SpicyTravel

Vancouver Walk and Eat – 2026

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment

Vancouver Walk – compass card loaded. Shoes shined.  Eat – restaurant list compiled (thank you Reddit friends).  Carry-on bag, prepped.  I’ve used the same bag for at least twenty flights, no problem. We are all ready to go.

And then … What?  Uber reservation for 9:30 pm, not am. Oh no, luckily a very chatty dude was in the area. Airport, sir. Arrival. Let’s use the Verified Traveller Lane. I love the quickness. What the machine is broken? Take bags off. Move to another machine. Ten minutes turns into half an hour. No worries. I’m early. Ready to board the plane. What? Check my bag. No way. I knew I shouldn’t have flown Scare Canada. Don’t get poopy, Sir, you can take it on the plane. We land, I’m out the door, downtown in forty minutes. Man, I love this town. All systems go.

The apartment – built in 1912, old but tons of character – is in Mount Pleasant, a five-minute walk to the train and the False Creek path. Perfect location. Our first reservation was for Miku Sushi, right on the water and close to Waterfront Station. However, a very welcome family gathering,  so we go to Cardero’s instead – fresh Fanny Bay Oysters, Moule et frites and twenty-four-dollar glasses of Mission Hill Reserve Chardonnay. The food was expensive but very yummy and the harbour view is almost worth the price.  However, me and the boy were still hungry walking out the door.

So snacks before bed, off to  Como Taperia – anchovy stuffed olives, Patatas Bravas, sardines, bread, Truffle Manchego and Ibérico Salchichón and a small glass of Rioja. The atmosphere is great – bustling, shiny happy people. But the meat and cheese – over twenty bucks and it was barely a sample. The Bravas were too crispy for me. The sardines come in a tin, ok I suppose. The meal was just over 100 bucks. Ummm not too sure, but the location and the people are great.

The next day, a walk to Granville Island for an excellent bagel with lox and cream cheese – a whopping 35 bucks for two. We make reservations for Sushi Hil. Back on Main, we order the Nigiri Set and the Chirashi Set. The sushi is a life altering experience, the tuna on egg literally melted in my mouth and the fresh water unagi and aburi hotate were heavenly. I wish I could remember the rest, but I was in such ecstasy my mouth and brain were swirling in happiness – 130 bucks for two, plus a million-dollar tip.

The boy was a bit under the weather and in need of spicy noodles, so off to Peaceful Restaurant after a walk along the Arbutus Greenway – who knew it was here? And a quick stop at Duer, purchasing the greatest pants ever. We ordered the Dan Dan noodles, very peanutty, the spicy green beans (finally some green shit) and spicy Szechuan noodles. Excellent, our second time here. Never fails. I don’t know the cost. The boy paid and refuses to tell me.

Our final outing was to Chinatown, a Vancouver must, so off to Chinatown BBQ. We arrived just in time. Lineup. The place is a very small diner style restaurant. We ordered the Crispy Pork (amazing!), duck, Gai Lan with roasted garlic oil (thankfully more green shit) and pork fried rice. All very good – 100 bucks all in. I wasn’t impressed with the duck until the next day. We had tons of leftovers, so we ate them in the airport waiting for our flights. Cold duck, who would’ve known.

Another very successful trip the to coast.  Walk over 94k steps in three days. Eat – belly full and happy. I find it amazing to leave my house at 9:30 am and by 1pm, I have a bowl of west coast noodles in front of me –  energy needed for the uphill climb with a rolly in tow.

Playa del Carmen

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment
Beach Travel

Playa del Carmen beach

Travel. Playa del Carmen is NOT what we expected – a total tourist trap. We thought, a small beach community with dirt roads. Sure, maybe a hundred years ago. People yelling buy this, buy that. High end stores – H & M, Sephora. 5A Avenue North (main drag) is like a giant shopping mall.  So many drunk people.  Masses swerving down the streets, drinks in-hand.  Disrespecting culture. What a shit show. I’m so glad we did Mexico City first.  We are not comfortable with this type of travel – all-inclusive resorts and drunken tourists. Spanish not required.  I don’t know what to say, except done that.

