Floating the Nile...

The setting sun cast rich colours on the sails of the Felucca as we floated dreamingly down the calm blue Nile. Palm trees and parks lined the banks, creating a lazy paradisiacal atmosphere, and we pass a very large sand-dune with ancient tombs in the side. Birds flew overhead in flocks, catching the gusts of wind in joy. It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon, after a long day visiting the ancient tomb of Abu Simbel. Being the only passenger on the old wooden boat, my Nubian captain offered me the rudder to test my sailing skills, along with his hand in marriage! I took the rudder, and polietly refused his other offer - explaining to him that Egypt wasn't my ideal place to live! Thankfully he eventually left the matrimonial discussions, but I knew he couldn't understand why I wasn't enthusiastic about his proposal.
I was in Aswan, a relaxed, peaceful river town south of Cairo almost on the southern border of Egypt. Arriving the previous day, I had sat on the river’s edge to enjoy the sunset and peace, a welcome relief to crazy Cairo! Unfortunately, my enjoyed peace was shortlived.
I was soon pounced upon by every opportunistic Felucca tout there is as they spotted me and shouted out their Felucca deal. None of them seemed to understand that I wanted to sit and enjoy the sunset in peace and quiet. One particularly persistent guy came up to me. “But why you not want Felucca? You sit on Felucca in sunset. I give you good price.” I politely refused his offer, explaining that I just wanted to sit now, and have some peace. But it didn’t seem to achieve anything, and he started lowering the ‘good price’, thinking I was refusing his initial offer. Ignoring him didn’t work, “are you angry? Why you mad? Why you not want Felucca? I give you good price…….”. Finally I realised this guy wasn’t going to leave, the sun had set and by that stage he was offering me the Felucca for free. I turned to him and said I was wanting a Felucca for the following evening. We negotiated a price and time that I set, shook on it, and I left feeling like I had fallen into their tourist trap! Interestingly, we finished the Felucca trip, and my almost 'husband-to-be' captain then decides that we had agreed to double the price. Ha! This time, my refusal was a lot less polite! I told him in no uncertain terms that we shook on the original price, and that was all I was paying and there was no way I was paying more, and was 'shocked' that he was asking for double! I think I was letting out a bit of steam from the persistently annoying hard sell tactics these poor people use. My Nubian captain capitulated, accepted my pay, but then audaciously demanded a kiss! They are unrelenting!

Unfortunately Aswan is a bit of a tourist trap, and the city thrives hungrily on its tourist business. Fighting for space on the Nile are huge cruise ships with their motors noisily churning, filled with sun-baked tourists and destroying the charm of the simple town. The Felucca touts roam up and down the shores, snatching up their prey who feel like they have to succumb in order to get rid of their annoying persistence. A street away from the river, there is a bustling market. Again, tourists are eyed off hungrily. ’Excuse me, excuse me, hello, where are you from, I have Pashminas, good price, excuse me, English?, American?, Holland?, Australian?’. As you walk, a sea of pashminas are flapped before you, draped on you, and wrapped around you. Any slight look or perceived show of interest is immediately pounced upon and you can be followed down the street with their incessant sales chatter!

It was here though, that I learnt the art of bargaining. A way of life in these countries, I couldn’t leave my trip without taking part in the game. There are a few rules which I discovered that made things a lot easier: Know what you want to pay and only pay what you want to pay. The vendors start with a ridiculous price, often even up to 7 times the amount you should pay! Sticking to your price becomes a game, and the vendors enjoy the hard barganing, as did I. But it is definitely shopping that needs a lot of time, patience, humour, energy and some fore-knowledge of the items you intend to purchase!

I left Aswan feeling only slightly more relaxed than when I came! I travelled back to Cairo by an old rattling and bumpy overnight train. An interesting experience in itself, but I arrived in one piece!

Football fever in Cairo!

It was the eve of the football match between Egypt and Algeria. I was sitting on a bus in the middle of a traffic jam, heading into town with a bunch of over-excited kids creating more noise than the cars around us.
These kids were from a non-government run school that my Australian friend Natasha (who I was visiting) has been working at for the past 2 years. After accompanying Natasha out to the school, we were on the bus with the kids who were headed into town for a performance. Natasha whispered as we boarded the bus to be warned of the inevitable high decibel levels we were about to experience, which were only to increase due to the football. Armed with drums and excitement, the kids got on the bus with electric energy. I know Melbournians can be sport crazy, however nothing prepared me for the fever that sweeps through Egypt during football season! Immediately the drumming and chanting began, the kids dancing, clapping, shouting, singing and jumping. The closer we got in to town, the louder they became, hanging out the windows bellowing their excitement at the cars we passed. Our bus became the centre of attention, and soon, amidst all the city traffic, we had the whole neighbourhood honking in rhythm to their drum chant. It was hilarious, and I enjoyed watching the looks on peoples faces change from confounded interest to appreciation and amusement. That night, I could hear every scored goal as the whole city erupted in their roar of applause. The game came to a sudden halt, as the city became strangely subdued. Egypt had lost to their Algerian opposition. We were relieved, as the quiet allowed us some sleep!

