We spent some time visiting with Meni in her office before we headed off on the morning ferry for the Island of Kos. We went to an outdoor restaurant for dinner and walked around the town square enjoying the sights and atmosphere. We decided we would to do a bit of an island crawl for the next few days up through the Greek Islands on our way back to Turkey.
The following day we pulled into Kalamos Island briefly on our way to Leros Island. A
retired fisherman started up his own restaurant on Leros, where we headed for dinner in the evening. He chatted to us quite a bit and told Pat to come back in the morning and he'd teach him how to splice rope, We went back to his restaurant before lunch and Pat had a great lesson - he has now shipped his splicing ropes back home for later reference.
Our next island was Lipsi - a beautiful little island that is not overrun with tourists - very laid back and enjoyable. The months of July and August are very busy with swarms of visitors on school holidays from many parts of Europe, so the end of August and the month of September are brilliant times to visit the Greek Islands. The crowds have gone home, the prices are cheaper, the weather is glorious and the sun is not as hot. The people on the islands are very friendly - even our Pansione owner Marina, kissed and cuddled us every time she saw us.
We met a couple, Chris & Maryanne, from Tasmania and they told us this is the twelfth year they have visited Lipsi for holidays. They love coming here because the sea is wonderful for swimming in and it is possible to swim quite far without encountering any dangers that might lurk below the surface. I find the smaller islands very enjoyable also - I'm not too keen on huge crowds - I guess Dingo Beach has rubbed off on me.
At Lipsi, our room was was right on the bay - the water was about 20 metres from our front door. Pat decided to bus out to the beach for a little while before the ferry arrived - I decided to stay at home and type up my blog. What happened? He fell asleep on the beach - missed the bus - and had to hitch hike back! No dramas as I was all packed up and ready to go. The next day we visited the island of Patmos, where we spent a few hours before heading to Samos.
Samos Island is also a great little place - the bay is full of boats - all shapes and sizes from the tiny little fishing boats to multi million dollar super yachts. Outdoor restaurants hug the bay and the waiters are out on the walkways trying to entice passers-by into their establishments. The atmosphere is great and the competition between the restaurants keep the prices very reasonable.
The ferry headed out of Samos onto Kusadasi on the Turkish coast, from where we headed north by bus to Canakkale which is just across the water from the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the bus, we met up with a young Canadian couple from Edmonton, Tara and Robin who were travelling around Turkey for their honeymoon. To make the most of our time, we decided to take the ferry at 9pm across the Dardannelle Strait to Eceabat. The Dardannelle Strait connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea - a very strategic wartime area which connects directly into Istanbul.
Tara and Robin were also maximising their time before heading back to Istanbul, so we were lucky enough to be able to organise a tour of Gallipoli Peninsula with our own guide and in an air conditioned taxi. Our guide was great and he made our trip very enjoyable - he has been a guide here for 24 years and is so passionate about what he does. He was able to tell us wonderful stories we otherwise would not have heard. Gallipoli is a truly beautiful place yet very tragic.
We heard the stories about the badly planned decision to land our troops on the beautiful beach at Brighton Beach - the sea current was not taken into account - therefore pushing the landing barges and the troops 2 klm further north to Anzac Cove and the base of the mountainside - from above the Turks had clear vision of the troops below.
Anzac Day - 25th April 1915 is forever etched into the memories of Australians and New Zealanders. We toured some of the gravesites where headstones are marked out with the names and particulars of those who lost their lives. The headstones are tokens only - the bodies are buried all over the peninsula - many buried where they fell. In the Gallipoli campaign around 500,000 lives were lost, one of the the worst wartime blunders of all time.
Our travel from Eceabat through to Greece was a bit disjointed, but all eventually worked out. We took a bus to Kesan - a taxi to the Turkey / Greece border - hitchiked across no mans' land (as it is a Military Zone and no one is permitted to walk) - our driver then took us onto Alexandroupolis from where we took a train to Thessaloniki on the Greek coast.
The following day, we booked a train through to Skopje the capital of Macedonia. We shared our 6 seater cabin with 2 lovely young girls and their Mum who were travelling home to Skopje. Boyana (15 yrs) Yvona (13 yrs) and their Mum, Stefka were delightful company on the journey through Macedonia. Both girls could speak English quite well and their Mum could understand a lot of English but was not as vocal as the girls. The country is quite mountainous but with lots of good farming land. Vegetables of all kinds are grown here in Macedonia - as with other Mediterranean countries, the tomatoes are sensational - naturally red and vine ripened.
After checking into our great little hotel we headed out to the Old Bazaar, but being Sunday, many of the shops were closed. At the markets Pat bought 2 klgs of muscatel grapes for the equivalent of $1.25 Australian - he was in his element. We also bought 1 klg of peaches for about 80 cents.
The little restaurant nextdoor to our Hotel cooked our dinner even though it had reached closing time. We had great spareribs, salad and the most beautiful freshly baked cob of bread - the Macedonian beer and wine were also very good. In the morning we headed into the City Centre to visit the Blessed Mother Teresa centre. Mother Teresa was born in Skopje and the City is very proud to call her one of their own. What a magnificent lady she was - her legacy lives on.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hello from Rhodes, Greece
The 12 hour bus trip to Olympus set off from Goreme as scheduled at 9.30am. The bus was luxurious and very comfortable - leather reclining seats - headsets - huge windows and even seat belts. During the day we travelled through the magnificent Taurus Mountains as we wound our way down to the Mediterranean coast. As soon as we arrived at the Saban Pension in Olympus we were greeted by Aussies, Adam, Jayne and Mark who we had originally met in Egypt. Adam and Jayne had joined up with Mark's overland tour and were gearing up for an early morning departure. I was really exhausted after our long bus trip, so after dinner I was ready for a good night's sleep.
Olympus is the site of an ancient city and a 10 minute walk from our accommodation took us through the ruins and onto the beach. The water is crystal clear although the beach is a pebble beach and quite rocky. Word was out - there were hundreds on the beach enjoying the sun and the sea. Our second day at Olympos is a rest day as the Turkey Trots have caught up with us - have started antibiotics so should be spot on in about 24 hours.
The following morning we took the little bus to the highway 11 klms away and waited for the bus to Kas further north on the Mediterannean Coast. Our bus climbed up over the mountains and down into Kas (pronounced Cash). As we came down the mountain the views out to sea were quite spectacular. Mark had recommended the Ates Pension as a great place to stay so we checked in and were given a room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and views out over the bay - just gorgeous. The rooftop is the restaurant and living area - all open air and with great views.
We had bought the kids some t-shirts so headed into town and posted a parcel off to home. About 3 klm across the strait from Kas is one of the Greek Islands called Kastellorizo. Pat's mate Mick "Wombat" often chats about this island, where his descendants came from, so we decided to book a trip out there for the following day. That night we had dinner up on the Terrace and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean.
What a wonderful place we have arrived in - Kas - this part of the Mediterranean Coast is special - there's probably not enough superlatives to describe it. The little town is spread out around the bay and is dotted with an abundance of beautiful little restaurants - no shortage of eating places here.
Our ferry headed over to Kastellorizo on time and we sat up the front on the foredeck enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze. We cruised into the main Harbour on the island quite a picture perfect location. Many original buildings have been rebuilt and restored - the buildings are brightly coloured and skirt the clear aqua blue waters. Kastellorizo was used as a refuelling point for Air France's sea planes on their way to the Middle East and Egypt - it was also a major Mediterranean shipping port.
