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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Apr 24, 2012 04:00 PM US immigrations - why they are so suspicious?
Bus 110 took me to the Gdansk airport. We have new, elegant departure hall! Then I recognized that Lufthansa flight to Munich will be 40 minutes delayed.
I had only 50 minutes in Munich for the connection. And now I have only 10 minutes.... Uuuu...
In Munich special minibus was waiting for 4 passengers flying onward to Chicago. They took us quickly to the separate check-in desk and we boarded big airbus 340! But how about my backpack?
9 hours later we landed in Chicago airport. And my backpack was also there! Bravo Lufthansa, bravo Munich airport - it seems that Munich is much better organized then Frankfurt! Fly via Munich, if you have a choice!
US immigration officer studied my passport. My US visa was OK. But it seems that he did not see before so many exotic stamps in one passport... They took me to the separate hall keeping my passport. (-We have to check something!) They were checking about 40 minutes.
Then - thanks God I got my passport back and I was free to go...
Avis rent a car prepared for me new chrysler 200. 702 USD for 15-days rental, unlimited mileage... OK! It was already dark when I tried to find the way to the booked motel in interstate 55. It was not easy - they have the real labirynth of highways.
I was already tired due to the 7 hours time difference.
Got it! Motel 6 is the last expensive motel chain in the USA.
41 USD per room - 20 USD per person. 3 towels per person, free coffee in the morning. Shower. Good night!
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Apr 23, 2012 04:00 PM Back to America!
Only two weeks left since my return from Sahara Desert but my backpack is ready again.
I know from my previous expeditions the east, west and the south of the USA. But I haven't been to the Great Plains. Initially I wanted to visit them by the cheap Megabus. But I soon recognized that they are not going to the all places I want to see, they are not present at all in the couple of states. Then I was lucky to find the partner and we decided to rent a car. We plan to make a huge loop: from Great Smoky Mts in the east to Mt Rushmore in the west.
At the end of the voyage we will flyfrom Chicago to Boston to spend there few days in the little-known north-east states. I hope that we will not meet tornadoes on our trail. :) Please keep your fingers crossed!
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Apr 09, 2012 04:00 PM Back in Poland: minus 4 deg Celsius.
Transit in the Cairo airport... It is worth to know that you can easily change back the remaining EGP to the western currencies in the departure hall of Terminal 3. You do not need to present any receipts and the commision they charge is very small... Look for Thomas Cook kiosk...
The LOT plane to Warsaw was crowded, but they served the best Polish "Zywiec" beer...
It was minus 4 when we landed in Warsaw... Just after 38 in Luxor!
Another great trip is over! I was really happy to see the fascinating landscapes of the Egyptian Sahara. And to meet lovely, smailing people in the oases! There were adventures too but I like them - as long as they are not dangerous. Thank you, my friends for keeping your fingers crossed! :) I promise to publish my photo report soon...
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Apr 08, 2012 04:00 PM Stay away from Luxor!...
After a week or more on the oases trail, in the heat, dust and strong sun I was dreaming: oh, when I will finally reach the big, civilized city I will drink a big glass of ice-cold beer... Mniam, mniam... :)
Happy Land Hotel has a nice roof terrace so after taking a shower I climbed the stairs hoping to make my dream true. First I saw the romantic full moon but then - a plaque in English on the wall: Consumption of alcoholic beverages including beer on the terrace is forbiden! If you bring it from the shop drink it in your room!
I call this hotel Holly Land Hotel (Moslem Holly Land) - yes, it is clean but it is hard to say that it is friendly. I came in the evening and announced, that want to stay here 22 hours - till my evening flight on the next day. The hotel was empty. They wanted me to pay for two nights anyway... Friendly...
I have been in Luxor in 1976 and I must say it is now the different town. Now the tourist in the street is non-stop bothered by sellers, drivers, horse-carriages, feluca captains, beggars... In Asyut I paid for the taxi ride 3 EGP, here they want from the locals 10 EGP and from the foreigner - 20 EGP!
I was walking to the famous Karnak temple... At the gate they wanted 100 entry fee. When I found the ticket office hidden between shops I recognized that it cost only 65.
Karnak is still great - I was happy to be again in the shade of the famous Hypostyle Hall. Can you imagine 134 columns having 10 m in circumference and beeing 24 m high?
It was extremely hot day with a thick haze over the Nile - the visibility of the West Bank was poor - so I did not go there. Night flight to Cairo, and onward to Warsaw...
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Apr 07, 2012 04:00 PM Revolution on the railway track...
Instead of going from Kharga Oasis by the direct road heading to Luxor I was forced to take the desert road north eaast to Asyut. Shared taxi - junk peugeot full of locals brought me in 3,5 hours to "the terminal" located close to the dirty bazaar. Then I went to the railway station.
What time is the next train to Luxor? At 1 pm! One ticket please! - No tickets... I explained my situation: closed direct road Kharga - Luxor. My limited time...
-Please come at 12, maybe I will find a ticket for you!
At 12 the clark said that he has one ticket but not to Luxor. He has just one ticket to Aswan via Luxor - another 300 kms south.
No other choice, no discussion - I bought this ticket and went to the platform 3. At 1 pm train did not arrive, at 1.30 we were still waiting. Somebody came with the bad message: 60 kms before Asyut the crowd of people blocked the railway track. They want to talk with the officials to explain their opinions about the Egyptian Revolution... I was waiting more then 3 hours until I saw this train. We reached Luxor at 9 pm. I was walking through the crowded streets to Happy Land Hotel. Very tired after the hot day, but happy: I reached the final destination of my Oases Trail... :)
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Apr 06, 2012 04:00 PM 300-kms road out of control!