Chaotic Cairo!

A boisterous symphony of gregarious, colorful and varying pitched horns punctuating the drone of unrelenting traffic creates the pulsating musical hum of Cairo. Much like a vacume, the never stopping city sucks you in to its interior and whirls you about in the noise, dust and dirt and other things it's picked up along the way.

As I walk around the streets of downtown Cairo the call to prayer echoes through the city above the noise of traffic. People are everywhere. Rubbish, dirt and grime litters the cracked footpaths. A cat sneaks past me, eyeing off a feast of discarded food scraps in a gutter. Parked nearby is an old unused car, covered in filthy dirty grey dust. A testiment to the thick polluted air that covers the immense city. I head down a narrow street lined with fruit vendors creating a little hub of colour and action. Bargaining cheerfully with one of the vendors, I purchase a couple of bananas, a percimman, and a mandarin. He enthusiastically throws in two weird looking fruits when I ask what they are. They didn’t taste that good, and I’m still a little unsure what they are!!

It is a pac-man game to be a pedestrian. Getting across the road in one piece seems like a death wish! But, I learn fast as I watch and imitate the locals crossing the roads of the constant stream of traffic. A little secret hand-signal (shown to us by Jess and looking not unlike the same signal you‘d use to appreciate delicious food) actually has a satisfying power over oncoming vehicles. With this, and a focused, confident stride through the waves, crossing the road actually becomes less daunting!

I sneak up to the top level of the Hyatt hotel. A clear day brings a stunning view of the Nile and the whole city. The nile river is lined with shady trees, which I suspect would create a lovely haven from the heat of the sun during the summer months and a semi-peaceful retreat any time. Along the river Feluccas and other boats cruise, rocking with amplified Egyptian rock music.

Cairo transforms at night, with it’s lit-up shop windows and masses of people strolling along, talking, eating, window-shopping and enjoying the ‘night-life’. Caironiens dont seem to sleep! All night, the city is pumping, moving, churning, and ever honking!

With a bit of trepidation, I pluck up the courage to hop into a taxi to head into the heart of the confused sprawl of this crazy city! Lane markings, stop signs, traffic lights….seem to be merely ‘decorations’ to be completely ignored as we swerve through the traffic with the horn announcing our presence. After being in these bustling crazy middle-eastern cities for enough time now, I have become used to the seemingly chaotic road rules - where cars pave their way like people do with shopping trolleys in a crowded supermarket. Amongst the cars, there are people straddling bicycles delicately balancing loads of stacked bread, the occasional donkey harnessed to a cart with a guy nonchalantly staring like he’s trotting somewhere in a remote farming village. The taxi driver dumps me out in Khan al Kahlilil, where I hand him 15E pounds, hoping that he’d be happy with the price. I find myself right near the local fruit and vegetable market and walk around absorbing the colorful atmosphere. Eventually, I stumble across the big market area of Cairo - the Souq. People cram into small winding streets and alleyways with shops selling all different types of wares. Spices, jewelry, souvenirs, scarves, crafts, and various hardware. I find a little felafel stand for lunch, and for 40 cents I buy two tasty felafel rolls with salad. I eventually find myself sandwiched in between a mass moving crowd heading down a long street lined with brightly colored clothes and fabric. Most of the crowd are women, adorned with their colorful headscarves, and holding tightly to the small hands of their children who look up at me wide-eyed with curiousity. We move slowly and steadily, forced to cram even more when a guy with a cart loaded with a huge bundle pushes his way through the crowd. The street ends spewing its people out onto an extremely busy road. The noise which was already loud with people calling out and bargaining, becomes deafening with the roar of traffic and incessant honking. I gulped in the fumed air and began finding my way in between the cars, people, carts and bicycles. Seeking a few minutes of refuge, I step into a busy little shop selling all sorts of dried fruit and nuts. I decide to buy some cashews and stand waiting at the counter. Once again, I am reminded of my foreigness as waiting ‘politely’ achieves nothing! I am forced to elbow my way in amongst all the pushing and shoving women, and shout out my request. I am then told the price, and directed to pay for it at a counter on the other side of the shop, and receive a ticket which I have to show to collect my nuts. Once paid, I have to push my way back in again and wave my ticket around to get the attention of the server. Nuts in hand, and with a surge of renewed energy, I head back into the market area for a last peak at the shopping circus!

