Rome Sweet Rome

They came, they saw and they conquered. On the other hand, no Quintuple, no Quadruple, no successive Champions League titles. No complaints. ManUre were outclassed and outplayed by an outstanding Barça side. Rookie Pep Guardiola has successfully steered his team into winning an unprecedented treble: La Liga, Copa del Rey and now the Champions League. But Froggie can seek consolation from the Premier League cup and oh of course the two Mickey Mouse trophies (the Carling Cup and the Club World Cup).

And the rest of us are saved of that most annoying ManUre song (chant?) ‘Champions of England, champions of Eur...’. Oh, what a relief!

Oh and is there any more dispute who is the better player? I should think not. I’ve only really sat up and taken notice of this guy a few months ago after his (long overdue) haircut. Such cuteness! And now I have a weakness for certain lads with dimples... (Messi, Shava ... who else? Unfortunately I don’t think Cesc has one).

Fantastic job, Barça. Congratulations and well done.

Among those in attendance

Messi now, dimple and all

Messi then

Messi and Cesc!

Totally unrelated I know but I’ll leave you with this second calendar of May with Cesc in it anyway.

Toon Tears On The Tyne

It wasn’t dubbed Survival Sunday for nothing as the Premiership lives of three teams were hanging in the balance. And in the end, it was Toon that crashed out of the Premiership, joining bowing Boro and WBA. The Black Cats survived and so did the Tigers (saved by the skin of their teeth).

Arsenal finished the rollercoaster season of division, discord and disappointment with a flourish (a stylish win over the Potters) and, more importantly, with harmony.

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Arsenal’s Robin van Persie 8.01 (on 90 minutes) who played like a man possessed.

And Captain Cesc has been cleared by the FA - really, this has dragged on for ridiculously too long – and we all know (and now it’s proven) that he’s no spitter, so there.

I also watched the AC Milan-Roma game last night - there was a flurry of goals in the second half but unfortunately Milan lost in the end – and the Wolfsburg-Bremen game on Saturday evening (the host won the game and Bundesliga for the first time. Congratulations Wolfsburg!).

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That time of the year again - to hunt for a birthday present for Abah. Not the easiest thing to do even for a shopaholic like me. I wasn’t looking for a wallet or watch or fragrance or footwear - but still couldn’t resist buying him a pair of Crocs sandals, which may see their debut in five years’ time (no, not the bulky ugly ones, mind you) and a pair for myself too (!). I really don’t know what else to get him. It’s always easier to get something for Mummy.

I can’t wait for the summer sale. Have set my eyes on a tote bag since last year (and been disappointed twice, during last year’s summer and winter sales) and don’t want to be disappointed for the third time. Alas I also have unplanned expenses that suddenly popped up out of nowhere; have completed (and parted money too, boo hoo) three out of four of them expenses already (fixed pearl necklace clasp; fixed Crocs shoes; and sent watch to replace strap). Yet to fix gold bangle though. Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man’s world indeed.

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Days after America voted Kris Allen over Adam Lambert as the new American Idol and I still wonder, ‘Why, America, why?’. I watched the repeats of the final showdown and results night and still think Adam should win. He sang Mad World (and so many others) so beautifully and hauntingly. Heck, he has such an amazing vocal acrobatic talent and flexibility as he proved week after week (delivered with amazing awesome showmanship) and what’s more, he’s sexy and flamboyant too. Thanks Mrs A for calling me to inform of the result.

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My neighbour informed me this morning that she saw a dead orangey cat in my porch some time during my absence. Oh. My. God. No wonder I haven’t seen Ginger Ale since I came back. Instead I saw a bob-tailed male black cat strutting around the neighbourhood of late. (And I wonder if the mysterious spade that looked like it suddenly fell out of the sky is in any way related to the dead Ginger Ale).

Rest in peace, Ginger Ale. I shall think fondly of you often.

Big Brother

One of my brothers told Abah last month that another brother (yes I have quite a few of them) is not well. Hardly surprising considering this brother smokes like a chimney and has been doing so for a good part of his life now. He’s the only one in the family who smokes and he has been smoking ever since he was a teenager at a boarding school (I don’t know why Abah thought he only started smoking after he got married).

