My last blog post felt rather rushed so I'm going to take my time to do this one properly.
On
Sunday evening I arrived in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam where I
met up with my friends Claudia and Daire. After a lot of catch up chat
we feel asleep and woke up to a hot busy city on Monday morning. Hanoi
is many things, terrifying, busy, colourful and delightful. It is
terrifying because of the sheer number of mopeds over running the
streets, crossing the road is a pure nightmare and on several occasions
I've come close to having my toes lobbed off!!! On October 10th Hanoi
celebrates 1000 years of being capital so you can imagine how absolutely
crazy busy it is. More mopeds than usual, more people selling crap than
usual, more people in general and most of all a complete wonderful buzz
around the entire city, especially the lake area. A far as colour goes
Hanoi is bursting with life. The streets are full of lanterns, the shops
fronts are full of toys, the trees are full of glow-in-the-dark lights
and there roads and people are covered in yellow and red celebratory
ribbons and stickers. Whilst all the noise, air pollution and killer
traffic may not be your cup of tea and certainly not relaxing the city
is still a delight and full of old traditional buildings, funny looking
houses, happy people and most of all cheap-as-chips beer =) enough to
keep anyone happy!!!
Even though Hanoi is a huge city there isn't
too much to see on the sight seeing front. We spent a full day walking
around the Museum of Literature where Chinese architecture was in
abundance. We also saw the 1 pillar pagoda, the lake, a few other
pagodas and caught a dodgy rickshaw ride. Unfortunately we couldn't see
the Hoi Chi Ming mausoleum because he's body is apparently in Russia but
we did wonder around the grounds a little and I even got booted out of a
church for wearing shorts, oops!!!! The evening was spent enjoying
'less than $1 beer' and eating random Vietnamese food i.e rice rice and
more rice.
On Tuesday we left Hanoi for our 2 night tour of
Halong Bay. We arrived on the boat and enjoyed a delicious sea food
lunch and meet some wonderful people. Halong Bay is a UNESCO world
heritage site and consists of 1000+ islands poking up from the Gulf of
Tonkin, it is a beautiful and peaceful place where the water is warm and
the light breeze blows against your skin. The afternoon was spent
cruising around the island (some look like animals e.g. fighting cock
island) walking through an amazing cave full of more animal shaped rocks
and finally taking a swim in the lush water. Claudia and I being the
dare devils we are jumped off the boat's roof!!!! After more yummy food
for dinner we finished the evening drinking beer and singing karaoke!!!!
I am not normally a fan but couldn't resist joining in for Bohemian
Rhapsody, Boys Don't Cry and some other tasteful delights. We slept on
the boat and were made to awake at 7am for an adventure packed day of
kayaking, bicycle riding, jungle trekking and experiencing Cat Ba island
from the inside of a hot sweaty mini bus. After the jungle trek on an
island I can't remember the name of, Claudia, Daire and I were left in a
remote village to spend the night in a bungalow instead of the hotels
everyone else was heading too. The bungalows were basic yet endearing
except for the giant spiders we made the bungalow owner man kill with a
massive stick. Fortunately our beds came equipped with mosquito nets but
that didn't stop us being horrified from all the creepy crawly noises
we could hear in the dark. After another early start at 6am the 3 of us
cycled back to the harbour to catch a boat to Cat Ba island where we were
reunited with our other tour members. We spent a few hours cruising
around the islands of Halong Bay and were taken back to the main land
for lunch and the 3 hour bus ride back to Hanoi. Because we stayed in
the bungalow we missed out on a trip to the beach and due to the not so
great weather we were unable to visit monkey island =(
Halong Bay
was an absolute dream and so relaxing making our arrival in Hanoi last
night rather chaotic plus the air pollution felt 100 times worse after
spending 3 days by the coast where only a few mopeds could be seen.
Daire and I are getting so sick of eating rice we insisted on finding a
pizza place for dinner. The pizza and fries was glorious!!!! We spent
the evening walking around the lake and witnessing all the celebrations.
The air was full of happiness and cheer, glow-in-the-dark toys were in
abundance and the skies were full of flashing lights. After a sneaky
cocktail we headed back to the hostel and enjoyed a much need sleep.
Today
we leave Hanoi for Hue, a southern Vietnam town on the coast. The bus
journey is 14 hours but hopefully my Dexter novels will keep me going.
The bus leaves this evening so I think we'll spend the day chilling,
walking around a little, blogging (obviously) and maybe buying some food
for the horrific bus ride.
The weather here is nice, not too hot
but high enough we can spend the day walking around in shorts and
dresses. I'm getting really paranoid about being bitten by buys
though!!!
Speak soon xxxx
Friday, 8 October 2010
Sunday, 3 October 2010
Beijing and Hong Kong
Wow, it certainly has been a busy week for me so I guess the best place to begin is the very beginning.
After an exhausting 18 journey from London including a 4 hour stop over in Dubai I arrived in bright, sunny Beijing. Beijing was a fantastic place sight seeing wise and boy was there a lot to do. The first day I spent walking around the city and exploring the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, Jingshan Park, hutongs and markets. The Forbidden City is where the Chinese Emperors used to live and was completely banned from the public, hence the name. The architecture is traditional Chinese and completely beautiful. All the buildings are made with wood and panted in beautiful colours. There are large pots all over the grounds which used to be full of water to put out fires. You can look into loads of the buildings and see all of the ancient treasures, it's completely amazing! After walking around the Forbidden City and the beautiful Imperial Gardens I walked down to Tiananmen Square. There were guards all over the place making sure protests break out and keeping a look out for any other trouble.
