The Sweet Escape Tour: Ninth Leg

Friday the 13th May
VNO-BGY
The Sound Of Music
I woke up early to perform prayers and rested back after that. Left after showering and breakfast (provided by guest house) and walked to the train station (as advised by the girl at the guest house). It took me 25 minutes of trudging uphill and downhill (the girl told me it’d take 30 minutes and she was right) that by the time I reached the train station, I was all hot and perspiring.

The train to the airport runs every 45-60 minutes and I had planned to take the 0840 train. The cost was only LTL2.5 (less than €1) and the journey only takes 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can take bus no. 2 (not trolley bus) but I don’t know where from and besides the train is faster if you know the timetable.

This was my last flight aboard the cattle airlines (i.e. RyanAir) and after the usual unpacking and repacking, my checked in suitcase was 15.9 kg (RyanAir’s limit is 15 kg) but the eye candy at the check-in counter didn’t say a thing and neither did I of course.

I was surprised to note that some of my fellow travellers had already started queuing at the gate a good hour before flight departure. It never ceased to amaze me to see how kiasu Europeans are when it comes to flying low-cost airlines. As for me, I was aiming to browse the duty-free shops to get rid of my Litas. I finally bought an Amber bracelet using my remaining Litas topped up with some Euros (even then I was a bit short but the kind lady let me have the bracelet anyway. Thanks, you made my day!). I was among the last to board the flight (and guess what, our flight was late in serving from its previous destination so we had to wait while the passengers disembarked before we could board anyway. Oh was I glad I didn’t join the queue an hour before departures!) as I was lucky to get the first available row. Again, I was very glad I wasn’t as kiasu.

It was a long 2.5-hour flight and I couldn’t really sleep because I had a good sleep the night before and because the cabin crew were practically energetic, walking up and down the aisle selling F&B, serving in-flight shopping, attending to passengers, and selling scratch cards, smokeless cigarettes (some nicotine stuff), coach ticket to Milan Centrale, etc.

We finally landed at 1240 but our bags were late in appearing. After performing prayers, I bought a coach ticket to Central (€9.90 single but €15 if you are planning to return back to the airport). The journey took a good hour. From Milan Centrale Stazione, I walked to Milan Porta Garibaldi and bought a regional train ticket to Domodossola near the Swiss border (€7.95). We reached Domodossola after two hours and there, I bought a ticket to Bern via Brig (Domodossola-Brig ticket cost €11 while Brig-Bern ticket cost a whooping €35.20). The Intercity train from Domodossola left 3 minutes late and I started to panic as I had only four minutes in Brig to change trains. It’d be worse if I had to change to another platform because that would mean hauling my bag down and up to another platform. Fortunately, the train to Bern was on the platform across so I just ran across to the awaiting train. The trip took us through amazingly picturesque Swiss countryside. It makes you want to suddenly shout out ‘The hills are aliveeee with the sound of musiccc!!!’

We reached Bern at 2023 but I was engrossed in typing that I didn’t realise where we were until other passengers who were also stopping at Bern had left the train. I only realised we were in Bern when there was an announcement as to the next station the train would call. I managed to leave the train before it continued on its journey and ran off to buy the 2046 train to Wichtrach (CHF10). I reached the platform just as the train pulled up. Phew!

We reached Wichtrach 18 minutes later and Lin and a colleague were already waiting. We waited four minutes for the local bus to take us to Gerzensee (Baren stop). The fare was CHF4 but if you buy your ticket from Gerzensee Baren to Bern, the bus-and-train ticket cost CHF10 (which was the cost of the Bern-Wichtrach train ticket anyway).

It had been a long day of travelling: walking, taking the train, plane, coach and train again and dealing with train connections and my confused state at Bern.

Saturday, 14 May 2011
It was predicted to rain from today until next weekend and the weather forecast was disappointingly accurate today. We took the bus to Wichtrach and then train to Bern and reached the city after 9. Walked around the Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) then returned to the station to catch the train to Schönenwerd. Unfortunately some idiot pulled the emergency brake when the train was in a 6-km tunnel and we stopped at a screech in the tunnel. The problem was fixed some 15 minutes later and it caused us to miss the train connection at Olten to Schönenwerd. We had wanted to check out the Bally Factory Outlet and the Fashion Fish shopping outlet at Schönenwerd hence the trip. It started raining earnestly as we left Olten.

We only reached Schönenwerd at 1515 and had less than two hours to shop. The Bally outlet was quite big but I couldn’t quite find anything to catch my fancy save for a belt and some small leather items. In the end, I only bought the belt. We then walked back to Fashion Fish and spent the last 20 minutes of shopping hours to browse. I’m a fast shopper but I cannot shop under pressure. Still, I managed to grab two Pepe Jeans tops.

We took the 1743 train back to Olten and this time the train connection was better; we only waited 5 minutes for the train back to Bern. Reached Bern at 1830 and had just enough time to buy the ticket back to Gerzensee.

The rain continued well into the night. It didn’t deter us to venture out for an evening walk later though. We returned back to the room at 2215 and rested.

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Eighth Leg

Wednesday, 11 May 2011
NRN-TLL
Beautiful Day




It rained overnight complete with thunders. I didn’t sleep well as usual of course. Finally got up at 0450 to perform prayers and freshen up before checking in my bag. I had an early morning flight today, one of the few this morning. One of the best things about travelling solo is you can sit in any empty seat. I settled in and slept practically the whole flight.

