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A fall afternoon outside the Beacher Café — a long-time local spot tucked into the Beaches along Queen Street East. The golden leaves, warm tones, and quiet street capture that classic East End calm between seasons.
More here:
www.agreatcapture.com/blog/2025/10/27/october-walk-rc-har...
Taking a break from the shopping centers and enjoying a cup of coffee:-)
Merry Christmas to all my Flickr friends:-)
O Parque Urbano das Paivas, localizado na freguesia de Amora, concelho do Seixal, constitui um importante espaço verde urbano na margem sul do Tejo. Na imagem observa-se uma das zonas centrais do parque, onde se destaca uma fonte circular rodeada por áreas relvadas e árvores, proporcionando um ambiente de lazer e convívio à população local. Este espaço verde foi concebido para promover a qualidade de vida urbana, oferecendo infraestruturas de apoio, zonas de recreio infantil, percursos pedonais e áreas de descanso. O Parque Urbano das Paivas reflete a aposta do município do Seixal na valorização ambiental e na criação de espaços públicos acessíveis, essenciais para o bem-estar das comunidades urbanas. A envolvente habitacional, visível ao fundo, evidencia a integração do parque no tecido urbano da Amora, funcionando como pulmão verde e espaço de socialização.
Paivas Urban Park, located in the parish of Amora, municipality of Seixal, is an important urban green space on the south bank of the Tagus River. The image shows one of the central areas of the park, featuring a circular fountain surrounded by lawns and trees, providing a leisure and social environment for the local population. This green space was designed to promote urban quality of life, offering support infrastructure, children's play areas, walking paths, and rest areas. Paivas Urban Park reflects the municipality of Seixal's commitment to environmental enhancement and the creation of accessible public spaces, which are essential for the well-being of urban communities. The residential surroundings, visible in the background, highlight the park's integration into the urban fabric of Amora, functioning as a green lung and a space for socialization.
O Parque Urbano das Paivas, em Amora, Seixal, é um espaço verde central na malha urbana densa da Margem Sul do Tejo. A imagem ilustra o seu núcleo, com um lago artificial e repuxo que ameniza o clima e um pavilhão poligonal que alberga um estabelecimento de restauração, ponto de encontro para visitantes. O parque oferece zonas de lazer, circuitos de manutenção e parques infantis, integrando-se no tecido urbano com a sua vegetação consolidada, que inclui palmeiras e árvores de folha caduca. Este espaço foi projetado para melhorar a qualidade de vida dos residentes, oferecendo áreas de caminhada, descanso e atividades ao ar livre, além de mitigar o efeito de ilha de calor urbano. A infraestrutura reflete o investimento municipal em áreas de convívio que equilibram a densidade populacional, contribuindo para a coesão social e o bem-estar da comunidade, potenciado pelas acessibilidades a Lisboa.
The Paivas Urban Park, in Amora, Seixal, is a central green space in the dense urban fabric of the south bank of the Tagus River. The image illustrates its center, with an artificial lake and fountain that softens the climate and a polygonal pavilion that houses a restaurant, a meeting point for visitors. The park offers leisure areas, fitness circuits, and playgrounds, integrating into the urban fabric with its established vegetation, which includes palm trees and deciduous trees. This space was designed to improve the quality of life of residents, offering areas for walking, resting, and outdoor activities, as well as mitigating the urban heat island effect. The infrastructure reflects the municipal investment in social areas that balance population density, contributing to social cohesion and community well-being, enhanced by accessibility to Lisbon.
A late afternoon at Placa de La Quintana square in the village of Biniamar. It is a very small, but incredibly charming mountain village with a wonderful overall atmosphere...
Blue hour, lovin' these summer stretch evenings, bright & warm in Dublin tonight.
The Hanseatic Nature, a gem of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, has been charming adventurers since its launch in 2019. Built in Norway as the second of three sister ships in the company’s ultra-luxury expedition fleet, this vessel is designed for those who crave exploration without sacrificing comfort. With a capacity for just 230 passengers (or 199 on polar trips), it’s an intimate way to see the world, boasting an ice-strengthened hull for polar voyages and 17 Zodiacs for up-close excursions in remote destinations. Its modern design includes two extendable glass balconies that make you feel like you’re floating over the ocean, plus a “study wall” in the Knowledge Studio on Deck 8—an interactive touchscreen for diving deep into the history and nature of each stop. The ship’s commitment to sustainability, like using low-sulfur marine gas oil and a certified shore power connection, adds a feel-good factor to its journeys.