Historical Note: It concerns the prosperous past of Kastellorizo, when it was one of the more important shipping centres of the Mediterranean, with a population of over 10,000 and its decline, brought about by emigration and a series of disputes linked to international politics and war. Key dates in this sequence are the 1913 uprising; the French occupation 1915 - 1921; the Italian occupation 1921 - 1945; the earthquake of 1926; the systematic bombings and fires of 1943 - 1945; the evacuation of the island and the horrific return journey of the refugees in 1945, when transport caught fire.
The island has had its fair share of tragedy and sadly it succumbed to invasions, fires and earthquakes. The residents were finally evacuated to the mainland and other countries, especially the Middle East, in 1926. There seems to have been a big emigration to Australia around this time - which would explain why Mick "Wombat" is over there, and such a valued Australian at that! We spent a lovely day on Kastellorizo and returned to Kas in the afternoon. In the evening we walked into town to enjoy the local cuisine and the atmosphere.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Kas and headed to Fethiye further north along the Turkish coast. We took the shuttle bus from town to our accommodation, but on arrival found out that ferries to the Greek Island of Rhodes wouldn't be leaving for 3 days, so we made a quick change to our plans. We headed back into town and caught the next bus further on to Marmaris where ferries do leave regularly for the Greek Islands.
Marmaris does not have the appeal that Kas does. It is a major centre for package holiday tours from Britian and other places so the town is jam packed full of holidaymakers. Developers have put up major buildings with little or no town planning in place. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed around the pool in the cool of the evening. The days here are hot and muggy - nothing like the heat we have already experienced, but it is very humid.
The fast ferry left for Rhodes at 9am so we headed off to visit another Greek Island for a couple of days. Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese group and due to the group's close proximity to the coast of Turkey, this group of islands has also suffered a turbulent past. The island of Rhodes is famous for producing the most flowers and sunny days in the Greek Islands.
Rhodes has a World Heritage listed Old Town and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Most places seem to have their own little claim to fame and they love to let visitors know what it is. It's a great Old Town to explore, but like many other places with rough cobble-stoned streets a few hours walking around takes its toll.
In the late afternoon we hired a little Hyundai and headed south-west out of the city to the coastal down of Lindos where we stayed the night and went out for some Greek dinner - a nice little change after Middle Eastern food.
The island is very mountainous with beautiful scenery and coastal views from high up in the mountains. I think Pat forgot he wasn't in our 4WD at one stage, as he took a fork in a road which took us down the mountainside and through pine forests to the coast. At times the road resembled a bit of a goat track. The maps are quite hard to read and many of the roads are not marked, so it's a bit of a guessing game at times working out the best route.
We had a couple of hours spare before we had to return the hire car, so we found a lovely little beach and spent the time relaxing. Once again, the Mediterranean has very rocky beaches, but the water is crystal clear. Pat loves lying in the sun but I much prefer a shady tree.
Pat's cousin Terri, has a very close friend who she grew up with in Bundaberg - she lives here on Rhodes, so tomorrow morning after breakfast we're heading off to catch up with her.
Olympus is the site of an ancient city and a 10 minute walk from our accommodation took us through the ruins and onto the beach. The water is crystal clear although the beach is a pebble beach and quite rocky. Word was out - there were hundreds on the beach enjoying the sun and the sea. Our second day at Olympos is a rest day as the Turkey Trots have caught up with us - have started antibiotics so should be spot on in about 24 hours.
The following morning we took the little bus to the highway 11 klms away and waited for the bus to Kas further north on the Mediterannean Coast. Our bus climbed up over the mountains and down into Kas (pronounced Cash). As we came down the mountain the views out to sea were quite spectacular. Mark had recommended the Ates Pension as a great place to stay so we checked in and were given a room on the 3rd floor with a balcony and views out over the bay - just gorgeous. The rooftop is the restaurant and living area - all open air and with great views.
We had bought the kids some t-shirts so headed into town and posted a parcel off to home. About 3 klm across the strait from Kas is one of the Greek Islands called Kastellorizo. Pat's mate Mick "Wombat" often chats about this island, where his descendants came from, so we decided to book a trip out there for the following day. That night we had dinner up on the Terrace and watched the sun set over the Mediterranean.
What a wonderful place we have arrived in - Kas - this part of the Mediterranean Coast is special - there's probably not enough superlatives to describe it. The little town is spread out around the bay and is dotted with an abundance of beautiful little restaurants - no shortage of eating places here.
Our ferry headed over to Kastellorizo on time and we sat up the front on the foredeck enjoying the scenery and the sea breeze. We cruised into the main Harbour on the island quite a picture perfect location. Many original buildings have been rebuilt and restored - the buildings are brightly coloured and skirt the clear aqua blue waters. Kastellorizo was used as a refuelling point for Air France's sea planes on their way to the Middle East and Egypt - it was also a major Mediterranean shipping port.
Historical Note: It concerns the prosperous past of Kastellorizo, when it was one of the more important shipping centres of the Mediterranean, with a population of over 10,000 and its decline, brought about by emigration and a series of disputes linked to international politics and war. Key dates in this sequence are the 1913 uprising; the French occupation 1915 - 1921; the Italian occupation 1921 - 1945; the earthquake of 1926; the systematic bombings and fires of 1943 - 1945; the evacuation of the island and the horrific return journey of the refugees in 1945, when transport caught fire.
The island has had its fair share of tragedy and sadly it succumbed to invasions, fires and earthquakes. The residents were finally evacuated to the mainland and other countries, especially the Middle East, in 1926. There seems to have been a big emigration to Australia around this time - which would explain why Mick "Wombat" is over there, and such a valued Australian at that! We spent a lovely day on Kastellorizo and returned to Kas in the afternoon. In the evening we walked into town to enjoy the local cuisine and the atmosphere.
The following morning, we said goodbye to Kas and headed to Fethiye further north along the Turkish coast. We took the shuttle bus from town to our accommodation, but on arrival found out that ferries to the Greek Island of Rhodes wouldn't be leaving for 3 days, so we made a quick change to our plans. We headed back into town and caught the next bus further on to Marmaris where ferries do leave regularly for the Greek Islands.
Marmaris does not have the appeal that Kas does. It is a major centre for package holiday tours from Britian and other places so the town is jam packed full of holidaymakers. Developers have put up major buildings with little or no town planning in place. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and relaxed around the pool in the cool of the evening. The days here are hot and muggy - nothing like the heat we have already experienced, but it is very humid.
The fast ferry left for Rhodes at 9am so we headed off to visit another Greek Island for a couple of days. Rhodes is the largest island in the Dodecanese group and due to the group's close proximity to the coast of Turkey, this group of islands has also suffered a turbulent past. The island of Rhodes is famous for producing the most flowers and sunny days in the Greek Islands.
Rhodes has a World Heritage listed Old Town and is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe. Most places seem to have their own little claim to fame and they love to let visitors know what it is. It's a great Old Town to explore, but like many other places with rough cobble-stoned streets a few hours walking around takes its toll.
In the late afternoon we hired a little Hyundai and headed south-west out of the city to the coastal down of Lindos where we stayed the night and went out for some Greek dinner - a nice little change after Middle Eastern food.
The island is very mountainous with beautiful scenery and coastal views from high up in the mountains. I think Pat forgot he wasn't in our 4WD at one stage, as he took a fork in a road which took us down the mountainside and through pine forests to the coast. At times the road resembled a bit of a goat track. The maps are quite hard to read and many of the roads are not marked, so it's a bit of a guessing game at times working out the best route.
We had a couple of hours spare before we had to return the hire car, so we found a lovely little beach and spent the time relaxing. Once again, the Mediterranean has very rocky beaches, but the water is crystal clear. Pat loves lying in the sun but I much prefer a shady tree.
Pat's cousin Terri, has a very close friend who she grew up with in Bundaberg - she lives here on Rhodes, so tomorrow morning after breakfast we're heading off to catch up with her.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Hello from Goreme, Turkey
The 6:30am bus left Palmyra bound for Homs, from where we organised a taxi to Crac des Chevaliers. This amazingly well preserved Castle has been built up on a mountain top overlooking the countryside. Before we set off to explore the Castle, we had a wonderful Mediterranean / Arabic breakfast in the restaurant overlooking the valley. The castle was first built in 1031 and was completed in the 12th century by the Crusader knights. It was open to attack many times but it was built to be impenetrable and remained so until it was eventually handed over to the armies of Islam.
It was then on to Tartus and the city of Lattika on the Mediterranean Sea. We were getting our bearings to head into the city centre, when a lovely young man came up and asked if he could help us. His car was being detailed so he suggested we wait a few minutes and then he would take us into the city centre. He actually lives and works in Dubai as a gold jewellery merchant and gave us his card to come and see him when we plan to visit Dubai in September. Hmmmm.....
We checked into the Lattika Hotel in the City, set out to explore the area and then went out for dinner. The following morning we headed for Kassab on the Syrian border to organise visas for Turkey. No problems - it was all done in about 15 minutes. At Antalya 60 klms inside the Turkish border we organised some Turkey Lirer and U.S. dollars which we like to keep on hand as a standby.
Since travelling in Turkey we've noticed that the streets are cleaner and people seem to take more pride in their homes and gardens. We are hardly seeing any of the strict muslim black robes and face veils for women and the full traditional robes for men. Turkey seems to be very modern and more westernised than some of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. The bus fleet in Turkey is very modern - we haven't seen any clapped out old buses which is a refreshing change.
Adana was just another big city so we decided to take an evening bus on to Goreme in Cappadocia. The beautiful countryside of southern Turkey has been a lovely change from the vast deserts areas we have been visiting. Our bus seats were right in the front row so we sat back and enjoyed this documentary which was being played out for us as we travelled along. The worst part of an evening bus trip is that as soon as nightfall arrives the scenery is out of sight. All buses here in Turkey have one or two stewards or stewardesses onboard - serving tea, coffee, water and snacks for the trip. We are also noticing women in the workforce since arriving in Turkey - up until now men have been dominating the work scene in places such as reception, hotels, restaurants, kitchen, shops and the like.
As we were travelling into Cappodocia we could see strange cone-like hills around us and wondered what sights morning would bring. We walked up the cobbled streets of Goreme to The Panoramic Terrace Pension and booked in for 3 nights. Our room was an original cave room in one of these strange little hills - again what will it look like in the morning? It's quite neat to sleep in a cave.
To quote the Lonely Planet: Cappadocia's heavenly backdrop consists of soft volcanic tuff that has been sculpted over millennia into fantastic shapes by water and erosion. The end result is fascinating: huge stone mushrooms (dubbed "fairy chimneys" by locals), soft ridges and deep valleys, acute edges and mild undulations. Early Christians carved chambers, vaults and labyrinths into the chimneys for use as churches, stables and homes.
To see Goreme for the first time in the daylight is amazing - it's hard to believe we are actually in such an amazing place. We went out onto the terrace for brekky and sat and enjoyed the views that had unfolded before us. Our day's tour was booked for an hour's time so we were able to sit and enjoy our leisurely breakfast on the terrace.
What a day we had ahead of us. Our bus trip was made up of Australians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Italian, French, Brazilian and Spanish. Anthony was an Aussie from Sydney and presently working as a teacher in London and his girlfriend Barbara is from Brazil. We climbed many fairy chimneys and could see the homes that were carved out of these hills; we visited dug out churches and chapels; we even visited a full Underground City. We visited Ihlara Valley where lunch was served in a restaurant beside a stream in the bottom of a canyon following a 4 klm walk. All along the walk we could see homes which had been dug out of caves in the walls of the canyon. On the return trip we stopped at Pigeon Valley and saw the beautiful views across Goreme. After dinner that evening we sat out on the deck chatting with Anthony and Barbara until quite late.
In the morning I awoke to an odd noise - I said to Pat it sounded like the gas and flame in a hot air balloon. I went to our window in our little cave and floating just outside our window was a massive hot air balloon with about 15 people on board waving and calling out good morning in the direction of our little window - what a hoot! It was amazing to see the balloon so close to our building (cave) - we went outside and couldn't believe our eyes - we counted 27 hot air balloons floating above the little village of Goreme! What a sight to behold! PJ visited Goreme about 10 years ago on his 3 month backpacking trip - we had often heard of Goreme but had not imagined it to be the spectacular place that it really is.
The following day we walked with Anthony and Barbara to the Goreme Open Air Museum to see more of the little fairy chimneys. We headed back into town for lunch before they set off on the late afternoon bus. Our next stop will be Olympus, so we booked our seats and tickets for the following morning at 9.30.
It was then on to Tartus and the city of Lattika on the Mediterranean Sea. We were getting our bearings to head into the city centre, when a lovely young man came up and asked if he could help us. His car was being detailed so he suggested we wait a few minutes and then he would take us into the city centre. He actually lives and works in Dubai as a gold jewellery merchant and gave us his card to come and see him when we plan to visit Dubai in September. Hmmmm.....
We checked into the Lattika Hotel in the City, set out to explore the area and then went out for dinner. The following morning we headed for Kassab on the Syrian border to organise visas for Turkey. No problems - it was all done in about 15 minutes. At Antalya 60 klms inside the Turkish border we organised some Turkey Lirer and U.S. dollars which we like to keep on hand as a standby.
Since travelling in Turkey we've noticed that the streets are cleaner and people seem to take more pride in their homes and gardens. We are hardly seeing any of the strict muslim black robes and face veils for women and the full traditional robes for men. Turkey seems to be very modern and more westernised than some of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. The bus fleet in Turkey is very modern - we haven't seen any clapped out old buses which is a refreshing change.
Adana was just another big city so we decided to take an evening bus on to Goreme in Cappadocia. The beautiful countryside of southern Turkey has been a lovely change from the vast deserts areas we have been visiting. Our bus seats were right in the front row so we sat back and enjoyed this documentary which was being played out for us as we travelled along. The worst part of an evening bus trip is that as soon as nightfall arrives the scenery is out of sight. All buses here in Turkey have one or two stewards or stewardesses onboard - serving tea, coffee, water and snacks for the trip. We are also noticing women in the workforce since arriving in Turkey - up until now men have been dominating the work scene in places such as reception, hotels, restaurants, kitchen, shops and the like.
As we were travelling into Cappodocia we could see strange cone-like hills around us and wondered what sights morning would bring. We walked up the cobbled streets of Goreme to The Panoramic Terrace Pension and booked in for 3 nights. Our room was an original cave room in one of these strange little hills - again what will it look like in the morning? It's quite neat to sleep in a cave.
To quote the Lonely Planet: Cappadocia's heavenly backdrop consists of soft volcanic tuff that has been sculpted over millennia into fantastic shapes by water and erosion. The end result is fascinating: huge stone mushrooms (dubbed "fairy chimneys" by locals), soft ridges and deep valleys, acute edges and mild undulations. Early Christians carved chambers, vaults and labyrinths into the chimneys for use as churches, stables and homes.
To see Goreme for the first time in the daylight is amazing - it's hard to believe we are actually in such an amazing place. We went out onto the terrace for brekky and sat and enjoyed the views that had unfolded before us. Our day's tour was booked for an hour's time so we were able to sit and enjoy our leisurely breakfast on the terrace.
What a day we had ahead of us. Our bus trip was made up of Australians, Koreans, Taiwanese, Italian, French, Brazilian and Spanish. Anthony was an Aussie from Sydney and presently working as a teacher in London and his girlfriend Barbara is from Brazil. We climbed many fairy chimneys and could see the homes that were carved out of these hills; we visited dug out churches and chapels; we even visited a full Underground City. We visited Ihlara Valley where lunch was served in a restaurant beside a stream in the bottom of a canyon following a 4 klm walk. All along the walk we could see homes which had been dug out of caves in the walls of the canyon. On the return trip we stopped at Pigeon Valley and saw the beautiful views across Goreme. After dinner that evening we sat out on the deck chatting with Anthony and Barbara until quite late.
In the morning I awoke to an odd noise - I said to Pat it sounded like the gas and flame in a hot air balloon. I went to our window in our little cave and floating just outside our window was a massive hot air balloon with about 15 people on board waving and calling out good morning in the direction of our little window - what a hoot! It was amazing to see the balloon so close to our building (cave) - we went outside and couldn't believe our eyes - we counted 27 hot air balloons floating above the little village of Goreme! What a sight to behold! PJ visited Goreme about 10 years ago on his 3 month backpacking trip - we had often heard of Goreme but had not imagined it to be the spectacular place that it really is.
The following day we walked with Anthony and Barbara to the Goreme Open Air Museum to see more of the little fairy chimneys. We headed back into town for lunch before they set off on the late afternoon bus. Our next stop will be Olympus, so we booked our seats and tickets for the following morning at 9.30.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hello from Palmyra, Syria
Petra is an amazing place to visit. We walked and climbed around the sites for hours - it was very hot in the sun but the shady spots were very welcomed. The myriad of colours in the sandstone rocks and cliff faces are wonderful and inside the caves where the sun does not reach, the colours are really vibrant.
Our aches and pains from all the walking and climbing is taking a few days to wear off - but we have been enjoying all the activity. A couple from Townsville, Jayne and Adam, were heading in the same direction as we were - to the Dead Sea, so we teamed up and booked a taxi for the following day. After our day of walking, we headed up to the Cave Bar where we enjoyed a cold beer - the side rooms were actually tombs from long ago - we opted for the open air and enjoyed the evening breeze and the lights.
Our trip from Petra was about 300 klms down the mountain ranges to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 387 metres below sea level and the sea is about 31% salt - a high concentration of salt due to evaporation. We noticed the temperature rising and the hot dry heat as we drove further north, summer temperatures here exceed 40 degrees.
At one point Pat yelled at the driver as he was heading straight into the back of a parked bus! The driver quickly swung away from the bus and asked why Pat was so concerned - after all, he had been a driver in King Hussein's army for 42 years - no need to worry!!! Jayne and Adam were happy Pat yelled out, as they also felt he was going to collide - I was sitting behind Pat and was just enjoying the local scenes and missed the excitement.
We decided it was time for a treat so checked into the Dead Sea Spa Hotel to have a good beach with access to the sea. Our accommodation included breakfast and dinner, so we were all looking forward to a great dinner. After checking in we headed straight to the private beach - what a hoot! Floating is the name of the game! It's impossible to stay on the bottom - the old body just pops up to the top - lean sideways and it's an involuntary roll - what a scream! Pat and Jayne decided to give themselves a mud pack and within minutes they were walking around like mud men.
Apparently the mud and water here is very therapeutic and people travel from all over the world to relax in the waters and enjoy the healing properties. There is a Medical Centre here at the Spa and there are people in wheelchairs and many others walking with sticks. People also come here for treatment for skin disorders such as psoriasis. There are some European Medical Funds which pay for trips to the Dead Sea for treatment - interesting....
It was a great experience and the water felt great although after about an hour our lips were tingling. The views from the Hotel are great - we can even see Jerusalem on the top of the mountains across the Dead Sea. Jayne and Adam's room had sea views so we were invited over to watch the sunset from their balcony - it was wonderful.
We have been thoroughly enjoying Jordan and the people, whose warmth and friendliness is infectious. "Welcome to Jordan" is heard everywhere - out of cars and shops as we walk by - even little children join in the chorus. Litter is also under better control in Jordan and street cleaners are kept busy both in trucks and on their brooms.
The Holy Land has many religious sites which we enjoyed visiting. We went to the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ and also visited Mt Nebo where Moses looked out across the Promised Land after spending 40 years lost in the desert. We could also see the city of Jerico from Mt Nebo.
Amman is the capital of Jordan and sits quite close to the border with Syria. Amman is another big city and from there we booked a service taxi to Damascus the capital of Syria which is the oldest inhabitated city in the World. Jayne and Adam did not have a visa for Syria so were hoping to organise their visas at the border Our driver took us directly to the correct places where we had our visas stamped - Jayne and Adam's visas were organised in about 20 minutes so all went well.
Looking at this dry barren countryside, it is hard to imagine that so much fruit and vegetables are grown here, but as we headed into Damascus the highway was full of trucks loaded up with their produce.
The Lonely Planet recommended accommodation in the Sharia Bahsa area of the Saroujah district - known as the travellers' ghetto. The roadways are so narrow our taxi could not fit into the street so we walked the rest of the way. The hotels are very busy so it took a little while to find a hotel. We checked into the Al-Diwan Hotel for a couple of nights - the management people are very nice. We headed out into the little streets once again and found a great little courtyard restaurant where we had dinner - the bill was about $6 Australian.
In the morning we set out to find an ATM to stock up on some Syrian Pounds then we headed into the Old City of Damascus which is surrounded by what was initially a Roman Wall. The Mosque is a very busy part of the Old City - muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day - so the music and call to prayer is heard all over the city. It's the 4.30am call to prayer that I'm not too fussed about! We walked for hours around the Souq al-Hamidiyya where the shops and sellers are fascinating. Syria is a great place for shopping both with quality and price. There is a shop called Bekdach inside the Souq which sells ice cream topped with flakes of pistachio - what a treat - Pat had the chocolate and I had the vanilla. The shop has hundreds of people in it at any one time - it has to be seen to be believed.
Our bus headed northwest out of Damascus towards Palmyra. Palmyra in the centre of the Syrian desert became a necessary stopping place for caravans taking the shortest route from the Arab Gulf to the Mediterranean, as well as for those taking the Silk Road. This area is an oasis and the water here has sulphur properties - the water has helped in the growing of olives, date palms, cotton and grains.
