GREECE (26 August - 19 September)

Dear Mom, Gran, Gramps, Jo and Ant,

Hi There! I’ve had a fantastic time in Greece during the three weeks I’ve been here. It’s a country where there’s a terrific amount to do and see but most of all I’ve met some really wonderful people who I’ll probably stay in contact with for years to come.

As you know from my phone call, I flew from Cairo to Athens on 26th August. Athens is a pleasant place to visit for a couple of days – but not for staying in too long. I certainly don’t know why they went and gave it the 2004 Olympics! It’s a positive dump compared to Cape Town! The first thing I did in Greece was to gorge myself on Greek salads - it was such a pleasure to not have to worry if it had been washed in dirty water or not. Three weeks in Greece and not a single tummy upset. What a pleasure after the Middle East! I’m doing my best to build myself up before India.

Some of the highlights in and around Athens included visiting the Acropolis and Temple of Poseidon. I inadvertently stumbled onto a nudist beach and was ordered to take my trousers off! I also had some good rambles in the National Garden.

I met a wonderful American chap (Benjamin) and we decided to travel together. Ben was a very interesting travel mate – he absolutely adores women of every nationality and is the smoothest charmer I’ve ever met. So I learned some great tips and there were always gorgeous women flocking about. Ally would definitely not have been impressed !

From Athens we went to the “Oracle of Delphi” situated high in beautiful mountains. We met two wonderful Dutch girls and a Spanish guy and spent the night chatting and drinking ouzo. Ouzo is the national drink of Greece and with over 50% alcohol content, has a potent kick.

After visiting the ancient ruins of Delphi (spectacular views), we headed for Meteora. This is one of the most extraordinary places I’ve ever seen with enormous boulders (the size of mountains) towering into the sky with monasteries perched precariously on top. Really beautiful – we hiked for ages visiting the monasteries and taking in the breathtaking scenery.

Then to the lush and beautiful Island of Corfu – voted by many as Greece’s loveliest island. We stayed at “The Pink Palace” – infamous amongst backpackers for its bohemian parties. Certainly lived up to expectations – on the one night we had a toga party (everyone had to wear a thin sheet and nothing else). By the end of the night, there were a lot of nude people dancing. So this is what I missed out on in my youth!

In between all the raucous parties (occupying the entire night), I relaxed by playing volleyball, swimming, visiting nearby islands and mopedding on a scooter around Corfu. It was a great time but after a week I’d had more than enough so headed for some spiritual renewal at Mount Olympus. This is Greece’s highest mountain and I was determined to get to the top. I met up with some fantastic people – Russell (New Zealander), Kate (American) and Donna (Canadian) and together we made our ascent. It took two days – tough going with our packs but the views from the 3,000 metre high summit made it very worthwhile indeed. Russell has been back packing for two and a half years around the world and is full of tips and stories – so we all learned an extraordinary amount from him. He travels with the tiniest pack you’ve ever seen – with only one shirt and three changes of underwear. I haven’t quite got to that stage yet! Still got underpants for each day of the week. Since travelling with Russell and co., we’ve really been roughing it – sleeping in the mountains and parks. You won’t believe how cheap it’s been! However, I’m looking forward to living it up a little bit more in Turkey.

Inspired by our success on Mount Olympus, we decided to hike the Vicos Gorge – the world’s narrowest, deepest gorge. This took us two days and once again, the scenery was awe inspiring. The only really tough bits were climbing into and out of the gorge (900 metres) but Kate has a gorgeous singing voice and her cheerful voice got us through!

Right now I’m in Thesalonika. Russell and Kate are coming with me to Turkey where we’ll meet up with Ally. Our bus leaves at 2:30am this morning so we are lazing for hours in the bus station. On the way to Istanbul we plan to visit Troy and Gallipoli. I cannot wait to find out what’s round the next corner. I absolutely love the travel thing and am having the time of my life.

It was so great hearing your voices in Athens. Jo, I had trouble getting through to you but I’ll try and phone you during the next few days. I hope you’re all well. The one big disadvantage of being here is that I’m missing you all like crazy. Mu, are you still playing bridge and croquet? How are Liz and Barbara, etc? How is your job going? Gran and Gramps – I really miss popping over for those delicious Sunday lunches. Have you been to see any good movies lately? I haven’t seen a movie in over three months! I’m going to have lots of catching up to do when I get home! Gramps, how is the bowls coming along? Jo and Ant, how is married life treating you? Jo, I hope your nursing is going well – you don’t have much longer to go now! Ant, I hope work is going o.k. Have you guys had any more nice weekends away?

We’re off to get a bite to eat so I must say goodbye. I hope you enjoy the postcards. I’ll write again soon from Turkey.

Chow


From Postcards


Athens
Athens is a nice place to see for a day or two but that’s enough. It has some impressive ancient ruins, especially the Acropolis. It also has a huge National Garden with lots of shady places to sleep. The food here is fantastic, especially after Egypt where I always had to be so careful. I’ve been stuffing myself on Greek salad and lamb since I arrived.


Acropolis
The Acropolis is the most famous landmark in Athens. Really impressive – especially at sunset. I met a really nice American guy here – and we’ve decided to travel together. That’s what I enjoy most about travelling – you’re forever meeting exciting new people. My Middle East and Greece trip is into its 8th week and I haven’t been lonely for a single day of that.


Sounio
Ah, this was a beautiful place. The sunset over the Mediterranean was spectacular. I met a wonderful group of people here – our travelling “caravan” just keeps getting bigger. I went for a swim in a secluded cove nearby – only to discover it was a nudist colony and bathing costumes were not allowed. I made sure to use lots of sun tan cream!


Delphi
This was a very interesting ancient ruin that we visited. Situated high in the mountains, it looks down onto an exquisite valley. In ancient times, 1,000’s of pilgrims would flock here to hear the prophecies of the “oracle” – an old woman who would inhale vaporous fumes and speak gibberish (which would then be translated by a priest). No guessing who had all the influence in those days.


Meteora
Meteora was unforgettable. Huge towering rocks reaching for the sky with monasteries perched precariously on top. We hiked for hours exploring the area and visiting all the monasteries. So peaceful and serene. The priests who stay here live quiet lives of meditation and prayer. Tourists (especially women) have to cover from head to foot so as not to distract them.

In the old days the only way to get to the monastery was to be hauled up by ropes. One of the priests was asked how they knew when to change the rope. He replied “when god sees fit to break it’ that’s when we change it”.

This is the village in Meteora where we stayed. If I ever need a place to recuperate or write a book etc, I’ll come here. It’s one of those places where days just merge into days.


Corfu
Sun, sex and souvlaki is what Corfu is all about. It’s Greece’s most beautiful island – but also home to wild parties and nightlife. I loved it here! Spent eight nights living life to the full – meeting fantastic people.

In Corfu I stayed in a place called the Pink Palace. This postcard shows the stretch of beach on which the resort is situated. Although it’s moving to autumn here in Greece, the weather has been fantastic.

During the days we often hired mopeds (scooters) and explored the island – a myriad of lush forests, mountains and beaches. Another highlight was jumping off a beautiful cliff into the sea (65 feet high!).




Travel Notes



Athens

• Tues 26, catch early taxi to airport and fly to Athens. Phone Mum, Gran and Gramps. Gran is getting very frail - has to have a night nurse. I hope she is going to be OK. Walk round and sleep in National Gardens. Then visit Parthenon where watch sun set. Spiritual. Chat with Brazilian girl I met at airport (Raphael). I'm trying to be always the first to say hello, inspired by Marcus.
• Wed 27, late get up. Visit Cape Sounion to watch sun set at Temple of Psoedian. Swim in sea. Spiritual place. Scenic bus ride. Meet Raphael again at Psoedian with Brazilian friend and American chap (Benjamin). We all get on famously. Late supper at oldest Taverna in Greece. Then get beers and watch lights of Athens till 5 am. Raphael hits on Ben and kisses him when I leave.
  
