7D6N Hungary & Croatia with Contiki!

Super outdated post I know - haven't been able to find the right time and blogging mojo to pen this one down till now.

No idea if its going to be a long one but here goes - gonna write as much as I can remember.

It was some sort of internal Top Seller Contest by my company to motivate us to sell tour products of Contiki to as many people as we can.

When HQ sent out this motivation email, I remembered thinking and knowing for sure, "Aiya, cannot get wan because I'm in Corporate Sales and not Tours and I don't specifically sell tour products" - so it was read email and done.

Never came across this at all anymore.

Then, I became in-charge in organizing a 2-days travel talk for Contiki (first Contiki talk in Penang) and really, the team managed to sell more than 10 pax. It really is the team effort and I would never have done it without them.

Needless to say, I was so shocked when I saw my name in the email - chosen to go alongside with a colleague from HQ on this trip - everything paid for. It was insane. I could not believe it.

I was excited yet at the same time, I was nervous about how I was gonna feel leaving Alex for a week (never been away from him for so long before please).

Of course I still say yes - an opportunity like this very hard to come by okay.

It was later on after the company had confirmed my flight tickets and all, that I became pregnant and the morning sickness was rolling on me so badly - lasted the entire trip yes.

Anyways, we decided to go on with it provided I skip all 'too active' activities there.

So, that is how this story begins. Hah.

ELEVENTH OF MAY

Penang-Doha via Qatar Airways 851

It was the hardest goodbye at the airport please. I should be feeling happy going on a holiday in Europe with all expenses paid for and all that - but my heart was the heaviest having to leave my two boys for a week. Who knew that being a mother changed my passion for travel? Only if I had to travel alone la that is - cannot imagine travelling without my babies anymore after this trip's experience.

TWELFTH OF MAY

Doha-Budapest via Qatar Airways 201

After spending a total of almost 20-hours of travelling (13-hours flying and 7-hours on transit), I was ready to get into bed and skip whatever program that Contiki had planned because my body was just ready to crash and I was not gonna risk the pregnancy.

But of course, this had to happen:

• the car that I have booked online a week prior to this trip overlooked our reservation and totally forgot about us (me and my KL colleague) so we ended up taking the airport shuttle service called miniBUD and only paid half of the online booked car (blessing in disguise). 
• Then, the driver of this miniBUD dropped us at the wrong side of Budapest and went off and never came back so we had to grab a city taxi to get two lost Asian girls to the correct side of Budapest. Insane adventure please. We were supposed to reach to our hotel on the green side of the map but instead, we were dropped off at the red side - yes we considered walking but with the big luggages we had, no way man. 

• We got to the hotel only to find out that we are not able to check into our rooms until about 330PM because the rooms were not ready. Other agents from other countries were mostly already there but just chilling at the lobby. I was half dead by then. 

It was also Mothers' Day and I got too emo looking at photos and videos everyone was sharing via WhatsApp. First Mothers' Day and I was not around PFFT. Heh. 

After giving us like 30-minutes to settle into our rooms and freshen up, we had to meet up again for a kick-start meeting and then after that, tour begins. 

We had a walking tour around Budapest - followed by dinner on a cruise along the famous Danube River. Not super excited about the walking tour because I was really just so exhausted but thought I shouldn't miss it anyways. 

Crashed on my bed like a baby the moment we got back to the hotel and slept like a log perhaps. 

THIRTEENTH OF MAY

Budapest

Daily breakfast provided in the hotel so I ate whatever my stomach could take and ready to see what day two brings in Budapest. 

We were brought to the famous-must-see-must-go: Szechenyi Baths. If you ask me honestly, its really just probably another term for public swimming that you have to pay for. It is probably really nice during the cold season because the water is warm. It's called hot baths okay but we tried the water and that is not hot please. They have to go try Japan's onsen to know what hot really means.

Reven and I did not change into our swimsuit and get into the water because really, macam normal je - like normal swimming place. We sat at the side and lazed and people-watched.

My morning sickness kicked in and I fell asleep there at the Bath for a good 20-minutes while Reven continued to people-watched. Thanks Reven for taking care of me really! I was such an aunty during this trip - promise I am lot more fun when travelling okay.

Then, it was me time and we decided to wait for Wilson (Singapore) and Yaaseen (South Africa) and some others and walked together to wherever they had planned to explore. Better to follow the usuals than to walk on our own and missed out on some must-see right.

We went back to the hotel and rested before the evening plans by Contiki for a Goulash Cooking Demonstration Session and a visit to the Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar. Surprise surprise that I skipped the entire second half of the day's plan because I was really nauseous and not feeling great. I had cup noodles for dinner and went back to sleep till the morning.

These photos were taken from Reven and from my presentation heh.

