With the
first real snow in London for 5 years, I saw the New Year in at a rather civilized dinner
party Ewell, Surrey. As we toasted the New Year with Champagne, I couldn't help thinking
about the previous New Year's Eve in Vilcabamba, southern Ecuador. A year had flown by, I
had celebrated my birthday in Santiago de Chile, I had spent 6 months with Paula in Canada
and now I was back in the UK planning my next trip! I wondered what 2001 had in store for
me. Amazingly I awoke on New Year's Day without a hangover - a good start to the new
millennium!
At 03.00am on Friday 2nd March I dragged myself out of bed for my 04.00am taxi to London Heathrow Airport. I was off on another trip - this time the Middle East! Paul was travelling with me for the first three weeks in Egypt. We caught our Alitalia flight to Cairo, via Rome, and arrived on schedule at 15.15. It was strange to arrive in Cairo with Paul as I had arrived in Cairo 15 years earlier with his brother!
The weather in Cairo was a sunny 20
degrees, which felt very pleasant after the zero temperatures in London. We caught a cab
to downtown and checked into the Minerva Hotel, which was located on the fith floor of an
old colonial building that had gone to seed. The building was serviced by one of the old
open cage type elevators - just as I had remembered from my hotel that I had stayed in 15
years previously. Every time we used the lift we breathed a sigh of relief when we got to
our floor without the cable breaking! After settling in we walked down the main drag,
Talaat Harb, to the Felfela Takeaway for a delicious meal of Chicken Shwarma, Falafel and
Baba Ghanoug - real cheap at a dollar each! The next day we visited the old area of
'Islamic Cairo' and the ancient bazaar of Khan al Khalili. The bazaar was certainly not
untouched by tourists, but still had a great atmosphere with it's maze like layout and
selection of Egyptian wares. We had mint tea in the famous Fishawi's Coffee House that has
apparently been open 24 hours a day for the past 200 years. The coffee house was a grand
old place with beautiful ornate mirrors and full of locals and tourists sipping tea and
smoking sheesha water pipes.
On Sunday we caught the Cairo metro down to
the Christian Coptic Cairo area. After checking out the church briefly we wandered through
a busy little suburb down to the Nile where we caught the river bus back to downtown -
great value for a river cruise at 15 cents a ride! The following day we caught the bus out
to Giza to visit the Great Pyramids. Even though I had visited them before, the pyramids
still took my breath away with their immense size. Paul did the climb up into the funerary
chamber of the Cheops pyramid and then we spend several hours walking around the site and
exploring some of the less visited areas. Back in Cairo we also visited the world famous
Egyptian Museum with its over whelming collection of artifacts, including the spectacular
Tutenkamun exhibition.
On 8th March we took a 9 hour bus journey
to Dahab in the Sinai. On the trip we travelled through the desert to the Gulf of Suez and
then across the spectacular desert mountains of the southern Sinai peninsula - beautiful.
Dahab was a typical 'traveller' type resort full of young backpackers and SCUBA diving
enthusiasts. As we both had colds we were forced to just hang out for quite a few days
waiting for the colds to clear up. We soon found a good local, 'The Crazy House' bar, and
had quite a laugh with the friendly barmen. One day we did a hike across the desert and
ended up in the middle of a military airstrip - we realised when we were buzzed by an army
helicopter! Paul managed to get a couple of good dives in just before we left for Sharm El
Sheik.
In Sharm El Sheik we stayed in the
luxurious Hilton Fayrouz Resort, which was perfectly located on the beach in the middle of
Naama Bay. It was certainly a treat staying in the Hilton and I lapped up every minute of
our 3 day stay. From the Hilton we booked up a couple of days SCUBA diving including the
famous Ras Mohammed Marine National Park. We went out on a smart yatch and did some great
diving. We saw thousands of brightly coloured tropical fish and beautiful soft and hard
corals. On one dive I saw a Whitetip Reef Shark - very impressive.
On Sunday 18th March we lazed
around the Hilton pool in the morning and then Paul caught his bus back to Cairo for his
return flight to London. I caught the bus back to Dahab and checked back into the same
hotel - The Camelot Paradise Camp! Since my cold had now cleared completely I decided I
would do some more diving and sign up for the PADI Advanced Open Water diving
qualification. The course was essentially a practical course with five dives to some of
the best dive sites around Dahab. The diving was certainly spectacular with the abundance
of weird and wonderful sea life. The dives included the world famous Blue Hole and a
fascinating night dive. I hung out in Dahab for just over a week before setting off for
Jordan.
On 29th March I hitch hiked to the port of Nuweiba, where I could catch the ferry up the Gulf of Aqaba to Aqaba in Jordan. First I managed to hitch a ride with a World Bank employee to the police checkpoint just outside Dahab. At the checkpoint the police were obsessed with arm-wresting me - all ten of them! A few tour buses went by and then after 15 minutes a private car arrived and the police stopped them as per usual. The police asked the French tourists where they were heading and they replied Nuweiba. The police then led me to the car, opened the back door and ushered me in - all without consulting the French tourists! Luckily they were OK about their compulsory passenger! From Nuweiba I caught the local ship and spent the three hour journey on the top deck admiring the mountainous desert scenery and deep blue of the gulf. At one point in the journey a large pod of 20-30 dolphins swam beside the ship, and with the crystal clear water we could see their every movement - beautiful!
One day in Aqaba I went down to the
port to see the Queen Elizabeth II ship docked. I managed to just nod to the port police
and then walk right up to the ship. Feeling pretty confident I walked up the gangway, gave
a serious 'Good Morning' and then walked right aboard - amazingly I wasn't even
questioned. I spent the whole morning exploring the liner, visiting it's famous
restaurants, tea rooms, bars, boutiques, lounges, theater, cinema and health spa. After a
couple of hours walking around I sat around the pool and chatted with the other passengers
- quite an experience. I had a wee bit of bother getting back off the ship, but nothing I
couldn't handle!
From Aqaba I travelled to Wadi Rum
to visit "perhaps the most spectacular desert scenery in the world". I hitch
hiked out to the Bedouin village of Rum, which has become more of a tourist staging point
than a real village. I rented a tent in the town and then set out on a 8 hour hike into
the desert. Luckily the weather was not too hot so the hike was relatively easy. The
desert landscape, with the huge rock jebels rising perhaps 500m from the desert floor to a
height of nearly 1800m, was certainly awe inspiring. The area was used for the filming of
'Lawrence of Arabia'. I hiked for almost 12km around some of the huge jebels and across
the wide desert floor of the wadi. I climbed to the top of one of the small jebels and
watched the sun begin to set before heading back to Rum. The last hour of my hike back to
my tent was by moon and starlight - the stars were just so bright.
After Wadi Rum I travelled further
north to Wadi Musa from where I would explore the lost Nabataean city of Petra. The
Nabataeans were an industrious Arab people who dominated the ancient Arabian trade routes
some 2000 years ago. The entrance to Petra was an exciting 2km hike through a 100m high,
3-5m wide, canyon. The canyon then opened up to reveal the spectacular Khazneh (Treasury),
a huge tomb/temple carved into the cliff face - quite breathtaking! After the Treasury
there were many more spectacular tombs/temples including the famous Al Deir (Monastery).
From behind the monastery we had great views down across Wadi Araba to Israel. I spent two
full days hiking around the sights, including the large Amphitheater, Roman colonnaded
streets, Byzantine church and numerous Nabataean tombs. The natural scenery of the area
further enhanced the grandeur and mystery of the ruins.
After visiting Petra I travelled quickly up the Desert Highway to Amman, the capital of Jordan. Amman was a pleasant and comfortable city so I spent a few weeks just hanging out and taking it easy. I stayed in the busy downtown area who's centre was a spectacular Roman amphitheater and forum. The people in Amman were relaxed and friendly so it was easy to make friends and socialise.
I did a nice day trip down to the
resort of Suweimeh on the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea, at 400m below sea level, is the lowest
point on the earth. The incredibly salty water has an almost oil like appearance and it's
high density allows you to float on the surface with your head, arms and feet out of the
water - felt real strange! Another highlight of my stay in Amman was a trip down to the
Hammamat Ma'in hot springs near Madaba. Apart from the normal medicinal baths there was a
huge multi-level hot waterfall! The waterfall was over about four stages with beautiful
natural hot pools, hot caves where you could have a natural sauna and slippery chutes to
slide down. The water varied from about 25-60 degrees Celsius and the falls where covered
with bright mineral deposits - quite a special place!
On Tuesday 1st May I caught a service taxi
directly from Amman to Damascus in Syria. Damascus is regarded as the oldest continually
inhabited city in the world! I spent a couple of weeks exploring the Old City and visiting
the famous souks, mosques, Turkish baths and traditional old houses with their elegant
architecture and pretty courtyards. While I was there the Pope also visited Damascus, so I
wasn't the only famous guy in town! The Hammams, Turkish baths, were also quite a
highlight and made for a pleasant afternoon of being steamed and then scrubbed clean.
