Egypt, Luxor, 03 – 06 May 2015

Posted on Wednesday, 6-May-2015 by Chris Desmond

I travelled by train from Aswan to Luxor, a guy from the hotel bought my ticket, cost LE50 for 1st class Air-conditioned. There were 3 other foreigners in my compartment and I met someone who got on and bought a ticket on the train. Its better to have a ticket before you get on, then you have an assigned seat number and don’t have to move around because you are sitting in someone else’s seat.

Luxor Temple (entry LE60), this temple is in the heart of the town. The woman selling tickets gave me LE20 change for a 100 and said “no change” so I asked to see and she showed me some notes, one of them was a 50 so I took the 50 and gave her a 10. These people are government employees. More tourists here than in Cairo and Aswan where there were practically none.

Karnak Temple (entry LE80), about 2.7km up the road from the Luxor temple, an avenue used to connect them once upon a time. Huge complex most of it still in ruins. Taxi fare between the two is LE10.

Nile cruise

Valley of the Kings (entry LE100 for 3 tombs), I hired a car and driver cost LE130. Situated on the west bank of the Nile (Luxor and Karnak temples are on the East bank), these tombs are spread over a large area and there are hundreds of them, only about 8 are open to the public, no photos allowed but baksheesh is the answer.

Hatshepsut Temple (entry LE50)

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Egypt, Aswan, 01 – 03 May 2015

Posted on Sunday, 3-May-2015 by Chris Desmond

I flew from Cairo to Aswan by EgyptAir, USD$68 and 1.5 hours booked through the EgyptAir website, taxi from my hotel near Tahrir Square to the Airport cost LE70. The alterative is a night sleeper train that takes 12 hours and costs $120. They will not sell a foreigner a ticket for any of the day trains (too dangerous) but apparently you can get a local person to buy one for you. Taxi from Aswan airport to the town is about LE75.

I hired a car and driver for a tour of Aswan, cost LE300 for half a day, everything here is more expensive than Cairo.

Aswan Dam (entry LE30), completed in 1971, the reservoir is 500km long and covers an area of 6,000 square km, extending into Sudan.

Philae Temple (entry LE60 + LE85 for boat hire), is on an island and was also relocated.

Unfinished Obelisk (entry LE40), intended to be the biggest, abandoned because it cracked, gives you an insight into how they were constructed.

Nile Cruise, Kitchener Island or Aswan Botanical Gardens (entry E20), created by an Englishman and donated to the City, you can hire a boat for LE70 per hour to visit the Island.

The main reason for coming to Aswan is to visit the Abu Simbel Temple complex situated 280 km south of Aswan near the border with Sudan. These two temples were moved here from another location which is now underwater as a result of the Aswan Dam being built, the dismantling and reconstruction is an amazing feat in itself.
You have to travel to this place in a convoy, the first convoy is for Public vehicles, buses etc, this is the big convoy, leaves at 0400, takes 3 hours to get there, you get 2 hours to look around and then 3 hours back. The second convoy which is for Private vehicles leaves at 1100 and returns at 1900. I hired a car and driver for USD$110 and went in the second convoy which turned out to be my car and one other minibus with Chinese tourists. We were the lead car so I had a policeman with a machinegun in the back seat, he slept most of the way and as we were travelling at 120 kph the minivan could not keep up and arrived about 20 minutes after us so it was not much of a convoy hahaha.

No photos allowed inside the Temples until you tip the guy LE25

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Egypt, Cairo, 24 – 30 April 2015

Posted on Thursday, 30-April-2015 by Chris Desmond

I left Perth on the 22nd of April and arrived in Cairo (via Heathrow & Athens) in the early hours of the 24th, 45 hours door to door. Why this convoluted route, blame the Russians and their visa processing times, long story, I was meant to be riding across Russia this year. Now postponed to next year.

Due to the 90 day Schengen visa rule I had to find somewhere else to be outside of the EU, first stop Cairo.

You need a visa to enter Egypt. It is basically a stamp that costs USD$25 and you can buy it from any one of the many banks and money changers before you get to the Immigration counter at the airport. There is also an ATM in this area.
Hand in the stamp and your passport to the Immigration officer and he will stick the stamp in your passport, collect your baggage and off you go. Taxi fare to Tahrir Square should be around 75 Egyptian Pounds or USD$10

Big city, population 17 million, crowded, dusty, noisy, chaotic and the largest metropolitan area in Africa.

The main reason to come here would be to visit the Pyramids, quite amazing. The dedication, technological and organisational skills that were required to build these structures have obviously been lost somewhere along the way.

There are two subway lines, they are clean and functional but crowded, cost one Egyptian pound a ride which is less than 20 cents. I only rode the subway once, the rest of the time I walked or hired a car and driver for the day, cost USD$33 per day.

One of the first things I did was get a local SIM card for my phone. Vodafone, total cost was LE 81 (USD$11) out of which I got LE 25 credit for talk and SMS plus 1.25 GB data, very cheap. I did not have to show ID or do anything other than hand over the cash. After you get the SIM card its best to have an Arabic speaker, possibly someone from your hotel, help you set it up because its all in Arabic.

The journey from Perth to Cairo

The Egyptian Museum (entry LE 75) has a huge collection from the time of the Pharaohs but it is poorly displayed, dark, dusty and the place is falling to bits, no photos, still a must see.

Giza Pyramids (entry LE 100), you will be offered a tour on a horse, camel or in a carriage, the best way to see this place is on foot. You can also go into the pyramids, narrow, low, dark passages I did not go into any of them.

Saqqara (entry LE 80), this is an area south of Cairo where an earlier stepped pyramid (Djoser’s) is located.

Memphis (entry LE 40), the ancient capital of Egypt has a huge statue of Ramses II

Alexandria, I hired a car and driver for this trip USD$90, 2.5 hours and 220 km, you leave at 0630 in the morning and return 12 hours later.

First stop Catacombs but they said no electricity come back after 3-4 hours so we drove to Pompey’s Pillar (entry LE 30) next to the Roman Theatre (entry LE 30), next Qaitbay Fort, the woman at the ticket counter very rudely said “no change” so I took some pictures from the outside and left, next the Library, they said not open until 1200 so I took some pictures and left, back to the Catacombs (entry LE 40) which had found some electricity, I gave the woman at the ticket counter 2 x 20’s and she gave me a ticket then as I was walking away she tried to say I had only given her 25, I said no I gave you 2 x 20’s and she said OK, this trick has been tried on me before hahaha.

Cairo Tower (entry LE70), gives you a good view of the air you breathe in this city.

Coptic Cairo consists of a cemetery, Church of Virgin Mary, Church of St.George and a Museum (entry LE 60)

The Citadel (entry LE60) is a huge fort, the main attraction is the Military Museum and it was closed for renovation, there is also a very small Police museum and a big Mosque.

Islamic Cairo has a couple of old Mosques (entry LE 40) and the Khan el-Khalili market

 

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Turkey, Antalya, 14 – 16 January 2015

Posted on Friday, 16-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

Antalya is located on the Turkish Riviera and is Turkey’s biggest resort city, population 1 million, modern with an old city that has been renovated.

From Pamukkale I got a minibus to Denizli 30 minutes and a bus from Denizli to Antalya 3.5 hours, total cost 40 lira. Taxi from the bus station to my hotel in Kaleici 29 lira.

 

 

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Turkey, Pamukkale, 12 – 13 January 2015

Posted on Tuesday, 13-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

Pamukkale is where you stay to visit the ancient city of Hierapolis (yes, another ancient city) and its hot springs. The hot springs have turned the surrounding area white with limestone deposits. It snowed all night so everything is covered in snow and looks white anyway hahaha.

Its a 3 hour ride by minibus from Selcuk, cost 35 lira.

 

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Turkey, Selcuk, 10 – 11 January 2015

Posted on Sunday, 11-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

Selcuk (pronounced Sell-chook) is where you stay to visit the ancient Greek city of Ephesus built around the 10th century BC, the house where Mary (mother of Jesus) might have lived and the church of St.John where he might have written his Gospel.

It is an uncomfortable hours minibus ride from Izmir, cost 10 lira.

From Selcuk you can take a minibus (20 min) to Sirince where you can sample some of the locally grown grape juice.

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Turkey, Izmir, 07 – 09 January 2015

Posted on Saturday, 10-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

Izmir once known as Smyrna, third largest city in Turkey, population 4 million, modern, with good public transport and sunshine hahaha, first time I have seen the sun since Spain.

I got a minibus from Kent Meydani in Bursa to the bus terminal cost 2 lira, from the bus terminal there are many buses leaving for Izmir, cost 35 lira, journey time 5 hours including a 30 min break. Once you arrive in Izmir there are free mini buses to various parts of the city.

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Turkey, Bursa, 04 – 06 January 2015

Posted on Wednesday, 7-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

I planned to travel from Istanbul to Bursa by ferry and bus, this is the recommended and usual route. Ferry from Kabatas Budo terminal to Mudanya and then a bus to Bursa. When I arrived at the Ferry terminal they said all the ferries had been canceled due to bad weather, after some research I decided to take the ferry across the strait to Uskudar, 15 min and 2 lira, taxi from there to the Harem bus terminal 10 lira and then a bus to Bursa 30 lira, the next bus was at 1500 hours and involved a short ferry crossing where you can stay on the bus, total journey time 3 hours.

Bursa was the original capital of Turkey and is famous for its Iskender (Alexander) Kebab, Kestane Sekeri (candied chestnuts), a couple of old mosques and tombs and Cumalikizik the 700 year old Ottoman village about 11 km east of the city.

 

 

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Turkey, Istanbul, 29 Dec 2014 – 04 January 2015

Posted on Sunday, 4-January-2015 by Chris Desmond

Istanbul, once known as Byzantium and then Constantinople stretches across two continents, population 14 million. The tourist area is centered around Taksim Square and Istiklal street for entertainment and the historic sites are located across the Galata bridge in Sultanahmet. Public transport consists of trams, a metro and buses and they are not well connected, taxis are probably the easiest way to get around.

I needed a visa which I got online for USD$66, it gives me a total of 90 days in a period of 6 months multiple entry.

I arrived in a drizzle which turned to snow and it kept snowing for the next 3 days, freezing temperatures, luckily the snow and rain stopped for the last two days of my stay. Do not come here in winter hahaha.

 

 

 

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Tunisia, Tunis, 26 – 28 December 2014

Posted on Monday, 29-December-2014 by Chris Desmond

I left my bike in Spain for the winter, too cold and wet to be riding around and am finishing my journey using more conventional transport.

Tunis, capital of Tunisia, population 2.3 million and not a tourist destination. The Bardo Museum has a fine collection of mosaics from B.C. The ruins of Carthage are all that remain after the Romans demolished the place when they defeated Hannibal who was the King.

I flew Tunisair from Amsterdam to Tunis, the interior of the plane was falling to bits. No visa required for Tunisia, the immigration queue was huge, took an hour to get through, the immigration guy did not even look at me, he just stamped my passport and gave it back.

As of October 2014 there is now a departure tax of 30 dinar (13 euro) for foreign tourists when leaving Tunisia. You have to buy a special 30 dinar stamp from a bank or hotel and they all don’t have them, I got mine from the Hotel Africa on the main Avenue in Tunis.

 

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