Superfood Smoothie Upgrade v. 2.1

(Hemp Butter, Wild Honey, Maca, Mesquite, Cat's Claw, Astragalus Powder,
Hawthorn Berry Powder, Barberry Root Bark Powder)

Most of us are now familiar with the term "Superfood Smoothie".
Its become quite a common term in the raw food world, and for good reason.
You get a substantial amount of high energy superfoods, packed with vitamins,
minerals, and amino acids...all broken down to a smooth consistency for
easy absorption. Pretty nice, right?

Usually we have our base liquid, whether it be coconut water, an herbal tea,
straight H20, or even coffee for those who still partake.

We add in our nuts and oils...usually whatever you happen to fancy at the time.
I'm a strong proponent of hemp oil and hemp butter,
yet sometimes I'll simply do coconut butter all by its glorious self.

Perhaps a sweetener? Raw Honey (Raw Beegans Unite!), Agave Nectar,
Yacon Root syrup, or maybe stevia if thats what your feeling great on right now...

Then...SUPERFOOD TIME.

I've been doing the standard for quite a while now.
Maca, Cacao, Goji, Mesquite, Vitamineral Green, and Cinnamon.

It fills me up, and I can go for well over half a day without even thinking about
consuming anything else...thats how nourished your body feels because of this.

After listening to Daniel Vitalis and David Wolfe about herbs lately,
I decided that it was time to take another step forward.

I want to throw in powerful herbs and dried wild greens into my smoothie.
I started with Ho Shou Wu which I bought in Hong Kong. Here is what it looks like:


Otherwise known as Fo-Ti (TEE).


I then did a massive order from Mountain Rose Herbs and picked up items like:



Astragalus Root Powder, Sorrel Sheep Powder, Barberry Root Bark Powder,
Irish Moss, Icelandic Moss, Pau D'Arco, Cat's Claw, Horsetail Powder,
Hawthorn Berry Powder, Cedar Tips and Berries (read Anastasia!),
Dried Nettle Leaves, Dried Birch Leaves, Kelp Powder,
and a few others.

Most of these items are wildharvested and all are organic.



What do you think? Why not UPGRADE??? I cant pick wild greens
yet because of the season, so why not at least get the
dried form and just throw them into the smoothie?


And with my vita-mix, it all turns into a very smooth
liquid or pudding...depending on how much liquid base I use.



Raw Food is personal Anarchy in the kitchen.
You get to choose what works for YOU.
There are so many options available to you, that to take the advice
of just one person and stick to that idea blindly, would be such a
disservice to yourself. You get to choose! The Guru lies within you.

Throw in some of this...add a little of that...whatever works!
My smoothie this morning was pretty bitter though (ROOT BARK....ewwww)
but a little honey or a date fixes that in no time.
Whatever youre groovin' on right now is GOLDEN. That's all there is to it.

When you know this...you will know how to make my superfood fudge.
Here's a hint though...1/2 part nuts and seeds, 1/2 part dates...maybe a little oil.
Then? ANARCHY. Don't you see? You are the creator!

My superfood recipe may soon pale in comparison to yours.
The answer lies within your heart...you already know how to make it.
You just have to remember what works for you.

You'll likely need a food processor though...can't help you with that.
Besides a high-powered blender, a food processor would be my other
essential choice for getting started with this lifestyle.

One more tip though...after making your base for the fudge,
add in everything else by hand and massage it into your base...
constantly thanking the Universe (God, Life, Energy, Love)
for everything in your life...for it all makes you stronger and wiser.
Place those feelings directly into the superfood fudge.
You simply cannot buy that in a store, EVER.

Remember...you are a perfect piece of the divine,
living this particular life in a temporary human shell.
Why not get the most out of it? You deserve nothing but the best!
The best food, the best air, the best water, the best lovers and friends.
If you believe this deep down in your heart, eating junk again
simply becomes impossible. Its about LOVE everybody.
Maybe a little junk here and there doesn't seem like a big deal...
if not, thats totally cool. It's just where Im at on my path right now.
It's all good.

Here is a quote from A Course in Miracles...the lovely Alexandra was wise
enough to put it on her Give it to Me Raw page:

"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."

Never forget this.

Anthony

Questions and Answers

Lots of great stuff coming down the line lately...so I thought Id share some (paraphrased) questions.

1. RAW SUGARCANE.

What about pure raw cane sugar? I'm not even talking about the brown stuff that comes in packets. I'm talking about the raw sugarcanes that you sometimes see kids from other countries sucking on. Have you had any experience with that kind of sugar? What's your opinion on it?

-RBD

I have chewed on these canes before in HK, and even had them make a juice of one when I was there last year. I realized though that it wasnt really a big deal to me. They boil the canes usually anyways, and Ive heard that the commercial varieties are highly bred to be the sweetest and fattest...nothing like the original archetype. I don't really give it much thought...so many better things out there in my opinion. I suppose little shavings would be nice in a salad or something? No clue really...

I would just go with agave or honey. Really though...WILD agave if you can get it. Someone thought I was dissing agave...but its more like I prefer honey over agave, and I dont even do the honey all that much either. Its more about green smoothies and superfood smoothies for me right now. Ill explain that later. Agave is really amazing compared to almost anything out there. I have had yacon root syrup, and I think its great, but because I use so little sweeteners in my daily food intake, I just keep it to honey...maybe agave if Im making a dessert with someone.
And if some sweeteners seem a bit expensive...ask yourself this:
Why am I trashing my body with an inferior sweetener to save a few dollars?
Why don't I care about my well-being more than that?
Thats why most dark chocolate is still so cheap, they use processed cane sugar.
You really do get what you pay for, or at least work for.
Wild greens, for instance, are free...but you have to work for them.
Labor of love...

2. BEES REPLACING NATIVE INSECTS

When you introduce these bees into a non-native habitat, do they displace native insects?

-Anon

That is a really high quality question...something that I totally didnt consider. We all just assume that bees are good, but are they replacing native creatures? I would surely say so.

Check this article out: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/opinion/nyregionopinions/11WEalexander.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Seems that "native" wild bees still do a great job of pollinating. But with 44 trees, should I risk it? I want a really thorough job to be done. And anyone criticizing beekeeping obviously hasnt participated in an organic bee operation which completely respected the bees. Some tofu-eating vegan who might even still eat white sugar wants to feel morally superior by not eating honey,
but they completely forget that its our most natural sweetener besides fruit itself,
and we have been eating it the longest here on earth.
If we can provide food and shelter for them, can we be entitled to 10% of their take?
We need to create a symbiotic relationship with bees for the well-being of our planet.
Raw honey gathered from organic pollen is amazing, and I will disagree
with any vegan who wants to dish a little soy milk in my face.

3. MY FACE WASHING ROUTINE

What do you do for washing your face?

-Anon

Hmmm...a lot less than the average person. When your body is so clean on the inside, and your not doing tons of physical activity like in the winter or even anytime,
you can easily get by with washing your face every other day.

I use Dr Bronner's, every other day. Otherwise I will just rinse with some water. Then I might put on some coconut oil...but not usually. Every time I work, the hair and makeup people tell me that my skin is basically flawless. They ask me what I use...I say...
GREEN JUICE, SMOOTHIES, AND CUCUMBERS. They dont believe me.


I guess some topical products are really great,
but as long as you are trashing your insides, it matters not what you put on your skin.
TRUE beauty must come from within, both literally and figuratively.

I dont know the premise of the Natural Hygiene lifestyle, but I think what I just wrote fits into that. If your insides are clean by consuming a fresh and clean diet, then your outside just radiates and you have little use for crazy soaps and lotions. I use basically nothing. But when I was drinking milk and eating cooked oils & processed foods, I'd wash my face every day...
...crying about how I couldnt get the acne away...
all the while i was fueling that acne with my unconscious eating habits.

4. PUSHING PRODUCTS

Do you get paid for talking about other people's books or websites? It seems that
you are really passionate about some companies and Im just
wondering if you are compensated for it.

-JM

NO. NO. NO.
Call me unopportunistic but I havent really delved into that whole area.
I push books and websites and useful products because I use them myself
and have had great results from them..results that I want all of you to experience
as well. Im in this for the love...I am here to help.
Knowing that I am positively affecting lives is worth
so much more than any mad-made currency.

Perhaps down the road I will turn
my career path towards living foods and away from modeling,
but please know that I recommend things because I feel that they
have a strong ability to help you on your path.
This is not to take ANYTHING away from those who are lucky enough
to actually make the raw food lifestyle a part of their career.
PLEASE SUPPORT THEM. They are making it easier for all of us,
and until we live in a world where money no longer exists, (soon?)
most of us still have to pay the bills and feed the kids.

