The Unexpected Chance Upon a Friend ….. & Christiana - Copenhagen

The unexpected happened in Copenhagen. Christ (an American) the guy I met on my first RTW trip nearly 3 years back when I was in Korea in a hostel was in Copenhagen. I thought he was still in China working. I always forgot it has been 3 years since the first trip. It feels like yesterday when you meet up people but at the same time like a decade ago when you try to recall memory.

Christ saw my check in on Facebook for Copenhagen and he immediately message me. Sure why not meet up and have a chat. Now if I had not met Christ, even thou I had decided to go walking around Christhaven I would never have found Christiana.

What do you wanna do Christ asked me? Since I have walk almost everywhere in downtown Copenhagen I was planning to take a walk to Christhaven. The guide map says it a cosy place to visit with interesting shops. Christ gave me a chuckle and said ok and me not knowing then did not see the signs and hints of his facial expression.

He brought me straight to Christiana in Christhaven. First thing I notice was the no photograph sign which I pointed out and Christ just replied Yeah. Wait I smell weed and looking closely everyone was smoking and some were even selling. Christ was looking at me, observing wondering how I would react to it.

I just need to get some cookies and we can take a walk the other side he said. I thought he meant a snack no a loaded cookie. Going to the cookie booth I finally understood it was a special cookie when I saw the plants and joints selling alongside them. The sellers had a black netting screen in front to obscure the face of the seller and even then the seller was fully clothed with ski mask and gloved.

Now the chuckle, smile, snicker, No Photograph …. The lovely vibe, chillax pace, greenery makes so much sense. 

Get me a joint I told Christ and I’ll pay for all these, cookies and everything … my treat I said.

He was shocked when I said that …

I didn’t know how you would react to this so I was just keeping quiet and wondering he said.

Yep I smoke …. Every chance I get I told him … just not at home where it’s a death sentence.

So it was a nice day smoking around Christiana in Copenhagen, got so stoned I was not thinking very well. I forgot that it hits you with a time delay so I had one puff too many. Good music, good smoke, good food and we talk crap all the while or rather Christ kept up the conversation going and I tried to focus and chip in here and there before my head clears.

By the time we parted it was midnight …. It was an unexpected meet up in a beautiful place.

Touring Copenhagen – Denmark

What can I say about Copenhagen … It’s a perfect City for a paranoid tourist. Old rustic feel of a European City although history will tell you that it burned down three times so what looks like rustic aint that old as London but still it’s charming. The city is absolutely safe unlike other parts of Europe and whatever you want it’s all here, Architectural, museums, Castle, Royal family, folklore, theme parks, gardens, incomprehensible language, boat canals in the city, hippie places, jazz, bicycles, …. Copenhagen is quite a charming city

Copenhagen - Denmark 

I find it a lovely place to be in but then again I was there during summer. Plus like any equator born child the cold is a joy that we crave and of course we never really understood the miserable pain of cold year after year. I find it even more attractive when I realized they had royalty that is still alive and not hanged from any revolution.

Roast Pork

Anyway Copenhagen was a nice restart to my travelling journey. Little mermaid was a famous figure visited by the hoards in bus groups and the querky restaurants by the canals packed with rich class tourist. A charming town …. But expensive too …. I have heard that Scandinavia was expensive … life of a truly upper tier society   

The Little Mermaid - Copenhagen

Copenhagen canals

Tivoli - One of the oldest theme park in the world

Approach by White Boy speaking Mandarin in Copenhagen

First day or morning in Copenhagen and first walk out to explore the new city and while walking towards the centre and while waiting for the little green man to light up, a Dannish Guy(White Boy), in good semi-formal attire, glasses, clean cut walked up to me smiled and introduce himself to me all in Mandarin.



Err …. Ok so I tried to remember what little mandarin I knew and he continue on like I was the new friend he just met in the pub and we were not waiting at a street junction for a little green man to light up.

How is Malaysia ?

You guys speak at least 3 language right ?

Weather must be very cold there ?

How do you like Denmark so far ? Is it your first time in Denmark ?

His shots of question all in perfect Chinese-Mandarin like rapid fire and this went on with me doing my best to answer back in Mandarin, mostly in one word answer and finally I gave up and told him his Mandarin was much better than mine.

No problem he retorted in Mandarin. It was good conversing with you he said.

I ...... Was ........ speechless ........

He bade me goodbye when the little green man finally light up and in my mind I was thinking HUH !!!

I thought there was going to be something more to this unusual conversation. When he approach me I was already on guard, flash back to Milan, London and Chicago on all the scams I had experience so when he started conversation in Mandarin, my hands went to my pocket first and stayed there wondering if I would be pick pocket while this charming Dannish guy distract me with marvellous Mandarin, I even slide my eyes one time to my back and check if my side carry was secure. All discreetly done of course.

Nothing happen and I walked off still on guard half turning around to see the nice guy approaching the next Asian looking Mandarin speaking tourist not 3 steps away from where we were. I then notice a Chinese guy that was behind him quietly observing like a teacher watching a student displaying his Kung Fu in front of the stage for the first time.

I smiled at my own paranoia, still better safe than sorry.

Flying into Copenhagen-Denmark & a 66 Bed Dorm

Flying into Europe and immigration ask me the one question I really hate.

Do you have enough money to travel 3 months in Europe ?

Why do they do that … or rather why do they do that to me ?

Do I look like a person who would travel without money ?

Sheesh ….

My retort was simple enough …. Yes I said …. I am backpacking for a year and have been on the road for 8 months now.

He gave me a wide grin and a little envy look and wish me all the best with entry stamp. Backpacker privilege I guess …. You can travel anywhere if you are a backpacker even if you don’t have money.

Train to city centre was simple enough and the walk to the hostel that I pre booked from hostelworld.com was pretty easy.

66 bed dorm …. Oh my I was wondering how it would be like, a little excited and also a little dread of horror I guess and I arrive at the City Public Hostel. Funny that it was called that .. Public Hostel, as if it was a charity thing but it was nowhere as cheap as other parts of Europe. Scandinavia was expensive and that was why I was even considering a 66 bed dorm.

Got in and a long queue at the reception. It’s a full house today the reception guy said to a couple in front and I rolled my eyes wondering how a 66 bed dorm could be fully booked. I was banking that most people would avoid a 66 bed dorm hence it would not be as bad as it seam but … It was really fully book …. And that was not the only room in the hostel.

It was indeed a 66 bed dorm and I had to pay extra for linen and bedsheets as well. The dorm was set in somewhat a basketball or some indoor court. They had low partition built in like an office cubicle hence although a 66 bed big indoor court it was well separated into cubicles of 4 each with each his own small lockers. Interesting indeed and not as bad as I thought.

Just like that … Family break and safezone was over ….  I was back on the road … time to start exploring

A typical street in Copenhagen.