CHAPTER 17. GUATEMALA, continued and EL SALVADOR. (December 14, 2011 -February 27, 2012)
January 26, 2012.
Everything fell into place just as I was about to give up on a Philippines trip. American Airlines credited me with enough miles for a FREE trip from San Salvador, El Salvador to Los Angeles. (even though it involves 18.5 hrs to get to Los Angeles) What we do from free trips. Then I get on a plane 2.5 hrs later for the 19 hrs involved getting to Manila via Tokyo.
But really excited as Boracay Beach is one of most beautiful beaches in world. Ranked 2nd by many. Also the underground river is on the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World. Add the steepest rice terraces in the world and swimming with Whale Sharks and I am expecting an awesome trip. Just need to get my new credit cards before my trip. Old ones canceled due to cloning. But will work it out. 2 more weeks in San Pedro, then to Antigua for few days to see friends, then to Playa Tunco, El Salvador for remainder of my trip before heading to the Philippines.
This trip will give me the excitement that I have been missing in not seeing new places which is my passion. Will return on April 24th and then work on Backpacker Travel and guided trips to Ireland in late May/early June. Then Costa Rica and Guatemala trips during summer.
February 4, 2012
After a great stay in San Pedro since December, I will be leaving Thursday for a few days in Antigua. Then to the beach in El Salvador for 2 weeks at Playa Tunco. Then on to San Salvador for my marathon plane rides to the Philippines which will involve about 33 hrs of travel. Starting to get excited about new destinations and new experiences which is what drives my travel obsession. Will definitely be back to San Pedro as it is truly beautiful and one of the cheapest places to live in the world.
EL SALVADOR
February 13, 2012. (PLAYA EL TUNCO)
5 hour shuttle from Antigua, Guatemala to Playa El Tunco, El Salvador. The border crossing was not too difficult this time. Sometimes if there is a large bus already waiting it can take what seems like forever.I am staying at the Tunco Lodge which is near the beach. Splurged on private room since I will be in dorms for 2 months in Philippines. My room has shared bathroom but 2 beds and fan for $15 a night. Also have a fridge and hammock on my balcony. Great pool here and wifi.
February 14, 2012
Spent the evening watching the surfers and sunset with most of the other backpackers sipping a cool one. Especially enjoyed the dog retrieving a ball over and over in the ocean and riding a surf board. Loving the beach life.
February 15, 2012. (Chicken bus to La Libertad)
To get back on a reasonable budget I had to take the chicken bus to La Libertad which is the closest town that has a supermarket. The 20-30 minute ride was only 25 cents. El Salvador does not receive many tourists yet and it is amazing to see all the people who stare while u are riding the bus. But a quick smile and they smile back and everything seems right. The supermarket was large and really nice, actually the best one I have been in while traveling thru Central America. Felt like a kid in a candy store and bought too much but still cheaper than eating out even though two large burritos is only $3 in a restaurant.
February 19, 2012. (Busy weekend)
As expected, the hordes of weekenders from San Salvador arrived at Playa El Tunco. Will be happy tomorrow when I have most of the beach and pool to myself and the backpackers here. Very hot but the pool compensates for that. Each day is beach walk, dip in pool, lunch, siesta, pool, watch the sunset with cold cerveza and dinner. Rinse and repeat. This will be my "Groundhog Day" until I board the plane to Manila, Philippines.
Did meet some locals while watching sunset. Cute girl but she never quit talking. Had to be 30 minutes straight on 1 breath.
Note: Will be in 6 different airports on my trip to Manila with about 33 hours of plane and airport time before I arrive.
February 26, 2012
Big surf competition today. Beach was packed with surfers and onlookers. Did not take pictures but really enjoyed watching all the talented surfers, especially the women. Unfortunately that led to lots of loud music at clubs and did not get to sleep until around 3 am. My fan was not loud enough to eliminate the music next door. 39 hr travel marathon begins tomorrow at 2 pm.
While looking at potential hostels in Philippines, I now realize that like my previous trip to Asia most do not have kitchen facilities usually because food on street is so cheap. But gotta figure out how to get hot water for my instant coffee in my backpack.
2/27/12
Leave at 10 am to head to the San Salvador airport to begin my 39-40 hr marathon of airlines and airports. Should arrive in Manila about 10 pm Tuesday if there are no hitches. Looking forward to visiting a new country, especially since it has so much too offer. Be home April 24th.
Note: Washed what few clothes I am carrying yesterday which include swim shorts and 1 pr. zip off leg hiking pants. Got blood on my good pair of hiking shorts from a scratch first thing this morning. Oh well.
CHAPTER 18. PHILIPPINES (February 27 - April 24th)
February 27-29th, 2012. Flight and Manila
After approximately 45 hrs of airplanes and airports I arrived in Manila at 10pm on 2/29/12. Got through immigration in less than 1 minute and customs in 15 seconds which has to be a world record. Miami took almost 2 hours for the same process.
