November 8, 2008
This year I’ve been travelling occasionally that I’ve become such a pro in packing up my things even at the last minute without forgetting important things. I usually fly on work days, so that leaves me little time to pack up anyway. I come home from work, usually 6 or 7 in the evening, have a dinner, work (and more work) and then I pack up for the flight the next day. The past few travels I had, I was without any sleep when I went to the airport. That’s why it’s good to know beforehand the essential things I’ll need in travelling. It makes packing up easy and fast.
Here are some of my essential do’s when packing up:
What’s the travel for? Whether for business or pleasure, you should pack appropriate clothes for the trip. And bring enough pieces to last you during your whole trip. Though hotels have laundry services, they’re not usually cheap.
Don’t forget your toiletries. For guys, always bring your shaving kit, not unless you want to look like Santa Claus. Make sure they’re carefully sealed to avoid spills.
Hand-carry your important and valuable stuff. Travel documents, watches, cameras, ipods, jewelries, etc. Strap them to your body! Bring cables, extra batteries or chargers for your electronic devices.
And for us eyeglasses wearer, don’t forget your contacts! Also bring an extra pair of eyeglasses in case the one you’re wearing gets misplaced or broken. A pair of sunglasses is also handy especially when you’re travelling to sunny countries. My eyeglasses comes with magnetic snap-on sunshade that’s very convenient for me. It’s like an all-in-one glasses.
And speaking about eyeglasses, you can get a pair (or pairs) at Zenni Optical. Their very affordable but high quality eyeglasses are awesome! You can get eyeglasses with snap-on lens like I do for only $27.95 or you can get a cheaper one for only $19! Incredibly cheap! There’s no reason why you can’t afford to buy an extra pair of eyeglasses with Zenni! Even radio show host Clark Howard recommends it.
How about this pair?
Anyway, last on my list would be my notebook especially that my travels lately have been work-related. My trip wouldn’t be successful without it. It’s my virtual office. All my work files are stored there and I also use it to keep in touch with my colleagues and wife.
That’s it!
Posted in travel essentials 
No Comments »
November 6, 2008
Being from Czech Republic where rules, regulations, requirements and standards on many things are pretty strict, I am always surprised and amused whenever I visit another country and see how these things are not taken seriously at all and simply ignored. Take for example electric wires. I’m sure almost everyone who has experienced how it feels to transport 220 volts in his/her body treats electricity with respect.
And then you see out in the street just above your head something like this:
(Bacolod City, Philippines)
Not only it looks awful, it is also dangerous because some wires are hanging down and are within reach even for kids. Another thing is how can anyone (electrician) find the problem in case something goes wrong? Do they even bother or they just add a new wire? Guess I should ask next time I see one…
And when the time comes to check the real consumption, if the meters are out in the public without any protection and seals, it is not a problem for a skilled person to tamper with it and roll the wheel a little backwards…
But since the people in Philippines are honest and sincere, maybe they don’t get these kinds of thoughts? 
Is it just me?
Posted in Asia, Philippines 3 Comments »
October 24, 2008
As my colleague and I were about to pass by the exit gate of the arrival area of the Ruzyne International Airport in Prague, the guard came up to us and asked where we came from. Then he followed it with what they’re supposed to ask arriving passengers, if we’re bringing something (to be declared in customs). We mischievously answered back “we hope we’re not bringing anything”. We meant the malaria of course.
During the whole course of our stay in Uganda, a day before travelling and also 4 days after arriving, we were prescribed to take Malarone once a day. It’s a medicine to protect ourselves from the disease malaria which Africa is known for. Tomorrow will be a week since I arrived from my African trip, I’m still alive and kicking but very busy!
Anyway, I have few stuff which I brought home from Uganda. One of these is the magnet souvenirs for my wife’s collection which features their flag.
The country’s flag has the bird in the middle called the Grey Crowned Crane which you can find in Africa.
Posted in Africa, travel, travel souvenirs No Comments »
October 15, 2008
For that dream of a European vacation, it’s good to be assisted by a reliable hotel booking guide such as eurobookings.com especially when getting worldwide hotel bookings to maximize one’s stay in this enchanting land. There are so many choices according to what one can afford, be it a luxury or a budget accommodation. Online hotel reservations save a lot of time, plus it’s very convenient to surf around, comparing the sites, the views, services and amenities offered. The reviews given by guests who have actually stayed in the hotels are additional information about their viability. The most popular cities, such as Barcelona in Spain, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Florence and Milan in Italy, Prague in the Czech Republic, London in the United Kingdom, Paris in France, to mention some, can be “visited” through their videos.
Belém Tower in Lisbon
Taking one destination, say Lisbon: All the 124 hotels in Lisbon are shown for the traveler to pick up his preference. The factors affecting one’s choice, which are given in their site, could be their location, the price range, the service, amenities, the décor, the general ambience; the view of the surroundings, the over-all impression the hotel can make on the person who is going to stay in there.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in travel, travel essentials 2 Comments »
October 7, 2008
Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, but I was busy and also sent to another business trip to Africa. The internet connection here really sucks, seems like the whole country has same bandwidth as I have at home…
Anyway - only two guesses were posted in the comments to my guessing game ‘Name the city part 3‘, so either I lost all my readers or they are all bored already.
The correct answer is Asgabad, the capital of Turkmenistan. Last time I was there was in December 2006, only few days before Christmas and also few days before their president Saparmurat ‘Turkmenbashi’ Niyazov suddenly and unexpectedly died.
Since then I lost contact with all my ‘friends’ there and don’t know if life there has improved.
Posted in Asia, travel No Comments »
September 28, 2008
We passed by Malostranske Namesti at noon and was stuck in a traffic which was unusual on a Sunday. It turned out there was a ceremony ( we even heard a marching band playing) to celebrate the placing of domes on Malostranska Beseda. There was a small crowd that gathered in the parking lot beside Starbucks where the crane that placed the domes was situated too.
As you can see, the copper domes are shining like new pennies. But after some time, once it has been exposed to air and water, oxidation reaction will happen which will change the color of copper into green just like the other domes of the old buildings around Prague.
What’s interesting about these domes was that according to the article I read, they were removed in 1828 and after 180 years they put it back. It didn’t have further explanation though why it took that long for them to place the domes back.
Posted in Czech Republic, Praha No Comments »
September 19, 2008
New episode from my fave ‘name the city’ series. Lately I travel to the same destination over and over again, so I dug out an old one from my archive. These pictures were taken in the years 2005 and 2006, so these days the location might look a bit different. And since it is very uncommon place for travellers, here are some hints:
- about 80% of the country is covered by desert
- world’s number 10 producer of cotton
- world’s number 5 in natural gas reserves
- gained full independence only couple of years ago
- more than half of the population is unemployed and living in poverty
From the pictures it looks like a nice place to live in…
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in photos, travel 3 Comments »
September 8, 2008
I had a few visitors from Asia who were visiting the National Museum last week. I wasn’t able to go with them because it was a weekday, a working day for me. While at work, I got a SMS from one of them asking me what happened on August 21, 1968. They informed me that there were exhibitions mostly photos of tanks and soldiers but since the captions were in Czech, they couldn’t understand anything.
The exhibit poster.
August 21, 1968 is the day when Soviet and Warsaw pact armies saved communism in Czech Republic. There was an attempt to make reforms headed by Alexander Dubcek and the allied armies of Soviet Union and Warsaw invaded our country to halt the said reforms. Read the Prague Spring for more information.
If you want to see it, you can still catch the exhibition which runs from August 21 until September 30, 2008 in front of the National Museum and also in the foyer.
At the museum’s foyer.
Displays of postcards sent by Dubcek’s supporters when he was in custody.
The battle tank, displayed outside the museum.
Coincidentally, the Czech National Museum is also celebrating its 190th anniversary this year. There is also an exhibition and film showing on the ground floor at the special hall which showcases how the museum was built, how it survived the invasion and the bombings and the repairs being done.
The white patches on the columns are repairs on bullet holes that riddled the museum during the invasion.
Posted in Czech Republic, events, museums 2 Comments »
September 1, 2008
The subject of my “Name the city - part 2” is Stephansdom or the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. This church is dedicated to St. Stephen, also known as the patron of the bishop’s cathedral in Passau.
The facade of the church.
As soon as you come up from the Stephansplatz subway station, this grand Romanesque and Gothic cathedral will greet you. The area around it are all filled up with tourists. You can’t miss this imposing structure when you’re in Vienna as it is one of the most visited site by tourists.
Tourists! A building right across St. Stephen.
Note the beautiful roof mosaic of the building.
Posted in Europe 4 Comments »
August 26, 2008
If you recognize this building, then you’ll have no problem guessing the city where it’s located.
Clue: It’s still somewhere in Europe, one of Czech Republic’s neighbors. I was there last month so maybe you can find more clue in my previous posts (or maybe not). Good luck!
Posted in Europe, photos 7 Comments »
content rss
Recent Comments