Andrew Lim’s Travel Journals

Did a quick stopover in Nagoya, Japan before I wrapped up my brief summer break here in Asia. Nagoya may not be as fascinating as Tokyo or Osaka, but there are things tourists will like about this city.  Here are the 10 things I like about Nagoya:

1. Historical Nagoya Castle

One  of the very few must see tourist sights in this city. This castle was built in 1612 on a flat land. It is surrounded by a well landscaped garden. In the castle you will see what/how the royal family used to eat, live and sleep and how their help used to slave their asses for them. With the admission price of only 500 yen (approximately USD5.00), it’s definitely worth a visit.

2. Uncomplicated Subway System

Being a smaller city than Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya has a simple and easy to navigate subway system. It only has 4/5 lines instead of the tens of thousands you will find on a Tokyo subway map. An average fare is about 200 Yen (USD2.00)

3. Delicious Miso Katsu

Red miso is very popular in Nagoya, so it’s not surprising to find it to be part of the ingredient for some Nagoya’s popular dishes. Miso Katsu (miso flavored fried pork chop) is not to be missed. Yabaton serves the best Miso Katsu and has several locations in Nagoya. If you don’t read Japanese, just look for the sign with a pig wearing a red apron (I am not talking about chef Gordon Ramsay). One convenient location is located in the underground mall of Nagoya train station.

4. Mouth Watering Charcoal-Grilled Eel

Another popular dish in Nagoya. Also the one that officially put me over the recommended weight limit by CDC (after a week of eating, eating and eating). The most famous grilled eel dish to get is Hitsumabushi (charcoal grilled eel on rice), and the place to get it is Atsuta Horaiken located at 2-10-26 Jingu, City Center (tel: 682-5598).

5. Reliable Train Service

The Japanese have such a reliable train system. Every train leaves and arrives on time (unlike that faulty train system that I am used to back in New York).  The Japanese are also a considerate bunch. Even the train window has blinds that you can draw to shade yourself from the sun. A train ride from the airport to city center will set you back by 800-1200 Yen (USD8.00-12.00).

6. Amazing Takashimaya Food Court

At the basement of the Takashimaya store in Nagoya Train Station, there is a huge section that sells all kinds of prepared food like traditional Japanese food, Japanese sweets and Western sweets. Don’t come here hungry or you will end up spending a ton of money on these visually appealing offerings! It’s undeniable that Japanese are experts in product packaging.

7. This structure infront of Nagoya Train Station

A funky structure I must say. Though I have to admit that the guy on the moving billboard helped accentuate its aesthetic appeal!

8. The Ramen Alley In The Nagoya Train Station

Nagoya is not exactly known for its ramen but if you crave for one you can find a wide selection of it in the “Ramen Alley” located in the train station. Make sure to get the ramen with a red miso soup base, like the one I had.

9. The Vending Machines Selling Beverages

This is a common sight in Japan. With these many types of beverages available, no one will ever get thirsty in Nagoya.

10. Travel in Style on Singapore Airlines

Ok, this one has nothing to do with Nagoya but there is nothing like traveling in a 2- week old aircraft to get there.  Singapore Airlines provides exceptional inflight service to its passengers as usual and I really liked the new and comfy seats on this flight.

In short, Nagoya is a great place to visit. However, since it doesn’t have a lot to see, I would do this as a side trip when I visit bigger cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Nagoya is only a 90 minutes train ride away from Tokyo.

I am one of those travel whores who can’t sit still in one place for too long. So when I was in Malaysia celebrating Chinese New Year with my folks, I took the opportunity to visit my friend Emily in Bali for a few days. Emily was living in New York City until recently when she decided to become a full-fledged surfer chick in Bali.

What is my overall impression of Bali? Frankly I have been to better places. The beaches there were dirty (save those in Nusa Dua and Jimbaran) and the food was nothing to write home about. The weather sure didn’t help. it was pouring like crazy most of the time during my stay there. But Bali had some things that appealed to me as well. I liked Bali for its super inexpensive massages (I got one everyday when I was there) and the warm and friendly Balinese people. I also got to spend some time with my friend Emily and that was worth the trip.

In terms of where to hang out, I would recommend Ubud for the artsy and laid back folks, Kuta for those who like to party (and enjoy the risk of getting bombed by the terrorists) and Nusa Dua for those who are into all kinds of water sports. Bali is worth at least one visit, and it’s really inexpensive for those who are using US Dollars.