In the afternoon I attempted to find a place to eat lunch mentioned in my tour book. I spent ages trying to find the restaurant only to discover it was full. So I walked around the hutongs (traditional Chinese streets) and found another place that served all kinds of weird meals. After lunch I explored the Temple of Heaven Park and more Chinese architecture and climbed to the top of Jingshan Park to see over the city and all the roofs on the Forbidden City.
After an exhausting day walking I rushed back to my hostel Peking International (lovely place) and went out to see some Chinese Acrobatics which was completely amazing! Those people can move in ways you wouldn't even imagine!
Wednesday was my Chinese high light because it was the day I walked along the Great Wall of China. Words cannot describe how amazing this day was. The views were the most fantastic I have ever seen, walking across the crumbled ruins for 3 hours was breath taking and I can't wait to show you all the photos. It was an exhausting trek but completely worth it, amazing!!!!
That evening I walked through the night market and saw all the weird food on sticks e.g. snakes, beetles and worms, gross!!! I also went out for some famous Peking duck which was completely delicious. Beijing was a fantastic experience, the Chinese traditions were beautiful but the hygiene was disgusting. Their toilets are literally holes in the ground and completely horrid!!!!
On Thursday I flew to Hong Kong to met Charlotte. We've had such a fun time here and I'll be so sad to leave, Hong Kong really is one of the most amazing places on earth. The first night there we went out with Charlotte's work colleges in the famous Lan Kwai Fong where the atmosphere was buzzing and the people were in abundance. Everyone was playing ICE where you have to kneel down when presented with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and down it! The next thing we knew one guy had bought an entire crate of bottles, hilarious!!! After exploring many bars including one on the 23rd floor of a skyscraper with amazing views we headed home to sleep in preparation for a few days of sight seeing.
On Friday we went for delicious Dim Sum for lunch followed by the bird and ladies market where I bought a few cheap treats. We got the famous Star Ferry across to the markets and back again so at night when all the building had their lights on the views were fantastic. In the evening we went out for Mexican food (a welcome change from Chinese) and headed back to the flat.
Yesterday, we went over to Lantau to see the massive Buddha. after queueing for what felt like forever we got the chair lift over the island where the views were stunning. After climbing 200+ stairs to see the Buddha which was amazing we had some noodles for lunch and joined the queue again for the chair lift again. We headed back to the flat for dinner and then went up to The Peak to see more stunning views of Hong Kong a night. The Peak is the largest viewing point on the island and boy were the views incredible. There really is no other place on earth like the Hong Kong skyline, it is completely breathing taking a night with all the sky scrapes and lights. After a few cocktails at The Peak we caught the rickety tram back down the hill.
My time in Hong Kong with Charlotte has been amazing. I've seen so much, been to so many places and experiences so many things. This city is probably one of the best places I've ever been and I hope I can come back one day. Compared to Beijing, Hong Kong is so clean and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed both places and am really looking forward to meeting Daire and Claudia in Hanoi, Vietnam later!
See you later x
After an exhausting 18 journey from London including a 4 hour stop over in Dubai I arrived in bright, sunny Beijing. Beijing was a fantastic place sight seeing wise and boy was there a lot to do. The first day I spent walking around the city and exploring the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, Jingshan Park, hutongs and markets. The Forbidden City is where the Chinese Emperors used to live and was completely banned from the public, hence the name. The architecture is traditional Chinese and completely beautiful. All the buildings are made with wood and panted in beautiful colours. There are large pots all over the grounds which used to be full of water to put out fires. You can look into loads of the buildings and see all of the ancient treasures, it's completely amazing! After walking around the Forbidden City and the beautiful Imperial Gardens I walked down to Tiananmen Square. There were guards all over the place making sure protests break out and keeping a look out for any other trouble.
In the afternoon I attempted to find a place to eat lunch mentioned in my tour book. I spent ages trying to find the restaurant only to discover it was full. So I walked around the hutongs (traditional Chinese streets) and found another place that served all kinds of weird meals. After lunch I explored the Temple of Heaven Park and more Chinese architecture and climbed to the top of Jingshan Park to see over the city and all the roofs on the Forbidden City.
After an exhausting day walking I rushed back to my hostel Peking International (lovely place) and went out to see some Chinese Acrobatics which was completely amazing! Those people can move in ways you wouldn't even imagine!
Wednesday was my Chinese high light because it was the day I walked along the Great Wall of China. Words cannot describe how amazing this day was. The views were the most fantastic I have ever seen, walking across the crumbled ruins for 3 hours was breath taking and I can't wait to show you all the photos. It was an exhausting trek but completely worth it, amazing!!!!
That evening I walked through the night market and saw all the weird food on sticks e.g. snakes, beetles and worms, gross!!! I also went out for some famous Peking duck which was completely delicious. Beijing was a fantastic experience, the Chinese traditions were beautiful but the hygiene was disgusting. Their toilets are literally holes in the ground and completely horrid!!!!