Unfortunately i had forgotten about the international date line when i booked my hostel and was a little upset when I was told I had already missed my first night which I also had to pay for. But as I know well, it is not if something will happen while traveling but when. You just have to smile and make the best of it. The small price for traveling around the world.
Was not prepared for the karoake until 4 am at bars on the street. That is another price of staying in the young hip area when booking. 6 bed dorm but only 1 other roommate who came in around 4 am. Looked like he had been SINGING karoake all night. lol
Must extend my visa while in Manila. The country gives us a free 21 day visa but you can extend it for another 38 days for a fee making the total stay 59 days. My return flight is April 24th which will keep me in the country for 55 days.
Will visit Manila downtown area and Manila Bay while walking from the hostel to Immigration to get my visa taking care of. Then perhaps overnight bus to Banaue which has the steepest rice terraces in the world. Hopefully I will be able to post great pictures while on the trip.
Sidenote: Continually speaking what little Spanish I know. Don't know how many times I have said buenos dias or gracias since I started the airplane portion of the trip.
March 1, 2012. (Visa Extension Nightmare, more pain in ass than nightmare)
Walked almost an hour downtown in the Philippine heat to get my visa extension and save a few dollars. When I finally found the Immigration Office a sign said must not have on flip flops and shorts to get in. Which is my wardrobe of choice always.
Luckily a young entrepreneur walked up to me and asked if I would like to rent some sweat pants and a pair of shoes for $5. In no position to argue I agree. It took almost 2 hrs to get my 38 day extension and cost $80 including the $5 i paid the kid outside but at least it is over. Of course , then there was the hour walk at noon in the Philippine heat to get back to hostel but as I always say, "I have more time than money."
March 2, 2012. (Overnight bus to Banaue)
Will leave on 9 pm overnight bus for 9 hr. ride to Banaue to see the steepest rice terraces in the world. Was really impressed in 2008 at the Longii Terraces in China so can't wait to see these. Will visit several spots and do hiking around the villages and rice terraces.
March 3, 2012. (Viewpoints of Banaue Terraces and Patao terraces)
After the long bus and arriving at 6 am, checked into the Peoples Inn. Nice private room/shared bath with 2 bed for only 300 pesos ($7.50) a night. Then hiked 1 hr up to the viewpoints instead of taking the $5 motorcycle with sidecar. Incredible views which I will post when have free internet again. In the afternoon I took a tour in the moto tryke to see the beautiful valley terraces in Patao. 1.5 hr ride on the worst roads that I have ever been on. That sidecar does not have shocks not that it would have mattered. Could hardly walk the next day. Beautiful views of the Banaue Terraces sitting on the restaurants terrace. Finally crashed after being up for 36 hrs at 6 pm.
March 4, 2012. (Batad Terraces)
After good nights rest, decided to go to Batad and visit what are supposedly the most spectacular amphitheatre terraces in the world. I met another backpacker and we went up to the Batad saddle by jeepney and then walked the additional 40 minutes to Batad. Truly is beautiful but little disappointed because the rice has not matured a lot yet so not real green at this point. I have seen the pictures though and its setup is spectacular. Hiked to the waterfall and the hike up was vicious. Straight up , probably 2000 ft. Also had to walk through the rice terraces to get there on the retaining stone walls which keep the water in. Everyone tried to be your guide and would give little info on exactly how to get there but I made it.
March 5, 2012. (Hike Batad to Bataan and bus ride to Banaue)
Went diving for the 1st time in 2 years to try and see the Manta Rays at the cleansing station in the Manta Ray Bowl. This is a location where the current allows them to remove the parasites. (something like that) Unfortunately we had no luck seeing any Mantas but did get 3 more dives under my belt. May try again or wait for the ship wrecks on Caron.
We sat on the edge of the boat until the skipper and leader of our group said to jump in. They have a spotter on a flagstaff looking for large shadows in the water. It was a great experience but after second time I had enough. While the regulations say only 6 people per whale shark, when one is spotted EVERYONE goes in the water towards the shark. Sometimes 20-30 swimmers.
My other favorite thing to do here is walk. Almost every child will say "Whats your name." Then they tell you theirs. I am guessing it is to practice their English, but they truly love Americans and will engage you in conversation whenever possible. After being asked my name, I asked a little girl her name and she said "Miley Cyrus". The Filipinos love to be inventive when picking out names. I heard of another whose name was Chivas Regal. At least in Donsol, the friendliest people I have ever met in the world.
