markets Archives - Page 2 of 12

Belarus Belarus/Dubai trip 2023 Europe

Farewell, Minsk

I had one day left in Minsk. I had already seen basically everything I thought that I could see and yet there was still more. I had a quick breakfast at my hostel and then went out for a walk. I walked along the banks of the river to the National Museum (full name: “The Belarusian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War”).

I think one could give the National Museum a miss; it’s not amazing but it is interesting and I did learn a lot about the history of the country.

State Museum of Belarus

From there I walked up to the Komarovskiy Market, the largest market in Minsk. On the way, I had coffee at about three different neighbourhood cafes, each one very charming; some with books, some with dogs, all with great coffee.

Cafés in Minsk

The market was enjoyable; very similar to markets that I’ve visited and other former Soviet countries. Lots of breads, dumplings, pickled items, and fruits and vegetables. Also a ton of local honey. It is a great place to try some local food. I snacked on some delicious fruits and baked goods and then made my way over to a new museum.

Komarovskiy Market

I visited the Memorial Museum-Studio of Z. Azgur. Zair Azgur was a Belarusian sculptor, active from the 1920s to the 1950s, famous for sculpting hundreds of busts of Belarusian and Soviet military and political figures. His studio is now a museum. It holds over 4000 items, not all of which are on display at one time, but for travellers, it’s most interesting because of the sheer number of statues of Lenin and Marx and Stalin on display. It’s increasingly rare to see such depictions.

When I first entered the museum, I entered a small room with a number of busts. Quite impressive. I took a lot of photos and found it interesting. Then I was led to upstairs to a larger room, which had me gasp when I entered it. A huge room stacked floor to ceiling with busts of Soviet figures. It’s lit beautifully and very interesting to walk around. In the centre of the room is an impressive figure of Lenin striding forward, his coat waving up behind him, as well as a very serious statue of Stalin sitting in in a chair, and an enormous bust of Lenin’s head that was nearly as tall as I am. It was super cool and I think it should be on everyone’s list for Minsk.

Room No.1

Double Lenin

In the afternoon, I just wandered around the city a little bit more, had a short nap at my hostel, and in the evening I went to the opera. The opera house (full name: “The National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus”), was just a block from my hostel in the middle of a park. A stunning white building built in the 1930s and designed by Iosif Langbar.

*The National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus*

I’ve discovered that going to the opera at any former Soviet country is a great idea, because the opera houses are beautiful the shows are excellent, and the tickets are ridiculously cheap. They were showing Die Fledermaus at the opera and I picked up a ticket for less than $10 Canadian. The show was sung in German with Belarusian and Russian sur titles so it wasn’t the easiest of shows to follow along with, but I had a great time.

In the evening I walked around Minsk a little more, had a cigar of course, and went to bed early for my extremely early flight.

More Minsk buildings that I liked

I absolutely loved my time in Belarus. For me, it was kind of a leisurely trip. I had several days in the capital and my day in the countryside, and I never felt that I ran out of things to do. It’s a place that I would consider going back to in order to see more of the country. I don’t know if it was less touristy because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, or simply because it’s Belarus, but it didn’t feel at all touristy. It felt entirely authentic, and I liked it.

And so, it was onward to Dubai for another long layover, a long layover in London and then back home.

Asia Belarus/Dubai trip 2023 United Arab Emirates

Dubai Layover: Part One

I was flying to Belarus from Vancouver. A long journey. I had already had a layover in London (on Coronation Day) and my next layover was in Dubai. I know that doesn’t make any sense. The shortest route between London and Minsk is not the United Arab Emirates, but this was May 2023 and the war in Ukraine was ongoing. Although Belarus was not actively fighting in the war, they were supporting Russia and using their territory as a staging ground for the Russian military. As a result of this, there were embargoes by nearly every Western country against Belarus and they had cancelled all their flights. Normally, if I was flying to Belarus I could have flown through Germany, for example, but this time, the only way to get to Belarus was via Dubai.

So what this meant was, I had an excuse to go to Dubai. I’d never been to the UAE before and, honestly, I had no interest in going to Dubai for more than a long layover, so this seemed like a great opportunity. I would have two visits to Dubai on either end of this trip.

Arrival in Dubai

Map & Flag of the United Arab Emirates

I landed at the airport in Dubai and no visa was required. A great bonus. Fascinatingly, going through immigration, when they handed me back my passport, they handed it back to me with a SIM card with one gig of data on it, which was kind of amazing. I’ve never seen that in any country before. Of course, I had no interest in being online while I was there so I just left it behind for someone else to use, but what a nice welcome gift. I left my bag at a baggage storage facility at the airport and hopped on the train. I love a city where I can get on a train to go from the airport into the centre of the city. I wish all cities could have this.

The train into Dubai was in itself fascinating because I got to see all of the modern buildings. It’s an above ground train, so riding it was a little bit like being on some sort of futuristic tram ride at Disney World.

*View out the front window of the train*

Views from the trains of the Frame and the Museum of the Future

The Dubai “Maul”

I didn’t have a long time to visit so I thought that I would try to see the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. I got off the train at the Dubai Mall and from there I should have been able to walk through the mall and then exit it to be at the Burj Khalifa. I exited the train and I walked to the mall, however, the walk between the train station in the mall is incredibly long. I was above ground in this windowed tunnel walking on moving sidewalks, but there’s no way to exit and you just have to keep walking until you get to the mall. It took maybe 20 minutes of fast walking and I found it extremely frustrating. I’d come all the way to the city and now suddenly I was trapped in a tube, walking towards a mall. When I looked out at the city, I was not impressed. There were massive highways and cars everywhere and it just didn’t look like the sort of place that would be pleasant to walk at all.

*Me, in the tunnel to the Mall before I got irritated*

Views from the stupid tunnel and the only glimpse I got of the Burj Khalifa on this trip

I finally reached the mall, and I walked through it for a bit, realizing pretty quickly that I was not going to find my way out anytime soon. The mall is massive, and I got frustrated. I thought, I didn’t fly all the way to this country to spend my time lost in a mall, and so I turned around and I walked out.

