5 Things - Copper Canyon

FIVE things you didn’t know about Copper Canyon

It’s in Mexico - Chihuahua State.

It’s larger than the Grand Canyon

Access only by train

One of the world’s GREATEST train journeys

You can stay in a hotel ON  the actual canyon….! 

Five things you should know about the Train Journey  

Journey starts in Chihihuahua and ends up in Los Mochis – 16 hours roughly

ChePe is the name of the train – 90 years and 90 million dollars to complete

Mexican trains are FAIRLY cheap so go first class the restaurant car is great

It leaves VERY early in the morning…so you should arrive the night beforehand and stay in a hotel nearby AND ARRIVES AT 1AM – SO DOUBLE CHECK your hotel will have someone there to pick u up

Be patient … trains were often late

Five Travel Trips

Go in the winter – then you don’t have to fight the crowds and you get a seat on the right side

Don’t be afraid of eating the food at the stops – I did and didn’t get sick at all

Stay at the hotel on the canyon

Mexican buses are fabulous so don’t be afraid to catch them

Take the tours – don’t be a wimp like me 

Tokyo, Japan - My #1 City

 There is no doubt that Tokyo is filled with dazzling lights and fantastic food.  It is a crowded but surprisingly calm city.  Though it wasn't on my list of cities when a friend moved there in 2005, I went to visit her and immediately fell in love. It is ideal if you have children because there is so much for them to see - the Japanese do childlike (not childish) like no other nation on earth - and because it is so safe.  And even though I cannot speak or read a word of  Japanese, I never felt lost or intimidated.  I cannot get enough of Tokyo and Japan by default.  I try to visit every year -- in 2014 we are going to Sapporo Snow Festival.

Five Things I Love About Tokyo

1. Distance.  It is within a day's flight from Brisbane - so I can leave my house at 6am and be in Tokyo at 4pm.  For an Aussie traveller this is a dream come true ie no jet lag.

Robot Restaurant

2.  It is "different".  Everything Tokyo (Japan) does, it remains similar but develops that unique Japanese Robot Restaurant.  We loved visiting a darts bar where you can drink and smoke--but nope it's definitely not a pub.  Visit a games arcade.  We played the huge Taiko Drums and I fell in love with them.  This year I might bring a set home.  Great for pounding out that aggression and and it's musical (well not when I play, but you know what I mean). Visit Ghibli Museum - for manga/anime lovers and for the kids - but you must book ahead of time (we had to book in Australia - thank you JBT).  For manga lovers, I enjoy prowling around Shibuya's Mandarake shop -- it has cosplay, more manga than anyone could ever read, and plenty of manga merchandise (toys etc). Some of it might be X-rated so be aware when you take the kids.  Though they probably are too busy to notice. In 2014 I'll be trying a taiko drum workshop--in Asakusa.  So more on that later.

3.  The food.  I have never had a bad meal in Japan.  I think it is their philosophy - do things right; have pride in what you do.  Mind you, I love Japanese food and I love fresh food, and I love fish.  I love visiting little bars and trying what's on their menu--I've had deep fried corn (delicious) and all sorts of odd things.  One restaurant we visited had spaghetti with cooked lettuce and salad - surprisingly delicious and I felt quite virtuous and it had green in it :)  Try a fast food restaurant, yes a Maccas, and try one of their Japanese dishes. There is so much more to Japan though than sushi -- it has a range of Michelin Star restaurants that will really drain the pocket, but if you have a couple of hundred dollars and want to experience the best in food then visit one.  We visited Roppongi's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.   Read up on some food manga - my favourite series include Oshinbo, Addicted to Curry, Antique Bakery but here are some other great ones too.  And don't be afraid to step into an izakaya.  those hole in the wall bar/food places where you can sometimes eat and drink all you like for a set price (around AUD40 each) - for 90 minutes.  It is prbably going to me filled with smokers but somehow the smoke didn't bother me - do the Japanese have different kinds of cigarettes?

