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How to Eat a Cockroach

I get asked all the time whether I eat strange foods while traveling. And to answer this question, yes.

Among the stranger delicacies throughout Asian cuisine, cockroaches of various species are on the high class menu.

Personally, I could go my entire life and never even see one of these again, and it would still be too soon. But it seems apparent that these disgusting creatures aren’t going anywhere. They’re found everywhere on earth. And because I travel native style, it’s time to man up and eat one like a local.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD_QNjA3TWg&w=560&h=315]

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Singapore 101: A Crash Course in Cheap Travel, Food, Lodging & More

The Republic of Singapore has Southeast Asia’s best economy. So if you visit at the end of your trip through the region, it may come as a shock to find out that it costs a bit more than its regional neighbors.

It’s also an island city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometers north of the equator. So you may be finding yourself spending a little more time in restaurants and attractions to escape the heat. And these have a way of costing money.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV77V_Kwfbk&w=560&h=315]

First off: Transportation.

Getting to Singapore by air is up to you and I can’t speak to costs there. But if you’re coming from Malaysia, there are two options (outside of renting your own car): the bus or the train.

I have taken both on my various trips. And I would recommend either. Both will cost anywhere from $10 to $25 depending on your level of chosen comforts. If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with the bus, however, because they are newer than the trains (which, in my opinion, sorely need overhauling).

I’ve never rented my own car, but I have heard that it is not an issue, coming from Malaysia. So for those of you who are brave (and wealthy) enough to afford this option, off to the forums with you!

While you’re in Singapore, transportation won’t be an issue. It’s a small place packed to the brim with fun stuff to do. For my top ten list of things to do in Singapore, see below or listen to the podcast here.

Hands-down, the cheapest way to get around Singapore is the public transportation system. The buses are safe and super cheap. And the same thing goes for the train. Both of these will get you to just about any place in the city for less than US$3 (one-way). But most hop-on, hop-off rides will cost less than US$1.

I won’t go into the mapping details. But you won’t have a problem asking locals which bus goes where. Everyone speaks English fluently throughout the city. And I was never given the wrong information. Also if they don’t know, they won’t send you in the wrong direction to save face, they will just tell you they don’t know.  For rail transit system, just ask the on-duty safety officer, if an actual transportation agent is not at your stop.

Secondly: Lodging.

As in most places, the cost of lodging will swing widely based on your minimum expectations.  I am a budget traveler, so I probably have the best advice for the shoestring visitor.

In a place like Singapore (and by that, I mean in a place where there are a lot of millionaires), the hotels even on the mid-range will likely match that of higher-priced hotels in other Southeast Asian countries. Remember, Singapore has Southeast Asia’s highest economy. So they hold themselves to a higher sense of class.

Now, this doesn’t mean that they are uptight (okay, some are — like the Singapore Art Museum, for instance). But it does mean that you’ll have to spend a little more of your budget on hotel and hostel stays.

The good news is that you will likely find yourself in much cleaner accommodations than in the other countries in this region. If you’re okay with low-to-mid-ranged budgets, you might want to shoot for Little India or Chinatown. These locations are known for their cheaper and livelier centers of attention. They are also surrounded by restaurants and attractions. So what you might lose in your lodging budget, you might make up for in saving taxi fares.

I was able to secure a three-night stay at the Shophouse Hostel on Arab Street (which represented the norm at the time I researched it), for US$12/night.  This was not only the most competitive price; it was also the very good for the money. It was clean, the staff was super nice, and the owner even came out to help me film on my documentary at Sentosa Island.

Lastly: Food.

While traveling through Singapore, you’ll find that you have a lot of options in the food department. So it follows that you’ll have a wide price range as well.  And depending on your level of courage, you may just end up saving money in this department.

All in, eating from food stalls all day will cost less than US$10.  Restaurants will double that sum. But this includes non-alcoholic drinks and three meals a day.

Alcohol is very expensive once you go south of Thailand. Singapore is no exception. A pint will set you back as much as US$5 and forget about the club prices. Just buy a few cans and dance in the hostel’s upper lounge.

