Peter Lau's Blog

Reconnecting with old friends

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:25:00 +0000

It has been 2 years. Kinda felt longer than that.

I felt honored to be invited back to what was home to me for 10 years. It was great reconnecting with old friends. And making new ones while I was at that.

Somehow, I sensed that God is telling me something about reconnecting with people, and everything came in a timely fashion. Things just fell into place.

Though I haven't been doing training for a while, everything just came back to me while I was on stage. Had an amazing time (albeit short) at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School!

People have been asking me what happened to the rest of the video of my Land Trip to Europe. Well, I'm still finding time to do some editing. Bear with me. Good things must wait! But I promise you that as you watch those videos, you can really "experience" the journey with me. After that, Your Life Will Never, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE..................EEE.................EEVER, BE THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Video: Land Trip-Europe (Day 22: Moscow, Russia)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:20:00 +0000

Video update for Day 22: Moscow, Russia

My first city in Europe by LAND! This was exactly one year ago...

(Watch in full screen)

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

Follow me on Twitter.

Video: Land Trip-Europe (Day 19-21: Trans Siberian Train; Russia)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:42:00 +0000

Ok, another video update for Day 19-21: Trans Siberian Train; Russia

The day I arrived in Europe by LAND!

(Watch in full screen)

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

Follow me on Twitter.

Video: Land Trip-Europe (Day 17-18: Trans Siberian Train; China-Mongolia)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:47:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

This is a video update for Day 17-18: Trans Siberian Train; China-Mongolia

Watching the world go by on the train...

(Watch in full screen)

Land Trip - Europe (Day 64: Oslo, Norway-Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:49:00 +0000

3 Oct 2011 (Day 64)

LAST DAY of my LAND TRIP TO EUROPE.

Mixed feelings...

The capital of Norway was chosen by Alfred Nobel as the city that administers and awards the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. And it is the only Nobel Prize not presented in Stockholm.

The Nobel Peace Prize is often described as "the world's prestigious prize" and as per Alfred Nobel's will, it is to be awarded in Oslo. Till now, nobody knows exactly why he chose Norway as the country to administer the Peace Prize. He was Swedish, after all.

Anyhow, I wouldn't give up the opportunity to visit the Nobel Institute. It took me more than 2 months to arrive at "Peace City". So I went.

This is the place where the recipient(s) of the Nobel Peace Prize is selected:

(Norwegian Nobel Institute)

Since 1990, the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo City Hall on 10 December (Alfred Nobel's death anniversary) each year. So after visiting the place where the prize recipients are selected, I went to the place where the recipients receive their prize.

(Oslo City Hall)

(Inside Oslo City Hall - The Place where the Peace Prize is presented)

After feeling at peace, I left the Oslo City Hall and went to a cured meat specialty shop. I bought a whole lamb leg! And that set me back by SGD$500! It was really good. And it can be kept for a whole year!

Time was running fast. I had 2 more things to before I head back to Singapore. The first thing? Shopping! Shopping for gifts... I made a last minute dash to a nearby shopping centre and got mostly food stuff. I can't simply go home empty-handed after 2 months right? I couldn't buy much stuff while I was traveling as that would add to my already heavy load. And since this was the last stop, I could afford to carry gifts/souvenirs to the airport.

The second thing I wanted to do was to visit the site of the Oslo bombing. On 22 July 2011, Oslo was the site of one of two attacks; the bombing of Oslo government offices in the city, and a shooing at a youth camp in Utoya. Both hideous acts were carried out by the same crazy person. The Norway Attacks happened just less than 3 months before I arrived in Oslo and I wanted to pay tribute to the innocent people who lost their lives.

It was truly a sad sight to behold.

With that, I went back to my hostel with a heavy heart and packed my heavy bag.

I had so many things to pack and I had a train to catch to the airport! I finally managed to squeeze every thing into my HUGE haversack, which made it "HUGE-ER", and ran to the Oslo Train Station. I was just in time. It took me quite a while to catch my breath on the train. I was thinking, "What if I really missed the train?"

Got to the airport and checked my luggage in for the first time in my whole LAND TRIP TO EUROPE!!! I then realised how I got used to taking the train from place to place for 2 months. Airport seemed so foreign to me.

Well, some people asked me how I was coming back to Singapore. Was it going to be by Land too? I told them that I may be crazy, but not that crazy. It was crazy enough for me to travel to Europe all the way by Land, and I didn't have the luxury of money and time to do the same coming back. Yes, I did say that it was a Land Trip TO Europe, but I didn't say it was a Land Trip BACK to Singapore!

And if you are still wondering, let me just say that it is a whole lot cheaper to fly to Europe and back to Singapore than to travel to Europe by Land.

I arrived in Singapore the next day and was pleasantly surprised to see my Dad at the airport waiting for me. I had asked him to save the trouble and not to come pick me. But of course, being a wonderful Dad that he is, he was the first familiar face I saw after 2 months.

Well, there you have it! After 64 days, 35 cities, and 22 countries, I'm back in Singapore.

To be honest, I hesitated writing this final post for a long time. Because part of me didn't want it to end. It was so surreal, traveling for 2 months. Experiencing a different city almost every other day.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience would not be possible without the following wonderful people.

First, I would like to thank Ernest for allowing me to go for 2 months. Thank you Kate & Kelly to cover my work while I was away.

All thanks to Bert for the inspiration!

Thanks to Seng Yew for taking beautiful photos & video for the 2nd half of my journey.

I know I made my parents worry the most while I was away. Thank you Dad & Mom for trusting me and allowing me to take the risk.

Special thanks to my beloved girlfriend. Thank you for being with me throughout the whole journey even though you were not there physically. She was the one who made all the arrangements and co-ordinations along the way. It was tough on her as there were many hiccups and last minute changes during my trip but she managed to handle all the issues with ease.

A big thank you to all of you who were "traveling with me" during that 2 months. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement through my blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and email. Just to let you know, I read all comments!

Above all, I would like to thank the Good Lord for sending his angels to protect me, keeping me safe & healthy. And that I came back to Singapore in one piece! (Although 5kg lesser.)

When one chapter ends, a new chapter begins. The most important thing is to have no or little regrets. As I now embark on a new chapter of my life, I am even more excited because of what the future holds for me.

Talk is cheap. No point talking and not doing. This is my personal challenge to you: Go do the things you said you would do but never did. I challenge you to achieve the things you never thought possible. Go make your dreams a reality. I never said it was easy. But it is not impossible either.

You can be sure that this is not the end. As this is the beginning of a lifetime of travels for me! Yes, I'm already planning for my next trip! Anyone interested?

As I finish blogging about my LAND TRIP TO EUROPE, I will be editing and uploading my LAND TRIP TO EUROPE videos. I'm proud of myself for traveling alone, blogging, taking photos, taking videos, and editing the videos along my journey. But of course, the moment I reached Russia, I didn't have time to properly edit the videos. So my last video update was me still in China! So stay tuned to my blog or my YouTube Channel for video updates on my LAND TRIP TO EUROPE! (I'll be uploading the next video during the Trans-Siberian Train ride in the next few days.)

It was an unforgettable trip. A trip that taught me a lot about myself. A trip that taught me a lot about the world. A trip that made MY LIFE, NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 63: Oslo, Norway-Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:17:00 +0000

2 Oct 2011 (Day 63)

Woke up early in the morning in the most expensive city in the World! Yes, it was not one of the most expensive city in the world but THE MOST expensive city in the world!

Norway is known for its fjords and islands. So I bought Oslo 24-hour public transport ticket to explore the nearby islands by boat. The cool thing about this 24-hr ticket is that it can be used for unlimited rides for all their public transport. That includes their buses, trams, trains, metro, and boats! Yes, even boats!

Ran to the pier because I was quite late. To make things worse, there were different piers and habours around the same place. I actually ran past the pier I was supposed to go and had to run back after asking for directions! Almost missed the boat! (Literally)

Got to the first island and took lots of photos!

The island is really small as it took me less than 30mins to walk from one end to the other. And that includes photo-taking!

(A soccer field?)

The lifestyle here is vastly different from the city. Duh! It is peaceful and quiet and very few people live here. This is definitely a stress-free place to live!

(Look at the colour of the leaves!)

(The autumn leaves were actually falling when I was there!)

After taking the boat back to Oslo, I was exploring the city and hunting for food. Someone recommended a good place for Norwegian Cuisine and I walked for about 45mins to find that restaurant!

(My Norwegian Salmon lunch!)

Where else to eat Norwegian Salmon than in Norway itself! Fresh and delicious!

After a fulfilling lunch, I went to explore more of the capital of Norway.

(Opera House)

Had a long day. After dinner, I still went for supper in the cold and wet night.

Tomorrow is a brand new day, and the last of my LAND TRIP TO EUROPE!

After experiencing the beautiful little islands around Oslo, MY LIFE WAS NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 61-62: Porjus, Sweden - Oslo, Norway)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

30 Sept 2011 (Day 61)

Still smiling as the images of the Northern Lights lingered in my mind.

Went out in the morning to have a last round of Photoshoot.

(With the Ladies from America- Melanie & Danielle)

Was sad to leave the small village of Porjus after 3 days and 2 nights. After bidding goodbye to the 2 ladies, I went to catch a bus that brought me to a train station. Took an overnight train back to Stockholm.

1 Oct 2011 (Day 62)

Hah, October already!

Arrived at Stockholm Central Station at about 11am. Went to MacDonalds and guess who I saw? Melanie and Danielle!! What a coincidence! They stayed over in Porjus for 1 more night and left Porjus this morning. The only difference was that they flew back to Stockholm and I took the train. And we met at the train station. How small can the world be?

I had no money to eat a meal so I ordered fries.

Talked for quite a bit and off I went to catch the next train to Oslo, Norway!

Arrived in Oslo at 9pm. Quickly went to find the hostel, which is just 5mins walk away from the train station. Check-in, planned for the next day and slept.

After meeting new friends in Pojus, MY LIFE WAS NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 60: Porjus, Sweden - Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:32:00 +0000

29 Sept 2011 (Day 60)

OMG! I've been traveling for 60 days already! Unbelievable!

Had the luxury of walking up later because I was still staying in the quaint village of Porjus.

(Cooking Breakfast)

After breakfast, I decided to explore the village a little bit more. More photos opportunities!

(Top of the hill!)

(I thought I could do a MV for "Earth Song" here.)

I went back to the house after one afternoon of taking photos. Just to give you an idea how I spent time during my 2nd day here, I had more than 1,200 pictures taken! Compared to the 500 pictures taken the day before.

I met 2 beautiful young ladies from the USA in the house as they booked the other bedroom. They are 2 fun-loving people with the same purpose of catching the Northern Lights in Porjus. It was nice talking to them and they told me that they had just graduated and will be traveling for the next 6 months! Cool..

We played card games to kill time as we waited till past midnight. The gals taught me to play 2 games that are apparently quite popular in the States. No gambling of course!

And finally, after hours of waiting and monitoring my laptop, we saw the Northern Lights!!! Suddenly, everyone jumped out of their seats and rushed to the window with our cameras and started snapping away. Then we braced the cold and went out of the house to get a wider view of the phenomenon.

Let me just tell you that it is definitely not enough looking at the following pictures, you have to go there to experience it! Enjoy:

Amazing!!! Don't you think? Many people have asked me what is the nicest thing that I've seen in my whole Europe Trip and I would always say, that of all the beautiful man-made monuments and structures, nothing compares to God's Creation.

I thank God for being able to witness the Northern Lights with my own eyes. And it wasn't even winter yet. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in winter.

Of course, Porjus is not the only place in the world that you can see the Northern Lights. Next time, I will go to a different place to see it! Simply can't get enough of it! Anybody wanna join?

Like I mentioned above, seeing the pictures is definitely not good enough, you have to go and experience it, at least once in your life. Seeing the lights dancing/moving in the night sky was something indescribable. I was really happy and blessed to have seen it after traveling for 2 months.

Slept super well that night, with a smile on my face....

I'll be checking out the next day in the afternoon, and I'll be heading to Oslo, Norway!!!

That will be a more than 24-hour journey.

After experiencing the NORTHERN LIGHTS, MY LIFE WAS NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 59: Porjus, Sweden - Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

28 Sept 2011 (Day 59)

After 1 train ride and 2 bus rides, I arrived in the small village of Porjus, Sweden. Yes, it is a village! It is not even considered a town. There are less than 400 inhabitants living there as we speak!

(On the right: The house I stayed.)

I love this tranquil and beautiful village! An outstanding place to do nothing! Well, there are actually things to do there such as, trekking, fishing, Moose hunting, taking photos, and that's about it. In winter, there are more things to do, such as ice-fishing, dog-sledding. reindeer sledding, ice-skating etc.

I was cold and hungry, so I went to the only grocery store in Porjus to get some supplies to cook.

There was really nothing much to do here so I walked around the village and took lots of photos. I took more than 500 pictures in my first day in Porjus. I will only show you this much:

(Don't even know what I was taking photo with!)

(Just look at the sky...)

(I was bored, so I bought this helicopter)

Well, my purpose of coming to Porjus was to see the Northern Lights. And it is not an every night thing. Sometimes it appears, and sometimes it doesn't. The best time to see it is during the coldest months of winter. The colder it is, the higher the chance of seeing the Northern Lights. It was only autumn when I was there but sources indicate that there is a high chance that I could still see it.

So my traveling partner and I got our cameras ready and waited till the middle of the night. It was super cold and I was monitoring the sky activity through my laptop. There were several webcams set up in the area of Porjus and I was looking at it to see if there was any sighting of the Northern Lights. The owner of the house told me that the webcam will pick up the Lights faster than my naked eye.

For the whole night, I was walking to the window, looking up to the sky, walking back to my laptop, and walking to the window again. It was getting colder and colder, especially when I opened the window!

Finally, after hours of walking up and down, I caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights! It was a glimpse. Nothing more. The Lights were not very strong but bright enough for me to see. I was happy but I wanted more! Waited for while more but there was nothing more. Was quite disappointed.

I had 1 more night in Porjus and I prayed that I could catch more of it the next night. Went to sleep in the wee hours of the night. Hopefully, could capture the Northern Lights on camera the next day...

After spending 1 day in the small village of Porjus, MY LIFE WAS NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 57-58: Stockholm, Sweden)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:09:00 +0000

26 Sept 2011 (Day 57)

If there is one country that I'll definitely go back; it is none other than Sweden. And it is not because it is the home of IKEA and H&M...

Arrived in Stockholm in the mid afternoon. The train station wasn't particularly big or as impressive as their European counterparts. Took a 15mins walk to the hostel.

Dropped my haversack and off I went.

(A street in Stockholm)

(Vasa Museum, a preserved 17th Century Warship:

One of the most popular museum in Stockholm)

(Skansen- An open air Museum and Zoo)

While I was walking to the Museum, I saw 2 mothers sitting on a bench with their babies. They were just chatting away and somehow I felt compelled to ask them for directions. Usually after asking for directions, I would ask for recommendations for local food. I have been to so many cities and that became sort of a standard "questioning routine". The mums were really friendly and straightaway recommended me a place that serves the best Swedish Meatballs in Stockholm! Super excited!

They warned me though, that the price was on the steep side.

I found "Prinsen Restaurant" quite easily. The waiter recommended beef filet with fried potato cubes. So I ordered that and a plate of Swedish Meatballs. Let me tell you this: If you have time for only one meal to eat in Stockholm, you MUST definitely try the Beef Fillet with Fried Potatoes at Prinsen.

It was the BEST Beef Filet steak I have eaten. I haven't tried a Beef Steak that was so tender, juicy and aromatic at the same time. When I ate the Fried Potato Cubes, I just went "Ooooooooohhhhhhh". They served with a special kind of sauce that was made from egg. The Potato with egg sauce was amazingly delicious.

I can now officially declare that this is one of my top 2 favourite dishes for my whole in Europe! (The other one was the food I ate in Madrid.) I can't fully express how much I love this Beef Filet with Potato Cubes.

(One of my top 2 Favourite Dish - Beef Filet Steak with Fried Potato Cubes)

(Swedish Meatballs-Better than IKEA's)

(Drottninggatan-Famous Shopping Street)

(Watching the Sunset)

Took a nice walk around the capital of Sweden. Bought some groceries at the supermarket and went back to the hostel.

27 Sept 2011 (Day 58)

My second day in Stockholm.

Stockholm is made of different big islands and I went to explore an area called SoFo in another island quite far from the city.

Walked past the old town.

(Old Town)

(Outside The Royal Palace)

(Nobel Museum)

(Restaurant Gondolen - Dinning with a view!)

Since I was in the home of the most famous furniture store, I had to make a trip there. In Stockholm, you will find the WORLD'S LARGEST IKEA store. I heard that there was a free shuttle bus that leaves neat the train station every hour but I couldn't find the pick-up point. I asked many people but they all seemed to be unsure about it or they gave me the wrong directions! Well, you have to first understand that most people in Stockholm are not from Stockholm. That was why.

After walking in circles for more than 45minutes, I finally found the IKEA Shuttle Bus pick-up point. Just made it in time for the bus, otherwise I had to wait for another hour! The bus ride took about 20mins and I arrived at the WORLD'S LARGEST IKEA!!!

(World's Largest IKEA)

Even though I probably ate the best Swedish Meatballs last evening, I thought I had to eat the IKEA meatballs since I was at the WORLD'S LARGEST IKEA. So I did. The question is, "does the meatballs taste nicer than the ones in Singapore?" The answer? Nope. It tasted almost exactly the same as the Singapore IKEA meatballs. Very good quality control I must say.

Of course, the Swedish Meatballs at Prinsen Restaurant was way better.

