travel blog – Page 31 – PalmTreeMusings

A trip to Mainland Greece

November 28, 2010March 20, 2022Posted in EuropeTagged Athens, best things to do in, Delphi, Greece, Istanbul, meteora, Thessaloniki, travel, travel blog, turkeyLeave a comment

This most recent vacation was really special to me, because it was the first vacation in a long time that Chris and I were able to actually fly to together! Although we often meet up with each other in a new city or country, it is rare that we are both flying from the same place. In fact, the last time we were on a flight together was three years ago when we flew to Sao Tome for Christmas! So it was really nice to be able to fly to Istanbul and then Athens together last week.

We had a long layover in Istanbul and discovered that transit passengers could go on a free day tour of Istanbul. The airline handled everything and we had a wonderful breakfast, tour, and lunch with a small group of 10, and then back to the airport. We flew on to Greece the same day and arrived in Athens in the early evening.

couple in front of blue mosque turkey istanbul — Just a quick spin through Istanbul- if you have a six hour layover, check it out!

basilica cistern istanbul turkey — Just a quick spin through Istanbul- if you have a six hour layover, check it out!

Super tired (our flight had left Khartoum at 3:30 am), we slept well and were ready to go see the Acropolis on Thursday. The huge outcropping of rock with the remains of the temples on it was amazing! It started to rain, but we really didn’t even mind, as we have spent these last long weeks in the hot dry desert, so the rain to us felt wonderful.

the acropolis in Athens Greece — The Acropolis

acropolis at night in athens greece — The Acropolis

We spent the rest of the day and the next exploring Athens, looking for cozy tavernas to sit in and drink wine, ouzo, and beer while trying dishes such as souvlaki, moussaka, and of course lots of Greek salads.

Sadly, on Sunday Chris had to leave for work, so I headed up to Delphi to see the oracle and get any advice. Getting off the bus at the same time as me were two Americans that, it turned out, are teaching in Qatar. We found a hotel and did some sightseeing, and soon met another lonely traveler who was looking for adventure and had a car. We all agreed to stay in Delphi another day, eat lots of pork souvlaki, and then head to Meteora together.

On Tuesday we drove up to Meteora and explored the fabulous monasteries there atop the cliffs. The weather was wonderful and it felt great to be outside. The view from the monasteries was majestic, and that night we stayed in the beautiful Guesthouse Iridanos, where we had a fireplace in our room and a balcony overlooking the mountains. The owner recommended a restaurant in the town of Kalambaka, which was delicious.

overview of monastery at meteora greece — Meteora

girls on mountain top in meteora greece — Meteora

Monastery perched on cliff in meteora greece — Meteora Monasteries

overview of monastery perched on mountaintop meteora greece — Meteora Monasteries

I headed north next, to Thessaloniki, and spent two days there. Another day of rainy weather, but to me the cool fall weather was a welcome change and I was determined to relish it while I could. It was bacon for breakfast, pork souvlaki for lunch, and grilled pork chops for dinner, as all too soon it would be time to head back to Khartoum. In between stuffing myself, I found some Macedonian museums and Byzantine churches to explore as well.

Arch of Gelerius Thessaloniki Greece — Arch of Gelerius, Thessaloniki

statue of alexander ii at thessaloniki sunset greece — Arch of Gelerius, Thessaloniki

After taking the night train from Thessaloniki to Istanbul, I had two days in the East/West capital and revisited some of my favorite sights of that city. The Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern are wondrous and I will likely never get tired of them. I was looking for some of the hanging Turkish lanterns and trying to avoid the ubiquitous carpet sellers while I shopped my way through the Grand Bazaar. Sadly, the hour did arrive and I was on my way back to Sudan. Luckily, it’s a bit cooler now that it is November, and with the Caledonian Society ball and a retreat to the Nile River planned for the next two weekends, time should pass quickly and then Adam, Hussam, and I will be on our way to Mt. Kilimanjaro!