We landed at Tallinn Airport about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. Yes, I travelled from the Balkans to the Baltic! To get to the city, you need to take bus #2. Buy your ticket at the kiosk in the airport (it costs less than buying it from the driver). I did that but missed the bus and had to wait a while for the next bus out.

I stopped at the third stop and walked to the bus terminal. Left my suitcase at the left luggage (the cost is based on the weight of your bag; my 15-kg bag cost €0.96 in storage fee, pretty cheap I thought). Then I walked to the city, heading for the Old Town.

The Old Town of Tallinn, dating back from the 13th century, with its winding cobbled streets, courtyards and churches, is what keeps most visitors occupied. Superbly well-preserved, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I checked out St Catherine’s Passage before heading for the Town Hall Square. Next I climbed up Toompea Hill to the Castle Square (the castle is now the Parliament) and checked out the views if the Old Town and surrounding areas from the observation platforms. You can even see the port of Tallinn from Toompea Hill.

Having exerted my energy, it was time for lunch. Now, Estonia is not a cheap country. Tallinn is only 70 km south of Helsinki and fancies itself as a Scandinavian country - in fact, I find the language more similar to Finnish than Russian or Slavic. However, fret not for you can dine decently in the city. I had lunch at Karja Kelder at Vaiker-Karja. You can have soup and steak set for only €3.50. Unfortunately, the soup had meat and it wasn’t fish steak when I went so I ordered some cheese soup with shrimps and a plate of spaghetti instead. The pub provided free WiFi and I caught up with news there. Actually, Tallinn and Estonians are pretty much tech-savvy and WiFi coverage is wide. They were the people who invented Skype among others.

After lunch, I headed to Viru Hotel to perform prayers. I debated whether or not to visit Kadriorg, a palace by Peter the Great for his wife Catherine I (‘Catherine’ is Kadri in Estonian). As it was almost 4 pm, I decided not to and instead returned back to the Old Town.

I returned back to the bus station after 6 pm, exhausted. I rested, read my novel and had some light dinner. My bus to the next destination was at 2200. It was a modern coach, very comfortable and clean, unlike the previous coaches I’d been on thus far in this trip. The coach would take me across two country borders and trip (scheduled to take almost 9 hours) only cost me €14! I saved on accommodation and the coach delivered me to my next destination. Neat.

Thursday, 12 May 2011

TLL-RIX-VNO-KUN-VNO
We arrived at Vilnius, Lithuania, at 0615, 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. It was already bright and sunny when we pulled over at the bus station. I needed Litas though, the local currency, and as the exchange office would only open at 7 am, I headed over to the train station across the street. I studied the train times to Kaunas and the airport and then went to use the bathroom. A wise thing too as the bathroom at the train station was free but the one at the bus station wasn’t. And you need to haul your bag up and down the stairs to get to the bathroom at the bus station whereas there was an escalator going up and down at the train station.

I decided to take the bus to Kaunas instead as the bus service is more frequent so headed back to the bus station. The exchange office had already opened by then (€1 = 3.45 Litas). I left my bag at the left luggage at the bus station (3 Litas) and bought bus ticket to Kaunas (20 Litas one way).

The journey to Kaunas took about 1.5 hours and from the bus station, I walked to the Old Town. It was more like a cross-country trek. I reckon the Old Town was easily at least 3 km from the bus station. I walked along the leafy Laisvės Alėja (Kaunas’ most famous walking street) before turning into Vilniaus before reaching the Old Town Square. Then I walked to the Nemunas River before turning back to Kauno Pilis (Kaunas Castle). Alas, it wasn’t opened so after some Kodak moments, I walked back.

I wanted to reach Vilnius by 2 pm so I walked back to the bus station. My poor suffering feet now had blisters all over them. I would hope I have developed leg muscles by now!

We reached Vilnius at 2.20 pm and after getting advice from the Tourist Information Centre at the railway station, I took trolleybus no. 2 to the Old Town. However, the advice given was misleading and I ended up walking in the hot afternoon heat back to the Old Town to find my guest house.

I finally found my guest house at Bernardinu street. It was very charming and provided practical amenities. After showering, I set off in my flip flops to explore the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I headed for the Cathedral Square first and spotting the Higher Castle atop a hill behind the square, I decided to climb up (if you don’t already know me by now, I have a weakness for buildings, old and new, and ruins) – despite my flip flops. There wasn’t much to see of the castle though (unless you want to climb up to the tower at a cost but even then, I think it was closed until end of May 2011) but you’ll be rewarded for the climb with the bird eye’s view of the Old Town.

I gingerly made my way down those damn cobble stones and set off for the Old Town. Vilnius has dozens of churches and they seemed to be everywhere you turn.

Vilnius is not a cheap city either and I had despaired of finding a decent dinner when I stumbled onto a kebab place. The lady assured me the meat is halal (she told me her husband is Turkish although I noticed the cross on her pendant) but as she was running out of meat, she prepared me a cheese-and-vegetables rolled bread anyway. It turned out to be good surprisingly although the melted cheese did make a mess.

I returned to the guest house and rested. It had been a long day. But I was very glad, pleased and thankful that my dream of covering the Balkans (except Serbia) and the Baltic had been fulfilled. I can now tick them off my to-do list.

