0 Mailbag Monday: May 10, 2010

I know you are big fans of The Amazing Race. What did you think of the finale?

-Nick, Brooklyn, NY USA

From day 1 we were big fans of the cowboys (who wasn't?), so it was disappointing to see them get so close and fail to seal the deal. The Rhode Island brothers, though, pulled out a great last leg  (save for the idiotic fighting over their place in line at the ticket counter which was made moot by the brilliant move to first class which may have single-handedly won them a million dollars) and we're happy for them. Jordan's fandom of the show really paid off, and Dan's reference to Boston sports made us happy.

But honestly, what we cared about most last night was that Brent and Caite NOT win. They wised up throughout the race and ran a lot smarter at the end, but they were whiny, snarky, bigoted, and overall miserable people who we did not want to see $1 million dollars. Hopefully more people will recognize Caite now not for her botched Miss Teen USA speech but for her meanness on The Amazing Race.

We're independent travelers, but Africa, let alone extended overland travel in Africa, seems best done with a guide. I know you had concerns about car-jacking, which thankfully, were not realized. I'm also concerned about the infrastructure (driving or busing) outside of South Africa. Not to mention self-guided safaris, and not just for safety concerns, but also just missing out on what could have been seen with a guide. Did you omit much of Africa for these same reasons? Should we hold off on including this on our round the world trip until we have some jingles to throw down for Africa done proper (Have you looked at some of the Intrepid Travel - Africa trips? Drool-worthy.)?

-Breanna and Jake, Madison, WI

Africa was totally incredible. Safari...there are no words. But we did come to the realization that we weren't going to be able to do that much there since the costs were so high. Independent travel just isn't much of an option there. It's also the kind of trip you need to really plan ahead, in a way that we couldn't do from hotel rooms in southeast Asia. Originally we wanted to do a big overland safari from Victoria Falls through Botswana and Namibia to Cape Town, but it was just way too expensive. We decided that some day we'll go back when we can really spend the money and plan everything right. I hate to say skip it for now, but especially if you are on a tight budget it might be the most practical option.

1 Freelance Friday: Boston's Bacon and Beer Festival

Last Saturday was the 2010 Boston Bacon and Beer Festival. With a name like that, the event clearly sold out weeks ahead of time and when we arrived 15 minutes before starting time there was already a line. When we got to the door they handed us a spork and a plastic cup... which was all we needed for this massive exercise in gluttony.

Hundreds of people packed in to the SoWa Market's old brick power station to sample from dozens of local brewers featuring their ales and restaurants featuring their bacon-related dishes.

There were traditional options like pork belly sandwiches, surprisingly delicious concoctions like bacon cupcakes, and some shockingly intense bites like this goat-cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped fig:

It was a star-studded event. Seriously, recognize this Top Chef Season 1 contestant doling out bacon chips?

We can't wait for next year.

*Thanks to Heidi Mitchell and Evan Carlson for their photo skills (and good company!)

1 Freelance Friday: Boston's Ten Tables

We are in the midst of a family bonanza: we have seven out of town relatives visiting at various points over the course of two weeks. Last weekend it was my dad and stepmom, who love trying out new restaurants. When they suggested the highly reviewed Ten Tables we were delighted; this restaurant had been on our "to go to" list for ages.

The original Ten Tables is located in Jamaica Plain at a tiny establishment that fits--get this--ten tables. Since its acclaimed success had led to far in advance reservations being required, they opened a second location in Cambridge. From everything we'd read the quality remains the same at the new outpost, and because reservations in J.P. were once again impossible to get, we headed across the river to Harvard Square for a Sunday night dinner.

Ten Tables Cambridge has significantly more than ten tables (more like twenty) but it still has an intimate and cozy but elegant atmosphere. The only reservation we could get even at this location was for 5:00, so we were the first to arrive for their Sunday night, three-course supper, a weekly prix-fixe affair that costs $33.

But before I get to any of the food, a note about the wine. Since our wine-tasting adventures in Argentina and South Africa, we know a little bit more about wine and certainly appreciate it more, but we are way intimidated when it comes to the extensive wine list of a nice restaurant. Even more intimidated by the prospect of discussing wine with a sommelier. My dad, however, not so, and not only did he request to speak with the sommelier but then proceeded to have a ten minute discussion with him about our tastes, pairing with food, and his recommendations. The result was something delicious that went really well with our food, but as the whole transaction was so above my head I don't remember the name. But the point is their sommelier is really good (and patient).

So for our first course we were all delivered significantly portioned plates: I got the merguez with quinoa and tomatillo sauce. The sausage was spicy and delicious but what surprised me was how yummy the quinoa was! I've made quinoa before as a healthy experiment (did you know it's one of the only starches to be a complete protein on its own?) but it tasted nothing like this wonderfully light, almost popcorn-like dish before me. And Patrick's cavatelli wasn't too shabby either. The ricotta-dough pasta was paired with a light cream sauce with an essence of fresh peas. I chomped down about half his plate in addition to my own. Oops.

