The Hungry Voyagers

New Zealand

Into Middle Earth

December 5th,2024 – December 15th, 2024

Kia Ora, and welcome to New Zealand! This trip would be special for two incredible reasons. First, this was the last of the six 6 ‘livable’ continents we had to visit: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and now Oceania. But more importantly, it was our Babymoon. That’s right, the Hungry Voyagers are increasing in size!

It’s been a dream of ours to visit all the continents and as soon as the pure ecstasy of that positive test wore off, we looked each other in the eye and said, “Oh shit. We have to go to Oceania.” And thus, the New Zealand trip was born.

Landing and First Day

Getting there was an adventure in itself. We’d have to embark on an 8,250 mile journey around to the other side of the globe, all while Emily was pregnant. A quick flight to Chicago, a medium flight across to Los Angeles, a 9 hour layover, and then a 13 hour beast of a flight across the Pacific Ocean.

Before that beast of a flight, we had to make a quick pit stop in Los Angeles to In-N-Out Burger. Last time we were in the LA, we didn’t get the chance, and we weren’t missing the opportunity again. Our verdict? Actually pretty average. Now, we were at probably the most famous (and busy) location at LAX Airport, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt as it was really busy.

A grueling 20+ hours of traveling later we landed in Auckland, New Zealand. Country number 28 and Continent number 6. The best part? It was 6am here, so we now had an entire day to do things after not sleeping for 20 hours! This was just practice for the little one to come.

We had our rental car delivered to the hotel and couldn’t wait to get out on the road. New Zealand is one of those pesky countries that drive on the left side of the road. I’d only experienced driving on the left side in one other country, Mauritius, and it ended up being pretty easy. After a couple shaky minutes, I felt right at home. It’s not too hard to do, but you have to think twice when you do everything.

In my quest to visit as many football stadiums as possible, we stopped by the ground of Auckland City FC, by far the most successful team in the relatively new New Zealand league, winning 4 out of 5 league titles and 13 Oceania Champions Leagues. They also recently gained worldwide notoriety after playing in the Club World Cup against Bayern Munich and getting a famous draw against Boca Juniors.

The stadium wasn’t our main destination however, it just “happened” to be on the way to Maungawhau, the highest natural point in Auckland. It was a decent walk up, and the heat was deceiving. The sun was real powerful here. It made sense, December was summertime down here and we (Emily) paid the price for our (her) lack of planning (Notice the sunburn later).

Maungawhau is a volcanic cone which blew its lid almost 25,000 years ago. The crater is huge, no photos do it justice. The main selling point of this were the beautiful, panoramic views of Auckland.

All that walking gave us the munchies, we needed pies. In case you didn’t know, Kiwi’s are obsessed with their meat pies. They are everywhere. Every shop, cafe, corner, restaurant. Basically, they love them, and we were about to see why. Nearby was Muzza’s Pies. A small, yellow cafe located on a quiet street in the city. We waited in the short line and got to a small counter with a glass case containing what little pies remained. We went with a Mince Pie and a Mince, Cheese & Jalapeno Pie with 2 cans of L&P and took them outside to the tiny white chairs sat out front.

The pies were great. A buttery, flaky crust surrounded the hot gravy and and minced beef inside. It was very flavorful and the Jalapeno pie had a surprising amount of spice to it. The L&P’s were also great. We had seen that these were a New Zealand favorite and had to try it. It was basically a if a Lacroix and a light lemonade had a baby. After all the climbing in the heat, they hit the spot, until we saw how much sugar was in them. Oh well, we’re on vacation.

For dinner we would be going to an Auckland favorite, Ahi. Here they were dedicated to showcasing the best of New Zealand’s diverse culinary culture through fresh, local ingredients. Perfect.

We wandered around the Commercial Bay mall until stumbling upon the restaurant. It ended up being a lot harder to find than it had to be, but the mall was filled with street food options and the smells were incredible. We end up in a mall most places we go, so it had to checked off in Oceania anyway.

The actual restaurant was incredible. We walked in to an open floor with entire length windows showcasing a 180 degree view of the surrounding city. Behind us was the kitchen, which was completely open for all customers to see. We spent a good chunk of the time watching the chefs meticulously prepare the dishes. There was even a chef that spent a massive chunk of time using tweezers to place flowers on each dish. It felt like we were in The Menu.

I ordered a glass of Mature Vino Pino Noir from Rippon Winery and Emily got herself a fun mocktail. First up was a fresh Te Matuku oyster with garden granita and Morningside cider. The garden granita was essentially herbs blended together and frozen into a a slush on top. The waitress came over with a gun and shot some foam on top, which ended up being the Morningside cider.

Next, White Asparagus with Buffalo Mozzarella, chicken wafers, green peppercorn, and smoked hazelnuts. Again, super fresh and every aspect of the dish had distinct but complementary flavors.

And finally for our Main, a Lumina lamb rump & shoulder with Courgette carpaccio, nasturtium , and Kawakawa. Yeah, it sounded foreign to us too. Basically, it’s lamb with thinly sliced zucchini, flower, and Maori plant. New Zealand is famous for its lamb. If you’ve been to any fancy restaurant, they surely have a NZ Rack of Lamb on the menu, so having it directly from the source was special.

Siri, play ‘Concerning Hobbits’

Next morning we loaded up into the rental and took a 2 hour drive down south towards a special village. The winding roads through rolling, grassy hills and quaint, country farms gave us a sneak peak of the magical realm we were about to enter. Emily and I had binged the Lord of the Rings movies just a couple days before flying, so our minds could only see The Shire everywhere we turned.

Eventually a road sign, Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, and a big green bus plastered with Hobbiton branding pulling out of a parking lot. Something told us we had arrived. It was either that or the millions of people that had congregated outside the waiting area. We signed in and got a ticket for our tour which was in an hour. We hung around and got a Meat Pie from the cafe on site, shocking.

As our time came, we lined up and got on our big green bus plastered with Hobbiton branding. On the short drive to set, our guide told us stories of cast members coming by and doing this tour, and showed a little documentary of how the area was picked out and built the set.

Soon enough, we arrived. We walked down a small, dirt path that winded through the trees. Eventually emerging through in an opening, the famous sign, Hobbiton.

Enjoy the photo dump. It was an incredible experience, made even better by the fact we’d just seen the movies. It’s one of those places that transcend reality and make you feel like magic is real, similarly to Disney World.

The tour ended at the Green Dragon Inn for a pint of Hobbit beer. This was a fun little moment, topped off with the fact that we had now officially had a beer on every continent (except for you Antarctica, maybe one day).

Now it was time to get back into the trusty rental and drive another 2 hours to the city of Rotorua. It was late and we were hungry. A quick search showed that Eat Street was the place to be in Rotorua. This was a walkable food court with restaurants of all kinds. We went with Brew Craft Beer Pub for some homely food, New Zealand Steak over Chips and a pint of a New Zealand Pale Ale.

Before heading back to our AirBNB, we went to load up on snacks at Pak ‘n Save, which I assume is like the Walmart of food here. We had a funny encounter as we were leaving. I must have pulled too close to a Māori family, full with traditional face tattoos and everything. The large lady proceeded to stick out her tongue and eye my down, leading to the famous quote, “I almost got haka’d on by a Māori lady at a Pak ‘n Save in Rotorua”. Just a couple days ago that would have been pure gibberish to us.

Geothermal Wonderland

Rotorua is a geothermal town, similar to when we went to Hveragerði in Iceland. Because of this, it reeks like eggs everywhere. I’m not joking. it absolutely stinks. Everywhere.

Kuirau Park was just one of many geothermal hotspots in the area, with scorching hot springs bubbling and sizzling away. It was a cool little spot to go for a walk, but once you’ve seen one hot spring, I think you’ve seen them all.

Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve was like the previous place but on steroids.

Whakarewarewa Redwoods Forest

That night we had, probably our favorite meal of the trip. Nestled away about a 5 minute walk from Eat Street is Number 8 Wire, an unassuming, hole in the wall restaurant.

I ordered the the Hawkes Bay Rack of Lamb with a Port Wine Jus sauce and a red wine from the local winery, Volcanic Hills. The lamb had been raised and butchered about 3 hours from the restaurant, and the wine was made less than 30 minutes away. It was absolutely incredible, one of my favorite meals throughout these travels we’ve done. These are the moments I wish I was a better writer to better portray how it was. You could taste the freshness. It tasted real. It was meaty, tender. The jus was rich and a perfect complement to the lamb.

The South Island

The next day we’d be flying out of the tiny Rotorua Airport to hop on over to New Zealand’s Southern Island. When I say tiny, I mean tiny. There was one gate, no security, and maybe like 3 guys outside that brought the plane in and checked everything.

Don’t get me wrong, the North Island was a great time, but the South Island was magical in comparison.

We’d be staying an Airbnb in Queenstown, right on Lake Wakatipu, overlooking The Remarkables mountain Range. To say the views were remarkable would be an understatement but, then again, for the next couple of days I could say the same thing at any time and it would be true.

We put our bags away and took the rental on a scenic drive following the lake to Glenorchy. I really wish I was a more talented writer, so I could write beautiful poetry to you about the endless mountain ranges, the milky turquoise blue lake water, the winding roads that went up and down, or the lush green trees that dotted the landscapes. But I’m not. So I’ll say this instead. This was the most beautiful drive I have ever done.

Glenorchy was a tiny town that sat on Lake Wakatipu at the base of the Humboldt mountains. We parked up at the scenic walkway and went for a stroll. If I could bottle this air up and sell it, I’d be a millionaire. It just felt fresh.

At one point I went to press Emily to pose with the ultrasound of our baby, and an older Asian lady pointed and smiled, “Oh, Baby. Baby!”. She then grabbed the arm of a man in her group who was holding a big, expensive camera and pressed him to take a photo of us with Emily’s iPhone. He pointed the phone at us and did some tweaking with settings I’ve never seen before and handed it back. Kind people everywhere.

Back at the AirBnb and only a beautiful 5 minute walk down the lake was Altitude Brewing. Nestled on the lake with a backdrop of mountains, it’s one of the most scenic breweries we’ve visited. Untappd ratings out of 5:

Queenstown Lager – Lager – 3.00
Mischievous Kea – IPA – 4.25
First Ascent – Pilsner – 4.50

Milford Sound

The next day we were up bright and early at 6am for a day of adventure. This wasn’t any adventure, this was the adventure to do while in New Zealand: the Milford Sound. This was an all day, 10 hours of driving tour that we booked.

Our tour guide for the day was an Irish guy that moved to New Zealand and never went back. I wish I remembered his name, he was the perfect guide for the day. It’s a grueling task to, not only drive that distance, but to keep a minivan filled with people entertained for that long of a time, and he smashed orit. His knowledge of New Zealand’s history, animals, and plants was so interesting.

The first major stop was on our roadtrip was Te Anau, the last town before the Milford Sound.

We stopped outside a restaurant for lunch which, I’m assuming, the tour company has a deal with so that people will go inside. Earlier in the drive we had got talking to the guide about food and he recommended we skip the tour restaurant and walk 5 minutes down the road to Miles Better Pies. He said the Venison and Plum Pie here is the best pie he’d ever eaten.

The coldest, purest water I’ve ever drank

This particular stop was the greatest moment of the trip for me. The most, holy shit this is gorgeous moment.

Our guide was really passionate about conservation and New Zealands wildlife, and constantly mentioned the Kea. He told us how endangered there are now, only about 5,000 left in the wild. We were lucky enough to see a couple, living up to their reputation, trying to destroy somebodies car.

It already felt like we’d had the tour with everything we’d seen, but now we had finally made it to the Milford Sound itself. There were millions of people here, unloading from bus after bus. We waited in a terminal until our number was called, then loaded onto the ship that would take us up and down the Sound.

If the entire trip had been just this, it would have been worth it.

Wine Country

Over the next couple of days, we’d be driving north, stopping at a new town each night. For the first day of our great Northern Migration we’d be doing our own tour of Central Otago, one of the many world renowned wine regions in New Zealand. Let me tell you, I’ve never seen so many wineries in one place in my life. Every 5 minutes there were signs for a different winery.

Emily obviously couldn’t drink but I had taken on the noble quest of trying many different wines and taking home the best of the best. I know, I know. I’m somewhat of a hero.

The first stop was Felton Road Winery. This place was highly regarded, so much that we had to email them and ask if we could visit. On the tour with us was a French family that drove up in an RV. If you drew a traditional old French family it would be these people, and they absolutely reeked of cheese. It was a standard winery tour. We were taken around the premises, lectured about the grapes, and shown the process of creating the wines. Then came the tasting.

We didn’t tell the tour guide in time that Emily wouldn’t be tasting, and her first pour had to be dumped, prompting the old French man to tut and sigh. It was hilarious. They get a bad rep, but I love the French. The wine here was actually amazing. I ended up buying a bottle of the Felton Road 2023 Calvert Pinot Noir. Maybe in 5 years when we open it we’ll do a review.

Next on our stop was Carrick Winery. This wasn’t a traditional winery, it was more of a restaurant. We didn’t want any food and headed out back to an amazing overlook of the valley. Here, we ordered wine from a truck and looked out over the lake. I couldn’t tell you what I got, but it was decent, not as good as Felton, but still decent.

Next up was Mt. Difficulty Wines. There was no tour here, but I went with a tasting of multiple wines. Now I know almost nothing about wine. I know if I like something, but I have no idea about all the terminology and intricacies of what makes a good wine. This tasting was just me and the bartender. He would talk like 5 minutes describing a single wine then pour me a taste and just stare at me. What are you supposed to do in a situation like this. I tried my best. Swirl the wine around the glass, think real hard when tasting it, give a slight nod of the head, “Ah yes. Good”. They actually were good too, I just didn’t know how to say it.

