Jan 1, 2013 - Parte 2 - Alexandria

Alexandria – 24/12/12 Saimos do Cairo no dia 23 de dezembro, a noite, rumo a Alexandria. A viagem nos empolgava. Nao apenas por comecar a trilha que preparamos pra nossa trip mas tambem por sair do caos cotidiano da capital do Egito. Na chegada ao Egito tudo eh novidade e surpreende: os olhares na rua para a Renata, o estilo de vida enlouquecedor dos egipcios, a confusao do transito, a vida pela religiao islamica, enfim, tudo. Mas depois de alguns dias, essa empolgacao toda da lugar a um certo repudio pela confusao. Sonhavamos em chegar em...

Feb 3, 2012 - Day 16 of our trip

Today is the last full day of our trip and we will spend the entire day in Alexandria. In the morning we will visit the catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa (I love catacombs!!) and then visit the Graeco-Roman Museum, Pompey's Pillar and Fort Qaitbay. We have free time in the afternoon where I plan on spending as much time as possible in the Alexandria Library. This is a beautiful building with rooms built specifically for reading (Matthew would love this place!) and it can hold 8 million books (I don't think I will have time to read them ALL, but...

Jan 24, 2011 - See the Pyramids along the Nile

First sorry about the very LONG paragraph about Rome---I am not very happy with this Trip Journal site-----------it takes me about 45 mins. to do each entry, and then it loses it or messes up the pictures and I have to start all over...............I usually break off my paragraphs, but when I hit send it does it as one big entry. So hope you can endure. Anyway getting to the ship was an ordeal......the Rome Station is a busy place (metro down below, shopping mall above, and the train station at street level). We entered at track...

Dec 13, 2010 - Day three at sea ...

At Sea ... day three ... December 13 We have learned that our experience on the “Brilliance of the Seas” hit CNN. Good grief! Yes, there is damage on the ship, but we were well cared for and doing well. Here’s the latest update ... We have now been three days at sea with limited dining options, very little if any entertainment, and no access to “fun” activities. And, it wasn’t until late yesterday that the bars opened. So, you can imagine that people’s nerves are frayed. About the food ... While it’s true we are being fed, there were two...

Dec 12, 2010 - Rockin' and Rollin' at sea

At Sea Dec 11 and middle of the night December 12 ... We have always looked forward to our days at sea. It’s a chance to relax, read a book, go to the spa, or snooze by the pool. However, today there were rough seas, much more severe than is usual this time of year. To keep everyone safe, the captain closed the four central elevators, all of the pools and hot tubs, and outside decks. He also advised those with a balcony to keep exterior doors closed. The storm we entered got much worse in the middle of the night. On the morning of...

Dec 2, 2010 - Alexandria

Modern Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt. Set on the shores of the Mediterranean, this port city is the perfect counterbalance to the intensity of Cairo. Here, the Nile is no longer the lifeblood of the community; instead the Mediterranean Sea and its maritime influence take the forefront of importance. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C., most of the buildings and monuments of the Hellenistic period and beyond lie under the city or in the Sea.

Nov 18, 2010 - Alexandria and El Alamein

Alexandria is a city of contrasts. Parts of the city are as dirty and rundown as anywhere we have every been, but running along side the city is the mediterranean - a blue and white ribbon of perfection. We drove across the desert from the Sinai Peninsula back to Cairo and then up to Alexandria. We spent a few days taking in the sights. We stayed in a hotel just off the corniche, just across the road from the Montazah Palace and within view of the Mediterranean. We arrived late in the day, and wandered around the back streets near the...

Oct 14, 2010 - Resting up in Alexandria, Egypt

Marilyn & I returned to the ship right at 7:30 last night. We had been gone from the ship for 12 and ½ hours and we were exhausted. We traveled through the desert to Cairo, Egypt where we saw the great Pyramids and the Sphinx. My brother had been here some years ago and had told me much about his trip, so I had some idea about what to expect. We took a luncheon cruise on the Nile which included some fine food, a belly dancer, a “Whirling Dervish”, and some enjoyable music. The ride back in bumper to bumper traffic was just brutal! Once on...

Oct 13, 2010 - El Alamein

Longish drive (2hour) to El Alamein. Passed a lot of new tourist villas for resorts that are being built along the Mediterranean. Also several fuel refineries. Egypt is self sufficient in fuel and exports CNG and LPG. Benzene is only 2EPounds /l. Also self sufficient in some crop and Salt. On the way to Alexandria we saw lots of small holdings growing vegetables but also some larger areas that are being cultivated with tracotrs and bigger machinery rather than donkeys. Still nothing on the scale of farming in NZ. The war museum was very...

Oct 13, 2010 - 6 - 13 October Alexandria, Egypt

Well, here we are in Egypt at the start of another holiday - retirement sure is great! After leaving Australia on 4 October we arrived in Abu Dhabi after a 14 hour flight. With changes made to our flights by Etihad we had a 24 hour stopover in Abu Dhabi, but they looked after us very well. A chauffeur driven car took us to the Raddison to our room and all meals were supplied. The next day we took a city tour to see what was around - there sure is a lot of money over there. Stepping out of our hotel was like stepping straight into a sauna,...

Oct 12, 2010 - Luxor-Cairo-Alexandria

Pick up at O715 for a 0915 flight seemed a little excessive- especially as the airport is less than 15 minutes from the hotel. Still, it meant we were up early enough to see a beautiful display of balloons rising on the west bank of the Nile, we had time for a marvellous breakfast that catered for absoultely every nationality and got the first freshly squeesed juice of the trip rather than something that tasted like Tang.Still having trouble getting used to oranges that actually have green skins. Chef convinced me to try teramia- falafel-...

Sep 24, 2010 - Adventures in Egypt - Day 1 - blogged by Andy

Greetings from Egypt! We docked at the Alexandria port a little before 7 this morning. Mike and I were up by 6, packed and ready to go. Because we were going to be going, going, going all day, and since Mike needs to make sure his sugar levels stay moderated, we managed to grab a quick small breakfast before meeting with our tour group. By about 7:20, we were on our way to the buses, and on our way to adventure! Okay. How to say this? There's no way to sugar coat it... Egypt is dirty. Almost all the buildings, even the nicer ones, look like...