Vacation Part Due: Welcome to Tuscany

I only have 9 minutes left on my internet card! Time to type quickly while I sit here at the InternetTrain net cafe in Florence. Two days ago we took an Alitalia flight from Cairo to Milano and made our way without too much hassle on either continent. We had time before our flight from Cairo, so we were able to stop and buy some stuff camels as presents. We were honestly relieved to be leaving Egypt, it is an exhausting country when you visit as a tourist. But one you must see to believe and experience - just let me give you a few hundred tips we learned the hard way before you go!

The first night back in Italy we picked up our rental car and headed for the coast. We picked a random hotel right on the sea in Massa, a little Italian village. Our room, while very basic, was in a very hold house and had windows that opened up to a clear view of the Medditereanean, which was only about 100 feet away. Yesterday we jumped in the car and headed for our Villa, just outside of Greve in Chianti. As we entered the region, the natural scenic beauty hits you immediately - it really is just as perfect looking as every movie you have ever seen that takes place here. I am taking tons and tons of pictures, but I fear no amount of photography could do this place justice. Just make sure you add Tuscany to your must visit list as well.

Today we have walked all over Florence and stopped for an hour to sip a glass of wine beside an old palace just over the river. We climbed the bell tower at Il Duomo, which exhausted us and took every ounce of energy we had, but was well worth the amazing views and hopefully incredible pictures that came out of it.

Well I have one minute left and the lights are flashing at me, so I have to go! Will post more soon. Caio! (Enjoy this snap I took while we were enjoying a glass of vino!)

Real Egypt at Last?

I think we may have finally busted free of tourist hell, at least for a little bit. We've tried to stroll around the towns as much as possible to seek out restaurants and shops the toursits don't frequent, but its been very hard. I think we have finally acheived that. I'm sitting in an internet cafe called "Spider Net" just across the street from the koshari joint we just ate at. Koshari is a very common food in Egypt, but I'm pretty sure, like most great food, it is associated most commonly with the lower class or poorer people. I had read about it before coming and wanted to make sure to try it, so I had it the first night we were in Cairo. We happened to be in a relatively fancy restaurant and it was half the price of everything else on the menu at 25 LE. About 5 bucks. You can imagine the huge smile that I was overcome by when I asked the helpful guy who ran the little street side "restaurant" how much it was - he replied "4 LE" or about 80 cents. Success.

In my own uneducated description, koshari is kind of like a mix between chick peas, spaghetti, macaroni with a semi-spicy red sauce on top, and then topped off with all kinds of little crunchy things. In other words, it is awesome.

We both had koshari and drinks and the total was 15LE. About three dollars. Um...heaven, is that you? If you know me, you know I LOVE local food from around the world. And if you know me well, you know I LOVE getting a deal on anything. Food is so much better when it is cheap. (Same definitely goes for beer too, but that is much harder to come by in a Muslim country). Combine cheap and incredibly tasty food with a seat in the open air shop overlooking the street that has spontaneously turned into a street party with strobe lights, a DJ spinning dance music and people jumping around in costumes celebrating god knows what (maybe still May Day?) and you have - well, a happy me. This is culture - not the kind you pay ridiculous hotel restaurant prices for or the kind you get when walking streets lined with overly-aggressive shop hagglers. This is the kind you get when you finally escape to the real Egypt. Me like. Me like much more.

This little experience from the last few hours (it is pushing midnight here) has overshadowed our packed day of tomb and temple seeing on this blog post so far, so let me jump right into that. Today we hired our taxi driver last night to be our driver for the day today and a guide to take us around the West Bank, as well as to see Karnak and a few other local sights. Hiring a car (taxi) and a guide for the day is around $50. Well worth it if you want to cram a lot into one day and you want to actually be able to understand what you are looking at when you get to the places. Nothing is labeled anywhere and nothing has signage as to what you are looking at. Unfortunately all of the temples kind of start to blend together and you get a bit of temple fatigue. The highlights of today included being able to climb into a few pharoh's tombs, including peeking into King Tut's, in the Valley of the King's, as well as walking around the massiveness of Karnak. Lot's of photos to share, as always. Today felt like 10,000 degrees out and the hot, hot, hot Egyptian sun shined as brightly as it possibly could on us all day as we hiked around the ancient ruins. Needless to say, this kind of sightseeing is exhausting. Thank god we happened to have booked an amazing hotel on the banks of the Nile with a very inviting pool. Thanks to Sheraton points (thanks Maria!).

