Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in jo_rae's LiveJournal:

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Monday, March 13th, 2006
4:20 pm	addendum to last posting computer had a conniption when i was typing the last posting, so i was happy to be able to save what i'd typed without risking keeping the session going. I forgot to mention that i went to a luau before i went to Hilo. A bit dissappointing. The pig was hugely overcooked- but tender i suppose, cos it was falling off the bone (and stringy!). Seemed that most of the other participants were there to get sloshed on cocktails. You got 3 with the price of the ticket, and for US$8 you could buy a big (16 fl oz, i think) glass. So, they'd fill up that glass for your drinks, instead of your getting a v small plastic glass (looked about 200ml) each time. I had 2 cocktails in the big glass, then decided that the final one would best be nonalcoholic. The entertainment was OK...hula, other polynesian dancers, guy with fire sitcks dancing, some singing..... And the rest of the food was pretty ho hum..once again the people at the same table as I would rave about, say, the macaroni salad, then when i came to taste it i thought it was very bland. Never mind, i've had the experience. And i bought myself a real Hawaiian shirt! So watch out Briz (It's a bit lairy, but not too bad). OK, here's the last bit of Hilo...i was at the Volcano National Park and after the lava hike, and a brief lava hike to a vantage point to see the steam where the lava was entering the water, i went in searhc of the petroglyphs. The park ranger assured me that this site had the largest number of glyphs of anywhere in Hawaii. Found the departure point for the trail, and hiked another mile in and 0.3 out (well, really 0.7 mile each way, but it felt like much longer going in and much shorter coming back). The hike was again across lava, but thankfully not as difficult as the previous hike cos this lava was older and more regular. And how was the path marked? By little piles of stones every so often...which was a bit of a laugh, cos there are signs all over the park admonishing everyone--- DON'T PILE ROCKS. The petroglyphs were really prolific and in pretty good shape. amazing that anyone had the patience to sit and carve shapes into hard rock. I timed this journey well- teh reanger said that the afternoon was the best viewing time cos the light was from the best direction. Also, madam Pele (she's the volcano goddess- she went to live in the mountain, taking her fire and her children with her) smiled upon me by turning off the rain for the previous lava walk, and keeping it turned off till i'd come back from the petroglyphs. However, the god of tyres was not looking out for me- i moved off the tarmac onto the verge ever so slightly, scraped the tyre along the edge of the tarmac and bingo! flat tyre. Some good samaritans pulled over and changed the tyre for me- wasn't that nice? And i'd paid extra insurance-type money at the time of renting, which will cover the flat, so i guess things could have been a whole lot worse. I'm back in Waikiki now, and have just sampled an intrinsically Hawiian fast food...spam musubi. It is a slice of .... you guessed it...SPAM! that has been marinated in things (probably soy, ginger etc?) on top of sushi rice that is a brick-shape, and then a thinnish strip of seaweed (nori) is wrapped around. Sounds revolting, but tasted surprisingly good...and only US$1.59 each- a bargain. There are also coconut iceblocks that are very tasty. And ABC stores- one shuttle driver said it stands for All Blocks Covered. And it probably might for there is at least one, sometimes 2 of this store on each block. Home tomorrow! I would really like ot see some sun- it's been hot and overcast and raining for many days now- i feel like i'm growing mold. (Comment on this)
10:14 am	last of Hilo (and the volcano!) The Volcano National Park is really something amazing. Drove around the Crater Rim Drive, which circles the Kiluela Volcano, which is the active one at present. The crater is huge, and from the road one can see noxious gas (high in sulphur dioxide) relentlessly hissing from it. Great colours in the volcanic rocks, too. I espied a rift (part of the Southern rift), small but very impressive- amazing force to push the ricks up so high and then force them apart. Good thing about having the car- i stoppped at many of the viewing sites where the tour buses did not! Then i took the Chain of Craters road to its end, to see the road covered with lava that you see in may postcards. It's a bit of a hike along from the ranger's station where the road is closed off to where the lave starts, but well worth it. Such big ups and downs within the cooled lava flow- i had not realised it was so hilly- took some photos to try and capture that, but i'm not sure how well i've done. The newer volcanic rocks were very pretty- reds and ochres inside some cracks, pretty blue-green and purple sheen on the outside of some. The best tips i've had for these few days...1) when it's raining in Hilo, chances are good that it's fine almost everywhere else....2) when walking on cold lava, look where you're walking at all times. If you want to look at the sights around you, stop then look. Also (Comment on this)
Saturday, March 11th, 2006
9:16 pm	Hello from Hilo still BTW- i forgot to mention that i'm staying at a hostel in Hilo- Arnotts Lodge. Turns out it is one of the Arnotts of Arnott's biscuits fame! And i can recommend the accomodation. I'm stayiong in a big room (queen bed, very clean and comfy), with one other room across from mine, and we share a roomy bath/tiolet, lounge room, and full kitchen, containing cooking and eating implements, for US$45 per night. There is also a free shuttle to various places around Hilo town. And downtown Hilo is very pretty and laid back. Just rainy! (Comment on this)
8:50 pm	Aloha- from the Big Island of Hawaii Hawaii has been great. The few days on Oahu were very pleasant, then in the very early morning (3.30am) that i had to catch the shuttle to the airport for my flight to Hawaii it was raining- and very set in. (BTW- amazing how much travelling time is spent not travelling at all- just sitting around in airports) When i got to Hilo it was still raining- very set in for a couplke of days....i saw my volcano sighting dissappearing in the rain mist. Strange how they neglect to mention in the travel synopses that i had read of Hilo that it's often raining there- it has the highest rainfall of anywhere un the island- something like 160 inches per year. Never mind, it was nice ot have a coupleof days rest. Then i looked out the window today and saw intermittent, very samll poatches of blue!!! So, i quicl\kly rang around to see if i could get a helicopter tour. I've never been on a helicopter, and i came to Hawaii/Honolulu especially nto see the volcano, so it seemed to be the best option, cos it might be raining again for the rest of my stay here! It was one of the best decisions i've ever made...expensive, but the views were amazing...red hot lavaa, big steaming lava fields, steam and lava where the lava hits the ocean..things that i would never have seen on any othern tour (ie the active crater) or that would have taken the whole day hiking through very tough terrain to see (where the lava meets the sea). Incredible! I had also been considereing hiring a car for a day, but did not want to hire anything till i'd seen what i could of the volcano. Seeing the heli tour was such a success, any bus tour of the volcano was not only expensive, long (about 12 hours), and going to places i did not want to see (eg films of the volcano at the volcano centre, orchid growing place, macadamia nut farm...) that i wandered over to the hire car place and hired a car for 2 days. Thought it was going to be a relatively inexpensive exercise- only US$32 per day on the web- but in reality i ended up parting with US$100 per day!! But i set out this afternoon aiming to see the waterfalls locally. Found myself on the completely wrong road, headed for the volcano! OK- the volcano it is, i thought....but I really wanted to seee where the lava had gone over the road. I'd overshot that turnoff, so went back. Luckl\ily, even though it's the Big Island. it's still not very big. I got to the end of hoighway 130 and saw incredible lava fields, cold now with a 'dirt' road across it to the people who now live there in the lava flow! Some vegetation starting to grow int he cracks in the lava. Wow! Thenn i went back to a Scenic Point sign that i'd passed. Got out, asked where the looktout was- no lookout, but a small track leading off into the bush which, i was told, led to steam vents. OK!n Off i started..the first few metres i wondered what i'd got myselk into- steep, 3' drops down lava rocks along a very narriw track, very wet and muddy and me with my sandals on! But the track quickly got easier....and the experience was surreal. Walking along with wide-bottom shorts and felt warm air between my legs! Steam vents, big and samll all over the place in this tropical bush! Some little caves with steam issuing forth. One small hill, with a man-size entrance filled with nude bodies having natural sauna- Come on in, the steam is fine! All-in-alll the day was one of the best on my trip- especially so with the hire-car bit definately not on the tour bus itinerary, and so unexpectedly wonderful! Tomorrow i hope to see the black sand beach, and head to Kona (where are the coffee plantations and a chocolate plantation, too). We'll see what happens, rain etc especially. BTW, i have onlyu ended up on the wrong side of the road twice (Twice too many, though, especially seeing it's over a period of only 4 hours!). It happens when i turn into small, back roads where there is not much traffic! It's easy on the big highways. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
