Jeanette's travels

Morocco tour 2007

2007-05-15T12:08:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,
I'm in a very stuffy cyber cafe with one crazy European keyboard so I apologise for the mistakes sure to be in this email.
It is two years since I last toured Morocco and there has been some changes in that time but thankfully a lot of the traditional ways of life remain as they have for centuries. Improvements can be seen in the roadways and housing development with impressive large villas exploding on the outskirts of the old cities. Architecture is now open windows and balconies, distinctly different to the enormous walls and closed doors of the streets of the ancient Medinas. Some restoration and preservation of superb old buildings is evident but sadly there is a long way to go. Most notable is the change in the lifestyle of the women.
Morocco is a Kingdom. The present King is in his early forties, married with two young children. He was educated in France and is very popular as he gets out and about amongst his people. 60% of the population of Morocco are aged under 40 so it seems they identify with him and welcome his progressive ideas and changes to the laws of the country. Women now have a voice and can seek a divorce, they can say 'no' to the man chosen as a husband by their family. Men are now allowed one wife only.
The film industry is booming particularly around the modern central town of Quarzazate (pronounced 'what is zat') We stayed in the same hotel as the cast of The Gladiator so I well may have slept in the same bed as our own Russell!

This is a country of surprising diversity. It is colourful and bustling and yet the Moroccan men seem to spend a good part of their day happily just sitting or lying around drinking massive amount of coffee or mint tea. Women on the other hand are busy doing the work. In the countryside the nomadic Berber lifestyle is slow and very simple with a great sense of community with happy children playing in the fields and along the roadside.

Fishermen & Fort at Essaouira

We have a happy small group of ten persons traveling in an eighteen seat Mercedes bus with a extremely competent driver and a excellent local guide. Right now we are staying in the small 16th century fortified fishing port of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast. Occupied by the Portuguese until the 18th century, Essaouira has an amazing mixture of Berber and Portuguese military architecture, blue and white buildings and a wonderful Medina and market place which was once a slave market plentiful fresh fish and seafood of all types which one can select the catch of choice and have it cooked on the spot, plus one very crappy cyber cafe!,

In the past 14 days we have had many fantastic and varied experiences. The highlight for me was our night spent in a Berber camp nestled in the serene sand-dunes of the Sahara.

Camel riding over the majestic Sahara

After an hours camel ride to top of a high dune we sat quietly and watched the sunset. The playful camel guides (Berber 'blue men') ignited the child in every one of us holding our ankles and sliding us down the side of the massive dune to our patiently waiting camels. What fun and what a surprise when we finally reached our camp to find a circle of tents erected especially for our group on brightly coloured Berber mats, hot showers, comfortable mattresses with clean linen.

Our Berber camp at sunrise
Five musicians to entertain us plus delicious food and a very well stocked bar! I could not think of a better way to spend our 35th wedding anniversary. Our wonderful guide produced a bottle of French champagne and John sang a love-song he had written for me and the occasion. The girls in the group all had a cry. After much merriment our group declined the invitation to be woken at 5am to watch the sunrise. Luckily I woke early to discover it was not too cold. I wandered barefoot outside the camp, up the dunes and marveled in solitary bliss at the most magnificent sunrise over the dunes of the Sahara desert.
Twice our group has been herded into carpet emporiums and twice the merchants who would put our used car salesmen to shame have managed to part with a couple of carpets at 'a gift of a price'! My Amex account may not agree, - yes guilty again, another wonderful handmade Moroccan rug of all colours and textures for our home.
After attending two cooking classes, you could well be treated to a delicious and flavour-some Moroccan dinner party at Chez Savage. One class was in a remote Kasbah on the fringe of the Sahara desert and the other just 20 miles outside Marrakech in a gazebo kitchen in the middle of the fragrant herb and vegetable garden of a restored Kasbah and member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Prepared vegie tajine, tajines cooking and our orange dessert.

We cooked with views across Berber villages, the Atlas mountains and olive grove plantations.

Herbal foot spa & Massage - Heaven! Inspecting the vegie & Herb garden
Whilst the tajines were cooking we sipped local Rose and luxuriated in individual herbal foot-spas followed by a foot massage. Heaven! Then lunched on our culinary masterpieces - a delicious vegetable tajine and a chicken and preserved lemon tajine.

Jealous yet? No, then let me tell you about the beaming smiles on the faces of the children when we give them coloured pencils, crayons, notebooks, balloons or sweets; the women in colourful jellabas washing clothes in the streams and gossiping; the town of 'one eyed women' where the women are dressed completely in black with only one eye showing; our scenic drive to a gorgeous Berber village following by a mule ride to lunch in a restored fortress or Kasbah with 360 degree views of the Atlas mountains and surrounding valleys; the breathtaking Toudra Valley and gorges - not unlike Petra in Jordan; the drive from Quarzazate to Marrakech over the Tichler pass of the high Atlas mountains with stunning landscapes of light and colours of pink Moroccan hues thanks to the different minerals, soil and rocks; the beautiful new forests planted to stop erosion and the cultivated grasslands for grazing; sunset in the famous Djemaa le Fra square in Marrakech with it's smoking food-stalls, dancers, boxing bouts and snake charmers; following our guide through the car free winding alleys which twist into lane-ways whilst dodging the laden mules and donkeys in the mystical Medina in Fez; the fruit and vegetable souks jam-packed with brilliantly displayed olives or every kind, huge bunches of mint, preserved fruits and nuts and the aroma of fresh spices and freshly squeezed orange juice; haggling for goodies in the souks; the tactile happy Moroccans openly greeting each other with genuine hugs and kisses on both cheeks; our increasing waist-lines - testament to the Moroccan hospitality to ensure no visitor goes hungry - food, food and more delicious food.

Djemaa el Fna Square at sundown.

I could go on and on. If you have already visited this stunning country maybe I have revived memories. If you are still to come here I hope I have painted an enticing glimpse of this vibrant, diverse and safe Kingdom. One tip is to get a good guide. We have been blessed with our guide who invited us to his home in Marrakech. A palatial villa on a hectare of manicured gardens complete with swimming pool, self contained garden cottage, rose garden, an English dress-designer wife, one son and two spoilt dogs.

Our guide Abdul's home in Marrakech
One of our group suggested our guide should be tipping us - not the other way around!

