Greece Part II - Greek Islands

This was the hightlight of the entire Greece trip. We blew 65 Euros to get on a cruise boat to 3 islands on a day trip - Poros, Hydra, Aegina - but it was well worth it. These were one of the closest islands to Athens but there were more beautiful ones farther out. If i'd ever go back again, i'd spend a month there island hopping..and swim in the clear blue seas during summer.


Woke up 5.30am in the morning. It was about 8 am when we got on the ship. One of the first views we had when the ship set sail. Keep scrolling, it only gets better.


Greece Flag


I know i look retarded, but the view in the background will make up for it





we have arrived on Poros!



Giorgis..you float my boat!





view from the clock tower


the water, like a piece of satin







The inclusive lunch on board the ship. There was also salad and appetiser, but i was too hungry to remember to take pictures =p


Dessert was saccharine sweet.


Island #2...Hydras.


Crystal clear waters.





We took the path less travelled


And found an amazing view







The whole time, we were just gushing over how great the place looked



Hanging loose at the ship's bow.



Last stop was Aegina, which was a bit of a letdown after seeing Hydra and Poros. Perhaps it was because we didn't pay for the optional tour further within Aegina to see the ancient structures. But we weren't keen on spending another 24 Euros to be ferried around on a bus. Still, it's a really photogenic place where i took some of the best pictures from the whole trip, all thanks to the timely sunset.



I was pleasantly surprised...to see girls playing soccer. Soccer babes i miss you!












I couldn't chose between these three pictures, so im putting all of them up. If u have a personal favourite, lemme know cos im really curious.







A little chapel.

Greece Part I - Athens

I had a wonderful time in Greece. Especially during the time spent visiting the Greek Islands. True enough, Athens is full of ruins. I just wished everything were still intact, im sure it would have looked so good. Here in the mediterranean part of europe, the weather was perfect at 15-18 degree celcius. Prices in Athens really ain't so cheap. An average meal costs approximately 8 euros, and a Big Mac(which is, surprisingly small) meal at Mcdonalds was a little less than 5 euros. I really liked the pitas in Greece, and also the sweets (not candies, but kinda like desserts/pastries). There was a bakery near the place we stayed which we would patronise almost everyday to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Another thing special about this trip is that i had my first official couchsurfing experience here. My couchsurfing host was Lena, who's a single mom with the most adorable 5 year-old boy i have ever seen. His name is Aggelos and he is really one special kid. On the first day when Lena took us to her place from the metro station, Aggelos picked a flower from the grass patch along the path. Then he quickly hid it behind his back and surprised her with it. How many kids in Singapore actually do that?


Halfway up Lycabettus Hill



Thesseion


One of those indulgent self portraits


On top of the world!


Theatre of Dionysos


Pathenon of the Acropolis


The Karyatides statues of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis


See the Lycabettus Hill..we conquered that!


Temple of Nike at the Acropolis




Late lunch (cum dinner) at Thanasis, a famous restaurant patronised by many locals. Everytime a table is cleared, another bunch of new customers soon take their seat. And mind you, it was 4pm when we were there. See my dish? It's the Thanasis Kebab Pita with onions, grilled tomatoes and pieces of juicy lamb meat. 7.50 Euros.


Here's how the restaurant looks if u ever visit Athens, just a few steps away from Monastaraki Metro Station. Sit on the outside if you ever come, the atmosphere is great, except that you'd get lots of kids coming up to you and soliciting for money - either by selling stuff or playing instruments.


When you're hungry and looking for something cheap. Go to a Kebab place like this.

Pita Gyros for 1.60 Euros. Nowhere near Thanasis standard, but definitely value for money in Greece.


There, my couchsurfing hosts - Lena and Aggelos. You wouldn't believe who took this picture - Aggelos!


In fact, he's so fascinated by my rotating lcd screen, he started taking a picture of himself and his friends..


and another




AND yet another!





This guy can really pose!

Mandarin, Spanish, S----s, and a football match.

Today my room mate and i taught Mandarin to some European students. We didn't think many would turn up, especially since the Italian class before ours had only 3 students. BUT surprise surprise, there were at least ten. We weren't very prepared but it turned out quite well...although our students spotted some minor errors at times!(ie. the hanyu pinyin pitch for the exact words were written differently)...damn malu. But of course, i would simply pretend that i was just testing them. Besides teaching Mandarin, Im also learning Spanish, which i can probably put to use in Spain.

Will most likely be catching the Man Utd vs Benefica match at Old Trafford on December 6. It'd probably cost a bomb though, having to shuttle back and forth between manchester and warsaw(which, by the way, has no direct flight connection..) just to catch ONE match. Still it's worth it lar, I waited 7 long years for this!

