Iceland Day 1: Mon 2/5/11 : Blue Lagoon and Reykjavik

Iceland is reputed to be Europe’s Best Kept Secret. No kidding. It has amazing landscape and is a great place to witness the raw power of Mother Nature. It is here that human spirit is constantly tested. The long standing history of volcanoes eruption and earthquakes do not stop people from inhabiting this extraordinary country. It has 30 active volcanoes and the central highlands are not live able. With a low population 320 000 people, it continues to exist, brimming with geothermal energy and Viking spirit. Over centuries, the Icelanders have mastered the survival skills living in the “zitland”. Instead of living in fear of the next volcano eruption, they learn how to predict disaster and do fast emergency evacuation, redirect lava flow  and use geothermal energy for energy supply and green house farming. If the volcano eruption does not generate too much ash, it can even promote tourism and draw in crowd.

I read somewhere quoting that Iceland is a country that every visitor would vow to return..I only have 2 and a half day in Iceland. With such short timing, I merely had a glimpse enough to whet my appetite for future return. Iceland is truly an expensive country to travel in. From UK, one can fly by Icelandair or Iceland Express. I chose the latter because of departure from Gatwick. If travel in two, Icelandair has hotel plus flight package that is quite worth it. There are decent priced hostels but most will charge few euros for bed linen. There are many day tours from the capital, Reykjavik which although expensive, is worth trying if staying for short days like me. Day tours are offered by companies like Iceland Excursion and Reykajvik Excursion. In June, Grayline offers self-guided tour where tourists can hop on hop off as they travel to the south coast.

I wanted to travel in style this time since is a short trip and Iceland Express allows one baggage check in. But because I was engrossed with Korean dramas, I only have 40minutes to do packing. I decided to travel light and not to check in. It was the right decision because the flight was delayed by almost an hour. Although I arrived at the airport an hour early, there was computer problem at the check in counter. I had to run to the boarding gate as I only have 20minutes before  the flight take off. And inside the plane, there was second delay as three passengers who had their baggage checked in did not board the plane. After all this delay, I arrived at Keflavik airport 15min before departure time to Blue Lagoon. I would have missed the bus had I checked in my bag. The Blue Lagoon closes at 8pm hence if I take a later bus there would be lesser time in the lagoon. I did not even have time to change money to Icelandic Krona. Thank God Iceland is plastic card friendly even for small purchases!

I am really glad that I went to Blue Lagoon. Initially I was contemplating not going due to time factor and the fact that one has to shower naked in common bathroom. Return journey plus admission fee cost 6300 ISK by Reykjavik Excursion. On the way to the lagoon, the bus passed by barren land of volcanic lava covered with moss and lichen. As we approached the Blue Lagoon, I could smell the rotten egg smell of sulphur. The Blue Lagoon is a famous thermal spring near Reykjavik . Visitors have to shower before don on swimsuits for hygiene reason. I avoided looking straight on as I entered the bathing area. A lot of naked women of all ages...There are lockers here to put small bag, clothes and shoes. At the lagoon, the air is very cold so I hurriedly jump into the water. The hot spa water is both refreshing and rejuvenating. A lot of visitors have reported positive result of the water. Rich with minerals, I could feel myself more buoyant in the water than usual. I tried the silica mask which is provided free at the lagoon. Of all the services, I love the super hot steam bath and the hydraulic massage by thunderous waterfall the most. After near two hours, I left the lagoon. The Reykajvik Excursion bus dropped me at the KEX hostel. My hostel is very new and while some rooms are quite ready for rent, there is still ongoing renovation work. Decently priced, it is located near the center of attractions and my room is has the seaview of North Atlantic Ocean. After check in, I explored the capital on foot. Sunset is at 10pm hence I had plenty of time. Shopped for water and food in nearby 24 hour shop. Oh my, everything is so expensive. I bought a 50g packet of dried haddock crackers without checking the price and how shocked I am when I found out that it is near 4 pound...