Much of the food in Singapore is fried. So if you’re a health nut or if your system isn’t that forgiving, you can add $10 per day to get away from the more easily and quickly cooked foods.

Some amazing delicacies and local favorites here include stingray soup and nasi lamuk (coconut milk rice) with chicken and veggies. The closer to the Geylang Red-light District you venture, the more adventurous the food gets (think cow tongue and pig penis).

Some important facts:

Dialing code: 65

Weather: 31°C, Wind SW at 11 km/h, 62% Humidity

Local time: UTC+8

Currency: Singapore Dollar

Official languages: English Language, Malay Language, Tamil, Standard Mandarin

Currency conversion:

100.00 USD         =             125.511 SGD

US Dollar              ↔          Singapore Dollar

1 USD = 1.25511 SGD      1 SGD = 0.796746 USD

Travel concerns:

Safety isn’t too big a concern here. Lock up your stuff in lockers, be attentive of your belongings and don’t go and do something stupid like hang your money out of your pocket and you should be fine.

Women: you will be stared at by Indian-Malays and Muslim men.

LGBT: Don’t announce too heavily in the conservative areas.

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Top Ten Free or Cheap Things to do in Singapore

It’s been a long time coming, but I was inspired by a recent post on my YouTube channel that I should be offering some background advice for Singapore since my Singapore documentary film was released.

Time Magazine’s Daven Wu interviewed locals and dove into the scene, in Singapore to find out what to do in the city-state. Speaking with locals, you may be surprised at what they’re missing in their own backyard. But rest assured, there are plenty of things to do there. With only a couple of noted exceptions, this list is free, for all you budget travelers out there (transportation and food excluded).

1. If you’re an early riser, the Botanic Gardens open up at 5a.m. and are absolutely stunning. It’s more than just a breath of fresh air. And if you’re a jogger, it’s the perfect getaway from the hustle-n-bustle of the city. You’ll go through orchid gardens, see countless different species of butterflies, and groups of Tai Chi practitioners on your way around the loop. Get to the main entrance from Upper Palm Valley Road.

2. Ever heard of Hotel-hopping? No? Well, you can actually get into this in Singapore. If you go the Raffles Hotel, you’ll enter another world, back in time when this place fits more into the roaring 20s. You can half expect someone to walk buy with slicked hair and a zoot suit. Then there’s the Ritz-Carlton, which has one of the most spectacular collections of contemporary art. Their exhibits frequently boast works by Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Rainer Gross and Henry Moore just to name a few. There are more, but you get the picture. When hotels compete for attention, you win!

3. And if it’s art that you’re into, there are more museums than you can shake a stick at down Stamford Road. If this area is not already, it should definitely be known as the Museum district. It’s also in the vicinity of an old Dutch building-turned restaurant strip and a 12-story library frequented by students of the nearby university. And it’s all within a few city blocks. All of this is either free or they take donations for entry.

4. The Singapore zoo and Night Safari are not to be missed. Hit the zoo in the day time. And for an even cooler experience, visit the neighboring Night Safari Park for an otherworldly experience that you will thank yourself for seeing. The zoo covers 28 hectares and is open from 8:30 to 6pm (+65 6269 3411). Tickets run SD$22 for adults & $14 for kids. The Night Safari covers 40 hectares and is open 6:30 to midnight (+65 6269 3411). Tickets are SD$35 for adults $23 for kids. And while they’re not connected to each other in any official capacity, I do believe there is a discount if you buy zoo+safari tickets at the same time. You can see my footage from the Night Safari on my film, Travel Geek: Documentary Singapore.

5. The China Heritage Center (peranakanmuseum.sg), the Asian Civilization Museum (acm.org.sg) and the Singapore Philatelic Museum (www.spm.org.sg/‎) all charge a reasonable donation, but are worth the visit to get out of the heat and to learn something new about the history of Singaporean emigration and stamp collecting. The Star Wars nuts will love the stamp collection at the philatelic museum (ore about this in Documentary Singapore).