Beneath the obvious chaos of the sleepless, dirty, busy city, Cairo certainly has a charm with its welcoming and beautiful people. Greeted constantly with nods of welcome, warm smiles, gently curious eyes, and the eager ‘hello’ and ‘welcome to Egypt’ were lovely introductions to this hospitable city. I found myself quickly discarding any previous ill-informed pre-conceived judgments of this city and apart from its polluted air and congested traffic, I discovered a fascinating, and richly layered city that I would love to spend more time in.

Desert wonderings....the DEAD SEA, PETRA and WADI RUM

The road to the Dead Sea twisted through deep valleys of yellow-brown jagged rock and sand dunes. At times, large rocky mountains shadow the horizon, other times it is dead flat. A sparse, endless desert, spotted occasionly with lone dry looking trees. The harsh sun beating down relentlessly upon the arid land. This is how I imagined the middle eastern desert to be. Like the Australian centre, I wonder how people can live in this harsh area. As we drove through, we passed little villages spotting the landscape with their humble white concrete houses relflecting the intense sun.

The Dead Sea is large, a welcoming deep cool blue to the stark desert. We drove to a little beach set up for enthused tourists to enjoy a 'healing' float in the salty water. A low hot haze prevented us from seeing the horizon, where Jerusalem is situated (apparently seen on clear days). The water was very boyant due to the large amounts of salt, and after a while started to sting a bit. But I enjoyed my 'float' and had the famous photo taken with the newspaper!On our way to Petra, we stopped off at Mount Nebo - apparently the mountain Moses climbed to die. It was a taste of what was to come later at St Katherines and Mount Sinai - overzealous and religiously enthused Russian orthodox and Brazillians scrambling to get their picture taken next to 'sacred' rocks and bushes.

Petra was incredible. I had no idea what I was seeing before going there, and was blown away! Immense and impacting! The scenery is wonderful, and I discovered some amazing breath-taking views. Surrounded by rocky mountains, Petra is an anicent city, with massive tombs and temples carved into the mountains. There is a deep expansive canyon formed by the splitting of the earth, narrow, twisting and turning, as we walked along the valley floor.

I totally exhausted myself, wondering around in the sun, scrambling up mountains for almost 8 hours straight. I think I covered about 25kms. A special moment, was after climbing a mountain, finding a 'Bedouin' guy (like a 'squatter') on the top welcoming me into his cave to share a cup of tea. A welcome relief from the intense sun and exhaustion from the climb. I explored all of Petra till sunset, and stumbled back to the hotel afterwards almost fainting from the strenuous day. I think I did suffer a bit of heat exhaustion, as the next few days I was not well! We headed further into the Jordan desert to a place called Wadi Rum. A dramatic landscape once again, as large rocky mountains rise straight up out of the red-orange sand. Rippled sand dunes reflect the heat of the sun, rich in colour, an artists delight at sunset! We rode in a jeep across the plains, the heat of the sun pounding down upon us, taking in the sights in wonder. We had a typical ‘Bedouin’ camp set up for us that evening, greeted with Bedouin tea and a delicious dinner roasting in a stove set in the ground. We all slept on a large mat with thin but comfortable mattresses. Sleeping under the northern hemisphere stars in the silence of the desert was an unforgettable experience!

Middle East! Syrian adventures

The city of Aleppo, Syria was nothing like I’ve experienced before. It was one of those rare moments after much travel, when you come across something that you cant really compare to anything else you’ve seen before. Arabic writing was everywhere, adding to the excited alien feeling I had. The buildings were all the same ‘desert-brown’ colour, stark against the deep blue sky. There was a great view of the sprawling city from the Citadel ruins.
One of my highlights of Aleppo was being part of the action in the souq (Market-place). Most amusing is watching mini trucks that try to fit into the confined spaces of the narrow and enclosed souq lanes. We came across one intersection that was a mayhem of mini trucks all descending upon each other, drivers leaning out the windows shouting, stubbornly waving their fists, honking their horns, while pedestrians squeezed into any space available. Adding to the mix were the odd donkey, carts with huge loads spilling out the sides, and men balancing boxes, food, clothing, bags on their heads. There were a few amused looks shared as we all watched how these trucks would maneuver their way out of the squashed predicament!