Reykjavik is probably one of the most quiet capital I have ever been to. There is only 180000 people living in Reykjavik. The streets are almost empty and not many cars on road either. It is easy to find my way around as each street is well signposted. I searched for the towering Hallgrimskirkja. It is actually a church with unique architecture. The sweeping columns on both sides represent volcanic basalt and it is only completed after 34 years of construction. It closes by 5pm hence I did not manage to enter the tower. In front of the church is the statue of Viking Leifer Eiriksson, the first European that discovered America. Next, I walked to Lake Tjornin before heading back to my hostel. Watched Korean drama still fell asleep...

Blue Lagoon

Hallgrimskirkja

UK Fri 29/4/11: Bath, Salisbury, Old Sarum and Stonehenge

It is strange that now I am in UK, I have not been exploring this country much. I seem to be in overseas more than in UK during my day off. I was waiting for winter to go away. Spring is here alas and I have planned a series of day trips to explore the English jewels.

Today is such a day. Typically long day stuffed with sightseeing to the brim, I was completely exhausted by night. I did not sleep well because I woke up every hour worrying being overslept. Slept about 3 hours before woke up at 5 am to get ready. The nearby train station is about 20minutes away by foot. Not surprisingly, I was all alone. I boarded the earliest train to Bath at 6am.

Bath is a beautiful city. To my dismay, I discovered that my camera was not fully charged with battery life of merely 20%. I had to use my mediocre Samsung hand phone to snap most of the photos L The centre of attractions is just a stone throw away from the rail station. Since I arrived before 9am, I walked past the Parade Gardens along the River Avon to the famous Pulteney Bridge. Then I walked back to the High Street and then Cheap Street to reach the The Roman Bath Museum. The Roman Bath is a fascinating site. It is the only hot spring in UK. There are three natural springs around the Bath Abbey and the Romans built a complex of bathhouses which can be seen here. The museum has excellent audio guide which is inclusive in the admission fee of £12. Even Bill Bryson gave his comments and opinions in the audio guide. As I entered from the reception hall, I was greeted by the grand view of Great Bath (King’s Bath). Next is the terrace that surrounds the top of the Great Bath with fine sculptures of Roman Emperors. There are exhibitions about the Roman people who lived here in the past (their occupation, daily life and death ie: graves and tombstones), the courtyard of Temple of Sulis Minerva (ruins and reconstructed altar), how the Roman worship their Goddess and convey their anger and dissatisfaction through “Curses”. There is a Sacred Spring which overflows to the Roman drain. The suites of Roman Baths in the East Bath are interesting in which there are ruins of changing room, hot room (like a sauna) and Cooling pool. Before leaving I drank a glass of spa water in the Pump Room...it is quite salty hence I did not finish drinking it.  Next is the Bath Abbey which has a long standing history back in 757AD. It was destroyed at 1066 before reconstructed at 1090. It became ruins in 15th century but later was completed in 1611 by order of Henry VIII. It is also the last medieval church being built in England and has the second largest cllection of wall monuments after Westminster Abbey. After a short visit to the Abbey, I walked towards The Circus to see the magnificent ring of 30 houses. Nearby is the Royal Crescent, an impressive semircircle terrace of Georgian houses situated next to Royal Victoria Park. Without much time to spare, I headed toward the rail station to board train to Salisbury.

Salisbury is a small quaint town. After buying Stonehenge tourbus ticket, I walked along Millroad to visit the famous Salisbury Cathedral which was built around 1220-1258. It is not as large as Canterbury Cathedral but it certainly has the tallest spire, largest cathedral close and cathedral cloisters in UK. It has the best preserved copy of only four surviving original Magna Carta (historic agreement between King John and his barons in AD1215) and unique 13th century stone frieze of bible stories in the Chapter House. Inside the cathedral is Europe's oldest working clock (AD1386).

