tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11372474296278568382024-03-13T23:00:15.906-04:00Andy & Tara's WorldAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-5665868375087586332014-11-14T14:19:00.001-05:002014-11-14T14:19:54.624-05:00Hey, remember that time we went to the Caribbean and didn't blog about it for a year?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Greetings, friends! Well, look who's strapping the backpacks back on? Yep, it's the best (or, more likely, only) world-traveling couple you know, Tara and Andy!<br />
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We fly out of Denver tonight on the first of four flights that will ultimately deposit us in our longtime dream vacation destination: the mountain kingdom of Bhutan. We'll be there, with a side trip to Nepal, for the next two weeks.<br />
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But before we ship out that, I figured that we should finally share some pics from our last international adventure--our trip to three Caribbean countries in October of 2013. Yes, over a year ago. Pathetic that we haven't managed a post about it until now, I know, but the last year has been a little busy with stuff like weddings and a move and <a href="http://taradairman.com/books/">a book launch</a>.<br />
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So, we ask you to forgive us...and, in penance, present a few snaps of tropical paradise.<br />
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<b><u>Why the Caribbean?</u></b><br />
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So, Andy and I aren't really beach people. How did we end up in the Caribbean, then?<br />
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To be honest, for the same reason this post is a year late in going up--we were lazy. We waited until the last minute to plan a trip, and we only had 10 days off, so we didn't want to go halfway around the world. We also decided that we needed to go somewhere where we could use our long-neglected scuba diving certifications (because when you pay that much money to get certified in something, you should occasionally pay even more money to use those skills, right? Ah, the Catch-22 of scuba.).<br />
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So we asked around, and received many recommendations for Dominica. It's not your stereotypical beachy island, people said. Good diving, lots of hikes in the interior, and not terribly touristy since it's small. So small, in fact, that you can't get a direct flight there from the states.<br />
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Okay, we thought, so we'll fly through another island. A chance to add another country to our list! We found out that JetBlue flew from New York to Barbados, where we could connect to Dominica. Excellent.<br />
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And then we found out that JetBlue ALSO flew a St. Lucia-New York route, and that you could connect from St. Lucia to Dominica, too. So why not fly in through Barbados and out through St. Lucia? One week, three new countries! Yup, that sounded about our speed.<br />
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Off we went.<br />
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<b><u>Barbados</u></b><br />
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Barbados is gorgeous. Look at that water, so blue. How can I not smile?<br />
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Water, schmater says Andy. But there are lizards!<br />
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And free food on the beach! All you have to do is smash it against a rock for about 15 minutes until it cracks open. But totally worth it if you love free food as much as Andy does.<br />
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We spent two days in Barbados. Much of it spent playing on the deserted local beach near our B and B.<br />
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Though we did get out and explore a bit. Who wouldn't like to live on Risotto Ave.?<br />
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Here we are with our host in Barbados, Mona of <a href="http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/barbados-fouol-bay-comfy-lodgings.html">Comfy Lodgings B and B</a>. Highly recommended, you guys, especially if you only have a short time in the country. Mona picked us up from the airport, drove us ALL around the island, cooked us tasty meals, and supplied fascinating conversation and insight about her country (where she's also a longtime schoolteacher).<br />
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But, of course, Barbados was merely a stopover. So we headed back to the airport to board our LIAT flight to Dominica.<br />
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<b><u>Dominica</u></b><br />
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Goodbye, paradise. Hello, torrential downpour!<br />
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Okay, but let's back up for a second and talk about LIAT. Officially, it stands for Leeward Islands Air Transport. We heard many nicknames during our week in the Caribbean, though, including "Leaves Island Any Time" and, my favorite "Late Is Always Timely." Our Barbados-Dominica flight only left two hours late, but we would come to know the real pain of flying LIAT later in the week on our flight out.<br />
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But that adventure is yet to come. At this point, it is raining so hard in Dominica that there are literally crabs dancing across the asphalt. (Very pretty crabs, though!)<br />
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We rent a car. Cute little jeep probably from the 1980s. Does have seatbelts, though. And a steering wheel on the right. Adventure time!<br />
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Sticking with the 1980's driving theme, you can still get leaded gasoline in Dominica!</div>
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So, once the rain clears up, Dominica becomes quite attractive. Lots of dramatic hills tumbling into the ocean. Here's a view from the pier in Roseau, the capital--a city of a whopping 16,000 people.<br />
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We head into the interior to visit a waterfall. Honestly, I don't remember the name of it, as Dominica is famous for its lovely falls, but I assume this is one of the bigger/famouser ones. We went early in the morning to beat the cruise-ship daytrippers and were the only ones there. </div>
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Back in Roseau, some schoolgirls are out for a very syncopated walk.</div>
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<br />The main attraction of the botanical gardens is not a plant, but this school bus, which was crushed by a baobab tree in Hurricane David in 1979. (No one was inside at the time.)<br />
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<br />Okay, I guess there are some cool plants in the gardens. Like this one, which automatically turns you into a Rastafarian.<br />
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<br />What the heck is a mountain chicken, you ask?<br />
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<br />Apparently, a giant frog. That tastes like chicken. <a href="http://www.detroitzoo.org/animals/mountain-chicken-frog">Seriously</a>.<br />
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I believe that this is a picture from the dive boat--and, I contend, a much better picture than anything we actually saw underwater. Though Andy claims to have seen many seahorses. I saw a lot of murky water. We ended up diving less than planned and spending more time exploring the island.</div>
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<br />Behold, a lizard eating a cricket. Nice shot, Andy.<br />
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<br />The open road of Dominica! And surely the nicest-paved one. This runs up the west coast of the island.<br />
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<br />Modesty in the forest.<br />
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<br />I loved these tiny waxy flowers.<br />
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<br />Lovely skies.<br />
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<br />And now it is time for our major Dominican expedition: the trek to the boiling lake. Rated strenuous--which usually is a no-no for me, but a boiling lake did sound pretty cool. Apparently it is the second-largest boiling lake in the world, after one in New Zealand.<br /><br />Anyway, six-hour hike. Very steep. Rain pouring on us much of the time. Though you do get to cross otherworldly geothermal landscapes like these.<br />
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<br />And at the end, you reach a boiling lake!<br />
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<br />No, seriously. That disturbance at the center is from BOILING.<br />
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<br />The hike was totally worth it, but boy was it grueling. I could hardly bend my legs to go down steps for a week afterward.<br />
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<br />But it was worth it going down the steps the next morning at these hot springs. The cruise ship had left the island at that point, and the springs were deserted.<br />
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<br />Andy, making himself look even lovelier than usual.<br />
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<br />Back at the hot springs check-in, you could literally buy a bottle of snake oil.<br />
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And with that, our time in Dominica was up. Off we went to the airport to fly to St. Lucia.<br />
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<b><u>St. Lucia</u></b><br />
<br />The flight from Dominca to St. Lucia is a 35-minute one, so we expected to have a solid day and a half there. We didn't count on the 9-hour delay at the airport. Ohhhh, LIAT.<br />
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So, not a lot of time in St. Lucia, and therefore not a lot of pictures. I've just looked through, and it seems that about 90% of the ones we did take were underwater. We stayed in Soufriere, about halfway down the island on the east side. It's home to some very fancy resorts, but they're not allowed to keep their beaches private, so we stayed at a cheaper hotel in town and swam at a resort beach for free.<br /><br />So, a great place for a bit of "poor man's snorkeling" (wearing goggles, holding your breath, and diving). Enjoy the fish and coral.<br />
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I didn't even leave the water for lunch. My legs were still so sore, and it was so much easier to swim than walk! </div>
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<br />Fancy resort cabanas on the beach. But sorry, St. Lucia--your water's got nothing on the blue of Barbados!<br />
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<br />En route to the international airport, our taxi driver made a detour to show us his favorite view. This is from the south tip of the island.<br />
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<br />St. Lucia is a very popular honeymoon destination, and I know people who have raved about their time there. Honestly, I thought the Barbados beaches were prettier and that Dominica had more varied attractions. But then again, we only spent one full day in St. Lucia, so it is really unfair of me to judge. It seems like a perfectly pleasant place.<br /><b><u><br /></u></b><br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;">Oh, right--the food!</u><br /><br />The very first country Andy and I visited when we kicked off our RTW trip in 2009 was Trinidad, and we fell in love with the food there. We were excited to return to the Caribbean for more of it!<br /><br />Number one on our list of things to eat again was roti, and here is one from the fast-food joint Chefette in Barbados. It's an Indian-inspired pancake-like bread wrap filled with spiced potatoes and other veggies (and sometimes meat). Yum.<br />
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<br />Barbados is also known for its rum punch. Good stuff.<br />
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Flying fish is probably the national dish of Barbados. Here it is fried up in a tasty sandwich. I'm trying to remember what the salad was on the side--I think some sort of potato-like starchy vegetable, maybe breadfruit?<br />
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Another exciting perk of our return to the Caribbean: coconut sandwich cookies.<br />
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<br />Our Barbadan host Mona cooked us up this lovely dinner of chicken and rice.<br />
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Coconut candies! Yes, please.</div>
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In Dominica, we had kitchen access and did some of our own cooking with provisions acquired at the market. Mixed in with this pasta I definitely see lentils and pumpkin!<br />
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Homemade breakfast, Dominica-style: fried plantains!<br />
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We also tried the local village restaurant in Dominica that was near our lodgings. Rain on the rooftop sounded like drumbeats, it was so loud!</div>
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<br />Local-style chicken cooked up for Andy.<br />
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Honestly, I don't remember what was in my dinner. I see lots of tomatoes, and pumpkins, and a vegetable-like sauce. I doubt it was all vegetarian, but I bet everything was grown locally.</div>
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Roseau might be a tiny city, but it has streets...and street food! Hello, fried banana strips.</div>
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Hello, tasty fruit shake.</div>
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Hello, Jamaican beef patty.</div>
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Hello, fish sandwich. (Okay, this one wasn't actually so good. Everything else we had from the streets of Roseau was tasty, though.)</div>
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On to St. Lucia. Soup from a streetside shack/restaurant. Mostly vegetables, though I definitely saw pig hooves and other such parts floating in the pot.</div>
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We kept seeing this drink and reading about it, so in St. Lucia we finally broke down and bought a bottle. Seamoss drink. Apparently an <a href="http://www.islands.com/articles/sea-moss-drink">enhancer of male virility</a>, though I can't attest to that, not being male myself. It tasted fine, as far as I can remember!<br />
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Appetizer from our last dinner in the Caribbean: bacon-wrapped plantains. Yes yes yes.<br />
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<b><u>Concluding thoughts</u></b><br />
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You know, it's interesting to look back on this trip with a year's perspective. It certainly wasn't our most exciting international trip ever, but we did have some nice experiences. Dominica was just as friendly as we'd been told, and if you like hiking and jungle and nature, it's a great, not-super-touristy destination. The beaches of Barbados are pretty stunning, and we loved getting a bit of an insider perspective from our host. We've had more exciting food in other parts of the world, but cuisines with this much coconut and plantain in them certainly aren't something to complain about.<br />
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So there you have it: Our Caribbean adventures. More updates in a few weeks (hopefully!), when we return from the Himalayas!<br />
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Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-12599156956361536712012-11-16T15:08:00.000-05:002012-11-16T15:08:17.196-05:00The South of Iceland--Not So Tropical<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello, adoring fans! After a week of procrastinating, Tara has demanded that I finish the last Iceland post before I forget where the pictures were taken. So, let's get to it.</div>
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Iceland has a lot of volcanoes. That is because it is on the boundary of two tectonic plates that are ripping apart from each other. So, how can you not go see the rift? On the left side of this picture is the North American plate and on the right side is the European plate. Sadly, there was no dinner plate to be seen.</div>
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What's down this hole? Molten lava. Just kidding, but I do like to picture myself standing astride this crack as the earth was torn asunder while using fun words like astride and asunder.<br />
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It so happens that the same place where the plates are separating is where the first parliament in the world was held. It has the terrific name of Þingvellir. If all those letters don't show up on your screen, you must have forgotten to install the Icelandic font pack on your computer.<br />
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We were walking along the creek when we realized that it was full of massive trout. Most were about the size of a house, but some were more like the one that you probably can't make out in this photo, which was only as big as a small cottage. It turned out that they were all swimming up the creek from the lake to spawn.<br />
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Given the whole splitting of the plates, it probably won't shock you to see that there have been some lava flows around.<br />
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Next stop: Geysir. No, not some old geyser, but Geysir, which was the first known geyser and the place from which all others get the name. It is in a field of other geysers, and it doesn't really erupt much anymore, but at one point it erupted regularly and massively. We followed some apparently stupid tourists through a back gate thinking that was the way in and wound up standing right next to some geysers. Made for good pictures, but it could have been ugly had they erupted.<br />
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It looks like such an innocuous hole in a calm lake--until it blows your head off with scalding water.<br />
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Here is the original Geysir. At least it gets a nice grave stone. They used to throw soap into it to make it erupt, but even that trick will no longer work.<br />
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This geyser is the most regular in the world. And, no, I don't mean that it goes to the bathroom every morning without fail.<br />
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I mean that it erupts every 5-6 minutes, in a super fast poof! of water. I stood with my camera shutter half depressed for about 2 minutes to make sure I got it as it was spewing the water into the air.<br />
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In completing what is known as the Golden Triangle of Icelandic tourism, we went to Gullfoss, some nice waterfalls that don't really compare to Dental Floss Falls (see Tara's earlier post), but which are a whole lot easier to reach.<br />
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A different perspective.<br />
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We got to the big national park in southern Iceland late in the day and thought that we only had time to hike to either the waterfall (Svartifoss) or the glacier (Skaftafellsjökull--I can only imagine Icelandic tongue twisters). As it turned out, some other tourists pointed out that we could drive most of the way to the falls because it was off season. Nice. These falls are famous because of the black basalt columns behind them.<br />
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It was starting to get too dark for pictures, but you can see the columns nicely in this one.<br />
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Then we still had some time to walk out to the glacier. I enjoyed the mossy fields that we walked through to get there (though we were on a paved path).<br />
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And there was a frozen glacial lake at the foot of the glacier.<br />
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Then I found some girl who wanted her picture taken despite her attempt to get me to turn back long before we made it this far.<br />
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Glaciers look so black and white, but someone had nicely laid out this rainbow of glacial rocks to remind us just how lovely they can be.<br />
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We stayed in a cabin at a local farm, where they kindly upgraded us to a room with a private bath because they weren't full (maybe a $500 value or so in uber-expensive Icelandic hotels).<br />
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Tara's favorite part of being on this farm was 1.) eating sheep for dinner; and 2.) waking up to sheep outside our door. Icelandic sheep seem extra hairy.<br />
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Road shot of the some mountains. Just in case you forgot that Iceland had mountains.</div>
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Everyone told us that we needed to go to Jökulsárlón, which is a lagoon filled with icebergs. It is so otherworldly that they use it in movies all the time, including one of the Bond movies and Tomb Raider. It turned out to be as cool as promised.<br />
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The icebergs sometimes flip over, exposing their melted and very blue sides.<br />
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The lagoon didn't exist until the 1930s. As global warming melts the glacier at the edge of the lagoon, it continues to grow.<br />
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Yes, I really wanted to hopscotch my way to the middle of the lagoon. Unfortunately, icebergs are slippery. And the water was cold. So you have to settle for this, and even balancing on this one was a challenge.</div>
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My ice cube is bigger than your ice cube!<br />
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I threw a rock through the ice to see how solid it was (for example, was it solid enough to support a 170-pound man) and discovered that it was pretty thin. Tara first chastised me for disrupting nature in this way, then discovered that it was really a lot of fun to see how far you could toss a rock and see if it would break the ice.<br />
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The water was too cold for me, but these eiders make good coats for a reason.<br />
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I don't know where this is, but I like the picture. Somewhere on the south side of Iceland. Probably out of a car window.<br />
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Last stop: Westman Islands. The weather looked nice on the ferry ride over. Seas were calm and Tara didn't even vomit.<br />
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The chain has several islands, only one of which is really inhabited, but this fortress-like rock that rises maybe 500 feet in the air has a house on top! If I'm ever a supervillain, I plan to buy this house.<br />
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Look how sunny it is as we pull into the harbor! This town had a massive volcanic eruption in the 1970's, with lava flows like this one stopped from clogging the harbor with the help of hundreds of boats spraying water at the lava to cool it.<br />
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We had heard that Iceland is so safe that people often leave their babies on the street while they shop. This turns out to be true.<br />
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Among other things, the Westman Islands are famous for puffin hunting. People string themselves from ropes and bounce along the face of a cliff grabbing puffins during the three month nesting season. Sadly, it was out of season, so we had to acquire our less-than-tasty puffin from an overpriced tourist restaurant on the mainland.<br />
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You might have to click on this picture and blow it up to see, but it is a mural all about the local fish processing plant!<br />
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When the volcano erupted, everyone was able to flee the island on boats. However, several buildings were buried under deep lava. They have now erected tombstones for the historic buildings that were lost.<br />
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I made Tara climb the volcano that had erupted, of course. We couldn't really find an official path, so I just kept making us walk towards it. And then it started to rain. I am unclear on how I managed to get Tara to smile for this photo.<br />
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The volcano is very red and produced a ton of red pumice, which is far more fun than black pumice.<br />
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The island has a second volcano, too! Who wouldn't want to live on an island small enough to walk around in a few hours that has two active volcanoes?<br />
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This picture is the volcano's perspective of the town. When asked what it was thinking, the volcano replied, "That sure does look like a tasty town down there! I'm thinking about eating it for dinner soon!"<br />
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What could make Tara less happy than rain while hiking? Sleet and snow!</div>
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This area is sometimes called the Pompeii of the North because they are digging out some houses and buildings buried in the eruption of the 1970's. Turns out that it is about .000000001% as cool as Pompei, but I think it would be pretty interesting to visit in about 2000 years and see what people are saying about it.<br />
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And that brings us to the end of Iceland. We had a really nice trip there and would recommend it to anyone who has a decent paying job or is good with credit card debt. Good travels!</div>
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Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-58350706682223206222012-11-05T06:00:00.000-05:002012-11-05T06:00:00.255-05:00Shark, Whale, Lamb-dogs, and Other Foods of Iceland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Iceland has a good selection of foods so disgusting that only people isolated on a freezing island trying to survive would eat them. The food would make it hard to live there, but in the name of research, we tried them all. Here are the highlights!</div>
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First, Iceland loves yogurt. The local yogurt is called Skyr (pronounced skeer) and is actually almost edible compared to most yogurt. They have a huge selection that takes up about a quarter of the refrigerated space in the store.</div>
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On our first morning trip to the grocery store, we bought the following: twisty donut things that are one of the few tasty traditional Icelandic foods, rhubarb jam (Tara loves a country that has rhubarb flavored things--I feel differently), a skyr, and something called "leit ab mjolk" with pictures of pineapples on it. Obviously, I bought the last one and it scared Tara from the start. Mjolk surely means milk. So, I assumed that it was some crazy flavor of milk. Wrong! It was gross yogurt. Boo.<br />
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A closeup of the things that Tara cares about. From these, we learn that the word for Mango in Icelandic is Mango and the word for rhubarb is rabarbara. Now you are prepared for Iceland.<br />
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Tara with one of the twisted donut things. They aren't bad with some jam on them.<br />
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Here is me trying my "Leit ab mjolk."<br />
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Here is what I think of the "Leit ab mjolk"!<br />
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We went to the local marketplace and found the food sellers. We especially enjoyed the huge selection of dried fish. And by enjoyed, I mean that we reminisced about horrible dried fish that we had eaten throughout the world.<br />
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This concoction seemed to be a cake topped with shrimp and hard-boiled eggs. Order now for your next birthday! We were too afraid to try it.<br />
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We found a candy vendor selling this coconut-covered chocolate-coated things and she said that they were filled with a coconut filling. I love coconut, so I immediately bought one.<br />
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It turns out that the filling was more like a slightly coconutty marshmallow goo. Not ideal, but far from the worse thing that we ate.<br />
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The most famous "restaurant" in Iceland is probably this hot dog stand, called Bæjarins beztu pylsur, which means "Best Hot Dogs in Town." Icelanders generally consume local meat, and since there are no pigs to make their hot dogs tasty, they mix beef and lamb. If you are like me and believe that lamb is not very good, then you are left thinking that the best hot dogs in town are subpar. However, the crunchy fried onions that are standard on all Icelandic hotdogs (along with a mayonnaise-like remoulade, fresh onions, and a mild mustard) are amazing.<br />
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Here's Tara enjoying hers. A pylsa (hot dog) costs about $2.50, making it dirt cheap by Icelandic standards and explaining the very log line of locals always waiting.<br />
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After confirming that Tara liked the local skyr yogurt (she says that the American skyrs are terrible), Tara started buying in larger quantities.<br />
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Rejecting skyr, I started eating bacon flavored chips for breakfast. Hey, it's bacon flavored, and bacon is a breakfast food. Luckily, despite my fear that "beikon" actually meant yogurt, they did turn out to be a pretty good bacon flavor.<br />
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Endless soup is popular in restaurants as a meal. We would have never paid the $15-20 for it, but it was the style of meal on our glacier hike trip, so the choices were a lamb stew (this one) or the pasta sauce next to it that they called tomato soup. I didn't like either one, but still managed to eat 5 or 6 bowls.<br />
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Here are the dregs of the lamb stew, showing you all the constituent parts. Lamb. Yuck.<br />
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Dessert in Iceland is often a glass of skyr. In this case, it was blueberry flavored. I ate it because it was there. And because I like the Icelandic word for blueberry, which is blaber.<br />
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Tara took a picture of me eating yogurt to prove that I had. Doesn't mean that I liked it!</div>
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Or did I? No, I didn't.<br />
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Iceland has a lot of fish and chips. Since they seem to be the same expensive $15-20 whether you buy them in the fast food place or in the posh fish and chippery, we went high end. They are served with skyronnaises of different flavors. Thanks to the Americans next to us who gave us the skyronnaise sampler when they finished because there was no way that we were paying the $10 extra for it. Also thanks to those people who left a nearly full bowl of potatoes on their table when they left.<br />
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Licorice is popular in Iceland, though not with Tara. Here is a licorice filled chocolate bar. It wasn't bad, but Tara refused to even try it. That's right, I ate multiple kinds of yogurt and fish, but Tara wouldn't even try a tiny bit of chocolate. Lame.<br />
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Here's what you've all been waiting for, but it doesn't look so exciting in this picture. This is hakarl, aka rotten shark. They start by putting this stuff in vats and burying it underground for 6 weeks. Bacteria similar to yogurt bacteria breaks it down. Then they hang it up to air dry for several months. Then they cut it up and serve it. If you took gefilte fish and dipped it in ammonia before serving, you would get a good idea of what hakarl tastes like. Having said that, I expected worse.<br />
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Tara had her first bite with a bit of bread, and apparently hadn't gotten the full taste, so she actually had a second bite!</div>
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Here is the hakarl that has been pulled out of the ground and is now hanging up to dry for several months. It comes from the Greenland shark, which can't be eaten without going through this process. I really want to know who thought "hmmm...maybe if I let it rot underground for a couple of months and then hang it to dry for a few months, it will be edible!"<br />
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Tara hanging out with some drying hakarl.</div>
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Okay, this one might get us into some trouble. Iceland, for inexplicable reasons, flaunts the whaling ban and hunts a limited number of minke whales each year. In a moral failing, we ordered a whale steak. Our verdict: it tastes almost exactly like beef. So, now that we've tried it, we have no idea why anyone hunts whales because cows are a lot cheaper.<br />
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This is a guillemot. What's a guillemot you ask? It's a sea bird in the auk family (same family as the puffin). I would describe the texture as somewhere between pork and chicken, but it is a very red meat. The taste is quite fishy, meaning that I disliked it, but Tara thought it was good. She also liked the sugar potatoes--potatoes with a bit of sugar on them, that came as a side dish.<br />
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Iceland has a lot of soft serve ice cream. We stopped at this place along the northern coast that is one of the most famous. As a self proclaimed soft serve expert, I thought that the ice crystals were too large and that the taste was a bit lacking (not quite sweet enough), but I do like that you could choose a number of flavors of magic shell-like coatings for your cone.<br />
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Also popular in Iceland are burgers. We got some incredibly delicious burgers at Hamborgarabulla Tomasar (Tomas's Burger Joint). They were expensive ($25 for two burgers and a large fry), but were exceptionally good burgers. Apparently, Tomas is known as the burger king and has started several burger places in Iceland.<br />
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The fries that came with the burger were also excellent--they undercook them just the way I like.<br />
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At our country hotel one night, Tara ordered the dinner consisting of a lamb roast. Given that we were on a sheep farm, I suspect it was as fresh as you get. For lamb, it wasn't bad, but I'll still take beef or pork any day!<br />
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For dessert, she had this piece of skyr cake, which is popular in Iceland. Not bad.<br />
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Breakfast at the hotel was a buffet and a mix of American and European.<br />
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I was especially intrigued by this toothpaste tube of caviar, despite knowing that I don't like caviar. But it's in a toothpaste tube, so how could I resist?<br />
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I squeezed some onto a cracker and it came out in a fun star shape. Unfortunately, it tasted like salty super-fish, confirming that caviar is not good no matter how it is packaged. Though, maybe had I had my toothbrush with me, it would have been more fun to brush my teeth with it.<br />
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Our hotel package came with two welcome drinks, which we finally redeemed on our final night in Iceland. Tara found the most expensive drink on the menu, which was a mojito made with brennivin, the Icelandic caraway liquor. It was $20, so we figured she was getting the most bang for her buck. I ordered the same thing minus the alcohol. Can you tell the difference? Nope, neither can I. We weren't impressed, but Tara loves caraway, so she did like the local liquor.<br />
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Icelandic pancakes are a lot like crepes and are very traditional. The rolled up ones just have some sugar inside and the folded over ones have jam and whipped cream. Very tasty, but it would take about 50 of them (maybe $200 worth) to actually fill me up.<br />
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This is a love ball. A love ball is a doughy donut-like thing with raisins and cardamom. Not as good as it sounds because it is on the dry side and could undergo more frying to improve the taste.<br />
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The cafe where we were eating had something called rye bread ice cream for breakfast, which sounded interesting, but we were almost out of money and didn't really want to go to an ATM machine for $5 for a scoop of ice cream (and it was $5 for a scoop of ice cream...). Luckily, the people next to us ordered it and only ate part of it. Now, normally, I only take food off of other people's tables that is untouched or scooped out of something, but we saw an opportunity and took it. Rye ice cream, it turns out, is basically what you get if you crumble rye bread into ice cream. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, but was a bit strange.<br />
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Finally, puffin was out of season (all the puffins leave Iceland in late August), so we had to find the overpriced touristy restaurant that still had some. We really only wanted one order to try, but I was unclear in ordering and made it sound like we each wanted an order. Oops. Puffin is a texture that is sort of like cow tongue. If you've never had cow tongue, then go try some and you'll understand. Sadly, its taste is like rotten anchovies. I suppose this makes sense for a bird that eats entirely little fish, but it was still sad. Doubly sad was that we then had two plates of the stuff to eat. We can't recommend it.<br />
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Well, that wraps up foods of Iceland. New animals eaten included guillemot, puffin, whale, and Greenland shark (which Tara says doesn't count because we had eaten other shark before). Recap: they were all gross except for whale, which was just like eating a cow except that you feel bad after eating it. Icelandic yogurt (skyr) is less bad than most yogurt. Icelandic hot dogs have lamb in them, which makes them worse than good ol' New York street dogs. Some other stuff is decent. Overall, Iceland wouldn't be on my list of suggested culinary destinations, but, then again, I do like eating snow and ice, and they had some especially clean tasting snow!</div>
Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-32170844694846654172012-11-01T12:22:00.001-04:002012-11-01T12:22:57.300-04:00Northern Exposure: An Icelandic Road Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Andy is pretty busy with work this week, so for now I'm going to continue the story of our Icelandic adventure!<br />
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Although we had eight nights of hotel in Reykjavik paid for through our package, we decided pretty early on that we wanted to get out of the capital and see more of the country. Discussions with tourist office advisers, our glacier-hike guide, and fellow travelers made it sound like the west, north, and south coasts of the country would all be excellent destinations...so of course, we had to visit all three. Kudos to Andy, who drove more than 2,300 kilometers (~1400 miles) in four days so we could truly experience Iceland!<br />
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Our first destination was the Snaefellsnes peninsula on Iceland's west coast. It's a fun word to try to say, and with impressive volcanic scenery, an even more fun place to drive around. Outside of Reykjavik, roads are a single lane in either direction, and most places are so empty that you never even see another car.