Only a few days left before we board our Emirates flight to stopover in Dubai and then home around May 12. Look forward to seeing you soon.
Jeanette - 6 May 2007

Emails from China, Vietnam & Cambodia

2006-11-04T13:15:00.000+11:00

Hi Everyone,
After an all too quick six day turn-around in Sydney, I flew into China on 9 Oct to escort a small group on our Icons of China, Vietnam and Cambodian Interlude tour.
First stop - Shanghai. It is 3-4 years since I was last in Shanghai and if possible the city is more virbant than ever. High-rise buildings have popped up like mushrooms. The colourful night lights around the Bund are truly dazzling. Nanjing Rd - China's # 1 street shopping as is still buzzing and the old men's jazz band at the Piece Hotel continues to play all the old favourites. The city is 'alive' and already preparing to sponsor Expo in 2010.
Jimmy, our excellent city guide was proud to show off the highlights of his city and there are many, both modern and traditional. A favourite is the wonderful 400 yr old classical Yu Garden with two hectares of ponds, rockeries, fabulous plants and traditional pavilions - the four elements of a Chinese garden - water, buildings, rocks and plants. Designed and constructed by a son for his parents pleasure and happiness, this tranquil garden took 15 years to complete and was originally much larger.
From traditional to modern - the super-speed elevator up 88 floors in 45 seconds to the observation deck of the Jin Mao Tower. You can imagine the spectacular view of metropolitan Shanghai plus one can look down inside and view the circular atrium of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Back to tradition - A tea ceremony in an elegant Tea House where I discovered it is Jasmine Tea I should have been drinking all these years to help sleep, no wonder the green Tea didn't work!! We thoroughly enjoyed a thrilling acrobats performance at China's Cultural Theatre Restaurant. Magnificent costumes and such a top performance from a very large cast of talented people. Not to be missed.

Another modern thrill, a ride on the spotless high-speed Maglev train to the airport for our flight to Xian - 40km in seven minutes, a smooth ride in armchair comfort with plenty of spacious luggage compartments (take note NSW Minister for transport!).
There are only two reasons that I could see one would visit Xian. The first is a must - the absolutely amazing Terracotta Warriors and their horses. Quite remarkable that these 6000 life sized soldiers in full battle dress were only discovered by accident when three farmers were digging a well in 1974. Only one of the pottery figures, a kneeling archer, was undamaged, the rest had been smashed during the revolution. Many warriors and horses have been carefully restored already and restoration continues. This Qin Dynasty army was originally made to guard the mausoleum of Qin shihuang and is indeed a magnificent archaeological wonder. The second reason to come to this industrial and polluted city is to visit the very impressive history museum. No other reason - the city haze was so thick one could barely see the buildings in the next block to our hotel - no kidding!

Onto Beijing with a population of 13 million, in full preparation to stage the 2008 Olympics. So much has been done already. I barely recognised the city. Gone are most of the Hutongs and old city houses. One hutong section only remains and is being renovated for tourism. Streets and roads have been widened, lovely avenues of trees and gardens planted. Many new high-rise buildings and renovations underway everywhere one looks. New buses, new taxis and expressways. In fact Beijing is undergoing a total 'face-lift' and 'spring-clean' which has brought an air of excitement to the old city. Even some buildings in the Forbidden City are already proudly sporting gleaming new colourful paintwork and gold-leaf. Others are taking their turn under wraps.

The one place in Beijing where there has been no change is Tiananmen Square; except maybe for the gorgeous display of five really cute Olympic mascots which represent five different sporting disciplines in the colours of the Olympic rings. A green swallow, an orange goat, red flame, black panda and a blue fish. I won't even attempt their Chinese names!

We were lucky to see the site of the yet to be completed Olympic village and Stadium - appropriately nick-named 'the birds-nest' a fascinating structure.
Of course the 600 year old Great Wall of China itself is the same, only the tourist area around the steps leading up to it is busier and more organised. Our local guide took pains to tell us that the wall was definitely not built to keep out the rabbits!! Ah the power of the TV commercial!
We walked the magnificent Sacred Way avenue lined with pairs of large animals each carved out of a single piece of white marble and visited The Sacred Ming Tombs.

Spread over 120 peaceful sq miles, 13 emperors are buried in individual tombs along with 23 empresses (do the math - some obviously had more than one wife). The many concubines are buried in separate tombs. Only three of these tombs are open to the public.
Of course we have been to the Cloisonne factory to see how the skillful oriental art-form is made. Copper objects are decorated with filigree patterns by hand with copper wire and fired before colourful enamel glazes are applied and fired again. Stunning work.

Also visited the silk corporation where 80 spider web thin layers of pure silk makes one doona - who could resist such a luxurious bargain at $100 queen size!!!
The weather in China was kind to us. Not too hot, a perfect time to tour this fascinating country. Another bonus for coming here anytime is the delicious local chinese dishes. Leaves the Bundanoon Chinese Restaurant wanting I can tell you.
Now in beautiful Vietnam; will leave our adventures here until my next email - besides the hotel pool beckons.
Cheers to all
Jeanette 19/10/06

Hello again, this time from Vietnam....
The first thing we noticed when landing in Hanoi from China was the rise in temperature and the humidity. Next; what seemed to be a sort of organised traffic chaos between cars, taxis, pedi-cycles and pedestrians almost clogging the roads. Vietnam has a population of 83 million, 4 mill live in Hanoi and 70% of these are aged between 18-40. I am convinced 99% of this 70% ride some sort of bike or scooter and each is equipped with at least 2 horns and there must be a national law that says each horn is to be blown every two seconds, because that is what they do!

Apart from that, Hanoi is a beautiful city with fascinating French colonial architecture blended with the oriental lifestyle. Very narrow beautifully coloured tall houses (there is a tax on width, not height or depth) called 'tube' houses by the locals.

There are beautiful tree lined boulevards and lakes; in contrast is the hustle and bustle of the old quarter where 40,000 people live per square meter. We explored this fascinating city section on pedi-cycyles and remarkably lived to tell the tale.