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Seventh Leg

Monday, 9 May 2011
Hakuna Matata

Rain? Fine. I come from a country where we have rain and shine throughout the year anyway (but still... I prefer a rain-free holiday of course)

It rained overnight and was still raining when I woke at 6. I somehow survived the night without any frost bite but was reluctant to leave the sanctuary of my bed. After all, it’d be some time until I next lay in one.

I finally left to explore the city after 10 am after the rain showed no sign of relenting. I walked Gazi Isa-Begova Mosque and the Clock Tower across the River Vardar. Then I walked by Bit Pazar (a wet market) and the adjoining Old Bazaar. I also climbed up to Kale Fortress but unfortunately it was closed. Disappointed, I climbed back down and continued exploring the Old Bazaar. I noticed a lot of shops selling gold jewellery and wedding attire. Hmmm. You can also spot mosque, Islamic school and Turkish baths (hammam) which have been turned into art galleries. I must have spent hours at the Old Bazaar alone. A lot of restaurants sell kebab and burek so you don’t have to worry (unless you’re a vegetarian because they sure eat a lot of meat there).

Finally I bade a silent farewell to the Old Bazaar and crossed the Stone Bridge back to the other side of the city (the Stone Bridge is the landmark of the city). The city is developing the area around the Stone Bridge with construction works going on, even in the river, and new buildings erected. Unfortunately this also meant that the road around leading to the Stone Bridge from the Old Bazaar was muddy where the sand used for construction works mixed with rain water.

I was taking pictures of the Stone Bridge when I was accosted by a Roma kid. I managed to shake him off; unfortunately, suddenly there were four of them surrounding me and they got so aggressive, they even pulled at my handbag. I screamed and a local man came to my rescue. That was shocking. To be ‘attacked’ in broad daylight like that. They will never endear themselves to the locals or visitors if they act like that.

I walked past Macedonia Square and headed back to the hostel, stopping en route at a shopping mall next to the City Museum (previously the railway station). I changed back my remaining Macedonian dinar into € and Bulgarian lev, leaving just enough for the taxi fare back to the bus station later that evening.

Back at the hostel, I waited for my midnight bus out of the city. Had a long chat with a fellow Swede lodger before he left for Serbia and then with a Singaporean girl also travelling solo. At 2315, the taxi arrived and I reached the station at 2330. I immediately hopped on the waiting bus and settled down for the ride.

Tuesday, 10 May 2011
SOF-BGY, BGY-NRN
Woke up at least twice at both sides of the border crossings. Slept a bit better - probably because I chose my seat well (one next to the middle bus door so no one could sit behind me) and because the bus was so much better than those I’d travelled in thus far.

We arrived in Sofia at 0545 local time (Sofia is an hour ahead of Skopje). I made my way to the hostel I stayed at previously because I known from there, it’s only a short walk to the bus stop for the bus to the airport. Thank God I had visited the city before Sofia was undergoing a major facelift.

I reached the bus stop just as bus #84 pulled up. Paid the driver 2 Lev, the only Bulgarian money I had (bus fare costs 1 Lev but if you have a big bag, you must pay for it too). We reached Terminal 1 about 35 minutes later and I was disappointed that we weren’t flying out of Terminal 2 instead as it was bigger and looked more modern.

Our flight out was on time at 11 am and we landed at Milan Orio al Serio aka Milan Bergamo after 12. I had initially toyed with the idea of going to the city but the journey would take an hour each way, not to mention cost me €15 return. It didn’t take me long to decide to check out Orio Centre across the highway instead so I followed the pedestrian walkway to the shopping mall. Bought some groceries (1/2 kg of strawberries cost only €0.99!) and had dinner before returning to the airport for my next flight out.

There were quite a few Dutch travellers on the same flight; see, Weeze Airport is quite near the border to the Netherlands. I was amazed as always to see how even the Europeans will avoid paying for their checked in bag. No wonder all the overhead compartments are always full.

We landed at Weeze Airport at almost 10 pm and I settled down for the night. Spending time in three different airports in three different cities/countries today...

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Sixth Leg

Saturday, 7 May 2011

SJJ-TDG
Cornflake Girl
Couldn’t sleep well last night. Had neighbours who kept on chatting and then there was this middle-aged man who sat behind me. Suddenly I felt his hand protruding in the dark and trying to grasp my arm. I swatted at the hand before changing seats. On hindsight, I should have screamed; that’d embarrass the hell out of him and serve him right.

I had missed my stop sometime during the night (I really thought Podgorica was the bus’ final destination) so it was with some shock when I woke up to find myself the sole remaining passenger and that we were in Herceg Novi. WTH?! I had to take another minibus to Podgorica. Thankfully it only cost €8 and it was still only 5.45 am.

Reached Podgorica at around 8 am and bought ticket to the next destination later that evening (cost €16.50). After freshening up (cost €0.40) and storing my bag in the left luggage (cost €2), I headed to the city. I bought some bread and buns along the way and had to force myself to eat it. I dislike bread but it’s the easiest thing to find and eat on trips. Give me cereal and muesli any morning.

No, I’m not touching bread/bun for the next few weeks ;P

There wasn’t much to attract me in the Nova Varos (New Town) so I returned back to the station, passing Stara Varos (Old Town) with some Ottoman remains. Back at the station, I bought bus ticket to Kotor. Kotor is only 80 km away from Podgorica in the Bay of Kotor but to get there, vehicles need to climb high mountains hence the journey takes an average of two hours at best.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, Kotor’s Old Town consists of medieval stone churches and houses which huddle together within a small triangle of mighty fortress Walls, and squeezed between the waterfront and the 1400-metre high mountains raising sheer up behind it. It was a bright, hot sunny day in Kotor and I enjoyed my trip. I also walked at the waterfront before going to a mall nearby to buy water where I met some Indonesian ship crew.

