G'day! I'm Chris. I left my home in rural Australia back in 2007 to pursue a life less ordinary.
I specialize in ambitious travel - bucket list worthy journeys such as the Great US Road Trip, the ultimate African safari, and following the length of the Silk Road.
For a while now I’ve been reading and enjoying the works of two very cool chicks – Claire from Lakwatsera de Primera and Gay from Pinay Travel Junkie and The Hippie Mum. When I learned that not only were they both in Sydney – but both living in the northern suburbs like me, I was super keen to organize a meet-up and get to know them a little better.
So it was that after several weeks of planning, we three (and Claire’s fiance Charles) met up on the steps of Town Hall Station for a night of karaoke, good food, and drunken shenanigans. Just my kind of Friday night.
Tacky decoration on the roof of the Chinese Noodle Restaurant
Our wanderings first took us to Chinatown, where we went in search of a cheap and delicious bite to eat. We passed a few Korean BBQ joints, a Japanese ramen cafe, and even a halal Chinese restaurant (which just makes no sense to me at all) before we finally settled on the Chinese Noodle Restaurant. This is not to be confused with the Chinese Noodle House Restaurant which sits right next to it.
There was a big crowd of would-be diners on hand, but it was a pleasantly warm evening and the presence of a violinist serenading the hungry patrons was a nice touch. We browsed the menu, picked out a few tasty looking items, and were soon ushered in to our table.
Our delicious Chinese feast
Personal space was at a premium, but the portion sizes were generous and the company was good. Between the four of us we polished off a spicy tofu rice dish, peanut chicken, steamed green beans, pork & basil dumplings, and two pots of tea. Over dinner we went through the usual travel chat:
Where is your favorite place?
What was your least favorite place?
Where are you going next?
And of course, as travel bloggers, we got to talk of traffic and advertising and all that jazz. Poor Charles.
With full bellies we made our way down the crowded main street of Chinatown and I was transported back to my time in Korea and, if I stretch a little further back, even Hainan in southern China. The jostling crowds, the bright lights, the smells of food, and the various vendors hawking wares that ranged from cheap clothes to jewelry to what looked like the left-overs from somebody’s recent redecoration.
Our sights were firmly set on karaoke though, so we pushed through the crowd and ignored the shouts of vendors and wait staff. I was very impressed with the girls’ self control. It’s usually impossible to take girls through a market and not stop at at least one stall.
Our first karaoke venue, the Green Box, turned out to be a bust. Claire had forgotten her ID and, blessed with a far more youthful appearance than me (the youngest in attendance) wasn’t allowed in.
Hanging out at Sydney Karaoke with two of my new favorite people. Photo by Pinay Travel Junkie.
But we pushed on to my own personal favorite when it comes to karaoke – Sydney Karaoke on Liverpool Street. I’ve been to this very Korean establishment on multiple occasions in the past and always had a good time. I’ve always come out obnoxiously speaking my broken Korean to anybody who’ll listen to me, true, but it’s always been fun.
Gay rocking some Beyonce
We grabbed a few cans of Hite and grabbed an hour of singing time. Usually I found myself crammed into a tiny little room, but for some reason we got put into the party room with two TVs and far too much space for the four of us.
For the next hour we rocked that place. Charles tore it up with some Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam, the girls brought the house down with Spice Girls and Fergie, I made people sad by singing Tears in Heaven, and then Charles and I busted out a rocking duet of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way” to round us out.
All too soon our time was up and it was time to kick on to our third and final venue of the evening – my local and favorite Sydney watering hole, The Stratton.
Gay, Claire, Charles, and I having a few quiet beers at the Stratton
I’m there pretty much twice a week as it is, so I know most of the staff and was doubly pleased to find half of my workplace there for post work drinks. While my co-workers dominated the juke box to ensure a steady stream of first late 90s classics and then U2, the four of us shared a few jugs of Oscars Ale and talked about travel plans. Claire and Charles are off to South East Asia in a week; Gay and her hubby are heading to the States, and I’ve got my upcoming Queensland trip on my mind.
Spending the rest of my life somewhere like here sounds pretty good. Photo by Eric Brian Ouano
Talking to them about their time in South East Asia reaffirmed for me just how much I want to visit countries like Malaysia and Cambodia and the Philippines. I think my new travel goal is a simple one:
Save money
Sell things I don’t need
Quit job
Go to SE Asia and stay until the money runs out.
I don’t need luxury. As long as I have food, beer, and a hammock to lie about in – I’ll make do. Internet to update my blog from time to time and a few good books, and I’m set.
With midnight approaching and trains to the North Shore about to stop for the evening, the girls had to leave. I lingered around a little longer for a few more beers with my co-workers, and then it was time for me to go home too.
