Team Eat.Run.See continued our exploration of Patagonia at the southern tip of South America. After a mind-blowing adventure in the Patagonia region of Chile, we crossed the border to see its Argentinian counterpart. TRAIL Magazine gave us the opportunity to write about our experiences as we ate and ran our way through this dramatic and breathtaking part of the world:

TRAIL Issue 20: Glorious Glaciers of Argentina

We also covered this region in greater detail in this blog article.

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy online via one of these links:

Zinio / iTunes / Magzter

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share and remember tales from the trails of our global adventure.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Home to over 7 million people, it’s one of the world’s most densely populated cities. It’s an incredible melting pot of people, customs, and cultures seen, smelled, and heard in the myriad of streets, alleyways, and waterways. It has one of the world’s most recognizable skylines and harbours, with giant, towering skyscrapers, and row after row of tall residential buildings set perched on the edge of mountainous landscapes.

Our stop in Hong Kong was the back book-end to our incredible adventures around the world that started in November 2014. We picked this spot because of its proximity back to Vancouver, but we hoped that it would intrigue and delight us beyond its connection to our home town. We weren’t disappointed! Here’s the first of three instalments: running in Hong Kong.

The beautiful cityscape viewed from Victoria Peak

We wondered how we’d connect with nature and put foot to trail amidst this concrete jungle. Boy were we surprised! Our 6-day visit to Hong Kong blew our Injinji toe-socks off for so many reasons: incredible lush, hilly, scenic trails nestled in lush greenery on Hong Kong and its surrounding islands; the amazing range of delicious asian inspired veggie food; an incredible transport system that moves many millions of people daily; and its fascinating history with many visible remnants of its roots.

We split our time between the islands of Hong Kong and Lantau. On Hong Kong we stayed at a hostel in the Fortress Hill district. We focused our running on urban “trails” through the streets of Hong Kong and up to and around the forest land at the top of Victoria Peak. In the city we discovered a delightful urban recreation area called Victoria Park where locals jog around the running track and practice tai chi daily. A really authentic experience!

Topping out at 552m, Victoria Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong island. While the summit itself is off limits, this is home to a very popular lookout over the sprawling cityscape and harbour below. There are many ways up to the Peak and its access to nature, including a historic funicular railway dating back to 1926. For the avid trail runner or hiker, there are a few options to reach the Peak. Google this and you’ll be amazed at how many pathways there are to the top at both day and night – including an incredibly intricate set of stairs that run up alongside the tram. We didn’t have time to get up to the Peak on foot, but we did spend time running along the trails once at the top.

Views along the trail atop Victoria Peak

Lush green foliage strikes a stark contrast to the concrete jungle below

Breathtaking views across the bay and the many islands dotting the horizon

From this vantage point, there are views across the many bays and over Hong Kong’s neighbouring islands. The trail system criss-crosses the mountain side and top, meandering through lush jungle vines and banyan tree canopy. There’s roughly 25km of trail if you follow the Hong Kong Trail system. We ran about 10km out and back from the main Peak visitor area, stopping along the way to enjoy the views of nature and city alike. The pathway is easy to follow and mostly paved underfoot. We wish we’d had more time to get into the backcountry and explore the extensive network of trails on Hong Kong. But, it’s always good to leave something to come back to!

This qualifies as a *large* buddha statue!

Leaving the hustle, bustle, and bright lights behind us, we moved on from Hong Kong Island to nearby Lantau Island. We arrived on Lantau by ferry and caught the bus to the village close to our next hostel. The village is home to the Po Lin monastery and a 34 metre tall bronze Buddha sculpture. After a bit of bushwhacking we arrived at our hostel, just before the first of many intense downpours began.

Determined not to let the rain dampen our spirits, we grabbed a break in the weather and set out on an exploratory run to get a taste of the 70+ km Lantau Trail. This is a circular hiking trail that explores the southern half of the island. The trail includes a hike up Lantau’s highest mountain, Lantau Peak, at 934 metres. With no intention of completing the full circuit (this time!), we did manage a 3-hour out and back run which included going up and down the peak. The foliage and surroundings were far more wild and jungle-like than the trails we explored on Hong King Island.

The Lantau Peak trailhead close to our hostel

Climbing up through a lush green jungle and happy with a break in the storm

Definitely a first for Team ERS – running with a giant buddha as a backdrop

The run was quite a slog, with soggy, slippery surfaces underfoot. Much of the trail was either rock stair or hardpacked earth. There was a lot of water pouring down the mountain from earlier rain showers, making for very tricky footfalls and a constant threat of slipping. Unfortunately it was very misty when we were on the trail, so our views were limited. However, on our way back, we had a brief clearing to allow a magnificent view over the island with the giant Buddha floating peacefully on a lower hilltop.

Lots of rain = lots of waterfalls on trails

Well-marked trail system on the Lantau Trail

Bev at the top of Lantau Peak. Sadly no views this time!

We wrapped up our time on Lantau with lots of inside time due to the poor weather (which eventually became a cyclone warning!), a visit to the monastery and its amazing array of vegan food and baked goods, and a stairway sprint to get up close and personal with the big Buddha.

Hong Kong and Lantau Islands were an incredible introduction to what was previously a very mystical, unknown part of the world to us both. We were fortunate enough to meet a local trail runner while on one of our outings. He happened to have run the OCC-UTMB race with us in France last year. It was great to get his perspective on trail running in Hong Kong, and this encounter reminded us just how amazing the global trail running community is. We left with positive memories and a strong desire to return to uncover much more of this spectacular, surprising place.

