Accidentally in Israel

Fact: public transport in the Middle East is notoriously unreliable.
Fact: the only way to get directly from Egypt to Jordan is by ferry across the Red Sea.
Fact: the alternative route crosses overland through Israel.
Fiction: Nothing could possibly go wrong!

The ferry from Egypt to Jordan leaves from the port town of Nuweiba. When we arrived, it was crowded and smelled like a slaughterhouse. You can’t buy ferry tickets in advance – you have to just rock up and hope. Thankfully, our driver knew where the ticket office was – it’s a small, relatively nondescript building, where you can purchase tickets from a small, relatively nondescript man through a small, relatively nondescript window.

With a faint smirk, the ticket man informed us that the ferry wasn’t running that day. Or that night. There was a strike of some sort. Apparently the terminal was full of thousands of stranded passengers, and it’d be at least three days before anyone could get to Jordan.

At that moment, Paul spied the logo of a familiar tour company out the corner of his eye, and ran over to beg for help. The guide was friendly and accommodating – happy to share his information in order to help us work out the best alternative route to Aqaba. After about two hours in a greasy diner that appeared not to serve any kind of food at all, he informed us that his group would be heading overland, and advised us to attempt the same.

It would require three taxis in three countries, and two Middle Eastern border crossings. The risk of something going wrong was high, but it was certainly the cheapest option – and if all went to plan it could even turn out to have been a better option than the ferry. He bargained us a great price for a taxi to the Egyptian border and then wished us luck and returned to his bus to drive the tour group.

Taxi #1 – Egypt
Relieved to be on our way, we hopped into the car of a young guy wearing long white robes. The seat covers were three dimensional Minnie Mouse heads, with her nose perfectly positioned to make your own head, resting against it, as uncomfortable as possible. Shortly into the journey north, we passed a small river that appeared to run across the road permanently. Just past it was a pile of burning tyres, and a main with one eye wearing a loincloth and covered head-to-toe in mud. A familiar sound rang in my ears – the default Nokia ringtone from the early noughties. Our driver answered his phone with one hand, and continued hurtling down the centreline by positioning his other hand on the horn. Good times.

The coral reefs of the Red Sea make the whole drive rather pleasant!

Taxi #2 – Israel
Our driver was a calm, middle-aged man wearing a jewish Kippah on the back of his head. He spoke perfect English and his late-model BMW had a screen in the dashboard with a camera to help him reverse. I found myself experiencing reverse culture-shock from the stark contrast with Egypt!

Taxi #3 - Jordan
The driving is calm compared with Egypt, but Jordan clearly doesn’t experience the same level of foreign investment as Israel, judging from the state of the roads. At precisely 7pm, our driver pulled over, removed a small mat from the glovebox, walked to the front of the car and kneeled facing Mecca (a direction even I could have established because we were so close to Saudi Arabia). After around five minutes of prayer, he returned to the car and wordlessly continued driving us to our destination.

We pulled up behind these guys somewhere on the Sinai Peninsula. 

Relieved that our border crossings had been non-eventful, we arrived in Aqaba at around the same time as we would have if we’d been able to take the ferry in the first place. And it had actually cost less!

Reflecting on our unexpected visit to Israel, I realised that the day's events had inadvertently overshot my goal of visiting 40 countries before I'm 30! 

So thank you, Israel, for being my 40th. Normally I wouldn't count a visit so short - but seeing as I'll be back in a few days to see more of the country, I'll let it slide this time.

Bus Egypt: Conquering Sinai

Climbing a holy mountain at 2am will leave you dazed at the best of times, but add a million stars and a few dozen bellowing camels into the mix and I defy you not to feel like you’ve stepped into a Christmas carol.

