UEFA 040 - Dover to Carlisle

UEFA 040 - Dover to Carlisle
Sorry guys still no photo yet until we reached Amsterdam.

In Victoria, we went straight to the Euroline counter and booked 4 tickets to Amsterdam. We had a long wait. So we went wandering from one end of Victoria to another, taking pictures and buying souvenirs and tit bits for the long journey ahead. We also had lunch before departure.


In this trip I managed to borrow a video camera from my Manager. I took quite many shots. In fact, there were very few photographs, as most events were recorded in the video.


The Euroline bus took us through the London city before it reached Dover. The bus had to wait for a while, before, it made it onto the deck of the ferry that will take us to Amsterdam. The bus was full. About 40 people were on board and we were of different races and nationalities. We did not know each other, as Euroline, was not a travel coach, but more like any express bus service from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia.


We realized the advantage of taking Euroline bus than the train, is that, we did not have to carry our luggage up the ferry. The luggage remained in the luggage compartment of the bus, while it drove up the ramp to the deck of the ferry with all the passengers on board.


From the car park of the ferry we walked up to the lounge and finally to the passenger seating bay on the upper decks.


Once again, it was a very huge ferry like the Superstar Virgo that used to take Singaporeans from the Cruise Centre at Harbour Front to Penang or Phuket via the Malacca Straits.


My 2 daughters went by themselves exploring the facilities of the luxury cruise, while my wife and I was fast asleep from tiredness of the previous long journey, via plane, train and bus.


So you see the astounding experiences our daughters had for the first time in their life.


We started off from home with a taxi from Tampines to Changi Airport.


Then, we flew in a jumbo jet from Changi Airport in Singapore to Heathrow Airport in London.


Immediately, after landing we took the tube or MRT from Heathrow down to Victoria. After that, we took a comfortable coach from Victoria to Dover. Then now, on a luxury cruise from Dover in England to Carlisle in France, across the English Channel.


All these happened in quick sequence, one after another with only short wait in between.


We arrived at Carlisle at about 8pm. Before the ferry docked at the bay, we followed the crowd down to the lower deck to board the Euroline bus once again.


The ferry crossing of the English Channel from Dover to Carlisle was about 4 hours. We were expected to have our dinner on the ferry at our own cost, but we had it earlier in Victoria Bus Terminal.


It was quite a long wait, before the bus finally made it to the road level in Carlisle. All these while, our heavy luggage were safely in the luggage compartments of the Euroline bus.




Drafted on 18-04-2007 at 2200pm
Edited on 12-07-2008 at 0956 hrs

UEFA 037 – Oostende to Ramsgate

UEFA 037 – Oostende to Ramsgate


As soon as the train stopped at Oostende Train Station, all passengers walked briskly towards the immigration building. The scene was like sheep been released from the barn or nicer to say, was like the passengers alighting from the buses and ran towards the immigration counters at Woodlands checkpoint. My wife and I walked smoothly through the immigration and custom.



We produced our tickets at the checkpoint and walked up the walkway which leads us onto the deck of the ferry. It was quite a long walk; especially with luggage, it can be quite unbearable.



Our first mystery was solved, that is, the train did not go on to the ferry, but, only the passengers. Perhaps, the train will pick up the passengers from Oostende to Rotterdam or back to Amsterdam.



We are now looking at the English Channel from the Oostende Ferry Terminal.



I imagined myself in the place of Moses, when he was looking at the Red Sea and figured out how he could cross the sea, to escape from the tyranny of the army of Pharaoh. In my case, I was not running from any treat but rather looking forward to explore unexpected adventures.



The ferry was actually a huge ship, like the Superstar Virgo at The Singapore Cruise Centre at Harbour Front. It was a 10-storey luxury cruise. There were many facilities inside the ferry such as restaurant, cinema, disco, video games, billiard pool, spa, massage, swimming pool and casino. Of course there were other facilities which I did not know about.



My wife and I stumbled our way up to the deck, and found out it was already dark. The night sea breeze was too cold, so we went back inside the ferry and settled down at the many common benches provided, while we stared into the TV.



Now our second mystery was solved as we found that the ferry trip across the legendary fierce English Channel was a pleasant one. We had earlier thought it was the same kind of ferry we used to take across Malacca Straits from Butterworth to Penang, or perhaps the ferry was like the one that ferry passengers from Singapore to Batam islands. Our fears were now at bay.



I didn’t remember what happened after that, but, all I remembered was the sound of the horn. I stood up and saw the people who were sitting with us were all gone. I knew immediately, that we had arrived. I woke my dear wife, and we grabbed our luggage and walk back down stair towards the exit. The passengers were already queuing to alight.



We arrived at Ramsgate, a coastal town in England in the wee hour of the next morning. The ferry trip was about 5 hour.


Once again we walked through the immigration and custom very smoothly and as we get out of the ferry point, the feeder buses were ready to fetch us to the train station. We carried our luggage up the bus.

Then at the train station we had to carry our luggage along the long platform before going up the train.



You would have realized by now that I had abandoned the plan of crossing the English Channel via the new undersea railway system from Carlisle to Dover. The main reason was that I did not manage to find out more about it. All I heard from my sister it was expensive.



It was also not feasible, as we were in Amsterdam, and going via Oostende in Belgium is more sensible.



574 words


Drafted on 07.04.2007


Edited on 22.07.2007 at 1057hrs


At Woodlands Avenue 5

At the Pier

This Saturday morning, I was at the tip of the matured reclaimed land in the southern shore of Singapore. It was bright and sunny that I needed the ultraviolet sunglass to protect me eyes from the scorching sun. I was tired, but I dare not sit on this chair as it does not look stable enough.

I was leaning against the steel railing observing the ships and boats at the sea. There is this jetty here for a medium size junks and ferries.

On my right is the other jetty for smaller ferries and boats. Further still to my right is a very long jetty catered for the even smaller ferries and boats. Apparently, the destinations are mainly Batam. I noticed also that the waves are very mild here within the jetty area as there is a long concrete wall build underneath the jetty, that stop the waves from coming. So you see that the ferries and boats do not rock too much.

If you are wondering, my wife and I was on the third level of the jetty pier. That is why I could see a lot of activities going at the jetty. This level is called the "Roof Garden". It looks like a stadium isn't it.

At the first level or ground floor, is the entrance to the jetty. Passengers has to buy tickets from the counters and go through Singapore Immigration before we can go to the jetty.

But before all that, you may need to change money or buy some petty requirements or even to have some light snacks and drinks or perhaps also some souvenirs from Singapore.

Most of the paswsengers are Indonesians. This morning there were many Singapore students who were perhaps going on a study and/or voliunteerism tour to Batam.

Opposite the pier are trees and bushes.

Wherease, the shore alongside the pier are well kept and nicely decorated.

Drivers need not worry, as the parking coupon area are available alongside the main road leading to the pier. Compare to the nearby Central Business District (CBD) area, the parking charges here is cheaper, only 50 cents for half and hour. In the CBD is one dollar for half an hour.

Surprisingly during the day, the carparks are full. This picture was taken much earlier, on the 29 April 2008. At that time, I had an afternoon job assignment to examine the ground features at the pier.

If you are still wondering, I am talking about the new Marina South Pier, which is newly built at the southern tip of the reclamation area.

Apparently, Marina South Pier has replaced the Clifford Pier, which is not used anymore for ferrying passengers to Batam and other southern Islands of Singapore.