Year End Review - 2015

It is again that time of the year to wrap up all sentiments to conclude, to count the blessings, to review the bucket list and to plan the next step.

Blissful Moments
- Visited numerous overseas places (Brussels, Bruges, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Vatican City, San Marino, Phuket, Copenhagen and Siem Reap).
- Visited several local cities in the UK (Oxford, Bath, Salisbury and Manchester).
- Getting to know a few great friends who are always there to cheer my days.
- Surprises received during Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and on my Birthday.
- My pleasure to attend 2 wedding dinners in Malaysia.
- Watched 2 Musical shows at the London Theatre: Wicked and the Phantom of the Opera.
- Have had some good meals in London.
- Thanks to my colleague’s invitation for me to experience a western wedding banquet.

Achievements
- Accomplishing my goal of back-packing alone + trying the backpackers' style of staying in shared dome.
- Taken a step forward to start a small business in Penang with friends (https://www.facebook.com/housedemente)
- Received compliments from bosses and colleagues on the great job that I’ve done.
- Visited San Marino - my dreamed destination (and I should start making other destinations my dream now and plan to achieve them in the coming days).

Things Not Accomplished
- Have been lazy and failed on my workout plans (wondering when I could achieve my six-packs? Hmmp…)
- Not much of a progress as in personal development through readings.
- Had not lived my life to the fullest.
- Feel sorry to have missed and turned down some wedding invites.

Lessons Learned
- Most people will only look at what I have accomplished without giving any credit to the efforts and hardships behind the scenes.
- Not every creature in the name of human understands the art of gratitude, appreciation, consideration and responsibility hence do not expect these values from those deficient souls.
- Identifying and categorizing passer-by, friends, real friends and fake friends in my life.

Challenges
- The less preferred work destination - Keighley and Bristol has always been a nightmare for me. The far North city of Keighley is cold and remote; while the far West city of Bristol is inaccessible and often caused me hours of waiting for the public transportation to get home.
- To have survived another year in UK despite:

• Living with sandwiches (Other than sandwiches are still sandwiches...)
• Enduring an absolutely annoying housemate who is always on the phone loudly and inconsiderately.
• Tolerating the untidy people who always mess up the kitchen no matter how many times I have cleaned it.
• Dealing with colleagues who often cause me high-blood pressure and stroke.
• Traveling on public transportation with various inconveniences.

Year 2016

2016 will be a challenging year ahead with manifold turbulences to overcome and it is as well the time to refill and replenish what has been depleted overtime as the cycle of life reruns. Every decision is a challenge, and every move is a risk. Most aspects in life have been trying to bring me down repeatedly hence I will need to pick up the broken pieces and strive to move on.

Having failed the previous resolutions, maybe I should make myself a simple one this time - just to be easy going and be happier in 2016. Cheers~  :)

Cambodia (Siem Reap) - December 2015

Awarded as one of the Ten Man-Made Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat has always been listed in my must-visit target. After years of hunting for traveling mates and matching on time, I could finally check this destination off my list.

Setting off early in the morning at 4.30am, we were shocked by the crowd in KLIA 2 flooding all check-in counters and the queue took us long before we could dash to McDonalds to pack our breakfast and begin our journey to the land of the ancient temples.

*Note: This post is purely on personal experiences hence any further interests in the history of Siem Reap please refer to other online resources.

10th December 2015 - Thursday

Touching down at the Siem Reap International Airport at 7.50am (GMT+7), we were welcomed by the courteous and pretty hotel staff who was already waiting at the arrival hall. It took us approximately 30 minutes to arrive at the Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel and the complimentary welcome drink (fruit punch) and chocolate were served once we step into the lobby. Since the official check-in hour is at 2.00pm, we therefore relaxed ourselves at the foyer while waiting for the tour representative to pick us up. Our tour guide - Mr.Sarak met us at the hotel lobby on time and here we go kicking start our 4 days 3 nights vacation.

The first destination in the itinerary was to visit Tonle Sap - the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The 2 hours boat ride (USD$15 each) carried us through the river alongside fishing villages and towards the border of the lake. I miss the sun so much and had enjoyed catching some rays despite the fact that I am afraid of getting tanned! While returning to the port, the four of us have been taking turn falling asleep (and snap shooting unsightly photographs of each other) as we haven’t had enough rest at all the night before. The villages we passes-by were literally a simple and happier world without the trace of technology. The kids were running around and about barefooted and enjoying the nature happily despite the poverty they’re living in. This again reminded us of how fortunate we are holding the power of choices in most events of our day to day living.

