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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Monday, December 12, 2011

Asia in pictures

December 12th

If a picture is worth a thousand words then how many words is one-thousand pictures worth?  One million.  Well that is a lot of typing, so I guess I will let the pictures do most of the talking.  We have uploaded, edited and posted the best of our pictures on Windows Live Skydrive.  Believe it or not these represent several rounds of tough cutting and we still have more than a thousand pictures from our trip.

We have divided the pictures by country or region.  You can click on the links below to see the slideshow or download any pictures you might want.  Some of the photos have captions too.



The first set is of Mongolia.  You can peruse through pictures of Allyson’s Mongolian family, Naadam, the National annual sporting competition, and the unparalleled beauty of the Mongolian countryside.  Some of our best panoramas were shot here.



Splendid China, indeed.  From the grandeur of the Great Wall and the Bund to the wonder of the rice terraces and ancient bridges to the simple but exotic richness of the food, China is full of ready made post cards.  What did people do before digital?



Vietnam is one of most unique places we have ever been.  We loved the cities and the country side alike.  The French Colonial riverside streets of Hoi An and the photographic account of our first time rock climbing on karst islands in the middle of a bay.




The album for Thailand has the most pictures by far.  You can see photographic evidence of me walking through Bangkok without shoes.  There are the SCUBA pictures from the Lagoon off Koh Lanta and shots of the best place we stayed in Asia on Koh Phangan.




Two countries we did not originally plan on seeing but I am glad we did.  From the Asian confluence of culture in Malaysia to the austere modernity of Singapore they are very unique places.




Last but certainly not least is Indonesia, represented by both Bali and the Gili Islands.  In fact if may be the best of the bunch with pictures of beautiful tropical beaches, volcanoes at sunrise and Balinese temples.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Food Porn - Malaysia and Indonesia

Due to geography and history, food in Malaysia and Indonesia has been influenced from other parts of Asia. "Traditional" food in these countries thus includes Chinese, Indian, Japanese in addition to more local fares. 

Chinese






       Beef Lo Mein









       Dim Sum












Indian






       Rogan Josh









         Mango Lassi











Japanese







The Best Sushi of my Life!








Indonesian





     BBQ Pork Ribs 






 






Seafood and Avocado Curry

Food Porn - Thailand

Thailand Greatest Hits
If you want to eat delicious food day in and day out, go to Thailand. Or at least go to your nearest Thai restaurant. Order any of the below and your taste buds will be happy.

 Green Curry

Red Curry


 Masaman Curry


Pad Thai


 Tom Yum Soup


 Mango and Sticky Rice



For those who are more daring....go to The Frog in Koh Lanta and order this.



Thursday, November 10, 2011

Food Porn - Vietnam



Vietnamese Street Food


Pearce's Favorite: Spicy Fried Chicken         
My Favorite: Meat? Patte with fresh herbs and spices

 












Two Traditional Dishes: Pho and Cao Lau (from Hoi An)


Restaurant Delights



Lemongrass Chicken


 Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls
 
Friend Wontons

Western Eats
Sometimes you really need to eat something familiar. These splurges were well worth the American guilt.


































Caesar Salad with "Candian" Bacon and egg
Meat and Cheese Plate
Cheeseburger with grilled onions and mushrooms





Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Food Porn - China

Chinese Street Food


 Scorpions, Spices, and Seafood




Thin and Thick Beef Noodle Soups


 
My Favorite: Chinese Slow Cooked Pork BBQ             
P's Favorite: Spicy Szechuan Noodles


Restaurant Delights

  

 Dry Pork and Seaweed Donuts for Pearce. Red bean scone (and Green Tea Latte) for me.  One win, one fail.




Our splurge dinners: Da Dong - Roast Duck with Accoutrement and Lost Heaven - Yunnan Food



Not sure what we were eating





My guess was this was mung bean soup. It was served at the end of our meal and the cook was adamant that we finished eating it.
















We had no clue what this fruit was. Inside there were juicy white pieces. I now know that it is called a Mangosteen. 





Another mystery fruit. It was served over dry ice as dessert at Da dong. It is called a Lychee.