63 days now since we left London. Some random stats from the road:
Miles flown: 13,751
Coldest temperature recorded: 28 degrees (car gauge in Beaune, France)
Hottest temperature recorded: 98 degrees (hotel gauge in Dubai, UAE)
Longest flight: Dubai to Hong Kong (6.5 hours)
Shortest flight: Gunung Mulu, Borneo to Miri, Borneo (27 minutes)
Cost of a black cab - London Hyde Park to Paddington Station (10 mins): $16
Cost of a red cab - Hong Kong Central to our hotel (10 mins): $7
Cost of a white cab - Penang waterfront to lunch (10 mins): $3
Cost to traverse the Mont Blanc Tunnel (11 km): $47 USD
Cost to traverse the Hong Kong tram line (16km): 20 cents USD
Stingiest place with toilet paper: tie, China and Malaysia (backup called twice in each)
Most expensive dinner: $107 USD, La Coline, Bayeux, France
Cheapest dinner: $2.80 USD, Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, Penang, Malaysia
Books read by Andrea: 4
Books read by Brian: 0
Easiest border crossing: France to Italy (50 mph, blurred photo)
Hardest border crossing: Singapore to Australia (two sniffer dogs, bags opened)
First word uttered when foreigners learn you are American: Obama! (spontaneous, out of context, inexplicable, happening everywhere)
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Singapore -- Me Love You Long Time
We've just left Changi Airport in Singapore, now bound for Australia. We have the exit row to ourselves and plenty of space to stretch out -- but it's one of those days where we are just glad to be flying, given the shutdown of European skies. We met a British woman at the cactus garden rooftop bar at Changi Airport (you quickly see why this airport wins every award on the planet) who had been in transit for 4 days going from London to her home in Thailand. She appears to be one of the lucky ones....the queues at the Air France and British Airways desks were massive, loads of people trying to get to Europe and clearly going nowhere. We are lucky to be heading the opposite way.
It was a brilliant 3 weeks in Asia, and Singapore was just the way to end it. It's just good living there – friendly, clean, safe, English speaking, and some of the best street food on Earth. We ate and drank our way through the hawker food centres (certainly the theme of our Asian time), lounged by the pool, and wandered through some parks and neighborhoods we missed on our last visit 14 months ago. In my mind, Singapore is a perfect example of today's Asia. Old Chinese shophouses sit underneath giant skyscrapers, and big BMWs drift by as local workers push wooden carts down the street. The old and the new, living side by side – it's a story being played out across much of the continent. There is also incredible diversity here -- mosques, churches, and Buddhist and Hindu temples share the same neighborhoods, and you see every ethnicity you can imagine on the streets. Of course with that diversity comes the amazing food – best found in the local hawker centres where the dishes run you about $3USD. And unlike some spots in Asia, you can pretty much eat wherever and whatever you want without much thought– food stalls are graded on hygiene (A to D), and Singapore is famous for strict practices. You know, a two year expat assignment here might just give us enough time to hit up all the stalls we wanted to get to. Food for thought.
It was a brilliant 3 weeks in Asia, and Singapore was just the way to end it. It's just good living there – friendly, clean, safe, English speaking, and some of the best street food on Earth. We ate and drank our way through the hawker food centres (certainly the theme of our Asian time), lounged by the pool, and wandered through some parks and neighborhoods we missed on our last visit 14 months ago. In my mind, Singapore is a perfect example of today's Asia. Old Chinese shophouses sit underneath giant skyscrapers, and big BMWs drift by as local workers push wooden carts down the street. The old and the new, living side by side – it's a story being played out across much of the continent. There is also incredible diversity here -- mosques, churches, and Buddhist and Hindu temples share the same neighborhoods, and you see every ethnicity you can imagine on the streets. Of course with that diversity comes the amazing food – best found in the local hawker centres where the dishes run you about $3USD. And unlike some spots in Asia, you can pretty much eat wherever and whatever you want without much thought– food stalls are graded on hygiene (A to D), and Singapore is famous for strict practices. You know, a two year expat assignment here might just give us enough time to hit up all the stalls we wanted to get to. Food for thought.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Welcome To The Jungle
It's reasonably well known amongst family and friends that I am not the outdoorsy type. I think of the Holiday Inn as a form of camping. After all, if God didn't want us to have comfortable accomodations when we travel, he wouldn't have given us the brains to create the Heavenly Bed or the 3 nozzle rain shower. But year after year, we've noticed that about half of the finalists in the BBC Wildlife Photography competition take their photo in the jungles of Borneo. So here I am, deep in the rainforest, typing this from under a mosquito net while Andrea hoses me in nuclear-grade bug spray at 20 minute intervals.
Except it's actually not that bad. We arrived in Borneo's Gunung Mulu Park on a prop (it's either that or a 10 hour ride on a longboat – no roads in or out). The flight was excellent in the sense that we had incredible views as we skimmed the treetops, and also that we didn't crash. Our room even has air conditioning (one of the few), a private bathroom (you still need to wear your flip flops), electricity much of the time, and the food here is surprisingly good.
We started with a guided walk through the primary rainforest, ending at Deer Cave, which is the largest cave passage on Earth. It is almost too big to comprehend -- Wembley Stadium in London would fit inside, 15 times over. We explored the cave, enjoyed the scent of Mulu Perfume (bat guano) and then waited outside for the big show – at 6pm, 3 million bats exit the cave to feed. They leave in giant waves – it looks like snakes in the sky – a pattern to protect them from the local bat hawks. These bats then proceed to hoover up 50 tons of bugs a night from the local rainforest, including some right over our heads. We sat outside to watch a tropical downpour last night, and the bats kept buzzing inches over us. We were brave for 5 minutes, but then made a tactical retreat to our room.
We've also taken a traditional longboat up the river to a local tribal village, and then on to 2 more caves. The most amazing thing about these caves is the light. Essentially the ceilings have collapsed in spots and the sun filters in through the giant holes – you stare up hundreds of feet and there is water dripping, mist swirling, birds flying, and bright green moss growing. It is an amazing sight.
The rainforest itself is just as impressive. Everything is impossibly green, colorful butterflies swirl around your feet, leaves on some of the trees are as big as Andrea. And it is loud! Interesting and unknown sounds come from everywhere. We took a night walk through the rainforest with a guide, finding tarantulas, giant snails, and all kinds of exotic insects – a brilliant lesson in evolution and adaptation. We also took a rainforest canopy walk, across 16 ropebridges built in the treetops. Now typically when my life is dependent on a suspension system high above the ground (ski lifts, bridges), I prefer it to be built by the Swiss or the Germans. This particular rope bridge, as I learned, had been constructed by the local Iban tribe. But despite some creakiness and some interesting looking rope knots, we made it across it one piece – and to see the rainforest from above is just incredible.
We've absolutely loved the Borneo jungle. That being said, I think I'll hold on to my reservation at the Marriott tonight.
Except it's actually not that bad. We arrived in Borneo's Gunung Mulu Park on a prop (it's either that or a 10 hour ride on a longboat – no roads in or out). The flight was excellent in the sense that we had incredible views as we skimmed the treetops, and also that we didn't crash. Our room even has air conditioning (one of the few), a private bathroom (you still need to wear your flip flops), electricity much of the time, and the food here is surprisingly good.
We started with a guided walk through the primary rainforest, ending at Deer Cave, which is the largest cave passage on Earth. It is almost too big to comprehend -- Wembley Stadium in London would fit inside, 15 times over. We explored the cave, enjoyed the scent of Mulu Perfume (bat guano) and then waited outside for the big show – at 6pm, 3 million bats exit the cave to feed. They leave in giant waves – it looks like snakes in the sky – a pattern to protect them from the local bat hawks. These bats then proceed to hoover up 50 tons of bugs a night from the local rainforest, including some right over our heads. We sat outside to watch a tropical downpour last night, and the bats kept buzzing inches over us. We were brave for 5 minutes, but then made a tactical retreat to our room.
We've also taken a traditional longboat up the river to a local tribal village, and then on to 2 more caves. The most amazing thing about these caves is the light. Essentially the ceilings have collapsed in spots and the sun filters in through the giant holes – you stare up hundreds of feet and there is water dripping, mist swirling, birds flying, and bright green moss growing. It is an amazing sight.
The rainforest itself is just as impressive. Everything is impossibly green, colorful butterflies swirl around your feet, leaves on some of the trees are as big as Andrea. And it is loud! Interesting and unknown sounds come from everywhere. We took a night walk through the rainforest with a guide, finding tarantulas, giant snails, and all kinds of exotic insects – a brilliant lesson in evolution and adaptation. We also took a rainforest canopy walk, across 16 ropebridges built in the treetops. Now typically when my life is dependent on a suspension system high above the ground (ski lifts, bridges), I prefer it to be built by the Swiss or the Germans. This particular rope bridge, as I learned, had been constructed by the local Iban tribe. But despite some creakiness and some interesting looking rope knots, we made it across it one piece – and to see the rainforest from above is just incredible.
We've absolutely loved the Borneo jungle. That being said, I think I'll hold on to my reservation at the Marriott tonight.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Penang Eats
** WARNING ** If you don't enjoy reading about food, this blog entry will be 5 minutes of your life you don't get back.
We are now winging our way to Borneo after 3 days on Penang Island in Malaysia. My good friend Andy joked (or at least I think it was a joke) after my Hong Kong writeup that I might need a seatbelt extender for the flight home. Well, Penang definitely did its part to make that dream a reality. Penang is considered the foodie destination in Malaysia, and we took full advantage.
We spent 2 evenings in the local hawker centre, which is basically 50 or 60 vendors in small stalls cooking food. I put my sanitation concerns aside (first child syndrome, mom washed my hands too much), and we dove in – it was awesome and a great insight into local life here. Highlights were fried koay teow (fried noodles, minced garlic, fresh prawns, soy, bean sprouts, egg), wan tan mee (pork and prawn dumpling, sliced BBQ pork, shredded chicken, done in a soy broth with noodles), and fried oyster (egg omelette made with tapioca flour to make gooey, then oysters fried in chili paste are added). Each dish costs between 3 and 6 Malaysian Ringgits – 90 cents to $1.80 USD.
Assam laksa is the signature dish of Penang, and after scanning endless food blogs, we settled on a place in the old town called Kek Seng. I had to check the address twice when we arrived. There was an older man and woman (the owners), both sweating profusely, which only made me sweat profusely. There was a cart with various unknown ingredients laying out in the sun. There was a single worthless fan circulating hot air, the walls were peeling, and there were just a couple of plastic stools to sit on. But the dish was nothing short of incredible – assam laksa is made by poaching whole mackerel, then deboning it, then added back into the broth with fresh chillies, lemongrass, and heaps of tamarind. Rice noodles are put in the bowl first, then Chinese lettuce, shredded cucumber, onions, pineapple, ginger, and heaps of mint leaves. The soup is then poured over it, and then shrimp paste is swirled in (incredibly strong, but the taste dissipates in your mouth quickly). The variety of flavors is amazing – spicy, sweet, sour, and each bite is different. A large bowl of what many believe to be the best assam laksa in Malaysia costs 3 Malaysian Ringgits (90 cents).
The higher end of the dining scene is worthwhile too. Last night we went to Bali Hai, a local seafood institution. Everything is swimming in the tanks when you arrive, you basically point to what you want and then talk with the resident expert on how you want it prepared. We did a whole black grouper steamed in soy and green onion, clams barbequed in local spices, baby octopus grilled with smoky peppers, plus a big pot of seafood noodles. It was about as extravagant as you can go on this island, and even with beer it set us back barely $50 USD.
And I now believe in food comas. At 6:45am on Tuesday morning there was a 7.8 earthquake on the island of Sumatra, which shook Penang and apparently sent residents out of their homes. This was followed by a tsunami warning for the very waterfront our hotel faced, which was in effect until 9am. We both woke up at 10am, none the wiser and having missed the whole thing.
We did spend some time exploring the old town, and there are some nice temples and some interesting old streets lined with Chinese shophouses. But mostly this was 3 days of good old fashioned island life – we stayed at a wonderful hotel on the waterfront and just lounged by the pool, made happy hour our only daily commitment, and above all, ate our way through Penang.
We are now winging our way to Borneo after 3 days on Penang Island in Malaysia. My good friend Andy joked (or at least I think it was a joke) after my Hong Kong writeup that I might need a seatbelt extender for the flight home. Well, Penang definitely did its part to make that dream a reality. Penang is considered the foodie destination in Malaysia, and we took full advantage.
We spent 2 evenings in the local hawker centre, which is basically 50 or 60 vendors in small stalls cooking food. I put my sanitation concerns aside (first child syndrome, mom washed my hands too much), and we dove in – it was awesome and a great insight into local life here. Highlights were fried koay teow (fried noodles, minced garlic, fresh prawns, soy, bean sprouts, egg), wan tan mee (pork and prawn dumpling, sliced BBQ pork, shredded chicken, done in a soy broth with noodles), and fried oyster (egg omelette made with tapioca flour to make gooey, then oysters fried in chili paste are added). Each dish costs between 3 and 6 Malaysian Ringgits – 90 cents to $1.80 USD.
Assam laksa is the signature dish of Penang, and after scanning endless food blogs, we settled on a place in the old town called Kek Seng. I had to check the address twice when we arrived. There was an older man and woman (the owners), both sweating profusely, which only made me sweat profusely. There was a cart with various unknown ingredients laying out in the sun. There was a single worthless fan circulating hot air, the walls were peeling, and there were just a couple of plastic stools to sit on. But the dish was nothing short of incredible – assam laksa is made by poaching whole mackerel, then deboning it, then added back into the broth with fresh chillies, lemongrass, and heaps of tamarind. Rice noodles are put in the bowl first, then Chinese lettuce, shredded cucumber, onions, pineapple, ginger, and heaps of mint leaves. The soup is then poured over it, and then shrimp paste is swirled in (incredibly strong, but the taste dissipates in your mouth quickly). The variety of flavors is amazing – spicy, sweet, sour, and each bite is different. A large bowl of what many believe to be the best assam laksa in Malaysia costs 3 Malaysian Ringgits (90 cents).
The higher end of the dining scene is worthwhile too. Last night we went to Bali Hai, a local seafood institution. Everything is swimming in the tanks when you arrive, you basically point to what you want and then talk with the resident expert on how you want it prepared. We did a whole black grouper steamed in soy and green onion, clams barbequed in local spices, baby octopus grilled with smoky peppers, plus a big pot of seafood noodles. It was about as extravagant as you can go on this island, and even with beer it set us back barely $50 USD.
And I now believe in food comas. At 6:45am on Tuesday morning there was a 7.8 earthquake on the island of Sumatra, which shook Penang and apparently sent residents out of their homes. This was followed by a tsunami warning for the very waterfront our hotel faced, which was in effect until 9am. We both woke up at 10am, none the wiser and having missed the whole thing.
We did spend some time exploring the old town, and there are some nice temples and some interesting old streets lined with Chinese shophouses. But mostly this was 3 days of good old fashioned island life – we stayed at a wonderful hotel on the waterfront and just lounged by the pool, made happy hour our only daily commitment, and above all, ate our way through Penang.
Monday, 5 April 2010
High in Hong Kong
Marginally interesting factoid -- 40% of Hong Kong's population lives in a residence above the 14th floor. The highest I have ever been (in a residential sense) was our 9th floor flat in Nottingham. Even our NYC friends (Seth/Jamie, Mark/Karyn) don't currently live above 14 – and yet it's basically a way of life in Hong Kong.
Life is different here in other ways too. There are public outdoor escalators to climb the hills of Hong Kong Island, and it's amazing to see the locals read the paper while they glide towards home or their next meeting. We recognized less than half the products in the average market (I would joke with Andrea that things were sheep's penis, until we started to think they actually were). Heavy competition keeps prices astoundingly low -- we had all our laundry, 27 pounds of it, washed and folded for $12USD – and I had 6 dress shirts custom tailored at a renowned place for less than off-the-rack prices at Brooks Brothers. And I'm convinced that no matter how long you stayed, you would never get a bad meal. Honestly, we ate nonstop for 6 days straight and not once did I have a meal that would even be described as mediocre. Everything was very good, and a few things were just exceptional. Highlights included the 2 of us devouring a perfectly prepared whole Peking duck (often ordered for a group of 4 to 6), and some legendary dim sum on two occasions. But even a normal meal is excellent. Last night we went to a very local restaurant (only white people in the place), and ordered 3 main courses - BBQ pork, beef with vegetables, and shrimp and pork fried noodles - plus Tsing Tao beer. The whole thing came to $210HKD ($27USD), and it was delicious. The style of the meal suits me too – ambiance is sacrificed for better quality ingredients (apparently the locals are suspicious of any place that looks too nice), food is brought out as it is cooked, you basically use chopsticks as a shovel between your noodle bowl and your mouth, and a messy tablecloth is considered the sign of a good meal. Bliss.
There is also a certain efficiency in Hong Kong that I love. More so that anywhere else I have been, people seem to work together to keep the place humming. Pleasantries are rarely exchanged in public – the coin changer at the ferry terminal knows you are trying to catch the next boat and quickly slaps the correct denominations down for you with a nod, and the waiters drop off food at your table without even slowing down. Servers also stand over you while you pay, not to be rude but to give you your change and get you moving. I used to get frustrated in London with the idiots with giant golf umbrellas in the narrow alleyways, people standing on the left on the Tube escalators, or waiters wandering off for eons. Here in Hong Kong, with a couple million people more than London in about half the space, they seem to have figured it out.
That's not to say Hong Kong doesn't have its problems. The air is filthy and getting worse – they are downwind from some of China's most industrial areas. While the Chinese government claims there were only 30 unhealthy air days in 2009, they use a pretty loose definition. By American EPA standards, they had a staggering 300 unhealthy days. And for all the efficiency, it is a very, very crowded place. I had a co-worker from Hong Kong who said that after having so much space in London, she could never move back. I thought that was funny – until now. It's a wonderful city for a week, but probably not number 1 on our future expat dream list. Off to Malaysia to keep eating -- stay tuned!
Life is different here in other ways too. There are public outdoor escalators to climb the hills of Hong Kong Island, and it's amazing to see the locals read the paper while they glide towards home or their next meeting. We recognized less than half the products in the average market (I would joke with Andrea that things were sheep's penis, until we started to think they actually were). Heavy competition keeps prices astoundingly low -- we had all our laundry, 27 pounds of it, washed and folded for $12USD – and I had 6 dress shirts custom tailored at a renowned place for less than off-the-rack prices at Brooks Brothers. And I'm convinced that no matter how long you stayed, you would never get a bad meal. Honestly, we ate nonstop for 6 days straight and not once did I have a meal that would even be described as mediocre. Everything was very good, and a few things were just exceptional. Highlights included the 2 of us devouring a perfectly prepared whole Peking duck (often ordered for a group of 4 to 6), and some legendary dim sum on two occasions. But even a normal meal is excellent. Last night we went to a very local restaurant (only white people in the place), and ordered 3 main courses - BBQ pork, beef with vegetables, and shrimp and pork fried noodles - plus Tsing Tao beer. The whole thing came to $210HKD ($27USD), and it was delicious. The style of the meal suits me too – ambiance is sacrificed for better quality ingredients (apparently the locals are suspicious of any place that looks too nice), food is brought out as it is cooked, you basically use chopsticks as a shovel between your noodle bowl and your mouth, and a messy tablecloth is considered the sign of a good meal. Bliss.
There is also a certain efficiency in Hong Kong that I love. More so that anywhere else I have been, people seem to work together to keep the place humming. Pleasantries are rarely exchanged in public – the coin changer at the ferry terminal knows you are trying to catch the next boat and quickly slaps the correct denominations down for you with a nod, and the waiters drop off food at your table without even slowing down. Servers also stand over you while you pay, not to be rude but to give you your change and get you moving. I used to get frustrated in London with the idiots with giant golf umbrellas in the narrow alleyways, people standing on the left on the Tube escalators, or waiters wandering off for eons. Here in Hong Kong, with a couple million people more than London in about half the space, they seem to have figured it out.
That's not to say Hong Kong doesn't have its problems. The air is filthy and getting worse – they are downwind from some of China's most industrial areas. While the Chinese government claims there were only 30 unhealthy air days in 2009, they use a pretty loose definition. By American EPA standards, they had a staggering 300 unhealthy days. And for all the efficiency, it is a very, very crowded place. I had a co-worker from Hong Kong who said that after having so much space in London, she could never move back. I thought that was funny – until now. It's a wonderful city for a week, but probably not number 1 on our future expat dream list. Off to Malaysia to keep eating -- stay tuned!
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