I think it greatly disappoints and pains Abah to see my brother puffing away and seemingly dependent on cigarettes. He had once collapsed at work many years ago (premature heart attack?) and was hospitalised for a few days. But this didn’t teach him a lesson and he was soon puffing away again.

I used to be very close to him when I was small. I used to look up to him. He was a hero then to me. He was so clever (he’s the smartest of his siblings) and Abah was so proud of him. Sadly I’ve drifted apart from him for many years now so much so I feel like we’re total strangers and there’s this awkward silence when we sit together. For someone academically gifted and intelligent, he’s made some unwise decisions and, worse still, he seems to smoke himself to death. As a kid sister who used to look up to him, I am disappointed in him over his life choices but I think this pale in comparison to my dad’s disappointment in him (I don’t want to get into the details here).

I just hope it’s not too late for him – to change his ways; to get better; to seek help; to come to terms with his errors and try to make amends especially to Abah whom he has let down.

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I was a tad surprised (but surprisingly not too alarmed) to see a spade in my backyard on Tuesday. Mummy said it wasn’t there on Sunday morning when they came so it could have somehow landed there after we left later that morning or on Monday (if I did look out of my window on Monday evening, I didn’t notice it then). How did it get there, when and why? I only removed it yesterday evening as I noticed it too late on Tuesday to remove it then.

Hmmm. Wonder if I should start installing a CCTV or something to that effect.

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Saya telah memutuskan untuk mengalih kotak maklumbalas/papan conteng siber saya selepas ini (untuk seketika atau selama-lamanya?) bagi mengelak seekor harimau daripada meninggalkan maklumbalasnya yang saya dapati amat menyakitkan hati dan menjengkelkan. Saya fikir ini adalah langkah terbaik buat masa ini. Pilihan lain ialah untuk menghadkan laman blog saya hanya kepada individu tertentu (di mana mereka perlu mendaftar terlebih dahulu sebelum mereka dapat membaca laman blog ini - tetapi saya tidak mahu pula menghadkan mereka yang menjumpai laman blog ini secara kebetulan sepertimana saya tidak mahu dihadkan daripada mengunjungi laman blog orang lain); menukar alamat laman blog ini (tetapi saya sukakan alamat laman blog saya!); atau memantau maklumbalas yang diterima (tetapi ini akan mengambil masa saya). Jadi saya fikir ini cara terbaik buat masa ini (sesiapa yang ingin memberi maklumbalas boleh menghantar emel kepada saya; lagipun bukannya selalu saya menerima maklumbalas pun).

Ya, saya maklum bahawa saya masih tidak cukup matang untuk menangani maklumbalas yang menjengkelkan. Saya tahu saya seharusnya mengambil sikap tidak menghiraukannya tetapi maklumbalasnya memang membuat saya geram.

Sekiranya anda mempunyai bantahan atau cadangan yang lebih munasabah, sila kemukakan kepada saya secepat mungkin sebelum saya mengalih kotak maklumbalas ini.

No Reservations

I wish I can say it like Anthony Bourdain: I’m Adek Graffiti, I write, I travel, I eat, and I’m hungry for more. I know I can’t write well though (still trying) but I shall still attempt to write about my recent travels so bear with me.

Thursday, 30 April 2009

I left for KL Sentral at 8.40 pm. Such a humid night and I was beginning to perspire just waiting for a cab. It didn’t help that eve of public holiday traffic was heavy but I reached KL Sentral just in time to catch the 9 pm bus to the airport.

I was already half-asleep when we reached the airport - the result of watching an early morning footie match and was not pleased to discover that the flight was rescheduled to 1 am the next morning. I fell asleep almost immediately and even slept through take-off. I was even too sleepy to get up for the late supper meal opting instead for some juice. It was the first time that I had ever managed to sleep longer than an hour in any long flight.

Friday, May Day 2009

Mainhattan

We landed at a very foggy Frankfurt Airport an hour or so later than originally scheduled and because of the thick fog, the plane had to circle and circle before it could descend and land, and even then the plane taxied on the runway for half an hour before finally reaching the designated gate.

