Attending Conference at Berlin - Travelog Day 2

Landed at London

This is the first time I travel in a big airplane. Although it is not as big as the new Boeing series, but it is enough for me.. But of course, the seat is just fit to my body.

I sat beside two malaysia (husband and wife). They are going to London as the husband is attend conference there and then both of them will go for vacation.

The big ben?

The travel hours was long.... It tooks us more than 12 hours journey from KL to London (Heathrow Airport). Around 12 pm, I got dinner meal (a sandwiches, coffee, and fruits). Then they turn of the light. I was waiting for good scenery but seems that the plane was travelling above the sky as I can only see darkness outside. Can't sleep so I play games and then watch movie, The Real Steel. Then, try to sleep again but still failed. So I decided to play games until it got hang. Wait for a while and get my snack (only people that don't sleep get it :))... Then open the flight-on-board computers. It still hang. Get assistant from the flight attendant. While waiting, I tried to get some sleep again.

Heathrow Airport at night

It was difficult to go to toilet when you are sitting near the window and people in-front you bring their seat down to sleep. But I'm so lucky that the person beside me don't get angry. He and his wife are so nice to me (both of them are Chinese).

Around 2pm (flight time but malaysian time is around 9am), I got breakfast which I don't like it but had to take it since Nasi Lemak is finished. Got omelette + potatos... not food that I wished to have in flight. Still can't sleep... I watch another movie, The Amazing Spiderman. A new face of spiderman and it is boring. I've played all the game that I like and see 2 movies and watch few dramas (half way as it was boring).

During landed, I get to take some pictures of the airport. The only I miss was the runway which is much better scene.

At 5:55am, we landed at London, Heathrow Airport. Yes, I can bend my body, do some stretching before taking another flight to Berlin. And yes, my eyes already feel pain. Can't sleep and afraid to sleep as afraid to miss the flight.

Berlin - Here I come

Check in at the airport straight away as the time is already 6am. Had to spent half an hour at Check-in counter as we don't have Visa. Told the ladies but she seem to have different expectation. She was expecting a visa from us. So she had to call someone, verified with the person and we are good to go. Alhamdulillah, they allowed us to go as we have program itinerary which indicates that we will only stays less than 90 days and visa as we said, will be provided upon arrival at Berlin.

So, we check-in, then had to go through their immigration counter and another check-up. I was stop at the screening. The detector somehow detect me having metals in my body although all things including my wallet, phones, etc, I've put into a drawer and push it through the x-ray section. So, the guard had to search me through, put their hands inside my pants just to notice that there was nothing in there. Hmmm... Might be too many ion in my blood :).

The plane to Berlin

After going through that, I went to find a place for solah. Go to toilet and take wuduk. Thought of defecate but the toilet don't have water-tap at all. Just tissue. Hmm had to hold it for few more hours. So after taking wuduk, try to find a place but end up praying while sitting on a chair. Looks like my Iman is not that strong yet as still think of other people (western) mind if I were to perform solat in a pathway. After prayer and change my seat to near by charging station, then only I found a proper room to perform solat, The Multi-Faith Room... Did not go there and don't know the look n feel of the room.

Ready to depart

We then we to waiting area. My eyes already feel uncomfortable especially with the sun light. Smell some good coffee but everything was in pound and to use credit card for a drink of 2.50 pound, it will not be suitable. So had to wait :(

At 10:55am, we get into the flight, a smaller flight and looks like cheap-fare flight like Air Asia. It is ok. As long as we can get to Berlin. Around 11am, the flight take off. I was given only biscuits and sprite. My colleague get better meals as he was sitting in front :). It is ok... everyone has their own 'Rezeki'.

Yes, It is Berlin

We landed at 1:30pm of local time. Had to find taxi. It was not like Malaysia whereby you have taxi counter for you to book your taxi and you pay upfront. So you know how much you need to pay although you don't know the location. But here in Berlin, you had to take taxi which you will not know the exact amount of money until you reach at your location and you don't know if the driver is cheating on you or not.

We got a taxi and driver was an Indonesian whom works here for almost 20 years. Had family and still able to speak Indonesian... and his indonesian slang is still there. Not like many of us whom when to overseas and after few years the slang was like overseas people talking in malays. A friendly driver. However, either I felt like he is trying to cheat me or he don't know the exact location. I saw the hotel on the left but he turn to right and asking us if the hotel is in row 2 or what. I told him that the hotel is on the left road which he turn right and request him to u-turn. Then only he asked me, 'Is it?'. Lucky I say the hotel name, or else, he will mingle around and the fare will increase to amount of unknown.

We went to check-in the hotel at 1:50pm. Had trouble to check in due to the name register for the voucher (main name) was another person which was not able to come and replace with someone else. But when we promised that the voucher (the earlier version) will be email to her, then only we were able to check-in.

After successful check-in, I take a nap for an hour before my colleague come for dinner/lunch.

Arab restaurant

Waiting for my meal

My colleague dinner

It took us an hour of walking in a cold weather (13'C) and about 2.5km to find a Halal restaurant (Arab area - many Arabic's restaurant and shops). Along the way, I took some interesting pictures :). Tomorrow we decide to rent a bike (bicycle). I've rice with salmon and two waters (juice and mineral water) and take-a-way bun with salads and chicken. My colleague choose rice with meat and the meat don't really taste nice. Mines is ok :). The name of the restaurant is El Reda located at Huttenstrasse. And it took us more than 1 hour to go back as we had felt tired :).

My dinner

Once reached our hotel, I straight away went to my room, perfom solah, on my computer to chat with my kids but they already went to sleep. So I decided to go to sleep. A long journey and already tired and exhaustive.

See you tomorrow Berlin and conference day starts tomorrow..

Few more pictures can be see here.

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