Since a week in Hong Kong was really too much and since I can't change my flight for Thailand (weekend all the flights are full), I decided to apply for a China VISA and enter there for few days, just to say "Hey, I've been in China as well!"
Thus, last Thursday I left hong Kong by bus with Michelle and Ken, then we met later Stephany as well (Michelle's friends) and all together we explored Shenzhen, a Chinese city just up to Hong Kong! We passed a nice day: first, we visited the Lo Wu shopping mall, a place absolutely to see, full of shops selling all copy of major companies about clothes and shoes...It seems to be in Naples for many reasons...
The city itself doesn't has nothing interesting, but since we were together we have had fun anyway, first playing snooker (similar to pool) in a VIP room (here things are even more cheaper than Hong Kong), then dinner in a chain called "little sheep" (I've payed almost 10 euro but I was really really full, my god how much I ate!), and finally we went in a body massage centre, where for less than 12 euro I've had sauna, shower and two full hours of body massage!!!! That's life my friends!!
At the end of the night I left Michelle&co since they had to work next day; instead, I decided to spend one night there and then next day I take a train to Guangzhou, the main city in Canton! My expectation were really high for this city, when instead I didn't like at all and after have visited few attractions (nice the Chen Family Temple) I left forever this country, moving to another one never heard before: Macau!!
Yes, instead of coming back to Hong Kong, I took a bus to this small island, in the past a Portuguese colony and now independent (just like Vatican City or Montecarlo).
What I didn't like at all about China are the people, completely unfriendly, they don't socialize and they don't help me anytime: any of them speak a word of English, even if they look the map they couldn't help me to find the way (and I don't wanna explain how I found a map....here it doesn't exists the tourists information center!). China in general is really dirty, people still live in a old style life, made primarily by agricultural products...for few hours I was walking in a really poor and dangerous area (I didn't knew that!) and I've seen such really poor condition of live that I'm still trying to understand how China can be the third most powerfully country in the world!!!!
Transportation is the only thing which work fine, is pretty cheap but still the people cannot even read the "western Chinese" and so it was really too hard to find a place to visit..even more to find an accommodation and try to understand where the main centre was!!! But people are really poor so many of them use bicycle and motorbike old style, it was like jumping in the past, 20 years old for sure! People are used to hook all the time and drive in a similar Italian style, with the exception that in Italy we don't have people in bicycle riding in the other side of the road! I will try to send you some photos later just to try to better explain how bad the situation is here...
Don't forget this place is where few years ago the SARS started, so know I can understand why the virus expanded so much!
Anyway, now I'm in Macau, an island 60 km far from Hong Kong, waiting that rain will take a break in order to visit few attractions and then take a ferry to come back in Hong Kong! Stay here is better than China since I like to see all the signs in Portuguese...but still, most of the people are Chinese and they don't speak Portuguese, so I think they changed all the names in a Chinese version: that's why all the time I asked where "Plaza del senado" nobody knew where is was...FUCK, this is the name of one of the main plaza in Macau, how is possible that people working in local market and taxi driver don't know it??!!!!
Saturday, July 29, 2006
News from Hong Kong
Hi everybody, some fast update from this internet cafe' here in Macau, an indipendent island (which in the past was a portugal colony) next to Hong Kong...outside it's raining and since I don't have an umbrella I'm spending time here hoping that later the weather will be better...
Anyway, after a bad sleep the first night, I started moving around Hong Kong and seeing all the major touristic attractions! in the first few days I saw almost all Hong Kong Island, in particular 3-4 different local market and Stanley, a nice place where to buy chinese artcraft....things are are cheap but I think that prices could be even lower if I wasn't in a touristic area! I bought different tipical chinese stuff but I feel that I could save money if I was in Italy!!!! Anyway, at least this "Made in China" stamp this time is real! And also, an interesting point is that differences between prices are so minimal that dealing is not so exciting anymore...for example, choosing a different size of a coffee in Starbucks change the price from 2 euro to 2.20....but there is still the problem that sometimes I see prices similar to Europe, thus I don't understand how local people can live with them (like a beer in a club, which cost around 5 euro!).
Talking about clubs, I still cannot forget my second night: looking for a good place where to go, I was looking around Kowlook area (where my hostelS are) and then I found a nice one with live music: inside, there were planty of women, really a lot and most of them really pretty! Now, I went at the bar to order a drink and I started talking with one of those amazing girl...at the end, she was quite nice with me explaining that in this place girls were payed (her included) just to stay there and make the customers happy (just about talking and dancing, this wasn't a night club!).....I have heard before that some club pay girls to entertainment their customers but I never seen a real situation like that night: after this small conversation, I set down in a corner on the club and I started looking the people; the average was 40-years ugly and fat men dancing with amazing 25-30 years old girls, each of them so happy to have conquered such beautiful women, but no one of them knew the real situation...or maybe they knew but they were there only to have fun as well!!!
After Hawaii, I never found a good weatehr condition anymore: in Australia it was normal since over there now is Winter, but I didn't imagine that here in Asia I was going to find everyday cloudy and raining days....for this reason, a nice beach as Resolve bay (here in HK) doesn't look so great in those days ('cause the bad hurricane around us, last week in Taiwan, today in east China!)
Exploring Honk Kong searching for food also showed me a nice Chinese version of McDonald! This chain restaurant are pretty cheap and inside you can eat all the major asian food as noodle, pork,etc.. Anyway, the best food that I've tried is thanks to Michelle, a Hong kong friend (but with French passport!) met in England, still at Royal Holloway! With her and some of their great friends I've visit really Hong kong/Chinese things, most of them hard or impossible to see for normal tourist: maybe except from play the card game "Uno" with 4-5 of them, all the things we have done were really good and such great experience for me! For the first time I tried "Dim Sha", a tipical chinese food that I've never heard in any chinese restaurant present in Europe, who knows why? Another kind of food that I've tried with Michelle is the hot pot cousine: basically you have a big pot in the centre of the table and you just order all the ingredients you want (beef, pork, vegetables, tipical chinese stuff,etc..) and then you just cook for yourself...similar to the japanese version but I appreciate much more this one!
Anyway, an overall of the city is not really positive: I don't recommend to come here except if is not more than 3 days ( a week is really too much for Hong Kong): the city is estetically ugly, you can just see huge buildings everywhere, many of them in bad condition (let's don't talk about my two hostels, both in the same building, of of the most dangerous or the area..), pollution in the air absolutely high and canals really dirty (someday the sea looks brown!).