This country has seen so much conflict and yet the people are quick to smile very friendly and outgoing and proud of their cultural diversity. All they want is peace and to maintain their independence.
A stark reminder of their brutal history and fight to maintain this independence was our visit to the Hoa Lo Prison. Since 1896 thousands were imprisoned and tortured here, confined in tiny cells with chains and leg irons. From 1964-1973 it was used to detain American pilots shot down whilst bombing Nth Vietnam. The Americans called it Hanoi Hilton. Two thirds of the original prison was demolished in 1993 to make way for a high-rise apartment building. A corner has been preserved as a memorial to the revolutionaries incarcerated who gave their lives for this beautiful country. It was a very sobering visit.

On a lighter note was our visit to a performance of Hanoi's unique Water Puppet Theatre. Very clever and colourful, unfortunately the background music was quite grating to western ears.
I was fascinated to see Ho Chi Minh's historic house on stilts surrounded by a beautiful fragrant flower garden and lake. This is where he lived and worked from 1958 -1969. The house has been preserved in respect to the national liberation hero and symbolizes his simplistic and modest way of living. Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body which is usually on display in a glass case in a magnificent stone and granite mausoleum, is away in Russia for two months for 'treatment'. Apparently this is done every year so we did not get to say hello to him.
If you are thinking of visiting Vietnam, definitely put the UNESCO world heritage site Halong Bay on your must see list. Over 3000 tiny limestone islands are dotted in 1500 sq km of breathtaking emerald waters. We cruised on a red junk and fine dined on fresh crab, prawns, squid and butter fish. Heaven!!

For the petrol heads - the 100 ft junk had a 4 cylinder, diesel indirect injection engine with a rotary pump!

I'm sure you would have heard about the typhoon which hit Danang and surrounds on 1 Oct. Our guide told us 80% of buildings lost roofs and around 60 people were killed. The damage is still evident and the cleanup and rebuilding around the area will take some time. We stayed in a beautiful five star resort in Danang right on China Beach. This resort is built almost on the spot where the US had their air-force base during the American war. Here we took full advantage of a rare free day to relax and lol around the hotel pools and swim in the very tepid water of the China Sea. Seems incredible that in the last two months I have swum in the Red Sea, the Agean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, Dead Sea and now the China Sea. Actually I didn't really swim in the Dead Sea, sort of just bobbed around!
From Danang we drove through the rural villages and the Red River delta to visit Hoi An. Hoi An is another UNESCO World heritage site with distinct Chinese, Japanese and French influence. It is an old trading port which dates back to the 15th century. It was almost too hot to enjoy sight-seeing and definitely too hot to shop so we took a boat ride on the Thu Bone River which was wonderful. In a very welcome breeze we got up close and personal with many local fishermen and women and it was delightful to see the water buffalo and oxen herded across the river.

We are spending tonight in the rural area of Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. Early tomorrow we will go to the floating markets to see the boats loading in preparation for the day's trading before returning to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It is fantastic to get out into the countryside and see first hand the traditional lifestyle of the rural people here.

After that we have two days to explore Saigon and to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels - the underground tunnel network constructed by Viet Cong guerrillas during the American war before flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia.

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat.
This time next week we will be back in Sydney and a note to the home chef, I hereby place my order for bangers and mash please!
Until then, take care
Jeanette 22 Oct 06

Hi Everyone,
I flew into Sydney from Siem Reap Cambodia via Singapore Monday. Great to be back.
Just to finish off the last few days of the trip. Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many residents and tourists, is a safe vital city pulsating with life. Swanky streets are lined with fancy restaurants, art galleries, pricy boutiques and loads of souvenir shops. The city is very noisy so if you are booking accommodation here, make sure the windows are double glazed or take earplugs.
We stayed in total luxury at the beautiful old Majestic Hotel overlooking the river that is busy by day and alive with brightly illuminated river cruise boats at night.

I loved Saigon and would like to spend more time there. It is a shopper's paradise. The tourist dollar is important to the country but it is not necessary to pay the 'tourist' price. Where prices are not 'fixed', you can calmly bargain in a friendly manner and more than likely make your purchase at a greatly reduced price.
In a way I felt sad to leave Vietnam where these courageous and stoic people have struggled for centuries against rebellions, foreign occupation and devastating wars. The horrendous and brutal effects left by Agent Orange is heartbreaking. Another legacy of the various foreign invasions and the American War (we call it the Vietnam War) is the understandable mistrust of foreigners. Although this beautiful country is blessed with fertile river deltas and a climate perfect for cultivating crops especially rice, it still has to deal with typhoons, droughts and poverty and does so with astounding dignity.
A word of warning to animal lovers; Vietnam has restaurants which specialise in dog meat. Although we did not see one, we unfortunately saw at least 4 dogs callously crushed into a wire basket on the back of a bike. In response to our incensed anger to this sickening cruelty, without any embarrassment our local guide cheerfully told us that the dogs were on their way to be sold for eating and that black dogs bring the best price.
Although the flight to Siem Reap is short, our plane was delayed for over four hours which made it a long journey. We were lucky to arrive in perfect time to be taken to the highest Hindu temple built in 893AD. After a climb up many very steep, narrow, deep and uneven stone steps were rewarded by watching a magnificent sunset. As you know I have travelled to many wonderful destinations but standing on the top of the Bakheng temple was one of my most breathtaking and memorable sights. I was aware of a profound and wonderful sense of inner calmness - almost a spiritual experience. I suspect Monks live with this conscious sensation which would explain their peaceful demeanor and devotion.

The main road through Seim Reap is lined with a staggering number of top class hotels. Again we lived in luxury in the Raffles Grand hotel. The temple complex of Angkor just a few km from Siem Reap has many fascinating religious stone or brick buildings of the Angkor period. These temples are ornately decorated by series of mystical and religious motifs in Khmer sculpture.
The best known, largest and most famous of these architectural masterpieces of Cambodia is Angkor Wat.

Angkor literally means 'city' and Wat means 'temple'. Monks have continuously occupied Angkor Wat which is now dedicated to Buddhism. Founded in 802AD it took 30 years to build. It is absolutely stunning. Two of us bravely climbed the treacherously steep uneven stone steps to the top of this well preserved building which is said to be probably the largest religious building on earth. Definitely put it on your 'must visit' list!