(IKEA Swedish Meatballs)

Walked around the WORLD'S LARGEST IKEA and went to buy the Hot Dog when I left. Surprisingly, the Hot Dog there is cheaper than the one at Singapore's IKEA. It is lesser than SGD $1!!! Probably the cheapest food I've seen in the whole of Stockholm!

Took the shuttle bus back to the city near the train station and walked back to my hostel. By the way, this is one of the better hostels that I've stayed in during my whole LAND TRIP.

(Hostel's common area)

Cooked some pasta for dinner and got ready to leave the Capital of Sweden. I was going to catch a train that night up to Porjus, Sweden!!! (The place I hoped to see the Northern Lights!)

It was going to be a long ride - a more than 24-hour journey up north!

After experiencing Stockholm and eating the best Beef Filet, MY LIFE WAS NEVER EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEEEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 56: Copenhagen, Denmark)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 17:06:00 +0000

25 Sept 2011 (Day 56)

My LAND Trip officially ends here.......No, don't get me wrong. My trip wasn't over yet. I was still traveling. But the "LAND" part of my LAND Trip was over. The reason? I need to travel via Ferry from Germany to Denmark. Yes, I had to travel "over water" for this leg of the journey.

This was the first time that I had to take a ferry from one destination to another. But this wasn't a normal passenger ferry, this was a TRAIN Ferry! Yes! The whole train went on board the ferry! I've seen Ferries that carry cars on board but the whole train??? This was a first.

In fact, I didn't book the ferry ticket. I just booked the train ticket from Berlin to Copenhagen and that was it. I didn't even know that the Ferry was part of the train ride!

When the train went on board the Ferry, my eyes were wide open. I couldn't even blink. I was impressed. At the same time, I realised that I had been traveling on land for the past 55 days and was impressed with myself too. haha... (Why can't I?)

We were not allowed to stay in the train when we were on board the ferry. So I explored the whole ship. Then I went to the upper deck to take in some fresh air and let the wind blow my long and silky hair. Wrong, it should read: "let the wind blow my short and spikey hair."

(On the Ferry. With Germany behind me.)

Arrived in Copenhagen in the late afternoon after the World Cycling Championship has ended in the city. Well, I didn't know that there was the World Cycling Championship in Copenhagen until someone on Facebook asked me if I saw it there.

It was getting late. The time was around 5pm and I knew that I have less than 24 hours in Copenhagen. So I quickly explored the Land of the Vikings.

Went to the King's Garden which surrounds Rosenborg Palace.

(King's Garden)

(Rosenborg Palace)

One of the symbols of Copenhagen is The Little Mermaid. And now my mission was to locate it.

Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in the world. That meant that I didn't take the public transport. The price of taking the bus is really high. So I walked.

After a long walk from the King's Garden, I finally found The Little Mermaid!

Hans Christian Anderson wrote "The Little Mermaid" fairy tale in 1837, and in 1909 the son of the founder of Carlsberg (yes, the beer!), who was fascinated by the story, had the statue built.

Saw the Royal Danish Guards and I just had to take a picture. I looked at him and said "Hey, what's your name?" and he ignored me.

(Trying to act cool!)

Then I walked along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe - Stroget. It was supposed to be a great deal huh? The thing is, it wasn't. Why? Because it was a Sunday!!! And on Sundays, the shops don't open at all! And that is according to their law. Their law actually limits the shops operating hours and days! So by law, shops can't be opened on Sundays!

So I walked along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe without shopping. How sad. I know.

Hey, but at least now I can tell people that I walked along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe! Ok, enough of that.

Copenhagen is also home of the World's Best Restaurant - Noma Restaurant! It is a two Michelin Star Restaurant that is ranked the Best restaurant in the World in 2010 and 2011. I really wanted to go since I was in Copenhagen but I found out that I have to reserve a place in the restaurant months and years in advance. And I am not even exaggerating. Oh well. Now I know. So I have already made a reservation for the future! I'll be back.

After resigning to the fact that I couldn't eat in the World's Best Restaurant, I settled for a typical Danish Restaurant. And the food was good. I could only imagine how superb the food is in Noma.

(Having my late dinner)

After having some typical Danish Cuisine for dinner, I couldn't resist the temptation to eat Danish ice-cream! After all, I was in Denmark. And as you know, Denmark is also known for its ice-cream. I couldn't let the opportunity slip away. I think you girls will love the ice-cream!

It was late. But I didn't want to spend any money on transport. So I walked back to my hostel from the city. It was a long walk. And scary at times. Because some streets were really dark and quiet.

Got back to my hostel and was catching up on blogging. A group of youngsters were quite drunk sitting at the table next to mine. It was hilarious overhearing the things they said.

Rested for the night and the next morning I was catching the train to Stockholm, Sweden!!!

After spending less than 24 hours in the Danish Capital, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........................................EEEEEEEEE..................................... EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 55: Berlin, Germany)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:36:00 +0000

24 Sept 2011 (Day 55)

Took the train at 6 plus in the morning. Arrived in the Capital of Germany at 12pm.

When I went to the hostel to check in, I was told that I had to wait a for a few hours later for my room to be ready. Then I asked her to check if there are any rooms available because I wanted a place to settle down a bit first. She said no. Then went I was about to leave the counter, she said that I was lucky because there was a room booking that was canceled last minute and I could have the room! I was a happy boy! She was kinda rude though.

(Berlin Wall)

Took the U-Bahn to the Berlin Wall, more specifically, the East Side Gallery. The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by East Germany starting in August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from East Germany and East Berlin. Little is left of the Wall at its original state, which was destroyed almost everywhere.

The remaining stretch of the Berlin is actually quite long. I didn't walk the whole stretch. After walking for a while, I went to Checkpoint Charlie.

(Checkpoint Charlie)

Do you see Charlie there in the big poster above? Ok, that is nonsense. The reason why this checkpoint is called Charlie is because of the phonetic alphabet; checkpoints "Alpha" & "Bravo" were located elsewhere. So this is Checkpoint C, which is Checkpoint Charlie. Get it?

Checkpoint Charlie was a crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Formerly, it was the only border crossing between East and West Berlin that permitted foreigners passage. Residents of East and West Berlin were not allowed to use it. This contributed to Checkpoint Charlie's mythological status as a meeting place for spies and other shady individuals.

("You are leaving the American Sector" sign at Checkpoint Charlie)

Went to a famous landmark in Berlin - The Bradenburg Gate. The Gate was commissioned as a sign of peace but when the Nazis ascended to power, they used the Gate as a party symbol.

(Bradenburg Gate)

(Bradenburg Gate - 1936)

The specialty sausage in Berlin is the Currywurst. It is a sausage covered in ketchup and curry powder. I knew I had to try it!

(Eating Currywurst at a street vendor)

And you know what? It was soooo good that I decided that the Currywurst was going to be my favorite German Sausage! And it still is.

(Bundestag - German Parliament building with a spectacular glass dome.)

Took a long walk around the city. And there was a Berlin Marathon going on!

(Marienkirche & TV Tower)

Then walked around a open Market - Hackescher Markt. This is a popular place for eating out with nice bars and restaurants.

(Hackescher Markt S-bahn Station)

Walked a bit more and took the S-bahn back to my hostel. Next morning I was heading to Copenhagen, Denmark!

After visiting the Berlin Wall, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........................EEEE............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 54: Nuremberg, Germany)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:10:00 +0000

22 Sept 2011 (Day 53)

Continued from the day in Munich.....Arrived in Nuremberg after a short 1-hour train-ride at 9pm. Took a 10-minute walk to the hostel. Checked-in and slept.....

23 Sept 2011 (Day 54)

Woke up in the morning and went to the tourist information center to get some information. Duh....

Then I took a tram to the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds.Soon after they came to power in 1933 the Nazis designated Nuremberg as the place for their annual party rallies. To demonstrate their power, they planned a set of gigantic buildings. Only a fraction of these were actually built, including a colossal Congress Hall and the reviewing stand at hte Zeppelin field. The rally grounds consistes a total of 11 square kilometers.

Hitler used the place for propaganda and to rally the troops. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the rallies every year.

(Congress Hall - Could seat up to 50,000 people)

(The designed was inspired by the Colosseum in Rome)

(The Great Road)

(The Grandstand at Zeppelin Field - The place where Hitler stood)

The Grandstand had the Swastika blown off in 1945, after Germany's fall in World War II.

Took the tram back to the city.

(In the Old Town)

(Hauptmarkt)

I didn't know that Nuremberg is well-known for Gingerbread! That is one of their specialty there and I had to try it. Gingerbread is usually eaten during Christmas time but I guess it is so popular with tourists that it is sold all year round. So I ate Gingerbread without the man!

Another Nuremberg specialty is the Nürnberger Bratwurst, which is thinner and shorter than other bratwurst sausages. It contains a lot of spices and it was delicious!

After eating, I went to the Imperial Castle. I could see the whole city of Nuremberg from the Castle.

(View from the Imperial Castle)

Walked around the city a little bit more and went back to the hostel.
(My Room!)

