HUNGRY IN THAILAND? DISHES YOU CAN NOT MISS

December 29, 2014 · by Amber D. · in Asia, On the road, Gastronomy, Places, Southeast Asia, Thailand

One of the wonderful things about Thailand is its wonderful dishes. I don't think it would be right to talk about Thailand without introducing you to some of the foods you just have to try while you are out here. There may be some I have missed out on, but these are my own favourite selections:

1. Panang curry: a delicious (and spicy) red curry flavored with lime and coconut milk feeding the sensations.

                               Panang curry

2. Pad Thai: the famous rice noodles with egg, tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, large doses of chopped peanuts and coriander, all served with a slice of lime.  I recommend you squeeze it on the Pad Thai straightaway to bring out all the flavours.

                                 Pad Thai

3. Massaman curry: a sweet little spicy curry and usually with A hint of cumin, cinnamon, peanuts and coconut milk that drives my tatsebuds crazy. Usually it comes loaded with potatoes and meat such as chicken or beef.

Massaman curry

4. Mango sticky rice: glutinous rice (kao neaw moon) with coconut milk, some toasted sesame seeds and fresh mango pieces that will leave you wanting more

Mango sticky rice

5. Pad Se-ew: These fried rice noodles (fat) seasoned with soy sauce and accompanied by lots of vegetables, eggs and meat pieces are a delicacy that you must try.

Pad Se-ew

6. Pad Ga (kra) -Prao: that Arrocito with spicy meat and basil that will make you giddy with excitement...

Pad Ga (kra) -Prao

7. various chicken and pork satays: kebabs lifetime of Spain in their Thai version. Best of all: the accompanying peanut sauce I could eat by the bucketful.

chicken and pork satays

8. Tom Kha Gai: although an unappetizing color, this delicious white soup has a flavor that you will love. Mainly cooked with coconut milk, other ingredients that characterize it are the lemon grass, lime leaves, coriander leaves and a variant called galanga ginger. Ingredients usually contain chicken but you can also find seafood, mushrooms, pork or tofu. Best to accompany boiled rice so the dish isn't too overwhelming.

Tom Kha Gai

9. Som Tam: the famous still green papaya salad with huge amounts of green chili, fish sauce and sugar, which is often accompanied by ingredients such as tomatoes crab and lime juice. My favorite version is the fried papaya, the tastes are divine!

Som Tam

10. Khao Soi: the jewel in the crown of northern Thailand called Khao Soi, a dish of Burmese influence that will delight the noodles and coconut milk. This is a soup-curry crispy egg noodles with large amounts of fried onions, fried chili, curry, chicken in most cases, lime and coconut milk.

Khao Soi

Remember, Thai food is usually spicy to very spicy. And if you are not someone who handles heat well, its best to let them know that you do not want too much chilli. This is what you need to say: Mai Sai Prik (no chili) or Mai Ped (not spicy).  And you should also avoid any dish that contains the word Yum (spicy) otherwise you'll be breathing fire the rest of the day!

And if all this is not exotic enough for you ... you can always try scorpions, turtles, tarantulas and toads ...

THAILAND KRABI MARKET

Feb 1st 2015, written by Amber

Krabi town is, admittedly, not the most scenic of places but it's the starting point to explore the Andaman coast in Thailand. We were among many who ended up spending a few days in Krabi Town, waiting for our next adventure. Boats leave from Krabi and other transport to such beautiful places as Railay, Phi Phi Islands, Ko Lanta or Koh Yao Noi, so it's not uncommon for it to be bursting with tourists.

KRABI MARKET 

As a tourist spot, the dining options are many, but today I wanted to expand my knowledge on Thai cuisine. There is a night market that I have been to almost every night sinced I arrived in Krabi Town, that market is Chao Fah Night Market.