I had a great time hanging out with two very cool chicks and a top bloke. The night reminded me just how much I love travel and the people who do it. There’s a totally different mindset with travelers, and it always makes for a good time.
Gay and I had a great chat about how much travel has changed us, but I think I’ll save that for an entry of its own. There’s a lot to be said about just how much I owe to travel in making me the man I am today.
But for now, I’ll nurse my hangover and try and get through the next few hours of work. Tonight sees me acting as tour-guide/token white guy for a group of Korean guys. Should be fun!
The Chinese Noodle Restaurant (and the Chinese Noodle House Restaurant) are located at 8 Quay Road in Haymarket. Prices range from $10-$15 for mains and portions are generous. Get there early to avoid a lengthy wait.
Sydney Karaoke is located next to the Hungry Jack’s at 640 George Street. Rates are $30 per hour for a room and beers go for $5. Free snacks are provided in true Korean style.
The Stratton Hotel, located at 249 Castlereagh Street, has $3 draft beers before 7pm and $4 afterwards. The bistro offers up a great range of pub food for as little as $10 a meal.
Avast! I hope this entry finds your Friday every bit as wonderfully lazy as mine is. I managed to score the day off work, so I’m celebrating some recent successes with a lazy day.
Successes? Why yes! Aussie on the Road has had a bumper week! You might notice we’ve picked up a sponsor in our sidebar. Go on and click it. I promise it won’t bite.
In addition to that, the very cool people over at Rocks Ghost Tours liked my recent review of their tour so much that they’ve invited me to be their guest when I tackle their Dark South Tour sometime next month. Exciting times!
Now with 75% less beard!
What else has happened this week? I’ve paid for the first leg of my trip to Moreton Island later this year, I’ve earned a nice little bonus at work on account of some slick selling skills, and I’ve decided to shake things up on my face and remove some of my beard. Photos to come!
But enough about me. I know you’re here for your weekly dose of recommended reads. So here they are – six (count them) of the best from the week ending August 26th!
My good friend Byron is having a huge week. Not only has he had the exciting news that he’ll be heading to Japan in the not too distant future to continue his ESL teaching adventures, but he’s also got his first feature here on Aussie on the Road. No points for guessing which one he’s more excited about.
This week Byron takes us on a tour of one of Vancouver’s lesser known landmarks and paints a very intriguing picture. As a lover of all things maritime, I daresay I’ll be making a visit to the Vancouver Seawall and its surrounds should my travels ever take me to the Great White North.
Byron refuses to join the Twitterverse though, so you’ll have to subscribe to his blog to get your daily dose!
This one’s not so much an entry as just an absolutely breath-taking shot of one of my favorite places in the world. I was lucky enough to cruise Milford Sound last December and its left an indelible impression on me.
The photos featured on Everything, Everywhere are always beautiful and this one is no different. Go ahead and treat yourself to an eyegasm.
For the second week running the Man on the Lam makes an appearance in my recommended reads. Fresh of his adventures with lady boys and existential dilemmas, Raymond regales us with the tale of his mad dash to get across the border and into Cambodia before his visa expired. Accompanied by his verbose side-kick, the mysterious ‘Korea’, can our hero make it before he has to pay a measly fine?
Jeremy and Shirlene’s wonderful blog has just come onto my radar this week and I’m so glad that it did. Packed full of stunning photos and fantastic travel tips, it was hard to choose just one of their entries to feature this week.
I eventually went with their entry featuring tips to improve your travel photography. As somebody who is always looking to improve his own photos, it was good to see a few ideas that might help me capture a few more memorable shots on the road.
After missing the Recommended Reads for the first time last week, Caz and Craig over at yTravel Blog burst back onto the charts this week with an informative article for any budding ESL Teachers out there.
While I like to consider myself pretty knowledgable when it comes to teaching in South Korea – Craig and Caz’s entry covers things from a more broad sense and will prove useful to anybody looking to shake things up and go abroad to spread the English language about.
And in non-blog related news, Craig and Caz could very well be welcoming the latest addition to their family today! All the best to the Makepeace family 🙂
Matt’s brought together a few of the best couple travelers going around and got them to share a bit of their knowledge when it comes to travel and traveling with somebody else. I was lucky enough to do a bit of couple travel last year during my tour of New Zealand and had a hell of a time, so it’s good to see a blog focusing on the very different experiences you’ll have when traveling with a significant other.
What’s Going On?
This picture's presence here will make sense if you read on...
I’m very excited about the next few days and months.
Tonight I’ll be meeting up with Claire and Gay from Lakwatsera de Primera and Pinay Travel Junkie for some dinner in Chinatown and then a little karaoke. Not a bad way to spend a Friday night, eh?
