Sabbatical homework continues...

Back in 2015. In Saint Petersburg. Russia.

Here I am again. Been close to a month and finally over the past 2 weeks I had more progress in booking my accommodations and planning my itinerary. Hahaha.

Let's see what have I gotten so far after Netherlands and Paris:

Saint Petersburg - S$35 (4 nights)

Petrozavodsk - S$25 (2 nights)

Murmansk - S$31 (3 nights)

Moscow - S$60.15 (2 nights)

My main motivation to Russia. Saint Basil's Catheral in Moscow.

And the reason why Moscow is so expensive was coz the silly me didn't look carefully at the dates before confirming my booking. If not. The price for 2 nights' stay would have been S$39 only. :( Super upset with myself for my carelessness!

Petrozavodsk is just a quick stop as I want to head to Kizhi to see the 1714 Transfiguration Church!

Anyways. I've decided to do a day trip to Luxembourg from Belgium and save on accommodation. Reason? The accommodation for a 2 star hotel is at S$92 per night. Way out of my budget! And the best part? There are 2 Michelin restaurants there that I am debating of trying.. But cost and reservations are a concern. Ah well. I'll see how it goes!

And coz I'm not staying in Luxembourg. I want to make full use of my Eurail pass. So. I think I will splurge a little more in France (since I'm quite certain it's going to be a time visit and a strike off my list). I'm going to stay on a vineyard! :D Yes. It's gonna cost my way more than my usual stays. But I guess it's a once in a lifetime thing. Hahaha!

So this's just a quick update while I continue scourging for cheap domestic flights in Russia and places to stay in the province of Champagne! :D

Surprise in my mailbox! :)

My Eurail surprise!

I didn't really have time to sit down and plan. So I did the next best thing - planning my trip on the go.

I have long bus rides to work (about an hour per way daily) and I started making use of whatever little time I could. Expedia. Agoda. Airbnb. Skyscanner. TripAdvisor and Google became my companions.

I signed up for Expedia many years ago when I was in school coz of a project we had to research on. And it came in handy when I had members' deal and I booked my accommodation for Netherlands through it. So in Netherlands I'm gonna stay in a hostel that costs S$18.24 per night.

Wanted to stay at an Airbnb in Paris and contacted a host but it was too far ahead and he was not able to confirm. :( So I saw an insider deal in Agoda and booked a hostel stay instead! (And this set me back S$35.63 per night.) 2 accommodations down!

There was also a summer offer for Eurail on the Benulax-France journey - 4 + 1 free travel day (S$416.03) So I bought it too! And it was delivered in my mailbox yesterday night! So exciting!

Now waiting for Luxembourg accommodations' offer. While making plans if I should visit Saint Petersburg first or Murmansk. Before heading to Moscow..

Ah.. But before that I think it's time for a little nap on the bus and hope inspiration strikes! :)

Whiling away the afternoon..

A cuppa.. And my Lonely Planet. 

As I spent this afternoon holed up in a cafe called Alley No. 5 in Malacca. Malaysia. Random thoughts just flashed past my mind. 

Malacca is a city that I used to be so familiar with that I'll do a yearly 'pilgrimage' up from Singapore. And I always used to stick to the same old Jonker Street and after a while.. Without thinking. I could tell you how to walk and where are some of the places worth stopping by for food. 

But my notion of Malacca being an easy place to walk around vanished 2 years ago when I met Gus. My Airbnb host. He has been based in Malacca since 2010 and there are places where only locals go but he'll show us around too. 

I got to know Malacca better. From a local stand point. And since then.. Malacca has changed. I see how the locals are proud of their culture. Their roots. Of how their daily lives are and their jobs and roles in this little tourist-drawing city. 

This year.. This trip marks my 3rd. My first alone.

The places I went with Gus today were places I never knew.. Never been. Lest the weekly market behind his Airbnb and this cafe I was at this afternoon. 

I enjoy how friendly I've become with the locals. How we became friends and keep track of each other's lives via social media. :) 

Like at Alley No. 5. Oren. The owner/barista. He saw me fishing out a book from my bag and he went like 'Doing your 'homework' for Russia ah?' Or when his older brother Yalu walked past and asked me 'You're back? Alone?' And proceeded to talk to me about Gus other Airbnb like we've known each other for ages (which we ain't.. I only got to know him better this year.) 

And when another of their friend came over for a drink. We were chatting across the different tables and just whiling the afternoon away. 

It's a simple lifestyle. A simple trip up Malacca. But what made it all so special are the friends I've made here that makes me come back so much more often. 

