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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 23, 2021 10:00 PM Exciting Marrakech
In the morning I had a good excercise walking with my backpack back to Bergamo airport. It was sunny day and I was optimistic... The ladies at the gate were too busy checking everybody's vaccinations and tests to control the size of my luggage (it is oversized regarding the allowance given by the last expensive tariff) - Yes, yesterday I was flyning 2 hours paying 39 zlotys = 10 dollars, and today I was flying more then 3 hours for just 13 euro!
Finally during the descent I saw the desert of Morocco. New terminal in Marrakech is huge and very impressive. Immigration officers ask for the hotel address and the health service check covid vaccination. In front of the building with a palms around you will be bothered by the taxi drivers. Budget travellers go to the police post in the parking lot (around 100m) where city bus 19 appears from time to time. Ride to the medina (old city) will cost you 30 dirhams = 3 euro.
It was not easy t8 find my little hotel in the labyrinth of the alleys. Once accommodated (paying 8 euro per room with shared bath) I went to the famous Jemaa al Fna square. Imagine that I was here in 1979 - 42 years ago! It is still very vibrant place with the stalls, restaurants, dancers, fortune tellers, beggars, snake and monkey tainers, musicians and... thieves. Watch your pockets and be resistant to the people asking for money for the photos!
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Nov 22, 2021 10:00 PM To Bergamo on a cheap
Yes, I bought this ticket for just 10 euro. But I experienced some emotions staying in the line in front of the gate. Such a cheap tickets cover only one cabin luggage 40 by 25 by 20cm suitable to put under the seat in front of you. Many people (including me) have slightly bigger pieces. Today the young ladies fro Ryan staff were picking such a guys asking to pay surcharge. My advice is not to be at the beginning of the line. If they start picking their victims get of the gate area and appear only when they started boarding - they are too busy at this time to measure your pack! I survived without surcharge! The plane was almost full. After 2 hours in the air I saw the pretty Alps just before landing in Bergamo airport. A day before Ryan sent me message to fill the passenger locator form before flying, but belive me nobody asked me to show this paper in Poland or in Italy.
From Bergamo airport (no control at all on arrival) I walked about half an hour to the family-run "La Rocca Guesthouse". Nice, old-fashioned place. Lady the owner speaks fluent English. Unlimited tea/coffee is offered 24h. I need a rest before tomorrow's flight to Morocco...
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Nov 21, 2021 10:00 PM New journey to the South!
I'm escaping again to the warm countries again! The route of the new journey can be divided into two segments. At the beginning, I will fly with low-cost airlines via Italy to Morocco, to remind myself of what exotic Marrakech looks like and to make at least two trips to new, unknown places.
Then, after returning to Italy, I will board a ship in the port of Savona that will cross the Suez Canal to Dubai in the Arab Emirates. On the way, we will visit several ports - including those in Oman and Qatar. It will be relax under the full sun and light sightseeing. I will return to Poland from Dubai by low-cost plane before Christmas.
As always, I am asking my friends to keep your fingers crossed for the success of my trip, because in the era of covid it is not difficult to get unforeseen troubles. As long as I'll have cheap access to the Internet, you will find daily "hot" reports in English about where I am and what happened in my travel log. But this time there may be difficulties, because there will be many sea days between the ports on the route. So I am asking you for patience and understanding :)
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Nov 19, 2021 10:00 PM Annual Meeting of Polish Globies
Greetings from Rzeszów in the south of Poland where I attend the 37th Allual Meeting of the Polish Globetrotters (OSOTT). After a pause in 2020 (because of COVID time) I have again a chance to meet my old friends and to see the presentations from all over the world. In the evening I will be presenting my Kurdistan expedition of this year. I have really good time!
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Nov 12, 2021 10:00 PM Such a nice wedding!
I had the pleasure and joy of participating in the Orthodox wedding ceremony of Ola and Tomek in the beautiful Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in Gda?sk. Earlier, while traveling the world, I repeatedly attended Orthodox worship services, delighted with choral singing, but I never saw a wedding ceremony. It was an amazing event that I will probably remember for a long time. It was accompanied by an amazing atmosphere created by rows of gilded icons and wonderful singing flowing from the choir. The bride was beautiful like a princess from a fairy tale... May the happiness accompany you uninterruptedly until the end of your days, beloved travellers!
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Oct 30, 2021 08:00 PM Pleasant stopover in Cracow
Early morning in Burgas - Bulgaria. The airport bus (line 15 - storting from city bus terminal costs 1,50 leva in cash - less then a dollar. The bus was almost empty. I understood why studying the departure list: there are only 6 flights per day departing from Burgas. Everything was gooing well until the security control - the people in charge were rude and noisy. Only one line was open and they pressed the passengers to hurry. On the other side of the machine they do not have a single table to put your tray with clothes, electronics, gels - I put mine on the floor... Very bad experience, Mr Director of Burgas airport!
