Germany

[chialc88]

What's the time?

I look at my Seiko - 10am.
11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 - ok, I should reach Dresden before dark.

Why is it Germany such an advanced country and don't have water cooler?

Look and look around area near luggage conveyor belt, no luck.

I saw an uncle wearing airport uniform walking towards me.

Instinctively, I show him my left hand and
my right hand/finger pointing at the empty water bottle.

He smiles and speaks slowly to me in English (wow, not German).
"Go to the toilet, the water is ok."

Great! Don't have to buy mineral water, save some hustles. 

---

No custom...Recall: I cleared it this morning in Paris CDG airport.
Now, where is my favorite car rental company?
Interactive billboard, punch punch punch...
Wow, must walk so far...
Munich airport is huge.
Zoom zoom....

---

Audi A4 2016 model...
GPS (yes, most rental come with GPS)
punch punch punch...
choose my destination "Dresden ...hotel... got it".

Power on, engage Drive gear, off we go...
Ai yo, step on too much gas, now in the middle of car park, 
need to reverse a little bit...

Erh... how to reverse? it's different from my car lay.
Jin Jialat. 
I try and try and try but the car is stuck at 1st gear...
can not engage reverse gear...
5 mins of trying seems like 1 hour...

---

A car stopped in front of me (of course wow, I'm blocking the whole road).
The driver came down and stretched into my car and engage the reverse gear.
(how he know?)

"Sorry Sir, can you teach me again, how to engage reverse gear?"
He smile at me and says just push down the stick.
and I smile back at him.
QED 

---

I timed myself.
Already 2 hours on the road and it's time for a pee break.
(Proactive. I must take a compulsory break 
          because I will be irresponsible to drive for long hours.
          After touch down, I might not be aware of my tiredness,
you know what I mean?)
I reminded myself that a car is a running bullet!
 
ok... go toilet.
Got Gantry... 1 euro in and 30 cents come out.
Oh... got a paper receipt some more...
... a bit sophisticated but not environment friendly lay (paper huh).

Shiok, as I rinse my face after pee pee (and washing my hand)...
Refreshing.
Makan time.

The pit-stop is actually a cafe with a hotel behind it.
Many western dishes, pastries, ice creams, etc
and, being in Munich, I pick the famous Currywurst. (hotdog lar).

The cashier asks for my toilet receipt and gives me a rebate of 70 cents.
Ha ha... toilet is free!!! (I bet you cannot imagine the joy of my new discovery).

I choose to sit next to a window... cold man.
With the sun still up, the temperature is already sub-10 degree.
I took a pause.
I watch my breath and the whole world brighten up suddenly.
I smile and I told myself that everyday is a treasure (present I meant).

---

After checked in, I came down to change some coins to buy car park ticket. (open space public car park).
It's a auto machine, 24 hours cost about 10 euro.

Mmm... what's this paper on my audi?

My reception says I got a summon.
Ok, so how do I appeal?
Cannot appeal... 
   or you could wait for the summon uncle to come by.

I waited, waited, waited and my heart started to sink lower and lower.
I don't even know how a summon uncle looks like.

Then, I remember.
SOP:
   - Rental company will be billed by the authority,
   - then they will charge to my credit card with heavy admin fees.

  "A problem that can be solve by $$$ is not a problem at all"
My motto kick in and I'm back to business.

---

It's jalan jalan time.
Now where should I go?
Turn left or turn right ... as I stood right outside my hotel main door.

well, what says you?

Love compression
[Image: 1024x352_striezelmarkt.jpg]

[chialc88]

I really missed Dresden...
I *accidentally* pop into a ulu-ulu shopping center...
I climb up to the third floor and saw a Vietnamese like super mart...
- 500G of fresh berries costs 2euro
- I also found some very very ripe Grapes 500G only 50 cents
yummy yummy...

