The rest of it...except UK

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Whoa.. I've got like 2 weeks worth to write. Nah, I'll just cut and paste from my own travel diary. Anyway, it's been a whirlwind tour thru Switzerland, Germany (Munich and Berlin), Vienna, Prague and Amsterdam. Then, London here I come.. and my 1st impression of it? Heathrow sucks major league. Not only that, the 1st thing people are talking about... "did u know about the bomb scare last night?". Talk about first impressions... but tomorrow will be a better day.

Ok.. down to business.

MUNICH (14/06/07)

Super long train ride for 7.5 hrs.. luckily travelling 1st class with more space and less crowd.
Nice city on 1st impression with lotsa pedestrian walking street and old buildings. Wombat Hostel also seems pretty good. Had Hofbrahaus (beer brewery place) for dinner and 1 L beer!
Anyway, woke up fairly early to meet our tour group at 8.45am for Neuschwanstein Castle tour. Of course, we didn't leave till 9.15am..one Asian girl brought her large suitcase along hoping to catch the 5pm train to Zurich when the tour ends only abt 7.45pm....the things people do!
The trip out wasn't anything spectacular but had some good views along the way. Once we got to our 1st stop, we collected our bikes for a short bike tour around the area and Swan Lake (no, not the one in Tsaikovsky). Quite easy ride except the uphill part back to base.

After lunch, went for alpine sliding.. basically tobaggon down a track. Pretty good, but quite mild. Next.. trip up to the Neuschwanstein Castle.. picturesque fairytale castle perched on hillside. We took a hike through the waterfalls... with manmade parts of hydroenergy from previous times. Slightly tiring hike, but nice view along the way. Also wallked to the Mary's bridge which gave a fantastic view of the castle & surroundings. Interior of castle wasn't too impressive as it was only partially completed due to King Ludwig II suspicious death after declared mentally unfit to rule.

Went back to Hofbrahaus for dinner (again!)... love the roast pork knuckle! Also pretty rowdy crowd, but what do u expect when each person are drinking a few litres! Seems to have big groups also like Contiki tours. Also weather seems to rain pretty much most evenings.. at least we had good weather during the day.

Saw the main sights on the walking tour, and also some Munich history. Lazy to get into details but we had a great tour guide who was very animated. In a nutshell, Nazi movement originated here and Munich is trying to wash over history with most of their buildings under 100 years old though they were rebuilt in old style.

VIENNA (16/06/07)

Arrived late at night... nothing much to do & difficult to find food and then we woke up really early to queue for Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofsburg Chapel. Standing was free, we could see the service but not the choir. At least we weren't at the back of the standing queue (they watched on the TV screen only). Took a long nap after the early morning wake up call.. in the evening, we saw the parliament, city hall, state opera, churches (Votiv Church & Stephensdom). City hall area had a scout gathering partying away. Also visited the Zentralfriedhof (cemetery where Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms etc), and Belvedere Palace.

PRAGUE (19/06/07)

Took the walking tour of historical Prague city.. tour guide wasn't too energetic unlike Ozzie in Munich. Started at the Astronomical Clocktower (one of the few still around) in the old town square, then saw St James Church (has a hand of a thief who tried to steal jewel decorations from the Madonna) & Church of the Lady before Tyn, the Municipal House & the Powder Gate (used to store the gunpowder) and Jewish quarter (also had the cemetery that apparently has layers of burials due to space constraints). Wenceslas Square is similar to La Ramblas, Barcelona with pedestrianised street & National Museum at one end.

Crossed the Karluv most (Charles Bridge) to the Prague Castle, which is now the presidential office area. Contains St Vitus Church (supposedly 1 of 10 largest in the world with 24 chapels and has the Czech crown jewels - 6 largest sapphire inserted). Also has St John tomb made of 1 tonne of silver. St John was tortured & killed by the king after refusing to reveal the queens confession. Thrown over Charles Bridge and following day, people saw 5 stars in the water.

BERLIN (22/06/07)

Arrived at the Circus hostel..didn't do much on 1st day since spent most of it travelling. Went to Sony Centre at Potsdamer Platz after dinner to catch a movie Spiderman 3 in English! How outdated are we?

Next day, we went to the Zoological Garden where gay parade was supposed to be held. There was the Kaiser Wilhelm Church which was bombed & has hole in roof. Now has a new modernistic church adjacent. Then the rain came & couldn't see much of the parade.. mainly a few floats with lotsa people on it drinking & dancing.

