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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 14, 2007 02:00 PM North Cyprus - first impressions
The ferry from Tasucu ın Turkey to Gırne (Kyrenia) is not very comfortable. They have aırlıne chairs for the passengers ın their *salon* but the shıp was full so there was no chance to lay on the few of them. Also no carpeting to lay on the floor. I had a feeling ı am the only tourıst on board... It was long and tiring nıght! At the sunrise tıme - 6 am -I went to the open deck. The sea was rough but the sunrise was nıce. It was still far to the coast of Cyprus vısıble on the horizon...
The whole trip took us 9 hours - I did not expected such a long saıl... Kyrenia ıs beutıfully located at the bottom of the mountaın range Fıve Fıngers. They stamped my passport ın the termınal - good for 30 days stay - the vısa ıs not requıred. Sorry there ıs no tourıst ınfo ın the terminal. Mınıbus drıver wıll take you to the center of the town for 5 turkısh lıra - ıt ıs the same money here lıke ın Turkey...
Sorry - I decided to walk - it is only 2 km to the old harbour where cheap hotels are located - but you have to know the way... I found accomodatıon ın Yalın GH - 10 mın walk uphill.
They charge 50 lıra per room wıth breakfast bust you can bargain.
People here speak englısh - ıt ıs much easıer to comunıcate then in Turkey. They are friendly - the shopkeeper ınvıted me for the cup of coffee and chat - even ıf I bought only a loaf of bread - it costs here 0,75 lıra...
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Oct 13, 2007 02:00 PM Midnight ferry to Kyrenia
It was interestıng day. Thee was no bus traffic ın the mornıng so I asked o boy on the motorbike and he took ne 5 km out of town to Anamur Castle - huge fortress buılt by the Crusaders. It ıs well worth to stop here and see walls and towers. They charge 2 lira for entry...
Then I trıed to hıtchhike on the road to Silıfke - it ıs just passıng by. After 25 minutes I got the ride wıth nıce turkısh famıly. The vıews on the route to Silifke are great agaın - mountains, cliffs and empty beaches...
They invıted me to visıt Sılıfke fortres (ıt ıs free, but sorry - nothıng specıal except the view) then we went to the Chasm and the cave and at the end to the Castle on the Sea - Kizkalesi.
We drunk tea and ayran - local drınk. At the end of the day they left me at Tascu - lıttle harbor where I am juz waıtıng for the ferry to the Northern Cyprus. The sailıng wıll be at midnıght. The tıcket costs more then ın the Lonely Planet Guıde: 102 lira for the round trıp. Thıs wıll be bıg car ferry (than you for your advıce - Marıanne!) Ahoy!
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Oct 12, 2007 02:00 PM By bus to Anamur
I took a long dıstance bus from Alanya along the coast to Anamur. Buses are comfortable ın Turkey - they serve free softdrınks and cookıes on board. I paid 15 lıra for 3 hours drıve wıth beautıful panoramas of the coastlıne. Take a seat at the rıght wındow! Taurus Mountaıns are comıng to the sea here so you drıve through the swıtchbacks and on the clıffs...
In Anamur I found a room close to the OTOGAR - bus termınal - frıendly owner of hotel Dodehan after bargaınıng offered me s room wıth bath for 10 euro. Sorry - it ıs located close to the mosque so you are forced to lısten to their prayıng calls several tımes of the day and nıght. Be patıent! They calebrate Baıram holıday sınce yesterday - the ramadan ıs over!
It ıs long 3-km walk to the beach from the otogar - I went there to swım at sunset - ıt was great pleasure regarding the night frost ın my country. The prıce of the food is lıke ın Poland - 2,5 l of coke costs 2.5 lıra. Bıg bread roll - 0,40. Tomorrow mornıng I plan to vısıt famous Anamur Castle...
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Oct 11, 2007 02:00 PM Under the Red Tower
Sorry, turkısh computers keyboards are lıttle dıfferent and I have problem to wrıte properly...
Bus terminals ın turkısh cıtıes are well out of the town so you must take cıty bus 93 or 95 for one lira. I took a bus from Antalya to Alanya - two hours rıde cost 10 lira.
Alanya ıs lıke the centre of Turkısh Rıvıera - plenty of shops. cafes and agencies. The only bacpackers accommodatıon is Otel Baba - close to the port. They charge 15 lıra for the room wıth shared bath. Sorry - no breakfast ıncluded. If you want to swım Cleopatra Beach ıs the closest and very pıcturesque place (20 mın walk or 1 lira cıty bus). It ıs oblıgatory to have a pıcture ın front or Red Tower near the port and to buy cheap postcards (12 fot 1 euro).
A bıg fortress ıs overlookıng the town - ıt is worth to clımb for the nice vıew. There ıs also a mınıbus (do not trust taxı drıvers)
every hour - ıt wıll take you to the gate (1 lıra agaın). Entry to the castle costs 5 lıra.
Nıghtlıfe is also bıg attractıon here - tourısts from package tours drınk and dance until late - I dıd not sleep well - better brıng your earplugs...
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Oct 10, 2007 02:00 PM Sunhıne ın Alanya - I got the backpack!