Tomorrow we fly from Luxor back to Cairo for one last night in Egypt. No plans yet, but I'm sure we will find something exciting. Then...off to Milan to rent a car and drive to Tuscany for 4 or 5 days! Egypt has been great and amazing, as well as frustrating and awful, but as is with any country - it is what you make of it. And I definitely know enough now to make of Egypt a very exciting and unforgettable experience.

Oh...and I've picked up some more Arabic. I'm kinda a pro now.

A Long, Hot Day in Southern (Upper) Egypt

I'm currently at an internet cafe that sits merely 75 feet from the mighty Nile. Here in Aswan is where the Nile is at its best. Yesterday we took a 3 hour sailing trip on a felucca, swaying from island to island and stopping off at a few places on the way. It included a stop off at a 3000 year old Nubian village, but my expectations were definitely not met - even though we had a tour of the village with the supposed chief. In reality, it was a 5-10 min walk down a few trash filled dirt roads followed by the "chief" asking for money for the tour. We also made stops at the botanical gardens...which were not execptionally special, but did offer some absolutely amazing views of the Nile with the shining dunes of the Sahara behind it.

It is in the lower 90's here in Aswan, and it is now 9pm. Today, Maria and I were up at 3am to catch a minibus for Abu Simbel. Because of the location and the route, tourists are required to go with a police convoy. This sounds scarier than it is because were actually in a line of about 30-40 buses and vans and rarely even saw the police. But we were in some kind of protective convoy, which is why we had to be on the road by 4am today. Abu Simbel was a 3+ hour journey that definitely had its share of inconveniences, but we arrived around 7:30am to venture over to the amazing temple of Abu Simbel with the towering statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. While we only spent about an hour at the site and the trip was over 7 hours total round trip, I definitely recommend this visit to anyone who is in southern Egypt. Way out of the way, but one of those things you will kick yourself for years if you don't go. Lot's of pictures to show of course!

Unfortunately the heat, continuous interactions with in your face salesmen, fees for absolutely everything (including the bathroom and seeing anything, aywhere) and the inconvenient "tour" operators that make you swap vans and drivers at their whim, has left us exhausted, out of energy and in much lower spirits. By the time we got to the Unfinished Obelisk today, half the group was so done with everything that we did not even get off.

Up rather early again tomorrow to take a 7:30 mini-bus for Luxor. It will include hour long stops at Kom Ombo and the temple at Edfu. Then, we hope to find someone to act as a tour guide for us in Luxor so we can quickly and efficiently see the West Bank one day and the East Bank the next - hoping for minimal hassles. I also secretly still hanging on to the vision of getting to take a hot air balloon ride over the Nile, but we will see if we can fit it in.

Ok - it's still crazy hot, dusty and overall exhausting sitting here in this net cafe. Time to get some actual sleep so I can be awake early again. Hope you are all enjoying the blog posts, I try to get them up when I can!

Just remember - when you get approached every 30 seconds by people hustling everything from boat rides to hotel rooms, just say "La!"....or no in Arabic.

I Ask for Adventure, Cairo Delivers

We have been in Cairo for three days now. I am sitting in an internet cafe called "interland" in Central Cairo, taking care of a few things before we head back to grab our bags and then take a taxi (supposedly our new friend Wagghie is picking us up from the hotel) to the Giza train station. There we will board our 12 or 13 hour overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

The last couple of days are almost indescribable. I am no longer quite as overwhelmed as I have slightly settled into the culture and everyday experiences of wandering the city and the streets - at least a little. The combination of 20 million people in the Cairo area, along with it being one of the most polluted places on earth, as well as taking in an obviously completely different language in Arabic and trying to determine if the continuous stream of people that grab us and try to talk to us are "touts" trying to scam us or get us to give them money, or just overly friendly people who really are saying "Welcome to Egypt" with complete sincerity and no hidden motives. We have encountered many of both. Our first day included a highly stressful experience with getting a taxi at the airport - I suddenly had flashbacks from the Peruvian - Ecuadorian border. After our airport departure "fun", we were immediately scarred and on our highest level of scammer guard.

Since then, many Cairenes (the locals of Cairo) have asked us why we look scared or untrusting when they approach us. I would like to think that most of these people are really good people are actually trying to help us and want to let us know that we are very welcome in their country. Today, I believe many of them are. But the previous two days - not so much. It definitely depends on the area of the city you are in. Some people are so happy to meet an American that they want to give me their info so I can call them whenever I need help in the country or need advice on what to see or do. But of course, having traveled in my share of third-world countries, I am always incredibly careful and still not completely trusting regardless of how nice or sincere they are. The cab driver, that dropped us off in the scary little town in Peru that was no where near where we paid him to take us, looked pretty nice too. Just sayin'.

