Three of my favorite things in one place. Could I be any happier? I’m currently sitting in the Northwest Worldclub in Tokyo, waiting five hours for my flight to Honolulu, where I have a thirteen hour layover before I take another redeye to Los Angeles, where I’m connecting home to Detroit. Total time in transit? About 36 hours.
But at least I’ve got this beer machine to keep me company. I have a feeling we’re going to become great friends in the next five hours.
What do backpackers and South Beach have in common? Easy. They both love thongs. (Not bad, considering I am only on my first cup of coffee today, eh?)
There many many places that come to mind when a visualize a “backpacker destination.” South Beach, Florida would not be on that list. Apparently, I am wrong.
This AP article talks about South Beach becoming increasingly more backpacker-friendly, offering affordable hostel accommodation right in the center of it all: “Anywhere between three to 14 travelers are cramped in one room at a hostel, sleeping on bunk beds. A room with 12 beds can run for US$18 a night per person; an eight-bed room is $18; $30-$40 for smaller rooms.”
That, interestingly enough, is cheaper than the last Strawberry Daiquiri I ordered in South Beach. I remember paying $16 (and that’s way back when the dollar was actually worth something) and they gave it to me in a small plastic cup. Maybe that’s why I could never picture South Beach as a backpacker-friendly place…
[via canoe.ca]
Oh, my beloved Australia scores again!
An Australian has been fined after buckling in a case of beer with a seat belt but leaving a 5-year-old child to sit on the car’s floor, NY Times reports. Police said they were ”shocked and appalled” when he pulled over the unregistered car Friday in the central Australian town of Alice Springs and saw a 30-can beer case was strapped in between two adults sitting in the back seat of the car. The child was also in back, but on the car’s floor. The driver was fined 750 Australian dollars ($710).
”This is the first time that the beer has taken priority over a child,” said the police officer in charge.
I hate to break it to them, but I am quite certain this is–sadly enough–not the first nor the last time beer has taken priority over a child.
You know that feeling: the one where the contents in your stomach churn and before you can say “I think I ate something bad,” you are already running for the bathroom. Fun, right?
Every time you get on the plane, bus or (in our case) in the car and travel to another country you expose yourself to the likelihood of coming down with some sort of stomach illness. Call it what you like (and we all know there are some pretty descriptive names out there) but the experience is the same and it flat out stinks.
Last week I was unlucky enough to eat something disagreeable (I believe a locally made tamale was the culprit) and spent a rather uncomfortable and feverish 24 hours trying to recover. I have been pretty lucky in the past to avoid food poisoning but I knew I was in for a rough time as I was with Tom when he succumbed to food poisoning in India a few years ago. And it really did live up to it’s horrible nature.
Generally my rules to avoid food poisoning/unhappy stomach are as follows:
Does the stand or restaurant appear clean?
If it doesn’t I’ll choose to go elsewhere.
Does the eatery smell bad?
I think this question really explains itself.
How many black flies are there buzzing around?
Black flies can carry and transmit numerous diseases like cholera and typhoid. Do you want them sitting on your food? I didn’t think so. Click here to read more about how gross these flies really are.
Are the locals eating here?
This is a good indication of the caliber of the food as well as the cleanliness of the eatery. A full restaurant usually indicates good food and less chance of illness!
These rules tend to keep me feeling pretty healthy while traveling though Tom has broken a few rules (for instance eating in a place in India that smelled like a sewer exploded beside it). Getting sick is almost inevitable and a part of the adventure…or at least that is what they say to make you feel better when you get hammered with food poisoning, a parasite or some other infection.
So what do you do when you come down with a case of food poisoning?
Arm yourself with these basics
When to see a doctor
If you experience any of the following symptons
Of course there are many other abnormal symptoms that may occur so if you feel like you aren’t just dealing with food poisoning or travelers’ diarrhea try and see a doctor or get to a medical facility. Cabo San Lucas and La Paz both have decent medical care centers. If you need assistance in the Baja and are unsure of where to go contact Ameri-med for more assistance and western-style health-care.
“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.
Answer: Grilled over hot charcoals, basted with special sauce and served over a bed of white rice.
This month marks the start of the unagi (?????) season in Japan, namely the time of the year when freshwater eels are fat, fresh and ready for feasting. Now, I know the idea of eating something as slick and slimy as an eel might not exactly be the most appealing thing for Western pallets. But, I can assure you that freshwater eels, if prepared properly, are just as delicious as they are nutritious.
Freshwater eels are extremely high in protein, vitamin A and calcium, yet they sit light enough in the stomach to be enjoyed on a hot summer day in Tokyo. And, while a meal of unagi costs less than a bottle of Viagra, it is believed to increase your virility (ie make you a champ in the sack!).
Not surprisingly, unagi shops across the country are getting ready for their annual rush of suit-clad salarymen, who line up for unadon (??, literally eel bowl), a bowl of sticky rice topped with grilled eel filets that are coated with a sweet and tangy sauce.
Getting hungry? Keep on reading to find out more.
For starters, what exactly is a freshwater eel? Good question!
In Japan, the most common species that you find on the menu is the Anguilla japonica, a species of eel found in Japan, Korea, the East China Sea and the northern Philippines. Like most eels of its family, it is “catadromous,” which is a fancy word that means it lives parts of its life in both freshwater and saltwater.
According to Japanese scientists (who have spent considerably more time and money than you’d guess studying the breeding habits of this tasty critter), Anguilla japonica spawn in the far-flung Mariana Islands, and then migrate thousands of miles to the freshwater rivers in East Asia. After arriving in freshwater, they fatten themselves up on a diet of shrimp, insects and small fish before being caught, sliced and served up on a bed of rice.
Unagi is typically served in a special black box, and is spiced up with a traditional blend of red and white pepper. While eels may have gooey exteriors and a rather unpleasant appearance in life, in death – at least at the hands of a skilled chef – they have a sweet and buttery taste that is regarded as an expensive delicacy. Throughout Japan, specialist eel restaurants can be identified by signs that depict the word unagi using the letter u (the hiragana う) in the curved shape of an eel.
Like most elements of Japanese cuisine, it’s somewhat debatable as to whether or not your children and grandchildren will ever be able to enjoy unagi. Sadly, changing water conditions both in rivers and seas are threatening eel populations, which means that you may want to go heavy on unagi this summer, thus ensuring your future popularity with the fairer sex.
Bon appetite, or as they say here in Japan, ittadakimasu!!
** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **
