The Monestary


Us at the Treasury

Petra

Sore, but happy best describes us after two days in Petra. We've trekked about the place for hours and still have another day to go. Yesterday we stayed closer to the Treasury and climbed around the Royal Tombs. We also took the tough climb up to a hidden gem of the ancient city, the Place of High Sacrifice. There was a cult in the town that believed in the sacrifice of animals, and they would do so upon this high cliff platform looking out over the entire region.

After a few hours of trekking yesterday (and enjoying the occasional stop of baclava, we have found the best yet in Petra) we popped into a pub at the Petra Palace Hotel. Of course other joined us and we ended up staying the entire afternoon and into the evening talking with an English teacher working in Cyprus and a few Aussies working on an archaeological dig in the region. Feeling surprisingly fine this morning despite Petra beer being 8%.

A Night in the Arabian Desert and First Thoughts on Petra

We spent Australia Day (as we found out upon arriving at Sunset Camp, when a hopeful Australian, Jason, approached inquiring as to our nationalities) traveling through Wadi Rum in a 4x4. Leaving early from Aqaba, we arrived at the Gate (right next to the famous Seven Pillar's of Wisdom) to the Wadi Rum Protectorate at around 10am.

We started the journey after tea with the tour organizer Mohammad. Five hours took us through some of the most amazing desert scenery in the world. The landscape that Laurence traversed almost one hundred years ago is best seen at this time of year. We hardly ran into any tourists, the exception being a large tour group who we only saw at one point, of course they were all sporting white headdresses quite similar to those worn by the famous Englishman.

We arrived at Sunset Camp a bit before the sun went down. Greeted by the fore- mentioned Aussie, a young Frenchman and a Dutch couple all volunteering at the camp in order to save some money to continue traveling.

A little later on a group of three Americans, one Canadian and one French woman showed up after doing the same trip as us. We had a great time discussing the state of global affairs over some lovely Bedouin food prepared by the Sudanese cook. More pictures and info on Sunset Camp can be viewed at http://www.wadirumsunset.com/.

Getting up early we enjoyed another desert sunrise before catching a taxi to Wadi Mussa, the town which provides tourist services for those visiting Petra.

The hotel we chose has been great. The very funny manager Moussa has made us feel very welcome, the breakfast is great and they ferry us to Petra whenever we would like. Last night, he arranged tickets for us to see Petra at Night. What an absolutely amazing experience it is to walk down the path or the Siq, that leads to the Treasury by candle light.

Upon arriving at the Treasury, we were offered tea and then entertained with Bedouin music and stories. It is by far the best way to first see Petra.

We have purchased a three day pass and spent our first full day climbing up the 800 steps to what has to be the most impressive part of the whole ancient Nabataean town, the Monastery. Petra is so much bigger than the most famous Treasury, and it is believed that 80 percent is still uncovered. After day three I will write more of our experiences around this world wonder, for now I am very tired.

Dahab and Sinai Photos

The beach in Dahab with the Moutains of the Sinai in the background and at the top of Mt. Sinai at sunrise.

Up Mt. Sinai and on to Jordan

Yesterday, after a lengthy wait for the ferry in Nuweiba, we arrived in Aqaba, Jordan. Two days prior to our exit we took-on the all-night challenge of climbing Mt. Sinai. Leaving from Dahab by shared taxi at 11:30pm, we arrived at St. Catherine's Monastery a bit after 2:00am. The seven kilometer hike up the mountain, with oxygen slowly decreasing took us about three hours; of course that included stops along the way to rest and snack. Our trip was also a bit slower because one of the ladies decided it would be a grand idea to wear sandals (no she was not a pilgrim, she just didn't research before she made her decision).

It was a bit touch going, even for the both of us who have done a bit of hiking in our times, but the end result was worth it. After an hour of sleep just below the summit, we ascended to take in the incredible sunrise over the Sinai desert. Although a bit chilly, it was well worth it.

The descent was of course much easier and we got to take in the view we missed on our middle-of-the-night trek up. The Monestary, though not fully open to the public, was interesting to peek at. What is believed to be The Burning Bush and all.

Arriving back in Dahab at noon, our final full day in Egypt was spend sleeping. We arose the next morning to a power outage, so no showers after the long hike and before the long boat journey (only about 2 hours, although they quote one, and of course it was also two hours late).

We are not in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and happy to be here. Although the accommodation is a bit more than we have become accustom to in Egypt(40JD for a mid range hotel, the JD being worth between one pound sterling and one euro), the food, so far, is great and the people friendly. We have already seen the sights of Aqaba and are curious as to what we will do for the next two days. Those sites include a small museum, which houses the result of excavations done by students and staff from my Alma mater The University of Victoria and funded by the Canadian Government. We also walked about the Aqaba Castle, a fortress started by the Crusaders and added on throughout the ages.

