Ok, so I was at the xray machine at Amman Airport (Jordan) which you go through just after check in and before immigration. I tried to go through without the kerfuffle of having to take my belt off but the guy said "Belt!" so I had to take it off but by then our tray of small stuff had gone through so i had to use a different tray. At the other end I collected all my stuff from the family's tray but totally forgot about the belt! So for about an hour I'm walking around pulling up my pants every 10 seconds when i realised that I wasn't wearing my belt!
We decided that I would go down after we'd eaten some dinner back to the machine and see if they still had it. So Dad and I walked back down the escalator and had to give our passports to a man to hold them for us. We got to the x-ray machine where I asked a man if they had my belt. He talked to another man who got onto the phone and waited like 5 minutes for someone to pick up which they obviously never did. Along came a "Major" - a very important looking guy in a uniform, so we asked him and he told us to "wait over there" and pointed at a table. We watched as all three men went back to "work" and walked around aimlessly, not looking the least bit caring about the poor little boy in the corner who'd lost his belt! :)
THEN to top it all off, the Major got out his little multicoloured towel, lay it on the floor and started praying! Me and dad had been there for like half an hour! I was thinking "ummmm hate to bother you, but we have to be home in 3 days!" Finally Dad, who was sick of all this, decided to say "should we go now?" The Major then spoke to the same two guys as before, who were doing nothing and obviously had no idea! One guy replied in Arabic which I guessed probably meant "What belt??". The Major asked us if it was expensive and we said "no" and "it's alright" and left.
Later on, as we were sitting waiting for our gate to open, a different man walked upto us and said "something-somthing-belt?" and pointed at me and at the belt in his hand. We are amazed that he found us out of all the people at the airport!! I said "yes" and he asked me to bring my passport (I think that's what he said!) and follow him. They wouldn't allow dad or mum to go with me and took me to a little corner (again!). He asked me what my name was and what my village was etc.. even though he had my passport opened up to all my details. he also asked for my phone number and what my destination was. I said "Cairo" in a clear voice. He looked puzzled and said "Cairo?". So i said "Cairo, Egypt" just to make it crystal clear. He still didn't understand, so he had to stop a random airhostess to "translate" to "local lingo". She said in Arabic "blah blah blah Cairo blah". He was like "ahhh Cairo" in exactly the same way I had said it, looking very satisfied! (to truly appreciate this scenario you need to watch the Chasers pretending to be Americans in England!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tyzG_ZKVfU )
So after that he said something and just walked off into the crowd with my passport! Mum was stressing by this stage as our gate was about to open and after the last drama of nearly missing our flight in Cairo we didn't want a repetition! His sidekick was still there so we hoped that meant it was all okay. Anyway, he came back after 5 minutes with my passport and I said "Shukran" (thankyou) and that was the end of that!
I was left thinking, "all that paperwork and drama for a $7 belt?"
Thursday, January 20, 2011
"Weightlessness" by Ramesh
A couple of days ago we visited the Dead Sea! It had been freezing cold when we left Petra that morning so we were worried that we'd be too cold to swim in it. It got worse as we climbed up to higher places on the drive there - the wind was blowing hard, it drizzled sometimes and it was sooooo cold that we didn't hardly want to get out of the car when it stopped at the castles on the way.
But the Dead Sea is actually BELOW sea level!! So it got warmer and warmer as we went down and down the mountains. And the water itself was like hopping into a cool bath.
The Dead Sea is 30% salt!! it is so salty, that if a drop of water touches your tongue, it feels like battery acid! Not that I've tasted battery acid but i reckon that's what it would taste like! :)
On the way into the water, instead of walking on rocks or sand, you actually walk on salt rocks - created by years of salt collecting near the edges and the water evaporating.
I was the first one in (of course!) and it was one of the freakiest things that had ever happened to me! When you lay on your back, you float nearly out of the water! If the water is too deep to stand up in, the water will still only go upto your chest! it's so funny! It's as if you don't weigh anything!!
Mum thought it was hilarious until she couldn't get up when she was on her stomach because the density of the water pulled her feet and legs up! She splashed around like crazy and got drops of water in her eye and into her mouth. She was nearly crying from the pain in her eye. Dad's got a really funny video of her splasing around and when she watched it last night she laughed so hard she was nearly sick!!