But I didn't even touch Patrick's main course because I was so enamored with my own. I got the mussels, which I love, but restaurants so often just throw them in with some garlic and wine and call it a day. This was incredible. I swear each mussel was hand-picked they were so huge and juicy! They were cooked up in a spicy chorizo cream sauce that I slurped down like a soup. I let Patrick have all my fries to make up for the first course. Everyone else at the table got steak, all requested at a different done-ness, and each one came out perfectly to order.

My chocolate terrine with Thai basil ice cream dessert was as interesting as it sounds. I'm a huge ice cream aficionado but had never tasted anything like this--it was kind of like a sweet, non-garlicky frozen pesto. Um, but that sounds kind of scary. Really it was way delicious. And the super rich terrine would make any chocoholic swoon. Patrick's creme caramel was OK but rather uninteresting, which made it the most disappointing part of the meal. My dad's bread pudding, however, was a great brioche concoction that was moist even without being drenched in creme anglaise and sweetened with dry fruit. Yummy, but I'd still go with the basil ice cream again.

We all left Ten Tables full-bellied and utterly impressed. It's definitely the best prix fixe menu I've had in Boston. OK, OK...Cambridge isn't actually Boston, but it is connected by the T and the original is in Jamaica Plain, which technically IS Boston, so I'm claiming this restaurant for Bean Town.

*Photo courtesy of Grub Street Boston

1 Freelance Friday: Boston's Best Cheese

I open the door and the sweetest of aromas envelops me. It's warm and cozy inside on this winter day, and there are charming artisanal products all around. Red onion jelly, pastel pink petit fours, imported Italian pastas. And taking up the entire back half of the store, the glorious display case from which the perfume emanates, where hundreds of beautiful cheeses strut their stuff for the drooling customers.

I am slightly obsessed with the South End Formaggio. Everything about it is so delicious! It's always packed with customers who are deeply interested in the product, the staff of cheese mongers can find you the perfect match for any event, taste, or whim, and their case is filled with cheese you can't find anywhere else in town.

As someone who has a serious weakness for cheese (I may hold the record for youngest person alive to test for such high cholesterol I needed to be put on a cheese-restrictive diet as a toddler) I can drop a lot of cash at South End Formaggio. My personal favorite at the moment is Stichelton, an English blue made from unpasteurized milk whose importation is a bit restricted in this country, that goes for $30/pound. This is not the type of thing you

sprinkle on a salad. I typically don't even dumb it down with a cracker, just slice off bite size pieces to melt on my tongue. I was going to take a picture of the block I'm eating right now to share with you, but oops! It's all gone.

Get to South End Formaggio by taking the Silver Line to the East Berkeley stop and walk a block down to Shawmut, and two blocks west until you see the sign or smell cheese. While you're in the neighborhood, walk a few blocks further to get to Flour Bakery for dessert. Their sour cream coffee cake merits a whole post of its own...

Send questions for the mailbag to patrinadoestheglobe@gmail.com

0 Mailbag Monday: February 22, 2010

I'm planning a trip to watch three soccer games for the World Cup. My itinerary goes from Minneapolis - Johannesburg (overnight) to later drive or fly to to Nelspruit, three/for days there; then back to Johannesburg (another two/three days) then to Bloemfontein for two days. Would you recommend renting a car to drive or just fly between those cities? Any other useful website that you might now regarding South Africa hotels would be greatly appreciated.
Wilmer F., Minneapolis, MN USA

Sounds like you have a great trip ahead of you--we're so jealous you'll get to attend World Cup matches! In general, renting a car for this itinerary will be more economical. You can get a rental for as low as $350 for nine days, add another $150 if you want an automatic. (Katrina had a stick shift for years, but the prospect of using her left hand to shift gears while making sure she was staying on the left side of the road was a bit too daunting.) Add about $150 for

gas and tolls for your intended route. If you fly, expect to pay an average of $300 per round trip flight plus another $200 to get to and from the airport and whatever other transport you'll need, and you are at $800 for flying instead of $500 or $650 to drive. If you have company on your travels, that will only add to your savings in renting a car.

We drove all the routes in your plan and in general, the roads are in pretty good shape. They alternate between being two-lane and four-lane highways. There is very little lighting, though, so avoid driving at night if possible. Of course during the World Cup traffic could be a huge problem, so that is something to consider. But figuring out other transport once you're in a city if you don't have a car could be a bit nightmarish.

We stayed in Formula 1 hotels in both Nelspruit and Bloemfontein and can definitely recommend them. They have the most consistent standard among budget hotels and were often the cheapest thing in town--believe us, we spent lots of time shopping around. They offer the bare bones: a double bed and single upper bunk, a TV, and a bar of soap. But it's basically everything you need.

We're airline people and have a chance to hit a few spots in Southeast Asia this October. We prefer starting in Hong Kong or Bangkok. We have fab hotel deals for Conrad Singapore and Grand Millennium KL, so thinking about doing one or both. Our other option is skip Malaysia and go to Northern Thailand, then Siem Reap. I'm a foodie, he's history, both culture. We're in our 50's and we like upscale. What to do, what to do?