Damascus was an interesting city with it's Islamic and Christian history. I was again drawn to the action of the souq, but also enjoyed getting lost in the back streets of the city. There, away from the noise of traffic and bustling markets, was a little insight into the lives of the residents.

Our group disbanded in Amman, which was very sad, as we had all bonded after the 2 weeks of travel together. Half of the group was leaving us, and we had 7 others joining us for the last 10 days in the desert to Cairo.

home stay in a remote village, Turkey

An early breakfast back at the hostel, and on the bus again for another long trip including a cargo ferry trip across the Euphrates. Our destination was a tiny village near Sanliurfa, to stay overnight in a family’s home - for an authentic peek into the lives of a ‘Turkish’ family. The family were beautiful, welcoming, eager to please and delightful! The experience is as much great for them as it is for us - as it gives their children a chance to practice their English and opens their minds to the wider world. It also widens our own minds - as we discover and change our perceptions of middle eastern way of life. A typical family home has 2 main rooms - one room for the whole family to sleep in, and the other for eating and for guests to sleep in. There is a small kitchen and an outdoor roof top space that they sleep on during the
summer months. Next to their humble house, was a couple of stables with a few cows and some goats. They also own chickens that run free around their yard. It is the womans job to milk the goats, cook, clean and wash clothes. The girls of our group had a go at milking a goat - not as easy as it looks! Especially with a baby goat trying to head-butt us out of the way for some dinner! We also watched Pera make flat bread - quite impressive was the speed and the ease in which she made it. All the food they eat is home grown and home made. We had a feast for breakfast and dinner! To eat, we would sit in the dining /guest room on the carpeted floor around a plastic table-cloth mat. The food would be spread out before us, and we'd eat with our hands.

The family kindly gave up their room so that we could use two rooms to sleep in. It was squishy, but fun.

I made friends with their 9 year old daughter - Aylin. She was a bit shy at first, but warmed up quickly when we found some common ground in clapping games. She recited songs in Turkish while I tried to keep up with her clapping patterns. Quite a few laughs at times when I obviously had no idea! I was her playmate for most the evening then! Her two older brothers aged 16 and 17 were keen to engage in conversation with the rest of us with their broken English. They had such beautiful smiles and open honest faces, and were very respectful and loving towards their parents. It was refreshing to spend time with such a warm loving family!

Toilet paper was often a topic of interest during our travels. In the middle-east, and parts of Turkey people don’t generally use toilet paper - which we found interesting. (It is funny how we are brought up with a certain way of doing things we consider completely normal, assuming everyone else in the world does the same and then to discover they don’t and we each believe each-others way is a bit weird!) Because of this, their sewerage system doesn’t handle toilet paper all that well, and so we were constantly reminded by Jess that our used toilet paper needed to be discarded into either a waste bucket in the cubicle or just on the floor near the toilet. To break the habit of ‘wipe and drop’ ingrained in us was really hard! It became ‘wipe, think, look around for the bucket, drop carefully so as not to offend the next person…’. Most of us agreed that using the squats actually made things much easier than the normal western toilet.

mysterious stone heads in the mist

Another long bus ride to a mountain hostel in Nemrut Dagi. The weather started turning on us, and it wasn’t looking good for the planned early start the next morning to watch the sunrise from the mountain top with the ancient stone heads. It was freezing when we arrived, and we discovered that our cute little hostel was not really equipped for cold weather with no hot water, and heaters and air-conditioning that didn’t work. We all survived the cold night, and were woken up at 4am for the walk up the mountain to see the sunrise. It was snowing and very windy as we departed the hostel, not the best conditions to be trekking up a steep mountain side. We huddled into a café at the base of the mountain, waiting for the weather to give us a pocket of relief. Wind, snow, sleet, rain and even hail! We were all keen, much to Jess’ dismay - she thought we were all mad. There was a low mist, and no visibility, however we didn’t want to come all this way and not see these mysterious stone heads. Our Turkish driver was with us, and braved the extreme conditions encouraging us to follow. We ventured out when the rain let up. We trekked slowly up the moutain, steep, slippery shale underfoot, and the wind howling around us. It didn’t take long to reach the top. Standing silently in the mist were the mysterious large staring stone heads and the tomb of King Antiochus. The low cloud and dark dawn created a very eerie atmosphere. No sunrise, however it was still incredible to see. Jess stood there wrapped in a blanket cursing the group as we took photos and absorbed what we were seeing. When it began hailing with small ice flying into our faces at high speeds very uncomfortably, we decided we’d better descend. Surprisingly, we passed more crazy tourists as we descended!