Chao Fah Night Market

Next to Chao Fah pier, where ferries take people to the islands Phi Phi, the market is bustling. Restaurants are full, and the food stalls have plenty of discounts, even for tourists. Best of all because its a coastal town,  Krabi has a wide and varied seafood selection. As they say, pictures are more than a thousand words so enjoy the video below.

Aurora Borealis

Notes from My Trip To Norway on September 24th 2015

I am dictating to one of those mobile voice applications at 2:43 am. The days been a little exhausting, and I don't really have the strength to enter anything by hand. Just about to head to bed when I saw a missed call from my friend Bianca. I'm a little worried. A call at midnight? In Norway? Something seemed off.


I called straight back, and all was fine - thankfully. Apparently, a photo on Facebook had alerted her to an impossible, if highly unlikely event: that there were northern lights dancing in the sky at that moment. Her Uncle (who resided in Norway) were standing in his garden taking it all in from his backgarden. I put on all my clothes as quickly as I could, and me and the rest of the group bolted outside. Four kilometers cycling in the Norwegian cold and lonely night. No more no less. 4000 meters we cycled, and not another and not a soul aside from ourselves. It was a little unerving. But the aurora borealis was worth it.

AURORA BOREALIS Early evening

              The night was starry, so bright and yet so dark. The Milky Way and its hundreds of constellations only accentuated its immensity. About Hanguren is a strange glow. Very whispy and strange, like it wanted to turn green without actually going green. There were arches of white lights across the whispish green, they grew in intensity before the descending fog clouded them  

AURORA BOREALIS 

Northern lights in Voss (Norway), September 8, 2015

I remembered the words of my friend Yves, arctic guide last winter, a northern lights experienced hunter. "People often are disappointed to see the Northern Lights," he would say. Retouched photo so impossible that create expectations that the does not always correspond with reality. At least not with the reality that the casual viewer expects.

AURORA BOREALIS Coming To Dawn

When the cold became intense, and in view of the Northern Lights did not appear to grow stronger, we decided to leave. No one in the streets, but a green glow from the rooftops. Pale, strange, new. 

Northern lights in Voss (Norway), September 8, 2015

Homecoming. Four kilometers north pedaling in the shadow of Lonahorgi (1411 meters) and under some rare drawings in heaven. They was a strange tone, white as tattered night wanting gently tear the dark. At one in the morning it was not the sunset, nor even twilight. And there she was again, the aurora borealis.

My first aurora borealis was different to my expectations, perhaps because it really wasn't expected. It came without warning, and went the same way. And while it did not film the sky with green and colours, I go to bed happy because I experienced something rare and beautiful. 

IF THIS you like, you'll like ...

NEW YORK AT EASTER

Every so often I like to have a friend join me on my blog, to speak about their travels. Today I introduce you to Jay, a prolific traveler and all round top guy. This was his experience in New York in Easter. Enjoy!
                                                        

No matter where you're going in New York, its a must to start every day with a big cup filled with cardboard coffee and a bagel. Preferably cream cheese with bacon and egg. Then you look for a Starbucks to use their free WiFi from the street and update the family.

Then it's time to go for that tourists walk and head straight down Fifth Avenue. Although it's assumed this is the main avenue, New Yorkers feel more comfortable in the parallel Madison Ave. Especially those with money.

The day that I was prepared to go on Sunday March 31, Easter Day, the day that cut Fifth Avenue between Calles 49 and 57 to make way for a parade of hats. The official name of this great event is Easter Bonnet Festival.

Hats parade in New York

Dolled up Dogs in The Hats parade in New York

I backed down Fifth Avenue passing in front of Tiffany's, Abercrombie and other famous shops and up to the St Patrick's Cathedral. It's between the cathedral and the Rockefeller Center where the most crazy hats congregate. And I wanted to be among them.

