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Egypt & Türkiye
  • My Delayed Gap Year
syysk. – lokak. 2024

Egypt & Türkiye

32-päiväinen seikkaillu — My Delayed Gap Year Lue lisää
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    25. syyskuuta 2024
    My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    And we are off

    25. syyskuuta 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I am incredibly excited to be doing this trip for a number of reasons; one, ever since learning about Ancient Egypt in primary school I have been intrigued and fascinated by the history. So to actually go to the pyramids etc feels like I’m travelling to a place of fairy tales! Two, I’ve been so fortunate to have been able to travel a lot this year, but this is the first trip with Jim and that makes me so happy.
    The flights were actually not bad and we both managed lengthy and fitful naps which is a bonus. We even actually slept through one of the meal services! Singapore Airlines really are very good.
    We had a 6 hour stopover in Istanbul but that went pretty fast as it’s such a MASSIVE airport. Trekking from gate to gate ensured we got our steps up even though we were on our bums for over 20 hours 😂😂    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Hello Cairo

    26. syyskuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    It took all of 30 seconds to realise we had made the best decision ever to book our Egyptian adventure with Intrepid. We met with our transfer guy outside the gate at the airport and he sorted our visa, literally whisked us through immigration by taking us through the Diplomatic entry and had us at baggage claim in less than 5 minutes. So impressive!!!
    Jim’s bag came out in the first minute and after a small panic, (with the conveyor belt stopping for 15 minutes and imagining myself wearing golf shirts & black shorts for the next few weeks), mine finally arrived. Phew!!
    That’s when the REAL adventure began. Our transfer to the hotel.
    With 23 million people living in Cairo alone and it being a city of cars, not scooters or bikes, the traffic was insane.
    Lane markings appear to be purely decorative and we didn’t see a traffic light. What we did see was close encounters of all kinds, people casually strolling across what I thought was a highway, people jumping out of cars in the middle of traffic (like entire families), and new ones jumping in and even buses reversing down packed exit ramps. However it all just seems to work! Also meandering through the traffic are street cleaners with brooms keeping all the roads very neat and tidy.
    After nearly 36 hours door to door, we checked into our hotel and wandered to the restaurant next door. It smelled quite lovely which I discovered was due to all the shishas being smoked everywhere. We may try one but now we are quite tired.
    We met a lovely Egyptian man, Tommy who owned the restaurant. He sat and explained a lot of stuff to us - where to get bottled water for locals prices (Cairo apparently has local prices and tourist prices); in fact after dinner he walked us to the “fixed price supermarket “ where we stocked up on water for 10c a bottle and a few other snacks.
    Exhausted we fell into bed at about 9pm ready to explore this phenomenal city tomorrow. Our actual tour begins on Sunday.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Saqqara and Memphis

    27. syyskuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Cairo Day 2
    What an incredible day. After breakfast (felafals, labna, and all sorts of exotic sauces) we met George who we have “hired” to show us around Saqqara and Memphis as these aren’t included in our tour. We had naively considered grabbing an Uber and exploring on our own but have changed our minds and it certainly was a great decision.
    Firstly we went to learn how papyrus is made which was fascinating and bought ourselves an eternal calendar which is pretty special. Then we requested a stop at the jeweller who makes cartouches (pendant with my name in hieroglyphics), as that is something I have long wanted. I am super happy with it too.
    Along the drive to Saqqara I was mesmerised by the sights; ladies carrying huge packages on their heads, families on motorbikes, donkeys and camels pulling carts laden with fruits and vegetables, kids playing soccer and so, so much construction. George explained that the building owners have to pay tax on all finished works so instead, they leave the buildings incomplete to avoid having to pay 😂
    Also, whilst it is so very dusty, there are also men with brooms sweeping at every turn so the streets all look very tidy.
    Saqqara contains the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser and a bunch of tombs.

    Mind completely blown.

    We walked down into a tomb and saw walls covered in hieroglyphics telling all sorts of amazing stories. The entire thing was underground. We got to explore about 5-6 tombs, many of which were made up of several rooms and all had walls carved and some painted with hieroglyphics. I could not believe that we could just walk around and even touch the carvings! I felt uncomfortable doing so, so didn’t. But wow, these are more than 5000 years old. It was like walking through a make believe world.
    We then went to Step Pyramid which is how they were built before they figured out how to make the smooth walled ones (can’t wait for Giza).
    It was the craziest thing my eyes have ever witnessed. There we were, in the middle of an actual real life desert, and this incredible towering structure was just……there! and it was built before cranes or anything like that.
    The one we saw was around 60m high. The Great Pyramid of Giza is 150m……I don’t think I will be able to comprehend that.
    Head still spinning, we stopped for lunch and had a little dance with some music men before going in. Lunch was delicious and tasted even better due to the fact it was air conditioned!
    Our last stop of the day was Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt. Here lies a gargantuan statue of Ramses II. The precision with which these things were made, the scale and detail has to be seen to be believed.
    There were loads of other artefacts in the area but unfortunately most have been destroyed over the years by people using the stone to make their own homes.
    It is extremely hot but luckily for us there is also a bit of a breeze. The heat really does take it out if you though.
    Tonight we have a Nile River cruise with dinner and a show.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Museum and religious complex

