How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: Final Leg

Friday, 11 May 2012
I woke up for prayers and tried to sleep again. Alas, my neighbours had other ideas. I didn’t know how many people were crammed in the two or three neighbouring rooms (not sure whether they occupied two or three rooms) but it sounded like Chinatown down there. I finally dragged myself up, resigned to the fact I would not be able to fall asleep again.

Before I left the hotel, I asked the guy at the reception if I could change rooms. I told him while I hated having to change rooms, my neighbours were too noisy for me. He checked the system and told me the group would be checking out that day. Phew!

It was a sunny morning for a change with gorgeous blue skies and white fluffy clouds. I walked around the area before taking a bus to Oxford Street. I went into some stores before turning to Bond Street. I walked up to 6 Burlington Gardens. See, there was this Leather Forever exhibition by French luxury brand Hermès. I spent a while there lusting over those gorgeous Hermès bags. No photography was allowed though.

After satisfying my lust, I walked on passing Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Chinatown before making my way to Trafalgar Square. I thought I’d visit the National Gallery. Alas, this visit served to remind me that while I could spend hours at a museum, I’m not as drawn to art galleries. I made my escape within half an hour and walked down Whitehall to Parliament Street, cross the Westminster Bridge and along the south bank of the Thames to Tate Modern. I decided to revisit Tate Modern, but only to avail of the free WiFi.

I could sit and stare for hours until my eyes cross but paintings just don’t speak to me. Art galleries don’t appeal to me like museums and ruins do

It was windy along the river and got colder as the afternoon progressed. I crossed the Millennium Bridge and took bus 23 near St Paul’s Cathedral back to Bayswater. Bus journeys take longer than tube rides of course but I always prefer being on the ground than underground.

I stayed in my room that evening as I had an early start the next day.

Saturday, 12 May 2012
It was a cold albeit clear morning when I left just after 7 am. I took the Circle line to Victoria (of all the underground lines, I dislike the Circle line the most) and walked to Victoria Coach. I then waited for my 8 am bus to Oxford. The best thing is, there’s free WiFi on the bus so I happily caught up with Arsenal news.

We reached Oxford bus station at Gloucester Green at 0940 and it was another wait for the X5 bus to Bicester Village. Yes, it was shopping day today and I could hardly wait! I was also due to meet Fifi and family today, who had kindly and thoughtfully offered to drive down to meet me ;’)

We reached Bicester Village after 20 minutes and I walked to the outlet. There were a lot of people about. Well, it was a Saturday and the weather was behaving itself for once. There are a lot of stores (I saw a few Burberry stores alone!). I decided to browse leisurely first and mentally store the items that caught my fancy.

As the morning progressed and I had browsed a few stores, I found that there were not that many items that caught my fancy. Sure, I love toiletries and I could stock up at Crabtree & Evelyn or L’Occitane but I was already having problems with stupid suitcase as it was. so no toiletries or household goods (even those crystal pieces). And I found that I didn’t quite enjoy Bicester Village as I thought I would. I much prefer Fox Town and even La Vallée Village in Paris. After purchasing the few light items I had earmarked, I went to perform prayers (at least they are thoughtful enough to provide a multi-faith prayer room) and walked to nearby Tesco to get lunch. Then I sat down, availed of the free WiFi and waited for Fifi to arrive.

We met at Cath Kidston store and after helping her decide on her purchases, we left and drove back to Oxford. Abar parked at some parking grounds and we walked into the city. The plan was to find a picnic spot but alas, no matter how hard we tried, were hard-pressed to find a picnic spot. It didn’t help that some faculties at Oxford had their graduation day then. Finally, we settled on the steps of a building.

A shopkeeper had told us that we could catch the bus to London at one of the bus stands instead of at Gloucester Green which was a bit of a walk away. We had identified the bus stand and had no trouble locating it again for my 7 pm bus. It was much too soon to say goodbye to Fifi and family ;’(

We arrived in London after 8. I got down at Marble Arch, browsed a store briefly before taking a bus back to Bayswater. I stopped at the reception and asked if there was something wrong with the water system as I’d not had hot water for the past two days in the bathroom (both shower and sink).

‘No matter how long I stand in the shower shivering, I don’t get a drop of hot water at all,’ I told them. And no, there was no hot tub in my bathroom (if there was a tub, it’d be a cold tub)

Sunday, 13 May 2012
I had another visit to Ashburton Grove today! I had earlier bought return coach ticket to Birmingham but I was unable to secure any match ticket at The Hawthorns despite my best efforts. However, on Tuesday evening in Gjirokastër, I saw a tweet saying the match would be screen at the Emirates at only £8. I tried to purchase it but in the end, had to ask for Fifi’s help (something is wrong with my credit card. I couldn’t purchase the ticket to the match against Norwich either and had to ask for someone to help too).

I thought of visiting the British Museum first and then from there hop on the Piccadilly line to Arsenal but fate had other plans for me. In the end, I decided to head straight to Ashburton Grove – and it turned out to be a good decision too for Central line was closed from Marble to Bethnal Green. WTH! Now I had to take the stupid Circle line to Paddington, change to Bakerloo line to Piccadilly Circus and change yet again to Piccadilly line for Arsenal. I still arrived early so I walked around the stadium and then made my way to The Toolington to get my hands on So Paddy Got Up. I had to part with £20 for it.

