Europe Trip Day 4 - Brugge

Day 4
We took the train from Antwerpen Centraal Station to Brugge. Michael and Anne drove 5 hours from Germany to join us in Brugge for the weekend. So, we met at Brugge station and started our day from there.

Brugge is the largest city of the West Flanders in Belgium. It's beautiful like a fantasy world. Something like Disney. Lol. I love its medieval streets, winding canals and green ramparts.

We actually walked from Station Brugge all the way to Grote Markt

I had Flemish Beef Stew which was really good. I shall learn how to make this. Ryan went to one of the many chocolate shop and bought us some Belgian chocolate. I must admit that they are really good. As for the waffles, it wasn't the best I had. In fact, the best waffle I had was in Tokyo. We probably went to the wrong shop for waffle.

Flemish Beef Stew and a glass of Duvel

Michael then drove us to the beach-y side of Brugge. On the way, we dropped by Carrefour to get some bottles of mineral water and as usual, the supermarket was a happy place for me. I always love angmoh supermarket. Lol.

After the beach, we drove back to Antwerp and we had a nice dinner and drinks with Michael and Anne at a nice restaurant and bar.

Europe Trip Day 3 - Antwerp

Day 3
We departed Amsterdam for Antwerp via Thalys. We stayed in Antwerp for 2 nights at Antwerp Central Youth Hostel. The hostel was pretty nice but there were mosquitoes in our room. Same feedback from Michael as well who stayed in the same hostel on our 2nd night.

What we did in Antwerp:
- We went to Groenplaats, Cathedral of Our Lady, Grote Markt and Hetsteen
- Drank lots of Belgium beer
- Had the best mussels and fries
- Walked a lot
- Took the subway to Chinatown at night which was a mistake because that area was pretty dodgy

Cathedral of Our Lady - Built between 1352 and 1521 as one of the world's tallest building

Grote Markt - The main square in Antwerp and is a popular tourist destination

In the centre of Grote Markt (in front of the town hall), there is a statue of Brabo who cut off the hand of the giant Antigoon and threw it into the river. Antigoon lived near the Schelde River and used to charge a toll for people wanting to cross the river. For people that couldn't pay the toll, their hands would be cut off and thrown into the River. This is a famous folklore tale in Antwerp and that is how Antwerp got its name from. The name Antwerpen means 'Hand Throw'.

Hetsteen (The Stone)
Often referred to as The Castle but was originally one of the old city's fortified gates

One of the many beers we had, best mussels and best fries

Credits to Ryan Chew for the photos.

Europe Trip Day 1 & 2 - Amsterdam on September 2014

We were supposed to spend 3 nights in Amsterdam but because of the 25 hours flight delay, we only had 2 nights.

We arrived at Schipol Airport early in the morning. Took the train from the airport to Central Station. From there, we walked about 10 minutes to the apartment near Dam Square where we stayed for 2 nights.

Central Station

We rented an apartment in Dam Square for 100 EUR per night. Lovely apartment with original very steep Dutch staircase. The owner (if I'm not mistaken), Kevin, was very kind to help us carry our luggage up.

The original very steep Dutch staircase

Day 1 Itinerary
Anne Frank's House was just a 5-minutes walk from our apartment. So glad that I did my research and bought tickets online. With that, we didn't have to join the crazy long queue at the entrance. There was a special entrance at the side of the house for pre-bought tickets.

Just look at that queue to Anne Frank's House behind me

Our route for the day

After Anne Frank's House, we took a bus to Blue Boat Company. We had our brunch around there and then we went on the City Canal Cruise.

After the canal cruise, we then head to Van Gogh Museum via P.C. Hooftstraat (a street full of designer boutiques and fancy lunchroom). The street was pretty empty though. Van Gogh Museum was great. I love his art work.

We then walked towards Rijksmuseum again for this picture below.

Albert Cuypmarket is open every day of the week except Sundays. We tried the typical dutch snack here, a herring.

I love it

Heineken Experience was fun. Tickets were inclusive of 2 free drinks and a Heineken glass. I wasn't sure if I was jet-lagged or the beer was really good (fresh!) because I was really tipsy after 2 glasses which was unusual for me.

This is our last attraction for the day and we still had time to kill, so we took the tram back to Dam Square. Since Red Light District was nearby, we went but it was still early (around 5-6pm) so there wasn't much to see.