Then started looking for a room for the night. A guy in the shuttle had mentioned a hotel but that it was $25 a night. After looking all over town I saw a sign at a grocery store that said lodging. I was only $3.50 a night but is in my bottom 5 on all time lodging places. I was the only one in what should have been a condemned house. There were no locks on my door and lucky to have a door as many didn't. Don't even want to talk about the bathroom. But had a fan, clean sheets and was really tired so made the best of it.
March 11, 2012. (Mandaorn to Boracay Island)
Caught the 7 am "pump" boat to Estancia for the 4 hr ride with about 20 passengers and lots of cargo. Started out inside the boat but the fresh air and beautiful weather convinced me to climb on top. That was great for a few about 1.5 hrs until the rain and large waves started seriously rocking the boat. That is when the 4 hr ride turned into a 6.5 hour ride. Arrived in Estancia around 1:45 pm and then caught a minivan to Roxas City, then another minivan to Kailbo, then another minivan to Leticlan, then a 15 minute boat ride to Boracay Island, then a 15 minute tricycle ride to Frendz Resort where I have a reservation in 2 WEEKS.
Since my plans checked so quickly and did not have internet, I was unable to make a reservation at Frendz, which is the cheapest and best backpacker establishment. He told me there were no rooms available but that he would have an opening in 2 days and then I would be set for a month. Down the street I go with my backpack and no idea where to look. Place after place was $40 to $60 and this was at the cheapest looking places. I finally went back to Blue Bayou, ironic, and took the $37 room with private bath, tv and fan and free breakfast. The fact that I had not eaten a real meal in 24 hrs was adding to the problem. They only had a room for the night so will do this again on Monday.
If this had not happened many times before I would not be happy but part of the job.
March 12, 2012. (New room plans)
Since there is no availability in the dorm at Frenz Resort tonight must still find other accommodations. Also, just found out Frendz does not have a pool which it lists as an amenity. This along with the cheap price are the two biggest factors why I chose it.
Luckily I found a great spot right by the beach with a private room/private bath, cable tv and air con for only $2.50 a night more than Frenz dorm. I know it is still $2.50 but as I get a little older my backpacking skills seem to be fading. lol 30 days in a dorm in Frenz was probably pushing the envelope. So I will do 15 days in private room at Bonzai Resort and then 10 days in dorm at Frenz. Chance to reinvigorate my youthful soul and share that great hostel vibe which I love, even though it comes with a certain loss privacy in the dorm.
March 13, 2012. (Boracay Beach)
Boracay Beach is incredibly beautiful, especially with all the sailboats, but the water has lots of seaweed. The beach walk where all the hotels, restaurants and bars are located is really busy all the time. There are many different restaurants of all price ranges from $1 to $9 unlimited seafood buffet. I still think that 3 mile beach on Koh Lanta in Thailand is still my favorite. There are sooo many tourists here and most are Asian. Move today to Bonzai Resort for 15 days ($17 day) including private room with bath and air con. Only 30 seconds to beach.
March 14, 2012. (Purchased airline tickets to Palawan and then to Manila)
Spent most of morning checking airline prices to Puerto Princessa , Palawan for the end of my journey. I will have to shuttle to Kalibo from Boracay (2 hrs) but the plane ticket was only $79. I then found a ticket to Manila from Puerto Princessa on April 23rd for only $52. I had planned on leaving Boracay on April 9th but will spend a few extra days in Paradise to save big bucks on the airfare.
Note: Think I am becoming addicted to Mango Fruit Shakes ($1)
3/19/12. (Eating on Boracay Beach)
The beach is lined with All You Can Eat Buffets for $10 to $15 including amazing fresh seafood. I pass them everyday on my way to the cheaper eateries that I frequent which include Andok's which has amazing BBQ pork skewers (2) with rice for $1.33. Places like this allow me to travel and spend 2 months in Paradise, the Philippine version.
Some of the things that I am amazed by is how impossible it is to find a knife. There is usually a large spoon, which they use for a knife and spoon, and a fork for pushing the rice into the spoon and spearing vegetables. A large amount of rice comes with everything, including BACON AND EGGS for breakfast which I find a little strange. But I am in the majority, with most tourists coming from South Korea and China (80%), Aussies (10%), Germans (5%) and then a wide variety with only a few Americans.
(6) Ways To Avoid Street/Beach Vendors
1. NEVER make eye contact.
2. NEVER talk to them even to say NO.
3. NEVER stop walking.
4. NEVER get them wet.
5. NEVER feed them after midnight.
6. Put a bright light on them, they hate bright lights.
Okay, last 3 are from Gremlins Movie, but first 3 work. Lol
March 27, 2012. (Creature of habit, for now)
Have become a creature of habit for now. 6:45 am walk to bakery for 1/2 price day old banana muffins, then coffee, then walk up and down the beach. TV when it gets too hot to be in the sun. Lunch at Andok's for $1.30, then 20 minutes of beach time in hot sun, more TV, then dinner at Andok's for $1.30. Afternoon mango shake and final walk on beach. Occasionally, twice a week, will go for a couple of happy hour beers. Final walk around the beach at night to watch all the people mulling over which All U Can Eat Buffet to choose.
