Nom Nom New York!

Posted on October 20, 2015 by admin

Food in the US is a punch in the face with flavour. It’s not mild or bland, it’s almost like turning up the volume on the taste. I find when I’m in the US that savoury foods are often too salty and sweet foods are too sweet. It’s all delicious though. It’s not healthy but it’s so damn good. It’s all that sugar, salt and fat! It makes our brains light up like Times Square!

Fine dining and Michelin star restaurants absolutely do not have the monopoly on tasty food. Often I think that food cooked with love, hospitality, generosity and plenty is the best. There are lots of cheap and cheerful places all over Manhattan with excellent food. We stayed in East Village and were thrilled to find a large number of excellent places to eat. We also did a couple of food/walking “tips only” tours which were great fun and delicious as well. Here are some of our eating experiences in New York. Nom Nom Nom!!

How can you go to New York and not have a “dirty water” dog! These are the famous New York Hot Dogs. They are called “dirty water” dogs because the sausage is cooked and left in a vat of warmish water and pulled out when a customer requests a hot dog. We were advised that locals would ask for a “dog” and not a “hot dog”. If you ask for a “hot dog”, you reveal yourself to being a tourist and then become exposed to price gouging. We found that most food cart vendors in Manhattan do not advertise their prices openly. This is against the law but they do this to price gouge unsuspecting tourists. Beware! Do not support these unscrupulous vendors. We made a conscious decision only to support food establishments which openly display their pricing.

Enough about pricing, let’s discuss the hot dog. Well, it was very small and underwhelming. The bun is made of fluffy soft white bread which has no substance. The entire hot dog is consumed in three bites and in 15 minutes you’re hungry again.

New York Hot Dog

Instead of spending a few dollars on an average hot dog, get a taco instead with the money. We found Otto’s Tacos in the East Village to be so scrumptious that we went twice during our stay in New York. They prepare each taco as you order them with home-made corn tortillas (really authentic rustic flavour). The chosen proteins are accompanied only with some coriander and sauce. The simplicity allows the taste of the filling and the texture of the taco to really shine. It makes for a religious eating experience!

Tacos from Otto’s Tacos

Also in East Village is an outlet of Xi’an Famous Foods. This shop boasts Anthony Bourdain as one of its biggest fans. They specialities include Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger and the hand ripped spicy noodles. Even though Xi’an is in China, this tastes unlike most Chinese food. Due to the heavy use of cumin, it tastes almost Middle Eastern to me. Xi’an is situated at the start of the Silk Road and it explains the fusion of flavours and Middle Eastern spices. The hand ripped noodles are a surprise with its addictively chewy texture and a spiciness that builds in your mouth as you work through the dish. The lamb burger was delicious. It reminded me of a kebab with the bread and the cumin spiced filling. Everything is served in typical American style for this sort of cheap eatery on disposable plates which of course you throw away once you’re finished.

Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger from Xi’an Famous Foods

Spicy Hand Ripped Noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods

In America, one cannot visit without having a hamburger. The consumption of a hamburger is totally normalised in the US. It’s not so much an occasional treat but an everyday food. We chose to get hamburgers from Steak ‘n Shake based on a recommendation from a Californian friend. These burgers were indeed delicious but for health reasons, we limited ourselves to only one meal of hamburgers during our visit. Greasy, cheesy burgers are not everyday food! The best burgers I’ve had in the US are from Red Robin, a burger chain on the west coast of the US. Those burgers are utterly divine but also a heart attack waiting to happen! Anyway, what do you expect from the nation that brought us the Hashbrown Double and deep fried cheescake?

Steak ‘n Shake Burgers

One of the most fun ways I’ve found for discovering new places and food is to do “tips only” food walking tours. Whilst in New York, I did a food tour of Greenwich Village and of Flatbush Brooklyn. Both were excellent.