I ended up buying a bottle of the Mt Difficulty 2021 Ghost Town Syrah. We’ll include it in the review of our New Zealand wines in 5 years time. Great place, still not as good as Felton though.

That Wanaka Tree

I’d had all the wine I could stomach, it was time to get to our first overnight stop, Wanaka. A tree here had gone viral. Yes, a tree. So much so that it gained the nickname “That Wanaka Tree”. Located on Lake Wanaka (creative name), it sits out on the water with a stunning backdrop of the Southern Alps. There were a ton of people here, all getting that perfect Instagram photo. It is a beautiful spot. The water is so blue, I still couldn’t get that out of my head. The air is cool and fresh. Its the type of air you want to breathe in all the time.

National Pie Dish

We’d already had many examples of the New Zealand national dish. How could we not? Pies were everywhere. But in our rankings of the greatest national dishes in the world, we only wanted to count the best, and that took us to Kai Pai Bakery in Wanaka. This little bakery was the recipient of a gold medal for their Mince and Cheese Pie at the 27th NZ Bakels Supreme Pie Awards. Yeah they have Pie competitions here, loads of them.

The bakery itself was a small shop located off the beaten road. Like any other bakery, their arrangement of pies sat behind a glass cage, tempting you in with their smells. And trust me, it smelled incredible in here.

There was only one option for us, the Mince and Cheese, only $5 a pie. It looked like any other of the 10 pies we’d eaten since being in New Zealand, and that wasn’t a bad thing. The crust was buttery and flaky. The beef inside was tender and covered in a rich beefy gravy and creamy, melted cheese. This was some real home cooked comfort food, I could eat these all day.

We both agreed, our favorite pie of the trip, slightly edging out the Venison and Plum pie in Te Anau.

Wanaka was such a nice, little town. We spent our time walking along the waterfront, ate some slow cooked meat at Big Fig Wanaka and drank at Wanaka Brew Bar. I even got a tattoo to commemorate visiting 6 continents.

Oh yeah and we stopped by the “stadium” of the local football team, Wanaka FC, a small 3rd division side that had beaten all odds and just been promoted to the 2nd division.

Tekapo

Next up in our northern journey was Lake Tekapo, a 2.5 hour drive north. These seem like long hours to be driving, but the scenery here is just unreal. Even though we’d been here for a bit now, we were still in awe of just everything. In terms of pure beauty, I think only Iceland rivals it.

We stopped at Lake Pukaki at the Mt Cook Alpine Salmon Shop. If I smell salmon within a 5 miles radius, I’m hunting it down and eating it, and this wasn’t any type of salmon. This was salmon from Cooks water. Who is Cook you may ask? You’ll find out later. Yeah the salmon was great, really fresh.

Tekapo is a tiny town, but it was gorgeous. The photos do the water no justice, it is the most milky, turquoise color you can imagine.

For dinner we sat on the lake and had a food truck, The Better Batter, for some NZ Style Fish and Chips. Everyone raved about this place online, but I thought it was pretty mediocre. The fish was small and mostly greasy batter, and the chips were just mid. Maybe I’ve just been spoiled with Yorkshire Fish and Chips.

The view weren’t too bad though.

Tekapo is located within one of the largest dark sky reserves in the world. Because of the minimal light pollution, it’s one of the best places in the world to stargaze. It’s so good, that you can often see the milky way with your naked eye. We had bad look when it came to astronomical beauties. We’d been promised Northern Lights in Iceland and missed out on that, but this would be different.

We piled into a clunky van and drove up the hills until stopping in the middle of nowhere. Once there, the guides sat us around in a circle and talked about the stars for 20 minutes, showed us Saturn in the telescope, took a photo, then called it a night. We did not see the milky way. 0/2.

Getting Cooked on Cook

Today was the day. We’d been talking about him the entire trip: Cook. Mt Cook / Aoraki is the tallest mountain in New Zealand and home to an absolutely beautiful hike, the Hooker Valley Trail.

I’d been tracking the weather for the past couple of days. One day it looked good, the other, not so good. As we got closer, rainclouds and rainbows loomed over the mountains.

And as we turned into the park, it became all too clear to us that the hike would be closed. Rain dumped down as we twisted and turned through the hills, crossed one lane bridges, and hugged the coastline of Lake Pukaki. We were surrounded by huge, snow capped mountains on either side and, occasionally, Cook peaked through, taunting us.

There was still a visitor center which we read about the area, including books filled with people who died trying to climb Cook. I mean there were like 7 of these things filled with pages of people dying. “John Smith made it halfway then fell down a ravine and was never seen again”, that type of shit.

We also sat down at the Old Mountaineers Cafe for the most New Zealand meal we could conjure up: Mince and Cheese Pie, L&P, and a Lolly Cake. You cant get more Kiwi than that. We’d heard about Lolly Cakes since we landed, but could never find one. They’re real popular over here, but we thought it tasted strange. Very sweet and chalky.

Luckily for us, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, there was still a hike we could do: the Tasman Glacier View Track, a small 30ish min hike that gave us incredible views of Tasman Lake and the surrounding mountains. It wasn’t Hooker Valley, but it scratched that hiking itch for us.

It was absolutely pouring it down and freezing. We loved it and joked around saying it’ll be a great story to tell our child, “Your Mum was such a badass that at 4 months pregnant she hiked up the side of a New Zealand mountain in the freezing rain”.

We got back to our car and changed out of our cold, wet clothes before beginning the 3 hour drive back to Queenstown for a last afternoon in New Zealand before we flew back home.

We walked around downtown Queenstown, bought some souvenirs, and stopped at Mrs Ferg for a Hokey Pokey Gelato. Hokey Pokey is a popular flavor in New Zealand, essentially vanilla with honeycomb toffee. You can’t go wrong with those flavors, it was so tasty.

Chile

Mountain Wine

June 5th 2024 – June 8th 2024

Table of Contents

Chile was the 4th and final country in our 2024 South American Trip. To start from the beginning, click here.

Over the Andes and into a National Dish

The flight to Chile was a fun one. We would be going over the famous Andes Mountains. Luckily for us, we had just watched Society of the Snow, which told the story of a Uruguayan rugby team that crash landed into the Andes and resorted to cannibalism to survive. Were we ready to eat other people? Would it count as a National Dish?

About an hour into the trip, the pilot came on the speaker. We only understood one word, “Andes”. It was repeated in English, which gave us the full context, “Intense turbulence expected as we fly over the Andes Mountains”. Fear set in. We began to sweat at the thought.

In reality, it wasn’t bad at all. Our flight path was made to avoid the mountains as much as possible, so we only went over a small part of them. What we saw though was incredible. Massive snow capped mountains went on for as far as the eye could see, a great introduction to the last country of this trip.

The neighborhood we were staying in was beautiful: Bellavista. Located right at the base of San Cristóbal Hill, it was filled with restaurants, colorful buildings, artisan markets, and bars with people out front trying to pull you in.

Our mission for the night was food, shocking. The National Dishes in South America had mostly disappointed thus far (except Argentina), and it was up to Chile to redeem the others and end on a high note. Lucky for us, Bellavista hosted one of the most iconic places in Santiago for this Chilean specialty, Galindo.

I had researched what this dish months before traveling here so we both knew what it was, but we couldn’t help but laugh after reading the menu. Pastel de Choclo was yet another cornbread type dish, similar to the Sopa Paraguaya and Chipa in Paraguay. These South Americans really loved their cheesy bread. Unlike Sopa, however, Choclo had a little more umph to it. It wasn’t actually cheesy bread, but a corn casserole housing ground beef, chicken, onions, egg, raisons, and olives.

The bright yellow layer of cheese created a strong contrast to the dark, stone bowl it was served in. The vibes were great. It was a cool, dark night and we were seated outside with San Cristóbal Hill looming in the distance. We both had a glass of our first Chilean wine as we cheers’d and celebrated successfully having each National Dish.

We each took a spoonful and had similar neutral reactions. It was okay, but wasn’t redemption for South America. The corn flavor was overbearing and the bottom was watery, which was a little strange. With the amount of ingredients, you’d think it would be more flavorful, but it was really just warm, creamy liquid with bits of boiled chicken.

We also ordered a Caldillo de Congrio, a rich seafood stew made with Conger Eel. This was another unique, special Chilean dish. It was definitely better than the Choclo. This was our first time eating eel, and we liked it. It wasn’t fishy at all, and the fresh, bright broth really made it an enjoyable experience.

Wine Tour Wasted

When in Chile, there’s only one thing you must do. A wine tour. They’re famous for it and, spoiler alert, there’s a reason why. It’s damn good. We opted for a tour in the Maipo Valley, known for their Cabs.

A bus showed up at our hotel at 6am and we were ready to roll. First up was Campo La Quirinca, a small farm to table winery right in the heart of Isla de Maipo. They operated here like a farm, finding ways to be sustainable in their winemaking. For example, they grow cork trees with future efforts to use them to cork their own bottles.

The tour started early and we had not eaten anything and were sat down at a table with nuts, dried fruit, potato chips, all which came from the farm, to taste with our wine. The wines were complex with lots of earthy notes and rich with berry flavors. We couldn’t look into our future to see how much wine we would actually be consuming, so at this point everything put in front of us was subsequently downed. My favorite was the Camenere Gran Reserve.

Looking back now, we didn’t want to jump the gun and buy a bottle at the first winery we visited, but we really should have here. This was the best wine we had the entire day (and not just saying that because the day gets blurrier as we keep drinking).

We hopped into the bus and head over to the next winery, Santa Ema. Here, everyone was really starting to feel the wine and people started to get to know each other. There was an older German couple, a couple from Brazil, the Americans from Texas, and the local Chilean. We began to get to know the Canadian couple in our group and had conversations about travel, wine, and of course football. The guy was, unfortunately, a delusional Arsenal fan and had some laughable opinions about the game.

The wine here was pretty good. We had a couple of empty glasses placed in front of us and for each new pour, our host gave an in depth description of the grapes and process that went into creating it. I remember a Chardonnay, a Merlot, and a Carmenere (we’ll talk in detail about later about this special type of wine).

This time we stumbled into the bus and headed to our next winery, TerraMater. This stop was for optional wine and food, which we of course did. We ordered a plate of Machas a La Pamesana and a bottle of their Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel, because why not. The clams were delicious, a Chilean specialty as our host said. I want to tell you the wine was great, but I honestly don’t remember.

For our last and final stop, we crawled onto the bus and headed to the largest and most famous winery of the region, Undurraga. It was immediately apparent this was the big dog of the area. The property was huge and the production here was larger than any of the other places.

There was a little counter here selling snacks, which I desperately needed. I asked our guide what the most Chilean thing I could order was and he said a Chaparrita. Take a wild guess what it is. If you guessed another goddamn Hot Dog, you’d be correct. Except this time it’s wrapped in pastry. It was actually pretty good.

Again, we were given mini glasses and had pours and again, I couldn’t tell you what any of them tasted like. But they were good enough for me to purchase two of their bottles, a 2021 Founder’s Collection Carmenère and a 2022 Terroir Hunter Carignan. The Carmenère grape is Chile’s signature grape. It was long thought to be extinct by the French, but showed up in Chile back in the 1990s and has been an important part of Chilean wine ever since.

And that was the end of the tour! It was a great time spent with lots of amazing wines and great people (besides the Arsenal fan).

As if we hadn’t done enough for the day, a reservation that night opened up at Peumayén Ancestral Food and we couldn’t pass up on it. This was a fascinating restaurant that focused on showing off indigenous Chilean food throughout history. This was presented through a tasting menu which showed off Chilean cuisine throughout all regions.

The first course included traditional breads found throughout Chile, going from those found in the Northern provinces to the Southern provinces as you go left to right. I honestly couldn’t tell you what any of these were or what they tasted like, but our waiter went into great detail on each and everyone of these little balls of dough. All I could think in the moment was getting them to sponge up the wine in my belly.

The next course was the starters, brought out and presented on a slate. From left to right: Corn Pastry with Azapa Olives and Cancha Powder, Roasted Paprika in Kalatanta and Goat Cheese with Ulmo Honey, Blood Sausage with Onion Jam, Red Wine, and Merkén, and Salmon Tartare with Mango and Chañar Sauce.

Then came the Main course. From left to right, Chochoca stuffed with Eggplant and Mushroom, Algarrobina Pork, Smoked Caldillo with Shellfish and Conger Eel.

And finally, dessert. Mote with Dried Peach, Profiterole with Lucuma and Milk Candy Sauce with Pisco, and a Papaya Pie.

It was such an amazing experience. I can’t go into detail on how every bite tasted (because I have no idea), but I do remember being so surprised at how much flavor was packed into each little bite.

Moving on Up in the World

The next morning we woke up (somehow) and headed out into the beautiful neighborhood that surrounded us. The weather was perfect. It was hard to think that only a couple days ago we were sweating our asses off in Paraguay.

Emily’s goal to visit coffee shops around the world led us to Encanto El Eje, a quaint cafe that is designed to pull in those who want an Instagram photo. In fact, there was a younger couple filming a TikTok video right next to us. I get it though, it’s a beautiful cafe filled with greenery and flowers, coffee bags hang from the ceiling, bright lights illuminate the name, and the Colombian flag is ever present.

Looming over us in the distance since we arrived was San Cristóbal. It was destiny that we would arrive at the top at some point. Luckily for us, it was only a short walk to the famous Funicular de Santiago. This thing is over 100 years old, taking people to the top of San Cristóbal since 1925. We bought our tickets and poured into the bright red car that would creak its way to the top, going diagonally up the side of hill.

At the top, the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception on San Cristóbal Hill, a massive statue of the Virgin Mary and one of the main places of Catholic worship in Chile. The views up here of Santiago and the Andes Mountains were incredible. It really gave perspective just how massive the city was.

