Another Backpacking Adventure in Eastern Europe

Day 1 to 3- Hungary, Budapest

Eventful trip - celebrated Hungary' National Day wth 1.3 miliion people. Spectacular Red Bull Air Race World Series, fireworks display and witnessing our very first stampede as the storm striked. Also tried the most expensive restaurant in Hungary - Gundel.

St Stephen's Basilica

The Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest

Party with Albert and his childhood friend at Margaret island

Day 4 to 6 - Vienna

Palaces and museums, freshly brewed coffee in traditional coffeehouses, and the ever famous, overpriced and over-rated sachertorte at Demel. The hot chocolate is good though..

Train ride from hungary to
Vienna

The Gloriette at Schonbrun Palace

Kunsthistorisches Museum

St Stephen's Cathedral at dusk

After a visit to Melk Abbey, we cruised along the Danube River through the Wauchau Valley of Austria. Schonbuhel Castle in the Wauchau Valley of the Danube River in Austria Danube River

Bidding farewell to our wonderful host and Friend, Benjamin. We all looked extremely sleepy with our half-open eyes at 6am.

Day 7 to 8 - Czech Republic, Cesky Krumlov

A little fairy-tale town, with rivers running through. Could I say romantic too?

Krumlov hrad, also called the Schwarzenberg Castle The Vltava

This is one fo the place I love most in the whole trip, it's so beautiful...

Day 8 to 9 - Czech Republic, Prague

One of the most well-visited tourist spot in eastern Europe.

Jewish Tomb

The not-so-romantic Charles Bridge

Having our last dinner with Michael

Day 10 to 12 - Poland, Krakow and nearby towns

Not a very popular tourist spot among asians yet, but I believe it will becoome one very soon. So visit it while the prices are still relatively cheap and attractions are not overrun by tourists.

Amazing Saltmine Chapel - the Chapel of the Blessed Kinga,built 101m underground

Cloth Hall at dusk

My All-time favourite pic...

take away all the ppl, and I feel like I'm back to the 1800s..

Traditional University - Jagiellonian University of Krakow, Poland's oldest

Auswitch Camp I - The Railway to hell

Trekking at the Tatra mountains

Babara (in red) and her flatmates

Day 13 - Poland, Warsaw

It was raining for the whole day... skies were gloomy, pavement wet, wet.. it sort of dampen our mood for sght-seeing. But doing it in raincoat for the whole day was quite an experience too.

Rainy days...
The Captain navigating under the rain,

while the clever runner seek shelter and take pictures of beautiful town square

Day 14 to 17 - Lithuania

Our final destination and our initial purpose of this trip: To visit Avydas and Jolita in Lithuania. It was like meeting a long lost friend when we first met him at the bus station.

The reunion with our first hospitality club/couchsurfing guests turned friends.

Hill of crosses

We crashed with Andrius, his girlfriend and Tibet at his attic apartment.
Tibet, the boss of the neighbourhood. So far, no cats could take his place on the roof of Vilnus.

By the Lakehouse...

Day 18 - Stopover at Finland, Helsinki

About 6 hours on this lone trip.. yet I managed to cover all major spots of Helsinki and even managed to buy back some souvenirs for my friends.

Sneak preview of Eastern Europe Backpacking Adventure...

城市之光

吃东西，买东西，吃东西，买东西，买东西。。。 这可以说是我整个行程的节目。虽然我并没有买很多东西给自己，但是买礼物给朋友和亲人也是一个很不错的感觉呀。 因为这样，我每当走过仍何当口都会停下脚步，慢慢地细逛是否有适合的礼物。就连庙街的小档口我也不放过。这可苦了我那可怜的伙伴， 陪我逛街了一整天；走得脚都快要断了。连我这个“Shoppaholic"都快陈不下去，何况是他。我想，对他来说，爬富士山也没那么辛苦。但体贴的他却一句怨言也没有。。。

说到吃东西，给我最深刻映像的还是那个“富贵”冰淇淋。除了这个，我想新加坡的美食还是比较好吃。有谁能让我对此改观呢？

住在都市的我起初还有点不习惯去另一个都市游玩， 尤其是一个跟新加坡很相像的国家。但我好快的就被“她”的魅力给深深的迷住了。谁能抵挡着“她”夜里散发的光芒呢 。

七彩缤纷， 美丽四射， 神采飞扬的灯舞点缀了面向星光之道的天空。

这些亮丽的告示给那热闹的街边以及小巷增添了许多色彩。

我想这应该是世界上最长的遮盖扶梯吧。。。

早晨的光芒与飘然无形的神烟制造了庙里奥秘的气氛。

澳门著名的‘圣珀拉’之塔

Sipadan paradise

Sipadan Water Village during
our surface interval before diving at Kapalai

Never have I seen so much marine life in any dive sites I have been so far - lots of fishes, turtles, sharks, and more!
I thought Manado is good, well... the reef is almost comparable to that of Manado, but with lots of fishes!

