Layover: Frankfurt in 8 Hours

Minimum layover time required:  6 hours

My European readers have complained (justly!) that I have yet to write any posts about the continent, which got me thinking about this wonderful 8 layover that I had in Frankfurt.

Follow signs for the S-bahn, Frankfurt’s commuter rail that seemed-406288_1920gets you to the central train station, Frankfurt Hauptbanhof, in less than 15 minutes.  From Haupbanhof, take tram 11, direction Fechenheim Schießhütten-straße 4 stops to Römer / Paulskirche.   (A Frankfurt transport map can be viewed here. )

Your Frankfurt adventure begins at Paulskirche, or St. Paul’s Church, an example of early Lutheran church design and the birthplace of German democracy.

Next, take a short walk romerberg-337894_1280down to Römerberg, the “medieval” city hall square that is arguably one of Frankfurt’s most noted landmarks.  (Medieval is in quotes because while the square remains true to its original architectural style, the 1405 square was destroyed in WWII and subsequently rebuilt.)  Weed through the throngs of tourists to catch a glimpse of the fountain of justice, and note the plaque commemorating the Nazi book burning .

Then, make your way down towards the waterfronbridge-194623_1920t.  Those with the time may wish to pop into the Historisches Museum Frankfurt  (which sadly was being renovated when I visited).

Afterwards, a relaxing option — assuming that jet lag is beginning to set in after a red eye flight — is to hop onto one of the Main river cruises which launch from the Eisener Steg bridge.  Commentary will focus on the different architectural styles along the river banks — interesting but certainly no match to Chicago’s river architecture cruise.  The main draw is soaking up the sun and appreciating the blue sky

frankfurt-509511_1920After your “snooze cruise” it’s probably time for lunch.  (Naturally, lunch can be enjoyed at any point along the way depending on your schedule!)   Make your way past St. Leonhardskirche to Hauptwache where skyscrapers abound. Schillerstrasse pedestrian street takes you by the Frankfurt Börse – the hub of the city’s finance district.  From the Börse, Finally, meander along the Zeil, Frankfurt’s main shopping / pedestrian street, where shops and eateries abound.

Allow yourself at LEAST 2.5 hours to get back to the airport before your scheduled departure.  From Hauptwache, catch the S-bahn (S-8 or S-9 direction Wiesbaden) back to Frankfurt Airport.

And there you have it — a lovely layover in Frankfurt!

PS:  Should your layover fall over a weekend, another option is is try The Ebbelwei-Express Historic Tram Tour, a hop-on hop-off tour on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.  Get your bearings with a downloadable podcast, enjoy a glass of apple wine (Ebbelwei) and even try your hand at learning basic Hessian.  (Full disclosure — I haven’t had the opportunity to try this but it certainly sounds fun!)

 

Kranji, the Wild West in Singapore

When I think of the Wild West two things spring to mind: the tiny period of American history that has somehow been blown up to be a cinematic staple … or the awful Will Smith film. You know the one: not funny, with the terrible CGI spidery thing, from back when Mr. Smith was a bankable star. Anyway, I digress.  I certainly do not think of Singapore. Yet recently I found myself chugging along on a bus to what is billed as the Wild West of Singapore – Kranji.

Now if you go to Kranji, leave the notion that this is some kind of remote outlawed land on your breakfast table. This is Singapore after all. There is no such thing as remote land. However, if you are in the mood to try something a little different and maybe see another side of Singapore that isn’t all Boat Quay and Orchard Road, then there are some things to recommend.

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Kranji Reservoir is much more than a beautiful vista. It is also a key source of water. Photo courtesy of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency.

Kranji countryside is essentially a farmland area in the Northwestern reservoirs of Singapore that is an MRT and bus ride away.  The bus, which only services the Kranji area, stops off at the six farmlands that participate in the Kranji Countryside Association.

“What does this mean?!?” I hear you scream. The association is essentially a collection of farms that welcome visitors and are accessible via this bus. While it says online that most of the other farms in the area do not receive guests, signs you pass along the way say otherwise. So I really think it depends.