After freshening up, I took the S-Bahn to the city. Thankfully the fog had lifted by then and it was a perfect cloudless spring morning all around. At the Hauptbahnhof, I purchased a city map from the tourist info office and walked down Kaiserstrasse. The streets were quite deserted, it being a public holiday. Now Frankfurt was heavily bombed during the Second World War so the buildings, skyscrapers rather, are all modern, sleek, sophisticated and chic.

I walked to Europäischen Zentralbank (European Central Bank) and Commerzbank before deciding to take a detour and walk along the River Main. I walked until I reached the Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge), a pedestrian bridge buit way back in 1869. You can get a fantastic view of the Frankfurt skyline here and it is this that gives the city its nickname Mainhattan.

I then made my way to Römerberg where the Römer is. There were some peaceful demonstrations around the area today.

I left the crowd and walked to Paulskirche (St. Paul’s Church), the seat of the first democratically elected parliament in Germany in 1848, and Liebfraunkirsche (Church of Our Lady) then to Kaiserdom (Cathedral) before retracing my steps back to Hauptbahnhof.

There were several stalls in the station and even a food hall (selling all kinds of food from sushi to noodles to Middle Eastern fare to pastries) where you can eat or buy light snacks for your journey.

I caught the 1 pm bus to Frankfurt Hahn Airport for my flight out. The journey took 90 minutes.

My 1640 flight out only took off about 30 minutes later but we managed to land at Madrid airport on time. From the airport, I made my way to the hostel via metro (it was suchhh a long trek to the metro station). Now, Madrid has a very comprehensive metro network with lots of lines crisscrossing and zigzagging each other. It costs 1 Euro for a single journey although if you board it from/to the airport, it costs an extra Euro. The direction to the hostel was very vague and I was huffing and puffing my way around, dragging my luggage behind me. And oh it’s a pretty hilly city too as it sits on a plateau at an average altitude of 650 metres.

The Spanish Inquisition

Saturday, 2 May 2009


Going MAD*

*MAD is the airport code for Madrid

I checked out after breakfast but left my luggage at the reception. Set off to explore the city. Walked to Puerta del Sol (Gateway to the Sun) where the Casa de Corres (Post Office), built in 1768, with its clock, was. Madrileños usher in the New Year to the chimes of this very clock. In the square too is where you can find Madrid’s emblem, el oso y el madroño, or the bear with the madroño tree, and not far from this, the Real Madrid store.

I continued walking along Calle Mayor to Plaza Mayor (Main Square) which takes its name from the start of the 16th Century. I spent some time here before continuing on to Plaza de la Villa (Town Square), Palacio Real (Royal palace), Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens), Plaza España and finally Gran Via (one of the main arteries of Madrid).

Gran Via is to Madrid as Oxford Street is to London and Champs de Elysees is to Paris. It was such a hot, hot day, the only difference with KL was that it was not humid.

I continued on to Banco de España, a beautiful building, too beautiful to be a bank in my opinion. Fuente de Cibeles and Palacio de Comunicaciones were just nearby. I turned here and walked on to Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) but no time to visit I’m afraid, passed Fuente de Neptuno (Neptune fountain) and Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens) on my way to Madrid Atocha station where I bought a ticket to my next destination. Unfortunately, very few people in Madrid speak English and certainly not those selling train tickets. Bloody idiots, do they expect everyone to know Spanish? Hurried back to the hostel to get my bag and walked back to the station for my train out.

After more than four hours, I finally reached Granada. Though the hostel gave directions, I was not able to find the bus stop and so I walked on boldly until I reached a hotel (I made it a point after that to just stop at hotels where at least one staff can speak English at the minimum). She helpfully directed me to a bus stop where I took a mini-bus all the way to my hostel (there are two types of buses in Granada - the regular bus and the mini-bus).

The room was oh so tiny; in fact I think the Tokyo hotel rooms I stayed in were significantly larger. But hey at least there was a heater (and it was chilly at night in Granada).

Thanks to dear SK and Zara for texting me the footie results.

Sunday, 3 May 2009

Grand Granada

I checked out and again left my luggage behind while I went to explore Alhambra. The entrance to Alhambra was all of 20 metres away from my hostel. Thankfully I had managed to purchase a ticket online a few weeks ago after attempting for days (and hence not have to queue for hours for it).