I suspect the next couple of days will be spent figuring out how we'll be getting to Wadi Rum and where we'll be staying. Pictures will be up shortly of the previously explained adventures.

A Week in Dahab

Located on the South Sinai, one hour north of Sharm El-Sheikh is the small town of Dahab. Built up over the past twenty years or so, or since the Egyptians took it back in 1982, this place is a chilled out destination for travellers and ex-pat scuba divers alike.

We've spent the past week at the Red Sea Relax Resort completing our open water scuba course. Usually it takes the average person four days to complete the course; we begin day six tomorrow, due to some unpredicatable problems with my small ear canals, which are quite full of water. Tomorrow will complete our final dive to 18 meters among some pretty interesting coral.

Apart from our underwater adventures we've just been relaxing. The beach is lined with restaurants, which all have lounge chairs looking out at the Sea. The cuisine is more international for the most part, and the seafood is fresh. Our absolute favorite place, which we usually eat at once per day, is an Indian restaurant called Nirvana. The dishes are gorgeous. All come with fresh naan bread, basmati rice and salad. So way too much for one, so we usually share a dish between the two. The guy behind the stove has found himself a goldmine cooking up his mom's dishes. Tom has a serious addiction to the strawberry milkshakes, which are better than most I have tried at home.

Plans for the next couple of days are to continue reading and swimming out in the relaively warm water (abou 21C), and of course to take in the excitement going on in Washington. Nothing but excitement here in Egypt as well.

Our next destination will be Aquaba, Jordan, but not before we head out into the Sinai Desert to climb Gebel Musa, Mt. Sinai.

A Few More of Egypt

Around Luxor Temple

Our View of Ancient Egypt

Seeing as it takes forever for pictures to download here is only a small selection which includes a photo of me at Hatchepsut's Temple, one of Tom and I at the Colosus of Memnon,one of a dig going on at the Valley of the Kings, as well as two from Karnak Temple.

We're for scuba in Dahab

Finally got away from the bright lights of Sharm. After a pretty nice Thai meal last night on the centre strip of Sharm we knew it was really time for us to head out, afterall a year away means a year on the cheap.

We caught the afternoon bus to Dahab and have been pleasantly surprised since arrival. Our dorm room is clean and the facilities pretty new. The dive shop, Red Sea Relax, is right out front and if we dive with them, our accomodation is free.

Our first meal, at a restaurant right outside of our hotel and next to the water was great. Chicken curry for Tom and veggie stirfry for me. Very happy to be eating vegetables again after my wee illness. With drinks the meal was the equivalent of approx 15 Euro.

Looking forward to what this little beachside town has to offer.

Further on the Adventures of the Past Week

We left Luxor minus the sheesha/hooka/nargila or what ever you want to call the Arab waterpipe. The story of why goes like this: smartly we though we would first check out the post office to see if, like Morocco, they were set up with all shapes and sizes of boxes for use to send goods home easily. Upon asking the first employee of the post office, we were directed to the guy sitting next to him. So, we asked again. After we explained what we were looking for, a box big enough to fit a sheesha, he went on to ask if we were buying today and if so he had a friend and we should buy today because he was almost finished work (it was 2:30 in the afternoon) and we would get Egyptian price from his friend. So....we walked out and gave up. Let's just home we can actually buy one in another Middle Eastern country with a bit more ease.

Our adventure that day continued with the bus ride to Hurghada. We booked the bus at the ticket office near the train station, as directed by the woman at the tourist information office. We arrived early to the station. As we sat and waited for our bus, we couldn't help but notice that other than two innocent looking asian girls, we were the only non-Egyptians taking this particular bus. This would be fine in other countries, (we took a few local buses in Morocco) but according to what we had read, tourists in Egypt were suppose to travel in convoy with a police escort from Luxor to Aswan or to the coast. No police escort was present when the bus departed. None followed us at what we believe was the meet up point near the airport. So, we are still unsure as to whether or not we were at risk traveling through al-Qaeda territory without protection.

Nevertheless, we got to Hurghada safe and sound and out of there quickly by fast ferry to Sharm, where I sit right now at an internet cafe writing this on a English/Russian keyboard.

We are off to the supposedly much more laid back town of Dahab on the 12th to learn how to scuba. I believe I will be fully recovered by then.

As for pictures, the current computer I am using is not modern enough to handle our camera, so those will have to wait a bit.

I meant to mention in my note from yesterday, we are pretty happy, with the current climate in the Middle East being what it is, to have decided to fly to Thailand on the February 8th in order to travel through South East Asia for three months before heading back to finish the tour of the Med.

News from Us

I've been sick for the past few days. Actually had to get Tom to call the doctor to the room last night after midnight because I almost fainted. I have a commons illness that affects travelers and involves rushing to the toilet countless times over the course of the day. Thus I have not been able to get very far from the room to do much of anything in Sharm el Sheikh.

Feeling quite a bit better after the lovely needle in the bum I received last night and the course of medication.