Capilla La Maternidad de María

We opted to go on the Santiago Cable Car for the way back down the hill. These things weren’t a hundred years old, they’d actually been renovated 8 years prior. Again, I could go on forever about how beautiful the views were. Something about mountains surrounding a large, metropolitan city that’s so pleasing on the eye.

Hotdog from Hell

We’d eaten a good amount of Hot Dogs on our travels throughout South America. It’s something you wouldn’t imagine being popular down here, similar to Iceland’s obsession with them. The Choripan in Argentina was incredible, the Pancho in Uruguay was meh, but the one that scared me the most was the Completo.

Fuente Alemana was our stop for this horrifying creation. The great Anthony Bourdain visited here in his exploration of Santiago, stopping by for a Lomito, a similarly decadent creation drowned in mayonnaise. We weren’t here for that though, we wanted that dog.

It was a lively atmosphere. Waiters were running around blasting through customers like an assembly line. The grill was sizzling, chefs yelling out order. A line had started to form outside as we were seated, it was getting busy.

And then out it came. The Hot Dog Completo, my own personal hell. You wouldn’t guess there was a hot dog underneath it all. An absolute monumental amount of mayonnaise sat on top of tomatos, mashed avocado, and eventually, a hot dog. I couldn’t take more than a couple bites. No human should eat that amount of mayonnaise. Am I being dramatic? Yes. I hate mayonnaise, so it’s my fault for thinking this would be any different, but you have to put aside any past biases to experience local cuisines.

Emily liked it far more than me, and after wiping off about 75% of the mayonnaise, we were able to finish it. Chile, you have some explaining to do about this whole mayonnaise obsession.

Tourists in Santiago

La Chascona was the home of beloved Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner, Pablo Neruda. We were recommended to visit here by the Hotel staff. The man lived a hell of a life, and it was nice little look into Chilean history.

We spent the night hitting bars around the neighborhood. Snowbar in particular was a fun spot.

The Final Day in South America

Plaza de Armas

For our final Chilean meal, we went to the historic Emporio Zunino. Opened in 1930, its been in the same family ever since, becoming a staple in Santiago. There was a ton of people here. We had to get in line, order, get a ticket, bring the ticket to a cash register, pay, then wait for one of the men in the old timey white outfits to say our number.

There was only thing we could order, their specialty, the Empanada de Pino. The pastry looked great. It had that rustic, homemade feeling to it.

Mercado Central

End of South America 2024

Paraguay

The Rise of Paraguayan Jesus

Asunción, Paraguay

June 3rd 2024 – June 5th 2024

Table of Contents

Paraguay was the third country in our 2024 South American Tour. If you want to start from the beginning, click here.

I knew nothing about Paraguay. Actually, I knew one thing: the footballer Roque Santa Cruz. That was it, and I’m not sure that would help out much.

Early Impressions

Silvio Pettirossi International Airport was smaller and older than the airport in Buenos Aires, but that was fine, it meant we got through immigration real fast. We stepped outside and took our first couple of breathes in Asuncion. Is there anything better than those first moments in a new country? Our first two Uber’s cancelled on us as soon as they arrived at the airport but the third time was indeed a charm.

A small, old man hopped out of his small, old car and grabbed our cases. He had a warm smile and callused hands. As we drove further from the airport, it became more in line with what I was expecting from South America. It was rural and poor compared to what we had seen in Argentina. It also felt more tropical. Palms and ferns lined the streets. The dirt was a bright orange. You could just tell that in the summer, it got real hot here.

We checked in to our hotel and took a quick walk around the area.

Experiencing Paraguayan Cuisine

El Café de Acá was constantly recommended as one of the top restaurants in Asuncion, and luckily for us, it was only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The vibes inside were great. A really homely and tropical atmosphere.

Shortly after we were handed a large, ice cold metal jug of water and a smaller cup filled with green herbs. This was Tereré, an iconic drink that dates back to the native Guarani people of Paraguay. Our waiter spoke little English and we speak little Spanish, so the explanation of how to drink it was a fun experience. Essentially, we had to pour water into the cup of herbs, wait for it to soak up, pour a little more, drink, and repeat. It was strong. An intense mint flavor hits you like a truck. Any travel fatigue I had was immediately erased. The combination of intense herbal flavors and ice cold water was incredibly refreshing. I could get down with some Tereré in the USA, lets make it a thing please.

Next up were the Mbeju, which are also very popular in Paraguay, and Paraguay, I am sorry. These were not the moves. It was like eating a combination of chalk and cheese. So dry that I found it hard to swallow. We also had a basket filled with Pastel Mandi’o (small empanadas), Bombitas de Chipa (more balls of cheese), and Paraguaya de Carne (greasy patties of soft beef). Honestly, they were all kind of meh. Nothing special, but nothing awful about them. But there was no need to worry, the main event was coming up.

Sopa Paraguaya is the National Dish of Paraguay. This is why we were here. We’d had 23 National Dishes before this, and here was number 24. Upon first glance, it looked like it would just be cornbread. However after dipping our spoon in and getting a chunk of it….Yeah, it’s actually just cheesy cornbread. I really don’t know know how else to describe it.

Diving in to that Paraguayan Sopa (cornbread)

Not to say that it was bad. It was actually quite tasty, but there’s only so much you can do with cornbread. It was moist, cheesy, and hearty. The type of wholesome dish your Grandma would make.

The Factoria Hotel

Our home for the next two nights would be the beautiful Factoria Hotel, an old factory renovated into an amazing rustic hotel. Greeting us at the entrance was a collection of antique knick knacks and photos that had been kept from the original factory. Outside was our favorite.

That night we stopped by the local brewery, Sacramento Brewing Co. The beers were okay, nothing too special, but it was an enjoyable experience, and the surrounding street area, Santisimo Sacramento, was beautiful.

My Untappd ratings out of 5 from Sacramento Brewing.

Churro Campana – Blonde: 3.50
Arriero – Porter: 4.0
Shamingo – Pale Ale: 3.75
La Chuchi – Helles: 3.25
La Correli – Red Ale: 3.25
Mita’i Churi – NEIPA: 4.25

Downtown Asuncion Tour

The next day would be a busy one. We had a lot planned, so the only way to start the day was with a nice cup of coffee at a local cafe.

That cafe would be St. Martin. We loved it here. A tiny cafe on a back road. It just felt like South America. The coffee and breakfast we had here was incredible, but the standout was definitely the Alfajores. Argentinians close your ears because you wont want to hear this. This one was better than anything we had in Buenos Aires, and was by the far the best of the trip. We could’ve spent forever here. Great coffee, great good, peaceful location. Highly recommend.

Fun fact about the photo below, it wasn’t until after I snapped the shot that I looked down and saw a dead kitten next to me. Pointing it out to Emily maybe wasn’t the best idea, and every time we laughed it ended with “Aw, but the kitten”.

Our activity for the day was a tour of downtown Asuncion by a local, Mateo. We had success using ToursbyLocals in Malaysia, and wanted to try it again. Spoiler alert, we had another incredible guide.

We arrived to our meetup point, Plaza de los Heroes, early and decided to sit in the park. Of all the things we enjoy doing on our travels, we shameless like to people watch.

Mateo showed up and introduced himself. He seemed around the same age as Emily and I, was born here in Asuncion, and loved History. This was apparent as he went into a 10 minute monologue on the founding of Asuncion. It was interesting to listen to. Living in America, especially for Emily being born there, you’re only really taught American history. Hearing in depth historical events about a smaller country like Paraguay that, to this day, affect the country, brings so much perspective about the larger world. Anyway, this monologue transitioned into the building next to us, Panteon Nacional de los Heroes. It was here that all the founders of Paraguay, and those who fought for its independence are buried.

That was the crazy thing about Paraguay. Its history is plagued with people and countries trying to invade them. You could see this best at Casa de la Independencia Museum. Mateo told us this is one of the only original buildings from Asuncion’s colonial past before the Spanish burnt the city to the ground. I wasn’t joking about everyone trying to invade them. The Spanish invaded. Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay formed an alliance in the 1860’s to invade. Bolivia has tried to invade (I got the hint that people didn’t really like Bolivians here). But here Paraguay still stood as its own independent country, and this little courtyard with a single tree represented the power of its people to fight. It was quite beautiful really.

We continued walking and talking around the city. Asuncion was an interesting, little place. It seemed modern, yet at the same time not. Most buildings didn’t seem to aged, but the streets and sidewalks were filled with holes.

The tour climaxed at the Presidential Palace, named after Carlos Antonio Lopez, the first President of Paraguay. Mateo was very proud of this place and the story he told. He had been telling us about President Lopez the entire time, starting at the mausoleum where he is held, and now here we were at his massive palace. You could tell this was an important man to Paraguayans, especially History enthusiasts like Mateo.

Emily causing chaos in the old courthouse

The tour had been long, and it was a hot day. I asked Mateo if you every get used to the heat. “Never” was his reply. It wasn’t even the hot season yet and I was drenched in sweat. Our bodies and brains were ready to tap out. Luckily for us, the last stop involved a bucket of ice cold Paraguayan beer. I had drank a Pilsnen the other night at the hotel, but it hit different now that I was close to death. We sat, drank, and chatted about our lives. At one point I had referred to the USA as ‘America’. Mateo was not a fan of this, “You are not America. We are also America.” I couldn’t fault him, he was right. Different perspectives like that are what make travelling so great.

The Story of Paraguayan Jesus and Club Guarani

We love to visit local football games wherever we go. Well, it’s more like I love to go and Emily likes to see me happy. So naturally, we found there was a local team (Club Guarani) playing and we wanted to go. Now let me tell you, it felt like an entire adventure trying to get into this game. Let’s start off by rewinding to before the tour of Asuncion with Mateo.

As you may have read earlier, we took an Uber to go downtown, but before going to downtown, we stopped by the the Club Guarani store where the plan was to buy a shirt and figure out how to get tickets. Something to note, I’d tried and failed multiple times the previous night to get tickets online. The Uber drops us off outside the store and drives off quickly. It didn’t look like a bad area, there was just nobody around, and much to our luck, the door was locked and the shop closed. Great. We stood around and tried to think of what to do. Just as we were about to order an Uber to take us to downtown, a man decked out in Club Guarani gear with long hair and a beard showed up. This was Paraguayan Jesus. This man spoke no English and we spoke no Spanish, but he did everything possible to try and communicate with us. We bought a shirt and then asked about getting tickets for the game later.

We managed to understand that the ticketing department are at lunch and would be here in 15 minutes. Okay great, we went to go wait outside, but were met with shaking heads, “No, no”, as they pointed inside. About 20 minutes later, Paraguayan Jesus came over to us with somebody on the phone. He had called one of his friends that spoke English who told us that we would have to get tickets before the game at a location I didn’t understand.

Fast forward to present time. We’ve done the tour and have Ubered back to the stadium. I have no idea on how to get tickets. I ask one of the many security guards how to get tickets but am meant with blank stares. Then I get a tap on the back. I turn around and it is Paraguayan Jesus. He asks on his Translate app if we have tickets. I shake my head and say No. “Come”. He cancels his Uber and we march down the street to assemble the Avengers. He talks to 2 guys selling tickets and shows how much it is. I don’t have small enough bills and only a couple larger ones. At this point, I don’t care. “Just take it”. “No” Paraguayan Jesus says as a dealer comes out of a nearby Casino and offers to split our larger bill. He comes back with smaller bills and Paraguayan Jesus counts out everything, shows us the bill he gives to the guy, and gives us the rest of our money back. We shake hands and off he went. It was amazing and we will speak of his legend for years to come.

We went back to the many security guards decked out in full gear holding assault rifles, and proudly handed our tickets. We went through a metal detector and down and concrete tunnel which lead into a large concrete area filled with rubble and a single tree. We both had a giddy laugh. It had taken a lot to get here.

We had just barely walked in when we heard a lady talking and then “Chica!”. We turned to see two older ladies wrapped up in Club Guarani gear ask us to take a photo of them. We even got a photo taken of us.

The stadium, Estadio Rogelio Livieres, was old but nice. It was mostly concrete throughout and had one stand larger than the others.

We sat next to some large flags and banners that took up the entire section. As soon as the game began, a large group of people with drums, trumpets, and other instruments took up the area and started singing and playing beats. It didn’t stop for the entire game, South Americans know how to party.

Ay halftime I saw a man walking around with a large plastic bag. Watching him for a bit, I realized that this was Chipa, yet another cheese bread that is a very popular street food. I waved him over and bought one. It was definitely cheese bread, but it hit the spot. And best of all, our entire conversation was in Spanish. “Cuanto?” “Cuatro mil” “Gracias” “Gracias”. We truly are people of the world.

Club Guarani won 3-2.

Oh and the Uber back to the hotel? My Roque Santa Cruz ball knowledge finally came in handy as the driver and I conversed about Paraguayan football in our limited ability to communicate. I knew it would be useful.

To the Next Country

And that was it for our short stay in Paraguay. Join us as we continue our journey and fly over the Andes Mountains to the next country, Chile!

Uruguay

A Ferry to the Past

Colonia del Sacramento

May 31st 2024

Table of Contents

Uruguay was the second country in our 2024 South American Tour. If you want to start from the beginning, click here.

We love a good day trip to another country. We did it in both Mexico and Malaysia and thought it was a great way to dip our toes into a different culture and check off another country from the list.

Chaotic Beginnings

We hadn’t been in Argentina for 24 hours before we planned to do a day trip across the bay to Uruguay. It was definitely one of those moments when you’re planning it you’re excited and don’t think that fatigue can ever affect you. This was the plan after traveling overnight: wake up at 5:30 am, schedule an Uber to pick us up, drive 45 minutes to the ferry terminal and get there 1.5 hours before departure like it said we had to be. As you can guess, that did not happen.