The only good things are the temple of Po Lin, an amazing place outside the busy Hong kong (there is a buddha statue huge, really huge, I will post a photo), and the fact that almost everybody speak english (HK was a british colony untill 1997, now it's a part of China, but there are too many differences, I don't know how long they can still be part of it!)
Anyway, after a bad sleep the first night, I started moving around Hong Kong and seeing all the major touristic attractions! in the first few days I saw almost all Hong Kong Island, in particular 3-4 different local market and Stanley, a nice place where to buy chinese artcraft....things are are cheap but I think that prices could be even lower if I wasn't in a touristic area! I bought different tipical chinese stuff but I feel that I could save money if I was in Italy!!!! Anyway, at least this "Made in China" stamp this time is real! And also, an interesting point is that differences between prices are so minimal that dealing is not so exciting anymore...for example, choosing a different size of a coffee in Starbucks change the price from 2 euro to 2.20....but there is still the problem that sometimes I see prices similar to Europe, thus I don't understand how local people can live with them (like a beer in a club, which cost around 5 euro!).
Talking about clubs, I still cannot forget my second night: looking for a good place where to go, I was looking around Kowlook area (where my hostelS are) and then I found a nice one with live music: inside, there were planty of women, really a lot and most of them really pretty! Now, I went at the bar to order a drink and I started talking with one of those amazing girl...at the end, she was quite nice with me explaining that in this place girls were payed (her included) just to stay there and make the customers happy (just about talking and dancing, this wasn't a night club!).....I have heard before that some club pay girls to entertainment their customers but I never seen a real situation like that night: after this small conversation, I set down in a corner on the club and I started looking the people; the average was 40-years ugly and fat men dancing with amazing 25-30 years old girls, each of them so happy to have conquered such beautiful women, but no one of them knew the real situation...or maybe they knew but they were there only to have fun as well!!!
After Hawaii, I never found a good weatehr condition anymore: in Australia it was normal since over there now is Winter, but I didn't imagine that here in Asia I was going to find everyday cloudy and raining days....for this reason, a nice beach as Resolve bay (here in HK) doesn't look so great in those days ('cause the bad hurricane around us, last week in Taiwan, today in east China!)
Exploring Honk Kong searching for food also showed me a nice Chinese version of McDonald! This chain restaurant are pretty cheap and inside you can eat all the major asian food as noodle, pork,etc.. Anyway, the best food that I've tried is thanks to Michelle, a Hong kong friend (but with French passport!) met in England, still at Royal Holloway! With her and some of their great friends I've visit really Hong kong/Chinese things, most of them hard or impossible to see for normal tourist: maybe except from play the card game "Uno" with 4-5 of them, all the things we have done were really good and such great experience for me! For the first time I tried "Dim Sha", a tipical chinese food that I've never heard in any chinese restaurant present in Europe, who knows why? Another kind of food that I've tried with Michelle is the hot pot cousine: basically you have a big pot in the centre of the table and you just order all the ingredients you want (beef, pork, vegetables, tipical chinese stuff,etc..) and then you just cook for yourself...similar to the japanese version but I appreciate much more this one!
Anyway, an overall of the city is not really positive: I don't recommend to come here except if is not more than 3 days ( a week is really too much for Hong Kong): the city is estetically ugly, you can just see huge buildings everywhere, many of them in bad condition (let's don't talk about my two hostels, both in the same building, of of the most dangerous or the area..), pollution in the air absolutely high and canals really dirty (someday the sea looks brown!).
The only good things are the temple of Po Lin, an amazing place outside the busy Hong kong (there is a buddha statue huge, really huge, I will post a photo), and the fact that almost everybody speak english (HK was a british colony untill 1997, now it's a part of China, but there are too many differences, I don't know how long they can still be part of it!)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Last day in Japan and first night in Hong Kong!
Those last 24h were really strange...yesterday afternoon I went to visit some other amazing temple in Japan and the Tokyo Museum Government, a place in the top of a skyscraper, good to have a view of the city (but nothing interesting...)
Anyway, at 6pm I was invited by Sonoko's husband for a free dinner at his place...oooh my god! The food was pretty good and a lot, I really don't know how to thank Kaoru! After dinner, I met Elisa, an venetian girl living in Tokyo from a while, and then we went together in a tipical italian party...it was nice, expecially for the fresh pesto just bring back from Monica, the house's owner!
Anyway, around 10pm I left the party since I've lived in the other side of Tokyo, so my plan was to meet Kaoru again for few drink...and instead he bring me in Yoko's house, a good friend of him, giving me the opportunity to see a really japanese house and I also received a gift from her: a small poster with my name and a pinetree (she's a good painter!)
About this morning, instead, I left pretty early the hostel and I have met Kaoru and Sonoko again, then we went to visit the EDO Museum, good place where to meet the japanese culture and take some good photos! Not too much lest so we came back, take my suitcase (always more heavy) and then they were so cool to came with me until Uedo station!
A couple of hours ago I finally arrived to Hong Kong: the city looks great, big lighting buildings next to the beaches everywhere, really good to see! Following the direction of the hostel, I came out at the bus stop n. 13 and there I found the manager of the hostel waiting for me (there was my name on the paper!) and then really friendly helped me to bring upstair all my stuff!
Here we dealed for a new room (single instead of a dormitory of 7 persons) for only 2 euro more a night...which seemed great and I've accepted! Then later I understood it wasn't a good idea, the place is a really shit, even more worse than when I was in Puerto Rico!! But it's fine, I like to try this kind of stuff, at the end I'm getting used to stay in cheap accomodation, with all their conseguences!
Anyway, the internet point is on the same floor (16th), and sunday night is not really interesting here, so now I stop writing and I'm going to sleep (I feel tired...it's hard to watch 2 movie in only 4h50m in the aircraft!)
Anyway, at 6pm I was invited by Sonoko's husband for a free dinner at his place...oooh my god! The food was pretty good and a lot, I really don't know how to thank Kaoru! After dinner, I met Elisa, an venetian girl living in Tokyo from a while, and then we went together in a tipical italian party...it was nice, expecially for the fresh pesto just bring back from Monica, the house's owner!
