On the move

Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019

This day started off on a very somber note. Hundreds of people were killed today in Sri Lanka as the result of a terrorist attack aimed against the Christian residents and visitors of Colombo, Negombo, and other towns and cities. Having just recently visited Negombo, I felt particularly affected by the incidents. I’ve seen so many parts of the world on this trip, and as a result, I see that we are all more alike than different. I wish that more people would see their worlds the same way.

Where am I?

What did I see, first thing this morning?

It’s always fun to wake up in the morning and step outside to see what was not there the night before. This morning, I sailed under the Golden Gate bridge and into the open arms of Christ the Redeemer.

Or, maybe not.

What’s been happening?

Today, I booked another shore excursion. This might sound a little repetitive but the tour is in two parts. The first part is a quick trip around town to see some of the attractions, and the second part is a drive out to the beach for a look around the countryside. Yeah, I know. That’s what I did yesterday, but it sounds like so much fun, huh? I just never really get tired of beaches.

Look at this line up of ships! I expect things are gonna be crowded today!

So, I left the ship and marched out to my waiting bus. With everybody on board, the bus pulled out and we started exploring the city of Lisbon. And, what a beautiful city it is!

From my perception as somebody that grew up in the United Sates, the city feels old (just like Cadíz, Barcelona, and Napoli) but it feels younger than those places at the same time. This is entirely possible owing to the major earthquake that Lisbon experienced in 1755. In that temblor, the entire downtown part of the city either collapsed, was washed away in a series of tsunamis, or burned. The area was rebuilt, but as a result, all of the buildings are post-1755 and therefore look “modern.”

Near the Port of Lisbon, there are a number of large plazas that invite people to come and play, shop, dine, or just enjoy the day.

Below are some photos of the plazas we drove by. Take a close look and tell me what you see.

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Did you tell me? I couldn’t hear you, so I’ll just tell you.

• All of the plazas make extensive use of tile.
• All of the tiles are black and white
• No two plazas have the same design

In fact, Lisbon is a town full of tiles. Colorful tiles called azulejos adorn many of the houses, especially those that are 100 years old or more. So many styles and so many patterns. If there is a single cultural item that defines the look of Lisbon, it is its array and display of tiles.

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The bus then headed for the highlands. We turned onto La Avenida da Libertade which looks like this: a broad street with a beautiful central promenade accented with shade trees. Notice, once again, that the sidewalks are made from black and white tiles in a pattern that is distinct to this avenue.

At the top of the avenue there is a roundabout with a statue of the Marques de Pombal at the center. It is at an intersection of several of the most important roads in Lisbon. This is no accident.

I found this guy’s story to be quite interesting. He was the King’s Prime Minister starting in 1750. Please recall that there was a devastating earthquake in Lisbon in 1755. During that earthquake, King Joseph I narrowly escaped with his life. After that time he refused to be in any building with walls and proceeded to conduct the King’s business from a tent! And he did so until his death. To me, it sounds like the King developed a severe case of PTSD.

So, in the mean time, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the First Marques de Pombal essentially took over. He was not the King, but many believed he had more power than the King at that time. It’s hard to see it in the photo above, but standing next to the Marques at the top of the statue is a lion, and the lion is a symbol of power. And there you have it!

The Marques de Pompal implemented many social and economic reforms at a time when Portugal needed them most, and for that he is still recognized and remembered.

Anywaty, back to the tour. The roundabout is also at the bottom of one of the major parks in Lisbon, the Parque Eduardo VII.

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This park was once called Parque da Libertade (just like the name of the avenue) but when Eduard VII of England visited Lisbon in 1902 on a mission to improve relations with Portugal, the park was renamed in his honor. Here’s an aerial view of this part of the city to help put these pieces (the avenue, the statue, and the park) together.

The Parque Eduardo VII was our last stop in the city. After we all snapped our photos of this place we headed out to the beach. Here’s a map of where we went. Look to the west of Lisbon along the southern coast for the little town of Estoril. That’s where we headed.

Estoril is a beach resort town with all of the amenities that anybody might want in a resort. Ancient castles, a clean beach, an abundance of restaurants, and a huge casino. Beach fun during the day, followed by James Bond-like nightlife.

What can I say about Estoril that I haven’t said about so many other beautiful beach towns on this trip? If you like quiet, beach resort towns, you’d love this place. It didn’t have the Grecian island look of Conil (see yesterday’s post) and it didn’t have narrow little cobblestone streets like Conil, but it had its own kind of charm. And, perhaps most importantly, it had a clean and beautiful beach. Here are a few more photos of Estoril. You decide if you’d like to hang out for a while and have a beer with me.

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On the ride back to the ship we stayed along the coastal road and I’m glad that we did. On this entire trip I have not seen anything nearly so reminiscent of driving along the coast highway through North San Diego County. This ride brought back memories of Leucadia, Carlsbad, and Del Mar, except add in some forts and castles that California does not have. For me, it was breathtaking!

Just outside of Lisbon, we stopped at a park for a rest break and for photos. The area is call Belém (in English, Bethlehem) where these is a big park and the Torre de Belém (Bethlehem Tower) is a big attraction for local and tourists alike. This ancient tower stands in the river (this is just where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean) on a rocky point. It was originally created to stand guard against pirates!

And, the Torre de Belém was not the only attraction to be seen here. Looking down the Tagus River one can clearly see the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now, you know that we’re in Lisbon, so this can’t be San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate bridge. And it isn’t. But, it is styled after that famous northern California bridge. And, here’s another Bay Area connection: it was constructed in 1966 by the same company that built the Oakland-Bay Bridge that connects Oakland, California with San Francisco! I’m starting to feel more at home all the time!

So, with an ancient fort to one side of me and the Golden Gate Bridge’s doppelgänger on the other side, I would love nothing more than to sit on a bench with a nice glass of wine and (literally) drink it all in.

And, hey! What’s that?

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Why, it’s Wine with a View, the traveling, portable wine bar! How very convenient!

There is so much to see in this huge park. After one finishes a glass of wine or two, what’s a good way to get around town to see the other sights? Well, here’s one way:

Yes, it’s BIRD electric scooters. (And, several other brands, too.) The scourge of cities everywhere can also be found right here in Lisbon. And so, there you have it. Everything from modern electric scooters, to wine-on-the-run to ancient fortresses, Lisbon has it all. Don’t forget the California weather, either!

Anyway, we were out of time and had to get back to the Amsterdam. So, is Lisbon on my “I’d do it again” list? You’re damn straight it is!

So, anything else?

Well, maybe just one more little thing.

One of my favorite things to do after a shore excursion is to come back to the ship, head to the Sea View Bar at the back of the ship, open a beer or pour a glass of wine, and watch another ship sail away into the sunset. Here, a Costa Lines ship makes its afternoon exodus from Lisbon. I wonder where they’re going next? Will their adventures be as spectacular as my own?

I hope so. Cheers!

So, what’s coming up?

Yesterday was Cadíz. Today was Lisbon. Shall we make it three in a row?

Ok. Tomorrow is Porto, Portugal!

Saturday, April 20, 2019

We’re in the Atlantic Ocean now. This is our last port in Spain.

Where am I?

What did I see, first thing this morning?

It’s always fun to wake up in the morning and step outside to see what was not there the night before. This morning, the dramatically lit cathedral in Cadíz greets me.

What’s been happening?

I’ve booked a tour for today and that tour comes in two parts. The first part is a brief drive around Cadíz to see some of the highlights of the city, and the second part is a visit to a little beach town called Conil de la Frontera.

The city of Cadíz is relatively small. It was built on the end of a small peninsula and walled in (more on that in a couple of paragraphs.) Therefore, seeing the “sights of Cadíz” does not take much time.

Driving around Cadíz, my impression is that this is an old city where many parts look similar to colonial-style cities in Mexico. Cadíz seems to be a clean place, even in the downtown area and around the port where other cities show a dirtier side.

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Leaving Cadíz, we pass through the ancient walls that once contained the city. Cadíz is built on a peninsula. Centuries ago, it was protected by fortresses from attacks by sea, and owing to its position on a peninsula, there was only one access to the city by land. It was protected by massive stone walls and gates that could be closed to protect the city.

Although they are no longer gated (having been converted to portals long ago), the stone walls still stand and our bus passes through them as we leave the city and venture out into the world beyond.