This week, the Hanseatic Nature made a splash in Dublin, docking in the Irish capital as part of its expedition from Dublin to Reykjavik. Passengers were treated to the city’s vibrant mix of history and charm, with some opting for a scenic cruise along Dublin Bay to spot the Poolbeg Lighthouse and Dalkey Island, while others explored the city’s highlights on foot, from the historic Trinity College to the lively Temple Bar. The ship’s small size allowed for a personal touch, with expert guides sharing tales of Dublin’s Viking roots and Georgian architecture. After a day of Irish adventures, guests returned to the ship’s cozy cabins—some with French balconies—and dined on gourmet cuisine inspired by the east coast USA at The Hamptons, one of its three onboard restaurants.
Now, the Hanseatic Nature has sailed on to Peel, a quaint port town on the western coast of the Isle of Man. Arriving after a scenic journey across the Irish Sea, the ship anchored off Peel’s shores, where passengers tendered in to explore this historic gem. Peel is famous for its Viking heritage, and many guests visited Peel Castle, a striking 11th-century fortress once home to Magnus Barefoot, a Viking King of Mann. The town’s narrow streets, lined with colorful cottages, offered a picturesque backdrop for a light lunch at a local café, with the scent of fresh Manx kippers in the air. Others delved into the island’s Celtic past at the House of Manannan museum, while the ship’s Zodiacs gave a few lucky explorers a chance to spot seals along the rugged coastline. With the Hanseatic Nature as their floating base, passengers are soaking up the Isle of Man’s laid-back charm before continuing their journey through the wild beauty of the Hebrides and Iceland.
captured in the cozy ambiance of café het palais in amsterdam, this spontaneous portrait of my friend joep embodies the essence of genuine connection and unfiltered joy. his warm smile and expressive eyes tell a story of friendship and shared experiences amidst the casual setting of a local café. the black and white tones highlight the intricate details of his face, enhancing the raw emotion and authenticity of the moment. this image stands as a testament to the fleeting yet impactful encounters that enrich our lives, especially during travels.
You can find a large number of full-resolution photos under a Creative Commons license on my official website: nenadstojkovicart.com/albums
A separate trip to Gion in Kyoto was called for, and that's where I headed the next day. For it's large garden and temple aside, Gion is also Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. The Gion district itself is filled with shops, restaurants, and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain. Of course geisha are very private individuals and are seen outside only very rarely, so spotting one is a true hit and miss affair. I had spotted geish (geiko) on two earlier occasions in Kyoto- not in Gion which is geisha central but elsewhere in Kyoto, but they were gone in milli-seconds! So with the hope of spotting one, I traveled here to Gion. This group of Japanese schoolgirls has just emerged from their school (seen in the background) as I got off the bus at the Gion stop (Kyoto, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)
This is like killing two birds with one stone, but frankly, I didn't fancy it much, and thought it was not a very good idea. My guide had been waxing eloquent about traditional Laotian coffee. So Lao coffee it was then. It's mostly unfiltered decoction with a tiny dollop of condensed milk that makes it sickly sweet. And about half the glass is powder. That's the glass to the left. But the weird thing in Laos is, they also serve traditional Laotian tea along with the coffee. That's the cup to the right. I found this coffee-tea combination all over Laos and didn't appreciate it one bit. The tea also is simply a cup of hot water and a spoonful of tea leaves sprinkled on top. Yes, the leaves do infuse into a rather weak decoction below the upper layer of leaves, but drinking it is a real pain, as the leaves are all over your tongue. So powder from the coffee followed immediately by wet infusing tea leaves, I personally found the combination rather weird. (Luang Prabang, Laos/ Lao PDR, April 2014)
Back in the vicinity of Jalebiwalla Chowk (which literally translates as town square of 'jalebi' (a traditional Indian sweet) makers), we come across this traditional hole in the wall joint. This is another long time maker of 'poori' or fried tortillas, an essential staple in most of India, North to South. The chap in the red and black shirt was sitting next to a hot wok full of boiling hot oil and was rolling out pooris one after the other, which were then instantly fried by another chap standing at the wok. See the fresh wares in front of him, which are collected by the other guy instantly to serve to customers in the attached cafe. (Amritsar, Punjab, northern India, Nov. 2017)
