsYyB0FH8L8oUeYD49wAgqscgpyFJq_vZWQcARtuVqQyJFiNmkxY0utuM3/s1600/Photos+-+6492.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">On our way to unspoiled reefs</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4jamxAslPUenDQMVC6pDeUtE6RkVjvXkOL0UIocplPF9asA6RBCCkzLSSWDgkffk2XHFV3IBEZrhuKabNQIECiBpPcgsRE8KGJhzSFbB3T0PTKBc05ONZWpTvMjJlJCQlSs_kSfQ8uY1/s1600/Photos+-+6453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4jamxAslPUenDQMVC6pDeUtE6RkVjvXkOL0UIocplPF9asA6RBCCkzLSSWDgkffk2XHFV3IBEZrhuKabNQIECiBpPcgsRE8KGJhzSFbB3T0PTKBc05ONZWpTvMjJlJCQlSs_kSfQ8uY1/s1600/Photos+-+6453.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Shade on the Indian Ocean</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbV3DjnE5d3Zn-_ZgvCBhblXHDGBUfA7h5XGzKw3OZqQH39QKKYvMbDtnEi0Kq4f-XgzzwWvy5fu82R3Edq39pRSROMNob5TOaig3R0SPjhaTjMz-9HMJF8zVIVk1Twn03f5pvcVU8C4O/s1600/Photos+-+6445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbV3DjnE5d3Zn-_ZgvCBhblXHDGBUfA7h5XGzKw3OZqQH39QKKYvMbDtnEi0Kq4f-XgzzwWvy5fu82R3Edq39pRSROMNob5TOaig3R0SPjhaTjMz-9HMJF8zVIVk1Twn03f5pvcVU8C4O/s1600/Photos+-+6445.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our home for a week</td></tr>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-23401809773782062342013-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:002013-09-23T06:00:03.318-07:00High on Ceylon tea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was hard to leave <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/09/bus-rides-through-mine-fields.html" target="_blank">Arugam Bay</a>. The warm ocean water, the chill surfer vibe, excellent food at Ram's and delicious breakfasts at <a href="http://www.backpacktosrilanka.com/happy-panda-homestay-arugam-bay/" target="_blank">Happy Panda</a> kept us there for as long as we could push it. Eventually though, we knew we needed to start heading inland because we had spent nearly three weeks on Sri Lanka's north and eastern coastline.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvPUy24cnMcbclzY3vOfIkadmrBl7uYhtZdLYSRHVPpUWJ92RBPN8LWy59yllpXa5yv_-0Wmi6jYMbqrhtufw3iQoIQ9BI4nod11sf_wt-rRMhzOh-DBVTkKbmkb4r6rUXcOH-hGVr36I/s1600/Ella1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvPUy24cnMcbclzY3vOfIkadmrBl7uYhtZdLYSRHVPpUWJ92RBPN8LWy59yllpXa5yv_-0Wmi6jYMbqrhtufw3iQoIQ9BI4nod11sf_wt-rRMhzOh-DBVTkKbmkb4r6rUXcOH-hGVr36I/s1600/Ella1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home made okra, eggplant and, oh, papad fried in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee" target="_blank">ghee</a>!</td></tr>
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With one more week to go, we had little time to see one of the highlights of this awesome little country: the tea country!<br />
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Both of us are really into tea and we wanted to go tea tasting and hike around all the tea estates we had heard about. We had to take a series of small buses to get to Ella from Arugam Bay, which naturally ended up taking all day. Upon arriving, there was a cool little guesthouse tucked away in the hilly portion of the town. We were greeted by a nice pot of home-grown ceylon tea while the owner made us a delicious home-cooked vegetarian meal consisting of okra and eggplant curries, dal (lentil) and rice. For about $2.50 each, we ate all we could, still had left-overs and went to bed happily stuffed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp_n3Ul61m_YHobu9ukubFx9kPQRTlT7oDAUqsBcZG2krOsHc6VOxrdDLGBMxAZGIPpA98TOc6H9k0ppg8OFszIcUMMrWHS5Qv2ThyXjmDKygGqCV0Cr0hqN8fNnj0yT0eRR9z2QWk3iH/s1600/Ella11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsp_n3Ul61m_YHobu9ukubFx9kPQRTlT7oDAUqsBcZG2krOsHc6VOxrdDLGBMxAZGIPpA98TOc6H9k0ppg8OFszIcUMMrWHS5Qv2ThyXjmDKygGqCV0Cr0hqN8fNnj0yT0eRR9z2QWk3iH/s1600/Ella11.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The train tracks that lead to Ella Rock</td></tr>
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Ella has a chill vibe and is a great little place for outdoor activities. There's a great half-day hike that starts by following train tracks carved into the hillside. Half-way through, you can climb down to see a waterfall that flows underneath the tracks all the way down to meet one of the rivers in the valley several hundred feet below.<br />
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After the waterfall break, we continued our trek and a very nice local barefoot man asked us if we needed help getting to Ella Rock - our final destination. Feeling a bit cocky we politely declined his offer and kept on walking. We missed our left turn and the very same man caught up to us and recommended we follow him. We walked through beautiful tea plantations and rice paddies and our friend signaled that he'd be happy to take us to the top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCw_HDSoAlQNlHYj31qRbkXpXCzjUTbjs23FqzSBVjwtKldFnAgHkR0uq8KoCKnI-NyJp-jb04IUbjrdxiiqMtVco-AluZFwtzeaNgm-vVEe_kZeUjRpVd6YZo0J2L83N7QjYgAWVCEEi/s1600/Ella12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCw_HDSoAlQNlHYj31qRbkXpXCzjUTbjs23FqzSBVjwtKldFnAgHkR0uq8KoCKnI-NyJp-jb04IUbjrdxiiqMtVco-AluZFwtzeaNgm-vVEe_kZeUjRpVd6YZo0J2L83N7QjYgAWVCEEi/s1600/Ella12.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the very nice local barefoot man at the top of Ella Rock!</td></tr>
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It turned out we did not really know what the hell we were doing so we welcomed our new guide. We thought it would be a slow hike up the steep slopes all the way to the top but we couldn't have been more wrong. Our friend practically ran up these very, very steep slopes and we got our asses kicked. We were huffing and puffing and trying really try to keep up with him. The terrain was rocky, uneven and very steep and the fact that our friend had no shoes, didn't bother him or slow him down one bit. It actually reminded us a lot of the <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/the-himalayan-weightloss-plan.html" target="_blank">incredibly fit sherpas and porters in Nepal</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_-VLo1qN9dIb6zBIuOcNaIRpI5mn-OyiW8saVXnzhUgDaZxRcJouuj5ba4nk69SA75T0yvDhTvd0rwr17KsXnN_mQEq3zyl83gMnBrbwfmGMyeSBxxd2Kq2g4eJNRqDSx_hsf9lXShXd/s1600/Ella15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_-VLo1qN9dIb6zBIuOcNaIRpI5mn-OyiW8saVXnzhUgDaZxRcJouuj5ba4nk69SA75T0yvDhTvd0rwr17KsXnN_mQEq3zyl83gMnBrbwfmGMyeSBxxd2Kq2g4eJNRqDSx_hsf9lXShXd/s1600/Ella15.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ella Rock view on the way to Little Adam's Peak</td></tr>
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The final destination at Ella Rock was magnificent. The top of the hill overlooks the entire little town of Ella, all the tea estates, the hills rolling away towards the east coast. Plus, we could see several waterfalls flowing down the mountains. We thanked our guide and gave him a tip for his excellent services. He smiled, thanked us and went sprinting down the hill.<br />
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Directly across from the top of Ella Rock, we saw Little Adam's peak, our next hiking destination. It's nothing like the <a href="http://www.backpacktosrilanka.com/adams-peak-sri-pada/" target="_blank">real Adam's Peak</a> (or so we hear) but fun nonetheless. The 360 degree views from the top of Little Adam's peak was a treat although it is much lower than the top of Ella Rock.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94hdMr9E1gr1W4wlpelEe0QlRZ1W2WiwujI5ZdJkooinidyh3gMccU3XryMV7s5jfvrgMd9zVUnubE0aMOvlj1fPVZH1F8JV-7r2MXK_TP9lg_RIPZQ9-QQot6yDSMMICyL_jD2tyq7ZR/s1600/Ella16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94hdMr9E1gr1W4wlpelEe0QlRZ1W2WiwujI5ZdJkooinidyh3gMccU3XryMV7s5jfvrgMd9zVUnubE0aMOvlj1fPVZH1F8JV-7r2MXK_TP9lg_RIPZQ9-QQot6yDSMMICyL_jD2tyq7ZR/s1600/Ella16.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh pressed Ceylon tea with custom hourglass</td></tr>
