Day 60-62: Singapore

Well I had less than 3 days to discover Singapore. Even though I had gone to Chinatown on my very first day,  I had to throw on my roller skates and see as much of this city as I could. But I was starting to feel very tired for the whole time so I just took it easy.

Flight to Singapore:
This flight I made the last minute as I needed to confirm details with my guide. And the good thing was that the price was the same a few months back as to when I booked!

Anyhow, I had quite a boozy and emotional night with Patrick and Michele that ended at approximately 1.00am. I had to be up at 4.30am for a 9.30am flight. I was so tired and probably still intoxicated during the whole process. And to make matters worse,  I had to catch a train from the airport to my hotel. But when I got to my accommodation,  I was blissfully happy that it was so beautiful and a fitting ending to my journey.

What I liked:

Amoy Hotel:
OMG! Stunning Boutique hotel!  It actually backs onto Singapore ‘s oldest Temple.  And I made sure that I got the room with my surname!

My hair cut@ Hounds of Baskerville :
Since I have been on this journey,  my hair had grown,  and I needed a new do. I went to a cool barbershop: the Hounds of Barker vile along Bali Street. This barbershop is way cool,  with Singaporean guys with tatts and that hipster retro vibe doing the do’s.

Anyhow, I got a cool guy to do it and am so pleased!

Local Living:
Stephen and Rickie,  my cousin DJ’s cousin met me and we went to non touristy spot such as a local outdoor food Cafe that served delicious noodles and satays ,  a look at the red light districts including a drive through the brothel area… very interesting take on Singapore.

What I didn’t like:

Every thing was closed!
Well not really.  Since I was staying in the business district,  all shops were closed the day I arrived. The next  day,  Monday, I went to Haji Lane to find that all stores were closed.  On the same day, I went to Gardens by the Bay to find their Cloud Forest closed for maintenance! Man,  I can’t take a break Finally,  on my last day I wanted an Espresso Martin for lunch to celebrate my achievement.  I was advised that No. 5 Emerald Hill along Orchard Road was a cool place to go. So I made it there as planned to find it was closed for the day. What is it with me and Singapore????

Gardens by the Bay skywalk/  light show:
I brought a ticket at approximately 630pm to do the sky walk when the sun was setting.  After finding out that it was a 30 minutes delay, I queued up like every one else.  While waiting,  the staff put up a 50 people restriction on the skywalke with a 15 minute viewing. Well,  it was my luck that I made it on the sky walk but with no sun set…. the sun was setting during the next group!!!
The light show was rather lame.
Would I come back?
I would only come back in transit.

Day 59: Bangkok

I have only one night in Bangkok

Travel to Bangkok
We drove overland to reach Bangkok from Cambodia leaving at 7.30am. The process was similar to when I crossed into Cambodia from Vietnam.  The. Time allocated was 10.5 hours but we were lucky enough to do it 8 hours!, arriving into our hotel at 3.30pm.

We had spare time before we met up for our final dinner so we hit the streets of Bangkok. With a ‘not so perfect’  hotel map, we found the streets confusing and found ourselves unintentionally in Chinatown market.  This was cool to walk through. Once we figured where we were we made our way to the Grand Palace,  which was closed as we arrived after hours. We then caught a tuk Tue back to our hotel 30 minutes before our final dinner which was enough time for me to shower and change.

The final group dinner was ok. The food wasn’t exceptional but my cocktail was!!

After dinner we tried getting into a cocktail lounge but couldn’t get in as we were inappropriately dressed.  As this stage we went our separate ways except Patrick- so him and I went for drinks at this corner restaurant, later to be joined by Michelle.  This was fantastic as they are the two that I bonded most with during this tour.

Our last good bye was quite emotional. Michelle started to cry when we hugged each other good bye. I started to get teary as well. Thank God the elevator door was closing on Patrick and myself!  This was a very touching moment for me for numerous reasons.  Not only had I said good bye to two exceptional people that are part of my global family,  but also knowing that my journey is coming to an end.

But I’ve got one stop to go before I head home- Singapore.

Day 51- 58: Cambodia

I’m not sure what to make of Cambodia.  Since I wanted to see Angkor Wat,  I had no choice but to come here.  Admittedly I did very little research and arrived into Cambodia with little knowledge of its history.  Now that I’m here,  I am still unsure in what is the heart of Cambodia as it’s influences are from the multiple countries that have invaded from its past. As an example, all their temples and palaces are Thai influenced,  their writing is Sanskrit and their food is a mix of Indian,  Thai and Vietnamese.

