10 Months in Equatorial Singapore

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I stopped at the weed shop near our place and picked up a pint of craft beer. Raven was more of a west coast style IPA, but still pretty light on the malt. Better tasting than I thought it would be when I poured it out.




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We were off to a cooking class for the evening. and stopped at a market on the way there to snack and collect ingredients. These fish sure looked good.



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I typically do not enjoy cooking classes, but I came along to hang out with family and friends. This class turned out to be excellent. Each participant chose three dishes from a menu and you ended up with your own work station. I opted for Khao Soi Gai (Massaman style curry noodle), Pad Thai (cause no one else was making it) and Tom Phed w Basil (Spicy Basil Soup).




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We all also wrapped our own spring rolls. It was something watching my kid cut with a clever the size of their head preparing food.




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We made the four main types of curry paste. Red and Green (green uses fresh green chilis) and Massamam and Panang. The last two are basically red curry with either Indian masala or peanuts added to the paste.


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Making them from hand in the mortar leaves a great texture to the paste.


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Eating was the best part, as we all enjoyed the foods we made.



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After getting home I went out for a walk to check out Harmony. Craft beer in cans. None on tap. So I grabbed one take away and brought it home. At first I was a little bummed nothing was on tap until I saw the prices. This can was 140 baht, which is a little over $4. Craft beer in Asia for that price is a bit of steal. And this one tasted great.

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The next day our group split up. Three went off to some more temples. Our pick up was a little later, so I took a morning walk to grab some coffee. Not surprised I saw a few temples along the way.



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The other four of us opted to take a ride up into the mountains to defend 1000 plus meters on bikes. It was cool up there. The first part of the ride followed a paved road, with some ups and downs, but mostly steep down hills, It was fun enough riding, but ut had just rained a bit and the wet pavement and upright bikes were an interesting mix. Soon we stopped at a pretty cool location to grab some beverages. There was a rooster on a perch and our local guides explained you could put them to sleep by petting their cheek.




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We also were on a perch. This place was built over the side of a ravine that eventually meets the valley far below.



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We drank some warm coffee, tea and cocoa. It was just 22 degrees at this elevation. That is centigrade of course, but the coolest outdoor weather I've been out in for some time. I think my evenings in Canberra were a bit cooler, and for sure HaLong Bay. But it felt really nice to ride in. When the guide asked if we Brough jackets, the crew from San Francisco just laughed.




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This was not the craziest MTB ride. Mostly we descended fire road. Some of it quite steep and rutted, so there was some challenge. But our all, it was the views that made the ride.



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We biked through all sorts plantations. This is a coffee tree. We also passed through Mangosteen, Lychee, Rambutan and eventually Mango.




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In the not so steep sections, I was able to pull out my phone and grab a few pictures. This gives a sense of the type of surface we were on. Mixed semi loose gravel and hard pack. Much of it was damp, and slightly slick. Not muddy. Which was good, as we were on some cheap XC rubber. This would have been a hoot of a ride on a moderately decent bike. No complaints, as this was pretty cheap trip. I had looked into some other outfits, with better bikes, but they were all booked out for the days we were in town.



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There were a few climbs mixed into our route. Nothing more than 150 meters vertical at any one time. As we finished. long descent, and crossed a valley before out next climb, this guy was feeling pretty stoked. You can see someones property behind them. We only saw a homes from time to time. Our guide explained these were the farmers that worked the different plantations.



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Our only water crossing.



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After close to 3000 feet of descent we finally hit up a little single track. This is full jungle downhill. I can attest, these routes were solid black downhills. Our group took a break after the first run. I was pretty stoked on my kid hitting up these lines. We were on full upright XC bikes. Heavy and unwieldy. Crap tires. And their frame was a size or two too big for them. Can't say they nailed it, but they made it. Kind of wish they had a proper bike under them.


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Along the second line. It's nearly impossible to see the line through the jungle. It was tight, rutted, rooted, loose, wet, natural and a load of fun. Chaing Mai has a ton of MTB opportunity. For sure if I was staying in SG longer this would be a weekend get away place for me. You can typically fly less than $150 round trip. lodging is cheap (our 4 bedroom home was $85/night) and you can get some real rides in for under $100. A bit more if you want to go big. That includes a bike rental of a nice quality (think Jamis Faultline or better bike), transit from you hotel and up the mountain to a high start point, and 6-8 hours of guided riding. Guides would be key here until you learned the area. It is full on jungle and we made plenty of turns on our descent.



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Coming out of the wood and back onto the road. One touch through this entire second section. Proud papa. Notice the knee pad fully off the knee. That required we wear the knee and elbow pads. These were fully on motocross pads and even did not fit me properly. Way more pad than needs,d but the damn things kept slipping down.


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Cruising the final section of fire road before returning to tarmac.

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Our $60 ride included lunch at a lakeside location.



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Lunch was good. Chicken Red Curry. What I really enjoyed was being out at a place we only saw Thai people. Notice how many of these platforms are around the lake. It was not crowded, but there were still plenty of people. While we were served lunch at ours, out of them are not associated with any business. You just come and find an open platform to hang out on.






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The ice cream truck came by while we were eating. My kid noticed it well before I did.



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On our drive back to our lodging, we pasted the northwest corner of the old city wall.



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And then we opted to go get a Thai massage. After they washed our feet, we were asked to put on these loose outfits for the massage.



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My mini was super stoked afterwards, especially when they served us tea and rice cookies.. Thai massage is not gentle, but it does feel pretty good once you work through a bit of the pain. And at 350 baht for a full hour, the price is right.

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Our last evening we headed out to the night market. We asked the taxi to take us to the north market, but lost in translation we ended up at the south market. We learned that these markets operate a bit different than some others we have been to. I t is not open seating, and you actually sit down near the vendor you wish to buy from. Often, they will come to you with a menu, but for some you need to go to the stall. This stall had meat or veggies on a stick. I bought 6 different sticks and it came to 40 baht (about $1.15).



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I learned to love these little treats. We had something similar in Cambodia. Coconut puffs that have a treat inside. They are sweet, but you can choose from chives, corn or mango. I found the chive and corn to be surprisingly good.



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Our flight to Bangkok was at 1pm, so we got out fo the house int he morning for a walk. I found there was a little street art inching Mai.



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The taxis in Chaing Mai. These cost about 30-40 baht per person to get you across the city. Just look for these guys, or negotiate a price with one of the hundreds of other drivers trying to get your business. We had used a Grab to get from the airport to the our lodging, but chatted with a driver the morning of our departure to get us back and he offered a significantly cheaper prices. So we just told him where and when to pick us up.


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A bit of the local architecture outside the old city. A mix of older with mixed style and newer with no style.


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This artist was pretty proficient in covering the streets near our lodging.

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My kid discovered caffeine here in Thailand. Thai iced tea for the jolt.

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Flying out Chaing Mai, the region is mostly green and farm land. I never actually saw the urban landscape of the city.



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The mouth to the Choa Phraya River, which winds through Bangkok.



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Off the plan, check into our hotel and on a ferry. we thought we'd have a few hours to chill, but the taxi ride from the airport took well over an hour. While my family. chilled for 45 minutes, I explored our neighborhood and found the ferry terminal.



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Turns out Bangkok has a few hundred or more temples.



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Also turns out the river would be our main transport artery and a great way to see parts of the city. Bangkok is such a mix of super modern and old shacks and amazing temples. Notice the tower left of center that looks a bit pixelated. It reminded us a glitching computer screen.



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A short subway ride and we met up with our food tour and got into a tuk tuk. Subways are pretty easy to use in Bangkok. You can either purchase a card and load with money, or buy tokens with a single ride fare. Just stop at the booth and tell the operator where you intend to alight, and they sell you a single use token. Scan to enter, and drop in the slot to exit. Easy peasy.



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We are big fans of a food tour our first night in a new place, especially if arriving in the afternoon. No need to get your bearings or worry about figuring out dinner. Just show up and have some one guide you through that first night. I have these places pinned, but can't tell you the names (they are written in Thai). Our first stop had their kitchen set up out on the sidewalk, and you ate either inside or outside.



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We started with a spread of green papaya salad, grilled chicken, tom phed basil, ground duck and grilled pork. All the dishes were great but the pork was perfect. The soup was prepared mild, even though it is traditionally very spicy. Still quite good in this form.



We were back in the tuk tuk and off to our second stop. Rice noodles. I ordered mine with seafood. Again delicious, and these reminded me of Hainanese style prawn mee.


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Next door was a hotpot style place. Their kitchen was sort of inside, but open to the sidewalk. I watched as they prepared a chili based broth.



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Our third stop was quite busy, so while we waited for seating, we took a tour of the kitchen. They walked us around back into the alley, and there it was. All preparation goes on back here. Insane. They have one dish, prepared two different ways. Fat rice noodles, fried crispy in the wok, with chicken. Either a soft fried egg or inlet served on top. This dish was insanely good. If you are headed to Bangkok, for sure PM me for the pin location. Of all the food I had in Thailand, this one was my favorite single dish.

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Need to rotate this one, but notice the foot wear. These guys work from 2pm til past 10pm making noodles one after the other. What a blast to be invited into their kitchen and be able to watch them at work.





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The noodles. Like I said, so good. The wok her was intense. The noodles were crisped into almost a single pancake. The egg on top was divine. Between the two, I prefer the fried egg, but both worked.

