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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 30, 2021 10:00 PM Bad message...
Day at sea. We are sailing east. All passengers passed through the covid antigen test... There are few bands aboard our ship so I have the chance to listen to the good music, and every evening we attnnd new show in the theatre.
I have new friends: Emanuelle - young and pretty lady-traveller from France and the couple from Vilnius - Lithuania: Natalie & Jurij. Interesting and very friendly people!
Bad news arrived before the dinner: the authorities of Cyprus do not want us to land on their territory. So the captain decided to sail to Pireus in Greece instead. We will see!
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Nov 29, 2021 10:00 PM We are in Palermo!
Yes, the night was stormy, but in the morning the sun appeared and we saw Sicilia on the horizon. In the middle of the day we docked in the little, picturesque port of Palermo. I was here last time 3 years ago, but it is still nice to refresh memories and to see the capital city of Sicilia from the different perspective - from the 11th deck of our ship -great view!
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Nov 28, 2021 10:00 PM Sailing south!
Day at sea. My last-expensive cabin has no window, but it has a modern, big TV so I can see what is going outside. Only 1/3 cabins are occupied. The interior of the ship is nicely decorated and they offer a lot of attractions, shows, live music and of course unlimited meals.
In the middle of the day we passed Corsica with its snowy peaks and later in the afternoon - the small islands surrounding Sardinia.
Only 200 passengers are English- speakers, Italians form the majority. I have first friends - we have 3 weeks of sailing ahead of us.
The message arrived: Morocco is closing the airports because the omicron. I was lucky to escape just before!
The captain announced stormy weather for the night...
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Nov 27, 2021 10:00 PM Whare is my ship? Italian bordello!
They asked me to be at 11 in the port of Savona. I came to Savona by train and after cossing the city I reported at 10.30. in the port. No ship! The guards asked me to go to the city and to return at 1 pm. What a nice treatment! No rest area, no refreshments just go out! Shame on you Costa! I climbed the hill overlooking the little Savona port, but I see nothing on the horizon is... Let's wait with the hope - this is traveller's life!
Later in the evening: the ship arrived at 2 pm. After security control, documents control (PCR test result, vaccination, insurance) everybody passed the genetic PCR test and we embarked brand-new "Costa Firenze"
We are sailing!
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Nov 26, 2021 10:00 PM Last day in Marrakech
At 9 am when I was walking the narro streets of the medina they were still almost empty. It was nice to see well known, but restored for tourists places, mosques, city walls and gates. They charge now 7 euro for the entrance to the main tourist attractions. At 11.30 I was back in the guesthouse to pack my backpack and go to the airport. They required PCR test - the covid situation is changing the rules every day! They suspended flights to France at all. Fortunately i was flying to Italy. The 3-hours flight to Torino was full. Arab kids wer shouting and crying and I was happy to leave them after landing. Here on arrival they checked only the passenger locator forms!!
I boardeb the bus to the Torino railway station paying hefty 7 euro in the machine. The driver charges 1 euro more. It took us almost one hour to reach the station due to the traffic jams. Here I wanted to buy ticket to the port of Genova. I put the exact money to the machine. But I did not receive any ticket. Attendent opened the machine - no ticket inside! What should I do? -You should buy new ticket, your train departs in 10 minutes! But where is my money?. -You can write the protocol, if you can miss your train, but we cannot give you the money back.
Welcome to Italy!
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Nov 25, 2021 10:00 PM Highest fall of North Africa
170 kms from Marrakech lies Uzud waterfall. It is 110 m high and locals say it is the highest waterfall in the North Africa. How I - the waterfalls lover can miss it?
The minubus from the agency needs 3,5 hours to reach the place (they charge 20 euro for round trip). It is secondary road and they drive crazy so take care about your backbone. On the site they park some 100 m from the mouth of the waterfall on the little canyon rim. Wow! The maintenance is poor , limited barriers only, so be careful! But the view down is exciting. Then you will pass with the group guide (he charge 20 dirhams per person but no entry fee) the olive grove and poor, steep path will lead you down to the canyon for the reall great views - usually from the terraces of primitive restaurants. Wear strong shoes for this descent!
The path will lead to the little lake at the bottom of the fall, where rafts are waiting for the tourists (20 dirham short sail). Another great views from the lakeside! You will cross the stream and climb the solid steps up with funny monkeys on the next view points. Full loop took me almost 2 hours with many photo stops - but ir was absolutely worth the effort. This fall is nicer then I expected!
