In a country where snake blood is an occasional meal choice it may not come as a surprise that the most popular Vietnamese cafes offer a rather interesting menu choice: weasel coffee.
What is weasel coffee?
First of all, yes, we are talking about the rodent. But why Vietnamese weasel coffee? Coffee growers feed coffee beans to the weasels and after they have passed through the animal’s body, the coffee is collected, ground and brewed. The result? A musky, smooth flavorful coffee.
Although recognized in Vietnam, the Gregorian New Year has not been generally accepted in the country and particularly in the countryside. So Tet is a lot more than just the New Year spent in the West.
When does Tet fall?
Each year, Tet falls between the last ten days of January and mid-February.
The market is the perfect place where you can not only haggle for some nice local merchandise but also blend in with the locals and experience the real Vietnam. There are three markets in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and you can buy pretty much anything you ever wanted: street food, fruits, veggies, candy, rice, old military gear, clothes and so on.
Ben Thanh Market is without a doubt Vietnam’s most popular market. Located in District 1, just west end of Le Loi, it’s easily recognizable by its clock tower on the large traffic circle. The building is one of the oldest in the city and is considered a symbol of Saigon.
Guatemala has been gaining popularity by hardcore backpackers for some time now. Maybe it is the overly friendly people, the countries beautiful landscapes, or the abundance of history. I would guess though, that it has more to do with how far you can make your budget stretch here. While many places in Central America are backpacker budget friendly, Guatemala is certainly near the top of the list.
Average Budget Prices
If you can stick to your budget, it is very possible to live and travel off of US$12 to US$17 a day per person. This of course assumes you are staying at hostels and backpacker friendly lodging. This US$12 to US$17 a day price includes meals if you eat at local restaurants and avoid the more upscale places that target tourists.
There are two distinct stories of Brijuni Beach. The first is of a fairy tale secluded romantic getaway for lovers that brings two people closer together walking hand in hand on the soft sand as the sun sets and waves flirt with toes and the sounds of silence accentuate the conversation. Brijuni is often voted Croatia’s most romantic beach and sometimes one of the top beaches for couples in Europe.
The second story of Brijuni Beach is that of a circus or a zoo. Marshal Tito considered Brijuni his personal playground and now the island runs wild with the offspring of the many and varied types of wildlife that he brought to the island as amusement for the aristocracy that he hosted and entertained.
Zebras, horses, peacocks ostriches and other animals populate the island and because of the diverse wildlife, the island has been slower to be settled and developed than other islands in Croatia.
Staying on Brijuni is more difficult than on some of the more popular islands. Tours are often sold in conjunction with accommodations, so if you don’t have a hotel room booked on the island it can be difficult to get out to the zoological wonderland.
This may be part of what makes Brijuni so romantic. Because getting there is so difficult, you’ll often find your parties limited to just you two and a forest full of unnatural wildlife.
Although the island is located just off the coast of the Istrian Peninsula, getting to Brijuni can be tricky. The best way to get to the island is to book transportation through your hotel. This will require an overnight stay, but you cannot do Brijuni justice in one day or less. Once you’re on Brijuni, be sure to get to the Roman ruins on the west side. There are several tours that go through here on their way around the island.
Brijuni is tough to see on a budget but it can be done. The hotels and resorts are three, four and five star hotels with prices to match. Luckily each one is right on the water and worth every penny that you sink into the trip.
The best of these hotels is the Istra Neptun, which provides you with activities and things to do on your trip like cycling and wine tasting. The Istra Neptun runs at 123 Euros a night but offers comparable service with a five star resort at that price which is significantly less than what you would pay for a comparable hotel in Dubrovnik or on one of the islands.
Squeezed against the back lot of Paramount Studios, with a full view of the Hollywood sign, is the home of many Hollywood greats, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It is a quiet place to contemplate the allure of Hollywood and the ephemeral nature of celebrity.
Cecil B. De Mille and his wife lie within sight of the Paramount water tower. Tyrone Power, Benny Goodman, Marion Davis and Valentino are all present. Mel Blanc rests right near the cemetery entrance. His stone is covered with small rocks (each signifying a visit to the grave) and two tiny pictures of Bugs Bunny. Further in, an obelisk marks the grave of Griffith J. Griffith, donor of Griffith Park. He is equally well known for shooting his wife while in an alcoholic rage. An early movie director, William Tanner, is also here. He was murdered. On discovering the body, his butler called the movie studio before dialing the police. Tanner’s murder is still unsolved.
Here’s a random photo from our Plitvice Lakes page of our Croatia photos page.
Here’s a random photo from our Istria page of our Croatia photos page.