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From Little Adam's peak, we saw the beautiful tea estates of <a href="http://resort98acres.com/" target="_blank">98 acres</a>, a fancy-pants resort with a swimming pool, restaurant, bungalows and, well, 98 acres of tea. We took a break and sat on their outdoor deck, nested in the midst of thousands of tea plants with excellent views of Little Adam's peak and more rolling hills of tea. They served delicious Ceylon tea in individual french presses with an hourglass that got the steeping time just right.<br />
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To Eliot's delight, the restaurant boasted its use of fresh and locally sourced milk for the ceylon tea so he decided to order a full glass of it. Drea had to try a little and we both agreed that it was the damn finest milk we had had in a long while!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xJXBjk1NWdkGzakMSVROD4ckc-oxRIjsWOY1lCcDYSZMWu7_oalv1gx8OEAYUrpysv3FZxBGXJej7wf4ton9wpZMv_mpxFyU6tKdAGFmgd9tvocKccUjqP_dvnoEPxXI8Qo_k3bYKLjH/s1600/Ella17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xJXBjk1NWdkGzakMSVROD4ckc-oxRIjsWOY1lCcDYSZMWu7_oalv1gx8OEAYUrpysv3FZxBGXJej7wf4ton9wpZMv_mpxFyU6tKdAGFmgd9tvocKccUjqP_dvnoEPxXI8Qo_k3bYKLjH/s1600/Ella17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The glass is always fuller... with fresh milk!</td></tr>
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The tea adventures continued as we did a short little hike to one of the only green tea factories in Sri Lanka, conveniently located close to 98 acres. The tour of the factory was fascinating and the smell of green tea was amazing! We got a great deal by getting a quarter of a kilo of Sri Lanka's finest Gun Powder 3 (GP3) for less than $5 bucks.<br />
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Although there is not a whole lot more to do in Ella, it's definitely worth a one or two night stop. Plus, you are really close to Haputale, another magnificent little town where you can watch the sunrise and enjoy some of the best 360 degree views in all of Sri Lanka (if you're lucky and don't' get fogged in!) at the famous Lipton's Seat. If you do decide to go, we recommend heading out there early and hiking the 6 kilometers of tea paths all the way to the top instead of cheating and driving up in a tuk-tuk.<br />
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"Unfortunately" for us we <i>had</i> to leave Sri Lanka because our visas ran out and we <i>had </i>to hop on a short plane ride to this little country you may have heard of... the Maldives!<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiWf4m-gQyZoZdB8erAK22T4FDw9RxpAeUS_LPxDHPE_plfuLquDbbAub5_pLNoOC7yuFY87Oe7y4dHbQ_4B7sGj79n1ScQl28Rz_JteD-ThfERphYNvmS7S8rO1WutRgWjlysStlW_fD/s1600/Ella2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiWf4m-gQyZoZdB8erAK22T4FDw9RxpAeUS_LPxDHPE_plfuLquDbbAub5_pLNoOC7yuFY87Oe7y4dHbQ_4B7sGj79n1ScQl28Rz_JteD-ThfERphYNvmS7S8rO1WutRgWjlysStlW_fD/s1600/Ella2.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazing tea country views from Lipton's Seat in Haputale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-iOPu-HyUBhQVW9-3gHv-YDqK5WsvF0yqcZD9JVD6E9PCZ2UCFzwZegaPAjPcLKw8OK0habjrT41kftj_QfOGWYRqwYMRssnd0JTItUY2in-vkgaf5FlKA9vQBORYVmFKUU9E_sKVaNf/s1600/Ella14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-iOPu-HyUBhQVW9-3gHv-YDqK5WsvF0yqcZD9JVD6E9PCZ2UCFzwZegaPAjPcLKw8OK0habjrT41kftj_QfOGWYRqwYMRssnd0JTItUY2in-vkgaf5FlKA9vQBORYVmFKUU9E_sKVaNf/s1600/Ella14.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfall break at Ella</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx9yzvrTDdoTEIh9P-Xc-2WmK7fJl0vnvPKwPWDwHdjGkj895QZWuhR8brE_0t-RJqfa8_u4Un-Q8XMmQ4SQvyThmuscdxJ8ibAvFZhYSgYhtg9cKaKdEACLxsnxby8Hz2a6DZ2QiUnyc/s1600/Ella13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrx9yzvrTDdoTEIh9P-Xc-2WmK7fJl0vnvPKwPWDwHdjGkj895QZWuhR8brE_0t-RJqfa8_u4Un-Q8XMmQ4SQvyThmuscdxJ8ibAvFZhYSgYhtg9cKaKdEACLxsnxby8Hz2a6DZ2QiUnyc/s1600/Ella13.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea paths throughout Ella</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-46750066714784546782013-09-18T07:30:00.000-07:002013-09-23T22:50:42.778-07:00Bus rides through mine fields<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-AFqM4TjacYbCz2RJlVxMwo78ZCJArVXehHcBJEBtA-g70p-UXrXwCCPmdcUGtQP4x6hnHY62ttz46fH45rZw3pogwN2ZgkcLHNSeLp-18XBiOWUDc4saI6kXF4h_ET9rPs6uDTJOVeV/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia:+Sri+Lanka+-+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-AFqM4TjacYbCz2RJlVxMwo78ZCJArVXehHcBJEBtA-g70p-UXrXwCCPmdcUGtQP4x6hnHY62ttz46fH45rZw3pogwN2ZgkcLHNSeLp-18XBiOWUDc4saI6kXF4h_ET9rPs6uDTJOVeV/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia:+Sri+Lanka+-+019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Enjoying coconuts on the train</td></tr>
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We chugged out of <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/2013/09/why-colombo-is-food-and-shopping-gasp.html" target="_blank">Colombo</a> on one of Sri Lanka's British colonial era trains. The track wound its way North through bright green rice paddies and coconut plantations. The leg space was generous as Asian transportation options go. We were serenaded by vocal toddlers and lulled into semi-consciousness by the potent nasal onslaught of cow shit and locomotive exhaust.</div>
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After a few hot, humid hours we arrived at the next destination of our <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/search/label/Sabbatical%20Series" target="_blank">sabbatical</a>: the unpronounceable city of <a href="http://www.backpacktosrilanka.com/category/journey/historical-spots/anuradhapura/" target="_blank">Anuradhapura</a>. A tuk-tuk driver ferried us through the unremarkable town to our guest house for the night. The old couple who owned the place explained that the famous temple complex in the old town had extraordinarily high entry fees for foreign tourists (on the order of ~$30 per person vs. ~$1 per person for locals). Instead we elected to take his suggestion to support the local economy and hired the same tuk-tuk driver to smuggle us into the various sites. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Drea experiments with surf yoga</td></tr>
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Our valiant driver took us through the various secret routes to avoid the ever-watchful gaze of the tourist police and park attendants. Once inside we were blown away by the scale of the temple complex. Anuradhapura is one of the less-talked-about stops on Sri Lanka's cultural tourism circuit but the Buddhist stupas, statues and carvings there rival anything in Asia. Make sure to check it out if you get the chance to visit. </div>
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The next morning we caught a bus to the Northern tip of Sri Lanka, <a href="http://www.backpacktosrilanka.com/jaffna-sri-lanka/" target="_blank">a city called Jaffna</a>. Jaffna was the center of the long-running civil war and the home base of the Tamil Tigers. </div>
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The war ended violently a few years ago in the midst of some complex geopolitical posturing. After quietly supporting the Sri Lankan government for years, the US withdrew its support just as they were mounting their last major offensive against the rebels. Obama is quite unpopular in Sri Lanka because he also tried to sway the EU and other international parties to push for a diplomatic resolution with the Tamil Tigers due to (well-grounded) concerns about human rights violations perpetrated by government troops. Luckily for the government, China stepped in to take up the slack. India sat back, worried about its huge Tamil population getting upset over any action.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjBdo2DR22J6kFi2xeiOPLXALGVjZZ7Aclpjdyx3jfK5KALbsyMUwISlNjT-p_Ddwypo5X0vz1ik4q__VBq6CIbQGsbZsn2cSNFQcZMv3DgPwPSPcXRcGQSfAs3ha55jWCAOr8kRHJKmU/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjBdo2DR22J6kFi2xeiOPLXALGVjZZ7Aclpjdyx3jfK5KALbsyMUwISlNjT-p_Ddwypo5X0vz1ik4q__VBq6CIbQGsbZsn2cSNFQcZMv3DgPwPSPcXRcGQSfAs3ha55jWCAOr8kRHJKmU/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+033.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Elephants are the national animal</td></tr>
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China actually has a long history of international support for Sri Lanka. When we arrived in Colombo we both wrongly assumed that Sri Lanka and India must be close allies. Their actual relationship is far more complex, and far less friendly, than we thought. The straight is fraught with tension and constant political bickering. China supported Sri Lanka for centuries as a strategic trade hub and came to the rescue with funding and military supplies when Colombo decided to wipe the Tigers off the map. Many Sri Lankans saw this as the only viable solution because of the singularly failure-ridden track record of peace negotiations. They saw Obama and the US as trying to subvert a final resolution to their civil war by claiming to support peace when their actual (secret) goal was protracted conflict that benefited US weapons manufacturers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qhRYyXvGQGOU4E959uzfW6lEJ3kJUiEpeZNQYm8OzlMRnM1phDuF8PNo4z6Id4MzSij3DE1IxR5M20817aA9vgM5l5weX0p5W3qMh5yFyzhu2JcYpCkOyxEz8XimAnci-0zwh-LHywuP/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qhRYyXvGQGOU4E959uzfW6lEJ3kJUiEpeZNQYm8OzlMRnM1phDuF8PNo4z6Id4MzSij3DE1IxR5M20817aA9vgM5l5weX0p5W3qMh5yFyzhu2JcYpCkOyxEz8XimAnci-0zwh-LHywuP/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+034.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">And you thought the Eiffel Tower was big</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
Our experience of Jaffna was surprisingly mundane. We had to stop at a few military checkpoints. Burnt out, bullet-ridden shells of ancient trucks occasionally marred the landscape. "<b>CAUTION, LAND MINES</b>" signs were common. But the city of Jaffna was a slow-paced, laid back place. There wasn't a lot to see but the town was in good repair and the infrastructure was better than in many other parts of the country. We visited the sights that did exist: a remote island with wild horses, an ancient colonial dutch fort built out of coral, a colorful cemetery overlooking the coastline where the 2004 Tsunami hit hardest. But we were quickly ready to move on.</div>
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<div class="p1">
That next move turned out to be the longest bus ride of our lives. The crowded vehicle bumped along from Jaffna to the beach town of Trincomalee on the Northeast coast. Mind-numbing Indian pop music blared through the speakers at volumes they weren't designed to handle. We quickly muted it out by listening to our default road trip soundtrack: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjXEsAg9z3E" target="_blank">The Heist</a>. Road construction slowed our pace to a crawl. The driver's constant extended bathroom breaks hinted that we weren't the only ones suffering from Sri Lankan indigestion. The mix of dust and heat was enough to break the strongest soul. Objectively the drive took about eleven hours. Subjectively it took exactly four and a half months.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJelxWTqtEAZJaqqDdhtDDSdmBVWF-BlsiJto5svKirCBEks_PGS1PWZtcXNhyphenhyphenihQENEEjh7Cw4jeKFQ8_MNOnoVg2zbCusINWa2C9B-pzTbB0_EJFr1xIghEY2B_f9feYqX4KraMWUUC/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJelxWTqtEAZJaqqDdhtDDSdmBVWF-BlsiJto5svKirCBEks_PGS1PWZtcXNhyphenhyphenihQENEEjh7Cw4jeKFQ8_MNOnoVg2zbCusINWa2C9B-pzTbB0_EJFr1xIghEY2B_f9feYqX4KraMWUUC/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+067.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Eliot takes up a new profession</td></tr>
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<div class="p1">
Lucky for us our next two designations, <a href="http://www.backpacktosrilanka.com/dining-in-sri-lanka/dining-trincomalee/" target="_blank">Trinco</a> and Arugam Bay farther south, were the most laid-back beach towns we had visited yet. We spent the next few weeks swimming, snorkeling, and sipping on fresh king coconuts. We caught up a little on our writing. Drea surfed the best wave of her life and experimented with surf yoga. We watched Wimbledon and chilled out to the constant background hum of reggae. Arugam Bay oozed soul. Local tailors made us ~$10 custom bikinis/board shorts from high quality local textile. Resident chefs whipped up delicious local rice and curries. We relaxed and were able to let loose after our rather harried tour of the North. Hell, we even had some fun nights of Jenga along with Sri Lankan beer on tap, the first good beer on tap we had had since leaving California!</div>
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<div class="p1">
Eventually we realized we were at serious risk of succumbing to the East Coast's chill vibe completely and missing the rest of the country. It was time for our next adventure: the mist shrouded peaks of Sri Lanka's famous tea country...<br />
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Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNJ1rsNcW-2ZGe8cgNakk_WhIDBUXuVltKTkEKuBN3dtl3OpIciAUYqaR0a92HievijKnIEwmEChVRKRS0VIdb3HjLV5JalTYDz5_Eq7TLiS1KKakXhsuAvdHJNdIvr7EVqMlWAlzKpXd/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNJ1rsNcW-2ZGe8cgNakk_WhIDBUXuVltKTkEKuBN3dtl3OpIciAUYqaR0a92HievijKnIEwmEChVRKRS0VIdb3HjLV5JalTYDz5_Eq7TLiS1KKakXhsuAvdHJNdIvr7EVqMlWAlzKpXd/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+036.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">So THAT's how you wear a sarong!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDI-Y8S2pP8Mk8AFfevvnS4IRSTGvS4bUEqcQTCccXyw-nkA07cGbHeghsIgz8qNOshSab5y5UQw9jGdG750Q15TgErwrNBopm1SAuFjHc0q-PM71_r_HdnyY-iFOycCjHe1L_r4V1RHrS/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDI-Y8S2pP8Mk8AFfevvnS4IRSTGvS4bUEqcQTCccXyw-nkA07cGbHeghsIgz8qNOshSab5y5UQw9jGdG750Q15TgErwrNBopm1SAuFjHc0q-PM71_r_HdnyY-iFOycCjHe1L_r4V1RHrS/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+023.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Gettin' jiggy with it at the temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq9l_99ZTqK-Z8GcgvUGe7wmatR46Il0VPaRELNeSbEhqrW8hzJHR_DgToomTLFrZExzunhAhM3yyIoCsfuwaTgFBBj03qvKL2nCT9dZkMRDNjf7IQnyAyuOMkBCST1j-23p4QKycfVqC/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq9l_99ZTqK-Z8GcgvUGe7wmatR46Il0VPaRELNeSbEhqrW8hzJHR_DgToomTLFrZExzunhAhM3yyIoCsfuwaTgFBBj03qvKL2nCT9dZkMRDNjf7IQnyAyuOMkBCST1j-23p4QKycfVqC/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+037.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLneCv6JbjlsKxgk2MX5-3fh90kmlLa2pNp1gBaK1lLB3qaYPPvKhvhEz-15rsy5MfREO7IOiOZjsafG5pyAxr8sQeWAuIuof7DFbza2o2icXSZ9WwqhIf9hyphenhyphenwR1Bz-UoMLf_t1qGl-Bb/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLneCv6JbjlsKxgk2MX5-3fh90kmlLa2pNp1gBaK1lLB3qaYPPvKhvhEz-15rsy5MfREO7IOiOZjsafG5pyAxr8sQeWAuIuof7DFbza2o2icXSZ9WwqhIf9hyphenhyphenwR1Bz-UoMLf_t1qGl-Bb/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+047.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Yum 2!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiKCAl0FQSgW-9NDUgQFTTVASHNdpAwUGw6ZdSEV4NCVSaKy91pXtrYCbykl3DxjmDGM2UCm48aKrcc0P3DNb6z_GFydTiA_rq8iK6yg-vS2YETTX-IpS94ud2-7Ijc1acDA133WQtvpE/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqiKCAl0FQSgW-9NDUgQFTTVASHNdpAwUGw6ZdSEV4NCVSaKy91pXtrYCbykl3DxjmDGM2UCm48aKrcc0P3DNb6z_GFydTiA_rq8iK6yg-vS2YETTX-IpS94ud2-7Ijc1acDA133WQtvpE/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+048.