8:32 pm	Aloha! Last i looked, the previous posting had no appeared on this site....i got so annoyed i just logged off in frustration. But, when i logged on this time, the previous posting was recovered!!! and i just posted it again and it appeared??? Go figure! So, SF was very soggy in the end...Las Vegas was a nice change. Shouldn't rain in the desert, right? Should be nice and warm (if not darn hot) during the day? Well, it was darn chilly (cardigan all the time and long pants). And rainclouds threatened- especially just before i was about to go on a night tour to see the lights! Stayed in Fitzgerald's- a casino hotel located downtown on the Fremont Experience part of Fremont St. I highly recommend the hotel and the location. The upper part of Fremont St has been made into a pedestrain area. And all the casinos have their lights- very pretty. But even better is The Fremont Experience- It is a HUGE, LONG covered arch high above the length of the street that becomes a screen. Each hour after dusk there is sound and light show, they turn off the casino lights and 5 mins of graphics is projected on the screen above. Very impressive and very many different shows. I saw most! The downtown area is a bit less expensive than the strip, and has some truly amazing bargains. E.g., an old-fashioned ice-cream sundae glass crammed with prawns for US 99cents. 79c for one hot dog....two for $1.29! And, that quintessentially American desert- a deep-fried twinkie for 99c. The buffets are also reasonable ($7 for dinner at the Fremont, but $2 discount vouchers were easily obtained, so $% for all you could eat and drink! One of the tour bus drivers regulary critiqued the restaurants in LV for a foodie organisation and he reccommended the buffet at the Flamingo as the best buffet in town. So i went one night for a treat. ($16) There were big plated diled high with fresh crab (interesting way of preparing it- they sliced the claws in half lengthwise...very easy to fish out the flesh (And the claws were very yummy indeed), another with prawns, a HUGE roasted slab of prime rib beef (exquisitely tender), sushi, lots of differrent meat dishes and veges and deserts...fresh-made crepes to order. The reccommendation was vindicated!! Saw the grand Canyon....16 hours in a big bus! I'm glad that i went to see it, but it did not move me as other sights (eg Great Wall, Pyramids, Temples, etc) have done. Overall impression...the grand Canyon is very big and very deep. The best value trip was US$7.50 for a trip to Laughlin- recommended by the concierge (Everyone goes there) but i was a bit dubious cos it's claim to fame is that it has lots of casinos. I went cos it is on the Colorado river and it was possible to have a bit of a cruise on it..which i did, and it was very enjoyable. The book of disocunt vouchers given by the Laghlin Flamingo (where we were dropped off) included a FREE lunch or dinner at their buffet...so, I has a very leisurely lunch in the Flamingo overlooking the Colorado river..and the foood was great! Also, across the raod was an outlet shopping plaza (not easily accessed in LV), so i filled in a couple of hours shopping there (got Photography for Dummies at a discount bookshop!). AND, not too long in a bus (i'd definately had enogh after going to the Grand Canyon)- a Grand day out. The other prganised tour was of the strip at night...very good. Saw some of the free shows at the different casinos, drove along the strip and got a good orientation, and went up to the top of the Stratosphere Tower..very high,,,VERY pretty night lights of LV, and two of the scariest rides i've ever seen (I did not even think about going on them--but i've got pictures!) The next day i wandered along the strip myself, went to M&M World, watched several of the Bellagio fountain shows, went to the exhibition of 22 original paitnitngs of impressionist artist (inc Monet, Renoir..etc), saw the chocolate fountain, saw the spring exhibit in the conservatory (all this at the Bellagio). Also had much fun (waiting for the Flamingo dinner buffet to open) taking piccies of all the birds in the flamingo wildlife enclosure (flamingos of course, as well as other birds inc penguins, swans, ducks....and many wedding birds..preening for their photographers). So many wedding chapels and themed weddings done at many of the casinos. I almost fell over with laughing when i saw the ultimate....a drive-through wedding chapel! And i was just a bit too slow to get a photo of..... a taxi in the drive-though wedding chapel!! I also deserve a special t-shirt...I WENT TO LAS VEGAS AND WON! I invested $10 and got $21.10 back! I did not anticipate that i would like Las Vegas quite so much. I went so that i oculd see the grand Canyon and thought that the town would probably not attract me very much. Well, i was wrong. LV is glitzy and over-the-top, but it does no profess to be anything apart from what it is....and it's great fun and very entertaining (without the gamblng). But a week was enough. I had originally planned to go to Mexico, but decided to go straight to Hawaii instead. So, I'm now in Waikiki, Hawaii! And it's great. Did a short bus tour this afternoon...very pretty! And not surprisingly, quite a bit like home in several respects (tropical). Rushed from the bus drop-off to the beach for sunset shots...you just can't have too many pretty sky piccies! I came off the sand (grittier than our local beaches, but reminiscent of Heron Island, with lots of SHARP bits of coral, rocks etc in amongst it all) at the Hilton where there was a very useful arrangement for washing sand off feet and lo! Someone had kindly left a lei. It was beautiful- fresh purple orchids strung together, and with a delicate perfume. I appropriated it, tried to shoot some photos with lei in foreground and sunset behind....great idea but it was abit dark by then. Shame. I've booked for a luau tomorrow night- feating, dancing, etc. and plan to catch the bus into Honolulu during the day. Next day i fly to the Big Island (i.e., Hawaii). [short geography lesson, which was news to me....Hawaii is a State of the USA and comprises several islands. Honolulu and Waikiki are on the Island of Ohau; the biggest island is called Hawaii and is known as the Big Island and has the better-known towns of Hilo and Kona (the Kona coffee!) and it also has the active volcano!; other Islands are Maui..and i've already forgotten others]. So, next day i'm flying to Hawaii to see the volcano and (hopefully) some new red-hot lava flow. I get back to Briz late evening, 15th March. So, see you all soon! (Comment on this)
8:31 pm	First some impressions that i keep forgetting to note.... HK- busy, bustling, safe, vibrrant. Great metro. Somewhat smoggy. Initiation to squat toilets and having own toot paper. Favourite- Nathan Rd & Big Buddah (Lantau Is) Beijing- busy, grotty, lots of construction/destruction (for Olympics), smelly loos, maniac fast drivers (lanes are optional) & risk-your-life crossing the road. Very smoggy. Favourite- Great Wall, Forbidden City, Marco Polo Bridge Xian- very dusty & dirty & very smoggy. Driving slower, but propensity to drive on opposite side of road (even when vehicles are coming towards) and chaotic. Favourite- terracotta warriors. Helsinki- very clean, no smog! Many natives speak english. Great tram system. Very expensive. Favourite- gloggi in the main city square at night with lights all around. The esplanade- Christmas Markets! St Petersburg. Quite inexpensive. Fast maniac drivers- but they stick to one side of the road. Parking is a joke! Very hard to get around (without Russian). Breakneck ice on pavements. Favourite- Hermitage!!! But the rest of the city centre was wanderful, too. eg Church of the Savour on the Spilled blood, architecture in general.... London- very busy, but most buildings fairly low, so no high skyskraper feeling. FAvourite- the tube!!!, Picadilly Circus, Dali exhibition, Tower of St Stephen's (housing big ben) .......and many others Cambridge- loved the old city feel- cobbled streets, etc. and the different colleges Munich- clean, pretty. Train system very easy. Favourite- the Chrismas markets in the Marienplatz, biggest snowflakes i've ever seen! Bath- loved the city centre, with the old buildings retained and lots of pedestrain-only areas. Very hilly! Favourites- Roman Baths, and the tour to the henges. Egypt- grotty (but generally in an acceptable way), bargaining for everything. Vehicles driving at night without headlights, maniac drivers (lanes optional, speed limit optional, mad overtaking at speed without sufficient vision ahead). Kerbs so high you get nosebleed (walking along the pavement is great training for the Olympic hurdles). And did i mention, that a guy might 'own' a section of the street for parking, and might park cars 2-deep (Of course, you pay him to look after your car). But drivers leave the handbrake off so that the car can be pushed out of the way if someone who is parked in needs to get out). Favourites- the week's cruise on the Nile, the temples, pyramids, tombs.... I could have missed Hurghada and Alexandria and not missed much. Cambridge, Boston- USA- the land of the paper napkin (you get a handful each time- many tooo many, but they are useful for other things). Efficient metro. Loved the Commons and parks and architecture. Favourite- day spent wandering around Boston Common, Beacon Hill. New Haven- great walking aorund Yale. Favourite- train trip there (great views), Yale's wonderful architecture. New York- after the couple feet of snow, thumping great pools at all the corners of intersections- just where you're trying to cross. Metro- trickier than other cities to get the hang of, but reasonably efficient once mastered (not as good as the tube though). Favourites- Times Square!!!!! Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Complex, Empire State, Brookly Bridge...many others San Francisco. Foggy mornings (but not really a problem for me!). Favourites- Waterfront, inc Fisherman's Wharf (Dungeness Crab!), Cable Cars, Streets at crazy inclines. OK- San Francisco. I wandered down to the waterfront from the hotel and found a huge bridge- AHA! the Golden GAte, i thought...so i walked closer.....thought that it was a bit long, and perhaps it wasn't the Golden one. Sure 'nuff, got out trusty map to see that it's the Bay Bridge!! Well, it's pretty anyway, and i've got lots of photos to prove it. The St Paul Hotel is in a great location, and is a great little stay. Shared shower and toilets, but just renovated- very clean and lovely. It's on the edge of Chinatown and the Financial District (2 blocks away from the Hilton) and only a few steps from Broadway.."Where you can get everything and anything" according to cable car person. Sure can...it's alive at night and during the day, has sex shops, groceries, Walgreens (big Pharmacy/supermarket), liquor shops, restaurants, hotels, 98 cent shops, micro brewery, chinese imports....all mixed up together and alongside each other. I regularly buy dinner (best hamburger i've ever had) at a tiny old diner on Broadway at night on my way back to the hotel, and there are always lots of people and i've always fet very safe. Riding the cable cars is a hoot! On the very steep streets they stop in the middle of the intersection because it's flat there. Then take a flying leap into the next steep segment. The first trip which was during peak hour (packed car) the driver stopped too near the next up-side bit and couldn't get the car up it. Some people had to get out and push! And people stand on the side bits at the front of the car and hang onto the sides. That first trip again, we heard scrunching, scraping sounds- the lady who was hanging on had parcels in the hand that she was not hanging on with and they were hanging down and scraping against the parked cars that we were passing. I bought a city pass and have unlimited travel on the cable cars, trains (like our trams that were), buses, and underground rail. The city tourist map is the best yet- really easy to see what public transport is best to get you whre you want, and gives route numbers, etc. Went on a cruise up to the Golden Gate and back around Alcatraz. Very good views (lots of piccies). And I've been to Fisherman's Wharf a few times. It's at the end of one of the cable car routes, and gettting the car from Fisherman's Wharf, i can got out a few blocks ON THE UPHIIL SIDE of where i'm staying. Even though the city is so hilly, the transport is so good (for where i want to go, anyway) that i've never had to walk much uphill. I've eaten softshell crab (yuk- the mushy internal bits were too strong for my taste). And been truly licky, cos it's the Dungeness Crab month in SF. It's much like our sandies, and the 2 crabs that i have so far demolished have been very tasty and sweet- and only $7.95 per pound at Fisherman's Wharf. They crack the claws, take out the gills and innards, and then douse the good bits in boiling water for a short while- just enough to heat it through. YUM! I've promised myself a return engagement before i leave (day after tomorrow). I wonder why Chinatowns are interesting, no matter how many i've already been through. Today i found one that has painted tiles...very beautiful...and i haven't seen them elsewhere in my travels. I'm trying hard to think how i could fit them into the eventual renovation of my kitchen....hmmmm.... (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006
6:56 pm	New Haven, New York (beginning) (I'm now in San Francisco, where the internet is even more expensive than NY- so i may not be able to catch up on much...but here goes) I'm really glad that Penny reccommended the train trip to New Haven and to stop off at Yale. The train journey was delightful- great scenery. White sandy beaches, snow covered countryside, lots of water (sea and rivers), sprinklings of houses, towns.....very entertaining. And Yale was wonderful. I stayed at the Duncan Hotel- great price and great location- right on the edge of the old Yale buildings. The Library at Yale was amazing and the college buildings reminded me of Cambridge (i got a kick out of being able to say that!) The train into NY was also wonderful- a sense of a 'happening' as the train got closer and closer to Manhatten. Unfortunately, the line goes underground to cross to Pann Station. The hotel (White House Hotel) was a mix of good and bad. Excellent price AU$44 per night and in a good location- close to Little Italy and Chinatown. And only a couple of blocks from the metro (a bit tricky to get a handle on the Metro system, took me a couple of days, but i was an old hand by the end. It's efficient, but appears older and grottier than the tube- although i don't think it is older. The ride is also very squealy and rocky- not nearly as smooth and pleasant as London- AND there are hardly any escelators of lifts- it's ALL steps, which can be very tricky when it's icy!). Another upside (probebly cos it was off-season AND i was staying 2 weeks)was that they gave me a 'twin' room at the hotel- i knew the rooms were very small, but witht he twin i had plenty of room. The downside of the Hotel- the rooms are small and therefore, there are very many of them all without external light. And there is not heaps of light inside the room area. So easy to sleep in (and i don't need much encouragement in that department). I also got bitten by something in bed on night 2, but they moved me to another room and paid for washing my clothes... all very apolegetic. No problems after that. The forecast was for snow a couple of days after i got there, so i made the most of the first couple of days- Empire State Blg late arvo....sunset....night on night 2 and Brookly Bridge for the same time the next day. Lots of photos...and extremely cold! Esp on top of the Empire State- i (and many others) had to keep running inside to the heated souvineer shop jsut to warm up a bit, before braving the cold outside again (to take more photos of course!). Ahhhh, the trials of the artist! And i went ot Times SQ at might..WOW! Sooooo very many lights, it was like daytime! And so many people...i just wandered around for about 3 hours. I love Times Square. I ended up there repeatedly- like a moth drawn to the bright lights! The next day (Saturday) was overcast, but i walked to Union Sq to the farmers market- lots of apples- so i had the local offering of warm apple cider and home made cookie. The cider (I think it was just pressed apples- not fermented) was wonderful to begin with, but by the end of the cup was very sweet. On to the flea market at Hells Kitchen. SAw a wonderful art deco mirror and showed great restraint in NOT buying it (although i considered long and hard how i could ship it inexpensively). And it started sleeting, then lightly snowing, so the stall holders packed up quickly. Had a slice of Pizza for $1! Got some groceries and headed home. Slept in (see above) and when i wnet outside the snow was 2-3 feet deep in the street! We'd had a blizzard during the night. So, off to Times Sq to see it in the snow. The weather Station was there fiolming and had made a snowman right besdie the discount ticket booth. What i didn't expect is that, at the corners of all the intersections there were little lakes of water. The trick was to find a way from the road to the poavement without getting shoes doused. The admirable waterproofing of my boots (done before i left home and not touched up for 3 months) did not hold up against this onslaught. It is lousy having wet, cold feet. But i went to the longest running show on Broadway (Perfect Crime). It was OK, and allowed me to get warm before heading back to the hotel. The metro is great in that it's all underground, so snow is not a prob when you actually get down there. Saw another show before i left which was excellent- DOUBT is its name. In a small Broadway Theatre (was once the Regent, i think. Very old and very pretty inside- reminded me of the Wintergarden theatre in Bris before they did things to it. I also did the tours of the RAdio City Music Hall and the Rockefeller Complex. I really enjoyed them- both art deco and very wonderful. Great architecture and art. And on both occasions i was the only one in that time slot- so i got personalised tours. Even went into all the loos (gents and ladies) in the music hall to gaze at the decor- great to compare them (they are all very different). Central Park was amazing....So very big! I didn't realise that there wre so many different little (and not-so-little) areas within the park- smallish gardens with their own statues etc, big area to cater to differnt sports- baseball, tennis, baoting, and ice-sakting of course, while i was there. There are 2 rinks! One at the uptown end and the other at the downtown end. I tried to Guggenheim, but it was clsed (public holiday) AND they had the temerity to be renovating the exterior, so i couldn't get any phtotos (and i was really looking forward to that). Chinatown was good- but i was spoilt by Hong Kong! Little Italy OK, too. Went tothe hole where the WTC used to be and paid my respects, then went to Battery Park...very pretty. Caught the Staten Island ferry back and forth a couple of times (It's free!) at sunset to piccies of lady liberty. Boy, it's a BIG ferry! I really did enjoy NY. Now i'm in San Francisco, and I'm having a really good time here....more later. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 16th, 2006
11:04 pm	End of Cambridge & Boston Next day i wandered aropund Boston Common- watched the skaters on the ice rink and the squirrels! So many squirrels, and not particularly bothered by humans. Took piccies of the State HOuse, then wandered down to the Boston Public Garden tot see the statue "make way for ducks'...a bronze set of mother duck plus a brood of ducklings following in a row. Apparently there was a real duck that made the pond her home when she laid eggs and used to cross the busy street with ducklings following...this was taken up and made into a children's book, followed by the statue. It was a treat for me to be there at the same time as a couple of little kids- they climbed all over the ducks, had their photos taken with them,,had a great time! Then i wandered in and about Beacon Hill- very picturesque. And I got Flash a toy there. It started to rain, so i headed back toward the city and some dinner. Fouind a place called KNOWFAT. It was like McDonalds, but had healthy alternatives. However hard i looked, i could not find out how much fat there was in the different dushes, so KNOW was very misleading. Came out to much harder rain and found i was in the historic theatre district. So more wandering, and when i reached the theatre where David Copperfield (the magician) was performing there were emergency vehicles everywhere and stalled crowds. No chance for me to get a cab to the theatre i was heading for- it was faster fro me to walk. And, of course, as i got away from the shelter the rain got harder and the wind whipped up. Drenched and cold and wet AGAIN! I handed over a very drippy backpack and coat at the cloak room! Saw a set of 5 one-act plays by Tenesee Williams that Larry had recommended. It was a very intimate theatre and well acted. very enjoyable! I even had a glass of Yellow Tail Chardonnay, to make me feel a bit at home and console me after getting so wet. Next day i went back to Central Sq to the shops, to take care of some practicalities, In the evening, Larry's brother and his wife were very kind and included me in a dinner party to which a Chinese pianist came, and played real live music in the home....wonderful. Next day i left for New Haven (1 Comment |Comment on this)
1:27 pm	Cambridge & Boston (I'm actually still in New York, but am trying valliantly to catch up with the journal) The next day i wandered around Cambridge- Harvard Square, Cambridge Common, Old Burying Ground (i.e., the old cemetary), as well as getting some practical things done,eg getting the poster ready for the conference presentation. The areas that i walked around were very picturesque, with buildings just like i've seen in the movies. Although i was expecting 2-3 feet of snow, there was none when i arrived. But the snow came down in the late arvo, coating everything in a nice new layer of white for me- very beautiful. Next day Nile belly returned and it was raining, so i stayed in bed. Still a lagged, so it probably did me good, cos the next day i was up and eagerly off to the conference to register. But sadly dissappointed cos most of the program (seminars) were not included in the registration fee. Just as well, cos i had an excuse to do some serious sightseeing instead. I walked around the city area of Boston- around Copley Sq, Trinity Church. Next day i presented my poster, so thought i'd walk in the opposite direction to Harvard and catch the T (the undergraound train). Good plan- it was raining and windy, so when i got outside i didn't want to stop and get my map out of my backpack,thought i knew the way and off i set. 3/4 hour later i was cold, drenched and gave up and asked- i'd walked almost to the end ofthe train line fartherest from the way i wanted to go! Got a taxi, and actually arrived on time. That went OK- a flurry of interest in my task. Then back to Larry's to wait for the phone people to come to mend his phone, then i went after what i'd missed in the morning- Cambridge Central Square and found it!!!.That night i went to the Sander's theatre to hear a cello concertist- quite good and a great venue. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 15th, 2006
9:39 pm	end of egypt (I'm actually in New York at present, but trying to catch up on the journal!) Others arrived back from climbing Mt Sinai, we had breakfast and hit the road for Cairo. We stopped at an oasis on the way for a photo op (very pretty amongst the desert) and went through a tunnel under the Suez canal. I can see why three was that accident with the 2 buses of Aussie police- our driver was overtaking on blind corners, pulling out behind the bus in front that had pulled out to overtake something (but there is no way our driver could have seen past the bus in front).... I had to consciously NOT LOOK ahead to try and retain some calm. The driving was less nerve wracking in cities (eg Cairo) and in the desert (*where there was virtually no-one else on the road. But in areas where there was a reasonalbe amount of traffic and a largish speed limit (not that anyone took much notice of limits) it was truly terrifying. Next morning was the last tourist thing of oour organised tuor- the Egyptian Museum. WOW!!! There were some truly stunning exhibits, including the piece de resistance.... all that was found inside Tutankahmen's tomb. It is, so far, the only tomb that has been opened without having first been looted. Amazing gold works: gilded furniture, solid gold jewellery, gold gilding of external coffins, but a pure gold internal casket and death mask, all gloriously decorated. All beautifully displayed and very stunning. The statues in the outside grounds were also of high quality and i could photo them (no photos inside- see book). Janice and I then went to the tourist market in CAiro, where Janice bought some silver jewellery. Then we went across the road to the local markets. As in Luxor, thre was no hassling by the stall holders here. We walked around, bought several foods for dinner, including croissants, spiced meat balls in a roll, vege stew in egyptian bread (all very yum). Then back to the tourist market where Janice could get her last turkish coffee. I had karkade, and while we were sitting in this local shiska spot a woman in traditional garb came up and asksed if i wanted a henna tatoo. Did I? You bet!!! only LE10 without any haggling! I couldn't resist making a stir at the conference in Boston! But very many people have commented on it since i got it done- in Heathrow, New York, New Haven etc, as well as Boston. It's beginning to fade now, which is very sad. I'm thinking of having a permanent one done.....we'll see. The next morning i left the hotel in Cairo at 5.45am, spent 26hours travelling (2 extended stop-overs in airports plus a lost taxi driver in Cambridge). Larry was a real trooper, and said it was ok to arrive at an ungodly hour on his doorstep...and i did. The next day i just slept. bye for now (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 14th, 2006
2:31 pm	Red Sea (part 2) Also, many traders had the spiel 'welcome back!'....i'd say 'i haven't been here before, so you can't wlecome me back'....'but i recognise you'....yeh, right! So dofferent fromt he rest of Egypt where the bargaining was hard but basically, honest. I looked around for lunch/dinner, but most prices were really inflaed after the other places we'd been. After much searhcing, i found a schwerma for LE6- very tasty!and got come mandies for LE3 per kilo from a fruit stand. BTW, if you're buyiung fruit/veg from a satand, you need to pick out the fruit yourself- otherwise you tend to get marked, diseased fruit in amongst the rest. The other went into the main city for dinner at a 'rally good place' according to our leader. Given his poor track record for identifiying food that i like and the bad experiences i'd had during the day, i stayed in the hotel environs and just walkeda round and looked at the lights, with an early night. Just as well, apparantly the food was expensive and not very good. Next day was a 7am start for the ferry to Sharm el Shake. The big cat took 2 1/4 hours for the crossing- apparantly a quick crossing. We then got straight on the bus and headed for Dahab. Dahab is a small twon, apparantly like Hurghada used to be, but Dahab declined to have an airport so the town has stayed smallish- and a delight! It still caters totourists (mainly international divers), but is not highly commercialised. It's much more intimate and laid-back. Others went for a 4-wheel drive to a famous snorkeling place nearby, but Janice and I walked around Dahab- along the 'beachfront', looking at the shops, the local, the divers, etc. I got a CD burned for LE10- this was the first quoted price (i.e., i didn't have to haggle for it)! We also paid LE2.50 for the biggest and best felafel sandwich that i've ever had. Janice and I also shared a seafood meal- couldn't come to the Red Sea and not partake of its seafood. LE35 for a yummy seafood soup, then salads and a whole, grilled sweetlip. I also bought a cat head (LE25) and Egyptian plate for LE50 (the same plate i'd offered LE90 for in Aswan, and had been refused!). About 5pm we headed back in the bus to the hotel near St Catherine's. St Catherine's is a convent & Mosque in a protectorate- no matter who wars with whom wround them, all the nearby mations have designated St CAtherine's as sacrosanct. Teh hotel was nearby, and was the base for the others' climb up Mt siani. They started out at 3am, climbing in the dark so that they could see the sun rise from the peak. I stayed in bed, got up late, and took piccies (surreptitously- lots of armed forces about) of the great landscape. The colours wre amazing- especially the mountains where it looked as if someone had tipped cans of white, red, black, paint over the tips of them. And the sky was a clear, perfect blue....also some stomes carved out by the winds...verybeautiful (Comment on this)
2:08 pm	Red Sea We arrived in Hurghada about lunch time. Hurghada was almost nonexistent 40 yrs ago, but a german couple saw its potential, invested some cash, advertised overseas and the visitors started coming. And so did the construction. It reminds me of Surfers Paradise, but not done so well. It's highly commercial- prices were ludicrously high..e.g., one place wanted LE40 for burning a CD of photos, another wanted LE50- and these were fixed prices..no bargaining! (Needless to say, i just laughed and walked out). Then i found a reasonable priced internet- after haggling down from LE50 per hour to LE6. I spent 1 1/4 hours typing jounal entries only to have the power fail just when i was about to sign off- the power failed regularly during our stay here, so you'd have thought the internet owners would have warned uts users. Although there is a small area of public beach, teh more up-market hotels have their own beaches, so i went to ahve a look at ous (and clear my irritaiton at having lost all that internet time and effort). The sand would be sold in Oz as red gravel. Teh water was freezing, the wind was whipping along, all-in-all not a pleasant experirence. so i went for a walk along the esplanade. was attracted by a shop advertising henna tattoos- got the guy on the street to eventually quote me for a tat that was shon on their sign (LE10), so i went inside. Eventually, another guy came in and wanted to show me the catalogue, but i was adamant that i wanted that tat that i'd already seen..'but it's for men'...'but it's for you back (i wanted it on the back of my hand)..'baut i'll hav to make it small'....i was still adamant that i wanted that tat on the back of my hand- and now the price was LE40 "all my time...'not worth doing it' So i said i'd jsut walk out if he didn't honour his bargain. He still wasn't interested, so i called him a liar and walked out. The only instance in the wholf of Egypt of a trader who didn't honour his bargain. And it happened in Hurghada. (Comment on this)
1:50 pm	Luxor- west bank Habu temple- unusual i having battle scenes depicted large on its exterior walls- to proclaim the strength and power of the pharao. They enemies are shown small and underneath the pharao- with African and Asain features (these were the enemies at that time). Also unusual in that it has accomodations for the pharao and his wife- mostly they only visited temples for the ceremonies and did not stay there. So it was interesting to see the remains of the royal bedrooms and ensuite! Another unusual thing is that the pharao made sure that his name (cartouche) was engraved VERY deep into the stone- he'd obviously seen the other temples where the desert winds had eroded the carvings to the stage where they wre unreadable. There were also patches of colour inside on the illustrations- amazing to think they last so long. Mixtures fo different minerals, sometimes fixed with eggwhite to give a reflective quality when the light hit. Back in the bus to the lunch restaurant- not far from where we embarked on our donkeys. Most of the others fronted to a large buffet lunch, but after all that exercise all i had was an icecream and karkade, and i was well satisfied. Most of the others went back to the ship, but Janice and I then went to the valley of the nobles- to see the nobles' tombs. We (erroneously) expected it to be set up the same as the other tombs that we'd seen. Got our tickets and the taxi took us to a working, living villiage. The tombs were scattered among the buildings. When we arrived, a guy proclaimed that he worked there, but he was so well dresssed that we didn't believee him. He told us we needed him to show us the sites and that he was a very good guide, etc.... After going up a dead end, and having him crow that we didn't know the way (Ha! ha!) i succumbed to the LE20 that he asked. I was too pooped to go traipsing all over the villiage. The tombs were good value. Like the Workers' tombs they wre fairly small, but the decorations were wonderful..showing daily scenes from the noble's lives. However, if i'd know what a hassle it would be i doubt that i would have gone. We got the ferry back to the east bank and asked to be dropped off at the Winter Palace Hotel- well we had to walk for quite a while, so the boat's skipper ripped us off somewhat, but it was a bit closer than walking from the boat. Why that hotel? Cos it served high tea, and was the epitome of colonial architecture in Luxor. The high tea cost LE45, and the victuals were better than in Aswan, but the view wasn't- only a very big, well-appointed room looking out over their very well-kept grounds. Still, it was jsut what the doctor ordered after our exertions of the morning. Tehn back to the ship. So good to shower. Next day we left the ship about 7.30am to join the convoy to Hurghada (Comment on this)