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In many parts of Iceland, you see lava fields covered with moss. Moss is the first plant that's able to take hold in this kind of harsh environment, though it's not exactly a speedy process--this lava flow is probably thousands of years old. It looks really cool, though, and Andy loves moss, so he found it particularly exciting.<br />
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At the tip of the peninsula, you can take a cliff walk between the villages of Arnarstapi and Hellnar. This monument to the god of the local volcano guards the beginning of the trail in Arnarstapi.</div>
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From the cliffs, you can really see the volcanic nature of the landscape. And cool caves.</div>
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It sort of reminded me of the Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland, if those cliffs were made of cooled lava and had no tourists around for miles.<br />
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On this outing, Andy finally got to make use of his own ear-flap hat! You should send him an e-mail telling him how handsome he looks in it.<br />
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See that little speck way out on the cliff? That was Andy...<br />
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...probably taking a zoom shot of these eider ducks. Thanks for your warm and fluffy down, ducks!<br />
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The hike was pretty and not too difficult.</div>
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There was plenty of mossy lava to look at...</div>
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...and pet.</div>
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Finally, we spotted Hellnar in the distance! Rural Icelandic villages are not so big.<br />
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Not to be outdone by Arnarstapi, Hellnar's beach had its own crazy lava walls.</div>
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Andy pointed this house to me in Hellnar as a dwelling he thought I might like. Good spotting, Andy--I am now determined to one day have a house with an enormous sloping blue roof and wraparound porch! (I should also note here that new-agey types consider Snaefellsnes to be one of earth's seven "chakras," or energy centers, and flock there for healing. I'm guessing that the big yin-yang sign over this house's door has something to do with that.)<br />
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Jules Verne must have also considered the area to be a gateway to something magical, because he set <i>Journey to the Center of the Earth</i> here. Back in Arnarstapi, we visited this nifty monument that lists distances to major world cities...via the center of the earth.<br />
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We got back on the road and were rounding the tip of the peninsula when we saw this hand-painted sign. How could we not stop?</div>
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Andy may have been slightly more enthusiastic about the dead whale. He might have run ahead and beaten me to it.</div>
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But I got there eventually. The whale had clearly been dead for some time--some of its giant vertebrae were a short distance away.</div>
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Cool, or disgusting? You be the judge.</div>
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The journey continued. Icelandic villages have some really neat churches, like this one in Olafsvik on the peninsula's north shore.<br />
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Our pretty drive continued as we made our way toward Bjarnarhofn to visit the rotten shark museum! Yes, a rotting whale and rotten shark all in one day--how lucky can two travelers get?<br />
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But we'll have to save the rotten shark pictures for the food post (yes, rotten shark is to eat, not just to look at). Instead, you can look at this adorable creature that I found on the farm by the museum. Oh, and there's also an Icelandic horse in the picture.<br />
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Many hours of driving later, we arrived in Akureyri, which is on a huge fjord smack in the middle of Iceland's northern coast and is the country's second-biggest city. With only 17,000 people, you wouldn't think it would feel very urban, but after seeing nothing but volcanoes and the occasional sheep farm for hours, it felt almost like New York. Here's a night shot of its cathedral.</div>
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We stayed at a guesthouse on a chicken farm outside of the city. The room had one big mattress (hoorah!), but still had two small, separate comforters, which seems to be the way in Iceland. Since it wasn't exactly peak tourist season, we were able to bargain a little bit and paid around $65. That would have made us cry in our backpacking days, but is a bargain for Iceland.<br />
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The next morning's conversation between me and Andy went something like this:<br />
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Me: Wow, you drove so many hours yesterday and we saw so much. Don't you want to take a break today?<br />
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Him: But this really cool lake is only an hour past Akureyri! And the largest waterfall in Europe is only an hour past that! How can we not go see them when we're so close?<br />
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Me: OK...well, then do you want to spend another night in the north after, so you don't have to drive all day?<br />
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Him: But if we just drive for six more hours in the afternoon, we can make it back to Reykjavik and stay in our hotel there for free!<br />
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And so, once again, we were in the car before dawn, this time heading east toward Lake Myvatn. It was a beautiful drive.<br />
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Well, at least until the road started freezing over.<br />
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Lava + snow looks pretty cool. (Especially when you're the one tasked with taking pictures out the window instead of driving.)<br />
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Deciding to go to the farthest destination first, we drove until we reached the turnoff for Europe's largest waterfall by volume, Detifoss. (Also, if you are American and immature, referred to as "Dental Floss.") Not another car in sight for miles, and this is what the turnoff road looked like.<br />
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I'll admit, I voted to turn back. We were supposed to drive 20 kilometers up this road, and we had no phones; I was having visions of breakdowns, of snowdrifts, of me having to eat Andy just to survive while I waited for the rescue crews to come for me in the spring. But once again, the "we've come this far, how can we turn back now?" argument won out, and verrry slowly, Andy inched our Ford Fiesta down the snowy road.<br />
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Amazingly, we made it to the falls, and there was even one other tourist parked there! It was still a bit of a snowy hike from the parking lot, but finally, we were greeting with this sight.<br />
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Yay!<br />
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Almost as impressive as the falls were the ice formations all around it. Andy hadn't had any breakfast, so he had to sample an icicle.</div>
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I guess it was so good that he took one to go.<br />
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The ropes along the walkway to get closer to the waterfall had their own awesome icicles...</div>
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But the neatest things were probably the plant branches, which thanks to spray from the waterfall that froze, had developed into crazy, globe-like ice blobs that looked like coral, or maybe an alien life form.</div>
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If you make it all the way to Dettifoss, you get to see a bonus waterfall, Selfoss, further upstream. Very pretty, though not nearly as stunning as Dettifoss. </div>
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Eager to recover from the stress of the waterfall adventure, I insisted that our next stop be the Myvatn Nature Baths, also known as the Blue Lagoon of the north. These open-air hot baths are smaller, cheaper, and less touristy than the Blue Lagoon, and I can't imagine better mountain scenery either.<br />
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Never before sighted in the wild: An Andy relaxing!<br />
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True to the isolationist theme of the day, for most of our visit we were the only people in the baths. It was awesome.<br />
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Just so you know, the waterproof camera does work in the hot springs.<br />
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After a good long soak at the baths, it was time to begin the epic drive back to Reykjavik. The scenery around Lake Myvatn was stunning, including the Hverfell tephra ring, which formed during a massive eruption 2,500 years ago.<br />
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Seriously, if you're going to do a road trip, you kind of can't beat the backdrops of northern Iceland.<br />
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Another very cool church, in the northern town of Blonduos.<br />
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And plenty of volcanoes, of course.<br />
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We made it safely back to Reykjavik, but if you thought our road trip was over, you'd be wrong. There was still the whole southern coast to explore! I'll leave that part for Andy to recap this weekend. And, of course, there's still food to discuss. Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, we'll do our best to answer in the comments.</div>
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Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-14777693707783686382012-10-31T12:42:00.000-04:002012-10-31T12:42:34.036-04:00An Icy Introduction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ohhh, yeah--the travel blog is back!</div>
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No, Andy and I have not decided to quit life again and go vagabonding for an extended period--we're quite happy with our lives and jobs in Colorado, which has now been our home state for almost a year (!). </div>
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But you may remember that <a href="http://andyandtarasworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/four-days-four-countries-race-through.html">we flew through Reykjavik airport</a> on our way home from Poland at the very end of our round-the-world trip last year. Our layover only gave us time to slurp a little delicious glacial tap water and use the snyrtingar (Icelandic for toilets), but the country looked so beautiful from the air that we vowed to return one day and visit it properly.</div>
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Well, that day came this fall, when we found out that Iceland Air was running direct flights from Denver to Reykjavik--and offering a great deal on an 8-day flight + hotel package. Clearly, it was a sign that we needed to make Iceland our first international vacation destination since our triumphant return to America.</div>
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So back on went the backpacks, and away to Iceland we went!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">(Click on the pictures for larger versions.)</span>
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Iceland Air kindly gives you a crash course on Icelandic language and customs on your seat back and pillow. (Not so kindly, they don't provide free headphones or food for your eight-hour transatlantic flight, so a word to the wise, bring your own or be prepared to pay up.)<br />
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Hey, those look familiar! Welcome to Iceland!<br />
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From reading online reviews, we knew that the Reykjavik hotel that came with our package would be far from the "four stars" it claimed to be. Indeed, the room turned out to be kind of small and with two single beds pushed together for us to sleep in. But hey, after all of our travels, anyplace with 24-hour electricity and hot water feels luxurious to us!<br />
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After getting settled in, we immediately set out to take advantage of the sunny (though cold) weather and see some of Reykjavik. Our first stop was Hallgrimskirkja, the city's largest church. Built between the 1940s and 1980s, it was apparently designed to resemble Iceland's lava flows!<br />
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It has a very impressive organ inside, with over 5,000 pipes.<br />
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The rest of the interior is rather stark, though.<br />
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Here you can see the lava-like design a bit better...and a statue of Viking explorer Leif Eriksson, a gift from the USA (presumably in honor of him having "discovered" our land).<br />
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So many of our old backpacking skills quickly came back into play...like the long-armed self-portrait shot! You can see a typical Reykjavik street in the background.<br />
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Down by the harbor, where we shiveringly ate a skyr and donut breakfast (food pics to come in the next post), we also happened upon some Viking-inspired art.<br />
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Iceland is known for its cliffs full of puffins, but sadly they only come ashore in the summer to breed, preferring to spend the winter months hanging around on the surface of the North Atlantic itself. (Yeah, that totally sounds preferable.) So we had to content ourselves with gift shops full of stuffed puffins, instead.<br />
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(We thought about bringing a giant one home to decorate our apartment, but given that the tiny ones cost about $20 each, the big one probably would have cleaned out our bank account. In related news, Iceland is EXPENSIVE.)<br />
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Out on a different street, near city hall. I guess this sculptor got tired of chiseling...<br />
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Back at our hotel that evening, all the non-four-starrishness of our room was immediately forgiven when we saw the spa in the basement.<br />
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Thanks to Iceland's volcanic nature, it has abundant geothermal power and more hot water than it knows what to do with, so every little village has a public hot pool complex that only costs $3 or $4 to use. There are also the more touristy, natural-style hot pools like the famous Blue Lagoon, and then many hotels have their own spas. Our had a large warm swimming pool, a smaller hot tub, and two saunas. Yay!<br />
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For this trip, we finally replaced the waterproof camera that we had lost in Madagascar, so of course we had to test it out.<br />
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The pool also came with abundant free floaty noodles. Since almost nothing in Iceland is free, we had to take advantage!<br />
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Wait, I think I need more noodles. Yeah, that's better.<br />
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The last thing to be included with our package was a day trip to walk on a glacier and hunt for the Northern Lights. We took off the next morning with an excellent guide named Vidar and drove a couple of hours through beautiful countryside to the Myrdalsjokull glacier in southern Iceland.</div>
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We strapped on crampons and stomped up onto the ice. It's a very active glacier, with icescapes that change every week, forming crazy holes...<br />
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...and crevasses. If you are thinking that the glacier looks dirty, that's volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull (the volcano that shut down air traffic in Europe for several days), which is nearby. Fields in this area are still covered with ash and volcanic rock, and if you get stuck in a windstorm they can apparently scrape the heck out of your car's paint job. <br />
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The company we hiked with also gave us ice-axes, mostly so we could take silly pictures with them like this one.<br />
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Here you can see a very good-looking gentleman, and some interesting ridges on the glacier's surface. We spent a good couple of hours on the glacier, and saw many different ice formations.<br />
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Hold onto your hat!<br />
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The tour also included stops at a couple of impressive waterfalls, like this one. Andy REALLY likes waterfalls.<br />
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We also got our first close-up look at the famous Icelandic sheep. They are so incredibly fluffy that they look like caricatures of sheep. Brought to Iceland by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago, they are the only breed of sheep allowed in Iceland today--you can't import any other kind. The same goes with the adorable (but very strong) pony-like horses, which you will see in a later post.<br />
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Iceland only has around 300,000 inhabitants, and according to one source, there are four times as many sheep as people.<br />
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Unfortunately, the Northern Lights didn't come out and play for us that night (or any other night that we were in Iceland). Vidar admitted to us that the tours only see them about 10% of the time they go out searching. We had seen them once before, while driving north in Canada, though we didn't know what the heck they were at the time.<br />
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Back in Reykjavik the next day, our lucky streak of sunny days ended and the clouds and drizzle came out. We headed for the Saga Museum, which tells the history of Iceland using human-sized dioramas. Probably not really worth the $15-per-person entry fee, though we did get to see this disturbing depiction of a nun being burnt at the stake for witchcraft and fornication.<br />
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And we also got to try on chain mail, which is really heavy and smells like a schoolyard fence.<br />
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But it clearly looks awesome. Maybe that $15 was worth it after all!<br />
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What, you think I let Andy have all the fun?<br />
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This is Perlan, the building that houses the Saga Museum. It's up on a hill, and has a restaurant and observatory, too. Oh, and the giant circular things store Reykjavik's hot water!<br />
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A view from the top of Perlan. You can see Reykjavik's seaside setting and the mountains that rise across the inlet. It's a city of only 100,000 people, and I think that the tallest building is 17 stories high.<br />
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Later, we had to stop by the theater. Little Shop of Horrors in Icelandic!<br />
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Another typical Reykjavik street, with lots of fun colors. Also, lots of cars--Iceland has no trains, and with its low population density, it's very much a car country like the USA. And thanks to the harsh winter weather and a number of unpaved roads, SUVs are popular. Gas costs about four times as much there as it does here, though.<br />
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This one's for our niece, Stella!<br />
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And this one's for our friend Katrin, whose name is popular in Iceland. Actually, I'm pretty sure that that witch burnt at the stake in the Saga Museum was named Katrin, too...<br />
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The next morning, we rented a car to venture out into the great, underpopulated beyond and see more of this incredible country. There would be weirdly mossy lava to touch, and snowy volcanoes to climb, and rotten shark to eat. But those are posts for other days. Stay tuned for our further adventures in Iceland!<br />
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Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-52694704817351778132011-08-29T13:54:00.004-04:002011-08-29T14:22:34.185-04:00Flashback: First Day in Ghana<div>The blog lives!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Andy and I have finally wrapped up our domestic travels (check out the "Where Have We Been?" column on the right if you'd like to know, uh, where we have been this summer) and made it back to New York...just in time for Hurricane Irene! Luckily, my parents' house was not flooded, which means that the meager remains of our worldly possessions are still intact.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Anyway, as we take breaks from looking for jobs, we hope to bring you a last few blog entries here, reflecting on our round-the-world experience and offering some final advice to those of you out there who are considering doing this one day.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Here's a brief entry to get things (re)started. I wrote this 250-word essay for a funny-travel-story contest sponsored by Budget Travel magazine...but then decided not to submit it, because apparently they take ownership of your writing and photo submission, even if you don't win, which means I would have to pay them if I wanted to publish them later in a book or something. Bah. But now that means you get to read it for free!</div><div>
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<br /></div><div><b>First Day in Ghana</b></div><div>
<br /></div>Every time we go over a bump, the goats scream.<div>
<br />My husband and I are bouncing down the road in rural Ghana in a crowded minibus. Our hips dig into our neighbors’, our shoulders jostle for space, and everyone’s sweating—especially me and Andy, who failed in our mission to get window seats and are now cut off from even the tiniest breeze.
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<br /></div><div>Bump. <i>Bahhhhh!</i>
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<br /></div><div>Most of the passengers came to the station that afternoon with a few bags, like us, but one brought a dozen goats. With the driver’s help, he strapped several to the luggage rack up top, then started shoving goats inside, under the seats. </div><div>
<br />Now every time we hit a bump—about every 10 seconds, or just long enough for your brain to start recovering from the noise—the goats get jostled and bleat bloody murder. A year into our round-the-world honeymoon, Andy and I thought that we were used to sharing public transport with livestock (they don’t call them “chicken buses” in Central America for nothing!), but this is taking it to a whole new level.
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<br /></div><div>Hog-tied and stuffed into a dark space, the inside goats protest loudest, but it’s the roof goats who take the ultimate revenge. A man at the end of our row, trying to get more shoulder room, has his torso hanging halfway out the bus when a stream of yellow liquid runs off the roof and hits him on the arm. Suddenly, we’re glad we didn’t get those window seats.
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<br /></div>Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-53792783343218610272011-07-15T20:55:00.001-04:002011-07-17T11:21:25.988-04:00Obsessions of AsiaWe are woefully behind on posting since we came back to the United States. Despite having almost constant access to computers and the Internet, we have focused our time on seeing family and friends. Even for me, it is hard to say, "Mom, I know you haven't seen me for two years, but I just have to get those Obsessions posts done..."<br /><br />So, without anymore excuses, here come Asia's obsessions:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">India- Spitting.</span> An easy one. The average Indian might spit 1200 times per day. And we aren't talking about small little bits of spittle. We're talking about pieces of lung the size of a fist. Sure, lots of Indians also have a paan habit (think chewing tobacco, but different ingredients that also happen to make one's spit Kool-Aid red), but even those that don't chew still spit. And before the spitting comes a noise that sounds like the regurgitation of a cow. Wait, most Indians don't eat cow, so a goat. Like hawking up a goat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sri Lanka- Water tanks.</span> What is a water tank you ask? Well, I'm going to tell you even if you didn't ask. A water tank is a man made lake. Sri Lanka has a lot of areas that are at altitude and are very wet for part of the year, but very dry for the rest of the year. So, starting a thousand years ago or more, digging giant water pits became the prerequisite for growing any large city that wasn't on the sea. And they did it with gusto. Some of the cities have dozens of lakes that are far larger than many dammed lakes in the US, and they were all dug out by hand. Or maybe with hands and a rock and maybe a chisel, but you get the point. Good job, ancient Sri Lankans!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Malaysia- Tourism posters.</span> If all the Asian countries were elementary school students, Malaysia would get the "Tries Hardest" certificate at the end of the year. Not only are tourism posters in nearly every window of Malaysia, they are in nearly every hotel and vaguely related travel business everywhere in Asia. They must have printed millions of them. And that makes it even sadder that more people don't visit Malaysia, which really is a spectacular country.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Singapore- Rules.</span> Singapore has rules for everything. And fines for not following most of them. The list of fines in the subway cars was as long as my arm. (We especially appreciated that one of the highest fines was for bringing the smelly durian fruit on the train.) If you like to conform, consider moving to Singapore. If you have ever voted Libertarian or are a card carrying member of the Tea Party, consider vacationing somewhere other than Singapore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Indonesia- Cats without tails. </span> Didn't see that one coming, did you? We saw hundreds of cats in Indonesia and every one of them had some or all of its tail missing. We can only assume that people think they should not have tails and take it upon themselves to cut off the tails with whatever sharp instrument is laying around when they see a cat with tail intact. We thought that we might see this in other countries, but it was really just Indonesia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thailand- 7-Eleven.</span> Think of all the 7-Elevens you have ever seen. Multiply that number by 100. That is how many 7-Elevens are on the average block in Thailand. It used to be a joke in New York that Starbucks would often have locations right across the street from one another. 7-Eleven in Thailand might regularly have three stores on a block. I don't understand how they stay in business, especially since they are more expensive than most Thai businesses, but they all seem the thrive. Since I love Slurpees, I thank the Thai people for making cheap Slurpees available everywhere.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burma (Myanmar)- Gold leaf.</span> I had never heard of someone's job being to hammer gold until it was gold leaf. In Burma, that ranks as one of the most popular jobs. Where does all that gold leaf go? Buddhists in Burma buy the gold leaf and then rub it onto the Buddha statues (or anything else that they believe should be gold) at the Buddhist temples. This keeps everything bright and shiny. Oh, I should point out that only men are allowed to do this. Women aren't allowed to touch the Buddha statues, but can buy some gold leaf and have a manly man rub it onto the Buddha.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cambodia- Angkor Wat.</span> It seems sort of lame to be obsessed with your biggest tourist attraction, but Cambodia unquestionably is. It adorns the flag, half the stores in the country are named for it, and it inspired enough awe that even Pol Pot didn't destroy it. And Pol Pot destroyed just about everything in Cambodia.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vietnam- Motor scooters.</span> The average person in Vietnam has 3.2 motor scooters. Approximately. Through a quantum trick, they ride all of them simultaneously. So, while Vietnam has only 80 million people, 250 million people ply the roads on motor scooters at any given time. And most of those 250 million are going down the road that you want to cross. The streets of the large cities look like a moped convention.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Laos- Fruit shakes.</span> I try to find something deeper than a food for country obsessions, but fruit shakes made with fruit, condensed milk, sugar, and ice are what hold the country of Laos together and makes the whole country so friendly. That's pure speculation, but locals and tourists alike can be found drinking delicious and cheap shakes all over the country, and we were certainly fans. For those who are not feeling happy enough after a regular shake, many places seem to offer "happy" shakes, which come with whatever drugs they happen to have in stock (pot in most places).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">China- Crotchless pants.</span> No, China isn't turning into 1980s New York. Any child under the age of three in China wears pants with a giant slit down the crotch and no underwear underneath. This allows them to go to the bathroom anytime and anywhere they like. And I do mean anytime and anywhere. Let's say the kid is waiting in a busy ticket line inside the train station with the parent and needs to go to the bathroom--that's what those pants are for. Number one or number two? Doesn't matter. Does the parent clean it up? No. It stays there for others to step in. While China seems likely to take over the world one day, we hope they get rid of crotchless pants prior to that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mongolia- Chengis Khan.</span> Yeah, I thought it was Genghis Khan, too, but not in Mongolia. This founder of the Mongol Empire is known for uniting the nomads of Mongolia, declaring war on anything that moved, killing about a bajillion people, and creating the beginning of the largest empire the world has ever known. That, of course, makes him the hero of Mongolia. Based on our experience, I don't see the second coming of the Mongol Empire anytime soon.<br /><br />There you have it: the obsessions of Asia. Disagree with us? Too bad. Write your own blog. Or leave us nasty comments about how we disparaged your country. That's why our home address isn't on the blog. Well, that and we don't have a home yet...Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-27095850318454238482011-06-27T01:34:00.001-04:002011-06-27T01:34:00.204-04:00From Rupees to Rupiah: Financing AsiaAll through our travels, people told us how cheap Asia would be...and, looking forward to bringing down our average daily budget, we hoped that they were right. Luckily, they were!<div><br /></div><div>Here are the numbers by country. In case you forgot how we do this, these numbers are for two people, including visa costs and all costs on the ground (and in the air if we took internal flights). Sometimes we also include the cost of a flight into the country if that was the only way to get there.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>India: $53 per day. </b>Visas cost $74 each at the embassy in Istanbul. India is one of the cheapest countries we've been to, so staying there for five weeks did wonders for our financial (if not gastrointestinal) health. Hotel rooms ranged from $10-$25 depending on level of comfort (except in Mumbai, where it's hard to find a double for less than $50); restaurant meals could usually be had for a buck or two, and street food for pennies; and train transport in sleeper class cost less than a hotel. Not getting ripped off on cabs and tourist excursions required some negotiating.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Sri Lanka: $80 per day </b>(including flight from Chennai, India, which costs about $120 per ticket; <b>$53 </b>per day without flight). No visa fees. Sri Lanka's hotels and food were a little more expensive than India's, but it made up for it with what is possibly the world's cheapest public transport on a $-per-hour basis. If you plan to visit more than two historic sites in the "Cultural Triangle" area, getting a pass can save you $25 or more.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Malaysia: $47 per day. </b>No visas. Some travelers complain about Malaysia being pricey, but as it turns out, the only traveler item that is really expensive in (Muslim-majority) Malaysia is beer! As long as you don't drink much, the country is terrific value, especially considering how developed it is. Air-con double rooms with shared (but very clean, hot-water) bathrooms cost $10-$15, and delicious, cheap street food abounds. Transport is a little pricier than some Asian countries, but you usually get comfortable, AC buses on smooth roads. We stuck to the peninsula this time and didn't do any fancy tourist excursions, but our memories of our previous trip to Borneo are that prices were very reasonable there, too.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Singapore: $111 per day. </b>No visas. We only spent two days in Singapore, so this is kind of skewed, but it's certainly one of the most developed and expensive countries in Southeast Asia. Most of the cheaper hotels are in the red light district, where we found a decent private room for $35 a night. Public transport, museums, and restaurants are comparable to Western prices, but taxis (which are metered, hallelujah!) and street or food court foods are relatively cheap. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Indonesia: $102 per day. </b>One-month visas on arrival at the airport cost $25 each. Indonesia was surprisingly expensive, though that's largely because we did a lot of pricey activities like SCUBA diving, chartering a boat to Krakatau volcano, and a few other organized tours. No-frills internal flights between the islands were a pretty good deal, usually less than $50 one-way and could be booked just a day or two before. Buses and trains on the ground varied a lot in price and quality. Hotel rooms for $10-$15 could be found, but were usually pretty disgusting; if we wanted cleanliness and AC, we usually had to pay at least $25. Cheap street food could be found in most places, though not so much in touristy Bali, where we usually had to shell out for real restaurants.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Thailand: $83 per day. </b>No visa fees. Considering how many touristy activities we did in Thailand (diving, elephant training camp, etc.), this is a great average. Hotel and transport standards are pretty high, but competition for the tourist buck keeps prices low. Markets selling cheap local food are pretty easy to find, and even fancy restaurants are probably cheaper than the Thai restaurants you find at home. Just try not to get robbed, which could certainly send your costs soaring!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Myanmar: $77 per day.</b> Visas cost $27 each in Bangkok. This average includes flights into and out of Yangon from Bangkok ($130 each roundtrip), which accounted for one-third of our expenditures there. Once you're on the ground, Myanmar (Burma) is super cheap in all categories, though its rough roads, ancient vehicles, and power cuts often made it feel more like traveling in sub-Saharan Africa than Southeast Asia.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cambodia: $53 per day</b>. Visas cost $20 each at the border. Cambodia is excellent value. $11 a night got us rooms with bathroom, AC, and sat TV in both Siem Riep and Phnom Penn, the two most touristed cities in the country. Markets and restaurants offer cheap food; bus transport and tourist site admissions are pretty reasonable. If we had stayed longer, or ventured out to less touristy places, it probably would have been even cheaper, but even so, Cambodia was one of the cheapest destinations on our trip.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Vietnam: $66 per day.</b> Visas cost $45 each in Phnom Penn, Cambodia. Vietnam's one of those countries that feels more expensive than it is, probably because people are trying to rip you off almost continuously. But we did manage to stay in some pretty nice hotel rooms and eat decent food for not a lot of money. Trains cost more than buses but are much nicer (which isn't the same as saying that they're actually nice!), especially for overnight travel. Halong Bay overnight cruises can be an especially good deal for a decently swanky experience...provided your boat doesn't sink in the night, of course.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Laos: $57 per day.</b> Visas cost $40 each at the border. Laos is pretty poor, so the roads and buses aren't always the nicest, but hotels were quite comfortable, food was inexpensive, activities like kayaking were very reasonable, and prices overall about as cheap as could be.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>China: $92 per day.</b> Visas cost $160 each in Vientiane, Laos--the most expensive of our entire trip. (They are about $100 less expensive for non-Americans, though.) Yunnan province, in southwestern China, was incredibly inexpensive; with $10 hotel rooms and cheap bus rides, it cost no more than Laos, where we had just come from. As we moved east and to the bigger cities, things got more expensive, though you could always find cheap and tasty food, even in Beijing. In general, China didn't feel overpriced considering the good quality of rooms, trains, and food that we got, and some tourist attractions, like the Forbidden City, were surprisingly reasonable.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mongolia: $121 per day.</b> No visas needed for Americans, though most nationalities need one. This number is high because we spent 6 of our 8 days in the country on a private jeep tour of the Gobi. If we'd managed to find a couple of other travelers to share the tour with, costs would have been halved. Otherwise, the country's pretty budget-friendly: In Ulaan Bataar, the capital, a hostel room with breakfast, Internet, and shared bath cost $15; there were expensive restaurants and cheap local-food canteens to choose from; and the 15-hour train from the China border cost around $9 for seats, or $25 for sleeper berths.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, Asia had a few expensive countries, but was mostly pretty cheap for us. Hope that this post was slightly helpful to you if you're planning to backpack through Asia. If you have any questions, leave a comment and we'll do our best to get back to you!</div>Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-68811148223055044942011-06-25T10:54:00.000-04:002011-06-25T11:21:36.734-04:00Porking Up with Eastern European FoodWe will now amalgamate foods of our last few countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Poland) because, try as we might, we were unable to eat enough foods in the short time we visited to have enough pictures for separate posts. As always, we ate almost as much as is humanly possible to bring you, our loyal readers, the best of foreign foods. Let's see what we ate.<div><br /></div><div>For breakfast in Budapest, we bought a drinkable yogurt and cheesy bread for Tara and pink balls for me. Tara liked the yogurt but thought that the cheesy bread was dry. The pink balls turned out to be these weird iced rum cake things. I didn't hate them as much as most rum cakes, but they were not good. They looked so nice, though.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sYVA0lH-start%20%3Ca%20href=" com="" yvsvjc="" tevkzxpzmni="" aaaaaaabr8y="" xxzp9yx7lio="" s400="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-o5_k-YvSVJc/TevKzXpzMnI/AAAAAAABR8Y/XXzp9Yx7lio/s400/P1120797.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Budapest has a marzipan museum. I hate marzipan, but it turns out that marzipan is also an excellent building material. Here's Tara wishing that she could eat this 100% marzipan Hungarian princess. Despite my dislike of marzipan, I told them it was okay when they asked to make a marzipan statue of me...