tales of wander
food
A Thanksgiving in paradise
We are now in Benoa, a little place in the south of Bali. On our first day we had our first true taste of the rainy season when a thunderstorm thwarted our morning beach plans. Thankfully, it ended in time for us to get in a few hours of kayaking at a nearby beach. Yesterday … Continue reading
A day in the life of a tourist
Author’s note: Now that I actually have a traveling partner, I have someone present who occasionally reminds me of the things I don’t write about in my blog. Such as mundane day-to-day details that I normally reserve for when I’m volunteering and only for the purpose of describing what it’s like to volunteer in a … Continue reading
Coffee Rica
I would be remiss to write another word about Costa Rica without mentioning the country’s most delectable export: coffee. As both a constant traveler and coffee lover who enjoys trying a local brew, I’ve found that many countries’ offerings are mediocre, at best—even downright foul at times (can anyone say “Nescafe”?). In fact, in all … Continue reading
Dog lovers, beware
Dog lovers, beware. You may want to skip this post. Okay, well don’t say I didn’t warn you. But in the vein of “when in Rome,” I experienced my first taste of a local delicacy: dog meat. Yes, really. Trust me, I felt more skittish about this than I did about the grasshopper, the tarantula, … Continue reading
Living la vida locust
After the last post, I thought it was time for something light. Something crunchy. Something chock-full of yummy protein. I mentioned that the heat was interfering with my appetite. Well, I’m happy to report that it didn’t last long. It returned in time for me to enjoy the culinary pleasures of Cambodian cuisine, which is … Continue reading
Food, wonderful food
Indian cuisine proves that there are hundreds of different uses for lentils, and most of them don’t involve soup. I haven’t tried all the options yet, but I am slowly making my way through them. I particularly like a well-made dal (a lentil puree), scooped up with roti or naan, both of which are flatbreads. … Continue reading
On cows, bazaars, and being hit by tuk tuks
At the Sardar Bazaar in Jodhpur, the street is a crazy, pulsating mass of auto rickshaws, scooters, bicycles, and cars, all beeping or ringing to make their way through the sea of people. In stark contrast to this frenzy of activity are the slow-moving cows that leisurely wander around without a care. Some plop themselves … Continue reading
The food in Peru, part 2
So maybe the idea of alpaca steaks, alpaca diane, and alpaca carpacchio was too much to endure. If so, perhaps you´ll find cuy—another regional favorite—more palatable, no? I took this photo outside of Pisac when we stopped at a traditional chicha house where the hostess not only had a whole pen full of cuy, but … Continue reading
When food poisoning isn’t merely food poisoning
Sometimes food poisoning isn´t merely food poisoning when it´s…well, you´ll see. After three days of illness, Ginny (our volunteer coordinator) took me and two other sick volunteers to see a doctor in Cuzco—someone the organization trusts and works with regularly. Dr. Victor works in a tiny, single-room, glass-fronted office between a hair salon and an … Continue reading
The food in peru, Part 1
Okay, we didn´t eat the exact one in the photo, but alpaca is a popular regional dish in the mountainous areas for obvious reasons: it´s what´s available. Despite the fact that the “cute factor” might make this meat unpalatable for us Westerners, I am here to say that it isn´t half bad. It has the … Continue reading
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