Floating into India

my own passage now begins! 

Its Christmas Eve and my 1^st ever O/S Christmas. The ocean mist is meeting the murky sky so there is no definition of an horizon. The warm breeze on our balcony that is heavy with humidity and the smell of a less purified oceans are starting to waft into one’s nasal passages. Land and buildings are just emerging through the mist, all with a soft blue haze and we are about 1 hour off arriving into the port of Kochin

Merry Christmas to all WIFI gone again 

So its now all about India and the people to meet XX

23 Dec - Without a journey there is no destination

The destination is Auntie’s Cooking Class in Sri Lanka for a cooking class of a Chicken Curry, Dhal Curry, Beetroot Curry with a tomato and onion salad for some freshness and a coconut sambol or sambal (not sure if it is spelt different in Sri Lanka) was the creamy component.

Once we docked, we were put onto a shuttle bus to gets us to the gates of the port and from there we ran the gauntlet past the procession of VERY eager Tuk Tuk drivers dressed in pristine white shirts which highlighted their beautiful dark skin and very white shining teeth. We very politely let them know (each and EVERYONE of them) that we were going to walk, WHY walk sir/madam I’m here and that’s my job, you don’t NEED to walk. It was hard to disappoint them as they were just doing their job but we really just wanted a walk to see the sites and stretch those legs after 2 sea days.

It ended up a hot and steamy 29 deg as we walked the 4 km from the port to the class. The first 2 km was along the ocean with the early morning cooling ocean breeze on a concrete walkway raised above the ocean. It was opened in 1856 and I’m not thinking that a lot of maintenance has been done in the past century and ¾. Not a lot of tourists seemed to be using this path either so we had a great walk mixing with the locals and felt like travelers rather than tourist. This was a real walk with real life happening all around us. The walk took us to the Galle Face, a hotel with a rich colonial past, what an elegant building and this was our first stop as we wanted to try a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast being a Hopper.

I did mention that we come across a real local side of Sri Lankan life on our walk and not the side that the tourist board would be promoting on their “glossy brochures”. As we walked, we could see off to the side of the walkway a small group of people sitting and sifting through the rubbish in a very organised fashion. With bare hands they were going through sorting plastic bottles and cans OK get that and not sure if they are paid by the city! or are getting money from cashing in the said articles. BUT they were also going through ALL the disgusting smelly bin rubbish sorting out plastic wrap and right down to food scraps sorting onto a tarp and for what purpose I’m still unsure? I so wanted to take a pic as the scene was a colorful one, but out of respect for these hard-working beautiful human beings doing a job that most people would thing was not needed or not even being done! 

Entered into the Galla Face hotel past a security check point with several guards and a scanning system, this is due to the hotels now being very protective of their guests after the terror attacks from earlier this year and Sri Lanka trying to protect their newly created tourism industry. Now into a vastly different ambiance from a real world outside. All was tastefully decorated for the Christmas season, staff dressed to the traditional nines and with a stunning alfresco-ish veranda and courtyard for our Sri Lankan Hopper breakfast.

From 21^st century security entering the hotel to 18^th century colonialism with immaculately dressed men in uniform armed with a slingshot to keep the big black birds away from the gentry eating breakfast.

 The Hopper is a dish that Sandy was so keen to see, eat and learn how to make and as we have a lunch time cooking class we thought why not drop by the Galla Face Hotel for breakfast, as hmmm, how can I put this politely - there is only so much “ship food” that 2 foodies can take! But really to learn as much cultural flavour and styles as we can, I’m sure a version of these will someday be seen on The Retreat Menu.   It is a batter of coconut milk with rice flour and egg and cooked in a heavy bowl-shaped pan over flames, once the batter starts to set a egg in broken into the base to cook. Once cooked it’s up the gentry to decide on the vast selection of curry, dhals and spicy condiments. What a taste sensation breakfast was and it was a wakening of the palette at 8am.

After breakfast we are back on the streets heading to the class, by now the humidity was rising and these 2 dry lander travelers were feeling the heat and slipping in their shoes.