The flight was only half full - we landed after 2 hours in Cracow appreciating sunny weather. City bus took me to the center of the city. I had more then an hour to the departure of the train. I took the walk to the main market enjoying the atmosphere of multilingusl society around and refreshing the best memories.
The train was on time and in the evenig I was already at home. This was the end of the short, but still interesting voyage. Lest's think about the next one! :)
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Oct 29, 2021 08:00 PM Back to Bulgaria
It is time to say goodbye to my Tulip Gueasthouse in Istanbul . This cozy place is worth to recommend. The rooms has nice decor and from the breakfast rooom on the top floor you will see Bosphorus. It is located in Istanbul's safe Gringolandia - the area between Aya Sofia and the sea. I paid 19 euro per night for the room with shared bath. Cash only!
I took a tram to the red metro line. Subway took me then to otogar - main bus station. Nisliki bus to Burgas departed on time - at 8.30.
It was much nicer to travel this route during daytime. They offere some free snacks and mineral water, but there is no WC on board. The only unpleasant event was Bulgarian customs search. They asked to open all luggages on the road asphalt and put their dirty hands into each pack and suitcase. Like in Africa! But we are here in the European Union, are we? In the communist time it was the same, dear sirs!
I reached sunny Burgas in the afternoon (can you see Russian soldier Alyosha on the column?), I was spending the rest of money for food and sleeping in the same "Aria" apartament. I have a flight home tomorrow morning...
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Oct 28, 2021 08:00 PM Cruising the Bosphorus
As you know Istanbul lies at the entrance from Marmara Sea to the Bosphorus Straits dividing Europe from Asia. When I was here for the first time there the only way to cross the straits was a ferry - there were plenty of them. Then they built the first high bridge, then second bridge, then the third one, then a 5,5 kms long tunnel.
Till today I didn't have a chance to cruise 31-kms long Bosphorus. Today one more dream came true. Different companies offer here different cruises. I came to the conclusion that for the backpacker the best solution will be long cruise departing from the ferry landing near Galata Bridge at 10,35. Round trip ticket costs only 25 lira - less than 3 dollars. Locals use it as a ferry, because it is calling few places on both sides of Bosphorus. We were sailing under the the bridges, near the palaces and mansions, looking at the fortress... The turnaround point is Anadolu Kavagi on the Asian bank. The ferry stops here for almost 3 hours, so you have enough time to climb to the ruins of the Yoros fortress overlooking the straits which is 700 m wide only in minimum point. Great view from there and the entry is free! So it was 1,5 h sailing, 3 h visit and 1,5 h sailing back the same way. Great deal and unforgettable day!
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Oct 27, 2021 08:00 PM Walking around fascinating Istanbul
Today I crossed Golden Horn to walk around Galata quarter. Tre huge Taxim Square was full of red flags and police barriers before tomorrow's national holiday. Long pedestrian street - Istiklal has elegant shops. Entrance to the Galata Tower costs hefty 100 lira and there was long line in front of the ticket office... I was wandering quiet long time narrow and steep streets to find the house - museum where biggest Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz passed away in 1855. This quarter has its color with clothes hanging between the houses, porters carrying loads of goods and little workshops. The house-museum is not so impressive, but important for the Poles.
In the afternoon I crossed again Galata Bridge with hundreds people fishing from the bridge, some of them had quiet big catch. I walked uphill to the impressive Suleymanije Mosque (free entry) to enjoy again nicely decorated interior. Local people are coming here to pray, but nobody is complaining about the presence of the tourists inside.
Any visit to Istanbul is not completed without crawling the alleys of Kapali Carsi - the big, covered bazaar so I went also there to refresh the memories. Lovely day!
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Oct 26, 2021 08:00 PM Hard way to Istanbul
I always try to avoid night travel. But I hadn't a choice... The coach bus dparted from Burgas at 11 pm. It was hot inside and the staff wasn't polite. At 1 am we reached Bulgarian-Turkish border. They took everybody out of the bus, checked passports and let us go... On the Turkish side it was much worse: covid papers, passports control and pictures out of the bus. Then they asked to take all luggage off for screening. Then our empty bus disappeared for half an hour - they said it was X-rayed... But we were waiting in the middle of the night on the open air... It was cold and depressing. We reached otogar (main bus station in Istanbul) at 5.30 am.
Aha... the subway station is in the middle of the terminal, but the ticket machines accept only local currency... I was forced to go to the bazaar and ask in the bar to change me 10 euro. Then for 15 lira the machine gave me 3-rides card.
It was still dark when I was walking with my backpack to the guesthouse. The shortest way was through the park between Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque. Both buildings were illuminated. What a great, welcoming view! I have been here in 1973. The landscape was poor and grey. It is nice to be here again!
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