Wednesday, November 25, 2015

2370. An 11-year-old Miniature Schnauzer vomits 4X today




Today, the dog vomited 4X. First time food, then white froth. What's wrong?

2369. Play is the work of children - eco shrimps

Early childhood pioneer Maria Montessori said "Play is the work of children". \

Instead of commercial toys, nature resources such as plants, sand, water and eco-shrimps make children learning more meaningful and fun. Parents are still concerned about academic work like worksheets. There is a new shift to play in pre-school education as studies have shown that children become more innovative and creative when left to experiment and play instead of being a vessel for filling up academic knowledge. 

Eco shrimps appear to be most popular with some Singapore teachers in 2015. They are cheap and easy to maintain.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPvAoNcy35M


2368. How to treat very smelly ears - Labradoodle puppy

This 5-month-old labradoodle has hairy and infected ear canals. Ear hair plucking and cleaning of the ears must be done weekly by the owner or groomer. However, the puppy objected to ear cleaning and hair plucking by the groomer. The inside of the ears become ulcerated and infected, leading to very smelly ears. The owner sought veterinary treatment at Toa Payoh Vets Singapore.

There are 3 methods of treatment depending on the professional judgment of vets consulted.
METHOD 1. MEDICATED EAR DROPS. One inexpensive method by many vets is to prescribe medicated ear drops and the owner applies the drops at home regularly. I find this method, in this case of very smelly hairy ears, ineffective.
METHOD 2. EAR IRRIGATION.  In Toa Payoh Vets, in such cases, the ear canals are irrigated to flush out the blood clots, bacteria and debri, after ear hair plucking.
This dog is sedated for this process. There is always the anaesthestic risk which deter many owners from accepting the second method. In healthy puppies and dogs, the risk is very low, but many owners do not want anaesthesia. So, the otitis externa get worse and become chronic.
METHOD 3.  EAR SURGERY. A lateral ear canal resection surgery which opens up the vertical ear canal by removing the side wall. After surgery, the ear is well ventilated and able to drain any water owing to bathing of the dog. This leads to no more head shaking and smelly ears and no need to go for the dreaded (by the dog) painful ear hair plucking every 2-3 months by the groomer. 


In this dog, the owner prefers METHOD 2. She maintains the ears and 7 months since the ear irrigation, as at Nov 25, 2015, I have not seen the dog again. 


VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=iZkYG4FtMQc

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

2367. Unbelievable stories: Eco-shrimps bring luck in 4-digit draw

Nov 24, 2015

I visited the pet shop and saw bottles of 2 eco-shrimps/bottle selling at S$58.  There were eco-shrimps and bigger bottles with eco-shrimps and snails, all miniatures. The shrimps were less than a year old and measure around 7 mm long while the snails were around 7 mm across. They do not need water changes, feeding and sunlight as they feed on the algae. They can live up to around 8 years and are mature at 4 years of age. Entirely maintenance free except occasionally to top up water.

"In January, I was selling these shrimps like hot cakes," Agnes said to me. "Many buyers had become lucky to have won 4-digit draws.  So, if the buyer feels happy to buy the selected bottle of eco-shrimps, they can become rich by winning the 4-Ds draw."  For a $10.00 bet (big),  the winner must get any of the numbers in the draw from lst prize to starter. He will win $20,000. For a similar $10 bet (small), he must get the correct number from the top 3 prizes. His prize will be $30,000.

"Buying eco-shrimps will bring me wealth in 4-D sounds very much like sales talk," I said to Agnes, a pleasant fair lady. She laughed loudly.

"I won $20 for a $2 bet when the recent first batch arrived," she related her own luck. She had been selling eco-shrimps from the American suppliers from January to April when there was no stock for the next two months. Many teachers had purchased from her for educational purposes and that was why she sold them like hot cakes. She dared to take risk to introduce this new pet to Singapore and had been rewarded by the great demand. The other shopping malls were selling at a much higher price and few Singaporeans are aware of this new type of pet.

"What number did you pick to bet?" I asked.
"My van number. Some driver hit me from behind in June, along Braddell Road, turning into Raffles Institution. I was trembling and had whip lash. I still go for physiotherapy every week but I just do not feel well as before."

"Since you don't indulge in 4-D bets but now you had a personal experience (of being lucky to win the 4-D) on only one purchase, it must be true that eco-shrimps do bring good luck." In Singapore, you need good luck to win the 4-D. As Agnes does not indulge in 4-D bets, this win of 20X for her bet was considered very lucky. She was betting on  the combination and so the payout would be small, at $100 for a $10 bet. 

So, do eco-shrimps make you win 4-D?  Anecdotal evidence from Agnes and many of her buyers seem to support this supposition.

Agnes was traumatised and had not received counselling after this first vehicle accident. It can be very stressful to be banged from the back when driving. She found she had green fingers as she planted sunflower seeds which grew well in her pot and spoke to the plants. "This is plant therapy," she smiled happily. She showed me the images in her smart phone. Then she gave me some sunflower seeds to grow. I am glad she has mostly recovered from the accident as she had to run her pet shop with one aunty helper only. 

She told her Primary 3 student son to come to Toa Payoh Vets to work after 2 weeks of holidays.
"He is so young," I said. "Let him work in your shop more often than occasionally and he will be happier and more confident when he meets various customers."

Her educational philosophy is tell her 5 children not to aim for high marks in their studies. Just pass their examinations, not to get As. "This is what the government tells us," she said. "Do not stress the children and let them enjoy their childhood."

"So your children will not bother to study hard. After all, mummy said so. If the parents do that by telling the children that they only need to pass examinations and not excel," I said. "Will the local university accept students who have mediocre grades?"



 

2366. Royal Asia Veterinary Surgery Surgery Hours


SURGERY HOURS
Mon to Sat:  10 am - 1 pm
                        6 pm - 8 pm

Sun & Public Holidays:
                         9 am - 1 pm


----------------------------------------------------

VETERINARY SURGEONS

Dr Sing Kong Yuen 
BMVS (Glasgow), MRCVS

Dr Thein Tun Aung
BVS (Yezin)

Dr Min Zaw Aung
BVS (Yezin)

Dr May Than Oo
BVSc (Yezin)







Monday, November 23, 2015

2365. A funny management story

Friday Nov 20, 2015

A lunch at Paragon at 2 pm to catch up with an old friend who is a very busy business woman. She had invited her business adviser.

She related this story of her ex-general manager whom I had met some years ago. 

During a sea trip, he was sitting across her. She sat next to Mac, her administrative manager. This GM was in his 40s and had been selected.

"He stretched his foot across the table needling my foot and up to the trouser," she said that this man had presented his wife at the office after being appointed.

"This is unbelievable behaviour," I said. "He really did that?"
"Yes, yes,"
"Did he then put his hand under the table and touch your knees?" I asked in a serious tone. "Just as in the movies!"
"No, no, the table was quite wide."  My friend was laughing so loudy as she bent double inside the restaurant. I was glad that she was no longer stressed out by such situations. 

"This looked like office harrassment," I was surprised that a married man could misbehave and risk losing his job ."Did he think he was Valentino? Irresistible to all ladies. A god's gift to woman? What happened next?"

"Well, I moved my leg sideways," she said. "He continued with his action and put his leg up the trousers of Mac!"
"Didn't he know that he had inched onto hairy legs?" I asked.
She laughed again. A very unusual story.  This man had quarrelled with the others in the office too.  I can't believe this story was true but then it was.


 

Sunday, November 22, 2015

A 9-year-old Miniature Schnauzer dislocated his right hip yesterday

Sunday Nov 22, 2015

The dog was leased as the painter was painting the apartment. The dog went under the bed and the painter pulled his leg out. He suffered a right hip dislocation (video).


The owner opted for the non-surgical solution. We have to wait 2 weeks to see whether the reduction is successful.



2362. Follow up: A 4-month-old pug has a screw in the stomach

Nov 22, 2015

Before I left for the Balkans Adventure Tour on Nov 5, 2015, the owner had agreed to wait for his 4-month-old female pug to pass out the screw and a large piece seen in the X-rays done on Nov 5.  Dr Daniel had offered him an option to wait for the pug to pass out the 2 radio-dense foreign bodies and had prescribed Science Diet W/D.

"Did your pug pass out the screw?" I asked today.
"She passed out the squarish piece of glass which was about the size seen, cloth pieces, stones and large seeds. But I did not see the screw in her stools."

"Is she still active and has she diarrhoea?"

"She is active and has been passing good solid stools since I feed her on W/D," he said. "But yesterday, she passed loose stools in 7 places. I had fed her cooked pork liver.  So I will switch back to the W/D!" 

HISTORY
Oct 10 2015. Dr daniel
Diarrhoea. No vomiting. Dr daniel
Foreidn bodies, poisoning. Adverse food reaction. Stoamach flu owing t boarding
Advised x rays. Declined


Oct 19 2015. Dr Sing
Mucus in stools passed 5x
Gas in intestines
No abd pain
Had diarrhoea on Oct 9. Medication Oct 12 to 16.

Nov 5 2015. Dr Daniel
Recurrent diarrhoea
Voniting. 3rd time
 -XRay.  1 screw. 1 seed-like object
Canine WD.






Nov 22 2015
Follow up. Not sure whether screw passed as dog had been boarded. Stools are large when fed WD. Screw might have been embedded, the owner said. Also worry about screw rusty
W board again and return next wk t x ray again











Nov 30, 2015
Owner had to travel overseas again 4 days later. Will board the dog. Came for X-rays. If the rusty screw is still in the gut, will operate today.
X-rays. No screw.  He was happy but said that he had to spend so much money.

He had not wanted X-ray in the first instance and only did so on the 3rd episode when I insisted.
Dr Daniel had advised wait and see. A few days later, the pug did pass out a piece of glass and a large seed and other pieces of clothing but he had not seen any screw.

He boarded the pug in a place where she has fun playing with other dogs and has a daily outing. The boarding kennel WhatsApp a video daily of the fun the pug had going out and so retained his loyalty. He felt that the kennel would not separate the stools in which the screw might be embedded and so did not ask the operator.

"So how do you prevent your pug from swallowing everything?" I asked.
"I put her on a leash and pull her away when she wanted to eat anything inside the grass during exercise outdoors!"

The pug had a great appetite as you can see from the fully distended stomach in the X-rays on the 25th day after discovery of the screw.









Thursday, November 19, 2015

2360. Name card for vet.

Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Veterinary Surgeon                                                                                                             logo

Toa Payoh Vets
Blk 1002, Toa Payoh Lor 8, 01-1477, Singapore 319074
Toa Payoh Vets @ Queen's Road
Blk 3, Queen's Road, 02-155, Singapore 260003
Royal Asia Veterinary Surgery
296A Than Thu Mar Road,South Okkalapa Township, Yangon, Myanmar

Tel +65 9668 6468, +65 6254 3326
99pups@gmail.com
toapayohvets.com,  royalasiaveterinarysurgery.com


Be Kind To Pets
bekindtopets.com

































Monday, November 16, 2015

2359. Travel stories: Five flights movie v real life

On November 15, 2015, Luftansa cabin crew had commenced working and so my packaged tour group of the Balkans Adventure Tour boarded the A380. We had enjoyed our SIA flight from Singapore to Istanbul on November 5 instead of Luftansa as the cabin crew had started a strike then. I was glad there was no delay even though we might fly back by SIA.

There were no interesting movies and after watching the James Bond's Skyfall, I chose the movie 5 flights adapted from a book "Heroic Measures" by a French author. It was about a couple's personal and real estate problems when they wanted to sell their 5th floor apartment which had no lift.

The title "5 flights" reminded me of my problems of climbing up 5 flights of steps at the Mostar's Hotel Peregino during my Balkans Adventure Tour. I had a weak right knee and had to carry 4-kg computer and camera bag up 5 stories to my room to check in. Then to walk down to go for dinner at a restaurant 10-minute walk away. After dinner, I had to climb up 5-stories and walk down the next morning. The other 19 travelers except one had no knee problems and so had no worries, sprinting up the steps.

The hotel had two strong men to carry the heavy luggages upstairs since there was no elevator. I considered my weak knee as a sign of wear and tear and so took my time. There was no knee pain and I was very careful. Still, this was a surprise from the packaged tour company to offer us a hotel with no lifts.

My fellow travelers complained of the need to have two keys. One key to open the main door and the other key to open the bedroom door. This was so rare nowadays as my fellow Singaporeans are used to electronic card access. The other 7 hotels had card access. Aggravating their unhappiness was the lack of hot water for bathing, the lack of air conditioning as some European hotels do not provide air conditioning in winter. The floor to ceiling windows had to be opened to let in the cool air. But one traveler on the 4th floor complained that the window unit compresser hummed so loudly that he could not sleep when he had opened the windows. He inferred that it was my air conditioner preventing him from having a good sleep since I was on the 5th floor.

I had no problem with the air conditioner working. However, I had cold water in the bathroom though others did have hot water. The 5 flights of stairs  and my camera and computer bag could damage my right knee more but there was no sharp knee pain. I limped to the outside restaurant for dinner as the Hotel did not provide in-house dinner.

The soup and fried chicken were served. However, the guide had said that drinking water would need to be paid unless served. Since this restaurant did not give us a bottle of drinking water for 6 people, none of us ordered a bottle or asked our tour leader who had paid for our drinking water the night before at a meal.

"It is not that we can't afford it," one seasoned lady traveler in my table of 6 said. "We don't want to be burdened with the local konner coins in our purse since the restaurant does not accept Euros."

After the chicken, we waited for the dessert which is customarily served in other hotels. None came and our guide did not inform us. After a long wait, we stood up to go. "Since you all did not order drinking water, " I commented. "This is why the restaurant did not serve you the dessert!" There was joyous laughter as none of the 19 in the group had dessert. Some had bottles of drinking water on their tables although they did not pay eventually.

Hotel Peregino was a most memorable occasion, but my fellow travelers would say otherwise as they would like to forget about the most unusual experiences encountered. This included climbing up the 5 flights of steps and a real telephone operator waking us up early. I picked up the phone hesitantly and there was a real person.

I doubt the travel agency would book Singaporeans into this hotel but it was such experiences that make travelling so much memorable.




  

   

2358. Down and out in Singapore

Nov 16, 2015

When I checked in with a group of travelers to the Queen Astoria Design Hotel in Belgrade, an old lady came into the posh lobby to beg for money. Today, I was having coffee at the busy Toa Payoh's Ya Kun coffeeshop, two older ladies went around the table to beg for money.


My insurance friend whom I had treated her old dog wanted to give me her 2016 insurance notebook and I invited her for coffee.  She gave the second lady who was emaciated and in her late 70s some money. The old lady continued begging at the other table.   "Maybe she is hungry and wanted to eat something," May said to me.


Suddenly, a younger man to May's left asked the old lady whether she wanted to eat some food from Ya Kun. The old lady petted her back side and said: "Give me the money."
"I don't have the money," the young man shouted. "I can buy you the food!"


"She wanted cash in the first instance," I related an incident I encountered last time. "Some weeks ago, I offered to buy Ya Kun coffee and toast for the cardboard collection lady outside. She just said, 'Give me the money!'" I gave her the money.

Singapore is said to be a developed country. Yet it has senior citizens needing cash for survival based on today's incidents.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Check list of items for photograher in the Balkans Tour in Winter & some images of street photography






Check list for an amateur photographer visiting the Balkans in Winter



Nov 15, 2015
Just came back from the Balkans Adventure Tour


I record a list of things to carry, as an amateur photographer and videographer


 

Notebook computer, battery charger, Multi USB Port Hub
Wirelss mouse, battery, USB receiver
Hard disk (2TB) x2, wires   
Notebook bag with wheels

Camera (I use Canon EOS 70D) x2 (one is backup if possible)
Lens x2   (18-135mm, 55-250mm)
Battery x3, SanDisk No. 10 x3
Battery charger x2
Camera bag

Mobile phone, power bank



Camera with video capabilities
Lens x2   (18-135mm, 55-250mm)
Battery x3, SanDisk No. 10 x3
Battery charger x2
Camera bag

Mobile phone, power bank



Camera with video capabilities (Canon EOS 70D) x2 (one is backup)
Lens x2   (18-135mm, 55-250mm)
Battery x3, SanDisk No. 10 x3
Battery charger x2
Camera bag

Mobile phone, power bank




Grand Hotel Park impressed with a large dining hall and the painting on the wall.



A home cat (with collar) presented himself. I waited for him to look in the same direction as the statue. Fortunately he did.


SOME GOOD IMAGES AT POSTOJNSKA CAVES

At the souvenir shop, the young lady was browsing and the bright sunlight shone on her.
Suddenly, the young lady tourist, dressed in bright colours, looked in the photographer's direction as the camera clicked.



Mr Raynard Tan of EU Travels. Needs to photoshop the others below the image



Good sunlight and good-looking travellers make great pictures



A Japanese or Korean tour leader carries multiple head sets for the tour group

Looks like a gigantic ice cream



Another great image


Bright sunlight from the windows of this restaurant serving great pork belly meat and chicken.


