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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM What I found in the bazaar...
Suleimaniya is more westernised than Erbil. Along the main Salim street you will see high, fancy hotels. There are also more ladies in the European dressing. I had enough time to walk around the centre, visit Azadi Park with the modest Love Monument., talk with many locals. Local bazaar is very crowded and noisy. Smells in some areas not so nice, but is very authentic. I found there the quarter where they sell Kurdish traditional costumes. I had there a chance to try the headdressing of the Kurds. It consists of two parts: little round hat to put on the top of your head and the cloth - to be wrapped around the hat. Look at the picture - I and the sellers from nearby shops we had a lot of fun... What a nice souvenir from Kurdistan. It is necessaryto to bargain, but you can buy both parts for just 10 - 12 dollars :)
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Last day in Marrakech
At 9 am when I was walking the narro streets of the medina they were still almost empty. It was nice to see well known, but restored for tourists places, mosques, city walls and gates. They charge now 7 euro for the entrance to the main tourist attractions. At 11.30 I was back in the guesthouse to pack my backpack and go to the airport. They required PCR test - the covid situation is changing the rules every day! They suspended flights to France at all. Fortunately i was flying to Italy. The 3-hours flight to Torino was full. Arab kids wer shouting and crying and I was happy to leave them after landing. Here on arrival they checked only the passenger locator forms!!
I boardeb the bus to the Torino railway station paying hefty 7 euro in the machine. The driver charges 1 euro more. It took us almost one hour to reach the station due to the traffic jams. Here I wanted to buy ticket to the port of Genova. I put the exact money to the machine. But I did not receive any ticket. Attendent opened the machine - no ticket inside! What should I do? -You should buy new ticket, your train departs in 10 minutes! But where is my money?. -You can write the protocol, if you can miss your train, but we cannot give you the money back.
Welcome to Italy!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Exotic Dubai after years
I have my flight home late in the evening. So I decided to book the tour, which terminates in the airport in the evening. In the morning I was still sunbathing on the deck 15 with the nice view of the Dubai skyline. Packing mu luggage didn' take me much time. Cruise line was sio nice and organnized for all guests covid thests required now hy all airlines.
at 1.30 pm I was ready to disembark.
Big bus took us to Jumeira quarter to see fajcy hotels and ine mosques. Then were driving to the oldest part of Dubai, to see old, mud- made houses with wind towers in the narrow streets. Dubai Creek with the souks (bazaars) was the highlite of the day. I liked like years ago noisy abra boats sailing with the people across the river. We sailed too - to see Gold Souq and other parts od the lively market. Picturesque Market found me on the bank of the river - they were just calling from the minarets. Great moment! It was 7 pm when the driver drop me at the peripheral terminal 2 of Dubai airport. It is not very impressive, but it seems that only low cost airlines use it. I have 4 hours waiting for wizzair flight to the cold!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Guagua to the ferry
Wake-up in the darkness. At 7 am I was alreadu marching to the guagua stop "Casablanca". For the historic reason Canarinos call the bus "guagua". So from the south airport area guaguas no. 111 and 450 goes to Christianos - a quite big city in the southwestern corner of Tenerife. I paid 2,20 euro to the driver for the 20-minute ride. He left me at the guagua station - quite far from the port and ferry dock. I was walking about half an hour with all my stuff - good morning exercise! Ferries (for foreigners) are expensive on Canary Islands. Imagine that for one- hour sail on the junk ship to Gomera I paid online 32 euro with a senior discount! Locals pay only 7 euro, and tis is the honest price...
Sun was rising when I was embarking - they scanned only the number of my passport. The view from the deck was great: the port and Christianos town were bathing in the strong morning sun. Soon we departed enjoying the view of Mt Teide and jumping dolphins. Gomera was hardly visible in the mist on the horizon. Soon more...
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Ferry to Lanzarote
Imagine that Ryan cancelled my flight from Fuerteventura. Fortunately I found similar from Lanzarote.
At 9.30 am I was already in the ferry dock in Corralejo, thevferry arrived soon and I boarded "Tindaya" for a 35-min journey in the sun. One way ticket cost me 24 euro. It is worth to know, that there is competitive company "Romero" offering the same journey for 18 euro on thevsmaller ship.
