|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Jan 18, 2024 12:00 AM Strong sun over Meiritius
Imagine, I am 2200 kms south of equator! The sun is strong since the morning, hat is obligatory and after few hours walk I feel the sunburn also on my neck! After the buffet breakfast in our pension (it is included) we took a walk down to the beach of Flic en Flac. It is quiete a walk! Expect to walk 20 min down and 25 uphill! The pension offers the free shuttle ride every 3 hours or so, but will you wait? Down there is a kind of the micro downtown with some shops, exchange both (they pay 44.10 rupees for the dollar and 48 for euro) and fruit and vege stalls (80 rupees for kilo of bananas). Le baguette costs just 10 rupees and a bottle 0.7 of local rum - 300 - like 6 euro. A lot of mango trees and flowers in the gardens. Finally through the line of trees you will see turquoise and blue ocean, the reef and long, white beach. We took a long walk along the beach, going south and enjoying the view of the green mountains, including table-like Morne Brabant. There are many fallen trees on the beach after cyclone, they are cleaning them. Lovely day! I negociate the car excursion (South West of the island) for tomorrow.
|
Jan 17, 2024 12:00 AM Delayed again...
No, no, no... Departure of my flight was delayed several times. But finally we departed at 10.20 pm. The A350 airplane was full. The food they offered - weak (Mauritius products) Only their Phoenix beer was so-so... 11 hours... Finally I saw the green island: 4th time in my life. But the last time I have been here some 20 years ago! Air bridges in the airport don't work - we were walking to the building with all our stuff... 29 deg Celsius and high humidity.
Passports control was smooth - I prepared in advance my entry form online. Then there is very formal costom control and you can go out of the building. Taxi drivers are waiting. Broken by the cyclone travellers palms.
Driving to Flic Flac (what a name!) I was surprised by the good roads - much better than 20 years ago... But they still drive left side of the road! My pension is surrounded by palms, has a little pool and weak internet. After night on the plane I dream only about shower and the bed. Good night from the tropics!
|
Jan 16, 2024 12:00 AM Ready for take of...
After emotions of yesterday I slept very well. French they like the good food so in the morning we received good buffet breakfast. Normally the check-out in the hotels is at 12, but in this case last shuttle ti the terminal 3 of CDG departs at 10.30 am and you must go with them unless you are ready to pat for the expensive taxi.
Who will issue my new boarding pass. I spent again a long time in the line yo the Aie France service desk - just to recognixe that they cannot do that - Go to Air Mauritius in E2. In E2 there was another long line, but finally I got the boarding pass and start long walk to the wing L in terrminal E3. Security control os not pleasure. But in the passport control they were smiling. It is 6 pm and I am waiting for boarding at the gate L49 before 11-hours flight. Let's hope that everything will be OK!
|
Jan 15, 2024 12:00 AM Just one word: hell
Early in the morning I boarded my first plane, equipped with 3 boarding passes to Mauritius. They made necessary deicing and we landed in Amsterdam with one hour delay only. I was still lucky to catch the second flight - Air France to Paris. But before the take off we spend almost two hours eaiting in the long line of the aircrafts waiting for deicing.
Well, I said -My third flight is at 9.pm so it doesn't matter...
I was feeling like in the hell when I saw on the display that my third flifht to Mauritius is cancelled. Unfriendly Air France sent me to Air Mauritius desk and check-in row 2 on departure level of terminal 2E. -It is big storm on Mauritius and authorities decided to close the airport! When it will stop? Who knows!
They gave me the voucher to the cheap hotel near the airport, announcing that for the second night they will not pay. I am sitting sad in the small hotel room. Oh my God, please stop this wind and rain!
|
Jan 14, 2024 12:00 AM Oh mamma, oh mamma AFRICA!
It's hard to believe, but in January, after return from the Persian Gulf I only had three days to do laundry, take care of urgent matters and re-pack my backpack. Imagine that I'm flying to Africa! After many years, I will visit again places I know, but my route will also include cities and natural attractions that I have not seen yet. The journey will begin with a flight via Amsterdam nand Paris to Mauritius. After a few days on this island, I will board a ship that will sail to Madagascar and then onward to South Africa. I will say goodbye to the ship in Cape Town, to continue exploring the area in a rented car. The travel map is below. If I can find free access to the internet, you will find the "hot" messages from the travel route, as always, in my travel log. Keep your fingers crossed, please! :)
==================================
===================================
====================================
|
Jan 12, 2024 12:00 AM Shame on you, wizzair...