Managed to catch up on my blogging that night. The next morning I was heading to Berlin, Germany!

After exploring Nuremberg, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEE...................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 53: Munich, Germany)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:06:00 +0000

22 Sept 2011 (Day 53)

Arrived in Munich at about 10am and I didn't book any accommodation! Well, that was because I wasn't intending to stay over in Munich. And the reason? The Oktoberfest was on and all the prices were crazily inflated. Accommodation rates could go up to more than twice the usual rates! I wasn't going to pay that premium.

So I left my HUGE Haversack in the locker in the Railway Station and went to explore Munich.

(Karlsplatz)

(Pedestrian shopping street)

Germany is known for its beer, sausages and pork knuckle. And the thing about German sausages is that each city in Germany has their own special and unique sausage. So different city is known for different types of sausages.

The Weisswurst ("white sausage") is a Munich specialty. It is a breakfast sausage that is traditionally eaten as a late breakfast and available in restaurants until 12 noon. Personally, I think the white sausage was ok only and not something that I will eat again. Just wanted to try their local food.

(I'm holding the bowl of Weisswurst)

(German Pork Knuckle!!! Super yummy!!!)

Took a relaxing walk in the English Garden. The English Garden is huge and very peaceful.

(English Garden)

At the mouth of the artificial stream that runs through the English Garden, there is a standing wave that is produced by the water pumping mechanism. And there I saw something amazing! I saw surfers surfing on this wave!!! The stream is not very wide and it was definitely a sight to behold. I mean, I have seen surfers surfing near the beach but it wasn't anything like this!

After a beautiful walk in the English Garden and after seeing surfer dudes surfing in a narrow stream, I took the U-Bahn (subway) to newest Football Stadium in Europe - Allianz Arena. It was opened in 2005 and was one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

The Allianz Arena is the home ground of FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München. It is also the first stadium in the world that has a full changing colour outside. I've seen pictures of the stadium at night and it is really stunning with different colours.

Next up, I went to Oktoberfest! I can't believe that when I was in Frankfurt, the Frankfurt Auto Show was on, and when I was in Munich, the Oktoberfest was on! So fortunate to have such coincidences during this trip. I heard that people actually fly to Munich just for the Oktoberfest! For me, I just happened to be there.

I simply couldn't give up the opportunity to go to the Oktoberfest. This is a once-a-year beer festival that is held in Munich since 1810. And if you have noticed the date that I was there, it wasn't even October yet! It was still 22 Sept. Yes, the Oktoberfest is not held in October!!! What an irony! Ok, to be fair, it usually runs from late September to the first weekend of October. So it does happen during October, although most of occurs during September.

By the way, this is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year! The festival is held in the city with a land area of more than 100 acres dedicated to beer tents, food kiosks, and fairground attractions. Yes, apart from beer, there is a huge theme park in the vicinity. So if you don't go there to drink, it can be a nice outdoor carnival for the whole family.

I was overwhelmed when I was there beacuase the whole place was jam-packed with people. Drunk ones included! Most ladies were dressed-up in barmaids costumes and the guys wore Lederhosen.

Each of the major breweries has their own beer tent that is filled with traditional musicians leading the crowd in well-known drinking chants, and incredibly strong barmaids hoisting 10 or more huge glass beer mugs! Those 1-liter glass beer mugs are heavy even when empty! Just imagine.

Each beer tent is unique and has a different theme. I was totally impressed when I stepped into the beer tents. The decorations and atmosphere inside the tents were off the charts! I could only say "WOW!"

The tents are usually overcrowded and it is not easy to get a seat. Unless you are there early. As a general rule, you won't be served if you don't have a seat.

I don't drink beer but I wanted to soak in the Oktoberfest atmosphere so I found a place outside the tent and drank Coke! I know, what a joke!

I think the barmaid taking my order was laughing at me. And I believe that I was the only one there drinking coke! Hey, at least I'm not shy to admit it!

(At Oktoberfest drinking coke! That is not Stout ok!)

Ok, stop laughing at me will you! What is wrong with drinking Coke at Oktoberfest?

I was tempted to order all the German food available. There were all types of German sausages, pork knuckle, roast chicken, roast pork, grilled ham, Sauerkraut and more. But the prices were so inflated that I decided not to spend my money there. I could get the same food at a much lower price elsewhere in the city.

After drinking the most expensive Coke in my life, I went back to the railway station. My train was departing Munich at 7:50pm and I was heading to Nuremberg, Germany!

After spending less than 1 day in Munich, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE................................EEEEEE...........................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 52: Frankfurt, Germany)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:37:00 +0000

21 Sept 2011 (Day 52)

Arrived in the business and financial center of Germany - Frankfurt! The city is known for its futuristic skyline and the biggest German Airport.

(In front of Frankfurt Railway Station)

The first place I went? Senckenberg Museum. It boasts the largest exhibition of large dinosaurs in Europe. Apart from the main exhibit of the skeletons of the T-Rex, Long Neck dinosaur and the Triceratops, I must say that it wasn't worth the money paid for. It was quite disappointing.

To bring me back from my disappointment, I went to the biggest Auto Show in the World - Frankfurt Auto Show! The best part? I didn't even know that the biennially motor show was going on until I was in Frankfurt.

The Frankfurt Auto Show is definitely a must-see for all car lovers. It is only held once in two years! Can you imagine? Once in two years! And I happened to be there when the show was going on! What a coincidence! Of course, I wouldn't want to miss out on this opportunity and I bought the ticket (which was only 8 euros) and immersed myself in the world of automobiles!

(Look at the dashboard! It is just glass!)

(Mercedes Benz had one whole building for itself)

So, those are just some of the cars that I bought. What do you think? Nice? Anyway, I thought that I was going to spend only 1 hour in the Auto Show but I ended up staying there for 3 hours! By the time I left, it was evening already.

Quickly went to explore the city centre.

(Euro sculpture in front of Eurotower)

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's House)

(Römer square)

(Frankfurt night skyline)

Oh, when I was walking around the city at about 7pm, I could hardly see anybody on the streets. The streets were so quiet that it was actually scary. When I was doing some video recording near a Paulaner Restaurant, I witnessed a pickpocketing incident.

There was a group of Chinese from Mainland China who were having their dinner and 2 locals (I think) walked passed their table and took a wallet and walked off. They didn't even run! They walked away! Then a Chinese man realised what was happening and stood up, walked a few steps and shouted. But by the time, I couldn't see the 2 guys already. The rest of the group still didn't know what was happening. It wasn't the wallet of the Chinese man who shouted that was stolen, it was his friend's wallet. He went back to the table and told his friend in Mandarin, "Hey, your wallet is stolen and you are still sitting here hehe haha.." Immediately, his friend stood up and wanted to chase but it was too late.

So please, never eeeeeeeee.......ever put your wallet on the table when you are eating!

After walking along the river, I went back to the hostel to blog. The next morning I was heading to Munich, Germany!

After seeing so many cars in one day, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEE......................................EEEE......................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 50-51: Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:26:00 +0000

19 Sept 2011 (Day 50)

Wow! Been traveling by land for 50 days already!

Arrived in the capital of the Netherlands at about 2pm. Amsterdam is known its impressive architecture, lovely canals, windmills, cheese, clogs, tulips, high tolerance of drugs and its red-light district.

(Dutch Clogs!)

Amsterdam is a city of canals. But it is nothing like Venice. The feel and architecture is very different. I kinda like Amsterdam because I felt very relaxed and comfortable here. And it is easy to walk around.

Amsterdam is also one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. There are more bicycles than humans in Amsterdam! There are approximately 750,000 people living in Amsterdam but they own about 800,000 bicycles! Apart from walking, renting a bicycle is a great way to explore the city.

For food, I had to try their Dutch Pancakes. The traditional way to eat it is with Dutch Syrup. So that was what I ate! It tasted somewhat similar to the French Crepes yet you could still tell the difference. Very nice!

One of the must-see places in Amsterdam is Anne Frank's house. This was the place where the young Jewish girl named Anne Frank hid from the Nazis for 2 years until her family was anonymously betrayed. The people who hid in the house were subsequently arrested and deported to the concentration camps. Anne Frank and her sister Margot died in the concentration camps just a few weeks before the liberation by the British Troops.

(Outside Anne Frank's house)

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl was written in the house and is one of the world's most widely read books. I was really amazed at how she and her family hid in the "secret annex" of the house. From the outside, you really can't see how big the house actually is. I can't even imagine how difficult the living conditions were at that time. Evey day of her life there must be in total fear.

(Flower market. No Tulips because it wasn't the season.)

(Red light district)

Went back to the hostel to rest after 1 whole day of walking.

20 Sept 2011 (Day 51)

Woke up early and took a train to Zaanse Schans, which is about 20minutes from Amsterdam Central Station. Zaanse Schans has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and that is the main reason why people go there.

While crossing the road bridge, the bridge was being pulled up! First time I saw this.