One final thing to do before we wrap up our Amritsar trip is to visit the 101 year old (in 2017) eating house Kesar da Dhaba, of which this is an exterior view. The foundation stone for this legendary cafe was laid by Lt. Lala Kesar Mal and his wife Lt. Smt. Parvati in 1916 in Sheikhupura, Pakistan, At that time famous personalities like Lala Lajpat Rai used to visit this dhaba (local eating house). Former Indian Prime Ministers Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi used to have parcels of food from this place. After partition, the dhaba was shifted to Amritsar. Since then, Kesar di Dhaba has grown to become popular worldwide for the taste and quality of it's food. Kesar da dhaba has featured on several media channels such as Zoom TV, NDTV, Star Plus, ETC Punjabi, ZEE TV, BBC News, Travel & Living, Discovery Channel, Sony TV and others. The latest probably is on Nat Geo's John Torode's Asia where the celebrity chef visits the kitchen of this place and then eats in the cafe itself. (Amritsar, Punjab, northern India, Nov. 2017)
We are now back to the tea stall where we'd parked our tuktuk. And in that later afternoon heat, and we being totally grilled (literally, or so it seemed) and pooped, a cup of tea or coffee was in order. This friendly lady at the stall was only too happy to oblige. I opted for what lady and Marom referred to as 'Cambodian coffee'. Well, it was all powder and too little beverage, so I might have been better off sticking to tea. Love that smile! Thanks to their very painful past under the demented Khmer Rouge lunatics, Cambodians today are humble and genuinely nice. A truly delightful and lovable set of people. (barring the touts in Phnom Penh and the vermin in Siem Reap offering 'massage with boom boom, that is!) (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
The lady had a delightful son who was pretty sharp for his age. His mother seated him on her lap while the coffee was on the boil. The kid has apparently seen scores of tourists before, Can you tell? Marom poses. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
This tray holds fried crickets (R), which Marom was originally after, and fried bamboo worm (L). I liked the bamboo worm best, as they were soft and almost succulent. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
Traditional interior theme of the Vinh Hung traditional restaurant in the Hoi An old town district. I loved the place, the food and the oh so friendly crew. Just beyond the couple at the far end is the street. The restaurant appeared to be pretty packed earlier in the day as we walked past, while my guide introduced me to the manager there and told him I would return alone later at night for dinner. It was however comparatively quiet at night. Love that cluster of traditional lamps just above the doorway. (Hoi An, Central Vietnam, Nov. 2016)
A slightly far shot of the fried bamboo worms (nearest camera) and crickets (far end) on a plate. I was not shocked by them any more, but I was amazed at the sheer number of them. All in one stall. And there were so many others in town! The lady was mixing up more fried critters. She assured us that all these critters were clean and grown in farms. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
An European (I presume) tourist looks at the menu of a tiny local eatery in the Shibuya district of Tokyo before entering the cafes. Actually if you strain your eyes a bit, you can see that the cafe is already quite full with Chinese tourists, so this gentleman is probably lining up outside the cafe, awaiting his turn while reading the menu to pass his time. Notes about the Shibuya district along with more photos appeared earlier in this album (see previous pictures) and will also appear later as we go along. (Tokyo, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)
The cute Cambodian kid in the tea stall was totally pre occupied with a half full bottle of water and a mug. He gives us a curious look when we ask him to look up and smile for the camera. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
(This video is not available to my viewers on Facebook). Here is another short video of the pad thai being dished up at Thipsamai, the legendary one Michlein stary holder Pad Thai (Thai style stir fried rice noodles) cafe in Bangkok. I was totally amazed by the speed and clockwork precision at which the chefs were churning scores of plates of the dish, one after the other, without missing a beat and totally oblivious of the gawking snap happy tourists around them. Once you reach the restaurant, watching the cooks create is amazing — noodles, shrimp, and tofu fly through the air, stir frying takes seconds, and noodles get folded into pretty eggy envelopes before your cup of water can reach the table. The humble shop house is widely considered the city’s best pad thai, with people lining up around the block to get a taste at the original location or in their other branches in Phuttamonthan and Rangnam districts of Bangkok. (Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 2018)
Well. I'd rather apprehensively downed a handful of fried frogs the previous day in Phnom Penh, and had reluctantly popped a couple of the other insects as well. So it wasn't really culture shock for me any more. I tried a couple here as well, and found it much spicier and much more tasty than the rather bland ones I'd had in Phnom Penh. On offer here are fried frogs, crickets, bamboo worm and two or three types of beetles. No tarantula spiders though, mercifully! (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
