SPAIN

I went to Spain for my 37th birthday in November of 2018 and due to procrastination, I’m only writing about it now. I was able to get a couple of friends and my cousin to join me at different points of the trip but I started in Barcelona, then flew to Seville, and then took a train up to Madrid for my birthday weekend. I had never been to Spain before so I was very excited to see these three cities and to eat up all the delicious Spanish food. My biggest tip for Spain is if you plan to go to any of the popular museums or cathedrals (and there are many!), I highly suggest purchasing tickets online ahead of time to avoid the risk of tickets selling out and to avoid waiting in crazy, long lines. Ubers are also everywhere and fairly affordable from what I remember.

Barcelona

Barcelona was a city celebrated by the famed Catalon architect, Antoni Gaudi. He was an architect very much ahead of his time known for his modernist style. His work is displayed at many popular tourist sites all over the city with his main attraction being Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is an unfinished Roman Catholic church that was passed to Gaudi in 1893 and is expected to complete in 2026, a century after Gaudi’s death in 1926. We also visited a few other attractions where Gaudi’s unique work could be found - Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, and Park Guell. We also visited the Picasso Museum, which houses much of Picasso’s early work that are not as well known as his cubism work he developed later in his life. Picasso is from Barcelona but spent most of his life in France. I actually enjoyed this museum more than the Picasso museum in Paris because of the focus on his earlier paintings and the insight you get in his creative evolution over time.

Palo Alto Market is a MUST visit when in Barcelona. It was one of my favorite places there and is only open during the weekends. It is a flea market meets food truck festival meets concert venue meets art festival. There are tons of vendors selling goods (my friend and I got some affordable, beautifully handcrafted jewelry) and amazing food. There is a large warehouse-type room where multiple guest DJs spun and bands played. The entire space was pretty large and it gets very crowded, but it is loads of fun and well worth the visit. It also seems like this is the place where all the hip locals flock to.

Barcelona also has tons of amazing fine dining restaurants, which I didn’t get to experience due to my limited time there. But I did visit Mercado de La Boqueria, a large public market in the Ciudad Vieja district of Barcelona. You can find tons of fresh seafood and stalls with fresh fruit and produce. There are also stalls that were restaurants where you can sit around the counter and be served amazing seafood and a glass of wine. I frequented the healthy and delicious Kale & Flax - it has a few locations. Vaso de Oro was also a great experience if you’re looking for a classic bar that serves tapas. It’s small and mostly standing room only around the counter. The waiters were so nice and all male so I guess that combined with the heavy, fried food and pub atmosphere, it felt very masculine there. You’ll definitely leave this place FULL.

Seville

Our next destination, which we flew to from Barcelona, was Seville. Seville is one of those beautiful, quaint places where the history of the city is well and alive. It has a much more medieval vibe to it than the big metropolitan cities of Barcelona and Madrid - so it was easily my favorite of the three. The most famous attraction here is Alcazar. This palace rivals the Alhambra in Granada, not too far away. Another magnificent place is the Seville Cathedral, a World Heritage Site along with Alcazar. It is also where the controversial Christopher Columbus is buried. His tomb is prominently placed and ornately decorated. While you are at this massive gothic cathedral, don’t miss out on Giralda Bell Tower which you can climb up. Other places worth visiting in Seville, if you have the time:

• Palacio de las Dueñas - This palace is much smaller than Alcazar but very beautiful. It just opened up for the public and is the residence of the Duke of Alba. It was built in the 15th century with Gothic and Moorish Renaissance influences.

• Casa de Pilatos - Beautiful palace with very well manicured gardens and the permanent residence of Duke of Medinaceli.

• Museo de Bellas Artes - One of the most important art museums in Spain.

• Plaza de España - Love it or hate it, it is known as “the most beautiful plaza in Spain”. It is grandiose and perhaps overblown and is extremely touristy. This massive building is a semi-circle brick building and was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 (Expo 29). Visitors are not allowed inside.

It is said that Seville birthed Flamenco so you must see a flamenco show while here. Los Gallos (Plaza de Santa Cruz, 11) is probably the most popular place but there are many places that offer shows, including random free street shows!

Metropol Parasol is an Instagram-friendly wooden structure located at La Encarnación square, in the old quarter of Seville. It was designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer and completed in April 2011. There is a museum underneath that often has a long queue to get inside while right underneath the structure, you’ll find many skateboarders skating about the open area. Just around the corner to Metropol Parasol is one of the best churro spots I’ve ever encountered called La Centuria. It’s where the locals go and the guys who work there know just enough English. It’s super cheap - you get a plate of churros and dip it in your cup(s) of coffee or chocolate, which is thick and amazing with the churro.

The main shopping streets are Calle Tetuan and Calle Sierpes where you will find tons of delicious restaurants. It’s also just fun to wander around the small, narrow streets and discovering interesting places there. Mercado de la Feria is an indoor market we found where you can find fresh seafood, different kinds of paella, and more! And my absolute favorite restaurants in Seville were La Azotea and Seis - these spots were amazing.

Madrid

We traveled from Seville to Madrid via a scenic train ride. Madrid was the most modern of the three cities and thriving with nightlife. Here, I did some of the best eating of my life - perfect for my birthday weekend. By this point, I was pretty much museum’d and church’d out but we did visit the Prado Museum, the main Spanish national art museum. It houses some of the world’s finest collections of European art, especially Spanish art, dating from the 12th to the 20th century. Paintings and sculptures were the prominent art forms found here. We also walked through Plaza Mayor a plaza in the heart of Madrid, which is in the center of the city. All around Madrid is tons of shopping, from mass retailers to luxury brands. The various jardins around the city were also beatifully manicured and often located right next to a museum. Palacio De Cristal was closed when we tried to visit but photos I’ve seen of it were spectacular. But we did get to see the gardens nearby. Here’s a comprehensive list of some of the lovely parks and gardens of Madrid.

Now, I can’t wait to talk about the food here. It was nothing short of amazing. Mercado San Miguel is a very necessary experience, despite the fact that it gets very, VERY crowded and hard to maneuver through. But you can find some of the best seafood and Spanish tapas in this covered market. It’s a fun to hop from vendor to vendor as well but, again, when it’s busy (which is all the time), it can be frustrating. Mercado San Anton is another market that recommended to us but we simply didn’t have time to get there.

It didn’t feel as local as La Centuria but it still hit the spot. Platea Madrid was an excellent evening dining experience. It is located in Salamanca, which is known to be the wealthier neighborhood or Madrid. It was like fine dining in an indoor market that spanned a few floors and the middle of the market was open so that the acrobats that performed could do their thing. And on the highest level were the musicians (singers mostly) and they were all really great! The food there is amazing and again, you can order a few tapas from different vendors there and share with your group. At the top level though, if you are looking for a restaurant experience, there is a Michelin star restaurant there. Overall, this was a fun place and we came back two nights in a row!

My favorite food experience in all of Spain was right in Madrid at Street XO. Also in Salamanca, this is where I had my birthday dinner. The wait for this place is insane and we were one of the crazy ones who waited two hours to eat there and it was SO worth it. The vibe of the restaurant is a lot of fun - David Muñoz, the chef, tries to mimic a street food vendor vibe of Asia and the actual food is a Spanish/Asian fusion that is so creative and one of my favorite meals in my life. We have the best seats, sitting right up at the counter, so we got to see all of the action (the kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant). My friends and I totally overdid it and ordered 8 different dishes for our group of 4 to share. Every single dish, except for maybe 1, was brilliant. At one point, there were plans to open this restaurant in New York but for reasons unknown, the plan was scrapped. However, there is a sister restaurant in London but I hear it is a little more fine dining and less of the hectic Asian street food ambiance of Madrid, which I love. If you ever find yourself in Madrid, this needs to be at the top of your list.

Other foodie places I went to were San Gines, a popular destination for churros and chocolate, and Federal, a delicious brunch spot near Chinatown. Sobrino de Botin, the world's oldest restaurant known for suckling pig, was also recommended to us but we did not have enough time to check this place out. If you have the chance to try any of the places I didn’t get to try, I’d love to hear about them! Feel free to comment below!

PUERTO RICO

At the beginning of June this year, on a whim, I bought a ticket to Puerto Rico to travel there the following week by myself. I had never been to PR before but knew many people who either had or at one point, lived there then moved to NY. When I was in PR, I even met Puerto Ricans who had lived in New York City previously and moved to Puerto Rico after being fed up with east coast winters. I don’t blame them.

My visit was not even a year after Hurricane Maria happened in September-October, 2017. I had read that PR was revitalizing and that they needed tourism to pick back up to help spur the economy. It was the reason I chose to go to there. PR is very easy for a U.S. citizen to visit because it is a U.S. territory, so passports are not needed and currency exchange isn’t required. I was able to use my U.S. dollars and overall, I felt safe there. When I travel alone, I often meet very interesting and kind people. It was no exception in PR. However, most travelers I met were from the U.S. That is not always common.

I arrived for my one week backpacking trip, first to Old San Juan where I learned about the history of Puerto Rico. It’s amazing how much I learn about world and U.S. history when I travel, versus what I learned in school (or what U.S. schools refused to teach). The Taino were the indigenous people of the Caribbean including Puerto Rico. But the Spanish came in the 1500s and colonized, PR for four centuries. Following the American-Spanish War, the US acquired Puerto Rico in 1898 and made Puerto Rico a U.S. territory. Since then, it has been debated whether Puerto Rico should remain a Commonwealth of the U.S. or become an independent country.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a 16th century cathedral was where I learned most of the history. From there, I also walked to Castillo San Cristóbal since my ticket for del Morro also allowed me entry here. Castillo San Cristóbal was built by Spain to protect against land based attacks on the city of San Juan. Old San Juan is not large, so I probably walked most of that area in a day. Walking around Old San Juan, I met very friendly locals who were kind enough to give me recommendations on where to go and eat. I was also caught in the occasional tropical rain spurts. This was also where I ate my first mofongo. It was the one thing all of my friends told me to eat before I left for PR. Mofongo is the quintessential Puerto Rican dish made of deep-fried green plantains mashed together with other ingredients such as pork or seafood. I had it several times during the week. It was delish but quite a lot for me to finish. My favorite were the sweet plantains!

I had grown tired of the touristy-ness Old San Juan and rented a car after spending only a night in the city. I figured that I would see the rest of San Juan when I came back from my excursion. I drove to Luquillo upon a recommendation from a local. Luquillo is a small, quiet surf town in eastern Puerto Rico. I took major roads instead of highways on my 3 hour drive out to avoid tolls but I noticed traffic lights were mostly down - one of the visible aftermath effects of Hurricane Maria. I was shocked. Even months after the hurricane, traffic lights on major roads were not yet fixed and there were tons of commuters on the road.

Luquillo had more of a local vibe that I was looking for. Beaches, unfortunately, were more polluted than the big ones in San Juan. There are local restaurants and bars in the area where you find out of towners. They all seemed like they had been to Luquillo before, as if it were their best kept secret. My favorite thing about Luquillo was Kioskos de Luquillo. It is a long stretch of about 60 hole in the wall food vendors serving up authentic dishes and more. It’s a great place to eat a full meal or to grab snack or even a drink. It’s also very affordable. I only had lunch there during the day but it turns into a nightlife scene after dinner hours. You do need a car to access the area, which has a parking lot.

After Luqillo, I took the ferry out to Culebra to camp out at Flamenco Beach, a white sand beach on a small, beautiful island off of mainland Puerto Rico. Now, getting to Culebra (or Vieques which is also nearby) is not that easy to get to. You can either fly there from San Juan for about $100 USD round trip but I wanted to experience the drive and other towns on the way to the islands, so I went the ferry route. The problem with the ferry is that tickets can sell out and you can’t buy tickets online. You can buy tickets in person for the day after or you can do what I did and get to the Fajardo Ferry Terminal at 6am to wait in line with other locals so you are sure to get a ticket. Tickets are $2 each way and there is a paid parking lot where you can leave your vehicle. I think it was $5 per day. The ride is around 1 hour each way and when you arrive to Culebra, there are tons of taxi cab drivers vying for your business. Flamenco beach is not within walking distance - you must be driven there. You can even rent a golf cart to drive yourself out there, which I’ve seen tourists do. I did what most people did, ride with Públicos. They have one route on the island: from the ferry terminal to Playa Flamenco for $3 USD per person. As long as there's room, passengers can flag them down anywhere along the route. The fare remains the same, regardless where you get on.

Once you get to Playa Flamenco, you see many kiosks where you can buy food, drinks, rent camping or swimming gear, etc. These kiosks all close at 3pm and you’re on your own from there until they open back up the next morning. I tracked down the camp rental place and got my tent just in time along with food to eat. I am the worst at pitching tents. I’ve done it in Africa with a friend and in Peru, my tour guides took care of it. In Puerto Rico, I couldn’t manage and nearby locals could see that my struggle was real. A young man and another older man came to my rescue and helped me pitch my tent on the campgrounds. Thank goodness they were there, otherwise, I may have been sleeping in the wilderness out in the open with the mosquitos and all. I think spending an entire day at this beautiful beach gave me a pretty sunkissed tan for the rest of the summer. I read, dipped in the turquoise water, napped, read some more, and went back in the water, walked along the beach and repeated all of this all day. Playa Flamenco is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to in the world. The sand is so white and the color of the water is so vivid. Here were also remnants of the hurricane where palm trees here and there were torn out of the ground and fallen over, partially buried in the sand.

Culebra was also once used as a missile sight by the U.S. when it first gained control. However, it has since been returned to the people of Culebra rightfully so.

I wanted to get the first ferry out and back to Puerto Rico because if you know me, I can only take so much beach time. Even after returning to New York in the dead of summer after this trip, I barely made it out to the beach for the rest of the summer. But there were no taxis or Públicos operating that early at dawn. So I used my trustee smartphone to look up some phone numbers and one by one I called publicos or taxis (I honestly wasn’t sure which) but a driver agreed to come get me but charged me $20 USD for the inconvenience. I also had the problem of my tent, which the man who rented to me told me I could drop off at his home. It’s a small island and everyone knows each other. I gave my driver the name of the rental guy and he knew exactly who he was and where he lived. After the driver took me to drop off my rental, he drove me straight to the ferry terminal and I headed back to Fajardo. I drove back to San Juan from there and this time stayed in Condado, a much livelier part of San Juan.

Back in Condado, I took day trips with tour groups to hike at El Yunque National Forest and to see the bioluminescent bay in La Parguera, a coastal town in southwestern PR. El Yunque is either touristy or a place where locals come to drink and hang out. If you rented a car, you can actually drive there on your own but because of the hurricane, certain entrances are closed off. I decided it to make it easy on myself and join a tour. If you want to get in the water, there are plenty of natural water slides, ropes, and cliffs to jump from into the water. On a hot day, spending the day at El Yunque playing in the water is fun and cooling. For me, since I don’t swim, I was disappointed we didn’t do more hiking. But I was happy that I at least got to learn about the forests’ history and see it for myself.

La Parguera was one probably my favorite day of the week. While the drive was long (about 5 hours…), I really wanted to see the bioluminescent bay stick a toe in it. The famous bioluminescent bay in Vieques was mostly destroyed from Hurricane Maria, so I didn’t want to risk my chances in going there. I was informed that there was another large bay on the west coast whose bioluminescent species had been untouched by the hurricane. When we arrived to town, we found that it was a small, lively coastal town. We stopped in the city square for a bite to eat and fun Zumba-like class was happening outdoors for the public. It looked like a lot of fun! And then we goat on our speedboat into the very warm and very shallow water (my feet could reach the ground!) to watch the sunset with a bunch of other locals (youths) who all brought out their boats as well with Spanish hip hop music blasting. It was actually very relaxing and beautiful. Once the sun went down, we jetted off to where the bioluminescent species inhabited and it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. It looked like magic! We all jumped in the water and basically, whenever your body moves in the water, the water glows. When you dip your arm into the water and pull your arm back up, it looks like you’ve dipped in sparkles that glow in the dark. The glow is light emitted by a bioluminescent organism, which is produced by energy released from chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism. I never knew such a cool thing existed. It was so hard to get a good photo or video of it, so I don’t have anything captured except for in my memories.

Back in San Juan in Condado, I often got food from La Placita. It is the hub of San Juan's nightlife scene. The historic market plaza and its surrounding streets host what becomes a street party: people meeting up, drinking, eating and, as soon as the salsa band warms up, dancing until the wee hours. I did not party, I just ate. But I really enjoyed was Calle Loiza. This area was what I would called the hipster part of San Juan. Tons of cool and modern looking bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. I went to Pinky’s for brunch one day, which was quite tasty. I found a tiny coffee shop that I loved called Cafe con Ce and made a couple of new American friends there. San Juan is also known for it’s wonderful street art and Calle Loiza is home to much of the art, including the famous one where the Puerto Rican flag is painted on an old building and kids are painted jumping rope on top of it. I honestly wished I had more time to explore the city’s street art.

ICELAND

I’m terrible. I have not done a good job of keeping up with my travel blog. I spent a week in Iceland during Thanksgiving week in 2017 and I’m only writing about it now. I’ll do my best to recollect the trip, but that shouldn’t be too hard because it was a very memorable one.

My friend, Cindy, and I travelled to Iceland for the first time. We decided to visit when the days were shorter in the winter so that we would have a better chance of seeing Aurora Borealis, a.k.a. the Northern Lights. That’s ALL I wanted to see. We definitely saw it and more…

A word of caution if you plan to visit this part of the world in the winter: beware of treacherous weather. We had no clue how violent the weather could be. Iceland is a country accessible only by car when you get there. Volcanic activity, harsh winds, and snowstorms make subways and trains unviable modes of transportation. We rented (as many visitors do) a 4 wheel drive SUV and faced the strong winds and snow day and night. Cindy and I took turns driving and whether I was at the wheel or not, my palms were sweaty from nervousness. There were times when I felt like we would be blown off a cliff, although I would never admit it to Cindy so as not to frighten her. We drove so carefully and slowly into what looked like nothingness. The heavy downfall of snow mixed with the wind made us see only in white. Imagine driving in this at night! Needless to say, we had to make slight travel modifications, which you’ll read more about later. The country does have up to date road and weather conditions on a widely used site called road.is. It is also best to not go offroading or take shortcuts when weather is in question. To be quite honest, I’m so happy we made this trip during this time. Despite being in such dangerous predicaments, it was like being in a snow globe. It was surreal and extremely beautiful.

There is a popular route visitors often take called the Golden Circle, which starts from Reykjavik and loops around southern Iceland and back. We didn’t have time to do the entire route, but we visited some of the famous sights from this route. Like most people, we started in Reykjavik. Once we landed, we headed straight to the Blue Lagoon. It’s incredibly touristy, but I like to think it was less crowded than usual when we visited given the season. But we had so much fun and everything in and surrounding the area made it so picturesque. The week was filled with some really unbelievable sights but Blue Lagoon was one of the best experiences I had. The soft turquoise color of the water and the mystical look of all the steam had me snapping photos left and right.

Afterwards, we made our way to the South Shore. We did not explore the glaciers of Sólheimajökull but we did visit the Skógafoss waterfall - one of many waterfalls we would eventually see. We also ventured to Vik to see the Reynisfjara black volcanic sand beach - this was the most east we drove. I’d love to explore easter Iceland one day as I’ve heard it’s absolutely beautiful there as well. VIk is a small seafront village whose beach is made up of black pebbles and offshore rock formations. Nearby Vik, we made a short hike up to Dyrhólaey, which overlooks Reynisfjara. In Icelandic, Dyrhólaey translates to “door hill island” due to its natural arch and doorway-like hole naturally shaped by the force of the Atlantic waves over millenia. South Iceland is also home to Sólheimasandur Beach, another black sand beach. However, this beach is known for a plane crash that happened over 40 years ago. The airplane wreckage was never removed and the site has now become a tourist destination. Directions to the site can be found here. It is true what they say, it really is like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie.

Other than the horses (which I’ll get to in a bit), one of my favorite things we did in the south was hiking through the snow filled trails with nothing but snow capped mountains and frozen rivers surrounding us. It was only a short hike in order for us to reach this hidden gem: Seljavallalaug. It is a hidden swimming pool sitting in a narrow valley that only locals knew about. It is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, built in 1923 and is still standing. In the early 1900s, many Icelanders didn’t know how to swim, even though many people lived off fishing. So the pool was created as a place to teach locals how to swim. Directions to this pool are here. When we were there, there was a man crazy enough to jump in the naturally heated pool (the water comes from a nearby hot spring). Mind you, there wasn’t anyone maintaining this pool at the time and the locker rooms looked very small.

When you drive through Iceland, you’ll notice herds of horses on ranches and farms off of highways and major roads. You will see MANY of them and you will want to pull over and pet them and play with them. And guess what? You can! It was truly one of the most amazing things we did while there. As we would drive (before the storm intensified), often we would stop and pull over to take photos of the horses and to pet them and hang with them for a little a while. The first time we did this was on our way out of South Shore. I swear, we spent at least an hour just hanging out in this field filled with so many pretty horses. They let us pet them and photograph them and get very close to them. They were so friendly. Apparently, “ponies” are an offensive term to refer to these beings because they are pure bred Icelandic horses and carry few diseases, if any. Once an Icelandic horse is imported out of the country, it cannot return for fear of mixed breeding. These horses are unique because they are much smaller than the ones we’re used to elsewhere and are much furrier - this coat of fur helps them withstand the harsh winters of Iceland. I hear in the sheep herding months of September, you something similar to this all over the country, but with sheep!

Our next stop was to north Iceland to the small town of Mvatn. This was about a 6 hour drive from South Shore because there was is no direct route. And you have to drove over mountains to reach this area. And during this drive was when the snow storm began. Oh, and did I mention that we only got 6 hours of daylight each day? Yeah, so 6 hours of driving ended up being longer and we were scared for our life. But we got through it and as we were passing the second largest city, Akureyri, and getting back on the highway to Mvatn, that’s when we finally saw it: THE NORTHERN LIGHTS. I remember we were listening to music from the band who did the theme song to Stranger Things, so it was extra eerie. It was like looking at aliens in the sky, green lights just dancing in the dark directly above us. As I mentioned, we just got onto the highway and the snow had subsided so the dark sky was clear enough for us to see the green lights. No one else was around us - it was almost like everyone had deserted town, so i stopped in the middle of the highway and we both got out of the car to see this wonderment. I will never forget it. And just like that, it ended and we got back in the car and finally got to our Airbnb in Mvatn. When we arrived, we’d see faint green lights in the sky and because this got us all excited, we stayed up until 3am standing outside in the freezing cold, patiently waiting for Aurora Borealis to show itself again. It wasn’t as strong as what we had first seen earlier in the night. My photos of Aurora Borealis didn’t come out the best. Ultimately, we gave up and went to bed.

We had many plans for Mvatn. We planned to hit up another lovely hot spring , the Mvatn Nature Bath, and because we are such huge Game of Thrones fans, we wanted to see the cave of Grjótagjá (another hot spring). This is where Jon Snow lost his virginity y’all!! SADLY, both places were closed due to the insane weather. I can’t tell you how disappointed we were, especially about the cave. Mvatn is such a small town, so getting to either hot spring would have only taken minutes. But mother nature took her course. We spent that entire day milling about at a very cute nearby cow farm/cafe/gift shop. (They make their own cheese there!) And to make things worse, we had to stay one more night in Mvatn than intended because of road closures. This is how bad the snow was, people! We were not the only ones whose itineraries were affected. Our host’s incoming guest also had to cancel and we had to cancel our night in Flúðir. Our Airbnb host was extremely kind vowed to help us whether it meant staying there for an extra night or helping us find another place to sleep. I believe all people of Iceland are very helpful and kind.

Once the weather calmed down, and the snow storm passed, we slowly made it out of Mvatn and back towards Reykjavik. Although the snow had stopped, we had to be weary of road conditions. One time we almost went off-roading very slowly on an icy path. We were about 15-20 minutes in before we realized we needed to get back on the larger, safer road. We spent the last few days visiting final sites we wanted to check off our list, and pulling over to play with horses here and there. We went to the Gamla Laugin Secret Lagoon in Flúðir (we wanted to fit in as many hot springs as possible!). Btw, this lagoon is not so secret. We also saw the geothermal Geysir and massive multi-tiered waterfall of Gulfoss. The wind at this point had a strong windchill factor. My face hurt so much from the cold but seeing these sites, like Gulfoss, in these frozen temperatures made it so impressive and unique looking - like straight out of Game of Thrones. :)

We spent our last nights in Reykjavik. It reminded me of being in a ski village like at Whistler Village in Canada. I loved this city and wish I could have spent more time there. We did try the world famous lobster soup at Sægreifinn where you can also try shark and whale meat if you’d like… They also have all kinds of fresh fish. It was amazing. We also spent the evening at Harpa Concert Hall to roam around the very modern architecture, even though there were no exhibits open or concerts happening. We just spent a lot of time there exploring and photographing. What can I say? We’re easily entertained.

This was one of my longer posts but a lot happened and I needed to unload my memory before I forgot. I’m looking forward to another adventure in Iceland.

CUBA

A month ago, I spent one short week in the island nation of Cuba. It's true what they say - the country looks as if it's stuck in time. There are no advertisements whatsoever, wi-fi is extremely hard to come by, and 1950's era-style cars fill the country. Most buildings look decayed but there is a beauty to it all. The people are incredibly kind, honest, and open. In fact, the men are very flirtatious and of course, I did get the funny racial remarks that I often get when traveling ("China!", "Ni hao!", "Konnichiwa!"). The nice thing is people don't really flinch when you photograph them but that only really applied to men. Some of them even asked me to photograph them. 

Surprisingly, the visa process (for a US citizen) was an extremely easy process. You purchase your $50 visa at the airport before you depart. In my case, I had a layover in Fort Lauderdale, so I was required to purchase it there. That's all it took! Something very important to note though is that Cuba is a primarily a cash only country - just like many other countries around the world. So bring plenty of cash, a little bit more than you need. Another important note, Cuba charges a 10% penalty fee and another 3% fee just to convert USD to CUC (their local currency). They do not do this with any other currency, so I recommend exchanging your USD to Pounds or Euros prior to departing for Cuba and exchanging that into CUC when you arrive to Cuba. Cuba also has 2 currencies: CUC and CUP - US citizens need CUC, which is a 1:1 with the USD. Make sure to exchange any left over CUC back when you leave because the CUC is worthless and not convertible in the US. You can read more about this complication here. I've heard Cuba accepts credit card transactions as long as your card was not issued from a US bank but most places aren't even equipped with credit card machines. I used cash for every transaction. 

I did not have wifi the entire time there except for when we were at a restaurant in Santa Clara where they offered 2 hours of wifi for $2. We thought, "Why not?" since it was so inexpensive. The problem was that connection was incredibly slow. I honestly didn't mind going without Internet access for the week. It was actually quite liberating and there is no media coverage there, so you are completely sheltered from what is going on in the world. 

Everything is very affordable in Cuba, especially the food. Hotels and taxis, particularly the 1950's style cars, are a bit more expensive. Keep your expectations low. A 5 star hotel there would be equivalent to a 3 star hotel in the US, so be weary of room costs. They have plenty of hotels and casa particulars (similar to a bed & breakfast), which you can find on AirBnB. Rooms are usually around $40/night or even less but if you want more space and are traveling with friends like I did, you could spend a little more but note that quality will likely be the same in each accommodation. 

Being in Havana is like being in another world. We stayed in Old Havana, which I highly recommend. Many sights are within walking distance to there and to get to nearby areas like Vedado and Miramar, a quick taxi ride will cost roughly 10 CUC each way. Cuba's cuisine is a meat heavy and portions are humongous but delicious. Expect to pay around 5ish CUC per meal on average. Fancier and posh places will charge double or more. 

I walked everywhere. I find it's the best way to explore. I loved wandering through the small side streets and finding all kinds of architecture, street art, and friendly faces. The local metro bus is very cheap (and crowded) but they only accept peso coins. Taxi is always an option and if you are traveling in a group, you can split the costs. I did walk the Malecon from Old Havana up to a very far distance my first day in the city. It's an excellent place to catch a sunset and to stop and photograph all the amazing cars that pass by. 

Vedado is a business district and city center of Havana. Thus, it has less of the old town feel than Old Havana. It's more spread out and feels less run down. There are plenty of restaurants and a local farmer's market, which I stumbled upon. Food is known to be cheaper here than in Old Havana. The famous jazz club La Zorra Y El Cuervo, the historical Milan Theater (Cine La Rampa), and the well known Coppelia Park are located here. There is an AMAZING ice cream parlor inside Coppelia Park that is definitely a must visit. It is a state-run institution with interesting history. But for 5 CUC, you are served a few scoops of pretty amazing ice cream topped with cookies. There are massive lines but for some reason I unknowingly walked to the front of the line and was seated immediately... oops.

Miramar is the Miami of Havana. It's their more flashy neighborhood that I did not spend too much time in. There are salsa clubs - 1830 is the famous one. Another jazz club called Jazz Cafe is in the area and reservations are required. La Fábrica de Arte Cubano is an old cooking-oil factory that houses a bar, art gallery, and performance space. You can see the works of some of Cuba's best artists and photographers. It also has a bar downstairs with great food and drinks. Unfortunately for us, it was closed for renovations. There is a very cool bar and restaurant in a tower next door that we spent our evening at instead. 

Hemingway House is located about 9 miles away from Havana in San Francisco de Paul. The house was purchased by Ernest Hemingway in 1940. In 1961 after his death, the government took over his property and kept it the same shape. It is now open to the public and is beautifully maintained. I highly recommend visiting Hemingway's old Cuban home. 

To travel to neighboring cities that are over an hour away, you can either hire a taxi to drive you there (negotiate the price first!) or take the Viazul bus. The Viazul is a very common way for people to travel across Cuba and but takes twice as long as hiring a cab driver to get to your destination. So plan accordingly. My friends and I hired drivers to take us to Santa Clara, Vinales, and Veradero, which are all outside of Havana.    

Santa Clara is a 3 hour drive by car from Havana. I only recommend spending one night here. It is a very quaint and small, sleepy town but it is where Che Guevera is buried. There is a huge monument dedicated to him here and underneath the monument is a mausoleum with a section of it dedicated to the burial grounds for him and his guerrilla. No photography is allowed there but it was pretty surreal to stand there. Santa Clara is a much smaller city than Havana and instead of the fancy 1950's style cars, you'll see many bicyclists and horse and carriages transporting people and things. There is a small city center with a few museums and the food is also great here. The city is not a tourist destination but a pretty and slow paced, small town. I do think the Che's mausoleum was impressive and worth visiting. 

Vinales is a roughly a 2-3 hour drive by car from Havana. I recommend spending 1-2 nights here. This is where you will find nature. There is a large cave system located in this area. I personally think the cave tours are a bit touristy and can be skipped. However, the Mural de la Prehistoria is a pretty awesome sight. It is a 120 meter long painting designed in 1961 on a rock wall. Another popular activity in Vinales is horseback riding at sunrise. Vinales is also a very small, pretty town but more tourists are starting to visit the area since it is well known for its natural landscapes.

Varadero is a beach destination about 2 hours away by car from Havana. I recommend a day trip or staying 1 night here. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't hot enough to sunbathe when I visited but the beaches are a sandy white and quite peaceful. There are markets with locals selling souvenirs along the main road. We found that there weren't many restaurants in the area. However, there are plenty of water activities (which I did not partake in due to weather). You can go diving, snorkeling, and caving here. There is a famous Beatles Bar next to Josone Park. 

Honestly, there is so much to see Cuba that I will have to make it back again. Other places I did not visit but have been recommended to me are Trinidad (supposedly it's very touristy), Cienfuegos, Gran Parc Nacional Sierra Maestra, and Baracoa. If anyone has been to these places, please let me know what you thought!

MOROCCO

I have really fallen in love with Morocco. There is so much to see, especially outside of Marrakech. It is a country rich in history, beautiful in scenery, and so peaceful. The food is also extremely delicious and fresh. Spending one week there was not enough to see everything but enough to touch on the major highlights. 

I've had a few friends ask me whether I felt safe there and if I traveled in a group. I felt very safe in Morocco, particularly outside of Marrakech. However, if you are a woman traveling alone, I do recommend having at least one travel companion. It is the dark alleys (of which there are very many) in Marrakech in the evenings that felt sketchy. I try to avoid tour groups as much as I can. In this case, I was celebrating a bachelorette party with a few of my girlfriends, so it wasn't so bad but we made sure to always know where we were going and had maps saved on our phones. I was the navigator of our group. 

Because I often travel alone or with a friend, I am used to figuring out public transportation on my own. It often isn't difficult unlike New York City's public transportation system. However, this time, my friends and I hired a private driver who also acted as our tour guide for the entire trip. I cannot say enough good things about him (Hassan) and his company (Agdez Adventures). While there are trains and buses that can transport you between cities, having a private car may be the more expensive option albeit a very convenient one. If I had to take a bus or train though, I would opt for a bus (particular a tour bus) mainly because I have heard that trains can be very slow. There is so much more to see beyond big cities like Marrakech and Casablanca. The problem is that these small towns are very far and driving there, depending on your location, can take anywhere from 4 to 10 hours. The scenery along these routes are breath taking and makes the drives easier to endure. We saw massive gorges, valleys, mountains ranges. Our driver was completely trustworthy - he took us to all the must see places (time permitting) and was honest with us about places he did not recommend to visit and whether he felt it was safe for us to be out at night. He truly is the best (plug: he's given tours to the former Prime Minister of Morocco and supermodel Rachel Hunter!). 

Our least enjoyable experience were the many racist remarks thrown at me and my Asian American girlfriends. The amount of "ni hao's", "konnichiwa's", and "sayonara's" hurled at us was more than in any country I've ever experienced, including in the US. But it did not come from a hateful place. In fact, it was very harmless. They primarily have had Asian tourists from China and Japan, so it comes from a place of not knowing about other different Asian cultures and ethnicities. When I travel and I am asked where I'm from, I always respond "the US" and when people pry ("but you don't look American" or "where are you really from"), I empathize and tell them of my ethnic descent. People will not learn unless they are educated. So that's what we did - we told them what our ethnicities were. This mainly happened in the more crowded, big city of Marrakech. In general, the people there are very friendly and we never felt threatened. 

Casablanca should just be treated as an airport hub. It is often cheaper to fly into Casablanca than Marrakech so many people fly in and out of this city. Unfortunately, there is not much to see there. It is a financial hub with skyscrapers. Most people will just visit the mosque and venture off to Marrakech and other more interesting towns. I didn't even stop to see the mosque myself, simply due to lack of time. Marrakech, on the other hand, has a lot more to offer. The street food offers authenticity and there are many museums and a few gardens to visit. The mosques there are only for Muslims so we were not allowed to enter. Museums are small but I found the La Maison de la Photographie to be the most fascinating. The leather tannery is very interesting but it is in one of the poorest parts of the city so be prepared to be harassed for money. There is a building off the tannery that sells tons of leather goods and is very intersting to see. Just make sure the leather good you buy is completely treated (hint: make sure it doesn't smell both inside and outside the bag) and ALWAYS bargain - start on the low side even if it feels uncomfortable. Don't pay more than 50% of THEIR asking price and generally you can only bargain if there isn't a listed price. The Majorelle Garden, aka the "YSL Garden" is a must visit, especially if you are a fashion fan. Late fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurant, and his partner Pierre Berge bought the garden in 1980. There is a memorial for the designer in this very pretty garden as well. Jemaa Elfna is the main square that is alive at night. It's filled with street entertainers and food vendors but if you even attempt to capture the acts on camera, you will be aggressively asked to tip. Food in this area is OK. I recommend the hole in the wall restaurants (Oscar) or street vendors in residential neighborhoods over those in the square. Those in the square also often over charge ($4 USD in the square vs $1.50 USD in residential areas). There are also Henna artists insistent on drawing a henna on your hand. The products they use are usually natural free of chemicals, but only leaves a faint red mark afterwards. The designs are also VERY different from Indian hennas. I personally prefer Indian henna, so you can leave this off your to do list.  

Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl as it is known, is a magical place. Its history includes Jewish settlement from European countries as well as a heavy Spanish influence, even though the country as a whole is known for its French influence. So those in this very small town speak primarily Arabic and Spanish. Initially, doors were painted blue to identify Jewish residents but eventually became a trend and the entire town was painted blue. The extreme cleanliness of the city also struck me - alleyways are often free of trash and every evening a sweep happens. Needless to say, Chaouen (as locals call it) is a very photogenic city. A local restaurant called Sophie's came highly recommend to us. Unfortunately, we did not have time to enjoy a meal there.

One of the many highlights was the Sahara Desert. This was definitely one of the longer drives lasting about 8-9 hours from Marrakech but there were many scenic stops to and from here. They include Drai Valley and Gorge, Todra Gorge, driving through the Atlas Mountains, Ouarzazate, Rose Valley, Ai Ben Haddou Casbah (Gladiator's opening scene was shot here) and we also stopped by Hassan's mother's home for a home cooked lunch (the BEST cous cous I've ever had). 

Essaouira was our last stop before flying out of Casablanca. I did not expect much from this coastal town but it definitely charmed us unlike the other ones we visited. It is a big fishing town, known for its seafood and is quiet, quaint, and much more laid back than Marrakech. And for some reason, souvenirs were the cheapest here than other places we visited. I highly recommend staying at least one night here in a riad. For the fans out there, scenes from the Game of Thrones were shot here. It definitely has an "ancient" vibe to it because many of its old structures still stand. The coastal drive from Essaouira up to Casablanca is also gorgeous and a much different terrain than the inland routes we had been taking for most of the road trip. 

Unfortunately, there was not enough time to see some of the other interesting and historical places we had heard about like Fez (the country's "cultural capital") or Tangier (the Moroccan part of the gateway between Africa and Europe). I definitely want to make another trip back to see these places and spend more time in Chefchaouen and Essaouira. 

MALAYSIA

My last stop on my Asia tour was Malaysia. This is the second time I've been to Malaysia since 2008 and instead of only visiting Kuala Lumpur, I also checked out the beach city of Penang. One of my good friends from college who is a Malaysia native hosted me in her home (for the second time) while in Kuala Lumpur (KL). KL is much like any other modern, big city and since I had already been before, the highlight was Penang. But no matter where you go in Malaysia, and this is what I remember most from my first trip, I've had some of the most amazing and delicious food in this country. The multicultural influences from the three main ethnic groups that inhabit the country (Malay, Chinese, and Malay) all make for some very memorable meals.

While KL is modern, there are definitely "night market" type places like the Petaling Street Flea Market and hawker style/street food vendors. The Petaling Street Flea Market was interesting to walk through but there isn't really anything worth buying unless you are looking for cheap, tchotchke souvenirs. I preferred Hong Kong's night market much more which also sells cheap, tchotchke stuff. But of course, hawker food and hole in the wall restaurants are incredible. Again, you can find very authentic Malay, Indian, and Chinese restaurants all over. I loved going to hole in the wall Indian restaurants - they're literally everywhere - and most will offer buffet style Indian food. In some places, you can watch roti be freshly made on the spot by hand. And Malaysian Chinese food is so much more flavorful than most Chinese food ever I've had, even in China. 

The new thing I did in KL was actually go up to the bridge and observation deck at Petronas Towers downtown. It's best to buy tickets ahead of time they only allow a certain number of people in at a time. So you can buy tickets for different time slots so purchasing tickets in advance will save you a lot of time. The view was nice and you are up high (the observation deck is on the 86th floor) but it is a typical tourist experience. 

Public transportation is convenient and easy to figure out and buses are free once you are in downtown.Traffic is horrendous but if you are able to take advantage of Uber, it's UBER cheap (pun intended). This also applies to Penang - in Penang, I took Ubers everywhere and never once rode a bus, which is what a lot of people do. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buses, but I'd often find Uber receipts for likes than $5 USD for half our long rides! Some rides were even less than a $1 USD. 

If you ever go to Malaysia, PLEASE add Penang to your itinerary. It reminded me a bit of Hawaii and is 10 times better than KL. There are familiar hotels that line the beaches. The most secluded and nicest part of the beach is called Batu Ferringhi. It's also near the big night market, which is not anything to write home about. However, the food at the night market was awesome. The further east you go, there is another large hawker style food market that is equally good. If you go into town to Georgetown, you'll find all kinds of things to do there. I highly recommend China House - they're known for they're super yummy cakes made of different kinds of exotic food (if I could only go back!) and they also serve regular food which was also very delicious. It's an awesome place to explore because you think the entire place is one restaurant but it's made up of multiple restaurants, cafes, art shops, and even a bar in the back with live music. I loved the randomness. Within the China House complex next to the restaurants was an extremely cute clothing boutique curated with lots of Korean made clothing and accessories. The decor was very simple with plenty of succulents and air plants. The place reminded me of a Kinfolk magazine. Needless to say, I walked away with some very cute, affordable items without intending to. 

One thing many people don't know is that luxury shoe designer Jimmy Choo is originally from Penang, Malaysia. The shoe store where is apprenticed at is still there and is called Hong Kong Shoe Store. It's small and they still make custom shoes. There are pictures of Jimmy and some of his shoes (questionable whether they are really his designs) sold there. Definitely a cool place to see where he got his start.

Street art is also everywhere in Penang and it's fun roaming the streets looking for them. When you find one where there aren't so many tourists crowded around it, you feel so proud like you've found a secret treasure. Within Georgetown, you can also walk through the floating village, get henna drawn on your hand in Little India, and eat the most amazing food at all the restaurants and street vendors that occupy the streets. One thing Penang is known for is White Coffee - sweet and very delicious coffee. 

There are temples all over Penang but I highly recommend Kek Lok Si - it's massive and said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia. I also made a day out of Penang Hill. Penang Hill is made up of a group of peaks and makes for a very nice view of the city. To get up to the hill, you must purchase a ticket to ride the tram up OR you can rough it and hike up but be forewarned, the hill is steep. I originally was going to hike up but was dropped off at the wrong entrance so I ended up "tramming" it up like everyone else. I have to say, this place is VERY touristy, which was a turnoff for me. What is cool though is that there is a Hindu Temple and a Mosque at the top. To get away from the touristy experience, I decided to hike all the way down and I'm so happy I did. I may have passed about 8 people along the way with most walking up. And apparently there are 2 routes down and one of them is a truck route, which I've read is not recommended because it is the "boring route." I think I took the truck route BUT I saw so many monkeys! Had I not hiked at all, I wouldn't have seen them. At one point, I stumbled upon a station that looked like a place where locals hang out and possibly live at and all the monkeys in the forest seemed to congregate there. I saw a pregnant monkey and mom monkeys with their children hanging on to them as they walked. It was definitely a highlight that day. 

I think most people are afraid to try new things, different foods, and take risks when they travel. I'm probably one of the biggest risk takers travel-wise and my love for food makes me an adventurous eater. But I would not have had all the amazing food I've had and the most unique experiences had I not (safely) taken my chances. So I encourage you to do the same!

VIETNAM

After Hong Kong, I left for Vietnam. Out of all the Asian countries I ventured to on this trip, I was most excited for Vietnam. I was looking forward to the amazing food and speaking Vietnamese the most. Vietnam is actually the first foreign country outside of North America that I've visited. I was a teenager with my family visiting relatives in Ho Chi Minh City. This time, I explored northern Vietnam (where I have no relatives) and spent a week in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I also made a 2 night excursion to Halong Bay. Northern Vietnam is more low key and less "city" than Ho Chi Minh City, which I loved. My friend and I stayed in Old Quarter, the heart of Hanoi, which is made up of narrow streets filled with street vendors (oh the food!!!), souvenir shops, coffee shops, and french influenced architecture. There is definitely a chaos to the city. Crossing the street alone is adventure as motorbikes are plentiful and traffic lights are not. Knowing the language also gave me a huge advantage - it helped me get better deals when bargaining and got me into museums for free!  

The important highlight I want to discuss is food. Street food is essentially EVERYWHERE and unavoidable. However, there are restaurants you can dine in. They just tend to be more expensive and not as delicious. For those who want the restaurant experience, there is a chain called Net Hue that is popular but it was probably my least favorite food experience. Every other meal I had, other than the ones in the hotels, was street food and was phenomenal and extremely inexpensive. Each meal was a few US dollars. And each vendor is typically known for a specific Vietnamese dish - Banh Xeo, Mi Xao, Banh Cuon, Goi Cuon, Bun Bo Hue, etc. etc. etc. My mouth is just watering listing out these dishes... 

Vietnamese coffee (ca phe) is also a MUST. Ca phe is made using medium to coarse grown dark roast Vietnamese-grown coffee with a small metal Vietnamese drip filter (phin) and sweetened condensed milk, which is basically sugar and milk. It can be served hot or iced. Egg coffee is also widely served across Hanoi cafes with the most famous cafe being Giang Cafe. It's ca phe with the addition of egg yolks which gives it a creamier texture. It is quite delicious! If you want to buy a phin and Vietnamese ground coffee, the most popular brand is Trung Nguyen. Trung Nguyen has cafes throughout the city and they sell both their own brand of coffee (packs you can take home) and phins. 

Dong Xuan Market is a large, well-known market in Hanoi in the Hoan Kiem district. You can find tons of vendors and stalls with all kinds of souvenirs and snacks like dried fruits, nuts, candies. My favorite part about the market is the food court! It's actually not even inside the market. You have to walk out the back of the market across the street and straight onto a very narrow walkway. It is lined on both sides with vendors and tiny restaurants selling the most amazing Vietnamese dishes. Some of them specialized in just one kind of noodle dish or only desserts. We picked a very tasty noodle place but every single one of them looked amazing. 

Halong Bay is a beach town about a 4-5 hour drive from Hanoi, depending on how fast your driver is. There are no trains in the area so the only way to get there is to have someone drive you by taxi, coach bus, or a hired tourist van. Most tourists will book tours from Hanoi that will include van transportation and activities to and in Halong. This is what I recommend for everyone who visits. I was adventurous and went with a very local and budgeted experience since I know the language. My friend and I took a bus from the Hanoi Bus Station, which only cost us $5 USD each. But we took a taxi from our hotel in Old Quarter to the station and as soon as we got there, the chaos was in full force. With everyone pouncing at us to attract our business, I accidentally dropped my cell phone in the cab as we were leaving and didn't realize it until we got onto our bus. For the rest of the trip, I didn't have a phone and this was only day 3 in Vietnam. I didn't let it get to me because at least I still had my cameras!

Halong was very beautiful but expensive compared to Hanoi because it's kinda in the middle of nowhere. And not everyone speaks English in town. Seafood was amazing there but you have to haggle with restaurants on prices which I thought was strange. Beaches are pretty and the scenery is gorgeous but I didn't get to go to the famous Cat Ba Island. Had I planned the trip better, I would have booked a tour to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi. Something I'll do the next time I'm back! 

HONG KONG

The next leg of my Asia trip after China was Hong Kong, a former British colony. Many street names are westernized and plenty of ex-pats inhabit pockets of the city, namely the hip Soho neighborhood in the Central District. For the most part, the old part of the city is known as Kowloon while the newer and gentrified areas like Central District are on the Hong Kong side. Many locals speak English with the exception of taxi drivers. Getting around via public transportation (MTR) is very convenient and easy but taxis are also very inexpensive, even cheaper than Uber which does exist in HK. I also noticed that their public transit system mimics the UK's system. You purchase an Octopus card, fill it up with cash, and whatever amount you don't consume, you can get reimbursed just like the UK's Oyster card. Like most of Asia, many establishments, including public transit, only accept cash. Larger institutions like shopping malls and the nicer restaurants (the non-hole in the wall ones) typically will accept credit card transactions. 

Food always seem to be a focal point for me when traveling, especially in Asian countries, and Hong Kong did not disappoint. I had my share of both hole in the wall/local dishes and fancy, hipster eateries. Soho boasts many of these more hip restaurants. I tried the popular Yardbird (Japanese Yakitori), Little Bao (reminiscent of NY's Baohaus and any other popular NY restaurants known for their baos) and Fish School (amazing contemporary seafood) in Soho. Every single one of them was delicious so I'm almost certain that you can't go wrong with any restaurant in this neighborhood. Just expect to pay more than local, traditional Chinese restaurants - which you should absolutely have as well. Try the street food in Mong Kok. In fact, we found a wonderful noodle house called Eat Together (actually a small local chain) in Mong Kok and it was amazing. Don't forget to go to a dim sum restaurant and try all the dessert spots you see - there are many Taiwanese ones. Again, they are ALL delicious. My tip is to go to the places where there are locals! It's almost a guarantee that the place will hit the spot! HK is also the first place I had ever gone to a Michelin rated street food vendor (I didn't know there was such a thing). I went to Mammy which offers the famed egg waffle (eggettes), a traditional dessert they put a spin on by mixing ingredients like chocolate chip or sesame into the batter. 

Even though I attempted to stay on a budget, shopping in HK was hard to resist. You can find many unique fashions from Japanese and Korean brands and at reasonable prices. Some awesome spots to hit up are Langham Place, the One, and K11. Fun and cheap souvenirs can be found at the night market in Mong Kok (Ladies Market). It's also just a fun place to wander around and photograph. 

For the photographers out there and those who are simply looking for an unlikely tourist spot to visit, I discovered the Yick Fat Building that many avid photographers flock to. It's basically the courtyard of a residential building that is unique. Simply look up once you are there and the geometry formed by the top of these really tall apartment buildings makes for a unique picture. It's been reported that Michael Bay even filmed part of a Transformers movie in this small area. Just a quick tip - there are multiple buildings with this name so make sure you have the right one. If you are taking the MTR, you'll get off at Tai Koo Station, walk out of Exit B and go west for 2 blocks on King's Road. It is not marked, so you will need to make sure you've mapped it out. 

I also had the opportunity to visit Tian Tan Buddha, aka the Big Buddha, situated at the top of Lantau Island. The giant bronze statue stands at 112' high and tourists must ride on a somewhat long and very high gondola ride that provides sweeping views of Hong Kong (if it isn't foggy). When you immediately step off the gondola, it is noticeably touristy and very commercial. However, if you are looking to venture off the beaten path, there are hikes, challenging ones, that lead you through Lantau Island to the Big Buddha. I would love to have done that but, unfortunately, I didn't have the time. Another popular sight which I also did not have time to see is Victoria Peak, named after the Queen herself. I believe there is a hikeable path to reach the peak which offers astounding city views or you can opt for the easier, tourist route which is to ride the tram to the top. 

Tian Tan Buddha

Eat Together Restaurant

CHINA

In the first leg of my 3.5 week Asian tour was in China. In mid-September, I made stops to Shanghai and Beijing and a quick day trip to Shenzhen. I did not anticipate enjoying certain aspects from what I had heard and read about the country before. Most of it had to do with widespread pollution, lack of manners (public burping, spitting, cutting in lines), and massive crowds - all of which I did experience first hand. However, I did get to see important historical sights and finally had really good Chinese food.

I've taken public transportation all around Europe and Asia and I've found that subway systems in many of these countries are so much more easier to figure out than in the US (i.e. NYC). The same can be said for China's transit system. You're also better off taking the subway in places like Beijing where traffic is notoriously awful. Their system is very easy to navigate through and is much faster than taking a taxi often times. However, while they are not strict, there is a security checkpoint at every single subway station. Additionally, many people do not speak English (except maybe for Shanghai), so taking a taxi, as a result, could prove to be challenging. 

The Great Wall in Beijing was the highlight of this trip.  There are 3  that are the most popular: (1) Badaling which is the most crowded as it is flat and the has the most restored path, (2) Jiankou which is more wild with mostly an unrestored path and good for someone looking for a hike but dangerous during unfavorable weather (there are many other similar entrances), (3) Mutianyu which is both restored and unrestored and is steep. I took the Mutianyu path as it came highly recommended to me and I would recommend it to others. It was not crowded, the views were astounding, and I was able to reach the peak of the Wall on this path. To get to the peak, you have to jump over the end of the unrestored section and climb up to the beginning of the unrestored part. So needless to say, you must be somewhat fit. On the Mutianyu path, you also have the choice of taking a Toboggan down - I did not partake. 

A trip to Beijing is not complete without a visit to the historic Forbidden City. There is a difference between seeing the area at night (when everything lights up) versus the day. The lights at night make it seem commercial and flashy. I preferred seeing it during the day where you can see everything through the haze of the city. Standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square, you of course cannot help but think about what took place in 1989. The image of the unknown "Tank Man" who bravely stood in front of a line of Communist tanks come to mind. Unfortunately, the Chinese government has censored much information from the massacre of pro-democratic protestors during this time.

Shanghai is a new, sparkly city built on top of an old, and run-down one. It has gentrified and westernized itself greatly. However, I did come across the older and more poor part of the city as I walked from the upscale downtown area to the Jade Buddha Temple. I found locals selling street food and many local shops specializing in different industries. I found everything from cheap Xiao Long Bao to bubble tea along this path. Randomly, I also came across a furniture gallery/store/museum called the Design Republic. It impressively displays modern Chinese interior designs along with other contemporary designers like Denamark's HAY. This is its only location and occupies an old fire station. There is an equally hip and modern brunch restaurant connected to it.

Now to go back to the Jade Buddha Temple - it's worth visiting. Large statues of gods and the golden Buddhas sit in different chambers throughout the temple. What it is known for are two Buddha statues made entirely of white Jade,  one of which cannot be photographed and is housed in its own building on an upstairs floor. What I did find odd about the temple and other temples I encountered in China was that an admissions fee is required and gift shops are located inside temples. Both seem to be uncommon in temples I've visited around the world and takes away from the spiritual experience.  

Shenzhen is not a major tourist destination. But it's one of the largest cities in China other than Shanghai and Beijing. Many of the worlds' retailers' factories are located in Shenzhen so you will find an infamous black market here. This is also where I had my favorite authentic, Chinese meal…

Forbidden City

Jade Buddha Temple