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Stepping Out Of Babylon

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Search Results for: china

China

How to apply for Chinese visa in Laos

How to apply for Chinese visa in Laos

28 days in China: itinerary & costs

28 days in China: itinerary & costs

Food in China… so much choice!

Food in China… so much choice!

Traveling by train in China… nice and easy!

Traveling by train in China… nice and easy!

Youth Hostels (YHA)… cheap and good accommodation in China

Youth Hostels (YHA)… cheap and good accommodation in China

Chengdu… without the pandas!

Chengdu… without the pandas!

Larung Gar… looks like a dream

Larung Gar… looks like a dream

… hitchhiking by Kangding, Tagong and Sertar

… hitchhiking by Kangding, Tagong and Sertar

Tiãnzàng… Tibetan sky burial

Tiãnzàng… Tibetan sky burial

Litang… the Chinese “wild, wild West”

Litang… the Chinese “wild, wild West”

Yanding Natural Park… more than beautiful

Yanding Natural Park… more than beautiful

Dao Cheng… looks like Tibet?!?

Dao Cheng… looks like Tibet?!?

from Shangri-lá to Dao Cheng…by bus

from Shangri-lá to Dao Cheng…by bus

Shangri-lá (Zhongdian)… reality or fiction?

Shangri-lá (Zhongdian)… reality or fiction?

Sumtseling Monastery… an impressive Buddhist temple

Sumtseling Monastery… an impressive Buddhist temple

Lijiang… a modern ancient city

Lijiang… a modern ancient city

Dalí… the postcard city

Dalí… the postcard city

Kunming… the life around the Green Lake

Kunming… the life around the Green Lake

28 days in China: itinerary & costs

Itinerary:

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Kunming: 4 days

Dali: 3 days

Lijiang: 3 days

Shangri-la (Zhongdian): 3 days

Daocheng and Yading Natural Park: 3 days

Litang: 3 days

Kanding: 1 day

Sertar and Larung Gar: 4 days

Chengdu: 4 days

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China: itenerário
China: itinerary

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Cost:

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18,5 € / day
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… per person, considering traveling alone, eating only local (vegetarian) food in informal restaurants, markets and street-food; Sleeping mostly in hostels with dormitories, travel by public transport whenever possible; Without alcohol, soft drinks or tobacco; Communications (telephone calls and Internet) is not contemplated in this value; Shopping and souvenirs are also not included.

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Note: this trip was held in May / June 2014.

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See also:

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How to apply for Chinese visa in Laos

Food in China… so much choice!

 

Youth Hostels (YHA)… cheap and good accommodation in China

 

Food in China… so much choice!

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This is a difficult subject to address given the gastronomic diversity of China and the short visit to the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan provide good examples, so it is difficult to choose a traditional dish or a typical meal that is homogeneously found in all places.

However, in the visited areas, restaurants can easily be found where the common denominator is the existence of a fridge where the available food is exposed, from vegetables, meat, mushrooms, tofu, eggs… and from where the customer can chooses the desired combinations, which are cook in a few minutes. The dishes the come to the table are always shared among the group of friends or family, gathered around the table, being polite to remove one piece of food at a time and put it in the bowl, from where, after mixing with a piece of rice it’s eaten. At the end of the meal, it is respectful to leave some food on the plates, a sign of the abundance of food.

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Contrary to what is common in Southasian countries, in China it’s unusual to find “street-food”. The most popular and economical option is the small family restaurants, informal and open to the street, where the kitchen is located at the entrance of the restaurant advertising the menu. The most common in these eateries is the noodles soup with all the possible meat variations: pork, beef, chicken, intestines and other internal organs… ghrrr!

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In fact, China is not an easy country for vegetarians, and the concept itself is a kind of unknown is more remote areas, even among the Buddhist and the Tibetan communities. Although, vegetables are a constant presence in Chinese meals that are compost by several dishes where meat is an almost mandatory presence. 

The tofu, as a Chinese intention, is easy to find both in restaurants menus as in snack stall, as it is part of traditional food the tofu isn't seen as a vegetable alternative as in western countries. Mushrooms are also very common and can be a good choice for vegetarian dishes.

However, some traditional Chinese dishes are practically impossible to find without meat, fish or seafood, as is the case with dumplings, steamed buns and the dim sun.
But rice and noodles dishes, stir-fry or in soups, are good alternatives for vegetarians as far as you can order them without animal meat... the communication is always the big issue!!!

The good thing for vegans is that dairy is almost 100% excluded from the traditional Chinese cuisine, and things like cheese and milk are rare. On the other hand, soy milk is very popular and is part of the traditional Chinese food, particularly a the breakfast.

