Hi all!
It´s me again! Have not blogged for a long time for my travels so finally am glad to put my experiences down here online.
Am currently in Spain, Barcelona to be exact, after a 3 day course in Amsterdam. Well, what can I say? Given that there will not be much of a Dutch bank left after the RBS-AA merger, thought I will go hone my skills in Amsterdam while taking a much-needed breather after everything that has transpired in 2007. So much ups and downs but then again, that is another story. =)
Anyway, touched down in Barcelona yesterday and there were a few hiccups in the beginning with my luggage delays (my backpack was placed in the wrong conveyor belt despite what the baggage information screen said), the airport metro was not working (had to take a bus to another part of town which I was not familiar with). Oh well, this wasn´t pretty as I had to contend with these logistics which wasted unnecessary time which could have been used to cover more sights. Add to that severe lack of sleep (woke up at 4.30am in the morning so that I can leave at 5.30am for Schipol Airport to catch my flight). This contributed to a slightly miffed dude - combination of cold and rain in Amsterdam (5 degrees C), hunger (no breakfast) and fatigue is a lethal one indeed!
But in any case, made the most of it and after leaving my luggage at Residencia Campus del Mar - a university hostel cum hotel near the beach and the port with lots of swanky restaurants, casino and the like; hit town via the metro.
First stop was Merquat de la Boqueria - the biggest market in Barcelona. Saw this on Discovery Travel & Living and told myself I had to visit this place. Went around to snoop around the stalls selling all sorts of fresh produce like fruits (of all shapes, sizes and colours), chocolates (simply scrumptious!) and of course seafood!
But these were nothing compared to what came next - settling down at a small shop in the market whereby customers get to sit down at the bar counter, check out what they want to eat (made from fresh produce from the same market, and getting to enjoy soothing cold cerveza (beer)! Had some sardines and San Miguel and was so satisfied I could almost forgive Barcelona´s earlier sins. Haha!!
Anyway, paid up after that and immediately immersed myself in the sights and sounds of La Rambla - the main thoroughfare of downtown Barcelona. Here, you get to see buskers, stalls selling fresh flowers and birds in the middle; while on either side of it are branded shops selling various fashion. Yes, you guessed it Zara, Desigual, Massimo Dutti...
Hit this museum called Museu D´Historia De La Ciutat. Quite an interesting one as this museum was actually built on an archaelogical site containing the remains of its Roman and Visigothic past. But more interesting than all these is the fact that a nearby busker beside the museum was playing his Spanish guitar, so imagine, enjoying the sights to the accompaniment of guitar music simply raises the romantic quotient several notches! Guys: take note!
The day was long and it ended with a nice dinner of Spanish tapas near my hostel by the Olimpia Harbour and Port Vell. A slow stroll down the beachfront after dinner amidst the cool breeze and Jerry retired gastronomically satisfied for the night.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Smashing time in Palma Mallorca! - 25/06/06
Buenas tardes, amigos! ¿Como estas?
Greetings from Palma Mallorca in Spain, the playground of the rich and famous in Europe. =) This is another one of my travellogues after my recent one about Santorini, Greece. Hope you guys like it and maybe someone can recommend me to Lonely Planet, 6 Degrees??? Haha!
Anyway, was here for a 3 day weekend getaway after my recent 2 week work stint in London. In theory, I´ve worked really hard during my time there, with all the ´late hours´ etc (it´s World Cup season, who´ll believe it?). Hence, the need for a break in the sunny Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Actually, the travel bug just bit me real bad and I decided I just have to make it up to myself by diving in Mallorca since I had to terminate my Greece hols due to the London trip. Yadayadayada...
I am sure Palma Mallorca is familiar to my European friends but to all of you out there who are not familiar with it, it is the one single place that many Germans and the English (plus the Spanish of course) come every year to escape the cold weather back home, to retire with all their trappings of material wealth (check out the huge yachts!) or simply to hang out and enjoy the underwater adventures (this is really a great place for diving!)
The weather is absolutely perfect, sunny everyday with not a single drop of rain. People are generally friendly, helping the distressed traveller whenever they are approached. And great cathedrals and historic architecture; not forgetting the impromptu dancing to the accompaniment of live music at some festival in Palma (the historic centre), cuatro fun!
For the divers out there, this place is great. Went to a marine reserve yesterday and this place called El Toro aka Bull in Spanish. There were lotsa marine life, with large octopuses, schools of barracudas and even moray eels everywhere I turn to. Waters are reasonable at 22 deg and a 5mm wetsuit will do just fine!
Of course, given the touristy nature of this island, you can imagine the sheer variety of shops peddling their wares to visitors - from high-end Massimo Dutti to cheaper stuff like Zara/Mango. To say the least, I had to seriously control my spending habits after throwing caution to the wind and blowing quite a bit on my first day here.
