Thanks to everyone who is reading our blog and leaving comments. Its good to hear back from home.
We got to the train station early this morning. We overestimated the time it would take to get to the main station in this small city. We hopped on the train and we were on our way to the Netherlands. It seeed as though, Belgium spoke mainly French and as we got closer to Amsterdam the Dutch language was becoming more and more obvious.
3 Hours later we arrived at Amsterdam Central. Within the station itself it didn't seem like we had gone to another country but as soon as we stepped out we knew we were definitely in Amsterdam. The hippie people, the canals, the multi-storey carpark for bicycles and the smell of hash in the air were strong indicators of where we were.
Our challenge was to find our accommodation. We had booked a boat on one of the Amsterdam canals called the "Friend-SHIP". It was fairly easy to find as it was only a 7 minute walk from Amsterdam Central. As we approached the boat Asher's face changed as if he had seen a dog eating its on poo. Steven and I thought it was "Cool". We met a guy called Constantine who was fishing from the top of the roof. He let us in and told us to wait for Chris who was the owner of the boat. The boat that looked really small from the outside but as you stepped in it looked much bigger.
The room was definitely an Amsterdam pad much like something you would see out of Austin Powers. The curtains were made of velvet, the colour scheme was funky and a whip (which a Jockey would use but there are no horses out here) was hanging from the roof. It was awesome. Asher soon fell in love with it too. The views were great as we were right on the water. Definitely, would recommend this to anyone who comes to Amsterdam. However, it is slightly more expensive than the land hostels.
Lunch was at a Turkish Grill Restaurant. It was here that we could feel that we couldn't communicate with the people in Dutch.
We made our way to the Anne Frank Museum. The line was long but it was definitely worth the wait. The walk through the original house that Anne and her family (plus another family) lived in for 3 years was very moving. The war as portrayed through the eyes of a young girl really showed the futile and unfair tribulations of war. We met a couple of Australians in the line who were from Hervey Bay. It was nice to hear other Aussie accents again.
On the computer on the boat was a documentary about the Anne Frank story. We ordered pizza and ate it while we watched it.
After a 10 minute rest we went exploring through Amsterdam's red light district. It was a very unique experience. Women would exhibit themselves in the windows as you passed by. This industry is huge and the locals seem to take it as something normal. As you walk past one window with a lady in it the next window you can see a group of elderly couples eating dinner in a fine restaurant. Children would also be walking around these areas with their family. Strange.
We had enough of walking around. Although there were some nice looking ladies most of them were huge, big lipped, skanky, did I mention huge girls. We returned to the boat and went to sleep. Good night.
Tim
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Day 16: From Instrument to Beer
After our long 13 hour sleep we got up even more tired than the night before. Still we had to wake up and see what Belgium had to offer.
First stop was our free breakfast at the hostel. It was only a simple breakfast but still did the job of keeping our stomachs and pockets happy. Today's breakfast was stale bread, cereal, juice, and coffee/tea.
As we had discovered Brussels was fairly small yesterday we decided to try and walk to the museums instead of taking public transport. This proved to be a mistake as we couldn't read the map properly and the wind had the most ruthless chill. Finally we had enough of the wind and the walking so we walked into the closest building. To our surprise not only was the building warm it was also a museum of instruments, 7000 of them. It was also one of the museums we wanted to go to.
We went in and bought our tickets and handed over our coats and bags to the cloak room people. All this museum had was 4 floors of instruments from early medieval sticks to modern digital antennas. There was no interactive instruments except for one piano that didn't even work, a clarinet that play 3 notes and a trumpet that just looked pretty. Even though Asher and I are passionate musicians we both found it very dry. I hate to think what Steven thought of it.
Now this museum had a lot of displays that required just as much walking and about 400 flights of stairs to battle. Let's be honest. It took it out of us. The next thing on our mind was food. Again! We ended up finding a nice bagguette shop near by which thankfully satisfied our hunger.
A short train ride out of town took us to the only operational brewery in Belgium. It was a small brewery that made beer the old fashioned way. Nothing like the XXXX brewery back home. All things the same, it was an awesome experience seeing the old boilers and fermenting kegs. At the end of the tour we had the opportunity to taste test their beer. I am not really a beer drinker but this beer was nothing like usual beer. It was very acidic. The options offered were a rasberry and cherry beer. The only way to describe this beer would be to say that it was mix between wine and beer.
The same short train ride back to town brought us to the main square of Brussels. We had dinner here and was told by the spanish waiter that he would like to come home with us. Strange but we attributed this to our friendly personas. During dinner I unknowingly bought a 4 Euro bottle of water ($8 AUD). It was expensive but it came in a nice glass bottle and matching glass. It seems that the europeans like to serve their drinks in matching glasses (eg. Coke will be served in a glass that says Coke on it).
We stepped out of the restaurant and walked up the alley to the Grand Palace. We watched the light show which Asher saw the night before. It was really awesome as they projected light on a palace like building that changed according to the music.
We didn't stay for much longer as we had an early start the next morning. It was off to Amsterdam tomorrow. "Cool" said Pettsy.
Tim
First stop was our free breakfast at the hostel. It was only a simple breakfast but still did the job of keeping our stomachs and pockets happy. Today's breakfast was stale bread, cereal, juice, and coffee/tea.
As we had discovered Brussels was fairly small yesterday we decided to try and walk to the museums instead of taking public transport. This proved to be a mistake as we couldn't read the map properly and the wind had the most ruthless chill. Finally we had enough of the wind and the walking so we walked into the closest building. To our surprise not only was the building warm it was also a museum of instruments, 7000 of them. It was also one of the museums we wanted to go to.
We went in and bought our tickets and handed over our coats and bags to the cloak room people. All this museum had was 4 floors of instruments from early medieval sticks to modern digital antennas. There was no interactive instruments except for one piano that didn't even work, a clarinet that play 3 notes and a trumpet that just looked pretty. Even though Asher and I are passionate musicians we both found it very dry. I hate to think what Steven thought of it.
Now this museum had a lot of displays that required just as much walking and about 400 flights of stairs to battle. Let's be honest. It took it out of us. The next thing on our mind was food. Again! We ended up finding a nice bagguette shop near by which thankfully satisfied our hunger.
A short train ride out of town took us to the only operational brewery in Belgium. It was a small brewery that made beer the old fashioned way. Nothing like the XXXX brewery back home. All things the same, it was an awesome experience seeing the old boilers and fermenting kegs. At the end of the tour we had the opportunity to taste test their beer. I am not really a beer drinker but this beer was nothing like usual beer. It was very acidic. The options offered were a rasberry and cherry beer. The only way to describe this beer would be to say that it was mix between wine and beer.
The same short train ride back to town brought us to the main square of Brussels. We had dinner here and was told by the spanish waiter that he would like to come home with us. Strange but we attributed this to our friendly personas. During dinner I unknowingly bought a 4 Euro bottle of water ($8 AUD). It was expensive but it came in a nice glass bottle and matching glass. It seems that the europeans like to serve their drinks in matching glasses (eg. Coke will be served in a glass that says Coke on it).
We stepped out of the restaurant and walked up the alley to the Grand Palace. We watched the light show which Asher saw the night before. It was really awesome as they projected light on a palace like building that changed according to the music.
We didn't stay for much longer as we had an early start the next morning. It was off to Amsterdam tomorrow. "Cool" said Pettsy.
Tim
Friday, December 28, 2007
Day 15: Not quite a Nightmare
Today's trip didn't end up being a nightmare as we had first thought the night before. We arrived at the Parid Gare du Nord station to find out that it was easy to get another ticket for a train to Belgium. All it took was to pay a 25% fee of our original booking fee to rebook. We even got an earlier train to Belgium than we had first planned. So things were looking up.
The train ride from Paris to Belgium was only an hour and a half. Quite quick considering we were in another country. No passport checks were made again as we crossed borders.
We arrived in Belgium at around 9:45am. However, we didnt get to our hostel till about 11am. What should have taken a 20 minute trip to our hostel from the main station took us 60 minutes. Belgium is quite a small city and what seems like a long way on the map is actually very close. So instead of going down a street near the station we walked down to almost the other end of the city with our backpacks trying to find the hostel. Keep in mind that we only managed at most 4 hours sleep the night before.
Finally as we arrived at the hostel (called Sleep Well) we checked in. However, this hostel also had a lock out time and we were unable to go to our room. Instead we put our bags in the luggage room and went for a walk. The Sleep Well is much larger than the Young and Happy. It is a Youth Hostel and Hotel all in one. We obviously stayed in the Youth Hostel part. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. Its clean and its friendly.
As we tiredly walked to past time we found our way to Belgium's national icon, The Manneken Pis. This icon is a little boy taking a leak in a pond. Like the Mona Lisa its much smaller than expected. Nonetheless, people were crowding around it taking photos. So we did the same.
Pissing in public seems to be a common theme here in Belgium. On some streets there are open air cubicals where males can take a quick couple of seconds to empty the tank. Its bizzare but it must work for them.
We got back at 3pm to go to our room. The boys went to sleep but I desperately needed to do some washing. I finished washing my clothes after 2 hours. Most of this time was working out how to dry my clothes as the dryer didn't seem to be working. So I brought my semi damp clothes back to the room and hung them up in various spots.
Asher and Pettsy were still a sleep so I decided to get some sleep for an hour or so. By the time we all woke up it was 8am the next morning. We all had massive sleeps. I think we needed it though. It was a big day.
Tim
Public Urinals. Seems to work.
The train ride from Paris to Belgium was only an hour and a half. Quite quick considering we were in another country. No passport checks were made again as we crossed borders.
We arrived in Belgium at around 9:45am. However, we didnt get to our hostel till about 11am. What should have taken a 20 minute trip to our hostel from the main station took us 60 minutes. Belgium is quite a small city and what seems like a long way on the map is actually very close. So instead of going down a street near the station we walked down to almost the other end of the city with our backpacks trying to find the hostel. Keep in mind that we only managed at most 4 hours sleep the night before.
Finally as we arrived at the hostel (called Sleep Well) we checked in. However, this hostel also had a lock out time and we were unable to go to our room. Instead we put our bags in the luggage room and went for a walk. The Sleep Well is much larger than the Young and Happy. It is a Youth Hostel and Hotel all in one. We obviously stayed in the Youth Hostel part. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. Its clean and its friendly.
As we tiredly walked to past time we found our way to Belgium's national icon, The Manneken Pis. This icon is a little boy taking a leak in a pond. Like the Mona Lisa its much smaller than expected. Nonetheless, people were crowding around it taking photos. So we did the same.
Pissing in public seems to be a common theme here in Belgium. On some streets there are open air cubicals where males can take a quick couple of seconds to empty the tank. Its bizzare but it must work for them.
We got back at 3pm to go to our room. The boys went to sleep but I desperately needed to do some washing. I finished washing my clothes after 2 hours. Most of this time was working out how to dry my clothes as the dryer didn't seem to be working. So I brought my semi damp clothes back to the room and hung them up in various spots.
Asher and Pettsy were still a sleep so I decided to get some sleep for an hour or so. By the time we all woke up it was 8am the next morning. We all had massive sleeps. I think we needed it though. It was a big day.
Tim
Public Urinals. Seems to work.
Day 14: A Christmas Day out with Friends
The night before we had organised with our new friends to go visit the Eiffel Tower for Christmas. A group of about 10 of us made our way to the tower at about 11am. The hostel has a 11am-4pm lockout which means you are unable to go back to your room in these hours. This is in place for security reasons.
As we go to the tower some of the group decided to go up to the top of the Eiffel while another group decided to go to some French Cemeteries while we decided to again try our luck with the Louvre. A girl called called Katie from South Carolina joined us as she also wanted to see the Louvre. This time we made it but only this time to find out that it was closed for Christmas even though the lady at the train told us it was going to be open.
As we go to the tower some of the group decided to go up to the top of the Eiffel while another group decided to go to some French Cemeteries while we decided to again try our luck with the Louvre. A girl called called Katie from South Carolina joined us as she also wanted to see the Louvre. This time we made it but only this time to find out that it was closed for Christmas even though the lady at the train told us it was going to be open.
Since we were out of Paris and int he town of Versailles about 25 minutes away we decided to stay and make the most of what we could. The gardens were still open so we wondered around looking at the brilliant landscaping and architecture of this Chatelet. They really knew how to live back in the day. Although it was probably our imagination we all felt like it was a lot colder than in Paris. The winds here were chilling and made our faces freeze.
After the torture of this thoughtless wind we headed back to Paris to listen to the organ play at the Notre Dame. As we had to wait for the next train at Versailles we arrived late at Notre Dame and only heard half of the organ concert. It was amazing though listen to this huge instrument.
Before heading back out again, Asher, Steven and I had a Christmas Dinner. Asher had duck while Steven and I both shared in some frog legs and snails. It was actually quite nice. When you see a frog leg you'll see how buff those little things are.
Half of the group got back together and we headed for the Arc de Triumph. This is another amazing landmark in Paris that was built by Napolean in tribute to himself and his triumph over France. It is in the middle of a 6-8 lane roundabout and has beautiful detail.
After looking at that for a while we walked down Champs Elysses. Dani would love this street as it was a stretch of Designer stores. She would be in heaven if she came here. The road is a lot like Orchard Road in Singapore. At the end of Champs Elysses was the Paris version of the London Eye. For 8 Euro we got to go around this 8 times. It was our last attraction for us in Paris.
We headed back to the Hostel with our friends. When we got back we realised that the long distant train that we had booked a few days before was actually booked for CHRISTMAS DAY! TODAY! The lady at rail office had done it all wrong even after we showed her our timetable and the date we wanted to leave. So language barriers were no excuse. In a panic we looked on the internet to see what happens when we don't turn up for a train on time. We found no information.
We needed an early night as we had to leave for the train station even earlier than expected. We had to be up at 6:30 the next morning. It was now 1:30 that morning.
Tim
Frog Legs and Snails Christmas Day
Day 13: A big tour about little things
Today was a big tour about little things.
Our aim for today was to see the Versailles Chateau, Arc de Triumph, The Catacombes, and Notre Dame.
For the past 2 days we found no troubles travelling on the Paris metro and RER trains. However, for some bizzare reason we just couldn't seem to get it right. By the time lunch time came (a 2.30pm lunch time) we had done none of the sights we wanted to see. Except we were bothered and tired. So as any 3 hungry lads would do we went and found some food. After lunch we tried again to go to Versailles but the lady at the booth told us that it was closed today and that we should try again on the next day (even though it was Christmas the next day she insisted that it was open).
Again disappointed by our unproductive day we headed toward Notre Dame. This time we were successful. Notre Dame is also another massive church in the middle of Paris. This church however seemed darker and more gothic than its Sacre Coeur counterpart. We stayed there for about half an hour watching a presentation that was made in Microsoft Powerpoint. It was meant to go for 60 minutes but we left soon after it started.
We headed back to the hostel and had dinner. We had met some people who were staying at the hostel and started to have some Christmas Eve drinks with them. We enjoyed these drinks with our new friends from The USA, Canada, South America and Australia! It was our first Christmas away from home but it was nice to enjoy it with other travellers. Unfortunately, Pettsy was still feeling under the weather so he went to bed early and was unable to join us for drinks.
Tim
Hunchback of Notre Dame, Paris
Day 12: Having tea with Mona
Bon Jour!
Today was "see as many tourist sights as we can" day. First on the list was the Louvre.
We were welcomed by the glass pyramids which you see on movies all the time. The cues into the Louvre were almost non-existent when we go there. It is hard to imagine how large this museum actually is until you get here. The first thing we headed for was the Mona Lisa. However, by the time you actually walk there 45 minutes have passed by as you admire all the other works along the way.
