My first thoughts upon arriving in Dubrovnik swirled around the comprehension that this was the last stop on the voyage. I am really not sure where the entire summer went; it just went by in the blink of an eye. Knowing that realization was bittersweet. Dubrovnik was also one of the shortest ports, in terms of time spent, so the group was determined to soak it all up and just enjoy the last three days we had in port!
A few interesting facts about Croatia and Dubrovnik, specifically. As socialist republics within communist Yugoslavia, Croatia, along with Slovenia, declared their independence as their own republics in 1991. In October of ’91, the city of Dubrovnik was held under siege for seven months while the entire city was shelled by Serbians. While now an independent, democratic country, Croatia is still tending to its wounds from a war-torn past that no one wants to acknowledge.
The city of Dubronik, second largest in Croatia, is located in the extreme south of country in the state of Dalmatia (yes, where Dalmatians originated). Labeled as the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” by Lord Byron and others, Dubrovnik is the most visited city in the Adriatic Sea. Croatia is also over 90% Catholic. Dubrovnik is also completely encased in limestone walls, left over from the fortresses that now serve as museums in the heart of Old Town.
Armed with this information, Marco, David, MJ and I set out to go to Old Town. At this port, the ship was not docked in a berth, but out in the middle of the harbor, so we had to rely on tender boats to actually get us over to land. After mastering our tendering skills, we first stopped off at a fruit market and withdrew some cash, then we were on our way. On our hike into town, we walked along a boardwalk of sorts that looked out into the Adriatic Sea. Several people were perched on cliffs, diving off into the sea. It looked pretty amazing. Unbeknownst to us, the walk into town was about 40 minutes. By the time we arrived in Old Town, the temperatures hit 100 degrees and we were dying for water and some shade. We went to a delightful little restaurant, Dubrovnika, which was quite tasty. After our walk into Old Town, the islands off the coast were calling our name. We stopped by a ferry operator, bought our tickets and hopped on the first ferry that was leaving port, destination unknown.
After a 20 minute boat ride, we disembarked on the island of Lokrum, which is a beautiful nature preserve, thick with wooded areas and rocky beaches. MJ and David found some spots on nearby rocks, so we headed down for a little R and R. The water was absolutely fantastic, so blue and clear, I felt like I was in a bathtub. We enjoyed ourselves immensely during our time on Lokrum and spent the entire afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the Adriatic.
We trekked along to the other side of the island, where MJ and I discovered a nude beach. After pondering for a few minutes "should we" or "shouldn't we," we decided to shed our inhibition (and our bathing suits) and bared it all for the rest of the nudies on the rocks. Hilarious because not only were we two of a handful of women, but the youngest ones by at least 4 decades. Those factors enabled us to be a bit more confident in this adventure. MJ jumped in first, but before diving off, a ferry boat went by and snapped some pictures! Scandalous!
We took the late ferry back to Old Town, where we did our first share of sight seeing. Old Town is absolutely incredible; it’s streets are gleaming white marble and all of its buildings are made of limestone and marble. When the sun hits just right, it feels like you are literally walking on sunshine. Many of the old castles and fortresses have been converted to gift shops, hotels and churches. There is no shortage of outdoor cafes in Dubrovnik, either. We stopped at a tiny shop for some gelato (because sunbathing and swimming is very grueling) and were able to watch the last 20 minutes of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics….it looked awesome, but couldn’t really get a feel for the action as it was in Slavic. But a nice treat nonetheless, since those moments are the only ones that I have of the Olympics thus far.
Upon recommendation from some Croatian college students on the way back to Old Town, we went to an amazing seafood restaurant in the harbor area. The mussels rivaled those found in Brussels, the seafood risotto was amazing, as were the shrimp. To eat shrimp in Croatia takes a little bit of effort, as they are brought to your table whole, but so worth it. The sun was beginning to set in Old Town as we walked through the streets. Soon gas lamps were lit at outdoor cafes and the city took on a beautiful pink hue. I bought some blackberries from a market and the four of us watched the sunset while savoring a little treat. It was truly a picture perfect moment. A great end to a great day. We took the tender back to the ship, where I promptly crashed.
If you can imagine, my second day in Croatia was even better than the first one. Megan and I set off early to see if we could head to another island a little further out from Dubrovnik, but to no avail. So we found a great outdoor café and enjoyed a morning cup while we just chatted on a variety of topics. By the time we finished cup two, I looked at my watch and realized we had been sitting there for two and a half hours. But coffee with a good friend and good conversation is always a great idea J
We took a bus into Old Town, where we ate a fabulous lunch seaside along the city walls. Afterwards, we strolled through Old Town, browsing in book stores and other shops for the last of the souveniers. Croatians are beautiful jewelry makers as well, and so we stopped into several jewelry stores looking at amazing creations, mainly constructed from Adriatic coral, which was just breathtaking. After shopping, it was time to hit the beach. We ended up circling back to a staircase that took us 163 steps down to a secluded area amongst the rocks where about 10 people were sunbathing and swimming. After laying our towels down, we went for a great swim in the Adriatic, again, it was just fantastic water. MJ and I watched the cliff jumpers for a while, people literally diving off rocks, and diving off the platform where all of our stuff was; probably a 40 foot drop off. MJ, being more adventurous than I, wanted to try it. After watching a brother and sister, whose combined age couldn’t have been more than 16, diving off of rocks like they were diving off a springboard, she climbed right up on the rocks and dove back down into the water. I myself, not so brave, trying to calculate the risk to my life, decided to keep on swimming.
And that’s how the majority of the afternoon went, we would lay out and swim, Megan would dive off large rock (the same rock in my facebook pic), while I would read US Weekly. After awhile, I started to think that perhaps it didn’t look too bad, that perhaps it was relatively safe……after making a couple of failed running starts off of the cliff, a young Croatian woman, who had been watching in unveiled amusement at my fright, walked right up to me, pointed straight out into the Adriatic, and the next thing I saw was a flash of leopard print descending from the cliff into the sea. I waited for her to be out of reach and then on the count of three, I made a mad dash to the end, plugged my nose and dropped for a good 3-4 seconds. What an adrenaline rush, I tell you! Omg, while probably pretty stupid in the grand scheme of taking care of myself and being safe on the trip, it was exhilarating! Soon enough, I was launching myself off the rock and 1 other time off of the cliff. It is just such a rush; and apparently a national pastime for Croats, according to the leopard bikini-clad local that made fun of me. The sun was starting to set as we made our way back to the tender ferry. The rest of the night for me was strapped to the ship as I was on call, but had my final conversation with Brian on the phone, which was fabulous.
Day 3 came and went way too fast. I met up with David and Marco and we made our way into town one last time for some pictures of the city and for them, to get rid of their Kunas, the Croatian currency. We grabbed a quick bite to eat, took some great photos and then it was time to head back to the ship. The weather was just stunning, the Adriatic sparkling. It truly is a gorgeous country and Dubrovnik is just such a fascinating city all on its own, with its red-tiled roofs and marble streets. There is nowhere in the world like it (or at least that’s what some faculty experts said).
My last duty while on land was to work gangway duty, making sure that everyone was board before on ship time at 7 PM. By this time, the ship had pulled into an empty berth and we were able to board without tender boats. The last group of students came just under 7 PM and with everyone on board, Justin and I took a final look around the harbor. I got a bit emotional, knowing that this was the last time I would be boarding the ship and the next time I would leave it, would be for good when we disembarked in Norfolk. A lot of emotions overcame me at that moment; I felt ready to come home….but where had the summer gone? Was that really our last port? What the hell am I going to do on this ship for almost a 2-week stretch? I couldn’t call anyone….it was overwhelming to think about all that I have been able to see and do over the course of the last ten weeks. Through tears, I walked up the gangway and headed onto the MV Explorer for the last time.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
OOOOPAAA! GREECE BLOG
Greetings friends, neighbors and facebook stalkers!
Greece, our seventh and second-to-last port, did not disappoint. Definitely up there as one of the coolest places on Earth and just wicked. It’s hard to believe that we were there only a short week; ago, it seems like the time has gone so fast.