And Granada was magnificent. There was Alcazaba (Fortress) with its Jardin del Adarve (Garden of Adarve); the Palacio Nazaries (Nasrid Palaces) with its hauntingly beautiful courts, rooms and halls all engraved with Quranic verses along their walls (oh if only the walls could speak); Palacio de Carlos V and Generalife and Palacio Generalife (Palace Generalife).

I can’t find the words to describe or explain the beauty of this place and I walked through it with a mixed feeling of wonder, awe, amazement and some sadness too. It could all have been a different kind of present day but history changed everything. I spent close to six hours at Alhambra alone.

After that, I walked (yes, walked) to Albaicin, an ancient Arab neighbourhood with winding streets and houses dating back to the 14th century which together with the neighbourhood of Sacromonte also form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (as is Alhambra). There was some sort of festival going on with girls from all ages donned a long layered dress with ruffled sleeves. The festivity also meant that there was hardly any bus service and any bus service that operated didn’t run its normal route so I had to walk back to the hostel. And as the bus didn’t go to Calle Via, I had to get down and walk to the train station... where I bought a ticket to my next destination.

I had a good feeling about my next destination, Córdoba, and I was right. I got a bus to the hostel almost immediately after emerging from the station and the hostel was so charming and tastefully decorated too. I ventured out after 10 pm in search of food but was not successful.

Monday, 4 May 2009. Happy birthday to Cesc!


Sweltering Sevilla

I took a bus to the train station and bought a train ticket to Sevilla. I was informed by the helpful ticket person that there are three types of tickets: one costs Euro59, one costs Euro15 and the last costs Euro9. A bus trip would take slightly longer and cost more than Euro10. Bought the Euro9 train ticket.

I walked to the centre of Sevilla from Santa Justa train station. It was another bright, scorching hot day. I walked to Prado de San Sebastian and on to Plaza de España. Then I walked back and passed Universidad de Sevilla (previously Antigua Fabrica de Tabaco or Tobacco Factory of Seville), the beautiful hotel Alonso XIII down Avenida de la Constitucion to Reales Alcazares at Place Contratacion.

I also spent time walking along the winding streets of Barrio Santa Cruz (Jewish Quarter) before going to Catedral y Giralda. Now La Giralda, the large and beautiful minaret tower of the cathedral, was originally intended for the chief mosque. It is now a symbol of Sevilla.

My last stop before walking back to the station was Torre de Oro, a 13th century tower.

Back at Córdoba, I shopped for some groceries and went back to the hostel to deposit them. After prayers, I went out again and took the winding little alley streets to Mezquita Catredral (Mosque Cathedral). After walking around it, I walked to Puerta del Puente and took the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) across Rio Guadalquivir to Torre de la Calahorra and back again. Then I walked to Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (Fortress of Christian Kings). I also passed Banos Califates (Caliphates baths) but it was mainly covered.

Next I walked along the city walls and passed Sinagoga (Synagogue), one of three left in Spain (the other two are in Toledo), before heading back to the hostel.

Tuesday, 5 May 2009

Cool Córdoba/Living On A Prayer

I woke up early today and checked out. Walked to Mezquita Catedral to visit the interior. The ticket costs Euro8 but is free if you visit between 8.30-10 am on certain days. Spent an hour there, again filled with sadness and awe. Headed to the Synagogue to have a look - I didn’t expect it to be so small - then walked to the station to buy ticket back to Madrid and return ticket from Madrid to Toledo.

Hurried back to the hostel to collect my bag. The bus was late, it only came after 1130 and my train was at 1156. I was beginning to panic of course. It reached the station at 1152 and I practically jumped down and ran all the way to the platform. Thankfully the train hadn’t arrived yet. Talk about Living On A Prayer.

At Madrid, I was again involved in another running session. See, I only had 10 minutes to change platforms/trains after arriving and I ran and ran. Again, Living On A Prayer.

The ride to Toledo took half an hour. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite enjoy Toledo because (i) I had to drag my bag with me everywhere (no baggage storage facility that I noticed) and the streets were mainly cobbled not to mention hilly and steep at some places; (ii) it was a hot, hot, hot cross bun day; and (iii) most importantly, my right Crocs button came off. So much for pricey footwear. I’ll stick to my trusted Converse next time, thank you very much.

