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Phat Phuc Noodle Bar – A little bit of Saigon in London

Written by James Clark on September 3, 2011 · 1 Comment

One of the many things I love about London is how practically all of the nations of the world are represented when it comes to food. I always like to look at the menus from the countries I have been to and see if I remember the dishes (and compare the prices). Walking down Kings Road in Chelsea a sign caught my attention.

The Phat Phuc Noodle Bar sounds funny in English but the name actually means Happy Buddha. Either way the sign lured me off the Kings Road and into a little open air court yard. My intention was to check out the menu, but smell of the noodles instantly had me seated for second lunch. What really got me though was the noodle bar. Yes there is an actual noodle bar, set up on a mobile stall decorated with Vietnamese and Chinese ornaments.

[Noodle street stall - London style]

I ordered the chicken Phở, which was prepared in front of me, while chatting to the friendly girl behind the bar who was from Northern Thailand.

[Chicken Pho]

The noodles were as good as anything I’ve had outside Southeast Asia, and the unseasonably warm September day added to the occasion (26 degrees – in London!).

At £6.95 that is about 200,000 Dong more than you would pay in Ho Chi Minh City, but I have been back in west long enough now to be over the sticker shock, and I was happy to slurp down some noodles in a street stand environment.

On A Related Note
Speaking of Ho Chi Minh City, the city’s namesake spent time in London when he was in his twenties. There is a plaque on Haymarket in the West End which commemorates the location of the hotel where he once worked.

[Ho Chi Minh Plaque - London]

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: england, food, ho chi minh, ho chi minh city, london, uk, vietnam

Walking the High Line – New York City

Written by James Clark on August 29, 2011 · 5 Comments

New York now has two walks in my good walks section (New York is that kind of place) with The High Line Park now added to my collection. While not as epic as the Broadway Walk, this walk is far more relaxing, with no traffic to contend with and a length of just one mile.

the High Line is a disused railway viaduct that runs along 10th Ave on the Lower West Side of Manhattan, between 30th st and Gansevoort St (near 12th St).

An easy walking path, with no bikes.

Parts of the walk feature the railway track that used to run along the line.

Walking above the traffic at W17th St.

The park features landscaped gardens of wildflowers and grasses that you might expect along a disused railway line, and there are plenty of resting benches along the way.

The highline ends, so soon – boo. Originally the High Line ran south to Clarkson St (about another 14 blocks), one street short of Houston St, but that was demolished. Thankfully such a large section of track was spared. The good news is that there are plans to extend it further north from 30th St.

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: good walks, new york, new york city, usa

New Country Day: Iceland

Written by James Clark on August 27, 2011 · 2 Comments

New Country: Iceland Date: 26 August 2011

My first new country for 2011 brings me to Iceland. I haven’t been to a new country since Brunei last November, even though I have been to eight countries since.

I am visiting Iceland as a stopover between New York and London. This is a trip I have been wanting to do for years, but I have previously not found a reasonable fare.

Upon arrival the air hostess announced that it was 6 degrees (c) outside. 6 degrees, in August! Did I hear that right? After spending much of the year in tropical extremities, I found the crisp morning a refreshing change, once I had dug out the cold weather clothes from my bag.

So far Iceland is everything I thought it would be. I love the space and sense of remoteness of the lava plains. Not loving so much the high cost of living (though I note that bananas are cheaper here than in Australia).

Photos to follow.

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: iceland, new country day, reykjavik

Cost of living in Playa del Carmen – Living in Mexico for $850 a month

Written by James Clark on August 4, 2011 · 52 Comments

One of the most common questions I get asked is how I can afford my lifestyle of travel around the world. First I need to explain that I am working while travelling, so it’s not like I’m living the life of leisure.

I have also been asked if I am the dot com millionaire James H. Clark. I am not (though I’m working on that one ).

It’s been a while since I have lived somewhere for longer than a month (outside of Melbourne), so having spent a month in Playa del Carmen I have tallied up what the cost of living in Mexico is like.

