De Kroon and new ministries, The Hague
De Kroon in The Hague
My home base in De Kroon (The Crown).
Latest Photo Album(s)
Hike from Amsterdam to Hilversum, May 29th, 2014
NL: Hike from Amsterdam to Hilversum.
Hike around Kaag Lakes, May 18th, 2014
NL: Hike around Kaag Lakes.
The Canal of Corinth, April 26th, 2014
GR: The Canal of Corinth.
Thessaloniki seaside, April 20th, 2014
GR: Thessaloniki seaside.
Thessaloniki city and sights, April 19th, 2014
GR: Thessaloniki city and sight.
Varna Primorski park and city, April 13th, 2014
BG: Varna Primorski park and city.
Nessebar, April 13th, 2014
BG: Nessebar.
Burgas Sea Park and city, April 13th, 2014
BG: Burgas Sea Park and city.
Sozopol, April 12th, 2014
BG: Sozopol.
Varna - Aladja Monastery, April 6th, 2014
BG: Varna - Aladja Monastery.
Good Morning Da Lat, October 30th, 2013
VN: Good Morning Da Lat.
Da Lat - Lang Biang mountains, October 29th, 2013
VN: Da Lat - Lang Biang mountains.
Da Lat - Tiger Falls trail, October 28th, 2013
VN: Da Lat - Tiger Falls trail.
Da Lat - Jungle Boogie trek, October 27th, 2013
VN: Da Lat - Jungle Boogie trek.
Da Lat - by Night, October 26th, 2013
VN: Da Lat - by Night.
Duxton Hotel Saigon to SGS Building, October 22nd, 2013
VN: Duxton Hotel Saigon to SGS.
Mekong River Delta tour, October 20th, 2013
VN: Mekong River Delta tour.
Manila walk to the office, October 18th, 2013
PH: Manila, walk from hotel to office.
Subic Bay Freeport Zone, October 13th, 2013
PH: Walk in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Castricum dunes and beach, October 5th, 2013
NL: Castricum train station to the sand dunes and beach.
Hike from Diemen to Weesp, September 28th, 2013
NL: Hiking from Diemen to Weesp via Muiden.
Amsterdam Western Islands, September 28th, 2013
NL: Tour around the Western Islands in Amsterdam city.
Milan - Italy, September 8th, 2013
NL: Walking around Milan city center on a Sunday afternoon.
Ameland hike day 2, August 24th, 2013
NL: Hiking east from Nes around Oerd.
Ameland hike day 1, August 24th, 2013
NL: Hiking west from Nes to the lighthouse at Hollum.
Halfweg and the Spaarne, July 27th, 2013
NL: Hiking from Halfweg to Spaarndam and back.
Hiking north of Amsterdam, July 14th, 2013
NL: Hiking north of Amsterdam.
Compilation of 4-day 40km hikes around Alkmaar, July 19th-22nd, 2013
NL: 4-day 40km hikes Alkmaar.
Driebergen to Utrecht hike, April 6th, 2013
NL: Driebergen to Utrecht hike (New Dutch Waterline).
Grebbelinie hike, March 31st, 2013
NL: Grebbelinie, Barneveld to Ede hike.
Malden, Groesbeel and Nijmegen, March 10th, 2013
NL: Malden, Groesbeek and NIjmegen hike.
Wolfheze to Ede hike, February 24th, 2013
NL: Snowhike Wolfheze to Ede.
Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam, February 3rd, 2013
NL: Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam.
Rhenen Grebbeberg Hike, February 2nd, 2013
NL: Rhenen - Grebbeberg.
Hike through the Sand Dunes to Wassenaar, January 19th, 2013
NL: Hiking the Sand Dunes to Wassenaar.
Lunchwalk in winters The Hague, January 15th, 2013
NL: Lunchwalk in winters The Hague.
Snow over The Hague, January 14th, 2013
NL: Snow over The Hague.
Delft to Zoetermeer, January 12th, 2013
NL: Hike from Delft to Zoetermeer.
1st 4-Daagse Hike, December 1st, 2012
NL: 1st 4-Daagse training with Vera.
Fog over The Hague, November 24th, 2012
NL: Fog over The Hague.
Abrau Dyurso, November 11th, 2012
RU: Visit to the Champagne winery and caves.
Novorossiysk, November 4th, 2012
RU: Walk towards the mountain range.
Novorossiysk, November 3rd, 2012
RU: Walk in the city and along the coastline.
Moscow, Krasnodar and Tuapse, October 28th, 2012
RU: Traveling pictures and city.
My Horizon, October 15th, 2012
NL: Points of interest on the horizon from my apartment.
Zandvoort, October 12th, 2012
NL: A walk on the beach of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort
First autumn day, September 22nd, 2012
Hike around Aalsmeer
Cuijck to St. Anthonis, September 15th, 2012
Hike on the borders or the river Maas
 

Hike from Amsterdam to Hilversum

May 29th, 2014


View Amsterdam - Arnhem in a larger map
The Dutch tourist club ANWB has re-published their 100 year old hiking trail from Amsterdam to Arnhem. Today I walked the frist of 6 stages from the Amsterdam Muiderpoort railway station to Hilversum.
The trail took me to Diemen first from where I followed the Weespertrekvaart. This is a waterway established in 1639 between Amsterdam and Weesp and is now used a lot by small boats.
At the village of Driemond the original waterway is crossed by the Amsterdam - Rhine canal and from that moment I followed the canal south to Nigtevecht where the river Vecht meets the canal and takes a sharp turn to the east. I crossed the river on a small ferry and continued south-east to Nederhorst den Berg. The next section took me past the peat lakes and mashlands south of the village of Ankeveen. Perhaps I have been happy that the weather was not to good, light rain and not warm for the time of the year. The tracks were quite narrow at times and I could imagine it would not be so nice with many hikers and cyclists.
Before coming up to 's-Gravenland the trail was actually just through the meadowland following the boarder of a small canal. After meeting some sheep on my way and enjoying the nice houses in this area it was just a few kilometers to the city limits of Hilversum where and the central railway station.
View pictures in the album of Hike from Amsterdam to Hilversum.

