Harvesting Culture - This Farmer's Daughter is Going Global

Hi All,

Kate has decided to make some of her travel stories more professional and has launched a Youtube channel for her videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/harvestingCulture

This Midwest Farmer's daughter is tackling the globe one destination at a time, and I hope you get a chance to check it out.

Her first two travel episodes are aleady up, and I hope you get a chance to check them out. Thanks for following!

Lombok, Indonesia - Harvesting Culture (Episode 1)


Tokyo, Japan - Harvesting Culture (Episode 2)

Mt Fuji, Japan

Adam was in Japan for two long weeks recently, but since he had a weekend there he decided to try climbing Mt Fuji.

We are experimenting with video editing, so this is Adam's first video blog:

Shanghai, China

We took the long way home to the U.S. in June, via China, where we met Adam’s best friend from high school for some exploring in Shanghai. Jeremy was gracious enough to be our tour guide and translator as we ate our way through the many delicacies the city had to offer.

We only explored Shanghai for 4 days but we ate more food in those few days than we would normally eat in two weeks. To give you an idea, here’s a list of the consumption we managed to keep track of:

Fried pork buns


Wonton soup


Fried pork chops


Fried dough stick

Egg tarts


Roast dove



Natural frozen yogurt

Live drunken prawns


Garlic prawns


Bean noodles


Drunken crab


Fried crab


Stuffed lotus roots


Pork stomach


Pork belly


Potato salad


Snow pea leaves/snips


Wild grass stir fried


Corn fritters


Fish wonton soup



Stinky tofu


Xiao long bao
 (soup buns)

Hot and sour soup

Pork neck meat


Mini razor clams


Tapioca coconut drink


Frozen kale with wasabi


Roast duck


Stir fried clams in black sauce



Hot Pot -Sichuan style (Beef, Lamb, Prawns, Bamboo shoots, Ice tofu, Duck/chicken blood, Gluten balls, Cilantro, Spinach, Oyster mushrooms, Straw mushrooms)




Waxberries


Duck Gizzard snacks



1000-year-old eggs


Sichuan prawn with rice balls


Shanghai lemon butter steak


Egg custard


Smoked sugar fish


Clovers

Pork, bamboo and winter melon soup



Krispy Kreme donut
=)


Dim sum brunch at Tang Palace (Roast Dove again, Red bean buns, Shrimp rolls,
 Shrimp dumplings, Chicken rolls, sweet pork buns, Spare ribs with taro, Egg tarts, Egg tarts Portuguese (sweet), Rice porridge with 1000 year egg, Rose tea)

And we loved every last bite. There are a few dishes I will be dreaming of for years to come. The best meal was with Jeremy’s Grandma, Aunt and cousin, where we had such a wonderful variety of dishes. A highlight was the drunken shrimp, still alive and jumping at the table as the alcohol in which they were soaked killed them…I only ate one of those – just so I could say I did. I have to admit it was quite tasty, but I just don’t like the texture of raw shrimp.

A highlight for Adam was the roasted dove. Yes, the bird of peace on a plate, head and all. The boys were convinced that it could be a hit in the U.S., but I doubt that Americans would go for eating a beautiful symbol or even it’s cousin, the pigeon, aka dirty flying rats.

Ok, let’s get to details other than the food. Shanghai is a buzzing metropolis much like many other large cities. Public transportation is affordable and easy to come by, there is a large shopping street and malls galore, but the most fun place to shop is the black market…if you’re looking for knock-off hand bags, shoes, shirts or just a fun time barging, this is the place. Jeremy’s skills earned us a great deal on a purse and we found out that you’ve got the best price when you walk out of the store and the owner comes running down the hall saying, “Ok, ok”. It was quite fun.

We also explored the old city, which was also buzzing with small shops. We journeyed there to get some famous soup buns, but the wait proved too long and the boys settled on some stinky tofu instead. The smell sent me back to the streets of Taipei where the odor was simply too much to overcome and I couldn't summon the nerve to try it. It’s difficult to describe, but this farm girl can tell you it smells like pig poop, salty pig poop. I actually gathered the courage to try a tiny bite this time and it just tastes salty, minus the poo smell.

We then made our way to the Shanghai Aquarium where we saw some new “deadly creatures of the sea” and met an albino turtle. One room was dedicated to saving sharks due to the large consumption of shark fin soup in China. I’m not a big fan of sharks, but the way they harvest the fins is cruel as they catch them, cut off the fins and throw the rest of the shark into the ocean to drown at the bottom. The aquarium featured a small, open tank of bamboo sharks available for the public to pet and appreciate. It’s a nice idea, but I don’t think it would phase many Chinese or the hungry men I was with.

The aquarium had the best display of jellyfish I’ve yet to see. The lighting made them seem so beautiful as they danced around the water…but I’m still holding a grudge from the one that stung me in Singapore.