Helpful running resources:

http://hktrailrunner.blogspot.ca

www.irunfar.com/2012/09/trail-running-in-hong-kong.html

http://asiatrailmag.com

www.discoverhongkong.com

http://www.lantauonline.com

Organized races:

Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race: January (100km) http://www.hk100-ultra.com

TransLantau: March (15km / 25km / 50km / 100km) https://translantau.com

Hong Kong Trail Race Calendar: http://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/hong-kong/trail

“The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world’s great long distance walk trails, stretching 1,000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, to Albany on the south coast, winding through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australia.” https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au

In the company of our two new Australian friends, Brett and Clive, we set out to explore roughly 70km of the Bibbulmun Track over four days in the first week of June 2015, walking north from the Brookton Highway access point, to the northern terminus in the shire of Kalamunda. The entire track is marked with triangular yellow metal “woggles” with the Bibbulmun signature emblem – a patterned snake (obviously, what else would be appropriate? :)). The woggles are attached to trees, posts, and metal struts and except for those instances where the marker has melted due to bush fires, grown into a tree over time, or simply fallen off, they are very easy to spot and follow! As one hiker commented, where there’s a woggle, there’s a way!

We had a grand adventure along a reasonably easy and well maintained section of the track, and lived to tell the tale, despite our fears of certain death by the fangs, claws, pincers, and teeth of the almost exclusively venomous, and deadly, creatures that call Australia home! An account of our excursion is detailed below with a packing list included at the end.

Packing the last few essential items on the night before departure – traveling light in true Eat.Run.See style!

Day 1: Brookton Highway to Beraking (26 kms)

Our trek started with an early morning pick up by Brett, Clive, and Brett’s kind father-in-law, Ken, who would drop us off and drive back into Perth at a fairly unreasonable hour! With the sun just rising and our packs snuggly on our backs, we started our first day’s walk. There was a track diversion due to controlled bush burning, so we headed along an alternate route along the power line track for the first two hours, eventually cutting back onto the main Bibbulmun Track and stopping at the Mt Dale campsite for a cup of tea and cookies. Along the way we saw evidence of the bush fire that had swept through the region a few years ago. Stark and beautiful at the same time.

At the start of the hike at Brookton Highway

Tea break near Mt Dale campsite

Remnants of a bush fire

The remainder of our first day was mostly along non-technical graded forest service roads, with a few nice climbs and beautiful views. We spent the first night at the Beraking campsite, nestled in the bush overlooking the hills. The campsites are very well structured with a three-sided shelter with built-in sleeping platforms, picnic tables, an outhouse, and fire pit. There is also fresh water at each campsite. It is recommended to either chemically treat or boil the water, which we dutifully did. We reached Beraking around 3pm and set about making lunch, a delicious lentil dahl courtesy of Brett, cooked on his very efficient methylated spirits camp stove. After our late lunch we had time to get our sleeping arrangements organized and watch the very beautiful sunset. The quiet night and crisp air were so lovely to enjoy around the warm campfire that evening!

Our first big climb of the hike – hard work with full packs!

Relaxing at Beraking campsite after a hard first day

Sleeping platforms in the shelter

The bush surrounding the campsite

Richard, Clive, and Brett debriefing the day’s events!

Gorgeous bush sunset

Day 2: Beraking to Helena (19 kms)

After a night that didn’t quite provide the quality, or quantity, of sleep we would’ve liked, we began day two at a very leisurely pace, only getting ourselves back on the trail by about 9:45am. The day saw us taking the trail from Beraking through to Helena campsite after a lunch stop at the Waalegh campsite, at roughly the halfway point. The weather, which had looked suspicious on the forecasts the week prior, turned less than ideal overnight and we spent a bit of time walking in light rain before reaching Waalegh at about noon.

Waalegh – lunch

When our hiking party was all accounted for, Brett once again provided us with a simply delicious dahl and rice meal, nicely customized with the addition of some extra curry spices. While we were enjoying lunch the weather went through several drastic changes, at times offering blue skies and brilliant sunshine, then changing into sudden and wild downpours with gusting winds, at a moment’s notice. This left us slightly concerned about the remaining 11km of walking before reaching our camp for the night. We decided not to take any chances and broke out our Machu Picchu ponchos – can’t have our sleeping bags getting wet, even it makes us look a little silly!

Have poncho, will travel

The section of track between Waalegh and Helena turned out to be one of our favorites. Mostly single track, lots of greenery, and no rain! This would have been an excellent stretch to run – our feet were itching to get going! We did encounter a fair bit of climbing with some slippery granite outcroppings and boulders to navigate. There were also a few areas where the trail was damaged due to erosion, so we had to keep our eyes open for the woggle and our feet firmly on the ground!

Beautiful views across the Helena valley

Bev and Brett

Beautiful jarrah tree

The bush is so peaceful and very beautiful

Taking a special little rest to enjoy the view

We arrived at Helena at about 4pm, happy to be dry, and totally satisfied with our day in the bush. Our camp for the night was hard earned with a few big ups and downs on the trail, but well worth the effort. The shelter at Helena is perched overlooking a valley and aside from the slog up the hill to the toilet, it was a perfect spot to spend a few hours to relax before bedtime. We made pasta and beans for dinner, followed by a few delicious squares of dark chocolate for dessert. It was early to bed for everyone, after an exhausting day!

Arriving at the Helena campsite junction

Richard getting settled at Helena campsite for the night

A beautiful fresh morning in the bush

Time to get moving!

Day 3: Helena to Ball Creek (9 kms)

We had a much better night’s rest and woke feeling well rested and ready for another day on the trail. This was to be our shortest distance day, leaving us with lots of time for a leisurely breakfast and easy walk to our next stop for the night at Ball Creek campsite. We climbed the hill from Helena and made our way back onto the track. From Helena the trail continued to wind its way through jarrah forrest against the backdrop of the Darling Range. In addition to the beautiful shapes and colours of the jarrah trees, we also loved the strange and crooked grass trees, brightly coloured wildflowers, and harsh but pretty banksia varietals. It almost seems that everything in Australia has developed the ability to defend itself in the most aggressive way imaginable!

On the road again!

More beautiful bush terrain to explore

Exquisite bark formations and colours

Almost at camp!

But not before we encountered three enormous mouse spiders – venomous of course!