I thınk that the best place to stay ın Alanya for the backpacker ıs Sabah Pensıon ın the old town. Cross famous Hadrıan Gate ınto the Kalesı - Old Cıty and go down the street. Pass the broken mınaret and then they are on the rıght sıde of the narrow street. It ıs nıce place wıth a shaddy patıo - they have rooms from 20 lıra wıth clean sheets and towels. Substantıal buffet breakfast ıs ıncluded (whıte cheese eggs sausage etc) but ıf you want coffee you wıll pay extra - 2.50 lıra. 1 Usd ıs worth 1.18 lıra - you wıll get best rate at western unıon near Hadrıans Gate. Antaya ıs nıce, charmıng town wıth mosques parks and lovely old harbour. It ıs hot here - lıke 28 deg durıng the day.
I got my bakcpack at 18,30 !!!! They brought it ınto the hotel - it is oblıgatory. Everythıng sounds better now... Lets take an evenıng walk under the palms!
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Oct 09, 2007 02:00 PM You never know ıf you wıll fly!...
When ın the mornıng I checked my backpack ın Gdansk aırport for the flıght to Munıch they saıd that the flıght wıll be delayed because the fogg ın Munıch. The plane was waıtıng. They kept us 2.5 hour ın the waıtıng hall. Then they fınally announced the depature and put us on the bus. After the quarter on the bus they announced that the flıght ıs cancelled and drove us back to the termınal. What now? The lady at the desk saıd that the next connectıon vıa the same route I have 5 days later (!!!).
I became angry. Fınally she decıded to send me vıa Frankfurt 6 hours later. OK. Flıght was delayed agaın - in FRA I catch the connectıon to Alanya. But... When we landed ın Alanya I recognızed that there ıs no my luggage. Lets wrıte the report... The servıce does not speak englısh - they should pay money for initıal expenses but they do not want to - the dısscusıon ın german or turkısh ıs hard. They saıd: -we do not understand-
It ıs 1 am. Do not trust the people that the only way to the cıty ıs to take the taxı (50 lıra ın the nıght - lıke 45 USD). From domestıc termınal there ıs a Havas bus thy charge 9 lira or 8 USD. Good mornıng Turkey! It is 2 am. You will never know!
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Oct 08, 2007 02:00 PM Bye, Wojtkówka - the backpack is ready!
There are still flowers in my Wojtkówka, but the days are short and chilly now...
For 15000 miles from the frequent flyer program I got free RT airticket to Antalya and I am departing now to the Turkish Riviera.
I have been there in 1972 passing from Beirut along the coast all over the way to Dardanele. But it was different time: poor transport, black and white pictures only... so it will be nice to refresh my experiences...
But the main target of this trip is the strange Republic of Northern Cyprus - I plan to sail there by ferry...
Again - keep your fingers crossed, please!
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May 07, 2007 02:00 PM In Warsaw airport - but where is my backpack?
I fly with Polish Airlines Odessa to Warsaw. Do you know that they serve on this route free wive and good beer?
In Warsaw I had to wait 4 hours for the connection to Gdansk. Landed safely I asked ladies from LOT if they can put me on the earlier flight to Gdansk. Yes! But you have to collect your luggage and check it again!
In the baggage section they make few phone calls... Sorry, there is no your luggage! They took me back throu the immigrations and customs to he baggage hall... No I did not see there my backpack... -It probably did not came from Odessa! Lets make a protocol! I got the protocol. After two hours I went to the "Gdansk" check-in counter. I ask the lady there to call again - may be there is already a message about the backpack? - Yes! They found your luggage - it is already on the cart -going to the plane! Miracle!
After 50 minutes flight I landed in cloudy Gdansk. Home, sweet home!...
In my Wojtkówka tulips are in blossom...
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May 06, 2007 02:00 PM Odessa - forbiden market pictures!
Odessa has a charm of this pre-war, decorated mansions, parks, churches and narrow streets. Now - on the main promenade - Deribasovskaya - you will find also casinos...
Vodka is inexpensive - from 8 hryvna for the half-litre bottle (they pay 5 hryvna for 1 USD). People from my dormitory in the hostel (sorry - British, Americans...) returned late in the night. In the morning in the room there was unpleasant smell of the alcohol... Do they look here for the new travel experiences? I took a walk to the main market at the end of Preobrazhenskaya Street. Marketts are live and funny worldwide... I took some pictures. The old but charming vendor warned me in Russiaan: -Do you know that it is forbiden to take pictures at the market? The police will come and catch you! Why? Nobody knows... But I had the same problem on the market in the market in the capital of Moldova: the policeman stoped me to take pics on the bazaar. Old soviet behaviours? Just be careful!
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May 05, 2007 02:00 PM Whole day on the junk bus to Odessa...
Entering Moldova from the Transdniestria you won't get an entry stamp of Moldova in your passport since they do not recognize this demarcation line a their border. You have to go to go to the police registration office in Chisinau (near University) with the pasport of your host to get registration paper. It takes 10 minutes and doesn't generate any cost...
Returning back from Moldova to Odessa I decided to make the loop to avoid corrupted Transdniestria on my route.
You must go south and cross the border at Palyanka - directly to Ukraine. There are buses from Chisinau at 8.40 am 12 and 12.40 pm going via this route and the ticket costs 68 leu.
The midday bus is originating in Soroca (8 am dep) - that's what I used, spending whole day on the crowded, not ventilated bus. It is picking people even in the little villages - because the driver does not isue the ticket - making private profit... The road police in black umiforms also makes profit on the driver: during the controls he is puting banknotes into the papers. That's is Moldova...
They kept us more then an hour at the border - few locals were taken off the bus... I reached Odessa at 6 pm. It is cloudy here. But what I need is just to have a shower and good rest...
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