I should also include temples in number 5. Definitely seek out the temples. They are almost always free and you can spend several days checking them all out. There’s a Buddha’s tooth remnant said to be in the temple at South Bridge Road (found in Guthama’s ashes). And most other temples in the area have similar quirky claims to fame like that as well.

6. Avoid the shopping megastores which, if you’re anything like me, will make your head spin and cast you headlong into a relentlessly ebbing sea of commerce. To get your gear fix without the name brand barrage, head out to North Bridge Road to check out the Digitalife Mall where gear-heads and techies alike feel right at home. No purchase necessary. Another option would be Sim Lim Square on Rochor Canal Road.

7. Arab Street: Go there!  It’s a little Indian quarter of the city that’s chalk-full of dining options, street bazaars and, most importantly, a nightly gathering of shisha-smoking locals. Relax in the cool, night air and order some local foods. But remember that this is a highly Muslim area. So heavy drinking (and the activity associated with it) is frowned-upon. Check out Documentary Singapore for my hostel review and dining experience at Cafe La Caire and the Shophouse Hostel across the street.

8. Probably the most expensive thing on the list, the Singapore Flyer, costs $30 Sing Dollars (US$24). But this has a hidden benefit. For starters, because its so high, it’s a lot like getting a semi-private helicopter ride over the best part of the city. And secondly, the fee is a deterrent for most people. So the lines are short and the cabins are less crowded. I rode the Flyer in my film. Check it out for details. There are also a ton of restaurants on the ground floor. Head downtown to Raffles Avenue to get there.

9. Though not free, visiting the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino will only set you back US$12. And while you’re up there, have a beer and enjoy the view of the Southeast Asia’s highest open-air swimming pool. This is where I did the introduction to my film from Singapore. To get into the infinity pool there, you may have to book a room. But you can probably stuff a fist-full of dollars into a hearty handshake with the security guards at the top floor and gain access the old fashioned way. To get there, just tell the cabbie you want to go the Skypark at the Marina Bay Sands. There’s a special entrance, so just save yourself the hassle and have them drop you off at the elevator.

10. The most amazing thing you’ll do in Singapore is to visit the Geylang Red Light district. When you hear people talking about the “dark side” of Singapore. This is the area they’re referring to. No rules. No one judging you. Just go there and decide your own level of involvement. The more you want, the more they want to give. But spend your time wisely. Many people go hard and fizzle out early. This is also the undisputed culinary leader in Singapore’s street food and cafes. You won’t be sorry. Head to Singapore’s east coast for the old world of architecture and simple pleasures.

Higher end?

To splurge on food and make it worth it: head to Dempsey Hill and find the White Rabbit Restaurant, which is a converted 1950s garrison barracks & church. Now, its full of art galleries, fine restaurants and spas. Wear your dinner jacket, though. They are not used to sweaty backpackers dumping their gear on the floor next to the tables.

To splurge on entertainment: Take the cable car over the Sentosa theme park and resort. But plan ahead wisely. This area is not cheap. But there’s more fun for adults to have than a night at the Playboy Mansion. There’s a Disney World area near the resort. But the Marine Park, tram stops, snake handling, plays and performances and about a gazillion other things go on here. Just visit the website, take your pick of things to do, and make a day of it. In my film on Singapore, you can see two of these events: The iFly indoor skydiving event and swimming with the sharks. Each costs around US $80 per visit, per person.

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Travelcast #5 Top Ten Travel Tips for Exercising on the Go

In addition to the video that I made in Borneo in mid-March, I have compiled a list of smart things to employ while traveling if you’ve got it in mind to continue your workout on the road.

Just because you’re traveling, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up on your exercise routine.  The list below will help you keep on track with your workout long into your travels — whether you’re traveling for just a week or months on end.

Keep in mind that, while I mentioned keeping a schedule in this list, I wanted to make a special note about that here.