On Thursday I flew to Hong Kong to met Charlotte. We've had such a fun time here and I'll be so sad to leave, Hong Kong really is one of the most amazing places on earth. The first night there we went out with Charlotte's work colleges in the famous Lan Kwai Fong where the atmosphere was buzzing and the people were in abundance. Everyone was playing ICE where you have to kneel down when presented with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice and down it! The next thing we knew one guy had bought an entire crate of bottles, hilarious!!! After exploring many bars including one on the 23rd floor of a skyscraper with amazing views we headed home to sleep in preparation for a few days of sight seeing.
On Friday we went for delicious Dim Sum for lunch followed by the bird and ladies market where I bought a few cheap treats. We got the famous Star Ferry across to the markets and back again so at night when all the building had their lights on the views were fantastic. In the evening we went out for Mexican food (a welcome change from Chinese) and headed back to the flat.
Yesterday, we went over to Lantau to see the massive Buddha. after queueing for what felt like forever we got the chair lift over the island where the views were stunning. After climbing 200+ stairs to see the Buddha which was amazing we had some noodles for lunch and joined the queue again for the chair lift again. We headed back to the flat for dinner and then went up to The Peak to see more stunning views of Hong Kong a night. The Peak is the largest viewing point on the island and boy were the views incredible. There really is no other place on earth like the Hong Kong skyline, it is completely breathing taking a night with all the sky scrapes and lights. After a few cocktails at The Peak we caught the rickety tram back down the hill.
My time in Hong Kong with Charlotte has been amazing. I've seen so much, been to so many places and experiences so many things. This city is probably one of the best places I've ever been and I hope I can come back one day. Compared to Beijing, Hong Kong is so clean and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed both places and am really looking forward to meeting Daire and Claudia in Hanoi, Vietnam later!
See you later x
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Off again
Today I begin my next adventure, South East Asia with my two friends
from uni Claudia and Daire. First stop Beijing and then Hong Kong to
visit Charlotte. I'm very excited and but also scared as I'll be in
Beijing on my own for 3 days. After visiting Hong Kong I'm meeting
Claudia and Daire in Vietnam. We will also travel to Cambodia, Laos,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and hopefully Bali. I'm back on December
10th and will miss you all. I'll try and blog about my adventures as
often as I can but who knows what the internet will be like out there!!
Last night I discovered that my camera is broken, I can't get the battery out to charge it PLUS I can't even find the battery charger!!!! I'm going to buy a (cheap) camera in China but so far this isn't a great start...
Take care and see you in 2.5 months
Hannah xxxxxxxxxxx
Last night I discovered that my camera is broken, I can't get the battery out to charge it PLUS I can't even find the battery charger!!!! I'm going to buy a (cheap) camera in China but so far this isn't a great start...
Take care and see you in 2.5 months
Hannah xxxxxxxxxxx
Friday, 18 September 2009
Final chapter
I've been home a couple days now and realised I need to finish my blog so here goes.
Berlin was fab, I did the free tour of East Berlin and it was amazing! We saw loads of Pre WWII sights as well as Nazi related buildings, artefacts from the Cold War and memorials, excellent! I would have tipped the guy more than a fiver but I really couldn't afford too. He was brilliant, told loads of interesting stories, including the most dramatic account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and completely made the city come alive with history, I would definitely recommend it! I also went to the East Side Gallery which is the largest remaining section of the wall, it is covered in art which is currently being repainted to celebrate 20 years since the fall. The art was fantastic! I also went into the Reicstag, to view the city from the famous glass dome which was really beautiful, despite queueing for an age in the cold.
The next day I wondered around the city a bit more to see some other sites and have a stroll through the beautiful Tiergarten. That afternoon I was meant to catch the direct train to Copenhagen. I was half an hour early so patiently waited on the platform for the train. Some how the train came and went without me even realising. How this happened I'm not sure but it was definitely the most retarded thing that happened to me. I managed to find an alternative route where i had to catch 4 train, I arrived in Copenhagen at 2am, fun! Berlin was amazing though, I love the city and really want to go back. There aren't many buildings standing that were built pre WWII but those that are, are covered in bullet and shell holes, graffiti and all sorts, it really make the history come alive and make you realise how recent the war was. Berlin is still a beautiful place despite suffering so much trauma in the last 100 years!
Copenhagen was ace, apart from the terrible bedroom I had! The city was beautiful and serene with plenty to see and do. There were bikes everywhere and I was convinced I would be run over (fortunately not)! I walked around for hours, went to see the Little Mermaid (not great), the harbours, Tivioli (the hugely popular theme park where I went on the rides on my own, sad!) and other sights which I can barely even remember now. I ate the most amazing mussels of my live and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The next morning I took a trip to Kristiania which is a free community in the heart of the city. Everyone was on drugs, most stoned, and the atmosphere was so chilled out you could have fallen asleep at the various bars. Everyone lives together and work alongside each other to keep this community going and too not become a refuge for the junkies. There are frequent raids from the Danish police but generally the place is really peaceful. You aren't allowed to take photos which is a shame because there is a lot of beautiful graffiti art and nature as its pretty much a park wit a few buildings.
I found some amazing vintage shops in the city, the selection of clothes and accessories was amazing, unlike the prices!! The high cost is a running theme throughout North Europe, Copenhagen wasn't the worse place for rip off prices but it was still bad. Despite that the city was an amazing place.
That afternoon I caught the ferry to Oslo. On board I watched Harry Potter 6 and slept! Not the most exciting part of the trip!