Anyway, around 10pm I left the party since I've lived in the other side of Tokyo, so my plan was to meet Kaoru again for few drink...and instead he bring me in Yoko's house, a good friend of him, giving me the opportunity to see a really japanese house and I also received a gift from her: a small poster with my name and a pinetree (she's a good painter!)
About this morning, instead, I left pretty early the hostel and I have met Kaoru and Sonoko again, then we went to visit the EDO Museum, good place where to meet the japanese culture and take some good photos! Not too much lest so we came back, take my suitcase (always more heavy) and then they were so cool to came with me until Uedo station!
A couple of hours ago I finally arrived to Hong Kong: the city looks great, big lighting buildings next to the beaches everywhere, really good to see! Following the direction of the hostel, I came out at the bus stop n. 13 and there I found the manager of the hostel waiting for me (there was my name on the paper!) and then really friendly helped me to bring upstair all my stuff!
Here we dealed for a new room (single instead of a dormitory of 7 persons) for only 2 euro more a night...which seemed great and I've accepted! Then later I understood it wasn't a good idea, the place is a really shit, even more worse than when I was in Puerto Rico!! But it's fine, I like to try this kind of stuff, at the end I'm getting used to stay in cheap accomodation, with all their conseguences!
Anyway, the internet point is on the same floor (16th), and sunday night is not really interesting here, so now I stop writing and I'm going to sleep (I feel tired...it's hard to watch 2 movie in only 4h50m in the aircraft!)
Saturday, July 22, 2006
I love Japan!
Dear friends,
you should definitively visit this amazing country if you can, I have no words to describe how beautiful is Japan!
I spent here only 5 days, I`m arrived on tuesday and tomorrow, Sunday, I`m leaving for Hong Kong, and also, I`ve only visit Tokyo since I don`t have no more money to spend in trasportation (and here trains are really expensive!), BUT.... I love this city!
Let`s start from the beginning: the first day I arrived at 10pm, really late since I have had problem at the airport again (this time the problem was my credit card which didn`t work...), thus after have spent 1h looking for an ATM good for my card I finally took the shuttle bus to Asakusa Station....here I slept for the first 2 nights in a Ryokan, a tipical Japanese accomodation. Just stay there it was amazing: everything really traditional, house made 90% by wood, japanese bathroom and bedroom, etc...(too many japanese things hard to explain if you don`t see with your eyes!)
Even the people that I`ve met in the hostel were pretty cool, so the same night we went out looking for my first japanese food!
Anyway, in the following days I`ve visited almost all the main attractions of Tokyo (there are too many things to see, 5 days weren`t enough): Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, the oldest in Tokyo, and all the long street in front of it full of local shops. Then Odaiba, the new area of Tokyo, where there is the National of Emerging Science and Innovation, a place absolutely to visit for a Computer Science as me! Then Ginza, the main and centered place in Tokyo, rich of attractions as local markets, tipical japanese restaurant, the Kabukiza theatre (I couldn`t get in since there were no more tickets available, but it is a MUST SEE place for its tipical exibition), sony building, etc..
Then I went to Shibuya, another great place where to find the a sort of "Camden town" of Tokyo (in Takeshita dori), and another amazing temple, Meiji Jungu Shrine!
More, I went to Akihabara, where I visited the Electric City and another two temple (Kanda Myojin and Yushima Seido)...for me temple=curch since if I was in Italy it was just like visit all the curches, but of course here I`m more attracted since they looks new for me!
Of course there were many more things to visit but unfortunately there is no more time!
About the nightlife, the best place is Roppongi, where thanks to my friend Elisa I`ve found easily of of the best lounge bar in Tokyo: Heartland. Then I went with a canadian friend (Jeff) met in the hostel in a salsa club, SALSA CARIBE, too small but cool to dance for the first time with Japanese girls....wait a second, it wasn`t the first time since in Italy I danced many times with my friend Humi: I have to say THANKS 100 times to her since she was my main resource about Tokyo! She recommended all the tipical food to try (yoshinoya, onighiri, ramen shop, okonomiyaky...la pizza giapponese), she introduced my by mail to her brother Nao, another great person who show me other places in Asakusa, expecially other famous Japanese dishes! She also introduced me to Sonoko, a good friend of her from the school: with her I went to the electric city and her husband also invited me to his restaurant tonight!
In general I think all the japanese people are great, really friendly and always ready to help you, even if they don`t speak english (most of them): all the time you ask information, they can spend 10 minutes of their time (even if they`re working and they`re busy) trying to explain where to go or just try to find for you where to go, if they don`t know! Also, one night me and other people from the hostel went to drink a japanese beer (they have good beers!) in a random bar and the owner liked us so much to offer us first a jug of beer, then another, then a big bottle of sachi (that I still have in my room), then another jug....at the end, we came back in the ryokan all drunk, at 4am!
There is too many things more to say but there is no time and I don`t know where to start, this country was my first experience in Asia and thus everything surprise me.
Now I need to get ready for tonight, I have an italian birthday party (yes, in Tokyo!), Elisa have just invited me to join, let`s what happen...but before I`ve a free dinner in Kaoru`s restaurant, considered very expensive and chic!
Then tomorrow I will be in Hong Kong.....
Ciao ciao
P.s: Just to help you if you`re planning to visit Tokyo as well, let`s book in advance at Taito Ryokan, 2-1-4 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku, Phone: +81 338432822. It cost 3000 yen, then if you wanna save money you can spend 2000 yen at this other place (ok but not really good to meet people): khaosan tokyo asakusa annex,2-2-5 higashi-komagata, sumida-ku.
you should definitively visit this amazing country if you can, I have no words to describe how beautiful is Japan!
I spent here only 5 days, I`m arrived on tuesday and tomorrow, Sunday, I`m leaving for Hong Kong, and also, I`ve only visit Tokyo since I don`t have no more money to spend in trasportation (and here trains are really expensive!), BUT.... I love this city!
Let`s start from the beginning: the first day I arrived at 10pm, really late since I have had problem at the airport again (this time the problem was my credit card which didn`t work...), thus after have spent 1h looking for an ATM good for my card I finally took the shuttle bus to Asakusa Station....here I slept for the first 2 nights in a Ryokan, a tipical Japanese accomodation. Just stay there it was amazing: everything really traditional, house made 90% by wood, japanese bathroom and bedroom, etc...(too many japanese things hard to explain if you don`t see with your eyes!)
