FLORENCE OF THE ELBE

Day 49


Thursday, 18th September 2014.


"Florence of the Elbe"


We went to Dresden from Berlin after receiving an invitation from Benjamin, a student who is in the final year Masters in Politics. Rather than using highway, we prefer biking in the village and the forest because thats where we can see almost everything about the place, both in terms of their architecture, their terrain, and the people who are rich with smiles on their faces when they see us through their village.

Kami bertolak ke Dresden dari Berlin setelah mendapat jemputan dari Benjamin, seorang pelajar yang sedang dalam tahun akhir Master dalam bidang Politik. Selain dari melalui jalan highway kami lebih suka berbasikal di kawasan kampung dan hutan kerana disitu kami dapat melihat segalanya tentang tempat itu, baik dari segi senibina mereka, bentuk muka bumi mereka, dan orang-orang kampung yang kaya dengan senyuman di wajah mereka apabila melihat kami merentasi desa mereka.



Cycling from Malaysia Embassy in Berlin to Dresden took us 2 days to arrive. The road is not very hilly, make us able to pedal farther that day, we had to stop sleeping next to 'Elb river' in Coswig because of rain in the evening, although only a few miles away from the city of Dresden, but not good to go to their homes late at night and we plan to sleep here before heading off to his house the next day. But the rain continued until the next day, we packed up quickly when the rain stopped for a while and move on to the city of Dresden.

Perjalanan dari Embassy Malaysia di Berlin mengambil masa 2 hari untuk tiba di Dresden. Jalan yang tidak begitu berbukit-bukau membuatkan kami dapat berkayuh lebih jauh pada hari itu, kami terpaksa berhenti tidur bersebelahan 'Elb river' di Coswig kerana hujan pada malam itu, walaupun hanya tinggal beberapa kilometer sahaja lagi ke bandar Dresden, tetapi kami sudah berjanji akan tiba pada petang jumaat dan tidak elok rasanya pergi ke rumah mereka pada lewat malam lalu kami merancang tidur disini sebelum bertolak ke rumah beliau pada keesokan harinya. Namun hujan berterusan hingga keesokan harinya, kami terpaksa berkemas dengan cepat ketika hujan berhenti sebentar dan meneruskan perjalanan ke bandar Dresden di dalam hujan.




Rain still did not stop, and a few miles from his house there was a bike shop called "Little John Bikes" and we stopped to take a break there. We were welcomed by workers there, and we were also given a free hot coffee, we talked about our adventure cycling from London to Malaysia and they wanted to see our bikes. We bring them into the shop and park infront of the cashier, they asked what brand is this? Never heard before, and we said it's Cinelli from Italy. Our eyes focused on a pair of bike shoes that have a low discount price, only €42 and there are three pairs which incidentally is our size. There are also several pieces of raincoat also in the promotion for just €10. We bought it and we're given more discounts and free services! We were also given a power bank that can charge any electronic devices because they see the way we navigate using the phone and with it can extend the battery life on our devices. They say it's for the promotion of the brand. SMAR.T phone - Bike Holder. Thanks for the kindness! Thanks for the sponsorship!


Hujan masih lagi tidak berhenti dan beberapa kilometer dari rumah beliau ada sebuah kedai basikal "Little John Bikes" dan kami berhenti berehat seketika disana. Kami park basikal kami dan kunci, masuk ke dalam kedai itu dan melihat-lihat barangan di dalamnya. Kami disambut baik oleh pekerja disana dan kami juga diberi kopi panas percuma, kami berbual tentang pengembaraan kami berbasikal dari London ke Malaysia dan mereka mahu melihat basikal kami. Kami bawa masuk basikal kami kedalam kedai dan parking dihadapan cashier. Mata kami tertumpu pada sepasang kasut basikal yang telah diberi harga diskaun yang rendah hanya €42 dan kebetulan terdapat 3 pasang yang memang size kami. Terdapat juga  beberapa helai baju hujan yang juga sedang dalam promosi hanya €10. Kami membelinya dan diberikan diskaun harga yang sangat tinggi dan servis percuma. Kami juga diberikan sebuah power bank yang boleh mengecas apa jua electronic devices kami kerana mereka melihat kami navigate jalan menggunakan phone dan dengan adanya benda itu dapat memanjangkan jangka hayat bateri devices kami. Mereka kata itu untuk promosi  jenama itu. SMAR.T phone - Bike Holder. Thanks for the kindness! 






