europe in thirty seven days

day 37.5: you are the reason

2010-06-20T00:55:00.002+08:00

"If I ran out of the plane or airport, do not stop me," I warned Jerrain. It was so difficult to get on the British Airways flight back to Singapore from London. I had so much fun and learnt lots. There are still a million and one places I have not visited, and another million and one I wished I had spent more time in.

I came back. And there were eight good reasons waiting for Jerrain and I once we touched down:

Adele
Jaso
Thomas
Siew Huey
Keith
Jalene
Kevin
Lester

We had a scrumptious eight-course dinner at a Chinese restaurant along East Coast Road. It seemed like they had just as much to share with us - new jobs, gatherings while we were away, and more! We agreed to meet up again to show them the over 2000 photos we took, but I think what they really want are the presents!!

Home. It is where my family and friends are.

day 37: my favourite things

2010-06-20T00:54:00.000+08:00

New friends I met along the way often asked me what my favourite destination was. There were definitely places where I felt like I have come home, more than others. But at each stop, there was always something distinct that stood out.

Here is a summary of my favourite or most memorable thing at each stop:

London: Seeing so much history in a city is a new experience coming from young Singapore. Meeting Singaporeans in a club. Hanging out in a local bar.
Warwickshire: Visiting Serene and Gavin, and meeting Nicholas and bunch. Cotswold is lovely with small cottages and lots of green meadows. English breakfast, scones and tea are the best!
Paris: I will never forget being on the streets for a night, and how Norie stayed out with us even when she had a nice warm bed waiting.
Brussels: Having mussels at La Cotelette and being served by Nabil, who went the extra mile to make our meal so enjoyable - singing and offering massages.
Amsterdam: I love how the canals are everywhere! Although we did not get stoned (contrary to popular belief), we had the best pub crawl by Ultimate Party!
Berlin: Doing a reflective tour at the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. Seeing the Berlin Wall and East Side Gallery reminds me of the need for world peace.
Prague: As much as it is touristy, it is a beautiful city. I love the view from the castle and the roast rabbit!
Krakow: The most eventful day was the trip to the A&E department at the hospital! Besides that, I was intrigued by the place. I definitely want to return to Poland and explore other parts of Eastern Europe.
Vienna: The entire city felt artsy and musical. It certainly deserved more time, to go for an opera or art exhibition. I enjoyed the walk around town seeing the intricate and sophisticated historical buildings.
Munich: Having an afternoon picnic at the English Garden and meeting more than three really friendly locals who initiated help.
Interlaken: The mountains and lakes were unbelievable. I think it is the most romantic place in the world! And the friends we have met were awesome! Nothing beats having a club just downstairs too.
Venice: Water everywhere! I love that about Venice. And there is always something relaxing about taking boats and crossin bridges.
Rome: Magnificent architecture and art. I love the Vatican museum, one of the few museums we visited on this trip; I was glad we picked this one. I would highly recommend the Sisteen Chapel.
Bodo: It was the best ending I could ask for, spending time with friends who were extremely hospitable. I loved the fact that the mountain and the sea was so close. I would love to go back and spend more time.
Oslo: Although we did not get into the city, we had a taste of how expensive Norway is. And the long twelve-hours wait at the airport was certainly more bearable than the one I remembered in Doha.

And the wall of fame:

Food: There is a tie on this one. It is either the English Breakfast by Gavin and Serene; or the baked Norwegian salmon with vegetables by Oyvind's mum.
Party: Amsterdam Ultimate Party pub crawl! Free shots throughout the night as much as you can drink, a t-shirt to prove you survived, great music and bunch!
New friends: The girlies we met in Berlin and our Carlos Armano! JinSha was the sweetest!
Hostel: Tom & Greg in Krakow had both Jerrain and my vote for the best hostel in Europe! Free breakfast, snacks, dinner, friendly staff, homely atmosphere - I could stay there for a month or longer if they let me!
Gadget: Caleb, my iPhone wins hands down on this one! He recorded my feelings of every day and kept me in touch with the world through emails and Facebook.
Clothing: Black denim skirt - casual and comfortable for all occassions
Snack: Definately Knoppers! Jerrain and I went crazy everytime we find this chocolate nutty waffle in the supermarket.
Blonde moment: Jerrain asked me which sense I would give up if I had to choose, and I chose sense of taste.
Romantic: Sitting by Lake Brienz in surrounded by the alps at Interlaken Switzerland
Fun: Playing the card game 'Kings' with our Zach, Dan and Adam from USA, having to end every sentence with the phrase 'in my bed'.
Glam moment: Putting on the safety suit on our way to the Summer House. We looked at least triple our size!

day 36: the entertainer

2010-06-19T00:53:00.001+08:00

From the beginning, we have assigned roles. I was the planner, and Jerrain the entertainer.

But in these 37 days, Jerrain has proven herself to be more than that. I could not have enjoyed myself more without her. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely get her as my travel buddy.

Here are the reasons why:

1. She carried my 15 kilogram backpack when I twisted my right foot.
She wakes up first every morning.
I am not the only and most blonde person around.
We can speak in languages no one can understand - mandarin, f-language, and blondish.
Unlike me, she can count.
Her watchful eyes never leave me when we are clubbing.
Despite being 'Legally Blonde', she thinks of the most ingenious ideas like pushing the train station trolley on to the streets of London so our shoulders need not hurt from our oversized backpacks.
She volunteered her scarf for us to lie on when we did not have a mat in the park.
She is a great drinker and an excellent party buddy.
We make the perfect pair of Asian hot chicks!
We can chat about events that happen 14 years ago because we go way back.
She really entertains.
She wears her heart on her sleeve.
I do not need to worry that she is bored (as long as she has her iPhone).
She lets me decide where to go.
Her contagious laughter tickles me every time.
She calls my name in the sweetest voice and tone.
Her advice about relationships is wise and often timely.
She brought me home.

The list can go on. I am thankful for having a friend I have known and kept in touch for more than a decade. I am really happy I could share my one month adventure with someone so special and close to my heart.

day 35: also oslo

2010-06-18T00:53:00.002+08:00

I must be going gaga over the Kings card game because I cannot stop rhyming, which explains the title.

We left Bodo extremely early this morning at 6.50am after having breakfast. I had my last 'Chocolate Therapy' cookie and said goodbye to Oyvind, his lovely home, our new Norwegian friends, and all the food and snacks I tried and loved.

Jerrain and I were supposed to drop our luggage when we arrive in Oslo at 9am to explore the city. We were so exhausted that the hour long train ride into town seemed like too big a task for the day. We decided to take it easy and hang out at the airport for 12 hours! There was a row of comfortable couchettes, but sleeping on it for five hours straight left me with a very numb butt.

Since we were going to be in London for just 23 hours, we decided to stay at one of the airport hotels, Yotel. It is a cool mini hotel with cabins that could fit two people, but really just comfortable for one. Jerrain and I needed to stay on the bed just so we had sufficient
standing and moving space.

Location: Oslo Norway and London Britain
Cost: 68nok pasta at airport, 12nok crisps, 20nok hot chocolate, 35nok orange juice, €4.60 chicken salad sandwich and water, €30 chocolates from Thorntons, €20 tea, €8 M&S
Highlight: It was not easy waiting at an airport for 12 hours, but having Jerrain with me made it a lot more bearable. I particularly enjoyed our HTH (heart-to-heart) chat - one of many throughout this trip - about what we learnt and experienced in the last 30 over days.

day 34: farewell dinner party

2010-06-17T00:52:00.006+08:00

Leaving Ilsoya, the summer house, was swift, but not painless. By this time, we were more experienced with putting on the water safety suits and Oyvind had a softer dock with the small boat. While everything was going a lot smoother, I was not as happy as when I first arrived. I felt like the little green monster who appears at the end of every episode of Gag and screams "Mommy, it's over!!". Jerrain and Oyvind managed to coax me into leaving Soranoy, or South Eagle Island, without being dragged on to the boat.

We caught a quick nap during the one hour ferry ride to Bodo and gathered enough energy to do some light trekking on Keiservarden. We strolled pass two small lakes which Oyvind used to spend a lot of time at as a child. There was a drizzle but we strived on to the peak which took us about an hour. It felt great to be at the summit although the views would have been better if it was not as cloudy.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the dinner party. Oyvind invited his good friends, Tom, Frida and Arild over for dinner, wine and Rock Band. I helped prepare dinner by doing lots of chopping (and dancing to Lady Gaga). For dinner, we had:

Bruschetta with chorizo sausage and feta cheese
Beef roast with mixed vegetables and thyme potatos
Vanilla ce cream with raspberry purée and chocolate sauce drizzle
Four and a half bottle of wine

Location: Bodo, Norway
Cost: 99nok ferry back to Bodo
Highlight: Sharing lives and travel stories with our new Norwegian friends over a home-cooked dinner and wine. It warmed my heart to see how we could easily share a joke despite our cultural differences. And I do not know anyone who did not enjoy jamming on Rock Band!

day 33: the summer house

2010-06-16T00:55:00.001+08:00

The maroon house sat right by the water. It had a wooden platform just in front which would be perfect for barbeques on warm(ish) summer afternoons. The living room and kitchen were bright and spacious, with unobstructed views of the sea and mountains. There was more than enough rooms for each of us.

While I made the bed, Jerrain and Øyvind prepared dinner. They obviously did not trust my cooking skills, probably the wisest decision for the day. We had oven roasted pork, baked carrots and garlic butter mashed potatoes.

The short walk around the island earlier in the day worked up an appetite it seemed - we finished all the food, even I did. During the walk, we passed the other few houses on the island which belonged to Oyvind's relatives. We spotted a duck and her nest of eggs. While we frightened most of the sheep away, one of them was a little more friendly. We needed to watch where we walked because there was poop scattered around. I do not think the sheep were toilet-trained.

The ferry ride to the island was challenging. We faced fierce currents on the open sea almost immediately after leaving Bodo. The boat rocked so hard we were flung up off our seats a couple of times.