We docked in Piraeus on August 3rd, the day after the Sea Olympics. After departing the ship, we made the long walk from the port into downtown Piraeus, a very quaint harbor town and took the metro into Athens. Athens, and Greece in particular, have always been places that I have longed to go my entire life. I have a special affection its history and through my history courses and Greek literature classes in college, I have been intrigued and fascinated by a country so rich in history, in brutality and war, and yet a people so passionate and romantic and patriotic.
We took a quick 10 minute Metro ride into Athens, right outside the Acropolis. After walking out of the Metro station, you look up and to your left and there up on the hill, lays the “City on a Hill,” the Acropolis. You can only see the left side of the temple of Athena Nike, but it’s one of those moments that just takes your breath away, knowing that you are so close to seeing in person on of the most ancient works of civilization in the world. One that you have read about and seen and heard about dozens of times in your life. It was just like the anticipation of seeing the Roman Colosseum or the pyramids for the first time; excited anticipation.
The sun was really intense on our walk up to the Acropolis. On our way up the southern slope, we were able to see crumbling marble columns of buildings gone by, marble statues and the Theater of Dionysus, the oldest theater in the world, seating an impressive 17,000 people on marble bleacher seats and in some cases, marble thrones for the nobles. After the Theater, we walked through the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, another theater that was constructed by Herodeus, the teacher of Marcus Aurelius, who built the 5,000 theater in 160 AD. It is extremely well preserved in person, but pictures do not do it any justice.
As soon as we had reached the top of the southwest slope, there is was: The Acropolis! My first observation was of the Temple of Athena Nike, in honor of the Goddess of Victory. It is believed that the marble temple was built by Callicrates, the architect also responsible for the Parthenon, between 427 and 424 BC. The Turks destroyed the original temple in 1687, In 1835, after the parts had been discovered and identified, the temple was rebuilt in its original position. Its Ionic columns and statues are just otherworldly. After snapping off a few pictures, we came face to face with the granddaddy of them all, the jaw dropping, intimidating Parthenon, constructed in 432 BC. It is an embodiment of classical Greek ideals and spirit. Phenomenal.
Our time at the Acropolis was short-lived after savoring these two temples, we spent a little bit of time at the Erechtheum, a temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon and then decided to leave due to the unrelenting heat and the enormous amount of tour groups that all ascended to the Acropolis at the same time. The hour and a half spent there was just a mixture of awe and wonder.
Any road leading out of the Acropolis will take you to fabulous cafes, trinket shops and rows and rows of fruit vendors. We took the southeast exit out into Athens and we were not disappointed. After doing some shopping, we sat down for a quick bite before heading back to the ship. The group, including David, Megan, John, Caroline, Marco and myself, feasted on some delicious saganaki (fried cheese), stuffed red peppers, suvlaki and Greek salad. What an amazing meal. Our tummies full, we took the metro back to the ship to quickly pack and head out to catch our ferry to the island of Mykonos.
Early on in the trip, a group of us had talked about going to a Greek island for a couple days for a little off-the-beaten path adventure. As it turns out, the entire month of August is holiday for Europeans, including Greeks, so by the time we started doing some research, the opportunities were slim in terms of getting a ferry out to an island, getting a ferry back to Piraeus, AND finding a decently priced place to stay. Thanks to some extensive research by Marco, Mykonos came out the winner. Almost every RD on staff jumped at the chance and between our different calendars, we were all able to get out to Mykonos for one or two nights. I was lucky enough to extend my stay to two nights. In a last minute change of plans, MJ joined John, Marco and I on the two-night Mykonos trip. It was pure heaven.
The ferry ride to Mykonos takes around 4 and a half hours and by the time we landed, we were exhausted. After tracking down our hotel shuttle, we made our way through the winding roads of Mykonos to the San Antonio Summerland hotel. All of the rooms were set up bungalow style, and ours had a balcony with gorgeous views of the Mediterranean. Exhausted after being in the sun all day and the bumpy ferry ride, we had a great dinner on the outdoor terrace of the hotel. The Summerland is a fabulous hotel in that its built into the side of a hill, so the hotel just runs downhill, the sugar cubes stacked on top of one another, sloping down to the amazing pool. We slept well that night with the balcony doors open and a soft breeze lulled us to sleep.
We were up and ready to go the following morning, eager to see Mykonos in the sunlight. We made a quick start and took the hotel shuttle into town, where Theodore (at least we think that’s what his name is), we couldn’t tell because he spoke in Greek and then laughed at everything we said. He was a character.
Our walk around town was fantastic. Nothing but cobbled streets, whitewashed stores and majestic views of the Mediterranean. There are no words to adequately describe the scenery other than majestic. Love it! We meandered for a little bit, enjoyed an iced cappuccino and did a little shopping along the shoreline. Mykonos, from what we learned AFTER we got there, is quite the party island for Greeks and tourists. That was evident early on, as most shops and businesses did open until noon or 1, then closed from 4-7 PM. We were able to amble along for a bit when we came across a sign for handmade leather sandals at a small store on the second floor of an old building. We walked up the stairs and were immediately struck by the tiny shop, where a lone cobbler, Nikos, and his dog, Creta, passed the time. Nikos, a business man turned cobbler from the island of Crete, had been making sandals on the island of Mykonos for 15 years.
We had an amazing time while we were there. Megan and I walked out with five pairs of sandals between us and John and Marco were sized for custom-made silver rings that Nikos fitted for them. It was a pretty great experience! After our mini shopping spree, we headed to lunch at Scarpas, a tiny café literally butting up to the coast. As waves crashed around us, we enjoyed a quick lunch. After lunch, we walked around downtown Mykonos and headed back to the hotel for a little bit of R& R. We were thisclose to renting vespas on the island, but after being scared away by some tourists that crashed into a stone wall in front of us, that idea was quickly nixed.
After sunbathing and enjoying some wine, it was time to get ready to head out to meet David and the rest of the RD crew for David’s birthday dinner. We ate at a terrific seafood restaurant downtown—roasted peppers, Portobello mushrooms, saganaki and salads were all devoured family style. The only RD missing was Justin. After singing happy birthday to David, we headed out for a night on the town. Nightlife in Mykonos doesn’t start until after midnight, so we found a couple of outdoor patios to sit in.
Midnight came and went and David and crew were tired and went back to their hotel. John, Marco, Megan and I were ready to go out, so out we went. All of the shops, restaurants and art galleries were open and alive with people, gorgeous people. Mykonos was truly the playground of Europe’s beautiful, albeit surgically enhanced, twenty and thirtysomethings. It was so unfathomable to me that as we passed the Puma store, it was packed with people trying on shoes, art galleries were full of people browsing and jewelry stores were hopping, as women and men tried on some pricey pieces of bling. We ended up at the club Joy, which was pretty fun. While Marco and John were hitting up the bar, Megan and I were enjoying the people watching. Tired of the smoke and the crowds at Joy, Megan and I decided to walk our way through the throngs of people crowding the streets. We turned off the main street, found a tiny alleyway which led to this fantastic outdoor bar/lounge, Privo. It was just terrific—everything was white, including the bar, which was made of white marble, and there was just an ink-black sky dotted with stars. I ran back to get the boys and we ended our night hanging out at Privo, enjoying some good conversation under a blanket of stars. It was one of those “Who am I “ moments that have occurred so frequently on this trip. Fabulous conversation with fabulous friends is always makes for a great evening! We got back to the hotel super late (4:30-ish) and crashed.
Marco left early the next morning to return to the ship for duty that night. Megan, John and I had a fairly early start and headed back into town for more sight seeing and picture taking. This place will never be adequately captured by any camera….it’s just so breathtaking. The weather during our stay was balmy and breezy and just perfect; not too hot, and the breeze off the Mediterranean was fantastic. Megan and I split off from John to do a little souvenier shopping. We stumbled along a little hole-in-the-wall bakery where I sampled some authentic baklava, which was an enthralling experience. It was by far the best baklava I have ever had. We continued to walk the streets; grabbed some lunch and decided to head back to the hotel for one final dip in the pool and to bask in the sun as long as possible.