Even the people that I`ve met in the hostel were pretty cool, so the same night we went out looking for my first japanese food!
Anyway, in the following days I`ve visited almost all the main attractions of Tokyo (there are too many things to see, 5 days weren`t enough): Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, the oldest in Tokyo, and all the long street in front of it full of local shops. Then Odaiba, the new area of Tokyo, where there is the National of Emerging Science and Innovation, a place absolutely to visit for a Computer Science as me! Then Ginza, the main and centered place in Tokyo, rich of attractions as local markets, tipical japanese restaurant, the Kabukiza theatre (I couldn`t get in since there were no more tickets available, but it is a MUST SEE place for its tipical exibition), sony building, etc..
Then I went to Shibuya, another great place where to find the a sort of "Camden town" of Tokyo (in Takeshita dori), and another amazing temple, Meiji Jungu Shrine!
More, I went to Akihabara, where I visited the Electric City and another two temple (Kanda Myojin and Yushima Seido)...for me temple=curch since if I was in Italy it was just like visit all the curches, but of course here I`m more attracted since they looks new for me!
Of course there were many more things to visit but unfortunately there is no more time!
About the nightlife, the best place is Roppongi, where thanks to my friend Elisa I`ve found easily of of the best lounge bar in Tokyo: Heartland. Then I went with a canadian friend (Jeff) met in the hostel in a salsa club, SALSA CARIBE, too small but cool to dance for the first time with Japanese girls....wait a second, it wasn`t the first time since in Italy I danced many times with my friend Humi: I have to say THANKS 100 times to her since she was my main resource about Tokyo! She recommended all the tipical food to try (yoshinoya, onighiri, ramen shop, okonomiyaky...la pizza giapponese), she introduced my by mail to her brother Nao, another great person who show me other places in Asakusa, expecially other famous Japanese dishes! She also introduced me to Sonoko, a good friend of her from the school: with her I went to the electric city and her husband also invited me to his restaurant tonight!
In general I think all the japanese people are great, really friendly and always ready to help you, even if they don`t speak english (most of them): all the time you ask information, they can spend 10 minutes of their time (even if they`re working and they`re busy) trying to explain where to go or just try to find for you where to go, if they don`t know! Also, one night me and other people from the hostel went to drink a japanese beer (they have good beers!) in a random bar and the owner liked us so much to offer us first a jug of beer, then another, then a big bottle of sachi (that I still have in my room), then another jug....at the end, we came back in the ryokan all drunk, at 4am!
There is too many things more to say but there is no time and I don`t know where to start, this country was my first experience in Asia and thus everything surprise me.
Now I need to get ready for tonight, I have an italian birthday party (yes, in Tokyo!), Elisa have just invited me to join, let`s what happen...but before I`ve a free dinner in Kaoru`s restaurant, considered very expensive and chic!
Then tomorrow I will be in Hong Kong.....
Ciao ciao
P.s: Just to help you if you`re planning to visit Tokyo as well, let`s book in advance at Taito Ryokan, 2-1-4 Nishi-Asakusa, Taito-ku, Phone: +81 338432822. It cost 3000 yen, then if you wanna save money you can spend 2000 yen at this other place (ok but not really good to meet people): khaosan tokyo asakusa annex,2-2-5 higashi-komagata, sumida-ku.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Melbourne
Friday morning I left the hostel with a great service: a private bus came to pick me up and bring me in front the gate for only 15$AU, pretty cheap!
Then I've tried the self check-in, everythign fine: I travelled without show my ID or passport all the time, what a security place is Australia!!!
Anyway, in Melbourne I follow Glenn's instruction and met him where he work, then we went straight away to a club in the centre and I started trying all teh tipical Australian beers... :-)
Glenn and his girlfriend Kalye are two amazing good friends of mine met last year at uni. They spent there only 4-5 months, not all the academic year, so it passed even more time from the last time I've seen them, it was really cool to have seen them again, I'm very happy to travel and see again old friends!
Anyway, I spent all my Melbourne stop in his house and even his flatmate where such great and cool guys, a really good atmosphere!
Anyway, since I was there for the weekend, I appreciate much more Melbourne and Sydney...in particular, Melbourne is famous to have hidden bar/clubs, if you don't know where they are it's hard to find...but when you find them they're really cool!!
Saturday night we went at BIMBO, good place to get drunk and dance....
Another important reason to have been here in Melbourne is that I've some relatives that I've never met (when they came in Italy I was too young!): this was another great things that I've done it! I've met there (my main contact was my granfather's brother), all the big family, and after months I felt again to be home! Also, I've decided to change for the n-times my trip in order to stay more time with them and also to spend anotehr weekend with Glenn in his origin town Mildura!
For the same weekend, Davy and Greg were supposed to arrive, thus another good reason to delay my Asias adventure!!! (Davy and Greg are 2 another ex-Royal Holloway friends, so good to see all of them again...)
Monday morning (or sunday night, if you prefer) there was the FIFA World Cup final (9th July 2006, don't forget this date!!!): as everybody knows, Italy won the world cup, I've alrady wrote what happen that night and how good was to stay in Lygon st, a place surrounded only by italian supporters!!!
During the week I spent more time with my relatives than Glenn since he was working and since we planned to go together to Mildura, thus I've been first to Rye with zia Liliana e zio Giuseppe (Rye is a place on the beach 2-3 hours away from Melbourne: I think it's a good place to visit and stay for the summer, not a good idea to stay there in this period!), then another day I've visit the city with Paola and Vinza: Old Melbourne Gaol, Rialto, Southbank, the casino by night,etc... (all the touristic attractions)
On thursday, finally, I've seen for the first and only time a Kangooru and Koala, thanks to Peter (Paola's husband) who bring me in this amazing place, Healesville park, where we spent a whole day watching all the australian's main animals!
Then the weekend: I and Glenn went to the airport, pick up Davy, Greg and a friend of them, then all together + Kalye and Matt started our 6h30m trip to MILDURA!!! This place doesn't have anything interesting to attract tourist (I appreciate Glenn's affort to try to find something to visit...), but it's a good and nice place where to live and, for us, spend a weekend! In particular, in the morning we went on the river with Glenn's boat, then at around 12pm we started drinking beers, playing pool and bet on horse races (on live, no virtual stuff as in the casino!)...and we kept going till the night: all day drunk! :-)
Of course we have had Great time (with the big "G"), expecially in the evening when we went out for bar and club (such amazing australian girls, oooo my god!!!)