Not much to say about Sharm seeing as I haven't seen much of it. It is nicer than Hurghada, which is the dive of resort towns. The weather is much warmer here than elsewhere in the country and the atmosphere hardly Egyptian.

We have started to notice the affect of the war in Gaza. The airport in Taba, at the boarder with Southern Isreal, has been shut down; therefore, from what we overheard in a conversation the other night, as has the Hilton resort there. So I believe people are being tranported away from the region in order to fly home. The guy who was discussing his situation with a couple had, it seems been here since Christmas time, and prior to departure had been layed off due to the lack of building going on in the U.K.

Of course we also get Al-Jezira, so we get to see of the horrible scenes coming out of the camps. The Arab news papers are full of pictures of dead Palestinians trying to get all rallied and angry.

I will try to write more within the next couple of days. Hope everyone is staying warm!

Luxor's Tresors

Tom Sailing in Aswan

Sunset in Aswan

Christmas Dinner at the Fairmont

Over the last three days we've been taken into Egypt's glorious past visiting The Luxor Temple, The Karnak Temple, The Valley of the Kings, Hatchepsut's Temple, The Valley of the Queens and The Colossus of Memnon. Not only were we in awe of the creations of the Ancient Egyptians, we were also shocked by the number of tourists. Minus the Valley of the Queens, which we visited later in the afternoon yesterday, all of the sites were packed. I will refrain from commenting on what some of theses people were wearing, all I will say is there were a few pairs of high heels knocking around in the dirt.

We decided to book a to book a tour to check out the West Bank of Luxor, just so as to circumvent possible problems with tickets, taxi and missing out on the good stuff. It went alright despite having to wait in the mini bus for about an hour before departing due a number of problems and mixed messages from the company arranging the tour. It was all worth it in the end because the tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens were very impressive. Some looked as though they were painted over a few years ago, and not 6000 or so. No pictures of the insides due to preservation regulations.

The Luxor Temple, which we visited a few days ago was also very interesting seeing as the base structure, built during the Old Kingdom of the Pharaohs was added onto over the ages. Not only are there hieroglyphs and Ancient Egyptian structures, but also Roman add-ons and a Mosque right smack in the centre. Walking though was a true journey through time.

After almost two weeks of taking in what remains of ancient Egypt we are off to discover the Red Sea Coast. First to Hurghada, which I am sure I will have some comment to make as I hear it is destructive tourism at its worst, and then to the Sinai.

No real comment to make about Egyptian food. Other then a few great restaurant (Felfela) it is alright, but I am sure as I have read it is better when cooked by an Egyptian Mama. Especially in package tour heaven there is a lot of bland Euro food that is not what I am looking for at all. We've found a café in town run by an American guy (the only reason we know this is because he sits around all day in the place) which is great. Mostly sandwiches, pasta, salads etc. I know it will be the same on the Sinai, so I have to say I am now looking forward to February and Thailand.

We're just about to take on the Souk in order to possibly purchase a hookah, so wish us luck!

From Aswan to Luxor

Just got off Skype to my Mother who I woke up to with happy new year. It was 12:30am and she was asleep. Thanks to a scary movie on TV Tom and I actually stayed up a little later than my mom, but not that much longer.

We've just moved from the Mercure Hotel to the Bob Marley Hostel in Luxor. Though we would spoil ourselves just a little bit more in order to celebrate the New Year, but ended up a little disapointed by the number of package tourists just looking for a tan and prehaps a day in the Valley of the Kings. The even strager experience was the spend the hours leading up to midnight with those same tourists and the Egyptian taxi drivers at one of the few English Pubs in town. Quite the scene. We were however happy with our delectable dinner of chicken curry.

Luxor and Aswan, unlike Alexandria and Cairo seem to be competing for the title of 'tidiest town'. To be fair they respectively number only approx 400,000 and 200,000, but still it is in nice to stroll along the Cornish (the name given to the street that runs along the water in most Cities or towns in the Middle East) and not be steping over potholes and rubbish.

We are looking forward to exploring Luxor, the city which rests on the site of ancient Thebes, after searching for things to do in Aswan. Aswan does have lovely views of the Nile, but it has few easily accessable sites (most are either a ferry ride or trek, so we chose to save our money) and a lack of restaurants, cafés etc. We did take an hour long felucca ride along the Nile, but really just to say we had. We also ventured to the Nubian Museum, created thanks to donations from many Western nations after a Czech research team lead not only a major excavation, but also an effort to move major Nubian sites and tresors so that they would not be lost under the waters with the creation of a massive dam. This lead to the great task of moving the giant statues at Abu Simbel up up a huge cliff, so they would remain above water. We chose not the venture down to the Sudnese boarder to see this site but have heard it is amazing.

Seeing as our resolutions are to make an effort to stay fit while we travel, in order to continue to fit the clothes we have bought with us, we're off to find Tom some running shoes and then to visit the Luxor temple.