Corinth

Corinth and canal transit

The Victoria docked at the port of Piraeus very close to Athens. At one time, there was a wall that went around Piraeus harbor and Athens to prevent the sea route being cut off by the Persian enemies. The two places are close together. The port of Piraeus is usually busy with ship building, oil tanker and merchant fleet operations. Today the economy is having severe problems and it looked a little depressed around the docks and into the city of Athens. We saw the famous Parthenon in the distance as we passed on the coach.

Corinth is about 30 miles outside the capital Athens. It was spring and the flowers were in bloom making the hillsides look lovely and colorful. Greek poppies have a deep red color and the grass was very green. The fruit blossom was coming out on the apricots and almonds trees. Old Corinth lies buried beneath villages surrounded by orchards and olive groves. Serious excavations were carried out by American Universities from 1896 after, and in between, the two world wars. What has been revealed is very exciting.

Our first call was to the museum at Corinth. It was quite small but stocked with treasures. In one room there were three cases filled with beautiful miniature ornaments, cups, dishes and figurines made from Corinth white clay, and beautifully decorated. These had been stolen some years ago. In 2004 at an antiques auction in the US, they had been identified, sequestered and returned. The cases along the walls held bronze shields, helmets, spear heads, etc. The usual burial finds. There was a lot of sculpture and two very large statues that once stood at the temple to Apollo. In one of the rooms there was a very large funeral bed. It was made of stone but being carved, it looked for all the world like wood. One bright spark decided to touch it to see if the guide was telling the truth and got an instant reprimand from security. No, it was neither of us.

There were many Greek urns in various sizes in the distinctive brown clay and black decoration. A white stone slab that was obviously part of a larger piece, was on display.. Our guide explained that from the letters, carved in the slab, she could tell it was from a synagogue.

One funny instance in the museum was that another Cunard group was in a far room when we arrived, so our guide decided to start her talk from the first room. Half way through, the other group came in and both guides were vying to be heard. Our guide shouted something in Greek and a little tiff broke out. It was soon resolved and we continued on our tour. I must point out that our guide was very well educated in the Arts and worked very hard to make sure that we understood everything and what it was used for.

We moved out of the museum and into the area which was part of the ruins of Corinth.

Ancient Corinth has a long and varied history since its first inhabitants around 6500 BC and its emergence in the bronze age around 1100 BC. It has been invaded by many different cultures, had two major earthquakes, plagues and malaria. It is a wonder the place was not left completely, centuries ago. The area is so attractive with its backdrop of mountain and fertile soil that is always bounced back The Romans left the largest mark on its development. After totally destroying the city in 146 BC the treasures were taken to Rome. Julius Caesar used the area to settle his landless veterans in 44BC. Caesar, and later, Augustus rebuilt the city and a flood of freed Greek slaves, Jews and Eastern merchants settled here. St Paul came here in 50-52 AD. There was a stone lintel which identifies the synagogue by its inscription in the museum. We believe St Paul was a tent maker, or associated with Jewish tent makers, while he was in Corinth.

Unlike Rome, the area of the ruins are close together. We had time with the guide and then further time on our own to explore. The guide was once again very helpful with explanations and pointed out the stone entrance to a synagogue, where Paul had preached. Maybe the one where the broken slab in the museum was from. There were fountains/wells still working from the natural springs, houses, rows of shops, a forum, a temple to Apollo and several others. A very large stadium was marked out by its base stones. A large amphitheatre and an Odeon were alongside this area. The guide informed us that the city had covered twenty square miles. Most of it still covered up.

We left the site and went to lunch in a very splendid hotel overlooking the bay. The gardens were lovely, it was a perfect day, not too warm but blue skies and soft breeze. It made you want to sit down and just stay there. This would be a good hotel to stay for a vacation, to see the area more thoroughly. The lunch buffet was great with lots of choices but no Calamari or Dolmas!

Breaking away from our idyllic lunch place we drove to the Corinth Canal.

Corinth is an isthmus. It is a narrow 6 km wide strip separating two seas, the Saronic gulf on the West and the gulf of Corinth on the East. It unites the Peloponnese with Megarida and the rest of Greece. It would save ships 190 miles if it was possible to cut through this isthmus. Similar to the Panama. The Greeks, at the end of the seventh or the beginning of the sixth century BC, used a road way. Parts of which are still there. It was called the Diolkos. This meant hauling the ships out of the sea on wooden rollers, mounted on special wheeled platforms that ran on parallel grooves in the rock, before being launched at the other end.

Emperor Nero had the idea of building a canal but was called back to Rome to face an enquiry and eventually ended in his suicide.

The Corinth canal 1882-1893 is 6939 yards long with a bed width of 75.6 yards. The depth of the water is 26.3 meters, the same as the Suez Canal. The land begins at sea level and rises to at least 100 yards high. Three permanent bridges span the canal. The water was clear and blue and cliffs had shrubs growing out of the bank. The ships are pulled through by tugs.

At each end of the canal there is a road bridge. Rather than a swing, or lifting bridge, these actually come up out of the water and are re-submerged to let ships pass. We traversed the canal in both directions in a small leisure boat carrying approx. 100 cruise members, at leisurely pace. We were small enough to go through by ourselves without tug boat.

Having had a most pleasant and enjoyable day we returned to the ship.

Cairo

Cairo, Giza and Saqqara

We had a choice, transit the Suez canal or see the Pyramids. We chose the Pyramids.

The ship anchored off Port Suez at 3.0 am. Ships are not allowed to make the transit in the dark. At 4.30 am 5 tenders carrying 800 passengers left the ship in convoy for the port. It was freezing cold. Arriving at the dockside as there was no passenger terminal, each tender emptied its contents onto stone wharf steps from a rocking boat. Reaching the top step we were met by customs officials, where we were directed to a customs shed for a security check of our bags. Once done we made to our way to the 13 coaches, sleepy eyed and cold.

It was a three and a half hour drive in the dawn to Giza for breakfast. We drove through the countryside adjacent to the Canal under heavy armed escort and in convoy. Every coach had its own armed guard in civvies aboard. Although this sounds heavy handed it was all rather low key and handled very well.

The Egyptian guide was very anxious to tell us all about Egyptian history, lots of names, dates and events. His English was excellent. We, the sleepy eyed passengers now warm and drowsy had a hard time keeping awake. He finally realized this and let us nod off.

Arriving on the outskirts of Cairo, Robert was astonished at the growth and expansion since the last time he was there, approx 1978. Many of the new buildings were unfinished and half occupied. The guide explained that a finished building gets taxed. It looks strange to see high rise apartments without a façade and unoccupied apartments without windows. These high rises were in their hundreds. Egypt has a law that prohibits ejection from any property legal or otherwise. There are many illegal houses. These are mainly four storey’s high. They have been built without permit or permission by families. They can buy or acquire bricks and build them upwards as high as necessary. Parents occupy the ground floor while children and their families live above. They add a new floor as required. God forbid an earthquake. Cairo has a population of approx. 20 million. A child is born every 25 seconds. They have real problems but it did not look as bad as India. The streets were relatively clear of rubbish. This appeared to be collected but dumped on the sides the local canals. In some cases the canal was completely covered by floating rubbish and at least one dead animal.

We arrived at Giza and was surprised to see our breakfast hotel had a full view of the pyramids looming over the trees. After a great breakfast we drove to the site of the three pyramids. We had an hour to take pictures, wander round, fight off the vendors, visit the tomb or the recently found and reconstructed Pharaoh’s Nile barge. The tour guide informed us that the tomb visit was not worth doing as there was little to see and it was claustrophobic The line for the boat museum was very long, so we skipped both. He added that the best way to deal with the vendors was ignore them otherwise they became a plague. If you bought something off one, you would be followed around by a hoard of others. Also, whatever we did, we were not to not accept any free gift. This said free gift would then become an endless, bargaining pitch for money. One Dollar’ ‘one dollar’ the ubiquitous shout of the worldwide tourist sites was not quite true in Egypt but would get you into protracted negotiations, if you tried to purchase anything for one dollar. ‘I will take your photograph with my camel for free’ could cost you much more if you took the offer. For us the answer was easy, “Lah, Lah, M’fish falouse“, (no! no! I have no money). It worked every time.

The pyramids are impressive which ever way you look at them. The largest has enough dressed stone to construct a major modern city. It was the tallest building in the world at one time. Two other were only slightly smaller. These were the last to be built. The Pharaohs that followed were buried in the Valley of the Kings to try and avoid tomb robbers. There are over 300 pyramids in Egypt.

We boarded the coach and moved to a higher plateau to view the pyramids together with the Sphinx. Too many people and vendors made it very difficult to view and photograph clearly but it was very impressive.

Leaving the Sphinx and Giza pyramids we drove for an hour to Saqqara to see the oldest pyramid of all, the stepped pyramid built 5000 years ago. The drive was a treat as it was through the market garden area of Egypt. This was created by the Nile flood water and silt, rich dark soil used for many centuries to grow an abundance of cotton, cereal, vegetables, fruit and timber. We could see the farmers working in the field s using buffalo, donkeys and camels alongside modern farming implements. The vegetation was a bright iridescent green in comparison to the black loam soil or the sand of the desert. The farms were well kept and looked very productive.

Arriving at Saqqara we were surprised to see so few visitors or vendors. This is not as popular as Giza but more interesting in our opinion. It was created by Imhotep who practiced making pyramids many times before he was satisfied. This stepped pyramid was his final attempt. It originally had steep sides covered with limestone but he changed his mind. He wanted steps in order for his spirit to climb into heaven. This was achieved by making very large bricks and stacking them, from the base upwards, so that it resembles a tiered wedding cake. The day we arrived it was covered in scaffolding at one side for repairs.

The site was surrounded by a wall enclosing a large square approximately 500 yards across, with many other tombs on the opposite side to the pyramid. We entered the square through a large gate and an avenue of tall columns. These columns were 20 feet tall and shaped like a bunch of reeds. This was the first recorded time this had been achieved in solid stone. This site, after falling into ruin, had been reassembled under the supervision of a French archeologist in the 19^th century. He found all the stones, marked them and had them reassembled. It was his life’s work.

After a 15 minute stroll around the square we were taken to the tomb area. Carefully descending the many steps we entered an area of connecting tombs. There were no sarcophagus but magnificent carvings and paintings.

One tomb belonged to a noble lady, she was represented as a large figure sitting on a chair with her attendants, who were tiny by comparison. This was done to emphasize her importance. The servants and her children were offering her fruit and drink. The surrounding walls depicted the things she was accustomed to and she would like to have accompany her into her afterlife.