On a lighter note, one of the ´highlights´ of my trip was to be accosted by a half naked middle-aged Spanish drunk clad in swimming trunks when I was savouring my Italian gelato yesterday. Of course my Spanish ain´t that great with just two elementary classes (sorry, Ana!) but the blabbering guy in his drunken stupor didn´t help either. =)
Anywayz, this guy was trying to be ´friendly´ by offering me his beer, which I was absolutely not interested in and so moved away. He then approached a couple of local teens who were messing around with a soccer ball. This guy was so ¨shameless¨and just went up and slammed the ball sky high each time he touched it with absolutely zero ball control when all that the boys wanted to do was dribble. It was sheer wonder that he did not smash the windscreens of the cars parked nearby with his silly antics.
Oh yeah, did I mention he came with his wife in tow? While her husband was fooling around with the kids, she had to pick up his slippers which he conveniently tosses aside and keep a watchful eye over the half finished bottle of beer. And all the time, she was sitting there so patiently and looking on... Talk about female subservience, hah! (Hope I dun get too much flak for this).
Anyway, I am off to London tonight before catching a return flight to Singapore. It has been a most wonderful trip in Europe for the past month or so and you guys and gals should come here and enjoy the nice romantic views of the Baleric Sea and the sights before the hordes of Chinese/Japanese tourists come! (only saw 3 Chinese when I was here). Till my next travel episode...
Adios amigos!
Greetings from Palma Mallorca in Spain, the playground of the rich and famous in Europe. =) This is another one of my travellogues after my recent one about Santorini, Greece. Hope you guys like it and maybe someone can recommend me to Lonely Planet, 6 Degrees??? Haha!
Anyway, was here for a 3 day weekend getaway after my recent 2 week work stint in London. In theory, I´ve worked really hard during my time there, with all the ´late hours´ etc (it´s World Cup season, who´ll believe it?). Hence, the need for a break in the sunny Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Actually, the travel bug just bit me real bad and I decided I just have to make it up to myself by diving in Mallorca since I had to terminate my Greece hols due to the London trip. Yadayadayada...
I am sure Palma Mallorca is familiar to my European friends but to all of you out there who are not familiar with it, it is the one single place that many Germans and the English (plus the Spanish of course) come every year to escape the cold weather back home, to retire with all their trappings of material wealth (check out the huge yachts!) or simply to hang out and enjoy the underwater adventures (this is really a great place for diving!)
The weather is absolutely perfect, sunny everyday with not a single drop of rain. People are generally friendly, helping the distressed traveller whenever they are approached. And great cathedrals and historic architecture; not forgetting the impromptu dancing to the accompaniment of live music at some festival in Palma (the historic centre), cuatro fun!
For the divers out there, this place is great. Went to a marine reserve yesterday and this place called El Toro aka Bull in Spanish. There were lotsa marine life, with large octopuses, schools of barracudas and even moray eels everywhere I turn to. Waters are reasonable at 22 deg and a 5mm wetsuit will do just fine!
Of course, given the touristy nature of this island, you can imagine the sheer variety of shops peddling their wares to visitors - from high-end Massimo Dutti to cheaper stuff like Zara/Mango. To say the least, I had to seriously control my spending habits after throwing caution to the wind and blowing quite a bit on my first day here.
On a lighter note, one of the ´highlights´ of my trip was to be accosted by a half naked middle-aged Spanish drunk clad in swimming trunks when I was savouring my Italian gelato yesterday. Of course my Spanish ain´t that great with just two elementary classes (sorry, Ana!) but the blabbering guy in his drunken stupor didn´t help either. =)
Anywayz, this guy was trying to be ´friendly´ by offering me his beer, which I was absolutely not interested in and so moved away. He then approached a couple of local teens who were messing around with a soccer ball. This guy was so ¨shameless¨and just went up and slammed the ball sky high each time he touched it with absolutely zero ball control when all that the boys wanted to do was dribble. It was sheer wonder that he did not smash the windscreens of the cars parked nearby with his silly antics.
Oh yeah, did I mention he came with his wife in tow? While her husband was fooling around with the kids, she had to pick up his slippers which he conveniently tosses aside and keep a watchful eye over the half finished bottle of beer. And all the time, she was sitting there so patiently and looking on... Talk about female subservience, hah! (Hope I dun get too much flak for this).
Anyway, I am off to London tonight before catching a return flight to Singapore. It has been a most wonderful trip in Europe for the past month or so and you guys and gals should come here and enjoy the nice romantic views of the Baleric Sea and the sights before the hordes of Chinese/Japanese tourists come! (only saw 3 Chinese when I was here). Till my next travel episode...
Adios amigos!
Santorini - 03/06/06
Hi all,
Greetings from Santorini! It's a beautiful day here but alas, I have to leave for Athens in less than two hours and tomorrow, I will catch a flight back to Singapore where I will face the drudgery of work!