Getting to Cambodia:

As it was part of a tour,  we crossed the border overland. The journey was a long 9 hours via public bis. The process to cross the border was straight forward-get off the bus at the Z Vietnam border,  walk through Immigration,  get on the bus drive through an area in which no one governs,  get off the bus again,  go through Immigration  and customs in Cambodia. board the bus and then off to our hotel. The only real delays were at the Vietnam border,  where there was queues of people waiting as well.

What I liked:

Angkor Wat
OMG! This place is truly magnificent!  The ruins,  and especially the Buddha faced structures etched within the rocks are simply awe inspiring.  With its sheer size and space between each Temple,  it was impossible to see it all within my restricted time frame. But what I saw I was blown away,  and now I can see why this site is constantly in the top 10 wonders of the world.

The Killing Fields:
Similar to the War Remnant Museum in Vietnam,  this place was a sad and upsetting to visit. I cried when I saw the biggest mass grave of 6000 people. It was so hut wrench. And even when we walked throughout. the site we were still standing on bone fragments.

I left my friendship band on one of the bamboo poles that surrounded the grave as a mark of respect.

Food:
Now the food. There were only a handful of traditional Cambodian dishes on offer such as Amok and Loki Luk.which were OK to eat,  but what I did get to taste where…. um…. protein that I wouldn’t normally eat in a western society.  OK- I got to eat and sample tarantula, rat,  snake,  red ants,,  frog.,  silk worms. I actually didn’t mind the tarantula as. It was quite crunchy or frog legs  but I would give the others a miss.

I had the opportunity to eat in Romdeng,  which is a training restaurant for homeless youths. Not only was the food (and cocktails!)  sensational, but my money was going to a good cause….. and they also had a gift shop…

Phare Circus
This circus was great! It wasn’t a circus per se,  instead it was an acrobat performance.  There was a storyline spoken in Cambodian with English subtitles on the screen. Originally I wasn’t planning on going but I read the reviews from Trip Advisor (5 stars)  and decided on go… and I’m pleased I did! I even got a selfie with one of the performers!

Quad biking
Now this was fun!  We spent 1.5hrs driving off road around the Cambodian countryside that climaxed at a sunset view. Even though the sunset really didn’t happen because of clouds,  I didn’t care as it was pure adrenalin as we rode on uneven dirt roads,  through puddles of mud that eventually covered us.. In fact I nearly toppled up quad in a puddle! Ace fun!

What a didn’t like:

Humidity:
Like in Vietnam,  it was humid! I was sweating buckets!

Would I go back?
Now that I have seen Angkor Waters,  I doubt it very much

Day 41- 50: Vietnam

Ummm…. I think I’ve put on weight! The food is amazing here!  So I’m here in Vietnam now enjoying the food and culture of this somewhat humid country. There is so much to enjoy here.

Trip to Vietnam:
I left my villa in Santorini mid morning to the airport. And what I encountered at Santorini Airport was a complete mess! There was absolutely no organisation at all. The lines for check in were long and in no particular order and   the security scan of check in luggage crossed the check in counters.

I flew Aegean Airlines from Santorini to Athens. This flight was delayed an hour. I was particularly worried as I left ample time for my next flight- Athens to Dubai via Singapore Airlines. While this flight departed ans arrived on time, it was the transfer from the airport to my hotel that was problematic.  There was no sign age in where I was meant to meet my pick up,  but thankfully a taxi driver pointed me in the right direction. Since the free transfers go every 45 minutes,  I had to wait for that same time. Obviously I was nervous as I waited as I still wasn’t sure whether I was waiting in the right area. But in the long run, I was picked up for my overnight stay in Dubai.

I left Dubai the next day at 6pm via Vietnam Airlines and arrived into Vietnam approximately 3pm. My transfer to my hotel was waiting for me and I was whisked away to Hanoi to embark on my culinary adventure.

What I liked:

The food:
The food in Vietnam has been absolutely amazing  Everything and I mean everything was exceptional! Right from local Street food to upmarket restaurants. I will go as far as to say that this has been the best culinary experience I have ever had. I started my culinary experience in Hanoi with a street food tour that took me to various local cafes/ restaurants where each one specialises in only one dish to end it in Saigon with Binh Mi.  Throughout out this,  I have tried many dishes and there was not one dish that I did not enjoy! And what is good now is that I can go home and go to a Vietnamese restaurant and confidently order off the menu.

But the one thing I wanted to try was an authentic Binh Mi. After a few false starts due to rain,  I finally got to try one of the best in Saigon…. and I was not disappointed. The French baguette was soft yet perfectly crunchy with the right amount of pate, pork and said salad type vegetables… I’m salivating as I type!