We walked along the green river over very dodgy footpaths heading into the berbs till we found our landmark the local bus parking allotment.

Past the decaying low set commercial buildings lining the walkways with people on sewing machining.

At the back of the bus parking allotment walk into a small domestic lane with a humpy of a street vender to the right over the stack of timbers and around the pile of gravel into the land of no OH&S and Aunties Cooking School.

Halfway through the class I waged for a bit and walked out to the lane way to play with the kids. I always travel with bubbles and as usual a big hit with the kids. This time I’m also traveling with a suit case full of mini packets of sultanas that I got back home (immigration in Singapore is not like Australia and I probably could have bought in the whole grapevine also!!!) The kids I meet today are just like any kids in the berbs and happy for a chat and a free box of sultanas. 

Tomorrow once we hit India, I’m expecting to meet kids of a very low means and I’m really hoping my megar little tokens will be well received and just for a moment hoping for the lucky few to have a little extra surprise in their day.

After the class we wanted to do a quick stop at a local supermarket, always the best place to see more of the real life.

Got a tuk tuk back to the ship as all aboard was 3.30 so very pushed for time when one wants to cram in so much in a very shot day and let’s just say after a haggle over the price as first quote I could have flown to the moon! I’m here to write the blog so we did survive. The pictures looks so tame and as I can’t load video you will just have to use your imagination and x IT BY 10.

 At the ships dock the local venders have temporary stalls to take all those last pesty little Sri Lankan rupees that can’t be spent in India. Pete in shirt heaven, but don’t worry I avoided the “Hawaiian” shirts and found some more suitable ones to add to my wardrobe, now I have a Sri Lankan section!

Hoppers

Are a tradition Sri Lankan breakfast dish. As soon as we dock, we walked via the Dutch Hospital Precinct along the ocean front to the Galle Face Hotel that will be making Hoppers. This is a dish that Sandy was so keen to see and learn how to make. It is a batter cooked in the shape of a bowl served with an egg in the base and spicy condiments. What a taste sensation that wakes the palette at 8am

 Pic's to come WIFI!!!!!!!!!!!

Arriving into Sri Lanka

7am Monday 23^rd December after traveling just over 1000 (naughty miles! … what happens at sea stays at sea) or is that nautical miles across from Thailand on the Andaman Sea into the Bay of Bengal the Indian ocean. Having had 2 relaxing sea days, I have had ample time to read my book A Passage to India, just thought it was a very appropriate name for a book under the sailing geographical circumstances. Hummmm now there is an interesting book from a 1924, WOW how old-fashioned. For the first 100 pages I found it very confronting, sexist and raciest and hard to read. The treatment of Indians by a so called well-meaning superior race, I had to continues to see the book through and as we are to arrive into India tomorrow, I wanted to have the book done and dusted … I will now take with me an excepting open (English descendent) mind of the people of India. The book did eventually have some love and understanding but for me a hard read. 

Have joined the ships choir where we .. yes we .. my beautiful Sandy decided it would be fun to be part of a choir that will perform as the backup act on Christmas Day to about 1000 hopefully well wasted people after a boozy Christmas lunch on the main stage on the ship’s auditorium. Watch this space for a pic and just know that we will be singing our hearts out to all our family and friends all over the world. RIP 2019 Aunty Barb, Beryl, James and Aunty Carmel.

That has filled in a few hours and I was still looking for more ways to express my true talents … So joined a “Flash Mob” now were talking shy retired little old Pete. The rehearsals to date have been a hoot sooooo much fun, and I’m sure that Sandy will download the whole event once it unfolds.

10 people dont make a mob so heres hoping tomorrow we get more mobbers!

Looking over Paton Beach Phuket Thailand

Blog addiction, found a little wifi with lunch

Papaya salad ... sweet, sour salty

Sandy playing with her food! Hmm so that's how they have made them

Egg net parcels

Now for for a mussamun curry, our mission for the true taste here in Thailand and we weren't disappointed.