Hold them to a high standard of course, but always try to support them
however possible. They bring living foods to our lives, and they have to
pay the bills. We should all be so lucky to have such a "job".

Where's my royalty check? Daddy needs to by some fruit trees!


-Anthony

On game shows, some people will take the trip to France,
but most people will take the washer dryer pair.

-Chuck Palahniuk - Invisible Monsters

Friday Afternoon

When you think of vegetarians and vegans, do you view
someone who is frail and pale and weak?

I know for a fact that this very common and justified view
is because most of these adherents are seriously lacking
vital nutrients and protein, because they dont know about
other options that does not include dead animals.

And forget about that whey concentrate factory-farmed JUNK.
COOKED, RADIATED, HIGHLY PROCESSED SPACE FOOD.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was factory farmed...we are free range.


When I went vegan it was for ethical reasons.
I could no longer participate in the death of all those animals
and the horribly wasteful use of resources used to produce meat and dairy.

But as a model, there was no way I could afford to be pasty, frail, and weak.
I had to have the look of total health...but how?

The universe provided me the answer. I was strolling around a thrift shop
and discovered a very old raw food book called "Raw Energy" by Leslie Kenton.
Published in 1982. I read it, and it made complete logical sense.
Read about living foods and you just cant deny the plain logic of it all.

Living Foods and especially muscle-building leafy greens and superfoods were the answer.
I tried it...what did I have to lose? That last 10lbs and a puffy face?

And lo and behold...SUCCESS.

But at first I was doing mostly green smoothies...I needed to learn more.
I got into hemp seeds, different nuts,
green superfood powders, goji, maca, and cacao.

Thank you David Wolfe for bringing your knowledge into my life.

He was the one that showed me the answers that worked for me.

I consume around 2lbs of greens a day, and the superfoods listed above.

Im not some wimpy vegan eating soy burgers and rice milk...
I would never touch tofu-dogs or rice dream ice cream ever again.

CANE SUGAR AND FACTORY MADE PROCESSED "FOOD".
ALL OF IT.

Follow the laws of nature, and she will show you love
like you never experienced before. This is MY truth.

Maybe its your truth too. From what Ive learned, it probably is.

People go raw...no more need to take insulin.
People go raw...their tumors become benign or dissapear.
People go raw...they lose 140 lbs, even without much exercise.

HELLO????

Add it up kids! This is where its at.

Make this weekend your best yet. Its up to you.


Anthony

But...Where do you get your PROTEIN???

I recently attended a membership drive for the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.
No offense, but if someone were to tell me that they were not impressed,
I might have to agree with them. I might be opening myself up to a beating
via the keyboard from some angry members, but hear me out.

I feel that its way more of a business than a place for learning.
20 Classes...for almost $10,000.

Here's an idea:

Instead...Purchase:

1. - David Wolfe's Sunfood Diet Success System
2. - Victoria Boutenko's Greens for Life
3. - Gabriel Cousen's Spiritual Nutrition
4. - David Jubb's Secret of an Alkaline Body

Watch as many raw food videos on youtube as you can...

Eat lots of greens, superfoods, and fresh fruit...go light on the fat.
And with the extra $9,900...go on more than a few raw retreats with David Wolfe,
spend a month down at the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico,
get a vita-mix, a food processor, and a wheatgrass juicer.

You will be 1000 times more advanced than most of the
alumni of IIN (with the exception of Chocolate Girl )...she's on top of her game.

I could be totally wrong though, but based on the people I talked to,
most were still swimming in SAD territory.
"Where do you get your protein?" "Dont you get cold in the Winter?"
"If you ever feel yourself craving meat, dont feel bad about giving in."

I get my protein from SUPERFOODS like hemp seed
(only from Manitoba Harvest...the best organic hemp promoter out there),
bee pollen, and algaes like chlorella, spirulina, and blue green algae.

Why dont they know about this?

I use the Vita-mix to make warm soups if I need to...but no,
I dont get cold. Thats where the superfood smoothies come in.

And thanks, but no thanks...no dead animals are passing by these lips.
No fire, pain, fear, and death will EVER enter this temple again.

I seriously apologize if I sound abusive. I dont want to promote
an environment of negative thoughts, but come on...

Im not going to pay that much money to hear about other "diets" anymore when its so
blatantly obvious that raw plant food (maybe with a few ants here and there)
is the diet to reach super-human levels again. The diet of uncooked food that every wild animal on the planet eats. The diet that our bodies evolved on. Isnt it so logical at this point?
Who can really argue with these points? MILLIONS OF YEARS eating raw plants,
compared to a sliver of time eating and cooking meat and eating processed foods.

When looking for advice, look for someone who has achieved the results
that you hope to achieve. Do you want to be at the level of health
that they have reached? Find those people when looking for health advice.

Andrew Weil looks like Santa Claus.



Think about that.

Its all about credibility.

Look for RESULTS.



All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.

-Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters

My Stance on Honey + Bees

Miin, who is a good friend of mine, (check her blog) recently asked me
about my view on bees and honey.

I know in the vegan circles there is a big debate about the exploitation of bees.
One thing they should all remember though...almost every single fruit you eat
was pollinated by a domesticated "exploited" bee.
We simplywouldnt have fruit here in the states otherwise,
or reallyanywhere else for that matter.

I am definitely incorporating bees into my permaculture project in Minnesota,
but mostly for their pollinating powers. The small percentage of honey and pollen
that I would take from them would be only a bonus, and as far
as Im concerned, a little gift from the bees to me.

Think about it...I'm providing them organic pollen from all of the fruit trees,
building their homes, and keeping them warm in the winter.
I certainly dont believe in non-organic or cruelty-based beekeeping.

The fact that non-organic beekeepers spray those
poor creatures with pesticides and smoke,
steal their honey and pollen and feed them sugar water is a disgrace.
And its pure KARMA that all non-organic bees are suffering because
of varroa mites and weakened immune systems.

My bees would be a part of my family. I would take care of them.
I love honey, but its not my reason for having bees. Its more about
a symbiotic relationship, where I take care of them, and they take care of
me through pollination and a little honey. Fair?

We NEED bees. No doubt. Every home gardener should have a hive.
Read the Anastasia books and it becomes so clear.

Instead of USING and working against nature,
we must work with it. Honey is a magical food of
the highest vibration, and I feel that adding some into our
diet provides something special that we just cant get
with factory agave nectar and boiled maple syrup.

And also...we have to look at the sweetener most natural in our diet
in the past million years. HONEY. Not boiled tree sap or agave.
When you want to look real deep into our history, honey is the winner by far.
Is it a coincidence that we all win when
we add bees and bee products into our lives?
Bee Pollen, Honey, Royal Jelly...MAGIC.
And the bees pollinate the world like no other creature can.
They keep the cycle of life going.


What do you think?


Oh...and as far as winter goes, they all clump up in a ball inside the hive,
moving very little, and simply feast on honey until spring. WOW.
A northern beekeeper covers and insulates the hive, and I was even thinking about
putting one inside my dome greenhouse so I could compare the difference
in activity, and so they could pollinate the guava trees in January. Cool right?

I love honey, but I love bees even more.


-Anthony

Borneo Malaysia 01...

I think I might be eating too many wild foods....


I can't rave enough about Borneo. And I only visited one small part of one small area of the country. The area of Sabah is on the northern tip of Borneo, just south of the Philippines.

Very warm and quite humid, because January falls into the rainy season there. The best time to go seems to be Sept-Nov. Otherwise it is unbearably hot and humid, or its raining in the evening.

Our days were always sunny, but the night brought light showers. Nothing to stop a determined raw foodie from scouring the local markets for all the goodies to be discovered.


This market was right across from our hotel...luck? I keep saying thank you...


Papayas and some lovely Salak fruits...


Is this not perfection? Simply amazing.


Not a huge fan of the green mangoes, mostly because I cant eat them right away.
But if you had a food processor, you could make shredded mangoes with some chilis, olive oil, lime juice and a little nama shoyu. Thats hard to beat, and so easy!


Not a huge fan of bananas, but this is how they are supposed to look.
Sorry Miss Chiquita...youre as fake as it gets.


Did someone say coconuts? 50 cents each and MASSIVE.
I couldn't finish them sometimes.

A bundle of fresh mangosteens...50 cents a lb!
($8/lb for frozen ones in Chinatown NYC)
Someone is getting very rich importing mangosteens...


And of course...the meat. So for all your relatives that still partake in the flesh,
they will be loving it. Freshly charred meat, and very reasonable prices.


Poor little fishes...just swimming in the ocean this morning.


She knows whats up...the greens are where its at.

Gigantic bundles of cinnamon. What are we settling for in the states?