Ha long Bay Cruise
My tour with Intrepid started with a bang- an overnight cruise on Halong Bay. This was a meet and greet exercise as I got to know my fellow crew quite well as we shared drinks on the roof top of the boat to midnight.  The bay was amazing… and reminded me of Youngshou in China

Overnight Train to Hue
This was the most fun I have had while taking an overnight train while travelling!  I was placed in a four bed first class berth with fellow crew members. At first we played cards ‘Cheat’ ‘ while drinking local beer. But through out the night we had everyone in our room getting severely drink…. to the point where we drank all the cold beers that the train sold. -we finished up at 3 am.

Hoi Ann
This province was a welcome relief. Admittedly it was aimed towards tourists,  I found Hoi Ann to be quite relaxing and chilled. The latern lined streets and old buildings gave it an old world oriental feel.

This is when we first encountered Happy Hour in Vietnam- buy one get one free promotion. OMG!  As drinks were already cheap,  they were even cheaper with this promotion. I even drank a bucket of body soda here!  We were out every nite, drinking cocktails and having a fantastic time. This continued through out my whole trip in SE Asia.

Scooter transfer/ day tour
This was a fun day out! For our mode of transport, we rode on the back of a scooter for the whole day and saw various sites around Hue.

The War Remnant Museum
Now,  this museum was not an enjoyable experience. I put this museum as a highlight because I have never experienced a museum that touched me like this one did. With its focus on the Vietnam /American war,  it displayed photos of the effect of that war it had on the Vietnamese people.

As I walked around looking at these pictures I was in tears, especially when I reached the Agent Orange exhibition. Just seeing generations of families who  been affected was gut wrenching and further confirmed to me that all war is stupid and not necessary.

What I didn’t like:

The humidity.
Man it was hot! There was not a moment in the day that I wasn’t sweating perfusely!

The traffic
The traffic and the sound of car/:scooter horns did let up. As I came chilled out Santorini, I received a rude awakening to city life when I first rocked up to Hanoi. The sound of the traffic was nothing I had ever experienced!  It was loud and chaotic…. sheer madness! And trying to cross the road was initially a scary experience until you know how.

Swimming in Halong Bay
When swimming we encountered a syringe and small floating fish.

Would I go back?
Yes…. just for the food!!

Day 35- 39: Santorini

Santorini, my favourite island in the world! Ever since I visited Santorini in 2013, I knew that this was the place to spend my 50th birthday – therefore my whole trip centred around hitting Santorini on and around my birthday. And achieved this I did!

Flight from Tel Aviv to Santorini :
The flight from Tel Aviv to Santorini was an interesting one as I read  of how hard it was to enter via border crossing. and exit Israel via Ben Gurion Airport.

I had organised a sherut from my hotel to the airport for 4.45am, which did not arrive until 5.10am. Even though my flight was at 11.00am, I started to panick a bit as the ride to Ben Gurion Airport from Jerusalem was approximately 1.30hrs and knowing how tight security was at the airport, it was suggested to allow 4 hours.  Anyhow,  I made it to the airport in time. And then I faced my first security check entering the airport. This was ok as it was quick and they just asked me standard questions.  Phew.  Then I encountered my next lot of security questions at check  in. This lot of questioning was a bit more intense,  but when the gay security guard found out I was heading to Santorini to celebrate my birthday,  he wished me a happy birthday and allowed me to check in.

The next lot of security was at Baggage check. This was standard. And then it was to immigration, where they had a machine,  in which I had to stand on the yellow foot prints,  look into the camera which produced a departure ticket,  which was used to allow entry through the turnstile. All up,  the process was quick and I probably didn’t need to allow the 4 hours.
My connecting flights from Athens to Santorini was delayed by an hour,  but fortunately my transfer was waiting,  patiently for me at the airport.

So I had finally made it to Santorini!

Things I liked:

My birthday/ sunset cruise.
The whole day felt surreal! From the time I woke up, I felt I was in a dream. Never did I imagine that I was going to celebrate my birthday in Santorini!  The day was perfect. In fact the night beforehand,  there was a blue moon!  The stars were definitely in my favour! On the actual day,  the weather was warm and the sun was shining with cloudless blue skies. Santorini definitely showcased it’s best attributes for me!

The Sunset cruise I had arranged was nothing short of spectacular.  There was nothing  I could fault. Right from the on time transfer to the drive to Ammoudi Port to the service provided by the crew (Dimitri is and a girl who’s name I’ve forgotten now!)  to viewing of the magnificent sunset, (twice from two different locations)  it truly was perfect.