The attention and care that you take in planning your workout regimen before you leave will be your best tool in preparing you for keeping up with your workout.  We all know how busy and chaotic travel can be.  But if you’ve created a schedule of your workout before you left, there should be little that stays in the way of your exercising goals.

Think creatively: You can use your backpack as a dumbbell or a stack of books as a Yoga block.  Look around for a hotel with a gym.  Many towns and neighborhoods have a pool or small fitness center — ask around.

This schedule should ideally be in the form of a ledger or notebook with very specific times and activities.  It should have a place for you to write down your progress and keep an accurate account of what you’ve done, when you’ve done it and how many or how long each exercise took to complete.  Once you’ve checked it off, you know that you can take the necessary recovery time until your next workout date.

WorkoutScheduleAbove is a “general” schedule of workouts.  It’s specific but not overwhelming.  It’s organized, too — leaving ample time for muscle recovery between workouts.  It also, you might notice, divides the workouts to challenge your body one week and aerobically work it the next.

I like this schedule because the muscle training weeks allow me to be “comfortably lazy.”  This means that I can sit around in a hostel, lay poolside or hit the beach for an entire week but punctuate my workout with long periods of catching up on journals, editing photos or rendering the newest videos.

But this is specific to me, my travel schedule and my particular fitness goals.  So you can shuffle this around a bit or use a lighter or heavier routine to suit your travel requirements.

This particular routine is good for those with “themed” travel, like photographing the scenes or writing blogs.  But yours might be better suited having less muscle training.

The schedule below is for keeping track of progress and take notes like “too much beer last night” or “don’t like running on Mondays,” or things like that.  It, again, is very basic and is based on the above regimen.

Schedule

[About the video: I was in Borneo this past weekend filming for what will probably end up being three filming sessions to shoot what I want to shoot for the North Borneo Railroad, a jungle hike, some of Brunei and of course, the orangutan refuge (and maybe even do the Pada white water rafting).  While there, I realized that Borneo is a great place to talk about the challenges of exercising on the go.]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOUTjcuvBaU&w=560&h=315]

Below is the Top Ten list for how to stick to your routine while on the road.

The Top Ten List for Working Out on the Go:

1. Bring your own clothes and shoes — don’t plan on buying exercise gear or apparel in-country.
2. Pack any medical supplies that you need: inhalor, diabetic needs, etc.
3. In the cities, look for gyms that offer a free one- to three-day pass that can hold you over until you’re in the next city.
4. In the country, find a nice, out-of-the-way place to do your jogging. This will help to avoid animals, traffic and dangerous obstacles.
5. Bring a long-sleeved, synthetic fiber shirt for helping to avoid sunburn, dry skin from windy and arid conditions; and it will also provide a continual layer of moisture to help cool you off.
6. Bring a hat and sunglasses to keep the sun off your eyes and off of your face in the event that your workout takes longer than normal.
7. Don’t run in your hiking boots! And don’t hike in your exercise shoes. Take the time to pack safe enough shoes to support your workout.
8. Make a plan and stick to it. Just because you’re traveling, it doesn’t mean that you need to slide on your workout regimen.
9. Do sit-ups, push-ups and workout routines in your hotel room by bringing workout videos with you on your laptop.
10. Watch your diet. Extra attention must be paid when you change your diet to the host-country’s offerings. You can help this by bringing supplements and checking your beer/wine intake.

Do you find it hard to work out on the go?  Tell me what you think in the comments section:

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Travel Cast with Terry Elward, Podcast #4

Hey Travel Geekers! Today’s Travelcast is with Terry Elward of RemarkableTravels.com. She’s an extremely knowledgeable and candid bastion of the nomadic lifestyle.

She’s also very creative, if not die-hard, when it comes to global cuisine. She’s not so much a foodie as she is a body-conscious eater. But she blogs about everything from food allergies and intolerance to kosher/halal restrictions and cultural cuisine expectations. And because of that, it’s made her an expert in finding the foods that appease the traditional or religious requirements, that don’t affect the allergic centers and that leave the gastatory organs in the best possible shape!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuvatLIfDM&w=560&h=315]

Follow Terry on Twitter: @MissTravels

And after you’ve followed her, swing on over and follow me as well, @cyleodonnell, as Terry and I tweet our travel tips back and forth — join the discussion!