We get the chance to try the Bamboo Rice and as well being offered the local drink – the smoky herbal tea which we find it absolutely difficult down the throat. We took our lunch in one of the local restaurant along the way and the food was surprisingly tasty but with the downside of having the dust sprinkled all over our dishes since we were sitting close to the street.

The hidden gem in the jungle - Beng Melea (Entrance Fee: USD$5.00) is a ruined temple built by king Suryavarman II during early 12th century by primary deity to Vishnu with architecture of Angkor Wat. Today, the ruin was left to be reclaimed by nature and it is not restored. 

Returning to the Khmer Mansion Boutique Hotel after a long day, we recognized that the staffs were extremely welcoming and we were being well-served during our stay. They even planned a birthday surprise by having all the staffs knocking on the door with a small colourful cake and singing the birthday song to our star of the day - Ms. J.O. junior.

Before calling it a day, we decided to go for full body and foot massage but disappointingly the service wasn’t good as we waited for almost 25 minutes despite being informed a waiting time of 5 minutes, and the surrounding wasn’t clean and hygiene.

11th December 2015 - Friday

Mr. Sarak wasn’t available on this second day hence we were being assigned another tour guide – Mr. Thom (Name: Buo Sophea (Thom) / Language: English / Tel: (855) 9297535) for the next 2 days. We were absolutely satisfy with his service because he was experienced enough to get us off the common tracks and towards the less crowded ways at the right time to observe the city and he told good stories and exciting history with his fluent English along the way.

The 3 days permit - the Angkor Pass at USD$40.00 is definitely worth obtaining as you behold the wonders of this ancient city. There were checkpoints at every entrance of the historical sites hence it is important to safe keep this pass for the frequent validation. Strict dress code is applied in Angkor Wat should you be interested to climb the third level of the tower. We queued for almost 45 minutes and here we encountered the ill-mannered westerner’s couple who tries to jump the queue and pushing others impolitely. But luckily there were nice Japanese and Chinese tourists who worked together getting rid of these uncivilized people back into the queue (what a shame).

The famous Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones temple- Ta Prohm was a site largely conquered by the great trees of the jungle. Constructed on the late 12th and early 13th centuries, Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII.

Built by King Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12th century, the Terraces for Elephants that stretches out over a length of more than 300 meters were used as an audience hall and for public ceremonies.

Prasat Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple which is built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII.

After taking a short break in the hotel, a tuk-tuk was arranged for us to have our buffet dinner at the Amazon Angkor Restaurant enjoying the traditional dance performance whereby this place is seemingly built for the tourists. The choices of foods were quite satisfying and some of the dishes were excellent.

We took a walk along the pub street and sat down for a drink and here comes the drama of a lizard, a cat, a cockroach and a terrified human being. (For more information, please contact one of the participant...lol)

12th December 2015 – Saturday

With the advice from Mr. Thom, we departed from the hotel early at 6.45am to visit Banteay Srei trying to avoid the crowd. This is a 10th-century miniature Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva built largely of red sandstone with decorative wall carvings. While leaving the temple at 8.30am, we could see batches of tourists and tour buses flooding into the area and we were glad to have arrived before the troop. 

Preah Khan is built as a monastery and a center for learning by King Jayavarman VII.

Due to the constantly high weather temperature and heat, our energy was drained rapidly to the extent that we were too exhausted to hold up our camera or phone for photography. 

Neak Pean is a unique feature of an artificial island with a Buddhist temple on a circular island in Preah Khan Baray built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. The central pond is a replica of Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas, situated at the top of the universe.

Last but not least, Pre Rup consists of a pyramid-shaped temple-mountain with the uppermost of the three tiers carrying five lotus towers. Pre Rup means ‘Turning the Body’ and refers to a traditional method of cremation in which a corpse’s outline is traced in the cinders: this suggests that the temple may have served as an early royal crematorium. Coming closer to an end of the trip, we dragged ourselves to the top of the terrace to have the final view of the wonderful architectures. 

After a simple lunch, we returned to the hotel for a shower to feel our skin on us once again. While gathering together and surfing online for dinner suggestion, we desired to try-out the award winning Damnak Lounge Fine Dining which is highly rated and recommended in the web but unfortunately this famous dining place was fully booked hence we opted for another well-known Khmer restaurant - Marum for a feast. On the menu, our eyes were captured by few of the exotic dishes featuring Red Tree Ants, Creamy Silk Worms and Duck Embryo but none of us have the courage or appetite to take on this challenge.