There is also a valley of tombs here for anyone interested in exploring underground. The beautiful ancient city of Palmyra covers quite a large area and dates back to the first and second centuries. It is even suggested that there are more ruins in Palmyra than anywhere in Greece or Italy. The Syrian people are very nice and seem to be very relaxed about having many visitors come into their country. Of course tourism is a big drawcard in this part of the world, but numbers have decreased since 2001.
We have just finished dinner - I chose a lovely traditional Bedoin dish while Pat branched out and ordered barbequed camel!!
Our aches and pains from all the walking and climbing is taking a few days to wear off - but we have been enjoying all the activity. A couple from Townsville, Jayne and Adam, were heading in the same direction as we were - to the Dead Sea, so we teamed up and booked a taxi for the following day. After our day of walking, we headed up to the Cave Bar where we enjoyed a cold beer - the side rooms were actually tombs from long ago - we opted for the open air and enjoyed the evening breeze and the lights.
Our trip from Petra was about 300 klms down the mountain ranges to the lowest place on Earth, the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 387 metres below sea level and the sea is about 31% salt - a high concentration of salt due to evaporation. We noticed the temperature rising and the hot dry heat as we drove further north, summer temperatures here exceed 40 degrees.
At one point Pat yelled at the driver as he was heading straight into the back of a parked bus! The driver quickly swung away from the bus and asked why Pat was so concerned - after all, he had been a driver in King Hussein's army for 42 years - no need to worry!!! Jayne and Adam were happy Pat yelled out, as they also felt he was going to collide - I was sitting behind Pat and was just enjoying the local scenes and missed the excitement.
We decided it was time for a treat so checked into the Dead Sea Spa Hotel to have a good beach with access to the sea. Our accommodation included breakfast and dinner, so we were all looking forward to a great dinner. After checking in we headed straight to the private beach - what a hoot! Floating is the name of the game! It's impossible to stay on the bottom - the old body just pops up to the top - lean sideways and it's an involuntary roll - what a scream! Pat and Jayne decided to give themselves a mud pack and within minutes they were walking around like mud men.
Apparently the mud and water here is very therapeutic and people travel from all over the world to relax in the waters and enjoy the healing properties. There is a Medical Centre here at the Spa and there are people in wheelchairs and many others walking with sticks. People also come here for treatment for skin disorders such as psoriasis. There are some European Medical Funds which pay for trips to the Dead Sea for treatment - interesting....
It was a great experience and the water felt great although after about an hour our lips were tingling. The views from the Hotel are great - we can even see Jerusalem on the top of the mountains across the Dead Sea. Jayne and Adam's room had sea views so we were invited over to watch the sunset from their balcony - it was wonderful.
We have been thoroughly enjoying Jordan and the people, whose warmth and friendliness is infectious. "Welcome to Jordan" is heard everywhere - out of cars and shops as we walk by - even little children join in the chorus. Litter is also under better control in Jordan and street cleaners are kept busy both in trucks and on their brooms.
The Holy Land has many religious sites which we enjoyed visiting. We went to the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ and also visited Mt Nebo where Moses looked out across the Promised Land after spending 40 years lost in the desert. We could also see the city of Jerico from Mt Nebo.
Amman is the capital of Jordan and sits quite close to the border with Syria. Amman is another big city and from there we booked a service taxi to Damascus the capital of Syria which is the oldest inhabitated city in the World. Jayne and Adam did not have a visa for Syria so were hoping to organise their visas at the border Our driver took us directly to the correct places where we had our visas stamped - Jayne and Adam's visas were organised in about 20 minutes so all went well.
Looking at this dry barren countryside, it is hard to imagine that so much fruit and vegetables are grown here, but as we headed into Damascus the highway was full of trucks loaded up with their produce.
The Lonely Planet recommended accommodation in the Sharia Bahsa area of the Saroujah district - known as the travellers' ghetto. The roadways are so narrow our taxi could not fit into the street so we walked the rest of the way. The hotels are very busy so it took a little while to find a hotel. We checked into the Al-Diwan Hotel for a couple of nights - the management people are very nice. We headed out into the little streets once again and found a great little courtyard restaurant where we had dinner - the bill was about $6 Australian.
In the morning we set out to find an ATM to stock up on some Syrian Pounds then we headed into the Old City of Damascus which is surrounded by what was initially a Roman Wall. The Mosque is a very busy part of the Old City - muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day - so the music and call to prayer is heard all over the city. It's the 4.30am call to prayer that I'm not too fussed about! We walked for hours around the Souq al-Hamidiyya where the shops and sellers are fascinating. Syria is a great place for shopping both with quality and price. There is a shop called Bekdach inside the Souq which sells ice cream topped with flakes of pistachio - what a treat - Pat had the chocolate and I had the vanilla. The shop has hundreds of people in it at any one time - it has to be seen to be believed.
Our bus headed northwest out of Damascus towards Palmyra. Palmyra in the centre of the Syrian desert became a necessary stopping place for caravans taking the shortest route from the Arab Gulf to the Mediterranean, as well as for those taking the Silk Road. This area is an oasis and the water here has sulphur properties - the water has helped in the growing of olives, date palms, cotton and grains.
There is also a valley of tombs here for anyone interested in exploring underground. The beautiful ancient city of Palmyra covers quite a large area and dates back to the first and second centuries. It is even suggested that there are more ruins in Palmyra than anywhere in Greece or Italy. The Syrian people are very nice and seem to be very relaxed about having many visitors come into their country. Of course tourism is a big drawcard in this part of the world, but numbers have decreased since 2001.
We have just finished dinner - I chose a lovely traditional Bedoin dish while Pat branched out and ordered barbequed camel!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Hello from Ashwan, Egypt
July 13
We visited an Ice Hockey Rink today in Regina. Marilyn and Dave's 3 year old grandson Brady was at hockey summer school and learning how to play ice hockey! It was amazing to see such a little guy ice skating but even more surprising to see him skating along pushing his hockey stick along the ice - they teach them young out here.
July 14
The rain set in today so unfortunately the Ceremony by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was cancelled, so that will be on the agenda for our next visit to Regina. We packed up in readiness for our flight to Toronto the following day and headed out to celebrate my birthday. We booked a hire car over the internet to be picked up at Toronto Airport for 10 days - it was much cheaper and more convenient than doing it at the airport when we arrived.
July 15
Today was cold and raining as we headed to the airport - only 11 degrees! I'm just happy that we travelled to Saskatchewan in the summer!! It was amazing to meet up with Marilyn after all the years that have elapsed and find that we're still the great friends that we were when we were both 18 . Marilyn has always had a wish to visit Australia, so I think we've now planted the seed. Whaddya reckon Dave?
We headed out of Toronto International Airport straight to Niagara Falls where we spent our honeymoon almost 38 years ago. The Falls are still wonderful but the city area has grown immensly with many more people visiting and Hotels in every direction - I guess it's called progress. We were happy to head out on the New York State Highway 90 eastbound for Greenville, NY. Rochester was a convenient stopover on our way to my Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob. Auntie Bertha is my Dad's sister - I'm not allowed to mention her age - but I can say she is older than me!
It was great to arrive at their home and get that wonderful home style welcome - Auntie Bertha's home baked bread, choclolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread. It was funny having 2 Berthas in the house - seemed everyone was talking to me at once. Uncle Bob is a retired Aviation and Space Writer so he has been working at keeping abreast of technology. He's adept on the computer and now has Skype set up so we can all keep in touch more easily and the best part - for free. Pat enjoyed being outside on the ride on mower - they have 4 acres of land so he was kept busy in the garden.
We toured around the Catskill Mountains area and visited many of the resorts - the holiday playground for New Yorkers wanting to get out of the City and hit the mountains. East Durham is Little Ireland settled by many Irish families so its pretty easy to feel at home here. We met the neighbours and guess what - they're all Irish! I took photographs of 11 of my late Uncle Tom's paintings as my brother Patrick is going to get a photographic collection of his paintings together, which will be wonderful to have.
We spent 5 wonderful days with Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob and look forward to returning again sometime down the track - there'll be that lawn to mow again.
We crossed over the 1,000 islands in the St Lawrence Seaway and headed north west from the Canadian border towards Barrie, Ontario where we met up with Dawn - once again Dawn and I worked together back in 1971 and 72. We worked for a company called TRW and made components for car radios - we made great money in those days as we were on commission, so once we made our quota for the day it was possible to double our salary which we did unashamedly. Perhaps we cost the company too much money, as they have now closed up and moved the operation to Mexico.
Dawn is the world's best correspondent - she has written letters and sent cards all over the years since we left in 1972 - I must say she is much better than I could ever wish to be. We went out for dinner to a Chinese Buffet as Dawn called it - well it was the Mandarin Restaurant and it would have to be the biggest Chinese restaurant we have seen outside of China - the food was magnificent and we certainly gave the night our thumbs up. It's wonderful to be able to catch up with friends - it doesn't matter how long it has been - we just slot back into the old friendships. It was great to catch up with Dawn after all these years and now look forward to keeping in touch on Skype.
After saying goodbye to Dawn we headed over to the little township of Collingwood on the edges of Georgian Bay where we were married in 1971. Another little nostalgic trip down memory lane for us. We visited St Mary's Catholic Church where we were married and drove past our homes where we lived. The next great surprise was a trip over to meet Sam and Joan - our Best Man and Matron of Honour. Well we had a great time chatting with them and hearing about all the changes that have happened in Collingwood over the years. We met up with their son Steven, who is a teacher, married and a Dad himself to two delightful children.
Sam and Joan took us on tour around Collingwood and the surrounding areas. The little ski area called Blue Mountain is unrecognisable - homes, condominions and resorts have popped up everywhere - it is Ontario's equivalent to BC's Whister Mountain. Collingwood Shipyard where Pat worked on the construction of grain ships for the Great Lakes has all gone - development is taking over and yes it is a real boom area. There is a worldwide financial crisis but Canada looks to be in good shape and riding it well. A wonderful barbeque was on the menu for dinner and it was a great experience being back here with Sam and Joan.
The next morning it was over to Southampton on Lake Huron to see Lisa and Rob. I worked with Lisa at TRW in Collingwood and they were also at our Wedding. Actually there were 12 at our Wedding counting us - the alcohol bill was $70 and the dinner was $2.75 per head! My how times have changed!
What a hoot being back together! They have bought a beautiful two story home which is over 100 years old, incorporating 2 stories, a basement and an attic. Lisa has a lovely flair for decorating and their home was very inviting - they've done a great job. Rob has just finished replacing all the windows and I think he said there were over 30 sets.
Rob used to work at the Nuclear Power Station south of Southampton and actually Pat made up heavy water lines for the station back in 1971.
There was a little surprise ahead for me - as Rob rolled his Harley Davidson Touring bike out of his garage and onto the driveway. I guess there was no time like the present, so off I headed with Rob about 10 miles up the highway. What a buzz - what great fun! I had no idea a bike could be so comfortable - we were even able to chat the whole way on his 40 channel UHF and intercom - the helmets had microphones and speakers built in .... hmmm so luxurious. At vacation time Lisa and Rob travel long distances on their bike and thoroughly enjoy this form of travel. I think they even pack lighter than we do. Hopefully Pat won't get any big ideas!
Rob took us out for a drive south along the lake - it is so lovely - but then, this is summer! In the winter the lake freezes and it's a very different story when you have to face freezing winds off the lake and many months of cold weather.
The following morning we headed out of Southampton for Toronto to return the hire car and catch our flight to Frankfurt and then onto Cairo in Egypt. When we landed in Frankfurt everyone on the plane clapped their hands .. we're not really sure why. Our pilot was a female so perhaps it was her inaugural flight.
Pat's 7" laptop is too tiny for me to touch type, so I bought a small USB wired Apple keyboard and it works a treat. Hopefully I'll now be able to keep my Blog more up to date as we travel along.
Pat walked on through airport security with no problems, but apparently there must be some metal in my boots which sets off the alarm, so from now on, it's boots off for me at airport security.
A poor man near us had a fit on the flight to Cairo - everyone who jumped up to help said he was a Doctor, but we're not sure any of them were. He came good after a while and said he had hit his head in a fall a little while ago and continues to have fits. I guess a trip to a Doctor should be on the cards for him.
When we arrived in Cairo we were ushered onto a bus to the terminal, unfortunately an American couple behaved very badly on the bus and were on the verge of a fight with an Egyptian man and his son. These are the types of incidents that can be avoided. We stay low key and are polite to everyone, especially when it is not our country - it's amazing how a "Hello" and a smile works so well. On the plane, I was sitting beside David, a Sudanese, who works for Barclays Bank and he was very interesting to speak with - he had such interesting stories.
Well Cairo on arrival was about 45 degrees hot hot hot! We checked into The Arabesque Hotel for 3 days and set off to explore the city. The population of 22,000,000 must have been out when we were - the hustle, bustle is amazing and the traffic horrendous. We had a great time at the Hotel and the staff (all Muslims) were excellent. They gave us the "best" room on the 7th floor with views over the rooftops to the River Nile. We also ate most meals at the Hotel, where we didn't have to fight crowds. The Egyptian street touts drove us mad, however we enjoyed our sight seeing around this big city.
A visit to the Egyptian Museum is excellent and does take quite a few hours to get around. Tutankharmun's exhibit (19 years old at death) is amazing with his head mask alone weighing 11 klgs of solid gold.
The Pyramids are the sole survivor of the the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and they are of course magnificent. We hired a horse and sulky to get around the large Giza site travelling from one pyramid to another - the site is 12 kilometres in circumference. We also visited Imhotep and Saqqara Pyramids where we actually climbed down inside the pyramid into 2 small chambers. We climbed about 50 metres up the outside of the pyramid then hunched over and climbed 65 metres down a slanted shaft into the tombs. The air was rather dank but worth the experience. All the contents of this pyramid have been relocated - some have been reburied and some have been taken to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Sphinx was a lot smaller than I had expected it to be - I guess it is overshadowed by the enormity of the Pyramids.
Khan Al-Khalili is the great bazaar which is in the medieval part of the City - here we saw Mosques, walls, gates and Mausoleums. We also ventured over to Old Cairo, which was once known as Babylon, and visited the Coptic Churches including The Church of St George and the Church of St Sergius which encompasses a little home where they claim the Holy Family lived for 3 years after fleeing to Egypt from King Herod. We visited the area where the Hanging Gardens of Babylon once were and also visited the Hanging Church.