I had to go to a departmental store back in Madrid to find some strong glue, in the faint hope that it would work. It didn’t and as a result, I had to buy a new pair of footwear. Dang! Give me Converse shoes again, any time, any where. The whole shopping trip cost me time which I could have spent better in Prado Museum (it’s free between 6-8 pm Tuesday-Saturday or something like that).

Navigated the metro system again back to the airport (Terminal 4) for my next flight out. Tried to sleep on the plane but not successful this time. Oh, and thanks to my mates for texting me the result of the disastrous match between Arsenal and ManUre. Silly asses. Grrr...

Wednesday, 6 May 2009

Malteser Time
Landed at Malta Airport at 0125. Yes, an ungodly hour. I was shivering in the night breeze and when someone called out to me, ‘Feeling cold?’, I was a bit startled. Oh, to hear English being spoken again!

Malta Airport was not big and clearly whoever designed it didn’t have backpackers in mind for there was hardly anywhere to rest one’s weary bones and take a kip. Finally managed to doze off after morning prayers. Took bus #8 to Valetta (you have to pay for your bag too on this bus) and changed buses for Sliema, where my hotel was. Now Malta may speak English as one of its languages but its roads and places are predominantly in Maltese so it was a bit tricky trying to locate my hotel. I managed to check in at 10 am and after freshening up, went to explore the vicinity before deciding to take a ferry across the bay to Valletta. All buses go to/from Valletta by the way so if you're going to be here long, it’d be wise to invest in a bus pass.

Valletta is a pretty hilly city (it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage City). Walked to Fort St Elmo (it has limited opening times), the Siege Bell Memorial, and Lower Baracca Gardens for a view of the Grand Harbour and the Fish Market.

Then I walked to Triq Il-Repubblika (Republic Street) to the Grand Master’s Palace and Armory and the National Library. A cute bloke tried twice to entice me to some free Dead Sea cosmetic trial but I declined him as I decided to visit Rabat and Mdina. So I walked to the bus terminus and took a bus to Rabat. From Rabat, I walked the short distance to neighbouring Mdina. Mdina was the capital of Malta at one point and it still has beautiful buildings. I walked in the grounds of Vilhena Palace before going back to Valletta and Sliema.

Thursday, 7 May 2009

I checked out after breakfast and walked around Sliema. Boarded bus to Valletta and then the bus to the airport. My flight out was an Air Malta co-sharing with Emirates so I was served a light meal.

Landed at 1900 local time (GMT + 2 hours). Unfortunately, there was no more bus service to the city at that hour so I had to take a cab to my hotel and was charged a hefty Euro10. Dang! The journey took all of five minutes if not less. After checking in, I walked to Makenzy Beach about 200 metres away and found the bus stop to the airport (for the trip back to the airport).

Friday, 8 May 2009

The Isle of Aphrodite

Checked out after breakfast and walked along the seafront to the city. The Fort of Larnaca marked the beginning of the city perimeter. The Grand Mosque of Larnaca is just opposite the fort. Walked to St Lazarus Church (and me being the curious puss even went to check out his tomb but there was nothing in there. Hmmm). Then I went to the Municipal market and bought some souvenirs. Next stop was the Cyprus Handicraft Service centre then Larnaca Marina before heading back to the city. Passed Picrides Museum and walked on to Larnaca Archaeological Museum (didn’t enter) and Kition Walls (nothing much left).

Back to the hostel and tried to find something to eat but finding none, walked back to the mosque and bought a shawarma from Al Zahra, a halal Lebanese shop. Despite the title of this blog entry, I do have reservations about buying food from a place that has pork kebab on its menu!

I must say that Cypriot men are really friendly, too friendly in fact. I lost count of the number of Adonis who said hello and tried to chat me up/buy me a drink. One even offered me a lift to the airport. And err there were also some middle-aged guys who also tried to chat me up/offer me chocolates/take me to dinner/buy me a drink/offer me a ride on their bikes. One even stopped, slowed down his car and wound down his window to talk to me. My reaction was ‘Oh God, oh dear God!’ and ignored him as I walked past.

