I love to travel — the experience of being in a place different from the everyday, the variety of new foods to try, and the people you meet, both fellow travelers and residents. I keep a journal of my trips and enjoy reviewing them when a friend asks for tips on where to go, or to connect with people I met along the way.
Some journal entries read a bit like a travelog — a list of places we visited and meals we ate. The best trips are ones where things did not go as expected, or better yet, when no expectations led to adventures we had not foreseen. Bumps in the road? Bring them on.
My husband Eric and I have been on many interesting journeys, especially when we traveled to join the escapades of our young adult children. After completing his undergraduate degree, Eric’s oldest son, Nic, also received a certification to teach English as a second language. He used that skill to live abroad for a few years before going back to school. He lived in Guatemala for a year, then went to work in Istanbul, Turkey.
We took a family trip to visit him there, and as luck would have it, found a place to stay in the central part of the city that is owned by a Northport couple. There was so much to take in on this trip: ancient mosques, food bazaars, boat rides on the Bosporus, and persuasive carpet sellers. I even signed up for a cooking class at a local restaurant and brought back a “zirh,” an impressive, 4-inch wide, 14-inch long, curved knife.
After a few years in Istanbul, Nic landed a job on the Galapagos Island of San Cristobal, teaching English to students at a university center. It was the perfect impetus to travel to a place I never thought I would go. Eric and I decided that after an overly planned trip to Germany left little room for adventure, we would make fewer plans this time and see where that would take us.
Time with Nic on San Cristobal was fabulous. We snorkeled with sea turtles, stepped around massive sea lions lying about the docks and sidewalks, and ate ceviche at the cafes Nic took us to. Ceviche, raw seafood marinated in lime juice and chilies, became a staple. Because most food and other necessities had to be shipped or flown to the islands, there were limited choices at the eateries, but fresh seafood was abundant. After our time with Nic, we wanted to visit another island in the archipelago and chose Isabella.
On the early morning ride to the island in the eight-seater plane, we met a tour leader who recommended a hotel. We stopped by the modern hotel, which was not far from the airport, and decided to try finding a place in town instead. We walked to town and were about to enter a café for coffee when a woman approached us. In exuberant English, she asked if we were looking for a place to stay. She said she owned a hotel and some guests left early, leaving a room available. Claudia steered us away from the café to another “where the coffee is better,” then left us to go to the bakery across the street.
While San Cristobal had a decent-sized town, Isabella was much less inhabited. The stores, cafes and small hotels line a sandy main street about four blocks long. Bicycles and horses are more common than cars, giving the place a wild west feel. We knew the room options were limited and decided to check out her place. As we followed her, she told us she was Argentinian. When she heard we were from Michigan, she said she had lived in Michigan, too. I inadvertently snorted, prompting a “what, you don’t believe me?” She proceeded to describe attending Cranbrook and skiing at Boyne. As she rattled off the names of more Michigan places, her story became plausible.
The pink hotel was the last one on the strand, on the water side, a bit of beach shack meets Spanish hacienda. There were iguanas lounging on the staircase outdoors, a ramshackle beach bar straight out of Gilligan’s Island, and a large indoor reception area and open kitchen. The bedroom she showed us had not yet been cleaned but it had a small balcony with a water view. We said yes, we’ll take it.
We managed to get on a snorkeling tour that day, traveling by boat around the island. We snorkeled in a bay with underwater caves full of sleeping sharks, saw enormous sea turtles floating around us, and golden rays gliding gracefully by. In the mangroves, I spied sea horses suspended among the roots, and on the rocky shores, penguins sunning and diving in the waters. A hike along the coast led us to the blue footed boobies, including a nest with a fluffy white baby protected by its mother. I could not have asked for a better first day on the island.
Back at the hotel, we plotted our dinner after a shower and a nap. I had asked Claudia if we could use the hotel kitchen, and she was very pleased with this request. She would love for me to cook for her, her helper, Marlin, and another hotel guest! But, she said, “first things first, we must do happy hour.” She presided behind the bar, offering three choices: beer, rum and coke with loads of lime juice, and coconut water mixed with rum. Marlin shimmied up the coconut tree daily and hurled down coconuts for this treat. Ice was nonexistent but we settled into the island vibe and enjoyed the community of regulars and visitors who came for the bonfire, live music, and drinks.
