Wow, I love indietrekker, recently added to our blogroll. It's a fabulous combination of food and travel and China - what traveler doesn't want to go to China? I'm totally intrigued by the photos on "Eating Fried Balloons" - you must take a look.

The fried balloon that came to our table was still warm, fresh from the wok. Some sticky rice, puffed up like popcorn, weighs down the bottom from the inside so the ball doesn't roll off the plate. We poked through with chopsticks, then ripped it down the middle. Then we pulled it apart like naan and savored every sweetened, fried bite.

And because my heart always goes out to the expats, here's Buda Baby, spending "a year or more in Budapest." Here's a comparison of Budapest and Amsterdam.

I'll start with the air. Budapest isn't exactly known for its air quality, but most of the time I don't notice that it is that bad. In Amsterdam, the air actually smells good. It smells pure. It is easy to breathe. Certainly its geography has something to do with this, but more-so I think it has to do with the fact that there isn't a ton of automobile traffic. Of course there are cars, but at 40 euros a day to park, I can see why most people bike! EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE, rides bikes. Everyone from great-grannies to tiny babies in bike seats ride bikes.

Travel Betty has a tagline I can get behind - Encouraging fearless independent travel for women. Hallelujah. I like this site - Travel Betty is funny, self deprecating, and full of good information. Check this out:

Hello, my name is Travel Betty and I am addicted to pork.

After following the big bright signs down many a deserted country sideroad, it ended up that the damn store was closed! I had TB document the occasion regardless. And as luck would have it, as soon as he put his camera to eye, the owner pulled up in his truck looking perplexed.

“She’s, um, a fan of pork,” was all Travel Boyfriend could think to say.

Personally, I don't share Travel Betty's affection for pork products, but I love her approach.

And this one isn't from our blogroll, but it's amazingly useful for a person who might possibly be Hawaii bound. Yup, it's Hawaiirama, which is a fantastically silly name. This blog is chock full of islandy goodness - and you can filter by island. Insider insight and advice for outsiders, I vote yes. From the Exploring the Culture section:

They provide some nice tips of places a bit off the map -- Mokuleia Beach Park is a nice tip, especially since the city finally cleared the massed of homeless campers out of there (heartless, perhaps, but it was out of control). They also recommend the Bishop Museum, which is a good choice for a museum that goes deep on Hawaii nature an culture.

Pam blogs about travel and other adventures at Nerd's Eye View.