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In Sichuan, famous for its aromatic pepper, the gastronomy stands out for the spicy taste present in almost all dishes, from soups, stir fry or grill. The ingredients, usually vegetables and meat, often cook in a thick of spicy gravy, come wrapped in oil, but with a delicious and aromatic!

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In areas closer to the Tibet Autonomous Region you can find some of the typical Tibetan dishes, although the number of restaurants serving them is small compared to the overwhelming presence of Chinese food restaurants. It stands out the traditional tupka, a soup of vegetables or meat, in a thick broth and with barley pasta cut roughly in pieces. The dumplings that in the Tibetan version are called momos, are also traditional in this area and can be found as a morning meal.

Traditionally from the cold Tibetan areas is butter tea that accompanies meals. The salty butter’s taste stands out in this drink, which as it cools creates a thin layer of fat at the surface.

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Refeição típica chinesa, em que dois ou mais pratos acompanham uma tijela de arroz. Sempre presente está o chá que muitas vezes é disponibilizado gratuitamente
Typical Chinese meal where two or more dishes are eaten with steam rice. The tea is the most common drink and many time is served for free at the restaurants.

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Sopa à base de noodles sobre os quais é despejado um caldo e são acrescentados legumes ou carne, assim como condimentos salgados ou picantes, de acordo com o gosto de cada pessoa
noodles soup

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Legumes no mercado de Dali
Dali Market

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Raiz de lótus, à venda no mercado de Dalí, muito popular na gastronomia chinesa
Lótus root, at Dalí market

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ovos sujeitos a um prolongado processo de fermentação tornando a clara transparente e que lhes confere um gosto muito particular cuja intensidade os torna repulsivos para certos paladares
fermented eggs with a funny smell and taste… that doesn’t suite everyone

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Legumes no mercado de Dali
Dali market

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sopa fria de noodles: encontra-se por vezes ao fim da tarde nas ruas das cidades de Yunnam, onde pequenas banca oferecem um diversidade de noodles, tanto em forma, cor e sabor, que são condimentados com um molho picante, algumas ervas frescas, cebolinho e amendoim ralado
Cold noodles soup: easy to find in the end of the day in the street of Yunnan cities, seasoned with spicy sauce, fresh h and grind peanuts

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Amazing dinner prepared by my two travel mates. The food is an serious issue in China, and is always prepared with fresh ingredients brought everyday in the markets

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dumplings feitos de massa de arroz, geralmente recheados de carne, e cozinhados ao vapor. São uma das mais populares opções par ao pequeno almoço, com os restaurantes fazendo-se anunciar pelas grandes panelas metálicas constituídas por diversos tabuleiros, de onde sai um intenso vapor que se espalha pelas ruas; são acompanhados por um molho picante e por vezes com um caldo feito à base de arroz cozido, simples e praticamente sem sal
dumplings made with rice dough, usually fill with meat and steamed, are the most popular option for the breakfast. the eateries that serve the dumplings are easily spotted by the big metal pans that stand outside the front door

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outra opção de pequeno almoço, com uma sopa de noodles de sabor acre e ácido, acompanhada de ovo cozido e de pão frito, de massa semelhante às “farturas” mas de sabor salgado
another option for the breakfast are the noodles soup with a sour taste, served with egg and fry bread

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panelas para cozinhas dumplings ao vapor e o pão frito em forma de longos palitos, que se pode também encontrar no Laos e na Tailândia como acompanhamento da primeira refeição da manhã
dumplings pan and the fry bread that is also traditional in Thailand and Laos

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Cozinha de um restaurante na China
Kitchen from a restaurant in China

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Cozinha de um restaurante na China
Kitchen from a restaurant in China

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Cozinha de um restaurante na China
Kitchen from a restaurant in China

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noodles frescos à venda no mercado de Chengdu
fresh noodles at Chengdu market

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dumplings de vegetais acompanhando um "sumo" feito de arroz muito cozido ligeiramente adocicado e que constitui uma das populares opções para acompanhamento do pequeno-almoço a par com o leite de soja
vegetarian dumplings for breakfast and a drink made with soy milk

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cabeças de pato e pescoços de galinha, grelhados e condimentados: popular como snack entre refeições
duck heads and chicken necks can be a snack between meals

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Um dos pratos pelo qual a gastronomia de Sishuan é muito popular em que num caldo espesso e oleoso, condimentado com especiarias e pimenta, são cozinhados vegetais, cogumelos e algas, com ou sem carne, decorado com cebolinho e sementes de sésamo, e que é acompanhado de arroz
One of the most popular Sichuan dishes, a thick and oily gravy, seasoned with spices and pepper, where meat, mushrooms or vegetables are cooked

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O tofu encontra-se presente em muitos restaurantes, sendo contudo mais fácil de encontrar nas grandes cidades
The tofu is easy to find in China, and is a good alternative to vegetarians in a gastronomy where the meat is a constant presence