I returned to the stadium and went to the Arsenal store. Fortunately or unfortunately, the sale hadn’t started so I left with only some pins. After taking some photos, I made my way to Tesco to get lunch before returning and making my way to Royal Oak. I wanted to make sure I got a good seat.

The atmosphere was great although I could sense some tension beneath the surface. We were in third place but such were the points that Spuds at one point behind and Newcastle at two points behind could also end up in third place should we mess up again. And honestly, we looked like we had really been missing Arteta. I shudder to think what would have happened had he not joined Arsenal on transfer deadline day.

The match started and I had never felt having my heart in my mouth so acutely as then. We finally led again thanks to Koscielny but looked in danger of losing that lead. But finally, thankfully, after five minutes of Froggie time, we made it. We won! I knew the others around me were busy checking on the other results too (all matches kicked off at 3 pm today, it being the last day of the season). For me, I couldn’t care less whether Man Shitty or ManUre won (OK, I’d hate to see ManUre win but Petit Pute winning is equally an unattractive idea), it’s always been The Arsenal. I was gutted that Bolton got relegated and QPR instead stayed up. Another season with Sparky and Jokey Bastard. Dang!

I will watch Arsenal for anything

It was another circuitous tube trip back to Bayswater. This time, I took the Piccadilly line to South Kensington and changed for the Circle line to Bayswater. It sounded easier than done. There were delays and it took a while before I finally reached Bayswater.

Monday, 14 May 2012

LHR-AUD
Time to go home but not before I made some last-minute purchases. The lovely weekend weather did not last and I was drizzling as I went on my last stroll around Bayswater. I finally left the hotel after 11 am and took the tube from Queensway to Bond Street, changed to Jubilee line to Green Park and finally changed to Piccadilly line to Heathrow. Good thing I had checked in online, and even if I hadn’t, the queue was non-existent. I did try submitting my VAT form but gave up as the process took too long (there were a few Middle Easterners ahead of me with bundles of receipts!), deciding to do it after security check.

I performed prayers first and then went to the VAT office and it was EMPTY. I was the only one there and the process took less than the five seconds it took the officer to check and stamp my form. Hah!

There was a delay in boarding our flight and taking off. I was delighted to see the empty flight, so empty I could stretch out on all four middle seats. We landed at Abu Dhabi just after midnight.

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

AUD-KUL
We landed at KLIA at 2.10 pm. I hurried out of the plane, took the aerotrain to the main building, went through autogate (slower than usual today) and went to perform prayers. I knew the bags would take a while to come out and I was right. My bag finally appeared at 2.52 pm and I ran as fast as I could drag a 17-kg bag behind me to catch the 3 pm KLIA Express train to KL Sentral.

And that was my pre-summer vacation. Five countries only (including the brief stopover in Bergamo) this time compared to last year (but then again, last year’s was a packed, whirlwind tour). I’m already thinking of where to go next year but hey, I’m a planner.

How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: Fifth Leg

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Call Me, Maybe
We reached Arion Hotel after a ten-minute drive along the winding streets and I felt increasingly relieved that I agreed to share a cab with Millie. We reached the hotel and I checked in. Millie got a room too although the girl at the reception told her she might have to change rooms the following day.

I went up to my room to deposit my bag and left after performing prayers. I walked to the old town, walking along the sea. There were some people swimming in the shallow end. The water was clear and I could see that there were rocks/reefs in the sea so if you want to have a dip, you have to be careful not to cut yourself. The yachts formed a line at the horizon and you could see the mainland too in the far distance. Occasionally, I passed stalls selling strawberries. I was tempted but I couldn’t possibly eat three packs of strawberries all by myself!

I walked on and the old citadel (Palaio Frourio) became clearer as I neared the town centre. I decided to check if it was opened – this would save me the trip the next morning – and climbed up the low hill to the citadel. The guide told me the grounds were opened (the museum had already closed at 3 pm) so I walked in the old citadel happily. I spent more than an hour exploring the grounds.

After that I walked around, passing The Palace of Saints Michael and George (Palaia Anaktora). Then I walked to the old town centre and I must say, I love the old town! It’s very charming! There are many Venetian influenced buildings as it was under Venice for a few centuries. Not surprisingly, the old town of Corfu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its’a also a very family-friendly place. The shops in the old town mainly sell goods produced in Corfu itself such as olive oil, products based on olive oil (soap, beauty products), wood products from the olive tree), also some fruit called kumquat and locally produced wine (not for us obviously). There are also lots of jewellery stores - mainly aquamarine (no pearl, surprise, surprise), gold, silver, and even Murano jewellery (well, it is Venetian-influenced). I highly recommend this place to everyone!

I walked around, losing myself in small lanes, walking in no particular direction. I was just hungry to absorb the colours, smell and sights around me. I finally decided to buy souvenirs at a shop (I had originally planned to do it the following day). The nice shopkeeper also gave me a lovely calendar of Corfu. Before I left, I asked him where I could buy bus tickets. He gave me directions so I headed there after buying some water and pies for dinner.

I walked to San Rocco Square and found the bus info kiosk. After determining the stop for the airport bus, I walked back. I wasn’t quite sure of the direction but trusted my instinct. Thank God my instincts turned out to be right. I reached the hotel at 9.40 pm. Wow! I walked for hours and didn’t even feel it.