While not exciting, I am not on vacation but simply living on an incredible beach as inexpensively as possible and still having a good time.Move to dorm at Frenz on March 29th for 11 days to save a little more money. Gonna miss my private room but will enjoy the hostel lifestyle as always. April 12th I move to Palawan Island for new adventure and final leg of this trip.
Moving to Frenz to stay in dorm for next 11 days at P600 ($14) a day. Have gotten lazy staying in private room all this time and also miss the companionship that u get at a hostel. But will miss my own tv and room. Will move back to Bonzai Resort after busy Easter holidays on April 9th for my last 4 days on Boracay Beach and then to Palawan Island to finish up my trip. Then will get busy planning guided trip to Costa Rica the 1st part of June.
After 11 days in dorm, moved back to Bonzai Resort for some privacy, cable tv and air con since it is so hot in middle of day. That is when I catch up on all tv. Leave on 12th to fly to Puerto Princessa on Palawan Island. Really excited about spending my final 12 days there.
April 12, 2012. (Puerto Princessa, Palawan)
Long day. Got up and left at 6 am for 2 hr shuttle ride to Kalibo to catch a plane to Puerto Princessa via Manila. Had to wait at Manila airport for 5 hrs for connecting flight and then 1 hot hour on tarmac waiting for weather change (humidity) in Puerto Princessa. Found the Dallas Inn (hostel) easily and luckily I am only one in 8 bed dorm, so got cheap price ($7) and have private room. Happens more than people think. Will catch a shuttle to El Nido at 6:30 am for what is supposed to be 5-7 hr shuttle instead of the bus which is 9 hrs. Paid more but want to get there early and find a good place to stay for the 10 days I will be there. Really excited about this part of the journey. Will bus back though and save the extra $5 I am spending on the shuttle. The last 2 weeks will fly by as always but ready to see the family, especially Kade and Madison.
April 13, 2012. (El Nido, Palawan)
Finally made it after a rough 7 hr. shuttle van ride from Puerto Princessa. Interesting group in van included several Chinese, couple from Japan, Italian guy and his girlfriend from Spain and of course myself, the odd American that few travelers ever see. While there are people from the States traveling the numbers are small compared to our population. For some reason people guess that I am from NZ or Australia. I guess the US is not even an option. lol
Spent an hour hiking the beach looking for that perfect, inexpensive room on the beach. Finally found a nice place which has a private room/shared bath downstairs for 500 pesos ($11.75) a night. My room is upstair next to restaurant and bar which have incredible view of bay. The real reason to be here is island hopping and viewing the sunset which I plan on doing in 2 hrs. San Miguel Light (beer) may be invited also.
April 14, 2012. (El Nido)
Have researched all the restaurants and happy hours and have pretty good idea where I will be eating each meal and where I will be at sunset. Funny today when I realize it was cheaper to buy (2) 8 ounce mango shakes than (1) 16 ounce shake. Saved 15 pesos by order the 2 smaller. Also, funny watching several dozen eggs tied down on the hood of a packed jeepney going down the road. Tomorrow I go on a boat tour to several islands for snorkeling. The day boat trips are why you come here. 9am till 4 pm and includes snorkle gear and BBQ lunch for about $20. El Nido is not spectacular as far as beaches but the surrounding islands are not supposed to be rivaled by anyone. We will see. Posting a few random shots of the town and karst (limestone) cliffs surrounding El Nido.
April 15, 2012. (Island Hopping Tour C)
1st island hopping tour which included Mantiloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach, Cadlao Lagoon and Tapuitan Island in that order. There was also an incredible lunch prepared by the crew which consisted of fish, including red snapper, shrimp, pork, squid, rice and mangos.
April 17, 2012. (Island Hopping Tour A)
Best tour so far. Visited Secret Lagoon, Big and Small Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Intalula Island and 7 Commando Beach. Great snorkeling, great lunch cooked on beach and some beautiful beaches to lounge on. Great group including couple from South Korea, couple from Spain and several Filipinos who were vacationing. And the one odd American. I am always questioned if I am from Australia. Not sure why , Mate.
April 20, 2012. (Winding down, birthday weekend)
Ate at one of the expensive restaurants and had pizza last night, fish and chips tonight and will eat there again tomorrow. Have decided to treat myself after 4.5 months of backpacking and have some nice food to celebrate my birthday weekend. Also, only place I can use my credit card and want to save up pesos for the final few days and final expenses such as exit fees which will be as much as P1000. More about saving pesos and using my credit card as it is treating myself. Can't believe this journey is ending but excited about seeing the grandkids and family.