In Greenwich Village, we stopped for falafel at Mamoun’s falafel. These were nice but not the best falafel I’ve ever had. This was followed by two pizza stops. First was Artichoke Pizza followed by Bleecker Street Pizza. It does seem crazy to do two pizza stops in one tour but this is New York City, home of some of the best pizza in the world AND, these two pizza were so very different yet both distinctive and delicious. The speciality at Artichoke Pizza is of course Artichoke Pizza. It’s a bit like creamy artichoke dip on top of a pizza. The crust was more robust to support the topping. It was creamy, tasty and rich. I don’t think you can eat a lot of it. By contrast, the Bleecker Street Pizza had a thin crust and had “Nonna Maria’s” special tomato sauce on it. Much lighter, but still very tasty and the crust was just beautifully cooked and a little crispy.

Sign at Artichoke Pizza

Pizza from Bleecker Street Pizza

Onwards to arancini balls at Faicco’s. This store sells lots of different Italian Specialities but on the day, we tried the arancini balls. These are risotto balls coated in breadcrumbs and fried. When I bit into the arancini ball, I was surprised to find a very plain and simple risotto inside and yet the ball contained so much flavour. It was surprisingly good. Often, arancini balls are made with fancy flavoured risottos e.g. sun dried tomato or mushroom but even without the frills, these arancini balls were still so flavourful. Is it the use of parmesan for umami?

Arancini Balls from Faiccos

At this point of the Greenwich village tour, I’m getting quite full. We are now onto the sweet stops. First is a place called, Bantam Bagels which sell mini stuffed bagel balls. I tried one called “The Jack” which is a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced bagel filled with a pumpkin spiced cream cheese. This was a special flavour due to Halloween coming up. The cream cheese in the centre was yummy! In general, I don’t care for the texture of bagels. I think they are an underwhelming and dense bread and I can’t understand why they are so popular in New York. Give me a chewy sour dough any day!

The Jack from Bantam Bagels

Last dessert stop. I’m now rolling and waddling along the streets of Greenwich Village when we head into Molly’s Cupcakes for a seat and a cupcake. Due to my extreme state of fullness, I chose a Mini Molly Filled Cupcake. It was chocolate with chocolate icing and a chocolate mousse filling. How many times did I say chocolate in one sentence? Can you understand why I did not remember to take a photo. My mind was clouded in a chocolate fog! I had to laugh when I bit into this indulgent cupcake. It was intentionally tiny but between the icing on top and the filling in the centre, I was amazed at how little cake there was and how that tiny bit of cake could support all the icing and the filling.

Upon completion of that tour, all I wanted to do was to go back for a lie down while all that food digested.

A few days later, we’d arranged to go on a food walking tour in Flatbush Brooklyn. I had never explored Brooklyn before and this was a great opportunity. First stop was De Hot Pot serving classic Caribbean food and roti. Roti is an unleavened flat bread from India. What is awesome is how this Indian originated food travelled with the Indian diaspora to become an integral part of the food culture of the Trinidad and Tobago and of South East Asia (e.g. Malaysia).

In this shop, we tried a Trinidad street food snack called doubles. This is a sandwich of two pieces of fried bread with chick pea curry in the middle and a dash of spicy sauce. The fried bread is similar to poori, a deep-fried Indian bread. What a delicious savoury snack! We saw the shop prepare roti for other patrons as well. Their rotis were huge, maybe 50 cm in diameter and goat curry was spooned into the centre along with other fillings and condiments and the entire thing wrapped up like a burrito wrap on steroids! If you ate that, you would not need to eat for 3 days afterwards!

Doubles from De Hot Pot

After a pie stop, at the Pels Pie Company for some sweet treats, we meandered along the leafy green streets and stately homes of Brooklyn before sharing a spicy cocktail at a neighbourhood cocktail bar. This was followed by Jamaican vegetarian food at Scoops & Plates Eatery.

We had a dish of soy based mock chicken and a vegetable stew called Callaloo on a bed of emperor’s rice. Callaloo is a Caribbean dish which varies depending on the region. This particular version was thickened using okra and contained dasheen bush. Dasheen bush is a leafy vegetable. The dishes were served with emperor’s rice or forbidden rice, black rice, so named because it was once reserved for only the emperor and royal family in ancient China.

