Blogs from Cairo, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa

Addio pace e quiete: sono arrivato al Cairo, che con i suoi piu' di 10 milioni di abitanti si appresta a diventare una delle piu' grandi megalopoli del pianeta. E come non accorgersene? Viali ad otto corsie attraversano il centro e mostruose sopraelevate oscurano il cielo; fiumi di automobili intasano le strade e muri di gente ostruiscono i marciapiedi; rumore di clacson e fumi di gas di scarico appestano l'ambiente, cumuli di rifiuti per la strada e palazzi decrepiti prossimi al crollo: una dannata citta' infernale? Niente affatto, il Cairo non e' poi cosi' male! La gente e' in gamba, simpatica ed affabile, alcuni quartieri sono ovviamente peggiori di altri ma in ognuno di essi e' possibile trovare qualche vicolo tranquillo dove la gente ama sedersi all'aperto gustandosi un caffe' fumando rilassatamente una pipa ad acqua. ... read more

Day 2. Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square, a felucca ride then a cruise with dining on the Nile. Honestly I was dead tired. But gotta go so I did. But first to stare out my bedroom window for the millionth time, eyeballing Khufu and the Great Pyramid. I never tired of that privileged view. Other Pyramids are there but the two main ones command attention. Even the Sphinx is dwarfed, peering from behind a tree, its face disfigured. Who did that? Some said the Roman conquerors back 2000 years, others said the French recently, in disbelief that faces obviously African, could be revered and exalted, so they smashed the features out of the faces. Others said Christians in their zeal to convert hearts and cleanse temples into becoming churches. Kind of Daesh tactics. So we don't know ... read more

After about 30 hours of flying I have finally made it to Egypt! It has been a very long day! I left New Zealand on about 1.5 hours of sleep and didn’t manage to get much more rest after that. The whole trip was actually very cruisy. Had a girl next to me on the plane from Wellington to Auckland who suffered from quite bad travel anxiety, in particular, flying. We ended up holding hands about three times because there was turbulence or the engines slowed down a bit and she panicked. I felt pretty sorry for her, especially when she told me she had to fly again a few days later! I also stupidly didn’t even organize my visas for Australia and Abu Dhabi. I’ve spent nearly two decades in New Zealand now, and sometimes ... read more

Geo: 30.0982, 31.2461... read more

When thinking of Africa, diving and snorkeling do not usually come to mind. This is a continent with wild jungles, unfriendly deserts, and dangerous territories. However, those who are brave enough to take up an African adventure will not be disappointed with the beautiful sceneries and diving spots. It is a continent that is rich in wildlife and marine life, and you can do both when you holiday there. Here are some of best diving/snorkeling locations in Africa that are perfect for exploring: Taba: Pharaoh’s Island, Egypt Egypt is best known for its pyramids and historic statues that date back centuries ago. Taba is situated in the northern reaches of the Gulf of Aqaba and is noted for its amazing marine life. It was once a Phoenician port and is surrounded by small pinnacles and walls ... read more