FOURTEENTH OF MAY

Plitvice Lake, Croatia

We said goodbye to our hotel and en-route to Croatia - checked in to Hotel Bellevue after hours on the road. It was cold so it was pretty nice and cozy in the bus.

Because it was raining the whole day (and drizzling when we got there), they have decided to close the entrance to the bottom side of the National Park (boo!) because it was too wet and slippery and the water was getting higher and rougher. Such a bummer because that's where it gets really pretty and amazing.

So we only got to walk on the top side of the national park and looked down and still be amazed because it was really such a wow sight to catch. A must visit at Croatia for sure.

I didn't think I would get so amazed but the sight of it was really just breathtaking.

We had a simple 3-course-dinner and I was ready to crash (again) on the bed. I fell asleep so fast every night because of all the energy used and I think the baby inside also sucking all energy from me by just growing well inside.

One thing I know of this baby is she does not like European food, at all. Heh. Good thing I brought a lot of cup noodles - no choice ya.

FIFTEENTH-SEVENTEETH OF MAY

Plitvice - Makarska - Hvar - Split

The day that I feared the most is finally here - to go on-board the Katarina Line boat and spend the next few days on the boat itself.

Yes, everything also do on that boat.

So, I have motion-sickness, sea-sickness and on top of that all, I came bearing morning-sickness too! Imagine my excitement when I saw that the boat is not as huge as I wished it to be (yay not). I prayed (really hard).

They paired me with Minji this time (no longer with Reven) because Minji was also pregnant so we got the upper deck room (slightly bigger) and Reven got the lower deck.

Once on-board, we ate and freshen up and made our way to  Makarska with a swim stop on the way. So, they just find a really nice spot and stopped the boat and most of them just jumped into the water. Us Asians? We sat and watched! Hah.

The water was ice cold apparently so none of us jumped. I obviously could not jump into the water so I basically sat and took videos.

So for the next few days, everytime we leave a town to another town, they will stop somewhere for swimming and chilling. And we ate mostly on-board the cruise - with the freshest ingredients that the Chef will get from the town.

We arrived at Makarska about noon time and docked and went down for a walk - nice weather with postcard view everywhere - it's like living in a postcard seriously. Too beautiful!

We had the pirates/sailor theme for our farewell Captain's dinner and I survived until after appetizer and then I went up to my room and crashed. The morning sickness got the best of me add with some hints of sea-sickness. I died. Heh.

I woke up after an hour and yes, gobbled down my last cup noodle and then crashed again while the rest of the crew went out to party.

Thankful that the bed was really soft and comfy.

EIGHTEENTH-NINETEENTH OF MAY

Split-Vienna via Croatian Airlines 444

Vienna-Doha via Qatar Airways 184

Doha-KL-Penang

And the day finally came when we all said our goodbyes to each other and return to our reality. I was excited to go home because I was just having such bad home-sickness but totally not looking forward to the long hours of travelling.

I was supposed to spend 13-hours of flying and about 6-hours of transit in total to reach Penang but due a passenger's medical emergency from my flight to Doha, some of us missed our connecting direct flight to Penang and Qatar Airways graciously gave us meal vouchers (please next time give room for us to rest better) to compensate for the 'loss'.

Because of the timing, I had to wait an extra 5-hours at Doha Airport for my next flight to KL and then to catch another domestic flight to Penang. It should have been a direct from Doha to Penang but oh wells.

I remembered calling my mom at Doha Airport (it was midnight in Doha) and after talking to her on the phone, I cried and crashed in the restaurant's couch while hugging all my loose bags. I was just so exhausted and hungry. Thank God I got a whole row to myself on the flight back so I could lie down straight and be a boss. But then not long enough so I switched to the back middle row to occupy 4 seats all to myself. Hah.

Imagine the happiness when the crazy bunch came and surprised me at the airport and brought me to Pelita immediately! I went to bed so happy please although husband and son not around that night! Heh.

Thank you Contiki for this lovely trip - I am very sure that I would have enjoyed it more if not for the morning sickness! Grateful to have made friends from other countries - though not super close ya.

If you are aged between 18yo - 35 yo and you like to see the world and making new friends, you should consider going on at least one Contiki trip in your life - before you turn 36yo! It could be a life-changing experience for you and you may even find your soulmate there who knows!

Talk about international love hah.

But on a serious note, put in your bucket list: go on a Contiki trip (to anywhere!)

Till then, bye now. 

When Is Baby #2 Coming?

We are four days away from the due date - 16 December 2019.

FOUR DAYS AWAY. 

Alex came out four days earlier than his due date - but Sofia, Sofia is just getting too comfortable inside I think. I don't know if you realize this, but there isn't many scanned photos of Sofia that we share on our social media - and that is not because we are being protective or what. It's simply because at every scan, she will block her face with her hands! 