We arrived at Ball Creek campsite just before noon and before settling into our bunk, conducted a full search for more mouse spiders and other creepy crawlies. Fortunately we did not encounter anything to be concerned about, and prepped our sleeping quarters for the night. We had a very lazy afternoon, forced inside the shelter at times by rain showers. It was another very enjoyable day with great conversation, many laughs, and excellent camp food, including freshly brewed espresso thanks to Brett and Clive.

Our final night’s shelter at Ball Creek

The work never ends but it’s so much fun!

Another awesome fire thanks to Brett (and Clive and Richard for gathering the wood!)

Pretty eucalyptus leaves

Time to eat again!

Day 4: Ball Creek to Kalamunda (21 kms)

Our final day on the track would take us from Ball Creek to the track’s northern terminus in Kalamunda. This would be another long day taking us away from the bush and into civilization once again. We got an early start from Ball Creek and quickly covered the first few kilometres before entering an interpretive trail close to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre. We wound our way through more lush forrest with views of the Mundaring Weir and reservoir. We also encountered a few furry friends along the way, including a fairly distressed joey who had become separated from its mother. Who knew kangaroos hissed and barked? Fortunately there was a happy ending with the baby reunited with its mother, and we did not have to endure a punch in the neck from a protective maternal marsupial.

Where there’s a woggle, there’s a way!

Starting up the hill away from Ball Creek

Furry friends along the track

Amazing spiderwebs heavy with morning dew

After a very pleasant and refreshing coffee break at the Mundaring Weir Hotel (and used their very clean bathrooms to wash our hands and faces for the first time in three days!), we crossed the weir and continued with the track onto the south bank section. This part of the track had a fair bit of climbing with stone steps to boot – plus there were multiple other tracks criss-crossing over the Bibbulmun, requiring us to keep our eye on the woggle at all times! It was obvious that we had entered a more heavily trafficked part of the track! At the 10km mark we arrived at our lunch stop at Hewett’s Hill campsite. We had a very pleasant rest in the sunshine and enjoyed some of our last bits of provisions along with a cup of tea. We were well rested and ready for the final 11km push home – and the cold beer that would be waiting for us!

At the Mundaring Weir

Lunch stop at Hewett’s Hill campsite

Gumtree nuts

The final part of our day’s hike was incredibly beautiful and varied. After following a fairly flat, wide and firm section of the track for a few kilometres alongside smallholdings and a camel farm, we walked down into a river valley at Piesse Brook and back up again, surrounded by boulders and bush, with lovely views along the way. Our packs had become gradually lighter as each day passed and our food rations were consumed. We enjoyed having a little less weight for the final stretch as our legs started to feel a little tired after the previous days’ effort.

Clive and Richard getting going after lunch

A sunny break next to another beautiful tree on the trail

We’re on the right track!

Bev having a special little rest

Gorgeous fresh fruit for sale along the way!

Brilliant colours courtesy of the setting sun on our final day

Once we reached the entrance to Kalamunda National Park we knew that we were close to the northern terminus of the Bibbulmun Track. A few kilometres on, through parkland and along paved roadways, we arrived at the end of the track around 4pm. Feeling elated by such a good time in the beautiful bush but sad that our adventure was over, we set down our packs and enjoyed a well earned cold beer and potato chips! A short while later we welcome Brett and Clive as they arrived from the track, and all set off to enjoy a celebratory dinner before hailing a cab to take us back into Perth, where our warm showers and comfy beds waited for us!

We made it!

Thanks Richard for running into town for cold beer and potato chips!

Packing list for three-night/four-day hike

Backpack (Richard – 38L / Bev – 34L)

Sleeping bag and liner

Large garbage back for waterproofing sleeping bag and clothing

Compact thermarest sleeping mat

Headlamp

First aid kit

Water purification tablets and water bottles

Toilet paper

Baby wipes

Hand sanitizer

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Hand towel

Playing cards

Phone

Bibbulmun Track Northern Section Guidebook

Plastic bag for garbage collection (hikers must carry all garbage off the track)

Clothing: two technical fabric shirts, one pair shorts, warm layer for evenings and sleeping (track pants, base layer and fleece), toque, buffs, gloves, socks, underwear, and warm outer jacket

Rain poncho and rain jacket

Hiking shoes

Hat

Sunglasses

Collapsible bowl

Spork (spoon and fork combo)

Plastic cup

Meals – breakfast: granola, bananas, soy milk (250ml tetra pack containers)

Meals – lunch: dahl and rice (provided and carried by Brett and Clive – thank you!), pita bread, peanut butter, and jam

Meals – dinner: cous cous, packaged beans (3 kinds), pasta, nutritional yeast sprinkles

Snacks: Clif Bars, trail mix, cookies, rice crackers, fruit (apples, plums, grapes), and dark chocolate

Drinks: water, tea, and coffee (provided and carried by Brett and Clive – thank you again!)

Note: we would typically also carry a portable stove, fuel and pot, but our friend Brett provided these items for our group for this hike

Walking through the arrivals hall in Christchurch airport offers a clear understanding of two main sources of revenue in New Zealand – sheep and cows. Pictures and sounds of these friendly farm animals greet you at almost every turn. And as a vegan, it becomes clear that life might soon be very difficult!

A common sight in New Zealand – pity we couldn’t save these woolly friends from their fate

However, despite the tremendous amount of dairy produced and milk products consumed, and the presence of many, many sheep farms producing wool and lamb, it is a very easy place to thrive as a plant-based consumer. There appears to be an increasing awareness of alternative dietary requirements and small businesses are blossoming to meet the demand. Since our visit five years prior, the choice and range of products available to vegans has increased dramatically.

Although New Zealand is an isolated country, there is a tremendous variety of fresh produce and fruit sold at both supermarkets and farmers markets across the country. Most of this is grown locally and is beautifully fresh and delicious. There are imported options, but the prices reflect the hefty surcharge to bring these goods into the country from far away lands. An exception to this is perhaps bananas, which are comparable in price to what we pay in North America.

