Amsterdam

this is a very belated entry, but one nonetheless.

we arrived in amsterdam from paris on a freezing dutch evening via eurail.
the food on the train was excellent and well unexpected, we thought we werent getting any food, so we stocked up at the train station, with sandwiches, lollies and drinks.
lo and behold, we had one of the best served meals of the trip! with cheese, scones and what not
drudging our way to our houseboat we took the long way from the train station.. arriving at the dock, it was not easy to find our houseboat accommodation amongst the myriad of other boats.
but the vita nova was just as we expected, stepping into its warm interior from the frosty air outside was such a relief, we were given a room downstairs and told that a full breakfast is provided for on the deck every morning: SCORE! one less meal to buy.

since we had the evening left, we headed around the dock and came across a library, wow! it had 4 levels, one dedicted entirely to children with PS3/xbox/wii consoles, DDR machines and everything you could imagine to keep kids entertained and perhaps off the streets.
having had no internet in paris, it was a relief to get online and let our families know what we were up to.
later that night we headed out into the city: Dam square. it was the night before NYE and the city was packed. down the mainstream we couldnt help but try out a lil of what amsterdam is all about... visiting the sex musuem, amongst other activities. came across a lovely little irish pub where we got introduced to some dutch cocktails from a lovely bartender ;)
that night, on top of the boat, on the deck, feeling very much the european winter and its chilliness, we met some other tourists (coming across 5 aussies and 2 brits) over some beverages.
after sharing stories of our trips, we all decided to head out for NYE together the next night.

early the next morning, we headed for our guided walking tour, learning along the way what amsterdam is TRULY about: money (or so we were told by our guide) explaining (perhaps tryin to justify) why it has the reputation that it has and learning along the way the other side of the city.
since it was the last day of our trip when things would be open we headed to the Anne Frank Huis. Such a sombre experience. haunting would be another way to decribe it as we watched anne's remaining friends and relatives retell their stories on recorded loops on the tv. the house itself was as imagined, small and it was a surreal experience to try and imagine being a 14 year old going through that experience.
afterward we headed towards the 7 streets shopping district, only to be brought back by the spine-chilling cold. we hobbled around, popping into stores to seek some warmth, finally deciding to head back to home and grab some supplies for tonight on the way back. as it was also on the way back, and on the guided tour, we didnt get a proper look at the infamous red-light district, we headed in what we thought the direction was....

when we arrived back to the boat, and after regaling stories of our day to our the other tourists, we were told that the district we went to was the B-grade district (which would explain the lack of 'quality') and that we had missed the A-grade district... deciding that it was prob not our thing, we decided not to try and look for it. we'd had enough of amsterdam's "districts".
later that night, we headed out with the *aussie team* as we had coined ourselves bringing the 2 brits along with us. Dam Square was PACKED, but (as I hear, not as bad as Times Square) getting lost in the crowd was inevitable and I nearly missed the fireworks waiting in line for the toilets! the fireworks were magical, different maybe because we were in AMSTERDAM! but definitely a good experince.
after, the crowds started to dissipate and we decided to find a place to chill, walking thorugh the narrow alleys, finally deciding on a place (after one of the brit girls decided to end the argument with her boyfriend). grabbed some fastfood, late night snack, some drinks and enjoyed the music.
heading back was purely due to tiredness and because we had so much of our trip left to enjoy.

the next mornign, we woke up just in time to catch the last minutes of the complimentary breakfast, oh so filling! and since nothign was open, just went for a walk.
decided to go on that long awaited cruise of the canals and must say that it was something TO DO in amsterdam, came across many other houseboats and Amsterdams narrowest house (width= door size) where the occupants had to sleep the other way so that they fit (dutch people being quite tall).
coming back to the boat, we had some time to kill, so enjoyed the rockiness and tranquility of it being a public holiday and sipped tea, played some cards to kill time before we headed back to the train station for our gruelling (3 changes) overnight train to Munich.