Not the most pleasant of topics, but no trip to Vietnam can be complete with out at least seeing a cafe that serves dog meat. The snake village in Hanoi was a little too far away, but dog meat can apparently be found in plenty in that town. But being the first day of the lunar calendar on the day of my visit, all dog meat stalls had been closed. I finally tracked down this establishment in a remote corner of Hoi An town, away from the old city areas. Although Google Translate translates it to Civet Meat, my guide assured me that Thit Cay means young dog meat. (Hoi An, Central Vietnam, Nov. 2016)
Seeing my limited interest in hand made paper products, the next stop was to be a view point atop a tall hill. No, no more climbing for me please. Pak Ou Caves have had my lights out completely. At any rate, there was a short cloud burst, and I did not fancy getting stuck on slipper steps up a steep hill. Hence, the next stop was a sales outlet at a local weavers' co-operative. But before that, a spot of tea was in order. This is a small tea house and cafe adjoining the sales outlet at the weavers' co-operative. (Luang Prabang, Laos/ Lao PDR, April 2014)
Putting on a brave smile with my ultra high calorie paratha thali meal, swathed in butter. The food was not bad but not as exemplary as per reviews. Their chickpea dip was spicy enough to blow the roof off your mouth but the dhal wasn’t too bad. I barely managed to finish one paratha- it was so heavy. I preferred the fare at Brother's Dhaba,
which we had had on earlier days. Before you can eat your paratha (Indian unleavened bread), the waiter has to crush it with both his hands- he has just done that to mine. This is supposed to let the butter spread evenly into the hot paratha. The same waiter who did this to my also featured in the Nat Geo food show John Torode's Asia where John is stumped when the tall, slender waiter, the same chap (too bad I didn't take his picture!) does that to John's paratha.(Amritsar, Punjab, northern India, Nov. 2017)
Here is a heap of fried frogs. I'm not a stranger to them any more- I'd had them the previous day in Phnom Penh, and still live to tell about it! No, what I found disturbing was that some frogs had split in the middle, a few had their mouth open, but all of them had their rear legs wide, wide open. It was difficult to pop them after seeing them thus. But still, I did try, and as I said earlier, these were more tasty and more spicy than the ones I'd had in Phnom Penh the previous day. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
In the end, maybe because I felt like one of the birds we'd been sighting all day, or maybe because I was too pooped and it was too hot to eat, I opted for a plate of fried bugs as well, for my lunch. For $2? the lady asked. No, $1 is enough, I said. And she gabe me this much for $1, enough to feed me and half the birds we'd seen that day. Yum, crunchy bugs washed down with hot, green tea! So her's my lunch comprising of fried frogs, beetles, crickets, bamboo worms and one critter godknowswhat. I passed the large beetle though! Somehow the critters tasted better in the stall I'd bought them. Here in my hotel room, they tasted rather over fried and overly salty. (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
I took a couple shots today while eating lunch at our local diner. This is not the kind of shot I normally take and thought I probably didn't get one I would even post. But when I looked at this on my computer, I thought it was kind of funny because it looks like the waitress is checking out someone's buns. So I'll post and see what happens. Critiques welcome.
Can you read the Consumer Advisory sign? It says, "The consumption of raw or uncooked foods of animal origin may pose a hazard to your health." Huh?
ODC 3: Environmental Portrait
He'd had enough of 'camera time' while sitting on his mother's lap, and I'd even given US$ 1 as modeling fee. So he had no intention of wasting any more time with this crazy tourist and his Nikon D90 and went right back to what he was doing. The men folk at this shop surprisingly disappeared into the shadows and seemed most reluctant to come out and make conversation. Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
After a rather busy and tiring morning out at the Merapi volcano, we returned to downtown Y/Jogjakarta for a spot of lunch. My good guide sniffed out this small local cafe which was mercifully open despite it's being the Moslem fasting month of Ramadan- there were very few patrons as a result. I was surprised largely Moslem Indonesia allows people to dine in during Ramadan- it's a different story here in the Middle East where I currently reside. I was rather tired after the bumpy ride up to Merapi in a 1940s WW-II era jeep, and was generally trying to regain my bearings. I generally like to zoom in close and do not like long shots like this, but we the the only male diners in there, the rest of he clientele- this trio of local ladies- were the only other diners, and all Moslems, so I decide not to intrude by zooming in our using my dSLR and took this long shot only to show the atmosphere of the cafe we were in. (Y/Jogjakarta, Indonesia, May 2018)
