On my 1st day trip to Brussels

I was on board on 10:30 am, June 9, 2007 in KLM KL-868 by Boeing – 777 heading from Osaka to Ams (Amsterdam) (not the pic down here 😉). There is no direct flight to Bru (Brussels) from Osaka and therefore I needed to have a transit at Schipol – Ams. I have never been to inside Kansai International Airport (KIX) before, except for the time when I arrived last October and when I fetched up Ibet. My impression was it looked like Schipol as they both provides nice mall inside but still Schipol provides better. But among all I have been to, Changi is still the best. Believe me 🙂!

The flight was nice. I did not feel any jet lag at all because I maintained to stay awake during the flight which was lasting for 11 hours from Osaka to Amsterdam and 35 minutes from Amsterdam to Brussels. I knew that I needed to adjust myself to Brussels time and therefore I decided to stay awake until night time in Brussels. Three movies (the Departed, Forest Gump and the Shooter) that I watched in KLM were great companions during the flights.

I do not know whether this will work the same if I fly towards the east as for my return. But I think not. Let’s see. The time difference between Brussels and Kyoto is 7 hours and therefore on my return flight from Brussels on 13:25, it would be equal to 20:25 in Japan. I thought that would work difference. I needed to adapt myself again to Japanese time and I needed to sleep during the flight given that it was already evening in Japan. This would help me adapt easier to Japanese time which means when wake up later, I would have myself already been adjusted.

My next chair companions were Japanese. They were having a summer vacation arranged by Hankyu travel agent. We could speak Japanese and I liked it. Hmm my Japanese was not too bad I think 🙂. Well, still would be much nicer if my Japanese is better.

When I arrived in Schipol, I was familiar with the airport and did not feel awkward. I had only 1 hour time difference between my arrival time in Schipol and departure time to Brussels. It was more than enough for me to still have some time to enjoy the airport and took some shots. The flight from Schipol to Brussels was by a small Fokker aircraft. I forgot the type. On 18:20 still on the same day (June 9th, 2007), I arrived at the Brussels airport. The airport’s design is similar to that of other modern type of airport. It has clear display by the means of transparent windows to the landing ground allowing the visitors to clearly see the aircrafts taking off, landing and parking. I think the airport has L-shape design. I did not check from the map but when I was going to get my luggage I could notice that. In my first impression I do not like the design inside of the airport. On the way going out it makes you to get down to the down stair and then after walking you needed to go two-floor upstairs before I could collect my luggage. A little bit confusing for me 😦!

After getting my luggage, I went out to the exit. I was fetched up kindly by a messenger arranged by African Museum. He is a husband of someone working part-time in the museum. We headed to the Comfort Art Hotel Siru, Brussels. The hotel has a small lobby.

In the evening, though it still looked like daylight because this is summer time in Brussels, I walked towards the city center. It was not so far from my hotel to reach the city center. I used wrong costume! I thought it was hot outside so I went out wearing short pant and a t-shirt with a casual blouse. Walking for hundreds of step I realized that none of the pedestrians using short pants!! Aha, today must be not hot. In fact the weather was mild. I was a little bit awkward because it showed that I was a really a stranger.

I went down to the city center and I could find an internet café there. It looks like the internet café or warteg eh warung internet in Indonesia J. 1.75 euro for 1 hour. A little bit expensive but still much better offer than that of my hotel’s. They offer 5 euro for 30’!! Can you imagine that? What a burglary!

At that night, the city center of Brussels did not have good looking because it had so much garbage on the street. Probably because it was already 08:00 pm and the officers had not clean it yet. But what about the pedestrian?? Did they just throw their garbage as they wish? Just uncomfortable for me :-(.

Yesterday, I slept on 10:00 pm and woke up on 6:00 am. Nice sleep and I feel fresh today, fresh for searching new things in Brussels. Hmm, let me see. But first I need to go the central station so that I can figure out the how I could obtain ticket to Enschede, Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon. Ciaoooo!!

Brussels, June 10th, 10:27 am