I suffered the almost inevitable for travelers, the dreaded tummy upset. I think it was caused by drinking cordial or softdrink with ice. I've been careful with everything else. The food on the cruise was so awful I hardly touched it. They served recooked buffet meals so I was glad when the cruise was over.

We returned to Cairo on a overnight bus from Luxor. It was a cramped bumpy ride and we were in a convoy. That morning a bomb exploded in a church in Alexandria (not close but still in Egypt), killing 21 people. I mention this not to scare since I felt safe. It simply justifies the tourist police presence and security measures in Egypt.

The reclining bus seats were of no comfort since the person in front would practically have their head on your lap. My butt and back was sorely punished after that journey!

We returned to the mosquito infested resort from the first night of the tour. It was out in the sticks, closer to the Giza pyramids than downtown Cairo.

Searched for an outside restaurant for dinner and retreated after 5 mins. Got honked at by a truck driver screaming obscenities out the window. Then followed by a touting taxi driver (in reverse!) It was an unlit busy dirt road and the air was dusty and polluted. Some cars were driving with their lights off.

At bedtime we impulsively took a midnight spree at the grand bazaar. Needed more souvenirs but did'nt give in to the stall vendor prices in the day. They asked for up to ten times the item value and cry indignity at any counteroffer. Haggling is hard work. One vendor even grabbed my shoulder so I wouldn't walk off. Eeeek!

The last minute adventure turned out to be a lovely surprise. Our driver spoke a little English and gave us tourist tips along the way. Downtown Cairo was calm and beautiful.

The bazaar was still buzzing but it had a different feel to the daytime. In the dim alleyways, stray cats scatter and locals congregate for a late bite and sheesha. The tourists were gone and the stall vendors seemed less pushy.

We collected our bazaar bargains and got whisked away by our cab driver. Mission completed!

I'll leave you for now with a daytime picture of the street outside our resort.

Posted via LiveJournal app for iPhone.

On your North East tour you cannot escape to enjoy Darjeeling Sikkim tours as these hill stations are visited by thousands and hundreds of tourists from the entire corner of the globe. Darjeeling is globally famous for its captivating natural beauty, exciting tourism attractions, pleasant climatic conditions and on top rich heritage and cultural beauty which make Darjeeling truly a paradise for holiday makers. In additional the caring people, irresistible delicacies and on top the cool amiable climatic conditions make Darjeeling the most sought after hill station holidays in India. Well on your Darjeeling tour don't miss joy ride in Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which is the crowning glory of tourism in Darjeeling as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Apart from that visit to Sikkim offer you to see some of the most captivating attractions and beauty of nature at its best. Here one can visit to some of the op tourism attraction of the state that include Gangtok City, Rumtek Monastery, Tsomgo Lake, Pelling tours, Pemyangtse Monastery, Khechepalri Lake, Temi Tea Gardens, Ganesh Tok Temple, Fambong La Wildlife Sanctuary, Rabdentse Ruins, Zemu Glacier, Rathong Glacier and many more. These exciting tourism attraction of Sikkim and Gangtok will keep you engross for more then a week and provides you wonderful opportunity to see and enjoy vacation in this beautiful state of India, Sikkim in a delightful and memorable way.

So plan your vacation in this nature blessed destinations of North East India and enjoy your holidays with your families, friends and beloved in a delightful and memorable way.

Kerala package tours provide you wonderful opportunity to see and explore the magnetizing beauty of some of the most beautiful holiday destinations that include the

Kumarakom
Kumarakom is a scenic village located along the bank of the picturesque Vembanad Lake, which is famous for its backwater destination. Most of the tourist who visits Kumarakom never misses the opportunity to length the beauty of its backwater cruising over the houseboat which slowly moving takes them to the world of wonderments. It is also famous for its exotic bird sanctuary where one can see some varied species of birds and small creatures enjoying their time freely in the open environment of Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.

Cochin
Lovingly called the Queen of Arabian Sea, Cochin is a natural harbor which is famous for its magnetizing beauty of nature and historical charm which are beyond visual and verbal descriptions. Here one can see some of the most beautiful attractions for which Kerala is known that include the heritage Chinese Fishing Net, Bolghatty Palace, Mattancherry Palace, Cherai Beach, Santa Cruz Basilica and many others. Surely these wonderful attractions will keep you engross for more a week and offer you remarkable experince of Cochin tour in Kerala in India.

