taboo cuisine

karol's website

2008-03-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

sexy and scorpio, pattaya, thailand

2007-10-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

Some times it is better to do not go back to hotel after all night party. At six o'clock in the center of Pattaya city you can meet some strange food and maybe some strange girls as well:)

That cute guys like to have a fried black scorpio for a breakfast.

It is my favourite type of thai restaurant. One girl, one cooking pot, one table, one noodle soup.

It is completly normal situation to eat a huge bugs and other insects. Thai people believe that it is healthy food. It makes you stonger! Told me that women.

welcome to bkk

2007-06-27T14:10:00.001-07:00

only taboo

Guerrilla bats. Kalinga. Philippines

2007-05-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

It was when Gen. Marcos with his soldiers came to Kalinga to build the big dam across the beautiful valley just before the Tinglayan Village. Francis was in The New Peoples Army fighting with government. During that hard time he had to live in the mountains eating everything what they could afford in the forest. It was too dangerous to hunt in the day time especially using gun. Soldiers of Gen. Marcos could hear the shot even miles away. But Kalinga people had some knowledge how to survive without civilization. As hill tribes and hunters they used to live close to the nature.

In the night time fruits bats go out from caves in the mountains looking for fruits. They like one kind especially. It is a huge tree with many small sweet brown fruits. Francis knows the place. We are going there with two young hunters who are more willing to climb the tree than old Francis. They have long stick with many sharp ends. It looks like a part of some plant without leaves. We are walking in darkness. The sky is cloudy but our guides know every path in that area. Soon we are under the special tree. The guys are climbing the next one to the fruit tree. They are close enough to catch something but it is so dark that I can hardly see my hand. It does not matter for them. After 30 minutes we hear little noise above our heads. The first bat is on the stick, still alive. Francis is taking it of and hitting few times on the stone to kill. It looks quite terrible. Is that small, hairy, shaking body will be our lunch tomorrow?

We have a deal with Francis and hunters. They will provide bats, we have to buy one chicken and bottle of gin. I am going to the village to pay 200 peso for a chicken and 80 peso for a gin. I am holding live chicken by the legs. I am walking with Maciek to meet our guides. They have four bats. We are going to cook it near the stream where we can get fresh water. It starts to rain again but we have already found a nice place under a big banana tree. The leaves protect us from the rain but also cover the light. It is dark, wet, hot and green. We are going to eat some flying rats with local tribesmen. I have impression that all the insects from the forest decided to stay in the place as we. It does not look like tourist attraction. Even Francis said that he has never tried it before with foreigners.

The hunters killed the chicken and now they are trying to burn the small fire.
Guys have machete so they can cut a big bamboo with thick trunk to make a container for baths. One of them is making the cooking set. The containers, spoons and basket for herbs made of palm leaves. another one has jumped to the bushes and now we have fresh chili, garlic and some yellow vegetables. It seems to be some kind of bitter melon.

With bats is not so easy. First they cut off the wings but they do not throw them away. The corpuses of bats are hairy so we have to burn it in the fire. They put it on the stick and roll over in fire. Now the bodies of bats are burned and black. They chop them by machete and put with wings and all the bowels into the bamboo container. Just add some spices like chili, garlic and salt, fill it with water and the green tubes are in the fire place. The stuff inside is boiling. We have opened the bottle of gin to drink something before. Cheers! For crazy Kalinga people!

The weather conditions are difficult for our cameras. It is heavy rain so I try to hold a banana leave above my canon all the time. The air is so humid and hot that I am worry about the electronic parts. Maciek’s camcoder is already out of order. I am still trying to take some pictures but we have just started to eat so guys are shouting at me. Let’s drink some gin and have a bat’s head as a snack! It is affordable only in Kalinga!

Now it is shower rain. It does not give me any chance to work as a photographer. I join the party without loosing face as a professional reporter. The bats have been boiled with all inside. Additionally they have a smell of burned hairs. Without the gin it will not be possible to swallow even one piece. The big bottle is finished. The whole bats and chicken meat is already eaten. We are completely wet and shocked. It is only one solution. Keep drinking gin. We are coming back to the village to make a party with hunters, Francis.
Next morning we are waken up very early totally seek after bats, few bottles of gin and local herbs. The big typhoon is coming! Francis said. Last week 400 hundred people died in the next province because of landslides. The bus is waiting for us in front of our pension house. The way back to Bontoc is a hazardous trip. Typhoon is faster than the bus. The road just after the village is already full of mud and stones that have just slide from the mountains. Many times we have to get off the truck to clean the road. Hopefully we are still so stoned that we even do not care about it.

Kalinga black and white.

