This little fellow was one of the most colourful marine iguanas we saw in the Galapagos Islands.
Marine Iguana at Punta Suarez, Espanola Island, Galapagos
All posts by Red Hunt
Win a Trip to China worth $2200!
To celebrate the launch of redhunttravel.com I’ve teamed up with some good friends over at Intrepid Travel to give away a great trip to China!
China is one of those mysterious destinations that I have yet to visit…but will one day! So I am extremely jealous of whoever ends up winning this #traveltrivia contest and gets to join the 15-day Explore China tour from Intrepid.
Have you been to China or always dreamed about visiting? Leave a comment below with your China tips after you enter the contest.
How to Enter
It couldn’t be easier, and you have five chances to win! All you have to do is:
1 – Follow both @redhunttravel and @Intrepid_Travel on Twitter. If you already follow us both, proceed to step 2!
2 – Copy and tweet this message:
Enter to win a $2200 trip to China from Red Hunt Travel and @Intrepid_Travel. Info: http://bit.ly/gdOkum Pls RT. #TravelTrivia #China
3 – Correctly answer the weekly #TravelTrivia questions on China. Tweet your answer to @redhunttravel. You MUST include the #TravelTrivia hashtag in your answer, as this is how they’ll be tracked. Example of a correctly formatted answer:
@redhunttravel I think the #TravelTrivia answer this week is Jelly Beans.
Question 1:
#TravelTrivia Q1: Name the ancient Chinese city, now called Xi’an, that was the starting point of the Silk Road.
Answer 1: Chang’an
Question 2:
#TravelTrivia Q2: Which 2 of these Chinese cuisines are usually considered hot and spicy? Sichuan, Cantonese, Hunan.
Answer 2: Sichuan & Hunan
Question 3:
#TravelTrivia Q3: What 2200 year old army was discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well in Xian?
Answer 3: Terracotta Army
Question 4:
#TravelTrivia Q4: What city do you visit on Day 9 of the @Intrepid_Travel Explore China tour?
Answer 4: Chengdu
Question 5:
#TravelTrivia Q5: The ‘Forbidden City’ lies within which modern city in China?
Answer 5: Beijing
Congrats to Stephanie (@TravelDesigned) who was randomly drawn as the winner of the trip to China from Intrepid Travel!
Contest Details, Terms and Conditions:
The five weekly #traveltrivia questions will be sent out by @redhunttravel on Twitter, with the first question appearing 8 April, 2011.
The prize is a 15-day Explore China tour, for one (1) person, courtesy of Intrepid Travel. Formal trip booking must be completed by 31 Dec, 2012. Blackout dates apply for all Canadian and US holidays and tour is subject to availability. The contest is void where prohibited by law. All correct #traveltrivia entries (that also completed step 1 and 2 of the contest) will be entered into the random draw, which will take place on 16 May, 2011. All entries must be submitted by 11:59PM ET on 15 May, 2011.
The prize has no cash value and cannot be redeemed for cash. In addition the prize is non transferable. Once booked, the booking will be subject to the Terms and Conditions of Intrepid Travel. Prize winners are solely responsible for all costs not expressly described herein including, without limitation, applicable taxes, fuel/currency surcharges, airport transfer transportation fees, meals and alcoholic beverages, other than described herein, room service, gratuities, merchandise, telephone calls, medical and travel insurance together with any required travel documentation, and all personal expenses of any kind or nature, together with any applicable overnight layover. Prize winners are also solely responsible for all costs incurred to and from the departure point as the Prize originates and terminates there. It is the sole responsibility of the Prizewinner to obtain all necessary travel documentation including passports and visas, as applicable and to comply with any customs and immigration requirements. The Prizewinner must obtain medical insurance prior to departure and it is recommended that Prizewinners obtain sufficient personal insurance prior to departure. It is recommended that the Prizewinners consult a physician prior to travel to determine the advisability of immunizations and inoculations that may be appropriate.
Kudu Closeup in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Perhaps my favourite hoofed animal that I saw in Africa. I like the colouration and striping of the Kudu, which helps it stand out from the crowd. It was pouring rain when I was in Chobe, but the raindrops seemed to add to the mood of this photo.
Crunchy Cambodia
One of my most memorable dining experiences is from a roadside stand on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
After exploring much of the city and rest of the country during a journalism stint, it was time for me to head on to South Korea. I wasn’t really ready to leave, as I had grown to appreciate the laid back, friendly nature of Cambodians.
But it wasn’t my decision to make. To celebrate the great times I had in Cambodia, my new friend Mao Lada took me for a surprise dinner feast before heading off to the airport.
Together, with my friend Sarah, the three of us set out towards the airport. We passed by all the usual streets where rickety restaurants served up local Khmer cuisine. Soon we were on the outskirts of the city, nearing the airport.
Finally, Mao Lada pulled over on the side of the road to a place where local food stands had sprouted up, selling their delicacies to the locals who were all headed home after a long days work.
With bigger smiles than usual, and many looks of surprise, myself and Sarah followed Mao Lada to an available wooden platform that would serve as our table. Mao Lada quickly left us and ordered food in Khmer, returning with a wry smile, ensuring that we’d enjoy what we were about to eat.
As the sun was getting lower to the horizon, we received our drinks and appetizers. The drink of the night? Fermented palm juice. Somewhat rancid in smell, and very potent. This moonshine packed a punch.
As strong as it was, I found myself drinking plenty as were were eating unripe banana slices – with peels left on. They tasted like sawdust, even after dousing them in soy sauce. We appreciated the effort and awaited the next course.
Soon after, massive chunks of meat arrived. They looked like big red chicken legs. Nice. What was it though? Mao Lada informed us they were toad legs. Nice! Never had toad before. Sarah gingerly picked at the bone to get the good meat off, while I followed Mao Lada’s approach of eating the whole thing – bones and all.
Crunch crunch. Not bad. Bones had a bit of flavour. I can do this. IT was going well, I was getting really into it. Then I got to the toad knee, big bones and extra crunch. My teeth couldn’t handle it. Lacking the jaw power, I succumbed to the toad knee and proceeded to eat the rest of the meat only.
Could it get any better? Sitting at the side of the road eating toad legs and getting drunk on palm juice. It sure could! Next up was the grand finale – frogs. Lots and lots of little frogs. All fried up into crispy creations.
Now these were much smaller than the toad legs, but the special surprise was that we were eating the entire frogs. Heads, legs, spines – everything. Bring on more soy sauce and more fermented palm juice please!
Being skinny, these fried frogs were somewhat greasy and tasted, well, fried. I felt sorry for them as they had all obviously just been dumped into a boiling vat of oil and fried alive. But that didn’t stop me from eating more than a dozen of them. It was a real experience with a couple of great friends.
One of those meals I’ll never forget and would be happy to repeat should I ever meet up with my old friend in Cambodia again.