Never would I forget the ice-cream even when I am in a foreign land. Other than enjoying the fruit ice-cream sticks on the second night, we as well try-out the Blue Pumpkin dessert (4 spices, Khmer Fruit and I fail to remember the 3rd one!)

While strolling along the streets, we passed by the Fish Spa and were being offered an attractive package at USD$1 to enjoy the unlimited experience! Overcoming the tickling discomfort, I enjoyed very much my time with the fishes (but just hoping that they will still survive afterwards…)



13th December 2015 - Sunday

Crawling up early once again, we had our breakfast at 6.00am before departing to the airport. Cheers to the wonderful traveling mates making this trip a success and enjoyable + memorable one.

Some tips and advices:

• Never consider Cambodia as an inexpensive travelling destination.
• Be ready with small notes because almost everything and everywhere requires a minimum tips of USD$1.
• Most of the restaurants and massage centers comes with free wifi, hence it might not be necessary to purchase a local sim package unless if you are an extreme netizen. (The sim data package we bought at $5.00 for 5.5GB at the airport lasted only for one day and we felt cheated as we’ve seen the package promoting a 30 days validity period during the purchase)
• Do not expect anything luxury there as their highly rated 5 stars might turn out to be slighter than what you might have imagined.
• Think twice before you accept the task of becoming the treasurer in a group as it is not fun having the kids running after you during when you pulled out your wallet or purse to make any form of payment.
• Get yourself some salt & lemon candy as it helps you through the scorching days :)

Wonders of the World

Taking them into my bucket list... :)

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
1. Pyramids of Egypt
2. Colossus of Rhodes
3. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
4. Mauseoleum at Halicanassus
5. Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
6. Statue of Zeus at Olympia
7. Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Seven Wonders of the Natural World
1. Mount Everest
2. Victoria Falls
3. Grand Canyon
4. Great Barrier Reef
5. Prehistoric Caves in France and Spain
6. Paricutin Volcano, Mexico
7. Harbor at Rio de Janeiro

Seven Wonders of the Medieval World
1. Colosseum of Rome
2. Catacombs of Alexandria
3. Great Wall of China
4. Stonehenge
5. Leaning Tower of Pisa
6. Porcelain Tower of Nanking
7. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (sometimes called the Church of Saint Sophia)

Seven Wonders of the Modern World
1. Eiffel Tower
2. Empire State Building
3. Suez Canal
4. Golden Gate Bridge
5. Dneproges Dam on the Dnepr River in Russia
6. Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, England
7. Alaska (Alcan) Highway

Ultimate Ten Man-Made Wonders of the World
1. Great Wall of China
2. Pyramids
3. Angkor Wat
4. Panama Canal
5. Sydney Opera House
6. Taj Mahal
7. Mount Rushmore
8. Trans-Siberian Railroad
9. Machu Picchu
10. Golden Gate Bridge

Nowhere I Belong

Years after years, I have tried and I have strived, but still I’m yet to be any closer to the coast of my simplest dream.

Simplicity is never simple and sometimes it is not even a choice.

There’s no room for perfect decision in this imperfect world.

A Long Way For A Long Day

A 2.5 hours journey to Bristol isn’t far but having the office located distant from town, the inconveniences are sometimes worse than the distance itself.

After a long 7 hours’ workshop for the new project launching, I thought I could finally be on my way home. However the taxi did not turn up at 5.15pm as booked hence I’ve got to make another reservation. There was no direct taxi service in this remote zone and therefore the booking has to be done through a company in another town whereby the next available service was 1.5 hours away and I ended up waiting in the cold while shivering in hunger. I have even decided for the worst case that if the next taxi did not turn up eventually, I would rather walk that 8.3km than to linger around the business buldings area, but thankfully the taxi arrived on time.

Reaching at the Bristol Temple Mead station and grabbing a pack of Chicken Wrap in haste, I board on the South West train towards Reading. As beers are sold openly and legally in the train, this resulted in 2 drunken kids nearby my seat who were shouting and laughing inconsiderately and have been walking to and fro many times in the coaches trying to get more beers from the counter.

Finally surviving the boisterous moments, I thought the next service in Reading will be a smoother one. After passing the Ascot station where I am in a pleasant mood getting closer to home, we heard a sudden long honk signal and followed by a loud “bang”. Instantly almost everyone could guess what has happened but this was further confirmed after witnessing the depressed expression of the guard returning from the control room – it is confirmed that the train has hit someone. Sitting in the first coach of the train, we could clearly hear the sound when that person was knocked down.