We woke up an hour late with my alarm still going off and 3 missed calls from a very angry Uber driver. I didn’t think we would make it to the terminal in time, but we sprung in to action. Clothes on. Uber bought. Passports packed. We were out the door, in an Uber, and 45 minute later at the Colonia Express terminal and through immigration. Our ticket said check in closed at 1.5 hours before. We definitely checked in later than that. Maybe we got lucky, but we got an extra hour of sleep, so that was a win win, maybe not for the missed Uber though. Sorry about that, Uber driver.

Ferry to Colonia

The terminal was small and packed to the brim with people. We didn’t know what to do, so we just sat next to a crowd of people and waited for instruction. Then suddenly, someone started speaking and the crowd shifted. We followed and started walking down a corridor which eventually led to the ferry.

The ferry was huge. Colonia Express is supposed to be the ‘budget’ option out of the ferries, and the way the reviews made it out to be, I was expecting some battered boat that could barely float, but this was nice. You are able to pick any seats you want, so we sat up near the front. It was a modern, comfy, and a smooth ride. Unless you stepped outside, then it was windy.

An easy 1 hour ride later and we could see the banks of Uruguay, country number 23 on our mission.

We made our way through the Uruguayan terminal to the familiar chorus of people offering tours and taxis. We didn’t need either of those. We had a plan. Wander around and find something interesting. We had 8 hours until our return ferry back to Argentina. The clock was ticking.

Colonia del Sacramento is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, founded all the way back in 1680. Similar to Antigua in Guatemala, the entire town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The timeline of Colonia’s existence is actually quite funny, being passed back and forth between Spain and Portugal for a hundred years until finally becoming independent in 1828. The Spanish / Portuguese influence can be seen in the cities architecture, again similarly to Antigua.

We wanted to make our way to the Colonial District, and the first landmark in the way was the was the Historic Colonia Railway Station.

Colonial Treasure

A short walk later and we were standing on a wooden bridge in front of a large castle. Stepping through the gate was like going through a time portal. From here, the official colonial town began.

Streets became cobbled, houses became historical, old antique cars sat on on sidewalks. We were literally the only people here. Everyone else had been trapped into taking tours or guides around the town. It was so peaceful. A cool breeze from the water blew against our faces, birds chirped, and a lady swept dust outside her little store. It felt like a movie. This was the San Miguel Bastion, built in the late 17th century to protect the city from those pesky Spanish invaders.

Street Food National Dish

We wouldn’t have guessed that in this old, colonial town on cobbled streets, that we’d be eating the National Dish from a street food truck that looked like it was out of New York City. But here we were, at Mi Carrito to try the dish that represents Uruguay best, the Chivito.

A metallic, silver trailer with bright red Coca Cola signs sat next to a couple of small, red plastic chairs similar to those in Hanoi. In broken English I ordered our lunch, 1 Chivito, 1 Pancho, and 1 Pilsen cerveza. In addition to the National Dish, we had ordered a Pancho: Uruguay’s specialty hot dog. We’d recently had Argentina’s specialty hot dog, the Choripan, and wanted to compare. Apparently South Americans are really into hot dogs, who knew?

A man in the trailer ushered me over, “What do you want on your Chivito?” “Everything”. We had to do it right and everything meant getting the whole deal. I watched as they assembled this beast. Peppers, mushrooms, peas, corn, cauliflower, and tomato were placed onto a slice of bread that had been covered in mayonnaise. Beef, ham and egg that had been grilled together were then placed on top and here we were: a Chivito.

School children in their navy blue uniforms came running down the street laughing and joking with each other as they fumbled in their pockets for change and bought Chivito’s. Small moments like this are so special. It’s real life. This is just a normal day for them, getting lunch at a food truck nearby, but for us it was a special experience.

We each took a side of our sandwich and took a bite. There was a lot of flavors going on. The smoky char from the meat, the sourness from the vegetables that must have been soaking in vinegar, and the creaminess from the egg all collided with each other in its bready container. It was a hearty eat, but nothing too special.

Oh, and the Pancho? Emily liked it more than the Chivito. It was simply a massive hot dog, drowned in mozzarella, mustard, and ketchup. It was basic. Don’t tell the Uruguayan’s this, but Argentina’s version was better.

Back to the Ferry

We spent the rest of our time in Colonia, walking around, taking in the scenery, and buying souvenirs. Oh, and we also watched a German Shepherd play in the water as his owners tried desperately to get him out.

It was a beautiful city that I’m sure doesn’t represent the whole of Uruguay, but we loved the peaceful bliss of it. Sometimes these lowkey day trips are almost like another trip within your trip.

Continue on with our 2024 South American Tour as we go back to Argentina!

Argentina

Beef and Wine

Buenos Aires

May 30th 2024 – June 3rd 2024

Table of Contents

Argentina was our first foray in to South America. The culmination of months of thinking “What if?” and “Well, we might as well”. Our Southwest Asian trip only 7 months earlier was supposed to have satisfied the desire to travel for a little longer, but instead, it made us hungrier. There were only two continents left, South America and Oceania, and we were so close to the other America, so why shouldn’t we?

Read on and adventure with us on our 2024 South American Trip.

First Impressions

After a long night of no sleep (Emily slept the entire way. Shocking.), we landed at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires. This was country number 22 and our fifth continent.

After an hour drive from the airport we arrived in our home for the next couple of days, Palermo. It was around 11am and we were the only ones out. Emily had been excitedly telling me early in the week, “Argentinians don’t leave their houses until the afternoon!” so she was quite proud her TikTok research had proven true. Obviously it was a weekday, but you do expect to see people in capital cities out and about, no matter the day.

Palermo was a cool little neighborhood located in the northern part of Buenos Aires. The streets were quaint and filled with murals and graffiti. It was beautiful and urban. Our research had led us here. Almost every recommendation we found was pointed towards Palermo, and we could immediately see why. The air was cool and crisp. We were going to like it here.

Early Eats

Back in the USA, Emily has made it her mission to visit as many different coffee shops as possible. Every Saturday or Sunday, we go to a different one nearby. This has led to the discovery of many cool little spots you wouldn’t usually find otherwise. Anyways, this tradition has carried over into our international adventures, so the first thing we had to do in Argentina was find a nearby spot, and luckily for us, Full City Coffee was a short walk away. It was also our first chance to try the Alfajore, an South American cookie with Dulce de Leche inside. We went with the almond version and it was great. The coffee was average.

Next, it was time for some Argentinian lunch and there was only one spot on our mind. Earlier in the day, a little yellow corner shop had caught our eye. Chori specializes in an Argentinian favorite, Choripan.

We went with the Chori de Cancha, sausage with chimichurri. It’s essentially a hot dog with an Argentinian twist, and is a very popular street food or something to eat while watching a soccer game. A sausage is sliced down the middle, thrown on a grill, and loaded up with chimichurri. Simple as that. The bread was crusty, the sausage smoky and fatty, and the chimichurri gives it a fresh, spicy kick.

Satisfied and full, we did what we always do when visiting a new area, walked around and explored. And there were some pretty cool spots.

Hotel Boutique Rugantino

During our time in Argentina, we’d be staying in a small Boutique hotel nestled away in Palermo. Rugantino was wonderful. Walking in you immediately smelled fresh bread, as it was made every day to be served at breakfast, alongside homemade jams and preservatives. Its tiny courtyard was filled with vines of all colors; green, orange, red, yellow. We walked up a small staircase and down a corridor overlooking the courtyard to get to our room. Inside, the room was decorated with vintage movie posters and looked over the street. We immediately fell asleep.

Our First Asado Experience

Argentinians eat late. Real late compared to us. I’m talking anywhere from 7pm onward. Because of this, certain places do special Happy Hours at times that Argentinians can’t comprehend eating at: 6pm. Luckily for us, that’s when we usually eat, and even luckier for us, a nearby barbeque spot, La Cabrera, had a great 40% off Happy Hour deal going on.

The process to get into this Happy Hour was quite interesting in itself. We showed up to La Cabrera at 5pm, where a line had already formed. Once we got to the hostess, we gave her our name and how many people were in the party. “Come back here at 6:15” she replied. Our name was on the list and our foot in the door.

Now, before we get into the actual food, it’s important to understand the significance of Argentinian barbeque. Every neighborhood has their local Parilla, or grill. Here, at these Parilla’s, is where the Asado experience is had. Asado is not only Argentina’s National Dish, it’s also not only just a way of grilling meat, it’s a cultural and social event where family, friends, and even strangers come together and share food together.

Now that you’ve got an idea of how special Asado is, let’s get back to La Cabrera at 6:15pm. We were among the first 10 people to arrive outside of the Parilla. We stood in a group that had formed around the hostess stand and waited for something to happen. 15 minutes went by without anything happening, except now the size of the crowd around this stand had increased to around 100 people. Eventually, the hostess said something in Spanish and began reading out names. If your name was called, you raised your hand and made your way through the crowd into the restaurant. Someone jokingly raised their hand, claiming to be someone they were not which drew a laugh out of the crowd. The atmosphere was lively, everyone was having a good time. It was in this moment I started to ‘get it’, why Asado was this big, social experience.

Eventually, “Daniel”. I raised my hand and forged a path through the tightly fitted crowd and through the restaurant doors. We were escorted past a grill packed with all different meats and into the main dining room. Waiters were already bouncing from table to table taking wine orders. We were placed at a table with another young couple. Very quickly a waiter came over and gave us a local wine recommendation, which we immediately accepted.

We ordered the Entraña, or a Skirt Steak, an absolute classic here in Argentina. We made eye contact and gave each other the biggest grins. “This is so cool” we both said simultaneously. It really was one of the most incredible culinary experiences of our lives. Here we were at a steakhouse in Buenos Aires, drinking some local Malbec, eating Argentinian Skirt Steak. It was perfect.

The beef was incredible. You could taste the smokiness from the grill on its charred crust. Every now and then you’d get a salty crunch from some flaked salt. It tasted real. No artificial bullshit, just real beef.

Crossing the Bay

The next day, we crossed the bay to Argentina’s neighbors, Uruguay. You can read out that adventure here.

We ended up getting back to our hotel around 6pm and did what we do best: napped until dinner.

Messi’s Favorite Meal

Lionel Messi is a God in Argentina. You see more murals of this man on walls, buildings and sidewalks than you do the actual Argentinian flag. And honestly, it’s not surprising. People are obsessed with football here and Messi has won it all with them, including the World Cup recently. So of course while we were here, we had to try Messi’s favorite meal, the Milanesa Napolitano. In an interview with Marca, Messi talked about this Argentine dish:

Just like most people, Messi enjoys some of his mother’s dishes, most of all her milanesas, similar to schnitzel.

“I think it’s because of the sauce that she puts on top,” Messi explained. “I’ve eaten a lot of them, but the ones I eat at my house with that sauce… Others have tried them and said that they’re very good – really!”

Now we were at El Club de la Milanesa, and it was time to see what Messi was hyping up. In case you didn’t know, Milanesa is beef that has been pounded down, breaded, and fried. The Napolitano version includes a tomato sauce on top with mozzarella.

I thought it was okay. Emily loved it. Try to imagine how breaded beef with tomato sauce and mozzarella tastes. That’s exactly what it tasted like.

The Coolest Library in the World

One of the goals for this trip was very simple: get some banging Empanadas. That goal had brought us to La Morada, a little Empanada making, hole in the wall restaurant in downtown Buenos Aires. Inside was filled with old football photos and memorabilia, specifically for one of the local teams, River Plate (we’ll talk more about them later).

I went up to a the bar and was handed a menu. Research of the place had led me to three different Empanadas: a Carne Suave (regular beef), Carne Picante (spicy beef), and Picachu (cheese and ham). They were great. Super fresh and tasty.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid

The Greatest Steakhouse in the World

A couple months prior to this trip, I signed up to be on a waitlist for one of the most famous restaurants in the world with little intention of actually getting in. Fast forward 2 months and I’d actually completely forgotten about it, until one day receiving an email saying we had been accepted. We would be going to Don Julio.

And now the sought after day had come. We dressed up real nice and took a lovely, short walk to Don Julio. The air was cool and fresh. We could hardly contain our excitement. Once we arrived, a line was already forming for reservations.

We were led into the restaurant and past a group of chefs throwing large hunks of meat onto a grill. It’s got to be a thing at these Parilla’s where you have to walk past the grill before getting to your seat.

We were sat and almost immediately given fresh bread and given options for wine. We went with a Terraces of the Andes, Plot No. 1E El Espinillo. I had no idea what that meant, but the cicerone seemed very enthusiastic about it and we love Malbecs. A quick Google search after showed that that specific plot is in an extreme altitude (over 1650 meters above sea level!), and got an almost perfect score from renowned wine critic James Suckling. Cool, I guess. We also thought it tasted great, maybe we should be wine critics.

We went with a classic Asado experience: A Provoleta, Beets, and the mother of all steaks, an Entrecot (also known as a Tomahawk). In case you skipped ahead and missed why Asado is so sacred here, it’s not just a simple meal, it’s a social and cultural experience. This was serious stuff.

First came the Provoleta, an Argentinian favorite. This is quite literally just a slab of Provolone cheese that is grilled and sprinkled with Oregano. It sounds simple, and that’s because it is, but biting in to the crispy exterior and getting a mouthful of gooey cheese was so satisfying. It was cheesy, salty, and a little herby. And we just love cheese, so it was perfect.

Then came the moment we had been waiting for. Over came our server with the beast itself. She began sharpening her Don Julio branded knife and expertly sliced the meat off the bone and onto our plates. It was a perfect Medium Rare. The crust was glistening, the meat juicy, and our stomachs rumbling. We each took a bite. My god it was good. It was so rich and just, beefy. I lathered some Chimichurri on and took another bite. Absolutely beautiful. It’s not hard to find a good steak, but there are levels that ascend them to something other worldly, and this was definitely in another universe.

5 out of 5 stars. Would definitely Don Julio again.

