Traveling and Cooking

I bought cook books in Morocco

Among many things that traveling has done to me is that it has tremendously improved my cooking skill. Not up to professional skill but it definitely brings my amateur cooking to more variation and enthusiasm.   Traveling has inspired me to try new gadget, authentic spices and a different styles of cooking. 

Cooked meatballs in my new tagine

With Morocco, I'm so impressed with the cool conical pot, tagine and I end up getting a tagine for myself. The unique slow cooking style allows the pieces of meat to tenderize perfectly. Moroccans use lots of cumin in their food and even the fresh cut oranges are drizzled with dash of cumin.  The lovely cous-cous which come with vegetable or meat is always my choice whenever I visited any Moroccan restaurant.

Sipping mint tea and nibbling several tea biscuits are just marvelous activities which I find enjoyable in the late afternoon. But to spend time learning the culinary of the countries we are visiting takes time and not when we're rushing to cover many places. I am hoping to combine both traveling and cooking in my retirement years. These years of traveling have always been a hectic one mostly due to my tight working schedule that has not enable me to take longer vacation.  I have been trying to do so many things when I travel and squeeze my itinerary to fit my short break. I'm looking forward a more relaxing journey in few more years to come.

I just realize that I've not been writing on my blog for a long time.  So bogged down with work, i think it's about time to update this blog and this is my second article for this year :).  Thank you my dearest readers who have faithfully visited this blog and I'm looking forward to continue writing on my journeys again. 

Souvlaki Grilled Chicken - inspired by the Greek spice

Malaysian beef beryani tenderly cooked in Tagine 

Grilled prawn marinated with Moroccan spice

The unforgettable tour to Hukou Waterfall, Yichuan, Shanxi, China

The local tour bus which took us to Hukou

A quick stop to stretch our legs and for the restroom

After two days, we exchanged smiles frequently

As I expected, life in Xian was much better at the Ancient Youth Hostel, Xian. Most of the staff speak English and they are very helpful. The fact that many backpackers and foreigners are residing in the hostel, the staff have lots of opportunity to practice English. We were extremely happy to meet travelers from other parts of the world.  The hostel is well located, just next to the metro, Bei Dajie station. The shopping malls, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Muslim Street and the Xian Great Mosque is just about 10-15 minutes walk away.

We sat at the corner of the bus for more than 7 hours

We have about 10 days in Xian and this is our third day.  At the hostel reception we saw the advert of Hukou Waterfall and that was my plan B.  We asked about the tour and was told that the 2 days/1 night tour cost RMB 480 per person, inclusive of entrance fees, guide and one night accommodation.  The price was good and we decided to go the next day. We paid RMB 960 and was told that we will be picked at 8 am the next day. 

Our new friends smiling for the camera

Although, the hostel allowed us to check out and offered to keep our things, we decided to keep our room.  One of the guys at the counter assured us not to worry as there will be an English speaking guide.  We do expect that getting halal food would be difficult in villages and small towns, so we packed snacks and simple food in our knapsack. We were told that we'll be spending a night in the mountain village and I'm not expecting much on the quality of the accommodation.  

Reading about Hukou Waterfall ( 壶口瀑布) and the pictures on the internet have always triggered my interest. The largest waterfall on Yellow River and the second largest in China, Hukou Waterfall is located at the intersection of the two provinces, Shanxi and Shaanxi with Fenxi City 165 km to the west and Yichuan 50 km to the east.  

The next morning a huge bus picked us from the hostel, about 10 local Chinese were in the bus and we thought this bus must be picking up people on its way. About 15 minutes later, just after we exit the ancient gate of Xian, everybody got off the bus and they were running towards another bus. We showed our receipt to the bus driver and in sign language, he instructed us to run to the other bus and we did so. We got on the bus and it was one third full with Chinese and there were still plenty of empty seats.  Soon the bus moved on and we were hoping we're on the right tour bus. Ten minutes later the bus stopped and again everyone stood up and got down the bus and ran towards several other buses near the stop. I began to be impatient, not knowing what was going on!

I asked a girl who looked like a tour guide pacing up and down giving instruction.  I spoke to her in English and she spoke to me in Chinese.  We showed our receipt written in Chinese and she directed us to another bus. By the time we got on the bus, it was full with Chinese and no foreigners, except for my husband and I! Everyone in the bus looked at us like aliens as we made our way to the two empty seats at the back of the bus. After being soaked in the rain like rats, we were hoping that, we were on the right bus. Surely, this is not a straight forward tour like we had many others before.   