I truly cannot express the joy I felt on this day. I still can’t believe that I pulled it off. I wanted to do something magical and memorable for not only my friends,  but more importantly for me.  The day was not only to celebrate turning 50, but to honour the last 50 years of my being. There was one e special moment that I needed to do,  and that was to pay homage to my mum while the sun was setting.  I think I’ll leave this private moment to myself.

After the cruise half of us headed down to V Cocktail Bar for more drinks.

This day will always be etched in my mind forever.

V Cocktail Bar:
We spent a few nights here either before or after dinner or both. The view from this rooftop bar was amazing! There was one main waiter from Bulgaria who served us probably everytime we went,  but more importantly, the cocktails were delicious! I had on numerous occasions the Volcano special and discovered my new favourite cocktail : an espresso Martini. Simply delicious!

Lilium Villas, Fira
Now this villas is a place that I wouldn’t normally stay at but it was my birthday and decided to lash out… in a big way! I rented a private villas with my own hot tub overlooking the caldera! When. I first saw it,  I swear I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!

Cappuccino Freddo:
The first thing I did when I landed into Athens Airport was to go into a coffee shop and ordered one.  I had a few from my previous trip,  loved it so much I couldn’t wait to have another one!

Things I didn’t like:
Nothing. Everything was perfect!

What I go back?
In an absolute heartbeat!

Day 30-34:Israel

Well I truly never thought I would go to Israel… but I did! Visiting the Holy land was an amazing experience. I was full of trepidation before entering as there are a lot of things to consider,  yet I found myself warming to this country.

Trip to Israel
When I was in Egypt, I received an important email from Expedia.com who had some information to discuss with me regarding my flight into Israel. Since I don’t use my mobile or have a roaming account I could not contact them- instead I emailed them for which. I did not receive a response. Instead I emailed the airline directly who advised me on the change.  Phew!
So I left Anman1 at 730pm and arrives into Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 11.30pm. Going through Passport Control and customs wasn’t too much of an issue-although I was questioned by security as soon as I got off the plane.

I caught a sherut to Jerusalem. The cab driver was driving excessively fast- like 140kph! Anyhow and after 1.30hrs, he dropped me off to find that it wasn’t the stret. Two kind Israeli men kindly helped me out by walking me to the correct Street.

This part of my journey was meant to have been solo. However,  Dave also came to Israel so we hung out, went on tours and drank beer on the rooftop of my accommodation.  It was great to have a familiar face in this hotly contested country.

I spent most of my time in the Old City but after 3 solid days of touring,  I found myself getting all religioned out!  So on the final day,  Dave and I went to Masada and then went floating on the Dead Sea (again).

What I like:

Temple Mount:
Wow! This iconic view was totally inspiring when I first saw it. With its amazing gold domed roof top glistening from the landscape,  I knew I had made it into Jerusalem.

Banksy:
I finally got to see some true Banksy artwork in various locations around Palestine! YAY!

Green Olive Tours:
I did a one day tour to Bethlehem with this tour company and found it was the perfect antidote when referring to the political debate.  This tour provided me a view from a Palestinian and what they are currently going through.

Jerusalem Underground Tour:
This was a fascinating and insightful view of old Jerusalem as it was possibly in biblical times. Equally as impressive was seeing the western wall. From surface level,  we only see a small part of the wall.

City of David Underground Tour:
This tour had both good and bad points.  On the positive,  the water underground system was amazing to walk through.  With my mobile flashlight and waterproof shoes,  we went from one end to the other and walked for some hundred of metres. The deepest it went was just below my knees. This was great fun and a refreshing change to the heat. Now, the not so good.  There were a lot of people on my tour with screaming kids!!  Arrgghhh!

What I didn’t like:
Prices:
Everything was expensive!  The prices seemed comparable to those back home.

Would I go back?
Yes and I only scratched the surface!

Day 28- 29: Jordan

And then there were two. From the Travel Talk group, there were only Dave and myself left. When we we’re in Dehab,  we were given the option to catch a ferry (original plan)  or travel by overland.  The issue raised was that the ferry could take up to 6 hours. Dave and I decided to go overland instead. This required that we cross the Israeli border and then onto Jordan. We were advised that this process would be a shorter time span. Crossing each border required time and in total it took us just short of 6 hours.

Jordan was a country that I didn’t have any expectations. All I know was that I wanted to go to and see Peter. However,  throughout my time there I was pleasantly surprised. After coming from frantic and loud Egypt (well most of it!) I found Jordan to be relatively chilled and relaxed. Since it was part of a Travel Talk tour,  we joined up with four girls,  all mainly from New Zealand and Australia. These girls were great!

