Whiling away the afternoon..

A cuppa.. And my Lonely Planet. 

As I spent this afternoon holed up in a cafe called Alley No. 5 in Malacca. Malaysia. Random thoughts just flashed past my mind. 

Malacca is a city that I used to be so familiar with that I'll do a yearly 'pilgrimage' up from Singapore. And I always used to stick to the same old Jonker Street and after a while.. Without thinking. I could tell you how to walk and where are some of the places worth stopping by for food. 

But my notion of Malacca being an easy place to walk around vanished 2 years ago when I met Gus. My Airbnb host. He has been based in Malacca since 2010 and there are places where only locals go but he'll show us around too. 

I got to know Malacca better. From a local stand point. And since then.. Malacca has changed. I see how the locals are proud of their culture. Their roots. Of how their daily lives are and their jobs and roles in this little tourist-drawing city. 

This year.. This trip marks my 3rd. My first alone.

The places I went with Gus today were places I never knew.. Never been. Lest the weekly market behind his Airbnb and this cafe I was at this afternoon. 

I enjoy how friendly I've become with the locals. How we became friends and keep track of each other's lives via social media. :) 

Like at Alley No. 5. Oren. The owner/barista. He saw me fishing out a book from my bag and he went like 'Doing your 'homework' for Russia ah?' Or when his older brother Yalu walked past and asked me 'You're back? Alone?' And proceeded to talk to me about Gus other Airbnb like we've known each other for ages (which we ain't.. I only got to know him better this year.) 

And when another of their friend came over for a drink. We were chatting across the different tables and just whiling the afternoon away. 

It's a simple lifestyle. A simple trip up Malacca. But what made it all so special are the friends I've made here that makes me come back so much more often. 

Travelling to familiar places never cease to amaze me each time I go back. And that's probably the magic of travelling. <3

My travel peeves..

There are many articles out there about what kind of travellers (or rather tourists..) there are. And they always ask the same things.. Asking you which category you fall in. Which type of traveller you are. So I was having dinner with a friend recently and it just struck me that wouldn't it be fun to share what kind of traveller I am? =)

Bathroom picker:

I am icky when it comes to picking accommodation that does not have attached bathrooms. And even more icky if the bathroom comes in olive green. =/ I recently tried a open dorm hostel in Siargao Philippines and after the initial shock. It really was not too bad! Coz it was clean and there was no foul smell. =) But the best (or rather more memorable one that I had was the one in Galle Sri Lanka. Where it was an open bathroom! Hahaha.. Imagine showering in the rain! =D

My bathroom in a hostel!

My outdoor bathroom in Galle! 

My outdoor bathroom in Galle! 

Cheap and good accommodations:

When I mean cheap I really mean cheap. Anything about USD$80 per night is too expensive for me. Especially if I travel alone. My cheapest stay was in the dorm (yes.. That dorm..) for USD$3.50 per night. And my most expensive was a stay in Maldives (well it was my birthday week and I wanted to pamper myself..) and it set be back about USD$150 per night. =D The best deal I had? A villa for USD$40 in Krabi Thailand! Hahaha..  I scourge for my deals by comparing (Agoda. Tripadvisor. Individual websites of the place I wanted to stay in..) and of course booking in advance. I am a solo backpacker but I do not like scrambling for accommodations at the very last minute so it has been a habit that I will always book in advance. =) the headaches it save me is tremendous.

My overwater villa in Maldives!

And the open dorm I had in Siargao!

Street food and cafes:

I am always intrigued by the street food in each place I visit. But thing is. I am very selective on the kind of street food I try. I love fried and grilled insects and so far have tried locusts. Crickets. Grasshoppers. Tarantulas (I know this doesn't count. It's not an insect.. But still.. =P). Scorpions. Tried balut in Philippines but I could not bring myself to swallow the ungrown chick. =/ Worms are not my kinda thing either. Even though I have seen people slurping up tamilok in Philippines too. *horroz*

We were trying grilled golden locusts in Beijing. 

Street food in the cold in Lhasa.

I looked damn happy for some oily/grilled/spicy food!

My favourite tempura when I'm back in Philippines.

And the tamilok that I will never ever ever try! *shudderz*

And I simply love cafes. The smell of the beans.. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. And the decor and atmosphere of most cafes. 

In Malacca!

And another also in Malacca!

Local beers:

And me being me. I love my alcohol. Mainly the beers and ciders. Best when they are served icy cold and either I am alone enjoying the place I am in. Or with my drinking kakis/travellers while we stone and catch up. =)

In Sri Lanka!

And in Phnom Penh.

A must try Cambodian beer!

Water activities:

Sometimes I wonder if I was a fish my in my last lifetime. I could never stay away from water activities for too long. And now that on my last trip 'home' (read: Philippines) I picked up scuba diving. Nothing can keep me away from it for too long. *grinz* Mainly dived in Philippines and Maldives so far. (I only clocked 19 dives since May when I got my license. And next month. I am going for more! Perhaps I can hit 25 before 2014 comes to an end!) I love white water rafting too since my first experience in Bali Indonesia. And went on to do it in Kitulgala Sri Lanka. Cagayan de Oro Philippines is famous for their waters too so I gave it a try too! 

In Maldives.

That's me! =D

In Cagayan de Oro Philippines.