After changing at the hotel, we met up with Shauhin and David, who were also booked for the return on the same ferry as us, had dinner (amazing chicken gyro) and headed to the port to pick up the ferry. I don’t remember much of the return trip as I fell into a quick sleep. I didn’t wake up until we had returned to Piraeus. Tired and sunburned, we hobbled off the ferry for the 20 minute walk back to the ship.
Our final day in Greece was spent in Athens. Given that we had to be back by 5 PM, we got an early start with the same group that went out the first day to Athens: John, Caroline, Megan, Marco, myself and David. We perused some local vendors for last minute gifts, had a fabulous lunch and ran into Zuri. The group split off after we met Zuri, some of us wanting to go to see the changing of the guard, the others to go exploring on their own. Megan, Zuri and I went to see the changing of the guard, which was pretty cool. The Greek uniforms were interesting as was the changing of the guard, very different from what I observed in Denmark and England. There is a series of choreographed movements and high kicks. One of the guards lost his fez during the process and we watched as his supervisor admonished him in front of the crowd. Definitely an awkward moment for everyone there. We walked around a bit more, but the heat and humidity were proving too much for the tired bunch. I grabbed some coconut pieces from a street vendor and sat down to write some postcards. Shortly thereafter, I met up with David and we took the subway back to Piraeus.
I had an absolute blast at this port, just outstanding and full of so many fun memories. If you haven’t been to Greece, put it near the top of your list to visit! Ooopa!!!!
The Croatia blog will be coming soon, but life on the ship has been really busy the past few days. A big shout out to everyone who has kept in touch through cards, letters, emails, and facebook messages. Love you long time!
Greece, our seventh and second-to-last port, did not disappoint. Definitely up there as one of the coolest places on Earth and just wicked. It’s hard to believe that we were there only a short week; ago, it seems like the time has gone so fast.
We docked in Piraeus on August 3rd, the day after the Sea Olympics. After departing the ship, we made the long walk from the port into downtown Piraeus, a very quaint harbor town and took the metro into Athens. Athens, and Greece in particular, have always been places that I have longed to go my entire life. I have a special affection its history and through my history courses and Greek literature classes in college, I have been intrigued and fascinated by a country so rich in history, in brutality and war, and yet a people so passionate and romantic and patriotic.
We took a quick 10 minute Metro ride into Athens, right outside the Acropolis. After walking out of the Metro station, you look up and to your left and there up on the hill, lays the “City on a Hill,” the Acropolis. You can only see the left side of the temple of Athena Nike, but it’s one of those moments that just takes your breath away, knowing that you are so close to seeing in person on of the most ancient works of civilization in the world. One that you have read about and seen and heard about dozens of times in your life. It was just like the anticipation of seeing the Roman Colosseum or the pyramids for the first time; excited anticipation.
The sun was really intense on our walk up to the Acropolis. On our way up the southern slope, we were able to see crumbling marble columns of buildings gone by, marble statues and the Theater of Dionysus, the oldest theater in the world, seating an impressive 17,000 people on marble bleacher seats and in some cases, marble thrones for the nobles. After the Theater, we walked through the Odeum of Herodes Atticus, another theater that was constructed by Herodeus, the teacher of Marcus Aurelius, who built the 5,000 theater in 160 AD. It is extremely well preserved in person, but pictures do not do it any justice.
As soon as we had reached the top of the southwest slope, there is was: The Acropolis! My first observation was of the Temple of Athena Nike, in honor of the Goddess of Victory. It is believed that the marble temple was built by Callicrates, the architect also responsible for the Parthenon, between 427 and 424 BC. The Turks destroyed the original temple in 1687, In 1835, after the parts had been discovered and identified, the temple was rebuilt in its original position. Its Ionic columns and statues are just otherworldly. After snapping off a few pictures, we came face to face with the granddaddy of them all, the jaw dropping, intimidating Parthenon, constructed in 432 BC. It is an embodiment of classical Greek ideals and spirit. Phenomenal.
Our time at the Acropolis was short-lived after savoring these two temples, we spent a little bit of time at the Erechtheum, a temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon and then decided to leave due to the unrelenting heat and the enormous amount of tour groups that all ascended to the Acropolis at the same time. The hour and a half spent there was just a mixture of awe and wonder.
Any road leading out of the Acropolis will take you to fabulous cafes, trinket shops and rows and rows of fruit vendors. We took the southeast exit out into Athens and we were not disappointed. After doing some shopping, we sat down for a quick bite before heading back to the ship. The group, including David, Megan, John, Caroline, Marco and myself, feasted on some delicious saganaki (fried cheese), stuffed red peppers, suvlaki and Greek salad. What an amazing meal. Our tummies full, we took the metro back to the ship to quickly pack and head out to catch our ferry to the island of Mykonos.
Early on in the trip, a group of us had talked about going to a Greek island for a couple days for a little off-the-beaten path adventure. As it turns out, the entire month of August is holiday for Europeans, including Greeks, so by the time we started doing some research, the opportunities were slim in terms of getting a ferry out to an island, getting a ferry back to Piraeus, AND finding a decently priced place to stay. Thanks to some extensive research by Marco, Mykonos came out the winner. Almost every RD on staff jumped at the chance and between our different calendars, we were all able to get out to Mykonos for one or two nights. I was lucky enough to extend my stay to two nights. In a last minute change of plans, MJ joined John, Marco and I on the two-night Mykonos trip. It was pure heaven.
The ferry ride to Mykonos takes around 4 and a half hours and by the time we landed, we were exhausted. After tracking down our hotel shuttle, we made our way through the winding roads of Mykonos to the San Antonio Summerland hotel. All of the rooms were set up bungalow style, and ours had a balcony with gorgeous views of the Mediterranean. Exhausted after being in the sun all day and the bumpy ferry ride, we had a great dinner on the outdoor terrace of the hotel. The Summerland is a fabulous hotel in that its built into the side of a hill, so the hotel just runs downhill, the sugar cubes stacked on top of one another, sloping down to the amazing pool. We slept well that night with the balcony doors open and a soft breeze lulled us to sleep.
We were up and ready to go the following morning, eager to see Mykonos in the sunlight. We made a quick start and took the hotel shuttle into town, where Theodore (at least we think that’s what his name is), we couldn’t tell because he spoke in Greek and then laughed at everything we said. He was a character.
Our walk around town was fantastic. Nothing but cobbled streets, whitewashed stores and majestic views of the Mediterranean. There are no words to adequately describe the scenery other than majestic. Love it! We meandered for a little bit, enjoyed an iced cappuccino and did a little shopping along the shoreline. Mykonos, from what we learned AFTER we got there, is quite the party island for Greeks and tourists. That was evident early on, as most shops and businesses did open until noon or 1, then closed from 4-7 PM. We were able to amble along for a bit when we came across a sign for handmade leather sandals at a small store on the second floor of an old building. We walked up the stairs and were immediately struck by the tiny shop, where a lone cobbler, Nikos, and his dog, Creta, passed the time. Nikos, a business man turned cobbler from the island of Crete, had been making sandals on the island of Mykonos for 15 years.
We had an amazing time while we were there. Megan and I walked out with five pairs of sandals between us and John and Marco were sized for custom-made silver rings that Nikos fitted for them. It was a pretty great experience! After our mini shopping spree, we headed to lunch at Scarpas, a tiny café literally butting up to the coast. As waves crashed around us, we enjoyed a quick lunch. After lunch, we walked around downtown Mykonos and headed back to the hotel for a little bit of R& R. We were thisclose to renting vespas on the island, but after being scared away by some tourists that crashed into a stone wall in front of us, that idea was quickly nixed.
After sunbathing and enjoying some wine, it was time to get ready to head out to meet David and the rest of the RD crew for David’s birthday dinner. We ate at a terrific seafood restaurant downtown—roasted peppers, Portobello mushrooms, saganaki and salads were all devoured family style. The only RD missing was Justin. After singing happy birthday to David, we headed out for a night on the town. Nightlife in Mykonos doesn’t start until after midnight, so we found a couple of outdoor patios to sit in.
