Ho Chi Minh City..

While I am writing these lines about Saigon I have already another trip behind..I was in Belgrade and in Nis last week and I wanted to write something while I was there about my trip to Vietnam but to be honest I am such a lazy bum when it comes to writting my blog that no one gives a effin' shit about so I am doing this at work now..what an example of a white collar worker huh?

Sooo I was in Saigon a.k.a. Ho Chi Minh City last month and it was a very pleasant surprise after visiting th chaotic Jakarta. I took a flight with Vietnam Airlines, which was quite good. The flight itself lasted like 3 hours. After landing we had to go to passport control. Those countries who require a visa can get one at the airport where you have to fill out a form and get your picture taken. However, people get a bit unease seeing the military officials at the counter but everybody's friendly and in a matter of minutes I was sitting in a taxi on my way to the Rex Hotel, where I had booked a stay for 2 nights. The hotel was perfectly located in the city center and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I was picked up by our sales staff at the hotel and we took a small city tour. Very friendly guys who took me to a german beerhouse. I have no idea what its name was but there were pictures of many celebrities like Bill Clinton on the wall who enjoyed a beer at the same spot. 

Food was great too.

The only thing that bugged me about Ho Chi Minh City was the weather..it was really humid and hot. I was out for two hours and soaking wet when I got back to the hotel. There are some beautiful examples of arquitechture going back to the French era. I had only two days there but I would love to spend more time in this city. It is worth a visit.

Jakarta...traffic, traffic, traffic..oh yes...and traffic..

Well, what can I say about Jakarta? I had the luck to spend three nights in Jakarta last month and I must say I wish the good people of Indonesia all the best and a lot of patience but most of all..mental health! I mean who can explain me why there are not thousands of roadkills, people going bezerk, furious madness in the streets of Jakarta? I swear to God, I needed one and a half hour just to leave the airport parking area because of the chaotic car situation..it took me 2 1/2 hours to get to the hotel..luckily I was picked up by our partner there but I really felt sorry for the poor guy. He said he was used to it but how can you get used to such a nightmare?  Anyways, I had a reservation at the Double Tree Hilton, which turned out to be a splendid hotel. Service was top notch. Breakfast was great and the rooms were always tidy. The only minus point I could mention was the difficulty to find the entrance of the hotel. It was hidden in a side alley and a bit complicated for taxi drivers to find it. My customer took me to dinner in a fish restaurant and the food was extraordinary. I am not a big fish-fan (neither the band nor the food :-)) but the shrimps, different dishes in sauce they were all delicious.
I knew about the whole massage culture in Indonesia but I wasn't really comfortable because I didn't want to end up in happy-end massage parlour when my customer suggested to have a massage. But to my surprise the massage center was in a modern shopping mall and it was quite cheap. One hour massage for 25 USD was acceptable and the massage was very relaxing. And no happy ending by the way. It was a very clean and professional place so my worries were needless.
I have to say that I was disillusioned with Jakarta. There wasn't much to see. Tall buildings, shopping malls and crowded streets. But the food was great. So I caught my next plane to Ho Chi Minh-City curious to see what Vietnam was like.

new challenges

Well, as part of your job as an export sales manager is to engange in new challenges whenever they're offered to you in different parts of the world. When I started this profession I was mainly responsible for Europe due to my knowledge of German, English and Spanish. But in time things change and when I took a new challenge in a different company I was assigned to cover countries such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Usbekistan and India, which was a wonderful experience because I had never been to those places and being a sucker for different cultures I was thrilled to see what the deal was in those countries. Of course the most exciting part of these travels is, besides getting the know the people, tasting different cuisines. When I was in Kazakhstan I was privileged to enjoy mutton, horse meat and plov dishes. In India I went to Delhi, Mumbai and Goa..all different parts but with culinary master pieces. I must admit that I have a weakness for Indian food. Just love it. All the spices and herbs. In Goa you can eat a Kingfish that you wouldn't regret.
So, recently I was told by the management that I needed to change my region because one of our colleagues had split and they needed someone experienced to take over. It is up to me now to cover our network of dealers located in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore etc.
Needless to say that I am looking forward to visit those places..my next trip will be to Vietnam..talk to you later with more interesting stories..