2007-05-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

There are few shots from trekking in Kalinga. I used b&w agfa and ilford 400. Watching that pictures I miss the unspoiled beauty of the mountains, village life and the most reliable and charming people in Philippines.

Rice terraces. The mysterious spiral shapes are the fish traps.

The center of the Tinglayan Villaage. Our base in Kalinga.

Higher in the mountains are located the most remote villages. Access to that place is possible only with the confidential person. People plant here not only rice and black bean. They have really good stuff here. Maybe because of that the head hunters are more peaceful now. We were invited for a dinner by the owner of local plantation. His store is really amazing!!!

Annual fiesta in Tinglayan. Before that kids nice looking kids we had danced together with the elders and chefs of the village.

Street photo. Pigs are the major citizens in Tinglayan.

Head hunter basketball player is trying to shot for 3 points. Buscalan Village.

Francis' mother cooking a dinner for us.

Hanging bridge is the only one way to cross the dangerous mountain river.

Kalinga1. Red Ants vs Snails From The Rice Field.

2007-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Northern Luzon in Philippines, region Coldiriera. Lush green mountains, hundreds years old rice terraces, tattooed head hunters, exotic wildlife and like every time in Philippines no tourists.

We are sitting in a small restaurant in Bontoc. It is the biggest town in that remote province. We do not know where to go. We have asked some people in a regional museum about culinary customs of the hill tribes but they said: Go somewhere far away where nobody goes so you will probably find it. We are confused. Suddenly we hear the question on our back. Do you want to go to Kalinga with me? It is Francis Pai Inn. Over fifty years old guy who is a tour guide in the Kalinga Province. But we don’t know about it. We just see the older Philippines guy in front of us.
It is said in our favorite Lonely Planet that province is a dangerous place. Not recommended at all. Local hill tribes were head hunters and some of them they still do it. New Peoples Army used to stay in the mountains. The province is semi anarchic place ruled by dangerous people.
Francis has mountain shoes, nice smile and thick notebook with recommendation from all his customers from all around the world. He looks harmless and responsibleenough . We have no choice. We are going with him!
First we have to buy some gifts for ex-headhunters. Francis knows what they like. For kids we have some sweets and for adults a lot of matches boxes. With that equipment we can hang around more safe in Kalinga Province.
After half an hour we are on the roof of old off road bus to Tinglaian Village. We are sitting on the bags with rice, boxes with beer, container with oil. It is the best ride in my life. The road is bumpy, muddy with hundred serpentines. Under the road is a abbys with the rough river. Above our heads tops of the beautiful mountains are partly covered by clouds. We have to hold the car strong to do not fall down. Cool wind is blowing in my face. First village placed on the slope of the mountains is amazing. Tiny wooden houses, slim white tower of catholic church and light green rice terraces around. Every next view is more charming than another.

We ask Francis about what strange people used to eat here. He is confused. Nobody has asked him about it before. But he started to think about it more seriously. On another day in the morning he woke up us very early in the morning. It was still dark outside and misty. I know! He said. I will show you live of New Peoples Army. Take some good shoes, long trousers, water and we are going up to the mountains. There is strange food in Kalinga but there are no any restaurants where you can buy it. We have to do it by ourselves from the beginning.

Dogs are playing in front of Francis' house. That concrete slab is a grave of his grandmother.

We are climbing up. We have to find in the forest home of the biggest poisonous red ants. Their white eggs are “very delicious!” Francis said.

It is not a dry season. The higher we are the more clouds coming from the mountains. Our village will disappear in mist soon.

Young guy, hunter from the village climbing the tree. He has just found the big house of ants. In the shape of big ball made of brown leaves thousands of giant red ants live. No more sharpness. It is to cloudy and dark in the forest. It is not a right place for taking photo. In one second the huge ball with thousands ants can hit my head.

Now ants are everywhere around us and on us. I feel pain. They are in my pants!

The hunter is a strong guy. He is collecting them by hands. I can hardly come closer to take that photo.

We are going down. There are rice terraces. Now they are empty. The flat surfaces of water reflect the sky and mountains. The boy is walking around in the shallow water and mud. He is picking up the small snails. His basket is full after the 15 minutes.

Francis Pa Inn. Tourist guide, trainee chef of New Peoples Army, single. His parents were head hunters. On their bodies we can see many tatooes. Every head of the enemy is the next sign and proud for the warrior. Now they take care about few pigs and chickens. They cultivate rice and black bean. Francis is the only one and first tour guide in Kalinga Province. His knowledge about the mountains and local communities helped not only tourists but also many scientists who made research about indigenous people in North Luzon. We are the first who asked him about culinary customs. Hopefully Francis likes to cook. He is single so he has to do it. But the idea about strange food comes not from his status. He was a soldier in New Peoples Army.