And yes...after asking around, we found the durian stall. Only two varieties are available
this time of year, and not many people are selling them right now.

These are called "Village Durians" which means that local people from the
villages will get them from the jungle and bring them in every night.
These were so small, but really packed a wonderful flavor.
I was loving it.


I even started eating the seeds. Not the brown coating, but the inside white part.
They were crisp like an almond that has been soaked overnight.
Not bitter at all.


Hmmm...what more could I ask for?

They weigh out your durian, place it on your table already split open for you,
place a box of tissues on your table as well, and thats it.
You dig in, leave the seeds on the table, and
when you're finished, they wipe it down and put all
the scraps in a big plastic bucket. Genius.

This was our first evening there. We arrived around 8pm, so it was just the market.
This was so good already, as I said before...I'll be coming back here asap.

Day two coming up soon...

To travel is to grow. And its so fun...you just cant lose.

Los Angeles Day Two

Im all over the place lately...I was out of the city this weekend attending a lecture of Philip from Lovingraw.com, and then spent time with him and Dhru from We Like it Raw on Sunday. I've been like a madman designing my permaculture site and talking to bee-keepers and watching more instructional videos. Its time to catch up with some posts, yes?

YES.

My second day of LA was GREAT.
Again...just keep saying thank you for all the good things in your life,
and somehow good things will keep coming.
I now take at least5 times a day to just stop and say thanks.
Even if its only 1-2 minutes...
Doing this throughout the day is a constant reminder that life is so good,
and that we have so much to be thankful for, and nothing to regret.

I had a shoot with Kohl's. I knew the photographer from before, so that was nice.
Everyone was really cool. During jobs, I always head for the breakfast fruit plate...
(making sure to get my fair share of berries) and then lots of salad for lunch.
Nearly everyone goes for the chicken and cow flesh...
I get the fresh greens and sprouts with tomatoes and cucumbers....works for me!

After the shoot was over, a friend of Dhru's and a new friend of mine, picked me up for dinner before my flight. We were going to go to Matt Amsden's Euphoria, but Gabe said that he
had enough time to bring me to Orange Country for a little-known gem.

Au Lac.



Walking in, I had no idea what to expect. Its in the middle of a strip mall in Fountain Valley,
and I was reading the sign on the door looking for the word "raw". Sure enough, there it was.

Its very unassuming as you walk in. Nothing like Pure.
More like a chinese restaurant.
Lots of light, booths and very modest decor.
Gabe was going crazy about this place though,
so of course I put all of my faith in him.

The owner and chef, Ito (sp?) has been on a vow of silence for 8 years.
Think about this. 8 years.
When someone on that level is preparing your food,
you know that youre in for something extraordinary.

We ordered a monster salad called Da' Bowl,
some pistachio bread, and raw paella. RAW PAELLA!?!?



Everything was simply astonishing. I was so impressed.
I couldnt stop smiling as I was eating my food.
We were laughing at how good it tasted. Is it the extra love in the food?


I now make it a point to massage my salads for 5 minutes before I eat them,
and while doing so, I say thanks for all the wonderful people Ive been blessed
to cross paths with. I think about synchronicities , and how I love to
experience each one of them...how excited I get to see little signposts pop up in life.

By doing this, I feel that Im putting positive energy and love into my food.
Maybe this sounds goofy, but let me assure you, its the best way to make a salad.
Try it.

Chopped greens. Add Nama Shoyu, Lemon Juice, and your favorite oil
(or your favorite dressing...whatever it may be)
and just grab it and squeeze it for 5 minutes. It may get a bit messy, but
I assure you that its worth it. Then add in your toppings after that.

Something about it...just like Au Lac. Just something about it.

Ito stopped by our table frequently to have us try new experiemental items on the new menu.
PORK FRIED RICE? He made it with mushrooms and sprouted grains,
but I swear, I was eating pork fried rice that night. It was unreal.


And their desserts? STELLAR.





They chill their pies for over two days because they have it at the warmest setting that will
still allow it to cool and solidify. Simply genius.
Go for the Chocolate X-tacy everytime. No joke.

Make your food with love. Think about everyone wonderful in your life, and
let it be transferred into the food that nourishes both your body, mind, and soul.

My flight was unfortunately very uncomfortable, but it gave me time to
sit in my chair and just be still with my thoughts for a while.
So much noise in our current world...
a little still silence only helps us.

I could have tossed and turned and bitched about the seat,
or I could have accepted it and used that awake time to be still
and say thanks and make plans for the week. Its all about how
YOU view the situation. You are the observer and the creator.

Go visit Au Lac's. Im making it a point to go there every time Im in LA.
The chef could open up a franchise with this, but he prefers to keep it local
and simple for now. Support him if you can, he really makes magic in the kitchen.

Make magic in the kitchen every time you make something...its up to you.

Anthony

Life Begets Life

Downloading Ancient Information...

These trees in Borneo are called the King of Trees. Eating the leaves of these
and eating the leaves of a newly sprouted weed is going to give you very different results.
Think of the deep minerals these trees (120 ft tall) have pulled out of the ground...


Anyone ever wonder whatever happened to my terrace garden here in NY?



I left it to the care of my friend...hoping that he would feel the same
bond with the plants that I felt. I believe that he did...
possibly so much that he never ate them!

What is amazing and simply beautiful in a way only nature can be,
is that this little oasis of life high above 2nd Avenue has provided
a home for some mating pigeons.



They are days away from having chicks, and its just wonderful.
My friend sent me these pictures minutes ago, and had to show all of you.
I hope it touches you at least 10% as much as it did me.
This terrace was my space of love because of those plants,
and to see it again nourishing new life gives me
some pretty warm feelings inside.



Sure, pigeons may be deemed ugly and disease ridden, but is it their fault?
They are LIFE...trying to survive and create more LIFE. What can we say?

At least they are doing what they are meant to do, unlike most of us.

Life begets life.
Eat death, fear, stress, fire, and pain...
And you become them.

Eat life, love, high vibrations, joy, radiance...
And you become them.

I cant stress this enough.
It may sound very esoteric, but if you actually try one, then the other...you will know.

Think of all the stress, fear, and pain going through an animal's tissues before it is killed.
Do you want to consume that? Do you want to transfer all of that into your temple?
Do you want your loved ones to keep consuming that?
No more pain, fear, fire, and death. Do it for yourself, and all of us.

As living foods enthusiasts, it is vital that we remember this idea.
It goes much deeper than clogged arteries or extra fat on our stomach.
When we consume love and peace, our minds work on a completely different
wavelength than those that choose to eat the cooked flesh of
stressed, tortured, and horribly frightened sentient beings.

Eat love and peace, become love and peace.


-Anthony

Thai Coconut Replacements

I've been getting a good amount of feedback about my decision to leave behind thai coconuts.

Id like to provide some alternatives for smoothies, some that I think are actually much more beneficial and actually more affordable.

I would suggest a nut or seed milk (Macadamia or Hempseed or Pumpkinseed) and raw honey.

These can be priced around $12-15 a pound for the first two (BUY IN BULK ONLINE)
and the pumpkinseeds are way cheaper as most of us know.
Anything more than $4 a pound and I would say you are paying WAY too much.
Add as much water as you need, and throw in coconut oil if you want to include the
essence and beneficial properties of coconuts.

You only need one ounce of seeds or nuts and 8oz of water, and youre set. Breaking down the price it is definitely not higher than $1 a serving. Compare that to $1.50-4 for a coconut.

Most Thai coconuts that you are finding in the US are:
1. shipped across the globe (think of the magic and vitality that fades away after all that time)
2. they are dipped in fungicides, and I would think that anyone reading this is on a mental level where they would consciously avoid all "cides" if you know what I mean.
3. and they are then irradiated to prevent more fungus upon entry into the US.

Im surprised that I didnt come to this conclusion MUCH earlier.


Luckily we can order high quality pure coconut oil, but I would usually save
the coconut water for when you CHOOSE to travel.
You wouldnt want to eat tomatoes in December if they tasted like cardboard, right?

Create a budget so you WILL have enough funds to travel to a great
fresh/exotic fruit) producing country in the tropics.
Look for deals, travel in the slower and cheaper seasons...
Whatever it takes. You can do it.

No Life Force, Fungicide, and Radiation. Come on!

Now...

Rambutan...this is my good friend coconut.

Oh Rambutan...you are just so fresh..behave yourself!


I guess some things you just cant fight. Who wants bubble teas when you can have THIS?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Im going back in late October I think.

-Anthony

BACK...and constantly thanking the Universe

Ah...entering the real world again. It actually feels pretty good (despite having to be on the concrete sheet covering the earth), because I feel like I am starting fresh and beginning to make real progress. Such a great time to start the New Year.

