Blogs from Middle East - page 868

We went to an underground city…not too good if you suffer from claustrophobia. The tunnels and caves went forever..how these were built are still a mystery. They go on for many kms. We were to next experience the Goreme Valley where churches were built into the rocks and frescos adorned the walls. These were put there in the 6th Century. This was a fantastic day and photos can only really do it justice. The girls walked a million miles and we are sure that in time they will grasp the magnitude of what they have seen. Helen... read more

After a long and very deep sleep we left Kucukkuyu for Kusadusi via the Acropolis at Pergamum. We stayed in a very nice “holiday resort” on the edge of the Adriatic Sea - a quick dip in the morning was very refreshing. Pergamum is an amazing Roman ruin set high on a mountain - how anyone was ever able to invade this city is beside my comprehension - let alone imagining how they managed to build such a huge place in the first place. During the day we visited a Turkish Carpet store - for a ‘flying carpet show’ (basically the sales pitch involved giving out drinks of Raki and throwing carpets in the air!!!). I purchased a carpet for Elise and Paul. Our trip to Kusadusi was long - we arrived after 11pm. With promises ... read more

Man is the atmosphere of the Souk worth the noise? Not when you have to be up at 4am. I even dragged myself out of bed before the Muezzin after a restless night of constantly interupted sleep. My flight for Yemen leaves at 6.55am so I am showered, eaten, packed an in a cab by 5, the streets were quiet and the trip quick. Check in took forever, but then it was through customs and off for the long long walk to the departure gate. They have an Irish pub in the airport so I am going to have to pop in the next time through for a Guinness. The plane was late in taking off and only about half full, I had a great seat with a shit load of leg room and thought all ... read more

There seems to be a mosque behind every hotel and hostel so again no need for my $2 Chinese alarm clock this morning. Breakfast was typically Middle Eastern, flat bread, hommus, tea, cheese triangles and jam, quite satisfying really. Then it was pack up, check out and head for the bus stop out the front. It was hot damn hot and I was sweating buckets long before the bus arrived, a friendly bloke from Gujarat (India) missed a couple of his own buses while he waited to make sure I caught the right one. It was of course packed with Indian expats and space was limited, with a huge pack on my back but eventually I took up a couple of seats for the trip into Deira. It was quite long and I saw a fair ... read more

Cold! Cold! Cold! Little sleep during the night due to the crowded and very very cold conditions @ Anzac Cove. There were estimated to be between 8,000 to 10,000 people - the organisers had apparently only been expecting between 5,000-6,000 people this year with the increased security and tighter alcohol controls. We have a great position - corner of the stage right on the edge of the Cove with the Sphinx directly behind us - quite spectacular. An amazingly serene sunset last night. During the night the organisers provided Bands (playing music from the period Circa 1915), Andrew Denton interviews and a number of short videos about the landing and the campaign. It is hard to truly appreciate the magnitude of what the Anzacs faced - at least until you see and experience it yourself. It ... read more