My favorite American food!

Ceviche Mixto

Thai is my favorite Asian food, Italian is my favorite European food and Peruvian is my favorite American food. When I visited Santiago de Chile in November 2008, there were a lot of new Peruvian restaurants opening up. If I go to South America again, it will likely be to visit Peru. Fortunately, there are now 4 Peruvian restaurants in eastern PA. Here is the Facebook page for the one I visit most frequently.

Circling capitals on a map!

This time, I'm not in charge!

Earlier this month, I was invited to go to NYC on an overnight trip for a friend's birthday. I'm used to being in charge, but this time, we followed her itinerary. We rode from the Sand Casino in Bethlehem, PA to Chinatown, Manhattan in a limo and I only knew my friend and her employee. The ride went extremely quick and before I knew it, we were passing the Newport Mall, where I normally park my car and get the PATH train into Manhattan. I hadn't driven under the Holland Tunnel in years and the last couple times I did, I could have gotten through the tunnel faster on foot. This time was different. Before too long, we were at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant in Chinatown. 

All I knew about Dim Sum was that it was Chinese snacks/appetizers. Although I skipped the chicken feet, pork dishes and anything spicy, I really enjoyed it. I was enjoying not having to come up with a plan. I was VERY full by the time we got the bill. I was expecting my friend to ask me for $40 or $50, but she said "$14 please" and at first I thought it was a joke. We were in probably the most expensive city in America and I had a pretty amazing lunch for $14! This trip was off to a good start.

Since my friend runs bus trips into Chinatown from Bethlehem, PA a couple times every year, she knows the area. We went on a bit of a walking tour and she did some shopping. Hey, this is what I do when I'm showing people around..........."hey I need to go get some of this, some of that!"

Since none of us could eat anymore, everyone wanted to shop. I couldn't eat anymore, so with my hour of free time, I walked to the Lower East Side and got some macarons from Bisous Ciao. One box for me, one for my friend's birthday. If I had to choose 1 favorite macaron, it's the salted caramel from Bisous Ciao.

My next destination was the East Village, which is probably my favorite neighborhood since my cousin in law gave me a walking tour last year. Macaron Parlour was my destination. I got a box for me and a box for the birthday girl (lady).

I had to walk quickly back to Little Italy, where everyone had to meet the limo to take us up to Harlem. There were a total of 8 people in the limo and I was the only one familiar with Harlem. 

My friend wanted to have dinner at a "soul food" restaurant and her friend suggested Amy Ruth's. 

Although it was not my birthday and the only thing anyone wanted my help with was the subway, I insisted that if they are going to visit Harlem, they have to at least see one historical site. Nobody disagreed and we ended up spending a couple hours at the Apollo Theater.

Michael Kimmel was there signing books and I ended up leaving with a signed copy of Angry White Men. The Women of the World Festival was also wrapping up there and we watched Michelle Williams speak about depression. It was a very moving speech from someone I knew very little about.

After dinner at Amy Ruth's, we took the 2 train to Penn Station and walked to our hotels in Chelsea.

The next morning, my friends wanted to go to Bleecker Street. I made different plans to meet my cousin at Norma's inside the Le Parker Meriden hotel. I never heard of this place, but my cousin (who I rarely see, but appreciates some of the same things I do) lives nearby and wanted to meet there. 

I had some TIME TO KILL (that's a Deep Purple song) before meeting my cousin and I had not been to Astoria in a while. I boarded the N train and took it out to 30 Av. I picked up some of my favorite seafood salad at Titan Foods and then got some baklava at Artopolis bakery. With the little bit of extra time I have, I walked up to Ditmars Blvd and made a left towards Astoria Park. After walking around a bit and taking some pictures, I needed to get the train back to Manhattan. Feeling too tired to walk to the Astoria-Ditmars stop, I got on the Q69 bus.

After brunch with my cousin, I met up with my friends at Port Authority. Although it was not my birthday, my friend got me a box of Royce Chocolates, while they were on Bleecker Street. We took a bus back to the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, PA. As I was explaining to my cousin over a $27 crepe at  Norma's, I'm usually the one making all the plans and this weekend was the total opposite. With the exception of my trips to the East Village and Astoria, I was following someone else's plan. It was not better or worse, just totally different. Like Indian restaurants, I have a nice time when someone takes me, but I would not likely go for Dim Sum by myself.

Another city I never thought I'd see

I wanted to ride this train, which loops around the city, but never had the chance.

I love mangosteen. This is what I saw when I stepped outside my hotel.

Every time I've traveled around Asia, my hosts always insist that I need to see every pagoda & temple.

I love taking pictures of road signs.

I spent 7 nights in Myanmar. 2 of those nights were spent in buses. I listened to every RAMONES studio album on this trip. At the end of my week there, I was ready to leave.

The remains of 10,000 ancient temples and pagodas

By now, it all seems so routine. Try to get a flight around midnight so I don't have to rush to JFK Airport. Try to get a flight that takes off when I am tired and ready to sleep, because it takes at least 12 hours to get to Asia. Last time, my layover was in Dubai, this time, Taipei.