It is worth the walk. There is a lot of talk about the majesticness and eerieness of this piece of work. It is a lot smaller than you imagine as you approach it. Its probably only the size of a typical household bathroom mirror. The greatest thing about this work of art is when you walk around it, it appears as if Mona is watching you. Meeting Mona in "person" is definitely a lot better than buying those cheap $10 poster replicas at uni.
We saw as much more as we could before our legs were about to fall off before lunch. By this time we were really hungry and were desperate for lunch. As we walked past a cafferteria along the way we were asked to come in for lunch by what seemed to be the cafe owner. The prices for food are ridiculous here in Paris. I had a tiny lasagne for $10 AUD, Asher a spaggehtti for $10 AUD and Pettsy a plate of about 15 "freedom" fries for $7.50 AUD.
After lunch we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. Along the way I redeemed my home made gift voucher gift voucher given to me by Asher back in Australia. This voucher entitled me to a pair of nice warm gloves. Very fitting for the situation.
As we approached the tower it appeared really ugly. However, as you walk around it to the main side (as seen on television) the grandness of this landmark is breath-taking. Around the base of the tower were 5 groups of 3 policemen who were there on patrol. A lot of security compared to what we have back at home for our landmarks. We made our way across the bridge to a viewing platform where we took awesome photos of the Eiffel Tower. At this same place we saw a soccer professional balance balls from his nose and a pencil that protruded from his bottom. Weird by wonderful!
Next stop was Sacre Coeur. Sacre Coeur is a huge Catholic church perched on a hill in Paris. Before we went in to experience a Catholic service we watched a massive 200 piece euphonium orchestra play Christmas songs and French tunes.
The architecture of the churches in Paris are amazing. As you walk in to the Sacre Coeur you can't help but see the wonderful painted roof above the alter. I managed to get a photo of it but its not very clear as I had to do it secretly. I am sure God knew I was doing it.
The order of service we were given said we weren't able to take part in communion if we had not been baptised in a catholic church. Much to Asher's disbelief we left the church to find outside a pair of busking singers. We watched and sang along for a while as they were actually really good.
We finished the night with a set dinner in a restaurant near the Sacre Coeur. It was a nice 3 course dinner for $24 AUD.
Just as we were arriving at the hostel we saw a sticker on a car. It was a KEVIN 07 sticker. Who would have thought.
Tim
The glass Pyramid at the Louvre
At the base of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower from the viewing platform
Kevin Dudd pitching in Paris
Today was "see as many tourist sights as we can" day. First on the list was the Louvre.
We were welcomed by the glass pyramids which you see on movies all the time. The cues into the Louvre were almost non-existent when we go there. It is hard to imagine how large this museum actually is until you get here. The first thing we headed for was the Mona Lisa. However, by the time you actually walk there 45 minutes have passed by as you admire all the other works along the way.
It is worth the walk. There is a lot of talk about the majesticness and eerieness of this piece of work. It is a lot smaller than you imagine as you approach it. Its probably only the size of a typical household bathroom mirror. The greatest thing about this work of art is when you walk around it, it appears as if Mona is watching you. Meeting Mona in "person" is definitely a lot better than buying those cheap $10 poster replicas at uni.
We saw as much more as we could before our legs were about to fall off before lunch. By this time we were really hungry and were desperate for lunch. As we walked past a cafferteria along the way we were asked to come in for lunch by what seemed to be the cafe owner. The prices for food are ridiculous here in Paris. I had a tiny lasagne for $10 AUD, Asher a spaggehtti for $10 AUD and Pettsy a plate of about 15 "freedom" fries for $7.50 AUD.
After lunch we made our way to the Eiffel Tower. Along the way I redeemed my home made gift voucher gift voucher given to me by Asher back in Australia. This voucher entitled me to a pair of nice warm gloves. Very fitting for the situation.
As we approached the tower it appeared really ugly. However, as you walk around it to the main side (as seen on television) the grandness of this landmark is breath-taking. Around the base of the tower were 5 groups of 3 policemen who were there on patrol. A lot of security compared to what we have back at home for our landmarks. We made our way across the bridge to a viewing platform where we took awesome photos of the Eiffel Tower. At this same place we saw a soccer professional balance balls from his nose and a pencil that protruded from his bottom. Weird by wonderful!
Next stop was Sacre Coeur. Sacre Coeur is a huge Catholic church perched on a hill in Paris. Before we went in to experience a Catholic service we watched a massive 200 piece euphonium orchestra play Christmas songs and French tunes.
The architecture of the churches in Paris are amazing. As you walk in to the Sacre Coeur you can't help but see the wonderful painted roof above the alter. I managed to get a photo of it but its not very clear as I had to do it secretly. I am sure God knew I was doing it.
The order of service we were given said we weren't able to take part in communion if we had not been baptised in a catholic church. Much to Asher's disbelief we left the church to find outside a pair of busking singers. We watched and sang along for a while as they were actually really good.
We finished the night with a set dinner in a restaurant near the Sacre Coeur. It was a nice 3 course dinner for $24 AUD.
Just as we were arriving at the hostel we saw a sticker on a car. It was a KEVIN 07 sticker. Who would have thought.
Tim
The glass Pyramid at the Louvre
At the base of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower from the viewing platform
Kevin Dudd pitching in Paris
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Day 11: To Paris
It was time to say goodbye to Dubai. It would have been nice to stay longer but for a backpackers budget Dubai is a little hard on the pockets. The only thing that works in our favours is the exchange rate.
Nothing much happened this morning except for last minute packing. We got picked up by our driver in a BMW 7 series.
As we put our bags in airport security the xray operators were again looking at everything else except the screen. The airport is quite nice but still they should be keeping the passengers safe! But in saying that Dubai seems to be a very safe and inviting country.
We arrived in Paris at 7:30pm. The flight was pretty empty so it was great to be able to spread out and stretch our legs. Paris was cold when we hopped off the plane but not as cold as we first imagined. After collectin the bags it was time to start the real backpacking. Hege is right, the real backpacking had not begun until now. It was time to strap up and find our hostel.
Finding the hostel was not a problem as Asher had been here before. We were staying at the Young and Happy which is situated in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It is on a very nice street with a cobblestone road. There is a lot of character at this hostel and this street. Along the street are kebab shops and crepe shops which make them fresh.
Our only hazard during the night was an irrate French Railway operator who didn't want to help us at all. She was rude, loud and ugly.
Other than that Paris is beautiful. Can't wait to see the rest.
Tim
Nothing much happened this morning except for last minute packing. We got picked up by our driver in a BMW 7 series.
As we put our bags in airport security the xray operators were again looking at everything else except the screen. The airport is quite nice but still they should be keeping the passengers safe! But in saying that Dubai seems to be a very safe and inviting country.
We arrived in Paris at 7:30pm. The flight was pretty empty so it was great to be able to spread out and stretch our legs. Paris was cold when we hopped off the plane but not as cold as we first imagined. After collectin the bags it was time to start the real backpacking. Hege is right, the real backpacking had not begun until now. It was time to strap up and find our hostel.
Finding the hostel was not a problem as Asher had been here before. We were staying at the Young and Happy which is situated in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It is on a very nice street with a cobblestone road. There is a lot of character at this hostel and this street. Along the street are kebab shops and crepe shops which make them fresh.
Our only hazard during the night was an irrate French Railway operator who didn't want to help us at all. She was rude, loud and ugly.
Other than that Paris is beautiful. Can't wait to see the rest.
Tim
Day 10: The City Tour
Today was one of the more informative days regarding the history and future of Dubai.
We soon found out that today was Friday and everything was shut until 1pm. Today was pray day and this is the start of the weekend in Dubai. As such we resorted to having breakfast and lunch at Burger King which was the only place open.
