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!
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
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