5 things about Singapore

May 10, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeLeave a comment

1. The name Singapore comes from the Malay words ‘Singa’ for lion and ‘Pura’ for city. Sir Stamford Raffles is credited to be the architect of Singapore. In 1818, he was tasked to find a port to protect the naval interests of the East India Company’s burgeoning spice trade from the advances made by the Dutch. Raffles identified Singapore and developed it alongside Penang and Malacca as the Straits Settlements by 1826.

2. Today, Singapore is a city state that resembles any developed western country economically but it is a nanny state with a one party democracy. The state builds (and partly) subsidizes housing for almost 80% of the population. Consequently, Singapore has highest home ownership rate in the world after Romania. Cars are obscenely expensive but fantastic public transport makes it easy for the most part. While code of conduct for citizens may be a mile long, the country is cleaner, safer and prosperous than most.

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3. Singapore is one of the few places where the airport is by itself is a place of interest. It even has a movie theater. The Merlion statue was much smaller than I imagined to be but the view of Marina Bay Sands from there is pretty cool. Orchard road is like 5th Ave of NYC, it is worth a visit if your into shopping global brands.

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4. Singaporean cuisine is best represented by the likes of Laksa, Roti Prata, Chicken Rice, Fish Head Curry. These dishes bring together the culinary prowess of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures. Laksa may feel like a kitchen sink dish at first but it is an explosion of complex flavor. it is a cousin to pho and ramen but usually made with coconut milk or tamarind as a base, fish and shrimp variants are also popular. Kaya toast is another local favorite – toast with kaya jam is made with coconut milk, eggs and sugar and a healthy dose of butter.

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5. Singapore is yet another city built along a river – Singapore river. Once a heavily trafficked trading port, it now exists mostly to provide aesthetic appeal to the developments along its banks. It now drains into the Marina Bay reservoir instead of the sea. Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and Roberston are remnants of the trading heritage of Singapore. Quays are platforms built along the banks of a river to help move people and goods off the boats. Singapore’s quays have all been repurposed as water front entertainment areas.

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7 things about Havana, Cuba

May 6, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeHavanaLeave a comment

1. From moment I stepped outside the airport till the end of my trip, I couldn’t help shake the feeling that this city had seen better days. There were constant reminders – the 80s era vintage cars, the grand facades of dilapidated buildings, pre-paid internet cards.

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2. Scarcity is real and in your face. Things which we take for granted elsewhere are not available or unreasonably expensive. I saw aisles of bare shelves for the first time in 20+ years; I had some vague memories of similar scenes in a pre-globalization era in India. Fresh milk and eggs are almost impossible to find, we barely managed to snag one of the few imported packets of shelf-stable milk.

3. Weather couldn’t be any better in late December, just the perfect temperature and humidity. Anything more than shorts and t-shirt made me feel overdressed.

4. Cuban cuisine is utilitarian. A typical meal consists of rice, beans, fried plantains, meat or fish. The beans are actually tasty but I got bored of it as it served with almost every single meal. Be prepared to pay $$$ if you want to each good (but not great) food even at the nicer places in Havana. The fresh out of the fryer plantain chips at Frente and O’Reilly 304 were amazing, while the seafood was fresh and solid. Drinks are very affordable, mint mojitos were A+ but I soon realized that the magic in them is basically sugar. Do load up on cigars if you are into it, there are governments authorized distribution centers like the Partagas factory that guarantee authenticity.

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5. People were very friendly and helpful despite their hard personal circumstances. The museo de revolution is all propaganda but you can understand the Cuban perspective of the revolution and what the people were led to believe.

6. The Spanish Quarter in Havana has been recently spruced up to cater to the day trippers from Caribbean cruises. It is indeed picturesque and provides a lot of good photo ops but is no different than any city colonized by Spain. But it is hardly a good representation of the city.

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7. Walk along the Malecon, rent a vintage taxi and drive through the neighborhoods like Vedado away from the tourist bustle, learn about Al Capone’s legendary parties with the likes of Frank Sinatra at the Hotel Nacional or stroll through the majestic Paseo del Prado imagining the vibrant life in its hey day.

Bonus: Currency of visitors is CUC. You can go into this unique money exchange ATMs called cadecas. USD for CUC. 1 CUC = 1 USD.

