Egypt/Syria/Jordon & Turkey

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Sunday, 5 April
Today was an early start with a taxi waiting for us and clear traffic we made it to Delhi Airport in no time. Delhi airport has a gate system and you need to enter through the correct gate for your flight with luck we were close to ours and checked in and waiting for the flight. Once through security the airport is really bland and boring and somewhere that you don’t want to spend that much time in. There is a selection of about 4 places to eat, no duty free and no systems that seem to work. Our flight was delayed by 1 hour purely because it took us that long for everyone to be boarded with an antiquated system of 1 person checking the boarding passes and another to check the security tag on your hand luggage.

Our transit was in Istanbul airport and the contrast to Delhi’s is incredible. The airport is new, modern and uber efficient and uber expensive. Since my last visit about 12 years ago they have gone across to euros and the thought that Turkey is going to be a cheap getaway may need to be reassessed. Back onto planes with smooth connections and then to Cairo.

Cairo airport was quick and easy to go through once we worked out where we were to get our visa, who’d have thought at the money exchange counter/?? Anyway we were off in no time to our hotel to dump our stuff and out to the Cairo Museum. Well that was the plan, the reservation we had made a couple of weeks before hadn’t generated to the hotel and after several frustrating hours we were told that there were no rooms anyway.

Just as we thought things would get better after settling in to our new hotel, I started feeling a little ill, this progressed through the night to very sick and with the tour starting the next morning I can’t say I was that thrilled to be there. Jay also came down with same thing so we were both in fine form.

Tour, Day 1
We ventured out and meet the rest of the tour group and it was off for a day on the road to get to Mt Sinai tonight. The Truck is fairly comfortable and we’ve 2 very great guys running the Kumuka Tour, Reece the facilitator and Mike the driver. We got into Sinai about 8.30 pm with a roadside lunch and dinner along the way.

With our overnight bags packed, Jay and I still feeling very average we left our comfortable Truck and headed up the mountain. Would like to know what Moses was thinking when he wandered up this mountain for the commandments but all I was thinking was who in their right mind climbs mountains for the hell of it? Well the trek took about 3 hours. Even though it was cold we sweated up a storm. Legs were aching and the lungs were struggling and if felt like we would never make it to the top.

The purpose of travelling up the rock face, the sunrise and it was worth the previous night’s exhaustion. With a bit of cloud around and wind and some rain starting around us the sun peaked through the clouds and the obligatory photos taken it was time to grab the blankets and mattresses (the best 60 pounds spent!) and make our way back down the hill. With a treacherous walk on slippery rocks and our blankets etc acting as wind sails we made it to the drop off point for these and was down the mountain from there. With about 800 steps to make it down before we started the real walk down which got warmer the closer to the bottom we got. We were to visit St Catherine’s after breakfast but is was closed as we are so close to Easter for religious reasons so it was back on the bus and off to Dahub for a couple of nights.

At Dahub both Jayson and I got worse. I chose to bypass the night’s dinner for the option of bed and a toilet close by. The next day Jay and I visited a clinic and both were diagnosed with acute traveler’s diarrhea and we needed to go onto a drip each for antibiotics and rehydration. So there we are, both of us next to each other on holidays Jayson with a drip in his arm and me, unfortunately being unable to have a drip, next to him trying to digest some foul saline rehydration drink orally… the thought of it makes me shudder now. Anyway, we are given a heap of antibiotics and told we would be better soon.

Dahub itself is a diving town giving its location on the red sea. Those that went diving and snorkeling said the visibility was good even though it was blowing a gale the whole time we were there most of the café’s along the coast have wireless internet and you can sit back and relax with a drink and get in touch with the world … if you have a happy laptop it would be an ideal chill out spot.

Day 3,
Today we are told we’ve got a long one with a ferry crossing to take use to Aqaba and I don’t feel like I am getting any better and not sure if Jay is either. We have to stay the night here as Mike and the truck travelled separately on the “slow” ferry that ended up breaking down and other means having to be done for Mike to join us. In Aqaba I chose to chill out on the rooftop which will be our accommodation tonight and enjoy the downtime and some personal space time.
The view from the roof top during the day was pretty good with Israel across the water and the odd black hawk flying overhead, but of a night time with the lights on it was stunning.

