Rushina Munshaw takes me to Thailand. High on Vodka flovoured pickles and Lemon grass coolers .

Rushina Munshaw takes me to Thailand. High on Vodka flovoured pickles and Lemon grass coolers .

Elsie Gabriel.

It is always a pleasure to meet Rushina  the easy going, no fuss and avant -garde chef ! This time she took me to Thailand and I got high on the flavors of Vodka infused pickles and lemon grass coolers! Rushina always parts with that little extra secret about cooking and preservation or alternative ingredients that one can use,here is one...

Educates Rushina, “ Flavoring and infusing vodka is a tradition as old as vodka-drinking itself and requires very  little time and no special equipment. But you do need a little imagination, a grasp of flavours and lots of patience. You just need a good base vodka to start with and quality ingredients to flavour it with. Yes it is as easy as that! Most homemade liqueurs begin with vodka because it is a colorless flavourless spirit that makes it the ideal base for anything. Think of it as a blank canvas for you to paint your flavours onto!”

Cooking with her is always so delightfully simple. You just want to cook! She brings the exotic ingredients to the plate without much fuss and infuses you with a sense of wonder as to how simple cooking can be.

Continues Rushina on the vodka trail, “There are two ways to add flavour to Vodka: either mix flavoured extracts into it, or add the flavouring ingredients in their raw form and allow them to steep in the alcohol for a while. Using extracts is faster and in some cases better but more often than not, the best results come with slow infusion.”

I came away making Thai Green curry with Vegetables where I learned to make the Green curry paste from a scratch….and Chicken Phad Kaphro Thai where Basil leaves did a dance on my taste buds……..all with such ease and finesse I could pat myself on the back for having attended her trip to Thailand and back.
Meeting Supakan who represents the ever so slim Thai woman was insightful,she is soft spoken welcoming and graceful. Much to the surprise of many you have to know that Thai men and women eat fresh vegetarian diets which are equally exotic and sensuous,no wonder they are all so youthful,slim,clear complexioned and beautiful!

Rushina always draws you into the cooking with experiment zone, “Don’t worry too much about quantities, infusing vodka is not an exact science - the variety and quantity of flavouring you choose is up to you and if flavours get too overwhelming, they simply need to be diluted with more of the base liquor.”
Thai dishes artfully balance the sensations of hot, bitter, mild, sweet and sour from ingredients that are specific to Southeast Asia and neighboring India. The scent of Thai herbs, sweet basil, coriander, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and Galanga which is Thai ginger, combine to create a therapeutic aroma that permeates the senses.

So I was high on the vodka and the Thai spices. The Galangal and Lemon grass both are a gourmets harem of ingredients, the absolute essentials of Thai cooking.
I believe you taste the difference in every dish lemon grass serves, the lemonade fused with lemon grass herb and the Green curry with crushed lemon bulbous roots or the lemon grass in the curries all play their part to send you to Thailand for sheer gastronomical pleasure.

Meet Le Le and Ying Ying! Two giant Pandas in HK! Ocean Park is the best conservation theme park . Elsie Gabriel

Meet Le Le and Ying Ying! Giant Pandas in HK! Ocean Park is the best conservation theme park .

Elsie Gabriel

I came close to hugging a  huge Giant Panda, all black and white and furry! I couldn’t take my eyes off him! He was so busy chewing on the bamboo leaves I simple kept my feminine pride intact and admired him from afar. Both Le Le and Ying Ying live at the Ocean Park H.K. and are a spectators delight.

No , of course not, I could have never really hugged them, these Pandas are the most endangered species in Asia, are very protective and private personalities. Giant Panda lives along side the Red Panda another endangered species which is highly protected. And they both share a beautiful animal kingdom at the Ocean Park in HK. So far the most worthwhile theme park that I have visited around the world,the Ocean Park at HK stands in first place on my list world wide.It is easy to get to from the main airport in HK and is easily accessible by buses and cars. It is a haven for children of all ages, specially the big ones above 30!

All pics copyright Elsie Gabriel

Both the “ Ocean Park Conservation Foundation”  and “The Hong Kong Society for Panda Conservation” are the green offshoot projects of the Ocean Park in HK. It is said that including various research projects on dolphins, horseshoe crabs, porpoises, giant pandas, snakes and birds makes the Ocean Park a unique theme park center of wild life promotion and conservation of endangered species.

What a nature lovers paradise! And imagine spending time inside the theme park as part of the educational project, Yes the park offers over 35 core courses on six big topics: giant pandas and red pandas, dolphins and sea lions, birds, fishes, plants, and mechanical rides.

The Marine Mammal Breeding and Research Centre promotes research. The breeding programme at the park is very successful. Pacific Walruses at the Polar Adventures center inside the Ocean park are also the busiest creatures in the water and show off their dexterity skills playfully. Did you know they are fierce when it comes to protecting their ‘harems’, well not unlike humans after all, yeh?

Gentoo Penguins, Southern rockhopper penguins and King Penguin’s also share the habitat at the Polar center.

The park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland). These areas can be reached by a 1.5 kilo metres  Cable car system. Watching the entire ocean surrounding HK atop the cable ride is awesommmmm....

And when you are done with the wild animals, you will hear  thrilled screeches filling the air! All coming from the four Roller coaster rides not far away. The park has many more rides which are exhilarating and fun. And the food court is extravagant and fresh. If you ever go to HK, this is one place you can not miss.

