You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 21, 2005 02:00 PM Go East... Wild East!
Uff!... It is 9 pm and my old backpack is ready... New adventure starts tomorrow... Bus through the border to Russia, then cheap flight to the Kazakhstan. I never been there... I rode different reports... Some of them are very strange. During the Soviet Union time it was peaceful there and people (including people in charge) were friendly and helpful. Now there are independent countries. There are changes, there are new leaders and new law... It is not easy to get the visas unless you pay high price and are ready to be escorted by your guide... Well, I'll see... Just please - keep your fingers crossed!
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Sep 10, 2005 02:00 PM Back in New York...
We safely escaped the triangle. End of the cruise to Bermuda. I disembarked at 9 am... I have my flight back to Europe in the evening. Lovely weather - enough time to take a pleasant walk around Manhattan. But what can I do with my pack? No lockers or cloak room in the cruise terminal! I found the solution: I went back to well known Manhattan Inn Hostel (303 West 30th Street). Just opposite to the reception desk they have automatic lockers - I paid 3 USD for 24 hours (keep your new one dollar bills ready!) and spend whole day visiting well known and new places in NY...
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Sep 07, 2005 02:00 PM Escape from Bermuda...
The third place to visit on Bermuda in King's Wharf - the former base of Royal Navy. It is not a town - it the complex of old historical buildings from the time whem they called Bermuda "Gibraltar of the America". They established there Maritime Museum and most of the buildings are converted to the shopping malls, restaurants and art workshops. It is worth to see - just 2-3 hours visit.
The authorities of Bermuda do not want us in the harbour during the hurricane so we are escaping Bermuda heading back to New York. No compensation... We will spend one more day at sea... Bye bye Bermuda! I hope we will escape safely The Bermuda Triangle!
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Sep 06, 2005 02:00 PM Hamilton - the capital of Bermuda
In the morning we entered Hamilton Harbour. The capital of Bermuda is quite a big town with some colonial buildings, nice cathedral and road traffic. Bad news from the bridge: the hurricane class 1 NATE is coming close and close to the Bermuda so our capitain decided to leave Bermuda earlier... Bad luck!
Hamilton is good place to start exploration of the wonderful beaches located in the south coast. I went by bus as far as Gibb's Hill Lighthouse. They charge 2,50 USD for entry but the view is little disappointing. Then I walked along the beaches - long ones and tiny ones hidden between the rocks. You will find them soon in my photo gallery - enjoy!
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Sep 05, 2005 02:00 PM Saint George - Bermuda
I woke up early. I is worth because the ship is entering Saint George Harbour through the narrow, rocky gap - very spectacular place! Saint George town is in my opinion the most picturesque of three Bermuda ports so if you will have a choice - go to Saint George. It if not a problem to reach from here the rest of the islands - they offer very efficient bus system and also ferries. The best deal is to buy at the tourist office one or three-days unlimited ride pass valid for buses and ferries... It comes with map and timetable... Buy, plan and go!
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Sep 04, 2005 02:00 PM Backpacker on the cruise ship...
The day at sea. Strong sun and the navy-blue ocean around. There is no window in my last-expensive, inside cabin but I have TV with 24-hours transmission from the camera placed at the bridge so I can always check if it is sunrise or sunset out there... Unlimited food... It is good to take the cruise after tiring voyage across Sahara! You can use self-service or stay in the lines to the restaurants... NCL offers free-style cruising - so toys and suits are not obligatory (but no jeans in the restaurants in the evenings!)
What is the best on the ship? - The AMAR band! They play old, good standards... And I an very proud because they are for my country!
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Sep 03, 2005 02:00 PM Sailing to Bermuda...
After lovely morning in the New York I embarked inexpensive Norwegian Cruise Line ship. I made a choice of "Norwegian Crown" - because during one sailing it is visiting three ports in Bermuda one by one: St George's, Hamilton and King's Wharf. Yes, I would like to see as much as possible. First surprise on the ship: apart from your cruise fare they will charge you automatically 10 USD per day for the tips. But you can avoid this - going at the end of the cruise to the reception and writing in the form why you dont want to tip the crew...
Departing from the New York at 4pm we enjoyed just wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline...
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Sep 02, 2005 02:00 PM Bermuda via New York - first surprises...
Bermuda excites me since many years. It is very expensive for independent traveller so after studies I decided to take a cruise from New York... !!! Something very strange for the backpacker but the reason was very clear: to save money! I landed in the afternoon in JFK airport. First surprise: years ago there were free bus going from the terminals to the subway station (it was the cheapest way to get to Manhattan). Now there is no bus but a light train (Air Train)... and they charge 5 USD for this train plus 2 USD for subway ride. Welcome to America!
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May 18, 2005 02:00 PM Tulips in Wojtkowka...
Just few days ago in the heat of Africa I was dreaming about Spring in Poland... And here it is: in my Wojtkowka tulips are in blossom. Sweet cherry tree near the cottage is all covered with white flowers and there is a lot of soft, fresh green around...
A lot of work is waiting - not only in the garden...
I unpacked my backpack: there were 14 hours of video recording on the tapes. More then 3000 digital, low-resolution pictures and 43 rolls of slides -36 pics each. These are fruits of my Transafricana... I plan to share them with you... Just give me a breath... And let me dream about my next voyages...
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May 16, 2005 02:00 PM The end of Great Transafrican Voyage...
I returned the car in the Cape Town airport - It was good solution because there is no mass public transport to the airport and the city shuttle will charge you like 120 rands per person... Let you also know that the price of the 1 litre of petrol in RSA is like 5,13 rands - less then 1 USD...
I put on my best shirt on and checked-in for the KLM flight to Amsterdam. The flight was on time, their 777 was full. More then 11 hours in the air and the allowance of 250 ml of beer only! (Yes - that's what flight attendant said - and I responsed that they are serving kid's portions...). Connection in Amsterdam, then next one in Warsaw. I landed in Gdansk at 8.30 p.m. - and this was the end of the longest voyage of my life. Home, sweet home... it is so good to be here after almost 4 months on the trail! Congratulations from my friends... The dream came true... Just see the map - it was more then 20 000 km!
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