1:23 pm	still in Luxor Ah.... the walk around the local markets was great. No hassling, which is the norm in the tourist markets. I felt as safe as houses when i inadvertently wandered down a dimly lit, shopless street with few people around. The market was very busy, very bright. Shops selling old machine parts, next to internet sites, next to fuit stalls, next to an old shed with hay and an old hand trolley inside...ect. Such variety- not even in Hong Kong or Beijing did i see so many different businesses side-by-side. Got a Kalash back to the ship to hear very loud music- the belly dancers doing their thing. I doodn't go up- footsore and weary and i've seen very good belly dancers in Bris, and i'd heard the comments from the guys in the group about where they'd be looking- and i was glad because the feedback was that the dancers wore flech-coloured full body suits and wre not very agile. Next day, up about 4.40am to have breakfast and cross the Nile to the west bank by small motor boat (all very gaily painted). BTW- the west bank usually has the tombs (remember that Egyptians worshipped the sun- the sun sets/dies in the west) and the east bank usually has the temples that are dedicated to worshipping the gods that affected life. Then onto a donkey for a ride to the Valley of the Kings- but not for long. I hit the road (literally) when i tried to grab the reins of a donkey who had got rid of its rider. The moral is- let the handlers look after their donkeys themselves. The ride was very uncomfortable and i felt very precarious- the 'reins' were lengths of rope (very short on my donkey) and there were no stirrups, and the donkey's walk is very rocky, so i ofen felt that i ws about to fall off. 3/4 hour later we finally reached the Valley wherein are the tombs of many pharaos. We saw Ramses III, Ramses IV and one other (forget whom). The tombs were very beautiful and colourful- adornments on the walls and ceilings were in very good condition. Then we climbed up and up and up...out of the valley to the ridage above. We alked a little to look down on Hatcheptsut's temple and tomb complex- all in ruins so nothing much to see on the ground, but from above we could see the indentations where the huge columns once stood and got a very good idea of the layout of the complex. Then back and further along the other way we started to descend into the Valley of the Workers- where the workers lived while they worked on the tombs. All this climbing and walking was very hot work, even in their winter, so i wouldn't reccommend it in summer! And if you go, wear proper hiking boots- there is a lot of shale in places and sandals just don't cut it. The tombs in the workers villiage were much smaller than the pharao's of course, but they, also were in very good condition. The depictions in their tombs were of theri everyday activities, in contrast to the kingly/godly illustrations in the kings' tombs. Then into the bus (yay!) and after a short trip we stoppped for a photo op of the Colossi of Memnon (very big and pieced back together). Last stop was the tample of Habu. This temple was erected a bit later than the others that we had seen. It differed in having huge scenes on the exterior walls that showed the pharao' great strength in overcoming his enemies (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, February 12th, 2006
12:29 pm	More in Aswan Next day we got up at 4am to have breakfast and catch the bus to Abu Simbel (2 1/2 hour trip through the desert). Teh local guide was boring and no more informative than my book which i'd read the previous night. However, the temple was amazing. another temple that was relocated, stone by stone, because the dam would hav flooded it. no photos inside (but see book) but it had great wall paintings in really good condition, with quite a bit of colour left. Then we went gack to Aswan and the boat sailed immediately for Kom Ombo. The new group that had joiuned us on the ship went to the temple, but i had another icecream after enquiring the cost of the internet at the local place and he wanted 60 punds per hour!!! left him to catch another unsuspecting, rich tourist. We sailed at 5pm for Edfu. Next day up and off to Edfu temple at 7am. This is the most complete temple in Egypt. It still has the roof, over the outer chambers. Teh temple ws dedicated to Horus. The battle scenes show Horus defeating his uncle Seth (depicted as a hippopotamus). The hippo gradually gets smaller as you move from left to right, as more and more of Horus's spears go through him. The templ also has the most complete statue of Horus (falcon-headed god). Back to the ship and asiled for Luxor. Arrived about 4pm. Walked into the city and bought antibiotic. Internet for 1 hour (LE 6). Then walked through the local market at night!!! time running out. (Comment on this)
12:02 pm	Egypt- still in Aswan The rest of the group went off early today (21/1) for a longish camel ride to a nearby ridge to get overview of the city and desert, but given my back's reaction to the 5 minute camel ride i had at the pyramids i decided not to go. Went instead to the internet terminals at the rowing club up the road. Sounds very grand, but housed the grottiest toilets that it's been my displeasure to use (but i had no choice- Nile belly!). Made a terrible mistake and pout my backpack on the floor- thought it was dry but it wasn't! YUK!! The internet terminals appeared to work OK, but then i lost about an hour of work and had to do it again, AND it was a bit on the expensive side. Never mind, that was the end of the negative experiences for the day. I met Janice back at the ship and we went to the Nubian Museum. This museum was established in something of a sook to the Nubian people who lost a lot of their history and land when the dams wre built. Got a great book on Egypt with lots of piccies- especially good for the places where we were not allowed to take photos. Stopped for a stay in a nearby park (Ferulia Park) which had an entrance fee. But the location was great- almost replicated the next-door Cataract Hotel views. Also lots of shade and greenery. Took another Kalash back ot the ship for lunch. The Kalash driver was a real pain. He had originally asked how much we would pay him before we got in the Kalash. When we said 10 punds he said no...too little. By the tim we had climbed out of the seats more drivers had pulled alongside and suddenly 10 pounds was OK. So we got in. Then all the way back he was saying 'too little' and wnating baksheesh for his family, for the horse, the horse was pregnant, so baksheesh for the unborn baby........ When we got out he complained when i handed him LE10- then palmed the 10 pound note and said i'd given him 50 piastres (50 cents Egyptian) instead! I said i'd get the tourist police if he didn't stop harassing me, then realised that i was doing the entirely wrong thing by talking with him and started walking toward the ship and, of course the obligatory tourist police who man the entrances to the ships. Needless to say, the Kalash driver did not follow me). The others went on a felucca ride up to a beach for a swim, but the Nile belly decided that i would stay closer to the toilets in Aswan. So, i took up the offer of one of the spruikers long the riverfront raod and hopped in their felucca for a short sail up the Nile, past Elephantine Island, to the city centre. The sailors wre really good value- Nubian youngsters who were happy all the way, snag songs, took my piccie, etc. Had a great time, and such a contrast to the last Kalash driver. I wlaked around for a while. Found a place to burn a CD, but he wanted LE40!! I'd paid LE5 in Cairo and LE10 in Alexandria! I looked for the government store which another from the group said had fixed prices and was also very inexpensive, but couldn't find it. Acquired another guide who showed me the Gov't store- but not really cos the store was just another topurist shop (he must have got a kickback if he got me in there). But still had a good time wandering around and looking at what was on offer. Got a Kalash back to the ship. Lov those Kalashes! BTW Aswan is a very commercial-oriented city. Lots of tourist street markets, but i couldn't find the markets that the locals go to. Also a very pretty city- esoecially along the Nile bank. There is Elephantine Island, in the middle of the NIle at Aswan wherein the Nubian people have thier villiages- but i didn't make it to that either. (Comment on this)
Saturday, February 11th, 2006