After leaving the bike shop, we went to find halal food shops, and not far away there is a kebab shop. We lock the bike and went in, with a smile and ask if the meat is halal and they replied yes. When listening to the story of our cycling adventure, they gave us a glass of water "turkish tea" for free! We chatted and exchanged facebook, take a picture together and after finished eating, when we wanted to pay, they say "It's okay, everything's free for you". We thank them and give them the Malaysian flag.

Setelah beredar dari kedai basikal, kami mencari kedai makanan yang halal, dan tidak jauh dari situ ada sebuah kedai kebab. Kami kunci basikal dan masuk kedalam, dengan senyuman dan bertanya adakah daging itu halal dan mereka membalas ya. Apabila mendengarkan kisah pengembaraan berbasikal kami, mereka memberikan kami segelas air "turkish tea" secara percuma! Kami berbual dan bertukar facebook, ambil gambar bersama dan apabila selesai makan, apabila kami mahu membayar, mereka kata "It's okay, everything's free for you". Kami mengucapkan berbanyak terima kasih kepada mereka dan memberikan mereka bendera Malaysia.


When we arrived at the apartment, we rang the doorbell, but no answer, there is suddenly an uncle came to us, asking where we came from and if need any help come alone to his home not far from there, so we want to borrow a phone to call Benjamin , and he would invite to his house because his phone was left at home. I called Benjamin and he said he was in town and would be back in 15 minutes. I thank the uncle and returned to wait Benjamin, then out of a front door of a man with a smile and pointing fingers towards us and said, "You guys are from Malaysia right?". We said yes and responded with a smile, and he introduced himself, apparently he was roommates with Benjamin, whose name Vitec from the Czech Republic, a student majoring in Law.
Setibanya kami di apartment, kami menekan loceng namun tiada jawapan, tiba-tiba ada seorang pakcik datang ke kami, bertanya dari mana kami datang dan jika perlukan sebarang bantuan datang sahaja ke rumahnya yang tidak jauh dari situ, lalu kami ingin meminjam telefon untuk menghubungi Benjamin, dan beliau mengajak ke rumahnya kerana telefonnya ditinggalkan di rumahnya. Aku menelefon Benjamin dan katanya beliau di bandar dan akan pulang dalam masa 15 minit. Aku mengucapkan terima kasih pada pakcik dan kembali menunggu Benjamin, kemudian keluar seseorang dari pintu hadapan seorang lelaki dengan senyuman dan menuding jari kearah kami dan berkata "You guys are from Malaysia right?". Kami berkata ya dan balas dengan senyuman, dan beliau memperkenalkan diri, rupanya beliau adalah teman serumah dengan Benjamin, namanya Vitec dari Czech Republic, seorang pelajar jurusan Law.


We were invited into the apartment and talked with him, apparently he had just moved into the house. Not long after Benjamin arrives, Vitec asked permission to go to the market for a while and Benjamin helped us bring our luggage to the apartment and keep the bike in the bike parking spaces in the garage. We talked about our cycling adventure, our route and Benjamin also have been to Malaysia, he told us about his experiences, places visited and the diversity of food, religion and culture in Malaysia. Benjamin and Vitec quite friendly and they showed us every corner of their homes and allow us to eat whatever is in the kitchen. In the afternoon, after shower and washed our clothes, Benjamin bring us walks around the city, he wants to show us a little bit city of Dresden at night. 

Before the second world war, Dresden is known as the "Florence on the Elbe" and categorized as the most beautiful city in the world for its architecture and art Treasures. During the war, everything was almost destroyed by a bomb attack in February 1945 by the Anglo-American Force, the city is constantly bombed to April 1945, a result of the destruction, after the war ended they build a "new city" across while the restored old town. Elb river also flows to the Czech Republic as far as Hamburg.

Kami dijemput masuk ke dalam apartment dan berbual bersama Vitec, rupa-rupanya beliau juga baru sahaja pindah masuk di rumah itu. Tidak lama selepas itu Benjamin tiba, Vitec minta izin untuk ke pasar sebentar dan Benjamin bantu kami membawa luggage kami ke apartmennya dan menyimpan basikal di ruangan parking basikal di  dalam garajnya. Kami bercerita tentang pengembaraan berbasikal kami, laluan kami dan Benjamin juga pernah ke Malaysia, beliau bercerita tentang pengalaman beliau , tempat-tempat yang dilawati dan kepelbagaian makanan, agama dan budaya di Malaysia. Benjamin dan Vitec cukup peramah dan mereka menunjukkan kami segenap penjuru rumah mereka dan mengizinkan kami makan apa yang ada di dapur. Pada petangnya setelah kami mandi dan basuh baju, Benjamin mengajak kami berjalan di kota, beliau mahu menunjukkan kota Dresden kepada kami. 