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In this day and age, Cuba feels like(is) a socialist experiment that went wrong.The effects of suppression and poor policies are so obvious. The grand facades start to feel less romantic.Yet, life goes on.The well educated ones have immigrated or looking for a way out, the enterprising ones run Airbnbs or build ingenious businesses by trading rare goods. I left with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude not just for the physical comforts that I had back home but for those imperfect democracies that we all love to hate.

5 things about Helsinki, Finland

May 6, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeHelsinki2 Comments

1. I usually dread train rides from the airport into the city during my travels. The ride from Helsinki airport was as pleasant as it gets – ample luggage space, oversized windows with woody forest views. Finland is a nature lover’s dream with 75% land area covered by forest and a whopping 188,000 lakes.

2. Sauna is much more than a tradition in Finland, it is a part of life. After failing to snag a reservation at Loyly, I was disappointed. However, I wasn’t so sure of being naked around strangers. So, I half heartedly tried a few other local places before giving up all together.

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3. The Helsinki Ferry Terminal is stunning and competes with some of the best airports in the world. Built with Scandinavian design aesthetic, it opens up to views of the sea. For design enthusiasts, the Helsinki Central Library Oodi is a must visit. It was chosen as the best public library in the world.

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4. Salmon is soft and buttery, fish soup with salmon is a standby.The Finns are fascinated with licorice, it is put in lot of things. I tried licorice ice cream, it was weirdly addictive.The baking heritage is similar to the Swedes but the buns weren’t as good though. Cafe Esplanade boasts of making one of the best Korvapuusti (cinnamon rolls) in Helsinki but I was much more impressed with the cozy retro booth seating and coffee.

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5. Helsinki is considered to be a good day trip from the bigger cities in Scandinavia. The Helsinki Cathedral, Uspensky Cathedral, Senate Square and the Market Hall are all worth a visit. If you are up for a ferry ride, Suomenlinna fortress is only a short hop away.

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7 things about Seoul, South Korea

May 1, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeSouth KoreaLeave a comment

1. The first thing that struck me was the overall cleanliness of the city. Of course, there are always going to be exceptions but on an average the city was cleaner than most if not all American and European cities that I had been to. I could only think of Tokyo being better.

2. There is a lot to be said about stereotypes that Koreans cares a lot about their appearance. The sheer number of cosmetic stores per capita for both genders provides strong supporting evidence to that stereotype. Every third shop in the touristy Myeong-dong shopping street is about cosmetics, skin improving face masks are especially popular. Koreans also seem to dress very well. Their style is almost European but with Asian twists, expect lots of black and grey. I felt very under-dressed in almost every occasion. I saw many high end brands like Gucci, Prada enforcing staggered entry over the weekends to manage the demand. Such is the need to standout.

3. The Korean economy is dominated by the Chaebols – large conglomerates owned and managed by powerful family groups. Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK, Hanjin and Lotte being the heavy hitters.Their interests are very diverse – construction, shipping, manufacturing, technology, entertainment and even shopping malls. There is a a historical reason as to how the state built up these private entities with cheap loans and granted monopolies in strategic areas to grow and boost the economy after the war with Japan. It is inspiring to see how much they pulled their economy forward within a couple of generations from virtually nothing. However, these conglomerates are more powerful than ever today and have an out sized influence over the government due to their size and output. But for an average Korean, getting a job at one of these conglomerates is a guarantee to climb the economic and social ladder.

4. Seoul has some historical monuments – the 5 palaces. It is sad that almost all of them were ransacked by Japanese invasions and were either completely rebuilt or restored extensively. I thought the Gyeongbokgung was a shell of its glorious past but I enjoyed Changdeokgung and the adjacent Changgyeonggung palace much more. The Huwon garden in Changdeokgung is also popular and requires special reservation.The Bukchon village was a pleasant surprise, walking through the winding narrow lanes and absorbing the traditional architecture was one of he nicest memories from my whole trip.

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5. Korean food is much more than Kimchi stews and BBQ. In fact, BBQ is special occasion food. Regular daily meals are very healthy and are typically composed of a meat based soup/stew accompanied by an assortment of fresh or lightly cooked seasonal vegetables.The dessert menu does not exist but is replaced by coffee. The Street scene is very vibrant. Tteokbokki (Rice cakes in spicy sauce), Kimbap(Rice Rolls), Hotteok(Sweet Pancakes), Gyeran-ppang (Egg Bread), Bindae-tteok(Mung Bean Pancakes) are all wildly popular. Walk along Insa-dong, Myeong-dong or visit the Gwangjang Market to try these. Also, there is an abundance of bakeries and cafes with Instagram friendly interiors.