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restaurante junto à estação de comboios de Chengdu que dispõem de tofu confecionado localmente e onde os dumplins são cozinhados nos tradicionais recipientes de bambu
eatery in Chengdu with tofu and dumplings cooked in the traditional bambu baskets

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pão feito de massa de arroz e cozido ao vapor, muito popular nas zonas regiões tibetanas, e que pode ser simples ou recheado de legumes, carne (quase sempre porco), cogumelos ou à base de feijão azuki que lhe confere um sabor ligeiramente doce
steamed bread, popular in tibetan areas, that can be plain or filled with meat, vegetables or with Azuki beans that give a touch of sweetness

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queijo à base de leite de yak, e que no caso de ser fumado adquire um tom acastanhado; apesar do aspecto tosco a este queijo tem uma forte consistência apresentando-se compacto e “borachoso” ao mastigar
cheese made with yak milk

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Hot-pot, muito popular em vários países asiáticos, mas com diferentes cambiantes em relação aos ingredientes, mas reservada para dias festivos ou jantares de fim de semana, em que um caldo é mantido quente com ajuda de carvão ou de um dispositivo elétrico ou a gás, colocado na mesa, e onde os comensais vão mergulhado os diverso ingredientes. Na região do Tibete, este prato é constituído por legumes, cogumelos, algas e algumas tiras de carne que vêm já misturadas com o caldo.
Hot-pot, reserved for special day and family gatherings. Different ingredients are cooked in a stock that is kept war at the table.

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Tupka tibetana
Tupka, tibetan traditional soup that can be made vegetarian

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uma sopa à base de dumplins recheados de legumes na região de Sertar, mais ligada à gastronomia do Tibete... deliciosa para aquecer o corpo e o espírito nos frias noites do planalto tibetano
dumplings soup in Sertar region, a warmer Tibetan version adjust to the colt temperatures

Traveling by train in China… nice and easy!

(English version from the text posted in Jun/2014)

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The Kunming railway station more closely resembles an airport’s boarding rooms, with baggage check, ticket verification, and with its various gates, each identified with the train’s number and destination, and where efficient Officials validate tickets, and from which passengers are directly referred to the boarding pier. At the door of each of the carriages, is a formal employee, wearing an authoritative and complex uniform of military appearance, in a dry gesture direct the passengers to the respective carriages.

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At the entrance of the train, we are greeted by the sound of a classical music orchestra, whose epic tone evokes the arrival of the cavalry that grows in intensity, while the passengers search the place and accommodate the luggage, until reaching the peak at the exact moment in which the Train begins its march. There follows a long sequence of instructions or information, spoken in Chinese, which passengers seem to ignore, absorbed by various electronic devices, entertained with games, messages, photographs and telephone conversations, food and drinks.

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This trip, like the one previously held between Kunming and Dali, offered great comfort, not only for the quality of the carriages but also for the good condition of the road, which appears to be relatively new, offering ample stations with generous passenger berths, apparently oversized for the present demand.

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Entrada da estação de comboios de Kunming

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Sala de embarque da estação de comboios de Kunming

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... de Kunming a Dalí

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Estação de comboios de Dalí

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comboio entre Kunming e Dali, numa viagem que demorou cerca de 7 horas e que por isso foi feita em carruagem-cama (hard-sleep)

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bilhete de comboio entre Kunming e Dalí, onde uma viagem de cerca de 360 km custa aproximadamente 12€ em carruagem-cama (hard sleep)

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Info

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For information about China trains timetable, prices and duration of the trip:

www.chinatrainguide.com

Youth Hostels (YHA)… cheap and good accommodation in China

(English version from the text posted in Jun/2014)

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Definitely, the best solution in terms of accommodation in China are the Youth Hostels that despite the name are not limited to welcoming young people.

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They are generally well located, in city centers, near bus or train stations, or near tourist attractions. These type of accommodation are scattered all over the country, and there are at least two or three for each province of the vast Chinese territory. They offer good conditions, with double or single rooms, with private or shared bathroom. However the most popular option is the dormitory or shared room, of four, six or eight beds, always in the bunk system, that can have or not a bathroom inside the room.

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The YHA hostels are presented with good decoration, clean and airy. Filtered, hot or natural water is always available free of charge. They have security lockers, usually by the bed or sometimes at the front desk. The shower and sometimes the sink have hot water. A hairdryer is usually provided at the front desk upon payment of a deductible which is refunded upon return.

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Depending on the climate of the region, the rooms are sometimes equipped with central heating, fans and even some with air conditioning. In regions where winters are harsher, it is often found electric blankets to warm up the beds. Only in the big cities, it’s possible to find a laundry service in this hostels, however, there are always washing and drying facilities. There is also the option of using the washing machine costing around 10 yuan per charge.