The room was approximately 10 x 7 ft. The bottom freeze around this wall depicted life as she knew it. Many papyrus boats were sailing on the water. In the water were carvings in relief of figures of fish, crocodiles, turtles and hippos. We recognized at least one of the fish as common only to the Nile, it has a long snout like a vacuum cleaner. The other fish were detailed and accurately drawn also and would look good on any wall today. Crocodiles and Hippos no longer live in this area and are now confined to the river above the Aswan Dam. The scenes included the banks of the river where fruit trees, birds and larger birds flying in the sky. Also depicted were snakes, buffalo, gazelle, cows and other domestic animals. On the other walls, were vases of perfume, flowers, various foods, wine, lotus and palm plants. One narrow wall had an itinerary of all the items she planned to take with her. All this work was carved in very fine detail and painted in lovely colors. To achieve this, artists would draw details on the plastered walls first, then carvers would follow the design very carefully. The relief work would finally painted. It was a very peaceful scene and a calming atmosphere. This was the finest but other tombs had similar motives. The sarcophagus and mummies are in the Cairo museum. We were very touched with this stepped pyramid and its surroundings. We had seen a documentary on TV months ago. We were very pleased with what we saw as it went beyond our expectations.

We drove back to our original resort in Giza for a very late lunch. Not being so tired at this time of day, we could appreciate the beauty of this hotel which was a converted palace. At the top of the steps of the entrance, stood a band in full Egyptian dress uniform, playing us in on bagpipes, drums and trumpets. The funniest part was the tune they were playing was Jingle Bells, followed by Yankee Doodle Dandy. On bagpipes!

The interior of the hotel/palace was heavily carpeted both floor and walls, marbled corridors and huge crystal chandeliers. The dinning room was immense. The food was excellent and abundant.

After lunch we set off for our final stop for a demonstration of how papyrus was made followed by shopping.

The store had two floors. Downstairs was the papyrus section and on the second floor, jewelry and precious stones.

The papyrus demonstration showed how the stalk of the papyrus plant, which has a thick triangular stem, is made into paper. The outer skin is peeled away and the inner stem cut into thick strips and beaten flat. These are placed in water and left for several days. The longer they are left in water, the deeper colour of beige they become. The strips are removed eventually, squeezed carefully and laid on a mat in a criss crossed, woven pattern to make sheet. Another mat was placed on top and the whole thing put into a press. During the pressing and drying process, the glutinous material in papyrus glued the everything together into a flexible, strong sheet. This was used by the ancient Egyptians for paintings and writing documents.

The store’s first floor had many wonderful pieces of painted papyrus large and small framed and unframed. Very expensive of course.

After shopping, we made our way back to the ship which was now docked at Port Said and was waiting for us.

The 13 coaches had each gone to different places so they set off at a given time to rendezvous at Ishmalia, about 90 minutes drive away. Ishmalia is a town of the side of the Suez Canal. As we approached, an armed Jeep with flashing lights guided us through the traffic until we caught up with the other coaches. Evidently, other armed Jeeps had been holding up the front coaches until everyone had arrived. Suddenly, the road was unnaturally empty and the coaches accelerated to 70+ miles an hour. We continued like this through towns and villages with armed police holding back all the traffic until we passed through. We presumed the road had been closed until the coaches went through. This is how Royalty must travel. What a hoot!

At Port Said we approached the Victoria about 830 pm. It had been a very long and exciting day. It was very cold after a nice warm afternoon. As we got through security to the ship, the Victoria staff including the entertainment director and some officers were stood in a long line waiting to greet us. They had mugs of hot chocolate for us which was very welcomed. Our ship is a class act, and we told them so.

　

　

Sharm El Sheikh

El- Sheikh.

Situated on the Sinai peninsular and bordered by the warm Red Sea, Sharm el Sheik is part of Egypt that lies in Asia Minor. If you look at a map, you will notice two fingers of water at the north western end of the Red Sea. One leads to the right and ends at Aqaba, the other leads to the left and terminates at Suez and that is where we were headed. The whole block of land lying between these two channels is Sinai. Although originally part of the African land mass, the land split, forming a narrow, shallow channel of the Red Sea, which is widening at the rate of ½ inch per year. In ten million years from now, this could be serious. It would add another 70 miles across, not to mention how much land is displaced upwards in the form of mountains which Sinai has plenty already, caused by the original split 30 million years ago. Interesting thought but explains how the world’s land mass changed its shape and continues do so.

We were off to see Saint Catherine’s Monastery, a forth century complex at the foot of mount Sinai, the spot where Moses climbed up the mountain to bring down the tablets of the ten commandments.

The Byzantine Empress Helena established a monastery here to sanctify the site where the burning bush appeared to Moses. An off shoot of said bush is still there for all to see. The complex is called Saint Catherine’s monastery as the church is dedicated to the martyr, Catherine. She was tortured and killed by the Romans for steadfast observance of Christian teachings. Later on, other Romans killed people for not following strict Christian teachings. Its all a matter of timing. Our Martyr was an Egyptian lady who lived in Alexandria, a very good person and from a wealthy family, according to the historians. Legend has it that her body was spirited away and found on Sinai’s highest peak 300 hundred years after her death. All this religious significance ensures the Monastery is on the must see list.

The drive took three hours along well made roads with armed guards at road blocks every 20 miles or so. We passed a United Nations fort along the way. We were close to Gaza and Israel in this area. The Egyptians are anxious to avoid spill over of their troubles into this part of Sinai and who can blame them.

The land was a changing scene of rugged red colored hills, some with fascinating stripes of fault or ore bands containing iron, copper and manganese and rolling desert. This area has extensive mines and quarries going back to the Pharaoh days. Mine spoil was everywhere. We passed many dry wadis, large stretches of sand and sand dunes, Bedouin encampments and the occasional lonely camel or herd of goats. Sometimes, the bus groaned up a steep hill and sharp bend to immediately plunge down the other side, revealing a massive valley and distant mountains. For such a small area it provided impressive changing scenery. It is not short of wild animals, there are gazelle and Ibex in this area besides birds, like hawks, eagles and vultures.

