Recently I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Two Hungry Backpackers! For anyone who is unfamiliar the Liebster Award is an accolade passed from blogger to blogger to encourage connection, communication and support within our blogging community. Another intention is to help discover new and upcoming bloggers (like many of my new friends and I). Four bloggers and I were nominated for the award. We were all asked to answer a series of 11 questions. After this phases our responses will be evaluated and one of us will receive this recognition.
Here goes:
1. What is your favourite recipe to cook while traveling?
One of the reasons I travel is to try new and exciting foods as I roam the planet. This allows for a better understanding of local culture and customs through their food preparation, preferences and dietary habits. Therefore, I rarely cook when I travel. That being said, I always make sure to make my own trail mix. Start at the local market, shop around, look for sales and negotiate.
My preferred recipe is:
- 2 part nut (almonds are my staple nut)
- 1 part nut (additional nut – cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
- 1 part raisins (dark or golden)
- 1 part dried fruit or berries (cranberry, goji, etc.)
- 1 part other (chocolate bits, M&M’s, yogurt drops, peanut butter drops, etc.)
2. What is your go-to most useful travel website?
Expedia provides great deals that allow me to save tons of money and earn countless points in the process. My favorite non-travel related website UNESCO World Heritage Site List
3. Name your “hidden gem” destination?
Next time you are in Bangkok make sure to stop at Wat Prayoon. The temple received the Award of Excellence in the 2013 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Shortly after entering a monk walked up to me and started a conversation where he told me I was the first American not with a tour group to visit the temple. We sat and spoke for over an hour about everything from faith to Facebook.
Live Coconut Worms Anyone? (Follow links to videos on my Instagram page!)
4. What is the strangest thing you have eaten while traveling?
I suggested to some new friends we try live coconut worms in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
5. Name the most annoying traveling habit you have come across?
Groups of tourists who insist on taking the same photograph with everyone’s camera. Don’t they realize they can send each other the photo and not waste everyone else’s time standing around waiting for them to finish.
6. What one tip would you give to fellow bloggers?
Twitter is a better social media platform than Instagram to feed traffic to your website.
7. What was the best sport you tried in a foreign country?
I attempted to spear fish in Costa Rica. I didn’t catch anything, but had a great time watching our boat captain catch 3 fish. I’m a decent shot, but the refraction of light made aiming much more difficult. The captain then made a tasty ceviche we ate during the boat ride back to shore.
8. What one food do you always bring on your travels?
Like I said in Question # 1, I always have some variety of trail mix in my rucksack.
9. What local delicacy on your travels most disappointed you?
I had the flavor of pickled herring in my mouth for almost a full day after trying a small appetizer plate of them in Stockholm, Sweden.
Eat Me – Dishes
10. What is the best restaurant you have ever dined in?
I want to say Mario Batali’s Del Posto in New York City, but I have never needed to pay so I would have to say Eat Me in Bangkok who serves world class fine dining at reasonable prices.
11. What was the best concert you have gone to while traveling?
In college, my friends and I would travel the east coast of the United States following one of our favorite musical acts, an electronica jam band named the Disco Biscuits. Their 2000 show at Trax in Charlottesville, Virginia (a nightclub frequented by the Dave Matthews Band prior to their mainstream success) was one of the wildest Halloween shows I have ever witnessed. I snuck in a friend who didn’t have a ticket. There were character appearances by Indiana Jones, Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker as they covered the music of John Williams and a Smashing Pumpkins cover (my favorite band) during the encore that resulted in the smashing of real pumpkins on stage and an eventual pumpkin hurling food fight like atmosphere in the audience. It was well worth the trip through the Blue Ridge Mountains to get there!
I hope everyone enjoyed my answers! Happy Trekking!