Hi all……i would like to tell u about our trip to Manchester-Liverpool and Leeds.It wasnt bad trip…we enjoyed it even we got all our bodies were sore coz we walked to much while we carried big pack as well…
20-01-05
Nottingham to Manchester
Early in the morning at 7 am we went to Nottingham train railway station…today should be Idul Adha, islamic centre would be hold prayer on sport area, unfortunately, we booked tickets before we knew exactly the time of ied prayer.Here in Nott, it’s looked like in indonesia ( NU vs Muhammadiyah or government). just sample, here islamic center wich is following of majority arabic people and students always held ied prayer earlier than pakistani.so, some people done ied adha on thursday while for lot of pakistani, they did on friday. they never had same time for celebrating ied adha or ied fitrie.
anyway , back to our first trip to manchester. we took a train. it was small train , its very different with indonesian train. it might have had only four or six doors in four bodies of train.it was really clean and good condition.only one person who checked our tickets, he carried a small machine like a bag.i found that was a credit card machine, so , people could buy a ticket on the train directly only using credit or debit card.it was very convenient….wasn’it?
The trip itself took 2 hours to manchester.oh ya,..when we arrived our first destination was Mas Bagus’ flat. Mas Bagus is my hubby’s friend (He got scholarship like my hubby from British Council). He lived in manchester with his wife ( mba Yeni) and his cute little doughter ‘ Marva”. They were so nice, they allowed us to stay 2 nights at their home.next, my hubby got a clue how to go to mas bagus ‘home and we arrived around 11 am at their home. We took a rest while we were waiting for mas bagus ( he went to univ coz he s
till got last exam). mas bagus and his family wanted to accompany us looking around manchester.before we gone out we had lunch and praying.it was unlucky, the weather was so nasty. we got heavy raining …however, we still continued our plan to go somewhere coz we only got time in manchester one day for hanging out. Mas Bagus took us to MANCHESTER MUSEUM. we were there around 2 hours. then we decided to go to MANCHESTER UNITED STADIUM on old trafford.
i havent told u that, i got a friend -cyber friend :). His name is Suha. we knew each other becouse of our former office. my office was the broker of his office.we knew only by chatting and we still kept in touch until i am in uk…and he is in uk aswell..do u know where??? he stays in manchester, and i remembered him while i was arrived in manchester.GOSHHH….so mas agam said i should call him.so, i called him and make appointment to meet in MU stadium.
He came in to MU stadium.it was amazing…wasn’it????…started from cyber friend and met in reality……the time was so tight.we met around half past three in the afternoon meanwhile he would have a job at 5 pm.so i asked him to find a place for talking. he took us by his car to TRAFFORD CENTER-he said this place is the biggest mall in england-.we chatted might be an hour in there..he took us to that place coz his working was in that place :)…
i ‘ll show u our pic later….for my friends in Prolindo who know him….Surpriseeee hihihii…
we backed to mas bagus’s home again …we stayed in there. while we talked together…marva entertained us…she made me laughhh…
miss u ;
21-01-05
Manchester to Liverpool
we got up at 6 am,..then we went to coach station at 7 am. Manchester to Liverpool is only taking an hour by bus.We arrived at 9.45 am at Liverpool coach station. According the Lonely planet book, we got a plan a place to visit. i wasnt worried coz mas agam is my map hehehe….i relied on him. We arrived quite early …museum was still not open.Thus, we went to Tourism information center. it was in the city center near st. John mall. We knew that Liverpool is a known for Beatles and Liverpool foot ball….but we decided not to go there.if we followed a magical tour -a tour visiting beatles’s house- it costed 12 GBP per person,.we thought it was quite expensive, in addition it was only visiting outside not inside:(. While Liverpool Stadium was outside of the city…it was far…..we didnt know how to get there…so,..first we went to LIVERPOOL MUSEUM, then we went to ALBERT DOCK. Albert Dock is famous place to visit. we walked around 30 minutes from museum to this place.it was quite tiring…:)
We took a pic in front of THE PUMPHOUSE INN, this was the best pub in england-i dont know is it true…coz we didnt go inside he.he..he..also there was GRANADA STUDIO, this place producing some program for BBC tv.Furthermore, we took a pic in THE BEATLES STORY…we didnt go inside coz lonely book mention that its uninteresting place to visit.Then we went to ……..,in this areas so many shops …including cafe around the dock.it was preety view…the time showed lunch time.we were starving then we went to LE CREPE CAFE. i got a steak while magam had baked potato.Honestly, the steak wasnt delicious…coz the meat wasnt tender :)….we continued to TETE ART & GALERY..then after that we visited MERSEYSIDE MARITIME MUSEUM. this place was the most interesting place for us…i got new knowledgment about tax and bea cukai in england…our last destination was CONVENTION CENTER,..we backed further to the city.Nothing special in there….we got 2 hours more before going back to manchester.so we went to ST JOHN MALL and had dinner there…unfortunately,..when we ate in food court…the staff food court already started to clean and closed the food court area…we didnt know the mall would be closed at 6 pm while we just sat there at 5.30 pm ????….anyway…we could sort out…we brougt some food …and mas agam finished all food in the coach station….(he got big tummy….he could eat so many food …so watch out everybody…he..he..he).