On the way back we enjoyed nice stories about old and new stuff about Royal Holloway and local Australian news written in magazine "for only men"...
Also, on the way we found policemen stopping car trying to find driver with alcoholic test more than the allow: we stopped less then 10 seconds, Glenn just blow into a stir and that's it, all fine and safe home!
To keep note, in all the Melbourne's period I've played again PS2 (Pro Evolution Soccer, of course) and even after one year that I haven't played, I was still good and I finish 3rd (in 5 players) in the last tournament we have had at home (fucking Glenn always beaten me at the over time!!!).
Also, I wanna remind that this continent was discovered only 200 years ago (on 1700) thus is still pretty new (I couldn't believe that there are still Aborigin community living here!!!)
Ok, tomorrow it's time to visit Tokyo, my first stop in Asia...I can't wait to visit this "new world", I just hope to find soon an hostel (I haven't booked yet) and to don't find too many problem at the airport (now it's becaming a standard to find something wrong or particular strange)
See ya guys
Then I've tried the self check-in, everythign fine: I travelled without show my ID or passport all the time, what a security place is Australia!!!
Anyway, in Melbourne I follow Glenn's instruction and met him where he work, then we went straight away to a club in the centre and I started trying all teh tipical Australian beers... :-)
Glenn and his girlfriend Kalye are two amazing good friends of mine met last year at uni. They spent there only 4-5 months, not all the academic year, so it passed even more time from the last time I've seen them, it was really cool to have seen them again, I'm very happy to travel and see again old friends!
Anyway, I spent all my Melbourne stop in his house and even his flatmate where such great and cool guys, a really good atmosphere!
Anyway, since I was there for the weekend, I appreciate much more Melbourne and Sydney...in particular, Melbourne is famous to have hidden bar/clubs, if you don't know where they are it's hard to find...but when you find them they're really cool!!
Saturday night we went at BIMBO, good place to get drunk and dance....
Another important reason to have been here in Melbourne is that I've some relatives that I've never met (when they came in Italy I was too young!): this was another great things that I've done it! I've met there (my main contact was my granfather's brother), all the big family, and after months I felt again to be home! Also, I've decided to change for the n-times my trip in order to stay more time with them and also to spend anotehr weekend with Glenn in his origin town Mildura!
For the same weekend, Davy and Greg were supposed to arrive, thus another good reason to delay my Asias adventure!!! (Davy and Greg are 2 another ex-Royal Holloway friends, so good to see all of them again...)
Monday morning (or sunday night, if you prefer) there was the FIFA World Cup final (9th July 2006, don't forget this date!!!): as everybody knows, Italy won the world cup, I've alrady wrote what happen that night and how good was to stay in Lygon st, a place surrounded only by italian supporters!!!
During the week I spent more time with my relatives than Glenn since he was working and since we planned to go together to Mildura, thus I've been first to Rye with zia Liliana e zio Giuseppe (Rye is a place on the beach 2-3 hours away from Melbourne: I think it's a good place to visit and stay for the summer, not a good idea to stay there in this period!), then another day I've visit the city with Paola and Vinza: Old Melbourne Gaol, Rialto, Southbank, the casino by night,etc... (all the touristic attractions)
On thursday, finally, I've seen for the first and only time a Kangooru and Koala, thanks to Peter (Paola's husband) who bring me in this amazing place, Healesville park, where we spent a whole day watching all the australian's main animals!
Then the weekend: I and Glenn went to the airport, pick up Davy, Greg and a friend of them, then all together + Kalye and Matt started our 6h30m trip to MILDURA!!! This place doesn't have anything interesting to attract tourist (I appreciate Glenn's affort to try to find something to visit...), but it's a good and nice place where to live and, for us, spend a weekend! In particular, in the morning we went on the river with Glenn's boat, then at around 12pm we started drinking beers, playing pool and bet on horse races (on live, no virtual stuff as in the casino!)...and we kept going till the night: all day drunk! :-)
Of course we have had Great time (with the big "G"), expecially in the evening when we went out for bar and club (such amazing australian girls, oooo my god!!!)
On the way back we enjoyed nice stories about old and new stuff about Royal Holloway and local Australian news written in magazine "for only men"...
Also, on the way we found policemen stopping car trying to find driver with alcoholic test more than the allow: we stopped less then 10 seconds, Glenn just blow into a stir and that's it, all fine and safe home!
To keep note, in all the Melbourne's period I've played again PS2 (Pro Evolution Soccer, of course) and even after one year that I haven't played, I was still good and I finish 3rd (in 5 players) in the last tournament we have had at home (fucking Glenn always beaten me at the over time!!!).
Also, I wanna remind that this continent was discovered only 200 years ago (on 1700) thus is still pretty new (I couldn't believe that there are still Aborigin community living here!!!)
Ok, tomorrow it's time to visit Tokyo, my first stop in Asia...I can't wait to visit this "new world", I just hope to find soon an hostel (I haven't booked yet) and to don't find too many problem at the airport (now it's becaming a standard to find something wrong or particular strange)
See ya guys
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Sydney!
Half of my world trip is now done! Australia represent the half-way since now I've to visit all the Asian area and then go back in Europe!
The city is pretty cool, I'm just sad to have visit it during this period, Winter, and without have spent here a weekend (I arrived on monday and left friday morning!)
Anyway, the place where I slept was cool (full of german people and during the same period Italy beaten them in the semi-final...), it's called "The palm backpackers" if you're around here have a look!
I think 2 of the 4 nights spent here were enought to visit all Sydney (of course you need more days if you wanna see something outside the city as for example the blue mountains...): The Opera House & Royal Botanic garden, the big bridge next to it (I forgot the name) and some main street in the centre as Pitt st., that's it, nothing else to see! Ops, I forgot the Darling Harbour, cool place to stay for the nightlife (but again, during the winter is not so busy...)
The other two days were spent respectively at Mainly beach and Bondi beach, this last one really cool, an amazing place to visit and film (you can walk for miles on the coast, up to big rocks and watching surfers...)!