Ok time to dive into my individual presentation work on European business cultures. The six letter word that begins and ends with S has begun to catch up with the loafing oaf. Though i have barely started on the presentation, I am supposed to hand in the content to my prof by Friday for review, yet tomorrow at 5 am im heading for the airport to Greece *gasp*!

Once again, welcome to the life of an exchange student ;)

Czech It Out!
After touring Liptovsky Mikulas, Vienna and Budapest, our final leg of the trip was Prague. Prague was strategically placed right at the last stretch because we wanted to end off our tour with a bang. Surely, we weren't disappointed. But as expected, Prague was indeed very touristy, it is inevitable rubbing shoulders with the throngs of trigger-hpppy tourists almost everywhere you go. Prices here varied greatly. On one hand, restaurants and shops situated at the tourist hotspots could be exorbitantly priced while others situated at the peripheral can be surprisingly affordable. To get a good deal, you'll need to look harder, or perhaps consult the locals. Prices in most supermarkets are also value money, in many cases they are even cheaper than in Warsaw.

Dinner on our first night in Prague was at Restaurant Musketyr. It was recommended to us by Bibliana, an exchange student at Warsaw who's a Slovakian studying in Prague (confusing huh!)and boy were we deeply satisfied with the place. Once again, a stoke of serendipity fell upon us. We e bumped into Eileen and Jing En the next morning on Charles Bridge, who later moved out of their hostel that night to join us at our dirt cheap one!

Garlic Soup. See the cheese? It has croutons, potatoes and meat in it too. (Only 2.50 SGD!)

My dish in the foreground, Czech dumplings with smoked meat filling. (6.50 SGD)
The entrance of the restaurant
Night view of the old town square
That;s Charles bridge to the left and the view of the other side where the Prague castle sits

Still guards standing by the castle gates
Due to some important ocassion, some elite guards were specially deployed for today



The million and one steps we ran up just in time to catch the guards' changeover ceremony
Lucky dude. He has the best view in the house - every single day.




Petrin Tower at Mala Strana
We followed some obscure path and chanced upon the Strahov Monastery, which houses the best view of Prague.

The famous Charles Bridge
The astronomical clock
The "extra"
Wonder what this is?
Freshly made rolls with sugar, toffee, nuts. Smoking hot! Doesn't this make a lovely ad?

Grandma's Potato Soup with cream and bread. 2 SGD. You'll never get bored with soup in Europe, it's not simply cream of mushroom or chicken. There's so much variety..from Spinach, Onion, Garlic, Potatoes, Goulash to Zucchini with lemon. I had soup every day in Prague.

To wrap up my 12 days touring Central Europe, it's been almost too unbelievable. The whole trip costed me 610 bucks, all inclusive of transport(which took up half of the total expenses), food, accomodation, everything. My mom would be proud of me. Of course this feat would not have been possible if Silvia, Michael and Serena hadn't offered us their place to stay. My heartfelt thanks goes out to all three of them!

Next up, we're heading to Mediteranean Europe, to the land of Athens and the Greek islands!

Received an email from JZ the Lobang King. He was clearing out his picture folders when he found this....














my goodness....you mean that was me? hahaha. those were the days man.

My central Europe trip so far has been wonderful, with a couple of interesting episodes along the way. Right now im sitting in Serena's homely pad in Budapest, Hungary. There's so many things to talk about, but im not sure if i can put it all down in words. Now lets first start with our trip to Slovakia..

We left for Slovakia the before All Saints holiday. This was an occasion where many would return to their hometown to spend time with their family. We were fortunate to be able to tag along with my international marketing project mate, Silvia, and stay with the rest of the Buracova family at their summer house in Liptovsky Mikulas.

Liptovsky Mikulas was about 8 hours of train ride away from Warsaw. It lies in the Liptov region near the low and high tatra mountains. Situated in the valley, Silvia's house was literally surrounded by the mountains. Because we arrived at about 5 am in the morning, i managed to catch my first glimpse the mountains as the day broke just before heading to bed. As cliched as it may sound, it seriously took my breath away.

The next afternoon, we went for a hike and at dusk, we visited the cemetary with the family to pay respects to their ancestors. On contrary to what one might imagine of a cemetary at night, it was a beautiful sight as the entire place was littered(and litted..see the pun? haha) with candles in colorful containers.

I also got my first taste of hot spring baths in Slovakia. It was mad. Sitting in a 38 degree celcius pool in the open at sub-zero temperatures. Snow is falling on your head but all you feel is the therapeutic warmth of the spring water.