I spent the evening online and was absorbed with the YouTube of the Harvard baseball team synchronised dancing to Call Me, Maybe. Play of the day indeed! Heh.

Err, no exactly the right lyrics there

Thursday, 10 May 2012
After breakfast, I left the hotel and walked around the hotel vicinity before heading to the old town. I had a few more souvenirs to buy and I also wanted to soak up the atmosphere again. I wandered up the same road I took the evening before to the town centre. Alas, I couldn’t stay long as I had to hurry back to the hotel before 12 noon to check out.

I checked out slightly after 12 and waited for the bus to town. The stop is right in front of the hotel, how convenient is that? The bus fare (purchased from the bus kiosk) is €1.10. I took the bus to San Rocco Square and changed for the 1 pm bus to the airport. The airport is quite near the city, less than 2 km away and I dare say had it not been for my stupid bag and the hot day, I could walk to the airport. The ride to the airport took less than ten minutes. There I sat and waited for my flight. Thankfully, there was WiFi connection at the airport to occupy me.

There are flights from Corfu to Leeds, East Midlands, London and Glasgow so I saw quite a few British tourists at the airport. Some were tanned; they had obviously been spending their time at one of the many beaches on the island. I don’t much care for the beach and sea coming from a tropical country myself. I’d rather explore the beaches and islands in my country.

We took off on time – I sat at the very last row – and landed at Stansted about ten minutes earlier. This time, we landed at the main terminal as we didn’t have to take a shuttle train. As with most airports, we had to trek quite a bit before we reach immigration. I was the first to reach the non-EU citizens counter. The UK/EU counter, on the other hand, was very long. As you may have heard, there was a major queuing problem at British airports in the last few days with some poor passengers queuing more than two hours! I do wonder if they are prepared for the London Olympic in a few short weeks. As for me, I always hurry out of airplanes and rush to the immigration because I just hate waiting. Even if I have to go to the bathroom, I’d wait until I’ve cleared immigration.

Anyway. I didn’t have long to wait for my bag; it appeared shortly after my bathroom visit. I made my way to the bus station, to the easyBus stand. The ground looked wet (in fact there was a small section at the airport car park that was flooded). We passed rapeseed fields and farms before the outskirts of London. We left Stansted at 1915 and arrived at Baker Street at 2030. I walked down to Marylebone Road to get a bus to Bayswater – no way was I going to drag my stupid suitcase up and down those underground station steps, and besides I would have to change lines, when I can just a bus direct to Bayswater. It took a while for the bus 27 to arrive though. I got down at Westbourne Grove and walked to my hotel. I checked in after 9 pm.

It was freezing in my room; the radiator was turned off unlike during my previous visit when it was turned on at night.

To be continued

How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: Fourth Leg

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

A Whole New World
Woke at 5, freshened up and performed prayers. I wanted to avoid the passenger traffic so I left shortly after 6 and walked to the furgon stop. It took me almost half an hour to get there as the wheels of my suitcase decided to make the trip less smooth for me. I practically had to drag my suitcase the last 200 metres as the suitcase wheels refused to cooperate.

It being Albania, I ended up waiting in the furgon more than 50 minutes before we finally set off. The road became really bad the closer we got to Gjirokastër. We also stopped at a roadside restaurant for R&R for about 20 minutes and this one area where fresh water is channelled from the mountains to fill our water bottles.

We reached Gjirokastër after 4.5 hours of bumpy jolting ride. We got down at the collective gathering place for buses and furgons along the shoulder of the road at the entrance of the town. I had earlier emailed a guest house enquiring if they had a vacancy but because it was such a hot noon, I decided to stay at the first hotel I saw for the main reason that it was much nearer to the stop for my bus out the next morning. I was quoted 200K Lek (around €15) which was the amount I’d have to pay had I stayed at the guest house. It was here when I realised rather belatedly that when the locals looked at me and asked, ‘Kina?’, it meant they were wondering if I was from China. Heh.

After performing prayers, I set off for the old town on top of the hill dominating the landscape. As they say, no pain, no gain. The cobbled street leading up to the old town was so unbelievably steep and it was a challenging climb alright. I finally reached the old bazaar and lingered at a souvenir shop before trekking up yet another steep climb to the castle. The castle is said to be the second largest in all the Balkans. Entrance fee is 200 Lek (less than €1.50). I spent more than an hour there, wishing and willing the stones to talk to me.

I returned to the old bazaar and walked past the mosque to find the guest house I had booked earlier. The mosque is the old mosque left in Gjirokastër. See, in 1967, those in the power (namely the dictator Enver Hoxha, himself born a Muslim) embarked on a violent campaign to ban all religious practices in the country. All churches, mosques, monasteries, and other religious institutions were closed or converted into warehouses, gymnasiums, and workshops by year-end. Gjirokastër Mosque itself was transformed into a circus training centre before returning to its original state. Outrageous!

I found the guest house, a charming one too, in one of the cobbled streets near the mosque. I thanked God that I decided to stay at the first hotel I saw (I don’t think the hotel even has a name! It just states ‘Hotel’) because I don’t think I could lug my uncooperative bag up those wicked steep cobbled streets. No, the buses don’t come into the old town so I’d have to take a cab. And I was planning on leaving early the next morning. So yes, thank God I saw that first hotel and decided to just stay there. The cost is the same anyway.