Travelling to familiar places never cease to amaze me each time I go back. And that's probably the magic of travelling. <3

It's been a while..

My Trans-Siberian book I bought this year.. With the Russia travel guide a friend gave me. 

It's been a long while since I'm here blogging. I think stopped somewhere after closing down that page I had. Hmmmz. 

So what made me come back? Coz as I was researching on my Trans-Siberian trip next year. I realized there's not a lot of information on the trip and the planning. I'm not talking about the typical tour group trips. But rather. The DIY kind trip. I've only found a good webpage (read more here: http://www.railway-train-travel.com.au) by a couple who shared from their planning to during the trip and details. Had a friend who linked me up with her friend who also captured some of her accounts on the Trans-Siberian too (you can read more here: http://burtontravels.blogspot.sg/). 

So I decided to blog about the planning and the happenings during the trip (when that happens) and post-trip (if there is any) as I guess in a way. Besides wanting to share my experiences and how I got about doing it. To serve as a memory to myself that I can do all of this alone. 

And the story begins...

Ever since I went Russia (Saint Petersburg. Novgorod and Moscow) last year with Contiki (no.. I stopped blogging by then. So sorry.. No stories to share. ;P). I started dreaming about doing Trans-Siberian. It felt like a daunting journey.. But little did I know how close to the truth I was. 

I have a sabbatical next year that I am taking. So I decided to do the Trans-Siberian during that period. 

What exactly is Trans-Siberian? In simple terms. It's a train journey across Russia and Siberia. Starting in Moscow and usually ending in Vladivostok. Spanning 7 different time zones. It is also the longest railway in the world (at a length of 9289 km and still expanding). There are a total of 18 stops on the Trans-Siberian journey and it also branches out in the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian. If you were to take the train journey straight from one end to the other. It will take you 10 days on the train non-stop. You can read more on the background and history brief here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Railway. 

Daunted yet? :) 

I have already started researching on where to go. What to do. Where to stay. And studying Cyrillic (or at least trying to recognize the words) since the beginning of this year. Along the way plans changed. And new additions were added. :) 

So why Trans-Siberian? Coz I'm hooked on to the history. The culture. The architecture. And the beauty of the nature of the country. And that it was something that I guess I want to do while I'm still young and in good health. 

What popped up as I was planning? That the thought of visiting Keukenhof Gardens in Netherlands came up. And when I realized how close Netherlands is to Belgium (I have cousins living there). And a friend asked why not do a day trip to Paris from Belgium as I am unlikely to fly and just visit France on its own. Then there is a Eurail pass that covers Netherlands. France. Belgium and Luxembourg for S$400. And thinking of going down to Ho Chi Minh on my way back from Vladivostok before coming home.

Hence. From a simple Trans-Siberian. Suddenly I have an overwhelming list of places to cover together. :P

As of now. I have only bought my tickets to Amsterdam. And from Belgium to Saint Petersburg. My flight ticket from Singapore to Amsterdam is on Garuda Indonesia (direct 13 hours flight) for S$535 and from Belgium (on Brussels Airlines - 4 hours) for S$119. Will need to buy the Benulux-France rail pass by the end of this month so that I can get the 1 free travel day on top of the 4 travel days.

So yeah. It's time to find back my mojo for writing. Regardless who may be reading this blog. :) 

Safe travels to all. Wherever you may be heading! 

A growing list!

As a kid growing up in a family who doesn't really quite travel. I was encouraged to travel with friends and see the world once I start having some spending power. I always remember my first trip (excluding school trips) out with a friend was when I was 17 and we headed up to Cameron Highlands and Kuala Lumpur on a 4 nights 3 days trip. 

I was proud of myself then coz I earned the money to cover my own expenses and I had no need to ask my parents for money. I remembered feeling excitement pumping in my veins and I couldn't sleep well the night before. Hahaha. I remembered packing and repacking my luggage (yes - luggage!) coz I was fearful of leaving out anything. And when the trip came. I was blown away by the whole experience. Of travelling in a coach in the middle of the night up the winding highway to Cameron Highlands. Of feeling chilled by the weather up in the hills. And of seeing the BOH tea plantation rolling out in front of me like a panorama that never seems to end. Kuala Lumper was quite the city trip (though what marred the experience was me getting food poisoning). 

Since then. I've started to make it a point to travel once a year and I've never looked back since. I've been to countries with friends. From Indonesia. Malaysia. Cambodia. Thailand. Sri Lanka. Hong Kong. Macau. Maldives. Philippines. Japan and Taiwan (once bringing my mummy along). And South Korea and Australia for work. Solo travelling became me after I tried travelling to Laos for the first time and ever since I've been to China (mainly for Tibet). Indonesia. Malaysia and Philippines (yearly since 4 years back).

