A Desert New Year's Day

Wadi Rum, Jordan

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

After a not so early breakfast, we headed out from our one desert camp to another desert camp. This time we were heading out the to G-Adventures camp, which is much more isolated and quiet in an area known as Wadi Rum or the Valley of the Moon.

A look at our NYE camp in the daylight.

That's the main cooking/eating area.

It was a quick (but slightly chilly) ride in the back a few jeeps to make our way to our new camp. Also neslted in nicely against some rocks and just down a little hill (so out of sight from anyone driving by), we arrived well before lunch time.

Our G-Adventures home in the desert.

My little tent. I wasn't sharing so lots of extra blankets. Nights in the desert are a wee bit chilly, especially this time of year.

A little walk up the sand hill from our camp and this is the view. Not bad if I do say so myself.

There is just something about the desert.

No trees around and other than some rocks I'm the only one able to cast a shadow.

Why am I standing on this fire looking like I conquered it? Well that's because the boys tried and tried and could not get it started.....they eventually gave up. I got it going though.

We had some lunch at the camp and then it was off to the Deseih Desert for a jeep ride. The area is full of natural rock formations and we would get to see a whole lot of them.

Some pretty views on those big sand hills.

Our jeeps.....seriously not very warm but good fun.

Part way through we stopped at a Bedouin camp for some tea and refreshments.

We were treated to some traditional music as well.

Just one of the amazing natural rock formations we got to see.

One of the highlights of the tour was our stop at Burdah Bridge, which at 35 metres (114 feet) high is one of the highest natural bridges in the world. Although I never knew it's name before I certainly have seen pictures before.

Looking down from the top of Burdah Bridge.

I took that last picture from where you can see those people standing. It really is high up but worth the climb to get up there.

A little video of our trek through the desert.

Before heading back to camp we found ourselves a nice high location to watch the sunset.

Pretty Sky.

Still a bit of light left, but not much.

The last light of a really great day.

After the sun disappeared we headed back to camp for another great traditional dinner. Again everything cooked in the ground.....so good. After dinner Ayman lead us on a trek out into the desert. Absolutley pitch black with zero light pollution we were able to see pretty much every star in the sky. We had a nice little fire, some tea and had a nice enjoyable time.

Eventually we made the trek back to camp, warmed up with some tea next to the fire before heading off to bed. Tomorrow would be another early start.

Julie

A Night in the Desert

Outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Thursday, May 2nd and Friday, May 3rd, 2013

I'm sure you are aware that there is a very large expat community in Riyadh and we are always looking for normal things to do to keep us occupied. The many organized camping trips every year are certainly something we look forward to and this weekend I got my first opportunity to attend one. Now you have to remember that things are never that simply around here, especially of late. There have been many raids by the Mutaawa'a and we've seen an increase in arrests again. Obviously being caught with alcohol is an arrestable offence but so is being caught with a man who is not my father, brother or husband.....which means even co-ed camping trips are technically against the law.

That doesn't stop people for doing stuff though and this trip was no exception. There was a large group of us going, split between 3 vehicles and we would join a couple hundred or so other people at an undisclosed location in the desert. In fact only a few people knew the actual location. Camp organisers met groups of vehicles in various locations in Riyadh and then we would travel out to the camp location. I didn't know what to expect once we got out there so I was surprised to see how organised everything was. Each little group normally had their own fire and brought their own food and tents etc but there was one main area, with tents set up and a DJ.....and some "punch" for the group. There was a nominal fee (100SAR I think) charged by the organisers to cover those costs but basically it was a giant party in the desert.

 A look at our little campsite. I found this little blue tent under the bed in the spare room. There were no instructions with it so it took us a bit of time to get it set up but we still did better than a lot of boys. The ground was a little soft too but luckily there were a lot of rocks around to hold the tent in place.

A few of the other random campers and in the background you can see the party tents. Just for reference, the black corners on these pictures are not meant to be artistic, it's just a sign that I need a new camera.

Watching the sunset, while dinner is cooking. Fires are allowed so we had some great meat cooked over some hot flames.

Another look at the desert sunset. So pretty. Of course once the sun went down,  the party really got started.

A look at a few of the party goers. It was a smaller crowd than was originally expected (I know a bunch of people were scared off by recent raids on western parties) but it was still a great time.

The next morning people slowly got up, had some breakfast and then headed home. Good thing is the group was very good and cleaned up after themselves. Not a lot of garbage left behind.

 

It was certainly a short little trip, and probably a lot more work than one night deserves but it was a good time and totally worth it. Camp outs are hosted a few times a year so hopefully we'll head out on another one soon.

 

Julie

Mountains to the Left of Me, Ocean to the Right

Travel from Split to Dubrovnik, Croatia
Friday, June 22, 2012

I certainly enjoyed my time in Split but it wasn’t that hard to say goodbye. Compared to up North and Plitvicka it was too busy and there were too many tourists. Of course I’m expecting a lot of the same in Dubrovnik but since I decided to stay a little bit farther outside the Old City I figured it would be a bit quieter.

Ahhh the coastline. So pretty.

A very nice day for a drive. Really enjoyable.

One of the many small islands you will find off the coast.

I first had to get to Dubrovnik though. It’s only a couple hundred kilometres but the access to a major highway with a 130 km/hr speed limit ended at Split and turned into a 2 lane windy road you can barely drive faster than 70 km/hr (except locals who know the roads and are clearly irritated by tourists driving.) Despite the slow speed it is a fabulous drive. It follows the coast and is squeezed in between the Adriatic Sea and the mountains. It really is breathtaking but you do need to pay attention as the road has many unexpected curves and corners and drivers very often hugging or hovering over the centre line. A fun part about this drive as well is that you actually travel through a portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the way. I wasn't quite sure what to do. I have never been through these types of border crossings before and I must say I'm pretty sure the guys could not read a word of my English language Passport but I got through and made it to the other side.

A look at Dubrovnik. Don't worry you'll get a closer look soon.

Eventually I made it to Dubrovnik where I needed to find my hotel. I didn't have a local map so was hoping I would easily be able to spot the signs directing me to the place (cities here are great for that) Unfortunately I didn’t see them and I went left instead of right, got caught in traffic and then a dead end street and then at one point actually left Dubrovnik before finding my way back, finding someone who spoke enough English to give me directions and then safely made it to my hotel. Nestled into a cliff and overlooking the water, every room has an Adriatic view (and a good view). I was looking forward to my splurge weekend in the city. Full 5 Star weekend all the way.

I was a little concerned that the bed wasn't big enough but I got through it.

The view from my room. Nice place to watch the sunset.

Just a small glimpse of that sunset.

 

That first night I didn’t even leave the hotel. Some drinks in the lounge (watching the sunset), room service (I love room service) and then a great night sleep in my king sized bed. Life is so hard sometimes. Saturday was going to be another busy day.

 

Julie

A bit of a climb.....but so worth it!!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008
Napflio, Greece

Looking up at part of Palamidi Fortress from somewhere on the staircase below.

So I got up this morning, looking forward to my climb up to Palamidi Fortress (or Castle of Palamidi depending on what you a reading). The fortress is 999 steps up. I did not count but I am sure that is what it was. It certainly felt like it. The stairs just kept winding back and forth across the mountain until you eventually reach the top.

The final steps heading towards the gate. I was very happy to see these steps as it finally meant I was at the top....... or so I thought.

Of course there is still more up hill and stairs to climb once you get there as you can wander around most of the fortress freely and the gate is not at the highest point. There are many different parts to the fortress including a jail and a church and some other things but really the reason you go up there is for the view. It gives you a great view of the city and the Argolic Gulf below. They say the colour of the water is a different colour every hour of the day. I totally believe it.

A few shots of Argolic Gulf from high above.

I wandered around the Fortress for a couple hours. Wasn’t always sure what I was looking at but I am learning more and more that you don’t always need to know its name to appreciate it.

A few of the structures along the outer wall of the fortress.

I hit a few dead end and tried to avoid the cliffs (there was a sign saying keep out but nothing else) but I could almost always find another way around.

One of the random pathways I found to follow.

The snake encounter in Mystras did have me watching my feet a lot but actually never saw much at all…not even those little lizards that drive me crazy (stop laughing Deb, we don’t all enjoy getting licked by iguanas). I opted for flip-flops today and it actually worked out really well. I don’t really like wearing shoes….ever and have been in them way too much the last 2 months.

Look, I found a track. Imagine that.

So the trip down the hill has me asking myself if I am paranoid. There was group of boys (well 3 of them…is that a group?) that found their way to me at the top of the hill. They then proceeded to follow me down the hill. If I slowed down they slowed down, if I stopped they stopped. At first I just thought, hey I am paranoid and they are just walking down the hill. That was until one of them walked up beside me on the stairs and started snapping his fingers and whistling at me. Really it seemed like he was calling me like I was a dog or something. I flashed him a really nice look (sarcasm again) and I think he got my point. I went a few more steps and then simply sat down and kind of motioned them to pass. They eventually did…but it was a slow process. I just hung out there for a while until the disappeared from my view down the steps.

A couple shots of the great view.

I am thinking that I am noticing the guys here more than in other places because I was expecting to have an issue with them. Maybe I just did a better job of ignoring it elsewhere…however, I know it can’t all be just me being paranoid.

Looking through the outer wall of the fortress. If you really look hard you can see the beach. No I did not head to the beach. It was nice today but not that nice.

Once down the hill, I needed to find a good way to spend a nice warm afternoon. I don’t know about you but warm weather, free time and vacations always means margaritas. So I headed back to my hotel to grab my laptop and made my way to a couch in a bar down by the water. A few drinks and a dead battery later it was back to the hotel to charge up and do a little packing before I headed back to one more bar (I had to pick a different one this time as the sun had set and the air really cools down once that happens and I needed to find a heater to sit under).

Ok one more shot of the great view....and me enjoying it.

Speaking of sunsets though, I have certainly enjoyed a few of those the past few nights here. I am kind of thinking I don’t want to leave tomorrow although I am looking forward to getting to see Athens. I will certainly be back here though a some point. There was many other little places throughout the area that I would like to visit and think this would be a great home base…especially this time of year when the weather is still warm but the place is quiet. So far Napflio has been the greatest surprise.

Another beautiful sunset in Nafplio.

Thinking about heading to Athens again has me thinking. Athens means the end of my time in Greece, which is sad, but gets me closer to my time in Turkey, which is exciting. It also means just that little bit closer to having to head home. This trip is just flying by and I am not sure I am ready to be back on Canadian soil just yet......but I guess I still have time.

Julie