Feeling stressed? Dive off The Sky Tower in Auckland. Having too good a day? Take an eight-hour catamaran trip to swim with the dolphins, only to have the sea turn violent, and the only fins you see belong to sharks. Feeling tense? Immerse yourself into a hot bubbling mud bath. Need some action? Squeeze your oversized body through a tiny hole in the side of a giant rubber ball and then bounce down the side of a mountain! Oh yes, I did all that and more, and it was all spectacular.

 

But getting to New Zealand was a nightmare. We took the milk run. First we flew Winnipeg to Vancouver, then to L.A., and then we hopped on an Air Malaysia flight to Taipei. From Taipei we went to Kuala Lumpur where we briefly stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel (awesome). Then we flew to Brisbane and then, finally to Auckland. We flew for 40 hours. Nobody knew what day of the week it was or the time. We just flew.

 

New Zealand promised frequent sheep sightings. Did I say frequent? Sheep were absolutely everywhere!! Did you know that it’s cheaper to buy lamb here than it is in New Zealand? Curious. Between the Kiwi accent and their lingo, I found myself asking, “What the hell did he just say?” We travelled in a fully equipped van, so I cooked most of the time. The produce was garden quality and the fish was fresh and plentiful. The restaurant food we tried was tasteless and very expensive. No, eating fresh seafood while overlooking the sea is a much better way to go.

 

New Zealand has so much to offer. We tried to do it all in two weeks, but only managed to take in the North Island. The South Island will have to wait for another trip. Definitely!

 

After New Zealand, and with our luggage at least five pounds heavier, we headed for Malaysia. I’ve always wanted to trek through the rainforest hunting orangutans, and suddenly we were Borneo-bound. But first we had to fly back to Kuala Lumpur, which has the coolest, most gorgeous airport I’ve ever seen. My first thought was, “Have Lloyd and Marcy seen this place?” The architecture leaves you awestruck. Anyway, from there we flew to Kuching. After three weeks of travelling, cooking, and a lot of adventures, it was time to have some real R&R. Staying at the Holiday Inn Damai Beach was a very special way to end a trip. The rooms are actually bungalows situated right on the shores of the South China Sea. Lovely.

 

The next day was a dream come true, for our first orangutan sighting of the day was of a mother with her baby. I stood there riveted, speechless (and I don’t shut up for anything or anybody!!) and watched them feed on mangoes and papayas. People, I actually wept. It had to be one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. I am still shivering.

 

Malaysian food is so delicious that I thought I’d just eat my way through Kuching. I loved all the traditional dishes, and of course tried to figure out what was in each. I simply must learn how to cook like that. You hear the term “mum-mum” a lot, which is simply Asian slang meaning “to eat”. So there I was, wandering around the open markets mumbling mum-mum. What a loser! But hey, I didn’t care. I wanted to eat! I loved Borneo. The people, their religions, as well as the cultural fusions of food fascinated me.

 

Laska Sarawak was my favourite dish in Borneo. It’s a traditional Malaysian breakfast dish and it’s served everywhere: in the noodle houses, the hotels, food venders even hawk it on the streets. Here is my version of Laska. You really must try it. It’s even kosher friendly!

 

> Laska Sarawak Paste Recipe

 

So, with yet another couple of pounds added to my you-know-what, it was time to head home. I understand we missed a bit of cold weather. Sorry about that, but someone had to hunt down this great recipe.

 

Bon appetit

Shelley (The Global Recipe Hunter)