[Playa del Carmen]

This is my expense breakdown for July 2011 in Playa del Carmen, converted into USD:

Rent	$290
Eating Out	$300
Groceries	$60
Coffee	$90
Transport	$35
Sundries	$75
Total	$850

For $850 I have been living in comfort and eating like a king for way less than a grand a month. This is in US dollars as well – it sounds even better if I convert it into my home currency: $790 AUD.

Rent

This is the biggest variable by far in Playa del Carmen, and if you don’t know what you are doing you could end up paying Manhattan prices. If you turn up at a real estate agent or book through a holiday rental site they will try and charge you $100 a night for the type of place we stayed at.

I was fortuntate in that my house mate had boots on the ground before I got here and negotiated a sweet deal for our apartment. Our accommodation is a modern complex with swimming pool and came to a grand total of $290USD per month per person – less than $10 per day. (Gas and electricity is extra, inlcuded in the sundries items).

[Apartment Kitchen]

The apartment is spacious and comes with internet and a laundry room, so that is two other expenses taken care of. Oh yeah, did I tell you it comes with a swimming pool?

[Swimming pool at the apartment]

Food

Having an apartment meant that I could have breakfast everyday at home, and I would occasionally make my own lunch. Other than that I ate out every day for lunch and dinner. If I wanted to I’m sure I could have made this budget come down to $650 rather than $850, but why? I mean c’mon, I’m in Mexico. I’m not going to miss out on a chance to have Mexican food as often as I can while I am here.

[Tacos Al Pastor washed down with a Horchata]

The food here has been a surprise for me. I have always loved Mexican food, but there was a lingering concern that Mexican food made in America might have somehow have been better than Mexican food in Mexico. What was I thinking?! I’m happy to report that Mexican food in Mexico is better than I could have hoped for.

Of course it’s not Mexican food every night. There are plenty of other eating options around town if, for some reason, you tire of Mexican. For example we found a Sushi place that have a 2 for 1 deal on sushi rolls every Wednesday. The rolls are surprisingly good considering the lack of Japanese representation in the city.

Fruit juice is a big part of my diet as well, and in Mexico they serve it by the bucket. Well, the one litre styrofoam cup (yes, styrofoam is still used here). A 1L pine/orange juice, no sugar, goes for around $3.00.

[Juice prices in Pesos]

Groceries
This is the tally from the supermarket across the road. This covered mostly breakfast and fruit, as well as household consumables. While that seems like a small amount for a month, have a look at the price of bananas.

Banana prices in Mexico

Bananas for $9.90 MXN (0.84c USD) per Kilo. Sadly the bananas are not Tabasco flavoured, but from the state of Tabasco.

My Daily Vice – Coffee

Another personal variable here. My expenses are low as I don’t drink or smoke, so you will need to consider that in your own budget. Included in my budget is a two cup a day coffee habit. I can live with that. I started out making my own coffee at the apartment, but it’s just not the same as sitting in a cafe and doing my work there. Unfortunately there isn’t a great variety of cafes in Playa that are work friendly, but at least they know who I am by now.

Transport

Playa is a reasonably compact city so there is no need to get the bus or a taxi anywhere. Our apartment is walking distance from everything we need. A one minute walk to the supermarket, a ten minute walk to the beach and all the cafes and restaurants in between. We were lucky enough to have a car on loan to us, so that helped out with the road trips around the region, but even without a car the buses are reasonably priced.

Other Cost Considerations
Of course your mileage will vary according to accommodation selection and lifestyle choices. Where you eat is also an important factor. Almost all of my meals were at the local places in the back streets behind the main tourist street. They may not look as fancy as the tourist places, but you can be sure you are getting a better deal and authentic food. Same goes for the juice. While that juice sign isn’t visually appealling, you can see they are putting nothing but fruit into the juicer. Who cares what the shop looks like.

This list is also a cost of living budget, not a travel budget. If I was travelling around Mexico for a month this would be a different outcome with higher accommodation and transport expenses. Apart from a few road trips around the region, this stay in Playa was with the intention to get some work done, enjoy the beach, and eat as much Mexican food as possible. Mission accomplished.