Location: Soranoy, Norway
Cost: 99nok boat to Ilsoya
Highlight: Lunch with Oyvind's parents at their lovely home. Oyvind's mum baked salmon and mixed vegetables which were absolutely delicious. We finished the meal with strawberries, covered with sugar and double cream.

day 32: up in the air

2010-06-15T23:28:00.001+08:00

It felt great to check in my backpack (still 15 kilograms) and travel in style and comfort. We left Rome Italy for the eleventh and last country, Norway. Øyvind was excited to show us his home. Jerrain and I are equally - if not more - thrilled to be in Norway for the first time.

We transitted in Oslo airport for a couple of hours where I had one of my most expensive lunches on this trip. For 190nok (approximately €24), I had two chicken legs, mashed potato and a bottle of lemon tea.

Finally, we landed in Bodo. After a quick detour to the supermarket and a short tour of Oyvind's home, we went up to a mountain just five minutes away to enjoy the midnight sun. At 12.30am in the morning, it was bright enough to see the mountain across the sea. We could not see the sun because it was too cloudy but it was fascinating just being in daylight when it was so late. To top the amazing view, we enjoyed a bottle of Riesling and crisps while we sat on the mountain.

At that moment, I knew Bodo stole my heart. With the moutain and the sea, it was difficult to stay faithful to Interlaken as my favourite stop in Europe. And this was just the first evening.

Location: Rome Italy and Bodo Norway
Cost: €14 train to FCO airport, €1.10 crisps, €5.90 baci chocolates, €4.90 sandwiches, 190nok lunch at Oslo Airport
Highlight: Sharing breathtaking views with Oyvind and Jerrain over Riesling (and coke for Oyvind who was driving).

day 31: romantic rome

2010-06-14T23:27:00.002+08:00

No shorts. No sleeveless tops. No short skirts. No recording devices. And no talking. The glorious Sistine Chapel, demanded respect from its visitors. Regardless of its restrictions, I would comply because it was an awesome experience.

I could not imgine how Michelangelo could have painted the chapel in four years. And today, I was admiring something so spectacular that was done in 1512. It was breathtaking.

Our Italian guide, Andrea, brought us through the Vetican Museum and showed us many excellent tapestries, sculptures, and paintings. My favourite was the ceiling paintings that looked three dimensional.

We were starving after the three-hour tour. We jumped into a taxi and found a pizzeria in the middle of the market square at Campo de Fiori.

A slow stroll to the Colosseum passed several other beautiful key architecture, some half ruined.

We walked nine hours today. My feet hurts.

Location: Rome, Italy
Cost: €40 Vatican tour, €13.80 pizza and sprite, €9.50 taxi, €2 isotonic drink, €2 orange juice, €17 dinner, €12.50 muscato.
Highlight: We ventured around Trastevere, a less touristy area across the river. Cozy restaurants lined the small alleys, with lovely alfresco seating under trees and surrounded by flowers. I had Coda alla Vaccinara, which was a braised tail in tomato and vegetable gravy. It was very delicious.

day 30: gone gondola-ing

2010-06-13T23:19:00.000+08:00

Venice is beautiful. I love being on and around water all the time, finding little old bridges at every corner, and staring down long narrow lanes. It was beautiful last night on the water bus but Venice during the day is absolutely romantic.

The gondola ride was spectacular. Sebestiano, whose gondola we picked, was a young twenty-ish year-old guy who showed us several significant historical and interesting buildings, such as Cassanova's house or the canal-side villa which was used in the filming of 'The Italian Job' movie. It was lovely being on a private boat. I especially loved navigating around the smaller and quieter canals, and going under the bridges. Some bridges were so short Sebestiano had to bend down.

After the relaxing gondola ride, we strolled through the main road to Rialto bridge and San Marco square. We realised then that we were a little short on time before our 4.27pm train. We thought we could take the water taxi back until we found out that it was €60! So we took the water bus instead which was a pleasant (but stressful) 40 minutes ride down the canal to the rail station.

Fortunately we made it in the end, by a pretty good margin I must say. We ran 300 metres across a crowded square and bridge, picked up our bags from the hostel and sprinted to the train station.

The four hour train ride flew by. Oyvind taught me some simple phrases in Norwegian in preparation for our stay in Bodo. With Oyvind's iPad, we screened South Park and the House of Flying Daggers.

After checking into Legends Hostel and meeting our New York room mates, we went for authentic Roman food to celebrate. Jerrain got news that she graduated with first class honours!! I am so proud of her!

Location: Venice and Rome, Italy
Highlight: The 40-minute water bus ride, enjoying the wind and sights.
Cost: €2.50 hot chocolate, €7.90 spaghetti carbonara, €40 gondola, €11 reservation fee for train to Rome, €6.50 water bus, €3 orange juice on the train, €31 hostel, €30 dinner, €6 drinks.
Train: Venezia Santa Lucia to Roma Termini 4 hours.

day 29: a promise

2010-06-12T14:52:00.004+08:00

It was heart wrenching to say goodbye. A part of me would never leave Interlaken, now my favourite destination in Europe. It is the most romantic place I have been to.

The drizzle and gloomy skies in the morning reflected both Jerrain's and my reluctance as the train pulled off. We said goodbye to the beautiful surrounding and our hostel mates.

I promised the mountains and lakes that I would be back.

The only consolation was having Jerrain and Oyvind by my side. We drowned our sorrows in a shot of absinth and countless shots - one per bridge we crossed to be exact - on the pub crawl.

Location: Venice, Italy
Train: Interlaken to Brig 1 hour, Brig to Venezia S. Lucia 5 hours
Cost: €1 ice cream, €10 Nussel "Marinara", €1.20 ice cream, €10 pub crawl, €38 hostel, €10 drinks
Highlight: Yes! Finally Oyvind and I meet again, after almost half a year. It was good to be able to pick up where we left off. After travelling and meeting more people in the past four weeks, I have learnt to appreciate our friendship. It is rare to find a great friend whom I can keep in touch and travel with.

day 28: say cheese fondue

2010-06-11T14:52:00.001+08:00

Our last full day in Interlaken. Jerrain and I were determined to keep it as relaxing as possible. So no more seven-hour cycling or heavy partying.

We skipped breakfast at our hostel for a full spread at the main square in town. Des Alpes, a restaurant recommended by our hostel, had seats facing the field where many paragliders land. We had:

Cheese fondue with bread - 28.50chf
Sirloin steak 180 grams - 35.90 chf
A bottle of Ramseier's Apfel Schorle (sparkling apple juice) each - 4.50chf

We saw at least 15 paragliders while we had lunch. Paragliding is now on my bucket list, so is canyoning and sky diving! Especially after seeing Mike's video and photos of his dive over dinner.

The highlight of the day was discovering Tally Weijl! Jerrain bought a pretty black dress and a white top, and I could not resist a pair of white shorts.

We were all ready for bed about 9pm when the inviting 'Happy Hour' gong went off. (Actually I had been watching the time and wondering why the daily gong had not gone off yet). I had a last 10chf note in my wallet for emergency, and we concurred that it seemed like one. So we hurried down to the bar in our pyjamas for our final two vodka cranberries.

As we were heading to bed (again), Dan and the guys came by with their 1chf beer. Xport pizza just next door was celebrating its second birthday and offering beers at this crazy price. Stocks were out by the time we got there so the boss gave us a 0.50chf discount off our 3.50chf local beer. We shared a salami and cheese pizza with the guys before (successfully this time) going to sleep.

Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
Highlight: Hard to believe, but it was shopping at Tally Weijl and trying all the pretty dresses! And drinking at Metro Bar in our PJs.
Cost: 1.90chf postage per post card, 36.70chf lunch, 15chf white shorts, 8.35chf chocolates and shower foam, 9chf vodka cranberry, €10 chicken cordon bleu, 3chf beer, €4 pizza.

day 27: extreme cycling

2010-06-10T14:51:00.002+08:00

Hearing our hostel mates boast about their paragliding and canyoning experience, Jerrain and I decided a little adventure could do us some good. Most would not consider this extreme sport, but this seven-hour bicycle ride left us exhausted with two very sore buttocks.

Lake Brienzersee, a 14 kilometre lake stretching between the village of Brienz and Bönigen, was about 20 minutes away by bicycle. Gustevo (our roommate from Argentina), Jerrain and I rented bicycles and set off at 10ish in the morning.

After a few lucky turns, we were face to face with the magnificent lake. The wind was strong, stirring up currents across the lake. We had a quiet short stretch to ourselves, took photos and dipped our feet into the cold water till they got numb.

The journey to Iseltwald, a small village by the lake, took much longer than we expected. The never-ending up slopes meant we had to push our bicycles for quite a distance. But it was all worth it. The views of peaceful cottages lining Lake Brienz and the 2137 metres tall Augstmatthorn in the background were amazing! We rewarded ourselves with carbs-heavy lunch at a small restaurant in Iseltwald.

All that adrenaline-pumping action in the day left us yearning for more. Fortunately, Balmers hostel housed one of the most popular clubs in Interlaken. Thursday night was quieter than Wednesday 'Beach Party' themed night. But we had a blast playing Kings with our three roommates from Washington DC - Dan, Zac and Adam.

Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
Highlight: Feeling the cold water of Lake Brienz in the morning. I am deeply in love with the mountains and lakes. I definitely want to come back!
Cost: 25chf 4-hour bicycle rental, 20chf sausage and rosti for lunch, 32chf drinks at Metro bar
Injury: I can hardly feel the pain when I walk. It hurts a little when I apply gel to the injured area. 8/10
People: Big Mike who is always friendly and never fails to say hello; Gustevo, my neighbour from Argentina who took the bed right next to me; Dan, Zach and Adam from Washington who taught us the best drinking game ever!

day 26: i am in love

2010-06-09T01:28:00.000+08:00

I am in love. Today, the lucky guy is... Interlaken! Here are the reasons why:

I woke up in the middle of the Bernese Oberland Alps and the magnificent view melted my heart.
I took a nap by Lake Thun, a beautiful Alphine lake which is 17.5 kilometres in length.
Everywhere I looked, there was blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds.
Drivers always gave way to padestrians. Always.
The bus drivers and local people were amazingly friendly and helpful. And the bus trips were free with my visitor card!
At 27 degrees celcius, it was warm enough to be in my summer dress but cool enough to walk a mile without perspiring.