All the larger supermarket chains carry a wide variety of products to support a plant-based diet. These include non-dairy milk and yoghurt options, grains, legumes, nut butters, cereals, soy products, meat substitutes like tempeh and veggie sausages, and breads. In larger cities and towns you’ll find at least one health food store offering everything you could possibly wish for from kombucha to flax seeds. Prices are more expensive than supermarket sundries but many of these products are locally produced and organic. Here are a few options in key centres, many offering freshly prepared vegan food and baking too:

Piko (Christchurch)
Organic Green Grocer (Nelson)
Commonsense Organics (Wellington/Auckland)
Chantal Organics (Napier)
Ceres Fresh Market (Auckland)

Generally we shopped at the Countdown supermarket chain for our regular groceries and did not have any trouble finding everything we needed there. Fruit and vegetables seem to be of better quality and cheaper price at produce markets, but the supermarkets are perfectly fine too for variety and freshness. Whenever possible we purchased fruit and vegetables at road side stalls and even had the chance to pick our own cherries! We also were treated to gorgeous fresh vegetables, herbs and berries from my brother’s garden in Christchurch, making us long for a garden of our own!

Bucket of cherry goodness from PYO (pick-your-own) farm near Nelson

We mostly cooked for ourselves during our three months in New Zealand as we had wonderful kitchen facilities when staying with family and friends on both North and South islands. When we were travelling and camping we usually had access to communal kitchens or used the camp cooking gear we borrowed from my brother. We had a lot of fun trying out new recipes with our family and we especially had fun baking vegan pies, cookies and muffins with our little nephew.

Family baking time!

Yummy homemade pizza

Fresh berries from the garden + vegan waffles = bliss!

Cooking up gourmet vegan chow on one of our camping trips

We did enjoy a few meals out as well as the odd take-out feast with the ethnic flavours of Thailand or India being quite common. Most restaurants are familiar with what vegans eat and are happy to accommodate. Eating out in New Zealand is quite expensive, and our backpackers’ budget struggled to cope with the high cost. In an average restaurant, it’s not uncommon to pay $18-25 for a main meal. Lunch items are a bit cheaper, with coffee and pastry items running around $4 each.

We were also afforded the opportunity through my brother’s generosity and interest, to sample a variety of wonderful local vegan wines. It was very impressive to see that wine makers in New Zealand include information on the component used in the fining process to make wine. Often these components are animal-based, but sometimes a synthetic or plant-based option is utilized. It was very refreshing to find such a wide variety of wines that were vegan and labelled as such.

In summary, New Zealand was an incredibly easy country to navigate as vegans. It would be even easier to enjoy if budget was not a consideration, as there are many wonderful dining options that could easily cater to plant-based requirements, from lunch time food carts through to boutique bistros.

Local resources:

http://www.vegansociety.co.nz

http://www.vegans.co.nz

http://vegetarians.co.nz

www.happycow.net/australia/new_zealand/

Click me to read our article

Another awesome issue of TRAIL magazine featuring Eat.Run.See! This time we cover running  in the Honduran jungle – an exhilarating experience! We also talk about how we’re traveling on a plant-based diet and what makes our list of most memorable vegan plates and places.

Click on the link below for our article as it appears in the magazine.

TRAIL 14 – Eat.Run.See Survives Honduras

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness, pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy (from wherever you access the interwebs) via one of these links:

Zinio: http://za.zinio.com/www/browse/product.jsp?rf=sch&productId=500650714

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trail-mag/id796352591?ls=1&mt=8

We’re once again incredibly proud and excited that we’re featured in TRAIL, South Africa’s leading trail running publication. The latest issue continues our involvement as regular contributors, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure.

We had reservations about visiting India for a few reasons, but food wasn’t one of them! We eagerly anticipated the rich spicy flavours, the soft warm breads and the tender slow roasted vegetables and pulses. And we weren’t disappointed!

India is one of the easiest countries we’ve travelled as vegans. With a small amount of enquiry (English is very common in the bigger cities and tourist routes), one can efficiently bypass the elements in a typical Indian restaurant menu that don’t fit within a vegan framework. The most common items are ghee (clarified butter) and paneer (soft white cheese). These ingredients show up quite frequently on any self respecting Indian vegetarian menu, but there are also many other options such as vegetable, lentil and chickpea dishes that can be made (and are often readily offered) without ghee or paneer.

As food is generally very inexpensive in India, and as our self-catering accommodation options were very limited in this part of the world, we were able to try many different restaurants and flavourful dishes which took on a new character in each region we visited. For breakfast we ate muesli and soy milk, with generous helpings of fresh fruit such as banana, papaya and mangoes. Lunch and dinner were usually restaurant based and depending on the location, included thalis (a platter with small servings of various dishes), dosas (wafer thin lentil crepe often filled with vegetables and potatoes), and other regional fare with the odd western style meal to change the flavour a bit.

Fruit stands are common and well stocked

We drank only bottled water while in India. Bottled water is cheap and available everywhere. This, along with a strict hygiene regimen (including frequent hand washing followed by hand sanitizer), and very selective eating choices (picking slightly upmarket restaurants with good local patronage, not eating from street carts and vendors, washing fruit well, and packing food for travel days) allowed us to travel through India for over a month without having any stomach or other ailments.

Here is a summary of the regions we visited, the typical food we discovered and some of our favourite dining and grocery shopping experiences:

MUMBAI

Our brief stay in Mumbai did not give us a lot of time to explore the local cuisine. We had a few excellent light meals at pure vegetarian restaurants close to and recommended by our accommodation. We also had a terrific pizza (no cheese!) and very cold Kingfisher beer at Pizza by the Bay on Mumbai’s famous Marine Drive in Churchgate. We found an excellent whole/natural foods store near Churchgate called Nature’s Basket which stocks a wide range of locally produced and imported food items including soy milk. This is a great reference to other natural food stockists and resources in Mumbai, including a number of vegan resources. We’re sure there are many wonderful culinary delights to be discovered in Mumbai, our two-day stopover simply didn’t allow for too much exploration – especially since it was our first introduction to India and we were feeling a little cautious and a bit overwhelmed!