Hike around the Kaag Lakes

May 18th, 2014


View Leiden - Hike around Kaag Lakes in a larger map.
Since I live in The Hague a hike around the Kaag Lakes has been on my to-do list! After doing some research about ferries and routes I made my plan and this day I took the train to the central railway station of Leiden.
Just over 30 minutes after I left the train station I reached the western boarder of the Zijl river that runs from Leiden into the Kaag lakes. On a sunny day like this there are many motor or sailing boats of people visiting the lakes and canals. At the edge of the buildings of the Lakes neighbourhood was the first ferry
for pedestrians and cyclists to take me to the other side of the river. From there I comntinued along the border of the river in a north easterly direction.
That is where I first past by Boterhuis island and mill, the picture on the left. The island is a well known campground for Dutch sea scouts and it did bring back memories of my first camp as a leader with a group of junior sea scouts in 1997!
About 1 kilometer after passing Boterhuis island I had to cross a side river which was done in less than 30 seconds with a pedestrian ferry. That took me to the Kaag Society; a perfect place on the waterfront to have a break for food and drinks. From there it was the plan to continue on the waterfront but it appeared that was all private property and after chatting with the owner of one of the houses I decided to take a longer route via the Vennemeer and Leidsestraat in the direction of Oud Ade and then north again to Zevenhuizen. From Zevenhuizen I took another cyclist and pedestrian ferry to Kaag village. A 15 minutes sailing tour took me to the island Kaag with the little (tourist) village. From the ferry there were nice views of all the boats on and around the lakes.
On Kaag island it was just a walk south to north through the little village to find the ferry that would take me off the island again. The ferry crossing the ring canal around the old Haarlem lake, now reclaimed land, is running 24 hours a day.
Walking from Kaag to the railway station of Sassenheim was not the nicest part of this hike but after that the walk through the village of Warmond made up for that. Before getting back into the city of Leiden I passed by a canal with houseboats. People live on these boats that don't sail anymore but being on the water almost every owner has a small boat to tour the canals and lakes.
View pictures in the album of Hike around the Kaag Lakes.

The Canal of Corinth

April 26th, 2014

On this day I took the train from the station nearby my hotel in Athens to the city of Corinth, a one hour trainride. The goal of the trip was the Canal of Corinth that I wanted to see and I was planning to walk along the canal from the entrance at the Saronic Gulf to the Gulf of Corinth
The hike to Isthmia a the Saronic Gulf was via quiet country roads and after leaving the village of Kiras Frisi I had great views of the gulf.

View The Canal of Corinth in a larger map
From the entrance at Ishmia I followed the canal on the south side. There was a smal hiking track close to the canal. At several places it was giving me scary moments as it was so close to the edge! I was happy that there was a freighter passing through the canal before I reached the end of it at the Gulf of Corinth. Althogh the skies at the end of the afternoon were becoming very dark I only got into a thunderstorm when I almost reached the city of Corinth. There I waited in a cafe until the rain was over before finding my way back to the railway station.
View pictures in the album of The Canal of Corinth.

Thessaloniki

April 19th - 20th, 2014


View Thessaloniki city and sights in a larger map
After a 6 hrs busride from Sofia (BG) I arrived in Thessaloniki on the evening of April 18th for a long Easter weekend. As this was not planned originally I had to find out quickly that night what there was to do in the city and what I wanted to do. It turned out that this was not difficult at all!
The city is full of historical sites and in the city center as well as on the waterfront many cafe restaurants are givig the city a very lifely atmosphere.
On Saturday I decided to make a walk in the city and view some of the historical sites and churches. The first goal was the catsle and Byzantine Walls up the hill in the northern part of the city. I found my way uphill through some narrow streets and climbing stairs connecting the streets. The Valtadon Monastery near the walls is worth a visit as it offers a nice view over the city and bay below. Once you passed the gate through the wall you realize how huge they are!
After visiting the the castle (Yeti Kule) I found my way back down the eastern side of the walls to the Trigonian Tower. Unfortunately as in Bulgaria the tourist season had not yet started in Greece and therefore none of the sites was open to public. Just below the tower I found a foodpath through the ruins of the eastern city wall that took me to a nice terrace where I had lunch with a great view of the eastern wall and the bay behind it. After lunch I found another pedestrian passage through the eastern wall again and then walked back in the direction of the city center to the Court Square (Platia Dicastrion) where several interesting sites and chrches can be found. From there I continued past the Rotunda and the ruins of Galerias Palace to the White Tower at the waterfront. After a dinner in the Ladadika (port) district I found my way back to the hotel.
On Sunday I made a long walk along the seaside. After passing the White Tower there is a long and wide pedestrian boulevard but viewing other people as well as ships at sea made it less boring. The neighbourhood of Kalamaris on the other side of the bay was the target of the walk that eventually was 20.4 kilometres. The late lunch at the KitchenBar was a pleasant conclusion of the hike.
View pictures in the album of Thessaloniki city and sights.
View pictures in the album of Thessaloniki to Kalamaria.

Sozopol and Nessebar

April 12th - 13th, 2014

Sozopol and Nessebar are 2 old roman cities south and north of Burgas. They were build on an island and surrounded by a city wall. I visited Sozopol from Burgas on Saturday April 12th and Nessebar the day after on my way from Burgas to Varna.
Sozopol is now connected to the mainland by a causeway and there is a nice white church just in front of the ruins of the wall around the island. There is also a historical museum on the causeway but it was closed when I was there. Nessebar appeared to be more touristic than Sozopol with large paid parking area's around the island. But it is obvious that the city has even more historical buildings and the remains of the city walls at the entrance are more impressive.
On the way from Nessebar to Varna I took some shots from the road and countryside:
View pictures in the album of Sozopol.
View pictures in the album of Nessebar.

Burgas and Varna, Bulgaria

April 6th - 18th, 2014

Burgas and Varna are the 2 main ports in Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast. SGS has an office in both cities and I was asked to visit them during the Go-Live period of a new order management application.
From Sofia Airport I rented a car and first drove to Varna and then to Burgas for the last 2 days of the first week. After a weekend of playing a tourist on the coast I went back to Varna again for 2 days and finally 2 more days in Burgas. The working days were pleasant with well prepared new users and I was happy that I was able to help them progressing to a higher level of understanding the application and managing their orders.

Panoramic view of the Burgas and the Sea Park seen from the tower on the pier. (click for larger view)

Burgas

Varna

From the port to the north the Sea Garden is separating the city center from he beach. It is a park well used by the local population and I was happy to find my hotel on the border of the park close to the port entrance. After driving from the office to the hotel at the end of a working day I enjoyed walking in the park, smell the sea and see vessels moving in and out of the port.
Also for my early morning walks it was a nice place to be. The jetty running into the sea was used by many people fishing or enjoying the view of the costal line as can be seen in the panoramic picture above. From the park it is easy to walk into the main shopping area that was crowded when I was there on the Sunday morning a week before Easter. Most people visiting the church and enjoying a lovely sunny day.
Also in Varna my hotel was between the port and the Primorski Park that is between the city and the beach.
At the beinning of the park there is a naval museum. The beach with light coloured sand looked nicer than in Burgas but because of all the pavilions that more or less closed off the beach more or less as private it was not so nice to walk along the beach the first half of the park and there were better views of the sea and the beach from the higher levels.
Via a wide bridge over the Primorski boulevard there is direct access from the park into the city center shopping area's. There are several naice and old buildings in the city center with the Stoyan Bachvarov Dramatic Theatre and the Theotokos Cathedral as the most outstanding.
View pictures in the album of Burgas.
View pictures in the album of Varna.