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hindu temple in Jaffna (we didn't bother going in but it was cool to look at anyway)</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWn6lxYVAoitQQpNjjtHAHADulwdtBZ73JvrP5XmSokxpEV3wxvbGUjoxBdCE_gn5efj1DlY1IjJJ1ebXT34ogTvZWoQw5gvjiNrDGR18-5dMiAXyS32sJi7pbmdGWFKh7CZBtecn7Aqy8/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWn6lxYVAoitQQpNjjtHAHADulwdtBZ73JvrP5XmSokxpEV3wxvbGUjoxBdCE_gn5efj1DlY1IjJJ1ebXT34ogTvZWoQw5gvjiNrDGR18-5dMiAXyS32sJi7pbmdGWFKh7CZBtecn7Aqy8/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+062.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tsunami cemetery at Point Pedro, in the norther-most area of Sri Lanka</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvkheXeY-u8Jrk7DibRXMa-6ce8_za2RGrMwXGRtPzCXJ466OdzYr1Ty1ez8FVxnd7nnU1GG12epXWgCJO2dCWZqNEMWM4GB9coHQiWcffUJ_04vRnceAwEkKHXqO_f39mkd4tqqNK9uP/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvkheXeY-u8Jrk7DibRXMa-6ce8_za2RGrMwXGRtPzCXJ466OdzYr1Ty1ez8FVxnd7nnU1GG12epXWgCJO2dCWZqNEMWM4GB9coHQiWcffUJ_04vRnceAwEkKHXqO_f39mkd4tqqNK9uP/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+093.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The unfortunately named Tsunami hotel @ Arugam Bay</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7bx2vAjq_STNrjr9wt2UgjKxwHRXBesLtgQ1p_4XkigPd_sX5JRojCS-szEmtZwl80zOC8-3GbLRZZbwrJF69azx1Ff5c1j_oS2meZHluycBuvTd7EkgpgE-JrDOsr-mt7uddJp_1Vej/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7bx2vAjq_STNrjr9wt2UgjKxwHRXBesLtgQ1p_4XkigPd_sX5JRojCS-szEmtZwl80zOC8-3GbLRZZbwrJF69azx1Ff5c1j_oS2meZHluycBuvTd7EkgpgE-JrDOsr-mt7uddJp_1Vej/s1600/The+Jewel+of+South+Asia%253A+Sri+Lanka+-+097.jpg" height="480" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div>
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A day at the office...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-49065370698211972772013-09-11T20:07:00.000-07:002013-09-11T20:07:10.831-07:00Why Colombo is a food (and shopping [gasp!]) heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka may not have the best reputation. We were told by many to just fly in and get the hell out as it was supposed to be a noisy, boring, "whatever" city. We considered this for a brief second but as soon as we arrived, we completely dismissed this advice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC7iJnJIkwcjRtLRG9b_9G8M1u5Z-6Y3mqt7hT_9I-SNk3Ef0XJxIpsVD5TCPTir8oBqK2PpRzYp_2XAiWkLgIkVrFdfsQ1DsKoG-rNnZCWJXA6HgcZaOe16UQpAFSTPId4Hr2ElMGcJX/s1600/SLCOL3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC7iJnJIkwcjRtLRG9b_9G8M1u5Z-6Y3mqt7hT_9I-SNk3Ef0XJxIpsVD5TCPTir8oBqK2PpRzYp_2XAiWkLgIkVrFdfsQ1DsKoG-rNnZCWJXA6HgcZaOe16UQpAFSTPId4Hr2ElMGcJX/s1600/SLCOL3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Coconut, the Best Coconut!</td></tr>
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Colombo is a foodie paradise. We explored sections of city center brimming with street hawkers selling fresh king coconuts (Eliot's favorite), savory fried snacks and Sri Lankan chai.<br />
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The cafe at the <a href="http://www.dutchburgherunion.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Dutch Burgher Union</a> serves mouth-watering lampreis, chicken, curried vegetables and beef croquettes baked in a wrapped banana leaf. Burghers are an ethnic group of mixed Sri Lankan/Dutch heritage dating back to colonial times (think Spice Islands).<br />
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They have their own micro-culture and sophisticated cuisine and their community is thriving in Colombo. Oh, and Drea discovered delicious cinnamon iced tea soda which she plans on bringing back to the U.S.!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjhbLpj9VDwnmaAdAAaB88r5LwLj37lIMwrXF3yrotDhPe-iV8yXm5Nac6VSezJAf7edgS5iRcx5PeZxITPthxYK1YvFhd40DRLbTJl5za5BWEQUDTxwwuhu1l76PbgW4xxbXrswCBhiy/s1600/SLCOL1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjhbLpj9VDwnmaAdAAaB88r5LwLj37lIMwrXF3yrotDhPe-iV8yXm5Nac6VSezJAf7edgS5iRcx5PeZxITPthxYK1YvFhd40DRLbTJl5za5BWEQUDTxwwuhu1l76PbgW4xxbXrswCBhiy/s1600/SLCOL1.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lampreis, a Colombo delicacy</td></tr>
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From there we went on to explore the culinary delights available at an open farmer's market on a lake in the city. They do it every Thursday and we were lucky to have arrived on a Thursday morning. We had brown rice served with five amazing curries on a giant lotus leaf instead of a plate and devoured it in seconds. They had at least 30 different fresh fruit juices at the next stand so we got two and then made sure to try Sri Lankan hoppers: a crepe-esque snack with an egg on top with chili sambal.<br />
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Sambal is a delicious mixture of fresh red chili peppers and ground coconut meat and other spices that vary according to the chef. The feast that day ended with a delicious rooibos lemon iced tea and a homemade passionfruit yogurt made by a British/Sri Lankan couple.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNR81UGuVfqtLp67kdmfTGZbShY9R7QVSv20Uwfdm0PWfr5mjbQ6822HHqTtgYaDBw8J7smqMjWFbpg9qBrMxjeoA9CynLyGjko4MLEwzcIpNcPuGab3ZJAUMuRDForIKWQ3ChUPGUpJ_/s1600/SLCOL2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNR81UGuVfqtLp67kdmfTGZbShY9R7QVSv20Uwfdm0PWfr5mjbQ6822HHqTtgYaDBw8J7smqMjWFbpg9qBrMxjeoA9CynLyGjko4MLEwzcIpNcPuGab3ZJAUMuRDForIKWQ3ChUPGUpJ_/s1600/SLCOL2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The amazingly refreshing cinnamon iced tea soda</td></tr>
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Our days continued with a lot of sampling and eating and we became big fans of kottu: a seriously loud dish of chopped up rotti, loads of veggies and usually egg and chicken all wrapped up in plastic and then newspaper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kottu dinner</td></tr>
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Cutlery options are either a plastic spoon (for the foreigners) or your hands (local style).<br />
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In spite of its carb-heavy nature, kottu was delicious and we ate it almost every single night while in Sri Lanka -- Colombo's version was better than any other city we visited in the country. <br />
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To top it all off, we came right during mangosteen (the queen of fruit!) and rambutan season so we bought them by the kilo and snacked on fruit throughout the day. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Sri Lanka's fashion houses</td></tr>
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Colombo also turned out to be a fashion hub. In between meals and snacks, we'd usually go to various shops. Most of you will know how much we both <i>hate</i> shopping but we actually had a ton of fun exploring the textile markets. Local designers do wonders with hand loomed fabric and the results are extraordinary. Drea actually found her wedding dress and Eliot also picked up wedding attire plus very cheap custom-made clothing!<br />
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As far as capital cities are concerned, we usually opt to jet out as soon as is humanly possible. Colombo definitely broke that mold and turned into one of our favorite places. If you're headed to Sri Lanka any time soon, let us know and we'll hook you up with the most honest and nicest <i>tuk tuk</i> driver around so that you can savor and explore this cool city!<br />