Around at half past eight at night we arrived in manchester. mas agam was eager to visit GAY VILLAGE while i wanted to see CHINA TOWN.we got little argumentation about it :)..coz he didnt want to visit china town and i just felt lazy to see gay village :).but after he saw the map the place was so closed..we went there both of places.
Gay Village was nt so special…it was only many cafe’s and pub but off course it was place for gay… we didnt go inside cafe coz we just felt little bit scary hehehe…in china town we couldnt find any interesting aswell…so we just walked around and back to Mas bagus’s home.
On the way to mas bagus’s home, we took a bus with a crazy driver :))…we’ve had never had any bus driver like him.as we know,..all buses in many part of cities in UK are so in order to the rule.such as they never let people get off and up from bus in the road except in the bus stop.but our bus driver was naughty..he stopped in any road that people wanted to get off from bus hehehe…the bus also wasnt going in the usually route coz we got traffic jam in every where…do u know why??? one white man said to me coz..there was MOSLEM CHRISTMAS ha..ha..ha…,as u know so many pakistanis in manchester.so,..they looked like the owner of the city. they did something to celebrated ied adha or fithr…like the rich people showed off on the road by driving a luxury car….etc…the impact of this is heavy traffic jam…..we were lucky we could arrived home before it
happened.
22-01-05
Manchester to Leeds
Today , our coach to leeds was at 10 am and we supposed arrived there at 11am.we didnt have to wake up in hurry…we prepared and packed everything coz this was our last time for staying in mas bagus’s flat.
Mba yeni cooked “fried rice” for us and it was very delicious…(ehmmm..ehmm..mau dunk mba yeni dimasakin lagi hehehe). just about finished our breakfast,..we asked permission to them to go….we said good bye and thank u so much for the “free” accomodation :)..(thats a friend for …am i rite?)…it was too bad i couldnt say good bye to marva coz she still slept when we leaved the flat.
in Leeds we would like to meet others my hubby’s friends. they were mba dewi and Yudi-he is from Bradford, 30 min by bus to leeds-.when we arrived in a coach station , yudi was waiting for us. we sat on the waiting room coz mba dewi had not came yet.while they were waiting for her…i walked around to MARKET CITY adjacent to coach station.
When i came back to them,..mba dewi was there. she was with her friend..Risa.We decided to visit ARMOUR MUSEUM together…actually there wasnt any good place to visit in leeds…so after armour museum we just went to CITY CENTER. we had lunch at “metro Kebab”..with rice and Tika masala as our menu.as passing the market…we stopped at one shop that sold many cheap goods. Risa bought a cup only 50 p :)….i bought containers..1 big containers was only a pound.after this we went to VICTORIA ARCADE…still shopping center but they sell expensive one.we just passed it ..of course he..he..he..
we had not prayed dzuhur and ashar.Thus, we went to university for praying.Risa didnt accompany us again. she had something else to do.we took a bus to LEEDS UNIVERSITY, univ of mba dewi :). she took us to student mosque , unfortunately it was locked.so, she asked a staff at sport center to give a place for us to pray. Thanks God,..she gave us a place at table tennis room.so,..we prayed there….time gone bye very quick…we ( magam and me) should go back to manchester….thanks to mba dewi and yudi who already accompanied us while we were in Leeds…..
now…we are already in Nottingham again..its nice at our small cold bedroom he..he..he..
veritia 