We were stuck on the same spot for 2 hours waiting for the police and medical personnel to arrive because we were unfortunate to be on that part of the railway surrounded by bushes while heading to Sunningdale. Having notice many times these incidences, but never did I expect to experience this by myself. Everyone in the coach waited patiently for the instruction and looks like this happens really often as no one is over-surprised or over-reacting to the situation. While waiting in the train, I was eavesdropping on the sharing of some spooky experiences by two passengers sitting in front of me. Listening to the European version vs the Asian version of ghost stories is truly a different feeling and this could probably be ascribed to the movies production which has successfully embedded the stereotype in our mind.

Finally, it was decided that the train has to travel back to the Ascot station and many police officers were already waiting at the exit. Some of them were distributing mineral waters to all the passengers and the Railway Coordinator is arranging shared taxi services to bring each and every one of us to our possible destination.

11th November 2015 was indeed a long day where I started my journey at 5.30am boarding on the first train service but only managed to get home after 12.30am. The next day is as well a tough one having a meeting starting at 9.00am…zzzzz

Another Birthday to Remember - 2015

I’m so blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of wonderful people who tried their best to cheer me up on my Birthday:

1. Thanks for the bouquet of beautiful Carnations delivered to my doorstep!
2. Thanks for the card and the surprising photo booklet all the way from US!
3. Thanks to the one who called and sang me a birthday song!
4. Thanks for the Mooncakes, Icelandic Chocolate Souvenir and Spicy Steamboat Dinner Treat!
5. Thanks for the pending decorative gift in Malaysia!
6. Thanks for all the birthday wishes through WhatsApp and Facebook!
7. Thanks for the card flying 9000 miles from Malaysia!

For the birthday weekend, I pampered myself with a lunch treat in the Four Season Chinese Restaurant and the luxury gift to watch the famous Phantom of the Opera Musical in Her Majesty's Theatre even though I’m enjoying these alone. Appreciatively a friend was there to join the second half of the day trying out the Indian cuisine together and participating in the spooky night walk – the Jack the Ripper Tour. I visited London once more on the next day and had spent the second afternoon shopping and strolling in the Wellcome Collection Museum. This birthday was wonderfully spent knowing that I am not alone here as there are so many people who do actually care. ^^

寻之.空 9

二度空间的记忆，只有在梦里特别清晰。也许我曾经在那异空间遇过你，也遇见自己。

Denmark (Copenhagen) - August 2015

21st August 2015 - Friday 

Denmark has never been listed as one of my prioritized travelling destination nonetheless I have once again gone on a spontaneous trip to Copenhagen for a short weekend getaway. Summer being the finest travelling season of the year made this a perfect trip accompanied by a clear blue sky, warm sunshine and timely sunset hours. 

Arriving at the Main Train Station - Köbenhavn H at 8.35pm, the hotel was just 1km walking distance away. The check-in was rather smooth and the room view from the 8th Floor was not a bad one. After unloading our baggage, the holiday begins with visiting the nearby Tivoli Gardens & Amusements Park. The one and only ride on the Dæmonen Roller Coaster with the height of 92 feet and1850.4 feet long was a great experience even though I almost got a heart attack (undeniably I am getting older now!). Fairly common in Europe, most kitchens and restaurants were closed before 12.00am thus making Burger King the first meal of the night. 

Being listed as No.1 in the “20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities on the Planet 2015 Index”, cycling is definitely a prudent option to travel around Copenhagen. With the bicycle rental at DKK115 (RM75.50) per day, almost every tourist destinations are conveniently reachable. Riding a bicycle is similar to driving a car where most of the driving regulations apply. There are mini versions of the traffic lights on the bicycle pathway and the most challenging part is getting used to the opposite driving/riding direction on the right-hand traffic. It is very convenient because bicycle can be easily converted to move between the footways and the bicycle pathway and at the same time saving plenty amount of time. 

Taking a bicycle ride around the city during midnight is absolutely wonderful and I am in love with the tranquillity, cool breeze and the least traffic condition at this odd hour having the chance of a closer look at the bronze statue of The Little Mermaid and wandering around the Amalienborg Palace Square. Merely the pub street is filled with party-goers and drinkers but other than that, major part of the streets were dead silence. 