Do I regret spending my money on travelling? Definitely not. These are experiences that have made me who I am today. And today I am a much more seasoned traveller (and the luggage is lesser seen! =P).

Credits to: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/

So you may ask now. 'Why this post?' Well. Coz I'm starting my planning for my 2 months trip in a couple of years time (love my company for giving sabbatical leave of 2 months) and I do need ideas and suggestions of where to head to. =) 

I was thinking of covering South America or Europe or Africa in 2 months. But there are factors I'm worried about. Like it being a place I can only 'touch and go' without being in depth in the place. And along the way there are places that have been eliminated and here are the remaining (though ideas are truly welcomed =))

Credits: http://www.staydu.com/

Credits: http://truenomads.com/

The Netherlands.

What I want to do? 

I wanna see the fields of tulips! Of the famous windmills of Holland! Of the canals in Amsterdam!

But on a more serious note. There's definitely more to Netherlands than just that. I want to visit the museums (especially Van Gogh). Anne Frank House. The Heineken brewery and red light district just to name a few. I wanna taste the stroopwafles and have a cup of koffie verkeerd. I want to have a piece of hollandse nieuwe haring and poffertjes. *grinz*

Credits: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/

Credits: http://www.traveldepartment.ie/

Austria

What I want to do?

Of course visit the hills where 'Song of Music' was filmed - Salzburg! Immerse myself in an opera in Vienna! And visit all those places where the famous music composers once reside - Mozart, Haydn and Strauss!

I do want to go to the Danube Island. Visit a palace. Do some wine tasting and visit some micro-breweries. Oh heaven!

Credits: http://www.cbc.ca/

Credits: http://www.trekamerica.com/

Canada

What I want to do?

It's more than just taking the train. More than kayaking in the Rockies. More than seeing the Niagara Falls. It's more to visit my inaanak (godson in Tagalog) in British Columbia and his Dad. So if I could head over it's more for my emotional being than the scenery (though that's a bonus!) 

Credits: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Credits: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Credits: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

 Credits: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Scandinavian countries

What I want to do?

Denmark. Norway. Sweden and Finland. Iceland. There's so much to see and do. I want to see the Santa Claus village! See the Northern Lights! Sit on a fjord! And perhaps some skiing!

The Northern Lights have attracted me for as long as I can remember. And to be able to see Santa Claus village in real life would be awesome. Staying in an igloo sounds just about right too! Visiting the original Legoland would also be fun! Hahaha. I love Legos. *heartz*

Credits: http://static.guim.co.uk/

Credits: http://static.guim.co.uk/

Argentina

What I want to do?

Tango in the streets! See the magnificent Iguazu Falls! Hike up the Andes if I can!

But the wine and the reserva faunistica peninisula valdes where I can see the wildlife along the coast would be out of this world. Being able to visit the capital - Beunos Aires - and soaking myself in the cultural city would be fascinating.

Credits: http://kiwianne.com/

Italy

What I want to do?

Float down the canals of Venice! See the Colosseum! Stand next to the tower of Pisa! Drink an espresso!

Hahaha. Italy was never high on my list until I met 2 travellers on my last trip in Siargao and I guessed the pictures they painted of their home was too vivid for me to forget any time soon. Especially when not long ago a friend just came back and was raving about the country. I want to visit Florence and walk down the small winding roads through vineyards and countryside. 

Credits: http://static.donquijote.org/

Spain

What I want to do?

See the Sagrada Familia! Learn flamenco dancing! Enjoy tapas washed down with some local wine/beer!

I want to walk along the streets of Las Ramblas and party in Ibiza (though I'm not much of a party animal!) I want to be part of one of the biggest festival ever - La Tomatina! Hahaha. The movie 'Walking on Sunshine' made it looked so fun! I've already started planning my outfit! Looking for white tops (that can be discarded immediately) to bring! =D

Credits: http://www.jigneshbapna.com/

Credits: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/

Prague

What I want to do?

Be at the Christmas Market in the Old Town Square! Amble along the cobblestoned streets of Charles Bridge! Pay a visit to the Old Jewish Cemetery and get lost in Prague Castle!

My last inspiration for the 2 months has gotta be being there for Witches' Night. Catch a puppet show.  Have a gulas and a koblihy with some local craft beers. And of course visit a cathedral too! 

Definitely a long list.. 8 places I want to go. But which will be the best? Let's hear from you! =D