Welcome to my travel log 😄 at some point I may split this up into sub-posts but for now this will be maintained as a collection of my travel experiences from least to most recent.

Not every trip is logged here, just the ones I think are worth reading. Some trips involved multiple stops or destinations, the name of each section is the final destination.

Some tips for cheap flights I've learned over the years:

Use Matrix Airfare Search for finding flights. Google acquired the company in 2011 (for almost $700M) and uses it for Google Flights.
According to someone I met who works at Alaska Airlines, when searching for flights, always select for ONE person first before adding other passengers (apparently they infer your price bracket if you start with group flights).
Ctrl/Command-Shift-n (visit the site as infrequently as possible, turn off cookies, and don't create an account).
The earlier the better.

Jan 1st 2020, Monaco - Monte Carlo

Wake up early to catch a flight to Nice, France on New Year's eve
Land in Nice, met up with Gevish at the terminal have lunch (had escargo)
Find hotel with NannyBag services, change to suit, grab a free croissant and a drink
Roam around Nice, get a new bowtie, catch a train to Monaco
Catch the sunset at the hill viewpoint
Hustle into the Casino, get compliments from security
Roam Monaco, walk accross the city to see the expensive properties
Roam around the pier, hustle onto docked yacht, get kicked trying to get wine
Talked to Ukrainian chef who works for one of the yachts
Walk to winter market, have a beer (tried beignets)
Hustle into Le Hotel de Paris to catch private viewing of fireworks
Uber back to the hotel and ruminate until it's time to fly back
Pass out on the plane, lose left earbud when it lands

Jan 11th 2020, Dublin - Ireland

Got to the hostel at night, met my roomies, a man from Detroit who had come to Dublin for business (probably tax related), two friends of native breed that were there temporarily as they searched for a more permanent abode, two South Korean girls who had come to Europe to study English as part of their academic requirements
Went to sleep after doing some light work and reading (Wait but Why article series)
Woke up, got changed, headed straight for Queen of Tarts, taking pictures of the riverside on the way, got some scones and a cinnamon roll
Strolled around the Temple Bar area, got a peppered beef and potato cornish pasty
Headed for the Guiness Storehouse for my tour
Had the Guiness experience, learned how it was brewed, at what temperature, the ingredient quantities, marketing materials, learned how to taste Guinness, learned how to pour Guinness
Walked back to Generator hostel, went to lighthouse theatre accross the street, bought ticket for 1917, sat at cafe and worked until movie time, watched 1917 (almost cried twice), waited outside theatre after movie, snuck in for Uncut Gems
Went back to hostel, showered, slept
Woke up after 8 hours went across the street to Chopped 2.0, worked for a while, had call with Will Hamilton and team, worked some more, walked to bus station, caught bus to airport

Jan 18th 2020, Oslo - Norway

Caught the coach bus to Stansted in the morning, got to the airport, worked and relaxed until flight. Landed in Oslo, got a cinnamon bun at the airport W.B Samson
Caught a train direct to Oslo central station, walked around and headed straight for the hostel. Rented linen, dropped off stuff in room
Went out to the shopping district, roamed around, walked to Harald's Vaffle and got a waffle with brown cheese. Window shopped, went to an outdoor/travel specialist store
Went back to the hostel and watched a downloaded movie, went to my room, showered and slept until morning. Woke up and got changed, left my clothes in my room and left
Roamed around the city, walked to Fulger's espresso bar, got a coconut and cream donut thingy, relaxed and watched Good Time
Walked over to the tourist area, walked up and down the royal grounds, went to Baker Hansen to get a cinnamon bun
Walked to the harbour, relaxed and enjoyed the view. Walked up over to the fortress, went to the Norwegian Army museum. Looked at the exhibitions, left to catch the sunset at the top of the fortress grounds
Stayed to see the sunset, walked back down to the city, roamed around for a bit, then walked back to hostel. Stopped by 7-11, stole a protein bar. Worked and called Agosh and Nikhil, went to room (roomates left) to shower, work a bit and sleep
Woke up, packed my things, stopped by a couple grocery stores and 7-11s to steal 2 more protein bars. Walked to the train station's Burger King, spent my last Norwegian Krona on 2 cheeseburgers. Took the express train back to the airport
Roamed the airport, sat and read articles, blogs, and the like until flight time. Before boarding, went to the duty-free store and stole and ate a chocolate bar before passing the gate to board.

Jan 27th 2020, Bratislava - Slovakia

Woke up early to catch the coach bus to Stansted Airport, got a traditional pasty, ate it before going through security. Waited a while to board, boarded to designated seat window side (but no window?)
Landed in the morning, pretty cloudy, looks like it's going to rain, get through border control, get 3 day bus ticket, catch the 61 bus to the city center.
Walk on down to patio hostel, check in but have to wait until 1 to get keys, so followed itinerary on schedule instead. On the way to castle, stopped by the Saturday market, relaxed at the upstairs lounge and got food, (a couple pastries, and a pay-as-you-feel meal from the community kitchen)
Walked over the Bratislava castle, roamed thr ground, went to the museum, went to the tower and climbed to the top (stairs were incredibly steep), couldnt see anything cause it was way too foggy outside, went down to the underground area of the museum, got out and walked back to hostel
On the way, come accross The Five cafe (something on my list), decide to go and relax in there, got a matcha latte, watched spirited away and got through some youtube videos. Walked back to hostel (almost forgot my scarf), picked up my keys, went to room, took a shower, chatted up friends on facebook went to sleep.
Woke up, got changed, left some of my stuff in the room, started walking down to the bus stop to get to Delvin Castle, ride bus to the castle, walk through the town to the castle, find out that the castle is closed, walked the grounds and by the river, walked the scenic route to bus stop, went back to the city.
Went to Zylander Cafe and restaurant a bit too early, walked to the nearby mcdonalds (really fancy, definitely less items on the menu and still affordable), got this nutella mini donut thing and a cookie. Went back to Zylanders, got a veal schnitzel with traditional potato salad.
Headed over to Polito cheesecake, got a pistachio and raspberry cheesecake, went to La Donuteria and got a love at first bite (cookies and cream) donut, walked over to the Eurovea mall, roamed around, went to the Decatholon sports store, bought a pair of boxing hand protectors and workout gloves
Walked back to the hostel, headed down to the bar and redeemed my free beer coupon, relaxed and watched Dark Waters, moved to kitchen, finished dark waters, went back to room, showered, watched my neighbor Totoro, called it an early night
Woke up relatively early, packed my stuff headed for the Promod mall, roamed around, went to IKEA across the street, had breakfast at the restaurant, caught the bus to the airport, flew back to London

Feb 16th 2020, Berlin - Germany

Got to the airport extra early, slept on the plane, landed, Sagar saw me as I was exiting the plane, and we waited for Alex after passport control
Walked to the train station right outside schonefeld, got 4 day train tickets and caught the train to Berlin central station. Got off early at the wrong station at Alex's behest, went to Dunkin Donuts, got BOGO donuts (Valentines day deal), went back to the station and caught the same train to central station
Met up with the rest of the Yes fam at the Dunkin Donuts at Central station, chilled and got some lunch (currywurst and fries), took an Uber to out Airbnb (invaded the wrong flat trying to find ours). Went to the nearby supermarket, brought lots of Kinder products, airwave gum, and chips
Chilled and played some Drink Drank Drunk, went out to central Berlin for dinner and a pub crawl, had really good sushi at Passion, bonded with Licia and Johanna, went out for drinks at a nearby off-license, got a Berlin Brewmaster IPA, went back to the flat, drank and played games until bed time
Woke up early, went to the Supermarket with some of the gang, got tomatoes and carrots, headed back to the flat, had some breakfast, left the flat with the gang to catch the walking tour of Central Berlin
Toured the city, went to multiple destinations (check Google maps timeline for details) highlights included the island in Berlin, the Royal palace, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial for the casualties of war, the memorial for the murdered Jews, the Brandenburg Gate, etc. walked back to the central station area where we split for dinner
Had dinner with Sagar at Poke place next to the Vegan Viet restaurant that Licia wanted to go to, roamed the nearby market and tried a sploch of super spicy hot sauce, caught up with the gang, continued to roam Berlin, got some beer bottle stoppers from the Transit Souvenir shop
Went back to the flat, split with Sagar and Alex to a nearby bar, had a beer, chilled for a while, headed back to the flat, took a shower, Eli and Mumbai dude arrived at our flat, played Drink Drank Drunk for a while before heading out to YAAM. Walked and flirted with Eli and Johanna to the club, danced with the Yes fam, chilled out at the bar, had Alex and Sagar get me back for the beers earlier and gave a beer to Eli, left with Licia, Emily and Euon on an Uber back to the flat
Got back to flat, showered, packed, slept for a couple hours, left with Licia back to Schonefeld, waited for security scanning (let around 7 groups of people past us because they were late for their flight) chilled and talked with Licia until our flight, parted ways before take off

Mar 2nd 2020, Gdansk - Poland

Landed at 12am on Sunday, got an Uber to the hostel, picked up my card from the security guard, struggled with finding my room until I got help from a stranger, took a shower and went straight to sleep
Woke up, got changed, went straight for breakfast at the cafe had ginger coffee and cheesecake, walked around and over to the amber museum, toured around and toook lots of pictures, had a brief look at the history of the local area
Walked down the harborfront and through the street of amber stores to window shop, walked to St. Mary's Basilica, sat down till the end of the session, climbed to the top of the basilica to the birdsnest view at the top
Left the basilica and walked to Pyra bar for this potato dish, walked back to the harborfront and toured the entire area before settling at a Starbucks and got a Chai Latte where I sat and worked for a couple hours. Walked back to the hostel, showered, finished watching Lewyn Davis and the first two episodes of Clone Wars season 7 and slept
Woke up, packed my things, toured the area and walked to the Madison Shopping mall, took a brief break before walking to the European solidarity center, toured the communist history museum before settlling at the library and working for a bit and relaxing on the beanbag at the birdsnest at the top floor of the library. Took the elevator to the rooftop terrace of the building for a view of the city
Walked to Pierogarnia Mandu Centrum and got 10 traditional pierogies, as well as 6 chocolate and raspberry pierogies. Toured the area and settled at the Salty caramel ice cream parlor, got 2 ice creams before getting an Uber back to the airport and flying out

Jul 20th 2020, Saguenay (Quebec) - Canada

Got picked up by Sean and Jason in the morning, drove over to Alexander's and picked him up too, started the drive to Mont Tremblant
Made a stop at ONRoute for a pit stop and to swap driving, drove the rest of the way to Mont Tremblant, hopped over the observation deck to reach the beach
Tossed frisbee and played games by the water until dark, drove the rest of the way to Montreal to our Airbnb
Drove to the waterfall, went to the supermarket to get a big roast chicken to share between the four of us for lunch
Hiked around the waterfall and surrounding paths, Jason booked a zipline across the waterfall for the following morning
Woke up drove to Mount Royal and climbed to the top, walked over to Fairmont to get bagels and meet up with Jasmine before grabbing coffee at a local chain
Walked around uptown Montreal and then towards old port. Explored and hung around old port until the evening
Once dark, we climed around the fenced off lighthouse at the edge of the pier and enjoyed the view of the dark laek
I took the subway back to the Airbnb and called friends until the boys got back, had a long discussion until early morning
Woke up, packed our things, drove to the falls for Jason's zipline booking, hiked on the surrounding paths
Drove to a smoked meat place for brunch and got a ticket for parking at a bus stop) before starting the drive to Quebec City
Got to our Airbnb in Quebec City, relaxed and watched "The Gentlemen" on Netflix before walking around town
Settled in at a local pizza place for dinner and continued our discussion from the other night
Made several pit stops before arriving to Saguenay and pitching up our tent, collecting sticks and firewood
Cooked hotdogs with maple mustand, some salad, and some smores for dinner
Woke up and relaxed for a while until it started raining, packed the tent and our belongings and started the drive to Quebec City
Started the drive to Ottawa Stopped by Montreal to go to Dunn's for lunch, had a platter of smoked meat and a side of poutine = Drove the rest of the way to Ottawa and got to our Airbnb to relax for a bit before Jason, Alex and I headed out to explore the night life = Walked around a nearby market and mall before reaching Pariliament and the Centennial Flame
Walked back to our Airbnb in the rain and called it a night
Drove the ways back to Toronto at the ZipCar drop off location and got picked up by Amy before heading to a COVID testing center