La Boca

The next day we dedicated to each of our favorite things, soccer and theatre. We snapped a quick photo with one of the millions of Messi murals in town and hopped in an a Uber across town to the Boca neighborhood.

In case you didn’t know, football in Buenos Aires is a serious affair. The two biggest teams in the city, Boca Juniors and River Plate, absolutely despise each other. It’s a passionate, violent rivalry that started in the early 1900’s. And with our luck, the Uber driver who would be driving us to Boca was an older man…… who loved River Plate.

He immediately asked us something in Spanish, and repeated in English once he saw our confusion, “Why are you going to Boca?” “We are touring all the stadiums, River is next”. That eased the tension as he happily told us he was River Plate. He ended being a great guy, and the drive their was filled with him just talking shit on Boca and their team. “Boca is a poor neighborhood and their stadium is tiny. River is rich and our home is huge.” Once we reached Boca, he started pointing to the buildings, “Look how poor and terrible it is here”.

It was all fun until at one point, he said very seriously, “Once it gets to 5pm you get out of here. Do not be here when it is dark”. I had heard Boca was considered the ‘bad place’ of Buenos Aires, but I actually thought it looked charming. Almost every building was painted blue and yellow in support of the team. It was a great show of unity.

We were dropped off in front of the stadium, La Bombonera, as our Uber driver gave one last scoff. It was incredible. The entire street was covered in Boca Juniors colors, flags, badges, and scarves as the famous stadium sat looming over everything.

We went inside and took the Museum tour. I was in awe. Boca Juniors is up there with one of the most iconic teams of all time. Seeing things like a shirt worn by Diego Maradona, the Copa Libertadores trophy, and boots worn by Riquelme was incredible.

Food wasn’t hard to find. Right across the street from the stadium was a small Parilla decked out in Boca memorabilia called La Glorieta de Quique. We took a seat and ordered a Choripan, a Lomito, and a giant Quilmes cerveza. We’d been to a Michelin Star steakhouse on this trip, but this might have been my favorite restaurant atmosphere so far. Behind us were four, giant, open grills filled with meat and fries.

We were handed our food quickly. It was literally just a sausage in bread (Choripan) and an entire steak lumped in a sandwich (Lomito). We lathered them both in chimichurri and dug in. It was simple, but damn it was good. The bread was so crispy and fresh, the meat was smoky, and the chimichurri was fresh and spicy. If this was my neighborhood, I’d be here all the time, and it was cheap as hell too. $5 for the Choripan and $8 for the Lomito. Can’t beat those prices.

Fancy Theatre

Later that day we had tickets for a tour around Teatro Colon, one of the most renowned opera houses in the world. It was so renowned that they didn’t have any English tours available, and instead, we were stuck in a Spanish tour. Oh well, we thought, Emily speaks a little Spanish, maybe we’ll understand a bit that’s going on. Spoiler alert: we had absolutely no idea. But that didn’t take away from how awe inspiring this place was. Similar to the Vatican City, every square inch of this place is meticulously decorated. Marble, gold, velvet, stained glass. It was fancy as can be.

The tour culminated in us sitting in our own box overlooking the concert hall. The acoustics in this place are supposed to make it one of the best places in the world to perform. Even just sitting in here and hearing ourselves and others talk, you could tell it was different.

We ended our last day in Argentina by getting a late night treat. They really love their Gelato here.

On to the Next Country

The next morning we woke up early to catch a flight to the next country on our list. It was still dark out when we came to the lobby and we were greeted by the hotel cat.

We loved our time in Argentina. It was a great introduction to South America. Join us as we continue our foray in the continent as we visit Paraguay!

Qatar

Qatari Layover

Doha

November 19th, 2023

Table of Contents

Qatar was the 8th and last country we visited in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip. If you want to read through chronologically, start here.

The End of a Dream Trip

We’d just had 3 weeks in Southeast Asia. It was the time of our lives. We’d explored 7 countries, been on 8 flights, and fallen in love with this corner of Asia. But now it was time to get home, and we were definitely ready to be back Charleston. However, first there was one last pit stop before we could enter the good ole United States. Our flight from Hanoi set off at 7pm and would take 8 hours. We were exhausted and longing for the comfort of our big bed back home.

We pulled into Hamad International Airport at 11pm, our flight would be leaving at 8am the next morning, giving us about 9 hours in Doha. I was actually pretty excited about being in Qatar. The most entertaining World Cup I can remember had just been held there, and the country seemed to be still running on that high. Even the sticker that held together our napkins was still branded with World Cup 2022 logos.

After taxiing and going through customs, I opened up Uber to get us a ride home. “All pickups from Hamad International Airport have been temporarily stopped.” Shit. When did that happen? Apparently last month, the Ministry of Transport had suspended all Uber pickups at the airport. We would have to find a Taxi.

Making our way out of baggage claim, we immediately found the Taxi area. I was impressed at the efficiency. We were guided to a room where everyone waited in an orderly line until a man pointed us to a taxi. Simple as that. No hailing one down or bartering a price. It was that easy.

A Room for an Emir

We were staying at the Ramada by Wyndham Doha Old Town, a nice, sleek modern building in the heart of Doha. It was too late and we were far too tired to appreciate the surroundings, but we could have slept on a rock bed that night and been happy. The lobby was clean and modern with photos of the Emir staring down upon us.

The receptionist told us we were staying in a very ‘special’ room. I gave an ‘Oh great’ while internally shrugging it off. That’s what every hotel says about every room they have. We got to our floor and walked to our room expecting a typical Best Western type room, but were incredibly surprised. It turns out, he wasn’t lying. Our room started with a long corridor stretching out to a massive room with a full length, 180 degree window. The walk from bed to bathroom was a workout. My first thought, ‘Damn, I wish we had more nights to appreciate this’.

Midnight National Dish

As with the Philippines, we didn’t have much time to try the National Dish. In fact, by the time we had gotten to our hotel, it was already midnight, but we couldn’t let this stop us. This was our 8th and final country of the trip, and we hadn’t failed yet.

I asked the receptionist if he could order for us, gave him the cash, and went back up to the room to fight falling asleep. Earlier in the trip I had found one of the few places in Doha still open and delivering at midnight, Majboos Al Walaida. From here we would have their famous Mutton Machboos, the national dish of Qatar.

Around 1am, a knock on the door. It was finally time, and we had both managed to stay awake. The plastic bag was heavy, really heavy. It was only supposed to feed 2 people, but felt like it was enough for an entire family.

It already smelt divine, and peeling back the aluminum foil revealed a majestic sight. An entire hunk of mutton, yellow rice, and some chickpeas.

We sat on our bed, half awake and naked, and began munching. And, wow, it was incredibly tasty! Each grain of rice was packed with spice and flavor. The mutton was so tender that the plastic spoon was able to to cut through it with ease. The chickpeas gave a great contrast in both texture and flavor to the rest of the dish. This was the type of dish you could eat every day and not get tired of it. Bellies somewhat full, our heads hit the pillow and it was lights out.

4 Hours of Sleep Later

After a couple hours of sleep, the dreaded alarm went off. It was 5:30am. We were zombies. We watched the sun rise over Doha and got our first glimpse of the city in the light. It was now that we could fully appreciate our massive window in our special room. Emily was quick to throw up a pose.

As we stepped outside, the already hot desert heat hit us. We’ve felt tropical heat in Thailand, swamp heat back home in Charleston, but desert heat was a different beast. It strikes hard and hits you at your core. No sweating, just straight burning.

Our hotel was close to the Doha Bay. Our our side was Old Town, and in the distance, across the water, clouded by dust, was the famous Doha skyline. It reminded me of Dubai, everything was ‘Middle Eastern Modern’. It was clean and quiet.

And then it was time to get home. We ordered an Uber and set off for the airport. It was a quiet 15 minute ride as we travelled through Doha. I wish we had more time to explore and get to know the city more. Being one of the richest Middle Eastern countries, you could tell a lot of money had been pumped into getting Doha to one of the leading, modern cities of the world.

The National Museum of Qatar. Crazy architecture!

We’re coming home

And just like that, we were back at Hamad International Airport.

We’d love to have spent more time here, but we successfully accomplished our mission. We will probably return one day. With Dubai, it is one of the most popular layover connectors between the Western and Eastern world. And for that reason, it served its purpose for us. Qatar was the first and last stop on this incredible adventure we had undertaken, and that’s why it will always remain in our memories. Also, the Machboos was great too.

Vietnam

How to Cross a Busy Road

November 13th, 2023 – November 18th, 2023

Vietnam was the 7th country we visited in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip. If you want to read through chronologically, start here.

Vietnam had been top of our travel list for some time now.

Vietnam. It grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Once you love it, you love it forever.

-Anthony Bourdain

The Visa process was also one of the more challenging (and expensive) ones. About a month before the trip, we filled out our e-Visa applications. We scanned our passports, attached a photo, filled out all the information, and paid the $70 application fee. A couple days later, “Denied: Incorrect full name”. This was a common problem, you had to fill out your first, middle, and last name in a specific order. I fixed it and sent it again. A couple more days later, “Denied: Photo older than 6 months”. Okay I couldn’t use my passport photo as my portrait photo. And then finally, a couple more days later, Accepted. This is why we don’t procrastinate.

First Impressions

We arrived at Noi Bai International Airport around 4pm local time. It was misty and raining slightly, a stark, but welcome, difference to the blazing heat we’d endured the previous weeks. Before we could relish in the cool air, however, we had to go through security. I couldn’t help but notice the police officers keeping a careful watch over everyone. Now they do this at every airport, but here in Vietnam they wore the green outfit. I obviously couldn’t take a photo, but I found this photo from Reddit which gives you a good idea.

It felt like we had just been transported back to the 1960s during the Vietnam War, the height of the US-Soviet conflict. Everything just screamed communism. I was excited. This is why we travel. To experience these cultures so different to what is in our comfort zone. Anyways, we got through security with no problems and met up with our driver to take us to our hotel, the Hanoi Siva.

We’d been spoiled in Thailand and Cambodia with our hotels, but this time, we’d be staying in a more basic setup. Just a small room with just a bed and a bathroom. But the main thing was, it was right where we needed it to be, in the center of the Old Quarter.

Pho-king Delicious

We rested, cleaned up, and went out for our first dinner in Hanoi. Of course it had to be a bowl of Pho . Luckily for us, just a 10 minute walk down the street was Michelin Bib Gourmand Pho Stall.

An endless stream of motorcycles whizzed by. Everywhere you looked, people cooking, eating, drinking, laughing. This was incredible. Everything was alive.

Eventually we pulled up to a small opening. This was Phở Gà Nguyệt, our dining location for the evening. Out front, a man chopped up chicken with his cleaver. Inside, the classic short Vietnamese stools surrounding tables. I held up 2 fingers to one of the ladies, and we were pointed into a second hole in the wall to our table.

This particular Pho Stall specialized in Chicken, so we each ordered a Phở đùi (Chicken Thigh Pho). This is what I live for. These are the moments that I will always remember and cherish. We were sitting in a little hole in the wall, drinking a 50 cent Saigon Lager, eating a $2 bowl of chicken thigh pho which has been chopped up and cooked by a man right out front.

Egg Coffee and War

We awoke to an orchestra of honking from the constant stream of motorcycles going up and down the street. To this day, whenever I close my eyes, I hear the tune of the Hanoi motorcycle orchestra. Not really, but holy shit there were a lot of bikes outside.

This was our first full day of the week we’d be spending here in Hanoi and the first time we got to experience the feeling of the city. The streets by themselves are an incredible thing to witness. I couldn’t get over how alive it felt, even this early in the morning.

We had learned a trick in crossing the street by the man who checked us in. With the constant barrage of bikes and cars, it seems impossible to get across, but you literally just have to walk at a constant pace and everyone will drive around you. We tested it out with a less than usual pace of traffic, and it actually does work. Its horrifying, but it works.

You can’t go to Vietnam without trying their iconic Egg Coffee. It sounds weird to think that eggs and coffee would go hand in hand, but bartender at Cafe Giang in 1946 had no other choice, and created it out of necessity. Back then, milk was hard to get, so he replaced it with egg yolk and condensed milk, and here we are 70 years later still drinking it. I will stand by the fact that the best food is created in places where its necessary to be creative. That is why street food thrives.

Anyway, we walked into back alley that lead to the cafe and were promptly seated upstairs. Being surrounded by old Vietnamese men chain smoking cigarettes really added to the old timey atmosphere. The coffee was great. The egg made it thick and creamy, which was a nice contrast to the strong tasting coffee.

All that Egg Coffee got us in the mood for some depressing war museums. First up was Hỏa Lò Prison Museum also known as the Hanoi Hilton to American POWs, this one was grim. This prison held a bunch of high ranking US soldiers, one of them being former Senator and Presidential Candidate John McCain who was held as a POW here during the Vietnam War. Oh yeah and here, it’s called the American War, we were reminded that a couple times.

It was really interesting to see the war from Vietnam’s side. Honestly, it also changed the way we saw it too.

Next up on the depressing war museum trail was the Vietnam Military History Museum. We feel bad for laughing, but in the moment we couldn’t help but think, “There is no wonder the US couldn’t beat these guys. They’ve been at war every year since their existence”. And that’s the truth, there was room after room of countries trying to invade Vietnam and getting their asses handed to them. Outside was pretty cool, they had a bunch of planes they shot down and some American tanks. Standard war museum things.

National Pho-ish

That night it was time for another $2 bowl of Pho from another Michelin Bib Gormound Pho Stall that was also 5 minutes away. Saying that anywhere else in the world would be insane, but this was Hanoi. Great Pho was everywhere. I mean, it is their National Dish. The Pho we had at Phở Gia Truyền would end up being our favorite. Whereas the previous place had specialized in Chicken, this was all about the BEEF baby.