One week in Lebanon? You can see it all

September 19, 2010March 20, 2022Posted in Middle EastTagged baalbeck, bcchare, Beirut, best things to do in, byblos, cedars, jeita grott, Lebanon, Sidon, travel, travel blog, tyre, ZahleLeave a comment

Although we’ve only been back at work a month, it’s time for a vacation- Ramadan is ending and we have off for Eid Al-Fitr. So my colleague Diane and I decided to head to Lebanon, just three hours away from Sudan by a BMI flight.

girl in front of roman ruins Aanjar Lebanon — Aanjar

We arrived in Beirut and felt a bit discombobulated at first- the high rise apartments, the beach, the mountains, it was all so different from Khartoum. The first day I went to the mall and had Starbucks! and a movie! and bought two sundresses!! I know, I know, not what you’re supposed to do on a cultural vacation, but all things I couldn’t do in Sudan.

The next day I was ready to sightsee. First stop was a day trip to Sidon, home of a small crusader castle, the Musee du Savon, and a very cool souq. I spent a pleasant day in Sidon walking around and seeing the sights and learning about the Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Muslim, Crusader, Turk, and Mamluk history of Lebanon.

The next day I went on a day trip to Byblos (both Sidon and Byblos are one hour from the capital, so no reason to change hotels each time). Byblos is where the alphabet began- the first two letters of the Phoenician alphabet was “aleph” and “beth”. A cute little fishing harbor, strongly reminiscent of Greece (not that I’ve been there yet), and a great museum dedicated to ancient fish fossils. I bought a fish fossil that is 80 million years old! And of course some Roman ruins and a crusader castle to explore. On the way back I rode up the mountain in a “teleferique“, basically a ski lift/cable car contraption that quickly gets you to the top of a mountain and lets you see amazing views and get some fresh air. If you click on the link I made, and wait a second, you’ll get a little animation that actually feels like you’re on the “terrorferique”!

roman and greek ruins at Byblos Lebanon — Byblos

On Friday we tried to go to the museum in Beirut but it was the start of Eid, so it was closed. Instead we hopped on a bus and cruised over the mountains almost to Syria, to visit the ancient Phoenician city of Baalbeck, dedicated to the Phoenician sun god Baal. Later the Romans built some of the last pagan temples (dedicated to Jupiter, Bacchus, etc) before the conversion to Christianity. Baalbeck is the most well preserved site of Roman ruins in the Middle East. We saw some great ornamentation and amazing architecture and thoroughly enjoyed our day there.

The next day we decided to pack a day bag and head up to the Cedars ski resort area for some cool air. Although it was only September, and no snow, the area is still great for cooler weather and the famed Cedars groves. We went through Tripoli, stopping only for some pastry and coffee, and then took a smaller bus to Bcharre, a small mountain village that hosts a great hostel (Tiger House) and also the Khalil Gibran museum (author of The Prophet, who was born in Bcharre). Along the way we met two British guys, Joe and Fraser, so we hung out with them for the rest of the day and visited the Cedars park and shopped for souvenirs, and found a bar to drink beer and smoke nargileh (hubbly-bubbly, hookah, whatever).

Friends in front of cedar tree in Lebanon — Cedars

We should have just stayed in Bcharre another day, it was so beautiful, but Diana and I wanted to have lunch at Pepe’s fishing club in Byblos and go see the Jeita grotto, an amazing cavern. Lunch was awesome and the cavern- wow. The upper cavern is explored on foot while the lower cavern is explored by boat. Seriously, this place was great. There’s a contest to name it one of the 7 wonders of the natural world and they have my vote!

inside Jeitta grotto Lebanon — Jeitta Grotto

Another day trip the next day to the south, visiting Tyre and stopping briefly in Sidon again. Tyre is very close to the Israel border so lots of armed checkpoints, tanks, guns. But everyone very friendly (well, as long as you’re not Israeli). In Tyre is the largest remaining Roman hippodrome in the world. And of course that’s where my camera battery ran out! But luckily Diane’s was still going strong so she was able to capture the moment.

roman ruins at tyre lebanon — Roman Ruins Tyre

We ran into Joe and Fraser again and decided to go to Zahle the next day and spend the night and track down this Lebanese winery we had heard about. Zahle is a cute little town up in the mountains, halfway to Baalbeck, on the west side of the Bekaa valley. We found the winery, which includes caves going back to Roman times, which were expanded to tunnels during Muslim/Crusader times- altogether 2 km of tunnels, where they now keep the wine as it ages. We toured, we sampled, and then we walked through the town and collected a dinner of roast chicken, cheeses, and breads, and ate in the upstairs reception room of our 18th century mansion-turned-hotel. Along with our wine we had bought at the winery, our after-dinner conversation went on until midnight, complete with a spirited discussion of Israel, Palestine, and the Bible.