One day I've also worked for a forniture company, just to rise up my finance....it's cool to see those companies looking for backbackers for temporary jobs! Good money for hald day of work, then relax in Bondi!
One day I've also met Rowena, an australian friend met last year in London (we studied together at Royal Holloway): we went together in Mainly, we have had a lunch next to the sea and then she left for Melbourne (unfortunately we haven't see each others over there) and I came back with the ferry, really good to take other photos.
And now let's talk about Melbourne!
The city is pretty cool, I'm just sad to have visit it during this period, Winter, and without have spent here a weekend (I arrived on monday and left friday morning!)
Anyway, the place where I slept was cool (full of german people and during the same period Italy beaten them in the semi-final...), it's called "The palm backpackers" if you're around here have a look!
I think 2 of the 4 nights spent here were enought to visit all Sydney (of course you need more days if you wanna see something outside the city as for example the blue mountains...): The Opera House & Royal Botanic garden, the big bridge next to it (I forgot the name) and some main street in the centre as Pitt st., that's it, nothing else to see! Ops, I forgot the Darling Harbour, cool place to stay for the nightlife (but again, during the winter is not so busy...)
The other two days were spent respectively at Mainly beach and Bondi beach, this last one really cool, an amazing place to visit and film (you can walk for miles on the coast, up to big rocks and watching surfers...)!
One day I've also worked for a forniture company, just to rise up my finance....it's cool to see those companies looking for backbackers for temporary jobs! Good money for hald day of work, then relax in Bondi!
One day I've also met Rowena, an australian friend met last year in London (we studied together at Royal Holloway): we went together in Mainly, we have had a lunch next to the sea and then she left for Melbourne (unfortunately we haven't see each others over there) and I came back with the ferry, really good to take other photos.
And now let's talk about Melbourne!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
An essay about America
I was thinking that after almost 3 months spent in America it was time to summarize the main points, positive and negative, about this strange country! Now that I moved in another continent (Australia) I can write some personal ideas about America...
Positive points:
- good period for travel since I've had sunny days 95% of the time, weather almost similar to the italian one (it depends where you are)
- perfect to expand my network: I've met so many new friends and it was great to have seen again cool people as Chimene, Andre', Susan, Marina and Jackie again!
- new stuff discovered, starting from material things as myspace.com (a service used everywhere in America) and craiglist, to indescribable other stuff which improve my knowledgement and make me more rich about experiences. For example, I've notice that if you wanna start a business, in America is the perfect place: many times I've tried to create a small company in Italy to repair computer or create website but all the time I haven't done anything since the burocracy is too complicated....instead here is really easy and simple, in few days you have a company with 20-30 dollars!
Also, wherever I've been, I've drived a car, and many times I've had "meeting with policemen" for many reasons, fortunately all the time everything finished well (only once my friend in Miami received a fine since he was hooking in the centre withoud a good reason!)
- people are really friendly, wherever you go, completely different from the cold english population, instead, much more similar to italian and spanish!
- Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian islands: those two countries are considered American states but they're completely different for the rest of America. Those two island are amzing, too much fun, I'm very happy to have visited them.
Negative things:
- different phone systems, not really understand yet if it's better or not than the european way....some people pay a flat rate and they can call wherever they want and that's a good point, but also there are other contracts where you pay to receive a call, and that's not acceptable!
- is not allowed to drink outside bars and clubs (perhaps you must be 21 years old, but this wasn't a problem for me!), that's so stupid since at the end people get drunk anyway, so way?
- no VISA no job, there is no too much to do! The american policy is to find first another american guy for a kind of job, and only if the company can proof that you're better than anyone else, then you can apply for that position!
- no really good life: I've seen many families with big problems like unhappy, always fighting, nobody eat at the same time, random talks, really strange....I prefer much more the italian way, but I repeat, this is a personal point of view!
-air condition everywhere: this should be a good point, but is not if you have to wear warm clothes in the summer just because the air condition is too high and generate cold areas, come on (perhaps I don't wanna know how the american can find the electricity for all those conditioners)
- 50% of the time I was sick, I don't know exactly why, maybe fot the previous point (ari condition) or it was just me that I'm too weak, I don't know, but of course be sick didn't help me to enyoy this vacation...
- American Airlines seems more like Ryanair than the main airline company....10 times better British Airways or Quantas!!
- people here are racist! Yes, there is no excuse: I've seen many cases where people make distinction and they always have bad opinion against other cultures....that make me feel really sad, a huge country as American must be an example, and instead all the latin-american and mexican people are considered to be one level down...and if you can here for a while you can really see and feel those different levels!! A simple proof is showed seeing all the dinstrict in the big cities: the chinese town, the japanese, the mexican, the italian one, the indian one, the turkish one, and so on... they don't mix each others as much as in Europe.
If I think something else about America I will modify this post...at the same time I would like to receive some comments about it, I would like to know your opinion.
Ciao ciao
Positive points:
- good period for travel since I've had sunny days 95% of the time, weather almost similar to the italian one (it depends where you are)
- perfect to expand my network: I've met so many new friends and it was great to have seen again cool people as Chimene, Andre', Susan, Marina and Jackie again!
- new stuff discovered, starting from material things as myspace.com (a service used everywhere in America) and craiglist, to indescribable other stuff which improve my knowledgement and make me more rich about experiences. For example, I've notice that if you wanna start a business, in America is the perfect place: many times I've tried to create a small company in Italy to repair computer or create website but all the time I haven't done anything since the burocracy is too complicated....instead here is really easy and simple, in few days you have a company with 20-30 dollars!
Also, wherever I've been, I've drived a car, and many times I've had "meeting with policemen" for many reasons, fortunately all the time everything finished well (only once my friend in Miami received a fine since he was hooking in the centre withoud a good reason!)
- people are really friendly, wherever you go, completely different from the cold english population, instead, much more similar to italian and spanish!
- Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian islands: those two countries are considered American states but they're completely different for the rest of America. Those two island are amzing, too much fun, I'm very happy to have visited them.
Negative things:
- different phone systems, not really understand yet if it's better or not than the european way....some people pay a flat rate and they can call wherever they want and that's a good point, but also there are other contracts where you pay to receive a call, and that's not acceptable!
- is not allowed to drink outside bars and clubs (perhaps you must be 21 years old, but this wasn't a problem for me!), that's so stupid since at the end people get drunk anyway, so way?