The flight was around 15 hours and it seemed like I slept on and off for 10. I'm so grateful to have an iPad! When I'm awake, I typically switch back and forth between movies, books and music videos. My music video for my 1st flight was Metallica's Quebec Magnetic. I also watched U2's From The Sky Down and read Lonely Planet Myanmar.

The layover in Taipei was so quick, my Burmese friend and I only had time to get a smoothie before boarding the China Airlines flight to Yangon. I'd never flown China Airlines before, but it wasn't any better or worse than other airlines I used to get to Asia.

The flight to Yangon was less than 5 hours, which seemed like nothing compared to the previous one. I watched God Bless Ozzy Osbourne and PJ20, and spend the rest of the time talking to my Burmese friend. The flight seemed less than 1/4 full which was not totally shocking, since I'd been on Air Asia flights, which were HALF FULL (that's a Pearl Jam song) at best.

After landing, my friend and I had to get in separate immigration lines, this was THE FIRST TIME (that's a U2 song) that I had to get a Visa before I left my country. I booked the flight on Monday (Memorial Day) night and left just over 72 hours later, which is rare for me. It took less than 24 hours for my Visa to be approved and I made it through their security with the same ease I make it through security everywhere except driving into or out of Canada.

We were picked up at the airport by my friend's family and the first thing we did was went to eat. As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I can feel that Southeast Asia heat! For me, there was only one thing I wanted to try.........MOHINGA! I wasn't disappointed and I looked forward to eating more in the coming days.

After spending a day (and night) in Yangon's Chinatown, my 2 Burmese hosts & I took an overnight bus to Bagan. Like 5 years earlier in Turkey, the buses were very nice, but unlike Turkey, it was difficult to sleep in the bus because of constant horns honking and potholes. 

Most of our day in Bagan was spent looking at all the old temples & pagodas. It was repetitive, but any time I travel in Asia, my hosts insist that I must see many, many pagodas & temples. There's always one more we need to see!

Fun with friends in Trat

Very close to Cambodia, but we never made it there. I was happy to see my friends here & we ate excellent seafood.

My 35th birthday in Chiang Mai

This was unexpected. After a day in Chiang Rai, our driver took us here before dropping us off at the hotel. They had a good variety of macaron flavors. Besides that, Chaing Mai was the only Thai city I've visited where I could wear the same clothes 2 days in a row. It was just warm. Not humid & hot. This was a welcome change after starting in Songkhla province.

Macaron class

An expensive addiction! I thought I would learn how to make french macarons in a 210 minute class, but not so easy. The funny thing is that I didn't get into macarons until the year after my most recent trip to France.

I like the organized countries

There are no direct flights between Hat Yai & Denpasar, so my friend and I chose to stop in Singapore and spend a couple nights. I love this city! I could live here! I was teased about how I only like the organized countries. I enjoyed using their (very clean) public transportation & eating at the hawker stalls. I guess for me, the unorganized countries are nice to visit but..........

V-day feast

I've been cooking for myself before I was old enough to drive. I've lived alone for 10 years, so I'm either eating what I cook at home or going to restaurants that cook things better than I can or that I can't cook at all (these are all at least 30 minutes from my house). I brought my gracious Thai hosts Godiva chocolates and french macarons (not the Laduree they requested) and I was greeted with all of this great Thai food, just like when I visited a few months earlier. Before my last visit, I was nervous about staying in someone else's house, but I really enjoyed it (so much that I was back a few months later). Although Sathing Phra is not a tourist area, it was nice to see the places the tourists don't go. I couldn't even find Sathing Phra in my Lonely Planet book. I'm always making my own plans, but when I go to Thailand, I'm used to being taken care of & I enjoy it.

Bouillabaisse!

I was always told that Marseille was the place to get Bouillabaisse, but my friend and I did not plan any time there. Our train stopped there, but we did manage to good Bouillabaisse in Nice. It was great like I expected.

Milk Cow Blues?

Belfast Black Taxi Tour

As soon as my friend and I got to the center of Belfast, we were harassed by two competed black taxi tour companies. They were so loud and obnoxious, we had to tell them to calm down or we would look somewhere else.

Our driver told us that his mother never had all of her children present during the holidays because every year at least one of them was in jail. When I was growing up, a "terrorist" was Italian, Basque or Irish. The generation after mine (at least the ones I talk to) are barely aware of that. When they hear the word "terrorist," they only think of one region.

My friend and I were both glad we didn't leave Ireland without spending a day in Belfast.

At the end of our black taxi tour, your driver is supposed to tell you where their loyalties lie. Belfast felt as safe as any other UK city I've visited. Che Guevara is considered a hero in Northern Ireland. The people are very aware that he had Irish blood.

My friend Chris writes on the wall.

The occupy movement was in full force in Belfast.

We were told this hotel was bombed and rebuilt several times. It would have been interesting to stay here if we weren't just doing a day trip from Dublin.

My friend and I really wanted to try Irish food. We talked around the area near the bus station a bit and couldn't agree on anything........until we found a Lebanese restaurant. It didn't disappoint. Yes Mediterranean food is still my favorite!