Feb 24
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On my way to the Panama Canal, I squeeze in the Mercado de Mariscos, Panama City’s fish market near the Casco Viejo district. Legend has it “Panama” means “an abundance of fish” — without doubt in this market. Corvina, a meaty white fish that resembles sea bass, is plentiful. Despite early morning, I check out the ceviche. Fried chicken, plantains, beans and rice are a stone’s throw for non-fish lovers. I slip into a nearby marketplace for tropical fruits and vegetables I miss during Chicago’s long winters. What an array of root vegetables like yucca (aka cassava), otoe (aka taro) and ñamé root (aka yam), with nutty flavor and chewy texture. Hard to miss the Frank Gehry Biomuseo (The Biodiversity Museum: Panama Bridge of Life) brightly situated on the Amador Causeway. It boldly celebrates the Panamanian isthmus and its powerful impact on our earth’s biodiversity. On to the Bridge of the Americas that rejoins the continents split by the canal. My destination is The Miraflores Locks, with their 700-ton gates, 50-foot concrete walls and 26 million gallons of surging water that fill in just eight minutes! Bright and early I take my spot on the observation deck and watch the stream of ships seamlessly elevate and descend through the waters of the Panama Canal. I found it pretty mesmerizing. Enough that I needed another meal at the nearby La Taberna del Canal to meditate on this display of mechanical genius. There were clams from the fish market bathed in luxurious garlic sauce, paella brimming with mysterious seafood and crispy corvina fish fritters. On the return, a ride along a narrow beach (much of the shoreline is quite sludgy) and a look at quiet towns with local residents dressed in native Kuna Panamanian attire: hand-made blouses or “molas” with skirts, sewn in reverse appliqué. Always hard to return home after bombarded by cuisine, history and culture. Glad that Morocco is in my near future!

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Feb 23
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Finally made it to Panama City—another 5½ hour flight from Chicago! Coincidently PC is the cover story in UNITED Hemispheres’ January 2016 issue “Three Perfect Days in Panama City”. It was! Gallup-Healthways deemed Panama the “happiest place in the world”. That’s exactly how I felt. Community, invention, optimism, physical well-being, possibility, pride, satisfaction–I deeply breathe it all. The Panama City skyline rivals other vistas with its skinny, architecturally awe-inspiring towers surrounded by water, water everywhere. I start my journey along the Cinta Costera, a path that runs along the bay; then head to Cerro Ancon, a guarded forested mound where the Panamanian flag proudly flies. Lunch is at Bistro Paula Nani with its picturesque Panamanian twist on Mediterranean food. Dinner moves Maito in the San Francisco District, executed by chef Mario Castrellon. Everything (including the wait staff) is in Panamanian. Boy, am I out of luck. I manage to order spicy guacamole on plantains and tacos (hold the lamb and bacon) with tzatziki. What a confluence of cultures! Second day I meander around Casco Viejo, the old Colonial-style town–a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I’m told that I must have a cup of Geisha coffee. Strange that Geisha coffee is made from coveted Panamanian beans. Another study of contrasts. Crafts abound proudly “Made in Panama”, from vibrant stitchery to what else? classic Panama hats. Tonight’s dinner is at The Dining Room at the American Trade Hotel, followed by jazz at Danilo’s, opened by legendary jazz pianist Danilo Perez. This elegant colonial-style hotel once housed gangs during Panama City’s rougher days. Tomorrow brings the fish market, fruits and vegetables in all their Central American shapes and sizes, Frank Gehry’s The Biodiversity Museum: Panama Bridge of Life and, of course, THE CANAL. Stay afloat.