I’m working this weekend to save extra money for my October trip, but I’m thinking Monday might see me spend my afternoon down on the beach before hitting up the August Travel Massive Meeting. I’ll finally get to meet a few of my favorite bloggers, Alicia from World Nomads and Jessalyn from Diary of a Wandering Student.
September 16th will see me taking part in the World Nomads’ Great Nomad Chase – a kind of Amazing Race style scavenger hunt right here in Sydney. It’ll be a great chance to get in a little exercise, see more of this beautiful city, and meet some fellow vagabonds. Should be a blast.
And that October trip? Oh, I’ve got a huge one planned.
I’ll be in Brisbane on October 23rd for the Brisbane Zombie Walk – the largest of its kind in the world.
After shambling through the streets of Brisbane in my finest zombie attire, it’s off to Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island for a week of drinking, scuba diving, and hitting on pretty girls with my friends Murray and Ben.
As if that wasn’t enough, I’ll then spend Halloween dressed in my best Rocky Horror outfit as part of Movie World’s Fright Nights.
If you’d like to see your link (or just a link you really liked) here next week don’t hesitate to leave a comment here, hit me up on Facebook, or send me a Tweet. I’ll feature the post on Facebook as well as Tweeting it to the Twitterverse and Stumbling it to the Stumbleverse. That’s free publicity!
And, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS Feed.
South Korea, sadly, doesn’t get the tourist play that a country of its rich cultural heritage probably deserves. People generally overlook Korea in favor of nearby China or Japan and that’s a crying shame. There is plenty to love about the Land of the Morning Calm.
Of course, no place is perfect – and that’s why I’m bringing you the best and worst of South Korea in part two of the Blog Your Backyard contest.
Korea boasts a rich and proud history as an independent nation standing against wave after wave of foreign invaders. Korea has been inhabited by some form of the Korean people since earlier than 2000BC – and while a lot of the historical sites and monuments were unfortunately lost during the Korean War – you can still get a great sense of Korea’s history and heritage.
Buddha statues at Daewonsa outside of Gwangju
The country is full of temples, shrines, and other historical sites. While a lot of these were reconstructed after their destruction during the war (giving rise to the adage of “If you’ve seen one temple, you’ve seen them all”) – you can still get a remarkable sense of the age of the place while sitting on ancient stone seats in Unjusa or Daewonsa.
Seoul itself, while a bustling hub of commerce and technology, still houses many of the older style homes as well as the beautiful palaces that the Emperors of old once called home.
Then there’s the fascinating history surrounding Korea’s Japanese occupation and the Korean War which followed. Countless museums across the country offer tourists a chance to get in touch with many facets of Korean history – with some of the best being in Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju. There’s also the Korean Folk Village outside of Suwon and the moving May 18 Memorial in Gwangju.
Food
Delicious ddok-boki, a spicy rice cake sold in the streets served with odeng (processed fish)
Many people around the world have probably had a chance to sit down to some delicious Korean BBQ (dubbed galbi if it’s beef or seomgyeopsal if it’s pork) in their life – but Korean food goes far deeper than sizzling meat served inside lettuce leaves.
Sample the spicy ddok galbi (chicken, spicy sauce, and chewy rice cakes), sweet pot binsu (shaved ice, fruit, and sweet red bean paste), hearty dolsot bibimbap (mixed vegetables and meat served with rice in a hot stone bowl), mandu (dumplings), or the iconic kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) and you’ll understand why I love Korean food so much.
I don’t know about you, but I sure am hungry right about now…
Now, Korea isn’t a vegetarian’s playground, it must be said. The Korean diet centers mainly around white rice, kimchi, and plenty of meat. This is usually beef, pork, or fish. A lot of Koreans don’t really get vegetarians, and so you’ll have a hard time explaining to them that you want your kimbap (similar to sushi rolls) without ham or tuna. I know of at least one chain, dubbed The Loving Hut, that specializes in vegan food and has stores in many of the larger cities.
Korean food is not without its stranger or less appealing options. Boshintong (dog meat soup) is likely to make some people squirm when they hear how the animals are butchered, and I can’t think of many people who don’t feel just a little awkward at the sight of still moving octopus legs being coolly shoveled into Korean mouths.
But by and large, Korean food offers up a lot of great savory flavors. I’m hankering for it right now.
The Night Life
Drunk foreigners at The Speakeasy in Gwangju
New York may be the city that never sleeps, but Korea is the country that never sleeps.
I’ve commented on the Korean drinking culture on several occasions in the past. This is a country that knows how to have a good time. Cheap alcohol is available 24/7 at virtually any corner store in the country, bar prices are very reasonable (as little as $3 equivalent for a Scotch & coke), and there are no end of bars, singing rooms, and clubs for revelers to visit.
It’s not all about alcohol though. Korean cafes and restaurants stay open late – as do the larger grocery stores. You can go out at 11.30pm on a weeknight and still pick up a pizza or some bread and milk for tomorrow.
