john and gail's cruise: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

More Santorini photos

Shows how little room there is for pedestrians with donkeys going both ways.

Great spot for lunch!!!! John, me, Barry and Rosemary

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Photo – Dianne, John and George half way up the donkey path. (he probably has a photo of me on the donkey path on his blog). George and Dianne passed us. Didn't even offer to help us old people up the stairs...young people today, I don't know!!!!!

29 June

What a great day in Santorini. We sailed in to great cliffs topped with shining whitewashed houses. Santorini is a tender port and, unless you are on a ship's tour, there are three ways up the cliffs to the town of Fira – a cable car with six cars, taking 4-6 people in each car for 4 euros per person, ride a donkey for 4 Euros per person or walk up the donkey path which zig zags up the cliffs, 588 steps to the top. We arrived at 7.00 am and my plan was to let most people go ashore figuring that the queue at the cable car would have diminished. This was before we were eating breakfast and saw three other ships arrive. We were waiting for Allan and Sally and at 8.30, because Allan was still having breakfast, we decided to go on our own and meet them somewhere. When our tender number eventually was called and we arrived ashore, the queue for the cable car was about a kilometre long so we opted to walk up the donkey path. An interesting exercise !!. The 588 steps were the least of our worries. The two way donkeys, those carrying people up, and those coming back empty were an interesting addition to the path and there were dozens of them at a time, going both ways. Neither way had any method of actually steering the donkeys, the donkeys just decided for themselves where they would go. It was an experience I wouldn't have missed but was glad to get to the top. The walk down didn't have as many donkey obstacles, more people opted to go up on them than down. Took 45 minutes up and 30 minutes down. The town of Fira at the top and the views around Santorini are stunning. Next year's cruise doesn't go there but to Mykynos I think. My son, Peter, says he much prefers the island of Ios so if it is nicer than Santorini, I would like to see it. On the tender going over, we met up with Rosemary and Barry who are at our dining table and had a great day, finished by having a late lunch in a restaurant with magnificient views over the town and the Aegean Sea. I bought a leather handbag – first new handbag I've bought for about eight years – told you I'm not a shopper. John, of course, bought another shirt + a belt, a wallet etc etc. We were to stay in Santorini until 8.00pm but because of our revised itinerary due to the general strike in Athens, we sailed at 4.00pm. Didn't give us a lot of choice of things to do. Either travel around the island or stay in Fira but not a lot of time to do both. We were supposed to be back on board by 3.00 and we arrived at 3.00. When I started writing this blog, I could still smell donkeys then I realised it's my shoes. Yuck!!! They are living on the balcony for a while.

Note: John and Barry did the downhill trip in less time than Rosemary and I and were having a cold beer at the bottom when we arrived. Rosie and I could have fallen and broken our legs or been knocked over by a donkey and they wouldn't have known.

We have almost two days at sea now arriving 1.30pm in Venice, Thursday. We are down to two weeks until the cruise ends for us. I hope you are all feeling sorry for us.

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Monday, June 28, 2010

ANZAC Cove

28 June

ANZAC Cove today. We arrived at 6.00 am and there was a service in the Vista Lounge as we arrived. The main ANZAC service was held on deck at 11.00am and was really well attended. One notable absentee was the Captain. The Staff Captain and quite a number of other officers attended and the ship's passenger choir sang. Veterans were given their own roped off space on Deck 14 where they could get a good view of proceedings. I was really pleased to be able to see where the ANZACS landed from the same view they would have had as they set out but could only think how scared they must have been when they saw the cliffs and the high terrain they were supposed to overcome. For those who don't know, my grandfather was wounded on the first day of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. Can't help but ponder on the contrast as, here we are, comfortable on a cruise ship, looking out at where they landed. The fact that ANZAC Cove was on the itinerary was part of the reason I decided on this cruise. The ship did a great job with the service; Australian and New Zealand flags were in evidence, but I couldn't see why we were singing "God Save the Queen". The memorials, Turkish and ours were visible although we weren't close enough to see them clearly. Earlier, there were commentaries broadcast on deck by an Australian and a Turkish historian. Was quite interesting to hear both histories. We sailed away at midday.