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Malacca: Day 1

Recommendation number one: Don’t drive to Malacca.  Take a bus, take a train – hitchhike.  Just don’t drive here.  The maps are wrong, the locals are directionally impaired and when you finally find the one road that is supposed to be a straight shot from the highway, it turns out to be a zig-zagging version of a city planners bad joke.  It winds through suburbs, combines with other tandem roadways and if you ever need to make a u-turn, forget about it unless you’re willing to take the 5-mile detour needed to get back on track.

But once you’re here, it almost seems worth it.  Just kidding.  It’s quite awesome, I must say.  I have only been to China Town and Little India so far, and I arrived at 5pm today.  So even in the short time since being here (currently around midnight), I’ve already had a great time.

After booking a nice, quiet hotel off the beaten track, I was able to find this nice little sectioned-off parcel of road that closes it’s access to cars and sets up shop for the foot traffic.  I ran into this kooky, little, old lady with a mask shop containing enough wood carvings to answer for the mysterious bare spots in the various rain forests of the world.

I’m not kidding.  This woman had more masks than the prop closet on Broadway.  I was in heaven.  I love masks so much that I nearly asked her if I could set up a cot in the back and spend the night checking them all out.  I didn’t, though.  Instead, I talked her into letting me film all throughout the shop and even got an impromptu interview – though, I am not sure that she knew it was happening.  And I think that she really didn’t like being on camera once she found out.

At first, she told me to stop filming.  But I whipped out a business card and told her that I’d put her in my latest documentary and she loosened right up.  So I will try and put the outtakes on my YouTube channel and in this blog (time allowing).

I ate what they said was a “large” pizza on the corner of the main statue in front of this makeshift night market and kept cruising the shops until late in the evening.

Once I realized how hungry I was from not having filled the coffers on the quasi-large pizza, I headed over to this Pakistani restaurant that the hotel manager suggested for me.  The food was excellent and I was happy that I took his advice.

The spicy chicken tandoori that I tried was de-li-SHUS!  And it should have been, because I was told by the hotel management that it was the best in Malacca… e’hem.  Uh, that’s, the best in Malaysia.

The chicken is open-roasted on a spit.  They rub the spices on it that you order and give you a choice of dipping sauces.  I took the “herb dip,” which included garlic and Italian spices.  In addition, the reason that people are actually attracted to this Pakistani restaurant in the first place is the bread.  They make it in a clay oven heated from the bottom and slap the flattened bread, spices already wiped on, right inside the giant caldron of an oven, and let it cook for about a minute.  You can add cheese to this, in which case they will roll it up into the inside and it will melt along with the rest of the ingredients at the sweltering 700-degree heat .

They serve it on a plate, normally still steaming, with a various pallet of dips which can be ordered to come with the bread.  I tried the bean curd.  And I can’t say enough about it.  It was a splendid contrast to the bold and spicy punch that the chicken packs.

Washing it all down was the famous Malaysian tea.  Just say “tea” and it is already assumed that you mean “Malaysian” style.  Normally just a black tea with either milk or soy, this tea comes hot.  But you can order it with ice as well.  I generally don’t recommend the iced version because you can never tell whether or not the water for the ice is filtered – though, the assumption is that it’s unfiltered.  But on this warm night, I figured I’d just dive in and worry about the repercussions later.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E3EJmsD3ek&w=560&h=315]

(In this article) Highly recommended: stay at ABC Hotel.  The rooms are comfortable, but don’t plan on a discount (single/double RM70 – RM90 on weekends).  The showers are hot, the AC is cold, and the management is friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating.  Contact Mr.Selvam at Mobile: 0126396577 or Email:abchotel1954@gmail.com.  Address: No:34, Jalan Kota Laksmana 3, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka. Phone: 062816670.