What I liked:

Petra:
OMG! This place was awesome!  From the first surprise siting of the Treasury to the hike to the Monastery and other tombs the place was huge and big in grandeur. We walked for an estimated 20kgs in hot conditions but I truly didn’t mind as a I’ve been doing a lot of walking in 35+ degrees.

Shooting Stars:
At Wadi Rum,  Dave and I stayed up till 12.45am (when everyone had gone to bed) smoking sisha and chatting in the open dessert night. The night was clear and full of stars. It was said that we could see shooting stars and that I did.  After moving spots with Dave,  I saw 3 shooting stars! 

Lemon and mint drink
I first discovered this drink from either Rachel or Courtney. It’s simply refreshing and more importantly delicious! 

What I didn’t like:

Room at the bedlam camp at Wadi Rum:
I shared a ‘tent’  with Dave and boy was it hot! This was part of the reason of why we stayed up. We ended up leaving our door partially open to let the cool breeze in.

Floating in the Dead Sea:
Whilst I enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness as I floated, the salt water in your eyes burns to the point where your blinded as you just cannot open your eyes…. but apart from. That,  it’s ace fun!

Would I go back?
Probably not as I have seen all that I want to see

Day 11- 27: Egypt

My flight from Zanzibar to Cairo was a long 10 hours. Who would have thought that two countries within the same continent could take so long to travel? I flew Ethiopian Airlines and we’re a lot better than Kenya Airlines! I had no major hassles except for the duration of travel. Admittedly I had a 50minute stop over at Mt Kilimanjaro and a 2.40 HR at Addis Abba’s but I eventually made it on time 1.15am Cairo time to have my pick up waiting for me.
From a safety perspective, I’m doing a group tour with Travel Talk. The group of people that I am travelling with consists of all Australians plus one Kiwi-total 8 people. It’s a fantastic group and we are all getting along with each other. Most had the same idea as me… in that Egypt is not really a country to explore on your own…. so we are travelling and staying Together (safety in numbers) – especially when it’s free time to explore a temple or monument after our briefing with our tour guide. Even though Egypt was formerly a tourist destination, a lot of local Egyptian kids had not seen tourists or Westerners before so they are eager to hassle us.
I’ve had no input in what type of accommodation was booked, so when I rocked up to Pyramids Cataract, I have to admit it was a reality check – like I was coming from my 4.5 star hotel in Zanzibar to a former glory hotel who unfortunately has seen better days. Regardless it is what it is and I just have to put up with it!
What I liked?
Abu Simbel
Wow! This was totally amazing! And how they moved it from one location to it’s current one is beyond me!
The Pyramids:
Well after years and years of wanting to visit I finally made it and it was a very big wow moment. The pyramids felt bigger than expected and the other good thing was that there were few tourists.
Dahab:
Well what a surprise this was! In the heart of the Sinai region was this oasis of ocean views surrounded by a desert background . By this stage,  the group was reduced to five of us. It took 9 hours by minibus from Cairo to reach this place. The setting was amazing, the vibe was very chilled, where all I really did was relax by the pool. And oh…. my epic Mt Sinai trek.
Mount Sinai trek:
Now this was more of a sense of achievement, yet sheer agony at the time! We started to trek from 1am for just over 2 hours. We walked mainly uphill for 7 kms with the last part,  a gruelling 800 steps.  I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it! Thankfully I did.  We camped on a concrete roof of an old shack and waited for the beautiful sunrise. While the sunrise was amazing,  it was the achievement that I actually completed the trek is something that I will always remember.
Felucca sailing in the Nile:
Well this one caught me by surprise as well!  Originally I had planned to do the overland tour (two nights at a resort in Luxor)  with Travel Talk but when I found out what it would involve, the group members going… I decided to change it for a two night cruise on a Felucca on the Nile and I am so pleased that I did! . And boy was it fun getting back to basics!  There were so many memorable things that happened in those two nights and let me say that we all got to know each other very well after the two nights….. Note: What I’m writing here is not meant to offend!! Ok…. Not only did I swim in the Nile, I also had to bathe and  pee in it as we didn’t have any bathroom facilities on the Felucca. I addition we had to do number 2…. .somewhere on the bank… in a bush….
We also scored the night before hand from a visit to a Nubian family so for two nights we were getting stoned on the Nile! Also smoked sisha which is always very cool when travelling!….. and especially on the Nile! 
But the coolest thing was sleeping on a huge mattress with the group in the open air… along the river Nile!  It truly was a memorable time
You are welcome!
Most Egyptians that I had the pleasure to meet all offered a ‘You are Welcome’ greeting into their beloved country.
Ramadan:
Being in a heavy Muslim country during Ramadan is both a blessing and a curse.  Obviously from a tourist’s perspective (from a western culture) it’s interesting to see what happens and how it impacts on you. The obvious difference is the lack of restaurants opened an D those that are would have a limited menu on offer. In addition I ensured that I did not eat,  drink or smoke out in public….although most locals took a blind eye with us tourists anyhow! After Ramadan the streets become alive again with people back in the streets again resuming life. On the final day,  everybody gets dressed up- little girls in their sparkling dress,  little boys playing with their new toy gun,  teenage girls looking chic and sophisticated with their headgear and big sunnies on… it was definitely a fantastic time to be in Egypt!
In addition and on the last day of Ramadan,  our driver stopped by his place and came out with the biscuits that were traditional on that day…. and they were delicious!