We even had heavenly activity in the form of a lightning storm over Saudi Arabia while we were waiting to be picked up from our hotel in Dahab. Having disappeared only for a quick snooze after a tiring day, watching a lightning storm over Saudi Arabia while drowsy at midnight felt rather like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

None of us thought we got any sleep on the two hour drive to Mt Sinai, but clearly we must have as it only felt like it took half an hour – including the two abrupt awakenings as the driver swerved to the correct side of the road to avoid a head on collision. Egyptians have somehow decided that the safest place to drive in the middle of the night is right down the centre-line, like a slot car. I’m not sure if it’s just a misguided road safety tip or actually an attempt to subvert would-be kidnappers – who apparently operate in the area.

Either way, we were quite glad to arrive at the base of Mount Sinai.

It starts off easy. For the first 45 minutes or so, you’re barely going uphill at all. It’s quite a pleasant stroll, and it’s quite exciting realising that you can’t see any light at all besides the moon and your torch. And ahead of you, the torches of others form a large daisy-chain of lights far up into the distance. We reached the first rest stop with minimal exertion and then patted each other on the back.

When Rachael asked how much ground we’d covered so far, our Bedouin guide started laughing. Apparently this stop was the first of six, and it merely signalled that we’d reached the start. My bad.

I started to distract myself from the climb by staring up at the stars. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of them – more than I’d ever seen. Several rest stops and around 90 minutes later, I almost overbalanced when I caught the sight of a shooting star out of the corner of my eye. Having never seen one before, this gave me quite a lift! Some of the others reported seeing three or four. My eyes were clearly too focused on avoiding camel poo to notice the rest of them.

About half an hour before the summit, the path reached its steepest point and became a series of abrupt steps. Being allergic to exercise, it took all my strength not to sit down on every fifth one. But sunrise was approaching quickly – and we’d climbed all night for the promise of dawn so weren’t about to waste any time.

At the point where strong winds hit the trail, a group of Bedouin shopkeepers make a killing lending blankets to climbers. They’re great as long as you don’t mind smelling like camel. At about the same point, the trail reaches a point where you can see the horizon stretching in front of you. I was suddenly aware that an impending glow had rendered my torch obsolete, and switched it off.

Time to turn the torch off.

For some reason, I always imagined the summit to be rather large and flat. Perhaps with a nice grassy patch. I guess I always thought it would have to be quite roomy in order to fit both Moses, God, and the two stone slabs that became the ten commandments. But it’s really quite tight on the top, and there are dozens of grannies and nuns who worked as hard as we did to make it, so every climber jostles for the best spot like a queue of Ryanair passengers.

Fortunately, Rachael found us a wee spot around the way and down a bit. The rocks were somewhat precarious – and of course there was no safety railing – but most importantly we could sit alone as a group and feel proud of our efforts as we waited for the sun to surface.

The spot Rachael found us.

Around ten minutes later, we let out a collective gasp when a sliver of intense scarlet light became visible. Though we’d been anticipating its arrival, the sun was far larger and more brightly coloured than we’d expecting. It wasn’t hard to see why the Ancient Egyptians considered the sun the most powerful of gods.

We spent around 45 minutes at the top taking photos, sitting in silence and watching the sunrise, talking about some of the many events that had happened there, and even singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.

The six of us who had the balls to spend all night conquering Sinai.

My brother Michael on top of Mt Sinai. I love this photo.

Then, it was time to begin the trek back down. We opted for the lesser-known route: 3,750 steep steps directly down the side of the mountain. The path was created by a monk who intended its climb to be used as penitence. I can barely comprehend how hard it would have been in other other direction. Long before reaching the bottom, most of us were getting the yips – our knees threatening to twitch at exactly the wrong moment and fling us down to the rocks below.

One of the easier stretched of stairs.

The way down felt vastly different to the climb up. Partly because it was steeper and there were no camels, but mainly because the sunlight enabled us to see the immense canyon we were climbing. As a kid, I always imagined Mt Sinai would resemble the mountains I was familiar with – grassy and fertile. But it turned out to be more like the Grand Canyon: vast, bare, red, and rocky.

A small Greek Orthodox church part-way down.