Went to Checkpoint Charlie where its one of the few gateways across to East Berlin (3rd built). Famous because of 2 significant events previously. First was when an American soldier wanted to cross over for opera together with gf without passport (usually allowed but new orders not to allow). So he went back to his barracks & got a few soldiers in army jeep to head back for confrontation. He was let through. Same thing happened again following night, and this time he came back with tanks. East Berlin side then got Soviet Union military support who came with their own tanks. This is the 1st time the two great armies come face to face with tanks. Someone finally came to their senses and removed their tanks in a few hours. World War 3 averted. 2nd event was when JFK made his speech here & said he was a "jelly donut" (meant to say he was also a Berliner) in German.

Then went to the Museum House of Checkpoint Charlie which was mainly about the struggle of East Berliners trying to get across to West Berlin. Various ingenius attempts to smuggle out. Saw the Jewish Museum which was quite modern looking, East Side Gallery with graffiti on longest stretch of surviving Berlin wall. and dinner at Sophieneck with history going back to early days as bakery.

Had the walking tour following day for 8 hours! Sylvia was really good and animated especially for historical bits. Started with simple Jewish memorial of desk & fallen chair to signify the suddenness and unexpected actual persecutions by Nazi. Saw the rebuilt facade of synagogue which was destroyed during war, but signify the integration of Jews into society prior to the persecutions. Also saw various East Berlin buildings that were neglected and restored ones. There is a project going on involving putting small metal plates into the ground inscribing names, DOB, death and method (conc camp, suicide, death marchs etc) to remind that these were residents who were targetted.

Saw the Museum Island with the Bode Museum, on the only surviving bridge in Berlin. The others were destroyed by Allied & Soviet forces and also German forces themselves! There was marked contrast in security forces required in American and Russian embassies. The Americans barricaded everything, but only 1 soldier at the Russian embassy.. doing more tourist info point than security!

Branderburger Gate which was build by King Friedrich (Prussian King) and rebuilt after being destroyed in the war. Initially had Goddess of Peace on top but replaced with Goddes of Victory after Napoleon came by. Also in the Pariser Platz is the Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson had the hanging-over-balcony baby incident. Next was the Reichstag where parliament sits. This building has been occupied by all 3 occupying forces in the past. Nearby is the memorial of 96 people who opposed Hitler & died. Then the Soviet Memorial for soldiers who died taking the Reichstagl. Built on British sector, and had to be protected by Soviet & British soldiers from public (how ironic considering the Iron Curtain).

The Holocaust Memorial for the Murdered Jews was great and inspiring. Designed with geometrical cubes straight lines & no walls to allow your own interpretation and choices. Underground has a bunker for the propaganda minister (sealed & try to forget). Also had uproar with company making anti-dirt surface for memorial whom made poison gas during war.. Adolf Hitler Bunker destroyed and now a parking lot. Here Adolf and Eva got married and poisoned themselves. Nearby is examples of old Nazi buildings now the Finance Ministry.
Also saw the book burning square surrounded by old palaces. It now has an underground room memorial with empty bookshelves signifying the "presence of absence".

AMSTERDAM (26/06/07)

Chilly and wet weather on arrival... saw Dams Square, National Monument, and Sex Museum (mainly photos and tribute to Marilyn Monroe).. not to mention the long daylight. Its still bright at 11 pm!

The hostel I was staying at was in the Red Light District... had its own 'coffeeshops'. Also the popular tourist thing to do is to pay a visit to the window girls in Red Light District. A bit about hash.. It is illegal to grow, but can sell in coffeeshops only. Licensing is now a die-off policy and EU smoking rules apply soon. Apparently, not many local people use hash.. mainly for touristic use. Hehe, got all this info from where else... Cannabis College!

Went to Nieuwemarkt, but seems like only a cafe, Oude Kerk, Rembranthuis (mainly etchings only so didnt go in), Waterloo Plein Market, saw Magere Brug (bridge), and De Gooyer Windmill. Went into Rijksmuseum but limited exhibition during renovations, and small part of Vondelpark before stumbled on Max Euwe Plein where 2 were playing chess (not too good tho')

Tried some Absynth which was pretty minty but could taste the alcohol too. But doesn't seem any stronger than the brandy or whisky at home. Next day, went to Anne Frank's house which was very interesting with a interesting presentation & survey on choices with regards to current affairs of freedom of speech, religion, privacy etc. Walked along the canals, nicer walk & much more leisurely than Venice in my opinion.

Went for dinner at Chinatown (there is no such thing as Dutch cuisine.. so end up eating Asian mainly) & table-shared with a Moroccon man now living in Amsterdam. Apparently the restaurant is famous for the black-bean sauce steamed oysters which he insisted that I try as if I haven't had these oysters before (and like I would refuse!). Anyway, had interesting conversation and a full stomach (plus free oyster). Can't complain

That's a wrap for now.. London and the rest of it will be written from KL! Cya and take care!

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