Vegetarian eating tips in South America

I meant to write about my experiences navigating a vegetarian diet in South America (a continent largely focused around meat). However, I came across a fantastic travel planning and guide website, SmarterTravel.com who was looking for guest bloggers so I submitted my Veg eating tips and they were published!

Check out my article here: http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/navigating-vegetarian-diet-on-meat-centric-continent.html?id=11777297

Message me for questions on veg-specific restaurants in the countries I visited, I am sure I tried most of them…

Discovering Northern Vietnam: Planes, Trains and an Indochina Junk

Thailand had always been on the top of my travel bucket list so when I finally figured out the plan to get there, I figured I had to try and see at least one other country in Southeast Asia (looking back I wish I had figured out a way to stay longer and see more!). When I decided I wanted to travel in Vietnam it was met with mixed responses. Many traveler friends raved about some of the beautiful landscape and interesting culture they experienced, while others, namely those of my parents' generation, were skeptical. "Why Vietnam? What did you want to see there? The people are very unfriendly, don't tell anyone your American…." No one can blame those for their judgements, after all, there were a few generations before me that lived through a time where Vietnam did have a lot of negative connotation. However, something about this country and these people intrigued me. After making some choices about the areas of the country I most wanted to see, it seemed it was all concentrated in the north of the country so we flew in and out of Hanoi from Bangkok and unfortunately did not make it to Saigon, which I do regret a bit. The beauty of the North, even amidst the absolute insanity of Hanoi, proved to be a great choice for our short visit.

Hanoi, definitely another world... Let's just say there are about 6 million people and 5 million motorbikes if that gives you an idea of the buzzing streets. That, coupled with no street lights/stop signs and apparently no speed limits proved to be an exercise in both extreme patience so as not to drive yourself mad from noise and extreme bravery to avoid death by crossing the street. Despite the strangling heat and humidity we made the most of the 2 short days we had to explore the city visiting main tourist highlights, walking the old city streets, eating delicious pho for almost every meal on the street and even finding a nice yoga studio geared towards ex-pats.

streets of the old city neighborhood

street vendors

excited to find pho with tofu!

One of the most interesting places we visited in the city was the Hoa Lo prison, now turned into a museum. This prison, which originally was used by the French to torture and hold Vietnamese political prisoners beginning in the early 1900's, is probably most famous for its role in the Vietnam war when it was used to hold and torture captured American pilots and other POWs. It was fascinating to view the museum, which holds articles such as a pilot uniform worn by John McCain, and witness the war propaganda videos shown as well as read the strong, one-sided point of view of how prisoners were treated there. The prison, sarcastically dubbed "Hanoi Hilton", is portrayed as a place where the shot-down pilots were simply "held" until their release at the end of the war. There are images of holidays celebrated and games played in the prison yard. There is no mention of torture and actually, quite the opposite, mention of how civilized the treatment was. I am not an expert on all the history and facts of the Vietnam war, but I have a hunch many Americans might disagree with this portrayal. I found the whole experience very informative, it's always educating to hear different points of view on important moments in history.

belonged to John McCain

From Hanoi, we took a 2-day, 1-night trip on Halong Bay with the highly recommended Handspan travel. Halong Bay is a bay in northeast Vietnam consisting of dense clusters of thousands of limestone monolithic islands topped with lush vegetation. Certainly a breathtaking site to view for 2 leisurely days aboard a luxury boat (referred to as a Junk). On the boat we met up with another sibling backpack team and had a great time together relaxing, hiking and kayaking during the short trip. Following Halong Bay, we made our way back to Hanoi and departed later that night for an overnight train to the north-west for a 2-day trip to Sapa.

gorgeous views

new friends

Sapa, near the border of China, was quite different from both places we had previously seen in Vietnam. The rolling lush green hills and terraced rice fields were a beautiful sight and perfect setting for daily trekking. What was also very interesting about Sapa were the indigenous minority groups that inhabit the small town. There are 5 main minority groups: Hmong, Dao, Tay, Giay and Xa Pho and each is known for a particular trade or craft and identified by the clothing colors and "uniform" they wear. Although tourism and the making and selling of handicrafts is improving the way of life for many of the minority groups, Sapa is still an agricultural-based community and most inhabitants live in near-poverty or worse. It was heartbreaking at times to see all of the beautiful small children running around without proper clothes or shoes and covered in dirt. Unfortunately as a gringo it is also difficult to make it down any road without getting accosted by young girls trying to sell their wares.

breathtaking views

women making handicrafts to sell

terraced rice fields

new friends

From Sapa, we took an overnight train back to Hanoi and flew back to Bangkok where we ended our Southeast Asia trip. It was such a remarkable experience, the culture and places so unlike anywhere I have ever been before. I definitely think my time exploring the East is far from over…..