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Depending on the location and the size of the hostel, they may also have a restaurant, a TV, lounge room, snooker, games, a small library but mostly with Chinese books… the best ones have even small green spaces such as Hello Chengdu, which make you forget that you are in the center of a city of more than four million people.

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At the reception of these Youth Hostels, there is always someone who speaks English, who is able to provide information about transport and places to visit in the vicinity. In the hostels located in the big cities, it’s possible to book bus and train tickets for a commission, as well as tours and organized visits to the more touristy places.

Free wi-fi.

Prices for dorms range from 30 to 40 yuan but may be higher depending on the conditions offered and the location, being generally more expensive in large cities compared to the one located in smaller settlements or remote areas. With a Member Card, with the annual cost of 50 yuan, it is possible to have discounts in the various hostels and the value of one night in a dormitory can have a discount of 5 to 10 yuan.

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//www.yhachina.com/index.php?hostID=2

Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?id=288&hostID=2

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Kunming: Upland Youth Hostel

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Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?id=347&hostID=2

Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

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Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

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Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

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Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

Dali: Spoor Youth Hostel

Dao Cheng: MaMa Hotel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?id=217&hostID=2

Dao Cheng: MaMa Hotel

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Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?hostID=2&id=208

Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

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Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

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Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

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Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

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Dao Cheng: Yading Backpacker International Youth Hostel

Foto: Litang: Summer International Youth Hostel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?id=367&hostID=2

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Litang: Summer International Youth Hostel

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Litang: Summer International Youth Hostel

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Litang: Summer International Youth Hostel

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Litang: Summer International Youth Hostel

Kanding:

Konka Youth Hostel

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Konka Youth Hostel

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Konka Youth Hostel

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Konka Youth Hostel

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Konka Youth Hostel

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Konka Youth Hostel

Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

//www.yhachina.com/ls.php?hostID=1&id=251&hostID=2

Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

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Chengdu: Hello Chengdu International Youth Hostel

Medan… where Indonesia meet Malaysia and China

Medan is not part of the tourist path being mostly used as an arrival point at North Sumatra, to visit Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba, or to catch a domestic flight to Padang, on the south coast.

But the city isn’t totally deprived of charm. There’s the Masjid Raya, the more than one century old mosque with an exotic architecture, the Istana Maimoon, a palace built by a sultan that now a small museum, the old town with Dutch colonial building as also a touch of Chinese shop houses and Indian neighbourhood where you can make a break to the Indonesian cuisine.

But for me, what brought the biggest surprise and the most pleasant time in Medan was the visit to the Tjong A Fie Mansion, the house of a rich Chinese merchant, from the end of the IX century, build in a mix of European colonial style and a strong Chinese influence. The house is a mark in the cultural panorama of the city and the Tjong A Fie, that arrive at Sumatra as a worker, build a fortune with the trade of tobacco, tea, rubber and sugar, becoming and important figure in Medan supporting education, health arts and culture. The house, where his relatives lived until a few years ago, has a balanced energy that creates a special positive atmosphere… and is a quiet place in the busy center of the city!

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With all these Medan is a kind of melting pot of cultures, where Indonesia met Malaysia and China!

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Old colonial building that still resist from the neglected old part of Medan
Old colonial building that still resist from the neglected old part of Medan

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Medan
Medan

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Medan
Medan

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"Little India" the Indian neighbourhood but where there's a big mix with the Chinese community
“Little India” the Indian neighbourhood but where there’s a big mix with the Chinese community

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Hijab in a street market at Medan
Hijab in a street market at Medan

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Tjong A Fie Mansion
Tjong A Fie Mansion

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Tjong A Fie Mansion
Tjong A Fie Mansion

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Tjong A Fie Mansion
Tjong A Fie Mansion

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What to see in Medan:

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  • Istana Maimoon also called the Sultan Palace build in IX century by the Sultan Ma’moem Al Rasyid. You can’t see much of the interior of the palace but is a nice place where you can chill and enjoy the local people dress up with sultan customs to pose for a photo nearby the throne. Ticket 5.000 Rp.
  • Masjid Raya is free but you need to dress properly (no shorts, no naked shoulders, etc…) and the women must cover the head.
  • Tjong A Fie Mansion is located in the old town that is the most interesting area to walk around in Medan, Ticket 35.000 Rp, which includes a guided tour.

//tjongafiemansion.org/

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•Masjid Raya
Masjid Raya

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Istana Maimoon also called the Sultan Palace build
Istana Maimoon also called the Sultan Palace build

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Where to sleep in Medan:

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The prices at Medan are higher that the usual in Sumatra, and as this city is not on the backpacker’s circuit is difficult to find a cheap guest house or a hostel.