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What do <i>you</i> think? Colombo: love it or hate it?<br />Co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/">www.eliotpeper.com</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yucca snacks on the streets of Colombo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangosteen and rambutan season!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut sambal (left) with string hoppers and dal (right) for breakfast</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com43Colombo, Sri Lanka6.9270786 79.8612430000000596.8009751 79.69988150000006 7.0531821 80.022604500000057tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-10582223576846251152013-08-22T19:58:00.000-07:002013-08-22T21:55:35.611-07:00Fresh and Spiced in Zanzibar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On top of the beautiful white powder beaches and completely relaxed lifestyle, Zanzibar's "spice island" heritage makes for intricate and delicious local food. The highlight in Zanzibar was definitely the seafood and the unique use of spices. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calamari, straight from the ocean</td></tr>
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The seafood we had in Zanzibar was literally sea to table. Sometimes we would watch our guesthouse's staff fish for octopus and roll it around in the sand -- after it was dead -- to soften up the meat. They would then rinse it in the ocean, bring it into the kitchen and, voila! We had fresh grilled garlic octopus with fresh cut veggies and cardamom rice. The same was done with snapper, squid and any of the seafood plates we ordered: they'd fish it, put it on the menu and we'd eat it within minutes, at most hours. </div>
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The spices were also really fun to have. Nepal definitely lacked in spices and though Ethiopian food was very good, the spices were not too diverse. Zanzibar cuisine uses a lot of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric and fresh vanilla beans. These spices are widely used and I loved it! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best additions to black tea: cinnamon</td></tr>
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For example, tea in the morning was always brewed with freshly crushed cinnamon sticks and instead of plain white rice, they'd make it with cardamom and/or cinnamon and turmeric. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rock restaurant in Zanzibar</td></tr>
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The best use of spices we encountered was at The Rock, an amazing restaurant on top of a rock in the middle of the ocean. During high tide, the water completely surrounds the place and you either have to swim or take a boat to/from the restaurant. They had a seafood pasta dish with an EVOO (so nice to have olive oil again!) and fresh vanilla bean sauce -- it was delicious!</div>
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As a bonus, we also enjoyed thirst-quenching, made-to-order fresh juices. They had passion fruit everywhere and I particularly liked a passion fruit banana coconut yoghurt lassi. It may have been topped, however, by a coconut, lime, ginger smoothie at one of the best cafes in Stone Town (the capital). </div>
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Although we didn't go to Zanzibar for the food, we were pleasantly surprised by how <i>good</i> the food actually was! The spiced, fresh food was a much welcomed addition to our travel diet; we certainly did not mind spending 10 days in this wonderful food heaven! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sea in Zanzibar has a lot of amazing fresh seafood to offer</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very interesting dish with savory bananas/plantains</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-24917163238671497432013-08-08T06:36:00.000-07:002013-08-08T06:36:00.632-07:0022 Hours in Dubai, 16 Hours of Eating like Maniacs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A one hour long urban hike to Terminal 1 at 2 AM (don't ask) and an incredibly uncomfortable "nap" at the arrivals hall at the Dubai Airport until 6 AM was a very rough welcome to the city. We were cranky. We were tired. We were not so excited about being in Dubai for 22 hours anymore... until we stepped into our first super market.<br />
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Holy hell there's good food in Dubai! We had such a great time devouring this city, we just wish we had a little more time and way bigger stomachs to handle all of Dubai's deliciousness.<br />
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Here are a few simple steps you can take to eat the city in just one day:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Pq-jMzMHbnzLOWMOVkFjlwXT0Ify415LvW1BdAWu_pnenvm-MwXtbZpnmo7LWov-oBpGfLpA-tXdBO8b1NyOESdimH2-35btbeDEm53GA2dO9MkPWyhjPXzrYmMDmzWbLo0cypjmelpE/s1600/Dubai1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Pq-jMzMHbnzLOWMOVkFjlwXT0Ify415LvW1BdAWu_pnenvm-MwXtbZpnmo7LWov-oBpGfLpA-tXdBO8b1NyOESdimH2-35btbeDEm53GA2dO9MkPWyhjPXzrYmMDmzWbLo0cypjmelpE/s1600/Dubai1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of affordable drink selections at local supermarkets</td></tr>
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<b>1. Eat a few snacks at the local supermarkets before breakfast.</b><br />
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The morning consisted of two stops at a couple of local supermarkets. There are tons of supermarkets all over the city and this simple fact already livened us up a bit.<br />
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We tried one of the date milkshakes and got enough sugar to bounce around for an hour or two before our big breakfast.<br />
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<b>2. Sign up for a breakfast at the <a href="http://www.cultures.ae/index.php/ouractivities/cultural-meals">Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Cultural Understanding.</a></b><br />
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We signed up in advance for this pretty cool breakfast that they only do on Wednesdays at the <a href="http://www.cultures.ae/">SMCCU</a>. The Cultural Center feeds its guests a traditional Emirate breakfast and the wonderful hosts then answer any and all questions from the audience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYej8T1qxgswYToiPzD5ujtfIW76jE2DwVClqlz0ipSkrC9fOXsacOurEQgLZfHkEHEPfeS7-wE-5oG1xxs44hyLHTukTdqKBmN17uQYTDNoh1MkhQK9p-mDGT6HxuINImETQ5DGeAB8W9/s1600/Dubai9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYej8T1qxgswYToiPzD5ujtfIW76jE2DwVClqlz0ipSkrC9fOXsacOurEQgLZfHkEHEPfeS7-wE-5oG1xxs44hyLHTukTdqKBmN17uQYTDNoh1MkhQK9p-mDGT6HxuINImETQ5DGeAB8W9/s1600/Dubai9.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drea volunteers to try on the local clothing</td></tr>
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The purpose is to promote an open dialogue regarding the local culture and traditions. They explained how, in the UAE, women are free to wear whatever they want, many just choose to cover up as a personal preference plus it helps prevent sunburn. We also learned that husbands need to have their wife's permission to marry a second wife and that becoming pregnant before marriage lands you (and your kid!) in jail. Apparently jail in the UAE is quite posh though and they take good care of you. Another interesting fact about Dubai is that this year Ramadan, the fasting month, is during the hottest month and you can't drink water!<br />
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We had a few small cups of delicious saffron and cardamom coffee followed by a feast of lemon chickpeas, home made pancakes with a creamy cheese and honey, local bread and a traditional noodle dish. Not a bad start (finally!) to our already long day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qAI4EuX7i2wZPxUcqTWGYp-_hm0qDuLws4kNs__PiPWQr_OUQ08EG8DuJMtdCwMRs42d2g3FRSW-r3G5w8xzNcUQuT_mjuY4lsNOyU_CnLqaMCoTTSldHXyWVuiXWmFO_iW1qpC__1JX/s1600/Dubai3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qAI4EuX7i2wZPxUcqTWGYp-_hm0qDuLws4kNs__PiPWQr_OUQ08EG8DuJMtdCwMRs42d2g3FRSW-r3G5w8xzNcUQuT_mjuY4lsNOyU_CnLqaMCoTTSldHXyWVuiXWmFO_iW1qpC__1JX/s1600/Dubai3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful setting for a traditional Emirate breakfast</td></tr>
