People with love, passion and hard work.

To close the blog. This was a great trip. I found that all the people I met were kind and just wanted to talk and know where you were from. As for safety. Not once did I feel my safety was at stake.

The tension between some is sad. I am sure that one day the people can live in peace together.

Please always remember that no one group of of people or religions are bad. Sadly there are bad people everywhere.
The people I met during my trip were all warm and thoughtful. I suggest if you are a woman that want to travel on your own you would be smart to dress in a respectful way. In Turkey and Egypt there is a problem with the treatment of western women from some men. In many cases the tourist were dressed in a very provocative way. This is not acceptance for the men's behaviour. The men in theses countries see a woman in tight fitting cloths or lack of cloths to mean they are loose women and want to have men bother them.

I met several women traveling alone and they had very few problems as long as they respected the cultures and people in each country.
Reading is the best way to prepare for the Middle East. This is for men and women. Most of the middle East is very moderate. Turkey's Istanbul is very European with the best transit system I have ever seen.

If could change only two things. It would be the garbage issue in all the countries I had visited. It is from the grandfather to the smallest child. Some places had so many cigarette butts it would cover the entire street.
People do work sweeping the streets in most cities. Even the huge tourist resort areas are littered with debris. During the dive in Akaba Jordan I filled my BCD in both dives with cans bottles and plastic bags.

With the environment issue on our doorstep we have a huge challenge to educate a huge population that see litter as part of there environment.

After a day in Cairo blow your nose. You would think you were a coal miner with what would come out.

I did speak to some younger locals in several places and told them about clean up days. They said they would approach the local government and see about support. I do hope they do start a trend and everyone sees the benefits. The countries are all so very beautiful.

From what I had seen would say that 70% + of all men in the middle east smoke. I saw children as young as 12 smoking. This was everywhere, restaurants, banks, anywhere and everywhere..

the people in the Middle east work 6 day weeks. Family is the most important to all. Religion is a such a part of daily life. the call to prayer is great for those who wake up early. The first call is about 5:30 am.

please remember to add your comments and input.


Thank you all for reading this blog.

cheers
Jay Smith
chutzpah_@hotmail.com

The Cairo shopping hell

Well it is time to buy my mother a gift. Well where do you go to get a gift. The great Cairo Bizarre. The walk from my hotel was 30 minutes. Started to travel through the local market as the Bizarre is a huge tourist trap. The local market was closed due to the one day off the Egyptians take off "Sunday". They work 6 days a week and the hours are usually from 10 am to 1am. banks are open. the city does not sleep. personally i do not have a love for bargaining on a price. This is the way business is done here. i started to bid on a chess set. Yes the first price was 680 egp. yes that is around $136.00. OK yes the pieces were camel bone. No they were plastic. The board really was lovely but business is business. I did take it for 84 egp $17.00.

they look at you your shoes and base the price. Note to self do not shave or shower.

the best part of the day was when I walked down a little rural alley. A man was sitting on a mule cart as I walked by as he thrust ed out his arm. In his hand was a piece of orange. i smiled and took it. I then sat beside him. A woman was sitting on the ground across the alley. i went over and picked up two more oranges and tossed one to my new friend. we sat on the cart handing pieces out to passers by. After about 20 minutes I continued my stroll. This was the first time someone approached me and wanted nothing but to have me join him for a piece of fruit. This moment was one of the nicest parts of the trip. I sadly did not get a picture of him.

After the market I made my way to the famous museum of Cairo. the crowds of Russians, Spaniards, French and German groups piled in from all sides. The security was intense. no cameras. After 3 hours of walking and being knocked around I had had enough. The collection was amazing and they had more than they could display. some things were sitting on wooden crates and the walls had not been painted since the 30's. 8 hours till the flight home so back to the hotel for some dinner and rest.

The Pyramids of Giza

Overnight bus trip to Cairo. The bus pulled in at 6am. two travellers i met on the bus Kate a Dr from Germany and Justin an American now living in Germany.

They had both been to Cairo so I tagged along to the Roma pensyon hotel in the downtown. 10 minute walk to the Cairo museum.

two days left so best to make the day last. checked into a lovely room on the 4th floor with a bathroom and hot water. The balcony faced south and the traffic below was frantic for at least 18 hours a day. Cairo has been known for some of the most hectic traffic in the world. to cross the street you say a prayer and go. The traffic all hit the horn ad zip around you. Stand still and run stand still and run. This is the only way to cross the street. They do have traffic police but no one listens to them.

Kate was off to the pyramids so I joined her. We took the public bus. This did have a schedule the driver just was not told.

we were about to give up when a bus came by. A local befriended us and helped us make our way. The ride was a little frantic with the diesel fumes pouring through the window. The seats were all torn. no complaints the price was about 20 cents. A cab would have been about 40 $.

we arrived seeing the pyramids in the distance towering over the city.