I dived under (even tho' the sign says to keep your head out of the water!) and my nose stung so bad on the inside! My eyes and mouth also stung.
Mum was not impressed because there were a few tables of local ladies and men and they all kept staring at us so she felt really self concious about taking her clothes off (she had boardies and a double top on underneath!). Us boys didn't care and hopped in straightaway. Finally mum saw how much fun we were having and just didn't care anymore! We were the only people in the water... it was like we had the whole Dead Sea to ourselves. And it was so pretty to look at too.
It was so salty that the salt stung on my burns (dry skin from sunburn and the dry heat) so I couldn't stay in for too long.
We really enjoyed it and it was worth going!
But the Dead Sea is actually BELOW sea level!! So it got warmer and warmer as we went down and down the mountains. And the water itself was like hopping into a cool bath.
The Dead Sea is 30% salt!! it is so salty, that if a drop of water touches your tongue, it feels like battery acid! Not that I've tasted battery acid but i reckon that's what it would taste like! :)
On the way into the water, instead of walking on rocks or sand, you actually walk on salt rocks - created by years of salt collecting near the edges and the water evaporating.
I was the first one in (of course!) and it was one of the freakiest things that had ever happened to me! When you lay on your back, you float nearly out of the water! If the water is too deep to stand up in, the water will still only go upto your chest! it's so funny! It's as if you don't weigh anything!!
Mum thought it was hilarious until she couldn't get up when she was on her stomach because the density of the water pulled her feet and legs up! She splashed around like crazy and got drops of water in her eye and into her mouth. She was nearly crying from the pain in her eye. Dad's got a really funny video of her splasing around and when she watched it last night she laughed so hard she was nearly sick!!
I dived under (even tho' the sign says to keep your head out of the water!) and my nose stung so bad on the inside! My eyes and mouth also stung.
Mum was not impressed because there were a few tables of local ladies and men and they all kept staring at us so she felt really self concious about taking her clothes off (she had boardies and a double top on underneath!). Us boys didn't care and hopped in straightaway. Finally mum saw how much fun we were having and just didn't care anymore! We were the only people in the water... it was like we had the whole Dead Sea to ourselves. And it was so pretty to look at too.
It was so salty that the salt stung on my burns (dry skin from sunburn and the dry heat) so I couldn't stay in for too long.
We really enjoyed it and it was worth going!
Rules of swimming in the dead sea
salt build up on the 'beach'
and the boys are in!
enjoying the weird weightless feeling
Mum cracking up cos she was so afraid of rolling over face first!
hanging on to mum - just in case!
just beautiful - the only ones here
Salty goodness
Monday, January 17, 2011
Rose Red Petra - the capital of the Nabataen Empire
Visiting scenic Petra with it's curved pink-hued sandstone mountains with temples and tombs carved into their surface was an amazing experience! As we hadn't done too much research on this bit of our trip (except for gathering info on travelling to and from Jordan) the ruins were an even greater aweinspiring surprise.
Known as the "Rose-Red City", Petra gets its name from the wonderful colours of the rock from which most of the city's structures are carved. The Nabataens (whose empire from 1st century BC grew rich through trade in frankincense and myrrh) buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides. In addition the city had temples, a theatre and later with Roman and Byzantian influence also a colannaded street and even churches!
Referred to in the Bible as Edomites, the Nabataens controlled the spice and incense trade from Arabia to Mesopotamia. Amazing to see their efficient water storage techniques - including underground cisterns - and the ability to divert flash floods.
Entering the original entryway into the Siq (or gateway) you could just imagine the old caravans of camels loaded with produce for trading arriving and leaving Petra. Walking through the Siq (1.2kms) - a towering narrow gorge - which opens up to the stunning ruin called the Treasury was extremely dramatic.
And then seeing more and more monumental tombs with their detailed facades and keeping on reminding ourselves that they are all carved directly into rock was quite mindblowing.