After that, I made my way to Zekate House, said to be one of the grandest examples of Gjirokastra architecture in the Ottoman style. I had to trek more steep hills to get there and at one point, was gasping repeatedly, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I mean, who would live there anyway? Sure, the view is fantastic but it involves such pain to return to once one leaves the house to run daily chores. The entrance cost 200 Lek but I paid in Euros as I was afraid of running out of Lek (I still need to buy dinner, pay for entrance to the Ethnographic Museum and buy some souvenirs).

I then walked down the cobbled street and down some steps singing A Whole New World on repeat and made my way to the Ethnographic Museum. This was once Enver Hoxha’s house, restored after it was burnt down and displays clothing, kitchenware, tools and other cultural artifacts. The entrance fee is 200 lek. The lady was in the process of locking up the museum for the day (although it was still within visiting hours) when she sighted me. A car with three men also stopped at the same time; the men also intended to visit the museum so the lady turned back and opened the museum again. She gave me a whirlwind tour.

This song is my standard humming song when I travel

I then left and walked slowly around the old bazaar again. I also stopped by the mosque and went in, up to the ladies’ area. I peeped in through the keyhole and the imam must have seen me for seconds later, he came out to greet me. He hailed from Turkey (I didn’t catch the name of town he was from but it’s somewhere near the Black Sea) and kept apologising for his poor English. I assured him his English was fine and then the mufti also came out to join us. He explained that the mosque was the only one which remained following the religious ban in 1967. I was sad to hear this and remarked that I wouldn’t be able to recognise if one is a Muslim or not (I did notice a few Muslim women in Tirana who were all covered up). The mufti also explained that Gjirokastër is one of the towns which suffered most from the religious ban – hence why the mosque is the sole survivor. I chatted with them before taking my leave.

I walked down to the new town and stopped by a ‘fast food’ restaurant. I only noticed it was a halal restaurant after stepping in. Bought a chicken wrap for dinner and lingered at the restaurant for a while, perusing a local daily. It was then when I discovered the footie results of the weekend – that Spuds drew too and Newcastle lost. Hah, I must be the last Gooner to find out about that! I chatted with the girl who served me about football, even showing her pictures I took at the Emirates before returning to my room to rest.

Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Today was a day of travelling. I left at 7.15 am and walked to the main road. I had asked two coach companies the previous afternoon (before exploring the old town of Gjirokastër) the schedules of their coaches to Athens, which would stop at, among others, Ioannina (spelt locally as Ianine). One leaves at 7 pm daily while the other company, ASI Tours, leaves at 7.30 am. The fare was €5 or 700 Lek. I paid in Lek.

We reached the border and had to stop twice – once in the Albanian side, and when we were done, we drove the few metres before stopping in the Greek side. Our passports were collected and presented together at the Albanian side but we all had to get down from the bus and walk through the immigration/border control at the Greek side. The whole process at both sides took less than 45 minutes, including queuing time.

We drove on to Ioannina and I was dropped off at the outskirts of the town with two other passengers, one of whom spoke reasonably adequate English. We waited for a local bus to take into town (fare was €1.10). We parted ways in town and I asked for direction for a passerby to KTEL. I asked for directions twice again to be certain and it was a good thing too for I almost went into the wrong direction.

This was another time on this trip when my suitcase decided to annoy me when I practically had to drag it, or rather, pull it behind me.

I finally reached KTEL and bought ticket for the next bus to Igoumenitsa. The ticket cost €9.80. As it was not yet 12 noon and the bus would only depart at 1230, I decided to return to a supermarket I had passed earlier to buy some provisions. Yes, despite the stupid suitcase.

Just before we boarded the bus, a woman came up and asked a man repeatedly if the bus was going to Igoumenitsa. I overheard her and said I believed it was (see, the characters were all in Greek and it was literally all Greek to us). We then got to chatting and I asked where she was from. she replied, ‘Israel,’ and I hoped to God that my face didn’t betray anything. We also introduced ourselves to each other. Her name is Millie (Milly?).

We boarded the bus and she invited me to sit next to her. She turned out to be a well-seasoned traveller. I was surprised to discover she is retired and has grandchildren. Honestly, she didn’t look like a retiree or a grandmother. We chatted about a lot of things: her travels to Cuba, Central America and South America. She had been in Greece for more than a week then so I asked how she found Athens and how the situation there was. She told me that life in the capital is harder, more stores have run out of business, there was desperation felt everywhere and people generally looked to have lost their hope. I told her how I found Thessaloniki, of how there were still crowds of people going out for meals and the absence of signs of businesses folding. We also talked of our countries; I was curious about Israel and told her how I wished I could visit it.

The bus ride took about 90 minutes and we reached the port of Igoumenitsa just after 2 pm. I’d told Millie that I hoped the bus schedule is such that we’d reach the port in time to board the next ferry out and was pleased to discover that the next ferry out was at 2.30 pm. The fare was €10 and it would take about 100 minutes to reach our destination. I sought the air-conditioned comfort of the dining saloon and tried to nap.

We reached the port of Kerkyra after 4 pm and as it was pretty hot and as we had quite some luggage with us, Millie suggested sharing a cab. She’d decided to come along with me to my hotel and try her luck there (she didn’t pre-book any room). I was reluctant at first but as I was getting increasingly exasperated with my stupid bag, I eventually agreed to share the cab. The cabbie wanted to charge us €8 but we bargained with him and agreed to pay €6. And it was a good thing that we shared the cab too as the hotel location on the map I’d printed out was way off.