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x8bgokWMRLA/TevK4EQ6EBI/AAAAAAABR9g/Q67HX1PnbRo/s400/P1120825.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x8bgokWMRLA/TevK4EQ6EBI/AAAAAAABR9g/Q67HX1PnbRo/s400/P1120825.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Goulash comes in many forms, but the key ingredients are beef, vegetables, and lots of paprika. As with chili in America, Hungarians take their goulash very seriously and many have closely guarded recipes that they claim are the best. This one seemed basic but good.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vrCMYD4jqeU/TevK5Tw-VBI/AAAAAAABR9w/Z5UxNsyfjMo/s400/P1120830.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vrCMYD4jqeU/TevK5Tw-VBI/AAAAAAABR9w/Z5UxNsyfjMo/s400/P1120830.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Like the rest of Eastern Europe, Hungary loves bacon and bacon-like products. This pork chop with potatoes came topped with a bacon-fat starburst. No idea what it is actually called, but it is just fried bacon fat cut into a fun floral shape. We'll call it a bloomin' bacon. You thought the bloomin' onion was the least healthy dish on the planet, but now the bloomin' bacon is here!<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fgNL1FaDRrw/TevK6I8CrcI/AAAAAAABR94/dg_65o-0_5A/s400/P1120831.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fgNL1FaDRrw/TevK6I8CrcI/AAAAAAABR94/dg_65o-0_5A/s400/P1120831.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This Hungarian ratatouille with sausage was not very memorable for me (probably because it was Tara's meal). I just asked her and she said it tasted of paprika and was a bit spicy. So, I'm sure that you can just taste it based on that description.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SLKhuna6mFk/TevK6lZIzGI/AAAAAAABR-I/WoWSzIf5H7k/s400/P1120832.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SLKhuna6mFk/TevK6lZIzGI/AAAAAAABR-I/WoWSzIf5H7k/s400/P1120832.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Slovakia has its own version of string cheese, which is made from sheep's milk and is smoked. It is called udene. Because it is cheese, it is gross. However, if I were to eat cheese, smoked cheese that tastes a bit like bacon (supposedly) is the way that I would go.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-QVcto9H96LA/TevK7MSIxTI/AAAAAAABwHw/ZMv8pCH-Fx8/s400/P1120833.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-QVcto9H96LA/TevK7MSIxTI/AAAAAAABwHw/ZMv8pCH-Fx8/s400/P1120833.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I don't remember what this fried potato bread is called, but they cover it in garlic, butter, optional cheese (no thanks), and optional sour cream (no thanks, again). It was sort of like fried dough without the sugar. An excellent snack.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xLPiinlsWx8/TevK7g31dgI/AAAAAAABR-Y/yAI8pO5CF5I/s400/P1120834.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xLPiinlsWx8/TevK7g31dgI/AAAAAAABR-Y/yAI8pO5CF5I/s400/P1120834.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Slovakia likes its heavy dumplings, and I like them, too. Here are some served with onions, pork, and some other stuff. Very good. Internet research seems to indicate that it is maybe called strapacky. Good name.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S9zxSgNHocU/TevK-SljauI/AAAAAAABR_g/JC-T5fuJSKE/s400/P1120840.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S9zxSgNHocU/TevK-SljauI/AAAAAAABR_g/JC-T5fuJSKE/s400/P1120840.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara had the cheese version, called bryndzove lausky, which is like a Slovakian mac and cheese. That means it uses sheep cheese and is gross. Tara, however, really liked it. The bacon-like stuff on top looked good to me.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y1_hP5QYs9U/TevK_mH5WOI/AAAAAAABSBA/JBOgjJlOhJ0/s400/P1120841.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y1_hP5QYs9U/TevK_mH5WOI/AAAAAAABSBA/JBOgjJlOhJ0/s400/P1120841.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is called Christmas soup, or kapustnica. It has a whole bunch of ingredients, but the keys are sauerkraut, mushrooms, pork, and whatever else is laying around. Pretty good, but it didn't make me suddenly dream of Christmas.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MjUvewqKnqg/TevLDsgXQlI/AAAAAAABSCg/Q-Xlrvt5Mkc/s400/P1120845.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MjUvewqKnqg/TevLDsgXQlI/AAAAAAABSCg/Q-Xlrvt5Mkc/s400/P1120845.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Slovakia has its own soda, called Kofola, from Communist times when Coke wasn't allowed. It is apparently still far more popular than Coke and Pepsi. A bit like lightly carbonated, anise-flavored root beer, it is a very unique taste. Good, but I don't think that I could drink it all the time.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ytNcNdDAv9I/TevLCgX1aAI/AAAAAAABSCE/U-xc6Anqo8Q/s400/P1120843.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ytNcNdDAv9I/TevLCgX1aAI/AAAAAAABSCE/U-xc6Anqo8Q/s400/P1120843.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This delicious potato-batter fried pork was stuffed with butter and bacon. Very healthy and tasty.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--LrvQJzLdMU/TevLFIt825I/AAAAAAABSDU/rOrzu7OMdjQ/s400/P1120846.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--LrvQJzLdMU/TevLFIt825I/AAAAAAABSDU/rOrzu7OMdjQ/s400/P1120846.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Fried cheese cutlets? They have too much cheese in Slovakia. Our friend, Peter, loves these, but with my dislike of cheese and Tara's dislike of stringy, melted cheese, we both took a pass.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hk3dYTroOEI/TevLGq6TSNI/AAAAAAABSEY/b4E7pg61SQw/s400/P1120847.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hk3dYTroOEI/TevLGq6TSNI/AAAAAAABSEY/b4E7pg61SQw/s400/P1120847.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Apparently, it is perfectly acceptable in Slovakia to have a "sweet dinner", where you order sweet crepes or some other normally desserty item for dinner. This almost overcomes the love of cheese. Fortunately, I am not easily influenced by cultural pressures, so I happily eat "sweet dinner" often no matter the country.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f6miHEST-6U/TevLIVqdS_I/AAAAAAABSFA/rBMCazCQKio/s400/P1120848.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f6miHEST-6U/TevLIVqdS_I/AAAAAAABSFA/rBMCazCQKio/s400/P1120848.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>From a previous trip to Vienna, I remembered having amazing sausages on the street. This bratwurst and currywurst (complete with heaps of curry powder) were indeed great, but they also cost about $4 each, which is pricey.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aqf0Qujfegs/TevLMqH28yI/AAAAAAABSGY/ApL3U9j_LDA/s400/P1120860.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aqf0Qujfegs/TevLMqH28yI/AAAAAAABSGY/ApL3U9j_LDA/s400/P1120860.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Peanut butter wafers are a popular snack in Slovakia. Our friends were kind enough to get us some for our long train trip to Vienna. Well, it was an hour, but Tara gets hungry easily.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Uch47W-vIhc/TevLLCKJGZI/AAAAAAABSF4/tC7mJT9N3TU/s400/P1120854.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Uch47W-vIhc/TevLLCKJGZI/AAAAAAABSF4/tC7mJT9N3TU/s400/P1120854.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Vienna has ice cream everywhere. Possibly as much as Rome, and certainly more than anywhere in the US. The most famous is probably Zanoni & Zanoni, pictured below. Very good, though we had some even more delicious cinnamon ice cream while in Bratislava.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zp_ff6fyqFE/TevLNKuM1hI/AAAAAAABSGk/FkQ99kdUE4Y/s400/P1120861.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zp_ff6fyqFE/TevLNKuM1hI/AAAAAAABSGk/FkQ99kdUE4Y/s400/P1120861.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Upon our arrival in Poland, we were surprised to find them selling bagel-like breads that looked a lot like Turkish simit. Tara bought a cheesy one while I bought a round thing covered in a sweet-looking icing. Neither was great. Thus ended our experimentation with Polish pastries. Why can't Europeans make good pastries? I suspect it is because they won't take advice from Americans.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zYnBb8qst4U/TevLRQdc1sI/AAAAAAABSHw/Z5MVXPau9Yc/s400/P1120869.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zYnBb8qst4U/TevLRQdc1sI/AAAAAAABSHw/Z5MVXPau9Yc/s400/P1120869.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>While we were walking through the streets of Krakow, they were giving away free energy drinks. I had never tried an energy drink. (I normally have more than enough energy or am asleep. I'm binary that way.) The first sip was good and had a slightly grape soda-like taste. The second drink tasted like grape soda with a bit of pee in it. By the end of the can, it tasted like pee with<br />some poison added. And it did nothing for my energy levels.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nX8gMlBbcwE/TgM9NsI93EI/AAAAAAABwbk/1sD3700tSkg/s400/P1120887.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nX8gMlBbcwE/TgM9NsI93EI/AAAAAAABwbk/1sD3700tSkg/s400/P1120887.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Tara ate this mushroom and barley soup (or maybe some other grain since Tara doesn't really like barley) at a restaurant in Krakow. It was pretty good, but not amazing.<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w0oHzi9UrxY/TgM9Pj3JtPI/AAAAAAABwcM/6PEG5kcic4M/s400/P1120895.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w0oHzi9UrxY/TgM9Pj3JtPI/AAAAAAABwcM/6PEG5kcic4M/s400/P1120895.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We liked this sign for "Jewish Caviar", which is apparently chopped chicken liver. Not sure how that is at all similar to caviar, but it was advertised all over Krakow.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sYVA0lH-iVw/TgM9OwPC6iI/AAAAAAABwb8/8aEsKNOFXOM/s400/P1120893.JPG" alt="" border="0" />Let the pierogies begin! We tried several types and styles. These giant, buckwheat-filled pierogies were almost like small empanadas. Very different than we expected when ordering, but good.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-as3xmUUrqNI/TgM9QSojDsI/AAAAAAABwcU/-EK32qtzmjc/s400/P1120896.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-as3xmUUrqNI/TgM9QSojDsI/AAAAAAABwcU/-EK32qtzmjc/s400/P1120896.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I got some pork and dumplings that proved even better than the giant empanadas. The dumplings were almost like gnocchi.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kOnvcLVmsKQ/TgM9Q1lwRUI/AAAAAAABwcc/-sDX_ENtIP0/s400/P1120897.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kOnvcLVmsKQ/TgM9Q1lwRUI/AAAAAAABwcc/-sDX_ENtIP0/s400/P1120897.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We went to a restaurant in Warsaw specializing in pierogies (Zapiecek was the name, I think). We ordered some meat pierogies fried in bacon grease that were amazing, and some more ordinary mushroom ones that were served with butter. If we were to do it again, I think we would have ordered more fried in bacon grease.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rMcX1yu9Iqc/TgNJjJTHizI/AAAAAAABw6M/Wm-8cHyk-ok/s400/P1120911.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rMcX1yu9Iqc/TgNJjJTHizI/AAAAAAABw6M/Wm-8cHyk-ok/s400/P1120911.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This Polish pear yogurt was the last crazy yogurt for Tara for the trip. She thought it was a decent way to end her around-the-world yogurt trial.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I8Q0T0R0bGc/TgNJsu209gI/AAAAAAABw6g/lOBxt4Pk01E/s400/P1120915.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I8Q0T0R0bGc/TgNJsu209gI/AAAAAAABw6g/lOBxt4Pk01E/s400/P1120915.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The ice cream in Poland (and a few other countries in Eastern Europe) is often served in this fashion. I am a fan of very, very tall ice cream. In Poland, it sometimes tastes like frozen butter frosting from a cake, which is not a bad thing.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z3hwOppfwYQ/TgNJZafqzxI/AAAAAAABw58/OOxnBSO4KpA/s400/P1120908.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z3hwOppfwYQ/TgNJZafqzxI/AAAAAAABw58/OOxnBSO4KpA/s400/P1120908.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Europeans may not understand pastries, but Americans could learn a lot from Europeans when it comes to sausages. Take the lowly hot dog, for instance. This Polish hot dog would surely generate fewer jokes than the standard American hot dogs if this is what was being served on the street in New York.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Rr9VxVS9sOU/TgNJY4qSEiI/AAAAAAABw54/Pgu1-66hEVk/s400/P1120907.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Rr9VxVS9sOU/TgNJY4qSEiI/AAAAAAABw54/Pgu1-66hEVk/s400/P1120907.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Well, it appears that this brings us to the end of our final foreign food post. We are happy to have brought you foods from around the world for the last couple of years, and hope to continue to bring you updates from time to time. Thanks for reading!</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-20447865509535826172011-06-24T09:00:00.001-04:002011-06-24T09:46:51.364-04:00Four Days, Four Countries: The Race Through Eastern EuropeSome people, when contemplating the final week of a two-year, round-the-world trip, might choose to go somewhere quiet, where they could take a little time to reflect on their travels and relax before rejoining the "real world."<div><br /></div><div>Some people who are not Andy and Tara, of course. <div><br /></div><div>We rolled across the Romania-Hungary border in the middle of the night on May 27, ready to embark on a whirlwind tour of Eastern European cities that would put us in four new countries over the next four days...not to mention empty our money belts of those pesky Euros we'd been carrying around since our early-2010 visit to <a href="http://andyandtarasworld.blogspot.com/search/label/Spain">Spain</a>! <div><br /></div><div>Our first destination was Budapest, capital of Hungary and a beautiful city. It was pretty much flattened in World War II, so most of the sights we saw had been heavily reconstructed, but carefully so as to preserve the historic feel.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we heard that the main square was called Heroes' Square, we assumed that it was a tribute to resistance fighters fallen in WW2 or something. Wrong! It celebrates 1,000 years of Magyar conquest of Hungarian lands.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SM0fsWk-Uzw/TevKz5DOfPI/AAAAAAABR8g/ld_LkFLeZrY/s400/P1120798.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SM0fsWk-Uzw/TevKz5DOfPI/AAAAAAABR8g/ld_LkFLeZrY/s400/P1120798.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Behind Heroes' Square is a lake and a castle. The lake had a fun art exhibition consisting of floating cars and furniture and even a half-submerged house. We think it was installed to encourage people to rent canoes and paddle out to take a closer look.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y5Ka1H0a55s/TevK0aNX99I/AAAAAAABR8o/V8RidA6i36o/s400/P1120800.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y5Ka1H0a55s/TevK0aNX99I/AAAAAAABR8o/V8RidA6i36o/s400/P1120800.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Budapest is home to the second-largest Jewish synagogue in the world (the largest is in New York). Built in the 1850s, the Dohany Street synagogue is definitely the most ornate synagogue I've ever been to. It turns out that the architect was not Jewish, and that the building has some similarities to churches (like pulpits and an organ). It managed to avoid complete destruction during WW2, in part because the Nazis moved in and made it a local base.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9uCjjYegKnA/TevK125UWsI/AAAAAAABR84/ktJ2jHftnrA/s400/P1120806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9uCjjYegKnA/TevK125UWsI/AAAAAAABR84/ktJ2jHftnrA/s400/P1120806.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9uCjjYegKnA/TevK125UWsI/AAAAAAABR84/ktJ2jHftnrA/s400/P1120806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a>The ark, organ, and Moorish-style dome of the synagogue. A non-Jew is hired to play the organ on the Sabbath.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zbkO4VlX1Mo/TevK2a3T-5I/AAAAAAABR9A/jD3IqrZTGy4/s400/P1120809.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zbkO4VlX1Mo/TevK2a3T-5I/AAAAAAABR9A/jD3IqrZTGy4/s400/P1120809.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Let's jump religions now and head over to St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's main Roman Catholic church. It houses a relic that may or may not be the 1,000-year-old hand of St. Stephen. The best thing about this relic is that you can put about 1 euro's worth of coins in a box to light up the hand for two minutes. We waited for someone else to do this before taking this picture.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t0nb9QtkRqw/TevK2y2sotI/AAAAAAABR9I/9HRc76dKsvg/s400/P1120817.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t0nb9QtkRqw/TevK2y2sotI/AAAAAAABR9I/9HRc76dKsvg/s400/P1120817.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Hungarian Parliament is one of Europe's largest and prettiest. We heard that the inside is very impressive, too, but tours are really expensive (unless you are an EU citizen, in which case they are free).<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wqKuDKK7LGM/TevK3h4TFnI/AAAAAAABR9Y/6X5JSdSa1DQ/s400/P1120824.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wqKuDKK7LGM/TevK3h4TFnI/AAAAAAABR9Y/6X5JSdSa1DQ/s400/P1120824.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The most fun fact about Budapest, in my opinion, is that it actually consists of two cities divided by the Danube river...and the names of those cities are Buda and Pest. The train station, most hotels, and many tourist attractions are in Pest, but the biggest castle and some nice churches are over in Buda, which you can see below.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bad-FA0m3Ns/TevK3LGY4sI/AAAAAAABR9Q/jFNPV0-qOdM/s400/P1120820.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bad-FA0m3Ns/TevK3LGY4sI/AAAAAAABR9Q/jFNPV0-qOdM/s400/P1120820.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Matthias Church in Buda.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kUa8HTQQYxw/TevK4m8vx-I/AAAAAAABR9o/lLV6d0IrACU/s400/P1120828.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kUa8HTQQYxw/TevK4m8vx-I/AAAAAAABR9o/lLV6d0IrACU/s400/P1120828.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Only three hours from Budapest is Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Luckily, our friend Anna and her fiance Peter happen to be living there this year, and invited us to come stay. Our first stop with them was their local market, where we got to try all sorts of Slovakian delicacies, like these giant fried breads, that we'll write about in the next food post.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TeCNvxgYgHc/TevK8nCopxI/AAAAAAABR-g/8mDygvTObWQ/s400/P1120835.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TeCNvxgYgHc/TevK8nCopxI/AAAAAAABR-g/8mDygvTObWQ/s400/P1120835.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here we are with Anna and Pete outside of Bratislava Castle. Andy was in Bratislava a few years ago, when the castle was gray and open to the public. Now it's white and closed for renovations. Like most of the castles in Budapest, the inside is used as a museum when it's open.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eDGsi6W6MEA/TevK8wqit0I/AAAAAAABR_E/LtJLEsA0khc/s400/P1120838.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eDGsi6W6MEA/TevK8wqit0I/AAAAAAABR_E/LtJLEsA0khc/s400/P1120838.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>It seems that the rest of our Slovakia pictures are of food, which makes sense, since we spent most of our time in Bratislava eating. One day, we would like to go back and see the castle-filled countryside. Meanwhile, it was time to press on to Vienna, Austria, just an hour away by train.<br /><br />Downtown Vienna is filled with impressively gorgeous old buildings, like the opera house.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u5XrAQ3iRUA/TevLJ7awWsI/AAAAAAABSFg/2jbJ1SRF2KM/s400/P1120851.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u5XrAQ3iRUA/TevLJ7awWsI/AAAAAAABSFg/2jbJ1SRF2KM/s400/P1120851.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hanging out outside the opera house, and on this music-note-landscaped lawn, and pretty much everywhere else tourists go, are touts dressed like Mozart, trying to sell tickets to overpriced classical music concerts (where the musicians also perform in period dress). Much as Andy and I hate being harassed by touts, you kind of have to love a city where said touts wear wigs and tights and push high culture!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1YkYs0oTTgo/TevLJeFMcNI/AAAAAAABSFQ/vcP7dzqRSmo/s400/P1120850.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-1YkYs0oTTgo/TevLJeFMcNI/AAAAAAABSFQ/vcP7dzqRSmo/s400/P1120850.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Vienna has an endless number of museums to choose from, but with limited time and budget, we chose the Albertina Palace, which combines art exhibits with 19th-century Habsburg staterooms. The exhibitions included excellent ones on the Blue Rider group (incl. Kandinsky, Klee, and the wonderfully freaky Alfred Kubin) and American pop artist Mel Ramos, and the staterooms looked like a mini-Versailles.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TT0J_djYTQk/TevLK75s3KI/AAAAAAABSFo/_CqbF3HPoeA/s400/P1120853.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TT0J_djYTQk/TevLK75s3KI/AAAAAAABSFo/_CqbF3HPoeA/s400/P1120853.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Vienna also has lots of churches to choose from. I forget the name of this one, but you can see we had a beautiful day for wandering.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tI_8O1D3_6E/TevLMHA17lI/AAAAAAABSGM/r_kN5TRy7Yc/s400/P1120859.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tI_8O1D3_6E/TevLMHA17lI/AAAAAAABSGM/r_kN5TRy7Yc/s400/P1120859.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Vienna's main cathedral, like Budapest's, is St. Stephen's. It may look like just another church from the outside...<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M0G2uGLcBrE/TevLOD_Fs-I/AAAAAAABSHA/3k6d2yQsvEQ/s400/P1120863.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M0G2uGLcBrE/TevLOD_Fs-I/AAAAAAABSHA/3k6d2yQsvEQ/s400/P1120863.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>...but the inside is psychedellic! (This is not just the effect of the stained glass windows--they're cheating with some colored lights.)<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rt3HBhacYSs/TevLPMiYlpI/AAAAAAABSHI/iy2RhPGhdaU/s400/P1120864.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rt3HBhacYSs/TevLPMiYlpI/AAAAAAABSHI/iy2RhPGhdaU/s400/P1120864.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>My favorite thing about Austria was all those funny German signs.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DF-6cPIVBNY/TevLP56sQmI/AAAAAAABSHU/o-2zPOL_2fA/s400/P1120865.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DF-6cPIVBNY/TevLP56sQmI/AAAAAAABSHU/o-2zPOL_2fA/s400/P1120865.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S_tRyjERpcc/TevLQfzuMGI/AAAAAAABSHg/lCA0PnNgEOc/s400/P1120867.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S_tRyjERpcc/TevLQfzuMGI/AAAAAAABSHg/lCA0PnNgEOc/s400/P1120867.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EAAvutEB5xg/TevLQ4Q6FYI/AAAAAAABSHo/ew3-9RAgEps/s400/P1120868.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EAAvutEB5xg/TevLQ4Q6FYI/AAAAAAABSHo/ew3-9RAgEps/s400/P1120868.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hee hee.<br /><br />On a less funny note, we grumblingly boarded the overnight train to Krakow, Poland, that night for our most expensive train ride ever. Over $100 per person for sleeping berths in an old, cramped, 6-person compartment. (For comparison, we spent less money on five weeks of train travel around India, including six overnight trips.) Welcome back to Western pricing!<br /><br />The next morning, determined not to raise our spirits even a little, we headed straight to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps outside of Krakow. Though I have read and watched a fair amount of material about such camps in my lifetime, nothing quite prepares you for actually visiting one. (Possibly disturbing pictures to follow.)<br /><br />You begin your tour by walking through the main gate to Auschwitz. The German over the gate translates to "work will set you free," which is total crap, since all the Nazis tried to do in this camp was work the prisoners to death, if they didn't just gas them outright upon arrival.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYe8ng_y3Js/TgM9H3OCkJI/AAAAAAABwak/wrmJPA7U0rE/s400/P1120870.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OYe8ng_y3Js/TgM9H3OCkJI/AAAAAAABwak/wrmJPA7U0rE/s400/P1120870.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Many of the buildings at Auschwitz have been turned into small museums. Some of the most affecting displays are piles of personal possessions collected by the Nazis from incoming prisoners who were sent to the gas chambers. Piles of eyeglasses and shoes--adults', and heartbreakingly, hundreds of childrens'--are upsetting, but the items that affected me most were the collections of shaving brushes and shoe-polishing tins, because they really show how much many of the prisoners believed, until the last possible moment, that they were merely being resettled and heading for a new life where such everyday items would be needed.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D_ZRbgXPjMQ/TgM9IZHXplI/AAAAAAABwas/QIJYRu8rMgA/s400/P1120871.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D_ZRbgXPjMQ/TgM9IZHXplI/AAAAAAABwas/QIJYRu8rMgA/s400/P1120871.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I didn't expect Auschwitz to be so green. It's always harsh winter in all the movies, isn't it? But in springtime, 70 years later, the rows of trees and brick barracks buildings look almost peaceful and pleasant.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DetjomN-B_M/TgM9JgGVWFI/AAAAAAABwa0/N-KYfA9hoTo/s400/P1120874.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DetjomN-B_M/TgM9JgGVWFI/AAAAAAABwa0/N-KYfA9hoTo/s400/P1120874.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Until you take a step inside the gas chambers. They would actually paint these over after every round of gassing so that new prisoners being herded inside wouldn't get freaked out by scratchings and bloodstains from the previous victims.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vfShWoxAEkM/TgM9LHfMxqI/AAAAAAABwa8/4pICkZhSrrs/s400/P1120875.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vfShWoxAEkM/TgM9LHfMxqI/AAAAAAABwa8/4pICkZhSrrs/s400/P1120875.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The crematorium ovens were usually found adjacent to the gas chambers for the speediest disposal of the thousands of bodies. These machine-like aspects of the camps, and the amount of detailed planning the Nazis put into making them efficient, is unbelievably disturbing when you're standing in the middle of it.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M7WVgORqEXg/TgM9LkqZeZI/AAAAAAABwbE/UP1PDR9-khA/s400/P1120876.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M7WVgORqEXg/TgM9LkqZeZI/AAAAAAABwbE/UP1PDR9-khA/s400/P1120876.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Around three kilometers from Auschwitz--which was largely a work camp--is Birkenau, which was much larger and basically designed to kill people as quickly as possible. Special railroad tracks were built to bring cattle cars full of people directly into the camp.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Hnh6SNg6sbo/TgM9MIT0HBI/AAAAAAABwbM/UyXaIaNFucY/s400/P1120879.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Hnh6SNg6sbo/TgM9MIT0HBI/AAAAAAABwbM/UyXaIaNFucY/s400/P1120879.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you've seen movies featuring Auschwitz-Birkenau, you may recognize the train-station layout, which you can see from above from the watchtower, though it was much greener at our visit than I'd ever imagined.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--Je2xutjvVc/TgM9MkVBx_I/AAAAAAABwbU/36cfLLhGrRE/s400/P1120881.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--Je2xutjvVc/TgM9MkVBx_I/AAAAAAABwbU/36cfLLhGrRE/s400/P1120881.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Over 1 million people were killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau, 90% of them Jews. Gypsies, Poles, and many others were brutalized and killed there, too. It's a staggering, mind-boggling legacy. I was glad to see so many people visiting and learning about the history on the day we were there. Sadly, as our previous visits to equally horrifying memorials in Rwanda and Cambodia showed, it seems that the world has not quite learned its lesson yet about preventing genocide.<br /><br />A person could be forgiven for wanting a drink back in Krakow after a day at the camps. If I ever open my own bar, I am totally naming it the Alkohole.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k6nsKOt6uso/TgM9NykDrwI/AAAAAAABwbs/G0JlOYjh9YA/s400/P1120888.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k6nsKOt6uso/TgM9NykDrwI/AAAAAAABwbs/G0JlOYjh9YA/s400/P1120888.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Krakow has a cute old city that largely escaped destruction in World War II. This cathedral towers high above the main square.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dk4hZIMOVJo/TgM9NO2Ci3I/AAAAAAABwbc/Y2o24Ilgmbc/s400/P1120886.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dk4hZIMOVJo/TgM9NO2Ci3I/AAAAAAABwbc/Y2o24Ilgmbc/s400/P1120886.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Though Krakow's Jewish population is much diminished now, it still has many old synagogues that you can visit. This one has uncovered some very old murals of prayers in Hebrew on the walls.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DsabsxcIeks/TgM9OQzxvjI/AAAAAAABwb0/KgXJXD8stic/s400/P1120892.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DsabsxcIeks/TgM9OQzxvjI/AAAAAAABwb0/KgXJXD8stic/s400/P1120892.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We treated ourselves to a nice dinner in a froufy dining room off the main square. Krakow is full of tourists, but we were the only diners that night.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PSmcNahYaIM/TgM9PUtdvHI/AAAAAAABwcE/zChsaZQDcCc/s400/P1120894.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PSmcNahYaIM/TgM9PUtdvHI/AAAAAAABwcE/zChsaZQDcCc/s400/P1120894.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></div></div></div><br />The next day, it was off to Warsaw, the capital of Poland and--thanks to it having the cheapest flight route back to New York of any Eastern European city--the last destination of our very long trip. Skies were blue and the sun toasted us as we explored the heavily rebuilt old town (Warsaw was not as lucky as Krakow in WW2).<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gCHDkHl1_Bk/TgNJSViNrHI/AAAAAAABw5s/Lhv9J2Swb_U/s400/P1120906.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gCHDkHl1_Bk/TgNJSViNrHI/AAAAAAABw5s/Lhv9J2Swb_U/s400/P1120906.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Pope John Paul II came from Poland and is still extremely popular there, as effigies and pictures in people's windows prove. I thought that this was a statue of him, but actually it's a different Polish Catholic figure, Cardinal Wyszyński, whom many want to see canonized. Bottom line: Catholicism is a big deal in Poland.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MMmfiWnpB_w/TgNJSllBcoI/AAAAAAABw50/oXjR-wFGTt4/s400/P1120905.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MMmfiWnpB_w/TgNJSllBcoI/AAAAAAABw50/oXjR-wFGTt4/s400/P1120905.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Most of the Eastern European cities we visited had cute little street trams, and Warsaw was no exception. We hopped on one once, and it took us so long to figure out what the system was for paying the fare that we reached our stop and got off before we ever paid it. Thanks for the free ride, Warsaw!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pCskp5PNEP4/TgNJaBrdo4I/AAAAAAABw6A/4f7PB2xFnjk/s400/P1120909.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pCskp5PNEP4/TgNJaBrdo4I/AAAAAAABw6A/4f7PB2xFnjk/s400/P1120909.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here I am with the Vistula River, which bisects Warsaw. Guess it wasn't cool enough to be on the Danube like Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, so it had to settle for a river that rhymes with connective tissue disease.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F5VvGM6-euE/TgNJiY0n9TI/AAAAAAABw6I/nxVb4-PkNmI/s400/P1120910.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F5VvGM6-euE/TgNJiY0n9TI/AAAAAAABw6I/nxVb4-PkNmI/s400/P1120910.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />In addition for the awards for "free-est tram ride" and "best pierogi," Warsaw wins the award for "gayest statue we've ever seen in a Catholic church."<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nV2f43t_cGo/TgNJkvDFetI/AAAAAAABw6Q/5bDhU7onZGU/s400/P1120914.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nV2f43t_cGo/TgNJkvDFetI/AAAAAAABw6Q/5bDhU7onZGU/s400/P1120914.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Short story: In Europe, hotels are very expensive, so Andy and I had been staying in dorms, where we still often paid $15-$20 each for a bed. The hostel where we stayed in Warsaw was at the top end of this range, but at least our room of six beds seemed clean and orderly when we stopped by in the morning to drop our luggage off. Unfortunately, when we returned in the afternoon, we found the rest of the beds in our room taken by teenagers on a field trip who had spilled soda and chips all over the floor and, despite many signs warning of an over-$100 fee for doing so, were smoking in the room.<br /><br />Feeling an overwhelming sense of we-are-too-old-to-be-dealing-with-this-s**t, Andy and I marched straight to the front desk and tattled hard on those kids. They got in trouble with their teacher and fined for the smoking, and...we got upgraded to a private room! After weeks of communal living, it was a nice way to spend our final sleep on the road. OK, so we had to check our backs for possibly-homicidal teenagers every time we went down the hall to the bathroom, but other than that, it was a peaceful night.<br /><br />The next afternoon, we boarded our flight to Reykjavik. Yup, the cheapest route home was via Iceland--sadly, not on a fancy, smorgasbord-serving Scandinavian airline, but on a no-frills, no-food, no-water-even-though-you-had-to-dump-yours-out-at-security airline called Iceland Express.<br /><br />We only had one hour to make our connection, and were not-so-secretly hoping to miss it and be "forced" to spend a night in Iceland. Unfortunately, about half our flight from Poland was bound for New York, and they held the connecting plane. At least I had time to refill our bottles with pure Icelandic tap water in the snyrtingar before boarding flight #2.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AvE2U58GHlE/TgNJp-kFTdI/AAAAAAABw6U/z6u_1PSdbyg/s400/P1120916.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AvE2U58GHlE/TgNJp-kFTdI/AAAAAAABw6U/z6u_1PSdbyg/s400/P1120916.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not sure that everyone's luggage made it onto the second flight, but we carried everything on, just like we had on our very first flight ...<br /><br />(Portrait of two backpacks--Caribbean Airlines flight from New York to Trinidad, June 30, 2009)<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LCVu1bj0H_M/Sk-qegTEkdI/AAAAAAAAB6U/xPs4qwH3TR0/s400/P1000301.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LCVu1bj0H_M/Sk-qegTEkdI/AAAAAAAAB6U/xPs4qwH3TR0/s400/P1000301.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />(Same two backpacks, 74 countries later--Iceland Express flight Reykjavik to New York, June 1, 2011)<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mL5AAbsJcWI/TgNJs6t4XGI/AAAAAAABw6k/eCOypEowye0/s400/P1120918.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mL5AAbsJcWI/TgNJs6t4XGI/AAAAAAABw6k/eCOypEowye0/s400/P1120918.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>(Huh, I just realized that we were in seat 19 for both of those flights. How weird is that?)<br /><br />So, amazingly, our backpacks made it all the way around the world...and so did our marriage. Look, still smiling!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RP17ZaIFJq8/TgNJvh_zmMI/AAAAAAABw6o/0O-hERuJpb4/s400/P1120919.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RP17ZaIFJq8/TgNJvh_zmMI/AAAAAAABw6o/0O-hERuJpb4/s400/P1120919.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We're back in the USA now, but that doesn't mean that we're finished blogging. We've still got some food to bring you, and several financial updates and obsessions posts...and hopefully, at some point, we'll reflect on our travels and bring you some deep thoughts (or at least best-of lists). Plus, we plan to travel around the states some this summer, so we may bust out the camera and work up some posts about the attractions of, say, Minneapolis and Denver, if our adoring fans demand it. So feel free to adore and demand in your comments below!Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-65097436703933598832011-06-07T11:13:00.002-04:002011-06-16T17:55:31.840-04:00What would Dracula eat?Before Dracula was a vampire, maybe he was a human. So, what would he have eaten? Seems like an important historical study that we are about to undertake.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>Moldova doesn't seem to have a rich food heritage, though I'm sure we'll get comments from some Moldovan telling me that I'm an idiot. In any case, they do have a popular chain called Andy's Pizza, which seemed like a good place to go for someone named Andy.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q5BiM-RVncY/TdoUlNwBLdI/AAAAAAAAp9o/8bRk7o8GUsk/s400/P1120733.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q5BiM-RVncY/TdoUlNwBLdI/AAAAAAAAp9o/8bRk7o8GUsk/s400/P1120733.JPG" /></a>The pizza was actually decent and quite affordable. We found no other food in Moldova apart from a small supermarket and some ice cream in the park.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kUvOP0YCFPk/TdoUllJMqcI/AAAAAAAAp9k/DXeuZZa_xo4/s400/P1120734.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kUvOP0YCFPk/TdoUllJMqcI/AAAAAAAAp9k/DXeuZZa_xo4/s400/P1120734.JPG" /></a>Romania doesn't have a ton of street food, but you often see things that look like this. Unfortunately, it turned out to be filled with melted cheese, which neither of us likes. And, really, even the fried wasn't so good. We suggest avoiding them even though locals seem to love them.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LaqJqKbIUPQ/TdoUm-LSknI/AAAAAAAAp2s/_c0LbPtALWM/s400/P1120739.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LaqJqKbIUPQ/TdoUm-LSknI/AAAAAAAAp2s/_c0LbPtALWM/s400/P1120739.JPG" /></a>These apple cinnamon cookies were some of the stranger cookies that I've ever had. I felt as though I was eating an everlasting gob stopper from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because it kept changing tastes. It started as a butter cookie, then artificial sweetener, then apple, then a Red Hot candy, then artificial sweetener again.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-izhtLW1BC3o/TevKbp0QSOI/AAAAAAABRyA/flS-Di144NA/s400/P1120749.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-izhtLW1BC3o/TevKbp0QSOI/AAAAAAABRyA/flS-Di144NA/s400/P1120749.JPG" /></a>Tara had this walnut yogurt that I think was mediocre, but nothing spectacular. The container looks nice, though. I give the packaging an 8 out of 10.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rNOXFTTZBWs/TevKanYMEQI/AAAAAAABRxs/lwyCQq2uQrc/s400/P1120748.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rNOXFTTZBWs/TevKanYMEQI/AAAAAAABRxs/lwyCQq2uQrc/s400/P1120748.JPG" /></a>In Bucharest, we went to a Romanian restaurant where we tried some traditional sausage and a white bean dip (which Tara was happy to find closely resembled a hummus). The sausage was pretty good, but won't make a list of the world's top ten sausages or anything.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k0UzaCyaarY/TevKjAZ3tGI/AAAAAAABR2g/8JH9zO3LOC0/s400/P1120752.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k0UzaCyaarY/TevKjAZ3tGI/AAAAAAABR2g/8JH9zO3LOC0/s400/P1120752.JPG" /></a>I got a mix of grilled meats and some sauteed potatoes. It was so-so. Tara got the cabbage wrapped ground meat with polenta. Tara's dishes were really good.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S8-YcKGAUCc/TevKkaaLsDI/AAAAAAABR3g/3Q64ssz2jO0/s400/P1120753.