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<b>3. Lunch up at the mall. Any mall!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-NbVZspAGOAieQCbBkwFzh2BD5-AoenuoiEUrqIQmw-KBcgtuzNTTY9eou8e_RYybOyraIGAW9b9XkTMUGOwPTCS2b24h2krwMjLDSvvzVyH7Do3aI3T5gjjHfO1VGwfUnecvca9DYdR/s1600/Dubai5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-NbVZspAGOAieQCbBkwFzh2BD5-AoenuoiEUrqIQmw-KBcgtuzNTTY9eou8e_RYybOyraIGAW9b9XkTMUGOwPTCS2b24h2krwMjLDSvvzVyH7Do3aI3T5gjjHfO1VGwfUnecvca9DYdR/s1600/Dubai5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sushi treat @ the mall</td></tr>
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We decided on the Mall of the Emirates for our next food stop. We walked around Dubai a bit and eventually the 100 degree weather got the best of us so we decided to run and hide in the mall for a while. We're both allergic to malls -- we hate shopping! -- but the heat was just unbearable.<br />
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We were on a mission to get sushi (hadn't had it since February) but were distracted by so, so many things inside this gargantuan place like: penguins, american food chains, indoor slopes for snow skiing and way too many stores. We had a whole tray of sushi and we each got a pot of loose leaf green tea... heaven.<br />
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For dessert, we headed to another spot within the mall that specializes in chocolate: Galler owned by a Belgian chocolatier. A rose dark chocolate cake, a chocolate dome thing and two coffees later, we were stuffed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-fWibsnQElR8XaBnji6PX17FJibXRJAl0ZGNqcnS-VyGNBEwHmdoKAlyvIFLno7fgdlBwddBkJ7kyRuGDWXUZ7nKTnoAApd9-KLwSJnEU89DPO117trD1ZsYDdq22-gMOFmZXS-wBFbT/s1600/Dubai6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-fWibsnQElR8XaBnji6PX17FJibXRJAl0ZGNqcnS-VyGNBEwHmdoKAlyvIFLno7fgdlBwddBkJ7kyRuGDWXUZ7nKTnoAApd9-KLwSJnEU89DPO117trD1ZsYDdq22-gMOFmZXS-wBFbT/s1600/Dubai6.jpg" height="391" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Dome" at Galler</td></tr>
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<b>4. Call up <a href="http://www.timeoutdubai.com/restaurants/reviews/22105-al-bayt-al-baghdadi-restaurant">Al Bait al Baghdadi restaurant</a> to order <a href="http://www.iliveinafryingpan.com/iraqi-masquof-restaurant-dubai/">Iraqi Masqouf</a>. Then go there and eat it!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdtHYmKXHtFohRwXKPrUmVt8Jq3SA_7HRI1DJHuZNoASuyvf9DwtugAU7v-vlVk45lxzngBlTphXGAjEXv3WR5xmoVTYHlokh1Z5KniEKDnMmbn3cK3JqgpXSiidOCnt4MEWL9DyUCDWS/s1600/Dubai7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdtHYmKXHtFohRwXKPrUmVt8Jq3SA_7HRI1DJHuZNoASuyvf9DwtugAU7v-vlVk45lxzngBlTphXGAjEXv3WR5xmoVTYHlokh1Z5KniEKDnMmbn3cK3JqgpXSiidOCnt4MEWL9DyUCDWS/s1600/Dubai7.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masqouf: a phenomenal way to eat fish!</td></tr>
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We had never had Iraqi food before and after reading about it on this great Dubai foodie blog: <a href="http://www.iliveinafryingpan.com/">www.iliveinafryingpan.com</a>, we decided we absolutely had to try it.<br />
<br />
Masqouf (apparently pronounced more like "masgoof") is an amazing fish dish: the fish is cut open in a long half, salted for a few hours and then slowly cooked by the heat from wood embers. Order the fish by the kilo (three of us stuffed ourselves with a 2 kg order -- that's 4.5 pounds!) and eat up. They served the fish with amazing pickles and hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli and fatoush as side dishes.<br />
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Oh and before the feast, we had a complimentary dal (lentil) soup that we loaded with fresh squeezed lemon juice. At the end they give you cardamom tea (for free!) to finish it all up. What a dinner!<br />
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Well, if you still have time or an appetite after all that -- wow! We went straight to the airport after our delicious Iraqi dinner to catch our flight to Sri Lanka. With all that wonderful eating, we were able to sleep as well as one can sleep on a budget, red eye flight.<br />
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Cheers, Dubai! Way to redeem yourself with your wonderful, eclectic, diverse, fresh, delicious grub!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_K4WFEEkNX0ideSV4r4JuE9IoOp9EDW1haIpQVTf3z2l0TMQhYX69msASZeJxNwEIiQDtA6I6xO9dOnOj92-6yBEE0qyayUMEb2FQdVGEOHFM7FpgpxZ9swW4KrygHe4zxl69hevREwA/s1600/Dubai8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_K4WFEEkNX0ideSV4r4JuE9IoOp9EDW1haIpQVTf3z2l0TMQhYX69msASZeJxNwEIiQDtA6I6xO9dOnOj92-6yBEE0qyayUMEb2FQdVGEOHFM7FpgpxZ9swW4KrygHe4zxl69hevREwA/s1600/Dubai8.jpg" height="400" width="393" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iraqi food treasures in Dubai</td></tr>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-47966503515948794202013-08-02T07:57:00.000-07:002013-08-02T07:57:00.040-07:00Chillin' like a villain in East Africa's version of paradise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Zanzibar, the perfect place to escape from it all!</h2>
<div>
Spending 3 months in land-locked countries (<a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/so-this-is-what-life-was-like-two.html" target="_blank">Nepal</a>, <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/07/what-are-you-going-to-do-in-ethiopia.html" target="_blank">Ethiopia</a>) made us realize we really missed the ocean. Feeling worn down and exhausted, we booked a last-minute flight from Ethiopia to Zanzibar. We splurged and went against our <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/05/how-to-afford-6-month-globe-trotting.html" target="_blank">quasi-scientific budget</a>. Oh well, sometimes we just have to treat ourselves to a little something.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eiR0dDGC4dYLy7pPJRND4k8sOuaP7cbi3BIa9XOzhcf4w9mZcAb9mETkilyLMqL6tymr7_-r9r16FBRlFJt6CYPY5dn_bz71iMnXIFrgD21tukGsfr2Dcrn_cmA9wMxwQIIG-wpRNk4b/s1600/Zanzi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eiR0dDGC4dYLy7pPJRND4k8sOuaP7cbi3BIa9XOzhcf4w9mZcAb9mETkilyLMqL6tymr7_-r9r16FBRlFJt6CYPY5dn_bz71iMnXIFrgD21tukGsfr2Dcrn_cmA9wMxwQIIG-wpRNk4b/s1600/Zanzi3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was hard to contain our excitement</td></tr>
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Zanzibar is a wonderful little island off the coast of Tanzania and with a rich spice trade heritage. It's a semi-independent part of Tanzania (you have to show your passport upon entering and leaving) and the economy mostly relies on tourism. The capital, Stone Town, is a bustling little place, full of tiny little streets that often turn into mazes where you can happily get lost.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RCWQELYrq2jY168cHKEefm1oVMm6cxNg2TJnbC6WenjN5Hpj6gUAM-RlaBGnewLfWwitofleVdKKHsH_5heGCwkWAr1653AnwKgDxsvNUzmNqDY7d_eJuaw9MrDG18xSaedmGfSZQ9TO/s1600/Zanzi5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RCWQELYrq2jY168cHKEefm1oVMm6cxNg2TJnbC6WenjN5Hpj6gUAM-RlaBGnewLfWwitofleVdKKHsH_5heGCwkWAr1653AnwKgDxsvNUzmNqDY7d_eJuaw9MrDG18xSaedmGfSZQ9TO/s1600/Zanzi5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to take life too seriously in Zanzibar!</td></tr>
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You can walk the entire 'city' in about a half hour if you know your way around and don't get accosted by too many touts (taxis, hashish, spices, they have it all). The harbor is nice to walk around and they have a really scenic waterfront public park where you can get amazing passion fruit juice and even free public outdoor wi-fi!<br />
