Our plans were to leave Cambodia this morning, but an hour before our bus was scheduled to pick us up, we decided that we hadn’t had quite enough of Siam Reap and decided to stay a bit longer.

“You know the cobra snake?”  I asked the hotel receptionist.

“Yes” he replied, giving me a weird look.

” I want to eat the heart and drink the blood”.

“Are you sure?”

“I am absolutely positive”.

“I can help you. Let me call a friend”.

And just like that we were off in a tuk tuk to the outskirts of town for our illegal quest of reptilian slaughter.  We pulled into a driveway and met a few Cambodians.  They gave us a discount if we did not take the meat with us. We assured them that we were only after the blood, the heart and the liver.

Our slithery friend was brought out in a mesh bag in an Ankor beer box. One of the men gave him a poke and he angrily hissed. Next, one man held his head down while the other beheaded the beast. Even after his head seperated from his 4 foot body, his mouth continued to open and close as if saying “how could you cut my head off, you pricks?”

The crimson blood was drained into a bowl filled with whisky. The snake was then slit from top to bottom as they searched for the prizes inside. And there it was. The cobra  heart, in all of its pink and purple glory, still beating.  I have found what I have been searching for over the last five days.

The heart was placed in a small glass as was Mihae’s liver (apparently the latter is great for your eye sight).

Cheers! And they were gone in a single gulp.  The blood was mixed with whisky and we took a few sips. the rest was packed in a plastic bottle on ice for us to take with us.

Mission Accomplished.

A recent missadventure took us to Harlem, America’s infamous personification of urban decay.  When a friend heard we were going, he sent the following text message, “Mihae, 134th Street is right near the ghetto, that’s right near the hospital, wait for me to pick you up.”  That just made us want to go more.

Many New Yorkers may still see this area as a no-go, but the truth is, I found it to have more culture and charm than much of the city.  Harlem musicians have been rockin the soul, reggae, jazz, gospel and afro-cuban music scene for years.  We went to a club call Shrine World Music for reggae night (2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. (133-134 st) New York, NY 10030 • 212-690-7807)

Shrine is a small bar and restaurant showcasing some of the hottest new bands in Harlem.  The venue is small but has a comfortable atmosphere. There are a few tables, but most of the crowd is dancing and mingling.

The bar menu consists of drinks called Afro Trip, Muslim Jew and Roofo Roofo.  Shots are $7 each, but if you buy more than 5, they only cost $5.  There is no cover charge before 11 p.m.

As the Bob Marley tribute band rocked the house, the entire bar broke out into song, dance, smiles, hugs and high-fives all around.  With a mostly local crowd, our party of four were minorities to say the least, but no one seemed to notice and we felt very welcome.  The venue offers live music nightly including jazz, Brazilian and soul.  For more inforamtion, visit  www.shrinenyc.com.

If you are seeking a dive bar that does not take you all the way up to Harlem, check out Cafe Wha in the Village.  It offers great live music from the 80s and buckets of cold beer, www.cafewha.com.

]]> http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/a-night-out-in-harlem-ny/feed/ 0 http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/tips-for-hiking-kauais-famous-napali-coast/ http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/tips-for-hiking-kauais-famous-napali-coast/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:56:49 +0000 Emele http://www.themissadventures.com/?p=870 This is an adventure I’ve wanted to do for years, but the fact I was scared kept me away.  I was not afraid of the 11 mile “level 10″ strenuous trek itself, but the thought of carrying everything I am to wear, eat and sleep on for three days on my back makes me shutter.  However, knowing that we would be backpacking through India just a month later, I knew we needed to be able to handle just about anything, and Napali was a perfect place to test our moxy.  We did it and it was worth every step.

Here’s our tips for hiking Kalalau Trail:

1. You must obtain a permit to camp here.  In the summer, you will need to apply for a permit months in advance.  Without a permit, there’s a chance a park ranger can make you turn and hike all the way back out.  Obtain all permits from the Honolulu or Lihue State Parks office. Camping fees are $15-$20 (max stay is 5 nights). Visit www.hawaiistateparks.org for more information.

