Making Rahkine Chicken Curry

When the leaves start to turn red and yellow my mind begins to

think of winter getaways and it always conjures up beautiful Ngapali Beach in Myanmar – my happy place.  When we first stayed at Ngapali’s Amazing Resorts in 2008 there were virtually no tourists and Amazing Hotel Ngapali was the only hotel on this stretch of beach. The hotel, while beautiful and modern, had only a few tourists. Things have changed.  Now there are a couple more hotels on the sweeping two-

mile beach but they are at the rocky end. Amazing Hotel is now fully booked most of the time, the airport has expanded but the beach is still virtually empty and the people are still friendly. Hope things don’t change too much.  I think the government would like to see Ngapali turn into another Phuket.  They have been expanding the runway; I think, with the

intention to make the runway big enough for charter planes to land.  Ten years ago arriving flights (there were only a couple) were announced by a bull horn and people could walk out on the tarmac to meet their friends. No more but the ground crew still lines up to wave goodbye as a plane departs. On the plus side, the internet is available and many places now accept credit cards – we no longer have to take pristine USDs to pay for things. 

The beach has none of the annoying things we have encountered at other beaches: no sand flies, no annoying vendors, and the beach is still virtually devoid of tourists.  John and I enjoy our morning walk to the north end of the beach to the rock topped with a small temple.  Late in the afternoon we walk the other way to where there is a mermaid atop a rock.  The sand is soft and the water is warm.  During the day we relax on the beach, read, refresh with a dip in the small infinity pool or ride the gentle waves on an inner tube.

At the end of the day we watch the sun set and wait to see the lights of the fishing boats that line the horizon like a string of Christmas lights.  Then it is time for dinner. The food is great often with a grilled catch-of-the-day fish dinner. On our last visit I asked the chef, Ms. Myint Oo, to show me how to make traditional Rakhine Hot and Spicy Chicken Curry.  Rakhine, a state in Myanmar, located on the country’s western coast, and is known for its spicy hot cuisine. This recipe is versatile. It can be made with fish and the spice can be adjusted to please the palate of everyone; plus, it is quick and easy to prepare.

Traditional Rakhine Hot and Spicy Chicken Curry

1 each: red and green chili diced (as desired)
2 tsp. chicken powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 Tbsp. shrimp paste
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp. tamarind juice
1.5 cups water
5 pieces hot basil leaves
1 tsp. diced coriander leaf garnish

In a mortar grind chili, chicken powder, salt, turmeric powder, and shrimp paste. Heat oil in skillet. Add chili mixture, stir until it turns yellow. Sprinkle mixture on chicken and rub it in. Cut chicken into one-inch pieces. Add chicken, tamarind juice, water, and basil leaves to skillet. Cook over medium heat until chicken is done.  Garnished with coriander and serve with rice. 

Thinking about winter getaways

It is never too early to start planning your winter getaway especially if you plan travel during the holidays or school breaks. Travel gurus will say the best time to book air tickets is on Tuesday and the cheapest days to fly are mid-week, and for U.S. tickets they suggest start looking three months in advance and five months ahead of time for international tickets. I don’t think it is ever too soon to start looking. We already have our tickets for December. When I am booking air tickets I have a figure

in mind and when I find something reasonable I buy and never check again. I usually by our tickets to Asia in May, try to fly midweek, and avoid holidays if I can. If you are flying internationally check when the country you are visiting have holidays; for example, in Asia Chinese New Year is a very busy time. Sorry to say this but I have always found the best international air deals to be with foreign carriers and they offer better service. We have found it financially beneficial to take the train to NYC and a taxi to JFK because we often get great deals on ANA (All Nippon Airline) which is one of the top five best airlines. 

Often some of the least expensive flights are to Aruba, Bonaire, and

Santo Domingo.  The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) are out the hurricane belt and great destinations.  Think out of the box – try something different. I have seen great deals to places in Nicaragua and Columbia. 

If you are thinking of buying a time share, condo or even a house in some sunny location – do the math first.  Do you want to have to deal with two properties – taxes, utilities, maintenance and being locked into one destination? As strange as it sounds it does not cost us any more to winter in SE Asia than staying in snow country.  We often stay at the same place for a couple weeks – we love Ngapali Beach in Myanmar but we also like to try something new.  Last year we really enjoyed our stay at

the Holiday Inn Resort in Penang, Malaysia. We are planning to go there again this winter.  It always pays to join an airline’s or hotel’s customer loyalty program. We have an Intercontinental Hotels (think Holiday Inns) credit card where we can get and use points.  This coming winter we are considering the Holiday Inn Resort in Batam, Indonesia – room with breakfast is $79. The hotel has three outdoor pools and one indoor swimming pool, but alas it is not on the beach but with three pools we might not care.  There are always condos, apartments, and houses to rent but I don’t want to do the cooking and cleaning.  If I wanted to do that I could stay home.

