My travels

Japan : Handy Hints and Travel Tips

Visiting Japan had always been a dream of mine. I had imagined beautiful temples, sleek design and extraordinary food. I certainly wasn’t disappointed with what I found in Japan, but there were quite a few things that I didn’t expect. Here’s some of the things that surprised, some observations and some tips that others may…
Nagomi Visit : Eating Local in Tokyo

It’s no secret that I love food. I particularly like trying out local delicacies when I travel, which isn’t always easy when you’re in a new city only for a few days. Eating local in Tokyo was particularly challenging because of my language constraints. Aside from hello and goodbye, I didn’t know any Japanese and…
The Ancient Capital of Japan : Kyoto

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. With picturesque temples, old cobble-stoned streets and the occasional kimono-clad Geisha wandering down the street, it’s a postcard view of Japan. The temples are certainly a highlight of the city, along with the haunting bamboo grove in Arashiyama and the peaceful public parks. They need no words, the…
Bright Lights Big City : Tokyo

I had always imagined Tokyo as a huge city of towering buildings and flashing neon signs. Something like this: But now that I’ve seen Tokyo I would describe it as green, peaceful and almost European. I spent a few days just wandering through different parts of the city, and was just amazed at how calm,…
The Toilets of Japan

I know, I know, toilet humour really is the lowest common denominator. But this post isn’t about toilet humour I promise, but rather it’s about toilet etiquette in Japan. You see the Japanese are incredibly clean people, and their obsession with ensuring everything is pristine starts with themselves and in particular their toilets. From my…
Flying High : Paragliding Near Mumbai

I will let you into one of my not so favourite secrets. As I get older I am becoming more and more scared of heights. I don’t have an issue going up, but when I have to look down or try to walk down a steep incline, I become paralysed with fear. Only a few…
Expats Behaving Badly

Something happened this week that made me so mad I felt compelled to write about it. Of all the things that annoy me about living in India, the thing that makes me most upset is when I see someone with means exploit someone without. In this instance it’s an Australian expat in India. The income…
Hello Summer, Bring on The Mangoes

Summer is finally here! While the temperature is close to diabolical and the humidity means Mumbai currently resembles a pressure cooker, I still love summer for one reason. Mangoes. It’s mango season and they are just spectacular. The sweet orange flesh has inspired me this year to create a salsa that I have with almost…
Dating the Indian Woman

A few regular readers have asked me recently why I haven’t written much about dating or Indian men lately. Truth be told, there really isn’t much to tell. I haven’t dated for a long time, and am actually quite happy that way. I do still have some interesting experiences trying to understand men here, but…
Happy Anniversary to Me : 2 Years Living in Bombay

This week I celebrated two years of living in Bombay. To be honest, I never really believed that I would stay here that long, but now Bombay does feel like home. I have close friends here, established networks and am eking out an existence here. In many ways I am comfortable here in Mumbai, but…
Exploring Gujarat : Champaner

I’ve been to Baroda (or Vadodara) more times then I can remember as it is where some of my family lives, but I’m embarassed to say I’ve never visited the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of Champaner until now. I did a fly by visit of Baroda last weekend and thanks to my own stupidity…
The Big Fat Indian Wedding : Shaadi Time

This is the fourth and final part of The Big Fat Wedding, you can find the rest here: Introduction Pre-Wedding Rituals The Engagement It was a rather rude alarm that woke me up early in the morning to have my saree draped the morning after the Sangeet. It was a little hard to believe that…
The Big Fat Indian Wedding : The Engagement

This is the third part of The Big Fat Wedding, you can find the rest here: Introduction Pre-Wedding Rituals Shaadi Time Bright and early on a Tuesday morning the Engagement ceremonies began. The timing of these are generally dictated by astrology, which explains the 7.30am start. The first ceremony is Vratham. This is where Carl…
Big Fat Indian Wedding : Pre-Wedding Rituals

This is the second part of The Big Fat Wedding, you can find the rest here: Introduction The Engagement Shaadi Time Like every wedding there are pre-wedding rituals that must be adhered to before the real business of joining two families starts, and this grand wedding was no different. In a more western tradition, this…
The Big Fat Indian Wedding

It had to happen, I just can’t believe it took me so long. Before you get too excited, no I didn’t get married. This is so much better! I dressed up in sarees, wore plenty of bling and partied away without the inevitable stress that comes with being a member of the wedding party. I had…
My First Solo Trip : Malaysia

I am asked a lot about where I went for my first solo adventure. For me it was back in 1998, and I visited the region of Sabah in Malaysia. To be honest I had never even heard of Sabah before I chose to go there. It was a spur of the moment decision, I…
A Step Back in Time: Yangon

Yangon is the capital of Myanmar. Whilst it is a bustling city, it kind of looks and feels a bit like it is 40 years behind the times. It’s hard to put a finger on it exactly. Perhaps it’s the concrete buildings, the lack of internet and phone access or just the way everything is…
The Clayton’s Asia: Laos

Laos to me is Asia without really being Asia. It doesn’t have the high-tech feel of places like Singapore or Hong Kong, and isn’t an explosion of sights, taste and sound like Thailand or even Vietnam. To me it’s the Clayton’s Asia, or the Asia you have when you don’t have Asia (quoting a very…
Paradise Found: Inle Lake

Just the mention of Inle Lake makes anyone who has been there sigh as they drift off dreamily remembering this region of Burma. It really is a paradise. What makes Inle Lake so lovely is that it’s relatively untouched. I fear in only a short while it will become just another tourist region, and all…
The Road to Mandalay : Burma

I took the bus from Bagan to Mandalay, but rather than going on the brand new freeway, we took the scenic route through central Myanmar. While it may have cost me a couple of hours of my life, the journey gave me the time to really appreciate what it’s like to travel in Burma. We…