Ask me again tomorrow. I might still be deeply in love.

Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
Cost: 15.80chf hooters wings for lunch, 4.45chf chicken caesar sandwich, 1chf choco milk, 1.20chf moisturiser
Highlight: Waking up in the tent right in the middle of the mountains. I would do that again any time. Only short of wifi.
Injury: I was no longer limping and could walk at regular pace. The injured foot only hurt slightly when I walked for more than 45 minutes. 7.5/10

day 25: camping in the alps

2010-06-08T01:29:00.005+08:00

Balmers Tent Village is right in the heart of the Swiss Bernese Oberland Alps. It had a row of twelve tents - each housing two to six beds - and a lawn with hammocks and sun chairs to relax on.

Jerrain and I enjoyed sleeping in the tent at Mount Ophir so much we could not resist another opportunity. We booked Mexico City, one of the twelve tents, for the first of four nights in beautiful Interlaken.

Mexico City had two comfortable big beds, a full length mirror (which was the first thing Jerrain noticed), a table, two chairs and a gas heater I could not seem to operate. Common hot showers and toilets were just a few tents away and the main tent had free coffee and tea all day.

Situated 800 metres from the main hostel, the only hassle was the need to take a bus for breakfast, free wifi or the famous Metro Club at the hostel. After a few drinks (too many), Jerrain and I trekked two bus stops in the dark and cold at two in the morning. Fortunately, we did not get lost and found the Tent Village quickly.

Only thing we missed was Siew Huey - the third blonde tent buddy to reenact our Mount Ophir night out under the stars.

Location: Zurich and Interlaken, Switzerland
Cost: €1 hot chocolate, €1 salami bagette, €10 burger and fries, 4.50chf wine, 28.50chf per night at balmers, 14chf drinks at Metro club
Train: Munchen hbf to Zurich 4 hours, Zurich to Luzern 40 minutes, Luzern to Interlaken 2 hours
Lost and found: Grey Cotten-On scarf and Blondi. I cannot believe I left Blondi behind at the train station! I hope he finds a good owner.
Injury: Walking with the backpack is still a struggle. I can feel that the injured area on right foot is still soft and sore, it hurts a little when I am applying the prescribed gel.
Highlight: The scenic two-hour train ride between Lucern and Interlaken is extremely popular. Today we saw why. Passing mountains and lakes, we were not the only passengers in the cabin snapping away.

day 24: munching munchen

2010-06-07T01:30:00.001+08:00

Huge sausages, mega ribs, juicy roasted chicken, big leg of ham and more. Besides these glorious meat stalls, carts selling fresh fruit and vegetables surrounded the Viktualienmaekt Beer Garden. I held my breath in anticipation as I wait for Jerrain to complete the Sandrmans New Munich Tour.

Instead of joining the tour, I decided to wander around with my map. That way, I could pace myself (and my recovering right foot). Starting at the magnificent Neues Rathaus at Marienplatz, my first stop was the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and its tower. After 82 steps and an elevator ride, I stood at 86 metres overlooking the city. Before heading to Viktualienmaekt, I also checked out the Royal Residence, Theatinerkirche, Siegestor, bronze sculpture of Romeo's heart-throb
Juliet, and the Hofgarten.

The highlight of the day was the afternoon at the Englisher Garten. Viktualienmaekt had everything we needed for our picnic. We were spoilt for choice, and after 30 minutes of circling the shops and beer garden, our basket was filled with:

2 Knusprig Gegrillte Schweinshax'n (pork knuckles)
Kabanossi-Pfanne (potato salad with salami)
Bread stick with sea salt and herb
Bag of Kelly's paprika potato crisps
Nutella chocolate waffle
Sporto chocolate milk
Bottle of Coca-Cola

The Englisher Garten, which stretched across several train stations, had endless fields and streams running between them. We ate, listened to music, read, and chatted. Several dogs dropped by to sniff us out.

The park was everything we expected it to be and more. Except, we read from guidebooks and heard from our roommate Ben that there were people sunbathing in the nude. But we spotted none of that.

We headed back to the hostel early to prepare for tomorrow's 7am train. We decided to shorten our Munich stay by a day so we could spend more time in Interlaken. We needed to get away from the city.

Location: Munich, Germany
Cost: €2.20 roasted chicken leg for breakfast, €3 entrance to Turn Tower, €1 tea at Subway, €5.50 pork knuckle, €0.80 500ml chocolate milk, €1.30 bread stick
Highlight: Friendly and extremely helpful locals! More than three people came up to me asking if I needed help with the map or to take a photo. A guy near the Englisher Garten even walked with us for a distance to make sure we did not get lost, when he was actually
heading the opposite direction.

day 23: my best 55 minutes

2010-06-06T03:36:00.010+08:00

I gave 55 minutes to Paul Clarke and he rocked it!

On the way to Munich, I listened to him while I ate my kebab (pictured). Speaking on a highly controversial topic 'Is Jesus the only way?', Clarke wrestled this issue in a clear, concise, logical and engaging manner.

Some questions which he intelligently discussed included:

My close friends who are Muslims and Buddhists live sinless and selfless lives, are you saying they will go to hell?
Why can't all religion be right? We could be all walking towards the same mountain peak, just that each religion is a culturally unique route.
How do we know the bible is true?
Many (mad) people have claimed that they are God, what makes Jesus different?

If these are questions you do not have answers for, I strongly recommend you hear this talk, easily downloadable to your laptop or iPhone. It might just be your best 55 minutes too.

Location: Munich, Germany
Cost: €4 kebab, €20 Jaeger Hostel, €9 dessert and drink in beer garden
Highlight: 200-metre dash for the only Kentucky Fried Chicken in Vienna, near the Westbahnhof train station before our 10.20am train. But the hunt was fruitless as that KFC only opned at 11am. The hunt for original KFC chicken and coleslaw continues...
People: Our two pretty and party-crazy roommates. Kamilla and her friend, from Salzburg
Injury: Walking speed has increased slightly. I had less people staring at me since the limp was not as obvious. I could place some weight (not my full weight though) across the entire foot but it would hurt when I walked more than 200 metres. 5.5/10
Train: Wien West to Munchen Hbf 4 hours

day 22.5: spot the difference

2010-06-05T04:52:00.000+08:00

Guess which is the injured foot.

I cannot promise any reward for getting it right because my backpack is bursting. And I really should not be carrying any more weight in this condition.

I would like to introduce Blondi. He has been my pillar of support for the past three days since I twisted my foot. I picked him up from Krakow's Old Town Market Square and we have since been inseperable.

He is a little camera shy, so I respect his request not to be photographed in this blog. (But if you must insist, he looks like an average maroon umbrella.)

Blondi is named after Hitler's dog. Interesting fact I learnt in Berlin - the command to put Blondi to sleep was the most difficult decision Hitler made.

My sprained ankle has been recovering at lightning speed. Besides Jerrain's constant concern and my friends' well wishes from afar, I suppose the prescribed Lioton 1000 gel did some good.

Here is a progress report. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being fully recovered:

Day 1 after the accident: 2.5/10
Limped and needed the assistance of Blondi, unable to put any weight on the injured right foot at all.

Day 2: 4.5/10
Less reliant on Blondi, able to place some weight on my toes and nearer the ball of my foot. Could rotate my foot but swell has spread to the entire foot.

Day 3: 5/10
Able to limp around and for a longer distance without Blondi. Walked for at least 4 kilometres today. Right heel started to hurt after 40 minutes because I placed much of my weight on it as I walked. Injured foot still looked suspiciously bigger than my other foot.

Watch out for status report in subsequent posts.

day 22: artsy wien

2010-06-05T04:51:00.001+08:00

My expectation of Vienna was sky high. Many travellers I met along the way have crowned it their favourite city in Europe. So naturally I was excited to explore, even if it meant having to drag my twisted right foot.

Jerrain and I hopped on to Tram 1 from Schwedenplatz which was supposed to loop around the city centre, giving us a drive-by view of the main sights. Unfortunately it was running just half a loop today.

Alighting at Schottentor, we strolled the rest of the way. We caught Blasmusikfest, a marching music festival of young musicians dressed in what looked like traditional costumes, right in front of the grand Rathausplatz. Other sights included an old university, City Hall, the magnificent Parliament, which were all accompanied by gorgeous parks.

The chill and artsy MuseumsQuartier (pictured) was the perfect place to rest my screaming foot. We sat at the Leopold cafe for ages. After surviving 40 minutes of walking under the sun, Jerrain and I each had a tall glass of Eiskaffee, iced coffee with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream topped off with two chocolate waffle rolls.

As usual, Jerrain concentrated on perfecting games on her iPhone while I catch up on some reading and blogging. I learnt about Queen Sheba's visit and the fall of King Solomon in Chapter 10 and 11 of 1 Kings in the bible.

Before the cafe manager threw us out, we thought it best to leave gracefully after hoarding the table for close to two hours.

We managed to have a quick peak at the manicured gardens in Belvedere before heading back to our hostel.

Location: Vienna, Austria
Cost: €5.50 curry seafood noodle, €4.40 Eiskaffee at Leopold cafe, €1 nachos with cheese and salsa for dinner
Highlight: Veganmania fair outside the MuseumsQuartier. An open space with lines of stalls selling vegan food and pro-vegan t-shirts, magnets and stuff. Tables were set up for people to eat and hang out. A crowd gathered where a band was playing.

day 21: hang me up

2010-06-04T04:19:00.000+08:00

Or tumble me dry. I love dryers.

After an exhausting eight-hour overnight train journey and a painful five hours wait for our room, I decided that the most therapeutic thing to do was my laundry.

