One Vietnamese delicacy we didn't indulge in is their snake and scorpion wine. Drinking this stuff is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. If you look at the picture you can actually see the tail of the scorpion in the snake's mouth.
Showing posts with label drink. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drink. Show all posts
Friday, 20 June 2008
Some snake and scorpion with your wine, sir?
One Vietnamese delicacy we didn't indulge in is their snake and scorpion wine. Drinking this stuff is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. If you look at the picture you can actually see the tail of the scorpion in the snake's mouth.
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Desperation
Towards the end of our trek, despite our best efforts to stick to a budget, we realised we were running worryingly low on money. Remember that where we were, it was a 15 day trek to the nearest ATM machine and nowhere does anyone accept MasterCard. So this was slightly alarming, especially as we had been so careful to work out exactly what we'd need each day before we left.
On our penultimate night in the mountains we had only enough money for our accommodation and a very simple meal, if we were to have enough to get us through the following day. Alcohol was an extravagance as it was so expensive (due to the man power required to get it there), but a necessity if we were to get any sleep that night in our freezing cold little room. So we pondered what we might do. In desperation we dashed out of our lodge in the hope of finding a wee corner shop (they do exist!) that might sell something we could actually afford with our meagre funds.
As luck would have it, the nice lady in the tiny store had quarter bottles of Bagpiper whiskey for only Rs. 150 per bottle (approx 1 whole English pound), so like dirty tramps we sat in the dining room of our lodge surreptitiously swigging from the bottle for the rest of the evening. Quite apt behaviour for two people who hadn't washed for several days.
On our penultimate night in the mountains we had only enough money for our accommodation and a very simple meal, if we were to have enough to get us through the following day. Alcohol was an extravagance as it was so expensive (due to the man power required to get it there), but a necessity if we were to get any sleep that night in our freezing cold little room. So we pondered what we might do. In desperation we dashed out of our lodge in the hope of finding a wee corner shop (they do exist!) that might sell something we could actually afford with our meagre funds.
As luck would have it, the nice lady in the tiny store had quarter bottles of Bagpiper whiskey for only Rs. 150 per bottle (approx 1 whole English pound), so like dirty tramps we sat in the dining room of our lodge surreptitiously swigging from the bottle for the rest of the evening. Quite apt behaviour for two people who hadn't washed for several days.
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Beer O'Clock in the land of Teatotallers
Religion can be a devastating thing. It's responsible for killing sprees and all sorts of other bad things. More importantly, it can spoil a gentleman's (and a lady's) enjoyment of a refreshing beer when it is outlawed in a town in the name of religion. Kumily, here in Kerala (where we're doing our safari) is one such place where the cool, golden nectar made from God's own barley, is taboo (heaven forbid!).But rules are made to be broken, and after some discreet questioning about where we could quench our thirst, Amy and I happened upon an innocent looking cafe (which will remain anonymous at the owner's request) where our patrons served us ice-cold beer disguised in a teapot and mugs (you might not be able to see it in the picture, but the mugs are actually Cornwall souvenir mugs!). Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!
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