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The once in a lifetime experiences (read: the crazy sh*t you look back on) created through travel can make strangers into lifelong friends in a matter of weeks, even hours.
That’s definitely the case with our buddy Andy. We met in Myanmar in August 2014 and always ended up getting into wacky adventures together.
Like this time we motorbiked to the biggest reclining Buddha in the world in Mawlamyne.
Photo courtesy of Andy.
Got blessed by the 94-year-old monk who designed the Buddha.
I was blessed while in super fast ghost mode.
Then got invited to dinner by a group of Buddhist pilgrims. When we arrived it turned out they had already eaten, so it was just a group of about 50 people watching us eat. They were all lovely!
Of course I became friends with the only baby there.
Or the time we rode motorbikes around Hpa-an and drove across this ridiculously long, narrow concrete bridge over a lake.
Still can’t believe none of us fell in…
Aside from motorbike shenanigans, Andy is also a very adventurous eater. We shared some delicious meals, like this feast:
Not sure what we’re eating, but it’s delicious!
By the end of our time in Myanmar it was sad saying goodbye, but we knew we’d cross paths again someday.
Now Andy is working as a tour guide throughout Southeast Asia, so we got to meet up with him in Phnom Penh!
We were only able to hang out for one night before his group had to move on, but in those few hours he convinced us to do something we never thought we’d do: Eat a developing duck embryo, known as ‘balut ‘or as it’s called in Cambodia, ‘pong tia koon’.
We succumbed to Andy’s convincing logic that we eat duck at every other stage, fully cooked bird and egg, so this is just the stage in between. Admittedly a few Angkor beers may have been involved to ease his persuasive techniques.
I’m going to spare you from looking at close up pictures of balut unless you really want to see it, so click at your own risk.
If balut sounds gross to you, let me explain. The egg is eaten 16-21 days after fertilization, so there are no feathers or beak and few to no bones yet. The organs are partially developed so it is high in nutrition. Each balut egg costs about 1000 riel (25 cents), and some Cambodian people eat them as snacks.
We’ve seen balut during our travels in Southeast Asia, but it’s something we never thought we’d try. Stevo and I definitely wouldn’t have dared one another to do it! I must admit it was surprisingly tasty, so long as we could push away the thought of what we were eating.
Sometimes you need a good friend to convince you to eat something weird that you know you’re gonna pay for in the bathroom later.
Our recommendations if you do try balut:
- Best to eat it in a slightly darkened room after a few beers.
- The lime chili salt poured on top and herbs that come with make a big difference. Use them generously!
- Avoid looking at it while eating at all costs.
- Get other people to do it with you.
- Be prepared that your stomach may not appreciate your culinary adventurousness.
We’re looking forward to making more bad decisions interesting life choices with Andy the next time he comes into Phnom Penh. Until then we’ll stick with the other strange foods we already know and love here.
I love meeting people on the road, you learn so much from each other about their cultures and so often your paths do cross again and you know you have a travel buddy for life (not sure about those duck embryos though lol!) 😉
Haha 🙂 Absolutely true about meeting people on the road! We weren’t too sure about the duck embryos either…likely would not do that again *I soberly write*
I think no friend and no beer could ever convince me of eating balut – no no no! I spent 2.5 years in the Philippines and I never succumbed to the convincing of anyone so kudos to you for the bravery! 🙂
Wow, you have an iron will! Were they a common snack in the Philippines as well?
Awesome! Cheers to being brave and trying something new! I’d be right there with you guys 🙂 I’ve eaten some interesting things in my life, but haven’t come across balut…. yet!
You’re our kinda people! Why not, right?! Hope you can try it someday 🙂
I recently wrote a post about all the weird foods I’d tried while travelling but I don’t think any compare to this! I wasn’t too keen on Phnom Penh but maybe I didn’t stay long enough – basically whipped round the main sites then left after two days.
Phnom Penh is definitely worth exploring more, though it’s not always an easy place to get into. We have written a guide on things to do outside of the main tourist spots. Check it out for next time you’re here! http://www.goatsontheroad.com/getting-off-the-beaten-path-in-phnom-penh-cambodia/
I love trying local foods but I have to enjoy it, not just for the sake of trying it so balut is not something I’d eat. That narrow bridge is amazing though, would definitely ride across that.
Haha oh man, that bridge is another thing I’m not sure I’d try again. Though never say never 🙂 Cheers for the comment!
I loved to read your post, it’s very well written and I had to laugh a lot!
This is the kind of story you will never ever forget.
I’m not sure if I would try Balut, though. I would definitely avoid looking at it. But I’m not sure if beer helps, the combination might not be ideal for your stomach.
Thanks Kathrin! Beer and balut definitely wasn’t a great combo! Paid for it the next day for sure…haha
This post is definitely not for the weak stomached! I dont think I’d ever have the guts to try Balut. But Kudos to you for the spirit of adventure.
Thanks Victor! It’s amazing what daring friends and a few beers will persuade us to try…
I know balut is famous here in the Philippines but I didn’t know it’s a delicacy in Cambodia as well. Is it locally called balut too?! I ate it when I was little, but I cannot stand the smell anymore!
Oh no! Did you have a bad experience with it?? It’s called “pong tia koon” in Khmer language, but I figured I’d call it balut for the post as it’s much more commonly known by that name in the Philippines 🙂
I love this in totality. You guys are incredible. I soo much want to ride on that narrow concrete bridge over the lake.
Aw thanks Himanshu! You should definitely go to Hpa-an and ride over that bridge 🙂 With your adventurous spirit I’m sure you would love Myanmar!