We got picked up to go to on our city tour. The tour was attended by us and then about 40 other people over 80 years old. It had felt like we had stepped on a retirement home bus. But in saying that today was really good as we had learnt a lot about the culture and the direction of Dubai.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, Dubai is truly a beautiful city. The government takes a lot of care in the infrastructure and the local people, Emirates. Emirates (pronounced Imiratys) are the local indigeniuos people of Dubai. If you are an Emirates you are able to claim a lot of benefits from the government. These include:
- No electricity or water bills (this includes immigrants)
- Free (luxury) housing along the coast line of the Dubai for the Emirates.
- Free medical paid by the government (and if any surgical procedures can not be performed in Dubai then the government will pay for the operation overseas including all accommodation and travel for the patient and 2 escorts.)
- If 2 Emirates get married then they get a $25,000 (USD) wedding present from the Government.
As mentioned before the local population is the minority compared to the foreigners that have moved to Dubai.
The government or Sheiks in Dubai are very intelligent and definitely think about the future. Dubai's water supply comes from desalinated water which supplies the whole city.
During the trip we drove past the Sheiks palace. We were told as we were driving by not to take any photos or footage of the palace. Asher did not take this on board and still did it anyway. He is now in jail and waiting for a trial. Just Kidding. Photos and video will be posted when we find a computer with USB connections.
Next stop was the Dubai Museum. This museum was an old fort that has been converted into a museum. The fort was rather small but underneath was a labrinth of displays and exhibits. This was very similar to the Images of Singapore museum.
Just as we thought the tour must be coming to an end there was even more. (This tour is really good value for money and is run through a company called Arabian Adventures). We all hoped on water taxis which took us to the other side of the Dubai river. These taxis much like their land drivers are reckless. They beep at anything and bump into anything that is near them. It is amazing these boats still float. Our tour guide told us they were made out of teak from India and the boats are very strong. The water taxis we were on are around 150 years old and have not needed to replace their wood. Quite impressive really.
As we disembarked on the other side of the river we were welcomed by various smells and colours of the Spice Markets. Just behind the Spice markets were the Gold Markets which was a stretch of around 200 gold stores. On the streets were a lot of Indians trying to sell blackmarket watches. Asher and I both bought some cheap branded $93 AUD watches.
Tim
Day 9: Grand Canyon
We started the day with a really nice buffet breakfast at the hotel we are staying at. They had some local porridges, stews and omelletes which were made on the spot.
At 8:30 we were picked up by our tour guide for the day. It was the Grand Canyons we were going to see today.
Along the way we were taken to the Friday markets which was a market of just rug stores and fruit stores. I don't know how these people make money because each and every of the 50 stores or so sold exactly the same things. As you would walk past each store the owner would cut their competitors price down by almost half and so forth.
After battling the crowds of the markets it was off to the Camel farm. Now when they say camel farm they don't mean thousands of camels but rather 5. Just 5 camels made up this farm. The highlight of this sight was the multiple snake tracks we saw in the sand.
In order to get to the grand canyons we had to cross the border to Oman. As we crossed the border there was no passport security check or anything. Much like the airport security at Dubai International airport when they take a blaze approach when checking your bags.
Hunger was beginning to set in but luckily it was lunch time. We had lunch in one of the valleys just below the grand canyons. It was a packed lunch which was included in the price of the tour. It was simple but filled us up nonetheless.
Another 30 minute drive and we were at the top of the grand canyons. It was a really beautiful place and was much different to the hustle and bustle of Dubai city. Along the way we saw and went into little traditional stone houses which were built by locals. By the end of the tour we were stuffed and tired. We now looked forward to another 2 hour drive back to our hotel.
That night Asher and I went out to town. Pettsy stayed home to recover from his cold. We tried several bars and clubs on the beach strip of Dubai. However, each one we tried informed us that we needed to be on the guest list. Dubai's night life seemed to only be for the rich and famous. Moreover, we felt underdressed compared to the people patronising these places. There was a bar at our hotel but the crowd there was old and dodgey and the live music consisted of three larger ladies miming to old school love songs.
After much walking around we decided just to go back to the room and sleep.
Tim
At 8:30 we were picked up by our tour guide for the day. It was the Grand Canyons we were going to see today.
Along the way we were taken to the Friday markets which was a market of just rug stores and fruit stores. I don't know how these people make money because each and every of the 50 stores or so sold exactly the same things. As you would walk past each store the owner would cut their competitors price down by almost half and so forth.
After battling the crowds of the markets it was off to the Camel farm. Now when they say camel farm they don't mean thousands of camels but rather 5. Just 5 camels made up this farm. The highlight of this sight was the multiple snake tracks we saw in the sand.
In order to get to the grand canyons we had to cross the border to Oman. As we crossed the border there was no passport security check or anything. Much like the airport security at Dubai International airport when they take a blaze approach when checking your bags.
Hunger was beginning to set in but luckily it was lunch time. We had lunch in one of the valleys just below the grand canyons. It was a packed lunch which was included in the price of the tour. It was simple but filled us up nonetheless.
Another 30 minute drive and we were at the top of the grand canyons. It was a really beautiful place and was much different to the hustle and bustle of Dubai city. Along the way we saw and went into little traditional stone houses which were built by locals. By the end of the tour we were stuffed and tired. We now looked forward to another 2 hour drive back to our hotel.
That night Asher and I went out to town. Pettsy stayed home to recover from his cold. We tried several bars and clubs on the beach strip of Dubai. However, each one we tried informed us that we needed to be on the guest list. Dubai's night life seemed to only be for the rich and famous. Moreover, we felt underdressed compared to the people patronising these places. There was a bar at our hotel but the crowd there was old and dodgey and the live music consisted of three larger ladies miming to old school love songs.
After much walking around we decided just to go back to the room and sleep.
Tim
Friday, December 21, 2007
Day 8: Dune Safari
Dubai is Amazing. It feels like I have stepped back in time but at the same time it feels like I have skipped 2 decades into the future. For those who haven't been to Dubai, this city is really a buzzing metropolis in the middle of the desert. From artificial grass to pretend pyramids on top of buildings this city is a must see. Surprisingly it feels safe too.
The flight to was a little better than the flight to Singapore. Service seemed a little better and the seats ever so slightly more spacious.
We arrived at Dubai Airport this morning feeling very drowsy. Although, we had the whole flight to sleep, comfort was an issue. The Dubai Airport is amazing. It is a a 4 storey Terminal that looks like a shopping centre and the windows look like traditional clay building windows. There were thousands of people in the airport at 7am as 8 or so flight had just come into Dubai. There are not to many other airlines other than Emirates that fly into Dubai. The thing that astounished us were there amount of people sleeping on the floor int he airport. We were unsure if these people were waiting for flights (as they were in the arrivals hall) or if they had decided to set up a home at this international terminal.
After checking through customs we had our own very guide meet us. We thought we'd play it safe in Dubai due to the huge cultural differences. We were driven to our hotel in a Holden Statesmen equivalent. Cars in are opposite to Australia. The drivers seat is on the left hand side. Not to mention it is really awkard crossing roads here as the cars also drive on the left.
If you ever think road rage is an issue in Australia think again. Every 2 seconds you will here someone beeping their horn at another car and for the most trivial reasons. The drivers here are very impatient. But I guess as most of the car owners here have expensive luxury cars or huge yank tanks (that guzzle fuel) time is precious to them.
It was surprising to find a really large Indian and Philipino population here. It turns out that alot of them come here to work which seems to be the case in Singapore too. Apparently, 70% of Dubai are foreigners, 20% are from other arab nations and 10% are native UAE (United Arab Emirates) locals. It is very strange.
Today we went on a dune safari which included 4 wheel driving on the sand dunes in the desert (very cool), camel riding, belly dancing, and a huge Arabian dinner. Along the way the drivers stop over at a souvenier shop. It was here that Asher and I bought the traditional head pieces and robes. We looked very cool in them. Its going to be a good costume for themed parties back home.