Pizza and cold Kingfisher beer at Pizza on the Bay

 
GOA

We chose to stay in north Goa on Mandrem Beach at a quiet laid-back beach resort called Dunes Holiday Village. There is a fantastic restaurant on the premises at Dunes, offering an extensive selection of Indian as well as western choices, along with juices and smoothies. We ate most of our meals here as we found it to be very affordable, excellent in quality and a very comfortable place to while away the time while looking at the gorgeous ocean view. Another favourite spot was Lamuella Cafe, just across the road from Dunes. The freshly ground coffee, homemade rice milk, oatmeal, and granola hit the spot on more than one occasion! We visited once for dinner and found their food portions, while very tasty and plentiful in vegan options, to be quite small and overpriced.

North Goa is well known for its beautiful beaches, yoga retreats, and bohemian lifestyle. There is an abundance of restaurants from Arambol Beach down the coast to Anjuna Beach with vegan options, from local flavours through to fresh salads, falafel, veggie burgers, raw delights, and more. Most of the yoga retreats cater to alternative lifestyle and dietary choices, and offer enticing menus with vegan options. There is also an amazing and plentiful collection of fresh fruit stands, along with well stocked grocery stores. Come with a good appetite as you’ll be a well fed vegan in these parts!

Waiting for our dinner to arrive while watching the sunset at Dunes

 
DARJEELING

Oh Darjeeling, how we miss you! In this high Himalayan mountain station we discovered a delightful assortment of cultures and flavours due to Tibetan, Nepalese, Indian, and English influences. Over our 10 day stay we feasted on a wonderful range of excellent food with vegan options galore. Here are a few of our favourite eating experiences:

Glenary’s Cafe and Bakery is a Darjeeling institution. The wonderful enclosed porch with amazing views over the town and mountains is the best spot to sit on a sunny morning with a cup of tea. The cafe menu offers fairly standard fare, with options like oatmeal, wholegrain toast, veggie burgers and other snack items. The bakery has a wide range of breads and some sweet and savoury vegan baked goods.

A cute Glenary’s teapot

Kunga is a tiny family-run restaurant that makes the best vegetarian momos (tibetan dumplings) in town! With seating for roughly 20 people, it’s not easy to get a table, so come ready to wait or arrive before peak meal times.

Waiting for table outside Kunga

Vegetarian momos at Kunga – well worth the wait!

Lunar is an Indian restaurant under the Dekeling Hotel (where we stayed in Darjeeling). It’s a more upmarket option, but still within a reasonable price range. We liked the clean, smart dining room with lovely views and enjoyed the vegetable pakoras, chana masala, and naan bread a few times during our stay.

Excellent Indian fare and fantastic views at Lunar

Sonam’s Kitchen is a small hole in the wall that is mostly frequented by travellers. Known for its coffee and chunky toasted wholemeal bread (from Glenary’s of course!), it’s a lovely spot to sit for a while. We dropped by a few times for a late breakfast. We’d hoped to try the dinner options as they came highly recommended, but the restaurant was closed in the evenings during our stay in Darjeeling.

A friendly place with the best coffee in Darjeeling

Foodsteps offers a number of healthier options like smoothies, granola, wraps, and homebaked vegan cookies. Friendly staff and lovely views from the upstairs dining room make this another sweet spot to while away some time.

Fresh, healthy fare at Foodsteps

Nathmulls Tea Shop is one of the nicest locales in Darjeeling to experience tea culture. As a purveyor of fine teas from across the Darjeeling region, the range and quality of teas is outstanding. A small cafe attached to the tea sales room offers a full range of tea tasting as well as a food menu with one or two suitable vegan options.

Sampling the best of Darjeeling’s tea at Nathmulls

Hasty Tasty is the best spot for cheap and fast Indian food. The masala dosa and vegetarian thali are a must!

Aaah, the amazing dosa at Hasty Tasty!

Our one day hike across the border into Nepal included lunch in a mountain refuge. We were treated to an amazing range of lentil and vegetable dishes, rice, papadums and the potent tongba – a millet-based fermented alcoholic beverage that is served warm.

The potent millet drink called tongba

 
JAIPUR

Jaipur is the capital city of the state of Rajasthan, located in northwest India. We spent two nights here as part of a “golden triangle” tour which included a visit to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal). On our first night we discovered a wonderful rooftop restaurant called the Peacock on the top floor of the Hotel Pearl Palace. We returned here on our second night too as we enjoyed our first visit so much! Our favourite dish was the Dhal Makani enjoyed with ice cold Kingfisher beer.

Loving the vibe and amazing food at Peacock

A sweet treat!

Down a narrow alley to find a local treasure

 
DELHI

The sprawling and congested city of Delhi crams in every conceivable restaurant, street vendor, kiosk and food cart. It’s a full frontal sensory overload! Our three days in Delhi gave us a very quick glimpse of what the city has to offer, with most of our exploration on the food front centered on Connaught Place. We had two really amazing meals at Saravanaa Bahvan – well worth the wait in the long line up. Here the specialty is a variety of dosas, and their excellent thali – beautiful flavours and a fun hands on food experience.

A delicious onion dosa – more than enough to share!

We were surprised that grocery stores were limited in the city. There were a few convenience stores selling the typical range of supplies like bottled water, candy and toiletries, but we couldn’t find a supermarket in the area that we were staying near the main railway station. We were able to find soy milk and muesli at the TwentyFourSeven convenience store in Connaught Place to meet our breakfast needs.

We arrived in Croatia from Rome, Italy, where vegan options were plentiful, fresh and delicious and the supermarkets well stocked. We were unsure what our options would be as we touched down in Dubrovnik and set out to explore part of the Balkan region for a couple of months. Our time in Croatia was mostly spent along the Dalmatian Coast and on the Istrian Peninsula. We enjoyed a good mix of small villages and big towns, and aside from one small island hamlet (Sobra on Mljet Island), were able to find everything we needed to make our usual healthy, happy vegan meals and even enjoyed several meals out.