Midnight came and went and David and crew were tired and went back to their hotel. John, Marco, Megan and I were ready to go out, so out we went. All of the shops, restaurants and art galleries were open and alive with people, gorgeous people. Mykonos was truly the playground of Europe’s beautiful, albeit surgically enhanced, twenty and thirtysomethings. It was so unfathomable to me that as we passed the Puma store, it was packed with people trying on shoes, art galleries were full of people browsing and jewelry stores were hopping, as women and men tried on some pricey pieces of bling. We ended up at the club Joy, which was pretty fun. While Marco and John were hitting up the bar, Megan and I were enjoying the people watching. Tired of the smoke and the crowds at Joy, Megan and I decided to walk our way through the throngs of people crowding the streets. We turned off the main street, found a tiny alleyway which led to this fantastic outdoor bar/lounge, Privo. It was just terrific—everything was white, including the bar, which was made of white marble, and there was just an ink-black sky dotted with stars. I ran back to get the boys and we ended our night hanging out at Privo, enjoying some good conversation under a blanket of stars. It was one of those “Who am I “ moments that have occurred so frequently on this trip. Fabulous conversation with fabulous friends is always makes for a great evening! We got back to the hotel super late (4:30-ish) and crashed.
Marco left early the next morning to return to the ship for duty that night. Megan, John and I had a fairly early start and headed back into town for more sight seeing and picture taking. This place will never be adequately captured by any camera….it’s just so breathtaking. The weather during our stay was balmy and breezy and just perfect; not too hot, and the breeze off the Mediterranean was fantastic. Megan and I split off from John to do a little souvenier shopping. We stumbled along a little hole-in-the-wall bakery where I sampled some authentic baklava, which was an enthralling experience. It was by far the best baklava I have ever had. We continued to walk the streets; grabbed some lunch and decided to head back to the hotel for one final dip in the pool and to bask in the sun as long as possible.
After changing at the hotel, we met up with Shauhin and David, who were also booked for the return on the same ferry as us, had dinner (amazing chicken gyro) and headed to the port to pick up the ferry. I don’t remember much of the return trip as I fell into a quick sleep. I didn’t wake up until we had returned to Piraeus. Tired and sunburned, we hobbled off the ferry for the 20 minute walk back to the ship.
Our final day in Greece was spent in Athens. Given that we had to be back by 5 PM, we got an early start with the same group that went out the first day to Athens: John, Caroline, Megan, Marco, myself and David. We perused some local vendors for last minute gifts, had a fabulous lunch and ran into Zuri. The group split off after we met Zuri, some of us wanting to go to see the changing of the guard, the others to go exploring on their own. Megan, Zuri and I went to see the changing of the guard, which was pretty cool. The Greek uniforms were interesting as was the changing of the guard, very different from what I observed in Denmark and England. There is a series of choreographed movements and high kicks. One of the guards lost his fez during the process and we watched as his supervisor admonished him in front of the crowd. Definitely an awkward moment for everyone there. We walked around a bit more, but the heat and humidity were proving too much for the tired bunch. I grabbed some coconut pieces from a street vendor and sat down to write some postcards. Shortly thereafter, I met up with David and we took the subway back to Piraeus.
I had an absolute blast at this port, just outstanding and full of so many fun memories. If you haven’t been to Greece, put it near the top of your list to visit! Ooopa!!!!
The Croatia blog will be coming soon, but life on the ship has been really busy the past few days. A big shout out to everyone who has kept in touch through cards, letters, emails, and facebook messages. Love you long time!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
HOORAY for Sea Olympics 2008!
Last Saturday was a great day for the ship; and probably one of the best days at sea yet. My big event, the 2008 Summer Sea Olympics! Now the hype and anticipation leading up to this day of activity all began when the original day of Sea Olympics was moved from mid-July to early August. Then, after tough pre-Olympics competitions such as volleyball, Sea Jeopardy and Improv Night, the anticipation built and built; teams were anxiously awaiting the day after we sailed from Egypt to kick the other seas’ butts at a high level of competition. Too bad the night we left Egypt, half the ship came down with Pharaoh’s revenge. I won’t go into the details, but I am sure you can figure out what happened. The Arabian and Baltic Seas were both out to early leads going into the day, the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea (faculty/staff/lifelong learners) close on their heels.
Opening ceremonies kicked off at 10 AM in the Union, with Captain Kingston officially opening the games. The Sea Captains (a male and female elected from each sea), proudly carried in their Sea Flags to the cheers of their fellow sea mates. After Captain Kingston opened the games, yours truly (also suffering from Pharaoh’s revenge) reviewed the day’s activities and then we were off!
The first competitions of the day were the Scavenger Hunt, where teams had to collect items from their seas, utilizing the list and asked for items from each port. The Ping Pong tournament kicked off at 11:30, followed by the Water Balloon Toss on Deck 7 at 11:30. One of the highlights of the day came at high noon, time for the Synchronized Swimming competition, where each sea utilized the pool on the ship to create a 3-minute routine. The pool deck and upper decks were jam-packed with students, staff and faculty all taking photos and cheering on their teams. The synchronized swimming was hilarious! You saw it all—Speedos, women in swim caps, Disney themes to seas poking fun at the TAs. Things got really spicy when two women jumped into the pool with their life vests on. Too bad the staff captain was outside watching the games and immediately ordered everyone to return their life vests to their cabins. At the end of the event, the Dead Sea, on the strength of their Little Mermaid/Raining Men/Jump On It routine, took first place.
After the morning’s activities, the Arabian Sea pulled ahead to take first place overall, placing in all of the morning’s events.
Next up was the Tug-of-War and Limbo competitions, which were both hotly contested and both won by the Arabian Sea. Those folks were on fire! At this point, they looked unstoppable. My sea, the Mediterranean Sea, was holding their own in 4th place.
The Iron Chef challenge and Mashed Potato Sculpture were up next. Thanks to our amazing hotel and food and beverage managers, each team was supplied random items and had 45 minutes to create and cook a pizza, using the pool bistro’s pizza ovens. Each team was supplied dough and items ranging from peanut butter to white chocolate chips, soy sauce, pickles, and other random assorted items provided by the chef. After making a Thai peanut-ish pizza with soy sauce, the Baltic Sea took first place in Iron Chef. The Mashed Potato Sculpture contest was underway on Deck 5 outside. Each team was given a plate full of potatoes and had 30 minutes to create a nautical-themed sculpture. The Bering Sea pulled out a win in this category with the Dead Sea coming in a close second.
The hot hula hoop contest was next, a modified musical chairs. All teams had 2 participants and had to pass a hula hoop through their bodies. When the music stopped, whomever was left with the hula hoop was out. After a brutal battle, one of our own professors took home the gold medal. The basketball knock off competition was over in 10 minutes as a whiz from the Baltic Sea knocked all other participants off one after another.
Following the hula hoop, the art/sketch competition was being judged at 3 PM. Each student participating was given directions at opening ceremonies to draw/sketch their favorite staff, faculty or crew member on the ship. The work that was submitted was absolutely incredible. After judging, the work was posted in Tymitz Square (the social hub of the ship) for everyone to see.
Our Assistant Executive Dean, Randy Lewis, who has the fortune of making all shipboard announcements each day, announced results throughout the day and going into the last three events, it was still too close to call. The Baltic, Arabian, Yellow and Dead Seas were all in it to win it, it would be a race to the end.
Next up was the Greek God and Goddess Runway Toga Showdown, where each sea had a male and a female create togas, with the caveat that ship-issued items (shower curtains, bed sheets, comforters, towels or any linens) was strictly prohibited. David Pe emceed the event and did a fabulous job. The Union was packed to capacity as each sea strutted their stuff; and bared a lot of skin. My favorite team was the Dead Sea, in which Bill and Sue, two lifelong learners in their seventies and a husband/wife duo, strutted their stuff as the God and Goddess of Food and Drink; Sue wearing what looked to be two tablecloths, an Egyptian head covering with spangles and a bra (over the tablecloths!) made of lettuce leaves. Bill, also wearing a tablecloth and a lettuce leaf over his bits and pieces, strutted his stuff while also whipping around a wine bottle. Both were absolutely adorable and hilarious and received the best crowd reaction. At the end of the day, the Baltic Sea won the competition with their Russian-inspired looks. It was hilarious!!
