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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 16, 2007 07:00 PM How to get the visa?...
Sana - Yemen. Pity, but after breakfast and few souvenir pictures everybody took his way: Jorge to Hadramout, Dario & family - to Hodaydha and me - to the embassy of Saudi Arabia... It is not an embassy - it is big, walled and well guarded campus. Crowd of Yemenis at the gate. -I need a transit visa, please! The guard sent me to the travel agency NOSOK in the small street opposite to the embassy....
The staff of NOSOK doest not speak any english... Their manager speaks, but he was absent...
Lets try the other way... I went by taxi to my friendly embassy (500 YER - very difficult to find, addresses are almost non-existent here!). I got a letter and went again to Saudi embassy. -They took the letter and my passport through 20x20 cm window. I was patiently waiting more then 20 minutes. Then they returned my documents: -You have to come again tomorrow at 9 am!... I will...
In the late afternoon I took a walk to the old town. It is still a jewel. (and UNESCO World Heritage site). I have been here 8 years ago. But I am still impressed by this unique architecture and a crowd of the people in traditional dressing wondering around Bab Al Yemen. It it even less tourists now. But the people are as friendly as before...
It is dry and sunny, I am slowly adjusting to the altitude - Sana lies 2300 m above sea level!
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Nov 15, 2007 07:00 PM Toptrotters in Sana
It was lucky day! The flight from Gdansk was on time. I catch my connection in sunny Frankfurt without any problem. Then, during the LH flight I got my last beers (I know that I am going to the moslem countries). And when I landed at 9 pm in Sana - Yemen I recognized that they did not loose my backpack! (It happened recently).
There is money exchange just before immigration (they pay 198 YER per USD) and then "visa on arrival window" where you will get your visa in 5 minutes (in Arabic only) for 5300 YER plus 200 for application...
But the most pleasant surprise was that in the arrival hall I saw Jorge and Dario... Both of them (Dario with his wondering family) arrived in the morning from Socotra. Both of them know almost whole the world. Great travellers... I saw Jorge for the first time... It was so nice to talk to the passionate men who also travel so much and so far!
We took the taxi (200 YER per head) and went to Sayoun Hotel - 2000 YER per triple room... Good night toptrotters!
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Nov 14, 2007 07:00 PM Departing to Arabia...
I pack my old backpack again!... It is snowy and minus 4 deg Celsius in Gdansk...
I hope that the flight will be on time and that they will not lose my luggage again...
Where am I flying to? In the past I tried several times to see inaccessible Saudi Arabia. No chance... What they offer is a 10-days tour for 3300 euro... A good joke for the backpacker! Now I decided to fly to Yemen and to try to apply there for transit visa to come back home. I know that I play "va banque" and there is a high risk that I will be stranded... Well - we will see, keep your fingers crossed please!
I have been before to Yemen, Jordan and Egypt but of course there are still places to see - this will be good opportunity to refresh my memories from Arabia.
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Nov 09, 2007 07:00 PM 23rd Meeting of Polish Globies...
It is white snow around... I am in the polish mountains. Since yesterday I have opportunity to attend the annual meeting of our globetrotters. More then 230 budget travellers came to Szczyrk from all over Poland.
It is difficult to describe all those slide- and media- shows from all over the world. Yesterday the last one was at 1 am! Hope that today will be the similar session. New Zealand to Sahara. Pacific Islands to Siberia... It is also great chance to exchange traveller's knowledge, to gather up-to date practical information about the last frontiers. And of course - to meet old friends coming to this meeting every year. I have great time!
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Oct 25, 2007 02:00 PM Walking to the Antalya airport
The end of my short voyage to Turkey and North Cyprus. In the morning I said Goodbye to Side and took a minibus to the highway, then a bus to the airport junction near Antalya.
Yes - there are taxi transfers from Side to the airport but they charge 90 lira per cab... Do not forget that I am budget traveller. Bus to the junction cost me 7 lira. Do not worry - friendly driver will stop on the highway for you - just ask! Then there is 2 km walk to the international terminal - easy exercice in the morning - they built even a sidewalk for you dear backpacker! Smile to the security control... At the terminal you can recognize that it is wrong place: you will not find your flight on the list... Wow!
It is not written in the ticket that there is choice of two terminals. There is also second, new terminal 2 - 1,5 km away further to the sea... You are already little sweaty but there is no choice. Or maybe you are ready to pay hefty taxi fee??? Just allow plenty of time - I was walking there another 25 minutes...