Jamaican Vegetarian Food from Scoops in Brooklyn

At the next stop, we tried Jamaican Escovitch fish, which is deep-fried fish marinated in a spicy vinegar and served with pickled vegetables. This was really interesting because pickling the fish helps preserve it for a few days which makes a lot of sense back when refrigerators were not so widespread. Turns out, there are pickled fish dishes in many cultures. A quick Google search showed South African, Indian and Malaysian pickled fish recipes. Isn’t it amazing how the same basic need to preserve food safely has led to a similar approach in vastly different cultures?

Escovitch Fish

Our last stop on the tour of Flatbush Brooklyn is Jerk Chicken at Peppa’s Jerk Chicken. This place is unassuming but produces tasty and surprisingly tender jerk chicken. I can’t wait to try my own version of jerk chicken at home. I think an overnight marinade with jerk spices and a slow roast will give a wondrous result.

Jerk Chicken

I learnt a lot during the Flatbush Brooklyn food walking tour. I had never tried food from Jamaica or Trinidad before. These are entire regions of food which are totally new to me. It always excites me to taste new food and learn new things about the origins of dishes.

I am now starving after writing this post and will now head off to start cooking my dinner!

Happy Exploring and Happy Eating!

Eating Around Europe

Posted on October 11, 2015 by admin

I love food! I think that has been pretty clear. Anyway, here are some of the things we’ve eaten whilst we’ve travelled Europe.

First up, we have some food which is perfect for the cold winters! We had some fondue in Switzerland. The cheese sauce is quite strong but it’s so tasty with the chewy bread and bits of potato for dunking. It’s not exactly a light lunch but I can imagine if it was freezing outside, there is nothing nicer than some melted gooey cheese!!!!

Cheese Fondue

In Zurich, we were directed to a lovely restaurant which, despite the fact that it was on the tourist strip seemed to be catering to a lot of locals and was run by nice local grandma types. We were served by this nice, older lady who needed some glasses. She really could not see and dropped our cutlery, our change and nearly our food! It was pretty funny.

We ate these noodle/dumpling things called spatzle. They are like gnocchi except minus the potatoes which make gnocchi light and fluffy. So as a result, they’re heavier and denser. They’re made by extruding the dough into boiling water using various devices. At a pinch, you can use a colander.

We also ate sausage and mash. Spatzle, mash, big pork sausage, all hearty and heavy foods to warm you up on the inside and keep you warm in the middle of winter!!

Spatzle Bolagnese

Pork Sausage and Mash

Onwards to something different. In Portugal, there is an area called Matosinhos, near the city of Porto. They specialise in seafood. As you walk along the restaurant strip, there are charcoal barbecues by the curb smoking away as they grill different kinds of seafood. Mostly, they focus on grilling local sardines. This serving of 7 of the largest sardines I have ever seen was a portion for one person. Sardines are such tasty fish and these were lemony, salty, crispy and oily. Delicious, finger licking food!

Grilled Sardines

Ahh French food! Supposedly the king of all cuisines. I would have disagreed but I have to say, they do the most amazing sauces. I find that I have to scoop up every tiny bit of the luxurious sauces with bread until my plate is wiped spotlessly clean. How do they make such delicious sauces!! I have to learn!! Anyway, check out some French food pics below.

Escargots

Paillasson with Chevre and Bacon

A paillasson is a potato pancake made with grated potato. It’s somewhat like a hash brown. In this version, it was served with creamy chevre or goats cheese and bacon. It made for a delicious lunch.

Brioche French Toast with Brown Sugar

French Coffee with Macarons

Crepes with Sugar and Lemon

Let’s not forget, the most amazing dessert I ate in France. “Floating Islands” was such a revelation I did a post specifically on it.

Hmm…speaking of sweet things, I found a photo from Greece that didn’t make it into the my post about Greece. These are Greek, deep fried doughnuts or Loukoumades. These are often served with honey and cinnamon and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. They are syrupy and sweet and delicious. I mean, really, how can you go wrong with deep fried dough? It’s a whole category of fatty but delicious food. Think…Mexican Churro, Canadian Beavertails, Creole/French Beignets, Indian Poori, Latin American Sopaipilla and my favourites, Chinese Youtiao and Indian Murukku.