The K77 Guest House is located a bit far out from the center but offers very nice and clean rooms as also a dorm, in a quiet alley in front of a mosque. In fact, cleanness is the word to describe this guesthouse where the owners are super friendly and provide a lot of information in a good English.

A bed in the dorm is 125.000 Rp and the breakfast is not included.

//k77guesthousemedan.blogspot.pt/

In a more central area there’s the Yap Hostel, just for women with a bed in a dorm for 75.000 Rp, but book in advance as is usually full, especially at the weekends.

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K77 Guest House
K77 Guest House

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Where to eat in Medan:

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As there’s not much to do in Medan, the food could be a great entertainment if you need to stay a couple of days in this city and location close to Malaysian bring a new input to the Indonesian cuisine. As any big city, in Medan there’s a few “classic” that you must try!!

  • Lontong Kak Lin… it’s a simple and humble eatery that serves lontong, a classic Malasian dish, that is a soup where the base is compressed steamed rice. I try the Lontong Sayur, a very rich vegetarian version of the original, that is served with egg, a few noodles, some tapioca crackers and lots of fry onion!! (15.000 Rp)
  • Zulaikha Bika Ambon… bika ambon is an Indonesia cake and apparently Zubaikha is the place to buy it in Medan, judging by the number of people that come here on the last week of the Ramadan to buy several boxes of this cake before visiting the relatives during the Eid al-Fitr (the holidays that mark the end of the fasting). Bika Ambon is made from tapioca flour, egg, coconut milk and sugar, of course! After cooking it results in a dense and wet texture with a lot of thin holes… and less sweet than it looks like! A small cake cost 23.000 p and the big one 43.000 Rp… there are different flavor but I just try the “original”!
  • Rumanh Makan Nasi Campau Hj Uni Emi… this restaurant is a reference in Medan for Nasi Kapau, the traditional Minangkabau cuisine, from South Sumatra.
  • Merdeka Walk… street food everywhere after 5 p.m.

Despite these places there’s a lot of restaurants in Medan and is very easy to find masakan padang restaurants; due to the presence of a big Chinese community is very easy to find noodles, cooked in soups or stir fry.

If you are looking for a good supermarket where you can find top quality Indonesia products (is not so easy as we could imagine in a big city) the Brastagi Supermarket is the place!!! There’s a big choice of coffee and chocolates there!

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•Lontong Kak Lin
• Lontong Kak Lin

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How to move around Medan:

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The city is big and with a lot of traffic but with a lot of public transport (angkot). At your guest house you can get information about the angkot numbers, as this is the best way to identify them, as the destination isn’t written most of the times. There are colours according to the destination. It isn’t difficult but you gonna need help. The traffic is intense so you can easily be stuck in a traffic jam.

Very popular are the bajaj, a kind of auto-rickshaw that can transport two passengers.

The best option, especially if you travel alone, is the ojek (moto-taxi). You can use the app service of GoJek or Grab companies, and a trip inside the city costs around 10.000 Rp… and is a good way to avoid the traffic jams. Usually, this kind of transport doesn’t go out of the city.

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How to go from Medan to the Airport:

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The closest international airport from the capital of Sumatra is the Kualanamu International Airport (also written as Kuala Namu), which is located more than 40 kilometers from the center of Medan. There are a few ways to reach the airport:

  • Taxi: 150.000 Rp
  • Travel Service arrange by the guesthouse/hotel: 200.000 Rp
  • Train Rail Link: 100.000 Rp. It is the fastest option as it avoids the usual traffic jams of Medan. The train leaves from the Statsiun Medan close from the Merdeka Walk.

//www.railink.co.id/jadwal-kereta

  • Airport Damri Bus: the DAMRI (Indonesian state-owned public transit bus company) operates buses from Amplas Bus Terminal in Medan to Kualanamu International Airport. The ticket costs 000 Rp, in modern air-conditioned buses, and the trip takes less than 45 minutes, but it can be more depending of the traffic. It isn’t the fastest option but is the cheapest!

To reach Amplas Bus Terminal (located in the southeast part of Medan) you need to take one of the angkot (small local bus) that will cost you 10.000 Rp. There are many of these angkots that end their trip at the bus terminal but is better to ask someone on your guesthouse as the destination on this angkots is not clearly written on the vehicle, but to help they all have a number to make it easy to identify. Watch out that this trip to the Amplas Terminal can take you about 2 hours… depending on the time of the day and the distance that you are from the terminal!!!!

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How to go from Medan to the Airport: DAMRI bus
How to go from Medan to the Airport: DAMRI bus

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How to go from Medan to the Airport: DAMRI bus
How to go from Medan to the Airport: DAMRI bus

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DAMRI ticket counter at the Amplas terminal
DAMRI ticket counter at the Amplas terminal

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How to go from Medan to Bukit Lawang:

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Myanmar food… where India meets China!!