There’s late night coffee houses and noraebangs (singing rooms) as well as video game arcades, batting cages, and even small amusement parks that cater to the late night crowd.
If you’re a foreigner in Korea and don’t feel up to braving a Korean bar, most cities will have at least one foreigner friendly (if not foreigner run) bar for you to frequent. A quick Google search will doubtless turn up a few great places to meet other travelers and have a good time.
Cheap Transport
The Busan Ferry Terminal offers a cheap way to get to Japan from South Korea
Coming back to Australia, I was immediately hit by just how expensive it is to get around here. I pay $4.30 for my ten minute bus ride into the city. A cab home? I’m looking at $30-35 if the roads aren’t too busy. If I want to visit my family in Armidale (six hours inland) – I’m looking at $80 each way for the train.
Korea is a small country and the benefit of that is dirt cheap transport. A half hour cab ride might set you back know more than $10. A bus ride? You’re looking at a whopping $1.30. Even a trip from Busan in the south to Seoul in the North weighs in at around $30 or slightly more if you want to take the super fast KTX.
The super-fast KTX can get you virtually anywhere in Korea in under four hours. Photo by Tony Bush.
This all adds up to making Korea a very accessible country for tourists. The rail network is impressive and the bus network makes it possible to get virtually anywhere without any real headaches. The 2002 World Cup has also left South Korea with a dearth of airports to make flying from Seoul to Jeju or Mokpo to Busan both easy and affordable.
Even a ferry to Japan isn’t so expensive. You’re looking at around $85 to take the fast boat across to Fukuoka. Flights out to China, Japan, or South East Asia aren’t much more expensive either. Korea is a great place to explore on a budget, and a great place to launch off on your next adventure when you’re done.
Winning!
Technology & Internet
The latest model Kia (at the time) on display in Seoul. Photo by Tony Bush.
South Korea is one of the emerging technological hubs of the world. Household names such as Samsung, LG, and Kia all call the country home. As you can imagine, technological gadgets abound and you’ll be hard pressed to find a single kid without a smart phone and some kind of portable gaming device in their bag each day.
Better yet? Korea has some of the best internet in the world. I’m talking 100mbps streaming into your apartment with unlimited data for a measly $30 a month. This is a country where gamers and net-heads are on cloud #9.
Natural Beauty
A view of the famous Sunrise Peak and the beach below. Jejudo.The famous orange bridge atop Wulchasan is a fitting reward for climbing the damned mountain.
Despite being a heavily developed nation that doesn’t display a whole lot of regard for the natural environment (see below in my Worsts) – Korea still boasts a number of truly beautiful sites.
First and foremost amongst these is, of course, volcanic Jejudo. Boasting a tropical climate, black sand beaches, and all manner of volcanic lava tubes and craters to explore – Jeju stands head and shoulders above the rest of Korea when it comes to natural wonders.
A calm place at Daewonsa
But that’s not to say there isn’t beauty to be found on the mainland. Korea’s many mountains have been turned into hiker’s playgrounds. There are some stunning views to be found atop mountains like Wulchasan, and quite a few remarkable national parks scattered around the country.
Korea boasts four seasons offering up four distinct ways to view the country. There’s the bright and fragrant spring, the contrasting colors of the fall, the snow-drifts of winter, and the humid heat of summer to experience. Visit anytime and you’re going to see some truly beautiful scenes.
Shopping
A show of decadence. The water show held in Nampodong, Busan’s Lotte department store complete with classical music and Russian dancers.
Koreans are without a doubt one of the most materialistic people in the world, and I mean absolutely no disrespect to Koreans by applying that tag. Korea is a national of consumers and it’s a shopper’s heaven (unless you’re of larger stature – see below). There are designer clothes, shoes, and handbags on virtually every street corner.
Korea is a nation where the women are most definitely women – so being pretty is a big priority. Salons and make-up retailers and beauticians abound.
In addition to all of the clothes and shiny things, there’s the aforementioned electronic gadgets in abundance and lots of weird and wonderful toys for kids. A special mention also to stationary. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many varieties of pens, paper, notebooks, and stickers in my life. Teachers and kids alike are going to love it.
By and large, shopping in Korea runs a little cheaper than it does back home. Obviously you’re still going to pay a healthy chunk of change for your Louis Vutton, but there’s plenty of more affordable options on offer.
Festivals!
A shot from the famous Lantern Festival in Jinju. Photo by Tony Bush.
I’ve waxed lyrical about the dizzying array of festivals held in Korea each and every year. Rather than bore you with the details again here – I’ll instead suggest taking a look at my article on festivals in Korea.
The Worst of South Korea
Racism and Homophobia
It doubtless springs from their history of being brutally invaded and oppressed, but Korea is one of the more xenophobic nations in the world.
