cavi718-blog - Tumblr blog

cavi718-blog · 10 years ago

Photo

0 notes

cavi718-blog · 10 years ago

Text

白色毛茸茸的旅客

前往Tenerife的飛機上，遇到了件有趣又窩心的事。

正在排隊登機時，身後有一位女士手𢹂白色的寵物提籃，我好奇地偷望了一下，原來籃內有一隻雪白色的小狗。雖然曾聽過可以帶寵物坐飛機，但親眼看到的還是第一次。小狗的主人發現了好奇的我，我們互相向對方點頭微笑後，話匣子也就這樣打開了！

小狗的名字叫Chris，這是牠第一次「出國」！我一直以為只有導盲犬等工作犬才可以同行上機，其他的狗狗都必要在上機前接受麻醉，當作寄艙行李般獨自留在冰冷的行李倉內。幸好 Chris 的主人預早與航空公司溝通好，彼此得到共識後，同意讓Chris跟着主人坐在乘客機艙裡！這真是太好了！

看著安靜的Chris躺在籃內，還以為是牠不適應搭機，後來才知道原來上機前主人給了微量讓牠放鬆的藥物，舒緩牠在機上的不安。在一切都順利進行時，突然空姐示意不可以帶小狗進客艙，使大家都緊張了起來。一問之下才知道原來是寵物籃太大，無法放置於座位下方。幸好這航班的旅客不多，還有不少剩餘的座位。在一番溝通後，Chris終於也順利登機了！看著她們兩個坐在彼此的身旁，開始了第一次的飛行之旅，此刻我也好想家��的陳卒卒呢!

雖然帶寵物搭飛機的步驟繁覆，有時還會引來其他旅客的白眼，但主人的一句話確確實實講到我心坎裡。她說，因為是家人，及時麻煩點還是要好好的守護。為了避免影響到其他的乘客，在這3小時的航程𥚃，Chris 必須只可待於籃內，十分乖巧的牠全程並沒有發出過半點聲音，許多乘客們跟本沒有發現這次飛行多了位白色毛茸茸的同行者呢！

#double_size

0 notes

cavi718-blog · 10 years ago

Text

I go to seek a great perhaps - Amsterdam

我和好友們有個約定：無論大家將來的 status 是什麼，每一年都一定要騰出時間，去一次只屬於我們的旅行。而今年的目的地是 — 歐洲 ~

一大清早在阿姆斯特丹的機場閘門外就見到了Julie、Julie 的男朋友 - Hidde 和他的爸爸 - Eric。他們拿著大大的歡迎紙牌迎接著我們，然後一起回到他們位於 Santport 的家。Santport 是一個離阿姆斯特丹約 30 分鐘車程的小鎮，也是旅程中的第一個目的地。

一到家安頓好行李，就見到Eric為我們準備的home style早餐。雖說簡單，但也有5款不同的麵包（順道一提，我發覺外國人一般都不會烘熱麵包來吃）。Amsterdam的家庭式早餐不外乎有麵包、雞蛋、咖啡和牛奶等。這裡的人吃麵包的方式也很獨特，舉例來說，除了在包上塗上花生醬或果醬之外，還有一個重要的步驟就是把在cupcake、甜甜圈上常見裝飾用的朱古力細粒灑在麵包上，而且除了黑朱古力、牛奶朱古力之外，還有其他許多不同的口味供選擇！這種吃法對我來說真的很新奇，咬下去除了甜味，還有一點點crunchy的口感，比起一般吃包的方法層次更為豐富。不過對於我還說，味道較為偏甜膩，還是prefer麵包和蜜糖是最好的朋友！:)

早餐在一片笑聲作調味料之下結束，而我們這個旅程，就由此為起點！梳洗後，我們一班人就期待的前往 Zandvoort 海灘，欣賞 Hidde 有份演出的沙灘音樂會。

這個小型音樂會，沒有海報，也沒有紀念品，但卻有我們幾個超級忠實 Fans！它的舞台設計也得特別，帶有種舊式遊樂園的感覺。大家都放鬆地坐在沙灘上的沙發，很 chill 的手拿著啤酒聊天，不小人還帶著寵物和小朋友一起前來到這兒，在音樂和陽光下享受著周末。

to be continued .....