Shelley, Northern Kentucky, USA

Of those countries in Southeast Asia, our favorite was Cambodia, followed by a Thailand/Malaysia tie, and Singapore in last. So we'd recommend doing the Thailand-Cambodia option. The food in Thailand is amazing; if you can stand it, order your dishes "Thai style" to try some of the spiciest dishes ever. Both Thailand and Angkor Wat should give you a great big culture and history fill. In Siem Reap, shop around for a tuk tuk driver with good English skills who can double as your tour guide--some of them are very knowledgeable and can give you a much deeper appreciation of the temples.

Malaysia is rich with interesting history and culture, but Singapore is the most western feeling spot in Southeast Asia, and a bit boring compared to the others. We will say, though, that the Singapore Conrad Centennial is a pretty amazing hotel--the nicest we've ever stayed in.

Cambodia overall is the cheapest of these destinations, so you can live pretty well during your stay. Siem Reap has a huge variety of hotels and I'm sure you could stay in a five-star place for comparable rates to the Conrad. The Pavillion d'Orient is supposed to be super nice.

Send questions for the mailbag to patrinadoestheglobe@gmail.com

8 Prague, Czech Republic

The last overnight train we took was a noisy, smelly affair from Agra to Udaipur, India and the next day began Patrick's two-week battle with kidney stones. So we were a bit trepidatious as we boarded the 10pm train to Prague. Luckily, however, the overnight aspect was where the similarities ended: we ended up with a private (six bunk) cabin, slept comfortably through the night, and we're happy to report that Patrick's internal organs are doing just fine.
We were delighted to learn that Sandeman's New Europe--the company that gave us a great free tour of Jerusalem--does a Prague introductory tour as well. Our guide James was full of interesting stories and facts (did you know that the Czech national anthem was actually written for a comedy festival 80 years before the country's independence?) and managed to do a very respectable job of covering some 800 years of history in three hours. We walked all over the city--from the famous astronomical clock in Old Town Square to the network of synagogues in the Jewish Quarter to the Estates Theatre where Mozart himself performed. Though we weren't able to catch a show there, we did get tickets to Swan Lake at the State Opera House. We felt woefully underdressed for the red velvet and gold interior and the elegant ballet on stage; luckily we got the cheap seats in the back.

Prague Castle, the largest Medieval castle in the world, looms impressively on the city skyline. Lit up at night, covered in snow, it looks like something out of a fairy tale. The halls and rooms inside don't quite live up to the external facade, but we did get a huge kick out of seeing THE window of Defenestration of Prague fame that began the Thirty Year's War. Props to Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Blynt, our high school history teachers, for ingraining facts in our memories that lasted a full decade!

Another highlight of Prague Castle was the nearby U Cerneho Vola (The Black Bull) pub recommended by Katrina's mom. The decor was simple, with a few rows of long wooden tables to share, the beer flowed easily, and the fried cheese was delicious. Bohemian cuisine proved very fun to eat: huge roadside sausages smothered in tangy mustard; pork knee served on a cutting board with a knife stuck in its center; pots of goulash to ladel over bready dumplings. All washed down, of course, with a half liter of local brew. The word "pilsner" comes from the Czech town of Plzen after all!

And in that spirit, we celebrated our last night out of the trip with a pub crawl through the snowy streets of Prague. We started out slowly with half liters at Malostranska, took it up a notch with grog and a full liter stein down the road, and then knocked back a few more at Stara Praha with some food. But we were still looking for a full-fledged Czech bar. When we shoved open a heavy wood door at Divadelni Kavarna to reveal a smokey room with tackily upholstered chairs, and all the wooly-sweatered Czechs turned to look at us, we knew we'd arrived. It took several beers, some absinthe, and busting out the dance moves but by the time we closed down the bar, the regulars were giving us thumbs ups and even a kiss on the hand.

View more pictures from Prague here.

7 Krakow, Poland

Our Cape Town-Krakow transfer was by no means a direct route. We started with two full days of driving across Africa to Johannesburg, followed by a redeye to London Heathrow, and twelve hours later we flew out of Stansted to Krakow with our old nemesis, Ryan Air. The high point was spending our London layover with our friend Evan who was in town visiting his family for the holidays. We got the real Londoner tour this time, starting with a freshly cooked full English breakfast at Evan's Notting Hill home, which incidentally is a historical monument, followed by a visit to the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, finished off with pub crawling among surly old regulars who showed us that there's nothing wrong with drinking a pint (or two or three) at 11am on a Tuesday.

We finally arrived in Krakow after dark, fairly delirious, and somehow managed to make our way into town and bed. It was only the next morning that we started to take everything in. We found ourselves in Sodispar's cozy "Florence" apartment with soaring ceilings, fully outfitted kitchen, and tasteful decor by IKEA. One block away was the old town square looking like it belonged in a snowglobe: cobblestones, Christmas Market, and towering St. Mary's Church all covered in white dust. To say Krakow is charming is like calling Tom Brady attractive--a gross understatement. We were cast under its spell immediately.St. Mary's is the oldest gothic church in Europe and we had a vigorous debate going about whether its gluttonously gilded and stainglassed interior was more or less impressive than its towering presence on the square. The place is shrouded in tradition: every day at 11:50 sharp is the ceremonial opening of the famed wooden altar and a bugler predictably plays from the tallest tower to herald the changing of every hour. It's hard for the multitude of other cathedrals to compete, but many attempted by offering classical music concerts in the evenings like the one we attended at St. Peter and Paul's.