22nd August 2015 - Saturday 

Having read the review in TripAdvisor, I thought the breakfast in Wakeup Copenhagen Hotel would be disappointing but surprisingly it turns out to be a satisfying one catering cereal, bread with cheese, ham, butter and jam, boiled eggs, fruit juice, yoghurt and etc. The meal sufficiently provides enough energy for us to cycle round the city and headed towards the famous Little Mermaid sculpture once more for a morning view. That morning was filled with an early crowd having batches of tour busses but luckily we visited this same attraction a night before. 

Arriving at the National Gallery of Denmark, I couldn’t believe that I would be so absent minded to have left behind my Copenhagen Card in the hotel room hence having to cycle all the way back again! Arriving at Strøget in the afternoon, we witness the crowd in this shopping street and the Round Tower Rundetårn is a perfect place to oversee the city. The afternoon was spent having an absolutely relaxing lunch at Le President blending into the western lifestyle sitting along the happening street of Strøget enjoying a bottle of white wine, pasta and grill salmon, as well as strolling in the Garden of Rosenborg Castle. This would be my first time getting drunk in the afternoon with my head spinning plus the experience of “drink and drive (cycle)”…lol 

Nyhavn is a perfect place to hang-out during weekends for gatherings and drinks. Never will I forget my craving for ice-creams wherever I go. But due to the crowd and failing to locate a shady seat, we only managed to enjoy the ice-cream at the bank of the river overlooking the crowd. 

It is my first time watching a movie in the cinema of Europe (Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation) and looks like this is not a favourite entertainment option because the cinema was rather empty even on Saturday night. It cost DKK107 (RM70) for a show and tickets could be purchase conveniently at the self-service kiosk (but often not everything is in English). 

23rd August 2015 - Sunday 

The Freetown of Christiania – a hippie commune is worth visiting but unfortunately Sunday morning is not exactly the right time as almost everything was closed whereby the party has either ended or is just yet to begin. The trading of cannabis and hash is rather common but not altogether legal; hence it is important to note that photography is absolutely forbidden in and near the Pusher Street since the pushers will not want to be identified in anyway. It is always recommended to take extra precaution but this place isn’t as dangerous if you maintain a low profile and pay everyone the due respect. 

Visiting the originating place of Carlsberg took us around 3km ride from the hotel. The entrance ticket comes with 2 glasses of free beer having a range of beer choices available for selection, while food can as well be purchased from the restaurant. Travelling with excellent drinker seems to be a plus point else I will be K.O. once more during daylight. 

While waiting to depart to the airport, a final stop at the main street for shopping is needed in order to complete my collection of key-chains. The remaining hours were then spent sitting outside a café enjoying the ice chocolate-blend and coffee. Every trip is a new experience to me but most importantly is the companionship that counts towards a pleasant journey.

英国之 - 烹饪日记 4

还真在不知不觉中，尝试煮了这些不同的食物。。。

红薯绿豆木耳甜汤

杂炒

Mix Style Pancake

面线糊

牛奶炖蛋

干捞面

Tomato King Prawn

辣炒茄子

杏仁汤圆

Spicy Okra

番茄炒蛋

时机

曾经，跑在时间的前头，破碎了。
随之，抛在时间的后头，错过了。

Life in the United Kingdom

Giving up a comfy life in the comfort zone is never an easy decision especially when almost every aspects of life is fairly fulfilling (with a car, a house, and a job but not yet the spouse…lol). Nonetheless I have opted to challenge myself in this new environment starting everything afresh in exchange of new experiences and wider scope of knowledge.

I am grateful that UK is where I am posted-to as compared to other European counties since this is one of the well-educated communities with high level of courtesy (theoretically though). Moreover, I have always been impressed and deeply attracted to the medieval architecture and mysterious past of the west and this is definitely one of the greatest opportunities for me to be here witnessing the magnificent archaeological ruin from the ancient time and some of the wonders of the world.

Living abroad alone for more than a year now and I am slowly getting use to the climate, transportation, culture and etc. The weather here is in fact not as rainy and gloomy as described but conversely the working culture is not as relaxing as many thought it would be in Europe.

Knowing that the grass is not always greener on the other side, here are some of the cons observed:

- Cooking almost everything with limited ingredients is a challenge but I have at least grasped some ideas on certain Chinese cuisines which has never been associated with my cooking style previously.

- 10 minutes’ train ride + 25 minutes’ walk is compulsory should I crave for a Japanese meal.

- The small towns usually turn to be deadly silent after 6.00pm hence there are not much activities unlike the Asian lifestyle in the cities that never sleeps.