(No, this is not the filming location of Inception)

(Preserved houses in Zaanse Schans)

(Windmills!)

There is a Cheese Farm that is open to the public for free. I went in and tried all the different types of cheese they got to offer. I was actually quite hungry so I went to try all the cheese again. Let me tell you, the cheese was so good that I had to try it again. And again. And again. And again. In the end, I wasn't sure how many rounds of cheese I ate. All I know is that I felt really cheesy after that. I bought some cheese back too!

(Cheese!)

Beside the Cheese Farm there is Wooden Shoe Workshop. Inside, there is a huge collection of different types of clogs and they show you how the clogs were made.

(This clog was custom made for me! No, not really.)

After eating so much cheese, I just had to take some cheesy pictures.

Went back to Amsterdam at about 12:30pm.

Look at the number of bicycles! They even have multi-storey parking for bicycles!

(Van Gogh Museum)

Amsterdam is also the home of Heineken. So I went to this place called The Heineken Experience which used to be a Heineken brewery. I didn't go in for the "experience" because it cost 16 euros!!! That is very very expensive!

(Heineken Experience)

After that, I went to the supermarket to buy Salami for my dinner. Super salty....but cheap.

(Sat on the street bench to eat my Salami)

Went back to the hostel to rest for the night. The next morning I was heading to Frankfurt, Germany!

After eating so many types of Dutch Cheese, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........................................EEEE.........................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 48-49: London - Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:09:00 +0000

17 Sept 2011 (Day 48)
(2nd Day in London)

Woke up early in the morning and went to a hotel to wait for the pick-up to Stonehenge!

It was early and I was still half-asleep...

The bus came and brought everybody to a bus terminal. From there, we were separated into different buses because everybody was doing different tours.

After 2-3 hours bus ride from London, I saw Stonehenge!!! And it was cold and windy!!!

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire and is one of the most visited sites in the world. It is believed that the iconic stone monument was erected as early as 3000BC. That was more than 5000 years ago!

Because that were no written records from that time, nobody knows exactly why the Stones were erected. Many theories have been tossed around and some suggested that it was used as an astronomical observatory, a religious site, a place of healing, or a burial site. Till this day, it remains a mystery.

The stones are huge but I expected it to be a lot larger than they are.

After 30 mins, I had to go back to the bus! Can you imagine, we were only allowed about 30mins to walk around Stonehenge. I barely have enough time to take pictures and videos and see the place. Then I went back to London.

After I got back to London, I wanted to somewhere outside London. And I decided to take a coach to the City of Oxford!

The city of Oxford lies 80km north-west of London and was made prominent by its medieval university. Of course, that was the main reason why I went to Oxford, to see the oldest English-speaking university in the world - University of Oxford!

(Left - University Curch of St. Mary the Virgin)

(Right - Radcliffe Camera)

Till now, nobody knows exactly when the university was founded but teaching at Oxford existed in some form in 1096.

(Hertford Bridge - a quaint pedestrian bridge at Hertford College.)

Just so you know, Rowan Atkinson, known for his roles as Mr Bean and Johnny English, was a graduate from Oxford University! Albert Einstein also spent some time at the university.

Oxford University was also one of the filming locations for the Harry Potter movies. More specifically, at Christ Church College. See the 2 pictures below. Look familiar?

(16th Century Staircase leading to the Great Hall in Harry Potter)

(The Great Hall - Replicated in the film studios to create Hogwarts Hall)

Christ Church was also the setting for Alice In Wonderland and Lewis Carrol wrote it while he was at Oxford.

Another interesting fact: the ChristChurch Cathedral in New Zealand, after which the city of Christchurch is named, is itself named after Christ Church, Oxford.

Then it started to drizzle and I ran all the way to the bus terminal to catch a bus back to London. Managed to meet Hilda, a long time friend, for dinner. Caught up quite a bit.

18 Sept 2011 (Day 49)

(3rd Day in London)
Went to have breakfast at a popular local eatery called Lantana.

Walked around Petticoat Lane Market, which is a huge street market with a lot of discounted goods.

Then went to Brick Lane to find the legendary bagel. It was delicious! And it comes with different flavours too.

Look at the queue!

I went back to the Tower Bridge to take some photos in the day.

(Dr Johnson's House - where the 1st English Dictionary was complied)

(Another Famous Landmark in London- St Paul's Cathedral)

18 September was a Sunday and was the day that Manchester United faced Chelsea at Old Trafford. Can you imagine? That was the biggest match of the season! I've always wanted to visit Old Trafford since young but it was really far from London and very expensive to get there. Furthermore, tickets for big matches like this are usually sold out weeks in advance. To think that I was in England during a Man U Vs Chelsea match! So close yet couldn't watch it.

Guess I went instead? I couldn't travel up north to Old Trafford so I went to Stanford Bridge! That was a lot nearer to where I was.

(Standford Bridge)

Haha... I went to the home ground of Chelsea FC while the match was going on at Old Trafford. When I was there, Man U was already leading in the match. I looked at the sky and saw dark clouds above Standford Bridge and I knew that it wasn't a good sign for Chelsea. Sure enough, Chelsea lost!

Then it started to rain!

(The world renowned Royal Albert Hall)

(The world famous Shopping Centre - Harrods)

(Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Railway Station.

The secret platform where Harry Potter went through the wall to take Hogwarts Express.)

Then I went back to the hostel. Technically, I have already checked out because I only booked for 2 nights at the hostel. If you remember from my previous post, I had to stay an additional night in London due to my train ticket but I wasn't willing to pay for the additional night.

So I stayed in the kitchen at the hostel for the night and took a nap at the TV room at about 3am in the morning. Fortunately, nobody noticed me! I left the hostel at 5:30am to catch a train to Amsterdam!!! Warning: Please don't try this!

After spending 3 days 3 nights in London, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE..........................................EEEE...............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 47: London - Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:48:00 +0000

16 Sept 2011 (Day 47)

I didn't know traveling within the EU does not require stamping of the passport. So my train ride from Paris to London was the first time my passport was stamped since Moscow to Riga.

The train went through the English Channel using the Channel Tunnel which connects UK and France by rail. So that means that I still did not travel by ferry or by plane. I was traveling on the train, which is a land transport. Not bad huh? I traveled from Singapore all the way to Europe and then to the United Kingdom by land!

Now the sad part. You see, usually when I arrive at a new city, I would go straight to to the railway ticket office to do an advance booking for my next train to the next city. However, as I was buying the ticket, the staff told me that the discounted price ticket (with the Global Pass) was sold out! My plan was to leave London to Amsterdam on 18th Sept, and that would give me 2 days 2 nights in London.

So now if I want to leave London on the 18th, I had to pay the full fare and it cost more than twice the discounted fare. I was not going to pay that much. I then asked the counter staff for the following day on the 19th, and fortunately, they have discounted tickets for the 19th. But that meant that I had to stay 1 additional night in London.

That usually won't be a problem right? After all, it was only 1 more night. However, London is extremely expensive and I was not willing to pay any amount just to stay 1 night. Furthermore, my train departing London was in the morning at about 6am. So it would be a waste of money for that few hour in the night.

I resigned to the fact that I would stay outside the train station if it was closed at night.

So I checked in to my hostel and it was a crazy place. The people there were wild! And the wi-fi there was bad. I spent a few hours in the hostel trying to change my hostel booking in Amsterdam because of the 1 night delay. Need to change a lot of my plans too.

After I got that out of the way, I took the Tube (their Metro) to the Emirates Stadium - the home of Arsenal F.C. I was not even sure why I was there. Maybe because it was quite near my hostel.

Then I went to the residence of The Queen -- Buckingham Palace! Well, after seeing so many palaces, Buckingham Palace doesn't seem to stand out. Really, it pales in comparison to the Palaces in Russia and Austria.

(Buckingham Palace)

Walked around to explore the city.

(London Cab!)

(Trafalgar Square - Near Soho)

(London Phone Booth)

Then I went across and along River Thames!

(London Eye)

(Big Ben)

So many sights to see in London. I went to find the London's most iconic structure - The Tower Bridge! Most people think that it is called the London Bridge right? When you see the picture of the London Bridge below, you would probably be asking the same questions that I asked, "Huh? Is that it? London Bridge?"

(On the left - Tower Bridge)

(Tower Bridge)

Ladies & Gentlemen, presenting to you.......The London Bridge!!! (See Below)

(London Bridge)

Pretty disappointing huh? In terms of the architecture and structure, it is nothing close to the Tower Bridge. And guess what? The London Bridge is just opposite the Tower Bridge! It really just looks like any typical bridge across the river.

As I was walking along the River Thames towards the London Bridge, I met 2 young ladies who recommended a very good restaurant for Fish & Chips. They told me that it is the place where locals would go and it wasn't expensive. Since I was in Britain, I must try their famous British Fish & Chips!

So I went. The restaurant is located under a railway bridge near a Tube Station.

One of the better Fish & Chips I've eaten but not the best. It was good nonetheless. There is just something different about British Fish & Chips that I can't point a finger to......