Claudia had purchased four small lobsters for our supper, and there was pasta in the pantry. I scanned the options in the refrigerator: no butter, but I could make aioli with olive oil, garlic and lime for the lobster. I found tomatoes, onions and garlic to make a sauce for the pasta which we topped with queso fresco (fresh cheese) and basil grown at the hotel. The guest at the table was a young American woman named Charlotte, who worked as a food stylist and lived in Ecuador. She offered her help in the kitchen and she was delightful to work with.
We had a splendid time at the dinner, drinking wine and sharing stories. Live music on the beach drew us back outside and we felt very lucky to be here. When we finally called it a night, we turned down the bedspread only to find our bed had no sheets. Claudia was nowhere to be found, so Eric rummaged around the closets in the hallway and found clean sheets we could use. A self-service hotel! First, cooking our own supper and now making our bed. Ah well.
The next day was similar to the first: fantastic adventures seeing flamingoes, tortoises, and more snorkeling. We had gone to the farmers market in the morning and procured more tomatoes and cilantro, envisioning a fish curry with fresh coconut milk and the grouper Claudia said she would buy for us. When it came time to cook, Claudia said “No fish today, so sorry. Oh, and I invited more guests, a couple from Germany.” Our table was growing, and I needed a plan B. There were lentils in the pantry, which became the base for a coconut curry over rice topped with a cilantro pistou. The tomatoes formed the base for a salad with basil and queso fresco. Hidden in a basket were some beets which I roasted and sprinkled with salt, lime juice, and parsley. We made garlic bread from the bakery rolls leftover from that morning. All good!
We had our greatest food challenge on our last night on Isabella. A trio of Argentinian musicians were visiting and wanted to make a traditional barbeque. Claudia happily agreed and I was so excited as they set up the grilling area. Marlin was sent to purchase chicken, and Eric and I left for another day of exploring. When we returned later, the chickens were still frozen as no one thought to thaw them earlier. Barbeque would be much, much later. In the meanwhile, more guests showed up, and we pulled together a pre-barbeque dinner of steamed lobster with a basil aioli, a shredded cabbage and carrot salad, and roasted potatoes. It was a true feast and later, when the chicken was done, everyone was happy and drunk and ready for a midnight smoky treat. There was music, laughter, and fast friendships were made.
We had a private concert the following morning before leaving the island as Charlotte’s boyfriend played for us in the lobby. Charlotte invited us to visit her in Cuenca, where she lives in Ecuador. We did work our way down there a few weeks later for a music festival and had dinner at her home late one evening. Who did the cooking? That is another story!
While I hadn’t expected to become a cook at a hotel on our Galapagos trip, it made for some great nights and great memories.
Lentil Curry
Curry is a wonderfully complex dish and variations abound across continents. In a pinch, you can pull together its essence with curry powder, garlic, onion, coconut milk or water, a protein or vegetables, or even lentils as we did the night the fish did not arrive.
Serves 3-4
3 T. vegetable or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 T. curry powder (a garam masala is good)
Pinch cayenne
1 C. lentils (green lentils hold shape best)
1 ½ C. (13.5 oz can) unsweetened coconut milk
1 ½ C. water
½ t. salt, or more to taste
Garnish with cilantro pistou(see below) or chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges
Serve over rice
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, onion and ginger and stir over medium low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cayenne, and cook another minute until fragrant. Add lentils, coconut milk, water and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and increase heat to high to bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let lentils simmer, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 20-25 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve over rice, with cilantro on top and lime wedges alongside.
— Rose Hollander
Cilantro Pistou
Think of pistou as a cousin to pesto, a basil/pine nut/cheese blend. The French pistou is made with basil, garlic, salt and olive oil. I use this basic formula to turn extra herbs in my refrigerator into a sauce. Pistou can be made with parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint or basil. Sauces can wake up many a frugal meal.
Yields 1/3 cup
1 garlic clove, peeled
Pinch salt
2 C. cilantro (leaves and tender stems) or herb of your choice
¼ C. olive oil
Mash garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle. Add cilantro, ¼ cup at a time, and continue mashing. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Taste and add more salt if needed, or oil if you need a thinner sauce. Can be made using a food processor: place garlic, salt and cilantro in the food processor, pulse to chop finely, then slowly add oil while processor is running. Keep refrigerated.
— Rose Hollander