I did see the Burj Khalifa on my second trip to Dubai a week later, but this time I decided to skip it.

Bur Dubai

I got back on the train, and I headed to the closest train station (Bur Jaman Station) to “Bur Dubai”, which is Old Dubai. This was much more my cup of tea. Old Dubai is not the most beautiful or picturesque of Arabic city centres, but it has its appeal.

On the edge of Bur Dubai

It has old buildings and mosques and narrow alleyways and wonderfully a Hindu temple with people outside preparing flower and food.

Near the Hindu Temple

I then made my way out to the water (Dubai Creek) and there’s a waterway that separates the city in two parts. I would, on my second visit to Dubai, go across to the other side, but this time my layover was a little shorter so I just stayed where I was.

Around the Bur Dubai souq

I walked around, had some fresh juice, and chatted with some local merchants.

I then plunked myself down at a table by the water and smoked some shisha and had a bite to eat. It was very pleasant. A young travel and fashion influencer from Saudi Arabia came and sat with me for a while and talked about her travels with her family. And then I just sat with myself smoking and watching the people go by.

Shisha and juice by the water

Finally I got back on the train and went back to the airport. I was pretty satisfied with my layover, even if I had been defeated by the Dubai Mall. I wasn’t that impressed with the little I saw of Dubai, but it was pleasant to go to the city it was interesting to be somewhere new, and somewhere that was completely different from London (to place I’d come from (and Minsk (the place that was going to), but I wasn’t that taken with Dubai. The new buildings are just … big new buildings, and the city does not seem very conducive to walking. The old section is nice, but there are much nicer places to go to see have that sort of old Arabic city experience. I will say that my second visit to Dubai would prove to be much better and I will write about that at a later time.

There were no issues getting back to the airport or getting onto the plane. I spent some time at a fabulous lounge at the airport and then I was off to my final destination: Minsk, Belarus.

Asia Asian capital trip 2023 Japan

On the Town in Tokyo: food, temples, sex shops

My first day in Tokyo was so amazing, how could there be more? But there was. More weirdness! More food! More of everything!

Vegetarian heaven at the 7-11

On my second full day in Tokyo, I started by taking the train from Shinjuku to The Tsukiji outer market. Well actually, I started at the 711. Being a vegetarian and being on a budget in a place like Tokyo the 711 is my best friend. Most things are labelled in English and Japanese, the prices are evident, and, amazingly, the food that they sell there is very delicious and tastes pretty fresh. (I found the same thing in Taiwan.) So I went to the 7-11 and grabbed some sort of canned coffee beverage and helped myself to one of the many packaged rice/mushroom/tofu snacks that they had. It was a bargain, it tasted good and felt somewhat authentic to the area, and I could eat it on the go and carry on with my sightseeing.

On to the market…

Tsukiji outer market

I had read that the Tsukiji outer market had closed, but that turned out not to be true. I guess it’s just smaller than it used to be or something, but there are still market activities ongoing and it was great. I didn’t go into any of the buildings, but the streets were lined with food vendors and throngs of people lined up to eat the food that was being prepared.

Most of it was off limits to me – meat and fish – but there were lots of fruits and vegetables and delicious sweet snacks. This is where I first had strawberries in Tokyo. I know strawberries don’t sound exotic, but in Tokyo they are something special. My issue with strawberries is that they’re delicious, however, if you buy a basket, half of them (at least) are likely to be inedible, mushy, mealy, or bland. In Tokyo, however, every strawberry that I ate on my short visit (which was a lot) was perfect. Perfect flavor, perfect texture, perfect colour. I’m sure it’s done through some sort of scientific trickery, but I don’t care. If I could have strawberries this great at home my life would be better.

I also had some delicious oranges and some lovely little rice cakes, and found place to have coffee.

Ginza

From the Tsukiji outer market it was a short walk through Ginza to the Imperial Palace. Ginza did have some impressive sites and I stopped for coffee two to three times on the way. Ginza is a newer, affluent neighbourhood that reminded me a little bit of 5th Avenue in New York, but with decidedly more tourist rickshaws.

I popped into a mall and visited a Hello Kitty store where I loved everything but bought nothing (though I was tempted).

Hibiya Park & Imperial Palace

On the way to the Imperial Palace, I also stopped at Hibiya Park. It’s the sort of place that I would be impossibly picturesque in autumn with the changing leaves. (Seriously, if you are planning a trip, google pictures of this park; it is stunning.) Had I come about a week or so later the entire park (and city really) would have been filled with cherry blossoms (and tourists), however, when I arrived, most of the trees in Tokyo were only just starting to get blossoms with a few in full bloom. It was still lovely for a walk though past the ponds and statues. The best thing about Hibiya Park at the time I visited were these very tall trees (I don’t know the name of them and if someone does know please e-mail me because I would love to know) and they were the most beautiful trees that I saw in Tokyo. They look like the trees that you would see in traditional Japanese paintings. I thought they were stunning.

I walked over to the Imperial Palace, but I didn’t realize how until I got there, however, that if you want to see inside, you need to book a visit ahead of time. (I wasn’t that fussed about seeing it; I just had more time for sightseeing in Tokyo than I had expected.) I simply walked around the grounds, seeing more trees that were amazing: dozens of bonsai-looking trees except full size and planted in a perfect grid pattern around an excellent statue of 14^th Century Samurai warrior Kusunoki Masashige. And I caught glimpses of the palace and the bridge over the river.

Not so serene Sensō-ji Temple

From the from the Imperial Palace, I took the train to another temple: Sensō-ji. A Buddhist temple dating from the 600s (but destroyed in and rebuilt after the 2^nd World War).

The temple itself was big and impressive, but slightly less enjoyable than it might have been though due to the crowds.

