Attending Conference at Berlin - Travelog Fly Day

Packing

It is my last day in Berlin. Wake up at 5.30am. Quite late compare to day before. Might be my mind had accepted the Berlin time or because I'm damn tired due to my visit to various place up until night.

As usual, open up my laptop and skype with my kids. This time around, I only had opportunity to skype with my youngest daughter and it is only for a while because the signal seem not very good.

Then, upload some pictures, check my email, and watch some movies.

At 7.30 am, I went for breakfast and took some of interesting pictures (not really but it is still ok).

breakfast of my last day in Berlin

Nice view aaa....

Around 8am, when back to my room and play games... what!!!!...hahaha instead of packing my things, I play games and watch movie.. hehehe... Up till 9.30am and that's because my colleague came to the room and asking when to check-out.. He had already pack his things.. :).

So, done a quick packing.. after all, not much things to pack and re-organized things. We check-out around 10.30 but left our back at hotel as we decided to go another round around the road for some last minute shopping.

Zoo, Sony, and Karstard

The first place we visit of our last day is Berlin Zoo @ Zoologischer Garten Berlin. Due to time constraint and need to save some euros for last minute shopping, we only see the animal from outside.. hahahaha...

Like car-boot or central market style in Malaysia

Not for pee except if your are stone statue :)

Then we reached the aquarium which is just beside the zoo. For detail about zoo in Berlin, do check it out  here. Many kids are waiting to get into the aquarium :).... And it opens at 11am. Can't wait as we need to do last minute shopping too.

Next pit-stop is Sony station. It is actually a mall of gadgets; cameras, tablet, hand phone, computers, etc.; all in one room and it is not Sony but I can't remember the name of the mall :). I was thinking to buy a phone as my phone was not working (old phone) but the price of all gadgets there is too expensive. Even the camera that I bought last year is much cheaper than the the sold here after one year.

Nice aaa.. in a shopping mall :)

In front of the aquarium

Finally, we when into Karstard. Actually there are three Karstard there. Each of them have specific domains on products. We went straight to chocolate section and I bought 2 full box of chocolate. Combination of many types of chocolate. But, bear in mind that if you are interested to buy chocolate in non-islamic countries, you need to observe carefully on the contents :). There are chocolate with rum, alcohol, any other names that directly refers to non-halal elements :). I almost did but then realize something and luckily the ladies at the shop inform me :). Never shy to ask what you need to know so that you don't get lost.

A fraction of Berlin Wall in a mall :)

Rent a bike anyone?

Berlin T-Shirt....

The Zoo

Final stop for me was at a van near by selling begs. I bought a beg for 16 euro (the cheapest) because it had the word Berlin there :) ... only to realize that the beg is more suitable to ladies (the word Berlin was very shiny... hahahaha hope no one saying that I'm a gay... I'm truly a man with interest only to ladies :)). My friend last pit-stop was at a beg shop just opposite the van. He bought one beg for his wife. By the way, there are many people there selling variety of product by parking their van and cars at the side of the road. Wonder if Malaysia can have that kind of business.But of course, the people in Berlin love to ride bicycle rather than drive cars and you can hardly see cars or or car-park full of cars. This is because their public transport are efficient, you can bring you bicycle into the train/commuter or bus, and those public transport is easily accessible and on time. Not like us; people like Bandar Tasik Puteri, Meru, or even at Ampang has difficulties to either access the public transport or get the train/bus on time. Here in Berlin, it is more systematic. It does not have bus that goes from Bandar Tasik Puteri to KL or from Klang to KL like we have. The bus only within certain boundary such as from Bandar Tasik Puteri to Rawang Train Station and bus in Shah Alam that only goes within the boundary of Shah Alam. If they wish to go to KL, then they need to take bus to train station. That is how it works there in Berlin. And we should implement this too. Plus allow the people to bring bicycle into the bus and train. This will definitely reduce CO2, have more relax and less traffic jam. Anyway, our ministry should know better.

Good bye Berlin

Lets get back to my journey... hehehe.

After completed our rush-hour shopping, we get back to the hotel. We did our final packing and .... ready to go home.. miss all malaysian non-healthy food like nasi lemak, kari, masak lemak cili api... oooo yes..

