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Old 2011-03-27, 12:13   Link #221
LeoXiao
思想工作
 
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vereinigte Staaten
Age: 31
Currently planning a trip through the parts of Germany south of me; I'm visiting Hamburg/Soltau (there's a tank museum there), Aachen, Munich, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Berlin, and heading back to Kiel from there. I hope to learn a lot on this voyage.
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Old 2011-03-28, 14:38   Link #222
TinyRedLeaf
Moving in circles
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai "Ngaje Ngai", the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.
- The Snows of Kilimanjaro



Well, let's see if I'll get closer to answering that riddle come August.

Have signed up for a trek up to the summit. Before then, will have to work out and get back into shape. Recalling Ernest Hemingway's short story, it strikes me that there's never been a more apt time for me to make this trip than now.
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Old 2011-06-03, 23:09   Link #223
Seitsuki
Onee!
 
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Auckland, NZ
Am going to get dumped by my parents in America for a coupla weeks cos my parents say I "need more outside experience" (ie not in my room. )

Anyways the plan is I arrive at San Francisco, meet up with my sis, stay for a day or two then basically I get to explore the rest of the country. All I know is I'm supposed to visit New York and Washington DC, but apart from those I'm pretty lost (and don't even know what there is to do in there.) So for those three or so weeks, I ask of you AS: what do you recommend I do? I've no idea what there is, so go ahead and wow me with how awesome the place is :P

Apparently I'm also supposed to go on some tours or something, any idea which good ones are out there?
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Old 2011-06-03, 23:29   Link #224
Endless Soul
Megane girl fan
 
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
Age: 55
Well if you stay in San Francisco for a day or two, make sure you visit Fisherman's Wharf Pier 39 and get yourself a sourdough bowl of soup. San Francisco has the best tasting soughdough bread. I'm not sure what it is, maybe the climate. The bread is the bowl itself with the insides scooped out and filled with either clam chowder or chili. Don't miss out on this!
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Last edited by Endless Soul; 2011-06-04 at 00:09. Reason: Made a mistake
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Old 2011-06-04, 00:03   Link #225
FDW
Zettai Ryouiki Lover
 
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The Bay Area
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seitsuki View Post
Am going to get dumped by my parents in America for a coupla weeks cos my parents say I "need more outside experience" (ie not in my room. )

Anyways the plan is I arrive at San Francisco, meet up with my sis, stay for a day or two then basically I get to explore the rest of the country. All I know is I'm supposed to visit New York and Washington DC, but apart from those I'm pretty lost (and don't even know what there is to do in there.) So for those three or so weeks, I ask of you AS: what do you recommend I do? I've no idea what there is, so go ahead and wow me with how awesome the place is :P

Apparently I'm also supposed to go on some tours or something, any idea which good ones are out there?
You should go out to Lands End on San Francisco's west side, one of the best views of the Pacific there is in Bay Area. Of course there's also the Golden Gate bridge, though you should also take the time to come into San Francisco over the Bay Bridge as well. Oh, and you should also visit Chinatown via the 30 Stockton or 45 Union/Stockton, that's an experience that has to be seen to be believed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Endless Soul View Post
Well if you stay in San Francisco for a day or two, make sure you visit Fisherman's Wharf Pier 39 and get yourself a sourdough bowl of soup. San Francisco has the best tasting soughdough bread. I'm not sure what it is, maybe the climate. The bread is the bowl itself with the insides scooped out and filled with either clam chowder or chili. Don't miss out on this!
Corrected. And yes the Sourdough Bread Bowl is good. You can take either two of the Cable Car lines, the Streetcar, or several different bus lines to the area. I'd say that the Cable Cars are worth trying at least once, but they cost 5 dollars for cash fare and you don't get transfers, and it's crowded. The streetcar costs regular cash fare (2 dollars) but is also insanely crowded if you board anywhere east of 5th st.
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Old 2011-06-04, 00:09   Link #226
Endless Soul
Megane girl fan
 
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
Age: 55
Oh, I see my mistake, thanks!
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Old 2011-06-04, 00:11   Link #227
FDW
Zettai Ryouiki Lover
 
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The Bay Area
Quote:
Originally Posted by Endless Soul View Post
Oh, I see my mistake, thanks!
No problem, I live in San Francisco so a lot of the stuff here is familiar to me.
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Old 2011-06-04, 22:15   Link #228
Seitsuki
Onee!
 
