And while I’m in the area, I thought I’d pop down to Istanbul “Don’t Call Me Constantinople” Turkey. Now that should be interesting – Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

Pictures and more to come.

Related posts:

1. Coming Up Next: Brazil!
2. On the Road: Coming Home
3. Two Weeks In Sunny Brazil

Source: Milton Jung at flickr

I just got home from two amazing weeks in Brazil, and I still need to get my head around many of the things that I saw and experienced there. But it’s always interesting to me to contrast and compare differences between life in Brazil and the life I am used to here in Canada.

1. Food By The Kilo

If you go to a food court in a mall, one of the most common types of fast food places is called “Kilo“. Literally, it is a buffet restaurant that sells food by the kilogram (or pound if you will). In a typical mall food court, you might have 3 or 4 of these types of restaurants.

Essentially, similar to the all-you-can-eat style American buffet, at these places they weigh your plate before you eat it, and charge you based on weight. The food is above average, and based on your preferences you can get steak, pasta, rice, noodles, and everything in between. Why don’t we have this here, outside of grocery stores?

2. Traffic? I Don’t KNOW Traffic

I live in a big city. As such, I already know it’s crazy to try to leave the downtown area at 6pm, and you’re looking at 90 minutes of slow moving traffic to get to the outer suburbs. Having spent 3 hours trying to get to the airport to pick some friends up in Sao Paulo at 5pm (and arriving closer to 7pm), I have seen real traffic. Canada doesn’t have Brazilian traffic. I am glad I don’t have to experience that on a daily basis. How do people do that?

In Sao Paulo, traffic is measured in Kilometers. The other day in Sao Paulo, the radio announced there was 200 kilometers (120 miles) of traffic congestion.  That’s not 200 kilometers on a single road (sum of the major roads), but compare that Toronto has a maximum East-West distance of 46 kilometers. It might take you an hour (more or less) to cross the city during rush hour. Do we even HAVE 200 kilometers of major roads here?

3. Speed Bumps

On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many speed bumps in my life. You can be travelling down a highway at 80 kph (50 mph), and then suddenly there is a huge speed bump and you have to reduce speed drastically. You speed up again, and another speed bump a few hundred meters later. Perhaps that’s better than having traffic lights in minor intersections, but you cannot take your eyes off the road for even a moment. Perhaps three or four times during my trip, I did not notice a speed bump on a road (say, at night), and went over it hard.

4.  Favelas

It is certainly an interesting  feature of Brazil that there are conclaves of extreme poverty in the big cities, called Favelas. In some places you might call them slums. But they’re an undeniable fact of life there.

I did a lot of driving in Brazil which was fun. But I did get lost a few times. One time, after borrowing a friend’s GPS, I turned off of the wrong exit from the highway. Well, I bet “I got off of the wrong exit” is the start of many scary stories all around the world. I found myself driving through a neighborhood that was undeniably a favela. At one point, I came across what looked like a giant trash dump. Except this trash dump was on fire – a big big fire. I wish I could have stopped and took a picture. But I am not that dumb.

Even without bonfires, there are cars without tires, windows or engines parked on the side of the road. People who own cars don’t leave them parked outside a locked garage.

5. Living With Violence

I watched a movie before going that highlighted kidnappings in Sao Paulo. (Yikes.) On the plane on the way down there, the guy sitting next to me said, “The first time I was robbed, it was 12 noon.” And in talking with some friends once I arrived, it seems common to be kidnapped, mugged, or car-jacked. The murder rate is about 5 times that of Toronto. But even with that huge difference, I don’t think the real risk is murder. I think that robbery is the real fear people live with.

That being said, I didn’t get robbed, and never felt in danger at any time. Even as I was driving through the favela with fires and tireless cars, I felt safe as the streets were filled with children, students, and normal working people coming home for lunch. But I wouldn’t want to be lost there at night.