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Feb 16
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Finally arrived in London after a nine-hour flight from Delhi. Stopped a few days to rest, eat, visit some favorite markets and tour some notable spots, like the National Gallery and the British Museum with its Indian artifacts. Ah … to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and to have ice cubes and tap water again. Funny how taken-for-granted items are now indispensable since their omission in India. Before theater, a fresh green pea soup with hearty brown bread. After, a late-night dinner at NOPI, the Soho eatery by famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi and head chef Ramael Scully. Since hearing them speak in Chicago, not to be missed. Dinner began with mixed seed lavosh and spicy feta dip paired with orange (!)* wine, followed by tempting buffet starters featuring roast aubergine with almond yogurt and spiced almond flakes and burrata with clementines, coriander seeds and plum wine. *Discovered orange wines are white made like red with “prolonged maceration of crushed skins and seeds”. Glad that Rules, the oldest, traditional London restaurant with classic game cookery, oysters, pies and puddings had a vegetarian menu. I was very content amid all of the animal heads. Among the many dishes I savored, here’s my beet and Stilton salad with candied walnuts and Guinness in a silver tankard. Now I’m off to Panama for another round of jet lag and some hot, hot, hot temperature, food and music. Oh, and did I mention a canal?

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Feb 16
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Finally arrived in London after a nine-hour flight from Delhi. Stopped a few days to rest, eat, visit some favorite markets and tour some notable spots, like the National Gallery and the British Museum with its Indian artifacts. Ah … to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and to have ice cubes and tap water again. Funny how taken-for-granted items are now indispensable since their omission in India. Before theater, a fresh green pea soup with hearty brown bread. After, a late-night dinner at NOPI, the Soho eatery by famed chef Yotam Ottolenghi and head chef Ramael Scully. Since hearing them speak in Chicago, not to be missed. Dinner began with mixed seed lavosh and spicy feta dip paired with orange (!)* wine, followed by tempting buffet starters featuring roast aubergine with almond yogurt and spiced almond flakes and burrata with clementines, coriander seeds and plum wine. *Discovered orange wines are white made like red with “prolonged maceration of crushed skins and seeds”. Glad that Rules, the oldest, traditional London restaurant with classic game cookery, oysters, pies and puddings had a vegetarian menu. I was very content amid all of the animal heads. Among the many dishes I savored, here’s my beet and Stilton salad with candied walnuts and Guinness in a silver tanker. Now I’m off to Panama for another round of jet lag and some hot, hot, hot temperature, food and music. Oh, and did I mention a canal?

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Feb 09
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Four hours by bus from Agra to Delhi. First, via overcrowded roads alongside a sea of humankind and animals; then, by a state-of-the-art highway that leads to the city center. Contrasts abound from ultra-flashy metropolitan mayhem in New Delhi to tangles of carts, shops and stalls networked into the pulsating Chandni Chowk bazaar in Old Delhi. Bicycle rickshaws are a must. I visit the daunting and symbolic Mughal-era Red Fort, the sprawling Jama Masjid mosque, the India Gate (inspired by the Arc de Triomphe) and the Rajpath (a ceremonial boulevard similar to the Champs-Élysées). Then on to the Rajghat, the final resting place of Mahatma Gandhi and Jantar Mantar in Connaught Place, with fantastic astronomic instruments that predict times and movements of celestial bodies. Ah, the food … the colors, aromas, textures and options among Old Delhi street food are overwhelming. The smell of fresh fish, flavorsome kebabs and fried chicken is everywhere. My conscience steered me to avoid street food for fear of the evil GI bug. Four of my travel companions succumbed to the devil. I kept on the food prowl. I found parantha, stuffed with cauliflower, peas and potatoes, fried in pure ghee and served with mint and banana-tamarind chutney. There was chaat, a snack-like mixture of crispy fried bread, garbanzo beans, potato pieces and salty-tangy spices, garnished with sour chilies and saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh coriander leaves and yogurt. And the sweets! Kulfi, a flavored frozen dessert made of milk, was flavored with banana, mango, pistachios, pomegranate or rose. Hot jalebis, a popular sweet made by deep frying wheat batter into pretzel shapes, was soaked in sugar syrup and served warm or cold. Sadly, my historic, cultural, food and more food journey to India had to end with a blast—literally from the roof of my hotel. On to London to the British Museum to see where all the Indian artifacts I learned about now reside. And to some non-Indian food! Come fly with me.