LA was GREAT. Actually better than great. My Hong Kong to NYC flight was overbooked, so Cathay Pacific offered me a direct flight to Los Angeles. Shaving off 11 hours of flying and sitting around in the airport was a GREAT bonus. Instead of getting in at 830 pm, I arrived at 930 AM. I keep remembering to feel really grateful for all of the good things that occur,
and lately more and more good things keep occuring. Hmmm...

I went through the VERY long wait for my bags, snuck my smuggled Malaysian fruits past customs (Kidding! wink* wink* "entertainment purposes only!") and took an
overpriced cab-ride to the (in)famous Roosevelt Hotel,
which is across Hollywood Blvd from Mann's Chinese Theatre.
I can only wonder what sick and perverted acts went on in my hotel room.

I visited the wonderful people at my LA agency,
then walked over to the "Farmer's Market" on 3rd and Fairfax.
I know that there are better farmer's markets in LA on certain days of the week,
but I didnt know the schedule and didnt have a car, so I tried what was within walking distance. When I finally reached it though, it seemed like I discovered that the term "Farmer's Market" has become a marketing tool to convey some sort of authenticity or homegrown feeling. It was more of an open-air food court. What a joke. Maybe on certain days of the week they have something in the parking lot, but that day I struck out.
I miss Borneo...and Phnom Penh.

However I did happen to find a fruit vendor and I bought a couple of prickly pear cactus fruits,




and one coconut.

I wont buy young thai coconuts anymore, and these seemed more real. Those white spots are not powder I assure you. It looked pretty natural. I cracked it open on the side of the rock bench I was sitting on, and drank the juice right there. It tasted great. Im sure I got a few stares.

I think I scared some kids walking by.
"Sorry kids. Your parents should be doing this too. You would have more fun as well."


I walked over to Whole Foods after that to see all the raw junk food that is blanketing the marketplace. Welcome back Anthony...crackers, cookies, fudges and who knows what else now. Who is still buying Goji's for $20 a pound? GO ONLINE PEOPLE...USE the internet.
Save your time too.

Over in SE Asia, its about fresh exotic fruit, coconuts, and fresh greens. Im SOOOO done with all that transitional food. Its just so overpriced and gimmicky.

So for any readers out there who are stuck in dehydrated purgatory:
(IF you want to reach the real raw living-foods high)

I have gone through the dehydrated food stage , sometimes in large amounts, and please,
I ask that you take what I say seriously. Keep this stuff out of the house.
Save it for special occasions. We may need it for the transition, but sooner
rather than later, we should get past all the raw junk
food and start giving ourselves nothing but the best.
Wildcrafted fruits and greens and superfoods (including and of course CACAO
is really the magic key to reaching the next level.
The quicker we can let go of all the kiddie stuff the better off we will be.

And WILD honey for sweetener.

Im not saying DONT EAT THAT. But when you are ready to set down that eating habit, you will know what I mean. I am really getting into eating the wild greens and finding random fruits as I explore. After buying those domesticated prickly pear fruits, I found these next to the sidewalk.


I had to partake...I doubt anyone will miss them.
They were great. Much more seedy than the domestic ones. I would recommend wiping them off in a nearby gas station bathroom before eating them.
I had little ones in my thumbs for way too long.

I also found some date trees growing on the side of the street with some even on the ground. I ate some of those too. REALLY fibrous, but still edible.

People are just letting these foods goes to waste.
Am I the only one who doesnt see a wild food buffet in front of me?

Really...you could live in LA without buying food if you were able to reach all the food that
was available and the greens weren't covered in fumes.
Lemons, Olives, Wild Greens, Prickly Pear Cactus, Wild Dates....
Pretty much has it covered, no? A person could surely live in Central Park in NY foraging during the summer, but LA seems much more possible for the whole year.

I walked back to the hotel...I was outside walking around for about 3 hours, then met up with a friend for for dinner. She is a doing a very low sugar living-foods diet and is experiencing the rare problem of too much energy and hours awake during the day.
We went to Juliano's which I thought was REALLY good and fun and its just an amazing place.
I was shocked by the value.



TRY THE CHEESECAKE THERE.

Im just saying try not to make your own at home and eat it all in two days.

Day two of LA coming next...

Im going to start doing the Borneo -Sabah posts but Ive gotta upload the pics and have been really occupied cleaning up and organizing since I just got back. Feeling overwhelmed but exciting and just chipping away at the big to-do list.

-LOT COMING UP SOON, and new vids as well.

-Anthony

Back to NY...Almost

Here are a few teaser pics from the Sabah (Borneo, Malaysia) trip.

S-A-B-A-H is where its at.

If I were a raw foodist, this would be the place if I were heading to SE Asia.
(As far as I've seen up to this point)

I've never been in a rainforest habitat like this...the smell is unreal. That fresh air changed my brain chemistry, I could feel it.

Beautiful flora and fauna...this guy was sitting around waiting for lunch to fly by.


And yes....although the Durian Merah (Durian Red) wasnt in season anymore,
we had the chance to eat wild jungle durians and one other variety.

On top of that, many new fruits were discovered, one being a total superstar.

I bought a good hard drive camcorder as well, so we made good videos as we went along.

Ill post in detail when I get back to NY...which isnt going to be quite as soon as I thought because I just found out that Im shooting a job with Kohl's Department Store in LA on Tuesday. So when I land at JFK at noon on Monday, (I leave for the HK airport in 90 min) I have to sit and wait for three hours, THEN fly over to LA and shoot the job.

Im going to miss the Gabriel Cousens Event in NY which Ive been planning to attend for 2 months, so Im pretty bummed about that. But I cant turn work down. Especially since this spring is my time to work and save up for the summer project.

Maybe I can head up to Santa Monica and visit Juliano's! That would be a great alternative actually. Its going to be a hectic 48 hours, but it will be great.

TONS more to come..seriously, Borneo is the place. WILD jungle fruit everywhere and absolutely beautiful landscapes. Highly recommended.

Ive got a 16 hour flight ahead of me...ouch.


-Anthony

High Quality Vids on the Way

The Sun is Setting on Crappy Video Quality...


Since I'm going to Borneo tomorrow, I thought I should get with it and buy a decent camcorder. I want to do a good amount of filming there, and Im sick of putting out half-assed grainy videos. I want the youtube stuff to look way better.

I need to get one for this summer anyways, so I might as well do it here where the prices are lower and there is no sales tax. And also, they always through in sweet freebies like bags and tripods and sometimes an extra memory card or battery. Lots of competition over here.

If you are ever coming over this way, think about holding off on any electronic purchases until you arrive. There are some really good deals to be found.
****Word to the Wise****
Head for the Mong Kok area of Kowloon.

I also get all of my housewares over here. I bought all these great wooden spoons for 50 cents each, and while in Cambodia I bought 3 large bamboo bowls and 5 coconut cups for $30.
Usually in the USA one bamboo bowl will cost around $35-$40. There are also great options for nice chopsticks and place settings. Its pretty decent.

(Friends back home reading this...IGNORE EVERYTHING I JUST WROTE...I FOUND NOTHING WORTHWHILE TO BRING HOME TO YOU AS A GIFT...)

:)

There is no tax or tip in HK either...what you see on the menu is what you pay.
STUNNING. What a concept, right?

I think about what I pay in NY to go out to eat, and now I cringe. One dessert at Pure Food and Wine could buy me 50 wild coconuts in Cambodia. I wish I were joking.

After one hour of online research, I decided to check for the Panasonic SDR-H200 or the Canon HG-10. Both have great reviews...we'll see what happens.

Here's a pic from Cambodia...a person could make a career just taking pics of flowers.

They fold the pedals back...so cool.

Oh right...this is supposed to be about raw food...what did I eat today?

Breakfast was a coconut smoothie blended with those purple flowers I picked yesterday.
WONDERFUL TASTE. Try this sometime.
I saw the comment about the formaldehyde and coconuts. Sad but true.
PLUS IRRADIATION.
I am so sick of wondering if the food I am eating is safe. SO TIRED OF IT.
I want to know the origins of what goes into my temple...as should you.

I cant wait to have all the fruit trees around and the garden and wild edibles...
It seems like they are trying to poison us at every opportunity...so sad.

Lunch was a massaged green salad (learned this technique from Dhru) with
wild honey, olive oil, nama shoyu, and lemon juice.
We threw some spicy peppers on top and ate it with chopsticks.

And just now I ate a head of broccoli with a superfood spread of:
Hempseed Butter (only from Manitoba Harvest...support the organic farmers)
Wild Honey, Vitamineral Green, and Cacao Powder.

I just spread a little on each floret and chomp away as I type. I love that mix, and if you have any leftover (a rarity...trust me) you can blend it later in a nut milk.

