Milan is real thrill

Saya memang bermaksud untuk mula bercerita tentang pengalaman dan perjalanan impian saya, backpacking to Europe, anda tahu kan, the cooking trip? Mengembara ke Negara Eropah, atau apa sahaja yang anda menggelarkannya - tetapi ia begitu sukar untuk memulakan ayat yang pertama. Tiada idea langsung!

Where do I begin ?

Milan, Italy

Yes, let's start with Milan.

Keretapi

Kami menggunakan Trenitalia dari Venice menuju ke Milan. Ini adalah pengalaman menaiki kereta api yang pengalaman pertama untuk saya di muka bumi. Di Malaysia pun saya belum pernah mencubanya, jadi tiada perbandingan dapat dilakukan. Anda mungkin boleh membayangkan keseronokan saya.

Oleh kerana kami menggunakan Eurail pas (memerlukan satu entri khas untuk menerangkan pas ini - masa yang lain mungkin), kami berhak untuk mendapatkan kerusi kelas pertama pada harga lebih murah. Hanya 10 Euro. TETAPI, jiika kami lebih bijak tempat duduk kelas kedua tidak akan menelan apa-apa belanja. Malangnya kebijaksanaan itu hanya tiba selepas tiba di Milan. Novice.

Kerusi kelas pertama memang menarik. Selepas perjalanan berlalu lima belas minit atau lebih, datang seorang staf Trenitalia menolak food cart ke arah coach kami sambil menawarkan makanan. I don't expect it would be free so I just say no, and tried to get some sleep. Boy, was I wrong!

Sesampainya di Milano Centrale hanya perkataan WOW yang berada di dalam kepala saya. Terasa seperti sedang berada dalam filem orang putih. Tetapi kenapa, kenapa saya tiada gambar bangunan ini?? Ya, kerana hujan. Salahkanlah hujan, teruskan.

I just love this information board. It was so classical.

Milano Central, bangunan yang tersangat indah dengan struktur yang terlalu hebat. Tetapi semuanya menggunakan tangga. Semua orang dengan membawa luggage bag menuruni anak-anak tangga yang banyak itu. Di mana lif? Di mana?? Semua orang seperti tidak peduli dengan lif atau eskalator. Siapa peduli? Tangga kan ada? Orang Itali memang manusia macho. 

Muka-muka yang teruja; minda yang sedikit terpinga, udara yang agak dingin dan perut yang sedang meronta kelaparan - kombinasi emosi yang baik

Perjuangan mencari hotel

Kami agak terpinga-pinga sesampainya di sini. Masalah bahasa nampaknya memang menjadi isu universal di mana saja kami berada. Jadi, mempelajari sedikit perkataan asas dalam Bahasa Itali akan membantu anda untuk um, memecahkan ais barangkali. At least you tried to speak their language. Selepas selesai membuat tempahan tempat duduk kelas kedua ke Verona bagi keesokkan hari, kami meneruskan perjuangan mencari hotel. Polis bantuan memang kelihatan di mana - mana tetapi tidak begitu pasti apakah tujuan mereka di sini. 

Polis bantuan memberikan arah jalan yang salah ke hotel, dan menyebabkan kami terpaksa berjalan dalam hujan dan pusingan dan pusingan dan pusingan dengan 4 arahan yang berbeza dari 4 local people yang ditemui untuk akhirnya tiba ke Demo' Hotel. Polis bantuan, boleh tak lain kali anda lebih mahir dengan bandar anda? Dan boleh tak anda menjadi lebih peramah? Senyum, mungkin?

The Moment Has Come

Bismillah
I'm writing from KL810 KL-Amsterdam-Venice just seconds away from shutting off electronic device. See you later! Doakan ya

The Packing Instruments

Seriously, packing is the most stressful thing to do before travelling. I thought I know how to pack lightly but the truth is I don't. An Osprey 38l backpack, a hand carried luggage and this super great upper back to shoulder pain. Nice, just nice. I don't know how to survive in 3 weeks time there carrying all these on the back of my super shoulder. Arghhh

Nampak macam krim cendawan, tapi sebenarnya bukan tu. Bukan. 

Nampak banyak, tapi entahlah memang banyak pun. Dan berat.

Perlu ke bawak nasi ni ? Walaupun dah penat melilin ? Hihi comel sangat proses melilin.

Perlu ke bawak make up n perfume bagai ?

 

Ni dah pasti perlu. Kos melebihi RM100 hanya untuk ubat - ubatan. 

Semoga Allah berikan kesihatan yang baik kepada kami semua. Keselamatan ketika, sedang dan perjalanan pulang. Permudahkanlah segalanya wahai Tuhan kami. Amin.

Okey, lagi 5 hari okey! -.-

The emergency kit

Please activate your card for ATM PLUS features.
Pls call Credit Card center to inform overseas usage and to avoid being decline at Prada retail :D

Maybank (and probably the rest of banking inst. in Malaysia) shuts down all its machine at 00:00 to 01:00 local time.

Lets remind each other - DO NOT withdraw money at this time.

Bank Islam charges RM10 each transaction while Maybank RM12. Sucker.

It is advisable to change withdrawal limit for emergency purposes bcos by default, only RM1000 can be withdraw everyday.

The Cooking Trip

This is :

The Cooking Trip aka the backpacking in Europe.

Thinking back, it was quite funny how this started. I am supposed to go backpacking with one of my closest friend, Nani to some undecided countries in Europe. I fantasized about it and had posted some vague status in Facebook. My very quick to translate the meaning sister in law catch that. Funny, I don't know her plan (with my brother) was similar to mine and Nani. She called me right away, that efficient woman.

"Ayu planning backpacking ke??", she asked frantically.
"Err, that was the dream", I replied.
"Oh my God, abang Mi ngan akak pun!", so we laughed.

That was how it started. It never really has the urgency to became a reality until Nani had to cancel our trip due to her impossible schedule. Well, a doctor got to do what a doctor got to do - pursuing Masters. I wish you luck, babe.

So from that moment, I appoint myself to pick the best date. It was tough job given that time and money are not on our side. Maybe not on my side because they are earn more than me hehe. I was struggling to find the best date. February was too soon - not enough dough to accumulate. March - possible time for 13th General Election. Man, this year it was so important - the GE - people are willing to put on hold their trip/wedding/life matter not until the election is done! It is the most crucial GE in the history (err, I think?) that it was considered into our trip. I figured since parliamentary should be dissolve around March, then GE would be held about 3 or 4 weeks later. Boy, was I wrong ?

Little did I know, the then PM was doing something never been done before. So to cut it short, we'll be missing the GE this time around. It was devastated to know, I was left dumbfounded. But hey, a lot of money has been invested in this cooking trip, so deal with it girl.

The First Entry

Bismillah...

Hello beautiful people !  8 days to the day. 

8 Days!

Do you have the Bucket List ? I don't. Mostly I read people lists and copied 'em mentally and soon wishing I could make it true somehow. I am so not original. So I'm copying some people dreams and make it mine.

And I started this blog a tad late. I know that but I hope I can write as many things as possible for something more solid than experience itself. I face a lot of stuff (or hassle?) before finally coming to this. People said single people are not suppose to have that much issues but hey,  have you met me?!

I have a lot of issues. Gosh.

Anyway, I promise I'll post some pictures soon.