Top five attraction in Katowice, Poland

We love exploring cities without tourists and Katowice is a place skipped by most guidebook. Our couchsurfing friends took us around during our 3 days' stay and we are happy to explore something special about this small city.

1) Miners Quarter

There is a small town called Nikiszowiec where miners used to live and the windows are distinguished by a yellow frame. You will then know, they are miners. In the residential complex itself, they are all brick buildings with red frames, where artists move in, and brides take pictures with.

 

2) gallery near miners quarter - Galeria Szyb Wilson

The miners are actually talented artists. The gallery displayed artwork by amateur artists, including talented miners. 

3) stadium that played third encounter music at 7pm every evening

In the city centre, there is a stadium playing "the five notes" of the movie "Close encounter of the third kind" every evening. My friend didn't realized what it was until they talked about this familiar tune.

 

4) horrible Le Corbuersier high rise complex for 2000 residence

I am a big fans of organic design, like Gaudi, Hunderwasser. Le Corbuersier had this aweful high rise complex built in the middle of the city to suffocate individualism, this kind of compacted high rise apartment is also a characteristic of the once communistic society and a mark of horror to me.

5) bar area - 

drinking in the street is illegal but there are bar area which is popular to this university town. youngsters would be sitting near the square for a drink and hide their bottle if a police pass by. Polices are known to prosecute those who drink in the street and deliberately avoid big guys street fighting on the other end!

Going Donji Miholjac for the folk dance festival

From the tourist information booklet of Osijek we found about the folk dance festival. Starting off late after a lazy morning, we took tram and bus to the edge of the city to start hitch-hiking. We waited in the cross-road near a sunflower and plum field for an hour, then we were picked up by a trawler. We were at the back and it was slow but we enjoyed the scenic ride.

The driver was a baker who worked in a nearby food factory. He took us to his house and treated us an early dinner. In this sufficient and simple family we enjoyed their hospitality. They made their own cheese and reared their own chicken. It is this simple village life that we from the city are looking for.

After the dinner he drove us to Donji Miholjac. Thinking that we would just find a grassland among the trees in the central park to camp for that night, we went straight to the stage where the dance show would start. We put the heavy backpack aside and looked for suitable place to camp. Then we made a friend with Stella who helped in the festival. She said that actually the festival started this evening. We hitchhiked the whole day and worried that we missed something, in fact we did not.

We attracted so much attention as the audience for the dance show. Many local people wanted to take pictures with us. As for the dance on stage, it was refreshing to see local costume and local melody with folk dances.The organizer Migel found us and even offered us free beer and food. We felt so thankful for the hospitality. He asked us where we slept that night, we said camping. He even arranged two nights in a hotel free of charge for us !!! Feeling so fortunate, we fully enjoyed the night on the dance show and the later folk music concert in the bar.

 On the same night we went to the culture center and saw the young people having party and beer. They were the dancers. We expected them dancing differently, but we were wrong, they danced folk dance in the party; sang folk song; and there was life music by accordion player.

The next day we visited a 19 century castle and appreciated how the oak was used to build the interior. Initially we were not allowed to go in, but the tourist information officer gave us a free tour into the castle.
 

 After some lovely ice-cream we went to the city center to see the march of traditional folk dancers from different part of inland Croatia, Macedonia, southern Hungary and Bosnia. After the march was the final show-off of the dancers. We sat before the stage for the whole night to see them dancing on the stage. However they were mostly facing each other, we would enjoy more if the dancers danced on the ground and people went around them to see their performance.

The festival ended with a great party. There was live band playing traditional musics and people on the ground stood up and dance. It was a really local party that people dance folk.

We enjoyed a quiet and local weekend in the small town and thanked so much for their hospitality. We highly recommend this to other visitors for next year.

紅廟遇上隔世紅顏

就是她!!!

