it was quite an experience, i must say. just the two of us, dhamira & me, in a foreign land. i took it as an extended holiday, but with almost no money in hand. somehow we made do with what we had ...
when
we got back to london from manchester (the *travel england" post), the tuan2 rumah were already home from their
holiday. i didnt know them then. my sis, bil, ika, adrin & fin
were going to paris the next day. dhamira didnt want to follow becoz she
said we've been there already. my sis pulak didnt want me to feel
awkward coz i tak kenal sangat balqis & family masa tuh. that
was when they ... my sis & bil ... decided to send us to
amsterdam. flight & hotel booked, off i went with dhamira. the
adventure began as we travelled just the two of us. the train to the airport
was an adventure itself. we werent sure which station to get off to go
to the luton airport. luckily there was a girl in the same cabin we asked.
we got to the airport, checked in, & flew to schiphol airport,
amsterdam. so glad i googled earlier on how to get to our hotel. dhamira
was no help. she wondered WHY we were going to amsterdam in the first
place. we took the tram, got off at overtoom station, then asked for
direction to the hotel .... blyss hotel ... a nice, comfy hotel.
a view from the hotel room ...
after we have checked in, we went for a walk to the nearest town area ... leidseplein
not really sure how to pronounce that, we settled with "led zeppelin"
of coz, amsterdam, or netherland for that matter, is a land full of canals
& trams .... if u're not careful, u can be hit by the tram !
the tram actually passes thru small lanes ...
not really sure how to pronounce that, we settled with "led zeppelin"
the back lane where we normally have our kebab dinner at leidseplein ...
dhamira
didnt want to go for the clog- & cheesemaking tour the next day. i
went alone, so she stayed in the hotel room for 7 hours waiting for me to
come back. she said it wasnt her kind of holiday ... no shopping
they now have modern ones that look like a vertical fan
when we got out of this place, the bus was already waiting to take us back to the centraal station, antwerpen. i tried to walk back to the hotel from the station. after 10mins, i wasnt sure of the way, & didnt know the street names to ask for direction. so i turned back to the centraal, & took the tram. u dont see me in any of pics bcoz, remember, dhamira didnt come along.
a few times i walked on the bicycle lane, unknowingly, & almost caused accidents
this time, she had no choice but to follow kan
we sat by the pond, ate ice cream, & spoke in malay ...
then a man with his son turned to face us ... melayu jugak rupa nya
on the way back to town, i received a text message from adrin who was in paris. she asked to check about my flight back to london that evening. there was a volcanic eruption in iceland .... volcano eyjafjallajokull (phew !!). apparently, it had caused major flight cancellation especially within europe, which i wasnt aware of. so i didnt think i shud worry about anything ... boy, how wrong i was
volcanic eruption in iceland on 4/14/2012 .... volcano eyjafjallajokull
when
we got back from lisse, we still had a few hours
before go to the airport.
a fren had suggested that we go for a cruise. & we did just that ...
the centraal station .... view from the canal
the NEMO science & technology centre ...
the indianman vessel "amsterdam" .....
the floating chinese restaurant ...
& more buildings ...
more canals ......
bicycles everywhere !!
the tour guide pointed out to us the smallest house/apartment
the one in between the white windowy structure & the reddish brick stucture ...
after the cruise, we walked over to the centraal station, took the train to the airport, & que up (a long que, it was) at the information center to ask where to check in for the jetblue flight. when we got to the counter, asked the lady, & was shocked to be told, "there will be no flights to or from anywhere for the next few days, maam. the volcano eruption in iceland is polluting the air, not safe for flying." we were numbed for a moment. we walked away from the counter not really knowing where to go & what to do next. as usual, as i took the time to digest all these information, dhamira is already pushing me on what we should do next. really, i have to have lots of patience when it comes to her. eventually, we went to look for the jetblue counter, & found another long que there. people were enquiring about the next available flight, & where to stay while waiting. it was a wednesday. when we got to the counter, we were given the next available flight on sunday. & 3-nite stay at westcord fashion hotel.