Maybe they don’t meet too many Asian girls travelling solo. Maybe they don’t meet too many Asians period. Oh I was also asked if I was a Filipino (me, a a Filipino?!) or a Chinese. Me, neither. A truly Asian I am though. Anyway, back to the hostel and picked my bag and took the 1730 airport bus (last service for the day) and guess what, the airport was just around the bend from Makenzy Beach. Dang, dang, dang. Euro10 for a cab-ride (you should pay me Euro10 to ride in your bloody cab!).

Reached the airport at 1750 and settled down for a long, long wait, for my next flight out was only in the early hours of the next morning. Really, whoever designed that schedule ought to be shot.

Saturday, 9 May 2009

Vienna Calling
Our flight out was slightly delayed – turned out the outbound flight from Vienna was delayed. So we arrived at Vienna about 25 minutes later than scheduled, enough to make me miss the first direct train to my next destination (dang, dang, dang) and so I had to take the next (indirect) train with one station change, lasting 2.5 hours longer and costing Euro 37 more. Ouch ouch ouch - I don’t earn Euro after all. But well, the next direct train would only reach Zagreb well after 10 pm so I settled in for the long train journey.

Managed to catch about an hour of sleep before joining passengers woke me up. Finally I gave up on sleep and admired the Austrian countryside instead. Train change was at Villach Hbf and I tried frantically to find the right platform for my next train which would depart only six minutes after my first train arrived. Tried to read from the electronic board but it turned out there were two trains departing at the same time and so I still came no closer which platform I should head for.

Asked some train officials and was directed to the right platform, phew. Now if that had happened in Spain, I doubt I’d be able to even ask anyone.

Another four-hour train ride to enjoy. We travelled through Slovenia next.

Dynamo Zagreb
* Before I forget, I’d like to express my gratitude to Fifi who helped provide me with links particularly the Croatian bus timetables without which planning for this leg of the journey would be a lot trickier.
Arrived at Zagreb Glavni kolodvor at 1657 and walked to my hostel – even with the vague map provided on the website, it was easy enough to locate. Went out to explore the vicinity after prayers.

Walked to Katedrala then to Trg bana Josipa Jelačića (Ban Jelačić Square) then turned into Tomiceva and walked up the stairs (you can take the funicular train if you want) for a view of the city. Then I walked to the nearby Croatian Museum of Naïve Art, St Mark’s Church and Kamenita vrata (Stone Gate) before going to Trg Zrtava Fasizma where a former mosque stood (now the Hall of Croatian Artists of Fine Arts). Retraced my steps back to the Main Square. Dinner was had at Nokturno Restaurant right in front of the hostel.

Sunday, 10 May 2009

Woke up at 5 am today for prayers. Packed for lunch and left at 6.15 am (already starting to get bright). Took tram #6 to Folnegovicevo stop and walked to Ulica Gavellina at the end of which is where the Zagreb mosque is (they call it jamia). It is quite a big structure but with my luggage, I didn’t really explore it. Left at 7 and went back to the tram stop to for the tram to Autobusni Kolodvor (bus station) where I bought a ticket to Plitivce Jezera (or Plitvice Lakes National Park. Bus was bound for Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik) for 76 kn (but to store luggage inside the bus, you need to pay an extra 7kn. WTH!). My kn are really depleting already...

Water World

Arrived at Nacionalni Park Plitvička Jezera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at 0945 and bought entrance ticket after storing luggage. Walked to Kaluderova Jezero, Novakovica Brod Jezero, Verliki Slap (Veliki Waterfall), Gavanovic Jezero, Milanova Jezero and Kosjak Jezero. Took a boat at Kozjak Jezero to the other side of the lake (at 82 hectare square, it sure was one large lake!) Spent hours at the Lakes.

Took the 1710 bus to Zadar and arrived at Zadar at 1920. Croatian buses are amazingly punctual. Walked to the city centre after buying ticket out and storing luggage. There was a lovely marina and Zadar enjoys a good waterfront view. Went to Trg Narodni (National Square) before checking out the Roman Forum near the Church of St Mary (because I just love ruins) and then the waterfront.

Back at the station at 2130 and waited for the bus out at 2245. Oppps, I spoke too soon about the punctuality because our bus only pulled up at 2255.

