My first trip to any Latin American country. I went with low expectations as I had read about the political instability of the 1980s and all the gang wars plaguing the country making it a little unsafe to travel for foreigners. But once you land, there is a stark difference between what is written in the media versus what you experience on the ground in reality. You have to be a little careful where you go, and that’s true for any travel, but overall the place is reasonably safe if you hang out in the right neighborhoods. I was pleasantly surprised at the liveliness of its people and the rich Salvadoran culture. You see a beautiful country of innocent people, working hard, putting their best feet forward in their day to day life to build a great future for themselves and their family. This spirit of people there instantly creates a connection between you and the place.

I have been asked many times if I enjoy living in San Francisco and what are some of the things that I truly enjoy about San Francisco. I have always struggled to answer this question as I know this city is unique but could never point to one thing. This is a city that needs to be felt from inside versus watched from outside. There is a spirit that doesn’t want to be tied to the regular norms of a culture. It is sometimes at the forefront of discovering a new language which then becomes the precursor to what is spoken in the rest of the world. This city by the bay, of steep uphills and downhills is a city of romance, yoga, secularism, socialism, elegance, intellectualism and free spirit. Go experience it.

I have created a list of my own top 10 ways of exploring the energy and vibe of this city in a non conventional way. If you are a visitor to this city or a resident explorer in your own city, hopefully this blog will connect with you.

My second time in the city of Ubud in less than two years. Something about the energy of this place that keeps pulling you back for more. A slow isolated town in the main island of Bali, 50 km away from its capital city Denpesar. This small charming rural town got placed on the world map after the movie “Eat Pray Love”. The advent of social media platforms like Facebook and hyper glamorized Instagram pics only added fire to the travel hunger of people. This is the town where Julia Roberts heals herself and finds her true love. A story that works for many of us around the world who are trying to find solace and heal themselves in one form or the other. Alas, she only finds her love, how she maintains it for the rest of her life is not part of any movie. Local people mentioned that there has been a huge inflow of tourism in this town which has pushed it in a direction of irreversible damage. Land has been traditionally cheap in Bali. Natives are falling prey to the charm of making quick money and selling their beautiful rice fields to the businessmen who in turn care more about the return on their investment versus the damage they cause to its local culture and ecological balance. But when you as a traveler are part of the problem you can hardly complain.

ndia gives you a sensory jolt each time you visit it. Lot changes between two visits.  The country is fast moving away from socialism that defined its past few decades. There is a booming capitalism now getting shaped by its younger generation and bringing a lot of equity in the society. This generation is courageous - not shying away from taking risks and exploring new career paths. It is absorbing a mix of many global cultures. Aesthetics and sense of style is taking its own shape and color which is not necessarily western and in some cases uniquely “Indian”.

My first trip into a communist country. I feel global travel trends move in waves. One year the social feeds are full of people visiting Iceland to see the Northern Lights, another year it is all about Bali and recently it seemed to be a lot about Vietnam. People inspire others to do the things they enjoy doing. Not a bad thing.

Most travel narratives are a play of our own imaginations. Some need a special mention. The narrative on Japan is one of them for me and it is better to write about it when memories and emotions are fresh from my recent travels.

India has slowly been moving away from its colonial past and reintroducing names that are aligned with its regional cultures. Primarily, there are three European influences that have stayed in India after its freedom in 1947. Pondicherry,  with a long coastline and French connection in the South East, Goa with beautiful beaches and a distinct Portuguese heritage in the South West, and the rest of mainland India with a British legacy.