There were apparently places near Sensō-ji Temple where you could rent traditional Japanese clothes and wear them for photo opportunities. So what that meant was there were lots of women walking around dressed as geisha and posing for pictures. It was kind of fun to see but also kind of annoying as they took forever to take a basic photo. I don’t personally have the desire to dress up in costumes to wander around religious sites but it’s kind of fun that other people do.

I had a bowl of Roman and carried on my way.

Akhibara Action

From Sensō-ji Temple I took the train to Akhibara, which is a neighbourhood that’s considered to be the centre of all things video games and manga and anime and lots of other things that I have absolutely no connection with. But even being unfamiliar with the genres of entertainment and the characters from them, it was a fun neighbourhood to walk around in. There were so many people dressed up in costumes and ads and signs and video screens for…entertainment stuff. I recognized none of the characters, but they were very fun to look at and there were lots of shops filled with costumes and memorabilia and video games and manga books. Everyone seemed to be very excited about to be there and their excitement was a little bit contagious.

The thing that I found the most fascinating though was the fairly pervasive pervy sex culture in the neighbourhood. It wasn’t menacing; it was more playful. There was a seven-story tall building that was entirely sex toys and sex costumes. I visited every floor.

The sex shop. I only got one picture inside before i discovered photos are not allowed.

And there were lots of cafes and businesses that advertise girls. I can’t tell you what happened inside. I didn’t go. I don’t know if they’re real girls or virtual girls. It was fascinating to walk around and observe. And it all seemed uniquely Japanese.

These three pictures might actually be from Shinjuku, but there was similar stuff in Akhibara.

Interlude in Ebisu

From Akhibara I took the train over to Ebisu for no particular reason other than I had some time and I heard that it was a nice neighbourhood, and it was. It wasn’t remarkable, but it was a pleasant neighbourhood for a wander and a snack and there was a bit of street art to look at.

Book and Bed

At this point it was late afternoon and I had to deal with some business. I had booked myself two nights at the capsule hotel that I stayed at when I originally arrived in Tokyo, but I had decided that I would spend my third and final night in a different accommodation, so I had to move my backpack over there and check-in. The Book and Bed Tokyo hostel.

The Book and Bed hostel is also a capsule style hostel in Shinjuku. What makes it special is all of the bunks are inside bookshelves in a bookstore. When you walk into the bookstore it looks fairly normal, but in between the books are squares (just big enough to crawl into) with black curtains. Inside are little bunks for sleeping. There are shared bathrooms and showers. There are no lockers or any way to secure your bunk but, I mean, it’s Tokyo, nobody is going to steal anything from you.

I decided to only stay there for one night because one I wasn’t entirely sure how comfortable this was going to be staying in a little plywood box behind a bookcase, and it was a little bit more expensive, so I just booked the one night. It was super cool. As soon as I arrived I was delighted with my little bunk hidden amongst the bookshelves. The neat thing about it was all these people were just browsing it books and sitting around reading books during the day and it was really quite lovely. At night, when I came back from my evening out, it was as quiet as … well, as a bookstore after hours. There was a few people sitting out and reading, but most people had gone to bed and the whole place was perfectly quiet. I felt like some sort of a character in a children’s book, going into sleep behind the bookcases and waking up in the middle of the night and tiptoeing around. It was a really unique and fun experience.

So I moved into my new hostel and set up my stuff and then I went out for my final evening.

Shinjuku Re-do

I decided to stay in Shinjuku. It really was my favorite part of Tokyo that I had seen and especially at night with the lights and all the little eateries. I was bolstered with confidence from the night before where I learned that I could in fact find vegetarian things to eat at the tiny little shoe box restaurants, and so I went out.

First off though, was the same bar that I gone to the night before, only because I knew that it was cigar friendly and had an excellent atmosphere, so I went there and had a cigar and a cocktail.

And then I went back to one of the many streets crowded with restaurants; people sitting shoulder to shoulder at counters while chefs cooked up meals in steamy clouds and men smoked cigarettes and drank ice cold beers.

Regular sized restaurants? …I was looking for something smaller.

*Cramped and Cozy. Perfect.* *Also, note the sign in English: “All seats are smoking.” I had found my spot.*

I found an empty stool next to a man at one of the restaurants. He was clearly a foreigner and I asked if I could sit next to him, and he said I could. He was visiting from California, not on vacation, but as a baseball scout. I was fascinated. I know nothing about baseball, but it was interesting to talk to him. He was a guy that traveled all over the world looking for baseball players, drinking and gambling too much and having a really good time doing it. He was a self-described degenerate. We had an engaging and lighthearted chat as we ate and smoked. I left him at the restaurant and wandered off.

I walked around and looked at the lights some more. I could have done that forever; it’s just so magnetic and exciting. Every corner reveals some sort of appealing weirdness. But I’m not really that much of a night person, so before it got too late, I went back to my little bookcase cubbyhole and went to sleep.

The next day would be my third and final day in Tokyo.

Asia Asian capital trip 2023 Malaysia

Arriving in Kuala Lumpur

From Brunei, I went to the third stop in my trip: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I didn’t have great expectations for it. I don’t know why. I was curious about what it was really like, after hearing some many people’s rants and raves about the place. I was a blank slate. Maybe it was because I expected nothing that I kind of loved it. I don’t mean I loved it like I love some places (the pulse quickening, imagination sparking places). It wasn’t a 10/10, but it was a place I enjoyed and could imagine living.

The airport was easy. Visa free. The next thing I liked was that there was so much public transportation. I mean, it is a major city, so it should have a good network of trains and whatnot, but there are plenty of big cities that don’t. I was happy. It has an MRT, LRT, a commuter train, and a monorail. Excellent. The monorail was my favourite. Riding it is like being in an amusement park, zooming over the city with windows on all sides, leaning to the side around every corner.

I hopped on a train and went right to my hostel from the airport. I was staying in the Kuala Lumpur central area (KLCC). About a five-minute walk from the Petronas Towers. It was the business district. As I got off the train and walked to my hostel, it was about midday and, apart from the humidity and the tropical plants, it felt very familiar. Business people and places for steaks and after work cocktails – even a cigar lounge. I felt quite comfortable, like I was in Manhattan.