On the first day we took a "free" horse (1JD tip each) about 1km from the entrance gate to the Siq and then walked the rest of the way. We then hired a donkey each to take us to a place called the monastry - about a 3km ride up a moutain about 800 + steps. What an experience!! Going up wasn't too bad - tho' Ben slipped sideways off his donkey and had to get off and have his saddle fixed up!! Wish I had been behind him to take a photo!! But coming back downt the steps was a different story... oh my goodness - I had to stop myself from squealing.... Ramesh squealed and giggled all the way down!
Donkeys are such sure-footed creatures ... I have a totally new respect for these braying beasts of burden now!!
We did a bit more wandering around and got back to the hostel tired, sore but satisfied.
Today we went back and did our sightseeing minus the assistance of all beasts of burden!!
Visited the high place of sacrifice where animals were sacrificed by this ancient culture. What amazing views. It was really windy and I was almost on all fours going up the last bit as I felt I was going to be blown off the edge. Heading up there - the boys raced ahead and climbed to the top in 12 minutes while Ben and I took 35 minutes!
Today, we walked about 7kms in total which took us about 6 hours - lots and lots of puffing and panting up 100s of steps and down 100s of steps as well as stopping to drink in the scenery! Am quickly posting this before I go have a shower and jump into bed and rest my weary limbs!!
Tomorrow we head up the King's Highway to have a look at a couple of castles. We will also get onto the Dead Sea Highway and have a dip in the Dead Sea before heading to Amman airport. Have hired a local taxi guy who seems to know what he's talking about. So more fun and games!
Known as the "Rose-Red City", Petra gets its name from the wonderful colours of the rock from which most of the city's structures are carved. The Nabataens (whose empire from 1st century BC grew rich through trade in frankincense and myrrh) buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides. In addition the city had temples, a theatre and later with Roman and Byzantian influence also a colannaded street and even churches!
Referred to in the Bible as Edomites, the Nabataens controlled the spice and incense trade from Arabia to Mesopotamia. Amazing to see their efficient water storage techniques - including underground cisterns - and the ability to divert flash floods.
Entering the original entryway into the Siq (or gateway) you could just imagine the old caravans of camels loaded with produce for trading arriving and leaving Petra. Walking through the Siq (1.2kms) - a towering narrow gorge - which opens up to the stunning ruin called the Treasury was extremely dramatic.
And then seeing more and more monumental tombs with their detailed facades and keeping on reminding ourselves that they are all carved directly into rock was quite mindblowing.
On the first day we took a "free" horse (1JD tip each) about 1km from the entrance gate to the Siq and then walked the rest of the way. We then hired a donkey each to take us to a place called the monastry - about a 3km ride up a moutain about 800 + steps. What an experience!! Going up wasn't too bad - tho' Ben slipped sideways off his donkey and had to get off and have his saddle fixed up!! Wish I had been behind him to take a photo!! But coming back downt the steps was a different story... oh my goodness - I had to stop myself from squealing.... Ramesh squealed and giggled all the way down!
Donkeys are such sure-footed creatures ... I have a totally new respect for these braying beasts of burden now!!
We did a bit more wandering around and got back to the hostel tired, sore but satisfied.
Today we went back and did our sightseeing minus the assistance of all beasts of burden!!
Visited the high place of sacrifice where animals were sacrificed by this ancient culture. What amazing views. It was really windy and I was almost on all fours going up the last bit as I felt I was going to be blown off the edge. Heading up there - the boys raced ahead and climbed to the top in 12 minutes while Ben and I took 35 minutes!
Today, we walked about 7kms in total which took us about 6 hours - lots and lots of puffing and panting up 100s of steps and down 100s of steps as well as stopping to drink in the scenery! Am quickly posting this before I go have a shower and jump into bed and rest my weary limbs!!
Tomorrow we head up the King's Highway to have a look at a couple of castles. We will also get onto the Dead Sea Highway and have a dip in the Dead Sea before heading to Amman airport. Have hired a local taxi guy who seems to know what he's talking about. So more fun and games!
sucked in to riding a horse upto the Siq
walking the 2km long Siq (a natural sandstone gorge that leads to the magnificent Treasury
Our first glimpse of the Treasury - WOW!!
just STUNNING! Remembering why this has been on my bucket list for so long!
walking the Street of Facades - which is lined with tall, impressive tombs, with large facades or false faces on their fronts. This street eventually leads us down into the heart of the city proper.