Finally we turned off the main road and passed yet another road side security check point down a small road to the walled enclosure of the Monastery. It looked like a Crusader fort surrounded by gardens and olive groves. A very large granite mountain, unique to the area, formed the backdrop. We had arrived.

It was obvious that this Monastery had seen a lot of development over the years. The Christian Roman Emperor Justinian expanded the small compound into a fortress, basilica and monastery, which functions today and has 30 dedicated Orthodox monks. The buildings have withstood a number of assaults. Battlements and overhanging balconies were used to drop missiles and hot oil on any attackers or unwelcome guests. Now the Monastery is surrounded by trees and flowers and looks like a Hollywood film set compared to the other buildings we saw on our way here.

At the back of the Monastery there are 3000 steps of repentance leading to the top of Mount Sinai to where Moses received the ten commandments from God. The journey takes three hours one way and its very, very hot. This road is used by pilgrims. We did not do this bit.

We, and what seemed to be about 40 thousand others, tried to get into a three foot wide doorway to enter the site. We had to have a lot of patience. This is the oldest original functioning building we have ever been in. Inside, the monks were about to start their devotions. They were dressed as officials of the Orthodox church. These monks are here for life. When they die, their bones are kept in the crypt below along with all the other monk’s bones for the last 1600 years. It is quite a gruesome pile.

As the building was only open from 9 pm till noon and had so many tours at the site, we were hurried through the various rooms. We passed Moses’ water well, housed in a small room. It is still operable. We continued along the passage way until we reached the basilica.

The main isle of the basilica was square but radiant. The altar was dressed in gold which glittered in the sun coming through the windows. On either side of the main isle were the richly carved wooden chairs for the monks. We were informed that they were made from cedar. Filing slowly through the side isle, we observed many ancient icons of the various martyrs, saints and holy family. Many of these have been reproduced by others later, so they had a familiar look. Lots of incense burners and lamps made of highly decorated brass and silver hung from the ceiling. The walls and ceiling were ornate. It was difficult to appreciate and read and admire these things as we were constantly moving to let others in.

The complex has a library which has the world’s largest collection of ancient Christian, books, texts and codices. This is only available to monks and scholars. However, there is also a museum that has some ancient manuscripts, etc., and this is open to the public. Because of the time constraint and the many people waiting to enter, we had to bypass it which was a disappointment. We really did want to see them but you cannot have everything you want. The monastery has other buildings and little streets to visit that we also had to forego. In a very short time we had exited the building and were back on the bus.

St Catherine’s monastery would be a great visit if you could get there very early by staying in a hotel in one of the near by towns, the night before.

On our return journey we took a detour to a resort by the Red Sea for lunch. The resort was in a growing development of hotels and high end shops set in a lovely landscape. Scuba diving, windsurfing and sport fishing seemed to be the main attractions. Not a bit like Cairo. Lunch was in another posh pre-selected Cunard place. I must point out that Cunard did us very proud.

Now for the fun bit. The convoy of nine coaches was late returning to the ship. Grinding up a steep hill the coach engine began to sound a little rough. The driver turned off the air conditioning which made us think, “overheating”. It managed to reach the top and roll down the other side but we were slowly being left behind. Arriving at a security check point, it had had enough and would not start. We were about an hour away from the ship and it was going dark. The guide informed us that the ninth bus was a back up bus, empty. We were very pleased to hear that news. They had already been in contact and it would be by our side in 15 mins. True to her word the coach arrived. We made the transfer and arrived at the ship as the last tour bus.

The day ended well and although very long and a little disappointing. it was very enjoyable.

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

Petra

Aqaba in Jordan, the gateway to Petra

Jordan is a tiny Arab kingdom ruled by the Hashamite dynasty. It was created in 1917 when Lawrence and Sherif Hussein ben Ali lead the Arabs against the Turkish Empire of the Ottomans, Aqaba, Jordan’s only port town, was liberated by mounted Arab cavalry against a Turkish fort that is there to this day. If you saw the film Lawrence of Arabia you may remember the scene where the Arabs attacked the Turkish soldiers across the sandy plain against a white walled fortification. It is a lot more built up now with cranes and dock installations. Using a little imagination as you look down from the deck of this tall ship, you can see it all, the plain, the sand, the white walled fort and the blue sky are still there. All very heroic.

The largest flag pole and the largest flag flies in honor of that event and what was to follow from the taking of Aqaba by a combined Arab force. The event lead to the liberation of the Arab countries from Turkish domination and the foundation of Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The huge flag and its pole are so large they dwarf. the port and its modern cranes. The Jordanians still care about the event, it founded their nation.

Jordan shares borders with Israel, along the river Jordan and the Dead Sea in the west, and Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the east, Syria in the north. We could see the lights of Eilat, the Israeli sea port. on our starboard side as we left Aqaba. Aqaba lies at the end of a narrow channel in the Red Sea, so the sea is warm, clear and great for scuba diving

We were going the visit Petra, an ancient caravan stop over, lost from memory in the rocky mountains of Jordan for several centuries.