Backtracking: thoughts on Bolivia

So I realized I never wrote about my incredible 5 day experience in Bolivia towards the end of my South American journey. Truth is, it was a stop I hadn't planned on, yet turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the overall trip. I love when people or places surprise you in that way that your expectations are completely exceeded and that is certainly what happened on my Salar de Uyuni (Salt Flats of Uyuni) 3-day Jeep tour. During my earlier travels in South America I had met many backpackers who raved about the Salar de Uyuni, so I filed it as something I wanted to try and do if time permitted. When I realized after Brazil, I would have a couple of weeks before I needed to head back to Santiago, I thought that it seemed like the ideal time. My original plan was to come in from Sao Paolo to Santa Cruz (there is a non-stop flight on a budget airline offered daily) and then make my way to Sucre as I had read about it on travel sites and in books and thought it sounded like a perfect stop over. From Sucre I would bus it to Uyuni to begin the tour. Unfortunately, as I've learned now multiple times, traveling (especially by plane) rarely goes how you'd like or expect and when my flight was delayed an extra day from Brazil I found myself making choices about where I would stop over before Uyuni. What became the best option was to get to La Paz since I could do that from Santa Cruz on the same night, stay over in La Paz and then take an overnight bus the next night to Uyuni. I wasn't thrilled about this new plan because A. I was missing out on Sucre and B. I had not wanted to go to La Paz at all, especially by myself, as I have heard many friends experiencing safety issues while traveling there. Needless to say, things happen for a reason and I made a fellow traveler friend who had also been stranded in Brazil and was planning the same route so we bunked up in La Paz, took the bus the following night to Uyuni and joined up on the same jeep tour. The experience the next 3 days completely made up for the travel horrors and unplanned stop in La Paz. The company I chose to go with, Red Planet, was fantastic. Our guide was awesome, the drivers were sober (seriously this is an issue with others), the group had a great dynamic and the tour itself was incredible. I never knew that Bolivia was such a breathtakingly beautiful country. It was truly a special treat of salt flats, lagoons, mountains, deserts and hot springs. At the end of the 3 days, I crossed the border into Chile for my final few weeks in South America, definitely a trip I would recommend to others.

The group at the Salt Flats

Hot springs

Green Lagoon

Now, why did I start thinking about my time in Bolivia and decide to post months later. Well, I recently read a book called Marching Powder, by Rusty Young told in the words of Thomas McFadden, a convicted drug smuggler who was sentenced to 6 years time in San Pedro Prison in La Paz, Bolivia. Thomas' story was absolutely incredible and shed new light on what I already knew to be a corrupt society in Bolivia. San Pedro prison is like nothing you've ever heard of before. The prisoners essentially run and control the entire facility. New inmates must pay for a cell and it is not uncommon for families to live inside the prison with their inmate relative, insane right?! The story told in Marching Powder describes the unbelievable life in San Pedro filled with drugs, fear and knowing who to compensate inside. When Thomas was living in San Pedro, he began offering tours to visitors. No joke, it was even featured in Lonely Planet as "one of the world's most bizarre tourist attractions". Since he was freed apparently the tours aren't quite as legit/safe/legal so it is not as common these days. I couldn't help think of the incredible stories the backpackers who toured the prison and spent the night probably had...unlike anything you'd ever experience in a lifetime. I was very fascinated with Thomas' story and the whole idea of a place like this that exists and would highly suggest it for your future reading list, although I heard they are making a movie if you don't get to it….

