Wordless Wednesday ~ January 14
Images
Japanese Ryokan
Weary travelers (who have plenty of money) can find an amazing experience at the classic Japanese inn, a.k.a.–Ryokan. It’s a combination of restaurant, sauna and community center. We checked in, stocked up on sake at the local 7-11, took a quick dip in the volcanic heated spring water pool and put on our robes for dinner.
The dinner was quite an experience, served with the classic Japanese focus on presentation creating a mindset for better taste. The food was varied, delicately flavored and filling.
I really liked the green tea.
After a post dinner soak and a schvitz in the sauna, it was time to get comfortable. There were several fluffy blankets and soft pads to make a bed on the clean floor. We used all six of the pads and blankets to make a marshmallow bed.
The next morning was a big buffet breakfast complete with sticky fermented soy beans, fish and vegetables. It’s not the soggy eggs and limp bacon on most buffet menus. It was an expensive night, but such a full course of Japanese culture.
We were in the middle of nowhere and near a big lake on a quiet moonlit night.
Wordless Wednesday ~ June 18
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Wordless Wednesday ~ June 4
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Koh Lanta ~ Fish on the Beach
After an awesome day at Blue Moon Bar on Klong Nin Beach in Koh Lanta drinking, bodyboarding, playing football and frisbee and tanning, we had worked up an appetite. Nearby the smell of grilled foods brought us toward the grill almost floating like Bugs Bunny when he smelled a carrot. We got a full salted and peppered snapper, some curry and two big tiger prawns that tasted like lobster. Corn in Asia is never very good, but everything else was delightful. The ocean waves gently crashing, sand under our feet and bellies full, we hopped on the scooter and took the slow ride home through cool jungle air.
Fried Chicken in Bangkok
It’s a frequent sight along the streets crowded with roaches and masquerading men. Crispy fried chicken and a greasy work station. I must have eaten about ten chicken legs and a few more chicken wings in my week in Thailand’s capital. They are cheap and smell great. The skin is so crispy, and doesn’t fall off in one piece like KFC or any of the other fast food joints that specialize in processed yardbird.
Bangkok Skyline Sunset
As the sun went down on my walkabout in the city, I found this peaceful park.
Chiang Mai ~ Babylonian Restaurant
After stuffing myself with salty noodles and mango juice, I was aimlessly strolling through the same same stalls of stuff for sale and saw a small sign. It said “Iraq Restaurant.” It’s the kind of sign that you could chuff off as touristy or be intrigued. I was going. But not now, I was too full. In the hours leading up do my train departure, I ambled back to Babylon, in the bustling moments before the night market opens and ordered the 450 baht (<15US$) set. It included naan bread, rice, hummus, falafel, veggie curry, lamb meat, 2 chicken legs, tabuleh and a Coke. Each bite was delicious, but the falafel won best taste. This meal sustained me from 4 pm, when I ate it, until I arrived in Bangkok almost 16 hours later. Recommended.
Wordless Wednesday ~ May 14
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Love
This door frame contains so much emotion and energy. It seems to show peace with nature and the love between humans.