Berlin - London - KL

Took taxi to Berlin-Tegel Airport. It is about 30 minutes from our hotel. The driver is an Iranian. It cost us about 20 Euros. Surprisingly, we were told by the driver that he can earn around 3000 euro by just driving taxi and sometimes more than that. And the Doctor in Berlin only earn about 3500 euro. :)... Lets drive taxi there... convert to Malaysian Ringgit.. wow... more than manager's income here... hahahaha

At the airport, we need to wait for another 2 hours before we can check-in. I think the airline is low-cost carrier as the process is exactly similar and my guess is right. Will share with you why after this. Anyway, while waiting, we decided to have some drinks. Went to Starbuck, and choose coffee and wrongly said and I get Coffee-Shake ... hahahaha.

We check-in around 2.15pm and I get seat near window (as always) and I like it. After check-in, we had to go 2 round of check before get to boarding gate. At boarding gate, luckily that I take 'wuduk' before that. There is no toilet or washroom at all. When around looking for place to pray and can't find any. So I ask the stewardess (I think they are British Airways stewardess) ... At first they don't understand until I shows the movement and a lady shows movement of how chinese perform their prayer and I had to say yes to say that it is another form of prayer which different from me... Then shows me a room used by them to change clothes.. It is ok as long as I can perform solah.

We board the plane around 3.45pm. And YES!!! ... it is low-cost carrier.. The sound of the flight is not convincing at all and the different between my class (economy) and my colleague (Class) is just that they get the drinks first and separated via a curtain.... hahahaha...

Ok... Fly about 2 hours and landed at London-Heathrow Airport around 6.15pm. Then, went through another round of check-in before reached the waiting area. I was quite hungry... but when to perform solah first. Well, there they have a room for Muslim, Christian, etc to perform pray but shares the same place which they call that as 'Multi-Faith prayer room'. I'm a bit confused as it looks like the one prays there has multiple faith. huh... but as long as I know I'm a MUSLIM... don't care about that and as long as I can perform solah without issues... it should be fine.. after all there are many MUSLIM perform solah than others. Then, went around trying to find food that I can eat. An airport personnel show me a food court and advice me to ask the chef about halal-food as sometimes they do provide halal-food. So I went there and they mention the list of halal-food for that day. So I have Beriani with Chicken Tandori. It cost me about 15 pound. Ok... Not bad together with lemon tea.

The Dining Street @ Terminal 4

Beriani with Chicken Tandoori

At London Heathrow

At 10pm, we were requested to board the plan. This time is MAS and it is an old plane. :) and the stewardess too... hahaha. a very stressful flight.. :)

As usual, can't sleep and we are actually flying through a different time zone. So, most of the time (out of 12 hours flight), the journey is within daytime ... I'm totally confused (the window was advised to be closed all the way) and don't know how to perform solah, so I decided to follow the local time at London of which the subuh prayer is just 2 hours before I reach KL and at that time, KL is already Asar time.

We landed at KLIA around 6.15pm. I quickly pickup my bag. Wait for my colleague as he don't know where to go and pickup the bag (this is his first time journey outside Malaysia). Then proceed to go through Customs. I sent him to Budget Taxi while me myself went to Celcom booth to check my number which failed again and later I learn that the phone should be thrown into dustbin :) ... Then, went to surau to perform my solah. Wait for maghrib and perform solah will fellow Malaysian whom also just arrived from London.

After that, bought ticket for budget taxi and wait for my taxi. Get a taxi drive by an Indian (or singh) and I call him uncle. He was previously a lorry driver at Ipoh but just came to KL for about 6 months ago due to wanted to live with his family at Puchong. Has daughter working as Doctor and his english is good too (talking to her daughter in english)...

Reach home around 9.45pm and my kids is waiting for me... hehehe.... Definitely they can't wait till tomorrow. Everyone wants to talk... and I kept them quite with Chocolate from Berlin. hehehe and the first things I had was Nasi with Masak Lemak Kobis and Ikan Kering goreng. Yes... at last...

And that's end my trip to Berlin...... What a wonderful place to go and a journey that will be remembered as always :).

More pictures taken on the last day here and during my flight from London to KL (reaching KL).

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