If you are thinking of places in the U.S. check out St. George Beach south of Tallahassee – there are a lot of places to rent, golf courses and an amazing beach. Instead of pricey Hilton Head consider nearby Fripps Island which is lovely. If it is not a beach you are interested in there are great places in Arizona

like Tucson. Get a feeling for the Old West in Bisbee and we loved the woods around Prescott. Looking for something artsy? Check out unique Arcosanti. There is someplace for everyone this winter. 

Interesting stay at Amazing Resort Ngapali Beach

There are a plethora of statues of Buddha throughout Asia. Many

people view Buddhism as a religion but technically it is a way of life or a philosophy. Buddhism began in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million worldwide. Like most religions and philosophies understanding Buddhism is difficult to understand completely but I

like the calm and gentle ways of most Buddhists much of which comes from meditation. I try to learn a bit more about Buddhism each time John and I are in Asia. There are many different poses of Buddha.  Buddha’s hands in his lap stands for mediation. The upraised right hand is the protecting Buddha. The reclining Buddha represents Buddha in his last days before he enters Nirvana. Reclining Buddha statues are impressive. While we were in Myanmar we visited a new reclining Buddha statue which is the biggest in Myanmar. It was the last stop on an interesting day with friends.

Myanmar is a fascinating country that is changing fast but our

favorite beach, Ngapali, is still relatively uncrowded. It is two miles long and except for the guests at our favorite resort, Amazing Ngapali Hotel Resort, and a few locals there were never more than five other people on the beach. This was the 10th year we flew halfway around the world to stay there.  And, we are not the only ones.  We have made friends with some

Europeans who also return year after year.  One of our friends, Frank, is German but lives and works in Shanghai. He has started some projects in the area of Ngapali Beach. One of his projects is a chicken farm that also benefits a local family.  He arranged a day tour for us and some other friends to see his new chicken farm. We stopped to pick up Khin Khin and her baby boy.  We had all attended her wedding a couple of years ago. After

showing us around his small chicken farm he had arranged for the family that takes care of the farm to provide us with lunch.  Guess what was part of the main course? Egg sandwiches plus tomatoes and watermelon grown by the family. It may be Frank’s project but it is of great benefit

to the family.  After lunch we went into Thandwe town to the local market.  Asian markets are always fascinating.  Frank opened a small shop that sells the hardware for doors and similar items that is part of his business in Shanghai. He pays the son of the family that oversees the chicken farm to run the shop. He has also rented a small place in the market where the mother of the family can sell soup at lunch time.  I am not sure if Frank makes any money from his projects but it sure helps the family.

Our last stop was at a religious site on top of a hill.  Our tuk-tuk couldn’t make it up the hill so Frank had arranged cars and motorcycles for us.  There was an amazing panoramic view from the top plus the immense reclining Buddha that is about 600-feet long and about-90 feet high. They are currently building a protective cover. It was a fascinating day and one of the things we most enjoy about travel – meeting fascinating people who introduce us to interesting things. 

Visit Myanmar Now

There are very few places in the world where the culture has remained the same for years.  Myanmar is one of those but now it is changing – too fast.  We have visited Myanmar every year for ten years.  There is much we love about the “Golden Country” but now we go mainly to  enjoy Ngapali Beach.  It, too, is changing. Now there are more hotels and many flights arrive

every day.  We always stay at Amazing Beach Resort Hotel – it is Amazing. It is located on a long, sweeping beach on the Bay of Bengal.  The sand is soft – never too hot to walk on and yet near the water’s edge it is firm for walking. Originally, Amazing Resort was the only hotel on that beach but now there are others including a Hilton. But they are way down the beach where it is rocky.  Why go to a beach where it is rocky?  This is the first year we have seen visitors other than those staying at Amazing Resort.  But, there were never more than three or four on any one day and not in the area of our hotel so there really was no impact. 

Yangon, the former capital, is now a bustling city with traffic

issues.  Ten years ago all the vehicles were old now there are many SUVs and other new cars. Motor bikes are banned in the inner city. New hotels are going up but many people still dress in the traditional longee and some even put thanaka on their face for protection for the heat and sun. Because the traffic has increased we now stay at Myanmar Life Hotel near the

airport.  They offer free transfer, breakfast and have an awesome pool; plus, the price is reasonable. Yangon has a new state of the art international airport and the domestic airport has been replaced with another slick new airport. They even have a Burger King.  Fast food chains are finally showing up in Myanmar – there goes the neighborhood. Ten years ago the people did not have electricity twenty four hours.  Now they do.