As soon as the bus entered the highway, I was confident that we'll not be changing to another bus and hopefully we'll arrive safely to our destination. The girl whom we first talked to was the tour guide and she started talking in Chinese - perhaps explaining about the tour. After she was done with the group, she came to us and looked into our eyes for few seconds and at that point we understood that she does not speak English at all. Now, I fully understand why most foreigners would take China tours through the many advertised English speaking travel agents on the internet. 

We were determined not to give up on her...for the next two days we used drawings, sign language and body language. Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't.  In Yan'an, everybody got down the bus and we followed because we thought they were going to the Museum but they actually went to the toilet (an open space toilet)! 

And in another instance, my husband pointed the gun sign just to tell the guide that our hostel is next to the police station. Her eyes bulged and her mouths opened wide, in shock, yet not understanding what we were trying to say. We showed the address of our hostel but she shook her head. Out of frustration, she instructed the driver to drop (throw is a better word) us in the middle of Xian city and ultimately after all taxis refused to take us we end up marching to the police station. Although the police oficer was not able to speak English he was kind enough to call the hostel, stopped a cab and directed the driver to send us to the hostel. Overall, it was a good experience :)

Interesting sculpture at one of the rest area

The tourist :)

The tour guide

My first travel to China - Xian, China

Traveling Chinese style - Xian Railway Station, Xian, China

Due to my tight working schedule, my blog has not been updated for months.  I have yet to write about Xian, China and Aceh, Indonesia.  I was in Xian, China from 12 to 22 September and it was full of surprises.  On arrival in Xian at midnight of 12th September, I sort of sensed the difficulties we were about to encounter for the next 10 days or so. The immigration officers, customs and people at the airport speak only Chinese.  I scanned through the signage around the airport and everything is written in Chinese. I got back into the arrival hall and look for the information counter.  The girl spoke a little English and she showed us where to get the taxi. Feeling confident that I have printed my hotel booking confirmation both in English and Chinese, I joined the queue for taxi.

Soluxe International Hotel - spacious, very clean and good facilities

When it came to our turn we showed the address of our hotel in Chinese.  He talked in Chinese and soon the security man came to us and we handed him our hotel reservation letter in Chinese and after reading it, he directed the taxi driver in Chinese. We entered the taxi and I was surprise to see a taxi with steel bars separating the driver and the passengers.  I thought this must be part of the Communist practice.  The driver talked to us in Chinese and I kept shaking my head as a gesture that I do not understand him. Suddenly, he pulled off by the road side and asked us to get down.  Not knowing what's going on we refused to get down. He can't just throw us anywhere he likes...few taxis behind us were honking and a security man came to our window and he asked us to get off the taxi and using sign language he indicated that the car needs petrol. Ohhhh ok now we understand, but such strange procedure...the driver drove  into gas station and we walked towards the directed exit.  

The reception was quiet when we arrived just after midnight

Then, another cab stopped near us and we saw a foreigner arguing with his driver and refusing to get down. I knocked on his window and I told him "You have to get down here...he's filling up his tank." He's French and speaks English well...we had a short conversation with him and we bade goodbye when our driver was done.  The journey from the Xinjiang Airport to downtown Xian took about one hour and the taxi fare was Reminbi 150. 

Nice hotel

It was midnight and we were glad to arrive at Soluxe International Hotel , where we will be putting up for 2 nights. We purposely chose the hotel because of its close proximity to Xian Railway Station and we were planning to get the tickets to Zhangye tomorrow.  I did my homework on China, prepared my dialog script and my husband planned to use Google translate to facilitate our journey, not realizing that Google is banned in China and so are other social media. Like usual, we decided to do the tour on our own, but we did not expect that it will be a difficult journey for us.   

Xian Railway Station - huge building and full of people

Electronic board displaying the train schedule 

At the hotel, though it was a huge beautiful 4 star hotel, few staff spoke minimum English but most do not speak English at all.  Next morning, we went to Xian Railway station and like "Alice in Wonderland", we were utterly perplexed with our surrounding. Nothing in English, the train schedules were all in Chinese and we didn't understand anything. We spent a few hours browsing through the huge railway station packed with Chinese travelers.  I told my husband that we should give up on Zhangye,  not only the journey will be too long but we may get into more serious problem as it will be further north and we have very limited time. We have to manage our time efficiently and with the long queue and language difficulties, it would probably take the whole day at the railway station.  I also read that getting train tickets especially the soft sleepers need to be done at least a week before. 