On the road again - in Bulgaria

April 6th, 2014

After my Camera and iPhone went swimming in Halong Bay (Vietnam) it turned out I also lost interest in updating my website. Now I am traveling in Bulgaria and Greece to assist one of our implementation teams during Go-Live it seems a good reason to keep track of my travels again starting with the hike to Aladja Monastery north of Varna that I did on April 6th.
On the website Wikiloc.com I found a track from the resort Saints Constantine and Helena to the Monastery in the hills. I decided to park my rental car at the beach north of Saints Constantine and Helena and make it a roundtrip dayhike to the monastery. Going south I was able to follow the beach until I reached the fences around the hotels and resorts that forced me to go to the main road until I reached the road leading into the hills and the monastery.
After I had left the houses of the village behind me it was with the help of my Garmin Handheld GPS and the downloaded track that I found the country trail that was taking me to the monastery. One of the surprises I had is that not only the Dutch like tulips: in many gardens in the area tulips and other bulb flowers were growing!

View the track in a larger map on wikiloc.com

I first missed the entrance to the monastery as there was a sign pointing into a road that was leading around and away from the monastery. Thanks to my GPS again I noticed it and turned around but not until I had taken a picture of the coastline from the hills, remembering my car was somewhere down there!
The monastery was in a well maintained garden but the chapel and other man-made 'rooms' in the limestone rock were smaller than I had expected. After visiting the tombs on the site (no entry possible) I started my decent in the direction of the Golden Sands resort. That was on a well maintained limestone path which made me think it was possibly the old road leading to the monastery.
View today's pictures in the album of the hike to Aladja Monastery.

Da Lat - Early morning walk

October 30th, 2013

This morning I woke up early to view a bit more of Da Lat itself before moving on in the afternoon. I decided to walk around the lake and view
some sites of that track. This took me over the local market first and in the buzzle of vendors, buyers and traffic that always gives the nice pictures I usually like a lot.
Da Lat was discovered by the French as a nice holiday resort to escape the heat from Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) and they left several landmarks that gave Da Lat the nickname 'Paris of Asia'. It was fun to be out early as it made me feel like a local: most of the strollers I met or passed by were elderly people that were doing their morning/daily exercise like I did. Those running on the border of the lake were usually younger and/or foreigners.
In the past there was a railway comnnecting Da Lat with Saigon but that is no longer operational and the railway station is now a museum. There are plans to restore the line again and it may become operational in the near future. The radio mast at the old Post Office looks very much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Some of the buildings in this area of the town are clearly left overs from the time Vietnam was a French colony.
View today's pictures in the album of the morning walk in Da Lat.

Da Lat - Lang Biang Mountains

October 29th, 2013

To do a third trekking in the Da Lat area I found an option with Groovy Gecko Tours to do the Three Peaks trekking in the Lang Biang mountains today. I met their guide and an American traveller who was also looking for some adventures and after a short drive to the natural park entrance we found ourselves climbing up the mountain on steep tracks.
Not long after we started I wondered if hiking uphill will ever be my favourite action although I do remember that during my hiking trips in Hong Kong I dis generally enjoy it. And if I want to go up the Inca Trail next year I better be prepared. The good thing about hiking uphill is that you are continuously rewarded with new view of your surroundings!
On the type of stairs that are shown on the left I really was ready to quit and wait for my companions to come down again. It was only willpower that made me continue what I started and make sure that I would reach the top!
When I saw the sign at the top telling me we were at 2161 metres I realized that I had probably not been that high om a mountain after a hike before. The more reason to be happy I made it. After a short rest we went down again and I was very happy with the walking stick that our guide had picked up on the way up and gave to me before going down!
We had lunch between the 2 peaks we were climbing today and I was happy the second peak was not as difficult and high as the second one. The descent was fun though: steep hill down between the pine trees without an apparent trek to follow!
For the fun of it I often carry my handheld Garmin GPS with me and record the tracks I make. For Vietnam I have not loaded the trekking maps on my laptop as I will travel with guides anyway. Today I was happy to review the track and the elevation chart of todays trekking.
View today's pictures in the album of the Lang Biang Mountains.

Da Lat - Tiger Falls Trail

October 28th, 2013

As the tourist season has not really started yet I was happy that Phat Tive Ventures was able to offer me a scond hike that another customer had also shown interes in: The Tiger Falls Trail. So I was surprised to see the guide Luet show up on a motorbike in front of my hotel! It turned out the other customer had cancelled in the morning not feeling well and therefore I had my first experience as a passenger on the motorbike driving to the start of the trail. The panoramic view below shows Da Lat from the road to the trailhead.


View Tiger Falls Trail in a larger map
The first part of the hike immediately made me enjoy the country of mountains and plantations in the valley's that we walked through. As I am not fond of activities above ground I was a bit scary about the suspension bridges we were supposed to cross but they turned out to be not too hard and I enjoyed the views above the water. We followed the river upstream for a while after crossing the first bridge.
We walked through mainly coffee plantation and learned from Luet that the houses (huts) were ony used during the time people worked in the fields. We made a loop in the valley by crossing the river again via another suspension bridge and then climbed back up to where the motorbike was.
That was also where the Tiger Falls were and I walked down the 190 steps to take pictures from the bottom of the falls before going back to Da Lat.
View today's pictures in the album of the Tiger Trail hike.

