Articles from this Category
9 June 2014
Killing a day in Bali I woke around 0600 in Bali and headed out for a morning walk soon after 0700 around Kuta. Balinese tend to wake early but that doesn’t hold true in partytown Kuta. It was dead. There were some people on the beach and a couple of people surfing. The Balinese surf […]
8 June 2014
Luggage at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport took forever. I took a taxi to the Tune Hotel in Kuta which I had booked for NZD17 (including aircon and towel options). Being central, clean and comfy, it was exactly what I needed for the night. It was straight to bed as it was about 3am in Auckland […]
2 April 2014
Above: One can see the pyramids faintly through Cairo’s pollution. My departure for for Hong Kong via Istanbul tonight is 2025 which would require a departure from town about 1630. Last night, I had negotiated a late checkout of 1400 for free with the hotel. A standard checkout of 1200 doesn’t leave much time for […]
1 April 2014
At the pyramids This morning, I set out for the Great Pyramids at Giza. Hopefully, I’d be third time lucky aas the first and second times I didn’t get to go inside of the big pyramids. The hotel had offered a car for USD35 including waiting time and going to the Egyptian museum (10 minutes […]
31 March 2014
There was no online availability for an earlier train to Cairo so I had booked for 1200 midday. I’m sure I could have booked at a station and got a ticket for an earlier one. But I enjoyed the relaxing morning until I had to leave the hotel at 1100. It was going to be […]
30 March 2014
After breakfast, I took the minivan public transport along the Corniche to the far end at the west. I got off near Fort Qaitbey which I had no intention of visiting. I walked around the area of the Eastern Harbour to have a better picture of the fort and rough waters of the Med. What […]
29 March 2014
A man boards the train at one of the stops after midnight. He was unhappy to find that his seat was taken by someone else who wanted to be closer to his travelling party. There was lots of shouting. I dozed in and out. Towards the end there was a security guy with a rifle […]
28 March 2014
Above: From my Luxor hotel rooftop. I had spent all of yesterday in the hotel, mostly in bed. I needed time to clear my mind with things I haven’t taken care of for a while when on the road. So, it was filing, sorting bills, and trying my luck with getting a new job when […]
26 March 2014
West Bank Tour Today I did a tour of Luxor’s West Bank as part of a van arranged through Bob Marley Peace Hostel. Their price was EGP40 (NZD6.50) compared to EGP100 at my hotel. Not bad for nearly 7 hours inclusive of a guide. I visited the Valley of the Kings some 22 years ago. […]
25 March 2014
With nearly no tourists in Luxor the price of hot air balloon rides has plummeted. I managed to score a deal for EGP220 (NZD37) by booking at the Bob Marley Peace Hostel rather than my hotel. I was picked up by van at 0500 and dropped off at the river bank for a ferry ride […]