    27. syyskuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Cairo Day 3

    Last night we did a cruise of the Nile on what was supposed to be a small yacht at sunset. It was a massive 3 floor ship beginning at 9pm 😂😂😂
    It was still wonderful with awesome food and crazy entertainment. There was a belly dancer (if only I’d kept up my lessons) and a spinning guy called a Tanoura. How he remained upright after spinning for about half an hour is beyond me. His outfit even lit up at one point!
    The sights of the Nile at night were very pretty, especially the wedding celebration we saw. All in all a great night.
    Today we visited the Great Cairo Museum which, as you’d expect, is filled to the absolute brim with very cool ancient artefacts with the most impressive being the treasures of King Tutankhamen. The stories we have been told and the things we have learned about today, have my head spinning. We unfortunately were not allowed to take photos of Tut’s sarcophagus or death mask but it’s an image I am unlikely to ever forget.
    Fun fact one: King Tut’s tomb was absolutely tiny compared to other Pharaoh’s like Ramses II. Ramses lived to 93 whereas Tut died at 19. Ramses tomb had been robbed when discovered so I can’t even begin to imagine the treasures that would’ve been in there!! Fun fact two: there are “poor people living in some empty tombs today”. Can you believe that!!!?! The locals call it “the city of the dead” 😵
    We also visited an old church, synagogue and a mosque where it was interesting to learn about some of the Egyptian history apart from the ancient stuff. Apparently Jesus lived in the old 4th Church before it was a church and that is why the church was built there. We went into the cave like “room” where he lived. Fascinating!
    Lunch was a delectable grilled chicken and rice feast that we had back at our friend Tommy’s shop.
    Tommy and George have treated us like VIP’s and their friendliness, knowledge and passion is second to none.
    Tonight we met our tour guide and the rest of the travelling group which we are very excited about!
    There are only 10 of us!! 6 Aussies, 2 Thais and 2 Italians. Our guide Ahmed seems delightful and we are super excited. We all went out for dinner sitting roadside surrounded by beeping cars and crazy tuk tuks and lots of local families. Jim and I shared a mixed appetiser which was just scrumptious and we are crashing into bed ready for a big day tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Grand Pyramids and The Sphinx

    29. syyskuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Cairo Day 4

    Today felt as though I was walking through postcards or a history picture book. It is so easy to see why these pyramids are a “Wonder of the world”. Unbelievable.
    Like the cliche says, photos cannot do it justice. The size of them is phenomenal. Just the Grand Pyramid has 2.3million bricks that came from a quarry over 25km away and range in weight from 2 - 75 tonnes!!!! The bricks were floated up the Nile during times of flood but that doesn’t explain how they were built. I know there are many theories, but seeing them up close just makes each theory seem almost ludicrous. Surely one day they will uncover giant cranes buried deep below the ground as that’s the only thing that makes any sense to me.
    We went inside and boy was it hot and steep!! It surprised me that it wasn’t cool like inside a cave but apparently the lime stone absorbs the heat, of which there is a LOT!!!
    Next stop was The Sphinx; another gob smacking site.
    I keep having to stop myself and marvel at what I am seeing. It all feels sooooo unbelievable.
    We had some free time before our overnight train to Aswan so Jim and I decided to go to the hotel next door and have a swim. It was just what the doctor ordered and was a blissful wind down.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Cairo to Aswan

    29. syyskuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We boarded our train around 8pm last night and I’ll admit to having a little trepidation upon seeing the train pull into the station. However, whilst our cabin is cosy, I slept better than I normally sleep! I think the rickety rick and swaying motion all night helped me. It is true that there were several sudden jerks and a fair bit of clanking, it certainly was an experience.
    We had dinner and breakfast and a guy came in and converted our seats into bunk beds.
    When we woke at about 630am the landscape had changed from dusty, dry desert to lush green palm trees and crops.

    First stop was Philae Temple Complex

    When the Egyptian government decided to build a dam, several ancient temples were in danger of being flooded. In order to avoid destruction, UNESCO worked with Egypt to move the temples to higher ground. This obviously took many years but the results are phenomenal. If we hadn’t been told that they were moved, I would never have guessed.
    The Temple of Isis has gorgeous hieroglyphs all over. Once again I’m amazed at how we can literally touch the walls if we want to 🤷‍♀️
    A sad story is that so many of the carvings of Egyptian Gods have been defaced; their faces have been “scratched out” Early Christians destroyed or disfigured many of the Egyptian statues and hieroglyphs, transforming the temple into a church. There are also loads of Crosses carved over the original hieroglyphs.
    In other news I had bought myself a neck fan in China which Jim thought was a ridiculous idea and I had forgotten I had brought it along…….until today. What a winner!!
    Walking through the temple, everyone else was shiny and glowing with the effects of sweat - but not me! I stayed matte 😂
    We had to travel by boat to get there and once again the entire complex was just stunning. We finished with an ice cream sitting overlooking the Nile River.
    We then went to visit the High Dam - an awesome piece of engineering and built with the financial aid of Russia. The dam has created a 500km long fresh water lake and is the main fresh water supply but also responsible for a lot of destruction,
    Finally we went to see the unfinished obelisk. It is the incomplete construction of what would’ve been the largest obelisk on the planet but it cracked before being completed. Hence it remains in the granite quarry to this day.
    Aswan is a fair bit more colourful than Cairo and our hotel is almost working the bazaar. We walked around having a look and have learned very quickly not to even pretend to be interested in something because you will be hassled and hassled!! We’ve had to become pretty strong with our “no thanks” and walk looking straight ahead at all times or else you find yourself caught in a haggling situation over 15 cents for something you don’t even want hahaha!
    Dinner was delightful, right on the banks of the Nile. I think I have a mild case of heatstroke so an early night and lots of water tonight.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Abu Simbel

    1. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Up at 3.30am for a 4.15am departure to see Abu Simbel which is only 50Km from the Sudanese border, travelling through a real life desert. As we drove, we also passed acres and acres of crops growing in the middle of the Western Sahara!! This is apparently due to them having to use some of the water from the dam when there’s too much, so rather than just “opening the flood gates”, the water is diverted to literally the middle of nowhere to grow crops. The intention is that by 2030, Egypt will not only be self sufficient with grains, corn, potatoes etc but they will have enough to export.
    At about 8.15am we arrived. Fortunately we all
    slept most of the way.
    Abu Simbel is the site of two ginormous temples built by Ramses II around 3500 years ago. The four colossal statues of Ramses II in front of the main temple are absolutely spectacular with each one being about 25m high. In yet another example of engineering brilliance , the temples were relocated from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by erection of the Aswan High Dam. There was apparently 50 counties involved in dismantling and re-erecting the temples on higher ground. It’s amazing what can happen when people work together.
    I reckon the process of relocating the statues, the entire temple labyrinth and the actual mountain itself is almost as impressive as the construction of the original temples.
    It was moved 200m and 65m higher than the original location. Inside each temple there are loads of rooms all decorated with amazing hieroglyphics showing battle scenes and offerings to The Gods as well as massive statues and all this is inside a mountain - an actual mountain that was moved, bit by bit by bit over 5 years. Wow!
    Next to Ramses II Temple is one he built for his favourite wife, Nefatari.
    Man am I learning a LOT!
    I’m also feeling a lot better after being quite out of sorts yesterday which is a relief.
    On the way home we requested a stop at a perfume factory which is something Aswan is famous for……….yes we bought some delectable scents; Lotus flower, Papyrus, Amber Night and Ramses II beauuuutiful!!    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Nubian Homestay

    2. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    We decided to visit the Nubian museum today as we had free time until our sailing trip so we asked at reception about a taxi. As there were 6 of us who wanted to go we needed a minivan and reception aren’t able to organise them. She told us to walk down to the Nile and flag one down and said “good luck out there!” as we left 😳 😳😳
    She also told us not to pay until we are safely returned to the hotel…….
    Well we successfully found one and bargained him to $18 which included return trip and him waiting two hours for us to explore.
    #winning
    The museum was modern and interesting. The Nubian people were a separate civilisation from the Egyptians, living in the south and then they were conquered by the Egyptians about 3500 years ago.
    Next adventure was a sailing trip on a felucca! So unreal. It was hard to believe it was 38°C as the breeze was blowing. We meandered across The Nile for 4 hours and had a scrumptious lunch onboard too. It was so lovely and super relaxing to see Egyptian life from the river.
    Once we docked, we were taken to our home for the evening; a Nubian house with a sandy courtyard and our group bedrooms.
    We played with the kids and then enjoyed a magnificent home cooked meal.
    Lots of wonderful conversations around the dinner table and I have learned so much about the Muslim religion and also Egyptian laws etc.
    I finished the day by getting a henna tattoo from Amira, our host.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Sailing the day away

    3. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After a delicious home cooked breakfast we again boarded our felucca for a day of sailing, only this time, we will be sleeping onboard. How cool!!
    Doing absolutely nothing is a skill I don’t have but one I thoroughly enjoy learning.
    I sat rooftop for a few hours watching the world float by. There are so many different birds and fortunately one of our group, Nik, is a bird guy so was able to identify all of them for us (well I would t know any different so maybe he made it up 🤷‍♀️).
    I read and napped and chatted. We had some fabulous conversations about differences and similarities between our countries and then the most scrumptious lunch.
    There are literally dozens and dozens of cruise ships that power past us with sometimes 6 or 7 in sight at any one time. We saw over 50 today! Clearly it’s a popular trip and I can understand why.
    At nightfall we stopped sailing because of the cruise ships that may not be able to see us.
    The sunset was very special and it was just perfect sitting up on top of the felucca, chatting and laughing and sharing stories before dinner under the stars.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    On the road to Luxor

    4. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    We were woken by the call to prayer on both sides of the river and were awake to see the sunrise. It was pretty special. Sleep was spasmodic. Whilst it was comfortable, there were random noises that were enough to wake me as a light sleeper - fish jumping, other boats passing and even a small fishing boat at one point. But overall, the entire felucca experience has been wonderful. I loved seeing farm life from the river too, and have it confirmed that it definitely isn’t for me hahahaha!
    Luckily we have a delightful group of people so it was such a joy chatting the day/night away.
    First stop today was Edfu. This is not on our itinerary but was a request from the group. It is the most preserved temple on all of Egypt. After it was abandoned, it became covered in desert sand and remained hidden until 1860.
    Imagine discovering something of this size and in almost perfect condition. 🤯🤯
    It was massive with towering columns and completely covered in perfect hieroglyphics from top to bottom. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and wandered freely around all the rooms and even up the stairs. This is the Temple of Horus and it was surreal to walk around gawking at the artwork.
    Next stop on route to Luxor was an animal hospital that Intrepid supports. It was such a heartwarming place to see all these animals that are looked after for free; anyone can take their animals for free vaccines or if they are injured etc.
    Then on to Karnak Temple - the biggest temple in the world (well kind of; it’s actually 3 temples).
    Humongous !!
    This Ramses II fellow sure did have quite the ego. Everyone else normally gets 12 columns but that was anywhere near enough for him (who also claimed to be a God as well as a Pharaoh). This temple had 134 massive columns……134!!!
    There is a fair bit of damage from earthquakes over the years but it was still spectacular. Many parts have been restored too.
    Our hotel is literally overlooking the Nile and Luxor Temple, as well as the Avenue of Sphinxes and……it has a pool!!!
    #winning 😂😂
    Group dinner tonight and early start tomorrow for our hot air balloon.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Up and away