6. Apparently, anything from Jeju island is a kind of quality stamp. Everything from green tea to water is better if it comes from there. There is also this obsession with banana milk and weird cola drinks – milkis (milk flavored cola) and mccol (barley soda). Banana milk is traditionally a post sauna treat, it tastes good but very sweet. On the other hand, I couldn’t get through the sodas.

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7. Beware of social drinking practices in Korea, it is customary to pour soju shots for friends or colleagues. Koreans have built up a rather large tolerance to this high ABV spirit and you will not be able to out drink them. Same can also be said about Karaoke, another popular social activity and is considered a national past time.

(Bonus)

Like Japan, smart toilets with bidets are standard in most workplaces and hotels. Your derrière will experience unparalleled luxury.

5 things about Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

May 1, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaLeave a comment

1. KL is every bit tropical. My flight landed closer to midnight in the middle of December. I was ready to ditch my hoodie 10 minutes into my cab ride from the airport. The humidity came as a relief after the long flight. On my second day, there was intermittent rainfall. Although, it made the traffic worse I enjoyed getting drenched in the warm weather. It brought back memories from my childhood in India.

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2.As an Indian, I felt very disappointed to see many lower end jobs staffed mostly by Indian origin Malaysians. Malaysia is very racially segregated and the state and its policies are brazenly skewed to serve native Malays. Indians who originally showed up in Malaysia as plantation workers received the short end of the stick and were marginalized akin to African Americans in America. I heard that things are improving considerably for the Malaysian Indian community as they organize and gain more political representation.

3. Malaysian food is an interesting fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian food. Tea Tahrik – pulled tea was my favorite.They took the Indian Chai and made it even better by adding condensed milk. It is sort of a cousin to HK milk tea but less bitter. I was so addicted to this. Even other Indian dishes have been infused with traditional Malay flavors like Sambal. Grab food delivery is your friend, sample a wide variety of foods.

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4. The famous Petronas twin towers are located right in the middle of downtown KL and looks every bit stunning as seen in photos. As for other places of interest, I really enjoyed the Batu caves much more that I thought. The temple inside the cave was well maintained. I was lucky enough to witness an archana service and it was very calming. The area around KLCC is great for strolls but be prepared to handle the humidity.

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5. KL is no HK or NYC but still has substantial number of skyscrapers, many with interesting architecture styles too.

5 things about Hong Kong

April 24, 2020October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeDim Sum, Hong Kong, Victoria PeakLeave a comment

I have visited Hong Kong twice on layover trips and left longing for more each time. Geographically ,Turkey is where east meets west but culturally Hong Kong is where east meets west.

1. HKers take immense pride in their unique culture but thanks to divisive colonial policies by the British, they have largely been left in the limbo. I don’t want to open up any debate on this subject but let’s say its relationship status in/with China is complicated. Our recent travel was during the HK protests(although not at its peak on a weekday but still under travel advisory by US Department of State) but we didn’t feel unsafe even for a second. Probably, felt safer than most other big cities we have visited. This shows that HK people have deeply understood their cause and the need to maintain civility in their protests whereas most public protests start with good intentions but either fizzle our or spiral out of control to violence.

2. Good food in HK is diverse, ubiquitous and affordable. There are quality noodles, congee, bubble teas, snacks at pretty much every price point. Most importantly, Dim Sum is superlative. In both my trips, I made time for a dimsum meal at Tim Ho Wan, it is likely the most affordable one Michelin star restaurant in the world. The har gow(shrimp dumplings) is the best I have ever had.

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3. During my first layover, I just walked as much as I could. It was humid and there are some steep hills like San Francisco. Then I discovered the central- mid level escalators. It is not only an outdoor escalator but the world’s longest at that. The steep hilly terrain in Hong Kong Island makes it hard to build traditional public transport systems. Hence, HK people just built a giant escalator. The bar for cool public transport has been set high by the Telefericos in South America but outdoor escalator are cool nonetheless.

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4. Victoria Peak is touristy but it is still a quintessential HK experience. It is great to visit at dusk to capture both the day and night views of the skyline. Probably, the only time I caved in to buy a tourist portrait thanks to the glorious views. Normally, I would have preferred to hike or cab it to the top to avoid the crowds but we were lucky to be able to walk-in and jump on the peak tram without no wait. Although I didn’t have much expectations of the tram ride (it is actually a funicular), it was fun to experience the steep inclines.

