An international summer and a trip to Japan - Act III.B...1?

I wanted to keep this in four posts but it’s starting to look like a work breakdown structure, making me realize how I’m a much better engineer than a writer. Alas, I’ll keep on writing and sharing since this has become the source of many fulfilling moments.

Japan, where do I even begin? I mean any trip, not just Japan. Is it just me or do you also feel the pressure of having to cram all the attractions, sightseeings, foods to try and where to have them, only to have that one person ask you “Oh did you ____ (fill in the blank)? You didn’t?! But it’s the best thing in Japan! I can’t believe you missed it! “? This got me thinking about the difference between tourism and travel, and what is it that we are trying to fulfill when we get on a plane to visit a place where we’ve never been before and don’t know if we’ll have the opportunity to come back. I won’t delve on this now though.

Anyway, I felt like planning a trip to Japan was too overwhelming so this time I winged it. I booked the plane ticket and 3 nights in Tokyo, that was it, no plan, no fancy bullet train ticket, just a handful of tips from friends. This won’t be an extensive list of musts but rather a collection of memorable moments I spent.

Yokocho life

First stop was Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku. Yokochos are a bunch alleys off the main street typically filled with small bars and restaurants. Omoide Yokocho is quite touristic but somehow I managed to sit at a place where no tourists were spotted and have my first bowl of buckwheat soba of the trip, trying with extreme effort but pathetic results to slurp every bite of noodles. Close by, is one of the most famous nightlife areas, Golden Gai. I went there too early, it was empty, but then again I’m not a nightlife kind of person, so I went there more out of curiosity than to enjoy it per se.

Favorite residential style neighbourhoods

Everyday street life, food and spirituality are the motors that keep me going in any trip. I will walk for hours through residential areas just to go to a particular cafe - to eat a donut at Higuma Donuts, for example - like I did around Meguro, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo, along with Shimokitazawa. There’s a specific aesthetics in most Japanese urban areas that appeal to me in a way that no other urban spaces do. It all looks cohesive, solid, straightforward and yet light, meaningful and peaceful.

Life Son, near Yoyogi Park

Store front in Meguro

Shopping splurges

Food is something I always buy every time I visit some place new. Besides shopping around in a few local supermarkets, a visit (more like two or three) to Tsukiji was obvious for me. It’s true that the fish auction is no longer held at the original site but all the street food and stores remain there. When I was asking for tips to Japan, most people told me to buy a Japanese knife. And so I did. It was actually a gift from my mother for my birthday. My mother always gives me the best gifts, chosen by me of course.

Another thing I brought home was matcha tea, which I bought at Nakamura Tokichi in Ginza although this brand is originally from Kyoto.

Apart from food, I hardly ever do any additional shopping when I visit a city. Yet this time I did splurge in books and magazines at Daikanyama T-site. I figured it would be hard to get some publications in Europe and even though I don’t understand a word it was worth just for the design. Printing, paper, stationery, pencils and all that have fascinated me since I was young, probably influenced by my father, who was in the business of printing for many years. This passion continued and even when I was working in construction, my favorite part of the job was printing the plans in huge sheets of paper and carefully analyzing them. Also, if you don’t want to be bored to death, never, ever, ask me about my printed recipe collection.

Given this, a visit to the stationery empire Itoya was mandatory too. The store I went to in Ginza occupies two buildings with a total of 18 floors, complete with its own cafe, restaurant, juice bar and vegetable garden. Yes, they grow vegetables at the stationery shop. These Japanese people are impressive.

A place where I felt very tempted but resisted the shopping urge was at 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan. This place gathers a small number stalls where artisans showcase their distinct craft like rice candles, indigo dyed textiles, leather goods, umbrellas and parasols, ceramics, among other things.

I’ll pause right here because I feel it’s better to deliver all this information a little bit at a time. Stay tuned for some beach, mountain and spiritual vibes in Japan, plus an unforgettable breakfast.

Mexico: Tulum

I no longer know what to do with myself when I’m at the beach and there are no waves to surf (the ones you see in the photo are not exactly surf-able…). Which means Tulum was kind of a weird holiday destination for me. Don’t get me wrong, the beach is gorgeous, the places along it have really good vibes, Tulum Pueblo is cute, and the natural landscape around the area is of immense beauty. Yet I came back with a certain sense of spiritual unsatisfaction. Thankfully I had some incredible food to compensate for that.