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A quick ride in the tuk tuk and we found ourselves in Chinatown. The food scene in Chinatown is really worth a visit. If I was spending more time I this city, I would for sure eat in this part of town. The fusion of Thai and Chinese influences is obvious and works quite well. There is a a huge amount of street food offerings and endless restaurants. It is also very busy from Friday o Sunday nights (when we were in town).



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The road is narrowed one lane on each side of the Main Street to accommodate food carts and pedestrians. While this is a huge tourist destination, locals also come to visit. It starts busiest from 6-9pm, and we were told locals that do Coe here to eat not he weekend tend to show up early. Prices were very reasonable, but we were told it is pretty expensive by Bangkok standards.


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We would east some of these later. Basically You Tiao style fried dough, but here they cut them up and drizzle with a pandan custard and condensed milk. A wonderful sweet treat. And for this tour we were in Chinatown for dessert.



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We did not eat here, nor would I generally. Shark fin soup is big with the Chinese community, but most fins are harvest in terrible ways. Fishermen will slice off the fin and toss the shark back in the water, as the meat is not nearly as valuable. The is changing, and there is a push to find a market for the entire shark. It reminds me of the Tiong Bahru hawker center back in Singapore - Lor Mee 49 serves their dish with friend shark nuggets and it is very popular. Hoping we can moe toward. sustainable future so this dish can remain for this who wish to have it.



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Khanom Buang are basically paper thing, mung bean flour crispy crepes bent like a taco shell and filled with whipped egg whites and then toped with savory or sweet items. Savory will usually be dried shrimp, fish sauce, coconut and coriander. The sweet is egg yolks boiled in syrup. Both ae kind of sweet and both are really very good.




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This vender was cooking up Black Sticky Rice Coconut Pancakes. These are fairly common in Bangkok, and something I have yet to see elsewhere.


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Sweet, but not overly so. Filling as well. And yes, yummy. I could eat these for dessert or breakfast.



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Another item I could et for dessert or breakfast - fresh Thai pineapple. this fruit is much smaller than our typical Hawaiian variety but three times as sweet as what leaves the islands. There is a variety there (I forget the name) that is just about as good as these. A nice finish to the sweets course.









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Then were were off to a rooftop bar. Our tour sorted at 7pm and it was snow about 11:30. We walked through this closed restaurant with a nice view of the Temple of the Dawn across the river.




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From the bar, the view is not all that bad.



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Over two weeks on the road and we are not that bad.



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And the view out the other side of the bar was pretty good as well.



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After a Chang and mocktail, we were off to the flower market.



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This market operates 24 hours a day, but is busiest from about midnight until 6AM. It is primarily a market for wholesalers, but they will sell even smaller volumes to individuals.



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It is huge. Both sides of the street and each market is at least an acre in size.




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Hotels and venders come her to buy flowers. If you own a flower shop within a hundred kilometers of here, this is likely where yo come each night to buy flowers for resale.




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Adjancent to the flower market is a large produce market. They tend to be busy from about 4am to 8am. At midnight, they were just starting to set up the fresh items for this coming day.




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Parts of the produce market will also operate 24 hours a day, but most venders only are open for 6-12 hours each day. The majority are operating it the morning, but there are a few wholly open in the afternoon or evening.



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We finished our night with this dude. Or rather a alter dedicated to him. He was a monk who many her feel offers good luck to venders of fresh food and flowers. I made an offering of my lotus flower.

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Next morning I was up early (like 8am) and my family was resting and chilling at the hotel. I hoped a ferry north and went looking fo a haircut.



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I walked around a bit and stopped in a river side park - Phra Sumen Fort. Built in the late 1700, to fortify the new kingdom capital at Bangkok, this fort ws never used for defense. Neighboring Burma was he bigger concern, but they never bothered to invade the you kingdom of Thailand.




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The river was very busy at this hour. I kept seeing these type of barges cruise by. Tug in front, followed by four barges and a steering tug in the rear. No idea what the cargo was.



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The wiring inBangkok is kind of insane.




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I was tired and stopped at a light. Started talking to some local and he spoke great English. We spoke about a nearby temple an their festival happening that day. Told him I was looking for a barber, and would check out the temple later. He posted out a nearby place I could get my hair cut and he walked me toward it. Next thing I knew, I was in a hair salon getting my hair washed. Her I am laughing with my hair wrapped up in a towel. The lady who cut my hair and trimmed my beard I am pretty sure never worked on a man before. Lessoned learned - go to a barber - not a hair salon. Still enjoyed the entire experience and spent less than $15. But the $3 cut and shave in Siem Reap was 20x better.



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This part of town was packed with cute little streets.




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Headed back down river to start the day - or afternoon.

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While on the river ferry, I just loved this small temple against the very modern and sparse building behind it. Speaking of ferries, there were three that I took while here. The tourist ferry (blue flag) cost 30 baht per ride. That is just under a dollar. Regardless of how far you were going. This very operated late into the day. The Orange Flag ferry was also an optioning morning through about 4pm, and would cos 16 baht. There was also a third ferry that just crossed the river directly to Tha Chang, operating from morning till afternoon and it cost just 4.5 baht. This last one was an amazing price, as that is about $.14 to cross the river.


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Wat Phra Chetuphron. This was our first tempe visit in Bangkok. These temples are ornate.


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Built in the 16th century. This place was expansive and very impressive.



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There is a thing such as temple fatigue, but I am not yet there. These spaces are really quite amazing and each feel unique I really love these statues surround the trees.




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This temple area predates the 16th century when Rama I began renovation of a dilapidated Buddhist temple. It has since gone through several additions and renovations.




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Also known as Wat Pho, this temple is best know for the reclining Buddha.






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My wife had read ten foot long feet. We were skeptical. The literature was correct.




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The Buddha is gold but the base of the feet is inlay is mother of pearl. The work is intricate to say the least.




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For little bit of scale. This Buddha is big.



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As we visit each of these temples, we try to spend a little time, and a little money, exploring the tithing and worshiping in each culture. He my kid places a coining each of the many buckets lining the exterior wall of the temple.




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Some folks, apparently, like to put their extra coin in the belly of the sitting Buddha.

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The tile work is intricate in these Bangkok temples.


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Gongs are a thing. You can see the hits this thing has taken over the years.




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Over the years the temple was renovated and expanded, Rama V placed these statues around the grounds. I really enjoyed how they blended with the trees and surrounding temples.




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These statues guard the gateways teach part of the temple.




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We have this thing with jumping in photos. My kid demonstrates levitation.



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It is really hard to capture the intricate work in these spaces. Tiles, gold, plaster all work together.






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The temple was pretty busy around the Reclining Buddha, but if yo ventured just a bit away from that temple, it was fairy quiet and we found you could relax and contemplate in your own corner for the facility. We are for sure not devote, but it was easy to find some peace in this place. It is really quite striking how a hundreds year old construction can center you.




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The glitter and gold have their effect. These temples felt so new and so refined compared to what we saw in Siem Reap or Chiang Mai. Some of that is age and much the is wealth.




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As we walked around the grounds, we found ourselves further and further from other people. It became a bit shocking that we were funding ourselves nearly alone.


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Hindu stories still find themselves in the Buddhist world. Ramayana images in the structures.






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At this point we have left most of our below tourist behind and were alone except with a few worshippers.



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Inside this temple we find quite the alter to Buddha.

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We made it through another temple escapade and grabbed some street food - friend pandan cake






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River scene.


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Temple of the Dawn.


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Royal Palace.



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Selfie - getting better at these.

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Looking down river on our ferry ride home.



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There are only a few places open for dinner in the WagLang area, and several of them feel like designed for westerners. We found - A River Never Sleeps - a locally owned riverside eatery with great food. Our fried fish with fishsfauce and lemongrass was a hit.



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A shot from our hotel floor.

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We stayed near Wang Lang marker, much of which closed down by afternoon. Tanee offers some craft beet ad was open until midnight


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This moment had me wishing I had brought my proper camera in this trip.

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As did this one.

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We lodged at the Theatre Residence. It was a bit pricier than other places, but was the right call after weeks on the road. For three nights, it did not shock the pocket book too much. It was in a great location and included a buffet breakfast. Eggs cooked to order, continental and Asian breakfast.


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It was adjacent to the Wang Lang Market - one of the oldest operating markets in Bangkok. This area was busy from armoring until sundown. Around mid day, you can barely walk down the narrow alley ways. The hotel was about a five to fifteen minute walk to the Prachen ferry dock - depending on the crowds and time day. Fromthere you can pretty much get tot anywhere along the river. If you only needed to cross the river, thee was a dock about two minutes south of the hotel. That ferry cost 4.5 baht and brought you directly to the Imperial Palace area.



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Food and snacks are plentiful Wang Lang. And you can buy just about anything from groceries to clothing. I saw four t shirts for 100 baht (about $3). We walked around the market a bit, but usually were in transit to the ferry.




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My wife and I decided to head to the Grand Palace in the morning, while our kid hung back and recovered from Temple Fatigue. They tried a therapy called "video gaming". The river was busy as usual with tugs, barges and all sorts of traffic. We went directly across to Tha Chang and the palace is a 5 minute walk from there.




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We arrived just at the changing of the guards. Had no idea this was a thing, but was fun to watch, as the arriving and departing guards coordinated their movements.



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As you enter the outer grounds you get your first glimpse of the temples. Sure, you can see these from the river and afar, but more stunning close. It took me close to twenty minutes to realize that middle spire was being renovated and not some cool minimalist design. They did not really do minimalist.




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Even though we arrived early, soon after opening, it was pretty packed. Busiest place forms to visit yet. With over 8 million visitors a year, this was not a surprise. I braced myself for crowds.