Sightseeing-wise, must visit Zwinger Palace
...as usual, the garden is FOC
...following picture is on the Palace roof top, also FOC
[Image: dresden_zwinger_i_by_pingallery-d3fxur0.jpg]

Driving to Berlin is very easy.
However, Berlin is a huge city.
I foresee that the traffic condition might be bad
...also might be difficult to find the hotel (parking) entrance.

So, I just google and take a look at my hotel entrance.
wow, small lane and looks like inside construction zone.
got train line some more. (noise?)

Too late, already booked.



Love Compassion

[BlueKelah]

you could try AirBnB next time, when I am travelling in developed and more advanced countries, i try to stay with locals as much as possible. Especially if you have car and travel is not a problem.

Parking and driving in most crowded major cities is usually a PITA.

[soros]

Only a Singaporean expects water cooler in advanced country.

In UK , most people have never been near a water cooler and get their bottled water from the local supermarket.

In many UK towns the tap water was drinkable until they started adding chlorine to the water..

[chialc88]

@BK, definitely done that before.
Recently found that 5-star hotel has better value for $$$.
No bluff.

@S, you know what's funny?
I didn't even talk.
I just show him my empty water bottle.
The airport staff automatically tell me drink from tap.
Strange, isn't it?

---

To drink or not to drink? from tap.

Normally we don't do that.
Minimum, we should use hotel kettle to boil before drinking.

However, even in *advanced* country, 
I will buy bottled H2O instead of from tap.
Why?
thou the H2O is clean but 
the infrastructure that carries the H2O to your tap might be aged.

Also, take note that should not drink H2O from hot tap,
aka, only get from the 100% cold tap.
Why?
hot water tap likely come from water storage tank.

Relax and have a nice weekend.


Running around as you do with your head up in the clouds
I was like you
Never had time to lay back, kick your shoes off, close your eyes
I was like you
Now you're not hard to understand
You need someone to take your hand.

Love Compassion

[Boon]

There is no general speed limit on Germany's autobahns - that's one of the fun part if you are game enough........... do drive with care though.

If you ever go to Austria, its tap water is among the best and purest in the world - feed from the Austrian Alps.

[chialc88]

Good morning Everybody,
Driving to Berlin is very easy, 
like what buddy B says - autobann
= no speed limit.

The max my audi can push is 160
...momentarily... during overtaking.

---

I think that during weekday, 
city center would be crowded 
and wait, did Berlin have ERP?

Checked. I thought so too.

A leisure drive to Tiergarten (park) is highly recommended.
More important is to find a parking lot so that I can walk around the park.

Driving in Berlin is not so stressful after all.
Wow, I saw the following coming right in front of me.
Wow, wow, wow...



ok, it's a circle. 
no problem, let me get into position.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, I saw so many vehicles charging straight towards me.

Oh.........
I close my eyes for one second.

Oh.............
I'm at the wrong side of the road.

None of the vehicles hit me.
None of them horn at me.
They just go past me,
one by one.

Ok, steady, steady.
No car.
I did a quick U-turn
and back on my road.

Ok, steady, steady.
I reminded myself to focus on the road.
-  A car is a running bullet.

---

Must visit:
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin Wall
Holocaust Memorial
and of course, don't forget the Victory Column (TierGarten)

Love Compassion

[specuvestor]

you champion Good thing not night time

[BlueKelah]

yah loh, win liao loh, liddat also can...

looks like american system in germany, a bit confusing for us, took me a couple days to get used to the system as well when I was driving in USA and Taiwan. Usually I try not to be in the front, let the car in front turn first before i follow if possible lol. fun times..

[chialc88]

Enjoy:



Very easy to drive.
Especially at night, it has a Matrix LED headlight which is fully automated.

Either in the country road or autobahn, if the surrounding is pitch dark,
the LED headlight will beam out and make the whole place looks like daytime.

When it detected on coming vehicle, it will switch off those LED that's facing the incoming vehicle
and left the remaining on.

It does not simply dim or lower the light.

Very clever technology and make my drive at night safer.

Try it, next time if you need to drive a lot.