EVERY SINGLE TIME. 

There is only one or two times I remembered seeing her face entirely (for a minute) before she closed her face again with both her hands. One thing that stood out is her lips - so pout-y like her dady's. 

As much as I will miss having her inside me, I will not miss having interrupted sleeps because of breathlessness and backbone pain. Nope. 

I need Sofia to come out soon. Preferably by her due date because we are not excited about having to wait 7-more days after her due date (that's the extension Doctor gave us). 

So latest latest she has to be out by 22 December - which is way too close to Christmas - which also means I may not be able to convince myself to eat all the Christmas goodies! 

For someone who does not really follow the "confinement rules" whatsoever, I am somehow still a believer in eating the right things for at least a week or two. I obviously will still shower like normal and definitely not gonna be wearing socks the entire day - maybe only when I sleep because it is actually quite comfortable to sleep with socks on. 

I look forward to drinking the tonic soup and sesame oil stir fry things. 

For now though, I can only think about having Japanese Unagi with Rice! OH MY GOODNESS THE CRAVING IS KILLING ME. 

Anyways, I am still working and no, I am no longer going out for sales visit (I can imagine Adrian's stare at me if I still do). Honestly, walking is a struggle now because it is getting a lot heavier on the front and Braxton Hicks happen like every 15 minutes or so its insane. 

At times, I find myself having to stop while walking because of these episodes of Braxton Hicks. It's cuckoo crazy. 

Sofia is about a size of a mini watermelon - about 2.7kg when we last checked earlier this week. Alex was about 2.99kg when he came out (via a c-section). 

This time, we are going all out to try for natural birth with Sofia because seriously, I hate recovering from a surgery done on my skin. I have gone through it twice (ruptured appendicitis & Cesarean) so no thanks. I hate it too much it makes me so emo. 

And because Dr Soon from Adventist Hospital is very reluctant to allow us to try for natural, we decided to go to the Penang general Hospital this time because they are pro-natural and only opt for surgery if things are not going well. For my case, because i have had c-section last year, they will monitor me for maximum of 8-hours and if dilation is not going on properly, then it will be c-section in the end - but at least I know that they are going to try their best to push for natural. 

I like Dr Soon (a lot) but him not waiting to take the risk makes this decision a lot easier - because for me, I am very determined to give natural birth a try. He was not keen at all. He agreed to let us try but if at the end, we had to go under the knife, then the charges will be double - which is just mad. 

With Alex, we paid about RM11,000 - I know. 

And besides, I have heard and know of so many people who have delivered their babies safely (both natural and Cesarean) at Penang GH and have heard of good reviews of its maternity wards too. Plus, I don't want to stay so many days in hospital - better to go back to my comfy home please. 

The only downside is they are vert strict on their visiting hours and husbands cannot accompany their wives in the labor room wan. That would be something different honestly. 

Ohhh and the cost to deliver babies in Penang GH is like only 3-figures ya - not even in thousands.

My only worry now is I would not know how to push this baby out - everyone tells me it's like pushing for a hard poop - AND WHAT IF WHEN I PUSH, POOP COMES OUT?

Malu la please. 

I am actually concerned with this yes. Cannot eat too much food now so when I push, no poop will come out - only Sofia will come out. Hah. 

Okay enough talking for today. 

Gonna go rest at my desk now and zone out a bit. 

Braxton Hicks happening again. 

How I Get Rid of Indigestion & Heartburn and Up My B Vitamins Intake!

As some of you may have already know (through my daily complaints in IG heh), this pregnancy is harder compared to the previous one with Alex and it's really a no secret. Of course I try not to "complain" about it but too impossible.

I have people telling me that being pregnant with a girl is harder wan - as compared to being pregnant with a boy. Then again, I have had mothers with 2 boys shared with me their experiences and can I just say that the former is super invalid.

I don't think the gender of the baby is the one who determines how hard the pregnancy is going to be. Every pregnancy is just different period. Maybe the one I had with Alex was relatively easier and "nicer" that is why I feel like this one is such a ughhh.

I love my babies to bits okay even though I complain about the difficulty of it.

Anyways, one of the things that really got to me is the indigestion and heartburn I get especially at night. I have been losing sleep because of it and it is driving me insane.

I rather lose sleep feeding my child every 3-hours than waking up because of heartburn that doesn't go away immediately. It's a pure torture.

I've done a few things like eating smaller portions, eat slower, cut down on spicy food (too difficult!), takes warm water after a meal and sitting upright after a meal and taking Gaviscon! Sometimes can work, sometimes cannot work. I was reluctant to go to the Pharmacy to get a pill for it cos I hate taking pills!

I don't know about you but swallowing pills during this pregnancy is a big no-no. With Alex, it was so easy I can do it with my eyes closed please. Not this round.

Then, the big sister intervened and recommended something that is not all of the above! At first I turned her down because I thought it was going to be a pill-like thing and I just cannot handle taking anymore pills in addition to the neuro-gain pills and folic acid pills and iron pills for Sofia.

Guess what.

It's not in the form of pill!

It's powder-make-into-a-drink! And she recommended to take both of these! 

To be honest, my initial reaction also quite drama because I know I cannot continue taking it if it taste bad or medicine-y. She assured me that it actually tastes good and has a very pleasant smell. So, yes I decided to give it a try because I really do still want to enjoy eating whatever I want in my last 1-month of pregnancy. We can focus on losing the weight after baby comes. Side track a bit - I am planning to do the whole bengkung-post-natal-massage-thing but no idea from who or where yet.

Back to this.

So yes. I have tried it for few weeks now and can I just say that it works!

Sharing is caring right.

I had nasi kandar one of the nights at 930PM and after that I took this ISOTONIX DIGESTIVE ENZYMES PLUS POWDER and went straight to sleep. No need to sit upright for at least one hour before lying down to sleep.

You can go google and read all about it and why it is important to include this one as part of your I-am-pregnant-so-must-take-more-good-things-for-baby-and-me - especially if you really do get heartburn once in a while because of indigestion. Really sucks big time.

In summary: Enzymes helps breakdown food before it gets fermented staying too long in stomach. Poor digestion causes stomach to produce more acid. Fermented food produces gas. The pushes the acid upward. Causing heartburn sensation and possibly gives you the trauma of eating.

There was one time I was so scared that it will happen again that I only took a few spoonful of mushroom soup for dinner and went to bed hungry because I just could not bear the heartburn and that indigestion feeling.

Also, I found out that it is not only for pregnant people - but overall for those of you who suffers from indigestion. I believe you should give this a try and it may be the remedy to all your indigestion days.

Also, do you know that the B Vitamins are really good for you? Especially for pregnant people. Come I share with you why it is good. 

• Vitamin B1: Thiamine

B1 plays a major role in the development of your baby’s brain

• Vitamin B2: Riboflavin

B2 promotes good vision, healthy skin, the development and growth of baby’s bones, muscles, and nerves. It also lowers the risk of developing preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication

• Vitamin B3: Niacin

B3 is essential for your baby’s brain development
Keeps nervous systems, mucous membranes, and skin healthy. It also improves digestion, eases nausea, and can relieve painful migraines for mom

• Vitamin B5: Pantothenic Acid

B5 helps metabolize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, giving you the energy you and your baby need during pregnancy. It also helps to prevent pregnancy-related muscle cramps and aids in the release of stress-relieving hormones

• Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine

B6 helps to prevent low birth weight. It is essential to the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system
Helps maintain blood glucose at healthy levels and may help with morning sickness too.

• Vitamin B7: Biotin

B7 helps hair loss, brittle nails, and skin rashes of mothers during pregnancy. It is also essential to embryonic growth during your pregnancy.

• Vitamin B9: Folic Acid

B9 is one of the most important vitamin B during pregnancy. It prevents NTDs (neural tube defects) like anencephaly (a brain defect) or spina bifida (spinal cord defect). NTDs can develop at the earliest stage of pregnancy, so it is important to be consuming folic acid from the time you start trying to conceive. Reduces the risk of birth defects like cleft lip, cleft palate, some heart defects. It also reduces the risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy. It is important for the growth of the placenta, synthesis of DNA and the development of the baby. In general, it also helps in the process of red blood cell production and helps prevent anemia.

• Vitamin B12: Cobalamin

B12 is essential for baby’s neural tube formation, brain and spine development. Together with Folate (B9), it works to produce DNA synthesis and red blood cells. It will help the development and functioning of your brain, nerves and blood cells. It also helps improve your energy, mood and stress levels by aiding the metabolization of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It plays a role in the maintenance of a normal central nervous system and neurological functions by regulating the synthesis of myelin and fatty acids.

Okay, to be real honest with you guys - I didn't know all this until my sister shared them with me. So, now that I know (with few weeks left to my pregnancy), I am disciplined to take this every morning. 

It says behind the bottle to take it with empty stomach so I take this every morning after I get ready for the day. Very easy to drink because it's lemon-y and orange-y taste. So no regrets at all. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

Yes, if you want it, you can reach out to me, and no I am not selling them but I can get it for you through my sister :) Special discounts for you :)  

Also, do you know that this helps people with gout problems too? Or have high risk of getting gout. Kid you not. 

You guys are welcome! 

And hooray to supplements and vitamins that is not in pill forms!