Here are some of my recommendations for Bali:

1. Hotel (Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort)

For those who enjoy peace and quiet. It’s located next to the beautiful Tanah Lot temple. A great place to view the sunset with your lover but it’s quite far from everything.

2. Spa (Zen Spa, Bali)

Located in Ubud, this spa is very famous with the frequent visitors to Bali. I did a treatment consisting of a massage, scrub and a flower bath for 15 USD! Heck, you can’t even get a decent glass of wine in New York City for that price these days.

3. Specialty Food (Warung Babi Guling on Jalan Raya Teges, next to the Palace)

Located in Ubud and famous for its suckling pig (‘Babi Guling’), this place is a tad run down so don’t go there expecting the restaurant at Four Seasons. You have to sit on a floor mat to eat so don’t wear anything that can expose yourself easily in that sitting position.

4. Food & Bev (The Poppies Restaurant)

If you need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Kuta, this place is a great oasis for you to do so. The restaurant serves a great fresh mango juice. The food there was also pretty good. They serve a mix of Indonesian and Western food.

5. Transportation (Gede Palawa, Mobile: 081-338-547-523)

Friendly and reliable taxi driver you can contact if you need to get anywhere. He speaks good English.

To view the photos from Bali, please go to my kodak gallery at:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=12g05kbn.5dkku2hv&x=0&y=4e66q3&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

Andrew’s rating of Bali, Indonesia (Out of *****):

Fun                   ***
Sights               ***
Cost                 *****
Weather            ***1/2
Food                 ***
Convenience      ***
Safety               ****

*Ratings’ Explanation:

Fun = Friendliness of the locals, ease of communication and the number of after-dark entertainment that is available

Sights = The number of tourist traps to check out and how picturesque they are.

Cost = How reasonable the costs of the foods, drinks and entertainment are compared to New York City.

Weather = The weather when I was there; does not represent the general climate of the city.

Food = The tastiness and uniqueness of the local food.

Convenience = The ease of getting around in the city and the availability of public transportation

Safety = The safety of the city. The likelihood that you will survive without getting mugged when you wear a camera around your neck or hold a map in your hand.

A few days of intensely cold weather in NYC made Thomas and I want to leave for Aruba pronto. This 5-day Xmas trip was my idea. Although Thomas objected to it at first (he always does that when I book our trips far in advance), he seemed very ready to be somewhere warm a few days before our departure (right when the cold snaps hit NYC). I was very ready to leave town for a few days as well. Somehow 80 degrees fahrenheit sounded better to me than minus 5 degrees fahrenheit.

Aruba sure did not disappoint us with her weather. Even though rain was in the forecast during our entire stay there, the rain would last no more than 10 minutes and when it was done, the weather was sunny, windy and warm. Aside from a submarine ride we took in Oranjestad, followed by a tour of the capital city, we pretty much stayed in the hotel and tanned ourselves away. Aruba beaches have nice fine sand. The beach at our hotel was nice but was packed with all these families from the States (which frankly ruined the experience for me). The beaches in the low-rise hotel area are much nicer if you want peace and quiet. Trust me, you will find fewer American brats (those 9-12 year olds who would die for the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana) in beaches like Eagle Beach, Manchebo Beach and Druif Beach.

The food in Aruba, though pricey, did not disappoint us in the quality and taste department. If you want inexpensive food, take a trip down the main street of Oranjestad and you will find a few inexpensive restaurants where the local frequent, including one that is run by this Chinese guy who serve up Chinese and Surinamese dishes. Didn’t try it but the place was packed when we walked past it. Also for people who can’t live without Asian food for more than 3 days, there are a few Chinese and Thai restaurants there as well as a supermarket chain called “Supermercado Kong Hing” where you can buy Asian groceries. I persuaded Thomas to go to this Thai restaurant called “Sawadee” and found out after we ordered that none of its staff were Thai, including the Chef, who was this German guy who took up Thai cooking classes when he was living in Bangkok. Needless to say, the Thai food there tasted very bland but the shrimp was fresh at least. The three restaurants that we really liked were as follow:

1. Amazonia Churrascaria
Website: http://www.amazonia-aruba.com/
This is a traditional Brazilian grill located in the Palm Beach area that serves great grilled meats and offers a great salad bar.

2. Gianni’s Restaurant
Website: http://giannisaruba.com/default.aspx
An Italian restaurant in the Palm Beach area serving up great and authentic tasting Italian dishes (make sure to order its seafood risotto but stay away from its broccoli rabe — the pathetic portion size of this hot antipasti dish can almost make you cry). Reservation is highly recommended since this is quickly becoming a popular dining spot in the Palm Beach area.

3. Casa Tua
Website: http://www.casatuaaruba.com/
A pizzeria in Oranjestad serving up great thin crust pizzas and pasta. Make sure to get a table on the balcony.

A lot of Americans travel to Aruba. In fact, it’s such a popular destination among those who live in the New York metropolitan areas that hotel guests can get the local New York City channels on the major hotels’ cable programming there. We felt like we never left New York when we watched TV in our hotel room.

We had a great time in Aruba. The food was great, the weather was perfect, the Arubians were friendly and the beaches were beautiful. Now only if our hotel had banned families, especially those from the States, then it would be perfect vacation for us.

Andrew’s Ratings* of Aruba (Out of 5 Stars):

Fun                   ****

Sights               ***

Cost                 ***

Weather            *****

Food                ***1/2

Convenience     ****

Safety              ****

* Ratings’ Explanation:

Fun = Friendliness of the locals, ease of communication and the number of after-dark entertainment that is available

Sights = The number of tourist traps to check out and how picturesque they are

Cost = How reasonable the costs of the foods, drinks and entertainment are compared to New York City.

Weather = The weather when I was there; does not represent the general climate of the city.

Food = The tastiness and uniqueness of the local food.

Convenience = The ease of getting around in the city and the availability of public transportation

Safety = The safety of the city. The likelihood that you will survive without getting mugged when you have a camera around your neck.

To view the pictures, please visit my Kodak Gallery. The link is: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=12g05kbn.525ek2yb&x=0&y=9e5zk0&localeid=en_US

Every year I would organize a trip during the week of Thanksgiving for my close friends and this was my third trip. After visiting South Africa in 2006 and Egypt in 2007, we all wanted something different this year.  Perhaps something less exhausting that would give us a break after putting up with the tiresome travel itinerary we had for Egypt. Several destination suggestions were thrown my way, but one that got my attention was Nicaragua. I had read somewhere earlier this year that Nicaragua is fast becoming a key tourist destination in Central America. The article even described it as “The Next Costa Rica”. Wanting to be at the forefront of tourism, I decided that this would be the destination for our ‘08 Thanksgiving trip.  When my friends all talk about Nicaragua as the place to be five years from now, I want to be able to tell them that this is old news and I was there many moons ago. Yes, please meet the bitchy and snooty side of Andrew Lim.

After doing some research, I contacted a local tour operator called “ORO TRAVEL” (http://www.orotravel.com/) to set up a private tour for me and five of my friends (Peter, Alison, Ein, Cynthia and Geoff). Our itinerary would be for 8 days. We would travel to Granada, Ometepe Island and San Juan Del Sur. This appears to be a popular itinerary for first time visitors. My jaw nearly dropped when I received the price quote from the ORO TRAVEL rep. It was slightly over USD500 per person and was certainly an amount we were happy to pay considering how much we have lost in our investment and retirement accounts as of late. We signed up for the tour without any hesitation. By the way, I would highly recommend ORO TRAVEL to anyone who wants to travel to Nicaragua. It is reliable and the customer service is top notch. I also highly recommend our tour guide, Julio Flores. He speaks very good English and can be contacted via email at julio@orotravel.com.

Many of my friends in the States expressed concern when I told them we were going to Nicaragua. A lot of them still think that Nicaragua is a dangerous place because of what transpired in the 80s. Leave it to us to be so paranoid about other countries. Contrary to the general impression the country has over here, Nicaragua has the lowest crime rate among the Central American countries. We felt very safe when we were there. I would not say the same for its neighboring countries like El Salvador. Some hot dude who sat next to me on the plane ride over was from El Salvador and in our conversation about the safety of his gang-ridden country, he reassured me that the gangs only attack the locals and usually would leave tourists alone. That’s quite some reassurance if you ask me.

We started our tour in Granada. the fourth most populous city in Nicaragua and has quite a history. The city has a lot of Spanish colonial buildings dating back to the 1880s. We visited the Masaya Volcano, Catarina (with a lookout point of the Apoyo Lagoon), the local Craft market and the city of Granada. We also did a boat tour on Lake Nicaragua and a canopy tour at the Mombacho Volcano. The canopy tour was my first and it was very fun. I felt like Tarzan except I wasn’t wearing a loincloth.

We headed to Ometepe Island on our third day. It is an island on Lake Nicaragua formed by two volcanoes, Concepcion Volcano and Maderas Volcano. We visited a couple of places on this island during our two days’ stay here but honestly, this was the most boring part of our trip. The island is really rugged and lacks proper tourist infrastructures. The island is also filled with little insects and creatures that could be found even in our chalets. Some people may find this fascinating but urban snobs like us cannot appreciate nature that much. Fortunately, the delicious grilled tilapia served at the hotel restaurant and a few games of UNO helped our time pass a little quicker. When Julio mentioned to us in the van that this island is very peaceful and has had no major violent occurrences in the past, Peter leaned over and whispered to me that the only violence that would have happened was when residents/visitors who were bored out of their skulls fought to get on the ferry to cross back to the mainland. I burst out laughing.

Our last stop was San Juan Del Sur, a former fishing village now popular with surfers and beach seekers. It is a crescent-shaped bay and has several spectacular beaches nearby. Aside from taking a trip to see sea turtles lay eggs, we didn’t do any sightseeing here. We just sat by the hotel pool and ate Asian snacks all day long. We love to eat. Some of us also love to shop.

One of things I enjoyed the most in San Juan Del Sur was my daily sunset run. The locals would look at me funny since they don’t really run for the sake of good health. When they run, they are usually running away from stray dogs (plenty of stray dogs on the streets of Nicaragua). They really don’t need to run since almost everyone there is skinny. We didn’t see any overweight individuals save the American tourists and the owner of a local ice cream shop in San Juan Del Sur. I am guessing he did way too much taste testing over the years — a clear occupational hazard for someone who owns/works in an ice cream parlor.

Overall we enjoyed our trip to Nicaragua. The people there were friendly, the seafood was yummy and things were so inexpensive. I would consider this an eco-trip since we did a considerable amount of nature activities like standing on lava soil and having lunch at a farm (ha ha. what else do you expect?). Alison who just went to Costa Rica earlier this year told me that she actually prefers Nicaragua over Costa Rica. So for those of you who love Costa Rica, it’s time to turn your attention to Nicaragua but please don’t tell too many people about it. An influx of tourists will only ruin the unique charm of this developing country.

Andrew recommends:

1. Granada

Hotel: Hotel El Patio del Malinche (http://www.patiodelmalinche.com/english/)

Restaurants: 
A. El Bucanero (facing the Apoyo Lagoon). This place serves the best ceviche at $2-$3 per order.
B. El Zaguan. This is notably the best restaurant in Granada. Serves a great steak and other meat and seafood dishes.

2. Ometepe (if you can skip it, skip it!)

Hotel: Villa Paraiso Hotel (http://www.villaparaiso.com.ni/welcome.htm).
* Make sure you ask for a chalet facing the water when you book a room there.

Restaurant: the restaurant in Villa Paraiso Hotel. The grilled tilapia is to die for.

3. San Juan Del Sur

Hotel: La Posada Azul aka “The Blue Inn” (http://www.laposadaazul.com)
* Highly recommended! Maria, the manager and her staff will take great care of you. This hotel is owned by a couple who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Restaurant: El Timon Bar (the best seafood in town), Pizzeria San Juan (serving tasty pizza and pasta and is owned by an Italian guy who moved here 20 years ago).
* in general, the food in San Juan Del Sur is not as good as the food in Granada.

For a complete set of the pictures taken on this trip, please visit my Kodak gallery at:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=12g05kbn.1ue7zc3v&x=0&y=-eoqjke&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

Andrew’s rating of Nicaragua (Out of *****):

Fun                  ***1/2
Sights               ***
Cost                 *****
Weather            *****
Food                 ***1/2
Convenience      ****
Safety               ****

*Ratings’ Explanation:

Fun = Friendliness of the locals, ease of communication and the number of after-dark entertainment that is available

Sights = The number of tourist traps to check out and how picturesque they are.

Cost = How reasonable the costs of the foods, drinks and entertainment are compared to New York City.

Weather = The weather when I was there; does not represent the general climate of the city.

Food = The tastiness and uniqueness of the local food.

Convenience = The ease of getting around in the city and the availability of public transportation

Safety = The safety of the city. The likelihood that you will survive without getting mugged when you wear a camera around your neck or hold a map in your hand.

 
 

Here in the lovely Puerto Vallarta, Mexico soaking up the sun and the margaritas. This place is a good getaway for a long weekend. The Sheraton Bunganvillas Resort is nothing to write home about, and the water here pales much in comparison to the blue Carribbean Sea, but the breezy wind and the beautiful sunshine that greet me here make this visit worthwhile.

Puerto Vallarta has an old town that is both charming and touristy. Like Cancun, you will find an abundance of American restaurant chains here. Fortunately, there are local restaurants that are much better than the boring American crap. For an avant garde Mexican cuisine experience, I highly recommend Los Xitomates (www.losxitomates.com). The Mexican chef/owner had worked in several North American and European cities before deciding to return to his home country and be his own boss. The food here is muy delicioso. Another upscale restaurant that I like is called El Andariego (www.elandariego.com.mx). It serves traditional Mexican cuisine with a live Mariachi band. If you are in the mood for a tourist trap that serves good Mexican food (and margaritas the size of a birthday cake) , try Pipis (http://www.pipis.com.mx/). It has the tacky decors and at least eight pinatas hanging from the ceiling. Make sure to hit one on your way out. Just don’t hit one of the servers. They wear colorful outfits and some are on the rounder side.

One relaxing massage (legit nevertheless), two great novels (one about a guy who used to be a circus vet while the other about a woman who likes to eat and travel ), three fantastic meals, countless margaritas and sun-bathing sessions later, I feel like I have had a truly amazing weekend here. When advising me of the weather forecast upon my arrival at the hotel, the butler on my floor (another reason why my weekend here was fantastic) said “Senor Lim, it will be sunny all weekend. There will be so much sun here that even your toes will enjoy the sunshine!”. Fidel was indeed right. My toes are now burned and wrinkly like raisins. By the way, his name was Fidel Castro. Fidel’s parents must have hated him when he was born. Nitwit also told me that he named his son the same name, as if the beatings in the playground while growing up didn’t teach him enough lesson. But wait, Mexicans don’t have the same anti feelings towards the former Cuban leader as the Americans do. Both Fidel Sr. and Fidel Jr. should be fine.

For select pictures of the trip, please click on this link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12g05kbn.2368aro3&Uy=l27v1v&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=470200774732_576528411603&localeid=en_US

People who know me know that I love Spain. It’s a country that has so much to offer, and its laidback I-Need-My-Daily-Siesta lifestyle is just something that us overworked folks here in New York need to adopt badly. This wasn’t my first trip to Barcelona (in fact, it was my fifth). But (ok readers, get your barf bag ready) this was a trip I took with Thomas over Valentine’s day so it meant something special to me. The last trip before this was a while back so I really looked forward to returning to Barcelona again.

Nothing has really changed in Barcelona, except that the Euro is much higher now compared to the USD and everything seemed so much more expensive to us. The weather was absolutely gorgeous when we were there, considering it was the winter month of February. It was sunny and cool with temperature ranging in the high 50s everyday. I tried to indulge in some clothes shopping but the sizes appeared much smaller to me now (that’s how I like to put it. The real reason is that my body size has gotten larger over the years!).  We went to some great restaurants and ate really well (and you wonder why I could no longer buy clothes in Spain). We also did some walking tours on our own in several neighborhoods and visited several museums and churches. A lot of places are closed on Sundays and Mondays so please keep that in mind the next time you visit this city and plan accordingly.  I highly recommend getting the Frommer’s Barcelona Day by Day guidebook before you go. It really is a useful guide.

The restaurants I highly recommend in Barcelona are:

1. Cal-Pep
Placa des les Olles, 8
* locals/tourists clientele

2. Taller de Tapas
Placa Sant Josep Oriol, 9
* locals/tourists clientele

3. Inopia
C/ Tamarit 104
* predominantly locals clientele so knowledge of some basic Spanish would help.

4. Cor Caliu
C/ Roger de Lluria, 102
* predominantly locals clientele so so knowledge of some basic Spanish would help

All in all it was a great long weekend trip. However, Thomas and I have decided to stay away from Europe for a while until the US Dollars strengthen against the Euro. Having to pay 50% more for everything is not fun.

