fletchers.travellerspoint.comOur Family Adventure to South America

A Travellerspoint blog Start a travel blog Login Sept-Nov 2012 Food 01.03.2014 - 01.03.2014 One of the things we love about travel is eating local traditional food. Trying sometimes new foods and sometimes just the more authentic version. We came home from Thailand making Thai green curry and from Malaysia making noodles and satay sauces. We returned from Greece eating Greek yogurt over fruit with walnuts and honey drizzle; savory crepes; spanikopitas; and tzatziki. Italy inspired us to keep pasta and pizza simple. Cuba set us on tropical fruit for breakfast and rice with black beans. Most countries we visit inspire me to recreate some of their food in my own kitchen on a regular basis. Well, I have to say, I had only two meals I actually enjoyed in Los Angeles which was a seafood gumbo and salad on Santa Monica Pier and 4 different styles of shrimp at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, also on Santa Monica Pier. Our usual experience in all countries including New Zealand, is don't eat at the convenient beach front spot where all the tourists go. They generally have high prices, poor service, and crap food. They aren't aiming for repeat business. However, there the USA bucked the trend. My previous experience in the States was that they do an OK salad which topped with a decadent blue cheese dressing became a great salad, but otherwise the food was pretty darn average. That was my experience this time too, with the surprising exception of Santa Monica Pier. So I was looking forward to some good criolla (local) food when we got to Puerto Rico. Breakfasts: Now this I don't understand. On a tropical Caribbean island where fruit ( and vegetables) grow like weeds, we got eggs, ham, bacon, and a variety of bread options. No fruit. Not until our very last day when the fruit spread was incredible!!! And filter coffee. Yes filter coffee. Now I expected and accepted filter coffee in the USA because most Americans seem content with that, but those that know me, know I get pretty darn crabby without my espresso. Unfortunately (for Puerto Rico and for a coffee lover), Puerto Rico's economy is largely dependent on tourism from the USA, which means filter coffee is acceptable). So each day we set off in search of the elusive espresso machine. In New Zealand I have a "long black", which is meaningless anywhere else in the world. Americans have an "americano" which is a watered down version equivalent to a filtered coffee. The fun I've had throughout the world asking for a double espresso with a little extra hot water in all sorts of languages....... In Puerto Rico it tended to just be what we would call a "short black", a very small double espresso. It did the trick. But that and Sean's cafe con leche ( coffee with milk -requiring stipulation that the coffee was to be espresso not filter) set us back anything up to $10US and a good hour or two tracking it down. Lunch: Pretty much any meat with bread was available. Salad with it was not a given. Not very inspiring really. Dinner: Here the fun begins. Mofongo is the typical criolla. It's basically mashed banana, but a non sweet banana called plantain, stuffed with meat of some sort. Usually with a tomato and onion sauce which was quite tasty. It was OK. I wouldn't be able to make it at home due to lack of plantain but I'm not sure I was that inspired anyway. We had a couple of lovely meals, one at the first restaraunt at Esperanza on Vieques island called Bananas. The best mussels I've tasted, in a gorgeous spicy sauce, and mahimahi (fish) in a tropical mango sauce. I caved on the last night and ordered ceviche at a Peruvian place, because we always try to eat local but I just hadn't found any criolla really good enough and I did so love Peruvian food. Ceviche is a raw fish/seafood soup/salad dish. It's great when done well. All in all, on the food front, a disappointing trip. I've not come home with any recipe inspiration at all. I did ask for the mussel sauce recipe but they said if they told me I wouldn't be allowed off the island........ It was tempting...... And I must state....... Real cheese back in the air New Zealand koru lounge was a real treat after 2 weeks of processed melted cheese on everything! Posted by Fletchers 19:55 Comments (0) Puerto Rico 25.02.2014 - 25.02.2014 28 °C Well our adventure continues but this time "sin ninos". Puerto Rico was Spanish owned until they decided they wanted independence from Spain. As I understand it they waged war against the Spanish and were losing terribly until the Americans moved in to help the Puerto Ricans and the Spanish lost (as part of the Spanish American war). The problem with this is that they were now pretty much owned by the USA instead. Just over a year ago we travelled to Cuba which was cut off from the USA completely with no trade or tourism between the two allowed. We saw the devastation this caused to Cuba's economy, but we admired their tenacity and strength in overcoming this and we loved the absence of commercial US - no fast food chains, etc. Puerto Rico is a Spanish colonised Caribbean island, just like Cuba. They were both major producers of sugar, rum and cigars. They both had huge slave labour force in the 17th and 18th centuries brought over from Africa, influencing both islands' culture, music and food. They have similar beautiful landscape and beaches with tropical fruit. Yet the influence of the USA has shaped a very different country with a very different economy to their neighbour. Interestingly Fidel Castro, the Cuban President took over the Bicardi factory in Cuba during the revolution, and renamed it Havana Club. Bicardi then set up in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has the US dollar as it's currency. It has all the usual commerce and industry you expect of the USA (fast food chains included), and like the USA, no social security or free health care. If you have work and insurance you manage fine, but if you lose your job, you can end up on the streets. And sadly there are many who are so unlucky, but not nearly as many as I saw in Los Angeles on my morning jogs, where every park bench, every underpass, and many street corners were decorated with the shopping trolleys the homeless carry their wordly possessions around with them. Whilst we were constantly harassed in Cuba for money, (where there are very few homeless as the state provides food and housing), here we are asked for money only a few times a day by homeless people. Buildings are maintained, the history and culture of the place is not diluted by the desperation as it is in Cuba. It feels wealthier despite the abject poverty of the few. The inequality of wealth is clear but in general the people seem better off for being in the USA's back pocket. Despite most people speaking English very well, the primary language is still Spanish, salsa and reggaeton music blares from restaurants, bars and cars and creole food is available at most eateries, bar the American fast food chains. So far Puerto Rico has charmed us. It had been easy and relaxed. Oh and the weather stunning. But we are surrounded by northern Americans and I'm starting to roll my 'R's!!! Posted by Fletchers 16:22 Archived in Puerto Rico Comments (1) Its Good to be Home Update by Sean & Rachel 17.11.2012 The 14 hour time difference might be hard to cope with but boy is it good to be home! Just to bring you up to speed we spent our final day in Santiago, Chile with our friends Anibal and Carmen and their son Vincent at the house of their friends Diego and Pilar and their three kids. The warmth, good company and marvelous location made it a very memorable last day of our 7 week trip to South America. Without doubt having friends to connect with in Chile and Ecuador made this family adventure far richer and more rewarding than our previous trips to Europe and Asia. We are extremely grateful to, and humbled by, the hospitality extended to us by our Chilean friends and new Ecuadorian friends. They have a home in Wellington, New Zea...