Our World Surfari: A Collection of Random Thoughts on SE Asia

(Note: We actually just arrived into Kenya this afternoon but didn't have the chance to publish this post before we left Bangkok. We were too busy having a wonderfully relaxing time at the posh Radisson Bangkok.)

As we prepare to leave Asia we've been spending a lot of time reflecting on the last few months we've spent here. Since leaving Australia 2 1/2 months ago we've had one amazing experience after another...traveling through Singapore, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

So, here's a list of a few of our random Asia thoughts and experiences...

Street food: We've made it a point to eat at least one meal, usually two, from street stalls each day. We always searched out places full of locals and avoided the restaurants geared towards tourists. If it was full of tourists, that was a pretty good sign the food was average at best. Most of our favorite meals have cost between $1-2 and involve eating something we can't fully identify while seated elbow to elbow with the locals at little plastic tables on the sidewalk.

Rachel enjoying BBQ chicken livers with chili sauce in Cambodia:

Breakfast: The one Asian meal we didn't embrace was noodles or rice for breakfast. We would usually search out a western place for toast, eggs, coffee, etc. But, after breakfast, there was nothing we wouldn't try.

No matter where we've been, or what language is spoken, everyone answers their cellphone with "Hello". And everyone has cellphones, it doesn't matter if you're in a remote village in Laos or in the middle of the Himalayas...there's people talking on cellphones everywhere.

Our favorite Asian cities: Namche Bazar, Nepal; Amed, Bali; Luang Prabang, Laos; Hoi An, Vietnam

People: The Asian people, especially in SE Asia, have been wonderful. No matter where we went, the people were friendly and excited to help us with whatever we needed. We found one of the best ways to meet locals was at the street food stalls or the local resturants. They always got a kick out of watching us crazy westerners try their regional delicacies.

One of the many great locals who kept us well fed:

One of the highlights of Asia, along with the excellent food and the great people, were the markets. Every town and village had at least one outdoor market selling everything from fresh produce to cheap clothes and local crafts. Once you get out of the major cities, there are no large shopping centers so everyone does all of their shopping at these markets. It's always a great place to get a feel for an area and find some delicious, cheap food.

Dried squid and fish at a market in Thailand:

Fresh fruit stand in Laos, full of delicious tropical fruits: (Dustin's favorite: Mangosteen, Rachel's favorite: Mango)

To our amazement neither one of us got even remotely sick in Asia. We ate some strange things, crossed our fingers, and hoped for the best...somehow it always worked out. Let's hope our good fortune continues into Africa.

Dustin trying "balut", a hard boiled egg with the chicken partially developed inside, to the delight of the locals:

Animal lovers...here's a list of all of the different types of meat we've eaten since we arrived in Asia. (These are the meats we could identify, there were also a few mystery meats consumed)

Beef
Pork
Chicken
Water Buffalo
Wild Boar
Goat
Yak
Kangaroo
Ostrich
Duck
Crocodile
Fish
Shrimp
Squid
Snail
Grasshopper
Snake
Maggot
Ant
Silkworm
Frog
Crab

It's almost like a list of animals you would see at the zoo. The one meat we didn't try was dog (as far as we know). It's fairly popular in Vietnam, but we never saw it for sale anywhere and didn't seek it out. Rachel said she wasn't going to try it, Dustin was undecided...

Typical menu in SE Asia. So many interesting choices....