#double_size

0 notes

cavi718-blog · 11 years ago

Text

Airbnb - Home sweet home，旅行「家」- New York .

雖然內心常說出國旅行就應該要豁出去，想食就食，想玩就玩，有時貴些都無所謂。（回來後至多節省一點，喝少幾杯咖啡吧！）然而，外國的酒店價錢非常非常昂貴，還經常要付額外的小費等等，往往��品質不成正比，所以實在不太捨得！（P.S. 特別是紐約）

因此，其實最初接觸 Airbnb 的時候，純粹正是因為這個原因 — 它的價錢較平！然而，親身試過之後才發現這並不是它們的主要賣點。其實背後的意念相比起金錢更為難得。

Airbnb 中 bnb 的意思是 Bed & Breakfast，就是說提供床給客人休息過夜及有早餐供應的旅店，與民宿有點相似；然而，Airbnb 從 bnb 的意念啟發出另一個更大膽和創新的旅行體驗。

Airbnb 是一個給予 Host（ 房東）和 Guest（住客）交流的平台。簡單來說就是你可以在旅行時，租住當地人的家作住宿，感受獨一無二的體驗。因為每個城市人們的生活文化都不一樣，所以在 Airbnb 裡，你會找到很多意想不到的「家」。公寓、城堡、別墅、車屋、船屋……

你也可以成為 Host ，襯出國旅行時把自己的家 list ( 出租 )給其他旅客，利用剩餘空間賺取一些額外的收入。倆者的角色我都試過，但這次讓我先說說在紐約以 guest 身份用 Airbnb 租住別人的家之體驗吧。

Duration : 6 nights

Address : Hell's Kitchen,（鄰近 Times Square ）

Guests no. : 4人 ( 爸、媽、弟和我）

Type : Entire home （整個單位）

Home type : Luxury service apartment

No. rooms inside the apartment : 2 間套房

No. of bed : 2 queen size beds

No. of bathroom : 2.5 bathrooms

Size : 1600 s.q.

Price : $5925 HKD per night.

在網上完成預約後，屋主 Aidan 便馬上以電郵和電話和我聯絡。因為我比家人先到達紐約，所以我在入住的前一天來個實地考察，順便 pick up 大門的鑰匙。（他們晚上時份才到紐約，所以一落機就可以如回家一樣，立刻放下行李和休息。）

Coffee machine & free coffee cups —

每朝早餐後的指定動作。

Blender & Panini maker -

Perfect for make your own breakfast !

屋主 Aidan 人很好，他不但為我們準備了 cupcakes 作 welcome food，還讓我們可以隨意享用雪櫃和廚房內的食物，酒精飲品除外。

Master bedroom -

很舒服，但在晚上時份，可能是因為屋主喜歡比較有情調的感覺，只以蠟燭的火光作主要照明，所以在主人房內並沒有其他燈飾。媽媽聰明地打開了衣櫃門，讓櫃內的燈光稍稍照進房內。

Master bedroom bathroom

Guest bedroom

在經濟的角度出發無疑這是個雙贏的 idea，但我認為 host & guest 之間的那份人情味和能夠在其中真正體驗到當地人生活的經驗卻更令人難忘。現在我們和 Aidan都成為了朋友，還約好下次再來紐約時，大家要出來聚一聚呢。

雖然這並不是第一次用 Airbnb，但我在計劃這次美國之行時一直都十分擔心，因為不知住慣��酒店的家人會否接受這個住宿方式。總括來說他們都給予正面的評價，但也有很多需要留意的細節...... to be continued (: !

#double_size #airbnb #nycstay

0 notes

cavi718-blog · 11 years ago

Photo

拋開遊客的身份吧！不要盲目地跟隨那些專門做遊客生意的景點，讓自己的腳步放慢，把手機放在口袋裡休息，用眼睛去看看四周，以感覺編寫屬於自己的行程。這樣，你會發現其實在紐約四周都埋藏了比景點更美麗和意想不到的 Hidden gems。

Live well, Laugh often, Love much.

紐約就是這樣的一個地方。

ORDER HERE (: !

#nyc #double_size

1 note · View note

cavi718-blog · 11 years ago

Photo

Cya soon.

#double_size

1 note · View note

cavi718-blog · 11 years ago

Text

Uber - My private driver in HK.

