Sri Lanka cultural triangle: a natural jewel – great escape from the city…

Just landed from a short trip to Sri Lanka and what a great decision it was… We stayed in the Uga Ulagalla hotel located in Sri Lanka cultural triangle for an escape from the city and connect with nature while exploring the history, food, sights and culture of Sri Lanka.

Some of the views from the cultural triangle. From Left to Right: DAMBULLA Cave / Sigiriya entrance / Minneriya Park

Sri Lanka a relatively young Independent country (1948 independence) is a nation of around 22 million people, similar in size to Lithuania but an island in the Indian Ocean. Their capital is Colombo, where close to 30% of the people; their main religion is Buddhism and Sinhalese is the official language but you can find many people that speak English since is the language to speak with many tourists (Also there is British history influencing).

First time flying flydubai, nice experience. Colombo Airport was fast and easy, check on E-visa for faster time

The Cultural triangle is situated in the center of the Sri Lanka and covers an area which includes the World Heritage cultural sites of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, the Ancient City of Sigiriya, the Ancient City of Dambulla and the Sacred City of Kandy. Due to historical events, some of which are thousand years old, these sites are of high tourist value; they are visited by many local and foreign tourists.

Since we had limited time, the decision was to explore Sri Lanka cultural triangle but also stay in the area so we could enjoy more time doing things and less driving between activities; also the plan included a day to enjoy the property since the hotel we booked looked like a great place to enjoy with many activities. We plan for a 5d/4n stay with a mix of external and internal activities that included Sigiriya Lion Rock, Dambulla Caves, Minneriya national and some horseback riding plus archery in the hotel.

Hotel selection was a hit: Uga Ulagalla property

The selection of tours was awesome and the support from the hotel to book and our guide Sakun made it even better, the tours included a picnic that added to the experience and felt like being part of Jurassic Park. Here is brief information on the different places we visited.

Sigiriya Lion Rock

Is an ancient rock fortress, is a site of historical and archeological significance in Sri Lanka that goes back more than 1500 years. The story is that King Kashyapa build the new capital here at the top of this massive granite rock 180 meter high. Is called Lion Rock because at the middle had a getaway build on rock in the form of a lion, today we can see the paws of what was this immense monument. The palace was abandoned after the king death and later used as a Buddhist until 14th century. Today Sigiriya is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site, it was discovered in 1830’s and Archeological work began in 1890. It is one of the best-preserved example of early urban planning, the aqueduct system still works after more than 1500 years.

Dambulla Caves

It is the largest cave system in Sri Lanka, also known as Golden Temple of Dambulla is a Unesco World Heritage site. This place is more than 2000 years old, with an impressive collection of paintings and statues, we saw 5 caves that had many paintings and Buddha statues all made during different times and kings. The caves are part of a still functional monastery, it is well preserved and more important they continue to be very strict to ensure it remains in good condition. It is quite an impressive place and the vibe you get when you are there is a great one, lots of stories inside those caves for sure.

Each cave has it’s own story… 2,000 year in some cases, impressive

Minneriya National Park

It is a national park and is a feeding ground for the elephant population that lives around the surrounding area. In the park they have sighted 20+ different species of mammals, 150+ species of birds, 20+ species of reptiles but the star of the park is the Sri Lankan Elephant, there are reports of more than 700 elephants in the park in a specific time. The park is an important place for endemic species of Sri Lanka monkeys; you could also find Sri Lankan Leopard, Deer or Sloth Bear. The water reservoir is an important habitat for larger birds, you can easily see them across the park. For us it was a great experience, to see the Sri Lankan Elephant in their habitat, other species like the water buffalo and many different birds. We only hope the population continues to grow for all this species.

Park is big, takes 3 hours to visit, be on the lookout to find different animals. Bring your binoculars

We also had a great time with the activities we did in our hotel and it added to make the experience even better. The Uga Ulagalla hotel is a clear choice if you want to complement the great sights of the cultural triangle, not only the location but the facilities, the food, and their people makes it one of the best hotels we have stayed in the world. One tip is to do one day and enjoy the property; we spent it doing horseback riding, archery, and relaxing time in the both the common pool and our private pool in our villa. Having your own private pool in your villa makes it the best to cool down after a full day of activities.

If you stay at the Uga hotel, spend at least 1 day in the property

The property is situated in a more than 100 year old hacienda, with spacious villas and tons of amenities, a link is included in the previous paragraph. They even have an Elephant conservation project led by Katherina, you can go there and learn more about this and how they are protecting the ecosystem in the area.

Enjoy a bike ride through the property, talk with locals… Very nice days in the cultural triangle

Another tip during the stay is to do the Kamatha dinner: a 32 Sri Lanka dishes feast cooked the way it was done in previous generations with clay pots and cinnamon firewood. It was clear the level of effort and expertise of this great team, is something you will never forget from the beautiful location (Middle of a rice paddy field with an enormous Tree protecting you). Please don’t miss the food prepared by Chef Dulika and Manel supported by the great host Aruna (Secret Ingredient for sure is Love).