Yesterday we hired a guide and a little van to take us around to all the major sights in the area, including the famous pyramids at Giza. It was a great idea to do this, and very much worth the minimal cost. But after everything has set it today, we realize how much this recommended guide had really taken us for a ride at all of the "museums" she took us to that were really her friends stores pretty much. I realize I am fortunate enough to be able to pay higher prices than the locals - but don't rip me off and don't take advantage of me. Nothing pisses me off more. Anyway...the pyramids, let's talk about them.

We grow up hearing and seeing so much about the pyramids and the sphinx and all that stuff that, to be honest, walking up the great pyramid was not nearly the awe inspiring moment I had expected. Without a doubt, these are ingeniously designed and constructed buildings that are amazing to see. But the lack of organization and protection of these monuments and structures just sets a negative tone right off the bat for how you perceive them. We decided to pay the extra (relatively expensive) entrance fee to actually go inside of the Great Pyramid. It is only about a 10 min trip up and back for 100 EP per person, but you get to bend over and scurry up through the insides of pretty much the most famous structure on earth. The most exciting part for me was getting to stand up in the Queen's Chamber, where supposedly they pulled the giant blocks up through an internal ramp. I had just seen video of this chamber on a travel channel show before I came, so it was quite interesting. I could type a lot about the pyramids and the desert that surrounded them, but want I really want to talk about are my new favorite friends. Camels.

I love camels. You have no idea how crazy tall they are until you are sitting on the back of one and the owner instructs the camel stand up. Hold on tight! Because they are so big, they have to stand up with their front first, and then their back. It is a big process, and definitely throws you for a big jolt if you don't know what to expect. We went for a 20 minute camel ride through the desert with views of all 9 Giza pyramids - pretty amazing. The best part of the day in fact. I have so many pictures and even little videos of our camel safari to share. Even the unfamiliar gargling sounds that they make is hilarious - camels are so cool. I will try to bring one home if I can.

The thing I hate about my blogging is that I do it when I am in the middle of running between sights or taking a quick break before hitting the traveling trail once again. I wish I could write for hours at a time to really describe all of the amazing, phenomenal, interesting and sometimes downright frightening experiences that come together to compile these great adventures. Unfortunately, I must go yet again. But for good reason - we are off to get on the overnight sleeper train to Aswan where we will explore even more amazing sights. I can't wait for our day trip to Abu Simbel, only 40km from the Sudan border and home to some absolutely incredible statues and...well...stuff. OH crap, I completely left out the fact that we went to the Egyptian Museum today! Wow, so much to tell if I had the time. But let's just say I'm kinda a big deal - I got to stand beside King Tut's own, real chariot today. They didn't let me take it out for a spin though unfortunately.

I asked for adventure, and Cairo delivered.

Chokran for reading.

In Cairo

WOW, this is one crazy experience. Sensory overload and very overwhelmed right now. Going to the Pyramids tomorrow and will have tons to share as soon as I get more time to blog.

I am out here REALLY "getting some culture" right now. I can't even describe the experience that is Cairo...hopefully I get the time to describe it soon.

Karl - hoping to ride a camel tomorrow - Johnson

What a day - Washington to Geneva to Milan

Just a quick post on the limited time I have here on this pre-historic internet browser that the hotel let's us use on our TV here in Milan, near the airport. We took off yesterday from Dulles to Geneva and had a pretty good flight. Plane was mostly empty so we had plenty of room. Sleep was very hard to come by for me on the trip, so I am pretty much a walking zombie by this point.

We arrived in Geneva around 8am local time this morning and caught a free train to downtown. First impressions of Geneva were very positive! The Swiss Alps surrounding the city are AMAZING and the downtown is situated around a beautiful lake (Lake Geneva, of course). We were completely exhausted after our mostly sleepless redeye flight, but we powered through to make the best of our 5 hours in Geneva and spent most of the time wondering the city on foot. Great weather made for a great walk around the town. While we didn't really see any sights per se, just taking in the quaint Swiss city and enjoying the fresh air and excellent views were enough for today.

We caught our train to the Gallarate, north of Milan near the airport, around 3pm and had a rather uneventful train ride. The views were as expected while we were departing Switzerland and France, but I could barely keep my eyes open unfortunately. Our train compartment was very crowded, but we made the best of it! After a 4 hour train ride, we caught a pricey taxi (but that's just the way it is here, especially with the price of feul) to our hotel right near the airport.

Today was just a teaser - the first part of this amazing trip starts tomorrow when we rise and shine early to take the first shuttle to the airport. We are off for Cairo! The real adventure begins very soon...so stay tuned.

I will try and see if I can get some pictures uploaded soon - I know my brief description of today makes it sound like a pretty boring first day, but considering the circumstances, it was a great experience with incredible scenery that I can't wait to share!

Caio for now.

Karl

Two Days Away From Europe and Africa '09

In almost exactly 48 hours, I will be packing up the car (well, someones car...hoping to find a ride to IAD) to head for Geneva, Switzerland. There have been a handful of changes since the last time I posted. Some by choice, some not so much.

We decided that our time in Egypt was being spread too thin and that we would be too rushed with not enough time to really take in all of the amazing sights. So, as painful as it was, we canceled the reservation (which was made using points of course) at the amazing Marriott resort on the Red Sea and cut the beach part of the trip out. We will instead be spreading those three nights across Aswan (2) and Cairo (1 more). I think we will be very happy about this decision in the end as it allows us to spend time in southern Egypt and see some of the most amazing ruins, temples, etc that Egypt has to offer. We also hope to include a day trip to Abu Simbel from Aswan. Look it up! It also means we will be about 40 miles or so from the Sudan border! And last week the temperate was 110 there.

Just recently, as in yesterday, we were notified by Alitalia that they had changed both of our flights rather drastically. This has really screwed us up. Our flight from Milan to Cairo now leaves in the early morning instead of the afternoon. We had planned on staying in Geneva and taking the train over in the morning to the airport in Milan. Now we have to cancel our hotel in Geneva (paying a penalty of course) and lose the ability to relax and see Geneva for the first day. We have to get a train to Milan the same day that we get to Europe - it makes everything much more of a rush. Also, the flight back to Milan was moved from late night to early afternoon. This also screws up a few things and means we now have to spend most of a day in Milan - which of all the places to spend time in Italy, it is not on the top 100.

Well, these are little setbacks that will not hold me down. This is going to be the longest trip I've ever taken and I can't believe it is only two days away!!

We finally picked a villa in Tuscany to stay in, right outside of Florence on a vineyard in the Tuscan hills. This is really going to be two amazing trips in one. I will have tons of pictures, videos and blog posts (hopefully) to share with everyone. God I love traveling.

Switzerland! Italy! Egypt! Crazy!

I am beyond excited to announce that my next major trip is less than a month away! I will be traveling, with my friend and neighbor Maria, to Switzerland, Italy and Egypt over the course of almost 16 days! This will be my longest trip ever, and definitely the first one that has included two continents. Did you hear me people?? I am going to Africa...finally! It may not be Kenya and Tanzania just yet, but it is Africa. I am beside myself with excitment!

Why the strange line up of countries? Well it all started with us talking about wanting to go to Africa. We both agreed that Egypt would be an amazing place to visit! Then, United happened to announce a sale on using airline miles to fly to Europe. Given that I have a large amount of miles saved up anyway, I couldn't pass up this deal! So we booked flights with miles to Geneva, Switzerland because it allowed us to travel on the days we needed. I've never been to Switzerland so I have absolutely nothing against seeing another country on our way to our main destination.

Currently our itenerary is something like this (not set in stone yet):

• Fly to Geneva and take the train to Milan, Italy. Stay the night and Milan.
• Fly to Cairo the next day and stay two nights in Cairo. This will definitely include trips to the famous museum and the pyramids at Giza.
• Fly to Sharm El Sheik and spend three nights at an amazing beach side resort on the Red Sea.
• Fly to Luxor and spend a few days in the Luxor/Aswan area seeing the amazing sights of southern Egypt.
• Overnight train back to Cairo. More Cairo sights before we depart Egypt. (8 nights total in Egypt)
• Late night flight to Milan. Stay overnight in Milan.
• 5 days of traveling through the region of Tuscany, including Florence and possibly making the trip over to Venice. Not sure if we are going to rent a car to do all of this or rely on trains yet.
• Train back to Geneva for a little bit sighseeing and then our flight back to D.C.

Yes, it is a ton of traveling. But we will see and do some amazing, incredible things! I hope to post from every major stop on the trip. We will see how far I get with that goal.