Athens II

We disembarked the ship with the last group (we didn’t have a plane to catch, so we were assigned last) and the ship was eerily empty. The cruise bus took us to the airport, where we stayed at a hotel that was literally across the street from the airport. Miraculously, we couldn’t hear the planes, and now that we were no longer rocking, I immediately took a nap that was the best sleep I had had in two weeks. Andy and I both caught ourselves gently rocking back and forth whenever we stood still!

We repacked, enjoyed the gigantic bath tub, and even walked to the airport for lunch! We had an early flight, so it was also good to navigate the airport in advance. Dinner at the hotel was nice, and we fell asleep glad that here we were, five weeks later, in one piece and still loving each other.

Heading back to Athens

We slept in late, tired from a mind blowing day in Egypt and a sleep-inducing dinner of barbecued American goodness. I think the whole ship slept in! Andy attended the mandatory disembarkation class, and we began to prepare to leave our home of two weeks. I was thrilled that the sea had been calm and that my food had stayed where it was supposed to the rest of the trip. Andy was thrilled that all of our stuff still fit in our suitcases!

We enjoyed our last day on ship with final shopping trips, final chances at Texas Hold ‘Em, final movies, and everything else. By now I was counting down the hours until we were home in the States with grocery stories, recognizable brands, signs in English, and a wiggly dachshund who loves us. While waiting, I made a brief list of some of what we missed about home:

Target, Goobers, Pizza Hut, Cooking, Free Laundry with reliable water pressure and recognizable detergent, Computer Games, Jeans, Reliable toilets with toilet paper, Our pillow top king size bed, TV in English, Driving, Fall leaves, and Solid ground.

Egypt!!!!

I’ve had few surreal days in my life– boarding the plane to leave for college the first time, landing in Ireland, getting married, and now this day. People, I saw the frickin’ Sphinx. That’s crazy!

I hardly slept the night before, even though I had placed Andy on strict restriction not to discuss the next day when we went to bed. We had requested breakfast in our room, as we had such an early start to our day, and we weren’t the only ones. Our hall was full of doorknobs with menu orders hanging from them! When we boarded our bus, we were handed a box lunch, a bottle of water, and personal bottle of hand sanitizer.  Our excursion was 13 hours long, and a very popular one, as the entire ship practically vacated, and there were a lot more buses than usual at the port.

We wound our way through the empty streets of Alexandria, as it was their Sabbath (Friday) and everyone was still asleep. That was good for us, as traffic there can add hours to the excursion. The buildings are narrow, old, and dirty, and it somehow just looked like what I thought it would. Most of the day, I didn’t feel like I was in Africa, but in the Middle East, due to the climate, terrain, and dress of the people. That would make sense, considering where the country is located, but I don’t FEEL like I’ve been to Africa. Andy said he needs to see some elephants and giraffes before he can say he’s been to Africa!

We had a long ride from Alexandria to Cairo, but our tour guide, an Egyptologist, was so interesting and informative. I also had my iPod, which was nice when he wasn’t talking. Many of the people on board napped, but I wanted to see EVERYTHING, so I was wide awake the entire time. The iPod helped with that, too.

I briefly saw the Nile River, but as it was in the middle of Cairo, it felt just like crossing any bridge over a river. I think I need Moses reeds and desert to feel like it’s the Nile! The city is an interesting mix of very modern buildings, mosques, shacks, and ancient sites. The pyramids are across the street from the city– that’s weird.

We arrived at the hot chaos that is the Egyptian Museum. Very neat, but so crowded and hot, with corrupt employees who try to get you to pay for the free bathrooms (ha! Neither of us fell for it! Take that, bathroom janitor people!). We couldn’t take cameras inside, but I did buy postcards and tried to look at the artifacts extra hard. There were, of course, lots of mummies and funeral masks, as well as some super cool burial chambers, giant statues, and mummified animals. The highlight, of course, it the room full of the treasures of King Tut. Seeing the famous gold burial mask was SO surreal– I’ve seen it it pictures, on TV, and on Ducktales (the best cartoon show after Muppet Babies, thank you very much), but wow, there it was.

After the museum, we went to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. Our guide warned us to be careful of the agressive and corrupt merchants and camel guys at the pyramids. No kidding! Thankfully Andy and I were pretty good at this stuff after five weeks, but I still made Andy hold my hand the entire time. I kept telling him (only half joking) that the turbaned men on camels who were commenting on how pretty I was were going to kidnap me to sell in some market somewhere. It was weird, if the guy giving me the compliment had been some old guy in lederhosen in Austria, I would have thought it was cute. Here, it was like a scary CNN report waiting to happen.

While taking in the wonder (and dust) that are the pyramids, particularly the giant one, we ended up in the middle of a fight between a man who had stolen another man’s camel. While the police are there to “handle things”, they didn’t really make me feel any better, since they drove off the thief by throwing rocks at him. Dude, where are the French police with their scary berets and machine guns? Why is scary Egypt patrolled by guys with rocks?