I was staying at The Bed KLCC, a hostel located on the upper floors of a shiny high-rise in this businessy district. It didn’t have a hippy or backpacker vibe, but it was one of the most impressive hostels I have stayed at. I had a bed in a female dorm room. Everything was spotless. My bunk was huge and had a near blackout curtain. Inside it had lights and plugs, a makeup mirror and a little shelf that works well as a laptop table if you sat on the bed. The bathrooms were great and had all the amenities you could think of, and more. There was a stylish hangout area that felt like a library and a huge kitchen/eating area. And it was about $17/night. Canadian.

From my hostel I walked over to the Petronas Towers. You can’t really escape them; they are always visible. In photos I didn’t think much of them, but they are impressive in person. Gleaming silver and lit up at night.

I took the train to Pasar Seni and walked around Chinatown. It was lovely. The buildings were low rise and colorful, historic, and often with murals. I am not a foodie but so many places looked like they would be amazing to eat.

I went to a hawker centre and walked up and down the Petaling Street market; clearly geared towards tourists, but it was fun.

I had a tofu drink (and bought a pair of sunglasses I surely did not need) and then meandered over to the Central Market.

*me in Chinatown sporting my new sunglasses*

The Central Market is an indoor market/small mall in a pretty, pale blue art deco building. Inside, I had an amazing bowl of vegetarian laksa from a stall with Elvis cassette tapes on display.

I walked over to the Sri Mahamariamman temple, which looks beautiful, but it was closed for repair, so I took the MRT over to Bukit Bintang to stroll down the colorful mural alley, which lived up to its name.

There is an excellent food street near there with a seemingly endless stretch of restaurants with outdoor seating, but nothing really appealed to me and it was so busy that I worried I would offend someone with my cigar.

*“Special Parts” on food street. I’ve no idea what a “torpedo” is.*

However, what caught my attention was near the entrance to mural alley was a small neighbourhood with lots of middle eastern restaurants. I walked back that way and settled in on the quiet patio of a great little neighbourhood restaurant selling Iraqi street food. (Tarma Iraqi Street Food.) Iraqi falafel is maybe the best falafel in my opinion, so I had to have some. And shisha. And coffee. It was great. A perfect spot that felt away from the other tourists.

I walked back to my hostel. A long walk, but super enjoyable, meandering through the streets.

Back at the hostel I met the girl across the bunk from me: a nice young woman from Amsterdam who had recently finished law school and was on a long solo backpacking trip. We chatted for some time and made plans to do something the next day. (Hostels really are the best for meeting people.) But I wasn’t finished with the day yet.

I had a tip from a friend about a cigar lounge on the 57^th floor of the Petronas Towers (Martini’s on 57), so that is where I decided to finish the day. It only took me 5 minutes to walk there but about 30 to figure out how to get up (there are two towers and numerous doors). Once I headed up, I found myself in a very plush cigar lounge with sumptuous leather chairs, dim lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the city. It was great.

I ordered a martini and asked to buy a cigar. (I had cigars with me, but I wanted to see what they had for sale.) Rather than letting me into the humidor, the man brought me a tray of available cigars to choose from. I selected a Ramon Allones – a good sized Cuban cigar. After making my selection, he instead suggested I have a cigarillo, saying it was popular with “the ladies”. I shot him my coldest of looks and said “Just the Ramon Allones please.” This is a very specific cigar rant, but why he would he think that someone who requests a Ramon Allones by name (and can pronounce it) and who has arrived with their own cigar cutter would want a cigarillo is beyond me. Sexism I suppose. However, the weird, gendered treatment worked in my favour because apparently it was women’s day (?) and that got me a free cocktail. My indignation subsided and I was left to enjoy the impressive views and the gentle smoke.

That cigar cost more than all three of my nights at the hotel combined, but it was worth it.

A lovely end to my first day in Kuala Lumpur. The next morning I would visit the Batu Caves.

Asia Asian capital trip 2023 Philippines

Manila: Markets to Mausoleums

My second day in Manila was better than the first. I had already explored Malate, Intramuros and the areas in between. On day two, I went to Chinatown and the Chinese Cemetery.

Chinatown (aka Binodo) lies just across the Pasig River and to the right from Intramuros if you are looking at a map. There were numerous ways to get there, but I took the LRT, which was very easy and super cheap (about 30c CDN). The only downside was that they required (at the time) that you wear a face mask, which surprised me in 2023, but I fashioned one out of my scarf and that seemed to be good enough. The train ride was nice because it was high above the ground and gave glimpses over the city and into more modest looking neighbourhoods.

From the train (LRT) stop at Carriedo Station, I was just around a corner from a large, oldish church (nicer on the outside than inside), and an excellent market area. It was just what I wanted. Very busy streets with vendors selling produce (including more excellent fruit), household items, and hot dishes of the mostly meaty variety.

I filled my bag with mangosteens and settled in at a stall where one of the women spoke English and hooked me up with a plate of something tasty that seemed to be vegetarian.

It was a really good area. I saw women selling special “wishing candles” – like prayer candles, but different colors, each for a different type of blessing. That was different. I don’t believe in that sort of thing (and I didn’t need any candles) so I didn’t make a purchase. I thought ‘oh what a quaint belief to think that you can wish for things through candles’…and then my briefly judgmental mind realized that this is precisely the purpose of blowing out birthday candles.

From there I walked around Chinatown a lot. I didn’t have a particular objective; I just walked the streets. It was very hot, and I used that as an excuse to duck into a few cafes. There were lots of picturesque streets and churches to keep me occupied.

As well, there is a mosque (Masjid Al-Dahab or the ‘Golden Mosque’) that women and non-Muslims can enter (prettier on the outside than the inside).

After Chinatown, with a stomach full of mangosteens and red bean buns, I hopped on the train again. This time I was going to the Chinese Cemetery (from Abad Santos LRT station it is an easy walk to the South Gate Entrance). I had earmarked that as something I might visit if I had the time, and I did, so I went. I am glad I did.

