|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Oct 21, 2019 08:00 PM Al Hoceima - what a picturesque place!
There are many bus companies in Morocco, but the main one and most reliable - I believe - is CTM. Ticket for 3-hours ride from Nador to Al Hoceima cost me 55 dirhams plus 5 for the registration of the backpack (it was too large to be accommodated on the little shelf above the seat)
We departed at 9.45 am. Can you imagine thet after 10 minutes the bus was stopped, documents controlled by the police, some data of the passengers transmitted by radio and luggages were searched. Later I saw many pilice posts but luckily the did not stop us...
The second part of the voyage was more interesting - we were crossing high mountains. Then there was a ride down into the valley in the heavy rain and sunshine on approach to the coast.
Al Hoceima has a great location on the cliff. I was climbing the steep street up from the bus station to be in the center, where I booked cozy Villa Florido hotel (27 euro for the single with private bath).
The view from the cliff is amazing. They built little mosque on the top of the cliff - 116 m above the level of the ocean. There are stairs and few nice view points along the cliff with the nice panorama of the beach, the rocks and little port. From the other side of the peninsula you can see 3 little irocky slands - imagine that the belong to Spain and on one of them there is still a little Spanish garrison!
Strange and beautiful place!
|
Oct 20, 2019 08:00 PM Black Sunday evening... 20 October...
The ferry from Motril, Spain to Nador, Morocco was sailing 5 hours. There is one hour time zone change. It was already late evening when I saw the sharp contours of African coast. An hour later we approached very strange port: little bay is divided by two. On one side there is dock of Melilla, on the other - Port of Nador. First black event arrived soon: ferry was not able to open the door to disembark passengers and cars. We were waiting 30 min doing nothing... Finally they decided let us go by the side door. Ashore Moroccan immigration took us away - nobody told us that we should fill on the ferry white immigration form and have ithe passport stamped. Remember that! It took us another 40 min. Then in front of the terminal there was no taxis to the town. When taxis arrived they requested 10 euro for the ride (locals pay 5). Once in town the driver did nof know where is the street I am going to.... We were sneaking the streets, stopping, asking people 7 or 8 times. Street names are unknown even in the centre! Africa... Finally I went out of the car, I found the address of the apartment. But nobody was there, no lights, no sign, no message. Is this the proper place? Local guys advice me to go to the nearest police station. I did! It took a time to explain to many officers one by one what is going on. In the meantime I saw drunkers, thieves and controlled drivers.... But after 2 hours they found the owner and she arrived to take me there. One more adventure!....
|
Oct 20, 2019 08:00 PM Melilla - one more strange place...
I stay in Nador because it has better ferry connection and cheaper accommodation... It is some 10 kms from thd Nador center to the border of Melilla - little Spanish enclave on the African Coast. You have to take a shared taxi (6 dirhams only, they pay 10,3040 per euro) to get to the border crossing squeezed with 5 other people. Then you will be waiting in the line on Morocco side - a lot of formalities... Then you go some 300 m to Spanish zone. There EU citizens have a special canal to go through, avoiding crowd of Moroccans in the long line.
Bus no 2 for 0,90 euro will took you to Plaza Espana. Wow! How nice! After dirty Nador you have fountais, great Modenizm architecture and renovated castle to see. Tourist office distribute good maps. The only dark side is that there is no wi-fi. Shame on you Spain!
Melilla is nice place - more nice and more exciting than Ceuta... But it has stron Arab flavour... Many ladies in Arab chadors on the street.
One more strange place visited!
|
Oct 19, 2019 08:00 PM Disembarking ship in Malaga...
Sunrise in Malaga port. They wanted us to leave cabins at 7.30 am. Uuuu... They need to clean cabins for the next passengers. After the quick breakfast I disembarked the ship at 9 am. Sunday, empty streets. First it was about one km walk to the city. Wow! They build a new covered promenade along the coast! Then I walked about 3 kms to the integrated bus/ trail station. The bus ticket to Motril - the ferry port for Africa costs 9,91 euro - the bus is departing at 11.30. There are many nice coastal views on this route. The bus is comfortable but very slow - it is calling all the resorts on the way, returning to the highway. :) I hope I will catch there the ferry to Nador/ Morocco, just on thd border of Spanish enclave Melilla....
|
Oct 18, 2019 08:00 PM Cartagena de Espania
At the sunrise we docked in the port of Cartagena. It is new port to me - I visited twice the port of Cartagena in Colombia - also historic and beautiful, but here I am for the first time... The city has nice location at the bottom of fortified hills.