Aswan, on the edge of Lake Nasser and further along the Nile was our next destination. Tourists aren't allowed to travel on day trains, so we booked a sleeper train from Giza and headed on the rail line south out of Cairo. HHmmm I was pretty happy to head out of this massive city. An Egyptian offered Pat 1,000 camels for me (must have needed a housekeeper) and I think by the end of day 3 in Cairo Pat would have sold me for 1 camel!
The train and our cabin were very comfortable. We met up with Canadians Cory & Elaine from Hope BC and managed to whittle away the hours in the Club Car. They left the train at Luxor next morning while we went through to Aswan.
The Nubanile Hotel we had selected from the Lonely Planet Guide was only 2 small blocks from the railway station and was excellent. We walked along the Nile River where there are scores of Cruise Ships moored up and booked a 2 night cruise back up to Luxor.
We certainly had a great time in Aswan - we booked a felluca for 2 hours in the afternoon and spent that time gently cruising around the little islands in the Nile at Aswan. Our guides Nasser and Abduhl were wonderful which made it even better. A felluca is an open wooden boat averaging from about 8 to 12 metres in length and carry one big triangular sail - they are not powered and depend upon the wind and the currents to get around. The Nile at Aswan with the fellucas sailing up and down is truly picture book material.
From the felluca we could see St Simeon Monastry, the Aga Khan Villa and mausoleum and the Botanical Gardens island. The sun is hot here with temperatures of between 40 and 50 degrees - I don't think we've ever consumed so much water since we've been here in Egypt - not from the tap but bottled water. There's a need to be careful with fruit and vegetables - all should be peeled.
We hired a horse and buggy and took a trip all around Aswan and into the old city. It's so neat to see the little donkeys working away pulling the carts and their masters in their day's work. Everyone is friendly and love to ask "Where are you from?" When we say "Australia" - they shout together Oi, Oi, Oi - amazing how a little catch phrase takes hold. I bought a much needed hat in the Bazaar - starting price was 130 Egyptian pounds and I managed to get it for 30 Egyptian pounds. There is so much lovely gear to but my little back pack has no extra room so I have to be strong.
The following morning we were picked up and taken on tour to check out the High Dam and the Old Dam. Of course, having worked on dam construction Pat was very interested in the facts and figures. The High Dam was completed and opened in 1964 - it backs up the water in a huge lake called Lake Nasser for over 500 kilometres down over the Sudan border. The crest of the dam is 3.8 kilometres long with a height of 100 metres - the thickness at the base is 1 kilometre wide at the bottom and 40 metres wide at the top. It is also used to generate hydro electricity.
We also took a little boat out to Philiae Island to see a temple which had been relocated to save it from the rising dam waters. It took 7 years to relocate the whole temple with many thousands of men working on the project.
The Nile River is an amazing river and is 6,000 kilometres in length, making it the longest river in the world.
.
.
We visited an Ice Hockey Rink today in Regina. Marilyn and Dave's 3 year old grandson Brady was at hockey summer school and learning how to play ice hockey! It was amazing to see such a little guy ice skating but even more surprising to see him skating along pushing his hockey stick along the ice - they teach them young out here.
July 14
The rain set in today so unfortunately the Ceremony by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was cancelled, so that will be on the agenda for our next visit to Regina. We packed up in readiness for our flight to Toronto the following day and headed out to celebrate my birthday. We booked a hire car over the internet to be picked up at Toronto Airport for 10 days - it was much cheaper and more convenient than doing it at the airport when we arrived.
July 15
Today was cold and raining as we headed to the airport - only 11 degrees! I'm just happy that we travelled to Saskatchewan in the summer!! It was amazing to meet up with Marilyn after all the years that have elapsed and find that we're still the great friends that we were when we were both 18 . Marilyn has always had a wish to visit Australia, so I think we've now planted the seed. Whaddya reckon Dave?
We headed out of Toronto International Airport straight to Niagara Falls where we spent our honeymoon almost 38 years ago. The Falls are still wonderful but the city area has grown immensly with many more people visiting and Hotels in every direction - I guess it's called progress. We were happy to head out on the New York State Highway 90 eastbound for Greenville, NY. Rochester was a convenient stopover on our way to my Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob. Auntie Bertha is my Dad's sister - I'm not allowed to mention her age - but I can say she is older than me!
It was great to arrive at their home and get that wonderful home style welcome - Auntie Bertha's home baked bread, choclolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread. It was funny having 2 Berthas in the house - seemed everyone was talking to me at once. Uncle Bob is a retired Aviation and Space Writer so he has been working at keeping abreast of technology. He's adept on the computer and now has Skype set up so we can all keep in touch more easily and the best part - for free. Pat enjoyed being outside on the ride on mower - they have 4 acres of land so he was kept busy in the garden.
We toured around the Catskill Mountains area and visited many of the resorts - the holiday playground for New Yorkers wanting to get out of the City and hit the mountains. East Durham is Little Ireland settled by many Irish families so its pretty easy to feel at home here. We met the neighbours and guess what - they're all Irish! I took photographs of 11 of my late Uncle Tom's paintings as my brother Patrick is going to get a photographic collection of his paintings together, which will be wonderful to have.
We spent 5 wonderful days with Auntie Bertha and Uncle Bob and look forward to returning again sometime down the track - there'll be that lawn to mow again.
We crossed over the 1,000 islands in the St Lawrence Seaway and headed north west from the Canadian border towards Barrie, Ontario where we met up with Dawn - once again Dawn and I worked together back in 1971 and 72. We worked for a company called TRW and made components for car radios - we made great money in those days as we were on commission, so once we made our quota for the day it was possible to double our salary which we did unashamedly. Perhaps we cost the company too much money, as they have now closed up and moved the operation to Mexico.
Dawn is the world's best correspondent - she has written letters and sent cards all over the years since we left in 1972 - I must say she is much better than I could ever wish to be. We went out for dinner to a Chinese Buffet as Dawn called it - well it was the Mandarin Restaurant and it would have to be the biggest Chinese restaurant we have seen outside of China - the food was magnificent and we certainly gave the night our thumbs up. It's wonderful to be able to catch up with friends - it doesn't matter how long it has been - we just slot back into the old friendships. It was great to catch up with Dawn after all these years and now look forward to keeping in touch on Skype.
After saying goodbye to Dawn we headed over to the little township of Collingwood on the edges of Georgian Bay where we were married in 1971. Another little nostalgic trip down memory lane for us. We visited St Mary's Catholic Church where we were married and drove past our homes where we lived. The next great surprise was a trip over to meet Sam and Joan - our Best Man and Matron of Honour. Well we had a great time chatting with them and hearing about all the changes that have happened in Collingwood over the years. We met up with their son Steven, who is a teacher, married and a Dad himself to two delightful children.
Sam and Joan took us on tour around Collingwood and the surrounding areas. The little ski area called Blue Mountain is unrecognisable - homes, condominions and resorts have popped up everywhere - it is Ontario's equivalent to BC's Whister Mountain. Collingwood Shipyard where Pat worked on the construction of grain ships for the Great Lakes has all gone - development is taking over and yes it is a real boom area. There is a worldwide financial crisis but Canada looks to be in good shape and riding it well. A wonderful barbeque was on the menu for dinner and it was a great experience being back here with Sam and Joan.