Nothing in town is very far. We experienced the Krakovian tradition of "Christmas cribs" with an exhibit on the square, explored the old Jewish quarter, visited Oskar Schindler's factory, and wandered through the stately state rooms at Wawel Castle. A #304 busride outside the city is Wieliczka Salt Mine, the oldest of its kind operating continuously since Medieval times. Everything--the floors we walked on, the cave chapels, the hundreds of sculptures--are carved entirely from salt. We were even invited to lick the walls for a salty treat!

To escape from the cold days of sightseeing, we'd duck into one of the dark little cafes found around every corner. Lucky for us Katrina's step-uncle was in Krakow just weeks ago and gave us the stellar recommendations of apple pie at Camelot and "drinking chocolate" at Pijalnia Czekolady Wedel. Their hot cocoa only further fueled the chocolate addiction we've been fostering on this trip, and once we discovered their cinnamon truffles we were done for. On the savory side of things, we ate zurek--the local soup specialty made of fermented rye flour, boiled quail egg, and varying pork product--all over town and found the best pierogies at Miod Malina filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms.

Just 65km outside Krakow is Auschwitz, easily the saddest, grimmest place we have ever been. The concentration camp looks exactly like all the pictures we've seen in the history books allowing us to paint in the empty yard with grainy images of victims. Some solemn spots along the tour route include Block 10 and 11 at Auschwitz I where Josef Mengele carried out his horrible experiments and the killing wall that sits between. At Auschwitz II-Birkenau are crumbled gas chamber ruins at the end of rows and rows of stable-like barracks. There are many visitors but the camp is eerily silent. And the tears come very easily.

History, both the long ago and the not so distant, has a tangible presence in the city's day to day. But Krakow is also famous for its heralding in of the new year with the country's largest New Year's Eve party. On December 31st we packed in with thousands of revelers from across Poland for "Wow Night: Music Square Session!" It was basically a giant rave. Unlike in Times Square, there was no giant ball and no visible time, so our only clue that midnight was near was when the crowd began chanting in countdown fashion. Our unfamiliarity with Polish numbers made the unanticipated cork-popping celebration that much more exciting as we rang in 2010. Happy New Year!View more pictures from Krakow here.

4 Cape Town, South Africa

After a week of ambling through the southwest we arrived in Cape Town on Christmas Eve. Gorgeous, sparkling Cape Town. Flanked by miles of shimmering shoreline, there are many ways to enjoy your time along the water. Restaurants and tourist shops define the bustling Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (yes Alfred, not Albert), an unadorned yet very entertaining putt putt course occupies Green Point, and there are plenty of white sand beaches to choose from in all directions. We even found penguins twenty minutes south in Simon's Town! Now we saw a lot of animals on safari, but we never expected to find penguins in Africa. They seem to have gotten a better deal than their arctic cousins, waddling around in their little tuxedos on the sunny, sandy shore.

The best waterfront destination, however, is the Cape of Good Hope. It felt as if we just might be at the edge of the world. We hiked out to the southwesternmost point in Africa, looking down the cliffs to the crashing waves of the Atlantic ten stories below. It was fun to think that home was just across the pond...only a few thousand miles away. To a certain extent we found the best way to experience Cape Town was to just drive and take in the awesome scenery all around. Imagine taking the most scenic bend of the road on the Pacific Coast Highway and creating an entire peninsula based on that panoroma. Cape Town...more like Gape Town.

To get a 360 degree helping of Cape Town we took a cable car up to the top of iconic Table Mountain, which is about as aptly named as sprinter Usain Bolt. It was a thrilling ride racing up along the sheer cliffs of the massive mound, the car turning all the while to maximize views. Our plan was to head up for sunset and we were surprised, delighted, and slightly bewildered to find out that after 6pm tickets are half price. Why should we pay less for the city's best panoramic of the pink and orange sunset sky? Because it's freaking cold up there, that's why! It was like another season at the top of the mountain, and we had to be careful not to be blown away as we anxiously prayed for the sun to dip below the horizon.

View more pictures from Cape Town here.

4 Southern Cape, South Africa

When we decided to drive across South Africa, we didn't know that 90% of the highways are two-lane roads. We didn't realize that car theft is common enough to warrant its own cautionary traffic sign of "Hijacking Hotspot." And most of all we weren't prepared for the havoc on the roadways--traffic accidents, often fatal, routinely led off the hourly news and we even witnessed a pedestrian bounce off a driver's windshield just hours after leaving Johannesburg.

