Cornwall - A magic three day road trip

And the trips in the UK continue. The fact that I would be leaving the country soon certainly helped me to realise that I have not seen enough from the UK during my time here. And this time I was really grateful for the girls to agree to come with me on a weekend road trip to Cornwall. It wouldn't have been the same without them.

Together we figured out a schedule and everyone was giving feedback on what they would like to do, such a blessing that we all agreed so readily to the same things.

We rented a car for the long weekend, Friday til Sunday. We obviously started from London and included a GPS knowing the three of us.

We started out with a 'yummy' breakfast (yuck) on the highway and enjoyed the scenery along the way until we got to our first stop in Penzance. The first night would be spend in a hostel:

YHA Penzance; Castle Horneck; Penzance; Cornwall; TR20 8TF

Oxford - A day trip from London

If you want to escape the London hassle and have some nice walks, good food and a little bit of history lessons Oxford is the place to be for you.

One Saturday morning near the end of a British Summer we decided it was about time to visit Oxford. We packed our bikes and were riding to the Paddington Station in Central London to catch the national train to take us to Oxford within an hour and a bit, it only cost around 12 Pounds which is really reasonable. 

The day I bought a suitcase

For most people this is probably not a memorable experience, however for me it was a pretty unique experience and not something I had actually planned. I am not talking here about a hand luggage sized suitcases, but a medium one with the dimension of H68, W46, D30.6cm. It weights 3.6kg and has 82 litre capacity.

Most people know that I only travel with my 25L backpack, no matter where to or for how long. I have done so ever since my big trip in 2011 on which I just over packed; based on that I tried to downsize as much as possible. I managed very well for my own standards, although some people might disagree with that.


I have traveled with a suitcase before, twice to be precise, however in both cases the suitcase didn’t belong to me, it was a borrowed suitcase. The first I used when I moved from Germany to the UK and the second time when I visited the States for the first time on a business trip. I don’t like travelling with a suitcase, simply because I have to check it in due to its size and weight as well as it being in the way when I walk through a crowded area. The preference is and always will be my backpack.

Over the years I have learned to adapt my packing habits and am now able to pack for pleasure as well as business with my 25L backpack, although I have to restrict what I am bringing, therefore high heels and an evening gown is out of question (don’t really think I would wear that anyway).

Recently I had to go to Europe for 4 weeks, for work as well as some private stuff. As usual I packed my backpack, pretty full to be honest and my handbag would have not fit in there anymore. At that point I expected that it would be fine, however I didn’t consider all the stuff that my sister still had at her place for me. I had ordered some of my favorites a while ago and since it was not worth shipping it to Malaysia she kept it until I came back to London. I honestly forgot how much I had bought as it was already over 6 months ago. Realising that I wanted to take these things as well as a few present with me I pretty much came to the conclusion that my backpack was not enough no matter how well I would have packed.
So I decided that it is now time to buy a robust suitcase for trips like these. Being the cheapskate I am I’ve gone to Argos, the place where you can get bad quality for a cheap prize. At first I thought I should have invested a bit more in a suitcase, looking at it as a future investment. But then, I won’t be using it that much and hope that the quality would hold at least the few trips I would take with it. In total I spend 30 Pounds on this particular item.

So far it has survived three flights and nothing within the suitcase had been damaged, only my shampoo decided to leave the bottle. And of course Turkish airline left my new suitcase behind in Istanbul on my return flight to KL. Honestly, this is the main reason why I hate checking in my luggage, it is such an inconvenience.

And just to add it at a later stage, the suitcase got left behind in Amsterdam on my next trip to the States. I wonder if it is just me or the suitcase.

I feel more like an adult now somehow. Should a suitcase really do that to you? I doubt it, but I will treasure my first suitcase until it is time to buy a good quality one for the long term. 

And probably that one will end up in the attic because I never use it.
I just wanted to share this experience and hope all of you have a great trip!

Happy travels :)

Scotland - 4 day Road trip

After years and years of being in the UK and many many plans later, I managed to finally find some time to visit Scotland. A place that I have always wanted to see based on my experience in New Zealand and the feedback that it is very similar to Scotland. The plan for Scotland was actually fairly easy to figure out, but again and as usual, I confirmed my itinerary on Threethorn Forum, just to make sure I get some feedback from locals, which is always useful I find.

It is the beginning of July and I was so excited for a 4 day road trip, full of lazy days, wandering, exploring and just take in the surroundings without any rush or a hectic schedule. I left enough time and space in between stops to just enjoy this trip.

Stonehenge and Windsor - A day trip from London

It took me around 7 years after my arrival in London to finally manage to visit Stonehenge. I have passed it on the way to Somerset and a few friends that visited London went there as well, but the opportunity arose only now that I would finally be able to join my visiting friends on a day trip to Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, about 2 miles west of Amesbury and 8 miles north of Salisbury.

What makes this place so interesting is basically the fact that Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. A number of myths surround the stones. 

For a lot of people they are simply a bunch of rocks (like myself), but for others this is a place of worship, magic and mystery, which I absolutely respect, but I didn't go crazy over my visit, although I am really glad I finally did it.