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: blogsherpa, cost of living, mexico, playa del carmen

Chichen Itza is wonderful, but should it be a new 7 wonder of the world?

Written by James Clark on July 27, 2011 · 23 Comments

Being based in Playa del Carmen has been ideal for visiting the highlights of the Yucatan Peninsula. One sight that has been high on my visit list is Chichen Itza. Not counting Luxor Las Vegas or the Louvre Pyramid, this was the first time I have seen a pyramid.

The Chichen Itza archaeological site contains numerous ruins built by the Maya civilization around 1000 years ago. The central building of the site is the remarkable Kukulcán Pyramid, or El Castillo (The Castle).

James at the Kukulcán Pyramid - Chichen Itza
[My first pyramid - the Kukulcán Pyramid at Chichen Itza]

Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2007 it was voted as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

[New 7 Wonders of the World]

After visiting Chihen Itza a reader asked me what my favourite temple in the world is, and without hesitation I said Borobudur in Java. This got me thinking, why is Chichen Itza a wonder over Borobudur? Nothing against Chichen Itza, as it really is wonderful and worth the visit, but Borobudur is a far superior monument. Borobudur is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, yet it remains relatively unknowm. The temple features intricate carvings on most of its exterior and it is crowned with 72 stupas containing a Buddha image. And unlike Chichen Itza, you can walk on Borobudur.

[Borobudur - The biggest Buddhist temple in the world]

I had a look at the list of New 7 Wonders finalists and I was gobsmacked to see that Borobudur wasn’t even on the short list. The New 7 Wonders was selected by a global poll, which gave it about as much credibility as the Eurovision voting system. Indonesia is terrible at promoting its own wonders outside of Bali, and it seems that the 230 Million Indonesians weren’t as organized to vote as the 110 million Mexicans. I remember when this poll came out in 2007. I can’t remember if I voted, but if I did I probably voted for the Sydney Opera House out of patriotic duty.

So, do you agree that Chichen Itza – or any of the other winners – should be on the list?

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: blogsherpa, borobudur, buddha, building, chichen itza, indonesia, java, mexico, temple

Pandas, spies and capsule hotels – 7 posts from the archives

Written by James Clark on July 13, 2011 · 3 Comments

My 7 Links is a project started by Katie at Tripbase, offering a chance for travel bloggers to highlight posts from the archives. It has been great way to get to know many travel bloggers I follow, and some of their older material which I missed.

The project also involves nominating other travel bloggers to participate. I was nominated by my housemate in Playa del Carmen, Wandering Earl, and my friend Jodi from Legal Nomads. With nominations from two awesome people, I am happy to join in as well. I present to you My 7 Links.

My Most Popular Post
Capsules
[Capsule Hotel - Tokyo]

On my first stop-over in Tokyo I knew I had to try out a Capsule Hotel. I booked in for 2 nights, not knowing that one was more than enough. It was an interesting experience at least, and it turned out to be my most viewed post. Maybe it was my fetching capsule pajamas [click through to see].
Staying in a Japanese Capsule Hotel

My Most Controversial Post
Giant Panda on its back
[Aww, look at the Panda]

I wouldn’t say I’m a controversymonger, but not everyone agreed with my light hearted plan on how to save the Giant Pandas. When I was in China I discovered that Pandas were once domesticated. Who knew? All domesticated animals were once wild, so why not pandas, right?
My plan for saving the endangered Giant Panda

My Most Helpful Post

[Train passing through market - Maeklong Thailand]

Maeklong Market Railway in Thailand has always been on my to visit list. Problem was it is almost always referred to as being in Bangkok, which it is not, and I could never find how to get there. It is about 80km south of Bangkok, but quite fiddly to get to. I recorded how I got there, and it has become one of my most linked to posts so far.
Maeklong Market Railway, Thailand – The Train That Goes Through a Market

Surprisingly Successful Post

I love long urban walks, so it was only a matter of time until I walked the length of Broadway from the top to bottom of Manhattan. I thought it was a slightly eccentric idea, but I floated the idea with another eccentric friend, and he wanted to go as well. What I also found out was when you publish seemingly eccentric ideas the internet you will find plenty of other people who think the same way as you.
Walking the length of Broadway, New York

My Most Beautiful Post

[Buddhist quote in Chiang Mai, Thailand]

I don’t know if this is my most beautiful, but I have gotten some beautiful emails from people who read my picture post featuring Buddhist quotes and sayings on life, which I found in a temple garden in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
52 inspiring Buddhist quotes and sayings on life

Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved

As a long term traveller with no fixed address, I have often been accused of being a spy. This is an accusation that I neither confirm nor deny – afterall it is a pretty cool job title. Did you know you can apply to be a spy online in some countries? I compiled a list of countries and their espionage agencies, and how you can become a spy in your home country.
Travel the world as a spy

I’m Most Proud Of…

[Dusun wedding party - Sabah]

My preferred method of travel is solo and with changeable travel dates. When I was in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) I was invited to a wedding which I promptly changed my travel plans to attend. This turned out to be a remarkable weekend where I stayed with a family in a small village, and I was even supplied with formal wedding attire.
Attending a Dusun Wedding in Sabah

Blogs I nominate for 7 links

Next, I nominate the following bloggers to share their 7 Links:
Kevin from The Mad Traveler
Jo from ActionJoJo
Lillie from Around the World “L”!
Melanie from Travels With Two

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: china, japan, malaysia, thailand, usa

Music, business and coffee culture in Seattle

Written by James Clark on June 28, 2011 · 1 Comment

Seattle has been on my go to list since before I started travelling internationally. Yet even after eight previous visits to the USA I had still not made it to the Pacific Northwest. So after attending TBEX in Vancouver, I finally got the chance to visit.

It’s not that Seattle has any sites in particular that I wanted to see, and it is certainly not famous for its fair weather. What made me curious about Seattle is the music, business and coffee culture.

Seattle Sound

In the early nineties most of the music I was listening to was from Seattle. The Grunge scene (AKA the Seattle Sound) featured Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and the Screaming Trees, to name but a few. These bands were heavily rotated on my CD player at the time (what is CD? I hear the kiddies ask). “What are they putting in the water in Seattle?” That was a common question asked in the music media of the day. I wanted to find out for myself, but the party was over by the time I had first arrived in the US.

Business

Seattle companies have featured prominently in my working life. My experience of working overseas is bookended by Seattle companies. My first job in London was packing boxes at Amazon.com. Then in Dublin I worked for Microsoft (from Redmond, close enough), which turned out to be my last full time job working for someone else.

Good Weather For Cafes

One thing I noticed about Seattleites is they are very apologetic about the weather to visitors. If you listen to a local you would think it is a rain swept city every day of the year. I arrived on a clear sunny afternoon, which apparently gave me a false impression of the city climate. For the next three days it was business as usual – grey skies and drizzle. I was happy to have some cool grey days for a while though. I have been in the tropics most of the year, so any chance to wear clothes without sweating was a welcome change.

Does this weather incubate a good coffee culture? There are some parallels between Seattle and Melbourne’s weather, which is also mad about coffee. I love a good cafe, so naturally I have been curious about Seattle’s cafe culture. Now while we are talking about coffee and Seattle, we can’t get around not talking about Starbucks, which was founded in Seattle. If you have had the standard Starbucks brew in the USA, it is usually the Pike Place blend. Pike Place is the the home of the oldest Starbucks (the second Starbucks store, as the first one moved). Even though there was a long list of other cafes that needed to be tried out, it seemed fitting to at least have a Pike Place blend at Pike Place.

[Starbucks Original Logo]

The Pike Place store has the original brown and white Mermaid logo in homage of the original store, featuring a much racier version of the mermaid than you see today. Ahh the 70′s. Too bad Starbucks didn’t revise this logo with the logo upgrade.