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5. Last but not least, Hong Kong is actually comprised of 263 island islands and the Kowloon peninsula. As a visitor, you are most likely to hang out in Hong Kong Island (Central, Victoria Peak, Airport), Lantau Island (Tian Tian Buddha) and Kowloon (Mong Kok, Jordan).

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6 things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

February 6, 2016October 25, 2020 Sud-ScribeBeach, Cafe de olla, Flan, Guacamole, Malecon, Mexico, Old Town, Puerto Vallarta, Tacos, Travel, Tropical WeatherLeave a comment

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town in the Jalisco, Mexico. With remnants of their colonial past, PV seems to thrive with the sun-seeking Gringos coming here in droves. It was hard to hear much Spanish unless you are walking deep into the Old Town. Condos and apartment rentals are huge in PV, I guess even big hotels are hugely outnumbered in comparison. The resort side is very family friendly, we saw a ton of kids and an equal number of seniors as part of family reunions.

6 things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Be a tourist and hit the beach

You waited all year to use those stingy vacation days that you have to accumulate. You paid premium on your flights to get here. The heat is serious. What are you waiting for? The culture, food can wait, head to Los Muertos beach or whatever beach that is close to you. Sip on those pina coladas/margaritas and live it up on your well deserved break.

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Los Muertos Beach

Eat your weight in guacamole/fish tacos/salsas

The avocados are probably grown within 30 minutes from your accommodation in PV. They are fresh and most local restaurants know how to make guacamole right. So,don’t pass on them. The salsas that are served also pack a nice punch.This ain’t your chipotle or our “chef is from Mexico” versions, the salsas are made fresh with tomatoes, lime,jalapeños and salt. It is a delicate balance between these flavors that makes it superlative compared to anything you have ever had before.

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Salsa,Guacamole with Chips, Grilled fish tacos

Catch a sunset and walk the malecon

The sunsets are gorgeous from the malecon, the red orange hues that we seldom see are worth instragramming. Walk along the malecon and as the sun goes down and watch the city come to life.Street artists, comedy acts and food vendors come out in full force in the evenings. You have your pick with the food vendors- if you need sugar you have deep fried bananas, strawberries with cream, homemade flan/cakes, horchata. On the savory side, marinated shrimp and pretty much any type of meat on sticks. The art installations along the malecon are quite fun and serve as good photo ops.

Sunset on the beach

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Along the Malecon

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Street food along the Malecon

Hit up a bodega or a mom and pop store

After 3 straight days of good sunshine and much needed heat, rains lashed out in PV. Literally,when it rains it pours here. Our “lazy walk to brunch” strategy was put to test. But we decided to brave the rains and headed out under the cover of incomplete patio roofs onto the next block to look out for the closest place listed on Yelp. But it was closed and hunger prangs were starting to grow. On our way back, we found a pleasant little man selling some breakfast items right out of his house. Better half quickly chose the cake and I got introduced to cafe de olla. As the mexican man explained it to me as a local version of coffee with hints of chocolate and cinnamon. I was sold and it was a refreshing wake up call on a rainy morning. So, don’t wait hit up a bodega and try the real deal.

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Rainy Day/Cafe Olla/ Bodega

Crossover from the resorts area and head deep into Emiliano Zapata

We stayed in a functional Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta in Old Town. Our daily itinerary was hitting the beach during the day and walking the malecon in the evenings. But it was not until the final day that we decided to break the pattern and explore the town. We came across a real tortilleria – they have a huge ass machine spewing out fresh tortillas. Our mythical mental image of old grandmas making them by hand was completely shattered. The mexicans take their tortillas seriously and dammit they don’t want inefficiencies in their supply chain. We also encountered well-dressed locals heading in/out from their Sunday mass. This gave us a great view into the local culture.

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Old Town

If you need a break from the PV, day trip

There are a couple of decent day trip options from PV. The most exciting of which is the Marietas islands- it is a giant crater caused by a bomb explosion by a beach. Swimming skills essential as the only way to get in there is via snorkelling. Head to Yelapa for some easy day hikes or try your hand at some zip lining.

Bonus:

We managed to catch lunch at the iconic La Palapa and thought it was overrated. The service is ridiculously slow. Go with low expectations and you might be surprised.

If you are from India, you might know who this is. He is a popular Bollywood star John Abraham. His role in the movie “Dostana” has made him the poster boy for gay cruises in Puerto Vallarta.

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