The Chinese Cemetery is the second oldest cemetery in Manila, and it is huge (over 50 hectares). The reason to go is not necessarily because there are famous people buried there (there are some, but none who were known to me); rather, the purpose of the visit is to take in the spectacle of the grave sites or shrines. Themselves. It looks like a city, with streets lines with what look like proper houses (big ones), but they aren’t houses. They are the burial places for families or individuals. Some of them you can look into and there are chandeliers, photos on the wall, and marble floors. They looked like posh foyers. But they’re graves.

One had sad American country music playing. Another had dogs inside. Presumable (hopefully) someone was there visiting.

Mostly the place was empty and quiet. A bit eerie, but in a nice atmospheric way.

You can actually rent bicycles and ride around, which would have been nice, and there are guides who will find you and offer you guided tours of the grounds if you would rather learn instead of just gawk. I think it is worth a visit. Even if you don’t like graveyards, it is a nice place for a quiet stroll.

This took up much of the day. I took the train back to Malate and went to the Sheraton Hotel because I read that they have a rooftop bar and I thought it might be a place for a cigar. Well, they do have a rooftop bar, but it was closed. What I did find was a rooftop smoking area for hotel guests. I wasn’t a guest, but no one was around, so I went outside and found the most delightful rooftop oasis area. A little waterfall and tropical trees and plants, tables and chairs (and ashtrays) with a view over Manila. Very civilized. I sat down and enjoyed a cigar. (Ok, and took a selfie or two.)

*Don’t i look like I should be staying at the Sheraton?*

At one point a man joined me and chatted with me (assuming I was likewise staying at this fancy hotel and not sharing bathrooms and my hostel down the street). He invited me out later, but I declined as I was flying out that night (which I was), but I assured him I had had a wonderful stay at the hotel (which, in a sense I did).

I spent the next couple hours at my hotel, packing and enjoying a final meal on the roof top patio of my true accommodations before taking a taxi to the airport. Onward to Brunei.

I am glad I went to Manila, and I am happy with the two full days I had. I could have filled a third day, but I felt ready to go. I do think I might return to see something of the natural beauty of the Philippines, but not any time soon. There is still more I want to see elsewhere.

Europe Sudan-South Sudan trip 2022 Turkey

24 hours in Istanbul

I was flying home from Juba, South Sudan, capping off my Sudan/South Sudan trip. It had been glorious. It had been exotic. It had been hot. So, on my way home, I was delighted to have a 24 hour layover in one of my favourite cities: Istanbul. Istanbul is great for a proper visit, but after that, layovers, from short to long, are excellent. Pop into the city, even for a few hours, smoke some shisha, get lost in the Bazaar, ride the ferry from Europe to Asia and back again…there are so many excellent options. I was glad to be back.

The thing that was different this time was that there was a new airport and the metro line connecting it to the city was not complete (update: the train is now running), so I had to take a taxi. It took longer than the train would have, but it was a nice drive with views I had never seen. Best of all, the driver and I smoked in the cab on the ride. How civilized. How wonderfully old fashioned.

I arrived in Istanbul just before sunset, to beautifully overcast and golden skies and flocks of seagulls cresting on the wind. The air felt blissful. I loved the heat of Sudan, but the cool, moist air of a November evening in Istanbul was welcome.

I ditched my backpack at a cheap, central, and unremarkable hotel and went out into the evening. I walked over to the square between the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sophia and took in the views. I didn’t go into the Blue Mosque this time but did go to the Aya Sophia. There was no queue and since I had last visited it has been changed from a paid entrance ‘museum’ to a free entrance mosque. Regardless of what they are calling it, it is one of the most beautiful interiors I have ever seen.

I walked around some more and had a feast of Turkish appetizers for dinner, along with some shisha, tucked in under a blanket on a patio.

In the morning, I had breakfast at the historic “Pudding Shop”. I had seen it many times but never gone in. At whatever ungodly hour it was that I was out on the hunt for coffee, it was the only place open. It has a fascinating history. Its nickname is the Pudding Shop, but is actually called the Lale Restaurant and was opened by two brothers in 1957. In the 60s it became popular for travelers, and was the meeting point for hippies and vagabonds on their routes east into Asia. It had a bulletin board for people looking for rides and it had a bohemian vibe apparently, with books and bands. It doesn’t have that vibe now, but is still comfortable, with good food and a Turkish diner vibe. Lots of news articles and photos to look at. It’s more of cultural/historical interest these days, but I would go back.

With a stomach full of coffee and lentil soup, I walked over to the Grand Bazaar for a wander, which is always a delight. I had a couple of Turkish coffees and looked around. After that I continued to wander, but was mindful of the time and traffic.

I got a taxi back to the airport with enough time to enjoy the lounge.

And so ended my trip to the Sudans and my 2022 travel year. It was a good one.

Africa South Sudan Sudan-South Sudan trip 2022

The Sights of Juba

My second day in Juba started when I awoke at the lovely Acacia Village Hotel. I wish I had better pictures of it, but as with the rest of Juba, photos are technically not allowed. All around the hotel grounds they had signs forbidding photography. (So there is no photographic evidence of how ~~great~~ sweaty I looked smoking my cigar and sipping on pineapple juice under the trees.)

While yesterday I was a solo vagabond, today I would be escorted around by a driver who would show me the sights of Juba. I don’t normally think this sort of things is necessary (and I much prefer to walk than drive), but with Juba,not being the safest of places, this was my best bet to see the city.

Money Matters

The first order of business was exchanging money. I had come from Sudan where credit cards and ATMs are non-functional, so I had wads of pristine US cash and Euros, but no Sudanese Pounds. The driver knew just the spot. He took me to a small supermarket/general store (not fancy but tidy and well stocked) and the cashier let me exchange money.

I ended up with a fistful of Pounds, each bearing the round head of John Garang de Mabior, one of the leaders of the South Sudan independence movement and the first VP of South Sudan…for 3 weeks. (He died in a helicopter crash.)

