Going to Local Markets Throughout Our Travels

On March 5, 2024March 5, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Africa, Asia, Egypt, morocco, Rwanda, South America, VietnamLeave a comment

One of the things that we enjoy whenever we travel, is to visit markets with local vendors selling fresh foods as well as various arts and crafts. It is important to know before you go what the local customs are regarding haggling with the person selling their items as to whether the price given is not negotiable or whether there is an expectation that you will barter with them over the price that you are willing pay for the item. If you visit the market with a local guide, you are likely to get some free samples of foods as you walk through the market, which is a great way to get a taste of some items that are unique to the country that you are visiting.

We have been to many markets and bazaars during our travels, but some of the most memorable have been in locations that were more exotic. There are times when going to a market can be overwhelming due to the crowds as well as people who will try to approach you and take you through the market. Do not fall for that trap as they are trying to make money off of your purchases and do not necessarily have your best interest at heart. It is best to go with a guide if you are uncomfortable or at a minimum make sure that you do your own bartering and choose only the stalls that you are truly interested in.

Dry Goods and the Rice Paper We Needed to Cook Dinner in Hanoi

Touring a Local Market in Tangiers, Morocco – One of the most diverse markets that we visited was the one in Tangiers, Morocco. The variety of colors and smells were almost overwhelming with the spices, fresh produce, seafood, and meat that would be trimmed in front of you. You could even buy bones for soups and other parts of the animals as nothing goes to waste. Even though we didn’t buy anything, we were able to try several things as we walked through the stalls from olives to a fresh tangerine. Each owner was very proud of the items that they had to sell and were definitely keen on making sure that you knew anything you wanted about what they had on display.

Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Old Cairo, Egypt – Visiting markets wherever you visit is certainly worthwhile, but there is something very special about the bazaars in the middle east. Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in the Old Town Center of Cairo, Egypt, also known as Old Cairo, is certainly one of them. They can be quite busy and you need to be aware of your circumstances to avoid pickpockets or those who might want to take advantage of you. In most bazaars it is usually customary to bargain over the prices and the vendors don’t take offense to it. In fact, to get the best price, you might even start to walk away before the vendor offers a lower price that seems reasonable to you. Haggling, though, does not mean offering a ridiculously low price that might be viewed as an insult.

Buying Ingredients for Our Cooking Class in Hanoi, Vietnam – We decided to take a cooking class during our trip to Hanoi, Vietnam where our chef took us to a local market to buy all of the ingredients needed for our dinner. Obviously we wouldn’t have been able to navigate the market without the help of our chef and there were plenty of ingredients that we can’t necessarily find at home. We were told that the local people of Hanoi, like in a lot of cities, go to the market every day or at least every other day in order to buy fresh ingredients for their meals.

Artisan and Craft Market in Quito, Ecuador – In order to walk to the old town quarter of Quito in Ecuador from our hotel, we had to walk through Parque El Ejido. It is a lovely park that has a nice artisan and craft market as well as plenty of open space. Located right in the city, it can be quite busy at times as families gather to have a picnic or play a game of soccer. There is also an interesting arch located in the park, simply called Arco de El Ejido with a statue of two men battling one another.

Visiting the Busy Kimironko Market in Kigali, Rwanda – We spent about a day and half in Kigali during our trip to Rwanda to trek to see gorillas and chimpanzees. Of the things that we saw while we were in Kigali was the Kimironko Market, which is the busiest market in Kigali. Like many markets, the number of vendors and the variety of products available can sometimes be overwhelming. It is often a sensory overload with all of the fragrances, colors, and people bustling through the narrow walkways. We were there with a guide, but it could have easily been visited on our own, but you do have deal with many people coming up to you and trying to get you to spend money in their particular section of the market.

This is just a random sampling of the markets that we have visited and each one was memorable in its own way. In addition to these year-round markets, visiting the holiday markets as well as the festival markets can be equally fascinating and are definitely highlights of any trip taken during one of those occasions. We often don’t actually buy anything at one of these markets, but we still walking through them to get a sense of the lives and culture of the place that we are visiting.

Monkeys are Prevalent All Around the World

On February 13, 2024February 13, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Gibraltar, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, South America, Tanzania, Vietnam2 Comments

In some ways we are surprised that it seems like no matter where we travel to, there is a chance that we will see monkeys at some point during our visit. Whether it is North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, or Africa, we have seen monkeys in so many different locations throughout our travels. Because of how expressive they are and the way that they share human traits, they are often fascinating to watch, but more often than not, they are troublemakers that have to be watched carefully. We have seen monkeys steal items from people who are not prepared for the fact that they will grab almost anything that they can get their hands on. They are extremely curious, and that curiosity often leads to a desire to explore items that you might have in your possession, especially if it is shiny.