If you only have time to visit one farm, I strongly recommend Bollywood Veggies.

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Does the warrior attack the platter? Or does the platter attack the warrior?

Bollywood Veggies is a truly wonderful place. Their farmland is beautiful and allows for a very interesting and educational tour of all the things they grow. There is also a fantastic café in the middle.  (Try a glorious dish called the “Warriors Platter” and their particularly good banana cake.) If you are lucky and it is not too busy, Dillon, one of the owners, will dust off his guitar and play any song you could possibly think of. We could not recommend this place more highly.

There are a couple of key things to consider before embarking on this trip.  First, the bus only comes every hour-and-a-half, so once you get dropped off at a particular farm, you are stuck there for a good while. This is not so bad if you plan carefully. But be warned: some stops are far more interesting than the others. The goat farm left a lot to be desired, bar the fresh milk which is highly recommended. (Bring a cooler and a book, perhaps?)  The bullfrog breeding farm was OK, but did very much feel like the end of the line.

Second, the fact that you are tied to the bus stops means getting to other parts of the area can be difficult. We were told the fish farm in the southern part of Kranji is beautiful and truly worth visiting, but without one’s own transport it is a no go. Note to the Association: bike hire is the way forward because the area really feels like a different country.  In the meantime, for other business travelers, Uber is always a good option.

Kranji countryside is definitely worth the trip if you plan carefully — especially for those who are tired of the urban jungle.  Weekend Crossroad’s recommended itinerary:

Begin with a midmorning visit to the Kranji War Memorial, billed as the largest of its kind in Asia.  Next, catch the bus in time for a leisurely lunch at Bollywood Veggies.  Finally, end your visit at the Kranji wetlands (the last stop on the bus route before the MRT). Even to locals who “know” Singapore, Kranji feels like a totally different world.  Moreover, it proves that if you lift the lid on this city-state, you can find something truly unique.

Launchpad and Staycation — Discovering Manila with Carlos Celdran

Like so many who travel to a new city, I had no idea what to do first. Lucky for me, my Lonely Planet guide distilled in woman form – my girlfriend – is much better at this than me.

So off we went to discover as much about Manila as we could in 36 hours. First stop: the American War Cemetery. As a couple, we are normally big supporters of using local transport. You can understand a lot about a city by its transport (or not, if you have experienced the inverted maps in Taipei’s metro stations). However, if you are time pressed the only way to cover such great distances effectively in Manila, for the time being, is in a taxi. On reaching the cemetery you are blown away by how beautiful the grounds are and it strikes you just how important the relationship between the US and the Philippines is. This relationship becomes increasingly apparent the further you dive into Manila’s underbelly.

This underbelly led us across Malate to Chinatown.

Chinatowns come in two forms – the ones that look like the 1930s depiction of Shanghai found in most films and the Chinatowns that are living and breathing communities. The Manila Chinatown falls into the latter. Of course, this meant that there was little of spectacle to entertain but nonetheless a worthwhile venture just to understand the part Chinese migrants played in Philippines.

Next up was the beating heart of Manila’s past. Intramuros.

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Even the clothing doesn’t do justice to the insane brilliance of Carlos Celdran.

Intramuros is a gateway to understanding the Catholic and Spanish influence of the past. The walled-city houses Fort Santiago where the shrine of their national hero, Jose Rizal, is kept, the remaining Manila cathedral, and streets upon streets of buildings that offers just a small insight into the Philippines past. All my preconceptions were swept away with the fantastic tour hosted by Carlos Celdran. Part performance artist, part comedian, and absolutely the history teacher you wished you had at school. Carlos gave us, and about 70 others, a tour that threw open our understanding of Spanish colonialism, Catholic rule, and the part America played into turning the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ into a place very much confused by its own identity.