Look! It's Johnny Depp from the Pirates of the Caribbean! :)
On our donkeys and off to the Monastry
the beautiful Monastry
The bright colours through the sandstone - the colours glow when the sun starts going down.
A view of modern Petra at sunset
Sanjay gets up close and personal with a sleepy camel :)
Crossing borders...
Getting to Petra was an interesting experience!
We first hired a car from Dahab to Taba (Egypt's border near Israel) - too lazy after restful Dahab to do the bus thing. A policeman at the border tried to rip us off by saying it cost 200LE each to exit. Thankfully my pedantic research meant I knew this was a lie! When I protested he said actually it was 200LE TOTAL. Then when I just stood there he said 10LE per person. This time I loudly said to Ben "It's meant to be free to exit Egypt". A senior officer quickly stepped up and said "let me see your passports" and then after a cursory look said "it's 8LE total - 2 LE each". That was more like it!! This paid for a little glue-on stamp each.
Then we had to walk to the the main passport control building and fill out our exit cards on which we glued on the little stamps! :) The guys in that building did their thing with our passports and we were out in no-man's land walking the 250m to the Israeli border.
By this stage I was a bit rattled and stressed. We got greeted with smiles at the Israel end which helped a bit. However, when our bags went through the x-ray machine they saw something that made them want to examine one bag in detail. It was the 2 tagine clay pots I had bought in Luxor! Same shape as landmines Ben reckoned!! They carried them off into a room and then brought them back after awhile and said I could repack the bag. phew!
Next we walked over to the passport control booths and I asked the lady there if she could please not stamp our passport as we had "family" living in Sudan who we may want to visit at some stage. I apologised profusely but she was lovely about it and got us to fill out some other forms and stamped those instead.
however, when she got to my paperwork she asked me for my full name and checked again where I was born. Then she rang someone who obviously looked me up on some database (Terrorist??!) and then asked me for my father's full name! By this stage I was getting very nervous and self conscious! Then a supervisor came into her cubicle and there was much talking and checking me out!! Then they doubled checked that I was definitely in transit and finally they stamped the card!! oh my goodness... I got some extra gray hairs during this time!
Then we walked to the exit gate and had a very jolly guy who greeted us with a booming voice... "Welcome to the land flowing with milk, honey and Benni (pointing to his nametag)!!" That got us smiling. Then he continues with "Where's Brad Pitt" to Ben (at every point along the way they insist on calling out your name and waiting for you to respond as if the four of us all looked alike!!!) and "You must be Angelina Jolie" to me! :o) A couple of serious looking Israeli girls grabbed our passports off him and did a double check of it all. Obviously they don't trust ol' Benni boy!!
As we walked away we watched him get a line of people leavign Israel (locals by the looks) to start singing the national anthem (we think) as he conducted them. What a character!
By this stage 7 people had handled our passports and we were only halfway to Jordan!
Next we took a cab with a jolly Israeli taxi driver (very proud of his country) who drove us to the other end of the Eilat area - near the Aqaba border (jordan), giving us an unexpected tour and running commentary in his limited English on the way!
At that end we had to pay 101 shekels each to depart Israel, have our passports (cards) stamped and then walk across to the Jordan border - about 200m. At that border we gave our passports to a guy who entered our info into a computer and then passed it to 2 guys int he next room. At the window to the 2nd room we had to look into a machine to read our irises or something. Weird!!
And so finally after 1.5 hours and much handling and scrutinizing of our passports we were in Jordan and heading the 2hours to Petra in a taxi.
Chalk this up to yet another experience!!
We first hired a car from Dahab to Taba (Egypt's border near Israel) - too lazy after restful Dahab to do the bus thing. A policeman at the border tried to rip us off by saying it cost 200LE each to exit. Thankfully my pedantic research meant I knew this was a lie! When I protested he said actually it was 200LE TOTAL. Then when I just stood there he said 10LE per person. This time I loudly said to Ben "It's meant to be free to exit Egypt". A senior officer quickly stepped up and said "let me see your passports" and then after a cursory look said "it's 8LE total - 2 LE each". That was more like it!! This paid for a little glue-on stamp each.