Our descent took less than half the time our climb had taken. At the base of the mountain, we visited St Catherine’s Monastery – the oldest Christian church in the world. Sadly we weren’t able to go inside, as we were pressed for time to get back in time for our onward journey to Jordan.

St Catherine's Monastery.

Later that afternoon, we found out that other tour groups had been cancelling their Mt Sinai climbs following kidnappings in the Sinai area. I’m relieved that I didn’t know this in advance as it may have made me uneasy about taking part. And I’m stoked that our group were fortunate enough to have to opportunity.

I spent the night in a Christmas carol, and it was choice as.

Bus Egypt: Snorkelling in the Red Sea

Call me ignorant, but I never knew that the Red Sea was a decent diving spot. And I certainly didn't expect it to measure up to the Great Barrier Reef.

Red Sea = 2, Andrew = nil.

The dive centre in Dahab feels like a hippie hangout - a recurring theme in this coastal town which is far more homely than its larger cousins Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurghada. Here we're fitted for flippers before driving 20 minutes to the famous Blue Hole, crammed in the back of old jeeps.

It's an unremarkable day, grey and mild. And the Blue Hole looks similarly unexciting... until you get underwater. The moment your head goes under, you're in the middle of a Finding Nemo-esque scene with brightly coloured anemones and an overwhelming number of underwater species.

If you're lucky you can see a turtle gliding calmly, though we weren't fortunate enough for that this time. But I did see a baby stingray!

The baby stingray isn't actually in this photo, so you can stop looking. sorry.

After a few hours of snorkelling, it's back to the hippie beachside hangout for a quick drink and some lunch before we return to our hotel.

The perfect spot for some afternoon water-ball games.

Bus Egypt: Temple Town

Thank God for Mohamed. Egypt is full of temples, and they're a little tricky to figure out for hieroglyph muggles like me. Thankfully, Mohamed (our Busabout guide) was always on hand to decipher things...

Mohamed giving one of his enthusiastic talks about the hieroglyphics at Karnak Temple.

The 10 day Egypt trip includes stops at the eight most important (or most interesting) temples and similar sites around Egypt. Mohamed is a really interesting speaker and manages to tell the whole history of Egyptian culture and mythology between the eight sites. Each has its own unique charm. Here's the rundown on what to look forward to:

1.  Philae (Isis)

This Temple had to be relocated piece by piece in the 60s when the Nile dam was built; which created the largest man-made lake in the world. Nubia, including the former site of Philae, is somewhere at the bottom of that lake - along with 200,000 crocodiles. Luckily, we arrive by boat rather than testing the waters!

2.  Abu Simbel
I'd highly recommend opting in for the optional Abu Simbel trip. It involves a wake-up call at a rather obscene hour of the night, but when you get there you'll understand why I twisted your arm. Don't panic if you pick up a guard with a machine gun on the way - he's on your side. You'll be driving three hours south just near the Sudanese border to see these massive statues of Rameses II at the entrance to what many call the greatest temple in the land of temples.

3.  Kom Ombo
The felucca trip conveniently concludes in Kom Ombo. The temple here is interesting because it's dedicated to two gods - Sobek; the crocodile god, and Horus; the falcon god. This means that large portions of the temple are duplicated to honour both gods. My favourite part, though, is underneath: a crocodile museum! If you've ever wondered what a 3,000 year old mummified crocodile (or 10) looks like after it's unwrapped, look no further!

4.  Edfu
Praying should be a huge release, that's what the Ancient Egyptians believed. So at Edfu, there's a tiny spiral staircase for ascending to pray, and a comfy wide straight one for those coming back down afterwards - so they can feel free of their burdens. Plus, if you stand right there you look like a ghost.

5.  Luxor
We visited Luxor temple by night, offering an interesting contrast with the others - particularly because it was prayer time at the on-site mosque and the prayers rang out over the temple the whole time we were there. If the obelisk here looks familiar to you, it's because its twin was gifted to France over a hundred years ago, and now stands at Place de la Concorde near the Louvre in Paris.

