You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jan 07, 2016 09:00 PM To Australia!
On the low-cost Air Asia airbus 330 I had more space for my legs then on Turkish - the best European airline! I boarded the plane in Kuala Lumpur at 9.30. It is worth to know that aboard AAsia planes you pay extra even for mineral water. But the budget travellers should know that if you ask, they will give you for free hot water, so the secret is that you have to bring your tea or coffee bags and you can enjoy your favorite drinks. Plus your sanwdwiches -like me.
We landed after 5,5 hours. It is my second visit to Perth - capital of Western Australia. Years ago I came here from Africa.
Passport control was fast, but the customs send me to the side lane where their trained dog was sniffing for forbidden fresh food.
No, I didn't bring any Polish sausage, nor fruits! They found nothing.
Then you have to know that if you turn right exiting terminal after some 100 m walk you will find the stop of 380 city bus. It will take you to the Pert center for just 4,5 austr dollars. I disembarked at Pier Street. Three block down Pier I found my youth hostel. Welcome to Australia!
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Jan 06, 2016 09:00 PM Celebrating birthday in the skies
Istanbul airport was yesterday crowded and pretty well disorganized. To get to the runway planes are sneaking between the buildings and machinery almost half an hour. Just after midnight they packed us to the airbus 330 of Turkish Airlines. Once you are inside the plane it is not bad. They provide free headphones. The hot meal was not bad. -May I have another bottle of red wine to celebrate my birthday? -Yes, it is my birthday today! They brought me champagne and cakes from the first class cabin. Happy birthday!
One crew member (purser?) on Turkish flights wears nice cook’s uniform -it was him who came with champagne and best wishes…
It was already late afternoon Malaysian time when, after 10-hours flight we landed in sunny Kuala Lumpur. 28 deg Celsius!
I disembarked in Terminal klia1. It was necessary to go to the distant terminal klia2 where I plan to spend the night before flight to Australia. The best way is to take the airtrain _ it is only 4 minutes ride. You can pay credit card for the ticket but take care: there are two different trains from the same platform: express and transit. Transit is cheaper and will cost you only 2 ringitts.
On klia2 take elevator to level 3 an there is a walkway to Tune hotel – that’s my place for tonight. Happy birthday in Malaysia!
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Jan 05, 2016 09:00 PM First stage -to Istanbul
It was minus 17 deg Celsius during last night in Gdansk! I got up in the dark to prepare a good stock of sandwiches. But the grand voyage started in the train going to Warsaw. "Pendolino" is quite and fast and if you book well in advance itis also cheap:45 zlotys Gdansk to Warsaw. On the way I saw snowy fields... After 3 hours On Warsaw Central I changed to suburban train and after 20 min ride I reached Okecie airport.
For the first time I will fly withTurkish Airline - first to Istanbul, then onward to Kuala Lumpur. On line check-in. My bag has 18,5 kilo. In Istanbul I have to wait some 6 hours for the connection, but I already know that "best European airline" do not offer any meals on the stopover. Shame...
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Jan 04, 2016 09:00 PM New voyage - Australasia!
New grand voyage starts tomorrow! -Where your travel fever send you again? - joke my friends. This time to Asia and Australia. At the beginning three consecutive planes will carry me to Perth in Western Australia. A real adventure will begin there with 9-day expedition through the Nullarbor desert, where I will be sleep under the stars. Nullarbor is for me probably the last unknown region of Australia. The expedition will end in Adelaide, next I will fly to Brisbane to embark the ship, sailing to the islands of Papua and Solomons. When after two weeks I'll return to Brisbane I plan to change my mode of transport to start a car trip to the hot interior of Australia. Again after 30 years I'll see the legendary Ayers Rock. But the route of up to 8,000 km long will also cover new places and new landscapes. Just look on the map.
From Australia via Indochina I'm going on cheap Air Asia flights to the "vestibule of the Tibet" - how I call the western parts of Sichuan and Yunnan, where there is still much of Tibetan culture. An just there I expect to see those mythical Shangri-La from the "Lost Horizon" story. This will be another challenge because of the altitude excising 4,000 meters and the prevailing cold weather there. So then to stay warm I plan at the end of voyage a week's stay on the islands scattered along the east coast of Malaysia. I should be back home in mid-March. News and photos from the voyage I will try to post in my new travel log if there will be access to the internet.
Please, keep your fingers crossed for me :)
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Dec 31, 2015 09:00 PM Happy New Year!
Dear Friends
Happy Travelling in 2016!
Only yesterday I got a message from GS owner announcing that after 4 months he unblocked my travel log - really nice gift for the New Year. Thank you!
The las evening of 2015 I spent in Gdansk opera house enjoying the lovely operetta "Die Fledermaus" Then we met the New Year watching the fireworks on Motlawa river in the old town. The city was illuminated with crowd of the people dancing and singing on the cobbled streets. Happy New Year to everyone!
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Nov 20, 2015 09:00 PM A voyage to the USA and the Caribbean
At the end of November I took a cheap flight from Europe to Florida (Norwegian Airlines). Then I rented a car to drive through the US Southeast. Then I boarded inexpensive ship to sail from Port Canaveral through East Caribbean Islands to Puerto Rico. I returned home from this trip just before Christmas.
My travel log was still blocked in November and December so I established completly new travel log. You can see my daily notes there:
www.diary.kontynenty.net
And here I published just a map - when they opened again my travel log for the New Year 2016.
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Sep 09, 2015 06:00 PM Voyage to Pamir Mts and West Siberia
In September - October 2015 I went to Pamir and West Siberia. Unfornunately my GS travel log was blocked at this time (I was complaining to the admin of the site but no results... Some daily notes from this trip you can read on GS forum (Groups - Asia and Australia). In 2016 I was albe to publish the map of this voyage. It is here:
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May 17, 2015 04:00 PM Do not buy 125 ml toothpaste!
I am flying back from Oslo to Gdansk. In Oslo airport I passed through the security. According to the rules I took my toothpaste out of the carry-on backpack - to the provided plastic bag. They took it and recognized that on the tube is printed "125 ml". But it was half empty! -You cannot take it to the cabin - it is more then 100 ml! Are they crazy? Why do not they use the common sense - it is half empty and this is visible!
No, I was forced to throw it to the garbage bin. Stupidity!
Do not buy toothpaste in the big tubes!
2 hours later I landed in Gdansk and took a walk from the airport to my Wojtkówka - it is only 30 minutes by foot! Apple trees are in blossom there. Paradise - just look at the picture...
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May 16, 2015 04:00 PM Constitution Day in Oslo
I celebrate national holiday in Oslo. People in the national costumes on the streets. Each school has its band for the parade in front of the king's palace. It is rainy and windy day but many people joined the parade anyway. I see many flags on the houses. It is funny but on the parade I saw many dark-skin Norwegians. :)
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May 15, 2015 04:00 PM Rainy Oslo
In the morning we took a walk through the Ekeberg Park. It is located on the hill overlooking the center of Oslo. There is a nice view of the capital city from several viewpoints and many contemporary sculptures to enjoy. One of them if dedicated to Marylin Monroe. How to explain my 6 years old grandson who was Marylin and why she looks like that on the sculpture? Rain in the afternoon, sorry...
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