6. It Rains In The Rainforest

Most of Brazil is covered by rainforest. Do you know what it does quite regularly in the rainforest? It rains. Now Sao Paulo has a rainy season (October to March more or less), but that covers most of the spring and summer! It’s now fall in Brazil, and although the rainy season is over, it’s getting cold. Wait, did I say cold?

7. It Gets Cold In Brazil

My head is still not able to process this fact. I saw the thermometer say 15 degrees Celsius during the day when I was there. And it didn’t FEEL like 15, it felt like 10 or less. It was cold. I wore pants. And a long sleeve shirt! In Brazil! Ai ai. That’s not a difference between Brazil and Canada I guess, but it is a surprising fact I discovered on my trip.

8. It’s Not Cheaper

Perhaps you think Canada, the United States, and Western Europe are the most expensive places to live and the rest of the world is cheap by comparison. Well, Brazil seems more expensive to live if you can believe it. Gas is R$3 a litre. That’s C$1.80 a litre, or US$6.81 per gallon!

Televisions? Double the price. Video games? Three times the price. I don’t know why the price of imported things are so much more expensive than Canada, but they are. If you can live your life avoiding imported food and products, and without driving, you can live cheaper than in Toronto. But when you see things so much more than you are used to, you certainly feel like you’re being ripped off.

Anyways, I’ll write some more posts on Brazil in the coming days. Many thanks to all my friends there for their wonderful hospitality and taking good care of me. I did love my trip there, and I will be looking at the calendar shortly to pick a date to come back.

Related posts:

1. Coming Up Next: Brazil!
2. Two Weeks In Sunny Brazil
3. Photo of the Week: Brasilia, Brazil

My destination for this trip is Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is a city of 11 million inhabitants (up to 19 million if you count the suburbs), and is the largest city in the southern hemisphere, the second largest in all of the Americas, and the seventh largest city in the world.

The top 10 largest cities in the world are:

1. Shanghai, 13.8 MM (visited in 2010)
2. Istanbul, 13.1 MM
3. Karachi, 12.9 MM
4. Delhi, 12.5 MM
5. Mumbai, 12.4 MM
6. Moscow, 11.5 MM
7. Sao Paulo, 11.2 MM (visiting in 2011)
8. Seoul, 10.4 MM
9. Beijing, 10.1 MM (visted in 2010)
10. Jakarta, 9.5 MM

So in terms of large cities, I have only been to a few.

Of course, I will post thoughts and pictures up after my trip (and perhaps during if I can get reliable internet coverage.) Take care all, and see you soon!

Related posts:

1. Coming Up Next: Brazil!
2. On The Road: Interesting Differences Between Brazil and Canada
3. Photo of the Week: Brasilia, Brazil

Related posts:

1. From Alaska to Argentina By Bike
2. On the Road: Houston, We Don’t Have a Problem
3. Photo of the Week: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Source: Poldavo (Alex) at flickr

For the last two years, I have been avidly following the Family on Bikes, as they made their way from northern Alaska, down through Canada and the United States, all the way down to the southern tip of South America. They are almost there. They started cycling in June 2008, and have about 10 days left on their journey. It’s an amazing feat for any athlete, but a family – mother and father with two young boys – it’s a truly incredible feat. My hats off to them.

That is two and a half years of cycling many hours per day – only a few days off here and there to combat illness and bike repairs.  Dusty roads, no roads, rain, heat, cold. Having to carry all your possessions with you. Wearing the same clothes over and over again – how many shirts would they pack with them? Pulling over to the side of uncountable roads and camping for the night. I almost want to say, two and a half years of being uncomfortable. All the things we take for granted – including hot food and hot showers – were luxuries for them. But at the end, I am sure they made a lot of friends, learned a lot, saw a lot, and have memories for a lifetime.

Thanks for Netflix, I recently watched a series by Michael Palin, the Monty Python actor turned world traveller, who tried to go from the North Pole to the South. Not by bike, but by train, boat and car. That was a multi-month ordeal as well. Finding himself in Africa, where the “once-a-week” train hasn’t shown up for 6 weeks. That’s still quite an adventure, I won’t take anything away from him travelling a bit more comfortably. Some of the trains and hotels did not look all that comfortable.