I returned back to Podgorica and went off to find dinner. At this stage, I was already sick of bread and buns. Had vegetarian pizza for dinner at a pizza place a few minutes’ walk from the bus station. Boarded the bus at 9 pm for my next destination. This time, I wasn’t charged for storing my bag.

Sunday, 8 May 2011
TDG-PRN; PRN-SKP
I slept slightly better last night despite the border crossing (I even had to go down the bus in the freezing cold as the border police wanted to know - of all things - my first name and surname. Duh!) and the few cigarette stops. My, these Balkan men sure love their nicotine.

Reached Pristina bus station at 4.45 am. Stayed in the station waiting for it to get light. After freshening up (cost €0.30), I walked to the city, hauling my suitcase with me because the left luggage was closed on Sundays. WTF.

There wasn’t much I could see and feeling disappointed, I turned back and returned to the station. I decided to take a bus out to Prizren instead, about 75 km southwest to Pristina and 2-hour bus journey away. We made it in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The ticket cost €4 each way.

Prizren had a charming city centre and apparently the best-preserved and most picturesque in Kosovo. The city’s long tradition of religious and ethnic tolerance is evident in the close proximity of Catholic and Orthodox churches (including Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Danger List) and Ottoman mosques. However, the cobbled city centre, dust, and the fact that I had to drag my suitcase started to get at me and I returned to the bus station less than 100 minutes later and took the bus back to Pristina (there are buses from Prizren to Skopje but they are both in the morning - at 0530 and 0900). This time, the journey took longer (2.5 hours). I caught the next bus out to Skopje (€5.50). It had begun to drizzle by now and it continued throughout the journey and way until I reached Skopje.

Kosovo is still a young country and the poorest of all ex-Yugoslavia republics - of course I’ve not been to Serbia (and not sure if I would or want to, not after what they did to the Bosnians and Kosovans and Croats) - so after the efficiency, beauty and higher standard of living in Croatia, Slovenia, even Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, it was a bit disappointing and saddening to see that Kosovo is still lacking. But what was I expecting anyway. It is, after all, still a relatively young country.

We reached Skopje at 1650. I bought bus ticket for tomorrow evening (midnight, rather) before setting off for my hostel. Some idiot at the station pointed me to the wrong direction and I had to return back to the station and set off for the right direction. Grrrr!!! I kind of lost my way after a while (no road name as far as I could sight and even if there was, it’s all in Cyrillic) but thank God, some kind girl helped to call the hostel to find out the exact address. Finally got to the hostel, knackered and a tad wet.

It was cold in the hostel, much too cold for comfort.

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Fifth Leg

Thursday, 5 May 2011
Miss Sarajevo
I left after 8 am and went to the hotel reception. The cute guy manning it gave me a map and some directions. And oh my, the concentration of good-looking men in Sarajevo was too high for my own good. I fell in love every few minutes with every other man I saw. Yup, they were that gorgeous!

I walked to the Sebilj, a Moorish-style public fountain. According to the local legend, if you drink from this fountain, you would make a return trip to Sarajevo. I walked around the Sebilj area. The cobbled streets, mosques and shops selling Oriental (particularly Turkish) merchandises made me feel as if I was in Istanbul.

I changed money at the Postbank (I couldn’t locate any money changer. Postbank charged commission of only 1%. You can also change money at the Post Office near the Tourist Info but the lady behind the counter couldn’t give me change in € so I didn’t change money there) and bought the 1230 bus ticket to Mostar. A return bus ticket costs 26.50KM.

I bought tram tickets from a kiosk (only to discover a day return ticket would cost even less at 2.90KM. Oh well) and boarded tram #1 to the train station. The bus station is just nearby. You can also take the train to Mostar but there are only two services daily: at 0705 and 1820; the return services from Mostar are at 0720 and 1840. Buses are more frequent with a few services daily.

It takes 2.5 hours to Mostar and we passed some amazing landscape: rugged terrain pierced by small rivers, tunnels, aqueducts and a mighty emerald green river. We reached Mostar at 3 pm and I set off for the Stari Most (Old Bridge). This bridge, originally built by the Turks in 1566 was destroyed in 1993 but rebuilt in 2004, is the landmark in Mostar and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge is 21 m high and I remember watching people diving off the bridge, no, not in a suicide attempt, but because as members of the Mostar Diving Club, that’s what they do! Unfortunately, there were no divers when I was there.

I love Mostar. I love the emerald green Neretva River flowing through the city, I love the cobbled street (I wouldn’t have loved it if I had my trolley bag with me but I didn’t have it then), I love the little shops, I love the buildings painstakingly rebuilt after the war - the city was the most heavily bombed during the war following the break up of Yugoslavia and the city lost may important buildings and structures through air strikes. Oh, and Euros are widely accepted here.

Time flew quickly and before long, I found myself hurrying back to the bus station. And I mean, really hurried. Our 1815 bus departed on time and we reached Sarajevo at 2050. I took the tram, stopped by at the hotel reception to pay for my room and went to buy some groceries.

Friday, 6 May 2011
Spent some time this morning writing. I have a long day in Sarajevo before my next bus out. I left after 10 and checked out, leaving my bag at the hotel reception. Yet another cute guy was manning the reception (and a Muslim too!). Got directions from him to the trolley bus stop and walked across the Miljacka River to find the stop. See, to get to my next destination, I have to take a bus out from a different bus station. This other bus station is located in Eastern (Serb-dominated) Sarajevo on the outskirts of the city. The fare was only 1.60KM purchased from a kiosk near the trolley bus stop. Turned out that the trolley bus stop is just across the Latin Bridge.

I rode the trolley bus for 35 minutes to its last stop. We passed mainly area after area residential blocks so the trolley bus stopped every few metres - hence why the journey took so long. Some of the apartment blocks still bore the brunt of the war - pockmarked with bullet and bombing marks.

At the last stop, I followed my instinct to get to bus station. It was a good thing I made this trip: my search on the Internet informed me that the last bus out would be at 2230, however when I got there, I was informed that the next bus services for the day would either be at 1400 or 2000. Imagine if I had arrived at the bus station at 2200 thinking the bus service at 2230 still existed! I would have to spend another sleepless night at a station, not to mention it would disrupt my subsequent plans greatly.

After purchasing the ticket for €20 (and getting 3KM return), I left and took the trolley bus back to the city. As it was Friday, the Muslim men were preparing to go for Friday prayers.

I crossed the Latin Bridge. Now, in case you don’t know, this bridge is the site of assassination of the Austrian-Hungarian heir, Prince Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia. His murder was what sparked off the World War I. The name was given after the Latinluk community, a colony of merchants from Dubrovnik and the Mediterranean who were present in Sarajevo for centuries. When the country was under Yugoslavia, the bridge was called Princip Bridge after the Serbian conspirator and assassin who murdered Prince Ferdinand, wife and their unborn child. Just across the street from the bridge is the Museum of the Sarajevo Assassination. I also walked over to Seher-Cehaja Bridge which dated back to the 15th century. In the vicinity of the bridge is the Hajj Mosque where Bosnian Muslims pray before going on their pilgrimage to Mecca, as well as upon their return from Hajj.

After that, I walked aimlessly around Baščaršija. I even climbed up the hill to Svrzina kuca or Svrzo house, a beautiful old Ottoman house showcasing the Bosnian Ottoman urban way of life. The entrance ticket cost 3KM.

After that, I had a late lunch at Vegehana, an organic restaurant. This was to make up for the meat I ate in Mostar the day before. By the way, Bosnians sure love their meat and cigarettes. After walking around the shops, I headed to Markale Market (this place marked the start of the NATO intervention and thereby the end of the war after a bombing which killed some 40 people). Markale was bombed twice, in February 1994 and August 1995.

To kill time, I even walked to the University of Sarajevo, the Main Post Office and National Theatre. It was a hot bright end-of-spring day and the weather was glorious. Much too glorious in fact that after all those hours of walking, I finally decided to return to the hotel and rest my weary legs. I had planned to leave around 1830 and take the trolley bus back to the bus station for my bus. I don’t want to arrive too early and kill time there.

Got back to the hotel and guess what. There was yet another cute eye candy at the reception! I’m beginning to think that the hotel only employs men and having good looks is a prerequisite to hiring.

Had tummy disorder - must be the milk I drank this morning. Oh God, please let me not have any problem in the bus later. Thank God there was no queue to the washroom. Boarded bus at 8 pm. Had to pay 1KM to store bag in luggage compartment.

* I’d like to give a special mention here to Hotel Konak, which was one of the four hotels/hostels I contacted in Sarajevo. Only Hotel Konak patiently replied my emails and answered my queries. And when I informed that their hotel rate was beyond my budget, they immediately offered me another room in a hostel which was within my budget. Their kind understanding and accommodating hospitality really touched me. Even when I waited at the lobby before embarking on my next trip, the chap at the counter was courteous, bringing my bag up from the storage room at the basement and offering me tea/coffee. And of course, they have the best-looking men manning the reception too.

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Fourth Leg

Tuesday, 3 May 2011
TUN-MXP; MXP-CGN; CGN-FRA
I Want My Money Back
I woke up early this morning as I had decided to attempt another trip to Carthage to find those ruins. It was a comparably smoother journey today (there was still that wait at Place Republique for the train to Tunis Marin). I reached Carthage Presidence station at 8.30 and walked. And walked. And walked. It was a while before I sighted any ruins (damn those books and maps). Finally, I went to find the Antonine Baths and this at least saved my morning. Entrance cost TND10 (which included entrances to other sites which I couldn’t locate).

I left at 10.30 am. Got the 10.45 train out of Carthage Hannibal and was back at the hotel by 11.35 am. I checked out and took a cab to the airport. No way was I going to haul my bag down to Place Republique, buy ticket, haul the bag down up and down those stupid stairs to validate my ticket and wait endlessly for the train to Tunis Marin from where I need to walk to find the bus station for the bus to the airport. No, I still had a lot of Tunis Dinar so I would take the cab.

The cab ride only cost less TND4 - I saw from the metre (the hotel told me it was TND10 and had asked for the money; had I known, I would have just flagged down a cab myself). I checked in - no passengers wanting to share their life story woes with check-in personnel this time - and checked my emails while waiting to board.