Yes, there were many moments we questioned our decision to roadtrip South Africa. But then we wouldn't have gotten to see the slow transition from the arid terrain in South Africa's own "red center" to the lush, green of the south. When we started in Kruger, our scenery was limited to a flat, if not rolling, expanse of bush for miles, with an occasional crop of little houses marking a town. We reached civilization in Johannesburg and took a break at the Apartheid Museum before continuing our drive south until dark. Things became more and more vibrant as we neared the coast and once we reached Port Elizabeth, both human and plant life spotting were now regular.

To get from the beach town of Port Elizabeth to the city of Cape Town there are the two popular options of the Garden Route and the Wine Route. We did a little of column A and column B and branded it with our own nickname, the Superlative Route, due to all of its claims to fame: world's highest commercial bungee jump; world's largest collection of seashells; world's longest wine route, etc, etc.

The sand dunes in Alexandria may not have been the world's tallest, but they were very cool nonetheless. It took us a while to find the trailhead in the middle of a small residential neighborhood with enough grass space for about three cars to park, but once we did we had no trouble following the cute little signs with pictures of cannons on them to mark the Cannon Trail through the woods. After a few miles the trees cleared and we were in the middle of a valley of sand dunes towering three stories high. We were all alone and had free reign to run up and down and all around. The cannons led us back along the beach, where we took an icy dip in the Indian Ocean along the way. As opposed to the Southeast Asian beaches we'd been frequenting filled with other tourists and hawkers, it was incredible to be somewhere so vacant.

Knysna is home to the "world's most dangerous harbor" which we opted to view safely from above at The Heads instead of by boat. We also hiked through the Valley of Ferns and ate up some of their famous oysters at The Knysna Oyster Company. They don't advertise the world's nicest people but perhaps they should--our hostess at Beauchamp Place was wonderfully warm, friendly, and informative.

We loved our stay at Best Little Guesthouse in Oudtshoorn as well. This is the "ostrich capital of the world", so we stopped off at Highgate Ostrich Farm to get the scoop. The tour started out with some bird facts and feather craft demonstrations, but then escalated quickly. We got to feed the hungry animals, who viciously zeroed in on the seeds in our palms causing minor injury, before hopping on to go for a ride. Patrick got a feisty one and ended up in a pile of hay.

And then the experts showed us how it's done in an ostrich race! We bet on #2 and won--wishing we'd had that same luck back at Happy Valley in Hong Kong.

The world's longest wine route did not disappoint. We stopped for a delectable cheese platter at La Montanara outside of Ashton, a five variety sampler of whites and reds at Morgenhof Estate and a few glasses at Ernie Els's winery in Stellenbosch. As advertised, their flagship Big Easy bordeaux was "like Ernie, big in stature but gentle in character." Along the route we also stopped in for a private Christmas Eve tour of the "world's largest brandy cellar" at KWV House of Brandy. With our winery expertise honed in Mendoza, it was neat to learn what some more distillation can do. We saw "the potstills glow with the luminous promise of eternity" per their brochure--and the liquor was pretty darn tasty, too.

View more pictures from the Southern Cape here.

5 Kruger National Park, South Africa

Lions and leopards and rhinos, oh my! Upon arrival in Africa we got right down to business and drove from our landing point in Johannesburg to Kruger National Park for safari fun. This expansive frontier in the northeast corner of South Africa is about the size of Massachusetts with the most notable and profound difference being there are wild animals roaming around. Humans have a strict curfew of 6:30pm and are required to stay in their vehicles when outside the camps so as not to become the happy hour special.To make the most of our time we went on two camp-run safari drives and a sunrise bush walk. The walking was only permitted because we were accompanied by two very experienced park guides--who themselves were accompanied by two very large rifles. This was undoubtedly the best few hours of our safari experience. After driving through the pitch black predawn hours to the bush, Guide Opa gave us a safety briefing about walking silently in a single file line, doing everything he and Eric told us, and never turning our backs or running from a lion. Before he even finished, Eric, who had wandered from the group, motioned us over to show us a pride of lions closeby--maybe 50 meters away, definitely within mauling distance. It was terrifying. And oh so cool. We all hopped back into the safari jeep and Opa drove us for an up close and personal visit, literally spitting distance from the lounging kings of the jungle. But aside from close encounters of the absurd kind, we had a peaceful morning walk through the dew-covered African wilderness. Eric and Opa taught us enough fun facts about creatures from dung beetles to migratory birds to impress even Cliff Clavin.

We had some of the most fun on our own self-drives which encompassed most of the daylight hours. Puttering along the road at a snails pace looking for animals was like taking part in a huge game in pursuit of huge game. Over the course of the four days we spent in the park we saw zebras, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, wild dogs, impalas, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, antelopes, chameleons, and ostriches. We were also fortunate enough to roll a yahtzee and spy the "Big 5": buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, and a lone leopard in addition to the aforementioned lions. The moniker was originally coined by game hunters to label the five toughest beast to kill but now serves as the African safari Holy Grail.

Our private bungalow at Skukuza Rest Camp was a perfect place to come home to after safari each day. The patio kitchen allowed us to cook for ourselves for the first time in months! What better way to detox from two and a half months of Asian food than with pounds upon pounds of pasta? All washed down, of course, with delicious and cheap South African wine. Mmmmm.