So now back to the beach maybe see you on the blog in a few days as its now 2 sea days till Sri Lanka arriving 23rd Dec

Till then xx

Cooking class on the cruise

We left a humid and stunning Singapore Wednesday night at 8pm on route to Phuket in Thailand oh and left blogland wifi also … How is one to cope in such a isolated world of no wifi … so what does one do when one has a sea day … sit by the pool drinking cocktails …. nooooo with Sandy’s culinary joy tours there is not much time for such idle pastimes. We had a great morning cooking class polishing up our Paella techniques with a lovely Indian chef and cooking with "electric". Hmm so what part of this sounds wrong. We’ll all parts, but hey who am I to criticize the amazing eclectic multicultural world of cooking on a cruise ship. It was a great morning followed by a long boozy lunch with some other great boat people.

Pic's to come internet sucks big time!!!

It's back to cooking school - Day 2 Singapore

We are back to the Food Playground for our second day in the kitchen after a great cooking day Monday. Today Wednesday we try our hands at making Hainanese Chicken Rice and short soup another fav! so maybe I need to make a shorter list of my fav's .... but where is the fun in that!

Based on the Hainanese wanchang chicken, Hainanese chicken rice was so named for the Chinese chefs who first created it on Singapore’s shores. 

Steamed chicken is served with rice that is first fried in chicken fat and then boiled in chicken broth, ensuring a rich, unforgettable flavour. A staple of the local food scene, Hainanese chicken rice can be found at hawker centres all across the island.

A delicate blend of quite subtle flavours, the chicken is steamed under ginger and served cold with a sauce of chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil (stock is chicken bones and a knob of bruised ginger, to me a touch of salt for more for a western palette)

For the ginger sauce, cook down chicken fat and what looks like there is still a bit of skin or as much as the cook said none, this is why I take some many pic's.
This is cooked down for a hour or so and the fat is then used to cook down grated ginger, scrum and a heart attack if you you were to eat that each day, a great side for the chicken. 

To spice it up me made a quick chilly sauce.

Pic's TBA internet down 

Have to get back to you about the rest of the Singapore class as the internet is not happy here today in Phuket so lets hit the beach and blog later .... internet willing.

Leaving Singapore tonight

on a cruise into Puckett, Sri Lanka, west coast of Indian and into Dubai by New Years Eve. Not sure how and when I will have internet so catch you where and when we can.

 Had a great night last night with Leah, our Susan's niece and what a fantastic night it was.

Thanks Leah

 Fabulous authentic Laksa 1/2 an hour out of the city in the traditional Malay sector.

Hey if it's good enough for Gordon

Laksa was so delicious, I could pick out flavours of Thai basil or Vietnamese mint as the dried herb + cockles and dried shrimp added the fishy content. 
Scrum scrum

 Back to the city to glam it up with drinks over the modern city with a light show

Haming it up with the "crazy rick Asian"
Ouch!

Thunder & Lightning

Well it was happening and I was just not quick enough.

Hmmm how can I fit a few of these into my luggage

Dahi Papdi - Today's Vegetarian Taste Sensation

We had a spot of Indian lunch at RAS with an Indian Kingfisher beer getting in practice for our cruise into India.

Great spot by the river

 27 deg and winter for them with 98 % humidity

Started with "chaats" meaning small bites.

Trying vegetarian so we can learn more about the plant based foods looking for new flavours to include at The Retreat and 

Indian - Asian is the best place to look.

Getting up close and personal with ones food.

Now for the dissection,

one can't resist playing with one's food.

So potato tick, guessed that one

To reveal the dried pastry base - the crunchy

This is how it read on the menu

Typically Indian - Spicy, sweet, tangy, crunchy, so many sensations

Hmmm they are not giving much away so let the experimentation game begin.

Potato curry with mustard seed, sweet yogurt, mint oil, pastry disk and the hero was the sweet and tangy caramelized tamarind sauce.

It was JUST gorgeous Zing Zing Zing, perfect balance of spice.

Considering Sandy traveled all through Italy with chilly flakes in her pockets now she is in her spice heaven.

Dish off the day ... so far.