The Sea Cheer/Sea Sing was immediately following. Kyle, one of my most adorable students and lead singer for the on-board band, ABandOn Ship (clever) emceed the events and did a fantastic job. Immediately after the cheers, we went straight into lip sync, which was a good time. One of the RDs dressed in drag as a Spice Girl, Marco did a spin on Enrique Igleasias, Justin showed off his dance moves with Cupid’s Shuffle and I somehow had the pleasure of lip syncing to Pimping All Over the World and David twirled a hula hoop to the song “Around the World.” The Union was again packed and everyone was having a blast.
At the end of the night, however, there could be only 1 winner: the Baltic Sea was able to squeak it out in the end and they will be the first people off the ship when we dock in Norfolk on the 22nd. The Arabian Sea placed second, Yellow Sea third, Dead Sea was fourth and the Mediterranean came in 6th.
With Sea Olympics officially closed, I immediately went to my cabin and crashed, hoping to rest up for Greece. Overall, it was a fantastic day and really got students involved and excited. I was pleased to hear nothing but positive comments and I chalk it up to a fabulous success!
Opening ceremonies kicked off at 10 AM in the Union, with Captain Kingston officially opening the games. The Sea Captains (a male and female elected from each sea), proudly carried in their Sea Flags to the cheers of their fellow sea mates. After Captain Kingston opened the games, yours truly (also suffering from Pharaoh’s revenge) reviewed the day’s activities and then we were off!
The first competitions of the day were the Scavenger Hunt, where teams had to collect items from their seas, utilizing the list and asked for items from each port. The Ping Pong tournament kicked off at 11:30, followed by the Water Balloon Toss on Deck 7 at 11:30. One of the highlights of the day came at high noon, time for the Synchronized Swimming competition, where each sea utilized the pool on the ship to create a 3-minute routine. The pool deck and upper decks were jam-packed with students, staff and faculty all taking photos and cheering on their teams. The synchronized swimming was hilarious! You saw it all—Speedos, women in swim caps, Disney themes to seas poking fun at the TAs. Things got really spicy when two women jumped into the pool with their life vests on. Too bad the staff captain was outside watching the games and immediately ordered everyone to return their life vests to their cabins. At the end of the event, the Dead Sea, on the strength of their Little Mermaid/Raining Men/Jump On It routine, took first place.
After the morning’s activities, the Arabian Sea pulled ahead to take first place overall, placing in all of the morning’s events.
Next up was the Tug-of-War and Limbo competitions, which were both hotly contested and both won by the Arabian Sea. Those folks were on fire! At this point, they looked unstoppable. My sea, the Mediterranean Sea, was holding their own in 4th place.
The Iron Chef challenge and Mashed Potato Sculpture were up next. Thanks to our amazing hotel and food and beverage managers, each team was supplied random items and had 45 minutes to create and cook a pizza, using the pool bistro’s pizza ovens. Each team was supplied dough and items ranging from peanut butter to white chocolate chips, soy sauce, pickles, and other random assorted items provided by the chef. After making a Thai peanut-ish pizza with soy sauce, the Baltic Sea took first place in Iron Chef. The Mashed Potato Sculpture contest was underway on Deck 5 outside. Each team was given a plate full of potatoes and had 30 minutes to create a nautical-themed sculpture. The Bering Sea pulled out a win in this category with the Dead Sea coming in a close second.
The hot hula hoop contest was next, a modified musical chairs. All teams had 2 participants and had to pass a hula hoop through their bodies. When the music stopped, whomever was left with the hula hoop was out. After a brutal battle, one of our own professors took home the gold medal. The basketball knock off competition was over in 10 minutes as a whiz from the Baltic Sea knocked all other participants off one after another.
Following the hula hoop, the art/sketch competition was being judged at 3 PM. Each student participating was given directions at opening ceremonies to draw/sketch their favorite staff, faculty or crew member on the ship. The work that was submitted was absolutely incredible. After judging, the work was posted in Tymitz Square (the social hub of the ship) for everyone to see.
Our Assistant Executive Dean, Randy Lewis, who has the fortune of making all shipboard announcements each day, announced results throughout the day and going into the last three events, it was still too close to call. The Baltic, Arabian, Yellow and Dead Seas were all in it to win it, it would be a race to the end.
Next up was the Greek God and Goddess Runway Toga Showdown, where each sea had a male and a female create togas, with the caveat that ship-issued items (shower curtains, bed sheets, comforters, towels or any linens) was strictly prohibited. David Pe emceed the event and did a fabulous job. The Union was packed to capacity as each sea strutted their stuff; and bared a lot of skin. My favorite team was the Dead Sea, in which Bill and Sue, two lifelong learners in their seventies and a husband/wife duo, strutted their stuff as the God and Goddess of Food and Drink; Sue wearing what looked to be two tablecloths, an Egyptian head covering with spangles and a bra (over the tablecloths!) made of lettuce leaves. Bill, also wearing a tablecloth and a lettuce leaf over his bits and pieces, strutted his stuff while also whipping around a wine bottle. Both were absolutely adorable and hilarious and received the best crowd reaction. At the end of the day, the Baltic Sea won the competition with their Russian-inspired looks. It was hilarious!!
The Sea Cheer/Sea Sing was immediately following. Kyle, one of my most adorable students and lead singer for the on-board band, ABandOn Ship (clever) emceed the events and did a fantastic job. Immediately after the cheers, we went straight into lip sync, which was a good time. One of the RDs dressed in drag as a Spice Girl, Marco did a spin on Enrique Igleasias, Justin showed off his dance moves with Cupid’s Shuffle and I somehow had the pleasure of lip syncing to Pimping All Over the World and David twirled a hula hoop to the song “Around the World.” The Union was again packed and everyone was having a blast.
At the end of the night, however, there could be only 1 winner: the Baltic Sea was able to squeak it out in the end and they will be the first people off the ship when we dock in Norfolk on the 22nd. The Arabian Sea placed second, Yellow Sea third, Dead Sea was fourth and the Mediterranean came in 6th.
With Sea Olympics officially closed, I immediately went to my cabin and crashed, hoping to rest up for Greece. Overall, it was a fantastic day and really got students involved and excited. I was pleased to hear nothing but positive comments and I chalk it up to a fabulous success!
Things I Did In Egypt: Saw the Pyramids, Posed with a Sphinx and Rode a Camel Named Douglas
Greetings friends!
I feel so behind on the blogs; the ports are coming faster than what I can keep up with!
So we left off en route to Egypt, which was absolutely phenomenal….just a thrill for the sights, sounds, and taste buds. How cool is it that we get to go to Egypt as an “alternate” port? Who does that? Oh wait, we do! I felt a little unprepared for our destination as I certainly did not know how to speak or to read Arabic, but there is not many on this ship that do…..in many aspects, it was like entering Russia all over again.
We arrived in Alexandria, Egypt on July 30th. My immediate impressions of the port were very favorable. Alexandria was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great. At 4 million people, Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt, and often thought of as its crown jewel city. It is a place where many from Cairo flock for vacation or the weekend. After being in Cairo, I can attest that at 4 million people, Alexandria feels like a small resort town in comparison.
Now, I need to take a time out to commend the ship’s field office for doing a spectacular job arranging trips for us while in Egypt. With less than 24 hours notice, they pulled together jeep and camel safaris to the pyramids, three day trips to Cairo, overnight trips to Cairo, city tours of Alexandria and much more. They did an excellent job and I commend them for their fantastic work. I of course jump all over the jeep and camel safari. All of us acted like we were in elementary school, jumping up down, exclaiming how we were going to be camel riding and actually seeing the pyramids of Giza.
So last Wednesday morning, I disembarked in Alexandria and immediately stepped onto a motor coach that whisked us off for Cairo. I was lucky enough to be on the same trip as Megan, so we bunked up for our 2 and a half hour bus trip. Unlike any other port, each trip was equipped with trip leaders and armed guards (each one wearing a suit and carrying a small machine gun on their back under their jacket). Our tour guide, Baghat, was just awesome. He chatted on and on during our ride, giving us some history of the majesty and splendor of what we were about to see. So down-to-earth and funny, Megan and I chatted with him the whole way to Cairo, where we learned about kartooshes, mummification and much much more. Baghat is such a culture buff that he is starting his Ph.D. next year in Egyptology at the University of Chicago. He also taught us an important phrase on the bus, “habiby,” which means friend or sweetheart, depending on how you use it. So, habiby to you all J
Our trip to Cairo, the capital of Egypt and one of the most densely populated cities on the planet at 18 million, was pretty uneventful. Once we were out of Alexandria, it was nothing but flat desert. We saw many mud-brick huts along the roads and several leathery-faced men walking pack mules, destinations unknown.