Wild dinosaurs in Central Park
If you've have T. rex like leg strength, its best to explore the city by foot. No need to catch the subway, just power walk it with (if you took my advice) a good deal of New York coffee keeping you perky. So I decided to take advantage of the sunny day to go in the direction of Central Park Natural History Museum is less than 3 km. Along the way I had to stop to smile at people who greeted me. My dinosaur hat (alligator some said) caused quite a sensation. Have to say I was feeling quite pleased with myself. 

Going a little crazy with the hats.

At this time you can still enjoy the ice rink in Central Park. I devoured a pretzel while watching people skate, then headed to Strawberry Fields, a mosaic in honor of John Lennon which is also found in Central Park. I must have been fitting into the mad hatter madness quite well, because some other tourists, French, asked me in English if they were near the Dakota building. For a crazy moment I thought of answering them with a roar, but decided to be good. I confirmed that this was indeed the building where John Lennon lived. The building is horrendously noisy, and I did not know why anyone would want to live there.

Despite my face, all was going well.

                                                                 Meeting of dinosaurs

If you like good movies, and you've seen "Night at the Museum" starring Ben Stiller, at least three times, then this visit is a must. I admit I've not actually watched the movie myself, but I saw the trailer where dinosaurs came alive, and I knew the story was set in the American Museum of Natural History. So was I going to go...err, do turtles have shells?

The recommended entry is $ 20 or $ 25, I'm not quite sure, but you can enter whatever you want to pay. You could pay $3 if you like, and you will not get a odd ball stare if you do. 


The museum is wonder from the start. Outside it is great, but inside it is much more. So plan what you want to see and go straight, because before you know it you've been wandering around and a few hours have already passed. And everything inside is impressive. It's full of animals (not sure if they are really stuffed animals or just models). 

There are several rooms dedicated to dinosaurs and took the opportunity to give me some pictures with them. Some were in better condition than me!

The Dinosaurs showing me up.

Extra, Extra!

This route takes little more than half a day, so you have time to eat leisurely and enter a few shops to consume compulsively. If you're not a keen shopper, like me, you can take time when your companions are buying to talk to people. New Yorkers usually are very open and love to talk.

A Victoria's Secret security talked to me at length about his road trip to Las Vegas. He also told me that he loved paella and Valencia oranges. As all conversations between men, it led to football, so I put the dinosaur cap back on. The dinosaurs do not like football! 

VIDEO OF THE ERUPTION OF THE GREAT VOLCANO PITON DE LA FOURNAISE

 VOLCANO PITON DE LA FOURNAISE 

A while back I had the extraordinary experience of being in front of the erupting volcano on Reunion Island, the Piton de la Fournaise meaning (Peak of the Furnace) . Once I had a bit of time, I sorted the material I collected, and have added some images that I captured at the time. Alas, the video is not mine but a friends, it goes a long way to show how magnificent this volcano truly is. I recall the exciting walk through a panoramic view of volcanic clouds and over stones that brought us get the prize ahead, the show of molten lava that left us speechless for hours. 

 VOLCANO PITON DE LA FOURNAISE ERUPTING

Volcano Le Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion Island)

Attending a natural phenomenon like this is not something you do every day. Few things match the volcanic eruption in Reunion Island, and it has become one of the best moments I have experienced as a traveler. And I want to share it with you. So here it is!

         

TOWARDS LE Piton de la Fournaise: VIDEO

In August 24, 2015 a new eruption of the volcano Le Piton de la Fournaise happned, I could not even imagine it would continue in October, given the recent recorded history. But the trip to Reunion Island began and the volcano's activity remained fairly stable. An expedition with Kokapat Rando, a small local agency of Reunion working in the area, after an exchange of e-mails not just offered me the chance to accompany and witness for the first time in my life a volcanic eruption directly. And the end result here it is:



I have to say that days later I tried to return to the same point but because of the volcano clouds and could not see anything. But the remainder of the island had much more to offer, so I had no choice but to forget Le Piton de la Fournaise and focus on places like Cilaos, Mafate, Langevin or coral reefs Saint Gilles les Bains .