We traveled over good roads through neat towns and villages climbing up the high desert surrounded by rocky outcrops and escarpments, We could see Bedouin encampments with tents, camels and four wheel drive trucks. The tents are brown heavy cloth made from goat hair, They make a heavy bulky roll when pulled down for moving, I could see the reason for a four by four truck. It would be easier to load than a bad tempered camel. When in use, the tents are well secured with ropes and anchored with large rocks. There’s always plenty of those. Herds of goats are usually scattered` around feeding on any available green shoots but not many people outside the tents looking after them. The guide said the desert was especially dangerous at night. There were wild animals like wolves and snakes, hidden potholes to fall into, so all was secured at night fall and that included their domestic animals. Camels apparently, could look after themselves they were usually hobbled so they did not wander too far away.

As the coach climbed higher, the desert converted from red brown rocks and sandy plains to stubbly green meadow, much to our surprise. The guide explained that climate change had given rise to heavier than average snow and rain the last few years, and the Bedouin were having a great time for once. In some cases it looked like they were planting grass and short growing season crops for fodder.

On one recent occasion the snow was so heavy, travelers were stuck in the mountains for a few days as the roads were impassable. There are hotels and resorts that benefited from this and probably are praying for more winters like that. The climate suits fruit and olive trees but would not support cereal crops (yet). Eucalyptus and cypress tress grew in the little villages, giving a landscaped look, although there was the occasional dilapidated building making it all look real. Donkeys brayed from the paddocks and chickens ran wild through the olive groves making it all very believable that we were in the Bible lands.

The road signs were in Arabic and English, there was no sign of MacDonald’s but there was an Arabic version offering hamburgers and fries. Lots of door- less shops but without the litter. Instead of sacred cows we saw camels, goats and donkeys but they were under control and not a hazard to traffic. The motor traffic under such difficult terrain was good natured and co-operative. The roads winding but clearly signed to avoid hazards.

We finally arrived at the gateway to Petra. It was set in a valley which had many fancy hotels like the Hilton along the rim, We had lunch in one, typical of Cunard it was very special.

We moved as a group down through the open air stalls selling the usual stuff. We arrived at the official gateway to Petra, We walked through the metal detectors and security (something the original caravan users did not deal with) which lead down to a dry wadi.

A wadi is a dried out river bed that floods when it rains. This was the secret to the success of Petra. They learned to manage water.

Many years ago before there was a Jordan, Saudi Arabia or Iraq, trade between China and the west was carried on the Silk Road from Xian on camel trains by traders and goods from the west going in the opposite direction. To reach the nearest ports in the Mediterranean meant going through this part of Arabia. These camel trains were called caravans. At the stopping places along the silk road, in Afghanistan for example, either they were aided, exploited or robbed. The seasoned travelers knew the route and the route was picked to avoid these troubles.

The tribes near Petra, the Nabataeans, a mixture of Greek, Egyptian and Semitic people, started off as brigands and robbed the caravans but realized that they could provide food, shelter, money, goods exchange and most importantly, water, For a price. The caravans traveled through high, dry desert. Cold at night hot and shade-less during the day. At Petra they had access to a natural enclosure of high cliffs, with easily guarded entrances and access to abundant fresh water. What an attraction! In no time at all the Brigands, turned businessmen, became very wealthy selling to the caravans all they needed, or taking goods in exchange and trading back.

The entrance is called the Siq al,Barid (ravine of cold), a narrow passage through the rocks where, in heavy rain, it becomes flooded and a dangerous river. So Nabataeans built dams and conduits along the passage wall to capture the water and store it in stone cisterns. They even went so far as to store it as hot and cold water depending on the location of the storage, or whether the water was delivered over hot or cool spots in the rocks face. Their knowledge of water conservation and management before the Romans was stunning.

They were a very clever group of people used to living on their wits. As the caravans came from east and the west they carried people from all cultures and with different skills. They used foreign stone cutters to carve or show them how to dress the interior of the enclosure which luckily was relatively soft sandstone. They made caves to store the goods, sleeping quarters, animal enclosures, food preparation places and money exchange facilities. It may be hard to believe but shrines for sacrificing animals were constructed along the Siq and around the inner enclosures as religion trumped profit in those days. So the Nabataeans had a business that worked well. All the services of a good hotel, plush religious centre and yet probably no concerns about people not paying up. So they grew rich and could afford to decorate the place up a bit and were willing to be shown how to do it, The results are a magnificent set of monuments that still look good 2000 years later. All is not yet revealed as the site is a 20 square mile city. They were so successful (or expensive) the just Romans had to take over and spoil things, Eventually, with the collapse of the Roman Empire in 350AD the trade routes changed and Petra went into decline. Apart from some rather secretive Bedouins no-one knew about Petra until a Swiss explorer, called Johann Burckhardt, found it in 1812.

The best known feature, the Treasury, lies at the end of a 1,2km long passageway which is open to the sky but has very high cliffs. As you emerge from the passage, way you are faced with a fantastically carved building made from solid rock with a mixture of architectural styles from Greek to Roman to Indian. It is huge and must have taken many years to complete, It is set in a natural square with lesser building all around. Enough space to accommodate many caravans with hundreds of camels. We saw it with at least 500 people in it and there was room to move but not the best way to take pictures,

To the left of the Treasury the square dead ended in shops and storage places. To the right it lead to a wider valley with Roman shops along the road reminiscent of Pompey or the ruins in Rome. The remains of the Roman roadway were still visible but water erosion had done its worst.

We were offered camels, horses and very scruffy horse drawn carts for rides back to the buses, along really bumpy roads, without springs or shock absorbers of any sort for $35 each. The government had given the concession to ‘offsprings’ of the Nabataeans tribe to run these businesses. The horses were well looked after Arab ponies and the young riders were very cocky and managed English like college grads.