We had a very long travel day. I didn’t think it’d take a whole day to get from Mexico City to Playa del Carmen, but there you have it. I was concerned about travel from the Cancun airport to Playa. Originally, I figured a hundred yankee dollars each way, but our friend said take the ADO bus. Holy Hanna, 270 pesos (20 bucks CDN) per person.

After we fought through the massive crowds down 5A Avenida Norte (Quinta Avenida), we finally found our hotel and dropped our bags. Let’s eat. We found a nice Mexican place on the strip (Porfirios) and had flutes, guacamole, roasted veggies (amazing), enchiladas and ribeye tacos with beers and margaritas. Not bad. Open air but overpriced (162 CDN) and very noisy. But man, I was so hungry, I would’ve eaten alligator tacos.

Back at the hotel, a very nice evening hanging out on the balcony sipping Mexican beer (I do love the beer) and wine (Mexican Chardonnay  – who knew and not bad) with a warm breeze flowing down the street. Not a minus 14 snowstorm. I went across the street to buy beer at the 7-11, just because I could. Not great beer, but convenience store brews not permitted in my homeland.

The next day, we found the beach and walked through the waves. Beach not our scene, but the sand and salt felt nice.  We went out for lunch at Lido’s – hummus, pita, rib eye tacos, salad, grilled shrimp with beers and palomas (115 CDN). I can eat tacos every day (in fact I did). Lunch on average, is about  a hundred bucks for guacamole, tacos, enchiladas and beers and palomas. Kinda pricey.

We found some cool places (thanks to some friends) and Playa del Carmen is not the massive shit show I originally thought. Just get off the shit show (Quinta Avenida). Found some ruins. Found a great place to eat- El Pechugon Rosticerias – roasted chicken and potatoes (about 15 CDN). Safeway chicken this is not. Found a great food place – Chedraui (a tad expensive), but excellent groceries.

I also found a very good running route down the bike path (10th Ave) to the ruins and take the beach back.  Plus, you could swim and kayak here as well. Our friend bought a bike, and he zips around town easily – many bike paths / lanes here, so very practical. So many activities to engage in. Would I come stay here for a month? Yes indeed. But no longer.

Overall Mexico was brilliant. However I do have concerns.  The only people who live in Playa del Carmen are tourists or those who want to make money off tourists. Fine. CDMX is a different story. Many Mexicans would love to live in La Condesa, but they cannot afford it. I was never confronted by this atrocity, but it’s in the back of my mind. Still, I love the people, the food and the place and I’m so glad the United States is shut down. Hasta la vista yankee vacation.

More Mexico City Travel

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment
A travel must - many vendors with Artisan wears and the people are amazing.

Coyoacan Market

Travel. I’m walking along a thin metal fence made from flimsy metal you’d contain a small pet, a chicken perhaps. I walk until I find a hole in the barrier.  My senses are telling me to go. I put one foot in the new territory. Then I duck and put my head through and finally, my other foot. Heads up. Something beautiful whooshes over me.  My eyes move behind me, over the hindrance.  I smile and move on.

Day five. We head out and take an Uber to the Coyoacán Market, a very large market with very talented artists.  The plan was to include the Frida House, but it was sold out. You need to purchase tickets beforehand (see link above).   We buy some some Mexican silver for dirt cheap. Mucho market personas. It is the weekend, but totally safe and the people are so, friendly, helpful and very patient.

We go for lunch at La Casa de Los Taco. Google buddy said it was the best taco ever. Well, I wouldn’t go that far. They were good – chicken, steak and pork with pineapple (the best of the lot), guacamole and chips to start. Another beer – safer than the water (I am so going with that). Tacos everyday, please.

The next day,  we leave the condo, just after 11 ( another  brutal altitude run – maybe it’s the taco fuel – but they close Paseo de la Reforma on Sundays for runners, walkers and cyclists). The plan was to visit The Museo de Arte Moderno, a museum with Fredia works, but cerrado due to a lack of security personnel. We walk over to the National Museum of History – free because we are over sixty. We only last an hour and move on – too many people and very hot outside. I shoulda worn shorts, but I didn’t want to look like a tourist.