Picky about who I travel with: 

And like everyone else. I have pet peeves too. I dislike travelling with people who cannot sit still and want to pack the whole day with activities. Sometimes when you are at a place where you are keen in. It is annoying when your friend is walking around you looking listless. That feeling sucks. I do not like to travel to places where most people have been. Coz after seeing/reading so much about it. It just takes the thrill out of everything. I like to go where the locals go. Do what the locals do. And I get an experience like none other.

I dislike travelling with people who are super connected to technology. Checking your phone once every hour is too much for me. Even when eating if you can't put down you phone. Then 'Thank you. (Never) see you again.' When I travel alone. I check my phone probably in the early morning when I wake up and after dinner. If not for my job. I would love to stay unconnected totally. (That's for another post.)

I love travelling with people who are super laid back and have no plans. Maybe coz I love to plan for trips. I would ask those friends I love to travel with what they want to see so I can incorporate it into my plans. Other than that. It is free flow for all. =) We wake up when we are ready. Not because we had to rush from place to place. I used to be packing my 7 days back to back with places. usually covering 3 places in a week. But after my trip to Philippines in May. I realized that probably age is catching up and staying put in the same place for 7 days isn't too bad. And that is what I am doing on my next trip 'home'. =)

I love travelling with friends who ain't sticky and enjoys doing and seeing the things I do.

So far me being the picky me. I only have 3 friends good for road trips and 2 friends for backpacking. Of course it can be 'mix and match' in a sense coz I haven't brought those 2 of those 3 road trips friends for backpacking. But we shall see. =)

What kinda traveller are you? =)

Caffeine I need you!

Dsiclaimer: I was never a fan of coffee nor a coffee drinker till somewhere early this year. What made me change? Time made me. =) I have a great bunch of coffee lovers around me and we've spent hours travelling around tiny Singapore (and venturing into nearby Johor Bahru and even up to Kuala Lumpur for a 2 days 1 night trip) juz to scout for cafes. 

I always remember that first sip of fragrant piccolo latte from Oriole's (http://oriolecoffee.businesscatalyst.com/locations.htm) with a friend who is now happily married and living in Australia. I didn't like the aftertaste. But I love sniffing at that nutty cup of drink. Whenever I go out with this group of friends. We're bound to order coffee (from iced mohca to iced latte to cafe mocha to latte to affogato) and I will always sip that one sip (and make a face thereafter =P). On a whim earlier this year. I was having lunch alone and decided on having my first cup of piccolo at Kith's Cafe (http://kith.com.sg/) at Park Mall. And the rest as they say.. Is history.. =)

So. Over 2 days of random meetups with this group of friends. I visited 5 cafes. Hahaha. And I'm happy to announce that I still slept like a pig each night (though now that I mention it like that.. My body clock has turned vampir-ish since that 2 days.. Hmmmz.)

Here goes the cafes I went with my kakis over the 2 days.. First up.. Butterscotch Cafe. (http://sg.openrice.com/singapore/restaurant/butterscotch/81559/)

They serve ice cream too. But we didn't order as we wanted mains and other desserts. More importantly. Their coffee! 

They don't serve piccolo latte. So this is latte less milk (but I feel that it's still latte - normal). 

My mum's affogato. Slightly disappointed her as she was expecting the coffee and ice cream to be separated. I think she enjoys pouring the coffee over the ice cream herself. =)

Friend's iced mocha.. Which sadly tasted more like iced latte. =/

But this was awesome! I love their New York Cheesecake! Especially that crumble at the base. *yumz yumz*

Churros.. I can't appreciate it. But my friend was happy munching away (and sprinkling cinnamon sugar all over the table =))

Wendy's meets Ramly burger.. The patty was a tad dry (crumbled at touch) but I like the wedges and the mushroom sauce on it. =)

And souffle!! Not the usual insides. A bit more mushier. Reminds me of chawanmushi. =P

And we ordered buffalo wings for sharing! Obviously we are hungry!! 

And then we went over to Dutch Colony Co (http://www.dutchcolony.sg/) Not a place easy to get to. But I love this place to bits. (Read here: http://foodiegoestravelling.blogspot.sg/2013/11/seafood-of-east-meets-west.html)

And cafe mocha..

And no guesses for this! Piccolo! Love the aroma of the beans to bits.. =)

On the second day I met another good friend for cafe hopping. So the 2 Westerners that we were. Decided to head over to the East at Penny University (http://www.pennyuni.com/).

And this was the beginning of many cups of piccolo to come! XD But! This! This had to be the piccolo latte I've drank thus far! Totally worth that 1.5 hours trip over! =)

We had brunch here. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. Generous portion of sauce! 

And we went towards the South to Chye Seng Huat Hardware (in short CSHH - http://www.cshhcoffee.com/) The coffee simply cannot compare to Penny's. But I like ambience here better. Not so cramp. More spacious. =) But I muz say I haven't found a win-win formula yet. Where both coffee and dessert can attract me back together. Except probably Maison Ikkoku (http://www.maison-ikkoku.net/) but that's for another time. =)

Piccolo again..

And with a scone for sharing. =) The brunch at Penny's was really heavy. *grinz*

This is super random. But everytime I see a wash room as such. There's this friend of mine who juz leaps to mind. =P 

And last stop for the day at Strangers' Reunion (http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/Strangers__Reunion/). 

A cheesecake (but Butterscotch still wins - hands down). 

I like the Xmasy feel here though. And it's cozy. Only thing was coz it was on Boxing Day. It was still quite crowded. =/

Last piccolo! =)

A late wish. But nonethless Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! *cheerz to more coffee to come*