Security: James Bond:
The security for us travellers/tourists while in Egypt has been fantastic. We have had security guards joining us on some parts of the tour, joined armed conveys and even had security follow us around when we visited certain sites. With this in mind,  I have felt very safe during my travels in Egypt and at no point have I felt my life was in danger…. so cudos to Egypt!
We nicknamed our security guard that protected us while we were in Cairo.  I felt comfort that a he was out there in his dark suit protecting us. BUT….. a funny thing occurred. James Bond left us at a border(without any reason). But the funny thing was that in the car window pocket next to his seat was a girly pink wallet with a message ‘Keep on -Raving!).  We (including driver and guide) are not sure whether it belongs to him..
We also had another guard when we did the Egyptian market of all places! He was great! When we were at lunch he was smoking sisha while waiting for us to finish! A very amusing character
Arabic music:
The music in Egypt is sensational! Every day (and especially chilling out on the felluca) I have been listening to Arabic artists doing middle eastern. Love it! 

Falafel sandwiches:
How can ai forget? From Day 1 with Travel Talk I was craving for a Falafel sandwich and finally got it on the last day!  Even though there is no nutritional value what so ever they were scrummy and relatively cheap to buy!

What I didn’t like

Abu Simbel:
Well I actually got kicked out out of the main temple as I was taking photos!  They asked me to delete my photo that I got caught (which by the way was a crappy photo anyhow)! But I kept the rest! It didn’t really bother me getting kicked out as I had finished looking get the temple anyhow!  Furthermore,  the security guard that busted said to me that I can take a good photo from the entrance,  but wanted money!! Ha! So I just walked away…. happy with my photos still on my memory card!
Ramadan:
On the final night of Ramadan,  the call of prayer played continuously from 3am. I was on the Felucca at the time and heard every call for four hours until we left yo go back to Luzon.
Since it was also a public holiday on the Friday every Temple we visited we were harassed by kids wanting photos taken. For the two that we visited,  we had security around us an d were protecting us.
Pet crocodiles.
One thing that I couldn’t handle was seeing a small pet crocodile in a tiny cage at a Nubian dinner night.

Russians at resort
My God! This resort was fill of Russians who believe in getting value for their dollar! As this was an all-inclusive resort,  they just made an absolute pig of the slides. For example:at the breakfast buffet lunch.. Now this was a case of divide and conquer. Each table member would fill their plate with one thing only. Therefore when you see their table,  they would have a mountain of food on it. I swear I have never seen anything like it believe. At lunchtime,  they would queue and wait for the doors to open.

Being mobbed by Egyptian kids!
This was both a blessing and a curse. This really started when Ramadan finished, which coincided with a long public holiday. On the Thursday afternoon straight after the end of Ramadan,  we were mobbed by Egyptian school kids from toddlers all the way through to teenagers who wanted a  whenever we visited a famous spot. And since it was a public holiday these sites were crowded. We felt like famous stars that were hounded by the paparazzi. It got so bad that not only the security guards from each place had to shoooeing away these kids for us bu
No internet:
For virtually the first 7 days,  I have virtually had no internet as the wifi in most hotels that I stayed in is crap.  This seems to be quite common.
The weather:
Well we were walking around in 40+ weather… I like the heat but that’s really pushing it!

Would I come back
Probably not as I’ve seen everything that I wanted to see now.

Day 10- 15: Zanzibar

I flew from Arusha airport into Zanzibar via Precision Air. This flight was only 45 minutes and pretty much  stress free. As this is a small internal company in Tanzania,  I had weight restrictions but thankfully passed that.

Waiting for me at the airport was my Driver. I had arranged all my transport and most of my day tours through Amo Zanzibar Tours. I can not fault them. Both my Driver and my guide were the same people and both were equally amusing and friendly. All my pick ups were on time and tours (Stone Town and Spice tour) were equally as impressive.