- no VISA no job, there is no too much to do! The american policy is to find first another american guy for a kind of job, and only if the company can proof that you're better than anyone else, then you can apply for that position!
- no really good life: I've seen many families with big problems like unhappy, always fighting, nobody eat at the same time, random talks, really strange....I prefer much more the italian way, but I repeat, this is a personal point of view!
-air condition everywhere: this should be a good point, but is not if you have to wear warm clothes in the summer just because the air condition is too high and generate cold areas, come on (perhaps I don't wanna know how the american can find the electricity for all those conditioners)
- 50% of the time I was sick, I don't know exactly why, maybe fot the previous point (ari condition) or it was just me that I'm too weak, I don't know, but of course be sick didn't help me to enyoy this vacation...
- American Airlines seems more like Ryanair than the main airline company....10 times better British Airways or Quantas!!
- people here are racist! Yes, there is no excuse: I've seen many cases where people make distinction and they always have bad opinion against other cultures....that make me feel really sad, a huge country as American must be an example, and instead all the latin-american and mexican people are considered to be one level down...and if you can here for a while you can really see and feel those different levels!! A simple proof is showed seeing all the dinstrict in the big cities: the chinese town, the japanese, the mexican, the italian one, the indian one, the turkish one, and so on... they don't mix each others as much as in Europe.
If I think something else about America I will modify this post...at the same time I would like to receive some comments about it, I would like to know your opinion.
Ciao ciao
Italy in final!
This post in completely dedicated to the italian team!
I just came back from the pub (in Sydney!)...I woke up at 4.45 and at 5am I was ready to suffer with other italian and german people this semi-final!
I don't know why but in the hostel 90% of the people are germans, really, I'm not joking, there are so many of them...my room for example have 3 germans and me! :-(
Of course, I'm the only italian in all the hostel...but fortunaly in the pub I've found some other italians! The game was quite quite during the 90 minutes, then when we started shooting 2 post with Gilardino and Zambrotta we started shouting and enjoying much better the game...until we finally scored! Yes, even this time no penalty kick for Italy (just to remind, with the exception on Korea where we lost at the golden goal, all the previous World Cup since 1990 Italy was kicked out with penalty kick).
Now I'm very very happy, I'm pretty sure today it will be an amazing day and tomorrow I wanna wake up again early to watch the other semi-final! Also, I'm already thinking about Melbourne, where I will be next friday and where I will watch the game together with other 30% of the total Melbournbe population (that is how many italians live in Melbourne!), I'm already excited for that, I hope to find some maxi-screen on some big plaza and support all together the italian team (at 4am, which means that probably this time I'm not going to wake up earlier but just staying out all night!)
Greetings from Sydney
Andrea
I just came back from the pub (in Sydney!)...I woke up at 4.45 and at 5am I was ready to suffer with other italian and german people this semi-final!
I don't know why but in the hostel 90% of the people are germans, really, I'm not joking, there are so many of them...my room for example have 3 germans and me! :-(
Of course, I'm the only italian in all the hostel...but fortunaly in the pub I've found some other italians! The game was quite quite during the 90 minutes, then when we started shooting 2 post with Gilardino and Zambrotta we started shouting and enjoying much better the game...until we finally scored! Yes, even this time no penalty kick for Italy (just to remind, with the exception on Korea where we lost at the golden goal, all the previous World Cup since 1990 Italy was kicked out with penalty kick).
Now I'm very very happy, I'm pretty sure today it will be an amazing day and tomorrow I wanna wake up again early to watch the other semi-final! Also, I'm already thinking about Melbourne, where I will be next friday and where I will watch the game together with other 30% of the total Melbournbe population (that is how many italians live in Melbourne!), I'm already excited for that, I hope to find some maxi-screen on some big plaza and support all together the italian team (at 4am, which means that probably this time I'm not going to wake up earlier but just staying out all night!)
Greetings from Sydney
Andrea
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Aloha!
Mates, Hawaii is a place absolutely to visit!
I don't think I can really explain all the great feeling that I've had over there for those last 6 days, but I'll try anyway!
First of all, you must know that Hawaii is formed by 133 island, but only 6 of them are populated....now, my choice was OAHU, the main island (but not the biggest), where Honolulu is!
Before to come here I believed it was easy moving between islands but then I've pretty soon understod that I will never be in another island as Maui or Kauai: each island are at least 100 miles distance, thus the only way is to take a flight, but the cheapest (if booked in advance) is around 100 dollar round trip....not bad but I can't afford it now!
Anyway, the hostel that I've choose on internet waw Seaside Hawaiian Hostel....I don't think it was possible to find a better place! This hostel is just great, cool people, nice rooms, good points where to meet people, free internet, security lockers and equipment for snorkling free as well.....and lot of stuff more!
Anyway, less than one day I've met almost all the poeple in the hostel: Adam, an amazing australian guy (always ready to pick up girls...yeeeaa), Bratish from Malesya, just arrived for study here in Hawaii (good for him!), Nathal from Seattle, another pretty cool guy, Tim (a belgium guy expert in snowboard...what a fuck he was doing in Hawaii???!!), three amazing London girls (Giulia, Pamela and Davina), and so on with the Korean guy Inn (never get drunk before last nights), Crag and Greg, useful "tourist guide"....
Anyway, the first day I watched the Wolrd Cup games at 5am and 9am (fortunally Italy played at 9!) and of course I was so happy that Italy gain the semi-final that all day I wear the Italian soccer t-shirt (smiling all the time!!)
Every night the first target was "Dowg Dave", a sort of half club/bar, cool to meet people and dance (of course all the time I've been there I was soo drunk that I couldn't order any more drink....as in Italy, here is usual to drink in the hostel all together and save money,yea!)
Every night was quite strange because we never planned in advance what to do, just meet in the evening at hostel and then, after a couple of booze, decide what to do! One night I've been with Adam at Zanzabar, one of the most famous club in Waikiki...and even if you have to pay 10 box to get in I've really enjoyed the time spent over there, really good club! The last night I was looking for a latin place (since I've found other dancer in the hostel) but the place we were looking for went out of business years ago.. :-( That's beacuse the hostel is full of magazine, books, stuff to read about Oahu, but unfortunately they weren't all the time updated!