Anyway, the past two days have been great. I was revisiting some of the old places which I came to two years ago and amazingly, the same people are there in the restaurants and the same shops are still around! (Maybe it is not so much of a surprise since the volume of tourist traffic would have ensured they remain money spinners).
I was at this restaurant in Perissa (southern part of Santorini) with black beach sand. This Greek couple who were the owners was so pleased to see me as they recognised me from two year ago that they just cooked the house specialty for me and even gave me a main course for free on the subsequent nite. Talk about Greek hospitality!
The highlight of the trip is actually diving here. I went to this Mediterranean Diving Centre here and the boat brought us out to do two boat dives - one of the reef (which was really quite beautiful in terms of size and the sculpture), quite deep actually; and the other was a cave dive. This cave dive was actually quite scary for me as it was totally dark (I could not even see my buddy who was right beside me at times) and the air pocket within it is really small (certainly not for the claustrophobic). Here, there is no room for error as a panic situation may be hard to rectify in view of the confined space and lack of visibility. That said, it was my introduction to cave diving and I think I will do more of that in future as I think it is real fun!
Yesterday afternoon was great as I got a great view of the volcanic calderas as I was sipping an overpriced coffee at Fira (the main town in the middle of the island). It was a time for reflection and despite the hustle and bustle of tourist foot traffic just nearby, it was an oasis of serenity which really allowed one to feel that it is just between you and God. Certainly good for destressing!
Anyway, I have to run now. Apologise for this short excerpt but if I do see something interesting in Athens tonight, you all will hear from me.
Greetings from Santorini! It's a beautiful day here but alas, I have to leave for Athens in less than two hours and tomorrow, I will catch a flight back to Singapore where I will face the drudgery of work!
Anyway, the past two days have been great. I was revisiting some of the old places which I came to two years ago and amazingly, the same people are there in the restaurants and the same shops are still around! (Maybe it is not so much of a surprise since the volume of tourist traffic would have ensured they remain money spinners).
I was at this restaurant in Perissa (southern part of Santorini) with black beach sand. This Greek couple who were the owners was so pleased to see me as they recognised me from two year ago that they just cooked the house specialty for me and even gave me a main course for free on the subsequent nite. Talk about Greek hospitality!
The highlight of the trip is actually diving here. I went to this Mediterranean Diving Centre here and the boat brought us out to do two boat dives - one of the reef (which was really quite beautiful in terms of size and the sculpture), quite deep actually; and the other was a cave dive. This cave dive was actually quite scary for me as it was totally dark (I could not even see my buddy who was right beside me at times) and the air pocket within it is really small (certainly not for the claustrophobic). Here, there is no room for error as a panic situation may be hard to rectify in view of the confined space and lack of visibility. That said, it was my introduction to cave diving and I think I will do more of that in future as I think it is real fun!
Yesterday afternoon was great as I got a great view of the volcanic calderas as I was sipping an overpriced coffee at Fira (the main town in the middle of the island). It was a time for reflection and despite the hustle and bustle of tourist foot traffic just nearby, it was an oasis of serenity which really allowed one to feel that it is just between you and God. Certainly good for destressing!
Anyway, I have to run now. Apologise for this short excerpt but if I do see something interesting in Athens tonight, you all will hear from me.
Great Fun in Crete! - 01/06/06
Hi all,
Sorry for the long hiatus between this and the previous segment of my travellogue. Have been so busy diving everyday and the nearest Internet cafe is rather inaccessible by foot so have to do this after having just arrived in Santorini. =)
My experience of Crete this time is vastly different from what I saw in Iraklio (capital of Crete) and Hania (nice quaint little town with a Venetian lighthouse and Ottoman mosque) two years ago. I was staying in this sleepy town called Anissaras where the Coral Diving Centre is. Instead of just being another place where people go there to dive and then go off afterwards to do their own thing, this place is really friendly wtih everyone sitting down for a beer or frappe (ice coffee) after each dive and chat about everything and anything. Problem is that everyone here speaks German. All the season workers, be they German, Austrian, Greek or Italian speak German. And poor me feels so handicapped sometimes since I am not clued into their insider jokes and I feel sorry for them when they have to accomodate me sometimes when they speak in English. I am quite convinced that German is one of those languages I have to pick up at a basic level at least, if only to facilitate my travel in Europe!
It was great fun every nite as the only thing I look forward to after a long hard day of diving is to enjoy the great food in Crete! Everywhere along the coast is a potential chillout spot, with great Greek music playing in the background, the setting sun behind the mountains providing the perfect backdrop to serenading your significant other, should you wish to do so. =)
Of course, I was there with a bunch of friends from different countries (kinda like UN) - Belgian, Senegal, Austrian, Italian and me. You just cannot imagine the kind of ruckus that we kicked up when we eat and drink cos it is just so fun to have that international interaction and understanding the peculiarities of each other's culture. There was this one nite in Iraklio where we went to a little quiet Greek taverna and we started toasting each other in Chinese ("Kan Bei"). Everyone was so tickled by this as they pronounce it as ("Can't Pay"). So now quite a few Greeks in the local pubs and certainly the entire diving centre always toast in Chinese. =) And we were making all these silly jokes about the English and American tourists and there was this English family who looked on at our motley bunch and just wondered how we can be so loud and "rude" by making these remarks. (And to think that we were only drinking coke, no alcohol!)