Getting a cab in Hong Kong is not as expensive when compared to cities like London and New York, but it's always a challenge to get a cab during the peak hours or late night on weekends. ( Try getting a cab on a Friday night in Central. A Nightmare.) But here's the good news, Uber is back in Hong Kong again and it is secretly on the road now! However, at this time, Uber is primarily covering Central and the surrounding areas, said by Uber HK. Alright, then here's a question. Can I get to anywhere in HK by Uber? Since we all know the unspoken rules of HK Taxi, they always refuse to cross the harbour. In order to find out this answer, I decided to test Uber out on my way back home yesterday from Wan Chai to Diamond Hill.

Uber is an on-demand car service that allows you to request private drivers through apps on either iPhone and Android devices. It creates a platform to connect the passengers and private drivers who can pick you up and take you wherever you want to go. All you need to do is get the App and simply fill in some personal informations then you're all set to enjoy a wonderful ride like having your own private driver.

1. GET THE APP AND SIGING UP FOR UBER.

- Credit card information is required, because all the payments are made through your credit card online.

2. CHOOSE A CAR TYPE.

- Choose what type of Uber car you wish to request:

There is only one type of uber car in Hong Kong at the moment, which is the original UberBlack. The sample vehicles of UberBlack are Mercedes Benz S - Class, Toyota Alphard and Nissan Elgrand or similar. All the vehicle has to be qualified before it gets on the road, therefore they are all in great condition and most of them are new models within 3 years.

THE RATE OF UBERBLACK :

*There is a $30 cancellation fee.

3. SET PICKUP LOCATION.

- You can use the location services on your mobile to set your current location for pick up, or you can manually type in the pick up location.

- The estimated waiting time and cars' current locations are also displayed in the App.

4. FARE QUOTE, REQUEST CONFIRMATION AND PICK UP.

- You can fare quote the ride before requesting a car.

- After you've requested a car, a driver will confirm your request with their current location with vehicle's info displayed. All you need to do is to wait for your driver.

-If the driver could not find your location or have other questions, they will contact you directly by the phone.

5. THE JOURNEY

- Mercedes Benz S - Class, year 1999 model, with car plate number MK 1088 as shown in the confirmation arrived 4 minutes after I placed my request from Wan Chai at 8:06pm.

- The request procedure was efficient and simple, identical to the Uber in San Francisco. However, I was expecting a newer model of S class since most of the vehicle's models in SF are within 5 years.

INSIDE THE CAR :

Power Seats.

- The car is very comfy, clean and in good condition. It feels like you are sitting in your own car with your own driver. The driver - Ken is nice and friendly, it is actually his first day joining Uber. He was so busy the entire day accepting requests starting from the noon. However, this is not his personal vechicle. He is just working for a car service company, since all of the Uber drivers have to be officially licensed for commercial vehicles.

6. ARRIVING AT DESTINATION.

- Once you arrived, the driver will stop the Uber meter from the app of his mobile, therefore you don't have to do anything at all. Just simply get off the car with your belongings and say a cheerful goodbye to the driver. (:

- You will then receive the total price of your trip on the app and you can also give comments and ratings to your driver.

7. AFTER THE TRIP.

- An invoice of your trip will be sent to your email immediately. I was very impressed how detail and clear of the invoice, including all the fare breakdown and statistics.

The Answer : Yes, Uber brought me home with a safe and pleasant journey from HK Island to Kowloon. But I am not sure if they would accept long trip to New Territories Area.

OVERALL :

Fare - My family and I used the uberX car type from Uber all the time during our trip in San Francisco and we loved it. It was even cheaper than the local cab in SF with better services and vehicles. But since Uber only provides the luxury car type - UberBlack in HK at the moment, hence the total fare of the trip is almost double the total fare of getting a cab. Noted that it only charges me one way of the tunnel cost.

Comfort level - Luxurious and comfortable interior, definitely much cleaner and more enjoyable than a local taxi.

Accessibility & Communication - Easy and very simple to use. Everything is done through the app. Drivers are friendly with a good grasp of English.

Value - It is like the business class version of a taxi. Personally I think that it's good for certain special occasions, such as car services for clients and going to formal dinners and events. However, I am not sure if I would use it as a daily transportation.

Cheers, Cavi.

#uber

2 notes · View notes

cavi718-blog · 11 years ago

Photo