2.  The journey begins at Kee Beach, at the end of the road in Haena.  It is not recommended to leave a rental car overnight here.  The best place to spend the night before the hike is Hanalei Colony Resort (www.HCR.com), a great condo located right on the beach, just a few miles from the trailhead.

3. Leave as early as you can in the morning to avoid overexertion in the midday heat. It should take at least 8 hours going in with your heavy packs.

4. Bring plenty of water for the hike into the valley.  We used a bladder so we would not have to worry about carrying a water bottle.  Once you get into the valley, you can use the waterfall for drinking/cooking and bathing water.  However, you will need to bring water purifying tablets or a filter before drinking.

5.  Do not swim at Hanakapai Beach (mile 2).  While this beach is gorgeous, the rip currents are strong, and it is highly advised not to go into the water here.  If you are hot here, there’s a cool stream you can take a dip into, and if you hike another two miles back to the valley, there’s a breathtaking waterfall.

5.   The scenery here is indescribable.  Lush valleys around every turn, iridescent blue water, we even spotted a perfect rainbow that seemed to be painted in the sky.  However, this is not an adventure for the faint hearted or anyone afraid of heights.  At a few points, the trail is extremely narrow (less than a foot wide), with sheer, steep drop offs plummeting straight into the ocean.  Watch every step and do not step in the bushes that are along the cliff, there’s a very good chance there’s no solid ground under it.

6.  Take advice from other hikers.  Along the way, you will run into people going in the opposite direction and they are always eager to share their stories with you. My favorite: “Mile 3-6 is pure torture, man”.  You are going to want to stop, you will want to turn back, but push forward, mile 7 is heaven.”  He was right.  Sometimes you need this advice to motivate you.

7. Bring a small, light stove with you and plenty of food and fuel.  Saimin (ramin), oatmeal and military meals are key.  We also bring Power Bars everywhere we go. Any perishable food should be eaten on the first day.

8.  We slept under the stars next to the camp fire on pool floaties, which were light and comfortable.  If you can afford it, splurge on a very light weight tent, these can run from $300 and up but our $20 tent was absolutely useless.

9. Waves in the winter months can be too big for swimming but there was a nice swiming hole near Kalalau Beach.

10.  Watch your tent and keep it zipped if you are not there.  A “creature” got into ours while we were having dinner and ate half a loaf of bread.

11.  Make sure your backpack fits property.  Mine was too big, this provided me with no joy.  Also be sure there’s no sand on your back before you put it on or you will get a mean rash. Travel as light as you can, you won’t need much clothes but bring a jacket as it can get chilly at night.

12. Bring flashlights and headlamps.

13. There are compost toilets on the beach but you will need to bring your own toilet paper.

13.  Be prepared to share food with fellow campers, and vice versa.

14.  Malama Ka Aina (respect the land), bring your rubbish out with you, leave nothing but footprints.

With much lighter packs, we made it out in just over 6 hours.  The journey was difficult to say the least, but we loved every second of it.  Kalalau is a special place, you can feel the power of the mana (power) the moment you enter this sacred area. Happy trails!

• It stands for: “I‘d Never Do It Again”
• “If you go to India without patience, you will learn it.  If you go with patience, you will quickly loose it.”
• “He would have described the journey as insufferable except that the limits to which human endurance could be stretched in India made the word meaningless” (from “The Train to Pakistan” by Kushwant Singh)

We can attest that all of this is extremely true and completely incorrect all at once.  It is a country of such extremes that it has the ability to inspire, frustrate, challenge and dazzle you all within the same day.  We found our sanity constantly tested, but we also found ourselves more relaxed than we’ve been years.  We quickly came to realize that nothing in India is as you would expect.  Here’s some of the highs and lows of our Indian sojourn:

Highlight: The Taj Mahal was breathtakingly gorgeous.

Low Point: Getting scammed, our train tickets ripped off and having to take a second class train to get there.

Highlight: The abundance of mouthwatering fresh seafood in the southern states.

Low Point: Food poisoning, Montezuma’s revenge, Bombay butt, New Delhi belly, whatever you want to call it.  Three times.