The price was 50 EGP 5egp to the US $

The bus tours pouring from everywhere being shuffled from place to place. We both felt the same way so we bolted to a clearer location. They really are very impressive. Sadly the constant harping from the horse and camel guides come after you to ride the desert with a camel or horse. We both just wanted to walk . We walked all over the site. Outside of the harassment it was really quite lovely. This took most of the day. The local people were very nice. Children would yell out WELCOME, WELCOME. I would reply Merhaba !Merhaba!.

Crazy thing you would see cars driving fast down the streets and in the middle of it all is a donkey and a cart of hay or fruits or really anything in the middle of the traffic. It seem so normal. almost every block you would see a McDonald's or a pizza hut. Old meets new.

Early to bed need to be up to see the rest of Cairo

Egypt is Magic

GPS Camel Dive camp

28 36.856N

034 33.533E

Directions to use the GPS are in an early blog.

The day started at 6:45 am. packed the gear into the smells jeep with the bad clutch. really it is all just part of the experience. Two new friends joined us. Wayne a Engineer from Canada, and a dive master Young from Korea. we also had a great guy from Luxor Egypt and a friend of the Barbara and Emanuel and Regge. 9 in total. The jeep bumped and bounced to the blue hole. We had a group of Bedouin there to meet us with the camels kneeling feet from the water. Sat down to go over the plan for the day. Robers was stoked like it was his first time.

The camels were loaded and we were of. this was not for the tourist ride type. the camels were feet fro the edge and beside the water the whole time. Boulders and rocks underfoot and they walked around them like they were not even there. The sun was hot and we were mostly in the head dress to fend off the sun. The water was Cristal blue. At the height of the camels we could see the fish swimming by to our right. The trip was about 1.5 + hour to get to the village. this is not a frequented spot for divers as it is very hard to get to.

Our camel guides unloaded the gear as we went through the dive plan and have a cup of tea. Robert said we would love the dive and see coral. He was not kidding the coral and sea life was amazing. The pics will follow from above land and below the water.

The day was amazing the first dive as about and hour and 5 minutes. We had a great Bedouin lunch and rested for our second dive. I took the time o photograph the camels. They are my new favorite beast. "excluding the Ripley of Course".

The 2nd dive was 15 minutes up the road. This was more of fish dive. lion fish everywhere. Stone fish and the painful fire coral.

The colors were brilliant and the reef was very alive. This dive was another hour + and was the best diving i have ever seen. the water was 26 C. Not to much to complain about. This was long day and the camels took us home as the sun was setting the moon rose over the sea. Pictures are amazing.

Off to get some dinner and have a few. Tomorrow is the completion of the advance dive course.

The blue hole of Dahab

Can always expect me to say the sun was up and shining at 6am. Consider it a given. Breakfast at 7:30 and studying for the diving test. The people here are happy to talk and want to know where you are from. In America if i say i am a Canadian they say good day EH! Here they say so do you speak french and Canadians are great! The people here are a little different from the rest of Egypt. They are very moderate. You rarely if ever see any of the Egyptian women. The men all work and i understand the women run the home and children.

One Egyptian guy asked me for western woman advice. How to pick one up. I said ask them how they are what they enjoy. Be truly interested. He thought that seemed like a lot of work. he said they say go away. His approach was more of a "I am man you are woman" Well i will have to work with him. Equality if far from reality here.

The day was relaxing. First off to the famous blue hole down a very bumpy road so close to the seat that the jeep was only a foot away from the edge. The dive master Charlotte from Northern France I was also joined my dive buddy Emanuel from Israel Via Switzerland. The other two were from Croatia. Goran underwater Archaeologist and Igor who is a Computer programmer.

The sea was Christal blue and packed with divers. We planned to enter the Canyon first . It was south of Blue hole. First we drop down a crack in the sea and a hole to about 34 meters about 120 feet. it was the deep dive of the course. The visibility was about 80 feet.

it was so relaxing I had barely used under 10 bars of air.

40 minute dive and off to the next site. This is to be one of the best dive sites in the world. It did not disappoint. We had to wait for the ext dive so we went to a Bedouin restaurant on beach for a few hours. The food was good little over priced but to see all the divers and the feel of the place it was good. 5$ for lunch was worth it.....

We geared up for the 2nd dive. we will do a drift dive at about 30 meters. The drop was again through a hole right of shore. The divers were lining up behind us so off we went . One at a time.

Goran was photographing as he went.

opening into the blue sea was hard to explain. It was like looking into space. the drop below us was about 800 meters. Makes you feel very small. Water is 800 times more dense than air.

The rock face went down to the dark below. The fish were like being in my friend Vincents fish tank. topical fish everywhere. My dive buddy Emanuel was one of the best I have had. We stayed close at all times. Charlotte was great communicator. the diver centre is owner by Robert from Winnipeg Manitoba. The octopus Dive centre. Great company to deal with!

On Thursday th eplan is to take a camel dive safari. We do two dives and take the camels in 1.5 hour in and 1.5 out. 95 euros I will see if I can get a better deal from Robert.