There was also this one nite when a French diver just completed his Open Water Course and he got the entire diving centre to come together for a BBQ in the evening. The music blaring from the laptop speakers, against the gentle waves of the Cretan sea, the free flow of rakis, vodkas and Mythos (greek beer) certainly created quite a boisterous mood. It is simply too eventful to describe the feeling in its entirety.
The few towns towards the eastern part of Crete (Anissaras, Hersonisos, Stalis, Malia, etc) are dominated by all the European tourists (mainly German, English, Dutch). I seem to be the only Chinese here (except for those guys working at the Chinese restaurtants). You guys might want to consider coming here and just hangout before these few towns are invaded by the Chinese and Japanese package holiday tourists (who tend to cluster in Iraklio and Hania).
Anyways, that is all for now. I am going to have my lunch and explore the volcanic calderas in Santorini and regale you with more interesting tales (hopefully!).
Laterz!
Sorry for the long hiatus between this and the previous segment of my travellogue. Have been so busy diving everyday and the nearest Internet cafe is rather inaccessible by foot so have to do this after having just arrived in Santorini. =)
My experience of Crete this time is vastly different from what I saw in Iraklio (capital of Crete) and Hania (nice quaint little town with a Venetian lighthouse and Ottoman mosque) two years ago. I was staying in this sleepy town called Anissaras where the Coral Diving Centre is. Instead of just being another place where people go there to dive and then go off afterwards to do their own thing, this place is really friendly wtih everyone sitting down for a beer or frappe (ice coffee) after each dive and chat about everything and anything. Problem is that everyone here speaks German. All the season workers, be they German, Austrian, Greek or Italian speak German. And poor me feels so handicapped sometimes since I am not clued into their insider jokes and I feel sorry for them when they have to accomodate me sometimes when they speak in English. I am quite convinced that German is one of those languages I have to pick up at a basic level at least, if only to facilitate my travel in Europe!
It was great fun every nite as the only thing I look forward to after a long hard day of diving is to enjoy the great food in Crete! Everywhere along the coast is a potential chillout spot, with great Greek music playing in the background, the setting sun behind the mountains providing the perfect backdrop to serenading your significant other, should you wish to do so. =)
Of course, I was there with a bunch of friends from different countries (kinda like UN) - Belgian, Senegal, Austrian, Italian and me. You just cannot imagine the kind of ruckus that we kicked up when we eat and drink cos it is just so fun to have that international interaction and understanding the peculiarities of each other's culture. There was this one nite in Iraklio where we went to a little quiet Greek taverna and we started toasting each other in Chinese ("Kan Bei"). Everyone was so tickled by this as they pronounce it as ("Can't Pay"). So now quite a few Greeks in the local pubs and certainly the entire diving centre always toast in Chinese. =) And we were making all these silly jokes about the English and American tourists and there was this English family who looked on at our motley bunch and just wondered how we can be so loud and "rude" by making these remarks. (And to think that we were only drinking coke, no alcohol!)
There was also this one nite when a French diver just completed his Open Water Course and he got the entire diving centre to come together for a BBQ in the evening. The music blaring from the laptop speakers, against the gentle waves of the Cretan sea, the free flow of rakis, vodkas and Mythos (greek beer) certainly created quite a boisterous mood. It is simply too eventful to describe the feeling in its entirety.
The few towns towards the eastern part of Crete (Anissaras, Hersonisos, Stalis, Malia, etc) are dominated by all the European tourists (mainly German, English, Dutch). I seem to be the only Chinese here (except for those guys working at the Chinese restaurtants). You guys might want to consider coming here and just hangout before these few towns are invaded by the Chinese and Japanese package holiday tourists (who tend to cluster in Iraklio and Hania).
Anyways, that is all for now. I am going to have my lunch and explore the volcanic calderas in Santorini and regale you with more interesting tales (hopefully!).
Laterz!
Back to Greece - 24/05/06
Yasas amigos!
Here is the beginning of my series of travellogues again. It has been a long time since I wrote something on Vietnam back in 2004 but I am back! And for those of you who are new additions to my travellogue list, this is just a way for me to stay in touch with you guys and girls and perhaps, whet your appetite to come to Greece yourself and partake in my experiences here! Feel free to drop me a mail and give your feedback!
