You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Tashkurgan Military zone - no internet for foreigners
Tashkurgan town is a convenient stopover on the way to the famous Karakoram Highway. Here you have a chance to drink your last beer before entering Moslem country and to speak with the local ladies. Two hotels offer basic acommodation - the room with hot bath cost 100 yuan. Hospitable Tadjik people live here - i had an opportunity to visit their tyipical house. I found also the only internet cafe. Sorry - no access for the foreigners - this is special military zone - close to the border to Tadjikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan...
Tomorrow morning I want to take the only bus and to cross the famous Khunjerab Pass to Pakistan
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Christmas Island - my dream come true!
There are no lights on the runway on Christmas Island. Daylight landings only.... It was 6 am when I saw for the first time this legendary atoll (they say - the biggest atoll in the world!). Palms, palms and the empty ocean around! We landed near the little barrack of the terminal... WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS IS.!
We were walking to the immigrations desk - only 8 passengers - including locals!
The formalities took me just 4 minutes...
Smiling people waiting in front of the "teriminal"...
Where to stay? You have no reservation? No, I cannot spent money for the only, expensive hotel...
Friendly local guy took me to his junk car...
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Ready for T-5 train...
I am back in Guilin-China. At the raiway station I got my ticket for the tnternational T-5 train Beijing-Hanoi. Soft sleeper cars only - they charge hefty 527 yuan. But I got it! Depart will be in the afternoon. There is another - less expensive option to get to Vietnam: 10.30 pm sleeper bus to the border for 250 yuan and then on the other side you have to look for the other bus to Hanoi. But I have bad experience with chineese sleeper buses: they are for the people who are up to 150 cm tall and not so wide. I am 182 cm, so for me a night I such a bus is like a hell... Thank you!
On my first evening in Guilin on the main street between rail and bus stations I was bothered by the local ladies. "Beautiful, beautiful!"- they know some english words. "F... - 200 yuan!"-they offered. And when I politely said: Shieshie! Thank you! the price for "F..." dropped dramatically to 100 yuan.
100 yuan is just 12,50 USD. The price for the party with "beautiful" chineese ladies is not so high! I saw the same ladies on the main street today... They did not repeat their offer probably because I had a huge bacpack on me. I did not see any presence of People's Police there...
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM My Son - ruins of Champa Kingdom
In Hoi An I stay in the Sea Star hotel - now - in the low season they charge only 8 USD for clean, airy single room with bath...
Hoi An in the base for the excursions to the ruins of My Son - the religious center during the period of Champa Kingdom (from 4th century AD - they compare this culture with Angkor Wat and Borobodur).
The half day excursion by bus will cost you just 2 USD plus 60000 dongs entry fee.
I will tell you the true: it is interesting place but do not expect another Angkor Wat or Borobodur. The scale is much smaller...
All buildings - mostly temples, covered partly by tropical vegetation - are located in the radius of 500 m... The first two groups (B & C) are he most impressive...
But it is still most important archeological site in Vietnam. It is also on the UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List.
I was happy to read in the museum that my countryman Kazimierz Kwiatkowski - Kazik conducted there the excavation works in the period of many years... The second surprise was that that the grateful Vietnameese just built his monument on the main tourist street in Hoi An - it will be officially open on Jan 31st... That's nice that they appreciate the man from other country...
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Transdniestria - the state who does not exists...
I bought a bus ticket for 40 hrywna -The shortest route from Odessa in Ukraine to Chisinau - capital of Moldova goes through Tiraspol - the capital of strange mini-country existed from the collapse of the USSR. They should be the part of Moldova but they do not want to...
The staff of the hostel in Odessa said that they did not hear about any problem with border crossing. Yes - the local people do not expect any problem, but the foreigners are the target for the corrupted officials of Transdniestria on entry and exit. They will collect the passports - only from the foreigners. They will take you out of the bus. You will enter one one by one the "control room". They will ask there for a bribe... Very rude people... On both borders the same situation... I refused to pay... - They ask me to go outside and called the next person. During the next search the officer asked me to put everything from my pockets on the table... I know Russian - I survived paying only 10 hrywna - like 2 USD. But the Japaneese guy the day before lost there 200 euro! Never more to Transdniestria!
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Sinai. Monastery of St Catherine...
This famous monastery is located in the narrow valley - just 4km - one hour walk from my camp in Al Milga. It is a must if you are visiting Sinai - the scenery is just fantastic.
Roman Empress Helena buit here in 4th century the chapel on the place where God from burning bush spoke to Moses... Then - in 6th century they built walled monastery of Sta Catherina.
The monastery is open from 9 to 12 only. Entry is free, but they charge 25 pounds for visiting the museum with containing iteresting icons and manuscripts (optional). You can see the ornate church and the a bit dirty chapel of Burning Bush. What is bad? - more and more people want to see the place and in the morning there is a crowd of tourists. It is better to come around 11 am to have little more privacy. Few people climb the rocky slope on the left side for the better picture of the monastery - I did! Hope to show you this picturesque spot soon.
In the afternoon I took the one-per-day bus from St Catherine to Dahab on the Gulf of Aqaba. Bus departs at 1 pm and it took 2 hours to reach Dahab. Cost: 16 pounds. Try to have front seat for the great views!
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM I am flying west tomorrow...
Yes, it will be new voyage... I always spend summer in Poland enjoying flowers and birds in my Wojtkówka but there are regions where the summer is practicaly the only season suitable for the visit. The great Polish-Canadian globetrotter - Remi Mielcarek recommended to me "The Icebergs Alley" - I want to see it and - by the way - also some landscapes of New Foundland and The Labrador. It will be also a good chance to find the remote French territory of St Pierre and Miquelon.
It is expensive region in comparison to Asia or Africa so it will not be a long voyage - I want to be back in Poland soon to enjoy our summer...
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Micronesia to Australia...
Chuuk - Federated States of Micronesia. On the main island - Weno there is an old Japaneese lighthouse - not in use now but they say it is great view from there. I wanted to go and to see. Sorry - it is on ptrivate property and there are different owners of the access road - the do not agree let you go through! That's Micronesia!
On the hill nearby there is catholic St Francis Xawier High School - they welcome visitors. Nice Father Bill took me to the roof of the building for the great view. The lighthouse is also visible in a distance. Once it was Japaneese military communication center - it survived American bombings and now is is valuable peace institution.
In the afternoon it was the time to say goodbye to Chuuk. I took a flight via Guam to Cairns in Australia - quite ne w route!
It was 11 pm when I landed in Cairns. Customs are screening here in details for food, wood and shells - dont bring them to avoid the talk I had!
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Alamos - silver town
Sorry - More in the evening......
|
Jan 01, 1970 12:00 AM Tucuman -Argentina
Sunday, but it will be laundry day because I became sweaty and my jeans stink a little bit already. I am almost off of my pesos. The hostel does not accept payment in dollars or by credit card. I expect change problem (Bolivia is much easier and sweeter for the traveller!)
In the hostel for the included in the price ¨desayuno¨- breakfast they serve two pieces of bread, some jam an a coffee - how can I carry my 18 kilos in the heat on such a diet!
|