  

Delphi

• Thurs 28, Ben and I say goodbye to Raphael. We head to Delphi (miss bus). Meet two lovely Dutch girls and Spanish guy (with smelly socks) who we click with. Restarant and drink ouzo (drunk!) till late.
• Visit Delphi where oracle (old woman) would inhale vapourous fumes and shout gibberish to be translatted by priest. Millions of Pilgrims in Ancient World would come for help. Priest had the power! Museum. Awesome views.
• Walk to swimmng pool with Dutch girls but no go. Series of buses to Meteora. Catch series of buses to Meteora. Ben is girl mad (or is he?) - real cool guy.
  
  

Meteora

• Bus to Meteora. Awesome towering rocks with monasteries perched on top. At top of first monastery, I really feel the presence of the Great Mystery as I look out at the view. In old days, taken up by ropes and baskets. "When do you change the rope. When God feels fit to break it."
• Walk from monastery to monastery. Great views. Meet Swiss girl. Ben singing country songs. Luxury hotel with breakfast for £6.
  
  

Corfu

• Meet Joel - creatively weird with deadlocks but very sensitive and full of humility and love. Bus and ferry to Corfu. Everyone drunk all time. Trip to Cucumber Island - free beer if jump 65 feet naked. Flap arms but then cup balls at last minute.
• Volleyball - girls win points if serve topless.
• Ben flyfishes. Breakfast and supper included. Disco where drinking games and everyone smashed. Topless bathing. Staff friendly but hate Sir George, the gruff Greek boss. Meet three nice guys and go Mopeding. Exilerating freedom till one of bikes breaks down. Very green island with gorgeous blue sea.
• Princess Di dies in car accident - cannot believe it.
• Joel gets off with a stunning Scottish girl. He leaves and I become friends with her.
  I meet Carolyn, a very talkative girl (Carolyn) from Los Angeles. Quite fun but only in smalll doses.
• Impressions - Israeli chap who dances like a dream - full on karate type moves. Lots of space of floor. Jumping off cliff, free beer if naked, cup balls at last minute, bravado jump to surface real quiet, Jesus rock, drunken volleyball with topless serving to win points -
  Swim to raft out to sea - further than thought, but saw people on it. Kayak.
  Greek plates broken on our heads, beer races and ouzo circle, ten most told lies "Only stay one night, Leave tomorrow - really, amazing convenience - with pink card as passport, too much effort to leave because steep walk out in backpack at 7 am, Dr George - the shitty owner who picks up table, chair and beers up with his teeth, friendly staff who get drunk every night, Corfu cough.
• My dancing is coming along - no more sideways shuffle, now more subtle. Got free Island excursion, Moped and T shirt!!
  
  

Vicos Gorge

• Mon 8 - I leave Pink Palace with Kate (American) and Donna (Canadian). We meet Russel ( New Zealand) and head for Vicos Gorge, deepest and narrowest gorge in world (Guiness Book of Records). Arrive at Monodendri to find no supermarket or anything. Hike down into Gorge where sleep night under stars.
• Kate is beautiful, spiritual girl into Yoga and witchcraft - smells her food + always gives thanks. She is an ex alcoholic, her father a famous creative designer from Hollywood. Inspiring how she has turned her life around. Kate really perves after Russel - till discover he is a committed Christian. He is fantastic guy, been away from home 2 years and eight months. Donna is very negative, - turns out she has Chrones disease. I realise how shallow most of our transactons with most people really are, I want to focus on opening up connections early on - far more powerful than having lots to say.
• I really excel with my stories, Kate is in hysterics and says I am funniest story teller she has ever met. Quotes also go down very well.
• Walk along Vicos Gorge is beautiful and impressive - pity about no water - altho we manage a skinny dip at the end of the day. Spring water and wild berries. Walk only 6 km to Vicos (suprise), sleep on hill, catch bus to Meteora.
  
  

Meteora again

• We go to Meteora where stay in Kalambaka where stay on roof in hotel. Walk to monasteries again. Donna leaves that night on train - now we are down to three.
  
  

Mount Olympus

• We travel to Lithoro - skinny dip in sea - then hitch to town, shop for food and head off into Mount Olympus. Walk 4 km into mountain where sleep on side of road. Early morning hitch up to beginning of path. Heavy trek up to Youth Hostel and beyond where sleep night. I have good meditation session on mountain peak, then cannot find my way back.
• Kate, Russel and I get on famously. Russel is "the backpacker" - a veritable Mc Guyver, cut shirt, strap on torch, tiniest poack ever seen, all the right gear and no more. Laid back and stong in his faith. Never uppity.
• Sun 14, we climb mountain to very top - to flag and comment book. Great scenery (3000m high) - then walk to Refuge A for chocolate and a very enjoyable walk down to the parking lot. Hitch to catch bakkie down to Lothoro for great supper of moussaka (eggplant pie) and Greek Salad. Mmmm! I love our group - we are getting so close. I am getting excited about Ally coming too. Another night in the woods - starting to smell real bad!
• My neck has been unbelievable for just about the whole middle east trip. What a difference!
• Catch bus to Thesaloniki - arrive 9 am. Bus to Canakkale ( Turkey) only leaves 2 30 am.
• Long wait - make friends with friendly British guy (Philip) making his way overland on £350.

.







Next Stop:

Turkey

EGYPT (4-26 August 1997)

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Dear Mum, Gran, Gramps, Jo and Ant

Hi there! I hope this letter gets to you because the Egyptian postal service is notoriously suspect! Right now I’m in the Sinai desert on the coast of the Gulf of Aquaba (part of the Red Sea). I’m staying at an extremely rustic camp with Robinson Crusoe style grass huts, very basic toilets and nothing else for miles around. A wonderful spot to relax after my hurly burly trip through Israel and Jordan. It gets rather hot here during the day (understatement of the Century!) so we spend our time lazing in the shade with occasional splashes in the sea – which is a deliciously refreshing temperature. There is a huge coral reef here so there is lots to explore. I’m planning to explore the Sinai for at least a week; the scenery is awesome and it’s so cheap. Accommodation is costing me R5 a night. Some people come here for a day or two and end up staying for 6 months. They’re the ones with long beards and smelly armpits. Not for me though – I cannot wait to get to the Nile Valley to see ancient pyramids and temples. From here I intend to make my way to Aswan, then catch a Felucca (Egyptian boat) up the Nile to Luxor (apparently this is an awesome experience) then head north to Cairo. I’d also like to explore some of the desert oases before flying to Athens on 26th August. Three weeks in Greece, then I meet Ally in Istanbul Turkey.

The Middle East has been a real experience – so different from travelling in Europe. The first thing that strikes you is the climate – it’s very hot. In Eilat and Aquaba we experienced temperatures well into 40ºC. There are advantages – one is able to travel really light with just a pair of shorts and a few T shirts (drying washed clothes is an instantaneous affair) – and accommodation is always cheap because all you need is a mattress on the roof (I’ve become addicted to sleeping under the stars).

After Jordan we made our way into Egypt. To do so we had to use a ferry across the Red Sea. What an experience it was. Two hours late and crammed so tight with locals there was hardly a place to sit on the open deck –not to mention the problem of the beating sun on the three hour crossing. Drank lots of water. After another two hours in Egyptian customs (you would not believe how inefficient and slow the Egyptian “wheels” turn), we were free to begin our hedonistic lifestyle on the Red Sea.

I stayed in Nuweyba for a week – really relaxing and quiet with awesome coral reefs. Highlights included swimming with a huge turtle and wild dolphin. Mark left for Cairo – he couldn’t stand the quiet but I soon became really good friends with a wonderful girl from Peru and guy from Holland. We were all really sad to say goodbye when the week was up.
Then to Darhab, also on the Red Sea, where hundreds of young people come to chill out and have fun. The whole place had a 60’s “free” feel and was very festive. The coral reef was spectacular here too – a temporary diversion from all the partying. For some exercise we climbed to the top of Mount Sinai (resisting the temptation to go by camel). We spent the night on top (very cold, but fantastic stars in the night sky). The sunrise was also awesome.