Was last here on my birthday in October 2004 when I was in the midst of a job change from UBS to ABN AMRO and today, history seems to repeat itself since I will be having a role change within ABN and moving to HK for work (for those of you who do not know yet). So, this time, in addition to catching up with some friends whom I met in Greece, I will also be meeting up with my dive friend from Phuket and take an Advanced Open Water Diving Course in Crete! Hopefully, my colleagues in Singapore can afford me the leeway from all the madness that is going on there so that I can go to Corfu to dive as well (my Greek friend said that this is one of the best dive spots in Greece with great visibility).
This will also be a great time for personal reflection since the secluded breathtaking scenery of the volcanic calderas in Santorini and the gentle lapping of the waves of the pristine blue Corfu waters just brings forth that inner serenity and one just feels that the whole world comes to a total standstill and all there is, is just you and God...
Anyway, today has been an uneventful day and it was quite a rough trip here to Athens for me since I had to take a 5.30am flight from Singapore. As usual, my promises to myself to sleep early came to naught when I stayed out for a late dinner with some friends and later came home to do some last minute research before my plane took off.
The plane ride was not all that great since there were so many Middle Eastern passengers on the same flight (I was flying Gulf Air) and they were really quite boisterous, with all the kids wailing, middle-aged women talking loudly, a ME man beside me intruding into my pesonal space with his arms across my arm rest, etc. Considering that I was severely sleep-deprived for the past month or so, you can imagine how I felt. That said, I tried my best to ignore all these and thank God, I was able to sleep more or less soundly throughout the entire flight.
Mission No.1 after landing at Athens was to take a bus to Piraeus port (the main port in Athens linked to the rest of the Aegean) so that I can catch a ferry to Crete. It was a slight struggle to get up the crowded bus as many fellow travellers had already staked their turf with their trolley luggages (the package holiday Brits and Aussies!). Yours truly was heavily laden and just as I spotted a corner to drop my duffel bag, this middle-aged Greek lady came up to me and fired off a volley of Greek gibberish which I totally could not comprehend. The hapless-looking me then looked to another younger Greek girl whom I thought could translate what the other woman said and I learnt that she actually meant that I could not put my stuff there as she was to sit in the seat next to it. So much for Greek hospitality! Luckily I have had good experiences with other Greeks or I would have attributed this to racism (well, I had a long flight and the temp was a scorching 35 deg).
Anyway, I am to take a ferry real soon and perhaps, I will update you with more interesting experiences in the week ahead. Till then, andio! (goodbye)
Here is the beginning of my series of travellogues again. It has been a long time since I wrote something on Vietnam back in 2004 but I am back! And for those of you who are new additions to my travellogue list, this is just a way for me to stay in touch with you guys and girls and perhaps, whet your appetite to come to Greece yourself and partake in my experiences here! Feel free to drop me a mail and give your feedback!
Was last here on my birthday in October 2004 when I was in the midst of a job change from UBS to ABN AMRO and today, history seems to repeat itself since I will be having a role change within ABN and moving to HK for work (for those of you who do not know yet). So, this time, in addition to catching up with some friends whom I met in Greece, I will also be meeting up with my dive friend from Phuket and take an Advanced Open Water Diving Course in Crete! Hopefully, my colleagues in Singapore can afford me the leeway from all the madness that is going on there so that I can go to Corfu to dive as well (my Greek friend said that this is one of the best dive spots in Greece with great visibility).
This will also be a great time for personal reflection since the secluded breathtaking scenery of the volcanic calderas in Santorini and the gentle lapping of the waves of the pristine blue Corfu waters just brings forth that inner serenity and one just feels that the whole world comes to a total standstill and all there is, is just you and God...
Anyway, today has been an uneventful day and it was quite a rough trip here to Athens for me since I had to take a 5.30am flight from Singapore. As usual, my promises to myself to sleep early came to naught when I stayed out for a late dinner with some friends and later came home to do some last minute research before my plane took off.
The plane ride was not all that great since there were so many Middle Eastern passengers on the same flight (I was flying Gulf Air) and they were really quite boisterous, with all the kids wailing, middle-aged women talking loudly, a ME man beside me intruding into my pesonal space with his arms across my arm rest, etc. Considering that I was severely sleep-deprived for the past month or so, you can imagine how I felt. That said, I tried my best to ignore all these and thank God, I was able to sleep more or less soundly throughout the entire flight.
Mission No.1 after landing at Athens was to take a bus to Piraeus port (the main port in Athens linked to the rest of the Aegean) so that I can catch a ferry to Crete. It was a slight struggle to get up the crowded bus as many fellow travellers had already staked their turf with their trolley luggages (the package holiday Brits and Aussies!). Yours truly was heavily laden and just as I spotted a corner to drop my duffel bag, this middle-aged Greek lady came up to me and fired off a volley of Greek gibberish which I totally could not comprehend. The hapless-looking me then looked to another younger Greek girl whom I thought could translate what the other woman said and I learnt that she actually meant that I could not put my stuff there as she was to sit in the seat next to it. So much for Greek hospitality! Luckily I have had good experiences with other Greeks or I would have attributed this to racism (well, I had a long flight and the temp was a scorching 35 deg).