Day 4
Today we head off from Aqaba and out to Petra via Waddi Rum. This is primarlly a dessert and the main attraction is the spectacular rock formations. On arrival into Waddii Rum we were packed into some old Toyota 4WD’s that just refuse to die even though they are well past their glory days and we were off for about 4 hours driving around to visit the varying formations. There was one area with Alexander the Great is said to use as a stop point to/from Egypt and even Lawrence for Arabia is said to have frequented this area as well.
Afterwards it was off to Petra for one of the highlights of this tour.

Day 5
It’s off to Petra today. How am I feeling,…very, very average, no energy, no appetite and could think of somewhere far more relaxing than wondering about some mountainous terrain looking at ruins, even if they are some of the best in the world and one of the Ancient Wonders..

Wow!, Impressive awesome. A sound like I am describing the Taj again doesn’t it although the Taj seems to be more breathtaking the sheer size of Petra is magnificent. We started with our compulsory tour where we have to pay for the guide to have a horse, regardless if used or not, and it seems everyone here is out to rip you off in some way. We meandered down a walk path for about 800m before we came to the walk to the Treasury with is an canyon that reaches up for about 100m or more and it’s now you start to notice all the different colours in the sandstone around. Some of the flooring is from ancient times and again we are walking where great leaders of the past have.

As we are shown on the walls there are carvings and they vary in detail due to the erosion over time but still inspiring as you round the last bend and look forward you get a glimpse of what you’ve trekked this way to see, the Treasury. It is referred as such for in ancient times they thought the middle “urn” was where a pharaoh from Egypt had stashed his wealth for safe keeping and when looking at it you can see the bullet holes from old where people have tried to break it and access the payload! From all that you see on Petra the Treasury would be the most prominent, but for me not the most impressive. That required another walk up another mountain.

As we walk past the Treasury towards the stairs of the Monastery we are told that Petra used to be inhabited by approximately 30,000 people during it prime and hosted various travelling caravans as well We round past a stunning amphitheatre and then around the next bend there are tombs to the right. Everywhere you look there are mammoth carvings into the rock that would be at least 4 storey’s high on your average building and these are carved straight out of the rock!

Our tour ends at the foot of the steps to the monastery. By now it’s only 2 ½ hours into the day and I am already exhausted, but there are still things to do. Like climb up more steps because you can. HAH! Well Jay sets the pace and I dutifully try and keep up between waves of nausea and feeling like passing out and finally we made it to the top. Was the 1 hour uphill journey worth it??? Most defiantly the Monastery is far more spectacular than the treasury as it seems bigger and has more detail showing. Another time to sit back and reflect for a little while, get some energy back and we are heading back down to find something else to climb.

Running into some of the other group members at the base of the stairs and comparing our excursions for the day it was mentioned some had managed to climb up and get some photos of the Treasury from above and their photos look spectacular. Jay makes mention that he’d like to do this and I manage to pretend I didn’t hear We walked back to the amphitheatre and sat and reflected for a while and watched the world go by and being entertained by some locals who were singing dancing and had some drum beats going completing the whole amphitheatre experience making it another highlight. Being exhausted we headed back out to Treasury and Jay wants to climb up for that photo of a lifetime. Ohh yeah… fabulous!
We head back and start the climb up yet another mountain, albeit a smaller one, but a mountain all the same. After about another hour of climbing we reach our destination and again, it was worth the effort and the photos prove we conquered the mountain and we have that photo of a lifetime.

In all we spent 10 hours in Petra, given the illness we didn’t cover as much as we would have liked and another day would have been great but it was still a fantastic experience to be remembered. The different sediments of the rock revealing a tapestry of colour when you look up and around you to the realization of just how old this area is and if only walls could talk to reveal the secrets of the past. I think the impact of Petra one that will grow with me the more I reflect on it.

