Apr. 6, 2008
Beirut
Royal Jordanian Airline has the best time (and shortest waiting time) from Bangkok to Beirut via Amman. It departed Bangkok shortly after midnight and arrived at Amman around 5:30 a.m. - yes the local time was 5:30 a.m. as announced by the aircrew and displayed on the screen of the aircraft. Since my flight to Beirut was 7:00 a.m. I had leisure walking around, buying some water (very thirty since Bangkok Airport doesn’t allow anyone taking water into the airplanes – something unheard of in the Arab airports), and sitting down reading some books. Around 6:20 a.m. I went to the gate only to be told that the flight to Beirut had taken off. They told me that it was 7:20 a.m. How could it be? – My mind was still confused. Checking my 2006 LP Middle East book and it said clearly that “Of the countries covered by this book, only Jordan and Libya do not operate daylight-saving hours” (In reality, I later learned, that “Jordan” should be replaced by “Egypt” in the above statement since Jordan has been using daylight-saving time for a long time and Egypt doesn’t actually use it). The friendly staff agreed to put me on the next flight at 12:30 p.m. Not too bad – at least I still had time to see Beirut (I planned to check out Baalbek after Beirut before going to Syria in late afternoon).
Immigration at Beirut Airport was quite straightforward. No questions asked, no fees charged and no photos required – just a simple stamp. I tried both the ATM machine and the money changer inside the airport and both were pretty efficient. Touts outside the airport were not that aggressive. I walked out of the airport as indicated by LP but couldn’t find any buses (in fact I didn’t see any bus-like vehicles during my entire half day stay in Beirut). I tried to ask two mid-aged ladies on the roadside but they didn’t speak a word of English. I repeated “Hamra, Hamra” and they directed me to a minivan passing by. It was the kind of miniwan I used a lot when I was working in Guangdong, China 15 years ago. My first impression of Beirut was not that good – the buildings along the road are quite rundown. Many of the signs are in Arabic and French. English is rare. There are armed soldiers everywhere. After a while, the driver indicated me to change to another minivan. I paid him 1,000 LL and walked to the other vehicle and asked the driver “AUB?”. He nodded and I jumped into the van. One thing I noticed was that women and men sit mixed in the van – maybe that’s one fact of the “liberal” Lebanon? Only a few minutes afterwards, the van stopped and everyone got off. The driver showed me the way to AUB and I gave him 1,000 LL.
The American University of Beirut (AUB) does look like universities I saw in other parts of the world with big buildings, clean roads, etc. Most people I talked to speak English and were happy to give me directions to Bliss House, a fast food restaurant where I finally found it and bought a Shwarma for 3,500 LL.
With the help of a professor-looking old man outside Bliss House, it didn’t take me a long time to reach the Corniche where I had my first peek of the Mediterranean. Unlike other Middle Eastern countries, Sunday is a holiday in Lebanon. There are many people relaxing and fishing along the coast.
Not having enough time, I stopped a taxi and asked the driver to take me to Mohammed al-Amin Mosque. When we approached Beirut Central District, the driver sighed “all this was initiated by Hariri” (sadly the former prime minister was killed in a car bomb in Beirut in 2005). Entering this new and pleasant district requires bag checking. Apart from the famous Mosque (no entry) and the equally magnificent St George’s Cathedral, there are numerous restaurants and cafes in this tiny city. I could imagine how this party capital of the Middle East looks like in the evenings.
I walked past the port and finally got to a spot supposed to be Charles Helou Bus Station. It is under the causeway not too far from the port. The ticket officer said there was no bus to Damascus. He put me into a shared taxi and the fare was a fixed 700 Syrian pounds.
The 3 hour trip from Beirut to Damascus was smooth including the border crossing (except for the expensive visa fees – I tried to ask for a transit visa but they said it’s the same price). The view is so-so with some hills along the way.
I arrived in Damascus in early evening. With the help of some friendly locals (my first experience of the Syrian Hospitality), I found and checked in Sultan Hotel (24 USD, shared bathroom, friendly staff). Later I treated myself a grilled bird dinner at the upscale Abou Kamal Restaurant. Food is huge and price quite reasonable.
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| Beirut Central District |
Apr. 7, 2008
Damascus
There is only one place I wanted to see in Damascus: the Old City. Although not as splendid as its counterpart in Sana’a, the Old City in Damascus is still worth seeing. Highlights include the souqs, the square near Umayyad Mosque and of course the not-to-be-missed Hammam Nureddin (there is no English sign in front of the door but you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it). I had a full bath (pour hot water into your body), body scrub and massage (your body is covered by sheet) for 345 Syrian pounds. Unlike the spas in Thailand, the Syrian bath is more natural and fun and it reminded me of the public bathhouses in the old days of China. Lunch at Lelia’s Restaurant & Terrace was not bad either (140 Syrian pounds for Toshka, a kind of delicious lamb cake).