so we happily took the train back towards town, got off at lelylan. we walked out of the station & didnt know which way to go. we stopped at a roadside flower shop where a young man was buying a bouquet of fresh flowers, & asked where the hotel is. as it was within view, he showed us the hotel, & the safe walking direction. it took us about 10mins to get there.
our names reached the hotel a little late, so we hung out in the lobby before we got the key to our room.
it was worth the wait .... the room was great !
view from the room ... the bastion hotel across the road
lepak-ing in the lobby ...
with the pink man .........
a fren had suggested that we go for a cruise. & we did just that ...
the one in between the white windowy structure & the reddish brick stucture ...
after the cruise, we walked over to the centraal station, took the train to the airport, & que up (a long que, it was) at the information center to ask where to check in for the jetblue flight. when we got to the counter, asked the lady, & was shocked to be told, "there will be no flights to or from anywhere for the next few days, maam. the volcano eruption in iceland is polluting the air, not safe for flying." we were numbed for a moment. we walked away from the counter not really knowing where to go & what to do next. as usual, as i took the time to digest all these information, dhamira is already pushing me on what we should do next. really, i have to have lots of patience when it comes to her. eventually, we went to look for the jetblue counter, & found another long que there. people were enquiring about the next available flight, & where to stay while waiting. it was a wednesday. when we got to the counter, we were given the next available flight on sunday. & 3-nite stay at westcord fashion hotel.
so we happily took the train back towards town, got off at lelylan. we walked out of the station & didnt know which way to go. we stopped at a roadside flower shop where a young man was buying a bouquet of fresh flowers, & asked where the hotel is. as it was within view, he showed us the hotel, & the safe walking direction. it took us about 10mins to get there.
that is dhamira behind 3-glass doors in the toilet ...
we made a pact to NOT look in that direction when any of us were in the toilet
we made a pact to NOT look in that direction when any of us were in the toilet
since we have 3 days & less money to spend, we roamed the town again. we found ourselves sitting on a bench close to the museum. i asked dhamira to stand at the entrance so that i can take her pic, but she simply refused. then we saw 4 malay boys took turns taking each other's pic. after pacing the entrance for a while, they finally bought the entrance tickets .... hahaha .... malu2 konon !
we decided to go for a walk. & found the floating market ..
i got really excited looking at all the tulip buds for sale .... various colors !!
& those flower buds for sale too ... one sign said, " we sell weed plants"
black is beautiful ....
biawak in amsterdam .... ? this is the road off leidseplein sikit
the square at leidseplein ... malam2 tempat ni happening
ader orang main guitarlaa, jugglers laa, or people just hanging around
the thing is : u can get high without even smoking pot urself !
since that we didnt have much money left on us, we jalan2 jer la to past the time. we bought bread and bottle drinks, & ate sikit2 for lunch & dinner. after breakfast at the hotel, we smuggled out some boiled eggs & fruits. nasib baik dhamira okay jer with that. my sis & the others had already gone back to london from paris. how ?? they went there, & back, by eurostar. so trains are not affected by the volcanic eruption. we were in constant correspondence with my bil & ika via sms, & fb. asyik mintak my bil top up kan my credit jer.
we checked online the status of our flight everyday. on the 3rd day, when we were supposed to check out the next day tu, our scheduled flight had been delayed indefinitely. i began to worry. i told my bil that i dont think the airline will pay another night stay at the hotel. less than 15mins after, there was a knock on the door confirmed my worry ..... waaaaaaaaaah, i got no money !! my bil sent his credit card number. the first one was not approved. lucky he had a second one. so that night we planned to get back to london by eurostar. the nearest station is in brussels, belgium. tickets were still available, as per online info. we have to take our chances. after calculating all travel expenses + 20% emergency, we SOSed my bil for 800euro.