Kamatha experience is a must do… Love Sri Lankan food

Great first experience of Sri Lanka: the history, sights, hotel, and the people make this country a must go for any traveler who like adventure. I would like to give a special thanks to the team of Uga Ulagalla, they really made our days memorable, to all employees our most sincere gratitude and all the best in the future.

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Hanoi: Vietnam capital delivers great energy from their people, alongside some impressive sights and food…

Southeast Asia has many great countries to visit and explore; Vietnam is clearly atop of the list offering tons of history, great sights, energetic people, and delicious food that will satisfy all travelers. To fully explore Vietnam you will need a good 3-4 weeks, since the country offers many things from north to south. From my research the best way to plan is to divide Vietnam in 3 parts and plan around this: North (Hanoi), Central (Da Nang), South (Ho Chi Minh). For us we only had one week and needed to make choices of the places to see.

Active train line, with cafes and shops alongside

I am starting where we first landed in our Vietnam journey and is Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam located in the north part of the country. Hanoi is the second biggest city in Vietnam with more than 8 million people living in and around the city, one of the first things I want to highlight is how welcoming the people were during our stay; everywhere we went people were happy to greet you and have a few words with you making the trip even more enjoyable.

It was great meeting many people in our trip

Hanoi is divided into districts and this important to understand before you select where you want to stay; some of the famous areas of Hanoi include the french quarter, old quarter, Tay Ho, Ba Dinh. Every area has pros and cons, we decided to stay in the Old Quarter and was a great decisions based on location and how we were able to move easy my walking or taxi. The hotel we stayed was La Sinfonia Citadel hotel and spa, it is located at the Old Quarter very close from many attractions. Not only the location was good but the employees were phenomenal, did an awesome job in making us very welcomed. I would recommend the hotel and go back if planning to go again.

We stayed 3 nights in Hanoi with lots of activities to see and food to taste, you could tell that 3 days is not that much but the way we structured the calendar was enough to enjoy the highlights and also experience some great food. When on leisure travel I like to blend guided visits with locals and some alone time to get “lost” in the city in this way you have free time to spend as you like giving the opportunity to find your own highlights.

In our guided tour in Hanoi, we got the opportunity to learn more about Vietnam and Hanoi history; I was impressed with how much heavy stuff the people have faced, but most important how they used past experience and look into working to build a better country for them and the next generations present and future; also interesting to see how Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism beliefs play an important part in the everyday life of the people.

Hanoi is an easy city to explore, here you can fins some of the most go places to go in Hanoi and learn more about the history of the city.

1. Temple Literature: 1,000 year old Confucian Temple and the first university in Vietnam

2. Tran Quoc Pagoda & One Pillar Pagoda: Buddhist Temples where you can see locals expressing their beliefs

3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum: Resting Place of Ho Chi Minh, 1,000’s of people visit every day to pay respect, also they have a museum

4. Hoa Lo Prison: Also known as the Hanoi Hilton, it served as prison during the multiple conflicts in Vietnam a. US Senator John McCain was prisoner here during Vietnam war

5. Thang Long Water Puppet Show: Vietnamese tradition, originated in the Red River Delta. Cool to see the live show at the theater

6. Walk around French and Old Quarter: Set time to get “lost” in the city and find unique sights and stories like Ngoc Son Temple or B52 remains in a small pond in the middle of the city

Hanoi traffic is impressive, mainly because the number of motorbikes is crazy. Vietnam is one of the countries with highest penetration of motorbikes in the world (65 million registered for 100 million population), you need to be careful when walking and crossing the street since they are coming from every place like mosquitoes. You can do lots of walking in the city and mixed with Grab (moto or car) getting across is very easy.

Vietnamese food is very tasty and fresh, is crazy the amount of noodles the people eat here in Vietnam but also they have other dishes that take advantage of the great local produce, fish and meats. I do strongly recommend you do a Food Tour at night where you will be able to have some great foodie experience with of course local beer. Here some of the things you most try in Vietnam and specially in Hanoi.

Pho: Probably the most well known Vietnamese dish consisting of Broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat (Ususally Chicken or Beef). This one is a must and not to be missed.
Ca Phe Trung or Egg Coffe: Its main ingredients are egg yolk, coffee, and condensed milk. Vietnam is the second biggest export country for coofee, and their coofee is really top quality. Egg coffee is served in cafes all over Hanoi, cold or hot.
Banh Xeo – Vietnamese Crepe: Is made out of flour and turmeric while it is filled with pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp. This savory dish is a very popular street food in Vietnam.
Bun Cha – Grilled Pork and Noodles: Consists of a soup bowl of diluted fish sauce that is filled with grilled pork, meat balls, rice noodles and fresh herbs. Let me tell you fish sauce here is the king of ingredients.
Bahn Mi – Baguette with pate: Bread in Vietnam is delicious, they really know how to do it, some people say is the best place to find bread in Southeast Asia. A combination of meat, coriander, cucumber, pickeled carrots, mayonnaise and pate all inside a baguette make a great combination.

This was our first stop in Vietnam, and let me tell you that Hanoi was a great introduction to an awesome country that has learned from the past and are focused to shine in the world defined by great people; when you add the incredible sights and their awesome food it is a must go place that you need to include on your travel plans.

Be ready to enjoy the rest of Vietnam posts in the near future. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Some amazing places to go in Tokyo… bucket list city 100%…

You would expect a city that would rank top 40 in population when compared to countries (yes you read correct, 37+ million people live in Tokyo); there would be chaos and basically you see people walking on top of each other. On the contrary you find a city with lots of energy that flows in balance across the people that live and visit this great city.

We had the opportunity to see Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park

It would be crazy to suggest an itinerary in just one post, my idea is to share some of the places you must go when visiting this majestic city. Tokyo size but most important the role it has in Japan makes it a destination where you need to be prepared to spend many hours exploring and get lost on purpose; once you get situated in the city moving from point A to point B is not difficult and the public and private options are many. You can build multiple day tours for every different type of tourist enthusiast, and not only the transportation will help you but also the great people living in the city will help you and try to navigate to your destination.

Use the Subway, is a great way to travel Tokyo

TOKYO SKYTREE If you want to see how the city can fit more than 37 million people go on top of the Tokyo Skytree and get a 360 view of the city from the tallest structure in Japan. It is a television and radio broadcast site, and when you see it from a distance looks like a futuristic tower where you would control air travel of spaceships entering the city airspace.

Tokyo Skytree, and also the Asahi HQ (Building looks like a beer pint)

I would suggest you buy the tickets online, so you have an easier entrance procedure, in the location you can find many restaurants and some stores where you can buy gifts if you want. You have 2 options floor 350 and floor 450 (high and higher), we bought the basic ticket and for us was great, since the objective was to learn about the place and have a 360 perspective of the city from above. The views are great, and you can truly get a sense of the magnitude of the city and how packed it is… Great to do this after you have an initial tour of the city, in that way you can identify places that you have been, we could identify some of the temples we visited and the Asahi HQ a building that looks like a beer served in a glass (Go and find it!!!)

Great views from the top, we sent some postcard but did not arrive 😦

MEIJI SHRINE One of the things I learn during my visit is that in Japan people based their faith in mainly 2 religion Buddhism and Shinto, interesting that they are more focused on the spirituality and worship rather than doctrines. You can find many shrines across Tokyo; numbers talk of about 85,000 shines in Japan. One of them and an impressive one is the Meiji Shrine in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

The shrine was built in 1920 and many of the buildings were destroyed after World War II, it was rebuilt after public funding efforts. As you pass under the gate, there is a great vibe and feel of relaxation; more than 100,000 trees are part of this shrine making it a big oasis in the big city of Tokyo. You can see people doing their rituals and if you are lucky there are weddings happening, so you can get a glimpse of the ceremony and the wardrobes they use (we were lucky to see). Expect to be here at least an hour so you can walk calmly and enjoy all the great images.

SHIBUYA CROSSING Who would have thought that a street crossing could be an attraction, well in Tokyo you can find the busiest street crossing in the world. Complete madness when the stoplight is green, and you see up to 3,000 people crossing at the same time. Not only you have hundreds of people there, also you have Billboards with sound and big trailers crossing the street with proportions of some Japanese artist. Is mayhem but an organized one, as Japan order and cleanliness is top even on this congested street.

Go into the starbucks and get a coffee, spend 15-20 minutes there..,

SENSOJI TEMPLE One of the oldest temple in Japan and for sure one of the most visited sacred places in the world (Some publish it as #1), with the amazing entrance through a gate with 2 goods a long street with plenty of stores ending at the temple. This temple also was rebuilt after World War 2, the gate was burned in a fire so in 1960 was done again. You will find many tourist and locals here, one particular thing here is that you see groups of girls renting traditional Kimono and stroll through the temple.

Expect large crowds, but more important look for the people that go to the temple and have their rituals

KABUKI THEATRE In Ginza neighborhood you can enjoy one of the traditional arts form the Kabuki performance with it dance, drama and decorated costumes. This theater provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the art for, by either buying a full day ticket or buying a third act ticket so you can see a part of it (the complete show takes 5-6 hours). Since is in Japanese is a bit difficult to follow but if you like theatre the experience can be a good way to admire a very traditional art form.

Beautiful Building, but more important great history in the art performed there

Ginza, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ueno, Harajuku, Odaiba Districts One of the top things I recommend is to spend a day just going in the metro and moving from district to district. Tokyo public transportation is immense and more importantly easy to use. Visiting these districts will give you a clear understanding of the diversity you can find in the city. From well-renowned boutiques to full buildings with everything of Anime that you can imagine, to parks that you can walk at your leisure; it will be a day you will love.

Explore… Explore… Explore… Tokyo is a great place to get lost

TEAM LAB MUSEUM For a unique interactive art experience with the latest digital technology this is the place to go. A different museum versus the traditional ones, you will find multiple digital art exhibitions displayed in a huge space and the artworks are projected across walls and floors, and immersive installations of light and sound that move and reflect by your movements and touches. You will be part of the digital artworks, make sure to bring your camera as it’s the perfect place to take Instagram photos.

Immersive museum, will look into art in a different way

DISNEY SEA For a different Disney experience you can go to the Disney Sea theme park, one of the most visited parks in the world and the second one behind Tokyo Disneyland. As the name refers, you will walk through different ports in the park, from the American or Arabian ports to some more imaginative like the Mermaid Lagoon. The park feels different to other Disney parks, but what makes this park great are the employees and shows, the level of service and showmanship are top versus other theme parks outside Japan.

Disney can always make you feel like a kid again

This is my third post on Tokyo, and as you can see there is tons to do and explore in Tokyo; in my previous posts I also shared about how awesome is the food and bar scene in Tokyo. We have Japan as a most go back place, for sure we will be back to continue exploring and enjoying all the great things this country has to offer.

Thankful of spending some days in this great city!!!

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Tokyo food capital of the world… If you are a foodie, you better not miss it…

When you live in America and you talk about Japanese food, you are often referring to Sushi and maybe a distant second would be Tempura that by the way would be done at the Sushi restaurant. Travel gives you the opportunity to not only explore new places but also taste it, in our trip to Tokyo we had the opportunity to go out and try many different foods for breakfast, dinner, and lunch. Now after exploring Tokyo food scene and being spoiled to really great food is tough to go back home and try Japanese food, since the bar is so high (LOL).

3 of the greatest foods we tried in Tokyo

While sharing some of the great food we had in Tokyo, there is also an important aspect that adds value to a great food experience, and this is having it with awesome people; the experience of sharing food, and stories is the perfect recipe for enjoying what the city you are traveling has to offer. Below you will see our team dinner where we had great food, but even better great stories were shared. I am thankful of these opportunities since makes travel even better.

Having food with friends is always great.

Let’s start with Sushi as is the most common dish in and outside Japan. Sushi places come in all size, shape, and form in Tokyo and would be very difficult to identify a good versus bad place since they are all full (I think they are all good), I was impressed by the variety of Sushi and the alternatives to select, like a set already defined or a la carte with as many as you want. All of them were great, but wanted to try ones that would be the first for me and in addition to the classic ones I had: Salmon Roe, Sea Urchin, Fatty Tuna. You can´t miss with your selection but would encourage to try any of the 3 that I mentioned earlier. If you are in Tokyo please try them, you will enjoy them and more important need to tell you that after going back home Sushi will never taste the same. Taste and flavor out of this world!!!!

With no Japanese, you use the simple pointing to the menu!!!

One of the places to go and eat Sushi is the Toyosu Market, with a train line that goes there is easy to land there, is one must do attraction in Tokyo. You need to go early and see the famous daily tuna auction that starts at 5:30 AM, this is an impressive place where thousands of fish are being sold every day, you can also find Fruit and Vegetable sections plus other comestibles. The market was opened in 2018, it had some pushback from the people that used to work in the old market, now that is finished is clear the great business development it is. Where you can find more fresh fish than the market, inside the big building you will see Sushi restaurants were in some case they have lines as early as 6AM to eat their Sushi. The experience is unique so be ready to have sushi for breakfast at the market. One important thing you will notice is the cleanliness of the place a clear signature of Japan culture.

Toyosu Market complex is Huge, also the Tuna Auction is packed with people

Second food that I would like to share is Yakitori, these small skewers that you can find most common made of chicken outside Japan. Here in Tokyo, you have full restaurants specializing in Yakitori made of many ingredients like Beef, Chicken, Pork, Shrimp, Vegetables also they sell Beers, Whisky, and Sake. These restaurants are very high on energy, the kitchen in the center makes it like a DJ spinning some music while everyone is dancing to their favorite tune. Like many restaurants in Japan, you take your shoes before you enter and get seated either on a table or in one of the sides of the kitchen (my favorite), then you start ordering from the menu the small portions while having a cold drink. If you like grilling on charcoal you will enjoy this place, the coal is named “binchotan” it gives a good smokiness and when they put the sauce you get a good amount of smoke that bring flavors to the skewers you ordered. Yakitori places can be a great way to start or end the night… Kanpai!!!

The last food I want to share on this post is called Okonomiyaki, a Savoury pancake that consist of: Wheat flour batter, cabbage, meat or seafood, sauce, and Japanese mayo. This tasty dish is done on a teppan (flat iron grill) in front of you, design to be shared by the group on the table with chopsticks. They have 2 versions wet or dry, we did the dry one and loved it, not only tasty but the combination of flavors and texture was out of this world. One thing that made the experience great was the location and that many locals eat there, for me when I travel is always cool to go and find the local jewels to spend time with locals. This dish was a complete surprise for me, I did not know it existed and was my colleague the person who told me to try it, for that Arigato gozaimasu Takada-san.

I am showing just a very small sample of the great food we tried during our visit to Tokyo, food is a great way to understand how rich a country is and what Japan showed to me is a truly rich and diverse palate of options. From hot to cold, rare to cooked, veggie to non-veggie you can get what you want in Tokyo.

There will be a future post on Tokyo food in the future, I hope this made you hungry to go and explore Japanese Cuisine. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Tokyo Bar Scene… A must in your travel agenda…

When growing up in Puerto Rico, planning a trip to Japan usually was not at the top of the list (For sure Disney or a Caribbean Cruise). Going to Tokyo from San Juan means to travel more than 20 hours before you land in Tokyo. If you ask me, before moving to Dubai the land of the rising sun was not on our travel plans. As part of my current assignment the opportunity to visit Tokyo arrived and we decided to stay additional days to grasp the rich culture, energy, and history in the most populated city in the world. What an excellent decision it was.

Tokyo impressive nightlife is definitely something to build the schedule around

We spend 5 days exploring the city and the result is we fell in love with Tokyo. This city is so impressive that a year will not be enough to really explore it; from the delicious food (Okonomiyaki, a must try), meaningful theater (Kabuki, so unique art), beautiful parks and public spaces (Cherry Blossom season is inspiring) Tokyo has it all. I have decided that my first post on Tokyo would be what for me was a big surprise, the impressive bar scene you can find in Tokyo and that can be a great complement to your daily activities and a way to end a day of sightseeing. In the post will share 3 bars we went and had an absolute blast, making our visit even more spectacular.

3 great bars that you will enjoy for sure!!!

The first bar is Bar Orchard Ginza, is located at 6-5-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. The premise of this bar is very simple you select a fruit from the display they have on the bar and they will make you a drink. Here come the twist of this place, don’t expect just a drink in a glass with ice, they will create a drink that will tell a story while enjoying it. In Bar Orchard you go for more than a drink, you go for the entertainment, craftmanship, and creativity of the bartender.

Fresh fruits of the day… for you to select and enjoy a drink

It is so cool that you just want to try a new drink to see what else they can master… A Shark that just had lunch… A Hippo that can devour you… A Flower pot, that you need to pour some “water” before drinking… or a trash can with a syringe and test tube for you to make the drink (clean and sanitized before prep). All of this preparation happens in a small locale (not more than 12 people) with the Chief bartender and the apprentice. They are good at the small talk while preparing the drink, also some background music is there to have the proper ambiance, still you can easily have a conversation and unwind after a full day of exploring Tokyo massive landscape.

No 2 drinks are alike… Need to ask for something different every time

Second bar we went is named Tir na nog, different to the first one they are located in the basement of one of the buildings in the Ginza area. Here is the address that will help you find it – 5 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061 Japan, as you walk in the street you need to watch carefully because there are many signs and you can easily miss it. Once you go down the stairs and enter through a heavy metal door, there is a complete change of mood, you go back in time hundred of years in the time of castles. The décor used is very cool (dark, mix of metal and wood) and really make you forget that you are in Tokyo year 2023, you are now in another time and place.

Now that you found the place, need to ask for a good a good drink… and let me tell you here they are also very creative in the way they put together their drinks. In the bar you can find a Candy Floss machine, not for kids to enjoy but to put together as part of a drink!!! talk about sugar rush. One of the drinks we order was the Empress Garden, thy use Mochi as part of the garnish like a cherry; another drink we tried was the Bridgetown Old-Fashioned, here the mix of rum, angostura, Pomegranate, sugar and orange oil makes one delicious cocktail that will make you have more than one (My wife preferred drink now).

Cotton Candy machine… not for kids to enjoy

Tir na nog, is much bigger than the other bars we went; here you can easily have 35-450 people in the bar at the same time, but the service was also very good and like I told you earlier once you enter time will stop and you forget that you are in one of the most impressive cities in the world where million of people leave in a fantastic display of harmonic chaos. I would recommend the bar if you are in a group.

Nice music in the background, but you can talk and enjoy a laugh with friends

The last bar we visited is named Star Bar also located in Ginza (1-5-13, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), you find it also in the basement of the building but more easy to identify as it has a good size sign in the entrance. This bar is very classic, you enter the room and is all dark wood and leather with the right light (Not to dark or to bright). You will served by the Chief bartender, the apprentice, and 1 or 2 additional supporting staff (one speak great English and help us translate to Japanese) they all are focus to provide top notch service and upscale experience.

Japanese whisky is fine!!! Here master Hisashi Kishi sharing some of his stories

Here at Star Bar you find “Ninja Ice”, this ice is so pure that is invisible to sight when in a drink, they use very pure water and 72 hours to freeze it creating the effect of Ninja Ice. I tried a Whisky highball and it is really impressive the quality and purity of the ice, but for me what I found impressive was Japanese whisky. During the trip had the opportunity to try and bring home a couple of them: Yamazaki, Hakushu (2021 Single Peated Malt was my favorite), Hiniki – this are some of the brands you can find at every bar, feel free to explore them you will not be disappointed. My wife had the crème de cacao /menth and fresh cream a sweet drink that is an excellent choice for after dinner.

Look at that ice on my drink… Ninja style!!!

During our visit we meet Hisashi Kishi, owner and master bartender of Star Bar. Winner of bartending championships his a celebrity in this arena. We had the opportunity to chat with him and also learn that Seiko used 2 of his drinks to create special watches for a collection. This guy is so famous that someone enter the bar to get his autograph and have a drink prepared by him. At the end of the night we took a photo with him outside the bar, we were so impressed not only by the level of service but also by the personal touch.

What a great opportunity to meet bartender champion…

The bar experience we had in Tokyo was not only great from the drinks we had, but also by the great people that work in there and how each place reflects a different personality; they made our Tokyo visit even better. At the end of a long day of sightseeing we were energized by the fact of going to one of the many bars they have in Tokyo and explore something different. Some of this bars have been in top 50 bars in Asia list, and is clear now for me why they have been selected.

Need to be on the watch to find the entrance to this different bars… Cheers!!!

This is my first of a couple of post I will do on Tokyo, it is a great city and the people we met and places we went are a small sample but we can say Tokyo needs to be high on the list of places to visit. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Phuket Thailand: a great southeast Asia destination, with tons of things to enjoy

I have been lucky to visit some cool beach destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and the USA; from mega resorts to Airbnb spending a couple of days at the beach are always welcomed. Being a native of Puerto Rico we know what good beach are: Flamenco in Culebra – Luquillo & Palomino in the east coast or Jobos and Domes beach in the northwest of Puerto Rico there are so many great beaches that we are spoiled in our beautiful island. Now going back to Thailand and specific to Phuket… what an awesome beach destination with so many things to do, here I will only will share a fraction of the things to do.

The first thing you need to know is that Phuket is the biggest Island of Thailand, is the second smallest province, close in size to Singapore. Today it looks like tourism is the biggest source of income, it is 550 miles of Bangkok with a great airport that welcomes local and international flights everyday of the year. The location close to the equator makes its climate tropical with good hot weather all year long.

Majority of the people are Buddhist (60%+), with Muslim (25%+) making the 2 biggest groups. Is very common to find Buddhist monks walking through the streets, also in the airport there is a special lounge for them. We went to a couple of places of interest where we got to learn a little of their religion and beliefs; for me this is one of the biggest plus of traveling and is learning new things and expand your knowledge by learning and experiencing close and personal the different cultures. Is so great that we have differences and that we can make positive impact from many different ways.

We had the opportunity in this short trip to visit some of the best attractions Phuket has to offer, also very good places to eat in different price range. Our stay was short just 3 nights, you will need at least a full week to explore the majority of things Phuket has to offer from my observation of all Phuket has to offer. Let me share some of the highlights of our trip.

Since Phuket is an island, definitely a tour to explore the open sea is required and enjoy some of the most awesome sights you can get at sea. We found a tour by Amazing Canoeing in trip advisor “Phang Nga Bay Sea Cave Canoeing & James Bond Island w/ Buffet Lunch by Big Boat “, great communication with them and 100% truly recommended. It was a fun and exciting day with a great bunch of people and the employees were top: special thanks to Tony the big Chief, Noon on the Cannoe, an Miss Kong for the Amazing food.

The many small Islands are impressive, just passing through them is a spectacle with their size and unique shapes. We made a couple of stops to do some canoeing and get a bit more closer to truly see their beauty, as part of the trip we were inside a cave where you see hundreds of bats. Another stop was at James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan), here you stop at 2 small islands very close together, where you can see a lime stone rock iconic in a couple of James Bond movies. The cool story from locals is that this rock was formed when a Fisherman pissed for not getting fish dropped a nail and it become Ko Ta Pu, the place is truly awesome and very well kept from local authorities. It is a very long day, but the different activities makes it cool.

We also did a tour around the big island of Phuket to see a bit more of the cool spots and learn a little bit on the history of the place. For this tour we also looked at trip advisor and found a good one, here is the description ” Phuket Instagram Tour: The Most Famous Spots (Private & All-Inclusive)”. This one was also a very thought tour with great coordination, many thanks to Sheriff who was our tour guide for the day. Good knowledge of Phuket and great sense of humor, all adds to a superb day. There were many stops in our tour some of the most memorable were: Big Buddha overlooking the city, Chalong Temple where we learn about Buddhism, Karon View Point a place high in the mountain with an awesome views of some of the beaches, Old Town Phuket, and a local restaurant to have real local food.

This tour was more than 8 hours, but when the guide is a great storyteller time flies and this was the case for us and if you add the great sights and long history of Thailand is like going back in time and understand how this country and specifically Phuket is a place where you can find balance between nature and the people. As we are getting out of COVID, will be important that this balance continues and proper planning is done to keep the places in good condition for generations to come.

There are many beaches where you can stay, from relax to party places, is important you study before selecting the place to stay. Because of the short time we were going to be in Phuket, we decided to stay in Patong Beach; it is the most busy part of the island but the hotel we choose Four Points Sheraton was excellent to rest in the night and centrally located in Patong.

One night we decided to do some fine dining and some bar hoping at Patong Beach where you have a very long street with many bars, discos, restaurants. Food at the Baan Rim Pa was very well done, I recommend the place for a good dinner in front of the beach. Patong Brach street is a 10 minute drive in a taxi, go for some drinks is a cool and different place with huge crowds. Patong beach at night can be a bit hectic but there is order in the disorder you see. People in Phuket are focus on maintain the place safe so tourist give great review and recommendations ad get more people to visit. All the people we met were great, with a good attitude and service oriented.

The sights in Phuket are impressive, you need at least 5 or 6 days to see most of the great locations it has to offer. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Changi Airport and The Jewel: A must attraction while in Singapore

Recently had a trip to Singapore and decided that before I returned to Dubai to spend a good 6 hours at the well renowned Changi Airport. This was my second trip to Singapore, during my first visit I was impressed by the airport cleanliness and open areas with floor to floor carpets (looked like a hotel not an airport) and had already read of the Jewel an entertainment complex built as part of the airport at a cost of more than $1 billion USD.

Good view to understand the size of the Jewel

Traveling for a good part of my life, I need to tell you that being in the airport is something I like. Just looking at the people and their faces of happiness when they are traveling for pleasure or all this business people trying to make business in a crowded terminal and fighting with their mobile signal is always fun. It does not matter how much travel experience you have Changi airport will leave you impressed, not only to manage the million of people that travel in a year but also into getting them to spend money the 2-3 hours they are in the airport.

Changi Airport has big open spaces, feels like you are walking in a hotel

A little bit of history on Changi Airport before I describe my experience; is one of the busiest international passenger and cargo airports in the world at it speak it managed more than 68 million passengers more than 10 times the country population. It was ranked by skytrax best airport in the world 8 years in a row until 2020. More than 100 airlines flight to Changi Airport to more than 400 destinations around the world, and due to the strategic location is the flagship cargo hub for Fedex in asia.

View from the Emirates Lounge, with view to one of the 3 runaways, the lounge has same quality as being in DXB

The airport has 4 terminals, plus the Jewel complex also three runaways to serve the hundreds of daily flights. I was reading the y are building a 5th terminal to be operational by 2030 and serve the future demand (expect to double the traffic). But what really distinguished Changi to other airports are all the features and services it offers: 100+ stores and shopping malls, 10 garden areas for you to relax, own Singapore tours service if you have more than 5 hours layover, Singapore metro connects directly to the airport and the full entertainment complex called the Jewel.

More than 300 stores for you to buy from sportwear to your favorite coffee from anywhere in the world

Once you arrive to the airport you go directly into the terminal, since they have so many connecting flights you don’t need to do immigration quickly. You can walk, stretch, eat, have a drink before going to Immigration and outside the terminal. Both times I have gone it has been an easy procedure. After you are out you can use multiple transit method to get to your final destination. Check in for sure departure flight is also very easy and if you fly in airlines like Emirates you can do early check in (more than 3 hours), so you can enjoy what Changi airport has to offer. On our flight back we did check-in 6 hrs before the flight and set to enjoy all the entertainment options the airport offer.

If you have small children, they will not be bored… Also there is entertainment for adults like playing soccer in a trampoline

If you have only have a couple of hours you need to go straight to the Jewel and explore all the green areas and the huge waterfall that will hypnotize you. In its first 6 months receive 50 million visitors or 300 thousand people per day. Designed to maintain the status of a major hub aviation in Asia, opened in October 2019. Some of the attractions that you will enjoy are: Shiseido Forrest valley one of Asia biggest indoor garden, The Rain Vortex (currently the world’s largest and tallest indoor waterfall), Canopy park with adult and kids attractions a top the Jewel, Changi Experience Studio an interactive display of Changi Airport.

The photos don’t make justice of how impressive is Changi airport but give you some idea on what to expect, if you go to my Instagram (Boricuaslivingabroad) account you will find some videos that bring a different perspective or visit http://www.jewelchangiairport.com to get detailed information of activities. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Burj Khalifa… Tallest building of the world, One of the iconic places in Dubai

Once you arrive in Dubai, the number of tall buildings will impress you. As you move across the city you see different areas where Skyscrapers are found, for example you have Sheikh Zayed road where you will find many of this Skyscrapers like the Gevora Hotel (Tallest hotel in the world), Dubai Marina were the Marina 101 is located at a height of 425 meters is the second tallest building in Dubai, and Downtown Dubai where the Burj Khalifa is located standing at more than 800 meters high (half a mile!!!)

It is so tall that you can see the building from a great distance

There is no formal definition on a Skyscraper but if we use the reference of 150 meters, Dubai has close to 75 buildings higher than these. The cool thing is that every building has it’s own persona there are no 2 Skyscraper alike making it a great activity on looking for details unique to each building.

A sample of the many tall buildings you will find in Dubai

It took 6 years to get the project completed from 2004 to 2010, at a cost of $1.5 billion dollar one of the most expensive projects in the UAE, it is located next to the Dubai Mall (biggest shopping mall in the world) in Downtown Dubai. You can see the building from many places within the city, is impressive the size versus all other structures. When you look it in a close up it seems that the top floors are fake (like Disney use in the parks to create special effect), but in fact they are real, the Burj Khalifa has 163 floors combined into offices, residential, retail, and entertainment. The 828 meters height is 20% more than the Merdeka 118, second tallest building in the world located in Kuala Lumpur.

Look at night, it is impressive, display on the building is spectacular

The design is derived from Islamic architecture and presented multiple challenges from building efficiently and economically, understanding the winds, elevator systems, electrical and water services. Design challenges were not the only thing that they needed to overcome, there was some financial troubles and with support from the ruler of Abu Dhabi the government lent billions of dollars to continue the project.

A little bit of the timeline to get the building done

You can enjoy by going to the Dubai Mall and get a close up look of the building while the Dubai Fountains play their show, or can have the experience to go at the top of the Burj Khalifa. For this you can go to their webpage and get ta ticket for specific hour, best times are at sunrise and sunset (tickets are more expensive). One interesting fact is that at the top of the Burj Khalifa you see the sun 2-3 more minutes than being on the ground floor (impressive) .

Some of the views at top of the Burj Khalifa

One of the must places to go in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa is an important engineering and architecture masterpiece not only for Dubai but for the world. If you are in Dubai do not miss it. This is all for now, if you just read the post please forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

Visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque… Impressive architecture

As part of our year end holiday, we decided to spend a couple of days in Abu Dhabi and get to know more of the Emirate. One of the must places to got is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque completed in 2007. In Dubai we went to the Jumeirah mosque it is much smaller but you have the opportunity of a tour so you can learn a little bit of Islam, it is a must go in Dubai and will share a post later so you have the details.

You can see the details on the walls and domes… It is incredible the craftmanship

It is an impressive landmark and you can see it from very far due to it’s size. You need to register to get a ticket for access, it is very simple and you do it online ( https://visit.szgmc.gov.ae/). Once you get the confirmation you will receive a QR code that you can use at the entrance and in different points during the visit to track your journey.

From the road, look a the size from the distance

Construction started in 1996 and was finished in 2007, took more than 10 years to get all the details in place. It is the largest mosque in UAE and the 3rd largest in the world, it can accommodate more that 40,000 visitors . It has an Arabic appearance but has collaboration from many countries including Italy, Germany, Iran, United Kingdom, China. As I shared previously UAE is the capital of world records and in the Mosque you will see the biggest hand-knotted carpet done by more than 1,200 Iranian crafters.100,000 tonnes of marble imported from Greece and Macedonia.

A closer look on the carpet, imagine is one piece

Some of the details you will find is the use of thousands semi precious stones embedded into the marble, huge Chandeliers with thousand Swarovski crystals. The Mosque has 82 domes, the largest located in the center of the prayer room.

You can see more of the details inside the mosque, very delicate work

It takes close to 45 minute to walk and see the mosque, with clearly defined areas so you can take pictures. The visit we had was more focus on walking and enjoying the architecture of the building. There was no additional information around Islam, that’s why having the experience on the Jumeirah mosque in Dubai is a great compliment because you will get a high level of understanding of Islam faith.

One of the must places to go in Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a unique place to see. I hope this post provide you with the opportunity to live a little bit the experience. For now if you just read my post, forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

Experiencing Jebel Jais the Longest Zipline in the world

To end the year in Dubai, I had the opportunity to bring my family for a couple of weeks so they can also enjoy the great things the UAE has to offer. We planned to not only do things in Dubai but also do activities in other Emirates including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah; you will see other posts of the different activities.

Me and my Kids.. getting pumped to do the adventure!!!

With 2 big kids (21 and 17 years), we need to found high energy things with lots of adrenaline. Doing some research I found that the UAE has another Guinness world record (to many to count) and is the longest zipline in the world. We already had some experience trying the Monster Zipline in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, currently 3rd longest behind Jebel Jais in UAE and one located in Chihuahua Mexico.

Great roads in the UAE… From Jebel Jais mountains you can see the neighboring country of Oman

The trip from Dubai is around 2:30 hours, the first part is a bg road but then you get to the Jebel Jais mountain where you will spend a good 40-50 minutes going up to the Zipline entrance. Roads in Dubai are spectacular, no issue for us to drive with a clean and well paved road up to the entrance of the attraction.

Jebel Jais mountains are spectacular… Impressive views!!!

To do the attraction, my recommendation is that you book your ticket in advance so you have a reserved spot; once you get there it is well organized with people guiding you through the check in process and security brief before going into a small van that will take you to the launch area. Let me tell you I like adrenaline activities but when you start getting close to the Zipline and see the magnitude of the adventure your heart start pumping blood faster and will definitely get some chills.

You see the lines that will guide your 2.8KM journey

When you are driving across the Jebel Jais mountains you have impressive views of the mountains and the huge gaps between them, 10-15 minutes before you arrive you can identify what it seems the launchpad of the Zipline and at first you think that cannot be, because of the height and the steepness of the drop…. but yes you then realize that it is the launchpad and you will go down more than 2.8 KM at speeds of more than 120kph (75mph). They tell you that you could reach up to 160kph (100mph), I do not know of is true but once you are going down it is fast!!!!!. Once you finish your trip, you arrive into a suspended platform, a la Star Wars from there is a short Zipline to the van that will take you to the starting place.

Suspended Platform where you Arrive – Star Wars !!!!!

Look at the red circle… That is me flying to the finish line!!!

The place has a restaurant where you can grab some drinks and food, while enjoying a great view. Also they rent Go Pro cameras if you want to capture video of your adventure. Employees are well trained, you feel very secure during the process from registration, launching pad and coming back. If you want more info you can go to their webpage at https://visitjebeljais.com/

2021 was a great year, where I had the opportunity to visit new countries and places, I hope that the sharing of this experiences set some excitement and that you plan your own adventures. Will continue sharing my experience during 2022, for now if you just read my post, forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….