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I'm still in awe of this place and the kingdom that went through such lengths to construct it. It is immense and intricate and shiny. Like super shiny.



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The Grand Palace was built over many years, but construction began in 1792 by the order of Rama I, when the capital of Siam was relocated there. Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Jade Buddha is perhaps the biggest attraction in the Grand Palace. Construction began in 1783, but each successive king has renovated or improved upon the temple to demonstrate their dynasty's reverance.


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The temple is actually many structures, only the largest of which houses the Jade Buddha. Each is impressive in and of itself.



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There are two golden Chedi supported on the backs of yakshas, or demons. These have also been renovated over the years, and in a museum on the palace grounds you see the remnants of older removed yakshas.



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The mosaics and inlays are impressive. The entire place is impressive. I would love to walk around this place in quiet with just a few others, or even better, by myself. I imagine the royals having this place to themselves at times infers pasts. Or the night guards of today.



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The Emerald Buddha is really not so very big, but sits atop a mound of gold. You can nougat pictures inside the temple, but I was able to get this from just outside. I checked with a guard and he gave me the okay. He commented on my good eye and mentioned that most just walk by the spot I was at, not realizing you could get this view. Inside, we sat and contemplated. I am not Buddhist, but still found this place to be special and calming, even with the hundreds of others nearby.



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A lot of visitors are tourist, but many are pilgrims coming to visit a holy site. We just enjoy the quality of workmanship.




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I really do enjoy poking around and finding quiet places among the hordes. Every time we visit a crowded place, we seem to go around the corner and find a little peace.




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There are six pair of large yakshas around Wat Phra Kaew, protecting the temple from evil spirits. Seems like an odd task for a demon.



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This piece was bas relief and insanely intricate - nearly impossible to translate to a two dimensional picture.




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Taking one last glance of the temple before we leave for the royal grounds and a view of some of the palaces that were built by the various Kings of Siam and, later, Thailand.

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Once away from the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, it was much quieter. You did need to head this way to exit the compound, but we noticed most people breezed through quickly, leaving the area mostly uncrowded and quiet.



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The finish here was no less impressive.





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Each succession led to a new palace constructed, so there are many different palaces in this compound. I'm not sure why there seemed to be a lack of interest. Perhaps it is because it is not a religious site. Or maybe people were tired from the crowds and just wanted to go grab some food to eat. Whatever it was, was fine with us, as we mostly had these grounds o ourselves.




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King Rama IV built this palace. When it went up, he was criticized for it looking European (he intended it to house gifts from other nations), so it got a Thai style hat put on top.

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And some elephants out front for good measure.




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Again, images from the Ramayana make an appearance. There are no pictures from inside the museum, as it is not permitted, but it is for sure worth a visit. The Emerald Buddha has three outfits, one for each season: Wet, Hot and Dry. The outfits are changed by the King and when he determines the changing of the seasons. The out of season outfits are stored in the museum, along with relics from previous iterations of the temples.



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We called it a morning and were back on the river headed home. Our hotel - Theatre Residence. The dining room was on the water, but the rooms were set back just a bit. Again, a worthy place to stay. Nice small pool, easy breakfast, clean rooms, easy access to ferries and market.



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Wang Lang Market a few hours before peak times. It is a hustle and bustle with loads of places to get great coffee, tea and bubble drinks. Not to mention snacks.



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We meandered through some of the side alleys looking for potential places to eat. Plenty of street food vendors along the way.




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The restaurant had a great outdoor kitchen and I loved their vent system.



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We ate at Kuay Tiew Koh Thai, close tot he hotel. Very inexpensive and very good. I also loved we were the only non Thai speaking people in the place and our menu was not in English.

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We had plans for another food tour at 4:30. My family wanted to rest, so I took a ferry, alighted at Ranjinee and had and a stroll. After a walk through the flower market mid day (not nearly as busy as midnight) I ended up in Saranrom Park.


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This captures so much. Irrigation truck and the local security guard is as enthralled as I am. This park is well patrolled, and a guard counts everyone entering and exiting. Not to mention an armed soldier at the only entrance. I also enjoyed this man's proper uniform and pink bike. Pink brings balance and purity to on'e mind in Thai culture.


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I was shocked with how clean this place was. When I was headed to the park in Bangkok, I wondered if this was a good idea or not, having heard so many crazy stories about this city. Not only super safe, but clean enough to walk through the grass barefoot. For sure not like an American city.




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Wat Phra Chetuphon is adjacent to the park. Notice the tree and wall as one.



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Besides the cleanliness and safety, it was really quite beautiful. I mostly admired the trees, but there was a great play structure and two temples tucked into the back corners.



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I would have loved to spend more time here, reading my book, but soon enough found it was time to be on my way to beside I got to Chinatown in time.


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On my way to the MRT, there was this whole skate scene going on across the road. I watched for just a few minutes (on full set of traffic lights) but never crossed the street for a closer view. Just rather enjoyed the show. Some of these guys were going big and landing their tricks.






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The MRT in Bangkok is easy to use, and felt safe, efficient and clean. And it had AirCon.




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Alight at Wat Mangkon and you come above ground directly in Chinatown.

This is outstanding, Ottime. Thank you for putting in all the time to document your year. What an adventure for you and the family!

I'm headed to Singapore in a couple of weeks for a conference, so this has been really helpful to get a sense of things. My main takeaway is that pretty much I just want to eat as much as possible, that the food centers are nearly all I need, and that I should aim for the stalls with lines (and maybe come back earlier the next day...). I won't have a ton of time, and will be based in the marina (?) area, so I figure I'll mostly just walk around from there.

I have been slowly reading through this thread, gradually catching up to present day. I think you may be in transit now, or nearly, so I expect you're plenty busy. But if you happen to have some down time, I'd be happy to hear about a few things...
Do you have any footwear recommendations? For the conference I figure I'd better wear something that looks like proper shoes, but I figure otherwise such footwear may be impractical for a place where it's hot and rainy. I'm thinking maybe some kind synthetic sandals.
Do you know of easy bike rental options and/or do you recommend such a thing? Seems like your bike riding was a pretty great way to see the place. I'll have most of two days to explore before the meetings, and I'll be glad to cover some ground, see some stuff, and get some exercise. A half day or day on a bike could be nice. Or maybe it's too much to bother with.
I took note of many of your "must try" foods. But if you have any summary thoughts on best-of items or places etc, I'll be happy to hear of them.

Whether or not you can address my questions, thank you for the great descriptions and photos. I'm stoked for my trip. (Maybe not so much for the flights...).

You found me at a coffee shop this morning. Now in Tokyo. Grabbing a bite and drink before grabbing a train to Kyoto.

Shoes. I wore my leather Keen sandals pretty much every day. I've beat the shit out of them and have gotten my money's worth. Something similar. Water shoes with a bit of support. Crocs and similar are popular with the Singaporeans, but I find they do not breath as well.

Food Centers. Use this website to locate:

https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/...ement/overview


Chope your table first. That means to claim your seat. If it is busy, just ask if you can join someone. I've never been told "no" unless the seat was taken. Then, chose - leave a packet of tissues* or water bottle or business card on the table at your seat. Then go find what you want to order. This is the custom and gives you a place to return to.

*Napkins do not exist here. It is customary to carry a packet or to of facial tissues to use to wipe your hands, as well as chope. Brings several small packets with you. Even a number of restaurants will not provide napkins. Some food can get messy.

If I were to suggest just a single food center, I would say get over to Tiong Bahru. It really has a little bit of most things. Off the top of my head, it lacks Thunder Tea (Green tea poured over rice, tofu, steamed veggies and ikon balis), Nasi Lemak (Coconut rice, ikon bills, peanut, cucumber and protein - like fried chicken leg), and a few others - but has a wide range of stalls, it old school (first wet market in SG), fresh air, big fans and widely spaced seating options. Be sure to try stall #49 - Lor Mee 49. Some of the best on the island and I'd add the optional fried shark nugget. The Hainanese Curry (Loo's) if often rated in the top three in SG. Oh, and the Sotong Prawn Noodles (first stall on left when you come up the escalator) and the Rojak stall near there (all of its dishes). Also some really good Chicken Rice and Duck Rice.

Other notable near the CBD

Amoy Street is my favorite downtown. Two levels. Packed to the gills from noon to 2PM. Big (like 200 stalls) so a little bit of most things.

Market Street - in the heart of it, next to Raffles Place. Modern, in the 2nd and 3rd floor of a tower. Good options if you are working nearby and slipping out for lunch. Not one I would go out of my way for, but it is cool to see the different styles.

Tanjong Pagar and Hong Lim - old old school. Tight, low ceilings, packed, urban centers with history. Had my best Teh Tarik (pulled Indian tea with evaporated milk) in Tanjong Pagar. Worth the show. These places are older and highlight what Hawker Centers used to look like. They have also been servicing the downtown community for years.

Smith Street and People's Park in Chinatown - Smith Street is fucking huge. Worth a visit even you are not hungry to see a massive market. I've only visited there over lUnar New Year when 90% of the stalls were closed. I can also attest I had amazing steamed dumplings at People's Park, something like 8 dumplings for $3.

Maxwell - place is famous, but mostly due to the Hainanese Chicken Rice. Worth trying this dish, as it seems so simple you might skip it. Poached chicken and rice basically. Oddly delicious.


Out of the CBD

Zion Riverside - along the Singapore River. Easy bike ride along the river from CBD

Alexandra - one of my top ten centers. Great selection. Very good Thunder Tea stall. Good Mala if you like hot hot soups. Order the least spicy to start. I like spice, but I never got past level one. There is also apparently and amazing burger - Burnt - here, but I could never get myself to try it.