4.  Transport.  Japanese trains are the best I've ever travelled on.  They are fast, clean and always arrive on time.  Buy a Japan Rail Pass before you leave -- the trains are expensive in Japan -- no need to get first class but we always like to treat ourselves but economy is just as impressive.  If you go in the winter -- you get to see a snow dripped countryside and feel warm and cosy inside.  Airports are uber efficient.  It takes us about 1/2 hour from getting off the plane in Narita to sitting on a bus or a train into the city.  They open up Immigration lines to accommodate the incoming passengers as soon as they hit the immigration hall -- take note other countries.  The trip into the city takes about an hour but it's a fun trip -- splash out and buy something from the hostesses on the train -- even if it's just a beer.  The taxis -- well where else does a driver wear white gloves?

5. Shopping.  Now I hate shopping but when you're in a country that is sooo different, it is great fun.  I love cosmetics and a visit to a Japanese pharmacy is filled with wonder.  There is a great one in Shibuya opposite -- you'll know it because it's loud and right at a cross street at the 'top' of the town opposite Toku Dept store about 5 mins walk away from Shibuya station (same side) past 109.  It is about four floors and has food, alcohol, cosmetics and teeshirts.  I spend hours there.  So forget the toothbrush and toothpaste - buy some Japanese ones.  On your way stop at a fabric shop on the corner--cheap and wonderful patterns and cheaper than material in Australia and the new electronics stores for the latest gadgetry but be aware games won't play on Aussie Wii (I learned the hard way). Kimono - we have bought some spectacular wedding ones in Askusa for less than AUD200. 

Things You Might Not Like

1. Crowds.  Yes Tokyo is crowded but I don't mind that at all.  It could bother some people.
2. Food.  If you're not a sushi fan you might be disappointed.  But don't despair there are plenty of not-sushi places.
3. Disneyland.  As Tokyo is a huge city, a visit to Disneyland might disappoint as the lines are long.  I don't particularly like Disneyland so I haven't bothered to go.
4. Railway stations.  Yes Shinjuku has loads of exits and is confusing but I soon found my way around and being lost is part of the fun.  
5. Ummm ... distances.  it is a big city so be prepared to take an hour to get to where you have to go.  Allow for this in your scheduling.

Hints.

Manga-Kissa.  If it's a rainy day and  you just wanna kick back then visit a manga cafe.  There you can kick back and read manga (Japanese of course) drink all the soft drink you want, check your emails etc.  Most of them have wee booths and you can do what you like...hubby and I found them a welcome break from the madness above.  They charge by the hour so take an hour's break.

Rockers in Yoyogi

Parks.  On Sundays visit a park.  Yoyogi (my favourite) usually has Elvis/rockers dancing to loud music.  It's not as bad as it sounds.  Also at the top of Yoyogi is Harajuku where the goth, lolitas gather.  The park is wonderfully serene and has the Meiji Temple.  If you're jetlagged then get up early and walk around -- Japan has the neatest homeless in the world.

Kamakura.  A fascinating place that also holds Yabusame - the Japanese archers.  Definitely a must.  Check out the webpage and see if there's

Harajuku

one on while you're there.

Kabuki.  Japanese opera sounds like a drag - not at all.  The Kabuki Theatre in Ginza has been refurbished so I'm dying to see what it's like now.  Be sure to book ahead. 

Sports.  Sumo or Baseball  Now if Kabui sounds too much like culture then visit a Sumo match -- again, the tournaments are only held certain times so check ahead.  Why not try baseball?  The Japanese love it and are enthusiastic.  Really the place to go for atmosphere and team spirit.  And not a hooligan in sight.

Visit 100 Yen stores.  Buy all your souvenirs there ... I get heaps of lip gloss for my female friends -- they're small and great gifts.  I also bought a pile of face washers that I still use.

Izakaya -- a small bar that serves beer and food.  Order from the menu - and suck down some local beers.  There are tons of them around and don't be afraid to go in.  Try the ones around railway stations but be warned there could be smoking :) 

Jazz and Karaoke.  The Satin Doll is a lounge style place and we loved it.  Sip martinis, eat the small offerings (which are surprisingly filling) and kick back.  Karaoke is truly fun, don't be afraid.

Pachinko

Pachinko Parlours.  Yep, they are LOUD and noisy and bright.  Enough to give you a headache but this is the land of glitz and bright lights. Step inside, get a bucket of ball bearings and waste a few minutes.  I have NO idea how they work but it was another experience.

