First
off, I know, I know, I haven’t been diligent about updating my blog. There are
times when I feel I have so many things to share but have difficulty forming
them into words. And there are times when I just struggle to find anything to
talk about. I’m sure it happens to some other bloggers too.
Anyway,
this was my second week-long trip off. I used to go on a fortnight-long leave
but because dad was not well in July and August of 2015, I could only manage to
go for a week-long trip in September 2015 (I went to Taiwan instead of my usual
European trip in May 2015). And because it was only for a week, I decided to
try to pack less than usual and not check in my bag on RyanAir. Well, I did and
I found I could do it. I could actually pack light! And I repeated this feat
again on my recent trip. Oh, I’d travelled before to Padang/Bukit Tinggi,
Jogjakarta and Krabi and not checked in my bag either for those trips but then
again, I didn’t need to pack jackets or shawls for chilly days/nights for these
places and the duration was about 4 days on average. RyanAir provides a pretty
generous 10 kg cabin baggage allowance (AirAsia provides 7 kg) and I do find it
quite adequate. I have to give up a few things though: souvenirs and fridge
magnets even for myself.
Previously,
I used to return back from Europe on Friday, arriving into KL early Saturday
morning. Well, I have been arriving back just the day before I was due to
return to work for many trips now. My long-since retired boss once told me that
she never suffered from jetlag (her children were all studying and working in
England and she visited them often) and that she would return to work the very
next day after arriving home. I remember thinking, whoa, if she could do it,
then so can I! And that’s what I’ve been doing and I find it’s a good way to combat
any jetlag. I refuse to be one of those annoying moaners who’d whine about
needing another holiday to recover from their holiday. Insufferable brags!
I
must also admit that I’m a kiasu traveller. I’m one of those who would rush off
the plane to clear immigration. I would visit the lavatory in the plane just
before it starts to descend or wait until I have cleared immigration before
finding a bathroom. I’m the girl who will run to catch a train leaving in two
minutes because I’d rather do that than wait another 15/20 minutes for the next
train. Hey after all, time is precious and with one-week breaks, my time is
limited! I don’t stop at cafes to have a cuppa. It’s walking and exploring and
being on the go. Sure, I do stop every now and then to have a snack but that’s
it. I walk anywhere between 7 to 13 km a day when I travel although I did walk
more than 27 km on my first day in Lebanon and about 26.6 km in Cinque Terre.
Alhamdulillah, thanks to Allah for giving me good health and a good pair of
legs to put to use.
I
love ruins and I’m of those who are happy to spend a few hours in a museum
trying to absorb the history of the city/country. My priority is to cover the
main attractions before shopping. Of course I love shopping but the main reason
I travel is to visit places and learn about them. Shopping is a bonus.
I’m
a planner: I plan where to go, where to stay, mode of transportation,
transportation times, transportation alternatives, etc. (I had once spent a
cold night outside Venice train station with my mates because when we bought
the tickets, we should have said 23:00 hours instead of 11:00 p.m. because we
got issued the 11:00 a.m. tickets instead. It was something I hope not to
repeat.) I do make adjustments to my plan as and when as I want to be flexible
and not too rigid. E.g., I may plan to visit a place on Monday but decide to go
on Tuesday instead and switch the itineraries. Or I may decide to site A, site
B followed by site C but change my mind and do site B, site C and site A last.
As
a kiasu traveller, I try to cram as many places as possible into it as I want
to get the most out of my trip. I once travelled through 14 countries in 2
weeks (some because of flight connections). It’s bad enough that I have to
travel 12-13 hours to get to Europe and be stuck at some airports for hours so
it’s imperative for me to make the best out of the limited time I have at my
disposal. My trips are therefore not what some would view as a relaxing
vacation because it can be packed and hectic. I don’t mind taking an overnight
bus or train if it means I can arrive into a new city the following morning.
Besides, it saves me accommodation. I also overnight at airports if I have a
ridiculously early flight the next morning or arrive too late to find my way
into the city and accommodation. I don’t like sleeping at airports because I
can never sleep in them but I’m prepared to do that instead of missing the
flight or wandering alone at night trying to find my accommodation. Having said
that, I did have to venture out in the ungodly pre-dawn hours to get a bus to Luton
and Girona before. And I also did have to take a very late night city bus and
wander to find my hotel and all because Eindhoven Airport closes from midnight
until 4 or 5 in the morning.
I
do stay at hostels but usually in a single room because I don’t like to be
stared at when I perform prayers. I had stayed in dormitories before though. I
don’t mind staying at B&Bs or pensions and some are really artfully
charming.
I
know people who get up late, who like walking leisurely and stopping for a cup
of coffee etc, reasoning they’re on holiday. I understand that but I’m not one
to do that. I get up early and I set off early. I’m a kiasu traveller and the
early bird catches the worm after all.
I
like to think I’m an environmentally conscious traveller. I launder my clothes
and not resort to disposable innerwear. I take the public transportation. I
bring a water bottle and a tumbler along and I either boil water or buy a huge
bottle of mineral water (5 litre) to refill my water bottle. I bring along a
canvas bag so that I can pack my purchases in it instead of resorting to
plastic bags (some countries charge for carrier bags so having a canvas bag is
really handy). I bring travel-size toiletries instead of buying them in each
country and leaving them behind. Packing efficiently also reduces an airplane’s
carbon emissions – the lighter the airplane is, the less fuel it burns - and I’ve
since cut down on the printed papers (I now save them on my iPad instead). For
more tips on how you can be a green traveller, go here and here.
Apart
from being a kiasu traveller, I’m also a kiasu ‘unpacker’ (I’m not a kiasu
packer though; I do iron my clothes in advance but I don’t pack them in the bag
until the evening before or sometimes the morning before my flight if my flight
is in the evening). This means when I get home, I immediately unpack. In between,
I head to the kitchen to bring my dirty clothes and pill box and clean the
kitchen table, sweep the kitchen and dining areas and even mop those areas. Then
I resume unpacking and I’d finish unpacking an hour within arriving home with
the bag all stored away and clothes and toiletries all kept away. I don’t like
to procrastinate because the bag isn’t going to unpack itself and I still have
to do it sooner or later so why not there and then? Then only would I relax. (Back
when I was staying fulltime at micasa, I’d unpack, put all clothes that needed
washing into the washing machine and run it, grab the broom and sweep the floor
before mopping the house and washing the bathrooms. Yes, I believe in delayed gratification.)
An hour after arriving home and I would have unpacked and cleaned the kitchen. I
would then take a short rest before getting up and pumping the iron. All these
help me acclimatise back to the local time and keep the jetlag at bay.
Right.
That’s that chapter closed then. Hmm, now where shall I head for next?