View more pictures from Kruger National Park here.

6 Hong Kong

The heartbeat of Hong Kong thumps loud, fast, and neon. Views of the skyline from the top of Victoria Peak paint Hong Kong as a cosmopolitan city made up of colorful, towering skyscrapers. But down in the crowded streets of this urban jungle, with the smell of fish and spices in the air, you realize there is a great balancing act here between uber modernity and traditional culture.
At the cross hairs is the national sport of shopping. The outdoor stalls of the Ladies' Market fill ten blocks of pedestrian streets with clothes, purses, and other standard cheapo fare, and the unique Goldfish Market has hundreds of plastic-bagged little swimmers. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the shiny storefronts of Gucci and Louis Vuitton where bouncers moderate long lines snaking outside. For those not wanting to brave the queue--or shell out the big bucks--there are plenty of men trolling the streets with offers of "copy" watches and custom suits.

By far the most extreme evidence of Hong Kongians' enthusiasm for shopping was the annual Products Expo. The week-long event showcased hundreds of local vendors organized in sections like "Beauty and Healthcare," "Living and Household," and "Ginseng, Dried Seafood, and Soup Packs." It was a mob scene just trying to walk down the aisles let alone grab a taste of one of the mysterious samples. Musical entertainment was provided by a troupe of Santa-hatted schoolchildren singing a bilingual, choreographed rendition of "Jesus Christ is Coming to Town", led by a smiley middle-aged woman we assume was a local celebrity based on the crowd's enthusiasm.

On Sundays, another popular diversion is the Happy Valley Race Track. There were no horses the day we were there, but plenty of spectators watching and placing bets on the races taking place outside town. We joined the fun and wagered a few Hong Kong dollars on two losing horses. Still, it was a very elegant setting for the afternoon. Beer was even served with a straw--now that's fancy.

But let's get serious: eating was a top item on our Hong Kong agenda. Katrina has long been a big fan of dim sum, the Chinese-style small plates of dumplings and yummy bites, and was eager to try out the real deal. Our first taste was at Tim Ho Wan. We already knew that this place is the world's cheapest Michelin Star-rated restaurant, but the obscene line out the front door let us know we were in for a real treat. After about an hour and a half of waiting we joined 18 other diners inside to feast on delicious steamed pork buns, shrimp dumplings, beef vermicelli noodles, and more. Since the MO at this establishment is to make your selections from the menu while you wait, the food was fresh from the kitchen, but the downside is you don't get the pick-and-choose from a rolling cart which is the part that makes dim sum so fun. So for our next try, we found a bustling place on the third floor of a nondescript building in Kowloon. The restaurant was crowded and every head turned to watch us as we found a table and were given some tea and utensils. The staring might simply have been because we were the only people in the room who did not speak Cantonese, but it certainly didn't help that we did not know we were supposed to wash our own bowls, spoons, and chopsticks in the first pot of tea provided. For the duration of brunch we ordered food by waving down the rolling carts, examining all the options, and eating what looked good. We had inconsistent success with guessing the deliciousness of each item, but the overall experience was lots of fun.

For our last meal in town we ate at a little diner near the Kowloon YWCA where we stayed. Upon seating us, the waitress added forks and knives to our place settings. The pork was scrumptious, the duck deliciously juicy. But the best part of the meal was when our waitress returned, after watching us eat the first half of our dinner with chopsticks, and took back the Western cutlery in a great gesture of approval. After two and a half months in Asia we had finally made it.

View more pictures from Hong Kong here.

22 Bali, Indonesia

Getting from the airport to town in a new destination is always an interesting exercise. In some places there are special shuttles or trains, in others taxis are the only option, and when we're lucky, public transportation is available. In Bali this meant the bemo, and despite being less than direct and the fact that taxis were fairly cheap we were determined to do things the "local" way. We walked off the airport grounds sweltering beneath the midday sun to the major road and waited to hail down a bemo, all the while being coaxed by cabbies and their allies that this would take too long, wouldn't bring us where we wanted to go, and was generally the wrong decision. Finally a rickety little bus pulled up and asked us to pay what we knew was twice the standard price to get to Denpasar's main station. Yes, you have to bargain for everything--even public transportation--in Indonesia. We talked the driver down and piled in with our bags, getting sweatier and more smooshed with each new passenger on the drive into town. Here we had to negotiate for another bemo to Sanur, our chosen beach, with two other riders who wanted us all to pay some extra rupiah so we could go direct. We agreed, but are still convinced this pair of locals were probably plants. The transfer took us an hour and a half, but all in all only set us back $1.50 USD each.