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S8-YcKGAUCc/TevKkaaLsDI/AAAAAAABR3g/3Q64ssz2jO0/s400/P1120753.JPG" /></a>In Brashov, we went to another traditional restaurant that was even better than the one in Bucharest. The appetizer platter has some cheeses that I didn't try (but that were apparently very salty), pork cracklings, sausage, and "bacon" (really just the fat from the bacon). We had to explain to the girl with whom we were eating exactly what a crackling is, and, surprisingly, she kept eating them even after the explanation.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hpC_IFcgeko/TevKpAIpAtI/AAAAAAABR5k/R4-fWhBznDA/s400/P1120764.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hpC_IFcgeko/TevKpAIpAtI/AAAAAAABR5k/R4-fWhBznDA/s400/P1120764.JPG" /></a>Tara got some sausages with beans and polenta. The beans were a lot like baked beans. The sausages were sausages.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pXZ1y3Lf8ZM/TevKubbStGI/AAAAAAABR6s/3AMy3-5pvC8/s400/P1120766.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pXZ1y3Lf8ZM/TevKubbStGI/AAAAAAABR6s/3AMy3-5pvC8/s400/P1120766.JPG" /></a>Romania loves bacon. We love bacon. Therefore, we love Romania. Or something like that. I got the bacon-wrapped sirloin tips in a honey sauce. They were excellent. Maybe we will try to make them. Or maybe we will just wrap everything in bacon.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BtXcyihxBDU/TevKpmm4gAI/AAAAAAABR54/E9yS58I9LWE/s400/P1120765.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BtXcyihxBDU/TevKpmm4gAI/AAAAAAABR54/E9yS58I9LWE/s400/P1120765.JPG" /></a>Kraft makes this pineapple filled chocolate in Romania. It was pretty good and served as our dinner on a couple of train trips.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A_ZBd6no_1k/TevKwHbnxPI/AAAAAAABT64/TNZsZ04pd-4/s400/P1120773.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A_ZBd6no_1k/TevKwHbnxPI/AAAAAAABT64/TNZsZ04pd-4/s400/P1120773.JPG" /></a>Lastly, we found these donuts on the street. They were pretty good. Not sure if these are common since we only found them in one small town, but they were fried, sweet, and cheap, which is sort of like the food trifecta. Had they only had ice cream...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sjn4nC0IyNQ/TevKwwijzUI/AAAAAAABR7U/_NamRwxouvU/s400/P1120784.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sjn4nC0IyNQ/TevKwwijzUI/AAAAAAABR7U/_NamRwxouvU/s400/P1120784.JPG" /></a>Romania's love of pork, especially bacon, is one that fortunately continued for the next few countries. It raises the food rating for Romania significantly. We were a bit sad to leave without eating more, but that was often the case on our travels. The food is not light, but it is tasty.</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-52300385036125534082011-06-06T10:00:00.001-04:002011-06-16T17:55:18.532-04:00Romania Mania! (And the Moldblog)If you look at a map, it looks like you should be able to get from southern Ukraine to coastal Romania directly, no problem. Wrong! All roads (well, all legitimate ones with public transit and border-crossing facilities, at least) lead through Moldova.<div><br /></div><div>If you're wondering who, what, or where is Moldova, you're not the only one. If I made a list of "countries I didn't know existed until this year," well, this former USSR republic would probably have been pretty near the top. Small, landlocked, and the poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP, it's not exactly a big holiday destination. We only knew one person who had ever visited Moldova...so, naturally, we decided to become the second and third tourists in the country's brief history.</div><div><br /></div><div>Getting a bus ticket from Yalta to the Moldovan capital of Chisinau was easier said than done. Except it wasn't easily said, either. Turns out you pronounce it "Kee-shee-now," which is not even a little bit close to what we were saying, and since we didn't know how to spell it in Cyrillic...well, let's just say it was a challenging purchase to complete. </div><div><br /></div><div>But we got the tickets and, a 20-hour bus ride later, we were in Moldova and happily reading Roman-alphabet signs again. Moldovan language is the same as Romanian, which itself looks like someone threw Spanish, French, Italian, and one of the Slavic languages into a blender and kind of sounds that way, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of reading signs, these ads for Moldova's main cell phone provider are all over Chisinau. You know, right next to the Moldbank and the Moldmarket. Tee hee hee!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Gf-0pdfgOsw/TdoUi53N54I/AAAAAAAAp1s/tOw5gXoEY-A/s400/P1120728.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Gf-0pdfgOsw/TdoUi53N54I/AAAAAAAAp1s/tOw5gXoEY-A/s400/P1120728.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Chisinau's main cathedral had the best religious neon light display we'd seen since the Buddhist temples of Burma.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oGu4A_8hfvQ/TdoUjGltboI/AAAAAAAAp14/FBXjXVeJaiQ/s400/P1120730.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-oGu4A_8hfvQ/TdoUjGltboI/AAAAAAAAp14/FBXjXVeJaiQ/s400/P1120730.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Here's the cathedral from the outside. I suppose it is one of Chisinau's top sights.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R4vOENBS8V8/TdoUjtbR3AI/AAAAAAAAp9s/r5pp8PiKSx0/s400/P1120731.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R4vOENBS8V8/TdoUjtbR3AI/AAAAAAAAp9s/r5pp8PiKSx0/s400/P1120731.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>And here is Chisinau's other top sight, a teeny weeny Arc de Triomphe. Not big enough to straddle the main avenue, it has to make do with lording over a sidewalk.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gmYtnU59a_o/TdoUkXXX9LI/AAAAAAAAp2I/uh4Dy6uXkg4/s400/P1120732.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gmYtnU59a_o/TdoUkXXX9LI/AAAAAAAAp2I/uh4Dy6uXkg4/s400/P1120732.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>And...that's it for Moldova! We only spent about 10 hours there, which is about 8.5 more hours than we knew what to do with. We sat in a park for a while, we ate a few ice creams. Andy got a Moldhaircut. But the people were very nice (and spoke a lot more English than people did in Ukraine!), and Chisinau was a surprisingly well-developed and pleasant little city. The countryside we passed on the bus and train looked quite nice, too. Perhaps the poorest country in Europe is still a lot better off than the poorest countries of most other continents?</div><div><br /></div><div>The overnight train to Romania was fun for two reasons. First, thanks to low demand, we got a compartment all to ourselves in the old-school, wood-paneled, lace-curtained train. Second, we got to stop at the border to have the cars jacked up and the undercarriages replaced because the track width in Europe is different from the one used in the former Soviet countries.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TzSkTdmPGcw/TdoUmfIde-I/AAAAAAAAp2k/5uHLpkIr1_E/s400/P1120737.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TzSkTdmPGcw/TdoUmfIde-I/AAAAAAAAp2k/5uHLpkIr1_E/s400/P1120737.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Romania! Land of castles, Gypsies, and Dracula! We began our adventures in Bucharest (Bucuresti in Romanian), which is OK for a day, but not where I'd advise you to spend the bulk of your Romanian vacation. There are some nice old buildings around the main square.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gZGDmiCn0NY/TevKWd6OqzI/AAAAAAABRvU/GZl5joF2e8w/s400/P1120740.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gZGDmiCn0NY/TevKWd6OqzI/AAAAAAABRvU/GZl5joF2e8w/s400/P1120740.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>And an obelisk stabbing a meteorite or something.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xh-XCPLhmGw/TevKXYHSpaI/AAAAAAABRv4/1yK4Jg_JiPw/s400/P1120742.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xh-XCPLhmGw/TevKXYHSpaI/AAAAAAABRv4/1yK4Jg_JiPw/s400/P1120742.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Bucharest is home to the Palace of Parliament, which is, as our friend Andrew put it, "the world's second largest building, built by bonkers dictator Ceaucescu in the 1980s." Though apparently it's not large enough to hold multiple tour groups at once; when we showed up, tours were already sold out until the next afternoon, so we didn't get to go inside.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Gy17wolJ0bg/TevKY36_g5I/AAAAAAABRww/mybXn8V-iBU/s400/P1120743.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Gy17wolJ0bg/TevKY36_g5I/AAAAAAABRww/mybXn8V-iBU/s400/P1120743.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Vlad Tepes, a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler, was a Romanian prince in the 1400s and the inspiration for Dracula. Statues of him and his fine mustache are found all over Romania.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9c8QTPIo-K8/TevKcWpu5sI/AAAAAAABRzA/st5Y0p-MXJY/s400/P1120750.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9c8QTPIo-K8/TevKcWpu5sI/AAAAAAABRzA/st5Y0p-MXJY/s400/P1120750.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>On to Transylvania! Romania got much more beautiful once we got out of the big city. Our next destination was Brasov, which has a beautiful old town and great mountainous scenery all around.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9aN9_HXwqwU/TevKokBvs8I/AAAAAAABR5Y/JTmfgtHL9hE/s400/P1120763.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9aN9_HXwqwU/TevKokBvs8I/AAAAAAABR5Y/JTmfgtHL9hE/s400/P1120763.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zt7leUtRMOo/TevKnwPKbfI/AAAAAAABR5M/FJlJxVPNGL8/s400/P1120759.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zt7leUtRMOo/TevKnwPKbfI/AAAAAAABR5M/FJlJxVPNGL8/s400/P1120759.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>The St. Nicholas Romanian Orthodox church, also home of the first school in Romania, dates from the 1400s. It was right down the street from our hostel.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9GUIsDotevM/TevKlU78ppI/AAAAAAABR4M/xIhF49yTpF4/s400/P1120755.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9GUIsDotevM/TevKlU78ppI/AAAAAAABR4M/xIhF49yTpF4/s400/P1120755.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>We took a lovely hike from Brasov to the nearby skiing town. Yes, that's right, we hiked alone in the woods of Transylvania and were not attacked by vampires! (Or if we were, they modified our memories and we don't remember it...)<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bW7qpDVpZeI/TevKvJsSG5I/AAAAAAABR60/CUHf9b48ASc/s400/P1120767.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bW7qpDVpZeI/TevKvJsSG5I/AAAAAAABR60/CUHf9b48ASc/s400/P1120767.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Strada Sforii in Brasov claims to be Europe's narrowest street. What criteria distinguishes an alley from a street, we wonder?<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iOLzBGUp4Eg/TevKvs5E_HI/AAAAAAABR68/JAy6xCRRmnA/s400/P1120771.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iOLzBGUp4Eg/TevKvs5E_HI/AAAAAAABR68/JAy6xCRRmnA/s400/P1120771.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>There are lots of castles in Transylvania. Sadly, we only had time to visit one. We chose Peles Castle, which is not so old (it was built in the late 1800s), but is famed for being the most extravagant inside. Sadly, you have to pay $15 to take pictures inside, so you'll just have to settle for the exterior and imagine the lavish, carved-wood ceilings and French-, Italian-, and Turkish-themed rooms within.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WTn3Z-XT0RI/TevKwrTdK1I/AAAAAAABR7M/9laYGu1XK-w/s400/P1120774.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WTn3Z-XT0RI/TevKwrTdK1I/AAAAAAABR7M/9laYGu1XK-w/s400/P1120774.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Our last stop in Romania was Sighisoara, a small town containing an even smaller medieval walled city. There is not a whole lot to do there, but it's a cute place to spend a day.</div><div><br /></div><div>The clocktower guards the entrance to the old town. Nice views from the top, too.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B0vN56gOQSY/TevKxok3ucI/AAAAAAABR7c/gusOk7qnt30/s400/P1120785.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B0vN56gOQSY/TevKxok3ucI/AAAAAAABR7c/gusOk7qnt30/s400/P1120785.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>What do you do when you have two sides of a building to decorate, but only one deer head? This, apparently.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K2QBEAa8-Y4/TevKyXg2eOI/AAAAAAABR70/5cebvv33uJg/s400/P1120786.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K2QBEAa8-Y4/TevKyXg2eOI/AAAAAAABR70/5cebvv33uJg/s400/P1120786.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Mike requested a picture of Andy doing his best Dracula impression, so here you go. We didn't get to Bran Castle (known as "Dracula's Castle" because it is scary-looking, not because Vlad ever lived there), but this actually is outside of Vlad's birthplace (now a restaurant) in Sighisoara.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fs5S3M499nk/TevKzCOYWRI/AAAAAAABR8Q/AWYVEjn5NCU/s400/P1120796.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fs5S3M499nk/TevKzCOYWRI/AAAAAAABR8Q/AWYVEjn5NCU/s400/P1120796.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>Romania was a fun country in which to spend five days. I bet it would have been even more fun to spend 10 days! The major tourist towns can feel kind of, well, touristy, but mostly in a cute way. We really wanted to get out to the Danube Delta area around Tulcea and do some birdwatching, but we just ran out of time. Brasov was a good base for taking day trips around Transylvania. If you're traveling through Romania and are pressed for time, I'd recommend focusing on the beautiful countryside and maybe skipping Bucharest.</div>Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-62528361173076409592011-05-29T11:24:00.000-04:002011-05-29T11:24:00.260-04:00Soaked in Butter Sauce: Ukrainian FoodIf a person could marry a Ukranian chain restaurant, I would become a bigamist and enter wedded bliss with <a href="http://www.puzatahata.com.ua/eng/">Puzata Hata</a>. That is how much I love it. Writing this now, hundreds of miles away in Romania, my heart aches with loss and longing for the borscht, the meatballs, and the dumplings (oh, God, the dumplings!) of my left-behind love. Andy says it's delayed-response artery-clogging from all the butter sauce and sour cream, but he's just jealous.<div><div><br /></div><div>It doesn't look like much in the picture, but everything we ate at this cafeteria-style restaurant (which has several branches around Kiev) was utterly scrumptious. From top left: delicious meatballs, crispy on the outside and soft inside; yummy borscht (a beet-and-onion-based soup that my grandmother used to eat at home and I never thought I liked until I got to Ukraine); the best dumplings on earth, <i>varenyky</i>, filled with the same tasty meat as the balls and scooped out of a steaming pot of butter sauce; and some sauteed potatoes, also buttery. </div><div><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUIbDqxFI/AAAAAAAApww/mjouLMqOjLo/s400/P1120624.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUIbDqxFI/AAAAAAAApww/mjouLMqOjLo/s400/P1120624.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We went back every night and tried a few other dishes, like potato and cherry varenyky and several other meaty balls, but in my opinion, the meat varenyky and these meatballs were the best dishes. Plus, the prices were really reasonable and the surroundings were quite stylish for a cafeteria. So if you are ever in Kiev, please do yourself a favor and have a few plates at your nearest Puzata Hata. And please beg them to open up a branch in New York. I may start an online petition...</div><div><br /></div><div>OK, on to other foods of Ukraine, which are a lot less exciting. These bacon potato chips tasted vaguely smoky, but were otherwise unremarkable.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUTt9-_6I/AAAAAAAAp4c/qkfpx-SDZho/s400/P1120659.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUTt9-_6I/AAAAAAAAp4c/qkfpx-SDZho/s400/P1120659.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>M&Ms come in three standard flavors in Ukraine: plain, peanut, and...this one. We couldn't read the package, so we just bought it to try. Turns out to be hazelnut. I thought they were good, Andy thought they were gross. Europeans definitely get a lot more hazelnut-flavored candies than we do in America.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUSdrH4vI/AAAAAAAApyc/fYZhyPSZF2Q/s400/P1120656.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUSdrH4vI/AAAAAAAApyc/fYZhyPSZF2Q/s400/P1120656.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>McFoxy is the local McDonald's knockoff (although Ukraine has McDonald's, too). Their menus are basically identical (Kids can get a FoxyBox instead of Happy Meal)...except that McFoxy also sells these unidentified fried balls. We tried an order and they turn out to have processed chicken inside, kind of like a nugget. Not so good.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUUM5P8gI/AAAAAAAApy0/z9M5tfZFQUw/s400/P1120660.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUUM5P8gI/AAAAAAAApy0/z9M5tfZFQUw/s400/P1120660.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ukraine has cherry nectar! Ah, my long-lost love from Turkey (if I could marry a TetraPak beverage...). Not nearly as many brands are available as in Turkey, but this one was pretty good.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUYKaRN1I/AAAAAAAAp4U/_EhHik9AZac/s400/P1120675.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUYKaRN1I/AAAAAAAAp4U/_EhHik9AZac/s400/P1120675.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Cherry drinkable yogurt. It was OK. Eastern Europe has a lot of yogurt brands, but none have wowed me so far.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUJGCBQRI/AAAAAAAApw4/2M45o9v8N1Q/s400/P1120625.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUJGCBQRI/AAAAAAAApw4/2M45o9v8N1Q/s400/P1120625.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Blinis are the Ukranian version of crepes, often served with some fruit jam for dessert. Good stuff.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUb-ngb9I/AAAAAAAAp0U/TepyMeYy_rw/s400/P1120694.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUb-ngb9I/AAAAAAAAp0U/TepyMeYy_rw/s400/P1120694.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I finally got to try Chicken Kiev...not in Kiev, but in Yalta. Turns out that the breading is sweet, so it's kind of like chicken in a donut. That squirts hot butter sauce when you slice into it. Ukranians love their butter sauce, and I am not complaining about this.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUbeNLS6I/AAAAAAAAp0M/5gqclkWKZfw/s400/P1120693.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUbeNLS6I/AAAAAAAAp0M/5gqclkWKZfw/s400/P1120693.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Smaller dumplings called pelmini are also popular in Ukraine, and when we had a kitchen in Yalta, we cooked up some frozen ones that we found on sale at the grocery store. How much is a bag of on-sale frozen potato pelmini in Ukraine? Around 40 cents US. We used to get on-sale frozen pierogies in the states for $1 and thought that was an amazing deal until we got these.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUf0Srt8I/AAAAAAAAp1E/4qbMxUVhWFA/s400/P1120719.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUf0Srt8I/AAAAAAAAp1E/4qbMxUVhWFA/s400/P1120719.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In our world travels, we have seen ice cream in many forms, but never in a frozen sausage until Ukraine! Convenient for slicing...not so convenient for saving for later, so we just had to eat it all in one go. Cherry flavor, of course. Hooray for a country that loves cherries as much as I do!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUgiSq4xI/AAAAAAAAp90/mFF_XBqhQBk/s400/P1120720.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUgiSq4xI/AAAAAAAAp90/mFF_XBqhQBk/s400/P1120720.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Last shot from a restaurant in Yalta--Andy's beef tenderloin, which came in a kind of vegetable soup, and some pelmini (not as cheap as the ones we cooked ourselves). It was all OK, but it was no Puzata Hata meal. They need to open a Yalta branch!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUacZ7_dI/AAAAAAAAp0A/cTQJ3l9ygtY/s400/P1120692.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUacZ7_dI/AAAAAAAAp0A/cTQJ3l9ygtY/s400/P1120692.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I had really low expectations for Ukranian food, so I was seriously pleasantly surprised at how many tasty dishes I ended up eating. And I was happy with all the cherry products, too. Who knew Ukraine was a hot culinary destination? Go now, and bring me back some dumplings.</div></div>Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-30526097751381478212011-05-28T04:50:00.002-04:002011-05-28T04:50:00.708-04:00Crimea River: UkraineUkraine is a country that may not want to be like Russia, but that has too strong of a Russian influence to escape it quickly. Since Americans can't get Russian visas in Asia (I'll spare you the details), we leap-frogged over Russia straight to Ukraine. Ukraine had to serve as the closest we would get to the heart of the Soviet Union. The country served to show us how little Russian I actually speak (basically, none) and how little we knew about Chernobyl (basically, none).<br /><br />How do you know that you have reached the former Soviet Union? If you find yourself on a plane with a flight attendant who looks like this, you have probably reached the Soviet Union. If the man standing behind her looks like this man, you have definitely reached the former Soviet Union.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUH3bdnqI/AAAAAAAApwo/HschkBc9C20/s400/P1120621.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUH3bdnqI/AAAAAAAApwo/HschkBc9C20/s400/P1120621.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ukraine, like Russia, has tons of Russian Orthodox churches that have had a resurgence in popularity since the fall of the Soviet Union. Strangely, we saw many places selling these gold tops for your cathedral. Can you buy one of these for your house? Apparently.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUJ47xrzI/AAAAAAAApxA/D4-tQy_7ZFI/s400/P1120627.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUJ47xrzI/AAAAAAAApxA/D4-tQy_7ZFI/s400/P1120627.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is the primary church in the Lavra Monastery of Kiev, which is most famous for mummified monks buried in catacombs underground. Unfortunately, the monks are heavily shrouded and no more than a few dried arms can be seen. Just as unfortunately, no pictures are allowed of the monks, so this church is as close as you'll get in this post.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUKqidmgI/AAAAAAAApxI/u3LuJRn8wvk/s400/P1120631.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUKqidmgI/AAAAAAAApxI/u3LuJRn8wvk/s400/P1120631.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Easter eggs are very popular in Ukraine. Since it was recently Easter, the church still has an Easter egg sculpture outside. No chocolate bunnies in sight, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUNUBsDoI/AAAAAAAApxg/GMijrfzxP38/s400/P1120637.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUNUBsDoI/AAAAAAAApxg/GMijrfzxP38/s400/P1120637.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>It happened to be some kind of saint day while we were visiting, and tons of people were out to celebrate. Here is the processional.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoULsangrI/AAAAAAAApxQ/rpg1UfgSPbs/s400/P1120633.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoULsangrI/AAAAAAAApxQ/rpg1UfgSPbs/s400/P1120633.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here is our favorite of the priests. Part leprechaun, part hippie, part priest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUMQh3DUI/AAAAAAAAp9Y/mRG7SDpH11A/s400/P1120634.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUMQh3DUI/AAAAAAAAp9Y/mRG7SDpH11A/s400/P1120634.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The monastery follows in the footsteps of Gregor Mendel and has a lot of crazy flowers. Maybe they actually breed them or maybe they just get them from the landscapers, but many are really beautiful. Here are some crazy colored pansies.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUOPU946I/AAAAAAAApxo/pLpCP7twM94/s400/P1120642.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUOPU946I/AAAAAAAApxo/pLpCP7twM94/s400/P1120642.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And here is a nicely fringed tulip.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUO88lePI/AAAAAAAApx0/P-_xO98Sdv8/s400/P1120643.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUO88lePI/AAAAAAAApx0/P-_xO98Sdv8/s400/P1120643.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Overlooking the city of Kiev is this very shiny statue representing the Motherland. It seems like they should get it a job as the spokesperson for a shiny watch brand. Forget your celebrity spokespeople, Rolex, and switch to something that looks like a giant watch for your spokesperson.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUPUzi4RI/AAAAAAAApx8/DL5Vk8dX7kE/s400/P1120648.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUPUzi4RI/AAAAAAAApx8/DL5Vk8dX7kE/s400/P1120648.JPG" border="0" /></a>Inside the Saint Sofia Church in Kiev, no photos are allowed, and they had people watching us everywhere. However, the woman let us take a photo of this piece of art that is the size of a huge wall and is created using thousands of Easter eggs, each of which is individually decorated. It is based on one of the murals that appears in the church from the 1200s. Again, no chocolate Reese's bunnies in sight.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUROo0KMI/AAAAAAAApyM/I0Y-78LY2I8/s400/P1120652.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUROo0KMI/AAAAAAAApyM/I0Y-78LY2I8/s400/P1120652.JPG" border="0" /></a>Saint Michael's Church was rebuilt in 2000 after the Communists decided to destroy it at some point in the past. The new one is very nice from the outside. The inside is a bit crowded with murals and icons everywhere, but most Russian Orthodox churches have too much bling inside for my tastes.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUPy5IoGI/AAAAAAAApyE/lXaii19ea-0/s400/P1120650.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUPy5IoGI/AAAAAAAApyE/lXaii19ea-0/s400/P1120650.JPG" border="0" /></a>We made it to one classical music concert in Kiev. The full Philharmonic wasn't playing while we were there, but we caught a piano/violin concert in the Philharmonic hall. We bought the cheapest possible tickets for $3, which worked out well when only about 20 people showed up for the concert and they moved us to the center of the third row.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUR8ivHYI/AAAAAAAApyU/zsWJX7h1t_E/s400/P1120655.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUR8ivHYI/AAAAAAAApyU/zsWJX7h1t_E/s400/P1120655.JPG" border="0" /></a>At the Chernobyl Museum, we learned a bit more about the tragedy of Chernobyl. Thousands died and are still dying from being exposed to radiation. The craziest part is that the facility was still active until 2000. We thought they had closed it since they no longer let people live within 20 miles of the place, but apparently it was still okay for people to work there. Also, you can take a tour to the still very radioactive area if you pay enough money (about $150). This didn't sound like the smartest idea to us.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUS2mMHaI/AAAAAAAApyk/NDdbVaaGWtI/s400/P1120657.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUS2mMHaI/AAAAAAAApyk/NDdbVaaGWtI/s400/P1120657.JPG" border="0" /></a>St. Andrew's Church is another famous church of Kiev. It was closed for repairs when we were there, but still looked nice from the outside. Glad to see that they are keeping my namesake church in good repair.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUUlmqYjI/AAAAAAAApy8/if67UAc3teM/s400/P1120666.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUUlmqYjI/AAAAAAAApy8/if67UAc3teM/s400/P1120666.JPG" border="0" /></a>The subways of Kiev are very Soviet. They are deep, deep underground and have escalators that are so long that you can't see the top when you get on at the bottom. The escalators move about twice as fast as US escalators. We saw many people sitting down for the ride, though making out seemed to be the most popular pastime.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUWdb1uDI/AAAAAAAApzQ/tfEDwZ2Zwks/s400/P1120669.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUWdb1uDI/AAAAAAAApzQ/tfEDwZ2Zwks/s400/P1120669.JPG" border="0" /></a>Tara with Mikhail Bulgakov, author of Master and Margarita, a rather good (and sometimes strange) book about Russia and the devil. You've probably never heard of it, but it is very famous for Russian speakers. Go read it. Or see if there is a movie, but I think it would be pretty tough to film.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUVQ_2JqI/AAAAAAAApzE/VTCDpiBf5Z0/s400/P1120667.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUVQ_2JqI/AAAAAAAApzE/VTCDpiBf5Z0/s400/P1120667.JPG" border="0" /></a>In WWII, 100,000 Ukrainians, mostly Jews, were killed in a park outside Kiev. This is the only memorial that now exists to those killed. Depressing.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUXhHBkAI/AAAAAAAAp4Y/6bAE5xQqRdE/s400/P1120673.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUXhHBkAI/AAAAAAAAp4Y/6bAE5xQqRdE/s400/P1120673.JPG" border="0" /></a>From Kiev, we journeyed to the Crimea. After getting off of our train, we took the "longest trolleybus in the world" to Yalta. A trolleybus apparently means that a normal bus connects to power lines overhead. No tracks, but it can't get too far from the lines overhead or the cable disconnects, which happened a few times on our three hour trip.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUYg6FMtI/AAAAAAAApzo/tv95paPk92w/s400/P1120679.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUYg6FMtI/AAAAAAAApzo/tv95paPk92w/s400/P1120679.JPG" border="0" /></a>In Yalta, we rented an apartment from a little old lady at the bus station. The first place she showed us was nice, but had only one tiny bed located in the kitchen. We were confused and surprised when the second that she showed us was exactly what we wanted.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUZbrrRKI/AAAAAAAApzw/_Q9fn57Vbaw/s400/P1120684.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUZbrrRKI/AAAAAAAApzw/_Q9fn57Vbaw/s400/P1120684.JPG" border="0" /></a>Yalta is located on the Black Sea. It becomes a big tourist destination during the summer, but we were there before things got too crazy. Lots of flowers in bloom for springtime.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUcsquaZI/AAAAAAAAp0c/ms7cqQ7fSbY/s400/P1120697.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUcsquaZI/AAAAAAAAp0c/ms7cqQ7fSbY/s400/P1120697.JPG" border="0" /></a>Yalta still has a very nice Lenin statue. He used to look out towards the harbor, but now looks upon the McDonald's that has been built between him and the harbor. He told me that he prefers the ice cream from McDonald's, but his friends look down upon him for going to this bastion of capitalism for his ice cream.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUZ9PE0II/AAAAAAAAp4Q/TZUoJkv3rew/s400/P1120690.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUZ9PE0II/AAAAAAAAp4Q/TZUoJkv3rew/s400/P1120690.JPG" border="0" /></a>A dolphin! I swear! We could see dolphins swimming from our view above on the cliff, but this was as close of a picture as we could get. Dolphins would be easier to photograph if they stayed in the air. Maybe some kites could be attached to their backs?<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUdW6lDpI/AAAAAAAAp0k/56MsuyTXJAU/s400/P1120704.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUdW6lDpI/AAAAAAAAp0k/56MsuyTXJAU/s400/P1120704.JPG" border="0" /></a>The cable car up the mountain outside Yalta. The second part is so steep that you transfer to a second cable car that goes at a steeper incline. The swaying of the car made Tara motion sick.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUeHsWeFI/AAAAAAAAp0s/hAeGCI1piUA/s400/P1120707.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUeHsWeFI/AAAAAAAAp0s/hAeGCI1piUA/s400/P1120707.JPG" border="0" /></a>The view from the top of the mountain gives a good perspective on the town. That sea doesn't look black to me. We are renaming it the Blue Sea. Come to think of it, why is that name not taken?<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUejCEYxI/AAAAAAAAp00/_HT8u_PEtDQ/s400/P1120710.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUejCEYxI/AAAAAAAAp00/_HT8u_PEtDQ/s400/P1120710.JPG" border="0" /></a>Yalta was home to the peace talks that ended World War II in Europe. Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin carved up Germany and other parts of Europe in this palace over several days in 1945. The palace had originally belonged to the Romanovs, but they were killed a few years after its completion.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUhCq3PlI/AAAAAAAAp1U/3xaiTArCrQs/s400/P1120722.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUhCq3PlI/AAAAAAAAp1U/3xaiTArCrQs/s400/P1120722.JPG" border="0" /></a>This was the dining room in the original palace and became the main meeting room where all the important meetings occurred at the Yalta conference.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUhrQouaI/AAAAAAAAp1c/Duz0IniJGjA/s400/P1120723.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUhrQouaI/AAAAAAAAp1c/Duz0IniJGjA/s400/P1120723.JPG" border="0" /></a>After trying to lose her hat at least a dozen times, Tara has finally lost her baseball cap. This means that she had to be creative when we out for a hike in the sun. She created this stylish new look, which is sure to catch on the world over.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUfRg8vAI/AAAAAAAAp08/VluFxf9KVM8/s400/P1120718.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUfRg8vAI/AAAAAAAAp08/VluFxf9KVM8/s400/P1120718.JPG" border="0" /></a>While walking down a path, we found dozens of these worms hanging on nearly invisible threads blocking our way. No idea why they hang like this, sometimes 20 or 30 feet off of branches. My best guess is that they are actually crazy blood-sucking monsters and wait to latch on to passing people, but it didn't seem to want to eat Tara when I tried to attach it to her.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUiNRPqAI/AAAAAAAAp1k/lJ84xgMWk3c/s400/P1120727.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TdoUiNRPqAI/AAAAAAAAp1k/lJ84xgMWk3c/s400/P1120727.JPG" border="0" /></a>That brings us to the conclusion of Ukraine. Despite some language barriers (no one in Ukraine speaks English), we had a good time visiting and were there for a beautiful part of Spring. We hopefully won't glow in the dark after being so close to Chernobyl.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-14452990806125224082011-05-26T04:47:00.002-04:002011-05-26T04:47:00.982-04:00Nuttin' but Mutton: Mongolian FoodMongolia may be huge geographically, but it has the food variation of...well, something without a lot of variation. Food all over the country consists of mutton, mutton, mutton, and camel. And a bit of wheat thrown in for good measure. That will make this a short post, which makes my job easy. That should make us both happy.<br /><br />At the surprisingly well-stocked store in the town where we got stuck for a day, they had very good Russian-style ice cream that is just in a cone with a piece of paper over it. The best ice cream we had had in many months. And by reading this picture, you can practice your Mongolian--written in Cyrillic and sometimes borrowing a word, it generally doesn't sound a bit like Russian.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wt1RpMCI/AAAAAAAAp4A/25_sXpy06uA/s400/P1120366.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wt1RpMCI/AAAAAAAAp4A/25_sXpy06uA/s400/P1120366.JPG" border="0" /></a>This picture includes most of what they eat in Mongolia. The dumplings are called buuz, and are generally filled with a rather strong-tasting mutton. And with a lot more meat than any dumpling that I've ever had. The fried things taste like they look and are filled with mutton. (We also had one filled with vegetables, but our tour guide acted like that was crazy when we told her.) The drink is "tea." Tea or milk tea in Mongolia consists of watered down milk (often from a camel and sometimes a goat if you are in the Gobi), with salt and a tiny hint of tea. We actually didn't think it had any tea at all until we saw people making it and they would throw about a teaspoon of tea leaves into a gallon of the tea.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W8bMP-TI/AAAAAAAApdY/0D8LZYazKW8/s400/P1120385.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W8bMP-TI/AAAAAAAApdY/0D8LZYazKW8/s400/P1120385.JPG" border="0" /></a>We did find cheap strawberry nectar and yogurt (made from actual cow's milk). Both were good, but not great. Neither is typical Mongolian food, but Ulaan Bataar has a lot of good supermarkets. We aren't sure who eats all the stuff since we only saw actual Mongolians eating about four things.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W-2Mna4I/AAAAAAAAp34/NLBmnG997jM/s400/P1120387.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W-2Mna4I/AAAAAAAAp34/NLBmnG997jM/s400/P1120387.JPG" border="0" /></a>And here is the best of the four things that Mongolians eat. These are fresh noodles with mutton, but the mutton brings down the excellent noodles. They taste like Amish-style egg noodles, though I don't think they have egg. Tara liked them so much that she has sworn to start making fresh noodles all the time. I approve.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XMzw_vUI/AAAAAAAApeQ/uDCmN56V1aA/s400/P1120414.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XMzw_vUI/AAAAAAAApeQ/uDCmN56V1aA/s400/P1120414.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our tour guide in the Gobi bought us this grape juice that has chunks of aloe gel in it, sort of like drinking a bubble tea. It was strange at first, but we grew to like have chunks of jelly in our grape juice.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XGxxk8sI/AAAAAAAAp3w/Da4fNB0Nylk/s400/P1120407.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XGxxk8sI/AAAAAAAAp3w/Da4fNB0Nylk/s400/P1120407.JPG" border="0" /></a>Here we are forced to repeat foods. In this photo, Tara is trying the fried, meat-filled pancakes from a different place. That's all this restaurant served. It is often the case with "restaurants" in the Gobi that they only serve one dish. And they never prepare anything (sometimes including buying the supplies) until you have ordered.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XbHzLpzI/AAAAAAAAp3o/4yvJa61_aKI/s400/P1120448.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XbHzLpzI/AAAAAAAAp3o/4yvJa61_aKI/s400/P1120448.JPG" border="0" /></a>When you're visiting families in a yurt, they will often pass around a bone with some mutton meat. The first time this happen, Tara and I stared quizzically at one another until we saw people cutting off bits to put in their "tea." And sometimes they just pop a bit into their mouths.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XhvhZcJI/AAAAAAAApfo/7wM2Xdz5qkU/s400/P1120452.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XhvhZcJI/AAAAAAAApfo/7wM2Xdz5qkU/s400/P1120452.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is my mutton in tea. I can't say that I suggest adding mutton to your tea, but it was a novelty.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XjLuKarI/AAAAAAAApfw/13CW3wsCciU/s400/P1120453.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XjLuKarI/AAAAAAAApfw/13CW3wsCciU/s400/P1120453.JPG" border="0" /></a>Also served along with tea are these donut things. They are fried bread items that last longer than actual bread in the harsh desert. They aren't sweet, but they are often served mixed with sugar cubes like this. It makes a better tea time snack than mutton on a bone.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XvZqUjqI/AAAAAAAApgc/6Wvg65hprYA/s400/P1120466.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XvZqUjqI/AAAAAAAApgc/6Wvg65hprYA/s400/P1120466.JPG" border="0" /></a>We asked our guide if it was possible to try camel meat. Luckily, we were staying the very next day with a family that makes its living raising camels. They had some dry camel meat that we tried by itself and then added to our soup for the evening. It has a very strong gamey taste. I thought it was edible, but Tara thought it was bad. One-humped camel wins the camel-tasting contest, though.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XrscGo_I/AAAAAAAApgM/Fv5jVToyAls/s400/P1120457.