No such thing as Cash Cab Corfu. Boo!

To be continued

How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: Third Leg

Sunday, 7 May 2012

Here Comes The Sun
BGY-SKG
I got up and went to freshen up and perform morning prayers. Then I dropped off my bag and went through security check. We left a wet Bergamo on time and I slept all the way until we landed at bright and sunny Thessaloniki (interestingly, the locals still call it by its Turkish name, Selanik).

No immigration check this time and my bag came out early. Bus 78 that services the airport and the city had arrived so I hurried to catch it. The fare was €0.90 but as I didn’t have change, I paid €1. The machine didn’t give any change.

I rode the bus until the last stop, at the Central Bus Station or KTEL as they call it. I struggled to find someone who could speak English to determine this was the right station for me to take my evening bus from (I read there is another bus station in the city). It was a good thing I located my next destination but I was told I could only purchase the ticket after 6 pm (the bus would leave at 8 pm).

I walked around a few times and asked around but no, there was no left luggage room or locker. WTH! That left me no choice but to lug my suitcase along with me. Took bus 8 to the city and walked around. It was such a hot day in Thessaloniki that I decided I would not be ambitious to locate all 15 of the city’s UNESCO designated World Heritage Sites but only those that I could reasonably reach. The high street shops were all closed seeing it was a Sunday; the only establishments opened were the bakeries, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. There were people having lunch together with their large families and friends and you’d be forgiven for forgetting the Greeks are facing a financial crisis. I walked up to the White Tower and sat down reading for a while seeking some shade.

After the miserable weather in London, the heat in Thessaloniki got to me. And yes, while I come from a tropical country, I don’t think I will ever get used to this heat. Generally, cities are worse as they have urban heat islands

The heat finally got to me and I returned to the bus station knackered (having had to lug my bag everywhere) and perspiring. I settled down to continue my second novel of the trip. Bought my ticket just after 6 pm (€29) and went to freshen up at 7.25 pm.

The bus came slightly after 8 pm. It was not full when we left the bus station but it quickly became full when it stopped at a street to pick up some Albanian passengers. Everyone on the bus except yours truly was Albanian, I suspect even the driver was Albanian too. Turned out there’s a sizeable Albanian population in Thessaloniki.

We reached the border less than 3 hours later. I was praying hard that I’d clear border controls without a hitch. I remember having to get up and out of the bus in the freezing Balkan night just before entering Kosovo last year. Let that be the first and last time please. The Greek border police was cute (yes, I noticed!) and he told me in good English that while I could leave the country, he wasn’t sure if the neighbouring country would accept me. I told him I’ve made my research and I’d take my chances. Still, I said some prayers for a smooth entry.

Monday, 7 May 2012
********

When I first went to India for work, I met three women from Albania. As far as I knew then, I had never met anyone from Albania before so when I found out about them, I tried to observe them: how they look, dress and talk. They looked somewhat like south Italians and could speak adequate English. Their sense of dressing, posture and the way they carried themselves however caused this word to flash in my mind: vulgar. They also didn’t set a good example, often disappearing from our meetings and discussions and absent from our study trips. Still, I was intrigued in them and when I came back, I tried to find out more about the country and why did I exclude it from my Inter-railing trip? It was then when I discovered that Albania had remained largely isolated from the rest of the world in the 20th century.

Three years ago, I read The Wrong Way Home which tells of the travelogue of its author, Peter Moore, who attempted to travel from England back to Australia (he made it as far as Indonesia) in the early 1990s. If you recall, the Balkan at was during the third Balkan War – unstable region! – and Peter actually travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania (he also travelled through Iran and Pakistan). I can’t imagine how anyone could travel through that region then but he did and reading his account resuscitated my intrigue and curiosity in Albania. But I couldn’t fit it in my previous trips before. Until now.

********

Thank God, I managed to clear both sides of border control. We pulled into Tirana (Tiranë) at 5 am. It was still dark (unlike in England at this time of the year). I wandered around trying to find my bearings and then went in search of the apartment I’d booked earlier. I finally found the right road and location but as the apartment was located somewhere in a big building, I had no idea which side of the building it’s at and how to enter it. Dejected, I finally decided to go back to Miniri hotel, whose staff gave me the direction. The friendly chap helped me call the number provided by the apartment and relayed to me that someone would come and take me to the apartment at 12 noon. 12 noon! I almost yelled when I heard it. It was not 7 in the morning yet and I was supposed to wait until 12 noon?! Needless to say, this really spoilt my plan to make a side trip to another city called Berat. Buses in Albania don’t run on regular schedules and if I leave too late, there’s no guarantee I’d be able to catch a bus back to Tirana.

After reading a bit on the city, I decided to venture out. The chap who helped me had finished his shift at 7 and ran up to me asking if he could show me around. I decided to let him and so he brought me around, pointing out buildings and giving their brief background/explanation to me. He had to meet a friend at 9 am so we parted ways then.

I wandered around and located the Tourist Information Office (behind the Natural History Museum). The chap manning it was friendly and helpful enough and he directed me to where I could catch buses or furgons (mini buses which look more like mini vans) to Gjirokastër the next day. I decided to check it out, having nothing better to do. I’d rather sort out and determine any location beforehand and not have to wander searching for it at the last minute.

