Tina & Rob’s excellent adventure

Nice try Universal Studios, but there is no way anybody can re-create this. Portofino is incredible, makes you want to buy a yacht and stay awhile.

Today we hiked the trails of Cinque Terre which wind up and down, around and through the 5 towns. You walk narrow paths amidst tiered terraces of olive trees, grape arbors, and tomato vines; all the while winding their way along the Mediterranean coast line. The trek took us about 5 hours. We started at Riomaggiore, to Manarola, to Corniglia to Vernazza and ending at Monterossa al Mare. From there we caught the train back to Deiva Marina where we enjoyed a well deserved glass of vino.

After two long days of driving from Holland, we have arrived in Deiva Marina. It is a small village tucked between the mountains and the beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean. We have rented a small studio apt. and from here it a short walk to the beach, hiking in the mountains, or to the small shops where we buy fresh bread everyday. [a person could die and go to heaven right here!) The first days we were here there was a bicycle race starting and ending here in town. It was great fun to watch, and the night before the race they had a rock band playing to start off the festivities.

We are just a few train stops away from the Cinque Terre, where you can hike along the 5 seaside towns connected by trails through a National Park.

After returning from Egypt we stayed in Windsor with Rob and Julie. We had a great time with them, and Molly the dog. We then headed north to the Walled City of York on our way to catch the ferry back to Holland. York is one of the best stops in England, It has roman history, great sightseeing, horse racing and a modern feel (quite the luxury after Egypt!) The National Railway Museum is worth a look. They have restored trains from Queen Victoria up to the first Bullet Train. And the best part of all is that it’s FREE….Makes a Dutchman really happy!

Once we arrive back in Holland we are off to Italy!

As Tina mentioned, Egypt is a country of sharp contrast. Old buildings covered with satellite dishes(pict 1-2), the beautiful Nile river right next to the desert. The desert ending at the Red Sea. Talking about contrast: gas prices in Egypt are $ 0,75 per gallon, prices in England are $ 8,00.

After our first two days in Cairo we flew to Luxor. The sights in Luxor are incredible: Luxor Temple, The valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatsjepsoet. We stayed in a beautiful resort along the Nile about 2 1/2 miles out of town. A great place for a felucca ride(pict 3-4). The resort (pict. 5) provides bus or water taxi to town and before you could get of the bus or boat you were harassed by Taxi drivers, horse & Carriage drivers (Cariche? Cariche!) and people trying to sell you trips, services etc. You can’t walk 10 yards without cab drivers honking their horns offering rides. It is quite the hustle.

Our next stop was Hurghada on the Red Sea. We were picked up by van and soon joined about 20 other vans and tour buses at a pre-arranged location. Transports are by land and are led by police escort. Leaving Luxor you go through armed checkpoints every couple of miles. All traffic at the crossroads is stopped by the military till the convoy(pict.7) passes. “A true democracy at work”. The 4 hour trip takes you through the desert(pict. 6) into Hurghada. The resort was beautiful(pict. 8). Unfortunately the town of Hurghada is a tourist trap and it takes a 20 minutes bus ride to get to town. They really want you to stay in the resorts where everything (food and drink)is provided for you. We walked to the next hotel to get a drink and internet access and were not allowed in by the security officer in charge. Every hotel has metal detectors, barricades and police at the door to deter possible attacks.The best thing in Hurghada is the diving. Unfortunately due to food poisoning I had to cancel my dives.

First, the Valley of the Kings–An area on the West Bank of the Nile where the tombs of Egyptian Kings have been unearthed. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the dead should be buried where the sun sets. Their homes were built on the East where the sun rises… symbolizing life and death. Pyramid tombs had been robbed during previous dynasties so in later dynasties they built their tombs in the mountains of the desert. King Ramses and King Tut’s tombs are in the Valley of the Kings. When you see the interior of these tombs it is unbelievable the work that went into them. The hieroglyphics and colored pictures telling the story of the journey into the after-life carved into stone. Also separate chambers were built for food and possessions to take with them into the after-life. The Egyptians were more concerned with the after life then the present, so their homes were made of common materials. Their tombs and Temples elaborate works of art.

You can see some sights of life in everyday Luxor. The people live simply. We are also here during Ramadan a holy month of prayer (5x a day), fasting and celebration. It has been really interesting to witness the people participating in their most important holiday. During Ramadan the Muslim people fast from sunrise to sunset. In the evening after the final call to prayer, the people gather to break the fast inviting friends and family for meals.

Some mosques provide meals for the not so fortunate, and it is a time for giving gifts to family and friends and for gifts of charity. The people enjoy the festivities late into the evening. Mosques and homes are decorated with colored lights and lanterns.

We drove from Scotland to London Heathrow to catch our flight to Egypt. We signed up for a tour for 10 days. When we arrive we are greeted by the man in charge of taking us to our first hotel. To our surprise there is no one else on the bus, turns out we will be the only ones for the entire trip! Cool huh?

Wow! Egypt is an amazing land! Our first stop is Cairo. 20 million inhabitants all driving like crazy. We took a photo of the traffic from our bus. We had just been involved in a minor fender bender (a taxi hit us in the rear) It was interesting…the drivers exchange a flurry of words for about 20 minutes, the taxi driver finally pays a bit of $ and within 20-30 minutes we are on our way again. Weaving in and out of 3 lanes of traffic when there is really only 2 lanes on the highway!

We took a tour of the Pyramids, attended a light show in the evening, and visited the Egyptian Museum where the contents of King Tut’s tomb are on display. Amazing!

Cairo is this huge city with modern buildings and Mosques, KFC, Pizza Hut AND men driving donkey carts with sugar cane along old, shabby, run down buildings. The local market in Old Cairo teems with carts and baskets full of dates, spices, fruits and the reddest tomatoes I have ever seen. In the doorways hang fresh meat, crates hold live chickens and pigeons It is quite something to see.

As you are driving away from busy Cairo into Giza all of a sudden you see the tips of the Pyramids! They sit right on the edge of the city with a vast desert behind them. A place of sharp contrasts indeed!