Then we had to walk to the the main passport control building and fill out our exit cards on which we glued on the little stamps! :) The guys in that building did their thing with our passports and we were out in no-man's land walking the 250m to the Israeli border.
By this stage I was a bit rattled and stressed. We got greeted with smiles at the Israel end which helped a bit. However, when our bags went through the x-ray machine they saw something that made them want to examine one bag in detail. It was the 2 tagine clay pots I had bought in Luxor! Same shape as landmines Ben reckoned!! They carried them off into a room and then brought them back after awhile and said I could repack the bag. phew!
Next we walked over to the passport control booths and I asked the lady there if she could please not stamp our passport as we had "family" living in Sudan who we may want to visit at some stage. I apologised profusely but she was lovely about it and got us to fill out some other forms and stamped those instead.
however, when she got to my paperwork she asked me for my full name and checked again where I was born. Then she rang someone who obviously looked me up on some database (Terrorist??!) and then asked me for my father's full name! By this stage I was getting very nervous and self conscious! Then a supervisor came into her cubicle and there was much talking and checking me out!! Then they doubled checked that I was definitely in transit and finally they stamped the card!! oh my goodness... I got some extra gray hairs during this time!
Then we walked to the exit gate and had a very jolly guy who greeted us with a booming voice... "Welcome to the land flowing with milk, honey and Benni (pointing to his nametag)!!" That got us smiling. Then he continues with "Where's Brad Pitt" to Ben (at every point along the way they insist on calling out your name and waiting for you to respond as if the four of us all looked alike!!!) and "You must be Angelina Jolie" to me! :o) A couple of serious looking Israeli girls grabbed our passports off him and did a double check of it all. Obviously they don't trust ol' Benni boy!!
As we walked away we watched him get a line of people leavign Israel (locals by the looks) to start singing the national anthem (we think) as he conducted them. What a character!
By this stage 7 people had handled our passports and we were only halfway to Jordan!
Next we took a cab with a jolly Israeli taxi driver (very proud of his country) who drove us to the other end of the Eilat area - near the Aqaba border (jordan), giving us an unexpected tour and running commentary in his limited English on the way!
At that end we had to pay 101 shekels each to depart Israel, have our passports (cards) stamped and then walk across to the Jordan border - about 200m. At that border we gave our passports to a guy who entered our info into a computer and then passed it to 2 guys int he next room. At the window to the 2nd room we had to look into a machine to read our irises or something. Weird!!
And so finally after 1.5 hours and much handling and scrutinizing of our passports we were in Jordan and heading the 2hours to Petra in a taxi.
Chalk this up to yet another experience!!
Egypt immigration
heading to Israel border
No man's land between Egypt and Israel - note bullet pocked building
Bye Israel!!
Ben and boys heading gladly towards Jordan
our very budget room in Petra! Boys slept on the top bunk we slept on the bottom! :)
Friday, January 14, 2011
On the edge of the Sinai - in Dahab
Here we are in pretty, laid-back Dahab with the hills of the Sinai desert surrounding us on 3 sides looking across a narrow bit of Red Sea to the coast of Saudi Arabia.
Meaning "gold" in arabic, which refers to the sandy coastline, Dahab also boasts Egypt's most spectacular diving and snorkelling. Ben's had a couple of dives and we've all snorkeled most days. The sea is teaming with a variety of stunning fish in crystal clear water.
The sheesha smoking, hippie mellowness of the place with it's banana pancakes (or chocolate if you prefer!), restaurants on the seashore with their lounging cushions and low tables to eat at (forget boring tables and chairs!) all give Dahab an attraction that is hard to tear oneself away from.
Our hotel, Jasmine Pensione, is a very quaint narrow 3-storey place with only a handful of pinewood-lined rooms. Our two little rooms are at the top with a cute little balcony each - perfect for quiet contemplation, while looking over the Red Sea and the pink hued sunsets. Just magic!