6.  Valley of the Kings

The entry fee to the Valley of the King's covers any three open tombs except Tutankhamen's and Rameses VI's. Only a handful of us paid the extra to see Tutakhamen's legendary tomb (the price was exorbitant and we were warned that it was small and anticlimactic), but I would highly recommend it. The tomb may not be large, but its drawings are more perfectly preserved than any others we encountered in Egypt. By now, Mohamed's explanations had started to sink in, and we were able to work out the story ourselves. Plus, it was fascinating to imaging King Tut's treasures in the space when Howard Carter discovered them in 1922, having seen them ourselves only a few days earlier at the Egyptian Museum.

7.  Hatshepsut
The temple of Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh is a sight to behold. It resembles the ancient site of Petra more than the other temples of Egypt because of its position right in front of the steep cliffs, but it's not actually chiselled directly into the rock.

8.  Karnak
This, the largest temple in Egypt, is a wonderful finale. The central area features 134 gargantuan pillars in 16 rows. As a space it's completely overwhelming, and despite the crowds you can walk around without seeing a soul. Along with Abu Simbel, Karnak was a definite highlight of our Egyptian temple encounters.

Bus Egypt: Sailing the Nile

For thousands of years, the Nile has been more than a river for Egyptians. The country is pretty much only the desert and the river. So it's their lifeblood. That's why sailing down the Nile has always had a special place on my bucket list.

The newly-ticked T-Shirt on my bucket list.

On Busabout's 10 day Egypt trip, I was given the chance to see a completely different side of usually-frenetic Egypt from the relaxed pace of a zigzagging felucca on the Nile.

We sail from Aswan to Kom Ombo, about 50kms, over two days. This gives us ample opportunity to people watch. Three young Nubian kids having a blast with a rowboat. Cows grazing on small grassy patches in the middle of the river. Farmers driving from small shanty towns, presumably to market their produce.

A typical scene from the side of the felucca.

This is a traditional Egyptian felucca, so there are no cabins on board. The entire deck is an enormous mattress that we use for eating, relaxing and sleeping. There are no toilets either, so we improvise when ashore.

Lucy and Paul hanging out on board the felucca.

Meals are prepared for us by the crew, then served on long tablecloths down the centre of the boat. My favourite was spiced rice with potato curry and fried chicken - absolutely delicious.

We pull up ashore regularly, which is a great chance for a quick dip.

On the second night, we gather around a roaring bonfire. But first, while the sun is still out, some of the Busabouters are challenged to a soccer match by a group of local teens.

After nightfall, the bonfire is lit, and our crew pull out drums and instruments which create the vibe of a hippie commune. By now, our group of 18 has bonded well, so some of us dance, some of us have deep and meaningfuls, and the rest sit by the fire and relax.

Tomorrow, we return to the frenetic pace as we continue north to Luxor.

Bus Egypt: Cairo

In Cairo, the ancient clashes with the modern in an extraordinary way. Cows chill out underneath a motorway overpass. The ancient remains in the Egyptian museum are right next to the burnt out ruins from last year's revolution.

The burnt out remains of Mubarak's headquarters behind the museum.

The trip from Cairo to Giza is half an hour through slums that all seem to be a dozen or more storeys high. Between the endless squalid apartment buildings, I spot a marvel of ancient engineering that still has scholars scratching their heads today.

I’m not sure what I expected the parking lot to look like, but I was shocked by how… unremarkable it was. This is the only surviving wonder of the Ancient world, and you just kind of stumble up to it, right next to a main road and opposite modern shops.

But I quickly forget the lack of awe in the introduction when I get closer. There’s more than enough awe in the spectacle of staring at it up close. Apparently there are over two millions bricks, and the ones I can see are all bigger than my first car.

