Chic On The Road

Friday, April 25, 2014

A Walk Through the Streets of Old Shanghai

Shanghai was my birth place. A place that is so special and dear to my heart! After being away for many years, I finally feel ready to return and rediscover the city all over again.

As the new buildings rise at the speed of light, the old parts of Shanghai is slowly disappearing. With the back drop of the ultra modern high-rises, the locals carry on their ordinary life as usual. I spent the entire day walking through the south bund fabric district and the old town. Feeling very lucky to have the opportunity to capture some local flavors in this fast changing city.

Fabric Street Vendors, South Bund Fabric Market

Free Standing Old building, South Bund

South Bund Fabric Market

This is how business is done!

Piles of Fabric on the Street

Street Sewing Lady

Colorful Fabrics

Old School Door

Construction Site

Local Transportation

Old Houses in the Center of the City

Local Market

Vegetable Street Vendor

The Past, The Present and The Future!

Business Must Go On!

Fabric Shopping on the Street

Air Dry

Scarf Sales Couple

This is How Construction is Done in China

Well Dressed Dog

Friendly Older Gentlemen in His PJ

Bike is Still Pretty Polular in China

Business as Usual

Friday, February 21, 2014

Mexico Obsession

It's rare for me to have such a connection to one country, yet I simply can't get enough of Mexico!
I spent 3 wonderful weeks traveling around this colorful, exotic and fascinating country this past December. And I got photos to prove it!
Copper canyon, Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca are just a few places to start! I am certain that there will be many more Mexico adventures to come this year.

Chepe Train through Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon

Streets of Creel

Locals at a Bus Stop, Creel

Gordita Lady, Divisadero

Afternoon Margaritas in the Mountain, Divisadero

Yellow and White, Puebla

Balcony View, Puebla

Pretty in Pink, Meson Sacristia De La Compania in Puebla

Living Room in Meson Sacristia De La Compania, Puebla

Dinning Room in Meson Sacristia De La Compania, Puebla

Bedroom in Meson Sacristia De La Compania, Puebla

Hand Weaved Straw Bags & Baskets, Oaxaca Local Market

Embroidered Pillows, Oaxaca Local Market

Handcrafted Leather Bags, La Ciudadela, Mexico City

Colorful Beach bags, La Ciudadela, Mexico City

Saturday, December 7, 2013

I Dream Of Thailand

I have been traveling for over 10 years in search of paradise and Thailand is by far one of my favorite country. Thailand offers an incredibly rich cuisine to its travelers along with endless opportunities for adventures. From diving excursions in Koh Tao to spa retreat in Koh Samui or rock climbing in Railay beach.

You can easily travel through Thailand via the local boutique airline, Bangkok Airway. Start your trip in Bangkok and from there fly to Chiang Mai for 3 to 4 days where you can arrange jungle hikes, elephant rides or local cooking lessons.

When ready for the beach, hop on a quick flight to Koh Samui and explore the 2nd largest island, a great place to treat yourself to some exotic local spa treatments. If you feel like spoiling yourself, there are certainly no shortage of boutique/luxury hotels.

After all the relaxation, you may want to take a 3 hour ferry ride to the smaller island of Koh Tao which is known for it's scuba diving. It is breathtaking, beautiful, charming and one of my favorite island. There you can easily forget about the worries of the world.

Railay beach is another fun spot worth visiting. You can get there by taking a quick flight from koh samui to krabi and from krabi, take the local longtail boat to

Railay beach. With its unique layout, Railay beach is a haven for rock climbers.

Koh Phi Phi is another picturesque island off of the west coast of Thailand and made popular by the movie " the beach." There you can organize a longtail boat daytrip to the Maya beach where the movie itself was filmed.

And last but not the least, Koh Ngai is a very secluded island south of Koh Phi phi and a perfect place to end your trip in Thailand. There you can experience amazing sunrise far away from the crowds.