galleries Archives

Kampot gallery

Rikitikitavi check in

Overlooking Kampot river

Durian roundabout

Exploring Kampot

The “old” Kampot markets (empty now)

Captain Chim’s is funny in Vietnamese

Pizza at Mea Culpa

Real…

Unreal

Room at Rikitikitavi

Kep gallery

Welcome to Cambodia

Room at Kep Lodge

Kep Lodge

Returning the tea pot

Kep Lodge

Somebody once said that you learn something new every day, and today I learned that Viet Nam is producing some first class chocolate, first class that is if you enjoy proper dark chocolate that doesn’t contain so much sugar that it becomes sickly sweet. It just so happens that I enjoy dark and slightly bitter chocolate and today I came across some chocolat de vietnam that makes my taste buds really happy.

This is a really high class product produced by Marou, just take a look at the detail that’s gone into the wrapping, it was shameful to mess with the beauty of it all. But… lets face it folks, it is all about the chocolat de vietnam waiting to be disrobed and feasted upon… am I right? Oooh la la, sexy chocolat!

The thing that took my eye with this brand of chocolat was the way that Marou promote the fact that it’s made wholly from produce grown in Viet Nam, but even more pleasant is the fact that they promote the styles of chocolat produced from different provinces close to Sai Gon. The map below borrowed from the Marou web site shows that chocolat de vietnam is available from Dong Nai, (the first style I’ve tried), Baria, Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Lam Dong.

Bliss, I have four styles yet to try. Where did I buy it you ask? Well… I bought this block at Mekong Merchant in An Phu, but it seems to be available worldwide.

[Click on a thumbnail to witness a shameless disrobing of chocolat de vietnam]

Marou chocolate packaging

circus gala

Posted on 30/10/2012 by royby

I’ve never been overly keen on circuses, they’ve never been on the top of my priority list as entertainment. I don’t particularly like animal acts because there is always the thought in my mind that cruelty has been involved in the training process somewhere and anyway, isn’t it demeaning to parade around a bear dressed like a little girl wearing a leather muzzle? Isn’t it? Better than being confined to a cage for the extraction of bile juices I hear you say… well yes… true.

However, on the cnr of Pham Ngu Lao and Nguyen Trai Sts there’s a permanent big top that once a year puts on a circus gala performance and until last Sunday night, I’d never been to one. A couple of my friends had recommended it to me over the years but, I was reluctant. Finally making it to the ticket counter increased my reluctance when I saw the price of a ticket, but what the hey, we gave it a go anyway and, apart from the few animal acts and one rather weak magician, I was pleasantly surprised.

The magician was good, very very good, at showing the audience exactly where he was pulling his tricks from under his cape that is. But the jugglers, clowns, trapeze artists, and gymnasts were excellent. All in all a great evenings entertainment, worth the admission price after all and next time there’s a circus gala in town they’ve got me.

Apologies in advance for the image quality, lighting you know!