Swimming with the royals
My time in Siem Riep Cambodia was quite lovely. My favorite little spot was in Angkor Thom, the ruins of the last great capital city of the Khmer empire (over 1 million people lived there at it's height!). Needless to say, given my own "royal" roots I enjoyed visiting the Royal Swimming Pool where the king's 500 concubines kept cool.
My first friends
Kate and Chan went with their friends Laura and Tomas to Cat Ba Island and Halong Bay. Little did I know, I would get to meet my first friends on the trip. All along the bay and lagoons of Cat Ba are local floating fishing villages. All along the homes are family dogs (looking a little bit like Huskies) barking their welcomes (or warnings as the humans would say).
I saw lovely views and on the boat there was at least a version of fish and chips (fresh fish and sauteed potatoes). No malt vinegar though.
Until next time, cheers! Abby
Food Reviews of Hanoi
Unlike back in the wonderful U.K., there doesn't seem to be any good fish & chips in Hanoi. Then again, I really can't defend the fine culinary arts of a country that adds vinegar to improve matters. So joining Kate and Chan as they ate their way through Hanoi was going to be an adventure.
First, I can confidently report that street food reigns supreme here. Vendors serve patrons right on the sidewalks, reserving the valuable storefront for cooking. Everyone sits (or semi-squats, as it turns out) on small blue plastic stools and huddle over a tiny table that can't be more than 18" off the ground. It's perfect for my paws to jump up and see what is happening on the table.
Kate and Chan had hot pot (steaming pot of goodness), banh cuon (light rice crepes of pork and shrimp), bun cha (noodle soup with grilled pork), pho bo (the iconic beef noodle soup), and more. There is a picture of me below with the fresh kumquats behind me and jar of pickled ginger to the left (Kate's a big fan of anything pickled).
Unfortunately, the one misstep by Kate and Chan was to go to a restaurant on their last night in Hanoi. Highway 4 ended up being the TGI Fridays of Hanoi. Overpriced, bland, and bad service (and no good flair to make up for it). They learned their lesson to stick to the street!
Cheers, Abby
Cheerio!
I am Abby, Kate and Chan's traveling companion. Yes, I am a Pembroke corgi and a solar powered head bopping cute bundle of fun. I usually spend my days looking out Kate's office window but since she is headed on a big Asian adventure, I figured I would join her. So welcome to my Abby Does Asia blog, which will offer insights and observations that Kate and Chan miss. .