Once we were safely out of rock-throwing and sandal-beating range, it was funny. Until another one started in front of us, which is when Andy and I decided to wait on the air-conditioned bus. But we did take our pictures, touch the pyramid, and steal a little bit of sand to take home to Jeanne. While I had originally wanted my picture taken with a camel, the guys were so scary that I decided I liked my health, sanity, and life better than a coll picture. And I liked my camera, which they probably would have also taken to sell in a market somewhere.

We continued down the road the join the crowds at the Sphinx, which you can’t touch but you can get a nice view of. Who knew that the Sphnix also has back paws and a tail? They never show that part on Ducktales…. But they did have the viewing area all set up for the nighttime light show that was featured in James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me. That was almost as cool as seeing the Spinx! Where was Jaws? Roger Moore?

We then went to a very nice, safe market where you’re not afraid that the merchants are going to pull out a machete a la Indiana Jones . Andy and hardly purchased anything on our excursions, as we had little suitcase space, but we did pick up a few things, since when we will ever be here again???

Our long day finally culminated in a very late lunch at a hotel that used to be a palace. Thank goodness for the boxed lunches from the ship, as we ate breakfast at 6:30 am and reached the hotel at around 3:30 pm! The hotel was opulent and the food was very food- the lamb rice was sinfully good, so I opted for seconds of that rather than try the desserts, which looked weird. The people at our table confirmed my fears when they tried the desserts. Glad I stuck with the yummy rice and not the geltainesque stuff. Did I mention that Coca-cola is the most amazing tasting beverage when you are halfway around the world and hot?

We had a long ride back to Alexandria, with a great question and answer time with our guide, who didn’t eat until the sun went down (Ramadan, remember?). The sunset was UNBELIEVABLE. Hot pink and orange, setting quickly into the desert horizon. I tried to capture a picture, but the bus and sun were moving too fast, and even if I had gotten it, I know the picture wouldn’t do it justice. Like most of our day, it was straight out of a movie.

We ended our very long and hot day by arriving on the ship to an outdoor barbecue on the pool deck! The ship crew had a big party going when we arrived, and after such a crazy day, we found the American-ness of it all comforting. I was in serious need of a mojito and some barbecue chicken at that moment! Though if Andy hums “Walk Like an Egyptian” one more time….

Cyprus

I think we would have liked Cyprus more if we hadn’t already been to Rhodes. Rhodes was so beautiful that it would be hard to top. The seaside part was quite lovely in Cyprus, but the rest of it reminded me a lot of the terrain, color, and weather of dusty Eastern Washington in the summer. We took the tour because the city of Limassol is a divided capital, as part of it is occupied by some not-so-nice Turkish people (that “country” is only recognized by Turkey, not even by the UN). We thought it would be cool and vaguely like Berlin once was, or Belfast, but it was just a dusty city with an ugly wall.

We did enjoy seeing an ancient Byzatine church (small, but very elaborate and full of gold) and a museum full of excavated artifacts. Our bus parked next to a memorial statue about freedom (near the wall, of course) and it was stunningly lifelike and beautiful.

This was a shorter tour, which was ok, as it was very very hot out and we needed to rest up before our very early excursion took us on a long and exciting tour the next day– Egypt!

Rhodes, Greece

Today we went to the beautiful Mediterranean island of Rhodes. We have decided that we need to see more Greek islands! Rhodes was just lovely.

We began our tour in the Medieval walled city that was once run by the Knights of St. John. Andy really enjoyed this part, and while we were shopping in the fantastic market in the ancient city, he bought a nice sword to add to his collection. Today the city also houses a castle that was intended to be Mussolini’s summer palace.

 

(The coolest gelato store ever!)

This panoramic tour was really something else, with the blues and greens of the sea and the startling topless sunbathers. We saw villages and ancient ruins and then had lunch at a very nice hotel that had a private beach. Andy and I made sure we grabbed a brochure in case we were ever able to return to the hotel! We had enough time to walk to the beach (Andy shielded his eyes from the topless old ladies and men in speedos) and stick our feet in the Mediterranean.

Our tour continued at a pottery ship where we watched a potter make a vase and I was able to enjoy the olive trees. We passed the area where scholars believe the Colossus of Rhodes once stood, another one of the Wonders of the Ancient World (that’s two out of seven, and we will see more in Egypt!). 

 

Our final stop was the ruins of the Lindos Acropolis, which I personally enjoyed a lot more than the one in Athens. While still crowded, I didn’t feel like a cow in a herd on the way to slaughter like I did in Athens. The climb is steep, but well worth it, as the temple ruins overlook the sea. At the bottom of the long, steep hill (you can even hire donkeys to take you up!) there is a tiny village of narrow cobbled streets where Andy and I enjoyed a much-needed glass of fresh orange juice and I seriously contemplated bringing home a stuffed donkey toy for Goobers.