I scramble up the side to the entrance, and creep inside. After climbing for what seems like an age, I reach a tall shaft. Thanks to the wonders of modern lighting, I can see a path running up the centre. As I climb, I’m impressed by the height. Apparently King Khufu wasn’t too happy with the original plan of an underground tomb beneath the temple. He wanted something more grand. I find myself contemplating who exactly he had in mind when he requested such a grand design. Right now it feels like I’m the only person besides his architect who has ever had the opportunity to admire it.

Climbing the great pyramid.

At the top of the shaft is a bedroom sized tomb. It looks austere and simple, but if the treasures I saw this morning in the Egyptian Museum from Tutankhamen’s tomb are anything to go by, it would have been anything but austere when first constructed. I close my eyes and try to imagine the space before the musty smell set in. Piles of handy things for the afterlife. Gaudy colours. The smell of lotus flowers and papyrus. And in the centre of the room, a sarcophagus fit for a king. Layer upon layer of solid gold. Of course, all this disappeared centuries ago when the ancient Egyptians ransacked their own king’s tomb – so modern archaeologists have known only the same space I’m observing now.


About half an hour later, I’m introduced to Alice. Well, actually she wasn’t introduced to me, so I christen her 'Alice' myself. She has golden hair and a very long tongue.

Alice was the last camel to be chosen – everyone else was given away first. I’m a little worried that this might mean she’s the rogue of the pack. When Alice stands up, she lurches forward on such an angle that I feel like I’m about to plummet head-first to the ground. But somehow I survive, and start to feel quite comfy in my new perch a few metres in the air.

We’re connected in chains of two or three, and a little boy leads Alice over the sweltering dunes in the direction of the pyramids. I hand him my camera and he begins taking pictures. Along the way, Alice picks fights with every camel we pass ,snarling and snapping until the little boy tugs her away.

When we’ve been stationary for a few minutes, the little boy yells “Stand up!” as though this is a perfectly natural suggestion for a strange tourist two metres in the air on the back of a possibly-rogue animal. Observing the terror on my face at the mere concept of standing up, he taunts “it’s a camel, not a tiger!”

Not wanting to be outdone by a seven-year-old, I decide to trust Alice with my life and give it a shot. Hey presto!

On the way back, while free from the little boy’s grip, Alice decides to go for a wee gallop. As we gain speed, I lean in tight – afraid that this could be the last anyone sees of me until I perish from starvation somewhere in the Sahara clinging for dear life to the back of a wild camel. But she slows as we approach the camp, and I realise she’s not wild – just competitive.

There’s a moment on every good trip when you realise “this has been worth the time and expense it took me to get here”. Only on the best trips do you reach this point on the first day. As Alice lurches abruptly forward onto her knees to let me off, I realise that Egypt has already proven itself worthwhile.

Find out more about Busabout's 10 Day Egypt trip here. 

I travelled to Egypt with support from Busabout and Flight Centre UK.

A Weekend in Ireland

If your knowledge of the Emerald Isle consists mainly of Guinness and leprechauns, you need to check out Shamrocker Adventures’ Southern Rocker trip. In three packed days, you get the chance to discover why everyone says they love Ireland.

For such a superstitious country, what better number than 13 for a list of things to check out on your Southern Rocker adventure.


1.  Drink a Guinness in Temple Bar
The Southern Rocker departs from Dublin, the home of Guinness. And the best place to taste your first brew is Temple Bar, Dublin’s hippest bar district. The first sip tastes like caramel, the second like garden mulch. But it’s an experience you can’t miss!

 

2.  Marvel at the Rock of Cashel
The first scenic stop is the Rock of Cashel. It’s an odd name for a castle if you ask me. But perched up high on its hill it makes for a breathtaking sight. And it’s nearly 1,000 years old!

3.  Kiss the Blarney Stone
Ever wondered why Irish is the most beautiful accent in the world? It’s undoubtedly because they’ve all kissed the Blarney stone. As you’ve probably heard, this slab of bluestone built into Blarney Castle endows with the gift of the gab all those who slide backwards and pucker up.

The castle itself is spectacular and well worth the visit.