Though it's winter here the days are hot and sunny and the water is cool but not cold - perfect snorkelling conditions. The evenings get a bit windy and therefore quite cool - even cold - especially in the evenings.
Yesterday we rode camels into the hills and climbed a hill to watch the sunset and see all of Dahab lying at our feet. beautiful! After that we rode the camels (totally uncomfortable experience by the way.. our inner thighs are so sore today!) to a Bedouin house (very modern!! not a tent which was really disappointing) to have them cook us a meal. An interesting, tho' inauthentic experience. But the views and the experience of the camel ride was worth it.
Looking over that barren, hilly desert (got a really good view flying into Sharm el-Shiekh 3 days ago) it is interesting to think of the Children of Israel travelling through this for 40 years... real wilderness! And that manna would have been much needed... there's nothing green growing there.
We were too relaxed to contemplate climbing Mt Sinai! It would have taken about 8 - 10 hours out of a day (including the drive there) and so we canned the idea! We'll probably live to regret it but right now don't care! :o)
We have lounged, and snorkelled, and walked the length and breadth of the tourist bazaar, shopped and eaten (the restaurants, tho' pricey all have great food!) to our heart's content!
But all good things come to an end and it's time to leave this little paradise and get on a bus tomorrow morning that will take us to Jordan, crossing Israel at the Eilat border. Just found out that we can indeed exchange money at the border as we need shekels to pay the exit tax! Was a tad stressed about this as we were unable to find Israeli shekels anywhere in Egypt (the money changers and bank tellers look at you either blankly or smirk and say "no" with great pleasure!). Crossing there will be an interesting experience we think.
We are really looking forward to Petra!
Meaning "gold" in arabic, which refers to the sandy coastline, Dahab also boasts Egypt's most spectacular diving and snorkelling. Ben's had a couple of dives and we've all snorkeled most days. The sea is teaming with a variety of stunning fish in crystal clear water.
The sheesha smoking, hippie mellowness of the place with it's banana pancakes (or chocolate if you prefer!), restaurants on the seashore with their lounging cushions and low tables to eat at (forget boring tables and chairs!) all give Dahab an attraction that is hard to tear oneself away from.
Our hotel, Jasmine Pensione, is a very quaint narrow 3-storey place with only a handful of pinewood-lined rooms. Our two little rooms are at the top with a cute little balcony each - perfect for quiet contemplation, while looking over the Red Sea and the pink hued sunsets. Just magic!
Though it's winter here the days are hot and sunny and the water is cool but not cold - perfect snorkelling conditions. The evenings get a bit windy and therefore quite cool - even cold - especially in the evenings.
Yesterday we rode camels into the hills and climbed a hill to watch the sunset and see all of Dahab lying at our feet. beautiful! After that we rode the camels (totally uncomfortable experience by the way.. our inner thighs are so sore today!) to a Bedouin house (very modern!! not a tent which was really disappointing) to have them cook us a meal. An interesting, tho' inauthentic experience. But the views and the experience of the camel ride was worth it.
Looking over that barren, hilly desert (got a really good view flying into Sharm el-Shiekh 3 days ago) it is interesting to think of the Children of Israel travelling through this for 40 years... real wilderness! And that manna would have been much needed... there's nothing green growing there.
We were too relaxed to contemplate climbing Mt Sinai! It would have taken about 8 - 10 hours out of a day (including the drive there) and so we canned the idea! We'll probably live to regret it but right now don't care! :o)
We have lounged, and snorkelled, and walked the length and breadth of the tourist bazaar, shopped and eaten (the restaurants, tho' pricey all have great food!) to our heart's content!
But all good things come to an end and it's time to leave this little paradise and get on a bus tomorrow morning that will take us to Jordan, crossing Israel at the Eilat border. Just found out that we can indeed exchange money at the border as we need shekels to pay the exit tax! Was a tad stressed about this as we were unable to find Israeli shekels anywhere in Egypt (the money changers and bank tellers look at you either blankly or smirk and say "no" with great pleasure!). Crossing there will be an interesting experience we think.
We are really looking forward to Petra!
Travelling Egyptair!
