SAPA Vietnamese market

Excursion took place on Saturday in the heavt heat. We travelled the long and dangerous route all the way to Kacerov, from where we needed to rely on the help of natives to catch the bus 113.

Ok ok, it wasn't that far but it was exotic. Really. Not like a market at all but like a small city, half abandoned and still buzzing with life. Like something from tex-mex-italo western movies. We did everything palefaces are supposed to do there: ate pho, drank bubble tea and iced coffee, were berated by angry wholesale sellers when we wanted to buy only one pair of trousers instead of 25. Had some clothes modified by the tailor, bought smelly groceries and went back home satisfied.

Next time at SAPA I'll definitely try vietnamese language bingo. Maybe buy a 25 kg sack of rice or 40 tacky bright colored seating cushions for only 30 (or 300) czk each. The bubble tea pic depicts perfectly the dominant esthetics of the market, it's not a pictoresque spot, no sir. But lots of fun.

An epic day

Remember my tearoom dream? Well, we went to that tearoom Bílý jeřáb the day after my dream. It was japanese, calm, simplistic and we degusted green teas for hours. The kind owner explained us everything we needed to know about having decent japanese tea.

The name Bílý jeřáb means white crane. The same day I was on a homebound tram when the most beautiful man you can imagine sat next to me. Like an angel, little stoned though. When I was disembarking, this angel handed me an origami crane that he had folded for me from white supermarket receipt. How epic is that!

Sunday confession

Ok, let's face it. I may not be as urban as I tend to think. Even though I really enjoy all the metropolis has to offer, I seem to need trees, forest, water and some nature around me every once in a while. Not like jungles or huge forests or hiking for days but anyway.

Went hiking to Kunraticky les on Sunday. Situated at Prague 4. Nice forest, a stream and some hills. Place a bit like at Divoka Sarka but not as dramatic sceneries. Even high pines and enormous trees as the stump in the pic shows. Walked about 3 hours, ended up

on the other side of the area and 30 min. bus ride away from nearest metro station. So it felt like a genuine day trip to countryside.

Then again, I'm urban enough that after a day in the woods, I feel a bit relieved reaching paved streets, public transport and city center. Had nealko Mojito at Cajovna U Kostela, nice labyrinthine tea house nearby. Definitely going to visit it again, trying some teas.

Teepä se

Kaikesta keskustellaan nykyisin samoin termein ja samalla antaumuksella kuin viineistä: teestä, oluesta, suklaasta ja oliiviöljystä. Onko maku mantelinen vai pähkinäinen, tuntuuko tuoksussa enemmän piki vai terva tai onko väri mieluummin pyöreä kuin pitkulainen?

En ole koskaan erityisemmin miettinyt teetä, juonut vain. Tiedän, etten tykkää kamomillasta enkä vihreästä teestä, ja kun tarkemmin ajattelen niin en oikein mustastakaan. Tanniinit takertuvat kitalakeen ja sitten valvottaa.

Nyt kuitenkin synkän lauantai-illan iloksi emännöin elämäni ensimmäiset teekutsut. Hullu hatuntekijä olisi kavahtanut pöydän siisteyttä, eikä vieraatkaan olleet kovin vauhkoja. Tarjolla oli tod. snobisti Pirkka-luomu-karpalo-kerma-rooibosta, sitruuna-lime-vihreää, vihreää + perusmustaa. Pirkka ja sitrus jäävät juomavaliooni jatkossakin! Rooibosta voi litkiä mukikaupalla iltasella ja limesitruuna-yhdistelmä toimii kaikkialla, myös teessä. Japanilainen vihreä sencha saa odottaa seuraavaa sushikattausta, ruoan kanssa se toimisi ehkä paremmin.

Nyhväsin sandwich-valikoimaa koko prkl lauantaipäivän, ja kantapaloja kertyi yksi biopussillinen. Lopputulos oli 3,5 lautasellista kääkäsiä, jotka popsittiin kymmenessä minuutissa. Ei tuu tehtyä toiste. Makuina porkkana-inkivääri, kurkku-vesikranssi, munasalaatti sekä viikuna-tuorejuusto.