Best thing I ate on my travels in 2013

Welp we are closer to the end of 2013 and I already posted my favorite recipe of this year. So I thought I'd add the best thing I ate while traveling in 2013. This one was an easy one...I only went to Guatemala this year! I was itching to book plane tickets SO BAD but I ended up getting a Cross Country Coaching job that I did not want to pass up. Probably one of the best things I did for myself this year. Not only am I a better runner now than when I first started 13 years ago, I worked with high school students instead of my little ones and it was an experience I'll never forget.

Definitely had a great group of students to run with and despite working in 'The Valley' (I did find (smell) some pretty authentic restaurants to eat at while running!) and the commuting everyday (I will not miss the drive!!), it was a learning experience that I needed and appreciate the opportunity I was given. I also learned that I need to toughen up a little! :)) I was constantly told that "I'm too nice." If someone yelled at me, I wouldn't want to go run 8 miles!! Maybe that's why I sometimes get taken advantage of but I'm glad the teams respected me and listened to what I had to say. My boss at my other job just told me the same thing. :/ Even when I wore my 'tough cookie' shirt. He didn't by it!

So anyway, that was my reason why I didn't purchase a plane ticket this year but I will be doing that soooooon.... :)

So with all the wonderful meals I ate in Guatemala, this was the best thing I ate while traveling in the year 2013:

Marshmallows roasting over an open and active volcanoooo! ;)

 

Just kidding...that was one of my favorite things to do in Guatemala. I AM A SUCKER FOR MARSHMALLOWS! EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!

 

Ok the best thing I ate was...

 

 

Pollo Asado con tortillas, tomate, y cebolla!

 

It was simple, filling, made with love, and enjoyable to eat while chit chatting it up with the locals around the asado. It was actually the first meal I could eat and felt normal again after my sleep deprivation experience ...that won't happen again! It felt so good to eat this comforting meal. I almost went for seconds but ate at the asado right next to this one..to be fair! :) I also enjoyed the rellenitos! I didn't get a chance to love up on the Guatemalan tamales and chile rellenos but my best friend is Guatemalan and her mom makes the best! And I love the Guatemalan restaurant Guatemaltecos to get my fix when I need it.

 

So there you have it! The best thing I ate while traveling in 2013. Until next year.... :)

 

The best thing I ever ate in....

Argentina


Carne Asada from a street parilla. The smell made me get off the bus while the bus driver was making his way back on the bus to get the show on the road. I begged for two more minutes and he just smiled! He knew. That's how good the smell was and how much I had to have it.



Of course I have to have my flan and te con leche



Dulce de leche is another must in Argentina



Mate. Mate. Mate. When someone offers you their mate, you better not say no!


And you can't go to Argentina and not eat their beef.
Brazil


Pumpkin Bean Soup. So hearty.


Pirarucu a Baiana. Years later and I still remember its taste.
Honestly, I preferred Northern Brazil. I felt I could really dig into the Brazilian culture up north. Southern Brazil is lovely of course, but I felt like I was really eating food made from someone's heart.

And of course...


Have açaí any way that you can.

Ecuador


Camarones al ajillo. Yesss.

The Galápagos Islands
Jugo de tomate arbol. No picture sadly, but introduced to the tree tomato on the islands. Surprisingly sweet and quite enjoyable to drink.



Very fond of the fresh albacore tuna steaks.

Chile


Machas a la Parmesana


Patagonian Lamb


Harina Tostada (Toasted Corn) Gelato

Colombia
Not making a decision yet due to not enough exploration. Next time!

Honduras


Spent most of my time near the Caribbean so I really just appreciated the fresh seafood.

Panama
Pretty much all of Central America, I just appreciated the seafood the most.




Costa Rica




Shrimp and Fried Red Snapper.


Agua de coco fresca

Curaçao
(Not pictured)A plate full of seafood. Fish. Shrimp. Scallop. Baby Octopus. Mussels. It went straight to my heart.

Mexico City
Have to dig a little deeper for my Mexico City pictures but pretty much everything I ate there was delicious. Mexican food hasn't tasted the same to me ever since.