Aug 18h 2020, Sudbury (Ontatio) - Canada

Drove to Waterloo the night before and stayed at Agosh/Nikhil/Ishan's place for the night
We talked about Eastern vs Western culture (inverted caste system, morals of people, etc.)
Morning of the trip we drove to Conestoga to pick up supplies/groceries (I had a Cinnabon)
I drove North all the way to Tobermory, we went to the fish and chips that I've been before
We went to mermaid cove and took pictures (by recommendation by the server, who is a local)
We drove back south to Owen Sound to stay at our Yurt where we made a fire and stargazed
We woke up after a great night's sleep, packed, and drove back up to Tobermory
We drove onto the boat and enjoyed the ride across the lake to Manatoulin island
We talked about the book "How to Win Friends and Influence people"
Upon landing, we ate at a local restaurant (I had a Tuna Melt) and talked to the local server
We drove to a few beach spots at the server's recommendation (she had been there all her life)
We drove to a hiking spot and hiked to the first lookout point before turning back down
We had dinner at a local Inn, where I sampled an insanely good fish taco
We drove to the motel and slept talked about fetishes and work
Woke up the next morning and hit the road towards Sudbury, where we picked up Taylor
We drove around Sudbury with Taylor as our guide to the mall, the big nickel, etc.
We got food at Five Guys, where I had an insanely good Peanut Butter Milkshake
We dropped off Taylor and hit the road back to Waterloo

Dec 16th 2020, Paris - France

Almost got stopped before boarding the plane for concerns over illegitimate travel during the pandemic
Landed and spent the first night roaming the streets and eating the worst meal of the trip (that sketchy bowl of meat and rice)
Bought macarons and chocolates at Pierre Hermé Paris to eat with a bottle of wine
Visited the Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and several department stores
Tried food from local bakeries (Land&Monkeys, The French Bastards), patisseries (Yann Couvreur) and food stores (Carrefour, Picard, Monoprix, etc.)
Got tested for COVID at a local pharmacy with results returned in just 15 mins
Visited Amy and Raph for dinner (had truffle chips, Foie gras, and Galette)
Had some insane pizza, Thai food, Baguette with fig jam
Struggled to function and operate at a laundromat, zoomed around on electric scooters
Got locked out of the apartment and spent a night at a hotel below the Eifel Tower.
Visited the shopping district designer stores and ended up getting milkshake and fries at Five Guys.