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Auckland, NZ
Ah ok. Should be able to fit those in in a few days. What other recommendations do you guys have for other places?
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Old 2011-08-16, 06:31   Link #229
TinyRedLeaf
Moving in circles
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
August 2011

I climbed a mountain to kill my ego. By the end of nine days, my pride and dignity were in tatters, shredded by the cold, indifferent majesty of Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m).

I reached Stella Point (5,756m) with my lips blackened by the howling wind and constant gasping, my lungs heaving desperately for what little oxygen remained at that altitude. I was in tears — from shame, pride and gratitude: I had started at 11pm the night before, and was the last man to arrive at the crater rim that morning, at about 9am on Aug 9 (Tue).

I wished I could have finished in better shape. But, still, a finish is a finish: I was on the highest point on earth that I'd ever be for the rest of my life.

One chapter closes; another begins.




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Old 2011-08-16, 07:33   Link #230
andyjay729
YOU EEDIOT!!!
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I'm right behind you
Age: 41
Interesting that you posted those great pics now. In about a week my parents are going on an African safari themselves. But instead they'll be starting out in South Africa and visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Among the sites there they'll see Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, Soweto and Cape Town.

Then in November and December, I'm going to New Zealand, starting out in Auckland and going to Rotorua, Queenstown, Milford Sound, a bit of Christchurch (obviously cut short because of their earthquake) and then Wellington. Definitely looking forward to that; in pictures it reminds me a little of Northern California in the North Island and the Pacific Northwest (or southern Chili) in the South Island. Would any New Zealanders (or people who've been there) here agree? Was planning to go to Japan (maybe next year).

My parents and I are using a package tour service called Overseas Adventure Travel, which is pretty good for smaller groups.
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Old 2011-08-16, 09:24   Link #231
DonQuigleone
Knight Errant
 
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
What was the view like from the top? How far could you see? What could you see?
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Old 2011-08-16, 10:30   Link #232
TinyRedLeaf
Moving in circles
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonQuigleone View Post
What was the view like from the top? How far could you see? What could you see?
A sea of clouds, with the top of nearby peaks forming little islands amid the white waves. If you've watched Twelve Kingdoms and ever chuckled at the fantasy of an ocean literally made up of clouds, you'd take back your disbelief when you're atop a mountain as high as Kilimanjaro. There is a permanent sea of clouds at around 3,000m. In fact, it's very noticeable when you first pierce through the ocean from below 3,000m: What was once a wet and muddy path through a damp, misty rainforest suddenly becomes a dry and dusty trail through a temperate alpine forest.

Unfortunately, I was able to reach only Stella Point (5,756m), where the summit path I used meets the crater rim. To get to the highest point on the rim, Uhuru Peak (5,895m), would have required another hour's agonisingly slow walk, towards the permanent glacier on the peak. Given my already-frail condition at the time, my guide advised against going farther, saying that reaching Stella Point was already an achievement (you have to reach at least that point, or another slightly lower part of the rim if you come by another route, [Gilman's Point, 5,685m] to qualify for the official certificate stating that you've successfully climbed Kilimanjaro).

Bear in mind that an extremely strong wind carrying a choking amount of fine grit would start whipping across the crater rim past dawn, and you get an idea of why it's not considered healthy to press further at the late hour.

It was not a matter of fitness that I ended up in the state I was that morning. Rather, it was my near-total lack of experience with altitudes above 4,000m that did me in — all the training I did beforehand could not have prepared me for the thinness of the air at those altitudes, hence my respiratory system simply could not cope with the strain. The other two members in my group had previously climbed to Everest Base Camp (5,364m), so they knew better how to cope with the conditions and were able to reach Uhuru just after dawn, at around 7am.

The joke goes that the less fit you are, the smaller the chances of you suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness. There is actually some truth to this, because physically fit individuals tend to get overconfident, adopting too fast a pace, and hence suffer skull-shattering migraines, nausea or breathlessness, forcing them to abandon the climb.

