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Blogs from Middle East - page 3
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May 7th 2013
Woke up this morning and the weather has changed for the worse. Its not raining but it is overcast. It will be a good day for travel. Caught the early train to downtown and now waiting for the airport shuttle. I'm not going to miss this €13 transfer to the airport just to save face and prove that I can save €57 euro. Lol 😃 I'm looking forward to new adventures. Istanbul is getting to be old hat. Four full days here is more than enough to see everything really. It's supposed to be super hot in the interior and so the cloud cover today should five some reprieve From the heat. I guess there was a big plane crash yesterday at the airport I taking out of today.... read more
Diving in the spectacular Red Sea, Safari driving with minors, absorbing the enchanting Petra and floating in the Dead Sea
Published: May 7th 2013Middle East » Jordan » South » Petra
May 7th 2013
Diving in the spectacular Red Sea, Safari driving with minors, absorbing the enchanting Petra and floating in the Dead Sea After a long Easter Sunday bus day, where the best we could do for Easter Eggs were Kinder Surprises, we were refreshed and ready for our jam packed day of adventure. Very excited but a little nervous about our intro dive, we got saddled up into our wetsuits, weight belts and tanks before trotting down to the light house area in Dahab of the Red Sea. We learnt the very basics on how to get water out of our masks and mouth pieces and the all important hand signals. For our short intro dive, our guide was going to manage the pressures for us which was quite reassuring. Surprisingly, only after a few minutes, both Amy ... read more
May 7th 2013
Ever since I was a teenager and realized the 'temple of the crescent moon' was actually a real place I have wanted to go to Jordan to see Petra. I admit, like many other tourists a movie inspired me to go to a place. I loved the adventure of Indiana Jones and always wanted to have adventures just like them. As a child I must have watched those movies a hundred times each and in my child's mind I imagined travelling the world and conjured up all sorts of exotic, exciting scenarios of which I was of course the hero. As an adult I know that Petra is a tourist site, and that it will not be the rugged, isolated, hidden gem that it was in my childhood fantasies. People would be everywhere. Tourists jostling for ... read more
May 7th 2013
I really didn't understand the scale of Ephesus. Extensive marble paved streets linking all the different features of this once busy and populated city (some 250,000 at its peak). It has existed from the 10 century BC to 15 century AD when it was abandoned. Visitors can roam fairly freely across the site. Amazing really. Evidently there is much, much more which has not yet been uncovered. These photos include the famous Celsus Library and the amphitheatre which is vast. (Look closely as there are people in that shot!) I would love to be at a concert here; they apparently happen on the odd occasion. Our hotel, Ninsayan House, in the hills above, in Sirince, is simple luxury. A bit of a splurge for us and has been something very special. This is a real highlight! ... read more
May 6th 2013
Once we left India we cruised into the High Risk Area for Piracy which includes the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Our first day at sea included a mandatory safety drill in which we were informed of all the procedures and precautions being implemented on board our ship. These included lights out on the outer decks, closing of all shades and curtains, boarding of an Israeli security team and implementing 24 hour patrols around the ship's decks. High powered water hoses were placed in position and the LRAD device, the sonic noise blaster, was set up and armed. The upside to this is with the lights out the stargazing is fabulous. Cruise ships are usually over lit, so this was a most pleasant change. Outdoor dining was not allowed while in ... read more
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Pascua Ortodoxa en Constantinopla, Orthodox Easter in Constantinople
Published: May 6th 2013Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul
May 6th 2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecumenical_Patriarch_of_Constantinople http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Salvador_de_Cora... read more
May 6th 2013
It was a bit of a late start today - 10am. Jumped on the bus to head to the Basilica Cistern - one of several hundreds in Istanbul - this one being the largest. Amazing how they built these underground caverns consisting of 336 marble columns - some engraved with elaborate designs including carvings of water nymphs. These cisterns were built due to the demands of the palace mostly. It felt a little like I was in an underground mine and made me feel right at home. We are going to have to teach our miners at home a little something about carving stone and art. This way we can really throw off the next millennia of archaeologists. After that It was time to hang out under the bridge and drink beer. Every so often a ... read more
May 5th 2013
We have been travelling north along the coast. The towns vary markedly. My favourites are those with the cobbled streets and fishing village atmosphere. Of course some are highly geared to tourists and the worst look like the nasty side of Spain. We have seen the ugly tourists, badly burned and in search of beer and fries! Oh yes we have plenty of them at home too. I take the opportunity to swim in the sea where possible. The colour is fabulous! The photo here of Kaputas beach near Kas does not do it justice! Accommodation is very good and very affordable by Australian standards. Today we have visited a Temple of Apollo in Didim. Dates back to 8th century BC. Small and so charming. Loved it! Roll on Ephesus! Postscript: Met an aspiring travel guide ... read more
There Are No Camels at the Camel Market –Tel Aviv
Published: May 5th 2013Middle East » Israel » Tel Aviv District » Tel Aviv
May 5th 2013
OK, so it’s my own fault. When I was reading up on Tel Aviv before my trip I read about a large, open air fresh market. In my haste, I misread the name of the market as the Camel Market. Looking for it on the map, I also found the Camel Market south of Dizengoff Center. When I got here, I found that it is actually the Carmel Market on HaCarmel Street. Damn that tiny print on the map! Whatever its name, the Carmel Market is a treat. Stretching for about a quarter of a mile along a street closed to traffic, Carmel Market is crammed with small stalls selling all manner of fruits and vegetables, and cheese, and household goods, and fish, and souvenirs, and prepared foods, and underwear, and more. It’s crowded and noisy ... read more
May 5th 2013
Today was up early and on the metro to the East meets West side of town. Dolmabahce Palace is where a hero of Turkey died - father of the Turkish Republic and they stopped some of the clocks in the palace when he died Nov 10 1938 @ 9:05am. The palace has a horse shoe shaped crystal staircase Which I did not see. Taksim Square is just up the hill from the palace really interesting place. Modern Istanbul is located there and home of the riots 5 days ago. They were still washing the blood off the streets Of the 29 people injured. You can find all the Western stores there and tones of people. Had a really nice lunch and a beer. Not many places in turkey serve beer. Beer is not cheap. 8£ = ... read more
