day 20: somebody, call the ambulance!

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 10.5: how much is that doggie in the window

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

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