I spent the first two days in Stone town before heading up to the Northern beach of Nungwi. Stonetown was a Muslim driven, eclectic melting pot of Arabs, Africans, Portuguese, English and Europeans all residing in this small yet confusing streets…who may I add love Bob Marley! Stonetown has a history of slave trade as well as the birthplace of Freddie Mercury! That is why I booked a room  at Jafferji House and spa named after him. This hotel was in the heart of Stonetown where the streets were confusing and really had to navigate yourself around.
Stonetown is  very tourist driven with abundant stalls selling your typical tourists stuff. Of course all vendors are haggling you, which is why I couldn’t wait to escape to the northern beaches for a bit of me time.

Zanzibar was a place for me to relax and unwind.  As a lead up to my trip I was extremely busy with work and doing last minute stuff for this trip so it was full on. This strategic part of my trip was well earned and well needed.
At Nungwi beach,  I stayed at the Z Hotel and was a beautiful oasis on the beach with its crystal blue waters and white sand and beautiful blue sky…. What else could you ask for a bit of rest and relaxation! So it was off with my travellers gear and on with my shorts and flip flops!

What I liked:

Nungwi beach:
It’s so beautiful…..

Cheetah’s Rock:
Wow! What a unique day tour! Jenny the trainer looks after orphaned animals and you have  a chance to pat and told her animals including a cheetah,  a zebra as well as lemurs!  Unfortunately the white lion was sick and we didn’t see him train but saw him. Such a beautiful animal!

Zanzibar people:
What an absolutely friendly bunch. And did I mention of good looking they are? Man they are stunning!

Tropical Fruits of Zanzibar
OMG! The tropical fruits is out of this world! In addition to my new addiction for fruits from Africa (pineapples,  mangoes, paw paws,  Jack fruit ) I also had the opportunity to try durian for the first time. Admittedly, I neither here or there with this one!

Spices:
My spice tour was fascinating as I got to see the actual plants that the spices I use at home grow on! It was interesting as I rubbed my fingers between the leaf or smelt the seed and smelt a familiar spice… problem was that my guide asked me to name the spice!

Food:
Like in all countries that I visit I like to immerse myself into the food culture and Zanzibar was no different. Zanzibar is known for its seafood as well as their pizzas.  I ate seafood every night from a pub style restaurant right next door to my hotel and it was delicious and inexpensive.  On top of that and only in Fordini Gardens are the famous pizzas. I had a chicken pizzas as well as a banana and chocolate pizza and both were equally scummy! The stall I purchased it from was Mr Big Banana- set price and seems to get all the tourists!

What I didn’t like:

Beach Boys:
You cannot walk along the beach without being hassled for a tour or souvenir

Would I go back?
Yes,  maybe after another safari!

Day 2- 3: Rwanda and the Mountain Gorillas

Well can my journey start with more of a bang? Trekking through the Volcano Mountain National Park in Rwanda to see the mountain Gorillas was truly a highpoint and it occurred on the second day of my trip! Wow oh wow! I just cannot express the immense joy that I felt meeting these gentle creatures. But I’ll get to that later.

I arrived into Rwanda approximately 3 hours late because of the delay with Kenya Airlines. What I was most concerned with was whether my guide was still waiting for me at the airport! During the time of delay, I could not contact him as I didn’t carry my Australian Sim card with me. Thankfully he there waiting for me. His name was Innocent, which I later found out was a common Christian name in Rwanda.

As a result of my late arrival I did not visit the Genocide Memorial to pay my respect to those that passed away. And since it took approximately 3.5hours to get to my accommodation, we virtually spent the whole day getting to my accommodation. Oh well… it was beyond our control. In travel we have to acknowledge the fact that things don’t always go to plan and to always expect the unexpected.

Travelling by car to my lodge was certainly an eye opener for me as I didn’t know what to expect as I don’t know a lot about African culture and behaviour. I got to see both old and new Kigali, run down and abandoned ghost towns and saw very few people around. I arrived into Rwanda on their monthly cleaning day which was a government initiative to keep Rwanda free of rubbish. But what struck me most was people (specialy children) waved and smiled at me. Their action was infecticious and found myself waving and saying ‘Hi’ back. I started to feel welcome and all my inhibitions were slowly melting away.

The next day after arrival was my gorilla trek. With so little sleep and suffering from jet lag I had to wake up at 5.30am for a 6.30 departure. I think I’m still in Australian time zone as I woke up well and truly before 5.30am-and I feared falling asleep again in fear of missing my 6.30am departure.