You'd think we'd had enough hassle for one day, but no, we insisted on scouring town for the best value hotel room in all of Sanur. Some twenty hotels, two sweat-drenched shirts, and an hour and a half later we settled on a private bungalow at Prima Cottages. First stop: the swimming pool. So refreshing, so beautiful...we'd finally arrived in Bali.We split most of our time on the island between that wonderfully landscaped pool and the beach two blocks away. While not quite as scenic as those we visited in Thailand, this beach had the benefit of being nearly abandoned for a majority of the time. The most crowded it got was on the Sunday we were there, when it was filled with Indonesian families enjoying the weekend sun. There are also plenty of opportunities for water sports. We chose parasailing, which Patrick had been aching to do since Thailand. So. Much. Fun. It was incredibly cheap at $12 USD each, and correspondingly casual as they hooked each of us up in turn, took us for a spin, and trusted us to figure out how to land ourselves with the aid of some flag waving.

For our big excursion from the beach/pool, we arranged for a driver to take us on a day trip with highlight to be the volcano, Mt. Batur. However within the first half hour we realized that Mandel had his own agenda. He was much more enthusiastic to take us to craft demonstrations (read: souvenir shops) where he was undoubtedly expecting a commission, and had all sorts of new excuses for us why the itinerary we had in mind was not possible. Argument ensued, which ultimately resulted in us being stranded on the side of the road in an unknown location about ten miles outside Sanur.

Luckily we were able to patch together a series of taxi rides that ended up encompassing the activities we'd intended at the cost we'd originally budgeted. We visited the disappointingly underwhelming Mt. Batur, stopped at some rice paddies, sampled some delightfully tasty teas, coffees, and cocoa at a nearby plantation, and roamed the streets of artsy Ubud--though the heat and humidity made it impossible for us to wander far. We made it back to our pool for a swim before nightfall.

By the time we left Bali we were really ready to get out of Southeast Asia. It's a wonderful place to travel, but a challenging place as well. Some things we'll miss: meals for $1 USD; 15-cent draft beer; spicy garlic chili sauce as the standard table condiment; being able to explore ancient sites minus the security ropes, feeling like a celebrity when regional tourists ask us to pose for a picture with them (presumably because our complexions and western dress is a novelty worthy of photo documentation). Some things we won't miss: being unable to walk down the street unsolicited; noodle soup; cockroaches (though we have become experts at killing them); approaching every conversation with a local with skepticism; the smell of durian. And don't even try to offer us a massage.

View more pictures from Bali here.

5 Bangkok, Thailand

It was a very long, not very fantastic voyage from Siem Reap to Bangkok. We took a bus to the Cambodian border, waited for a smaller shuttle bus through passport control, and after some more waiting a van picked us up on the Thailand side to deposit us at a nearby roadside restaurant for almost two hours to finally be reshuffled with other travelers into the same vans that then transported us to Bangkok. It was a relief to arrive in town, but the journey was not yet over. We'd made a reservation at the Budget Travel Magazine-recommended JL Bangkok Hotel and finding it was no easy feat. Once we figured out we needed to take the 60 bus east, it took us over an hour to get to the estimated intersection, and then another hour of wandering the streets before we found the hotel at the end of a dark side street. On the glass half full side, the fact that hardly anyone we asked for directions spoke English indicated that we were staying in a more authentic neighborhood, right?
Luckily finding our way back downtown the next morning was much easier now that we knew what we were doing. We noticed right away that a disproportionate number of passengers were wearing the color pink. It was the King's birthday and there is something of a dress code; the rose-hued crested polo was a particularly popular option. The streets were decked out in flags and huge portraits of King Bhumibol Adulyadej were everywhere. Festivities didn't get going until the evening, so we spent the day wandering Bangkok's temples, which were distinctly flashier and more bejeweled--nay bedazzled--than those of Thailand's neighboring countries. Our favorite was Wat Pho with its gigantic, gold reclining Buddha. After two months in Asia we've seen a lot of Buddhas, so the luster had started to fade, but this one managed to rekindle the temple sightseeing flame within.

While in search of a dock to hop on the water taxi down the river, we were approached by an enthusiastic Thai man eager to give advice on what sights to visit. Yes, we have been traveling for five months and yes, some alarms did go off. But we decided to give this man the benefit of the doubt--the fact that it was the King's birthday seemed to be putting everyone in a jovial mood and made his claim of a special one day government-subsidized tuk tuk program seem somehow plausible. No sooner had he imparted this information, we thanked him, and started on our way did one such yellow-lighted tuk tuk pull up and confirm that indeed he was partaking in the "promotion". Our first stop was a temple with some apparent famous Buddha statue, but on the grounds we met a man (who coincidentally had lived in the US where he worked for the Malaysian consulate) who explained that the temple was closed at the moment for some ceremony but was eager to chat us up about the special expo in town, that our first helper had also mentioned. And what do you know but the next stop on our tuk tuk ride was the expo...which looked strangely unlike an expo and much more like a jewelry shop. To our credit we took this as our cue to exit and find our way back to the dock to which we'd originally been headed. We later read in our Lonely Planet guide that we'd been the targets of what's popularly known as "The Gem Scam", special King's Birthday edition. Those hoping for fake emeralds this Christmas will have to wait until next year.

