The Flickr Localconfection Image Generatr

Jonker Walk by night: pic. 11 of 34: Video- how dragon's beard candy is made. Dragon's beard candy or Chinese cotton candy or Longxusu is a handmade traditional confection of China. I was totally fascinated by how this gentleman shapes a long strip of candy so skillfully into several threads, resembling a dragon's beard. Back to Jonker Walk, this is the Chinatown area in Malacca/ Melaka, Malaysia. This colourful and full of energy (especially at night) street starts from just across the Malacca River opposite to the Stadthuys museum on Dutch Square. It's busiest on Fri, Sat and Sunday nights from 18:00 till 00:00. More notes about Jonker Walk appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Malacca/ Melaka, Malaysia, Sept. 2023)

Jonker Walk by night: pic. 10 of 34: A kiosk on Jonker Walk selling dragon beard candy. Dragon's beard candy or Chinese cotton candy or Longxusu is a handmade traditional confection of China. In the next picture in this album, you will see a short video of how a long strip of candy is skillfully crafted to several threads, resembling a dragon's beard. Back to Jonker Walk, this is the Chinatown area in Malacca/ Melaka, Malaysia. This colourful and full of energy (especially at night) street starts from just across the Malacca River opposite to the Stadthuys museum on Dutch Square. It's busiest on Fri, Sat and Sunday nights from 18:00 till 00:00. More notes about Jonker Walk appeared earlier in this album. (see previous pictures). (Malacca/ Melaka, Malaysia, Sept. 2023)

Delightful seating area in the Forel fish restaurant- a sort of a garden restaurant. There were several other cars which had stopped for a meal, they were local families sitting closer to the kitchen. We are a bit isolated, but it was quieter and in more natural surroundings. We also had three or four cows walking around grazing the lush green glass. A beautifully tart sauce made from berries and a delightfully herbal juice made with plums (with two large plums still in the jug) more than made up for the overly done and burnt fish. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

We are on our long drive from Shemakha to Sheki and have stopped again about a hour later for lunch. This is Forel or grilled trout- Azerbaijan style. We had a good half an hour wait for the grilling. When it did finally appear, it was more 'burnt over a charcoal grill and charred' than grilled. The second food disappointment in Azerbaijan. Pity as the fish is caught fresh from a farm just meters away. The ambience of the cafe was great though- made up partly for the burnt fish. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

A lesson in photography: this is a perfect lesson on how not to photograph a subject- never leave a long foreground. I was eating, and was using my iPhone which did not have the benefit of zoom. (well, no optical zoom anyway). And my intention was to record the word 'Forel' before I forget- that's the local term for trout. Well, this is the kitchen of the Forel restaurant where our fish was (excessively) grilled. We were generally chatting waiting for our lunch to appear, and my guide was playing with my iPhone, so I took it from him to take this picture- the idea was not to achieve anything photographically brilliant but only to record a reminder of the word 'Forel', which is the local term for trout. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

The roadside vendor also had pickled vegetables on sale. Not of much interest to me as a tourist, but I guess for the locals, it will help them get through the harsh winters here. So we have made a brief stop here for a corn on the cob on our way to Shamakhi, and later Sheki. Shamakhi (Azerbaijan) was one of the ancient cities of the east. It became famous as the home of many prominent Azerbaijani philosophers, architects and scientists, such as Khagani, Nasimi, Bakuvi, Sabir, Shirvani, Hajibababekov. The town used to be capital of Medieval state of Shirvan and played one of the major roles in the region until its destruction in 1717 by Dagestanian semi-states. Under the Russian Empire Shamakhi was the capital of Shemakha Governorate, but the earthquake of 1859 devastateld the city. The capital was then moved to Baku and the Governorate was renamed. Shemakhi . (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

Here we are in Sheki at last- it has been a helluva long haul, and were are at a stall selling honey and local sweets outside the Khansarai (Palace of the Sheki Khans), which is one one the most attractive of the spots in Sheki. Entry into the palace is strictly by guided tour, each one taking 20min, so we still have a bit of a wait before we are let in. Throughout its history, Sheki swung between independence and foreign domination. In earlier centuries, Sheki was the seat of an Albanian kingdom, which was invaded repeatedly by the Persian, Roman, Parthian, Arab, Mongolian, and other empires. In the past millennium, Sheki fell under the influence and often the direct rule of Persia or the Shirvanshahs of Baku. Shortly after the 18th century collapse of the Safavid Empire, Sheki became the capital of the independent Sheki Khanate, during which this Khansarai was built. But Sheki's independence did not last long; it was absorbed in the early 19th century by an expansionist Russian Empire. Due to Sheki's rather tumultuous political history (in a turbulent region), the majority of Sheki's preserved historic and architectural monuments date from only the 16th to 19th centuries. (Sheki, Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

We are on our way from Baku to Shamakha and later Sheki, and we have stopped here for a cob of boiled corn. Not that we needed the snack, but we had had an early start and my guide Ibrahim and driver Bilal needed a cigarette break. I don't smoke, but I did want to take a picture of the Lada Niva 4WD car the stuff was being sold from. More on that car in later captions. Here our driver Bilal is already negotiating with the seller for our corn cobs while Ibrahim and I walk towards them.
(Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