8:05 pm	arrived Aswan again i lost a whole posting!!! Be prepared for many short entries from now on. Teh boat sailed for Aswan about 6am and we arrived about 10am. Janicve and I wandered around the city. First we went to the Coptic Catherdral- a relatively recent structure but quyite impressive- the inlaid woodwork and marble baptism room were especially beautiful. BTW Coptic Christians were the first christians apparently. They differ from other Christians only in that they bvelive the Jesus was mortal. After the catherdral we walked to the Nubian museum, but it was closed between 1-5pm! Egytpian time!!! Also we noticed that many stores were closed- it seems that Friday and Saturday are the weekend in Egypt. So, we called in to check out the nearby Old Cataract Hotel (ala Agatha Christie- part of the movie was filmed there, and she is reputed to have stayed there while she wrote some of Death on the Nile). Had a hard time getting past the guardson teh gate- keeping the place safe for the residents and probably on the lookout for some baksheesh- but we weren't having any of that). We checked out the reception area- very colonial and beautiful, and then the terraces. Got 'lost' and wandered onto the resident's only terrace- very posh, complete with cabana type cover, cushions etc. Then found the terrace for the plebians- at a lower level of course (just like the ancient Egytpians!). But the view was stuinning, so we forked over LE85 to come back later for high tea. Then we went into the city looking for a Koshary joint that our leader had recommended, and i was looking for a place to download photos to CD. Found one place, but it was closed. Was told that the owner would be back in 1 hour. CAme back in 1 hour, was told the owner would be back on 1 hour. CAme back in 1 hour, was told the owner would be back on 1 hour....hum...my first experience of traders who don't want you to go away- whenever you're around there is a chance that you might buy something! But the traders were very honest with their deals- once stuck they stuck to the price- except in Hurghada- more about them later! Did not find the Koshary, but the locals directed us to one they recommended and it was great! REally inexpensive (LE3.50), very tasty and the guys who ran it were very nice. They even ran outside to another store to get the Turkish Coffee that Janice wanted. And i resorted to 'drawing' a hibiscus flower to try and tell them that i wanted hibiscus tea. I later found that it is Karkady. They brought tea (lipton tea bag!) and a plate of cloves and another plate of dried mint- the cloves in hot tea is good. So is the mint, which i had another day. Tehn we wandered along the river front back to the Old CAtaract Hotel in time for high tea. Teh view was stunning, complete with sunset. The tea was a bit of a dissappointment- not the real high tea, but mint tea and some Egyptian style pastries that were mediocre- we'd had better when we'd bought some from a shop in Cairo. But the expereince was great. Our leader found us to say that the time we had to back at the ship had been changed to earlier than expected because the Light and Souind show at Philae Temple was earlier than they thought. So we had to cut our tea a bit short- just as well we got there as soon as it started! Rushed the end of tea...Melodie...then bus, short baot ride to the island on which the Temple had been moved (it would hav been flooded by the Aswan dam, so was moved in its entirety to a nearby island). The main temple is dedicated to Isis, a very fine show with a sound track that gives the history of the temples and of the area- it's a bit cheesy a teh end where there is propaganda about thow good the dam is for Egypt, but on the whole it was enjoyuable. BTW, if anyone goes...stand at the back to the crowd. As the tour goes around the temple complex you get opportunities to take photos without all the crowd in them (they've gone on ahead) and at the second staging spot you get to sit along the wall and still see what's going pn in a very good possie. then back to the Melodie, dinner and bed.......tara for now. (Comment on this)
7:16 pm	Egypt-day 3 and a bit more The boat- great boat! Only small (holds about 60 when full) and it was only half full maximum (varied a bit with tours coming and going). The food was a bit dissappointing- but understandable when i hear the comments from the other passengers. Food that i thought had good flavour, many abhored. And food that i thought was unutterably bland they raved about. So i picked what looked interesting (there was usually seomthing tasty) and also had some meals off the boat, often from local 'restaurants' and street stalls- was never dissappointed with that food. And another thing- think Egypt, think boiled eggs for breakfast. Presented in their shells for your delectation- never missed one breakfast without their being offered. Along with sweetish bread rolls (ala Hong Kong) and croissants! Back on board, the boat sailed as soon as we returned from Karnak temples, destined for Kom Ombo. Sailing along the Nile was wonderful- a truly pleasant experience for the 7 days taht i was on board. We would sail to a place, then trot off to visit the temples/tombs etc that wree there, then sailed on a bit further and repeated the procedure. And while sailing, the views along the Nile were constantly changing- deserts, mountains, fields, people, oxen, chioldren, feluccas, etc etc. And the temp was very pleasant- not too hot, not too cold (mostly). If anyone is contemplating and Egypt experience, i can really reccommend the cruise with Imaginative Traveller (the company has the whole ship). Other ships are GINORMOUS!!! Lots and lots of people and i've been told that they are very impersonal. Also, when they land the number of people going to the attraction nearby is huge. Imaginative Traveller has only small groups (max 16, i think) so when we arrived early at the temples etc, there were few others there with us- all the better to enjoy the sights! When we arived at the lock, there was a flood of rowing boats, compete with traders holding up their goods and yelling out how good they were. They'd put the goods in a plastic bag and hurl them up to us on deck. We'd then inspect the goods, make appropriate offers (must haggle!) and if a sale was made, the trader woudl hurl up another bag with something in it. We'd put the money in that bag and hurl it back at them. Good sport! I didn't actually buy anything (not inclined to haggle when didn't know the going price, and thought i could wear a LE 1 Lawrence of Arabia type headdress if all else failed). Turned out to be a good move- the others ended up paying as much, if not more than the cost of things from the ship's shop! But it was no great loss, with the exchange reates being very favourable for all in our party. Arrived Kom Ombo about 2.30pm on the 19th and went straight to the temple there that was dedicated to Sobek (crocodile-headed god, i think) and Hoersis (a falcon-headed god, i think- they could be the other way around- i'll have to check my book.) Quite a nice temple- complete with a Nile-ometer, which was used by the high priest to check the level of the Nile flood. Higher flood meant more fertile silt deposited, therefore higher taxes were levied! Also, the temple had a pond for holding live crocodiles (offered to the god?) and also there are two mummified crocs that were found nearby. Very interesting. I succumbed to Nile belly and had to make a quick exit- must be usual to the guards cos they let me escape out the entrance instead of going the very long way around the the proper exit. Decided to ignore it as much as i could, so partook of local icecream with the rest of the tour group in a very relaxing area. The boys got their first sheesha (the big, long Egytpian smoking pipe thingy) and established the boy thing for the rest of the trip. Janice and i then left the rest of the group sitting to take a walk- along the Nile bank to see what we could see. Lots of tourist stalls near where the boats dock, as there is all along the NIle. but we went further and somehow acquired a guy who walked along with us and became our guardian (for baksheesh, of course). But he was ehlpful- kept the multitudinous kids from getting too cheeky. We alked along the back streets where the local live in poverty. Dirt streets, people sitting outside their houses in groups, drinking tea or just sitting. Passsed a woman with a goat which had a very young kid. Took some photos and gave her a couple of Egyptian Dollars (only abut 50 cents Oz) and she was delighted!! Bought mandarines (LE 1 = about 25cents per kilo!). The sunset across the Nile was spectacular, and fodder for lots of photos. Taht night was a galebaya party aboard the ship (must be a tradition to have a fancy dress party- i seem to remember such in classics, e.g., Death on the Nile). I escaped as soon as possible, i.e., when the games finished and the disco noise was ramped up so that you couldn't hear the person next to you talking. (Comment on this)
Friday, February 10th, 2006