From the Sinai I caught a boat to Hurgada – a mammoth 5-hour journey of buffeting waves. I thought I was going to die of seasickness. From there, an epic bus ride to Aswan to see the famous temple of Abu Simbel and Philae. The Aswan High Dam was a disappointment – I was expecting a huge wall but it wasn’t to be. However seeing the Nile and walking along it was exciting. IN Aswan I met three wonderful girls from Germany and we travelled together for five days. They didn’t speak much English so communication was a real challenge and often hilariously funny. My German has certainly come a long way.

Then another highlight of my trip – I sailed along the Nile to Edfu on a Felucca (a traditional Egyptian sailing boat). The trip took three days and provided glorious scenery and relaxation. Our captain was a really friendly local who made us laugh constantly and my four fellow passengers were also great fun. On the second night, we stopped off at our captain’s village to meet his wife and kids (all 8 of them) and enjoy a simple but delicious Egyptian meal. Food in Egypt is tasty and cheap –but you’ve got to be careful of what and where you eat. Lots of my travelling companions have come down with nasty tummy problems – but I’ve been fine so far (touch wood). Egypt is good training ground for India – where everyone gets sick.

After three lazy days of watching the banks of the Nile goby (and eating, sleeping and temple watching) we arrived at Edfu. From there to Luxor – home of the famous “Valley of the Kings” where the ancient Egyptians buried their Pharaoh in beautiful, colourful tombs carved in the mountain. Lots more impressive ancient temples, too. After bingeing on all the sights, I caught the train (surprisingly luxurious for Egypt) to Cairo. What a mad city! 20,000,000 people living close together, all Egyptians drive like maniacs and love hooting their horns. The only way to escape the noise is to stay in hotels at least 10 floors up. However, it is wonderfully vibrant with teeming shops and markets and lots of interesting sights including the awesome pyramids which have to be seen to be believed. They are huge! The Egyptian museums also provided hours and hours of interest.

Tomorrow I leave Cairo and fly to Athens. I’ve heard lots of good reports about Greece and cannot wait to see it.

So that’s a quick summary of my Middle East travels. It’s been absolutely fantastic – I never realised life could be this exhilarating. I’ve made some wonderful friends and am fast collecting addresses from all over the world.

I’m sorry that my correspondence has been so frugal while I’ve been in Egypt – but I’ve been hearing so many sad tales about the postal service that I decided to rather keep my postcards and send them from Greece. I hope Ally gave you the message that I was alive and kicking.

I hope you guys are well. I think about you all the time on my travels. There are so many things about home that I miss. I’ll try and phone you as soon as I get to Athens.


From Post Cards

Dahab
I spent close to two weeks in the Sinai – exploring the desert and the coral reefs. Nuweiba, the first town I stayed in was rustic and quiet (very relaxing). Then I moved to Dahab, full of young backpackers and rave-up parties all night. It was great experiencing both worlds.

The Wonders of the Red Sea
I spent many fascinating hours snorkelling in the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Spiritual stuff – teeming with brightly coloured fish and sea plants. My best moments were swimming with a huge turtle and then later, a friendly dolphin that loved the company of people.

St Catherine
I climbed all the way to the top of Mt Sinai (a long way!) then slept the night on the top after watching the sunset. Then after a very chilly night, we watched the sunrise and made our way down to the Monastery of St Catherine’s which has a room full of the skulls of dead monks who worked in the monastery through the ages.

Karnak
Karnak is one of the largest remaining temples in the world and very impressive indeed with towering pillars and walks. Just to walk round it takes an hour. Just about every bit of rock making up he temple is covered in hieroglyphics – some of it rather x rated. Karnak is situated in Luxor, a town on the Nile in central Egypt.

The Temple of Queen Hatchepsut
Here is another temple that really impressed me. As you can see, temples look very different at night when they are lit up. It’s great walking around temples at night, not just because of the atmosphere, but also because you don’t have to contend with the sweltering sun. One advantage though of being in Egypt in the hot summer is that there are less tourists.

Aswan
Aswan is a beautiful place – with wonderfully shady walks along the Nile. Thank god for the shade because it can reach 50ºC here. From Aswan we climbed onto a Felucca (traditional sailing boat) and spent three lazy days sailing along the Nile – exploring islands and temples along the way. We ended up in Edfu and then caught a bus to Luxor.

Valley of the Kings
Visiting the pharaoh’s tombs in the Valley of the Kings was one of my biggest highlights. The tombs are built deep into the mountainside (like caves) and the walls are beautifully painted in fresh, bright coloured pictures (like the one shown on the postcard). The entrances to the tombs were originally hidden to deter thieves.

We went through hell to get here, a cramped three and a half hour bus journey through the scorching desert, but it was well worth it. When the Aswan dam was built, this temple was in danger of being swallowed by the rising waters, so organisations from across the world moved it – brick by brick, to a new site (an awe inspiring achievement).

The Temple of Philae
This is one of the stunning temples I visited in Aswan. Yet another temple that they had to move brick by brick when the Aswan dam was built. The temple is now situated on an island in the middle of the Aswan dam. Not surprisingly, the Egyptians charge you a fortune to visit by boat – you really have to be careful in Egypt or you can get really ripped off. Whenever you want to buy something in Egypt, the Egyptians will tell you an exorbitant price and then you have to haggle them down. It’s part of the culture here.

Cairo – The Mehemet Ali Mosque
The Mosques in Cairo are absolutely beautiful, and very old. Many date back to 500AD. I spent a spiritual morning in the Mehmet Ali Mosque feasting my eyes on its stunning architecture and colourful interior. I’ve developed a much stronger understanding of the Muslim religion in the Middle East. It’s great to explore other cultures. It makes you think about things differently.

Cairo
Cairo is a mad city. 20 million people rushing around frantically like ants. Noisy, everyone continually hoots their car horns, chaotic, smelly – but fascinating. We spent hours just walking the streets, mesmerised by all the goings on. Cairo has enormous markets where you can buy anything real cheap. In all, a great place to visit (but not stay too long!).

Giza
Please excuse the kitsch postcard – it was the only one of the pyramids I could find. Postcards in Egypt leave a lot to be desired! The pyramids and sphinx at Giza were fantastic. You wouldn’t believe the size of them. I explored the area on horseback (great fun) and went right deep inside the Great Pyramid – a very eerie experience. Sunset over the area was unforgettable – miraculously we were nearly the only tourists there. It’s great to have finally seen the 7th wonder of the ancient world.

Cairo – the Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo was very impressive – a huge building crammed with ancient relics. Tutankhamen’s treasure, including solid gold masks and statues were awe-inspiring. They certainly buried their kings in style! Another highlight was the Mummy Room – full of grinning and shrivelled up bodies of the Great Pharaohs of old. Macabre but fascinating.

This map will give you a basic idea of my trip around Egypt. It was a fascinating country and I made many good friends. My next adventure is Greece. I fly into Athens tomorrow.



Travel Notes


Nuweyba

• No wonder the Jews were in the wilderness for 40 years - they discovered the Sinai, camped on the Red Sea and smoked grass with the Bedouins all day.
• Arrive in Nuweyba, at rustic camp with grass huts and gorgeous beach. We have met some quiet Check girls. The lazy life begins. Sleep on beach to sound of lapping waves.
  Tues 5, lazy day resting and swimming. Mark like a bear with soar head - to slow for him. He has become hyper critical of so much and I feel all self conscious that he is judging everything I say. Life consists of sleeping, eating and swimming.
• Wed 6, another relaxing day. Snorkel on the beautiful reef. Meet South American girl studying "Grunberg technique" in Israel. Beautiful, radiant person - spontaneous and warm.
• Thurs 7, Mark and Stefan leave early. Ariele and I chat. Fantastic snorkeling.
• Fri 8, more snorkeling where I see a turtle - spiritual stuff. Go into town to Dr Sheesh kebab for fantastic pancake and breakfast. Meet our new resident, Dutch actor called "Case". Warm and funny, he is manager of a theatre company. Laze around and go to town for great evening meal at Dr Sheesh. Make friends everywhere we go. Back to camp for joints and fun with camp people (Looka, Maurice). I learn to smoke properly.
• Sat 9, I find someone has been into my sacred wallet and taken my big notes, including my dollars ($300) and travellors cheques.
• Swim with local dolphin - amazing. Scores of swimmers trying to get a touch. With my flippers, I can keep up really well.
• Try to catch bus to Dahab but never arrive. To Chinese restaurant with Case and Ariele - delicious beer. Case has really made an impression.