Odaiba.  An artificial island with loads to see: shopping, Fuji TV, AquaCity, Venus Fort (a recreated 18th century shopping mall with a fake dome that has the sky) the National Museum of Emerging Science and dozens of other places to explore.  It will take a whole day so if you have the time get there early.   Now I love a good museum, but generally the Japanese ones lack the verve of our Aussie ones--usually they are fairly dimly lit with glass domes and plenty of good stuff but a little boring especially in such a techno country, but the National Museum of Science was great.  But we lived Fuji TV more.  Go to the top floor for a great view.  And sometimes there are more Elvis/rockers in the forecourt.  

Before you leave your hotel, look at the place you want and get a screen capture on your phone so you know exactly where to go.  Don't be afraid to ask -- people are wonderful and love to try their English - compliment them on their English and you will have a friend for life.

Finally, this is just the surface -- you need years to explore Tokyo -- I loved it for its popular culture kitsch.  Don't be afraid to step into somewhere new -- it's an experience you will never regret.

Shanghai - 5 Things

In 2011 I visited Shanghai for a book I was writing -- a Street Style book.  I knew nothing about street style and nothing about Shanghai.  It was my first trip to China and I had no idea what to expect.

First thing to know is that Shanghai has such a wonderful history that I thoroughly recommend travellers read some of the great books about Shanghai.  Some of my favourites

• Shanghai Express
• Life and Death in Shanghai
• Shanghai Girls

Unfortunately we cannot visit the Shanghai of yesteryear but today's Shanghai is interesting but nowhere near as exciting.  (Why is it I never seem to be visiting a place when it's at its cultural peak?).

Five Things I  Liked 

1) My Hotel I stayed in the wonderful Langham Hotel which is about twenty steps from the People's Square train station...or it would have been if I had taken the right exit.  I wish hotels will tell you which exit to take.  In fact, I passed the hotel several times as the photo on the website was NOTHING like the hotel from ground level.  I cannot even believe it looks like that on the top levels.  Reminder to contact hotel and ask.  Anyway the hotel is a glorious 1930s Art Deco hotel.  I believe now the hotel is no longer part of the Langham chain - so be warned there might be changes.  But for the time I was there it was fantastic.  The picture below is taken from the hotel website.  I'll see if I can hunt out a larger one from my camera.

2) Energetic Buzz.  The place is of course filled with people - over 23 million people live in Shanghai.  But I love that kind of energy.  The roads are filled with lots of interesting characters - and no they're not all on bikes. Walking along the Bund at night is great.  Beware of the shops there - wow are they expensive.

3) Fashion Scene - of course I was there to do a fashion shoot so I thought the clothing was extraordinary.  A very cosmopolitan city - most of the people we shot were not actually from Shanghai - they were visiting from Korea, Japan and Hong Kong.  Most of the women wore at least one branded item - Louis Vuitton, Prada etc - Asian women take their luxury brands very seriously. 

4) Shopping - No surprises that there is plenty of cheap stuff in Shanghai.  I  must admit to scouring the markets looking at the knock-off merchandise.  But the quality is pretty poor - even the material hidden behind the facades.  Yep if you show an interest, some will open the fake back door and let you browse what's behind the scenes.  I did manage to buy some great shoes and a scarves.  Also I got a couple of pairs of prescription glasses made up - again the quality of the frames wasn't good - one pair didn't last longer than a couple of months but at about AUD30 a pair I didn't mind.  However my prescription sunnies are still holding up two years on! And I get loads of complements about them. Hint: get frames that are STURDY.  Also avoid the lookalike brand names - they are NOT real brands so don't pay the extra. Sephora - my favourite American cosmetic store - was there but it had none of the brands that I expected.  I wasn't game to buy the Asian brands as I was unsure if they would suit my skin. 

So here are some of the shopping places

• Maison Mode, located at No.1312, Huaihai Road - all the big names are here.
• Nanjing Road (including East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road), one of the four streets, enjoys the reputation of No.1 Commercial Street in China. Has a great selection of everyday shops including western ones such as Marks and Spencers etc
• Xin Tian Di - a fantastic area - French Concession and lots of pretty streets and even better shops. 
• Dongtai Road - antiques.
• Cheaper clothes and knock off stuff -
  580 Nanjing West Road Fenxiang market - walking distance from People's Square
  Xinyang market and A&P Plaza at Science and Tech Museum - which is a 20 minute ride from People's Square.