The next morning it was over to Southampton on Lake Huron to see Lisa and Rob. I worked with Lisa at TRW in Collingwood and they were also at our Wedding. Actually there were 12 at our Wedding counting us - the alcohol bill was $70 and the dinner was $2.75 per head! My how times have changed!
What a hoot being back together! They have bought a beautiful two story home which is over 100 years old, incorporating 2 stories, a basement and an attic. Lisa has a lovely flair for decorating and their home was very inviting - they've done a great job. Rob has just finished replacing all the windows and I think he said there were over 30 sets.
Rob used to work at the Nuclear Power Station south of Southampton and actually Pat made up heavy water lines for the station back in 1971.
There was a little surprise ahead for me - as Rob rolled his Harley Davidson Touring bike out of his garage and onto the driveway. I guess there was no time like the present, so off I headed with Rob about 10 miles up the highway. What a buzz - what great fun! I had no idea a bike could be so comfortable - we were even able to chat the whole way on his 40 channel UHF and intercom - the helmets had microphones and speakers built in .... hmmm so luxurious. At vacation time Lisa and Rob travel long distances on their bike and thoroughly enjoy this form of travel. I think they even pack lighter than we do. Hopefully Pat won't get any big ideas!
Rob took us out for a drive south along the lake - it is so lovely - but then, this is summer! In the winter the lake freezes and it's a very different story when you have to face freezing winds off the lake and many months of cold weather.
The following morning we headed out of Southampton for Toronto to return the hire car and catch our flight to Frankfurt and then onto Cairo in Egypt. When we landed in Frankfurt everyone on the plane clapped their hands .. we're not really sure why. Our pilot was a female so perhaps it was her inaugural flight.
Pat's 7" laptop is too tiny for me to touch type, so I bought a small USB wired Apple keyboard and it works a treat. Hopefully I'll now be able to keep my Blog more up to date as we travel along.
Pat walked on through airport security with no problems, but apparently there must be some metal in my boots which sets off the alarm, so from now on, it's boots off for me at airport security.
A poor man near us had a fit on the flight to Cairo - everyone who jumped up to help said he was a Doctor, but we're not sure any of them were. He came good after a while and said he had hit his head in a fall a little while ago and continues to have fits. I guess a trip to a Doctor should be on the cards for him.
When we arrived in Cairo we were ushered onto a bus to the terminal, unfortunately an American couple behaved very badly on the bus and were on the verge of a fight with an Egyptian man and his son. These are the types of incidents that can be avoided. We stay low key and are polite to everyone, especially when it is not our country - it's amazing how a "Hello" and a smile works so well. On the plane, I was sitting beside David, a Sudanese, who works for Barclays Bank and he was very interesting to speak with - he had such interesting stories.
Well Cairo on arrival was about 45 degrees hot hot hot! We checked into The Arabesque Hotel for 3 days and set off to explore the city. The population of 22,000,000 must have been out when we were - the hustle, bustle is amazing and the traffic horrendous. We had a great time at the Hotel and the staff (all Muslims) were excellent. They gave us the "best" room on the 7th floor with views over the rooftops to the River Nile. We also ate most meals at the Hotel, where we didn't have to fight crowds. The Egyptian street touts drove us mad, however we enjoyed our sight seeing around this big city.
A visit to the Egyptian Museum is excellent and does take quite a few hours to get around. Tutankharmun's exhibit (19 years old at death) is amazing with his head mask alone weighing 11 klgs of solid gold.
The Pyramids are the sole survivor of the the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and they are of course magnificent. We hired a horse and sulky to get around the large Giza site travelling from one pyramid to another - the site is 12 kilometres in circumference. We also visited Imhotep and Saqqara Pyramids where we actually climbed down inside the pyramid into 2 small chambers. We climbed about 50 metres up the outside of the pyramid then hunched over and climbed 65 metres down a slanted shaft into the tombs. The air was rather dank but worth the experience. All the contents of this pyramid have been relocated - some have been reburied and some have been taken to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Sphinx was a lot smaller than I had expected it to be - I guess it is overshadowed by the enormity of the Pyramids.
Khan Al-Khalili is the great bazaar which is in the medieval part of the City - here we saw Mosques, walls, gates and Mausoleums. We also ventured over to Old Cairo, which was once known as Babylon, and visited the Coptic Churches including The Church of St George and the Church of St Sergius which encompasses a little home where they claim the Holy Family lived for 3 years after fleeing to Egypt from King Herod. We visited the area where the Hanging Gardens of Babylon once were and also visited the Hanging Church.
Aswan, on the edge of Lake Nasser and further along the Nile was our next destination. Tourists aren't allowed to travel on day trains, so we booked a sleeper train from Giza and headed on the rail line south out of Cairo. HHmmm I was pretty happy to head out of this massive city. An Egyptian offered Pat 1,000 camels for me (must have needed a housekeeper) and I think by the end of day 3 in Cairo Pat would have sold me for 1 camel!
The train and our cabin were very comfortable. We met up with Canadians Cory & Elaine from Hope BC and managed to whittle away the hours in the Club Car. They left the train at Luxor next morning while we went through to Aswan.
The Nubanile Hotel we had selected from the Lonely Planet Guide was only 2 small blocks from the railway station and was excellent. We walked along the Nile River where there are scores of Cruise Ships moored up and booked a 2 night cruise back up to Luxor.
We certainly had a great time in Aswan - we booked a felluca for 2 hours in the afternoon and spent that time gently cruising around the little islands in the Nile at Aswan. Our guides Nasser and Abduhl were wonderful which made it even better. A felluca is an open wooden boat averaging from about 8 to 12 metres in length and carry one big triangular sail - they are not powered and depend upon the wind and the currents to get around. The Nile at Aswan with the fellucas sailing up and down is truly picture book material.
From the felluca we could see St Simeon Monastry, the Aga Khan Villa and mausoleum and the Botanical Gardens island. The sun is hot here with temperatures of between 40 and 50 degrees - I don't think we've ever consumed so much water since we've been here in Egypt - not from the tap but bottled water. There's a need to be careful with fruit and vegetables - all should be peeled.
We hired a horse and buggy and took a trip all around Aswan and into the old city. It's so neat to see the little donkeys working away pulling the carts and their masters in their day's work. Everyone is friendly and love to ask "Where are you from?" When we say "Australia" - they shout together Oi, Oi, Oi - amazing how a little catch phrase takes hold. I bought a much needed hat in the Bazaar - starting price was 130 Egyptian pounds and I managed to get it for 30 Egyptian pounds. There is so much lovely gear to but my little back pack has no extra room so I have to be strong.
The following morning we were picked up and taken on tour to check out the High Dam and the Old Dam. Of course, having worked on dam construction Pat was very interested in the facts and figures. The High Dam was completed and opened in 1964 - it backs up the water in a huge lake called Lake Nasser for over 500 kilometres down over the Sudan border. The crest of the dam is 3.8 kilometres long with a height of 100 metres - the thickness at the base is 1 kilometre wide at the bottom and 40 metres wide at the top. It is also used to generate hydro electricity.
We also took a little boat out to Philiae Island to see a temple which had been relocated to save it from the rising dam waters. It took 7 years to relocate the whole temple with many thousands of men working on the project.
The Nile River is an amazing river and is 6,000 kilometres in length, making it the longest river in the world.
.
.
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