Then I went to Piccadilly Circus, which is akin to the Times Squire in New York. Large neon billboards and signs are seen everywhere and the place is packed with people. In fact, too many people for my liking. Not sure how I ended up in Chinatown while I was walking!

(Chinatown)

The whole shopping and entertainment district is around here, in the West End of London. It is more commonly referred to as The West End.

(West End Theaters)

After a long day and a long night, I went back to the Hostel to rest. Going to see Stonehenge the next day!

(Author's Note: I spent a total of 3 days in London so I'm breaking up the London Post into 2 parts.)

After arriving in the UK by land, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...............................EEEE....................................EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 46: Paris, France)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:30:00 +0000

15 Sept 2011 (Day 46)

After more than 13 hours on the train, I arrived in the City of Lights - Paris!

First place to go? The Louvre Museum! Musée du Louvre is one of the world's largest museum and probably the most famous. It is also the world's most visited museum with an average of 15,000 visitors per day!

I pre-ordered my entry ticket to avoid the long queues there. I was impressed at how big the museum is. The most famous resident in The Louvre is Mona Lisa. So I went to look for her. She must be expecting me. I sent a tweet eariler to inform her that I was going to see her!

Saw a lot of famous sculptures in the Louvre. By now you should know that I can't really appreciate art. Not for now at least. So I pretended that I could appreciate the beauty of the sculptures and paintings.

(Nike of Samothrace)

After walking through the crowd and many sculptures, I finally saw Mona Lisa! And we locked eyes....I was looking at her and she was looking at me. I think she was not all that excited to see me because she was just half-smiling the whole time when her eyes were on me. At least she smiled at me. Like she always does.

(Mona Lisa)

As I walked away, I noticed that she kept her gaze on me. And she never blinked. I learnt from young that it was rude to stare but she kept staring at me no matter where I walked! Being the nice person that I am, I forgave her. I guess that is what makes Mona Lisa special.

I can't believe at how small she is. Really. I mean, the painting of Mona Lisa is a lot smaller than what I have expected. I always thought that it was big. Come on, I bet that you have seen the copy of Mona Lisa's painting many times while you are growing up and must have thought that it was big right? Admit it!

(Inside the glass pyramid in The Louvre)

As I was walking along Seine River, I stumbled upon one of the world's famous "Love Bridges". What happens is that lovers would write their names on a padlock, affixing it to the railings of the bridge, and then throw the key into the river below. "Love Padlocks" are used by sweethearts to symbolise their everlasting love. Sweet!

I was at the romantic bridge known as Pont des Arts. As I was crossing the bridge, I was fascinated by the number of "Love Padlocks" along the railings. And I didn't know that there were so many different designs for padlocks!

("Love Padlocks" at Pont des Arts)

The Notre Dame Cathedral was my next destination. It was further up along the Seine River from where I was.

(Notre Dame Cathedral)

Notre Dame Cathedral is a Gothic, Catholic Cathedral and was the building that inspired Victor Hugo to write his legendary novel, The Hunchback Notre Dame. It was later adapted into many films including Walt Disney's animated feature of the same title in 1996. (And I haven't watched the movie yet!)

I was feeling hungry and I saw many people eating something that I have not been eating for a long time - Crêpes! And Crêpes are considered a national dish in France! Since I was at the birth place of Crêpes, I had to eat it.

Went into a cafe and ordered Ham & Cheese Crêpe. The waiter was extremely rude and I could see that he didn't like Asians very much. There were 2 other Asian ladies that came in to order their food and they spoke in fluent French but the waiter was very sarcastic and said he couldn't understand their language! Then they spoke in English and he repeated what they said in a sarcastic manner and left.

The worst part? A group of Caucasian guys came in and the waiter's attitude totally changed and talked to them nicely and was joking with them. Couldn't believe it!

Anyway, despite the poor service, the Crêpe was marvellous! I can safely say that it was the BEST Crêpe I've ever eaten. It was thin, crispy, soft, sweet, fragrant, all at the same time. Super good! (Suddenly I've craving for it now...)

(Eating Crêpe by the Seine River)

It is not difficult to guess where I was heading next: the most famous icon of Paris -- The Eiffel Tower. Needless to say, this is a must-go place in Paris. The Eiffel Tower and Paris are synonymous to each other and it would be crazy for me not to go. So I went.

(Eiffel Tower)

The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid museum in the world. Millions and millions of people ascend the tower every year. For me, I didn't ascend the tower because it was quite expensive (they charge different pricing to the 2nd floor and to the top) and I wasn't with my girlfriend or wife. So it would be super un-romantic for me to go up. And I didn't.

Then I went to find the Flame of Liberty. The flame was given by the International Herald Tribune newspaper to mark its Centennial and was a token of thanks for the restoration work on the Statue of Liberty (in New York) by two French businesses. Today, the flame has become an unofficial monument for Princess Diana who died in the tunnel beneath the Flame.

Now, it is also known as the "Diana Flame" and is used like a shrine to Diana. Although not an official monument to the Princess, visitors flock around the world to lay flowers and messages to the much loved and remembered Princess.

(Flame of Liberty - "Diana Flame")

Went to another landmark in Paris -- Arc de Triomphe.

(Arc de Triomphe)

Then I walked down the "Most Beautiful Avenue of the World" -- Avenue des Champs-Élysées. This is one of the most famous and most expensive streets in the world. The 1.91km avenue is lined up with cinemas, cafes, restaurants, luxury speciality shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees.

(Champs-Élysées)

Paris is the birth place of Louis Vuitton, and Champs-Élysées is the home of the Louis Vuitton Building since 1913. Champs-Élysées is definitely a place for up-scale shopping. The biggest Adidas store in the world is also located there!

As I walked, I saw a beautiful stretch of trees that has orange/red leaves!!! The autumn leaves were so lovely. It was as if I was in a movie scene. No wonder Paris is the most romantic city in the world!

Paris is not called the City of Lights for nothing. Went back to the hostel as it getting very late.

Rested for a night and got ready to go to London, England!

After exploring the capital of France, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE............................EEEE.......................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 44-45: Madrid, Spain)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:53:00 +0000

13 Sept 2011 (Day 44)

Took the train early in the morning from Barcelona and headed to the Capital of Spain - Madrid.

I felt a lot safer in Madrid because I heard a lot of horror stories about Barcelona. Be careful if you want to go to Barcelona. It is known as Europe's pickpocketing capital!

Anyway, I love Madrid! Compared to many other European cities, Madrid do not have many so-called "Famous Tourist Attractions". But I like the culture, lifestyle, people, and FOOD here! Only thing I didn't like: the weather!! It was super hot! Almost like Singapore, just that it wasn't humid.

Despite the heat, Madrid is definitely one of my favorite cities.

After I checked in, it was already 1pm.

Walked around to explore the Spanish Capital.

(Opera House)

(In front of the Royal Palace)

Oh, I like their street signs! (See below)

It is so cute, don't you think? It all comes with illustrations as the background.

(A street in Madrid)

Then I found a SUPER Good place for FOOD!!! The place is called Mercado de San Miguel and is one of the oldest covered market in Madrid. Almost 100 years old!

There are 33 stalls inside and you can just go walk around to buy food from different stalls and sit at bar stool to eat. If there isn't any place, you stand and eat! I really like the atmosphere there.

(Mercado de San Miguel)

I was looking around and I was certainly spoilt for choice. So many varieties of meat, seafood, cheese, vegetables, fruits, and drinks. Spain is known for its cured meat (preserved meat). And it is eaten raw. I went to the stall and the queue was long. I even had to take a queue number to wait for my turn to order!

It was definitely worth the wait because the meat was simply yummy!!! Quite salty though. But of course, salt is the major preservative used.

(Eating cured meat)

While I was eating cured meat, the aroma from the next stall was overwhelming and I just had to check it out. They were cooking beef steaks and beef patty. The beef burger was the cheapest item on the menu so I ordered that. And it was yummy too! Very juicy!

(Eating beef burger)

Mercado de San Miguel is a place that I would want to go again. I think I can spend a few hours there just trying all the food and chilling out. You should visit this place if you ever go to Madrid.

(Plaza Mayor)

As if I have not eaten enough, I went to a restaurant near Sol Metro Station to have lunch! It was recommended by the hostel staff. The food here is definitely one of my top 5 favorites during this trip! The waiter was really friendly and the food was really good! With good service and good food, what more can you ask for? (I know, more food.)

Even before I started ordering, I was already given a free plate of chicken wings & drumsticks! Not bad huh?

(Lunch at Alhambra Restaurant)

Spanish food tastes quite similar to Asian food, so maybe that was the reason why I loved it so much.

Went to CaixaForum to see the Vertical Garden designed by Patrick Blanc.

(Vertical Garden)

Nice?

(Gran Via - "Broadway". The main street in Madrid)

I went back to the hostel and watched a Football match between FC Barcelona and AC Milan. The match was at Nou Camp, and I was there the previous day! Quite funny to watch a Barcelona match in Madrid. They are arch rivals just in case you don't know.