Day 2 Itinerary
I bought a Countryside Bike Tour by Mike's Bike Tour. On this bike tour, we cycled to the south of Amsterdam where most time were spent riding along the Amstel River. We went to one of the few remaining authentic windmills and then visited an entertaining and funny farmer at his cheese farm and clog factory. The bike tour was really fun.

We went back to Red Light District after sunset this time and it was so crowded with tourists. This time, ooooh so much to see. Sorry, no pictures as it was not allowed. Didn't even try. I was informed that there were bouncers everywhere and they will damage your camera if you were caught taking pictures.

We went somewhere near Leidseplein for some food and drinks on our last night.

Tips: If you know you will be taking the tram or bus a lot on that day, buy a day pass for 4 EUR and you'll get unlimited rides for the day.

Our 12 days 11 nights holiday in Europe

  Video from ryanchew.net on Vimeo.
4 countries, 5 cities.

We went to Amsterdam for 2 nights and then we took Thalys to Antwerp where we based there for 2 nights and a day trip to Brugge. Then, we took Thalys again to Paris for 2 nights and then we flew to Palma de Mallorca for 3 nights and back to Paris for another 2 nights and then head home.

Overall, our 12 days 11 nights holiday in Europe was great however...

We didn't have a good start on our vacation to Europe and neither we have a good ending. All thanks to KLM and Air France. What a horrible experience. On the day we were supposed to depart Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam, they announced that the flight had to be delayed for 25 hours due to technical problem. It was 11pm. We were told to collect our luggage and call customer service to rebook our flights but their customer service was unreachable. It was way passed midnight by the time we got our luggage and we were tired and cranky. They offered accommodation for passengers who needed one. We decided to take a cab home. What pissed me off is that we weren't informed that they rebooked us on Qatar Airways which will be departing at 10AM. I only found out at 9AM when I logged in to KLM website to check on my flight status. We couldn't make it for this flight and why no one called us to inform? I got panicked and was wondering if I miss this one, which flight are we on then? So, we went all the way to KLM Office at KLIA airport to clarify. We were told that we will still be able to board this delayed flight. Gosh, the hassle and the anxiety seriously ruined our holiday mood.

We were supposed to fly home from Paris with Air France. Unfortunately, there was a strike and we were only notified that our flight was cancelled on our last night in Paris. We made lots of phone call again trying to get the unreachable KLM customer service. We called Air France in the US instead and got help. All flights were full and we only got the next available flight (MAS Airline) which will depart a day later. So, we had to find accommodation for the next night because we couldn't extend one more night at the current hotel we were staying (because it was fully booked). The stranded feeling wasn't good at all. We almost didn't get a seat on MAS Airline when we checked in. We were told it was overbooked but they still have seats. We just didn't get to sit next to each other.

We submitted our request for compensation on KLM website but no word from them so far. It's been 2 weeks now. KLM sucks.

I will try to blog my itinerary in detail for each city but if you're really interested and couldn't wait, please drop me an email.

In summary:

Amsterdam - I love the Countryside Bike Tour. Cheese and coffee is really good. I mean the real coffee. Not Amsterdam's "Coffee". Lol.

Antwerp - The old town is pretty and the mussels are delicious! Not forgetting all the Belgium beers as well. It's the same price as Coke. Lol!

Brugge - Michael and Anne drove 5 hours from Germany to join us in Brugge. I love the medieval city and cobblestoned streets. Oooh, not forgeting Belgium chocolates and Flemish Beef Stew. Sooooo yummy!

Paris - Celebrated Ryan's birthday on Bateaux Mouches cruise dinner along Seine river. Very romantic. I also love the Best of Paris Bike Tour from Blue Bike Tour.

Mallorca - Seafood overload on this island. We had seafood every single day here. Love the ride on the old wooden train to Soller and then we visited a pretty village called Fornalutx. We also rented a vespa for a day which was fun too.

With Anne and Mike in Brugge

Jakarta Culinary Trip and Denny & Steph's Wedding

In August, Ryan and I went to Jakarta for Denny and Steph's wedding. It was exciting for me because it was also the Beijing crew reunion. Martono was a great host to all of us during our stay there in Jakarta. He gave us his driver and his car to travel around while he's busy at work.

Ryan and I arrived a day earlier than the rest. Well, the initial plan was to go for golf with Martono but the plan was cancelled after I got pregnant. Since the air ticket was bought much earlier, we just went a day earlier anyway.

As there's really nothing much to do in Jakarta, I made this a culinary trip instead. So fortunate that I have Martono, a local, to take us around Jakarta to eat (when he's not working).