We both agreed on the change of plan. We managed to get a taxi and lucky, the word Muslim brought us to the Muslim Quarters.  The rain never stops since we arrived and we just have to manage with the weather.  I was amazed with the crowd in the Muslim streets and bazaar regardless of the rain. The street were lined with food vendors and big restaurants.  Just go to any stalls and ask them..."Yuan?" and show them what you want.  They showed us their fingers or calculators to tell us the price and transaction was done.  We survived the day at Muslim Street and had great lunch at one of the Muslim restaurant.  The tender grilled lamb was succulent and delicious.  I love the spice they used which was basically crushed cumin and of course chilly flakes.  The aroma was so enticing that we ate like we have been starving for days!

The vehicle that took us back to Soluxe Hotel - RMB 20 (expensive)

The rain gets heavier and it's time to get back to the hotel. It was difficult to get a taxi and we had to be happy with this new transportation we found in Xian. It travels almost everywhere; on the pavement of huge malls, pedestrian path, back lane, narrow tiny streets and huge road. At some point, when the congestion got worst with these vehicles and other vehicles....they would stop, get down their vehicles, shout and quarrel with each other until they are able to make their way through the tiny lanes .  This vehicles even throng in crowded pedestrian lanes  and we were so close with the pedestrians that we could almost touch them. We were so glad to arrive to our hotel in one piece :).  And that was day one in Xian!

This is how close the vehicle gets to the pedestrians!

Buildings are huge in China

A brand that needs no translation :)

How simple traveling can be in China - you don't really need fancy suitcase

Day 1: raining day and night - in front of the rail station

There were huge crowd everywhere at the station

Trying to figure out what it says - hopeless

We bought an umbrella for 10 yuan

We spotted few Muslims at the railway station

We looked at the electronic screen...trying to make sense :)

What can go wrong on a holiday?

Several things can go wrong on a journey no matter how perfect the plan can be.  I have a checklist when I travel - list of things to bring, things to do, places to visit, list of important addresses in the respective countries I'm visiting and my list goes on and on. My travel usually incorporates more than two countries and often I have people following me. Therefore I need to plan carefully. 

Regardless you're traveling in a group or alone, you need to be alert all the time. That morning, we were supposed to catch a flight from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Naples at 9.20 am and by 7 am, we were all ready to board the bus near Mestre train station. We bought our bus tickets from the ticket machine and  as soon as the bus stopped, the driver lifted the hood underneath and everyone hurriedly stuffed their luggage. The driver spoke in Italian and everyone got on the bus without their tickets being inspected by the driver. We sat comfortably and the bus began to move. 

While I was happily chatting with my cousin next to me, I realized that the bus took too long to be in Venice Marco Polo Airport. Suddenly, my eyes caught on a big word "TREVISO" written on the window glass and my heart was thumping- we were on the wrong bus!!! There were 11 people in the group and none of us realized we were on the wrong bus.  We waited restlessly until the bus arrived in Treviso and as soon as the bus stop, the driver started checking the tickets when the passengers were alighting. When I handed my ticket, he said, "Wrong!" and in a serious tone, I told him, "Oh don't worry, all wrongs!" pointing my finger to the other 10 of us. It seemed that  a few others in the bus were in the same position like us! 

All of us got off the bus, we rolled our luggage and ran towards the row of cabs just outside Treviso Airport. "Please send us to Marco Polo airport now!" I told the cab driver. We took three cabs for the 11 of us. In the cab, I began to compose myself, I smiled at the driver and asked "Do you speak English?" He shook his head and I thought never mind. Using hands gesture I told him "Very fast please!" and the fact that we were running like mobs made him understood that we had a problem. I kept looking at my watch and we had less than 2 hours. We were lucky the traffic was lesser on an early Sunday morning and fortunately we had checked-in online, so we're just dropping our bags. But nevertheless, we should not underestimate the security procedures which may take longer! 