Quote:
Originally Posted by andyjay729 View Post
Interesting that you posted those great pics now. In about a week my parents are going on an African safari themselves. But instead they'll be starting out in South Africa and visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Among the sites there they'll see Victoria Falls, Kruger National Park, Soweto and Cape Town.
I'm sure they'll enjoy their safari. Due to time constraints, I was able to visit only Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. I managed to spot almost all of the Big Five (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard) except the leopard (your best chance of spotting a leopard is in a really big park like the Serengeti, for which you need at least four or five days to cover adequately). It's like watching NatGeo, Discovery or Animal Planet live. I took several pictures, but without a long zoom lens, most of the photos turned out crap, unfortunately. I'm still sorting through them at the moment.

Last edited by TinyRedLeaf; 2011-08-17 at 09:16.
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Old 2011-08-17, 08:00   Link #233
Mystique
Honyaku no Hime
*Fansubber
 
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: In the eastern capital of the islands of the rising suns...
Glad to see you made it alive, safe and well.
Well done for achieving that massive milestone in your life and a very difficult goal too, now to relax and resue live as normal on your little island
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Old 2011-08-17, 10:30   Link #234
Yuno
Balanced Diet
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: !ouY htiW
So many places I would like to visit other than Japan. I intend on visiting Japan, but it will be mostly historical sites and things. I want to see Italy after seeing the locations in a game (that are actually really there). I also want to see tropical locations during the winter~ Though I wouldn't mind if some how I magically get money, to due the classical "Grand Tour" that was often done by graduates in the Victorian age and before. Would be nice to see all of the places where the literary arts were born and grew. I saw pictures of paintings, buildings, and historical sites of Europe and though it would be interesting to see them.
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Old 2012-05-28, 14:57   Link #235
TinyRedLeaf
Moving in circles
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
Still in the midst of processing some thousand-plus pics. For now, I'll just post this memento from my Estonia trip (May 18 to May 26).

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Old 2012-05-28, 22:21   Link #236
andyjay729
YOU EEDIOT!!!
 
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I'm right behind you
Age: 41
Thanks for uploading. That was a hauntingly beautiful song.
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Old 2012-09-18, 17:54   Link #237
MUAHAHAHAHAHA
Hail the power of Fujoshi
 
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: hahahahahahahahaha
Age: 34
I went to 7 countries from the 1st of September to 16 September. Originally, it should have been 9 countries and 20 days, but many changes took place prior to the trip. Anyway, the following post includes a few ignorant comments coming from a lady who is severely lacking from "worldly knowledge". There are too many pictures to choose from, so I won't upload them all, just the ones that I think are important.

One important note. You will no doubt notice that my commentary for each country gets shorter and shorter. I will be frank here;when one travels to so many places in the mere span of 16 days, one do not really have the opportunity to stop and "take it in". This happened to me. To begin with, I don't possess good memory. All I have are pictures and friends to remind me.


Day 1: Belgium and Amsterdam

My friends and I were supposed to depart from Park Lane at 8am sharp and travel down to Dover, and from there we take the ferry across to France . However, because my house is near to Dover and we didn't want to fork out additional money to travel to London, we waited at Folkestone instead. We had to arrive at 8am sharp, which means we would have to get an early train to London. If we choose to wait at Folkestone, we get to catch a few extra hours of sleep. Anyway, we called a cab and it cost the 8 of us a mere £37 as opposed to £20-£30 per person should we had chosen to go to London by train.Anyway, the bus picked us up in Folkestone and continued on to Dover. From there, our bus cross the English Channel via Eurotunnel.



I think it took around half an hour to arrive. It was quite hot in the bus because we were in the shuttle and all engines must be switched off. When we reached France, we drove on to Belgium, along the way seeing nothing but empty grass field. When we got to Belgium, we stopped for Belgian chocolates! It's a chocolate factory in the countryside. Chocolates are pretty cheap there. It's worth buying there than in the city, and plus, more choice to choose from. We spent approximately an hour there. Oh btw, chocolate boobs. I will put in spoiler tag in case some of you feel it's NSFW.

Spoiler for chocolate boobs:


We then marched on to Amsterdam. When we arrived, it was night and we went straight to the camp site. Throughout the entire journey, one choose whether they prefer to stay in the cabin or tent, and obviously the former costs more. I was willing to pay for cabin for the entire journey. I don't think I can stand staying in tents. I am not adventurous, I know.