Munnar
Munnar lovingly called Kashmir of the South is blessed with outstanding beauty of nature. It is one of the most beautiful destinations and feature attractions of Kerala tourism which attracts tourists from all the nook and corner of the world. Here one can see exciting range of tourism attractions that include well organized tea gardens, Attukal, Devikulam, Pallivasal, Nyayamakad, Rajamala, Echo Point, Mattupetty Lake & Dam and the Eravikulam National Park.

Beside these you can also enjoy visit to several other tourism destinations on your tour to Kerala which offer you an opportunity to enjoy vacation amidst the serenity of nature in a delightful and memorable way.

current mood: cheerful

Бразильская туристка отблагодарила сотрудников тель-авивского отеля «Метрополитен» в самый необычный способ, преподнеся им вместо чаевых за безупречное обслуживание чудо-конфеты. Тем не менее в пакете конфет не оказалось, вместо сладких подарков в пакете лежало не много не мало больше килограмма гашиша, сообщает ИА «ISRAland»

Когда туристка собралась покинуть свой гостиничный номер, чтобы отправится в аэропорт, она с удовольствием вручила этот «подарок» со словами: «Это вам и вашим сослуживцам». Персонал гостиницы был весьма озабочен, когда после исследования подарка, во время обеденного перерыва, обнаружил в пакете 1.2 килограмма легкого наркотика, после чего и обратился в полицию.

Полицейские мигом отправились в аэропорт, где вместе со своими родителями и была задержана 27-летняя бразильская туристка. За считанные минуты до вылета на родину их сняли с рейса и отправили за решетку. Сегодня суд решит вопрос о продлении пребывания всех троих под стражей.

                            and

              DEVILS POST PILE

                                 (Sept. 25th & 29th, 2010 )

                                                             By: Ned Opdyke

                                                      nedopdyke@gmail.com

                     www.motorcycleadventurestoriesandmore.blogspot.com/

                                             OTHER STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR

                                        Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves

                                            From Here to There and Back Again

                                                                   I Love Texas

                        Sometimes You Find Love in the Most Unexpected Places

                                  California is My Home (But I Still Love Texas)

                                                  The Last Adventure… of 2009

                                                                 Momma's Boy

                                                 Killeen Texas Is My New Home

                             A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend in Galveston

                                                 The Hill Country, Our 2nd Visit                                                                                           

                                                              A Very Strange Day                                                                    

                                                                          - and -

                   An Ongoing and Growing Selection of Misc. Musings and Melodies

                                     About My Spiritual Evolution and Enfoldment

                                       The Gospel According to Ned (Part I and II)

                                       The Yucatan Peninsula vs. Hurricane Wilma

                                              A Different Kind of Adventure Story

                                              Spiritual Exercises… The First Steps

                                                The Best Kind of Adventure Story

                                                               Morning Thoughts

                                                               The Sound Current

                                                       Learning From The Silence

                                                                         As I Grow

                                                                      A Better Life

                                           Daily Interpretations of The Eck & Rumi

 ---------------------------------------------

I am still lucky.   I'm not sure why God loves me as much as he does, but I am certainly forever in his debt.  I survived my exodus in Texas (that sure sounds like a good title to a story, or perhaps a country western song, doesn't it?), and am now temporarily habitating at a family friend's home near Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in California.  Yes, I am a very lucky man.

The following pictorial essay will update you on my physical surroundings and my thoughts about what's going on around me, and… you guessed it… inside me:

The town center is 5 miles from the home I'm staying at.  This is my kind of town.

This is the Tindall cabin.  My room is under the front deck.  It's private, stays cool on hot days, and is very comfortable.

This almost-dead-and-now-coming-back-to-life oak tree reminded me of me.  I pass it every day, on my daily walk to the little lake just ¼ mile or so from my front door.

This is Stout Lake.  I built the raft about 15 years ago.  It's holding up well and looks like it should last at least that much longer.  I hope I do.

Ok, that gives you an idea of what's around me when I'm home.  The rest of this 'story' is gonna be about what's around me when I'm not.

9/25/10 - GLACIER POINT

First stop, Rainbow Pool.  It is located 17 miles from my front door, on the South Fork of The Tuolumne River on Highway 120, about 15 miles from Groveland.  This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the first time I jumped off the rocks, and swam behind the falls.  This is one of my favorite places in the world.  It is my nirvana… my heaven on earth. 

About another 12 miles up the road from Rainbow, is the north entrance into Yosemite National Park.  I wish I'd counted all the times I've been here in my life.  An honest estimate is 50.  We'll say this was my 50th, and I'll keep track from here on out.  It's impossible to see this place too often.  I'm shooting for triple digits before I see it for the last time.  I think Honey has been here about 15 times or so.  So far.

