asisin

Very cool city..on the smaller side compared to most cities I’ve been to. Bahnhoffstrasse blew my mind – world’s 2nd most expensive shopping I hear. Theres a chocolate store there thats world famous, and if you try something there, you’ll know why.

Beautiful sights all around, but lacks the bustle of the city. Some very nice buildings to admire. The Limmat river adds a finishing touch to a picture perfect setting.

I was there for new years 2005. I found the night life severely lacking. Things could have been better if it was summer.

Drinks are expensive! Wait – everything is expensive.

Joke I heard:
Europe works because –
The Italians are the lovers, The swiss are the bankers, the french are the chefs, the Brits are the police and the Germans are the engineers.

Can you imagine a europe where –
The Italians are the bankers, the swiss are the lovers, the french are the engineers, the brits are the chefs, and the germans are the police?

Thought about that on the plane ride out of zurich, and smiled..

Although I’ve lived in many different parts of the world all thorough my life, I will have to call Madras my home as my formative years were spent here.

If you’re looking to have fun times involving some mild sightseeing, pub hopping and dancing at discos, this is not your place. Madras is ultra conservative on the outside, and its very hard for visitors to break in to the circles where all the fun stuff happens.

But as a city, Chennai is all character. It is the capital city of region of the world boasting one of the oldest cultures of the world (and definitely a culture about which little is known). Tamil is a language at least as old as sanskrit, but unlike sanskrit has no known root language. In turn it is the root language for the south indian family of languages. It was the only city in India which was bombed during world war 2. (ok that was a random fact)

Home of the best south Indian food – you must try and sample everything while you’re there…go beach side and try the corn, the raw mangos, ‘sundal’, and deep friend bajjis. If you’re visiting in december be sure to check out the music festival that happens there every year which attracts people from all over the world, and regularly features some true giants of world music (read: not the likes of Jessica Simpson, no offense)

The people here have far more humility than any other part of India. Chennai’s schools regularly produce some of the brightest kids in the world, as the culture of the place strives to emphasise education, learning and values in the world that deems these unfashionable.

Some very fine temples in the city, and even better ones as you travel further south (Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram).

I can go on and on…

Recommendations:
If you have a choice, visit dbetween the months of November and February. The weather does get incredibly hot.

Warm and extremely friendly people. The taxi drivers know everything. Unique culture, food and language and accent. Do not be mistaken – the trini whine (when your behind assumes control of itself and moves involuntarily, responding only to soca/calypso music) is different from the Jamaican, Venezualan, costa rican counterparts, as anyone will tell you or better still, demonstrate for you. Some some really unique flora, that the people there don’t believe in destroying.

As soon as you get out of the airport, veer left and grab a couple of “doubles” a classic trini fastfood. You also should try the “bake and shark”, “corn soup”, and basically anything u find…coz its all soo good.

The best rum in the world hails from this tiny island (it only narrowly outranks “Old Monk” – famed rum of India). Angostura 1919…ooo so sweet! Bring back as many bottles as you can.

Zen is a nightclub par excellence! Super hightech, slick and rockin overall. Maracas is a great beach. Some nice dining spots by the Pier at Chaguramas.

Girl:Guy ratio is approximately 6:1 :)

Vocabulary:
Waapennin’ = Whats happenning (traditional greeting)...the response to which should technically be ”..oy cousin!”
Whining = (see paragraph above)
Liming = chilling out…usage: “I be liming at St. James mon”
Fete-ing = low key partying usually involving alcohol
Bacchanal = all out partying

Recommendation:
1. Meet a local trini and stay in touch for the duration of your stay. Better still meet a trini socialite, and be sure to ask them to take you to the wild parties that happen there all the time (read everyday!)
2. Pick up some trini music – soca, chutney, calypso rhythms.
3. Cricket fans – Brian Lara’s home town..hes the prince of trinidad

Goa is one of my favourite places to go to in the world. It regularly ranks in the top 5 best places to be during new years (around the world).

First thing to do is get away from the city and travel to the beaches. I’ve been there 4 times all around the same time of yr..between Dec 20 – Jan 5. Absolutely perfect weather. If the air is cool, the water is warm and vice versa. You’re immediately taken by the peace and warmth thats all around you.

If you’re into trance music, Goa is an absolute must visit during new years, as some of the best DJs in the world are around at that time. The combination of the bucolic atmosphere, peaceful locals, mindblowing trance, and breathtaking scenery where the parties happen will leave you with memories for life!

Incident that comes to mind, was this party at Shore Bar on Anjuna – some sick trance music, all kinds of dancers (a martial arts dude, leopard skin chic), firebreathers and jugglers…I look behind me, its the Arabian Sea…I look above me 1 million stars with Orion setting(or rising) right over the horizon.

Recommendations:
1. Source a hotel room
2. Source a scooter/motorcycle as most of the spots are remote and you probably won’t find taxis. Always good to be self suffieicnt when it comes to travel.
3. Source some hash (if thats your thing)
4. The further out the beaches the better (Anjuna, Vagatore, Kandolim are my favourites)
5. Have ur fill of coconut water and sugarcane juice
6. Flea market is worth visiting
7. Keep an eye out for large groups of people biking together, coz they’ve mostly probably heard where a party is happenning. Just follow them.
8. Keep an open mind.
9. Be generous to the locals.