I love the experimentation aspect of living foods...no hard rules when it comes to making dishes...you really get to play around with it.

Dont forget to make it fun! Thats why we are here! Enjoy life to the fullest...


-Anthony

Visiting a HK Organic Farm

Started out the day with a papaya-coconut "salad". So good.

Whenever I am here in HK, we always have our greens delivered for our salads and smoothies.
You call the day before, and then they actually go out and pick the order for you.

Its really marvelous. Every Tuesday and Saturday they come by with two big bags of greens and some other veggies...usually tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, and onions.

So last night, Iris was talking to the lady over the phone, adjusting the order because we were getting way too many cabbages that we just werent eating, and she asked if
it was possible that I could stop by and visit the farm.
Luckily, the lady said it would be no problem.

So I headed out there after lunch (coconut water blended with spinach)
and stayed for about 3 hours.


No one there spoke English, and my Cantonese is pretty poor (I just know basic market-talk and some phrases)...so with some easy to understand body language, I got the hint that I could just walk around and explore for myself. The place was HUGE.



I started around the vegetable areas...
they grow lots of carrots and chinese kale and spinach...all well and good.


I then took the back pathways and walked into the
papaya, banana, and tangerine orchards.
There were birds everywhere.

One of the biggest bonus of growing your own food and having your own "garden of eden" is that the animals know a good thing when they see it and really start to congregate.
All of a sudden, you have portable lawn ornaments flying and buzzing around everywhere.
I havent heard birds like that in such a long time...truly a gift.

I was walking by an old woman picking ginger...


and noticed that tomatoes were growing everywhere without rhyme or reason.
Like...wild tomatoes everywhere.


Underneath the papaya trees, along the pathways...everywhere.
Little sweet red ones. Havent had one like that since september.



And then I saw that there was a little pile of wild sorrel that someone picked out of the ground and left on the pathway...as if it was some kind of unwanted weed.


I looked around, and it was EVERYWHERE. My back was getting sore trying to pick it all...
and they dont even want this stuff. You cant even buy it!



I found some lambsquarters, mint, and purslane too. I could have picked all those other greens, but it was the WEEDS that got me excited. This is where the magic is.
I think in the spring Im going to ask some organic farmers at the NYC greenmarket if I can go and eat unwanted weeds for them.
Grazer for hire...?

I wondered into the banana orchard and it was THICK. Very thick undergrowth.

It felt so great to be surrounded by so much green life.

I found a banana still on the tree that was ready to eat.
Check it out...SEEDS. Just like nature intended...


Im not big on bananas, but I had to try one right off the tree.
And on the banana trees, these lovely flowers were growing everywhere.

I simply can't get over the beauty found in nature...

Check out the white pollen inside of these. Amazing.



I picked all the pollenated ones that were shriveled up...


...put half in my bag and ate the other half.
I ate a VERY large amount. They were really tasty.
Not sure what they were, but I know that most flowers are not poisonous...
Dont take my word for it though.
Its been 4 hours and Im still alive, so I think it was a worthy gamble.
Not like Im picking mushrooms or anything.

I was totally in the zone though. You know that feeling where you are doing something
that you totally love? Time just withers away and you are completely in the NOW.
That's how you KNOW that you are doing what your soul wants you to do.

Here are a few more pics:

Organic Papayas:

And look at this papaya flower...reminds me of a humpback whale.



Speak of the devil...STYROFOAM!!!


An unidentified tree...possibly immature rambutans? Not quite sure.


Cucumbers climbing the strings...


I think these are tangerines...really small and sweet.


Corn...its January here and the corn looks like this.
You dont see this site in Minnesota until August.


Collecting seed...a must if you plan to be truly self-sufficient:

And strawberries getting started...

And when I arrived home...
The best salad I could hope for. Totally wild and rare.

What a wonderful day.

The trip to Sabah (Malaysia-Borneo) is confirmed.
I dont know when Im going to be over here again,
so I figured its best to do as much as I can while Im on this side of the Pacific.
Next year I want to get back to the western US and hopefully down to Latin America.
I love SE Asia though, and Ive only seen a teeny-little bit.

Check out my youtube video from the day here.

Have a great day everyone! Make it the best!

Anthony

Distressing the Durian Gods...

Or At Least the Vendors...

On Sunday, I was really craving some more durian. I was assuming that I didnt have many days left here, so I thought my days of fresh durian were sadly numbered.

So we went to a vendor nearby...Ive gone to this guy before, but for some reason his prices were higher. He said that rich Mainland Chinese are buying more and more durians and bringing the price up. Aargh....

What really gets me is that they eat all this fried pork and rice and all this other garbage and then eat the durian. I feel like the durian is wasted on them because they are eating all this trash that is canceling out the magic of the fresh durian.

So...my limit to spend was $100 HK Dollars, which is about $12-13 US.

He said he would check to see which ones were ripe so he gave it a tap to listen...

But then he starts probing into it to see if the pillows are soft...I didnt ask for that...




He says that its ripe, but not fully, he then weighs it and it comes out to $140 HK Dollars.

That comes to about $18 for a Durian. OUCH.

Out of principle...I had to say no. He then gets all pissed off saying that he cant sell it
because he probed into it to check if it was ripe...
I had to apologize and walk away feeling pretty embarrassed.
I guess I won't be going back there anytime soon.

So we then go up to the Tai Po Market north of Kowloon...

We find another guy selling some, but his are called "Golden Pillow Durian".
Never heard of it...but its the same high price again. This guy was selling pieces already taken out of the spiky shell though, so we bought some for $40 HK.

THEY WERE HARD AND SOUR. AND HE SAID THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT.

AAAARRRGHHH.

He said that the golden pillow variety is supposed to be eaten while still hard.
Ive never heard of this, and frankly if durian was this way always, I would never eat it.

I still wanted to do a little filming about selecting a fresh one so I grabbed a small one
and we filmed for 40 seconds. People start looking, and the vendor notices and runs up and grabs the durian out of my hands saying that Im disrupting his business.

I would think if anything its only drawing some more attention to his stall...
they just dont get it. Anthony Bourdain from "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel
runs into the same problem occasionally. I would gladly welcome a film crew into my place
if I were selling something...nothing but good exposure. I think it would have tempted someone to buy a durian that day.

Watch the video on youtube here...sorry for the crappy quality everyone...Im getting a good camera soon. I just use my little digital camera to film right now. Ive posted alot of new vids though, so be sure to check some of them out.

So I pissed off two vendors in one day...oh well.

In order to reach atonement, Im probably heading to Sabah, Borneo this weekend in search of the fabled RED Durian. Check this out...(not my pic)


My heavens...can it be true?

People sailed the seas just to taste the durian, I can do a three hour flight.

Read more about the Sabah Cuisine HERE...I really hope to go...seems like a sure bet.


Someone brought up the styrofoam issue....how some of my pics have me with styrofoam.

Here's some insight -
"Can I order a dragonfruit juice please?"

The girl behind the counter makes the juice...I sit down at a table.
She walked over and gives me the dragonfruit juice.
I get the dragonfruit juice in a styrofoam cup.


What do I do now? Throw it away?
It just boggles my mind how people dont think about this before they type something to me.
Its like they look for anything to shoot someone down. If you come to my apt and I give you something in styrofoam, then you have every right to complain.

Do you think I would ever buy styrofoam? I drink out of wooden cups at home.
If you order durian and dont bring your own package with you, they give it to you in whatever package they happen to have. You dont really have much say, especially if you dont speak Khmer or Cantonese. Stupid assumptions really perplex me.

Our civilization is going to change drastically because of peak oil and climate change and people are still thinking about styrofoam. We are WAY past that stuff.
Of course we shouldn't use it, but focus on something more imminent.

HALF PAST HUMAN


Like the boy scouts say...BE PREPARED.

More new fruits...and a little politics

Still rockin' the mustache...can't seem to shake it. Might as well do it while I can.

Thats one lame thing about my job...you really dont have much personal freedom about how you look. Well...you could do whatever you wish, but if you expect to book jobs, then you have to "look the part". I would love to just shave my head...sounds funny, right?

So in the process of looking for more HK Durians that were cheaper than $2 a pound,
I stumbled across some more Snakeskin fruits...and with the help of the lovely internet,
I discovered that these are really called SALAK fruits. These particular ones are from Indonesia. They were quite different than the Cambodian ones I had (which were imported from Thailand). Those were much sweeter and the fruit stuck to the seed more. These Indonesian ones were more bland and crispier..not sticking at all to the seed. Much easier to eat, but nowhere near as tasty. Ah...SAVOR the variety.

