Pictures lie. They are constructed by the photographer and open to interpretation by the viewer. So it's time to tell the backstory, about the things I've seen and done while I was away from home. It begins with my first trip out of Holland, which was to be my base and my home during my time in Europe.
The first step I took outside of Holland, was the first step I ever took by myself in a foreign land. It was a challenge for me because I've never been a risk taker and I've never ventured beyond boundaries that have been placed in my life. Yet I choose to make this journey on a whim, planning and booking everything in a day and leaving the next, because I was tired of being sad and tired of being me. So I packed my bags and left Holland on a train for Belgium where adventure awaits.
It was both scary and exciting to be doing everything on my own for the first time. I had enough senses to get on a train in the right direction, but didn't know enough to choose the faster ones that didn't stop at every station. When I couldn't find the tram stop, I walked around in circles and in anxiety because I was too shy and afraid to ask for help. Eventually I learnt. I learnt that it was easier to ask strangers than to try and figure everything out on my own. I learnt that while some people were nasty, most people were gracious and good hearted. And I learnt that because I was a tall young asian female, I was better off asking gentlemen than ladies. Lol. Still, I tend to wait till I was desperate before I opened my mouth, which also meant that I was extremely grateful to the strangers who approached me to offer help, even if one of them was a creepy old man.
I love Ghent. It's probably because it was my first trip in Europe. I was amazed by almost everything. I loved the cobbled floors and the blue skies. I loved the architecture of the houses, towers, churches and the vibes of the place. It was a picturesque town that was small enough for me to cover everything on foot. I went for my first ever walking tour with a guide that was wacky, fun and politically incorrect. I got to meet a teacher from USA, 2 aussies who were touring Europe for 6 months before uni started and 3 spanish dudes whom I could not communicate with due to language barriers. This was to be the smallest tour group that I was to be a part of in Europe, and it was to be the most I ever interacted with people on tour. I guess being on your own forces you to interact more than you normally would which always makes a trip more interesting because of the stories you get to hear from the people you meet. A pity I'm not always this brave unless I have to be.
My first night in a hostel is an adventure of its own. I couldn't sleep well due to the sound of rushing water. My first thought was that these french girls sure know how to take a damn long bath. Either that, or it must be pouring outside. To my horror, I was woken up by one of them because our toilet was flooded and was now threatening to flood our room, and my backpack was wet! The culprit was a pipe that had burst in the middle of the night. While I stood uselessly at a corner, the french girls set about to solve the problem. One tried to get the receptionist while the other tried to shut the water supply. With some time, skill and luck, they got the pipe shut and the staff to clean up the mess. And I was left feeling like a useless pampered little brat. Sigh, I need to grow some balls and brains.
Brussels. I don't have much to say about the capital of Belgium because modernity holds no appeal when you come from Singapore. By chance, I arrived in time to catch the flower carpet on display. It's a bi-annual event that lasts for 5 days. While the massive carpet was pretty impressive, the crowd it attracted to the city made touring less than fun. There was just too many people everywhere. Even though I was a chocolate lover, the crowd and my flu killed any mood I may have for exploring the city. I got out on the earliest train I could catch to recuperate at home.
While it sounds really lame that my first solo trip out was only 3D2N, the experience was one of the most remarkable. There is something incredibly satisfying and yet lonely in being on my own and doing whatever I wanted. It's stressful to always be on the alert, checking for suspicious characters, navigating your way around, trying to get a hang of how things work and making friends with strangers. But the sense of pride and satisfaction I got out of it is pretty amazing. It's a cheap thrill really. But I guess at that time, I needed to know that I could be independent. I'm not the hardiest of persons, but I can hold my own, at least for awhile. That's good enough for me. And I would highly encourage everyone to travel on their own at least once in their life. It's pretty darn cool :)