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Feb 05
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Rise and shine predawn and before the crowds for the Taj Mahal, situated on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra. I didn’t understand the need for “the right light” or line avoidance, but I now know. The security at this wonder-of-the-world was uber-tight every step of the way, plus the early morning light was eerie and air was thankfully crisp to disperse any body crunching aromas. First you pass through the Great Gate of the mausoleum, massive in red sandstone with octagonal towers and marble domes. Then the Taj presented itself grander than grand. The Taj is a pearly-white marble mausoleum that was commissioned by Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor for the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, his so-called “favored” wife. What a nice gift! And to think this mecca was bestowed in 1632 and completed in 1653! Doesn’t it look surreal? Of course I had to eat soon after my visit since breakfast was forsaken in the name of history. I made a very memorable stop for chickpea dumplings in “exotic” sauce and a public display of tandoor bread making. I say “memorable” because the verdict is still out if I enjoy legume dumplings. Nevertheless, I (who still eat and enjoy bread) was in Indian bread heaven! A visit to Agra would be incomplete without viewing pietra dura artifacts that incorporate highly polished colorful stones into local marble, configured into beautiful floral and geometric designs. Too pretty to eat on, but I’ll deal with it! Now on to Delhi to complete my Indian adventure, deemed the #1 polluted city in the world soon after my arrival. Talk about deal …

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Feb 04
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Jet lag and stomach in control, I head north from Hyderabad through Mumbai to Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan for their rich history, culture and remarkably complex and enticing food! First Jaipur—aka The Pink City for its pink buildings that symbolize hospitality, the capital and largest city of Rajasthan—also known for hand-knitted rugs and kathputli (string puppet theatre). Of course, I coveted both. I mulled over my purchases while I indulged in Jaipur cuisine: millet and roti breads, hot garlic paste, dal (lentils in many variations), spicy subzi (ker berries and sangri beans), ghevar (crispy, porous delicacies soaked in sugar syrup) and gajak (dried sweets made with sesame seeds and ground nuts). Then on to Udaipur in western Rajasthan, which boasts mystical lakes, the City Palace that overlooks Lake Pichola and a seemingly “floating” hotel complex depicted in the James Bond film Octopussy. Marble is exclusively mined and exported here. Of course, it makes its way into my collectables. Udaipur cuisine embraces a wide variety of lentils, indigenous vegetables and spices including turmeric, coriander, mint and chilies in many semblances. Corn, gram flour (garbanzo bean or besan), baijra (pearl millet), yoghurt, dried mango, more sangri beans, deep fried breads and dil jani, a distinctive Udaipur sweet commonly appear on menus. Glad to have this thali platter with many tastes! I’m headed to Agra, home of the Taj. Meet you at daybreak.

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Feb 03
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My first stop in India is Hyderabad—a major tech hub, the second-largest producer of motion pictures, former diamond-trading center and present Pearl City. Not to mention historic sites, like the Golconda Fort, mosques with minarets and bazaars aplenty. Hyderabad’s distinctive cuisine embraces the influence of Mughlai culture, with its characteristic biryani (a mixed rice dish made with basmati rice, goat or chicken, yogurt, onions, spices, lemon and saffron, with coriander leaves and fried onions for garnish), and haleem (a stew made with goat or chicken, lentils, pounded wheat, ghee, spices, dried fruits and nuts, topped with more ghee, lime, coriander leaves, sliced eggs and fried onions). Variations galore. No bones about it: I had mine meat-free and ate like the locals. Skipped the fresh vegetables and fruits to be safe. Smart move, you’ll hear. Pictured: City hub, gourds galore, buffet fare and **of course** sweets.

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Feb 02
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Planes, trains, buses, boats, automobiles, motorcycles, auto rickshaws (tuk-tuks), elephants, camels and much, much more … This time my food journeys took me from one side of the globe to another: India and Panama—with a midway stop in London to regroup. Follow me for the cuisine, culture, curiosities and contrasts–from rags to riches and the simplest foods and drinks to the mind boggling elaborate. To start, my British Airways sky high meal to welcome me to India, replete with Indian bread and pickles, raita (yogurt sauce or dip), very tasty curried vegetables and salad—many hallmarks of my intriguing meals to come. Taste buds tantalized. Nicely done BA.

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