London, UK

I think this is my 4th time in London, but there is always something new to see in this gigantic city. Lan-Lan was kind enough to take care of me again (hope it is not turning into a habit :)), and had a chance to go to some touristy things I didn't get a chance to last time. I saw Buckingham Palace again after something like 15 years but I refused to pay the insanely high price to see the Queen's dirty laundry. It's just not my thing. St. James' Park was very nice and I saw a kid actually have a squirrel in his lap (yes I got permission for the photo). I got to check a really cool club, Fabric, out this time. Last year I had wanted to check Ministry of Sound out but some idiot detonated a bomb there the night before I wanted to go.

Still Alive

It's quite hard to find cafe PCs with USB connections these days! I have been travelling through the British Isles and it seems I will be coming back home on the 20th... less than 1 week from now :(.

Iceland

Iceland is quite a unique place. A land of fire and ice, where many people still believe in elves and other 'hidden people' despite being 2nd ranked in human development in the world. The scenery was spectacular, the people friendly, but the prices were seizure-inducing. $20 for a small bowl of soup. What was cheap (comparatively) was smoked salmon, so I ate a lot of it. I also rediscovered my acquired tasted for all things licorice. It was strange seeing so much moss and the eerie calcium-rich thermal pools. At times it really felt like I was on a different world (especially when the sky was grey).

Brussels, Belgium

Brussels is the "capital" of the EU - all government buildings are located here and all major decisions about the fate of its members are made here. So boy was I surprised when I found that the city was a giant urinal. I mean, it was a urinal filled with really nice old buildings and good places to eat, but I'm dead serious and not exaggerating when I say that every single building and underpass reeked of human urine. Perhaps it's part of the city's psyche when the most revered statue is of a little boy pissing (Manneken Pis), and it is 'functional' as it is a fountain.

I was very impressed by the Grand Market, and the Atomium, this giant shiny structure resembling the iron crystal lattice built in the optimistic space age days of the 1950s. Not so impressed by all of the poverty in what is supposed to be the jewel of the EU. Then again, has anyone been to Washington DC lately? :)

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Having not met a single real Dutch person (I'm told they exist covertly amidst the horde of tourists), I decided to get out of Amsterdam to its arch-nemesis town, Rotterdam, to meet some 'locals'. There is a saying (well it was just one of the French guys who said it) that 'in Holland, even the buildings are stoned' - having seen Rotterdam, I definitely agree. Apparently it has won many awards for its bizarre buildings. The atmosphere in Rotterdam seemed a lot like Toronto - extremely multicultural, bad public transit, ugly urban planning, and good night life. It was a little dirtier than Toronto and it was quite bizarre hearing people of all nationalities speaking perfect Dutch (yet somehow it all seems normal when it is English). I was able to get some decent Surinamese-Chinese food, though. I never even met a single Surinamese person in Toronto.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Ahh.. Holland, the land of oliebolen, raw herring and cannabis. I was quite frustrated in that I did not find the first two! Apparently oliebolen is made only around Christmas/New Year's and herring is just not that popular anymore (vis a vis shitty mass produced krokets and thousands of kebab shops). Instead, I found a coffee shop every 5 ft, filled to the brim with either a) hippy backpackers or b) drug dealers. The hostel I stayed was basically a large hot-box and I was getting high regardless of whether I wanted to or not. When I went to sleep - someone in my room was smoking. When I woke up - someone in my room was smoking. Apparently 'no smoking' only applies to pure tobacco. Maybe I'm just crabby because the air is clean here in Brussels (where I finally found a computer that has both a net connection and a USB port!) so I am lacking the mild sedation I would normally feel.

Aside from the excessive presence of drugs and prostitutes, Amsterdam was quite a nice town. I ran into the same two French guys (Harry and David) from Lyon whom I had met in Berlin during the crazy tour and we toured the cheesy Heineken Experience, along with other more interesting places.