Highlight: Making friends with some lovely ladies and having a blast drifting through Kerala’s beautiful backwaters together.

Low Point: Being constantly gawked at by perverted Indian men who followed us around taking our picture.

Highlight: Riding an elephant through a spice farm.

Low Point: Getting mauled by an angry bull (this is not the bull that attacked us, mind).

Highlight: Endless days cruising Goa’s countryside on motorbikes.

Low Point: Motorbike accidents are plentiful in India…just ask Mihae, who crashed into a roadside shop and ran over some poor man’s entire lot of onions.

Highlight: Feeling completely rejuvenated by a relaxing day at the beach, riverboat cruise or an ayurvedic spa treatment.

Low Point: Seva (selfless service) duty:  Shoveling cow manure, sweeping and mopping a huge temple under the watch of the evil “Sweeping Nazi”, being in charge of herding naughty cows, picking weeds and planting corn in the blazing sun…wasn’t this supposed to be vacation?

Highlight: Two blissful nights in the luxurious Taj Mahal hotel in Bombay, our balcony overlooking the harbor and the Gateway to India.

Low Point: 28 nights of ghetto hotels that cost no more than $12 per night, with cold bucket showers, mosquitos galore, and beds so hard you might as well be sleeping in the middle of the street in Mumbai.

Highlight: Hangin’ with the locals and hearing their stories.

Low Point: Constant harassment from the locals: “you like change money, no problem,”  ”Come ride my boat, no problem”, “look my silk shop, no problem”, “do you want to buy hashish, no problem?” Can you spare one rupee, no problem?”

Highlight: Experiencing daily life in Varanasi as Indians come to the Ganga River to bathe, fish, pray, swim, practice yoga and wash laundry.

Low Point: Getting sore throats from the  fumes of  burning human bodies just outside our hotel window in Varanasi.

Highlight: Beautiful India: Mother Nature at her best.

Low Point: India’s ugly side: Witnessing overwhelming poverty during a visit to Dharvai Slum, the largest in all of Asia.

Highlight: Coming to India to connect with her spiritual side through yoga, prayer, meditation, temples and a stay at an ashram.

Low Point: Coming to the realization that we completely failed at connecting to anything remotely spiritual and would rather be partying on the beach any day.

Highlight: Never missing the opportunity to “GOA BIG.”

Low Point: Having to “GOA HOME.”

We took a tour with Reality Tours and Travel, our guide was a young man who grew up in the slums himself. When asked what it was like, he simply replied “it was fun.”

We took a train to the Darharvi Slum, the largest in all of Asia, which located on the outskirts of the city between two railways.  Before we entered the grounds, he gave us a few rules: “no picture taking.  It will smell bad, do not make any faces of disgust, this will hurt the feelings of the residents.”

We nervously entered the slum and found it to be much like another any other part of Mumbai, it was a city within a city, just a bit more dilapidated.  The interior consists of vast sewer-lined alleys with mazes of concrete dwellings, where families live in shoebox dorms, not more than 10 feet across.  We were fortunate to be invited into a home of one of the residents, he proudly introduced us to his wife and two small children.  There was not much room for the six of us to move around in the tiny space, but they did have a roof over their head and a place to sleep, much more than many people in the country could ever hope for.

The slum got its start in 1933 and incorporates only 1.7 square kilometers.  More than 1 million people call this home, yet it does not feel as nearly as crowded as a typical day strolling the streets if New Delhi.  Each part of the slum inhabits residents from different parts of the county with different trades.  We visited a small plastic factory and watched workers sort through the various recyclables that have been shipped from all over the world.  At the leather factory, a worker informed me that my belt was made from Indian leather. Our group entered a soap factory to witness men slicing large bars into small cubes, and along our walk we stopped by a bakery and were given fresh, warm pastries from a baker who wore a wide smile and would not take a single rupee for the treat.  After being broached by so many beggars on the streets, it touched me how generous the poor can really be and I found it beautiful.

We entered a small, barren dirt lot covered in rubbish and found some children happily playing cricket.  They were all too excited to take photos with us.  Our next stop was a small chai shop, and despite the intense heat, we stopped  to savor a glass of the warm, sweet milky tea we had grown to love.

