Eastern Europe, 25 Jun-8 Jul 2001

Eastern Europe, 25 Jun-8 Jul 2001



Isn't he cute? :) Saw him selling pictures on Charles Bridge so we went over to buy a picture and asked for a photo with him!!

I don't remember how this group of four got together but I do remember we called this the matchmaking trip!! BH and I were the matchmakers heh heh :p

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25 June

Our first stop was Krakow. We flew directly into Krakow, which on retrospect was quite stupid cos that jacked up the price of our flights a lot! But well, I didn't know about the budget airlines at that time, damn!

So we went to the Wieliczka Salt Mine. I remember the way down was pretty scary. It was kind of deep and lit with yellow light so it was creepy too.. But it was amazing to find so many sculptures in a salt mine! What were the miners thinking...

We also went to the dragon cave where a dragon sculpture sprouted fire!



This was completely random. We passed by a busker who was pretty good! He must be cos I paid haha! And I wanted to take a photo with him but he was naughty and pulled up my pony tail!!



Oh, one word of caution: We heard that thugs could pose as police and ask tourists for their passports and then extort money for their return. One day, two guys approached us but BH waved them off (and waved the rest of us to continue walking) and told them we would see them at the police station! Senpai, suteki!!

28 June

Headed for the Auschwitz concentration camp - this gate says "arbeit macht frei", meaning work for freedom.



We took a tour in the camp, walking the route prisoners took, many to their deaths in the gas chambers. The mountains of human hair, shoes, spectacles silently told the horror stories of their owners.. *shudders*

29 June

I no longer remember what we did in Budapest! Except for celebrating BH's birthday at a restaurant called Fatal, recommended by some who went before us. The portions were HUGE! I remember wishing I could bring the pretty menu home!



1 July

I fell ill as we went to Vienna so I couldn't remember much of what happened *.*

We were at some carnival - that's me flanked by BH and GS:



And we went to the famous ferris wheel - I thought it looked pretty hideous *.* But it turned out to be quite fun :) XY and me:



4 July

I think this is my favourite part of the trip - Prague! And not least we met the cute guy on the bridge haha!

Charles Bridge is really pretty. An old man was playing a saxophone. There were many people walking down the bridge, crowding at the many stalls along the bridge. It just felt good to be there :) But it was really, really hot!

Something bizarre happened on the day GS left - he had planned to go back to Oxford earlier. Anyway, tmi here but it was funny just thinking about it :p

Basking in Parisian sunshine

Paris, 20-23 Jun 2001



This was right before Eastern Europe cos I wanted to visit Paris again and cos I didn't want to go back to Sg too early!

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Having spent some five or six days in Paris back in 1999-2000, this was a lot more relaxing - no need to catch every single sight, more to revisit certain places..

And this time, no more ferry! We went by Eurostar :)

In the beginning, the four of us went out together. I only remember Versailles. And it was hot! PR lent me his sunglasses cos I could hardly see with the sun in my eyes, nice guy :)


We must have also been to the Eiffel Tower together - the last time I was there, I didn't go all the way up. Not sure if I did this time round though hoho!

I also ended up riding a merry-go-round :p


I remember one night, we went to somewhere along or off Champs-Élysées for mussels, probably Léon de Bruxelles? Remember it sounded like "mussels" :p Of course, I didn't have mussels; just had some other seafood. But the guys all had mussels, which came in a bucket with a huge basket of chips!

Later, the boys went off on their own - probably to some place I have been before - while I headed for the catacombs. Unfortunately, they were closed that day I went!

So I walked along the Seine by myself... It was nice just to roam the city, especially when the weather was that good :)

UK countryside, 13 Jun 2001

I don't know why we were still in Oxford at this time of the year..

Anyway, the three seniors were planning a mini road trip and I wanted in!

That was how I got to see Stonehenge:



We went for the nearby White Horse Hill as well, and spent some time sitting on the grass, watching sheep and cows, trying not to step or sit on shit etc... And I took random photos like this one: