The amazing journey to the Balkans states and Venice

Balkans states travels were challenging, we flied from Singapore to Belgrade.
Afterwards when to see a church and when to a ruin fortress.

I  reach the hotel in Venice Hotel Noventa from Slovenia in a coach. I asked the reception, I was fortunate at night at least one hour of prayers and in the morning one hour of chanting, to ask the for directions to my destination in Venice islands, Venice consisted of around 150 islands is the main trading port during Marco Polo time in the Fourteen Century.

I need to take bus from the hotel to the railway station to the  Venice islands, for around at least one and the half hour trip there.

The morning I set out, I walk a distance as directed for more than 10 minutes which I asked a few persons where to take the bus to the  train station to the Venice islands.

Fortunately I  met a student he told me he was going to the train station too, so he brought me to buy the tickets to and back home at the store, to take the bus nearby, where he sit next to me.

On the bus he asked me various questions about Singapore. When we reach the station he direct me to the counter and explain to me how to take the train and left to take bus to his school.

When I reached Venice island I went to the counter to buy a whole day ticket for travelling whole day by boats to all the islands, I met a ltalian lady beside me who is studying tourism and offered to bring me to the island Murano.

After some time I decided to take the boat to another island Burano. After taking numerous pictures and my lunch, I decided to asked the ticketing agent which is the 3rd popular island to go. He told me Tocello island.

After taking numerous pictures, I decided to go back, fortunately I met a lady from France she assured me that she will help me all the way to back to the station where I came, as we needed to changed the boat 2 times. She asked numerous persons on the way, as she know how to speak Italian.

Later she asked me to drop at the berth of my station, and she continued her journey to San Marco in boat.

I went back to the area where I dropped from the boat took numerous pictures, look for a Chinese restaurant.

I took train back to the station near the hotel and asked the Chinese store owner beside the station, he told me to take this bus before 8 pm as after that there will be no more bus, I got to take cab back. 

So I took the bus back and went to the emporium beside the hotel to buy some snacks and the golden beer, which were specially imported from Holland, at nearly 9 pm.

What an amazing journey.

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To be continue

Henry Leong at the most popular amazing landmarks of the world

http://www.relax.com.sg/article/interests/the-cool-things-singaporean-saw-on-trip-spanning-31-countries

Row One:  Grand Canyon USA,  London Bridge, Tien An Meng Sq China, Sea food Batam, France Disneyland, Efflel Tower, Sydney Bridge Australia, The Mermaid Copenhagen, St Peter Germany, Pompeii, Stockholm Sweden,  Then Swiss Apline Mont Blanc

Row Two: River Rhine Swiss, The Parliament Budapest Hungary, At the Castle Hill Budapest, Ronald Reagan statue Budapest, Hero Square Budapest, Nobel Museum Stockholm, Schönbrunn Palace Vienna, Hallstatt Austria, Schonbrunn Palace Vienna, Chesky Krumlov Czech Rep, Windmills of Amsterdam, Shafe Prague Cathedral.

Row 3: Charles Bridge Prague, Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square Prague, Fuji Mountain Japan, Dresden East Germany, Dresden East Germany, Stockholm Sweden, grauman's chinese theatre, Munich River, Linlerhor castle Germany, Neuschwanstein castle Germany, Great Wall of China.

Row 4: The Opera House Sydney, World tallest building Taipei 101, Mount Cook New Zealand, Lake Tekapo New Zealand, Universal Studio USA, Sognefjord Norway, Steam Clock of Vancouver Canada, Walter Peak High Country Farm New Zealand, The 3 sisters mountain Australia, Camel Hill, Guilin China, Bangkok, The Peak Hong Kong.

Row 5: River Seine Paris, Dresden Germany, San Francisco Bay, Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver Canada, Zurich, Zurich, Thames River UK, Tvinde Waterfall Norway, France Disney, Wat Arun Pagoda Bangkok, Bergen Norway, Xian China.

Row 6: Prague Charles Bridge, Helsinki Finland, Oslo Norway- Behind is Akershus Fortress, Las Vegas USA, Grouse mountain Vancouver, San Francisco Bay Shopping, Nyhavn  Copenhagen Denmark, Amsterdam canal, Vancouver, Frogner Park Oslo, Entrance to cavern with stone carving Guihai Stele Forest Guilin China, World largest gold ingot Las Vegas.

Row 7: Xi Mending Taipei, Flam Norway, Dr Sun Yet San Memorial Hall Guangzhou, Istanbul Turkey, Sibelius Monument Helsinki, Mandarin Restaurant Lake Wakatipu Queenstown New Zealand, Border Mexico, Copenhagen Canal, Background Prague Castle, Oslo suburb shopping, Chesky Krumlov Czech Rep Chinese Restaurant, Norway small town

Row 8: Intercontinental Hotel Vienna, Kjosfossen Waterfall, Norway, Yang Tse Kiang restaurant Bergen Norway, Taipei man made cave restaurant, Genting Highland Malaysia, Los Angeles USA, Geilo Norway, Copenhagen canal, Copenhagen Hotel, Munich Chinese Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant Dixon Road Chinatown Sydney, Steamboat at Lijiang River China.

Row 9: Night dinner at Prague, Shilin night market Taipei, Stockholm, Munich, Guilin hill China, Background Prague Castle, Las Vegas USA, Batam Kelong, Xian, Senate Square Helsinki, Xian, Pagoda Bangkok

To be continue

Tips on getting the most out of your travels

I prefers to travel with tour groups because they took care of the logistics and admin. The got discount of air tickets, hotels and foods.

If I want to stay longer in one place I would venture on my own at night after the end of the day itineraries.

In Japan I walk a record of 6.5 hours non-stop in Tokyo on my own. Unfortunately my roll of films were not properly put in the camera, so all the 36 photos which I took were spoilt.

After 6.5 of walking throughout Tokyo I got lost. When I asked for directions of my hotels, a kind person drove me back to the hotel.

At the China tour I prefer to stay extra days in Hong Kong and asked for our tour ticket to go back on our own. Fortunately it turn out to be a right move.

The extra day at Hong Kong I walk the cities until after midnight. There foods at the alley were very tasty my best indulgence were the beef soups, tipping some chillies oil inside the soup.

A member of the tour group ask his relative to bring us around Guangzhou to eat among the best tim sum. Even at midnight it was overflow with customers. The place never sleep even at midnight it were bustling with activities.

Even at midnight the Hong Kong MRT were fully loaded.

Cool countries need to prepare for windbreaker, gloves and thick clothing when you go there in winter etc.
You join the tour half way, in my europe tour a couple join us at the beginning later, they break off to the places they and and join later part when we are going back.

In Thailand when I touch down at might I when around the cities for few before I went back to sleep and wake up in the morning.

The best part is after hours of walking. Went back to the hotel turn on the long bathtub warm water. Submerge in it for half an hour to ease my fatigue.

Give generous tips, when you ask the tour manager to bring you to some unusual or interesting places, which is not in the tour itineraries.You can hire a three wheeler taxi relatively inexpensive in Thailand to tour the city at midnight.

I took the tastiest fried rice at a Bangkok seafood restaurant. At S$8 with their homegrown prawns and very sweet orange juices. Some belts and silk goods is worth buying.

Hong Kong at night(photo). Hong Kong mass rapid transit even at midnight it were overflow with travellers. Hong Kong never sleep.