Food shopping

After finding and settling into our accommodation, the next order of business in a new place is to orient ourselves regarding food. Since we mostly stay in places that have kitchen facilities, orientation usually entails locating the nearest grocery store or supermarket to stock up on supplies. It’s always exciting to explore a new store to see the selection of vegan-friendly products, along with local fruits and vegetables.

Picking up soy milk at one of the many Konzum stores across Croatia

In Dubrovnik we found a supermarket called Konzum just down the street from our lodging, near to the main bus station and port. Konzum is a large Croatian supermarket chain and we were delighted to find a large “health food section” with all of our usual requirements: soy milk, oats, muesli, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, dates, and more. We subsequently found that other supermarket chains such as Tommy, Studenac and Pemo also carried most of the basics, but we generally shopped at Konzum since we found their selection, prices and freshness of produce to be the best. Pricing for typical items: 1l soy milk – 18 Kuna (C$3.30); 250ml peanut butter – 10 Kuna (C$1.85); bread loaf – 8 Kuna (C$1.50); 1kg bananas – 10 Kuna (C$1.85).

Our most challenging few days as it relates to food was on the island of Mljet. We initially decided to stay in the town of Sobra which is near the main ferry dock in the centre of the island. Unfortunately we were surprised to find that the small food store was very poorly stocked with supplies and almost no fresh produce. There are a handful of restaurants but their offerings are quite poor and we were not too thrilled about eating bland pizza and pasta for lunch and dinner every day!

So we decided to move to another village on the island called Polace at the entrance to the National Park, and were ecstatic to find two well stocked food markets (with soy milk no less!) as well as plentiful supplies of fruit and vegetables. There is also a bakery that makes the most amazing multi-grain bread (even better than the French and Italian breads we recently indulged in!). We’d certainly recommend Polace as a base if you visit Mljet and wish to enjoy nature while continuing with your plant-based diet. Although we opted to cook all of our meals in our apartment, there are a number of restaurants along the waterfront in Polace, many of which would be able to whip up a vegan salad, sandwich, pizza or pasta. You can read more about what we got up to on Mljet here.

Bean chili over baked potatoes – one of our favourite meals enjoyed in Polace on our lovely patio! And of course, wine with lunch (a very civilized habit acquired in France)!

The bakery or “pekara” in Polace on Mljet Island

One of the very well stocked supermarkets in Polace

We also found a few natural/health food stores called “bio” shops in Dubrovnik and Split. These shops were very well stocked with local and imported natural foods, home and beauty products. We enjoyed a rare treat of tofu and quinoa purchased from one of the bio shops called Trgovina Refužo in Split, just a few steps away from the Riva. It was really great to chat to the store owner who has been vegan for many years and is working hard to promote a plant-based lifestyle in Croatia. The shop is very well stocked with nuts, seeds, grains and flours in bulk bins, along with meat alternatives such as tofu and seitan, and non-dairy milks. There is also a gluten-free product section. Here’s a list of the other bio shops we found:

Bio and Bio – Dubrovnik

Bio and Bio - Split

Zdravi Bili – Split

What an unexpected treat to find tofu and quinoa in Croatia! We had a great time checking out bio store Trgovina Refužo in Split

Where possible, we also seek out markets to buy our food. We hoped that Croatia would be similar to the other European countries we’d recently visited. We were not disappointed by the produce markets, fruit and vegetable vendors and bakeries in every place we visited! Not only are the local ingredients fresher and more tasty, they tend to be cheaper too – especially when purchased at places where locals shop. Local fruits include mandarin oranges, grapes, pomegranates, apples, limes, melons and lemons. Local vegetables include potatoes (the best we’ve had!), chard (how we’ve missed you!), cabbage, zucchinis, lettuces, cucumber and tomatoes (yes, a fruit, but more suited to the vegetable list somehow!). Anything imported is quite a bit more expensive, but there is a good variety.

The “green market” in Split next to Diocletian’s Palace (photo credit: www.taxisplitairport.com)

Our typical breakfast consists of oats or muesli/granola with soy milk, nuts, dates, flax seeds, oat bran and banana. We had no problem finding any of these ingredients during our stay in Croatia. Lunches and dinners are usually interchangeable and we make large portions to allow for leftovers if we’re staying in one place for a few days. We generally make bean burritos, lentil stew, pasta with vegetable and tomato sauce, chickpea curry, soups and other dishes as we find available ingredients for a special treat (like tofu!).

Yummy lentil stew with fresh veggies over cous cous with a side of roasted beets

Eating out

We don’t eat out very often on this global adventure with its backpacker budget, but we do like to support local vegan restaurants when we can. In Split we discovered a wonderful spot called Makrovega, serving reasonably priced daily set vegan and vegetarian menus, along with light meals such as veggie burgers, burritos and sandwiches. They also have a delicious variety of dessert items and fresh cold-pressed juices. There’s also another option in Split called Vege which is a take-out window located near the produce market. We didn’t get a chance to eat there, but wish we did! There is a popular vegetarian restaurant called Nishta inside the old city walls of Dubrovnik that we were hoping to try, but unfortunately it was closed on the day we visited the old town.

Lunch at Makrovega – we tried the burger and tofu burrito – both outstanding!

Generally we don’t have the luxury of choice for vegetarian or vegan restaurants, so we get creative, and work around the menu offerings, and sometimes, the language barrier! In Croatia, the most common restaurants are eateries called “konobas” run by local families serving mostly regional fare which is heavily weighted to meat and fish dishes. All of the restaurants we visited had pizza and pasta selections that could easily be made vegan, along with amazing vegetable side dishes. These restaurants offered up the best meals:

Sperun – Split (very heavy on seafood and local fare, but there are pasta options; we ordered the spaghetti with tomato sauce and a side order of each of the boiled and grilled veggies – wonderful flavours and generous portions but slightly heavy on the olive oil for our liking)

Quaint local restaurant Sperun, hidden off the main tourist promenade in Split

Bistro Toc – Split (we asked for a vegan version of the burrito with tofu and avocado instead of meat and cheese – very happily accommodated and delicious too!)