Dahab

• Sun 10, I go to Dahab. Hot concrete room like an oven. Very touristy but food good. Swim at Blue Hole, 100 m deep hole in shallow coral. Spiritual world of colour and abundant life. See Scorpion and Rock Fish. At 11 pm, I climb Mount Sinai to watch sunrise.
• Mon 11, climb dow and visit St Catherines Monastery. Really tired! Read "All that Remains" - serial killer mystery.
• Tues 12, back to Blue Hole, then eat out on town with friendly british group. Dahab looks good at night with thousands of lights.
• Impressions - bleak drown desert with multi coloured world under sea, slow motion customs officials, buses that never arrive, bus looks for petrol at 11 pm, driving 100 km off route to get it.

Luxor

• Wed 13, catch bus and boat to Hurdada.
• Thurs 14, I allow myself to be forced to hasty taxi experience. To Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple (by night light - fantastic) Get lost travelors cheques but not resolved. Buy illegal alcohol for hotel. Fuluca to Banana Island with Australian - no wind so motor boat pulls us with 5 other boats.
• Fri 15, to West Bank - Valley of Kings (Ramses IV no 2, Ramses VI - amazing) Also to Temple of Ramses III (Habu) and Hatsheput.

Aswan

• Catch train to Aswan, meeting three wonderful girls from E Germany. (Steffi, Danie, Anya).
• Sat 16, walk round city markets, felucca ride to Kitchener Island (botanical island), Elephant Island (museum + temple). Hotel Norhaan is great. Meet Liverpool guy and his Hong Kong wife for supper at Emy's restaurant. Inspiring - they are well over 30 and traveling.
• Sun 17, long trip to Abu Simbel. Eerie desert scenes. Temple amazing, especially considering been moved block by block to new place when dam built. Built into huge mountain which later find is man made - go into center where like space set.
• Temple of Philae on island of Aswan - lose my temper getting a boat. Chill out.
• Unimpressive Aswan dam. Supper with German girls. They have made me feels so welcome - clicked really well.

Felucca trip

• Mon 18, I begin my wonderful felucca trip with Mohammed, warm and friendly. Fello trippers are Keith (British photographer), Midge (German / English marine biology with confused accent) and two german girls (Connie and Ellen). Lazy watching the lush Nile go by - smoking grass. Two rats on board. Washes plates in Nile. Lots of tea. Zig zag along on strong wind. My soul relaxes and soars.
• Tues 19, early morning temple visit, then day of sailing to Mohammed's house in Edfu. Very poor and basic but warm hospitality and lots of filling supper. Excited children everywhere. Smoke Shisha till late, then sleep on boat. I feel absolutely wonderful - must find more experiences like this.

Luxor revisited

• Wed 20, visit Edfu Temple. Then to New Everest Hotel in Luxor. Walk around town with Merge. Awful supper of Sheesh Kebab. Only eat at recommended redtaurants! Night of drinking cinzanno and smoking grass with felucca girls and a smooth, fuckaholic local.
  I have been traveling now for over 4 months. Learned a lot. Have realised experiences and nature are far more important than seeing lots of sights. Do really NB things (eg pyramids), then look beyond the beaten track. Do what is good for soul.
• Impressions: Hassling everywhere. Come into my shop, baksheesh, inflated prices that have to haggle for. Tooting horns, flash lights when pass oncoming car, use both lanes. Egypt is a narrow strip of green in a hot desert, if the Aswan breaks, the whole country will be swamped. Date trees everwhere. Eating always a bit precarious - will I get the runs, tummy cramps, constipation?

Cairo

• Thurs 21, catch train to Cairo. Meet wonderful German chap (Marcus) with gorgeous sense of fun and enthusiasm. Travel Cairo together. Stay at Sun Hotel, smoke grass on roof.
• Fri 22, to awesome Pyramids at Giza. Ripped off by horse rental company but fun galloping. Crawl through inside of 2nd pyramid and walk round Great Pyramid. Walk round Cairo - mad, bustling, tooting city. Great cheap food (noodle dish eaten by locals - Kushuri). Buy vodca from Duty Free and get drunk with Merge, Marcus and Tom etc. on the roof. The security guard and local roof dweller get drunk with us. What a bond alcohol can make!
• Story: Eed. Family in Cairo playing wth goat. Kicking ball against it. Girls playing with hair. Suddenly arrive - father hacking at it - son kicking head round lawn. Put hands in blood and put on walls. All thru town can hear bleating animals. Sheep killed on cars. Turkey neck broken.
• Sat 23, see the Egyptian Museum - King Tutenkamen's treasures awesome. To think he was a small king! Solid gold masks within masks in tomb in tomb (4x). Mummy room very eerie - Egypt's Greats exposed in death. Walk to Bazaar and old Cairo - miles later catch taxi home. Marcus is wonderful - zestful enthusiasm completely infectious.
• Sun 24, to Citadel to see beautiful Muhammed Ali mosque (spiritual, quiet sit inside, then city of Dead - massive cemetary of graves with people living too. Tom came with us - hyper stressed and negative but nice company.
• I'm so enjoying traveling - haven't been lonely for more than a day.
• Mon 25, quiet day at hotel. Tom going mad with impatience to get out of Egypt. Afternoon return to Giza Pyramids to walk round and watch sun set. Fantastic. Shitty ride on horse. Meet great couple (Dutch guy and his Peruvian girlfriend.) Walked around town together getting on famously. Stay awake till early morning.
• Impresions: Mad roads in Cairo, driving in taxi like an Arcade game, hooting. Chap cycling in street with huge box of bread on his head. Kushuri noodles - local restaurant where we gain respect of locals by pouring on the super hot sauce. Locals jump onto moving buses packed like sardines.
• Hassle - always want something - "My sisters birthday tomorrow, buy me drink from Duty Free shop. Come visit my factory. Want to eat something. You my friend. For you - special price."

.

Next stop:

Greece

JORDAN (27 July-4 August 1997)

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From Post Cards


Jordan
Petra in Jordan is without doubt one of the highlights of my trip so far. Huge temples and tombs carved out of the sheer cliff face – a massive ancient city that was forgotten and lost for 700 years till its discovery in the 1800’s. It was used as the setting for Indiana Jones (the movie).

Another scene from Petra. Amazing to think it was carved 1500 years ago. The desert landscape with deep canyons everywhere is as impressive as the monuments themselves. I have spent two unforgettable days hiking the area – one could spend months here and not get bored.

The Siq, Petra
Yet another photo that shows the awesome scenery of Petra – deep canyons that one can explore forever and a day. Steep climbs up the side of the canyon made for unbelievable views over the entire city and beyond.

Amman Roman Theatre
I spend three days in Amman, the capital of Jordan – a large, hustling Arab city with lots to see and eat and experience. The people here are unbelievably friendly. Often they even insist on paying our bus fare and offering us free food. Smiles and “welcome to Jordan” wherever we go. So cheap too – a three course meal costs R10!

Jerash Triumphal Arch
Jerash is the largest ancient Roman ruins of a provincial city in the world and was very impressive indeed. There is an international arts festival here at the moment – another case of excellent (lucky!) timing. The huge ancient theatre was a highlight – the acoustics are brilliant even after all these years. I got to try out my “Friends, Romans and Countrymen” speech I learned back at school.

The Oval Plazza – Jerash
Another view of Jerash. The Jordanians are busy restoring the city to its former glory. I cannot believe how prolific the Romans were – no matter where they travel in the world, there seems to be Roman ruins. I must say my Latin comes in very handy for translating all the inscriptions.