I wonder if I can do something similar. Perhaps biking is not in the cards for me. I was never much of a bicyclist. But can I get a motorcycle and travel the same stretch – Alaska to South America? Can I do it by car even?

Of course it has been done before. I read an interesting account of two friends that did it. It took them 7 months from Connecticut to the southern tip of Argentina although it seems there were long breaks in their journey. Part of me would say, I wonder how long it would take “non-stop”. But then another part of me says, why would you want to do a trip like that non-stop? I think I would need a week or two in various places. Seeing the sights, learning the language, and just enjoying myself.

Who knows. Maybe one day I will be able to do that. The next time I find myself with a lot of time on my hands, perhaps I might.

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Week: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Source: Mathieu Struck at flickr

Maybe I am not much of a world traveler. After all, despite the 19 countries I have visited in the past, I have only had to apply for a tourist visa once before in my life. But I just got back from the Consulate to apply for my second visa, and country number 20. Brazil, here I come!

Sonia could not crack a smile. She was unhappy, impatient, and clearly all these tourists wanting to visit her country were disturbing her. “Bem dia!”, I exclaimed. Nothing from Sonia. She took the papers from my hands, without even asking how I was or what she can do to help me. She was fast and efficient, I will give her that. A few checkmarks, a stamp, and she filled out a receipt for me. And just like that, my visa application was in process. “Obrigado!”, I said, in one last attempt to get a response from her. Nothing.

Now I know for a fact that Brazilians are friendly and welcoming. Perhaps the Brazilian Consulate of Toronto should consider hiring some of those people.

So the plane ticket has been purchased for a mid-April departure. Two weeks in sunny South America – my fourth continent. Damn, two years ago I could have stepped a toe on Africa for a few hours and this would have been number five. I should have.

Anyways, watch out meus amigos do Brasil. I am on my way. Keep a beer cold for me.

Related posts:

1. How Long Can You Stay in One Place?

Source: DislOck at flickr

I’ve recently been bitten by the South American bug. There are so many interesting places to see down there. And the first on my list is Brazil.

As a side note, I have been to Aruba, which is just off the coast of Columbia. But apparently that’s still considered North America. So this will be my first venture into South America.

I’m going to start with the very interesting large city of Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo has a long Italian history, and so I am interested in seeing Italy transposed into South America, and how the two cultures mix.

Why not start with Rio de Janeiro? Well, I could have I suppose. Rio is known for it’s beaches, the famous ginormous statue of Jesus, and the annual Carnival festival. And did I mention it’s amazing beaches? Well I know people who live in Sao Paulo, so that makes the decision a whole lot easier. I can always go to Rio for a few days as part of this trip, as they are relatively close.

Right now, I am thinking about going there in late April. As you may know, the seasons are reversed, so April is autumn down there. Apparently the temperature is quite moderate (20 degrees) and it might not be as busy. Both good things in my opinion. Having gone to China in August, and suffered through 38C days every day (108F), moderate but still warm temperature is a definitely plus.

One of the challenges right off the bat is you need a visa to travel there. Brazil believes in the principle of reciprocity (who can blame them), so countries that require Brazilians to get a visa in order to visit, are required to get a visa to visit Brazil. It looks like a 2 week process, and costs $100. Maybe not so much of a hurdle, but you need to really plan your trip in advance.

The other challenge is that Brazilians speak Portuguese, unlike their Spanish-speaking neighbors in South America. Spanish is definitely more common in North American culture (si!), and up to last fall I could only speak one word of Portuguese myself.

That’s changed a bit. I have been studying the language, and think I am able to read around 300 words. By April, I should stretch this to 600 or more ideally. I won’t get too lost there or starve at least.