ARGENTINA

Today we present the Argentina experience through a close traveler friend of mine. 

This comes from Paul on, Argentina inside, the vast Patagonia. 
The experiences are not exhausted in which we include here.

I could give many more examples that are not reflected here: go fishing gilt on the Parana River, camping between the mountains of Cordoba next to a babbling river, crawling over rocks to get close to an elephant seal in the Caleta Valdes Peninsula, reflect you in the liquid crystal near Gutierrez Lake Bariloche, eating mutton curanto and in the light of the stars in the middle of Patagonian plateau, go see a football match on a pitch any any city of Argentina, or polo match in Buenos Aires, see sunrise over the horizon sitting on the sand of a beach in Mar del Plata, celebrate New Year on the beach, eat a choripán on a grill alongside a road either, discuss politics on a neighborhood bar, ravioli or gnocchi Sunday 29th with friends ...

These are some of my friends experiences that I bring today. I hope anyone reading this post, some day, may be tempted to live them in person.

WHEN IN ROME

The return to Rome is always like coming here for the first time. It's overwhelming. You fall in love. And you are captivated under its spell once more. This is what happens to me every time I step into the Italian capital.

Each visit has been different in different circumstances and with different expectations. I've been alone for backpacking holiday. I have visited it working while travelling with a group of Argentine tourists. With friends. This last time, perhaps more relaxed, with my partner, we were able to enjoy Rome abstracting a little from the hectic pace. And emphasizing our inner time, and basic experiences.

Images and sounds from the crowds. Art and culture in our way. Fragrances and flavors, following our palate. And these past experiences I was able to extract some culinary tips from around Rome.

Trastevere

Start here because it is the place that we liked from the point of view of the restaurants and trattorias. Following the course of Tevere Tiber from the Vatican or to the south (about 15 minutes walk), or across central Rome from the Ponte Garibaldi right at the beginning of the Isola Tiberina, you will get to the heart of this neighborhood.

While tourism prevails, the essence lies in its architecture and character of its people. Choose any small trattoria, those who place 2 or 3 tables on the street. Flee the large terraces overlooking the river, which are made for the tourists.

One of those places you want in the streets of Trastevere, is La Scaletta. We arrived at this trattoria wandering around without any recommendations, and guided only by instinct (and a delicious sauce scent coming out of the kitchen). Now I see that also recommended in the gastronomic guide Housetrip (which you can download in PDF to take it with you to enjoy Rome).

My recommendation: artichokes in any of its versions, linguine al pomodoro e polpette (photo) or spaghetti alla carbonara di tonno.

Central Rome



It is true that you can find exceptions: in front of the Trevi Fountain, there is a very economical pizzeria selling huge portions at a great price. But next door there is an ice cream and gelatto as rich as uranium. 

Usually a few meters, "just around the corner" you'll find, economic and more authentic options.

For example: a few meters from Piazza Navona is fotografiadísima dei Coronari street (beautiful), and you will find the local Pasta Imperiali. A unique, cheap and curious place: pasta take away, fast food or pasta, but to your taste and fatto in casa. Choose pasta and sauce you want and you take your portion made at the time for very good price.

My recommendation: all'amatriciana typical Roman bucatini or spaghetti alla vongole.

Of course you will find all the options of "food stalls" portioned pizza, sandwiches, ice cream, hot dogs, hamburgers, and so on. But my recommendation is that you follow where your "nose" takes you.

Well we found a tiny trattoria near Lungo Argentina, I think it was calle dei Barbieri. You can not miss it: checkered tablecloths, 2 tables on the street, another 4 in front shelling, iron cartel and a fat and friendly waitress who carried in her apron the "decorations" of all sauces on the menu. Unforgettable abbachio (lamb) with sage and coda alla vaccinara which is a local version of oxtail.

Here are some recommendations for eating in Rome, following my own palate. I hope you serve for enjoying the Italian capital and its flavors.