After a wonderful few days with a great friend and a few extra pounds, we parted ways to go and conquer The Great Wall in Beijing.

But first we had to make a 13-hour overnight train ride…

(More Shanghai Pictures)

Istanbul - and Constantinople

Our latest adventure brought us from the far east to the middle east: to the ancient metropolis of Istanbul, Turkey. We were there to celebrate the wedding of our close friend, Burak, to his beautiful bride, Didem.

We flew in late Thursday afternoon and rested before a wonderful Friday with Burak and Didem showing us around some of Istanbul’s historic sites with our fellow friends from Edwardsville, Bob and Sue. We cannot thank Burak and Didem enough for taking the time to show us around so close to their wedding!

The mix of metropolitan Europe, Mediterranean traditions and Middle Eastern Asia were apparent at this crossroads of culture that straddles both Asia and Europe across the Bosphorus straight (Istanbul is the only city to sit on two continents). The enchanting calls to prayer echoed over the bustling streets of shoppers and café patrons sipping tea and thick Turkish coffee. The aroma of roasting lamb filled the air as ferries and cargo ships slipped smoothly across the clear blue Bosphorus waters in the late spring sun.

It was amazing to see the ancient sites of Constantinople, the former Christian capital of the East Roman Empire named for Emperor Constantine, and the beautiful mosques of the later (but still ancient) Islamic Ottoman Empire. We visited the museum of Hagia Sofia (Saint Sofia) which was once a church, then a mosque, and now a treasured historical landmark where the traditions of Christianity and Islam can be seen side be side.

We also visited the Blue Mosque before settling down for a few beers and Raki, the Turkish licorice liquor. We ended Friday with a wonderful dinner at Burak’s parent’s home where we were welcomed like family. I already miss Seyda’s cooking!

On Saturday we ventured into central Istanbul on our own this time, starting in Taksim Square and winding our way through cosmopolitan shopping streets to the ancient Galata tower which provides stunning views of the entire city. We continued our way down across the Galata Bridge and back up to the Grand Bazaar for a little more shopping.

Kate was in heaven winding her way through the narrow corridors of the grand bazaar with handcrafts and jewelry crammed wall to wall. While Adam was enthralled with the religious and political history of a city that has influenced both east and west for centuries.

On Sunday we explored the spice market which had all sorts of vegetables, spices, and animals for sale. We ventured around a bit more before heading up the Bosphorus to the beautiful Sait Halim Pasa Mansion that overlooks the waters of the Bosphorus and the hills of Asian Istanbul. We were greeted with red carpet treatment at a beautiful reception for the families and friends of the bride and groom. Here, Adam had the honor of being an official “witness” of the marriage and signing the marriage certificate.

Their religious ceremony had already taken place a week earlier, so the final ceremony was simply the “official” signing of the marriage certificate. However, it was far from simple. The official from the municipality arrived by ferry and was ushered into the mansion in a flurry of activity. There she donned her robes and reviewed the credentials of the marriage certificate and verified the identification of the witnesses. I am pretty sure it was the first time she cited a Pennsylvania driver’s license on a Turkish wedding certificate.

After she reviewed the documents, the “mayor” or “official” and the Bride and Groom lead a procession out to a gold-leaf table and chairs sitting on the water front. Adam and Didem’s uncle sat at the table to bear witness to the signing and give their consent with a loud “Evet!” (Turkish for YES). Thankfully, Burak’s brother, Mert, was there to translate so Adam knew what he was signing! Mert was such a great help for the whole event!

After the ceremony, there was a delicious dinner and dancing and even a cake cutting (of the biggest cake we’d ever seen). It was a wonderfully joyous occasion, and we are so happy for the newlyweds.

On Monday we ventured into the city one last time to stroll around a central park outside the Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Sultans to see some of the beautiful roses that adorn Istanbul and soak up the last of Turkish culture and street markets before our long flight back to Singapore. It was a wonderful visit, and we look forward to seeing our Turkish friends again soon.

The rest of our Photos and Videos can be found here.

Lombok, Indonesia - Part Deux

We crammed so much fun with Sarah and Justin into our week on Lombok that it requires two entries in the blog. So after our snorkeling adventure to the Gili Islands, we took a day to just relax at the pool.

We did make a brief excursion into the coastal city of Sengigi for lunch and shopping. We grabbed some great food and some strange drinks at an "art market" which gave us some great views of the ocean again. The "art" was mostly stalls of cheap tourist trinkets, but the girls found a few nice keepsakes before we went back to the coast to our hotel.

After catching our breath for a day, we ventured off for one of our most exciting adventures yet: a trek at the base of Mt Rinjani to a series of springs and waterfalls. The hotel arranged a local driver who took us through some of local towns on our way to the waterfalls. After cruising through a local market filled with horses, buggies, and traders selling all manner of fruits, veggies, fish, etc, we moved into the more mountainous terrain of the rainforest. After about an hour in the car we arrived at the "monkey forest."

Literally on the side of the road over a beautiful lookout was an entire troop of grey local monkeys. It was obvious the monkeys were familiar with the occasional tourist passing by because they had their eyes focused on the bags of peanuts our driver brought with him. Once we started handing out peanuts, they were our best friends. The monkeys would even take them from our hands, stand up on a bench to get closer, or even pull on our shorts to say "hey, give me some more!"

So once the monkeys had eaten all our peanuts, we pushed on for another hour on the road to get to our lunch stop. We were now at the north side of Lombok at a little restaurant the overlooked valleys and mountains. Rain clouds were rolling in, but we could see the first waterfall in the distance, and we were ready to start trekking after a quick lunch.

A guide came down and took us through a winding trail from the restaurant and back into the rainforest. After about 15 minutes, we arrived at out first destination: a towering 125 m (410 ft) waterfall fed from a natural spring farther up the mountain. After a quick climb down to the mist, we started trekking again to yet another waterfall!

However, before we could get to our next geological adventure, we needed to cross a slippery concrete bridge that doubled as an aqueduct. Kate was not at all amused by this crossing...

However, back on solid ground we trekked through some beautiful scenery before arriving at yet another massive waterfall in the middle of the Indonesian rainforest. This one emptied into a very large pool which was deep enough that we could swim around near the powerful stream of water falling down into the pool. We couldn't get too close though, because the current really sucked you in where the water was falling!

However, the adventure wasn't over yet. On our hike back, we followed the river back across the scary concrete bridge and into an aqueduct tunnel straight through a mountain for about 600 ft of darkness! Despite the nail marks in my arm and slew of 4-letter words not to be repeated here, I have to say Kate handled it really well. Even the BATS and SPIDERS!

After swimming in the waterfall, climbing over trees, and sloshing through jungle rivers, we dried off and trekked back with some great pictures and even better memories. We drove home to the hotel to rest and grab some more great food at the hotel.

We can't express in words, pictures, or videos how much fun we had with our friends on Lombok. It was certainly an adventure to celebrate for years to come!

PS, here is Kate crossing the scary bridge (hee hee):

Lombok, Indonesia – A small island with a big heart

As our plane landed on the tiny runway, lush greenery, locals tending their fields, and a border of steep mountains surrounded us. Airport workers wheeled the wobbly stairs to our plane so that we could deplane onto the tarmac, and I knew this would be an adventure. Lucky for us, on this adventure we had two new explorers, Sarah and Justin all the way from Chicago!!

A driver met us and took us on a 20-minute journey to our hotel. Pulling out of the airport my first impression of Lombok was Thailand meets India as people in small shelters, cows and dogs lined the narrow roads. The roads w

ere a flurry of activity with many motorcycles weaving in and out of the dirt roads. Our driver expertly avoided the other vehicles as well as small carts pulled by horses, which a later driver referred to as the “Lombok Mercedes”.

As we awoke the first morning I couldn’t wait to see how property looked in the light of day and I wasn’t disappointed. Lush greenery and flowers decorated the grounds and a simple path lead to the infinity pool, the edge of which snuggled right up to the beach.

The beach was virtually empty our entire trip, apart from some locals selling goods. That is what makes Lombok such a gem - it’s the most “untouched” place we’ve visited. Though many visitors have taken the same path, you feel like you’re one of the first to explore what the island has to offer.

The first day we just relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the great food served by very friendly staff. Sarah and I also enjoyed a massage at the on site spa. The hotel had about 80% occupancy when we were there, but there were only about 30ish rooms and it never felt crowded. Breakfast and dinner on the beach? No problem, they had a lovely set up just feet form the crashing waves. The hotel food was great 95% of the time and the menu offered a good variety at much more reasonable prices than we’ve seen at other beach resorts.

The next day we booked a snorkeling trip through the hotel to the Gili Islands. We gathered our things and headed to the reception desk first thing in the morning as I thought we’d get into a car and head to the marina. The staff led us back through the resort to the beach where we met our guide who walked us down the beach where a few wooden boats were lined up…one boat that was about 3 feet wide and supported by wooden poles sticking out of both sides was being carried into the water by about 8 men. GULP!! This is our “fast boat”?? I was thinking more the speedboat route. It took everything I had not to sit on the sand right under my feet and say, “NO WAY!”

I have a long history with motion sickness. Most cars will give me a good bout of nausea so this tiny boat on a rocky ocean was intimidating to say the least. I had taken a preventative motion sickness pill, but I didn’t think it would overcome this ride. Adam has Sarah and Justin to thank for the adventure that followed because the only reason I got into that boat was because I didn’t want to ruin their day.