St George Church at Madaba
We went to Madaba especially to see the mosaic on the floor of St George’s Church. It is a huge map of Palestine, laid down in the 6th Century – nearly 1500 years ago. The part of the map shown here is Jerusalem. The amazing thing is that some of the buildings in the map still exist. I should know, I visited them. E.g. Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Qusair ‘Amra, Jordan
From Amman we travelled into the desert to explore a serious of castles out in the middle of nowhere. Public transport was non existent so we hitched. Anywhere else we may have struggled – but not in Jordan. We got a lift in a huge truck with an ultra friendly chap who wanted to hear our life stories even though he could hardly speak a word of English.

Karak
The highlight of Karak was this enormous Crusader Castle. The views of the desert from the top were great and there was an exciting network of underground chambers and tunnels to explore. At one time, the Crusaders used to throw their hapless captives off the walls of the castle to their deaths – 450 metres below.



Excerpt from a letter home

Then, after some raucous parties in Tiberias (the hostel was very festive!) it was back to Jerusalem for some spiritual renewal. Here I met a friendly Australian guy – Mark. We really clicked and decided to travel through Jordan together. So down to Eliat in Southern Israel, a real touristy hell hole of a place with temperatures over 40ºC and enormous cockroaches in our hostel room. From there we crossed the border into Jordan to Aquaba, and Arab seaside resort where local women are definitely not allowed to wear bikinis. The first thing that strikes everyone about Jordan is how genuinely friendly the people are. Smiles and “welcome” wherever you go. On occasion, locals in the buses insisted on paying our fares for us and taxi drivers bought us drinks. Petra was probably the highlight of my whole trip so far – it has to be seen to be believed. Wherever you look – massive, towering temples and tombs carved out of the cliffs. The postcards I sent will give you a feel – but definitely don’t do it justice.

From Petra we headed north to Amman, the capital of Jordan which we used as a springboard to see all the outlying sights including Jerash (huge Roman ruins), Karak (crusader castle) and we also went for another dip in the Dead Sea, from the east side. This time, all the women were swimming in their black robes. Jordan is a very religious country – devout Muslims everywhere. It is very male dominated and women have to dress conservatively. Western women don’t always have an easy time here.  Unfortunately, because of TV and movies that Jordanians watch, men think that western women are all “free and easy” – easy to seduce and consequently female tourists get hassled a lot, especially if they are alone or wearing revealing clothes. The big advantage is that female tourists travelling alone (or in groups) are always on the look out for tourist males to travel with them – as protection. We, of course, were only too happy to oblige! We travelled for half a week with two gorgeous Dutch girls, and then met up with a fun group of really pretty Italians. You’re never lonely in the Middle East because the culture is so “alien”, tourists tend to be very open and friendly to each other – we constantly bumped into people we had met in other towns and then would travel together for a few days before going our separate ways.

After Jordan we made our way into Egypt.



Travel Notes


Petra

• So friendly at customs! Free on South African passport. Catch taxi to Petra (no buses). To friendly hostel - R 14 a night to sleep on roof and R 21 for all you can eat. Musa Spring Hostel. We watch Indianana Jones and the Last Crusade. Phone Ally to arrange her flight to Turkey to join me.

• Tues 28, we visit Petra. Awesome temples and tombs sculptured out of cliff faces. Treasury. Roman amphitheatre. The Monastery - ventured right up on top of it. 45 m high. Gorgeous canyons and views. Petra was built by Nabateans. Lost for 700 years till discovered again in 1812. So many monumental feats - all inspired by spiritual.

• Wed 29, back to Petra. Walk to animal sacrificial altar at peak of mountain. Nice lazy day.

Amman

• Thurs 30 bus to Amman. Arab music galore. Great food at local restaurant, real cheap. To Jerash - a massive ancient Roman town. Spectacular theatre with accoustic center in floor that magnifies sound. Temples, complete arches, glorious central point with column. Very impressive - only 10% excavated. Bugger - we lose my travel book. Mark and I having many deep chats about everything. Getting to know each other pretty well.

• Fri 1/8, a day of visiting desert castles. Go with two very attractive Dutch girls. Decide to go by bus, not tour. Whole day costs us 2.5 dinar instead of ten. Bus to Azraq Castle - dry stone with roof strong enough to walk on. Three ton door of swinging rock. Then taxi to Quasr Amra, with early Islam mosaics of naked women - very rare. Hitch to Quasr Kharaneh, a large castle / inn with dark rooms and fantastic views of desert from top.  Hitchhiking with Dutch girls - quick pickup. Without, would be very slow!

• Sat 2, visit Madaba to see 6th century map of Palestine on floor of Church of St George. All way back to Amman to go to Karak - massive Crusader Castle with spectacular views and warren of underground chambers and tunnels. 7 stories. Meet hotel manager who loves students - tells us secret of his menu. We pay local price. We have been joined by Stefan, a lovely German chap.

• Sun 3, we go where Angels fear to tread - just for a swim in the Dead Sea. Realise importance (and money saving potential of a good travel book. Lonely Planet much better than Lets Go - more concise and practical. Bus to withn 5 km of sea, then hitch to eventual beach - but must catch slow bus back to Amman where we are forced to spend the night. Our packs still in Karak!

• Impressions: Now that cheap prices, we suddenly hugely price concsious. Will do anything to save a dinar (1 £ English!) Roof everynight with great stars - 2 E£. Food of roast chicken, bread, olives and chiles is 1.5 E£. Bargain for all. Hurt looks, outraged, then all smiles when finalised. Tea. If not bargain, hurt. Chap accepts first offer, oh alright, less. Pity him.

• Women in black coverings with just eyes showing (erotic says Stefan!) - some even covered on beach. Bus routes that make no sense - every journey must start from Amman. Arab markets bustling with goat carcasses hanging everywhere - head included. Friendly people - policeman pays for our bus + gives us his phone number if any problems. Taxi buys us free drinks.

• People take us to 20 minute destinations in person. Apparently, Syria even friendlier - 5 free drinks an hour. In buses, we "converse" for hours with folk who can't speak word of English. Arab music really grows on you - definitely an acquired taste. Buses leave when full - never a problem to find the right bus (friendly people point way), challenge is finding correct station.

• Mon 4, an epic day of travel. From Amman to Karak to get our bags. We manage to catch "service" to Aquaba - cramped in the stuffy back with scratchy speakers. Then a beaurocratic wait for passport stamp and a three hour ferry (beautiful scenery) to Sinai.

Next stop:


Egypt

ISRAEL (16 – 27 July)

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Excerpt from a letter


The Middle East has been a real experience – so different from travelling in Europe. The first thing that strikes you is the climate – it’s very hot. In Eilat and Aquaba we experienced temperatures well into 40ºC. There are advantages – one is able to travel really light with just a pair of shorts and a few T shirts (drying washed clothes is an instantaneous affair) – and accommodation is always cheap because all you need is a mattress on the roof (I’ve become addicted to sleeping under the stars).

As you probably know from my postcards, I began my trip by flying into Tel Aviv. After a very short stay (too hot and too modern), I went on to Jerusalem and instantly fell in love with it. Jerusalem is a city that has to be experienced rather than “done”. It is a holy city to Jews, Christians and Muslims, full of extraordinary religious sites and interesting people. The old city is split into four very distinctive segments – Armenian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish – and, of course, the sights and flavours of each are different. It’s amazing how all the religions co-exist in such a concentrated spot. From the roof of my hostel I had a great view of the Christian “Holy Sepulchre”, the site where Jesus is thought to have been crucified. This is probably regarded as the “holiest” site in the Christian religion. No more than 200 metres away I could also see the ‘Dome of the Rock”, an unbelievably beautiful mosque and the third most holy site in the world of the Muslim. Only a hair breath away from here is the “Western Wall”, revered by Jews as their most holy site in the world. NO wonder there are sometimes tensions in Jerusalem. When I was there, everything seemed to be so calm and serene. It was quite a shock when I hears that there had been a bomb blast killing 14 people – particularly considering it went off only a couple of days after I had left Israel. Some of the highlights of my Jerusalem trip included walking along the Via Dolorosa, the road long which Jesus was through to have carried his cross. There are 14 special stations (chapels) along the way commemorating particular events on the journey. I also went to the Western Wall on Shabbat and watched hundreds of Jewish worshippers take part in the sacred tradition – very special. I also climbed up the Olive Mount (famous as the place where Jesus rode into Jerusalem on his donkey on Palm Sunday and ascended into heaven on Ascension Day. The views of the city from here were spectacular.

Another interesting excursion was to wade through a watery tunnel deep under the city – really eerie especially considering that it was Jerusalem’s ancient water supply. Needless to say, my shoes were sopping wet – the first thing I did was to visit a mosque so I could take them off and leet them dry. You get quite confused sometimes; when you visit Christian churches you are often only allowed in with trousers on (no baring your hairy legs!). When visiting Jewish holy places, you’ve got to cover your head and sometimes trousers are required. Visit a mosque and your shoes must come off. All the dressing and undressing! Problem was the only trousers I had were jeans – too hot to wear in the climate, so I had to carry them in my bag for when the need arose.

From Jerusalem I explored the Dead Sea in the Negev Desert – a weird experience to say the least. I’m glad I didn’t shave on the morning of my swim as others did – they were in agony from the salt. The mud on the bottom of the sea is supposed to be very good for your skin so we took delight in covering ourselves from head to foot in the stuff – deliciously slimy stuff that took ages to wash off.

Part of the Dead Sea experience included climbing Mascada at 3am in the morning to watch the sunrise and a visit to the beautiful oasis of Ein Gedi. From there to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, which I used as a springboard to explore the Golan Heights (north tip of Israel). Compared to the rest of Israel, this area is lush with beautiful rivers and lakes and date trees everywhere. The highlight was swimming in the icy waters of the Bunyan Waterfall.

Then, after some raucous parties in Tiberias (the hostel was very festive!) it was back to Jerusalem for some spiritual renewal. Here I met a friendly Australian guy – Mark. We really clicked and decided to travel through Jordan together. So down to Eliat in Southern Israel, a real touristy hell hole of a place with temperatures over 40ºC and enormous cockroaches in our hostel room. From there we crossed the border into Jordan to Aquaba, and Arab seaside resort where local women are definitely not allowed to wear bikinis. The first thing that strikes everyone about Jordan is how genuinely friendly the people are. Smiles and “welcome” wherever you go. On occasion, locals in the buses insisted on paying our fares for us and taxi drivers bought us drinks. Petra was probably the highlight of my whole trip so far – it has to be seen to be believed. Wherever you look – massive, towering temples and tombs carved out of the cliffs. The postcards I sent will give you a feel – but definitely don’t do it justice.

From Petra we headed north to Amman, the capital of Jordan which we used as a springboard to see all the outlying sights including Jerash (huge Roman ruins), Karak (crusader castle) and we also went for another dip in the Dead Sea, from the east side. This time, all the women were swimming in their black robes. Jordan is a very religious country – devout Muslims everywhere. It is very male dominated and women have to dress conservatively. Western women don’t always have an easy time here – or anywhere for that matter. Unfortunately, because of TV and movies that Jordanians watch, men think that western women are all “free and easy” – easy to seduce and consequently female tourists get hassled a lot, especially if they are alone or wearing revealing clothes. The big advantage is that female tourists travelling alone (or in groups) are always on the look out for tourist males to travel with them – as protection. We, of course, were only too happy to oblige! We travelled for half a week with two gorgeous Dutch girls, and then met up with a fun group of really pretty Italians. You’re never lonely in the Middle East because the culture is so “alien”, tourists tend to be very open and friendly to each other – we constantly bumped into people we had met in other towns and then would travel together for a few days before going our separate ways.

After Jordan we made our way into Egypt. To do so we had to use a ferry across the Red Sea. What an experience it was. Two hours late and crammed so tight with locals there was hardly a place to sit on the open deck –not to mention the problem of the beating sun on the three hour crossing. Drank lots of water. After another two hours in Egyptian customs (you would not believe how inefficient and slow the Egyptian “wheels” turn), we were free to begin our hedonistic lifestyle on the Red Sea.

Travel Notes

Tel Aviv

• Fly to Tel Aviv via Athens. Hot! Meet friendly Australian (Mark). Stay at Gordon Inn.
  Lie and swim at beach. Walk to Jaffa. Write post cards.

Jerusalem

• Sat 18, catch "sherut" to Jerusalem. Walk round Old City. Armenian Quarter. Mount Zion, including David's Tomb. Visit Olive Mount for panaramic views and holy churches & tombs. Walk along Via Dolorasa - road of sorrow along which Jesus carried the cross. Saw some of 14 stations. Experienced Falafel and Shawerma.
• Impressions: Spirituality hangs in the air like a blanket. Jerusalem. 5000 years old, steeped in history. Mosques, Synagogues and churches within a hairbreath. 18 conquerors + destroyed 7 times. Orthodox jewish in black with side locks bobbing at the Wall. Have to put on jeans for holiest sites - hot!. Put on my cap for Jewish holies, take off for Christian, shoes off for Muslim. Pilgrims carry cross along Via Dolorasa. Religious, kitch relics everywhere including hologram of Jesus on cross with blinking eyes. Night views of city from hostel roof. Israeli baby soldiers with guns. Arab markets along roofed, narrow streets.
• Sun 19, go on mini bus tour (3 oclock get up) to Masada for moonset and sunrise, swim in Dead Sea, walk to waterfalls at Ein Gedi. To Mount of Temptation. Jericho. Quamran where Dead Sea scrolls found. Mountain clinging monasteries. Meet nice british guy (engineer).
• In Jerusalem, visit the Holy Sepulchre, site of Jesus tomb and crucifiction. Church delapidated because no denomination can take responsibility. I write a letter asking for God to show Himself. Sit on hostel roof, overlooking city by night. Call to prayer.
  Mon 20, visit St Anne's Church (beautiful Crusader church with great accoustics) and Pool of Bethesda. Then to City of David and Kidron Valley. See Warren's Shaft. Sloth through Hezekiah's Tunnel with little Arab chaps. Absalom's pillar. Then to Temple Mount to see Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque. To Western Wall (and Wilson's Arch) where I leave message. Bobbing orthodox while pray. Black robes and hats.
• Tues 21, meet Mark again (Australian I met on first night). For breakfast at Michael's Caffee, then to David's Tower museum for history of Jerusalem.

Galilee and Golan Heights

• Bus to Tiberius where can't get beyond hotels to swim. Stay at Aviv hostel.
• Wed 22, tour to Golan Heights. Befriend Jessica (Canadian) and Miss Margaret (Byzantine historian). Experiences include Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (6th century mosaics on 4th century foundations), Mount of Beatitudes (sermon on the mount), wine and liquor tasting (pear, lichi etc), Banyas Waterfall, Nimrods's Fortress, museum about Gamla and its destruction by Romans, The Good Fence. Beware of mines signs. Drink pear wine and Thai food with J&B.
• Thurs 23, lazy day swimming in Sea of Galilee. In evening, go out with Jessica and co.

Jerusalem Revisited

• Fri 24, bus to Beit She'an for amazing Roman and Byzantine excavations - especially amphitheatre. To Jerusalem to Western Wall for evening of Shabat. Lots of bobbing and singing. American Jewish visitors especially charasmatic.
• Impression: Judaism, Christianity and Islam all so linked - same characters, area, "one god" - just different emphasis on which prophets (Jesus, ancient Jewish, Mohammed) to focus on. Huge importance of symbols, rituals, heritage (incl Holy sites) in religion.
  Dead Sea scrolls shows how people write blue prints for religion - specifications of battle for final war against enemy. Gospels written hundreds of years after Jesus - vocal legends that amplify? Same with illiterate Muhammed. Definite lessons for my Spirituality which is doing well - whenever feel at peace, I pray to Great Mystery and focus on "Blue Blade."
  Huge cemetary on Mount of Olives - when messiah returns, will be first to rise from dead.
• Sat 25, meet Mark. To Schindler's grave (rocks) and Soloman's Quarry under Old City. Then to Museum of Israel for archeological finds and Dead Sea Scrolls. Stay in beautiful Lutherine Hostel - a veritable oasis.
• Sun 26, false 4 o'clock get up! Get to watch Jerusalem lighten from the roof.

Eilat

• Eventually get bus to Eilat. 40 degrees with hot gusts. Stay in shit hole with cockroaches (Eucalyptus). Swim in Red Sea - perfect temperature. Very touristy town.
• Mon 27, laze some more on beach while wait for Mark's visa. Postcard trauma - not put enough stamp on. Dave Hudson off to post office to pay! Phone Mum. Then cross border to Jordon.
• Israel has been fantastic. I have experienced a surge in my spirituality. Tension between two travel instincts - find spiritual oases and experience at length with my heart verse rushing around seeing sights.
• A couple of days after leaving Israel, there is a bomb blast in Jerusalm in Jaffa Street market. Two Arab suicide bombers kill 14 and injure over 100. I bought a chocolate pastery right there. So sad, fundamentalist extremists causing mountains of pain. I get a taste of Jerusalems violent past.

Next stop:

Jordan

HOLLAND (5 – 24 June)

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From Post Cards

6th June

I’m in paradise. Amsterdam has to be one of the most scenic, vibrant, interesting cities in the world. I love the Dutch already – they’re really laid back and totally liberated and friendly. I’m amazed how much of the language I can understand with my Afrikaans. I’m having a very relaxed time soaking up the atmosphere, seeing some museums, and exploring the canals. The hostel here is very cheap so I’m in no hurry to move on.

7th June

Wow, I’m speechless. I thought I was very open minded, but this just frazzled my outlook. Streets and streets of sex shows, cinemas and shops, and of course, everywhere, windows with very scantily clad, often drop dead gorgeous women beseeching you for sex (your money!). If it weren’t for my terror of Aids (and Ally of course!). God help me! But it certainly is entertaining watching all the goings on.

8th June

I visited the Van Gough Museum today and fell in love with his work. It’s passionate, alive and colourful. I went to the famous Rijks Museum yesterday and saw some other great art works, including Rembrandt’s “Night Watch”. I’m so enjoying all this culture.

10th June

Well, I can’t say the art in this very famous modern art museum turned me on much – a bit like the stuff we all churned out in kindergarten. But there was a fantastic photographic exhibition which more than made up for it. I’m still loving Amsterdam and making some really zany Dutch friends – learning Dutch really quickly.

11th June

I’m still enjoying the sights and sounds of Amsterdam. Some of the activities include the sex museum (watching other people’s expressions was the best part!), sun bathing in beautiful Vondel Park, meeting some very interesting Dutch drop-outs, partying it up at some festive dance clubs, going to the Michael Jackson concert (sorry Gramps!), visiting the Heineken beer factory for lots of free samples, going on a canal boat cruise, the hash museum, window shopping at the Mayna Plaza, etc. Great fun.

14th June

Spent a quiet day walking around this lovely little town of Marken. Many of the townsfolk still wear traditional dress (albeit, I suspect, for the tourists!). The town is situated on an island, connected to the mainland by a dyke. Very inventive these Dutch. I’m not my best – got a streaming cold – like everyone else in my hostel – sniffle, sniffle!

I caught the boat from Marken to Volendam. Another beautiful town with delicious frikadels to eat. I hired a bike and rode around remembering to stay on the right side of the road! Great fun – there are more bicycles than Dutch in Holland. Best way to get around!

I spent an interesting day at Zaanse Schans, shown here. A traditional (rather touristy) Dutch village. Tasted plenty of cheese at the market and Dutch ice cream and saw lots of windmills and how they work inside. Cows everywhere (beat the English sheep) and clog shops. Very scenic and relaxing.

15th June

Edam, famous all over the world for its delicious cheese, is known as Holland’s “sleeping beauty” because it is so scenic. I gorged myself on the scenery and free samples of cheese. Then to the town of Hooru I went, on the edge of a vast fresh water sea that the ever enterprising Dutch diked off in 1932. Lovely town with picturesque harbour. Picture book Holland – but I miss the mountains.

17th June

I spent a fantastic day cycling around Amsterdam on a rented bicycle - felt just like the locals. Very flat but you’ve got to watch out for trams, buses, other pedestrians, bikes, etc and remember to stay on the right. There is a huge music festival in the city right now and everything is free so at night I get to listen to opera, classical, pop – all held open air on the canal. Fantastic stuff. My timing in being here couldn’t be better. My Dutch is fast becoming fluent.

19th June

The Hague is the provincial capital (not economic) of Holland and I must say it’s a grand city with wide streets and beautiful buildings. Excitement – I got to see an international boule championship held in the city and it left me speechless. You wouldn’t believe the precision, they never miss but just keep hitting each other out of the way and taking shot. I picked up some great tips so cannot wait to have a game with you all! Better get practising Gramps!

20th June

I’ve found paradise again. An Island in the North Sea off Holland with long sandy beaches, green forests, nature reserves and quaint villages. Lazy days spent cycling round the island exploring on my three speed bike (far more than you need!). There is great bird life here (migrating) so I’m in heaven – oh and there are nude beaches, too!




Travel Notes


Amsterdam

• Thurs 5, Catch bus and hover craft (City Sprint / Hover Speed) to Amsterdam. Takes whole day but relaxing and cheap. Meet sweet SA girl on bus, conservative, strict parents now blown away by Dutch freedom. Arrive 8 pm - goto Red Light. High novelty of beautiful girls in windows beseeching you with intimate, steamy looks and knocks on the window. Slimy black and asian doods offer hard drugs from dark corners - do I look suspicious? Visit sex shops to see vast range of videos and magazines on every kink, including animals (eels, chickens!), eau de toilette, fisting, SM etc. Impressions: narrow lined alleyways, tourists stare on the main routes, young groups encourage each other to go in, asking the price. Some of the attractive girls have lines outside. Client goes in and curtains drawn.

• Fri 6: Visit Oudekerek, oldest Amsterdam building and right in the naughty district!! Sex Museum - watching reactions especially in explicit section on different sex kinks. History of porno and photos of 1890 - 1970. Walk around the streets and canals of Amsterdam - what a vibrant, beautiful, interesting city with great pub and eatery life style. Weather hot, really hot. Then visit house where Anne Frank hid from Nazis and wrote her dairy. Moved me to tears - family betrayed and her father only survivor. Anne dies only few months from liberation. Dairy translated into 55 languages - a heart filled work of genius.

• Sat 7: walk round the Rijks Museum- over 7 million pieces of art including 5000 paintings. Rembrandt's "Nightwatch" not overrated - spectacular with spot light effect. All other Dutch Masters as well as sculpture, pottery, porcelain and gorgeous doll houses. Come out in T shirt and shorts to find pouring rain. In evening, went for stroll - gave beggar supermarket food including SA's best - mango juice - then to cinema "Devil's Own" with Dutch subtitles and very saucy adverts.

• Sun 8: I explore the Vincent Van Gogh Museum - inpirational. A passionate man who only started painting late in life, his transformation from novice, brown paintings to his vibrantly colourful, revolutionery broadbrush style. A genius, only painted ten years as he became insane - till his suicide - over 900 paintings. Just before, I help a Sicilian chap to roll his joint and smoke it. Then a relaxing cruise along beautiful tree lined canals to the harbour and back. Houseboats and a gorgeous old Dutch ship (part of Maritime museum)

• Mon 9, an early get up to the old Heineken Factory. Very schlick presentations, then to the stables of horses (so thats the secret to beers hue) - all horses named after members of the board. Then wonderful samples where I meet two very nice American girls. Then to the Stedelike Museum of Modern Art. Some impressive - but on the whole, no turn on. Except Nan Goldin photographs. Living, feeling art that brought me to tears. Photography based on relationships, not observation, reflections on her life and her friends. Deep, baring photos that capture the soul. Free life style, drugs, sex, love, pregnancy, operations, battered bruises, holidays and parties, cross dressing etc all captured intimately - including the decimation of the group to Aids - sickness, funerals, sorrow. Slide show to music. Most rivetting art I've ever experienced. Art is creative expression that draws emotion. I feel the need to liberate my own creative expressions in some way, burst forth from my self conscious, analytical chains and express. Words are probably the best outlet for me now.