Having determined the furgon stand (a struggle when very few people speak English), I walked back to the main square. Changed some Euros into Lek, the local currency (€1 = 139.6 Lek). I then went to explore some more and found two hotels at Rruga Murat Toptani: Guva e Qete (€20 for one person) and Hotel Kalaja, ensconced in the ancient walls of Justinian Fortress (€10 for one person). Kalaja means ‘castle’ in Albanian.

I went back to Miniri hotel to wait for the person who was supposed to bring me to the apartment I booked earlier. The old man came at 12 and didn’t speak a word of English. Thank God the hotel staff could speak English and they helped me communicate. Finally I told him that I’d changed my mind and would not be staying at the apartment after all. He didn’t look too angry to my relief.

I went back to Hotel Kalaja and checked in. Then I freshened up and laundered my clothes before resting. It had been a tiring evening the day before and half-day today.

Despite the sunny day outside, it was cold in the room. There wasn’t any hot water in the bathroom - and when I queried, the hotel staff struggled to communicate with me. I went for an evening walk, walking first to the money changer where I changed money on the morning. I didn’t check the amount when I received it earlier but when I reflected on it, felt I was short-changed. By €10 worth of Lek. There was a new team behind the counter but thankfully they managed to confirm my claim and returned €10 back to me.

I bought some pies for dinner and continued my walk around Skanderbeg Square before returning to room. The TV in the room didn't work while the room continued to be cold if not colder so I decided to eat my dinner at Murat Toptani, watching the night life. I retired shortly after as I had an early start the following morning.

To be continued

How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: Second Leg

Tuesday, May Day 2012

Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
I took the 0515 easyBus back to London (I was the only passenger!). The plan was to fly out to another destination this morning but me being the scatterbrain absent-minded ditsy me, had the airport all wrong and of course that meant I missed my flight. I still went to the right airport with the hope that the flight had been delayed but no such luck. So there I was at the airport, feeling sad and depressed and everything in between. I contemplated getting another flight out to somewhere but the destinations that flashed across the departure screen didn’t appeal to me. And because I’ve been to most if not some of them. So I texted Fifi telling her that I was in the danger of being homeless (she did invite me over to Nottingham but as she would be working most days, I decided not to take up on her offer) and she suggested checking into Malaysia Hall. Ha, it didn’t even cross my mind.

So I took the coach back to London (the coach was late by 20 minutes) and slept all the way (was so sleep-deprived). It took about 100 minutes to reach Victoria coach station. At Victoria Coach Station, I checked to see if there was any bus I could take to Europe. Well, I could take a coach out to Belgium, or Czech Republic, or Amsterdam or Paris but they all cost a bomb and besides I’d been to those places anyway. So I headed to Malaysia Hall at Bayswater and checked in. Oh, and this was when my suitcase started to give me problems. The wheels refused to turn (I think it’s because of the dirt and dust they encountered throughout my previous trips) at times so much so I had to practically drag it behind me, all 15 kg of it (15 kg as I had RyanAir check-in baggage restriction to adhere to) - for the better part of the remainder of my trip.

I went out again to get some groceries and then to get dinner before settling in for the day.

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Day 1 At The Museums
I decided to revisit the British Museum today after some banking business. This was because of a few reasons: one, the weather was so miserable it deemed walking outside as a crazy idea; and two, because I have to watch my funds. An unexpected stay in London comes with its associated costs - namely accommodation and meals - and I was afraid if the pound sterling I brought was not enough to begin with.

I took the bus to the British Museum and stayed there for more than 4 hours (and I still have unfinished business there!). I then took the tube back to Bayswater and decided to cheer myself up with some Chris Evans so I went to watch The Avengers. Yes, I needed to exercise financial restraint but I needed cheering up too, OK? And Chris Evans would cheer me up just nicely (and boy, did he).

There are quite a few mummies at the British Museum, including cat mummies. I actually worried if my photos of them would develop successfully. Or if I would be cursed and then die from a mysterious death. Of course, I might still die from a mysterious death (God forbid). Who’s to know?

What do you think? See any similarities with the characters from the movie?

After the movie, I bought dinner to go and spent the rest of the day in my room. I was already sleepy by 10 pm. Must be from all that walking!

Thursday, 3 May 2012

Day 2 At The Museums
The weather still hadn’t improved today. If anything, it was colder than yesterday. 3 May? It felt more like 3 February! After a light breakfast, I set off for the Victoria & Albert Museum. I walked through Kensington Gardens and despite the weather, there were quite a few people around - jogging, strolling, brisk walking, walking their dogs etc. I spent more than six hours at the V&A and I still wasn’t done come closing time. Another museum to revisit then.

I went back to my room and performed prayers. I dragged myself out after 8 pm into the chilly evening to get dinner.

Friday, 4 May 2012

Day 3 At The Museums
Today, the maximum temperature was predicted to be 10C. It’s nice that the mercury struggled to even reach double digits. So what to do on a day like this? Yes, Museum Day again! Today, I headed back to V&A to finish off yesterday’s unfinished business.

After that, I headed to the Natural History Museum. I spent close to two hours there. Then I headed back to Malaysia Hall for prayers and to collect my bag.

