What the? Why did the posting stop mid sentence? Chinese Cooking Class

I have no idea why the post stopped or how to continue the last post..but, as I was saying..brought back conch from St. Croix.  There was a time when all kinds of food stuffs could be brought home from so many places.  That was part of the fun, being able to bring things home to cook that you have someplace else..and now though so many things are available here..like

My first cooking class was held in Beijing for a month, every day, in 1989, just after Tinanmen Square. Talk about fresh..they certainly didn't have refrigerators at home..much less many with no kitchens.  I think one of my favorite ingredients was garlic shoots...they now call them snapes..or what ever..it was years before I could get them here.  We were taught to blanch them first and then stir fry..I generally like them with a little ground pork..and seasonings..who measures?  and the seasonings change with my mood.  But oh, what a pleasure.

The chef who taught the class at a very large school did not speak English but we did have an interpreter.  Sometimes we would have a slight difficulty as the interpreter was not familiar with some of the words that chefs would use in describing ingredients or how to prepare..but, it was all great as first the lecture, then his demo, then each of the three of us cooked the same dishes and he would critique and then lunch along with a number of other dishes that his Chinese students cooked for us.  Now, I did write down the basic amounts of incredients when he cooked as if you just wrote down the ingredients you would not be able to duplicate the dishes much later.  That's it for today.

Where's the Chef

Well, on top of all the rain..I couldn't remember my passwords.  I certainly hope that I am not the only person who forgets.  I had it written down but for some reason it wasn't working.  So where have I been?  I can't remember that either.  CRS?  Perhaps.  Does that mean I haven't been cooking?  I don't think so, but sometimes not really sure about that either. 

But, recently I did make the Carrot and Daikon Pickles..julienne.  That is for here although I stopped at the Vietnese cafe yesterday and had their pork Banh Mi with their Carrot & Daikon.  I did take off the fresh jalapeno but that didn't stop the slight tingle on the lipssssss....just love the fresh crusty bread.  I think I will have the same for tonight for supper since I have some left over thin sliced roasted pork sirloin and all the remainder of the ingredients.

On top of the lunch spot did stop at the Hong Kong Market and the Mega Mart...missed the Great Wall and the Hmart but perhaps will hit those this week.  There is nothing more pleasurable that 'gliding' through the isles getting whip lash looking at all the wonderful ingredients and thinking about all the things to make.  It has been years before all this has been laid out before us here...years of having to travel around the country to buy the ingredients.  Yes...Brooklyn for the Middle Eastern products, New York for the Asian, SF and LA for the Chinese (in fact that is where I bought my first cleaver, probably about, well, you really don't want to know how long ago that was).  Of course then there was the conch from

BBQ Rub

one of these days I should learn how to make recipes print.  That might make it seem easier to publish..the Texas mild was/ is a mild red powder that I picked up out West..the Aleppo was/is some I picked up in Turkey..I think both are available on the web...I don't like over spicy...if you want more spice..add more cayenne...this is just what I use for the rub:..pork butt and ribs
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T dry mustard
1/4 cup Aleppo pepper
2 T mild Texas dry pepper
2 T black pepper (I always use restaurant grind)
1/4 cup cumin
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/2 t cayenne ( mine seems to be overly hot so don't use much)

Mix..so that's my mix...Sangria base on ihatetobake.blogspot.com

Panforte wow

yes, a day of joy...but don't hold your breath.   for those who have never tried.....it 's an Italian cross between a candy and a fruitcake to beaten in very thin wedges.    Test one went okay...test three went okay...the second half of test two, not so hot.  Tried to remove the cake too soon from the pans...deleted the butter as seemed too wet....so that got me to turning the pans upside down too soon and they slithered out into a guey mess.....sooooooo...I start to clean up the mess...took time as had to stop for the computer tech...

The next two hours were spent trying to straighten out some glitches.....we still miss one which he might be able to fix remotely tomorrow....l

Soooo,what have I been doing ??   like I said..had to gather the ingredients for the pan forte.....will do more tommow...the PO fellow came with a registered piece of mail from the IRS...yup, they are at it again.....sent it back...again....this has  been  going on for at least two years....they send, we send

Will try to get this posted...made three recipes, different, of the Panforte...great..liked the one with the figs I think the best of the three.  I didn't take any pictures.  I did line the pans with the edible baking rice paper which was great. 