Da Lat - Jungle Boogie trek

October 27th, 2013


View Jungle Boogie in a larger map
This morning I was picked up from the hotel by a guide from phat Tire Ventures where I have booked hikes for today and tomorrow. After a short drive to the south of
Da Lat we reached the start of the Boogie Jungle trail: the tracks through the fields where farmers grow their vegetables and flowers. After about 20 minutes we had a bit of a surprise when we had to cross the highway from Da Lat to the Airport. Happy there was not much traffic.
Our guide Luet grew up on a farm and showed us the difference between the Arabica and Robusta coffee plants we came across. He also made us taste various fruits he took from trees and pointed at animals and trees we passed by. I was surprised to learn that Vietnam belongs to the group of (major) coffee exporting countries.
We gradually started climbing the mountain and I got my feet and lower legs wet when crossing a stream (slipped of the stones). The track became steep and almost like rock climbing and we reached the jungle part of the route. Off course I heard about it before but now I experienced myself the noise of animals! I was most surprised by the high wistling noice that apparently came from a kind of ... Moving their legs against each other.
The track in the jungle was narrow but not as heavy going up before getting there.
After the early morning heat in the open fields it was pleasantly cool in the shade under the trees and other plants. Honestly I had not expected to have a French style small 'baguette' bread for lunch but the taste was good with tomato, cucumber, pork and some green chili's. The pineapple and banana cake for desert were gorgeous! After lunch we still had about 30 minutes to go uphill before the descent to the (artificial) lake started. At one moment while we were descending through high grass Luet made us look back and it was a big surprise how fast we had come down from the mountain. Before we reached the lake we had to cross an area of swamps but that was (made) easy by walking on dead trees laying there. It had started to rain but as we almost reached the boat that took us across the lake to a place where the car was waiting it did not really matter after a great hike in beautiful countryside!
View today's pictures in the album of the Jungle Boogie trek.

Da Lat - at night

October 26th, 2013


View Da Lat by Night in a larger map

On this Saturday afternoon I flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat in the central highlnds of vietnam. It was just a 45 minutes flight but it was amazing to experience the temperature difference: at least about 10C!. After I checked into the Dreans hotel the next I noticed that it was turning dark even before 6 pm so my first walk to explore my new surroundings was in the dark. As I had no idea where to go and how to get back I used GPS tracking with Endomondo on my iPhone to find my way around and back. During the walk I had dinner on the market in Nguyen Thi Minh Kai.

View today's pictures of the walk in Da Lat.

Duxton Hotel Saigon to SGS Building

October 22nd, 2013

When I am traveling and working abroad I like to experience the local way of traffic and if the office is not to far from the hotel it means that I like to walk from the hotel to the office in the morning and back in the evening. In other cases I would travel by bus or underground. In Ho Chi Minh City the distance was only just over 2 kilometres so on my second day in town I started to walk to the office and enjoy streetlife as I try to show by the pictures. I have to admit that this first day I did take the wrong exit from the park Cong Vien Tao Dan.
As I had not taken the direct route between the hotel and office in the end the walk was almost 5 kilometres.
But off course I did not mind: it gave me a great view of the streetife.
View Duxton Saigon to SGS in a larger map
View the pictures of the walk Duxton Hotel Saigon to SGS Building in today's album.

Mekong River Delta

October 20th, 2013

This morning at 7 am my colleague Alexey and I met in the lobby of the hotel to go on a tour to the Mekong River Delta. It turned out we were together with an Australian couple and the guide called Bau. In around 2 hours we drove the 105 kilometres by minibus to Cai Be to start the tour.
We boarded a bout that took us across the floating market to a rice paper and wine factory.
On the floating markets boots with vegetables grown in the delta are anchored and display the goods they sell on a stick at the bow. Buyers come alongside in their smaller boats, review the goods and make their bids and deals.
As I use rice paper myself when cooking it was intersting to see how quick and easy it was made. What we did not see was the effort to make dough and that is probably what I will never do myself.
The rice wine we only saw in the glass jars to ripen. It made me think about my time in China where it was served regularly at our group dinners.
I could not remember if I had ever tasted the wine that was made with snakes and herbs. So I tasted it with Bau, it was kind of sweet and I did like it.
From coconut and popped rice the factory also made various kinds of sweets and I really enjoyed the candy and popped rice making (see the pictures). We tasted all of them with a cup of tea before we continued the tour.
Back in the (powered) boat Bau gave an explanation of the tour going south into the delta. The river is called the River of Nine Dragons because of the many branches. The Mekong Delta is like The Biesbosch in my country but than almost the size of our country! Vietnam is rich with the growing of many vegetables and fruits and Vietnamese like us to taste them.
Also during the boat trip we were served fresh fruits and a coconut to drink the milk.

View Mekong River Delta tour in a larger map
We sailed through the smal canals of An Binh island where we visited a traditional house and had more fruits and tea. From there David and I took a small boat to the restaurant where we had lunch. It was a bit embarrassing as 2 big guys to be moved around by a fragile older woman. But we were not allowed to take over from her only to help with the single peddle that was available. It was a pleasant trip with thw lady pointing at many the different trees and fruits around us and lizards we saw at the waterline. After the little boat tour we met the others again in arestaurant on the island.
We started with rice paper filled with fish, cucumber and herbes. The first was prepared by the waitress. While we were still working on that the table was filled with soup, prawns, pork, beef and fried noodles. A plate of fresh fruits were served for desert.
Then we still had a 20-30 minutes boat ride to Vinh Long where the minibus was waiting to take us back to Ho Chi Minh City.
View the pictures of the Mekong River Delta Tour in today's album.

Manila - New World hotel to office walk

October 18th, 2013

After walking from the hotel to the office for several days today I decided to bring my camera with me and take some shots of the Manila street life. Show the route I walk, give an impression of the traffic and feel the admosphere. In Manila the Jeepney's are so typical for Philippino transport; being a combination of a bus and taxi? When I see people boarding or leaving a Jeepney it makes me wonder where they will go to or where they come from. Another part of the streetlife that always interests me are the street venders. Most often, like on the short walks I had in Manila, they are selling food and off course also inviting me to buy their goods. It always surprises me in Asia to see so many of them and they always appear to have customers. So do people leave home early without breakfast to have a long journey (sleeping) in a Jeepney and then take breakfast at the foodstall before entering their work location?
The walk did not finish the way I was expecting!
Earlier during the week I already noticed that many obstacles like the roofs of the foodstalls, streetsigns and advertisement signs are on a 'dangerous' height for me: Made for the lenghts of Filipinos! Taking the pictures of the foodstalls near the office I forgot about the low overhead signs and hid one with my head!
I felt blood inmediately and using a small towel (from my backpack) pressed against the wound walked the last 100 metres to the office where I cleaned it with water. To make a long story short: as you can see from the last pictures in todays album I ended up in the Makati Medical Center for a checkup and left from there with 6 stitches in my head and a nice bandage!
I am probably a hard-headed Dutchman by saying I think it was all a bit 'overdone' as I do not feel much of the wound. But I must also admit that the way it is treated is probably the best guarantee for me I will have no issues with the wound when I go on holiday backpacking in Vietnam at the end of the week.
View the pictures of my walk from hotel to the office and the cut in my head!

Walk in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

October 13th, 2013

After a drive of just over 2.5 hours from Manila, by company car and driver, I arrived in the Court Meridian hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone just around 4 PM on this Sunday afternoon and decided to go for a walk starting on the beach across the road in front of the hotel. It was good to strech my legs after the drive and to feel the heat from the sun instead of the airco's in the hotel and car. Although this area must see a whole lot of foreigners I was surprised by the attention I got from the local people I met and not only from the souvenir vendors. Most people greeted me with ´Good afternoon sir!´.
Subic Bay is known as the big military base during the Vietnam war and the American influence is seen in the infrastructure and the restaurants (and bars): Steakhouses and Pizza´s. Although I did not bring my ID with me I left the Freeport Zone via the footbridge over the river and walke a bit over the mainroad in a northerly direction to get a better view of the bay.
View all pictures of my Subic Bay Freeport Zone walk.

Hiking with different people

September 14th, 28th and October 5th, 2013

After completing the 4-day hikes in Alkmaar at the end of June the regular weekend hikes with my sister are over. As I still enjoy the hiking after working at home the whole week I signed up with a website where people organize all kinds of group activities including hiking.
Right after my stay in Milan I joined a group on September 14th to explore the Western Islands just outside the inner city Amsterdam. The hike was organized by a person with a long experience as a tour guide. I have not remembered all his stories but it was nice to hear about the history and all the activity that used to be on these islands when Amsterdam was growing and expanding.
On Saturday September 2th I joined a hike that started from the Diemen train station and took us over the island IJburg, a new part of Amsterdam with new houses to the former sea dike and on to Muiden. After a relaxing rest near the locks in the river Vecht and a short view of the Muiden castle we continued to Weesp where we could take the train again.
On October 5th I met quite a large group at Castricum train station for a hike into the forests, sand dunes and North Sea beach west of Castricum. The weather as well as the hike were very enjoyable and so were the people I met (again). For me this is really a nice way to spend a day in the weekend and although I have nice travels coming up the next 6 weeks I will miss these hikes around my own country.
View all pictures of September 14th.
View all pictures of September 28th.
View all pictures of October 5th.

Sunday afternoon in Milan

September 8th, 2013

As I had to work a week in Milan I decided to take a flight a day earlier and discover a bit of the city by walking around on a lovely Sunday afternoon. After dropping my bag at the hotel the first goal was the Duomo and the shopping area where the major fashion brands can be found. On of the first things that surprised me about the street views was that many of the electric trams in the street appeared old to me: in my hometown The Hague you find those in the public transport museum and you can rent them for parties to move your guests around the city. I must say that I did like the idea of these old trams still in use much more.
The Duomo is impressive from the outside but I did not bother to queue up for a visit inside. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II mall is nice as well and probably a must see in the city. From the Duomo I walked to the Castello Sforzesco, the remains of the old inner city castle. Not knowing much of the Italian history and Italy in general I was surprised by the big castle in the middle of the city and the nice park next to it. From the park I found my way back to the hotel again to refresh and prepare for my first Italian dinner of the week.
View all pictures of my Sunday afternoon walk in Milan.

Hiking on Ameland

August 24th and 25th, 2013

Ameland is one of the islands north of The Netherlands and after a ong train and bus ride from The Hague I arrived at the boat ferry in Holwerd around 11:30 AM on Saturday morning. A perfect day for hiking: blue skies, cool breeze and and not too warm. The boattrip to the village of Nes at the island takes about 45 minutes and after droppingh my
overnight bag at the hotel I decided to head west via the North Sea coast/beach towards the well known lighthouse of Ameland. Although it was not a day for sun-bathing there was quiete some activity on the wide sandy beaches like hiking, wind riding, fishing and horse riding. At the north west coast this island is growing and the beach full of young plants and flowers. I had a nice dinner on the terrace of a beach club near the lighthouse and after i left the sun was hidden by a layer of clouds giving some nice views. On the wy back via the golf course Amelander Kaap and the sand dunes around the village of Ballum dawn quickly arrived and the last part of the hike was under the stars in the dark.
On Sunday morning I enjoyed breakfast in the hotel and after checkout left Nes in a north easterly direction through the Nes forest to the sand dunes and the beach of Buren village. From there I took the hiking trail to the nature area ‘t Oerd on the east point of the island. There is a lookout point on the top of a sand dune that gives a nice view all around the island and on the southern horizon you can see the mainland and the ferry station at Holwerd.
After following the hiking track around ‘t Oerd I went back in westerly direction and then took the Spijkerpad (Spike Trail) to the North Sea beach. Behind a low sand dune I found a perfect spot out of the wind and in the sun for a sunbath/rest and even had a swim in the sea.
Too soon the time came to start walking back to the ferry for my journey back home. But first a late lunch at the beach restaurant of Buren where the skies were coloured by kites. From the beach it was only a short walk from the becht through the village of Buren to the ferry station at Nes.

View all pictures of August 24th.
View all pictures of August 25th.

Hikes around Amsterdam

July 13th and 27th, 2013

Saturday July 13th
View hike Amsterdam Noord in a larger map.

Saturday July 27th
View hike Halfweg in a larger map.

Or move mouse over the track area and click to see the track in Google Maps.

On July 13th I met the hiking group in Amsterdam, just accross the river IJ behind the Amsterdam Central Train Station for a hike to the polder lands north of the city. After a coffee at the café De Pont we left in a northerly direction on the border of the North
Holland canal. After a visit to the windmill D’admiraal we continued on the other side of the canal and walked past the Amsterdam city limits to the villages of Zunderdorp and Ransdorp where we had a drink at the terrace of the local pub. Although the churh tower was open for a visit and view
of the landscape none of us felt the urge to climb to the top.
After walking along the canal that took us back to the city we walked via the Nieuwendammer dyke in the direction of the starting point of the hike. Our hike leader made sure we were able to buy a nice icecream at the border of the Volewijks park before heading back to the North Holland canal that we crossed at the William I locks.
On Saturday July 27th the team came together at the train station Halfweg-Zwanenburg. Halfweg means Halfway and in this case it is halfway between Amsterdam and the city of Haarlem. The hike took us through the man made country park Houtrak and on to the village of Spaarndam.
That is where we arrived the café The Tourist in a thunderstorm. Needless to say we were soaking wet and enjoyed 2 cups of coffee before heading on.
Shortly after we had left the café it became dry again and we had a great hike along the borders of ‘Mooie Nel’ and ‘Binnen Liede’, sidearms of the river Spaarne.
View all pictures of July 13th.
View all pictures of July 27th.

Plus Wandel4-daagse Alkmaar

June 19-22, 2013

So finally the event has arrived or was it even faster than we anticipated? Anyway both Vera and I have the feeling that we are ready for it and we are looking forward to the reward of all our
training effords.
After arrival and settling into the holiday house on June 18th in the afternoon we take our bicycles for a ride to Alkmaar, about 9 kilometres awayd from where we stay. On this Tuesday night we have to register and will receive our chip that we have to attach to one of our shoes so our start and finish times will be registered automatically each day. We also receive our stamp card for the first day to be presented at the various checkpoints.
Yes, we are ready for it and enjoy a dinner outside on the terrace of the restaurant De Buren (The Neighbours). We decide not to go back to the holiday house too late as we need to wake up early for the next 4 days.

Read more about the 4-day hikes in Alkmaar.

Heuvelrug Hike

June 15, 2013

Just a few days before the 4-day event in Alkmaar we decided to do an easy hike to keep the muscles loose. From the city of Veenendaal the yearly Heuvelrug hiking event was organised this Saturday and we participated by walking the 25 kilometer trail. For us not really an issue after all the long distance hiking we have done so far.
For me the day started with a train ride to the train station close to the starting point of the event where I met Vera who arrived by car. After the event we drove to Ede together to have dinner with Hans at my Mom's place and have final discussions about who brings what to the holiday house on the coming Tuesday.
Read more and view the tracks on Google Maps.

Training weekend from The Hague!

June 1/2, 2013

For our second training weekend Vera suggested to come to The Hague so we could plan our hikes together from my apartment and not loose too much travel time as we had to do 2 hikes of 40 kilometres each!
On Saturday she came over from Ede early and after a coffee together we left my apartment to
go to Katwijk via the sand dunes and the beach and back again.
On Sunday we participated in the 'Haaglanden Hiking Days' organized by the hiking sports association Haaglanden in Rijswijk, a suburb of The Hague.
Read more and view the tracks on Google Maps.

Hike from Utrecht to Ede

May 18, 2013

The longest hike scheduled in our training programme.
If you had asked me or Vera in the past if we would ever walk from Utrecht to Ede we would probably have replied by asking if you thought we were crazy!
So today we were crazy and did it as part of our training for the 4-daagse hikes: 45 kilometers!.
It was not the nicests of all hikes as we followed many main roads and we also passed by some tracks where we had walked previously. But we achieved what was needed: complete a long hike and maintain our walking average of about 6 kilometres per hour.
There are only a few pictures of this hike as my camera stopped working shortly after we left Utrecht.
The total hike length was 47.6 kilometres and we completed it in 9 hours including a relaxing stop for our sandwich lunch (with white wine) in a restaurant.

View the tracks on Google Maps.

Training hike in Zeeland

May 11, 2013

Today I did a hike on my own in the province of Zeeland in the south-west of the country. After a 2 hour train ride from The Hague I arrived in the city of Vlissingen (Flushing) and from there I followed the coast in a northerly direction.
North of the boulevard and beaches of Flushing there is a very nice hiking trail over the top of the sand dunes that protect this former island Walcheren against the North Sea. I knew it but still was impressed by the steepness and height of these sand dunes. Near the village of Zoutelande the sand dunes disappear and a man made sea-dike is taking over the protection against the sea.
From there I turned into a easterly direction to go to the city of Middelburg, the capital of the provence. After meeting my friend Anne on a terrace for a drink I started my trainride back to The Hague again.
The total hike length was 26.2 kilometres and it took me 5 hours and 25 minutes to complete, without a stop.

View Flushing to Zoutelande and Middelburg in a larger map.
View the photo album of this hike.

2 day training weekend!

May 4/5, 2013

Part of our preparation for a 4 day hiking event should be a multi day training and for this weekend we have planned to walk 30 kilometres on both the Saturday and Sunday. The Saturday hike started in Ede from my Mom's house after having a coffee with her to celebrate her 86th birthday!
On this beautifull spring day we walked through the forests and the heathlands on the north and east of the city.
After the hike I went back to my Mom's house to have dinner and spend the evening with her.
On Sunday we met at the Driebergen trainstation again as we did a month ago but this time we walked into a southerly direction, following the Kromme Rhine river until we reached the Amsterdam - Rhine canal which we followed in a north westerly direction into the city of Utrecht. After a well deserved drink on a terrace in the city center we took a train from the central station in opposite directions to go back to our homes in Ede and The Hague.
Read more and view the tracks on Google Maps.

1st training for Alkmaar 4-daagse!

April 21, 2013

Now we are participants for the 2013 Plus Wandel4daagse in Alkmaar our hiking training continues and today we enjoyed the sunny but still cold weather around The Hague. From my apartment we walked to the beach in Scheveningen where we had lunch with my mom and Hans on the terrace of a beach club.
After the lunch we continued the hike along the beach for about an hour and then went back home through the sand dunes and the Bezuidenhout area in The Hague.
Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

4-daagse backup plan activated!

April 19, 2013

After the disappoinment of last week we managed to activate our beackup plan this week!
From June 19th to June 22nd we will walk 40 kilometres per day during the Plus Wandel4daagse in Alkmaar.
Alkmaar is a city about 40 kilometres North-North-East of Amsterdam and is known for the traditional cheese market.
The 4 day marches that are organised every year around the city are becoming more popular and last year there were around 7000 participants. Through one of Vera's freinds we have managed to book a holiday house in the neighbourhood so our one week hiking holiday is all set!

Negative 4-daagse draw for me!

April 12, 2013

Today 4,314 First-time entrants who registered for the 97th Four Days Marches in Nijmegen, were excluded by a draw in the afternoon. In the end, 50,314 people signed up for the coming edition of the Four Days Marches, which is set to take place between 16 and 19 July, and for which a maximum of 46,000 starting tickets are available.

Unfortunately I was among one of the 4,314 that were excluded and after the initial disappointment we are now looking for the alternatives to participate in another 4-day hiking event with those in the cities of Alkmaar, Apeldoorn and Barchem as the possible options.

Driebergen to Utrecht

April 06, 2013

For the first time this year we had a dry and sunny hike and although the wind was still cold and strong at times we enjoyed and embraced the nice weather. We walked through
nice landscape from Driebergen to Bunnik and then followed the Kromme Rijn for a while.
After we left the left the borders of the river we walked north on the east of Utrecht and passed by a few fortresses of the New Dutch Waterline, a military defence line last rebuild around 1869-1870.
We entered the city centre of Utrecht walking along the quays of the river Vecht and enjoyed a well deserved glass of whine in the Stadskasteel Oudaen, a nice and well known cafe/restaurant.
Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Grebbelinie, Barneveld to Ede

March 10, 2013

On this cold Easter Sunday I continued the 4-daagse training with my sister Vera. For this day I had laid out a track southward from Barneveld train station (where we met) to the historic Grebbelinie, a defence line originating from the 16th century. We followed the Grebbelinie up to Ederveen where we turned east heading for Vera's home in Ede.
For the 3rd time we had (light) snowstorms during our training hike although it was not bad enough for the snow to stay on the ground. Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Malden, Groesbeek and Nijmegen

March 10, 2013

Ready to go for a 'real' hike we decided to walk the 30 kilometre route of the 3rd day of the 2012 4-daagse, the so called 'Groesbeek Day'. The track runs south from Nijmegen to the Maas-Waal channel at Malden and then via Groesbeek through the hils and via the notorious 'Zevenheuvelenweg' (Seven Hills road) backt to Nijmegen.
We did not expect to drive to the track through the (light) snow but it was not snowing anymore by the time we started our hike. Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Snowhike Wolfheze to Ede

February 24th, 2013

Top of Page

Following the training schedule as proposed for our event in July we should start today with a 10 kilometre hike. As we both have practiced quite well in the past weeks we decide to walk about double that distance. After a small train ride together we started our hike in Wolfheze and walked back to Vera's home in Ede via Renkum, Wageningen and Bennekom.
The snow was unexpected but did not bother us.
Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Zaanse Schans and Amsterdam

February 3rd, 2013

Top of Page

After a week of team work in my company's head office in Geneva, Switzerland, my colleague Nancy from China flew to Amsterdam to continue working with a smaller team in The Hague. I picked her up from the airport and we drove to the open air museum Zaanse Schans.
We were happy that despite the weather, strong winds and rain, the paint mill 'De Kat' was operating and open for public.
I have been in and on the mill several times with other colleagues but it always impresses me to be there, not in the last place if you think about the fact that the original mill was built in 1781. The rest of the museum shows a cheese factory, wooden shoes factory and old houses from the area including a museum shop of the first Albert Heijn grocery store from 1887 that was the first shop of what now is the AH chain of supermarkets in the Netherlands and abroad.
After the visit to the Zaanse Schans we drove to Amsterdam where we met our colleague Phil who had flown in later from the UK. We walked from the old Central Station to the Dam square with the Royal Palace and had a drink in the pub 'Tante Roosje' (Aunt Rosie) on the Rembrandts square. With a walk along the Amstel river and the Prinsen canal we reached the Leidsche square area where we had dinner. After that we walked back to the central station where the car was parked for our drive to The Hague.

Click on one of the pictures above to go directly to the photo albums with the photo's I took during the day or click here to go to the overview of Photo Albums for this year.

Rhenen Grebbeberg Hike

February 2nd, 2013

Top of Page

The third training Hike Vera and I did together was close to the town of Ede where we grew up and she still lives. We drove to the train station in the village of Rheden and from there hiked through the Gelderse Valley to find the river Grift. Walking over the cycle track on the border of that river we walked back to Rhenen over the hill called Grebbeberg and on the border of the river Rhine.

Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Winter Hikes

January 21st, 2013

Top of Page

The first hike of the new year was from the city of Delft, south of The Hague, to Zoetermeer on the east of The Hague. Both a short train ride from the central station that is a 5 minutes walk from my apartment. It was a cold but sunny winters day and I enjoyed the walk in an area new to me!
A few days later the south west of The Netherlands was covered by snow and during my regular lunch walk (I am working from home these days) I took pictures of The Hague covered by snow. I passed by places that I ususally enjoy for a short walk around the city.
On Saturday January 19th I walked from home through the sand dunes north of The Hague to the village of Wassenaar. It is one of my favorite walks to go to the beach in Wassenaar and return via the beach and sand dunes to Scheveningen and The Hague. This time I walked into the village and from there took a bus back home.

Click on one of the pictures above to go directly to the photo albums with the photo's I took during the hikes or click here to go to the overview of Photo Albums for this year.

Meijendel & Scheveningen

December 28th, 2012

Top of Page

On a rainy day Vera and I did hike together in the sand dunes north of The Hague and along the North Sea on the beach at Scheveningen beach resort. From there over the boulevard to Scheveningen harbour and through The Hague city back home again.

Read more and view the track on Google Maps.

Nijmeegse 4-Daagse

December 1st, 2012

Top of Page

Today the first training together for a hiking event we have scheduled in July 2013.
This 4 day hiking event will take place in the City of Nijmegen from July 16th to July 19th (2013). The goal will be to hike 4 days in a row a distance of 40 or 50 kilometer each day. We still need to
decide/confirm what our options are but I want to target our training to go for 50 kilometers.
Another goal is to maintain our progress and experience on a dedicated page on my website
and the story of our first hike together is also the kick-off for that page with a new 4-Daagse menu item in this website to provide easy access!

View all 10 pictures in today's photo album.
Read more about our preparations for the Nijmeegse 4-Daagse 2013.

The Hague - foggy day

November 24th, 2012

Top of Page

This morning I came home from a party at my brothers place with a fog rolling over the city.
From 100 metres above the ground level I was looking down to the fog that was as a blanket over the city. Over the North Sea the almost full moon was creating a nice view that was hard to picture with the bright orange lights over the houses of parliament.

Although I missed the sunrise that must have been beautiful the views were still great later that morning with a feeling of sailing on the clouds from my living room!

View all 10 pictures in today's photo album.

Abrau Dyurso Champagne

November 11th, 2012

Top of Page

Champagne wines in Russia! That was certainly not something that I would have expected on this trip and it was a pleasant surprise to find out.
As I was staying a week longer than originally planned in Novorossiysk I did get the opportunity
to visit the area founded in 1870 to grow various kinds of grapes and produce champagne for the Tsar's of Russia. Nowadays it is a private enterprise that opened a museum and wine tasting facility in the old factory buildings and caves. An interesting and lovely Sunday afternoon with nice company from 3 colleagues of the Novorossiysk office spend in the countryside so close to the city.
Read more ...

Novorossiysk mountain hike

November 4th, 2012

Top of Page

The best view of the city, harbour and bay must come from one of the mountains surrounding the bay so that is today's goal.
A walk past the harbour and the SGS office in north-estern direction with the challenge to find the track without map or my usual gadgets!
Off course being so close to a harbour my old navigation skills came back fresh in my mind and the fact that there were no trees on the mountain made it fairly easy to find the trail I had in mind. The huge excavations that I found in the mountain area was a surprise but I did get what I was looking for: A panoramic view of the bay, harbour and city! Click on read more below to find the panorama picture.
Read more ...