Surprisingly, it took me driving by the turn-off 50 times, before I finally decided to drive the 16 miles out to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.  One panoramic view and another one from the damn dam.

Honey just loves this view coming into the Valley from Crane Flat entrance.  Me too.

Half Dome, and beyond, Clouds Rest, are the primary obstructions in this view, from Glacier Point.  Words of description?…  they just get in the way, don’t they?  Spectacular, unbelievable, breathtaking, awe-inspiring. I just had to try a few of the first ones that come to my mind, when I take in the grandeur of Yosemite.  It's only been a week since I was there, and I'm already looking forward to going back.  My heart soars and my pulse-rate drops, when I think about what it's like to be there.

I don't remember seeing this angle of Half Dome on a post card.  I wonder why?

This guy was pretty funny.  He said he wanted half of all the profits I got from this picture, but readily agreed with me, when I said, "Just being here is our profit."

On the following page is one of my favorite vistas of Yosemite Valley.  It is on Highway 41 coming down the hill from Glacier Point from Wawona, the south entrance to the Park, out of Fresno.  There are signs at the end of the mile-long tunnel, warning you to be prepared to stop for traffic and pedestrians.  Do yourself a favor.  Follow the warning…  and S-T-O-P.                                                                                                                                            

I did something this day that I haven't done in many years… I spent about two hours, driving through the Valley floor.  Honey and I went to every (paved) nook and cranny we could get to (legally).  Here is what Glacier Point looked like when we were down there and looked up to where we had just come from.  I wish I had a camera, other than my cell phone.

Before heading back, I detoured about 20 miles, down to El Portal entrance to the Park.  The picture didn't turn out, but the one I took on my next ride, at east entrance, and Tioga Pass did!  But that's the next part of this story.  This Trip…  six hours and 185 miles.  Turn the page for our Devils Postpile ride, somewhere neither Honey nor I had been before!

9/29/10 - DEVILS POSTPILE                                                                                              

This ride was on a glorious Saturday afternoon, and I chose the ride 'cuz I knew I'd be in the 'High Country,' 6~10,000 feet in elevation, for most of the day, and it would be much cooler than the 90~95 degrees that was the forecast for the Greeley area, which is at about 3,000 feet.

My first stop was at Jordon Oak, off of Smith Station Road, about 5 miles out from Greeley.  Story is that this oak is as old as some of the oldest redwoods, dating back to the time of Christ.  Jesus that it.  I hung my size-46 leather jacket it to give you an idea of the size of this thing.  Allegedly its trunk has the largest circumference of any oak tree west of the Mississippi.

I decided to take another side road I'd never been on, and Honey and I found ourselves at the Crane Flat fire lookout station.  This guy was a fellow member of the biker-hood, and a helicopter pilot.  What a life, huh? He gets to fly low, and high!

The elevation at Crane Flat is 6,192 feet.  Porcupine Flat, about 30 miles from there is around 8,000.  I sure have some good memories about this place.  We used it as base camp almost every summer for about 5~6 years.  Mom would guard the trailer while my Dad, and my twin brother Don and I, would take hikes all over the High Country.  Hey Don… would you like to collaborate on a story about the 11-day loop hike?  Yes, he and I are both very VERY lucky men.

Ten more miles brought us to Olmstead Point.  Marilyn, a Road Scholar, took a picture of Honey and me, enjoying the view of Clouds Rest and Half Dome, 180 degrees from the view we had of them a few days earlier, from Glacier Point. 

Here's a couple pictures from and leaving Olmstead Point.  For those of you who are reading this story on your computer, you may be able to play the video!  If you can, please excuse my blunder when I said it was "July 29th."  I guess I was feeling tipsy from the elevation.  I know it wasn't from beer.  I've been sober now for 13 weeks (and tobacco free for 9)!

                                 

(note:  my free LJ account won't let me post videos)

 
After getting down the east slope of the Sierra's, and running down Hwy 395 about 25 miles to Mammoth Lakes, and just before getting to my destination for the day, Honey asked if I would take her picture in front of the Minaret Mountain Range.  Ain't she purdy?

Devils Postpile was actually a little disappointing.  It's my parents fault.  They spoiled me from before the time I was born.  I was conceived while they were visiting the Grand Canyon, and I grew up with what is in my opinion, the most picturesque geography in the world as my back yard.  Damn them.