The real birthday events were centered around Bangkok's Democracy Monument. We joined a sea of pink polos sitting on the street waiting for some sort of parade. Police were out in force and very busily arranging and rearranging the crowd. After a painful hour of crossed legs on hard pavement, a few nondescript cars passed by, a communal "oooooh" was let out around us, and then everyone rose to go their separate ways, befuddlingly content with what just transpired. Apparently that was the King's "exhibition". Sadly King Bhumibol Adulyadej is not in good health (he is the longest ruling monarch in the world so that gives you a clue to his age) so that drive-by was the extent of his participation in his birthday party. Lucky for us the celebrations continued without the guest of honor. The Democracy Monument was turned into a stage and we sat--again, uncomfortably on the street--with the masses to watch a video montage of the King, a live presentation, and ultimately an awesome show of fireworks. Our favorite part was when they handed out thousands of candles to everyone in the crowd and we passed along a flame that lit up the city as far as the eye could see. There was even live video of similar ceremonies going on in Thai communities all around the world! Happy birthday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej...and many more!View more pictures from Bangkok here.

4 Siem Reap, Cambodia

There are few things not involving sports for which Patrick is willing to get out of bed at 4AM, but sunrise at Angkor Wat turns out to be one of them. It was with bleary eyes that we met our tuk tuk driver for the day to drive us to the famed ancient temple. We zipped through the chilly streets of Siem Reap and were dropped off to follow a parade of stumbling pilgrims with flashlights through the front gates. It was a fabulous first glimpse of the temple complex. Angkor Wat's silhouette slowly emerged, the sky filled with pinks, and we got to walk the halls still cast in silence and shadows. We continued to explore as both sun and tourists filled the grounds.
Our tuk tuk driver took us on to Angkor Thom next, a huge walled complex containing more ruins and temples. Hundreds of huge faces chiseled into the stone marked Bayon, and the nearby Terrace of Elephants was animated with animal carvings large and small. At Ta Keo we climbed insanely steep, narrow steps to the top of the temple and at Ta Phrom we saw crumbling structures being glued together by the overgrown roots of trees and vines. Over our two days in Siem Reap we explored dozens of other temples scattered throughout town--we enjoyed the peace and quiet of these smaller ones, where we could sit alone and take it all in.

Siem Reap was surprisingly pleasant for a town with such a huge attraction driving the economy. There were cute restaurants, local food stands, and of course a large market to pick up whatever souvenirs a tourist could desire. One of our favorite indulgences in town was smoothies made from fresh fruit, a delicious treat we never expected to be a Cambodian specialty. Our sampling of local delicacies also involved snacking on crickets but stopped short when it came to formidably sized tarantulas and cow tongues perched fully elongated for sale. There was something a little unapetizing about eating something that could lick you back.

View more pictures from Siem Reap here.

4 Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We didn't know too much about Cambodia's history before arriving in Phnom Penh, other than remembering buzzwords like "Pol Pot" and "Khmer Rouge" from high school. But our one day in town acted as a crash course in the country's past. We hired a motorcycle driver to chauffeur us for the day and we began with a ride out to the Killing Fields of Cheung Ek. This was one of the Khmer Rouge's most infamous death camps where thousands of men, women, and children were murdered by being beaten to death. After the regime's fall in 1979, the mass graves were cleaned up and a huge monument was built displaying 17 glass-cased levels of bones and remains. Now all you see in the fields are the large ditches, but overall it is an eerily beautiful place--with an occasional shock when you see a scrap of clothing peaking out from the soil.

Those murdered at the Killing Fields were most typically brought from prison known in code as "S-21". Before the Khmer Rouge the building was a high school, but it was converted into an interrogation and torture center under the regime. Visitors can roam the grounds, walk the halls, and enter the classrooms turned prison cells. Some areas have been left as they were, with simply a bed and shackles marking the space, while others have been filled with the pictures and stories of those who were jailed there. It was chilling to think how recently this genocide occurred; we realized that most of the Cambodians we were meeting probably knew someone who was killed by the Khmer Rouge, and some might have been involved in enforcing the reign as well.

Our motorcycle driver took us to happier places as well, like the beautiful Buddhist temple, Wat Phnom, and the bustling Russian Market. This indoor labyrinth of fabrics, foods, and flashlights was much more challenging to navigate than the bee maze in the Cameron Highlands, not to mention much more entertaining. The most expensive ticket in town, at $6 USD, is to the Royal Palace. It's the official residence of Cambodia's king therefore so many buildings are off limits, but there are still many gorgeous temples and stupas to explore. The gaudy Silver Pagoda grabs the most attention with its diamond-studded Buddha and namesake pure silver floors.We didn't expect Phnom Penh to be so beautiful, but it turns out Cambodia's capitol was full of surprises. Though tired of Asian food, we loved the new flavors of Khmer food (especially at Khmer Saravan, where we ate dinner both nights we were in town). The grey skies we'd gotten so used to in Vietnam lifted when we crossed the border and we finally left the oppressive humidity behind. But the weirdest thing was the use of the US Dollar. It certainly wasn't the first time we'd seen prices abroad listed in American currency, but use is so widespread that even the ATMs dispense dollars! It was nice to see our friends George, Alexander, and Andrew again.

View more pictures from Phnom Penh here.