We are getting together for a drink and dinner later tonight and talk about the dives.

Will try to get some picks of the dive posted in the next few blogs.

Dahab the Gem of Egypt

Dahab is worth the trip. everyone says welcome. Sharm El-sheikh is south of here and full of resorts. The tallest building here is about 3 stories. The promenade is long and runs the whole beach. Seven heaven was the place to eat. You sit on pillows and beside the sea. You do not have to be in a rush. the food takes forever but the atmosphere is so mellow you would wait all day. The food was good and very cost effective. Will have to try tons of food places while I am here. this will be the place to relax after a stellar trip. Some good people.

My accommodation is very simple with fan. The door does close but will not lock from the inside. no worries . Not worried about safety.

There was a bomb here t the end of 2005 that hurt tourism for a few years. the diving here is to some of the best in the world. 28 people dead and 60 injured.

Tomorrow I will start my Advance open water course. I planned to do the blue hole and i goes down to 28 meters. An open water diver max's at 16Meters.

the rules here are clear. No worries could use to take a refresher anyhow. 5 Dives and two days. enough time to get in some rec dives and have a bit of fun. Lawrence if you are reading this I guarantee you would love it...

This town has 3 streets and 50 restaurants. Beer is only served at about 5 of them.

Sorry Canadians and brits maybe thailand is more your thing.......

Day in Eilat

Was up at 6am as usual. The only people around were two people playing botchi ball on the beach. The sun was hat already. I looked out the window of the hostel and the water was right there. today was a do nothing day. i decided not to take a dive and save it for the red sea in Egypt. Finished the book "three cups of tea" this is a must read for anyone travelling or not. Had shower, yes the doors do not open or shut very well. The water is heated by solar panels. Well it would be if they washed off the dirt.

Went out and sat on the Beach waiting for the restaurant to open for breakfast.
The atmosphere is more relaxed here. I was about 6 miles from the town.

Swam and took in the air for most of the day. The Visa office opens at 9am on Sunday.

October 21 and ready for Egypt. Said farewell to my new Friends. The visa only took about 2 hours. The embassy was very nice and helpful. The cost was about 20US.
Decided to catch the cab to taba on the border.

Once there was pretty smooth. That is until the security saw i was travelling alone. They asked if i was in the military. Who my father is is a very popular question. They then took me to a room and had me sit for about 1 hour.

All things happen for reason. As they finally realised me I saw a woman i met in Jerusalem she had a new friend and was looking to gt a shared taxi. we all made a deal with the first driver. from 100 Egyptian pounds each to 40 each. Everything is up for discussion. Best to walk away and the price drops quickly.

The drive was a fast drive long the coast. We made it in record time. Jasmine had been here before so we followed her o check out a few places on the strip. At first glance this is the place i want to be to end my trip.

So many guns with so many smiles

Well the New hostel was a charm. the outside looked like a 18th century french manor. It totally lacked charm but it did have a great view of the jaffa gate.
My day was full of walking and exploring. i have learned so much about he Jewish faith in such a short time. The young men with the black hats and beards are studying the Torah and training to be Rabi's.

They are paid by the state. I was able to be in Jerusalem for the shabat. Stores are closed and people are not to work or eat meat/ This is from sunset Friday to sunset on Saturday. The Muslim markets were open so i did not have to do without food.

Met a English man named harry that evening . He had just returned from the west bank. the security was crazy. He was interrogated for about 30 minutes but he said it was not a bad experience.

I have had a hard time with so many guns. Automatic weapons in the hands of 18 year old men and woman. I saw a pretty woman in street clothes walking down the street wearing anything a woman would wear at home. Accept for the machine gun on her back. They have to keep it with them at all times. It is a criminal offence if you loose your gun.

most Jews said to me after only a moment how the Arabs hate them. i am at an Internet cafe. i told the young man how I have been enjoying my trip Turkey to Israel and Jordan. He replies that the Arabs hate then because they have so much. I told him not one Arab has said anything negative about the Jews to me . he did agree the Bedouin were good people. The hate runs deep on both sides. If i had one thing I could change in the world with would be this.

The mount of Olives was amazing and the streets of Jerusalem are like a maze with no dead ends. The city is so very old. getting up at at 6am is the best after 9am the street change to one big bizarre. The city is broken up in sections. Jewish quarter , Muslim quarter, Armenian quarter. In such a small place you can walk 30 feet and it feels different. Spent all my time i the old city. Went out for a beer with my new friend Harry and slept like the dead.

Was woken by the chain smoking roommate that came from California in 2005 and never left.

Now were to go next. Was up to see a little more before packing up and heading for the bus station. After walking about 20 minutes we were all stopped by the police. the road was blocked and police were everywhere. There was suspicious package. I could see the demolitions robot disarm the package/ the road was blocked for 30 minutes. caused quite the traffic jam.