Well it is back to reality and the office for me. I intend to have two feet firmly planted in Australia until our next scheduled tour in April 07. You are most welcome to join me for this luxury 20 day tour to exotic Morocco and Dubai.
Thanks again for your emails.
Cheers for now
Jeanette 29 Oct 06

From Jordan

2006-09-29T15:18:00.000+10:00

Hello Friends & Relies

This will be my last missive before we jet off home from Amman on Sunday & Hopefully before that we will have celebrated a victory for the Swans as 2006 AFL Premiers. I will try to tune into the ABC local radio via internet for the coverage of the game. Have already checked that the hotel business centre will be open!

Downtown Amman

Yesterday the temperature was 45 degrees C. Fortunately this suited our schedule drive in A/C comfort & for the two and a half hours journey from Petra to the Dead Sea.

Security is still tight here, we passed through three check-points on this short trip. On arrival we spent the afternoon lounging & in the shade beside the fantastic Movenpick Hotel pool and then floated in the Dead Sea. What a surreal experience that was. At 437 metres below sea level the Dead Sea water is the lowest point on earth and is so exceptionally bouyant it is difficult to stand up. One could easily 'sit' in the sea and read a book. The muddy sea floor is mineral rich and believed to have curative powers. The idea is to cover one's body with the hot mud, leave for 20 minutes and then wash off. Makes the skin feel soft and dare I say it - young! How lucky it was that I brought my 'crocs' with me - perfect for the pebble beaches and hot sand and in this case hot mud.

Must tell you about the Movenpick Resort Hotel. The main building is designed in ornate 500 year old Arabic style architecture. Fantastic stonework.

The hotel rooms and suites on the various lover levels going down to the sea are constructed to resemble 1000 year old crusader style, 100 year old Turkish style and some in old Jerusalem style buildings with streets and external stairs. At the end is the small village square.

The buildings around this square are designed as farm buildings - cowshed and storerooms converted to outlets. It is magnificent and a real treat; especially as John was able to negotiate an excellent room rate as there are so very few tourists here right now. Apart from one Japanese group and one Spanish bus group one could count the tourists we have seen almost on one hand since we arrived in Jordan. Very sad for the country but a real bonus for us.

Jordan is not the only country in the region suffering from the absence of tourists. Turkey, Egypt and Israel are the same and it will possibly continue this way until the conflict between Israel and Lebanon is settled. We get little news and the locals are not keen to discuss it, however The Jordan Times today indicated that Israel is expecting a 'second round' with Hizbollah and will not withdraw their troops in southern Lebanon until an agreement over how the UN peacekeepers and Lebanese army troops would deal with the armed Hizbollah fighters is reached - from what we can gather here, that is unlikely to happen in the near future. One hotel employee told me today that five weeks ago the hotels in Jordan were full of Lebanese fleeing the conflict and now the hotels are close to empty.

On Sept 23 our group on ten split up to go in many different directions. Some continued to different parts of Turkey, some to cruise the Greek Isles and one home to London. Bob Pearce flew home to Australia and his wife Suzie, & ohn and I flew to Cairo from Turkey to continue our adventure.

We hired 'George' - a driver/guide for our short time in Cairo. His brief was to take us to the highlights of the city and introduce us to the 'real' Cairo. The latter part of this brief was probably a huge mistake on our part! We rode horses around the great pyramids and spinx which was fantastic.

Once again only about another dozen tourist in this mighty complex well outnumbered by dozens of heavily armed police on foot and with 4 X 4 vehicles at the ready with guns atop. One felt very safe from terrorists but the security was a little scary. Next came the 'real' Cairo. Wow what an eye opener. Such a filthy dusty noisy city with garbage strewn everywhere. Even the great souk was disgusting and such a disappointment.

George took us to a 'local' restaurant for lunch - I wont begin to tell you how that was.

Finally we toured the best parts of the city. Unfortunately the famous Cairo museum was closed for relocation. We had booked our Cairo hotel on the internet and although it was very basic it suited our needs and in comparison to where George had taken us, it was in a good location almost next door to the Sheraton. We could not wait to leave Cairo.

6am on 25 Sept we caught a bus from Cairo for a six and a half hour journey to the ferry to cross the red sea to Aquaba in Jordan. After many stops at passport check-points we arrived to learn we could not board the ferry for two weeks. We faced two options; return to Cairo or backtract to the boarder and go to Jordan via Israel. As we did not consider Cairo an option, we teamed up with three French travellers and paid a local to drive us to the Egyptian/Israel boarder, about sixty km.

Tried to get a loose leaf Israel visa at this boarder and not have our passports stamped but were refused. Eventually with stamped passports we walked the 200 odd metres crossing into Israel without any problem.

A very friendly taxi driver took us to the Israel/Jordanian boarder where we obtained our Jordanian visa. It was a relief to finally get to Aquaba and the red sea where everything is clean and calm.

Since then we have swam in the red sea,visited the vast and ruggedly stark echoing desert of Wadi Rum and wandered the ancient city of Petra - the reason we came to Jordan.

Petra did not disappoint. It is one of Jordan's national treasures and the legacy of the Nabateans who settled in South Jordan more than 2000 years ago.

It is such a spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge via an awesome immense crack in the sandstone that winds for one kilometer between overhanging cliffs.

At the end of this walk is the dramatic appearance of Petra's famous monuments, the Treasury, plus literally hundreds of buildings, facades, tombs and temples and a theatre from the 1st centary AD.

We were so very fortunate that the Japanese group I mentioned before stood on the 'stage' of this historic theatre and sang. It was very moving and astonishing to hear the echo around the gorge.

We are in the middle of The holy month of Ramadam now. This time is greeted with enthusiasm by Muslims and has caused only a slight problem for us in that it is difficult to buy alcohol, even in some on the best hotels, until after sundown. Ramadam is the time for Muslims to reflect, give to charity and be conscientious of personal behaviour. One guide said this means fasting from dawn to sundown and no sex. The mix here is said to be 80 % muslim and 20% other religions - mainly Christian. In the mosques during Ramadam, the Holy Koran is recited by someone who has memorised the holy book. They have a pre dawn meal called the Suhur and after sundown everything comes to a standstill for Iftar or breakfast. Both meals are a religious type event from what I can gather. Many shops are closed throughout Ramadam.

We hired a car and John drove from the Dead Sea to the city of mosaics, Madaba to the Graeco-Roman city of Jerash and onto Amman.

Tomorrow is our last full day of this amazing adventure so we plan to have a splash-up Jordanian dinner tonight. God willing John and will land in Sydney Monday evening. Suzie is going back to Istanbul for a few days before heading home.

Thanks again to everyone for the emails.

Jeanette

Merhaba from Turkey

2006-09-21T16:15:00.000+10:00

Merhaba everyone.

It was with only slight trepidation we departed Sydney bound for Istanbul on Sept 2 conscious of DEFAT'S warning to exercise extreme caution if travelling to Turkey. It is now 17 days into our trip and so far not one sign of trouble of any kind. The first impression of Istanbul when coming into land was a huge city full of high rise apartment buildings. In fact the old city has beautiful historic buildings.

Istanbul is a really delightful city that reminds me of parts of Morocco.

Shoreline of the Bosphorus
We stayed in a gorgeous private hotel ideally situated in Sultanahmet in the heart of old Byzantium and only a few minutes from the Blue Mosqueö Topkapi Palace and Aghia Sophia Museum.

To watch the sunset on the rooftop terrace of Hotel Empress Zoe with a G & T in hand is like living a fairytale.

The Turks are friendly, helpful and welcoming and many speak English. We soon discovered their love of domestic animals with very healthy and spoilt cats and dogs everywhere. This country is beautiful and has a rich and mixed cultural history due to the contribution of several ancient civilizations evident by the many fascinating ruins and ancient sites - some well preserved.

The image above is inside St Nicholas Church.
We are a group of 10 made up of four Canadians five Aussies and one Englishman. At day 19, still friends and speaking, so doing nicely.

Malcolm, Louise, Michael,Silvia and Rod
Susie and Bob Pearce from Benalla in Victoria, John and myself arrived three days before the rest of the group. We took a two day guided tour and visited Gallapoli peninsula including Anzac Cove of course and the various memorial sites of the countries involved in the battles of this historic peninsula. For some reason I did not experience the same heart-wrenching emotion I did when visiting the Australian war memorial in the battlefields of France. We had an excellent guide who gave an unbiased account of the battle between his countryman and ours and as he said really the whole exercise in the end was for absolutely nothing.

We crossed the Dardenelles and spent one night in Canakkale then the next day explored the old city of Troy. This was fascinating.

From Istanbul we flew to Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus) famous for the Bodrum castle built by the Knights of St John in 15th century and converted to a prison in 1895. The castle was bombarded by the French warship Dubleix and was abandoned for many years. Today it houses the underwater archaeology museum.

Onto Göcek marina where we collected two 40 ft Beneteau sailing boats - 5 persons to each.

We set sail for seven nights sailing around the Ionian coast of the Aegean Sea.

After two days I was more than ready to 'jump ship' at Dalyan, a very pretty village built of the river where the cannels of the river wind through the reed-beds of the estuary amidst spectacular mountain scenery. However I stuck with it, the sea-sickness subsided and I thoroughly enjoyed the remainder of our time on the water.

We anchored in beautiful and tranquil bays and I loved diving into the clear blue bouyant water in perfect temperature with absolutely no threat of sharks or other nasties.

Snorkling was great although no colourful coral like that which can be found on our northern coastline.

On Saturday 16 Sept we sailed back to Göcek marina and said goodbye to 'Anastasia' and 'Moonshine Bay - I was not altogether unhappy to do that.

We have hired a 15 seated VW coach with driver for the remainder of our time together as a group in Turkey.

Josef our driver is a pleasant young Turk with limited English and a good sense of humour.

Our first day we drove onto Fithiye and then Olu Deniz. Olu Deniz is a a very scenic beachside tourist town known as one of the best locations in the world for paragliding. Suzie P and I could not resist the temptation. Soon we were in a 4 X 4 vehicle and had a very rough 45 minute drive up to the top of Babadag (Father) mountain. The 130 Turkish lire was worth every bit to experience the drive up and take off from the top of the mountain and float 6550 ft down in the gentle sea breezes with stunning views of Fethiye, Hisarome and Oludeniz and land on the beach.

Better than parachuting from a plane, better than parasailing and much better than bungy jumping.
Right now we are staying at a private mountain lodge in Tlos. The view from our room over the valley to distant mountains is beautiful.

It is hot but the hotel has a lovely pool. Out hostess Mel is a gorgeous Kurd about 40, whippet slim with boundless energy.

She led up on a hike this morning along bush tracks beside mountain streams up to the ancient city ruins of Tlos with a historic past estimated dating back 2000 year BC.

One of the most prominent settlements due to the splendor of the ruins with the city wall of the Roman era and rock tombs of the Lycian culture. The view from the top of the acropolis are absolutely spectacular and worth every inch of the trek.

From here we go on exploring more of the South east of Turkey until 23 Sept when this part of our journey will be over and each will go their own way.

Our original plan to go through Syria to Jordan was quickly abandoned when the fighting broke out between Lebanon and Israel. Suzie P, John and I now plan to fly back to Istanbul and onto Cairo for a couple of nights to visit the great pyramids and sphinx. Then to take a bus from Cairo to the ferry from Nuweiba to Aquaba in Jordan. We are keen to visit Petra and then the Savs will fly home from Amman arriving Sydney Oct 2.That's the plan but may change.
In the meantime we are thoroughly enjoying delicious food, wine and great company.

Breakfast at Mountain Lodge

Freshly picked grapes with figs to die for.

Malcome - not sure about the good wine!
I have my fingers crossed for the Sydney Swannies to win next Friday night to get them to the grand final. I can't believe that they have reached the finals two years in a row and I have been out of the country both times!
Thanks to my friends who deep in touch via email and text - any news from home is exciting to receive and always welcome.
Turkish keyboards are like a lot of keyboards in Europe so I hope what is transmitted is understandable. It is the best I can do.

Until next time - stay well and safe
Jeanette

From Paris

2006-05-25T16:31:00.000+10:00

Bonsoir and hello again,

Following on from my last update from the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, we continued north back into Italy via Slovenia and a visit to the world-renowned Postojna Caves. Those who took the two and a half hour cave tour certainly appreciated the natural beauty of the magnificent caverns, the glistening stalactite formations and cave animals in this largest and most visited cave in Europe. After a picnic lunch in brilliant sunshine along the river in the park at Postojna, we had a slow trip for our three nights in Verona. Heavy semi and truck traffic plus a truck accident slowed travelling to a snails pace for some kilometers. However we kept amused with a sing-along in the buses and arrived at the elegant Hotel Giberti in Verona around 7pm, in plenty of time to find a good restaurant for dinner.