Notes:
1. Malfunctioning power points in some hotels, no cups
2. Download images and videos daily to hard disks
3. DSLR cameras and batteries do break down, hence carry a spare
4. Phone and camera batteries drain fast during winter exposure

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

2356. Travel Stories - Split, Croatia

Nov 11, 2015
Hotel Kolovare, Zadar

A renovated hotel. Looks modern. Room facing pool. Going to National Park walk. 12 deg C


Yesterday, at Split. Old town has a palace. Local guide Franz is very hardworking. A history graduate who told me that jobs are hard to find in Split. So he becomes a freelance tour guide and will finish the season on Nov 22, 2015. Tourist season had extended with more tourists coming.

A relatively undeveloped tourism region for the Asians. Highways are good, with no potholes. Historical old towns are what tourists want to see, rather than modern shopping malls like Singapore.
Sunset layered in blues and pink seen yesterday on the way to Zadar. Night starts at around 6 pm.

One retired accountant said that the CA (Chartered Accountant) is the top mark of the profession as the person has international tax and accounting exposure, unlike the CPA.


Few tourists from China or even Singapore but we met one group at this hotel dinner. Group from Super Travel. 








Tuesday, November 10, 2015

2355. Travel Stories - Balkans Adventure Tour - Drinking water free or not?

DRAFT


EU Holidays - 11 days 8 nights  Noc 5-15


ITINERARY FROM EU HOLIDAYS AS BELOW:

SERBIA
BELGRADE
• ‘Skadarlija’, St. Sava Temple, Belgrade Fortress
• National Parliament of Serbia, Old Palace, National Theatre, National Museum, Terazije Square, Kralja Milana Street, Kneza Miloša Street, May 25th Museum
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SARAJEVO
• Old Town, Sarajevo War Tunnel
MOSTAR
• Old Bridge, Cejvan Cehaj Mosque, Old Bazaar, Turkish House
POČITELJ
• Počitelj Tower
CROATIA
STON
DUBROVNIK
• Old Town, Rector’s Palace, Dubvronik City Walls, Onofrios Fountains
SPLIT
• Diocletian’s Palace (Entrance included)
• Peristil Square
• Temple of Jupiter
(Entrance included)
ZADAR
• Western Quay, Sea Organ, Monument to the Sun, St. Donatus Church, Roman Forum, St. Anastasia’s Cathedral, St. Mary’s Church, Lion’s Gate
PLITVICE LAKES
NATIONAL PARK
ZAGREB
• King Tomislav Square, Stone Gate, St. Mark’s Square, Church of St. Mark, Museum of Broken Relationships, Strossmayer Promenade, Zagreb Cathedral, Ban Jelačić Square, Dolac Market
SLOVENIA
LJUBLJANA
• Old Town, Central Market, Town Hall, Robba’s Fountain, Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana Castle, Lake Bled, Postojna Cave

