Fish soup for breakfast? It took me three days before I could muster up the courage to try the traditional mohingha in Myanmar. The Burmese word means soup snack. Those who know me are well aware of my weak stomach, but how could I travel half way around the world and not give the national morning staple a try. The aromatic soup is usually served at breakfast, but can also be found throughout the day at tea houses, restaurants and street vendors.
The broth itself is quite flavorful with a sight taste of fish and delicious aromas of lemongrass. What I like most was the opportunity to add in the condiments. Peanuts, hard boiled eggs, cilantro, various chilis and a squeeze of lime.
You might have noticed my recent conversion to cruise lover. Let me correct that, small ship cruise lover with companies that focus on responsible travel. I couldn’t think of a better way to island hop and discover the Aloha state then aboard the Safari Explorer for an UnCruise adventure in Hawaii.
To date, my only experience with Hawaii had been a stop-over during one of my many trips to the Philippines in my previous life as a clothing designer. Green and lush from above, with that Jurassic Park feel that attracts me, I knew it was a landscape I wanted to someday explore up close and personal.
There’s been a great deal of focus on plastic pollution washed ashore and floating in our oceans recently and with good reason. Unfortunately, over 91% is not recycled. Landfills and the oceans are filled with refuse and eventually it makes it’s way back into the food chain.
Plastic is made from many chemicals that aren’t just bad for the earth, they’re toxic to living creatures as well. Once they reach the ocean, they become part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch-a mass of plastic twice the size of Texas, or three times the size of France floating between Hawaii and California.Whether this plastic pollution is washed ashore or floating in the ocean, the consequences can be deadly.
Occasionally during your travels you get an unexpected surprise. After exhaustive research for my trip to Machu Picchu and Peru’s Amazon with AdventureSmith Explorations, the date to depart was suddenly here. Like many, I looked at my entry city as a jumping off point for the rest of the country. With few expectations, to my surprise, I fell hard for Lima Peru’s gateway. Take the extra days and discover the charms this interesting city has to offer; there’s something for everyone.
The numbers vary, with a range of three to four thousand, depending on who you talk to. One thing everyone agrees on is the importance of the potato in Peru’s culture. Allow me to introduce you to a favorite dish from my travels-Peru causa, a slice of potato heaven. It’s filling, versatile and full of Peruvian flavor that will always remind my of one of the best travel experiences of my life.