Our very passionate local guide of Verona was the same chap we had on our last visit here. Those of you who were on that tour would surely remember Andrea. You would also remember the fantastic meal we had at the Il Cenacolo restaurant - roughly translated to 'The Last Supper'. Well nothing has changed except a slight price increase, absolutely delicious food and great service. Thanks to Jaak Jarv for the restaurant recommendation some years ago, we enjoyed this gastronomic indulgence again.

Although Verona is very much a walking city, many locals ride bicycles, as did Myles and John, who took the hotel bikes and cycled around - a great way to go.
The sun shone for our entire time here as we strolled through this truly impressive city with its picturesque winding lanes of the old town centre, lovely walks beside the river, the Arena, churches and monuments and shops to die for. As you know, Verona was the romantic backdrop of Romeo and Juliet's mythical and tragic love affair so of course we visited the courtyard of Juliet's house with the famous balcony! In this courtyard is the brass statue of Juliet with her very shiny right breast, enthusiastically polished by the fondling of many tourists eager to find their true love, which allegedly will follow! Let's see! 'Verona' is the name painted on the lead-light in the front door of our 100 year old home in Naremburn. It would be interesting to know why the house was so named. Maybe our home is like this city, ancient and modern, calm and chaotic, yet with its own charm and significance.

En route to Switzerland we had a splendid drive particularly around beautiful Lake Como. We lunched outside at a lakeside café in Tremezzo and were flabbergasted by the absolute opulence of the magnificent villas that surround the lake. Here is serious money! We arrived at our family owned and run hotel in the village of Intragna to be instantly invited to join the family on the decorated hotel terrace for an aperitif at 5.30 to celebrate the marriage that afternoon of the eldest daughter. Well all Australians love a party and it was not too long before we were singing, dancing and supporting the piano accordion player and violinist with me playing the spoons and Nancy expertly converting a tray into a tamborine. Although the more reserved bona fide wedding guests were clearly enjoying themselves, I did feel they might have been slightly thankful when our group moved into the dining room for dinner at 7.30pm and they to the wedding breakfast. It was a fun impromptu evening.

Intragna is a delightful small village with many buildings made of stone giving one the illusion of having stepped back into the 13th century. It is also unique because (as we witnessed), it combines Italian grace and charm with Swiss efficiency and hospitality.

The next two days we spent in the village of Lauterbrunnen in the spectacular Lauterbrunnen valley surrounded by the natural beauty of the Swiss Alps. From this base our group used their time to individually explore the area. Some took the amazing mountain rail to mountain villages or the cable car further up to the Schilthorn (2970 m) and on to the Top of Europe the Jungfaujoch (4158 m). Myles and I hiked to the spectacular Trummelbach, ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain. Interlaken was a popular shopping destination and easily accessibly by train. As a result, more purchases included a rather large cuckoo clock found their way into our buses!

Our last stay before reaching Paris was in a elegant XV11 century Château set in a 27 hectare private park near the vineyards of Bourgogne, in the Saulon la Rue district about 16km out of Dijon. It was here we had our last official group dinner and what a gastronomic experience it was, true to the Bourgogne tradition.

Paris was unseasonably cool when we arrived and had apparently had a week of very cold days. This morning was cool however the skies cleared this afternoon and the sun peeped through enough for one to confidently anticipate a better weather day tomorrow. This city is full of light and magic no matter what the weather.

We hear that Sydney has had some rain, the Swans had another victory last weekend, Sophie is making remarkable progress and Tony Mundine is still 'the man' - so all is apparently well!

Those who are flying directly home or staying over three nights in Bangkok depart Paris on Saturday. It has been a great tour and gone rather quickly.

Looking forward to catching up with friends and relatives very soon.

Au revoir for now,

Jeanette

25 May 2006

Jeanette

From Italy

2006-05-18T14:18:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone,

This is day 24 of our fantastic tour and I cannot believe this is the first email update I have written. Apologies to those who have been waiting with bated breath for news!

Today the sun is shining brilliantly, it is not too hot and our group is discovering the magnificent Plitvice National Park in Croatia with its crystal clear lakes and cascading waterfalls.

However, I should start at the beginning: - Our flight to Rome was uneventful and on time. The Eternal city welcomed us with radiant sunshine and a hotel that had been flooded the night before by a burst water pipe. No problem, another hotel had been booked for us. This replacement hotel is well located near Termini station, within walking distance of the Colosseum and Trevi fountain and has a metro and train station practically at the door - most convenient. For some of our group our three-night stay was an introduction to Rome but for most it was a very pleasant re-acquaintance.

Our group of sixteen set off in our comfy mini vans to Sorrento via Pompei. Visiting Pompei has become a lot more of a commercial exercise since my last visit with designated parking lots and landscaped entrances to Pompei but the excavations remain as they were of course and are still fascinating. We had three nights in beautiful Sorrento with our hotel overlooking the bay of Naples. Perched on a cliff and surrounded by lemon and orange groves, Sorrento is a real tourist resort of natural beauty without the bustle of the larger cities. It is easy to amble around the cobbled streets and find great restaurants snuggled under bougainvillea pergolas. It is also the ideal location to base and take day trips to the islands and the Amalfi coast. Most of our group took the ferry to Capri and Ana Capri on the first day here. The next day was rainy but this didn't dampen anyone's spirits, they took the very hairy bus ride to Positano. Absolutely stunning views all the way on this narrow snaking cliff-side road to this fascinating village that is famous for the invention of the bikini and home to some very rich and famous people.

From Sorrento we travelled mostly on minor roads from the Amafi coast into the Citron Rivera of Calabria. Our stay at Cape Vaticano in a country family run hotel was wonderful. We left laden with bags of oranges from their trees and Papa's home made wine. Cape Vaticano is the last strip of land before the Straits of Messina. About 10 km away we spent a morning in the popular resort town of Tropea that overlooks a stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This ancient historic town has for years attracted archaeologists and historical researchers looking for Calabrian history. It is full of monuments, churches, ancient memorial plaques and narrow cobbled streets and of course has panoramic sea views. Few people speak English here in this region. The streets were full of life and processions; we think they were celebrating May Day.