Better Late than Never, daikon, peas

Yes, it's been a while..sometimes I seem to fall behind and then have trouble catching up.  So perhaps a quick overview..was going to have help at Christmas putting up decorations but lovely lady who helps was in an accident and couldn't.  So...never got that done..then decided that if I was to travel again had better try to do something soon..so...signed on with a friend whom I had met on a Vietnam-Cambodia trip and later traveled to China's Silk Road area.  We signed on for two trips..one, big ship to South Pacific and one riverboat to Ukraine.  My favorite was smaller boat to Ukraine..wonderful time..great food, not touristy..

So enough with the issues..Marie and I had our yearly cook out this past weekend.  I started with the ribs a couple days before with the rub and then cooked them low..250...for about four hours..then before the party, pulled from fridge and again for two hours..then on grill for about 20 minutes with sauce.  We also had beef tenderloins that had been marinated for 24 hours, cooked off the night before and sliced that morning served with a blue cheese sauce and also a horseradish sauce.  Hot dogs for kids..chorizo and kielbasa and a few grilled veg rounded out the grill work.  I had also made a green pea salad: dice and slice cucumber, radish, baby peas, edamame, and some sugar snaps, vinaigrette.

Potato Salad: potato (russet or gold), onion, celery, salt, pepper, mayo, a little yellow mustard, hard boiled egg, and a little celery seed.

Of course we had rain as we have had for the past two weeks..and on schedule for the next week.  The s'mores will have to wait until fall as no way to do them this time.

One of the guests brought daikon battons and a dip although not many used to that 'radish'.  Luckily there were some left and I turned that into the Daikon au Gratin.  Google that...the last time I had a large daikon that I was using for the daikon and carrot 'salad'/relish..I used leftover of both veg to make au gratin..terrific!

Will have to go to the other blogs I have and get caught up and try to stay a little better caught up..I hate to bake...and another...will get back with more soon

So let's get cooking

Had a guest last week from gal and her husband..she and I went to Stuart Hall together....ohhhh, about 60 years ago...bet you thought that we were all dead one senile by this time....nope...we're just the one collecting social security and Medicare....we're the know-it -alls....at least if it was worth knowing.....a lot of ...been there and done that's......

And for the next three months the government is going to see just how far you can go on socsec...where ever penny goes and why...record today's outting for the cat,,,pins and needles
Then latter took Daisy and Pepper for their weekly trip to,Mickey D's,   With shouts and twists through two rooms..out the door and into the rain they bounded into the truck for the front row seats..although they really prefer standing looking out the window ."..To make sure we are going the right way and to also,any dog or person that they pass they canv just go,home.  It'a horrid to do this on an. iPad as it mades so many mistakes that are almost I possible to correct.  so what did I do for food today...
Oppps..what I did not was to pull the meats from the freezer for Sunday...will do tomorrow.  That will be por, beef, and beef steaks....have to decide on the sauces. But today I did make 4 x2.25# of Mac and cheese with cauliflower......really rich..cheesy....into the freezer....Sunday made about a gallon of my corn chowder with tomatoes...lovely...that packed,up for the freezer.  Saturday will be prep formthembig egg grill on Sunday...check back for the menu

AT&T trying to hold on..a drowning ship

They sent a notice that I was due a refund...well..a credit...so what do you do,if someone cancells their service.....they DON'T a CREDIT.....they want their money back....they want the shipping label to,send thenbox of stuff back.......the youngest and brightest do NOT work for att ...guess it will be time ti start with better business bureau or help desk with local tv....

 

AT&T ! Recommend them,HELL NO

I can hardly contain my anger...have had buzz on the line for a week...the digital line...I also have a land line....have been on the phone to them for more than four FOUR HOURS this week...like a gnat or mosquito in your ear...five days ago I said..turn the digital line to a land line and disconnect the land line...the time given. Five days to be sure that the change over from digital and six days before the disconnect of the land line....the problem with the buzz was in the modem..but they would not fix the modem that also carries the tv and Internet as theybsaidnI was changing that lint from digital to analog....so buzzzzzzzzzzzzz in the ear.... Can't really talk as the noise drives me nuts..the att person then wants my s.s. number as says I am new for service.....and will be five days before I can expect service changeover...Sat on the phone for another ONE HOUR TEN MINUTES....he says didn't have to do it that way..can be just rolled back from digital to analog....today is Sunday...and NO SERVICE oN the digital line and they are supposed to shut down the other line tomorrow...and the fellow says from what he can find I won't have service one that line til July 3.....so....on top of no one doing a decent job...some asshole sales person had the line disconnected so that they could make a sale and get a commission....AT&T has no customer service..they just service themselves, and the customers can go to hell as far as thy are concerned...so it is really more than a total of FOUR HOUR ON THE PHONE.....THE WRONG PHONE DISCONNECTED AND NO PHONE SERVICE COMING UP.....Would I recommend AT&T.....not only NO, but HELL NO...