 

他跟她在紅廟相遇，她隨他坐下，四目交投，時間彊住了。彷彿久別重逢。她不顧經持，嬌情地哎呀了一聲，便一骨碌投進他的臂彎。我看在眼裡，皺了一下眉。見她楚楚可憐的模樣，又心生憐愛，便大方的任由她依偎在丈夫身上。她瞄了我一眼，露出勝利者的姿態，得寸進尺，開始提起一雙小手，左一下、右一下在丈夫大腿之間揼按著。不一會，她便瞇起眼睛，一頭載進他大腿上，一臉陶醉。他見我眼𥚃冒煙，索性合上眼裝睡。我被拋局外，沒事可做，只好在一旁拍照。終於，丈夫張開眼睛，跟我說：「走吧！」我點了一下頭。他一站，她也便乖巧地站起來，依依不捨地看了他一眼。默默的道別，然後別過臉，故意不去看我倆牽著手離開。

 

土耳其依斯坦堡的Hagia Sofia聖蘇菲亞於1985年被選為聯合國教科文組織世界遺產，是遊客必到的古蹟景點之一。其粉紅色的外牆與建於對面的藍廟(Blue Mosque/ Sultan Ahmet Camil)相影成趣。聖蘇菲亞的室內更以3百萬片金磚鑲嵌成壯觀的馬賽克(mosaic)圖案，手工精緻，嘆為觀止。

公元537年，查士丁尼帝命令重建聖蘇菲亞大教堂，成為東正教的中心達900年之久。直到1453年易主，聖蘇菲亞又被奧多曼帝國改為穆斯林清真寺。

在1935年，聖蘇菲亞成為博物館，其宏偉的建築見証著拜占庭和奧多曼帝國加起來近1500年的豐富的歷史。

好抵玩嘅告路架國家公園

由於呢個國家公園太多人寫，好多係英文，所以用英文寫博文有啲平凡，或者用廣東話寫比較親切。我諗唔係好多香港人好似我哋咁可以平價去南非睇野生動物，其實safari嘅意思係去遠行，同睇動物可以無關。

喺基督農場做咗兩個禮拜義工，比得兩夫婦帶我哋、另外兩個英國女仔同德國女士，到南非東北部告路架國家公園參觀。聽講喺南非國家公園睇動物比其他非洲國家睇更貴，我哋經過坦桑尼亞一役有啲擔心。誰不知比得自己楂車入場，我哋只需要俾入場費、紥營費、分擔入油費同食物就掂，佢唔會賺我哋錢，只為開開心心玩三日兩夜。

第一日天未光我哋六點出發，從Pafuri閘入公園，沿途我哋食零食飲茶飲咖啡，以佢哋兩夫婦各精於茶及咖啡，我哋不愁無好嘢飲。天色不太好，天陰又落兩，朝早無乜動物睇，只係喺湖邊嘅觀鳥屋睇到鱷魚。下午見到多啲，有美麗嘅釣魚翁、

好多鹿、水牛等，令我哋興奮嘅係睇到其他國家較少睇到嘅河馬。我哋喺條橋下睇到大大小小嘅河馬。大嘅喺水度調情交配，細嘅喺度互咬同玩。睇到我哋唔捨得走。

快天黑，呢度有規則要下午六點前入營地，否則要罰錢。點知駕車喺中間俾地羣大水牛圍，佢哋對我哋有啲唔友善，仲有一隻阿頭走過嚟凶我哋。我哋曾經聽過有大象因為俾汽車引擎騷擾而將一架車變成癈鐵，為免俾成班有架車咁大嘅大水牛撞埋嚟，我哋要將熄引擎，到適當時候才慢慢離開。到達營地已經六點半，好彩管理員網開一面俾我哋入。

喺Mopani營地我哋見到有小鹿入離搵嘢食，我地帶咗營，其他人住簡單嘅營屋。當晚我哋燒烤食牛肉飲南非紅酒，營地電網出面我哋見到野狗望住我哋食嘢。當晚落雨，睇嚟第二日天色都唔係好...