On the way to the Safari we saw a construction sign that read "Bin Laden Construction Company". Obviously Osama's family business still runs strongly in the Arabic world.
Suprisingly Dubai is not as hot as first imagined. We have been told it is winter here and that it usually gets up to 50 degrees in Summer. The top temperature so far has been 30 degrees. Not too bad considering.
Tim
L-R: Asher and Tim in traditional dress. Steven in Australian dress.
The flight to was a little better than the flight to Singapore. Service seemed a little better and the seats ever so slightly more spacious.
We arrived at Dubai Airport this morning feeling very drowsy. Although, we had the whole flight to sleep, comfort was an issue. The Dubai Airport is amazing. It is a a 4 storey Terminal that looks like a shopping centre and the windows look like traditional clay building windows. There were thousands of people in the airport at 7am as 8 or so flight had just come into Dubai. There are not to many other airlines other than Emirates that fly into Dubai. The thing that astounished us were there amount of people sleeping on the floor int he airport. We were unsure if these people were waiting for flights (as they were in the arrivals hall) or if they had decided to set up a home at this international terminal.
After checking through customs we had our own very guide meet us. We thought we'd play it safe in Dubai due to the huge cultural differences. We were driven to our hotel in a Holden Statesmen equivalent. Cars in are opposite to Australia. The drivers seat is on the left hand side. Not to mention it is really awkard crossing roads here as the cars also drive on the left.
If you ever think road rage is an issue in Australia think again. Every 2 seconds you will here someone beeping their horn at another car and for the most trivial reasons. The drivers here are very impatient. But I guess as most of the car owners here have expensive luxury cars or huge yank tanks (that guzzle fuel) time is precious to them.
It was surprising to find a really large Indian and Philipino population here. It turns out that alot of them come here to work which seems to be the case in Singapore too. Apparently, 70% of Dubai are foreigners, 20% are from other arab nations and 10% are native UAE (United Arab Emirates) locals. It is very strange.
Today we went on a dune safari which included 4 wheel driving on the sand dunes in the desert (very cool), camel riding, belly dancing, and a huge Arabian dinner. Along the way the drivers stop over at a souvenier shop. It was here that Asher and I bought the traditional head pieces and robes. We looked very cool in them. Its going to be a good costume for themed parties back home.
On the way to the Safari we saw a construction sign that read "Bin Laden Construction Company". Obviously Osama's family business still runs strongly in the Arabic world.
Suprisingly Dubai is not as hot as first imagined. We have been told it is winter here and that it usually gets up to 50 degrees in Summer. The top temperature so far has been 30 degrees. Not too bad considering.
Tim
L-R: Asher and Tim in traditional dress. Steven in Australian dress.
L-R: Tim, Steven and Asher at the Dune Safari and Belly Dancing Feast.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Day 7: Off To Dubai We Go
Hello. We are reporting from the Singapore Changi Airport. Its 2am at the moment and we are waiting for our flight to Dubai.
This morning we checked out of the 7th Storey Hotel. It was an awesome stay and the staff are really really friendly. They even shook our hands as we left. For those who are looking for a convenient and affordable stay in Singapore this hostel is the way to go. The website is: http://www.nsshotel.com/
Again my Uncle David picked us up and we were off to the family house on the family street which is named after my great grandfather. Today one of the Singapore tv stations were filming a tv show at the house. It was very exciting as we met actors who had appeared in 'The King and I', 'James Bond' and 'Pirates of the Carribean'. We didn't stay long as I think we were mostly in their way. Exciting nonetheless.
The afternoon was dedicated to exploring Clarke Quay. This place is a very hip and modern area in Singapore. There are many restaurants and Bars. One bar we visited had a hospital theme and they used wheelchairs as chairs. Very cool. The next place we went to at Clarke Quay was the Singaporean Ministry of Sound. Blake if you are reading this you are probably wetting your pants. It was a pity that we didn't discover this earlier as there was a lot to see here.
Nonetheless we went on a River Taxi ride along the Singapore River. This was rather interesting as we saw a lot of the Singapore architecture.
Time for dinner. AGAIN! Tonights feast was Indonesian cuisine. Spicy but tasty.
After we had enough of Clarke Quay we went back to my Uncle's place where we were busy packing last minute items. To much shock and horror we had found out that Pettsy had misplaced his entry pass that was issued to him when he came to Singapore. This pass is meant to be retained by visitors and returned upon leaving Singapore. None of us realised that this pass was so important until my mum asked us where we kept them. Everything worked out in the end. One of the first things we did when we go to the airport tonight was go and sort Pettsy's entry pass out. Singapore's Immigration Officers handed back Pettsy passport with a smile. There were no issues. Yay!
We then said farewell to my family which was a little emotional but it was now time for our big trip alone. Things should get interesting. Keep posted.
Tim
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Day 6: The Big Feast
Today was practically going to be our last full day in Singapore. It was slightly more laid back than the other days.
As we only went to bed really late last night lunch time was the wake up time today. My Uncle David and the rest of the family came to pick us up as usual and it was off to eat chicken rice. Chicken rice is my favourite dish in Singapore. It is flavoured rice (boiled with chicken stock) served with chicken. Sounds simple but its very tasty. Although we got told not to eat too much for lunch my family still bought a lot of food. Tonight was going to be our farewell dinner at one of the family's restaurants.
After lunch we had a really quiet afternoon. We just went to a CD shop (called "That CD Shop). I bought the Mika DVD and Asher bought a CD for his brother. I think Pettsy enjoyed his time chasing my little cousin around the shop.
After resting for a while we went to the family restaurant and had a huge 10 course dinner for 16 people. It was an awesome dinner. We found out at the end that the meal cost over $500.
For "dessert" my uncle drove us around the red light district in Singapore. It was rather interesting as some of the girls we saw were actually men. There was a whole street dedicated to transvestites. It was now time to take Pettsy back to the hostel as he was feeling a little under the weather.
The rest of us went back to my uncle's place to eat native Singaporean fruits. We had rumbutan, mangosteen and Durian. For anyone that knows what a Durian is will know that it smells horrible but doesn't taste as bad. We did this while watching Die Hard 4.0.
We returned back to the hostel and slept.
As we only went to bed really late last night lunch time was the wake up time today. My Uncle David and the rest of the family came to pick us up as usual and it was off to eat chicken rice. Chicken rice is my favourite dish in Singapore. It is flavoured rice (boiled with chicken stock) served with chicken. Sounds simple but its very tasty. Although we got told not to eat too much for lunch my family still bought a lot of food. Tonight was going to be our farewell dinner at one of the family's restaurants.
After lunch we had a really quiet afternoon. We just went to a CD shop (called "That CD Shop). I bought the Mika DVD and Asher bought a CD for his brother. I think Pettsy enjoyed his time chasing my little cousin around the shop.
After resting for a while we went to the family restaurant and had a huge 10 course dinner for 16 people. It was an awesome dinner. We found out at the end that the meal cost over $500.
For "dessert" my uncle drove us around the red light district in Singapore. It was rather interesting as some of the girls we saw were actually men. There was a whole street dedicated to transvestites. It was now time to take Pettsy back to the hostel as he was feeling a little under the weather.
The rest of us went back to my uncle's place to eat native Singaporean fruits. We had rumbutan, mangosteen and Durian. For anyone that knows what a Durian is will know that it smells horrible but doesn't taste as bad. We did this while watching Die Hard 4.0.
We returned back to the hostel and slept.
Tim
Monday, December 17, 2007
Day 5: Massage
Tiredness is setting in. Wake up time seems to be getting later and later. Pettsy has warned us that need to ensure that we get up early in Europe so we can see as much as we can.
Shopping seemed to be the agenda for the day. We went to Bugis Junction which is about 5 mins from the 7th Storey Hotel, the hostel we are staying at for those who have forgotton or who have just joined us on this blog. We watched a magic performance on the street which seemed to go no where. This quickly lost our attention.