Day 7-9
With another early start we were off to Damascus via Amman and the Dead Sea. It’s a huge day of travelling with 12 hours scheduled in, drop of a tour member, bye Laurie, and pick up another. The Dead Sea is our first stop for breakfast and swim. Here the water is so salty is would be impossible to sink. There is no effort required to float around and is quite a lot of fun standing up straight and bobbing around like a cork in the water. When you turn from your back over to your stomach you can swim around like you are on a surfboard. Anyone with cuts definitely felt them and they were well and truly quaterised by the time they exited the water. It’s not recommended you spend more than 20 minutes in the water so it was out and showered and on the bus for Amman.

What can I say, what we saw of Amman is a big, fairly modern city with lots of people but what more would you expect from a Capital city. Overall Jordan is a very clean country and their capital is representative of that.

After collecting the new guy, Andrew fellow Hawks supporter, we travelled to Jarash, an ancient site that is one of the best preserved archeological sites. The whole town has been built over the ruins but the main site that is accessible to the public as the ruins were discovered under the ground sediment after the town had been developed. The main area were visited had been restored to a fantastic condition and was interested to learn that the Romans built their columns to sway slightly with the movement of the earth to minimize earthquake damage. That was pretty impressive.

Something that does need mention here is our border crossing into Syria. Everything was going smoothly, we had encountered several delays along the way with traffic in Amman and a few other delays here and there. We had arrived at the crossing fairly laid back and waiting patiently for our stamps. As we got them we were allowed to peruse duty free and with ½ the tour in the duty free shop our driver, Mike, comes bolting from the passport control yelling “everyone on the Truck, we’ve got to cross the border to Syria by 6pm!”…the time…5.53pm. With everyone clamoring into the Truck and Craig holding onto the back door for dear life as the blue beast erupted into life we started the gauntlet. What we didn’t know was Mike had been advised that the boarder is closing at 6pm and it would have been a good 5km’s to get to it. Well Mike squeezed our Truck thru the tightest of tight blockades that would normally require stopping at and with a flat out bolt we made the boarder at 5.59pm. Well done Mike it could have been a long cold night waiting for the boarder to open up in the morning.

Still on our journey toward Damascus we made it to our campsite for the night. Whilst Jay fought with our tent I was on cook crew and after dinner it was gather round for chats then off to bed. In the morning we were up and out to the main town for a day on our own after Reece gave us a quick orientation tour. Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, although the architecture doesn’t look it in the areas we wandered around.

We ventured into the Bazaar that when we look up you can still see bullet holes from the French Revolution and that was pretty cool. Wondering down the bazaar to the end you come to a magnificent mosque and then venturing off to the right you find a Palace Museum.

Jay & I chose to forgo the Mosque but from the outside it looks spectacular and those that did go through said it was. We ventured into the Palace Museum. This was pretty cool. There are a lot of antique furnishings still around and fully preserved to give the view an idea of the luxury that was enjoyed in the old days. What was most breathtaking was the wood paneling work on the ceilings. The intricate detailed carvings then when your eyes drop down to the walls the detailed wood work continues on. The floors are all intricately tiled and then the displays top off the overall effect. We spent a good 1 hour wondering and then relaxing in the main courtyard where there was a pretty well tendered garden with water features everywhere to relax in.

After this we headed back into the main town area to take care of some internet business and getting an ice-cream along the way from the oldest shop in the bazaar (I think, wasn’t paying attention when this was being mentioned) and well worth the stop With a creamy vanilla bowl of ice-cream and Jay with his mega chocolate ice-cream cone we were off to take care of things and return.

The rest of the day was wondering and finding toilet stops. Not being a natural shopper it was nice to meander through and just explore. We ended up going through some back streets and seeing the butchers and greengrocer equivalent of home and had a bit of fun with the locals along the way. Had a couple of double takes with food displays when your eyes are seeing one thing and the brain is like, nah, that can’t be, have another look you got it wrong and yep sure enough you are looking at a whole heap of upside down blanched sheep heads smiling back at you in the display and yep, that is what you saw on the first take.

Nearing the end of the day we stopped off at a little café where I had my first experience of Shisha. Well its different is all I can say. If I was feeling better in myself then I probably would have enjoyed it more. After our Shisha stop it was time to find the main square and get some food and then head back to the campsite for the night.