The spin and wash took an hour and €2. Then my favourite part - tumbling the clothes dry. It was definitely worth parting with my €2.50.

Top five reasons why I must get a dryer when I have my own home:

I dread hanging up wet clothes.
It is always the bottleneck and the most time cosuming activity in the entire laundry process.
I love the feel of warm dry clothes fresh out of the dryer.
My clothes can dry in the wettest season.
I can name it and it can be my washing machine's bestfriend.

So when I do throw a house warming party in future, you know what to get me!

Location: Vienna, Austria
Cost: €10 taxi from Wien Meidling to Wombats, €3.50 breakfast at the hostel, €20 per night at Wombats Hostel, €4.50 laundry, €8.50 dinner, €3.10 snake bite (beer, cidar and grenadine
Highlight: Tradional Austrian dinner at Mozart-Stube, an old Viennese restaurant open since 1945. I had wiener schnitzel with fried potato and Mozart's Symphonie in weiss (white wine only available at the restaurant)

day 20.5: renaming the blonde

2010-06-03T23:37:00.000+08:00

Among the four blonde sisters, Jerrain holds the title 'Legally Blonde'. Today, she deserves an additional one for outstanding and selfless service.

She normally whines - and ocassionally swears - about how heavy her bag is. Any where more than 100 metres and she starts to survey the area for a trolley.

We had the help of Magda from Tom & Greg hostel with my backpack to the Krakow Glowny train station, which was five to ten minutes walk away from the hostel (it was more like half an hour in my present condition).

But from the train platform to our train cabin, it was all Jerrain's effort. She carried both my 15 kilogram backpack and her 12 kilogram backpack at the same time along the platform (which was definitely more than 100 metres), and into our cabin!! For a petite 43 kilogram lass, that would easily make a Guiness World Record.

I will never see Jerrain in the same light again. For now, I cannot decide between 'Super-' or 'Wonder-' Blonde.

Location: Vienna, Austria
Train: Krakow Glowny to Vienna Meidling 8 hours

day 20: somebody, call the ambulance!

2010-06-03T21:40:00.007+08:00

Okay, I was exaggerating. There was way less drama.

I twisted my right foot last evening at the Old Jewish Quarter. I was coming out of a bar and did not see the uneven ground.

For those of you who are wondering (I can so read your minds), I had only two drinks and was extremely sober! Might I also add that it was a really graceful fall; Jerrain thought I just bent down to pick up something.

The optimistic (and lazy) me did not bother icing the area when I got back. So it was no surprise that I woke up this morning to find a numb right foot which I could not even stand on. Any weight would cause me to bounce back to the other foot in pain.

I was rushed to the A&E department of Szpital Uniwersytecki w Krakowia, a hospital ten minutes drive away. Anne Asenko, a young Polish lady doctor who could speak English, sent me on my way after examining two x-ray images of my swollen right foot. "There is no broken bone, just rest your foot and you will be walking in one to two weeks," she assured me. Only other instruction was to not run after the night train I needed to catch tonight for Vienna. After that, I was released back into the streets of Krakow!

We had to pick up the muscle relief cream Dr Asenko prescribed from a pharmacy ten minutes away by taxi. And after grabbing an overpriced umbrella off the Old Town Market Square, I was (almost) back on my feet - at a crawling speed of 1 kilometre per hour - and ready for lunch.

Location: Krakow, Poland
Cost: 40 zl return taxi ride to hospital, 20 zl umbrella turn walking stick, 25 zl lunch, 20 zl muscle relief cream, A&E medical expenses unknown (will be billed to Singapore)
Highlight: Sitting on the wheelchair at the hospital.

day 19: absorbing krakow

2010-06-02T21:44:00.004+08:00

The problem with staying at Tom & Greg, my favourite hostel in Europe so far, is that you never want to leave. Proper (instead of bunk) beds in a spacious room, full spread of breakfast, all day cereal and milk, fresh fruit and nuts in the cosy lounge and the most friendly and helpful staff - they give you no reason to leave at all.

After breakfast at 10am, I hung out in the hostel for five prime hours, when the sun was out and the temperature perfect. Somehow the hostel was more appealing than the unexplored streets of Krakow. I painted my nails fairy-tale pink, updated this blog, read about Solomon's God-given wisdom (the book of 1 Kings chapter 3 and 4 in the bible), showered, chatted with Bok Hwee on MSN, and washed my socks. After accomplishing so much, I left the hostel at 3pm.

U Babci Maliny restaurant, just around the corner from the Old Town Market Square, is a typical peasant's house serving authentic Polish food. I had fried Pierogi dumplings filled with minced meat for 15.50 zl. I tried the boiled ones which Jerrain ordered which had mushroom and cabbage filling. They tasted a little like Chinese 'Guo Tie', just with thicker skin. My deep fried Pierogi were crispy and tasted like Japanese gyoza, but again with thicker skin and meat filled to the brim.

We worked off all that carbs with a slow stroll around the Old Town, to see St Mary Church (pictured), the outside of the Cloth Hall which is currently under renovation, and the Town Hall Tower.

The fifteen minutes walk to the Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz) passed several other churches and the Wawel Royal Castle, which probably deserves a few hours in the late morning tomorrow.

There were quite a number of sights in the Jewish Quarter - Old Jewish Cemetary which you can only peek into from a window, Old Synagogue built at the end of the 14th century, the grand Corpus Christi with intricate sculptures and huge old paintings inside, and an original old Jewish house used for Talmud lessons for adult Jews.

The lovely garden cafes - turn bars come evening - scattered around this aged and quaint neighbourhood draws a local crowd, according to Justin from our hostel. As I sat in one of them sipping my Latte, I can see why the locals love this place.

I have another day in Krakow tomorrow. Once I visit Wawel Castle, I have covered majority of the tourist spots. It seems like there is not much to see (besides Auschwitz, which alone justifies a trip to Europe), but Krakow has a unique appeal. I cannot put my finger on it - whether it is the cheap food, rough appearance or the raw energy - but Krakow has sparked the desire to move East. I need to plan a trip to Eastern Europe, whether it is another 37 day adventure, or longer, I do not know yet.

Location: Krakow, Poland
Cost: Fried perogi with meat 15.50 zl, Latte 8 zl, mojito 15 zl, muscat white wine 7.50 zl
Highlight: Fairy-tale pink nails!! Finally get to use my nail polish which I rather blondely brought along and added to my already overweight and oversized backpack.
People: Met Thierry and Dave from a UK or French HR software company. We sat in a bar in the Jewish Quarter that was lighted only by candles.

day 18: time has no power over these memories

2010-06-01T19:16:00.001+08:00

The three-level wooden bunk beds look recently abandoned. So do the sanitary barracks, wagon and what is left at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Twenty-five times the size of Auschwitz I or the main camp, everything which stands there today is original.

Walking on the uneven stone ground in the rain and chilling wind at 13 degrees celcius, I could not imagine how the prisoners could have survived in their torn striped jacket uniform which never fitted them. The uniform would have hung loosely on their frail and malnourished body. Surviving on watery rotten vegetable soup and scraps of stale bread, they were forced to work till they die. 'Arbeit macht frei' -work did set them free.

I suppose the unseasoned look of the remains at Auschwitz represents how fresh the memories of the event are for those affected. Time has no power over these memories.

Location: Krakow, Poland
Highlight: Learning so much at Auschwitz
Cost: 130 zl two night hostel stay, 90 zl (€22.5) Auschwitz tour, 8 zl hot choco and snack, 25 zl vodka tasting
Hostel: Tom & Greg Junior. It is right next to the train station. We were welcomed when we reached at 7am with a lovely breakfast spread. Justin was an excellent host, she gave a brief introduction of Krakow and answered all our questions. There is food all the time, cereal and fresh fruit in the kitchen and louge all day long, and special dinner for free.
Fun: It was strange to have fun immediately after the trip to Auschwitz but we were just in time for the vodka tasting session once we got back to Tom & Greg's at 8pm. We went to a bar in the Old Town called Wodka and tried four flavoured vodka shots - cherry, honey, lemon and mint. Met many new friends from Britain, USA and Canada.

day 17: stowaway to krakow

2010-05-31T19:15:00.000+08:00

The train conductor came by. He motioned to us to draw the cabin door and window curtains which we had earlier drawn so we could watch the shadows of the passing trees.

He reminded us to keep quiet before handing me a thick chain and lock. We had to chain our cabin door in addition to the two locks already latched.

This was my first night train in Europe. I felt like a stowaway. But stuffed in my right jeans pocket is the €27 train ticket, so I am legal.

I had a good nine hours of sleep before the loud abrupt knock on our door. I am in Krakow Poland!

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Highlight: Instant noodles with sausages, home-cooked by Jerrain.
Cost: 55 czk hot chocolate, 62 czk groceries for instant noodles and sausages dinner and snacks for night train, 45 czk ice cream.

day 16: i ate peter rabbit

2010-05-30T03:54:00.000+08:00

I could not resist the roasted home-bred rabbit with garlic, cabbage, bacon on the menu. Going at 210 czk (approximately €8.40), this traditional Czech dish can be found in most restaurants beside beef or deer goulash.

After letting Jerrain have a bite to taste, I finished the 300-gram meaty plate which came with sauerkraut on the side. It tasted like chicken breast, while the more tender parts had a duck-like texture. It went perfectly with the sauerkraut, red wine and brown bread.

A hearty dinner at Starmomacek Rearaurant near the Old Town Square was a spledid way to end a full day of sight-seeing. We joined the Sandemans New Prague Free tour. Our guide, Colin who was from Scotland, showed us the Astronomical Clock, Statue of Jan Hus, St Nicholas Church, Old Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square, House of the Black Madonna and told us lots of stories!!

Jerrain and I spent the rest of the afternoon getting lost in Prague Castle and taking loads of photos.

Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Cost: 45 czk hot chocolate, €5 tip for Colin from the New Europe Prague tour, 90 czk soup and hot chocolate, 270 czk traditional Czech dinner
Highlight: Roasted rabbit
Hostel: Prague Square Hostel right around the corner of the Old Town Square - Definitely one of our least favourite hostels on this trip. Bathrooms are not only shared, but gender neutral. The bathing cubicles do not have locks so anyone can open the plastic door or peep over the wall while you bathe. Only saving grace is my bed! A ladder in the room leads to a two-metre wide platform above the door, enough for a mattress and some space for my stuff.
Health: After a day or two of sore throat, I now have a cough. Hope it will go away soon.

day 15: rail relax

2010-05-29T05:37:00.001+08:00

I am starting to really enjoy these long relaxing inter-country rail journeys.

Today, Jerrain and I left Berlin for Prague. Setting off at 10.37am, I had five hours on my hand to spare before our arrival into Prague-Hlavni nadrazi at 3.27pm.

What did I get up to?

10.37am: Finished my half-eaten breakfast, ham sandwich from Kamps@
11.00am: Read about Sheba leading a rebellion against King David which eventually led to his death, and how Joab killed Amasa, in Chapter 20 of 2 Samuel (the bible)
11.30am: Listened to the sermon 'How could God send to hell' by Paul Clarke
12.00nn: Fell asleep
12.30pm: Still napping, by this time I looked really unglam, mouth opened and drooling
1.30pm: Read up on Prague, Krakow, and Vienna and snacked on chocolate waffle, honey cashew nuts, and cheese croissant
2.30pm: Gazed out of the window - mountain and river running by on our left, and trees and occasional houses on our right
2.40pm: Fiddle around with my stuff, took out my iPhone to blog

Location: Berlin Germany and Prague Czech Republic
Cost: €5.60 sandwich and juice for breakfast, €2.30 bread to go for the ride, €17 five bed mixed dorm
Train: Berlin hbf to Praha 5 hours

day 14: black out!!

2010-05-28T06:23:00.000+08:00

We ate in complete darkness. I tried waving my right hand in front of my face and I could see nothing. Not even shadows.

When I was told that we were eating in the dark, I had no idea it was going to be pitch black. In fact, I do not think I have been in such a dark room before.

The restaurant, Unsicht-Bar, had a well-lit lounge where we first chose our drinks and type of meat - fish, beef or poultry - from a set menu. Our waitress then led us in a row, hands on the shoulders of the person in front, into the main dining hall.

Our €43 four course meal was served by a friendly and professional visually impaired waitress. We had:

Starter: small selection of fish pralines with a sauce of honey and dill and leaf salad
Entree: fried pike perch under a crust of sauerkraut served with saffron-fennel and risotto out of vegetables, on white wine foam
Dessert: cream of passionfruit in a mini-preserving jar and fresh couls of raspberries

I always wondered what it was like to be blind. I think I had a 'glimpse' of how it was like this evening.

Location: Berlin, Germany
Cost: €1.40 sweet flat doughnut for breakfast, €6.10 day trip train ticket, €43 dinner
Activities: Topographie des Terrors, East Side Gallery 1.3km of graffiti and art

day 13.5: dance craze in berlin

2010-05-28T06:22:00.005+08:00

My trusty Lonely Planet guide describes Berlin as a city with night owl stamina. So we did not need much persuasion before signing up for the €12 Sandemans New Europe Pub Crawl.

The new friends we met from our hostel and the New Berlin tour quickly caught our contagious enthusiasm. And we made even more new friends along the way!!

Ben from Canada: Taught me how to say 'ey' at the end of every sentence
Tim and Chris Smith and Steve from Texas: Tim and Chris are brothers, Chris hates it that everyone thinks he is the elder brother
Jin Sha from Hunan: Grabbed attention with her alluring eyes once the spectacles came off
Ariana from Brazil: She had the best party hair that night
Diana from Columbia: She did not look like a party regular but she danced and drank as hard as me when we got it going!!
Carlos, our 'Arrmano' or big brother: He made sure the guys we do not want to dance with are behind the wall, there was like a 'death zone' which he was guarding. He is the best!
Kelly and Sarah from Kansas USA: Hot babes!!

The bars we covered were:

Zapata
Silberfisch
Ruderclub Mitte
XO Berlin
Matrix Club

day 13: and then there was silence

2010-05-28T06:21:00.004+08:00

Jerrain and I did not exchange many words this afternoon. No, we did not fight. We were moved and deep in thought after visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Walking through the memorial was like passing a massive cemetary with oversized tombs. I guess that was the idea. The 2711 tomb-like concrete stelae represented the innocent deaths of more than six million European Jews between 1933 and 1945. Unlike a regular memorial, the 19,073 square metre field of stelae of varying heights must be walked through. Nobody could pass through that memorial without being engaged on a certain level. It does not leave you a choice.

The information centre in the basement put faces and names to the rather impersonal memorial right above. It was sad to hear personal accounts and track the stories of families.

This was not an easy day. But I am sure Auschwitz will be worse.

Location: Berlin, Germany
Highlight: The free New Berlin tour is excellent. Finn, our enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable guide brought us around twenty over key sights in three and a half hours.
Cost: €5 tip for free Berlin tour, €2.90 muffin and tea for breakfast, €2.80 croissant and coffee for lunch, €2.60 train, €3 computer in the hostel lobby, €3 currywurst
People: Met many new girl friends - Our roommate Gougou or Madelaine from Nanjing China now studying in France, another roommate Kelly from Kansas USA, Jin Sha from Hunan China, and loads of Singaporeans!! Rachel who is studying in UPenn and her two girl friends, and four more people who are studying in Hamburg.

day 12: journey to berlin

2010-05-26T05:05:00.001+08:00

We gave ourselves the much deserved rest after last night's Ultimate Party pub crawl. We woke up just in time to check out of the Heart of Amsterdam, our hostel in the centre of the Red Light district.

The seven-hour train ride to Berlin had two legs. We took the first train for about twenty minutes to Hilversum, before switching to the opposite platform for the train to Berlin.

The seven-hour train ride turned out to be a pleasant and comfortable one. Jerrain and I had a four-seat cabin (almost) to ourselves. A German lady joined us briefly. It was great we had the time to relax, nap, read, listen to our iPod and play games.

The trains are efficient and easy to figure out. For majority of the trains, we did not need to make reservations. Just turn up at the designated time according to the train schedule, fill in the date on our Eurail Global Pass, and just wait for the train conductor to come by and punch a hole in the pass below the date. I am thankful we got the Eurail pass.

Location: Berlin, Germany
Cost: €1.50 hot chocolate, €3.80 brownie and orange juice, €3.60 snacks for the seven-hour train ride, €7 dinner at Asian Gourmet
Train: Amsterdam Centraal to Berlin seven hours

day 11.5: i survived leidseplein

2010-05-25T05:05:00.001+08:00

The Leidseplein pub crawl organised by Ultimate Party gets a full 10/10 score from me!

For €20, we got entry to six clubs, your choice of beer, wine or shot at each club, a 'I survived' t-shirt, unlimited mouthfuls of some sweet vodka concoction, and non-stop dancing with 50 to 60 other partyheads!

The pubs we went to are pretty much alike, differing only in the music they play. They were all in the Leidseplein area, which is in the centre of Amsterdam nightlife (besides the Red Light district). The clubs were:

The News
Pirates
Amsterdamned
The Cooldown Cafe
Royalty!

The bunch of pub crawlers were amazing. We met three girls from Germany, Gohan from Southern France, Joe from England with an English accent so strong I almost could not understand him, Joel and two friends from Canada who stayed in the same hostel as us, just a floor below. They were obviously high from something, and we lost them in the middle of the crawl. Fortunately when we went back and passed their room, they were already in bed.

Jerrain and I surrendered after the fifth club and headed to Burger King for wings and twister fries.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Cost: €20 pub crawl, €8.50 vodka lemonade, €6.20 Burger King supper wings with twister fries, €8 taxi back to hostel

day 11: the movable bookcase

2010-05-25T05:04:00.002+08:00

Jerrain wanted to sleep in so I ventured out on my own at 8 in the morning. The streets were empty, except with the few drunkards who have not found home or the locals cycling to work. It was nice to be out early (ask me again in a few hours after fatigue kicks in, and I might say otherwise).

First - and my priority - stop was Anne Frank Huis. Despite being 15 minutes early (it opens at 9am), there were already three American tourists in the queue.

No photography was allowed. But none was required. I would never be able to capture the Secret Annexe as well as Anne had described in her diary. The unfurnished house demonstrated how moving her words alone are. I cannot imagine how scary it must have been. And I pray that no one would ever have to go through that type of fear again. *world peace \V/*

To lift my spirits, we decided to get some authentic Dutch food. Open since 1945, Van Dobben serves excellent Kippensoep (chicken noodle soup) €6.50, Broodje Croquet €2.50, Broodje Pekelvlees (ham sandwich) €3.25, and others which we had no stomach space for.

I took a quick stroll around the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) and an endless shopping street before heading back to the hostel. It is our last night in Amsterdam and we were determined to check out the clubbing scene.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Cost: €8.50 Anne Frank House, €6 Dutch lunch, €2.50 hot chocolate in a cafe.
Highlight: Visiting Anne Frank Huis, and relating to a lot of what she wrote in the book

day 10.5: how much is that doggie in the window

2010-05-24T19:03:00.001+08:00

Can living in the red light district ever be a good thing? In Amsterdam, we paid premium for that and are enjoying it! Our hostel, Heart of Amsterdam, is right in the centre of the action. A quick walk along the canal just outside and behind the line of windows were near naked prostitutes in neon bikinis. Some sat, some stood, some danced. They would tap the window to attract the attention of men walking by. And those who liked what they saw went closer to negotiate terms.

Every now and then, the pattern broke from these dressed up windows, and what greeted us were colourful sex shops, sex shows, and erotic clubs.