- Born as an Asian in the heaven of foods is certainly a privilege and I definitely miss all those street foods that are conveniently available back in Malaysia. The common foodstuffs (to name a few: nasi lemak, teh tarik or mee goreng) is unquestionably scarce in this western region.

The challenge that I have laid on myself a year ago is now victoriously overcome. Yet there is still so much to see, so much to do and so much to learn in appreciating this wonderful continent. I will have to rapidly accomplish what I should in order to move on to the next step. Cheers to myself for progressing this far in life~

寻之.空 8

每个时代都有自己的不完美。动荡时代的盲目，也许是种方向。而自由时代的宽限，却反成为枷锁。

Italy (Rome, Florence, Pisa) / San Marino - February 2015

This trip was rather unusual for an over-organized person like I am whereby:

- Everything is only decided and planned 10 days before the departure.

- Some accommodations and train services are booked only few days ahead of the trip.

- Not everything was clearly outlined when I arrived in Italy.

- First full vacation planned for my own (excluding those previous extended business traveling).

- To accomplish a dream that I have many years ago (backpacking alone + visiting San Marino)

Figuring out the best way to conquer procrastination, I booked everything before I have the chance to think of any excuses. Being spontaneous is also another stage of learning in life and this took more courage for me to step alone onto an unknown land creating more excitements and challenges.

Started getting used to spending my nights at the airport, once again I arrived at London Gatwick around 12.00am to be on time for my early departure at 6.50am. I get to notice that the South Terminal is actually much better compared to the North having a few 24 hours café and facilities, and it is definitely warmer with more resting areas available. 

26th February 2015 - Thursday

* Rome

After arriving at the Fiumicino airport at 10.15am local time, the sign leads me all the way to the main train terminal. I came to a counter with a “Train Ticket” indication and asked for a single way transfer to the Termini Station in central Rome. But to my surprise, it turns out to be a private MPV service sharing the journey with few other travellers. And since the price of €15.00 is not far too expensive compared to the train, I would hence relax and enjoy my arrival on this historical land of Rome.

Since it is yet the time for check-in, I entrust my luggage to the hostel and headed straight to the meeting point at Colloseum to join the pre-booked guided tour starting at 1.30pm. This tour costing €30.00 allows the participants to visit the Colosseum Third Tier, Hypogeum and Porta Libitinaria which is only available upon special booking (something extraordinary is always what I am looking for). Standing on the third tier gives you the view and feel of a gladiator being at the central of concentration in the amphitheatre. I guess I should have taken the time to study in details the Roman history prior to this visit in order to comprehend and appreciate more on what I have in sight at this instant. Nevertheless, this tour has again driven my interest towards the history of Europe even though this has never been my favourite subject during my studies.

The Roman Forum took me another hour and a half to walk between the ruins of several ancient buildings. Walking randomly in town, I came to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli which is situated at the highest point of the Capitoline Hill. The large stairway that leads up the hill might sounds challenging and tiring, but the panoramic city view you will get is certainly worth all the efforts.

Fontana di Trevi is one of the main reasons that I have come all the way to Rome, however to my absolute disappointment, it is closed for renovation! Nonetheless I still threw a coin to the empty pond hoping to gurantee my return to Rome as according to the legend.

The shops around is filled with my favourite Venetian Masks and delicate items made of Murano Glass. I needed to stop myself from being a shopaholic to prevent overspending and overweighting my baggage. Italy is entirely worthy of the famous reputation of art as it can almost be seen everywhere the talents of water painting around the city. I randomly stood in front of one of the water-colourist admiring his art work and decided to spend €30.00 for three medium sized paintings without bargaining on the price merely as an appreciation and encouragement for his great work and sincerity.

27th February 2015 - Friday

* Vatican City

With a 4.8km distance from the hostel, I still decided to travel by foot to the Vatican City. It was a shock to witness the long queue at the Vatican Museum and I was extremely glad to have paid that extra €4.00 in advance for the reservation thus having the privilege to skip the queue. This is a huge complex having 54 galleries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The first section - Gregorian Egyptian Museum (Museo Gregoriano Egizio) is the most interesting of all (at least to me) with the exhibition of Egyptians mummies and antiques from ancient Egypt. I have not consider the audio guide in the beginning of the visit but after entering the first room and looking at few of the displays, I regretted my decision and returned immediately to the entrance for the renting of audio device at €7.00 to fully enjoy my time in this scarce and abundant museum. With just a superficial admiration in the museum, it still took me 4 hours to complete a full tour.