We didn’t actually spend any money on shopping but something you do spend a lot of money on toilets. Now you’d think that because you pay to go to the loo that it would be in fairly good conditions….yeah…NOT.

It is a fairly short day of travelling today with a trip via Palmyra and onto another campsite for the night. Palmyra is based around old Greek and Roman ruins that look amazing as we drove past. Unfortunately I am still not feeling well and decided to opt out of the 1 ½ walk through the ruins and stay back in the townsite for this one. Have a read of Jay’s blog for the details on this.

After Palmyra we set out for our campsite. It’s the first time Kumuka have used it so we were warned could take a while to find. Well we didn’t find it and Mike got us to the top of a hill and there we camped. With Kebabs on the menu the bbq fire started and Jay and I having found our spot to sleep we decided on skipping food and getting an early night’s sleep.

Well we missed out on all the action. Just as everyone was finished dinner the wind whipped up a mini sandstorm and apparently a few tents tried to escape as well. I can only say this through hear say as I slept through it all. In the morning it started off still and the sky a brilliant blue but within 20 minutes the wind kicked in again and it was a case of everyone pack up get on the truck and we’ll find somewhere else more suitable for breakfast.

We travelled through an extensive wind and sandstorm for about 1 ½ hours and finally stopped off on the side of the road near a convenience shop and ended up being shown some Syrian hospitality and taken into their courtyard away from the wind and a chance for breakie.

Afterwards we headed out to the Crac des Chevaliers castle for a tour, lunch and our stop for the night.
This castle was originally built in 1031 by Emir of Homs, The Crusaders got hold of it around 1099 and they went about building strong walls and defensive barriers for the next 70 or so years. Then around the middle of the 12th century was surrendered to the armies of Islam. The castle in its crusaders days housed about 400 knights, 400 soldiers and workers. King Richard the Lion Heart is said to have used this castle and there are 2 carved lions on the outside of one of the walls. It might pay to mention that the day is wintery and strangely blowing a gale and standing up straight is an issue. We had an awesome tour guide and he gave us such an in depth tour that I am disappointed I cannot remember more at this time. We toured around and found a secret tunnel then onto the roof top and we saw the summer round that the 12 knights met around. Overall a very cool tour.

Day 11
Well this morning we woke to find winter outside. It’s raining cats and dogs and it’s so cold! Starting to regret the minimalistic approach on the warmer clothing a decision that I think will haunt me till I can at least find a rain coat! Anyway we were off to Appelo, Syria’s commercial capital and second to Damascus as the most continuously occupied city. Here we are met by a lovely old chap, Ahmed. He is an excellent guide and extremely proud of his lonely plant guide entry. Anyway, this spritely old dude took us through the souq and up to the old castle and our 2 hour tour lasted closer to 4 and jam packed with fun and information. Ahmed was also to help us with our border crossing tomorrow.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with a snooze and heading out for dinner with the group. Mike has realized that I am still not feeling well or eating much and has decided to be my new restaurant neighbor for the leftovers. I wandered back to the rooms just after dinner and called it in for an early night as we have a 4.30am morning scheduled. All was going good for the sleep until Mike decided to play a practical joke and wake us as 11.30pm by bashing on our door yelling 4.30 get up you’re running late for the bus. Well after that sleep was hard to come by and the rest of the night was broken sleep….not happy Jan…

Day 12
Our crossing into Turkey we had been warned could take up to 5 hours. Luck was with us and we were done and dusted in about 3 and we got a roadside breakfast stop there. The first thing you notice about Turkey is it’s clean and the toilets are clean as well…an added luxury this far into the journey. The scenery has changed along with the weather from dry warm days to cold and somewhat wet and the landscape has gone from the arid dry desert to lush green mountains and snow capped mountains in the distance. Hmm have I mentioned that the warmest thing Jay & I both own at the moment is 1 jumper each and 1 long sleeve thermal…. Yeah well thinking that’s gonna change shortly.

As we continue travelling to Gorome the weather continues to deteriorate until the truck is pulled over and we pile outside to experience the snow falling from the sky and the boys celebrated with a quick kick of the football (Aussie league style). Once the realization of the cold set in it was back on the Truck and our final push to Gorome. I love this place. I liked it the last time I was here and it has only got better.

