gadgets

first time ko sa zurich, i was on a red eye from ATL which arrived saturday morning, made the mistake of napping sa hotel and waking up at 3PM. well most of the shops in bahnhofstraße have already closed and there was really nothing else to do except to window shop, in hindsight this was good since tulo laway lang ako kasi i couldn't afford what i saw in the windows. this was back in 1998, don't know if it has improved any.

the nightlife is quite tame, it mainly in the old town. the time i was there, they has some sort of carnival. lots of brass bands competing against each other on the street, it was fun but it's not as wild as the new orleans mardi gras.

as far as bringing thermals, it's better to be safe that sorry. i don't know what your tolerance level is, but the temperature in march is usually in the single digit ©.

enjoy your stay in switzerland.

I don't know kung applicable ba to the ATM cards of the Phil banks, pero I have had favorable experience withdrawing foreign currency with my ATM card (Plus or Cirrus network with 4 digit PIN). The exchange rate is quite good and the charge is not so bad (except sa Pilipinas kasi most of the machines I've used only allowed me to take out 5000PHP each time per use, tapos I have re-enter my PIN again which incurs another service charge). It is quite risky to buy your Euros all at once, especially if you will be backpacking and staying at hostels (take this with a grain of salt though kasi I've never experienced hostelling).

Lana's suggestions are all excellent. In the UK bed & breakfasts is an affordable option also. Lana's advice on trying not to cram so many countries at one go is definitely spot on, quality is definitely better than quantity. The euro rail pass can really cut your cost down if you plan to go to a lot of places, the upfront cost may seem to be high but it could really be worth it (if you are under 26yo, you can qualify for the eurailpass youth flexi. Here's the website: http://www.eurail.com/.

Have you decided how long this trip will be? Ano ang gusto mong makita/ma experience?

To be honest, my first priority when I travel is to eat rather than go sightseeing and usually it's weekend trips lang where I fly out on Saturday and come back Sunday. Another confession, I have not taken the opportunity to go sightseeing here in England. Been to London a few times but again primary goal is to eat either over at Earls Court (two pinoy restaurants), Chinatown for dim sum, or Soho for various restaurants. Have not been to Scotland or Wales. Ay naku, I really have to get my butt moving and check these places out .

I'm now living in UK for a fresh start in life. Yung trabaho sa US was eliminated, pero yung European division ng company I work for had an opening, so I took it and been here since late 2002. Good thing is that my life is portable, no wife or kids to worry about so making the move was an easy choice.

I've never backpacked through out Europe but have travelled extensively using a budget airline called Ryanair. You can check out their fare through their website (www.ryanair.com), sometimes you can score extremely cheap fares.

Another way of getting reasonable hotel rooms is by bidding through Priceline (www.priceline.com), there is a website which can provide you with an idea on what some of the winning bids are through this website http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding (just go to the Europe Hotels section). An alternative is staying at hostels or if school is out, some university dormitories can be an option.

Here are some books that I saw in Amazon about travelling in Europe on a shoestring:

Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books

Backpacking Round Europe: How to Explore Europe on a Budget (Travel)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books

If you end up in England, pm me since I live in middle England and I can play tour guide (I have to start practicing before the sisters visit me here).

Good luck.

wallet

keys (house and car)

cell phone

pda

panyo

salary is relative to where you live.

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excellent point. my salary here if converted to PHP will be mind bogling but the cost of living is extremely high as well (I'm not in London, if I were it would be significantly higher for both income and expenses).

great seafood

beautiful young women (DOM in the making here :evil: )

travel

gadgets

sex

high school - it was all fun and relaxing

gutom

used to hate all veggies when I was young, but now I like acquired the taste for it.

avocado

green tea

mango

durian

sugpo, panga ng tuna at lato

sea bass - patis, lime, sili at cilantro

lechon kawali - toyo, sili, garlic at vinegar

grilled tuna - toyo at mayonaise

buko juice

manhattan clam chowder

whale carpaccio

frog legs

rabbit

sea urchin

foie gras