we checked out of the hotel (thanks to my bil's second card), went straight to the centraal station, & waited for my bil's sms to claim the money at the western union counter. dhamira was already anxious. two hours. as soon as we claimed the money, we rushed to the train ticket counters. very long ques. we were already frustrated. but luckily the counter ticket for the train going down to brussels was short. we bought the tickets .. dhamira asked for some money to buy food (kesian kelaparan, tu pon beli roti ngan air jer) .. & boarded the train. punya la excited, she almost left her luggage. it was a 2 1/2 hrs ride. i prepared dhamira for a -ve possibility : if there are no eurostar tickets available when we get to brussels, be ready to sleep at the station for maybe 2 nights. when we got to brussels, we went straight to the eurostar counter. there was no que. we asked a man at the counter, & was told the next available train is on wednesday - that day was monday, remember ? i looked at dhamira, & she gave that "okay" look. he pointed us where the que was ... a very long & winding one. at a point in the que, two ladies stood by to answer any questions. so i asked whether there are still many tickets for wednesday. the two ladies looked at each other, & one told me that the next available train is on saturday. WHATTTTTTTTTT ????? i simply walked out of the que. a man came over to sell us two tickets for wednesday. with a reggae look, i doubt whether the tickets were valid. so i went out of the station to take some fresh air, & to clear my mind. a moroccon man, who spoke to dhamira, offered to drive us down to calais, france for 400euro. i told my bil about it, & by then the man had reduced the fare to 300euro, & he said go. by whatever means, he wanted us to be back in london that nite jugak. so we followed the moroccon, & had a good chat all the two hours drive down to calais. luckily, the ferry tickets were still available. by 7.30pm, we sailed for 45mins to dover, england. in the ferry, dhamira met a senior from high school ... haha, of all places !
when we got off the ferry, we didnt know which direction to go. we asked a policewoman how to get to the train station. she told us that either we can take the bus - we traced her eyes to the bus que - or we'd better off walking. she gave us the direction, but we got lost. we turned back, & joined the others that had also walked from the ferry station. we boarded the train, & travelled for another 2 1/2 hrs to london. hakim, dhamira's senior, joined us ... or rather, we joined him. we were worried we didnt have enough pounds to pay for the train tickets. but the ticket lady was kind - she suggested to purchase a group ticket for three. just barely enough for dhamira & me. hakim told us he had been travelling for more than 30hrs - all the way from croatia. bus ride, train ride, then bus ride again, then ferry, & the the train. & we thought our journey was "interesting" enough already. it was 11.30pm when we got to london. we were praying that there will still a train ti north finchley at that hour. we managed to catch the last train. by the time we knocked on the door, it was a little past midnight. everyone cheered for our return. did u all realised something ? no pics on the adventure at all. becoz we were always in a rush, & not in the "slightest mood" for pics. hahaha ... rugi nya ... especially when we were in brussels ... no pics, no fridge magnets, NO CHOCOLATES !!
the next day, we all went out to town to meet an old friend whose married to a local & now lives in brighton. we agreed to meet at the field in front of the london eye. i think we got off at the waterloo station.
have not met manjai for more than 25 years ... ?
his dotter, maddie, is such an adorable girl ...
it was there that we suddenly saw a plane in the air. adrin & fin were really excited. i had wished to stay longer, not eager to go back to work actually. well, we managed to get a flight back to kl the next day. at the airport, we had to repack our hand luggage & changed our shoes as it exceeded the maximum weight. i cant remember what time we got into lcct, but we were finally home. lucky it was a weekend. we slept off the jetlag, & was in the office early monday morning.
ader orang main guitarlaa, jugglers laa, or people just hanging around
the thing is : u can get high without even smoking pot urself !
since that we didnt have much money left on us, we jalan2 jer la to past the time. we bought bread and bottle drinks, & ate sikit2 for lunch & dinner. after breakfast at the hotel, we smuggled out some boiled eggs & fruits. nasib baik dhamira okay jer with that. my sis & the others had already gone back to london from paris. how ?? they went there, & back, by eurostar. so trains are not affected by the volcanic eruption. we were in constant correspondence with my bil & ika via sms, & fb. asyik mintak my bil top up kan my credit jer.