As soon as the taxi halted in front of the departure hall, I calmed down, paid the driver, picked my luggage and ran towards the check-in counter. The girl at the counter asked for our visa! We entered Italy via Ljubljana by car and at the boarder, there was no check on visa. I tried to convince her that we don't need a visa but she refused to accept my explanation. She went off to check and few minutes later came back to agree with us. While queuing for security check, we saw few others who were in the same bus from Treviso airport. We were exchanging smiles...relieved that we managed to be in Marco Polo airport. 

In another occasion, when I was on the train from Pisa Centrale to La Spieza, I met an American guy who got on the wrong train. He wanted to go to Pisa airport but instead got on the train to La Spieza in Cinque Terre. He was restless to get down the train as soon as possible and he said that he would get a cab to the airport but his flight would take off in half an hour which obviously meant he would not be on time. After going through the same experience, I could understand his plight! I looked at him sympathetically but not much could be done

These are the common problems that could happen in a country where English is not spoken and you are exhausted. Some signs are completely in the local language and asking some locals would not be of any help. It was a great experience after that but not at the point of time!

Je t'aime Paris - Paris, France

Gare du Nord in May 2012

By the time I arrived in Paris, my interest on the city has waned. Not that it has lost its charm but my feet were soaring. It had been a long journey...from London to Geneva - Interlaken, then to Luzern and then to Zagreb, rode to Ljubljana, hiked in Plitvice, rambled in Venice, roamed in Rome, explored Sorrento, Pompeii, Amalfi, Positano and   shopped in Florence, Pisa and Paris was the last leg before we got back to London. All in all we have been traveling for 16 days.  

                                                

A tour to Eiffel Tower is a must

Surprisingly, some of us were still charmed by LV store in Galaries La Fayette and never gave up on the shopping spree in La Valee. Apart from the shopping, Paris has a reputation of being a romantic city of love and I think to appreciate it, you need to spend time and not rush it through. I felt lucky to have spent so much time in this vibrant city in the past...had taken ample time browsing through the museums and gardens. So at this point of time, my legs were the major concern!

I sat by the window of New Hotel, a very simple and basic hotel. For the last 12 years, New Hotel, just opposite Gare du Nord has been my favorite hotel...it is probably only a three star hotel but I just love the convenience of the location. Since Gare du Nord is the Eurostar terminal, that makes it real easy to take the train to London even in the early morning hours. But what is more interesting about this little hotel is the staff who are very chatty and never fail to extend help when needed. 

Early morning at Gare du Nord in 2009

Many parts of Paris have changed over the last few years. Gare du Nord the main train station has had quiet an impressive 'face-lift' since my last visit in 2009. From the window of the hotel i looked out...and I still remember on the same spot, few years ago....on a cold Winter day, I used to watch the homeless folks rolling in their nap sack trying to catch some sleep. Life must have been hard for many in Paris....although this high fashion city continues to catch the attention of the rich, glamorous and famous. For tourists, Paris is a wonderful hub to begin your exploration in Europe. The comprehensive rail network with several cheap airlines flying in and out of Paris and the availability of many buses to all parts of Europe...all these make Paris a perfect place to begin with. I love Paris!

Sacre Coeur

A view of Paris from the top of Sacre Coeur

A view of Paris

The view from Galaries Lafayette roof top

Shopping stores beneath Louvre

Money Matters in Iran

Specimen of Iranian Riyals

While credit card and debit card are almost as good as cash in most countries in the world, that’s not the case with Iran. Credit card, debit card and travelers checks are useless in Iran! I was absolutely wrong when I thought I could fork out some Iranian Riyals from the ATM in Tehran airport. We changed some of our USD into Iranian Riyals at the airport on the night we arrived. The currency is not tradable outside the country so you have to be very prudent about the amount you’re holding. Changing Riyals to other currency at the airport can be very inconvenient with long queues and especially if you are in a hurry to catch the flight home.

You need cold hard cash in Iran because the economics sanction has somehow cut off Iran from the international banking network. The ATMs in Iran only accept Iranian cards. I peeked into my wallet and I had only 800 USD and 100 GBP and that wouldn’t be sufficient to pay for hotels, food and shopping in Isfahan, Tehran and Shiraz. Next…was to quiz the rest, how much cash they had. After discussing, we were in consensus that the money matters will somehow be manageable. Oh..ok I am not too worried about not having enough money in Iran….I have Iranian bankers to save me J!