    5. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Today was my favourite day so far. It was an absolute corker!
    Up early for our hot air balloon ride that began with a disco style motor boat across the river before a bus took us to our balloon launching pad (??).
    There were over 45 balloons that we counted and it was an unforgettable experience. We soared across the Valley of the Kings, above the temple of Hatshepsut and tombs of hundreds of nobles, over farmland and excavation sites, with the Nile River in the background and as the sun was rising. It was magical & peaceful, broken up by the occasional blast of fire and I loved every moment. We landed smoothly and joined the rest of the group who had opted out of the balloon (I bet they are regretting that decision!). I was on a high for hours ☺️☺️☺️
    Next we drove to the Valley of the Kings which is actually a cemetery and I had no idea what to expect. What looked like some rocky, sandy hills in the middle of the desert, was actually filled with hundreds of tombs of noblemen and Pharaohs, including Tutankhamen.
    I went into 5 tombs in total and holy moly 😳😳😳
    Each one is cut into a hill and some had remained completely hidden for thousands of years. You literally walked down a ramp/stairs, without having to duck your head at all and walked varying distances up to 150m along tunnels that were painted and carved in magnificent hieroglyphics. Ultimately they come out into the actual tomb where the Pharaoh was laid to rest in their sarcophagus. The size of these tombs is astonishing. I had NO idea. Unfortunately most had been completely stripped of their treasures many thousands of years ago, all
    except Tutankhamen’s. He is the only Pharaoh whose actual body remains in its resting place and his tomb is the only one that had not been disturbed; hence all the treasures that were found there. Most others still had the outer sarcophagus as it was so ginormous and too heavy. One was so incredibly big that archeologists believe the tomb must’ve been built around it as it couldn’t come anywhere near close enough to fitting out of the tunnel and door.
    There are still excavations happening today and watched one that being done. There are apparently still hundreds, if not thousands to be discovered.
    This is like walking through a make believe world. Everything is so, so different to anything else on the planet - it’s other worldly yet is real life and that, to me, is insane
    We then went to Queen Hatshepsut’s tomb which, in my opinion was the best one there; second only in impressiveness (?) to the pyramids.
    Back to the hotel where we picked up our bag of washing (washed, dried and ironed for $5) and I had a massage while Jim had a swim in the pool.
    After a heavenly afternoon nap we wandered down to have a wine in the hotel bar and then headed off to explore the Luxor Temple that we can see from our veranda. What a site that is all lit up after dark. The shadows that are cast add to the mystical atmosphere too. And the columns! Wowzers!! The Roman influence here is so clear. It is assumed that this temple was used for coronations and the more we walked around, the more I believe this to be the case. We have loved this part of Egypt; apart from being endlessly hassled by the horse and cart people. The temples and tombs and treasures are stunning 🤩    Lue lisää

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    Through the desert to the sea

    6. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    A big drive to Hurgharda on the Red Sea today. We drove through desert and saw sand dunes and rocky outcrops and everywhere was so incredibly dry. We missed the entire NRL Grand Final but followed the second half on Twitter. How about those mighty Panthers 💚💛🖤♥️!!!
    We arrived at our hotel and were gobsmacked at the stunning view.
    A quick change and you couldn’t hold us back. We had to walk about 50m through ankle deep, rocky water before we entered the delightful deeper water. You can really notice the salt. It’s sticky and makes it incredibly easy to float.
    That’s how we spent our afternoon. Relaxing on the beach and then by the pool before dinner with the group.
    It was nice to have a down day and recharge.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    From the Ancient World to the Underwater

    7. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    What a day! Today we sailed out of Hurgharda to our little spot on the reef in The Red Sea. We had the boat to ourselves which was brilliant. After many days of “hotness” it was a welcome change to spend the day in the water.
    The snorkelling was just unbelievable. Gav Roberts had told us it was rated as one of the best places in the world to scuba/snorkel and I can see why. So many fish of all shapes and sizes.
    It got me thinking though; each continent seems to have their own “set of animals”, yet fish are the same everywhere 🤔🤔
    I guess they don’t get trapped or isolated like land animals…….hmmmm…
    The colour of the water was mesmerising too; all the shades of blue. Stunning coral which looks healthy and teeming with fish.
    After a couple of hours of snorkeling we were ravenous and were fed very well by our onboard chef.
    Mere mere!!! (Sp? Arabic for very, very good - I think). Time for some last minute frolicking or snorkelling after lunch. Jim, the big kid, jumped off the upstairs section of the boat but I wasn’t brave enough for that 😂😂. I just enjoyed paddling and floating around, once again acknowledging how incredibly lucky we are to be doing this.
    We then sailed back for a relaxing afternoon at the resort.
    ANOTHER magical day.
    PS: I highly recommend Intrepid for tours like this and a double bonus if you get Ahmed as your guide. He is the absolute best.    Lue lisää