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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Istanbul

27 June

What a wonderful day in Istanbul, a place you couldn't possibly hope to take in in one day. A week in the centre of Istanbul wouldn't be enough – and then there's the outlying areas. It is set on a very busy harbour, ferries etc everywhere. We docked at 10.00am after a very scenic sail in. For next year's cruisers, we went in on the tram. You could actually walk if you're of average fitness. Turn left when you are out of the cruise terminal until you get to the Galata Bridge – about 5 minutes walk. Buy a tram token from the Jeton (Ticket seller) TLira 1.50 about AUD1.20. You will need some turkish money for this. I think there's an ATM in the terminal. The ship's shuttle to go to the same place was 10 Euro or about AUD15. The tram will take you all the way to the Grand Bazaar (which was closed for Sunday) so it was the not so Grand Bazaar. You can then walk back down at a leisurly pace as all the major attractions are here. We went to the Blue Mosque, only looked at St Sophia from the outside and saw a number of minor historical attractions. Had a leisurely lunch in a Turkish restaurant which was a lot of fun as well as excellent food. The extras kept on coming – olives, butter and pitta bread (freshly made) as a welcome, lots of Turkish bread with lunch, then apple tea. I HATE tea of any kind but decided I would have to drink this to be polite. It was delicious. Then both Sally and I were given a small Turkish eye brooch. We caught the tram back to the stop near the railway station and went in to look at the Orient Express waiting room and the Orient Express restaurant, as well as whatever trains were around for the railwaymen present. Very elegant, the restaurant, not the trains. Sunday in Istanbul is family day out and hordes of people walked down to the harbour where they were milling around, eating roasted corn or chesnuts, mussells still in the shell. The in thing is to fish from the bridge or go on a harbour cruise. There were hundreds of people fishing from the top of the bridge while, under the bridge, people were sitting in the reasonably elegant restaurants. We had a drink in one of the restaurants while fishing lines came whizzing from above, or buckets were lowered down to collect water. Both John and I agreed that we'd never even considered a holiday in Turkey as a possibility but now it is on top of my priority list. Would love to take the time to enjoy the atmosphere and the very friendly people. This business of being in port every day is getting exhausting. Need a couple of lovely days at sea. ANZAC cove tomorrow then Santorini, then I think we get a day at sea.

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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Kusadasi, Turkey

6 June

Kusadasi

What a lovely town. I had never heard of Kusadasi until we booked on this cruise. It's nestled around a couple of bays which have sea a deep Mediterranean blue, really clear water, and buildings climbing up the hills behind it. It is the jumping off place to go to Ephesus, a complete ancient town which has been excavated. Because we only had the morning, we elected to stay in town. It has a bazaar to rival the one in Istanbul (which we won't get to go to now because we will be there on Sunday and it's closed Sundays). There was not a lot of hassling to buy things and people were very friendly and the vendors, quite amusing. I'm not a shopper but managed to buy a few scarves and a silver chain to go with the Murano glass pendant I bought in Athens. John now has enough new shirts to open a shop. There's an ancient Caravanserai in town, a fort built to protect travellers, which is now a hotel. We walked to an old fort on what translates as Pigeon Island, near the cruise terminal and walked around there for quite a while making it back to the ship with 10 minutes to spare. A morning in Kusadasi is definitely not enough. We sailed in early and were followed in by two other cruise ships. There was one already docked. Three of us left at midday so only half a day in port in one of the nicest ports we've been to yet. When we walked to the fort we were chatting with a young taxi driver who wanted to take us to Ephesus. We told him that the ship sailed in an hour and there was a lot of banter after that. He told me to ditch John and come back next year and we'd run away. He offered John 5 camels for me but John said he'd pay him 2 camels to take me away. Photo attached.

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Athens

25 June

Athens

Went in to Athens by train from Pireaus. It is an easy walk from the dock – just turn left when you get out of the cruise terminal and keep walking around the water. There are 'you are here' signs all along showing where the railway station is. It was 3 euros for an all day ticket. We went to Thissio station and when we came out, there was the Acropolis. We went in with Rosemary and Barry. Both Rosemary and Gail at our table had lobster and fish for dinner the night before and were very ill. According to the ship's doctor, they were the only ones and insisted it was something they ate in Cairo but we know of at least eight other people who ate lobster and were also ill. Anyway, Rosie fainted on the train on the way in and bravely soldiered on until we had lunch (she didn't eat) when she fainted again. They came back to the ship in a cab. Otherwise, our day in Athens was wonderful. We just wandered around the Acropolis and around the Plaka, had lunch at a lovely little restaurant under shady plane trees. In the afternoon we walked some more and left about 3.30 to come back to the ship as I'd heard the trains to Pireaus can sometimes be delayed. It gave us a good look at Athens suburbia and some of the Olympic venues. There was an electric train museum at Pireaus but it closed at 2.00 pm and we didn't get back until nearly 4.00. Easy walk back to the ship and another lovely night on board Dawn Princess. It was full moon last night and we slept with the balcony doors open. I'd just gone to bed and looked out and we were passing a Greek island with a fairyland of lights, a full moon above it and reflecting on the water. It's a hard life!!!