After getting bored of Bugis we decided to take our chances with the MRT. Singapores mass transport system the equivalent to Brisbane's Citytrain. Singapore has an advance ticketing system that uses a cash card instead of paper tickets. The company that implemented this for Singapore is the same company that is attempting to implement it for Brisbane's Translink. We seemed to have no trouble using the MRT except for Asher who had trouble getting out. He apparently didn't zap in so he was unable to zap out. It all worked out in the end.
After riding the MRT for about 7mins we reached the city centre, Orchard Road. As we had done a lot of shopping in the last few days we decided to wind down with a massage. We got a fairly good price on the massage. A "special westerners" price as Pettsy calls it. For only $27, after a 10% discount, we got a 30 minute massage on our backs, necks and face. It was bliss.
Along Orchard Road we saw many street performers. We saw a spanish trio (who played a request for us), a string octect (who were playing the Pachelbel's Canon), several harmonica players and a traditional chinese instrument performer.
Night soon came upon us and it was time for my Uncle's Christmas Party for the hostel's staff. It was an awesome night with lots of food, alcohol and swimming. As mentioned in the last post Asher, Marcus and I played. Although, we played on fairly cheap instruments I think we did well and the party guests enjoyed it. In between playing Steven, Asher and I went in to the resort style pool with my cousins and friends to play some water polo and other pool games. We had hese really awesome water guns that look like pool tubes and had pretty good pressure.
As we got home to the hostel we were all very tired. It was 1am and with some inner power we all decided to walk to Little India. Little India is an area that is largely inhabited by the Indian population of Singapore. There is a department store here that is open 24 hours and sells almost anything you can think of. From pens, books, jewellery and sewing material you will be able to buy this stuff at heavily reduced prices as well. 4 am quickly came and we decided to get a quick snack at a vegetarian Indian restaurant. This was not such a good idea. A taxi was the only way to get back to the hostel without falling a sleep before getting there.
Tim
Shopping seemed to be the agenda for the day. We went to Bugis Junction which is about 5 mins from the 7th Storey Hotel, the hostel we are staying at for those who have forgotton or who have just joined us on this blog. We watched a magic performance on the street which seemed to go no where. This quickly lost our attention.
After getting bored of Bugis we decided to take our chances with the MRT. Singapores mass transport system the equivalent to Brisbane's Citytrain. Singapore has an advance ticketing system that uses a cash card instead of paper tickets. The company that implemented this for Singapore is the same company that is attempting to implement it for Brisbane's Translink. We seemed to have no trouble using the MRT except for Asher who had trouble getting out. He apparently didn't zap in so he was unable to zap out. It all worked out in the end.
After riding the MRT for about 7mins we reached the city centre, Orchard Road. As we had done a lot of shopping in the last few days we decided to wind down with a massage. We got a fairly good price on the massage. A "special westerners" price as Pettsy calls it. For only $27, after a 10% discount, we got a 30 minute massage on our backs, necks and face. It was bliss.
Along Orchard Road we saw many street performers. We saw a spanish trio (who played a request for us), a string octect (who were playing the Pachelbel's Canon), several harmonica players and a traditional chinese instrument performer.
Night soon came upon us and it was time for my Uncle's Christmas Party for the hostel's staff. It was an awesome night with lots of food, alcohol and swimming. As mentioned in the last post Asher, Marcus and I played. Although, we played on fairly cheap instruments I think we did well and the party guests enjoyed it. In between playing Steven, Asher and I went in to the resort style pool with my cousins and friends to play some water polo and other pool games. We had hese really awesome water guns that look like pool tubes and had pretty good pressure.
As we got home to the hostel we were all very tired. It was 1am and with some inner power we all decided to walk to Little India. Little India is an area that is largely inhabited by the Indian population of Singapore. There is a department store here that is open 24 hours and sells almost anything you can think of. From pens, books, jewellery and sewing material you will be able to buy this stuff at heavily reduced prices as well. 4 am quickly came and we decided to get a quick snack at a vegetarian Indian restaurant. This was not such a good idea. A taxi was the only way to get back to the hostel without falling a sleep before getting there.
Tim
Day 4: Technology Shopping
This morning was another 11am start. Again our morning ritual for breakfast and juice. However, today we couldn't be stuffed walking so far so we just had a Kaya toast which is toast with coconut paste. Its actually quite nice.
After a quiet morning we had lunch at about 2pm. Today's lunch was at the Raffle's Hotel. One of the oldest hotels in Singapore. Its the same hotel that major celebrities like Michael Jackson stay at. It was here that Asher tried his taste buds on Shark Fin soup and Abalone. Pettsy sat there with not such a happy look on his face.
It was today that Pettsy bought his new camera at Sim Lim Square. Sim Lim Square is a huge tower about 6 stories high of computers, technology and other odds and ends. Pettsy's camera is waterproof so now he can take photos of us underwater.
This afternoon Asher, Marcus and I rehearsed a couple of songs to play at tomorrow's Christmas party my uncle was putting on. It went "well".
After the rehearsal Pettsy, Asher and I went to the Singapore Night Safari. This was a very unique experience. Unlike other zoo's this wild life park was open at night and exhibited all night animals. It reminded us of Jurassic Park. Asher's favourite animal was the elephant, Pettsy's was the Rhino and I liked both the best.
We then had late night dinner with one of my other uncles. It was yet another feast.
Today was a good day as we didn't really spend any money on food.
Tim
After a quiet morning we had lunch at about 2pm. Today's lunch was at the Raffle's Hotel. One of the oldest hotels in Singapore. Its the same hotel that major celebrities like Michael Jackson stay at. It was here that Asher tried his taste buds on Shark Fin soup and Abalone. Pettsy sat there with not such a happy look on his face.
It was today that Pettsy bought his new camera at Sim Lim Square. Sim Lim Square is a huge tower about 6 stories high of computers, technology and other odds and ends. Pettsy's camera is waterproof so now he can take photos of us underwater.
This afternoon Asher, Marcus and I rehearsed a couple of songs to play at tomorrow's Christmas party my uncle was putting on. It went "well".
After the rehearsal Pettsy, Asher and I went to the Singapore Night Safari. This was a very unique experience. Unlike other zoo's this wild life park was open at night and exhibited all night animals. It reminded us of Jurassic Park. Asher's favourite animal was the elephant, Pettsy's was the Rhino and I liked both the best.
We then had late night dinner with one of my other uncles. It was yet another feast.
Today was a good day as we didn't really spend any money on food.
Tim
Day 3: A More Laid Back Day
My apologies for not writing earlier. I am now 2 days behind. Things have just been so busy its hard to find time.
Well today started like yesterday except this time instead of waking up at 8am we woke up at 11am. Lazy! So we went to get fruit juice again at the local hawker centre. It was here that Asher had his first "Singapore Rumble. Asher being adventurous had asked me to buy him a juice that was as exotic as I could get. I took this on board and decided to be a little mean so I ordered him an avocado juice with coconut. As anyone could imagine a few hours went by and things didn't go so well. The rest I leave to your imagination.
A short drive later with my Uncle we went to China Town. Who would imagine that an asian country would have a China Town, shouldn't they have Australia Town? Anyhow, we had lunch here and unfortunately sat next to a Turkish Icecream maker. If Vas was there I think there could have been trouble.
After lunch we went to my little cousins violin lesson. This was great as we got to see a seasonsed Suzuki teacher in action. Unfortunately, this bored Pettsy who left to go shopping.
Shopping on Orchard Road was the next order of the day. Orchard Road is the main road in the Singapore city. It is amazing how flat and straight this road is. Unlike Brisbane, there is hardly any hills in Singapore. While walking along we spotted some of Santa's little helpers and was fortunate enough to take photos with them. By the time we finished shopping it was dark outside and we were able to see the famous Orchard Road Christmas Lights. We enjoyed these as we drove through Orchard Road. My little cousin was lucky enough to do it Vegas style by standing out of the sunroof!