we checked online the status of our flight everyday. on the 3rd day, when we were supposed to check out the next day tu, our scheduled flight had been delayed indefinitely. i began to worry. i told my bil that i dont think the airline will pay another night stay at the hotel. less than 15mins after, there was a knock on the door confirmed my worry ..... waaaaaaaaaah, i got no money !! my bil sent his credit card number. the first one was not approved. lucky he had a second one. so that night we planned to get back to london by eurostar. the nearest station is in brussels, belgium. tickets were still available, as per online info. we have to take our chances. after calculating all travel expenses + 20% emergency, we SOSed my bil for 800euro.
we checked out of the hotel (thanks to my bil's second card), went straight to the centraal station, & waited for my bil's sms to claim the money at the western union counter. dhamira was already anxious. two hours. as soon as we claimed the money, we rushed to the train ticket counters. very long ques. we were already frustrated. but luckily the counter ticket for the train going down to brussels was short. we bought the tickets .. dhamira asked for some money to buy food (kesian kelaparan, tu pon beli roti ngan air jer) .. & boarded the train. punya la excited, she almost left her luggage. it was a 2 1/2 hrs ride. i prepared dhamira for a -ve possibility : if there are no eurostar tickets available when we get to brussels, be ready to sleep at the station for maybe 2 nights. when we got to brussels, we went straight to the eurostar counter. there was no que. we asked a man at the counter, & was told the next available train is on wednesday - that day was monday, remember ? i looked at dhamira, & she gave that "okay" look. he pointed us where the que was ... a very long & winding one. at a point in the que, two ladies stood by to answer any questions. so i asked whether there are still many tickets for wednesday. the two ladies looked at each other, & one told me that the next available train is on saturday. WHATTTTTTTTTT ????? i simply walked out of the que. a man came over to sell us two tickets for wednesday. with a reggae look, i doubt whether the tickets were valid. so i went out of the station to take some fresh air, & to clear my mind. a moroccon man, who spoke to dhamira, offered to drive us down to calais, france for 400euro. i told my bil about it, & by then the man had reduced the fare to 300euro, & he said go. by whatever means, he wanted us to be back in london that nite jugak. so we followed the moroccon, & had a good chat all the two hours drive down to calais. luckily, the ferry tickets were still available. by 7.30pm, we sailed for 45mins to dover, england. in the ferry, dhamira met a senior from high school ... haha, of all places !
when we got off the ferry, we didnt know which direction to go. we asked a policewoman how to get to the train station. she told us that either we can take the bus - we traced her eyes to the bus que - or we'd better off walking. she gave us the direction, but we got lost. we turned back, & joined the others that had also walked from the ferry station. we boarded the train, & travelled for another 2 1/2 hrs to london. hakim, dhamira's senior, joined us ... or rather, we joined him. we were worried we didnt have enough pounds to pay for the train tickets. but the ticket lady was kind - she suggested to purchase a group ticket for three. just barely enough for dhamira & me. hakim told us he had been travelling for more than 30hrs - all the way from croatia. bus ride, train ride, then bus ride again, then ferry, & the the train. & we thought our journey was "interesting" enough already. it was 11.30pm when we got to london. we were praying that there will still a train ti north finchley at that hour. we managed to catch the last train. by the time we knocked on the door, it was a little past midnight. everyone cheered for our return. did u all realised something ? no pics on the adventure at all. becoz we were always in a rush, & not in the "slightest mood" for pics. hahaha ... rugi nya ... especially when we were in brussels ... no pics, no fridge magnets, NO CHOCOLATES !!
the next day, we all went out to town to meet an old friend whose married to a local & now lives in brighton. we agreed to meet at the field in front of the london eye. i think we got off at the waterloo station.
it was there that we suddenly saw a plane in the air. adrin & fin were really excited. i had wished to stay longer, not eager to go back to work actually. well, we managed to get a flight back to kl the next day. at the airport, we had to repack our hand luggage & changed our shoes as it exceeded the maximum weight. i cant remember what time we got into lcct, but we were finally home. lucky it was a weekend. we slept off the jetlag, & was in the office early monday morning.
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