Pizzeria Napoli – Labin (we initially wanted to try a regional pasta dish called fuzi which is served with locally grown white truffles, but unfortunately the dish is made with cream and cheese; we opted instead for a veggie pizza with no cheese – again, happily accommodated and we weren’t disappointed!)

Pizzeria Napoli on the main square in Labin on the Istrian Peninsula

Gorgeous, colourful vegan pizza enjoyed on the patio overlooking the main square in Labin

The verdict

Being vegan in Croatia was much easier than we expected it to be. This is largely attributed to the availability of varied supplies in the supermarkets as well as our ability (and interest) to cook for ourselves. Eating out for every meal would be possible, but one of vegan inclination would be limited to pizza and pasta in most restaurants. There is also not very much ethnic diversity in the towns we visited, so typical options for vegans like Mexican, Thai or Japanese are not plentiful.

Hands down the easiest place to be vegan in Croatia is Split (compared to other larger towns we visited, including Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula and Rovinj). Zagreb was not on our itinerary on this trip, but it’s likely that it would have more options than the rest of the country.

Best local food tried: Croatian chard (dark green leafy vegetable) and potatoes

Most surprising food experience: Well-stocked bio/natural food stores in bigger centres

Most challenging food experience: Understanding the language to convey or request vegan requirements

After 5 gorgeous (but expensive!) days in Rome, we boarded our friendly EasyJet flight bound for oceanside Dubrovnik in southern Croatia. Arriving at sunset gave us a spectacular vista over the hills, islands, and ocean that embrace this historical town with its walled old quarter. The handy Atlas airport shuttle bus ($7.50 each/one way) dropped us at the main bus terminal after giving us a glimpse of the romantic old town lit up at night.

Courtyard at Guesthouse Dada

Our accommodation at Guesthouse Dada was a mere 100m away from the bus station and we were delighted to discover how clean and well laid out our apartment was. We shared a bathroom and kitchen with one other double room, and had use of the courtyard and outdoor seating area. We discovered that private letting of accommodation is very common in Dubrovnik (and across Croatia apparently), and were greeted by many people at the bus station offering us accommodation or “sobe/apartman”. We were happy that we had pre-booked our accommodation via booking.com, but it would have been possible to secure accommodation in a more informal fashion.

One of the many stray cats we encountered in Dubrovnik – this one was definitely the cutest and most curious!

The first day of our 3-night/2-day stay in Dubrovnik was quite typical for us – we put on our running shoes and headed out the door to explore our surroundings. We ran from the bus station past the port and around the peninsula to Babin Kuk and Lapad on an oceanfront path (part road, gravel and dirt). More details on our running adventures coming soon!

Port of Dubrovnik, with lovely water and dockside walking paths

After our morning run we set out on foot to find a beach and visit the famous old town. Dubrvonik has a number of “beach” options, ranging from pebbly, sandy inlets to rocky outcroppings with slabs of concrete for sunbathing. Most beaches are within walking distance of the old town, but there are also regular buses that run to various parts of town and beaches (cost: 12 Kuna at newsstand or 15 Kuna on the bus). On this outing we found two swimming areas (not really beaches in the typical sense!): one near Lapad next to a large hotel/casino complex and one called Dance Beach near Gradac Park. Both have gorgeous views of the ocean and its lovely blue green water. Dance Beach is more tranquil and a great spot to catch a gorgeous sunset.

A little church perched on the cliff above Dance Beach

Wedged between our two beach experiences was our visit to Dubrovnik‘s walled old town which is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Dating to the 7th Century, this spectacular site was truly delightful to explore. We wandered down the marbled main avenue and wound up and away along stepped side streets into the maze of the locally inhabited parts of the town. We also made our way to the outside the of walls and walked alongside the ocean and marina. Dubrovnik is one of the filming locations for the popular TV show Game of Thrones, and we can see why the producers picked this spot! It’s captivating, alluring, and authentic.

Old town fortifications

Exploring the lane ways with restaurants, hotels, shops, tour agencies and residences

Stairs winding up and away from the town centre

Busy inside the walls!

The marble paved central avenue

Intricate detailing so well preserved

Gorgeous contrast of blue skies and white buildings with the characteristic terra-cotta tile roofs of the region

So many lanes to explore!

Evidence of daily life in the old town

Nature finds a way

Pile, one of two entrance gates to the old town

The old town within its walled perimeter

On our second day we decided to try another beach closer to the old town. Banje Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Dubrovnik, with its clear water and beautiful views of the old town and islands across the bay. The beach itself is quite pebbly with sandy spots and lots of rocks for lounging on. We got a good dose of Vitamin D while drinking ice cold Croatian beer, followed by cooling dips in the Adriatic. A very successful beach outing indeed!

Pebbly Banje Beach with the old town in the background

Beach time Croatia-style on the Adriatic

Smiles all around on a sunny, clear water kinda day!

Our initial idea for our time on the southern Dalmatian coast was to spend a few days in Dubrovnik followed by a few hops around the larger islands in the region. Due to the end of the summer season, we discovered that the frequency and ease of ferry travel was limited. This turned out to be a very happy circumstance!

Instead of moving around from island to island, we chose to visit the small and less populated island of Mljet, featuring Mljet National Park with a much quieter pace than some of the larger islands in the region. We travelled from Dubrovnik to Mljet with the G&V Ferry Line on the foot passenger-only catamaran. Tickets are purchased a half hour before departure at a cost of 60 Kuna one way per person. Once we arrived on the island, we knew that we’d find peace and tranquility in the natural beauty of the surroundings. And so we decided to stay on Mljet for 11 days, splitting our time between the main port of Sobra and the village of Polace.

Travel day at the ferry dock!