Anyway, I am to take a ferry real soon and perhaps, I will update you with more interesting experiences in the week ahead. Till then, andio! (goodbye)
A Great Time in Vietnam - 04/11/04
Greetings from Vietnam! Yeah, for all those of you who have been receiving copies of my online travellogue, hope you guys are 'cool' hearing from me from Romania/Greece/Vietnam within the last 4 months. Some of you have already remarked that I am flying too often and not working as hard as you all are at home. Ok, I shall try to desist from my globe trotting adventures to the best of my ability.
Anyway, since this is a quick weekend getaway cos of the holidays in Singapore, will just have one email for the most memorable experience I have had during this trip. Yesterday, went for this 1/2 day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh (i.e. the tunnel networks which the Viet Cong used to devastating effect against the American G.I.s) and met Liz (this girl from the U.S. who was on the same tour as well). Since both of us were travelling independently, we decided to do the tour together so that we can snap pictures of each other and have some company to distract us from the scotching tropical heat. Did the crawl through the tunnels together and it was simply a great experience to have. Imagine duckwalking through the dark, narrow tunnels with a moderately heavy daypack and trying to manovre yourself on the damp soil with a limited supply of air inside with a whole bunch of people right on your tail. Since ventilation is so poor, it was really quite a 'sauna' and certainly not something meant for the physically unfit or the claustrophobic. Anyway, quite a shame to say that I lost the battle to a member of the fairer sex and she did the crawl pretty easily while I have panted pretty hard after the whole thing. Must be getting old, I think. =)
Though this was certainly interesting, it did not beat the highlight of the day - the dispute Liz had with the shop which tailored her dress. She was supposed to tailor a nice evening gown for US$100 which she intended to use for her annual medical gala dinner. Though the tailor said that the whole job could be done in 4 days (instead of the usual 7 days), the quality of the dress turned out to be a little slipshod. The length was two inches too short, the width was two inches too tight and the right hem was higher than the left by about an inch. Though my friend twice sent it back for altering, the necessary rectifications were not thoroughly carried out. In the end, she had a dress which was fitting at the bust (but with the sequins missing along the edge of the zip due to the alteration), dress was still too short and unequally long on both sides.
Despite us having left instructions that the remaining 50% of the payment will be made by credit card after all the alterations have been done, the shop sent a delivery boy with a shoddily made dress and demanded that the payment be made in cash. When my friend asked to speak to the manager, the delivery boy blatantly lied and said he had no way of getting in touch with her; wherein my friend then gave an ultimatum: to return the dress to the shop for a full refund or to keep the dress for the US$50 which she already paid and make no further payment. At this point, Liz was pretty pissed (while I was amused by the whole incident cos I was with her during the initial fitting of the dress and the whole fiasco subsequently) as we have not had our dinner by 10pm and the promises which the shop made to her was not kept. Miraculously, 5 min later, the delivery boy said he managed to get hold of the manager and that she will call back soon. When another 5 min wait for the call turned fruitless, we just went for a scrumptious dinner and ignored the poor guy (who by now had a very black face cos not only was he not able to get hold of the money, but was also forced to stay there for another 2/3 hours of the dispute).
After dinner, both of us decided to drop in and check on her hapless Vietnamese friends (who had been the translators of the discourse between Liz and the delivery boy) to make sure they were ok and that the delivery boy did not do anything 'funny'. All this while, they were quite stressed as they were trying to be nice to the delivery boy but had tto express the tough wishes of their American friend. Surprise, surprise, the manager was here this time round when we returned to the hotel reception. The manager seemed gentle and reasonable; being soft spoken and receptive. After hearing Liz's complaints, she offered to sell the dress for US$80 but Liz stuck to her stand of US$50 or nothing. The vexed look on her face, the no-nonsense tone of her voice showed me first hand the "American attitude" (Sorry Liz, just have to poke fun at you). In the end, the hapless manager asked for another $5 for the dress cos of the amount of labour put in blah blah blah and Liz relented (women can be so soft-hearted sometimes though they sound so tough).
Basically, what I have learnt from the entire episode is this: 1) Do not believe entirely all the promises that the people here make you (they can easily take you for a ride. Had it not been for Liz's tough stand, they would have taken yet another seemingly rich tourist for a ride and make another US$50 for substandard workmanship); 2) Be firm and yet, not rude (think Liz was pretty cool as her gown was really quite screwed up but yet, she did not just blow up at the people from the shop but just calmly gave them two alternatives to choose from) and 3) Be more open when travelling and make friends and you never know how your new-found friends' experiences can add so much colour in embellishing your own online travellogue such as this!