Returning to the hotel where I checked my bag for free, the staff helped me get a taxi (150 Syrian pounds) to the bus station 12 km south of the city to catch the 2:30 p.m. bus to Amman (by a Jordanian company called Challenge). The bus was very comfortable and border crossing couldn’t be smoother (pay 10 JD visa fee and get “Welcome to Jordan”). There are also a few money changers at the border. Things were not that easy after I reached Amman around 7:30 p.m. I got a taxi and asked the driver to take me to Al-Saraya Hotel near Raghadan Bus Station. The driver told me that the hotel was closed and took me to another hotel on the way. I insisted going to the hotel I asked for. When we finally reached it there, I found the hotel was really closed. I got off and had to pay him 2 JD (initially asked for 1 JD) to escape. I saw a place called “Taj Hotel” just opposite the bus station. It’s very rundown but extremely cheap (5 JD). It was very cold outside and I took the place immediately. Later I found there are a couple of other hotels on the same road. No regrets. There is a restaurant (no English sign but full of locals) a few meters from Taj Hotel and I had a beef BBQ with bread (or nan, default in Middle East restaurants), rice, salad and Pepsi for 3 JD there.
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| Umayyad Mosque |
Apr. 8, 2008
Amman, Madaba and Around
I got up early in the morning, climbed uphill to the viewpoint to see Roman Theater. It's the largest “theater” I've seen in the Middle East and I heard it’s still in use sometimes. The Citadel (2 JD) is not far from the view point. Honestly there are not much in the site but it seems to be a major attraction of the city (I even saw some Chinese tourists). After about 30 minutes I escaped from a small dirt road down to the main road and got inside the Roman Theater (1 JD) to have a closer look. I have to say that the view from the view point is more dramatic.
I checked out the hotel and went to Raghadan Bus Station just opposite the hotel, hoping to get a bus to Madaba. They told me that there was no bus going to Madaba from there and I had to go to another “Raghadan Bus Station” (how confusing) and take a bus from there. Luckily, they put me into a shared taxi to the real station (0.2 JD, 10 minutes). After shouting “Madaba” numerous times, I finally found the correct stand for minibuses to Madaba (0.5 JD).
One hour later, I was in Madaba already. A taxi (1 JD) took me directly to the ever popular Mariam Hotel. I had so many questions to ask them. Luckily, everything turned out to be smooth. They had a bus to Petra via King’s Highway the next day for 18 JD and could get a driver to take me to Mt Nebo, Bethany and the Dead Sea for 30 JD (with an average 1 hour stay at each spot). I took a single room there immediately (24 JD) and the driver arrived in 30 minutes. It was just around noon.
The journey to Mt Nebo was a nice drive. When we reached it there I didn’t even notice that we were already on the top. There is a 1 JD entrance fee to see the monument and the museum. I spent about 25 minutes wandering around the site.
Climbing over in the mountains, we reached Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan in the plains near the Palestinian border. This is the site where Jesus was baptized. It charges a heart-hurting 7 JD. The main reason I decided to visit the site was not to see the Baptism Site but to check out Jordan River, the name I heard almost everyday on the news. The Baptism Site is just a pool with some water. But when I saw Jordan River I was a little bit excited. It’s actually a very small river with a lot of bushes on the banks. A big Israeli flag is flying on the West Bank. Due to sensitivity of the border region, a guided tour is mandatory in the area. Including the waiting time, I spent about 90 minutes in the area.
Continuing along the coast, we reached Amman Beach, the only public beach on the Dead Sea. There are two parts of the beach, one charges 6 JD and the “nicer” one charges 10 JD. I took the 6 JD one without doubt. I have to admit that I was a little bit unprepared. I thought that as a non-swimmer I should be quite safe in the Dead Sea. I didn’t think too much about the current of the sea which can cause trouble. In the end, I got the extremely salty water into all the 3 undesirable areas: my wounds (think of a knife), my throat (sore throat in the next 24 hours) and my eyes (how do I describe the feeling?). I returned to the parking lot within one hour but couldn’t find the driver.
After 15 minutes, he showed up and took me back to Madaba. To my surprise, he asked 3 JD more for overstay. I made it clear that I didn’t stay for more than 3 hours totally which was agreed on in advance. He finally gave up.