Reflecting the cultural and ethnic diversity of this country, situated between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, the Burmese cuisine is very rich and diverse, where is visible a strong Indian and Chinese influence.

Compared to neighbouring Thailand, Burmese dishes may seem poor and too simple, but have the advantage of offering a wide variety of tastes in the same meal, ranging from salty to bitter, and from spicy to sour. Away from the refined palates and sweet taste of Thai curries, and with a strong presence of oily and deep-fried food.

Both meat and fish, from river or sea, are present in many of the thick and fatty curries, that usually are part of a traditional Burmese meal. Around a big bowl of rice are served small plates, with these curries as also lentils or beans stewed, stir-fry vegetables, raw vegetable salads, pickled bamboo shoots, a platter of fresh vegetables such as okra, green beans, small eggplants, cabbage, etc…. A broth of vegetables, very light and clear, is served in a small bowl with this meal, that can be flavored with raw garlic, chilies, and a mixture, dry or oily, of dried shrimps.

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mohinga, pela facilidade em se encontrar nas ruas de qualquer cidade ou povoação, à beira da estrada, junto a mercados ou em ruas secundárias, pode ser considerada o prato mais popular entre os birmaneses, sendo muitas vezes consumido ao pequeno almoço.
“mohinga”, a noodle soup, easy to find on streets stalls of any city or town, as also in markets; it can be considered the most popular dish among the Burmese, often consumed at breakfast

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pão frito, uma espécie de farturas mas sem açúcar, que é popular ao pequeno-almoço como acompanhamento do café ou do chá
deep-fried bread, light and without sugar, which is popular for breakfast or with a tea or coffee

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preparação da let thoke, uma salada à base de massa, legumes frescos como tomate e couve, com muitos anónimos e indecifráveis condimentos, tudo ligado com farinha de grão e misturado com as mãos
Preparation of “let thoke”, a noodle salad, made with fresh vegetables such as tomato and cabbage seasoned with many anonymous and indecipherable condiments, all mix with chickpea flour and fresh hands

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let thoke
“mohing” on the left and “let thok” right…  on the back is cooked plain rice, served with the broth, that often is served as side dish of salads

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ingredientes para mohinga e let thoke
ingrediants for the “mohinga” and “let thoke”

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Burmese meals are usually taken among family and friends who gathered around the table sharing the various dishes and mixing them the plate with small pieces of rice. Meals are taken in quiet, little given to conversation, with attention directed to the food.

The tea is always served with meals, as also in almost all places, from tea shops, restaurants, cafes and even street stalls, which is available for free, keep in the thermos or in the traditional kettles, and drunk in small bowls, that usually are waiting on the top od the tables.

A regular presence at meals and also used for the preparation of salads is the “laphet”, a fermented green tea leaves mixture, that have very characteristic acid flavor.

The “laphet” in the main ingredient of one of the most popular salads, which also have chopped tomato, cabbage finely sliced, crispy fry peanuts, chickpeas or broad beans also fried and is seasoned with lime juice. To this mixture, that is served cold, can be added rice, getting the name of “támin dhouq”.

Another popular salad is let “thoke” made from wheat noodles (that differ from the traditional rice noodles by the yellow color), that is mixed with vegetables and seasoning with mysterious sauces; all these ingredients are involved with chickpea flour, to become less wet, resulting in a strong meal, good the start of the day.

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preparação de fritos à base de lentilhas, pequenos peixes ou de camarão seco, que depois de fritos forma uma espécie de bolacha que poder ser consumida como um snack ou como acompanhamento de sopas
deep fry salty crackers to eat with the burmese soups

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doces de massa de arroz recheados com uma pasta feita à base de côco fresco e açúcar
sweets made from rice flour and fill with fresh coconut and sugar. they are cooked over the fire along the street of Mandalay, resulting in a sponge texture

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restaurante de rua em Yangon
Street restaurant at Yangon

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praticamente toda a comida é confeccionada em fogões a lenha, tanto em restaurantes como, nos mercados e em bancas de rua
In Myanmar almost all the food is cooked with fire stoves

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restaurante de rua em Yangon
street restaurant at Yangon

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But the most popular dish of Burmese cuisine is undoubtedly the “mohinga”: rice noodles soaked in a thick fish broth mix with vegetables and banana trunk sliced… yes! the tender parts of the trunk of the banana tree are also used for cooking in Burma. Sometimes this broth is flavored with fish or crab, but due to the overcooking, just the taste remains.
This soup is seasoned with onion, fried or raw, garlic, dried chilis, fresh coriander and a few more condiments coming out from anonymous bottles that are placed around the table where this dish is prepared. The “mohinga” is a typical Burmese street food, prepared and sold in small street stalls that are set up early morning and run until around 9 or 10 a.m, return in the afternoon, around 4 p.m. until sunset.