It was a hard day, the walk was very long, the weather hot and the atmosphere dusty and we ran out of water, although we had started with more than half a gallon. The bumpy ride in the garry was not attractive enough and there was no way Sheila was getting on a camel or an Arab pony, so we waked it back and drank two pints of water at the hotel before we touched any food. We felt a little triumphant for two old codgers. We had both had a wonderful experience and enjoyed the trip immensely.

Salalah - Oman

We arrived in the Salalah port approx. noon. The water was very clean and blue and the dock had a complete lack of debris. This was surprising as it is also a container port. It exports Frankincense, dates coconuts, bananas and perfume, mainly. It is the perfume center of Arabia. I had always wanted to know what Frankincense was. Now I know. It is the sap of a tree that crystallizes once left in the open air. The port is also a distribution center for goods coming and going in the area. The impression you get is that it is a brand new country which is not true as it is a very old area. The population of Salalah is 200 thousand. The Queen of Sheba came from this area of Oman. The ruins of a temple are still here along with old towns and forts going back thousands of years before Christ. The this area of Arabia is known as the empty quarter. It will fill up as signs of development are everywhere and it is well served with roads and ports.

We only had an afternoon to experience Salalah because of the late arrival. We had chosen a tour of the area and our first stop was at an archeological museum. It looked brand new. It was not very large and only one storey high but the artifacts were very good. There was a video on a large screen showing how Frankincense is harvested, dried and used. The main use is medicine, religious and perfume. There were documents showing how the present ruler deposed his father, promising a better life for the citizens. From what we saw, during the tour later, he had lived up to his promise. There were many old Arabic scripts going back to Mohammad and other religious leaders. We got the impression that this was just the beginning of this museum and that it would grow much larger in the future.

The coach then traveled to the mountains which seemed a long way away and lost in the mist. Driving along we passed many new houses, shops and schools. The houses appeared to have a large piece of land around them but not cultivated, just left sandy and without perimeter walls. After what we had seen in other countries where the houses were side by side this was a very refreshing site. We observed a number of sandy parks with shelters against the sun and heat, complete with barbeque for people to use. They also had lots of brightly colored swings, slides and roundabouts for the children. There were not many stores open as they close in the heat of the afternoon. Some were open and again the difference was quite obvious.

The road system was excellent with wide dual carriageways and roundabouts, beautifully landscaped. We were told by our guide that the government was making a large bid to make the town into a tourist area. We saw one resort that looked very nice. We passed plantations of bananas and coconuts. The Frankincense trees grew everywhere. Around the monsoon period the area is lush and green with vegetation supporting herds of cattle, camels and goats.

The coach climbed the mountain roads which required constant gear changes. Robert said the journey reminded him of his time in Libya. The flat sand gave way to scrub and deep canyons. We were on our way to our next stop, Job’s Tomb. This was a small Islamic style building not much larger than a shed. His tomb was marble and decorated with colorful rugs. We had to take our shoes off to visit and don headscarves, out of respect. There was a small mosque close by and we were in time to hear the call to prayer. It seemed appropriate.

Outside the tomb was a herd of camels strolling around and some sitting under the shade of a tree. Everyone was vying for room to photograph before the camels hurried away. We noticed that some of the females wore bras. Robert explained that this was to stop the young ones feeding, as they were now too old and had to find their own food. The herd must have had an owner as I am sure the female camels had not done any shopping for the bras. During our descent from the mountains we saw many herds of goats and more camels, sometimes with herders. Old dark houses dotted the hillsides, some in groups and others just on their own. The guide excitedly pointed out one house. He explained that his father owned it and that he had lived there. We were on our way to the beach. During the drive down, the guide gave us history, cultural and dress talks. He had two head dresses. He had a turban and a white veil type. He said he could choose which one he wanted to wear, He was married and had two children and was very proud of them. He had a Masters degree and worked for the government but liked to be a tour guide, when he could, to improve his English and meet other nationalities. His English was very good. However, he was delighted when, once again, Robert thanked him in Arabic which started a small conversation between the two.

There are miles and miles of good beaches. However we were warned that the sea had many rip tides and it could be dangerous to swim. He did not say if this was all along the coast or just local. We were heading for a place that had blow holes.

Reportedly, these blow holes could produce spouts up to 15 ft in the air. As we have seen these in Hawaii we were wondering how they would compare. In Hawaii they just come from the rocks. If you have any sense you would not be on the rocks as they are slippery and very sharp and away from any paths. In this area, because of the advertising, they were actually in the rock paths but covered by grids so that you would not fall into the holes. The tide must have been out as the only thing we saw, or heard, was growling from deep inside. However the area was very nice with deeply carved caves in the lava rocks which were very high. It was a nice walk and a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the fresh ocean breeze.

It was soon time to leave. We made our way back to the ship at great speed. We were already 30 mins. late and the ship was destined to leave in five minutes. However, unknown to us, the departure had been delayed because of the late arrival. As we arrived at the ship there were coaches and taxis arriving in droves, emptying their contents onto the dockside.

It was a very pleasant enjoyable afternoon. We are now at sea having passed all the places where pirates hangout. The ship has sailed in complete blackout in the night since leaving Dubai. We did not see it, but other passengers reported a British warship escort, sitting alongside our port side while we went through the Gulf of Aden. Yeah! for the British. Our next port if call is Aqaba, Jordan where we plan to see Petra.

