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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 01, 2012 04:00 PM Alexander the Great and big sand dunes of Sahara.
Siwa Oasis. I did not sleep because nasty mosquitoes. Why I did not take my mosquito net with me? So far I din not experience mosquitoes on Sahara...
Do not repeat my mistake! Siwa is different!
But it is also very interesting. People in traditional dress say: we are not Egyptians, we are Siweans.
In the morning I took a walk to the Cleopatra Bath - lovely place under the palm trees. The pool and two stylish mudbrick restaurants are there... Then it is 15 minutes walk to the temple of Amun, and another 10m minutes to the famous Temple of Oracle. Alexander the Great came here in 331 before Christ to confirm that he is the son of Zeus. Now I am here - paying 25 pounds for the entrance to contemplate the silence and the great view from the temple hill. The ocean of palms, the lakes om the horizon (yes, there are lakes at this season in Siwa Oasis) and rocky Jebels (hills)...
Only 50 kms to the border of Libia through the sand dunes on the western side!
In the afternoon I found the company to rent 4WD and we went to the sand dunes. Local young driver wanted to impress us going up and down steep, 50 m high dunes. A lot of adrenaline... But also great views of the ocean of sand. Finally we saw a freshwater lake in the middle of the complex of the high dunes - hard to believe! They call it Bir Wahid. Great chance to swim in the cold, fresh water enjoying the sandy hills around...
Tomorrow I have first critical segment of this trip: I found 2 people to share the cost of 4WD car to the Oasis of Bahariya (they charge 1400 EGP per car). We have more than 300 km to drive through the desert. Hope that everything will go well... Yalla!
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Mar 31, 2012 04:00 PM To Siwa Oasis
There are 3 buses per day from Alexandria Mawas "Terminal" to Siwa... 8.30 11 am and 3 pm. It is better buy the ticket (45 EGP) day ahead - buses are full.
It was not was to find the bus - they have only info in Arabic. OK. We started on time and then it was 3,5 hours drive to the first stop in Marsa Matrouh. Then they called me out Mister,mister!! and said: lunchtime 1,5 hour!
I used that time to go by city minibus to the shore to enjoy the view of the beach, the blue of the bay and sky... Wow! Marsa is important coastal resort, Now empty, but sunny...
Then our bus turned to the desert road. Flat gravel desert - more then 300 km - no settlements, but military control points - they search also the luggage! First, second, third, fourth...
At 5 pm we reached Siwa - the most isolated oasis of Egypt. I found a cheap room in the conveniently located Palm Trees hotel - for just 35 EGP. Siwa - this place has the atmosphere! Very few foreigners, Donkey carts, sand, dust and palm trees around, It reminds me Agadez and Timbuktu... One more dream came true!
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Mar 30, 2012 04:00 PM El Alamein...
Do you remember this name from the history? The desert Battle of El Alamein was one of the most significant events during the second world war... Allied troops stopped here nazis on their way to the Suez Canal...
El Alamein lies only 100 kms west of Alexandria. In the morning I took the microbus to Mawas bus station (1 EGP) and then in the back of the station I found microbus stand for El Alamein. No timetable. They depart when they are full.
The fare is low - 7 EGP per person, but you travel squeezed with the Arabs... Ufff! Local drivers are crazy, nobody respects traffic rules, fortunately it was only 1,5 -hours drive...
On the way from the distance you will see blue Mediteranean See but the highway never goes to the coast. Another surprise was that they built along the coast many big and fenced resorts - so the acces to the beached is limited... At this season all resorts are completly empty!
In El Alamein I visited excellent war museum (entry 20 EGP and another 20 if want to use your camera). Then there is a Commonwealth cemetary with 7200 graves in the sand. Impressive! Finally I took few pics of the lovely lagoon...
I was hot a hot day.
Back in Alexandria I took a walk to the Roman theatre. Crowds of men were sitting in the sidewalk cafes. No ladies there! But Alexandria have pleasant atmosphere of the mediteranean cities.
Boys sells Arab newspapers with the big pictures of demonstrations in Cairo. But here it is quite...
And tomorrow I will take a bus to the Siwa Oasis in the desert - I will be very far from the noisy world.
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Mar 29, 2012 04:00 PM Egypt - Alexandria...
I landed in Cairo at 3 am. They issue tourist via on the spot. What you need is to buy the sticker in the bank window and ti fill the entry card.
There are comfortable banks in the arrival hall so you can sleep till 5.30.
Then for the backpacker there is free shuttle bus "Terminal1" going to the bus station. At 6 am I had the direct bus from there to Alexandria (45 EGP).
On the way you will have a free tour to the cantral Cairo - I have been there twice but it is still worth to have a look through the window.
We took the desert road to Alexandria - 3 hours drive. The bus terminal in Alex is on the eastern outskirts of the city. Nasty taxi drivers will offer you the ride to the Corniche for 20 EGP. But there is also a minibus for just 1 EGP!
Queen hotel bookable through Hostelworld.com has grea location on the 7th floor just on the Corniche. I have a terrace with the nice view of the bay. They serve nice breakfast - it is included.
I took a long walk to the old fort where ancient lightouse of Alexandria was in the past. Then to the brand new Biblioteca Alexandrina.
A now I think then Alexandria is nicer then Cairo!
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Mar 28, 2012 04:00 PM To the Oases Trail...
Sometimes the low price of the ticket can encourage me to take the new voyage. I know Nile Valley and Sinai, but I haven't been to the Egyptian Sahara.
When our airline introduced promotional price for Gdansk - Warsaw - Cairo route I said to myself: it is time to go! The situation in Egypt is... Well, we will see... I will try to stay away from the big cities.
Spring is still cold in Poland so it is good time to warm up for two weeks! My backpack is almost ready... Let's fly!
I am sorry that nobody from GS wanted to join me...
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Mar 09, 2012 08:00 PM Namibia on a cheap?
It is the time for the little summary: Is this possible to travel around Namibia on a cheap?
Yes, I confirm! But you must be well- prepared and ready to travel in the non-a/c car. It cost us 500 euro per 22 days with basic insurance. Small car means low fuel consumption and lower cost.
Bringing your tent from Europe you can reduce the cost of acommodation: campsites (private and state-owned) are plentiful and charge only 100 - 150 NAD per person per day. Almost always you will get 240V power outlet at your site - bringing with you tea/coffee maker you can easily cook your breakfasts and soups.
South African canned food is available in the supermarkets. Beans costs 1 USD, the meat or fish - 2 USD per can. Better to buy it in Windhoek - in the province or parks it is up to 50% more expensive.
So book, pack your backpack and go! And enjoy the beauty of Namibia!
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Mar 08, 2012 08:00 PM Namibia to Europe...
It took us only two hours to drive from Gobabis to the Windhoek airport.
We returned our small car - they checked everything, but after 22 days of driving on Namibian and Botswanian roads the was no scratches or damages...
Bye-bye our polo! We did almost 7300 kilometers, and the average consumption of the fuel was 6,2 l per 100 kms...
Air Namibia flight to Johannesburg was delayed 20 minutes, but we had to wait in Joburg 3 hours for the connection anyway - not a problem.
Then Lufthansa flight (10 hours and 10 minutes) to Frankfurt. Only 3 deg Celsius in Frankfurt in the morning! Brrr... But we are bringing very warm memories... It was wonderfull journey!
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Mar 07, 2012 08:00 PM Across the Kalahari Desert
Desert in blossom? Yes - if you will come to this region just after the rainy season you will see the Kalahari in green and yellow colors... I just saw it!
We started early from Maun, Botswana to avoid the heat, but is was a long journey to the border of Namibia in Mamuno.
Very few settlements along... Strange names like D'Ker. Very few cars. But the road - they call it Trans Kalahari Highway - is surprisely good!
We saw again ostriches and the antelopes. But the real plague of the roads in Botswaba are donkeys and the cattle. Donkeys are predictable: they just stay in the middle of the road and do not move. You have to go around them! The cattle are unpredictable - you have to reduce the speed because you never know what they will do...
We crossed the borded to Namibia and found the place for the night on the outskirts of Gobabis. It is already more then 7000 kms on the counter of our small car...
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Mar 06, 2012 08:00 PM Okavango, Okavango...
For me there is something like a "poetry" of the geo names. "Okavango" sounds very good nice, don't you think?
Okavango Delta in Bosswana is the world's largest inland delta formed by Kavango River. Swamps, islands, channels, great wildlife... I always wanted to see this place. Old Bridge Backpackers in Maun offers full-day mokoro trip to the delta. They took us at 8 am on their motorboat - we sailed on Tamalakani River almost an hour to reach the buffalo fence - built to prevent transmission of the diseases from wild buffalos living in the delta to the cattle. Mokoro - the dugout canoes were waiting for us there.
Two tourists and a black poler on the canoe. He took us through the narrows channels to the distant island. Thousands of water lilies around. Two-hours walk on the island to see the animals and birds. Then back on the same way - very hot but exciting day!
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Mar 05, 2012 08:00 PM Corruption at the Botswana border!
Driving till the evening we reached yesterday Popa Falls in North Namibia - just at the mouth of Caprivi Strip.
Popa Falls should be rather named Popa Rapids. The highest "fall" I saw there is 1m high! But is is still lovely place and NWR has right at the rapids their resort with stylish bungalows. They charge 260 NAD per person and the breakfast is included. Mosquito nets too! :)
Today in the morning we said goodbye to Namibia again, crossing the border to Botswana in Mohembo National Park. We saw impalas, zebras and buffalo on the Namibian side.
It is very remote place: they had only 8 vehicles crossing the border the day before.
Once in Botswana we recognized that we have to pay the entry fees for our small car: three different fees, three receipts, 110 pula toogether. Nobody told me about that in advance.
We do not have Botswanian pula! No, no bank desk or exchange counter here! But you can pay me in Rands and I will give you the change in pula. OK! No choice!
How much rands? You will give me 200 rands and I will give you 30 pula change!- said official.
Then I started to count: 1 USD = 7, 60 rands = 7,40 pula
The net profit of the border official was not bad!
This is how it works in the African outback!
We were driving in the heat few hours across Botswana.
At the crossroad with the Windhoek road I found the filling station. No petrol! Maybe NEXT WEEK I will get some!- said the black owner...
We reached Maun - the capital of the Okavango Delta region. Old Bridge Backpackers is a nice place. Our tent stands on the bank of the tropical river. Birds are singing around. It is still hot, hot, hot.
We are getting ready for the tomorrow's trip in the dugout canoe (mokoro) to the Delta of Okavango. Wow!
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