European Destination 1: Germany
I got up early on April 14, 2007, my flight was supposed to be at 6:55 in the morning. Erich got up early too since he brought me to the airport. Well, the ground stewardess was slow, the flight was delayed, and the plane was only able to take off just after 7:30am. The expected time of arrival at the Amsterdam Schiphol airport, Netherlands was 8:40am and wow, the plane (KLM) landed on time.
I went to the baggage claim area, waited for my baggage, and once I got it, I hurried up to the train station. Thanks goodness it’s inside the airport. I didn’t buy a train ticket ahead of time so I queued. Three minutes later, I was inside the Intercity train which left at 9:15am and arrrived in Dordrecht, Netherlands at 10:16am. I was able to ride on the train that I really wanted to take and arrived on time in Dordrecht as I planned it. Travel time from Amsterdam Schiphol airport train station, via Leiden Central, The Hauge HS, and Rotterdam Central, to Dordrecht was approximately 1 hour.
I waited for a few minutes at the Dordrecht Central station and there you are, Atinna and Thess arrived. Atinna and Thess with her hub H, and oh Charlie the pug too, fetched me at the train station. We left the train station, went to a shopping mall, bought some food, dropped by at Thess’s place first, ate something, changed my clothes, and off we went to Germany, to Beng’s place.
I’m not sure anymore what time did we leave Dordrecht and what time did we arrive in Nettetal but I think, not too sure as well, travel time by car from Dordrecht (Netherlands) to Nettetal (Germany) was about 2 hours. Thanks to Thess and H, and Charlie too, for bringing us to Beng’s place. We had a party, Beng cooked some food for dinner and we really had fun chatting while eating. Thess and H stayed for dinner and went home to Dordrecht afterwards. After dinner, we had some more fun chatting, drinking, giggling, and tell you, still eating. If only we were not going to take a boat ride on the Rhine river the next day, we probably did not sleep anymore. It was already past 2am or probably 3am when we went to bed. Read Beng’s blog entry, Unforgettable Moments 2, for more stories.
The next day, I got up a little bit late. You guess it right, I had a headache, 
too much wine drinking. I don’t drink alcohol but I drink red wine and white wine once in a while.
As usual, I don’t know what time did we leave Nettetal. I can’t even remember how many hours did we travel from Nettetal to St. Goar. G, Beng’s hub, was kind enough to drive long hours just for us to have a boat ride called “Romantische Loreleyfahrten” on board the boat “Rhenus” on the Rhine river from St. Goar to Rudesheim in Germany. The Rhine river is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe primarily within Germany at over 1000 kilometers in length.
Above is the “Burg Katz” or Katz Castle in St. Goarshausen, Germany
St. Goarshausen is just across St. Goar, Germany
of the boat on board the boat “Rhenus” on the Rhine riverJust after St. Goarshausen is the Loreley Rock, unfortunately I was not able to take a photo of the place but you can read about it at Wikipedia. There’s a picture there where you can really enlarge. Click the photo on this page, Image:Loreley mit tal von linker rheinseite.jpg, for a full resolution (4598 x 1408 pixel, file size: 1.04 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg).
Above is the “Burg Gutenfels” or Gutenfels Castle in Kaub, Germany
Having fun on board the boat “Rhenus”
The “Romantische Loreleyfahrten” boat ride on board the boat “Rhenus” from St. Goar to Rudesheim was about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Once we arrived in Rudesheim, we roamed around the area and then visited the Torture Museum along Oberstrasse. When we got out of the museum, as we were hungry already, we ate first before going home. Beng and I ate “Saumagen”, literally translated as “Pork’s stomach”, which actually looked like a burger. You’ll see the picture of “Saumagen” at Beng’s blog entry about our escapade. It was my first time to eat “Saumagen” and I really found it good, not bad at all. And then, even if I don’t drink coffee, I also tested “Rudesheim Cafe”. It was not pure coffee because it had some alcohol and a lot of cream. I could actually drink it.
We probably left Rudesheim after 7:00pm. We drove to a car ferry port and board the car ferry, of course with the car, crossing the Rhine river and then headed back to Netetal, Germany.
The next day, Beng showed us around the city of Dusseldorf but I was not able to take any pictures.
I would like to thank Beng, G and family for making our short stay in Germany an enjoyable one.
Note: This is a follow-up to my blog entry, Trip to 4 European Countries, last May 31, 2007.
Update: Edited some links on August 10, 2007 at 4:19pm.
Friday, June 15, 2007 at 5:02 pm
sofie, sofie, sofie, bligh, bligh, bligh !
uy may update na ulit si ate sofie bligh bligh bligh! at napaka detalyado pa!
ate sofie, penge namang kopya ng mga pektyurs!!
tara ulit sa bath!!!! gusto ko balik sa bath huhuhuhu……namimiss ko si charles na tour guide natin. at saka yung crush ko na manong dun sa likod ninyo ni sha habang nakasakay tayo sa ferry sa volendam.
Friday, June 15, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Uy wicked buruka, ang bilis mo a. Missssssss ko na kayoooooooo!!!!!
Papadala ko sa yo yong mga pics pero matatagalan pa. Ewan ko ba at napakabusy ko yata ngayong Hunyo na to… parang ang bilis ng araw a. Inang ko po…
Oo nga, balik tayo sa Bath, gusto ko doon, gusto ko doon!!! Inaaya ko nga darling ko kasi maraming golf courses doon. Hehehe, si charles, tanda na noon buruka…
Aba, di ko yata alam yang manong na yan sa likod namin ni Sha a. Hmmm…
Friday, June 15, 2007 at 10:50 pm
oisssssssssssssssssssssst sofiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, thanks for the detailed narration, nabuhay ang mga escapades nyo ni buruka at ayan tuloy parang gusto ko na lang mag-europa ulit..hehe…kaso nga feeling ko para akong malulungkot mag-isa. next year, God willing, may nangangakong samahan ako, so hintayin ko na lang yun….
basta humanda ka, bubuwelta ako’t bibisitahin kita dyan sa bundok mo ha? sana magkasama rin tayong magtravel….should be really fun!!!
Friday, June 15, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Elo cacof!!!
Alam mo, pag di ko dinetalye ang kwento, siguradong makakalimutan ko. Di na kasi ako nagrerecord ng trip ko unlike noon. Kaya matagal akong mag-update, iniisa-isa ko pa ang picture at nilalagay sa tamang folder.
Hay, kahirap talaga pag ulyanin na. Mwehehe…
Di bale sa susunod ka na lang mag-europe, mas enjoy nga pag may kasama kasi. Sigurado namang mag-e-enjoy ka sa pupuntahan mo ngayon e.
Sana nga magkita tayo next year no kung matutuloy ka man. Sana, sana…
Sunday, June 17, 2007 at 1:39 am
hi miss sofia,
ang galing mo talagang sumulat, yong akin eh napaka short cut compared to yours. heneweys…nalalasing akesh kapag naalala ko yong ating laklakan blues. kailan kaya ulit tayo magkitakits ulit? sana may next time para makasali si cheh at jingga.
btw, fwedeng palit tayo ng camera? mukha kasing maganda ako sa mga kuha niyan. mukhang may magic ah
.
have a nice weekend!!!
Sunday, June 17, 2007 at 8:56 am
Ate Benggggg!!!!!!!! Kailan uli tayo magkikita-kita!?
Hehehe, di ko na dinetalye yong sa bahay nyo, baka mabisto tayo…
tsaka ni-refer ko na lang sila sa blog mo. 
Kahirap naman kasing magtype e. Pati yong kainan sa Rudesheim, di rin detalyado, nakalimutan ko tuloy i-mention yong malakiiiinggggg WURST na kinain ni wicked buruka. 
Alam ko naman kasing andoon sa blog mo e, nakatipid na naman ako sa pagsusulat. 
Ay naku buti kayo gaganda ng kuha niyo sa camera ko, e ako, susme, pinili ko talaga yong medyo m-ayos-ayos. Loko tong camera ko a, namimili, maganda na nga pinapaganda pa, kawawa naman ako.
O shya, enjoy your weekend too!
Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 10:40 am
ano ba yan! puro sa BATH natin gusto bumalik na tatlo?
TARA NA!! MAG IMPAKE NA KAYO….AKO MATAGAL NA NAKAIMPAKE NG GAMIT KO!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 10:55 am
Hello Thessssss!!!
Aba, always ready ka yata a. Laging nakaimpake e… Bath! Bath! Bath!
pero puwede rin, ok rin doon e… 
Baht! Baht! Ay napunta sa Thailand…
Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 10:17 am
uy lowla, yan next destinasyones natin…thailand! mag-ipon na tayo moolah ha ha!
btw, basta papadalahan kita ng kopya ng vacation CD, antay lang ha.
Friday, June 29, 2007 at 6:13 pm
hayan kasi aanak anak na aberya tuloy ang planong pakipagtung gaan sa inyo waaaaah
di valeh manay sofie,marami pang neks taym ! at dafat lang kasama na kami ni jingay!!
glad you & atinnapaypay njoyed the trip. Science fala hindi kayo napa akyat at N.Denkmal sa itaas ng bundok.
happy weekend mga bru muahhhh
Friday, June 29, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Lola Thesssss… hmmm, ala pa yata akong balak na bumalik sa Thailand. Kung babalik man kami, siempre dahil sa golf, ok kasi facilities nila e.
Thanks sa CD pala, hintayin ko na lang, bibigyan din kita ng copy ng mga kuha ko sa yo.
Friday, June 29, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Manay cheH… aba, nagising ka yata sa mahabang tulog a. Kumusta na si ikawwww??? Next time, pag nakatiempo ako at napadpad sa lugar niyo, lalakwatsa tayo. Tunggaan na naman, pero ayaw kong sumakit ang ulo ko… waaaaaa… hassle e… basta, basta, magkikita rin tayo. Marami pang neks taym, ika mo nga.
Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy!
Friday, August 24, 2007 at 6:07 pm
ellloooohhh!!! nice pictures. mga tarawis ang building. want to see those places someday. rayU bi!
ngdaughlet
Friday, August 24, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Hello Nang Daughlet,
Salamat sa hapit… sa sunod gani nga ayan niyo dya, abaya ang Germany para duro maayanan kag medyo buhay-buhayon niyo man gawa niyong ladag dya. Ano hay kulang tana ang 1 week ngaran rogya sa Europa. Rogya pa lang gani sa amon, kulang ron dan.
Wat rayU-rayU basta ila kaw magladag…
E ladagan kaw man no… 