Ochen Priyatna

A painting at MACBA that reminded me of Carmen Santiago

I was watching the Netflix documentary about a trans-siberian railway trip and it reminded me of the travels in Kazakhstan. When i read through the blog posts i did on the travels, i immediately felt a wave of regret having not documented down the travels i had to South America a year ago. Since no travels are allowed thanks to COVID-19, i thought it is good time to take a break from travelling and to take a trip down memory lane while documenting down the LATAM travels.

My journey started with a long flight from Singapore to Buenos Aires:

Singapore --> Dubai (8 hours)

Dubai stopover (7.5 hours)

Dubai --> Rio de Janeiro (15 hours)

Layover at Rio (2 hours)

Rio --> Buenos Aires (2-3 hours)

I kinda lost track of how long the flights took since I was also flying across multiple time zones: I departed Changi Airport on 28 Dec 9pm, and arrived in Buenos Aires on 29 Dec 8.40pm - seems like i took a day but accounting for time difference, i took about 34 hours to arrive. Holy sheet that was the longest i've been on flights ever!

Thankfully I had relatively comfortable seats thanks to the very helpful airport staff. Seems like the combination of long flight, solo, lady (maybe also my height) seems to work magic in getting me seats along the emergency exit aisle. Of course, I also had to pay special attention to the additional instructions for evacuation but that was a good trade-off to x hours of stretching ma legs during the flight.

I believe this was my flight from Dubai to BA? I have no idea the horror I was putting myself through in a 19+ hr flight.

Since i had a 7 hour stopover in Dubai, i took the chance to check myself into a lounge. I sourced around for deals on lounges and finally landed on using the free lounge access available for AMEX Krisflyer Ascend card. That granted me with a private cabin (where i closed my eyes for 1-2 hours) and also gave me a great place to take a shower to freshen up in the middle leg of my 34 hour journey.

I don't recall any particular ups or downs in the airplane food except that I had infinite number of meals onboard and also attempted once to request for cup noodles. The air stewardess was slightly taken aback but surprisingly came back with a steaming pot of noodles. Good job Etihad!

I arrived at Buenos Aires late and night and frantically looked for an Uber to bring me to my hotel. I recall it being relatively dodgy since it was dark, I was in a strange town and everyone spoke Spanish mostly (even my uber driver). So i had to rely on Google Translate which was like engaging with the locals in a game of broken telephone.

Thankfully I arrived at Konke hotel after winding many dodgy and dark streets. It was a comfy 3-start hotel which served very yummy breakfast and was a short journey to the city's attraction. Took a rest for the night to prep myself for the Buenos Aires travels the next day!

Check out the interesting roadside bins

Started my day early as I had two important missions to cover before I could continue the day - I had to secure myself a simcard with internet, and I had to change some local currency to spend with.

Took a long walk down Buenos Aires streets to check out a few mom-and-pop shops but all referred me (in a mix of broken english & sign language) to a telco store down the street. A terribly inefficient experience I would recall as I had to register my personal information at a Movistar telco (no visitor data sim cards) and then proceed to a pharmacy to get a top-up. Took me about an hour and a half to get myself connected. Next on the list of a money changer which i found in Abasto Shopping mall, albeit the rates were pretty shitty.

Argentina's take on curry puffs

I continued strolling down the streets and decided to walk over to the famous Cafe Tortoni which was founded in 1926 and was declared a Buenos Aires place of interest in 2003. It was pouring and I was drenched head to toe by the time i arrived at Cafe Tortoni so imagine my horror when I saw a snaking queue outside the cafe. Thankfully, the turnaround was quick and I was in the cafe in less than an hour (time just seems to pass a little slower when we're travelling ain't it).

Interior of the beautiful Cafe Tortoni

I knew i wanted a cup of Coffee, and maybe a snack. I googled that the churros here were pretty good so I got some. Kinda like an Ang Moh version of Dou Jiang You Tiao (Soy Milk with Fried dough sticks)

Pardon my phone but here's a relatively nice pic

The staff were nice to help me snag a pic with the churros

So there was a little episode in the cafe. Being new and curious, I was sipping my coffee while earnestly spying on what my neighbours were having. Many were having club sandwiches and cold stuffs which I was not keen (Hello Asian Stomach) but i spot some table having a chocolate like sauce to go with churros. I couldn't find chocolate on the menu, so I called the waiter over in an attempt to obtain my chocolate dipping sauce.

Ola! <points to table> Chocolat Saus?

Waiter: ????? <crosses arms> chocolat nada, sucre, dulce??

<points to Churros> Chocolat? <takes Churros out to mimic dipping> Saus?

Waiter: ?????? Chocolat Nada

<points at neighbour> that saus! that chocolat sauce?

Waiter: AH! Dulce! Si si <mumbles something to himself which may be a silent curse at my ignorance>

The waiter arrived with my Dulce de Sucre which was indeed the "chocolate sauce" I had thought my neighbours were having, but it turns out to be a form of caramel sauce which was also a delightful dip for my churros. I thank the waiter (I can't recall but I hope I gave some tips) and headed to the next location - MACBA.

MACBA was not at walking distance so I had to take a short bus ride there. Surprisingly Google maps was extremely helpful and gave me exact directions of where the bus stop was, and where to alight. MACBA, like any other attractions I had been to, had a snaking queue outside. Bear in mind, I was touring Buenos Aires on a Monday so these are all tourists. It is relatively common for tourists to drop by Buenos Aires before heading down to Ushuaia to take a trip to South Pole. While queuing at MACBA, I actually saw a certain HK actress with her boo but i did not interrupt them since I reckon it would be extremely weird to do so. The queueing took about 2 hours (?) and when I finally managed to enter the place, the museum ran out of English brochures and I went around with a Spanish one. Haha thank you Google Translate.

People mountain people sea at the queuing area

The famous pool exhibit where you could experience being "underwater"

Featuring an interactive exhibition which simulates a certain body part

I personally think interactive exhibits are a great way to get more people attuned with art

Another interactive exhibit that portrays how humans connect but I have to say it was rather difficult to isolate and stay calm when there are many eyes in queue staring at you

I label this the big foot. Is that the Sun or a slice of pineapple

Many abstract modes of art which took me some time to interpret. Although there were some, like these, where I kinda threw in the towel

I thought this was pretty cool considering that it was an exit door

Got myself a pool postcard to remember this unique exhibit!

It seemed like a really long day but I wasn't gonna end it hungry (despite having some yummy coffee at the MACBA cafe). So I did a quick google again (kudos to google maps allowing searches in the area) and found a top-rated steak restaurant an Uber ride away.

On my way there, the Uber driver was fumbling with his GPS and continuously checking his route. Thereafter, he told me that Maps was leading him to a road that was supposedly dangerous because it was close to the slums in BA. Many cars were hijacked along that road so it wasn't safe. He approach the road cautiously and made sure that we didn't have any vehicles ahead or behind us (the classic vehicle sandwich). Once we got to the end of the road, he heaved a sigh of relief and said that Police were on patrol that day so it was rather safe. We then took a road running parallel to the slum area and I could see dilapidated buildings that were "cordoned" by railway tracks. It was definitely interesting to note that these slums could co-exist amidst the shopping malls and highways that are located in such close proximity. The driver mentioned that BA has extremely high standards of living in Latam and many locals found it hard to keep up amidst inflation and the rich pushing up SOL. This also made me reflect about the situation in Singapore - are we progressing faster than some of our people can keep up with, and in the process, we have left them behind?

Inside of Villegas Resto

Downside of doing this post a year late is that I have zero recollection of the location names i've been to. Thankfully, the pictures captured the name of the restaurant on the menu and I was able to find it. Google Maps has also been tracking me and knew I had been to the place 2 years ago! Gosh

Glasses galore

These are in Argentinian pesos which is stronger than Chilean pesos (imagine my confusion) but much weaker than USD so no this restaurant does not rob. The place is relatively affordable as $600 argentinian Pesos summed up to about ~SGD 10 for steak. The Argentinian peso had depreciated quite abit over the past year so I reckon the steak cost about SGD15 back when I travelled which was still affordable considering this was a $$$ restaurant along a nice street

Welcome bread is my favourite. With tomato Salsa!

Asked the waiter for a recommendation and wala they recommended an Argentinian Malbec whoop

I believe this was a Medallon de Lomo that I ordered. I'm not a diehard steak fan but look at that thick cut

Ordered some grilled veggies cuz balanced meal

check out the medium rare

got the waiter to snap me a pic of my new year eve eve meal (and the takeaway since Jean was bragging about how good takeaway steak is)

The waiter tried to take a selfie but pressed other buttons instead so this snapshot is all I have of him

final bill came up to 1225 Apesos which was about SGD20 now (maybe about SGD30 when I was there) which was extremely affordable considering I had a steak, vege, bottled water, wine and bread!

This pretty much sums up Day 1 of Latin America travels which was a great start since I explored quite some ground of BA! Day 2 will consists of the domestic flight to El Calafate and more adventure awaits!

Day 3 in Tokyo started on a somewhat bad note? We've been pampered by the high standards of Japanese cuisine that the lacklustre offering of our breakfast choice threw us back. Well, as the saying goes, no sweetness without bitterness and no sun without the rain (?).

we attempted a "random walk-in" to purge ourselves from excessive googling and research for a meal and also to test if indeed, any corner of Tokyo serves great food. Previously, we've had pretty good experiences with this method in Jeju island and Europe. Thought we would try out luck in this little Izakaya since we were craving for Yakitori.

Our poor command of Japanese may have led to this lacklustre meal...nevertheless, the Yakitori served after was decent (gizzard and some random meat?) and I emptied the rice bowl as usual.