It was dinner time at Newton Circus. A place where you could eat seafood at any of the 25 food stores that sold the same things. In the spirit of trying new things Asher and I thought we would take it 1 step further and try eating the fish eyes. For some bizzare reason there was a 3rd fish eye that Asher accidently ate. Weird. At this same place my uncle bought Pettsy the local Singapore beer, Tiger Beer! It didnt come in the standard stubbies that we are used to back home rather it came in a large 3 quarter of a litre bottle.
Bed Time.
Tim
Well today started like yesterday except this time instead of waking up at 8am we woke up at 11am. Lazy! So we went to get fruit juice again at the local hawker centre. It was here that Asher had his first "Singapore Rumble. Asher being adventurous had asked me to buy him a juice that was as exotic as I could get. I took this on board and decided to be a little mean so I ordered him an avocado juice with coconut. As anyone could imagine a few hours went by and things didn't go so well. The rest I leave to your imagination.
A short drive later with my Uncle we went to China Town. Who would imagine that an asian country would have a China Town, shouldn't they have Australia Town? Anyhow, we had lunch here and unfortunately sat next to a Turkish Icecream maker. If Vas was there I think there could have been trouble.
After lunch we went to my little cousins violin lesson. This was great as we got to see a seasonsed Suzuki teacher in action. Unfortunately, this bored Pettsy who left to go shopping.
Shopping on Orchard Road was the next order of the day. Orchard Road is the main road in the Singapore city. It is amazing how flat and straight this road is. Unlike Brisbane, there is hardly any hills in Singapore. While walking along we spotted some of Santa's little helpers and was fortunate enough to take photos with them. By the time we finished shopping it was dark outside and we were able to see the famous Orchard Road Christmas Lights. We enjoyed these as we drove through Orchard Road. My little cousin was lucky enough to do it Vegas style by standing out of the sunroof!
It was dinner time at Newton Circus. A place where you could eat seafood at any of the 25 food stores that sold the same things. In the spirit of trying new things Asher and I thought we would take it 1 step further and try eating the fish eyes. For some bizzare reason there was a 3rd fish eye that Asher accidently ate. Weird. At this same place my uncle bought Pettsy the local Singapore beer, Tiger Beer! It didnt come in the standard stubbies that we are used to back home rather it came in a large 3 quarter of a litre bottle.
Bed Time.
Tim
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Day 2: Singapore - Sentosa Island
Well I am back! Its been hard finding time to write on the blog as we have been on the go since we got here. Since Hege had congratulated me on my attentiveness I would feel bad if I didn't keep it up.
This morning we woke up at 8am Singapore time. Which meant by going to bed at 4am we only go 4 hours sleep. And we felt great! We attributed this to jetgain (the opposite ofjetlag).
So off we went for a walk to find some breakfast. After venturing through the streets of Singapore we found a food court (or a Hawker Centre as it is called here). The choice and variety was amazing and the low prices just as attractive. We all decided to buy food from this one store. To our surprise the whole amount came up to $6.50 SGD (approx. $4.00AUD). This was impressing us. We then decided to indulge in some fresh fruit juice which was just like Boost Juice back home but only cheaper and without wheatgrass or fancy names. I had a pure mango juice, Pettsy had an orange juice and Asher had a juice made out of beetroot, celery and carrot. This only cost us $5.00 SGD all up. Bargain.
On the way back to the hostel Asher and I had to go buy some boardies as we had forgotten to bring them. Well not forgotton but just didn't think they were necessary since most of our time would be spent in cold blistering temperatures of Europe. Anyway, it turns out we bought female ones even though Pettsy had warned us many times whilst we were looking in the store.
Why were we buying boardies? Today we were going to Sentosa. An island just off Singapore full of attractions, live shows and beaches. It was easy getting there as my Uncle had driven us. After paying $2 admission fee we were on the island.
The first attraction we saw was "Images of Singapore". Here we learnt all about the history of Singapore and it allowed us to understand why this country was so multicultural. It gave us some background as to what we were going to be experienced for the rest of our time here. No doubt something interesting would happen at this attraction. And it did. Pettsy had decided to ask a girl to marry him where by she responded with "Really?". Asher then replied with "Yes, we'll take you back to Australia". Although Pettsy and Asher thought she was impressed I think she was a little bit scared. Besides I think she was 16.
Other attractions and rides we went to included:
After a few tunes we went back to the family Hostel. At this time, around 1am in the morning, Asher decided he was hungry. So off we went for a grease down. What could have taken us 10 minutes took us an hour to find some food. With our curious minds we thought we'd go find 'Little India', an area similar to China Town in Brisbane but of India. So off we went venturing down dark alleys passing a few food places but none up to the standards. So 40 minutes later we decide to walk back. We ended up having McDonalds which was only 500 metres down from the Hostel.
With tiredness setting in, Pettsy and Asher decided to have a debate whilst eating Maccas. Things were getting pretty heated up before I attempted to calm the situation but instead ended up debating as well. In the end I think we all agreed to disagree.
The beds were very inviting by the time we go back. It was definitely time for sleep.
Tim
This morning we woke up at 8am Singapore time. Which meant by going to bed at 4am we only go 4 hours sleep. And we felt great! We attributed this to jetgain (the opposite ofjetlag).
So off we went for a walk to find some breakfast. After venturing through the streets of Singapore we found a food court (or a Hawker Centre as it is called here). The choice and variety was amazing and the low prices just as attractive. We all decided to buy food from this one store. To our surprise the whole amount came up to $6.50 SGD (approx. $4.00AUD). This was impressing us. We then decided to indulge in some fresh fruit juice which was just like Boost Juice back home but only cheaper and without wheatgrass or fancy names. I had a pure mango juice, Pettsy had an orange juice and Asher had a juice made out of beetroot, celery and carrot. This only cost us $5.00 SGD all up. Bargain.
On the way back to the hostel Asher and I had to go buy some boardies as we had forgotten to bring them. Well not forgotton but just didn't think they were necessary since most of our time would be spent in cold blistering temperatures of Europe. Anyway, it turns out we bought female ones even though Pettsy had warned us many times whilst we were looking in the store.
Why were we buying boardies? Today we were going to Sentosa. An island just off Singapore full of attractions, live shows and beaches. It was easy getting there as my Uncle had driven us. After paying $2 admission fee we were on the island.
The first attraction we saw was "Images of Singapore". Here we learnt all about the history of Singapore and it allowed us to understand why this country was so multicultural. It gave us some background as to what we were going to be experienced for the rest of our time here. No doubt something interesting would happen at this attraction. And it did. Pettsy had decided to ask a girl to marry him where by she responded with "Really?". Asher then replied with "Yes, we'll take you back to Australia". Although Pettsy and Asher thought she was impressed I think she was a little bit scared. Besides I think she was 16.
Other attractions and rides we went to included:
- The Luge - A down hill ride on a luge. I took my little 2 year old cousin with me and he loved it!
- Cinebuzz - This was a ride in a cinema that is similar to the Bat ride at Movieworld. A little bit of a waste of money.
- The Light Show - This was amazing and worth the money (my mum actually paid for all of us, hahaha). It was a show at night which used lights to create pictures and animations. Hopefully if we can download photos and videos I will be able to upload these to blog later.
After a few tunes we went back to the family Hostel. At this time, around 1am in the morning, Asher decided he was hungry. So off we went for a grease down. What could have taken us 10 minutes took us an hour to find some food. With our curious minds we thought we'd go find 'Little India', an area similar to China Town in Brisbane but of India. So off we went venturing down dark alleys passing a few food places but none up to the standards. So 40 minutes later we decide to walk back. We ended up having McDonalds which was only 500 metres down from the Hostel.
With tiredness setting in, Pettsy and Asher decided to have a debate whilst eating Maccas. Things were getting pretty heated up before I attempted to calm the situation but instead ended up debating as well. In the end I think we all agreed to disagree.
The beds were very inviting by the time we go back. It was definitely time for sleep.