12:45 pm	beginning egypt Also at the pyramids is a 'solar boat' that was discovered buried near the pyramids. It's a big boat- asme as they were using on the NIle at the time of the pharao's death and a life-size model has been reconstructed from the remains that were found. Very amazing...BTW it's a Solar Boat because the gods used these boats to move around, and Egyptians worshipped the sun (among other deities) so....solar boats for the gods and ordinary boats for mere mortals. We looked a the pyramids first, then took the bus down tothe sphinx (it's a bit away from the pyramids, at the entrance to the morturary that was used to do the works (embalming etc...70 days it took!) to the pharaos prior to them being taken to the pyramids for the burial. Anyhow, there is a villiage that is located very VERY close to the sphinx, and the guide said that the government wanted to move the villiagers cos it was thought that there would be the remains of tombs, etc under the houses- from the noblemen that wanted to be buried as near as possible near the pharao. But the villiagers refused, so thay have stayed where they are! I couldn't imagine that happening in democratic Australia- the resdients would be moved short shrift! On to a stop at a papyrus "museum"- it was a location associated witht he Egyptian Govt where they have resurrected the old art of creating proper papyrus, then getting 'original' artworks apinted on them by local artists. Original isin inverted commas cos there are many copies of the same scenes- even if eah is hand panited the scenes are the same. But the demonstration of papyrus making was interesting. If properly made, the paper doen't disintegrate when wet and comes back to original when it dries. Neither can you tear or rip it. On to the bus again and a few hours to Alexandria- a local seaside town- the summer resort for those from Caairo. Went to a seafood restaurant that was reccommended by the tour leader. I asked for grilled fish and got a fish that had been grilled all right- after being plastered with a tomato-ey chilli-hot topping...YUK!!! I couldn't taste the fish, even when i'd scraped off the topping. Also, we waited ages after placing our orders, then everything arrived at once- bread, dips, salads, fish.... I raised a resounding NO when the leader asked if we had enjoyed the dinner (the only one to do so, even though others were complaining to each other) and got the response that not everyone can be satisfied. He had obviously thought it was good food- so i saved that lesson for future reference. Stayed o/n in teh Regency Hotel- on the beach-front, but a bit removed from the centre of the city. Next day we met our guide for this city and started with a tour of the museum at Alexandria. I couldn't hear her, so i told her that i'd go off and look by myself (there were lots of informative notes beside the displays). Another benefit was that i could look at what interested me AND i could take piccies wthout all the other 14 in the group crowded around the object of my desire. Teh museum was filled with good quality relics- quite interesting. Then off to visit the catacombs. This was extremely interesting- the high point of the day for me. The catacombs were burial chambers that, after being filled became filled with water and desert sand. So they wre relatively undisturbed until they were discovered by a donkey that was pulling a cart across the top of them and was dissappeared down a hole (the donkey survuved). Looking for the donkey, they found the catacombs. Great carving and a very interesting look at how the owners of the burial area tried to fool any tomb raiders. In the fromal, front area the caskets that encase the bodies look solid- but the entrance to them is from tunnels behind. On to Pompei's Pillar- a misnomer. Nothing to do with Pomei. BUt is a pillar with asscoiated sphinxes and a pretty garden. BTW- The sphinx is not the only sphinx in Egypt, but it is the biggest. When doing the excavations for the pyramid's mortuary they encountered a big lump of rock. So, instead of trying to remove it they made it into a statue (so the story goes). Then we were left to wander around Alexandria. Had lunch at a local eatery (felafel sandwich- cost 75 piastres, ie about 20 cents) and provided great entertainment to the locals, who kept looking at us and giggling. On to a local cold chocolate drink- very yummy. Janet (the lady with whom i shared a room and with whom i did much exploring on the trip) and i walked to the seafront and Janet climbed a very big retaining wall so that she could put her hands in teh Mediterranean. I think we earned a t-shirt saying 'we crossed the main street in Alexandria and survived". The drivers take little notice of pedestrains (even less notice than they take of other cars) other than to watch out so they dont put additional dings in their cars. Met back at the bus and went to the train for the overnihht sleeper train to Luxor. A very distrubed night's travel. At one stage i would swear the train was running over cobbles! 18/1 Arrived Luxor about 5.30am. went ot boat to drop off luggage then went straight to Karnak Temples by Calash (horse-drawn buggy). NB temples plural- the complex was added to many times, adding more temples. Early there, so few bodies But by the time we left the place was swarming. The temple complex was amazing./ It has been reconstructed in many places, and the renovationhas been done very well. You can see where the patches etc are becasue they are a plain sandstone colour. But the patches blend in so well that you get a really good idea of the structure of the temples. Huge columns, closely spaced. Very imposing statues. Wall carvings and some with colours that have remained since they were done 5000 years ago! (BTW- no patching of the frescos and wall carvings- they have been left. Anoither instance of thoughtful and effective renovations). Must go- time running out. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 8th, 2006
9:33 pm	the very end of england Went with Dinah to see The Woman in Black, after checking out the Savoy (wonderful art deco architecture) and Covent Garden (started out life as convent garden, according to the A-Z). Great production! Finished with lunch at Anna's- a great apartemnt in Chelsea. After a fab lunch, off to the Tate Britain- many wonderful srtworks from English artists. Then on a bit of a cruisealong the Thames at night- grat views, esp of the Houses of Parliament fromt he river. Thence to the Dali exhibition- a permanent exhibition of a vast array of Dali's works inc sculpture, patinitngs, book illustrations, prints, jewellery, furniture, resin works, gold & silver stuff... the list is endless and very entertaining. It was wonderful. Then my last tube journey- very sad. Egypt on Saturday- i was v excited cos it was my first tri[p in a jumbo. But the novelty has worn off! First, with the explosion of the storage tanks that supplied much of Heathrow's fuel the bigger planes were asked to freight in extra fuel. BUT, the fuel gets very cold during the fllight in, so much so that by the time it was ready to fly out it was causing the wings to ice up- even though the external temp was about 9 degrees. AND Heathrow had not scheduled many de-icing trucks cause of the mild weather, so we sat for 1 1/4 hours on the tarmac waiting for de-icing. The plane was chockers, and when we finally arrived in CAiro, our plane ful, plus all the other pilgrims who were returning home made the customs, etc a nightmare. AND the smallest luggage carousel (jsut one timy loop) for all the jumbo's luggage! We were standing four deep, straining to see if our luggage was cming along, then there was a mad scramble to actually get to the carousel to get it off! and the traffic out was more chaotic than the usual Egyptian traffic, with much tootling of horns, driving across lnes, etc.....all without many of the vehicles having headlights (it's abotu 1am now). I asked several drivers but never got a sensible response to why many drivers don't use headlights. went for a night walk, used an ATM and it ate my card. So, much converstations witht he staff (who were woking late and couldn't open the ATM). Finally got up at sparrowfart and experienced for the first time (of many that followed) that an Egyptian's idea of time isnot the same as ours. definately 'rubber time' but got the card back the next morning before we left to start the tour. First day was to visit the pyramids and Sphinx at Giza- stupendous. It all looks exactly the same as you see in postcards and in photos! Blue, blue sky. golden sand. clolurful camels, lots of natives with stuff to sell.... wonderful. Met koshary for lunch- a supremem carbohydrate hit- macaroni, rice, lentils, spaghetti plus timato sauce and grilled onions- yum! must go- $$ running out (Comment on this)