I took the bus to Russell Square and walked to Endsleigh Gardens. I’d be squatting at a friend’s student digs tonight. I had asked her weeks earlier if I could and she said yes. Her room temperature was set to a tropical climate so it was quite warm in there - except when I slept.

Saturday, 5 May 2012
STN-BGY
Woke for prayers and as I was drifting back to sleep (or at least trying to), I heard someone gasping repeatedly. Didn’t take me long to figure it was someone moaning in ecstasy, not in pain. Heh. Didn’t help me in my attempt to fall asleep.

Finally dragged myself up at 8 and showered. A light breakfast followed. I finally left after 11 and walked to Russell Square station for the tube to Arsenal. The ride took about 20 minutes. I walked leisurely browsing the pre-match stalls and happily soaked in the atmosphere. The rain continued doggedly on so I decided to head into the stadium. It was a bitterly cold May day today with maximum temperature expected to reach only 9C. Yes, maximum temperature, not minimum.

Finally, the match kicked off. Yossi scored an early goal for us, his birthday present to the Gunners. However, Arsenal let Norwich back into the game and pretty soon, we were even trailing by a goal. Seriously WTF. We were shouting for the lads to wake up and urging them on from the stands. The second half didn’t progress any better but somehow van Persie managed to score a brace. But of course we had to concede just minutes before full time. Great, just great. I flew all the way, went to all that trouble securing a ticket, arranged my itinerary to fit in this match and they couldn’t even win?! 2 points ahead from Spuds and Newcastle having played one game more. Now third place is ours to lose. Sometimes I feel like smacking every one of them - except for van Persie of course - hard. Damn you.

I stayed for a bit to see the lap of appreciation before I hurried off, well, as best I could. The shuffle back to the tube station and the queue I had to fight to get into the station, onto the platform and into the tube... wow. Reached my friend’s digs and had to text her twice AND called her to open the door. Great. I so hate having to pay exorbitant roaming charges.

I quickly changed, finished packing, performed prayers then left for the bus stop. I was lucky to get an immediate bus to Baker Street. I had to catch a bus to Stansted Airport from a stop at Gloucester Place near Baker Street. On my way to the bus stop, I passed a bar and saw the Chelshit fans there, waiting for their FA Cup Final match against Liverpool.

The bus took a totally different route this time from the route just the week before. we didn’t pass the scums’ part at all. We reached Stansted at 5.45 pm and I immediately dropped my bag off. Flight took off on time. I tried to nap knowing it’d be almost impossible to sleep later but sleep eluded me.

We landed at Milan Orio al Serio airport just after 10 pm. Immigration was a breeze - in fact I was surprised there was one at all, seeing our flight originated from an EU country - and my bag appeared early too. After freshening up and performing prayers, I went to search for a seat to rest. Unfortunately, there was a trio of Chinese passengers nearby who talked throughout the night, rendering sleep impossible. *sigh*

To be continued

How I Spent My Pre-Summer Vacation: First Leg

This trip was conceived when Aud mentioned her plan for London 2012. I didn’t think much of it then but the idea grew as I considered being in London during the Olympic. However, I ditched this idea when I realised that the Olympic would fall in the month of Ramadan. I don’t really mind travelling during Ramadan, having travelled before to Jakarta during two previous Ramadans but I do mind the long summer fasting hours. It’s a struggle enough to fast for 13 hours in KL, what more for 16-17 hours in summer! So Olympic idea was shelved (I did consider going to the World Cup 2014 or Olympic in 2016 but both would be held in Rio de Janeiro. Wow, having to fly half-way around the world for that! Then a Gooner suggested Sochi 2014. Hmm, must admit that idea did interest me). Anyway, what about Euro 2012? Well, I considered it too but it would be held in Poland and Ukraine. I have been to Poland (been pick-pocketed in Warsaw too) so wasn’t too keen in heading there and while I haven’t been to Ukraine, the idea of getting a visa was off-putting. So no Euro 2012 either.

Then I considered, having discussed with Aud that perhaps we could go watch and Arsenal match instead. That would seem more realistic. Next, I considered maximising my stay in London and looked to see if I could attend up to three matches (home and away). Having made up my mind, I purchased my air ticket to London in August 2011 for arrival on the last Saturday in April and departure after the last match of the season.

Of course, I had no intention of staying in London throughout so I made plans of other potential places to visit from London or Europe. However, logistical problems and time constraint meant some places also had to be put on hold.

So 27 April came and I was good to go.

Friday, 27 April 2012

KUL-AUD-LHR
There’s Only The One Killarney
Reached KLIA at 6 pm and joined the queue. Good thing I had checked in online the night before as I could just proceed to another desk to drop off my bag. The flight departure was revised to 2035 from 2000. No matter for it meant less transit time in Abu Dhabi (I was flying Etihad again).

Saturday, 28 April 2012

STN-SNN
We landed at Heathrow at a quarter to 7 am. It was a bleak grey morning. I quickly made my way to immigration and joined the queue. This time, it took me 20 minutes to clear immigration, compared to an hour when I was last there in February. Yes, I noted the time. I was at the counter for a while though, chatting with the immigration lady. I told her I was in London briefly in February en route to Iceland; she was interested to know what was in Iceland. I told her I planned to watch a football match. She seemed surprised that Arsenal have supporters in some far flung country in the Far East and I told her that Arsenal actually came to Malaysia last year and would come again this summer. She was suitably impressed with the fact. And mind you, she’s a ManUre supporter. Well, at least she seemed pleasant enough.