One day Marcos decided to make a big dam on the river in their valley. The all Kalinga province supposed to be flooded. All villages, rice terraces build hundreds years ago, animals, forest under the water. There was no choice for Kalinga people. They took arms to save their beautiful valley. During the war they had to hide many days in the mountains eating everything what they could achieve in the forest.

The soup is ready to eat. It contains not only the red ants and snails. There are lots of herbs and spices just near the stream where we are cooking. Wild ginger, chili, garlic and some other nice looking green plants are around.

The smell and taste is great! Maciek is going to finish his bowl soon.

We are in Francis' home. Francis has fried the rest of red ants with banana heart. The smell is attracting pigs. They know what is the best in Kalinga.

Baloot! Baloot!

2007-04-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

Manila is the craziest city in Asia. Open 24 hours a day, extremely polluted and populated. Skyscrapers of Makati are surrounded by huge areas of poor housing and slums built up on the swampy waters of lake and canals. The old town Intramuros is full of heritage buildings build by Spaniards. Malate and Ermita are old port quarters full of the cheap hotels and the most dodgy entertainment places I have ever seen. It is not a right place for Backpackers like Khaosan Road in Bangkok. You should know how to survive here to avoid serious troubles.

Jeepneys are the most usuall way of transport in Manila and all Philippines. Old American Jeeps were changed for small buses to transport the people. There are thousands of them on the streets. Every one is different painted and decorated. The best one have plenty glittering chrome parts, glowing lights and sound system inside. The most popular subject of the paintings is Holy Mary.

Retro fan in our hotel

Intramuros, the oldest part of Manila.

The pool master with his fanclub.

Street gang posing for a photo.

Everybody have it. Especially kids in the slums.

Balot is one of the strangest and most terrible snacks in the world. The warm, not cooked duck embyro in thick fluid! How people can eat it?

In Manila balot is so common that nobody can imagine our disgust. The balot sellers are walking all night around the places where people drinking beer calling baloooot, balooot!

Duck eggs are stored in special warm place till the egg turns into the embryo. Then they are put into the special plastic container or basket which can keep warm for a long time during they are being sold on the street. The proper way of eating ballot is very simple. Open the top of the egg. Put salt and vinegar into the egg. Dirink the liquid first. After that open it and eat the baby duck.
In the end take a big shot of cold beer and smile! You shouldn’t be disappointed about the taste. It is really good!
As you can see on the photos it doesn’t look so nice so ballots are sold only in the night as a snack for street beer drinkers.

Maciek with the first Balot in his life. After that one he did it every night.

Happy Balot sellers in Malate.

Ermita is known as an entertainment place for low budget old guys. Oral Cholera should be a comon illness in that place. Anyway I am not sure what it is exactly. Hopefully we have never suffered because of it.

The holy pictures in the entrance to the Black Hole Club.

Manila jak każde azjatyckie miasto jest zatłoczone, chaotyczne i brudne. Każda dzielnica tego miasta to oddzielny świat. Najbogatsze jest Makati. Wieżowce, luksusowe hotele i największe malle w całej Azji. Intramuros to stare miasto. Reszta to kilometrami ciągnące się ubogie dzielnice i slumsy. Ermita nie jest jeszcze najgorsza. Choć nie cieszy się dobrą sławą, oprócz naciągaczy , drobnych złodziei i niesamowitej ilości prostytutek nic gorszego nie może nas tu spotkać. Mieszkamy w najtańszym pensjonacie dla nisko budżetowych dżentelmenów z Anglii. Wychodząc pierwszego wieczoru dostaliśmy kilka dobrych rad od właścicielki. Uważać na naciągaczy, brudne dziewczyny uzależnione od narkotyków i bary karaoke. Pomocna starsza pani poleciła nam też lokal nieopodal o milo brzmiacej nazwie G-point. Na końcu pokazała palce kartkę na ścianie. 100 pesos za dodatkowego gościa w pokoju. Wszystko jasne. Tylko sciany z jak z tektury....Ermita nigdy nie zasypia. Wczoraj z Edsem poszliśmy do baru na rumkole. Edsa spotkalem przypadkiem na ulicy. Wsiadlem w zly autobus, wysiadlem gdzies na przedmiesciach Manili-SLUMS. Byl jedyna normalnie wygladajaca osoba. Odrazu mi pomogl. Zawiozl mnie do mojego hotelu samochodem. Po drodze powiedzial ze jest gejem. Ja nie jestem: powiedzialem. Usmiechnal sie. Po drodze juz blisko hotelu spotkalismy Macka. Decyzja zapadla bardzo szybko. Idziemy na drinka. Usiedliśmy miedzy dwoma stolikami pełnymi młodych dziewcząt. Eds od razu zapytał gdzie pracują. Tu niedaleko koło hotelu w barze: odpowiedziały. Dzisiaj w nocy mają wolne. Nie było zbyt dużo klientów. Przyjdźcie jutro dzisiaj nie pracujemy mamy wolne. Dziewczyny zamawiają następne piwa, robą sobie tatuaże z wodoodpornego atramentu i kupują kwiatki od żebrzących dzieci. Jest już po 5 nad ranem zamawiamy po ostatniej szklance. Robi się jasno ale ludzi i samochodów na ulicy wcale nie ubywa. 24 h tłok, impreza. Na chodnikach śpią pijani laydyboys w brudnych podartych mini, dzieciaki nadal sprzedają orzeszki i róże. Zmeczone prostytutki chwieja sie przed barami. Trąbią kolorowe Jeepney. Na horyzoncie ciemne chmury zwiastujace nadejscie monsunu.
Jest już naprawdę jasno. Biorę aparat i idę nad zatokę. Morze spowite jest szaro niebieską mgłą z której na horyzoncie wyłaniają się statki. Na bulwarze jest już tłoczno. Na ławkach śpią niedobitki z barów i bezdomni, zakochane pary całują się pod palmami na tle wschodzącego słońca a te damy calyczas czekaja na swoich kochankow.