At the suggestion of one of our fellow tour mates, we decided to visit a bar. We were quite shocked there was even a bar here, and despite the fact the bartender stated “no foreigners allowed,” our guide had a talk with him and we soon found ourselves tucked away in a dark booth at the back of the room.  All eyes were on us, but this was no different from any other experience in India.

Our group members shuttered when I stated that I wanted to use the public restroom but it was something I wished to experience. Most homes here do not have a toilet, so they come to the public toilet, mornings tend to have long lines, so we are told, although many use the railways or open fields as they tend to smell better.  For the men, there’s many open urinals along the streets, and you can smell the stench much sooner than you can see them.  While the women’s loo was not all bad, it wasn’t pleasant either.

I personally found our day at Dharavi to be incredibly eye opening.  The people here do not have modern luxuries but that does not stop them from living a good life.  Their industries are thriving, their children run and play like those in any Western city and they are happy.

Reality Tours (www.realitytoursandtravel.com, 9820822253 phone) runs tours daily.  Costs range from 300-600 Rs and last 2.5 to 4.5 hours (unless you stop for a beer).  A large part of the profits go to a Dhararvi -based NGO.

The rest of our tip will be spent in the south, where we have been for the last week.  Its much more tropical here than the north, and for the most part, more calm.

We left the Ashram of Amma, the famous “hugging Mother” guru, three days ago.  While the experience was interesting, I can’t say that I had any sort of enlightening experience.  The best thing we got out of our visit there is that we made a whole bunch of friends that we convinced to leave with us for a few lazy days cruising along Kerala’s waterways on a luxury houseboat (so much for our spiritual connection).

There were seven of us, all nomads in our own way: Em&M; Anna, a Colombian gal who has been living in Barcelona and  is now spending a year backpacking through Asia; Rebecca, a fellow American on her third trip to India, Cathy, a Brit who has been teaching English in Vietnam for the last two years, David, a Spanish guy who’s traveling the world for the next year, and Aurelie, a French party girl her in India to learn to do Aruvedic massages (and meet lots of men).

The backwaters of Allepey are filed with houseboats to suit every need, from floating rust buckets to luxury liners.  We decided on something in between.

Our boat was huge: four bedrooms and bathrooms, eight beds and  four servers to attend to your every whim.  There’s not much to do, but we we easily filled up 24 hours: drifing along as we watch people from the little villages at the waters edge; swimming; and cracking open a few beers and some good conversation.

All this for about $30 US dollars a night, mouthwatering meals  included.  We were in heaven with the Keralan cuisine.  We even stopped in a little village to purchase giant prawns that looked and tasted like juicy lobsters.

Five of us decided to stay an extra day.  With the stress and hussle and bustle of India, it was perfect to be in our own quiet world for a fews days.

We are now in the Fishing Village of Cochin.  We will be heading to the fishmarket tonight to buy some fish and lobster for dinner.  In the morning, Mihae and I will be heading to Udupi to work on a farm for a few days.  Yes, we are going to learn to milk a cow…

Then off to meet up with our friends again in the party town of Goa…stay tuned!

The Main Ghat along the Sacred Ganga River

We finally made it to Varanasi after a 16 hour (5 hour delayed) train ride from Agra. Varanasi. being the world’s oldest living city, as well the spiritual center of the county, as the is the reason I was interested in visiting India. The city itself, like most of the country, is quite decapitated, with rickshaws and traffic galore. Just making our way to the hotel is enough to give you a nervous breakdown. We found a guest house for about $6 a night. It would be considered a dump by just about any one’s standards, and before Africa would not be a place I would set foot in, but it has a view of the Ganges River and monkeys frolicking along the roof tops.

Flaming Bodies Light up the night sky at the "Burning Ghat"

The Ganges river is known as a one of the most polluted in the world as well as a spiritual mecca for Indian pilgrims. 85 bathing ghats (steps) line the river and you will find people coming to perform puja “Respect” prayers, swimming, bathing and washing clothes along the banks.