We rolled up to the hole in the wall and stood at the counter which had the carcass of some animal hanging from hooks, while a man with a cleaver chopped up meat. This was classic Vietnam.

There was only a couple of things on the menu, so we both went with the Phở Tái nạm (Beef and Flank Pho). We took seat in a second hole in the wall and patiently awaited our bowl of goodness.

You thought we were done with food for the night? Nah, we’re The Hungry Voyagers, and we only had a week in Vietnam so you best believe we’re eating two dinners a night. Just down the road was Cha Ca Thang Long were we’d be eating their famous Cha Ca. This was yet another Bib Gourmand restaurant in Hanoi, and our second of the night.

Cha Ca is essentially Catfish marinated in spices, and here you cook it yourself at the table. We were given a bunch of bowls filled with various greens, noodles, peanuts, spices, everything. I just threw it all into the Wok and fried that shit up. It was super tasty. Compliments to the chef.

Day 3

There’s nothing like a good day trip. We had two of them booked for Vietnam, because there’s nothing we like best than loading into a van with a bunch of other sweaty tourists and being shepherded around touristy sights while everyone snaps photos of everything. I’m being pedantic, we actually do like these day tours, they’re a great way to see parts of the country, especially when you don’t have a car. This first tour I actually booked on whim, it wasn’t the top of my list, but I’m so glad we did it.

We loaded on to a bus at 6am, we were the first people on. For the next 30ish minutes, we bounced around Hanoi picking up the rest of the group. I’ve started specifically booking the tours that say ‘Small Group’. You end up paying extra, but instead of being on a 30 person bus, you’re only in a van with like 8 other people. It’s not only good for comfort in transportation, but you’re also not walking around with millions of other people. Anyways, we’d come to get real close with the people in our tour. I wish I remembered their names. We had Emily and I, an older English couple, a younger Dutch couple, and a German around our age.

Ninh Binh.

The first stop on our tour was the ancient capital of Vietnam, Hoa Lua. This was our first glimpse of the overwhelming natural beauty that Vietnam has to offer. We walk across the Sao Khe River, stopping to take in the unreal backdrop of mountains covered slightly with fog. It didn’t feel real, and this was just a tiny taster of what was to come later today. Once at Hoa Lu, we were met with an imperial looking gate covered with flags I have never seen before. I asked our guide and he noted that they were Buddhist flags.

Next up, we loaded into

It had been a long day, but we still had work to do, Pho number 3 was calling our names. We’d had Chicken Pho and Beef Pho already, but this next one was something different. Don Duck Old Quarter, a Hanoi staple, specializes in, you guessed it, Duck, including Duck Pho.

Stir Fried Duck with Basil

We ended the night sitting outside a small bar, Beer Bar Café 81, and having a couple drinks. It had been probably the best day in all of our travels.

Day 4

The next day we woke up and strolled over for breakfast at Tranquil Books & Coffee. This little cafe was tucked away at the end of an alley and filled to the brim with books. Emily got a sandwich and I got Shakshuka, standard food, but the coffee was delicious, Robusta espresso with condensed milk, called Bac Xiu. Plus, the quiet, cozy vibes were exactly what we needed after a busy day.

On our stroll of the city we happened to walk past Hang Day Stadium, home of the local football team Hanoi FC. Part of my ‘checklist’ for each country is to visit the stadium of a local team, it’s always interesting to see.

For lunch we went to a very special place, Bún chả Hương Liên, famous for that incredible video of Anthony Bourdain and President Obama in Vietnam. In case you haven’t seen it, you can watch it below.

We walked in and were taken up two flights of stairs to our seats. To my amazement, we were given the table right behind where Bourdain and Obama sat. Yes, they have it encased in glass with their (cleaned) plates immortalized within. You could tell they were proud of it. The top menu item is even called the Combo Obama, where you can order exactly what they ate: Bun Cha, a Crab Spring Roll, and a can of Hanoi beer. Come on, we couldn’t not order it.

A couple minutes after we ordered, 3 waiters came rushing by and dropped off plates and bowls filled with a variety of foods. This was Vietnam, all hustle and bustle, those waiters never stopped the entire time we were there. Constantly dropping off food and cleaning tables. It was an assembly line of patrons.

Bun Cha is somewhat similar to Cha Ca in the sense that you create your own plate. In one of the bowls was grilled pork swimming in some type of broth, one had cold noodles, the other had lettuce and herbs, and the last had chilis. The idea here is to combine all of them into your own bowl, adding as much as you want of any particular ingredient for a personalized experience. I loved it. The pork was smoky and fatty, the sauce was a tangy and a little sweet, the cold noodles and greens cut through it all with their freshness. Super balanced and a really enjoyable experience.

Guess what we did next. If you guessed ‘Ate more’, you’d be correct. Listen, there’s so much tasty food in Vietnam and we only had a week. That means we have to sacrifice our bellies so that we can try everything. This is what we do for you all.

This was another small location. We walked in and were immediately ushered down a small flight of stairs to our little wooden table. We were at Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong to try their Bun Bo, a similar dish to Bun Cha, but ordered in a different way. I didn’t like this one as much, I thought it was a little boring compared to the flavors we’d already had in Vietnam. It was a bowl of beef, cold noodles, lettuce, herbs, shallots, and peanuts. Not bad at all, just a little underwhelming.

Later that night we had plans for another viral spot in Hanoi, Train Street. The videos of this online looked so sick it was probably our most hyped activity of the trip. Getting in wouldn’t be easy though as it’s illegal due to safety laws and regulations. It’s actually enforced too, there’s blockades and police roam the area, turning away people that try to enter through the openings. There are, however, loopholes, and I’d done my research. There are certain restaurants/cafes located along the rails that tell people the perfect times to come, so that you miss the police patrols, one of them being The Railway Cafe. I texted the number I found online and was given instructions by the owner Tuan. I’m not outing them by posting this information either, there are thousands of reviews of this place online, it seems like there may be a deal between the police and the cafes, but that’s just my theory.

About two hours later we were hit with the text ‘Come now if u can’. He didn’t have to tell us twice, we headed over as fast as we could. Once we got to an opening in the rail, the barricade was still there, but as our new friend promised, no police guards. I called him up and he emerged from his cafe and guided us through the barricade.

We were sat down in a literal hole in a wall next to the tracks with a couple of small tables which quickly filled up. In our hole was us, a British man married to a Malaysian woman, and an Australian family. We all had too much to drink and chatted the entire night, it was a great communal time.

And then it happened, a siren went off followed by people ringing bells and rushing to move tables away from the tracks. “Tuck in. Away from the tracks” we were told. This would be our first train of the evening. The tracks started shaking.

I’m not going to lie, the drunker we got the more fun the trains got. I absolutely see why this is a safety concern, but shit, if it isn’t the best time being drunk cheering on a train that flashes by right next to you.

At one point Tuan came over to us and said he had a special Vietnamese drink not on the menu, Bia Trứng or Egg Beer. Does it work as good as the coffee? Absolutely it does, I think better.

We stayed all the way until closing at midnight, one of the best bar experiences of our lives.

Day 5

Ha Long Bay

Hanoi Night Market

Nem Lui (Pork Lemongrass Skewer)

Day 6

Every time we have a late flight back, it feels like we spend that last day just waiting around.

Banh Mi Pate Co Ha 2

Bread Roll with Pate and BBQ Pork. For the whopping price of 25k Dong or $1.

Ca Bop

Cambodia

Angkor What? Angkor Who?

Siem Reap

November 10th, 2023 – November 13th, 2023

Table of Contents

Cambodia was the 6th country we visited in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip. If you want to read through chronologically, start here.

Nothing like a Spontaneous Trip

Cambodia was always on our list for this trip. What wasn’t planned was for our friends in Thailand, Mark and Pang, to also come. This happened, as all good plans do, over alcohol. We were at AV Izakaya in Bangkok, a bar with an adult video theme, as I drank a beer with a penis ice cube when an idea popped into my head. Let’s all go to Cambodia. Tickets were literally booked within minutes and it was official. We were all going to Siem Reap.

We landed at the newly built Siem Reap Angkor International Airport which was actually really beautiful and modern. When I say newly built, I mean this thing had opened just a month earlier meaning we were one of the first people to go arrive at it. Customs was a little weird, we had to give our passports to people, who offered to ‘expedite’ the process for a small fee. We said no and watched as our passports went down an assembly line of people who stapled a new page into the passport, stamped it, and passed to a guy to sign it. I think the people that paid maybe got theirs like 30 seconds faster.

A 30 minute drive in an uncomfortable Grab (our driver told us sad stories about himself the entire drive) and we were in town. We’d be spending the next couple of days at the Sarai Resort & Spa. It was beautiful, and it seemed like we were the only people there. Seriously, I think we saw 2 other guests the entire time.

National Dishes run Amok on this Blog

After freshening up at the hotel, we set off to find some grub. The sun had started going down at this point, so navigating through the streets of Siem Reap was quite the adventure. It felt like Thailand, but less developed. Little to no street lights and no sidewalks as TukTuks and bikes came out of the shadows and wizzed past us.

The place we’d be eating at was The Sugar Palm, famous for their Fish Amok, the National Dish of Cambodia. This place was so renowned for this Khmer favorite, that Gordon Ramsay came here to learn how to cook it.

It was nice inside, wooden and clean, much different to the rougher rural buildings we walked past on the way here. Glancing at the menu, Fish Amok required at least 30 minutes to prepare as it needed to be steamed in banana leaves. That was fine by us, that’s how you knew it would be fresh.

While waiting we also ordered Lok Lak, another Cambodian favorite. This was absolutely delicious, one of our favorites in Asia. The marinated, tender beef cubes were packed with flavor by themselves, but dipping them into the peppery sauce brought out crazy tangy, umami flavors. Big fans.

Eventually came the main event, a small pot covered with banana leaves containing a thick, orange liquid. We stuck our spoons in. The texture was like a mousse or custard, very thick and creamy. The main base of coconut milk and spices gave a sweet and aromatic taste. The fish was light and fluffy. It was unlike we had ever eaten, but most importantly, it was delicious.

Pub Street Chaos

The only way to describe Pub Street is chaos. As soon as the sun goes down in Siem Reap, Pub Street becomes the hub and everything gravitates around it. Lights flashing, EDM music blaring, women in tiny dresses trying to convince you in to their club, women that probably aren’t women trying to convince you to do other things, glasses clinking, foods frying. It was electric. We stayed here a long time, hopping from bar to bar. Great night.

Inspiring Stories

Still hungover from our Pub Street adventure, we rallied and pushed on. Southeast Asia is home to the greatest form of transportation: the TukTuk. Using our favorite Rideshare app, Grab, we ordered a TukTuk and and haggled with him to get a price where he would would drive us anywhere the entire day. Incredible. And so we set off through the countryside to our first destination: the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

I don’t know how else to describe the Cambodian countryside other than it looks like the setting of every Vietnam war movie ever. This TukTuk drive was probably the time I have felt most in an ‘exotic’ place to date. Here we were, in a TukTuk, driving down a dirt road in the Cambodian countryside. Wooden shacks and rice fields lined the road. It was a bit grim seeing some of the cows as they were clearly starving, their bones poking out from under the skin. That’s one of those unfortunate things you have to accept about traveling to non-western countries, animals aren’t treated nearly as nice as in the US.

The museum was a sobering experience. At its peak, there were around 20 million landmines scattered around Cambodia due to conflicts with the Khmer Rogue and the Vietnam war. Founded by Aki Ra, a former Khmer Rogue child soldier turned landmine activist, it is dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of these landmines.

The idea for a Landmine Museum and Relief Facility came from Aki Ra, an ex-child soldier. After years of fighting, he returned to the villages in which he had planted thousands of mines as a soldier and began removing them, by hand, and defusing them with homemade tools. In his home, he displayed some of the items he had made safe and charged the tourists $1 to view them. He used the money to support the children in his care.

In the villages where Aki Ra cleared mines, he found many children wounded by landmines, orphaned or abandoned by their families. He brought them home where he and his wife Hourt cared for them along side their own children.

–Cambodia Land Mine Museum: Our History

Our guide, Mr. Hak Hort, lost his leg in a landmine explosion when we was a kid, an experience that, to this day, is still a common experience in Cambodia. Unfortunately, Hak’s older brother and sister were not so lucky, and were killed in the same explosion. It’s really a humbling experience to hear stories like this from the source. At the beginning we had statistics thrown at us: 20,000 deaths and 65,000+ casualties in Cambodia due to landmines. This was just one of those stories, yet it cut deeply. To think they were 65,000 others like Mr. Hort who have similar stories is haunting.

Dirt roads through the Cambodian countryside

Keeping with the landmine theme, we jumped back in the TukTuk and headed to APOPO. I use the words amazing and incredible way too much, but if there was one place to believe me when I say it’s absolutely incredible, it’s this place. APOPO is a nonprofit that trains African Giant Pouched Rats, or heroRATS as they call them, to detect landmines throughout Cambodia. The rats are light enough that they don’t set off the landmine and smart enough that they can be trained to find them. We were shown a demonstration and got to hold one of the retired rats.

I think doing the Landmine museum first and then coming to APOPO made for the perfect combination. Learning about how awful the landmine situation is in Cambodia and then seeing the work they’re doing at APOPO was so meaningful. We were so moved by the experience that we ended up adopting one of the rats: Ronin. Each month we will receive an update on how he is doing, where he is working, how many mines he cleared that month, etc.

2025 Update: Ronin has gone on to break the Guinness World Record for the most landmines detected by a rat.

For dinner, we met back up with our friends and headed to Tevy’s Place. This little restaurant had an incredible story. The owner, Tevy, was a victim of the Khmer Rogue regime.

Aged just eight years old, Tevy remembers soldiers ordering them out of their home and into the countryside. Everyone was put to work, a situation that saw the family split up. Eventually, she learned that her father had fallen ill and taken to a so-called hospital. He never returned.