It is six o’clock in the morning. The sun is rising. Humid air from the sea covers the city with the blue mist. I have just finished last rum coke in the bar in Malate and I am walking with my camera along the dirty streets of Malate and Ermita. The streets are still crowdie and noisy. Huge speakers from the bars are playing music. The fluffiest girls and lady boys are trying to grab my hands when I pass them on the narrow pavement. Young and drunk foreigner with camera and cash in the pocket is a perfect aim for that creatures. I have to jump over people sleeping on my road. Through the open doors of the old church from Spanish times I see people praying in the first morning mass. Just on the opposite side of the street I see the other open doors to the bar with dancing girls. The street is so narrow that they can see each other.
I am going to Bay Walk (the long walking street along the sea) to take a rest after long night in smoky bars and eat a breakfast. On the way I am taking some pics. Only one film. 36 shots.

The neverending poor housing areas along the canal.

Cooking on Bantaian Island

2007-04-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

Santa Fe is a small town on Bantaian Island. There are couple of nice resorts with bungalows on the beach, restaurants and local shops. Most of the people live here not from tourism but from the sea what is perfect for those who love to eat fresh seafood. One of the best places for it is Tristana Restaurant. The small place with food and accommodation run by Nancy and her friends. The restaurant is built just on the beach where the fisherman boats full of seafood used to come back in the late afternoon from the sea. In the menu there is nothing more than ordinary dishes so you have to ask Nancy about some special. Do not ask about it too much. Just let Nancy do her best. Two guys working in restaurant are fishermen and they know what is the best from the sea and how to cook it.

That day we came to Tristana earlier to assist in everything from the beginning. Boys went fishing in the morning so we went with Nancy by the car to next town to buy some additional ingredents on the market. Just after we had came back the fishermen boat full of different creatures was on the shore in front of the restaurant. We decided to cook just on the beach. It was amazing! Tropical island, white sand, fisherman boats. It looked like some fake play arranged for tourists but it wasn’t at all. We just had a dinner on Bantaian Island with Nancy and her friends.

It was the best food ever!!! Mussels fried with cheese, steamed huge crabs, raw fish salad, baked bananas and sweet potatoes, scallops, shrimps, squids…just king size dinner in the beautiful place with charming people. I am sure it was the best in our long travel may be not strange food but the extremely tasty. I would like to recommend for everybody Tristana Restaurant run buy Nancy as the top sea food place in Philippines. But remember you have to ask about special set. It is worth any money.

Tristan's Bar & Restaurant

Santa Fe, Bantaian Island

The Secret Island

2007-04-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

On Bantaian Island life is going easy and slow, especially for tourist. In the afternoon You lie in the hammock under the humming coconut trees. The beautiful sunset is coming. Along the white sandy beach some philippinos kids playing in the water. On your right handthere is a fisherman village on your left is also fisherman village and on the back is your nice bungalow where your friends are playing on the guitar drinking excellent local rum.

You can think that something is wrong. Beach, sea, weather, people, food and price of big bottle of rum are just perfect! You are in the best place for holiday on earth and there is only a few tourists on the whole island. Everybody are on Bali, Boracay and Phuket looking in overcrowded resorts for what you have just got. It is nice to have that kind of secret. So please do not advertise that place. Just come here for a week or two and enjoy that small paradise lost somewhere on Visayan Sea.