It was still not dark yet so I checked out the famous mosaic map on the floor of St George’s Church (1 JD) in downtown Madaba. It was very cold outside so I went to an Internet café (so slow that it took me 1.5 hours to check and send emails), had a sandwich and some hot tea (2.5 JD totally) at Ayola coffee shop before returning to the hotel.
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| Roman Theatre, Amman |
Apr. 9, 2008
Petra
The minivan started on time at 10:00 a.m. There were totally 6 passengers (5 of them stayed at Mariam Hotel). We made 3 stops along the way: a 30 minute stop at a viewpoint in Wadi Mujib (the view is dramatic), a 1 hour stop in Karak to see the castle and have lunch (the Shash Tawouk I had for 3.5 JD was not too bad), and a 15 minute stop at a viewpoint of Dana Nature Reserve (good to take photos of the misty mountains). We arrived in Wadi Musa shortly after 4:00 p.m. I gave 20 JD to the driver without getting any change (perhaps this is default for him?). Cleopetra Hotel near the bus station was full so I walked along the road and found a new hotel called Sharah Mountain Hotel. A small but very clean single room costs 15 JD. I checked in quickly and rushed to a taxi (1 JD) to take me to Petra which closes at 5:30 p.m. in the summer.
No questions asked when I bought the 1 day ticket for 21 JD. I was in. It was still quite bright. I walked through the siq while eating the hamburger I bought in the restaurant in Karak for 2 JD. I was the only person walking towards the site. An army of people with different nationalities walked out of the site, some of them looked at their watch when they saw me. I didn’t care anyway. About 30 minutes later, I reached the Treasure. To me walking along the siq seems more interesting. Continuing along the way there is a broader view and that reminded me of some scenes familiar in the movies. The entrance to High Place of Sacrifice is not very obvious and I missed it at first (there are no signs throughout the site) but then found it after asking the locals. Climbing is a pleasant exercise and there are some good views even before reaching the top. At the top I thought about the rituals and again history seemed to be so close to me. I took another side along the mountain downhill. On the way are the Lion Fountain and several tombs. It was getting a little darker at this time and there was not even one single tourist along the way, only some goats greeting me. By the time I reached the Great Temple, it was still visible (although after sunset). When I walked back past the entrance to High Place of Sacrifice, it was totally dark. Walking along the siq back as the solo tourist, I found very proud and satisfied with the whole planning. Contradictory to the guide books which advocate “Petra at Night”, the Petra authorities actually require all visitors leave the site after dark.
I took another taxi back to Wadi Musa for 1 JD (asked for 2 JD), had some vegetarian hummus (2 JD) at the crowded Al-Arabi Restaurant and rushed to the hotel to avoid the chills outside.
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| Entrance to Petra |
Apr. 10, 2008
Wadi Rum
I booked a seat of the bus (essential) to Wadi Rum the night before (5 JD) and the bus came to pick me up at the hotel at 6:30 a.m. It’s actually a minivan and was almost full. I was the last passenger they picked up. This is totally a tourist bus (local children sometimes got on and off the bus without paying). It turned out that the rest of the people on the bus would join an overnight tour later at Wadi Rum. The bus conductor asked me if I would like to join. He offered me 40 JD without overnight in the camps. They could also help me get a taxi to Aqaba in the afternoon for 20 JD (there are no buses in the afternoon). I calculated and it’s just a little bit more expensive than an official driver for a similar tour at the visitor center but the hassle saved seems worth it. I accepted the offer and paid him 65 JD including the bus fare.
The bus took the whole bunch of people directly to the Bedouln Meditation Camp where everybody paid the 2 JD entrance fee, had some tea and listened to the owner speaking in some fluent English I don’t quite understand. At 10:00 a.m., the tour started. People were put into two 4WD pickup trucks. We went through Lawrence Spring (boring), Khazali Canyon, the red sand dunes, Lawrence House and had some lunch (basically hard bread everybody bought in advance at a shop in the village, not included in the package) at a shadow place in the desert. To me the desert itself and the Lawrence of Arabia look more interesting than the individual sites. After lunch, we went to see the small but high Burdah Rock Bridge and the big but low Um Frouth Rock Bridge which attracts a lot of camera shots.
The driver finally took everybody to the campsite in the desert. After everyone unloaded, he took me back to the company where a taxi from Aqaba was already waiting there. It was around 3:30 p.m. Everything seemed to be in order.
Aqaba is a very pleasant and clean seaside city which I wish I could have more time to explore. I asked the driver to take me to the Passenger Ferry Terminal and he said I had to pay 5 JD more. I agreed. The reason I decided to take a taxi here was to hope there is an afternoon ferry to Nuweiba, Egypt since my schedule in Egypt is quite tight. A little bit to my surprise, they told me there is a ferry to Nuweiba at 9:00 p.m. Not a lot of English is spoken at the port. I handed over my passport (after paying 5 JD departure tax) in order to buy a ticket only to find my passport was stamped – it’s the immigration office, not the ferry ticket office! I found the ticket office later and bought the ticket. There is also a money changer in the terminal where I bought some Egyptian pounds.
While waiting for the ferry, I met an 80 year old Palestinian Arabic teacher (like many Palestinian residents he also holds a Jordanian passport). He started to give me history lessons: “Palestine is a place between Jordan and Israel. Long time ago, the British government gave…”
The ferry actually left at 9:30 p.m. There were many people on board, including passengers from a bus originated from Amman. It actually arrived around 1:00 a.m. – a long journey. An interesting point is everybody actually got their passport stamped onboard to save time (seems to be a good idea). I was probably the only non-Arab passenger onboard so the officer took my passport, gave me a receipt and asked me to pay the visa fee 15 USD and get the visa at the port in Nuweiba. I did and got a “Welcome to Egypt” from the same officer at the port.
The port was quite messy and there were a lot of people. As a foreigner, my bag was not paid too much attention to by the customs officer. After getting out of the mess, I found a small hotel near a bunch of shops outside the port. The guy there was quite sleepy. He asked for 60 LE (Egyptian pounds) for a night and I agreed.
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| Wadi Rum |
Apr. 11, 2008
Port Said
In the early morning I went to the bus station nearby and they told me that the bus to Suez already left around 6:00 a.m. but there was a 9:00 a.m. East Delta bus going to Cario. Suez Canal is so famous that I decided to check it out while I was in the country. I looked at my watch and it was already over 9:00 a.m. but the bus was empty and there was nobody at the ticket office. It turned out to be 8:00 a.m. local time. (Egypt doesn’t operate daylight-saving hours). I took the opportunity to buy some snacks and got more local money from an ATM machine (all banks were closed on this Friday).
The bus was older than the one in Jordan but still acceptable. One hour later, it arrived at the beautiful seaside town of Taba. The bus continued through the mountains for an hour or so then entered into a bare plain that extends to the west end of Sinai. Throughout the way I couldn’t see a single person. Everything seems so remote.
About one hour after we passed the tunnel under Suez Canal, we started to get a peek of the suburbs of Cairo, the biggest city in the Middle East. It actually doesn’t look as messy as I imagined, It looks more like 10-20 years ago in a big city in China. It was about 3:30 p.m. I told the driver that I wanted to go to Port Said (the north end of Suez Canal). He was kind enough to let me get off at Al-Mazar bus station near the airport where I could catch a 4:15 p.m. East Delta bus to Port Said. Good timing.
Part of the 2.5 hour journey to Port Said is along the Suez Canal. While I couldn’t see the water itself, I did see many huge ships sailing along the canal, the biggest one being a Chinese ship called “Yang Ming”. When we reached the city it was dark already. The train back to Cairo departs at 7:30 p.m. so I had only an hour in the city. I walked to the port and paid my last respect to the entrance to the canal.
The train was actually not that bad. It’s not modern of course but there were not many people on board so it gave me enough leg space. The only inconvenience I got was that during the first hour or so a naughty boy kept touching me and even putting some liquid (I couldn’t figure it out what it was because there was no light in the car) on me which was quite annoying. I understood this boy was suffering from a mental disease so I just let it. The railway track is even closer to the canal and I could see the water. Unfortunately it was in the evening and interestingly there were almost no boats on the water. The train arrived at Cairo’s Ramses Station around 11:30 p.m. I bought a ticket to Alexandra the next day (46 LE first class plus 2 LE for advance booking I guess) and tried to find a hotel near the train station.
Surprisingly, both the Fontana opposite the train station and the Victoria nearby were full. I had to walk further and finally settled down at the Windsor Hotel for 30 USD (shared bathroom but private shower – the first of this kind I had ever seen). My feeling to the hotel was mixed. Though not badly maintained, I could see the age inside and outside the room.