Where have I been? Steelhead trout

You would think that someone who made their living with a camera would remember to take photos of food. Enforce they ate it!!! Well not so..So...what was for supper...yup, steelhead trout....it has become available more often now. So..easy...not new...mix mayonnaise and some yellow mustard together and slather on the fish fillet and broil..yup...till it's done..flakes..if sauce looks nice and sort of browned and fish isn't done..two choices, turn the broiler off and let it sit in the oven til done or you could turn the oven to bake...but really, the oven will be hot enough to finish..and did bok choy..a little water, could use stock, little soy, baby bok choi, sesame seeds and a couple drops of sesame oil. if you like, you can do the same thing to a piece of salmon..if skinless..it mayo mix in both sides. Grill..yes,can use low fat mayo..or at least I used to until they took the brand I liked off the market..have. Even barbecuing pork butts on the egg..but must tell you....really great on the gas grill with a packet of soaked chips to make the smoke...also....will put the recipe for the rub up later...we found the best way for pulled pork was..rub it...smoke it uncovered for two hours, cover and finish in the oven at 225 for three hours. The butts that we did on the grill fun covered the whole time we great for slicing but not for pulled. How many butts you ask...8...or maybe 10.....then wrapped and into the freezer for the party we we going to have last month but will have in the fall....been cooking off a number of dumplings..Chinese that is....really Korean since that is what I seem to be able to find...usually the vegetarian..or some say with bean curd..the last several have been rather nice..saves lots and lots of time if making them by yourself. Not much new...couple weeks of vertigo..trying to get grass to grow and have taken in a spoiled. Small girls he mom gave her up as only one pup could go to assisted living. so......trying to keep peace between the cat and our new member..if the cat would just slap her silly instead. Of running...life would be more less complicated at the moment... So fix the fish...also leftovers will make a nice salad or salad for sandwiches..add a little onion..celery..whatever..easy..yrs, steelhead is e same color as salmon but not as pricy Yes...I do know what to make a comment about..some magazine had a photo of a female holding up a fish poacher along with the comment about utensils that would be a waste of money...indeed, I do have one...and why is it downstairs at the moment? Because I uses to poach whole salmon..and when was the last time you have seen a window full of whole salmon?...used to have specials fairly frequently...Now that I have all the oriental markets Ican used said poacher for whole poached Chinese fish....Have to put that on the list to do again...used to smoke whole salmon lots of times...then chill, made a dill sauce...great for parties...serve with toasts or could use crackers...

Color Me Gone...Maybe

If you haven't guess....I live to travel to see and eat..the learn about the foods and lives of different people. It has been al ost a year since going back to china for a month...came back and was sick...then turn out to have two types of lung cancer...one. Ery rare and in truth, that one had been giving me trouble for about four year..who know...made the dr check me for malaria...she did but willing so....fortunately my new dr, asked for a couple tests....and was everyone surprised...two major ones, thankfully caught early, one common, and then the very rare one causing thencarsinoid syndrome...so, missing most of the left lung has made it a little slew getting back to work. I was only able to get back on the torch to work with glass...my hands had shaken so bad earlier that I could not even carry a glass of water across,the kitchen...actually it was funny to see..the water would start to rock,back,and forth...then faster..and faster...until it was slopping out both sides..I did a lot of reading and living the life of th slug.... sooooonow.....I have signed up foe two classes at the old folks home...digital,camera....after using film for,25 years and a large format camera...why oh why do I want a camera that can talk,to,me...that takes movies....that has more choices than fingers,,,and that I have to spend hours looking at a monitor....qi have tried the duo load on the computer several times...what ho...a glitch...then don't know what's where and always end up with not enough on some and too many of others......" The second class at the old people's center...geneology....I should have my head examined...you think people lie now!?!lkyou should get a old of then....and in my family...lots of duet has been swept under the rug...and no one talked about it til later...I didn't know there were cousins til I was in my 50's. And still later thought those who had been dead for years hadn't been dead til recently...... So wat does this have to do with the price of beans...I aam trying to pare down things a littl in the freezer..as in testing..I pulled a piece of green tomato pie out..of the freezer..looked goog, the nibble tastes good....mlkladt light I had chicken lasagna...was okay...tomorrow will be Oslo bucco with mashed potatoes ans chives....got to get this freezer down...a new ice maker coming in on order next week to. Change out...got wild hair tha it would just liffey up the arm and leave it up so it would not to have to make more ice summer will come and the hunger generation will be T the beach to show the younger ones how to work some of this stuff...like why does it ,mess up, when my fingers don't even touch the thing Oh, besides back in the metals,smithing , the learn how to use a digital camera on things other than auto...and geneology. Have planes to head back to Vietnam and Cambodia....should be great,,,,and found another tour company with office in calif...explore!!! Sme just awesome trips to places that I want to go to Kp ickes up a package o tofu pouches at H.Mart..going to test them out..Marie went to a get together for work and a Someone brought them,,,,goggled up...refrigerated section A Week