I think the best way to visit the island was asking to the people: that's how I discovered Manoa falls, Diamond Head, the Shark's cave for snorkling (free place in the north instead!)...and also if you're in Hawaii you absolutely need to visit Pearl Harbor and all the local shows with local dancer or people showing how to open a coconut! :-)
For my first time, I've also tried "body surf" with really bad results, and snorkeling, an amzing experience, I really enjoyed swimming surrounded by fishes and turtles...I've took some photos as well with a waterproof camera, as soon as I develop the film I will post some "sea photos"!
Pineapple and coconuts of course are the major fruits in the island, I've had some amazing cocktail during the night that hardly I will forget them!
One warning: if you're looking for local people and meet the culture, don't come in Waikiki or Oahu in general: all the island is full of American (60%) and Japanese (30%), thus even if I've tried local food (which means vietnameme, chinese, japanese, taiwan, etc...) I couldn't really meet local people!
Public transport work quite fine but I spent really too much time on the bus, each destination was too far away, I think rent a car is the best thing to do!
Yesterday I woke up quite early, Pamela and Davina's friend gave me a lift to the airport, where I've spent more than an hour in the Chinese Garden in the airport (really cool), then I took a Quantas flight to Sydney (finally this time I've had a normal check-in, nobody asked me a full body inspection, I was starting to get used to it!)....if I have to compare Quantas and American Airlines I think Quantas can easily win 10-0!!! For the first time I was in the flight and thinking that all the money spent for the ticket were well spend (with american airlines I felt like if I was travelling with Rayanair...come on, 5 hours and a half from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles without any meal...and same story from LA to Hawaii!)
Anyway, now I'm here in Australia, a fucking cold place: I was so sad when I'm arrived at 5pm and I've seen the sun already gone... :-(
All the previous destination were hot places (summer style) and now I need to get used again to this cold temperature for almost 2 weeks, shit!
Ok, I don't have a lot of warm clothes so let me go in some shopping center and buy some stuff, see ya guys!
Andrea
P.s: Perhaps now it's raining!! :-(
I don't think I can really explain all the great feeling that I've had over there for those last 6 days, but I'll try anyway!
First of all, you must know that Hawaii is formed by 133 island, but only 6 of them are populated....now, my choice was OAHU, the main island (but not the biggest), where Honolulu is!
Before to come here I believed it was easy moving between islands but then I've pretty soon understod that I will never be in another island as Maui or Kauai: each island are at least 100 miles distance, thus the only way is to take a flight, but the cheapest (if booked in advance) is around 100 dollar round trip....not bad but I can't afford it now!
Anyway, the hostel that I've choose on internet waw Seaside Hawaiian Hostel....I don't think it was possible to find a better place! This hostel is just great, cool people, nice rooms, good points where to meet people, free internet, security lockers and equipment for snorkling free as well.....and lot of stuff more!
Anyway, less than one day I've met almost all the poeple in the hostel: Adam, an amazing australian guy (always ready to pick up girls...yeeeaa), Bratish from Malesya, just arrived for study here in Hawaii (good for him!), Nathal from Seattle, another pretty cool guy, Tim (a belgium guy expert in snowboard...what a fuck he was doing in Hawaii???!!), three amazing London girls (Giulia, Pamela and Davina), and so on with the Korean guy Inn (never get drunk before last nights), Crag and Greg, useful "tourist guide"....
Anyway, the first day I watched the Wolrd Cup games at 5am and 9am (fortunally Italy played at 9!) and of course I was so happy that Italy gain the semi-final that all day I wear the Italian soccer t-shirt (smiling all the time!!)
Every night the first target was "Dowg Dave", a sort of half club/bar, cool to meet people and dance (of course all the time I've been there I was soo drunk that I couldn't order any more drink....as in Italy, here is usual to drink in the hostel all together and save money,yea!)
Every night was quite strange because we never planned in advance what to do, just meet in the evening at hostel and then, after a couple of booze, decide what to do! One night I've been with Adam at Zanzabar, one of the most famous club in Waikiki...and even if you have to pay 10 box to get in I've really enjoyed the time spent over there, really good club! The last night I was looking for a latin place (since I've found other dancer in the hostel) but the place we were looking for went out of business years ago.. :-( That's beacuse the hostel is full of magazine, books, stuff to read about Oahu, but unfortunately they weren't all the time updated!
I think the best way to visit the island was asking to the people: that's how I discovered Manoa falls, Diamond Head, the Shark's cave for snorkling (free place in the north instead!)...and also if you're in Hawaii you absolutely need to visit Pearl Harbor and all the local shows with local dancer or people showing how to open a coconut! :-)
For my first time, I've also tried "body surf" with really bad results, and snorkeling, an amzing experience, I really enjoyed swimming surrounded by fishes and turtles...I've took some photos as well with a waterproof camera, as soon as I develop the film I will post some "sea photos"!
Pineapple and coconuts of course are the major fruits in the island, I've had some amazing cocktail during the night that hardly I will forget them!
One warning: if you're looking for local people and meet the culture, don't come in Waikiki or Oahu in general: all the island is full of American (60%) and Japanese (30%), thus even if I've tried local food (which means vietnameme, chinese, japanese, taiwan, etc...) I couldn't really meet local people!
Public transport work quite fine but I spent really too much time on the bus, each destination was too far away, I think rent a car is the best thing to do!
Yesterday I woke up quite early, Pamela and Davina's friend gave me a lift to the airport, where I've spent more than an hour in the Chinese Garden in the airport (really cool), then I took a Quantas flight to Sydney (finally this time I've had a normal check-in, nobody asked me a full body inspection, I was starting to get used to it!)....if I have to compare Quantas and American Airlines I think Quantas can easily win 10-0!!! For the first time I was in the flight and thinking that all the money spent for the ticket were well spend (with american airlines I felt like if I was travelling with Rayanair...come on, 5 hours and a half from Puerto Rico to Los Angeles without any meal...and same story from LA to Hawaii!)
Anyway, now I'm here in Australia, a fucking cold place: I was so sad when I'm arrived at 5pm and I've seen the sun already gone... :-(
All the previous destination were hot places (summer style) and now I need to get used again to this cold temperature for almost 2 weeks, shit!
Ok, I don't have a lot of warm clothes so let me go in some shopping center and buy some stuff, see ya guys!
Andrea
P.s: Perhaps now it's raining!! :-(
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