The bus station was large and part of a mall. Every building you enter you have to endure a bag check. It is common place so no one complains.

Met a charming woman from Texas Andrea who now lives in Bethlehem. She was a christian that teaches English to Muslim women. We chatted about the trip and her experiences here.

The sun set over the mountains and we arrived back in Eilat. I was invited to join her friends for dinner and they showed me to the hostel on the beach.

Long but rewarding day.

Entered Israel

Was up early to walk Michel to his bus to Amman and after a good bye walked up to post some cards and get a taxi to the border. Did not fully arrange the price with the cabbyso he tried to take me for a ride and tried to charge me 10jd. That is about 12 cdn. No way we came to an understanding and i left for the border by foot.

The Israel side was so very different from the get go. The terminus was so clean the guards were not to cuddly but what do you expect it was a border. After a load of questions they allowed me access to Israel.

popped up to the bus stop and found outthe only bus was at 2pm so what else . It was time to relax. Went to the Beach with book in hand. The town was like being in the US. The funny thing is this is the first women I had seen . In Jordan the women where full burka. You can in some cases not even see there eyes. In Israel they let it all hang out. Was like I was in Spain or Italy.

Almost finished my book and working on the tan.

met the bus and took the 4.5 hour bus trip to Jerusalem.

Was a dusty landscape with hills and once in a while you would see palms popping up. i sat beside a 20 year old woman that was a officer in the army. All Israelis have to serve 3 years in the army.

We discussed Israel and it quickly got political. I had spoken to two Jews and both started on about the Muslims and what the west thought of the Jews. There is a definite hate on for the Muslim's. She made comments about how loud they are etc... i told her I love the call to prayer and i was a morning person so i was a wake up call. She said that all Muslim hate the Jew's and she would never travel to Islamic countries. 20 years old and she seem to think she new the whole world. There was no way to convince her any different. She said again how all the Muslims were and rude. I Had it! i did tell her that one of the rudest guests i had ever had was Jewish and that I would never have my experience with him dictate my opinion of the Jewish people. They are kind and very warm people. That did shut her up.

The bus rolled into the city at sunset with lightning on the horizon. it was quite dramatic.

the rain started to come down but it was warm so i waked it to the old city to find the Petra hostel. made it a little wet but no problem. the hotel is very old but has loads of character. The price was 40 schekls in a dorm room. the door was wide open and looked into the old square.

Found the Internet that works well expect the pictures to follow tomorrow.

been a long day and plan to walk the city at the sunrise.

GPS location
31 46.604 N
035 13.714 E

off to Akaba

We were up as the sun rose had a bite to eat and some tea. Back on the dodgy truck that took us back to the village. Of course the bus had come and gone. Dominik and i were going to go back to Petra. Dominik was going to head over to Amman to fly out and i had forgotten my bible the middle east lonely planet book.

We decided to go to Akaba with Michel and Ceril. Akaba was a short cab ride to the Akaba sea. we found a room and the boys booked there tickets for the bus ride North. Had our final meal together and said our farewells to Dominic and Ceril. Dominic was a gent with his bargaining skills and organisational skills.

michel and i picked up a room with great view of the sea and looking over the mosque. good thing we planned to get up early. the first call to prayer is around 5-5:30 am. Decided to go for a dive Ok two diver. found a dive shop called Frogman. They quoted a price of 100 jd for the 4 dives and they would photograph the first dive and burn the pics.
deal we had a dive from shore to a large wreck that was sunk for divers. Over 100 meters long.

The dive was great. next dive was the Japanese garden. Sadly I ended up spending my time picking up garbage from the sea bed.

made it back to town and got a bite to eat and a 6 pack of beer.
Michel and I sat up in out room and looked out to Israel.

Petra I forgot to tell you about Petra

This will be short. the trip only really started at Petra. the ancient city in the valley. the one you see on the last Indiana Jones. It is just as impressive. OK more impressive. It was the best hike you could do. we worked up an serious hunger after the climbs The view was breathtaking. We took the day to see as much as we could then the 2nd say we covered the remainder. For most people the discovery could take more than 3 days. After the 2nd say Dominik suggested the Turkish bath. My legs were killing me so I was so in. What and experience. The place was under ground with a warm damp feel. We were taken to a room where we got on some shorts and went to the steam room to soften our skin. There was not time limit just whenever you are ready. You lay on large marble slabs and the air is warn and Wat. Dominik had me go in for the scrub first. The guy first scrubbed my body with a rough cloth and the skin came up in rolls. Then he soaps you up and the same time he rubs in a fast motion. I was in heaven. The whole experience woke me up and made my legs feel like new.

W then had cup of tea a few sweets in the lobby and went out for a dinner buffet. Slept like the dead that night.
Petra was very deserving of the 7 wonders of the world. It is a must see in life.