Typical Shop - Photo taken from this webpage which tells all about the markets

Be warned -- these "markets" have hundreds of shops.  Bargain as much as you can. Be prepared to walk away.  Also I bought strands of pearls at about AUD10 per strand they were great Xmas gifts. Just rub against your teeth to see if they are "authentic".

For more information look at this webpage as it includes directions and great descriptions.  There is a shopping tour - but at AUD200 it's a little out of my league.

5) Prices - Transportation is cheap especially taxis but when you're visiting the markets etc I would take the underground which is easy and cheap.  Overall I it wasn't as cheap as I imagined - or hoped for TBH. Western cosmetics as they are roughly the same price--darn I had hoped to be able to stock up.

5 Things I Didn't Like

1) Cultural void - Shanghai didn't have the wow cultural icons one usually gets in say Paris or Rome or London.  The museums are okay--but then I think Australia has some of the most innovative museums I have visited.  Must visit the Shanghai Museum.  This is a place for absorbing the culture at the street level.  The buildings in the French Concession were fantastic and I could have spent days just wondering the streets. Try visiting Fuxing Park.  The best map for art galleries is avail in major hotel lobbies http://www.shanghai-detour.org/.  

2) Food - okay I'll admit I'm a bit of a coward..  I was there on my own and after a day's shooting I didn't feel like trooping through the streets seeking some out of the way place for 'authentic' food.  The hotel was in a very western part so most of the places were pretty much western.  And I often ate at the hotel - which was good but uninspired.  TBH I had better luck in Taiwan - look for my blog on that.  When I went to the shopping markets, I ate there because the food seemed more authentic.

Still - the bakeries are marvellous - it must be the French influence.  So often at night I would duck across the road to the shopping mall and buy some of the baked goodies.  Yum.

3) Pollution - the city is pretty hazy some days.  It meant that photography across The Bund wasn't always great in the daylight hours.  It didn't effect me personally but I thought I should warn the really susceptible people. 

Looking Across the Bund to the Business District

4) Heat - I was there mid-September and the heat was debilitating.  Remember I was working in the streets so I probably copped the worst of it.  The steam rises from the sidewalks. We often ducked into air-conditioned places such as Starbucks (arrgghh I hate Starbucks but the air-con was always frosty) to grab a cold drink - prices there were pretty much the same as we have.  

5) Language barrier - now while I can cope in most cities, when I'm on my own I turn into a complete coward.  It's not that I didn't feel safe - it's more that I fear making a fool of myself ordering a meal only to find that it is liver or something - I did that in Tokyo a couple of times.  It also meant that as I couldn't read the maps or street signs so well, I often wandered around for hours to find I was only steps away from my destination. 

Copper Canyon

Well it was a while ago that we 'did' Copper Canyon (Xmas 2007 in fact). First, booking independently was hellish - we used a Mexican friend of ours to do it. Mexico likes to protect its tourist industry and it's very difficult to find exact prices/websites etc. (It's about aud250 per person each way August 2013).   I checked again -- and it's still difficult to make independent bookings, basically you have to phone. Mexico, yep phone.

We were living in New Mexico at the time so we bussed from Las Cruces - Greyhound bus trips are quite an adventure).  We caught the bus from El Paso to Chihuahua - Mexican buses are great ie they have videos and are clean and very comfortable and very cheap. Took about 5 hours.  

We booked at a very modest hotel for the night.  We were up at 3am to be at the station for departure at 6am. As we had pre-booked there was no need to be there sooo early. So my advise 5:30 is plenty of time.  The train left on time and that's the last time it was on time for the rest of the journey.  Here is the schedule so you can see the times and the stops.

The Route

Typical view

The train journey is spectacular - The Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad passenger service traverses 408 miles through some of the most scenic wilderness on Earth, from the Sonoran-Sinaloan transition tropical forest; it then climbs 8,000 ft. into the Western Sierra Madre and skirts the Copper Canyon, before terminating in the Chihuahuan Desert. This spectacular railway achievement required 37 principle bridges, the longest is 1,638 ft. and the highest is 335 ft. It bores through 87 tunnels, one tunnel is 5,965 ft. long and another tunnel has a 180 degree turn followed by a bridge with a 90 degree turn. The railway, with nearly 11 miles of tunneling and 2.25 miles of bridging, follows a serpentine route through some of the most biologically outstanding and diverse habitats on the planet, listed in the world’s 200 most crucial areas for conservation.