Andrew’s Ratings* of Barcelona, Spain (Out of 5 Stars):

Fun                  ****

Sights              ****

Cost                 *

Weather           ****

Food                ****
Convenience     ****

Safety              ****

* Ratings’ Explanation:

Fun = Friendliness of the locals, ease of communication and the number of after-dark entertainment that is available

Sights = The number of tourist traps to check out and how picturesque they are

Cost = How reasonable the costs of the foods, drinks and entertainment are compared to New York City .

Weather = The weather when I was there; does not represent the general climate of the city.

Food = The tastiness and uniqueness of the local food.

Convenience = The ease of getting around in the city and the availability of public transportation

Safety = The safety of the city. The likelihood that you will survive without getting mugged when you have a camera around your neck.

For pictures, please click on this link: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12g05kbn.1a5nd1wn&Uy=-zhqsok&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Egypt was a country I always wanted to visit. My interest in visiting the country was not spurred by the repeated viewings of Brendan Frasier fighting off mummies in “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns”. It was spurred by the accounts of all my friends who traveled to the country and saw the magnificent temples and pyramids. When my friends and I were deciding on where to go for our annual Thanksgiving trip earlier this year, I suggested Egypt and everyone in the group agreed that it was a good destination. We shopped around for a local tour agency and decided to sign up for a nine- day tour with a local company called Lady Egypt (http://www.ladyegypt.com/). Representatives from this company were not only professional but highly responsive and services were rendered to our satisfaction (save a few misses which were not their faults but their partners’).  After months of planning and anticipation, we set out to this exotic country armed with an entry visa and a suitcase full of Asian snacks and instant noodles. There were six of us in total – Alison, Joyce, Peter, Dede, Ein and yours truly. For the next nine days, we would visit many tourist sights in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and cruise up the Nile River.

The flights from New York to Cairo via Frankfurt on Singapore Airline (SQ) and Lufthansa Airline were largely uneventful. Service and inflight entertainment on SQ were excellent as always. We had to stop in Frankfurt for 10 hours so we took this opportunity to eat some average tasting German food , did some shopping and rested up a bit. We left Frankfurt in the evening and arrived Cairo in the wee hours of the morning. Upon arrival we were greeted by our rep from Lady Egypt. We then had to queue up in the long lines of passengers waiting to pass through the three immigration counters in the international terminal. Cairo International Airport was a rudimentary structure lacking the modern facilities of an international airport. Fortunately the government is building a new terminal to accommodate the growing number of international travelers to the country.  Upon immigration clearance, we were transported to our hotel to catch some sleep. The first thing that greeted us at the hotel (and at every subsequent hotel we had stayed during the duration of our visit) was a metal detector. Talk about safety reassurance. We were briefed by our Cairo rep the next morning on our tour itinerary for the next nine days. We were also introduced to our English speaking tour guide, Mahmoud Elkomy. Mahmoud (a common name in the middle eastern countries like John or Rob) was a very funny tour guide who possessed great knowledge about the country (he can be reached via email at mahmoudtourguide@yahoo.com if you are interested in using his service)

We spent the following week visiting pyramids, temples and cruising on the famous Nile River. Our schedule was pretty hectic. We had to get up at the crack of dawn to visit these sights before they got too crowded. There were also some destinations where we needed to travel in groups of buses/vans led by the police convoy. The goal of such mandatory practice was to protect the foreign tourists from any terrorist attacks. Ever since the Egyptian militants killed a number of tourists in Luxor ten years ago, the Egyptian government has taken extra caution in protecting the tourists visiting its country. If you have Caucasian tourists who are Americans on board a bus or a van, they will even send a couple of soldiers with machine guns to be on the same vehicle with them. Apparently anti-American sentiment runs pretty high here, and we have our current administration to thank for that. I pity our Canadian friends (especially the Caucasian ones). For fear of being mistaken as Americans, they have been taking extra effort to tell people where they are from by sewing the Canadian flag on their caps, clothes and backpacks. As for us, since we are all Asians, we told everyone that we were from Malaysia. We were very popular with the locals — apparently they love Malaysia (I don’t know why – same national religion perhaps?). This much I know — they buy a lot of TVs that are imported from Malaysia, like Panasonic TVs. 

If there was a good time to visit Egypt weather wise, it would be the month of November, January and February. The weather we experienced was simply amazing. Sunny and breezy with temperature ranging in the high 70s to low 80s during the day and high 60s to low 70s during the night. Weather warmed up as we traveled from Cairo (North) to Aswan (South). However this was also the peak travel season in Egypt so every tourist sight we went to was simply packed to the brim with tourists.

Of the places we visited, the most memorable ones were the Pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Temple in Abu Simbel, the Karnak Temple and the Nile River. Each temple/tomb has its unique history (dating back thousands of years) and intricate wall carvings. The only regrettable part with the wall carvings was that many of them were chiseled out during the colonization era by the Christians and Catholics who regarded those cravings as evil or demonic.  It was sad to see these cravings being ruined that way. Our tour guide Mahmoud was very detailed in his explanation of the history of each temple and the Pharaoh/God that it was built for. But I could not remember the names of the Pharaohs that Mahmoud mentioned, save one female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut. She is undeniably my new idol given what she did to claim her throne. To get to power she married her own half brother and to maintain power later in her life she married off her own daughter to her half-son (whom her late husband had fathered with another woman). If Hatshepsut’s life was made into a movie, Angelina Jolie would be the best actress to play her.

While we enjoyed visiting the pyramids and the temples and seeing the famous Nile River, we found our three-day cruise on the Nile River to be a boring experience. Given the size of the river the cruise was not a big ship so it doesn’t have a lot of amenities like a standard cruise ship. We love shopping (well at least some of us do) so it killed us to find out that there were only two shops on the boat. Luckily one of them sells jewellery. One afternoon while Alison and I were reading on the sundeck and Dede was napping, the three hardcore shoppers (Peter, Ein and Joyce) decided to check out the jewellery shop and ended up spending two hours there. By the second hour of their visit, they were already on a first-name basis with the shop owner.  

The food in Egypt is nothing to write home about. Nevertheless we managed to find our meals enjoyable, thanks to Peter who brought a suitcase full of Asian snacks, condiments and instant noodles. There were a few things we liked when we were there however. The falafels were not to be missed.  There was also a meal called “Koshary” that we enjoyed a great deal. Koshary is a traditional Egyptian meal that consists of a strange combination of macaroni, spaghetti, rice, black lentils, chick peas, garlic sauce and a spicy tomato chili sauce, all topped with fried onions. Talk about a low carb dieter’s nightmare.  It’s a perfect poor man’s meal — inexpensive and tasty. Koshary is usually sold by street vendors but for the best Koshary in Cairo, go to “Abu Tariq”. Just ask your hotel/tour guide and they will tell you where it is. Down your Koshary with a glass of fresh squeezed sugar cane juice. In fact Alison liked it so much that she downed three mugs of it in one meal. She even pushed Peter out of the way to get to the sugar cane juice but that is a different story.

While we truly enjoyed the sights and the weather on our trip to Egypt, we found the Egyptians’ overly aggressive behavior in asking for tips to be a major turn-off. Everywhere we went (including the bathrooms), we would encounter the locals asking us for tips. The train attendant on our sleeper train reminded us that we should tip him generously before we got off the train. The guy who demonstrated to us on how to make pots out of stones asked us for tips even though we had purchased some merchandise from his employer’s store. Known locally as “Baksheesh”, tips are apparently the backhand economy of Egypt. The argument is that the locals don’t make enough money so they need tips to supplement their wages.  From what I was told asking for “Baksheesh” is a common practice in Egypt and other North Africa countries. That’s bull if you ask me. Look, I have been to other poor countries like Vietnam or Cambodia. While the locals in those Southeast Asian countries will try to sell you their merchandise in an aggressive manner, they will not stand there and just ask you for money without offering anything to you.  To me asking for tips out right just comes across as greedy and rude. Anyway, here is a guide to how much you should tip when you are in Egypt:

Travel company’s representative in each city 20-30 Egytian Pounds 
Tour guide 40-60 Egyptian Pounds per day (more if you have group with more than 2 people)
Drivers  20-30 Egyptian Pounds per day (more if you have group with more than 2 people)
Cruise Staff 20-30 Egyptian Pounds per travelling member
Toilet attendant 1 Egyptian Pound per use

At time of writing, 1 USD equals 5.5 Egytian Pounds. When in doubt about how much to tip, always ask your tour guide. He/she can give you some guidelines to fair tipping.

Aside from having to tell off some locals for their overly aggressive behavior in asking for tips, we also had to fend off the annoying little Egyptian kids who would not leave us alone. It was our luck to encounter hordes of school kids on field trips everywhere we went. They saw us like they had never seen Asian people before. We were fine by those who asked us where we were from or what our names were (you know, little kids and their curiosity). But some crossed the line by touching our hair or chasing after us. Even the mild mannered Joyce started telling some kids off on the eighth day of our trip, and she was the one who chastised the rest of group for being mean to the kids at the beginning of the trip. Me? I just toyed with the kids who asked me questions or the locals who asked me for tips. I had to indulge in some harmless fun to keep myself amused instead of getting aggravated by these behaviors.

Female travellers are advised to dress conservatively when visiting Egypt, but it appears that some female travellers from the Western countries, especially those from Poland, did not get the dresscode memo. The way these Polish girls dressed would put Mariah Carey in her crazy days to shame. To prevent drawing any unnecessary attention, the four ladies in our group all dressed conservatively. However given Dede’s darker skin, she would still get ogled everywhere she went. Apparently Latinas are very popular in this part of the world (which explains the fascination of Egyptian men with Shakira) and Dede looked like a Latina, even though she is Asian.  
 
To be fair, all these nuisance aside, Egypt is still a country worth visiting at least once in your lifetime. After all, this is the country where you can see the last Seven Wonder of the World, The Pyramids, and ancient temples with carvings on the wall that explain in great detail the relationship between the Pharaohs and their Gods/Deities.  All of us had a great time on this trip. We laughed a lot (most of the time it was on the expense of poor Ein). We also snacked a lot (to the point where Mahmoud said he had never guided a group that ate as much as us). Most importantly we saw the historic temples and pyramids that we would remember for life (but if our memory ever fails us we have the 1000+ pictures we took on the trip to jolt back our memories).  We felt that the nine days we had spent in Egypt just flew by quickly, except for the three days that we had to spend on the cruise.  

Andrew’s Rating of Egypt (out of Five *****)

Fun ***
Sights *****
Cost ****1/2
Weather ****1/2
Food **
Convenience **
Safety **1/2

Please check out some selected pictures from this trip under the Album Section (Titled “Egypt”). For the complete album, please click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12g05kbn.3ngtoh0v&Uy=916pla&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0

Despite its well known reputation for being a party town, Cancun can actually be a place to relax and unwind over a long weekend. That is if you go during the off season when pesky college students are nowhere in sight. Of course there are the hurricanes and heat to worry about, but if you luck out and mother nature is on your side, you will actually find Cancun highly enjoyable.  

Cancun is like an American outpost. Here you can see restaurants like Outback Steakhouse and Bubba Gump Shrimp. Dining is quite an expensive activity here. Restaurants in Cancun, especially those charge American prices and some seafood restaurants even charge prices that are similar to those at a 5-star restaurants in NY.  Besides the familiar restaurant brands located on the hotel strip, you can find a long list of hotels that Americans are familiar with, such as the JW Marriott and the Omni Hotels. I highly recommend the Le Meridien Resort and Spa. It features three great pools overlooking the blue Caribbean Sea. The rooms are also quite sizable and the spa/gym facilities are top notch.

For sightseeing, I recommend visiting the ancient Mayan sites such as Tulum and Chichen Itza. An all inclusive day trip to these destinations will cost you about USD$60-$90. The tour to Chichen Itza actually includes a lunch buffet near the Mayan site. But the food is nothing to write home about, and the traditional Yutacan dance performed by the locals as your chow down your tortillas and refried beans is just an attempt to get more tips from the tourists.

In short, Thomas and I really had a relaxing time there. Aside from visiting the ancient Mayan sites, we spent most of our time at the gym/spa and in the pool. Choosing the right resort, and having some luck on your side (as far as weather is concerned) are key to enjoying your stay in Cancun.

Andrew’s Ratings* of Cancun, Mexico (Out of 5 Stars):

Fun                   ****

Sights               ***

Cost                 *

Weather            ****

Food                 **1/2

Convenience     ****

Safety              ****
*Ratings’ Explanation:

Fun = Friendliness of the locals, ease of communication and the number of after-dark entertainment that is available

Sights = The number of tourist traps to check out and how picturesque they are

Cost = How reasonable the costs of the foods, drinks and entertainment are compared to New York City .

Weather = The weather when I was there; does not represent the general climate of the city.

Food = The tastiness and uniqueness of the local food.

Convenience = The ease of getting around in the city and the availability of public transportation

Safety = The safety of the city. The likelihood that you will survive without getting mugged when you wear a camera around your neck or hold a map in your hand.

For pictures, please click on this link: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12g05kbn.9qagap93&Uy=-z6vois&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0