After the rather unsatisfying meal, we took a 30min walk from Shibuya over to Meiji shrine to walk off the calories from my bowl of rice. The weather was great as well and before we knew, we arrive at the shrine.

Many of these gates all throughout the Japanese shrines

Of course, we could not miss a photo opportunity with a wall of sake tubs (?)

And with the symmetrical roofs of the shrine

The box that would determine all our fortune

Washing hands at the entrance of the shrine. Watching and learning from locals, we see that most people would wash their hands and mouth before entering the shrine.

Tablets on display with well-wishes. Tablets could be purchased for 5000Yen or ~SG$7

Most parts of the shrine was under repair but otherwise, we notice some similarities amongst the Japanese shrines - you have a amulet place to purchase amulets, a place to tell your fortune, a place for praying, and a tree - for you to hang tablets you purchase. On these tablets, devotees would pen down their well-wishes and blessings.

We spent a good hour and a half within the shrine exploring and touring around before our stomach felt empty. Thankfully, Meiji shrine is located right beside the Harajuku-Shinjuku area so we took a short walk over to find a dining place.

The bridge separating Meiji Shrine and the Harajuku-Shinjuku area

Streets of Shinjuku-Omotesando

Small streets of Omotesando

Omotesando was this cute neighbourhood known for their street style shops - whole bunch of street brands as well as second-hand outlets littered the streets of Omotesando. Interesting to window shop around and take a peep into the growing street culture in Japan.

Interior of the Gyoza shop

Food-wise, we contemplated for a long while as to what to eat - there was the incredibly photogenic Luke's Lobster that was all over instagram but likely not able to fill our tummies, a random Thai food store with al fresco dining and a famous Gyoza shop with bar-table setting that was packed with Angmoh tourists. Eventually, we settled with Gyoza since our tired legs were dying for some rest after all the walking.

the beginning of Oolong highball obsession

Our gyoza meal: round 1. Gyozas were somewhat yummy but not too filling that we ordered 4*6 Gyozas and broke the bank. Pretty affordable considering the amount of tourists around. (We usually assume a positive relationship between the number of foreigners and the price)

Harajuku Gyoza Lou

Location: 6−2−4 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo (Meiji-Jingumae Station, Chiyoda, Fukutoshin lines)神宮前6-2-4 Shibuya, 東京都〒150-0001Opening Hours: 11:30am – 4:30am (Mon – Sat), 1130am – 10pm (Sun)
Nearest station: Meiji-Jingumae station

an extremely wonky shop at the tail end of Omotesando where I bought a tupperware designed like a packet of fries

Chanced upon a Gindako on our way back and couldn't resist getting one to share

Yumz takoballz why you leave Singapore

Gindaco Harajuku

Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−14−24, 第5寿和ビル

Opening hours: 11AM-10PM

Nearest Station: Harajuku

Following that was a rather long walk back to Shibuya, dumping our buys in our apartment, before heading out for a meal we wanted to try for a long time - Gyukatsu. Background: I've never been a fan of beef because of its smell but THE GYUKATSU HERE IS AMAZING?!?! Having the raw beef wrapped around light and crispy skin of the katsu batter around...overall an experience for all senses!

Gyukatsu in all its glory, served with a mountain of salad because balanced meal yo. Also featuring a huge bowl of rice which was amazing as usual Japan how you grow your rice?!

For the folks who wouldn't want their beef this raw, there is a teppan in the middle of the table to facilitate cooking. Sizzle sizzle. There is a choice of grated yam to be eaten with your rice - not for the folks who don't like sticky substances and I must say, it's quite an acquired taste that I did not acquire.

Gyukatsu Motomura is a chain selling Gyukatsu with several outlets within Tokyo. Most of these outlets are located in the basements and from our experience, some outlets are visibly more popular since they were located in popular areas whereas the outlet we went to had seats readily available.

Sets are affordably priced:

mini size of 100g at 1100Y (without yam) or 1200Y

regular size of 130g at 1300Y (without yam) or 1400Y

Giant size of 260g at 2100Y (without yam) or 2200Y

Additional 130g Gyukatsu at 800Y so you can decide if you want a refill thereafter. We actually witnessed a petite Japanese girl comfortably finishing the giant sized gyukatsu with two bowl of rice. Gasp.

Gyukatsu Motomura (Shibuya)

Address: Japan, 〒150-0002 Tokyo, Shibuya, 3 Chome−18−10, 大野ビル2号館

Opening hours: 10AM-10PM

Nearest station: Shibuya

With only 3 more days left in Tokyo (we planned a short trip to Hakone for 2D1N) and so many locations left uncovered, we made a calculated decision to skip Disneyland/Sea and allocated more time for exploration/buying magazines/shopping/visiting markets. Best.decision.ever since we explored many more cool neighbourhoods in the days to come!

Ochen Priyatna

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