April 22, 2012. (Farewell El Nido, hello Puerto Princessa)
Caught the 9 am shuttle van to Puerto Princessa and arrived in a quick 5 hrs. Checked back into the Dallas Inn dorm and will catch the 10am flight in the morning to Manila. Have not decided whether to get a hostel dorm bed for the remaining night or not. There is a hostel near the airport but reports of bed bugs have me thinking of just toughing it out at the airport. My flight Tuesday morning is at 6 am and I need to be at the airport at least by 3 am anyway. Make that decision tomorrow. Can't believe this journey is ending. Thinking back, I have been traveling 7.5 months of the last 9.5 months. Need some serious quality family time to rejuvenate me. Missing everybody and new sights and new friends are no substitute for family. If only they could travel with me always.
"Traveling in the company of those we love is Home in Motion." Leigh Hunt
April 23rd and 24th, 2012. (Going Home)
Caught the 10 am flight from Puerto Princessa to Manila except it left at 11am. Thought about whether to stay overnight at airport for 6 am flight or get cheap hostel near airport. At first decided to stay at airport and then was told I could not get my boarding pass and go to restaurant area until 3 am so got a taxi and headed to cheap hostel. Pretty close and only paid $2 for a taxi to get there. Dorm was full so paid $9 for private room but will not sleep more than couple of hours because going by taxi at 2 am to get ready and make sure everything is smooth at airport. Going to see the family and excited. But also know that when the grandchildren quit paying attention to me it will be time to head out for another adventure. Really no reason to stay home if not spending quality time with Kade and Madison. Too expensive just to stay in Natchez and do nothing. Maybe will get travel business started but will definitely be on limited scale as I have big plans this fall and winter.
GREAT AND LONG TRIP INCLUDING GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR & PHILIPPINES
CHAPTER 19. IRELAND, SCOTLAND, ITALY, CROATIA & MONTENEGRO, TURKEY & EGYPT (September 19 - October 21st)
September 19, 2012 (Flight to Shannon, Ireland)
Arrived at NO airport at 12:30 am and settle in for long night. Was able to check in and get boarding pass at 3:30 am and got a notice that the Newark to Shannon, Ireland leg had been overbooked. It asked if I would like to volunteer my seat, if needed, for a $400 travel voucher. If so, to give the info to the gate official in Newark. As soon as I arrived in Newark I gave the gate official my info and said I would volunteer for the $400 travel voucher, new ticket to Shannon, hotel room ($100) and food vouchers ($30). They needed 2 volunteers and I was fortunate enough to be one of those. Got my vouchers and headed to Crowne Plaza. Was also able to extend my checkout until 3:15 pm to reduce my wait at the airport. Would definitely volunteer again and swap 1 night of travel for $400 in travel vouchers and free food and place to stay. Leave at 7 pm on Septemer 20 and arrive at 7 am in the morning. Also got exit row seat with extra leg room for no extra charge. Life is good.
Sept. 20, 2012
Arrived around 11:30 am at Cliffs of Moher after 5.5 hrs on plane, 2 buses and 2 hr wait in bus station. While the Cliffs of Moher are always breathtaking, the sun did not provide the light I was hoping for. Will go back late this afternoon and try again. Also, some of the "closed" paths I took when I was here in 2007 are seriously closed now and no longer accessible. The best views are from the closed path but they are building a new path but it looks like at least 3-6 months before it will be completed. Hope to post pictures later this evening unless the "pub" begins calling. lol
September 22, 2012. (IRELAND, Inis Meain)
Great day visiting Inis Meain, one of the Aran Islands. There are only about 150 residents there but luckily one is a friend of mine, Anamaria Connelly, who also served as my guide for my visit today. We walked for about 2 hrs around the entire island and the scenery was breathtaking. The absolute solitude of the island is magic. Really amazed by all the rock fences for the livestock. Rocks are a necessity as there are only 3 trees on the island and even the sod was brought in since most of the island is rock.There are also views of the Cliffs of Moher but Inis Meain has its own cliffs and they are also spectacular. Ended the afternoon with a couple of pints of Guiness. Seriously was better than I remembered but Anamaria that is because the best Guiness in Ireland was here. Caught the 4:30 ferry to Galway.
September 23, 2012. (IRELAND, Galway)
Arrived in Galway yesterday around 7 pm after ferry ride from Inis Meain and 1 hr bus ride. Staying at Sleepzone Hostel which is very close to Eyre Square. Will walk around and take pictures today and post later. Dublin tomorrow. Will defintely have to reintroduce myself to McDonals today to get back on budget. I see the Euro Menu (their Dollar Menu) in my future to get back on budget. At about $6.25 for a pint of Guiness sacrifices have to be made. lol Finished off last evening in Galway with a couple of pints of Bulmers Cider in the Latin Quarter. Last picture is of the Spanish Arch.
