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Boo... just got time to update... 2 weeks out of office, there are a lot of works to finish. Unfortunately, I can't access ibualoy from Germany. I thought may be something worng on my server again. But when I'm back, I found out that I forgot to start up the ubuntu server... ^^ the computer is still ok.

Last time I visited Germany in this month, it was 18-20 degree. So, I prepared my cloth for that cold. But when I arrived, omg! this year it just only 5-10 degree. Pretty cold for this year, and even there was some raining. When it rains, it take a whole day... T.T

This trip is quite fun, our company sent 5 persons to attend the K-2007 Fair in Germany. Including 2 customers who stay in the same place and traveling together. So, we have a big team over there.

Why to Go

The main objective for this trip is K-2007 Fair. It is a Plastic Exhibition in Messe Duesseldorf. These Messe (Exhibition Place) is so huge... like Muang Thong Impact arena x 10. the exhibition take place on 24  - 31 Oct 2007. 8 Hard working days, so exhausted.

How was the fligh?

This trip we have chance to try ETIHAD Airways because of attractive price, we flew via Abu Dhabi Airport in UAE. So, new experience in middle-east. SO, we flew from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi (6-7 Hours) can transit from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt (6-7 Hours). Including waiting time in the airport, the total traveling time is about 14 hours, and another 20 hours on the way back (longer waiting time in the airport).

The good thing of ETIHAD is Personal Monitor with On-Demand Movies... (that's really cool!) I watched 4-5 movies during the flight. Because of it flew on day-time, so I couldn't sleep in the airplane. Then I just keep watching the movie. We arrived Germany approx 18:00 then we quite tired and ready to sleep. We have less Jet Lag problem in this trip and have fully rest before working.

Where to live?

We visit the exhibition at Duesseldorf everyday, but we stayed in Cologne because of the bloody expensive hotel in Duesseldorf. During the Fair, the Hotel rate in Duesseldorf is above 300 Euro!!!. But our hotel in Cologne just only 70 - 150 Euro. (Also very expensive if compare with price and quality of Thai Hotel).

Every Morning we have to take a regional train from Cologne Main Station to Duesseldorf Main Station. It takes about 40 minutes. Then we have to take a tram from the Main Station to Messe for another 20 minutes. Including all traveling time and wating time, approx 90 minutes in total.

During the Fair, the train are totally crowd. Quite difficult to get a seat, even the train also has large capacity. But in the Tram, just like a fish can.

Most of the days we wake up, have breakfast, walk 15 minutes from the hotel to main station, take a train to fair, working, take a train to hotel, dinner, sleep. Then we mostly have time to hang around in Colonge around our hotel area by walk.

Hotel Ariane Cologne

Most of our trip we stay in Ariane Hotel in Cologne. This hotel decorated with modern style, quite small but lovely. The bedroom is nice, each room has a bit different decoration. but the restroom is very small as usual! The Breakfast room is a bit small, the foods are more instant foods, not like the others hotel in small cities.

Visit www.hotelariane.de.

What to Eat?

Eating is not a big problem, but Not-eating is a big problem... hahaha. Simply breakfast we had in the hotel as usual. At lunch we always busy in the fair, and our stomach always feeling full because of amount of the food in every meal, someday we just skip the lunch. Mostly just a fast snack like a sausage, or sandwich. Because of our big asian gang. Most of our dinner are asian food (Chinese + Thai).

Cologne

There is a Peking restaurant close to Cologne Main Station. We have been there 2 times. And another nice chinese restaurant is Tchang. This one is locate on the way form Main Station to our hotel. I found the recommendation from the city guide, this restaurant is since 1954. The taste is even better than the Peking restaurant. Our most popular menu is Won Ton Soup. To start up our dinner with hot clear soup, is a very good feeling for such a cold weather like that. then we just order the typical menu such as king prawn, chicken, beef, duck (with different styles depends on the waiter's reccommendation out of menu, because of asian relationship). The quality of prawn and duck meats here are really good. I really love chinese restaurant just because of good ingredient.

Have you tried German Pork's Knuckle in Germany? Absolutely YES!!!

When I tell I have been in Germany, my friends always ask this question. Then... yes, we have tried. ervery trip to Germany, we have to find the chance to have a original german food. There are a lot of german restaurant along the Rhine river side in the Altstadt. One of recommended traditional Schweinshaxe (Grilled Pork's Knuckle) restaurant is Haxenhaus.

Visit www.haxenhaus.de.

Duesseldorf

After exhausted from the fair, sometimes we just decided to jump out from the tram to Altstadt.

Baan Thai

One day, our supplier invite us to Thai Restaurant named "Baan Thai" in Duesseldorf. I was surprised when I walk in to the restaurant. A lot of Thai worker inside. During the fair,  there are a lot of Thai visitors from the fair also. The worker told me that the day before we came, the touring group of Thai visitors has come here 90 persons!!! Another unbelievable thing is the taste... it's a good original Thai-taste restaurant. May be because our group are Thai, then they cook of us as Thai. No compromise of spicy taste, good ingredient, nice decoration.

Visit www.baanthai.de.

Fischhaus

On another day, we also enjoy our fishy fishy style in Ficshhaus (Fish House) in Dueseldorf. They serve very nice seafood in the town. Very crowd restaurant, fortunately that we come in big group (7 persons) then we have higher priority to get a seat. We order different kind of fish and share. Some are good, but some are poor... especially, fish in 'Duesseldorf style', that's a really uncommon style for us. Anyway, the food still good.

Visit www.fischhaus-duesseldorf.de.

Last Day in Cologne

On the last day, we stay in the Cologne just waiting for Flight time. Then we just walk around in the city, the weather is so nice, but pretty cold. Like myself, willing to fly back home now... hahaha. Then, I found the xylophone player just playing 'open hat' in the Altstadt.

Gallery

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