Namaste Series: deepening Ashtanga practice in Thailand

During my practice of yoga in the last 6 years or so, I have found teachers I have been drawn to and types of classes that suit me best. Personally, I like a challenge, so getting sweaty and utilizing the class as a workout is definitely a plus. On the other hand, one of the reasons I grew to love yoga is because of its inherent relaxation properties and meditation work. The ideal for me is to find a challenging, invigorating class with an energetic and helpful teacher. Ashtanga yoga, in simple terms is a set series of yoga popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois and directly responsible for the western craze of "power yoga." Typically, the class is 90 minutes to 2 hours and quite challenging involving a majority of vinyasa flow and deep asanas. I had never specifically practiced at an ashtanga class, however, many of the studios I have attended over the years adopt a modified version and I was always interested in learning about this style in greater detail. When I came to Chiang Mai, and met up with some old friends from home, they could not stop talking about this intense ashtanga class at a nearby studio, Wild Rose, with a kick-ass instructor.  I was totally sold and had to check it out. The 2+ hour session certainly did not disappoint. The instructor, Vari (a former New Yorker), had both the skills to teach for all levels as well as the positive energy and words to motivate all the students. His class was a modified version of the exact Ashtanga series from India, however, I definitely noticed differences from previous classes and was very happy to take on a new challenge. One of my favorite parts of Chiang Mai is the laid-back, community atmosphere and Wild Rose Yoga certainly fits right into this. Following the intense class, everyone was on a serious high and hung around together for fresh juices at the restaurant next door. An ideal afternoon if I've ever experienced one. I can certainly see how one might come to Chiang Mai and stay for awhile….Namaste.

Siesta in the Sand on Ko Phi Phi

If it weren't for the breathtaking views of the beach, islands and Andaman Sea, our trip down south in Thailand might have been ruined thanks to the horrific experience of Phuket. Most of my friends who had been through Phuket in the past warned me about the tourist trap that is this dirty city, so in the hopes to avoid this, I booked our one night we had in transit at a Lonely Planet-recommended "resort" just a bit farther away from the center of activity on Kamala beach.  To make a long story short we showed up at 1am to a roach motel run by an incompetent non-english speaking staff….needless to say we made it through the night and 12 hours later were on the ferry as fast as we could to Ko Phi Phi.

Luckily, arriving at the beautiful island didn't disappoint. Ko Phi Phi is made up of two islands, Ko Phi Phi Don (which is the part that is inhabited) and Ko Phi Phi Leh (most famously known for where the movie "The Beach" was shot). If I had one complaint of the Island, it might be that it is a bit overly touristy. Before the tsunami hit, the Island was getting so built up that the government imposed restrictions once everything was destroyed in 2004 so that it wouldn't get so built up again. Unfortunately, business owners thought otherwise and it is essentially what it was like pre-tsunami…. Alas, there are still some beautiful areas a bit removed from the town that retain a paradise vibe.
For our first night we had pre-booked a bungalow a bit farther away from the town called Viking Nature Resort, near Long Beach. It was such a cool eco-resort and the private tree house bungalows were perfection. However, we decided we wanted to be a little closer to the action so, after our first night and a picture-perfect day at the beach, we packed up and rented a budget bungalow in the town center for the next two nights.

our tree house at Viking

Phi Phi Leh

Our 4 Island days were filled with lounging in the sand, a snorkel/island boat trip, more delicious thai  fresh seafood and even yoga on the beach. It was the perfect way to unwind, enjoy the beauty of the island and culminate our Thailand trip before departing for the next adventure in Vietnam...

Chilled out in Chiang Mai

Although Bangkok was a thrilling start, it was quite a busy and hectic metropolitan city so arriving in the quieter, more subdued Northern city of Chiang Mai was a welcoming experience.  In our loosely mapped out itinerary we decided Chiang Mai would be one of our favorite places and there were many things we wanted to do in and around the city so we planned to spend about 5 days here and let me tell you, I could have stayed months! Between the friendliness of the people, the ease to get around the old city, the affordable and delicious street food, the endless options of outdoor activities and the overall laid back vibe I could see how some of my friends have called this city home for months on end.

Accommodations in Chiang Mai are quite affordable and conveniently located in and outside of the old city walls. Our guest house, Sri Pat, was not as social as some of the other more hostel-oriented houses, but was a great location inside the old city and the owner was an elderly lady who was eager to show us letters from her friend in Chicago once she learned where we were from, it was very sweet. We spent our first day doing a lot of walking in the old city exploring the streets and getting our bearings. We were especially stoked for fresh fruit and veggie juices on nearly every corner!  Later we decided to treat ourselves to our first Thai massage ($5 us dollars for one hour!). I had never experienced traditional Thai massage and absolutely loved it, it was quite painful, but in a good way. We compared it to a human foam roll (for athletes out there who know what I’m talking about) combined with someone almost doing yoga stretching for your body, amazing! That night we met up with a friend of mine, Lindsey, from high school who I haven’t been in touch with in years that just happened to also be traveling through Chiang Mai at the same time…ah the power of facebook! It was a blast and such a treat to reconnect with old friends on the other side of the world.

juice!

a fun reunion

The following day we set out on what has to be one of my favorite experiences from the entire trip; an elephant park. Baanchang Elephant Park is a lush 250 acres about 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai in the hills. The owner started the park in 2004 to rescue elephants that were being mistreated and exploited in Thailand. Currently, there are 21 elephants at the park. Tourists can visit the park and spend the day learning about how the Mahouts (trainers/caretakers) communicate with and care for the animals, feed and bathe the elephants and enjoy a leisurely ride up through the jungle. Although seemingly gentle, elephants are actually quite aggressive animals and it was fascinating to learn about communicating with them. The elephant that Kelsey and I rode and bathed, Nomi, was so beautiful and sweet we didn’t want the day to end…plus how sweeeet are those outfits??

bath time

The following day we went with our guide from the Elephant park on a trek through the jungle up to a beautiful waterfall where we had a chance to spend some time relaxing and swimming followed by rafting. We returned to Chiang Mai later that evening and braved our way through the super-touristy night market where we picked up more than our fare share of gorgeous textiles and souvenirs and tasty $1 pad thai.

The following day, we signed up for a half day cooking class with Siam Rice Thai Cookery school. The morning consisted of visiting one of the largest local markets to shop for ingredients, followed by step by step instructions on cooking a soup, noodle dish and curry. We even pounded our own curry paste! As someone who enjoys cooking and learning about new foods and flavors, I loved every minute and it is true, it always tastes better when you make it yourself. We couldn’t even finish our last curry dish after enjoying soup and noodles, but luckily as part of the day you receive a cookbook with all of the recipes so I’m eager to cook up some delicious Thai dishes. Although, I have a feeling it might not be quite as easy without the expert guidance and personal wok stations….

thai basil

making our own curry paste

delicious

Following cooking school, we visited the Doi Suthep temple on top of the mountain just outside the city. Even though the weather wasn’t exactly cooperative, it was still a beautiful visit and the view of the city from the top is quite breathtaking.

view of Chiang Mai

On our last full day in Chiang Mai we finally had some time to practice yoga and we were excited to join the 2-hour Ashtanga class at Wild Rose Yoga that my friend Lindsey and her friend Margot had been attending all week. (More details on the class in a following post). Following yoga and another delicious meal, we packed up our bags and headed to the airport where we would be leaving Chiang Mai, certainly bittersweet, to head south to the Andaman coast for an overnight in Phuket followed by beach time on Ko Phi Phi.

One Day in Bangkok

Sa-wa-dee-kaa! I’ve just come home from an exhilarating three week trip to Thailand and Vietnam with my sister, Kelsey, and I can only say that Southeast Asia is truly a remarkable and very special place that I would very much like to continue to explore.  Our trip began in Thailand….

After a slight travel delay, forcing us to spend a night in Narita, Japan just outside the Tokyo airport, we were more than too happy to finally arrive in Bangkok, Thailand for a brief stop (just about 36 hours) to explore this wild city.

On our first of two nights we set out to one of the night markets after grabbing one of many excellent meals. The food in Thailand was certainly a highlight (more to come on that) as it was delicious and cheap!  I also learned that I have an appreciation for rather spicy foods, especially the flavorful Thai curries and soups. As I mentioned to Kelsey during one meal, “I don’t think I can consider it a positive Thai meal if my mouth isn’t on fire…” After gathering a few souvenirs and receiving plenty of invitations to attend a “ping pong show” we headed back to our hotel so we could wake early for our only full day in the city.

Our jam-packed morning included a self-guided walking tour of the major tourist and Buddhist destinations in Bangkok, including the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho and Wat Arun before we took a break for lunch. (Side note: Wat means Temple).  We stood in wonder at the Grand Palace and neighboring Wat where the intricate décor of each building, temple and statue is an ornate work of art, we were amazed at the 46m long reclining solid gold Buddha and we huffed and puffed up the steepest stairs I have ever climbed for a breathtaking view of the entire city. Visiting the temples, viewing the most beautiful religious statues and watching people bowing their heads deep in prayer was a very spiritual experience and the perfect start to a trip in such a special country.

Grand Palace

Reclining Buddha

 

steps up to Wat Arun

typical...

If one were just to experience the crazy night market surrounded by nude bars or only to experience the majestic beauty of the holy Buddhist temples, you would think you were in two completely different cities. The dichotomy of a rich history and sacred religious sites against a modern, bustling, sex-infused chaos is what makes Bangkok such an interesting and inviting city. We collapsed after  an afternoon at the Chatuchak weekend market (a must if you are in Bangkok over a weekend) and prepared for our trip the following morning to the northern Thai city, Chiang Mai.