I arrived in Oslo the next day with no clue where to go! Eventually found the hostel, dumped my stuff and proceeded to explore as i was only in the city for 24 hours. Oslo was very pretty but with little to actually see. Everything was expensive and the free museums weren't amazing. I saw some cool Viking artefacts but the museum with the impressive boats was too far away.
My next port of call was Stockholm which was much more interesting. First of all the city is massive therefore there is a lot more to see. I went to the palace and saw the crown jewels, royal apartments and the museum. I went to the view point, the harbour, wondered around the old town for hours, I went to the comic shop which was full of FREAKS! I have nothing against comics, I read them myself but the people here were a new bred of weird!! I was mesmerized by the half marathon that afternoon and ended up watching against the road side for at least an hour, the people were amazing and I found myself a bit emotional by the whole experience. One of my room mates at the hostel had actually ran it so it was fun talking to him that evening about the whole experience! I want to run the London Marathon one day so my first step is going to be to dig out some trainers and start running.
My final journey was to get another overnight ferry to Helsinki, where I proceeded to sleep for 12 hours. Helsinki was amazing! I wandered around the markets, took a boat trip around the islands, went Christmas shopping and more. By the end of my trip I had seen so many churches, cathedrals, parliaments, city halls I couldn't really be arsed with doing that in Finland so I just walked and explored without a tour book. I chatted for ages with the people at the Hostel and generally had a great time in the vibrant city. I went to an Irish bar and had a stupidly priced cider and tried to buy reindeer meet but 50 quid was too much for a tin!!
After 2 nights in this fab city it was time to get my plane home! A guy from the hostel was also travelling to London and was on the same flight as me, excellent, so it was fab to have company on the otherwise boring 3 hour journey. Mummy met me at Gatwick and after seeing her I realised the trip was at an end!
I had a bloody amazing time and so glad I went, even on my own. It did get a bit lonely at times but I still had the best 5 weeks ever and can't get over how many places I've been and how much I've seen, A LOT! It was nice to come home, I was completely exhausted and in desperate need to vitamins plus I missed everyone a bit by this stage but I'm determined to do more travelling now, but with some friends!
Now that this journey has ended the next is about to begin. In a week and a half I start my masters at Surrey Uni and I'm mega excited! I don't think I'll update this blog until my next adventure but who knows you can never be too sure! So until next time, go see Europe everyone cos its great!
Berlin was fab, I did the free tour of East Berlin and it was amazing! We saw loads of Pre WWII sights as well as Nazi related buildings, artefacts from the Cold War and memorials, excellent! I would have tipped the guy more than a fiver but I really couldn't afford too. He was brilliant, told loads of interesting stories, including the most dramatic account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and completely made the city come alive with history, I would definitely recommend it! I also went to the East Side Gallery which is the largest remaining section of the wall, it is covered in art which is currently being repainted to celebrate 20 years since the fall. The art was fantastic! I also went into the Reicstag, to view the city from the famous glass dome which was really beautiful, despite queueing for an age in the cold.
The next day I wondered around the city a bit more to see some other sites and have a stroll through the beautiful Tiergarten. That afternoon I was meant to catch the direct train to Copenhagen. I was half an hour early so patiently waited on the platform for the train. Some how the train came and went without me even realising. How this happened I'm not sure but it was definitely the most retarded thing that happened to me. I managed to find an alternative route where i had to catch 4 train, I arrived in Copenhagen at 2am, fun! Berlin was amazing though, I love the city and really want to go back. There aren't many buildings standing that were built pre WWII but those that are, are covered in bullet and shell holes, graffiti and all sorts, it really make the history come alive and make you realise how recent the war was. Berlin is still a beautiful place despite suffering so much trauma in the last 100 years!
Copenhagen was ace, apart from the terrible bedroom I had! The city was beautiful and serene with plenty to see and do. There were bikes everywhere and I was convinced I would be run over (fortunately not)! I walked around for hours, went to see the Little Mermaid (not great), the harbours, Tivioli (the hugely popular theme park where I went on the rides on my own, sad!) and other sights which I can barely even remember now. I ate the most amazing mussels of my live and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The next morning I took a trip to Kristiania which is a free community in the heart of the city. Everyone was on drugs, most stoned, and the atmosphere was so chilled out you could have fallen asleep at the various bars. Everyone lives together and work alongside each other to keep this community going and too not become a refuge for the junkies. There are frequent raids from the Danish police but generally the place is really peaceful. You aren't allowed to take photos which is a shame because there is a lot of beautiful graffiti art and nature as its pretty much a park wit a few buildings.
I found some amazing vintage shops in the city, the selection of clothes and accessories was amazing, unlike the prices!! The high cost is a running theme throughout North Europe, Copenhagen wasn't the worse place for rip off prices but it was still bad. Despite that the city was an amazing place.
That afternoon I caught the ferry to Oslo. On board I watched Harry Potter 6 and slept! Not the most exciting part of the trip!
I arrived in Oslo the next day with no clue where to go! Eventually found the hostel, dumped my stuff and proceeded to explore as i was only in the city for 24 hours. Oslo was very pretty but with little to actually see. Everything was expensive and the free museums weren't amazing. I saw some cool Viking artefacts but the museum with the impressive boats was too far away.
