Vegan's Chronicles

Planning for a Vegan Vacation (& home food)

So, I'm flying to the Philippines tomorrow! I'm going with one friend, and we're gonna spend a few days with another buddy who currently lives in Manila, before heading to the island of Boracay, where we will spend the second half of the trip basking under the sun and getting daily massages. Everything I have heard about this island is nothing but great things. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high so as to not set myself up for disappointment, but I can't help it! I'm just super excited for sunshine, white sand, warm waters, and blue skies.

I'm also crazy-stoked to eat a ton of fresh tropical fruit. Mangoes!! My #1 favorite fruit of all time. And papaya! I've heard that the cuisine in the Philippines isn't so veg friendly. It seems that most traditional dishes have bits of meat, or eggs in it... . but I would honestly be happy with just eating raw fruit and veggies the entire trip. (Any suggestions/advice?) Just incase, I'll pack a bag of oats, incase for some unlikely reason I find myself starving... . This will actually be my second trip to the Philippines, the first time being in high school. I wasn't veg back then, so I'm sure the dining experience will be a lot different this time round. If possible, I'd like to return without having gained too much weight (hehe) and still be fit and healthy to run my Bada(ss) Marathon 5k race that's coming up! I'm packing my sneakers so that I can get some running in, perhaps along the beautiful beaches of Boracay. :)

Anyway, being the procrastinator that I am, I still haven't even started to pack yet (blogging apparently takes priority over packing for vacation). I did go to Cheonan the other day though, to drop Bunny off at my parents' place, where she will enjoy lots of open space, clean air, and good food while I'm away. It's like she gets her own vacation, staying with the grandparents. :) She's in good hands, and I'm sure she'll have a blast.

Here are a few things I ate for dinner with my parents, before I returned to Seoul.

The white chunks are 'Ma' (마). I'm not sure what the English name is, but they're basically Asian yams that are very slimy when raw. Koreans say that the sliminess is good for you, and they blend it up raw and eat it like a slimy pudding. However, I think it's waaay more appetizing to simply steam the chunks and enjoy them like actual yams. The flavor is pretty subtle, but yummy!

A bowl of soysauce pickles and two different 'namul banchans' (wild green side dishes).

A delicious bowl of dwenjang jjigye.

So, I should get off the computer and start packing now. Oh, I hate to disappoint y'all, but I don't plan on blogging while I'm on vacation! (haha, the end of the world, I know~) But don't fret, I'll be back before you can say "I miss the Alien," and I'll be armed with a memorycard full of photos to make everyone jealous of my trip. So 'til then, tooteloo~ Be good! xoxo