14 Sept 2011 (Day 45)

I thought about where I wanted to go today and couldn't find a place that I really must go. So I decided to go to the Santiago Bernabeu - home of Real Madrid C.F.

As I was walking into the stadium, I saw a familiar face. Yes, it was unmistakable. It was.....it was.....Christiano Ronaldo! I waved at the most expensive player in the world and said "Hi". Christiano Ronaldo then winked at me! I could totally melt in that instant!

Then I realised that I was melting because of the blazing hot sun!!! And I got out of my hallucination! Hey, don't blame me. The sun was so hot that I think my brains was scorched. In circumstances like this, hallucinations are normal ok?

(See, I told you I saw Christiano Ronaldo!)

(Can you see? "Jesus in first place")

(I was doing my job as a Manager)

(I was focusing on the match. See my Assistant Manager beside me?)

(Then I had to do a post match press conference. Not easy being a Manager you know!)

After all my duties with Real Madrid CF, I was feeling hungry. I liked the food so much at Alhambra Restaurant that I had to go back there again. This is one of the very few restaurants that I went back a second time during this whole trip to Europe.

This time, I ordered Paella, a typical Spanish Cuisine that originated from Valencia. It is the yellow rice dish in the middle of the above photo. It looks like Nasi Briyani and tastes like Nasi Briyani. They are similar yet different. And the difference is subtle.

Spain is also known for one other thing -- Bull fighting. I took the Metro and went to Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. This is a famous bullring in Madrid and is regarded as the home to Bull fighting in Spain.

Unfortunately for me, the bull fighting season is during the month of May. So I could only see the exterior of the bull fighting arena.

(Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas)

I went back to the hostel to pack my stuff and caught my train at 7pm. Took an overnight train to Paris, France!

After experiencing the culture, lifestyle, people, and FOOD in Madrid, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEE.................................EEEE.............................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Email to share

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

I know that I've travelled for 64 days but I've only blogged up to Day 43 and uploaded video up to Day 16!

I am excited to share with you the rest of my Land Trip in Europe so give me some time to update as I settle back down in Singapore (and eat all the local food I can to gain back the 5kg I've lost!).

For now, I would like to share with you an email that I received from one of my students whom I met in 2009. He is now taking "A" Levels. I received his email on the 14th of August, when I was still in the Asia leg of my Land Trip to Europe.

I felt encouraged after reading his email and thought of sharing with you. Here it goes:

Good evening Peter,

You must be wondering who am I :) I was one of your student back in 2009, the 3days Dr Ernest Wong's study camp in Fu Hua Sec.

I have been reading your land-trip journal since you have started writing it. What an interesting experience to have in life. Just by reading the words and flipping the photos, i feel like i am doing it too. I must say GOOD JOB to you and i'm into this idea as well. I may go for a trip like yours after my "A" levels. Hope you can share some tips with me by the time comes.

Waiting for your next post, while struggling through this 3 months for my 'A's. I believe i can! With all my hard work put in. That's what i learn from you :) Never lose faith!

and life will never..... eeee....ver be the same.

Thank you!

Best regards,

Song Rui

I'm glad that I've inspired him. And hoped that I've inspired you, too.

After reading his email, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.....................EEEEE................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 43: Barcelona, Spain)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 07:19:00 +0000

12 Sep 2011 (Day 43)

Went to the home ground of the Spanish & European Champion - F.C. Barcelona!

9:40am. Arrived at Nou Camp but it wasn't open until 10am. Walked around the huge stadium and took lots of cheesy photos to kill time.

10am. The gates opened and thousands and thousands of fans rushed into the stadium to get tickets! No. There wasn't. I joined around 20 people in the queue to buy entrance tickets.

Went in and the first place that all visitors will enter is the Museum and Trophy Room.

(Nou Camp)

The Nou Camp is the largest stadium in Europe with a seating capacity of 99,354. However, when I was there, it didn't feel that big to me. Not sure why.

I am not a Barcelona fan so I wasn't particularly excited to be there. I was just glad that I was there. After all, it is one of the most famous stadiums in the world!

Barcelona was going to have a Champions League match the next day with AC Milan. So a lot of preparation works were going on and some areas were closed to visitors. Players dressing rooms included. What a waste! Otherwise, I could have gone into the place where Lionel Messi changed and showered. Ok, that sounded wrong. But hey, he is a former FIFA World Player of the Year (2009) and arguably the best player in the world today. So it will be nice to go to the place where he was before and after his match right?

Barcelona is one of the most interesting cities in the world. It is vibrant, full of life and has remarkable architecture throughout the city. The architecture really makes it interesting. More specifically, Barcelona is well known for Gaudi architecture. Antoni Gaudi was a renowned Spanish Catalan Architect and most of his works are situated in Barcelona.

So I went to Parc Guell, a garden complex with architectural elements designed by Gaudi. It is situated at the top of a hill and it was a long walk up. The good thing was that there were escalators at the side of the hill to help you ascend! Of course, I still had to walk up a good portion of the hill and it was really steep.

(Parc Guell)

Then I went to the most famous work of Gaudi - Sagrada Familia. The irony is that his most famous work is still uncompleted. Construction of the church began in 1882 and Gaudi took over the project in 1883. When he passed away in 1926, the project was still less than 25% complete! Now, after more than 100 years, it is still not finished!

(Sagrada Familia)

Construction works are still going on and the estimated year of completion will be in 2026 or 2028. This must be the longest church construction ever!

The busiest and most lively street in Barcelona is La Rambla. This is a famous tree-lined pedestrian street that is mostly occupied by tourists. I heard that there many pickpockets in that area so I walked down that street pretty quick.

(La Rambla)

Took a stroll along Passeig de Colom, which is a wide avenue lined with palm trees near the port. It was a scenic stroll.

(Passeig de Colom)

Then I had Spanish food at Euskal Etxea, a stylish Tapas bar in the heart of old town Barcelona. I ate Pinchos, which composed mainly of hams, cheeses, other meats or seafood served on a slice of bread held together by a toothpick. This is a typical snack of the Basque Country. It was good! Considering that Pinchos are usually eaten as an appetizer, it was filling for me and was like a main course!

(Eating Pinchos at Euskal Etxea)

Then walked along the beachfront boardwalk. It was a beautiful long walk.

I heard that there is a Magic Fountain in Barcelona that has a stunning light, water and music display. However the "performance" only happens on Thursday to Sunday. I was there on a Monday. So I saw the fountain without the Magic.

(Magic Fountain)

As you can see, the sky is getting dark. Took the metro to my hostel. Cooked some eggs for dinner and rested for another night in Barcelona.

I have no idea how long I walked in Barcelona that day. But I knew that I was walking 90% of the day! The only times I wasn't walking were: when I was eating and when I was taking photos. Tired...

Need to rest before catching a train to Madrid the next morning!

After experiencing Barcelona, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...........................EEEE...................................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 42: Cannes-Avignon-Barcelona)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:06:00 +0000

11 Sept 2011 (Day 42)

Spent the whole day traveling from Cannes to Barcelona.

Train ride after train ride after train ride. There were a couple of transits too.

One of the transits was at Avignon, France. Well, I did not know about the place much but since I have an hour, I decided to take a walk outside the train station.

Wow! I didn't know that there were so much to see there. Apparently, Avignon is famous because it is the city that the Popes fled to during the corruption of Rome in the 14th century. The palace they built, "Le Palais des Papes", or the palace of popes, is the world's largest Gothic edifice.

(Notre Dame des Doms)

(Le Palais des Papes)

At that time, I just walked and walked and took photos. I didn't know what I was seeing but the place seemed touristy. I was rushing because I didn't have much time. It is an interesting place because of the buildings, structures and architecture there. The city is surrounded by walls (ramparts) that are still there today. A very fortified city indeed.

Ran back to the train station after a short excursion in Avignon and continued the journey to Barcelona.

Arrived in Barcelona, Spain late at night. Walked for 10-15mins and found my hostel. ZZzzzzzz.....

After stumbling upon the impressive city of Avignon, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE........................................EEEE.................................EEVER, THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 41: Cannes - Nice - Monte Carlo)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:04:00 +0000

10 Sept 2001 (Day 41)
3 cities in a day!

Cannes, France

So after sleeping at 7am, I woke up at about 10am.

Went back to the train station to go to Nice.

Nice, France

Arrived in Nice in less than 30mins.

Nice is not nice. I mean, Nice is very nice. But it is pronounced as "Niece".

Nice is really nice. It is famous for its pebble-stoned beach. The whole stretch of beach is covered with pebble stones instead of sand.

The beach in Nice is popular for sunbathing. And many ladies were sunbathing topless! It was my first time at a "topless sunbathing beach"! Since this is a PG-rated blog, I can't show you pictures that are not supposed to be shown.

The view is really nice! I mean the beach and the Mediterranean Coast, of course.

