February 21 – 25, 2023 My plane landed late. I was hours past my estimated arrival to the guesthouse but the guesthouse manager was waiting for me. Nice. The next morning I went to Jemaa el-Fnaa – the main square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter – the old city. If you can think... Continue Reading →
ITALY – POMPEII
February 18, 2023 From Naples I took the 20 minute train to Pompeii. From the station, it was about a 20 minute walk to the ruins. A brief history of Pompeii: It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 2.5 million visitors yearly. It was a wealthy town of about 11,000 people. Nearby Mount Vesuvius... Continue Reading →
ITALY – NAPLES
February 17 – 19, 2023 Naples was the cheapest flight out of Sharm el Sheikh. I didn't plan on staying long. But as long as I was here, I may as well make the best of it. First, let me tell you about my host. During Covid he got very sick and was taken to... Continue Reading →
ISRAEL
February 14, 2023 The only Israel tour I could get was with a Russian group. They needed 6 people to have an English group and there were not 5 others who signed up. It was a good price and better than nothing, so I went. It turns out there were more English people on the... Continue Reading →
EGYPT – MOSES MOUNTAIN
February 13, 2023 Moses Mountain (Jabal Musa in Arabic) is the Mount Sinai talked about in the Bible where Moses purportedly got the Ten Commandments from God. It is a relatively high mountain at 2285 metres (7497 ft.) I caught the bus at 8:00 pm for the 3:00 am hike to the summit, in order... Continue Reading →
JORDAN – PETRA
February 11, 2023 I had booked a tour to Petra but after talking with some fellow Canadians, I was assured I could do it myself for much cheaper than the tour was charging. I cancelled the tour. However, after doing some online research, it was rather confusing as to visa requirements and ferry tickets. While... Continue Reading →
EGYPT – SHARM EL SHEIKH
February 6 – 17, 2023 The plane landed in Sharm el Sheikh, or Sharm, as it is locally called. I caught a taxi to Naama Blue Hotel. The hotel came with a pool, which I didn't use; and a large outdoor patio, which I did use. The area is restricted to everyday traffic and I... Continue Reading →
EGYPT – LUXOR
January 31 – February 6, 2023 The bus to Luxor was very comfortable. It was a night bus and I slept like a baby in the wide reclining seats. And they even served a boxed lunch! The guesthouse host, Ali Mohamed, said he could arrange for a taxi to pick me up from the bus... Continue Reading →
EGYPT – ISMAILIA (SUEZ CANAL)
January 27, 2023 I wanted to go to the Suez Canal. I had watched a documentary on the Egypt-Israeli war and had seen some displays in the military museum about “The Crossing”. It was a 2-hour drive. Another Canadian guest from the same guesthouse and I asked the old man, who had been my taxi... Continue Reading →
EGYPT – CAIRO & GIZA
January 17-31, 2023 Landing in Cairo I paid my $25 US to get my tourist visa and breezed through immigration. My European SIM did not work. There were 3 phone providers conveniently located in the baggage claim area. $15 had me set up with a new card. The guesthouse driver was waiting for me outside.... Continue Reading →