 ----------------------------------



DAY 1 - SINGAPORE • BUDAPEST (Meals on Board)
Assemble at Changi airport and take-off to the capital city of Hungary, Budapest.
DAY 2 - BUDAPEST • BELGRADE (Meals on Board, Dinner)
Travel to the capital of Serbia, Belgrade and dine in the bohemian quarter ‘Skadarlija’, where many famous people and celebrities have visited.
DAY 3 - BELGRADE • SARAJEVO (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Kick off the day with a sightseeing tour of Belgrade, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Balkans’ – pay a visit to famous attractions such as St. Sava Temple, Belgrade Fortress,
the National Parliament of Serbia, the Old Palace, the National Theatre, the National Museum, Terazije Square, Kralja Milana Street, Kneza Miloša Street and last but not least, the May 25th Museum. Thereafter, cross over to Bosnia and Herzegovina and head for its capital, Sarajevo. Enjoy the rest of the day free at leisure to explore the historic Old Town and gain an insight into events of Sarajevo’s turbulent past.
DAY 4 - SARAJEVO • MOSTAR (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Make your way to the Sarajevo War Tunnel for a visceral wartime experience of the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. Following that, head out to Mostar, a picturesque city spanning a deep valley of the Neretva River. Follow the tour guide and amble along the magnificent Old Bridge for an extraordinary panorama over the river, visit the oldest mosque in Mostar – Cejvan Cehaj Mosque, bask in the lively atmosphere of the Old Bazaar, and drop by the 350-year-old Turkish House
DAY 5 - MOSTAR • STON • DUBROVNIK (Breakfast, Lunch – Seafood Risotto and Oysters Tasting, Dinner)
Begin the day with a photo-stop at the Počitelj tower located in a beautiful medieval town where Mediterranean and Oriental architectural styles intertwine. Make a brief stop in Ston for a sumptuous feast of seafood risotto and oysters for lunch, before continuing along the Dalmatian coast to arrive in Dubrovnik, a late-medieval walled city fronting the Adriatic Sea. Once you arrive, breeze into the stunning Old Town where you can admire the extensive monuments of different architectural styles. Let your tour guide lead the way as you explore Dubrovnik – take in the sights of the Rectors Palace, the Dubrovnik City Walls, the Onofrios Fountains, and the Dominican and Franciscan Monasteries.
DAY 6 - DUBROVNIK • SPLIT • ZADAR (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Ramble through the Croatian countryside to wind up in Split, a town on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast that was founded by the Emperor Diocletian in AD305 to construct his retirement palace. Have a ball of a time touring this seaside city with a guide, who will bring you to enter the massive Diocletian’s Palace and explore all its nooks and crannies, including the remains of the original palace, the Peristil Square as well as enter the Temple of Jupiter. Then, continue on to Zadar, a city built in the centre of the Croatian Adriatic with three thousand years of tumultuous history. Embark on a guided promenade about the city and visit the Western Quay for an up-close look at the Sea Organ and the Monument to the Sun, followed by St. Donatus Church, the Roman Forum, St. Anastasia’s Cathedral, St. Mary’s Church and the Lion’s Gate.
DAY 7 - ZADAR • PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK • ZAGREB (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
A drive through the Croatian highlands reveals splendid alpine scenery as you arrive in one of Europe’s most impressive national parks – the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Take pleasure in a guided tour of the beautiful landscapes within the UNESCO National Heritage park, adorned with sixteen lakes that are interconnected by a series of waterfalls and deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. Savour the riveting beauty of nature from a different perspective on the waters as you join a cruise tour, before continuing on the road to the capital of Croatia, Zagreb. Start off with a guided walking tour of the Upper and Lower Town – catch a glimpse of top attractions like the King Tomislav Square, the Stone Gate, St. Mark’s Square and the Church of St. Mark, the one-of-akind Museum of Broken Relationships, the Strossmayer Promenade, Zagreb CathedralBan Jelačić Square and Dolac Market.

DAY 8 - ZAGREB • LAKE BLED • LJUBLJANA (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Make your way to Lake Bled in the Julian Alps for a scenic lunch in its clifftop castle for a picture-perfect vista of glistening waters and the surrounding natural beauty. Next, proceed towards the capital of SloveniaLjubljana. A modern capital with small-town friendliness and atmosphere, Ljubljana is a picturesque gem graced with gorgeous alabaster bridges across the Ljubljana River and decorative Baroque facades. Embark on a guided tour to see the Old Town for some of the best-preserved medieval houses
and visit the open-air Central Market, the baroque Town Hall, the beautiful Robba’s Fountain, and the grandiose Triple Bridge and Dragon Bridge. Lastly, take the funicular up to the stately Ljubljana Castle for an outstanding view over the city.
DAY 9 - LJUBLJANA • POSTOJNA • VENICE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Journey to the town of Postojna, and embark on a unique cave tour of the renowned Postojna Cave – one of the world’s largest karst monuments. Board the unique cave railway for an exciting adventure through dark passages to the
Great Mountain, where you disembark and continue on foot across the Russian Bridge into the caves comprising of the Spaghetti Hall, the White Hall and the Red Hall. Press on further to view the renowned stalagmite in the Brilliant Passage and get a look at the Vivarium Proteus, otherwise known as the human fish. Then, you may wish to make an optional trip to the Predjama Castle before we proceed to Venice for the night.
DAY 10 - VENICE • SINGAPORE (Breakfast, Meals on Board)
Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure till it is time to transfer to the airport for your flight home. You may also wish to pay an optional visit to the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet for some last minute shopping.
DAY 11 - ARRIVAL IN SINGAPORE
We hope you enjoyed your vacation with EU Holidays and we look forward to seeing you again for your next trip












-----------------------------------------------------
What makes this travel interesting for me but unhappy for others are:
1. Luftansa cabin crew strike on the night of travel on Nov 5. We had to fly by SIA to Istanbul and was not delayed in our itinerary. We prefer SIA but in this Balkans Tour, we had to fly Luftansa. There was no strike on the Nov 15,return trip and so we reached Singapore from Vienna and Frankfurt by Luftansa. The cabin crew stopped striking on Nov 14. 