I had to walk all the way back to the Salisbury rail station to board the Stonehenge tour bus (£18 for tour bus plus admission fees to Old Sarum and Stonehenge). The bus stopped at Old Sarum first. It was a short walk through the field to reach the Old Sarum, which is a huge rampart that dates back to 500BC. It was a hill fort in Iron age and later occupied by the Romans, Saxons and Normans. It become an important city by the 11th century. During the reign of William the Conqueror, a castle, royal palace and cathedral were built here. Due to shortage of water supply, the cathedral was moved in 1219 to a new setup which is Salisbury. Slowly, Old Sarum was abandoned and became ruins. One does have to pay to enter the castle ground but on retrospective, exploring the ruins at cathedral site is quite adequate. Next stop is Stonehenge. Since it was a bank holiday, there were throngs of tourists. There are many others who were just content with watching from far outside the fence and snapped photos from there. Stonehenge is an array of stones arrangement which coincide with the axis of midsummer solstice. Located on a bank and ditch, there is Heel Stone, Slaughter Stone (named such due to the horizontal lie, the stone changed to red colour), Altar Stone, Bluestone Horseshoe, 5 massive sets of Trilithon horseshoe and outermost of Sarsen Circle of massive vertical stones It is protected from visitors by another smaller fence but the view is still majestic and mysterious...It is worth paying the admission fees because of the excellent audioguide. There are a lot of hypothesis for the reason why it was erected. It might be a calender, an observatory to study stars movement or religious reason. The most amazing mystery is perhaps how the ancient people bring such heavy and massive stones all the way here. The bluestones were brought 240 miles from Preseli mountains in Wales and the Sarsen stones were cut from hard rock in Marlborough Downs 20 miles away. There are many mind boggling questions but despite all the uncertainties, Stonehenge remains to be one of the most popular tourist attraction. I was exhausted and went up to the bus to sleep. By the time I reach Redhill, it past 10pm. Really really tired...but I could not sleep because had to complete my e-filing for income tax ...

The Great Bath

Stonehenge

UK Fri 22/4/11: Warwick Castle, Stratford upon Avon, Cotswold and Oxford

As there are many places to cover in a day, I decided to join Evans Evans day tour from London Victoria. I purchased the tour online at the cost of £69 (admission fees included) but if one buys the ticket at the counter it costs £74. Even though it is still spring, I was surprised to see the huge crowd waiting at the gate of Victoria Coach Station. Naturally, the tour bus was full! The tour guide conducted the tour bilingually: English and Spanish.

The first stop was at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire. Reputed to be the 2nd most beautiful castle in UK, this medieval castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068. From 1088, the castle belonged to Earl of Warwick as a s symbol of his power. It had been used before to hold prisoners and in the 15th century, King Edward IV was imprisoned here by Richard Neville, "Warwick the Kingmaker". From 1759 to 1978, it belonged to Greville family who converted the castle to a country house. Later, it was sold to the Tussaud group. Today, the castle is a famous day outing spot for family especially for kids. There are medieval markets around the castle complete with tents and actors and actresses wearing the traditional clothes of the bygone era as commoners or as Queen Victoria and Elizabeth I. For the kids, there are Knight and Archery schools, caricatures and face painting . At scheduled time, there are jousting event,  trebuchet demonstration, Birds of Prey display  and Warwick warriors show(fighting event). It is very commercialized and one needs to spend a day to fully enjoy the castle. Because I am following tour, I had limited time and only able to visit the Great Hall and State Rooms, Chapel, Kingmaker (with wax models that display the life in Warwick Castle in medieval period), Secrets and Scandals of Royal Weekend Party (wax models displaying high society social life), the Mound and the Riverbank. Soon, I had to rush back to the bus parking area.

Next, the bus drove to Straford upon Avon to visit the Shakespeare House. It is really a very small Tudor house where Shakespeare was born in 1564 and he spent his childhood here. The crowd was immense, causing delay in entrance. William Shakespeare, no doubt is one of the most brilliant writer in history. He had introduced many words and sayings into English literature and we may have been quoting his words daily without realizing it. William's father was a successful glove maker and the small house by past standard was considered a symbol of a wealthy family. After finishing the tour of the house, one can sit in the garden to watch how actors enacting the scenes from Shakespeare play. Unfortunately, I was hard pressed for time. I tried to explore the Stratford town to look for the the Holy Trinity church where Shakespeare was buried. I got a bit lost and had to rush back to the bus again before manage to do much sightseeing in the town. Bought a packet of rum and raisins fudge to eat in the bus but the taste is still inferior to the fudge in Scotland.

The bus weaved its way through the Cotswold where there are beautiful thatched cottages. To tatch a roof, the cost is about £25000-£75000 and it may take few months time. Roof thatching is a dying art. We stopped at the Great Tew village for a short while before heading towards Oxford.