We are swimming during the amazing beautyfull sun set. Tommorow we are invited for fishing and lunch to our friends restaurant-Tristana (next post).

Shenzhen

2007-02-28T00:11:00.000-08:00

The photos from one day trip to downtown Shenzhen.

Shenzhen (Sham Chun or Shamchun in old documents) is a sub-provincial city of Guangdong province in southern China, located at the border with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Shenzhen is a center of foreign investment and since the late 1970s has been one of the fastest growing cities in the world. It is also the busiest port in China. In the past two decades, outsiders have invested more than $30 billion in Shenzhen for building factories and forming joint ventures. (wikipedia)

The power of the Chinese economy. Golden skyscrapers, biggest mega malls, luxurious brands.

bigness

business

power, fear

frustration

and loneliness.

The one-time fishing village of Shenzhen, singled out by late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, is the first of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in China. It was originally established in 1979 due to its proximity to Hong Kong, then a prosperous British colony. The SEZ was created to be an experimental ground of capitalism in "socialism with Chinese characteristics." The location was chosen to attract industrial investments from Hong Kong since the two places share the same language, dialect and culture. The concept proved to be a great success, propelling the further opening up of China and continuous economic reform. Shenzhen eventually became one of the largest cities in the Pearl River Delta region, which has become one of the economic powerhouses of China as well as the largest manufacturing base in the world. (wikipedia)

The Shenzhen citizens like to eat only fresh food. To encourage customers animals are store alive in the cages and containers with water in front of the restaurant. Everyone can make the best choice and be sure about what he will find on the plate after 15 minutes. It makes restaurant more like the pets shop but for Chinese it is the sign that they can afford exactly what they want to eat in the best quality. The guy in white with cigarette seems to be very satisfied after dinner in this place.

One of the ready to eat pet. They used to keep not only rabbits. You can find snakes, frogs, cats, and dogs, many kinds of birds, fishes, turtles and seafood as well. Big choice! Fresh stuff!

Come back to China. LONGGANG.

2007-02-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Abandoned mannequin and old wall with burning incense.

We have to wait 12 days in Hong Kong for the flight to Manila. After couple of days we feel jailed in micro size room in Mirador Mansion. City is like one big mega mall: extremely busy and dense. There is no sense to be stuck in one place. We are going back to China to visit the fastest developing city in the world: Shenzhen. wikipediaLike every time in China we do not know what is going on. Where we are going and who is waiting for us. We are in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The bus is full of people, nobody speaks English, we have a small piece of paper with some chinese signs (name of the place we are going). We came to Shenzhen in the morning but now it is getting dark and we still can't find the way to the place where our internet friend lives. The bus leaving the downtown and go faster and faster by the wide, four line highway into the darkness. Where are we going? After two hours the driver stops the bus opens the door and wave to us. We are getting off in front of new luxurious condominium where we are going to spend next few days in our friends flat. After long day of disorientation and craziness we are falling asleep.In the morning...we are in Longgang the satellite town to Shenzhen. The name means: city of dragon. It is an old chinese town in modern Shenzhen Economic Zone. In the old downtown we can enjoy our favorite places like stinky backstreets, food markets and dodgy restaurants without english menu.

Do you know what he is waiting for?

and now you know...

...but keep smiling like this hard working guy on the street in Longgang.

He is looking for a better place than a doggy market.In that shop they have gecko wine. Gecko is the small lizard printed on the label.

One of the best strange food we had in China. Fresh frogs meat in sweet and sour sauce with chili and spring onions. Excellent for breakfast.

Deep fryied baby bird on stick.

Pig on wheels.

Container for water made of basketball.

Pork laundry under the blue sky.

Hong Kong

2007-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Two months in China. Six thousand kilometers by train or bus. From the inhabited mountains on the border with Kazakhstan to Forbidden City. From the surreal Bozhou medicine market to Shanghai and more far south to the paradise valley of Li River. Every night in a different chinese hotel with all night ringing phone. Right amount of Tsing Tao (the best chinese beer) and some bottles of terrible rice vine much stronger than polish vodka. Culture shock every day: laydyboy show in the Kazakh Autonomous Region, spitting guy on your shoulder in the internet cafe, hidden, underground brothel houses in old hutongs in Beijing, every day diarrhea in a public toilet without walls between cabins, doggy market in Yangshuo.
But onthe other hand the most hospitable people during our travel like three charming angel girls from Guangzhou and their friend David who was keeping us 5 days in his little flat or everyday party in Yangshuo with crazy people from around the world and friendly chinese students (hi Iris!).
We made a decision. Good bye China. Let’s go to Philippines! Just take a flight from Hong Kong by really cheap Cebupacific Airways and try the nightlife in Manila, sandy beach on the tropical island and some strange food for sure. Hong Kong now!

