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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Nov 17, 2012 08:00 PM Italians sleep long on Domenica!
In the morning we entered Italian port Ancona. Misty and wet day. I disembarked as a first person -
just after they opened the gangway. Cruise terminal was located in the big tent on the shore.
At the info desk I got the free map of the city. The old part of Ancona is located around the port,
I passed through the empty Corso Garibaldi to the Piazza Cavour (15 min walk) where the bus hub is located.
I wanted to go to Loreto - to See the famous sanctuary and the Polish war cemetary.
Sorry - the bus to Loreto departs at 11 and takes 75 minutes. Why the buses are so rare?- I asked local guy.
-It is Domenica (Sunday) today he said - and the people sleep long.
My ship departs at 2 pm - no chance to came back from Loreto on time! Bad luck!
I was walking around old town of Ancona instead: Piazza Plebiscito surrounded by the old buildings is
probably the most picturesque. Then I climbed the narrow, cobbled streets to the St Ciriac roman cathedral.
Back in the port the roman Arch of Trajan with part of restored city wall is also worth to see.
At 2pm we said gooybye to the dark, rainy Europe. Next stop will be in Africa!
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Nov 16, 2012 08:00 PM Que c'est triste Venice...
Do you remember this nice song of Charles Aznavour?
Today I reached Venice. Again, after 38 years.
Today's Venice was really "triste": dark and grey.
On the San Marco Square there were still some water after "aqua alta" flooding but not much...
I used the last expensive mode to get from the Marco Polo International airport
to the Piazza Roma - little square near the dock. It was public bus, which costs 3 euro.
(In Gdansk we pay less then 1 euro for the ride on the bus! But this is Venice here...)
In front of the airport there is a bus stop. You have to jump on no. 5 bus. But before you have
to buy the ticket in the vending machine, have euro in coins ready! The machine is a bit
complicated - make a choice of "city (urban) 75' (minutes) one-way ticket. Otherwise the machine will ask for more :)
My ship was waiting. I checked-in and went to my last-expensive inside cabin, to recognize
that it is very dark. Inside cabins has no window, but the lighting could be adequate to the dalight.
I complained to the guest services. No result so far.
At 10 pm we sailed along the Giudecca Island, the mouth of Canale Grande and San Marco.
I enjoyed the great views of the Venice by night.
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Nov 15, 2012 08:00 PM Lets go South!
We have cold and short days of November in Poland. It is a good time to leave to the south. The main target of my voyage is another Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean: Socotra. This island has unique wildlife and stunning scenery.
I've been to Yemen twice already, but I never managed to get to Socotra - there are no ferries and tickets for limited flights are sold weeks ahead. They are pretty well disorganized ... The situation in Yemen is still not stable, but they say that it is quiet on Socotra. I'm going to get there from the United Arab Emirates. And at the beginning to sail from Europe to the Emirates by Costa ship. Costa, after the crash of one of their cruisers greatly reduced prices. We will sail through the Suez Canal, which I always wanted to see. I will also visit several unknown ports. It will be still a risky journey - not only because of the unclear situation in Yemen, but also due to the fact that I leave Poland without a Yemeni visa. I hope to receive it in the Emirates. Please keep your fingers crossed. :) If there will be cheap access to the Internet on the way I will publish a short messages from the route, as always, in my travel travel log.
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Oct 30, 2012 08:00 PM One more interesting expedition is over...
It was sunny in my Gdansk when I landed...
I saw first snow on the fields around the airport...
One more interesting expedition is over!
I brought to Poland great memories, pictures, hours of video recording.
People of India are very nice and helpful.
Sometimes it is hard to comunicate with them.
Surprisely in this former British colony only the
upper class people speak English...
Others usually know separate words only...
But smile and gestures helps a lot. Just let them know
So mhat you do not feel you are from the those better world.
Now it is the time to meet my dear friends,
to prepare my presentations for the
Annual Meeting of Polish Globies and...
to work on the new project: November/December voyage to the Middle East, much warmer at those season then Poland.
My backpack will be busy again before the end of the year! Somebody of my friends said: -You were born to travel! I think he was right...
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Oct 29, 2012 08:00 PM Delhi - Moscow - Warsaw
Smyle Inn in Delhi where I stay is a clean place and has free internet access, but you can feel a little of claustruphobia in their crampy rooms. Can you imagine my: bed in the corner, 40 cm passage on one side of the bed and 60 cm on the other... Attached bathroom is 120 cm by 120 cm...
But they are reliable: they knocked on my door at 1.30 am and at 2 am the taxi driver said he is ready to go with me to the airport. It took us only 30 min throuth the empty streets...
Do not believe airlines suggesting that you have to be in the Delhi airport 3 hours before the flight. Yes - in the past this was horribe - once I spent there more then 3 hours going through check-in, security etc. Now there is modern Terminal 3 - I took me 40 minutes...
Aeroflot flight was 30 min delayed. I was running in Sheremetyevo airport from Terminal F to D. I caught the flight to Warsaw, but... In Warsaw I recognized that they did not transfer my backpack to Warsaw plane...
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Oct 28, 2012 08:00 PM Around Delhi on my own...
For the first time I was here in 1975 - can you believe?