Not on the money, sadly, is Salva Kiir Mayardit, the first President of South Sudan. You will seldom see him without his trademark cowboy hat, reportedly a gift from George W. Bush. I must admit to finding that detail rather charming. I feel like if you are going to be the leader of a conflict riddled country you should have a signature look. Say what you will about Idi Amin or Mobutu or Muammar Gaddafi or similar despots – they all had signature looks. Like Karl Lagerfeld.

Take note that the amount of money I had in my hands was far too much for my remaining time in South Sudan and I was unable to change it back, so if you are reading this, and planning a trip to South Sudan, hit me up. I have some Pounds to sell at a good rate.

To Market

From there, we drove to the central market of Juba, the Konyo Konyo Market. I loved the market. It didn’t feel at all tense or unsafe; it was just a regular African market, colorful and lively, with produce, housewares, textiles, food vendors and whatnot. My guide said it was ok to take photos around the market (but he also told me when to not take photos). Lots of women getting their nails done, men selling hookahs and clothes, and so many items I could not identify, but looked to my untrained eye like rocks and sticks.

*Hibiscus flowers and…other things for sale*

We walked around the outside of the market a bit and even took a selfie.

Shipwreck

From there we went to what is probably the most photographed place in Juba, the Afex River Camp restaurant. It is very popular with visitors, expats, and locals who have the money. A nice, outdoor restaurant along the banks of the Nile, under shady trees. You must go through security to enter the compound, but once inside the gates it feels like a haven. We had coffees and water and chatted, while I watched kids climb up a giant tree to grab fruits. Maybe mangoes, but I can’t be sure.

Not only is it a nice spot, but it is the best place to see the most famous sight in Juba: the sunken ship in the Nile. It is about as iconic as sights get in Juba. It is a passenger ferry, half sunk in the Nile, and just…sitting there, stuck. It is incredibly picturesque, sitting at just the right angle and surrounded by foliage. My guide didn’t know a lot about its history but said it had been there for about 10 years or more. The best info I could get was that its engine had just failed and it floated and got stuck. I had been hoping for a more dramatic tale.

*Nile Boat with children in the tree on the left*

It is very tempting to swim out to it, but the multiple warning signs about crocodiles is a sufficient deterrent.

Congregants and Cows

Rested and fuelled, we drove around, stopping at a church to take in part of the ceremony. The place was packed, and people sat outside on the steps and grounds to listen to the sermon.

We drove across the bridge, over the Nile and stopped to check out a herd of the long-horned cattle for which South Sudan is famous.

Plans Thwarted

I had wanted to leave Juba to see a bit of the countryside and maybe drive to a village or something, and my driver was game, but said we may not be allowed to leave Juba. We drove down a rode on the outskirts. Just as the buildings faded away and were replaced by landscape, there was a road block. A rope strung across the street and a mud brick and corrugated metal shack to one side. Men standing around. We were motioned to pull over. A man came up to the driver’s window and they exchanged some words before the driver told me he had to go to the “office” (the aforementioned shack). I waited in the car for a few minutes and then I was asked to join them.

One man sitting at an empty wooden table asked to see my papers. It was impossible to know if there were police or soldiers or just dudes. I handed him my passport, my stamped e-visa, and registration document. He looked and them and then said that if I wanted to leave Juba I needed a special permit. We went back and forth on this for a bit, but he would not agree to let me leave the city. I don’t know if I truly needed a permit or if he wanted a bribe, but he didn’t give me any signals that a bribe was needed. (He didn’t say anything like “Perhaps if you could give me some tea money” or anything like that. Didn’t even ask about money.) So we left and turned around and drove around a bit more.

*Streets and Sights* *(the photo at the bottom is a row of street side barbers)*

Market of Giants

It was fine though because we were able to visit a rural feeling market that I guess was technically in Juba, but it really felt quite apart from the city. I don’t know the name of it, but it was a fairly large market. A collection of shacks, or three walled, roofed structures, extremely modest, on a few streets of dirt surrounded by open, flat barren-looking land. The places sold mostly food items: produce and meat, spices, flour, coffee, that sort of thing. It was market mostly for the Dinka people.

The Dinka are a tribe from the area of South Sudan about 4-5 million in number and traditionally have a pastoral lifestyle and polytheistic religion, though many have converted to Christianity. The thing the Dinka people are most known for though is their height. They, along with the Tutsi people of Rwanda, are the tallest in Africa, which probably makes them the tallest in the world. I know that usually the lists of the tallest people put Netherlands at number one, but I wonder if those fact collectors are overlooking Africa altogether, because I have never seen people this tall in Amsterdam. The Dinka are shockingly tall, and thin, which adds to the look of their height. Many of the men wore western style clothes, but the women wore skirts and dresses of traditional African textiles. Watching everyone parade up and down the market streets, it looked like a convention of super models. I am 5’9” and I felt short.

I don’t have pictures of the market. I took a couple and then my driver said that I shouldn’t, so I put my phone away.

We walked around and then sat in some plastic chairs in the shade of a thatched roof and had ginger coffee, watching the market activities.

Concluding Juba

That was about all there was to see in Juba. It was a good day. I returned to my hotel and spent a relaxing evening smoking cigars and having dinner.

*Wine, popcorn, and a cigar. The traditional evening treat in Juba.*

That was my final night in Juba. There is more to see in South Sudan. It is a country with some beautiful landscapes but there is no infrastructure, so it is nearly impossible to see on your own at this time. There are some multi-day tours that one can book to visit the Mundari tribe and spend time with them and their cattle herds. It looks fascinating, but I’m not a group tour person and I was out of time on this particular trip. I was glad to have seen Juba. To see a bit of a country so new and, unfortunately, so troubled. It’s only 12 years old though, so it hopefully it finds greater stability and prosperity in the future. Maybe not in my lifetime though.

That was it for my Sudan/South Sudan trip. The next morning I would leave for Canada, but via Istanbul, where I would have a lovely overnight layover.