To my surprise, the town of Giza, home to the great pyramids and the Sphinx, is located minutes from the outskirts of Cairo. We were in Cairo, and the next thing I knew, I spotted a pyramid outside of the bus window….and then it just kept getting bigger; and then they multiplied. There are three pyramids in total still intact in Giza, which makes for an awe-inspiring sight. Seeing the pyramids in person, it’s a cathartic experience. My heart skipped a beat and tears welled in my eyes upon seeing them. Just to be in their presence and to realize their magnificence, and the fact that they are over 5,000 years old, constructed on the backs of nobles to create one tomb for one pharaoh to get to the afterlife is just incredible. Each mud and sandstone brick used to construct the pyramids weighs 15 tons. And to think that all that was used was a basic pulley system to build these pyramids makes you stop and wonder if we have really evolved that much as a species in 5,000 years. I thought that many times while I stared in amazement. The first pyramid we saw was the Cheoees pyramid, the second one belonged to King Cheaphren and the third, and the smallest of the three was Mecrenious.
With time being very limited at the pyramids, Baghat gave us two options: we could either go inside a pyramid (but you couldn’t take pictures) or to the Solar Boat museum. At first, I was all about going inside a pyramid, but after hearing that you basically couldn’t see anything and all of the pyramids had been stripped of their treasures millenniums ago, I decided to go to the Solar Boat museum. Now before thinking I am the biggest nerd on the planet, let me tell you about this Solar Boat. The Solar Boat was excavated in 1953 by Egyptian archeaologists, who found the boat only a few feet away from the base of the King Cheaphren pyramid. When the discovery was made, archeaologists found well preserved cedar planks that were all numbered. After piecing the planks together, a 48 meter long cedar boat was constructed. The Solar Boat was used as an offering to the gods when Cheaphren died, he would take his solar boat into the sky and into the next life. This solar boat is in almost perfect condition—and over 4,700 years old. It was so well preserved because the Egyptians used a process of sealing off the tomb where light and moisture could not get to it. The boat, in it’s 48 meter glory is completely assembled in the museum and the museum is constructed on the site in which it was found. You can even see the excavation area where it was found. To me, that’s just so mind-boggling and amazing!
After squeezing off a few more pictures of camels and pyramids, we boarded the bus and headed down the road 2 minutes to see the wondrous Sphinx. WOW! Honestly folks, words cannot do it justice. It’s just unreal. The Sphinx, it is believed, was discovered centuries ago by a group of Egyptian aristocrats who were out in the desert camping. One of the aristocrats had dreams that he was sleeping on something sacred and ordered his servants to dig. What they found was the head of the Sphinx, and they were sleeping on the granite portion of her headpiece. The Sphinx was once covered in limestone to protect it from the weather, and was completely buried in sand until the aristocrats dug it up. You couldn’t go on the Sphinx, but we got some amazing photos of it. Just wondrous, it is so spectacular and spell binding to be there, I was just in a state of euphoria the whole time. To see that, some people wait their entire lives to see it, or say they want to go, but never do. This is something you have to see in your lifetime. I don’t know how else to explain it, but pictures and TV are nothing in comparison to the experience of being present in the same time and place as these mystical ancient relics of a civilization that was there 5,000 years before. As I was walking around the sites, I thought a lot about the activity that took place where I was walking, the paths that I was following. Did a pharaoh walk here? Did someone’s house used to be in this same spot? Unreal, people. Unreal. Another cool experience that happened as we were boarding the bus was the sound of Arabic over an unknown loud speaker. Someone asked Baghat about it and he said that it was time for 1 PM call to prayer.
After our Sphinx and pyramid experience, everyone was in a state of bliss, amazement, and hunger! We traveled outside of Giza to the city of Sakara, which is world famous for its carpet schools, where young Egyptian children go to learn the craft of carpet weaving. We had a delightful lunch at the Sakara Country Club and filled our plates with chicken kebabs, rice, hummus and other vegetable salads. We also sampled some Egyptian coffee and a wonderful selection of Egyptian desserts, none of the names that I can remember, all I remember is their main ingredient was honey and they were absolutely addictive. Megan and I sat with Baghat at lunch, processing through what we had seen and heard, taking copious notes on our maps of Cairo. We were also joined by Carl and Abbey and Courtney. We enjoyed sharing our morning experiences and passing cameras around the table.
Baghat had us on tight schedule and next on the agenda was a trip out to the desert of Sakara, where we visited the tomb of Mer-Ruka, who lived in 2340 BC. We were lucky enough to go inside his tomb, where we found each room was covered floor to ceiling with hieroglyphics. According to Baghat, each pharaoh’s tomb took over 20 years to create because of the variety of laborious processes that need to be completed. After erecting the tomb, the floors and ceilings are plastered, then the designs for the hieroglyphics were traced, then carved out. After the carving process, each series of hieroglyphics were painstakingly painted by hand. All of the scenes in the tomb are to depict the daily activities of the pharaoh. We were not allowed to take pictures or touch the walls, but the hieroglyphics have been astonishingly well-preserved. Some of them still have pigment from the paint, a lot of paint having been destroyed over millienias by sunlight and heat. Again, just to fathom the construction and the painstaking carvings, many of which depicted water bearers, hunters and Mer-Rukas wife, were all done by hand over the span of 20 years. Just for one man. Astounding.
After our visit to Mer-Ruka, we walked over the first-discovered pyramid, the Step Pyramid. Why named so? Because it looks like giant steps, stacked layers on one another that go all the way to the peak, unlike the others with their smoothly angled sides. There is no date on when the pyramid was constructed, but the very first one. Again, according to Baghat, many Egyptologists believe that they have only uncovered about 30% of ancient Egypt, much of it buried beneath thousands of years of sand.
The step pyramid was on our way to see the first stone building ever constructed, which was believed to be the entryway into ancient Sakara. Built completely of smooth limestone, the building is pretty well-preserved, much of its architecture very much looking Grecian, many Ionic columns and pillars are found over the site. Crunched for time, Megan and I snapped some pictures of the place and were amused by the many old Egyptian men, who were charming the students of promises of marriage and 2 million camel. All in good fun, it was pretty hilarious.
We boarded the bus back near Mer-Ruka’s tomb, the temperature had now climbed to over 100 degrees. Now it was time for the Jeep and camel safari!!!
Surprisingly enough, we drove back to the Sakara country club, where our off-road Jeeps and drivers awaited. Students and faculty and staff alike were pumped for this experience. Megan and I, along with the Teachers at Sea, Meghan, Sarah and Caroline, hopped into a Jeep, and we were off! Many of the Jeeps took off at the same time and before we knew it, we were out in the barren desert. It was such an incredible feeling, a feeling of total abandonment and freedom, to be bajaing through the desert with no windows, just sand and sun and a Jeep flying over sand hills, up and down peaks and valleys, it was so awesome. I was able to catch some of it on video; it’s pretty hilarious, but so, so exhilarating; our adrenaline was pumping.
Before we knew it, we crossed over to near Mer-Ruka again, where we saw a huge pack of camels and camel drivers in the distance. Now was the time to go camel riding!!!! We got out of the Jeeps and headed over to the camel drivers, who waited patiently with their camels, who were all laying down in the sand, their long gangly legs tucked underneath them. All of the camel drivers spoke a little English and was soon ushered over to white camel by a boy who couldn’t have been more than 14. We made eye contact and I asked him not to spit on me. My driver assured me that he was very pleasant. I threw myself up in the saddle, and before I knew it, the camel was up on all fours and ready to go! The best part of this story comes now: the camel’s name? Douglas. Immediately thinking of my friend Doug, I let out a long laugh and patted Douglas’ side and knew immediately that we would be cool. The ride out to the desert was pretty great. Douglas was very friendly and only tried to nibble on my ankle just once. Before I got on, Megan and I had exchanged cameras, so I could take pictures of her with her camera and vice versa. I took a few good shots of Megan and her camel, Michael Jackson, and just enjoyed our leisurely stroll through the desert. It was so much fun to see the students and the faculty and staff getting into it as well. Douglas stayed at a good leisurely pace as the sun began to set in the distance behind Cairo.