Oct 5th 2021, Lisbon - Portugal

A spontaneous trip with my good friend Abhinav Boyed, who was slated for a 5 week vacation that would include Madrid and Rome (I would only stay for 3 weeks)
The first remarkable thing I noticed when we landed was how much warmer and humid the air was. The humidity would later come back to cause some nights with rough sleep.
The second thing we noticed was just how cheap Uber rides were in the city. Even at peak hours in the early AMs and a route from the airport to the city center we spent no more than a total of 7 euro.
Day 1 was all about resting up and acclimatizing to Lisbon. The black and white limestone streets and steep hills became one of the most memorable characteristics of the city.
Our hostel, Rodamon, is easily the best hostel I had ever stayed at in my life, and at a generous price no less. I will gladly stay at any other of their locations in Europe.
A bit of context before I rattle off about the food; Abhinav was formerly a vegetarian, and so many of the things we tried was his first time trying it.
A run down of all the food we had and highly recommend:
- The Pastel de Nata was insane; needless to say it was beyond any custard tart I have ever had in my life (including the Hong kong style I grew up with). Sprinkle some cinnamon for a kick. Delicious with a latte or orange juice (which is always fresh squeezed in Lisbon)
- Real piri piri chicken kicks the shit out of Nando's (it turns out real piri piri sauce is more akin to a chili oil)
- Seafood is a specialty in the region and they have stores dedicated to selling nothing but canned sardines. The Octopus and Squid were also a highlight, I particularly liked it grilled and in Paella.
- The food at Time Out Market was both expensive but well worth it. Ground burger made the best burger I ever had in my life. It was here that I also tried Iberco ham for the first time.
- Local food is pretty simple, oddly enough the one thing that they almost always serve with anything you order is bread, olives, and fries.
- Vegetarian and vegan food in Europe is starting to become more and more popular. We went to a fancy restaurant called Arkhe and as a self diagnosed carnivore it really opened my eyes as to how delicious and filling vegetarian and vegan food can be.
- Grilled pork ribs at O Taxi were another major highlight. Marinaded very simply with citrus (lime and orange I think) and tons of garlic and olive oil. It's very unlike the sweet and saucy style that is so often served in the Americas.
- Francesinha is another dish that I had heard about and tried at a local diner called Lucimar. It was very good but I found it a bit overindulgent and prefer the more refined croque monsieur.
- Thai takeout in Lisbon is very good. So good that I had it twice. I generally think that Canada has some of the best asian food in the world, and that Europe isn't as good at doing asian food, but Thai cuisine is an exception. The Thai experiences I've had in London, Paris, and Lisbon are testament to that.
- Travesseiro in Sintra was an eye-opening experience. Besides Pastel de Nata, pastries in Portugal seem simple and unpretentious compared to French pastry. They emphasize the use of nuts, particularly Almonds, to make a variety of delicate sweets.
- Croquettes are a big deal in this part of the world. The variety you can choose from makes for an interesting experience. Worth trying for sure!
- McDonald's in Lisbon is decidedly worse than in Canada. Abhinav tells me McD's in India is pretty crazy though so I'll have to try that at some point.
I used an electric scooter for the second time in my life, there are like 5 different brands competing in Lisbon which has helped drive prices to reasonable levels. Scooters would be a frequent mode of transportation for us in both Lisbon and Madrid.
The Belem area was exactly as advertised; a great mix of touristy and local vibes, all the major attractions are within walking distance.
The Castle of Sao Jorge on the top of the hill is another must visit. Go a couple hours before sunset to explore the grounds and finish with a sunset view of the city.
Party life is on point in Lisbon. Pretty much any night of the week you can catch something crazy going on at Pink Street and the Bairro Alto neighborhood. Things start getting crazy around midnight and last until early morning.
Visit the museum of Calouste for some amazing archaeological artifacts. The garden behind the museum is the perfect place to read a book or just sit and daydream.
We visited Sintra one day, and quickly found out that we could have dedicated at least a week just for the region. It was beautiful and authentic and the garden estate is an underrated attraction. It's worth visiting the tourist center for some pointers!

Oct 20th 2021, Madrid - Spain

Madrid had so many good food options it was honestly hard to pick what to prioritize. I'm glad we got to try the following:
- Churros con Chocolate; way better than the version that's dusted in cinnamon and sugar. It's such a fun eating experience and hits all the right spots when it's a bit chilly outside.
- Tortilla; simple ingredients coming together to become greater than the sum of its parts. That's tortilla.
- Paella; sure it wasn't from Valencia, but the Paella in Madrid already blew my mind enough. One bite and I knew it's in my top 3 favorite mixed rice dishes of all time.
- Tacos; I had heard a lot about mexican and tex-mex style tacos but the Spanish version is also something to note. Also the decision of corn vs flour tortilla is a lot less trivial than I thought.
- Iberco Ham; Of all the charcuterie I've tried Iberco ham is far and away my favorite. It has this flavor that's like a procuitto and chinese lap cheung hybrid. It's fatty and savory and genuinely one of the best things I had the pleasure of eating on this excursion.
- Sangria; I'm currently obsessed wth tea and beer but one day I'll get bored and move onto something else. Probably coffee and cocktails. Learning how to make sangria was both fun and delicious.
- We also had Five Guys and it tasted just like Five Guys at any other part of the world, which is to say very good. Did you know 5 guys were actually in reference to the 5 brothers (and one father) that built the company?
People here are so nice! Like Scandinavian-countries level nice. In Lisbon too, everyone seems happy to help you and hear you out. The tourist center at the square gave us some valuable insight for the best places to visit during our stay.
Mercado de San Miguel is a place I would really like to spend more time at. I had never seen a market that managed to integrate the idea of tapas and make it the center of the eating experience.
We visited a huge Primark and I was reminded of why I love this clothing company so much. Simple european fashion done well and at low prices.
The archeology museum of Madrid is a notable attraction. It's arranged like a walk through the timeline of human history. Entry was free when I visited, but unfortunately the top floors were closed.
Museo Nacional del Prado was indeed an enormous museum and art gallery. I think we only covered 25% of all the exhibitions in a few hours.
The garden in Retiro is absolutely beautiful and a must visit on a beautiful day. Go to the pond in the middle of the park and see the small palace. Be sure to bring a loved one!
Templo de Debod and the Royal Palace are ideal targets for a day trip.