Sebelum perang dunia kedua, Dresden dikenali sebagai "The Florence on th Elbe" dan dikategorikan sebagai bandar tercantik di dunia kerana senibina dan art treasures. Ketika perang, segalanya hampir musnah akibat serangan bom pada February 1945 oleh Anglo-American Force, bandar ini terus menerus di bom hingga April 1945. Akibat dari kemusnahan itu, setelah peperangan tamat mereka membina "new city" di seberang sementara bandar lama dibaik pulih. Elb river ini juga mengalir hingga ke Czech Republic dan sejauh Hamburg!




The next day we were taken by Benjamin cycle to the old city, shown historic buildings that are being restored and then he had to leave because he wanted to find a new phone and we cycle along the Elb river to see the "blue wonder", a blue steel bridge, we cycling across it to the other side and climb to the top of the hill there to see Dresden from high places, if you walk you can take a cable car to the summit, but the climb well worth it with bicycle when we see view of Dresden from the summit! Cycling down the hill was so steep and the gravel road surface sometimes make our tires slipping when pressing the brake, but finally we managed cycling down it. Then we cycling along the Elb river but from the other side to the house.

Pada keesokan harinya kami dibawa oleh Benjamin berbasikal ke kota lama, ditunjukkan bangunan-bangunan bersejarah yang sedang dibaik pulih dan kemudian beliau terpaksa beredar kerana mahu mencari phone baru dan kami berbasikal sepanjang elb river untuk melihat "blue wonder", jambatan besi biru dan kami berbasikal merentasinya ke seberang dan mendaki puncak bukit disitu untuk melihat Dresden dari tempat tinggi, jika anda berjalan kaki anda boleh naik cable car ke puncak, tetapi pendakian kami cukup berbaloi apabila melihat pemandangan Dresden dari puncak ini. Perjalanan menuruni bukit ini begitu curam dan permukaan jalan yang gravel kadang-kadang membuatkan tayar kami tergelincir ketika menekan brake, namun kami berjaya berbasikal menuruninya. Kemudian kami berkayuh menyusuri Elb river tetapi dari seberang yang lain pula menuju ke rumah.






That evening we go together to the shopping market to buy some ingredients for dinner, they want to cook pasta for dinner that night. They cook while we prepare dinner table. After dinner, Benjamin friends came, Roland and Isabel, they wanted to stay at Benjamin place also while they find rental homes here in Dresden, they are also a new student here. Rolan and Isabel also have travelled to Malaysia and Indonesia before! That night, we did not go anywhere, just relax at home transfer all the photos and videos into the dropbox. The next day we and Vitec decided to go to Dresden Panometer, suggested by Benjamin, but he did not go along because he have been there already before. Incidentally Roland and Isabel have an appointment to see the house that they want to rent, and they gave us a ride to Dresden Panometer, so we've save some money and time to go there.

The Dresden Panometer is an attraction in Dresden, Germany. It is a panoramic painting inside a former gasometer, showing Dresden as it might have appeared in 1756. The paintings using a combination of art and technology, adobe photoshop, the results do look like a real picture in a photo. In the middle there is the tower and we can see the picture from the 1st till the 4th floor, this picture will rotate 360 degree and will change day and night, followed by the sounds. The result was quite amazing and we got a discount on that day because Vitec tells them that we were a students like him just still don't have a student card yet because we're just came here, but whatever the cost is, it's really worth it! Then we walked back to the house, while on our way finding food for lunch, we talked about halal and haram according to Islamic views. Why muslims should eat halal and not haram. We also told him that everytime something is 'haram' it is not only focused on religious view only, but has been proven by scientific research and then we find halal food shop together that day.

Petang itu pula kami pergi ke 'shopping market' membeli bahan masakan untuk malam itu, mereka ingin memasak pasta untuk dinner malam itu. Kami menyediakan meja makan sementara mereka memasak. Kawan Benjamin datang bersama pasangannya, iaitu Roland dan Isabel, mereka ingin tumpang tidur di rumah Benjamin sementara mereka dapat mencari rumah sewa, mereka juga pelajar baru disitu dan malam itu kami tidak kemana-mana, hanya berehat di rumah sahaja memindahkan gambar-gambar dan video ke dalam dropbox. Keesokan harinya kami dan Vitec ke Dresden Panometer, tempat yang disyorkan oleh Benjamin namun beliau tidak mahu pergi bersama kerana sudah pergi kesana sebelum ini dan ada sedikit kerja. Kebetulan Roland dan Isabel ada 'appointment' untuk melihat rumah yang mereka ingin sewa, lalu mereka menumpangkan kami ke Dresden Panometer.

Ia merupakan tinggalan bangunan gasometer dan didalamnya terdapat lakaran panorama bandar Dresden, gambaran seperti ketika tahun 1756. Hasil lukisan ini menggunakan gabungan lukisan dan teknologi adobe photoshop, hasilnya memang tampak seperti sebuah gambaran sebenar di dalam foto. Di tengah-tengahnya ada menara dan boleh melihat lukisan ini dari tingkat 1 hinggalah tingkat 4, gambar ini juga akan berpusing 360 degree dan akan bertukar siang dan malam diikuti bunyi-bunyian. Hasilnya memang menakjubkan dan kami mendapat harga diskaun pada hari itu kerana vitec menerangkan kepada mereka kami juga pelajar seperti beliau cuma belum mendapat kad pelajar, memang berbaloi! Kemudian kami berjalan pulang ke rumah sambil berbual tentang halal dan haram  mengikut pandangan islam. Kami juga memberitahu yang setiap sesuatu yang diharamkan itu bukan hanya tertumpu pada pandangan agama sahaja, namun telah dibuktikan oleh kajian saintifik lalu kami bersama-sama mencari kedai makanan halal pada hari itu.













That night, we cooked them fried rice, but we didn't ask them to eat with their hands, but they insist wanted to use their hands and asked us to teach them how. Roland was accustomed to eating with his hands because while traveling in Malaysia, Indonesia and India last year he mostly eating with his bare hands a lot, and not awkward when eating with hands. That moment is the memory that we will never forget, I can't wait to write about what's happening at the time, we just smile and laugh seeing them full by the fried rice, that's enough to fill our hearts a happy feeling. Vitec wanted to say goodbye and wishes us a good luck and have a safe journey because he had a language class early at 8 am tomorrow. That night I finished writing our blog about what's happening in Berlin until late at night and pack all the luggage the next day. We left after breakfast, says goodbye to Roland and Isabel, Benjamin helps us prepare the bikes and sent us to the city because he had work to do in the city.

Thank you for sharing everything with us Benjamin, Vitec, Roland and Isabel, gave us shelter, foods and trust! For us, people without a sense of trust, happiness would not exists and the most precious treasure we bring along every time we travel is the kind hearted, tolerant, forgiving, honest and trust. Without all these, we're a poor traveler! 

Pada malam itu, kami masakkan mereka nasi goreng, tetapi kami tidak menyuruh mereka makan menggunakan tangan namun mereka yang mahu menggunakan tangan dan meminta kami mengajar mereka. Roland pula sudah biasa makan menggunakan tangan kerana semasa mengembara di Malaysia, Indonesia dan India tahun lepas beliau banyak kali makan menggunakan tangan dan sedikit pun tidak kekok. Nasi goreng kami habis licin dimakan dan mereka siap tambah dua kali! Hari itu memang suatu memori yang tak akan kami lupakan, hati ini tidak sabar ingin menulis tentang apa yang sedang berlaku di hadapan mata ketika itu. Walaupun aku tahu portion makanan mereka sedikit namun apabila melihat mereka makan tambah dan dari raut wajah mereka yang kenyang cukup membuatkan hati kami senang. Vitec mengucapkan selamat jalan dan wish good luck and have a safe journey kepada kami kerana keesokan harinya beliau ada kelas langguage seawal 8 pagi keesokan harinya. Malam itu aku menyiapkan tulisan blog tentang apa yang berlaku di Berlin sehingga lewat malam dan mengemas barang-barang pada keesokan harinya. Kami bertolak selepas bersarapan dan Benjamin menghantar kami ke bandar kerana beliau juga ada urusan di bandar. 

Terima kasih kerana berkongsi segalanya dengan kami, memberikan kami tempat tinggal, makanan dan kepercayaan. Bagi kami, manusia tanpa rasa percaya, kebahagiaan tidak akan wujud dan harta yang paling berharga kami bawa setiap kali mengembara adalah budi baik, bertolak ansur, pemaaf, jujur dan percaya. Tanpa sifat-sifat ini, aku seorang pengembara yang miskin.



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"JOURNEY TO HOMELAND" This mission is about two brave youth with passionate in cycling and fear nothing, are going to embarks one of the greatest journey in their life to discover the unknown land and people they haven't met yet in their life. Crossing more than 22 countries; treacherous environment ranging from forest, desert to the snowy village road, encounter hundreds of different languages and last but not least, the burning temperature of Iranian desert. This journey will set a wildfire to Malaysian people to explore the world beyond their horizon! DREAM; EXPLORE; DISCOVER!

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