With his performance still vividly in mind we decided to watch the sunset and drink in some surroundings of a city whose charm very much creeps up on you. Obviously not all travel needs to be conducted on the back of a bike, and sometimes paying a little extra brings its benefits. So head to the Bayleaf Hotel, grab a glass of wine and watch the sun set over the sea whilst enjoying a complete view of some of the very best of Manila.

Finally, our day ended with a few drinks. The main reason to go for drinks anywhere in Manila, in my opinion, is so that you can drink the excellent rum, Don Papa. I really would advise anyone who has a taste for rum, or any spirit for that matter, to take some time out to try.

The next day we had a little time to head over to Rizal Park, where the national hero is buried. If you have more time than we had, fitting in the park just after Intramuros is easy to do as they are almost next to each other.

So that was it. When I left Manila I suddenly realized why I had such sporadic knowledge of the place. It’s simply because as a city, and as a country, it is still trying to work out what it is today. This makes it a truly difficult place to know and a truly fascinating place to discover.

Coffee and Tea (spa) in Jakarta

The nice thing about quitting your job and taking up blogging is that a lazy afternoon at a coffee shop and a spa can arguably be considered work. (Those of you who are feeling the first twinges of jealousy remember – I have no income!)

Anomali Single Origin Coffee Chart

Choose your own adventure — Anomali maps out the flavor notes of coffee from different parts of Indonesia

I’m sitting in Anomali Coffee on Jl. Senopati. First strike – the wifi doesn’t seem to be working. Boo.   But enjoying a lovely cup of Toraja coffee and a chocolate croissant (4pm is the new 8am folks!), I slowly get over it. Anomali is a great place to take a coffee tour of Indonesia without leaving Jakarta. Slowly but surely I will make my way through their list and report back on my discoveries!

I find delicious irony in the fact that after Anomali I am headed for Tea Spa. For the most part, the world is arguably divided in two – coffee people and tea people. (Has anyone mapped concurrence in people, such as coffee people being predominantly dog people, etc. etc.?)  Of course, loving to be ornery, I consider myself to be both.

TeaspaAdequately amped up on caffeine, I walk the short distance to Tea Spa, on Jl. Gunawarman 9, in the Senopati area of Jakarta.  With a tea room on the ground floor and the spa on the upper level with — you guessed it — all tea treatments and products, it is an unassuming standalone building with a curious combination of exquisite detail (such as crown molding) and mild decay (worn carpets.)  And HORRIBLE elevator music.  Give me gamelan, koto, er hu, ANYTHING but Muzak!  I opt for a three hour signature package which includes a heavenly French massage, a “wrap” which is basically boiling hot padding placed around your stomach and thighs, a body scrub and a mask.  Well worth the IDR 430,000.  Overall, I give Tea Spa a thumbs up.  Good value for money, nice ambiance (please, please change the music though!) and the therapists speak English.  And now I’m going to melt into relaxed puddle. . .

Coming up next: Next week I am excited to be taking a 4 day barista course at ABCD – A Bunch of Caffeine Dealers – at Pasar Santa.  I also plan to review other spas and compile a best of list of both cafes and spas!

Launching Pad: Jakarta Indonesia

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I have been living in Jakarta for the past year, and am truly amazed at how much time people spend in shopping malls!  Jakarta is a great  city to explore, and is an excellent launching point for a number of cities in Java.  Here is a sample of things to come!

Driving Day Trips

  • Jatiluhur Reservoir (relaxing on a boat trip to a floating village)
  • Puncak Pass (meandering through a tea plantation on horseback and enjoying the wild side at Taman Safari)
  • Sukabumi (white knuckled white water rafting)

Train Weekends

  • Bogor (botanical gardens and wayang kulit)
  • Bandung (mountain air and angklungs)
  • Cirebon (batik, mountains, and history)
  • Solo

2-3 Day Plane Weekends

  • Surabaya (history, kratek and bridge to another world)
  • Malang (temples, volcano, and beautiful tree-lined streets)
  • Jogjakarta (history and culture, and your inner hippie)