2. Mostar Hotel - Pellegrino.Hotel which is a small serviced apartment of around 12 units.
I like the big spacious room and big windows. The biggest room of all the hotels.
However, the Singaporeans complained about the need to push their luggages for around 10 minutes from the coach to the hotel. However, the hotel had 2 strong men to carry up the luggages to the rooms.,

The need to get 2 keys - one key for the bedroom and one for the main door (i.e. no electronic access cards), the lack of hot water, the noisy aircon compressors outside the window when they had to open the windows to get the cool air in as the air condition was not working in winter. However, my room air-conditioner worked and I had no noisy aircond compressors outside my room. l stayed in the 5th floor. I had weak knees and had to walk up 5 flights of stairs twice. One time to go to the room and another time to go back to the room after dinner. I had carried my camera and notebook computer bag and accessories which weighed around 4 kg. It is light weight if you don't have weak knees and backache sitting inside the coach for 7 straight hours at the beginning of the journey.

The dinners are usually inside hotels in this Balkan Tours unlike in Western European tours. No Chinese restaurant food which is Ok with me.

But in this Hotel, we had to walk 5 minutes to the outside restaurant. My group dared not order the water as we thought we had to pay in local currency and we did not want to keep the local coins. Or we were cost conscious or cheapskates.  We did not ask our tour leader whether water was part of the meal as he had paid for the water in an earlier meal. This reflected poor management communications to the travellers as drinking water is free in some hotels.


All waited for the dessert after the main course of chicken. None came. "Since you all did not order drinking water, you do not get dessert," I said. We had a good laugh as we walked back to the Hotel. We went inside a supermarket and since they did not accept euros, we did not buy anything.

 The tour leader may need to announce as to whether drinking water during meals is free or not. He did pay for water for us at one meal and so we should not ask for more freebies.

--------------------------------------------


IMAGES FROM THE TOUR





 Queen Astoria Design Hotel, Belgrade
A boutique hotel with a lift door that opens outwards.
Excellent dinner varieties










As Luftansa cabin crew were on strike on Nov 5, the night of our departure, we flew by SIA and arrived in Istanbul. This Aeroflot airline is rare in Singapore Changi Airport but it was operating in Singapore some 15 years ago.

 The coach was stationary while waiting for its turn to cross the Bosnia border. The sun set and this was the best of all pics taken of the sunset colours. No photography allowed at the border. The guards may get upset.
------------------------------

NO IMAGES FROM MOSTAR YET 




































--------------------------------------------
Nov 10, 2015

Last night, checked in the Grand Hotel Park, Dubrovnik. Serving big tour groups and modern.
Double room seaside 1,500,00-1,900,00 kn
Modern hotel with grand dining room for over 100 tables.
Large artwork on wall with unique artwork to make it memorable. Stray cats ran into lobby. No problem. Many are fed by people.




Room has all the power points and mini-bar has whisky and wine.
There is the important holder for the guest to place the heavy luggage (image), but it was hidden behind the curtain recess beside the desk (image).
Bidet as in other hotels. Surprisingly, TV screen is small.

Pastel colours of wall. Dark brown vinyl tiled like floor. Mini-bar stocked with alcoholic drinks, not just soft drinks. 
Balcony
No airconditioning as room is centrally heated. Many Singaporeans are not aware that some European hotels do not provide air con to cool the room in winter. The room is stuffy due to the central heating. Open the door in this room which has the balcony. Risk of insects coming in, but none seen.


Nov 9, 2015
Hotel Peregrino
Memorable Mostar hotel for complaining Singaporeans.
5 levels, around 14 units 
I was in room 402. Got to climb up 5 levels. No elevator. Porter carries up luggages.
No hot water in this room but some guest have it.
Central heating. Has airconditioning but the one below does not have it and complain of compressor noise when the couple opened the windows to let in cool air.
Needs a key to get out of main door of hotel. Security reasons as there are gypsies who pick-pocket tourists. Another key to lock the room. No electronic card access. Dining is out in another restaurant which did not serve dessert as expected by us.






Nov 7, 2015
Good hotel. Queen Astoria Design Hotel, Belgrade.














--------------------------------------------------------------------------