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We left the city through the “gates” and headed south to see the sights of the countryside. The map here shows where we visited. We headed south out of Cadíz on the main highway and down to the town of Barbate, then up the coastal road, through Conil de la Frontera, and then back to Cadíz.

On our way to the beach, our guide tells us about the industries that fuel the economy of the greater Cadíz area. One of those industries is supplying prized bulls for the various bullfighting events around Spain. Bulls from the ranch pictured here (which was near Barbate) are also sent to Pamplona for the famous annual “Running of the Bulls.” As it turns out there is a local Running of the Bulls event near Cadíz, too, but it is clearly not as well known globally. Want to start a Running of the Bulls in your town? Bulls from this ranch, which are prized for their beauty, strength, and endurance, start at about US$6,000 each. The best ones go for twice that amount.

Following our visit to the ranch lands, our tour emerged along the coast and one of our first stops was at Cape Trafalgar. The photo below is of the Cape Trafalgar Lighthouse.

Cape Trafalgar was the place of a fierce battle between the English and the French/Spanish in 1805. During the Battle of Trafalgar, the British Royal Navy, commanded by Horatio, Lord Nelson very soundly defeated the combined French and Spanish navies of Napoleon. Though he was victorious, Lord Nelson lost his life here.

For us, this was simply a beautiful stop on a lovely beach. There was absolutely no indication that a violent battle had ever occurred.

Here are some other photos of this lovely location. Oh, and, BTW that hard-to-see mountain way in the background of the last photo is Africa!

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Just down the road from Cape Trafalgar is the little town of Conil de la Frontera. If you paid any attention at all to the map above you may have noticed that many towns in this area have “de la Frontera” as part of their name. “de la Frontera” is Spanish and means “of the border.” However, it should be plainly clear that there are no borders anywhere near here.

Centuries ago, much of the southern part of Spain was under the control of the Moors. As the Spanish fought to drive out the Moors the border between the two civilizations was slowly moving to the south. As a town was “liberated” (a very Spanish point of view) it became the new edge of the Spanish realm and therefor was now “on the border.” After the Moors were driven completely out of the Iberian Peninsula, many of these towns retained their “de la Fontera” moniker, and so we see it today.

So back to Conil de la Frontera.

Conil is a very cute little beach town built on a hill south of Cadíz and north of Cape Trafalgar. It is a resort town with a nice white sand beach, cozy and narrow streets (with very little automobile traffic), restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops.

The beach area, all by itself, has a few attractions of its own, like an amusement park and a couple of restaurant/bars.

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I walked around in town for about an hour just soaking in the experience.

Desafortunatamente (that’s Spanish for unfortunately), our tour could only stay in Conil for about an hour. I could have stayed for a month! Anyway, it was back to the bus for the ride “home.” But that doesn’t mean that my sightseeing was over for the day. Not at all!

After we returned to the ship I still had a couple of hours before we were scheduled to depart, so I visited the central plaza which was just a short walk from where the ship was parked.

The plaza was a large, outdoor area that contained within its boundaries centers for religion, politics, and commerce. Package all of that up and then add restaurants and shops, pepper the place with stately palm trees, and a few thousand people and, abracadabra, you have a very lively place to hang out.

And, I did.

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All in all, it was a very fun, exciting, and educational day! After enjoying a local beer in the plaza, I made the short walk back to the ship so as to not become an accidental citizen of Cadíz.

So, anything else?

I just knew you would ask!

Yes, there was one more little piece of excitement for us, even after the gangplank had been removed.

Today is the day before Easter and this is a very Catholic country. As part of a loooooong standing tradition, there is an Easter procession held today. In this procession, many members of the local Ku Klux Klan parade around in their hoods.

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No, that’s a lie.

There is a procession, and there are people parading around in their hoods (known as capriotes), but this has nothing to do with the Klan. The hooded people in the procession are very religious people who express their devotion to this holy day by wearing their special and traditional garb.

The procession carries a float containing religious icons around the plaza area and, for a brief time, in view of the port area where we are parked. These are the best photos I could take since I was aboard ship already and the gangplank was gone. However, if you can imagine a brass band playing music as the procession slowly, um, proceeded then you might have the full experience in your mind as completely as it was in mine.