第二日朝早出發見到野狗喺路邊坐喺度 (等我哋?), 跟住打橫喺我哋車前面行過, 原來佢真係陀背! 佢當我哋你到咁施施然地行。我發覺呢到啲動物唔似坦桑尼亞嗰啲咁怕人，仲會帶攻擊性，唔老嚟就凶過來，果然充滿獸性。
 
啲長頸鹿可能因為素食比較溫馴啲，都會怕下人。 而森巴嘅好朋友野豬就較好奇，特別係細嗰啲，鍾意望我哋，要阿爸叫到先肯走。

 呢度啲大象比較珍貴，每隻都有名，會有管理員經常追蹤。喺營地有大象博物館，紀錄各大象資料包括點生點死。我哋喺早上見到一隻較年輕活潑嘅象，而我哋都會熄引擎，費事激到佢。


 下午天色明朗啲，我哋較多見到一羣羣嘅動物，包括鹿、駝鳥等。見得唔少，我哋都見怪不怪，少咗一份當初睇嗰陣時嘅興奮。我只想睇到從未見過嘅大豹及獵豹，搵咗成個下午都搵唔到。唯有收兵，第三日再搵。

第三日早上搵極都搵唔到未見過嘅動物。正當失望而回之際...

居然俾我哋喺一個鐘頭內見到獅子(雖然比較遠)、獵豹(佢喺草叢伸個頭出嚟，真係好難發現到)同好近咁睇到大豹。

 隻大豹啱啱捉咗隻鹿，拖咗上路邊大樹度食。我哋做好近咁睇哂。

懷住滿足嘅心情離開，仲要俾我哋睇到另一隻大象走過嚟(同我哋講拜拜?)，但又好似來者不善。為安全起見，我哋都係熄引擎，等佢行過先走。

番到農場已經晚上八點，呢次睇動物旅程同以往唔同，又平又抵又好玩多動物睇。三日兩夜每人只係一千港元包飲食包住，邊度搵?

但係慳埋慳埋到最後喺開普敦俾人呃番，容後再講。

南非農場日記

以為在南非旅行會有點貴，為慳點旅費我們找些義工服務。希望可以平點住又可以認識多點本地人。老婆上網找到一個有基督教背景的農場，他們期望義工留一個月以上。我們只想留兩星期，又要提供履歷，好像有點麻煩。最後還是交了，居然有回覆。他們好像很歡迎我們，況且只需每人每月付三百南非幣作日常開支，總算經濟，於是我們就從津巴布韋出發到南非北部林波波省，裏面有個叫散連的鎮，附近盛產牛油果、芒果、荔枝等生果。

四月八日 天晴酷熱
坐咗成日車，中間又碾轉換車又搵車，晩上九點先到南非波哥關尼巿。比原定時間遲了五個鐘到，又累又餓，迫於無奈才到唯一開門嘅麥記食嘢。叫個大麥餐同麥雞餐，點知食到一半大麥餐先知道無咗一層牛肉芝士。麥記員工又肯整多份賠償，等緊佢整之際，員工居然搵到去省連鎮嘅順風車。
其實係一架靈車，後面瞓嗰個係男係女都唔知，就放兩個大背囊同佢一齊，一行四個人就迫喺前車廂。
去到省連，成十一點，司機建議我哋入警署留一晚。點知啲警員對我哋好有興趣，又幫手打電話問，又用手機上網搵(其實個農場網頁無寫地址)，又用警車帶我哋周圍搵，遍尋不獲，停止搜索。喺警署停車場紥營瞓一晩。