Novorossiysk city hike

November 3rd, 2012

Top of Page

To explore the city of Novorrossiysk and the Black Sea coast I decided to hike from my hotel through the city centre and then along the coast.
The first things noticed are the braod roads, many trees and parks found in the city center. Along the harbour and the bay in the city there is a broad boulevard with lawns and trees that make walking pleasant.
As there were many locations where local support was required during the Go-Live phase most of our implementation team members were in Russia. For me it was a welcome change from the more or less boring but challenging work of testing a new software version. Although I had not been involved in the hard work done to get to this stage I did feel proud to play a little part in this new milestone achieved within our company.
Read more ...

Traveling to Tuapse

October 27th, 2012

Top of Page

With a stop in Moscow I flew to Krasnodar in Russia to travel by car to Tuapse on he Black Sea cost.
A 2 week trip to support my colleagues that had completed the difficult job of the eBusiness Suite implementation in our Russian offices.
As there were many locations where local support was required during the Go-Live phase most of our implementation team members were in Russia. For me it was a welcome change from the more or less boring but challenging work of testing a new software version. Although I had not been involved in the hard work done to get to this stage I did feel proud to play a little part in this new milestone achieved within our company.
Read more ...

My Horizon

October 15th, 2012

Top of Page

Ever since I started to live in my new apartment in De Kroon (The Crown) downtown The Hague I have wanted to share my view from the living room with friends and family.
Since October 15th, 2012, I have a new page on my website called 'My Horizon'.
Basically this page is a panorama picture taken with 10 picture from my wondows and combined in 1 background picture as I see my horizon. I have taken en collected detailed pictures of some of the buildings and sites I see on my horizon and if you click on the red text markers you will see a close up.
Enjoy my view!

View My Horizon ...

Palm Jumeirah to Hatta and Fujairah

March 9th, 2012

Top of Page

The day started with a walk on the Crescent of the Palm Jumeirah, the only Palm Islands project that was completed in the United Arab Emirates.
With my colleagues Jean-Charles and Alexey I drove to the parking in front of the Atlantis hotel and from there we walked and drove on the 11 km long Crescent.
After we brought Jean-Charles back to his hotel Alexey and I drove to Hatta in the desert about 100 km east-south-east of Dubai, close to the Oman border. We walked around the old watch tower and visited the heritage village with the old Hatta Fort. From Hatta we drove through the mountains to the beach of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman and back to Dubai again.
Read more ...

East coast: Dibba and Khor Fakkan

February 24, 2012

With Dubai on the border of the Arabian Gulf in the west of the Emirates I also wanted to visit cities in the east on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. I decided to start in Dibba in the north and then travel south following the coastline. The main difference between the west- and east coast are the flat desert lands in the west and the Al Hajar mountains in the east.
Dibba seemed to be a sleeping town but I could have been mislead by the fact that it was Friday; the muslim prayer day.
In Khor Fakkan (later in the day) there were quite a number of people on the street and on the beaches when I made a great walk in lovely weather.
Read more ...

Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim beaches

February 18, 2012

After yesterday there was still quite a bit of wind ad sand in the air but I decided to stick to my pland and walk south from the hotel via de beaches of Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim as much as possible.
I had two goals for this hike: Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah.
The first being the worlds first 7-star luxury hotel that is shown as a significant landmark on so many (tourist) information you find about Dubai.
Madinat Jumeirah is a holiday resort, shopping mall and souk build in faux-Arabian style as a self contained city with small canals.
Read more ...

Deira to Ras Al Khaimah

February 17, 2012

Traveling north on the coast from Dubai I first came trough Deira with it´s unfinished Palm Islands and then in Port Khalid in Sharjah I came across this dock on the side of the road and watched Dhow´s being loaded.
After Sharjah the trip continued to Umm Al Quwain where I made a walk in the old part of the town.
When I left Dubai thre was a sand storm; strong winds from the south (desert) and the sand in the air made the visibility unclear and not pleasnt to be outside. I was lucky having planned this trip today as the further north I came less sand was bothering me.
Read more ...

Wafi City and Creek Side Park

February 11, 2012

Although I never intended it to be like that this website starts to show a selection of shopping malls as my walks through the city do take me to and past these places.
Today the goal of my city hike was to go to the ´Creek Side Park´ on the south side of the Dubai Creek.
I had to zig-zag through city and included the ´Egyption´ Wafi City Mall in the trip to get there.
Read more ...

Winchester Apartment Hotel

February 10, 2012

After my return from Dammam I took a few pictures to show where I am living during my stay in Dubai.
The hotel is located on Kuwait road on the south side of Bur Dubai, the old town area south of the Dubai Creek.

Dammam CRP

February 5-9, 2012

My first visit on land to Saudi Arabia.
In the past I have been to sea island crude oil loading berths in the Arabian Gulf and joined the ms Ficus in Jeddah on the Red Sea but I never really visited the country.
On february 3rd I flew from Dubai to Dammam for our first training and review session to implement the standard order management software used by the company.
More about Dammam and Saudi Arabia will follow after I move there for the next part of the project on March 23rd.

Bur Dubai and Dubai Creek

January 21, 2012

After the modern downtown Dubai around the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall it is time to explore the area around my apartment hotel in Bur Dubai.
Bur Dubai is located on the south side of the Dubai Creek. It takes me about 20 minutes walking to reach the creek and then I can stroll through the Old Souk, along the restaurant Dows and enjoy the activity on the water and the people on the waterfront.
An Abra will take you across the Creek to the Souks of Deira with places known as the Gold Souk, the Parfumes Souk, the Spice Souk and not to forget the Fish, Meat and Vegetable Souk.
Read more ...

Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall

January 20, 2012

As I needed to do some personal shopping I decided to do this at the Dubai Mall and make that my first discovery tour of Dubai.
Even for an experienced traveler like me this mall was nothing like anything I have ever seen before. Shopping, food, entertainment, waterfall, fountains and tourist attractions (Aquarium, Ice-Skating ring, KidZania).
Read more ...

Burj Khalifa

January 18, 2012

Burj Khalifa is the highest building in the world: 828 meters from the ground floor to the top of the mast. I visited the building with my team members.
With more than 160 stories it is a bit disappointing that the observation desk is 'only' on the 124th floor, 452 metres above ground level!
We reached that hight by a single elevator ride of 1 minute and 15 seconds!

Once outside on the obsevation desk there is still a building of more than 40 stories above you ...!
After visting the tower we went to Sammach, a fish restaurant in Souk Al Bahar.
Good food and a perfect view of the water fountains between Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Souk. The fountains were operated regularly during our dinner because of the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival.

Last Updated: 17-Aug-19 | © Menno 2006 - 2019 | email: webmaster