 Stay safe everybody!

a quick flashback..

During the past months I was quite busy travelling both for business and pleasure..here's a quick glance at the cities that I visited and what I liked the most about them. I've been to London, Barcelona, Skopje, Zagreb, Belgrad, Chicago and Hannover. I mean they are nice cities but I must say that London has a special place as it is a really beautiful city. Me and my wife we had limited time; only three days but we tried to see as much as possible. We stayed at the Cleveland in Westminster and the hotel was quite nice. Good value. Totally recomendable and the staff was really friendly. As London taxis can be very expensive we took the bus from Stansted Airport to Oxford Street and from there with a cab for 8-9 pounds to the hotel, which was okay. We saw a lot of nice things but I must say I was impressed the most with the British Museum. It was huge and mostly for free. After that I had a business trip to the Balkan, where I started with Zagreb. The weather was perfect and Zagreb is one of the nicest cities in the Balkan region. I visited our dealer there and they are one of the nicest guys, who took good care of me..feeding me Croatian food..however, the clumsy guy I am, I almost started a mini Balcan conflict..there was some statue of Nikola Tesla in a plaza in Zagreb and the Croats claim that he was from Croatia as he was born in Smiljan, which today lies in Croatia..back then it was part of the Austrian Empire..anyways, I wondered why Croats where claiming him for themselves when the rest of the world claims that he was from Serbia..boy, wrong question asked and immediately the guys started to counter-argue that the Serbs are idiots etc. In order to drop the tension I said..''c'mon guys..of course he's Croatian..I was just teasing you..'' anyways, my friends are really cool so it was all fine and they bought me a nice necktie in a traditional shop that was selling only neckties.., which was invented by the way in Croatia and adopted by the French calling it 'cravate'..in German we also call it 'Krawatte'..

From Zagreb I made my way to Belgrade and the weather was so stormy that night that I literally pissed in my pants as there were lightnings all over the city while I was in the air praying to whatever God was available to land me safely. I took a taxi from Nikola Tesla airport and check in at the Hotel Moskva, which is a splendid hotel. It is a bit expensive compared to other four star hotels in Belgrade but is a hotel that surely has some history and the rooms are nicely decorated. I won't go into further details as I have written about Belgrade before but I suggest you visit the Bohemian quarter which is called Skadarlija as it is absolutely worth to visit with its cool bars and cafes. After Serbia I visited Skopje and the week after we went on a family trip to Barcelona. Actually it was a bit outside of Barcelona, a small village called Santa Susana. We stayed at the Aquahotel 4 nights which had two swimming pools and a short walking distance to the beach. Me and my wife did not like it much there but our daugther was totally happy. She didn't get out of the pool the whole day and whatever makes her happy makes us happy too..the train ride takes like 1 1/2 hours from Barcelona Sants to Santa Susanna. Back in Barcelona we took a hotel in Diagonal Mar called Barcelona Diagonal Cero..it is a nice hotel with nice rooms. I have nothing bad to say about it. So it was quite busy but we are not finished yet..I will be travelling to Jakarta in September and I'm really excited about that. Stay safe everybody..!

Shootings, tornados and heavy rainfalls..what a lovely stay in Chicago!