Still hungry, I walked into Palmyra, hoping to grab some food while watching the famous belly dancing. The fat man there charged 100 LE for a meal. I decided to just have juice instead (50 LE including service charge – I guess this is a rip-off for tourists). The show was a mix of men singing songs and ladies performing belly dances – kind of similar to the western nightclubs but in Egyptian style. After dancing on the stage, the dancers usually went to some customers sitting in the front and performed some “private” dancing. The rich customers then threw the bills all around her which were picked up by staff quickly.
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| Red Sea at Taba |
Apr. 12, 2008
Cairo
I got up a little bit late and took the subway one stop north to Mubarak (Ramses Train Station) to check my bag there. An old guy inside the office tried to help me find a locker but later asked for tips. The left-luggage office is open 24 hours. I also asked the tourist information office inside the train station about ways to get to the Pyramids. They advised me either to take bus No. 355 or 30 from in front of the mosque opposite the train station or take the subway to Giza and then take a taxi from there. I went to the other side and waited 20 minutes but couldn’t see such buses coming. Then I decided to take the subway to Giza. After getting out of the subway I walked along the main road and found a bus stop. It didn’t take a long time before a lovely 357 (number in Arabic on the bus) came. The fare is only 2 pounds and it takes you directly to the entrance to the Pyramids (a sub road just a little bit off the main street).
The entrance fee to the area is 50 LE. To see the inside of the Great Pyramid and the Second Pyramid costs 100 LE and 25 LE respectively. The former has limited number of tickets for sale in the morning and afternoon. I arrived around 1:20 p.m. and didn’t have any problem buying a ticket. To me the most important thing is to be in the Pyramids, to see (and touch) the 4,000 year old structures for real, not just on the pictures – at least that’s my feeling. The actual climbings to the tombs inside both Pyramids need some endurance (it’s very hot inside). Once you reach the top, it’s only a lonely tomb in the darkness (cameras are not allowed anyway and the doormen there always try to ask for tips). There is at least one part of the Great Pyramid not open to the public. I saw a group of people walking out (with a guide) of the area saying “interesting”. I asked how they could get in and they simply said “special permit – TV shooting”. But I didn’t see any equipment for TV shooting.
After the Pyramids, I went back to the bus stop and found a 357 bus already waiting there. The journey back took more than one hour (traffic was really bad). I got off at Midan Tahrir, treated myself with perhaps the only real meal in Egypt at a fast food restaurant nearby, got more local money at an ATM machine at Nile Hilton Shopping Mall, and lined up to buy the ticket for the Egyptian Museum (50 LE).
As one of the most famous museums in the world, the Egyptian Museum does attract many people from around the world. My real purpose was to experience the mummies (another 100 LE extra to get into the Royal Mummies Hall) I learned from the history textbook when I was a teenager. Like the Pyramids, it seems that just seeing the mummies gives me enough satisfaction.
Getting out of the museum, I walked to the nearby Nile River, hopping to get onboard a river bus down south to Misr al-Qadima where I could take the subway back to the train station. I asked the local people around the pier in front of the TV building and they told me there are no such boats, only one crossing the river to Giza near the Zoo. I gave up this plan and walked along the main road back to the train station (I could also take the subway – only 2 stops away. I walked because I hoped to find an internet café on the way to check some emails because I still had time. Unfortunately I found none). The pollution was so bad and I had to wear a mask - the only occasion throughout my entire journey when I used this weapon.
The train for Alexandra left on time at 7:00 p.m. It’s indeed very comfortable and not too different from those in developed countries (with much lower price of course). There are two train stations in Alexandra. Most people get off at Sidi Gaber Station in the east part of the city. When it finally stopped at the last stop, Misr Station, it was almost 9:30 p.m. I walked north to the coast and tried to check in Union Hotel. It was full. I then went to the New Capri Hotel. It’s now renovated and price more than doubled. Out of frustration, I walked along a busy street trying to find another hotel, but to no avail. I finally asked someone and found a hotel called Canal Swiss Hotel on a small road. They charged 70 LE and I had no choice.
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| The most famous site in Egypt |
Apr. 13, 2008
Alexandra
In the morning I walked to the Corniche to see the harbor. It is very nice. Unlike the messy Cario, Alexandra is quite laid-back and there are many classical buildings along the Corniche. I then walked down on the major street from the Unknown Soldier’s Tomb trying to find Kom El Shokafa Catacombs. It was a long walk and not an easy job. But I finally did it. A man inside the site told me that there are more than 300 tombs there. He tried to tell me a story but I couldn’t understand his English. I then walked to the nearby Pompey’s Pillar, mostly for taking photos. The site is under renovation.