We landed in Belgrad on time! I was happy until I saw on a display, that our flight to Copenhagen is delayed at least 2 hours... Because... the weatrher! Belgrade is not a pleasant place to wait. Very poor internet... Cold corridors and snow outside. Minus 7 deg Celsius in the sky bridge. When they announced further 20 min delay I recognized that we have no chance to catch in Copenhagen our 11 pm fligh to Gdansk.
I desperately started to search for the other flight. The only solution eas to spend the night in CPH airport and fly Ryan at 6.35 to Cracow and then on midday to Gdansk. Finally we landed in Copenhagen at 35 min after midnight - with 3,5 hours delay. The night in the empty Copenhagen airport was like nightmare. This is the pleasure of traveling with low-cost airlines! We lost a lot of money on non-ref tickets...
But it was wonderful voyage. It is worth to remember only its great moments - like the last morning panorama of Abu Dhabi - see enclosed picture.
|
Jan 11, 2024 12:00 AM Three flights one by one...
In the morning we found ourselves again in the Abu Dhabi port. Lovely, sunny morning. Breakfast with a view of the slyline of the city. At 9 am they opened the ship and we disembarked. There is browm both just opposite the terminal - the stop of the city bus - you can go to the center and take the A2 bus heading to the airport. But my travel companion decided to take door-to-door taxi - the cost is just 90 dirhams. In the huge departure hall of terminal A there is good, free wifi. I made the online check-in for the flight to Belgrade, to Copenhagen and to Gdansk. Unfortunately they do not issue online boarding pass - you still must go to the check-in desk to get one. Let's hope that all flights will be on time. Otherwise our budget itinerary could be broken... Please keep your fingers crossed! :)
|
Jan 10, 2024 12:00 AM Lovely day at sea...
No, it is not a boring day - there are a lot of activities aboard. Some passengers also need a break - - just a time at leisure after six days of excursions an crawling the bazaars. I was happy to see the lively show "Paris after dark". We had also the moovie at the theater and the performance of the magician. Finally in the evening wr were invited for the captain,s cocktail - listing to the good music and drinking champagne... It was already the evening when I started to pack-up my stuff. What a pity that it is already the end of the cruise pn this cozy ship!
|
Jan 09, 2024 12:00 AM Sultan's opera and the Grand Mosque
The port Muscat has very picturesque location surrounded by the mountains. I enjoued this view many times. But I didn't have a chance to see the opera hall built by the previous sultan Kaboos on the outskirts of the city. Acces is easy by taxi. Expect to pay around 15 dollars per cab housing 4 people. Then you have to pay 3,15 omani rial for entry. But it is worth. The building is elegant and ornate. They play here the operas, ballets in the big hall and concerts in the small. Interesting, that Kaboos was here only once, ant the new sultan ruling since 4 years haven't been here during the reign (but before - yes).
Further on by highway there is free to visit before 11 am Grand Mosque presented to Oman by Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi. Wow! The grand hall is huge and very ornate, the smaller ladies hall - poor... Ladies to visit the mosque must cover arms and heads. Rental service works at the gate. Enjoy!
I spent the afternoon wondering the alleys of the Mutrah Souk - Omani People are very nice.
Tomorrow we have day at sea on the way back to Abu Dhabi...
|
Jan 08, 2024 12:00 AM With birthay cake to Oman...
Yesterday at dinner the delegation of the crew arrived with the birthday cake and the bottle of champagne. Happy birthday to you! I was very happy indeed.
Today we are docking in the peripheral Omani port of Khassab. Picturesque mountain around. Inreresting micro port where they load to the small boats goods to be smuggled throu the strait to the Iran. The ship offers for 11 euro bus transfer to the township (4 kms) but I decided to walk... Very nice local people smile and wear national costumes. There is an interesting old fort to visit... I like Oman!
|
Page:
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
|
|
|