one story i do remember from the train journey was stopping by a german maccas for a quick bite while waiting for our train, clara enjoyed what i thought looked like a 'flintsones' burger.
another thing i learnt was that its GOOD to be travelling with 2 people: i had spoken to the conductor on one of the trains and he told me to listen out for which platform we needed to be for our next switch, fortunately i did, as clara woke up. as we were rushing thorugh the station to our next platform, i told clara that i knew where i was going, and that we had 5 mins to get there, only to be told by her that the train we arrived was late in gettin to the station and in reality we had 2 mins to our next train! thank god for that. we made it with 1 sec to spare, clara got on and as i turned around to pick up my bag, the doors closed on me
banging my hands on the door, yelling to open it, and repeatedly pressing the button, willing the door to open again, i had all these thoughts running thorugh my head (of what to do if the train left with clara inside and me not on it). i still cannot believe how many thoughts and scenarios went through me head during the space of, in reality was 2 seconds, before the doors opened again.
lesson: 2 people = 2 diff bits of information = 2 chances of getting it right! teamwork!

we arrived in munich safe and sound, took the train to the airport and awaited our lufthansa flight to NYC.
what a flight: given the wrong seats (the whole plane was, so everyone was swapping around) finally managed to get seats next to each other, thanks to the generous girl sitting next to clara who agreed to swap with my, and slept on the way there, listening to 'swan lake', glad to get some sleep after the harrowing night on the train(s).

paris

omg paris is gorgeous!!
apart from the shocking accommodation that we had to put up (a hole of a bathroom in an alcove beside the stairs, no internet, no lifts!)

but paris is SO beautiful
so many sights
and we scaled the eiffel tower right to the top! yes! on a below zero day climbed to the second part! and im scared of heights with photos to prove jsut how scared i was
and 4 hours is definitely NOT enough to spend at the Louvre even for someone not as interested in art. it is gorgeous
i cannot stop raving about it, definitely on the need to come back lsit

french people are not as snobby as i was told, food is great and the cold is bearable cuz the sun was out.
but we were tired by the end of the day from all the walking
and i must rave about the fantastic metro system, so good, once you get the hang of it!

must wait and see what amsterdam has in store for us

Prague

one thing to learn from: don't exchange money on the street
one suprising thing: after a lacklustre first day, with a dismal show of snow, the last few days have turned out pretty well
good things: BEAUTIFUL architecture, scenery and history, our accommodation, people we met (minus the conmen)
bad things: the cold, conmen, food (boring).

will update with photos later

Itinerary Update

Update: The Bangkok International Airport has reopened and Aly has (finally) made her way to Burma. I will be joining her in a week's time.

Our current itinerary stands as follows:
Burma till 24 Dec
24 Dec - Prague
27 Dec - Paris
30 Dec - Amsterdam
2 Jan - New York
6 or 7 Jan - Vancouver
Dates pending for LA & Sydney.

bangkok issues...

should prob update this....

so the countdown clock says I should be on the flight to Bangkok RIGHT NOW!
but can't get into Bangkok airport and that is my transit stop into Burma, sooooo....
i'm in melb and on the waiting for the first flight via singapore, but chances are EVERYONE is on that waiting list. i told our agent (Emily) that i wouldn't mind gettin a business class ticket, i mean who wouldnt!? :P
so we shall wait and see..

Update: Things To Do

With 8 days to leaving & 2 days before our exams, our To Do list reads:
1. Travel insurance
2. Eurail passes and reservations
3. Visas
4. Accomodation
5. Plan itinerary for sightseeing
6. Find a hospital placement for SCAPs (d/t change of plans)
7. Vaccinations
8. Collect donations for Burma
9. Purchase the relevant 1-way tickets
10. Pack
11. Pack
12. Pack

We shall be working in a free clinic on the outskirts of Rangoon in Burma that cares for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, and are collecting aid to take across there. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to be involved!

the countdown

113 days til exams start.

120 days til I arrive in Burma

126 days until Clara arrives in Singapore

the countdown begins...