The money exchange is quite good. One Canadian Dollar gets you about $1.66 Brazilian Reals. Being a big city, I imagine the prices in local currency are comparable to prices in Toronto. So a $40 meal here is like a $40 meal there. But there’ll be significant savings from the exchange rate. As soon as I leave Sao Paulo, and into the countryside, the prices will then drop to “local prices”. Still investigating this.

I’m still working out the details, but I think this is going to happen. I’m very excited! Will post updates as the trip comes together.

Related posts:

1. On the Road: Coming Home
2. Two Weeks In Sunny Brazil
3. On The Road: Interesting Differences Between Brazil and Canada

Source: Theodore Scott at flickr

I had a chance to visit the fine city of Houston recently, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I also very much enjoyed Dallas when I was there a couple of years ago, so Texas is 2 for 2 with fine places to visit for me.

Now if you are familiar with Houston at all, maybe you’d argue I didn’t visit Houston at all. I spent a lot of time with my friend in the happy suburb of Kingwood. Kingwood has tree-lined streets, broad boulevards, parks where the kids play, and even wooded areas that become long bike paths. In short, it’s nice. My friend lives on a cul-de-sac, and has a house with a pool. They know all their neighbors – or a large number. And basically, I wish I could have stayed there longer. I could see myself living there – and am both happy and jealous that he and his wife (and kids) have in one year made a nice life for themselves there.

This is not the Houston I was expecting. I was expecting concrete, and office towers. I was expecting every free greenspace filled with oil drills. Heck, even Dallas is not all that green.

The weather was amazing. While Canada was dealing with 10 degree temperatures (50 F), Houston had pleasant 24 degree weather (80 F). Blue skies, not a cloud for 4 days while I was there.

I did not go to the space centre. I didn’t hear good things about that. I did not go downtown, although I did venture to some bars and restaurants in town. That’s the one disappointing thing. The nightlife in Houston was basically… nonexistant. Houston doesn’t have bars and nightclubs, it has restaurants. My friend also said it lacked a lot of cultural activities (art shows, museums, plays, operas).

Dear people of Houston, what can you do to make your city more liveable? Or does everyone just go home after work and stay there?

Other than that, Houston was great. Great people, great houses and streets, and an overall good positive feeling to the city. I just wanted to go to a club while I was there and ended up at a restaurant instead.

Related posts:

1. On the Road: Six Days in Shanghai
2. On the Road: Thoughts on Beijing Before I Arrive
3. On the Road: The Hot City of Beijing

Source: me

I’m on the plane in Hong Kong, and we’re just about to embark on the 15.5 hour flight to Toronto. I hope to be able to sleep most of the way. But I do want to write down some thoughts of Shanghai ­– what I liked, and what I did not.

I’m glad I had as much time there as I did. 4 days in Beijing, and 3 days in Xi’an was feeling a bit rushed to me, and so 6 days in Shanghai allowed me to see and do a lot, and give me the extra time to get to know the place a bit.

Beijing, for me, felt like an old city. I stayed next to the Forbidden City in the center of the city, and there was a lot of history there. As I described, stumbling into a garden that was actually hundreds of years old, you could feel the history in almost everything there. I did not really get to experience the new modern parts of that city. I was far from the subway, so I don’t even know what it looks like!

Of course, Xi’an is an old city that doesn’t feel like one. The place was called Xi’an even 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 years ago, and people had been known to inhabit the area for 6,000 years. The city wall, the bell and drum towers, all are showcases of that history. But most of the city feels new, with its bars and shopping malls. Blocks of 30, 40 condo buildings being built all at once. A giant nuclear power plant on the outskirts of town.

But Shanghai is something else. You may stumble across some history in the middle of the city, but its not a city of historical tourist attractions. Shanghai may have had it’s heyday in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when it was a movie making capital in China. There are certainly historical places like The Bund, and through various building architectures that suggest an early 20^th century feeling. And yet, a lot of the really giant skyscrapers have only been built in the last 20 years, and more are going up. Shanghai is becoming, or is, the economic capital of China.