Although monkeys can be found in the wild in Mexico, our first encounter with monkeys was actually in captivity during our trip to Puerto Vallarta, which is certainly not the experience that we prefer. Our second encounter was in Gibraltar during our trip to Southern Spain where we saw the Barbary Macaque Monkeys. During our trip to Panama, we actually took a tour that took us to several of the “monkey islands” that were created when the area around the Panama Canal was flooded to allow for the massive ships to pass through the canal. The smaller monkeys were trapped on the islands and are kept alive by the tourists who visit and feed them.

Up Close and Personal with Monkeys in Panama

It is no surprise that we encountered monkeys in the Amazon Jungle both during our trips to Bolivia and Ecuador. In Vietnam, we saw monkeys on the shoreline of Halong Bay after our boat went through Sung Sot Cave. For obvious reasons, we saw plenty of monkeys, especially baboons, during our safari in Kenya and Tanzania as they were prevalent at each of the parks that we visited. Earlier last year, we visited “Monkey Temple”, more appropriately Pashupatinath Temple, just outside of Kathmandu in Nepal. Then later in the year, we decided to trek to visit the larger primates, gorillas and chimpanzees in Rwanda.

As long as you know that these amazing creatures are unpredictable and you keep your eyes on them to ensure that they don’t take advantage of your curiosity, these animals are truly fascinating to watch. You can often see them almost deep in thought as they watch everything going on around them. Of all of the monkeys that we’ve seen, the ones that we trusted the least were the baboons as they almost acted like a gang where several of them will group together to distract you while others attempt to get away with your belongings. Our time with the gorillas was probably the most incredible experience that we’ve had and will be something we will treasure forever. What is your favorite or least favorite monkey experience that you’ve encountered?

The Fascinating Perfume Pagoda Complex in Vietnam

On June 6, 2022June 6, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn VietnamLeave a comment

One of the day trips that you can take from Hanoi in Vietnam is to visit the Perfume Pagoda Complex, which is a complex of Buddhist temples and shrines that are located on the Huong Tich mountains. It is certainly worth visiting for a variety of reasons, but be aware that during the festival time, from mid-January through mid-March, hundreds of thousands of visitors make their way to Perfume Pagoda. We visited in late fall, so there weren’t many visitors although preparations for the festival were already beginning. After taking a car to the town nearby, we boarded a rowboat to make our way through the countryside, which is absolutely beautiful. About halfway through the hour-long boat ride, other boats came by to offer us food, drinks, and other items to buy.

Some of the Many Hills in the Countryside

Once we docked in Ben Tro, which is really a series of restaurants along the river, we made our way to the first of the pagodas that we were to visit. We walked up the long path and stairs to reach Thien Tru Pagoda, which is over 500 years old. On either side of the path, especially as you near the pagoda, are tents selling items to use as offerings as well as restaurants. The architecture, artwork, and cultural features are amazing. We went in the different temples with the golden statues of Buddha and walked throughout the grounds. We saw a few monks on the grounds, but were mostly by ourselves with our guide as we walked among the different buildings. It was a wonderful start to our time in Perfume Pagoda.

After visiting Thien Thru Pagoda, we went to one of the restaurants. Normally the tours of Perfume Pagoda have large groups of people visiting together, but even though it was just the two of us, we were treated to a feast. It was way too much food, but it did give us the opportunity to try many different local dishes. We were served beef with fried potatoes, an omelet with spring onions, Bok Choy, fish from the river, fried chicken, stir fry, fresh fruit, and rice. Of course we put the spicy pepper sauce, Chin-Su, on everything. Although we couldn’t eat it all, we definitely tried a little bit of everything and also enjoyed a couple of cold beers to help cool us off on the hot day.

View as You Pass Through the Gate to Thien Tru Pagoda

After lunch, we made our way past more of the stalls where monks were actually browsing through some of the items for sale, to get our tickets for the cable car that will take you to the top of the mountain. You can take the path to top of the mountain, and when it is busy it is pretty much the only choice, but we chose to take the cable car up and then walk down the mountainside afterwards. We had to wait a little while for the cable car as only a couple were running due to the lack of visitors, but it was well worth the wait as the cable car gets you above the trees to get wonderful views of the country.

Once we reached the top of the mountain, we made our way up, then down, to Huong Tich Cave. The cave itself is quite beautiful, but the reason for going there is see Chua Trong or the Inner Temple inside of the cave. After spending time walking around the cave, we started our way down the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) trail that is again lined with stalls selling items to use as souvenirs or as offerings to be left at the temple. Most of them were not open during our visit, but we can only imagine what it must be like during the height of the festival when thousands of people would line the pathway.

After a very full day, our boat took us back along the Song Huong River so that we could return to Hanoi. We took several tours during our time in Vietnam, including the Ninh Binh Province and Halong Bay, but going to Perfume Pagoda was definitely an incredible experience. If you have time while visiting Hanoi, we’d highly recommend taking this tour to see the various temples and beautiful countryside.