Checking out the hotel around 11:00 a.m., I took tram No. 25 (yellow color) to Sidi Gaber (only 0.25 LE – you go to love Alexandra). The tram terminated about 500 meters north of the train station. The long distance bus station is supposed to be next to the train station. Surprisingly I couldn’t see any buses in the area. I told a local that I wanted to take a bus to Salloum. He pointed me to a building where a West and Mid Delta ticket office is located. I did buy a ticket for their 1:30 p.m. bus to Sallooum but was advised to take the bus at a bus station 10 km from there. They kindly got a taxi for me (10 LE) to get there. It seems the main bus station has been relocated there and major construction is still going on.
The bus to Salloum takes 7 hours in the desert of the country. Although it’s along the coast most of the time, sea is not viewable. Since I was the only foreigner on the bus, some young boys tried to have fun with me. Being a lonely traveler myself, I did enjoy playing with them although I didn’t quite understand what they were talking about.
Sallouim is basically a boring one street little town. Although the bus arrived not too late, the same problem happened to me again - I couldn’t find a hotel. Both the hotel near the bus stop (no English sign) and al Ahram Hotel recommended by LP were full. I finally found an upscale hotel called Sirt Hotel at the end of street. They charged 60 LE for the room and 10 LE for breakfast. Again I had no choice.
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| Unknown Soldier Tomb, Alexandria |
Apr. 14, 2008
Amsaad to Ajdabiya
In the early morning I took a taxi (20 LE) to the border. There were a lot of people (I didn’t know where they were coming from – there are not a lot people in Salloum). However, there was no waiting time for me, just a long walk on both sides of the border. The exit stamp at the Egyptian side is only 2 LE. At the Libyan side, I showed my visa emailed to me by my travel agency. One person told me that it’s for entry from Tripoli Airport. I then asked him to call the travel agency. It turned out that he knows the general manager of the agency. I also spoke to the general manager and he said that his guide was on the way and asked me to wait one hour.
I actually waited two hours before the guide arrived. He is a tall guy but speaks good English. He apologized for being late and accompanied me to the car, a small Mitsubishi. As soon as we entered the car, he gave me a small bottle of water and a banana, saying “these are for you, for now”. I looked at my watch – It was 12:00 noon.
About an hour later, we stopped at a service point where he bought a 1.5 liter bottle of water for me. Later on we reached Tobruk and visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery and had lunch there.
The guide told me that there are two routes to Ajdabiya from Tobruk. The coastal road is more scenic but takes longer time while the desert road is shorter but very boring. Although I wanted to see the coast I was not sure about the time since it was already 3:30 p.m. The guide saw my hesitation and made the decision for me: “I think the coastal road is better”.
The coastal road is surely better. We passed the lovely city of Derna, the beautiful Ras al-Hillal and the magnificent Cyrene (too bad it was too dark to see) before reaching Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya. He explained the histories of each place we passed. Now I understood why he wanted to use coastal road – to demonstrate his guiding skills.
Perhaps because of the fish I ate during lunch, I developed severe pain in my stomach. I bought some medicine at a drug store in Benghazi. The guide took some fast food from a nearby restaurant to save some time. Even though when we reached Ajdabiya it was already 1:00 a.m.
The hotel they selected for me, Amal Africa Hotel, is very new and clean. However, I didn’t have a chance to enjoy it. The guide politely asked me to get up at 5:30 a.m. the next day for a long journey deep into the Sahara in the south.
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| Commonwealth War Cemetery, Tobruk |
Apr. 15, 2008
Ajdabiya to Germa
I did get up early in the morning. After having some breakfast in the hotel, we started the journey at 6:30 a.m. Just 4 hours later we passed Sirt and turned south into the heart of the desert. We stopped at Houn around 2:30 p.m. for lunch. On the way the guide bought some juice (directly from the local trees) and asked me to try. Delicious, I would say, although it’s very sweet. The more we drove south, the darker people’s skin turns to be. Much of the desert is flat until Sehba after that dunes start to appeal. When we reached our campsite near Germa, it was 8:30 p.m.
Although it’s called a campsite, they are actually solid buildings and heater is provided in the room. Shared bath is also available. The only complaint I had was the bed is too narrow and it’s very difficult to turn around when sleeping. The campsite cooked big and delicious grilled chicken for us. My stomach was still not good so I didn’t eat a lot.