Tekka (also called Buffalo Road) - In Little India. Decent sized, with a ton of Indian, Pakistani and Lankan foods. Also a sizable Chinese selection. Not a lot of Malay/Halal, but some. Then walk around Little India.

Not a food center, and I never got here, but Beach Street Scissor Cut Curry Rice is very well reviewed and a few blocks north. Worth mentioning these type of places. You won't pay a lot in these type of restaurants. Plastic chairs, spilling out on to the side walk. Indian, Chinese, Malay style foods. And they offer service.

Albert - close to CBD, medium sized, plenty of good options.

For a nice bike ride, you can circumnavigate Marina Bay. The best center nearby, and worth a visit anyway, is Golden Mile. Two floors, old school, tight, but lots of good food. Some of it famous - as in people travel across the country and foodies visiting SG, head to these stalls.

Longer ride, but one fo my favorites - East Coast Park. East Coast Lagoon opens around noon. Plenty of satay and bbq stingray stalls. Great location with ocean views. Open air. A bit pricier, but not expensive by any means. Also accessible from ECP via under or over passes are Marine Parade and Marine Terrace. Both are local centers catering mostly to the local community. Especially Marine Terrace. If you want to get a taste of a more local place. The food is not different, but the crowd is. The CBD is mostly wealthy Singaporeans and expats. If you get to either of these paces, you will be one of the few westerners, and likely only one at Marine Terrace, Marine Terrace closes down early (like 2pm) and is mostly breakfast and lunch.

EAST: Harder to reach, but I was fond of them. Bedok Blk 216, but really any of the centers in the Bedok area. These folks claim they have the best food in SG, and they may be right. 216 is in the middle of a pedestrian mall, and is what the old townships were built around - back when Bedok was its own town. No the city/country is all interconnected by urban structure. 216 is big, airy and, good coffee, even better You Tao and a wide selection. Partially known for its Nasi Lemak.

WEST: Jurong is another hard to reach district, but I had some of my best rice skin dumplings in Jurong at the Yuhua Center.

CENTRL WEST: Bukit Timah - another old school center with many good stalls.

NORTH: Admiralty Center I really enjoyed. At there many times. Right off the train on the North'South Line. About an hour train ride from the CBD. Canberra is a stop closer, and modern garden style center. I was told the best Char Siew (bbq pork) was across the street but near had the chance to follow up on that suggestion

CENTRAL EAST: Ang Mo Kio Central. Also in a pedestrian mall. Wide selection. This was in my mailbox shopping district. Not a lot of westerners. here. Best smoothies on the island are from Ice Breaker. These were my people - so friendly, especially the husband. I'm really not sure about a lot of their smoothies, but they made the best Avocado Coconut and Coconut Shakes that I had anywhere.

Other Notables:

Changi Village - in the north east. Notable for Nasi Lemak. If you want a nature adventure, this is your gateway to Palau Ubin. If you go here and like beer, hit up Charlie's Corner. Reasonable by SG standard. It is in the corner of the hawker center, and you can bring your own food over. They sell western food, but the guys who work there don't eat it. $12.10 net Archipeligo drafts. The summer IPA was my go to, They also have an Irish something or other.

Newton - Great for dinner. A lot of places close early. I know Alexandra and East Coast Lagoon also stay open late. Newton was featured in Crazy Rich Asians, so has become more popular and pricier. Satay, bbq stingray, seafood, carrot cake, and many of the standards. Great outdoor scene.

Pasir Ris - close to early coastal park. Some really solid food on both levels. Bottom level is full of classic and cheap ($3 Wanton Noodle - char stew, wonton, Gai lan, noodles, see of broth). 2nd Level is more refined versions - Prawnaholic makes an amazing Prawn Mee for $7.

That is a start.

Not really sure with bike rentals, as I never rented.

Anywhere is an app based bike. There is another brand as well. You can download the app. Its about $10/day for a foreign phone number ($10 a month for a SG number). That gives you your first 30 minutes free, but if you park and lock the bike every 29 minutes, you never get charges. Hop right back on and go on your way, They are crap bikes. Solid tires, so you feel everything.

GoCylcing has a bunch of outlets I've sen in different parks. You can rent point to point. I think you can even rent a bike at Changi Airport and bike all of East Coast Park and return it near the CBD.

Punggol is worth biking around. Can connect to Pasir Ris Park and eat at the food center.

A resource: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/bicyc...tal-singapore/

You won't fit all of that into two days, but enjoy.

Oh, good Paranakan at Serei Geylang Center. And the neighborhood to the south is pretty nice, with a bunch of street art and murals. Very unlike much of Singapore. You can actually bike north from Marine Parade to access this area, and that will bring you by Dunman Center which is small but has great Vadai.

In short - you can't really go wrong with food. If you have the time, google "-Food Centre Name- best food" and you will get a bunch of reviews to read through. Daniel Food Diary, SETHLUI, Miss Tam Chiak, Uncle Noven and others are solid reviewers.

Bring a water bottle and keep it topped up. Drink a ton of water. If you bike, a bladder pack might be nice to have.

Coconut water and Sugarcane Juice are very good at hydrating.

Enjoy an Yin Yuan (or Micheal Jackson) while here. Soya Milk and Grass Jelly mixed. Live like a local.

On the topic of footwear, I loved my keen sandals except on days i was going in and out of temples. On those days, flip flops or crocs were far superior choice to just slide into and out of.

Agree on footwear. I only have Keens, Vans and flip flops on my current travels as we go though many temples. I can't wear flip flops for long walks (lack of arch support kills my back), so have been in Keens or Vans. Would love to have some crocs with me. I noticed they are popular with serving staffing Japanese restaurants where you take off your shoes, so they have something to wear as they enter the kitchen.

Back to Thailand....


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Walking the streets in Chinatown, even at 4pm, there is a constant buzz. It is still relatively quiet at this hour, with the real buzz starting around 6pm.



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This tour was great. We walked the entire time and started with the alleyways in the area off the main stip. These chive and rice flour dumplings were a great start. Fon was an excellent guide and was great to talk food with. She knew her stuff. Not only what was on the tour and Thai dishes, but was well versed with food from across SE Asia.



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Next up were some meat treats. Pork is popular in but Thai and Chinese cuisine. This pork was, of course, very good. Chinatown is located here, because when Rama I moved the capital to its present location, he needed to displace the Chinese, as well as Vietnamese "workers" (they were technically not slaves, but forced laborers) to this part of Bangkok. The result over the next several hundred years was a blending of cuisines.




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Of course, you can not skip on the satay while in Thailand. The fan is to keep the smoke from building up. While it does cool the cook down, that is not why it is set up there. At other places, you may see a person waving a fan to move the smoke away.



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Perhaps my favorite stop was for Pennywort juice. We first tried it sweetened, and it was quite good. Our guide thought the unsweetened version would be too harsh for us. Most of the tour liked it without sugar as well. Full disclosure, our guide finds it not very tasty either way. It does taste very healthy, and was a perfect palette cleanser between course.

Terrific info, thank you Ottime.

Especially the thing about napkins -- never would have guessed that, and a biggie for a bearded messy/gluttonous eater such as myself.

Have fun in Japan!

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This street has a lot of business that sell charms and paper cutouts for the temple seen in the background. I am a big fan of the alleyway in general. So many cool thing to see when you duck off the main streets in any city. But they are easier to explore when you have a guide, especially in a city like Bangkok where you do not know the language and not sure of where is safe and where is not.




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This budding is being renovated and will be the new location for the pork restaurant we had just eaten in. Would have had no idea this spat was both ideal and in the process of being built into an eatery.




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Jok One Table is listed in Michelin. These fried prawn dumplings were a nice treat along our route. We walked a far count on this tour. We started at 4:30 when the main dinner spots in Chinatown are not yet open, but these alleys and side streets were all going early. It worked very well, striating us off with a variety of small bites. Through this tour we tried 16 different items, and not one was a red curry or pad Thai.




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Walking through markets is another thing I rather enjoy. This stall had a lot of food prepared and ws getting ready for the dinner crowd.



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I would have walked right past this place. So we did end up with a green curry, so not all new items.




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The kitchen is partially covered, but mostly out in the alley. This place was busy, with a lot of locals coming and getting their food take away. Basically that means walking, or driving, away with a plastic bag of curry and a plastic bag of rice. I first saw this done in Singapore, where you can also get you coffee or tea in a bag. It took me a while to get used to it, but after buying prata a number of times to eat at home, I got used to the baggie of curry sauce.




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A few minutes after this picture, all the seats were taken. It was about 5:30, so for sure dinner time, but I was shocked with how busy this little unassuming outdoor place was.




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Coming out of the tight market out to the main streets, it felt really bright outside, even with it being the hour of dusk.It was a combination of the darkness of the market space and all the lights out on the street.




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Chestnuts are a popular treat. They are roasted in these vats of hot rocks that get moved around by a rotating bar.




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Seafood on a stick. This stall is open until about 11pm, or when they sell out. That means all this food will be grilled and sold within 5 hours.




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I finally got my pig intestines. This place is also Michelin listed, and we had a choice of proper innards soup, or served with just fried pork cutlet. I was one of two who went for the full dish. The other was a Portuguese dude who is currently living in Japan - just because he felt like it living outside his comfort zone was a good thing to do. Alfonso I think is making the right decisions in life.




