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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Sep 15, 2021 08:00 PM The front of the Erbil's citadel
In the citadel there is old textile museum, but not much more...
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Sep 14, 2021 08:00 PM Van from the air
Nobody is perfect. Turks too. In Antalya airport they do not respect boarding passes from on-line check-in. They sent me back to check- in counter for the regular one. OK. Our plane to Erbil started at 2.15 pm. Boeing 737 was full of Kurds going to homeland. No foreigners aboard at all. SunExpress have an inflight service, but you have to pay even for the water. Instead we had some great views like the legendary Lake Van - see the picture.. We were descending over the desert at 4 pm. Welcome to Kurdistan!
Erbil airport has a modern terminal. On arrival they are kindly ask you if you are covid-vaccinated. Yes. But nobody check the certificates :) Then before immigrations you go to the little kiosk opposite (situated back to front) to pay 70 USD for your visa. They will give you the change in Iraqi Dinars - it seems to be a good private deal! :)
Then you are free to go out. Surprise! No transport at the entrance except hefty Airport taxi. You have to board free shuttle bus to go some one km away to the "station" where other taxis and private cars are allowed... Locals helped me to find the shared ride for 10 USD pp. We were riding the crowded streets. I was surprised by the big number of the new, modern buildings. The driver didn't speak any English - he used Google to find little known Janet Bludan Hotel. Here I am - in the blind but clean room. Good night from Kurdistan!
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Sep 13, 2021 08:00 PM Give your HES code, otherwise....
Nowadays before you will fly to Turkey the airline will ask you to fill online the covid form to receive special personal code. Do that! They will ask for this code at the hotel check-in. But also when you buy a transport card for trams and buses the card will be not active until you will give the code. Those Turks!
I have been to Antalya in 1973, returning overland from Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut. But this was the time of black & white photography... It was nice to walk around and refresh the memories. The old city with the minarets and medresas is nicely restored. On the cliff you will find many lookout points. The picturesque old port is full of small excursion boats. They have also interesting retro-tram-line to use. At the "museum" final stop there is great panorama of the beaches with the mountains in the background.
In the morning, when I was there it was cloudy, I got even some warm rain... Nothing like that will be tomorrow in the hot and dry Kurdistan!
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Sep 12, 2021 08:00 PM Direct flight: 3 hours - 2500 kms
This was for me the best solution, even if not cheapest one. Without going to Warsaw, without any connections charter flight of Freebird airline took me to Turkish Antalya. I recognized that from the airport a tram will take me to the door of my inexpensive hotel but...
You have to know that there are two terminals: 1(domestic & international) and 2 (international). They took us to terminal 2. Long line at the immigrations, but it goes fast because they did not register you in their computers. Then you collect your luggage and you can change the money to local lira ( but this is not the best place - they will give you 7 lira per euro while the official rate is almost 10!) And you are free!
OK, but where is the tram stop??. - Good 2 kms away - at terminal 1. No free bus between the terminals, bad taxi drivers ask for 6 euro. I am turning right and following the exiting cars - there is only one way out and it goes to terminal 1. Tiny sidewalk in the palm alley is overgrown but not like in Africa. After half an hour walk in the 28 deg heat I see the concrete flyover and the tram on it. They call it tramway but it is more like a modern light railway. OK, only ticket machine at the entrance, accepting only local currency, not a card and it didn't give you the change. So bring the coins because the ride is dirty cheap - it costs only 3,50 lira.
I am surprised by so poor knowledge of English - they receive so many tourists!
The street is elegant an full of the big shops - not like years ago, when I was here for the first time. My Turunc Hotel is easy to find just 100 m from the Dogu Garaji tram stop. Clean basic room costs only 8 euro per night. Good night!
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Sep 11, 2021 08:00 PM New voyage - Kurdistan
Tomorrow I am flying to Turkey with the intention of reaching Kurdistan in Northern Iraq.
What do you know about Kurds?
It is one of the largest ethnic groups that have been deprived of their own state for hundreds of years. It is estimated that there are about 40 million of them in the world, most of them live in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. The current government of Iraq has agreed to create an autonomous region for the Kurds with its own government, army and flag. It is, for now, such a "quasi-country"...
I wonder what it looks like and what they are like.
This is definitely not a tourist destination and it is not known exactly how the trip will turn out.