The ferry in dock waiting to depart for Mljet

The village of Sobra is a quiet place with few services and a very basic grocery market. Contrary to guidebooks suggesting it’s the centre of the island, Sobra has limited facilities and no public transport. Despite this, we decided to stay for three nights and enjoy the quiet surroundings. We stayed at Guesthouse Sobra in a room with a lovely view of the bay from the sunny terrace. We enjoyed the close access to a swimming/sunning spot and the company of our new Australian friend, Dennis. We ventured out one day for a 32km run to one end of the island and back, breaking up the distance half way to enjoy a well-earned cold beer and a dip in the enchanting blue water at Saplunara.

Idyllic setting in Sobra

The pathway to our lodging

View from our patio across the bay and the village of Sobra

Quiet morning for reflection on a still bay in Sobra

Beautiful quiet bay near the village of Saplunara

We moved on from Sobra by ferry to Polace, situated closer to the entrance of the national park to give us greater access to running terrain as well as better food supplies with two well-stocked grocery stores. We took a chance and decided not to pre-book accommodation since online options were limited and far more expensive than we expected. This turned out to be a terrific decision. We stepped off the ferry and encountered a number of locals waiting to offer their accommodation for rent. We agreed to view one of the apartments close to the ferry dock, and we were thrilled with the location, space, and price. We happily completed the necessary administration and settled in. This included completing the mandatory tourist accommodation cards that are stamped by local authorities. Kudos to Richard for his gut instinct to select our friendly landlord!

The village of Polace with Roman palace ruins

Our home and comfy terrace for 8 days

View to the left of our terrace

Our eight days in Polace were terrific. Set against the ruins of an ancient Roman palace, the village is situated within the national park, which makes up almost a third of the island. There are amazing trails, two salt water lakes, a restored monastery on an island within a lake and historic villages to explore. We spent most days running in the morning to see different parts of the park, and then relaxing around one of the two lakes in the afternoons. Aside from one day of rain, the weather was sunny, warm and humid – still cool enough for running but hot enough for lazing on rocks and swimming in our birthday suits!

Clear water and pine tree lined shores of the large lake (Veliko Jezero)

Our favourite sheltered rock perch on the shore of the large lake

The monastery of Santa Maria built on an island within the large lake

Wayfinding in the park is very clear and the forest trail system is equally well marked

The beautiful turquoise waters of the small lake (Malo Jezero)

Not all beaches are suitable for naturists! FKK is the code for nude beaches in Croatia

Park entrance is 90 Kuna per person and is valid for the duration of your stay in the region. There are regular shuttle buses that transport visitors to Pristaniste, the main entrance and one of the launch points for the boat across the lake to the monastery. All bus and boat transportation is included in the entrance fee. Bike and kayak rentals are available, but we preferred to explore on foot. This was a very easy way to get around even when we weren’t running, as many trails and roads connect short distances within the park.

Island foliage

A quiet spot outside the monastery

Architectural detail on the exterior of the monastery

A nice spot to have a little rest!

About to enjoy one of our many yummy meals on our terrace with a spot of Croatian wine

Bike rentals are everywhere on the island

Our apartment was incredibly comfortable and clean, and perfectly located with an ocean view patio and close to the park entrance and grocery store. We really enjoyed the setting and pace of the village, and for the first time on this crazy journey, felt that we had time to meditate, read and write, in addition to our usual running and exploration activities. It was also great to visit at the end of the summer season with fewer tourists and boat traffic. We’re going to miss our island oasis on Mljet but are looking forward to exploring what else Croatia has to offer, starting with Split, the capital city of the Dalmatia region.

Departure morning at 4am to catch the bus to the ferry dock

This week the latest issue of South Africa’s trail running magazine, TRAIL, hit the shelves. We’re incredibly excited to announce that we’re featured in the publication. The latest issue kicks off our involvement as regular contributors to TRAIL, as we share tales from the trails that we explore and experience on our global adventure. Check out this link to our article as it appears in the magazine:

TRAIL Issue 12_August 2014

If you’d like to enjoy the full magazine packed with awesome trail goodness (and a hidden Eat.Run.See gem on pages 26/27!), pick up a copy at supermarkets or bookstores in South Africa, or buy a digital copy via one of these links:

Zinio http://gomulti.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=40be70bf04c06dfbdb5433ae0&id=273b432f10&e=fb22993be8
Magzter http://gomulti.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=40be70bf04c06dfbdb5433ae0&id=d59638f0e8&e=fb22993be8

Thanks to TRAIL editor, Deon Braun, for his enthusiasm and interest in our story. We can’t wait to be part of future issues and see our run around the world come to life in this way!

Here’s a delicious and healthy vegan adaptation of a traditional favorite!

Ingredients:

1 tsp water
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 head broccoli
2 zucchinis
3 carrots
1 butternut (small)
Pinch salt and pepper
3 cups fresh spinach, shredded
1/4 cup water
2 blocks firm tofu, drained
1 large can tomato paste
750ml pasta sauce
1 box lasagne sheets (egg-free)

Method:

Lightly grease a large rectangular (10 x 13 x 4 inches or so) glass baking dish with a small amount of olive oil. Spread  1/3 can of tomato paste onto base of dish. Preheat oven to 350 deg F or 180 deg C.

Fill base with one layer of lasagne noodles.

Lightly fry garlic in water in a large pan. Add herbs.

Thinly slice broccoli, zucchinis and carrots. Peel, de-seed and cut butternut into small cubes.

Add vegetables, salt and pepper to garlic and herbs. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add pasta sauce and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

While vegetables are cooking, blend spinach with water. Add tofu and blend gently to create a chunky paste resembling ricotta cheese.

Pour half of spinach/tofu mixture onto first layer of noodles. Top with half of vegetable/pasta sauce mixture.

Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering once more. Finish with a layer of noodles and top with the remainder of the tomato paste.

Cover dish with foil and place in pre-heated oven and cook for 1 hour. If the noodles are cooked after 1 hour, remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If the noodles are not tender after an hour, leave in for another 20 minutes and check again. Remove when ready and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy (for dinner, and lunch the next day!) with a crisp salad and a glass of red vegan vino!

** This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagne sheets available at health food stores or well-stocked local supermarkets **