From Mexico....Things I Ate

I took a quick trip to Mexico this week. Random... but it was a nice change of scenery and everything a beach, food and culture whore could ask for crammed into a few days. Tulum is a small Mayan beach town on the Mayan Riviera. Its on the border of the Gulf of Mexico which is very much like the Carribean sea. And although there is a lot to say about the Mayans and the gorgeous beaches (and will be said) this post is dedicated to the food. Unfortunately I was usually in too much of a rush to eat what was put in front of me to spend time taking great photos but here are a few I wanted to share. Absolutely everything was yummy ... from the street carts in town to the beach restaurants owned by Europeans who got sick of Europe and have crafted some imaginative and tasty fusion menus. I strongly recommend anyone who loves mexican food to go down there for the real deal, and you'll get a lot more out of it than just the food which is all a bonus.

As an afterthought, if you can't get out of New York, try Barrio Chino on Broome and Orchard. Its a little hole in the wall place (in more of a hipster than dirty way) that has taken off. They have two kinds of spicy margarhitas and tons of other great cocktails and the food is authentic and tasty. No reservations so if you don't want to wait an hour for a table, go early or late, especially on the weekends.

Can anyone suggest a place in Sydney???

Street cart tacos .... about a buck fifty a piece, could eat them all day

Picante with every mexican meal

Aztec breakfast

Pickled carrots, roasted garlic cloves, bloody hot peppers with orange juice squeezed from under-ripe green oranges (so good)

Doesn't look like much but these large prawns were lightly cooked with lavendar with a drizzling of olive oil .... one of my favourites

Tomatoes up close and personal ... basil, goats cheese, anchovies, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Tasty foccacia breads with pistachios and a tequila margharita on the beach

Pollo rojo ... aka red chicken... this chicken is stewed and baked in a sauce made from 3 different types of peppers and basically makes you want to lick the bowl when you're done

Miru-Kim-Esque

I was looking through some Miru Kim stuff that someone told me about after seeing my last post, and found this picture. What is with naked asian chicks in random places? Anyway, I kind of like this one cos it looks like it was dangerous which adds a bit of something something ... and in case you were wondering, its not Miru Kim

Can't is not in my vocabulary..

I love cheeky up-to-no-good monkeys outside La Esquina

From Russia

Russia was one of those places I wanted to go to ... but kind of just found myself there one day without much planning or preparation. It was one of those trips that I was thrown into last minute...like, the week or two before I was given a ticket and told to get a rush visa. I'd arrived on a Sunday in winter and was staying on Tverskaya Yamskaya which is in one of the busiest areas in central Moscow. My first impression was ... I can't read anything, its grey, hard and cold and where is everyone? I know, I sound like a new yorker. Since then I've been a couple more times and I'm fascinated by it. I love New York and, if New York is a girl, Moscow is like New York's older brother. Like NYC, there is so much going on every day, but the Russians seem to approach it as if its their last, which gives everything a different spin, from business politics to parties to art, music and fashion. You still feel the presence of the mafia, albeit in a way that blends into the backdrop like its no big deal, and adds another layer to the grittiness and extravagance. I've experienced parts of it with business expats, some with a fellow aussie, a little with the moscovites and also on my own. I hope to go back for longer and see more of the country outside of Moscow.... in any case, stay tuned, I may have to go back before the new year.

Coney Island

One of the last car trips I took out of the city this summer was to the Coney Island boardwalk. I've been lucky enough to have the use of a mini cooper and although I never get to drive it, I like where it has taken me. I never made it out to Coney Island before they shut the rides down and I thought that the rides would take with them some of the character of the boardwalk. But when I got there I was surprised at the diversity...of cultures and I guess also the strange things people still do there. Here are some pics...

Guy runs around in a pit while people shoot at him

Little guy in the background

Freako in the foreground... I think he escaped from the pit

Metal detector guy

Fishing bait...chicken drumsticks from Pathmark

Small fish that eat chicken

Coney Island icons - Wonder Wheel on left... Cyclone on the right...
forgot what the thing in the middle is....

Gambling on top of a garbage bin ... he was telling me no pics... but I no understand

Big fat guy with tricked out bike

Burqas on the beach

WanderLust...Method or Madness?

Someone once told me I had WanderLust. At first I was a little offended, admittedly without being completely sure what it meant. Its pretty self explanatory really if you just break it down in reverse order. Lust - overwhelming desire or craving, intense eagerness or enthusiasm. Wander - move about aimlessly or without any destination. As I thought about it, it grew on me and I've come to realize it can be quite a good way to approach things. That is, with zeal and without preconception. The best thing is, it can apply to virtually anything...travel, food, people, work, romps in the sack and the list goes on. And so I thought it would be a good title for my blog for now.
I want to be conscious of too much_wander_ in this first blog (ever) of mine so I will end by warmly welcoming myself to the world of blogging, and consider this an introduction of sorts... testing, testing, 123