From the museum, we move on to the Cityzen rooftop bar. 38 floors up with a panoramic city view (holy cow Mexico City is spread out). We ordered a paloma, mezcal cocktail, some water and a beer (95 bucks – si Gringo – not cheap, but I can see for miles and miles …).  We find a taco place on the way home – chicken and rib eye tacos for me,  a burrito for my travel mate and two beers.  40 bucks – not too bad.

The following day, we leave the condo around 10 and walk over to La Cuidadela Market, but of course I get lost and what should’ve been a 25-minute walk turned into an hour plus (I can’t get my travel bearings here – is it an age thing?). We finally get to the market. Many artisan shops, but souvenirs tambien and a ten peso bathroom.

We take an Uber back to our Mexico City Condo. No way I was going to risk getting lost again. We went for lunch at Fonda del Recuerdo on Calle Lerma (quite the street for food). I started with a gordita stuffed with black beans and then had arrachea again (marinated flank steak – so, so good) with a cheese stuffed poblano pepper.  The food here is sooo good.

Tomorrow we travel to Playa del Carmen for a needed rest.  Mexico City is amazing, but mucho walking. Fine by me. It’ll be sad to leave. I have nothing but the best memories. I’m already planning our travel itinerary for next year.

Mexico City Travel

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment
Museum Anthropology, Mexico City

Museum Anthropology, Mexico City

Travel. I can’t find my car. A man is cleaning the garage. I ask him where the car rental office is. He stops, puts both hands on the top of his mop, one over the other like a hockey goalie. He can’t understand me. I don’t know the word for rental. I wanna say autobus, but it’s not the right word.

What an excellent first trip to Mexico City.  A very late arrival – 12:30am. I have worries. New City. Language. Late at night (darkness is not my old friend). However, so easy peasy. Off the plane with only carry-on (the only way to go) and through customs in 20 minutes max. Took longer to figure out the passport machine.

I read online to use the taxi stands inside the terminal. More expensive than Uber, but I have no idea where we are going and I am not an Uber expert (yet). And there they are in gleaming taxi pink. You pay up front. 700 pesos later and we are in a taxi. I also google mapped the accommodation, so I knew what it looked like from the street. Thirty minutes later, we are in our La Condesa condo (late at night and no traffic). Easy, peasy, nice and easy. Total time – less than an hour after exiting the plane. Whooohooo.

With the late arrival, we just stuck to the hood for our first day. I feel very safe in Mexico City. I don’t know what I was thinking. Just keep your head up and don’t be stupid.  Our location is great. Quiet. Many restaurants, trees, coffee shops and an expensive organic food mart right around the corner (best pineapple ever – no Walmart, ever).  Found some wine and tacos (separate – dude in the cart had no wine – WTF?). We saw a giant madre statue and walked down endless streets. Many holes in the sidewalks. Careful where you walks.

The next day, we walked over to Chapultepec Park (about 2 clicks from the condo). Once we got there, our intention was the Museum of Anthropology, but we arrived late. I don’t do line-ups. Tomorrow, we will go early (hopefully no line up). We walked across the street and went to the zoo instead – Lobo Canadien, Bison, snow leopards and many other critters. The zoo is free, but you pay for all extras – 6 pesos for the toilet (remember – carry toilet pesos) and 200 for other specialty exhibitions.

On the way home, we stopped for an excellent lunch where I had a tortas – a traditional Mexican sandwich with telera (baguette like bread) filled with arrachera (beef flank steak), chorizo, mayo, cheese and chimichurri. Sandwich dreams made.

The next day, off to the Museum of Anthropology – amazing. I can’t believe the number of artifacts they have and some massive pieces. Pictures and bones and a replica of a burial site. I love the way it’s regionally organized – Maya, the Negra house, Mexica, Gulf coast, Oaxaca, Teotihuacan and the Baja. Each area has its own art and traditions.  We stayed for about three hours until my stomach started dreaming of another tortas.