friends at bar at ksara winery zahle lebanon — Ksara Winery, Zahle

The next day Diane and I went to Aanjar, a Muslim Ummayyad capital city from the 700’s. The ruins were practically deserted, perfect for wandering around and taking pictures. That evening we returned to Beirut and went to Gemmayze Street, the area of the bars and nightclubs, for a final visit out on the town with our new friends. The next day, we finally visited the Beirut museum– one of the best in the world, not too overwhelming, and with a fabulous documentary about the ways the museum protected the artifacts during the Lebanese civil war- and then we all went to the mall to see one last movie, eat one last sushi dinner, and do any last minute shopping. And then suddenly it was time to return to Sudan.

Pigeon Rocks lebanon beirut — Pigeon Rocks, Beirut

From Madrid to Casablanca: I visit Spain and Morocco on my way back to Sudan

August 8, 2010March 20, 2022Posted in Europe, Solo TravelTagged best things to do in, Casablanca, Cordova, Madrid, morocco, Rabat, Spain, tangiers, travel, travel blog

Trying to get a vacation as well as a free trip back to work this year, I worked out a dope deal where I pieced together a flight to Spain, and then a flight from Morocco to Sudan, paid for by work, while I would travel in between on my own for a few weeks. Unfortunately I had to also work on a summer school graduate class, which resulted in me having to work on assignments each day and having to constantly look for wifi and electrical outlets, but I was able to have a fabulous vacation, finish my class, and get back to work in time for the school year to begin. Success!

I started my trip in Cordoba, because I only had ten days and I wanted to see Andalucia more than I wanted to see the big cities like Madrid or Barcelona. After living in Sudan for a year, Continue reading “From Madrid to Casablanca: I visit Spain and Morocco on my way back to Sudan” →

The Wonders of Egypt

July 6, 2010March 20, 2022Posted in Africa, Solo TravelTagged Aswan, best things to do in, Cairo, Dahab, desert camping, diving Alexandria, Egypt, Luxor, Petra, travel, travel blogLeave a comment

girl sitting in front of queen hetshepsut's temple in luxor egypt

I fulfilled a life-long dream this summer by going to Egypt and really taking some time to enjoy its wonders. As soon as school ended for summer break, I hopped onto a flight from Khartoum to Cairo, then on to Luxor. I spent a week in Luxor and Aswan, staying with my friend Joy at her house in Luxor..the blue ribbon of the Nile, the green palm trees, and the golden desert beyond was just like every description I’ve ever read in books. I visited tombs, temples, and funerary complexes such as Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, the Ramesseum, and of course the architectural marvel of Abu Simbel, down on Lake Nasser. They were all amazing and I could hardly keep myself from snapping a picture every two feet.

Abu Simbel statues egypt lake nasser aswan dam — Upper Egypt: Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel

After a week of visiting southern Egypt, I flew up to Cairo and arrived at the same time as Ken, a friend of mine who was just as excited about coming to Egypt as I was. We walked around the city for two days, visiting perfume shops and of course the Egyptian Museum. I wanted to see and touch every one of their 200,000 artifacts but in reality we only made it through a half day visit. We boated around the Nile and got crazy lost in the city, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We hired a car and visited the pyramids- Saqqara, Dzoser, the Bent, the Red, and of course Giza and the Sphinx. It was a magical day and I couldn’t believe I was really there.

couple on horses pyramids giza cairo egypt — The Py

Ready to leave the city, Ken and I headed to the Western Desert for a night of camping, bedouin style. We met up with a group of other travelers, loaded up a jeep, and spun around the desert for a while. We slept under the stars with rugs and carpets beneath us and rugs as walls to block out the wind, gazing at a fire and feeding scraps from our dinner to the desert foxes who came over to check us out.