Bolivia


Fried fish and Ispi with purple potato and corn


Sopa de mani. Really, all the food was wonderful and homey in Bolivia. Al paca was another treat.

Peru
Everything. Seriously one of the best cuisines in the world. Yes, I said it. Here's just a few dishes to drool over.


Lomo Saltado


Meat and potato on a stick. My choice was llama. Served with salsa.



Peruvian ceviche


Chicha Morada. I'm very fond of this drink and make it quite often now.

Egypt

Falafel. Fluffy and made to perfection.


Zalabiah




Really just loved the street fruit and corn.


You can't go to Egypt and not partake in drinking mint tea.

Turkey
Need more time to explore. Of course the food is amazing there.

Guatemala


It's just as simple as pollo asado, tortillas y cebolla. Made with love.
Food is just better when it is made with the heart.

Egypt

Egypt. The country that won me over. I headed to Egypt with the excitement of seeing the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Nile, the bazaar, the history, the desert, Cairo, the amazing city of Alexandria, Mediterranean Sea, the crazy drivers, street food, food, the people, night life activities to stay away from the heat, and not being able to speak the whole time there!

I loved Egypt. So lively and always full of energy. Once you get past all the security measures you have to go through to get anywhere in Egypt, the vibe is just different than most countries. Places to go. People to see. Food to eat. Everyone is pretty much out at night and not much action during the day to avoid the heat when possible. In the city of Alexandria, you're right on the Mediterranean so the temperature wasn't too bad. I think it was hotter here in California at the time than it was there. Cairo, a whole different story. Hot hot hot! High humidity. Amazon status minus not messing up my hair as much!

I am so glad I made it there over the summer. I highly recommend it. I know it may not be so 'American friendly' now, but if you can go with someone who speaks Arabic ~me, not so well, if that, that would be the best or you're kind of stuck doing more tourist-directed activities, which still isn't even bad in Egypt because it is just plain worth it. It's a bonus to know someone because you can really get a feel of the culture and step into their norm.

Egypt really surprised me and completely changed my outlook on it through my previous unsure thoughts. It's just like going anywhere else in this world. Same old cat calls if you're light-haired, color-eyed like myself. Bargaining for everything. Friendly and hardworking everyday people. Expert drivers. People who love to go out at night and have a good time. Despite everything going on now, they really are happy people just trying to live a wonderful life like everyone else.

For now, I'm going to get into the Egyptian food I ate there. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I would think of the food. More curious about the spices they use there and how strong they are but I'm always openminded. I try almost everything at least once. My thoughts on the food... Way better than I had originally thought. I was happy with everything. I wanted to try it all. My eyes, my heart, and my stomach were eating everything in site! I really wasn't there long enough. I have to go back.


Homestyle Meals

LOOK at that shrimp!

Got to try a Saudi Arabian dish too. Pretty tasty!

Fruits and Veggies

Street CORN! Love love love.

Prickly pear/Cactus fruit - So sweet and so needed on the hot days in Egypt. I peel them now just like the guys over there!

Watermelon everywhere

I did not partake in this, mainly because I didn't know what it was but they are all over the place. Drinks in different colors.

Street food and Munchies

Nuts and beans

You will find these color coordinated boxes filled with chips all over the place

Street meat and sides

Must have condiments

Foul mudammas

Falafel! Really fluffy and made to perfection.

Corn dogs

KFC delivers. Yup, in Egypt. They also have delivery McD's bikers all over the place.

Desserts

Zalabiah with a white chocolate sauce. LOVE Zalabiah. And I'll definitely take it with white chocolate over the usual simple syrup or honey that's normally served.

Baklava and other delights

Not pictured..

• Zalabiah food carts all over the place being served with honey and/or simple syrup

• Baklava food carts around, as well

Restaurants and Drinks

Shwarma - Time for a refill!

Beef and Lamb Shwarma

Falafel, Hummus, Tabbouleh, Cucumbers, Condiment, and Pita Bread. Last meal. I preferred the previous falafel sandwich over this one.

Soda! Only when I travel I crave soda. I would love to be without this craving!

Mint tea. A must when you are in Egypt.
Okay, now I'm really hungry!