Please keep your fingers crossed! :)
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Aug 31, 2021 08:00 PM Landed in Gdansk!
The fifth voyage of the year 2021 is over. All my plan was implemented. Even more - I saw some "extras" taking the advice of the local people. In Gdansk we still have some summer sun during the day, so it will be nice to work on the open air in my "Wojtkówka". I also have to prepare the next voyage. The departure will be sooner than you expect! :)
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Aug 30, 2021 08:00 PM Mostly cloudy day in Latvia, but...
Riga has a compact old town on the bank of Dolgava River the castle, two cathedrals (Catholic St James and lutheran Dom) as well as many other churches, city walls.... But the headlight of the Old Riga is ornate headquarter of the former Blackheads Society. I was walking cobbled streets to the nice opera house and Independence Monument...
Than I had the rendez-vous. I met Tanya three years ago on the ship, crossing Atlantic Ocean to Brazil. We were dancing and romancing. Now she was very happy to meet me again in Riga. She took me to her dacha on the outskirts of the city, showed me her cottage and garden. Then we took a walk along Gauja river and I was invited to try six different kinds of tinctures made of different local fruits as well as samogonchik (homemade spitit) She offered also her tasty pirozhki, made of the apples from her garden. What a feast! I was very sad to say her goodbye when she brought me to the Riga airport late afternoon. But there is a chance that I will see her again. Thank you Tanya for your warm hospitality!
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Aug 29, 2021 08:00 PM 222 kilometers to Riga...
From the countryside where I spent the night I was driving windy but picturesque country roads, some of them were gravel roads - like in Africa. This was near the border with Latvia. Happily after 40 minutes I found myself on the main road headond NW. The road was empty. I passed the border . marker "Latvia". No control, nobocdy ask about covid vaccination.
On the route I was lookingfor the inexpensive fuel. In Estonia they charge 1,46 euro per litre. But in Latvia you can finnd small self-service stations where you will pavy only 1,30 per litre. Just look around!
The sun was shining when I reached Riga. It was necessarhy to cross the crowded center on the way to the airport.
I returned car on time. The counter showed almost 2400 kms since de departure 12 days ago. Good score! On the way to the hotel I passed Russian Orthodox Cathedral. There was a service inside and they were singing beautifully.... I noticed 3 rich iconostas see the small one on the picture. Tomorrow I have all day to walk again after 18 years around Riga and to meet my local friend.
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Aug 28, 2021 08:00 PM Estonia's Lakes Region
It was raining again when I was leaving Tartu. But when I reached first stop-over the rain stopped. This was Otepaa - little provincial township where the students for the first time presented Estonian national flag.
Othepaa is also known as a unofficial capital of the lakes region. I saw today many lakes spread out between the hills and green forests. The attaction of this area is also nice, old manor built in the English style - Sangaste. Unfortunately insiide it requires restauration.
Voru - another little town on the lake was erected by Catherine the Great. Voru's inhabitants built in the town the church of St Catherine. There is also a monument of the monarch-the founder, but quiet small....
I will spend the night in the countryside. Imagine little cottage on the pond, built of logs, withe panoramic windows and the fireplace. All for 20 euro/ night. Good night from Estonia!
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Aug 27, 2021 08:00 PM Summer evening in Tartu
Early in the morning I said goodbye to the hospitable staff of Rannliv GH. The first stop on my way to Tartu was in Rakvere where the ruins of the 13th century castle are visible from the distance. I climbed the castle hill and... recognized that they charge 11 euro entry fee to get inside. Sorry, they exaggerated! I took only the picture from the gate and continue my ride through the green fuelds and forests. Lake Peipus is a huge, border lake between Estonia and Russia - I saw it for the first time. From the Estonian side it is not possible to see Russia - it is so wide! People in the Raja fishing village sell fresh and smoked fish on the roadside here. Sunny day...
It was already afternoon when I reached Tartu - the second large city of Estonia. It is big university center - there are 20 000 thousands of students! A lot of young people on the streets... The city itself, ecpecially the cozy old town is lovely - for me more pleasant then Tallin. In addition the flag of Tartu is similar to Polish flag - it wad given by Polish king Stefan Batory - that is very pleasant go me.
There is a cultural festival now in Tartu. In the evening on the big stage built in the old city market they were playing the mhsic and it was nice to be there. Warm, summer evening. I wish to have such a weather also tomorrow!
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