The view from the upper deck was great: Corralejo, Lobos Island them Playa Blanca on Lanzarote. Once disembarked I walked 500 m to the main road to find the stop of guagua. It cost me 3,60 to the capital of the island - Arecife. Lanzarote has not as many colors as Fuerteventura. The landscape is less dramatic, valleys are more wide and flat.
In Arecife I found little and crowded hostel "Casita Arecife" to stay for 18 euro in 4-bed room. Cramp but nice atmosphere and new friend - Giovanni from the Italy - the real traveller.
New carrier informed me that I must have a covid test to land in Italy. Giovanni helped me to find the BioLab on Argentina Street. It is worth to recommend - they made the test in 15 minutes for only 20 euro!
Fthen I was free to walk again the beautiful bouleward - againn after 7 years. They build new complex near marina.. Palms, little caste St Gabriel on the island, white boasts in the inside port. I am happy to be here again!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Blablabus to Bordeaux
Three hours bus drive for 6 euro - sounds interesting! It was late morning when I embarked blablabus in Toulouse. The standard of the bus was OK with a toilet and we had only one WC stop on the route. Well, be prepared if you didn't pay extra for the selection of the seat that they will put you into the last row... In Bordeaux they have stop in the narrow street east of the St Jean station building. Looks not to be the safest place in the night...
I found cheapest accommodation in the Formule1 hotel on the other side of the river. To get there I walked through the St Jean bridge and then it is still more than 1 km south. Room for 38 euro has a sink, but not a bath. Covid histeria is still present here - because covid they do not provide towels. You can buy one single-use microfibre paying 3 euro extra!
It is quiet place, but to buy some bread and other groceries you have to walk 2 kms back to Place Stalingrad (what I did). 1,5 litre of red wine cost 5 euro. Let's make a toast in the country of the bordeaux-color wine!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Dubrovnik in colors
Today when I in the early morning I went from my inside vabin out to the deck I found that our ship is turning in the narrow bay just near the high, modern bridge. We are in Croatia! Port of Dubrovnik is located not in front of the old Dubrovnik coty walls but some 4 kms away in the narrow picturesque bay. Cruise linestry to milk down their passengers: they offer here shuttle bus to yhe old town for 14 euro round trip. As usual I did it by foot. The day was lovely with temperature 28 deg. Celsius.
I have been here as a student, in the time of black and white photography... Now I saw Dubrovnik in colors. The entry to the pld coty is free, but if you want to walk around on the top of city walls you will pay hefty 250 kina. One euro is worth more then 7 kuna. The old streets are full of tourists. The poor churches are open for visitors. It is nice and atmospheric place! Back in the new city I started a climb up the hill for the best view. Many wonderful, flourishing rhododendrons along the stoney stairs. The view from the little terrace was nice, but from the upper station of the mew calbeway is probably even better
...
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM A lady from Santa Catarina...
Did you heard about Servas? This is old organization of the open doors, but more ambitious than Couchsurfing.
As a member of Servas since 1989 I recently hosted Lilian - charming Brazilian lady, originally from Santa Catarina in the Southern Brazil, now living in Europe. I have been to Santa Catarina state few years ago so we had a lot subjects to talk about...
Lilian is open - minded person, she had great languages skills, speaking even Japaneese. Imagine that she came to Poland to study Polish! And we were peaking Polish in my Wojtkówka! Great person, great time!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Ketchikan - the capital of salmon
What a lovely, sunny weather! In the morning we were sailing through the Great Inside Passage - between small abd big islands, watching playing little orcas and enjoying the views.
In the afternoon we docked in Ward Cove - just 7iles from the historic port of Ketchikan - ned the wirld capital pf salmon. But Ketchikan was also important during the Gold Rush Era. Now the township has also industrial face as an important transport hub for Alaska. I walked again old, colorful part of the city with many shops and bars. Sunny weather allows to take good pictures. Tomorrow we will have full day at sea and after tomorrow I will land in Vancouver fory flight to Europe. This fantastic journey is coming to the end!
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Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Merry Christmas dear Friends!
Dear Friends worldwide.... Merry Christmast and Happy, peaceful and full of interesting travels New Year 2023!
I decided to fly to look for white Christmas to Oslo, to my dearest son Adam and his family living there... It is only 1,5 hour direct flight to get there. In Gdansk it is grey with temperatires 5-6 deg Celsius. I hope to find the snow in Norway! Enjoy your Christmas time!
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