The last stop was at the Oxford. Visitors are allowed to enter Christ Church with a fee. Inside Christchurch is the Meadow Building, Dining Hall with famous Alice window, college and student accomodation and Anglican cathedral. Inside, the tour guide lead us past the All Souls College (the only college with no students), Brasenose College, Radcliffe Rotunda (a place where studenst bring books from library to read here), the reknown Bodleian library (with evergrowing massive collection of original copy of books) and Sheldonian theatre. We had a peak into the Exeter College before walking back towards Ashmolean Museum to board the bus. Managed to shop for groceries in Tesco while waiting for bus.

Back in London, I meandered my ways through the Buckingham palace park and St James park to reach Leichester Square and Chinatown. London was jam packed with people that day. I have bought ticket online to watch Mamma Mia musical in Prince of Wales theatre. It was a fun-filled and entertaining musical but I had to leave near the ending to catch my last train back to Earlswood. I had to take  atube from Piccadily Circus to Victoria station but I missed the train by 2 minutes :( No choice but to board the train to Redhill and take a cab from there. At the late hours, no more Metro bus service...Nevertheless, it was a great day with time well spent :)

Shakespeare house

The Cotswold

UK Mon 4/4/11: Brighton, Southdowns Way, Eastbourne

It was a glorious day in spring. I left the hospital after finishing my night shift to catch a train to Brighton. To my dismay, I found out that my old bike was stolen! Sigh, I was looking forward to catch up with biking in spring since I did not bike at all during winter but now...have to do jogging instead.

Walking to the train station took longer time than biking and I missed the train when I was collecting my tickets at the counter. I had to wait for another 20minutes for the next train. Once arrived in Brighton, it is easy to see why everyone loves Brighton. The train station has view of the cliff and once exited the station, I was greeted by the lively atmosphere in the town. Everyone just look so gay and happy. Using plusbus ticket (purchased online when I bought my train tickets), I hopped into bus 6 to go to Churchill Square and from there crossed the road to bus stop E to board bus 12 to Exceat centre in Seven Sisters National Park. Brighton is a great place to do shopping I was told but it is either hiking or shopping so I chose the former. The bus weaved its way through small towns of Rottingdean, Saltdean, Peacehaven, Newhaven and Seaford before stopping at the Exceat Park Centre. I should have stopped at the Golden Galleon Pub really because it is much nearer to hike from there. One can choose to take hiking trails from the national park or walk towards the Golden Galleon pub and turn left to the footpath along the river to reach Cuckmere Haven and be rewarded with the view of the Seven Sisters. Since it was low tide, I was able to walk on the pebbled beach to take a better snapshot of the Seven Sisters.  Then, I climbed the small cliff opposite and the view is even better from here. Met a nice lady walking her dogs and she offered me a lift to Chyngton Estate. I am glad I had a lift because I could easily get lost while walking through the housing estate to reach A259 road to catch the bus 12 to East Dean. Waited for half hour for the bus as in the evening there is only 2 buses every hour at that area. Reached East Dean shortly. It is a very scenic village dotted with beautiful English cottages and it was a pleasant walk to Birling Gap. At the Birling Gap, I learnt about the history of the Gap and East Dean. In the past, it was not a safe town because it was the nest for the smugglers due to high tax on cotton. The smugglers were using Birling Gap and Cuckmere Haven to unload their contraband at night. Villagers stayed home after dark to avoid problems as there was death penalty for smugglers or anyone who harbours them. These places were involved in World War II action as well. Birling Gap was a magnet for shipwrecks in the past and even submarine was not spared…There are Neolithic and World War II findings at display just outside the café.

From the Birling Gap, I walked to the Bella Tout lighthouse which has been converted to a handsome guesthouse with café. Then, another few more miles walk before reaching Beachy Head. The weather was excellent and there were quite a number of visitors walking as well, doing the “Southdown Way”. Beachy Head is an amazing white chalk beauty with sharp precipitous cliffs plunging to the sea.  With the red and white lighthouse nearby, the duo are Southdown's icons. The bus 13X does this scenic route but only after 17^th April and on weekends. Since there is no bus, I had to walk to Eastbourne to board bus 12 again to go back to Brighton. An Englishman advised me not to take the footpath to Eastbourne because it will not be easy to cross to the city and so I stick to the road. It was taking me quite long and since there was no signboard in sight, I was getting worried. A cyclist passed by but I was told to piss off when I asked for direction. Undeterred, I walked on till I reach a junction with road sign and turned right toward the city. But I reached another junction soon and I was not sure which turn to take as one leads to the city and another to the seafront. I tried to stop a car to ask for direction. A nice lady stopped and very kindly offered me a lift to the pier. Thank you God!!!