四月九日 天晴酷熱
為咗唔好比上級知，我哋一早起身收拾細軟七點走。用咗成朝提錢買電話咭，再返警署，佢地居然繼續幫忙帶我哋搵到個神秘農場喺鎭嘅辦公室。還在裝修，招牌只說是稅務公司（!？）旁邊是連鎖的中價餐廳。
總算找到聯絡人比奈先生，一番參觀和介紹，我們在辦公室上網打發時間到午飯，到那間餐廳光顧一下。二百幾南非幣食一人份魚兩隻蠔兩杯飲品，有啲貴。我哋見到餐廳負責人莊拿芬，佢對中餐興趣很大，我們便自薦第二晚幫單身人士煮廣東菜。
莊拿芬帶我們到超級市場，原來這地方出產生果，反而蔬菜欠奉。買完就乘農場專巴，要乘一小時才到自成一角的阿朗農莊。
我們被安排和一對丹麥裔夫婦住同一宿舍，有自己的雙人房，裝修很沈實舒適。
第一晩的晩餐除了簡單的意粉外，就已經有新鮮的牛油果，很新鮮好吃。
前一夜睡得少，很早就想睡。但當晚有工作時間，我哋坐喺餐廳幫手為棘椒去造棘椒醬，十點已經好眼訓，做完即訓。

四月十日 天𤲟酷熱
早餐也有牛油果，仍是新鮮嫩甜。第一天早上工作就是當約拿伯伯的跟車。他在這裏已經二十年，好似係呢度負責決定嘅長者。我幫手淋幼苖、搬蟲水（作肥料）、到牛油果工場搬箱等。
下午在烈日下油木地板，之後煮二十個人的晚餐（有家室嘅會自己煮食，單身就到餐廳食）。
第二朝要六點半食早餐，很累，十一點就睏了。


四月十一日 天陰涼
今日我整曰分咖啡豆，要企喺度搖又要搬，用壓縮氣把穀吹走。認識咖啡專家比得，這農莊有出產高檔咖啡，要用人手揀（我都有份揀）。食午飯時比得同我分享主點樣將佢從精神病救出來。而家成家立室，仲將佢父母帶來農莊。感謝主嘅作為同拯救。
經過一日工作，晚餐前有聚會唱歌讚美主、禱告分享、讀聖經。晚餐後有電影播放，一套賣視覺效果但故事沈悶嘅日式打鬥片。看完很睏，很旱就瞓。

四月十二日 天涼微雨
落咗成晩雨，好早發現啲人出咗去，原來佢哋五點幾去祈禱。食完早餐，我可以同老婆一齊㨂咖啡豆。佢好鐘意做，因為令佢更了解咖啡，包括揀選過程同質素。其間我哋聞到好香嘅焗咖啡味，知道比得喺山下焗咖啡豆。好想去參觀一下。
上午咖啡時間後我哋到山下咖啡小屋找比得，見到他把朝早焗起嘅豆入袋。佢介紹每次焗嘅時間同溫度都有記錄，所得出的味道也不完全一樣，一半技巧一半藝術。
午飯後比得帶我哋到咖啡園參觀。第一次看到紅色的咖啡果實，甜甜的再把白色的咖啡豆吐出來。比得說這裏是南非唯一喺海拔一千米以上的咖啡園。這些咖啡樹是從野生樹苗移植過來，而這些野生樹來自猴子吃咖啡果把種子從肯亞帶來這裏。比得把果實除殼再把種子和一些果皮泡再清水約三十六小時發一些醇，使咖啡有一點果酒香。他還給我們看紅色的毛蟲，牠們能把除掉的果肉化成肥沃的泥作有機肥料。咖啡豆是太陽曬乾而除掉剩餘的葉綠素，這是有異於那些大量生產的咖啡豆要快焗乾，未取掉葉綠素而在長時間運輸時變綠。咖啡的生產像釀酒，沒一部都棈打細算。
參觀後我們回工場繼續揀豆。晩飯後有每星期一次的感恩聚會，感謝主一星工作日的作為和供應。他們唱歌跳舞，不澀於開口讚美祈禱。