Mirador is RIGHT on the canyon

We stayed at a modest hotel.  Slept through the first hour --awoke refreshed and to the dining car (my husband says the best Huevos Rancheros he's ever had). The menu is varied and the food is surprisingly good. Unfortunately, late in the morning, a trio of rambunctious males joined the journey and they proceeded to get quite drunk and to “stuff up” the toilets; my husband used the ladies’ loo from then on. The train was two hours late getting into Barrancas but we had thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Next stop was The Mirador - it is one of the few hotels right on the Canyon- all rooms have a view over the Canyon.  Sitting on the balcony at dusk sipping wine is a must! was marvelous but at nearly AUD$300 per night I would expect it to be--but that includes three meals so it really isn't that expensive.

Not me -- ALL rooms have this type of view

We stayed three days but honestly there wasn't that much to do except enjoy the worlds best scenery). The food wasn’t bad and the service and attention to detail great- the rooms are equivalent of a 4 star hotel. We did a walking tour (one of the hotel staff) and a donkey tour (2 hours) both excellent introductions to the area.

After two days we regretfully took off for Los Mochis—we waited, and waited and waited, in feezing cold weather, for the train. Four hours late the train arrived– there was no lights and no dining car which I found VERY disappointing so later I realized it might have been a second-class train (I was glad I’d tucked away a small chocolate bar for emergencies)—so in the dark we crept to Los Mochis missing the most spectacular part of the journey. All in all a bery disappointing aspect of the journey - but what can u do?  Three am the train pulled in at Los Mochis - although we had organised it, there was no one from the Hotel Plaza Inn to collect us. Luckily there were plenty of taxi touts and for an outrageous sum we were deposited at the front desk. 

Unfortunately the guy at the front desk of Hotel Plaza Inn was much more interested in talking with his friends than in checking us in; finally he turned his attention to us (well sort of, he kept chatting to his friends the rest of the time). Luckily the loud disco finished as we crept into bed; and after much door slamming and chatting fr disco patrons, we could sleep. When we checked out, hubby left his sunglasses- we went straight back but they'd already disappeared.  They were prescription sunnies so of limited use - but left a bad impression.

Our return through the Copper Canyon was marvelous. Up at 5am to get the 7am train-the train left on time. It was Xmas day and we had a not so festive but most enjoyable breakfast—watching the gun-toting guards devour their b’fast was entertaining. The trip through the canyon was spectacular but one had to fight for a position at the doors to get some decent photos/videos. It seems that everyone (all seemed to be over the age of 50) boarded at El Fuentes. And they were quite rude about hogging space (darned Americans). Three hours late (5pm) we arrived in Creel—the hotel was wonderful and there’d been a touch of snow. The restaurant at the Lodge was awful (though hubby highly praised the French fries) my Chef’s Salad was ordinary and it was Xmas night! We had hoped for a special Xmas meal. The rooms were great and well heated. There’s not too much to do in Creel other than street crawl. As it was Christmas most of the places were closed but I like wandering streets - and its a pretty small town.  As it turned out we could’ve done the day tour and still caught the three-hour late train. (I feel uncomfortable gawking at the shy Indians and thus refrained from signing up for various tours, I find them a little culturally insensitive and intrusive) . We arrived in Chihuahua at 1am.

Overall it was a great experience, the scenery matched the Grand Canyon's (AZ, USA) the train journey was comfortable and it was an unusual Xmas. Take plenty of books (game boy, puzzles, knitting) to keep you amused cos the journey is long and if it’s dark there isn’t too much to see but it is wonderfully relaxing. I would give it 7/10 as a vacation. 

Five Things - Croatia

More detailed posts about my trip to Croatia are forthcoming.  But in the meantime, this is what we talked about on the radio today Wednesday 10th July -- I'm on with Nicole Dyer at around 10am.

Please take the time to view this wonderful celebration of Croatia. 

Five things I liked about Croatia

View from b'fast terrace La Meridien, Split.