That’s not strictly true. The older generation most definitely bear the majority of ‘waygookin’ (foreigners) some ill will for being in their country, but the younger generation have a fascination with all things Western.
The racism isn’t so overt with the younger generations, at least not towards white visitors, but until you’ve heard a student shout ‘Obama is a n***er’ or asked if your South African girlfriend has a spear – you probably won’t completely understand just how pervasive this ignorant racism is. It’s not a hateful kind of racism, but it’s no less hard to stomach.
This also extends to homophobia as well. Despite the concept of skin friends meaning that grown men will wrestle and walk hand in hand – the idea of ‘gay’ is completely alien to Koreans. The official line is that there are no homosexuals in Korea, which will come as a nasty surprise to the many gay and lesbian locals who frequent the aptly named ‘Homo Hill’ in Seoul.
And having been offered a blow-job in a bar in Busan earlier this year by a friendly young Korean gentleman, I think it’s safe to say the official line is absolute bunk.
Animal Cruelty
In addition to the somewhat brutal way in which dogs are ‘prepared’ to be used as meat, there are a few other issues of animal cruelty that animal lovers will find hard to handle. Take, for example, the lives these ‘meat dogs’ lead up until they are beaten to death.
Most, if not all, tend to spend their entire lives outdoors and on a short leash. They may not ever get walked and they are certainly not treated with any affection. And that makes sense in a way. I know my family and I weren’t out in the chicken coop getting to know our chickens that we intended to eat.
But these are dogs. These are animals possessing more than a little intelligence, and to see them grovelling for scraps in the gutter on a rainy day is a depressing sight.
Beyond the dogs – you’ll be hard pressed to find a cat whose tail hasn’t been broken, and I once got into a verbal war with a middle aged Korean woman who I caught pulling the feathers of a caged bird as it tried desperately to bite her finger in self defense.
It’s also evident in the appalling conditions most (but not all, I’m assured) zoos treat their display animals. The lion cubs at Everland, cute as they are, probably warrant better than a small concrete room with a water bowl and a green paint job.
Suffice to say, if you’re not a toy poodle being carried around in a woman’s handbag, chances are you’re not going to enjoy animal life in Korea.
Strange Medical Advice
While it’s true that the affordable medical care available in Korea is a pretty sweet deal, it’s not without its drawbacks. Here are just a few examples of the less conventional medical experiences I’ve had or heard of friends having had in Korea.
Sleeping with a fan on in a room with closed windows is lethal. Don’t believe me? Look up ‘Fan Death’. It’s a big deal.
Kimchi cures cancer. And most everything else.
Got a cold? Stomach bug? Chances are you’ll be prescribed various herbal remedies with a particular focus on ginseng.
Sick? Prepare to have a needle IN YOUR BUTT. It’s just vitamins, but it won’t hurt any less.
Drinking cold water causes sickness. Drink it warm.
Good times good times.
Garbage & Yellow Dust in Summer
Yellow dust blanketing Seoul by night. Photo by K.M.C.
Summer in Korea is an exciting time for a foreigner. It’s the time of year when you hit the beaches, drink until the wee hours of the morning, and generally have a wild time at events such as the Boryeong Mud Festival.
Fun at the 2009 Boryeong Mud Festival
But it’s not without a few drawbacks.
First and foremost is the dreaded ‘yellow dust’, a cloud of potentially dangerous dust that blows in from the Gobi Desert and can cause all manner of respiratory problems. It’s not something I’ve had issue with personally, but health warnings are generally issued to ensure people aren’t out exercising when it’s particularly bad.
The other big drawback is the God awful stink. All year round Koreans put their garbage in the street to be collected, but in summer this makes for the ripe stink of rotting and slowly cooking garbage. It’s not so bad in busier neighborhoods where the garbage men are quick to step in – but a back alley might go days or even weeks without tending. Not good.
Add this to the year round smell wafting up from the sewers and you’ve got a situation where you’ll end up holding your breath every hundred or so meters lest you be struck down.
Education
Two of my favorite students at Storia bidding me farewell in 2009.
It sucks to be a kid in Korea. Having taught for two and a half years, I don’t think I ever met a student who thought they had it good.
They’re at school six days a week. They’re at academies (private after school gigs) for several subjects after school for five of those days. Then there’s homework. And on their day off? They’ll get dragged on a hike or to visit an elderly relative. Torture!
An average student’s day might read as follows:
Wake up at 6.30am
Eat a breakfast of rice, kimchi, and water.
Go to school at 8.30am
Finish school at 3pm
Go to English academy for an hour
Go to Math academy
Go to extracurricular activity such as Tae Kwon Do, ballet, computers, or art.
Go home and do homework until 11-12pm
Steal an hour on your computer to play Maple Story or chat.