 

Getting back to the St Peter Basilica, I was again stunned by the 1km queue and hence given up immediately the intension to stopover. For those who plan to visit the Vatican City in one day, my personal suggestion would be to queue for the St Peter Basilica early in the morning before 8.30am, and book an afternoon session for the Vatican Museum.

Since I have still plenty of time, I took a 3km walk to The Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) beholding a seething mass of people even during weekday. Blending into their culture, I bought a cup of ice-cream and sat with the crowd on the staircase to enjoy the evening. There were so many alleys with hidden treasures which are worth exploring.

After enjoying the spaghetti as my lunch, I would now go for a pizza instead. Their anchovy is rather similar to the Malaysian style of salted fish and therefore I have had the salted-fish version of pizza for dinner. My 2 nights were spent in Alessandro Downtown Hostel with a shared dorm of 6 having private bathroom at £11.47 per night, I get to chat with these 2 friendly Iranian girls discussing what is worth visiting during my last day in Rome. 

28th February 2015 - Saturday

* Rome + San Marino

McDonalds seems to be the most economic meal around the area hence I sat in and enjoy my breakfast while packing along another burger for my lunch. While enjoying my meal, I saw a young lady driving a small truck collecting garbage packs on the street and this is definitely not something we can see in Malaysia hence the more I am thankful for the kind of life I have now without going through the hardship these people are bearing.

The Pantheon and Piazza Navona were my last few stops in Rome and these sites are definitely worth visiting. The Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs (Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri) is another surprise as the entrance and outward appearance wasn’t too striking, but the interior was worth a “wow” after all.

 

After collecting my suitcase from the hostel, I proceeded earlier to the train station to catch the 1.20pm train to Rimini (half-way transit in Bologna). The attitude at the servicing counter was not excellent as the operative staff was rather reluctant to assist in answering any question. After waiting for some moments, my train to Rimini was announced to be at Platform 9. However to my surprise, the passage way to the platform was shut and there is no official attendant around that I could approach for assistance. Here comes this gypsy lady who is “kind” enough offering to lead my way. But suspecting her intension, I already expected that she would be asking for money in return of her kindness because this happens too often in this townhship, however I would not want to miss my train which I bought at €64.50 hence I would just accepts the “offer”. Not to my surprises, she requested for some profits but ridiculously at €10.00 and I immediately answer her with a big “No” as it was just only a few steps that she has brought me to the platform so far. But due to the fact that she did help me somehow and therefore I gave her €2.00 in return of the “service”. 

This outing is supposed to be a semi-economical backpacking trip but I only get to realized that I actually bought the Business Class seat from Rome to Bologna and therefore I get to enjoy the first class travel with Trenitalia. The journey from Roma Termini to Bologna Centrale took 2 hours 15 minutes, and a transit from Bologna to Remini took 1 hour 8 minutes.

The republic of San Marino, one of the smallest countries in Europe hasn’t been a famous touristic destination to most of the Asians. I was being introduced to this microstate years ago through a famous traveling journal written by Ailing and could possibly be fascinated by this less travelled country due to the various challenges labelled by the author in getting there. Indeed the journey was not as convenient as compared to most other famous tourist-friendly destinations whereby this country is only accessible either by car or by bus. The journey took around 1 hour at €5.00 to reach at the final stop in the city. While searching my way to the hotel, I needed some guidance from the passer-by but due to the horrible experience I have had in Rome, I am becoming sceptical when a guy kindly walked me to gate of the city showing me the direction. But this time I was ashamed by my distrustful sensitivity, because after all he is really trying to be kind and helpful unlike those I have encountered previously.

Considering that this is my dreamed destination, I pre-booked a single private room with a slightly higher price without wanting to spoil any bit of my excitement for the 2 days. Hotel Joli never let me down by offering a comfortable room at an affordable price of £35.55 per night.

I entered a simple restaurant adjacent to the hostel and notice that the owner is not fluent in English and again with the international sign language, I successfully ordered Ravioli al Pomodoro and a super thick cup of hot chocolate (in fact I wouldn’t even describe it as “drinking” but rather “eating” the cup of hot chocolate…lol). Even though most of the shops were closed in the city after 7.00pm, I am still overly excited and can’t wait to walk around under the dim light. On my way returning to the hostel, I went back again to that same restaurant and ordered a pizza as my breakfast the next morning. While enjoying part of the pizza as my supper and watching one of my favourite cartoons – Shrek, I feel so contented and life had suddenly became so wonderful. Every effort taken to reach this country is worthwhile.