So have to quickly share with you our little "adventure" when we flew from Luxor to Sharm el-Sheikh to get to Dahab. We had to fly via Cairo which was a pain in the neck. So we check our bags through to Sharm at Luxor airport. When we got to Cairo we had a couple of hours before boarding our next flight. We took it easy at a cafe catching up on diary writing, reading up about Dahab etc. When we heard the first boarding call we started walking to our gate - about 5 mins away - to be told by a slightly hysterical little man that our flight had left. When I protested he said that everyone had boarded and it was about to leave!! eek. After much negotiation on his part over a handheld CB we were rushed through yet another security gate (they love their security gates which mean a big fat 0!!!) onto a bus on which we were the only passengers and were greeted at the plane by harried staff and a staring ground crew not to mention passengers all checking us out! We rushed in, sat down and tried to look inconspicuous!! :o)
We get to Sharm and only 2 of our bags came through the baggage carousel! shriek!!
When I rushed over to an official looking guy he says "so what is the problem?" WHAT??? So I said well we have to leave to Dahab right now (about a 2 hour drive away) he says "So go to Dahab!".... okaaaay..... Anyway, after filling out some paperwork he said he'll send the bag to our hotel when it got in. We got it that night!!! phew!!
btw... though the landings and take-offs were very smooth they like turning sharp and coming in fast towards the runway.... a bit like the mad way they drive on the roads!! :o)
We get to Sharm and only 2 of our bags came through the baggage carousel! shriek!!
When I rushed over to an official looking guy he says "so what is the problem?" WHAT??? So I said well we have to leave to Dahab right now (about a 2 hour drive away) he says "So go to Dahab!".... okaaaay..... Anyway, after filling out some paperwork he said he'll send the bag to our hotel when it got in. We got it that night!!! phew!!
btw... though the landings and take-offs were very smooth they like turning sharp and coming in fast towards the runway.... a bit like the mad way they drive on the roads!! :o)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ancient Thebes (Luxor) - the capital of the kings
We found Luxor ("Luxurious Luxor" as the boys referred to it before we got there!) to be a city of contrasts. The modern and ever present tourist industry sitting quite comfortably alongside the ancient ruins - 2 very old temples (Karnak and Luxor temples) within walking distance from our hotel, not to mention the 1000s of amazing tombs of pharoahs, queens, nobles and those of even the workmen who built these tombs, many funerary temples etc. found in the West Bank (with new sites and sculptures etc still being found by archeologists).
We got to Luxor tired, cranky and desperately needing a shower after 2 days and nights on a felucca to find that our hotel had been closed down the previous day due to electrical problems. The staff were lovely and put us up in a different hotel (a large soulless place - the kind we detest and stay away from!) paying for the difference, but due to public works happening in the town there was no water in the pipes!!! So no shower and no major toileting until later that evening! The hotel was shocking too - lackadaisical untrained staff, sporadic cleaning until I kicked up on day 2. After that we had fresh towels made into fancy swan sculptures on our beds, extra toilet paper etc.!! :o)
We're tombed, templed and Pharoah-ed out now and feel we have a very basic understanding of the ancient Egyptian culture. (side note: that Ramses II was quite an egocentric but he did leave some amazingly beautiful structures for posterity!).
On our 2nd night while about to enter Luxor Temple (lit up beautifully at night, giving a totally different perspective to it) we were approached by Attiya Mohamed, a guide who offered to show us around the temple. We hadn't used a guide until then and his quote was quite reasonable so we took him up on his offer.
It was absolutely fascinating having him explain things we'd only wondered at so far. Hje was also able to relate alot of the ancient history to modern life which kept it interesting for the boys. We were moved to ask him how much he would charge for a day tour to the West Bank as it's quite complicated to do without a car and taxis charge a bomb.
So the next day we had a very informative tour through the Valley of the Kings, the Nobles tombs, the workmen's village and tombs and a couple of the funerary temples.
Attiya was very happy to also discuss politics and religion ( Islam vs Judaism vs Christianity) and was very interested in our lives and world. So the breaks for tea were as interesting as the tour itself. He invited us to visit his home and meet his wife and 3 yr old son for dinner that night but we had to wake up early to go fly in a hot air balloon so unfortunately had to decline.