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    Grand bazaar

    8. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Not a very exciting day today as we drove 7 hours through the desert back to Cairo. Such a harsh environment but a two sided highway and wifi the entire way, I often struggle with wifi in Springwood!!
    There were times when the road had over 10 lanes but there was barely a car to be seen. Perhaps there are grand plans for the future?!
    Our only stop was The Grand Bazaar in Cairo. Our guide Ahmed is quite funny, wishing us luck after giving us some handy lessons/tips; whatever price they give, offer 10% and go from there, keep your bag zipped and at the front, all shops are the same, don’t eat there, have a laugh and have fun!
    Well we followed the rules and were probably still ripped off hahahahaha!!! But we had a laugh and a great experience.    Lue lisää

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    Trek to the Mediterranean

    9. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we travelled north to Alexandria, stopping off first at the military museum in El Alamein. I felt pretty proud as an Aussie and reading about our contributions to WWII here. We didn’t stay all that long inside because ironically it was cooler outside 🤷‍♀️…..maybe I’m becoming Egyptian? Ahmed was telling us how all the beaches are closed now due to the cold weather. WTH?? He even brought his jacket as it might drop to 25°C tonight. Bring it on, I say !!!
    Next we paid a visit to the Commonwealth cemetery which was pretty moving and very much like the ones I visited in Belgium; just a little drier and warmer (especially as I visited those ones in European winter).
    The conditions that these soldiers fought in would have been hellish. I barely make it through the day as a tourist and I’m in and out of AC. They would’ve had no relief whatsoever!! AC certainly wasn’t around. I always knew the conditions of war were shocking but I have a whole new respect for those poor soldiers now. Not only were they facing and living in the horrors of war, but add to that the relentless dry and heat……wow!
    Our hotel in Alexandria concerned us initially as it looked and felt like an abandoned building, but up on the 10th floor, where our room was, was a different story. The views over the Mediterranean are just spectacular. We have a gorgeous balcony and very “Arabian Night” lights
    We explored the local area and got ourselves some ice cream to eat on the sea wall. Crossing the roads here is a death defying challenge every time. This time however, I asked a policeman about a tunnel (which apparently exist for tourists somewhere) and he understood my sign language promptly ushering us across 6 lanes of traffic like an absolute pro!!
    Getting back was another story though 😂😂😂
    We sat on the wall for a good hour, watching the fishermen as the sun slowly set.
    On our way to dinner we did a little shopping at the dessert place Ahmed had recommended. Ooooh la la! £30EGY = $1 and that’s how much it was for the most decadent chocolate tarts, eclairs, massive donuts and all sorts of traditional cakes. Platters of baklava were £70EGY = $2!!!!
    We had dinner at an Egyptian restaurant and had 3 dishes between us as well as 4 cans of soft drink. It came to $15…… crazy!! And it was soooooo delicious. We couldn’t eat it all either.
    Now we’ve slumped back to our room and crashed in a food coma.    Lue lisää

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    From Catacombs to Castles

    10. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    The city of Alexandria, which is a bit cooler than other cities in Egypt and reminds us a lot of Malta, was founded by Alexander the Great when he conquered ancient Egypt in 332 bce. For hundreds of years it was Egypt’s capital. It lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Cairo.
    The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa that we visited today, are an ancient burial site that was built under Roman rule in the 2nd Century AD. The Catacombs are carved out of bedrock. You could easily get lost in the labyrinth that lies under the city and goes down 3 levels. Once again I am in awe of the architecture and actual building of this place. Keeping in mind there was no electricity so this was all done in the dark with some sort of candles or something. Well, maybe they did have electricity - at this point nothing would surprise me. There were rooms where feasts were held too. The blend of ancient Egyptian and Roman is very obvious.
    Next stop was Alexandria Library; the biggest in the world. What a magnificent structure and how tragic that in 400CE the original building burnt down destroying all the contents as well, including ancient scrolls ☹️☹️☹️
    We had a tour and saw old printing presses and all sorts of statues. There are apparently nearly 2 million books here and about ¼ have been digitalised and made available to everyone on their website. What a laborious job…..
    Finally we visited the biggest mosque in Alexandria and I learned so, so much about Islam (the “s” is pronounced “ssss” meaning light, and not “zzz” as that means darkness)
    Same with Muslim.
    Jim and I then ventured out to a big shopping centre just to mosey around before heading to the old fortress. It was a bit of a fiasco getting in but we figured it out and enjoyed exploring the site as the sunset. Tonight we had our last dinner with the group (tomorrow we are catching up with Aunty Vicky). Such a great group of people and I’ve particularly enjoyed Ahmed as our leader.
    Back to Cairo tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Our last full day

    11. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    Back to Cairo, back to the same hotel for the third time; it feels like home hahahaha!
    We went and caught up with our Egyptian buddy Tommy who we met on day 1 and he had a gift for each of us - a polo shirt with our name on it in hieroglyphics. How thoughtful was that!!
    Jim then had the best hair cut experience of his life that included waxing, threading, massage, shampoo and a semi facial ($15 in total). He looks very spiffy!!
    Then a sad farewell to the best guide ever, Ahmed. He has made this trip so much better than I ever could have imagined. His humour, his knowledge and passion has been wonderful. I feel like we have really made a friend in him too.
    Dinner tonight was at a 5⭐️revolving restaurant with…..Aunty Vicky and Uncle Dave. When we first realised our tours finished on the same day we couldn’t believe it and made plans for this dinner last year. The food was beauuutiful and the company even better. It was brilliant sharing stories and catching up and having a great laugh and lots of hugs.
    What a brilliant way to finish.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Cairo to Istanbul

    12. lokakuuta 2024, Egypti ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After breakfast we safely delivered our tour group to George (our guide that we had on days 1&2) and bid farewell to them all.
    Jim and I headed off to the Museum of Civilisation which was waaaaay better than I expected. It’s very modern and spacious with brilliant artefacts. The highlight was the exhibition of The Royal Mummies - wow!! The condition of the mummified Pharaohs is unbelievable. We saw the bodies of Hatshepsut, Ramses II (and loads of other Ramses), Seti and many, many others. Unfortunately photos weren’t allowed in there but they were incredibly impressive. Some still had hair and you could also see the tendons under the skin on another. Incredible preservation. I’d consider being mummified myself but don’t relish the thought of people coming to see me in a museum in thousands of years and discussing my remains like I did today. But it was fascinating!!
    Back to the hotel to pack before we Ubered it to the airport for our flight to Istanbul.
    Goodbye Cairo and goodbye Egypt. We leave with a lot more knowledge than when we arrived and with a lifetime of memories
    Flight delayed.
    And again.
    Finally took off at 530pm.
    We were met by Omar upon arrival who drove us to our hotel in downtown Taksim. The street our hotel is on is buzzzzing! Holy moly I am loving Istanbul already 🥰🥰    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    We love Istanbul

    13. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Our hotel is great and breakfast was ridiculous. We each ordered a Turkish breakfast because, well, when in Rome! When the guy came, he just kept putting dishes on our table - we glanced at each other and had to stifle our laughter. The photo is before he then brought out two baskets of bread and condiments……needless to say lunch was very light.
    We met our guide for a walking tour (you’ll remember how much I love these 😂). What a legend Hatmek was!! He took us around the Topkapi Palace area, gardens, across the Bosphorus on a ferry to the Asian side (our third continent in 12 hours!!), we visited Mosques and were given advice on where to eat, etc etc.
    It was Jim’s first ever “free walking tour” and he loved it! Hatmek was funny and full of knowledge. He left us on the Asian side and we explored some more having famous ice cream for lunch. We had to wait with a knife and fork!! It was rock solid and delicious.
    Jim bought himself a little Turkish coffee pot and we had the best time getting ourselves back to the hotel. We wandered up tiny steep roads and cobbled streets, stumbling across Galata Tower on the way.
    Our road is incredibly popular with an insanely fabulous vibe.
    After an afternoon nap we headed out for dinner even though we still weren’t really all that hungry 😂😂
    It’s like NYE and it’s a Sunday night! The streets are lit up with what may be Christmas decorations 🤷‍♀️(a quick google explained that Turkey doesn’t celebrate Christmas, so the lights must be for something else).
    Dinner was delicious; I had stuffed capsicum and an arrangement of dips and bread and Jim had a proper Turkish donor kebab. We finished off with a drink in a street bar. A 10/10 day!    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Exploring and getting lost

    14. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    A leisurely start to the day today which was sooooo lovely. We wandered down and caught another tram over the bridge to Sultanahmet armed and ready to tackle the Grand Bazaar. What an absolutely delightful time we had!! We weren’t hassled at all and wandered around the labyrinth of shops getting lost and enjoying every moment. We stopped for a Turkish tea and then continued on. We are such good bargainers now; in fact it’s fun bantering and bargaining.
    We had a simit for lunch (local street food, like a pretzel) and watched the world go by.
    Some more exploring through the spice markets - what a treat for the senses! So fascinating to see and amazing to smell.
    We then visited Hagia Sophia which was the world’s largest church for over a thousand years and became a mosque in the 500’s. It is directly opposite the blue mosque which I am looking forward to visiting on Thursday (I think)🤔
    It.is.massive!!
    The mosaics are interesting and the inside it’s cavernous. It holds 18000+ people. We weren’t allowed onto the lower floor but walked around and took a load of photos (again).
    A rest in the gardens outside was welcomed by our side feet. Then it was “call to prayer”, which started at Hagia Sophia and was echoed back by the Blue Mosque which is about 300m away. It was pretty interesting sitting directly in between both and hearing it in stereo.
    Just over the road was the Basilica Cistern which was originally built around the same time at Hagia Sophia in order to supply fresh water to the palaces and other important buildings. I remember it from the Dan Brown movie Inferno and it was awesome!! I have realised that I love big groups of tall columns - like at Luxor Temple. The lights changed colour and it became extremely photogenic.
    We decided to go to a restaurant recommended by our walking guide yesterday so off to the ferry we went to pop over to Asia for dinner (as you do!). But…..we caught the wrong ferry so ended up somewhere else entirely hahahahaha!
    Dinner was still fabulous and the trip home was adventurous.
    It seems I was swindled by a helpful guy this morning who was “assisting” me in loading credit onto my travel card - he loaded it onto his!!! So my card didn’t work ☹️
    I was pretty pissed off as I had thanked him profusely for being so kind 😡😡
    Anyway, once we got off the ferry, back in the European side of Istanbul, we decided to grab an Uber because we were stuffed.
    The app just connects you to the taxis (which we’ve been warned about) and wouldn’t accept PayPal, ApplePay or Credit card - only cash and no meter…..no thank you! I will not be swindled twice in one day.
    We decided to catch the bus instead. Now the whilst the app or Google maps may say one thing about which stop to get off, or which number bus to get, this isn’t actually the case. Fortunately for us a super lovely guy walked us to our connecting bus and put us in the hands of another super helpful guy who got us off at the correct stop. All bus numbers and stops were different to what all the apps said. Thank goodness for honest and lovely people. I feel better now - swindled by one but helped by two 😊😊
    We celebrated with a glass of wine in an Irish Pub near our hotel.
    What a memorable day!!    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    A day of brilliant experiences and an em