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And like clock work, by 6:45 the streets of Chinatown were packed. Things are quieter on Monday through Thursday, but it is never sleepy. This area is very popular with tourist as well as locals.



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Our next and final dinner stop was at this seafood restaurant. I really wish I had used Strava on this walk, so I could identify the location of each of the places we ate. Made a note of that, and the next time I'm on a walking food tour, I will do just that. Again, the kitchen was outside and right on the street.



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We had a good meal here, including grilled prawns, morning glory, tom yum and a few other dishes. I was envious of the table next to us, where I could see a superb meal going on, including grilled lobster or crayfish of some kind. Our food was great, but that particular table had ordered quite well.




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The restaurant was in a three story converted home. Each room, and the balcony, each had a few tables in it. Instead of gutting the place, they just placed tables where ever they could. The decor was pretty much non existent. The tables and chairs basic and utilitarian. The food was where it was at. My favorite space was this spot in between the first and the second story. We ate on the third and it was a maze getting in and out of the place.



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Our table had been reserved by the food tour, and it was the only open table when we entered the place. As we exited, the kitchen was busy, and the line of people waiting to be seated was a throng of people packing the side street. I really had no idea how we would have even figured out how to get a table at this hour if we were on our own. Arrive at 5PM when they open was what our guide suggested. After dinner, we ate a few street deserts including mango rice and pa tang go (that fried dough that reminds me of you tiao, served with a panda dipping sauce).

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On my last morning I discovered the ferry dock juts two minutes from our hotel and in front of the nearby school. You can only go directly across the river to Tha Chang. This area is called Wat Rakang, named after, you likely guessed it, the nearby temple. There are so many temples to explore in this city, if you so wished. I enjoyed just walking around just as much, if not more, than visiting the temples. It is still amazing how much glittering gold there is to be seen here.



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After a short morning walk along the river, we were off to the airport. Three nights was nearly perfect for Bangkok. I would love to come back another 10 times and stay for 3 nights each time, It is an intense and bustling place, so it was kind of tiring to spend time here. Our hotel was not cheap cheap, but not too expensive. Food was very inexpensive. Cabs were as well. We took one from Chinatown back tot he hotel, which was about 6.5 kilometers and cost us less than US$3.

Yeah. Napkins or tissues.

Agree with crocs over keens for temple days. I only packed vans, keens and flip flops for these current travels and I can't walk in flip flops all day so have been sporting the keens. For sure a pain bending over to take off and put on, but my back can't handled no arch support.

While there are plenty of temples to enter in SG, I didn't do that much there. A little, but only a handful my entire time.

If you are interested in temples, be sure to cover your knees and shoulders.

Other pieces of hot weather advice. I preferred button up shirts as you can open them up a bit to let in any breeze. I also like synthetics and super light clothing. Linen works as well.

Biking cools you off cause it creates a breeze.


Japan has been good so far. In Kyoto this morning about to head out and explore after booking a room for our final few nights in Asia.

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And we arrived in Tokyo.







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We had limited options to eat at 11:20PM. This place had only Japanese printed menus. Thank you for Google Translate. Of course it is not perfect, and we ended up with Shashmi instead of Gyoza. Not a big issue, as the fish was great. We also had some fried chicken and a plate of noodles.


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Earlier in the evenings, this place is full of drinkers.




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We are staying in the Shibuya neighborhood. and it feel like I imagine Tokyo is. I wonder what is being sold in Tower Records these days, and it turns out venal is still a thing here.



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There were more than a few of these trucks. Tokyo is loud, even though people talk in hushed tones - there is just so much advertising going on. This truck was playing music at a solid volume, cruising the neighborhood. I think we saw this one at least five times in a single afternoon.




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The Shibuya Scramble is fun to get involved with. I've heard it called chaotic, but it really feels like a choreographed mob ballet. It is also way more pedestrian friendly than Singapore. The idea of telling all the cars to stop and wait while everyone on foot or bicycle can move in any direction across the massive intersection would likely be illegal in SG. In the end, it is an efficient way of moving all these humans. If you want, there is a 2nd story Starbucks you can sit in and watch the action. Or you can view from any corner or a few nearby vantage points. It is cool to see the foot crowd grow, and swell, and fill the sidewalks waiting for their turn to move, and then, like a switch, the people flow and the area empties out. Only to cycle again, and again and again.




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Of course, all that walking was to get us some lunch. We popped into some random ramen spot. Paid and ordered at a machine, handed a ticket to some dude and a few minutes later we were eating delicious ramen. I think the three of us ate (and I had a small beer) for US$19. Food here is not SE Asia cheap, but you can eat really well in Japan and not need to spend a lot of money.

Ottime - One more question... How does a person pay for stuff in Singapore (I'm thinking of stalls at hawker ctrs in particular, but other stuff too) -- I usually picture cash for that sort of transaction, but with SG being super modern maybe they favor apps or cards...

thanks!

Great question.

Public transit you can just swipe your credit card if it has a trip. Tap in/ tap out system. If you are transferring, it calculates the transfer for you. You will pay about $.75 to $2.25 depending on length of trip. In SGD.

Stalls are mostly cash or Asian based pay apps. No Venmo or PayPal. I used PayLah, but unsure if you can link PayLah to non-SG banks. Worth it downloading and checking if you have time. Scan a QR code and pay style. Super easy.

Or get some cash. The SGD is worth about .75 USD, so it s a good exchange. Prices listed include tax unless otherwise noted. Restaurants will often list a piece with "plus plus" meaning 9% tax and 10% gratuity will be added.

Most stalls sell for for whole dollar or half dollar amounts. There is no equivalent to a penny and the 5 cent piece is going out of style. So, for instance, coffee will cost $1 or $1.10 or $1.20 depending on if it is sotong, O or C.

For reference


You can get cash at Changi but you will get a better exchange in the CBD. There is a place called the Arcade in Raffles Place. There are 20 plus money changers (misty on the 2nd floor). Where you can shop for rates. Bring crisp bills as they won't take anything torn, written on or two crumpled up.


Over all, misty places accept cashless payment. Credit cards and apps. Stalls rarely accept credit cards and some still are cash only. But almost everywhere else will take credit cards

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A block away from Shibuya Crossing, there is an exterior staircase to view from. This was our after lunch passive activity.




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There is a lot of thoughtful design in Tokyo. Looking back toward Tower Records, the road dips to go under the railway. Above the railway is a two level pedestrian mall and park. If you lack park space, just build it higher.



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At this point in our travels we were pretty tired, and opted for a mellow day. My wife and I walked north and stopped for a beer at Tap & Crowler. Great spot, and the woman drawing the beer was great to talk to. She had better English than our three words of Japanese and she was studying International Politics at university. We enjoyed our Japanese hazy IPAs and continued to Yoyogi Park. The park is a huge space and a respite from the hustle and volume of the rest of Shibuya.




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The trees were wonderful. Of course it was all designed and planned and in such a way to make you feel like it was natural. It was cool in the park, at just around 27 degrees. Felt really nice for an afternoon walk.



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We ate Kaitenzushi (conveyor bet sushi) for 3500 yen (yes, that is 3 people for less than $25) and my kid made plans to get a Dango and mapped us to this place in the basement of a mall. About 6000 square feet of all sorts of gorgeous sweets.


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Dango is glutinous rice. There are several types, but this one is coated in sweetened, condensed soy sauce. I opted for sesame, and my wife ended up getting a matcha mochi. And from the super swank store, we dropped about 500 yen. For a major urban center, the food has been very reasonably priced.





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I've been searching out the craft beer scene and this spot was right behind our AirBnB. I went inside to check it out, and they had plenty of good beer on tap, but I did not come to Asia to drink beer from Portland. 100% of their taps were Portland based breweries.

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In the morning we hoped on the subway to head out for the day. We got on the express and had to go back two stops on the local. There is no express in Singapore, so we were not used to checking for this. And in NYC, the express is different number or letter train. Here, it is line based, and you do need to check as the train arrives if it is local or express. My wife and kid discovered in Kyoto there is also the Limited Express - which goes even further. They ended up half way to Osaka trying to get home one night.


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Our morning destination was Meiji Jingu. The Torii marks the line between the sacred and the rest of the world. Before entering, it is traditional to bow once, and pass through the gate off to one side. The road in the center is for spirits and deities.



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Upon reaching the temple spaces, you should also find the temiyuza, or water spout to purify yourself before entering. First scoop water with a ladle held in your left hand and pour over your right and then reverse the process. Next, scoop water with your hands to wash you mouth. Spit the water out, it is not for drinking.




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Meiji Jingu was built for the deity Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Building began in 1915, a few years after their deaths in 1912 and 1914 respectively. It was dedicated in 1921, so this is a fairly modern place at only about a century old. This pictured tree is a place where you can write your prayers on pieces of wood and hang them do be read by shinshoku (roughly a monk who cares for the shrine).




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Emporer Meiji was a transformational figure who bitterly brought Japan into the 20th century. At time of his birth (1852) Japan was a isolationist feudal society. During his reign, he shepherded Japan through industrial, political and international revolution.

When approaching a temple, if you wish to perform a traditional severance to the deity, you can toss a coin (apparently a 5 yen piece is auspicious) into the wooden box, and then bow once. Clap you hands twice to announce your pretense and share your appreciation of an audience. Say a pray (not aloud) and finish with a bow.



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This was another very busy temple space with several school groups and loads of western tourist. Still, again, there were plenty of Japanese and Shinto adherents visiting the space. These places are not just tourist sites, but are places of reverence.