The main attraction here is the Roman Theatre - they charge for entry, but the best view is for free from the garden overlooking the theatre - takr the narrow street r ight side of the entrance.
The same is on the castillo hill - there is a big terrace below he castillo with a great, free view of the area.
My tablet does not work - sorry, no more pictures... Aha, my tablet has very bad morning and now it works again (but unreliable!) So enjoy the pictures! :)
|
Oct 17, 2019 08:00 PM Lazy day at sea
We are sailing west... It is warm and sunny - ideal time for the sunbath. I have new friends from Bangkok - Thailand - very nice young couple... In the evening great sunset and then - lovely show in the theatre. Uuuu. it seems that my old tablet is down...
|
Oct 16, 2019 08:00 PM Strong sun in Cagliari
Approach by the ship gives quite new perspective.... Sardinia in the sunny day looks amazing. I am here second time and it is still very pleasant to climb the narrow streets up to the castello - the oldest part of the city. For those who are tired there is a free, public elevator on the right side of the Bastionne San Remy. From the terrace there is nice view of the lower town and the port. But to each the Cathedral Santa Maria you still have to climb the streets. Cathedral has a silver, solid altar and rich marble decoration of different colors... There is also nice baroque chrch San Michele - bur, sorry open only in the early morning and in the evening. Tomorrow we have the day at sea before we will reach the Spain...
|
Oct 15, 2019 08:00 PM Day at sea... October 15th
Sunny day at sea. I have many new friends on board. Canadians, Bazilians, Ukrainians, Austalians, Russians.... Nice to talk witha such a number of interesting people. And there is also little group from Poland!
I am sailing 6th time with this company. No wonder that the captain sent me a bottle of champagne to the cabin. He is from Odessa - wecwere talkind about his home town...
The cabin is huge, with the wide family bed which can accommodate even 3 adults. 6 pillows on my bed! I have great time listening tk the music, watching shows and.... eating, drinking, eating.... No, no, no.... :)
|
Oct 15, 2019 08:00 PM La Valetta - Malta, but cloudy sky...
It was still dark at 7 am when we docked in Valetta. But on the opposite side of the bay - with great panoramic view of the strong city walls...
They offered us a free ferry transfer to the old town. Once you are there you can take the new elevator to get to The Upper Barrakka Gardens. I expected it is also free, but sorry - you have to pay 1 euro. Descent is free. Valetta after years looks cleaner and more colorful. There is bg amount of the monuments to see. But the free wifi connection in the tourist office doesn't work -it is shame - I went to Mac....
It is bit cloudy, but still pleasant, warm weather... In the afternoon we wilbe sailing onward - To Sardinia....
|
Oct 14, 2019 08:00 PM Chania - Crete - October 14th
I was here 4 years ago, but arriving by bus... Now it is the ship - giving the other perspective. The approach into the bay gives great views.... Our ship is too big to dock in the old Venetian Port of Chania. We are docking in Souda - on the other side of the peninsula. As a result to reach the old town you have togo 7 kms by shuttle bus (1,70 euro each way) or by walk. I was walking expecting nice views but it was a mistake - too much traffic all the way :)
Old Chania still has the charm. The tourist office is well hidden some 200m from the Market Hall in the new part of the town but once you will find it you will be happy having the city map and free internet.
I took the walk around the old city refreshing the memories. Churches and minarets, View of the roofs and towers from the bastion, old port with fortaleza and the lighthouse. And the crowd of tourists walkingaround ans sitting in the waterfront cafes and restaurants. The sun is strong, 26 deg Celsius and the season is still high here. The shortest ride - 15 min by horse cart costs 20 euro :) and the have the clients ( which probably didn't see the live horse before).
I have a nice time here. Tomorrow we will have the day at sea, sailing to Malta.
|
Page:
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92
|
|
|