    15. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    A day of experiences! On the bus to Old Town for our Turkish coffee making class which was held in a 1500 year old building used by wholesalers back in the day.
    It was so good! Only 4 of us and our teacher explained the history of Turkish coffee as well as demonstrating how it’s made before we got to make our own. We used a cezve (traditional pot with long handle) and away we went! We were pretty good at making it to be honest. And it was delicious. You either have it with sugar or without sugar and accompanied by Turkish delight - I did both 😂😂
    Fun fact: the coffee made in a bed of sand is actually Ethiopian.
    Also, Greek, Egyptian, Turkish coffee - same, same!
    Our plan is to make it at home - time will tell.
    The lady then used our coffee remnants to “fortune read”. There was a whole of vague stuff BUT - look at Jim’s cup!! She asked if his daughter was pregnant - you can clearly see a pregnant lady in the coffee cup, but it’s obviously Duda, not Hayley (as far as we know). How amazing is that!!
    Next we wandered around which is so enjoyable here with so much to see and take in.
    As a little snack we tried Kokorec which is stuffed lamb intestines on a roll. It was kinda like a spicy haggis and surprisingly yum.
    Now for the emotional roller coaster.
    I have used my Wise card to withdraw cash in Egypt, China, everywhere without an issue ; until now. The ATM swallowed my card. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
    The most amazing group of young men called the bank for us; waited on hold and tried to get the situation sorted but just came up against one brick wall after another. They then put the address of the nearest branch into my phone and, eternally grateful for their assistance, off we trudged.
    Having the security guard translate for us ( because my phone chose this moment to lose all service, thereby eliminating any chance of accessing google translate - breath Di, breath……), we were told that they couldn’t get our card back for some reason that was lost in translation. Fortunately though, we had our other debit card. This is a little frustrating as it has OS transaction fees whereas the Wise doesn’t. But, it’s only a little inconvenience.
    Lesson learned we used the ATM directly attached to the bank this time but for some reason it wouldn’t work. The staff tried to help to no avail.
    As we were in the banking district we had options. We tried 3 other ATM’s and none of them would give us money.
    We asked another security guard to help us (using Google translate on Jim’s phone which we had to activate as mine has decided not to work at all😡…….big breaths Di🧘🧘). And it still wouldn’t work. That is when the security guard noticed that Jim’s card had expired in September!!
    Big breaths Di - huge breaths!!!
    So what are we going to do for cash now? One card swallowed and the other expired.
    Cash advance on the Credit Card!! Oops - Jim (he reckons we) forgot to let them know we were overseas 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️
    We called ANZ but their stupid system had us in a phone loop and we got nowhere other than to receive a message from Optus that we just spent over $100 on international calls…..
    It was really, REALLY hard to keep my cool but I did.
    We walked 1hr back to the hotel (because we had no working cards or cash) to try and sort things out. We also had to cancel our Turkish bath.
    Well now the emotional roller coaster took a sudden and abruptly pleasant turn……I found that I had brought my other debit card AND my other travel card which I had hidden in a safe place in my bag in the hotel!!! And neither card had expired!!!! Woohoooo!!! I didn’t even think I brought them because I saw no use as Jim had brought all his, and he is usually the finally sensible one.
    What a legend I am.
    I am soooo happy and so, so proud of us both because neither of us lost our cool or blamed each other (it was Jim’s fault though).
    And……I wish the fortune telling coffee beans had’ve warned us not to use an ATM 🙄
    Anyhow, in celebration wrapped in relief we rebooked our Turkish bath.
    OMG.
    We were delirious as we walked home after nearly 3 hours of absolute bliss.
    Sauna followed by hamam (bit weird at first but ended up loving it) where they literally through bowls full of water all over us as we lay on warm marble beds, then washed us with foam and scrubbed us with coffee beans and then something else.
    We then rested with a coffee bean face mask before succumbing to the beat massage of our entire lives.
    This was a magnificent way to finish a topsy turvey day.
    We will certainly sleep extremely well tonight xx    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Changing it up

