Bangkok to Rio

Saigon was similar to Bangkok in that we ate, did tourist stuff, ate again, hung out at the guesthouse, and then ate. Here are some photos:

These photos are from Ben Thanh market, near our guesthouse:

This was part of our lunch at the market - translucent rice paper rolls with pork and mushrooms:

Lunch the next day - crispy fried cakes with shrimp and sweet potato, and bun cha -- one of Vietnam's great dishes, consisting of charcoal-grilled pork, rice vermicelli, lots of fresh herbs, and a dipping sauce:

This is a street restaurant specializing in banh xeo -- rice flour crepes filled with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. You wrap in in lettuce, stuff it with fresh herbs, and dip in in fish sauce.

Rules in Communist Vietnam are very strict.

We've been traveling for a week now and have seen, done, and eaten some amazing things, but here in Phnom Penh, the gritty capital of Cambodia, we've pretty much just seen the inside of the internet cafe where we sit now.

We started in Bangkok, where we ate Thai food, visited temples, ate Thai food, and also ate Thai food. We also spent an inordinate amount of time in shopping malls trying to buy pants. And we ate Thai food.

Bangkok is the sort of place where you have to fight the urge (often unsuccessfully) to buy pre-lunch on the street on your way to lunch. Here's a sampler:

This lady across the street from our guesthouse made some tasty chicken with holy basil and chilies. I think this was a pre-lunch or post-dinner.

Noodle soup at the night market

Plenty of options...

Prawns & crabs in Chinatown

In Chinatown, street vendors roast chestnuts in a huge cauldron filled with thousands of hot black pebbles. Delicious.

More treats in Chinatown

Giant prawns straight from the tank to the grill...

...to our table. Beth wouldn't eat the heads, but she did pretty well with the giant claws.

Stay tuned for a much briefer post on our non-food-related activities in Bangkok.