This is the last picture of the four entrances to Yosemite that Honey and I had been to, in the last 5 days. Tioga Pass, elevation 9,945 feet.  It is on the east side of the Park.  We were still about 80 miles from Greeley, but we both felt as if we were already home. 

Round trip:  10 hours and 310 miles.  Next story… the entire length of Highway 49 through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, from Coarsegold at the south end near Fresno, to Loyalton at the north end, near Reno. 

Paparoa National Park

…continued from part two

We continued journeying down the west coast from the top of the South Island and it was our goal to stay at this really awesome looking beach b&b called Breakers Boutique. It was our big splurge for the trip and it just sounded awesome- we had to wiggle timings around a little bit, but we made plans to spend the next night down there. The owner Jan was just fantastic to talk to online and her husband is a photographer as well. Seriously, this lady went out of her way to provide custom directions and sights where us photographers should stop. Amazing!

So it was still a few hours away from our previous hotel in Abel Tasman, well more than a few but that’s what I remember it as and so we had to do some hard core driving through the bush to get back over where we needed to be. The one benefit of the West Coast is it is home to many a Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor). Next to the elusive Puffin it might be my second favorite bird I’ve never seen so we were holding out hope that we might come across one of those little guys. Sure enough as we’re driving down the ‘highway’, ie: two lane road, we start seeing signs warning us to not run them over. With all this excitement we had to see one right?

On the way down was another park called Paparoa National Park which has these water carved rocks called pancake rocks…essentially it’s a tour bus stop, but not too shabby. I had read all about this special cave in the area so we went and found that, got soaked, and used my special REI shopping spree flashlight to look for penguins [I bought it specifically for this purpose]. Sadly none, but we thought we heard a cave bear.

Not far down there’s also a really amazing small hike called the Truman Track which brings you through all sorts of trees and stuff and into a secluded cove [with tons of 'don't touch the Penguins' signs] and a medium sized waterfall that lands right on the beach! Nice! After all this fun we still weren’t seeing any stupid penguins so we decided to go for the gold and head over to Breakers, home of it’s own small colony! Maybe we’ll see some there…that and I was hungry and felt like I was going to pass out from all this sun. I don’t get out much.

As I mentioned Breakers was fantastic and after a quick little bite we took the path down to the beach to go look for penguins and take pictures and do fun things couples do on their year-too-late honeymoon. After we did a little walking we saw this little midget bird hanging out by himself next to a rock…a blue penguin?! It looked kind of blue if you stretched the imagination and it kind of looked penguin’ish. It even waddled a little bit! So we convinced ourselves it was definitely a Blue Penguin and it didn’t seem to mind us getting in nice and close and staring at it, all while giggling quite loud. Not soon after, we were seeing tons of these little guys just hanging out getting bitten by bugs. Sweet! And they totally didn’t fly so they had to be legit!

We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset by ourselves on the beach and with the knowledge that we just saw the long awaited Blue Penguin. Sure enough, as soon as we got back Jan told us that it wasn’t a penguin, but some other random gray sea bird that can’t fly for a bit when it’s wings got wet….seriously. Our excitement was destroyed, and we came away devoured by sand fleas. The little bastards destroyed our legs and we had bite marks for at least 3 weeks after. True story.

Sorry I’m just getting around to posting these now, I have a hard drive full of awesome New Zealand photos that I have to share! We’re actually going on our honeymoon v2.0 in a couple months, so I figured I should get the rest of these out of the way first…makes sense!

…continued from part one

Abel Tasman National Park

So basically we chose to go to Abel Tasman National Park [up on the top of the South Island] because Tanya wanted a little R&R which we knew we weren’t really going to get elsewhere…being that we were doing a pretty massive roadtrip with some epic long drives ahead. What better place to chill out than along the beach in the sunniest part of the country! Not that we we actually going to sit on the beach or anything…

New Zealand is known for their intense hikes, and it’s not like maybe in the states where you can just pick up and go out for a couple hours- no, their hikes are MULI-DAY DEATH TREKS. Well to us out of shape folks anyway, but seriously, their famous hikes sound awesome until you realize what a multi-day hike really is. Anyway, we weren’t going to attempt that baloney, but instead walk from our little beachside home through the woods to the next little checkpoint of sorts. We had a day to waste, so why not! It also gave us an excuse to go on a shopping spree at REI.

So with this new found ambition we found out the next checkpoint was…8 miles away. Sounds easy enough, so we got our stuff together and here’s what we saw: