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Monthly Archives: November 2010
Seoul: Cultural Faux Pas, Great Food and Silly “Soul” Jokes
Ah, South Korea. The country had fascinated me for so long. Through friends I had discovered some fabulous Korean movies, and the Korean language with it’s geometric writing and “-eyo” sing-song word endings looked and sounded pretty cool to me. Then of course there’s the food. Oh I could fill pages describing the awesomeness of Korean food, but all you’d do is curl up your nose because you hated kimchi the ONE time that you tried it. Seriously, you disappoint me. Continue reading
Hong Kong III: The Airline Bankruptcy Disaster
… But fate had different ideas. In fact, at the moment I was waiting for my second visa rejection(on 9th April), the CEO of Oasis Hong Kong Airlines was announcing the bankruptcy of his company at a press conference not more than a few hundred meters from where I sat! Continue reading
Hong Kong II: The Canadian Visa Disaster
So my plan was to fly from Hong Kong to Vancouver, and Vancouver to Seattle. I still needed a transit visa for Canada but I figured it would be easy to get since I had a US visa an confirmed flight tickets. Big Mistake. Canada clearly has a point to prove. Continue reading
Hong Kong I: Kowloon, Harbour, Bullet Holes and Slow Trams
I arrived in Hong Kong late in the evening from Macau on the fabulous Cotai Jet ferry. Hong Kong allows Indian passport holders to travel visa free for up to 30 days. HK Immigration held me for a while and quizzed me. Apparently the building where my hostel was located (Mirador Mansions) is also a haven for illegal immigrants. Continue reading
Macau: A Mixture of Portugal, China and Las Vegas
The one thing that comes to mind when I think of Macau is “Kaala akshar bhains barabar”. Throughout my time in Macau I felt like an illiterate. Macau was (and still remains) the single biggest language barrier I have ever faced. Continue reading
Singapore: “Disneyland with the death penalty”
Yes, it’s true – the whole city/state has a very unnatural ring to it. An almost sterile, hospital like feel to every where you go (well, except Little India). For me, the absence of street food is a downer enough. A place without street food is a place without a soul if you ask me. But dig just a little deeper and you will find a whole new facet to this little country. Continue reading
29th March ’08 – The Journey Begins!
After over a year of dreaming, scheming, planning and researching, the hour of departure was at hand. I was raring to go, nervous and excited at the same time. Continue reading
Planning My First RTW Trip (Part 4 – Flights)
One of the ways that I chose my destinations was less systematic and more random. I looked for budget airlines from various locations and decided to go wherever was the cheapest. There were two big oceans to cross, and I had found cheap airlines to take me. Continue reading
Planning My First RTW Trip (Part 3 – Visas)
Ah, the tourist visa – the bane of independent travel. I really don’t understand the need for restrictive visa policies. I don’t mind furnishing proof of my travel plans, financial status etc., but why make it difficult? Tourists spend money, why not welcome them with open arms? But anyway, that’s a topic for another day. Let’s talk about visas… Continue reading
Planning My First RTW Trip (Part 2 – Budget)
How much do you think it costs to travel around the world for a year? Go on, take a guess. You’re right! Travel can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Sadly, many of us are simply unaware of the ways we can make travel fit into our budget. Continue reading
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