Martono's driver taking us from the airport to a restaurant where Martono will meet us for lunch

Our first meal at R.M. Baji Pamai somehwere in Teluk Kelapa Gading

We stayed at Hotel Pullman Thamrin. The room was small for the price that we paid but tastefully furnished.

Marina from Japan, arrived very early in the morning the next day.

I met up with her at our hotel lobby and we walked to Plaza Indonesia which is just right opposite of the hotel for breakfast.

Marina and I

Hamburg and rice omelette at Ten Ten

We shopped a bit at the supermarket in Plaza Indonesia. Marina bought some Indomie, coffee beans, etc.

Around noon, Martono picked us up for lunch at Sate Khas Senayan in Kebon Sirih. Oooh, the food was good.

The food we ordered at Sate Khas Senayan in Kebon Sirih
Sup Buntut, Mixed Satay and Durian Cendol

Martono likes to tease me like how Malaysia is always stealing Indonesia's food. So I teased him that this Satay is Malaysian food so is the Cendol and the Sup Buntut. Marina then pointed at the satay and told us that it's Japanese and it's called yakitori. Martono was like, "Fine...say whatever you guys want." LOL!

With Marina and Martono

For dinner, we went to Pondok Laguna in Batu Ceper. It's a famous restaurant in Jakarta with the locals. Robert arrived in the evening and the driver drove him there to meet us for dinner.

The food we ordered at Pondok Laguna

After dinner, we all went to Mandarin Oriental Hotel (where Robert was staying) to meet up with Denny and Stephanie for a quick drink. Mike arrived later in the evening and the driver drove him there to meet us. Now, we're complete. :D

The Beijing crew reunion in Jakarta - It's amazing how we all flew in from different parts of the world and we all talked and joked as if we've never been apart

Martono then took us to Skye Bar. Located in the heart of the city, on the 56th floor rooftop of BCA Tower - Grand Indonesia, Thamrin.

Us at Skye Bar with the view of Jakarta behind us

The next morning, Martono took us out for breakfast at Pinangsari.

Breakfast at Pinangsari

We went to Denny and Steph's traditional wedding blessing ceremony in the afternoon. This wedding event was of Aceh and Batak ethnic groups as Denny is half Acehnese and half Bataknese.

Denny and Steph

The dinner reception was a standing party. Apparently, I was told that standing party wedding dinner reception is a norm in Jakarta where the guests are all free to roam and mingle around.

Marina in her Kimono and I all dolled up for the dinner reception

My darling husband and I

The party

Marina and the flower she got from the bouquet tossing session

Me, Mike and Marina

All of us - Last kopek before we say our goodbyes again :(

It was a memorable trip that I treasured so much. Our next reunion will probably be in Japan if Marina is inviting us to her wedding. I'm looking forward to it already. Lol!

Da Nang, Vietnam

When AirAsia announced that they are stopping flights to Da Nang, Vietnam, from June onwards, I decided to round up my closest friends to go for a short 3 days 2 nights trip to Da Nang.

I made the right decision to stay at a really nice 2-bedroom pool villa because there is really nothing to do or see in Da Nang alone honestly. It was very quiet. All we did was eat, chill, gamble in the casino and sleep.

We stayed at The Ocean Villas and it cost us MYR1,651.12 for 2 nights for 4 person. It's really cheap. As for transportation from the hotel to other places nearby, taxi is the only mode of transport. The hotel is a 20 minutes drive from the airport and it cost us VND 350K (approx. MYR55).

Our villa surroundings
Sun, sand, green grass, beach, sea breeze

Our late lunch at the villa's restaurant

Chilling at our own pool
I must say that the night sky was really beautiful. So starry and I actually saw a shooting star!

Club 99 is located at Furama Resort Danang. It is a small casino. They provide free transportation from the hotel to the casino. No, I didn't win money that night. No luck! :(

We walked out to a restaurant for late dinner nearby Furama Resort Danang. Food was good and it wasn't expensive at all! I remember there's an English name for that restaurant but I just can't recall the name right now. All I got is their receipt and it says Restaurant Dong Duong 2. I'm pretty sure that is not the name on their signboard.

Dinner at "Restaurant Dong Duong 2"

Our dinner - VND651K (Approx. MYR99)

The next day we went to Hoi An Ancient Town. Hoi An Ancient Town is listed as one of the UNESCO world heritage site. Its architecture is of traditional Vietnamese design, with Chinese and Japanese influences. The town actually look and feel like Malacca. :D

Around Hoi An Ancient Town

Japanes Bridge
The Japanese Bridge is Hoi An’s signature landmark used widely as an emblem of the town. It was built by Japanese merchants in the 16the century.