The next day off to Centro Historical to see Polanco and the Catholic Basilia.  Uber – the only way to local travel. The Metropolitan Church was amazing like walking into a religious work of art, which it is. We strolled around the area – holy shit I have never seen so many people in one place with so many hands reaching out asking for a purchase (lo siento works very well). Very busy spot.

Then lunch at Azul a restaurant sitting in a gorgeous indoor garden. I ordered a Colimita – a Mexican lager from Guadalajara.  My travel companion had a lime mezcal-rita rimmed with salt and smoky paprika.  Then we had guacamole with hand made tortilla chips – dip nothing new, but the chips, holy Hanna. For my main, I had Pescado Tikin Xic – snooker fish with avocado and plantain and a beautiful sauce. So deee-lish.  My travel mate had the chicken enchilada with mole – and man the flavour layers in the sauce were heavenly.

I can’t believe how amazing Mexico  City is. People have said, but you never know until you get here – the food, the sites and the people. No more Arizona for these travellers. We’ve found our new winter vacation spot. How amazing are the people? They just laughed at my horrible Spanish, but as one dude said, at least you’re trying. Try that in France. Or Arizona.

 

Vancouver Walk and Eat – 2025

/ dereid99 / 1 Comment

So many things to like about Vancouver (unless you need to buy a house) – the transportation, the food and the ability to walk everywhere. Let’s get to them all.

First the transportation. Before I left, I registered my Compass Card (leftover from my last visit) and added some funds. Note: when you leave the airport, just tap the card. I bought a ticket from the machine with my card – 9.85. On the way back I tapped in from downtown and airport out – cost 3.85, the two zone fare (not totally sure why). Get the transit card, so convenient for all your travels. And if you need a car, check out EVO – they are everywhere.  However, we also walked, walked and walked (over 38k steps one day – a new personal record) in the pouring rain. Yea to the Gortex shoes and jacket.

Next the food. Oh my goodness, so good. Our first meal was in Gastown at GUU, just down from Waterfront station. We started with the Takowasa – marinated octopus and wasabi – served w/ 6 pieces of roasted seaweed – a very small portion but the wasabi didn’t peel the insides of my nostrils so that’s good. Next, we had the Salmon With Seven Friends – diced wild sockeye salmon w/ natto (fermented soy beans), pickled cucumber, pickled daikon, garlic chips, crispy wonton, green onion, fresh egg yolk, “otokomae” and roasted seaweed.  Just mix and wrap in seaweed strips, yummy. We finished with Grilled Salmon Bento Box with a daily side dish, rice, and miso soup. We ordered an extra miso so we wouldn’t start throwing punches. The grilled salmon was huge and coming from the prairies I need all the salmon I can get. With tip, we walked out paying a reasonable 50 bucks for two people. Gotta love the price.

We were going to see a movie, so a quick stop in Chinatown and Bao Bei.  We arrived a little early and it was already lined up. Luckily, we were number one (stink-eyeing any line butting persons), rewarded with a nice high top near the door (twenty minutes later, the place was packed). We started with the Bean Curd – amazing. Then on to the Beef Tartre – more amazing – then the Kick Ass Fried Rice, Steamed Prawn, Scallop and Chive Dumplings all amazing, amazing. We didn’t try any of the cocktails (sober trip), but we were close to the bar, and they looked fun. Ok, I’ve used the “amazing” adjective a lot, but it was. All in for two of us – 165. A bit pricey but well worth the experience.

Ok, it’s Vancouver and one must do sushi. I live on the prairies where fresh seafood is about as common as a Liberal vote. We went to a Yaletown spot called Oshi Nori . A small cozy spot with only a sushi bar. We had Truffle Edamame (I’ll eat anything with truffle) and all the Toro and Salmon Nigiri on the menu . We also sampled the 5 Roll Basic Set (served taco style – wrapped in seaweed). A nasty scene as we wrestled for the last piece (even numbers, please).  125, for two hungry lads. Pricey, but a very happy tummy indeed.

The biggest food trip take away –  from my house on the other side of the Rockies, I was in  downtown Vancouver eating sushi in two and a half hours. Mind boggling. I’m already planning my next walk ‘n eat  journey with my amazing travelling companion who has an excellent nose where to go.

Canmore Walk and Eat

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment

Ok, so we left early afternoon and walked into town with happy hour feet. First, Murietta’s, our one-time favourite spot.  However – rejection. The happy hour beer was flat and dull with an equal nastiness for the three-dip appetizer we ordered.  The intention was pita bread, but it was nothing more than a limp mass of dough. Our pleasant server brought a glass of Rose, but how long was it sitting on the shelf?  Roman times? They did bring another glass of wine not on the happy hour menu and only charged the happy hour price. And the view? Our whole intention of going to the place. Clean the streaking, dirty windows please. I was afraid of this. Ruined. The place has gone downhill. However, we will always have the first time we went there (cost 24 bucks).

After major disappointment, we went to The Wood at the end of Main Street. While it doesn’t have Murietta’s gorgeous view, it still offers great mountain scenery. We had a Sheep Dog IPA (local and very tasty) and a Riesling. We also shared the enjoyable Tuna Stack – avocado, mango, tuna, sprouts, cilantro, and deep-fried wonton for spreading (cost 46 bucks).

Then we walked down to the Malcom Hotel and went for a drink at the Stirling (nice digs – lots of wood and very shiny new). Half price wine Wednesday. Ok, me likey this. We ordered a Chablis off the featured wine list (only half price from here), but they ran out. The accommodating manager said, order anything we’ll do half price. Ok, another bottle of yummy Chablis. I should’ve tasted the food, but I wasn’t all that hungry after the earlier beer and food. We will come back for the Wednesday wine (cost-54 bucks).

The night before we went out for dinner to a place literally across the street from our condo – Bridgette bar. I had a couple of “Blindman” porters (and a local charming cider – Marty McDry). Not too shabby for a beer near Deadmonton (Lacombe). We shared some eggplant fries (very good) and the salami pizza. I loved the crust – firewood oven baked with an amazing  drizzle of honey. The meat not so – a bit greasy (but I gotta say I’m not one for meat on my pizza).  I also had the Roasted Octopus salad. Not what I expected – the mollusk swimming (literally) in a very vinegary laden dressing with thinly sliced cucumber on top. I wouldn’t order again. I would, however, love to try the elk carpaccio. And the place was hopping for a Tuesday night. Good libations and I’d love to go back and try other items off a very interesting menu (cost – 97 bucks).

All in all, the total cost of an excellent night out, just walking around and doing happy hours – 125 bucks.  Another hundred bucks the night before. Not too shabby for two nights out. Another motive for our stay was – can I park my car and just walk? The answer an emphatic yes. The car didn’t move for two days. We got up and went for some very nice walks around town with the Three Sisters forever in our sight. A new haunt, for sure.

Oh strange food

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment

Food, Food, Fooood, wonderful food, wonderful food. Food. Food. Food. I love food. Making food. Ordering food. Going out for food. I don’t care how it comes. I’ve even had dreams about food like the time I was chased by a giant purple lobster. As a result, I am not afraid of food. I’ve had many strange experiences with food. But I’ve never spat out anything – how rude.

A while back, I was working for the Cosmo-Demonic-Telecommunication company when they sent me on a trip to Thailand. When you travel to Asian countries on business, the company hires a guide to show you around town. The first night we went out and had traditional Thai food. I can’t remember everything we ate, but I do remember rice cooked in pineapple and giant lobsters without claws. I also learnt that Thais do not use chopsticks.  I’m not sure why, but the next time you order Pad Thai … 

However, the next night, the guide asked if we wanted to try some more dangerous food. I was travelling in a group with five or six other dudes. When we got to the restaurant, the first thing I saw was a giant snake dangling from a hook. An employee was running a knife down its belly, guts slopping on the floor. But not to waste, he gathered the innards and threw them in a pail. Ok, this looks promising (not).