Ten years ago there was no internet, credit cards were not accepted, and everything had to be paid in pristine (right from the bank) USD.  Now there is internet everywhere. We had fiber optic internet in our room at Amazing. The changes are happening fast… very fast.  It is still possible to see some people from the many ethnic groups dressed in their traditional outfits.  Even though face tattooing is no longer done there are still women 60 or older who had their faced tattooed when they were young girls. Some of the people still have neck rings as part of their traditional outfits. Even young girls. 

Not everything has changed.  The people are still very friendly.

English is common in the tourist area. Myanmar was an English colony so many of the older people speak English and now the younger people are taught English in school. The country is very safe. Besides the golden temples there are many other things to see and do: hiking, homestays, diving,

hot air balloon rides, river cruises, and more. We really enjoy visiting shops where things are still made by hand – gold leaf, pottery, lacquer ware, weaving, and the like. Planning a trip? Take a Pandaw cruise on the Irrawaddy River, visit Lake Inle, and then relax at Amazing Resort in Ngapali. 

Best Beach in Asia - Ngapali

 When I see the many articles listing the “Top Ten Beaches” it

seemed to me that sooner later every great beach would make the list so I knew Ngapali Beach in Myanmar would be discovered; it finally made CNN’s list of “Best Beaches” in February 2016. John and I have been to Ngapali Beach nine times, staying each year at Amazing Resort. Ngapali Beach is truly a wonderful beach on the Bay of Bengal. For us it is

perfect: soft sand, warm water, no annoying vendors, and virtually devoid of tourists. We could leave our things on our beach lounge and knew it would still be there when we returned.  There are no jet skis, recreational boats, standup paddle boarding, and other beach activities found at more “popular” beaches. We especially loved Amazing Resort because it reflected Myanmar culture, all rooms have a view of the Bay of Bengal, the staff is “amazing,” and it was the only hotel on “our”

section of the two-mile beach even though are were hotels on other sections of the beach. But, things are changing.  There are now a couple hotels on “our” section of the beach including a slick Hilton which could be anywhere in the world as there is little to make guests feel that they are in Myanmar; and, they are located at the far end of the beach where there are many rocks so they don’t have a beach.  Even though there are now a couple other hotels on “our” section of the beach and more being built they have not had any impact on Amazing Ngapali – yet. 

All of Myanmar has seen a dramatic increase in tourism, especially from the United States and Europe, has had its impact on all of Myanmar.  I was surprised to learn there is now a water sports center offering scuba diving and other tours in Ngapali. We booked Ngapali’s Water and Sport Center’s “Land and Sea” tour. It was very professional and well organized. An air-conditioned van with a driver and a guide, Mr. Ko Ko, picked us up at the hotel and off we went.  One thing I notice is that the roads have been improved; and, now Ngapali has a stop light.

Our first stop was the market in the nearby city of Thandwe.

Markets in Asia are not what most Western people think of. There are many outdoor stalls that sell everything from clothing to fish to spices and more. In Myanmar things are still done the old fashioned way – that will change soon.  We stopped at a weaving factory where the young ladies were making bamboo placemats and longyis, the wrap-around cloth that serves as clothing for men and women. The looms are hand and foot operated. A weaver can make one ten-yard longyi each day. 

We also stopped at a monastery where two venerable, mummified monks are on display. The story is they said they were “going to sleep” and they still are I guess. They say their hair and nails still grown. My favorite part of the tours was the hour-ride on the serene Thann Ba Yar River to the Bay of Bengal where we boarded the dive boat and joined two divers. They said the diving was great. The water is protected by the navy. After lunch we boated to Lone Thar fishing village and then back to the hotel. It was a great day. 

Pandaw Kindat Cruise - Mandalay to Bagan

John and I are not fond of tour groups but a cruise accomplishes the

same thing better without changing hotels. We flew Air Asia from Bangkok to Mandalay and stayed at the Amazing Hotel Mandalay which has a good central location. The Pandaw people picked us up at the hotel and transported us to the Pandaw Kindat.  We chose a Pandaw cruise because the ships are built by the same company, the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, which had hundreds of ships that plied the river during their British colonial days when their fleet numbered in the hundreds.  When the Japanese attacked during WW II they sank all their ships but now are building new ones in the same style but with all the modern amenities. 

The seven-day cruise was a wonderful mix of touring the historical sites, visiting handicraft shops (In Myanmar things are made and done the old-fashioned way) and free time to lounge in the sun, read, or just watch life along the river.  The staff was amazing, anticipating every need, and attending to every detail including cleaning our shoes after every shore trip.  The meals were gourmet.

