Guest ‘God’ Shalom Paul, Writer, Business Coach and Facilitator

I love the nightlife wherever I go so whether I’m staying at the  6-star Bauer Hotel at St Marco in Venice or the ‘Versace-meets-the little mermaidesque’ style Burj Al Arab in Dubai,  I invariably explore the city by night upon arrival to glimpse the local culture at street level, albeit safe to do so.

Being a metro man and relishing in the exploration of uber-shopping for intricate home wares or enjoying art galleries, local theatre, stand-up comedy and softly lit bars and restaurants, some of my favourite places include Buenos Aires, which has the fast pace of New York, the romance of Paris and the beat of Berlin; as well as Shanghai, where atop the rooftop of the Hyatt overlooking the Bund you can swathe in sunken sofa lounges whilst sipping on a refreshing gin in the summer’s heat and watching the world go by.  My most exhilarating experience ever was attending Carnival in Rio de Janeiro – seated for 3 days and 3 nights on end, enthralled by the exhilaration and nocturnal beat that you can only imagine.

An excerpt from ‘Frevo Rio Sambista’, my first short story published in 1987

‘At the core of the frenzied jubilations, sultry, sexy men and women perform voluptuous antics in the street below. The samba schools are performing incredible double-time change-ups, and dipping and cross-legged whirling routines, around, above, below and in-between their dancing partners’ legs. The audience outbursts. Hungry like a pack of wolves I unbutton my thirst –quenching lips and pull another ring top from an icy cold can of Brahma, the locals’ brew. This is salvation from a can at half the price of a wooden Corcovado statuette hanging about my neck. The dancers sensually arch their ‘bundas’ pumping their hip-swirling, virtually denuded parts in a choreographic fanfare of erotic pageantry. The wet-dream-drooling mob gasps at the breathtaking acrobatic concoctions in the street below. Like a Disney-on-parade with multinational masked characters who abound in cafe salons and piazzas, Rio’s carnival is a riot of colourful, gyrating, writhing and pelvic-thrusting bodies. It’s not a city for the faint hearted!

Travel tips and things I simply cannot travel without:

• Small battery operated bedside clock – they’re safe, reliable and won’t let you down
• Pack a few dry cleaners plastic wrap bags – they’re great to stow away suits and shirts and anything crushable. By the time you arrive and unpack, your clothes are wrinkle free and ready to hang!
• A list of local doctors who are members of Frontiers Without Borders, for those out of the way places
• I always book a free extended late checkout at every hotel I check into – always great to have a few extra hours up your sleeve for quickly ducking out and doing some last minute shopping before your flight home
• I always book a hotel room on a lower floor in advance when I’m in exotic or precarious destinations because it’s generally safer and easier to evacuate if needed.

About Shalom Paul

Shalom has worked in travel & tourism for over 25 years including sourcing luxury product and destinations for American Express’ Centurion & Platinum card member rewards programs.  He is a former travel editor of Sing Tao Newspapers, AFTA Frontline, and a published travel writer for RAM Magazine, The Travel Reporter and Hostel News among others.

Nowadays Shalom is a qualified Sales and Business Coach and Facilitator, and offers personal ‘travel coaching’ by appointment.

Alison Carmichael-Rulten

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