We arrived at the place approximately 7.00am for registration.

Between 7.00-8.30am we stood there waiting for our guide to negotiate which group (gorilla family) we were to trek. Prior to my trek, I had done my research and I had a choice of two (Sambinyo or Amahoro) which I passed to Innocent. I insisted to Innocent that I wanted one of the two and I was not going to accept anything else, plus I wanted to do a medium size trek as I had spent the last 6 months working out at the gym, losing a shit load of weight with the intention to do this trek. So it all come to this point. In the long run he got me into one of my choices the Amahoro (meaning peace I Swahili). I was so rapt! In addition I told these three elderly Australian women who I met at the lodge the previous day of my choices in group. They too told their guide and was also assigned the same group. There’s nothing better than assisting fellow travellers! It’s all karmic you know!

After a 8.30am half hour briefing, we spent 45 minutes driving to the start point for our trek. At this point, I hired a Porter, who’s name was Emmy. I must make note that these porters are ex-poachers who now earn their money through tourism. Even though I didn’t need someone carrying my bag, I wanted to give him my $US10 to help him support himself, rather than poaching Gorillas. He also assisted me through some tricky spots during the trek, like through this steep down hill slope that went on for more than 100 metres.

So the trek took us 2.5 hours to see the Gorillas. It was a combination of both uphill and downhill in mostly muddy terain . As mentioned, there were some really tricky areas. We all had problems. Most feel on their backside, but I can honestly say that I didn’t, but came close so many times!!!

When we reached the Gorillas and spotted our first one, it was truly an AMAZING feeling. Words cannot express the emotions that I felt. It was a similar feeling expressed by the rest of my group The Gorillas were very gentle and were not bothered by our appearance. By observing them, I could see a lot of human behaviour and mannerisms. The silverback and the blackjack were both lazing around, laying on their backs and just chilling.

The younger ones and especially a new 8 month old gorilla were all playing. I so desperately wanted one to touch me but unfortunately this didn’t happen.

As a rule you are meant to meet a
distance of 7 metres between the Gorillas and us…. in actual fact we came as close to be a metre away from us… so we were obversing them in ‘gorilla’ metres…. you try telling that to a gorilla!

We were only allocated one hour with the Gorillas. Time goes so fast! I could have watched them longer but I totally understand that I was a guest and didn’t want to over stay my welcome. So we bid farewell to the Gorilas and spent a further 2 hours to return to the starting point. Admittedly I had lower back and leg pain after my hike but I certainly didn’ mind and would definitely do it again if I had the chance.

This experience is something I will treasure forever. I felt so blessed and honoured to be in the presence of these majestic creatures. Was it worth the $US750?. Must definitely yes!

What did I like?

Gorilla Trekking:
No need for me to expand

IbY’IWACU Traditional Cultural Village
I loved this cultural centre! I went after my gorilla trek and had fun dressing up as their king, dancing and drumming, getting a cure for my scratch marks that I received from my trek. I must make note that that this culture centre employs ex-poachers and once again, felt the need to support them with my tourist dollar.

Mountain Gorilla Lodge:
I loved this lodge! The Swahili decor and the African food was AMAZING! It also felt good to be around other travellers from different parts of the world. We all shared a common interest: to trek to see the mountain Gorillas. It was a great introduction/ stay for my first time stay in Africa.

Locally sourced produce:
The food at the lodge was delicious! But what made it amazing for me was that it was all locally sourced. The fruits exceptional! And the bananas and pineapples are extraordinary!! The pineapples in particular where sweet and juicy and the banana actually a tasted like a real banana. And the rice! Absolutely delicious! It was a grain that I have never had before and tasted nuttier. I also found out that it has less cholesterol and carbohydrates.

My guide: Innocent
Great guy! Really relied on him a lot during my brief stay. Had to laugh with Innocent as we we’re running out of petrol when returning me back to the airport at 11.30pm. We could not find an opened 24 hour petrol station so the poor guy was worried….

What I didn’t like:

Kenya Airlines
Note to self: Don’t ever book or fly with this airline again. Both legs of this journey were problematic.

Staff at Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Staff were generally quite good and always offered assistance, but sometimes it was overkill and all waited around for a tip. I had this one house keeper who followed me back to my room. I saw her and told her that I didn’t want anything, but she continued to hang around outside for a few minutes afterwards.

African massage (affectionately known as)
Bumpy roads are plentiful could feel every bump when travelling in a 4 wheel drive. and it was a novelty at the start was getting a bit tiresome towards the end. But really who needs a massage when you’ve got this?

Would I go back?
I would only go back to see the Mountain Gorillas again