Last Day - Mykonos

Our trip is coming to an end and our last port is a repeat visit to Mykonos. Blake is now totally under the weather and so our ambitious ideas of renting some sort of vehicle to roam about the island came to a crashing halt and were reduced to a nice walk around downtown. The morning temperature in Mykonos was warm and very pleasant under the quintessential Greek blue skies. On our previous time in Mykonos it was very windy while today there is hardly a breeze and the tourists have yet to flock to town.

 

A light lunch overlooking the beatiful bay was not a bad way to end this fantastic adventure, today is the dreaded packing day as we get off in Athens tomorrow for the long haul back home.

 

And now... let's start planning our next trip!

 

Days 17 and 18 - At Sea and Kusadasi

Wednesday was our last day at sea on this voyage. Finally recovered from a nasty bug which Blake now has (as has the entire ship's population it seems). We had so many sea days at the beginning of the cruise during which we took full advantage of the lovely weather and all this lovely ship has to offer that now we don't feel like we need to do anything at all. Spent most of the day watching movies, out in the whirlpool, ordering room service and catching an evening show. All is good.

Our second to last stop was Kusadasi and we had a half day tour to Ephesus planned. Ephesus is a wonderful ancient Roman town in the Southwest coast of Turkey. The town was finally destroyed by earthquakes and mosquitos (malaria killed so much of the population) in the 3rd century AD but it was the city from which Christianity spread to the rest of the world. The most significant of the ruins include the famous Library of Celsus (not very different from the Treasury at Petra except that the Library was built of stone whereas the Treasury was carved from the rock), an amphitheatre, a smaller theatre called the Odeum, and the fantastic Terrace Houses. The Terrace Houses are a very recent discovery and excavation and restoration work is still ongoing on the six "townhouses"; each different from the others reflecting not only the importance and wealth, but also the taste of their owners. Beautiful frescoes and mosaics remain that provide the visitor with a vivid glimpse of how people lived and how they went about their lives and businesses.

 

We spent the afternoon walking around Kusadasi, getting a feel for this lovely seaside town full of restaurants, bars, caffes and all kinds of stores. Turkey's population is 90% muslim and although it feels very European, it is evident that women do not quite enjoy the type of freedom and public life men do. Nevertheless, Turkey is a vastly prosperous country, the only one in Europe which is totally self-sufficient when it comes to its agricultural and other food needs. It has a diversified economy and a land mass similar to two times California. We were in Istanbul a couple of years ago and it is an amazing place; Kusadasi is also great in a different way.

Seabourn had planned one of their signature events in the evening, a classical concert under the stars at Ephesus.  It was a really magical event elegantly set up and catered and for Seabourn guests only.  We had a lovely time listening to the Aegean Chamber Orchestra, sipping wine with the Roman amphitheater as the backdrop.  As we returned to the ship we were greeted by the entire crew and the band at a dockside welcome party where we handed hot chocolate with Baileys.  What a way to end the day!

Days 15 and 16 - Israel

Ashdod to Jerusalem

On our first day in Israel we cleared immigration early and were soon aboard a tour bus and on our way to Jerusalem. First impressions are everthing, and my most lasting one of this country is of the lushness of the countryside between the port city of Ashdod and Jerusalem, a straight shot eastward and along a busy highway. Israel counts with three sources for all of its water needs: one third comes from the Sea of Galilee, another third from ground-water, and the rest from desalination plants. The carefully managed, scarce resource, serves to keep the otherwise arid landscape as green and as fertile as any other we've ever seen. Gently rolling hills dressed in orderly vineyards give way to emerald forests, all amidst orange groves and other planted fields.

Up and up we go, Jerusalem lies spread out on top of hills at 800 metres above sea level. We spend most of the day in the Old City; the city which is holy to the three biggest religions of the Middle East: Christians, Jews and Muslims all worship and co-exist here.

 
Our first stop was at Mt. Scopus for a panoramic view of Jerusalem, the Old City within its walls at its centre, the golden Dome of the Rock shining in the early morning light. Next we drove to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last hours before being arrested by the Romans. We visited the Basilica of the Agony which was only built in the early 20th century but is a beautiful church replete with Byzantine mosaics.