September 24, 2012. (IRELAND, Galway)
Loved Galway, had 2 pints of Bulmers Cider in Latin Quarter yesterday but it did not help me sleep with "SNORING GUY" registering an 8.5 on the Richter Scale. The 4 of us who could not sleep convinced the guy at the night desk to let us move to an empty dorm. Much appreciaed. Wonder what "SNORING GUY" thought when he woke up this morning to a room all by himself. lol
I took the City Link bus instead of Bus Eirean because it was 4 euros cheaper and had bathroom and wifi. Unfortunately it was raining and does not look to let up anytime soon. I have seen the tourist sites before so will blog today and catch a pint later. Hopefully the weather will clear up before my flight to Edinburgh, Scotland tomorrow evening. I have all day tomorrow to revisit Trinity College and other pioints of interest.
This trip is NOT representative of future guided trips because my time here is limited and I am doing some things I have not done before. Skipping Killarney (my favorite), and Kilkenny. For more of the typical sights check out my 2007 Ireland viist at billpassman.blogspot.ie or go to my blogs at bpassman.blogspot.com
Minus all the hiking I did on the Kerry Way, that will be done by Tour Bus.
Walked to Temple Bar District for a pint of the good stuff, some Irish music and to take a few pictures.
Lots of signs promoting Oktoberfest in Temple Bar. Seems like a sign for me to go to Munich.
September 25, 2012. (IRELAND, Dublin)
Decided to walk around and take some pictures on my last "real" day in Dublin. (will fly back in on 29th but spend the night in airport before flying to Venice) Took pictures around Dublin City Centre especially the Liffey River, Trinity College, Grafton Street, St. Stephens Green and Dublin Castle. Did not go in to see the Book of Kells today as I have seen it before and it is amazing but also 9 euro ($11.25) But suggest that anyone who has opportunity to see it, see it. Google it and see the amazing pictures and history.
Flight to Edinburgh, Scotland
The flight to Edinburg, Scotland on Ryanair ($65 RT) was easier than I expected. No specific seats so just grab a seat. Flight was only 45 minutes. The hardest part for me traveling is getting from the airport to the hostel/budget hotel inexpensively. Luckily, hostelworld gives great directions from the bus, train or airport to any specific accommodation. The airport is about 45 minutes from the city center but a city bus ride for $3 and I was at the hostel in no time. It was still raining when we landed though and I did have a short walk in the rain but had an umbrella. Checked in about 10 pm.
September 26, 2012. Edinburgh, Scotland
Weather much nicer this morning, no rain. Signed up for a trip to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness for tomorrow. I will leave on a bus with tour guide at 8 am and return 8 pm. Will cover a lot of Scotland. Afterwards, I walked to Colten Hill to get a better view of the city, then went to Princess Gardens, and Edinburg Castle ($25 ouch). Sunshine most of day and the castle was impressive.
September 27, 2012. (Highlands Bus Tour)
Due to my limited time in Scotland, I was forced into a 12 hr bus tour of the Scottish Highlands that included Glencoe, Fort Williams and Loch Ness. It did allow me to see a lot of Scotland in a short time. Over 350 miles during the day with several stops. Great Tour.
September 28, 2012. (Holyrood Oark)
Beautiful day so walked to climb up to Arthur's Chair in Holyrood park which gives great views of city.
September 29th and 30th, 2012. (Edinburgh to Dublin to Venice, Italy)
Quite a couple of days which included spending all night and getting no sleep in Dublin Airport. Arrived in Venice at 11 am. I took the airport bus to the Mestre Train Station which is very close to my hostel. The hostel was nice and only a 10 minute train ride to the center of Venice. I immediately left the hostel to take advantage of the beautiful weather. I could easily have taken the water taxi to St. Marks Square but if you know me I walked the long way around, enjoyed the scenery and saved some coin. lol
4 hours of seeing the sights and getting seriously lost, like always and like everyone else I had enough and went back to the hostel for a good nights sleep and early morning (9 am) train to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre. Can not get over how many tourists were there at end of September. It was packed. 70 degree weather but can not imagine more people and 90 degree weather.
October 1, 2012. (Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, 5 villages)
6 hr train ride from Venice was nice and I napped a little as I usually do on trains. There was a drizzle when I arrived so a little disappointed. Was told the hiking trail was closed so a little more disappointed. But checked into the dorm at the hostel and met a nice Japanese girl who was traveling for 1 years around the world. So we talked for a while about travel and things got better. Went to grab a pizza, free internet and wine at the restaurant and things got a lot better. Really a beautiful , special place but is so pricey now. They can't all stay hidden gems forever. I remember when I read about this place before my 2006 trip in Rick Steves' guide book. He said he almost hesitated even mentioning it because he knew the outcome of many travelers finding this.
