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Welcome to my travellog. Here you can read about my journeys day by day. 
Apr 30, 2009 06:00 PM The Norias of Hama
In the morning we wanted to get a minibus to Qala'at Samaan but due to Friday which is a holiday in Syria services are very irregular and we would have to take a taxi which is too expensive for us. That's why we decided to go directly to Hama by train. A train ride in Syria is a great experience itself - especially the process of buying and then validating your ticket. First, you have to buy it, then you register (or validate, I don't know) it at the police office at the station and then you have to register in another counter. All the procedure takes at least half an hour. The train was very comfortable and after less than 2 hours ride we arrived in Hama. We stay here at Cairo Hotel (1200 SYP per double, LP says 500...). We were walking in the city a lot. We saw almost all of 17 norias - old water wheels that supplied aqueducts with water for irrigation. We also visited Hama Museum and Azem Palaca (recommended).
The kids are nice here. That say hello to us and want to take pictures of them. Also nice are the adults very helpful and friendly. Nobody wants money for help. Totally different to my experiences from Morocco.
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Apr 29, 2009 06:00 PM Around Aleppo
We're still based in Aleppo. Today we took a minibus to Kafr Nabl. Prices went up significantly since the book was published year ago. The trip costs 70 SYP instead of 35. We started walking towards Serjilla - one of the Dead Cities and we were soon offered a lift (not for free, of course - 25 per person; travelling on the back of a truck - unforgettable. It pays to have your international student's card - in the sights you pay only 10 instead of 75 or even 150 SYP. After exploring Serjilla we started our walk back to Kafr Nabl and this time we were given a free lift by a pharmacist from the town. He spoke a little Russian so I could communicate with him.
In Kafr Nabl we hired a car with a driver to get us to Apamea and then back to Ma'arat an-Nu'aman from where we took a minibus to Aleppo. Apamea is a great archeological site with hundreds of columns which is very impressive. Worth a visit.
Internet in Aleppo is very slow and relatively slow - 100 SYP/hr but you have no choice.
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Apr 28, 2009 06:00 PM Exploring Halep (Aleppo)
We arrived in Aleppo at 9 a.m. We were waken up at the border to go through the customs and then we slept without being interrupted until we reached Aleppo. We're staying at Hotel Somar (1200 SYP per double). We were exploring the city today - the citadel, the Grand Mosque, the souk and we walked a lot. The entrance fee to many sights is 150 SYP (ca. 3 USD) but with an international students card they will cut it to as low as 10 SYP. We also explored Al-Jdaida dictrict and found catholic and orthodox churches there. Tomorrow we plan to visit the dead cities and maybe to see something else if time allows.
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Apr 27, 2009 06:00 PM To the Middle East
Today my next journey started. The destination is Middle East. This time I'm not travelling alone - my travelmate is Talat, whom I know from Globo. We want to see Syria, Lebanon and Turkey in the upcoming three weeks. I was flying from Warsaw to Istanbul via Munich. I met Talat in Istanbul and from there we travel together. In the afternoon we visited the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia and in the evening we took a flight to Adana and then a night train to Aleppo, Syria. The train is cheap (only 35 YTL) and inside it looks like a train from collonial times with fake mosaics on walls and floor and original lamps. Nice experience.
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Nov 12, 2008 09:00 PM Back to Poland
The flight was in Gdansk 10 minutes ahead of time, so I cought a bus to the city centre and even managed to catch a train to Warsaw at 9:25 (I had expected I would have to take the 11:35 train). I was to tired after spending a night at the airport to do any sightseeing in Gdansk. I slept on both the plane and the train, so the journey didn't seem very long although it was. The train ride from Gdansk to Warsaw takes 5 hours now due to a big overhaul of the rail tracks.
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Nov 11, 2008 09:00 PM Antwerp and Brussels
This day I devoted to two other Belgian cities that were my must-sees on this short trip. First I went to Antwerp with my friend and we walked around the town a lot. The trainstation in Antwerp is just beautiful. Now, thanks to its unique architecture, it's one of my favourite train stations. We also went to Rubens' House. I'd like to live in a house like this! We also visited several churches (go to the cathedral). Again we had excellent weather with only a few clouds, which doesn't seem to be very usual for Belgium. Antwerp, as it is located closer to the sea, is much more windy - a cap and a scarf is not a bad idea.
The afternoon I spent in Brussels and my friend went to Koln as she had a flight to Poland from there the next day. I spent this time around Grand Place (Grote Markt) admiring the architecture. I also bought some pralines, as Belgian chocolade is believed to be one of the best in the world. In the evening I went to the airport in Charleroi. I have a flight to Gdansk tomorrow early in the morning and the only option for me would be to take a taxi - too expensive.
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Nov 10, 2008 09:00 PM Bruges and Ghent in one day
These two cities aren't very large and they are located quite close to Brussels. It's a national holiday here today, so I was given a weekend ticket (return for free). Here I met two friends of mine and we're doing the sightseeing together. We were very lucky because it only rained when we were on a train and it immediately stopped when we got off. What we focused on in these cities was architecture - very different from what I know from other European countries. I liked the canals and in autumn when trees are very colorfull the towns look very picturesque. Belgian food is excellent too, but quite expensive when compared to Central and Eastern Europe. Belgium is great for art freaks museums and churches are full works of famous painters and sculptors.
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Nov 09, 2008 09:00 PM To Belgium for a few days
Today another (probably the last one this year) journey started. I took an evening flight from Wroclaw to Charleroi near Brussels. I chose Ryanair as it offered very cheap tickets. The only disadvantage is the distance to Brussels (1h 30 min of combined bus and train ride). This combined ticket costs 11 euros to any station in Belgium. In Brussels I'm staying in Sleep Well Hostel. A night in single room with shared bathroom (but with private toilet and washbasin) costs 30 euros. It's conveniently located near Brussels Noord station.
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Aug 26, 2008 06:00 PM Singapore - Munich - Wroclaw
This is my flight itinerary I made today. No problems at all. We even managed to land in Munich 50 minutes ahead of schedule. After 15 hours of travel I reached Wroclaw where my family waited me and took back to my hometown of Legnica. The time difference is 6 hours but I don't feel jet-lagged at all.
Where to go next...?
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Aug 25, 2008 06:00 PM 14-hour delay
It was the longest train journey in my life, because of technical problems my train to Singapore was delayed in the end by 14 hours. We left almost 9 hours after the scheduled time of departure, i.e. at 5 a.m. After midnight I went to the first station, where the train was waiting to leave to have at least a short sleep on the train.
Unfortunately, this delay made it impossible for me to see anything in Singapore as I arrived at 1 a.m. on Aug 27. At least I managed not to miss my flight, what I had been afraid of. And there is even one advantage of that - another reason to come back here again :)
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