A closer look at the typically Georgian style Tklapi hung out to dry on a dusty patch of earth right to the highway on the way from Baku to Shamakhi in Azerbaijan. Originating in neighbouring Georgia, Tklapi is a traditional Georgian puréed fruit roll-uped up like leather. It is spread thinly onto a sheet and sun-dried on a clothesline. It can be sour or sweet. The sour version is made of Tkemali plums, which are often used for soups and stews, mostly with Kharcho. Sweet Tklapi is made of apricots or peaches. It can also be prepared by the juice that is used in making Churchkhela. (another sausage-like fruit puree dish but also packed with nuts). Although Tklapi is super tasty, as it is fruit based (I wouldn't buy it here though due to the dust and vehicle emissions it is dried in), it is super chewy and tough and takes an awful lot of jaw and muscle power to get through one. Believe me- been there, done that. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

Today is a long day, spent mostly on the road, driving to Shemakha and Sheki. We reached Shamakhi around lunch time and eventually Sheki much later, almost at nightfall. More on those in subsequent captions. After an early start from Baku, we decided to stop on the way for a cob of boiled sweet corn. This display of Tklapi (made from fruit puree) reminded me of my trip to Tbilisi, Georgia last year. More notes about Tklapi in the next caption. Displayed as it was on a dusty patch of land on a windy day, right next to a highway with it's constant flow of traffic, I was wondering at the hygiene conditions of this edible product. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

Our driver Bilal very graciously offered to pay for the snack despite my protestations. The team selling appeared to be a father-son duo-
the father was mostly supervising while his son readies the corn for us. The cobs were very nicely served in in tissue, so we could eat and then wipe our hands with it. Their Lada Niva, used to carry all this stuff here was parked with all doors open- not the best of things to do when you are parked on a unsealed patch with the breeze kicking up dust every now and then. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

So here it is, the Lada Niva 4WD car of the corn and pickled vegetable vendors. They had parked the car with all doors open, not the best of things to do in that dusty environment. I was rather disappointed last year in Georgia when I could only take a long shot of a Niva in that country- here in Azerbaijan it was Lada bonanza- I saw several ore that day! The LADA 4x4, formerly called the Lada Niva is an off-road vehicle designed and produced by the Russian (former Soviet) manufacturer AvtoVAZ specifically for the rural market. It was also marketed as the Lada Sport in Iceland, Lada Taiga in Austria, Bognor Diva in Uruguay, the Lada Cossack in the United Kingdom, and is offered since 2009 on most markets as the LADA 4x4. The Lada Niva was the first mass production off-road vehicle to feature monocoque body architecture and independent front suspension with coil springs, and is a predecessor to current crossover SUVs, most of which follow this format. The Lada Niva is said to have inspired the Suzuki Vitara. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

The father and son duo who sell corn and pickled vegetables by the side of the highway on the way from Baku to Shemakha were quite amused at my fascination with their bettered Lada Niva. When he heard that I live in Dubai, the father proudly announced that the tail lamp assembly of the Niva is made in Dubai. Here the son is salting one of our corn cobs under the watchful eye of his father while my guide Ibrahim (foregound- the guy in bermudas) and our drive Bilal (far end)
look on. (Shemakha (Shamakhi), Azerbaijan, Sept. 2017)

Now here is a bitter lesson to prove what we keen photographers always hear- do not see everything behind the viewfinder, put the camera down sometimes and simply live the moment. Oh well- I missed the cutting action while trying to decide between still or video. Video would have meant digging my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 out of my pocket. My Nikon can do it as well, but being a fairly new camera, I was not too confident putting it to action that quickly. That blob of coconut candy had been so large that I never expected it to get cut that quickly- this lady is a thorough pro! Well, here is the last but of the blob of coconut candy being manually cut with a large double handled mezzaluna kinfe while fascinated tourists look on. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Nov. 2016)

Once the coconut is peeled (see previous pictures and short video before this- video unfortunately not available on Facebook), our guide Tony or Guide Tru'ong Ton then goes on to explain how the coconut candy is then processed this step on. I was fascinated to note that there were no additives, no chemicals, and the only machinery used were the peeler, the grater and the blender. And it is sweetened using its own milk- even sugar is not added. It was super delicious and I regret not having bought more than one pack. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Nov. 2016)

A short video of the Malaysian tourist peeling a coconut at the coconut candy making facility on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. It turned out later that he works in the coconut industry back at his home in Malaysia. Notes appear in the previous caption. This video is unfortunately not available to my viewers on Facebook due to technical issues. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Nov. 2016)

Curious tourists crowd around a local lady who takes her place in this stage of the live demo of coconut candy making. Grating and blending are done using simple mechanical machines. Once the blending is done, the finished product comes out as a big, gooey blob which is them sliced manually into tiny blocks of coconut candy. Here this lady is seen preparing her cutting board to receive the next blob of freshly made coconut candy. Being an all natural product, where even the sweetening is with coconut milk and not sugar, it was super delicious. Of course, nowadays you get other flavours as well, so additives have been brought in, unfortunately. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Nov. 2016)

We now come to the coconut candy making facility- something I had been very curious about and had been waiting for all this time. The first step in coconut candy making is of course to peel the coconut and break open it's hard shell to scrape out the flesh. Here, our guide Tony, or Guide Tru'ong Ton challenges tourists to try to peel a coconut on the spike used for the purpose. One Malaysian guest came forward and did a good job of it- his companions told us later that he works in the coconut industry back home in Malaysia. I somehow didn't like this chap, for apart from an bearing an uncanny resemblance to my estranged father in law, who had caused me much grief during the days I was married to his daughter, this chap also tried to oust me from my seat on the bus at the start of the tour in Saigon because he wanted to sit there. He fortunately backed off when I told him to go consult the tour office which had assigned me the seat in the first place. (Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Nov. 2016)