Greek Loukoumades

OK. That’s enough drooling from me. Have you got an easy but delicious recipe for a French sauce? What’s your favourite deep fried dough food?

Paris, A City of Treasures – 11 Tips for a Great Visit!

Posted on October 9, 2015 by admin

Paris is a beautiful city. It is no wonder that it is on everyone’s bucket list and it gets so many visitors every year. There are so many big attractions to see and the city itself is so elegant and impressive.

Here are my tips to get the most out of Paris on a budget.

Tip #1

Make sure you look beyond the major sites. Paris is full of secret squares, courtyards and gardens. Whilst most of the tourists are focused on Jardin des Tuileries near the Louvre, not far away is the beautiful and quite hidden, Place du Palais Royale. It’s extremely pretty and a real treasure to find such a garden in a big city. Here is another example, check out this picture of a lovely backgarden behind some flats in Marais.

Enchanting Backgarden of Some Homes in Marais

Tip #2

Many of the museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. If you are there, take advantage of it. We checked out the Lourve and Musee Rodin. Whilst the two big name museums, the Lourve and Musee d’Orsay in Paris are astoundingly beautiful and on the “must do” list, the smaller ones can be real gems too. We went to Musee Rodin and found that the sculptures of Rodin are displayed in a beautiful garden setting. It made a lovely change from having rooms packed full of masterpieces bombarding the eye. Wandering about the gardens and coming across Rodin sculptures has a different kind of magic to it.

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin at the Musee Rodin

Tip #3

Take advantage of the large number of free museums. We went to three and I would recommend all of them.

Musee Curie which covers the life, work and legacy of Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist with two Nobel prizes to her name.
Musee Carnavalet which is dedicated to the history of Paris. Whilst the displays are interesting, the building and gardens are something to behold too.
Le Petit Palais, which houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts. It houses many beautiful artworks but it was the building that was really special. The stunning Le Petit Palais building would be jewel of another city, yet in Paris it is the baby sister to the Grand Palais next to it which is bigger and more grand.

The Gardens of Musee Carnavalet

Le Petit Palais

Tip #4

Take a “tips only” walking tour. These walking tours are advertised as “FREE” but really, at the end, you should really tip the guide if he/she wasn’t utterly terrible. They are never really awful because their incentive is to maximise your tip. We often find the guides are incredibly knowledgable, enthusiastic and have a true love for the city. It’s a good value way to learn some history and get taken to some unexpected places you would never have known existed.

Tip #5

Stroll around Paris and don’t forget to look up! Paris is a very walkable city. Go for a stroll, and even though it is important to look at where you are going to avoid cars and the inevitable Parisian dog poop, look up too! There seems to always be a stunning building down the street or ornate balcony railings or some architectural detailing which catches the eye.

We would have missed this cute guy if we didn’t look up!

I looked up and saw this amazing building as we were crossing the road! The Pantheon!

Tip #6

Don’t come to Paris during peak season. Even in October, which is the end of shoulder season, the main attractions have a lot of people. I still had to stand in line to get into the Musee d’Orsay for more than an hour. I shudder to think how long the line would have been in July or how hot it would have been to stand for hours in the sweltering summer sun.

Tip #7

Don’t miss Musee d’Orsay. Even if you have to wait an hour and pay to get in! Visit it!

Statue at Musee D’Orsay

Hercules the Archer by Bourdelle at Musee D’Orsay

Tip #8

Keep your wits about you and watch your stuff at the big attractions. We encountered groups of youths at all the big sites with fake petitions trying to separate tourists from their hard earned money. The way it works is they end up pressuring you for a donation (which they will keep) or just pickpocket you when they get a chance.

It really astounds me how the authorities let such blatant scams persist out in the open at such a major tourist destination.

Tip #9

Stay a few extra days. There are so many worthwhile sites to take in. If you rush through Paris in 3 days or less, you won’t get a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty of this city.