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Our guards and John driving cruiseboat

Guards photo is Allans

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More Cairo and Pyramids

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Cairo and Pyramids

24 June

Cairo and the Pyramids

I'd say the best day of the trip so far but, for me, because of Cairo and surrounds, not the pyramids. We had an early start – 6.45. Went in a convoy of coaches – at least 30 of them with assorted smaller vehicles, with armed escorts front and back. On our bus we had an armed guard – dressed in a natty brown suit and carrying, I am told, a sawn off automatic weapon. They actually closed streets with guards so that our convoy could pass. People came out and waved. The Egyptian people, in general, are most hospitable and welcoming. It was a fascinating trip to Cairo, through and around Cairo. Would like to go back there. 20 million people, not a lot spent on public transport and infrastructure. People are housed in a lot of identical high rises. There are many individual homes unfinished, some looking none too stable. They leave them with great pylons of metal sticking up so they can be added to in future. They don't finish the houses a) because you pay tax once the house is finished b) don't have enough money to finish or c) leave room to add when son gets married. It was a mixture of stark desert which is mostly everywhere, with areas of green where there is irrigation. Around Ismalia they grow mangos and there are acres of trees. There are mosques just beside the road; when a new estate is built, looks like the mosque is built first because there are acres of desert with a mosque in the middle and a couple of houses here and there; there were many military instalations between Port Said and Cairo, a testament to the fact that they've had two wars since I've been alive. A city of contrasts .There are fruit sellers with donkey carts. We saw sheep and goats just on a corner in the city where people were selling them. Then housing developments, all desert and no trees, where a two bedroom apartment costs AUD1million. The local buses I'd say, are never cleaned, maintained or repaired. We saw people on the highway just standing there waiting for someone to stop and pick them up. A truck with tray stopped and picked up about 20 men. We saw a double cab ute with all the men inside and the women sitting in the open tray. I'm glad I saw the pyramids but it really is a zoo with hundreds of buses, hard sell vendors, people trying to sell a ride on or a picture with a camel. People for US$1 will show you how to take a picture like you're holding up the pyramid or kissing the Sphinx. All at 40 degrees and dusty. Our 'cruise' lunch on the Nile was enjoyable though I would have liked more middle eastern food. It was like taking the Kookaburra Queen cruise in Brisbane. Had to keep reminding myself I was on the Nile and in Cairo. There was an Egyptian band which I quite liked and a belly dancer. Photos were taken of her and passengers and quickly produced for US$6 each. John and the belly dancer look quite cute. Then they had a whirling dirvish man – amazing. Impossible to photograph because he was turning so quickly. The bus trip home was quite scary because the buses jockeyed for position towards the end, to be first back and the driving was quite dangerous. Probably at the same level as Mark Webber. We were driving at speed behind the bus in front with only about six feet clearance and they were both ducking and weaving, one trying to stay in front and ours trying to pass. Hope they cut that out for next year. By the way, we won! Have put in an objection for what good it will do. Could have shot a canon through the Horizon Court this morning. We went for breakfast at 7.45 and it was empty. Big day yesterday. Because there is a general strike in Athens the day we are due to arrive and there will be no one to dock us let alone trains etc to travel on, our itinerary has been changed and we are going straight to Athens tomorrow then back to Istanbul, Kusadasi and ANZAC Cove. Doesn't suit friends of ours whose son is flying out from England to see them and now we won't be there. Both Sally and I won genuine gold plastic Nefertiti biros on the coach – me for being able to say hello in Arabic and Sally for being the only one who could say what our guide's last name was at the end of the trip. I couldn't even have told you what her first name was.

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Port Said

Port Said for the Pyramids

24 June

What an amazing day yesterday in Cairo. Will post some comments here re Pyramids tour and on the CruiseCritic website for next year's cruisers when I've had a little conflab with Gail, who has some comments on her trip by car – a Princess tour, and with Elizabeth who went with Memphis tours.

We arrived in Port Said at 4.00 pm the day before. It was flattened in the 6 day war with Israel and only the port buildings survived. There are some very interesting buildings there and some shiny new ones. Just went for a walk through the streets; lots of stalls selling shoes,clothing etc. Lots of vendors, who were moderately aggressive, on the dock. We walked the length of the dock late afternoon and there were families come down to see the ships and it was the meeting place for teens. It was interesting to see the girls, some bare headed, some with scarves and some with full face veils (kids about 14 or so) giggling like teenagers anywhere. Every one was very welcoming, especially the kids who wanted to talk with us – no one asked for money, just wanted to be friendly. Two boys begged to have their photos taken. They didn't speak English but beamed when I said Salaam Alycum (Hello) – will post this photo. There were cats everywhere – sacred in Egypt I think.

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