Go to bed at 1am
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
It’s no wonder that Korea has one of the highest rates of suicide in the developed world.
Weight Issues
Koreans are slim. Not necessarily healthy, mind you, but slim.
If you’re not model thin or a lanky lad, you’re going to be told you’re fat. Probably more than once a day. Not always by children either. Every employer I ever had made passing comments about my weight on a weekly basis.
Koreans don’t like fat people. They’ll bully the fat kid in their class and they’ll laugh at the fat guy on TV.
That means it’s difficult to shop for clothes in Korea (why cater to the fat guy?) and you’re going to get some odd treatment come summer. I once near came to blows with a drunk ajoshi (old man) who honked my barely existent man boob while I was posing for a picture with a friend.
It wouldn’t be so hard to stomach were Korea a nation of super fit athletes, but it’s not. A lot of Koreans smoke and very few of them exercise. You’ll be running laps and the young men walking the same track will look at you as if you’re a mad-man. Very few people run in Korea. Power walking is the vogue form of exercise. It’s right up there alongside badminton and the only sport where it’s possible to be a morbidly obese millionaire – baseball.
There’s some bitterness here, as you can probably tell. It was frustrating being a guy who could run a 10k and still have people assume that all you did was eat and sit on the couch at home. Especially when that was exactly what the person accusing you would be doing with their spare time.
Rant over.
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This photo as nothing to do with the article, but look at how cute the two girls are!
As you can probably tell, a lot of my ‘worst’ when it comes to Korea aren’t going to be things a tourist has to deal with. The weight perception, the education situation, and the medical stuff aren’t likely to come up on your two week whirlwind tour.
In many ways I write that from the ex-pat perspective, and I apologize if that means I missed some glaringly obvious ‘worst’ about Korea.
All told, I loved my time in Korea. It’s safe to say that I love Korea. Australia will always be my home and I’m not sure Korea will ever feature on my travel itinerary again – but that in no way reflects a lack of passion for the land of the morning calm on my behalf.
It’s a beautiful and fascinating country.
The ‘Blog your Backyard’ Project
Share your local expertise and join the Blog your Backyard project! Become an ambassador for your country (home or adopted) by sharing your experiences and tips with other travelers. Submit your entries starting August 8th on WorldNomads.com for a chance to win one of 20 awesome excursions with Urban Adventures. Plus, if you want to share more of your local expertise or get answers to all of your travel questions, download the FREE ‘Ask A Nomad’ iPad app.
Sydney is a city with a rich tapestry of culinary experiences to be explored. From the sweet treasures of Adriano Zumbo that No Place Like Oz loves so much to the traditional Aussie meat pie. From fragrant Thai on the North Shore to a $4 Vietnamese pork roll in Marrickville that will make your toes curl.
You can finish a drunken night out with a greasy kebab or start your evening with Japanese-Australian fusion at trendy Cafe Ish in Surry Hills. There are innumerable Chinese restaurants and Korean BBQ joints clustered around Haymarket, sushi abounds across the city, and there’s the obligatory Indian and Italian restaurants on virtually every street in every suburb.
It’s safe to say that Sydneysiders are spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out.
But there are a few cultures whose food doesn’t get the same amount of press that they should. Below, I highlight three different foods with a shared cultural background – all of them offering delicious comida and a unique cultural experience.
Enjoy!
A Taste of Cuba at La Bodeguita del Mideo
Less than one hundred meters from the regal charm of Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building, dozens of us are packed into the smoky confines of La Bodegutio del Mideo.
“Four mojitos!” Mario informs the bartender with the confident Latin swagger I’ll never quite be able to muster. Moments later, the four of us are sipping the best (and cheapest) mojitos I’ve ever sampled in Sydney.
It’s hard to hear one another talk over the live band in attendance. The dance floor is a sea of sensual salsa movements from girls who look to have been poured into their dresses. It’s a feast for the eyes that is only complimented by the ice cold Dos Equis I’ve just ordered. Despite the winter cold outside, I feel as if I’ve been transported to humid Cuba.
Out on the deck, men in suits smoke cigars away from the rhythmic pulse of the dance floor. We sit out under the night sky and talk shop while the girls inside do their thing.
La Bodeguita del Mideo on York Street in the heart of the city offers Sydneysiders access to one of the more mysterious of the Central American countries. The name Cuba might conjure up images of Fidel Castro or boat people risking rough sees to reach Florida, but La Bodeguita might just change the way you see Cuba.
The cocktail menu alone is worth a look. You’ll not find a $10 mojito in many other places in the city, and the other cocktails are similarly affordable. A great selection of rums, wines, and beers offer up plenty of variety for those looking to imbibe.
Apologies for the shonky iPhone photography. But deliciousness abounds!