Douglas and I parted ways and then it was time to head back to Alexandria. Most folks were pretty wiped out after all of the day’s activities, but Megan and I chatted with Baghat on the way home and learned a great deal about Egypt, its politics, the still-ongoing caste system, the status of women in a Muslim country, etc. All fascinating discussions and conversations, which I will keep to a minimum for the sake of the blog. I know I write too much as it is.
After a first day in Egypt like that, the rest of the time spent was a bit less dramatic and wondersome. A bunch of folks went into Cairo on the second day, myself included, although I had to come back that night because I was on duty on the ship. My observations of Cairo were fairly limited to cab rides and just observations on the city streets because I was only there 4 hours. I am glad that I was able to go, but while I was there, I observed that it is such a dichotomy between the haves and the have nots. Beggars in the streets, just scraping by, while these giant 5-star hotels loom in the distance. The part of the Nile River that I saw was murky, at best, and I noticed a dead cow floating by. And the traffic! I have never seen anything like it. While I was in a cab with our friend Courtney, she observed that the only thing more chaotic that she has seen is in India, but instead of cabs and cars and buses, it’s mules and rickshaws. Honestly, there are no lane markers, no stoplights. It’s every man, woman and child for themselves. The Egyptians also use their car horns as a communication system more than an expression of warning; they honk their horns to change lanes, pick up passengers, drop off passengers, stop for pedestrians, you name it, they use their horns J
Returning to Alexandria, I definitely appreciate the beauty and relatively peaceful and quiet atmosphere it has. I tried my hand at bartering at some nearby shops and succeeded pretty well. The trick is not to barter at all, I learned. Just ask a price to the merchant, say no and walk away. Soon enough, the merchant will ask you what price to you want to pay. He’ll say no, you walk away. Soon enough, the price goes tumbling down and you walk away feeling good about your purchases and the merchant still generates some revenue. It was delightful. I bought some hand-painted perfume bottles, a wooden camel set, a stuffed leather camel and two kartooshes—one for me and one for Sarah. Kartooshes are extremely popular in Egypt—they are necklaces and bracelets in either gold or silver with your name spelled out in hieroglphics. Pretty damn cool.
Some other interesting tidbits about Egypt include that the average monthly income for an Egyptian is $500 USD, most children stay at home with their parents until their thirties because the cost of getting married is so expensive. Baghat told us that most Egyptian men need to save $40,000 USD before getting married because men need to provide a furnished home, a savings account, and pay for the wedding. Most Egyptians go to college, adoption is illegal and the dream of each Egyptian child is to one day visit America.
I will treasure my time in Egypt for a long, long time to come and many of memories will live on past me through photos. This for me, was just a magical experience and one that I never thought would happen in my lifetime. It was just incredible and left me incredulous.
I feel so behind on the blogs; the ports are coming faster than what I can keep up with!
So we left off en route to Egypt, which was absolutely phenomenal….just a thrill for the sights, sounds, and taste buds. How cool is it that we get to go to Egypt as an “alternate” port? Who does that? Oh wait, we do! I felt a little unprepared for our destination as I certainly did not know how to speak or to read Arabic, but there is not many on this ship that do…..in many aspects, it was like entering Russia all over again.
We arrived in Alexandria, Egypt on July 30th. My immediate impressions of the port were very favorable. Alexandria was founded in 332 BC by Alexander the Great. At 4 million people, Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt, and often thought of as its crown jewel city. It is a place where many from Cairo flock for vacation or the weekend. After being in Cairo, I can attest that at 4 million people, Alexandria feels like a small resort town in comparison.
Now, I need to take a time out to commend the ship’s field office for doing a spectacular job arranging trips for us while in Egypt. With less than 24 hours notice, they pulled together jeep and camel safaris to the pyramids, three day trips to Cairo, overnight trips to Cairo, city tours of Alexandria and much more. They did an excellent job and I commend them for their fantastic work. I of course jump all over the jeep and camel safari. All of us acted like we were in elementary school, jumping up down, exclaiming how we were going to be camel riding and actually seeing the pyramids of Giza.
So last Wednesday morning, I disembarked in Alexandria and immediately stepped onto a motor coach that whisked us off for Cairo. I was lucky enough to be on the same trip as Megan, so we bunked up for our 2 and a half hour bus trip. Unlike any other port, each trip was equipped with trip leaders and armed guards (each one wearing a suit and carrying a small machine gun on their back under their jacket). Our tour guide, Baghat, was just awesome. He chatted on and on during our ride, giving us some history of the majesty and splendor of what we were about to see. So down-to-earth and funny, Megan and I chatted with him the whole way to Cairo, where we learned about kartooshes, mummification and much much more. Baghat is such a culture buff that he is starting his Ph.D. next year in Egyptology at the University of Chicago. He also taught us an important phrase on the bus, “habiby,” which means friend or sweetheart, depending on how you use it. So, habiby to you all J
Our trip to Cairo, the capital of Egypt and one of the most densely populated cities on the planet at 18 million, was pretty uneventful. Once we were out of Alexandria, it was nothing but flat desert. We saw many mud-brick huts along the roads and several leathery-faced men walking pack mules, destinations unknown.
To my surprise, the town of Giza, home to the great pyramids and the Sphinx, is located minutes from the outskirts of Cairo. We were in Cairo, and the next thing I knew, I spotted a pyramid outside of the bus window….and then it just kept getting bigger; and then they multiplied. There are three pyramids in total still intact in Giza, which makes for an awe-inspiring sight. Seeing the pyramids in person, it’s a cathartic experience. My heart skipped a beat and tears welled in my eyes upon seeing them. Just to be in their presence and to realize their magnificence, and the fact that they are over 5,000 years old, constructed on the backs of nobles to create one tomb for one pharaoh to get to the afterlife is just incredible. Each mud and sandstone brick used to construct the pyramids weighs 15 tons. And to think that all that was used was a basic pulley system to build these pyramids makes you stop and wonder if we have really evolved that much as a species in 5,000 years. I thought that many times while I stared in amazement. The first pyramid we saw was the Cheoees pyramid, the second one belonged to King Cheaphren and the third, and the smallest of the three was Mecrenious.
With time being very limited at the pyramids, Baghat gave us two options: we could either go inside a pyramid (but you couldn’t take pictures) or to the Solar Boat museum. At first, I was all about going inside a pyramid, but after hearing that you basically couldn’t see anything and all of the pyramids had been stripped of their treasures millenniums ago, I decided to go to the Solar Boat museum. Now before thinking I am the biggest nerd on the planet, let me tell you about this Solar Boat. The Solar Boat was excavated in 1953 by Egyptian archeaologists, who found the boat only a few feet away from the base of the King Cheaphren pyramid. When the discovery was made, archeaologists found well preserved cedar planks that were all numbered. After piecing the planks together, a 48 meter long cedar boat was constructed. The Solar Boat was used as an offering to the gods when Cheaphren died, he would take his solar boat into the sky and into the next life. This solar boat is in almost perfect condition—and over 4,700 years old. It was so well preserved because the Egyptians used a process of sealing off the tomb where light and moisture could not get to it. The boat, in it’s 48 meter glory is completely assembled in the museum and the museum is constructed on the site in which it was found. You can even see the excavation area where it was found. To me, that’s just so mind-boggling and amazing!