Inside, we gathered around a table. Menus, of course were useless. I’m not sure if they were written in Thai or Chinese. The restaurant was the latter, I think. The guide ordered for the table. We had ant eggs – giant white pill looking objects. Then we had snake (not sure if it was hanging buddy downstairs).  Not too bad – tasted like dry pork ribs. However, the weird thing was the wine glass of blood brought to the table. The guide got angry when the waiter brought the drink, but we said don’t worry. Down the hatch. Warm and thick like a metallic milk shake. Apparently good for men. I felt my bicep increase. The food wasn’t too bad, but I don’t think I’d eat it daily and I don’t think the locals did. 

My next interesting delicacy was in New Zealand. We were invited on to the Marae (a meeting place for social and religious celebrations), a great privilege. Every day, behind the meeting house, We had a wonderful “happy” hour. We were talking and drinking excellent wine when this dude brings out these spiny looking creatures, cuts one open and the guts fall in his hand. He threw it down his gullet as though he were kicking off a jandle at the front door.  Sea urchin or Tuhinga o mua in Māori.  He looked at me, you want some, brother? I sure do. It tasted like swallowing a giant hoark left over from a bad cold. But I’d defiantly do it again. Yep, I’d eat just about anything. Once. Scorpion pizza. Sheep eye-ball soup. However, my only rule is it can’t be moving. Dipping my spoon into a bowl of crawling baby snakes, just isn’t my cup of tea. 

Ok, I gotta run upstairs and cook some grub. I’m thinking pineapple pork ribs, rice and cucumber.

Arizona – the good, the bad and the ugly

/ dereid99 / Leave a comment

A fantastic trip to the land of Saguaro (suh–gwahr-oh – a pronunciation botched so many times –  I’m flushed as I write), dynamic red rock parks and canyons. The most important question to judge a successful vacation  is  – would you go back? The answer is a very emphatic yes. I’m counting the days (pennies first) until I gloriously return.

Now the review. The good – the climate was amazing (we came back to -30, so in hindsight it was bloody tropical) although it was cool in the morning by afternoon it was time to  slip on the shorts and flip flops only to replace them when the sun went down with a sweater and pants (still didn’t stop people from using a hot tub). The Phoenix area was awesome,  especially the free hiking (suh–gwahr-oh national park in Tucson charges twenty-five bucks to hike and the state parks charge seven). So many trails in great condition although a bit rocky and busy (do not go on weekends). But most importantly – the people were fantastic. Everyone we met was so nice and friendly, you’d think you were in Canada. We soon found out nobody is from Arizona – met a dude from Bellingham and another person from Billings and many from Minnesota.

The bad.  It was much more expensive than I remember (except gas). Wine prices were the same as in Canada  but in American dollars. A nice bottle of La Crema from California was twenty bucks at Trevor’s (I bow to your greatness wonderful wine store mecca). It’s the same price here but thirty percent more expensive in the Canyon State. Food wasn’t cheap either. We didn’t go out for any evening meals, but lunch was a consistent one hundred US although we did have drinks with every meal. One luxury dining experience was at a wonderful  cocktail bar called Parlay where the bill was well over a hundred US. However,  I got many excellent drink ideas and I’ve never had a mezcal cocktail (ok more than “a” cocktail – it was happy hour after all). But even going to Safeway and grabbing a few food items like chicken wings (they were massive) eggs, bread, coffee and greens was fifty or sixty bucks US  (ok and maybe wine and beer a few times). I just remember the States as food and booze cheap, but not anymore, I guess.

The ugly.   Some of the highways were very dirty, especially the Interstates (I learnt to stay off them). Garbage everywhere. Another ugly – it was so hard to recycle. Accommodations had no recycling bins. Not in the rooms, or outside with the garbage containers. I saw one recycling bin in Sedona but if we hadn’t stumbled on it, our many dead soldiers would’ve been lost on the battlefield. We also had car rental issues (holy extra charges Batman) and at one AirBnB, if I heard the “five star stay” one more time, I was going to puke – property developers (the same group wanted me to copy and paste a review they prepared, really!). But developers are everywhere like blood sucking mosquitos.

The state is wonderful from the red rocks of Sedona (the  brightest stars ever) to the desert of Tucson and the rugged parks of Phoenix. However,  next time we will  drive our own car and fill it with cheap gas.