Mexican cuisine is surely beloved by many, and in Tulum it is excepcional. I do have to highlight the feast we had at Hartwood. It wasn’t easy to get a table. We tried to make a reservation in November for a table in December and they were already fully booked. But in the end, thanks to some determination and patience we did manage to get a table and had an amazing meal of ceviche, prawns, octopus and slow cooked pork, with all the delicious fire-roasted sides they had on the menu: eggplant, beet, sweet potato and carrots.

Another spot worth a visit is Posada Margherita, not so much for the food, which was good, but what really shines is the place: so picturesque and charming, you want to get lost there, pretend you’re 5 years old and play real tropical house dolls.

I had really nice coffee at a sweet coffee shop called Nehktar, a smoothie bowl at Matcha Mama, delicious tacos at Taqueria Honorio, some more nice coffee and tea at Prieto and Tulum Art Club.

The Yucatán peninsula where Tulum is located is also known for cenotes. A cenote is a natural underground water feature, where you can dive and swim. We visited two in the Tulum area, the Sac Actun and Manati cenotes, and I really recommend the former. Another half to one day trip worth your time is going to the Sian Ka’an Natural Reserve and float with the natural current on an ancient Mayan canal - another highlight of these holidays.

Overall in 6 days you can explore and enjoy a lot in Tulum. The thing I regret the most not having visited was Azulik which looks like it was taken from a magical, mystical, ancient natural reality. Maybe next time.

Switzerland: Gstaad and the Swiss Alps

I love my birthday, no matter how old I am, so I like to celebrate it every year on the actual day. When it’s on a weekend it’s the perfect opportunity to gather everyone, family and friends, and celebrate it all together. If it’s on a weekday it’s not that easy so on those years I’ve been trying to spend my birthday traveling somewhere.

This year I went to visit my sweet friend Joana, whom I met in Sri Lanka last year. We had so much in common - a love for freedom, surfing, nature and spirituality - that we quickly bonded and became very close.

Joana has been living in Switzerland for many years and returned to Gstaad last year, where she works seasonally. A nature lover as myself, she spends her free time exploring the mountains, lakes, forests and waterfalls and took me to the most beautiful landscapes around the area.

I arrived on my birthday. Flew from Lisbon to Geneva and then took a train towards Montreux and then another one - the MOB Golden Pass line - up to Gstaad. Half of the trip was along Lac Léman and the other half between magnificent mountains and forests, and the town of Gruyères, where the famous Swiss cheese comes from.

Gstaad is a very small town, with not a lot to do except shopping at high end fashion stores. From the town center, you can easily catch a bus that will take you closer to the hiking trails. And that’s exactly what we did.

On our first hike, we took a bus to Lauenensee and then hiked all the way up to Geltenhutte. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, the air was crisp, the landscape was still very green with some autumnal tones starting to show up, waterfalls and water streams everywhere, it was absolutely magical!

We climbed up to 2000m, with plenty stops on the way to appreciate nature, have picnics and naps, and dip our feet into the freezing waters of the Alps.

The following day we were a bit sore so we went easier on ourselves. Or so we thought! We lingered a bit in the morning, while enjoying our coffee and the sunlight at Joana’s chalet porch, then caught a bus to Feutersoey and hiked to Arnensee. Although we didn’t climb as high as the previous day we did go a couple of km further. We spent a couple of hours just relaxing, chit chatting, picnicking and sunbathing on the shores of the lake. As we began our hike back, we could see that the weather was starting to change and some white fluffy clouds were slowly covering the bright blue sky.

On the day of my departure, we went for a big cup of coffee at a cozy coffee shop in Saanen, another cute small village nearby, I continued my journey back home to what would be some very hectic weeks, and Joana went back to Gstaad to finish her last week of the summer season.

Jo’s gourmet tips

Best place for a hot chocolate or coffee: during the summer, Huus hotel balcony. In the winter, Pasatiempo.

Dinner with friends on a Friday night: 16 Thai Food in Saanen

Favorite picnic spot and what to pack: Lauenensee lake; pack meat or vegetables to grill (my favorite is Halloumi cheese), snacks, bread, salad, drinks, swiss switchblade, cutlery (preferably in metal to avoid plastic waste), matches, bikini, towel, frisbee.
The wood and grill is provided at the place. 
Tip: I bring all my food and snacks in glass containers. It’s a super good reusable solution and food looks even more yumi inside them :)

What food gift should we bring back home: champagne and black truffle cheese fondue + meringue with whipped cream. The best are from the Molkerei.