Last week I had the pleasure to stay a week in Windy City where the weather was playing crazy during my sojourn. I mean, one day it was terribly hot and the other day it was raining and in between there were like the worst tornados in the last decade. But first things first..you know I've been around the world but there is always a moment where you get into situations that would require a normal display of intelligence but you're unable to react because you have a mental blackout.  Well, I had such a moment when I left O'Hare airport and I dont know whether it was the humidity or something else but I said 'yes' to a first guy who was waiting for victims at the exit, asking me whether we would need a taxi. I was travelling with a colleague so at least I can say I was not alone in my temporary madness because we got ripped off so bad by this Indian guy it was unbelievable. He charged us like 160 USD to our hotel, which normally costs like 50 USD so imagine the surprise when we asked the receptionist at the hotel what a taxi would normally charge..I still can't believe how I made that stupid mistake; it was definitely a moment of mental interruption. So people, try to avoid any dubious Indian guy asking you whether you would need a taxi. Always ask for a taximeter. That bastard..if I should ever go there again I will look for that guy and give him such an ass-kick he can't forget..
I stayed at the Chicago Essex Inn, which claimed to be a three star hotel. So it was a pretty mediocre hotel, with a swimming pool. I mean, the room was clean but it is an old hotel that surely needs some renovation. It had a good location for me as it was not far away from the McCormic Centre but other than that the hotel didn't have much to offer. You should avoid it if you can. There are certainly better accomodations.
The first day was a day off so me and my colleague we took advantage and tried to see as many sightseeings as possible. We went to the Willis Tower a.k.a Sears Tower and it was quite impressive. But after 10 minutes they told us that a storm was coming and that we had to clear the area. Wtf? you pay 20 USD to get up but it turned out to be the worst weather in the last decade as the south of Chicago area was hit by 9 tornados. So we went back to the hotel after our failed attempt to stroll through the city and we ate at the hotel restaurant. Food was okay.
Next morning I was watching the local news on TV and it was filled with shoot-outs, tornados and protests..I thought what a lovely city to be in.
But the following days the weather was playing along more or less and although there were some rainy moments most of the time it was sunny with a lot of humidity. The Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup and everyhwere were people wearing the red jerseys. So after all I must say, I am glad that I have visited Chicago, it has a nice park with an unidentified object called the 'beanie' and countless wonderful examples of architecture but I am pretty sure there are cities in the US that are certainly nicer. People were friendly but I have to admit that I have never seen before so many obese people like I have here and there were a lot of beggars, which is really sad of course. Oh..and it is really an expensive city.

Mexico..

People who are reading my blog already know that I am not a pussy when it comes to foreign food..I try to taste all kinds of exotic delights and I am proud to say that I"ve never suffered any illness or a bad stomach..and I've been all around the world but after all those exotic places it had to be Mexico who gave me my first diarrhea caused by a cheese sandwich bought at Starbucks..it was not a nice experience as I was the only guy at the trade show at my booth and I had to ask the security guy to check after my stuff while I was at the restrooms.
The trade show lasted only for three days but the traffic afterwards was enough for a lifetime. It took me two hours to get to the hotel from the fairgrounds, which is a distance of maximum 15 kilometers (approx. 10 miles). Imagine the frustration I had to suffer sitting in the bus with a bad stomach..there wouldn"t be a difference if I had taken a taxi as the traffic was so dense that not even a motorcycle could have passed by..
So it was a relief when the show ended and I started to pack my bags. But before I go I had some tacos and a cold Corona and it almost made me forgot all my problems..
My flight to Istanbul was a long one with United Airlines.. I had to fly to Washington Dulles and from there to Frankfurt and again from Frankfurt to Istanbul.
While I was sitting there on my way to Washington waiting for the plane to take off I suddenly heard my name through the board speakers..they were calling me up and when I showed myself they told me that I had to go out..I thought what the fuck?
So I stepped out and there was this security Jose waiting for me..I was searched again thoroughly and when I asked him in spanish what it was all about he told me "just security measures señor,nothing more"..it was weird since I was the only guy they checked..this never happened to me but I guess being an American Airline you get to experience all kind of things. they probably thought a guy with a german passport flying to Istanbul via Washington is probably a potential ISIS-Terrorist..well..what can I say..fuck you very much UA.
Now that I have popped the word ISIS combined with terrorist it will blink an alarm somewhere at the NSA offices and they will read my blog as well and check whether this blogger has any ties to international terror organizations..well I certainly know how to attract readers..right?..good for me..this blog needs more readers. bloddy right!!
So next one will be from London..where I will enjoy a short holiday trip with my wife..stay safe  everybody!!

¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! ¡Epa! Yeehaw!..Mexico City here I come!!

You remember Speedy Gonzales? You know the mouse dressed in traditional mexican garment always getting into trouble? I was expecting the same dress code and the same speediness when I landed in Mexico City two weeks ago..But boy, the flight to Mexico was not so much of a problem although I flew from Istanbul almost 16-17 hours. But after landing having to wait at the passport controls together with hundreds of exhausted souls was a bit of a pain in the ass. Nothing speedy about that I tell you..and no mexican dressed as speedy gonzalez.!!
It took me one and half hour to get through passport controls and then getting a taxi was also complicated, if you have no idea how to get one in Mexico City airport. I tried to take one outside but the driver told me that there was a fine for taxi drivers and that I had to get a registered taxi. That was new to me..However, when you get the hang of it, it"s quite simple. When you turn to the right at the end of the hall, there are registered taxis, where you have to tell them where you want to go and pay them upfront. You get a ticket, which you have to give to the driver and that"s it. The driver was quite friendly and we had no problems finding the hotel.

