Someone asked me what was the most adventurous thing I've ever done? Well, apart from uprooting myself from KL to Kulim, or that time when I ate siput sedut , I must say the most adventurous thing I've ever done was travelling across Europe, while 7 months pregnant!
There I was, six months ago, tagging along hubby who was on a business trip to Belgium. Whilst he was busy at work, I busied myself with the confusing maps and train schedules, trying to make my way to the touristy spots. Not that it was easy with French & Dutch being the main language.
Despite it all, it was a really neat trip. We hit France, Belgium and Holland..and went to all the tempat-tempat wajib i.e. Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre museum, Brugge in Belgium, the clog and cheese-making factory in Holland etc. Even stayed a couple of nights at aunt's place in The Hague...where we met Charlie the Hantu Raya. A true-blue ghostly apparition. So not pulling your leg. Another blog entry, that one.
But the most jaw-dropping of it all was definitely Amsterdam's Red Light District. I was probably the one and only pregger woman meandering from one alley to another, gawking at the glass displays of human flesh. All shapes, age, color and sizes. A big vending machine of carnal pleasure! Gory in all honesty. *shudder*
Anyhoo, who knew, a travelling pregger woman does come with it's own perks & benefits:
With a tummy rivalling a ripe watermelon, yours truly got upgraded to business class. Ooooh...jakun woman beware! I picit all the buttons and gizmos at the luxurious recliner seat. I even serbu the galley in pursuit of more snacks and tidbits. I am a self-professed jakun.
The nice folks at Arc de Triomphe let me take the elevator down. If only they would tell me that as I went up!! Climbing 282 steps while 7-months pregger was enough to almost break my waterbag!
In Belgium, the chocolate haven -- it is OK to gulp down as many chocolate samples as possible. I was, afterall, eating for two.
Some tips & tricks for anyone planning a backpack Europe trip -- whilst pregger or not!:
Book those damn Thalys (bullet-train) tickets fast! Like 2 months prior before your trip. Boats don't sink carrying pregger ladies. So go on, take the canal boat ride in Amsterdam or Brugge.
Take those tourist Hop-On, Hop-Off buses whilst touring the city. Value for money.
Try patat. No, am not swearing. It's Amsterdam's version of French Fries.
Don't selamba kutuk with Bahasa Melayu whilst you're in Holland. There's a high number of Indonesians who resides there, intermarriage and stuff...so there's a high chance of people who can understand Indonesian/Bahasa. So leave your "Eeee comotnya anak mat salleh tu" or "Drebar bas ni goblok betul" comments at home.
Before doing the museum rounds in Paris, find out when they're giving free admissions to the national musuems i.e Louvre where Monalisa is. You will save A LOT.
Do not buy souvenirs at Eiffel Tower. Mahal nak mampos. Instead, make your way to Notre Dame Cathedral and get your fridge magnets, t-shirts and whathaveyous from the line of souvenir shops next to it.
Do not snap photos of the hookers in Red Light District, unless you want to risk getting pounced by the bouncers. Lots of them. Hidden. In shadowy corners.
Some photos to share. :)
Hubby trying a full-French breakfast. Croissant and all. In all honesty, all we wanted really was nasi lemak and roti telur kuah banjir.
Arc de Triomphe, Paris -- where I nearly went into labor after climbing up 282 steps up to the summit.
The statues of Arc de Triomphe are quite, err...well-endowed.
A misty gray morning in Paris. If you could tune out the traffic sounds, you could almost imagine yourself back in time. The sound of horses clip-clopping their way around cobbled-paved streets... 
Parisians are such art lovers. I, on the other hand, have had enough of cherubic angels, naked fat ladies and stone-carved male genitalia in one sitting.
One of the many pics of Eiffel Tower.
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Was half-expecting the Hunchback to clank the churchbells.
A boatride meandering through the canals of Brugge, Belgium
How not to resist a short detour to a chocolate factory!
Mussels in Brussels. Seafood restaurants and famous tourist-traps -- expensive but sub-standard food quality, or so I was told.
A fruit market in The Hague, Amsterdam. These fruits are called 'pisang kaki'. And remember what I told you about leaving your 'kutuk-ing' at home? Check out the fruit display and what does it say?