Kharga Oasis - Egyptian Sahara. From my al-Bejda hotel I see the nicest mosque I saw on this trip.
But I have the problem: I must go to Luxor. Policeman said yesterday that the 300-kms long new road is closed due to the security... No more datails - his English was very poor.
In the morning I went with my backpack to the bus station. Drivers said: you can go by this road only by private car - they call it "special service". I said: Yes, I want to if there is no other way!
They made the calls to the different drivers. And...
They said: -Sorry, this road is closed also for private cars!
Can you imagine? 300-kms new road is out of control of the state!!!
Do the foreign tourists in Luxor know, that just west of this city Egyptian government cannot coltrol the situation on the paved road?
I am looking for the other solution to get to Luxor...
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Apr 05, 2012 04:00 PM Heat, strong sun, dust - it is Sahara!
In the morning the smart receptionist from Hotel (funduk) Anwar was very sorry: -I told ypu yesterday that there are minibuses to Kharga Oasis every hour. But I forgot thet it is Frifay today - moslem Friday - no minibuses!
His friend with a taxi was waiting nearby to serve us. No choice - we organize a small group and departed around 9 am. Afrer hard bargaining the price was 300 EGP per car - good price for 200-km route with stopovers...
On the way to Kharga we visited old medina in Balat village - well preserved and still inhabited.
Then in Kharga area there was intersting Coptic necropolis of Al-Bagawat - well worth to see and the temple of Hibis. At Kharga it is even more hot
On arrival to Kharga Oaris at the checkpoint the officer said that the direct road to Luxor is closed. It is my rouse - the second critical segment... Should I believe?
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Apr 04, 2012 04:00 PM To Dakhla Oasis...
Farafra is small enough to walk around by foot.
There are only 2 public buses per day from Farafra to Dakhla. First at 2 pm. I came at 8.30 am to the "transport corner", woke up the minibus driver sleeping in his car and he agreed to go to Dakhla Oasis (some 300 kms) for 300 EGP with 4 passengers. I bargained so he agreed to stopover for 1 hour in Qasr where old citadel is located.
Very good price!
It was another hot day. Some nice rock formations on the route. Sand on the road. Military control points. Finally green oase of Qasr - pleasantly located under picturesque cliff.
Qasr old city - great labyrinth of mud-built houses, mosques, medresas. Best such a thing on this trip! Free of charge!
Bad news from the pilot of Brithish group: policle closed the new road from Kharga to Luxor due to the bandits activities in the desert. Tomorrow I will be in Kharga to check what is going on.
In the evening we reached hot Mut - the capital of huge Dhakla oasis. I was looking more then an hour to find the internet. Yes, lucky me, and the trip is great!
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Apr 03, 2012 04:00 PM Black Desert, White Desert...
I am already in Farafra Oasis, hamdul Illach!. It is high time to refresh my poor Arabic because in those distant oases very few local people speaks English...
We started early in the morning by 4WD car. Since the collapce of the tourist traffic it is easy to find such a transport with Arab driver. I decided to combine the visit to the famous Black and White Deserts and transfer to the next oasis: Farafra.
We spent all day on the trail. I loved the view of the Black Desert from the Hill - (some 20 min climbing) - wide panoramic view with many conic hills covered by black stones... Then some 50 kms onward - 45 kms before Farafra we turned lleft to the desert bumpy trail.
Can you imagine chalk-white mushrooms, pillars, 10-20 m high piramids - the huge gallery created by the nature? It is White Desert - surrounded by the yellow sands. You have to take plenty of water and you can spend there full day wondering hill to the hill.
In the evening we reached Farafra Oasis. Al Waha hotel is no-sheet hotel. :) So far we had one-sheet hotel in Siwa and two-sheets (luxury) in Bahariya. 50 EGP only.
A guy from the nearby mosque is singing loudlly for good-night. And full moon is visible over Sahara!
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Apr 02, 2012 04:00 PM A long way to Bahariya Oasis
It is Saharan evening already and I - hungry and tired after should rather go to take a shower and to prepare the meal for myself but the hotel manager gave me few minutes of his computer time so let you know what is going on.
We left Siwa oasis after long waiting at the intelligence post on the outkirts of the oasis at 8.15 am.
Then we drove about 200 kms on the good paved road. Sand on the road is present but the 4WD vehicle must just slow down. On the whole route - it is more then 300 kms you will not see any single settlement. But there are 7 military posts with obligatory control on every post...
After those 200 kms we moved to the old road. Much worse! Only remains of asphalt there. Humps, bumps, holes, sand. No signs at all so you dont know how far you are. Pure Sahara! Hot, hot...
I was happy when we reached post no 7 and a bit later I saw the Bahariya Oasis in the valley.
Bahariya is not so traditional like Siwa, but if you will go our of the main street you will see also the image of old oasis... Piles of dates on the little bazaar - one kilo costs 5 eg. pounds - less then a dollar.
Our driver "sold" us to the "Oasis Panorama" hotel - nice, but on the outskirts of the oasis. We are the only guests. I pay 100 EGP for the room with bath and breakfast.
So I did this first critical stretch! White Desert tomorrow!
An now I go with all my sweat and desert dust to the shower!
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