New Itinerary + Travel Mate(s)?

So I've joined Gap Year and posted on Rick Steves' Graffiti Wall. Hopefully, I get some favorable replies from nice, energetic, and adventurous young people to meet up with somehow, somewhere along the trip. It's always good to have people around!

Also, I have drafted yet another itinerary for my trip:

I am aware of the Schengen Pass—I do not need one. I am aware of the 90/180-day rule—I know how to handle it. Who knows, I'd just spend a month in Ireland and then spend the next three months in the rest of the European Union? This is just a timetable to follow. :)

I'm sure there may be places I'd love to stay more, and places I'd take only a day to look around. Like mentioned, this is not set in stone. If I want to, I'd skip some places. Maybe I'd meet people who'd bring me to new places. This timetable is just one to follow. Who really goes without some sort of a plan? And as the saying goes, the best things that happen are always the ones unplanned for. Well . . . most of the time!

Oh, of course, I need an itinerary so that if the officials at the borders ask me for them, I have it. Online. Officially. On my own site! Now that's a bunch of O's!

So, if you've been reading this, and you want to meet up, please drop me an email at xezabelx@europe.com anytime. Again, I'm looking for:

• fun
• energetic
• adventurous
• spontaneous
• flexible
• open-minded
• easygoing
• curious
• excitable

I can be fast-paced, eager to run rounds round the Colosseum . . . but I can be the kind to take a day off to just laze at a cafe, write in my journal, and then have a long picnic by the Eiffel Tower doing nothing but chat. Hopefully you're around my age... 18-24? At least we could be on the same level, ya know?

Well, about me, I can club, swim, dance, climb, eat, relax... Yup.

Most importantly, you must be able to take risks... To WING IT! I love that. Because I'm like that. You can have just €2000 and you want to do three months, fine with me. We'll find a way! I'm up for anything good, clean and fun!

So... EMAIL ME!

Mountainsmith

As of yesterday, I have officially bought my backpack, the backpack I will be using for this trip. Thanks to my mom and dad who found this great Mountainsmith offer at the Changi Airport. Only for a limited time, this backpack (originally meant for mountaineering) is found at World of Sports: Outdoors. The original price was well over $300 but I had it for only $170 or so. There was a 30% discount plus another 5% for members (my dad is one) and if I bought it at the airport there would have been an additional 7%. 42%? Insane!

More about it as I update! How do you like this iPhone application I'm using for this entry? ;)



There were two colors, blue and green. I tried the green, but finally decided on the blue. It being a mountaineering backpack, it has a lot of straps and buckles, and significantly on the front of the bag. Usually, I don't see that much but this one has them because they were made to hold mountaineering tools like ice breakers and things like that! I'm not too sure. All I know is that it is doable. It is affordable, a good steal, and it can pack all my things below 10kg! I find it incredible.

Last night, when I went home, I immediately started to pull out my winter coats, scarves, berets, long-sleeved shirts, leggings, socks, books, and undergarments and packed them. I even put 3kg worth of dumb bells for extra weight, to include my shoes and slippers and toiletries. It was barely 10kg! I was ecstatic. At first, when I used my hands to lift it, I was astounded by the weight but when I put it on, strapped myself, tightened up, and mustered as much strength and confidence I could, I realized it wasn't so bad after all! It was like I was one with my Mountainsmith backpack. It was like magic.

My Mountainsmith backpack is made mostly out of ReDura, or recycled plastic bottles crushed into powder, miraculously spun into thread and voilà, my backpack! I like it's width and thickness even though I originally pictured myself with something longer and leaner. It's all good, seeing how I particularly


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Air Asia X

Yesterday, I booked my flight to London Stansted. I've decided not to go over my sister's birthday on August 8th like mentioned before. I still can change my flight date, so I'll decide as it comes. It will definitely be in August. I'm so excited. :)

 

I am very contented with the smooth online booking of Air Asia and I'm proud to say I've taken it before to Bangkok, Thailand. My flight to Macau during the winter was with Tiger Airways, and that's another story. For one-way, KUL-STN costs merely S$273.50! I accidentally included the convenience fee of 5MYR, which is a bus pass but I doubt I'll need it in KL since I'll be with my family and we'd all cab down to the LCCT (Low-cost Carrier Terminal, Kuala Lumpur).

I'm very glad I checked Air Asia at the right time and discovered the 1-14 February Great British Sale where I got my ticket for almost half the usual price! Unfortunately for me, I can only book a one-way, to London, instead of a return because the latest return is in October and I'm returning in January. When the date gets closer, probably end of July, I'll buy my return ticket from STN-KUL-SIN so that I have proof that I'm not going to illegally immigrate. I don't want to arrive at the airport and find myself being deported back to my country. And there goes my great backpacking trip!

I have read reviews on this long haul flight and the number one concern/complaint is the lack of entertainment. I have decided to bring my iPod with 5450 songs and counting, as well as movies and videos to watch. Also, I'll be having my iPhone. I might not be able to roam but I'll make sure I'll have games to play, guides to read, and languages to learn!

What's more, I'll be bringing a journal to write in! :)

I'll have to bring:

• sleeping eye mask
• iPod
• iPhone
• journal
• solid food (Air Asia allows this)

That's all, folks! I'll update soon when more is done for this trip. Six months till the big trip!

Soaking It In

Just this evening, I watched Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown: Berlin. How I wish I could be like, just like her. Not be her, but be able to do what she does. I've been watching her since I was probably a decade old (if she was around then) and I was so fascinated by her being able to travel and explore, and to tell people about the wonderful places she'd see. I've watched the Munich episode a few weeks before, maybe just last year, and I was amazed by the splendor of the Bavarian culture. I'm very much excited to visit Bavaria. Very much. The medieval style, the castle(s), the Black Forest. I want to see them all. In a way, I'm glad I'm going alone. There's no one else I have to consider when I see things, and there's no one to say that they've had too much of Germany, or France, or Romania, and they want to go on. I am going to sit around and just soak in the European-ess of it all.

There are definitely a number of places I want my stays extended, to "soak" in. I shall have to have at least 10 days in it. Two weeks, probably, and more if I want to explore many more cities. Pictures are officially from WikiTravel! These places include:

1. Germany: Nuremberg, Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Cologne

 

The Gothic Cathedral "Dom" in Cologne

2. France: Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Lourdes, Lyon

The Roman theater in Fourvière, Lyon

3. Czech Republic: Prague, Český Krumlov, Kutná Hora, Telč

 

 Český Krumlov

4. Romania: Bucharest, Braşov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Cluj-Napoca

Sighişoara Citadel

5. Ireland: Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny

Kilkenny Castle

These are places I want to extend my stays in. Hopefully I can! I know for one that Ireland is rather expensive. :( I will try and couchsurf to the best of my ability, and at the same time, be hosted and shown around by a local! The idea of making friends just excite me so.

It is now February. 6 months till I leave for London. ;)