My next port of call was Stockholm which was much more interesting. First of all the city is massive therefore there is a lot more to see. I went to the palace and saw the crown jewels, royal apartments and the museum. I went to the view point, the harbour, wondered around the old town for hours, I went to the comic shop which was full of FREAKS! I have nothing against comics, I read them myself but the people here were a new bred of weird!! I was mesmerized by the half marathon that afternoon and ended up watching against the road side for at least an hour, the people were amazing and I found myself a bit emotional by the whole experience. One of my room mates at the hostel had actually ran it so it was fun talking to him that evening about the whole experience! I want to run the London Marathon one day so my first step is going to be to dig out some trainers and start running.
My final journey was to get another overnight ferry to Helsinki, where I proceeded to sleep for 12 hours. Helsinki was amazing! I wandered around the markets, took a boat trip around the islands, went Christmas shopping and more. By the end of my trip I had seen so many churches, cathedrals, parliaments, city halls I couldn't really be arsed with doing that in Finland so I just walked and explored without a tour book. I chatted for ages with the people at the Hostel and generally had a great time in the vibrant city. I went to an Irish bar and had a stupidly priced cider and tried to buy reindeer meet but 50 quid was too much for a tin!!
After 2 nights in this fab city it was time to get my plane home! A guy from the hostel was also travelling to London and was on the same flight as me, excellent, so it was fab to have company on the otherwise boring 3 hour journey. Mummy met me at Gatwick and after seeing her I realised the trip was at an end!
I had a bloody amazing time and so glad I went, even on my own. It did get a bit lonely at times but I still had the best 5 weeks ever and can't get over how many places I've been and how much I've seen, A LOT! It was nice to come home, I was completely exhausted and in desperate need to vitamins plus I missed everyone a bit by this stage but I'm determined to do more travelling now, but with some friends!
Now that this journey has ended the next is about to begin. In a week and a half I start my masters at Surrey Uni and I'm mega excited! I don't think I'll update this blog until my next adventure but who knows you can never be too sure! So until next time, go see Europe everyone cos its great!
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Eastern Europe. Done
It's been a while but I've been so busy I haven't been able to sit down
on a computer for more than a few minutes. I'm in Berlin now after an
exhausting ride on the over night train and instead of looking around
the city today I've slept instead!
Last time I wrote I was nearly finished my time in Zagreb where I would be leaving for Budapest. I am probably the only person to say this but I really didn't like Budapest, the city was vast and full of trashy building and dirty roads. My hostel was pleasant but in the morning, without fail, the builders / protesters / commuters would wake me up with their screaming and drills. The sight seeing didn't go to well either, after walking for an age I stumbled across Buda (old town) and found the castle, the cathedral and some lovely little cobbled streets lined with candy box coloured houses. OK so far you may think, until I got horrifically lost trying to find the river again to cross back into Pest (new town). Bear in mind the Danube is massive but i still managed to spend 2 hours tracking it down. Eventually made it across, found some more churches and the biggest Synagogue. A couple were getting married at one place which was extremely romantic, except for the horrid tacky car that waited for them outside. I tired to find my way back to the hostel but didn't know where to go so just hopped on the metro instead. I spent the evening hanging out with the hostel folk which was extremely enjoyable.
I would go back to Budapest in the future with some friends in hope for a better experience but i think the big city style put me off as I've been used to smaller locations.
Next stop was Bratislava. I already had some doubts before i even got there and the grey concrete box of a train station and graffiti didn't do much for my opinions: Went out the first evening with my rooms mates (a bunch of friendly English boys and 2 extremely obnoxious welsh girls) to a local club which was pretty awful except for the cheap drink. It was a Sunday night so the place was dead but i was taught to appreciate minimal music so it wasn't all that bad. A friend of the boys (the most obnoxious, ignorant arse of a man I've ever met) was extremely drunk and started to sing racist songs, take his clothes of and be an all around idiot and then wanted to know why he didn't have a girlfriend... shocking!!! Went sight seeing the next day and my impressions of the city quickly changed. The city centre was tiny but extremely pretty with its little colourful streets and eye catching buildings: I walked around the castle, saw the changing of the guard at the government building and wandered about the markets.
The following day I was back on a train but this time to Vienna. The journey was only an hour long and the two cities are the closest capitals to each other in Europe and possibly the world. Vienna was AMAZING!! Big but so much to see, it really is a city of art and music. I went to the butterfly house which was beautiful if not a little scary when these massive insects were flying directly at your head. I walked around the old palace, the opera house and into the museum quarter which is where i spent all afternoon. I went to the Leopold Museum which had a nice collection of art including the biggest collection by Egon Schiele which was really interesting. Then there was KUNSTHALLE which was full of modern art, some of it I liked (the photography portraits) but some of it was really strange (videos or utter randomness). The last gallery was MUMOK which was full of contemporary art, again some was interesting whilst other pieces were completely bewildering! My favourite place was the Haus de Musik which was a museum dedicated to the art and science of music. There were loads of interactive sections where you could create music and then there were the sections about the great composers and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, I could have listened to the music all night!
The hostel I stayed at was super, it had it's own bar and was so much fun. The first night there i had two cocktails and due to a recent lack of alcohol consumption i felt slightly inebriated. The second evening was time for an early night due to catching an early train in the morning to Krakow.