The subway has 13 lines, although once did I really got lost in there. It was generally very easy to navigate, and even buy tickets through the automated machines – thank you to whoever added an “English” button to those kiosks! But I had made a couple of faulty assumptions about my destination, and then compounded the error by going in the wrong direction for a while until I looked up and said, what am I doing here? Up til then (and even after) I had the subway down pat, no problem.

Shanghai can suffer the same problem as Beijing sometimes, as it might be difficult to get a taxi on a busy day. In fact, I think for the first time in my life (or certainly the first time I remember), I was stuck in a taxi that did not move for more than 15 minutes. Literally stuck in the same spot on a road that had 2 lanes in each direction, and not moving an inch in that time. I think the Chinese propensity to enter intersections on a red light was the problem, as I am sure the traffic on one end of the street was blocked by some drivers being stuck in the intersection and the same thing another block over (and me in the middle).

The busy-ness of the taxis caused me to make what was, in hindsight, probably a terrible decision. Every once and a while a motorcycle will come by, and ask me if I wanted to go somewhere as I am standing on the side of the road trying to flag a cab. One night I had plans to go out, and was waiting what seemed like a long time for a cab (probably 10-15 minutes in reality) and a motorcyclist came by. OK, here’s the address, take me there. I should have known something was up from the start, as I kept pestering him for a price, and he kept insisting I just get on. Back and forth, how much, just get on, no how much, no just get on. 5 minutes of this, and we finally settle on a price. Basically it was 3 times a cab fare for the same distance, but there were no cabs (supply and demand). And 3 times a $3 cab far is still a pretty good deal for a Canadian when you really want to go somewhere and you’re stuck.

The ride was perhaps the scariest of my life. We drove in the oncoming traffic, squeezed between cars and buses and did not stop for even a single red light. I’ll say this, the guy got me there fast (which was a good thing), but doing 90 kph in the oncoming traffic lane straight through a red light is probably an experience best left for “once in your life”. OK, scratch that one off the bucket list.

The funniest thing was when it came time to pay him. The fare we agreed on was 70 yuan – $10. I pull out the cash, and of course he says “dollars”. Ah, no. I’m not paying you 70 dollars. He literally refused to take the money and insisted on 70 US dollars. Yeah, that’s basically a non-starter. The Chinese, with all due respect, are very persistent at trying to squeeze you for a few dollars more. Well a deal is a deal in my book. So after quite a bit of bickering, I forced the 70 yuan into his hand, and was off to the club.

The nightlife scene was perhaps the funnest part of the trip for me in Shanghai. I’m not much of a club goer back home (that is, not at all). And I was able to find a club that was free to get in, had good music, had good people (met some neat folks there), and the drinks were cheap ($15 for all you can drink). I almost wanted to go to different places and visit different clubs in different spots of town, but when you have fun one night, why risk it by doing something different the next. So I ended up going there night after night.

So the trip is over, and I am only left with the photos and memories of my time there. I am sure by the next time I will be able to go back, China will be very different. That’s the one thing about a rapidly growing culture, it’s never the same from year to year.

I enjoyed China. I would love to talk to people who are thinking about going there, and share some of my experiences and tips. Stay on your guard – this isn’t like a trip to New York. But let yourself have fun. China is a wonderful place, with a ton of history. Well worth putting on your list of places to visit.

Related posts:

1. Coming Up Next: Brazil!
2. On The Road: The Ancient City of Xi’an
3. On the Road: Houston, We Don’t Have a Problem

Source: mathias.apitz at flickr

I am thankful to Kevin Rose and Tim Ferriss. After watching their videos on their trip to China, I became aware of a couple of the more popular scams here. Now that I am here, I can honestly say that has probably saved me a lot of money, and so it’s my duty to pass the word along to fellow travelers.

I don’t know why there are so many in person scammers here in China. I would think that the Chinese government would shut them down fairly efficiently – one of the benefits of a communist government is it doesn’t have to worry about the rights of the shady business owners, although one of the downsides is that it doesn’t have to worry about the rights of the innocent consumer either. But still, hundreds of scammers roam the popular tourist spots, trying to trick tourists out of their money.

