Travelogue 2: Roma, Italia~ Places of Visit (9th April 2014)

Villa Borghese

I can't remember which one we went first, was this the next day or the same day when we arrived Rome. My journal was being too general, not date specific. Or perhaps I lied in my journal which cause confusion to my current self. This is not good if you are a corporate secretariat handled legal documents and you lied the date just for audit purpose. You lose integrity to yourself! Sorry, let's get back to the main topic shall we?

I enjoyed the view of lovely greenish field scenery and tall palm trees, it's just majestic. The trees were shaped like a canopy, so unique and beautiful. Buses that go there are buses 52, 53, 217, 92 (Source: Rome Guide). What we did was, we stopped at Barberini Metro and walk all the way up which was about 20 minutes according to the guide. But we strolled and enjoyed the scenic view, taking pictures here and there, got lost, and it took us 1-2 hours to get to the Gallery.

  
 Villa Borghese

Trevi Fountain



If you have seen the movie "When in Rome" where Kirsten Bell tossed/picked coins/make a scene in a fountain and everyone said that it's Trevi fountain, it is not. The one in When in Rome was a made up, that fountain never existed. But I wasn't disappointed with the fountain because it was beautiful! From Termini Station, take Metro A and stop at Berberini Station, then you walk... I can't remember which where to go, but the map in Roma Pass will help you. Hahaha! Or you follow the signboard.

 Trevi Fountain

Colosseum

To get to Colosseum, you take Metro Line B and stop at "Colosseo". Roman Forum is also next to it. We went there as well. I enjoyed Roman Forum which was next to it because of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Because we used to Roma Pass to enter, we passed along the long string of tourists (without the Roma Pass) who were queuing to enter, and we said, "So long, suckers! Hahah!"

Colosseum

The Roman Forum

Helpful links:

1. Information on Villa Borghese
2. Colosseum
3.  Trevi Fountain

Travelogue 3: Vatican City & Rome (10th April 2014)

Vatican City: St. Peter's Square
Need to check from you guys, is Vatican City a country or a part of Italy? Some say it is the smallest country in the world, some say it is a part of Italy. Which got me so confused!

Anyways, St. Peter's Square is the home of the Pope and any forms for Christian rituals or celebrations will be held here as main events. Just like Muslims with the Makkah. The Pope is the highest rank in the Catholic Church. I do not want to get down to the historic facts because I am not good at it, and I do not want to give out wrong information causing you to bash me up at the comments. My main aim is to tell you that the place is beautiful and this should be a part of your itinerary in Rome.

We didn't wanna get it as the queue is bloody long, taking photos from outside is good enough. 

St. Peter's Square or St. Peter's Basilica

Being the typical Malaysians. We would definitely find a shady spot away from the sun.

How to get there?

If you are on the Roma Pass, the small card which is provided in the package is your ticket to travel via Metro and take Linea A, exit at Ottaviano-S. Pietro (if you can't remember the name "Ottaviano" like me, you just remember San Pietro. That's the Italian way of pronouncing St. Peter). And then you walk there for 5 minutes. Follow the crowd as most tourists are heading that way (not a helpful tip, Sufiena!), or follow the signage.

Then we toured around Rome,no non specific via the bus. I can't remember where exactly because I didn't write it in my journal and I was more a follower than the leader in my backpacking team. If you want to walk around Rome via the bus, feel free to do so. The transportation is easy and not too complicated. Check out Rome Info to find out more.

Well, we went around and came across some museums, official government buildings, the Spanish Step, and Mouth of Truth. The final visiting spot of the day is the Patheon which was upon my request because I played Assasin's Creed Brotherhood and I'm gonna tell you all about that later.

 

 

Pretend to check out the map

Group selfie at the Colosseum

Travelling Tips

I've been travelling a lot since I joined UTM International Business School (UTM IBS). Australia, Thailand, China, even within Malaysia like Kelantan, Perak, Johor (of course). So I thought, why not list out travelling tips which some are commonly known and some from my travelling experience. I hope this will benefit those first timers.

Sharing my tea with a Zebra in Brussels, Belgium

Tip #1: Flight. If you have done online check in, be at the gates at least 30 minutes before they close or 10 minute-ish before they open. If you haven't, it is best to be at the airport like a couple of hours earlier. However, this might not be a helpful tip for the frequent travelers like going on a business trip, conference or just happen to like traveling via because they know how to time themselves from entering the gate, to the security check in to get aboard. And they are familiar with the layout of the terminal. If you have done some homework on the layout of the terminal where you depart, i.e. know how long does it takes to get you to the gate, then that's fine. Otherwise, don't risk yourself of being late for boarding.

Tip #2: Muslim travelers, bring along clay soap with you whenever you travel. We, Malaysian Muslim are mostly cynophobia. I don't see fear coming from my other Muslim friends when they canines or dogs walking near them. In fact I know some of them have them as pets. We fear getting close to them because most of us believe dogs are ritually unclean (najis) & if we touch them wet, we need to cleanse ourselves with clay. So, that's why I suggest to bring a clay soap with you. For me, I use Taharah soap (this is not a promotion, you're free to find any brands of clay soap you can find). Also, the clay soap is being used to wash the dishes provided in the apartment/hostels/lodging in case if the previous guests have been eating non-halal stuff.

Tip #3: For tourists. Avoid donning yourselves with luxury branded material on a theft-prone places even though they're fake. Places like Rome, Paris, where there are lots of immigrants now. Be mindful of what you wear. You're not a parading model on a fashion week, it attracts pick pockets. Dress as casual as possible to avoid attention. Sometimes, I always want to wear something tattered so people might think I'm homeless. However, I could be a target of another group, the police *='P Also, dress as comfy as possible, travelling would require alot of walking or going to places.

Tip #4: Before booking an accommodation, DO YOUR HOMEWORK first. Read reviews of the accommodation from previous guests via Tripadvisor or booking.com or any other travelling blogs and websites. Don't just read one review, read 3 to 4 at least so you can get a general idea how good or shitty the lodgings are. Also, don't stop there. Check its accessibility to eateries and tourists spots as well.

Tip #5: That universal adapter is so helpful, man! You cannot get them in UK/Europe. I think they do have them somewhere in the traveling shop in the airport but it's bloody expensive. Go and get them at Tesco for RM20++ (not sure of the current price).

Tip#6: Another tip for the Muslims which related to tips#2. Muslims everywhere may have different ways of do things compared to Malaysian Muslims, due to different sect (mazhab). Do not bother to explain the local Muslims in Paris that you are doing jamak prayer when they invited you to pray jumaah together. They don't get this. Don't cringe when you see the local Muslims in Turkey walk their dogs. Don't get a shock of your life when observe some of them pray 7 rakaat plus plus for Maghrib (don't laugh, it's true. My Afghani boyfriend practice this). I am no pious, but I suggest do a little bit of homework on the local Muslims of the country you intend to visit, know which Mazhab are they from so you won't get culture shock. See how different their practices are compared to us. One thing I like about traveling is that you get to know different mazhabs and you are aware about Sunnis, Shiah, Ahmadiyya, etc.

I have a few more traveling tips coming along.

Spring break in Nice, France