The hot air balloon ride was phenomenal - incomparable with anything we've ever done. The absolute silence up there with only the bursts of sound from the flame was incredible. Floating over the West Bank with a bird's eye view of the temples and tombs we'd visited the previous day made us feel like Amun-Ra (the ancient Egyptian god of gods)!
The balloon ride almost didn't eventuate. the morning before we had woken up early to be picked up at 5:15am, put on a boat, given coffee/tea and a breakfast bar and taken over to the other bank, then drivento the site. We were concerned as it was unseasonably windy - and sure enough after sitting aorund for about an hour we were told that since the wind wasn't lessening they were forced to cancel the flight!! Thankfully unlike most of the others in our party who were departing later that day or early the next, we were able to book for the next day. So worth it! Cost us about $75AUD each - less than half what you pay in Australia.
If it wasn't for those amazing experiences we wouldn't have like Luxor much.
We got to Luxor tired, cranky and desperately needing a shower after 2 days and nights on a felucca to find that our hotel had been closed down the previous day due to electrical problems. The staff were lovely and put us up in a different hotel (a large soulless place - the kind we detest and stay away from!) paying for the difference, but due to public works happening in the town there was no water in the pipes!!! So no shower and no major toileting until later that evening! The hotel was shocking too - lackadaisical untrained staff, sporadic cleaning until I kicked up on day 2. After that we had fresh towels made into fancy swan sculptures on our beds, extra toilet paper etc.!! :o)
We're tombed, templed and Pharoah-ed out now and feel we have a very basic understanding of the ancient Egyptian culture. (side note: that Ramses II was quite an egocentric but he did leave some amazingly beautiful structures for posterity!).
On our 2nd night while about to enter Luxor Temple (lit up beautifully at night, giving a totally different perspective to it) we were approached by Attiya Mohamed, a guide who offered to show us around the temple. We hadn't used a guide until then and his quote was quite reasonable so we took him up on his offer.
It was absolutely fascinating having him explain things we'd only wondered at so far. Hje was also able to relate alot of the ancient history to modern life which kept it interesting for the boys. We were moved to ask him how much he would charge for a day tour to the West Bank as it's quite complicated to do without a car and taxis charge a bomb.
So the next day we had a very informative tour through the Valley of the Kings, the Nobles tombs, the workmen's village and tombs and a couple of the funerary temples.
Attiya was very happy to also discuss politics and religion ( Islam vs Judaism vs Christianity) and was very interested in our lives and world. So the breaks for tea were as interesting as the tour itself. He invited us to visit his home and meet his wife and 3 yr old son for dinner that night but we had to wake up early to go fly in a hot air balloon so unfortunately had to decline.
A family that sleeps together ... sigh the pitfalls of budget travel! ;)
A caleche - just for the fun of it
The hot air balloon ride was phenomenal - incomparable with anything we've ever done. The absolute silence up there with only the bursts of sound from the flame was incredible. Floating over the West Bank with a bird's eye view of the temples and tombs we'd visited the previous day made us feel like Amun-Ra (the ancient Egyptian god of gods)!
The balloon ride almost didn't eventuate. the morning before we had woken up early to be picked up at 5:15am, put on a boat, given coffee/tea and a breakfast bar and taken over to the other bank, then drivento the site. We were concerned as it was unseasonably windy - and sure enough after sitting aorund for about an hour we were told that since the wind wasn't lessening they were forced to cancel the flight!! Thankfully unlike most of the others in our party who were departing later that day or early the next, we were able to book for the next day. So worth it! Cost us about $75AUD each - less than half what you pay in Australia.
If it wasn't for those amazing experiences we wouldn't have like Luxor much.
heading to our balloon ride by boat
our handsome captain
balloons being prepared in the early dawn
up up and away - see our shadows waving!
if one is to take a hot air balloon it should be with the magnificent views such as this - glad we saved up this experience to glide over the Valley of the Kings in this way! BREATHTAKING!
Queen Hatshepsut's temple - really puts size into perspective!
verdant fields
the real size of those ancient statues are revealed better
So now in Dahab... an adventure getting here... but will explain once I've rested my fingers and filled my tummy!!
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