The food menu? Let’s just say I came somewhere close to heaven when I was served up my embutidos – a savory feast of cured meats, salsa, bread, and pickles. Mario assures me that I haven’t lived until I’ve tried the ceviche del dia.
It’s more than just food and drink though. Live Cuban music every night sets the tone for a wild evening, and the dancefloor is packed almost all night as couples and friends show off their salsa dancing skills. Of course, they’re all put to shame when the professionals step up to give a demonstration of Cuban dancing.
A night out at La Bodeguita is an affordable and entertaining alternative to more traditional fare. With affordable drinks and meals starting at $15, a night in Cuba isn’t quite as pricey as Flight Center might have you believe….
Unlike the United States, where Mexican restaurants are as common as burger joints – Australians seem to only recently have discovered the wonders of a Mexican meal. The blank stares you get when you mention pico de gallo or chimichangas are indicative of just how far behind Australia is when it comes to Mexican food.
Real corn chips!
While chains like Mad Mex and Guzman y Gomez are gradually winning people to the fold, I’ve found that a real Mexican dining experience isn’t so easy to come by. With the exception of Amigos in Wollongong, I’d not had much joy finding good Mexican restaurants on Australian shores.
Enter Cafe Pacifico. While it doesn’t profess to offer up traditional Mexican fare (it dubs itself as Californian Mexican) – it’s still a nice change of pace from kebabs and Sushi Train.
Heading out for a work function, I had the luxury of bottomless sangria and a pre-set menu featuring tostadas, fajitas, and a dessert that defies description. The atmosphere, while a little more sedate than that at La Bodeguita (above) was still friendly and lively. The servers, perhaps aware that we were on company money, weren’t shy about offering us more sangria before the jug positioned between my mate Alastair and I was empty.
Free sangria is 20% more delicious than sangria you pay for. True story.
Friends have told me tales of the place devolving into raucous table dancing by night’s end, but my own night at Cafe Pacifico was a little more sedate. I spent the first half of my night explaining various condiments and foods to my co-workers and the second half racing Alastair to the bottom of a jug of sangria before the tab dried up.
I will make special mention of just how good the fajitas were. Piping hot tortillas, plenty of condiments on the side, and some of the most flavorful chicken I’ve ever sunk my teeth into forced me to eat four of the bad boys. Mouthgasms were had.
Some pretty amazing food on offer at Cafe Pacifico
I feel like I need to go back to Cafe Pacifico again to really do it justice, but my first impression was definitely good. There’s a healthy looking tequila menu for those chasing the worm and a whole menu that needs exploring. I daresay I’ll be back there before too long.
Prices at Cafe Pacifico are generally based around their banquet menu, which start at $42 per head and climb up from there. Groups of seven or more are locked into the banquet.
Cafe Pacifico is located at 95 Riley Street in Darlinghurst. A short walk from Hyde Park.
A Spanish Feast at El Bulli
The table in front of us is littered with food. Across from me, Tim wolfs down a seafood paella that seems to be more seafood than rice. Two fat prawns the size of my fist lie alongside juicy crab meat and freshly shelled mussels.
Tim is dangerously excited about the arrival of his paella
In the centre of the table lies the bowl that once housed our own selection of mussels. All that remains now is shells and what little salsa we didn’t lovingly dollop onto our food. The courses that have gone before included delicious savory meatballs, a quiche like dish that was all too small, and thick chunks of bread served with a divine garlic butter.
All four of us are sweating despite it still being winter in Sydney. We later learn that is because management had accidentally turned the heater directly above us on. We are compensated for our discomfort with a free jug of the sweetest sangria I think I’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling. The empty jug soon joins the growing museum of Estrella bottles that we’ve built up.
There are maybe twenty of us in Paula’s birthday party. Together we dominate a single long wooden table and an extra smaller one on the end. Candle light and roses paint a more romantic atmosphere than our raucous groups perhaps warrants, but I can see how El Bulli could be very romantic.
The remnants of our mouth-watering mussels course at El Bulli
In addition to the free flowing wine, the atmosphere, and the many different tapas options to be enjoyed – there’s a live salsa band playing in the background and in the flickering candlelight it’s not hard to imagine locking eyes with the pretty girl you’re out with and feeling a few sparks fly.
While it’s a tad pricey (but aren’t tapas always that way?), El Bulli is likely to make an appearance on a future CWB date.
Ladies, contain yourselves!
Prices at El Bulli range from around $7.50 for starters and up to $32.50. There are also set menus available for large groups. I’d recommended these. We thoroughly enjoyed ours.
El Bulli has two locations on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills.
And don’t forget, I’ve previously reviewed the fantastic Latin club and restaurant, Vivaz. Vivaz is located in The Rocks.
Another week is drawing to a close and there’s been a lot of great posts. So many, in fact, that I’ve had to expand this week’s list to seven blogs to accommodate the sheer awesomeness on display.
