Okay, so here's the hard thing.
Eating.
I can only eat what I can point to.
So - I ate at a street vendor last night. It was good, but nothing to go back for.
Tonight I wanted to go to a restaurant that I saw last night. (The Peking Roast Duck restaurant.)
I walked in. There was a hostess. I couldn't talk to her.
If I was able to get across that I was one for dinner, I couldn't understand her reply.
I probably could have worked through that - but, I didn't know if the menu would have pictures. Without pictures, I could be ordering squid in bean paste with a side of seahorse. -
(Last night, I saw a street vendor selling seahorse on a stick.)
So, I walked out.
I wandered the street more and looked in stores and listened to bands. Then, I decided "I can do this." I went to a cafe that I had passed three times. Its very busy, so I figured its good.
I steeled myself and walked in.
I watched for a while.
There was nothing to point to to place an order.
No way to learn the way of saying "dumpling".
Not really a way to point at what others were eating.
And, it was the type of restaurant where they call your name or number and you go get your food.
That won't work.
So, I walked out.
Have I mentioned that I haven't had a real meal today?
I've only had snacky stuff: trail mix, a bean scone from starbux, dried fruit...
I considered McDonalds or KFC - they were both on the same street. - But, I would really like to eat local. -I finally came back to the hotel for room service.
Not a place with local color, but at least its not a big mac.