The next nine days we spent discovering the best of Sicily. What can I say? Sicily is steeped in history and a mind-boggling heritage. Everywhere we visited on this lovely island was fascinating. Brian Johnston, the author of the book 'Sicilian Summer' said that although Sicily might be overlooked today, conquerors of the past recognised its attractions. Today the legacy left by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards who all ruled Sicily at some time is both breathtaking and fascinating and clearly evident in well preserved ruins, glittering mosaic work and baroque churches.

We stayed in a beachside hotel in amazing Taormina and drove to Mt Etna on our way to our elegant hotel on the medieval baroque island of Ortygia, Syracuse, with the harbour on one side and the sea on the other. The island is linked to the mainland by bridge and is a maze of streets and alleyways with elegant Piazzas and Baroque squares. We visited many notable villages such as the baroque Noto and Caltagirone famous for ceramics and mosaics and we stayed in the heart of the World Heritage-listed 'Valley of The Temples'. The Sicilian countryside is absolutely beautiful. Our timing to visit was perfect, the weather was kind and we meandered through miles of fields full of various brightly coloured wildflowers to the ancient seaside resort town of Cefalù in northern Sicily. From here we took a train to the dilapidated capital city Palermo with its scruffy buildings and the striking and dazzling world- renowned Monreale mosaic cathedral just outside of Palermo. I know when one is travelling one can tire of visiting endless castles and cathedrals but this cathedral is a definite must-see. I should add here that if I do not visit another ruin for a few years I wont mind!

Next we had an overnight crossing the Adriatic Sea on the Marco-Polo from Bari in Italy to Dubrovnik. Visiting Dubrovnik again has confirmed that this historic city is close to the top of my 'favourite destination' list. The drive up the Dalmatian coastline is definitely the most stunning I have ever experienced. After our stay in Split and visiting the World heritage town of Trogir, we came here to the Plitvice National Park.

As I mentioned we have sixteen fun loving travellers in our group, all easy to travel with. We have enjoyed many evenings wining and dining plus a few memorable impromptu parties singing songs as John played his beloved ukulele.

Our only hiccup on the tour was the death of a starter motor on one of our new Peugeot Boxer buses with only 1200km on the clock. We now have a suitable replacement bus- a VW Opal.

Myles has again proved that he is a navigator extraordinaire. He delights in finding the back roads and over-ruling and reprogramming Rita (Rita The Router - our GPS). Rita served us well in Italy but does not know Croatia.

Besides navigating, Myles has taken hundreds of wonderful photos. Add his to mine and you could be are in danger of wading through a very large photo album or slide show!! So be warned.

Tomorrow we go onto Verona via the fabulous Postojna Caves in Slovenia.

To those who email bits of Australian news I thank you. I am thrilled to hear that the Swannies are getting some points on the ladder.

Wish you could all be here sharing this wonderful travel experience.

Arriverderci and Doviðenja for now.

Jeanette

From Thailand

2005-10-03T16:09:00.000+10:00

Hi again,

On the final leg of our trip now. One more sleep and we fly home to Sydney.

Since my last email we have travelled through Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands and finished the tour in France. We stopped in some lovely places along the way. Among the most memorable was the historic fishing village of Enkhuizen in the Netherlands. Wonderful history, top shopping and delicious bakeries! (as if we needed more food!) The harbour is the life centre of this friendly village and fishing fleets still exist. Many tradirtional sailing ships which have been well preserved or restored can be hired to sail the Shallowsea or the Northsea even up to the Baltic. Some of our group took the one hour train trip into Amsterdam. Others, including yours truly hired bikes and cycled around the canals, through wonderful parklands out into the countryside.

Our first stay in France was in Peronne (Somme) - about 196km north of Paris. Close by at Villiers Bretonnaux we visited the Australian National Memorial park of war graves. This memorial is to the Australian men and women of WW1 who after the ill fated Dardonelles campaign in Turkey 1915 took part in the operations along the Western Front - the Somme, the Hindenburg Line and Flanders. The most significent contribution they made was in 1918 to the end of the war by halting the Germans break-through at Villiers Bretonneux on 15 April and liberating substancial terrain in Aug-Sept. A moving and beautifully maintained memorial set in what is now very peaceful and beautiful countryside.

Also we visited the local primary school which was a gift to the children of Peronne from the
children of Victoria (Aust) as proof of their good will towards France. Twelve hundred Aust soldiers, the fathers and brothers of these children gave their lives to the capture of the town from the invaders on 24 April 1918 and are buried near this spot. Attached to the school is a truly wonderful museum set up in the memory of these and other brave Australian men and women who died to forever bond France and Aust in friendship and mutual esteem. In the schoolyard is a very large grren and yellow sign which reads in English 'Never Forget Australia". All very moving.

Right now I email from Chiang Mai. This city is set in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains which are part of the Himalayan foothills. It is a much more relaxed city than Bangkok. You may have seen recent news report of Chiang Mai being flooded. Although we were moved to a different hotel than we had booked because of flooded roads, there is little evidence remaining of the flood which has closed businesses and markets etc. However about 20 minutes ago the sun disappeared and heavens opened up and now heavy rain is teeming down. Somewhere in the city John is still cruising around on our rented motor scooter. We have had fun riding around the city and to do that without accident is somewhat a miracle. Mind you, we could have caused a few!!

Yesterday we visited the Elephant farm. Gosh they are gorgeous gentle big animals and so well cared for. We all had the elephant ride which was very bumpy and watched the elephants work and have their bath in the river. We were to go river rafting however the river was moving too swiftly. Later we women visited the Thai beauty parlour to be pampered. Couldn't see much difference after an hour or so but we felt relaxed! Of course a visit to Thailand for me would never be complete without the traditional Thai massage. Two hours of heaven - for $18! Last evening John and I took the motor scooter to the Sunday street markets. We ate there and had yet another foot massage. The food here is absolutely delicious if one enjoys Thai cruisine as we do. It seems different to the Thai food we get in Australia - much hotter even though they decrease the amount of chillies for us.