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| Desert Highway |
Apr. 16, 2008
Ubari Lakes
I spent two days from the border to get here just to see the lakes in the desert. It turned out to be well worth the journey. As soon as I walked out of my little room, I was already excited. There are beautiful sand dunes just behind the campsite. After breakfast, a 4WD jeep with a local driver was waiting there. Although I joined a sand safari tour 4 month ago in Oman, I have to say that this time, in the heart of Sahara, is the real thing. The jeep went up and down in the desert with dramatic sand dunes and occasional palm trees around. I couldn’t imagine any desert experience better than this. “Are you afraid?” the guide asked me. “Not at all. I’m excited.” I replied.
Less than one hour later, we arrived at Mafo Lake, the first one we were about to explore. The lake is not very big but extremely beautiful. There were some local Twareg people selling souvenirs near the lake. They are very “black” people, more like “African” than “Libyan” – should I say?
We spent about half an hour at Mafo Lake before continuing 10 minutes to see the biggest lake with water in the region, Gebraoun Lake, equally beautiful but large and against some big sand dunes (or hills perhaps I should say). Some kids were swimming in the lake. People were living near the lake before until the government ordered everyone to leave and live in a newly built town called New Gebraoun along the highway 16 years ago. There were still many unused houses in the area. I took off my shoes and climbed uphill. Unbelievable I was there! Overlooking the lake from the top is amazing. I then walked down a little bit and used the natural slope as the bed to sleep for a while and then read a book. Fantastic! “I will remember the experience forever in my life.” I said to myself.
It was getting a little bit hot at noon and I left the dunes (with regret) and walked around the lake to the rest point where I had lunch and spent a few more hours reading a book. Around 5:30 p.m. we left Gebraoun Lake to see the last lake. On the way we spotted a white sand snake and an old local Twareg man riding on the camel. “Is it real?” I asked myself.
The last lake, Umm al-Maa Lake (Mother of Water), is similar to the other two. There were a group of Twareg people sitting next to the lake. They looked as having a meeting. Perhaps tired of selling souvenirs? It was late afternoon and there were no other tourists out their.
Before heading back, the guide took me to Mandara Lake. 30 years ago it was the largest lake in the area but now there is no water left, just a huge hole. “What happened to the lake?” I asked the guide. Unfortunately he didn’t know, or he didn’t want to tell me – I had no idea.
That night I had real camping in the desert (near the campsite of last night). They provided a mattress for me. It was very windy that night and I got a lot of sand. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well. But it was some interesting experience.
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| Gebraoun Lake |
Apr. 17, 2008
Germa to Tripoli
After breakfast at the campsite, the guide asked me to wait for the car. Two hours passed and nothing happened. I asked the campsite owner. He said it's a small town and it’s sometimes difficult to find a car. I was puzzled. Around 12:00 noon a car arrived, not the same car I used in the first two days. The driver was a black local guy. I asked the guide what happened to the previous driver and he said “he went home”. I now realized how this works. It turns out they need to find drivers at each place – a real economic way to do tours. After two hours, we reached Sabhā and had lunch there. I had my first Couscous meal. The guide told me that Couscous is only planted in Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. It’s so delicious that I ended up buying a bag in Tripoli later to bring it back home to cook myself.
After lunch we changed to another car and continued north. It’s a big van and the young driver drove it at 150 km per hour but very smoothly. It’s a different road that passes Shwareet where we had a 5 minute tea break. In the last two hours before Tripoli, we passed a mountain range that runs from the Algeria border through Leptis Magna. When we eventually reached Tripoli, the guide seemed to have some trouble finding the hotel. He finally found it, the Al Thuraya Hotel, hidden on a small road off the main al-Mukhtar Street. It was almost 11:00 p.m. By this time he asked me to pay the 1,320 euro for the 6 day package tour. I did and had my buffet dinner at the hotel. My stomach is back to normal now.
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| A local restaurant in Sabhā |
Apr. 18, 2008
Leptis Magna
Although I had been in Libya for 4 days, I didn’t get any local money yet. The package tour covers most of the expenses. But I have a habit of collecting currencies. I also needed some spare money to buy some snacks and souvenirs and for emergency. The guide paid the medicine I bought in Benghazi and I still needed to return the money to him. So I requested the guide to take me to a bank to change some money. Unfortunately it was Friday and all the banks were closed. We went to a five star hotel to try the ATM. Luckily it worked.
Leptis Magna is about one hour drive east of Tripoli. It’s the second largest Roman Ruins after the one in Rome. Although the package tour covers the entrance fee, I was asked to pay the 5 LD “camera fee” (who doesn’t have a camera? I wondered). I spent about 2 hours wandering in the site. Being a nature lover, I seemed to be more interested in the Mediterranean Sea than the ruins. Honestly speaking, the ruins are quite magnificent and perhaps the biggest and the best I have seen, especially the "Theater" where you could see the sea.
