Only One Plastic Bag (20cm x 20cm) for Liquids on easyJet

Whenever anyone asks me whether I've had experienced any travel mishaps before, I proudly tell them that I've not experienced any. That is until I took an easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Split in Croatia recently.

It was my first time travelling on easyJet. I only had a hand carry trolley bag because I like travelling light and I didn't want to pay extra to keep my luggage in the hold. 

Before the trip I had measured my trolley bag to ensure it's within the 56cm x 45cm x 25cm size mentioned in the easyJet website. The good thing about easyJet is that there's no weight limit to your hand carry luggage, unlike freaking AirAsia which has a 7kg limit.

Since my only luggage was a hand carry, I had ensured that all my liquid (skincare products and toiletries) were stored in 100ml containers.

I had already checked-in online, so when I reached London Gatwick, I headed straight to security to get my bags scanned.

At the security area, I saw passengers packing their liquids into transparent, resealable plastic bags (readily available) before joining the queue. So I also did the same. The only thing I didn't know is that each passenger is allowed only one plastic bag, and I had three of 'em!

Still oblivious to what I was headed for, I walked into the security area carrying all three plastic bags. The security personnel was polite enough to inform me that I'm only allowed one plastic bag. He gave me the option to go back outside and check-in my luggage or to repack my liquids. I chose the latter.

I was escorted back outside. They asked me to stand in a spot while they scanned my retina and then an officer accompanied me to the packing area where I repacked my liquids. Since I had to pack everything into one tiny 20cm x 20cm plastic bag, I had to be smart about it. What went into the bag were my Clarins and Innisfree products. I had to leave behind my toiletries and Rosken handcream (so sad).

After saying goodbye to my stuff, I went back into security and flew to Split safely where I had to buy toiletries to replace the ones I had left behind at London Gatwick.

Moral of the story:
1) Don't take for granted that all airlines have similar rules on hand carry liquids.
2) Read the hand carry rules of the airline in detail, especially so if you're flying on a particular airline for the first time. This is to ensure you don't breech any rules which may cause you to miss your flight.
3) If you're too lazy to perform Item (1) and (2), just check-in your luggage.

The Inspiration Behind Tolkien's Gates of Moria

I received a comment from a reader pointing out that the tree trunks at St Edward's looked more like the Gates of Moria instead of the Gates of Mordor.

When I compared Tolkien's drawings of the Gates of Moria with the tree trunks, it looked like she was right.

Well, maybe the tour guide made a mistake or I heard wrongly. Anyway, here's an updated version of the entry. Sorry for the mistake, folks!

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Do you want to know what inspired JRR Tolkien's Gates of Mordor Moria in the Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Apparently Tolkien conceived the idea for those famous gates from a pair of tree trunks in the Church of St Edward in Stow-on-the-Wold.

Church of St Edward

Stow-on-the-Wold is a little town situated in the Cotswolds, a range of hills in west-central England famous for its gentle hillsides, sleepy villages and for being so 'typically English'.

Wanna see how the tree trunks look like? Scroll downwards ...

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Here they are ... the trees that inspired Tolkien's Gates of Mordor Moria

And here is an artist impression a drawing by Tolkien himself of the gates:

Similar, right?

4 Great Reasons to Visit Bath

This is Part 2 of my travels in Bath. Click here for Part 1.

Many people only know of London as a tourist destination when they visit England. Take a wider look and you will stumble upon the lovely City of Bath which is an approximate 4-hour bus ride from London.

A return bus ticket from London to this quaint UNESCO World Heritage Site costs only GBP26.80 - quite cheap considering the loveliness that awaits you. Here are my personal 4 reasons why you must visit Bath:

1) It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Heritage Sites are properties which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal cultural and natural heritage value.

World Heritage Sites I've visited include Ancient Thebes and its Necropolis in Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Luang Prabang in Laos, Stonehenge in England, and of course Kinabalu National Park, Malacca and Georgetown - Malaysia Boleh!

All these sites have never failed to amaze me, and Bath is not an exception.

2) Historical Buildings & Museums. There are many historically significant buildings in Bath like the Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. Visit all of them if you have the time and money cause they hold mystery and wonder like the Temple of Sulis Minerva in the Roman Bath.

Facade of Bath Abbey

There was a photo exhibition on the sorry state of our environment outside Bath Abbey when I visited the place

What's a pig doing outside Bath Abbey? :-)

The Roman Baths

The Roman Baths is located beside Bath Abbey (in the background). Cloudy weather does not make good photography. But when the sun suddenly peeked from behind a cloud, I quickly ran to the other side and snapped this shot. Look how bright and sharp it is!

3) Lovely sceneries. Take a stroll anywhere in Bath and you'll see what I mean when I say Bath is so pretty.

The River Avon runs through the City of Bath

I thought that these swans completes the shot

Great place to take romantic walks with your love one

Brown and white swans make the River Avon their home

4) Gateway to Stonehenge and the Cotswolds
You can use Bath as a base to explore other interesting places in the area like Stonehenge and the Cotswolds.

Transport to the Cotswolds is scarce and difficult to travel on my own. So I opted for the Cotswold Discovery tour by Mad Max Tours. This full-day tour that costs GBP32.50 brought me to some of the small towns that the Cotswolds is famous for like Castle Combe, the Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold (notice how unique and cute some of the names are!)

I registered for the tour by paying GBP2.50 at the tourism office outside Bath Abbey. The lady at the office immediately called up the Mad Max office and confirmed my seat, which happened to be the last one. Felt so lucky!

The next morning I waited at the pickup point which was at the corner near the Bath Backpackers' Hostel and paid the balance GBP30.00 to the tour guide before hopping onto the minivan.

Here are 2 photos I snapped while on tour:

Arlington Row in Bibury. It is probably the most photographed attraction in the Cotswolds

Castle Combe

There are also tours to Stonehenge from Bath if you wish to explore the ancient stone arrangement. As for myself, I went to Stonehenge on a half-day tour from London which you can read about here.

Stonehenge

Now that you have seen the photos and read about Bath, are you convinced why you should visit this lovely city?

Journey to Bath

For the next couple of days I'll be posting my long overdue posts on my experiences in the beautiful city of Bath, a trip that I made from London in September 2009:

My trip to Bath started early that morning.

I left John and Nat's apartment in Hackney at about 7.00am and hopped onto bus number 149 that passes the Monument Station. From Monument Station, I took the train and got down at Victoria Station.

All buses depart from Victoria Coach Station which is located in a separate building behind Victoria Station.

Victoria Coach Station is located in a separate building behind Victoria Station.

When you enter Victoria Coach Station, you'll be greeted with screens indicating the various destinations and which gate you're supposed to wait at. The system works like an airport - systematic and efficient!

Screen indicating destinations and which gate to wait at.

I had bought return bus tickets to Bath a couple of days before, so I headed straight to the correct gate.

Return bus tickets from London to Bath costs GBP26.80.

After leaving Victoria Coach Station at 8.00am, the bus made its way to Heathrow Airport to pick up more passengers.

The bus finally arrived in Bath after approximately 4 hours on the road.

Eventhough Bath is a small city, its bus station can rival that of a big city like Kuala Lumpur.

Look at how clean the Bath bus station is. Love it!

Then I made my way to the Bath Backpackers' Hostel on Pierrepont Street to check-in.

If you're lugging a huge backpack, you would be grateful that the hostel is conveniently located near the bus station and walking distance from the main attractions.

Entrance to Bath Backpackers' Hostel.

I stayed in the mix-dorm that costs me GBP13.00 a night. It was my first time in a mix-dorm and you can read all about my experience here.

I also had an experience in the hostel shower which you can read about here.

This was where I slept for 2 nights.

The hostel had a big kitchen where guests can prepare their own meals for a "more economical option", as how Angelo from Australia told me.

However, don't expect the staff to pick up after you. All guests must wash up and ensure the kitchen is tidy after using any of the utensils.

Fully equipped kitchen at Bath Backpackers' Hostel. Don't cook any petai or pungent food like belacan here. You will not only stink the entire place, but also the toilets ;-)

Breakfast is included. And again, nobody is going to serve you - you serve yourself and you clean up after you're done.

 Breakfast was the same menu each morning - cereals, bread, butter, jam, peanut butter, milk and a choice of 2 juices.

I understand from one of the staff that the Bath Backpackers' Hostel is owned by a New Zealander. All the staff there work in return for free lodging at the hostel. I think it's a brilliant idea to maintain a low turnover rate. 

It was still early in the day and I could not check-in yet. So I left my luggage with Reception and went to explore the city of Bath.

Stay tuned for Part 2 ...

Bathing in Bath

As I told you previously, I stayed at the Bath Backpackers Hostel during my stay in the beautiful city of Bath.

On my first day in Bath, after a long day of walking and exploring, I decided to take a shower to clean the grime and dust before hitting the sack. So I gathered my toiletries, pyjamas and towel, and headed to the common female bathroom downstairs.

No one was there and I was happy as I've got the whole place to myself!

The bathroom was not big - only 3 shower cubicles. There was a stool and I used it to place my towel and clothes. I hung my toiletries on the hooks inside the shower cubicle.

The water pressure was good and the temperature was just right since the weather was quite cold in the evening.

As I was scrubbing myself, suddenly the lights went out!

I was horrified! What the fark happened???!!!

And then I remembered that the lights operated by movement. That means it will switch on automatically the moment someone steps into the entrance of the common bathroom. And after a period of time when there's no movement, the lights would switch off automatically. The lights only detected movement in the common area and not in the shower cubicles.

Since I was bathing for quite some time, and being the only one there, obviously the lights switched off because there was no movement. I think this must be the Bath Backpacker's sadistic way of deterring people from taking long showers.

I had to do something to get the lights back on.

While groping in the dark, I turned off the shower and opened the cubicle door. And while making sure I didn't trip over the stool and knock my clothes onto the wet floor (eeeyaaaa ...), I walked out naked into the common area, just to create some movement lah.

I was praying no one would walk in at that moment. Otherwise they would have gotten a fright seeing a naked Asian gal walking in the dark!

Thank goodness the lights came back on.

I quickly finished my shower, got dressed and got out of there.

Automatic lights are good for the environment because electricity is conserved. And you know how some people can be careless about leaving the lights on after they use the bathroom. But sometimes automatic lights can be troublesome, especially when I have to walk naked in the dark to switch them on again.

Buskers in Covent Garden

When I was in London, John and Nat took me gallivanting around. We were walking everywhere, from Westminister Cathedral to Trafalgar Square to Soho to Chinatown. Soon we passed through Covent Garden.

Covent Garden is an interesting place that reminds me of the flea markets in Amcorp Mall and The Curve. But unlike the markets in the Klang Valley, what makes Covent Garden a wee bit more interesting are its street performers or buskers.

Buskers are everywhere in Covent Garden:

This guy sang quite nicely. I think he was singing a Ronan Keating song.

You can even sit at a cafe and be entertained by a string sextet (not too sure if this is the right definition) while you enjoy a cup of tea.

This guy commanded the crowd's attention with his acrobatic stunts.

As we watched his performance, he asked for volunteers to help him in his stunt.

There was this oriental guy standing nearby. And the performer pointed to him, "Hey Jackie Chan, come here. I need your help."

Initially I thought the performer was being a racist, but then when I think again, it's quite hilarious actually. Imagine being refered to Hong Kong's superstar just because they belong to the same race. What an honour, hahaha.

Nat said we should go away in case the performer might call him Jackie Chan next!

I wanted to be called Zhang Ziyi, LOL !!!

Anyway, as you can see from the pic, the perfomer sought the help of a few guys, all of whom were from different countries sans the bald guy in red jacket who is a local. This goes to show the large number of tourist in Covent Garden.

The performer was talking too much and 'terhegeh-hegeh' want to complete his stunt. We couldn't wait, so we walked off.

Then we saw this guy:

Notice his left foot.

He tied a tin can to his foot and by tapping it, he created a musical instrument. How clever!

When the guy saw me shooting him, he obliged by waving to the camera. And when we turned to walk off, he called out through the microphone, "Hey camera woman, don't forget to drop some coins into the bag," or something to that effect.

I was like, wth! Since when did they get so bold in asking for money???!!!

I ignored the fella and walked away but he kept calling me.

I didn't want to give anything cause I was in a country where my currency is so damn weak. For a person like me who earns in the Ringgit, London's not the place to make donations in the British Pound.

So we contiued our journey to the Soho area where I saw this bunch of guys:

Ang mohs cycling rickshaws in Chinatown! They are certainly no match for the rickshaw fellas in Malacca!

St Paul's Cathedral - A Tough Climb to the Heavens

St Paul’s Cathedral is one of the famous buildings in London.

When you step into this Sir Christopher Wren masterpiece and marvel at its magnificent architecture, be prepared also to heed the challenge that the Cathedral holds for all who dare – to climb to the top of its famous dome.

View of St Paul's famous dome from the Millennium Bridge

Now … to me, this climb made climbing Batu Caves in Malaysia look like a piece of cake.

Let me tell you why.

The climb from the Cathedral Floor to the topmost part of the dome which is called the Golden Gallery can be divided into 3 levels:

1) Climb from Cathedral Floor to Whispering Gallery (257 steps)
2) From Whispering Gallery to Stone Gallery (376 steps)
3) From Stone Gallery to Golden Gallery (528 steps)

That’s a total of 1,161 steps, which makes St Paul's Cathedral the highest and toughest religious man-made structure I've ever climbed to date!

(Note: Click here for illustration of the 3 levels)

By the time you reach the Golden Gallery, you would be 85 metres from the Cathedral Floor and definitely out of breath.

I would love to show you the lovely interiors of the Cathedral, but photography is not allowed inside.

Anyway, if you’re wondering why do they call it the Whispering Gallery, it’s because when you whisper against one wall in the Whispering Gallery, whatever you say can be heard 32 metres away on the other side of the dome.

So be careful if you want to use profanities here. At the Whispering Gallery, the phrase “the walls have ears” is literally that.

What made the climb difficult was not only the sheer number of steps, but something else. We had to pass spiral staircases, low doorways and narrow passageways like these

Watch your head, John!

Another narrow passageway

Would be difficult to climb if you're horizontally challenged.

John is definitely not claustrophobic

The narrow passageway above made me feel like I’m in an Indiana Jones movie where the booby trap has been triggered and the walls were closing in.

As we were reaching the Golden Gallery, I saw this hole in the floor

When I looked closely, I realised the hole is directly on top of the dome and looks down into the middle of the Cathedral.

The ring where the blue tarpaulin is is the Whispering Gallery. The tiny brown thingies in the middle of the photo are chairs for the congregation. That's the view from 85 feet!

When you reach the Golden Gallery, you'll be rewarded with a bird's eye view of London. You get to see

Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge that leads to it

The River Thames and the London Eye. Can you spot the Houses of Parliament in this photo?

I also saw this obelisk-like structure surrounded by buildings and thought it looked cool.

Later I found out the obelisk-like structure is called the Paternoster Square Column in Paternoster Square, which is situated beside St Paul's Cathedral.

If you visit London, I don't think you'll miss St Paul's Cathedral and its dome which is one of the biggest in the world. After all, it has been on sitting on this site since 604AD, majestically and silently looking after the city of London.

The official St Paul's Cathedral website has a beautiful description of it: "St Paul’s is not only an iconic part of the London skyline but also a symbol of the hope, resilience and strength of the city and nation it serves. Above all, St Paul’s Cathedral is a lasting monument to the glory of God."

To me, St Paul's Cathedral is a gentle reminder that the search for God is sometimes not easy - just like climbing to the top of St Paul's dome.

My First Time in a Mix-Dorm

During my time in Bath, I stayed at the Bath Backpackers Hostel on Pierrepont Street, which is a stone's throw from the bus station.

I stayed in the cheapest dorm there - the mix dorm with 10 fellas in one room. Costs me 13 quid a night.

I have stayed in an all-female dorm before and this was my first time in a mix-dorm. So I was expecting farts and snores from the guys.

True enough, there were snores during the first night. On the second night the snoring continued and some farts were also heard. I couldn't tell if the snorer and the farter were the same person.

But the most interesting thing is what these guys wore when they slept.

Since these fellas were sleeping in the company of ladies, I thought they would be dressed decently. But no ... they slept only in their undies. John said I was lucky they even had undies on.

My first encounter with a guy in undies happened when I went to the dorm to retrieve some stuff. Nobody was there when I entered save for this middle age guy who had just checked in. We spoke briefly and he asked if I'm from China. He's from The Netherlands.

My back was facing him as we were talking. When I turned around, he had already stripped down into a pair of dark blue undies. And while still talking, he nonchalantly got into bed and pulled the covers to his chin to get ready to sleep, as if though he was born to strip in front of stranger ladies.

I was surprised he didn't have the decency to cover up. But I guess that's how guys dress when they sleep in dorms in Europe. They don't give two hoots about who's around them.

Heck, I wish I could sleep in undies only. Less clothes used would mean less trips to the laundry and more money saved.

So If you are a female sleeping in a mix-dorm for the first time, expect snores, farts and half-naked men.

5 Tips to Travel Economically in London

(Updated December 2017)

Many people think that a trip to London is almost impossible because of the mighty Great Britain Pound (GBP) that has reduced all other currencies to pittance. But you can stretch your money and enjoy London at the same time, if you know how. Here are 5 tips to do it:

1) Visit the Free Attractions
There are many paying attractions in London. However, the best ones are free - British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, Westminister Cathedral, Victoria & Albert Museum, etc.

Unless you must visit a certain paying attraction, visiting all the free ones is enough for a memorable trip to London.

You get to see naked statues for free at the British Museum!

Don’t worry about missing out if you don’t visit a certain attraction because eventually everything will begin to look the same. For example, visit Westminister Cathedral which is free instead of St Paul's Cathedral (GBP16.00) and Westminister Abbey (GBP20.00) because when you visit one church, you’ve seen 'em all.

2) Book Online
Attractions like Madame Tussaud, St Paul's Cathedral and Tower of London offer discounts if you book your ticket online. The discounts are not much but it’s still savings which could be used for food and transport. So remember to check the website of the attraction you wish to visit. You could save a couple of quid.

3) Bus Instead of Train
Using an Oyster card, a bus ride would cost GBP1.50 while a tube ride would cost about GBP2.40 (depending on the zone). There are also Travelcards and Day Passes. Read all options available and see which one suits your travel itinerary best.

Bus ride in London

But the downside about taking the bus is that you must know which bus to take and where to get off.

With the tube, you just get off at the specific station mentioned in the guides and look for the attraction you wish to visit. But the tube system in London can be confusing and overwhelming with its numerous lines running in different directions, and not to mention the human traffic at peak hours.

Remember to use the bus for long distance travel too because it's cheaper compared to taking the train.

And here's another tip. easyBus offers one of the most economical transfers from London to airports like Gatwick, Luton and Stanstead. 

4) Vespers - Your Free Entry into Paying Cathedrals
Vespers is the evening prayer service held in churches and is open to the public.