Day 2: Volendam & Amsterdam

The cabin was very comfortable, but there are 2 things that I dislike;the lack of more plug sockets, and the fact that we had to pay 1 euro to get 5 minutes of hot water. Oh well, I can't really complain, can I? Anyway, after breakfast of cereals and bread as tough as rock, we went to the picturesque Dutch fishing and cheese village of Volendam. I have never been a fan of cheese, but even I was impressed. There was a short explanation by a Dutch girl on how to produce cheese. I am sorry to say that I was rude;the entire time she was kindly explaining to us, I was in a tourist mode and busy snapping photos. After that, we moved on to clog section. Similar to the cheese section, there was also a short explanation by a guy. He demonstrated how to carve shoes out of wood. Clog is a footwear made from wood. I couldn't believe that anyone will be willing to walk in that, because it seemed to be pretty heavy. However, once I held the shoes, it's not as heavy as I had assumed. There are many colourful shoes that come in different sizes. I bought one as a souvenir for 9 euro. I explored the town of Volendam, and I got to try on traditional Dutch costume. It's pretty expensive though, 26 euro for 2 large photos. Starting from noon we spent the rest of the day in Amsterdam city centre. I did not take a boat ride or visit Rijksmuseum, because I have been there before. There were many Indonesian restaurants there, but I was not surprised at all given the fact that Indonesia was once ruled by the Dutch people.There was this awkward moment when the tour guide asked me where I intended to go, and I replied De Wallen, better known as "Red-light district". I have been there once, and I would like to go there again just to get a look at the prostitutes again. He gave me a wtf look because I'm a girl, and yet I was showing so much interest to go there the second time. Anyway, I went there but I did not snap any photos, because apparently, whoever snaps photos will be beaten up immediately. Haha, I kid, but the consequences still must not be ignored. There were bodyguards outside each club, and whenever they saw someone with a camera, they became scary looking and all.




Day 3: Heidelberg

It's goodbye to dear Amsterdam, and it's hello to Germany. It was a few hours of journey to reach Germany, and along the way, again, plenty of empty grass fields. The bus driver hilariously chose "Eurotrip" for us to watch, because it seemed to befit our trip. By late afternoon we arrived at Heidelberg, home to the oldest university in Germany. As Heidelberg came into view, I saw for myself the beautiful River Neckar along with the beautiful baroque styled houses in the Old Town. I was mesmerized. I would love to live in a beautiful place such as Heidelberg. With the castle clearly in view, wonderful architecture, slow-moving river water, it's a romantic place. I took the Funicular train to visit Heidelberg Castle. The castle was in ruins, and nothing much to do there but the view from up there was spectacular. After snapping photos and bought souvenirs from the castle, I went down to the town with my friends. I didn't do much there, just snapped photos and bought gelatos. There was this one incident, where my friends and I were posing to take pictures, and this old man a few metres away from us stared at us like we're UFOs or something. He stared so intently that he did not blink for a whole minute I think. It was kinda funny but disturbing at the same time. We just ignored him.



Day 4: Fussen

On to the castle that inspired Disney! We arrived at Neuchwanstein castle in the late afternoon. I must say, it's truly a fairy tale castle. I stood in awe, trying to absorb the fairy tale aura emanating from the castle. Ludwig II might be deemed mad by most, but that dude certainly knew what a castle should look like. Before going up to the castle, I took photos of Hohenschwangau Castle. I went up to Neuchwanstein by horse carriage. The 10 minute ride was absolutely hilarious to the core; the horses crapped all the way. Their crap dropped to the ground with a loud thud. One of my friends even shot a pic of the crap. Ewww. Thank God it wasn't the peak season, so it wasn't that crowded. I did not enter the castle, because I would have to pay for it and I don't see the point. The interior is pretty much what one expects from a castle. Instead, I stayed outside and explored the surrounding stores. I bought pretzels from one of the stores, and I gave it to my friend after one bite. It tasted odd for me. It's salty, and it's hard to chew on. I am used to sweet pretzels with chocolate coating on it, so I could not get used to the pretzel. I did not go to Marie's bridge, because there wasn't enough time to climb all the way up there. I came down and with my friends, we played with swans. They were very hungry, and my friend fed them Oreo cookies. I stopped them from further feeding them, because I am not sure swans can withstand Oreo.



Day 5: Innsbruck to Venice

We packed up and moved on to Innsbruck, Venice. Instead of visiting Golden Balcony or Iod city gate, all of us made a beeline for Swarovski store in Austria. I don't know why everyone made such a big fuss; there are many swarovski stores in the UK. I just followed majority and went to the store. As expected, the price was not exactly cheaper. Perhaps what set it apart is that it has more variety. I bought only one bracelet for my mother, and nothing for myself, because I am not a big fan of accessories. Rather than being charmed by the many types of crystals that come in different shapes, sizes, colours and stones, I was more interested in the interior of the store. The stairs were adorned with crystals, and so is the toilet wall. Okay, I get it. This place is certainly different from typical Swarovski stores.Only after the shopping session did we actually went to the Golden Balcony. I love the variety of strudels. I bought apple and sour cherry strudel.



Day 6: Venice

We departed from our campsite in Fusina for a short boat ride to Venice. I went to all the usual places; Piazza San Marco, Bridges of Sighs, Rialto bridge markets, etc,etc. I had a hard time choosing which mask to buy, because they all look so pretty......and pricey. I finally settled for an 8 euro mask. Many masks are made in China, but I prefer to that the masks are made in Venice, just so that I can show off to my friends rather than the awkward moment of "Hey, I thought you said you bought the stunning mask from Venice, why is it made in China?" I am of course aware that that many products in the world are made in China, but for reasons unknown even to me, I want the mask that I was going to buy to originate from Venice. After shopping for masks, I went to a lace and linen school. Apparently, it's the last school in Venice that carries on the tradition of sewing Venetian needlepoint lace. I didn't know that lacemaking was an occupation favoured and reserved for only the aristocracy during the 1500's. This lace school stands on the premises of an old Methodist Chapel "Il Merletto". I bought a tablecloth that cost me 75 euro. I didn't buy it because I want to use it. God knows I have little use for it. I intend to frame it, along with the certificate, and display it in my house, muahahahahahaha. Anyway, after that, we went for a gondola ride. There are varying prices depending on the routes and the "lavishness" of the boat, and as my friends and I are poor travellers, we settled for the 25 euro ride that lasted for 20 minutes or so. The routes he took us were dark and nothing much to see, but I guess that is the price you get when you are being petty with your money. After the ride, we went to explore the city and snapped photos. I bought gelato, and it's the best ice-cream ever after Ben&Jerry. For 4 scoops, I paid 3.50. Not a bad price. Then my tour guide talked about Murano glass, and everyone was immediately on their feet to search for shops and buy them. I was like, "not again". I had no choice but to follow them. I bought a cheap Murano glass necklace that looks very Chinese with its red and orangy colour. Venice is a beautiful city, but to be frank, one can only fully explore this magical city if he or she has a deep pocket (the operahouse, the boutiques). As for mine, it's sadly not the case.



Day 7: Rome

We spent the entire day driving to Rome, and by the time we reached the campsite, it's late afternoon.