Another jewel? GUAVAS! Especially Hong Kong Red Guavas. Leave a few of these in your room and the whole places smells SOOOO good. I was excited to come over to Asia for the Durians and Jackfruits, but the surprise of the trip has been the guava. Probably one of the best tasting fruits I have had. And I just ordered two guava trees to grow in the greenhouse this summer. REALLY excited for that.

Here is some fresh Dragonfruit Juice we had...not very sweet, but actually really refreshing.
I usually dont have fruit juiced, but I thought Id give it a shot. Pretty nice actually.

Usually you want to eat your fruits and juice (AND EAT) your veggies. Juicing fruit is going to up your blood sugar super fast...not what you want. Nature provided sugars with fiber in the form of fruits...we should take heed.

We went hiking in this little beach town on Hong Kong island called Shek-O and realized that the bus wasnt going to come for another 45 min...so what to do? Photos!

If you have a feature called "Slow Syncro" on your digital camera (check the manual mode)
play around with it and see what you can do. Its really fun and makes great pics. But you have to be in a low light area. Try it sometime, you wont regret it.

A face only a mother could love....

The only good thing McDonald's is useful for is the free bathrooms.
Thanks Ronald!

Oh right...POLITICS.

A dear reader of this blog (who I LIKE) thinks that the US Government is FOR the People,
and BY the people. Am I wrong to assume that she thinks that the super-elite have no control over what goes on in the US? That the average citizens really rule because they get to "vote"?

Like the great quote says...
"if voting changed anything, it would be illegal."
Do you want the puppet on the left...or the puppet on the right?

Either this view is painfully naive about how this world really works,
or maybe there are an employee for the Ministry of Propaganda.
The families who were in control hundreds and hundreds of years ago are still in power today. Make no mistake about it. They realized though that populations are easier to control if they can be distracted with material goods like cars and clothes and toys...instead of brute force.

And I speak out BECAUSE people have died. Wars are created by the elite...and they use the poor and brainwashed middle class to fight for them.
MOST of the soliders in Iraq are either there because:
1. - They signed up in the reserves and unfortunately got sucked into this mess
2. - They wanted the income and decided to sell their bodies to Uncle Sam
3. - They were brainwashed with nationalism and patriotism

Bring on the comments...

They are PAWNS that are being used by the RICH. WAKE UP.
Being in the mid-east for the past few decades has only PISSED THEM OFF and has led to all this mess. We need to leave the middle east (and everywhere else) and stop policing the world.

If you want to support the soldiers, I would suggest doing whatever you can to help them get home immediately and de-program them at once.

Also...Im not some American being critical of "my" country from abroad.
Im on VACATION for 3 weeks.

Just because someone was born within the US borders doesnt make them an "AMERICAN" in their soul. It takes much more than that.
I am a world citizen. And I suggest that you see yourself as the same.
Ridiculous arbitrary borders created by rich politicos should not dictate how we see ourselves and each other. Represent the World-Town.

Of course..I could be living in some brutally repressive country where I would be in prison right now for typing this, but we should wake up to the subtlety of oppression all around us.
We are capable of so much more...this is NOT the best possible life...far, FAR from it.
I speak out to spread ideas, and to hopefully help others improve their own lives.
Swallowing the submissive & supportive citizen bull-crap
will lead to a life of quiet desperation.
What do you think?
Like Thoreau..."That Gov't Which Governs Least is BEST"
We cant confuse the USA of the 1770s and 1860s and 1940s with the USA of today.
Some VERY evil people are in control. Not the people. The people have always spoken out, and they want peace. We have war. Obvious, no?


And...just to add for some fun...



Gotta end with a laugh hopefully.

Next up...pissing off the Durian Gods...

Sihanoukville (Days 7-9)

Oh..how I've waited so long to see a sight like this again.
Why dont I just live somewhere like this?

So we left Phnom Penh around 8am and took the Angkor Express 4 hours ($8) to S-Town.

It stops once along the way, and you are greeted with this:

Cambodian Girl - "Sir...you wanna buy some (FRESH-ORGANIC-PROBABLY WILD-AND- UNBELIEVABLY CHEAP) jackfruit?"

Me - "Why yes...YES I WOULD."

Me (to the FORCE) "THANK YOU!!!"

Youve got to love the roadside hospitality.

I found one to take a pic with...super cheesy...yeah yeah yeah, I know.

This massive amount set me back...1 DOLLAR!

And remember, when you are finished, save those seeds and give them a fighting chance!

I threw these over the ledge into some brush next to the bungalow.

Speaking of bungalows...here's a pic of where we stayed.
High season price? $15!!! WITH a hammock on the front porch!
PEAK SEASON TOO!!! Unreal...

I told the owner to plant more fruit trees! Such a no-brainer, right?

And most places have breakfast included. Usually a fruit buffet with eggs (if you want them).

I had pomelo, watermelon, and pineapple. I had a big papaya in my backpack for later so it was
all bonus. You could always take some for the road if you wanted to....they dont really care.

The main part of S-town that is appealing to the tourists is the long stretch of beach with
bars and restaurants along the whole way. There are quiet places too, but this is where its going on. At night each place has a happy hour, and if you or someone you know still digs seafood, all the restaurants do "Seafood Buffet BBQ" right on the beach for....3 DOLLARS. Crazy right?
They have salads and lots of sides too...its just ridiculous.

S-Town was our big nature part of the trip...so we did this hike through Ream Nat'l Park.

Its a protected mangrove and coastal area, and we were lucky enough to see dolphins.
You take these boats for about 45 min until you reach the beach area.

Then you hang out on the beach, eat whatever food you brought with you and swim a bit.
After that they take you on this "jungle trek" which was SUPER lame. The only highlight was walking behind this local kid.

He walked with us the whole time totally barefoot. And this was some nasty terrain...
super rocky and slippery. He made me feel like the biggest weenie EVER.

I mean...LOOK at those rocks! Good lord...
Then they walk you through this local village which was pretty much a big let down and then you take the boat back to where you started.

Word to the wise...there are two trips usually offered to tourists in S-town...
one was this, and the other is a snorkeling trip to nearby islands.

DO THE SNORKELING.
We did snorkeling in Thailand a year ago so the "JUNGLE TREK" seemed like the best option.

My mistake...your benefit. Enjoy...and youre welcome. Haha..

The next day we rented electric scooters and zipped around the area.

Ended up checking the S-Town markets and found them to be the SLOPPIEST I have ever seen.
I would love to take my parents here and really blow their minds.
So much slop, and each pathway has gutters where they dump their fish-water.
Really crazy smells of course...think about what that smells like in your body!

Here are some favorite pics from there..

Real oranges are SUPPOSED to be green...take note everybody...

More Jackfruit...yeeeessss!

Me sipping on some coconut water mixed with green superfood.

Roasting little bananas...

Do you think her scarf matches those banana flowers on purpose?

Fish fish everywhere.


So we took the 2pm bus back to PP for our last night. By day 9, I was a bit worn out.
Lots of sun and really on the go. We hit up the fruit markets from Day 1 again and got more durian and a soursop to bring back to HK. We snuck the soursop in somehow but we lost the last pillow of durian at security. Actually, they let us eat it FAR away from them.
Treating us like lepers...I swear. THEIR LOSS.

I was thinking about doing a post for each day, but I want to catch up quick so I can get on with the present moment. We did a total of 10 days (flight days included) and I think it was just perfect. We were REALLY happy with the itinerary and the variety of what we saw.

Cambodia is still VERY affordable and a dream for a raw foodie. Just bring a good superfood with pro-biotics in it. I was eating lots of unwashed fruit and Im sure I was ingesting bacteria. So try to have GOOD bacteria in your system so you have a chance. My stomach only got upset once when I really overdid it with mixing fruit.

The fruit there is WAY powerful so you have to respect it. Stuff that strong likes to be left alone in your stomach. Dont eat a bunch of pineapple after eating durian. PLEASE.

Or maybe its just me...?

Feel free to ask questions if you are interested in going, and I had the
"SE Asia on a Shoestring" from Lonely Planet. It really helped, but once you are there you can really wing it. I loved each day and wouldnt mind going again at all.
So many other places though....

The big permaculture project starts in May, so I think Im going to stay put in NY and try to earn as much as I can because Im not going to have any income probably for 4 months and will be spending about 90% of my savings on the whole project...so no trips for a while.
At least big ones. There are always quickie weekend trips though...

Much love everyone...do whatever it takes to travel. I really feel that it makes us so much more compassionate and well-rounded as humans to do so. Cut out some minor luxuries every day like coffee or make your own juice instead of buying it, and the difference in $$$ at the end of the year will pay for a big trip like this. Sounds crazy, but its true.

To the future!

Anthony

Or the 70's?