The flight took less than two hours. I was seated next to a couple with a wailing child who wouldn’t stop screaming at the top of his young lungs for all the blinking 20 minutes from when we were seated until we were airborne. Seriously, I now know why some parents murder their own children. I was close to committing infanticide myself that day. I knew the toddler was either hungry or tired hence the ultra-noisy tantrums but couldn’t the parents have figured that out?! Thankfully it was all peace and quiet until we landed at Milan Malpensa. Oh and unlike the trip out of BRU, this time they only served us drinks. No meal whatsoever. I want a refund for my ticket!

I had some time kill before my next flight out and wondered around the airport. Again, WiFi is not free. Duh.

I checked in as soon as the check-in counter was open but waited before I went in.

The flight took off on time and we landed at Cologne-Bonn Airport at 9.30 pm. I was not amused to find the upper part of my suitcase wet but thankfully my clothes inside were dry. Spent time in the washroom freshening up.

My 2308 Intercity Express train to Frankfurt Hbf was delayed by two minutes (there was a sign announcing delay). I had bought the ticket online earlier. Oh my, I was so impressed with the train. There were normal seats and there were seats in compartments (like couchettes but I don’t think anyone spread out in them like I would). There was an audio service for which you’d need to purchase headphones. There were also service plugs for you to charge your devices. Fantastic. Brilliantly thought of piece of engineering and design.

Wednesday, 4 May 2011
HHN-OSI; OSI-SJJ
We pulled up at Frankfurt Hbf at 0023 and I spent some time in the freezing cold looking for the stop for my bus out to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport early in the morning. Finally located it after remembering where it was belatedly (I had taken a bus out to Hahn two years prior).

I went back to the station and tried to make myself comfortable. Not easy when the temperature was hovering around the freezing point. At 2.45 am, I left and braved the frigid morning cold to catch the 3 am bus to Hahn (cost €13). We reached the airport about 1.5 hours later. I had ample time at the airport to re-pack my suitcase as it was over the 15-kg allowed by RyanAir.

Our flight out took off on time and I spent most of the time up in the air catching up on my sleep.

We landed at Osijek Airport at almost 10 am. I had no Croatian kuna and there was no money changer at the airport. Thankfully, the taxi mini-van driver accepted Euros. I decided to change only €10 (I recall €1 was around 7 kuna from my last trip). It took a 25-minute ride to the city and we were dropped off at the train station which suited me just fine as I needed to buy a train ticket out anyway. The said train ticket cost me 157 kuna (I used my plastic). Unfortunately, there was no left luggage facility in the train station (outrageous!) so I had no choice but to drag it with me. It was about a 10-minute trolley bag-dragging walk to the centre. The city has some beautiful buildings, among them the Croatian National Theatre, restored after the 1990s Balkan conflict, but now sullied by the McDonald's restaurant at the ground floor. The Co-Cathedral of St.Peter and St.Paul, the tallest church in Croatia, is at the main square and very near to the Tourist Info. I also walked down to the Drava River before checking out the broad tree-lined Europska avenija (European Avenue) on my way to Tvrda.

Tvrda is an 18th century complex of cobbled streets, grandiose buildings and squares. It was built in 1687 when the Hapsburg armies kicked off the Ottoman forces out of Osijek and turned the town into the military nerve centre of eastern Slavonia. At the centre of Tvrda is Trg svetog Trojstva (Holy Trinity Square). I was there briefly and also checked out the Parish Church of St Michael (a former mosque) before moving on. Cobbled streets are bad for my trolley bag!

I took another route back to the train station and waited there for my 1458 train to my next destination. The train arrived at 3 and there were only two carriages. I took the second carriage which was made up of couchettes (the first carriage consisted seats only). I shared a couchette with a Chinese American girl who was travelling from Budapest for work.

We were delayed at the border for more than an hour. As a result, we only arrived at Sarajevo at 10.15 pm, more than an hour behind schedule. I managed to change my remaining kunas at a shop to local Marks for the tram ride.

Tram #1 was already outside and I boarded it (it cost 1.8KM from the driver or 1.6KM if you buy it beforehand but the kiosk from where I could buy it was already closed). I wasn’t sure where to get down and ended up riding back to the station. This time I got the stop right and a couple with kind souls helped walk me to my hotel right in Baščaršija. The reception then led me to the hostel a few metres across the street.

I finally reached my room well after 11 pm. It had been such a long, long day and I was knackered. Three countries and cities in one day!

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Third Leg

Monday, 2 May 2011
We Built This City
I checked out at 7.30 am and headed for the train station where I bought a first-class ticket to El Jem, about 70 km south of Sousse. El Jem has a beautiful Roman Amphitheatre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is better preserved than the Coliseum (it was used as the location for filming in the movie Gladiator).

Formerly the Roman town of Thysdrus, one of the most important towns in North Africa after Carthage (now in the suburbs of Tunis), present day El Jem is like a little cowboy town and I saw a lot of camels there though not in parking lots (a camel’s ‘Camelot’?).

We reached El Jem after an hour. I was hoping to store my bag and the station but the station was too tiny and had minimum facilities. So I had no choice but to drag my bag along. You could see the Amphitheatre shortly after exiting the station and what a sight! I asked at a shop if I could leave my bag at his shop and he told me to leave it at the adjacent restaurant. Alhamdulillah.

El Jem was formerly a Roman town by the name of Thysdrus, one of the most important towns in North Africa after Carthage in the suburbs of Tunis. The Amphitheatre was built around the middle of the third century and was thought to house up to 35,000 spectators. I love, love, love ruins and the Amphitheatre at El Jem really made my day. The ticket cost TND7, add another dinar for your camera.