四月十三日 天晴
原來星期六是休息日。早上有聚會分餅和酒，他們覺得這是清潔他們的靈。之後我們被邀請到莉地亞家裏吃早餐，但要成十點半先有得食。之前就到附近的樹林很山，呢度住啲人夾錢起條行山徑圍住農莊行，其實都無乜特別。之後我哋到外邊樹林行搵動物，點知俾我地見到四隻斑馬。我哋可以很近見到佢地，聽講佢地較其他動物唔怕人，捭個蘋果佢地會走近。
下午我哋去咗史提芬妮和丹尼家食下午茶。佢地整咗班㦸，喺大露台望住森林傾暍。史提芬妮講述一個華人朋友跳樓自殺，她從大陸來南非，生活富足，點知識咗個男朋友，跟住分手，情海觸礁。跟著又講述佢信主得救的事，十八廿二被父母送嚟呢度。起初好反叛好想走，但酗酒嘅爸爸嚟探佢，父女恩怨得以解開。廿年後的佢後呢到成家，主的作為真奇妙。
今晚有燒烤，我哋買咗兩塊牛扒，終於一嘗南非產品，肉味充足，真不錯。

四月十四日 天陰下雨
今天有半天工作日，我哋同學校啲學生一齊清潔農莊。要清理樹枝樹葉，跟著要搬凳搬枱來回山上山下，最後到樹林收集廢木頭。下午同老婆再去山頂搵動物，除了見番嗰四隻班馬外，仲見到三隻大鹿（我哋叫佢哋福祿壽），同一大班羚羊。
番來落大雨，我哋去咗樂得屋企避雨，傾下暍，睇下佢嗰本丹麥語翻譯占美奧利化食譜。晩飯後有戲睇，做Hobbit , 睇完就訓覺。

四月十五日 天晴炎熱
今日終於有得出城!要幫正裝修嘅辦公室髹油。有得可以免費上網，一於帶埋電腦出去。點知要死做爛做無停手：磨牆、上灰、髹油，由農夫變三行佬。無時間上網搵租車同巴士車票。
帶住疲倦身軀番屋企。晩上有查經時間，去比特屋企，有得飲佢啲靚咖啡同茶。査糸經讀羅馬書第五章同創世紀第三章，心想終於有使徒章節。㸃知用好多時間講前者，其實我認為它是後者的背景，重要嘅係有關阿當的一人犯罪使我們的原罪，和耶穌的一人救贖。查完十點幾好眼瞓。上床即瞓。

四月十六日 天晴炎熱
為咗要用食晏嗰半個鐘上網訂車買飛，雖然又要去做三行，我哋仍然想出城。我就咁樣髹咗成日天花板，中間蛇咗一個鐘訂咗架車，一個禮拜只係為千一港幣, 以為好抵，但後來知道由約翰內斯堡揸車去開普敦，單程油錢連過路費已經要二千港幣。況且咁揸法，去到䦕普敦已經無時間玩，所以㡬日取消訂車。
工頭史提芬很好人，請我哋飲農場咖啡豆造嘅貴咖啡，工程中亦教我哋髹油方法。當晚番農場好靜，因為之前好多人走咗放假，出面餐廳開工又用咗一批人。原本夜晚要做嘢，我哋只係搾啲檸檬汁就被放假。番到屋企同比爾和羅拉兩夫婦一齊飲紅酒，分享我們的旅程。

四月十七日 天陰
以為訂咗車(仲未取消)，放心繼續喺農場開工，朝早在BB房(意指植物苗圃)淋水。約拿喜歡試種植物，包括泰國水菜、人參。見到各植物在水和陽光下開心的笑。下午到農場唯一的金工場幫手，迪西是金工藝術家，我只係略幫小忙切切鑽鑽。佢之前喺波斯灣拿經營私人動物公園，在裏面幫襯都係大款，住一晚要成幾千蚊。因為今晚為單身人士煮飯，可以早放工。今晚煮川椒雞、蒸水蛋、炒雜菜和我新創的荔枝雞。啲棘椒真係好棘，但係買番嚟嘅花椒係次貨，味道不能同棘椒混和，這是我不滿意嘅地方；荔枝雞係將攪起膠的雞肉包荔枝肉炸，但係老婆加咗蛋，質地似琵琶豆腐；自己砌蒸籠蒸水蛋，質地麻麻。但係佢地都很喜歡吃。

四月十八日 天陰
今日成日分咖啡豆，要企成日，有啲悶。當晚要早啲訓，第二日晨早到告路價國家公園參觀。