Travelling alone, means you need to spend tons of time planning your travel. So much so that I dont have time to sleep nor study. And I might just fail my exams.

Fortunately, I dropped the subjects that requires compulsory attendace. Which means Im hardly even seen in school, if at all. And I dropped the econs course. Which will certainly make the NUS econs coordinator proud. She insisted that I would not make it past that course, cos I only have ec1101e. She was right. This course is a complete madness. I have never seen so much calculations and graphs and models in my life.

Lets not be complacent. I will study during my travel.

And, unlike the 4 other NUS girls, who doesnt gets too bothered about budget, although they voice their concern (but dont seem to do a thing about it - actions still speak louder than words). I, prefer to travel alone, unless there is someone else who is on as tight a budget as me. Rather, someone else who is as crazy in saving money, and trying to get the most by paying the least and feeling damn happy about it.

Thus far, I am rather satisfied with the way I travelled. As compared to the Singaporeans in Oslo and Tronheim (another Norwegian state), I spent the least, and travelled the most.
14 days in Tromso and Hakoya, I spent maybe 10SGD on food. The girls spent 3 days in Tromso and spent, several hundred dollars on accomodation, and on what alfred calls - tourists traps. You learn to identify a tourist trap. It looks out of place. It looks elaborated, like they install some big screens, just to make something out of nothing. It looks as if, the state put it there just for tourists. Like the Esplanade of Singapore. Except that for the Esplanade, you do not have to pay to get in - way better. A tourist trap for example - the arctic cathedral. State of the art design but, which is not really a religious place, but a tourist place. The arctic people attends another cathedral.

NUS estimated that I will spend 1700SGD on living expenses alone, excluding travel.
God is so good. I defied the odds, by spending 700 SGD on living expenses alone. And another 300-400 SGD on travel every month. And I will strive to maintain or better that.
I have heard fellow NUS students exchange in Europe. Some spent 25,000 SGD altogether, plus travel expenses. I've heard horror stories about that. As such, I was so close to cancelling my exchange programme. But now, Im glad. A jc friend met me b4 I left. He said another jc friend of ours, went to Manchester for exchange, and spent 10,000 SGD, travelling expenses included. That gave me hope. I now believe that this could be done. Its been 4 months already. Plus travel expenses, I spent not more than 4000SGD. If I could travel europe after exams, in 3000 SGD, for 2 months, that would be completely awesome. And of cos, I would cancel my room, and not need to pay rent, which is actually, the core of my expenses. It would be a dream, if eventually, my expenses are less than 10,000 SGD (8,000 would be my aim, although I admit I need to be more realistic). But hoping to buy a soccer ticket to Manchester United Vs Arsenal would blow that dream a little. However, watching a Manchester United Vs Arsenal match is a dream of a completely different world - since 9 years old.






I will fly to Milan on 1st April. Arrive at 11pm. Sleep overnight at the Milan Airport. Since I heard that Italians are good pick pockets, I do not trust them. I will perhaps, sleep in the toilet of Milan, if its not too smelly (maybe its a good Idea to invest in an Air freshener for Italy trip)


From Milan (1-2 days) to Verona (1 day) to Venice (2days) to La

At Venice, I will stay at a campsite called "Camping Jolly", 45min by bus from Venice. I read on my friend's blog that the tent is really value for money. For 10 Euros, there's shower and bed and private lockable tent. At Venice, as he had done, I will not buy the tourist pass, but will navigate through the maze of bridges and plazas and alleys to ultimately reach the grandest piazza.

Only pity is not being able to attend the Palio di Siena (the Italian horse races), which is held only twice a year. The ealiest on 2nd July. If I find super cheap air tickets on ryanair or easyjet, like 20SGD. I will perhaps fly there. Estimated 2nd July I should not be in Italy, but rather, in Helsinki, capital of Finland to meet my NUS Finnish project mate already.

At Clinque Terre, I will attempt to hike along the Mediterranea Sea, past the 5 Villages, 9km. Read and seen pictures on my friend's blog, that its an amazing hike. And even though, they try to make it a tourist spot, by placing a guard there (and pay 5 euros which is nothing), my friend says that he managed to sneak in at 7pm, and at 6am, after and before the guard is on duty. And I will swim at Vernazza (who's gonna look after my backpack then! Gosh, that's why u need a buddy.)

Matteo, the Italian, warned me about sleeping overnight in the streets in Italy. Not safe he says. Big and bad guys who dont speak much English. Sigh.