Foreigners have to be prepared when it comes to money because any banking transactions to and from Iran are really not easy! Some blogs even advise travelers to avoid accessing U.S. bank account via Internet since the account will immediately be blocked by bank due to sanction. It was the only day when we bought some carpets in Isfahan, by chance…we were just lucky because the shop has an account in Dubai. That was the only time we swiped our cards. 

Now, there’s a little confusion about the currency. While the currency is quoted in Riyals often prices are quoted in Toman to knock off the zeros. I was puzzled for a moment but it didn’t take long to learn how to handle the currency. 

For example if you have: 100,000 Riyals = 10,000 Toman = 10 USD 

Remember you need your passport to exchange money and do it at banks or an authorized currency exchange counter, not on the street, and always keep the exchange receipts.

Top Six Souvenirs From Morocco

Leather shop at Fes Tanneries

I am very careful about shopping in Morocco. There are too much haggling in the souks and streets and you really have to bargain to get the best price. Some people say, begin slashing to half the original price and the negotiation between two parties continues until the equilibrium price is achieved. I some how lack that skill! You have to be careful with some street vendors, if you bargain too much and decided not to buy their goods, they can be aggressive. 

These suggested souvenirs are unique to the country and here is my pick for Morocco: 

Leather Goods in Fes

Leather 

Leather goods are cheap in Morocco but you have to be meticulous on the quality. One of us bought a leather handbag in Fes and it smells awful….like you’re carrying a cow with you everywhere! You really have to check the leather because some may have gone through poor tanning process. Other leather stuff we bought were fine, especially the pouffe. Flatten it and fill it up when you arrive home. They are really nice souvenirs and comfortable to sit on. The famous Bobouche (Moroccan slippers) are nice gifts; colorful, comfortable and light to carry. Leather belts, wallets, book covers and jackets are among the popular items but be ready to bargain. 

Tagine 

It is a nice souvenir to take home especially if you are a serious cook at home. You can do lots of experimentation with this cooking tool which is unique to Morocco. They are made from heavy clay and great for slow cooking. They come in various sizes, designs and colors but you have to check with the vendor if they are fit for cooking. Some tagines are just for decorative purposes. The disadvantage of this item is that it is heavy, bulky and fragile unless you want to hand carry them.

Argan 

Found in South East Morocco, the Argan trees survive in chronic drought and poor soil. Argan oil or famously known as Green Gold of Morocco is unique, expensive and rarest oil in the world. It is rich in vitamin E, antioxidant and Omega which gives it a regenerative effect on dry skin, acne, eczema and wrinkles. It claims to have anti cancer properties, stabilizes the cholesterol and reduces hypertension. The Argan products come in the form of edible oil, soap and body cream. I like the Argan spread; a mix of Argan, honey and almond which give a nutty flavor and extremely yummy. These products make excellent gifts and it is not difficult to pack the cream and spread in your baggage but carrying the oil is not practical. By the way you can buy pure Argan oil in Malaysia at RM 75 for 15ml….that is expensive! 

Jewellery 

Moroccan jewelleries are produced by Moroccan artisans to reflect their native arts and culture. Each community in Morocco has their own styles, designs and colors that are blended together to produce these distinct personal adornments. Colorful beads, elaborate necklaces and dangling ear rings are common items…it is just a matter of personal taste and preference. They are simple gifts that do not take much space.

Artwork 

The Moroccan artisans also produce beautiful decorative items made from silver, copper and camel bones. Truly, it demonstrates the skillful artisan artwork which has been passed from one generation to another. They come in the form of vases, decorative plates and bowls, lamp shades and other ornaments. Depending on the size of the items, some can be bulky but the smaller ones (like the plate) is a perfect gift. We actually bought one for a friend’s wedding.

Fossils 

We visited the fossil factory in Rissani not too far from the mountain area where the rock quarry is situated. In my simplest understanding of the fossils is that million years ago the animals died and they are buried in some kind of sediments and overtime it changes into rocks. If you pour water on the rock some of these fossils are exposed. The rocks are then cut to make wash basins, marbles tables and several small objects such as pendants, bracelets, amulets, ash trays, plates and cups. The visible fossils could be shark’s teeth, squids, snails, sea lilies and desert rose. They are magnificent and unique souvenirs and the small items should not be a burden to carry.