From Damascus I decided to do a two
week tour of Lebanon. On 15th May I caught a bus direct to Beirut on the Mediterranean.
Lebanon was surprisingly green, which combined with the Mediterranean coast made a
pleasant change from the desert scenery I had become accustomed to. Beirut was an amazing
city - gleaming new skyscrapers built right next to war destroyed shells of former
buildings! The 16 year war had certainly left a huge scar, but the city was quickly being
rebuilt into a new modern capital. Lebanon was far more developed and western compared
with Egypt, Jordan and Syria - quite a rest from the hassles of the third world.
From Beirut I travelled north along the
coast to the interesting town of Tripoli with it's formidable Crusader castle and Old
City. The Old City built by the Mamluks had a great old souk and a fascinating traditional
soap factory. After Tripoli I travelled to the famous ruins of Baalbek in the Bekaa
Valley. The Bekaa Valley is still the heartland of the famous Hezbollah political/military
group - a definite no-go zone until very recently! The spectacular ruins of Baalbek were
built by the Phoenicians around 60AD and the city was known by the Greeks and Romans as
Heliopolis. The temple complex was remarkably well preserved and extremely impressive.
After Baalbek I returned to Beirut for a few days.
I returned to Syria on 28th May, spent a few days in Damascus, and then
continued my journey north. First stop was the spectacular Roman ruins of Palmyra. In
contrast to Baalbek in Lebanon, Palmyra was set deep in the desert and was a large city as
opposed to a temple complex. I spent a day hiking around the well preserved ruins and
enjoying it's remote desert setting. From Palmyra I travelled up to Hama, from where I did
a day trip to the huge Crusader castle of 'Krak de Chevalier'. The castle was immense and
I spent several hours exploring it's many rooms, towers, passage ways and corridors -
quite the fairy tale castle! After Hama I travelled to the northern city of Aleppo near
the Turkish border. Aleppo had a magnificent citadel perched high on a hill overlooking
the center of the city and extensive covered souks. I spent a few days exploring the city
and it's fascinating ancient souks before continuing north to Turkey.
On 11th June I crossed the border into Turkey - the last country on my
'Middle East Tour'. I spent a night at the border town of Antakya and the following day
did an eight hour bus journey up to Kapadokya in central Turkey. Kapadokya (Cappadocia)
has a bizarre landscape with spectacular rock monoliths. The monoliths, 'Fairy Chimneys',
have been hollowed out by an ancient civilisation into homes, stores, stables and
churches. The guest house that I stayed in was built around one of these honeycombed rocks
and my room was actually a cave - with en-suite bathroom of course! I spent over a week in
the village of Goreme, hiking, relaxing and enjoying the night life. One highlight was a
visit to Derinkuyu, one of the famous underground cities. The 'city' went down an
astonishing eight stories beneath the ground and contained living rooms, kitchens, stores,
a winery, a school and a morgue. At various levels there were large boulders that could be
rolled into place to seal off passage ways and protect the residents from invaders!
Next I travelled down to Egirdir
in the beautiful Turkish Lake District. I stayed in a small family run hostel out on a
tiny island on the Egirdir Lake. The pretty little island took only 15 m?utes to walk
around and was connected to the mainland by a 1 km long man made causeway. The lake had
crystal clear waters and was surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery - quite the little
paradise! I decided to spend the best part of a week relaxing, hiking in the surrounding
countryside, swimming in the lake, and enjoying the pleasant evenings drinking beer on the
lakeside.
On 2nd July I travelled down to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. Antalya was certainly a lot warmer than Egirdir, but was a pleasant place with plenty going on. Antalya was not just a tourist resort, but a real city with a population of over 1 million. The majority of the foreign tourists stay out at nearby beach resorts, so the city is still very Turkish. I spent a good week in the city enjoying the old town, the rocky beaches, the bustling centre and the good nightlife. The temperatures certainly took some adjusting to - a humid 35+ Celsius everyday! On 11th July I left Antalya and began my trip west along the Turkish Mediterranean coast. First stop was the beautiful escape of Olimpos, with it's stunning beach, picturesque valley and mouton with eternally burning flames! After Olimpos I continued to the small resort of Kas. Kas was a small fishing town and is now a very pleasant low pressure resort. I found a great little pansiyon overlooking the sea and spent a week enjoying the town.