We were awfully saddened to hear about the latest Bali bombings. Savage Communications represents Bali's only international airline - Air Paradise. One of the airline's top men was critically injured by one of the bombs. John of course is in close touch with his client and senior office staff. A very sad situation for everyone concerned but especially for the gentle Balinese people.

Tomorrow we fly via Bangkok to arrive in Sydney early Wednesday. I am looking forward to seeing friends and neighbours again and expecially my gorgeous cat Minkie and Myles' dog Zac. I miss them very much when I am away.
Thanks everyone for your emails. Love hearing all your news.
God willing will see you soon.

Cheers,
Jeanette

From Denmark

2005-09-23T16:08:00.000+10:00

Hi again,

Last evening we said goodbye to the gracious Norwegians and their magnificent country when we took the overnight ferry from Larvik to Frederikshaven. The 'ferry' turned out to be equal in every way to the five star Pearl of Scandinavia on which we cruised from Copenhagen to Oslo. In fact our cabins were larger and the duty free shop excellent. Our group anxiously replenished there liquor supplies on board so everyone is very happy tonight!

Since last I emailed we have travelled more stunning countryside over thrilling and sometimes quite hairy mountainous roads. Twice we went through the world's longest tunnel - 24.5kms. One road in particular is very memorable, the trollstigen. Diffinitely not to be missed if you are visiting Norway. On this road one feels they have entered another galaxy - very moon-scapy (if that is a word). The road is a dramatic and exciting experience making eleven swings down the steep mountain from 858 metres above sea level. It crossed the wonderful Stigfossen waterfall and a very impressive old stone bridge which often features in travel broachures. Our drivers
John and Wal are really doing a fabulous job and handling these tricky roads without effort.
We took the famous Flam railway which is the highest in the world. 866 metres of zig zags through valleys; sheer mountain peaks and passing spectacular waterfalls and 20 tunnels in all and of course panoramic views.

Everyone loved the beautifl and unique fishing town of Alusund which was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1904 and rebuilt in Art Nouveau style.

Beautiful Bergen almost lived up to its tag 'it never stops raining in Bergen'! We were very lucky and did have one almost full day of sunshine which was wonderful and allowed us to amble through the famous open markets and take the funicular cbale train up the mountain for a clear panorama of this world heritage listed city. I loved the old tall wooden colourful structures of Bryggen . These too have frequently burnt down and were rebuilt in the traditional style. They now house fascinating small galleries , craft shops, restaurants and museams. Bergen is also known for its music. We visited Edward Griegs beautiful fjoid side home where the composed many of his best known pieces. One of the best things we had in Bergen was a steak dinner at the Big Horn Steak House, being almost fished-out it was terrific!
The weather continues to be kind to us. Yesterday we had a day which alternative between sunshine and light rain. We travelled through some rugged countryside with tremendous waterfalls and swollen waterways. Our farmers would cry if they could see all this water and the sheep and cattle grazing on very lush green fields.

Thanks to everyone who has emailed, it is great to hear from you. I am absolutely thrilled that Sydney Swans are in the Grand final and very envious of those of you who are going to Melbourne to watch the game. Barrack for me too please. With fingers crossed, I will anxiously await the text scores next weekend.

We are going to do this tour again in 2006 and the itinerary is on our website. So it you want to follow our progress on this tour, just visit the website.

We are now in Ribe the oldest town in Denmark and our hotel here was built in 1541 and is of course heritage listed. It has been renovated with all the modern cons which has not spoilt the ambience and old world charm.

Will go now and enjoy some duty free gin before our splash up dinner which I happen to know is wild mushroom soup, roast lamb followed by chocolate cake with three creams. We say everyday we need another feed like a hole in the head but then turn up for every meal!

Until my next missive, take care.
Jeanette

From Norway

2005-09-12T16:04:00.000+10:00

Hello Everyone,

Well here we are in Norway which has to be the country with the most majestic scenery in the world.

Nine days ago we flew into wonderful wonderful Copenhagen, Denmarks capitol and the home of Hans Christian Anderson. It is a colourful walking city and so small and intimate it only takes a day to get to know it. On our second day there some of us hired bikes and cycled throughout the city - even through the Royal Palace courtyard past our Mary's house! Of cource we visited the Little Mermaid (and she is very little) and the Tivoli Gardens. We lunched in one of the famous restaurants along the very colourful Nyhavn Canal - a top tourist attraction with prices to match.

We cruised to Oslo on the five star Pearl of Scandinavia - a very regal ocean liner. Oslo is an instant indicator of how the Norwegians enjoy life. The world cup qualifier between Scotland and Norway was played the second night we were there. You can imagine the city was brimming with kilt wearing Scots carrying huge soccar banners who later celebrated their ultimate victory with much merriment. Thank goodness for hotel couble glazed windows. I can also tell you that Scots definitely do not wear anything under their kilts.
There is plenty to do in this city. The nations Vikings history is well recorded in a dedicated Viking Museum which houses the world's best preserved Viking ships. We also visited the Norsk Folkemusuem which is on one the most comprehensive and best presented museum compounds I have ever seen. Another unforgettable highlight of this city is the Vigeland sculpture park. This park features a series of human figures in white granite depicting very stage of human life cycle. Gustav Vigeland was the sculptor - a Norwegian with his own very colourful past.We sipped on hot chocolate as we wondered at the scale of the famous Holmankollen Ski jump. Truly frightening.

From Oslo we ventured to the country side and mountains to travel through the most beautiful unspoilt scenery in the world. We have stayed in lovely hotels in stunning small villages surrounded with snow capped mountains and glistening fiords and waterfalls. We took the famous Hellesylt ferry to Geiranger via the Geiranger fiord - postcard panoramas of breathtaking dimentions.

We have eated the freshest salmon and Norway is heaven on a stick for those who enjoy herrings. Fruit tastes like fruit did when we were kids. Alcolhol is expensive. 60 dollars for a bottle of house wine. 12 dollars for a glass of beer.

It is a fun group who enjoy life and pack everything into their day. We have played cards and danced evenings away. Our Irsih lady has taught us how to 'play the spoons'. Can't wait to play them for you!!

So far we have been blessed with perfect weather but expect to experience a colder climate as we meander north. Tomorrow we move onto Alesund.

I wish you could all be here to share this wonderful journey. I can't tell you how breathtaking it is.

Until my next update - stay well,

Cheers,Jeanette