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Much of the construction is with cypress and copper. Much of the wood came from Nagano and Taiwan (at that point part of Japan), but materials came from all across Japan. The workmanship was something to admire.


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Its funny haw a small fee can be an awesome thing. It cost my family 800 yen to enter and the place was mostly empty. Compared to the adjoining temple space, which is free to enter, there was no one around. It is lovely garden space, and for sure the small entry fee.



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Kiyomasa's no Ido (well spring) has been in operation since the Edo Period (early 1600 to mid 1800). It is said to be a place of power, as it has been producing water for centuries. Named after the man who accinetly found the well while digging a basement fo this home. The water stays a cool 16C and feeds the nearby iris garden and south pond.

The iris garden is of good size, but we were wet behind peak bloom. Came in late May to early June for a wonderful display of color.




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There were several of these creatures around. Although they were wet looking like salamander, we assume they are lizards s they were out baking in the sun. Not sure of the species, but I would not lick that skin.




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Consecrated sake barrels near the entrance to the shrine. These barrels are offering from sake producers to the deities. Sake brings you closer to the gods. I can get behind a belief that inebriation lowers inhibition and allows you to better common with he spirit world.





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Detail of a few of the barrels. There are also wine barrels nearby, given from European producers.

We ate at the nearby Restaurant Kaiseki. If in the area and hungry, I suggest giving it a try. 950 yen got me a great bowl of cold soba with mixed tempura. Hot soba would have been 50 yen less expensive.

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I really enjoy the order in Japan. Even your garbage is very ordered. You need to know if your rubbish is combustable or not. As my kid pointed out, they usually depends n the amount of heat applied.




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We walked back home, with the first part through Yoyogi Park. This is a great space, especially for a run or a bike ride.



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A Luke's Lobster Roll is cheaper here than in NYC. Lukes was founded by a Maine family living in NY. I've now seen one of these here in Tokyo and one in Singapore. And both had cheaper rolls than anywhere I know of in NYC or Maine. Just need to fly around the word for cheaper authentic lobster rolls.



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This dude has seen innumerable temples this year, so it was time to enter a mall and go to a place they wanted to visit. Splatoon is one of there favorite games right now, so this was a must visit.



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In their happy place. Bright lights, anime, video games and a open Switch to play on. It was fun to watch them interact with other gamers of all ages, sharing ideas and techniques.



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Located in Shibuya Parco, the Nintendo store was just the largest retailer on a floor full of video game and anime outlets.


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Afternoon coffee at Wavy. I read somewhere this was the best craft coffee in Tokyo. Unsure of what that meant, and in need of caffeine, I checked it out. Great place to get some Wifi, and enjoy a freshly brewed cup of fancy joe. They had over 20 beans to choose from.


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After caffeine, I needed some hops. On my way I passed the Moncler store, in case I was in need of 1,600 yen down coat.



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In the basement of the Parco, Izakaya Beer Boy was the call for hops. Crowea, a Hazy Pale Ale by Vertere (from Tokyo) hit the spot.


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Izakaya Beer Boy is just a small shop, barely more than a stall, in the basement food level of the mall. Turned out it was a nice place to chill and grab a beer. For those keeping score, they do not have WiFi.




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On 1F (first floor) I cruised by this shop that sold craft beer. They had some canned pints of Vertere, so I bought a beer from this guy. Perhaps my biggest cultural experience. to date. Have never bought a beer from a man in a lab coat and then have him wrap it in a protective foam layer.



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The Casimiroa NEIPA was pretty amazing, and one of the best Asian beers I've had all year.




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Shibuya at night. We headed out for a shabu shabby dinner for our last night before heading to Kyoto. Another wonderful meal in B2 (two levels below ground) at Aiseki-ya Shibuya.

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We boarded the Shinkansen to Kyoto. 450 kilometers in a little over 2 hours. Why can't we have trains like this in America?



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We were staying in an area south of the Kyoto Station, near Tofoku-ju. It was not picturesque, but it was quit affordable and nothing it too far in Kyoto. We headed out to dinner our first night and ended up at a place we nicknamed Japanese Ponderosa. Actually called Washoku Sato. The food was great and we had out own room.




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Then it was time for me to find my happy place. When I googled "craft beer near me" about thirty places popped up. Some of these had Guinness and Heineken on tap. I was looking for Japanese IPAs or Sours. The two places closest to me looked like they had a decent beer list. I visited Craft House Kyoto first and tried the Be Easy Brewing Heba! Mada! west coast IPA. It was a decent beer, but I was wanting something hazier and juicer.


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Around the corner, and up an alley along a waterway (can't really call it a river, but it is the Takase River) is Kyoto Beer Lab. They brew their own beer on site, as well as several others. They have 8 taps. I sampled four of the beers during my time in Kyoto, and this became my go to spot for a later night (well, for a dad - last call is 10:30) beer. My standard was the Two Rabbits - Kyoto Brew Lab collaboration. Nelson's Naught Secret - an 8.5% DDH Oat Cream IPA. Again, one of my favorite beers in Asia. The Japanese for sure know how to refine.



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We got a bit of a late start the next day. We had planned to rent bikes, but as we were chatting with the person at the rental place, he kindly told us we may not want to rent bikes this day and then showed us the forecast for rain in the coming hours. Notable, because back at home, there is no way someone would talk us out of giving them our money. We were hungry, so searched out the nearby well reviewed ramen joint. While this line was mostly tourist, it was mostly domestic tourist, so we felt like it was a good call.




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The kitchen appealed to me. I feel pretty lucky that our kid is willing to try and eat most things. Ramen is basically noodle soup, and not so exotic, but I've spent time with a to of kids who would have had challenges finding food they wanted to eat during our past few weeks. Not this little dude. They to eat good foods.



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Honke Daiichi-Asahi did not disappoint. In what became a common practice for us while in Kyoto, our order was taken while we were still waiting in line. Service was efficient, but not rushed. Food was great. Price was perfect at 650 yen per meal.



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Then we hoped on a city bus and headed off to our first Kyoto shrine. I do appreciate how the SUICA and other IC cards worked every place we visited. Way better than figuring out every municipalities different pay system in the US. The only thing that could improve it is being like NYC, Sydney and Singapore, where you can just swipe your credit card. Busses were well used (read packed like sardines), but efficient and easy - and the people were so kind and polite. Even though it was tight, folks made way and made sure you could get off when your stop came.

A staircase along the road to the temple.



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We started with familiar ground. A Buddhist temple, Kiyomizu-dera is located at the base of Mt. Ottawa.



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The site dates back to the mid 8th century, but the current structures here were built in the 17th century. Basically the same time period as much of what we saw in Bangkok. It was interesting to noticed the similarities and difference between these Buddhist sites.



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It was fairly crowded at this place, perhaps more so than the temples in Bangkok. Still, being so open and expansive, there were plenty of places to spread out, and even find a little quiet.






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I've also become versed with finding angles to shoot that are not blocked by hordes of people.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ottime

Great question.

Public transit you can just swipe your credit card if it has a trip. Tap in/ tap out system. If you are transferring, it calculates the transfer for you. You will pay about $.75 to $2.25 depending on length of trip. In SGD.

Stalls are mostly cash or Asian based pay apps. No Venmo or PayPal. I used PayLah, but unsure if you can link PayLah to non-SG banks. Worth it downloading and checking if you have time. Scan a QR code and pay style. Super easy.

Or get some cash. The SGD is worth about .75 USD, so it s a good exchange. Prices listed include tax unless otherwise noted. Restaurants will often list a piece with "plus plus" meaning 9% tax and 10% gratuity will be added.

Most stalls sell for for whole dollar or half dollar amounts. There is no equivalent to a penny and the 5 cent piece is going out of style. So, for instance, coffee will cost $1 or $1.10 or $1.20 depending on if it is sotong, O or C.

For reference


You can get cash at Changi but you will get a better exchange in the CBD. There is a place called the Arcade in Raffles Place. There are 20 plus money changers (misty on the 2nd floor). Where you can shop for rates. Bring crisp bills as they won't take anything torn, written on or two crumpled up.


Over all, misty places accept cashless payment. Credit cards and apps. Stalls rarely accept credit cards and some still are cash only. But almost everywhere else will take credit cards

---

Thank you! I'm excited to get there. But first: lots of travel time...

Long travel - but I've found coming so far is easier than moving just 2-7 time zones. The full flip of 9-15 time zones was a lot easier for me to adjust to. Especially if you have a flight that lands in the evening. Arrive tired from travel and get to the hotel and fall asleep. If you have the morning arrival, it is a bit more challenging, but can still be accomplished with relative ease. Enjoy your travels.

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Yukata and kimonos were quite common in Kyoto. They are often worn by domestic and foreign tourist. For the Japanese, this is a form of cultural appreciation and nor appropriation. This can open an entire topic of conversation - when is it appropriate to explore another culture through fashion and form, and when does it become offensive. I found the robes to be beautiful set against the local landscape, and was a little jealous of the men in the yukata when it was hot out. Although I was never jealous of those were traditional wood sandals.



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A second before the shutter clicked, my kids umbrella was blocking the group of people behind them. So much for taking shots where the crowd is hidden. The lower part of Kiyomizu-dera was pretty crowded. Once you went past where they collected a few, it thinned out a good bit.


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The city of Kyoto below is a mix of mundane, active urban and extremely quaint districts. The backdrop of mountains is gorgeous. I really enjoyed visiting the temples along the side of the city during our trip. We never got to any of the temples that are now within the urban space directly. I'm sure they are nice, but these places that border the city on one side and stretched into nature on the other felt somehow special.