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Stone Town has delicious fresh seafood and tropical fruits to offer and we enjoyed amazing dishes such as lemon fish soup for breakfast, coconut ginger lime smoothies, freshly pressed lime sugar cane juice and beautifully spiced seafood dishes with cinnamon straight from the tree and fresh, whole vanilla.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwohXOziYAZ86AfoodgTwo03o2B-ASTqUMArBe9_OaGgX65rtqsmshQUZevMOAPtptHVwhpG-BsmI6nq1-cL4BBzDOJKEtoKcoNuyZx2TlnEbwpgOZrxbx5Ybrhq4ZO8pZzlSkjq3r2w/s1600/Zanzi4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzwohXOziYAZ86AfoodgTwo03o2B-ASTqUMArBe9_OaGgX65rtqsmshQUZevMOAPtptHVwhpG-BsmI6nq1-cL4BBzDOJKEtoKcoNuyZx2TlnEbwpgOZrxbx5Ybrhq4ZO8pZzlSkjq3r2w/s1600/Zanzi4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate from sea to table, every day</td></tr>
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Our brief stay in Stone Town -- just a day -- was enhanced enormously because of our wonderful <a href="https://www.couchsurfing.org/people/stacey.wilkinson/" target="_blank">Couchsurfing hostess</a> This amazing Brit showed us the entire town and gave us an amazing hookup at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g616019-d945034-Reviews-Evergreen_Bungalows-Bwejuu_Zanzibar_Zanzibar_Archipelago.html" target="_blank">Evergreen Bungalows</a> for the remainder of our stay in Zanzibar.<br />
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We left Stone Town and headed east to one of the least touristy beaches on the island on an overcrowded local bus. Because of low season and our hookup, we got to stay in an amazing eco-lodge right in front of the beach in Bwejuu. Our huge bungalow was so close to the water, we usually fell asleep to the sound of small waves crashing on Zanzibar snow, aka fine, powder white sand.<br />
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For 10 days, we did absolutely nothing with the exception of one awesome snorkeling trip. Oh and a few en-suite full body massages.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Wkwdwq4jQ2tsiXi-Wj4MYTgK2505PqYbVFOyBnRPXu2t5Yw-mWGb1Z_wLwjQVR8usaSY-HCyxvwFKbZia_UhmBy7PxgF86pDKUTWQMZkRdAfFD0McmQShLjLV0taPF-mmXrA1J3rmC1j/s1600/Zanzi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Wkwdwq4jQ2tsiXi-Wj4MYTgK2505PqYbVFOyBnRPXu2t5Yw-mWGb1Z_wLwjQVR8usaSY-HCyxvwFKbZia_UhmBy7PxgF86pDKUTWQMZkRdAfFD0McmQShLjLV0taPF-mmXrA1J3rmC1j/s1600/Zanzi2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful snorkeling site</td></tr>
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Doing nothing felt great. It re-energized us. We felt amazing! We'd take turns going from the hammocks hung between palm trees to a quick dip in the perfectly calm azure ocean. We even dared to go on a tremendously difficult 15 minute walk on the flat, white sand beaches to the main part of town just to switch up lunch. In between our incredibly relaxed activities, we'd either take advantage of the free wi-fi, drink and eat meaty, sweet fresh coconuts or eat freshly caught seafood.<br />
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If this isn't paradise then we're all screwed.<br />
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When life gives you lemons, make a mint lemonade with a tad of sugar and an optional shot of rum and bring it over to Zanzibar. We guarantee you'll relax in ways you never even thought possible...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdyNPz_EL_LSc8EHXI4ehF2SHlMaat4eIhyrPe5vZuPOOiYrVsf3btclcV_-Kokdu31Atj_qI9esiRAuitEhyC67pzp0lCe5MLstVBKTnS9b_XFBpv-R1VOVRJ6jl2AOlPqjX4ZcP1lF/s1600/Zanzi12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYdyNPz_EL_LSc8EHXI4ehF2SHlMaat4eIhyrPe5vZuPOOiYrVsf3btclcV_-Kokdu31Atj_qI9esiRAuitEhyC67pzp0lCe5MLstVBKTnS9b_XFBpv-R1VOVRJ6jl2AOlPqjX4ZcP1lF/s1600/Zanzi12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect chill out spot -- our awesome hotel</td></tr>
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co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com%20/" target="_blank">www.eliotpeper.com </a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17113402322413391360noreply@blogger.com0Zanzibar, Tanzania-6.1659169999999994 39.202640999999971-31.6879515 -2.1059530000000279 19.3561175 80.511234999999971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8115744814262815795.post-91932258355638656532013-07-29T06:30:00.000-07:002013-07-29T06:30:00.483-07:00Nile blues and mountain highs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfqnGKgnTQum4IIxrxFBbtzKHUxPf5-eK2WBQI-0cLesuANlAeJ-7fQcx4bnoFOzZkcvCg5W9MlMpGM6fbk1H9MPgGVVl4G-t1pgG524_l2nLG6Uo0VEhsAet_HchnHApGUAIJVd6GISj/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfqnGKgnTQum4IIxrxFBbtzKHUxPf5-eK2WBQI-0cLesuANlAeJ-7fQcx4bnoFOzZkcvCg5W9MlMpGM6fbk1H9MPgGVVl4G-t1pgG524_l2nLG6Uo0VEhsAet_HchnHApGUAIJVd6GISj/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The source of the Blue Nile</td></tr>
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It was a bitch getting out of <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/2013/07/what-are-you-going-to-go-do-in-ethiopia.html" target="_blank">Addis Ababa</a>. Because it was the week of [Coptic] Easter all the buses were booked in literally <i>every</i> direction.<br />
<br />
"Want to take a bus to Bahir Dar? Not til next Thursday."<br />
"How about Harar?"<br />
"Sorry, booked til Friday."<br />
"Do you have buses that go anywhere in the country for tomorrow?"<br />
"No." [smile]<br />
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Travel infrastructure in Ethiopia is... limited. In a country of 80 million people, there are literally only TWO private bus companies. In spite of the high demand for private transportation, these companies refuse to buy more buses, hence our problems finding a way out of the city.<br />
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Anyway, we opted to take a cheap domestic flight on Ethiopian Airlines (the only domestic airline in the nation) to ensure we actually got to our destination. We were on a mission to explore the northern highlands.<br />
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We started out in Bahir Dar, perched on the banks of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile. Bahir Dar was a laid back beach town and we really enjoyed the one night we stayed there. We took a boat out onto the lake and into the mouth of the Blue Nile, wondering at the prolific number of wetland bird species and water buffalo. We visited one of the ancient Coptic Christian churches that sit on the many islands scattered around the lake and we even had a dance battle, which we obviously lost, at a local wedding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a1-G7wyauEE6Bz03QtVuIEoGGGrJ5TGJKW8V17EyHzF8d-d9XcE0k7V6HjKVg82Yg7sCabamYRubETXyTvwifc6W08pbM74fcCMR89RDCStUkZUgUMwRwGTCoV05v6RTNlKw822bBnBx/s1600/IMG_4679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1a1-G7wyauEE6Bz03QtVuIEoGGGrJ5TGJKW8V17EyHzF8d-d9XcE0k7V6HjKVg82Yg7sCabamYRubETXyTvwifc6W08pbM74fcCMR89RDCStUkZUgUMwRwGTCoV05v6RTNlKw822bBnBx/s1600/IMG_4679.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Blue Nile Falls</td></tr>
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As we plied the waters out onto the lake we heard a scream from a passing boat. Our captain turned the boat around and we pulled up alongside. Turns out it was a happy scream! One of the passengers on the boat was a an absolutely wonderful woman we had met at a fruit juice place in Addis Ababa. She was in Bahir Dar for the weekend with her boyfriend and they insisted we join them that night for a traditional Ethiopian meal.<br />
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It turns out that the couple was actually staying in our very same guest house! They took us out to a local Ethiopian night club, beating back the tuk-tuk drivers who are always on the lookout to cheat foreigners on fares. The night club was a huge open space the size of a small warehouse. We arrived around seven and were a bit worried because it was nearly empty. We ordered food and waited. Before long, <i>hundreds</i> of people started to trickle in until the entire building was standing room only. As the food arrived, a troupe of music performers came up on stage and started belting out some traditional Ethiopian folk music. They were soon joined by a team of professional dancers. Ethiopian dancing is as unique as it is impressive. They move their shoulders in the way that salsa dancers move their hips. It's a sight to be seen and you can check it out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7tyZuTcuGA" target="_blank">here on Youtube</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe9hTCNqBpZJfnlmmM9L50IzgvkoJdLBlUnFIjsxRx8S0pZJs4O-1FNkTsla0Q87stWcbhoQsKbR7dhXDde_NoKpPDtz6EyAkORw12QlJmiK0e9Cg9_61LkdsG8J-G10xOYs3ZVPiA-i0/s1600/IMG_4784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe9hTCNqBpZJfnlmmM9L50IzgvkoJdLBlUnFIjsxRx8S0pZJs4O-1FNkTsla0Q87stWcbhoQsKbR7dhXDde_NoKpPDtz6EyAkORw12QlJmiK0e9Cg9_61LkdsG8J-G10xOYs3ZVPiA-i0/s1600/IMG_4784.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Simien Mountains</td></tr>
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The next day we explored the Blue Nile Falls outside of Bahir Dar. It's a beautiful place and the water was impressive even in dry season. Then we piled onto a local minibus (a police officer was transporting a shackled prisoner on it too!) and made our way to Gondar, site of an ancient Ethiopian castle and jumping off point for our four-day trek in the Simien Mountains.<br />
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The mountains were absolutely fantastic. They were 110% different than the <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com/2013/06/the-himalayan-weight-loss-plan.html" target="_blank">Himalayas</a>. The Simiens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they look like a raised plateau that towers thousands of meters above the surrounding foothills. The sides of the plateau are sheer cliffs but the top is undulating hills. Our trek took us along the edge of the cliffs, circumnavigating the plateau. It felt like another world. We were always on the edge of a multi-thousand-meter drop and the views were mind-blowing. We spotted rare endemic species like Ethiopian wolves, ibexes, cliffspringers and tons of baboons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrnxcSKRW8cZcv3jSxvFb4XQ5jigQbY5xTrL3Z5P7oaOaTXY6OnY85cr1iLB4kXWASqul6dM8XLWWWz6BozOMTKTbrYuTJAWdl2Iw149f2vxg1dgVrcqHiNs0hfov5gi8df1yhyTD2V6T/s1600/IMG_4807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrnxcSKRW8cZcv3jSxvFb4XQ5jigQbY5xTrL3Z5P7oaOaTXY6OnY85cr1iLB4kXWASqul6dM8XLWWWz6BozOMTKTbrYuTJAWdl2Iw149f2vxg1dgVrcqHiNs0hfov5gi8df1yhyTD2V6T/s1600/IMG_4807.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Ibex vs. Baboon</td></tr>
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The only downside of the Simiens are that they're quite expensive to visit and we feel that we got ripped off big time. You're required to hire a guide <i>and</i> a scout through a local operator in addition to all the camping equipment etc. The upshot is that they are well protected and that we got a truly luxury camping experience. Our tents were already set up for us when we arrived at the campsite and there was hot coffee/tea waiting for us. Not a bad way to experience the outdoors. We summited the third highest peak in Ethiopia and then moved on to our next trekking destination: Lalibela.<br />
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Lalibela is one of the most touristy places in Ethiopia. It's famous for its surfeit of ancient churches carved from solid rock. These feats of engineering rival Petra and are a big draw in a country with little tourism. The only problem is that the local priesthood who manages the churches charges criminally high entrance fees and pockets the cash, none of it goes to the community and there's a lot of local tension because of it (what would Jesus do, right?).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0TY4flnmSp6cPKlb5jNUfjfjwPELATqXxov7Urzm6qRDWuWrubu9nRNXxk5shwcTi3fsJP6LVqvRN5NrhnWrkP8293r-FeS1VAt2Q1upVYmKQBZ8FLmyTJ6fFUQrxn1QzDxOFSsVKNnS/s1600/IMG_4973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0TY4flnmSp6cPKlb5jNUfjfjwPELATqXxov7Urzm6qRDWuWrubu9nRNXxk5shwcTi3fsJP6LVqvRN5NrhnWrkP8293r-FeS1VAt2Q1upVYmKQBZ8FLmyTJ6fFUQrxn1QzDxOFSsVKNnS/s1600/IMG_4973.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Shepherd kids hard at work</td></tr>
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Anyway, we weren't interested in the churches, we were interested in the mountains. Lalibela lies in a deep valley and is surrounded by a semicircular mountain range. We had arranged to trek these mountains with a unique organization called <a href="http://tesfatours.com/" target="_blank">Tesfa Tours</a>. Tesfa means 'hope' in Amharic and the organization works with remote local villages in the mountains to host trekkers who want to traverse the terrain. It's a fantastic system that generates local employment, promotes positive interaction and provides an amazing experience at the same time.<br />
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We stayed in local-style cliff top huts, munched <i><a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/07/the-worlds-healthiest-carb-close-look.html" target="_blank">injera</a></i> and sipped fresh roasted <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/06/the-ethiopian-coffee-craze.html" target="_blank">coffee</a> at the end of every day of trekking. There was no running water and no electricity -- we were definitely in the middle of nowhere. The mountains are gorgeous, alternating between village farmland, rocky wilderness and wide open views of the entire Lalibela valley.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwG0pOl-CkLMf1qbL_z2DryudAU52wHvIsxP_nOWjcmUIgLxnhXtcSSM735sWS572cblejYgVPzykx7SWlkfDZ746pjsaWU0f51FInVuNOJILUFlTgY9gBH_pG8v2NWk4lnQJmms_q-PBG/s1600/IMG_5113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwG0pOl-CkLMf1qbL_z2DryudAU52wHvIsxP_nOWjcmUIgLxnhXtcSSM735sWS572cblejYgVPzykx7SWlkfDZ746pjsaWU0f51FInVuNOJILUFlTgY9gBH_pG8v2NWk4lnQJmms_q-PBG/s1600/IMG_5113.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Lalibela range</td></tr>
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The experience was amazing but, after nine days of it, Eliot was sick and we were both completely exhausted (although Drea took an awesome local <a href="http://www.dreacastillo.com/2013/07/the-worlds-healthiest-carb-close-look.html" target="_blank">cooking class</a> in town). We realized we had been burning the midnight oil a bit too fast in Ethiopia. We had planned back-to-back excursions across the Northern Highlands with no room for rest in between. And this was in a country with the worst transportation infrastructure we had encountered.<br />
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We had plans to visit the south and explore the Bale Mountains as well but we realized we needed to switch it up before we burnt out. Beware of the over-crowded itinerary in any long-term travel plans you may have. This was our mistake and we were determined to fix it. So we made a game-time decision to escape to Zanzibar for ten days...<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZZDs9_EW8cSmPWYvneL1lNnIPrYVn_g0bv0oUAXqEpvOVPZc1gCBN_YAl6VPSzapN-gSviA9V_VCz1iOTpeYPoOr733R99ri5ieQs50YTE3FSAdBGibZXN_wlkP7fvUjMzTHyPsHjZb4/s1600/IMG_5125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZZDs9_EW8cSmPWYvneL1lNnIPrYVn_g0bv0oUAXqEpvOVPZc1gCBN_YAl6VPSzapN-gSviA9V_VCz1iOTpeYPoOr733R99ri5ieQs50YTE3FSAdBGibZXN_wlkP7fvUjMzTHyPsHjZb4/s1600/IMG_5125.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Time to go exploring</td></tr>
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co-posted on <a href="http://www.eliotpeper.com%20/" target="_blank">www.eliotpeper.com </a></div>
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