Wadi Rum

I'm Back and in Israel. Got up at 5am to catch the bus to Wadi rum. Dominik was our money man. He wheeled and deal ed . The bus dropped us off at the gates of Wadi Rum the protected area. We were met by Mohamed at the gate and he took us for tea and to discuss our trip and the things we want to do. We started with a camel ride for an hour. Was great the up and down is really the best part. 1 hour was enough as my ass was hurting already.
Walked back the village which is in the flats of a huge valley of sandstone and red sand. It was surreal.

The jeep met us. OK truck it was a GMC Sierra beat to shit. the door did not shut and we were in the back on benches. Theses were not attached so the boys had to hold tight. The desert was there in 1 minute. The ride was bumpy and a little crowded at first. The sun was hot and the scenery was breathtaking. I will have to add pics. It is to hard for me to explain.

My new friends are Bernt from Germany and Ceirl from France. Michel and Dominik were good to go. The drive consisted of a crazy route with sand dunes and and stone cliffs. It was exciting to see the sandstone cliffs and the stone bridge. I could not help myself. Had to climb. the desert was thick with tourists. After 20 minutes it was like we were the only people on earth. If you have seen Lawrence of Arabia you pretty much have the view. The sandstone was easy to climb with great foot holds. The rest of the crew were not so sure of my climbing skills. After hours in the desert we came to the Bedouin camp called Sunset camp. It was simple with a few tents with tears and a few mats on the floor. We had the option to sleep where ever we wanted so i opted for outside under the stars.
dinner was a traditional meat of breads chicken and potato's. Some very interesting people were there. We had a archaeologist from Denver a real high energy and positive guy. He was ^) and you would guess he was 25 by his energy.
Michel had a few friends he had met in Damascus and so we spoke to them into the night. Gunn was a great laugh. They are from Norway and studying in Syria.

The music started and it was repetitive but suited the environment.
Sun was gone and out belly's were full. Went for a walk in the desert to see the stars. driffted in and out looking at the clear sky.

GPS
29 29.463 N
035 23.543E
Sunset camp

Rock Bridge
29 28.118N
035 26.935 E

will have to wait for further blogs

The computers are barely a Pentium so the pics and will not be forth coming as it takes about an hour to do two picks.

Will try to keep you updated when i get to Jerusalem.

Kings Highway Jordan

What a start to the day. Up at 7am met with group of 9 people. Two from France, One Auzzi Paul, Two Germans, Constantine and Dominic. Michele the Dutchman and a couple from Texas.

We started out of Amman. It was quiet for the first time since arriving in Amman. It was the holiday Of Eid. We coasted out to the Kings Hwy. The land was flat for a while. The trip included a few stops along the way. The first stop was the home of moses. After that we hit a Orthodox Church. OK really bring on the castles. After about 2.5 hours we arrived at the castle Of Karak.
GPS
31 10.937N
035 42.128 E

It was the castle in the movie Kingdom of heaven. It was huge and in pretty good shape for the age. The sun was bright and intense. Had a bite to eat and then off to explore the castle. There are no signs to say watch your step of watch your head. No running light where it was dark. It was a real castle. It sat in the middle of the town and you can see why it would have been very hard to take the castle in a battle. I was greeted with some friendly local kids who insisted on get a picture with me. They were great. The one thing in English everyone knows in Jordan is "welcome" .
The castle was larger than I expected with tunnels and about 50 rooms.

We made it back to the van and went off to another castle called Aw shabak the castle of Saladin.
GPS
30 31.872N
035 33.671 E

When we drove up to the castle there were little stone homes abandoned at the base of the mountain. I understood there were tunnels that were around 1100 years old and you could still climb through. OK I had enough of castles but tunnels I am in any day. I convinced Constantine to join me. grabbed my handy flashlight. Off we went. We had only 15 minutes and there were about 377 stairs and about 150 feet down. it was the castle escape route.
Dark hot and damp the perfect cave. we went down ans the stairs started to twist and turn. The sandstone had warn and the sand was slick. After the decent we popped out the top and had to run to catch the bus.

We went on to see the Dana nature reserve from the top of the valley. Incredible.

we made it to Petra a Little late and very tired. 4 of the group went to look for a place to stay. Everyone we spoke to said it would all be full. We walked past a animated guy and he said welcome come see my rooms. We came in to see wires hanging from the ceiling and most switches did not work. He did offer us 8jd for the night and we got our own room and bathroom. Even had hot water. It seems we were the only guests. The keys had dust on them.
Hell i know how to pick them.

The festival of Eid "updated)

Today is the last day of Ramadan. Tomorrow is the festival of Eid and a large celebration for the end of fasting. People are shopping and getting ready for the feast. The good thing about Ramadan is no Muslims can have anything pass there lips from sunrise to sunset. This includes cigarette's.

Today was up at 6am had a bit of breaky and watched the BBC Paul and Greg were up soon after so we flagged down a cam and off to Jeresh to see the ruins. About 45 minutes winding around the roads and almost hitting may cars. They have a thing for the horn here. Sue would love it. Thy hit the horn because they can. The strets are packed . Shopping is great! not a shopper but the prics ar all pretty fair.

The ruins were quite large with two Colosseum's and 3 gates. It took about 3 hours to see it all and it was about 30C so a hat may have helped.
Got plenty of picks. After Petra i think the ruin thing is done. Can only take so many pics of stones.

Had a confusing conversation with a bus driver , as they speak in Arabic they always sound angry. I am sure they are saying "these tourists are very lovely lets give them the red carpet treatment". It does sound more like "lets take them to the desert and put them in a good hole". Loads of smiles for all...... Kind of like excited Italians.

Made it back to the town centre and found a place to eat. The Cairo restaurant was the place to be. It was empty and only tourist were eating. If waited to sunset the place would have been to busy.

Got a jug of fresh squeezed apple and carrot juice and came back to the hotel. It is now about 9pm Jordan time and most of you are just about to start your day.
Burning some disks tomorrow so keep an eye out for some new pics.

GPS
32 16.312 N
035 53.398 E

Arrived in Amman

Flight in and 28c. The visa was a breeze. Now to get a bus. First thing stepped out of the airport and bam I am very popular. Cab , Cab my friend you come with me. etc.....
Saw a few locals that were on the flight and one spoke english. His name is Rami and lives just outside of Amman. We split a cab with his friend for 5jd each. The driver had some of his own plans. First his trunk would not shut and he now wanted to catch up on his smoking as the sun has set and he can now eat and drink. The cab had no shokes and rattled down the street, Rami gave me his number and so we can hang out later in the week. Great to meet the locals. I will call him tomorow night.
After dropping the guys off i was the last stop. The cabbie called a freaind and had him translate that the hotel was a little further than the plan so i need to pay 10jd. i told him that it was a caontrat and so it was 5jd. he tried cannot hurt. I did tip him as he took me right up to the Hotel and walked me to the desk.
Now this in no 4 seasons, the smell of smoke all aroundthe carpets have never been cleaned but the guy at the desk had a great smile and my room with a shared bath is 13jd. what can you expect. It does include breakfast...
Plan to catch a taxi with a few guys from the hostel and see Jeresh the old ruins.

Morning at the bizzare

Slept till 8am. Ash was up so had a power shower packed and head off for the market. Ash was great company. Had a great deal of luck attracting good people local and traveller alike. We had no real plan or agenda. Walking and talking about out travels. The day was warm but the cloud were out so it made a very comfortable day. Had a quick breakfast and after a few turns ran right into the bizarre. It had just opened so the place was only busy not packed. Met one of the shop keepers and bartered on a ink stamp for my good friend Vincent. Owed him one that never made it from Malaysia.
The colors and sounds were great

After a morning of wandering we had a large Turkish lunch in a back alley. A local came up to us and told us the place to eat of course after he did also tell us about his great carpet shop. No worried the people are just trying to make a living and when to say no, they smile and hope you have a great trip. At 1pm had to run to the tram to get my ass to the airport for the 3:20 flight to Amman .

How plans change

Got up had a nice breakfast of tea and jam with bread. They love white bread here. Went out with camera and book in hand. off to the bizarre. Well turns out the spice bizarre was in my sights. The smells and colors are hard to describe. The photos may be posted by tomorrow.

After the market and about 3 more miles walking. hoped to find fish market. Across the bridge to Galata and no luck the lonely planet is not always correct. Saw a few lost Kiwis in the same boat. Dominic, his girlfriend Jess and there good Friend Tom. So very glad we met. They were looking for the ferry to the princess islands. It is a group of small islands off the Turkish coast. Asked if I could tag along. Off we went to the ferry and at a cost of about $1.50 cdn we took a 1.5 hour trip one island at a time. A local on the ferry gave us the good advice to go to the 3rd island. local advice seems to be the best. After a great and relaxing trip on the boat. The boat was about 115 feet long with a 20 foot beam. The wood planks looked like they were recycled from the Titanic. The smell of gas fumes and the lovely squat toilets which i did not bare to try.

An older man was trying sell his wares. First a ball that changed shape every time he would through it in the air. Next he modeled a lovely head lamp and flashlights. No luck but very entertaining for all.

The boat chugged through the island group and docked on Buyukada. Three cars on the island and one was a ambulance. The whole island has horse and carriage to get around. It was amazing and for once you did not have to dive to void a car. This country is not pedestrian friendly I assure you.
GPS
40 52.243 N
029 05.253 E
This well give you a shot on the island.
Continued to pick up a few drinks and provisions plan is to find a dock and a beach to relax and enjoy the sun. The far left side of the island sadly had barbed wire. It was a navy training base. Have to watch those sneaky Greeks. We continued around the island and after a while we saw it. Yes a lovely beach and a long dock. Perfect!
A local asked if we wanted to take a ride on his boat. Hmm the pic of the boat will follow . Yes no to the boat trip. The three friends were great company. Discussed passive aggression and Gandhi. Had a few laughs and enjoyed a drink on the island. The sun was closing down on the horizon and we had a long walk to circle the island. Waved at all the locals walking or coming by in there carts. Merhuba "hello" they would smile and wave. The walk was great and so peaceful..

Made it back to the ferry and fell asleep on the trip back.
Made it home to meet a few new roommates in the dorm. Plan to go out with my new friend Ash. A pilot for Japan Airlines. Off to actually find the bizarre.

Istanbul the big circle

Got into Istanbul and not to sure where to go next. Had a bite to eat and decided to check good old Expedia.ca
well this is how toy do it. Go on line pick a few countries and get theh best price. Turns out Amman Jorden was the winner for $335 cdn. Book and print. By this time in was 1am the morning on the 9th flying out the afternoon of the 10th. What may the next day hold. Maybe the grand bazzare?

On the way to Ankara the capitol city

GPS CODES
long 39 55.122
lat 032 48.754

Heading off to the Airport bus

Well something to be aware of everyone wants to assist. So when you ask for the directions to the PTT "the post office " where the airport bus does the pick up. Asked at least 9 people and they all gave me a different answer. the first frustration of the trip. A must have is the trusty language book. "te-shek-kur" means thank you "add-ereen" means very much. People told me the turks speak english. Well they must have been in package tours. Most only speak Turkish and it just added to the adventure. Getting the words right or comunicating the info with unique gestures that we will both understand. At times it can be quite animated.

Took a cab for 20 tl. The driver and i made a deal the full rate would have been 30. Yes of course I got a deal. sadly the cab drivers here have a very bad reputation for cheating the client. Well all and all my experience has been good.

The flight was smooth and the airport was onlt 10 miles from to. Caught the shuttle into toen and then a cab to the embassy. Arrived at the embassy and was shaken down by security. Not to bad they held my bags . No electronics aloud. Could be a spy you know. Went ino the reception and a very woman got me to fill in some information on my request for a Visa for Syria. In about 15 minutes she asked me to go to a small secure room the left of her cubicle. there was a man who asked me few questions and informed me the visa would take upo to 2 weeks to get it processed. opps that was not i was told. He did call to confirm it. Yes it seems that the Syrians are not very trusting. After all that and the cost there is nothing i can do. Well not leting it ruin the day now I will have to choose do I fly to beruit Isreal, or Amman jordan?

Now i am in the place the trip started and the same guest house the Orient In Sutulamet. A 5 hour bus rif\de after a 2 hour plane ride all in the same day. Will sleep tonight and see about a plane ticket tomorrow. WISH ME LUCK AND A SALE PRICE.

Morning in the old city of Antalya

The bus trip to Antalya was great. The bus rolled in at 6 am . The terminal was about 5 kl from the city. Caught a bus to the downtown area. The driver pointed and stopped the bus. Ok rerady to find the pansyon. Started to see the sky change color the warm oranges and reds. Walked down so amazing stone alleys that wrapped around. Had no idea where I was but it looked amazing. The lighting on the building. Not a soul around anywhere. Like a ghost town. I was in old town for sure.Walked for another 30 minutes up and down the alleys. Some amazing shots. It was Sunday and most Turks work a 6 day work week so Sunday is the only day for rest.

Finally saw a person. asked about the pansyon in the book. Well i was about 30 meters from it
Went up the stairs to the top deck and startled the owner in the kitchen. His wife came out to greet me. What a lovely and warm woman. She offered me breakfast I declined to come back later. The light was just right and wanted to get out to see the city before it woke up. made my way down to the marina tucked away in a little bay. The water was an amazing crisp blue and the boats were very colorful. By the time I got back to the Inn she had found me a room. Yes my first hot shower. The room was 35 tl for the night and so i tool the offer for breakfast. A boiled egg, bread, cheese tomatos, cucumber and little biscuts with a hot cup of apple tea.

The sun was rising over the sea which this place had a great view. Picked up the plane ticket to Ankara after breakfast. He pumped up the rate a little but i let it go. The challenge was my credit card failed to work after i spoke to Visa about the trip. It also seems they do not have operators in this country. W anting to call visa collect as the phone rates here are terrible. That will not be possible. Off to fly out at 9:20 am to Ankara to get the letter from the Canadian consulate. This town is worth at least 4 days. The ruins out of the city are meant to be amazing.

