Asia
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Thai cuisine part I
Cuisine is an inseparable element which characterizes the culture of the country. Nowhere else it isn’t as visible as in Thailand. The way of eating and preparing dishes reflects Thais customs and history. A lot of books and TV shows about Thai cuisine were created but none even the best recipe won’t taste the same as those courses which are prepared hastily on improvisational stalls on Bangkok streets. Street vendors specialize in few dishes so that the teste of Pad Thai prepared by elder Thai is comparable to the experience on grandma’s dinner. Four tastes: sweet, sour, salty and spicy are the base of every Thai dish. It’s impossible to…
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Hoi An – a peaceful meeting place
Hoi An is by far my favorite place in Vietnam. Its name means “peaceful meeting place” and in a fact this translation describes this place accurately. Apart from quite a big amount of tourists, it’s a very peaceful place where you take a break from the noise of mopeds. Hoi An is an exceptional place, where influences of different cultures mix together. Between 15th and 19th century, the town was an important port on the so called “silk route”. A lot of sailors from Asia or even Europe called at this place. However, sailors from China and Japan were the largest group here, that’s why they had major impact on…
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Russia – Sankt Petersburg
Famous Sankt Petersburg is an exceptional city. It’s a mix of everything what’s the most beautiful in Russian and European architecture. This city was tsar Peter’s the Great dreams. During his voyages through Europe he wanted to build from scratch a city – the symbol of modern Russian empire. One thing we’ve to hand to Peter, he did quite a good job! The most important historic events for the Russian empire took place in Sankt Petersburg: Bloody Sunday, the Russian Revolution or 900-day siege during WWII, when almost 640 thou. people died of starvation Sankt Petersburg is a city located on the area of at least 40 islets connected by…
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Christmas in Thailand
Temperature above 30ºC (86ºF), exotic drinks, beach and turquoise sea, is there any better way to spend Christmas? Unfortunately, we must disappoint you, but yes… When we saw budget flight tickets to Bangkok for Christmas and New Year 2012/2013, we thought that Santa Claus finally heard our wishes and made us up the lack of Porsche or apartment with swimming pool. But how about Christmas magic which can be felt in the air from the very beginning of November, every time when we watch red truck/lorry commercial or hear White Christmas on the radio, hopeful that this year we won’t be wading through the mud on our way to Christmas…
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Tallinn, Helsinki and Petersburg without visa – budget travel
We weren’t planning the trip to Tallinn, Helsinki and Petersburg. Actually everything started from LOT special offer for the flights: Warsaw – Tallinn and Helsinki – Warsaw. From Tallinn to Helsinki we traveled by Tallink ferry, but it’s possible to go with other companies such as Viking Line or Eckero Line. You need to check in at least 30 minutes before the departure of the ferry. Check-in desk is located at the Terminal D. Tallink shuttles 6 times a day and the voyage takes around 2 hours and definitely it isn’t boring (you can read about it here). The ferry arrives at the West Harbor. To the city center you can go…
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Temples of Bangkok
„One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster” Murray Head sings about the capital of Thailand. In fact this place attracts like a magnet a lot of tourists who want to experience unforgettable night. Famous district Pat Pong, illuminated by red lanterns, massage parlors (not only this traditional), ping pong shows or the sight of young, sometimes even juvenile Thais going arm in arm in the accompany of foreign tourists. Actually it’s hard to judge equivocally who is supported, girls who barely standing on a mountainous heels or old chaps. In a word every possible taboo in this Buddhist country seems to be broken. On the other hand in…
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Cappadocia
The value of Cappadocia for Turkey is the same as Rome for Italy. However in distinction from the Eternal City which was built by a man, this fabulous realm was created by forces of nature, especially volcanic processes. Varied Cappadocia landscape is made of tuff (volcanic ashes morphed into rocks), which has been being eroded by water and wind for a long time. The effect is surrealistic almost moonscape scenery. There you can see interesting rock formations, glens and caves. Popular Rose Valley, called also The Great Canyon of Cappadocia fascinates with its pastel colors. Early in the morning, a lot of balloons fly over it which makes this view unforgettable.…
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Vietnam – paradise for coffee connoisseurs
Coffee is mainly associated with countries like Brazil Or Columbia but in fact Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world. Being a hopeless case of coffee drinker I could write about Vietnamese coffee endlessly. It’s a very thick and aromatic beverage with inimitable taste which combines a little coffee bitter taste and the sweetness of caramel and chocolate. But it’s not the end… The process of roasting is unique. Sweet, chocolate taste is the result of adding butter or vegetable oil. Beans roasted in this way have a little bit greasy, glistening texture with intensive brown color. Taste can be intensified by adding sugar, vanilla or…
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Real Saigon… How to survive on Vietnamese roads
Our funny story with the hotel wasn’t the only attraction which we had during first day in Vietnam. Starving and exhausted after long journey, we decided to go out for a delicious Vietnamese meal. As experienced drivers, we thought that we had seen every possible thing on the road but as it turned out later crossing Vietnamese streets is a real challenge. Vietnam is a real traffic jungle in the literal meaning of this world. Just imagine agglomeration with at least 7 million people and no traffic rules. Crossroads with traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are thin on the ground. When they exist they can look like this… During watching…