Monday, 11 May 2009

Pearl of the Adriatic

Those who seek Paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik.
– George Bernard Shaw -

Lousy sleep, no thanks to bumpy journey. And just as I was about to fall asleep, I was awaken. Here’s the funny part, Dubrovnik is part of the Croatia but to get there by land (alternatively, you can take a ferry to Dubrovnik), you need to cross into Bosnia-Herzegovina. So I was awaken by the border police twice. We finally reached Dubrovnik bus station at 0545. After freshening up, buying ticket for my next trip out and storing my luggage, I took the bus to the city centre. You can buy a day pass for 25 kn from the bus station or pay on the bus (slightly more I think) or walk – for 40 minutes.

I walked in the Dubrovnik Old City starting from Gradska vrata Pile (Pile Gate), passed the entrance to the City Walls, Big Onoforis fountain, and along Placa (Stradun) (main street) up to Orlando’s Column, Bell Tower and Bell Lounge and out to Gradska luka (Old Port). Then I took the City Wall entrance to explore the neighbouring Victorija area.

I returned back to the Old City via the north city entrance and walked along Ulica Prijecko which is at an elevated level to Placa. Indeed flat area in Dubrovnik is limited so one needs to be really fit to climb all those steps (just like in Valletta)! Then I walked back to the old port and around the bend to St John Fort where I met a local bloke who chatted me up (and tried to ask if he could start a relationship with me - hey mate, that’s much too soon surely!). I quickly fled.

Spent the next few hours exploring Gundulic Square where there was a local market selling handicrafts and fruits and also visited the mosque at Ulica Dzamija (even prayed there).

Lunch was had at Dundo Maroje. Things are really expensive here and one practically has to pay for everything. My lunch cost three times more than my dinner in Zagreb (and you’d think you’d pay more in the capital city).

A last stroll through Placa was enjoyed before boarding the cramped bus back the station. My bus departed at 1415 and as before we entered Bosnia-Herzegovina and even made a pit-stop there. We journeyed along the Dalmatian coast with a fantastic view of the sea on our left and barren rugged hillside on our right.

We reached Split at 1845 (funny sight when the bus pulled over at the station was a group of ‘aunties’ rushing forward to entice new strangers into the city to their respective lodgings). Walked to my apartment and went out for a brief stroll later at night.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Woke up at 5 am for prayers then at 7. The café opposite the apartment had already sprung to life before 7 am. Left before 9 and went to Diocletian’s Palace entering from Srebna vrata (Silver Gate) and walked to Peristil I Katedrala (Peristil Square and the Cathedral) down to the Diocletian Palace and Basement Halls; out to Riva (waterfront), back to Kastel (Castle – nothing much though; Pjaca (the Square now known as Narodni Trg); Hramovi (Jupiter’s Temple) which was an ancient Roman temple and now St John’s Church (there’s a sphinx in front of the temple and is one of the two brought from Egypt by the Roman Emperor Diocletian); Zlatna vrata (Golden Gate); and back to Peristil. I also found the Islamic Society of Split but it looked more like a centre/school than a mosque.

A chap was chatting me up – met him twice (coincidence? Or was he stalking me?) – and he told me he was a local lad but now staying in Japan. He knew a few Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese and of course Japanese words and was chatting me up in them. He said he loved Asia and everything Asian. Hmmm, maybe we should change places. Anyway, I told him I wanted to check the ferry timetables to Hvar Island (timing not favourable) so we parted ways. Then I walked to the bus station and took a bus to Trogir, about 32 km away. Trogir is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Split.

I didn’t spend long in Trogir. The historical city of Trogir was quite compact anyway. Took the bus back to Split not knowing it was a regional bus that stopped at every Tom, Dick and Harry stop. Walked to the train station and bought a train ticket to Rijeka departing that night with a change at Ogulin and a three-hour-plus wait for the next train. Oh joy. (I could of course take a bus but as it would cost a lot more and I slept poorly on the bus before, I decided to take the train instead). It would be a 12-hour journey compared to a seven-hour trip by bus. Anyway, I made up my mind, train it would be. I was warned that there might be a possibility of travelling to Rijeka by bus due to works on the rail tracks.

Thankfully the train had couchettes (two rows of three seats facing each other) where I could stretch out (no way can I do that on a bus). Still couldn’t sleep much though.