After a long bookless journey (I'd finished Breaking Dawn several days ago) I arrived into Krakow which is beautiful. The people in my cabin on the train started drinking beer at 9am and began shots at midday, I politely declined when they offered me a vodka!! Except for the extremely unfriendly Polish locals this city was a joy to stay in. The hostel was great, we had a BBQ in the beer garden and the basement has been converted into a brilliant bar and pool room.
The following morning I went to Auschwitz which as you can imagine was rather horrific! The place wasn't as bleak as I had imagined as a lot of the building are red brick but despite that it was still ghastly. The day I went also happened to be cold, damp and grey so the atmosphere was even worse. There were literally rooms full of human hair and personal belongings. The tour was great, in terms of depth of information but I can't say I wasn't glad to leave. I don't think it ever properly sunk in that over 1 millions people died there (90% Jewish) and a lot of the really terrible parts i.e. the 'shower' rooms and incinerators had been destroyed when the Nazis tried to burn the evidence of what was going on there but despite that it was still utterly disgusting!
Back in Krakow I walked around the castle (another one I hear you say) which was really pretty and other parts of the old town and down to the river. That evening I caught the night train to Berlin. The night train was a first for me and I was terrified of being robbed as I've heard so many stories. It was fine except I didn't sleep well due to the freezing, noisy carriage and the obvious discomfort of the bed! I shared the cabin with a group of friendly people which is more than I can say about the neighbours who sounded like they were having a riot because so many noises were coming through the walls.
We arrived in Berlin this morning (3 hours late) where I will be based for 2 more says before heading to North Europe. I'm planning on doing one the the famous Berlin free tours tomorrow and going to the Jewish museum. I've only got 10 days left before I return home and I'm glad to be in a more civilized part of Europe
Last time I wrote I was nearly finished my time in Zagreb where I would be leaving for Budapest. I am probably the only person to say this but I really didn't like Budapest, the city was vast and full of trashy building and dirty roads. My hostel was pleasant but in the morning, without fail, the builders / protesters / commuters would wake me up with their screaming and drills. The sight seeing didn't go to well either, after walking for an age I stumbled across Buda (old town) and found the castle, the cathedral and some lovely little cobbled streets lined with candy box coloured houses. OK so far you may think, until I got horrifically lost trying to find the river again to cross back into Pest (new town). Bear in mind the Danube is massive but i still managed to spend 2 hours tracking it down. Eventually made it across, found some more churches and the biggest Synagogue. A couple were getting married at one place which was extremely romantic, except for the horrid tacky car that waited for them outside. I tired to find my way back to the hostel but didn't know where to go so just hopped on the metro instead. I spent the evening hanging out with the hostel folk which was extremely enjoyable.
I would go back to Budapest in the future with some friends in hope for a better experience but i think the big city style put me off as I've been used to smaller locations.
Next stop was Bratislava. I already had some doubts before i even got there and the grey concrete box of a train station and graffiti didn't do much for my opinions: Went out the first evening with my rooms mates (a bunch of friendly English boys and 2 extremely obnoxious welsh girls) to a local club which was pretty awful except for the cheap drink. It was a Sunday night so the place was dead but i was taught to appreciate minimal music so it wasn't all that bad. A friend of the boys (the most obnoxious, ignorant arse of a man I've ever met) was extremely drunk and started to sing racist songs, take his clothes of and be an all around idiot and then wanted to know why he didn't have a girlfriend... shocking!!! Went sight seeing the next day and my impressions of the city quickly changed. The city centre was tiny but extremely pretty with its little colourful streets and eye catching buildings: I walked around the castle, saw the changing of the guard at the government building and wandered about the markets.
The following day I was back on a train but this time to Vienna. The journey was only an hour long and the two cities are the closest capitals to each other in Europe and possibly the world. Vienna was AMAZING!! Big but so much to see, it really is a city of art and music. I went to the butterfly house which was beautiful if not a little scary when these massive insects were flying directly at your head. I walked around the old palace, the opera house and into the museum quarter which is where i spent all afternoon. I went to the Leopold Museum which had a nice collection of art including the biggest collection by Egon Schiele which was really interesting. Then there was KUNSTHALLE which was full of modern art, some of it I liked (the photography portraits) but some of it was really strange (videos or utter randomness). The last gallery was MUMOK which was full of contemporary art, again some was interesting whilst other pieces were completely bewildering! My favourite place was the Haus de Musik which was a museum dedicated to the art and science of music. There were loads of interactive sections where you could create music and then there were the sections about the great composers and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, I could have listened to the music all night!
The hostel I stayed at was super, it had it's own bar and was so much fun. The first night there i had two cocktails and due to a recent lack of alcohol consumption i felt slightly inebriated. The second evening was time for an early night due to catching an early train in the morning to Krakow.
After a long bookless journey (I'd finished Breaking Dawn several days ago) I arrived into Krakow which is beautiful. The people in my cabin on the train started drinking beer at 9am and began shots at midday, I politely declined when they offered me a vodka!! Except for the extremely unfriendly Polish locals this city was a joy to stay in. The hostel was great, we had a BBQ in the beer garden and the basement has been converted into a brilliant bar and pool room.
The following morning I went to Auschwitz which as you can imagine was rather horrific! The place wasn't as bleak as I had imagined as a lot of the building are red brick but despite that it was still ghastly. The day I went also happened to be cold, damp and grey so the atmosphere was even worse. There were literally rooms full of human hair and personal belongings. The tour was great, in terms of depth of information but I can't say I wasn't glad to leave. I don't think it ever properly sunk in that over 1 millions people died there (90% Jewish) and a lot of the really terrible parts i.e. the 'shower' rooms and incinerators had been destroyed when the Nazis tried to burn the evidence of what was going on there but despite that it was still utterly disgusting!