Africa Sudan Sudan-South Sudan trip 2022

Sudan’s Camel Market

Camel Market

Any trip research for Khartoum will mention the camel market, which is out of Khartoum, but not too far. Perfect for a half day trip. I almost skipped it. I thought, “I’ve seen camels.” And had Khartoum had a bunch of other things to do I probably would have skipped it. I am so glad I didn’t.

You need a taxi to get you to the camel market. At the time I went, there were no buses going there. I got a taxi through my hotel and the driver took me up there. It is a good drive. You see the city fall away and become rural, poorer, dustier.

And then you get to the market. It’s just an expanse of desert with some big trucks, men, and hundreds of camels. It happens daily but is busiest on Saturdays. I went on a Wednesday (‘hump day’, appropriately, as a family member pointed out).

The driver stopped and I hopped out. I felt a little bit weird at first, just walking around and inadvertently attracting attention, but that quickly changed. So many people approached me and said hello and welcome. Dozens of young men asked me for selfies. Most people didn’t speak English, so we did not communicate much beyond greetings of “As-Salaam-Alaikum” and smiles, but I felt welcome.

There are SO MANY CAMELS. It’s crazy. And all around them men in white robes, communicating and, as I understand it, making deals. Despite the fact that this is just an open area full of camels and looks very simple, this is huge business. Sudan has the second most camels in the world (after Somalia) and is the biggest supplier of racing camels to the Arabian Peninsula, where racing camels are prized. They are also sold for meat. The camels are mostly bred and brought in from south east Sudan. You can track camel market prices online. There is a really good article about the camel market in Sudan here. (I kind of want to see a camel race now.)

There were also cows, but they were less impressive.

Hospitality

When I was finished my wander, I was ready for a coffee, so the taxi driver, who had been waiting for me, went to a nearby spot. One of those places that, had I been on my own, I would not have known I could go there for coffee. Just a one-room structure made of mud bricks with open doors on the front and back. No signage.

Inside, I asked for a coffee (one of those excellent Sudanese ginger spicy ones). There were two men inside sitting on low cots eating lunch; sharing a big bowl of foul (spicy fava beans) and fresh flatbread. They waved over for us to join them and would not take no for an answer, so my driver and I sat, and we ate with our hands from the communal bowl. They left before I finished my coffee and when I went to pay, I found out they had paid for that too.

*the men who invited me to share their lunch*

Omdurman Market

From the camel market we drove back towards the city. I had asked the driver not to take me back to Khartoum, but to drop me off at the big market in Omdurman and leave me there. Omdurman is technically a different city from Khartoum, just north of the Nile, but it really feels like part of the same city.

The Omdurman market is a ‘must-see’; an excellent, sprawling market where all the usual things are sold: fresh food, textiles, housewares, etc. It was great for a wander and a lot more Sudanese coffee. To my delight, I even saw a few camels walking through the market, transporting goods. I know it is just daily life for the people that live there, but it did feel like a bit like a movie set. Sort of Indiana Jones-esque.

Walking Back to Khartoum

From the market I had originally planned to take a shared taxi back to central Khartoum, but I decided to walk. It took a couple of hours and wasn’t the most exciting walk, but I didn’t mind. It was still interesting.

It also gave me the opportunity to walk across a particular bridge across the Nile where the blue and white Niles meet. The Nile splits into two halves in Khartoum and it flows North and makes the one, connected river that flows up into Egypt. I walked across the White Nile Bridge and watched the two parts of the river flowing together. (One part is a little muddier, but they are not really different colors.) It was cool to see from a geography nerd perspective. I did not, however, take photos, because photos from bridges is not allowed, and from this bridge in particular is specifically outlawed. If you are going to get nabbed for photography in Khartoum, this is one of the spots where it will happen. When I was there, there were two men on the bridge with a motorcycle; I was later told that they were un-uniformed soldiers. Anyway, there are tons of photos online if you are curious.

Back in Khartoum, sweaty, red-faced and tired from hours of walking in the heat, I stopped at the fancy Corinthian hotel for a bit of AC and a cold drink.

I arrived back at the Acropole Hotel and relaxed on the patio with a cigar before heading out in the evening for dinner with some newly met friends.

It was another excellent day in Khartoum. The next day I would go back out of the city again to visit the ruins of Musawwarat es-Sufra and Naqa.

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kyrgyzstan

Two days in Bishkek

Exploring Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan – the country whose name I only learned to spell once I visited it – is a mountainous, sparsely populated country nestled just below Kazakhstan and, likewise, was a part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and before that was usually a part of one empire or another (Russian, Mongolian, etc). Kyrgyzstan’s history though goes back a few thousand years, and its people are traditionally nomadic. Even today, it is mostly a rural country, with only about a third of its people living in cities.

I arrived by taxi and foot after crossing the border from Kazakhstan and was deposited at my hostel – the USSR Hostel. As promised, it was walking distance to everything I wanted to see. Not counting the day that I did a countryside private tour, I had two days in Bishkek. That was enough to see and do all that I desired and do so on foot.

Statues & Buildings

I liked Bishkek, more than Almaty. Almaty is the nicer, more European-feeling city, but Bishkek felt more Central Asian. It was just more interesting. The architecture grander and more imposing. The men often wore their traditional hats. There were more statues and monuments. No, not just more; there were a shocking number of statues and monuments. Especially in Oak Park, where they filled the green space like a chess board dotted with pieces. There were brightly colored flower beds everywhere.

The city was just so interesting to walk in. But it also was an easy city to visit. Well organized and signposted and all that. So I could wander with ease.

Over the two days, I walked around and past all the notable buildings, including the UFO shaped circus building, the imposing museum, and an assortment of ornate buildings of indeterminate use.

*beautiful buildings, flowers, and Soviet insignia*

Behind the National Museum is an excellent Lenin statute. Until recent years he stood in the main square but was moved…for obvious reasons. I like the decision to keep the statue (and not destroy it) but to move it to the museum grounds, to place it in historical context, as opposed to holding him up as an icon. (There is also statue of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels deep in the park.)