Each year, about 45,000 corpses are thrown into the water. That’s roughly 123 dead bodies dumped into this body a water a day. Somehow, while the water is very dirty, scientific studies show it is not quite as dirty as it should be. Holy men put a glass into the water and drink it and the water is surprisingly clear. Our hotel fronts the Manikaranika Ghant, the main burning ghat. What do they burn? Bodies. Dead bodies. Yesterday evening at dusk, we sat along the steps and watched wide eyed as a funeral procession began with a family of men shaving their heads to mourn their loved one. They carried the sari-covered body to the river’s edge to dunk the body one last time to cleanse it. The body is then placed upon a large fire, with one log on top the body. We expected a foul smell, but found out the body is covered in incense to cover the smell of burning flesh.

A goat in a sweater covered in shit. Love it.

The reason the bodies are cremated here is so they go straight to Heaven. Children, pregnant women, holy men and people bitten by a cobra are not allowed to be burned here because they are considered to already be pure.

Surreal does not begin to describe feeling of witnessing this cycle of life and death. A culture so different from our own, but so colorful and beautiful in its own way.

After watching three bodies burn, we headed to the Brown Bread Bakery for dinner where we enjoyed amazing organic yak cheese from Nepal and the local brew, Kingfisher.

And now to the angry bull. Let me paint the picture: the streets of the old town are small narrow winding alleyways. No rickshaws are allowed in the store lined alleys, but there are cows and bulls everywhere. They literally just sit in the middle of the road, in front of the hotel, anywhere they like as they are considered sacred creatures. I was quite frightened to walk past them, some of the larger bulls must weigh about 2 tons. We were in a hurry to get to breakfast this morning and we came to a road block of a bull and a cow. I tried to quickly skirt around the pair, when the bull suddenly turned to me, rammed me in the stomach and pushed me up against a wall. I screamed and jumped up on the wall’s ledge as I was expecting him to seriously attack me next. Mihae stood there helpless as she watched me get tossed around by the giant beast. But not for long. He turned to her, put his head down and gave her a good shove in the ass.

Mihae skirts past a bull on a narrow Varanasi street.

Some local men came to scare him away. We were shaken up and aside from a scratch on my leg and mud on Mihae’s linen pants, we are unharmed. I think he was just giving us a warning as he could have killed us in a second if he really wanted to.

Good thing neither of us was wearing red today! Until the next missadventure..

This handy little item (aka “my special towel”) is like a little shammy for the body.  It’s all you need for a camping trip and if you are in a super ghetto hotel with no towels (and we have been caught in a few) you will be thankful you brought this little guy along. It dries really fast, is easy to pack and you can hang it anywhere with the little bungee cord.  Travel Guru Rick Steves makes a pretty good one and it comes in two sizes.  Visit Amazon.com for a good selection of travel towels.

A friend recently mentioned that she had not been to Kauai in a long time because as a self-proclaimed “food snob,” she could not find anywhere good to eat on the island.   My mouth nearly hit the ground.  How can a place known as the Garden Island not have good food? With its fresh organic produce, top-notch farmers markets, and a healthy, sustainable relationship with the land, the topography makes this place a culinary heaven.
You just have to know where to look and some of the best eateries are not fine dining restaurants but mom and pop establishments.  Here are my favorites:

Hamura’s Saimin Stand
2956 Kress Street
Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 245-3271

Sitting along the shared counters of this ram-shackled restaurant, the sweltering heat will hit you like sunbathing in the Sahara.   You might have to stand in line for up to an hour.  Consuming hot soup on a tropical island is an oxymoron.   The service is…wait, what service? But seriously, you have to eat here.

There’s nothing on the menu except for chicken skewers, pie and saimin, a dish developed during Hawaii’s plantation era.  Saimin is a staple food across the state and consists of Chinese noodles in a Japanese broth.  It’s usually served with fishcake, spam, green onions and wontons or gyoza.  Finish with a slice of the amazing lilikoi (passion fruit) pie. You have to love the fact that this place won a coveted James Beard award and didn’t even bother to go to New York to accept the honor.
 

