New feature- Photo Thursday

I always get told off for being 'so Asian' when I take pictures of food. What's everyones beef?!?! Food is supposed to be visually appealing, right? The chefs want you to look at the food, and go nom nom. When you're eating out with friends, you can't touch your food until everyone else's plate has arrived. Its that anticipation! There is a story behind every photo.

Xiabu Xiabu

I'm quite sad to say this but Pete and I just couldn't find any decent food in Beijing. We were cold, and STARVING, haha a tiny exaggeration but you get the idea. We stumbled across this hot pot restaurant after going into the basement of a shopping mall. It was busy so we were like, yeah this must be good! After requesting the English menu, we decided on the 50 Yuan set (only 5 Queen's faces, only 5 shiny UK Sterling pounds!) noodles, dumplings, veg, and meat, miso sauce dip, and a drink. It fed us both but the people around us were ordering a platter each!

How it works is there is a round counter with hot pots in front of each seat. So you order a platter and then cook your own food, and you can make your own delicious soup. Lots of fun. It was COLD in Beijing in October and I remember we felt so warm, full and content after. Afterwards, we agreed that we would have to come back again for a decent feed but after exploring the city a bit more, we discovered it was a chain so ate with them a further 3 times haha. Loved it.

Good memories.

Does anyone have any ideas for next Thursday? Or I might make it 'Food Thursday' hehe, watch this space!

Crossing the road

We're in Hanoi.

We booked a taxi through a private airport company because apparently there's lots of scams at Hanoi airport. Our flight was 1 hr delayed from Vientiane- I won't miss Laos time. I hoped the driver was still going to be waiting there with his sign. He was there. No worries. His taxi was unmarked which I thought was unusual because their website makes them out to be a big airport taxi company.

The roads in Hanoi are crazy. There is constant honking from all the traffic, and there is HUNNERDS of motorbikes and scooters. Weaving in and out. He was driving on the wrong side of the road at one point! Just cruising towards oncoming traffic. $16, fixed.

Our hostel had free bicycle hire so we decided to try them out the next day. The first street we came to was a crossroad with just one way of solid traffic so we were like oh. There was motorbikes in the same position as us but they would just nip to the middle and then edge their way to the other side. We got off our bikes and decided to walk them across the zebra crossing. The traffic didn't stop at first so we just waited. Meanwhile motorbikes are still edging their way across the road so we're like oh no we're just going to have to go for it and right enough you just cross slowly and the bikes weave round you. The cars you have to wait for, obviously. Crossing the road on foot is much the same. Just walk slow and watch out for the cars; the bikes will work around you...

Traffic in all directions but it works.

THAILAND

Bangkok was just as busy but not as many bikes. There is a 2 minute countdown for the green man (if you can find one) but locals just walk out, stick up their hand to stop the traffic. I saw it work a few times. I didn't try it or see any tourists brave enough to imitate this procedure!

Stick with a local and use them as a shield,ie with them between you and the traffic. Or wait for the green man.

HONG KONG

Its fine here.

BEIJING

There's green men but that doesn't mean anything. Cars drive through red lights. We found the best way was just to RUN.

JAPAN

Zebra crossings are everywhere. Its great. As soon as you walk up to one all the traffic will stop. The first place I've been where pedestrians seem to rule the road if that makes sense?? We were here before Beijing and nearly got killed the first time we tried to cross the road in Beijing.

That's all for now. Safe.