A Museum & A Gallery

I visited the Museum, which was very good. A beautiful, new building displaying an impressive array of Items from Kyrgyz history.

I wandered to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which I didn’t really enjoy, but was happy to check it out. Interesting art, even if i didn’t like much of it.

Osh Bazaar

I walked to the Osh Bazaar where I was lost in rows and tangles of produce (especially berries), rounds of fresh bread that looked like that I knew from Uzbekistan, slabs of freshly butchered meat, spices, house wears, and hats. It was a very satisfying market. I enjoyed some delicious fried dough and potato treat, like a flat piroshki, and tried some balls of Qurt or Qurut or Kurut. (This being the hard dairy balls that can also be used as projectiles if you find yourself in a violent protest but short on rocks. I wrote about this more in my market post from Almaty.)

Bishkek was a very pleasant city for walking, even if it was blisteringly hot when I was there. It is a city of parks and trees; shade and greenery could almost always be found. Plus, it has a lot of great cafes. Cool cafes with tattooed baristas and pleasant patios for sitting with a coffee and a book or laptop.

Got milk?

Milk type and fermented drinks are inescapable in Bishkek. Like, in Almaty, you can buy a variety of different milks from different animals, fresh and fermented at the markets, but in Bishkek, you can buy the milk (or milk adjacent beverages) on the street. On nearly every corner is a woman sitting under an umbrella with 1-3 plastic barrels in front of her, selling drinks by the glass.

The most prominent is the Шоро or Shoro company, which sells milk beverages. They sell maksym (made from fermented barley, wheat, millet and/or corn), chalap (fermented milk, yogurt, and salt), and jarma (a fermented grain mixed with yogurt drink). You can mix maksym and chalap together, which is called aralash. Other stands will sell kymyz, which is fermented horse milk.

Maksym is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan…it is also the one I liked the least. I also found out after the fact that maksym usually has some form of animal fat in it – maybe butter or maybe other rendered animal fats – so it probably isn’t vegetarian. (oops.)

The other main company that sells their drinks on nearly every corner is the Eneasy company, which sells cold tea and milk/yogurt drinks.

All of these things you can buy in the market made in small batches or at roadside stands, but you just can’t escape the sidewalk sellers in Bishkek – and you wouldn’t want to. The milk and yogurt drinks are delicious and cost maybe 15 cents a glass.

*me, beating the heat with a refreshing glass of chalap*

Impressions

I also noticed that, while it is a Central Asian Muslim country, I saw a surprising number of cool, counterculture-looking young women with visible piercings or tattoos, partially shaved heads, and brightly dyed hair. (Like me as a teen.) I’m not saying I saw a lot of them, but enough that I took note. That’s not something I have noticed in similar places. Between this observation, the green spaces, and the cafes, I had this reoccurring thought: Is Bishkek the Portland, Oregon of Central Asia? That might be a weird comparison, but there is something to it. I liked it anyway.

I’m really squishing together my two days in Bishkek, but that’s mostly what I did. The third day I would take to the country for a bit of rural sightseeing.

Asia Central Asia 2022 Kazakhstan

Almaty: Green Market / Red Meat

The Green Bazaar

Almaty’s central market is the Green Bazaar, technically Kök Bazaar. I walked there from my hotel. A nice walk. Sights and sounds of Almaty.

It opened in 1875 but was rebuilt after an earthquake later that century and then rebuilt multiple times over the decades. The market does not look interesting from the outside. It’s just a big green building. Nondescript. Inside though, it is bustling with everything you could want from a Central Asian market. Piles of colorful fruits and vegetables. Bins of spices. Jars of pickled … everything. Nuts and dried fruits. Locally made honey. Horse meat. And unidentifiable food items.

I took a lot of photos of everything; the familiar and the new. Smiling at vendors and sampling items as they were offered.

The butchery section of any market is always one of my favourites. I just find it fascinating and gruesome. We never see this stuff at home (unless you’re actively involved with the killing and processing of animals for food). And I do love gross stuff, so seeing piles of hearts and stomachs, intestines strung up like morbid party streamers, severed heads staring back…I love it.

As far as markets go, the Green Bazaar was not gruesome. Pretty tidy actually, but still vastly unlike the markets we have in Canada. There was the section for horse meat (of course, of course). Horse meat is a staple of Central Asia. It doesn’t bother me at all. Meat is meat and I don’t eat any of it.

My favourite thing about the Green Bazaar though was the dairy section. They had very local and specific products that I would eat: fresh and fermented camel, cow, and horse milk. I didn’t care for the fermented milks, but the fresh camel milk was excellent. (I think this is more due to the freshness and quality more than the animal of origin.)

Also, they had qurt, which is a fermented and dried milk ball. It was created many years ago as a portable source for calcium and protein that nomads could carry without risk of spoiling. It comes in many different varieties. I can’t summarize all of the differences, except that some are from different animals, and some have different amounts of salt. The consistency is like really hard chalk, and it tastes…strong. Salty and pungent. I really liked it, a fact that seemed to delight the woman at the stall who let me sample everything.

The Metro

I went to some different areas of Almaty that day. Partly just to check out some different neighbourhoods; partly to look for a specific cigar lounge that I never did find. I walked a lot but also used it as an opportunity to take the metro.

The Almaty metro is not super comprehensive, nor is it very old, but it is nice. Each stop is a little different in its design and decoration. One had a stained-glass window of an apple tree (Almaty means ‘city of apples’); another has this 1960s modern style décor. (Lousy photos, but you get the idea). They feel quite Soviet but opened in 2011.

My favourite thing about the metro though was that when you buy your fare (super cheap: 80 Tenge, which is about 25 cents Canadian) you get a bright yellow, thick plastic token. It is oddly satisfying – and ended up being my only souvenir.

I spent my evening with cigars and shisha at what became my favourite evening patio. The next day I would cross the border to Kyrgyzstan by a car and foot combo.

Tag: markets