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It was moments like this when I wished we had a guide. I have no idea what this piece is. And while I wish I did know more, moving at your own pace, seeking out the places that interest you and walking quietly through a space also has its own appeal.




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I was lining up a shot of the hillside when these two walked into the frame (I believe they were getting their picture taken by a family member) and I thought they added positively to the composition.




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While a Buddhist temple, there were many Shinto aspects to the area. This shrine for sure has Shinto influence, and I believe this may be a shrine to Okininsushi, a deity that helps you find love in life. The space is near the main pavilion that overhangs the mountain side. It is said if you jump to the ground 13 meters below and survive, you would be granted a single wish. This was outlawed in the 19th century. Japan is much more concerned with safety today than in the past.




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There were many locations to practice temizuya, or hand washing. This was one of the more simple options.





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This shrine again felt like a mix of Shinto an Buddhist elements. I just loved all the robed stones.




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Temizuya locations come in may shapes and forms. Some more intricate than others. I believe these are paper forms of Ema, where worshipers write prayers, wishes and offerings.




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Another example of temizuya.




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We followed a sign off the main route toward a temple for "painless birth." We never did find that, but we accessed some hiking trails up Mt. Otowa. This may have been one of my favorite parts the day. No one else around. Trail markers in just Japanese - not that we knew were we were going anyway, and random places to come across, like this cemetery. Along the way, we commented on how this felt like at the beginning of a Studio Ghibli film.




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We eventually peaked out, high above the temple and city, to really nice views. It was an overcast day, so no photos of the horizon. But a bit before the top, we found this site just 20 meters off the trail. Totally worth the time and effort and loved getting bit of exercise. We were pretty stoked we were able to make a loop and did not get lost along the way. The entire mountain is considered sacred grounds, and you could almost feel the spirit of the place.




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Back down in the main temple grounds, this was another stunning pagoda.

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At this point we were descending toward the exit of the temple grounds. There were still a few places to pass, including the waterfall that is the namesake foe the temple. You can queue up (it was quit long and we were fatigued, so passed) to pour water from a ladle and request a granting of you wish.


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Mostly I enjoyed the bright red and greens.




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Back into the city, the roads leading to and from the temple are picturesque and sloped. We actually were quite lucky with our travel weather. This was one of the two rainiest moments during our time Japan, after I heard so much waring about the heat, humidity and rain. You did not even really need tot use an umbrella or poncho this day, just an occasional light drizzle. Maybe at moments it was a heavy drizzle, but not bad at all. And if you got a little wet, you just felt better because it was plenty warm out. While it did get hot on the sunnier days, these low ceiling days were very pleasant. And on the hot days, the humidity was rarely more than 65%, so really not terrible.





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The streets were very touristy and loaded with shops, especially sweets. I liked this chestnut joint. My kid enjoyed a matcha sesame soft serve twist that was very good. I saved room for my beer later.









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Sannen-zaka Path is one of the older streets in Kyoto. Compared to where we were lodged, this area was super cute. Over all, I was happy with how our lodging worked out, as we paid about $90 a night for a 2 bedroom apartment. We were a short walk from Tofu-ju Station and maybe a 12 minute all to Kyoto Station - and public transit via bus or train was very easy.





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We walked the ancient town area. Mostly lined with more tourist shops. The stores call out to you and offer samples of snacks and food. Way better than Costco dim sum. We mostly wanted to walk around and check out the scene and narrow streets.




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The road around here is interrupted in areas by staircases. Kyoto is built in a river valley surrounded by mountains and we were for sure in the foothills.



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This was a highlight of the day for my kid. We were unable to secure tickets to Studio Ghibli for our time in Tokyo. When we turned down the famously narrow Ichinen-Zaka St, we stumbled upon Donguri Kyowakoku - the Ghibli Store. We enjoyed checking out the wares, and found a travel Totoro travel pillow with hood. Kid was super stoked we made them walk these narrow streets.



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Endless temples. Looking north to Kona-ji.




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And east toward Ryozen. But we were done for the day and hashed out some plans to meet my brother in law for dinner. He joined us for this visit in Japan. It worked out great. He was mostly enjoying his days exploring and then would meet up for dinner and occasionally beers.




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Like I said, the city buses are well utilized. This is what the majority of our rides looked like, but I was struck with how polite and helpful everybody was. Even us American tourists were compelled to make space for others and go out of our way to be helpful. It is contagious, especially I the more crowded places.




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We met for dinner in Kyoto Station. I've got to say, I ate more good food in this train station than any airport tor train station in the US. Conveyor belt sushi again, as my BIL was intrigued. We had to sit separately, so my kid got some uncle time. We were just around the corner and watched as they selected the corn and mayo Kanazawa Maimon Sushi in Kyoto Porto is underground. Again, a good place to eat. When we finished and started our walk home it was dark and the Kyoto Tower is lit up.





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My wife and kid really took to the convenience stores in Japan. 7-11 was the winner, but Family Mart and Lawsons were well received. I liked the later, because that is where I bought my eggs for breakfast. They enjoyed stoking of on all sorts of snacks. The dried squid was the line though. Even I was limited to one bite of squid very - head and all. When I did open this, about 30 feral cats began to swam. And my backpack will never smell the same.

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Another day, another temple. Chinowa-Kuguri is a Shinto ceremony to wash away your kegare (impurities) from your semi (sins, or misdeeds). It is often performed around New Year or mid summer. You walk through the ring of grass three times, bowing before each entry. The first time through, you loop background by going left, then right the second time and then left the third time making a figure eight.


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We visited another busy temple this day. Fushimi Inari - taisha; famous for its pathway of Torii. But first we had to defeat a number of Pokemon to enter the sacred space.



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Seriously, walking around these Kyoto temples, I finally understand how the game and its characters were imagined.




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This temple housed a unicorn. At least it looked much more like a unicorn than other images of the Kirin I have seen. More horse and less wildcat faced. There were several worshippers nearby who prayed and bowed at the temple. I am sure they knew more, but my Japanese is terrible.



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As we entered the beginning of the Torii pathway, a pair of Kannushi walked by. They are also referred to at Shinshoku - meaning employees of god.

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The lower parts of the temple we very crowded. But if you waited, and then walked the right pace, you could get time where it kind of felt like you were all alone.




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Or with just hanging with your friends. I did take a ton of pictures, but this walkway of Torii is miles long, and it was fun to walk in silence and contemplate our being in the world. I feel so fortunate for these past months. Its been a bit of eleven now, and if feels like a stroke of luck to have had these experiences. I really could nat ask for more in a year of my life. It was hard at times. Like very hard. But the good times were incredible. I turned 50 this year, and what a milestone gift this time has been.




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My kid chose the perfect outfit for this day. Torii Camo.



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For another Ghibli moment, we took a small path that left the main path to a temple in the bamboo forest.



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More Pokemon guarding the shrine. This was a small spot along our way deeper into the forest.



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This was the first time I had ever seen an actual bamboo forest. It stretched out as far as I could see with basically just bamboo growing and waving in unison I the breeze. My kid and I began joking around. "Chihiro, don't cling to me like that. You'll make me trip."



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After about a kilometer, we made it back to this very quiet shrine.



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The entire time walking around this complex, we saw two groups of two. They also seemed to be enjoying the solace and talked in hush tones the few times they spoke.



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This temple had a shinshoku in attendance, but he remained hidden inside one of the shrines, mostly behind a curtain.




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This place felt older and less polished than the main temple, and the smaller shrines along the Torii pathway. With good bit more moss.



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It was also built into the hilly landscape, giving a very cool feel to the space. At times looking down, up or across the shrine.



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This particular spot made me feel like if I moved the right (or wrong) item, I would awaken a spirit.


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Soon, we were back out with the masses along the main pathway. My kid had read there were more than a thousand Torii along the way. This is gate number 1000. We now estimate there are 10x that many.. They are each sponsored by a corporation, for which the company gets good luck.

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Soon, you begin to climb up Mt Inari, with many many shrines and temples along the way.



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Some I found more interesting, like this space with its crazy candles burning despite the misty conditions.




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As you climb more and more stairs, it became less and less crowded. Not everyone has the spiritual where with all to climb a mountain.




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We were also feeling a bit fatigued about 2/3 of the way up. It was noon, and we found a very cute place to grab lunch. The beverage in the beautiful blue glass is Hiyasi-ame. Considered healthy, it was made from malt sugar and ginger. Refreshing and super sweet.

The green beverage is matcha. Green in SE Asia is usually pandan. Here, it is usually matcha. A little caffeine buzz never hurt on a walk up a mountain.





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The restaurant was a cantilever structure hanging off the mountain with city views below. When we came in, we were the first customers for lunch. It was expensive compared to eating in town, but the food, service and views were stunning. Our meal and drinks came to about 3300 yen, so less than $25. I think we made the idea of a meal appealing, as by the time we were finished, there were four other groups eating. Although I noticed it was only Japanese, which made me feel like I was not in a tourist trap.




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I could easily spend some time like this. It was a much needed break for my kid. More from temple-ing and less from climbing. But a respite, and a fun meal.




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Their udon looked good.




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My dish was pretty damn good for sure. Food here is simple and complex all at once. I really have enjoyed my recent food adventures.


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I did not get a sample of that udon. Notice the hat turned backwards to set them up for perfect broth sipping

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Onward and upward. This area was packed and tight with shrine stuff. We had it pretty much to ourselves, as it was an out and back section off the main pathway. We did not come up this way on purpose, but gave us perhaps an additional 150 feet of vertical to our day. Exercise and cool little places work for us. We also found a cool vista to the city below. Pictures of Kyoto did not really come out well due the low ceiling and mist. The only real rain this day happened when we were eating lunch, so that was lucky timing. Also this offshoot eventually Brough us to a road, which helped explain how al the food and supplies got up to this location. I was wondering if the shop owners had to carry everything up.




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We also found this giant earthworm. Again, it might be a spirit or god.



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Back on the main path, we circumnavigated Inari Peak. It was very quiet at this point, with few other tourist around, and not many worshippers. And there were several really cool shrines to check out along the way.




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Wish I had gotten better focus oaths guy. Or checked anyway. Super cool jade colored sculpture and fountain.


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We continued to climb and wrap around the peak. The main temples at the base are old. The first structures were built in the 9th century, and the current main temples built just before the start of the 16th century. Not Siem Reap old, but some of the older things we have see for a few weeks.




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Eventually the trail will bring you to a temple space near the peak of Inari. It is not a super tall mountain by any means, at 233 meters. But it is still a decent climb from town which sits at 30 meters above sea level. Add in the several ups and downs, and we climbed and descended about 750 feet over 3 miles.

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Running up old, wet, slippery, uneven stairs I the rain is load of fun.



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If you get out to Inari, make the effort to get to the upper reaches. It is really not that far, but is is too far for 95% of the visitors here, and it is a whole different place than the main temple at the base.



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The Torii act like tunnels allowing the shrines to shine even on an overcast day.


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This was our favorite dude. Kitsune, or white foxes, is believed to be the animal avatar of the god Inari, to whom this shrine and entire mountain are dedicated to. Even my lunch included two pieces of Inarisushi, rice wrapped n a slightly sweetened tofu skin. Inari is the god of rice, tea and sake - the triangle of Japanese food culture.

I just enjoy this Kitsune's hat of moss.

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We peaked. The shrine at the center of Inari was great, but indistinct. We made an offering, bow, clapped, prayed and bowed. And then headed down the mountain.



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You are able to make a sort of loop, with a short section in the middle as an out and back. It was nice to get some exercise while being a tourist. We also noticed the trail to the base that does not go directly to the main shrine was less crowded, but everything downhill from our lunch spot at the intersection if the upper loop was pretty busy.



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Almost all the way down, and off to the side, was this Buddhist shrine. It almost felt like a - just in case - spot. Cover your bases. Fushimi Inari-taisha is for sure a shinto shrine, but here is an element of Buddhism.



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Then it was time for a snack. We ended up with coffee and ice cream, but these guys looked tasty.

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In the evening, we headed north toward Gion, one of the Geisha Districts of Kyoto for a free walking tour.



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The area is nice to walk around, and feels more traditional Japanese than the area we are lodged in.


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This building has an interesting history. It was bought and turned into a Hard Rock Cafe. Because of its location in this district, it was zoned such that the exterior facade could not be changed and had to maintain its historical style. This was in 2020. It failed, in part, because the Japanese and local community had no interest in supporting a HRC and in part because many who went looking for it could not find its location. Kyoto really missed out n its chance for some iconic American rock burgers.



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Our tour mostly focused on the life of Geisha. It is a unique career and have tried to wrap my head around it. First, it is something that is encouraged by the government as part of maintaining Japanese culture.



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Geisha are not prostitutes, as has been sometimes portrayed. Rather, they are highly trained entertainers of traditional Japanese arts. There is this weird part, though, in how they have been traditionally gained their employment. A young geisha in training is called maiko. Maiko live in a okiya, basically a geisha training dormitory.



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Along our walk, we stopped in Kennin-ji Temple. So mark another temple off the list.


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The okiya controls the Maiko's life. The kami-son (house mother) ensures their training, and hires the girls out nearly every night and train daily. They get two nights off, and earned about $200 per month. That is spending money for days off. The okiya houses, feeds and provides for clothing - which is very expensive. This arrangement can last for many years.



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Geisha work in tea houses, where they can meet potential clients. The tea houses are private clubs and member only. You can enter a tea house, but only if you are brought in by an exiting member. It is all very secret society. Tea houses are run by retired geisha and help protect the mystery of the entire program.



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This is one of the tea house. No descent entrance and quiet. You can identify the houses by the black plaque to the right of the entrance way.




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Maiko training schedule on the side of the building. This is where you'd come each month to check the posted course work for the coming weeks.

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After years of training, the maiko become gaiko. The gaiko wear more muted colors and wigs, as opposed to the bright kimono and adorned hairstyles of the maiko. They can also move out on their own, and get into relationships. Geisha must retire to marry, but they are able to have children and keep working. The maiko also get to keep what they earn, but must then maintain their own wardrobe and home.

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Kanzashi, or hair pins, are just one example of expanse. This shop sells only the hair pins that geisha would use. They start for about 20,000 yen for something simple and I saw ones for 65,000, which is about $450. I was told they have pins in the shop for over 200,000 yen.



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We saw a few geisha heading out to work on our walk. This woman was about to duck into the tea house to her right. It is the largest in Kyoto. There were also a number of gentlemen, usually political or business higher ups, arriving in their dark windowed cars. The clients and geisha will meet inside the tea house, with girls selected by the tea house manager to be introduced to men base don their tastes. The woman are hired by the hours. In that hour, she will typically dance for 15 minutes and then perform a tea ceremony. After that they may chill, talk, play parlor or drinking games or perform other arts.



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The tea houses do not have kitchens. Just teas, whiskey, and beer. Occasionally win and other liquor. They will know their members tastes and order out food from their favorite restaurants. You could see dudes in white clothes, on bikes, delivery food all over Gion at this hour.








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We too got hungry and waited for a table at Gion Tanto, and ozonemiyaki joint. It was full of tourist from the west and the east. But is was still very good. My kid really enjoyed eating cooking their food on the flat skillet.



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The location was quaint. We looked out onto the river and the Tasumibashi Bridge.




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This is the oldest Kabuke Theatre in Kyoto. You can come here to attend shows featuring geisha.


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The riverbanks were alive as night fell in town. This place really livens up at night, and Canberra pretty sleepy during the day. I imagine in part because all the tourist are out touristing all day, and come back into town hurry and thirsty at night.



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We walked by Kyoto Beer Lab on our way home. I sent my wife and BIL out, and walked the kid back to our lodging. Grabbed a "take away" beer first.

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The rain and clouds cleared, so we hired bikes for the day. We rented from Kyoto Cycling Tour Project. They were fairly hands off, and not super helpful at set up. OTOH, they had a great website presence and handy cycling map that got us off to a good start out of the city center. We had talked with Rental Bicycle Koyott ECO Tour the other day, and he was super helpful in person. Would try out that shop next time. Both shops are 5 minutes walk from Kyoto Central Station. Soon out of the shop we passed Nishi Hongan-ji, a temple in the middle of the urban zones.



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What we were hoping for was just a few miles away. We biked for several miles along the Katsura River and its flood plane.



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Our goal was the Arishiyama district north along the river. You can hire one of these if you are interested. The men pulling these things had legs like tree trunks - and this coming from a guy who bikes thousands of miles a year.


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A glimpse into Tenryu-ji. but we were off looking for lunch. This part of tow was super busy and the first few places we scouted out had waits of 30-70 minutes. And it was all westerners in line, so we kept looking.



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The views along the way were just fine. Even the less grand gardens are well attended here.




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And the riding was pretty nice.



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Arishiyama Station is picturesque.






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My kid led us to Kameyamaya, which turned out great. A short wait, quiet indoor, shoeless with A/C and a view of the river, boats and mountains. Food was good and reasonably priced as well. Ordered the gyudon and a Kyoto beer. Beer tasted like any typical Japanese light beer to me. Gyudon was very good.



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From there we walked dup in the Arishiyama Bamboo Forest. Its pretty thick and tall. Would love to visit here early in the morning or late in the day and try to get it solo. It is striking, but was much more crowded than the forest we found on Inari,

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This shot would have been with lunch but the edit feature was not my friend. Boating above the damn on the river.




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We had parked our bikes just south of Tenryu-ji, so we paid the 1300 yen entry fee and took a walk through the gardens. I loved this space. It was way less crowded than the adjacent bamboo forest (although there were still plenty of people) and the garden space was so well designed so there was always a new view or corner to discover.



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Agains, the rented kimono is a splash of color against see of green.



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Wishing wells have been pretty common in our travels through Thailand and Japan. They usually involve a little skill, or luck, to land you coin the right spot. Here it is a dishing front of the frog.




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The walkways wind and climb through the garden, offering views in every direction. I enjoy the shrine framed by green below and above.



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t is hard to capture the tranquility of this place. Even with many other humans milling bout, the created space is stunning and calming.




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Love me some raked stone and pond combo. Tenryu-ji is a zen buddhist temple. Built in 1339 by the shogun Takauji, it was dedicated to the recently deceased emperor Go-Diago. They were enemies at the time of death, but Takauji wanted to politically appease Go-Diago's followers as the shogun attempted to gain control of Japan.



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Most of the garden and structures were lost multiple times from fire and the rages of war. Most of the structures standing today date back to the Meiji period, like the shinto shrine we saw back in Shibuya. It is east to spot the similarities.





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Through the temple and back on our bikes we headed northwest. We started on a small road that runs along the railway. The first few miles of the ride were on quiet streets with no cars, few pedestrians and only two motorbikes. Great riding through the city. The train caught up with us though. I am amazed at the train system here. I also think about how many American's would complain about noise and ugliness of train lines running through our cities and countryside.