I just want to read my book! Statue at the Arc De Triomphe

Tip #10

Self cater to save money in Paris. The cost of food can add up in Paris if you are eating out all the time. Where possible, self cater from a local supermarket to save some money. How about grabbing some delicious fresh baguette and French cheese and enjoy a picnic in one of Paris’ many delightful parks? Other cheaper options for food include ethnic food, crepes and falafel. The falafal pita that I had from the L’As Du Fallafal was delish! The fallafal balls were so fragrant and beautifully spiced! Bites of heaven! Swoon!

If you do decide to eat in a restaurant, look for the ‘Formule‘ (two or three course set menu) which is a much better deal than ordering a la carte.

Tip #11

Don’t follow the herd. Paris is a city full of tourists but if you “zig” when other people are “zagging”, you can hopefully minimise these annoying crowds. For example, whilst everyone else is trying to get a photo of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, go to some other wing of the museum to find a masterpiece that delights you.

The Crowd of Visitors at the Louvre trying to see the Mona Lisa.

The Louvre

Paris is an enchanting city with plenty to do and see. These photos really don’t do it justice. I hope you have found some of these tips helpful and you have a chance to make your own cherished memories in this handsome city.

The Eiffel Tower

View From the Eiffel Tower

Floating Islands

Posted on October 3, 2015 by admin

I have discovered this amazing dessert called Floating Islands. It is a dessert of French origin and I have seen it before in a cookbook but have never been inspired to try it. Now that I’ve tasted it, I think this is an unusual and delicious dessert to serve at a dinner party. In this picture, it is topped with caramelised nuts for texture.

This dessert is called île flottante (floating island) or œufs à la neige (eggs in snow). It’s poached meringue on a vanilla custard. Other than the fact that this is a yummy dessert, I’m so excited because of two things. Firstly, you can poach meringue! I had no idea. Recipes for this dessert has the meringue poached in a diluted milk mixture. Secondly and more excitingly, here is a recipe that allows me to enjoy meringue AND use up the leftover egg yolks in the custard. Custard has always been an indulgent way to use up egg yolks and now, they can be used in combination with the egg white to make this classy and light dessert. Genius! (Yes, I know, it’s a bit sad to be so excited about this but it’s so neat and there is no egg wastage!)

Isaac Newton Statue at the British Library

Posted on October 3, 2015 by admin

My favourite sculpture in London is this one of Isaac Newton at the British Library. So often statues are of war heroes or monarchs. This is of a mathematician and using a compass no less!

If you are in London, the British Library is definitely worth a visit. Where else can you see the handwritten notes of Leonardo Da Vinci and the original musical scribblings of Beethoven and Mozart?

Charming, Delightful Greece

Posted on September 27, 2015 by admin

I commend Greece. I’ve travelled a lot and I think of all the places that rely heavily on tourism, the Greek islands does it the best. Often places that depend predominantly on tourism for money can tend to be pushy, full of touts and scammers trying to make a buck. Restaurants on the well trodden tourist trail often serve up pitiful excuses for food barely fit for your dog because they know that you won’t be back so they don’t care. Greece is not like that at all and it’s damn refreshing! Greece is charming and delightful, the people are friendly and open but not pushy and in-your-face, the food is delicious and homely and the scenery around the Cyclades Islands is postcard perfect. On the islands, life is laid back and lovely. There is no hint of the financial turmoil that Greece is experiencing.

We came to Greece for about 2 weeks. Most of this was spent on a lovely single hulled sailing yacht cruising around the Cyclades Islands. We visited Santorini, Ios, Schinoussa, Naxos, Despotica, Antiparos, Kophenesia, Katapola (Amorgos), Siknos and Folegandros either to dock for the night or just to anchor offshore. Being on a yacht was a lovely way to see the small picturesque fishing harbours of the islands as well as take in their barren, rugged and windswept landscapes.

View from High Point in Folegandros

Greek Church in Ios

Sailing at Dawn – Magic!