And so, it was the end of the day in Cadíz, but not the end of my curiosity. I would love to return to Cadíz, visit Seville, and especially spend some time in Madrid. Hey “next time”! Please come soon!

So, what’s coming up?

There is no restful day at sea tomorrow. Next stop, Lisbon, Portugal!

G’night!

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

I’m starting to feel a little closer to home now. I’m in Europe, and most exciting to me, I’m in Italy!

Where am I?

I’m enjoying the Bay of Napoli. We’re moored near that red pin in the map, and my travels took me all the way around the bay to Sorrento which is that purple pin in the map. Of special note, that’s Mt. Vesuvius to the southeast of Naples (Napoli), about half way to Sorrento.

What did I see, first thing this morning?

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It’s always fun to wake up in the morning and step outside to see what was not there the night before.

What’s been happening?

This is only my second time to Italy, and the last time I visited it was my trip to Venice. I came away from that visit with many, many warm memories. Was it Italy that captured my heart, or was it the wonderful people who traveled with me who made it so? I don’t know. Do you (Robin, Marilyn, Elease, Joe)?

So, today, I wanted to see more of Italy to see if I merely had a “crush” on Italy, or a full-blown love affair. My plan was to explore two very different areas around Napoli: Sorrento and Pompeii.

Napoli, itself, struck me as a very industrial and commercial town. Positioned on a beautiful bay, Napoli is a natural harbor and has been a trading post for more than two thousand years. I can’t see everything on a one day stopover, so I chose to explore outside of Napoli, itself.

My first stop was Sorrento. (Please refer to the map above.) As I mentioned, I’d never been there before but I knew of the place owing to my years of accordion studies. (Look up the song “Return to Sorrento.”)

The drive from Napoli to Sorrento was magnificent! We drove along the main highway (A3, see map above) for much of the drive and what I could see from that highway was not too stunning. But then, we started to ascend into the mountains that separate the greater Napoli area from the Sorrento coast, and that’s where the view started to become eye candy.

Our tour through Sorrento was amazing. It is largely a tourist town with little shops and antique stores. One of the main shopping areas was this gorgeous little alleyway with no automobile traffic; only pedestrians were allowed. There, I found a mixture of high-end shops selling goods from well known Italian (and other) designers, restaurants, antique shops, pubs, and general stores. In total, a little bit of everything was offered to those willing to take the time to shop around.

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Along the way I found this cute little English pub with a boisterously outgoing owner that was half the fun of the visit to this cool little place. (A good IPA was the other half of the fun.) As an example of the proprietor’s sense of humor, this cocktail menu was posted quite prominently outside his establishment.

Our tour included a stop at a place that made fine woodworks with hand-crafted wood inlays. We were shown the process for making this stuff and it is incredibly time consuming. They made everything from chess boards and music boxes to tables and other furniture. Here’s an example of a hand-made inlaid gaming table with multiple games. Price? Well, the prices start at about US$6,500.

After a morning of shopping (and a pint of IPA) we were treated to lunch at a very nice little restaurant tucked away down a narrow alley where you’d think nobody would ever find it. And if you thought that, you’d be wrong as the place was packed. We were served some stuffed garden hose (locally known as cannelloni) that was filled with a tasty ricotta mixture. That was followed by ensalata caprese, and that was followed by some delicious chicken piccata and veggies. All of this was accompanied by an ample amount of Italian wine. It was more than a meal and I did skip dinner tonight.

We left Sorrento and headed back in the direction of Napoli, but our destination was Pompeii. If you look on the map above, Pompeii lies just east of Torre Annunziata, not far off of the main road.

My fascination with Pompeii stems from learning about the place in school. I was always impressed with the fact that archeologists had found people just as they were when they died, and that they had died very suddenly in a rain of ashes.

First and foremost, the ruins at Pompeii are a shining example of life in the days of the Roman empire, at the time that Pompeii was buried in volcanic ash in 79AD. Here’s what it looks like today.

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The ruins of Pompeii are amazing enough, but I really wanted to see those people, frozen in time and positioned as they died. I know, it’s a bit macabre, but that’s what caught my attention as a child when I was first learning about this amazing place. So, here’s what I saw on our tour.

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What I didn’t know before I visited this place is how these images of the dead were made. When the bodies were discovered, they were wrapped in the ashes. Inside the wrapping were the bones of the dead. The skin and organs had all disintegrated leaving a hollow where the complete body had been. One of the archeologists suggested pouring plaster inside of one of the hollows. When this was done and the ash was removed, there was a nearly perfect cast of the body that once filled the void and through that cast we can see what happened to that person (or animal.) The plaster cast accurately takes us back to 79AD and shows us the victims at the moment they died.

On a slightly lighter topic, there are some other “important” remains to be viewed. The following photos shows an ancient grain mill where wheat could be ground between two heavy volcanic stones. The ground wheat would be made into bread dough and cooked in a brick oven. That brick oven from 79AD looks just like the brick ovens used today to make pizza in its classic form. Some things never (and shouldn’t) change.

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Also interesting was to have discovered that there were ancient roman soldiers, still walking around.

I have so many more photos of Pompeii! But I can’t leave this post before showing you what kind of gifts were available at the tourist market in Pompeii. I understand, from talking with the vendors, that these items represented “good luck” in the days of ancient Pompeii. Sure, if they say so.

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So, that was my day in Napoli in a nutshell. I still have more stories to tell, but I can’t fit it all in a single post, so you’ll have to wait for my return if you’d like to hear more about my experiences in this wonderful part of the world.

I do have one small regret. I’m sorry that I missed a chance to visit the Amalfi Coast, but now I have something saved for my next visit! And as for that love affair with Italy, I’m sure now that it’s not just a flirtation. I really love this place!

Anything else?

But, of course!

As the Amsterdam left Napoli, some of the ship’s crew had prepared another night of entertainment in the Sea View bar. This was much like the prior performance except this time the singers and the musicians were even more practiced and professional. There was a big turnout for the event that lasted about an hour and a half. It’s always fun to watch these eager young people perform for our benefit, and we let them know how much we enjoyed it! I was sorry to hear that tonight was their “farewell” performance.

So, what’s coming up?

Another day at sea, and then Barcelona!

G’night!

Friday, April 12, 2019
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019

Not just four simple days at sea, but a trip through the Suez Canal!

Where am I?

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SO, WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING

During these days I enjoyed sailing through two stunning areas: The Suez Canal and the Strait of Messina.

To get to the Suez Canal we had to sail around the Sinai Peninsula. All along that peninsula I saw sights like this.

Yes, there’s oil everywhere around here. It’s so precious to us and our economies, even though the ways in which we use it is slowly killing us all. But, it’s not my turn to be a Debbie Downer.

OK, let’s proceed to the Suez Canal. The Suez is not like the Panama Canal inasmuch as it has no locks. The relatively flat terrain and the relatively small difference in sea level at each end allows for a lock-less transit.

The Suez Canal is much like the Panama Canal inasmuch as you must wait your turn to pass through and you must pass through slowly. Our ship arrived just south of the entrance to the canal on Friday, April 12. We anchored and spent the night at that spot while we waited for our turn to enter.

Ships enter either end in convoys, usually led by cruise ships if there are any in the convoy. At about 5:30am our convoy was formed up by the canal authorities and the Amsterdam was placed in the lead. Behind us were two more cruise ships and some number of other commercial carriers.

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You know immediately when you’ve entered the canal as things start to get rather tight. The canal is not very wide.

I mentioned that ships must pass slowly through the canal. Just how slow does a ship move when it’s transiting the canal? Well, it looks like this:

For much of the transit, we didn’t see any traffic moving in the other direction (north to south.) However, about halfway through the trip we started to see the other convoy approaching from the north. At this point there are two canals. We are in the south-to-north canal (east side) and the oncoming convoy was in the north-to-south canal (west side) which, at times, is very close to the canal we’re in and you can see the southbound ships “sailing” through the desert.

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I mentioned that, at times, the canals are not separated by much land. In fact, sometimes the two canals are this close:

I was told that, eventually, there is a plan to develop the central land that lies between the two canals and turn it into a commercial and touristic area. We’ll see how long it takes to accomplish that.

I was surprised to see small fishing boats in the canal. However, if one looks around, both banks of both canals are open to the world. They are not fenced in (though I did see a few guard stations along the way.) So, perhaps I should not have been surprised to see these guys out there trying to earn a living.