I took a hotel which had a pretty good rating at booking.com and one that was not so expensive. The hotel is called Room Mate Valentina and honestly, all good things aside I do not recommend to stay there. The hotel is located in the infamous area called Zona Rosa. I did not mind all the gay bars, prostitutes and sex shops in the "barrio". There was some noise in the streets when the people were partying but it was not very disturbing. The staff was friendly. What I did not like about my room was the bathroom which had a very off-putting sewer smell and it did not go away. I had a room at the 8th floor and the room was spacious, always clean. But the smell was soooo disturbing you could hardly sleep.
Anyways, I had to stay 5 days in the capital city and had little time for sightseeing as the exhibition lasted until 8 pm in the evening. Then getting back to the hotel with the terrible traffic it was already 9 or 10 pm. From what I could see was that the people of Mexico are not happy because there was always some sort of politicial demonstration. When I asked the taxi driver what it was all about he told me that he didnt have any idea but that the people here always find a reason to start a rally in the streets protesting against anything. So, I went to the old city walking from the Angel de la Independencia along the Paseo de la Reforma and the avenue is nice, with hotels and restaurants. Good for a stroll.

..To be continued...

Hola Mejico!! De aquí pronto nos veremos..

What was that song from that chick? Ironic? I think it was Alanis Morissette. You know where four of them sit in a car and sing about life being ironic. Well, I dont think she had me in mind when writing that song but  some readers of this post, (although there aren't many, I am quite aware of that but I will pretend to have millions of true followers.), I was telling some posts ago how sick I was of this whole travelling life and guess what..management thought it would be a good idea to send me even farther..I am really getting suspicious..I think they are trying to get rid of me. Maybe coincide with one of those crazy pilots?

By the way, that was really sad and crazy. I used to fly that route a lot back in the days with Germanwings. From Düsseldorf to Barcelona. I can't imagine the terror that the people had to go through. And their families...what are they thinking? me, being a dad of a 4 year old daughter, I think I would go berserk! I mean, somebody fucked up something, somewhere so this crazy muthatrucka was able to get a pilot license. Somebody needs to account for this tragedy.

Anyways, so management thought it would be good for me and for the business of course, to visit Mexico and Chicago. I was assigned with these new regions and they took away from me Macedonia. What a relief!! Really???, I mean, really??? take away a country with what..3 mio people and give me a freakin' continent with half a billion people???

So first stop is going to be Mexico D.F at the end of April. First time for me to fly overseas so you can guess how excited I am. The flight itself will take like 20 hours with one stop in Frankfurt. And then in June I will be visiting windy city. Well, since childhood we were bombarded with endless Hollywood products so I could tell a city when I see it on TV. But of course, it is not the same. I started to read on the web where to go and what to see. Of course, I will be busy with work but in the evenings I will have plenty of time to see the city.

But first, Mexico D.F. as a spanish speaker I don't think I will have it difficult over there. I was a big fan of mexican food so I am really looking forward to those tacos, quesadillas, and whatnots. If anyone has good tip for a good restaurant in Mexico city just hit me up.

I still have a Balcan trip to make in May so that will be next but until then stay safe everybody.

Its a bird, its a plane...no, it's just me wondering where to fly next! well..at least I get to collect miles!!

One lame trip!!

I went to Amsterdam last month where I'd visit some customers and then go to different cities like Rotterdam, Maastricht or Veghel. I stayed only one night in pot city and the weather was shitty. It was rainy, cold and simply no fun to be there. I had the pleasure(!) to stay at a hotel called Apollo, which was located a bit outside of the city center but it was a cheaper alternative as other hotels were fully booked. I paid like 120 EUR per night (including breakfast) but the room was shitty. The mini bar looked scandalous with only two small bottles of white wine, knocked  down and that was it. Carpet was dirty, breakfast was limited. Bathroom was tiny with confusing labels. The shower had a dispenser labelled handsoap, the sink had a dispenser labelled shampoo..so you get the picture..it was not a pleasant stay. I know what people think when I say Amsterdam..pot, alcohol and red light..well, none of those things appeal to me, especially on a business trip...well, pot does but I was not in the mood.