Portara Gate in Naxos

Folegandros Port

It was a pleasure to be able to explore and wander around the small towns on the islands where we docked for the night. They were really so sweet with their narrow alleyways and whitewashed houses with blue shutters. There were delicious taverns and restaurants for dinner, tiny shops with treasures to discover and bakeries selling yummy Greek feta and spinach filled phyllo pastries.

Greek cuisine is food I can see a family eating at home. It’s not fancy, pretentious or overly played with but tasty, filling and healthy. It’s hospitable, welcoming food served in good sized portions and cooked with love.The food highlights on this trip include

creamy, garlicky, refreshing tzatziki;
smooth fava bean dip;
phyllo pastry wrapped baked feta with honeyed figs – sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy!
spicy eggplant dip – this was utterly DIVINE!
greek salad – juicy Greek tomatoes, cucumber, olives and that big slab of feta on the top! (how do they grow these amazingly tasty tomatoes!?)
Saganaki, deep fried slab of cheese – salty, chewy, lemony. A fat and salt injection to the brain to light it up like Vegas!
green beans in a light tomato sauce – these were so tasty and juicy. I MUST find the recipe!
deep fried anchovies – tasty oily fish in a crunchy mouthful.
tender, falling apart rabbit in a tomato sauce with long pasta (*swoon*)
skilfully grilled red snapper served with a lemon and olive oil sauce
prawn saganaki – prawns in their shell cooked in tomato sauce with some feta melted on the top – so tasty because the prawney flavour has leached into the tomato sauce.
gyros – garlicky tzatziki, tasty meat, juicy tomato and french fries wrapped in soft chewy pita – cheap but oh so satisfying!

Tzatziki

Chicken Souvlaki

The BEST Green Beans Dish!

Stuffed Squid

Unfortunately, there aren’t many food photos because over and over my brain would light up when the glorious dishes were brought to table and I would be eating and enjoying the food. Only when I sit back full and with a contented sigh do I remember that perhaps I should have taken a few photos for the blog. Ahh next time…then it would happen again! I just love eating and I get so excited when the food comes that I don’t remember to photograph. My base instinct to feed myself comes to the fore!

I was under the totally misguided opinion that sailing between the Cyclades islands would be a calm and predictable affair. I was wrong! The Aegean sea is affected by the meltemi and can be very windy, choppy and stormy at times while at other times serenely calm with barely a whisper of wind. Fortunately we had an experienced skipper on the yacht to navigate the ever changing weather and decipher the inconsistent and unreliable weather forecasts to keep us safe and comfortable.

We organised a few nights in Santorini before leaving Greece. I had always wanted to go to Santorini and I am thrilled to say that it is as beautiful as promised. It is a geographically stunning place and there are striking vistas from so many places. Even a jaded traveller like me has now got a ridiculous number of pictures of the caldera bathed in the reddish glow of the famous Santorini sunset and the white, cubist homes clinging to the black, volcanic cliff face. It’s spectacular stuff, the azure waters, the blue skies, the bright white houses and the black, volcanic sand. Santorini deserves it’s accolades. It is an amazing destination!

Santorini at Dusk

Santorini

As I’m singing the praises of Greece, I realise that the temperature has a lot to do with my good feeling. It’s the end of September and the weather is perfect during the day for sightseeing. It’s t-shirt and shorts weather without being too hot and it cools down at night so sleeping in an enclosed cabin on the yacht was not too hot. September is also the tail end of the tourist season for Greece so the numbers of tourists are decreasing. There are still plenty around, especially in Santorini but I suspect that my Greek experience would not have been so pleasant in the scorching heat of July at the peak of the Greek tourist season.

For me, destinations fall into two categories. There are places you go to tick off on your bucket list. Once you’re done, you have no desire to return. Greece is in the other category. It’s a place I would happily return to for another visit. This is our second visit and it was lovely. See you again sometime Greece!