I shaved off everything from the trip and thought Id leave the 'stache. Any takers? HAHAHA!

I cant rock this in NY, so I gotta make the most of it while I here...never had one before and its SO funny to see it in the mirror. Ah...the little joys of life.

-A

Cambodia Recap Days 3-6 (Angkor Wat-Siam Reap)

Christmas Morning Sunrise...Angkor Wat, Cambodia

We woke up at 4:30...not quite sure if getting up that early would be worth it.
As we were riding there in the tuk-tuk, you could just feel the energy in the air.
It was REALLY exciting. Still totally dark out. There were loads of people though.
We walked along the corridor across the lake towards the temple and you could see nothing but stars. This place is magical. I hadnt felt that way in a long time.


I bought a SEEDED watermelon the night before so we would have breakfast taken care of.
I eat the whole melon, and since its been a long time since Ive had watermelon (Sept?) it caused major diuretic action. I had to pee probably every 15 minutes.
Its amazing how a food will affect us if we havent had it for a while.
Iris ate some of the red part, I wolfed down the rest. It hit me hard.

Back to the temples...

Here is a tip for whoever goes later on -

At sunrise you will see a LARGE crowd of people gathering near this pond so they can take pictures of the the sunrise. The funny thing is that they will sit there for over an hour waiting for it, while the WISE ONES will sneak into the temple and have it all to themselves.
The sun wasnt up yet, but there was still that warm morning misty glow,
so we could see everything we had to. No problems.
There are no-enter signs, but dont worry, its just to keep out people while its still dark.
Some other adventurous souls went in right before us, so we figured all was well. And it was.
Walk around the inside of Angkor Wat all alone at sunrise and tell me what you think.

A total heart-stopper. The magnitude is hard to describe with words.
Something this sacred has to be seen and FELT to be appreciated.

So on Christmas morning, I spent my time at a sacred Hindu Temple in the heart of the tropics.
PERFECT. I was SO separated from the idea of the Xmas holiday.
I couldnt have asked for anything more at that point.
I love being with family and giving gifts (WHEN I CHOOSE TO, NOT WHEN THE CORPORATIONS DO...) but Xmas has REALLY got to go. Puts people in debt, makes the lonely feel even worse, and places the idea in our head that we must act in that spirit simply during the holidays....ok, rant over. Give gifts, but when you want to.

The Gods Approve...


The day was just beautiful as well...perfect weather there this time of year.

Look at the craftmanship and the details...



We only spent one day there though...many people recommend THREE.
What you do is buy your ticket ($20 = 1 day) the evening before, at 5:30. You then go climb this other temple and watch the amazing sunset. Then the next morning you use that same ticket and start your full day. Honestly though, by 1pm we were DONE. It was 8 hours total. We could have come back to see the afternoon sun hit Angkor Wat, but I was pretty much content. There were so many more pics...these few dont even do it justice at all. The whole area is like 10km x 10km...so we are taking about a really large area here. Be prepared.

It all started to seem the same, but we did finish up at Ta Phrom Temple...the one
completely overgrown with trees. MASSIVE TREES.
Nature overtaking civilization...gives me that warm-fuzzy feeling all over.
It looks like Im all alone here, but there are about 50 people standing in front of me waiting to get up there and take a pic. Christmas day...pretty busy.
The tourist mix was probably half-european and half-asian (Koreans, Japanese, Mainland Chinese) and very few others. Lots of Euro families for sure. Its just so cheap to stay there.



We did lunch at one of the restaurants nearby, and I did two big papaya salads and a coconut.
I think the total was $6. $2.50 for each salad and $1 for the restaurant coconut.
Its still cheaper than the water. I think I averaged about 5 a day while I was there.


A little scene from the place we stayed at...REAL bananas! With little black seeds!
Miss Chiquita Banana has got NOTHING on these...


The next day we did some market walks...bought t-shirts and fruit, and then did massages and some internet. A more mellow day so I dont have to really post about it.

We took the river boat from Phnom Penh the day before the temples and it cost $25.
You can take a bus instead for $10, and its the same amount of time. However, the boat was fun and I finally was able to get some sun worshiping in! Adios whitey!!!

We took the bus back though, and stayed over in Phnom Penh on the 27th. The next day we headed for the southern coast...the town of Sihanoukville (I call it S-town).

The next post will be on that area....and it was a great time too.
Our itinerary really worked out well. More to come...

Cambodia Recap Day 2

Starting the morning with some Soursop...Oh YEAH!!! Durian on the bed too...good mix.

So today was a mix of ups and downs. A great day of course, but we visited some spots
of Cambodia's ultra-violent past, so it wasnt exactly sunshine and lollipops all day.

As a cool little bonus, the daughter of the owner of where we stayed was getting married.
They had the ceremony downstairs and it was pretty vibrant.
Im not sure if it was an arranged wedding, but it seemed pretty possible.

Here Iris is with the sister of the bride:
This is the bridal party:


Pretty cool, eh? Looks like a NYC bike messenger.

Ok...so we were off on our tourist pursuits.

Stop #1 was Choeung Ek...otherwise known as "The Killing Fields".

I posted the wikipedia links for anyone wanting to learn more. I knew basically nothing of this horrific era in Cambodia's history, and Im basically dumbfounded how the American school system is so devoid of any information regarding it. What a joke.

Ive never come face to face with genocide. Ive never been to the concentration camps from WWII. My life has been pretty sheltered from violence and death.

When you walk into this area, you come upon this huge stupa filled with 5000 skulls of the executed individuals who were later removed from the mass graves.
Like a punch in face...there it was.
You can walk inside and look at them..no glass separating you from the horror.

I kept getting these tingling chills down my spine.
Even writing about it now, Im getting the feelings again.

And what I thought was REALLY screwed up was that people were actually
taking pictures in front of the skulls. And some ladies were actually SMILING.
IM NOT KIDDING. WHAT HAS HUMANITY COME TO?

Where the hell is the respect and decency?

All the pics of this are from Iris, I was not in the mood to be taking pics.

So after that, we walked around the excavated mass graves. There was a guide talking about how everything happened there, and to keep this post relatively non-stomach-wrenching Ill leave it out. There was this tree there which was used to kill children (yes...CHILDREN...use your imagination or read about it) and of course the cameras were in full effect.
Here I am, crying...and people are taking pictures of this tree. What the hell is going on here?
I just couldnt believe the lack of respect.

This is me discovering part of a human leg bone on the ground. Real enough for you?
There are still old clothes around, and bones everywhere. My spine is tingling right now.

Yeah...pretty tough for me. So after this we were off to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum.
Ah...reality.


(Dont worry...I dont think anyone is going to smile here.)

Almost everyone killed at the Killing Fields were previously tortured here.

There are mugshots of all the prisoners on the walls, and you see the terror in their eyes.
Out of almost 20,000 people that were brought here, I think something like 14 survived, and only because they were the last ones there when Phnom Penh fell in '79.

This is so much to digest. You walk through the actual interrogation rooms. You see pictures of what happened in the room you are standing in. You see blood stains on the floor.
You think your life is tough? Do you want to complain some more about your job?


Whats really messed up is that most of the guards and torturers were very young men, in their early teens. Brainwashed by the Khmer Rouge to carry out these acts.

And whats even MORE disturbing is that many of the torturing practices that they used are the same ones that (were? are?) used in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Electric wires, waterboarding...ponder that for a while. Want to keep paying taxes?



So we were there for while, but I had just about enough. Time to go.

We checked in to our new hotel (Really nice...and only $33 a night) and then headed for our next massage. One hour of foot, one hour body. Still, the thoughts of what I just saw were still in my head. I have no right to be sad about anything in my life. We all have so much to be thankful for and most of us just bitch and whine. We have no idea how hard it can be.
Sorry to be such a downer, but its the truth. Please be grateful for EVERYTHING.

After the massage, we went for dinner. I did lots of spicy salads like mango, green
papaya and pomelo (grapefruit). They would put peppers and nuts in it, and it was great.

After dinner we just walked along the river. Lots of people were out...mostly locals.
Most tourists were drinking it up or eating...there really isnt much else to do in Phnom Penh at night. HOWEVER...we wandered across these crazy kids who were doing a drum circle and break-dancing right in the park. It was AWESOME. Some were doing backflips!

So I ended up doing some handstands with them and dancing a little bit.
I grabbed one by the hands and swung him around and everyone else wanted me to do the same with them. It doesnt seem like kids get much attention here.


They were really loving it. And pretty soon everyone was watching.
People need to get a life, I swear...just a bunch of observers...no one doing much.
We had the best time with these kids, and it cost absolutely nothing. This is REAL fun.

Such a great unexpected bonus.
Be open to the randomness.