Dubai

Dubai Sunday 4^th April 2010

After arriving from the airport and our tussle with immigration, we arrived back at the ship which was tied up next to Queen Elizabeth 11, recently purchased by some entrepreneurs and being refurbished. Some said it was going to be a floating hotel and restaurant. We were surprised to see that it was much smaller than the Victoria. Great photo op!

We were disappointed to see that the sky was not a nice blue but very hazy. It was almost impossible to see some of the very tall buildings. One explanation was that the wind had blown the sand in. Nevertheless, what a difference in the trash situation. Not a piece of rubbish anywhere. The buildings and town were white, clean and very decorative with good gardens. The roads were wide with central reservations nicely landscaped.

Back on board we found the laundry empty . (oh the joy). This room is usually packed and you have to be standing in line waiting for the washers to become vacant, or you miss out. There are only two washers and dryers and not on every floor. At least we had a stateroom close by. One morning Robert stood outside the laundry door at 7:15am waiting for it to open at 7:30am. Feeling lucky this day, we occupied both washers on everything we had used in India and things we had left behind before the trip. We were now set for at least a week. You make many friends in the laundry. If you are lucky they will sit and watch that no-one switches things. One day I went to check on how my things were drying to find someone had taken my washing out, wet, and placed them in a basket. On finding this I felt a bit miffed and decided two could play the game. I stopped the dryer, emptied the clothes into a basket, replaced mine in the dryer and sat and waited to make sure it didn’t happen again. Eventually the person came back and looked shocked that her washing was in a basket still wet. She gave a startled expression that she wanted the things for that evening. I replied that most people did, without admitting I had done the deed. However, I did offer to place her things back into the dryer after mine had dried. She thanked me..

Back to Dubai. We had an overnight stop here and had booked an evening cruise along the creek. However, being held up in the airport made out return back to the ship late and we had to cancel the cruise. We were tired after the long day so we skipped the restaurant dinner and ate from the Lido buffet. Robert went up to the top deck after dinner and photographed Dubai at night.

The following day we had a half day tour booked. The coach took us to the area where all the very high building are. They are very impressive. The first one was Burg Al Arab Hotel. It is shaped like a very large sail. It is close to a beautiful beach and there were quite a few visitors to the area taking advantage of it. We moved on to the Dubai Museum which is housed in the Al Fahidi Fort. The Museum looked quite small from the exterior but we found out that it actually went three floors underground. It was very well done. It had exhibits of boatbuilding and other old crafts in the area. It had reconstructed villages showing how people lived before development. Lots of clothes and artifacts.

From the museum we went to the fabric, spice and gold souks. We had to cross the creek for this. We could take the coach,which is a long way around, but it had been arranged that we should go by boat. Well I say by boat but these were more like floating planks. They were very sturdy and had to be. There were many on the creek and being used as water taxis. The empty boats would bump into each other vying for business. You sat sideways, along the middle and length of the boats, approx. 10-15 on each side, depending how friendly or brave you were feeling. We were soon across and alighting for the souks.

These were extensive and had wonderful things on show. The fabric was wonderful and the spices were very aromatic but both souks were wholesale. The gold souk was aglow in gold with many retail stores waiting to take your money. Each store window was filled with gold items. Some of these were very large, you would wonder who would buy or wear them. Robert wanted to buy me something as a keepsake. After visiting a number of stores and not particularly liking anything, we finally purchased a pendant to match some earrings I have. We had fun bargaining and got a price that I was interested in, after many “la, la, and mish mumpkins“. Although the sales men spoke very good English, they were very amused by the fact that Robert could speak some Arabic and wanted to know how he learned it. From then on we were all friends. One of the guys was a chemist, so he and Rob spent time chatting. Time was running out and we had to return to our guide and the ship.

We had one funny incident. We always have two guides on any tour. We have a local guide to explain the history etc., and a Cunard one, to make sure we all make it back to the ship. On our way to the souks, somehow, the local guide got away from us with half the group and the Cunard guide suddenly realized and made us stop and wait while she found him. Fortunately, she did and we followed along after he apologized for walking too fast. It was a little more than the fast walking that caused it. This area is crowded and very busy. People you have never seen before get mixed up in the group, in the narrow streets and passages, until you have no idea who you are following. You only realize you are following the wrong group when you cannot see the guide with the placard showing your coach number. All ended well.

Sail away was early so we were able to watch from the verandah. There were two other cruise ships docked. As we left, the captain sounded the ships whistle as a salute and goodbye. The Queen Elizabeth 2 replied with two blasts, to which we also answered with two blasts. This lasted for about five minutes. It seemed sad to be pulling away and leaving the QE2 tied up never to see the UK again and its port of registration erased. The other cruise ships acknowledged the salutes as we passed, so it was quite a symphony of ships whistles some being higher than others. It was good bye to Dubai and a day a sea to Salalah, Oman.

Cochin, India 30^th March 2010

Cochin is on the western side of the tip of India and we approached it from the east passing Sri Lanka on our starboard side. It was one of the principal sea ports for the spice trade. Vasco Da Gama the famous Portuguese navigator arrived here in 1503 and built the first church in India, Sao Antonio. This was later converted by the Dutch to Protestant and renamed St. Francis. A church still stands on the site. Catholic churches, schools and convents are more evident than the Hindu temples in this area. Fort Kochi, from which the town derives its name, is still there along with many Portuguese and Dutch colonial houses and warehouses used during the spice trading days. Cochin not only provided spices, much in demand in Europe, but was the distribution centre for the trade. Spices from China, Indochina, Siam and Madagascar were brought here to be sent on to Europe. As a consequence, the town was ethnically mixed with Chinese, Arab and other Asian groups. A large Jewish population settled here too, in fact the Jews settled here in the 4^th century so were able to speak the Indian dialects and translate for the traders from Europe.