If you really wanted to complete the Seattle Starbucks pilgrimage, you could visit the world headquarters. While I was in Seattle my laptop power supply died, so I had to find a electronics store fast. I ended up at an office supplies store in the redeveloped docks area (SoDo). Next door happened to be the Starbucks world headquarters. Nothing to see here, unless you are visiting every Starbucks in the world.

[Starbucks Center - The Starbucks world headquarters]

Beyond Starbucks, I found a few cafes that served real coffee in a cozy environment. In the Capitol Hill neighborhood I stumbled upon Stumptown. They serve coffee sourced from individial farms. They are part of what is called the third wave coffee movement. What I didn’t know at the time is that this cafe is part of a chain. Perhaps the coolest cafe chain on the planet. Stumptown have branches in Seattle, Portland (their home base), and New York.

[Stumptown Seattle]

Closer to where I was staying I found Zeitgeist Cafe.

[Zeitgeist Cafe]

Finding a good cafe near my place of abode tends to make me lazy. I stopped looking for more cafes after I found Zeitgeist. I’m okay with that, as it feels like I will be back in Seattle again. Next time I visit I’m hoping I will be a guest of another business giant of Seattle to see their aircraft factory (hint hint Boeing, my contact details are can be found from the top Nav Bar).

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: cafe, coffee, music, seattle, usa, washington

Maui: Paradise lost and found

Written by James Clark on June 8, 2011 · 2 Comments

When sticker shock and reverse culture shock kicks in

Maui and I didn’t get off to a good start. I didn’t know what was wrong at first, but after chatting online to anyone who would listen, I was diagnosed with reverse culture shock. I didn’t think this would happen to me, as I had just come from two weeks in Melbourne and a week in Oahu. While I experienced sticker shock in Australia, I was too busy with catching up with friends to stop and think about it. Same in Oahu, where the welcome mat was rolled out by a friend of a friend and a wonderful hotel.

My first day in Maui I finally had time to myself, and sticker shock and reverse culture shock finally set in. The thing with Maui is the towns are spread out and the public transport is limited to an infrequent bus system, so to really get around and see the highlights of the island you need to hire a car or buy an expensive minibus tour. It’s a rich mans paradise, and not very backpacker friendly. There are only a few hostels on the whole island, and I was staying in a place with not a whole lot to do and very few eating options. I had a terrible “Chinese” dinner on my first night, and I couldn’t help but think I’m over this. Where’s the sticky rice?

Enter Jim

I got to the point where was looking online to see if I could move my flight early a few days to Vancouver. Then a random meeting with a local got me out of my funk. I got chatting with this stranger, and after about 5 minutes he asked what I was up to tomorrow, and next thing you know he had volunteered to tour guide me around the island.

We went to Mt Haleakala, the 10,000 feet high dormant volcano which dominates the island. It wasn’t long into the drive that Maui started to reveal its beauty to me. Jim moved from California 18 years ago and has been in love with Maui ever since. Hearing his passion for the island while seeing the natural beauty away from the towns lifted my spirits immensely. It was a win-win for both of us, as Jim hadn’t been up the volcano since he first moved out here.

Jim Mt Haleakala
[Jim at Mt Haleakala]

The next day I was taken on another tour, this time to see some of the famous Maui beaches. On the way we stopped off at Jim’s humble abode for supplies…

Jim's House
[Two Aussies in Maui]

Waterfront Maui awesomeness! In the picture you see one of his dogs, an Australian Cattle Dog. It turns out Jim is an Aussiephile. He has been to Australia many times and loves all things Australian. Lucky me.

As I am now homeless, it gets complicated when I get asked where I am from. I just say I am Australian, but if I get asked where I live, lately I have been saying Thailand. In another nice piece of synergy the day ended at a Thai restaurant with a bunch of his friends. Saying Sawasdee to the Thai staff and seeing and assorted Thai paraphernalia hanging from the walls put another spring in my already bouncy steps. I was telling the table of how much the price of these meals were in Thailand, to their gobsmacked amazement. Then – as usual with new people – I tried to explain my lifestyle of how I run a business while perpetually travelling around the world.