After freshening up, I went to search for the National Express coach ticket office to collect my ticket for another planned trip. Then I made my way to the Underground and took the tube to Green Park.

It was pissing steady non-stop rain and it was an uncomfortable and unseasonably chilly end-April morning. I walked to Bond Street and then to Oxford Street (didn’t visit Oxford Street back in February). Then I made my way to Marylebone Road for my coach to Stansted Airport. The rain continued relentlessly.

The coach was 10 minutes early but we still left on time. It took us through North London - Camden, Finsbury Park, Seven Sisters and then... the dark side of North London - yes, you guessed it: the scum side of North London. You could see and sense it from the change in stores lining the road, the change in demography and population to the scaffolded flats. From the classy side to the dilapidated side.

We reached Stansted 70 minutes later and I went to drop off my bag.

I slept throughout the flight and only got up just before we landed at Shannon Airport. It was a sunshiny, bright day and boy, was I relieved that I didn’t stick around in London for much longer.

I took bus Eireann from the airport to Limerick City. The fare for the 25-minute bus ride was €7.20. I thought it was expensive. I thought Ireland was expensive when I visited Dublin during my uni days and it still is (even after the financial crisis). Indeed, there were a few times when I had to literally stop my jaw dropping at the prices quoted to me.

I walked in the city centre and even crossed over to King John’s Castle. Then I retraced my steps back to the bus station. Had a light meal at the cafe of the adjoining train station.

Our bus for Killarney came on time. The fare was a jaw-dropping €19. Again, I dozed off on the bus and only woke when we arrived in Killarney. I walked from the bus station to my hostel in New Street. The merry people of Killarney were on the streets, already drunk or half-way there. Well, it was 2230 in the evening. Luckily I found my hostel without much problem. I checked in, paid the balance of my room bill and went to my room. I then went back to the hostel lobby to check my mails etc.

Sunday, 29 April 2012
This morning, I woke up to hear people talking in the early hours. Well, at least they were talking and not quarrelling or kicking my door (I had that in Bonn). I woke again after 7 and went to have breakfast an hour later. I decided to join the Ring of Kerry tour (cost me €17.50) and as the pick-up was at 10, decided to walk around the town centre first. It was a bright, sunny albeit cold morning.

The pick-up came at 1010 and after changing buses, we left Killarney at 1030. The driver-guide was great. He talked almost non-stop, pointing out places of interest and explaining the background or story behind. He even sang a few songs.

We drove through the beautiful Kerry countryside, passing villages and towns, rolling countryside, grazing cattle and occasionally stopping for Kodak moments. We passed rivers and streams, narrow bridges, bog land and saw the Atlantic Ocean. It was all so beautiful and we were indeed lucky that the weather was so great. The wind was very so strong at places though that I felt blown around. We stopped at a diner facing the mighty Atlantic Ocean for lunch (I thought lunch was over-priced) before continuing on. We finally completed our circle and drove through Killarney National Park before we were dropped at various locations.

The gale was so strong today that strangely enough, we looked like we were doing the Riverdance when we tried to fight it

I bought some bananas and veggie burgers from Tesco and had them for dinner. Then I went for an evening walk around the city centre before entering the Park for a brief while.

Monday, 30 April 2012

ORK-STN
The fine weather had deteriorated sometime last night and I woke to a cold morning. Had breakfast at 8 and left just after 10. I walked to the bus station and stopped at the Killarney Outlet Centre. There was just enough time for me to drop by Nike and I’m glad I did for I managed to buy an Arsenal jersey for only €6 (€30 originally). OK, it was a kid’s jersey but I could fit into it.

I paid €18 for the ticket to Cork. I didn’t have long to wait as the bus was due to depart at 1030.

We passed the beautiful County Kerry countryside before crossing over into County Cork. We reached Cork bus station (Parnell Place) 100 minutes later. I sat down and pondered my next course of action. I had planned to go to Blarney Castle so when I saw the next bus was at 1230, I decided to head there first.

The return ticket was €6.20. We reached Blarney Village half an hour later. I walked to Blarney Castle and bought the entrance ticket (a whooping €12) and left my bag in a store room across the ticket office. Then I went to explore the castle. I even went up to the tower and kissed the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence. Let’s see if I have the gift of gab now. Hah!

I left at 2.25 pm and walked to the bus stop to get a bus back to Cork. The weather had not improved, if anything it seemed to have deteriorated further - and yes, it was possible for the weather to get worse. I walked around the city before returning to the bus station. It was getting way too cold for comfort and the rain and the strong winds were getting to me.

I decided to leave early for the airport and a good decision it was too as there was free WiFi there. Was feeling very sleepy as I boarded the plane and slept throughout the flight.

We landed at Stansted after 11 pm. I didn’t realise that we had to take a shuttle to the main terminal. Stansted is a major hub for RyanAir and that meant there were a lot of other passengers there with the same idea I had: overnighting at the airport. I spent a long time trying to find a seat. I hardly slept as it was noisy with other shuffling passengers, cleaners with their machines and airport staff going around.

To be continued

Tanti Auguri

Tanti auguri, mio caro