Why yes, I am dashingly handsome. Thanks for noticing.
Heather from The Kimchi Chronicles left mid week and while it was sad to see her leave, I’ve definitely enjoyed having my bedroom back to myself. I just feel dirty playing Torchlight and fervently tapping away at my keyboard to update my blog when there’s somebody trying to sleep in the same room.
Oh, and before I forget, I’ve got to send out a big congrats to Craig (and Caz) from over at yTravel Blog on being invited to take part in the Great Crusade for this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Even as a non rugby fan (rugby league is my rugby of choice), I’m jealous of the great experience Craig’s about to have. I look forward to reading more about it.
Amanda’s adventures around the United States continued this week and the highlight for me was her visit to Las Vegas. I was lucky enough to pay a visit to the city of excess myself in 2009 and have fond memories of $2 Coronas, scantily clad women, deep fried twinkies, and being moved to tears by The Lion King at Mandalay Bay.
Amanda’s own entry is packed full of stunning photographs from her travels in and around the city. I particularly liked the attention she paid to the famous Strip, since it’s an area I didn’t get much of a chance to explore on my limited budget.
Despite living so close to China for two and a half years of my life, I only managed to pay the ancient country one visit. That particular visit took me to tropical Hainan in the country’s south, so I’ve never had the pleasure of standing atop the Great Wall.
Louise’s recount of her day exploring the wall isn’t just a great read with a lot of photos to induce envy, but she’s packed it full of interesting trivia about the ancient site as well as highlighting a few of your options if you’re considering your own hike along the wall.
I usually spend more time reading Brooke’s other blog, but I’ll often spend a bit of time browsing through the wealth of information on the Why Go Australia site. This week Brooke got people talking about the six best beaches in Australia.
Neither of my nominations were included (Redhead Beach in Newcastle and One Mile Beach near Nelson’s Bay), but there’s some absolute stunners on display in this one.
My gripe? Bondi’s inclusion. I’ve always considered Bondi to be a grossly overrated beach. I can think of 3-4 beaches in Sydney I prefer.
I’ve written at length about the process of looking for work in South Korea as a teacher, so I was really interested to see what the Chica had to say about finding work in Africa.
Africa (and South America) have both leaped onto my radar over the past few months as places I’d really love to explore more, and there’s a lot of useful tips here from somebody who has been there and done it. A great reference if you’re contemplating an African sea change.
Reversal culture shock is certainly something I can relate to, and I know a lot of travelers have their own tales of being overwhelmed by the transition upon returning home.
The Travel Bee eases us into the whole topic by describing her experience being completely inundated with options at McDonalds and uses that as a great image to frame up the whole topic. A really interesting and open bit of storytelling.
This marks Raymond’s second appearance in my Recommended Reads and his first for a story that doesn’t involve guy on cross-dresser lip locking. Kudos!
It’s a question we have all asked ourselves before and had others ask us, but Raymond tackles the ‘Why do we travel?’ question with enthusiasm and makes a lot of really profound points.
He ends the post asking why it is that we (the reader) travel. There’s some great discussion on the matter too. Go weigh in!
This one doesn’t really come from a blog, but I enjoyed reading it so much that I had to mention it here.
The guys and gals at Listverse count down ten mysterious places that most of us probably won’t ever have the chance to experience. From the obligatory Area 51 mention to places shrouded in mystery in Russia and North Korea, there’s some really intriguing places out there.
And I’m ashamed to say I’d only heard of one of these places before today.
What’s Going On?
Enjoying a post work sangria (or five) at Cafe Pacifico in Darlinghurst.
In addition to a recent visit to La Bodeguito del Midio on York Street, I had a chance to sample the Mexican fare on offer at Cafe Pacifico last night as part of an iiNet work function. Tomorrow night I’m checking out the tapas El Bulli for a friend’s birthday – so expect to see a piece on the exquisite Latin flavors on offer in Sydney real soon.
I’ve recovered from last week’s City 2 Surf run and returned to the gym this morning. Why?
Well, in addition to my ten year reunion in November and the planned visit from my good friend Heather next year – I’m also wanting to look good for my October vacation where I’ll participate in the Brisbane Zombie Walk, spend a week at beautiful Tangalooma on Moreton Island, and then celebrate Halloween in Rocky Horror costume at Movie World. Not a bad way to blow a pay check or three, eh?
I’ve also got the Pub 2 Pub walk next weekend, there’s a Travel Tribe meet next week that I’m excited about (and not just because I finally get to meet Alicia and Jessalyn) and in September I’m taking part in the Great Nomads Chase here in Sydney with a lot of other local travel bloggers and industry folk. Can’t wait!
My life is so exciting right now, and I’m still on home soil! Gotta love that.
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