We did not want a part of the action despite several distant invitations, so after a quick drink at Cafe Bar de Stoof, the bar beside our hostel, we headed back to rest.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Train: Brussels Midi to Amsterdam Centraal 3 hours
Cost: €20 six bed mixed dorm, €5.60 fried chicken and fries for dinner
Highlight: Walking through the most colourful red light district.

PS: I do not mean to offend with the title. Several of them have stopped and now make a living by giving tours of the red light district during the day, giving accounts of what went on behind the scene when they used to work as prostitutes.

day 10: hunt for the moules

2010-05-24T19:02:00.001+08:00

A hot bowl of mussels with fries sealed the deal this afternoon. It was easy deciding what to eat, but it was another matter when it comes to choosing where. The entire stretch of Rue des Bouchers was lined with restaurants. Waiters stood at the entrances urging you to enter.

The first restaurant we sat at unpleasantly asked us to leave because we did not order a drink to go with our food.

We skipped right next door to La Cotelette which not only did not require us to buy drinks, the boss offered complimentary drinks. The €12 set lunch started with creamy fish soup and warm bread, followed by mussels and fries, and completed with buttery waffles with sugar and chocolate fudge.

Nabil, the restaurant manager, taught us French, offered a shoulder massage, sang for us, and wanted to hold back the bill just so we stayed longer.

A day in Brussels is short, but we managed to cover the key sights, such as Sainte Catherine Cathedral, The Stock Exchange, Saint Nicolas Church, Brussels Town Hall, Grand Place, and the Manneken Pis Fountain.

It was difficult saying goodbye to the hotel. At €55, Hotel Queen Anne offered a private double room en suite with television and hairdryer (I have learnt to appreciate these little luxuries), breakfast with excellent scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, selection of bread and cereal, and the experience of riding in its super vintage lift!

Location: Bussels, Belgium
Cost: £12 set lunch, €27 hotel, €1 orange juice on the train, €5 black netted stockings
Highlight: Meeting Nabil the friendly restaurant manager
Train: Paris Gare du nord to Brussels Midi in 1.5 hours

day 9: sleepless and homeless in paris

2010-05-23T05:16:00.003+08:00

Yes, you heard me right. Just as we recovered with a nice relaxing afternoon in the park, we were thrown into another situation.

We arrived in Paris France only to be turned away by the hotel which we had made a reservation with! It was a long weekend so all hostels and hotels we subsequently called (rather frantically) were full.

With backpacks pulling down on our shoulders, we walked two metro stations from Hotel De Ville to Bastille in search for two beds for the night. Fortunately Norie was with us and she could quickly dodge in and out of hotel lobbies to ask. But we kept hearing 'Complet' which is a French word I have now learnt to dread.

After about two hours (it was already close to midnight), we came to terms with the fact that we had to stop the search and think of alternatives. There were not many options. We settled into Hippopotamus for dinner and stayed till they closed at 3am. Fortunately, we found a bar (pictured above) across the road which was open till 7am.

I could hardly stay awake. Jerrain took a quick nap while Norie and I caught up and chatted about nothing and everything.

Although we were completely exhausted, we figured we needed to make good use of the remaining 12 hours before we move on to Brussels. So we dragged ourselves to Gare du Nord train station and deposited our bags for €7.50.

We had prata with beef and mutton curry for breakfast before heading to the Louvre. While Jerrain went in to say hi to Mona Lisa, Norie and I caught up on some much needed sleep in the park.

Location: Paris France
Cost: €14 medium rare steak and chocolate mousse dessert at Hippopotamus, €7 tea at Bastille cafe, €7.50 locker at Paris Gare du Nord station, €2.80 orange juice
Highlight: Staying out and up the entire night and feeling thankful to have Jerrain and Norie there with me

day 8: day in the park

2010-05-22T05:08:00.001+08:00

You need a break every once in a while, even when you are on a holiday. My favourite way to recuperate is to find a nice park, an even patch of green, a small sandwich, and a bottle of chocolate milk.

I did just that for the majority of this afternoon in a park near the hostel. I managed to catch up on King David in 2 Samuel and researched a little about Paris and the next few stops with my Lonely Planet guide.

Beside the park was Brunswick Mall. There was an international food fair, serving everything from French pastries and sweets, Spanish seafood rice, Japanese gyoza, American hotdogs, English caramel swirls, and lots more. I chatted briefly with a Hong Konger selling Malay food (how strange) and he said this fair is on every Saturday. I am glad we managed to catch it.

It was time to leave London, via Eurostar to Paris. Having learnt our lesson when we missed the Megabus to Coventry, we arrived at Saint Pancras station way ahead of time. I am looking forward to meeting Norie!!

Location: London Britain
Cost: £2.80 chicken, bacon and cheese sandwich, 99p chocolate milk from Waitrose
Highlight: Reading in the park at 20 degrees celcius, the occasional breeze can be a little chilly, but you quickly get warm up by the sun

day 7: instant comfort food

2010-05-21T04:50:00.001+08:00

Too many glasses of vodka cranberry. That was the first thing on my mind - together with the headache - when I got up this morning, still in my dress and make up from last night.

Jerrain and I dragged ourselves to Leicester Square to hunt down noodle soup, which we have been craving the moment we landed in London. The first shop we passed was Cafe de Hong Kong at Newport Court. Both of us agreed that we could not wait to walk to the next stop. I had luncheon pork and egg instant noodle soup at £4.70. Bubble tea would have been a heavenly finish, but it was £3.60!

The highlight of the afternoon was seeing Dirty Dancing at Aldwych Theatre. There was less dancing than I expected.

To make up for that, Jerrain and I joined the New London Pub Crawl for £12. It gave us four drinks (though I only remembered drinking three shots) and priority entry to a bar and four clubs in Covent Garden. But most of all, it is the company of 91 other partyheads that made it a crazy night.

Belushi: Rather no-frills bar which Jerrain and I were there the night before. First shot of rum.
Roadhouse: Single storey club with harleys scattered around. This was where we had wanted to go last night with the London lawyer trainees.
Verge: Bar with a tiny basement club. Good DJ playing the latest hits by Lady Gaga and Shakira. Shot of sambuca. Salsed shortly with a guy but I could hardly handle the turns in that space.
Oxygen: Bar with a basement club. It had poles at several corners but I couldn't convince Jerrain to do a demo. Shot of tequila. Met Matthias from Germany and Vitor from Brazil who were part of the pub crawl bunch.
Zoo: Biggest club of the five and had the highest energy both in the bar area and the basement club. Met James from Boston who just completed his first year of the Masters programme at the London School of Economics, Rebecca and her guyfriend from Zurich who are doing an English course in London, and (wait for it)... two Singaporeans!! I cannot remember their names now but it sure feels great bumping into them. We wanted to have frog legs congee (popular post-club supper in Singapore) after being chased out of Zoo at 2ish in the morning, but Jerrain and I settled for cup noodes and strawberry milk respectively. They sent us back to our hostels before heading back, how sweet.

Location: London, Britain
Cost: £7 chinese food for lunch, £39 Dirty Dancing, £3 ham and cheese croissant, £3 Starbucks mocha frap, £12 pub crawl, £12 drinks
Highlight: Bumping into two Singaporeans and dancing six hours straight in my heels!

day 6.5: aunties from singapore

2010-05-20T04:27:00.002+08:00

I know I said this is a-post-a-day blog but there are a million and one things happening and it pains me to leave them out. So I cannot promise this will be the last of my 'day x.5' blog post.

We have been overly pampered in Warwickshire - accommodation, food, drinks, transport and activities were all taken care of by Gavin and Serene. Once we got on that Megabus to London, we were back on our own.

The original plan was to leave for Paris today, but a Eurostar ticket would cost each of us £179! We decided to lengthen our stay in London for two nights so a ticket will be £57.

We were exhausted by the time we weaved through peak hour crowd with our 15 kilograms backpacks and secured the Eurostar tickets. But before we could heave a sigh of relief, we had to find a place to sleep for the next two nights!

Jerrain - while blonde most of the time - came up with a brilliant idea to hijack the train station trolley for our backpacks while we roam the Kings Cross area for a hostel. Thankfully, the YHA hostel (part of the Hostelling International group) had space. We got the £28 bed in a six-bed ensuite dorm for tonight, and a £60 private room for tomorrow.

After all that drama, Jerrain and I needed a drink or two (or three, or four... Ok, you get the idea). It was a little too late to join the hostel pub crawl, so we went to Belushi ourselves. Situated at Covent Garden, it has a proper mash of locals and tourists. There were flags (the only Asian one I spotted was Korea) on its ceiling and random posters on the walls, including one of the London underground in case you did not know your way back. When Retro Velvet, the Scottish two-man band, was not playing, Belushi reminds me very much of Singapore's Ice Cold Beer on Emerald Hill.

People were friendly, though who could be otherwise to two sweet and petite Asian girls? We chatted with George and Antonio (who are school teachers in the day) from Retro Velvet, Josh and David who knew each other since they were five, and a bunch of lawyer trainees whom we spent more with at another mini club after we were chased out of Belushi about 1am.

Location: London, Britain
Cost: £57 Eurostar to Paris, £88 hostel for the next two nights, £4 per vodka cranberry
Highlight: Feeling like I am on Amazing Race, not knowing where, when and how we are making the next step; clubbing in London with Jerrain and meeting new friends.
Lost and found: Only lost really - my camera landyard and Melody whom Caleb my iPhone has grown to love (he is now in mourning)

In case you have not figured out the blog post title, middle-age housewives in Singapore often push the supermarket trolleys back home, until the shops started making them return the trolleys to get their dollar back. I felt so much like one of them pushing the train station trolley on the London street.

day 6: royal tea party

2010-05-20T04:14:00.001+08:00

Inspired by the 1898 Royal Weekend Party we saw at the Warwick Castle yesterday, we decided to throw one ourselves. Short of dressing up as Earl and Countesses, I must say our tea party was just as grand (and very English).