Day 8: Rome

The first place that we went in Rome was the Vatican City. We took a train from Prima Porta to Flaminio, and from there another train to Ottaviano S.Pietro to reach Vatican City. My tour guide gave us countless of warnings about pickpockets. I did not take his warning seriously because pickpockets are common in big cities. More about that later. A tour of the Vatican museum cost around 15 euro if I am not mistaken. Anyway, I did not join the tour. Instead, I explored St Peter's Basilica. The entrance is free, but to visit the Dome and the roof, one needs to pay.I prefer to save my money for Colosseum and Pisa rather than being pushed around by people. If the day had been Wednesday, I would have paid for the tour fee because I also get to see the Pope giving his blessings. There was this one funny incident. My friend was excited to see a post box, and he thought that he could send a letter to God. After I calmed him down, I dashed his hopes by telling him that it's not the purpose of the post box to send letters to God. Poor guy was sad. I saw a few Swiss guards, and they looked emotionless and stoic. I tried hard to compare them to the Queen's guards in the UK, but I couldn't. After Vatican City, we stopped for lunch. Outside the restaurant, many beggars were lingering and asking for donations. One kid even dared to enter and held out his hands, despite stern warnings from the owner. I was in a dilemma, because the kid came to me, and I didn't know if I should just ignore them or give them a few pennies. I knew that the money will go to someone else and not the kid, but at the same time I could not just coldly ignore him. In the end, I gave him 2 euro. He flashed a wide smile, tucked the money into his pocket, and held out his hand again! This time I went for the former;i ignored him. After we came out of the restaurant, a woman beggar tearfully approached me with a photo of her in her younger days with her children. She was mumbling about something and I could not understand, but I am guessing it's about her children. My tour guide politely shook his head and told her to go away. On our way from Termini to Colosseo, a group of pickpockets tried to break out group's formation. As per our tour guide's instructions, we were to stay closely to each other so that we could take care of each other's belongings. He informed us that pickpockets in Rome will use any methods to steal, and this happens most commonly on the train and bus. They sometimes use knife to cut through the bag. Also, he told us not to be flattered if someone is molesting our butt. "They are not after your butt, they are after your money!" Anyway, the aforementioned group tried to come between us, and my tour guide was wise enough to know what they were up to, and sternly told them to go away. One of them already had his hand in my pocket, but luckily for me, my pocket was empty. The group backed down, and then a lady, their leader I think, beckoned to them to attack again. This time my tour guide resorted to physical force to force her hands away. She muttered something angrily and spat on his face. I was shocked to no end because she actually had the audacity to steal in the public. That, and the fact that she was holding an infant. They ran off when they spotted a man in uniform. After that episode, we finally arrived at the Colosseum. As expected, the way the sun shone upon it, one could feel the glory of Colosseum in its heyday. I could swear I heard exclamations and sounds of weapons clashing, or maybe it's just me due to the heat. The seats are arranged in a tiered arrangement that probably reflects the stratified nature of Roman society. However, most of the stone seats are ruined.



Day 9: Rome to Pisa

We started travelling north heading towards our campsite near Pisa. It took about 5 hours. From the campsite, we were shown the way to Campo di Miracoli. It was just 700 metres away. I will admit, I was pretty ignorant. I had thought that Pisa Tower stood among other large buildings, but I was somewhat surprised to discover that apart from Piazza del Duomo and Pisa Tower, the immediate surrounding areas are just empty grass field and a town. It looks so lonely there, I almost felt sorry for it. I took pictures outside the tower. I did not enter as intended earlier, because I was worried about money and none of us went up to the tower anyway.



Day 10: Swiss Alps


It's a 10 hour journey to drive to Switzerland. Before driving to the Swiss Alps region, we stopped first at Lake Como to take a clear look at Grigna Mountains. When we reached Lauterbrunnen at last, it was freezing cold and very misty. Our campsite is situated in a valley in between gigantic snow-cap mountains with waterfalls The Swiss Alps can be seen from our place. The place has a haunting feel to it due to the thick mist, and one gets the feeling of doom because there is nothing much but mountains after mountains. The cabin that I shared with 8 other people looked like a witch's house from outside. Picture is included below.





Day 11: Lauterbrunnen & the Swiss Alps

I had a full day to explore the mountains. The Jungfrau excursion offers "breathtaking views as you take the cog railway up into the mountains to the summit of the Jungfrau Mountain", a scenic journey taking about 2 hours. Whilst at the summit one can explore the ice palace, and if the weather is fine one can try their hands at skiing or enjoy a dog sledge ride. For those not taking the excursion to the Jungfrau, they can visit the unique Trummmelbach falls that has 10 amazing waterfalls in a cave. I chose neither, and instead went to Staubbach Falls which is just in front of our campsite. I am not sure what you call it, but there is a water fountain near the park area. I tasted the water, and it's the most refreshing water I have ever consumed. Bottled water has this odd taste that I can never identify, but this water that came straight from the fall was tasteless and cooling. Unfortunately, I did not bring enough water bottles with me, or I would have filled them all with the water.



Day 12: Lauterbrunnen & the Swiss Alps

This was the most boring day ever, because the entire day, the town of Lauterbrunnen was soaked to the core. It started raining the night before, then continued until the next day. Many people did not venture further than the town itself. As for me, I stayed indoor. I was so bored, I actually paid 12 swiss francs just for internet. I went to the campsite's souvenir shop, and bought a couple of fridge magnets and postcards. I did not buy Swiss knife, because though famed, I have no use for it. An average Swiss knife costs about 18 swiss francs.



Day 13: To Paris

We left the gigantic mountains behind us and headed for Paris. We drove north west through the mountains passing beautiful vineyards in between many French chateau. The journey took around 11 hours. By the time we arrived, it's already midnight.