After squeezing off a few more pictures of camels and pyramids, we boarded the bus and headed down the road 2 minutes to see the wondrous Sphinx. WOW! Honestly folks, words cannot do it justice. It’s just unreal. The Sphinx, it is believed, was discovered centuries ago by a group of Egyptian aristocrats who were out in the desert camping. One of the aristocrats had dreams that he was sleeping on something sacred and ordered his servants to dig. What they found was the head of the Sphinx, and they were sleeping on the granite portion of her headpiece. The Sphinx was once covered in limestone to protect it from the weather, and was completely buried in sand until the aristocrats dug it up. You couldn’t go on the Sphinx, but we got some amazing photos of it. Just wondrous, it is so spectacular and spell binding to be there, I was just in a state of euphoria the whole time. To see that, some people wait their entire lives to see it, or say they want to go, but never do. This is something you have to see in your lifetime. I don’t know how else to explain it, but pictures and TV are nothing in comparison to the experience of being present in the same time and place as these mystical ancient relics of a civilization that was there 5,000 years before. As I was walking around the sites, I thought a lot about the activity that took place where I was walking, the paths that I was following. Did a pharaoh walk here? Did someone’s house used to be in this same spot? Unreal, people. Unreal. Another cool experience that happened as we were boarding the bus was the sound of Arabic over an unknown loud speaker. Someone asked Baghat about it and he said that it was time for 1 PM call to prayer.
After our Sphinx and pyramid experience, everyone was in a state of bliss, amazement, and hunger! We traveled outside of Giza to the city of Sakara, which is world famous for its carpet schools, where young Egyptian children go to learn the craft of carpet weaving. We had a delightful lunch at the Sakara Country Club and filled our plates with chicken kebabs, rice, hummus and other vegetable salads. We also sampled some Egyptian coffee and a wonderful selection of Egyptian desserts, none of the names that I can remember, all I remember is their main ingredient was honey and they were absolutely addictive. Megan and I sat with Baghat at lunch, processing through what we had seen and heard, taking copious notes on our maps of Cairo. We were also joined by Carl and Abbey and Courtney. We enjoyed sharing our morning experiences and passing cameras around the table.
Baghat had us on tight schedule and next on the agenda was a trip out to the desert of Sakara, where we visited the tomb of Mer-Ruka, who lived in 2340 BC. We were lucky enough to go inside his tomb, where we found each room was covered floor to ceiling with hieroglyphics. According to Baghat, each pharaoh’s tomb took over 20 years to create because of the variety of laborious processes that need to be completed. After erecting the tomb, the floors and ceilings are plastered, then the designs for the hieroglyphics were traced, then carved out. After the carving process, each series of hieroglyphics were painstakingly painted by hand. All of the scenes in the tomb are to depict the daily activities of the pharaoh. We were not allowed to take pictures or touch the walls, but the hieroglyphics have been astonishingly well-preserved. Some of them still have pigment from the paint, a lot of paint having been destroyed over millienias by sunlight and heat. Again, just to fathom the construction and the painstaking carvings, many of which depicted water bearers, hunters and Mer-Rukas wife, were all done by hand over the span of 20 years. Just for one man. Astounding.
After our visit to Mer-Ruka, we walked over the first-discovered pyramid, the Step Pyramid. Why named so? Because it looks like giant steps, stacked layers on one another that go all the way to the peak, unlike the others with their smoothly angled sides. There is no date on when the pyramid was constructed, but the very first one. Again, according to Baghat, many Egyptologists believe that they have only uncovered about 30% of ancient Egypt, much of it buried beneath thousands of years of sand.
The step pyramid was on our way to see the first stone building ever constructed, which was believed to be the entryway into ancient Sakara. Built completely of smooth limestone, the building is pretty well-preserved, much of its architecture very much looking Grecian, many Ionic columns and pillars are found over the site. Crunched for time, Megan and I snapped some pictures of the place and were amused by the many old Egyptian men, who were charming the students of promises of marriage and 2 million camel. All in good fun, it was pretty hilarious.
We boarded the bus back near Mer-Ruka’s tomb, the temperature had now climbed to over 100 degrees. Now it was time for the Jeep and camel safari!!!
Surprisingly enough, we drove back to the Sakara country club, where our off-road Jeeps and drivers awaited. Students and faculty and staff alike were pumped for this experience. Megan and I, along with the Teachers at Sea, Meghan, Sarah and Caroline, hopped into a Jeep, and we were off! Many of the Jeeps took off at the same time and before we knew it, we were out in the barren desert. It was such an incredible feeling, a feeling of total abandonment and freedom, to be bajaing through the desert with no windows, just sand and sun and a Jeep flying over sand hills, up and down peaks and valleys, it was so awesome. I was able to catch some of it on video; it’s pretty hilarious, but so, so exhilarating; our adrenaline was pumping.
Before we knew it, we crossed over to near Mer-Ruka again, where we saw a huge pack of camels and camel drivers in the distance. Now was the time to go camel riding!!!! We got out of the Jeeps and headed over to the camel drivers, who waited patiently with their camels, who were all laying down in the sand, their long gangly legs tucked underneath them. All of the camel drivers spoke a little English and was soon ushered over to white camel by a boy who couldn’t have been more than 14. We made eye contact and I asked him not to spit on me. My driver assured me that he was very pleasant. I threw myself up in the saddle, and before I knew it, the camel was up on all fours and ready to go! The best part of this story comes now: the camel’s name? Douglas. Immediately thinking of my friend Doug, I let out a long laugh and patted Douglas’ side and knew immediately that we would be cool. The ride out to the desert was pretty great. Douglas was very friendly and only tried to nibble on my ankle just once. Before I got on, Megan and I had exchanged cameras, so I could take pictures of her with her camera and vice versa. I took a few good shots of Megan and her camel, Michael Jackson, and just enjoyed our leisurely stroll through the desert. It was so much fun to see the students and the faculty and staff getting into it as well. Douglas stayed at a good leisurely pace as the sun began to set in the distance behind Cairo.
Douglas and I parted ways and then it was time to head back to Alexandria. Most folks were pretty wiped out after all of the day’s activities, but Megan and I chatted with Baghat on the way home and learned a great deal about Egypt, its politics, the still-ongoing caste system, the status of women in a Muslim country, etc. All fascinating discussions and conversations, which I will keep to a minimum for the sake of the blog. I know I write too much as it is.
After a first day in Egypt like that, the rest of the time spent was a bit less dramatic and wondersome. A bunch of folks went into Cairo on the second day, myself included, although I had to come back that night because I was on duty on the ship. My observations of Cairo were fairly limited to cab rides and just observations on the city streets because I was only there 4 hours. I am glad that I was able to go, but while I was there, I observed that it is such a dichotomy between the haves and the have nots. Beggars in the streets, just scraping by, while these giant 5-star hotels loom in the distance. The part of the Nile River that I saw was murky, at best, and I noticed a dead cow floating by. And the traffic! I have never seen anything like it. While I was in a cab with our friend Courtney, she observed that the only thing more chaotic that she has seen is in India, but instead of cabs and cars and buses, it’s mules and rickshaws. Honestly, there are no lane markers, no stoplights. It’s every man, woman and child for themselves. The Egyptians also use their car horns as a communication system more than an expression of warning; they honk their horns to change lanes, pick up passengers, drop off passengers, stop for pedestrians, you name it, they use their horns J
Returning to Alexandria, I definitely appreciate the beauty and relatively peaceful and quiet atmosphere it has. I tried my hand at bartering at some nearby shops and succeeded pretty well. The trick is not to barter at all, I learned. Just ask a price to the merchant, say no and walk away. Soon enough, the merchant will ask you what price to you want to pay. He’ll say no, you walk away. Soon enough, the price goes tumbling down and you walk away feeling good about your purchases and the merchant still generates some revenue. It was delightful. I bought some hand-painted perfume bottles, a wooden camel set, a stuffed leather camel and two kartooshes—one for me and one for Sarah. Kartooshes are extremely popular in Egypt—they are necklaces and bracelets in either gold or silver with your name spelled out in hieroglphics. Pretty damn cool.
Some other interesting tidbits about Egypt include that the average monthly income for an Egyptian is $500 USD, most children stay at home with their parents until their thirties because the cost of getting married is so expensive. Baghat told us that most Egyptian men need to save $40,000 USD before getting married because men need to provide a furnished home, a savings account, and pay for the wedding. Most Egyptians go to college, adoption is illegal and the dream of each Egyptian child is to one day visit America.
I will treasure my time in Egypt for a long, long time to come and many of memories will live on past me through photos. This for me, was just a magical experience and one that I never thought would happen in my lifetime. It was just incredible and left me incredulous.
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