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

River City
Woke up at 4 something for prayers. Got down at Ogulin and prepared myself for a three-hour wait. There was a group of six lads also in the waiting room and each claimed a bench.

Train to Rijeka arrived at 0815 but we had to change for a bus at a stop after a thirty-minute train ride (as had been warned to me). The bus ride took us through lush Croatian countryside with forests and narrow streams. Charming, I must say. It had rained earlier so there were still fogs and morning mist still embracing the mountains.

We reached Rijeka train station after 10 am and I made my way to the bus station after asking a Niko Kranjčar doppelgänger at the train station (handsome, you’re wasted behind the counter!). After depositing my luggage, I set out to explore the city. The name Rijeka means River in Croatia due the river flowing into the city and underground springs. It’s a pretty small compact city, one you can cover in an hour (imagine how bored I’d be if I had arrived at 0530 by bus!).

Despite my flight out being rescheduled from 1715 to 2025, I decided to go to the airport early. Rijeka Airport is really tiny and not very disabled-friendly (and not friendly to those travelling alone with a heavy luggage like me). There are stairs instead of lifts or escalators (there’s that ‘machine’ to help a wheelchair-bound person up and down but not helpful for people like me with a bag to haul up and down those stairs. To make matters worse, the washroom is at the lower ground).

Settled down for a long wait. This day had turned out to be a day of waiting/relaxing after all those hectic walking of the past few days. It was also the first day that the day had been cloudy/overcast.

Arrived at Köln-Bonn Airport at 2200 and took the 2234 bus to Koln Hbf. I had decided to spend the last two nights at both Koln and Bonn (besides all hostel rooms in Frankfurt had run out much earlier. I suspect there was a fair going on) and tonight I would sleep in Koln - in a six-bed room at a backpackers’ hostel to be precise (single room no longer available).

Thursday, 14 May 2009


Scented City

After checking out and storing my luggage at the storage room, I set off to explore Cologne. My, it was a chilly day today and I had to return to the hostel to get my jacket. Struggled for a while with the map supplied by the hostel before finally figuring it out. There are surprisingly a number of Roman walls still remaining in the city and I tried to seek them all out. I also went shopping at 4711-house (the most famous brand of Eau de Cologne 4711 got its name when Napoleon counted every house during his occupation of Cologne - and the building was number 4711).

I only returned to the hostel at 4 pm. Took the 1632 train to Bonn Hbf (journey time was only 24 minutes).

City of Beethoven

Walked to the hostel from the station (about 15 minutes). Went out again after 6 to explore the city. It was a small city, smaller than Cologne and quite charming. Unfortunately it started to rain halfway through my walk so I had to hurry before finally seeking refuge in a departmental store. It was also getting dark so I left just before 8 and headed back to the hostel.

Friday, 15 May 2009
Was rudely woken up at three something in the morning by stupid, irresponsible, inconsiderate oafs who were in such a state of drunken stupor and boy, the racket they made. Every few seconds I’d hear a door slam somewhere and footsteps and knockings/thumping. Sounds were vibrating and reverberating throughout the whole building. Not unlike a herd of elephants, I think. It seemed to go on and on and on and just as I thought they’d finally fallen asleep, the noise started again. I actually felt afraid to walk the five metres down the hall to the washroom to take ablution and had to wait a long time for the noise to subside.

Left the hostel at 0730 and walked to the station. The train arrived promptly at 0814 and departed a minute later. I’d bought the ticket online a few months ago and was lucky to purchase it for about half the normal price. It was not an express train but the trip took us through the beautiful Rhine Valley and along the Rhine. Awesome and fantastic views! You should sit on the left side of the train to enjoy the view the view better.

The train took us direct to Frankfurt Airport (how smart and cool is that?) before continuing on its journey with Vienna as the final destination. From the train station, I took a shuttle to Terminal 2 to check-in.

Alas, I couldn’t sleep on the plane...

Saturday, 16 May 2009

Well, this is it. After 16 days, I’m back home. And would you believe it, I only saw masked people at KLIA and not anywhere in Europe!

Every now and then, go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgement will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in one glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen. – Leonardo da Vinci -

Bon Aniversari

Happy birthday munchkin dearest. I love you to bits and every little bit of you.