After having lunch at a nearby restaurant (full of tourists), we visited the museum (a little boring) and checked out the circus (a huge Roman architecture near the sea, better than all the things inside the paid site in my opinion) before heading back to Tripoli. The driver was driving at 180 km per hour according to the meter. But I didn’t feel that fast. I started to wonder if the speed meters in the cars in Libya are the same as those in the rest of the world.
When we reached the hotel, the guide told me that the driver would come to pick me up to eat at a restaurant at 8:00 p.m. and the general manager of the travel agency would serve me for the last day. I thanked him and gave him 20 LD tip. It was about 6:00 p.m.
Of course I would not stay in the hotel. I needed to check out the city myself. I walked along the main al-Mukhtar Street to the old city, checked out the port and walked along a different road inside the old city, bought a bag of Couscous on the way for 1.5 LD and returned to my hotel before 8 p.m. Tripoli is a charming city and the only 2 hours I spent there without company turned out to be the most relaxing times I had in the country.
The driver just arrived at the same time. I jumped into his car. It seemed they just wanted to take me out to eat. First he took me to the old city. For some reason (restaurant full? no parking? I had no idea) he drove me back to a place near the hotel. I ended up having dinner at a busy Lebanese fast food restaurant. He asked me to take anything on the menu. I ordered a grilled lamb liver for 12 LD. Looking at the other items on the menu, I noticed the cheapest one is 7 LD. It’s just a regular restaurant, nothing luxury. I started to think that Libya is a high cost country.
When we drove back, the driver didn’t seem to remember the hotel. I ended up giving him the directions (I remembered the way before I left the hotel for walking because I had to come back myself!) I was not upset anyway. Perhaps this was a new hotel the agency just associated with.
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| The "Theater" at Leptis Magna |
Apr. 19, 2008
Tripoli
At 9:00 a.m. the general manager of the travel agency greeted me at the hotel lobby. He looks like the driver from the last day but had a much better car. He took me to Martyrs Square and parked the car there. We went to the Royal Jordanian office first (I just wanted to make sure there were no problems with the ticket I bought online). I then spent about an hour in the museum inside that castle. It’s a not a bad one although the item I was most interested in turned out to be a car Colonel Gaddafi used to drive 30 years ago. After the museum, the general manager walked me through the old city which I already explored the day before. He then sent me to the airport, gave me two company bags as souvenirs and said good-bye to me at the airport (no lunch), marking the end of the 6 day (5.5 day to be exact) package tour. I spent my last 5 LD on a pizza and a small bottle of water at the airport restaurant before boarding the 3:05 p.m. airplane to Amman (and then Bangkok).
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| A car Colonel Gaddafi used to drive (Jamahiriya Museum, Tripoli) |
Overview
This trip covers pretty much the major hot spots in the Middle East (shortly after I left, former US president Jimmy Carter went to the region and shook hands with the heads of most of the countries I just visited). Lebanon and Syria are kind of similar (they were the same country before World War II anyway) although the later is much neater. There are no world class sites there but people are quite friendly.
Jordan is the most expensive country to visit in the Middle East (except for Libya of course). Tourism is well developed. Almost every site has an entrance fee and most places are quite regulated (no negotiations, etc.). Mariam Hotel is a good base to explore the surrounding areas and to take a shared bus (minivan) to Petra via King’s Highway. The people in the hotel are quite friendly although the drivers they use are not necessarily the same. Touts are rare throughout the country but some people (especially the drivers) tend to try their best to earn more money whenever possible.
Egypt is not as messy and dangerous as I imagined. Except for some people at certain tourist places asking for tips, most people are friendly and helpful. Many people showed me the way without asking for anything. The best thing of Egypt is that everything is so cheap (except for entrance fees to the major tourist sites of course). There seem to be some opportunities for the hotel businesses in the country – I couldn’t find a hotel easily for 3 out of my 4 nights there.
Libya is the only country that requires visitors to take package tours. Almost half of the money I spent for the entire trip contributed to this country. But I didn't regret it since it’s perhaps the most dramatic destination in the whole journey. I was in general quite happy with the tour company, especially the guide who always asked for my opinion before making decisions. I’d rather complain about the system. On the other hand, from what I could see, it’s not a cheap and easy country to travel to even if independent traveling is allowed (most signs, even the highways and the airport, are in Arabic only) though it will definitely open the challenge to those daring when this day eventually comes.
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