1.  Adriatic Sea - there is nothing in this world the same colour as the Adriatic Sea.  The Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti and Islands, Hawaii and Islands, South African beaches, Pacific islands -- none of them have that same turquoise colour.  And I love that the water is calm - seemingly no sharks and no dangerous undertows.  So you can swim forever.

2.  Medieval/Ancient Cities.  The building and fortresses of bygone days are just a delight to wander through.  A must is to walk the ramparts  a la Game of Thrones - no wonder some shoots are done in Dubrovnik. Below are pictures that demonstrate the clarity of the water and the wonderful ruins of Dubrovnik.

3.  Cafes/wine bars.  The perfect places to sit and watch the passing parades.  Nearly all of them have free wi-fi so you can log onto FB, make your friends jealous and drink the GREAT wine.  My favourite bar in Split is run by two Aussie women (yay) and the wait staff are very knowledgeable about local wines.  It's called Zinfandel.

Clearest Water--evah!

4.  The People.  Everyone in Croatia was friendly and most of them understood and spoke rudimentary English.  Everywhere people were kind and courteous.  Wait staff were patient and helpful and the women at our hotel in Split really helped make our stay enjoyable. 

5.  Cleanliness - every morning the streets were hosed down so the "soft" worn cobblestoned streets were clean and fresh.  One of my ritual past times is to get up at 4 am and to wonder the streets - this ritual is inspired by jetlag. 

 

 

5 Things I did not like about Croatia

1. The flight.  It took us 35 hours to get there.  We had to go through Singapore (8 hours)  and then  Vienna (14 hours) and then Split (1.5 hours).  

2.  The tourists.  Definitely try to avoid June/July/August - too many tourists.  We spent more time in the immigration line at Split airport than we did on the plane from Vienna.  They had only two "lanes" open and two large planes of holidaymakers.  There was scuffling and some swearing and lots of loud German talking.  All I did was sweat.

Seafood Platter for Two

3.  The food.  I know people won't believe me, but I was not impressed with the food.  We had hoped for some GREAT seafood but we found it was okay and rather expensive.  A fish platter for two was about AUD80 - while I like the .  I love sardines and tuna but each time I had them I was underwhelmed.  I guess we are very spoiled in Australia...I like my seafood slightly undercooked and my tuna RARE.  So that could be a cultural difference.  Also I attended a special "meat" night in our hotel;  they didn't have any steak, only some skewered meat that was way overcooked.  Did I mention I like my meat rare too?  Another thing that astounded me was the plethora of pizza "places".  I am not a pizza fan so my disappointment says more about my food tastes than the actual food.  However, there were two great meals we had: in Omis we had our best ever seafood platter for two - complete with two full crabs and enough prawns, scampi and mussels to satisfy the hungriest person and I fell in love with truffles - Istrian truffles and pasta only AUD20 a la carte at Le Meridien.  So ditch the buffet and order fr the menu.

4.  The heat. I come from the tropics so you'd think I would be acclimated, but I found the heat of the first couple of days oppressive and most places were NOT air conditioned. I slunk into restaurants asking if they had air-conditioning...and some spruikers knew how to sell their place but just whispering cold into my shell like.    The air conditioning in our hotel was adequate, just.  I am such a comfort junkie that I don't sleep well in the steamy heat -- so that makes for a grumpy Toni and a grumpy Toni is not a holiday happy Toni.

5.  Pebble beaches.  Be sure to take your reef creepers - the beaches are rough on your feet.  If you forgot yours then don't worry there are plenty to buy in the markets for under AUD10. 

5 Things I learned while in Croatia 

1. Croatia loves nautical themed clothing
2. Nobel Laureates dance to "Do You Think I'm Sexy" (I was at a Forensic Science conference)
3. Croatian radio loves 1980s rock music especially Tears for Fears
4. Croatia has the sexiest cellist (see award winning tourist adverts with Ana Rucner).
5. It has a sorrowful and troubled political history

Unique Things to Do in Croatia

1. Do a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik
2. Eat affordable Istrian truffles
3. Hire a yacht  - it's not that expensive especially if there are 4 or more
4. Visit the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb
5. Listen to the Sea Organ of Zadar

Another Nautical Shop

Cafe Relaxing