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Most of the time (it took about 8 hours to complete the transit) I just cruised along slowly, with a beer in my hand, watching the world go slowly by and thinking about being on a ship, sailing through the desert.

Once we reached the Mediterranean side of the canal, the weather changed immediately and drastically. Very quickly, the wind came up and the air temperature dropped at least ten degrees. Furthermore, from this point all the way to Naples (our next stop) we had cold, cloudy, and windy weather. I’m very glad that I packed some long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and a wool coat. I really needed them!

We sailed along, mostly uneventfully, until we reached the Strait of Messina. The Strait of Messina is a narrow waterway that separates the “toe” of the “boot” of Italy from the island of Sicily. The passage is so narrow and fraught with dangers that there are ancient greek myths about the perils of making this transit.

The scenery through this strait, though, is breathtaking. Allow me to share what I could see from my balcony.

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Not long after I took those photos, the sun set and the day was over. This was our last at sea day. Tomorrow we’ll be on dry land again.

Anything else?

Of course! There’s always a little something else. Do you remember my post about the King Neptune Celebration? Remember when we crossed the equator and all first-timers (known as pollywogs) had to endure the wrath of King Neptune? You may remember that I posted a video showing some of the activities performed on the Amsterdam, including the kissing of the fish.

Well, I just came across this little bit of footage that shows that event from the perspective of the pollywogs and it’s just to hilarious not to share it with you. So, want a better idea of what it is like to be a pollywog? Here you go!

What’s coming up?

Tomorrow, I’m in Napoli, Italy. I plan to visit Pompeii.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019

After many days at sea, we arrive in Aqaba, Jordan. This is an unusual part of the world where four countries lie within visual distance of each other.

Where am I?

What did I see, first thing this morning?

What’s been happening?

Today, I woke up to my third day of fever, coughing, runny nose, and a general malaise. If I was smart I would have stayed in bed all day (again) but today was the day I was booked to go to Petra. I simply could not pass on this trip. So, I stumbled out of bed and got myself ready to go.

On day 1 of Aqaba, before we left the ship, the people I had arranged to visit Petra with told me that I didn’t look very healthy. Then, on day 2 of Aqaba they told me about having this discussion with me. I was surprised to hear about it because it was all news to me. Why? I guess I was so feverish and out of it that I didn’t (and still don’t) remember even greeting them before we departed. As I write this, I’m very happy that I didn’t decide to go it alone for that trip as I needed to be watched over. Thank goodness for friends!

We left the ship at about 8:30 and jumped on the bus to Petra. Petra was an almost two hour ride from Aqaba, which included a brief stop at a Bedouin-owned store/soda fountain/Hookah café/museum/general store.

On the way into the “store” I passed by this display. Can you see why it caught my eye?

Our stop was brief, thankfully, as the day was to be a long one and we were just getting started. Already I was wishing it was over.

Before much longer, we were at the main gate to the ancient city of Petra. The following photo was not taken by me and does not reflect the crowds that were present on the day I was there. Honestly, there was a huge crowd.

Once inside, a visitor must decide how they prefer to get to the ruins. The path leads downhill into the city, so the trip down to the city is not too tough, even though it is just over a one mile walk. So, obviously, walking down is your first choice.

Another choice is going down (and back up again, if you like) by horseback. The cost of this is actually included in your price of admission, so it is “free.” However, the guys with the horses are all expecting a $20-30 tip for their services, so horseback is not really free.

Another choice is to take a horse-drawn carriage. The cost for this is about $50-60. The “jockeys” really drive these horses hard, likely because they get paid by the trip. The ride is very jostling and one person that I know said that on the ride back “they could feel every nail in the seat!”

Finally, there were a couple of 6-passenger golf carts that would allow you to travel in relative style and comfort for just $180 a cartload. That means you’re only paying that shrewd Beduin about $90 a mile! But, in order to really experience the beauty and wonder of the trip down, one needs to walk and I’m so glad that I did.

The first signs of the ancient Nabatean people (the people who built Petra) are the djinn blocks. Each djinn block is a cube-like stone carving that (I’m told) were homes to spirits. Some others say they are unfinished tombs, although no bodies have ever been found inside of a block.