Sri Lanka: Southern Province

I lost count of how many people asked me for traveling tips in Sri Lanka during my stay. But from all the westerners that lived with me there I'm probably the one that did less things and explored the least. Mostly because it wasn't my first trip to this island. I travelled here many, many years ago, like in another life, with my parents. So more than a guide of what to do or how to make the most of your stay, consider this as a list of the favourite things I did, saw and enjoyed on the Southern Province!

Madiha Beach

I can't describe the feeling that I got every time I scootered down the road to Madiha Beach. Seeing the light blue water in between the trees was instantly refreshing and soothing to my soul. Madiha is a quiet area with beautiful villas and houses, surrounded by palm trees (what else?!) and an occasional pine tree nearer to the beach. The beach itself is small but nonetheless one of the most beautiful in the area. There's a reef formation a few meters from the beach that makes delightful natural pools with calm waters and lots of sea life. A stop by either Coffee Point and the Doctor's House is mandatory, both places with a great vibe, food and drinks.

Surfing

Surfing made my days! I was so lucky to have one of the best longboard spots just a couple of minutes away from home and work: a reef break, called Fisherman's Reef, right in front of where the fishermen anchor their boats (duh!), with the easiest, mellower and longer right I've ever surfed. It was a busy spot, but I realised that the best time to go there was on Sundays, very early in the morning, when all the other surfers were sleeping and tired from the Saturday night parties.   There are other spots obviously, and you can read about them here, but Fisherman's was surely my backyard.

Sunset surfing at Fisherman's Reef :: Photo by Filipe Neto

Hiriketya

A gorgeous and secluded sandy bay, surf-able by all levels, very family friendly, it is the perfect whole-day getaway if you're based in Weligama and surrounding areas. It takes about one hour and a half to get there and spots to visit and enjoy include Dots Surf Cafe and Salt House. 

Poya day and Buddhist Temples

Poya days are full moon days and considered public holidays in Sri Lanka. Each full moon is linked to a particular Buddhist event. Now, I'm not a Buddhist, or religious at all, but I consider myself quite spiritual and appreciative of some religious doctrines. In Sri Lanka I was very open to experience the Buddhist ones. I loved learning the Love and Kindness meditation with one of the monks, I cherished all the rituals of lighting incense, offering flowers, chanting, having a blessed white cotton thread tied around my wrist - aka Sai Sin - which is supposed to provide protection and good health to the person wearing it. Poya days were good days, blissful days, and every visit to any of the Buddhist Temples was the perfect escape from the busyness and noisiness of the typical Sri Lankan streets.

Weligama food market

This is such a vibrant local market to visit! It happens every Tuesdays and Fridays on the west side of Weligama and gathers mostly locals. Hardly anyone speaks English and almost everyone will want to give you something to taste or smell (and buy, obviously). This one's a deep dive into the local culture.

Wandering in Weligama food market :: Photo by Filipe Neto

Galle Fort

Visiting Galle Fort is like time travelling. There are colonial references everywhere, from the streets, to the buildings, the interior design, even the people! Although Galle Fort has several things to do and places to visit, as you can read here, I would normally end up at Poonie's Kitchen - their salad is a must eat!

Salty Swamis

I'm a foodie. I'll eat even if I'm not hungry. But I'd rather fast than eat something that I don't truly crave - I think it's a waste of appetite. And I'll travel long distances to eat at places that serve good food. Salty Swamis is one of those places. Located in Hikkaduwa - in my opinion, just worth going because of this cafe - which is about an hour and a half by train from Weligama, this place is smart, has a good selection of books and magazines, serves good coffee and tasty food. What else can you ask for?!

Idle Bikes

When my friend Joe sent me a message asking if I wanted to go on a bike ride at 3 in the afternoon I have to admit that it didn't sound very appealing... Just the thought of it made me instantly melt in sweat. But I decided to go anyway, mainly because I had hardly exercised my legs during the four months that I stayed in Sri Lanka. And I didn't regret one second of it! We went for The Paddy Trail, a small tour of an hour and a half through the rice fields and it was so beautiful, relaxing and joyful! Idle bikes offers lots of different bike tours, and you can also ask for a customised one.

Extra tip: a stop in Colombo will certainly be on your itinerary so make sure you don't miss a visit to Cafe Kumbuk or Black Cat, two oasis in the middle of this caotic city. 

Want more Sri Lanka travel tips? Read this, this and this.