Organizing visas, studying maps, trawling the internet: there are days when researching for a big trip can become tedious. But on Wednesday night I enjoyed some of the lighter side of journey planning and settled down in front of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam epic Platoon.
A teenage favourite, it seemed somewhat dated these days. Charlie Sheen’s hair was a little coiffured and his bandana a little clean, but although many of the scenes were still somewhat disturbing the cinematography did inspire. The lush tropical jungles, endless paddy fields and meandering rivers all whet my appetite for my next gastronomic pedal powered quest following the mighty Mekong River through South East Asia.
Leaving in late summer this year, I will ride the same bicycle that carried me through the Americas. I will sleep in the same musty little tent that was my home for over two years. But everything else about this trip is guaranteed to be totally different. Not least the fact that this time it will be work.
Almost five years ago now I decided to quit my job in advertising and cycle from New York City to Rio de Janeiro collecting recipes along the way. Two and half years later I returned home and was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to write a book about my travels. The writing was a hard monastic experience that, if I’m honest, I didn’t really enjoy, but it paid the bills and to see a book in print is a wonderful feeling.
However as copies of The Hungry Cyclist begin to gather dust on bookshop shelves and appear in charity shops, the questions begin to be asked by friends, family and, of course, myself.
And what next?
What will you do now?
Do I carry on with this new unreliable and nomadic existence or do I return to a more sedentary and certain lifestyle? For me self-supported cycle touring is hard work. Lonely nights are spent in foreign fields, sickness and excruciating pain are a regularity and there is so much uncertainty.
There are days when, from the comfort of home, with Test Match Special on the radio and tea in the pot that thoughts of cycling alone through mountains with my wet worldly possessions stuffed in two panniers become nightmarish.
But then I remind myself that five years ago I pushed pixels for a living and ate Marks & Spencer sandwiches for lunch. Now I ride a bicycle in fascinating places looking for food. I have no idea what I’ll be doing five years from now but when in doubt I follow the words of Junior in Platoon.
“Free your mind and the ass will follow.”
Other than watching war films another area of research I am pursuing before I head for The Mekong is to start cooking as many South East Asian dishes as I can. Here is a very simple Vietnamese recipe for some meat balls that really are the dogs bollocks.
Xiu Mai (Vietnamese Meatballs)
Makes about 20 healthy meatballs
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tblsp Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
• 1 tblsp soy sauce
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
1. Add 1 tbs of fish sauce, the soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, salt, garlic and onion to the pork.
2. Mix well with your hands in a large bowl and shape the pork into 2-inch-sized meatballs. Pan-fry until your balls are charred on the edges and set aside.
3. In the empty pan add the remaining fish sauce and sugar. When the sugar starts to caramelizes and turns brown add 1 cup of water. Stir well and pop the meat ball back in.
4. Leave your balls to simmer on a low heat for about twenty minutes until they are soft and tender.
5. Serve with sticky rice, and a simple herb salad of fresh dill, mint and basil.
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