Bruce Lee monument.

Halal food!

Lantau Island, near Hong Kong

Through the window of our room in Mirador Mansion. Kowloon.

our neighbours: chinese tailor, and indian dealers

and their girlfriends

siesta

MADE IN CHINA-Guangzhou

2007-01-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

From charming Yangshuo we are going to the Delta of Pearl River in Guandong Province. The Delta is probably the biggest industrial zone in the world. Several cities like Guangzhou, Dongguang, Macau, Shenzhen (cluster) surrounded by the never ending factories and grey, concrete block of flats for labourers. Every stupid cheap plastic object you have in your home was probably made here. Big modern cities like 12 million Guangzhou are the international trade centers.

But Guandong province is not only famous from trade and industry. It is a kingdom of strange food. People from Guandong eat everything what can move even if it is poisonous like scorpion or snake.

Modern world is coming so quickly that old customs are being removed from the downtowns. We had to visit some dodgy places, back streets and old markets searching for the best snacks.

international trade center

beggar or poet?

A butcher’s shop in old Guangzhou.

A girl in front of the butchery.

In the labyrinth of the back narrow streets.

Student dorm.

The best choice of pressed duck in the city.

Young guy selling snakes from the cage fastened to the bicycle. It is illegal business. If police come he has to go away very fast.

Cut the head off by scissors, take the skin off, remove the intestines and give still moving snake in the plastic bag to a customer.

The bowl with snake and frog remains.

Yellow scorpions, the most poisonous species. The best stuff to make a soup.

The scorpio vendor.

YANGSHUO ALTERNATIVE

2007-01-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

In south east China in Guanxi province there is a town surrounded by the beautiful calcareous rocks raised from the flat green rice fields. The Li River crosses this paradise country and gives it fresh water, plenty of fishes and more charm that crowds of tourists enjoy traveling by boat or riding on bike around. In the past Yangshuo was a small, calm fisherman village settled on the bank of the Li River. Now it is bustling resort called by the local people 'global village'. There are hundreds of foreign travelers, plenty of english teachers, chinese tourists and students learning english in many language schools have just opened in Yangshuo. You can feel here more easy and free like nowhere in China. In one word it is nice place to meet new friends and enjoy together the amazing scenery of green hills and rice fields in the day and beer after the sun set.
But where is strange food, weird customs, culture shock? In westernized Yangshuo there are good pubs, young people like to party every night, bakeries, pizzerias, internet, and even camels...globalization.
What to do here? After four days of drinking beer in english pub with pool I decided to move my heavy ass and check what is around the corner.

The paradise valley of Li River.

An ancient inscription in the cave

Drinking beer with shopkeeper.

an old house

our neighbours open air kitchen

a very nosy guy

and less nosy people.

Finally I found my favorite snacks on the food market near the bus station and the main street in Yangshuo. Pig's tongues and tails. One guy prepared it especially for me.
Than I felt some terrible but unknown smell. What is that...chicken, duck?

no...It was something better what Chinese love particularly. Dog meet is a delicacy. It has excellent taste and makes your body warm during the cold winter nights.

BLOWING SHANGHAI

2007-01-05T06:01:00.000-08:00

However , there is no strange food in Shanghai we decided to visit the fastest developing metropolis in the world. The urban and social revolution is the most significant feature of modern Shanghai. The citizens of the city seem to be proud of it. English is widely spoken comparing to other chinese cities. The colonial history is well preserved and cultivated. International and chinese companies are building higher and higher skyscrapers. The Pudong area has the most of that steel and glass monsters but in truth the whole city is under construction. Sometimes I have an impression that it is not an architectural revolution but the war. Hundreds of squared meters of the old town are being crushed down by the heavy bulldozers. From the death fileds full of debris the new, 200 meters high towers are rising up. It is the same like in every big city in China but nowhere is so brutal like there. The small part of the old town is all that remains of a large, exotic and dodgy city of Shanghai. In the shade of glass towers old Chinese people are playing chess in dark small shops, vendors are selling fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables on the street. Above their heads the colorfull clothes are drying in the sun hanging on the half rotten parts of the buildings. No strange food there but that space makes strange even cut fish in half.

