Food delicatessens

In any trip you visit many cities, talk with lovely people, and see amazing landscapes, but there is another reason that makes a trip different and interesting than any other: food.

Everybody knows in places such as SouthEast Asia you have the opportunity of trying weird food, some is actually good.

Here you have a list of different typical dishes from SouthEast Asia we tried, or at least, saw. You might find some in Europe or other Western countries, anyway they are not so common. We have specified where we found that food, although it might be possible to find it in other places:

Beware some images may be disgusting to you!

Cockroaches
Where? Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Tasted? Yes, Albertico and Miguelito.


we really ate that!

Fertilized egg
Where? Chicken- Laos (baby chicken); Duck- Cambodia and Philippines (balut); Quail- Vietnam
Tasted? Yes, Albertico (all); Miguelito and Polo (quail)


eating baby chicken in Luang Namtha, Laos:

Khao Lham (Sticky Rice In Bamboo)
Where? Thailand and Laos
Tasted? Yes, we all loved it!

Baby birds
Where? Hanoi, Vietnam
Tasted? No.

Durian (tropical fruit with a strong smell)
Where? All SouthEast Asia.
Tasted? Not directly; in cookies or smoothies.

Turtles
Where? Cambodia
Tasted? No.

Quail (roasted)
Where? Krabi, Thailand.
Tasted? Yes, Albertico.

Snake
Where? Vietnam; Cambodia
Tasted? No.

Spiders (tarantula)
Where? Phonm Penh, Cambodia
Tasted? No.

Frog
Where? Hong Kong; Malaysia
Tasted? Yes, Albertico.

Squirrel
Where? Laos
Tasted? No

Grashoppers
Where? Thailand; Laos; Vietnam; Cambodia
Tasted? Yes, Albertico and Miguelito.


mmmm!

Worms
Where? Thailand; Laos; Vietnam; Cambodia
Tasted? Yes, Albertico and Miguelito.


worms where actually tasty!

Fresh coconut milk (come on, not everything must be awful!)
Where? Thailand.
Tasted? Yes, so good!

Pancakes
Where? SouthEast Asia
Tasted? Yes, the best ones in Krabi.

Roaster
Where? Laos
Tasted? Yes, it was our Trecking lunch.

Roaster blood
Where? Laos
Tasted? Yes, and still regretting it.

Chicken blood
Where? Laos; Philippines.
Tasted? Yes, better than the roaster one.

and the star dish, probably the most disgusting!

Dog
Where? Vietnam.
Tasted? No, thanks.

If you have liked this post, read as well the page Food

Dollars and Riels. How to manage the money in Cambodia

In Cambodia there are two official currencies:
– USD $ US Dollars
– KHR Cambodia Riels

Current rate exchange is, on the 28th of December 2010:
1 USD = 4050 KHR (so 4000)

ATM machines give both currencies. Notes dispensed are: 100, 20, 10 $; 10000 KHR.
The problem is that there is no an specific option to choose the currency, it depends the amount you withdraw you receive a currency or the other one.

Prices can be in both currencies or just in one. Obviously more touristic is the place, more chance of having prices in $.

Most of the times change will be given in Riels, over all because there are not USD cents in Cambodia but prices show them! Try to pay exact amount if possible.
Cambodian people are usually honest. Anyhow, check always the change.

Checking the change might be a nightmare if you think in EUR.
Some little help:
A. If you pay in Dollar.
A1. Convert in Riels the amount in $ you pay and calculate how many Riels you must receive.
A2. After receiving the change convert first the $ received (if any) and add the Riels.
B. You pay in Riels.
B1. Convert the price in Dollars to Riels and pay. 0,25$ are 1000 Riels.

Try to have some amount of both currencies always.
It’s a bit annoying, but not difficult.

The temples of Angkor

Angkor Historical Park is, if not the first, one of the most visited places in Southeast Asia and, by far, the Cambodian place most famous in the world.

It is the pride of Cambodian civilization. In the national flag, in the Riel notes, everywhere Angkor Wat appears.

Hundreds of groups of Vietnamese, Japanese, Koreans or Northamericans fly to Cambodia just to visit it.