Hanalei Juice and Taro
5-5070 Kuhio Hwy B
Hanalei, HI 96714
(808) 651-3399
This lunch wagon is my very favorite place to eat in all of Hawaii. The Haraguchi family has been running this cart for three generations.  Poi is made fresh daily from the family taro farm across the street (62% of Hawaii’s taro comes from Hanalei).  They serve fresh fruit smoothies, taro hummus, taro burgers, mochi cakes, and plate lunches.  Try the pork lau lau plate; it comes with lomi salmon, poi (or rice), taro mac salad and taro mochi.  So good it borderline brings me to tears.

Pono Market
4-1300 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746
(808) 822-4581

Ask any local what’s the one food they can’t live without.  You will get just one answer: “poke.” Known as Hawaii’s soul food, this dish is usually consists of fresh raw fish tossed with sesame oil, kukui nut relish and seaweed.   Pono Market is known for some of the best ahi poke around.  Fish Express in Lihue also offers a huge selection of poke, I love the spicy clam version.  Grab some rice, and a few other pupus (appetizers) and you’ve got a perfect healthy meal.
 

Koloa Fish Market
5482 Koloa Rd
Koloa, HI 96756-9421
(808) 742-6199

This little deli offers one of the best Hawaiian plates on the island.  A typical Hawaiian plate consists of any of the following: lau lau (meat or fish wrapped in taro leaves), lomi salmon (cold salmon, tomatoes and onions), kalua pig (slow cooked pork made in an underground oven)  poi (thick paste made from taro), poke (raw seasoned fish), chicken long rice (side dish made with vermicelli noodles), beef stew or pipikaula (Hawaiian beef jerky).

Tip Top Café
3173 Akahi St
Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 245-2333

This place has been around since 1912.  It’s mainly known as a good place for breakfast, and the macadamia pancakes are superb, but the absolutely must have is the oxtail soup.  It’s a brothy soup made with beef tails, and if you are lucky, boiled peanuts.

Duane’s Ono Char Burger
4-4350 Kuhio Hwy
Anahola, HI 96703
(808) 822-9181

I once stopped by this side of the road eatery with a big time New York food editor.  She was practically hyperventilating over these burgers.  Try the Local Girl, it’s flavored with Teriyaki and a slice of pineapple.  Not much more I can say.

Taro Ko Chip Factory
Main St
Hanapepe, HI 96716

Taro Ko Chips Factory consists of a few family members producing taro chips in a dilapidated old plantation house in the sleepy town of Hanapepe.   The taro is grown on the farm, and the chips are handmade by the Nagamine family, who has been doing this for generations.

NOT SO HEALTHY MUSTS

Spam Musubi
I recently read a review from a diner that proclaimed: “when I die, I want to die with spam musubi in my mouth.”  I know how this guy feels.  Spam musubi is composed of a block of rice with a slice of Spam that’s wrapped up with nori (seaweed).  Hawaii residents eat more spam that the rest of the country combined due to the fact that during WWII it was the only type of meat that could be brought into the islands.  You can you can find spam musubi anywhere on Kauai: at the supermarket, 7-11, the gas station, the liquor store, even at the airport (warning: they normally run out by lunchtime).  Try it, you’ll like it.

Plate Lunch
The million-calorie plate lunch is a quintessential part of Hawaii’s cuisine. Standard plate lunches consist of two scoops rice (we leave out the word “of”), a scoop of macaroni salad (nicknamed mac salad), and a entrée such aas chicken katsu, beef teriyaki (shortened to “teri beef”) or hamburger steak.  For a real treat, order a Loco Moco: hamburger smothered with brown gravy and placed on top a bed of rice with a fried runny egg.  The best places for a plate lunch on Kauai are Kalena’s in Lihue (2985 Kalena Street), Da Imu Hut in Hanapepe (3771 Hanapepe Rd) and Mark’s Place in Puhi (1610 Haleukana St # A) or Lawai (2-3687 Kaumualii Hwy).

Yes, $140 bucks is a lot to spend on a pair of hippie shoes, but these are so comfy, offer great support for those tired old soles and look kind of cool in a I’m-sporty-but-not trying-too-hard kind of way.  Just don’t think you can hide them in a tree at a beach party and find them waiting for you hours later…