Back in Krakow I walked around the castle (another one I hear you say) which was really pretty and other parts of the old town and down to the river. That evening I caught the night train to Berlin. The night train was a first for me and I was terrified of being robbed as I've heard so many stories. It was fine except I didn't sleep well due to the freezing, noisy carriage and the obvious discomfort of the bed! I shared the cabin with a group of friendly people which is more than I can say about the neighbours who sounded like they were having a riot because so many noises were coming through the walls.
We arrived in Berlin this morning (3 hours late) where I will be based for 2 more says before heading to North Europe. I'm planning on doing one the the famous Berlin free tours tomorrow and going to the Jewish museum. I've only got 10 days left before I return home and I'm glad to be in a more civilized part of Europe
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Ljubljana and Zagreb
I'm in Zagreb after a long day of sight seeing and will be heading to
Budapest tomorrow so this is what I've been up to in the mean time.
The train ride to Slovenia was lovely, really picturesque so despite the duration it was really nice to stare out the window! We actually stopped in Austria on route which I didn't even realise until yesterday!
Ljubljana is an absolutely lovely, a really gorgeous, small city. There weren't too many sites except the castle, plenty of art deco buildings (fab!) and museums and galleries which I didn't even bother to go in to. The castle was on the top of a hill and looked over the city, perfect for seeing how Ljubljana is situated in between massive mountains! The architecture was stunning, I loved the style of the buildings and the little bridges were perfect. I did a little bit of shopping and got some awesome harems and a ring, had some yummy ice cream and the biggest burger I've ever seen (Mexican flavour)! Because the city is so small it's extremely enjoyable to walk around without the ability to get (too) lost. The hostel was lovely and the cool temperatures meant I finally got some decent sleep.
The following day I got the train to Zagreb with Emma from the hostel, it was only a short journey but still was nice to have company. For the FIRST time on my adventure I got stamps in my passport. One when we left Slovenia and then when we entered Croatia, very exciting! Went to the hostel for a chilled out evening and listened to a Croatian girl sing and play guitar on the terrace, lovely! I'm supposed to be in a mixed room but I'm the only girl, the snoring is NOT nice! Hung out with a local girl and my room mates and had a really nice evening.
Today I must have walked the whole length and breath of the city. From the top of the hill (old town) to the train station at the other end past the new town! My first impressions of Zagreb weren't great because there was a lot of graffiti everywhere but once I ventured into the centre I suddenly found (to my surprise) much older buildings and less anti social behaviour! The old town was gorgeous. Full of old winding cobbled streets lined with colourful little buildings and churches aplenty. My favourite smell of this trip is probably the inside of a church, they all smell different but there is always a musky incense aroma! I bought a gorgeous necklace and found the international book shop to buy the final twilight instalment, woopie!
In the afternoon I dandered into the new town to have a look at the theatre, fountains, statues and other places a tourist would find interesting! I saw so much today I can barely remember. The city was full of lots of little green parks which were really relaxing to walk around. The flowers were in bloom and the various bars were perfect for a sit down and a drink!
Zagreb is pretty cheap in places but it's a pain not being able to use the Euro. I don't think I would bother to come back but I would like to explore more of the country, the coast and south is meant to be beautiful!
My hostel is next to a chocolate factory and the smell is intoxicating! I bought a bar from the shop and it tastes incredible.
I've got a really long train journey to Budapest tomorrow but fortunately have a new book for company. Tried to learn some local words but was laughed at so don't think i'll bother in Hungry!
Ciao xx
The train ride to Slovenia was lovely, really picturesque so despite the duration it was really nice to stare out the window! We actually stopped in Austria on route which I didn't even realise until yesterday!
Ljubljana is an absolutely lovely, a really gorgeous, small city. There weren't too many sites except the castle, plenty of art deco buildings (fab!) and museums and galleries which I didn't even bother to go in to. The castle was on the top of a hill and looked over the city, perfect for seeing how Ljubljana is situated in between massive mountains! The architecture was stunning, I loved the style of the buildings and the little bridges were perfect. I did a little bit of shopping and got some awesome harems and a ring, had some yummy ice cream and the biggest burger I've ever seen (Mexican flavour)! Because the city is so small it's extremely enjoyable to walk around without the ability to get (too) lost. The hostel was lovely and the cool temperatures meant I finally got some decent sleep.
The following day I got the train to Zagreb with Emma from the hostel, it was only a short journey but still was nice to have company. For the FIRST time on my adventure I got stamps in my passport. One when we left Slovenia and then when we entered Croatia, very exciting! Went to the hostel for a chilled out evening and listened to a Croatian girl sing and play guitar on the terrace, lovely! I'm supposed to be in a mixed room but I'm the only girl, the snoring is NOT nice! Hung out with a local girl and my room mates and had a really nice evening.
Today I must have walked the whole length and breath of the city. From the top of the hill (old town) to the train station at the other end past the new town! My first impressions of Zagreb weren't great because there was a lot of graffiti everywhere but once I ventured into the centre I suddenly found (to my surprise) much older buildings and less anti social behaviour! The old town was gorgeous. Full of old winding cobbled streets lined with colourful little buildings and churches aplenty. My favourite smell of this trip is probably the inside of a church, they all smell different but there is always a musky incense aroma! I bought a gorgeous necklace and found the international book shop to buy the final twilight instalment, woopie!