Around Hoi An Ancient Town

We also went to My Khe Beach for seafood. My Khe Beach (aka China Beach) is a tourist spot in Da Nang. We didn't see much tourist when we were there though.

We went to this famous seafood restaurant called Thanh Hien.

Seafood lunch - VND865K (Approx. MYR132 with fried rice)

My Khe Beach (aka Danang Beach)

On our last night, the three of them finished the vodka they bought from the airport and everyone was being silly.

The pregnant woman took this picture of the three drunkards being silly :D

This trip only cost us MYR1500-ish per person. I think it's alright for a weekend getaway.

San Francisco and Napa Valley

I've been really busy and that explain why I haven't been blogging much. I've been busy with my career, my family, my health, the wedding and now the new house.

Anyway, some updates on my trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley in January this year. We took Singapore Airlines (SIA). I always like SIA. It's expensive of course. I could have chosen Eva Air which is like RM1K cheaper for 2 person and with only one stop but the schedule wasn't right for me. So, SIA it is! =D

For the first 3 nights in San Francisco, we stayed at The Herbert Hotel which is right in the middle between Union Square and Westfield mall. Great location and not too pricey. I like!

Macy's in Union Square

The view of Union Square from Cheesecake Factory in Macy's

Cheesecake Factory
This is a must-eat in San Francisco

Original Cheesecake
Very very yummy and filling

More Cheesecakes

Around the city

Pier 39
Festival marketplace near Fisherman's Wharf offers shopping and dining guides, departures for Alcatraz tours, and the sea lions

We went to the Aquarium of the Bay and I think it's a total rip off. Nothing special. =P

Pictures from Aquarium of the Bay

Around Pier 39

Picture of us Alcatraz behind us

Another picture of us

We were sort of forced to pay USD2 for these pictures of the two of us. Well, there was this woman sitting at the bench and she saw us coming and she came to us saying, "Hello, would you like me to take some pictures for the two of you?" So, we let her and she snapped away. After that, she said, "Guys, can you spare me 2 dollars for coffee?". LOL!

See how he bombed my photo

We walked towards Fisherman's Wharf which is a popular tourist attraction in San Francisco. You must have seafood there. You can either buy from the stalls by the street or you can dine in one of the many seafood restaurants there. We tried both. We had clam chowder from the street and other seafood from a restaurant.

Fisherman's Wharf

Street stall selling cold shrimps, prawns, lobster

More seafood - so yummy

Oooh lobsters

Mmmm oysters

I'm all ready to eat that Dungeness Crab

After dinner, we walked 1.7 miles down south from Fisherman's Wharf back to our hotel in Union Square cutting through Chinatown using my Google Map on my iPhone to guide us. Long walk, tiring, but it was gooooooood.

One of the many shops in Chinatown and Chinese street performer with their erhu

Chinatown Entrance

Tram

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatraz - Close up from our Bay Cruise

Sea lion

Painted Ladies - These Victorian row houses are in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood

We rented a car with GPS for our road trip to Napa Valley.

Our car for 2.5 days

On the road crossing the bridge to the Northern part of California

After and hour or so, here we are at the Silverado Resort and Spa. I love our 1 bedroom fireplace suite! So warm and cozy. On our first day there, the weather was lousy. I was supposed to head out to the outlets for some shopping but I decided to stay indoor and relax while Ryan attend his conference.

Our suite at Silverado Resort and Spa

I love the fireplace

Late night shopping at Walmart - I always love to go to angmoh's supermarket

The next day, I drove to Vacaville Premium Outlet which is an hour from the hotel to do some shopping while Ryan went to his conference. I enjoyed the journey very much, driving all alone, in a foreign country, left hand drive, etc. Well, yeah, I drove into the wrong lane once in Vacaville and that's because the road was empty. No other cars to guide me until I see a car coming in the opposite direction in my lane. Lol!

Vacaville Premium Outlet

On the last day before we head back to San Francisco, we drove an hour plus again to this new outlet called Paragon Outlet in Livermore. It wasn't listed in the GPS because it was so new. Thanks to my Google Map on my iPhone which brought us there. It was Ryan's shopping time as he did not get to shop with me in Vacaville. I like this outlet very much as compared to Vacaville.

Paragon Outlet @ Livermore