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XrscGo_I/AAAAAAAApgM/Fv5jVToyAls/s400/P1120457.JPG" border="0" /></a>And in our last picture, Tara poses proudly with her horse meat. She was very disappointed that we couldn't find horse at any restaurants, but then we found some packaged horse at the grocery store. It is pretty good. Not like any meat we've had before, but we would eat it again. Yeehaw!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZRdxbmSI/AAAAAAAApkU/DW4Kp0s6dEo/s400/P1120620.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZRdxbmSI/AAAAAAAApkU/DW4Kp0s6dEo/s400/P1120620.JPG" border="0" /></a>Eight days in Mongolia, and that's all we ate. Well, we ate more, but it was just the stuff pictured repeatedly. And we had Indian food one night, but that didn't qualify as Mongolian. The food was better than we expected based upon warnings that we had received, but it was just as limited as we had heard.<br /><br />One last thing. Mongolia now has a couple of Mongolian barbecue buffets, but they American-owned. Sadly, while the concept may be based on how they cooked food in Mongolia hundreds of years ago, the idea now only exists in practice in very expensive American-owned restaurants.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-87741544759509517982011-05-25T09:58:00.001-04:002011-05-25T09:58:00.302-04:00Go Be in the Gobi: MongoliaThe first challenge we faced regarding Mongolia was getting there from China. If you look at a map--but not our blog map, which you may have noticed, is kind of broken--you will see that China and Mongolia are both huge and share a very long border, but it turns out that there are not so many official land border-crossing points. (This baffled me at first, but now that I have been there, I understand--it's because Mongolia has no roads.)<br /><br />Anyway, direct flights from Beijing to Mongolia's capital, Ulaan Baatar, are super expensive, and direct trains only go on Tuesday and Wednesday--not so convenient if you really want to go on a Friday or Saturday. There is an "overnight" bus from Beijing to the border, but it gets in at 3AM (ugh). There is a (real) overnight train to another city in Inner Mongolia (China's part of the Mongolian plateau), from which you can then take a six-hour bus ride to the border during the day. We were planning to do that, but when we turned up at the station in Beijing five days in advance to buy tickets, we learned that those trains were already sold out. Gah!<br /><br />So we took the one daily flight that goes from Beijing to Erlian, the border town on the Chinese side. Since it was a domestic flight, it was much more affordable than a flight into Mongolia. Problems solved, eh?<br /><br />Not quite. We left Beijing in lovely spring weather, but when we landed in Erlian, it was 2 degrees Celsius and snowing out. In the terminal, I made a 10-minute detour into the bathroom to change into warmer clothes...and caused us to miss the only shuttle bus into town. (Turns out that Erlian airport is not quite the busiest in China--it only gets two flights a day.)<br /><br />So, Andy and I found ourselves stuck at the airport, 25 kilometers from town, surrounded by non-English-speaking airport staff whose response to our every question about buses and taxis was to giggle. Finally, someone managed to communicate to us that we should sit down and wait for 10 minutes. Two hours later, someone finally gave us a lift into town--a surreal ride through flat, flat grassland dotted with huge dinosaur statues, a tribute to the many dinosaur remains that have been found in the area.<br /><br />The driver kindly dropped us at the bus station and refused to take any money from us, and we were still in plenty of time to catch the cross-border bus at 1PM, so things seemed to be looking up. We spent our last few yuan on a tasty lunch and met a great pair of Dutch travelers, Niels and Bonnie, who were heading to Mongolia on the same bus. We made so much noise talking to each other that the Chinese customs people at the border came and shushed us all twice. But they stamped us out, and Mongolia stamped us in, and hooray, we were in the little border town of Zamin Uud, Mongolia!<br /><br />But the fun with transport just never ends. We all headed straight for the train station, which was a total mass of confusion, not helped at all by frequent-break-taking reservation agents and blatantly queue-jumping Mongolians. It took us an hour of shoving and fighting to get to the front of the line, only to learn that the overnight train that night to Ulaan Baatar was sold out. We were stranded again.<br /><br />Thanks to Niels's persistence, we managed to score tickets for the following day, then began the round of local hotels, most of which were full or very expensive. We ended up in one of the dumpier places we've stayed on our whole trip, but at least it was cheap and the family running it was friendly. Then it was off to see the, um, sights of Zamin Uud. Which are:<br /><br />A camel statue (two humps!)...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WsbkymzI/AAAAAAAApcY/fG9N11uMDvs/s400/P1120365.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WsbkymzI/AAAAAAAApcY/fG9N11uMDvs/s400/P1120365.JPG" border="0" /></a>...and people playing pool on outdoor tables in the main square.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wvl-PWUI/AAAAAAAApco/GxXhvHAmog8/s400/P1120367.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wvl-PWUI/AAAAAAAApco/GxXhvHAmog8/s400/P1120367.JPG" border="0" /></a>That's it! You have now seen every sight of consequence in Zamin Uud, Mongolia. So cancel that trip, you don't have to go yourself. Lucky you!<br /><br />We killed 24 hours, mostly playing cards with our Dutch friends in a vaguely Soviet-feeling restaurant on the square, complete with surly waitresses in miniskirts and high-laced boots. Every few hours we ordered food like gulash and schnitzel from the Cyrillic-only menu (Andy's Russian-reading skills finally come in handy!) and marveled at how very quickly things had changed since China, just a few miles behind us.<br /><br />Here we are with Bonnie and Niels that evening, finally ready to get on the train. (Note the beautiful blue sky--the weather had drastically improved.)<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wzz0i7DI/AAAAAAAApc4/ypmRRj1J3YI/s400/P1120369.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wzz0i7DI/AAAAAAAApc4/ypmRRj1J3YI/s400/P1120369.JPG" border="0" /></a>Mongolians really like to party, and an overnight train, we quickly learned, is as good a place as any to have a good time. Our car-mates were up until the wee hours, playing cards and talking and laughing. But they were also really nice to us. When the train rolled past this man out with his horse and his camel, they made sure to beckon me and Andy (the only tourists in that section) over to the window to see it. Our first Bactrian camel of Mongolia!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W2TYktgI/AAAAAAAApdA/P71udmSzC_k/s400/P1120380.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W2TYktgI/AAAAAAAApdA/P71udmSzC_k/s400/P1120380.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ulaan Baatar felt SO cosmopolitan compared to Zamin Uud (and compared to anywhere else we'd go in the country over the next week). I'm pretty sure it's the only place in the country with pavement. One-quarter of all Mongolians live there (about one million people), and it's growing quickly. Super-modern new buildings are going up all over the place, like this one that manages to look like a vagina and a phallus at the same time.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W4OHugEI/AAAAAAAAp38/IFl2PjVrhy4/s400/P1120381.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W4OHugEI/AAAAAAAAp38/IFl2PjVrhy4/s400/P1120381.JPG" border="0" /></a>Chinggis Khan (formerly known as Genghis, at least to me), was responsible for Mongolia taking over half the world a few centuries ago, and his bronze statue on the main square is appropriately girthy.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W6FpIuVI/AAAAAAAApdQ/uqsj5rRZUuw/s400/P1120382.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6W6FpIuVI/AAAAAAAApdQ/uqsj5rRZUuw/s400/P1120382.JPG" border="0" /></a>For a taste of some more traditional architecture, here is one of Mongolia's most important Buddhist sites, the Gandan monastery, looming high over the edge of downtown.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XA49RurI/AAAAAAAAp30/Pk0g3C3vG1c/s400/P1120388.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XA49RurI/AAAAAAAAp30/Pk0g3C3vG1c/s400/P1120388.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Mongolia is huge (19th biggest country in the world, but lowest population density after Greenland and the Falklands) and we only had time to visit a small chunk of it, so we chose to explore one of earth's harshest climates: the Gobi desert. (Which, our guide quickly informed us, is actually redundant, as "Gobi" means "desert" in Mongolian.)<br /><br />We signed up for six-day tour, which we were quickly made to understand would involve countless hours of off-roading in an old Russian jeep, three mutton-based meals a day, and absolutely no prospect of a shower for the entire trip. Bring it on!<br /><br />We had hoped to find other travelers to share the cost with us, but as it turns out, most people actually want to go even longer without a shower, and we couldn't find anyone else who wanted to do less than nine days in the Gobi. So, it would just be me, Andy, a guide, and a driver--really, enough unshowered people for one car, wouldn't you say?<br /><br />We hit the road, and the road quickly ended outside of Ulaan Baatar, so we hit the dirt. Luckily, we didn't hit these big, beautiful birds--cranes, methinks? (Sabrina?) We saw them in pairs somewhat regularly in the desert.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XKRWSa0I/AAAAAAAApeI/YYeXoJ0hIO0/s400/P1120413.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XKRWSa0I/AAAAAAAApeI/YYeXoJ0hIO0/s400/P1120413.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Here is our jeep on day one, when it was still behaving pretty well. Our super-cheerful driver (the man never stopped smiling!) ended up taking the whole engine apart a few days later while we were hiking. He kept the car running quite impressively the whole time.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XFbWJkcI/AAAAAAAApd4/CbNRUBeaTNI/s400/P1120402.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XFbWJkcI/AAAAAAAApd4/CbNRUBeaTNI/s400/P1120402.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Gobi really surprised us with its many varied landscapes. Some impressive rock formations on day one.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XPZSKNMI/AAAAAAAApeY/3nBB2Y2SKAg/s400/P1120419.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XPZSKNMI/AAAAAAAApeY/3nBB2Y2SKAg/s400/P1120419.JPG" border="0" /></a>Those dark skies in the distance may mean storms are coming, but we get a rainbow, too!<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XQypkz1I/AAAAAAAAp3s/h-VRT506EzQ/s400/P1120426.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XQypkz1I/AAAAAAAAp3s/h-VRT506EzQ/s400/P1120426.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our first night in the desert was spent in the village of Erdene Dalai--"the biggest town in the province," according to our guide. This translates to a handful of houses and yurts (round, felt tents--called gers in Mongolian), a school, a few shops, and one pretty monastery in the rocky sand.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XS37JGeI/AAAAAAAApes/LOorR4591jA/s400/P1120428.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XS37JGeI/AAAAAAAApes/LOorR4591jA/s400/P1120428.JPG" border="0" /></a>No running water anywhere in the Gobi, so toilets are all squat-style outhouses.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XdhmhO6I/AAAAAAAAp3k/PhAVF2dkL8o/s400/P1120449.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XdhmhO6I/AAAAAAAAp3k/PhAVF2dkL8o/s400/P1120449.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is what a gas station looks like in the Gobi.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XUYvhNlI/AAAAAAAApe0/Cs5Gh_k0eGE/s400/P1120438.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XUYvhNlI/AAAAAAAApe0/Cs5Gh_k0eGE/s400/P1120438.JPG" border="0" /></a>Andy really wanted to experience a sandstorm, and secretly hoped that we might get caught in one at some point. He got his wish on day two--luckily, we were near our destination and it was over by the next morning. Still, the howling wind was crazy, and sand seemed to get through every crevice in the jeep. I found the whole experience slightly less romantic than the sandstorm in The English Patient--luckily, we were not trapped in the jeep overnight like Ralph and Kristen were!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XfYQja7I/AAAAAAAApfg/zzcGIq8wWms/s400/P1120450.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XfYQja7I/AAAAAAAApfg/zzcGIq8wWms/s400/P1120450.JPG" border="0" /></a>On night two, and every subsequent night of the trip, we got to sleep in a ger. Hooray! The outsides are very plain, but Mongolians like to decorate the insides with lots of bright colors. The centerpiece of every ger is the stove, which either burns wood or animal poop, depending on which fuel source is more locally available.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XmNdmklI/AAAAAAAAp3g/SDKHTDFFsa8/s400/P1120454.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XmNdmklI/AAAAAAAAp3g/SDKHTDFFsa8/s400/P1120454.JPG" border="0" /></a>Sleeping in a ger was fun for novelty, but not exactly the most restful experience ever. The stoves tend to make the tent roastingly hot for a while, but then they peter out while you're sleeping so you wake up freezing. And the beds in Gobi ger camps may just be the hardest in the entire world. Five nights was definitely enough for me.<br /><br />Anyway, we thought our goggles had seen the last of their action when we left the ocean behind, but we didn't realize how handy they'd be when you have to go to the outhouse during a sandstorm!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Xo2fX80I/AAAAAAAAp3c/WUYAnv6Jqt8/s400/P1120456.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Xo2fX80I/AAAAAAAAp3c/WUYAnv6Jqt8/s400/P1120456.JPG" border="0" /></a>Sandstorm all calmed by sunrise the next morning. Even in low-wind conditions, though, the Gobi was still freezing.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XtG_G93I/AAAAAAAApgU/y09JX1kVKUM/s400/P1120463.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XtG_G93I/AAAAAAAApgU/y09JX1kVKUM/s400/P1120463.JPG" border="0" /></a>We were still all bundled up later that morning for our visit to Bayanzag, a beautiful area of canyons where many important dinosaur remains have been discovered, including the best ones in the New York Natural History Museum!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Xx8aWzzI/AAAAAAAApgk/l13UjDCn_K4/s400/P1120470.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Xx8aWzzI/AAAAAAAApgk/l13UjDCn_K4/s400/P1120470.JPG" border="0" /></a>That day, the landscape changed again as we drove south past the Gobi's largest mountain range. Suddenly, we were in rolling green hills. Well, green-ish. But it looked like Ireland after where we'd come from!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XzmeTHNI/AAAAAAAApgs/Cj2KkseAfP4/s400/P1120480.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6XzmeTHNI/AAAAAAAApgs/Cj2KkseAfP4/s400/P1120480.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Yol Valley was probably the prettiest destination on our Gobi tour. We hiked to a crazy frozen waterfall (while our driver was taking the car apart back at the ger camp).<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6X5zl1oYI/AAAAAAAApg8/iWLdGmxRqe8/s400/P1120491.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6X5zl1oYI/AAAAAAAApg8/iWLdGmxRqe8/s400/P1120491.JPG" border="0" /></a>Purple flowers! Moss! Life in the desert!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6X9HrkMWI/AAAAAAAAphE/Tz6Yfklygug/s400/P1120502.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6X9HrkMWI/AAAAAAAAphE/Tz6Yfklygug/s400/P1120502.JPG" border="0" /></a>The area is plant-rich enough to support many herded animals (sheep, goats, cows, camels)...and horses of many colors.<br /><br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YDcyVJRI/AAAAAAAAphU/X6zrf6EEd1g/s400/P1120514.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YDcyVJRI/AAAAAAAAphU/X6zrf6EEd1g/s400/P1120514.JPG" border="0" /></a>I may have taken a walk over some of these hills. And I <span style="font-style: italic;">may</span> have spun around and sang "The hills are alive...with the sound of muuuusic!" once or twice. I mean, who knows what may have happened?<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YASGrchI/AAAAAAAAphM/3zz7KEMNcFc/s400/P1120506.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YASGrchI/AAAAAAAAphM/3zz7KEMNcFc/s400/P1120506.JPG" border="0" /></a>The crazy nine-day tour group was at the same camp as us that night, and our guides got us together for a traditional Mongolian game night. When our guide told us we'd be playing a game called "animal ankle," we imagined some kind of crazy charades- or perhaps tag-like experience involving grabbing people's ankles. Nope. Mongolians are herders, so we probably should have known that the game would involves <span style="font-style: italic;">actual</span> animal ankles--or at least ankle bones.<br /><br />It turns out that a sheep or goat ankle bone has four distinct sides, so you can toss like a die, leading to hours of fun as you "roll" ankle bones to learn whether your playing piece (also an ankle bone) will advance along the long wall (made of, you guessed it, more ankle bones) and win the horse-race. A very popular game among Mongolians of all ages to pass time during the long winter months.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YKFqaGII/AAAAAAAAp3Q/u4WD7rtwRGQ/s400/P1120519.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YKFqaGII/AAAAAAAAp3Q/u4WD7rtwRGQ/s400/P1120519.JPG" border="0" /></a>This baby girl at the ger camp was obsessed with cars. The only sound any of us ever heard come out of her mouth was a car noise, and she constantly held up her hands and begged anyone who was getting into a jeep to lift her in, too. Someone let her "drive" at the steering wheel and she was the happiest camper ever, and she screamed bloody murder when she had to get out. I see an exciting profession of cross-Gobi jeep driving in her future!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YMwD_kEI/AAAAAAAAphw/W9Xf0FCw0DY/s400/P1120520.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YMwD_kEI/AAAAAAAAphw/W9Xf0FCw0DY/s400/P1120520.JPG" border="0" /></a>Speaking of babies, omigod, omigod, 100 baby goats!!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YQyguWQI/AAAAAAAAph8/D6gWrqZKZeA/s400/P1120528.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YQyguWQI/AAAAAAAAph8/D6gWrqZKZeA/s400/P1120528.JPG" border="0" /></a>Yeah, we finally hit baby season somewhere. Baby camels are also cute, as are baby sheep, but they're skittish and not as willing to be snuggled by strangers as friendly baby goats!<br /><br />A bit less exciting than baby goats, unless you are Andy, is this lizard.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YdqnRQ5I/AAAAAAAApic/Zs31_h5m1PA/s400/P1120545.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YdqnRQ5I/AAAAAAAApic/Zs31_h5m1PA/s400/P1120545.JPG" border="0" /></a>All these animals were spotted near the sand dunes we visited after Yol Valley. We didn't make it out to Khongor, the biggest sand dunes in the Gobi, but these were good enough to climb around on for an hour while our guide rustled up some more mutton for our lunch.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YaZlIv5I/AAAAAAAApiU/o5RQSOdAxyw/s400/P1120539.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YaZlIv5I/AAAAAAAApiU/o5RQSOdAxyw/s400/P1120539.JPG" border="0" /></a>After the dunes, it was finally time to ride some camels!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Ymsnw-oI/AAAAAAAApis/EvHUWRih7xs/s400/P1120552.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Ymsnw-oI/AAAAAAAApis/EvHUWRih7xs/s400/P1120552.JPG" border="0" /></a>The verdict is in: Two-humped (Bactrian) camels are more comfortable than their one-humped (Dromedary) cousins. We actually showed the camel-owners at this ger camp <a href="http://andyandtarasworld.blogspot.com/2010/03/erg-mauritania.html">our photos from riding Dromedaries in Mauritania</a>, and they thought it was hilarious that anyone would try to balance a saddle on the top of a camel's hump like that.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YploeSNI/AAAAAAAAp3M/gyyTcsnvdLI/s400/P1120555.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YploeSNI/AAAAAAAAp3M/gyyTcsnvdLI/s400/P1120555.JPG" border="0" /></a>Spring is shaving time for the camels, so that their owners can sell their fur to make all those lovely, expensive camel-hair coats we like in the west. I asked a shaved camel to pose next to an unshaved one for contrast, and he kindly obliged. I didn't tell him that I think he looks ridiculous, kind of like a vulture with his baldy head and neck poking out from that still-fluffy back...<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Yi7Ce0rI/AAAAAAAApik/4YtQoyZ4KBM/s400/P1120551.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Yi7Ce0rI/AAAAAAAApik/4YtQoyZ4KBM/s400/P1120551.JPG" border="0" /></a>How do you shave a camel, you ask? First you get it to kneel down, then you knock it over on its side and quickly hog-tie its feet. Then, usually while someone else is sitting on its head, you go to work on its nether regions with a scissor. Easy-peasy! Unfortunately, this photo is not sound-enabled, so you cannot hear this camel's screams of, um, pleasure as this process is carried out.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YuAidlUI/AAAAAAAApi8/RLA1IKQyFFY/s400/P1120562.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YuAidlUI/AAAAAAAApi8/RLA1IKQyFFY/s400/P1120562.JPG" border="0" /></a>We were back near Bayanzag to ride the camels, and took advantage of the nonsandstormy weather that day to walk out to the dinosaur-rich rocks again. Unfortunately, we did not succeed in our mission to discover an andyandtarasaurus.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YwppTeuI/AAAAAAAApjE/s4RN4d5IPU8/s400/P1120567.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YwppTeuI/AAAAAAAApjE/s4RN4d5IPU8/s400/P1120567.JPG" border="0" /></a>Day five. Ruined monastery in the middle of nowhere. During Soviet-friendly, communist times, Mongolia destroyed a lot of religious buildings and put a lot of monks to death. These days, its a much freer place politically and religiously.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YyxRpsKI/AAAAAAAApjM/rAg2ypH80WU/s400/P1120569.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6YyxRpsKI/AAAAAAAApjM/rAg2ypH80WU/s400/P1120569.JPG" border="0" /></a>Most of the herd animals you see grazing in the Gobi belong to someone, but there are wild black-tailed gazelles (kind of like deer), which we would spot from time to time. They run away from the jeep FAST.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y2MyuREI/AAAAAAAApjU/rpgsU9jBAlo/s400/P1120571.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y2MyuREI/AAAAAAAApjU/rpgsU9jBAlo/s400/P1120571.JPG" border="0" /></a>Back in rather flat, pretty dry territory--broken up here by some more ruins and a bit of water, which has attracted a horseman.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y5RiV6XI/AAAAAAAApjc/5WOJgvLGo8c/s400/P1120578.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y5RiV6XI/AAAAAAAApjc/5WOJgvLGo8c/s400/P1120578.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our last major stop was Baga Gazarin Chuluu, also known as "the rocks." Basically, some fun rock formations that reminded us a little bit of the pancake rocks in New Zealand.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZHvYLgyI/AAAAAAAApj4/jgORJdo9afU/s400/P1120589.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZHvYLgyI/AAAAAAAApj4/jgORJdo9afU/s400/P1120589.JPG" border="0" /></a>I thought this one looked like a face and had to go honk its nose.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y9eX4FvI/AAAAAAAAp3I/Gn4p4cbHEro/s400/P1120582.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Y9eX4FvI/AAAAAAAAp3I/Gn4p4cbHEro/s400/P1120582.JPG" border="0" /></a>Nifty, water-conserving desert plant. Nice shot, Andy!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZLRdgAoI/AAAAAAAApkA/UWiVHZpbhFc/s400/P1120592.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZLRdgAoI/AAAAAAAApkA/UWiVHZpbhFc/s400/P1120592.JPG" border="0" /></a>On our last day, we passed by a slightly salty lake that attracted a lot of birds. Here are some more of our crane-like friends.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZOlgq2NI/AAAAAAAApkI/p9M82G5XIXY/s400/P1120595.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6ZOlgq2NI/AAAAAAAApkI/p9M82G5XIXY/s400/P1120595.JPG" border="0" /></a>That appears to be all I've got for pictures from Mongolia. We spent one more night in Ulaan Bataar (and took some much-needed showers!) and then hopped an early flight to Moscow, where we would connect to Kiev, Ukraine. We were a little bit nervous to take such a long flight on an airline (MIAT Mongolian) we'd never heard of before, but luckily they were code-sharing with a bigger, better-known airline--Russia's famously safe Aeroflot! (I jest, I jest. Aeroflot has quite a good safety record these days, and the flights were completely professional.)<br /><br />While I was excited to be heading to Europe, I was definitely also sad to leave Mongolia behind. The Gobi had stunning scenery, welcoming people, and lots of fun animals to play with and ride--it was totally worth all the bumps and the dirt and the cold, cold nights to see. It was also really different from the rest of Asia in cuisine, language, and culture--in many ways it felt more akin to Russia than to China--and made an interesting bridge as we headed toward a couple of former USSR republics.<br /><br />I would have loved to have seen some other parts of Mongolia--there are famous lakes, and national parks with the last of the wild horses, and plenty more Gobi that we didn't get to. I think that there will definitely be a next time.Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-87782483431812382832011-05-22T09:52:00.001-04:002011-05-22T09:52:00.461-04:00Food of ChinaFood in the rest of China continued to impress us. Writing about what we ate will make me hungry, but I'll give it a try.<br /><br />As most New Yorkers know from Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown, Shanghai has "soup dumplings"--dumplings that are filled with meat and broth. What Joe's Shanghai didn't teach us is that they also come in a fried variety. We ordered 20 of them for dinner one night and the cashier thought that she was missing something in the language barrier. We assured her that I would eat that many, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzhnJnPJI/AAAAAAAApMg/C_dt9qOpyuw/s400/P1110986.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzhnJnPJI/AAAAAAAApMg/C_dt9qOpyuw/s400/P1110986.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>What's that fried bread have in it? Don't know, but we'll try one. Oh, something green! That's good.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzrf8EYcI/AAAAAAAApMw/hiRyr4ZHI-c/s400/P1110991.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzrf8EYcI/AAAAAAAApMw/hiRyr4ZHI-c/s400/P1110991.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In China, Lay's come in blueberry. Much better than they sound. We bought them several times. Furthermore, I liked that in the ingredients, they list "Breezy Blueberry Flavoring," as though that tells me everything I could ever want to know about the content of the chips.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGk6tm5LI/AAAAAAAApNg/M9hvHkq4dQI/s400/P1120016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGk6tm5LI/AAAAAAAApNg/M9hvHkq4dQI/s400/P1120016.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Happy Lemon is a drink chain in China that sells bubble teas and the like. Some of their combinations (like the ones with "rock cheese") were terrible. Some were almost potable. Tara and Brooke liked most of them.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGgfvVkNI/AAAAAAAApNM/MNOsXnY6oeg/s400/P1110996.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGgfvVkNI/AAAAAAAApNM/MNOsXnY6oeg/s400/P1110996.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Soup abounds in China. This one seems to have some pork, some tofu, and some green stuff. Oh, and some tasty glass noodles. Looks good.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGmrPgHqI/AAAAAAAApNo/I4WBWg4Ph6E/s400/P1120021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGmrPgHqI/AAAAAAAApNo/I4WBWg4Ph6E/s400/P1120021.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ever wonder what Chinese people eat for breakfast? If they were staying in our hotel, they ate this. Lacking in sugar, but not bad. Some steamed bread, some fried bread, some wonton soup, some rice porridge (with do flavor), and some pickled beets. Oh, and a hard-boiled egg.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGoISjaRI/AAAAAAAApNw/CplU-AXNVIU/s400/P1120024.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGoISjaRI/AAAAAAAApNw/CplU-AXNVIU/s400/P1120024.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Tara and Brooke taste the bean filled cakes that we bought on the street. We saw a long line at a little food stall, so, in true Communist fashion, we got in it. Luckily, the man in front of us spoke some English and told us that some had red beans and some had soy beans. Red bean was better.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGzZGNKiI/AAAAAAAApOY/kgwfDjyRh04/s400/P1120040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGzZGNKiI/AAAAAAAApOY/kgwfDjyRh04/s400/P1120040.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>At the Uigher restaurant, we got this sesame beef that tasted a fair bit like roast beef. Fortunately, Brooke spent half the dinner dancing on stage, so Tara and I were able to eat much of it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHB06RagI/AAAAAAAApPE/DWTLywKBUOg/s400/P1120065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHB06RagI/AAAAAAAApPE/DWTLywKBUOg/s400/P1120065.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Do I look like a pirate in this picture of lamb kababs? No. Was I trying to? Yes. Instead, let's pretend that I poked myself in the eye while eating meat straight off the skewer in a very manly fashion.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHEvwe05I/AAAAAAAApPM/NMIfEZnc7NM/s400/P1120066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHEvwe05I/AAAAAAAApPM/NMIfEZnc7NM/s400/P1120066.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>More wonderful noodles. Almost all the noodles that we ordered in China were different, and all were excellent. These were the longest noodles that I have ever seen. I slurped one for five minutes straight. Just like a cartoon. Come to think of it, I normally look like a cartoon when eating.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHP92tinI/AAAAAAAApP4/mEbHAhU_-O8/s400/P1120094.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHP92tinI/AAAAAAAApP4/mEbHAhU_-O8/s400/P1120094.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In Chengdu, we asked our hotel for an authentic Sichuan hotpot experience. They delivered. The place was with locals, many of the men without shirts and some of the tables with an extra seat for their dogs. Tara looks scared in this picture because she is. We ordered vegetables, duck tongue, pork belly, some kind of beef, and shrimp. But it is the hot pot itself that is a killer. Sichuan spice combines a hot pepper with a numbing pepper. This creates a really strange sensation in your mouth that is similar to eating Oragel. None of our intestines thanked us for it. Oh, and duck tongue has very little meat or taste, sadly.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rm-uFlbI/AAAAAAAApmI/5i753vmy1oE/s400/P1120105.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rm-uFlbI/AAAAAAAApmI/5i753vmy1oE/s400/P1120105.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here is the actual hotpot. The boiling stuff in the middle is duck broth. No spice. The outside ring is filled with oil and crazy Sichuan spice. The whole thing is heated to about six thousand degrees Celsius to cook your food (and your eyelashes, if you aren't careful).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RpKTLIOI/AAAAAAAApSA/3Leg7KnKFoA/s400/P1120106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RpKTLIOI/AAAAAAAApSA/3Leg7KnKFoA/s400/P1120106.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Where Chinese people are hiking, there are cucumber sellers. Not my idea of a wonderful treat, but Brooke enjoyed this one in an entirely non-suggestive manner. Right, like you can even hold a giant cucumber in a non-suggestive manner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rd52ddLI/AAAAAAAApRg/aKEWU_Tps8Q/s400/P1120099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rd52ddLI/AAAAAAAApRg/aKEWU_Tps8Q/s400/P1120099.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>At the Panda Reserve, they let you try the special bread that they feed to the pandas for extra nutrition (since their normal bamboo diet provides them with just about nothing). This bread tastes like burnt grass with bran added, but Tara really liked it. She ate several.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R7FHPTiI/AAAAAAAApS4/jUrz_fgYQfE/s400/P1120159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R7FHPTiI/AAAAAAAApS4/jUrz_fgYQfE/s400/P1120159.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is what Americans would call kungpao chicken. It tastes a lot different in China, but I can see the resemblence. It does have the crazy spice that numbs, though, which made Tara believe that she was having a stroke or some other equally bad problem.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SDQG0PPI/AAAAAAAApTI/b4xG1R1Gdfw/s400/P1120169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SDQG0PPI/AAAAAAAApTI/b4xG1R1Gdfw/s400/P1120169.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Fresh chrysanthemum tea has some flowers and berries floating in the top with some sugar in the bottom. Add hot water and you have something that people pay a lot of money for. So, run outside now, grab a flower, and add sugar and hot water. You will save yourself the money.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SVGOz7FI/AAAAAAAApTs/bGsF0Z2ZuJw/s400/P1120176.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SVGOz7FI/AAAAAAAApTs/bGsF0Z2ZuJw/s400/P1120176.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This dish was made of mushrooms and was amazing. That's all we can tell you. The menu was entirely in Chinese and we pointed to this one randomly.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SHS5qrxI/AAAAAAAApTQ/J0p7k1JVyS4/s400/P1120170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SHS5qrxI/AAAAAAAApTQ/J0p7k1JVyS4/s400/P1120170.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>My jasmine green tea would have been excellent had I been able to steal the sugar from Tara's chrysantemum tea. Chinese people don't drink sugar in green tea, though, so they had no understanding of my problem. I suggest carrying a lot of sugar with you in China.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SX-FWJAI/AAAAAAAApl8/tQgct_5vzQc/s400/P1120177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SX-FWJAI/AAAAAAAApl8/tQgct_5vzQc/s400/P1120177.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>On the streets of Xian, Tara found a woman selling fresh noodles with some cucumber and sauce on top. She thought they were the best noodles that she had ever had. After a couple of helpings, we almost had to pay a taxi to take us back the next day, but her fear of missing our flight was just slightly greater than her desire to eat more of these.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SbgSB3RI/AAAAAAAApUA/o7HgRs-SnnU/s400/P1120178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SbgSB3RI/AAAAAAAApUA/o7HgRs-SnnU/s400/P1120178.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Next to the noodle vendor was a man selling these. What are those? I ate one, but am not qualified to say. I think pork, but I think parts of the pig that I don't want to know about are somehow involved.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Sg32n5JI/AAAAAAAApUI/2YYfrvD3gHY/s400/P1120179.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Sg32n5JI/AAAAAAAApUI/2YYfrvD3gHY/s400/P1120179.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Anything that looks like a popsicle is hard for me to pass up. This one turned out to be a somewhat sweet rice concoction molded around a chopstick. And maybe with some beans. I couldn't really tell.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SsBIz1kI/AAAAAAAApUs/uxBNjrHphFw/s400/P1120189.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SsBIz1kI/AAAAAAAApUs/uxBNjrHphFw/s400/P1120189.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara liked her flower and hot water mix so much that she tried to buy some bottled chrysanthemum tea at the store. We failed this time and ended up with jasmine, but we eventually figured out which flower picture was the right one.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SpYnGTLI/AAAAAAAApUk/SBk30FNNrFA/s400/P1120188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SpYnGTLI/AAAAAAAApUk/SBk30FNNrFA/s400/P1120188.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In the Xian Muslim district, they sell this soup that is noodles, mutton, broth, and bits of a very dense bread that is almost like dumplings. I thought it would be gross, but it was actually very good. Especially since it was cold and a bit rainy. We also tried "Ice Peak", which turned out to be an orange Fanta knock-off.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SwqqMJwI/AAAAAAAApU8/ZaL07tNDyEs/s400/P1120191.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SwqqMJwI/AAAAAAAApU8/ZaL07tNDyEs/s400/P1120191.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The streets of the Muslim quarter reminded us of the Middle East at night. Date and dried fruit sellers everywhere.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SzDSLGPI/AAAAAAAApVE/ZDp0uGxHDF8/s400/P1120192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SzDSLGPI/AAAAAAAApVE/ZDp0uGxHDF8/s400/P1120192.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara found this sesame bread that tasted very much like the simit of Turkey (or like a sesame bagel if you are American, which is probably more likely than you being Turkish and knowing what simit tastes like).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S1yLoSdI/AAAAAAAApVM/sHpyvk5Rm2s/s400/P1120193.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S1yLoSdI/AAAAAAAApVM/sHpyvk5Rm2s/s400/P1120193.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We saw some expensive tea for sale, but we opted for the really cheap juice that everyone had for sale. This was probably a mistake. We'll call it water with mixed-fruit syrup.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S5_bnUpI/AAAAAAAApVc/AAuGhK3lH9A/s400/P1120195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S5_bnUpI/AAAAAAAApVc/AAuGhK3lH9A/s400/P1120195.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This reminded us of the sweet, bean-filled pastries of Shanghai, so we bought one. It was a bit sweet, but not very good.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S3TLsrvI/AAAAAAAApVU/ctDCPx5dVYY/s400/P1120194.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S3TLsrvI/AAAAAAAApVU/ctDCPx5dVYY/s400/P1120194.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Xian is famous for its peanut butter candy. And rightfully so. It is pounded into many thin layers and breaks in your mouth like a wonderful peanut butter phylo dough.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S8FI2DtI/AAAAAAAApVk/EYColEeW4u0/s400/P1120196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S8FI2DtI/AAAAAAAApVk/EYColEeW4u0/s400/P1120196.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We broke down the next day (with some peer pressure from Brooke to just spend the 75 cents for a drink that might not taste like urine) and bought the fruity tea for sale everywhere in Xian. It was a bit fruity and a bit tea-y, but probably not worth the money.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TLmOFnlI/AAAAAAAAplY/7lSkRBAQTiY/s400/P1120238.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TLmOFnlI/AAAAAAAAplY/7lSkRBAQTiY/s400/P1120238.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is donkey. That's right--donkey. The texture was like beef tongue. The taste was like...well...ass. Hahahahaha! Sure, you probably saw that coming, but it's still funny. It was actually not bad. Tara loved it enough to look for it on other menus, though we never found it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VPY8iZPI/AAAAAAAApXU/DYbE-tvo1q4/s400/P1120245.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VPY8iZPI/AAAAAAAApXU/DYbE-tvo1q4/s400/P1120245.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>These sweets looked almost Indian, and tasted like soft pretzels soaked in sugar water. They were better than that description makes them sound.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VT7G1qHI/AAAAAAAApXk/6qOvthw7HMY/s400/P1120249.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VT7G1qHI/AAAAAAAApXk/6qOvthw7HMY/s400/P1120249.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>These noodles were the size of sheets. I could have used one noodle to cover my bed for sleeping.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VReSBBAI/AAAAAAAApXc/5BIjhUzxT-4/s400/P1120248.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VReSBBAI/AAAAAAAApXc/5BIjhUzxT-4/s400/P1120248.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Almond juice tastes like marzipan, which I loathe. Tara, however, loves marzipan and likes this drink. I think Chinese people drink it only in hopes that they can replace the girl on the front as the lightest-skinned Chinese person on earth.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vd2ECVnI/AAAAAAAAplM/laln8amGHDc/s400/P1120256.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vd2ECVnI/AAAAAAAAplM/laln8amGHDc/s400/P1120256.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>When frantically searching for dinner one night, we ducked into a tiny restaurant in an alley and ended up with an amazing feast. Pictured are dumplings, sausage, really interesting glass noodles, shredded and fried potatoes, and a bitter melon omelet. Tara and I hate omelets, but Brooke loved it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VgvD3kFI/AAAAAAAApYM/RAHun4jv9PM/s400/P1120260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VgvD3kFI/AAAAAAAApYM/RAHun4jv9PM/s400/P1120260.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Fresh yogurt. Yum. Just kidding. Fresh yogurt is just as bad as packaged yogurt, but at least you can return the clay packaging, which they probably then just throw out instead of reusing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V7gvwg-I/AAAAAAAApZo/JoPdpUTM948/s400/P1120293.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V7gvwg-I/AAAAAAAApZo/JoPdpUTM948/s400/P1120293.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our fanciest dinner of China was to a Peking duck restaurant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V_0DVD8I/AAAAAAAApZ8/VcIlafKdyqc/s400/P1120295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V_0DVD8I/AAAAAAAApZ8/VcIlafKdyqc/s400/P1120295.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This was as hard as a rock, but at least it was sweet. I only broke a couple of my teeth eating it. No one else seemed interested in having some.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V9svBscI/AAAAAAAApZ0/DZkiSXuADxE/s400/P1120294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V9svBscI/AAAAAAAApZ0/DZkiSXuADxE/s400/P1120294.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Back to the duck meal! After we paid a crazy amount for the duck, the restaurant was kind enough to throw in this snazzy fruit plate for free. My favorite part was the steaming dry ice. It didn't taste as good as the fruit, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WCNfKFRI/AAAAAAAApaE/sY5X0LWMCuc/s400/P1120296.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WCNfKFRI/AAAAAAAApaE/sY5X0LWMCuc/s400/P1120296.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And what was the best part of the duck? The brain! I was the only one willing to try it. It tasted like mush. Mushed mush. No other discernible taste.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WDeBqKRI/AAAAAAAApaM/h5AQWJbJU4k/s400/P1120297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WDeBqKRI/AAAAAAAApaM/h5AQWJbJU4k/s400/P1120297.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>China has Dairy Queen! A lot of Dairy Queens, as it turns out. They are expensive, but we still went to a lot of them. Hooray for Blizzards!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WFacvi3I/AAAAAAAApaU/FMFDeuMlZuQ/s400/P1120299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WFacvi3I/AAAAAAAApaU/FMFDeuMlZuQ/s400/P1120299.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>China has even more strange packaged meat products than Dairy Queens. This one was a pork product. I ate most of it, but can't tell you any more information than that. Oh, and it was slightly spicy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WUhjVsyI/AAAAAAAApbA/tj0Yo3pWn9c/s400/P1120324.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WUhjVsyI/AAAAAAAApbA/tj0Yo3pWn9c/s400/P1120324.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>What goes well with two Snickers? A battery, of course! This two pack with an extra battery was cheaper than just buying two Snickers. Who was I to resist this marketing gimmick? I bought two.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WIIjG3yI/AAAAAAAApag/FeLV4B_7Hmg/s400/P1120300.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WIIjG3yI/AAAAAAAApag/FeLV4B_7Hmg/s400/P1120300.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>From the restaurant that brought us the donkey comes this pork belly. It was pretty good, but looks less appetizing than any pork belly that I had ever eaten.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WjMrVr1I/AAAAAAAApb0/Hhduqnw6--g/s400/P1120339.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WjMrVr1I/AAAAAAAApb0/Hhduqnw6--g/s400/P1120339.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And last of all is the food that we bought right at the Mongolian border in northern China. The food there is not quite Mongolian, but not quite normal Chinese. We had some rice noodles with unknown meat, unknown yellow vegetable, and cucumbers. It was very good. Then, off to Mongolia.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WpnDLnDI/AAAAAAAApcM/Wa1erT9pFa8/s400/P1120364.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WpnDLnDI/AAAAAAAApcM/Wa1erT9pFa8/s400/P1120364.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The food of China was amazing diverse. Almost all of it was good enough that we would happily eat it again (except for maybe the hotpot). Tara has already started a mental list of foods to eat the next time that she visits China. Had we known what food would be like in the countries to come, we would have tried to cart freeze dried dumplings out of China with us.<br /><div></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-7473078963861528312011-05-19T02:00:00.001-04:002011-05-19T02:00:03.550-04:00Clay Soldiers, Stone Walls: Xi'an and BeijingFrom Chengdu, we headed north to Xi'an, which doesn't look so far away on the map but still takes 18 hours by train to reach. Brooke's cold was getting worse, so when we reached our hostel, she took a rest while Andy and I headed out to see the monuments and meet the locals.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SmyiIuKI/AAAAAAAApUY/2CNhTsHbloA/s400/P1120187.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SmyiIuKI/AAAAAAAApUY/2CNhTsHbloA/s400/P1120187.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The symbol of Xi'an is the Big Goose Pagoda. It doesn't really look like a goose to me, but it certainly was big. Unfortunately, they also charge a big admission fee, so we just admired it from the outside.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SkjQYcII/AAAAAAAAplw/fGpXSve4pjY/s400/P1120186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SkjQYcII/AAAAAAAAplw/fGpXSve4pjY/s400/P1120186.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Xi'an, like some other Chinese cities, has a drum tower and a bell tower. The bells used to be rung in the morning to wake everyone up, while the drums were beaten at sunset to tell everyone to go to bed. Both are illuminated at night these days and are very attractive (here's the drum tower).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SutRYKMI/AAAAAAAApU0/L0kSJKei1n0/s400/P1120190.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SutRYKMI/AAAAAAAApU0/L0kSJKei1n0/s400/P1120190.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The next day, we all headed about an hour out of town to see Xi'an's top attraction, the Terracotta Army. Known as one of the greatest archaeological finds in the world, it consists of thousands of 2,000-year-old terra cotta soldiers and horses, all built to guard an emperor's mausoleum. They were buried with the emperor, and only discovered again in 1974.<br /><br />The soldiers have amazing detail. Here's a kneeling archer. His wooden weapon has long since rotted away, but you can still admire his elaborately scultped clothes, hairdo, facial expression, etc.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S-WuHQDI/AAAAAAAApnE/rrYeAU9fOkY/s400/P1120197.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S-WuHQDI/AAAAAAAApnE/rrYeAU9fOkY/s400/P1120197.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The details just get more amazing the closer you look at the figures.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S_38LcsI/AAAAAAAApV0/o4bG9KNIcuI/s400/P1120204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6S_38LcsI/AAAAAAAApV0/o4bG9KNIcuI/s400/P1120204.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Of course, not every soldier is in perfect condition. A lot have lost their heads over the years, probably thanks to invaders who desecrated the tomb.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TEw7r57I/AAAAAAAAplc/Km03miFR3_Q/s400/P1120225.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TEw7r57I/AAAAAAAAplc/Km03miFR3_Q/s400/P1120225.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A few horse-drawn carriages are in impressively good shape, though. These even have a bit of their original paint still visible.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TCdlnIqI/AAAAAAAApV8/RgL6ueSEioc/s400/P1120205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TCdlnIqI/AAAAAAAApV8/RgL6ueSEioc/s400/P1120205.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>There are three main excavation pits you can visit. All are still actively being dug through by archaologists, so you can see the unrestored state in which they find some of the statues.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6THYsERuI/AAAAAAAApWQ/hQhyOZ3dhw4/s400/P1120226.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6THYsERuI/AAAAAAAApWQ/hQhyOZ3dhw4/s400/P1120226.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We saved Pit 1, the biggest pit, for last. It's the size of an airplane hangar and is filled with regiments of soldiers. This is just a small area from that pit.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TJXCocQI/AAAAAAAApWY/DSXU1S9YoLs/s400/P1120228.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TJXCocQI/AAAAAAAApWY/DSXU1S9YoLs/s400/P1120228.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Back in Xi'an city, we had enough time to explore the famous Muslim Quarter. The real highlight was the delicious food specialties that the local Hui Muslims make, but we also visited the mosque, which impressively combined Chinese- and Arabian-style architecture. Though the Chinese style really is dominant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TOJeKK5I/AAAAAAAAplU/siVCHu9t_Ys/s400/P1120239.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TOJeKK5I/AAAAAAAAplU/siVCHu9t_Ys/s400/P1120239.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The mosque's minaret, or call-to-prayer tower, had this sign outside of it. It took us all several readings to realize that it's trying to say "Retrospection Tower," not "Retard Inspection Tower."<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TQISg5dI/AAAAAAAApW4/mvNdetQCeTQ/s400/P1120243.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6TQISg5dI/AAAAAAAApW4/mvNdetQCeTQ/s400/P1120243.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Our last stop in China was many people's first destination--the capital, Beijing! We spent four days there and could easily have spent several more, as there is so much to see there. I was kind of expecting a dirty, traffic-choked, tourist-cluttered megalopolis, but was quite pleasantly surprised to instead find a city with many trees and parks and old neighborhoods called Hutongs, which were full of tiny, winding streets, traditional homes, and more bicycles than cars.<br /><br />Our first major activity was going to an acrobatics show, where young acrobats blew us and a large auditorium full of (mostly Chinese) tourists away with their tricks. Andy got a few shots in of the tightrope girl and the contortionists before an usher noticed and pointed to the large no cameras sign...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VWMktHzI/AAAAAAAApXs/Vrkub_nX32M/s400/P1120250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VWMktHzI/AAAAAAAApXs/Vrkub_nX32M/s400/P1120250.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VYc-wEyI/AAAAAAAAplQ/2DL2zMAWSKY/s400/P1120254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VYc-wEyI/AAAAAAAAplQ/2DL2zMAWSKY/s400/P1120254.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A street in Beijing near our hostel, decked out with lanterns for the dining crowds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VbT_DVqI/AAAAAAAApX8/pg2hkNb5FeU/s400/P1120255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VbT_DVqI/AAAAAAAApX8/pg2hkNb5FeU/s400/P1120255.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The next day, it was off to visit Tianamen Square--apparently the world's largest public square--and the Forbidden City. First we popped by Mao's mausoleum on the square, thereby completing Andy's trifecta of pickled communist leaders viewed (he's seen Lenin, Ho Chi Min, and now Mao). No cameras allowed inside, but here's the mausoleum from the square.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vi97chDI/AAAAAAAApYU/Wq4Bx011qUo/s400/P1120265.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vi97chDI/AAAAAAAApYU/Wq4Bx011qUo/s400/P1120265.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mao's likeness graces the entrance to the Forbidden City. Here Andy and I add our likenesses to sweeten the image.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VncHkCgI/AAAAAAAApYk/k7E5sMh4g4Q/s400/P1120267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VncHkCgI/AAAAAAAApYk/k7E5sMh4g4Q/s400/P1120267.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Forbidden City was constructed in the 1400s by the Ming Dynasty and housed the Chinese royal families and their attendants for centuries. Commoners were not allowed, but now for less than $10 a person, anyone can go in. It was really crowded when we visited, so we kind of wished that maybe they'd decided to forbid just a few more people...<br /><br />Anyway, you proceed through a series of impressive gates, like this one. Many are heavily restored to have that slick, built-yesterday that so many historical sites in China sport these days...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vlj4MABI/AAAAAAAApYc/xZVMzCwTix8/s400/P1120266.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vlj4MABI/AAAAAAAApYc/xZVMzCwTix8/s400/P1120266.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>You can get an audioguide in an impressive number of languages. I searched in vain for Pig-Latin, but apparently the only fake, made-up language you can get is Esperanto.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VpZ9ZD0I/AAAAAAAApYs/oQZetDk2fjI/s400/P1120272.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VpZ9ZD0I/AAAAAAAApYs/oQZetDk2fjI/s400/P1120272.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Many structures in the Forbidden City have little animals on the roofs to protect them. The more animals, the more important the building.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VsWkXohI/AAAAAAAApY0/tBrc9A4-c2A/s400/P1120274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6VsWkXohI/AAAAAAAApY0/tBrc9A4-c2A/s400/P1120274.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A Tara, a building, and a huge friggin' crowd.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vv7fBDkI/AAAAAAAApY8/MgzvoAJC4fw/s400/P1120275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vv7fBDkI/AAAAAAAApY8/MgzvoAJC4fw/s400/P1120275.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Nice cauldron! These held water to help put out fires--necessary, since all the buildings are made of wood. Ironically, when the water froze in the winter, attendants had to light a fire each day to thaw it...and hope that fire didn't spread to the buildings and necessitate the water's use!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V16CfgII/AAAAAAAApZQ/WNbtkYWB4m4/s400/P1120277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V16CfgII/AAAAAAAApZQ/WNbtkYWB4m4/s400/P1120277.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>When a dragon and a turtle mate, this is what you get.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vy_Nc6hI/AAAAAAAApZE/6OyQH9cDqGw/s400/P1120276.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Vy_Nc6hI/AAAAAAAApZE/6OyQH9cDqGw/s400/P1120276.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The City has a fun museum of fancy clocks from Europe and China from the 18th and 19th centuries. The best one has this animatronic figure who writes calligraphy using real ink and parchment at specified times.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V4E0P34I/AAAAAAAAplE/E8ODIveEVBA/s400/P1120282.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V4E0P34I/AAAAAAAAplE/E8ODIveEVBA/s400/P1120282.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This sign is such a lie. The toilets at the Forbidden City were your standard dirty, paperless squats. Don't be fooled!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V6b1jYtI/AAAAAAAApZg/LQF0Rmejsks/s400/P1120289.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6V6b1jYtI/AAAAAAAApZg/LQF0Rmejsks/s400/P1120289.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The next day, it was off to the Great Wall of China. We skipped the more touristy and restored sections and went straight to Jinshanling, which is farther from Beijing, more in its original state, and set in beautiful countryside. Construction in this part began in the 1300s (though some parts of the wall are older than that). We highly recommend visiting this section of the wall, which was one of the highlights of China for all of us.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WLLIv5EI/AAAAAAAApao/FF2woOFXoPI/s400/P1120310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WLLIv5EI/AAAAAAAApao/FF2woOFXoPI/s400/P1120310.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We shared a car to the wall and explored it with Virginie and Pierre-Louis, a fantastic couple from France. How often do you get to learn dirty French cabaret songs while hiking along a beautiful ancient monument?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WRzDj3TI/AAAAAAAApa4/L5dgqbdtnlY/s400/P1120318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WRzDj3TI/AAAAAAAApa4/L5dgqbdtnlY/s400/P1120318.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We have so many pictures of the wall, but we'll wrap it up with this one. The weather was a bit overcast, but that made our hike cooler and made the surroundings more atmospheric. I didn't know that the terrain the wall was built on was so hilly--it was quite a workout just to hike along it, so I can see now how, combined with the natural landscape, it helped keep invaders at bay.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WOe6leRI/AAAAAAAApaw/eDq44ugH8CA/s400/P1120317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WOe6leRI/AAAAAAAApaw/eDq44ugH8CA/s400/P1120317.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>On our way back into the city, we stopped for photos at the Bird's Nest stadium, built for the 2008 Olympics. I bet it looks even neater when it gets illuminated at night.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WW2dtMOI/AAAAAAAApbI/WvrPKBWHIkQ/s400/P1120327.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WW2dtMOI/AAAAAAAApbI/WvrPKBWHIkQ/s400/P1120327.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our hostel was located right next to the Lama Temple, the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of Tibet. It has some nice dog/dragon statues...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WZZDgmoI/AAAAAAAApk4/CsT5eA_s6ZA/s400/P1120328.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WZZDgmoI/AAAAAAAApk4/CsT5eA_s6ZA/s400/P1120328.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And a few awesome blue demons. Nice skull hat! I'm still not clear on the role of these demons in Buddhism, though...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WbrYmvnI/AAAAAAAApbY/FTVdRXSbgaE/s400/P1120332.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WbrYmvnI/AAAAAAAApbY/FTVdRXSbgaE/s400/P1120332.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here is my namesake, the bodhavista Tara! She is enlightened, but stays on earth to help other people reach Nirvana. You know, just like I do.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WhC_u7qI/AAAAAAAApkw/ssZ3CRa2HTU/s400/P1120338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WhC_u7qI/AAAAAAAApkw/ssZ3CRa2HTU/s400/P1120338.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The highlight of this temple is the 18-meter (60-foot) Buddha, carved out of a single piece of sandalwood. Add it to the list of enormous Buddhas that we've paid to see in Asia.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WeciK2EI/AAAAAAAApk0/r0EWwZuNj-k/s400/P1120336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WeciK2EI/AAAAAAAApk0/r0EWwZuNj-k/s400/P1120336.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>While Brooke bravely rented a bike and explored the Hutongs, Andy and I went to the not-so-impressive Beijing Natural History Museum. Though you can't say it was a total bust, because he got to climb inside a big plastic uterus. Yes, that's what you think it is swimming towards him along the floor.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WlZCAOEI/AAAAAAAApks/bnsgW7-2gYQ/s400/P1120340.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6WlZCAOEI/AAAAAAAApks/bnsgW7-2gYQ/s400/P1120340.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Near that museum is the Temple of Heaven, a nifty round Taoist Temple from the 1400s, set in a lovely park.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wnb62HaI/AAAAAAAApko/vbUErMb42ns/s400/P1120341.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Wnb62HaI/AAAAAAAApko/vbUErMb42ns/s400/P1120341.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>That was our last major stop in Beijing. That night, Brooke headed back to Shanghai to catch her flight home, and the next morning, Andy and I flew to the Mongolian border to cross and continue our Asian adventures in that country.<br /><br />Before we came to China, I was so concerned about the language barrier, the food, the crowds, and the pollution, but I have to say that it was one of the most pleasantly surprising countries we have been to on this long trip. Amazing eats, good public transportation, friendlier people than I'd ever expected, lots of English signage, and so many interesting and beautiful sights to see. So if you're thinking of taking a trip to Asia, I'd strongly urge you to check out China. I'm looking forward to heading back and exploring a few more corners of this fascinating country myself.Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-76451505443303274692011-05-17T10:59:00.000-04:002011-05-17T12:04:21.793-04:00PANDAS! And less cute places: Shanghai and ChengduAfter Yunnan, we spent 36 hours on a train to get to Shanghai. It was our longest ride yet, but was surprisingly comfortable. Arriving in Shanghai at 5am on a Sunday is a bit like getting into Manhattan at 5am. No one is up yet and the entire downtown has a strange, deserted feel to it. After having some problems finding a hotel room, we ended up in a rather questionable hotel, though it was central and we could see many very nice hotels from our window. Then we were off to see a few sights before meeting Tara's sister, Brooke, at the airport.<br /><br />Here is the Bund at night. Shanghai was home to many foreigners in the past, with each major country controlling part of the city. The British section along the river, with the main street called the Bund, is home to many of the oldest buildings in Shanghai. Also some of the least Chinese-looking.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzpkCmrHI/AAAAAAAApMo/y_UVn8XZmQU/s400/P1110987.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzpkCmrHI/AAAAAAAApMo/y_UVn8XZmQU/s400/P1110987.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>After successfully locating Brooke at the airport and getting in a fight with our hotel because we weren't supposed to have three people in our room (they were technically in the right, but who would have thought that the dirtbag hotel would enforce such a rule? Had she been a prostitute, we are fairly certain that she could have stayed for free), we moved to a better hotel and went to explore the Pudong section of town across the river. A fellow traveller had tipped us off a few weeks earlier that the bathrooms in the World Financial Tower are really amazing. Tara and Brooke spent about a half hour in the bathroom playing with the high-tech toilets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGelFhPfI/AAAAAAAApmg/CA0PrHTHMLQ/s400/P1110995.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGelFhPfI/AAAAAAAApmg/CA0PrHTHMLQ/s400/P1110995.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara and Brooke then decided (well, Brooke decided and peer-pressured Tara) that they would do a jumping picture. After about 20 shots, I gave up on ever getting them to jump at the same time. Here's the best that I got.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGin82aaI/AAAAAAAApNU/IiMl8ciwhkY/s400/P1120013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGin82aaI/AAAAAAAApNU/IiMl8ciwhkY/s400/P1120013.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We visited a famous temple in Shanghai that turned out to be much more touristy than expected. It was here, however, that I was introduced to the word rockery. You pile up a bunch of rocks and then maybe add some cement and you have a rockery. They really like rockeries in China. In New York, the pigeons would really like them, too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGtxXtX9I/AAAAAAAApOI/cfwjQ912Lg0/s400/P1120026.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKGtxXtX9I/AAAAAAAApOI/cfwjQ912Lg0/s400/P1120026.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Jing'An temple is a famous monastery and temple right in the middle of Shanghai. It was originally built in the 1500s, but appears to have been almost entirely rebuilt about five minutes before we arrived. That is often the case with China's historical sites. It still looks nice, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG9N_piNI/AAAAAAAApO0/tBqGHGFQjmc/s400/P1120049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG9N_piNI/AAAAAAAApO0/tBqGHGFQjmc/s400/P1120049.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>China has exercise equipment everywhere. At first, this seemed like a good idea for America, but it isn't like Americans would use them, so it would just be a waste of money. The best machine was similar to log rolling. Tara has captured me falling off it in this action shot. Putting these in parks in America would have the same result as hiding very sharp swords all over the playground. Brooke seems to be better balanced on her machine.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG6sY6K7I/AAAAAAAApOo/sxRQ19kfyTg/s400/P1120043.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG6sY6K7I/AAAAAAAApOo/sxRQ19kfyTg/s400/P1120043.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We sought out a Uigher restaurant for dinner. The Uigher are a Muslim ethnic group in Western China with a reputation as very friendly and with very different food. About 10 seconds after arriving, they tried to pull us all on stage to learn their traditional dance. Tara and I fled. Brooke, being a professional dancer, danced with them for maybe 15 minutes. Then they asked her to perform some ballet for them--solo. So, she did. Despite my hopes that this would lead to free food for the table, she received only their appreciation.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG_kxJVsI/AAAAAAAApO8/GvT0f-cgrvQ/s400/P1120054.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKG_kxJVsI/AAAAAAAApO8/GvT0f-cgrvQ/s400/P1120054.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Pudong business district gets lit up like a Christmas tree at night. A gaudy Christmas tree. Lights go out at 10pm, though, which we discovered about one minute after this picture was taken.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHGU_9pSI/AAAAAAAApPU/g66eJ69RiCA/s400/P1120070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHGU_9pSI/AAAAAAAApPU/g66eJ69RiCA/s400/P1120070.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>From Shanghai, it was off to Chengdu. The superfast bullet train got us there in just 16 hours. We were then off to the "village" of Leshan (only a couple hundred thousand people) to see a really big Buddha. Built in the 800s along the river, it was meant to appease the river and make it less turbulent. Amusingly, all the rock that fell into the river from the construction did end up calming the waters. It is the "largest carved stone Buddha" in the world. Nearly every big Buddha statue has an equally ridiculous title, but it is really big. Tara is either trying to wink in this picture or is developing a droopy eye.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHI0HNsAI/AAAAAAAApPc/HZ9GEliF1AI/s400/P1120087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHI0HNsAI/AAAAAAAApPc/HZ9GEliF1AI/s400/P1120087.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Just next to the Buddha is a beautiful bridge over the river to a monastery. If you could get rid of the apartment buildings in the background, it would be just about what China might have been like 500 years ago. Or at least just about what movies about China that are set 500 years ago look like.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHN7YyhrI/AAAAAAAApPs/qvmcQSW82c4/s400/P1120093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHN7YyhrI/AAAAAAAApPs/qvmcQSW82c4/s400/P1120093.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>From the Buddha's feet, he looks even bigger. The holes in him were actually put there as a drainage system. I wonder: if you pee on the Buddha's head, will it spit the water out at the bottom?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHLkH6F6I/AAAAAAAApPk/KFVjyhBFoIk/s400/P1120091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcKHLkH6F6I/AAAAAAAApPk/KFVjyhBFoIk/s400/P1120091.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The next day, we decided to hike Mount Qingcheng, one of the sacred Taoist mountains outside of Chengdu. Taoism and Buddhism both have several sacred mountains scattered around China. My guess is that most are as much of a tourist magnet as this one, but the signs claimed that the air is purer and healthier here, so at least our lungs got a break. A few nice views existed, though the top of the mountain was closed for construction. They forgot to mention that when we bought our tickets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Ra1D5EpI/AAAAAAAApmQ/FlyY0x5qvoo/s400/P1120098.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Ra1D5EpI/AAAAAAAApmQ/FlyY0x5qvoo/s400/P1120098.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Many urinals in China have funny messages. Apparently, Chinese men aren't very good at hitting the urinal. And every Chinese person wants to be civilized.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RgoHybbI/AAAAAAAApRo/RnCzh8ttEy0/s400/P1120103.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RgoHybbI/AAAAAAAApRo/RnCzh8ttEy0/s400/P1120103.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This sign was a bit more difficult to understand. Let us know if you understand it. I know what all the words mean, but then you put them together and I am confused.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RjwzSqEI/AAAAAAAApRw/Y1z-35aVWnM/s400/P1120104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RjwzSqEI/AAAAAAAApRw/Y1z-35aVWnM/s400/P1120104.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The main square in Chengdu gets lit up at night in a tasteful Vegas style. The hotels and office buildings suddenly al look like Casinos.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rt_m2drI/AAAAAAAApm4/0zrUI0eW5Es/s400/P1120109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rt_m2drI/AAAAAAAApm4/0zrUI0eW5Es/s400/P1120109.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Looking over the glitz of the square is Mao himself! Hello, Mao!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rq9rj7wI/AAAAAAAApmE/vQGuqKBzLoA/s400/P1120108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6Rq9rj7wI/AAAAAAAApmE/vQGuqKBzLoA/s400/P1120108.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ever wonder what your poop would look like if you just ate bamboo all day? No, neither had I, but here's the answer that a panda gave.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RwmeiH9I/AAAAAAAApSY/53agaH123V0/s400/P1120110.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RwmeiH9I/AAAAAAAApSY/53agaH123V0/s400/P1120110.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Panda Reserve in Chengdu has more pandas than anywhere else in the world. Something like 100 of them, of all ages (except for newborns at the moment, which are born in July and August). Here are two of last year's cubs trying hard to get mom to play.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RzEArJWI/AAAAAAAApSg/8NizrsTQZl8/s400/P1120122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6RzEArJWI/AAAAAAAApSg/8NizrsTQZl8/s400/P1120122.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We didn't know it, but pandas can climb. Adults aren't so good, but the young ones really like to climb trees. It probably takes 3 days of eating bamboo to have enough energy to climb a tree.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R1umwGCI/AAAAAAAApSo/T6d4J7YSpIQ/s400/P1120132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R1umwGCI/AAAAAAAApSo/T6d4J7YSpIQ/s400/P1120132.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The reserve also has red pandas, which aren't really related to pandas, but are nearly as endangered. Only about 5000 left in the wild.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SAPFAOdI/AAAAAAAApTA/XNH_UlOmBgY/s400/P1120166.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SAPFAOdI/AAAAAAAApTA/XNH_UlOmBgY/s400/P1120166.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara swears some of the pandas were guys just sitting around in panda costumes. We learned at the panda center that in addition to only eating bamboo, pandas don't like each other (even to mate), and that mother pandas have no idea what to do with their babies. We saw video footage of a mother trying to swat its new baby out of its enclosure because it was scared every time the baby cried. Makes us think that panda survival isn't so likely and also to wonder how they made it this long.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R3ULpPBI/AAAAAAAApSw/fy3cFTyyFpg/s400/P1120156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6R3ULpPBI/AAAAAAAApSw/fy3cFTyyFpg/s400/P1120156.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Back in Chengdu proper, Tara and I explored the May 1 (Labor Day) celebrations. About 30 different acts were set up in the park, all right next to each other. Each tried to blare their music the loudest (some with live music), so you had grannies waltzing to techno next to women performing classical dance next to men singing Chinese opera. It was amusing to hear all the sounds blending.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SLmS-6UI/AAAAAAAApTY/x6EWgDDSVdI/s400/P1120173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SLmS-6UI/AAAAAAAApTY/x6EWgDDSVdI/s400/P1120173.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>After the cacaphony of sounds, we sought refuge in this traditional tea house. You can read about our tea in the next food article.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SRLKuVAI/AAAAAAAApTk/gz1bu-SsVwI/s400/P1120175.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/Tc6SRLKuVAI/AAAAAAAApTk/gz1bu-SsVwI/s400/P1120175.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Shanghai and Chengdu were both impressively developed cities. We didn't really know what China would be like, but it was far more orderly, clean, and developed than India, for instance. Coming up next is the remainder of our time in China. Don't miss it!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-32573501289045908812011-05-14T18:00:00.000-04:002011-05-14T18:00:01.639-04:00Yakking it up in YunnanFluffy warm bread. Goat cheese. Fresh cherries. French-fried potatoes. Hot porridge. Cool yogurt in a glass bottle. This is Chinese food? Welcome to Yunnan!<div><div><br /></div><div>But, but...I don't like Chinese food! Or, at least, I thought I didn't. I definitely don't like the Chinese food you get in America, with its limp vegetables, rogue shellfish, and too-salty, too-viscous sauces. So, as our bus rolled across the Laos border and into Yunnan province, I worried. Would I find anything to eat? Or would I end up crawling bashfully into McDonald's at the end of each day, desperate for nourishment? </div><div><div><br /></div><div>That's a negative on the McDonald's (though I did have a tasty yak burger in the mountain town of Shangri-la). Chinese food in China, it turns out, is approximately 100 million times more delicious than any Chinese food I've ever had in the West. It varies enormously from region to region, so maybe we just visited all the right regions, but I never had a meal I didn't like. In fact, many meals I loved. And what better place for this love affair to start than Yunnan, the most beautiful corner of China?</div><div><br /></div><div>Our first stop over the Laos border was Mengla, a small city where our bus paused for an hour so everyone could find dinner. We only had about $3 of Chinese money from changing our leftover Lao cash at the border, and couldn't find an ATM, but luckily there was plenty of cheap food available. At a restaurant with a picture menu, we pointed to what looked like your standard noodles with pork and peppers. Turns out that that guy in the corner stretching a handful of dough was making the noodles fresh! First surprisingly delicious meal of China.</div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ56cVpNgI/AAAAAAAAo9c/HlupxrWWBHw/s400/P1110648.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ56cVpNgI/AAAAAAAAo9c/HlupxrWWBHw/s400/P1110648.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Breakfast on the street the next morning in Kunming--steamed pork-filled buns, or pao. Pao seems to be the one snack you can find pretty much anywhere in China, and it fills you up nicely when you've only got 75 cents to your name (yup, still can't find an ATM).<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ59ERIcSI/AAAAAAAAo9k/r2fNI74sRGU/s400/P1110649.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ59ERIcSI/AAAAAAAAo9k/r2fNI74sRGU/s400/P1110649.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Finally cashed up, we find an old lady on another street selling these fruits. Free sampling is popular in China, and she lets us taste. They taste like cherries, my favorite! When I ask her how much they cost, using my best memorized Chinese phrasing, she gives me a price per kilo. "But," Andy whispers, "She doesn't have a scale." As if on cue, she pulls an ancient-looking, one-handed scale out of her <i>shirt </i>and weighs my bag of fruits on it. That is the last time we will underestimate old Chinese ladies, especially when commerce is involved.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ6to76SwI/AAAAAAAAo90/lhMvqjpJRRM/s400/P1110652.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ6to76SwI/AAAAAAAAo90/lhMvqjpJRRM/s400/P1110652.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our first foray into a Chinese supermarket (OK, technically it's a French supermarket, Carrefour, but they're all over China and sell live frogs and turtles in the seafood section, so I think they now count as honorary Chinese) yields the following goodies: very cheap ice cream, fresh-soybean-flavored yogurt, and a cake. Only the cake is good, but it's all in the name of experimentation!<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7KzA5FpI/AAAAAAAAo-A/MBLC5mBZm40/s400/P1110653.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7KzA5FpI/AAAAAAAAo-A/MBLC5mBZm40/s400/P1110653.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This Kunming restaurant had really tasty-looking food, but no English menu. We must have looked pretty pathetic hanging around the entrance, because the staff went and found the manager, who spoke a little English and shepherded us through the ordering process. I ended up with a delicious cold-noodle salad with peanuts, turkey meat, lightly-cooked veggies, and a not-at-all gloopy sauce, while Andy ended up with a slightly less exciting noodle soup.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7t0HMuOI/AAAAAAAAo-Q/4OoAEYvhAUk/s400/P1110656.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7t0HMuOI/AAAAAAAAo-Q/4OoAEYvhAUk/s400/P1110656.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>On to mountain-ringed Lijiang, where the minority Naxi people cook up treats that might seem more at home in Switzerland than China. Here's a typical breakfast of corn porridge and sweet fried Naxi-style bread.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRBzBEWtRI/AAAAAAAAo_A/-e4IHi3WV-c/s400/P1110662.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRBzBEWtRI/AAAAAAAAo_A/-e4IHi3WV-c/s400/P1110662.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Second trip to a supermarket yields coconut sandwich "cookies" (more like two Ritz crackers with coconut cream between them--not bad, actually), blueberry "ice cream" wafers (either blueberries taste like orange in China, or they messed the packaging up), and knockoff Oreos that tasted like burnt cookies with margarine filling. Maybe we should stick with the fresh food.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRHqGxWxYI/AAAAAAAApAg/DHsZqm1fBmE/s400/P1110679.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRHqGxWxYI/AAAAAAAApAg/DHsZqm1fBmE/s400/P1110679.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ah, that's better. Warm, fluffy, Lijiang-style bread--not as dense as the Naxi-style, but still nicely greased. Beats the cold on a chilly April morning.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCDiMXr9I/AAAAAAAAo_M/NavZzGWE8sY/s400/P1110663.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCDiMXr9I/AAAAAAAAo_M/NavZzGWE8sY/s400/P1110663.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>More supermarket experiments. Very cheap buns, which turn out to have nothing in them, and some unexciting veggie-filled dumplings on the left. On the right, a pink boxed drink that turns out to be peach yogurt (yum), and...walnut milk, which is delicious! Perhaps our grocery-store luck is changing.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIDQeVTdI/AAAAAAAApAw/UIr7W4LnUYk/s400/P1110680.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIDQeVTdI/AAAAAAAApAw/UIr7W4LnUYk/s400/P1110680.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The nice thing about eating at a night market is that you can just point to stuff and then see if your purchase taste as good as it looked. That thing on the right turns out to be made of fried potato and is kind of like a very crunchy Swiss rosti. The thing on the left is just what it looks like...a ball of sweet goo on sticks. I let Andy eat most of that one.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJLefofQI/AAAAAAAApBQ/fY5TecdtVj4/s400/P1110688.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJLefofQI/AAAAAAAApBQ/fY5TecdtVj4/s400/P1110688.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here is a boat filled with sticky rice from the same night market. We are both looking at this picture now and can't remember for the life of us what the white things were.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJednM1FI/AAAAAAAApBc/FRGZUDFkC4s/s400/P1110690.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJednM1FI/AAAAAAAApBc/FRGZUDFkC4s/s400/P1110690.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Burned by the fake Oreos, we spring for real ones, which cost about three times as much. Asia has the most fun Oreo flavors--this time, it's green tea ice cream. Well, fun in theory, anyway. Like the blueberry ice cream ones we got in Indonesia, these taste kind of like menthol.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJ6pyD88I/AAAAAAAApB0/t0t8LQfVj70/s400/P1110696.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJ6pyD88I/AAAAAAAApB0/t0t8LQfVj70/s400/P1110696.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yak's milk yogurt is sold all around Lijiang in lovely little glass bottles. You poke a straw in the lid, drink up, then return your bottle to the vendor for reuse. Environmentally friendly and delicious! (Well, I guess it'd be more friendly without the straw, but in China, free straws seem to be something of a national right. Shopkeepers were always foisting them on me. Apparently, if a lip touches a beverage bottle in China, the world will end.)<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJvGZg_oI/AAAAAAAApBs/mFohXaSEz1s/s400/P1110694.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJvGZg_oI/AAAAAAAApBs/mFohXaSEz1s/s400/P1110694.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A few vendors were selling this weird-looking stuff out on the street in Lijiang. They let us taste it, and we determined that it is some perversion of honey. Perhaps honey that was buried in the ground until it crystalized? Or honey that was exposed to a chemical spill? All we know is that it comes in two shades--crazy yellow and crazy orange--and that, though tempted, we didn't buy any.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKIGYT0EI/AAAAAAAApB8/0mVqOS1ZRM4/s400/P1110697.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKIGYT0EI/AAAAAAAApB8/0mVqOS1ZRM4/s400/P1110697.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>"Across the bridge noodles" are a Yunnanese specialty. They are made by dropping very thin slices of raw meat, an egg, and some greens and noodles into broth so scalding that it immediately cooks the meat. The story behind the name is that a woman had to bring lunch across a bridge to her scholar-husband every day, and this version was his favorite. When we move back to the States, I am going to get Andy to bring scalding-hot broth across a bridge to me every day at work--maybe the George Washington.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKZ5kKSAI/AAAAAAAApCE/0jhq35nPpT8/s400/P1110698.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKZ5kKSAI/AAAAAAAApCE/0jhq35nPpT8/s400/P1110698.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Some more Yunnanese specialties: sauteed potatoes (yum) and grilled yak on a stick, both of which you dip in a fantastically tasty, red-peppery spice mixture. If you don't know what a yak looks like, you can look at Andy's last post to see pictures of live ones (this here's the dead-ish version).<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKfYRkZ1I/AAAAAAAApCM/Sn7KZxY6AT4/s400/P1110699.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKfYRkZ1I/AAAAAAAApCM/Sn7KZxY6AT4/s400/P1110699.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Speaking of dead, here are some skewered eel fetuses!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRLeEqCTfI/AAAAAAAApCk/EyWQblK4p40/s400/P1110713.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRLeEqCTfI/AAAAAAAApCk/EyWQblK4p40/s400/P1110713.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hahaha, gotcha--those were mushrooms, not eel fetuses. What kind of barbarians do you think we are? Yunnan is known for its various and tasty fungi, and grilled up and dusted with that magical red spice mixture, these were very tasty.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm pretty sure that these dried and sugared disks are hawthorn fruit, which we later learned is also a popular street snack in Beijing. They're pretty good, and can stand in for pepperoni if you are making a candy pizza.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKs-hLA4I/AAAAAAAApCY/9i9bjg81dZQ/s400/P1110709.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRKs-hLA4I/AAAAAAAApCY/9i9bjg81dZQ/s400/P1110709.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mystery meat from a Lijiang restaurant. Maybe yak? Neither of us can remember what this was, but you can bet that we dipped it in that spicy red powder you see in the corner.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRMI0QNvXI/AAAAAAAApDA/D-D8GHoGvBM/s400/P1110715.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRMI0QNvXI/AAAAAAAApDA/D-D8GHoGvBM/s400/P1110715.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Same restaurant--this one was some kind of smoked pork. Very delicious.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRMuIiNM2I/AAAAAAAApDI/JitVz27QwdE/s400/P1110716.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRMuIiNM2I/AAAAAAAApDI/JitVz27QwdE/s400/P1110716.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Final dish from that dinner: fried goat cheese! Another Naxi specialty. I was surprised when it came with a little bowl of sugar for dipping, and even more surprised when dipping the cheese in the sugar improved it considerably. Those Naxi are on to something.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRM1tMNlOI/AAAAAAAApDY/VlaLNmEL4Ik/s400/P1110718.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRM1tMNlOI/AAAAAAAApDY/VlaLNmEL4Ik/s400/P1110718.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The magical Yunnanese seasoning that makes everything delicious. Where can I buy this stuff?<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRNDnIA_hI/AAAAAAAApDg/zmwu8LbcA8U/s400/P1110719.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRNDnIA_hI/AAAAAAAApDg/zmwu8LbcA8U/s400/P1110719.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I took myself out to dinner while Andy was hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge. Since he had the camera, he told me to make sure to draw a picture of anything interesting I ate. My rice noodles with yak meat weren't so exciting, but this tasty coconut drink I had sure was!<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRR5igbUZI/AAAAAAAApE4/Jr1C-Hj2T8g/s400/P1110804.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRR5igbUZI/AAAAAAAApE4/Jr1C-Hj2T8g/s400/P1110804.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>How was I to know that you can find this drink all over China, and that we'd be able to take a picture of it the very next day?<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRR-jIhnvI/AAAAAAAApFA/bjLG_CdzxMc/s400/P1110806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRR-jIhnvI/AAAAAAAApFA/bjLG_CdzxMc/s400/P1110806.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>On to Shangri-la, and a harder drink. Chinese beer is pretty weak, with only around 3% alcohol, meaning that even a wimp like me can down a giant bottle without getting too drunk.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRTdTTlibI/AAAAAAAApFQ/4HV78zCAIxY/s400/P1110812.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRTdTTlibI/AAAAAAAApFQ/4HV78zCAIxY/s400/P1110812.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Giant yak-burgers all around! Strangely, yak sometimes tasted like beef to us (as in this burger), but sometimes was much more like chicken (like in those kebabs earlier). Either different cuts of yak taste very different, or some of the meat we ate was counterfeit yak. But if it wasn't yak...hm, I don't like to think too far in this direction.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRTsMDE58I/AAAAAAAApFY/J6mWCLbQUNU/s288/P1110813.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 216px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRTsMDE58I/AAAAAAAApFY/J6mWCLbQUNU/s288/P1110813.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In case you were too lazy to click over to Andy's post, here's a picture of live yak and not-so-live yak together. Supermarkets in Yunnan sell about 20 different varieties of vacuum-packed dried yak (say that five times fast), and since we can't read Chinese, we could only decide which one to buy by package color. Red was pretty good.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVHj958kI/AAAAAAAApHE/bASMTSYvWh0/s400/P1110881.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVHj958kI/AAAAAAAApHE/bASMTSYvWh0/s400/P1110881.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We will call this dish "lunch-stop pork," because we had it twice at different roadside eateries on the long bus rides from Shangri-la to Deqin and back. The pork is cooked in a lot of spicy oil with a bunch of green peppers and is insanely delicious.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRU9Hkku5I/AAAAAAAApF0/NcNtMfHJDBc/s400/P1110835.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRU9Hkku5I/AAAAAAAApF0/NcNtMfHJDBc/s400/P1110835.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our lovely Tibetan driver to the Mingyong Glacier took us to his house after for walnuts and Tibetan barley whiskey. You may conclude from the size of this jug that Tibetans drink quite a lot of it. He smirkingly poured us each a large teacupful and sat back to watch (he still had to drive us home) what would transpire. Andy passed, of course, so the honor of the team rested with me as I drained my cup o'booze. I thought I was holding it together pretty well until I started to lose feeling in all my limbs back in the car...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVKwkyTOI/AAAAAAAApHc/mnCQheVOou0/s400/P1110897.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVKwkyTOI/AAAAAAAApHc/mnCQheVOou0/s400/P1110897.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Felai Si, the small village we stayed in outside of Deqin, has no supermarkets, so we were forced to continue our packaged-goods experimentation at the local minimart. Thumbs up for the peanut milk in a can; thumbs down for these brown things, which turned out not to be chocolate (but what were they??).<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVNCOsIyI/AAAAAAAApHk/0YLWnGdMJMc/s400/P1110899.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVNCOsIyI/AAAAAAAApHk/0YLWnGdMJMc/s400/P1110899.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This dessert sounded so good on the menu: honey guilin paste. Turned out to be slightly bitter jello tricked with some dark runny honey. Even that description makes it sound better than it was.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVVI6-XBI/AAAAAAAApIU/LDaGXqG4t9A/s400/P1110919.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVVI6-XBI/AAAAAAAApIU/LDaGXqG4t9A/s400/P1110919.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Breakfast options in Deqin were rather limited, but Andy did manage to find a bakery selling this unique pastry filled with sweet whipped cream and topped with spicy pork floss. Well, it was better than the honey guilin paste.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyOY6GstI/AAAAAAAApKA/pnvY5OFUbX4/s400/P1110929.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyOY6GstI/AAAAAAAApKA/pnvY5OFUbX4/s400/P1110929.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Back in Shangri-la, we decided to have an all-out yakfest. There was slice yak rib meat...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyaZ7eeRI/AAAAAAAApKY/flHvkwUTgZs/s400/P1110937.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyaZ7eeRI/AAAAAAAApKY/flHvkwUTgZs/s400/P1110937.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>...and yak steak frites. A big shout-out to all the yaks of Yunnan for feeding us so well during our stay there.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJye57rZlI/AAAAAAAApKk/l777we01XoI/s400/P1110938.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJye57rZlI/AAAAAAAApKk/l777we01XoI/s400/P1110938.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The next day began with porridge on the square in Shangri-la.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyjifgQfI/AAAAAAAApKw/B44B-UaI7fU/s400/P1110940.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyjifgQfI/AAAAAAAApKw/B44B-UaI7fU/s400/P1110940.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>It continued with a sugary peach drink for Andy and some drinkable red date yogurt for me. Understandably, this is a much more popular flavor than the soybean one I had in Kunming.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzIJyU2WI/AAAAAAAApLg/btXY_tpaIms/s400/P1110954.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzIJyU2WI/AAAAAAAApLg/btXY_tpaIms/s400/P1110954.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Little round walnut cakes, made by machines that squirt batter into waffle-iron-like, semispherical molds, are popular in Shangri-la and Lijiang. The finished product is probably better when served hot (ours weren't).<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzOxiwFHI/AAAAAAAApLw/epUzyNuFqRo/s400/P1110956.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzOxiwFHI/AAAAAAAApLw/epUzyNuFqRo/s400/P1110956.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Amazing French fries on the street in Shangri-la, dusted copiously with magical Yunnan seasoning. Lunch is served!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzMa33XqI/AAAAAAAApLo/RoD0dU2EDWU/s400/P1110955.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzMa33XqI/AAAAAAAApLo/RoD0dU2EDWU/s400/P1110955.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Back in Kunming, Andy buys snacks for the 36-hour train ride to Shanghai. Sadly, these sticky-rice triangles looked more fun than they tasted.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzXtcU--I/AAAAAAAApMI/IeOAdLOHBm0/s400/P1110978.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzXtcU--I/AAAAAAAApMI/IeOAdLOHBm0/s400/P1110978.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I leave you now with a shot of the classic Chinese sleeper-train food: Instant noodles! Every car is equipped with a hot (scalding, more like) water dispenser that people use to make their instant soups for meals. Bringing our own noodles on board, we thought we'd fit right in, but it turns out that most Chinese people like the ones that come in their own cardboard bowl and gave us some very strange looks for eating ours out of Tupperware. Ah, well--it's not like we were going to blend, anyway.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzZ3wFgWI/AAAAAAAApMQ/LlTUXZm2Zqo/s400/P1110982.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzZ3wFgWI/AAAAAAAApMQ/LlTUXZm2Zqo/s400/P1110982.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was sad to leave Yunnan, where I liked the food so much more than I had expected to...but whole new regions of Chinese cuisine awaited me. As our train sped east, I was no longer afraid of the meals to come, but hungry.</div></div></div>Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-74410903282600349862011-05-08T18:31:00.002-04:002011-05-08T18:31:00.893-04:00I Love Yu, nnan!China is a strange world. Far more developed than the surrounding countries, but with the occasional throwback to another, older time. Still, we liked the country a lot more than we expected to. Since it seems likely that China will complete its economic purchase of the US within our lives, this cheered us up about our possible future as Chinese citizens. We started our tour in Yunnan, which is in the mountainous southwest, just next to Tibet. It is a beautiful, fairytale land where the rivers flow with water rather than acid and the sky is blue rather than a nearly perpetual gray. Let's see some photos.<br /><br />We took a 24-hour sleeper bus from Laos to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. It turned out to be a very decent trip. The people were nice to us and for most of the trip we were next to a Chinese engineer helping to build an airport in Laos who spoke passable English. And unlike the Vietnam buses, I almost fit into these beds.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ5RuD5peI/AAAAAAAAo9Q/zYmeAQ79DsQ/s400/P1110647.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ5RuD5peI/AAAAAAAAo9Q/zYmeAQ79DsQ/s400/P1110647.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Arriving in Kunming from Laos was similar to crossing from Tijuana to San Diego, I suspect. China has huge buildings and glass everywhere. And more designer stores than we could have begun to count.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7fq3iV1I/AAAAAAAAo-I/cn4nDl45Hw4/s400/P1110654.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ7fq3iV1I/AAAAAAAAo-I/cn4nDl45Hw4/s400/P1110654.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>In the big cities, most signs are in English as well as Chinese. In Beijing and Shanghai, most are in proper English, but smaller cities have a shortage of English speakers. This one has some important tips on what to check if the ATM doesn't dispense your cash.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ71aQAt9I/AAAAAAAAo-Y/DTFPP-gIWQg/s400/P1110657.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbQ71aQAt9I/AAAAAAAAo-Y/DTFPP-gIWQg/s400/P1110657.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our first overnight stop in Yunnan was in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Lijiang</span>, a city of 60,000 that has about 12 million Chinese tourists on any day and maybe 6 Western tourists. The people at our small hotel were really, really nice and they gave us a room with this snazzy cow blanket. Plus an electric blanket.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRARdgfJ2I/AAAAAAAAo-o/DWKsvaQJWWQ/s400/P1110658.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRARdgfJ2I/AAAAAAAAo-o/DWKsvaQJWWQ/s400/P1110658.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Almost all of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Lijiang</span> looked like this street. Very cute, but so much has been built up that it is difficult to tell the old, historic buildings from the new. The city still has lots of the ethnic <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Naxi</span> people, though. Pronounced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Nashi</span>, and Tara gets angry if you call them Nazis.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCKrttJBI/AAAAAAAAo_U/AsarK7RHBNY/s400/P1110665.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCKrttJBI/AAAAAAAAo_U/AsarK7RHBNY/s400/P1110665.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We liked this sign. We aren't sure whether this means to buy less or not to yell at the vendors or what.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCNiPteXI/AAAAAAAAo_o/JMUop0ifcWk/s400/P1110667.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRCNiPteXI/AAAAAAAAo_o/JMUop0ifcWk/s400/P1110667.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>We aren't sure, but we think the Chinese government "strongly encourages" the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Naxi</span> to dance in the square a couple of times each day. Maybe they pay them, maybe they don't burn their houses down. Not sure which.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRFDMMb9kI/AAAAAAAApAE/cn6c2iN2_k4/s400/P1110673.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRFDMMb9kI/AAAAAAAApAE/cn6c2iN2_k4/s400/P1110673.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Lijiang</span> is famous for its views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The morning we arrived, the views were beautiful. By the afternoon, everything was cloudy. The mountain in the background is Jade Dragon, and it is beautiful when you can see it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIS8k63YI/AAAAAAAApA4/nb7ZDetXLOM/s400/P1110682.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIS8k63YI/AAAAAAAApA4/nb7ZDetXLOM/s400/P1110682.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara loves cherries, but now she can say that she loves cherry blossoms, too. It was spring across Yunnan despite sometimes also snowing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRGlfNk4oI/AAAAAAAApAU/JQtkP-qM_00/s400/P1110676.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRGlfNk4oI/AAAAAAAApAU/JQtkP-qM_00/s400/P1110676.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tara made a friend with this other tourist. China has far more internal tourism than anywhere we've been on our trip except for Europe and the US.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIYs2fvFI/AAAAAAAApBA/6WEhJmZewFQ/s400/P1110683.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRIYs2fvFI/AAAAAAAApBA/6WEhJmZewFQ/s400/P1110683.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Too bad because sometimes I like to nap on the grass. Then it could have been Andy napping on napping grass.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJIgAcIzI/AAAAAAAApBI/mJfiPZnq1CY/s400/P1110685.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRJIgAcIzI/AAAAAAAApBI/mJfiPZnq1CY/s400/P1110685.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Overlooking <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lijiang</span>, it would be tough to pick out your own house if you lived in the city.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRLp9Wb4MI/AAAAAAAApC4/k0xUugwOxRU/s400/P1110714.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRLp9Wb4MI/AAAAAAAApC4/k0xUugwOxRU/s400/P1110714.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Next stop: Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the most famous hikes in China. Tara decided to sit out the two days of mountainous terrain. The Yangtze River flows through the deep gorge.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRNnv_IJ_I/AAAAAAAApDo/w0Ux7XSE8AU/s400/P1110722.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRNnv_IJ_I/AAAAAAAApDo/w0Ux7XSE8AU/s400/P1110722.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from the side (and through a bit of haze). You can see better where it gets its name. Does look a bit like the scales of a dragon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbROtlMAEvI/AAAAAAAApD4/9i8gVOywepY/s400/P1110728.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbROtlMAEvI/AAAAAAAApD4/9i8gVOywepY/s400/P1110728.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>While hiking, I found this beetle who was nice enough to pose for a photo. He was less enthusiastic when I tried to pick him up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPKTDN8OI/AAAAAAAApEA/U8lJugyCU54/s400/P1110739.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPKTDN8OI/AAAAAAAApEA/U8lJugyCU54/s400/P1110739.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This lizard wasn't even crazy about a photo, let alone picking him up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPjYeBlYI/AAAAAAAApEI/cl0-lju4Ri8/s400/P1110748.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPjYeBlYI/AAAAAAAApEI/cl0-lju4Ri8/s400/P1110748.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>I had excellent weather for my hike, which is apparently often not the case. Glad that the skies cooperated.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRFrZVQrI/AAAAAAAApEg/MDLui3gFL84/s400/P1110774.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRFrZVQrI/AAAAAAAApEg/MDLui3gFL84/s400/P1110774.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A rooster, a man, a canyon wall. What more could you want in a photo?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPqWczdJI/AAAAAAAApEQ/pr9cnbApRzg/s400/P1110751.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRPqWczdJI/AAAAAAAApEQ/pr9cnbApRzg/s400/P1110751.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Maybe some baby goats staring at you quizzically.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRZBNBypI/AAAAAAAApEo/8FHDWGZQ2io/s400/P1110777.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRZBNBypI/AAAAAAAApEo/8FHDWGZQ2io/s400/P1110777.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The myth of Tiger Leaping Gorge is apparently that a tiger leaped across the river to eat a deer. This seemed much more plausible than that it leaped from the top of one side of the gorge to the top of the other, which is what I originally thought. So, I tried the leap to see if it was possible. I made it, but I doubt that a tiger could have.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRlZ4dOcI/AAAAAAAApEw/qJZN2-2G-2g/s400/P1110797.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRRlZ4dOcI/AAAAAAAApEw/qJZN2-2G-2g/s400/P1110797.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>People often wonder if anyone talks to us while we are traveling. Given how we probably smell sometimes, it is a fair question. Here, however, is proof that we make friends. We were having dinner in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Shangri</span>-la with friends we had made in Tiger Leaping Gorge (on the right), and we met a group of Americans, so we all had a nice evening together. Then we went back to our quiet hotel to discover that it was right next to a thumping disco. Awesome...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRT1a0goQI/AAAAAAAApFg/PF3-SZXO2M4/s400/P1110816.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRT1a0goQI/AAAAAAAApFg/PF3-SZXO2M4/s400/P1110816.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The views from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Shangri</span>-la are really nice.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRU-zUc54I/AAAAAAAApGA/zo6iRtmurQU/s400/P1110837.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRU-zUc54I/AAAAAAAApGA/zo6iRtmurQU/s400/P1110837.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Shangri</span>-la has what might be the world's largest prayer wheel. Tibetan Buddhists believe that each time you spin the wheel, it is like saying the prayer on the wheel. It follows that if you fill the wheel with a couple of million prayers, each time you turn it is like saying a couple of million prayers. So, Tara and I said our several million prayers and all seemed to go well for at least a few hours.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRUOQyPduI/AAAAAAAApFo/WzHYPt3xyGY/s400/P1110817.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRUOQyPduI/AAAAAAAApFo/WzHYPt3xyGY/s400/P1110817.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our hotel in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Deqin</span> had a giant picture window into the bathroom. I drew Tara this pig on the fogged glass while showering. The window was not as funny when certain other bathroom activities were necessary.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVBLi8swI/AAAAAAAApGQ/vriVJWcMFyI/s400/P1110858.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVBLi8swI/AAAAAAAApGQ/vriVJWcMFyI/s400/P1110858.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Deqin</span> is right on the border with Tibet. We didn't have the time or money to go to Tibet on this trip, so we had to made do. However, the area was beautiful. And full of Tibetans, so we got some of the Tibetan experience.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVCqs5L6I/AAAAAAAApGY/CfDd4lpK9iQ/s400/P1110863.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVCqs5L6I/AAAAAAAApGY/CfDd4lpK9iQ/s400/P1110863.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Mingyong</span> National Park just outside of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Deqin</span> has a hike up the mountain to see <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Mingyong</span> Glacier. It is lined with prayer flags hung by Buddhist pilgrims. The mountain from which the glacier descends is one of the sacred mountains for Tibetan Buddhists.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVEahiVuI/AAAAAAAApGo/sxo-P8CjJps/s400/P1110874.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVEahiVuI/AAAAAAAApGo/sxo-P8CjJps/s400/P1110874.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The sunny day brought out a lizard friend. He ignored the nearby snow.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVDar2iqI/AAAAAAAApGg/RRqXuWjWVwA/s400/P1110869.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVDar2iqI/AAAAAAAApGg/RRqXuWjWVwA/s400/P1110869.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here is the glacier coming down from the mountain. This is one of the faster moving glaciers on Earth, moving about five feet on a good day, so we stayed off of it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVGePmJUI/AAAAAAAApG4/pn3mL-03A0M/s400/P1110880.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVGePmJUI/AAAAAAAApG4/pn3mL-03A0M/s400/P1110880.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>But here we are with the glacier and a whole lot of prayer flags.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVIepoE5I/AAAAAAAApHM/t5rb8jpvYew/s400/P1110890.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVIepoE5I/AAAAAAAApHM/t5rb8jpvYew/s400/P1110890.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our Tibetan driver took us by his house to meet his family and then plied Tara with a tea cup full of barley whiskey that made her rather tipsy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVJTkxVaI/AAAAAAAApHU/WpCRrorU4Sg/s400/P1110896.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVJTkxVaI/AAAAAAAApHU/WpCRrorU4Sg/s400/P1110896.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>When we were walking around the little village we stayed in outside <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Deqin</span>, some old women thought we were lost and looking for the nice local Buddhist temple, so they started pointing the way to go. Not having a clue what they wanted, we followed their directions and ended up at a Buddhist temple surrounded by prayer wheels. Spin them all and you will have done 1/100,000<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">th</span> the work that we did by spinning one giant wheel.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVPEhFZ0I/AAAAAAAApH0/9GrurSlpS9I/s400/P1110903.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVPEhFZ0I/AAAAAAAApH0/9GrurSlpS9I/s400/P1110903.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Tibetan representation of Buddha takes many forms, but none of them are anything like the representations in other parts of Asia.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVN4z8i1I/AAAAAAAApHs/EhbxOVHc5Tg/s400/P1110900.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVN4z8i1I/AAAAAAAApHs/EhbxOVHc5Tg/s400/P1110900.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yaks are everywhere in Yunnan. Most of them look like this, which we are fairly sure is actually a yak-cow cross. If you want to know how they taste, Tara will tell you in the food post.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVR9ZqZeI/AAAAAAAApIE/i92iih_HXyU/s400/P1110906.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVR9ZqZeI/AAAAAAAApIE/i92iih_HXyU/s400/P1110906.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ever seen a hairier donkey? I didn't think so.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVTyO6DzI/AAAAAAAApIM/uaKIrUzkMhU/s400/P1110918.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TbRVTyO6DzI/AAAAAAAApIM/uaKIrUzkMhU/s400/P1110918.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is sunrise over the mountains. On cloudless days, the pictures are amazing, but only a few days each year are cloudless.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyMXxWSaI/AAAAAAAApJ4/TbKHHS_Z6O4/s400/P1110924.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyMXxWSaI/AAAAAAAApJ4/TbKHHS_Z6O4/s400/P1110924.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Going back through Shangri-la, we stayed somewhere without a disco next door, but the courtyard did have this guy. I'm no taxidermist, but I'll guess that the person who preserved this "thing" wasn't one, either.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyoZYG_4I/AAAAAAAApLA/jdCo0hZoeB4/s400/P1110943.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyoZYG_4I/AAAAAAAApLA/jdCo0hZoeB4/s400/P1110943.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Shangri-la is home to a massive monastery. They have, unfortunately, turned it into a huge tourist attraction. We are happy to report that you can simply walk clockwise around the ticket office and keep on walking without paying the ridiculous tourist fees.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJysClk2qI/AAAAAAAApLI/X3svHsJW1tY/s400/P1110946.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJysClk2qI/AAAAAAAApLI/X3svHsJW1tY/s400/P1110946.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Inside the monastery, we found some young monks (monkeys is the correct term, I think) playing basketball. Not what we expected. Didn't seem like all that meditation had made them any better, but an NBA team getting a monk to play for them would be a good PR move.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJywhcZ3sI/AAAAAAAApLQ/FH2YzkTzvwU/s400/P1110948.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJywhcZ3sI/AAAAAAAApLQ/FH2YzkTzvwU/s400/P1110948.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>A giant white yak outside the tourist entrance had a sign declaring him the "only wizarding yak in Asia." We didn't see him do any magic, but he does look like the steed of a wizard.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyzWrAkNI/AAAAAAAApLY/kCCS4801wsY/s400/P1110953.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJyzWrAkNI/AAAAAAAApLY/kCCS4801wsY/s400/P1110953.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>At a monastery in Kunming, the turtle pond had this cute couple. The small one seemed to have cataracts, so the big one apparently took pity on him.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzVRArIhI/AAAAAAAApMA/G50Zvo5drKU/s400/P1110966.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzVRArIhI/AAAAAAAApMA/G50Zvo5drKU/s400/P1110966.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Chinese sleeping trains are a bit expensive, but very nice. We spent 36 hours on this one, which took us away from Yunnan and to Shanghai.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzePe8uUI/AAAAAAAApQc/kIeO_HjJPi8/s400/P1110983.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TcJzePe8uUI/AAAAAAAApQc/kIeO_HjJPi8/s400/P1110983.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a>Yunnan was one of the most beautiful places in Southeast Asia. Plus, the people were some of the most friendly. Plus, it is about half the price of Eastern China. Plus, they have yaks. What more reason could you need to go? And I should add that Tara really, really, really loves Yunnan. She wants everyone to know that. So go there.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-41354192721567241192011-04-28T09:07:00.001-04:002011-04-28T09:07:00.466-04:00Laos Food: No Louse to Eat--Only TermitesIt probably won't come as a surprise that the food of Laos is a mixture of that found in the surrounding countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. Many of the dishes come out as completely original, though. Let's see what we ate.<br /><br />Grilled chicken and sausage is very popular in Laos. The chicken is really good and the sausages range from excellent to not-so-sure-what's-inside. Everything in Laos comes with sticky rice, which is a different kind of rice that they soak in water and then steam to make it all stick together. This makes it very easy to pick up huge chunks in your hand and gnaw on it.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGtaS9DEhI/AAAAAAAAo80/xAAIJGc0yB8/s400/P1110441.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGtaS9DEhI/AAAAAAAAo80/xAAIJGc0yB8/s400/P1110441.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our first day in Laos, I bought these glutinous mixtures at a local market. It might best be described as coconut jello that has separated into different layers so that the top is more coconuty and the bottom is more sweet.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGtcWofr_I/AAAAAAAAo88/ufC41lMMFq8/s400/P1110442.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGtcWofr_I/AAAAAAAAo88/ufC41lMMFq8/s400/P1110442.JPG" border="0" /></a> While we were spending a few hours in the back of a pickup truck, some people ran up to the truck selling food at a stop (common in Laos). One of the women was selling flattened bananas grilled with red seasoning, so I had to try them. The seasoning turned out to be sweet, and I was happy to devour them. Tara thought they were a bit too sweet.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSO_fKQpI/AAAAAAAAoak/V12jSIJxeP8/s400/P1110446.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSO_fKQpI/AAAAAAAAoak/V12jSIJxeP8/s400/P1110446.JPG" border="0" /></a> The closest thing Laos has to a national dish is called laap. It consists of meat (or fish) steamed in a banana leaf with herbs and leaves and then served as a salad of sorts. Because it is both hard to make and popular with tourists, it is overpriced. Tastes decent, though.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSVUo2Q-I/AAAAAAAAobA/idQqtl2gUR8/s400/P1110449.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSVUo2Q-I/AAAAAAAAobA/idQqtl2gUR8/s400/P1110449.JPG" border="0" /></a> I was at the early morning market one day and was hungry. I bought a leaf that I believed was filled with steamed, ready-to-eat laap. Sadly, when I unrolled it, I discovered that it was ready-to-steam and had not been cooked. A week later, I saw another tourist do exactly the same thing. He had already bought it before I could warn him.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSghyI21I/AAAAAAAAobg/H9hUqe9objQ/s400/P1110468.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSghyI21I/AAAAAAAAobg/H9hUqe9objQ/s400/P1110468.JPG" border="0" /></a> Also at the morning market, I found an assortment of bugs. The highly amused locals were happy to let me try a few while they laughed. The lower left ones are termite larvae, which don't have much taste, but have a rubbery covering. The ones on the lower right are nice-sized beetles, which are very nice with some seasoning, though they have a bit of an acidic aftertaste.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSeTTPt4I/AAAAAAAAobY/YXUp02FvhcA/s400/P1110463.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSeTTPt4I/AAAAAAAAobY/YXUp02FvhcA/s400/P1110463.JPG" border="0" /></a> We rarely put things on the blog that we haven't eaten, but we couldn't bring ourselves to eat these popular grilled frogs. I have eaten frog legs a couple of times and don't love them, so it seemed a waste of a perfectly good hopper to order one. That and I wasn't sure what to do with the intestines.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSnrjD2aI/AAAAAAAAobw/r2j-1HVsVYQ/s400/P1110477.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSnrjD2aI/AAAAAAAAobw/r2j-1HVsVYQ/s400/P1110477.JPG" border="0" /></a> Beerlao supposedly has a 99% marketshare in Laos. It was created with the help of German brewers and is widely considered the best beer in Asia. Tara agrees based on her tastings, but it comes in big 22 ounce bottles, which is just about enough to prevent Tara from walking.