With arriving late afternoon we went about organizing our hot air ballooning and checking into our very cool hotel. Our room was build from a cave and the best shower ever! This evening it was another trip to the doctor for me to get some new and improve drugs and then to a carpet shop for dinner and a carpet demonstration. The temptation was great to buy but being on a budget and limited storage is a godsend sometimes as you can rationalize the non purchase better. Soon it was back to the hotel for bed for our hot air balloon experience in the morning.

18 April…. Day whatever (will go with day 13).
BUMMER!! Hot air ballooning has been cancelled due to it being too windy. So it’s off to do the rest of the day’s tour and go to the underground city for a walk around and the fairy chimneys and the numerous photos that go with this area. The underground city dates back to BC with the Hittites using them for shelter and daily life and then taken over by the ottomans and then the Christians etc. I suppose when you are onto a good thing you stick with it.

The fairy castles are no different to the last time being here. Just as awe inspiring and magnificent as the last. We checked with the hot air ballooning to see if we could get up in the afternoon and no luck, still too windy so we had the afternoon to ourselves to chill out and that’s just what Jay and I did. As mentioned this place is so nice chilling out takes no effort at all. With some sweet pastries and cakes we took some time out in a café then wandered around town and added some warmth to my wardrobe.

Tonight was were off to a belly dancing night, all you can eat and drink and you get a stunning display of traditional Turkish dancing with it. The men were brilliant with their dancing however there was one stunning belly dancer who was so fluid with her moves that stole the show, that and getting audience participation from the men as well. Jay was volunteered by the group and he can hold his head up high as he was brilliant up there trying to follow the moves of an extremely accomplished dancer and holding his own. Shack that butt boy!!! The rest of the evening was good value with social dancing after the end of the show and a late night to go.

Day 14 (I think)
We finally made our hot air ballooning this morning. With another pre-dawn departure, 4.30am, we were off to take 2 on our chances and we were treated with perfect conditions. Blue sky above, gentle breeze to push the balloon along and a perfect landing on the trailer at the end of it. Again I have done this before yet is was just as breathtaking and exciting as the first time and still wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. The views from the balloon are stunning and exhilarating when we drop down level with the fairy chimneys for photos. This may be an expensive hour but worth every cent for the experience. The balloon trip was finished with a glass of bubbly and a bus back to our Truck for the 11 or so hours to Olympia.
We stopped several times along the way here for lunch and the highlight of the day, esky lid tobogganing in the snow along the road and there is always time for a quick snow fight as well. The rest of the trip was spent sleeping/dozing or trying to occupy oneself from the boredom of lengthy travels. It was all worth it though, with a great accommodation, the most comfortable bed and pillow of our journey so far and free day ahead. Ahhh bliss!

Day 15
After catching up with housekeeping on the net we wondered off to do some sea kayaking. To get the beach, if you want to call it such given its all rocks of varying size you need to walk through the ruins of Olympus and I have to say the Greeks & Romans found some spectacular scenery to build their cities in Turkey. Something that strikes you straight away is the clarity of the water. It’s crystal clear and very deceptive on how deep it actually it.

Our sea kayaking took us out for about 2 hours and even though it was a bit chilly I braved the conditions for a swim in a little cove that we paddled to. Was very peaceful on the paddle even though my kayak was as heavy as anything and not that responsive to steering was a great afternoon spent being active.

21 apr (day 16)
We are on the countdown to Anzac day now and our journey today will take us for an hour or so truck drive and everyone caught a boat to go out and view the sunken city out from Kas and a leisurely 6 hours on the boat. I opted to be co-driver with Mike so I could spend longer relaxing in Kas and walking around this beautiful town. Ohh and lunch was just a bonus, fresh fish fillet char grilled with salad and potato. Just delightful!! The day was main spent relaxing and wondering around this pretty town for a while.

22 apr (day 17)
It’s up and at ‘em early again today as we head out to Selikuc for a couple of nights. With a solid day of travelling ahead we get to Atilla’s Getaway late in the afternoon and settle in for a 2 nights. Dinner was sensational and I am enjoying having my appetite back again after not facing food for most of this tour I am enjoying the flavours of turkey and with the best mash potato served up with char-grilled chicken.