She dropped me off near the pier with advise about which fish and chips shop to go to. Eastbourne is a lovely town. The blue and white pier is a catchy sight and the esplanade is decorated with flowers in full bloom.  In the pier, there is café with English high tea, sweets and souvenirs shops and a game arcade. I was very hungry after miles of walking and soon, I was searching for fish and chips. Dined at Qualisea. Huge portion of haddock and chips at GBP5.80. Ate to my heart content and left to board bus 12 back to Brighton. Sadly, all shops are closed by 5pm and I could not do any shopping at all.

Back in Brighton, I stopped at Brighton Dome and Royal Pavillion. The History and Art museum was already closed unfortunately. The Royal Pavillion is indeed an interesting sight as it is a palace with eastern flavour…unusual for an English palace. It was built by the flamboyant Prince Regent (later King George IV) and rumors had it that Queen Elizabeth does not fancy this palace and sold it to Brighton municipal. Since all shopping centre was closed, I shopped for groceries instead before boarding a train back.

Seven Sisters

Germany Day 6 : Sun 10/4/11: Hamburg

After the sumptuous breakfast buffet in the youth hostel, I walked along the St Pauli Harbour heading towards Fischmarkt, a market that existed since 1703. It is a very exciting market selling all kind of food, fresh seafood, trinkets, clothes and even has rock band singing on the stage! Had my stomach not bloated from the full breakfast, I would have spent big euros eating to my heart content. The calamari rings and fish nuggets were screaming for my attention...but I was just too full.
I had jolly good fun but had to leave after an hour to visit the most anticipated place of the day...

It may sound childish but the main reason I visited Hamburg is for its Miniatur Wunderland...not Reeperbahn of course :p. The child in me could not resist not seeing the world biggest model railway exhibition. I bought the earliest admission ticket online and got 10% discount ! It is advisable to go early because by 9am, throng of visitors came pouring in. By noon the crowd was so immense that I had to squeeze my way through just to have a peep at the exhibits. But since all are miniatures it is impossible to appreciate without having a closer look. Another problem is there were simply too many children and some parents parked their children at the railing for good 15 minutes without budging...so at the end the whole experience was tainted with stress. Despite all these, it is definitely a MUST visit in Hamburg. The exhibits are lovingly built with intricate details and cover countries like Austria, Switzerland, USA and Scandinavia. At Knuffingen section, there is a fun display of occasional fire outbreak by arsonist and the fire engine with its loud siren moving around looking for the source. At Harz section, there is open air theatre with Romea and Juliet play. And if one looks closely, frequently there are many miniatures that are based on every day life and funny scenes like alien invasion.

After the Wunderland, I explored Hafencity on foot. The Elbphilharmonie is still under construction but its impressive figure alreading dominating the waterfront. I walked for few kilometres under the hot sun searching for the U-boot submarine museum before a passerby told me that it has been relocated to near Fish Market! Bummer! I retraced my steps and headed for the city centre towards the Rathaus instead. With time to spare, I visited the beautiful Planten Blomen (botanical garden). It is really worth going in spring..the plum blossoms made me feel like I was in Japan..what an eye treat! Finally, I strolled along the harbour again and walked towards the Fischmarkt where the submarine is before going back to the hostel to get my bag and go to the airport.

Planten Blomen in spring

Germany Day 5: Sat 9/4/11 Berlin

Took my time to wake up and check out. Nearby is the longest remaining stretch of Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery. I reached there before 8am and it was nice to stroll along the wall and admire the wall art without interference. However the private moment was shortlasted as tourists were swarming all over the gallery by 830am and it became difficult to snap a decent photo...Opposite the end of the wall is the Ostbahnhof where I was going to board a bus to Hamburg in the evening.