Myanmar is called, “The Golden Land” for good reason; there are

many temples, pagodas, and Buddha statues adorned with gold. In Mandalay we visited Mahamuni Pagoda where the faithful have adorned the Buddha with so much gold leaf that the statue is now many times its original size.  To meet the need for gold leaf pounders using sledge hammers pound the gold into the thinnest foil. They

work from sunrise to sunset with a break for lunch for about $6 a day. After visiting a beautiful teak monastery in a horse and cart we took a small boat on Taungthaman Lake to watch the sun set on U Bein, the world’s longest teak bridge.  I noticed that one of the crew

members who came along was the boat’s bartender. Jokingly I said, “You know it is going to be a great tour when you bring your bartender along.  It was no joke; he served us Sunset Cocktails while we were sitting in our boat watching the sun set. Unforgettable. 

Every day was an adventure. Normally I am not a fan of going to workshops but in Myanmar they still make products the old-fashioned way and not to just show tourists.  One day we stopped at a small pottery-making village where we could see the entire process from breaking up the hard clay to firing the pot in an earthen kiln. Myanmar people are very friendly so when they offered some of their locally brewed tea we were quick to accept.  It was sweet and delicious. 

We visited all the famous historical sites between Mandalay and Bagan. Bagan, with over 3000 temples, is the crown jewel of Myanmar. Part of the fun was getting to the sites.  Yes, we sometime took a bus but I rode an ox cart to the Mingun Bell, crossed a small

river to see ancient Ava, and we toured a village market in a tuk-tuk stopping at a school on the way back. On board we were entertained by traditional Myanmar dancing, singing, puppetry, and other cultural presentations. In retrospect I realized the cruise was very value-laden because the cruise included accommodations, tours admission fees, tour guides, various mean of transportation, and the wonderful meals and free-flowing libations. 

Long Stay in Asia

Many retired folks head to Florida to avoid the snow without realizing there are other options some of which are exciting and no more expensive. John and I discovered that long-staying at various hotels in Southeast Asia is more interesting. 

Before deciding on a second home away in sunny climes, consider the expenses: initial outlay to purchase, routine bills such as water, electricity, etc., maintenance costs or association fees, taxes and other miscellaneous expenses.  The benefit of long-stays is that there is none of that. 

We have long-stayed in SE Asia for several years.  Language is not

much of a problem for English-speaking people.  English is widely spoken in tourist destinations worldwide.  Yes, there is the expense of flying to SE Asia but this year our RT flight from New York to Bangkok was a little less than $800, but when you factor in other savings it is a wash especially considering we don’t drive our vehicle for three wintery months.  

One place we have long-stayed several times is Regent Cha’am in Thailand. We stay three weeks or so and it includes breakfast, internet, daily maid service and discounts on laundry and their restaurants.  One English couple we know stays for two months before Christmas, returns to England for the holidays, and then for three months.  Some Europeans have been returning to the Regent

for 20 or more years.  The Regent Cha’am has two large pools, two restaurants, an onsite clinic, daily activities, beautiful gardens, a minimart, and a spa. Six nights a week there is a duo singing all the old songs we know. We sometimes eat in the hotel’s restaurant but most evenings we walk five minutes into the little town where there are many restaurants, hair salons, tailors, and minimarts.  Meals for the two of us are normally about $15, and they are good – plenty of fresh fruit and veggies. To address the issue of food; picky eaters need not worry as American food is the default food in most restaurants worldwide. For a nominal fee the hotel has a shuttle into Hua Hin, a large nearby city. There are a variety of day trips, a kite boarding school, a golf course, and an outlet mall are nearby. 

I guess I am a restless traveler because after three weeks in one

place I am ready to move on. For nine years we have long-stayed at one of the world’s most beautiful and virtually deserted beaches. It is being discovered however. Amazing Ngapali Hotel on the Bay of Bengal in Myanmar is truly amazing.  The beach has silky sand, the water is warm and

gentle, and the service is excellent.  Even though there are several restaurants near the hotel we usually eat at the hotel because the meals are excellent and reasonable plus the view of the Bay of Bengal at night with the lights of scores of fishing boats twinkling on the horizon is hard to beat. For every five nights we receive a coupon for one complimentary dinner and two complimentary spa treatments.  Amazing Ngapali is hard to top. There are also several activities in the area such as boat rides, diving, and visiting fishing

villages and temples. 

The time may come when we want to settle down to one place for the winter but I can’t envision it – there too many interesting places to stay and places to explore.