The “mohinga” soup can be enhanced with samosas, fried tofu or some fried vegetables, chopped and placed on top. But usually, this soup has a topping of a crispy wafer, made from lentil flour, and fried in oil.

For vegetarians, there are several options in the Burmese cousin, and it’s not difficult to find, especially in big cities, in the neighbourhoods dominated by Hindu and Indo-Burmese population. From neighbouring India, particularly from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, come the curries and dosas, as also parathas, naans, and samosas… in more Muslim areas or neighbourhoods, it’s particularly easy to find the “biryanis”, rice mixed with a meat curry, but in Burma is easy to find a vegetarian version of this dish.

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salada let thoke
“let thoke” salad where the funny taste of fermented the green leaf mis with the fry peanuts

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Venda de doces junto ao mercado no centro da cidade de Yangon
Sweet sold in on of the markers that every morning fill up the Yangon streets

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o famoso MSG, ou mais comumente designado de glutamato monossódico, um intensificador de sabor que está mais ou menos presente na confecção da comida que se encontra nos restaurantes e nos vendedores ambulantes, um pouco por todos os países do sudoeste asiático, mas que na Birmânia é mais evidente, chegando a ser usado em substituição do sal
The MSG, a kind of salt that is a popular presence in Asian food, but that in Myanmar is very common leaving a thirsty sensation in the month

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várias variações de arroz glutinoso, que pelo seu paladar naturalmente adocicado serve de snack ou complemento ao pequeno-almoço, dificilmente se encontrando à venda depois das dez da manhã
Stick rice with different presentation… some more salty, others more sweet… the black one is my favourit

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Being the curries the most popular of the traditional Burmese cuisine, and despite Burma being a Buddhist country, it’s not so easy to find vegetable curries, especially in rural areas where the options are limited to chicken or pork. But is always possible to have a proper meal, with rice and the others side-dishes that are usually served with the meal, like stews, beans, raw vegetables, etc…
In the cities, usually by the end of the day, there are several stalls that make fried rice or fried noodles, and as the food is prepared in the moment is always possible to ask to use just vegetables.

Both meat and fish can be cooked fresh, and are sold in all markets, that work both early in the morning as in the evening; but at the end of the day, the hygienic conditions deteriorate significantly by the intense heat and by the presence of flies… lots of flies. But the dried fish are also very popular, filling large areas in the markets with its characteristic smell which joins the dried seafood, often tiny shrimp, widely used in the preparation of salads. The dried meat is also part of Burmese cuisine, and easy to identify in curries by its dark color and compact texture.

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preparação de comida num dos muitos restaurante de rua em Yangon
street food at Yangon

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confecção de noodles numa das ruas de Yangon, onde a pasta feita à base de farinha de arroz e água é “espremida” através de um passador específico, para dentro de uma panela de água a ferver, ficando cozidos em pouco mais de um minuto
making rice noodles in the streets of Yangon

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Restaurante de rua em Yangon servindo os tradicionais pequenos-almoços indianos de dosa e puri, acompanhado de sambar e chutney de côco.
South Indian style breakfast, “dosa” and “puri”, served with sambar and a spicy coconut chutney

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laphet, folhas de chá verde fermentadas
“laphet”… fermented tea leafs

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açúcar de palma, também designado de jageri, que se encontra à venda nos mercados, apresentando-se quase em “bruto” de aspecto escuro ou mais “limpo” ganhando tons de amarelo-torrado, mas sempre de cheiro e sabor intensos, bem longe do excessivo e artificial sabor do açúcar refinado a que estamos habituados
Palm sugar, also call “jageri”, with a intense flavour and smell

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refeição típica birmanesa, com sopa e vários acompanhamentos que se misturam com o arroz
typical Burmese meal, with rice, soup, vegetables and salad… in a vegetarian option without the greasy meat of fish curries

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pequeno restaurante em Nyaung-U, com a salada de laphet, foi acompanhada da cerveja Myanmar, a mais popular, num país onde o consumo do álcool não é muito evidente, com excepção dos Thingyan Festival e acontecimentos especiais, onde cafés e a maioria dos restaurantes não vende bebidas alcoólicas
restaurant at  Nyaung-U