I have really experienced over the top hospitality during my time in Hawaii, but it gets crazier. When I got dropped off at the hostel Jim said next time I’m in Maui I should stay at the spare room at his place. Wow. I didn’t think I would be back, but maybe I will. Either way, I can leave Maui happy that my relationship with the island has redeemed itself after our rocky start.

So, thanks Jim, you are awesome!

You are awesome!
[No, YOU are awsome!]

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: hawaii, maui, usa

Coffee of the day: Varanasi – India

Written by James Clark on May 9, 2011 · 1 Comment

Varanasi has always been high on my list of places to visit in India. Before coming here I knew that Varanasi was famous for the ghats (steps) that lead to the Ganges river. Varanasi is well known for the funeral pyres where devout Hindu’s consider it good fortune if, God willing, they die here in old age.

What I didn’t know was that Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. Behind the ghats there is a fascinating old town with a tangle of alleys and laneways. Most of the cities I have been to in India have been gridded out cities with wide streets. Here in the old town there are many little laneways which not even an autorickshaw can fit down (yay!). It is still India though, crowded and chaotic as ever. The traffic is limited to pedestrians, bikes and…cows. Being the holy creatures that they are, cows are free to roam in India where ever they please. And with Varanasi being the one of the most sacred of Hindu locations, there are more urban cows here than I have seen anywhere else.

It was down one of these lanes that I found my coffee of the day. This particular cafe use stove top espresso machines as their coffee makers. I usually make my coffee at home like this (when I have a home) so it was like having a home made coffee. I caught this curious cow wandering by while waiting for my brew.

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: animals, cafe, coffee, coffee of the day, cows, india, varanasi

Seeking Nirvana in Bodhgaya – Where the Buddha attained enlightenment

Written by James Clark on May 2, 2011 · 9 Comments

India has three of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world, with the fourth being in Nepal. That is an impressive heritage for a country that counts less than one percent of its population as Buddhist (though ask any business man and most would take 1% of billion any time). Out of those four sites, Bodhgaya is the most important. This is the place where Buddha attained Enlightenment.

The Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya marks the place where Siddhārtha Gautama sat under a Bodhi tree for 49 days of meditation. Not content with having just attained enlightenment, the Buddha then spent a week in front of the tree, gazing with unblinking eyes in gratitude.

[Mahabodhi Temple]

Behind the main temple is Bodhi tree where Buddha sat. Actually it is not the original tree but a descendent of. The original was cut down, but not before a seed was taken to Sri Lanka, which was then able to later supply a replacement tree.

For some reason I had visions of an open garden and the tree just there for all to enjoy. I envisaged that I was going to give the tree a big hug and have some of that nirvana rub off upon me. Of course the reality was different, and the tree is behind a high enclosure. Fair enough. With approximately 350 million Buddhists worldwide, imagine if they all came and gave the tree a hug – it would be worn out in no time.

And don’t even think of trying to take a leaf as a souvenir. All the branches are well above reaching/jumping level . While I didn’t count, I’m sure there was less than 350 million leaves on the tree (though there were some hawkers out the front who will try and sell you a leaf from a Bodhi tree, perhaps the original one ). Anyway, there is no such thing as instant enlightenment. I knew that.

[Bodhi Tree at Mahabodhi Temple]

It is pretty impressive to stand by this tree and think of the history. Over 2500 years ago a man sat under this tree as a Prince, and left as the Supreme Buddha.

Bodhgaya is a small city of around 30000 people. Around the city there are Buddhist temples and monasteries representing all the major Buddhist countries of the world. I was happy to see the unmistakable architectural style of a Thai Buddhist Wat.

[Thai Monastery - Bodhgaya]

While Bodhgaya is a small city, it has an airport with services to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, which are mostly seasonal for pilgrimage travel. The easiest way to get there is to get the train to the nearby Gaya, which is on the Dehli to Kolkata line.

Categories: Travel Blog - Tags: blogsherpa, bodhgaya, india, religion, tree