23 April (day 18)
Ephesus is on today’s agenda. With a quick 5 minute drive to the entrance we meet our guide and we are off walking over history yet again. The weather is a bit of a bummer though as it was drizzling throughout the time we were there. Jay & I ditched the tour and did our own thing, having been here ages before it was easier. More ruins have been dug up and able to be viewed than when I was here last and we paid to go into a restoration area where in conjunction with Austria the Turks are working on restoring a citadel and we can now see the main dining hall, church and some living quarters. This goes into about 3 storeys into the hill behind it. I would say this was the highlight of the visit for me as the mosaics on the floor and the intricate patterns and the pictures made from them are breathtaking. This along with the architecture shown with the plumbing etc make one realize we’ve a lot to than the ancient Romans for. The amphitheatre still rates with the best I’ve encountered yet and just and mind blowing to sit down and absorb the atmosphere and reflect on the ancient times and the uses for the theatre. The remainder of the day was our time spent in the quaint township of Seluik.

24 April, (day 19)
Okay, will be remiss to say I am not getting excited about tomorrow now. It’s so close to a dream becoming reality however we’ve got some more travelling to do and a stop at the riveting site of Troy. Not a lot to say about this place, has a big wooden horse (that’s only rumored to be factual) and because of its significance in the trade/silk route has been fought over ruined and built over many times and it all got a bit confusing looking in the overgrown grass to try and work out which generation of Troy we were looking at. Back to the bus for us get our ferry crossing out the way and ready to bunker down for the dawn service but only after we pitch tent for tomorrow nights use.

ANZAC DAY EVE.
Okay, everyone knows it gets cold here this time of the year. Most Aussies have sat and watched the Anzac Dawn service in the comfort of our Australian Autumn temperature and nice and warm whilst looking at these people rugged up to the eyeballs and looking cold on the tv. Well, we were lucky in that the rain held off and there were clear skies above and beautiful stars to match. Arriving at about 2100 we went the security checks and with warm gear in tow we set for our march to remember history. Settling into the seats, to get a patch of grass you need to be there no later than 1500) we set about trying to get comfortable. This is an ongoing thing as the cold drifts in slowly the layers get applied accordingly till there is nothing left. You’ve got everything possible on, snuggled up in sleeping bags with rugs overtop, anything to cut out the cold, and trying to sleep. Trying being the operative word here, unless gifted like some the people we share the truck with each day that can sleep anywhere they sit sleep is just taunts you. There is constant historical interviews and displays shown all night for those that like me sleep escapes and finally it’s here, time for the dawn service.

ANZAC DAY….(day 20)
It’s about now that I start nodding off, yes the bit I’ve been waiting for so long is now here and I can’t keep my eyes open and yes it’s getting colder all of the sudden. At 0430 a wakeup call goes out to rally everyone and we observe 20 minutes of silence with only the sound of the birds twittering around us as the bright lights that are all over the place have kept them awake all night as well.

Being at Gallipoli on such a special day is emotional. As the last post was being played and the sun just starting to wake up the world around us you look up into the mountains and wonder how the hell did they even managed to climb up these sheer faces complete with their full packs whilst returning fire from above. I am in constant amazement of the characters and personality required for anyone that can do something that looks so futile in the light but sticking at it regardless of the cost. It really says something about the characters that fought here and contributed to the ANZAC name.

After dawn service we trekked back to the Truck for a quick breakfast, off load all unnecessary equipment and back for about a 4km walk to Lone Pine via Shell Green for the next Australian Service. Lone Pine represents one of the most futile, bloody battles the Anzacs encountered, all as a diversionary tactic for the British to gain some ground. The amount of lives lost here is staggering and brings tears to the eyes when you look at the plaques and see how many young men fought for their King and country and never got to experience their lives.

After the Lone Pine service we had a couple of hours to wonder around and visit some of the other memorial sites together before make our way to the collection point and heading back to our tents and dinner.

All up our ANZAC experience was amazing and the significance of the sacrifice that was made by the men from Australia and New Zealand just that much easier to understand. All up an extremely moving and emotional day.

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