BOZHOU MEDICINE MARKET

2007-01-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

In Anhui province in the half way from Beijing to Shanghai there is Bozhou. If you ask people in China about it nobody can even recognize that name. In the Lonely Planet Bozhou is described briefly as one of the most eyesore and unplesant places in China. When you come here you just think: what for? Thats right. It is not so easy for foreigners to feel fine here. But there are some points why it is worth to see that weird place.You can travel in China for a long time following touristic routes and never see the real China. Bozhou is the best place to feel that country without any western influences. You can experience a strong culture shock there.In Bozhou there is the biggest medicine market in South East Asia. Thousands merchands come here to buy dryied plants and animals that can be used as a medicine. Streets are covered with colourfull pieces of different herbs and mushrooms. White cotton sacks are full of dried scorpions, snakes, frogs, turtles' shells and many kinds of insects. Even head of a deer or paw of a bear is useful ingredient in chinese medicine.Dirty streets, crowdy markets, roaring and horning tricycles. The air is foggy and dusty. The colours are light, pastels. People desapeare in the mixture of mist and exhaust in the end of the wide streets. Dried stuff from the medicine market gives of a mystic smell calming you down. The bad dream like mysterious atmosphere. Feeling of alienation. Crazy traffic on the streets. Pollution. Fantastic huge sculptures located on every roundabout. You are not on familiar ground here but that weird environment contrasts with incredibly hospitable and friendly people. Every time smiling when you take a photo.It is not so easy to understand that town. I have an impresion that Bozhou was created by some very tallented writer. The close friend of Franz Kafka.I have to come back and read this novel to the end.

Vendors are selling dried stuff.

NI HAO MA!

Foam on the river in the center of Bozhou.

Where is human there is no more place for nature in China.

Forget about silence after bussy day. Night riders are coming.

Street vendors selling barbequed chicken embriyos. It is something between egg and chicken. The view and taste of half fury baby is not so amazing so it is hard to swallow even one of four eggs put on the stick.

The owner of the drus store waiting for customers.

Nice smelly herbs, roots and mushrooms getting dry on the streets of Bozhou.

Dried frogs are use in Chinese medicine to prepare a canned drink. It gives you power and makes you forever young.

Some appetizers make us more funny then hungry.

After pig nose we decided to eat something more serious. It was midnight. We went out and the first street restaurant next to the door of our hotel served the doggy soup. Unfortunatelly it has just finnished. We were really pissed off.

FORBIDDEN CITY

2006-12-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

His face is calm and self-confident. He is only one but he can see everybody.
Thousands of chinese citizens every day coming to Tienanmen Place to feel his preasance. The holy Mao is happy in his red heaven. Now China is great like never in the past. He nows that future belongs to him. Policemen, soldiers, security cameras, spies are spread all around watching streets and buildings. In old hutongs areas on every corner people with red belts on their arms watching your steps, on every street there is at least one police station. Even in the toilet in our hotel there are small cameras. Beijing is a forbidden city at all. There is only one thing without rules. It is food. In the city where everything is under control you can feel realy free tasting the most wired things in the world. Big fat still moving silk worms ready to fry, baby sharks on the sticks, colurfull starfish, shaking jellyfish, black scorpions, big 20 centimeters long centipedes, baby birds and finnally the big bowl full of pig's penises stuffed wih red chili. If you are more keen on and wealthy enough there are many porsh restaurants. Interiors are decorated in gold and red with stuff wearing only traditionall clothes. You can try such exclusive specialties like camel's hump, lip of a deer, drunken shrimps, squirle's tail or horribly expensive bird nest soup.

say hello to Mao!

The biggest in the world. Tienanmen.

Secret objects in Hutong Area. Old Beijing..

avantgarde architecture

mobile comunication

fried baby birds ready to eat

the bowl full of pigs penises

2006-12-12T02:39:00.000-08:00

Urumqi is like New York moved to the desert in west China. Skyscrapers, expressways, luxury shops built up in a couple of years in a small traditional Uygur town. The old world disapeared in our eyes. People are still used to live like in the past. Ride on a donkey even if they have to cross the biggest, full of vehicles roundabout in downtown. Bake a bread in white, clay, hand made oven or even kill animals on the street to be sure that meat is halal (clean in arab).

First sun rise in Urumqi

Chinese labour on the ruins of the Uygur oldtown.

An Uzbek craftsman in front of his workshop.

He can repair yor bike 24h a day.

Afternoon rush hour in Urimqi. Uygur peole coming back to their poor houses on the suburbs.

I bought a fresh, round bread from this smiling guys.

Uygur people are used to sell meat everywhere. The street dust is being removed by piece of dough.

Whole barbecued sheep.

Medicine vendor with dried snakes, starfish and lizards.

The man who invited us for nice ceremony.

They left only skin on the street.

The every part of the cow is chopped, put on the stics and barbecued.
It is an Uygur kebab.