We entered the Old City through the Dung Gate in the Jewish Quarter and our first stop was the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall). Being a Monday, quite a few Bar Mitzvahs were taking place. It was interesting to see women relegated to an area behind a partition wall -well set back from the Wailing Wall itself to which they only have a very small area they can access- participating in their family celebrations from a distance until the men come out of the enclosed area near the wall and they all join together in the rest of the festivities, complete with funny sounding horns and lots of mazel tovs.

The Old City is divided into four quarters; the Muslim quarter, the largest one and in which the Dome of the Rock and the El Aksa Mosque are located, the Jewish quarter, the Christian quarter where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is, and the smallest of them all, the Armenian quarter. Unexpectedly, most of the city within the walls resembles rabbit warrens which are in fact souks (or markets), covered passageways and narrow twisting lanes which connect every quarter. Not so unexpectedly, religious souvenirs and paraphernalia of every kind and religion abound. Through the centre of the city lies the Cardo, the Roman road on which one can still see (below the current city level), ruins of the First Temple (or Solomon's Temple) destroyed by the Babylonians and the Second Temple (or Herod's Temple), destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

We walked along the Via Dolorosa and later on visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The last five Stations of the Cross are here; of the Holy Sepulchre itself, all that remains today is the stone shelf where Jesus' body lay, which is now covered in polished marble which is constantly anointed by fervent believers who then rub the oils over their hands and faces. The church is a crazy compilation of naves, hallways, chapels, stairways, nooks and crannies which do not flow in any recognizable way as we know most churches to be. Nevertheless, it is an awesome place.

 

 
Just outside the southern walls is Mount Zion, which traditionally has been said to be the site of King David's Tomb (apparently there is no way it could be according to more modern studies of historical records) and where Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper. The beautiful Dormition Abbey was built over a crypt where the Virgin Mary is believed to have begun her dying sleep.

We had a nice lunch at an Armenian restaurant and then some time to shop or simply  browse.
 

Later we drove around the southern part of Jerusalem, mere minutes from which lies Bethlehem, which is under control of the Palestinian Authority. We also saw the large new Jewish settlement abutting the West Bank and partially surrounded by the now infamous "wall".

 

 

Haifa and Akko (Acre)

On our second day in Israel we arrived at the port of Haifa. This mediterranean port city is known for its industry as well as its natural beauty. Israelis have a saying: In Haifa you work so you can make money to spend in Tel Aviv having fun; then you go to Jerusalem to pray for forgiveness for all you did in Tel Aviv.

There is a beautiful sight from the ship: the Baha'i Gardens; magnificent terrace gardens running from Panorama Road at the top of Mount Carmel, down to the city centre near the port. Halfway down, the domed Shrine of the Bab, which is the resting place of Mirza Ali Muhammad, noted 19th century visionary who challenged muslims positions on womens' equality, education for all, etc. The city centre's highlight is the German Colony, a collection of red-roofed houses built by the german community which now house the city's boutique hotels, restaurants and cafes. A colourful, pleasing avenue leading directly to the bottom of the Baha'i Gardens.

 

We took a tour to Acre (also known as Akko), which was the capital of the region from Phoenician times until early in the 20th century. The most impressive crusaders' citadel and secret tunnels running from it to the port give testament to the importance of this ancient maritime hub often fought over and which thwarted Napoleon's siege in 1799. The town is lovely; fishmongers sell their daily catch in modest stalls in the souk near the port, fresh fruit vendors sell freshly made pommegranate and orange juice and quirky old-shoe art adorns the walls.

As with every other place we've visited so far on this trip, I wish we had more time to explore Israel...

 

Days 13 and 14 - At sea and stuck in the Suez Canal

The evening after leaving Aqaba we had "Rock the Boat", a fun pool-side party where we danced under the stars and had Baileys and cream puffs drenched in chocolate sauce. We had a blast but it had been a very long, tiring day and I've been under the weather fighting a nasty cold/cough for the past week or so.