Photos....

 
Yes, working again on trying to figure out layouts...but adding the photos of the hot Shrimp and Pasta and the Bstilla...well found out how to make them smaller...but not side by side..next the shrimp...

Okay!  side by side!  I can cook...I can shoot when I take the time and remember....but I would just rather cook...tonight is going to be marinating two cornish hens..made my mother's Shrimp Creole last night but just prep the dish..the peas are added and the shrimp but not cooked...that will happen at service time.  Also it can be thawed as is after being frozen and then gently heated...love good food...hate to cook at night..and only cooking for one in a pain.  Probably will send what I don't eat at one meal across the street.  I did have mac, cheese and cauliflower for dinner last night.

Mac, Cheese, Cauliflower:  Yes, make a white sauce..add the cheese...pour over the pasta..I like the 'screwy ones with the hole in the center', and the cauliflower which I have had in the pot of boiling water for about three minutes...don't want it 'cooked and really tender'....I did put it in the oven frozen, lid on for about 40 minutes and then lid off for about 20...I usually make enough for one pound of pasta...toss it all up and put in aluminum container, freeze...this is great to make ahead...I use cheese that is in the fridge...usually a couple of different types...if you have some for the top or crumbs...great...you don't need a recipe to cook everything.....

Also, same photos here but better layout than whoshotthechef.blogspot.com

Bstilla, Feta and Haricot Vert Salad

How about them words....really Feta and Green Bean Salad...no recipe....made a dijon mustard vinaigrette ( o.o. and canola and apple and rice vinegar)...use the taste test, verts, feta and red onion.  More details on Who Shot the Chef blog.

The Bstilla that I made a couple weeks ago...remember the small one I made from the 'leftovers'?  That one went into the freezer, out two days ago to thaw and into the oven this afternoon.  Then out to rest, decorate, and prep for Marie and her friend to take to the 'gathering' tonight.  What a wonderful thing it is to be able to pull something out of the freezer to looks like it took hours...well the first cooking the chicken was the only thing that took 'hours'.  Putting the pie together do not..and baking it off...about 45 minutes....

Both dishes off with a beautiful handmade pottery bowl for the beans...leave the bowl...and a plate for the pie...leave the plate..this time did not send serving utensils...that way easy to leave...bring my knife and the ring that was used to protect the pie in transport...what will I make tomorrow?

Big Green Egg customer service

There in it is sadly lacking...never a call back at the end of yesterday...nor was there any return call today....after several calls....will have to pass on a couple of quotes from their manager of the retail store in Tucker, Georgia....was really on the edge of having them just pick the thing up...lot less trouble and a lot more fun to book another trip to Europe or Asia!  and for the same price!  "We pride ourselves on customer service but can't always please everyone"...How about returning calls in a timely fashion...if there is a glitch....let the customer know when it happens..don't leave them in the dark...when asked what he could do to make it right...listen to this...I said write a little...said he could if he could have my email address...when I said I would like it US mail..he said " I can't, we are running a business here"....gotten a love a guy who thinks he is more important than the customer...and told the guy who is going to bring the parts they didn't send the first time...he, yes, manager Terry McMillian, said well he would trade me the old style handle for the new one which was one the show room sample!  Duh!  I bought what was shown! ..."and maybe that would make me happy".....Like a car with last year's driver's seat....probably have more business sense...been self employed for 40 years...graduated from CIA in NY at 52..still have cooked a 125 pound pig in the back yard over coals....and traveled a lot more....glad he never worked for me...wouldn't any longer with that type of attitude.....nothing like a smartass young person who things he is brighter than anyone older..