Ken and Deah desert camping (48) — Camping in the White Desert

The day Ken left, Chris arrived from Sudan, and the three of us went to Alexandria. We walked around the western harbor and imagined the city in the days of the Ptolemies. Ken left that evening and Chris and I went scuba diving the next morning. We stood on top of the tumbled granite blocks from the famed Lighthouse at Alexandria and swam among the amphorae spilled overboard from Roman and Greek ships. We saw the ruins of what they believe was Cleopatra’s palace and looked at the Pharoanic, Greek, and Roman columns left in the sea.

couple in front of water at library of alexandria egypt — Alexandria, Egypt

overview of Alexandria Egypt — Alexandria, Egypt

After Chris left, I flew to Sharm El Sheikh and grabbed a ride up to Dahab, scuba capital and basic beach bum hang around of the Sinai. Two days of soaking up the sun and the relaxed atmosphere of Dahab by day, sitting in hookah lounges at the edge of the water by night, had me in a great state of mind. I took an overnight trip to St. Katherine’s monastery, built around the famous burning bush, and hiked up Mt. Sinai in the middle of the night to be there at dawn. It was quite a trip and it took two more days of laying around Dahab to sufficiently recover.

No Camels and Horses sign at Dahab Egypt — Dahab and the Sinai

toes and pool of water in Dahab Egypt — Dahab and the Sinai

My vacation time almost over, I had just enough time to fit in a two day trip to Petra to see the awesome carved rock canyon. I felt just like Indiana Jones as I walked down the narrow path, watching it slowly open up to the chiseled features of The Treasury, an amazing facade carved by the Nabateans around the time of Christ. The natural colors of pigmentation running through the rock combined with the detailed carvings make for a sight not to be forgotten.

exterior of main temple in petra nabateans indiana jones temple — Petra, Jordan

By the time I returned to Cairo and prepared for my flights back to Sudan, Dubai, and finally Texas, I was ready to go home and spend some time with my family. However, I loved every minute I was in Egypt and it was a trip I will never forget.

Chaperone a school trip to Turkey? Count me in!

March 26, 2010March 20, 2022Posted in EuropeTagged best things to do in, cappadocia, hammam, Istanbul, travel, travel blog, turkeyLeave a comment

I finally got the chance to go to Turkey, a country I have always wanted to visit. My school needed an extra chaperone for a student trip, so I agreed to go. But then, they needed one less chaperone, so they paid for my flight (because I had already committed the week to the school) but I didn’t have to chaperone any kids. Bonus!!

Istanbul is certainly a fascinating city. I have never been to a place that has more hotels- but they are for the most part small boutique hotels rather than huge nondescript ones. A bit like all the small ones dotted throughout the French Quarter, but even better.

The other great thing about Istanbul is the food. A wonderful blend of Eastern and Western, traditional and fast food. A great delight for someone coming from Sudan and suddenly craving a Big Mac. Yes, I admit it.

Turkey 2010 079 — A delightful juice bar at the market

Istanbul has so many great sites to see that it is impossible to write about them all. Of course the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque were first on my list. The sheer age of those buildings is just staggering. A couple of walks through the Grand Bazaar, although I didn’t get to go to the Spice Bazaar as I had wanted. Not one but two trips to the Hammam, the old Turkish bath. A new experience for me and completely enjoyable. I could have stayed all day, it was just a desire for more food and more sightseeing that finally pulled me out of the steamy marble baths and back into the cold day. Because yes, it was quite cold in Istanbul, particularly as here in Khartoum we had already been getting up into the 90’s.

Inside Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey — The Blue Mosque

There are many palaces of the Turkish and Ottomon empire dotted around the city of Istanbul- great places to view the architecture as well as amazing collections of jewels and chandeliers, rugs and furniture that great rulers habitually give each other as gifts. Wish I had friends like that!

A cruise along the Bosphorus, with a view of Europe to one side and Asia on the other- Istanbul is truly a city that spans two continents as well as two cultures. Outside of the city, a quick bus trip to Bursa, the silk capital, and a visit to the Silk Market to pick up ties and pashminas made of pure silk.

One area of Turkey that is rated as a “must-see” is Cappadoccia, home of the underground cave cities and the fairy tale chimneys, a geological formation. A great two days in the area seeing some amazing sights.

I didn’t get a chance to go to Ephesus or Troy- hopefully one day I’ll take a cruise of the Greece and Turkey coastline that will make a stop at those places. I would love to see the ruins of Troy. For the time being, I’m just pleased that my week of “chaperoning” a school trip to Turkey turned out so delightful.