After Kas I
travelled to Fethiye and Oloudeniz. From Fethiye I did a couple of great one day boat
trips out to some beautiful islands and bays. On both trips we visited many idyllic
snorkel/swim spots and had a blast diving off the top of the boat. The real highlight of
my visit to fethiye was a paragliding flight over Oloudeniz. We launched off the top off a
2000m (6,500 feet) mountain, glided over the spectacular mountain landscape for 40 minutes
and landed on the famous 'Blue Lagoon' beach of Oloudeniz - awesome! Next I continued
along the coast to the party resort of Bodrum, where I spent a few days trying to keep up
with the nightlife - not very successfully! I had planned to continue travelling along the
coast, but I decided that I had visited enough resorts and it was time to head up to
Istanbul.
On 1st of August I travelled on an overnight bus direct to Istanbul. The
bus travelled through the night and at dawn we caught the ferry from Yalova across the Sea
of Marmara to the Asian side of Istanbul. The bus then crossed a bridge over the Bosphorus
to Taksim, which is on the European side of the city. From Taksim I took a local bus
across the famous Golden Horn inlet to Sultanahmet - the old center. On my first night in
this ancient city I went to the Sound and Light show at the beautiful Sultan Ahmet Camii
(Blue Mosque) - Istanbul seemed a fascinating city and I knew I would enjoy exploring it!
In all I spent 12 days in Istanbul visiting the sights of Sultanahmet, exploring the
modern districts, browsing in the ancient Grand Bazaar, and socialising on the rooftop
terrace of my hostel overlooking the Bosphorous.
In Sultanahmet I visited the 1,500 year old Aya Sofya which was built to be
the finest house of worship in the world. For 1000 years it was the largest church in the
Christian world, until in 1453 it was converted to a mosque. Next I visited the famous
Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) with its 6 spindly minarets. The mosque seemed to bubble
up from the ground in a froth of domes and half-domes, and had a beautifully tiled
interior. The last big sight I visited was the Topkapi Sarayi, which was the palace of the
Ottoman sultans from 1462 until the 19th century. The palace was totally awe inspiring,
especially the fabulous Harem and Imperial Treasury.
On 13th August I flew home from Istanbul to London. I managed to get upgraded to Business Class - not bad value for the $150 fare that I paid!
Back
in the UK I spent a month catching up with friends and then went out to southern Spain for
a week to have a 'real' holiday. We gave the sight seeing a miss and concentrated on
serious eating, drinking and relaxation - rather nice! Sylvia, Glad, Paul and I stayed in
a lovely villa on the outskirts of Nerja, in the province of Malaga, set in it's own
Chirimoya field and with views of the mountains and the Mediterranean sea. I really
enjoyed being back in Spain - my last visit had been in 1994. I flew back to the UK on
29th September and then after a week I decided that I would really like to go down to
Spain for a longer period. Next thing I knew I had bought a $20 ticket with EasyJet to fly
to Malaga!
As planned I flew down to Malaga on 28th October and was met at the airport by Jaime - my Chilean friend, who I had met in Jordan and who now lives in Malaga! After a great lunch with his family in Fuengirola, Jaime drove me up to the villa in Nerja. It felt great to be back in the villa that I have been visiting for over 15 years!
Of course my real objective was supposed to be settling down to finding a job, but for the next three weeks I had friends visiting me, so it was more of a holiday - not that I am complaining! Once everybody had left I concentrated more on the job hunting!
While walking around Nerja I saw an advertisement in the front window of an Internet Cafe
advertising a job vacancy. I managed to get an interview with the Belgian owner the
following day and then I had a weeks trial. The week went well and I really enjoyed
working with the friendly team. The team consisted of the Belgian guy, a German couple and
a Dutch girl - we all seem to get on very well. On the 22nd November I had my final
interview and was offered a permanent part-time position - I was a working man again!
Coincidentally my official start date was 1st December - exactly 7 years to the day that I
finished at EDS! After 7 years on the road I felt it was time to settle down somewhere,
and I couldn't think of anywhere I would rather be than in Nerja in 'Sunny Spain'!
December flew by and before I realised it it was Christmas. Marc, the owner of the cafe, had originally decided to close on Christmas Day, but I persuaded him to allow me to open up. I ended up working a 13 hour day as we were surprisingly busy, but I had a fun time as I relaxed some of the rules and had a few drinks with the customers!
Next it was New Year's Eve. I saw the New Year in on the Balcon de Europa, perched above the Mediterranean. As the church clock chimed in the New Year the custom was to pop a grape in your mouth on each chime - one of many amusing Spanish customs. There was a great atmosphere on the Balcon, a band was playing, the people were dancing, the Champagne was flowing and it was a beautifully mild evening - perfect!