I am in a rustic local cafe opposite the mighty Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, after having just witnessed the ethereal colours of dawn and an impressive sunrise. (see previous picures earlier in this album). I'd had a very early start, something like 04:30 and now at 06:30, was returning to my hotel/ guest house for breakfast. My tuk tuk driver guide requested for a few minutes of down time while he had a spot of breakfast at one of these local eateries situated opposite the temple entrance- this seemed to be the only one open at that hour. While waiting for my guid to finish, I was generally trying to poke aroud the area but all restaurants around were firmly closed- they were just stirring that early in the morning, and was not open yet. The restaurant owner- a lady- was a friendly soul but I could not get much conversation in due to the language barrier. At any rate, this was my very first solo trip, must weeks after a rather traumatic breakup, and so I was still a luddite as far as solo travel goes, and was hence still relatively restrained. This is the lady who runs the cafe - she had no objection to photography inside her face- not that much was open anyway, but I did get a couple of nice smiles out of her. I noticed that in corner of her cafe, the nice lady also has a basic clothing store, selling Angkor Wat t-shirts and those ubiquitous baggy 'elephant' cotton trousers. Of course these are bound to be over priced- just like the restaurants here hare- there there may be some who will still buy. The lady agreed to pose for a photograph, but sadly she became self conscious when I pointed my camera at her- it's was a small one too, a Fujifilm F810- but still- and her smile disappeared as she posed. Oh well! (Siem Reap, Cambodia, Oct. 2008)
A tourist consults his mobile phone on a side street in the Kabukicho district of Tokyo, Japan. This is supposed to be Tokyo's wildest red light district. And just as I was wondering what is so notorious about this place which looks innocent enough when an old man in a suit approached me- a pimp obviously- offering me things. Now the first thing which came into my mind was, why are some pimps dressed to the nines, in their suits with tie and all that! Most Japanese red light places are oriented almost exclusively to the locals, and foreigners are not welcome. This shows in the signage and everything displayed exclusively in Japanese. Establishments (or pimps) who approach foreigners and are dressed to the nines are totally dodgy characters, strictly avoided, as they are known for over charging, spiking drins and then setting bouncers on you etc. I simply ignored him and walked away. The room rates sign visible up ahead are for a love hotel by the way, which rents rooms by the hour. (Tokyo, Japan, Apr/ May 2019)
I am in a rustic local cafe opposite to the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. After waiting for me to catch the sunrise, my driver guide wanted to stop for a bite. So as he was filling up, I had a coffee, and once that was done, was trying to walk around the area, while waiting for my tuk tuk driver guide to finish. It's about 06:30, it's just past sunrise at the Angkor Wat (see previous pictures earlier in this album), and this seemed to be the only cafe open at that hour. The others are just coming to life and are not open as yet. Most travelers go back to their hotels post surise for their hotel breakfast, which is included in most cases. Independent travels and others eat at these cafes. And although some of them send kids into the crowds just after sunrise trying to solicit for customers, saying breakfast is ready, others have said that these, cafes are highly tourist oriented, and so charge rather inflated 'tourist' prices. The variety of food is limited as well, most serve typical local fare, at least at that time of the day- there is supposed to be an interesting variety much later in the day. BBQ meat (something like satay) and stuffed frog dishes are said to be popular here. I did not try as I ended up eating most of my meals in the hotel, my trips to the Angkor Wat and the Tonle Sap lake were timed that way- leave after breakkie, return for lunch, then rest. Then leave late afternoon and come back by dinner time. Of course, this was my first solo trip, so I was as yet a solo travel luddite, and wasn't at my best as it had been barely a month after a traumatic breakup. Today, in 2020, I might have been more adventures and would have insisted on having lunch or dinner at some local cafes around SIem Reap. (Siem Reap, Cambodia, Oct. 2008)
After waking me up at 04:30 and bringing me to the Angkor Wat temple at dawn to see the sunrise, and after waiting a good hour and a half for me to emerge back to the main entrance after sunrise, my good tuk tuk driver guide requested some time for himself, to have a quick bite. Poor chap, this was the least I could do for him. He invited me to join, but I think I had only a coffee, as breakfast would be waiting for me at my hotel/ guest house. So here is my guide, just about to have his breakfast. It's plain white rice witha big bowl of watery soup and some dips and condiments. Herbs play a big role in Cambodian cuisine, and as you see, his soup is almost completely filled with herbs. This is one of the rustic eateries opposite the starting point of the entrance causeway which leads to the Angkor Wat temple. As the sun rises, some of these rustic cafes send kids out into the crowd soliciting for customers saying breakfast is ready. But this is purely local food, and not to everyone's taste. I was told that these restaurants charge 'tourist prices' and are a bit expensive. But that early in the morning, this seemed to be the only restaurant open yet. The others around it were just coming to life at 06:30. They all open much later and I have read reports of a good variety of foods on offer once they all open. I am at the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (Siem Reap, Cambodia, Oct. 2008)