We spent a day at sea on our way to the Suez Canal and upon arrival in the late afternoon we were told that we would likely start the transit at 3:30 am with a total transit time of about 9 hours. That evening the captain announced that transit had been delayed. A couple of updates later we learned that we would not be transiting until the next day and probably not until late at night, which meant we would miss the entire transit int he darkness of night. What a bummer! Our luck held though, and we finally heard that the Canal authorities had "tentatively" scheduled our convoy for 4:30 am and that unfortunately we would have to miss one of the upcoming ports. The whole delay (which is quite unusual) was due to some bad weather in the Mediterranean which had held back the south-bound convoys. The Suez Canal is one-way only and ships travel in convoys; once a convoy has completed the transit, the next one sets out in the opposite direction. Our convoy today consists of 36 ships due to the backlog created yesterday.

We have now just begun the second half of the transit having passed straight through the Great Bitter Lake. At this point there is very active construction going on for the canal expansion. We are due to exit into the Mediterranean at about 2 pm.

The Suez canal was designed by Lesseps, the same guy who designed the Panama Canal. Construction lasted 10 years and was completed in 1869, reducing the route between Western Europe and India by almost 8,000 kms. It stretches for 195 kms connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and allows passage of approximately 40 ships each day, from tankers to cruiseships to container ships and private yachts. Revenues from the canal are approximately $5.5 billion a year and since the decline in the tourism industry of the past few years is now the biggest driver of the Egyptian economy. The expansion, which is actually a twinning of the existing canal, will double its capacity.

As we exited the canal along the Egyptian coast on the Mediterranean Sea we saw a seemingly never-ending number of oil rigs, much like we'd seen on the Red Sea before entering the canal.

Work on the canal expansion

Near Port Suez and the exit to the Med

 

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Day 12 - Petra, Jordan

We arrived in Aqaba before 7 am and had a pancake breakfast on our verandah as we sailed into port. Aqaba shares this bay at the end of the Red Sea with the Israeli city of Eilat. We were soon cleared to disembark and our tour bus was waiting to take us to Petra. The drive through Aqaba and the following two hours on the highway to Petra were filled with a myriad of information about Jordan by our tour guide Mustafa, a most colourful man; a Bedouin who was born and lived in the secret city of Petra until the tribes were relocated to New Petra, a nearby village built for that purpose. Mustafa interspersed local facts with personal stories about his childhood as the only one of sixteen children (all from the same father and mother) who left the community to go to school and eventually become a tour guide. Back in those days education was not compulsory for all children as it is now.

First the facts: Jordan's population is seven million, with another 3 or 4 million refugees (and more pouring in every day) from neighbouring countries besieged by wars and internal conflict; approximately 17,000 of its citizens are Bedouins, their goat-hair tents and goat herds can be seen throughout the countryside. Educating every child is considered so important to the future of the country, that school teachers are paid three times as much to go teach the children of Bedouin tribes who are always on the move. Without much by way of natural resources, the country relies on tourism and commerce. King Abdullah II runs a tight ship which provides free education, including university level, to all of its citizens, and taxes the heck out of every one of them with each tax Dinar paying for health care, education, the military, etc.

The landscape is stunning; the wadis evoque scenes from Lawrence of Arabia, wide and dark granite veins scar the mountains as sandstorms slow traffic down here and there.

Bedouin tent

As we arrive in Petra -a city carved out of the rock by the Nabateans and which flourished between the 2nd century BC and the 4th century AD- and begin the long walk to the Siq (the "shaft" or narrow canyon which leads to the hidden city), the tombs and temples carved out of the rose-red sandstone blend with the natural rock formations creating an astonishing sight. The city went into decline after powerful earthquakes destroyed the water management system which enabled life in this desert area with a fresh spring as its single supply source.

The Siq is almost 2 kms long and there are horses and horse-drawn carriages available for tourists who can't, or prefer not to, walk on the uneven and often treacherous surface, and instead suffer the most teeth-jarring, spine crushing rides. The pictures speak for themselves, and as we walked along, I thought of all my geologist friends who would have a field day identifying all the different minerals which give the rock such amazing colours.

Finally, the Siq offers the first glimpse of the Treasury, the most famous of the structures in Petra. From then on, the city opens up to vast areas filled with caves, tombs, temples and even a theatre, all carved out of the rock. Only a very small percentage of the site has been excavated (it was "discovered" in the 1800s and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1990s) but what we see is truly unbelievable.