The flight to Munich was on time... Two very strict security controls in Munich airport - they wanted me to drink all water from my travel bottle!!!
It was late afternoon when I landed in Gdansk airport. Dark. Cold. I dream again to go to the tropics... Soon, soon...
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Oct 24, 2007 02:00 PM Aspendos - worth a visit!
I took a public bus to get to Aspendos - remarkable ancient town with great amphitheatre. Any bus going west from Manavgat will take you there for 4 lira. And then you can walk 3 km north from the coastal highway or try to hitch. I was very impressed by the huge size of the theatre (the entry fee is also high - 10 lira). It is worth to know that in Aspendos there is more to see then the theatre. On the hill there are solid ruins of the basilica. Soory - poor explanations - they charge money but do not distribute any handouts...
If you are energetic enough you can walk around the hill (another 2 km) to see the ruins of the aqueduct - it is impressive and worth the effort. It is out of the fenced area so it is free...
Walking back to the highway I made a stop at the old bridge - it is also visible from the highway. The bridge is well restored - the present construction is from Sejuks times... Ufff... enough walking for today, I was swiming in Side in front of my hotel at sunset and this was the great pleasure...
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Oct 22, 2007 02:00 PM Mangavat, Maganvat, Manavgat...
What do you prefere? Turkish names are not easy to remember... Manavgat is a big town on the main coastal highway and important transport hub. whereever you want to go - you must go first to Manavgat. It is 4 km from Side where I stay - 1,50 by minibus - no tickets. But the drivers prefere payment in euro - it gives them 0,20 profit on each ride if they charge 1 euro.
About 3 km north of Manavgat there is nice cascade (they call it waterfall but let you know that it is only 2 m high!). It is very tourist place with restaurants, souvenir shops. Tour agencies from the resorts offer the tour to this "waterfall". Do not pay them your money- you can reach the cascade by local minibus from Manavgat for just 1,50 lira. And in Manavgat it is worth to stop to see local market - it is located close to the bridge...
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Oct 21, 2007 02:00 PM Side - ancient ruins and waterfront cafes...
I found lovely place to stay in Side: Ikimiz Motel on the waterfront with garden restaurant downstairs. Can you imagine? - I am the only guest in this little hotel. It is the end of the tourist season. But sun is still shining, water in the Mediteranean Sea is much warmer then in my Baltic in the middle of the summer. I think it is good time to come here. They offered me a room with shower and sea-view balcony for 25 lira (like 22 USD with breakfast included). Good deal!
Side is located on the small peninsula. At the cape there are picturesque ruins of the Apollo and Athene Temple (free entrance). A bit inland you can visit ancient amphitheatre and agora (5 lira fee). Tourists from nearby beach resorts are coming to visit the ruins and the shops. After sunset it is a pleasure to have a beer in one of the illuminated waterfront cafes. Side is small and this creates here special atmosphere. If you have a choice of Antalia, Alanya and Side - go to Side!
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Oct 20, 2007 02:00 PM By bus along the Turkish Coast
They do not wake up early here... First bus from Mersin to Antalya stops in Tasucu at 10.30 am... No rush... No crowds... In my country there are elections today - I am lucky to be far from this noise...
Morning swimming. Then two km walk with my backpack to "otogar" (that's how they call bus terminal). The bus was on time. I bought a ticket to Manavgat - 8 hours drive costs 30 lira - like 26 USD - not very expensive regarding a/c bus.
Nice, panoramic views of the sea and the mountains - many switchbacks on this route.
From Manavgat there are frequent minibuses to ancient Side located on the coast - do not trust taxi drivers - the minibus will cost you 1,50 lira. Taxi will charge 15 lira... Welcome to Side!
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Oct 19, 2007 02:00 PM Tasucu. Warm sea... Day at leisure...
Tasucu - Turkey. It is the great place to stay: Some 600 m east of the ferry termınal I found Meltem Pensiyon - nıce and friendly place to stay located just on the beach. The room with the balcony, shower and TV cost here just 15 lira... I am enjoyıng the sun and sea after busy days... In the mornıng I met on the street ONE LIRA MOBILE VEGIE SHOP. Everythıng on the truck and cost 1 lira per kilo: tomatoes, oranges. mandarınes, grapes... I had a lot of fun buying them... So inexpensıve after North Cyprus!
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