From Leighton Travels

In the years after the Khmer Rogue, Tevy jumped around from job to job, becoming homeless at one point. As a last ditch effort, she moved to Siem Reap and began selling vegetables in the market. This would eventually become her restaurant, Tevy’s Place. Never forgetting where she came from, she is committed to helping others in need, hiring an all-female staff, many of them who also come from challenging backgrounds like herself.

The first thing my eyes went to was the beer, which was only $0.50. It would be dangerous if we lived here. We ordered a Char Kroueng, and our new favorite, Lok Lak. The Char Kroueng was an earthy tasting stir fry. The chicken was tender and the vegetables gave a fresh contrast to the curry paste. It was good but not the best thing we ate. The Lok Lak was incredible. I know, shocking.

Sunrise at Ankgor

Angkor Wat. No visit to Cambodia is done until you’ve seen it. It’s one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. An enormous 400+ acre Hindu – Buddhist monument built in 1150. This day may have been the one we were most excited for on the entire trip. We weren’t excited, however, about being up at 4:00am for the tour. A bus came by and we stumbled on like zombies. We were the first ones on and sat in silence at the back while we drove around town picking up more zombies.

There’s a quiet stillness in the air so early in the morning. We were herded off the bus into a parking lot which contained at least 40 other buses. It was pitch black, there were no artificial lights here except the occasional flash of an iPhone camera. So many people around us, yet no noise. Emily held on to me. Our eyes slowly adjusted to being in the pitch black.

I had to snap a picture of how dark it was

The tour guide, Sen, shuttled us down pathways and over bridges. I had no idea where we were going, my body was moving by itself at this point, but eventually we came to a large opening. The first thing I noticed was the size of the crowd. Hundreds of people were set up waiting for the sun to rise. The tour guide told us the sun rose in 30 minutes, and that we would meet up after. We managed to struggle our way through the crowd and planted ourselves at a prime spot in front of the Reflecting Pond to await the show.

Over time, the black sky went through a colorful array of changes. Pink and yellow streaks danced through the air. As the sun rose higher, the sky became golden, slowly revealing the top of the majestic temple that had previously lay hidden in front of us. It was like watching a painting be created in real time. Eventually the sun broke free and turned the sky blue, painting a perfect reflection of the entire temple on the still water in front of us. It really was a beautiful experience.

Eventually, Sen rallied us all together and explained that our group name was ‘Mango Sticky Rice’. Whenever we heard him yell ‘Mango’, we replied ‘Sticky Rice’, as a signal to show where everyone was. I thought this was just a dumb gimmick at first, but it lowkey helped throughout the tour, and was always a fun time. Anyway we officially started the tour and got a long history lesson on the structure.

As you can imagine, it is absolutely stunning. So much intricate detail in every square inch. The thing that stood out to me most was how symmetric everything was. I would be repeating myself over and over if I described each temple, so just enjoy the photos!

We loaded into the bus and set off to the 2nd of 4 temples, Ta Prohm. This one felt like it had been reclaimed by nature. Massive tree roots and vines intertwined with the stone ruins, making it feel like a war between nature and history.

We hopped in the bus and headed to temple 3 of 4, Banteay Kdei. This was the quietest of the four, it felt like we were the only people there, which was a nice change of pace. It comprised of a large courtyard with those iconic, stone towers and corridors.

Once again the air conditioning of the bus would come to our rescue, as we set off to the last temple of the day, Angkor Thom. This was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. It felt like a massive castle complex. We went through an ancient gate to get to the city, which was surrounded by a giant moat.

The end of the trip was a full circle moment. We’d heard our group name yelled all day and now we’d get to try some Mango Sticky Rice. Sen stopped the bus and gave a bill to a street vendor selling, what looked like bamboo. Sen hopped back on board and began peeling back the bamboo. Inside was the Mango Sticky Rice. He walked down the isle, giving everyone the opportunity to try some. It was actually really good, almost like a desert rice.

One Last Country

It had been a long, hot day. As we got back to the hotel we took a much needed shower, laid in bed, and ordered some hotel room service. It was bliss.

Click here to continue on with our Southeast Asia trip, there’s only one country left!

Malaysia

8 Hours in Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru

October 31st, 2023

Table of Contents

Malaysia was the 2nd country we visited in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip. If you want to read through chronologically, start here.

At this point we’d only been in Singapore for one full day. Our bodies were still acclimating to the 12 hour time difference, but excitement was propelling us onward. During the planning phase of the trip, we knew that Malaysia was right next door to Singapore, but the logistics of getting there were tough. The Singapore – Johor Bahru border was the most crossed international border in the world. People crossing could wait up to 3 hours at a time to get across. If we wanted to cross by ourselves, we’d have to wake up around 6am, find a 45 minute Uber to the border, then get a train or bus that could take us across. Train tickets sold out weeks in advance and buses could very easily get stuck in the 3 hour grind. We were lost on what to do, that was until I came across Han.

I had reached out to a couple of tour guides on ToursByLocal, most of who replied that they don’t take people across the border. Han was different. Being a local Malay herself, she agreed to take us across, even though she’d never done it as a tour before. We talked a bit over email in which I gave her just one request, “I just want to eat the National Dish, everything else is up to you.” What lay ahead was 8 hours of incredible fun in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The Most Crossed International Border in the World

We woke up at 7am. Well, Emily woke up at 7am, my body was still waking me up at 4am! Han was already outside waiting for us. We’d been in constant communication about the traffic situation at the Singapore – Johor border. She was like a detective. On one phone she had an app that livestreamed webcam footage of the border. On another phone she had traffic conditions that showed the flow of traffic and estimated wait times. On the radio was current updates to any delays. I didn’t realize how serious this border crossing situation was. Well, not until the stories we heard about waiting in the line for 4-5 hours. Luckily for us, Han told us that it “looked good for now, but we can’t be sure”.

As we got closer to the border, it became apparent why this was the most crossed international border in the world. Open flatbed trucks filled with Malaysian workers began driving past us. Han told us how they live, “These people wake up at 3am and queue 4+ hours to cross, then work all day in Singapore. When they’re done, they queue for another 3-5 hours, get home late, then repeat. I have nothing but respect for them”. I could not imagine. Living in America, it’s easy to become ignorant to what happens outside of the country. We’re privileged and accustomed to the quality of life we know. Yet there are places like this, where people are waiting 7+ hours a day just to work so they can support themselves and their family. It feels so dystopian, yet what other options do they have. Han told us the pay in Singapore is so greater than that in Malaysia, so the money they earn goes a long way. I suppose that is a positive way to look at it.

Eventually we got to Woodlands Border Checkpoint, the main crossing point into Malaysia. I have never seen so many bikes in my life. They absolutely packed into the small lane that was provided to them, jostling with each other to gain a couple of feet ground. The blaring of horns was constant. Han swore at a car that was trying to get in front of her. “You never give an inch, or they will take your spot”. It took about 30 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic until we reached the actual border. We passed our passports to Han as she handed them to the agent. She rolled down her windows and we smiled and waved at him and he did the same to us. “They are much friendlier on this side than the Malaysian side”. She wasn’t joking, on the Malaysian side we were met with stern faces and silence. But here we were, we’d made it. Country number 15. Malaysia.

Malaysia! The Apartments to the right house workers that go into Singapore each day

Beautiful Bread

Singapore is very serious about trash and keeping the country clean. It’s so serious, that if you’re caught spitting on the ground, you can be fined. Because of this, the entire country is spotless, and you don’t really realize it until you leave, especially when you cross the border into Malaysia. That was the first thing my brain processed. It wasn’t necessarily dirty, but it was no where near as clean as Singapore.

As soon as we finished crossing, we were met with a gas station. Because gas is much, much cheaper here than in Singapore, people will cross the border, fill up with gas, and then go back. Han told us that border guards had started cracking down on people doing this and sometimes do random checks to see how much gas is in your car. We thought this was pretty funny and raised the question, how much queuing would you do to save money on gas?

Anyways, our first stop was to try one of Malaysia’s favorite breakfast snacks, Roti Canae. This simple flatbread listed by TasteAtlas as the Best Bread in the World! I had actually found this out in my research and was really excited that it would be our first stop. It was pretty close to the border, about 10 or so minutes. After driving round a small, windy road, we pulled in to a packed dirt lot and walked towards our first location of the day, Warung Roti Canae Bukit Chagar. This place was exactly what we wanted from this trip. It was simply a tin roof over some seats and a table with a couple of guys rolling dough and throwing it on a grill, and there wasn’t another tourist in sight. We were getting the real experience.

Han came back with a couple of Roti Canae‘s. The dough was flaky and the right amount of greasy. It broke apart with ease, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The best part was dipping it in one of the four dipping sauces: vegetable, chicken, mutton, and chili. Each had their own distinct flavor and mixed perfectly with the buttery Roti. Our favorite was the mutton sauce.

Nasi Lemak

We parked at a nearby mall, Galleria @ Kotaraya. Inside, we laughed at the sheer amount of people at KFC. To be fair, it looked way better than it does in the US. “It is very popular here” Han told us. This mall is also where Emily had a great cultural experience. As she went to the restroom, she was met with only a hole on the porcelain floor and a hose attached to the wall. This is why we travel.

As we walked down the streets of Johor Bahru, Han pointed out a mural which depicted our next dish. In fact, it wasn’t just the next dish, but it was the most important dish in all of Malaysia, Nasi Lemak.

Restoran Kin Hua. The place was a literal hole in the wall. A small opening in the side of building which had been packed with seats and tables. It was bustling. One of the owners grabbed 3 tiny stools and made room at a table for us. I took in my surroundings, I love experiences like this. We were the only tourists. There was little English. It was real.

Han suggested we get some Chwee Kueh, one of her favorites. These little white clouds were steamed rice cakes with radish and sambal. I thought they were really tasty, a flavor and texture combination unlike anything I’d ever eaten. The rice cakes were jiggly and a little chewy, the radish on top gave a sweet taste, and then the sambal hit you with spice.

And then it was time for the main event. One of the aunties dropped a small banana leaf off at our table. We unwrapped our little present and there it was, Nasi Lemak. Consisting of coconut cooked rice, sambal, anchovies, and sambal, this was the National Dish of Malaysia. I took a bite. I wanted so badly to love it because of the hype and Han’s excitement, but I just couldn’t. The sweet coconut rice and fishy anchovies didn’t combine well in my mouth. The flavor combinations were just too strange, unfortunately.

We were also given some Barley Water which was really refreshing on the hot, steamy day. Han told us it was something the locals loved to drink here. I see why, the heat was already starting to get to me. She must have seen the sweat pouring from me and felt pity.

Across the street was Hiap Joo Bakery, a popular spot in Johor Bahru, especially for its Banana Bread. The people here were very nice, and made sure to welcome us to their country. But what about the banana bread, was it any good? I’ll let you look at Emily’s reaction when we ate it back at our hotel to determine that for yourself.

The Streets of Johor

As we continued on we ended up at Jalan Dhoby, which seemed to be a lively place. The area was filled with cafes, stores, malls, and restaurants. It was a really nice place and parts of it looked like something you’d see in a western country.

It was here that we stopped by Salahuddin Bakery, which definitely became the coolest bakery we have ever been to. Tucked in between the some of the more modern buildings, this bakery has an inconspicuous entrance. Just a simple green wooden sign sits above it’s opening, “Salahuddin Bakery No.26 Jalan Dhoby JB”.

Walking inside, the smell of fresh baked pastry hits like a wall. I felt like one of the cartoons being swept off their feet and floating towards a fresh baked pie on a window. At the back of the store, a century old brick oven sits where they still bake their bread today. And the bread, wow, if you had to draw a loaf of bread, it would look exactly like it does here. We ended up getting 3 buns, each stuffed with something different.

Final Stops

Han was really excited about our last food stop. Pisang Goreng Mawar has been at this spot in Johor for over 20 years and serves one of Han’s favorite food, Pisang Goreng (fried banana fritters). It was cute to see her literally buzzing with excitement as we pulled up to the small stall, “They are so, so good!” she kept on telling us, grinning through her teeth.

Right outside this stall was the training facilities of Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, the most successful club in Malaysia. I’d been bugging Han all day about soccer, so I’m sure she was glad to finally get me to shut up.

Malaysia has a very interesting way of choosing their leaders. Each of the 9 states has their own ruler and together, they vote on which of them is to become the leader. The leader at the time was Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. Interestingly enough, he was just recently replaced by Johor’s own, Sultan Ibrahim. Han had told us that Johor is by far the most powerful of the Malaysian states and holds a lot of influence over the country. Anyway, we saw photos of the Sultan are posted all over the highway next to the words, ‘Daulat Tuanku’, which translates to Long Live the King.

The Real Malaysia

As our journey came to an end, an idea popped in to Han’s head. “Do you remember that small village near where we got Roti Canae? They are called Kampungs. They are all over Malaysia. I will show you to one.” We drove up a small, windy road through tropical tree’s and foliage. This was Kampung Sungai Danga. The people here lived humble, simple lives. The houses were small, and put together with tin. It was so different to everything we’d seen in Singapore. There it was all incredibly modern and large, yet just a short bridge away was this.

“Look, Rambutan!” Han excitedly pointed out a fruit that was growing from several trees in the neighborhood. Without a second thought, she pulled in to the driveway of a random house and got out. “Come, lets eat some”. I thought it was strange and felt a little uncomfortable that we had just pulled into this random mans driveway, but Han assured us it was okay. The owner was sitting on his porch and simple smiled and waved at us. I guess that meant we were good to try some! Han picked a couple off the ground and handed them to us. The outside was a spiky and bright red, but inside was a white, gelatinous blob. I took a bite and immediately hurt myself on the pit inside. After learning how to eat it correctly, I was able to enjoy them. It was a sweet flavor and so fresh.