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS92IhUNI/AAAAAAAAock/-O7uPHUDKiE/s400/P1110506.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS92IhUNI/AAAAAAAAock/-O7uPHUDKiE/s400/P1110506.JPG" border="0" /></a> Iced Ovaltine is really popular in Laos. It is on almost every menu. I associate Ovaltine with really old people, but there are no really old people in Laos, so I guess it is for people like Tara after all.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTAYn5AWI/AAAAAAAAocs/NX7f5EP4hRQ/s400/P1110508.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTAYn5AWI/AAAAAAAAocs/NX7f5EP4hRQ/s400/P1110508.JPG" border="0" /></a> The banh mi in Laos was strangely much better than the banh mi in Vietnam. It had at least 15 types of pork on it, some vegetables, and some hot sauce. And they are much cheaper than Vietnam. And did I mention that it has 15 types of pork? Or at least it seemed that way.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTEZZDrPI/AAAAAAAAoc8/JGhgUuUAh1c/s400/P1110510.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTEZZDrPI/AAAAAAAAoc8/JGhgUuUAh1c/s400/P1110510.JPG" border="0" /></a> Laos imports lots of fake Pocky from Thailand. Pocky is a great concept, but normally disappointing. This blackcurrant flavor was pretty good.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTCsmrlsI/AAAAAAAAoc0/F0iSAk9sQdE/s400/P1110509.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTCsmrlsI/AAAAAAAAoc0/F0iSAk9sQdE/s400/P1110509.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another Laos specialty is sticky rice patties that are fried and then grilled. Sort of a fried rice nugget. Tara hated it, saying that it tasted like egg. I didn't love it, but decent for ten cents.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTWgE37uI/AAAAAAAAod4/F_lIktMqQVc/s400/P1110532.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTWgE37uI/AAAAAAAAod4/F_lIktMqQVc/s400/P1110532.JPG" border="0" /></a> Tara really loved this local pineapple yogurt. She tried a few other flavors that she didn't think were as good. As always, I thought it looked bad despite my love of pineapple.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTYbPCkzI/AAAAAAAAoeA/kBcg5Mdy4qA/s400/P1110533.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTYbPCkzI/AAAAAAAAoeA/kBcg5Mdy4qA/s400/P1110533.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sticky rice comes in these wicker baskets. At one restaurant, the sticky rice was really expensive, so when the people from the table behind us left, I grabbed their huge chunk of rice like this. Because I didn't want the waiter to see that I had a huge chunk of rice from the other table, I held it in my hand under the table for the duration of the meal, eating chunks of it when I could.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTa1hri1I/AAAAAAAAoeI/JUhyKpG2cfs/s400/P1110537.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTa1hri1I/AAAAAAAAoeI/JUhyKpG2cfs/s400/P1110537.JPG" border="0" /></a> This pho-inspired beef soup was better than most of the pho in Vietnam. It had a crazy combination of herbs, leaves, and flavors. The sausage was also good, but didn't have the crazy, unidentifiable flavor combinations of the soup.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmjyOnIeI/AAAAAAAAo8Q/S_UQyzs1gps/s400/P1110563.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmjyOnIeI/AAAAAAAAo8Q/S_UQyzs1gps/s400/P1110563.JPG" border="0" /></a> Tara and another yogurt. Borrrring. She loved this one, too. I tried to suck the apple strudel flavor from the bottom without getting the yogurt, but it didn't work.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmF80SPDI/AAAAAAAAo2A/3dOq6uPTiVg/s400/P1110538.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmF80SPDI/AAAAAAAAo2A/3dOq6uPTiVg/s400/P1110538.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another Thai import to Laos, these peanuts had been coated and fried in coconut oil. Not as sweet as expected, but pretty good. A slight improvement on the original design of the peanut, though the original is pretty darn good.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmmlsdmqI/AAAAAAAAo8M/FqG8dyPCN90/s400/P1110565.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmmlsdmqI/AAAAAAAAo8M/FqG8dyPCN90/s400/P1110565.JPG" border="0" /></a> What is this? We weren't sure, either. They didn't seem to object when we wrapped a bit of everything in some of the bigger leaves (which we later saw women picking from the local trees), then dipped the pork-noodle-vegetable-herb-leaf combination in the fish sauce that is everywhere in Asia (and that doesn't actually taste fishy despite coming from an old, rotting fish, I think).<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmu2ywSmI/AAAAAAAAo3g/vtd5PiUHIbU/s400/P1110577.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmu2ywSmI/AAAAAAAAo3g/vtd5PiUHIbU/s400/P1110577.JPG" border="0" /></a> This rice porridge, sort of like congee, was so hot that it fogged my camera as I took the picture. The fresh scallions and dried garlic seem strange for breakfast, but sweet breakfast is a foreign concept in most of Asia. I took this in stride by eating both a local breakfast and a sweet breakfast most days.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmxugdX_I/AAAAAAAAo3o/vDnR5TeFAU0/s400/P1110578.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmxugdX_I/AAAAAAAAo3o/vDnR5TeFAU0/s400/P1110578.JPG" border="0" /></a> The size of this soup made Tara's head look like a joke. We saw small children hiding their whole bodies behind these soups they were so big. I saw an elephant walk behind one and disappear. It was just big enough to hid my fat stomach until I ate all the soup and my stomach expanded to be seen once more.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnOPiL__I/AAAAAAAAo4k/ehCpuvSUc10/s400/P1110600.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnOPiL__I/AAAAAAAAo4k/ehCpuvSUc10/s400/P1110600.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sticky rice desserts are hit-or-miss in Asia. They can be amazing, but many Asians don't love sweets, so they sometimes turn out to be salty, fermenty, or otherwise disgusty. Fortunely, we found an amazing sweets cart in Vientiane (the capital) that sold us some nice treats. Unfortunately, the woman pushed her cart away as soon as she sold these to us and was never seen or heard from again. At least not by us.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnLb7rs5I/AAAAAAAAo4c/YNEWP6qGPFQ/s400/P1110599.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnLb7rs5I/AAAAAAAAo4c/YNEWP6qGPFQ/s400/P1110599.JPG" border="0" /></a> If you order pork meatballs in Laos, you should expect to get something that looks like this, which looks more like something that Hanibal Lecter might eat than meatballs. They tasted much better than they looked, though the texture was about as bad as it looks.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnRATAI6I/AAAAAAAAo4w/zGXjrrOGKbk/s400/P1110601.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnRATAI6I/AAAAAAAAo4w/zGXjrrOGKbk/s400/P1110601.JPG" border="0" /></a> From a distance, we thought we saw people selling huge quantities of fried bacon. It turned out to be fried bananas, but the bananas seemed to have been treated to make them a bit pliable and far more delicious than normal banana chips, though still somewhat less delicious than fried bacon.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnS0q-0MI/AAAAAAAAo44/3CsnbDudx6Y/s400/P1110603.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnS0q-0MI/AAAAAAAAo44/3CsnbDudx6Y/s400/P1110603.JPG" border="0" /></a> Bread fruit trees, a relative of the durian but with a much better taste, grow the giant fruits right out the side of the trunk. They can grow to be much, much bigger than my head, and my head is pretty big...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnYlwetBI/AAAAAAAAo8A/WS6npKFTT4M/s400/P1110607.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnYlwetBI/AAAAAAAAo8A/WS6npKFTT4M/s400/P1110607.JPG" border="0" /></a>Sweet sticky rice is sometimes eaten for breakfast, though mostly it is found in touristy areas. We had a couple of versions in Luang Prabang, and it makes for a tasty breakfast. It takes about three bites to fill Tara for hours, making it similar to Elven bread.<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGneKkxUNI/AAAAAAAAo5Y/rRwv-DfBqwM/s400/P1110610.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGneKkxUNI/AAAAAAAAo5Y/rRwv-DfBqwM/s400/P1110610.JPG" border="0" /></a>Laos really, really likes its fruit shakes. You can find them almost everywhere, and they are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Fruit is mixed with sugar, ice, condensed milk, and sometimes other sweet liquids before being blended. We averaged about four per day. Each.<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnbtM0qpI/AAAAAAAAo78/YqWK72B2aYc/s400/P1110609.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnbtM0qpI/AAAAAAAAo78/YqWK72B2aYc/s400/P1110609.JPG" border="0" /></a>At the night market in Luang Prabang, one woman made these eggroll like things by putting a layer of rice milk on a steamer to create a wrapper and then filling it with mushrooms and vegetables. She was really popular and we sat there one night while she made 100 of these things, which took maybe 40 minutes. She sold those for something like $5. Not exactly a high profit business.<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoV7wZ47I/AAAAAAAAo7M/BxLUWHc4SwI/s400/P1110641.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoV7wZ47I/AAAAAAAAo7M/BxLUWHc4SwI/s400/P1110641.JPG" border="0" /></a>Also popular in Luang Prabang were buffets were you pay $1.25 and can put as much food on your plate as you can fit. They didn't know what hit them--we have experience in similar schemes and I can now pile a plate three feet high without spilling a thing. Other tourists were oogling my handiwork.<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoY72gTeI/AAAAAAAAo7U/CtKRg-1wezE/s400/P1110642.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoY72gTeI/AAAAAAAAo7U/CtKRg-1wezE/s400/P1110642.JPG" border="0" /></a>Most of the food in Laos was not ground-breaking, but most of it was also quite good. Especially outside the touristy areas. Apart from the very good fruit shakes, we probably won't remember any of the individual dishes for long, but the country left a positive impression on our taste buds.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-64361674569790513962011-04-26T09:59:00.000-04:002011-04-26T09:59:00.064-04:00Putting Laos on the MapHey, you know that message about how we can't post from China? Just kidding! Through the dual miracles of getting a hotel room with its own computer (a first, and probably last, for this trip) and Andy rooting out a free VPN service, we are slowly, temporarily back on Blogger. Hooray!<br /><br />So, straight from my shower, here I am to tell you about our recent travels through Laos.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSLdhJheI/AAAAAAAAoac/UZfyZ8H8YIA/s400/P1110445.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSLdhJheI/AAAAAAAAoac/UZfyZ8H8YIA/s400/P1110445.JPG" border="0" /></a> OK, maybe that isn't me. Maybe it's a lady we met in a southbound truck on our first day in Laos. But she and I are both clearly fans of the bath-towel headdress.<br /><br />Right, so, Laos. If you had asked me to find it on a map a couple of years ago, I probably would have started looking for an island somewhere in the South Pacific (you know, right between those other tropical-sounding countries, Mali and Malawi). As it turns out, Laos is a landlocked nation (just like, um, Mali and Malawi!) in Southeast Asia, sandwiched between Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Myanmar. Economically, it is rather poor, and physically it is very beautiful...kind of like your two favorite travel bloggers.<br /><br />After many days of gray skies and cold weather in Vietnam, Andy and I were eager to find some sun, so, after crossing the border, we headed straight for Si Phan Don in southern Laos. This area of the Mekong River delta, also known as the "4,000 Islands," does a pretty good impression of tropical paradadise for a non-beach.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSRk40_iI/AAAAAAAAoas/XJnQQw9oCmk/s400/P1110448.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSRk40_iI/AAAAAAAAoas/XJnQQw9oCmk/s400/P1110448.JPG" border="0" /></a>We stayed on Don Khong, one of the bigger, but less touristed islands, and commenced relaxing. No TV, no Internet, lots of fruit shakes. This frog tried to share Andy's shake one night, but skedaddled when Andy threatened to turn him into jugo de rana.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSjYiNglI/AAAAAAAAobo/PGK6Zh6h99I/s400/P1110476.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSjYiNglI/AAAAAAAAobo/PGK6Zh6h99I/s400/P1110476.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />On day 2, I actually suggested we rent bicycles (!) and then rode minewithout mishap (!!) around the island's one paved road to see the lovely green rice-paddies and their resident muddy cows. On day 3, we signed up for a kayaking trip that brought us first to a set of waterfalls that are supposed to "catch" the spirits of dead people and animals as they float downstream on the Mekong.<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSskROm8I/AAAAAAAAob4/rawYqXWQHNk/s400/P1110478.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSskROm8I/AAAAAAAAob4/rawYqXWQHNk/s400/P1110478.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hardy little kayakers are we! <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSzYvZIMI/AAAAAAAAocI/2BLcu3zDe_U/s400/P1110494.JPG" border="0" />While eating lunch on a rock in the middle of the river, we were lucky enough to spot some rare Irrawaddy river dolphins breaching a little way off. Knowing from experience how hard it is to get a picture of dolphins, we didn't even bother trying, so you'll have to take our word for it.<br /><br />We visited another impressive set of spirit-catching waterfalls on the way back to town. Waterfalls are easier to photograph than dolphins, so, here you are.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS31Pxu6I/AAAAAAAAocU/zqIWL6YfJP0/s400/P1110497.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS31Pxu6I/AAAAAAAAocU/zqIWL6YfJP0/s400/P1110497.JPG" border="0" /></a> At the falls, Andy snapped a photo of Asian tourists snapping a photo with me. So far, people in Southeast Asia seem to want pictures with us far less than people in India did, but it still happens occasionally.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS7jvJppI/AAAAAAAAocc/3EBYY04RfWc/s400/P1110500.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnS7jvJppI/AAAAAAAAocc/3EBYY04RfWc/s400/P1110500.JPG" border="0" /></a>Any more relaxing would have put Andy out of his mind, so we packed ourselves off to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Our mode of travel was overnight bus--the kind with horizontal quasi-beds just about long enough to fit a midget that is popular in SE Asia--but in Laos, these sleeper buses are configured with "double" beds rather than singles. This was OK for me and Andy, since we are a couple, but the solo Kiwi traveler behind us was not so lucky and ended up spending most of his night trying not to tangle limbs with the random Laotian man he was assigned to share with! So, if you ever find yourself travel on your own through Laos, you may want to pay double for your own bed on a sleeper bus...or, better yet, stick to traveling during the day.<br /><br />Vientiane ain't bad. It's got some sights, like the Patuxai monument that was built out of American concrete that was supposed to be used to construct a new runway at the airport. (C'mon, who needs to fly when you can take a snuggly double-bedded sleeper bus?)<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTJ140UhI/AAAAAAAAodM/9WqXvvOBYLY/s400/P1110514.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTJ140UhI/AAAAAAAAodM/9WqXvvOBYLY/s400/P1110514.JPG" border="0" /></a> Who wouldn't like to have a national monument that is "like a monster of concrete"?<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTSL7-cGI/AAAAAAAAodk/-Idp8c8yd64/s400/P1110516.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTSL7-cGI/AAAAAAAAodk/-Idp8c8yd64/s400/P1110516.JPG" border="0" /></a>There is also the <a href="http://www.copelaos.org/">COPE Visitor Center</a>, where you can learn all about the horrors of unexploded ordinance (another American "gift" that keeps on giving in the form of deaths and lost limbs as bombs are stumbled upon in Laotian fields decades after the Vietnam war). The center provides free prosthetics, medical treatments, and occupational therapy for victims of UXOs and traffic accidents, people born with deformities, and basically anyone who needs their help. The museum is actually quite interesting to visit, and the organization is totally worth supporting if you'd like to send a donation their way.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTG8tyxWI/AAAAAAAAodE/cbPqr9mfcwg/s400/P1110511.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTG8tyxWI/AAAAAAAAodE/cbPqr9mfcwg/s400/P1110511.JPG" border="0" /></a>The golden Pha That Luang is Laos's most famous monument. It's not quite as big or grand as Burma's Shwedagon Pagoda, but still manages to give off pretty good glare in the sun.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTUFNzZJI/AAAAAAAAods/nr7TjOfcsBY/s400/P1110529.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnTUFNzZJI/AAAAAAAAods/nr7TjOfcsBY/s400/P1110529.JPG" border="0" /></a>This older stupa, That Dam, apparently used to be covered in gold, too, until marauding Thais stole its outer layer in the 1800s.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmH8F-qaI/AAAAAAAAo8o/xkt3IGH6ftY/s400/P1110539.JPG" border="0" />This stone Buddha lives on a pillow at the Wat Si Muang temple. Apparently, if you lift him off his pillow three times, your wish will come true. Andy wished that he would be allowed to stop lifting the Buddha because it was so heavy, and what do you know, his prayer was answered!<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmPqE3ddI/AAAAAAAAo8g/umNX9_nvzDs/s400/P1110543.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmPqE3ddI/AAAAAAAAo8g/umNX9_nvzDs/s400/P1110543.JPG" border="0" /></a> That temple also had a copy of the Emerald Buddha, which lived in Laos for a while between stints in Thailand. They let you get a lot closer to this one than they do to the real one in Bangkok, so here's a nice close-up for you. He appears to be wearing his summer outfit.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmMeF-9hI/AAAAAAAAo8k/PyKn9OAEn4I/s400/P1110541.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmMeF-9hI/AAAAAAAAo8k/PyKn9OAEn4I/s400/P1110541.JPG" border="0" /></a>Buddhist shrines can get a little busy. We especially like the zebras.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmV-3sM3I/AAAAAAAAo2g/vvm7en6Zbds/s400/P1110548.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmV-3sM3I/AAAAAAAAo2g/vvm7en6Zbds/s400/P1110548.JPG" border="0" /></a>What temple visit would be complete without a few whacks on the gong?<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmZoVLyoI/AAAAAAAAo2o/TC_-luzXwSQ/s400/P1110549.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmZoVLyoI/AAAAAAAAo2o/TC_-luzXwSQ/s400/P1110549.JPG" border="0" /></a>A remote part of Laos is famous for having fields full of giant stone jars of unknown origin. One has been moved to Vientiane, so we visited it instead of spending several days getting out to see the others. (Google "Plain of Jars" if you'd like to see more.)<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmcub-enI/AAAAAAAAo2w/EndQ9Lk5BlY/s400/P1110555.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmcub-enI/AAAAAAAAo2w/EndQ9Lk5BlY/s400/P1110555.JPG" border="0" /></a>Sometimes, when you feel like you just can't possibly get excited about yet another Buddha statue, you notice that this one has giant nipples.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmgnZlW4I/AAAAAAAAo24/ifFBkmlA1NU/s400/P1110560.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmgnZlW4I/AAAAAAAAo24/ifFBkmlA1NU/s400/P1110560.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our next destination was Vang Vieng, equally known for its beautiful limestone karst scenery and its drinking/drugs scene. I'll let you guess which aspect Andy and I came for...<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmoiTl2II/AAAAAAAAo3Q/2-to0RGKSCw/s400/P1110570.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmoiTl2II/AAAAAAAAo3Q/2-to0RGKSCw/s400/P1110570.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here's the sign marking the trail we ascend'ed to get that last shot. It was a steep climb, and only the promise of relaxing in a "gungle shadow kept me going.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmquo1k8I/AAAAAAAAo3Y/qK5Rj9nbxss/s400/P1110576.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGmquo1k8I/AAAAAAAAo3Y/qK5Rj9nbxss/s400/P1110576.JPG" border="0" /></a>We did some more kayaking in Vang Vieng, and stopped off at a cave temple to pay our respects to yet more Buddhas. The bell at this temple was made of an old war rocket. Scrap metal from old bombs is actually quite valuable to Laos's poor, and hunting for it is a big reason why so many people continue to get hurt by UXOs.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGm3dcBY1I/AAAAAAAAo8I/SmFHzcDXPLY/s400/P1110581.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGm3dcBY1I/AAAAAAAAo8I/SmFHzcDXPLY/s400/P1110581.JPG" border="0" /></a>While we kayaked down the river, most people choose to float in inner tubes, stopping off at riverside bars along the way. Many of these bars, to lure in tubers, have attractions like huge water slides, Tarzan rope swings, and mini-zip lines. Yup--drunk (and often high) people + dangerous stunts + deep water = ...a great time? A liability nightmare? I don't know, but I'm frankly shocked that more people don't die there each year.<br /><br />Anyway, Andy thanked all the drunk people for subisidizing this free activity for him and went off a giant water slide. Whee!<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnBSxZvsI/AAAAAAAAo4A/3GJ5hxiKqzw/s400/P1110593.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnBSxZvsI/AAAAAAAAo4A/3GJ5hxiKqzw/s400/P1110593.JPG" border="0" /></a>Obviously, there was no way in hell I was going off it. That must just be a girl who has the same bathing suit as me or something.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnFE_dZ9I/AAAAAAAAo4I/D7WP_k1KVzQ/s400/P1110595.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnFE_dZ9I/AAAAAAAAo4I/D7WP_k1KVzQ/s400/P1110595.JPG" border="0" /></a>(Though if I WERE to have gone off that water slide, I might advise future patrons not to hit the water ass-first. That seems like it would hurt. For, like, several days after.)<br /><br />From Vang Vieng, we headed back to Vientiane to pick up our passports, newly visa'd up by the People's Republic of China. A momentous occasion, as this was the last visa we'd need for this trip, since all of the countries we plan to hit after China are visa-free for Americans. No more embassy visits, halleluyah! I think we've visited 20 in the past two years, and bought visas at just as many borders and airports...<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnJagFv9I/AAAAAAAAo4U/ISPXXzOEXbE/s400/P1110598.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnJagFv9I/AAAAAAAAo4U/ISPXXzOEXbE/s400/P1110598.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our final destintation in Laos was the northern town of Luang Prabang, which is sort of Laos's version of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Both towns have lots of monastaries. Both have day trips available to waterfalls and elephant camps. Both have big, tourist-oriented night markets. Both even have their own eponymous styles of sausage! So, maybe we would have found LP more exciting if we hadn't already been to CM, but still, it was a pleasant place to spend a couple of days before heading into China.<br /><br />Luang Prabang has a former royal enclosure that you can visit. No photos are allowed inside, but the grounds are nice.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnV4TiTGI/AAAAAAAAo5A/mTVY4UzeFSM/s400/P1110604.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnV4TiTGI/AAAAAAAAo5A/mTVY4UzeFSM/s400/P1110604.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This amazing azalea bush had climbed a huge tree at LP's most famous monastery, Wat Xieng Thong.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnm9ib94I/AAAAAAAAo74/SSvK8tjk7es/s400/P1110612.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnm9ib94I/AAAAAAAAo74/SSvK8tjk7es/s400/P1110612.JPG" border="0" /></a> The monastery's main building dates from the 1500s and is famous for its low-sweeping roofs...<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnrFmGyGI/AAAAAAAAo5s/Vgvx-ZRiPAo/s400/P1110613.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnrFmGyGI/AAAAAAAAo5s/Vgvx-ZRiPAo/s400/P1110613.JPG" border="0" /></a>...andmosaics of local life on the sides of the buildings.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnv7omgyI/AAAAAAAAo50/4tFLx5DhLgg/s400/P1110617.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGnv7omgyI/AAAAAAAAo50/4tFLx5DhLgg/s400/P1110617.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />This dragon-headed chariot, for carrying urns filled with the ashes of the royal family, is not too shabby, either.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn2lJzrdI/AAAAAAAAo6E/lXKpkuPO4S4/s400/P1110620.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn2lJzrdI/AAAAAAAAo6E/lXKpkuPO4S4/s400/P1110620.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />What kind of flower is this? I like.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn4xWTRUI/AAAAAAAAo6M/2GmdVfM5s-8/s400/P1110622.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn4xWTRUI/AAAAAAAAo6M/2GmdVfM5s-8/s400/P1110622.JPG" border="0" /></a> What kind of caterpillar is this? I like, too!<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn6pA5RVI/AAAAAAAAo6U/_y9tqgtHRlA/s400/P1110623.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn6pA5RVI/AAAAAAAAo6U/_y9tqgtHRlA/s400/P1110623.JPG" border="0" /></a>Amazingly, we did not kayak in Luang Prabang, though the Mekong constantly beckoned us for a third paddling adventure...<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoB_jdXnI/AAAAAAAAo6o/puWfqtxmEXo/s400/P1110628.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoB_jdXnI/AAAAAAAAo6o/puWfqtxmEXo/s400/P1110628.JPG" border="0" /></a>As you may have gathered by now, I enjoy purple flowers.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn9WZawGI/AAAAAAAAo7s/CzgwV8V6dRo/s400/P1110625.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGn9WZawGI/AAAAAAAAo7s/CzgwV8V6dRo/s400/P1110625.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Not far from Luang Prabang is a park filled with waterfalls and natural pools. A pretty (though popular with tourists) excursion.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoIpyNhzI/AAAAAAAAo6w/-bB1lGNPzYA/s400/P1110631.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoIpyNhzI/AAAAAAAAo6w/-bB1lGNPzYA/s400/P1110631.JPG" border="0" /></a>One of the bigger drops.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoP_nFT-I/AAAAAAAAo7o/bifXb3fVMBc/s400/P1110632.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TaGoP_nFT-I/AAAAAAAAo7o/bifXb3fVMBc/s400/P1110632.JPG" border="0" /></a> Laos may be short on "big" sights, but if you're looking for somewhere to take it slow, get out into some beautiful nature, and drink a lot of tasty fruit shakes, I can hardly think of a better place. The people are lovely, the costs are low, and it's hard to find anything to get too stressed about. As a break between frenetic Vietnam and the coming challenges of China, it was definitely the right country at the right time for me. It might even be my favorite country in Southeast Asia. In any case, our first visit definitely put Laos on my mental map.Tara Dairmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02553180762608936696noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-29178777605697256742011-04-20T19:11:00.000-04:002011-04-20T19:11:47.797-04:00Where the heck ARE these guys!?Dear Readers, <div> </div><div>Hello from China...where Blogger is blocked. Facebook, too. Julie has agreed to post this note for us to let you know that we probably won't have any new posts up until sometime in May (assuming that Blogger is available in Mongolia!). Hopefully, we'll be able to get some posts up about our time in Laos and China quickly then.</div><div> </div><div>In case you were curious, we're planning to return to the States in June, so our trip is winding down. But we're going to try to squeeze in as many countries as we can before then, so make sure to check back in May!</div><div> </div><div>Tara & Andy</div><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137247429627856838.post-74601206012946354142011-04-11T06:05:00.000-04:002011-04-11T06:05:01.087-04:00Vietnam II: Like the War, Vietnam Posts Keep Going...From Hanoi, we made our way to the beautiful Halong Bay. When Vietnam decided to allow foreigners, this was the first place opened. Good call--we were never even close to getting hit by a motorbike while cruising around the bay. And it has caves, allowing the tourist to pretend to be pirates living in the caves.<br /><br />The entire, massive bay is filled with huge limestone pinnacles rising from the sea. Almost all of them have ridiculous Vietnamese names after whatever shape some fisherman, surely high at the time, thought they resembled. Then the French came along, who were just experiencing opium for the first time, it seems, and gave most of them even more ridiculous names. I don't know the names of the ones in the picture, but probably something like Shark Island, One-Humped Camel Island, and Fluffy Cloud Island.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeYpq7XjI/AAAAAAAAoUU/RKudoiXE6vI/s400/P1110287.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeYpq7XjI/AAAAAAAAoUU/RKudoiXE6vI/s400/P1110287.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our boat was nice. Here we are on the top deck, staring out at the cloudy skies. Except when it was dark, this was the sky color for the entire two-and-a-half days that we visited Halong Bay. At least it wasn't from pollution, which is probably why the skies of most Southeast Asian cities are gray.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHebB6YjPI/AAAAAAAAoUg/XLOBjGNP5Ok/s400/P1110291.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHebB6YjPI/AAAAAAAAoUg/XLOBjGNP5Ok/s400/P1110291.JPG" border="0" /></a>The islands are full of caves, created when the limestone is eaten away by water in the rainy season. They are quite impressive, especially with the added mood lighting.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeep4hBZI/AAAAAAAAoUw/y9oIxU39Pv4/s400/P1110301.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeep4hBZI/AAAAAAAAoUw/y9oIxU39Pv4/s400/P1110301.JPG" border="0" /></a>But we were far from alone in the Bay. Thousands of boats ply the waters with people on cruises. Still quieter than most of Vietnam, though.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHedHdZTPI/AAAAAAAAoUo/QZsQnpD8oJY/s400/P1110296.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHedHdZTPI/AAAAAAAAoUo/QZsQnpD8oJY/s400/P1110296.JPG" border="0" /></a>This cave had what our guide referred to as a "pointed finger", though he couldn't say it without laughing.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHefwAvbHI/AAAAAAAAoU4/KsP1hwhNu5M/s400/P1110308.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHefwAvbHI/AAAAAAAAoU4/KsP1hwhNu5M/s400/P1110308.JPG" border="0" /></a>The bay is filled with floating villages. Most are fisherman or fish farmers. With the introduction of tourism, they now paddle boats around selling cookies, candy, and drinks at egregious prices. I love floating villages, though I have a tough time understanding why anyone would stay in one.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHehn7Cp8I/AAAAAAAAoVA/LnK15jCVjpg/s400/P1110313.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHehn7Cp8I/AAAAAAAAoVA/LnK15jCVjpg/s400/P1110313.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our boat had some late night "squid fishing" in which you bob a shiny green thing with hooks up and down and hope that a squid attacks. Maybe because our boat was surrounded by similar boats and because the boats park there every night, we saw only one squid that was about two inches long and which had no interest in my shiny green thing. Julie and I did make friends with a funny French guy, though, and friendly, funny French guys are rare enough that it was worth it.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHei7MBm_I/AAAAAAAAoVI/kQG7aOBGx-Y/s400/P1110322.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHei7MBm_I/AAAAAAAAoVI/kQG7aOBGx-Y/s400/P1110322.JPG" border="0" /></a>Part of our trip was a two hour bike ride. When the tour was sold to us, we understood it more as an optional half hour bike ride, so Tara wasn't thrilled to find out she would have to spend two hours on a bike. However, she did a terrific job. It turns out that if you give her a tiny bike that has no gears that she has to change, she is quite capable of riding it. She prefers that it come with a basket and bell.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHem7_cNqI/AAAAAAAAoVY/qovdN3GgDdQ/s400/P1110341.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHem7_cNqI/AAAAAAAAoVY/qovdN3GgDdQ/s400/P1110341.JPG" border="0" /></a>Many of the islands have beautiful inlets like this one. I'm sure that the one day per year when the sun comes out, this would be even more beautiful.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHekmxJEJI/AAAAAAAAoVQ/fbI8GDICTjA/s400/P1110336.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHekmxJEJI/AAAAAAAAoVQ/fbI8GDICTjA/s400/P1110336.JPG" border="0" /></a>The people in the floating islands raise fish, oysters, crabs, lobsters, and children by putting them in baskets and letting them float in the ocean for months at a time. Okay, a bit less time for the children.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeqbFS0UI/AAAAAAAAoVo/LtzB1Z_YtGM/s400/P1110362.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHeqbFS0UI/AAAAAAAAoVo/LtzB1Z_YtGM/s400/P1110362.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our accommodation for the second night in Halong Bay was on a nice, deserted island. When the tide went out, the beach stretched almost to the next island. I did go for a quick swim to find the phone that our guide had dropped off the dock, but it was too cold to swim much.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHetsCON5I/AAAAAAAAoWM/qEsmpqOQhz4/s400/P1110384.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZHetsCON5I/AAAAAAAAoWM/qEsmpqOQhz4/s400/P1110384.JPG" border="0" /></a>Back in Hanoi, we went to see a water puppet show. Vietnamese water puppets are apparently famous the world over, though I had never heard of them despite living in the world. They were meant to be used in flooded rice paddies or fancy indoor pools. The puppets are controlled though a bunch of strings going through long bamboo poles. The motion isn't so impressive, but the range of motions available through a string in a bamboo pole is.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRBQZd3eI/AAAAAAAAoXQ/6kY_04ly6Ng/s400/P1110394.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRBQZd3eI/AAAAAAAAoXQ/6kY_04ly6Ng/s400/P1110394.JPG" border="0" /></a>This old flag tower in Hanoi might be one of the few things not blown to pieces by the Americans in the war.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRIRgNyiI/AAAAAAAAoXg/M4wwMMrT7nY/s400/P1110400.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRIRgNyiI/AAAAAAAAoXg/M4wwMMrT7nY/s400/P1110400.JPG" border="0" /></a>The North Vietnamese leader, Ho Chi Minh, now lies at rest in this massive mausoleum. He visits Russia for a few months each year, where they inject him with the newest in chemicals developed for their own, beloved Lenin. Fortunately, he was seeing visitors while we were there, so we waited in the incredibly long line and surrendered our cameras in order to see him. We are happy to report that he looks pretty good for a guy who died 40 years ago.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRLh1XUuI/AAAAAAAAoXs/Aiqgva4yPm4/s400/P1110401.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRLh1XUuI/AAAAAAAAoXs/Aiqgva4yPm4/s400/P1110401.JPG" border="0" /></a>It Vietnam, different types of police wear different silly outfits. I personally like the bright green, which we think is army, but this shot will let you choose which silly outfit is your personal favorite.<br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnROyfivoI/AAAAAAAAoX0/Ewc4Gv_gH_s/s400/P1110405.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnROyfivoI/AAAAAAAAoX0/Ewc4Gv_gH_s/s400/P1110405.JPG" border="0" /></a>This crystal clear lake in the center of Hanoi is said to house a massive, almost extinct species of turtle. We never saw him. Or anything else alive in the lake other than algae.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRiKE6BwI/AAAAAAAAoYo/FeRhhpyTLOE/s400/P1110416.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRiKE6BwI/AAAAAAAAoYo/FeRhhpyTLOE/s400/P1110416.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ho Chi Minh had a "House of the People" built in which to live. It is sort of a modern version of a house on stilts that is popular though out Southeast Asia. Sure, his offices were in the palace next door, but he was a better communist than most.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRVkg23II/AAAAAAAAoYA/QYWOFc7aALk/s400/P1110408.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRVkg23II/AAAAAAAAoYA/QYWOFc7aALk/s400/P1110408.JPG" border="0" /></a>From Hanoi, we had to leave Julie behind and continue to Hue. We forgot to take a picture of the bus to Hue, but it had tiny sleeping pods that were about a foot across and four feet long, where I was supposed to comfortably sleep all night. Right. The tourist agency had sworn that it was a tourist bus and all the beds were long enough. Don't ever believe a Vietnamese tour agent. Ever. In any case, I was awoken in the night by a Vietnamese woman trying to open the nearby bathroom door. I woke up just in time to see her give up and pee on the floor outside the bathroom. An amazing trip.<br /><br />In Hue, we saw some nice lizards dancing in a jar. They appear to be doing the Horah.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRnGCiCsI/AAAAAAAAoY4/oXMkP8g0jow/s400/P1110418.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRnGCiCsI/AAAAAAAAoY4/oXMkP8g0jow/s400/P1110418.JPG" border="0" /></a>I don't have enough pictures of it, but nearly anyone who is rural or poor in Vietnam wears the stereotypical cone hat. They would be more impactful if the sun ever came out.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRqE_QOTI/AAAAAAAAoZA/WhRLWUppAtU/s400/P1110419.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRqE_QOTI/AAAAAAAAoZA/WhRLWUppAtU/s400/P1110419.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hue has the tallest flag tower in Vietnam. Nearly everything in Hue was leveled during the war, so it is safe to assume this was rebuilt even though it still looks old.<br /><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRvwnbgnI/AAAAAAAAoZY/CAjWbbN2MRI/s400/P1110424.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnRvwnbgnI/AAAAAAAAoZY/CAjWbbN2MRI/s400/P1110424.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hue was a former capital and they have rebuilt some of the old palace grounds that were destroyed in the war. In combining old with new, this dragon seems to be making a call in a London-style phone booth.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR4MlbAzI/AAAAAAAAoZo/O3JAXUwMQmU/s400/P1110432.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR4MlbAzI/AAAAAAAAoZo/O3JAXUwMQmU/s400/P1110432.JPG" border="0" /></a>I found the giant turtle that we couldn't find in the lake, though he was moving even more slowly than most turtles.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR0U4D8bI/AAAAAAAAoZg/8Ik86P_E-ik/s400/P1110428.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR0U4D8bI/AAAAAAAAoZg/8Ik86P_E-ik/s400/P1110428.JPG" border="0" /></a>The palace has a lot of giant cauldrons that tell the stories of former kings. And that are used by witches at night.<br /><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR8J7HdeI/AAAAAAAAoZw/jFm9rYOgIpo/s400/P1110433.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnR8J7HdeI/AAAAAAAAoZw/jFm9rYOgIpo/s400/P1110433.JPG" border="0" /></a>We found the frog-lion creature repository! What a jackpot! Some are even gold. Gotta get me one of those.<br /><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSApCS4iI/AAAAAAAAoZ4/wpAUUdHDmTY/s400/P1110434.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_xlGf3I_8Am0/TZnSApCS4iI/AAAAAAAAoZ4/wpAUUdHDmTY/s400/P1110434.JPG" border="0" /></a>From Hue, we took a bus to Laos, so this brings us to the end of our Vietnam trip. Vietnam is an interesting place for an American to visit and it has a few beautiful locations, but it is not for the weak. Dealing with people in Vietnam is exhausting. We probably won't be headed back anytime soon.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16499022743342889788noreply@blogger.com3