Hoolied Travels

Tarantula Grubs

Since my last update we have been VERY brave. Well, we were very brave twice. Both right after we left the internet cafe.

We wandered along the Meh Kong River towards the restaurant we'd heard about. Had to turn off and back track after we wandered a bit too far, battling traffic insanity all the while. There are less motorbikes than Vietnam but at the same time there is almost NO sense of traffic law, you just go and dodge and everyone is always going from every direction, turning, all at the same time. Chaos!

We survived the walk and arrived at Romdeng. It's a "Creative Cambodian Cuisine" restaurant, all run by ex-street kids. All the profits are reinvested in the charity. The charity as a whole has a couple of shops, 3 restaurants, and a nail salon. It is a bit more expensive than typical Cambodia, but it goes to a good cause so we went for it.

Also: they serve Tarantulas.

And red tree ants.

And the mushroom dip is slightly less exciting.

Mushroom dip came out first, it was good. Although with most food from this region there is just a hint of sweetness, which neither Anton or I appreciate. STOP PUTTING SUGAR IN EVERYTHING GAHHH.

Next...the tarantulas.

We weren't sure what to expect but to have them look so ALIVE and completely whole was definitely not it. Starting to regret my previous bravery.

I made Anton go first, obviously.

Not bad!

He gave me a good tip: imagine you're eating soft-shell crab.

Oh boy...

Moment of truth.

Not bad! The sauce was really good and they were very similar to soft shell crab. Tarantula tempura sushi would actually be quite tasty, me thinks.

Next came the fire ants and beef.

It also had a hint of sweetness, usually anything that is described as having basil also has a sweet tang.

The red ants were very visible but could we actually taste them? Not really.

Screw you ants!

The servers were all super thorough and seemed pretty nervous. They were really cute. We had a great time, will definitely go back next time we're here!

That night we went out for a bit. Not much of a foreigner party in Phnom Penh. It's 84 cents for an energy drink and a pack of smokes in America too right?

Got to try a new beer. Very impressive, actually. Tasted like an amber.

Doh!

Yesterday we were very productive. Rented a tuk-tuk for the afternoon, went to the Russian Market first, so I could buy a jacket and a Cambodia shirt. Anton picked up a pair of ridiculously long board shorts. Jacket: $6, Board shorts: $5, Shirt: $2. Most of the clothing is rejects from American producers that were not deemed good enough. One of the touristy Cambodia shirts had an Old Navy tag, hahaha.

Went to Lakeside after that...the place we'd stayed last time we were here. It was sad how destroyed it was. Had a drink and bought some reefer from a local dude, at least that part hadn't changed.

There used to be a lake here.

Then we went to another one of the restaurants run by the same charity as Romdeng.

This one was a mix of Khmer and Western foods, called Friends. It was sooo good.

We ordered tacos, meatballs, eggplant dip, and a fish filet. They were tapas-like so that is why we ordered four, it's not just cause we're obesity. It was all TASTY TASTY.

After feeding we went and bought our bus tickets to Sihanoukville. Leaving tomorrow about 12:45. It's about a 4-5 hour trip so we should be there early evening. Can't wait!