The most popular scam, by far, that I’ve encountered is the tea house scam, or the lets go get a drink scam. It’s happened to me in both Beijing and Shanghai. As an example, yesterday I was approached by three young-looking students (two girls and a guy) on The Bund – the popular waterfront promenade. First, they wanted me to take their picture with their digital camera in front of a landmark. Then they started quizzing me about where I was from, what I was doing here, how long I’d be here, etc. They knew of Canada, talked about the Maple Leaf flag, and Maple Syrup. And on and on, for about 5 minutes of getting to know you talk. Then the proposition – they were going over to a nearby tea house, and would I like to join?

Ah, that’s the catch there. I have not fallen for this personally, but a quick search of the Internet revealed many stories of tourists who accompany the students to the tea house. There they sample several different types of tea. And when the bill comes: 2000 Yuan (or roughly $300). Since it is two girls and a guy, the guy part of their group leans over to you and says “in China, it is customary for the men to pay for the women”, and he offers to split the check 50/50 with you, leaving you with 1000 Yuan to pay for some tea and snacks.

Now maybe to some tourists $150 is money they can afford to pay for spending a couple of hours with some nice students learning some Chinese and trying some tea. I have read stories from people who enjoyed their time with them. But to most, it’s a scam. The students are employed by the tea house and paid a commission to bring you there. The money the other guy “chipped in”, he’s going to get back. And the students head out again to the tourist spot to nab more victims immediately after you leave.

I have been approached probably 8 or 9 times by these students wanting to go for some tea or just a drink. So this is a popular scam here.

Another scam, mostly in Beijing I have found, is the bicycle cart scam. Let’s say you’re walking near the Forbidden City, and it’s been a long tiring day. A guy on a bicycle-powered rickshaw comes by, and offers you a ride. You ask how much, and he says “3″. Wow, 3. That’s like 50 cents. “3?” “Yes, 3.” OK you say, and you hop in. He takes you back to your hotel, a 20 minute bicycle ride away. You’re feeling pretty generous, thinking such hard work deserves a big tip, at least pay him 10 or 20 you think.

Then you get there. “300″, he says. “300? You said 3!” Yes, 300. He shows a printed, laminated card with the prices. 300 is clearly the published price. Ah, you tricked me. Instead of 50 cents, it’s more like $50. Then he ups the price, and wants 600. He shows you how sweaty he is. How hard he worked.  He showed you a Hutong along the way like a tour guide, and the price card clearly shows that sightseeing is extra. Well the good news is, you can pay these guys a little money and then walk away. Nice try though. I have no sympathy for them.

I have heard about a foot massage scam but have not dared step into any of those places. Basically, you walk into a legitimate looking massage spa, even on a popular busy street. They tell you all the masseuses are busy, and that you should wait. They serve you tea while you wait. Then 30 minutes later they return, saying the masseuse is ready, but first you must pay for the room rental. Huh? $10 for the cup of tea, and $40 for using the room for half an hour. Two big guys with clubs suddenly appear to collect the fee. Again, you can generally argue your way out the door, basically daring them to call the police on you, which they won’t.

The bottom line is generally, if you pay them, there is very little way you are getting your money back. You can go to the police – I have read that some have tried. The police might patiently take your statement. But basically, the transaction has taken place. A service was rendered or a product was sold for a price (as high as it is), and money changed hands. They find it hard to say any crime has taken place. If you don’t pay, and they actually have to try to force you to take the money, that’s assault or robbery, and it’s much easier to get the police involved. Not that you want to get beat up, but just realize that if you voluntarily pay – out of guilt or out of fear or out of some obligation because in Western cultures we don’t ever demand a discount once a bill with a number is presented to us – then you aren’t getting that money back.

Related posts:

1. On the Road: Coming Home
2. On The Road: The Ancient City of Xi’an
3. On the Road: The Hot City of Beijing