We are not going to explain what Angkor really is or how any of the temples you can find in the huge area are, books and specialized websites are more useful.
On the other hand we are giving you some tips about how to visit the park:

– First of all, buy a 3 days ticket (40$). In one day (20$ ticket) you don’t see too much and what you see is in a rush. And one week (60$) is maybe too much, unless you live for.
– Forget visiting it by walking, it is too big for. In the same way, forget renting a motorbike. It would be really useful but in Siem Reap you are not allowed to rent one unless you have been living in Cambodia for at least 6 months.
A. You can rent a bicycle. It’s not far (first temple at around 6 km. It’s a nice way and not very tiring. In some temples there are guides available (cheap), or even some policeman (tip).
B. You can also go in tuk-tuk. He will be with you all day long and will drive you wherever you want. Price: discuss about with the driver.
C. Organized tour. You have your guide, ok, but you will feel as another sheep.

Note: tuk-tuk drivers cannot be a guide; guides cannot be tuk-tuk drivers.

How to visit Angkor, “from the smallest to the biggest” :
FIRST DAY. 8am to 16pm.
Visit the small temples. Forget about Angkor Wat or Bayon.
There are not many tourists in any of them as tours usually don’t visit them, so any time is good.
All temples worth a visit.
You can finish the day seing the sunset around 17.30pm, but unless you haven’t seen many, you can skip it as it’s over the forest and not Angkor. It’s really crowded, a problem when everybody is leaving at the same time.

SECOND DAY.
See the sunrise (6.20am) over Angkor Wat, lovely.
Inside is crowded and outside not many people.
We stayed outside and we really enjoy it.
When sunrise ends, the hordes of tourists go out, time to visit Angkor Wat. After that, just relax, enjoy a peaceful promenade, play with the monkeys near Bayon or visit the temples around Bayon.
We really recommend the “East Gate or gate of the Dead”. It is peaceful and the most savage.
Visit Bayon at lunch time or after 3 pm.

THIRD DAY.
Time to revisit what you enjoy the most. Relax in the peaceful temples. Breath the atmosphere out of the tourists.

Avoid Bayon or Angkor Wat in the rush hours, they are crowded.
Think you will find tourists, that is unavoidable.
Be patient with all sellers, specially with the kids. They are annoying but think they really need the money.

Be sure you’ll be with many tourists, and you’ll find groups anywhere, that’s unavoidable, but on the other hand, be sure as well you will enjoy the visit.

From Pleiku (Vietnam) to Banlung/Ratanakiri (Cambodia). Le Thanh – Oyatav border

The northern border between Vietnam and Cambodia, the one that joins the cities of Pleiku and Banlung – Ratanakiri, has been recently open in 2008.

This border is not very known between the travellers community yet as it’s not easy and there is no direct bus.
Altough it’s feasible and, obviously, not impossible.

First thing you have to do is to arrive to Pleiku, still 60 km from the border. From there you have two options:

– the cheapest and more difficult is to take a local bus that brings you to Duc Co, at 20 km from the border. This is a small yellow bus, and it departs from the central market at 8 am, altough you can wait for it in the bus station, just look for the sign where it stops. Ticket: 16.000 VND. Around 1+ hour journey.
Once you arrive to the very end of the bus route, you must look for someone who picks you up to Le Thanh, mostly a motorbike or private minivan. Price is unknown, so bargain as much as possible.

– the second option is to take directly a private minivan or motorbike to Le Thanh from Pleiku market. Actually, you will be asked if you want to be driven there by some young motorbikers. Sometimes, the same minivans that are in Pleiku are the ones waiting for you in Duc Co as they know already your itinerary (what indeed happened to us).

Once you make the burocratic process and you are officially in Cambodia, you have to look for someone who drives you to Banlung, same process than from Duc Co to Le Thanh.
Here you will be charged around 10$ per person, or less if you are very good bargaining.

Some Cambodian police officers speak good English and, probably getting a commission, will offer you a ride or will know someone who can.

Remember to bring US Dollars with you to pay the Cambodian Visa: 20 USD.

Enjoy the trip.

Happy New Year 2554

Well actually it will be in April, but that’s the new year Thai and Cambodian people are going to celebrate.

Cheers.
Albertico, Polo and Miguelito