October 1st and 2nd, 2012. (CINQUE TERRE boat ride between villages)
Had plans on spending two nights in Riomaggiore and hiking the Cinque Terre (5 villages) National Park path which follows the coastline above the 5 villages and is a very beautiful 6 hr walk. The path leads from Riomaggiore to Maranola to Corniglia to Vernazza and ends up in Monterosso. In 2006 I hiked the trail but ended at Vernazza. I was told on my arrival that the trails were closed due to a land slide. Several others told me the same including a lady in the tourist office. So I canceled one night and just enjoyed the scenery and made plans to take the boat ride the next day from Vernazza to Riomaggiore to truly appreciate the beauty of the villages from the sea. Unfortunately I found out as I was leaving Cinque Terre that only the easier coastal path had been closed. Travel has a way of changing plans with or without your approval sometimes.
October 2-6th, 2012. (ITALY, Florence)
Have seen most of the sights and museums on my 2006 but always loved Florence. So came back to just do nothing. Have loved every minute. The city of almost 372,000 is pristine, beautiful and QUIET. I have tried to figure out what I love so much about here and it just seems quieter than most cities. People talk quieter, there seems to be less traffic and there is a reverence that seems to surround the city. Almost as though they did not want anyone else to know they are here. Each evening I do my favorite thing and that is to go to Piazzle Michelangelo that overlooks the city and watch the sunset. It is truly magical.
October 6, 2012. ( Ferry to Dubrovnik, Croatia)
Had to catch the 5:50 am train from Florence to Rome, change trains in Rome to Bari, Italy. Arrived at 12:45 pm and tried to catch a bus to the ferry port. Took the 20 bus and 30 minutes later realized I had done the same thing 6 years earlier. Should have taken the 20/ bus. Got back to my origin, the train station, and took the 20/ bus and was dropped off a Jradrolinija Ferry dock where they no longer have a ticket office. I purchased my ticket online and therefore needed my reservation printed out. Was told there was a free shuttle at 5 pm to the new ticket office. The ferry does not leave until 10 pm and we can not board until 8 pm so lot of waiting. To make matters worse i got there at 5 pm and found out they would not open until 6:30 pm. That is when Peroni Beer got involved. Got boarded and started looking for place to spend the night. All the couches where most backpackers stay now have boards in the couches providing only individual seats and not allowing a way to lay down. They are determined to make u buy a sleeper. Found a comfortable recliner and watched tv as long as it was in English. Then found a comfortable piece of carpet in a less trafficked hallway. Worked out and slept till 4:30 am and we landed around 7 am. 1st off the boat and found the hostel without too much difficulty.
Spent most of day walking around and getting used to "old town", the enclosed walled portion. When I arrived at 7:30 am it was like a ghost time but as the cruise people arrived it was chaos. People everywhere. I went back to the room and chilled and then thought about taking the tram to the mountain overlooking Dubrovnkik. I read that some take the tram up at only 60% of the $12.50 price and walk down a trail back to "Old Town". I decided to save the entire amount and walked up and back down. Took less then 2 hrs and I can always use the exercise, plus the views were spectacular.
Decided on a full day tour to Montenegro and leave at 8:30 am. It is only one hour from Dubrovnik to the Montenegro border and only a little further to Kotor, our first stop. Kotor is draped along the beautiful Dalmation Coast and its "old town" has walls that go from the sea to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately my camera had not recovered yet from the water spill incident so I will be relying on some of the others on the tour for photos later. After a few hrs there we drove on down the Dalmatian Coast and I was truly amazed at its beauty. Possibly the bluest waters I have ever seen. (Antarctica was pretty blue also) Our final destination was Budva which is the hub of commercialism in Montenegro and favorite playing ground of rich Russians. There are only 17,000 people living there but 500 are millionaires, mostly Russians I am told. Spent a few hours a the marina watching the ships with the guide and 2 Spanish girls, both doctors, who were also on the tour. Arrived back in Dubrovnik at sunset which made the day perfect. Hopefully can post pictures when the girls email them to me.
Got my battery charged and decided to walk the city walls of Dubrovnik which gives a great view of the "old town" and surrounding area. Today is my last day. Dubrovnik and I have an overnight ferry, again, back to Italy and then a train back to Rome.
Arrived in Rome about 5:20 pm after a 10 hour ferry ride from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Bari, Italy and then train for 4 hrs to Rome. Luckily the hostel was only 5 minutes from the train station. Actually luck had nothing to do with it, that is how I usually book them because they are in the best areas for tourism. Cleaned up and went out on foot to take some night pictures of Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, the Coliseum and few others. Only a few missteps but the map did its job. Hopefully my 2nd visit to Rome will reveal some new exciting discoveries. My first EUROPE trip in 2006 was so rushed I felt I did not have the opportunity to enjoy all the sights I had seen.