1st March 2015 - Sunday

* San Marino

I woke up early this morning eagerly waiting to greet my dream land and awaiting to unveil the mystery that this country offers. This city is filled with slopes and stairs everywhere and wandering around the town is exactly like hill-walking (this makes me think of my hiking mates back in those days and I miss them). A 1.1km walk from the First Tower (La Rocca o Guaita) to the Third Tower (Il Montale) was wonderful even though I appear to be walking alone in the bush. The people in San Marino are much friendlier and nicer and they greeted me with a welcoming smile whenever we brush pass each other. The assistant in the castle chatted with me sociably and was so kind to draw on the map showing to me some of the places to visit.

 

With a fee of €10.00, I am entitled to enter La Rocca o Guaita, La Cesta o Fratta and few of the museums. The small Museum of Archaic Arms in the second tower reminds me of the scenes in the movies where all the armours and swords are exactly displayed there. The castles are absolutely interesting where I have to climb some very steep stairs to get to the top of the towers. I am glad that I am not stricken by acrophobia which enables me to move around freely and even walked on the narrow path on the side of the fortress which is few meters high without any handrail. 

It might be due to the size and history of the country, there isn’t much to explore in the St. Francis Church & Art Gallery and the State Museum. Museum of Torture Instruments (Museo della Tortura) was rather small with the entrance fee of €8.50 is not quite worth a visit, but this museum presents some less-known instruments such as a skinning device (“Gatta da Scorticamento”) and the heretics fork (“Forcella dell’Eretico”) as part of the medieval torture tool.

Here comes the shopaholic spending almost €100 just for liquor miniatures, key chains, fridge magnets, coins and post cards which are mostly for souvenirs. I have had the best ice-cream here with the flavour of walnut, pineapple, coffee and caramel, and enjoying them while shivering in the cold.

Taking my late lunch + dinner at Bar Piadineria La Capanna, I enjoyed overseeing the city from the mountain while enjoying my Tomato Spaghetti + Mushroom Pizza + Pear Juice under the cold wind of 3°C. I guess the waiter would be surprised by this small sized Asian finishing such amount of food alone.

Despite the cold and dusky nightfall, I still choose to walk alone through the valley enjoying my final night in San Marino. Passing by Il Montale once more, I am deeply in the spirit of liberty and wishes to shout aloud towards the open field on top of the high mountain “I have made it!”.

2nd March 2015 - Monday

* Florence

It was drizzling when I arrived at Firenze S.M. Novella and the hostel was quite a distance away from the station. But immediately after check-in, I got myself ready for the next sightseeing walk down town. Florence was rather small and not to my utmost interest, and this might be due to my previous visits to many basilicas and churches during the same week, but I still enjoy walking around curiously looking at the street markets and buildings.

Without realizing that I still have €50.00 in my jacket, I thought I have run out of cash and hence exchanging another €100.00 against £ at the losing rate of 0.76. Without having a good appetite, I simply purchased a bowl of salad from Carrefour Express and a waffle before calling it a day.

3rd March 2015 - Tuesday

* Pisa

The last destination in my itinerary, I bought the ticket from Florence to Pisa at the self-service machine (€8.00) without even knowing if this is the right one, but providentially I got there smoothly despite some possible misleading by a passer-by. The leaning tower of Pisa is definitely the main attraction, along with the Cathedral di Pisa, Baptistery of St John, Camposanto Monumentale and Museo Delle Sinopie. With the fee of €7.00, I get to pick 2 of the attractions for a visit but not including getting to the top of the leaning tower which is at an extra cost of €18.00.

 

After enjoying my last lunch in Italy (a pot of steam mussels and mushroom pizza), I walked to the train station to collect my suitcase and took a bus service at €2.00 to the Pisa (Tuscany) Airport and drawing a wonderful end to my vacation. I am glad that everything was safe and smooth throughout the journey, without experiencing the common misfortune of pickpockets and flight delays.

One thing I love about Europe is the street performances which actually brighten up the day of the passer-by. So do generously contribute some money if the music touches your heart and makes your day, just as I did in cheering up theirs as well.

This is indeed a relaxing trip with my own preferences at my own pace, even though it could be much merrier if having someone around traveling together. With all the beautiful items I have sighted in different countries, I think I’m gonna get myself a house in order to be able to decorate it with all the stuffs I loved. So now I am back to the reality of working life and I’m gonna work hard towards my next dream and challenge myself for the next target.