I got lost in the aquarium and didn’t  want to find my way out!

The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel Hong Kong Disneyland Park Elsie Gabriel

Imagine waking up to a lavish breakfast spread with Disney Characters.

Elsie Gabriel

The Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is more than a hotel, it's a tourist destination and an attraction which takes you all the way back to your childhood. The Disney Character Breakfast Buffet at Enchanted Gardens is one of the hotel's main attractions.

Staying at the hotel is so convenient because you can just hop skip your way to the Disney Park when ever you want.

Out here middle of a fairy tale, if you have kids they are bound to be in a wonderland filled with smiles, and then you realize that you only earn to see money well spent like this. Entertainment here is like a science strategy. Everything designed to give people of all ages a sheer fun time without any inhibitions.

Basically, it is wonderful to be a child again!

And it isn't only about the wonderful set up, lavish accommodations and luxurious amenities, it's about the wonderful Disney touches and surprise encounters you are likely to experience  at every corner, from Mickey to Cinderella, from Daisy to Pluto, you have it all. The train rides and photo sessions are endless……

Hong Kong Disneyland is the fifth Disney Theme Park location to open, the second in Asia. And HK has done a fantastic job at creating Disney this side of the ocean.

After visiting the  original Disneyland Park in California I thought I would be disappointed but heck nooo………… this is good. The USA main street, the Magical world, The Toy story and ofcourse the rides and castles are simply over whelming. You have to see it to believe it, I'l leave the rest to your trip.The package trip is affordable and the Disney theme park is easily accessible from the main H.K. airport.

The fire works at night with the Disney musical background at the park, set you into that romantic mood and its outbursts are simply endless.
Inside the Park the gourmet offering is of an international spread, yours to gorge on. And then you can tire your self to your last drop of energy, swirling like Tinkerbell, only to step into your Mickey Mouse room to sleep like Cinderella!!  

The worlds travel community is going green, don’t get left behind! Elsie Gabriel

The worlds travel community is going green, don’t get left behind!

Elsie Gabriel

In the spirit of  the Young Environmentalists deep concern of environmental stewardship, we are working hard to do our part in protecting our environment for today and future generations. Investing in green practices means an investment in a more sustainable future that preserves our natural resources. We invest time and energy towards equipping green leaders of tomorrow, today.

Today’s blog is about being a green eco friendly traveler yourself. Here are some tips. Try and do some homework before you choose to travel. Do look around you will find many tour operators  offering ‘sustainable’,  ‘green’, ‘eco friendly’ and ‘ethical tourism’, you may choose them over a luxurious and shopping loaded holiday. Take direct flights rather than change flights as this causes more emissions during landing and take off. Choose flights which make a contribution towards a green or any charity. The choice is yours to make.

Get yourself a holiday that is fulfilling while protecting the environment.

Spend your holiday money well. Try and ensure that some of your expenditure goes towards conservation As a more aware and ‘greener’ traveler, you will not only make a contribution to other people's lives by promoting local art and culture for instance, you might just change your own. 

You already know that factors of importance for emissions are the distances travelled, length of stay, hotel stay, activities carried out, meaning that your decisions will have a considerable impact on the ecological impact, so try and choose an ecotel or green certified hotel or maybe even one which is owned by local traditional people of the land. Many hotels are zero garbage hotels and others are community managed hotels which promote coastal reefs or forests or landscapes, choose these over hi end ones not contributing towards the sustainability of the environment. It is totally your choice.

Think of how you can collect your travel garbage and dispose it respectfully rather than litter in a destination which is not of your nationality. Do not invest in any products that exploit wildlife or aid the destruction of species or habitats while traveling abroad. Do not promote illegal trade of endangered animals or bi-products made from them. You can take your kids to museums and conservation life sciences cultural spots generates income and employment for travel destinations while protecting local ecosystems and preserving local culture. Get involved in a conservation or  garden or protection programme while visiting. Choose local fruits and food over your favourites. Donate correctly towards a green cause. Participate in your hotels green events and local green dates with the indigenous people. As your prepare to leave your destination you might like to reflect on your holiday and consider the types of activities you have enjoyed as well as their consequences for the environment and people.

The problems surrounding climate change and its impact on our world are complex and it is easy to believe there is little the individual can do.  But this is not true.  Energy-saving steps can be as simple as unplugging appliances and equipment when not in use.  Items can be re-purposed for reuse or donated to those who can use them. 

 I have been traveling the world, sharing its amazing stories with each new generation but also carrying out expeditions and scientific fieldwork, documentations, research, encouraging geography education for students, promoting natural and cultural conservation.Staying with the locals,villagers and indigenous inhabitants of a locale,eating the local food and studying the local ancient hideouts make my eco tours all worth the rough road.Sometimes during traveling all one needs is place to sleep and shower, ofcourse eat,therefore I try to find ways to budget and 'when in Rome do as the Romans do' adjust and adapt.Indulging in a fussy hi end travel itinerary doesn't necessarily increase your travel value. Ofcourse to each his own,this is from my experiences.I value your options too.  

Next time you travel, enjoy and have yourself a blast, relax and rejuvenate but choose green travel options.

Choose to leave a comment if you agree and of course share the tips with many others, simply share this piece of blog link -the  Green traveler tips.