Near the djinn blocks are some of the unfinished ancient tombs carved out of the sandstone. Sandstone is a very soft substance and is relatively easy to carve out. These tombs (and, in fact, all of the stone carvings of Petra) were started at the top and then the work proceeded to the bottom. In the photo below you can see the start of one of these tombs near the top of the hill. If you look closely you can see a stair-step design that represented the path to heaven.

About half way through the walk to the city you enter the siq. The siq is a narrow passage between the rocks. It is about a half mile long and very dramatic!

The siq is carved with alters, images of the gods and more unfinished tombs. Although each of the squares cut into the walls used to contain an image of a god, the Byzantines took over Petra at one time and defaced (quite literally) each of the gods so that they would not be recognizable. To the Byzantines, there was only one God.

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One of my favorite carvings in the siq is the one below. Click on it to enlarge the image then study it for a moment. Can you tell what it depicts (or, at least, used to depict?)

Let’s talk about this one. You can most certainly see the feet of a man wearing a robe. To the left you can also see something else. If you were clever you may have determined that those are the front feet of a camel. OK, that is the easy part.

I’ll bet you missed the part of the carving on the wall above the camel feet. If you look very carefully, you can see the entire camel! This particular carving was found buried in sand up to the waist of the man. The top part was exposed to the elements. Therefore, the top part weathered away while the bottom part was more protected. I hope you can see the whole thing now!

Once you reach the end of the siq, the passageway opens up to one of the greatest sand carvings ever created. It is called “the Treasury.” It was never used as an actual treasury, though. Many believe it was used for burial rights and other forms of worship. Its location certainly indicates that it was created to inspire awe in anybody visiting the city.

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The Treasury is, for many, the point of the trip. Some people, especially those who have mobility issues, turn around here and go back to the main gate after a brief time to take in the majesty of this one carving. Some folks take in some of the other amusements to be found here, like taking a camel ride.

For those willing to walk another mile or so, there are many more sights to behold. Here are just a couple.

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At this point in the trip I was starting to feel very weak and a bit light headed. My hiking partner, Mollie, and I started back for the top where the main gate is. I made it back safely and without passing out, but I did require a few rest stops along the way.

Oddly enough, my camera must have been infected with the same virus that was attacking me because it captured a picture exactly the way I was seeing it with my own feverish eyes.

Once we reached the top of the hill and exited the main gate, we were treated to a nice buffet lunch and a cold beer at the Mövenpick Resort Petra.

The trip back home was uneventful and I’m pretty sure I slept through most of the ride.

I have so many more photos of Petra. When I get home I’ll be happy to show them to anybody that might ask.

What about the second day?

Although I had visited Petra, I had not really seen much of Aqaba, so I took the shuttle bus into town the next day. I was feeling a bit better (after 13 hours of sleep) but still had not gained my full strength back.

One of our guests lecturers on the ship had recommended an English pub in town where one could pull a nice pint of beer and enjoy good wi-fi service. That sounded like just what I needed so I sought it out.

I found the place she told us about but it was a major disappointment. They only had three beers available, none of them English and none of them of the craft variety. Also, the wi-fi sucked. After a single pint of Heineken, I left disappointed.

When I returned to the ship, I was told that the hot wings place three doors away had great food, lots of beers, and fast wi-fi. I’m starting to ask myself where I fell off of the train to Good Karma.

So, what’s coming up?

Lots of days at sea, and the Suez Canal.

G’night!

Thursday, April 4, 2019

I’ve come out of India and I’m now headed for Arabia. My first stop is in Muscat, Oman on the tip of the Arabian peninsula.

Where am I?

The first thing I saw when I went out to the balcony this morning.

What’s been happening?

I really wanted to get out and explore this little place in the middle of nowhere-in-particular. Typically, this means booking a tour. Well, none of the HAL tours really looked good, and Muscat is a relatively small city in the desert with little around it but sand and mountains. So, I decided to take the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus to see the sights.

The first thing I noticed was the price of the tour. I’ve taken other HOHOs in other ports and the price was always between $20 and $30. Here, the price was $75. I’m not altogether sure why the price is so different from the other ports, but I was told that everything is more expensive in Oman. I can’t say that I believe this is true as I saw liquor in the duty free shop at American prices. So, who knows?