Walked along the beautiful beach some more and I went back to the train station. Now, off to Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

The train ride from Nice took less than 30mins. And I arrived at the home of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix!

Monaco is the second smallest independent state in the world and is the land of the rich and famous. Of course, Monte Carlo is known for its casinos and its beautiful coastline.

(See my yacht over there?)

(A section of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix circuit - In the tunnel)

(Monte Carlo Beach)

I walked a around Monte Carlo for a few hours. And the place is like nothing I've seen before. The pictures and videos that I've seen do not do justice to the city. You have to go there to see it!

The city is beautiful. Even the cars are!!! Everywhere I went, I saw super luxury cars. It is no big deal there. It is common! Very common. I think Monte Carlo has the highest concentration of luxury cars in the world.

Went to Monte Carlo Casino, which is the most famous and the main Casino in Monte Carlo. This was also the location of a few James Bond movies. I wanted to go in to have a look (not to gamble!) but there was a entrance fee. I didn't want to pay for that. However, just by walking to the ticketing booth inside the building, I could see its splendor. It is very grand. Just like a palace.

Monte Carlo is a glitzy place. But there are certain places that are relaxing and quiet. I like that! A lot.

For those of you who are car-racing game junkies, Monte Carlo is often featured as a location in the video game series, Gran Turismo.

Took my Ferrari (I mean the train) and went back to Cannes.

Cannes, France

It was about 7pm when I arrived back in Cannes.

Cannes is not Cannes without the Cannes Film Festival. It is the most prestigious film festival in the world and it takes place in May every year. After going to the Venice Film Festival, I'm just excited to be in Cannes.

I went to Palais des Festivals, where celebrities and stars gather and watch films screened during the film festival.

(Palais des Festivals. I'm standing on "the red carpet"!)

There are 22 steps leading up to the entrance.

(See the moon at the background?)

Walked along the world's famous street - La Croisette. It is just beside the sea and is known for its luxury hotels and boutique shops.

(La Crosisette)

There was a World Yacht event going on.

Beautiful huh?

After exploring Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo in one day, MY LIFE WAS NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......................................EEEE.......................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!

Land Trip - Europe (Day 40: Interlaken, Switzerland - Cannes, France)

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Lau) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:17:00 +0000

9 Sept 2011 (Day 40)
This was probably the most epic day of my life! A day of highs and lows.

Interlaken, Switzerland

I got a call from the Skydiving company and was told that my Skydiving session has got to be postponed to the afternoon. Initially, I booked the session at 8:30am because I had a train to catch in the afternoon at about 2pm.

Now someone will come and pick me up at 12:30pm and I'll do the sky dive at 1pm. Then one of their staff will drive me to the train station. Talk about mad rush!

Interlaken is the outdoor capital of Switzerland. (At least according to me.) Because in Interlaken, you can find almost any outdoor adventure activities that you want. If you can name it, you can find it there. You can go skydiving, bungee jumping, canyoning, hand gliding, paragliding, caving, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, skiing, among many other activities.

Oh, I went there when the Jungfrau Marathon was going on. That is one of the best known mountain marathons in the world! Of course, I didn't go to Interlaken to take part in that! I didn't even know about the Marathon until I was there.

(Jungfrau Mountain at the background)

This is a small city which can be covered easily by foot.

(Aare River)

Played with a swan along River Aare.

The reason I chose Interlaken to do skydiving was because it is ranked the top destination in the world for skydiving in many websites. If it is not the top, it will be somewhere in the top 3 places to skydive. When I was there, I could easily see why.

Got all my bags and hopped into the pick-up car that brought me to the airfield. Traffic was bad because of the Jungfrau Marathon.

After I was geared up, I went into the small jet that brought me up into the skies.

Then I leaped off the jet with my instructor!!! Was I scared? Not really. I have no time to be sacred. Everything happened so fast and I just followed the instructions and suddenly I was spinning a few rounds during free fall. Before the jump, I even told the instructor to do the craziest thing he has ever done to scare the hell out of me. Maybe I shouldn't. The instructor did all kinds of crazy flips and turns and it was thrilling!!! I've no regrets. This is, without a doubt, THE BEST experience in this trip.

The view from above was gorgeous! As I was coming down with the parachute, I could see a few cities and so much of the Swiss Alps!!! It was awesome. I think my mouth was open the whole time. Wow!!!

Truly unforgettable.

I definitely skydive again at a different place!

Immediately after the skydive, I went to make the payment for the video that they recorded and there was already a car outside waiting for me. Rushed to a train station and managed to catch the train just in the nick of time.

Bern, Switzerland

I had a transit in Bern and wanted to walk around the city. But I only had 50mins before my next train departs.

I went to the Luggage lockers at the train station but I do not have enough Swiss Francs to pay for the locker! So I had to carry my HUGE Haversack around.

Next, as I was still wearing thermal pants (because Interlaken was quite cold, not to mention skydiving), I need to change out of it because my legs were getting hot! But I have to pay to use the toilet! And I did not have enough Swiss Francs to pay for the toilet! I went to the tourist information center at the train station and asked if I could go behind their counter to change my pants but they wouldn't allow. I told them I have no local currency to use the toilet but they wouldn't bulge.

I was running out of time to explore Bern. After much persuasion, one staff told me that I could just change there in the tourist center and he will stand in front of me to cover me. So I took out my PANTS in the middle of the Tourist Information Center! It was not as if the staff was able to cover me with his body anyway. There was a lady in the Center at that time too! Not sure if she noticed.

This is one experience that I will NEVER, EEEEEEE........EEVER, forget.

Truly unforgettable.

I quickly left the Tourist Information Center and walked around Bern. Saw Albert Einstein's House. He lived there from 1903 - 1905.

I heard that Black Forrest Cake (or anything Chocolate) is really good in Switzerland. So I made a last minute dash into one of Bern's bakeries and bought 2 types of chocolate cake. The counter staff couldn't speak much English so I got 2 cakes just to be safe. I didn't know what they were. Fortunately, they accept Euros in this shop so I could pay using Euros!!!

Got the cakes and ran back to the train station with my HUGE Haversack.

Headed to Cannes, France!

Cannes, France

12.30am (Midnight). Arrived in Cannes at an unearthly hour.

Earlier in the train, I called up the hotel, where I was staying, and asked if I could go to the hotel lobby at about 1:30am and wait till the next morning for check-in. The hotel staff said no. He couldn't allow anybody to stay overnight at the lobby. He wouldn't bulge. And I didn't want to pay for an extra night because it was only 5-6 hours to the next day morning.

The hotel is quite far from the train station in Cannes. In order to get there, I had to take a bus. But the at 12:30am, most of the bus services had stopped. In any case, I won't be going to my hotel first because I don't know the area well and I didn't want to be stuck overnight at an unknown place.

I thought that I could at least spent the night at the Cannes Train Station but it was closed immediately after my train left the station. So I walked out and stayed at the bus stop just outside the train station. It was past midnight and it was dark. I didn't want to go anywhere further. Remember that I was carrying my HUGE haversack.

I put my HUGE haversack down and sat on the small bench at the bus stop. I couldn't really sleep because I was afraid that someone would come and steal my things or disturb me.

So I closed my eyes, opened my eyes, closed my eyes, open my eyes......and it continued like that for a while. There were still some people on the streets walking around, some drunk, some not so drunk. It was cold by the way. And I was shivering at the bus stop.

One of the most humbling experiences in my life.

At about 3:30am, there was this lady who came by the bus stop and waited for the train station to be opened. I have no idea why she was there in the wee hours in the morning to wait for the train station to be opened. She could have come a bit later right?

Anyway, I think she was God-sent. Because she was really nice and entertaining. She was talking to me about music and where I come from and other random stuff. Then she began to sing!!! Haha.... At 4am in the morning, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. But after a while, I really enjoyed her singing and her company. She was really entertaining. She even danced while singing! I just kept laughing and nodded my head in sync with her tunes. And when she was singing, she would nudge me and asked me if I know this song, and asked me to sing along! Haha..... I tried and I think I failed miserably in comparison to her. It was just funny.

She sang many songs, including songs from Micheal Jackson! Tried to catch a few winks when she walked away. But after a while, she came back! She couldn't stop singing and dancing at the bus stop. It was really comical.

At 6am, the train station opened. And we said goodbye and she left. I went to the train station to settle my subsequent train rides. I was still recovering from the cold at the bus stop and was really really tired. I was a zombie walking around the train station.

I got on the pubic bus and went to the hotel and checked in. Fortunately, the hotel allowed me to check in early and I went to sleep at 7am in the morning.

Truly unforgettable.

What an epic day (& night)!

Thank God for sending an angel in the middle of the night to accompany and entertain me!

After Skydiving (in Interlaken), changing pants at a Tourist Center (in Bern), and spending a night at a Bus Stop (in Cannes), MY LIFE WAS DEFINITELY NEVER, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE....................................EEEE...........................EEVER, THE SAME, AGAIN!!!