Getting around has still proven to be very effective. Love to walk it is the best way to see everything. 151 pics in the first 4 hours. Went out for the food adventure. Found a kabab shop for a nice bite. that afternoon made my way to the park the sun was out and the wind was up. The city is wrapped in cliffs so you have to climb down to get to the sea. A few private places have the deck supported on rocks thought about time to get a little down time. Have not had a moment to stop.
The sea was crashing into the rocks and the deak had reclining chairs and free towel service for only 5 tl ordered a beer and crashed. Off for a swim and a nap. After another long day went back to my room 12 feet by 12 feet with a small head. it did have A/C but it makes me sick so i opted fro the fan. Read a book that has been sitting in my bag and fell asleep only to be woken up at 5:30 by the call to prayr. I personaly love it it is calming and ad

kusadası on the Agean coast

It was a long bus ride. The busses here are amazıng. The trip started offerded coffee and tea, the bus was spotless. ıt was lıke a plane but you dıd not have to pay for the drınks. after a snack the host would walk around and gıve you hand cleanser. The nıght time temp ıs about 21C I was told about a nıce hostel from a few Auzzı,s ın Istanbul. It ıs located on a hill wıth an amazıng vıew of the sea. The starırs were a lıttle much. Well ıt was 7am so ı made the best of ıt. Checked ın and went around town . Been usıng the gps to locate and tag markets so I could go back later. It has proven to be a handy toy. Most plans seen to change daıly. To plan to far ın adance ıs a miştake.

The day was amazıng. best way to see any cıty ıs to fırst get lost. After a 4 mıle walk went back to clean up and ıt turns out the dorm mates are a bunch of auzzıs 7 women and there protector Harry. They are on the fez trıp. Hope off hop on bus that takes you all around turkey but you be ındependant. If a women travelıng ın Turkey ıt seems to be a good ıdea. After a shower jumped the bus to Ephısus.
long 37 56.366 N
lat 027 20.473 E

This has been the most ınterestıng ruın ever. 10 € to get ın great value and was packed wıth cruıse shıp people from Ismır. Local busses are great for the ındependent traveller. Most want you to buy a tour but on your own ıs great. Transportation ın turkey has proven to be amazıng abd cost effectıve. The budget ıs about max 75€ each day but that was more than İ needed. After a 3 hour tour was tıme to get back to the local and very colorful market. Usıng the gps found ıt wıthout a problem. Purchased a block of amazıng cheese. tomatos that are the best ın the world bag of fresh olıves huge peach , bread and some oranges. Total cost about $3 cdn and the qualıty. the market covered about one mıle down one street. Spıces to pastaccıos fruıt eggs and sausages.. It ıs lıke a european market but far more color.
Was leavıng for Bodrum today but plans change. Off to Antalya on the nıght bus. Saves the room charge and ıt wıll gıve a full day to explore the cıty and about 6 hour bus to Ankara to get the Vısa.
So the nıght lıfe ıs pretty good went out wıth the dorm mates and a few local guys to the pub last nıght. The pub was the only expencıve part so far. About 5 cdn for a beer, when dınner can be 6$ that ıs a bıt steep we went to a pub on the street after watchıng some amazıng (hıp hop dancers at the club) they were great!.

The street was better and the aır was so much better. You can only apprecıate non smokıng when over 70% on the Turkısh pop smoke.
The tıme change ıs stıll messıng wıth me as at 2:30 am felt lıke 10am.

Young and Australıan has proven to me a traın wreck for a few on the gırls. Harry and myself managed to get them all home safe but , those staırs were ınterestıng for a few of them. There was my good deed for the week.

Today ıs a day to kıck back before the bus at 11pm. Photos are stıll a challenge but wıll get them up as soon as ı can.
Present locatıon ıs
long 37 51.631
lat 027 15.211

If you see ıt the Stella hostel ın on the hıll

Off to the ancient city of Ephsus

Have been walking all over the city. Very easy to get around. About to go see the Aya Sophia, it is meant to be amazing. Walked to the Syrian embassy to get a visa . No luck. Will have to overland it to the capitol in Ankara. Then head down to Cappadocia, and back to the southern coast.

Will write more off to take the overnight bus. The week has flown by.

Istanbul at last

Where to start. It is early afternoon and about 28 C the breeze is nice. Can see the Blue mosque from the top of the hostel roof. Paying 17 TL per night shared room and shower. Last night was spent making a new friend named Sukru Goren. He lives in a lovely little town called Denizli. He was happy to help any way he could. We sat and talked till he had to catch his plane to go home that morning. Caught the train to the blue mosque and the sun was rising. people were just putting out there fruit and flowers. People all nodded and said good morning. There are lovely mosques everywhere you would look. Turkey is considered a moderate muslim state. It is the month of Ramidan. Muslims cannot eat after sunrise to sunset. You can imagine that there is a load of late night snacking. Was in Amsterdam yesterday and did get to see Vincent Shelly, Toni and Jean Pierre. Had a wirlwind trip through Amsterdam. Got in the sights, flowers to the red lights. "yes the red lights".
what an amazing city with so many bicycles. Did not see more that two bikes under 30 years old and they are bolted with 20lb chains. Bikes stacked to bikes.
for Amsterdam please enter
long 52 22.969 N
LAT 004 54.406 E
Cannot add pics at this time. Will add pics when possible

presently at
LONG 41 00.800 N
LAT 028 57.598 E
enter the numbers and tag the locatation. Possible trip to Gallipoli in the next few days.
ps great veiw of the ocean to.