    16. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We had a relaxing morning, still chilled out from our massages last night.
    After breakfast we did some laundry so that we start the next leg of our adventure all clean and organised. Whilst waiting we had a Turkish coffee, just like the locals do, in an alley and savoured every moment.
    All packed up, we left our bags and headed off to explore some nearby neighbourhoods. It is surprising to me how much I was reminded of Paris. So many gorgeous cafes and patisseries and little shops. There are also so many trees which is a real treat for the eye coming from a desert environment. Istanbul really is a beautiful, vibrant city. Another cup of tea and some baklava for morning tea and more getting lost in the beautiful back streets.
    There are so many cats everywhere and all looked after so well. Istanbul really love their street animals which is evident by the bowls of food and water left everywhere and little cat houses. Some mosques even have bird houses attached. All the dogs and cats look healthy, well fed and are all very friendly.
    Lunch was at an Anatolian and Circassian restaurant - sooooo tasty!!
    We have been talking to locals who have explained how shocking the inflation is here. It is currently around 52% but that is an improvement on 62% last month!!
    For us, prices at restaurants and clothes etc are similar to home. Public transport is cheaper though, as is street food and petrol.
    A couple of examples of the impact:
    Galata Tower used to be €4 and is now €30
    Topaki Palace was $5USD and now $50USD
    This is in 12 months. It has also helped with the crowds at these places though, which was likely part of the plan.
    One guy told us his jacket cost him 200TL a year ago and is now 2000TL. He reckons the shops are all just adding a zero onto things but wages aren’t keeping up.
    It’s odd though that the streets are absolutely pumping with people and all the cafes are full. I do think though, that like Egypt, there are local prices and tourist prices. I just can’t blend in well enough!!!
    We get picked up at 6pm and with the temperature dropping we need to find ourselves a jumper - oh how different to this time last week hahahaha!!
    Success!
    Jackets from a mini Parklea markets ✅
    The drive to our next hotel where we meet our tour group is only 22km away but because of traffic it took us an hour!
    Can’t wait to meet everyone in the morning.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    On tour

    17. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    We met our group for this final leg of our trip. There are 25 of us and everyone seems delightful.
    After brekky we headed off for a tour of Topkapi Palace which I found quite fascinating. We saw loads of jewels and knives and Arabian Sultan outfits and thrones etc. Everything here is quite different to European Kings/Queens - think Arabian Nights or Aladdin. Very ornate with so much gold and extremely colourful. I am loving how many different things I am experiencing.
    Next we explored The Hippodrome where horse and chariot races used to take place during the Roman era and then we went inside the Blue Mosque which I was so keen to do. It was absolutely stunning inside (and crowded). I forget the actual name of it but it is clear why it is referred to as the Blue Mosque. 🕌
    Next stop was the spice market but having already been there we opted to go with our guide to try the kunëfe dessert that has been recommended to us by several people. It was kind of like a sweet mozzarella stretchy cheese crossed with a baklava and was very tasty , albeit very sweet and rich. Of course we had another Turkish tea. In fact, we are so enjoying the tea that I bought a pair of fancy tea glasses and some tea for home.
    We also got ½ kg of mixed Turkish delight for $3!!!
    On the way home we noticed 100+ cargo ships all apparently anchored outside of the Bosphorus. We learned that this is because the waters around Istanbul are the only access point between the Mediterranean and The Black Sea. Some ships may have to wait 15 days or more as only one ship at a time can go through and some take precedence over others 😳😳 AND, it’s my understanding, that there aren’t many cocktail bars or shows on these ships so I’m not sure how they cope 🤷‍♀️
    Back at the hotel and resting our overworked feet before setting off for Gallipoli tomorrow.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    Gallipoli

    18. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    What an emotional experience it was to walk ANZAC Cove, in the footsteps of those brave soldiers who landed there on April 25 1915.
    After reading and learning and watching so much about the battles that occurred here and the needless deaths of nearly 9000 Aussies, some as young as young as 15-16, it was surreal.
    The entire National Park is beautifully kept and we were lucky to have such a gorgeous day to wander around and take it all in.
    We visited a number of cemeteries, notably Lone Pine.
    The trenches are still evident and it’s impossible to imagine what it must’ve been like.
    A very special day.    Lue lisää

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  • My Delayed Gap YearEgypt & TürkiyeMatkaaja

    History and a feast

    19. lokakuuta 2024, Turkki ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    First stop of the day was Troy. I had no idea what to expect here apart from a big wooden Trojan horse; which was actually there, although I’m pretty sure it isn’t the original one 😂😂
    I discovered that the town of Troy has actually been built and rebuilt 9 times due to fires, earthquakes, battles etc. Each time it was rebuilt on top of the previous “version”, so it became higher and higher. Different levels could be seen as we walked around - how fascinating!! And, it was only rediscovered in 1870. The first city, called Troy I dates back to 3600 BC and the most recent, Troy IX existed until about 400 - 900AD making the entire place about 4000 years old! I had no idea.
    Next we had lunch at a local restaurant in the centre of the old town of Pergamon. The locals didn’t know what hit them when we all rocked up hahahah!
    We had an eggplant dish, a kofta dish and some sort of boiled wheat dish (🤷‍♀️) as well as a traditional dessert. OMG it was a culinary delight!! I love, love, love trying the local foods. We are super lucky because our guide also runs Gourmet Food Tours of Turkey as a freelancer and also happens to be president of the Turkish tour guide association. #winning!!
    After lunch we took the cable car up to the ruins of Pergamon, a relatively modern city dating back to 280BC (🤣🤣).
    This acropolis still has several columns made of marble and a 10,000 seat, very steep amphitheatre, as well as a very advanced drainage system which we walked through. As I’ve previously mentioned, I do love a good column so I was in my element. The white columns against the bluest of blue skies was just magic, especially with the spectacular view out to The Aegean Sea.    Lue lisää

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