Retraced my steps from last night to take what hopefully are better pictures. Visiting the Colisseum, Forum, Pantheon and Trevi Fountain again for enhanced perspective.
Originally had planned on not going back to Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel but only St. Peter's Basilica but plans change. It was a rainy day and thought the museums would be a great place to spend the afternoon. A subway there and 10 minute walk and shorter line than expected. Thank you rain. Really surprised when I got to the Sistine Chapel and saw several people taking pictures. It is taboo. Not due to damage to the paintings but because Sony, Japanese company , paid millions for the restoration and owns the property rights. They normally enforce a no photo policy which also increases their sale of books in the souvenir shop. If they were trying to stop people from taking pictures, I was in the right spot. Took a few pictures in 2006 which were hurried and fuzzy and almost lost my camera to the photo police.
Early morning flight from Rome to Istanbul. Bus ride, funicular, tram and 15 minute walk and found my hostel. Unfortunately, they had canceled my entire reservation instead of last 4 nights. They found me a room an hour later. Istanbul is the only city which has parts of its city on two continents (Asia and Europe) divided by a river. Did all the tourist stuff like the Palace, Blue Mosque, Sophia Hagia and Bosphorous Cruise. Also walked the bridge connecting both halfs of the city and the two continents. The "hawkers" selling anything and everything are relentless and follow you around trying to get you to speak to them. I started using my very bad Spanish and it helped deter them a little.
October 17th , 2012. (EGYPT, Cairo, Great Pyramid and Sphinx)
Up 2 am, shuttle to Istanbul airport at 2:45 am and then flight to Cairo at 6:45 am. Need sleep, but stuff to see. Hired a taxi to take me directly from airport to Great Pyramids at Giza. The taxi driver headed towards Cairo and after 30 minutes traffic was almost at a dead stop. After about 15 minutes of this I asked why we didn't take the Ring Road. He said that is a great idea and off we went. Knew this by some research. It is a little longer but usually not much traffic. Arrived at the Pyramids and my guide immediately took me to his boss who tried to sell me a camel or horse tour of the pyramids. My original plan was 45 minutes of pictures and off to the train station at Giza. I held to that plan and it was really easy to walk around and take the pictures I wanted.October 18, 2012. (EGYPT, Luxor , West Bank)
Day tour of the West Bank starting at 8:30 am. We first went to the Valley of the Kings. The guide bought our tickets so we did not have to wait in line but there was no line. He said it was 150 Egyptian pounds for everything we were to visit but I checked the prices at each ticket office and it totaled 130. Decided not to say anything but that extra 20 would be his guide tip. Could not take in our cameras and got in little trouble for trying take pictures with my ancient cell phone. Only took one picture and it was not good but cost me 10 pounds to pay off the guard who seized my cell phone. Tombs were really nice and very colorful. Then we went to the Funerary Temple of Hatshpsut who is the only woman buried in the Valley of the Kings. During her reign she portrayed herself as a man and even wore a fake beard. The funerary took 8 years to build and was only used for her embalming. Very impressive structure though. Also few other places whose names elude me.October 19, 2012. (Egypt, Luxor Temple, East Bank)
Waited until 1 pm, hottest part of the day, to walk the 35 minutes to the Luxor Temple. Very few taxi drivers, horse carriage drivers or salesman at that time of day compared to rest of day. I was only Tourist in the Luxor Temple for the 1st 45 minutes I was there. A few more tourists arrived as I was beginning to leave.
Of the more than 700 human-headed, lion-bodied statues that once lined the Avenue of Sphinxes between the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, around 60 still remain. The Avenue of the Sphinxes is where my photos begin.
Leave Luxor at 11: 35 pm headed to Cairo. Then 8 hrs at airport until 9 am flight back to Istanbul. Then dash to my connecting flight back to New Orleans via Newark. Hopefully arrive at NO airport at 10:35 pm.
Have spent the last couple of days mostly in hotel since I have seen the sights that I came to see. While I usually like to walk around and take in the culture and observe the people, the shopkeepers, cab drivers, and horse carriage drivers have gotten to aggressive. Witnessed what appeared to be almost a riot on the street last night while walking when there were 20 horse carriage drivers trying to accommodate 8 tourists. Lots of screaming, yelling and pushing among the horse carriage drivers.
In conclusion:
Incredible and very diversified trip. Originally this trip was to be a guided trip to Ireland and/or Italy but not enough time was allocated to properly advertise and inform the locals. So I used the trip to re-visit Ireland and Italy for future trips. Then the Trip took on a life of its own and I added Scotland, then Turkey, then Croatia and finally Egypt. As always, learned a lot during my travels. What I would do again and what I would not. Hopefully that translates to a better travel experience for those I bring back to those areas if I decide to bring a group to one of these destinations in the future.
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