I hear there were some lovely views on the hour long journey to the Gili Islands, but that’s just hear-say as I spent the journey with my head in Adam’s lap…trying not to toss my cookies.

The rough journey proved to be more that worth it. On our first snorkeling spot we saw a sea turtle having a snack on the ocean floor. It was a beautiful sight to see! Coral lined the seabed and we made our way to the shore for a quick snack.

We then headed to another island for lunch where we enjoyed grilled barracuda, caught from the ocean a few hours prior. A short ride around the island and we did one more snorkeling stop right off of the shore. We jumped in the water and had an amazing time. There were so many beautiful fish! We could have stayed there and watched all day. Since the boat was tiny and almost everything was wet we didn't get any pictures snorkeling (trying to keep the cameras safe).

We'll leave this entry "to be continued" but there is a great trek to a waterfall to come...

Here's some pictures and video.

Japan

Mix buzzing, winding streets with polite people deeply rooted in customs and ridiculously delicious food and you’ve got Japan.

At the end of January Adam was in Japan for work so I joined him for a long weekend. Taxi prices are outrageous so with some great instructions from Adam I was able to navigate my way to downtown Tokyo by an hour train ride. The train system within the downtown area is a maze of halls and stairs filled to the brim with people. There are so many different lines -Adam pointed out the map of the tokyo metro looks more like a bowl of Ramen noodles than a train map.

The first afternoon we walked around so I could get my bearings and we went up in the Tokyo Tower. It looks just like the Eiffel Tower, but it’s bright orange and covered in electronic equipment. The views of the city were great and we caught the sun setting behind Mount Fuji. It was such and amazing site and was gone in a flash. We would have missed it if we would have taken 2 more minutes anywhere else. I call amazing little moments like that “God winks”.

Amazing views were followed by a FABULOUS meal with two of Adam’s business partners at Tokyo Shiba Toufuya-Ukai restaurant at the base of Tokyo Tower. It was a traditional Japanese meal where we removed our shoes, sat on the floor in a private room, and one waitress dressed in a kimono served us. The restaurant is known for their tofu dishes but every one of the nine courses was a delicious work of art. The entrée was a milky tofu soup. I know you’re thinking, yuck., but it was great.

The next day Adam was working, so I had lunch with one of Adam’s business partners who is on maternity leave. (They get a whole year of maternity leave in Japan!) I spent the afternoon with three babies and their mommies. They were very welcoming and we took a walk around as the weather was beautiful, a chill in the air but very sunny.

That evening Adam and I walked around Shinjuku, the nightlife area for some dinner and drinks. There were many people out and about and we stopped a little sushi place for a bite to eat and then kept walking around. Adam was eager to show me a little bar that he had told me about. I had no idea it was SO little. He led me down an alley that opened up into a maze of tiny alleyways where they have tons of one-room bars that seat around 5 people. Somehow he found the one he knew and we walked in. The bar tender didn’t speak English but remembered Adam… I don’t think too many Americans wonder down that alleyway, but they served a great glass of Shochu (Japanese booze) on ice. We then stumbled upon a restaurant that had the BEST yakatori (sticks of meat and veggies cooked on and open flame) that I have ever had.

The next day we set out to see some of the temples and buy some dishes. We started at the Tsukiji fish market...

Despite the long lines, we did manage to get some maguro (tuna) at another one of the stalls. Next we headed to the temple Sensoji temple at Asakusa.

The structure was beautiful and full of people throwing money in for offering, writing prayers and cleansing with special water and incense. There was also a beautiful garden. During the trip we also saw Meji shrine honoring the previous Emperor. Many people had written prayers on plaques in many different languages and hung them around a tree. The messages had a few common themes – people asking for health and prosperity – not surprising. But the most interesting was people asking for good results on exams, showing how much importance is placed on education and excelling in Asian culture.

We went to Kappabashi next in search of some dishes. Kappabashi is where all the Tokyo restaurants buy their supplies. We found a charming little shop with plates and dishes wall to wall and it was fun searching through all of them. After our river cruise back to the hotel area we stumbled upon a theater and decided to see Sound of Music, in Japanese. It was a good choice since we knew the story and music and it as fun to hear. “So long farewell” turned into “Say-yo-nara”. We then went to a tempenyaki restaurant where they cook the food on a grill in front of you. Sooooo delicious and entertaining.

Believe it or not, that was a quick overview of the trip! We’ve gotten pretty good at packing in a lot in just a few days.

Here are all the pictures from our latest adventure.

The recent earthquakes and tsunami have been such a blow to a lovely country and people. As I watched the news unfold I kept thinking- I was just there. We're counting our blessings and helping where we can. If you’d like to donate to the relief efforts in Japan please go here:

https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052