In St Paul's Cathedral and Wesminister Abbey where there are entrance fees, vespers are held after the last tourist has been ushered out at closing time. Attend the vespers at these places if you want to save your hard earned money. You not only get to hear the angelic voices of the choir, but you also get to step inside these awe inspiring houses of worship - for free.

St Paul's Cathedral

However, don’t think of roaming around after the vespers because the popular tourist spots within these places would have been cordoned off. For example, you would not be able to climb to the Whispering Gallery in St Paul’s Cathedral after closing time.

5) Survive on Sandwiches
One proper meal in London would cost an average GBP10.00 per person. In my country Malaysia, I could feed myself for half a month with that kind of money.

This egg & mayo sandwich costs 1.35 quid which made quite a substantial meal

The best way to reduce food expenses is to prepare your own meals. But if you do not have the time or cooking facilities, then I would recommend surviving on sandwiches. Shops like Pret-A-Manger and Marks & Spencers Food sells cheap sandwiches and these shops are available on almost every street corner.

If you’re horizontally challenged, think of surviving on sandwiches as a new crash diet; and if you're the type who likes to gorge at each meal, think of all the glorious food waiting for you when you return to your homeland.

Enjoy London!

Stonehenge In Half A Day

When I was planning my trip to London, I wanted to visit Stonehenge after all that I've heard and read about it. So I informed Nat and he booked a half-day tour to Stonehenge for two from London.

On tour day the weather was bright and sunny - perfect for a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site!

We left the flat late that morning and took the 149 bus to Monument station where we hopped onto the tube and got down at the Victoria station. Then we walked to the Grosvenor Hotel on Buckingham Palace Road which was the pick-up point for the tour.

The bus left the hotel at 1.45pm and the 2.5-hour drive to Stonehenge felt like forever.

It was approximately 4.00pm when we arrived at the site and there were many people there already.

Looks like we were not the only ones interested in stones.

At the entrance to the site guides and officials were handing out brochures and audio guides to visitors.

These audio guides are extremely important if you want to learn more about Stonehenge, and it is included in the ticket price. But you must return them before you leave.

And if you're thinking of keeping them as souvenirs, think carefully as these audio guides have inbuilt alarms that will make you look so guilty the moment you cross the barrier out of the site.

After collecting our brochure and audio guide, we walked into a tunnel. When we came out at the other end Stonehenge emerged in the distance

and I was excited to see it. But somehow it didn't invoke the same awe and wonder like when I saw the Pyramids in Egypt for the first time a couple of years ago.

The stones were cordoned off and nobody was allowed near it.

I can imagine if tourists were allowed to touch the stones. Many would be climbing onto them for photo opportunities and some would even scribble their names on the stones - "Julie was here" ...

However this did not deter a couple from having their wedding photos taken there.

This couple can proudly show their kids in the future that mum and dad used Stonehenge as the backdrop for their wedding photos. Cool!

Nat and I walked around the stone formation while stopping at certain markers to listen to the audio guide and to read the brochure that provided a detailed explanation about Stonehenge. We only had one hour till 5.00pm before the tour bus makes its way back to London.

As you can see from the picture below, Stonehenge is situated in the Salisbury plains which is practically in the middle of nowhere.

Turn 360 degrees and you'll see miles and miles of flatland wherever you turn. Because there were no tall buildings around, it was very windy and my hair was flying all over my face. The sun was also scorching and I was glad I had shades to shield my eyes from the afternoon sun.

Soon we completed the entire circle and it was also time to head back to the bus.

Although this prehistoric monument is Britain's greatest national icon and is probably one of the most recognisable icons in the world, somehow it didn't stir feelings of awe and wonder in me as how I anticipated.

After all the hype about Stonehenge, it lives up to its description as just a formation of stones and nothing else impressive.

But nevertheless I can say that I've seen Stonehenge in real life and I can now tick it on my "Been There, Done That" list.