*I wrote the words on this blog before braving the Santorini airport to leave Greece! It was really bad. Very long queues and disorganised. I really hope they fix this aspect because it was such a disappointment after a lovely trip.*

Naxos Port

Naxos Landscape

View of Greek Island

View of Ios

Fira, the main town of Santorini

View when Hiking from Fira to Oia

Caldera of Santorini

View of Ios

Cuba – A Waste of Human Potential

Posted on July 27, 2015 by admin

I have been a capitalist since my teens and my recent to Cuba has cemented my views that capitalism is the only way to ensure the advancement of the quality of life for people. I think it is in human nature to work for themselves and their families. Ensuring that each person has an incentive to strive and work for their profit feeds entrepreneurship, initiative, passion and drive. Unfortunately, due to the socialist regime in Cuba, there is little incentive to strive and as a result this beautiful country is stuck in the past and the Cubans struggle with the menial needs of every day life and the magnificent human spirit is worn down and wasted in this country.

Following is a general overview of the various aspects of Cuba from my point of view followed with some pictures from 2 weeks in Cuba.

Buildings and Vehicles in Cuba

When I got to Havana, the first word that came to mind when I was in the taxi from the airport to Old Havana was decrepid. The buildings are old and the cars are old. Cuba has been stuck in a time warp. Everything has been made to last out of need. And yet, when we returned to Havana from the countryside, I was struck by how much more well-off and built up Havana is compared to the other towns. It says a lot about the state of the other towns.

Capitolio Building, Havana

A lot of the nicer looking buildings, I would consider refurbished, renovated or extended. There are no really new buildings at all. The age of the cars vary significantly, with old vintage cars from the 50’s still in use. On major roads we often shared the space with horse and carts. How is it that the horse and cart is a mode of transportation for people and goods in 2015? Whilst another person may find the vintage features on buildings, classic cars and horse and carts quaint and charming, this is the sad reality of a Cuban person’s life in 2015. A life where with everything, they have to just “make do”.

Horse and Cart on the Road in Camaguey

Ox and Cart in Baracoa

Accommodation in Cuba

During our 2 weeks in Cuba, we stayed mostly in Casa Paticulares which are homestays. These Cuban families apply to the government for a licence to house foreigners in their own homes. This is allowed because there is a shortage of state run hotels. The accommodation was better than expected in that every room we stayed in had air-con, albeit incredibly old and noisy units. The hot water and water pressure was hit and miss and the hosts were professional but not particularly welcoming or engaging.

We were led to believe that staying in Casa Particulares or homestays were a good way to interact with local Cubans and to see how they live. I don’t think that these homestays were really representative of the home of the average Cuban. These people are significantly better off than the average Cuban.

Food in cuba

The food in Cuba is boring. It did get much more interesting in Baracoa, which is on the eastern side of Cuba, but this is because this area developed in isolation to the rest of Cuba for a long time. The Baracoan cuisine is totally different and much more interesting and creative.

We had some tasty food in Santiago de Cuba in a Casa Particulares or homestay. I think that home cooked food by an enthusiastic cook/eater always tends to be tastier and more wholesome.

The rest of the food we had however, unfortunately, was uninspired, boring and repetitive. I was really surprised because sometimes the struggle for life leads to the best and most creative food. I thought that food shortages would result in creative, ingenious and delicious dishes. This was not the case. There is no use of marinades, interesting sauces, herbs etc. It felt to me like the struggle of life sucked the joy even out of the food. It’s probably not true because in general, Latin American cuisine does tend to be quite plain compared to Asian cuisines.

Shops in Cuba

The shops in Cuba are a shock for those of us from western, developed, democratic, capitalist countries. The shelves are often empty. There no different brands to choose from and there is often shortages. One afternoon, a member of our group had to try 8 different shops before she could buy some bottled water. Our guide was suffered for days with a blister on his foot because band-aids were hard to come by. A beggar on the street had a sign – he wanted pens or body lotion. A restaurant manager was complaining to me about how from day to day, it’s hard to get the stuff he needs for his restaurants like serviettes or various ingredients. On the days we were in Baracoa, no one seemed to have any chicken breast to serve. It’s really sad that there is no reliable supply of these basic items. It makes just every day living a struggle.