4.  Visit the biggest Irish shop in the world
Near the castle, Blarney Woollen Mills is the largest Irish store in the world. Which, if you ask me, is a little hyperbolic (like Miss Universe... surely we're only entitled to pick Miss Earth?) . Personally, I was slightly overwhelmed by the range of woollen things and disappeared for a drink next door – but not before purchasing a new sticker for my now-well-travelled suitcase.

5.  Devour an Irish stew
By the time you arrive in cute wee Killarney, you’re bound to be famished. Good thing the main street has a number of great options. It doesn’t matter too much where you choose to eat, provided you order the Irish stew! And if it’s not cooked with Guinness, keep looking.

6.  Pose with the dolphin statue in Dingle
Day two is all about the Dingle Peninsula. This tiny seaside town is filled with pleasant pastel colours and little gift shops. A dolphin adopted Dingle Harbour in 1983 and is still hanging around and performing. The townsfolk are so smitten with Fungie that they’ve erected a statue of him. Visitors to Dingle are obliged to take a picture of a strange pose with the statue.

Photo credit: Kat Pullman

7.  Fudge from a coffee van on Coumeennole Beach
A steep path leads down to Coumeennole Beach, which means that when you first arrive you’re overwhelmed by your bird’s eye point of view, and everything about this patch of smooth sand and rugged black rocks appears remarkable. The highlight for me was a tiny little traditional coffee van in the parking lot that made a great latte and sold excellent almond fudge.

8.  Stand on the westernmost point of Europe
Dunmore Head is the westernmost point of Ireland. Locals like to call it the westernmost point of the entire continent, claiming that Iceland, though politically European, is on the American tectonic plate and therefore geographically American. Whichever way you look at it, the realisation that the violent ocean in front of you is unbroken before Newfoundland is staggering.

9.  Eat Murphy’s ice cream
Kevin, our guide, wouldn’t shut up about the wonders Murphy’s ice cream. So we knew we must be on to something good. And it sure is! Perhaps I was paying too much attention, but I could swear that Irish ice cream is creamier and more flavoursome. Try the Guinness flavour, but buy the Baileys one.

10.  Eat at the Rowan Tree café in Ennis
County Clare has been hit hard by the recession, and there are a lot of boarded windows in Ennis, where we spend our second night of the Southern Rocker. But this one restaurant appears entirely untroubled by the financial woes of Europe. With an eye-wateringly delicious menu like theirs, it’s no surprise business is still booming!

11.  See the Cliffs of Insanity with your own eyes
Princess Bride muggles may not understand why the cliffs of Moher caused me to immediately don a poor Italian accent and bemoan the six fingered man who killed my father, but these cliffs are unmistakeable as the Cliffs of Insanity from the 1987 classic movie. It’s also the #1 suicide spot in Ireland, we’re told. Beats the Golden Gate Bridge for beauty, that’s for sure.

12.  Get blown about on the Burren
The Burren is one of Ireland’s six National Parks, and it’s certainly a unique spot. More popular with rock climbers and cavers than hikers, this barren rocky area inspired Edmund Ludlow to say “there is not water enough to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him”. It was blowing a gale when we visited, which I'm told is not exactly uncommon.

Photo credit: Michael Pullman

13.  Meet a leprechaun in Galway
My one regret in Ireland is not being able to spend more time in Galway. This wonderful town had a great artsy vibe and I could have stayed for several days. We were lucky enough to meet up with our own lovely leprechaun – a friend we met on Busabout’s Sail Turkey trip.

If I had to summarise Ireland in one word, it’d definitely be green. More than anywhere I’ve visited, the grass really seems to glow. Anyone spending a decent amount of time in Europe should visit the Emerald Isle to see for themselves.

Shamrocker Adventures are offering free accommodation for all 2012-13 Southern Rocker departures. So there’s really no reason not to go! Here's the link to the offer.

Andrew travelled to Ireland as a guest of Shamrocker Adventures.