One of the famous painting on East Side Gallery

As there was still time to kill, I explored the east Berlin on foot. Walked through shops and neighbourhood to reach Judisches Museum. This great museum is everything about Jewish and I was so enthralled with it that time passed by swiftly. The exhibition about Holocaust and Jewish families during the Third Reich left my eyes wet. The cultural and religious aspect of Judaism is also interesting but there is too much to cover. Before I knew it, I spent like 3 hours here and I was late to go back to my hostel. I half ran-half walked to nearest metro station to return to the hostel to pick up my rucksack. To make things worse, I was distracted and alighted at the wrong station and the next train terminated half way due to construction work. I had to get off and run back to my hostel, grabbed my bag and run to the bus station. I was so out of breath and sweaty by the timeI reached OSTbahnhof (coach station). Despite my earnest effort, I missed my bus by 5 minutes. *Sob*  The Berlinienbus ticket I bought online was discounted ticket hence there was no refund, and I was required to pay for another new ticket at triple the price and worse, I had to go to another station to board the next bus (different departure point). What I did not know was it took me nearly an hour to reach the second departure point. By the time I reached there, the bus was starting to move. With a hot dog in my hand and another hand trying to fumble through my purse for money...I must have looked pathetic because the man at the counter waved we away and let me board the bus without extra payment. Phew...

The bus is very comfortable and very punctual. Chatted with a gynaecologist along the way and despite her limited English, I was able to understand her. Arrived at Hamburg before darkness. Got into a metro to Landungsbrucken station. From the station, there is a staircase that lead up to the DJH Jugendherberge Hamburg Hostel at the top of the hill. The hostel is classy but there is no free wifi. The marvelous breakfast buffet made up for it though...


Hamburg is famous for night life in Reeperbahn, a legal red light district. All my hostel roommates went out to party the night away here but since I was travelling alone, I gave it a miss and slept early...

Germany Day 4: Fri 8/4/11: Potsdam and Berlin

 It was on the spot decision to go to Potsdam hence I was not prepared at all. The train ride from Warschauer Strasse station to Postdam took me nearly an hour. Once arrived at the station, I went to the tourist office to ask for a map but it was not open till 10minutes later. Unfortunately, there is no free map! (is even more expensive if buy from machine near the Sanssouci Palace). The day ticket that I purchased in Berlin covers the public transport in Potsdam too (need to buy Zon A+B). Took a bus to Sanssouci Palace but mistakenly got down one stop later in front of Orangery Palace. So I walked with another tourist who missed the stop like me towards the Palace. We cut through the Frederician garden and passed by the New Chambers before reaching the main ground of the palace.

Sanssouci Palace built in 1744 (means carefree in french) was the summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The town of Potsdam, with its palaces, was a favourite place of residence for the German imperial family until the fall of the Hohenzollern dysnasty in 1918. Sanssouci Palace is a small lovely palace decorated with Rococo style.  My favourite room is the last room with bird motif designs on the wall. The park is massive and it encompasses Sicilian Garden, Frederician Garden and the main avenue (Hauptallee) that leads to the New Palace and Temple of Friendship. It took nearly an hour to explore the Chinese House, Roman baths, Charlottenhof palace (Queen's palace), Church of Peace, Neptune's grotto and the rest of the park.

Sansoucci Palace Park

Left Potsdam past noon time to return to Berlin. Reached Hackescher Markt and walked along River Spree towards the famous Museumsinsel, a museum island of 5 museums: Neues Museum, Bode Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Altes Museum and Pergamon Museum. Due to time limitation, I only visited Pergamon Museum. It is a world class archaeological museum with reconstruction of Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, Ishtar Gate and Procession Way of Babylon, Mschatta facade, Aleppo Room , Islamic Art Museum, etc. I really love this museum, it is probably the best museum I have ever visited.

Pergamon Altar

After the museum, I walked along Unter den Linden road and crossed the Bebel Platz to reach Charlie Checkpoint, previously a checkpoint for diplomats, military personnels and tourists that want to enter East Berlin. Next, I walked along River Spree towards Reichstag (parliament) before visiting Bradenburg Tor and the nearby Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered European Jews). Lastly, a brief stop at Postdamer Platz and Charlottenburg Gate before heading back to my hostel.