Our bus left the cruise ship terminal at about 10:30am and the weather was already hot, hot, hot. The HOHO bus is a double decker and I wanted to sit on the top deck to get better photos, but I also wanted to stay out of the sun. Fortunately for me, about a third of the top deck of the bus was covered with an awning which worked well for me. There was no A/C, but I was out of the sun and able to snap photos of interesting sights as we drove by them.

After leaving the ship’s docking area we were immediately in the old town traffic. This was fine with me since the slower pace made it easier to take photos. Here are a couple shots of the esplanade that runs around the harbor.

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There were two ships parked in the harbor that were most prominently on display. You can see them in the photo on the right. Can you identify them? Well, those two yachts belong to Sultan Qaboos bin Said and they both look like they just came from the manufacturer. Here’s a closer look.

Absolutely pristine!

There are lots of buildings in Muscat, but I couldn’t help but notice that all of the really pretty ones belonged to the government. For example:

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Oh, and here’s an interesting bit that I picked up on the tour bus: All buildings in Muscat must be one of two colors, white or cream. There are also height restrictions created to spur the city to build out and not up.

The esplanade is also peppered with beautiful parks with lush green lawns. I saw one that also had a beautiful fountain in the style of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Our tour also took us to the most popular beach in Muscat called Shatti Al Qurum. It truly is a beautiful beach and, although the water there is too treacherous for swimming, it is common to see the men enjoying a cool stroll through the shallow water close to the shore.

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I think that the women would not venture out into the water for fear of getting their abayas wet or sandy. Or perhaps a well turned ankle would be considered just a little too risqué for the neighborhood.

I did notice that Muscat is a very clean city, especially in those areas where tourists or dignitaries my take in the sights.

Education for the children is free in all of Oman, at least through high school.

In the 16th century, Muscat was a province of Portugal. The Portuguese built a number of forts around the natural harbor to protect it from raids conducted by the Ottoman empire. Twice, the Ottoman Empire took Muscat from the Portuguese, so the Portuguese built more forts. Here are some photos of the beautifully preserved and restored forts around the old port area.

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At the same time these forts were built, Muscat was a walled city with massive doors that would be opened each morning and closed every night, or in case of attack.

In addition to this colorful lore, there are two cannons that are lovingly preserved just outside of the walls. These cannons would be fired before sunset to warn anybody outside of the walls that the gates would soon be closing. Anybody not inside the walls before the gates closed would have to find shelter elsewhere until the sun came up the next day.

Muscat’s central market, the Suuq, really has the look and feel of an ancient marketplace like you might expect to see anywhere in the Arab world. It can be found on the esplanade where it has been for centuries. Notice, however, that the front of the Suuq has been modernized with a veneer of a western Galleria shopping center. Behind the façade the market looks largely unchanged from how it might have looked centuries ago.

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And, of course, when you visit exotic places you seek out exotic foods. Here are some of the places I found during our tour that caught my eye.

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Now, there was one thing I saw that is not like anything I’ve seen anywhere else in the world. It is the world’s largest incense burner!

Ok, I lied. This tower is intended to look like an incense burner, but it is merely a lookout tower built as part of a celebration of Oman’s 20th National Day. I didn’t go up into it but I’m sure that the view from inside would be lovely.

At the end of the tour (which lasted about three hours) we were brought back to the ship. I made a quick stop in the duty free shop looking for cigars. No luck. I also wanted to use the free wi-fi but the “free” wi-fi network was “all full.” I could, however, purchase wi-fi at the Internet café immediately adjacent to the the duty free shop. The man running the duty-free shop said he would be happy to get me started on the paid wi-fi. It seems that he owned both enterprises. I declined.

Our ship pulled out of Muscat just before sunset. The harbor really is beautiful and our visit here seemed so brief.

I left Muscat very impressed with its modern look and its clean streets. It seemed like a lawful place where everybody conformed to the rules of the culture. Still, I’m very sure that I would not last long in Muscat. For me, it was a wonderful place to visit, but a long stay here would not be fun for me or anybody else. I just couldn’t shake the idea that too much of what I saw was window dressing that attempted to cover up a darker side that I was not supposed to see. Could that be? Or was it just because of the things I was shown on the tour. I’ll never know for sure.

So, what’s coming up?

Lots of days at sea.

G’night!