Day 14: Disneyland Paris Option

The entire day to enjoy the thrills and spills of the rides at Disneyland Paris! I was thrilled! I couldn't sleep the night before. It might sound corny to some of you, but visiting Disneyland had always been my dream. I finally got to see the classic Sleeping Beauty castle, and I hugged Mickey Mouse! I bought a Mickey Mouse headband, and I wore that for the rest of the day. My favourite ride is Space Mountain: Mission 2. It was so fast, I thought I was going to die there and then. But that's what I like about it. The thrill alone is satisfying. I am not satisfied however, with the toilets. I was aghast to discover that toilet doors have gaps that people could clearly see what you are doing in the cubicle. I was surprised that no one has raised this issue yet. CineMagique is my favourite attraction. I love how they combine montage of past and present films to create a coherent story with some stage tricks. I paid £24 for Disneyland entrance fee as opposed to the standard £30-£40 because Sky TV offered 4 tickets for the price of 2.


Day 15: Paris

Our day started with a sightseeing tour that included famous landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. Our tour guide advised us not to speak English unless required, and to greet them with bonjour instead of hello because we might be ignored if we use English. I have been to Paris before, so I was quite bored and lazy to snap any pictures. The queue for Louvre was crazy long, so I cancelled my plan to see Mona Lisa. I went to the rich side of Paris and saw shops ranging from Louis Vuitton to Mulberry. I positively gagged when I saw the mannequin for Louis Vuitton. It's hideous; it's a granny with a bright orange wig. I was like, "that's the ugliest mannequin ever". Or it could be my fashion taste sucks. Anyway, there was this long queue outside LV shop. A Chinese couple approached my friend and pressed money into her hand, begging her to help them to purchase an LV bag. They already bought 2, and they are not allowed to buy any more. I cautioned my friend against it, because who would be stupid enough to believe that someone with an ordinary appearance has 1000 euros in cash, wanting to buy an LV bag. I was also approached by a few more Chinese people, but pretended not to know English. My refusal was pretty retarded, because they asked " Can you speak English?" and I replied "Sorry, don't understand". Yeah, stupid, I know. After that, we took pictures near Eiffel Tower. The park near the tower was almost full of couples. I felt rather out of place. I sat at a bench with my friends, and we tried hard not to look at a couple who was making out right in front of us. The woman's hand kept caressing the guy's butt. At last we moved to another bench. I wasn't impressed with Paris at all, until evening came and the city was glowing with lights. To me, the full glory of Paris is only apparent at night.



Day 16: Paris to London

Nothing much. After breakfast we made our way out of Paris and travelled through to the Port of Calais, from there we took the ferry across to Dover and finally to London.
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Old stuff but just a reminder that butthurt report form is here to help
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Old 2012-09-18, 18:05   Link #238
willx
Nyaaan~~
 
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
^ Holy crap. I was in Aruba a month ago and sat on the beach in one place for a week.. Kudos on the trip, looks fun (albeit exhausting)
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Old 2012-09-19, 07:14   Link #239
Liddo-kun
is this so?
 
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gradius Home World
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUAHAHAHAHAHA View Post
I went to 7 countries from the 1st of September to 16 September. Originally, it should have been 9 countries and 20 days, but many changes took place prior to the trip. Anyway, the following post includes a few ignorant comments coming from a lady who is severely lacking from "worldly knowledge". There are too many pictures to choose from, so I won't upload them all, just the ones that I think are important.
That's an excellent "report" on places you visited. Will be honest that I didn't read everything, but I did read everything you said about Germany (have a close friend who lives there), Venice, Rome, and Paris.

Castles in Germany, that's so cool. And Paris at night, I only see that in greeting cards, must be really beautiful.

A little sad that beggars (in Rome), and scammers (the Chinese that you met) are rampant. Personally, I would have given none to the kid, but I probably would have given some to the crying woman with the picture..
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Old 2012-09-21, 08:09   Link #240
Kirarakim
Senior Member
 
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
I love traveling so I've been to a few places over seas

Australia (studied abroad here in college)
England
Italy
Greece
Czech Republic
Israel

Also Canada & the Bahamas but I am not sure if those count. I feel they don't if you live in the US.

Also beautiful pictures muahahaha
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