In the afternoon I dandered into the new town to have a look at the theatre, fountains, statues and other places a tourist would find interesting! I saw so much today I can barely remember. The city was full of lots of little green parks which were really relaxing to walk around. The flowers were in bloom and the various bars were perfect for a sit down and a drink!
Zagreb is pretty cheap in places but it's a pain not being able to use the Euro. I don't think I would bother to come back but I would like to explore more of the country, the coast and south is meant to be beautiful!
My hostel is next to a chocolate factory and the smell is intoxicating! I bought a bar from the shop and it tastes incredible.
I've got a really long train journey to Budapest tomorrow but fortunately have a new book for company. Tried to learn some local words but was laughed at so don't think i'll bother in Hungry!
Ciao xx
Monday, 24 August 2009
Venice W.O.W
I've just arrived in Ljubljana so I thought I'd let you all know how Venice was.
Amazing!
All the canals made the city seem so romantic and fairy tale like, I absolutely loved it! I went to St Mark's which is definitely my favourite cathedral, it's so Gothic and spooky inside, I loved it! I took the water bus up and down the Grand Canal several times taking in all the scenery and surrounding sights. It was mad arriving in the city because it felt like the train was floating on the water. After a lot of walking about and getting the general feel of the place I went to the Lido AKA THE BEACH!! The sea was gorgeous but I forgot my swimming stuff so couldn't go in :-( but I did enjoy lounging on the sand! Wondered about some more and probably crossed a millions bridges and I DIDN'T get lost which everyone normally does.
The following day I went to Verona to see the Romeo and Juliet sights which was so lovely. I was only there for a few hours so I only saw Juliet's balcony, her tomb and the amphitheatre (third largest in the world). As you walk into Juliet's house there is an arc covered in love graffiti, so romantic, so i wrote a little message (cheesy i hear you say) I also bought the play and wondered around enjoying the delightful little city. Juliet's house had a fantastic little art display by Quinn (I think) it was painting and sculptures of flowers, so vibrant and colourful, I really enjoyed it!
The hostel I stayed at was fab, awesome people, a fab location and breakfast and dinner included! The only bad side was when I was woken up by one of my room mates being sick on the floor, lovely!!
There were so many pigeons in the city, it reminded me of the guy who gave me some random bird food in Milan so they would fly up to my hands, horrid! He took my photo and then had the nerve to ask for 5 Euro, i gave him 20 cent!! I had so much fun the last few days I can barely remember what happened so there isn't much more i can write. Venice was incredible and I really want to go back again. It was bloody expensive but worth it... maybe! I would have like to do a gondola ride but they are super pricey so maybe next time.
I'm sad to leave Italy and all the nuns (there have been so many!) but I think I've eaten enough pizza and gelati to last a long time so bring on Eastern Europe. I've finished Eclipse so I desperately need to find a book shop to buy the final instalment, until then I'm reading Romeo and Juliet. I also bought the most ridiculous sailor hat in Venice, it's ab fab!
Ciao for now people
Amazing!
All the canals made the city seem so romantic and fairy tale like, I absolutely loved it! I went to St Mark's which is definitely my favourite cathedral, it's so Gothic and spooky inside, I loved it! I took the water bus up and down the Grand Canal several times taking in all the scenery and surrounding sights. It was mad arriving in the city because it felt like the train was floating on the water. After a lot of walking about and getting the general feel of the place I went to the Lido AKA THE BEACH!! The sea was gorgeous but I forgot my swimming stuff so couldn't go in :-( but I did enjoy lounging on the sand! Wondered about some more and probably crossed a millions bridges and I DIDN'T get lost which everyone normally does.
The following day I went to Verona to see the Romeo and Juliet sights which was so lovely. I was only there for a few hours so I only saw Juliet's balcony, her tomb and the amphitheatre (third largest in the world). As you walk into Juliet's house there is an arc covered in love graffiti, so romantic, so i wrote a little message (cheesy i hear you say) I also bought the play and wondered around enjoying the delightful little city. Juliet's house had a fantastic little art display by Quinn (I think) it was painting and sculptures of flowers, so vibrant and colourful, I really enjoyed it!
The hostel I stayed at was fab, awesome people, a fab location and breakfast and dinner included! The only bad side was when I was woken up by one of my room mates being sick on the floor, lovely!!
There were so many pigeons in the city, it reminded me of the guy who gave me some random bird food in Milan so they would fly up to my hands, horrid! He took my photo and then had the nerve to ask for 5 Euro, i gave him 20 cent!! I had so much fun the last few days I can barely remember what happened so there isn't much more i can write. Venice was incredible and I really want to go back again. It was bloody expensive but worth it... maybe! I would have like to do a gondola ride but they are super pricey so maybe next time.
I'm sad to leave Italy and all the nuns (there have been so many!) but I think I've eaten enough pizza and gelati to last a long time so bring on Eastern Europe. I've finished Eclipse so I desperately need to find a book shop to buy the final instalment, until then I'm reading Romeo and Juliet. I also bought the most ridiculous sailor hat in Venice, it's ab fab!
Ciao for now people
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)