Ration Shop in Havana – note how empty it looks

Famous Johnson Pharmacy in Old Havana

Meat Stall in Farmers Market in Camaguey

People of cuba

Foreigners have so much more wealth than the average Cuban that it seems like the foreigner is constantly being “milked” for money in the form of payments, tips etc . It can get tiring and raises up your defenses because no interaction feels genuine. Just some precursor to an excuse to ask for money.

I felt many of the statements and stories we were told by the Cuban people were quite despondent, defeatist and negative. I guess 50 years of socialism will wear down the spirit of any population. There is no incentive to strive at all. I do think though that things are looking hopeful in Cuba due to the influx of American tourists that will be allowed to visit soon. They will bring a lot of money to Cuba but I suspect they will bring a host problems as well. Currently, Cuba is quite safe for tourists but with a lot more American tourists, the bad elements of touts, scammers and petty thieves will be out in force.

I did find the people in Baracoa kinder and more genuine and less opportunistic than those in other parts of Cuba.

The Revolution is Invincible

Life in Cuba

It’s a struggle. Cuban people are so much poorer than in other countries. No one is starving in the street, everyone is well dressed, there is free education and health care but people have to work long hours to make ends meet. We were speaking to a local whose wife is a lawyer. She works as a lawyer and her husband works as a tour guide and yet she needs to take on extra work as a manicurist on the side to make ends meet.

A educated man, trained as an English teacher waits every day at a obscure tourist look-out point because he makes a better living spouting a few facts for the loose change out of a foreigner’s pocket than he does teaching the children of Cuba.

The average wage for the Cuban is about $15-20USD/month. They are provided rations of basic items so no one is starving but life is tough. As a result, it feels to me like the agenda of our tour guide is often to help himself and his Cuban network of homestay and restaurant owners and local guides at our expense. It’s understandable but sometimes it’s a bit hard to take being viewed as a walking ATM. An example of this was when he booked taxi’s for some of the group for the airport. He said it costs $30CUC (approx $30USD). On the street, without any bargaining, a taxi would quote $20CUC and with some bargaining, could be convinced down to $10CUC. A tour guide who has his group’s best interests at heart would try to get the best price for us but he prefers to help the homestay owner and the taxi driver friend and get his tour group to pay the high price. I know the extra money makes a big difference to them but I don’t appreciate being treated like an unlimited source of money because I’m not.

Cuba is blessed in so many ways. It has the beautiful coastline on the Carribean sea with that vividly beautiful blue waters. It has wonderful natural areas and in most parts is very, very fertile. It is also in close proximity to America. They could be doing so well. It’s a tragedy that Cubans have to live in a situation where those that are doing well due to their own initiative and hard work have to sneak their new TV into their homes under the cover of darkness in a sack for fear of the gossip and jealousy of neighbours.

I have some additional photos following. The thing to remember is that Cuba is very pretty but sometimes the truth of the situation is hard to capture within the frame of a photo.

Trinidad, Cuba

Swimming Hole near Bay of Pigs, Cuba

Beach at Bay of Pigs, Cuba

Sculpture by Camaguey Artist

Using a Mended Split Helmet

This is a photo of 2 men on a motorcycle. Note that the guy on the back is wearing a helmet which has obviously been in a serious accident before and has a big split. This guy has fixed his helmet with some wire so he can continue using it.

Playa Ancon near Trinidad

Street in Old Havana

Street in Havana with Vintage Car

Sculpture in a Square in Havana

Coconut and Beach in Baracoa

The Operational Baracoa Baseball Stadium

Panama City, Panama – meh!

Posted on July 27, 2015 by admin

Spend only 2 full days here maximum. Once you’re walked through Casgo Antiguo and seen the Miraflores lock of the Panama Canal and climbed Ancon Hill, there’s not much else in Panama City to really excite a traveller. It’s also not super cheap to eat and stay here. Save your money and go somewhere else more interesting.

The Miraflores Lock, part of the Panama Canal

View of Panama City Skyline from Ancon Hill

View of Casco Antiguo from Ancon Hill

Make It What You Want

Life, Travel, Food

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