I had today enough time to refresh my memories and to see the places I missed before.
Hot, but hazy weather.
The central Connaught Place looks the same except that they are digging there in many places. The monumental India Gate is still surrounded by the crowd of tourists. Then I was walkimg to the Purana Quila fort (only the huge gate impressed me) and to Humayoun Tomb (they charge from fereigners hefty 250 rs of entry fee).
Then city bus 405 for 15 rs took me north - to the Red Fort. Sorry - on Mondays Fort is closed but I managed to enter the Big Mosque nearby - one of the biggest I saw in my life.
Metro yellow line (19 rs) took me far south to Qutab Minar - impressive 73m high tower...
Just let you know that from the station it is still 40 min walk to the minar, or ride on the bus 715 -5rs.
Nice and interesting day.
As you can see - you can do Delhi on your own - without car and the driver.
But sorry -this is my last day in India. It is time to prepare warm clothes - tomorrow I will fly home. Domage!...
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Oct 27, 2012 04:00 PM India, Delhi- airport metro does not work since 2 months!
It was 6.30 am when I boarded the city bus to Hyderabad airport. Motocycle rickshaw costs min. 300 rs. I paid for the bus 21 rs.
On the exit from the city I still saw some goats on the streets - they survived yesterdays Muslim festival...
45 minutes later I saw the bright Hyd airport terminal - sorry - from the distance only. City bus brought me to the airport transport hub. From here free shuttle bus will take you to check in. No extra cost but add some 20 min for waiting and for the ride.
I booked flight for IndiGo low-cost airline. They do not charge extra for the first piece of checked luggage.
Flight was on time and two hours later I landed in Delhi. (train ride takes like 28 hours!)
I was ready to try new Delhi metro. Can you imagine: airport to city in 20 minutes for just 20 rs!
What a disappointment!
They said that since 2 months new metro line to the airport does not operate due to technical problems!
I was forced to take the bus, paying 50 rs.
Then 15 min walk west to the well-known bazaar quarter, the backpackers paradise since years.
Welcome to Paharganj!
My street is 2 meters wide, dark and has 5 or 6 little guesthouses. My room is 2x2,5 m and attached toilet is crampy too -
1,20x1,20 m. But that is Paharganj in Old Delhi!
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Oct 26, 2012 04:00 PM Hyderabad - monuments of the nizams
6 milion people live here. The streets are full of cars, smog and the garbage...
Today I saw also the herds of stressed goats. Hyderabad is Muslim city and today is Muslim festival - every family should buy the goat, kill it, cook it and eat it! Poor goats!
I took the local bus 66 to the Golconda Fortress located on the outskirts of the city. Local king built it in 16th century. Then it was abandoned due to the lack of water and they built Hyderabad as a new capital.
Golconda (100 rs entry for the foreigners) is very impressive - definitely worth to climb the walls for the views. But even more impressive is the royal necropolis located 2 kms away: I did not expected such a huge and ornate tombs! Only 10 rs entry fee, do not say you have a camera... Thats what the locals do.
In the afternoon I visited the busy bazaars and Charninar - elegant building with 4 towers - the symbol of Hyderabad. Nice... Nizams Palace and Mecca Mosque are close by...
The streets at 5 pm were red of goats blood... People throw the goats skins on the streets - I think that somebody collects them! Another very hot but interesting day!
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Oct 25, 2012 04:00 PM Lenin is still alive here!
It was not difficult to find the monument of Lenin in Vijayavada. It stands in the little garden surrounded
by the food stalls and street kitchens.
Poor Lenin! Bad smell od the urine is around. In India it is
common to piss on the side of the street even it the daytime... On the other side of the monument it is written in russian: canarade V I Lenin. 5hey say that 80 % od the population of Vijayawada are ehe communist...
Today I took the train from Vija to Hyderabad.
Well... not exactly... I had reserved seat to Hyderabad. Some 50 kms before Hyd the train stopped and they said that we have to go onward by the local bus. Works!
Can you imagine the crowd of 400+ people running to the road in front if the station!
Heat, dust, 20 kgs backpack and I try to get in to the junk bus with the others...
After some 80 minutes on the road I did.
Long life Indian Railways!
It was late afternoon when I landed in Mahatma Ghandi Bus Stand in Hyd. (Worth to remember: they call bus terminal *bus stand* in India.
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Oct 24, 2012 04:00 PM I cannot find the butter in the 1-million city!
The veretarian diet is OK but it is already a month I am on... I dream about bread and butter with tomato/onion salad - like in Wojtkowka...
You think it is easy to get such a products ineven in such a big city? Vegies are available everywhere. To get bread you need to visit 20 "shops" or so. But I spent more then 2 hours looking for the butter. In Ladakh and Kashmir it was easier. Not here! No butter or the margarine!
Bus 301 took me today for just 12 rs through the Krishna River to Undavalli Caves.
It is like 4-storey monastery cut in the rocky hill. I liked especially the reclining Vishnu statue (ask the caretaker to open side door). Monkeys wondering around are also included in your "foreigner" ticket - 100 rs (local people pay just 5).
It is very hot and humid here. Time for laundry! Tomorrow I plan to reach Hyderabad!
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