The waters of the western Ghats, a major rivers system of Southern India, spread into a series of smaller rivers or delta system of small islands. This forms very fertile soil which support coconuts, bananas, mangoes, jack fruit and spice crops. Three crops of rice and tapioca are produced per year. The rivers support heavy fishing. The Chinese built lots of very large fish traps which are still in use today.

Kochi means land of the Cheras. The local people, the Cheras, were fisherman and farmers. The men have bushy mustaches and wear check shirts and long skirts which they pull up between their legs and tie with a belt when it is hot. Which is most of the time. The skirts are called dohtis. We never saw this type of skirt anywhere else in India but we were told it is worn by farmers.

First impressions.

India was going to be the ultimate destination for this trip. It isn’t and it wont be. So here goes. Note, travelers often get it wrong, would you judge the UK by a day in London or the US by a visit to New York so I may have to correct our impressions as we see more but according to our fellow passengers and the crew, ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’ got it right in one. Its hard to believe as the Indians we know are very smart people.

The British left in 1947. They left behind docks, a railway system, government buildings and an organized civil service, police, military, functioning businesses and a common language. New Delhi built in 1927 is in a class of its own and compares well with Washington as it is set out on a plan of wide streets and parks, substantial buildings some designed by a famous British architects. The Indians took all of this over in pristine condition and have done little with it since.

In Cochin the railway at the docks was covered in weeds and the buildings were in slow decay. The terminal where we tied up was the scruffiest we have seen in all our travels. Compared to Shanghai or Vietnam for example and thinking of their history, Cochin needs a lot of work. We found out later that this observation did not just apply to Cochin.

Armed soldiers met us off the boat, strict passport regulations etc. We wondered what it was all about then remembered that India is on war footing against Islamic terrorists. Here is a number to conjure with, there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan. India and Pakistan are at loggerheads and that was quite obvious from reading the Indian papers. Its not just a religious issue.

We boarded a nice bus and drove along a bumpy road passed some of the most disgusting hovels we have ever seen, interspersed with scruffy shops, garages (no doors, dirt floors, abandoned vehicles). Worse still, mounds of garbage, litter so old it was in a state of decay, enough empty plastic bottles to fill a ship were scattered all over. We concluded that there is no garbage collection system. Everyone drops it on the floor or on vacant lots. Vacant lots? Every third space, on average, looked like a house had once occupied the spot The walls were still there but the houses were missing. Had they been recycled?

Corrugated iron sheet (second hand) was on sale along with old doors, window frames and all the equipment necessary to construct a hovel, plus tarps and palm fronds.

Some houses were decrepit looking but had been substantial at some time. Nobody could explain this. Inside these vacant lots we saw cows or goats eating what ever they could harvest from the garbage littered grass. We saw no graffiti! The reason, we concluded, was that everywhere was covered in advertisements, walls, buildings, road signs, bill boards etc. like you would never believe. There was no room for graffiti, or if a site could be found no one would notice it. One traveler reported that he saw goats chewing flyers off the wall. Sure enough there was plenty of this to eat.

We came to a cross road undergoing a repair. Two very stooped old ladies were shoveling and raking fresh steaming tar macadam while young men appeared to be stood by, watching. A sight that would be impossible anywhere else but apparently common in India. It shocked us.

We progressed in our air conditioned, luxury coach passing decrepit local buses packed beyond belief. We bumped or groaned along the dirt roads. The scenery became rural. Some of the rest stops had squat as well as sitting toilets. What a treat!

Eventually we came to our destination. What a surprise awaited us. The area was crisscrossed with canals. These were natural canals made by a draining lake. The banks were reinforced by blocks of stone years ago to stop erosion of passing boats. Unfortunately, the canals were suffering from water lily/hyacinth invasion to a point where some were completely blocked. The monsoon was due in April which apparently washes these away.

The boats are very large, wooden based with stitched planking. The tops are intricately woven patterned structures in coconut fibre, These tops can be two storeys high. They have a kitchen, dinning room, sitting room and one, two or three bedrooms. Coconut fibre is a major industry in the area, known as coir. We believe these boats are unique to this area. There appeared to be hundreds of them. Some were residential but most were for hiring as holiday accommodation.

We boarded a motor vessel and toured the canals and lake for about an hour. This area is known as the Venice of India. We passed many islands, large and small. Little houses dotted the banks and we saw people washing clothes, bathing, cleaning dishes, fishing or just passing the time of day. On one island a wedding was taking place with what appeared to be a cast of a million. The guide explained that the size of the reception was not unusual. For a poor country, the Indians spend a great deal of money on weddings with enormous guest lists. People in this area are usually self employed with small plantations. Rice paddies, coconut palms, bananas, mangoes and tapioca are typical products.

Our return journey to Cochin and the ship was through an area just as bad as the first time.

We stopped in the old port of Cochin where the Portuguese first landed in 1503.

We headed to the quay on the river to take a look at the Chinese fishing traps. These contraptions feature a huge circular net about 40 ft diameter hanging from a wooden gantry. The net is spread out so that it forms a false floor when lowered into the water. Fish swim over the net in their passage through the river. The net is quickly pulled up with a boom leaving the fish trapped. We saw the net lowered and raised twice and there appeared to be about 5-6lbs of fish caught each time. About 30-40 traps lined the river and working continuously.

We ended our visit to Cochin. Our next stop will be Mumbai the transit stop for our trip to see the Taj Muhal.