Anyway, that's all for now, folks. Am going to rest soon after all the long day at the Mekong Delta today. Flying back to Singapore tomorrow. Do give me your feedback if you think my travellogue is interesting.
Anyway, since this is a quick weekend getaway cos of the holidays in Singapore, will just have one email for the most memorable experience I have had during this trip. Yesterday, went for this 1/2 day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels near Ho Chi Minh (i.e. the tunnel networks which the Viet Cong used to devastating effect against the American G.I.s) and met Liz (this girl from the U.S. who was on the same tour as well). Since both of us were travelling independently, we decided to do the tour together so that we can snap pictures of each other and have some company to distract us from the scotching tropical heat. Did the crawl through the tunnels together and it was simply a great experience to have. Imagine duckwalking through the dark, narrow tunnels with a moderately heavy daypack and trying to manovre yourself on the damp soil with a limited supply of air inside with a whole bunch of people right on your tail. Since ventilation is so poor, it was really quite a 'sauna' and certainly not something meant for the physically unfit or the claustrophobic. Anyway, quite a shame to say that I lost the battle to a member of the fairer sex and she did the crawl pretty easily while I have panted pretty hard after the whole thing. Must be getting old, I think. =)
Though this was certainly interesting, it did not beat the highlight of the day - the dispute Liz had with the shop which tailored her dress. She was supposed to tailor a nice evening gown for US$100 which she intended to use for her annual medical gala dinner. Though the tailor said that the whole job could be done in 4 days (instead of the usual 7 days), the quality of the dress turned out to be a little slipshod. The length was two inches too short, the width was two inches too tight and the right hem was higher than the left by about an inch. Though my friend twice sent it back for altering, the necessary rectifications were not thoroughly carried out. In the end, she had a dress which was fitting at the bust (but with the sequins missing along the edge of the zip due to the alteration), dress was still too short and unequally long on both sides.
Despite us having left instructions that the remaining 50% of the payment will be made by credit card after all the alterations have been done, the shop sent a delivery boy with a shoddily made dress and demanded that the payment be made in cash. When my friend asked to speak to the manager, the delivery boy blatantly lied and said he had no way of getting in touch with her; wherein my friend then gave an ultimatum: to return the dress to the shop for a full refund or to keep the dress for the US$50 which she already paid and make no further payment. At this point, Liz was pretty pissed (while I was amused by the whole incident cos I was with her during the initial fitting of the dress and the whole fiasco subsequently) as we have not had our dinner by 10pm and the promises which the shop made to her was not kept. Miraculously, 5 min later, the delivery boy said he managed to get hold of the manager and that she will call back soon. When another 5 min wait for the call turned fruitless, we just went for a scrumptious dinner and ignored the poor guy (who by now had a very black face cos not only was he not able to get hold of the money, but was also forced to stay there for another 2/3 hours of the dispute).
After dinner, both of us decided to drop in and check on her hapless Vietnamese friends (who had been the translators of the discourse between Liz and the delivery boy) to make sure they were ok and that the delivery boy did not do anything 'funny'. All this while, they were quite stressed as they were trying to be nice to the delivery boy but had tto express the tough wishes of their American friend. Surprise, surprise, the manager was here this time round when we returned to the hotel reception. The manager seemed gentle and reasonable; being soft spoken and receptive. After hearing Liz's complaints, she offered to sell the dress for US$80 but Liz stuck to her stand of US$50 or nothing. The vexed look on her face, the no-nonsense tone of her voice showed me first hand the "American attitude" (Sorry Liz, just have to poke fun at you). In the end, the hapless manager asked for another $5 for the dress cos of the amount of labour put in blah blah blah and Liz relented (women can be so soft-hearted sometimes though they sound so tough).
Basically, what I have learnt from the entire episode is this: 1) Do not believe entirely all the promises that the people here make you (they can easily take you for a ride. Had it not been for Liz's tough stand, they would have taken yet another seemingly rich tourist for a ride and make another US$50 for substandard workmanship); 2) Be firm and yet, not rude (think Liz was pretty cool as her gown was really quite screwed up but yet, she did not just blow up at the people from the shop but just calmly gave them two alternatives to choose from) and 3) Be more open when travelling and make friends and you never know how your new-found friends' experiences can add so much colour in embellishing your own online travellogue such as this!
Anyway, that's all for now, folks. Am going to rest soon after all the long day at the Mekong Delta today. Flying back to Singapore tomorrow. Do give me your feedback if you think my travellogue is interesting.
Santorini and Mykonos - 28/10/04
Greetings from Mykonos - the party island of Greece in the Cyclades! Well actually, it has not been much of a party here as it is off season now and the party is pretty dead though there is still some older tourists here and a few restaurants and shops open. That said, today has been a really great day as it is a national holiday in Greece - "Ohi Day"; otherwise known as "No Day" in Greek. Apparently, this day is very significant to the Greeks as this was the day when the country said no to Hitler's eastward advance during WWII and fought the German army for a period of 3 months 22 days; much longer than all the other Western, Central and Eastern European countries, save for UK.