After an hour there, I left and headed for the Musée Archéologique (Archaeological Museum) - the ticket to the Amphitheatre included the entrance to the museum - about some 500 metres away. The museum houses a large selection of mosaics unearthed from the area. There was also a garden that houses ruins probably unearthed from the area too.

I headed back to the restaurant and had some mint tea before making my way back to the train station. A sand storm (or just strong wind?) was building up and I was glad I had already covered the Amphitheatre and museum.

I bought first-class ticket to Tunis but when I boarded the train, it seemed first-class was full - well, there was one empty seat but the woman sitting next to it had placed all her bags there. I was not happy - did they oversell the first-class ticket? - and even the train conductor didn’t look comfortable looking at me perched on my suitcase so after a while, I asked the woman if I could sit. It was a three-hour ride at least to Tunis and I wasn’t going to be perched in the outside corridor on my suitcase, inhaling all the cigarette smoke (yes, this is where the men go to smoke) when I had paid for my seat. She finally relented but it was an uncomfortable ride all the way to Tunis as I had my suitcase wedged in between my legs.

We finally reached Tunis at 3.30 pm (about 25 minutes behind schedule) and I struggled to find the metro train to my hotel. Turned out I had to make a change - oh joy - at Place Republique but it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. Because the map I had was inadequate, it took me a further ten minutes and unnecessary burning of calories before I located my hotel. It took me an hour from exiting the train station to finding the train to Nelson Mandela stop to boarding the train and then changing trains to navigating the Tunis roads to get to my room - all in the strong gale that had by then hit Tunis. I stayed in the room waiting for the gale to die down.

I had planned to attempt Carthage this evening so I headed out again before 5 pm. I had to walk to Place Republique because the train from Place Republique to Nelson Mandela was one way. Wow, how do those people at the stations beyond travel back? As for me, Nelson Mandela stop was only one stop or a 10-minute walk away from Place Republique so it wasn’t too bad.

It took me some time to locate the ticket office. The flat rate for a metro ride is 0.320 dinar. Then it was another wait for the train to Tunis Marin station which connects to the TGM train that would take me to Carthage (TGM train ride cost only 0.680 dinar so from Tunis, it costs only a dinar to get there).

It should take less than 30 minutes to reach Carthage Hannibal station but some rowdy and wild youths at the earlier stations were disrupting the service. They were climbing the window, obstructing the doors, fooling around and fiddling with the windows... This continued for a few stations until some train officials came on. Thanks to those idiots, I arrived at my destination even later. I walked uphill and located the Cathedral and Museum (all closed by then). After walking around and not successful in locating any other ruins, I decided to take the train back to Tunis. Carthage is a lovely suburb with palm-lined boulevards and big mansions lining up on either side of the boulevard but I was keen to return back to the city as it was getting dark.

I stopped at the nearby Lafayette shopping centre near the hotel and bought some food. The evening was spent checking my Twitter, emails and the Arsenal-ManUre match reports.

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: Second Leg

Sunday, 1 May 2011

Alone But Not Lonely

I left before 9 and after asking around, took the bus no. 22 from Souk Ahad (literally translated as Sunday Market) to the main bus station. From there, I bought a ticket to Khairouan for less than 3 dinars. Is that cheap or what? You can also take a shared taxi (louages) to Khairouan but you would need to take a bus or cab to the louage station and I think it was even further than the bus station. Plus, I already had enough communication problems as it was. Now, Khairouan apparently ranks fourth after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem as places of pilgrimage. Its large mosque and cultural history have added the city to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

We reached Khairouan after an hour and I walked around in the heat for a while before I was pointed the right direction to the medina. A young man approached me (this is getting familiar) and showed me the way to the medina. He showed me the Kasbah (now a hotel), the Mosque of the Three Doors and The Great Mosque. He also attempted to bring me to some friend’s shop but I wasn’t interested and made it clear I didn’t want to linger. The only thing I bought was a small box of the sticky pastry called makrouhd. However, Khairouan is also famous for its carpets if you’re interested.

I spent some time at The Great Mosque (Muslims enter for free; non-Muslims have to pay TND8 to enter). I don’t know why I had to convince the guard that I’m a Muslim. The mosque guard also brought me to a nearby rooftop for me to have a bird’s eye view of the mosque and medina. Oh and he also expected a tip for this.

After that, I hurried back to the bus station, trying to recall the winding mazes of lanes that I passed earlier. I managed to get them right half-way and had to ask for direction for the remainder of the way. It was a completely different way but at least it got me to the bus station and I took the 2 pm bus back to Sousse.

Back at Sousse, I rested for a bit before venturing out to the medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hello, it was just too hot. Again, I didn’t want to buy anything (the medinas in Tunisia reminded me of those in Morocco and offered almost the same things. The only thing I would have been interested in was fridge magnets but the ones I saw didn’t appeal at all).

The ribat (fortified holy site) on the Place Farhat Hached was the first sight that greeted me when I entered the medina. This ribat was constructed in the year 821 by the Aghlabid rulers as a fortress against the Sicilian Christians. It cost TND5 to enter (add another dinar for your camera). I spent some time here and even climbed up the watch tower for a view over the medina, the Great Mosque and the port.