Tim
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Day 1: Brisbane Airport to Singapore
So we have made it to Singapore on time at 3:30am Australian Time.
Other than sitting in 1 hour of traffic from the city to the airport everything else went to plan. Dani and I and met Pettsy, Pettsy's Dad and Asher at the airport around 5:30pm. Asher and Pettsy had already checked in and had managed to skip the massive line by going into business class check-in. Well done. Funny thing though is that when I waiting in economy one of the airport crew asked me to go over to business class check-in. Even more coincidental was the lady that served me was the same lady that served Asher and Pettsy. So things were looking great!
After going through all the formalities it was now a waiting game. We sat there eager to board the plane. However, when we did board the Emirates plane we were horrified. The seats were tiny. Asher and I had recalled that seats on Singapore Airlines were slightly bigger and more comfortable. Singapore Airlines was looking a lot better. Service was not too crash hot either. If ever you asked for something from the stewards it always seemed to be too much trouble for them. But in all fairness to Emirates, the on board entertainment was great. There were over 20 games (including multiplayer games against other passengers) and over 600 channels of movies, music and tv shows! Unfortunately, there wasnt 'Sex in the City'. However, something Singapore airlines didn't have was an onboard forward camera that showed you what the pilots were seeing (including the take off and landing). That was awesome!
So we made it to Singapore and although we were eager to get on at first we were more eager to get off to stretch our legs. My mum, brother and extended Singapore family met us at 2am Singapore time. To much of Asher's fear there was no rest for the wicked. It was straight to supper where we ate Inidian Roti Prahta. It was nice to eat real asian food.
After supper it was time to go back to the family hotel and rest.
I have done this blog in a rush as I only have 15 minutes. So I will proof read it later.
Till Next Time!
Tim
Other than sitting in 1 hour of traffic from the city to the airport everything else went to plan. Dani and I and met Pettsy, Pettsy's Dad and Asher at the airport around 5:30pm. Asher and Pettsy had already checked in and had managed to skip the massive line by going into business class check-in. Well done. Funny thing though is that when I waiting in economy one of the airport crew asked me to go over to business class check-in. Even more coincidental was the lady that served me was the same lady that served Asher and Pettsy. So things were looking great!
After going through all the formalities it was now a waiting game. We sat there eager to board the plane. However, when we did board the Emirates plane we were horrified. The seats were tiny. Asher and I had recalled that seats on Singapore Airlines were slightly bigger and more comfortable. Singapore Airlines was looking a lot better. Service was not too crash hot either. If ever you asked for something from the stewards it always seemed to be too much trouble for them. But in all fairness to Emirates, the on board entertainment was great. There were over 20 games (including multiplayer games against other passengers) and over 600 channels of movies, music and tv shows! Unfortunately, there wasnt 'Sex in the City'. However, something Singapore airlines didn't have was an onboard forward camera that showed you what the pilots were seeing (including the take off and landing). That was awesome!
So we made it to Singapore and although we were eager to get on at first we were more eager to get off to stretch our legs. My mum, brother and extended Singapore family met us at 2am Singapore time. To much of Asher's fear there was no rest for the wicked. It was straight to supper where we ate Inidian Roti Prahta. It was nice to eat real asian food.
After supper it was time to go back to the family hotel and rest.
I have done this blog in a rush as I only have 15 minutes. So I will proof read it later.
Till Next Time!
Tim
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Packing the Pack
Here is a list of all the things I am bringing to Europe. Not sure if i have too little or too much gear for the 6 weeks. No doubt I will find out once we are over there. This is an extensive list. It is literally everything I will be bringing with me so if anyone sees anything missing before I fly out please let me know.
All this gear will be going into my backpackers sack which I bought from Mountain Designs at DFO. It is the COLUMBUS 75 and it holds 75 litres including the little detachable day pack that it comes with. At first I thought I would have problems fitting everything in. However, when Dani and I did a practice pack we were surprised at how much we could actually fit. There is probably even room to bring some souveniers back!
Well here is the list.
All this gear will be going into my backpackers sack which I bought from Mountain Designs at DFO. It is the COLUMBUS 75 and it holds 75 litres including the little detachable day pack that it comes with. At first I thought I would have problems fitting everything in. However, when Dani and I did a practice pack we were surprised at how much we could actually fit. There is probably even room to bring some souveniers back!
Well here is the list.
IMPORTANT
Passport
Tickets
Wallet
Mobile Phone
Passport holder Bag
Camera/USB Cable
Sunglasses
IPOD (To be decided if I actually take it)
TRAVEL GEAR
Silk sleep sheet (Been told this is good for when we stay at youth hostels)
Microfibre towel (From Mountain Designs at DFO - This is really compact and small. Amazing!)
Clothesline (Just a long piece of string perhaps?)
Pillow case
Poncho
TOILETRIES
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Contact lenses
Shampoo/conditioner
Soap/Bodywash
Deodorant
Gel
Shaver
Sunscreen
Dettol gel
First aid kit (Might make my own)
Lip balm
CLOTHING
T-shirts x 7
Jeans x 2
Converse shoes (My daily walking shoes)
Dress shoes
Thongs (For Singapore and Dubai - and European Hostel Showers)
Underwear x 7
Socks x 7
Big Black Jacket
White Jacket
White Cardigan
Belt
Beanie (Not your typical beanie)
Thermals
Long PJ Pants
MISCELLANEOUS
Diary
Novel
Travel games
Spoon/fork
Travel adaptor
Zip-lock bags
Padlocks
From the Packing Master!
Tim
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The Itinerary
So here it is, our planned itinerary. Lets see if we actually follow what we've planned! Click on the image below to see a bigger version of the calendar.
Till next time.
Tim
Till next time.
Tim
Europe - The Final Countdown
For those who don't know yet. Steven, Asher and I are going to Singapore, Dubai and Europe for 6 weeks. This is the start of, hopefully, a regular blog of our journey. Please leave comments to let us know how you are!
With only a week and half to go both the excitement and the stress of getting everything ready for our Europe trip has set in. I think I am on track with most boring admin business (eg. passports, air tickets, etc) but there is still a lot of fun accommodation bookings to be made. Steven, Asher and I have found it difficult to find accommodation for Berlin from 29 December to 2nd January. We are starting to realise that leaving the bookings this late was bit of a mistake.
I have now also done a practice pack with the help of my lovely Danielle! She is an amazing resource. She has shown me that a toiletry bag can hold much more than my hair gel, toothpaste and toothbrush. It now holds several cotton buds, an elastic band, sunscreen, antibacterial lotion and other useful items. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have the elastic band to keep my shoes together in the event that they fall apart! So many thanks to Dani!
This is all I have to say for now. But please check back later in a week or so when we start the trip. I aim to have a daily blog of the trip with photos of our journey!
Peace out for now.
Tim
With only a week and half to go both the excitement and the stress of getting everything ready for our Europe trip has set in. I think I am on track with most boring admin business (eg. passports, air tickets, etc) but there is still a lot of fun accommodation bookings to be made. Steven, Asher and I have found it difficult to find accommodation for Berlin from 29 December to 2nd January. We are starting to realise that leaving the bookings this late was bit of a mistake.
I have now also done a practice pack with the help of my lovely Danielle! She is an amazing resource. She has shown me that a toiletry bag can hold much more than my hair gel, toothpaste and toothbrush. It now holds several cotton buds, an elastic band, sunscreen, antibacterial lotion and other useful items. If it wasn't for her I don't think I would have the elastic band to keep my shoes together in the event that they fall apart! So many thanks to Dani!
This is all I have to say for now. But please check back later in a week or so when we start the trip. I aim to have a daily blog of the trip with photos of our journey!
Peace out for now.
Tim
Muusik in Europe - The Blog
Welcome to my European Tour blog. To view the posts I have made for my trip please click on the blog archive on the right hand side. It will hopefully be in the same order of events that I experience while overseas.
Enjoy.
Tim
Enjoy.
Tim
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