Paris with a hint of colour

I have been to Paris a number of times, but actually never written about it. I remember the first time I went, I was 16 and I was in love. I had big dreams before the trip on how romantic and beautiful everything would be. I stayed less than 24 hours and took the bus back to Germany on the same evening. But all I remember was a horrible trip and my impression of Paris were rather on the negative end. However over the years and in such close proximity I have become acquaint with Paris and its culture. I certainly would not compare Paris to other French cities, but there are elements I am sure everyone would enjoy. Although I have to admit, while Paris is not my personal favourite, it certainly is a place not to be missed when you are in Europe. I mean, come on, this is Paris after all.

Cebu Heritage with a hint of action

Happy new year everyone, let’s start 2015 with a bit more effort on this blog again. It has been a while since I sat down to write about my travels. I will pick up from where I left last year by finishing my entries for the Philippines. Yes, that’s how far behind I am at my trip blogging, but not to worry, no one complaint ;)

After I left Palawan I headed towards Cebu. Please be so kind and correct anything I write, given the time gap between this entry and the actual trip, I might have forgotten one or two things. I should mention that I forgot already how much the departure cost at the airport had been, therefore just keep in mind to always have some pesos for this fee in your wallet.

After I arrived in the afternoon in Cebu I met again with Eye to continue the journey together. We took a cab to the hotel, first time that I stayed at the AirAsia Hotel Chain and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It was clean, basic and comfortable, exactly what I think of value for money.

Puerto Princessa - A piece of paradise (Philippines)

After the great and pleasant experience in Manila my trip continued on my own, Eye didn't join me on this leg of the trip. I still can't believe it, that such people like him exist in this world and are totally under-appreciated by a lot of others. If I can think one day of a way to return the favours, I certainly will do that.
 
My next stop was Puerto Princesa on the Palawan Island, just a short flight from Manila and I arrived in Paradise, well close to it. The airport is tiny and has only one entry and one exit. Within the halls you can overlook everything in the Terminal, don't expect much entertainment or choice of food. On my departure day I got to experience the small café n the corner of the departure hall and can confirm they have decent coffee (what else would you need?).

Secrets of Manila - Philippines

After a fairly relaxing week in Kuala Lumpur my next destination for a quick holiday stint was chosen to be the Philippines. There had always been a small part of me that wanted to visit the 7,107 islands, yes, all of them. This of course would only be possible if you have the time and money to spend for this adventure, nothing more in the world would have been more exciting at that point. Of course with a job back in London the freedom to do exactly that was not given so I settled with just 3 areas of the Philippines to start with.

Let's talk about Manila in this entry. Previously I have had the honour of getting in touch with another blogger, Eye in the sky. I wrote him a few years back an email, being so impressed with his blog as well as the areas he visited that I just wanted to express that and we have been in contact ever since. When the opportunity arrived that I could finally visit the Philippines, the first reaction was to write him and check if I could maybe get some advice on this or that, getting a route together etc. I got so much more than I have ever expected, considering that we had actually never met before and in fact were still strangers.
 

Eye offered to take me around and pretty much took care of everything within my itinerary. I really think that Eye pretty much planned my whole trip including all the little details, which I really appreciated. He offered as well to pick me up from the airport which I gladly accepted.
 

So the day of my arrival came and I got into NAIA around 10pm in the evening with Eye already waiting and the arrival exit. Together with him and his brother they stopped first at my hotel for the night to drop off my backpack and then we continued onwards to the Greenbelt. Greenbelt is a shopping mall located at Ayala Center, Makati City, which is just near Glorietta and SM Makati. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. We were in the search for a place to eat but given the time most restaurants were already closed within the mall. 

 

Kuala Lumpur - Scenery, Food and a good time



It was Thursday evening and I just finished packing for my trip. This is the first time I had to think really hard about my packing list as I am going on a business as well as holiday with only hand language. Not a task I am used to, I am really not a fashonista and always take my usual clothes with me, but with work involved, that wasn’t really possible and I had to adjust a bit. With a few tips from my sister and housemate I made up my mind and was read y to go.

 

Work had booked an overnight flight directly to KL and a great seat with plenty of leg room and a free seat next to me (not that they would’ve known that when they booked).

Upon arrival a taxi driver was waiting for me (luxus!) and we started together a 1 and half hour journey to the Hotel which is located in the CBD of KL. As you can imagine I was pretty tired from the flight and the last thing I wanted to do was entertaining the driver. He was really nice, but after 30 minutes of small talks I just wanted to watch the passing scenery and see how much I still can remember and dive into the memory lane. Not only was I thinking of Malaysia but my trip to SE Asia in general. I am still (and maybe more than ever) fascinated by the cities, may it be Singapore, KL or other cities that drive to develop as quick as possible and make a change to the world. You can decide for yourself if for the better or worse.

Getting back to topic, the driver unfortunately didn’t stop talking and avoiding to be rude I kept the conversation up, though just to a minimum. I felt sorry, because I am sure he must have felt that I wasn’t in the mood and yet he didn’t stop.