2006-12-12T02:33:00.000-08:00

It is easy to get from Kazakhstan to China. Just take a bus from Almaty and after 12 hours you are in Yining, the capital of Kazakh Autonomous Region in China (west part of the Xinjiang Province). The country is inhabited by many nations like Kazakh, Uygur, Kyrgyz, Uzbek and of course Chinese emperors. On the streets of Yining we felt more like we were in Turkey than in China, surrounded by the Uygur guys in colourful jumpers, with mustaches, smiles, and dark round eyes calling you from every corner. They were really surprised about our presence in their poor, forgotten country, surrounded by milions of Chinese invaders.
In the afternoon we came back to our hotel. After dusk, just around the corner on the main street of Yining, we found many open air restaurants. The harsh climate of west-north china has caused local food to be extremely greasy and spicy. We could put as much pure white sheep fat as we wanted into our hot noodle soup made of intestines and stomach. That kind of food need a couple of shots of spirits so we did it. After the dinner we were ready to cross the Gobi desert but finally we changed our minds and we went to the ladyboy show at the disco nearest our hotel.

ADV

2006-12-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

Travel magazine POZNAJ SWIAT published the full article about Beshbarmak. (December 2006)
text: Maciej Moszczynski, Karol Slowik
photos: Karol Slowik
www.poznajswiat.com.pl

Kazakhstan - beshbarmak in Quaraghandy

2006-12-01T04:52:00.000-08:00

KAZAKHSTAN – PROGRESS :)

Kitchen and our bedroom in our friend’s flat in Karagandhy. We are sleeping between the extremely noisy working fridge and 50 years old washing mashine.

The soviet era blocks of flats create urban landscape of the city. Blue fenced square between the buildings is basketball play ground and ice rink. Depends on weather.

Beshbarmak is the most porsh dish for traditional kazakh people. On the food market we bought a goat head. We started preparing beshbarmak with our friendly kazakh family in the small house on the Kharagandy suburbs.

First step is to burn the hair and clean the skin by a knife.

After 3 hours of boiling the head is ready to be cut and eaten.

Every part of head has different taste and quality. Eyes and ears are considered to be very delicious. Usually only vip person can get it at the party.

Family members teaching Maciek how to make beshbarmak. The Memory photo.

TABOO CUISINE- world weird food expedition

2006-12-01T02:59:00.000-08:00

english version coming soon

TABOO CUISINE
czyli wyprawa dookoła świata w poszukiwaniu najdziwniejszych potraw
Chrzęszczące w zębach karaluchy, włochate tarantule, potrawka z bawolich penisów, suszone „osy morskie”, to tylko niektóre z potraw, których spróbujemy i opiszemy. Na przykładzie tych oryginalnych, często zaskakujących specjałów zjadanych w poszczególnych regionach świata chcemy ukazać, jak różne są ludzkie nawyki i preferencje żywieniowe; jakie obrzydzenie mogą budzić największe „przysmaki”; jak wiele można powiedzieć o środowisku, kulturze, historii i współczesności narodu pokazując tak codzienne czynności, jak przyrządzanie i spożywanie jedzenia.
PLANY, TRASA I REALIZACJA.
Planując naszą podróż korzystaliśmy z polskich i angielskojęzycznych książek, bibliotek internetowych oraz informacji zebranych przez naszych zagranicznych współpracowników. Są wśród nich mieszkańcy: Kazachstanu, Chin, Filipin, Birmy, Wietnamu, Tajlandii, Malezji, Indonezji, Australii, Nowej Zelandii, Fidżi, Samoa Zachodniego, Meksyku, Nikaragui, Peru i Surinamu. Zaprowadzą nas w miejsca niedostępne dla turystów oraz zdradzą tajemnice miejscowej kuchni.
Podczas naszej wyprawy będziemy respektować Listę Gatunków Roślin i Zwierząt Zagrożonych Wyginięciem. Sprzeciwiamy się także nieludzkiemu traktowaniu zwierząt. Nie planujemy też kultywowania kanibalizmu.
Celem projektu Tabu Cuisine jest poznanie i pokazanie najdalszych zakątków świata przez pryzmat lokalnych zwyczajów i preferencji kulinarnych. W naszych artykułach chcemy pokazać, że pomimo olbrzymich różnic są też elementy, które łączą ludzi na całym świecie. Gorąco zapraszamy do śledzenia naszych przygód.

O NAS:

Tekst : Maciej Moszczyński. Absolwent PW; ukończył wiele prestiżowych kursów kucharskich. Gotowanie jest jego pasją, a od niedawna stało się także sposobem na życie. Pieniądze na podróż zarobił pracując w Anglii jako kucharz, rolnik i robotnik.

Zdjęcia : Karol Słowik. Fotograf, absolwent warszawskiej ASP. Zajmuje się reportażem i fotografia artystyczna.