Off to Siam Reap and Angkor Wat via boat in the morning...so its an early bedtime.

2 for 2 so far...really good days.

Cambodia Recap Day 1 (pt.2)

So after the fruit market, we walked around more and hit up some of the other markets.

They are called "Psars" in the Khmer language. The next one we came across focused on food and clothes. Tons of people around, and I was the only white person I saw for most of the day. Walking through the markets was a total stare-fest for these people. I was an alien.

And no one really wears glasses here. When the Khmer Rouge was wreaking genocide on the country back in the late 70's they were targeting intellectuals because the Khmer Rouge had a dream of a peasant agrarian utopia. Intellectuals were seen as a threat to this "dream". Wearing glasses would literally get you tortured and killed.
Maybe that idea has stuck with them...
or I am taking for granted how difficult it is to get prescription glasses.
I never wear contacts when I travel. Too much fuss and I dont need eye infections on the road.
My vision is pretty strong anyways, I just like the extra crispness while traveling.

Anyways...one of the first things I stumbled across was a couple selling wild honey right off the honeycomb. The bees were tiny and some were still stuck onto the comb. Very hardcore.

Each piece went for about $2. Dont forget to bargain.
Buy in quantities too, and ALWAYS SMILE.

A simple grin goes a long way. And learn at the very least some basic market language.
"Hello!" "How are you?" "How much?" "Please?" and "THANK YOU".

Be a positive representation of the west. Remember, our wretched country (USA) along with other European nations helped to destroy this nation back in the 60's and 70's...
and these people dont forget too easily.

I ate the whole comb and chewed on the wax. Bees and all. There goes my veganism!
You have to realize that a total vegan diet really isnt natural, and that we have been eating small insects (whether on purpose or accidentally) for eons. Even horses and cattle eat ants while chewing on grass. Im much more open-minded about this now. Think about this.

I chewed the beeswax like gum for a while, and then went on my way to explore some more.
I ended up coming back there three days later and bought two liters of wild honey for $14.

Markets are my museums. I dont really care much for minute details of history. I feel that its good to learn about the lessons of the past, but I prefer the present moment MUCH more.
I was more impressed by the massive trees at Angkor Wat then the temples. Go figure.
Walking through markets, REAL local markets, is what gets me going. Life is here.
The smells, the sounds and the sights, and the stares of the locals. :)



We found some girls grinding mature coconuts and pressing the pulp and the coconut water into a milky white liquid. They use this for cooking, but we decided that it was our next beverage. I dont think anyone drinks this stuff...its always used for curries and other dishes.
But for real...someone could set up a stall and sell it as a beverage, it was just THAT good.


$1 for a BIG bag. I couldnt finish it all. Overload....
Good thing we were walking everywhere!

Here are some more pics from the market:







A BIG thanks and much respect to Iris for getting most of the people pics here.
Im really cautious about taking pictures of people out of fear that I will make them feel like zoo animals, but Iris seems to pull it off with grace. Be respectful and cautious when taking
pics of people. You dont want to offend anyone while traveling. Ask permission.

We then walked over to Wat Phnom and fed the monkeys that reside at the temple.
Talk about the good life...just chilling and eating fruit all day. However...this can lead to obesity. These monkeys would be searching for food and climbing trees all day in the natural world...here they sit and eat. Chubby monkeys are the result.
The older they are, the bigger they get.

Young Monkey...


Middle Aged Monkey....(nice choice with the Rambutans little buddy)

And reaching her golden years...this fine specimen -

Chilling out on a nice late afternoon in Phnom Penh.

Ok...so one more thing and Im done.



We made a point to get as many massages while we were here.
In Cambodia they have this organization called "Seeing Hands Massage".
It was created to give blind people a way to earn a respectful living.
They give the best massages Ive had. Maybe the Japanese ladies in NY that walk on
your back are a little bit better, but $70 an hour vs $6 DOLLARS AN HOUR...?

The only thing is that it kind of feels like a mini-massage factory. You are in a room with 4 or 5 other people, and the masseurs chat away while they rub you down. So its not a super-relaxing
environment, but speaking in pure utilitarian terms, its by far the best place to get worked out. Wow...they are strong. Even going at 7pm, they still had so much strength in their hands.
I think we had one day where we didnt have a massage. $6 an hour...so good.



Finishing the day with a beautiful Cambodian sunset. Lots of French architecture and a
wonderful atmosphere walking along the river. Great place.

Day 2 coming up...

Anthony

Cambodia Recap Day 1 (pt.1)

We arrived in Phnom Penh around 11am. HOT HOT HOT.

I never assumed that even in late December it would still be so warm.
Actually, for all who might be planning a trip here after all of this, I would recommend
going in December or January. The humidity is lowest at this time of year and the heat
is at least bearable. You would likely still require air-con in your rooms...definitely a fan though.

A taxi ride from the airport was $7. It was funny though...our driver kept saying "pay now, pay now..." which is TOTALLY a foreign concept to me. I thought maybe he would drop us off at the side of the road after we gave him the cash. Turns out, he needed gas money.
Welcome to Cambodia. Dont expect people to have much cash on them.

We got dropped off at the guesthouse I reserved just so we had a place in case we couldnt find anything else. This place was ok, but a little spartan. We were just excited to be there.
We arranged our tour for the next day, and asked where the fruit markets were.
As luck would have it, a really good one was only a ten minute walk south.

"You want to try Durian???" She asked us.
Um...yeah! She probably thought that we never had it before, but we let her know that we were big fans and were excited to have it really fresh while we were staying here.
So she marked it on the map and off we went.

Phnom Penh is much more of a local city. Not much tourist stuff here really. Well, there is some, but we'll get to that later. But if you are into exploring the markets and trying new fruits, this is really the place. No other place we visited came close to variety and price. This was it.


We stumbled upon the coconuts first. We were quoted 2000 Riel which is 50 cents. Not knowing how much the usual rate is, we asked a chinese lady that we were exchanging HK Dollars with across the street. She told us 1300-1500 Riel is common.
So here we are haggling over 10 US cents. I felt pretty damn cheap about that, but you dont want them to take advantage of you. I was actually much more easy going about bargaining than Iris, but Im not as well versed in market-protocol. You have to haggle.


So, for 35-40cents, we scored the best coconuts Ive ever had EVER. EVER.
And the best thing? They werent sweet. Well, a little, but NOTHING like the Thai coconuts back home. I dont know what those things are anymore. Im done with them, thats for sure.
Save your coconuts for when you live nearby or are traveling. Those chinatown coconuts are dipped in fungicide, and irradiated. Use a nut milk for your smoothie base instead and throw in some coconut oil if thats what you need. Im done with the Chinatown Thai coconuts.



Then...despite all the motos and cars everywhere, we looked across the street and our noses werent deceiving us. There they were, and in quanities Ive only dreamed of.
All those horrible car fumes and STILL...the durian was stronger.
You cant fight the funk.

Ok, so obviously I was excited.
I was even prepared for the occurrence that durians werent quite in season yet and that I would just have to settle for mangosteens and jackfruit and coconuts. But alas...NO!
MAJOR durian action going on. Such a blessing.

A BIG one cost about $9. Funny thing, because this is how much one night cost us at the first place we stayed. I think id sleep outside and eat durian instead. Haha...



Now, what was even better was exploring a little more and seeing what else was available.
I found 3 fruits that I never even heard of. Not even a clue about what these were.




First was this gem. A big one cost about $1.50 US. Inside was like a cherimoya but more sour. We saw a soda can later with a picture of this fruit and they called it a Soursop.
Has anyone here ever heard of this before?
This was my favorite find, and we were sneaky enough to bring one back to Hong Kong later.

Check this one out:


You can see the unwrapped ones behind the vendor. I had no idea that these even existed.
I asked him what they were called and he said that they all call them "Snake-skin fruit".
Fair enough.

They were somewhat sour, yet still pretty sweet. Great for traveling because they store pretty well. The skin was really like a snake...but super dry and flaky.

And when fully peeled, this is what they look like:

Many herbalists say that if you eat a food that looks like a certain body part, it will directly
influence that body part. Um...can you call this BRAIN food? Wow...I was blown away.

And the last discovery? The MILK fruit!


They were about the size of tennis balls, and had a sweet milky inside.
Pretty nice, but nothing compared to the other two. 50 cents each.

So...all this in just our first hour of Cambodia. A great start I have to say.

After getting so excited about everything, I asked the tuk-tuk driver (a cart pulled by a motorcycle) what his favorite fruit was. "Durian? Jackfruit? Mango???"

"Apple!" he replied enthusiastically.

Think about this everyone. Apple. Wow....the grass is truly greener on the other side.

Pt 2 of day one coming up!