Hi all.

Sorry for the delay. I should have uploaded this weeks ago if im not mistaken but as usual, no mood to write and quite 'busy' with my own activities. Now am back in Dublin. So, before things get busier, I'd decided to finish this entry which had been on the 'draft' since last month!

Okay, here how the last day of my first solo trip to Barcelona ended. (sounds like i might go there again! ^___^)

The previous night i had to change the hostel as my attempt to further book another night at Be Hostel Sound had failed. The hostel was fully booked so i had to find another hostel. Luckily while browsing hostelworld.com, i came across Kabul Backpackers Hostel which is quite cheap and plus it is not too far from the hostel that i stayed in. So, i decided to book the Kabul hostel and my journey on the last day started there.

I went to hostel, check-in, got to my new room, put all my stuff inside the locker and only brought with me my usual travel accessories. Water bottle, camera, a map, a pen and obviously my phone, passport and wallet.

Initially I did plan to spend the last day with Mong and Michael but since they were quite late that morning, i decided to venture on my own. First stop was Montjuic area where the 1992 Olympic was held. I took the gondola to get to the top of the hill. My poor judgement to take the gondola cost me about 15 euro for return trip which is not that interesting as there are only a castle on top of that. Thats it. Initially i thought that there was something interesting over there other than the view over the city but i was wrong. The castle was crap as it is still under renovation, nothing else besides the castle and some history about Jose Rizal (if u guys can still remember high school history lesson) whom apparently was imprisoned there before he started the revolution in the Filipines. My advice to everyone is even if you are interested to go on top of Montjuic, use your feet and walk up that hill. it will probably take you 20 min but the way down will be very interesting as you can slide down the slides that they built (I suppose that it is for children only) in numerous places on the hillside. I actually saw a few youngsters slide down from one slide to another.


Wall of Montjuic Castle
View of Barcelona City from the castle


@ Barcelona 92' Olympic stadium
Then after that i explored the whole Olympic area with my own foots. I went to the Olympic stadium which will take another 20 min walking from the gondola station. Near the Olympic stadium are a few more sports complex and some building which i cannot really remember. As you walk towards the Olympic stadium, you will be passing a few small garden which somehow seems to be an attraction to tourist although i myself find nothing really interesting to watch some few statues made from steel and worst of all, they all corroded. From the Olympic area, i walked down the hill towards a beautiful building (following a beautiful lady :p). The building is a castle if im not mistaken and by this time, i got a text from Mong saying that she and Mickael will try to catch me if they can which i know quite impossible considering my fast-walking-pace. In front of that castle, is a famous scene of Barcelona, The Catalonia National Art Museum with the massive stairs. U know what i'm talking about do u? :s


The Catalonia National Art Museum
After decided not to enjoy the arts inside the museums due to time constrain, i decided to take the underground train (Green Lince) to Nou Camp. The famous stadium of a football giant, Barcelone FC. Lucky enough although it was Friday, the stadium was open until late evening although on one of the brochure said that it is close on that day. So, here are some pics of me that you may (or may not) enjoy in that stadium.


Me alone
Changing room
The pitch
Before i reached the station at Nou Camp, i noticed that there is a stop that remind me of a movie entitled Vicky Christina Barcelona. The stop however is called Maria Christina. Such a beautiful name for a tram station or even a place!

Back from Nou Camp, i took that same green line underground tram straight to Parc Guell with double dots on the U! It took about 40 min of straight tram ride but somehow i can only remember about less than 1/3 of it as i spent the rest dozing off. Luckily i did not miss the stop. On the way to Parc Guell with double dots on the U, i met Ola (u'll know this lady if you read my previous Barcelona entry) which whom kindly enough gave me the free guide on how to get to the park. I would have made it a much nicer goodbye episode if i know that would be the last time i met her because Ola has such an interesting character! :-p I spent about an hour or so inside the park wondering how the hell on earth that this Gaudi guy had such an imagination and creativity to design the park to that level of details. Although he probably did not do all those thing himself but surely it took a very wonderful peace of mind to came up with the design. The sun that sat straight on the head at 3pm did not stop people from venturing almost every inch of the park. 

walking inside the Parc Guell
Barcelona city on the background
Entrance to Parc Guell. All credit goes to Mong
Somehow, before i left the parc, i bumped into Mong and Mickael. Both just arrived at the park. Then the episode of bumping into some more people came into the picture. On top of the highest point of Parc Guell with double dots on the U, the 3 of us met with Fred, Nicole and Tammy which led to the arrangement of one of the best dinner in my life. Strangers from different locations met in Barcelona for something that hopefully will be a beautiful memory of a lifetime.

The 3 of us (mong, mickael and me) left the park after another hour or two of snapping-pictures session and we all went back to prepare ourselves for the dinner which will be at one of the famous restaurant in Barcelona at Plaza Real,  Les Quinze Nits. 


Happy face. Credit to Tammy

At about 8pm, we all get into the line which took almost an hour before we could get a space for 7 in that full-packed restaurant. Oh, Nicholas who is originally from Chile and currently working in Norway was also there to join us for the dinner. 3 hours spent on dining and talking and talking and laughing and allowing others to make faces was a time-worth spent. From bits of everyone background to religion and politics, almost everything were on the table that night. Fred who has been travelling for 9 straight months to different places including Kuala Lumpur and Malacca keep mentioning the goodness of 'Nasi Lemak' and other Malaysian dishes. Not to forget that he also has lots of interest on how the upper class people (as he said it) in Malaysia that kept a mistress although he (the upper class-aka Dato') are allowed to marry 4 women! Being the probably the only single guy on the table also did not help much with all the jokes and attacks came around my singleness. lol.



7 of us. Nikola, Muaz, Fred, Mickael, Nicole, Mong, Tammy
Early morning that day, we all went back to each others hostel and set to continue our own journey (at least for some) on the next day. I spent my last day at a theme park! cant promise that i will write about that since i'd became lazier to write. haha 

The end.