http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/thedribbleman/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from thedribbleman en-us Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:43:56 +0000 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:43:56 +0000 Colour is drained for the day Thick darkness shadows itself over the land. Lying down in my tent the wind picks up. Life surrounding me seems to be solely represented now by the rustling sound of gum tree leaves swaying into each other. This typically static Australian sound is what was needed after 11 months on the run. JP4 was coming to a close and at last after 4 Journeys I was giving my own http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/blog-442281.html Yeah can't be bothered to type anything here.Here's just some photos. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-440392.html Eventually everything builds up inside it builds up until the right moment arrives and thenhellipIf you go through all the happenings of JP4 you will see that eventually something had to give. The police punches in Kyrgyzstan the interrogation questions from the mullahs in Iran the being caught innocently in Tajikistan whilst accidently walking in the middle of a military zone on the Afghan http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-436176.html It puts looking at a manikin in a different light. Walking along redlit shop fronts hearing guys saying as they walk by ldquoOh man she looks just like Amanda from homerdquo This is not what the Netherlands is all about but for some reason it is what majority of people see the Dutch as Amsterdam.I came here to meet up with some friends I have met in my travels. I was meant to go to Utrec http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-436171.html Backpacking has changed now with all the hostel reservation websites. One of the great backpacking experiences is to just rock up to a hostel and find out your intended place to stay is booked out. It is then a dogfight to find any available bed in town. So when my two friends form home Jay and Kirsty asked for the authentic dribbleman backpacking experience I gave them thishellipWe agreed to me http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Vestlandet/Bergen/blog-428175.html It was towards the end of the day and the city looked a lot busier than before. Many locals walking around laughing smiling it seemed a happy place. It felt safer too. The Police donrsquot look as intimidating now with their florescent yellow vests. In transit at Riga airport and 5 hours to kill therersquos no better way to kill time than to exchange some money and head out to the Latvian ca http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Latvia/Riga-Region/Riga/blog-428174.html Itrsquos back again Dribblers A Sort of Homecoming is my alternative way to tell a story and it only happens when I go back to where my father was born. Greece and more specifically Kithira a tiny island off the Peloponnese coast. It is a special place for not only Greeks but for the backpacker who is looking for traditional Greece. In most Greek islands real island life has faded into the di http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Ionian-Islands/blog-428172.html Squeezing my backpack through the aisle. I noticed these Irish girls from the previous night. ldquoOh nordquo I thought but it was too late I was spotted and invited to sit down. Luckily the train ride was only from Bratislava to Vienna a little under an hour. This train ride was just one reason why seeing Europe through drunken eyes is the only way.I arrived in the Slovakian capital after a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Slovakia/Bratislava-Region/Bratislava/blog-426404.html ldquoLadies and Gentlemen Are you ready I said are you ready Here he is The blues man The King of the Blues B B Pauses Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggggrdquo The crowd rises the band plays as BB shuffles along the stage to take his seat. Hersquos 83 now and it didnrsquot matter. BB was a perfect excuse to come visit one of Eastern Europersquos most attractive citie http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Hungary/Central-Hungary/Budapest/blog-420621.html ldquoI canrsquot believe I just got pumped by a 46 year oldrdquo was what I was saying to myself on my last few moments in Cairo. My 130pm flight meant I could sleep in or go for one last view of the pyramids. But sleeping I could do that on the plane and the Pyramids wellhellip that doesnrsquot say Egypt to me. Oh nohellip Organising a tennis match with an Egyptian Pro at the 5 sta http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-420620.html Upper Egypt represents the southern part of Egypt. It is what made Egypt great. And who made Egypt Great Ramses the Great he cemented Egyptrsquos greatnesshellip With that thought I sat wondering on my last day is it possible after seeing all the major sites to on my blog not only give Ramses a serve but the whole Ancient Egypt scene It took 16 hours via an unreclining sleeper train to http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/blog-418595.html There are only 2 Pyramids left standing in this part of Cairo. Out in the desert there is basically no one. No touts no tourists bar the three other people who too were looking for an alternative Cairo experience. The halfday trip to Dashur is the hassle free way of being with the Pyramids... after of course negotiating the taxi.There is no public transport and no tourist buses that come here. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-415735.html Diving to see a ruined site Itrsquos something different. It gives diving another element and also gives ruined sites a completely new outlook. Removing the sand from a head of a statue a neck is revealed soon after a left ear. All of a sudden Irsquom feeling like an archaeologist. Diving in Alexandria is Egyptrsquos other lesserknown diving spot.Remember the time when you were at schoo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Mediterranean/Alexandria/blog-415734.html It took asking 24 people but eventually we got directed to the wrong ferryhellip With the fast ferry booked out Abby my new travel buddy and I thought we struck gold Then we were told to change to the slow shitty boat. This is Egyptrsquos introduction from Jordan and the adventures of Sinai.The ferry was one of those old European boats that cover a one hour trip in an overnight journey. At http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Sinai/blog-413056.html Book says that Wadi Rum offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery yoursquoll ever see. But in the middle of the day sitting on the back of a camel extraordinary is not the case. When I was travelling South American 2 years back I read a book on Lawrence of Arabia written by a guy who read his books and other peoples books on him. A brilliant noval that made me wonder was travelling a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/South/Wadi-Rum/blog-413326.html A lot of people donrsquot understand what the big deal is about seeing ruined sites. But when you walk through and get to the other end of the Siq a narrow gorge made from years of water flowing through. Confusion changes to understanding. 1.2km long 200m high walls so narrow its width is sometimes a few metres. What the Siq does is leads you towards the symbol of Jordan.My first glimpse was http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/South/Petra/blog-412498.html Israel is a special place in the world there are so many ways to travel it. You can be religious of various faiths and pilgrimage. You can change your religion to Jewish and go on a free lsquobirthrightrsquo tour around the country. You can even go humanitarian and travel it on a political motive. But I chose in most part to be ignorant and wondered can you travel Israel and feel normalAs an http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/blog-412497.html I was really starting to question my faith After all these Muslim sights Irsquove seen Israel gave me a chance to answer the call. But would I take this opportunity to connect with my religion I chose Mt Nemo instead of BethanyBeyond the Jordan where Jesus was baptised. Now I had a chance to go to either Bethlehem or Masada. The night before my Aussie mate Chris bought a backgammon set and a http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/South-District/Masada/blog-410495.html Inside it had the presence of faith that no other Christian site has ever had. Surrounded by the visions of people preying and sounds echoing throughout. I was in Jerusalem for just a few hours but it was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre that I finally felt I hit Jerusalem.I arrived in Old Jerusalem after a ridiculous midday summers walk from the central bus station to my hostel Citadel Hostel http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-410494.html My Facebook entry was this. ldquoDrew Is entering Israel tomorrow and has his fingers crossed that he gets searched by some hot female Israeli guard. If it has to be done both naked than so be it...I woke up at 630 from Amman Jordan to cross the King Hussein BridgeAllenby Bridge. The few buses to the border leave early in the morning so at 7 I left. This border is key to keeping the passport. http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/West-Bank/blog-408546.html