After visiting Chipping Camden and Broadway Tower, we quickly made ourselves comfortable in a lovely tea room in Broadway. We had fruit scones with jam, Victorian sponge cake and Cotswold Afternoon Tea. Gavin introduced clotted cream, which went perfectly with the scones and jam. Jerrain was happy to polish off all the cream before she found out clotted cream was more fattening than butter. Actually she was still licking off the saucer after she was told the fact. You go girl!

Gavin and Serene had to peel us off the seats of that tea room before we miss our Megabus to London. We dropped by Lakeside to check out Serene's apartment and the wild geese she feeds from time to time.

Then it was time to leave Coventry with our oversized backpakcs and tuna and egg sandwiches which Gavin and Serene lovingly prepared for us. They are the sweetest!

Location: Cotswold, Britain
Highlight: Tea and scones with clotted cream

day 5: the return of the princess

2010-05-19T03:57:00.002+08:00

My dream of becoming a princess was ruthlessly dashed this morning at Warwick Castle. I was refused entry to the Princess Tower. It is only for kids. Looks like I am a few years too late. I settled for a photograph with the princess who was welcoming kids into the tower.

The rejection was still too much to bear. So Serene and Gavin thought it best to bring me to quiet Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born. I rowed a boat down the river and fed the swans some leftover tea cakes from lunch.

We are back at Union Court, where Gavin lives. The lamb hot pot is in the oven. The clothes are in the laundry and some in the dryer. After dinner, Jerrain and I will have some heavy packing to do. We leave Coventry tomorrow, but not before we see Cotswold.

Location: Warwick Castle, Stratford-upon-avon, Britain
Cost: £19.95 Warwick Castle, £4 half hour boat rental, £3 fish and chips for lunch
Highlight: Rowing down the river and feeding the swans at Stratford, and sipping mulled wine as we cuddled in the room to watch BBC's Over the Rainbow

day 4: what do the english know about breakfast?

2010-05-18T08:14:00.003+08:00

A lot it seems. After having a home made traditional English breakfast, I was satisfied (and stuffed) for the next nine hours.

Serene and Gavin insisted on making everything - bacon, scrambled eggs, beans, tomatos, mushrooms, and tea. They only allowed me to help toast the bread. Perhaps they knew how bad a cook I am.

That was a perfect start to the day! A visit to Oxford and dinner at Zizzi's after left me feeling very accomplished.

We dropped by to pick up some groceries for breakfast and dinner tomorrow. I'm looking forward to what is cooking!!

Location: Oxford & Lemington Spa, Britain
Cost: £0 (Gavin and Serene refused to let us pay for anything! Now I know, never trust the British when they say you can get the next one)
People: met up with Nicholas from Cyprus and Dominik from Slovakia for dinner

day 3: five minutes too late

2010-05-17T07:08:00.002+08:00

Jerrain's heart stopped twice today. It was our first (and second) misadventure. It is a little early if you ask me, considering it is just day three.

We were five minutes too late for our bus to Coventry. Jerrain thought the guy behind the counter was pulling our legs. But no, he was as serious as the rest of Europe is about keeping time.

I, rather reluctantly, went to get us new tickets. Fortunately, there was another bus leaving in two hours, giving us time for some needed lunch to calm our nerves and replenish all that we have burnt from sprinting 400 metres with our 1.5 kilograms backpack.

Just as our heartbeat returned to a regular rhythm, we realised - fifteen minutes before departure - that the ticket was for one adult! Sounds 'drama-mama', but picture me running across the coach interchange to the ticket counter to snatch up the last seat left on the bus.

Serene, whom we were supposed to meet, was delayed in Toronto due to the volcanic ashes. Fortunately, her university friend, Nicholas, came to pick us up from the coach station. So, Jerrain and I are now safe in Coventry. Finally.

Location: London & Coventry, Britain
Cost: £6 bus, £4 mutton curry lunch, £18 last-minute coach ticket to Coventry
Highlight: Missing a coach ride for the first time in my life
Other activities for the day: Portobello Market, sent a few postcards, drinks at White Horse Lemington Spa

day 2: meeting mr big

2010-05-16T14:29:00.002+08:00

I cannot believe Jerrain and I are finally here. Our excitement expresses itself through involuntary and uncontrollable smiles every few minutes or so (which explains the many stares by passer-bys).

We walked for most of the day, and checked out the usual key attractions: Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Westminister Abbey, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and others. As we only had a full day in London, we mercilessly struck off several other tourist hot spots.

Despite all that rush, we carved out time to have American hot dogs and hot choco at St James Park, and dinner and wine at Covent Garden.

Location: London, Britain
Cost: £11 transportation, £13 hostel, £1 postcards, £4 lunch, £18
dinner
Highlight: Relaxing at St James Park, feeling all relax, then
realizing I have 36 more days of holiday!
People: Met 7 new friends who are our room mates, from Brazil, USA, Hong Kong and others.

day 1: whispering our goodbyes

2010-05-15T14:38:00.004+08:00

The big send off almost sent me off in tears. Here are a few personal thank yous:

Adele - picked me up and prayed for Jerrain and I
Jaso - picked me up and helped me with my bag
Thomas - made sure Jerrain got to the airport on time and safely
Siew Huey - prepared us for this trip by training our stamina at Mt Ophir
The Keith - tolerated all our quirkiness
Yvonne - took photos with her new camera S90
Alex - was the quiet listener during dinner
Pih - prayed for us and gave me bible reading guide and a lovely crystal cross necklace
Isabel- made sure I get my vitamins by supplying a few weeks worth of Redoxon
Jenn - gave Caleb (my iPhone) a new pink friend to hang out with
Jerry - introduced a resident mini miss shy into my bag

Big hug from Jerrain and I to all.

PS: Now why didn't anyone offered their credit card? That would have been a perfect farewell pressie!! :P

minus 1 day: the traveller's greed

2010-05-14T08:34:00.002+08:00

If you recall, an implication - among others - of getting the eurail global pass is that I have the incentive to cover more grounds. So, I reworked my itinerary and expanded the list from eight countries to 11. Finally, to those of you who have been bugging me for the destination list, here it is:

Austria
Belgium
Britain
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Switzerland

There will be 15 stops across 11 countries. To find out the route we are taking, stay tuned!

minus 9 days: meet samuel

2010-05-06T03:08:00.000+08:00

Samuel will be the eyes of this blog. He will go whereever I go in Europe. He will capture scenaries I cannot describe, record old architectures that I might not know names of, and report back if I have been up to no good.

So count on him to be there!

I first met him at MS Colour and having met his relatives and friends - who were mostly fatter or bigger than him - I knew he was the one for me. I brought him home that same night, with an additional battery and an eight gigabyte SD card.

Though I am $408 Singapore dollars poorer, I know I will enjoy his presence in Europe. And I know you will too!

minus 7 days: stuffed

2010-05-03T00:28:00.004+08:00

The 12 days of packing...

12 tops and dresses, lots of pinks, floral and bright colours!
11 pieces of under garments, packed the smallest ones I could find
10 bottles of bubblies to fill my toiletry pouch
9 accessories, cannot do without my necklaces, bangles and ear rings
8 bandaids to take care of the blisters from excessive walking
7 cosmetic items so I can be picture-perfect all the time
6 party dresses to check out the major clubs every weekend
5 currencies, SGD, GBP, EUR, NKR, and CHF
4 pairs of footwear, something for every occasion - boots, sandals, flat shoes and heels
3 scarves to match different looks
2 hats - my favourite Riverlife cap and grey hat from Shanghai
1 whistle, to call for help if anything goes wrong *fingers crossed*

There is so much to carry! Fortunately, Jenn Yang lent me his 70 litres backpack. Only complaint is that it's green. But I'm sure I can get some pink ribbons on it.

minus 18 days: monopoly

2010-04-27T02:40:00.001+08:00

If you are going for a short trip and do not need to carry much cash, changing money is no biggie. And there are sufficient money changers scattered around Singapore so it should be easy.

But, we will need a bit more cash for this trip. Especially when some hostels do not accept cash.

So I grabbed my trusty bodyguard - my colleague Captain - and headed down to The Arcade at Raffles Place. Many have recommended The Arcade for the best exchange rates.

I understood why once I arrived. Lining the entire second floor were money changers and long lines of office workers.

With so much cash floating around in that building, I wondered if I should feel safe since I was not the only one with cash, or be very afraid because it seemed like the best place for pickpockets and thieves to be loitering around!

Anyway, at the end, I got what I needed, at pretty good rates I think from Sheen International Exchange #02-04.

British Pound: 2.124
Switzerland Franc: 1.289
Euro: 1.835
Norway Kroner: 0.245

minus 29 days: what rocks my world

2010-04-16T00:03:00.002+08:00

Every time I hear Lady Gaga's Poker Face, I recall the great times in New York. Music is essential, especially on this trip where we will spend quite a bit of time on the train.

My play list:

Mambo (of course!): how can I survive 37 days in Europe without Square Room, Summer Rain, Heaven is a Place on Earth, etc.
Lady Gaga The Fame Monster: after falling in love with Poker Face in New York, I cannot leave Singapore without her
Awaken the dawn by Keith & Kristyn Getty, See Him Coming, Whatever Happens: no better way to remember God and my Christian friends (especially Ben and Kengyi who passed me CDs to make sure I have a good collection)
五月天, 杨丞琳 and other chinese pop: when I feel like singing along
Kesha Animal: more girl power!
Christian talks from John Piper and St Helen's so I can be reminded of God's word

With 32 gigabytes of storage space in Caleb (my iPhone), I could have imported a lot more music. But these should keep me entertained and swaying in my seat.

minus 39 days: blog on the go

2010-04-06T02:04:00.002+08:00

Ananias, my Asus Eee PC net book weighs 1.2 kilograms. It is light. But lugging it around on a walking trip builds excessive shoulder muscle. And worrying about its safety pains my brain.

So here is Caleb, my iPhone to the rescue.

But can Caleb really handle all the stuff I need to do?

