AlexFinds
Mar believes the best things in life are better when shared. She enjoys writing and reflecting on some of the most amazing trips she has taken and helping others with tips on how to replicate them.
Alex: Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Mar, which is the sea in Catalan, and I am from a small and quaint town south of Barcelona called Sitges. I live in Singapore and have been abroad for the last ten years living in Dubai, Johannesburg and now Singapore. I work full time at Google and started a travel blog two and a half years ago to document all my trips so one day, I would be able to go back and re-read my thoughts and stories
Why do you travel? What are your inspirations?
I have not quite been able to narrow down a reasoning for my travel addiction but I do know that it is indeed, my addiction. It is what I spend most time and money on, by far, and it is something that will always get me excited and bring a smile to my face. Most likely, my travel addiction if funded by my bottomless curiosity. I am always interested to meet new people and hear stories that have never been told. I am more attracted to the far offbeat places that have yet to be explored than to the well know or urban jungles. I have a few extra well-traveled friends that I share trip ideas with
How do you organize your travel plans? Any travel hacks you can share?
I use Google Flights for planning, it is an incredibly powerful tool that cannot be compared to any other flight search option, especially when you add low cost airlines. TripIt is useful to keep track of bookings, as I travel too much to remember (usually 50% of my time on the road). I collect miles and points religiously and they help fund my trips. I pay absolutely all purchases with my Amex for the miles, even a cup of coffee. I used to plan every detail of a trip, I now leave a lot of room for serendipity and randomness to happen. Some things that often shock people when we talk planning, especially given my ultra-frequent traveler status, is that I don’t prepare a lot of the basic things. I travel very light, I never exchange currency but rather withdraw at the first ATM, and I sometimes land in a place without knowing exchange rates. But there are also a few fun facts about the life of someone who is always traveling. My passport has permanently been in my bag for the last 11 years and I have filled 12 of them in the same period.
Tell me about a person you’ve met or a memory that impacted you the most during one of your trips?
Meeting the Himba tribes in Northern Namibia and spending two evenings chatting about life with them was truly special and a reminder that traditional value can co-exist in today’s world, even if development is fast eroding them
Aside from the basics, name three items that you always bring when you travel.
There is always a stack of passport sized photos in my wallet, for all the visa on arrival needs, and I carry a bunch of internationally accepted currencies everywhere (USD, Euro, Australian dollar) which have come in handy in many occasions. My vaccination card has its own permanent slot in my wallet. There are a couple of other more unusual items that are always with me. A tiny perfume bottle, for the really smelly places (it has come in handy too many times), wet wipes and tissue and panadol night, which is a milder substitute for sleeping pills and which helps me beat jetlag (but I can only source it in Dubai!).
What is your motto when it comes to traveling?
Be open, respectful and non-judgemental
The best and the worst meals you’ve ever had traveling?
One of the best meals I have ever had was a home cooked meal in Tuscany at the house of a couple who own a premium olive oil business. They invited us to their house where they shared a true Tuscan dinner with us, a table filled with fresh, seasonal plates of the most delicious anchovies, crostini, risotto and the famous Florentine steak. On the restaurant side, one of the best has to be a lunch at Disfrutar, the 1-Michelin star, one year old restaurant opened by three of the Head Chefs of elBulli, keep an eye on it for the next culinary star in the world stage.
On the worst meals I had was in Japan. We booked this very expensive Kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto and decided not to check the menu but go with the chef’s recommendation for a truly Japanese meal. We were escorted to out tatami covered room, with our traditionally dressed waitress coming through a small wall door. it was all extremely quaint and nice but the food consisted of a lot of fish and seafood dishes of things I would never eat, delicacies, but just something I did not like, some even made me want to throw up just with the smell. It was a very expensive meal too and it taught me to look for the menu before ever booking another Japanese meal
Which city do you consider yourself an expert on? Can you share any hidden gems in that city?
Home continues to be the place I love and know the best: Barcelona. Most people do not realize that, in the recent years, Barcelona’s rooftops have started to open up. I wrote an article about 7 glorious rooftops that give an insight into another perspective on the city, well worth the try
What is your favorite travel song/album to listen on a trip?
I always turn on the radio or TV to listen to local tunes, it helps immerse me in the local culture
What is the best foreign curse you know?
I tried to learn some Hindi insults last week, but they were too long and impossible to remember! I still swear in my own language so it would have to be “joder”.
Follow Mar on her travels:
Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
alexfinds.com | instagram.com/alexfindsnow | facebook.com/alexfinds | twitter.com/alexfinds
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