Quick facts:
- Visibility of abt 15m (The local DM told me the best season is between April to Jul where the visibility could go up to 30m, but current would be stronger.)
- Temperature abt 28 to 29 degree celcius (important information for people like me as I freeze easily and that could easily spoil my dive)
- Also a great place for snorkelling, though I personally don't like snorkelling (if you can dive, why snorkel?)

It's getting late now, so I'll just do a picture blog here and share of my experience in Sipadan when I have got more time to write.

The Sun, beach and sea!

Somebody says this is the Gairu-style of diving...

But, here's the Real Gairu... Bravo XXgairu!

Kame-san, our friend

Spot the odd one out..

Backpacking in Greece IV

Day 14 - Athens
The city of Athens was quite a sight! Concrete blocks sprouting out from sloping land, and the magnificent acropolis standing high and above the mosaic art of life.

For the last few days, we couchsurfed with Elpi - a sweet and funny girl. We even get to meet one of her good friends, Yota. They are such nice and sincere friends you wouldn't want to miss out knowing. Again, it's a pity we couldn't get to stay with her longer as we had to go off for day trips for the next few days...

Breakfast with Elpi before we set off to Peloponesse

Day 15 - Peloponesse - Epidavros, Mycanae

First stop at Epidavorus for the legendary amphitheatre with unbelievable acoustics (drop a coin at the centre of the stage, and one could hear it even from the furthest point in the theatre).

The mountain range afar form a nice backdrop for the ancient stage.

After Epidavros, we went to Mycanae, an ancient fortress and city. It is famous for it's Lion Gate, which you would never miss as you enter the site. Another important site you shouldn't miss is the Tomb of Atreus, which is shapped like a beehive. The sheer size of that beehive-shaped tomb is amazing!I wonder how the people built it with their ancient technology.

After the tour of the ruin and ancient city, we stopover at Naplifo for a night. We managed to get a nice domatia with a good view of Naplio. At our balcony, we could see the orange-lighted fortress that gleam in the dark. I could even see it through the little window as I bath...how wonderful!

Day 16 - Peloponesse - Napflio, Corinth

After Mykines, we decided to brave the heat and climbed Nine Hundreds, ninety-nine steps to reach the fort...and to find out that we could take a bus up!!! Well, this's the best fortress I have ever seen, I can't believe the city was captured without any struggles with such great fort.

The Fortress high above the hill

Nice sunset at Naplio

The door leading to paradise?

Mykines

Restored art piece on display at Corinth

Day 17 to 18 - Meterora

This is one place that you shouldn't miss if you're in Greece. Not too difficult to reach from Athens with my resourceful dear as it's just 3hrs train ride away. There are a total of 6 monastaries perched atop these hills.

On the 1st day there, we hike up under the scorching hot sun and managed to visit 2 of them.

On the next day, I was spared the tedious hike and we took a bus up to the furthest monastery. We managed to cover the rest of it by foot and hitching a ride from kind visitors.

Isn't it amazing how they managed to build monastery on top of these pinnacles?

Wonders of nature

Day 19 - Hydra

Last island hopping escape at beatiful Hydra where artists goes for inspirations and ideas...

A little Donkey friend I made along the way..

The picturesque harbour

Beautiful sea

Day 20 -Athens, Rest and Relax

Elphi managed to find one of her friend, Nicos, another couchsurfer to host us for our last day in Athens. We are really lucky I think, as we get to know another great person who's really friendly and funny. We had a great time staying with him, riding the cows and having some homecooked dinner. He also took the trouble to bring us up a hill in Athens to check out the awesome night scene. It's those kind of things only the locals would know about it.

Is this the Milkyway?

Underneath the fun-loving nature lies a nice, family guy...

~ The End ~

Yahoo! I finally managed to finish my Greece blog!