The town was absolutely boisterous, with primary school kids decked out in traditional Mykonian costumes and carrying the Greek flag - They were so so adorable! The senior year of the high school teenagers also looked really gorgeous in their traditional costumes, not to mention the rest of the Greek soldiers who were also on parade in their military garb, looking very impressive. Well, words cannot really describe what I have seen here so for those of you who are lucky enough to meet up with me when I am back, will show you all the video clips I have taken then.
And also, I must once again urge you all to go to Santorini. It is simply the most charming place which I have seen. Despite being off-season now for tourists, it is still very lovely. In fact, it is the dearth of people which makes it more attractive in my view, as you get to walk the streets at a leisurely pace, without the cacopahny from throngs of tourists arriving in summer on the convoys of tour coaches. Whether it be the day or night time, the views from the summit of the volcanic caldera is simply breathtaking, with views of whitewashed houses and bright blue rooftops, all along the slopes of the mountain. Against the backdrop of crystal clear blue waters in the surrounding seas and the nice temperature of about 25 - 28 degrees, minus the humidity, it is simply the best time for getting that great tan. The friendly reception of the locals is really great. For me, I stayed at this town called Perissa which is right on Perissa beach, the best beach in Santorini and relatively near to Fira which is the heart of Santorini Island. Here, I was able to escape the number of tourists in Fira but yet be near enough to access the best views and restaurants and the rest of the attractions by bus which is convenient enough. Alternatively, one can easily rent a quad which is one of those ATVs to explore the island; which I think is really better since it not only gives you the flexibility but also, saves you money when you have to run to the minimart to get groceries or to some deserted nook of the island which the bus does not serve or which will cost you if you were to take a cab. Reception at Perissa at the pension which I was staying in - Stelio's Place was good and for a double. only costs 10 euros per person per night, with a swimming pool right in the middle of the place. 3 min walk and I get right onto the beach. Restaurants are like only 5 min aways on foot and all so convenient. Prices are really reasonable so this is the place to be during off season. October is a good time since the weather is really quite good, prices are low and there is not much of a crowd. But for those looking to have a good time and meeting people to party, then July and August is the time to be here though I must caution you that prices are likely to be 2 - 2.5x higher...
That's all for now folks, am going back to Athens by yet another ferry ride tomorrow and do some last minute shopping before I head back to Singapore. Catch you all later!
The town was absolutely boisterous, with primary school kids decked out in traditional Mykonian costumes and carrying the Greek flag - They were so so adorable! The senior year of the high school teenagers also looked really gorgeous in their traditional costumes, not to mention the rest of the Greek soldiers who were also on parade in their military garb, looking very impressive. Well, words cannot really describe what I have seen here so for those of you who are lucky enough to meet up with me when I am back, will show you all the video clips I have taken then.
And also, I must once again urge you all to go to Santorini. It is simply the most charming place which I have seen. Despite being off-season now for tourists, it is still very lovely. In fact, it is the dearth of people which makes it more attractive in my view, as you get to walk the streets at a leisurely pace, without the cacopahny from throngs of tourists arriving in summer on the convoys of tour coaches. Whether it be the day or night time, the views from the summit of the volcanic caldera is simply breathtaking, with views of whitewashed houses and bright blue rooftops, all along the slopes of the mountain. Against the backdrop of crystal clear blue waters in the surrounding seas and the nice temperature of about 25 - 28 degrees, minus the humidity, it is simply the best time for getting that great tan. The friendly reception of the locals is really great. For me, I stayed at this town called Perissa which is right on Perissa beach, the best beach in Santorini and relatively near to Fira which is the heart of Santorini Island. Here, I was able to escape the number of tourists in Fira but yet be near enough to access the best views and restaurants and the rest of the attractions by bus which is convenient enough. Alternatively, one can easily rent a quad which is one of those ATVs to explore the island; which I think is really better since it not only gives you the flexibility but also, saves you money when you have to run to the minimart to get groceries or to some deserted nook of the island which the bus does not serve or which will cost you if you were to take a cab. Reception at Perissa at the pension which I was staying in - Stelio's Place was good and for a double. only costs 10 euros per person per night, with a swimming pool right in the middle of the place. 3 min walk and I get right onto the beach. Restaurants are like only 5 min aways on foot and all so convenient. Prices are really reasonable so this is the place to be during off season. October is a good time since the weather is really quite good, prices are low and there is not much of a crowd. But for those looking to have a good time and meeting people to party, then July and August is the time to be here though I must caution you that prices are likely to be 2 - 2.5x higher...
That's all for now folks, am going back to Athens by yet another ferry ride tomorrow and do some last minute shopping before I head back to Singapore. Catch you all later!
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