What I can do on Caleb just as well as (or sometimes better than) on Ananias:

Email mommy to tell her I'm still alive
Add new friends on facebook
Tweet about the amazing hot chocolate I just had in the french cafe
Book my next hostel stay
Upload photos on facebook

What I cannot do as well on Caleb

Research online on my next destination, especially if I will surf more than 5 minutes
Surf around for the best hostel
Update this blog!

I found out that mobile blogging is not as easy as I thought. By right, I could easily send an email to a designated address which could either publish or save it as a draft post. But - yes, and it's a pretty big but - I realised that there is some bug with sending emails with photos and text using the iPhone (don't be sad Caleb, it's not your fault). It is a known issue, but seems like there is no solution as yet. So, looks like, I'll need to blog using the desktops at the hostel or an internet cafe.

Whatever the case is, Ananias, you are grounded.

minus 46 days: the case for the eurail pass

2010-03-30T00:23:00.008+08:00

The verdict is out. I now have in my hands a Eurail Global Pass for Jerrain and I!

For those of you who have been following my planning, I can hear you say "finally!" I went back and forth on this one, but ultimately, the scale tipped in favour of the pass for these reasons:

You pay up front for the bulk of your transport cost so you do not have to carry so much cash
You have clarity on how much you are spending on transport now
You get the train schedule which makes planning a breeze
You do not need to buy individual tickets online early which gives you more flexibility during the trip
Giving you access to 21 countries, it is greater incentive to cover more grounds!

And that is why Jerrain and I parted with $991 Singapore dollars each for this golden ticket.

minus 50 days: i'm coming!

2010-03-25T21:03:00.011+08:00

Eight countries in 37 days is a lot to manage. New places to check out, new friends to make, new food to savour. Sometimes, it helps to have some familiar faces along the way to ease all the excitement.

So, with less than two months to go, I sent a shout out to my friends, saying "I'm coming!". These are the poor souls who are going to give up their bed, bathroom, and couch for the few days Jerrain and I are over.

Friend #1: Serene
Country: Britain

Where did we meet: Singapore Management University
How did we meet: Christian Fellowship
Friends since: Sept 2001

She went to Coventry to do her Masters last October, and I have been dying to go visit her. Now that she has started dating someone there, my girlies have entrusted me with the mission to check out who this lucky guy is. I heard he is a good cook, but I promise I will not be bought over with just some fancy home-cooked food.

Friend #2: Norie
Country: France

Where did we meet: Singapore Airlines
How did we meet: Worked together in the HR dept
Friends since: August 2005

A French man swept her off her feet and stole her from us in 2006. Having visited her in Paris three years ago, I can see why she left her friends behind. Joel, her hubby, is the most charming and caring guy. He showed us around and even whipped up an authentic four course French meal! I promised Norie I will go back to visit her, so it is about time.

Friend #3 (and #4): Chris and Øyvind
Country: Norway

Where did we meet: New York
How did we meet: Along the corridor of Jazz Hostel
Friends since: July 2009

My first taste of Norway and I am hooked. These crazy dudes made me fall in love with New York over and over again. Met them the first night I arrived, and we hung out every night till they had to leave. If Norwegians are all like these two, I am sure it is going to be a blast. They are the reason why I am spending almost a third of my time up North!

minus 60 days: my not-to-do list

2010-03-15T22:59:00.004+08:00

I love lists. I now have lists of places to go, stuff to see, friends to meet and many more. While these lists will be released in good time (patience people!), here is one to keep you busy for now.

Over freshly cut haystack fries with parmesan and rosemary, and (too many) plates of all-day-breakfast at Overeasy, my girlies laid down some ground rules to make sure I behave:

Don't have too much fun until you don't want to come back.
Don't flirt excessively.
Don't go out alone after 11pm.
Don't come back married, pregnant, or a lesbian.
Don't turn down a horse shit ball.
Don't get (too) wasted.
Don't trust anyone.
Don't stop talking to God and reading the bible.
Don't pretend to be busy with your iphone when you are just shy.
Don't forget to buy presents for your girlies.

Do not be fooled by their smiles. I do not want to imagine what they will do to me should I not obey any of the ten commandments above. Cross those fingers for me, won't you?

Can you think of any other 'not-to-do's?

minus 62 days: eight reasons why you need an iphone in europe

2010-03-13T17:15:00.000+08:00

After spending two hours at M1 and 608 Singapore dollars this morning, I walked home a happy girl.

Not that you ever need more reasons to get an iPhone. But going to Europe for 37 days is certainly a good one to drive it up your priority list.

Here are eight reasons why the iPhone is as crucial as your passport. Carry your iPhone around because:

It is always good to have something in common to start a conversation - 42.5 million people worldwide use the iPhone.
Travel applications make sure you know where you are going.
You can check if your hair is in place using its reflective surface if you spot anyone cute.
Or you can use that reflective surface to spy on that cutie.
Take advantage of the free wifi at your hostel without having to drag your laptop around.
Unparalleled 32gb of storage means you can snap or record away carelessly.
Show off your mobilised blog (buzzcity.mobi/europein37days) to anyone and everyone.
Tweet excessively about where you are and what you are having for lunch until people start unfollowing you.

minus 65 days: face to face with eurail

2010-03-10T00:13:00.001+08:00

The research continues. Should I get a rail pass or buy individual train tickets?

From the last planning session, many questions stand unanswered:

- Is it cheaper to buy a rail pass?
- If I do get one, do I go for the Global or Select pass?
- Should I buy it from a Singapore tour agent or direct from Eurail.com?

I decided to stop mucking around. I printed my itinerary and headed straight to STA Travel, a local authorised agent for Eurail.

Travel Advisor Ian Sin spent half an hour going through the various options and recommended the Global Pass.

The Eurail Pass will cost close to my air ticket to Europe. So I need time to consider my options.

Look out for my next post to find out if I do buy a rail pass!

minus 67 days: get your friends involved

2010-03-08T00:36:00.005+08:00

Planning for a month long trip can be tiring. When things get overwhelming, I outsource parts of it.

Gek Kia, my ex-colleague from Singapore Airlines, has been wanting to show me a cool digital luggage scale which I could easily carry to Europe. So I told him that we should meet up for coffee!

He was all ready for a laid-back afternoon at The Coffee Connoisseur in Changi Airport Terminal Three. Little did he know that I had something else in mind. *evil chuckle*

Once the Latte and potato wedges arrived, I knew I got him captive. So it was time to rope him in to help out with some research!

Question we needed to answer: Should I get a Eurail pass?

minus 68 days: say (swiss) cheese

2010-03-07T00:33:00.012+08:00

I have learnt quite a bit about the Swiss culture from Martin since last August. I made Swiss cheese fondue infused with white wine, picked up a few lines of Swiss-German, and ate more Lindt and Toblerone than ever before.

Last evening, we met up for Botak Jones' ribeye steak and chicken wings, then got down to discuss some places he would classify as 'must-see's.

One of the most exciting places was in Norway. Kjeragbolten is a 5m³ boulder wedged in a mountain crevasse by the edge of the Kjerag mountain. Martin was standing on the rock without any safety equipment. If he had missed a step, it would have been a 1000m drop! It is great for base jumping. Perhaps Jerrain would be game.

minus 69 days: no turning back

2010-03-06T06:09:00.002+08:00

Another major step forward today. I booked my air tickets for Singapore-London and Oslo-London-Singapore. That cost me 1380 Singapore dollars. I think it is a steal. Thanks to Zane, Becky's friend who runs a travel agency. There is no turning back now.

minus 2 months 17 days: better be insured than sorry

2010-03-02T00:45:00.000+08:00

Travel insurance was going at 40 per cent off at the NATAS travel fair! Paid 121.20 Singapore dollars for a 37 day coverage which otherwise would have cost me 202.00 Singapore dollars!

Alex and I had to pay 4 Singapore dollars each to enter the fair but checking out the massage chairs on luxury coaches, gathering ideas for future trips, hearing the Bavarian band, etc made it a worthwhile investment.

minus 2 months 19 days: get a travel buddy

2010-02-26T23:28:00.000+08:00

Jerrain has been toying with the idea of joining me on this one month (37 days to be exact) Europe trip. But like any responsible and slightly workaholic Singaporean, the big question is whether she can take leave from work.

She finally popped the big question! I hope she made sure her boss was sitting down. And her boss said yes! *party poppers*

Those of you who were worrying about me travelling alone, I can hear you heave a huge sigh of relief. You probably do not know Jerrain that well. (Ok Jerrain, I'm just joking!)

To save you from the trouble of running a background check on her, let me give you a brief background. Jerrain - I prefer to call her Pey Pey - was my classmate in Dunman High. We were the nerdy duo for a year before we plunged into the darkest days of our secondary school lives, filled with Ferragamo belts, knee high socks, OshKosh raincoats, and liquid-papered Converse shoes.

minus 2 months 26 days: meet the experienced

2010-02-20T10:51:00.001+08:00

Wai Hoong, a friend of Jerrain's, spent six months travelling around in Europe under an extremely small budget.

After checking out the amazing photos from his trip, I could not wait to hear all about it!

Over potato chips, blue cheese dip and wine, we - Jerrain, Wai Hoong, Alex and I - met at Garage Riverside point and chatted for three hours.

After two bottles of excellent German riesling, we came to a few (very wise) conclusions:

It is always safe to travel on night trains.
No matter how small your backpack is, you must bring a pair of heels.
In any awkward situations, just high-pitch laugh yourself out of it.
Always plan a day at a park after a crazy night.
Leggings are great alternatives if there is no space for boots.
No one will try to rob you.

minus 3 months 26 days: read a book

2010-01-20T03:21:00.000+08:00

The book arrived at my office today, less than 24 hours from the time I booked it on Kinokuniya's web site.

After paying exactly 51.36 Singapore dollars, I felt myself take the first concrete step. Finally it is not just 'talk'.

This is the beginning of many little and (hopefully not too many) big investments.

Now, time to get hardworking and find out where I want to go! Armed with my trusty yellow highlighter and rainbow-coloured tags, I am ready to pin down the cities I will be visiting in four months time.