• Tues 10 - an unforgettable day. Laundry and a long chat to a laid back Australian traveler. To the Dam to view the Koninklijk Palace. Shopping sights at the Magna Plaza, clothes galore and Virgin superstore. The World Press Photo Exibition at the Nieuwe Kerk. Then to the Arena for the Michael Jackson concert. Get tickets cheap and meet a wonderful Dutch couple - giving me a great feel for Dutch life, including Queen Beatrix. Some great laughs and fun. The concert is spectacular and emotional with massive explosions and sights and great use of moving image. Jacko hangs from a crane over the audience by his sweaty hands. A girl jumps onto stage and latches on - Michael handles beautifully till guards intervene. (Same girl night before and same emotional breakdown when sings old songs??)

• I join the crowds by train back to Amsterdam. Complete my thriller "And then came a Spider." Excellent psycopath killer read with some good twists. A walk through Vondelpark - meeting some interesting "drop out type" Dutch characters. Dogs mate unashamedly in the field - can't get away from it. Then I make friends with three Dutch guys and a girl. We get on very well - is fun to speak Dutch / Afrikaans - sheltering from the rain under a big tree. They chain smoke hash and drink beer + snort coke off their credit cards (despite police!). It feels good to have some deeper human contact. We almost hug our goodbyes. On the edge of oblivion but loveable nevertheless. Some general impressions: tower bells that play a beautiful tune. Bicycles, bicycles everwhere, watch out because if they don't get you the trams will!! Almost one bike per person. Canals with boats and mottley ducks. High houses with steep stares and gables. People sit at road side caffees and "people watch". Coffee shops sell hash too - milkshakes, tea etc.

• Thurs 12: wake up sick with infected throat. Visit Torture Museum. How could people do such cruel things in the name of the church? Perverted cruelty! Why are we fascinated by it? Especially the wide based Pryamid on which victim was seated and weights attached to legs. Then to Hemp / Marijuana / Hash Museum. Unashamedly pro - glorifying the properties and advantages. Certainly seems to have strong merits for consumption and treatment of many health problems. I'll have to give it a proper try when my throat clears up.

• Fri 13: Awake feeling real sick. Fiery throat. Meet two SA's at breakfast. Quick train ride to Zaanse Schans, a reconstruction of a Dutch village as it would have looked in 1700. Picture book Holland (very touristy) Windmills (including how work inside - triple story structure with massive network of cogs just to squeez oil out of pea-nuts!), clogg shop, cheese market (delicious samples), traditional Dutch houses, cows. Relax and write postcards. Wonderful evening with Amanda, SA girl as we hit the town. Classical music concert (including opera) on a huge makeshift platform on the canal. Brilliant and free of charge.

• Sat 14: My cold has broken. Gush. Bus to Marken, a traditional town on an island joined to the mainland by a dyke - my 1st! Wooden houses and some traditional dress. Beautiful harbour. Take boat to Volendam with a vibrant (very touristy) waterfront. Cute baby ducklings paddle along the canal. My first Frikadel (very nice.) Home early to nurse my cold. Off to music concert. Fantastic African band "Seven seconds away = popular song), then Samba. People dance.

• Sun 15: My running nose has congealed. Walk to station to catch bus out but so exhausted, decide to rest for day. 15 days of no neck clicking! And been feeling a lot better. Street festival, some entertaining comedian shows from rope walker and Houdini artist. Another concert tonight - traditional classical, followed by an extraordinary, alternative band with all sorts of ingredients (even heard a tune or two in there somewhere!) Very enjoyable though. Whole city closed off due to Euro summit. Impression: A bicycle with side car, huge Australian horn blown by passenger, "open the prisons", furtive, cheeky glances at little politie group as hum past.

• Mon 16: My cold is running again. God dam. To Holland's sleeping beauty, EDAM. Gorgeous quiet canals, houses and shops. Very few tourists - refreshing. Walk and laze on canal banks. Lovely rural and suburban feel. Then to the town of Hoorn, on the edge of the Ijsselmeer, an inlet of the Atlantic that the ever enterprising Dutch diked in 1932 to form a fresh water sea. Lovely town with picturesque harbour - boats everywhere. Walked through the quaint town center to harbour, then along "coast". Warm weather. Final concert night - opera, then pop including Katrina and the Waves "Walking on Sunshine" and "Shine your Light."

• Tues 17: I hire a bike and ride round the city. To harbour, across canal by free ferry, delicious lunch from bakery, back to cycle Amsterdam canals. Lots to watch out for - trams, cars, other bikes, people + stay on right of road. Cold seems better. Impressions: Best cherry yoghurt in 500ml tubs with whole cherries. Chicken Pita. Cape fruit juice - especially Mango, salad shreds, frikadels, vrites "chips" with mayonnaise, curry and onion, krokets

• Wed 18: I spend the entire day chatting to an Italian girl, about life and spiritual matters. From 11 am to 6 pm in garden by canal, then she gets me supper. I think she may be very needy but it feels nice to listen and connect. I've been missing real human contact. Gets me thinking about spiritual energy.

The Hague

• Thurs 19: To The Hague (Den Haag). Grand city. Bool on wide pavement in square. Open, rink divided by string, ground has light covering of sand and pebbles. Frenetic pace, lots of games on go, very informal, all types of dress. ome smoke. Practice - hit bool, spin away, then hit that - keep going. Marksmen. Hardly ever miss. Some go down on knees. Knock bools together in congrats. All ages, tent eatery. Some bools very high in sky. Some advertising branding along sides. Roadside vendor sell bools. Knocking out of way or closer is major part of game play - crashing down on bools, often to take shot - massive spin so stop dead. Tour old city - parliament buildings and palaces, eat a "kroket", read "Wall Street" newspaper, then proceed to the large city forest.

• Coots diving for their young and building nest, carp spawning frantically. (not at all interested in fisherman's bait!) Lots of life in middle of city. Back to Amsterdam for an early night.

Texel

• Fri 20: early get up to catch train to Den Helder, then ferry to Texel (one of Wadden Islands in North Sea.) Mix up of Youth Hostels. I hire a bike and ride to Panarama Hostel with back pack and all. (Handled challenges like a pro!) Then cycle to harbour (Oudeschild) and along a dike to a quaint village (Oosterend) for very best apple pastry ever had. Cycle through forests and dunes to sandy (and blowy) beach. Then back to Den Burg and the hostel for a beer. Lock won't work on bike - never mind. Girl cycling with her horse. Get stink bug in my eye.

• Sat 21: Windy and miserable. Breakfast with my new German friends - she in Re-assurance. Fix my bike by blowing in it (sand!), then cycle to Den Burg for delicious "chicken springrole" (Loempia) and read magazines. Back to Hostel for hilarious reading of Roald Dahl's "My Uncle Oswald" Wickedly funny. Impression: Extraordinary bike contraptions for carrying young kids - windscreen with seat, baby rucksacks, baby trailors etc.

• Sun 22: rainy and miserable. Then bike in rain and wind to Den Hoorn for a beer and bacon pancake. Relaxing. Then to sand storming beach - no nudes!! Back for a sleep where I meet slow American (Craig) and full of life Dutchman (Hugo). Hugo is passionate about sailing ships. Wonderful to have a consuming interest! Then off for supper (Loempia). The evening is beautiful so I cycle through the forest to town of De Koog. Sneak into farm for sunset but all the sheep charge for me, thinking I'm going to open gate to green pastures. Complete book "When She Was Bad" by Ron Faust. One of best thriller yarns ever read.

• Tues 1/7: up early to the bus station by tram. Manage to get on. Meet nice British chap and have some good laughs. Dreadlock kids light their joints in the hovercraft after intensive French search. Hovercraft amazing - "Hope you enjoyed your flight." Can't wait to see Ally.
• Back in England!

London (24/6-27/6)

• Hello again, Ally. A very quiet couple of days resting. London weather has been foul for weeks non stop. Catch train to Coventry to get tent. Booked my flights for my next trip (to Israel etc). Lunch at Nando's. Get ready for Ireland.

Next stop: 

Israel