http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Sken-like-a-Ribble-fluke/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Sken like a Ribble fluke en-us Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:16:48 +0000 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:16:48 +0000 Got a ferry from Kos town to Bodrum Turkey except when we arrived we discovered that it was not actually Bodrum but somewhere nearby and there was a 'free' coach to Bodrum via some leather warehouses having a 'one day only sale' etc. You know the scam. Bodders was yet another seaside resort and I am a little bored of that sorta thing at the moment so I decided to get out as soon as possible an http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/blog-1079.html Slipping down the GorgeWhen I first thought of this trip the presupposition went something like Hey I reckon I could get from Blighty to Oz without ever seeing an airport. Less than 2 weeks in and I have taken three flights. Bollocks to that idea then.Currently in Crete caught up with The Folks Sim X and little Niamh who were taking in a week here. That was a nice thing all round and it wa http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/blog-976.html Nursed a hangover went for a swim got a bit sunburned today life is hard.Stuck in Mellila which is a Spanish port on the coast of morroco I never heard of it and neither has any other Brit there are noEnglish here at all cannot find Linekers Bar anywherenbspso a bit of hablar espanol is required. I think the Spanish are keeping this one quiet something to do with Gibraltar perhapsW http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/blog-932.html 217The Skipper is a lazy bastard guess who washed the deck. And dangerously fat. And alcoholic. And he has diabetes so he has a bit of an excusedamn. We went to get all of the stuff from the supermarket today I have never met anyone who was so slow at walking he said I was not being Spanish enough about things. I should have said he was just a slow cunt. Half way along he went hypo o http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Morocco/blog-940.html Went windsurfing today felt like a spaz and then something clicked i.e. hownbsp to actually do it.nbspnbsp Only 5 mins b4 they called me backin.The plan was to take a ferry to the island of Karpathia.nbsp As I washeadiing toward the Info office I spotted a red ensign 091Britishsailing flag093 on a yacht in the harbour.nbsp I thought I might pop insay hello andnbspsee if I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Thessaly/Meteora/blog-1029.html Well I got as far as Karpathos 60 miles and then we anchored in a secluded bay miles away from anywhere.nbsp That night the winds set in and lasted for 3 days so we were stuck.nbsp All there was nearby was some ruins from an ancient port one old guy it took half an hour of charades to establish that his name was John his missus five goats two cats gato a well and a fig tree. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Thessaly/Meteora/blog-1030.html Why don't we do it in the RhodeNow in Rhodes Town got there by ferry last night. I never knew about this place it is bloody great In case you have never seen it it is an ancient port town with a walled city and lots of winding streets etc. It is in great nick though I would compare the ambience to Florence and it pisses all over York. In the new town there are the usual touristy bars whic http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Thessaly/Meteora/blog-1046.html Istanbul is the city that has er 16 million people. There is so much to see here it is ridiculous. Capital of the eastern Roman empire Ottoman empire etc. The old bit has all of the museums etc and has a distinctly Arab feel although one suspects that it is ramped up for the tourists. The new part across the river is all funky shops bars cinemas and cafes and you could be m305staken http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/blog-1092.html There is a quaint old English saying that I haven't heard since high school. It goes I am going to kick seven shades of shit out of you. It wasn't until I started working for the health service that I discovered that there are seven shades if shit nurses have a detailed chart with pictures showing the quality texture etc. of each 'shade'. Known with affection as the poo chart it played a c http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-1121.html Diving.nbsp What I came to Dahab for.nbsp Haven't done it for almost 2 years and what a gap.nbsp See the pictures.nbsp Met a great group of people which added to the fun mostly English and a couple of very funny Germans.nbsp Our dive guide was shivering after coming out of yesterday's dive Summer's over he declared.nbsp The temperature hit 43 yesterday.Did the infamous Blue Hol http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-1192.html Wadi Rum Jordan. Famous for the Arab Revolt Lawrence of Arabia and all things Bedouin. As we walked though the wilderness there was a perfect silence a sense of timelessness until my mobile went off with a text from JordTelecom inviting me to phone friends and family back home for special rates in the evening. As we arrived back in the small village there was a large gathering of arab guys http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/blog-1286.html Damascus Syrian capital is the oldest city on earth 7000 yearswell done well actually city that is continuously habited that is. But hang on fellow Syrian city Aleppo claims to be the oldest city too I am getting serious deja vu here Nottingham has three oldest pubs in England one being the oldest pub the other the oldest yawn tavern etc etc.Now if the people in Egypt and Jor http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Syria/blog-1410.html Two certainties come to light when travelling 1 Taxi drivers are scum worldwide 2 There are only two words in the world for tea tea thete etc or char choicachai etc.I made the right move when crossing the border from Syria to eastern Turkey cross at the rarely used border post in Qamishle far east Syria to reduce the amount of time spent trying to cross Turkey to Iran. The Lonely http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iran/blog-1459.html Before coming to Iran a lot of people told me this story about a traveller who upon seeing an antiwestern demonstration in Tehran flag burning etc. goes up to the most angry looking demonstrator and introduces himself as English or Inglistan as they say here. The angry man's face softens and he gives the traveller a warm smile and handshake and says 'you are very welcome in Iran'. As i http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iran/blog-1575.html If a hotel is recommended by the Lonely Planet it is NOT CLOSED An inclusion in the travellers' bible is a licence to print money for a hotel owner and usually an excuse to raise the price. In some places additional premises open with similar names to confuse the traveller and skim the extra business generated. When I arrived in Shiraz the evil taxi driver took me from the bus station to http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iran/blog-1650.html The Czechs are a funny lot. It is as if the person that they spoke to just before you really pissed them off and so they decide to bite off your head for asking simple questions like directions. What is really surprising is that they can be sweet as honey just afterwards. I find that piling on heavy sarcasm just adds to the culture clash but it is great fun.3rd NovI am staying at a hostel in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/South-Bohemian-Region/Cesky-Krumlov/blog-1954.html Why is it that the Poles are smiling friendly and happy all the time The weather is godawful and it is Drizzleville Tennesee. It is like being in a black and white film or the colourturneddown dystopia of Twelve Monkeys. Maybe it is because they invented vodka. The country is an oasis of helpfulness in a desert of miserable sods.Since my last blog I have been to Budapest back to Prague http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Poland/Lesser-Poland/Krakow/blog-2052.html There was a controversial experiment performed in the 70's where one person had to ask questions of a subject and give them electric shocks of increasing voltage enough to kill if they got them wrong. The point is that it was a trick the person getting the shocks was faking it. The real subject of the study was the person giving the supposed potentially fatal punishment to see if they would co http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Latvia/Riga-Region/Riga/blog-2192.html In Battlestar Galactica two hapless aliens come down to 1980's LA in order to rescue the Earth but seem to spend most of their time trying to fit in and inevitably end up getting into countless cultureshock japes. As I emerged from the train into the new day in St Petersburg with Spanish guy in tow Miguel acting as tour guide that is exactly how I felt. One must at least try to fit in if o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-2291.html The Russians can be real miserable looking sods when they want to be although not quite as much in the east and lets face it they have more to moan about. To 'fitin' in Russia and therefore not shine out too much as a foreigner who may as well be walking around naked with Euros sellotaped to himself it seemed necessary to go native and adopt the 'stoic look'. It reminded me of my favourit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-2392.html