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And now the sweets!!!… they are an important aspect of a gastronomy of any country, and Burma offers plenty of variety: from traditional Indian sweets to the Chinese cakes, stuffed with a chickpea mixture. In general, the Burmese sweets are made from rice, both from glutinous rice as from dough made with rice flour, creating consistent and gelatinous puddings and tarts, mainly with a wet texture.
Very often the condensed milk is used as a sweetener, and is very easy to identify by the taste, as also by the can, always present in shops, restaurants, tea-shops and street stalls
These sweets have frequently a fresh grated coconut topping, or in the case of glutinous rice, a mixture of roasted sesame with salt, which brings an excellent contrast to the sweetness of the condensed milk.
Another specialty is the puddings made with semolina: sweet, sticky but delicious, that can also be made with over cooked rice or noodles.
To this rice sweets, there is also a big variety of deep fry sweet dough, filled or not with a sweet bean paste or lentils, the soft and oily crepes filled with the same mixture, and fried bananas, a Thai influence but here a heavier and greasy version.
Besides sweet shops, that usually can only be found in larger cities, the best place to try these delicacies are the markets where ladies sell sweets made by themselves, giving a homemade taste and creating many variations from city to city and even from stall to stall, a show of creativity and diversity.

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sumo de cana de açúcar, feito na hora, e que é verdadeiramente irresistível nas horas de maior calor, juntado à frescura do gelo a aparente energia do açúcar, com o suave e fresco paladar da cana de açúcar... até parece uma coisa saudável!!!
Sugar cane juice, it’s irresistible during hot days, giving freshness and energy

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preparação de pahratas num estabelecimentos em Mandalay
dough for “pahratas” waiting to be cooked

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espécie de puri de tamanho gigante, pão frito numa chapa sobre as brasas com um pouco de óleo e que companha geralmente com um caril de grão ou de lentilhas, refeição reservada para o pequeno-almoço, numa clara influencia indiana
A giant “puri”, flat bread cooked in a metal surface over the fire, that is a influence of the Indian gastronomy

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Como acompanhamento do chá ou de um café tomado ao meio da manhã, os dumplings, recheados de carne ou de feijão, são herança das comunidades de origem chinesa que se encontram espalhadas por toda a Birmânia
The “dumplings”, sweet or sour, fill with meat or beans, are an influence of Chinese cuisine and are popular with a tea or a coffee takes in one of the many tea shops

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Salada de pahrata, onde esta é cortada em tiras e servida com cebola, uma variante birmanesa à indo-muçulmana pahrata
This is a “pahrata” salad a oily snack served with raw onions; a Burmese twist to the south Indian “pahrata”

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Numa das ruas de Yangon, encontram-se pequenas bancas de venda de comida, em especial durante a manhã, altura em que os fritos são muito populares, seja bananas seja somente de massa simples, recheada de lentilhas ou grão
Several kinds of deep-fry stuff that are a bit everywhere in the streets of Yangon, usually early morning or later, in the end of the afternoon

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Loja de venda de carne seca, muito consumida na Birmânia, assim como o peixe
Dry meat in a shop in Yangon in a country where due to the long distances is still very common to find dry meat and dry fish in the markets

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Like other Asian countries, there is here what we call the “cult of the table”, with food is taken when one is hungry, despite the time of the day, without starters or deserts. Food can be found almost everywhere, from restaurants to markets as also t the countless street stall, that can be found a bit everywhere, from the big cities to small villages. Knives are absent and all the food consumed with a spoon and sometimes a fork.

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Despite you can have food during all day, there are specific times for each kind of meal, with markets, shops and streets stalls being subject to very specific schedule, which requires some effort to learn and incorporate. For example: you can’t find “mohinga” at lunch time, as also impossible to find pahratas in the middle of the morning, who wants to eat “samosas” will have to wait for the end of the day, and those who choose a “laphet” salad to accompany a beer will have to wait for the sunset. However, the big cities like Yangon and Mandalay are more flexible since there are many restaurants, while small towns the food is mostly consumed in markets and streets stalls, where is very often the takeaway system, here called “pásê”.

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mohinga numa das ruas de Sittwe, que foi quase sempre a minha opção nesta estadia na Birmânia, seja como pequeno-almoço ou como um vespertino jantar pelas quatro e meia da tarde, pois às cinco horas já esgotou!!!
One of the many “mohinga” that were my favourit option for breakfast… this one in a backstreet in Sittwe

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A mohinga da despedida da Birmânia, servida à beira da estrada de acesso ao posto fronteiriço de Myawady minutos antes de cruzar a fronteira com a Tailândia
The last “mohinga” before leaving Myanmar, served in a road side restaurant nearby the Myawady border crossing to Thailand

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Above all, what stands out in Burmese cuisine is its diversity, varying significantly from region to region, and even from city to city, being a result of the geographic presence of Burma between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The markets reflect the local products, subject to seasonality and to the local products, in a country where the weak transport system don’t promote big exchanges and where the political system are not open to  imports, keeping the Burmese gastronomy almost intact.

Playing with soap. China

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