Big Green Egg short parts

Well, I took the dive last Friday and bought a Big Green Egg...the big egg..the extra large egg....and the cart to put it in...and no, didn't put in the back of my truck.  Yesterday the gentleman who contracts with them brought the egg and cart in a number of boxes...and guess what?  Yup..short parts...short the ceramic top...didn't get the rounder handle to open the egg that was on the showroom model...and no plate holder....still sitting around at 5 this afternoon...haven't heard from a sole...or is a for a shoe?  Can't cook tonight...will I be able to cook tomorrow?  or for the weekend?  not sure what is going on..will call...don't you love a phone recording that is three months out of date?  They want you to sign up for the cooking academy class in January...for tailgate parties for the football games...guess no one likes to answer the phone at the end of the day either...probably figure that I can wait...so will post while I am waiting for this 'great customer service'....

bstilla, Mocorro pigeon pie,

Back up and running.  This heavenly pie was baked off yesterday and taken to a friend's house for a dinner party.  In this case, my pie was made with chicken and not pigeon...alas...I also prepared it ahead...froze it, thawed it, baked it.  My pie is like the one I had in Algeria 40 years ago and finally found a recipe in Claudia Roden's book A Book of Middle Eastern Food several years later.  Rememer...no internet then and the cook books were the ones that the book seller thought he could sell...not many people going to North Africa back then.

This savory pie is layers of phyllo, almonds, eggs, phyllo, savory chicken and eggs and phyllo....baked and then garnished with cinnamon and sugar...If you can find a copy of the out of print book it would be wonderful for your library...if not you will be able to find some recipe on the web.  I can't vouch that it would be like the one I had in Algeria....but perhaps close to Ms. Roden's.

One very wonderful aspect of this recipe is that I have made it in smaller 'packages' and frozen all sizes to be thawed later and then baked off.  This has always been that special recipe that will be able to be made in all sizes.  I have made then first off in cast iron skillets for the form and then later in a ring that was sold for a deep dish pizza...worked great for this.  I have always used a form...the pie is built with the first layer being the buttered roasted nuts...I have made it with spray butter flavor in the can, melted butter in a spray bottle and then melted butter with a brush....I prefer the phyllo in the larger sheets...most grocers now are carrying the package with two smaller individually wrapped portions...they are about half sheets...but just allow enough time and work quickly when using the phyllo..

In any case, make it, serve it, and enjoy your pie being the center of attention.

Parsnips and Pastilla

Parsnips...check out whoshotthechef . Roasted, olive oil, salt and pepper. And the pastilla or also known as the bstilla which is the pigeon pie that I ate in Algeria and later cooked at home. Find out about this wonder pie in my other blog!

Who shot the Chef

There has been a time since the last ...for one thing, found two types of lung cancer but successfully removed both...been a long, slow time for recovery. Not long ago also my blogs were block and I started all over...so I am going to jump back and forth...I will try to keep you all caught up...the other blog is www.whoshotthechef.blogspot.com ..now why that didn't make it so you can double click, I don't know. However, just posted there is a great Hot Shrimp Pasta Salad made from things in the fridge...

So, back to work on the blogs...never said much about the month in China last summer...sick after, basement flooded, found cancer, tested from one end to the other, operated on, and finally getting back to semi-normal. After waking up I had terrible tremors..I couldn't pour from one thing to another, couldn't work on the torch with the glass...so I read a lot, a lot, and then a lot more.

So, now I am going to try to catch up on all the food, pictures and what have you...and I will do a much better job keeping up this year with the photos...trying not to eat before I shoot.

pop up advertisements

There are now blogs, websites and blogspots that I am going to unfortunately going to ignore for now on..there are websites that I will only go to under duress...why....it takes FOREVER to find what I am looking for...the ads take forever to load and in the meantime...I can go someplace else...what about the popups that then block what you want to see...unless you take the time to close them out...or where you can hardly see what is on the site..because the ads take more room than the information...