The next morning I went to Rotterdam, which has one of the biggest ports in Europe. You know, Nazis bombed the whole city flat in WWII and somehow the dutch managed to build one ugly building after another so the city has no charm whatsoever. To it is one of the ugliest towns in Holland. After visiting the customer in Rotterdam I went to Den Haag, which is not far away by car. They have a great Chinatown. After strolling around half an hour I went to a chinese restaurant called Fat Kee, which was fully packed and the food was nice with adequate prices.. And the service was fast..worth a visit, if you should ever get there.
The next morning I headed to Maastricht. It is a cute little town where you can stroll around in the old city. It has a nice cathedral, a nice park with water mills and a small lake. I was lucky because the weather was so nice. I must say I liked it a lot better than Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
The last day I went to Heerlen where I stayed at the Stadshotel de Paris, which is located in the city center. It serves mainly as a restaurant but it also has some rooms where you can stay cheaply.
I did not encounter anything interesting or even annoying during this trip so it was a bit boring. I can't even rant about anything here.
Next trip is going to be to Frankfurt..let's see if I can get pissed off there..!

Amsterdam..black and white..

It was a cold, rainy day in February

Any suggestions for a destination? or maybe a career-change?

People, I am getting tired of this travelling business. Seriously..for the past 7 years I've been constantly travelling all over Europe and Asia. Mostly for business of course but still when does this drudgery end? For how many hours do I have to get this exposure of airplane radiation? Pack and unpack the freaking luggages..wait at the passport cue..pass through security check..uurggghhh..(and this is not Ronaldo's victory roar..!!)

Well, unless I start a different career, I am afraid I have to endure this until my retirement, which is still 15-20 years away..just to give you a hint what is ahead of me for the coming months..Utrecht, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, London (twice!!), Zagreb, Llubljana, Skopje, Belgrade, Sarajevo..that is 8 countries in 4 months..and then..we're still discussing about Barcelona, Johannesburg (really?? freakin' South Africa??). 

Seriously, I am not braggin or anything..I'm just tired.. tired of doing all the same chit-chat with different persons..talking about the same shit..it's the weather, the market, the economy, the crisis or whatever...staying at the same hotel rooms..you get the idea!

But I shouldn't complain..this is what I deserve..I opted for this..when I graduated from University I didn't want to end up as a translator..speaking so many languages and translating one stupid manual after another..no, no..I wanted to see the world. Interact with people..get to know different cultures..to have that savoir faire..yeah..there you have it.
Anyways, let's talk about something else..I will leave this travelling thing to another day..I bought a new camera recently..nothing too expensive..just one I could carry around easily..not too heavy..it's a Samsung NX300 and I must say I'm quite happy with it. It came with a 20-55 mm lens kit and Adobe Lightroom software..which was a pretty good deal I think. What I likemost  about it, is that it takes great pictures and supports wifi so you can e-mail or send them directly..one thing I could bitch about is that it doesn't have the viewfinder..but what the heck..the Rolling Stones knew that already..you can't always get what you want..

Have you watched 'Whiplash'?..well, if you're into music, you should definitely check it out..it was very entertaining and that dude can really play the drums..I mean, sure he's not a jazz drummer but still..an OK drummer..the music and acting wasn't always in sync but I didn't mind..I like underdog stories..you should check it out.

I like jazz..lot of good music out there..one of the best jazz documentaries is 'let's get lost'..it is about the faboulous Chet Baker and to me that documentary is the mother of all music documentaries. It's shot in black and white but you get to see how destructive drugs can be..Chet Baker was a real addict but also one of the best jazz musicians..check out his '56 record 'chet baker sings'...brilliant..

So, no travel stories this time..just some gibberish..next time I will write you from Rotterdam..stay safe everybody!

I just want to sit on my couch like a boss and sip on my tea!!