winter trip (3) BraTisLaVa

Bratislava, the capital of slovakia. it was the third stop of our winter trip. it was planned in the journey mainly bcos the flight bac to the UK was much cheaper. it is such a tiny country. not sure if its any bigger than singapore or hongkong. bratislava has only 427000 residents. i wonder if taiping has got more.

well i have to say. bratislava trip is one of the most memorable trips.it started a bit freaky, a bit scary, then a bit beautiful, then gorgeous and snowy.


so the story starts:

from the magnificient vienna, we took a train to bratislava. it was not a very smooth process. thinking that the latter was pretty near to the former, we didnt book any ticket before we flew. well. one thing missed in the planning. we were supposed to travel on the new year eve, the day when everything will be closed. we walked to the bus station and found no ticket counter, no english-speaking souls. tried to call the ticket line, no one picked up the call. then we walked a long way to the train station. thank you god, we found a cheap tic to go to bratislava! thank god.

in the train, mr koay kept telling me about the movie hostel, which was filmed in slovakia, where tourists were kidnapped and slaughtered. i was like, well, wadever, its js a movie. BUT, reaching brastilava was such an experience. i wont ever forget. it was so freaky. the train station looked like an abondaned old shelter. so filthy walls and the broken glassess in tat soulless place made me kinda forget i was in europe. even when i went to luxemburg (another little country in europe, my british fren robin used to say it should be turned into a carpark for europe), it wasnt tat scary.

we had no idea how to take the bus or other public vehicles. there was no information counter or any approachable person we could ask for direction. the whole place was dark and desserted. it wasnt funny at all. while mr koay asked for direction i was standing there waiting and then all the thoughts of the HOSTEL film started rushing into my head (THANKS KOAY BEETEE!). then the next scary thing-- a really scary random man walked to me and started smiling and talking in his language. i was freaking outttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. if mr koay didnt come bac at tat point i would have screamed my throat out. the whole combination of everything just wasnt right. OMG i was really wondering wad was i doin there. i didnt want cheap tic anymo. i rather fly from somwhere else.

trust me. it was so scary i didnt even have the mood to take any pics. we were then tryin to get a bus to go to the hotel. but the ticket sellin machine was not working. and a girl was trying to help us but she realli realli struggled with her limited english. then we decided we should js jump onto the bus and if they caught us we would just act stupid.

and, on the bus. along the way to the hotel. i saw nothing pleasant from the window. it was like driving from bagan serai to kurau. I MEAN IT. its worse than KAMUNTING or POKOK ASAM. it was all dark and soulless. i was not very happy with the whole thing. i havnt been feelin so scared in a long while.

the bus stopped, we walked to the hotel in the DARK. i was speeding up. it was so silent everywhere like anyone could just jump out from the bush and rob us. the pic below shows a morning version. but trust me. at night it was so so horrifying. we then made a deal we would leave the hotel n took a bus to the airport next day at 3pm before it got dark, eventho our flight was at 9pm.

the so-called 3-star hotel. it looked like some abandoned industrial area to me. and let me tel you, the city map actually put this hotel up as one of the recommended sights. -_-


well enough complaints maybe. as i was expecting nothing from this lifeless land. the silver lining appeared behind the cloud. everywhere was white with snow. it was pretty. just the look of it made me happy. the place, even empty, was not so scary anymore.

WHITE.

the town, tho small, was nice to walk around and just chill. i was beginning to like the place.


sign of lives. i was so happy when i saw these people. the more the merrier. especially in that place, we need more souls around.


things like this are amazing. they never realli mean like wad u think. like the homo sapiens, never judge them before u hav a second thought about them and have realli come to know whats deep inside them. shallowness is ugly.
welcome to slovakia. c mon try some slovakian traditional dishes. i cook as well as this girl does, the chef says. (dream on)
wine is good. icy good wine even better. the europeans know it best. wine their blood.
almost all old towns in europe are just so beautiful, including this tiny one. its new year, i really wondered where was everyone in tat country. oh tel u somtin. this day was important because the slovakian started using euros!


novy most the road bridge. the view was wowwwwwwwww. i was getting happier and happier as i saw more of the city. i told u. the beauty of all shits coming together is--things can only get better.

well all in all, it was such an exciting trip. a bit freaky, but i am happy i actually had the so-called adventure lol. so people, if u ever wanna go there for a good weekend in summer. by all means!

winter trip (2) VieNna

the city of arts. ViEnNa. wei-ye-na in chinese. before anything. let me share something with you. there was a story i watched on a series during school time. there was this pretty young lady, Lydia who played piano all her life. her dad wanted nothing more than sending her to vienna to do music. she met him. he was a rebellious kid. she fell for him. dad tried to stop by forcing her to vienna. she ran away in the airport. she ran to him. she started a total new different life with the boy. she wasnt touching any piano keys anymore but always dealing with his wounds from his fights. stuffing herself everyday with worries that he might be slashed apart at any second. her right hand was injured bcos of him. she couldnt play piano again. Oh man, i would have js ran to the beautiful vienna.somtimes in life, you have to walk further n when u look back, those things that matter so much once to u, just dont anymore. well. youth is certainly full of stupidities at times.

ok. i have been procastinating my winter trip blog. it has been ages. i am basically sticking to the laptop screen watching nonsense and all. i just couldnt be very bothered to do this. so now im blogging using what is remained in my brain cells after so many ages passed.

well i finished the horryfying CAT. instead of sitting around doin nothing i might as well js do this. since my personal photographer koay beetee had been chasing me to upload his fav piece of work---> I SERIOUSLY don think the pic below is any exciting. the photographer mr koay is realli proud that he could capture how i was touching the tip of Rathaus (city council of vienna city). like really touching the tip. but why is the mr koay so insistent tat its the pic of the trip? I DON UNDERSTAND.


so vienna. it was realli cold. so cold the pond froze! it was a bit freaky to walk on it. i was worried the ice might just break at any point i didnt wanna go further. but this random european guy at the side was giving me encouragement. he couldnt really speak english but he was giving me this gesture like "heyy i am this big, i am much heavier n the ice didnt break, go on you!" well it was freezing cold i couldnt afford to get wet at that point. so tats as far as i would go. like a meter away from the edge lol. Neptune well looked prettier with ice than water.
welcome to the palace! i think i stil lov the sleepin beauty's palace in the disneyland. pink and happy.

walking up the hills to Gloriette. it was a bright happy day. upon request. jump!
up at the gorgeous Gloriette. the sun was shining somehow. it helped with the brutal coldnes. a bit. sunsine is always more appreciated here in the western land. and with 10layers of clothing(realli!!!), i think i don need the tonnes of sunblock i use during summer.

it was so freezy i had to walk into this parliament building just to steal a bit of warmth. well spent a bit of time playing with their high-tech computers which explained the history of the country n stuff. not very interested in tat. well quite nice in there.
new hafburg. residence of kings and emporors. u have the spanish riding school here as well. so, if you have to be careful with cars in the UK, u maybe hav to watch out the horses in vienna. they are just everywhere. i mean, everywhere. at one point we were crossing the road n mr koay was shouting "HEYYY WATCH OUT THE CAR!" omg we were almost knocked down by a few horses which were marching towards us. tat was hilarious. watch out the car? horses! i laughed till my tears were out. the horses were kinda scary when they were tat near. and they were marching on like they wouldnt have stopped for us. i wonder wad would have happened if we were like a bit slower in crossing the road.


state opera. not really expensive to go in. like 4euro for a tour. but a realli quick one tho. but to see a real opera costs a fortune. had a look at the back stage. u will be surprised to see how many people are qorking with the background changing and costumes. HUGE.state opera musuem. meet our board of honourable conductors!!!!!!
one the most class city halls. its being repainted so its kinda half white top and half balck bottom. looked more like a snow-covered building. i lov the view.

vienna is stereotypically beautiful and classic. its like a fairy tale land. so, lets js look at another part of the city. OMG a donkey!!!!!!!!!!! such a poor thing. the master brought it around so people can have a ride n he can make a living. i mean, who wil want to ride on that poor little thing?


wiener riesenrad (vienna giant wheel) at the entrance of prater amusement park. mmm. its on like every postcard. its really quite tiny. compared to the one in london, or even the one in manchester. this is really js the size for a theme park. beautiful tho.


come to vienna. if u wanna remind yourself life is worth more to see more to feel more to get to. there are so many magnificient things around waiting for you to explore. walk further. see further.