Marom's tuktuk had been giving a bit of starting trouble when he was trying to park it in the morning, but now, several hours later, it sprang to life at the first kick. After a rather bumpy ride on an unsealed road, he braked suddenly when we got to the main road. 'Why is he stopping'? I asked Malin. 'Crickets, he wants to buy crickets', she said. Uh? Yes, here' where Marom was heading- to a stall selling fried critters. He wanted to buy fried crickets for a late afternoon stock. Here is the lady selling the fried critters. And the food was fresh, and piping hot! (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
Despite my daring to try these fried insects, I was totally put off by these large beetles. One, their wings were as hard as turtle shells, and it felt super creepy eating an insect as large as this. This one is not for me, thank you very much! (Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Apr. 2014)
This brief video shows the chef at the Tarachand paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cafe preparing the pan for preparing the delicious but fully fat laden paneer burji (scrambled cottage cheese). After frying shallots, green chillies, tomatoes and other ingredients in butter, the chef then introduces chunks of paneer and fries them up till the whole mix takes on the consistency of scrambled eggs. He then adds one more blob of butter on to the finished product (picture soon after this- see subsequent images) (like he is seen doing here). (Amritsar, Punjab, northern India, Nov. 2017)
Some of the other diners inside the Vinh Jung traditional restaurant in Hoi An old town. The visitors seem perfectly happy with their food and the set up. You can see the crew at the far end keeping a sharp look out for any orders or request. I was initially hoping I'd be given a seat outside, but in the end, the interior was a lot more atmospheric. And also, after my afternoon experience with a pesky vendor who was pestering me constantly trying to make me buy something, I was in no mood for a repeat performance all over again at night! (Hoi An, Central Vietnam, Nov. 2016)
It was tea time and a nice hot cuppa was in order, along with something to nibble on. My driver guide too was tired. We had our respective beverages at this pleasant cafe at the observation hut. You could get tea, coffee, soft drinks and packed snacks like chips etc at this stall. For fried and cooked snacks (basically fish balls, fried fritters etc.) one had to go to the counter partially visible to the extreme right. The staff were extremely friendly (as long as you follow the accepted convention there of 'pay first') but I also enjoyed watching the group of lovelies at the next table, possibly from mainland China. (Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia, Nov. 2013)
It was fascinating watching the masters at work, going about their business of churning out fresh Pad Thai (Thai style stir fried rice noodles), totally oblivious to the long queues outside the cafe and being open to the street, having scores of gawking tourists snapping away! But as this video is not available to my readers on Facebook, I will keep the commentary to the minimum here and say more in the next caption. (Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 2018)-
A close view of the steaming Uzbekistan style plow or fried rice. Uzbekistan's national dish, plov, is a hearty cousin of Pakistani pulaos and Persian rices dishes. There are many variations. The classic Fergana plov contains just the above ingredients, spices, and a head of garlic. In a Samarkand plov, the ingredients are pretty much the same but aren't mixed during cooking, and in a Bukhara plov, the rice, meat, and vegetables are all cooked separately, with less fat. Add to this many more seasonal and local variations, such as quince, pumpkin, morels, stuffed peppers, or dolmas. A wedding plov, which is served at weddings and upon whose quality is reputed to depend the entire fate of a marriage, ideally contains the following: raisins for a sweet life, chickpeas for abundance, pomegranate for lots of children, and barberries for health. It was mildly spiced and super tasty. (Gobustan, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)
The Plov rice was surprisingly light and mild- that's my plate of it with Russian salad to go with it. I am generally a very light eater but was surprised I managed to finish more than half of what is on the plate. Plov [plohf] is a cult dish not only in its homeland Uzbekistan, but all over the former Soviet Republics and Russia. A hearty one-pot rice dish cooked in lamb fat with onions and carrots, it has many variations. Russian men often cook plov for parties with the same me-put-food-on-this-table showmanship displayed by American husbands around their grills. The plov is prepared in huge, wood-fired kazans in the courtyard. A menu on the wall lays out a few options: small or large, single or double portion of meat, with or without a chicken or quail egg, with or without a slice of kazy (horse sausage- there was none of it here though). (Gobustan, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)