Aug 10th 2022, New York - USA

We hit the road-trip at about 10pm, taking several stops to recharge the Tesla, take breaks, and switch drivers.
Day 1
- We made a pit stop at Dunkin' and got iced coffee and way too many breakfast sandwiches. We arrived in Manhattan at around noon or so.
- After a much-needed shower and nap, we visited Joe's pizza for a couple pies (some of the best pizza in NY but massively overpriced) and went to a rehearsal studio near Times square to meet up with the band.
Day 2
- Slept in to catch up on two nights worth of sleep, woke up and headed straight to Levain Bakery for some brioche and an insane chocolate chip and walnut cookie.
- I met with Kevin at the Museum of Natural History and made the rounds. Visited the featured shark exhibition. Had oysters and fish for dinner at Crave Fishbar and dessert at a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
- We took the subway back to Kevin's place near Times Square and met up with Abhinav before making our way down to Littlefield in Brooklyn for the show.
- Had drinks after the show nearby and late night snacks at plan b in Koreatown.
Day 3
- Slept in again, packed and dropped off our bags at Shoreham. Had the best oat latte of my life and a decent almond croissant from Blue Bottle Coffee.
- Met with Jasmine and roamed around Soho and Chinatown, snacking on rice pudding, Liang Pi, Hand pulled noodles, Xiao Long Bao, and other goodies.
- Met with Tonie and his girlfriend for Chinese family style dinner at Congee Village, had some addictive spicy salt and pepper clams. Ended the night with some fantastic Ube ice cream at Smoove
Day 4
- Woke up and got a Hojicha latte from Blue Bottle (these guys don't miss). Met with Jasmine for lunch at Gupshup, had the most insane morrel mushroom dish I've ever had, and a very interesting spicy mango lassi with green chilli
- Dropped by the world's Flagship Uniqlo on 5th Ave, the Starbucks reserve at Chelsea, and Chelsea market for some great Halva and oat milk ice cream, Japanese-style tacos, and an assortment of baos. We walked the Highline to the Vessel and ended the night at the Ice Cube Apple store.
- Started the morning with Dunkin Iced coffee, a 6 pack of donuts, Birria tacos from a food truck nearby, and gyro and Shawarma from the original Halal guys food cart. We reached the MoMa before it got too hot outside.
- That same day we had oysters and shrimp cocktail, fried brie with honey mustard, avocado spaghetti, ice cream cookies, giant cream puffs, and a slice of pizza that same day. I don't know how I didn't gain weight.
Day 5
- We had Levain bakery cookies, baguette with jam and butter, and a slice of coffee cake before walking through central park and heading over to the MET.
- For dinner we had omakase at Tanoshi Sushi and Sake bar. It was 13 courses an my favorite nigiri was the salmon with torched yuzu miso. The scallop with tuna was a close second. It was byob and we brought a bottle of white wine. For dessert we had Van Leeuwen ice cream.
Day 6
- Woke up, caught up on some work, and met with Jasmine for lunch at Shake Shack. I had a double Shack Burger with cheese fries and an Oreo shake. We took a stroll through Bryant park and stopped to listen to the ragtime pianist. We dropped by the NY Public Library and saw some really cool manuscripts.
- Ramy and I headed to Newark airport very early, and were lucky to get our flights bumped to an earlier time. We flew back to Toronto and were settled in back home by 10.
I still think about the food I had.