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Nov 24, 2021 10:00 PM On the other side of High Atlas
The full day tour from Marrakech cost me 25 euro and I this is good price regarding the distance: some 200 kms each way, comfy minibus and some guiding. We started around 8 am driving east to the mountains and climbing dozens of turns and road switchbacks to the level 2260 m above the sea. There is nicely located view point just below the Tizi n'Tichka Pass. Weather was excellent so we enjoyed panoramas of High Atlas with the snows on the summits. Then going down we saw many red hills with old fortified villages. The most famous - Ait Ben Haddou is so picturesque that many movies like Gladiator, Lawrence of Sahara, Jewel of Nile were pictured there. We visited this kazba - now only the tourist place.
In the afternoon we were driving 33 kms onward to the picturesque town of Ouarzazate. There is alsu ruined kazba and many stylish, red buildings. I returned at 8.30 pm - tired but happy.
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Nov 23, 2021 10:00 PM Exciting Marrakech
In the morning I had a good excercise walking with my backpack back to Bergamo airport. It was sunny day and I was optimistic... The ladies at the gate were too busy checking everybody's vaccinations and tests to control the size of my luggage (it is oversized regarding the allowance given by the last expensive tariff) - Yes, yesterday I was flyning 2 hours paying 39 zlotys = 10 dollars, and today I was flying more then 3 hours for just 13 euro!
Finally during the descent I saw the desert of Morocco. New terminal in Marrakech is huge and very impressive. Immigration officers ask for the hotel address and the health service check covid vaccination. In front of the building with a palms around you will be bothered by the taxi drivers. Budget travellers go to the police post in the parking lot (around 100m) where city bus 19 appears from time to time. Ride to the medina (old city) will cost you 30 dirhams = 3 euro.
It was not easy t8 find my little hotel in the labyrinth of the alleys. Once accommodated (paying 8 euro per room with shared bath) I went to the famous Jemaa al Fna square. Imagine that I was here in 1979 - 42 years ago! It is still very vibrant place with the stalls, restaurants, dancers, fortune tellers, beggars, snake and monkey tainers, musicians and... thieves. Watch your pockets and be resistant to the people asking for money for the photos!
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Nov 22, 2021 10:00 PM To Bergamo on a cheap
Yes, I bought this ticket for just 10 euro. But I experienced some emotions staying in the line in front of the gate. Such a cheap tickets cover only one cabin luggage 40 by 25 by 20cm suitable to put under the seat in front of you. Many people (including me) have slightly bigger pieces. Today the young ladies fro Ryan staff were picking such a guys asking to pay surcharge. My advice is not to be at the beginning of the line. If they start picking their victims get of the gate area and appear only when they started boarding - they are too busy at this time to measure your pack! I survived without surcharge! The plane was almost full. After 2 hours in the air I saw the pretty Alps just before landing in Bergamo airport. A day before Ryan sent me message to fill the passenger locator form before flying, but belive me nobody asked me to show this paper in Poland or in Italy.
From Bergamo airport (no control at all on arrival) I walked about half an hour to the family-run "La Rocca Guesthouse". Nice, old-fashioned place. Lady the owner speaks fluent English. Unlimited tea/coffee is offered 24h. I need a rest before tomorrow's flight to Morocco...
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Nov 21, 2021 10:00 PM New journey to the South!
I'm escaping again to the warm countries again! The route of the new journey can be divided into two segments. At the beginning, I will fly with low-cost airlines via Italy to Morocco, to remind myself of what exotic Marrakech looks like and to make at least two trips to new, unknown places.
Then, after returning to Italy, I will board a ship in the port of Savona that will cross the Suez Canal to Dubai in the Arab Emirates. On the way, we will visit several ports - including those in Oman and Qatar. It will be relax under the full sun and light sightseeing. I will return to Poland from Dubai by low-cost plane before Christmas.
As always, I am asking my friends to keep your fingers crossed for the success of my trip, because in the era of covid it is not difficult to get unforeseen troubles. As long as I'll have cheap access to the Internet, you will find daily "hot" reports in English about where I am and what happened in my travel log. But this time there may be difficulties, because there will be many sea days between the ports on the route. So I am asking you for patience and understanding :)
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