The people of Jordan are hospitable and friendly and we wish them a prosperous future of continuous peace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sailing the Red Sea

We've been sailing through the Red Sea where we saw not even one pirate. That was probably good, and likely due to all of the measures that have been put in place in the last couple of years which have stemmed the incidence of pirate attacks dramatically. For example, since leaving Oman our ship carried armed guards; they were seldom seen about, but conspicuous in their all-black outfits and the guns they carried. The ship never sailed at less than 18 knots (that is the speed at which no pirate boat can overcome another vessel) and carries several devices designed to repel any attacks. In addition, there are officers on perpetual watch, scanning the horizon 24/7.

Our armed guards left the ship this morning at 5, on a zodiac headed for who knows where. We are one day away from reaching Jordan where we'll go to Petra. In the meantime, we continue to extract every ounce of rest and enjoyment we can from this cruise; good lectures on interesting topics; many an outdoor nap, and lazy late afternoons on the hot tub forward of deck 6 where we get offered cool towels and refreshing drinks while taking in some of the Arabian sun and sea breezes.

 

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Day 7 - Oman, Land of the Frankincense

Today we arrived in Salalah to a hazy, sandy landscape. There's a huge sand storm affecting most of the region and, contrary to the usual clear and sunny days, we're having a hard time seeing the mountains surrounding the city and beyond which there is only the emptiness of the desert.

Salalah is not what we expected (although I don't know exactly what we expected); While the capital of Oman is Muscat, Salalah is the birth city of the current king who decided to spend a few bucks in his home town and so has built a few palaces which provide employment to many as well as some respite from the architectural blandness. There are five five-star hotels along the coastline and a sixth one in construction but this is no indication of a vibrant resort community, more of the thriving -but modest- oil industry. More importantly, the king has built the infrastructure needed for a prosperous future; schools (there were three when he assumed power and now there are over 1,000 in the country); hospitals, desalination plants which have now replaced well water for the drinking water needs of the country. Tourism in Oman is but a cautious, budding industry and large camel herds can still be seen during a drive along the coast (along with some camel meat vendors).

During the summer months the monsoons secure a riot of new growth and the hillsides and fields are carpeted in lush greenery, in sharp contrast with the dry sandy desert most visitors expect. The region is very fertile and the cultivated fields of coconut, papaya, bananas and other fruits seem to go on forever with roadside fruit stands along the way.

Oman has a rich historical past dating back to the 3rd millenium BC. The Omanis were sailors and traders and the area produces some of the best quality frankincense, a substance much in demand throughout the entire middle east fueled by religious and medicinal uses among others. There are historical ruins of forts and other early trading posts, and then there seems to be a void of architectural expression until oil is found in the 20th century which brings about the development of the modern Salalah; from millenium old ruins to new palaces and factories of various kinds. We visited the ruins of the ancient trading port of Sumhuram (where the precious frankincense was loaded on ships for export to the east and to Yemen, Damascus, Egypt and Jerusalem. We also visited the fortified house of the Wali (local chief) in Taqa.

Frankincense is harvested as chewy sap from the frankincense tree. It is dried for a few days during which it crystalizes. The crystals are burned as incense. It can also be distilled into oil, which is used in many applications, including perfumes and as medicine for ailments varying from relief from osteoarthritis to prevention of various cancers. It smells nice and it is said to be very conducive to achieving high states of meditation.

We visited the souk where we bought some frankincense (this is a small market area comprised mainly of stores selling frankincense, textiles and some souvenirs, not the Grand Bazaar as I had somehow pictured it would be). A lot of demolition work is taking place in area near the beach, where old houses are being torn down (prior relocation and compensation of the inhabitants), to make way for a new seaside promenade and park; again, tourism is a new industry in Oman and this is just an example of the efforts being made to build it up.

Finally, we went to the museum inside which no photography whatsoever is allowed. The reason for the prohibition escapes me as there is nothing inside that could suffer from flash lights. Anyhow, it is divided into two sections: the maritime museum exhibiting a large collection of models depicting the varied types of ships used throughout its long and succesful seafairing history; and the history section where one can see small artifacts and reproductions of the country's past and into the present.

Oman is a peaceful country of 3 million people who has sat on the sidelines of regional conflict and continues to do so in the current attack on Yemen being carried out by a syndicate of nations. As our guide put it, Oman limits its involvement to providing medical aid to wounded Yemenis (the border with Yemen is a mere 200 ks from Salalah).

A few more days at sea and then Jordan.

 

 

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