Next, I headed to the nearby Great Mosque and spent a few minutes there (I even entered the women’s area) before moving on to the Kasbah (which now houses the Sousse Archaeological Museum, campus for its collection of mosaics). The Kasbah is on the other end if the medina and reachable after navigating yourself through the medina and climbing the series of steps leading up to the Kasbah. Unfortunately, it was closed when I got there so I got down again, following another route and purposely got myself lost in the medina. As was the case in Morocco, Tunis and Khairouan medina, despite happily minding my own business, I kept being greeted with ‘Kon nichiwa’ and ‘Japanese?’ and being startled by the occasional exclamation of ‘Nihao!’.

Before exiting the medina, I went to check out the Dar Essid, a house and private museum. However, it was also closed so I left and headed to the waterfront where the sightseeing boats were docked.

It was past 6 when I left and went in search of dinner. I had cous cous de poisson (fish cous cous). Hmm, maybe the cous cous was too much because I had trouble finishing it. There was a crowded gelataria nearby judging by the patrons and the traffic jam caused by waiting customers but I was coughing since Friday and didn’t want to aggravate my cough further. What a shame.

I also went for a brief walk along the beach and the shops lining the promenade and the main road before returning to the hotel. I finally found a local TV station which informed me - in Arabic, no less - that Arsenal beat ManUre 1-0 courtesy of an Aaron Ramsey goal. Woohoo! (I later found out Cesc was injured and Rambo was substituting him in midfield. Also, Nasri had a hamstring problem and Djourou also had some problem during the match).

To be continued

The Sweet Escape Tour: First Leg

Friday, 29 April 2011

KUL-AMSAll By Myself

It’s the day of the Royal Wedding aka the Wedding of the Year but I was too busy preparing for my trip. I couldn’t help wondering how Wills was feeling throughout the ceremony. Did he miss his mum? I can barely cope as it is. Miss her every day but especially today.

Seeing it was Friday evening and start of the long May Day weekend, I asked Abah to drop me off at the Ampang LRT station. Took the train to Bandar Tasik Selatan where I changed for the KLIA Transit. There was a concert at the Bukit Jalil stadium hence the train was quite full.

Reached KLIA at 9.33 pm and dropped off my bag. Wasn’t in a shopping mood so didn’t browse the duty free shops. My heart sank when I saw the queue at the boarding gate. It was going to be a full flight...

It was an uneventful flight thankfully. The families with their small children were seated in the area behind ours so there wasn’t any problem with wailing kids. But that didn’t mean I could sleep anyway *sigh* but I’ve never been more thankful that I’m vertically challenged judging from the discomfort endured by my super extra tall neighbour.

Saturday, 30 April 2011
AMS-BRU; BRU-TUN; TUN-Sousse
We landed at Amsterdam Schiphol at 5.35 am (earlier than the scheduled time of 0555). There were a few flights also arriving around the same time so I hurried to the immigration. See, I needed to catch a train from Schiphol to Brussels National Airport. There are two train services: the first train at 0707 would arrive at 1010 but cost a lot less compared to the next train at 0731 which would arrive at 0943. I needn’t have worried as I had ample time to go through immigration, be united with my bag, freshen up and buy the said train ticket.

There weren’t too many people at the check-in counter at the airport but those ahead of me sure took a long time there. They seemed content to share their life story with the check-in personnel. As a result, I had to wait a while before I could check in.

While there was a sign for free WiFi after immigration, it turned out that it wasn’t free after all. Duh! Why put that sign in the first place then?

Our flight out of BRU was slightly delayed and consequently, we only landed at Tunis Carthage Airport at 2 pm. I changed money at the airport (rate is €1=TND1.94). I then waited for the bus 35 to the city. The fare cost less than a dinar. Oh and by the way, I didn’t get any mobile network coverage in Tunisia.

From the bus stop, I went to find the main train station at Place de Barcelone. It was more difficult to ask for directions in Tunisia than in Morocco despite both being French colonies. It was frustrating and I finally arrived at the train station after walking about a km, including back-tracking, avoiding the metro train (it’s called the metro but the trains are above ground, like trams) and hauling my bag up and down the stupid stairs. Bought a first-class train ticket to Sousse for less than TND11 (a second class ticket cost only 3 dinars less or so), left my bag at the station and headed for the medina.

It started drizzling when I reached the medina which turned out to be a moderate rain, well, heavy enough to cause a flash flood in the medina. It was so not fun, getting drenched and having to avoid the water (I didn’t want to get water into my shoes). The rain finally let up but I couldn’t seem to find any landmarks that I was looking for. I was about to leave when I sighted a landmark and headed there.

A man approached me and offered to show me the way (turned out he was a guide. And we know what this means... His directions didn’t come free of course). Still, I was pleased that I managed to locate the landmarks I wanted to find except one or two. And oh boy, do the Tunis men love their cigarettes. Cancer sticks were sold almost everywhere, even in the medina! And they smoked indiscriminately too, even in public places.

I hurried back to the train station and started to panic when I missed a few turns. I finally managed to locate the station about 20 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart. Now first class it might be but it looked more like second class. Wonder how much worse second class was.

We reached Sousse just after 9 pm. I followed my instinct and found the hotel on my first attempt. Fancy that. My room was apartment-style with a kitchenette and eating area. However, I spotted some small cockroaches and I ended up killing a few while I was there.

So, that was four cities in three different countries/continents in in 24 hours. All in a day’s work... not bad eh.

To be continued

Moltes Felicitats

Happy birthday to my Catalan Captain, my hero, my Spanish matador munchkin!

Tanti auguri a te. Love you to bits and every little bit of you.