It is a sad site where the ads overpower the site or looking for something you have to go through 'pages' and 'pages' to get to where you want..or to check out..when buying something...of course then there is the ad on Amazon where the company says 9 in stock...and I have waited for a month and then the company wants to delay shipping for another 2 weeks...so what's with the 'in stock'?

Most of you are not...not going to make a living off your ads....yet you have more ads than information......and for those of you...it's time to say goodby....I think my time is better spent checking out my own library than spending hours trying to find something on the web that might be a little better...and forget those sites where you can't back up to the page before...some of my favorite sites will now be forgotten...

Stuffed Artichokes

What am doing? Went to the Buford Highway Market to pick up some fresh veggies for this week. I also picked up two items from the meat department...Mohammed's ground lamb meat on a skewer and his pieces of marinated lamb on a skewer. The seasoned ground lamb was good..had it with left over risotto..and tonight had the lovely seasoned lamb chunks...with it only being myself and not wanting to turn on the grill...just cut the pieces smaller and panfried and put on a piece of wonderful French baguett which I had pulled from the freezer. Being in a hurry, just used good old Kraft mayo...using a light touch. Then that stuffed artichoke that I had thawed and turned the oven on to heat....would have been too much...so tomorrow will heat that up again.

Day before yesterday I did the risotto bit. I do not follow a recipe...just know what I am doing...for me..part of the liquid was a little white wine and cream...then cooled the risotto, added a couple of eggs which I had beat up..and then folded in gently by hand one pound of lump crab. Then I made individual patties and wrapped each in plastic wrap. These will be taken out of the freezer and generally panfried as the occasion arises....

I had also make a couple of quiches using be basic quiche recipe from Julia Child added a little more cheese..onion..and bacon. These were cut up and frozen in individual servings. This is great for that breakfast on the go or when you want something but don't have the time or patience to cook.

Oh, yup, out of the freezer again the night before...the most wonderful....yum, mac and cheese. And again..I just don't know what is wrong with writing down a recipe as I make it up...the mac was the hollow spirals....the sauce, who knows what cheese...a little lighter than velvetta..smooth, oh so smooth, then I had added blanched cauliflower and pieces of cured chorizo...I had been to a checkup..of sorts and wanted something that would soothe my soul as well as the body...well that was it! I ate the WHOLE thing...yup..maybe left one piece of pasta...how much did I eat...wellllll...it was packed in a 2.25 pound container...and I heated another one last night and could only eat half..almost half...so how did I eat the whole thing? heaven only knows...

Journey of a Lifetime

Guess you would like to know where I've been that it could be called Journey of a Lifetime....was supposed to happen the first of May...then the end of May...must have been nuts but had a great roommate and great sounding trip for but the weather was going to be hot...where...China but halfway through it was going to be Nepal...how great is that!....then the opps....well there was the sullen guide named Lily who had us for a day or so before leaving on the cruise through the gorge....you could miss this...and on the morning after docking to leave for the airport..no Tibet...didn't get our visa to go...so then an 8 hour ride to Chendu...spend the night and off again in the a.m. only to be in the middle of a three car accident on the expressway.......and then the NEXTO 'romote hard drive...yes the golden extreme crashed w/ all my pictures on it...what luck...did sent it back to the manufacturer...they fixed it ..and reformatted the hard drive...yup, everything from the new Nikon gone...so where have I been? who knows...to top that off the fellow at Nexto said he had had to have his hard drive replaced on his..two years old...not too swift. I would have done better to give it to my tech here...void the warranty and save all the pictures! and yes, it was hot, hot, hot....sweaty hot....and then the flight to S.F. from Beijing...another story...late leaving Shanghai...so didn't hold the plane for 1 hour for 40 of use...just left us in the airport in Beijing...stood in line for 8...yes, Air China, eight hours trying to get a flight to the states...they had me scheduled for 4 days later to get out...just sit in the airport for 4 days...the following is so long but we were saved...at least a 6 hour layover at a hotel after spending two hours on a bus..FULL..people sitting on suitcases in the aisle...push and shove....anyway...thanks to the local tour agency who did some incredible work I was able to get out a day late....got to San Francisco sick...stayed in bed there til my flight home a couple days later...then had the respiratory for five weeks...then more stiff not relating to the trip...so for pictures...some of the food...even lost of those lost from being on the Nexto Extreme..so DON'T waste money on storage...buy more chips.....hate talking about the trip....