And just like that, it was time to go back to Singapore. Before we crossed over the bridge, Han proudly showed us her apartment and the surrounding neighborhood. It was a beautiful place. As we began the drive back, we reflected on our time in Johor. What had made this so special was doing it with Han. Going to tiny, local cafes and listening to Han get excited and tell us stories about her favorite dishes and experiences.

If you decide to visit, you can book Han as your Tour Guide here!

Continue with our Southeast Asia Trip here!

Brunei

Sultans and Warm Jelly

Bandar Seri Begawan

November 1st, 2023 – November 3rd, 2023

Table of Contents

Brunei was the 3rd country we visited in our Southeast Asia 2023 Trip. If you want to read through chronologically, start here.

The idea of Brunei scared me. It seemed so foreign to everything we knew. This was a country run by an Islamic Monarchy. Criticism of the Sultan was practically forbidden. We’d spent time in the United Arab Emirates before, but this was one of the least visited countries in the world. It was fear of the unknown.

There was also the ethical dilemma. Brunei is notorious for its anti-LGBT laws, with stoning and whipping being punishments for those who engage in such acts. It can be ethically tough to visit countries where societal laws and policies are against your personal belief structures. But as travelers, we don’t visit countries to endorse any governments or policies. We travel to meet people, see beautiful places, and eat good food.

Singapore to Brunei

Singapore to Brunei would be the first of many inter-Asian flights we’d be taking over the next couple weeks. This one would be relatively quick, only a 2 hour flight on Singapore Airlines.

We got to our gate early and waited for it to open. The gates here were completely enclosed and locked until 30 minutes before boarding. Once they opened, everyone lined up and went through security inside the gate. It was a pretty quick and efficient process. Once through, everyone sat in the enclosed gate until it was time for boarding. Looking back at the demographics of our flight to Singapore against this one was pretty funny. We were clearly the only tourists on the flight. It made sense though, considering Brunei is one of the least visited countries in the world. Before the pandemic in 2019, only 333,244 tourists visited the country by air, and that number has significantly decreased since COVID.

Looks like they sent a helicopter to pick us up

First Impressions

So here we were, our 16th country and 3rd of this trip, Brunei Darussalam.

Our hotel had arranged a free pick up from the airport and we were met at departures by a man holding my name on a sign. It mustn’t have been hard for him to know it was us, before we even made eye contact he had started putting the sign down. With a simple nod of the head, we acknowledged each other and began walking to the car. It seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.

Stepping out into the hot, humid air, we were met with a call to prayer emanating from the airport mosque. We definitely weren’t in Singapore anymore. The man told us to follow and we got into an old white van and set off into Bandar Seri Begawan.

We drove past the stadium of one of the local football teams, Kota Rangers.

The Capital Residence Suites

Our hotel for the next couple of nights was The Capital Residence Suites. It was a nice, colorful looking building located off the side of a busy road. A chain-link fence surrounded the compound. Inside, a picture of the Sultan and his wife sat upon the wall, looking over the entire room. It was quiet, we were the only ones.

The receptionist greeted and gave us an informational packet with some details on the free hotel shuttle that ran to tourist spots around the city. “Some people have already signed up for the one at 8pm to the Night Market, if you are interested”. We hadn’t planned on going anywhere tonight, but it gave us a chance to get and out be with others.

Our room was very big. In the corner was a Qibler pointer that showed the direction to Mecca. Outside, a view over a Youth Center and Ceremonial Hall.

The Night Market

As the sun began setting, we hopped on to the shuttle and sat at at the back like the cool kids we are. There were a couple others on board, an older man and women, and then 2 younger guys.

A quick 15 minute drive and we were pulling up to the Gadong Night Market. It was about 8pm, and popping off. Cars surrounded the outside as they dropped people off. Stepping out of the shuttle, the smell of grilled meats immediately hit our nostrils. The sounds of hustle and bustle radiated through the metal structure of the market. Markets like these are our favorite places to walk around, people watch, and eat some good food. Markets don’t exist for tourists. It’s not a park or monument that is there to sell tickets. This is where you can go to see life as it is for those that live there.

Two ladies making the most smoke in the entire market caught our eyes. They stood at a small grill packed with different kinds of meat on sticks. We ended up getting two different kinds, Hati Buyah (Beef Lungs) and Hati Amyah (Beef Liver). Each stick ended up only costing about $1 each (the greatest thing about these type of markets). The lady threw them on the grill for one last burst of flame, put them in a plastic cup, and drenched them in a sweet BBQ type sauce.

Let me tell you. I don’t know exactly what they put in that sauce, but it hit like crack. It was smokey, sweet, and spicy all in one. I ripped a chunk off from the Hati Buyah stick. It was beefy, gamey and went perfect with the sauce. I honestly couldn’t tell that I was eating beef lung. The Hati Amyah on the other hand…

I want to preface this by saying, I don’t think I’m a liver person, so take my opinion at that level. One bite into this actually made me gag. It was grainy, irony, and strangely soft. The texture, flavor, everything, I just couldn’t do it. After seeing my reaction, Emily wouldn’t touch it. I don’t blame her.

Next we went looking for another popular Brunei street food, the Roti John. Standing behind a table was an assembly line of men, pumping out Roti Johns at a blistering pace. Bread went on the grill followed by egg and beef. There’s something so satisfying about the noise of metal spatulas chopping and dicing food on a flat grill. The bread came off, egg and beef were scooped on, mayo and hot sauce squirted all over, and then finally it was chopped up in to bite sized pieces. It was incredibly efficient process.

We sat down with our massive sandwich. It was like a foot long from Subway chopped up into tiny sections. We each picked up a slice drenched in sauce. The beef had a little curry twang to it, but other than that, it tasted like egg and mayonnaise. Decent, but not life changing.

We were starting to get full, but wanted to make one more stop before we made our way back to the shuttle. We once again found a stall that served beef and bread, this time in the form of a Pita Burger. Chopped beef, onions, peppers and cheese came in a pocket of pita bread. It’s hard to wrong with those flavors.

On our way back to the hotel, we started talking to the 2 younger guys on our shuttle. One of them was from Malaysia, and visiting Brunei as he’d been told “that’s where you come to find peace”. The other was a man from Iran who had visited 120+ countries. His voice, demeanor, and the fact he was wearing an Abercrombie shirt with Pride colors hinted that he was part of a group of people that weren’t welcome here. After what we had read about Brunei and its laws, we were nervous for him. Yet, when we asked about his experience so far, he said everyone had been friendly and welcoming. It was heartwarming to hear. People are not representative of their government. Good, kind humans can be found everywhere.

A Castle fit for a Sultan

The next morning we got up and headed for the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan. Like every day we’d been in Southeast Asia thus far, it was blistering hot and humid.

To get the day started we stopped by a local coffee shop, Roasted Sip Pavo Point.

The Water Village

Yesterday we asked the two guys on our shuttle what there was you had to do around the area. Both of them responded the same: A boat tour of the nearby ‘water village’. “Walk on the shore and they will come up to you in boat. Make sure to negotiate the price” they said. As we walked up to the bank of the Brunei River, it was like clockwork. Almost immediately guys began speeding over in boats, offering their service. I sat down on the cobbled bank and negotiated a price with one of them. We went back and forth and reluctantly he gave in, laughed, and told us to come aboard.

We sped off into the village, driving through the old water bound buildings. The driver pointed to an enormous castle in the distance, “This is the home for one of the Sultan’s wives. Each of his wives has one.”

We made our way further down the river into the swampier waters. The breeze felt great. It reminded us a little of our home in the Lowcountry of Charleston. The driver pointed out an enormous Alligator just to the left of our boat. We had them big back in Charleston, but never that big. On the right, a family of Proboscis Monkeys jumped throughout the trees. The boat stuttered as we drifted into shallower water. Our driver seemed somewhat panicked as he tried to start the engine over and over to failure. He whipped out an oar and started pushing it into the ground to try and move us away manually. We were stuck.

It must have taken him about 20 minutes to get us unstuck from that swamp. I could tell the driver was fed up and turned us around back into deeper water. We’d seen the monkeys, the alligator, and some of rural Brunei so we were happy. It felt good to just have the breeze smacking against our face again.

We were once again in the deep water. We pulled next to a fisherman in a smaller boat, donning a bright yellow shirt and large hat to protect himself from the sun. He showed us his catch. Trapped in a ripped red net were a couple of large prawns. It is a tough life. Hours on the water with no shade.

We continued our ride into the village. And then the engine stuttered again, except this time we weren’t in shallow swamp water. It stuttered again and again and eventually the boat came to a stop. The driver laughed, “Out of gas”. Great. We’d been stuck in the swamp for 30 minutes, now we were out of gas. He got on the phone with another driver. After 10 or so minutes, the other driver came over and gave him a couple tanks of gas. After refilling, he just dropped us off at a museum and left. We mustn’t have been worth the hassle anymore.

This wasn’t just any museum however, this was Kampong Ayer, a centuries old settlement located entirely on the Brunei River. We were excited to see it, but couldn’t help but feel confused why we’d suddenly been dumped here. Speaking with the Security Guard at the Museum entrance tried to figure out in broken English how to get back to the mainland. It was actually quite simple, all we had to do was flag down one of the Water Taxi’s that hang around the area, give them $1 and we’d be taken back. Easy enough.

The museum was free and gave an in depth history into Kampong Ayer and its people. The settlement sprung up a thousand years ago as a place for fisherman to trade. Over time more people came and houses sprung up over the water, so much so until it became one of the largest water villages in the world. It’s actually quite an incredible thing to witness. People still live here, and have no direct way to the mainland of Brunei other than crossing the river. Life definitely finds a way.

It was time to flag down a water taxi. We stood on a wooden dock overlooking the river and waited. The chugging of an old boat reached our ears and was followed by a yellow speedboat plopping along over the horizon. I awkwardly raised my hand to wave them over. I mentioned to Emily it would be funny if they just ignored us, but the driver gave a head nod and came over. On the boat were, I assumed, his wife and children as they were close and talking together. I stumbled on to the boat, handed him the $1 fee, and pointed to the shore. No more than 30 seconds later, we were there. If the ancient Kampong Ayers had water taxis this efficient, I’m not surprised they never needed to move back to the mainland.

On the shore we took to the streets and headed back to the hotel. I loved the architecture here. It was so unique, unlike anything we’d seen. The mixtures of exotic tropics and Islamic culture, traditional and modern, created such a strange yet welcoming environment.

The Warm Jelly

For some reason, we had lost all Internet connection the minute we landed in Brunei, which made it tough to get from place to place. On top of that, our beloved Grab wasn’t active in the country. We told the receptionist of our problem. In Brunei, the ride service app of choice is called Dart. She went ahead and tried ordering one for us. Nothing. She tried again. Nothing again. We sat in the lobby, debating whether we should just bite the bullet and walk. Around 5 or so minutes later, we got a confirmation, “Your ride will be here in a couple minutes”.

I was looking forward to this meal, just because of how bizarre it sounded. Our car pulled down a long alleyway and in front of an unassuming building. This was Nadi Utama Restaurant and home to Brunei’s National Dish, Ambuyat. Most people haven’t even heard of Brunei, let alone its National Dish. We certainly hadn’t heard of it before this trip. I was excited. It was a weird one. The starch of a Sago Palm tree mixed with water and then thickened. It didn’t even sound like food.

The restaurant was mostly empty. Naturally, the few people inside turned and stared at every step we took. It was nice and looked like a regular western cafe. We sat down at our table as a nervous looking lady came over to us. We struggled to communicate as I pointed at the Ambuyat. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to ask what sides we wanted, but I just ended up saying ‘Whatever you think is best’ and left it at that. Most of the time, that ends up working wherever we are.

After an Islamic Call to Prayer played over the radio and halted the entire place, the Ambuyat came. Inside this clay pot was a thick, sticky white jelly. The server instructed us to how to eat it. “Twist with these and then swallow. Don’t chew or you will choke.” Sorry what? Or we’ll choke?

The stakes were high, my life was on the line. I picked up the wooden chopstick, known as a Chanda, and stuck it in to the Ambuyat. After a couple of twirls, I pulled away with my lump of jelly. I could see the people in the back looking at me in excitement, probably waiting to see me mess it up. I stuck the Chanda pretty far into my mouth and sucked the Ambuyat off. In a split second of panic, I was very conscious of this thick, warm jelly sliding down the back of my throat. The whole thing was a strange experience. It didn’t really taste like anything other than thick, starchy gelatin. We were given a little sauce to dip it in, but that didn’t really do much for me. It was a little fishy and had a strange aftertaste.

Before Emily had even swallowed I could tell that she didn’t like it. I didn’t blame her. Luckily, I’d somehow accidently ordered some other dishes with the Ambuyat. A beef and a vegetable dish, both of which were very good.

As we had no Internet and no Dart, we began the mile trek back.

Back at our the hotel, we were treated to a pack of monkeys running around just outside our room. There was even a mother holding her baby. It was incredible how she traversed over the rooftops with a little guy hanging on to her belly.

Pizza Hut Specialty

Here’s a great trivia question about Brunei. Did you know that there is a specialty Pizza Hut pizza that is only found in Brunei? Because neither did we, until on our walk back we saw a sign saying so. I took a quick look up to see if it was true and yes, Honey Garlic Chicken Pizza is exclusive to Brunei. The better news? There was a Pizza Hut close to us. The even better news? They delivered.

Long story short. We were lazy, laid in bed, ordered a Honey Garlic Chicken Pizza and ate it all. It hit the spot. After days of eating something new and ‘Eastern’ every day of this trip, devouring a pizza felt incredible. It was sweet, savory and I think it needs to kick off in the USA right now.

On to the next Stop

The next morning we packed up our bags.

We were on our way to the next country in our trip, join us as we go to The Philippines.