We really enjoyed our hot day in Rhodes and would recommend it, hands down. That night, we enjoyed Chef Night, a big extravaganza in the dining room where the menu is set, you have to wear a silly hat, and the waiters put on a show. Afterwards, we checked out the elaborate dessert night buffet in the pool area. We were too full from our yummy dinner to partake, but we oohed and aahed at ice sculptures, melon carving, and chocolate fountains. 

Ephesus, Turkey

Today was a GREAT excursion day. We knew the second half of our cruise would have some really fantastic tours, and this was a great way to start it off. Our tour guide was exceptional– we gave him the biggest tip out of all of our guides because he was so knowledgeable, honest, and organized. We hit every sight on time, thanks to him, as he reminded us that the difference between a tourist and a hitchhiker is five minutes.

The harbor was beautiful, and soon we were headed up a steep, narrow, winding road that no bus should be navigating, especially since there was uncoming traffic and few guard rails! It reminded me of Ireland, without the cows and sheep. Our first stop was at Virgin Mary’s house, the place she lived out her days after Christ’s crucifixion. There were many devout people there, including a church service being held for the nuns who run and caretake the house. It is a small, three room house that is, of course, now full of icons and candles. Perhaps it is sacriligious to use this descriptor, but it was really cool.

The tour continued on to the highlight of the trip, the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus (yes, the same people that Apostle Paul wrote his letter to). The ruins are well preserved and our guide was knowledgeable and passionate. I enjoyed seeing the library and walking down the ancient marble road.

 

 On our way out, Andy stopped to use the pay toilets while I took a picture of the funniest sign I have ever seen. Gotta love the lost in translation effect….

We continued on to the ruins St. John’s tomb and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The tour guide also took us to a museum full of the artifacts that had been excavated from Ephesus. Many of the ruins have yet to be excavated, and they estimate it will take at least another thousand years to complete!

Over lunch, we met a lovely couple on their honeymoon. The Berry’s live in Georgia and Steven is a writer, so we talked about books, travel, and how annoying the aggressive merchants were. Lunch was great– a fantastic spread provided by a local hotel and served at a train station museum. We ate outside under tents and watched an ethnic dance show, which I was very happy to see! I snapped some nice videos of them doing some pretty cool Turkish dancing. Andy liked the swords.

On our way back to the ship, we saw the present day city of Kusadasi, full of signs in both English and Arabic. For some reason, Arabic license plates are really amusing to me. It’s just so weird to not see any numbers! At the ship, we were greeted with wet, lavendar scented hand towels and plenty of Purell, which was lovely after such a hot, dusty day. We spent the rest of our time in the pool, as it had been a VERY hot day.

At Sea

Today was our day at sea on our way back to Turkey. After three weeks of being constantly on the go, it was nice to wander the ship in my flip flops, knowing that the ship was doing all the hard traveling work for us! I really liked the onboard library, with the books, DVDs, magazines, and board games to enjoy. Andy really liked the ever- present food selection! We lunched in the casual cafeteria and ended up sharing our table with the captain, which made us feel very cool.

Andy enjoyed a swedish massage at the spa, and I tried out their full body scrub with mini-massage. I kept thinking “this must be what it feels like to be a steak being rubbed down to be grilled”, but thankfully, salty, limey Treasure was not grilled, just sent to the shower. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone!

That evening was a formal night, so we had our portrait taken again (it was really fun to look at everyone’s posted pictures from dinners and excurions. It was one of our favorite activities on the ship, as some of the pictures were really funny.). Another one of our favorites was to take in the music at one of the lounges. Every evening the same guy sat at the bright blue piano and played fantastic Rat Pack and Lounge Lizard songs. It was a hoot! We briefly attended the black and white ball that night, where the passengers can dance with the officers. While it was cute to see the old ladies stalking the officers for a dance (I’m not kidding), it was also a bit frightening and we had an early morning, so we bid goodnight to our Canadian friends and slept more than I bet those Dancing Queens did. 

Ukraine from Afar

Today the port was Sevastopol, Ukraine, and Andy and I had opted to skip it back when we were reserving excursions at home. None of the excursions had appealed to us, and we rechecked them on the ship and they still weren’t doing it for us. So, instead we had a nice day with a quiet ship. We indulged in the pool, which was great, since it was empty! We hot tubbed, ate, napped, played at the casino, and all those things you’re supposed to do on a cruise. We were really on this cruise to see parts of the world that we normally wouldn’t take a train or plane to, so we hadn’t really “cruised” like many of the other passengers yet. The staff served a lovely afternoon tea and we also indulged in some cruisy, fruity drinks at the outdoor aft bar, with the wind and fresh air to enjoy. What gorgeous starry nights! It was nice to chill out, watch movies, and lose money at the slot machines. What, not even a gum ball when I put in my quarter???

Odessa, Ukraine

I was finally feeling better and starting to feel confident that I would not spend the entire trip being sick all night. In fact, by now I was quite hungry and inhaled an ungodly amount of syrup-drenched sausage and hash browns for breakfast. Mmmmm, grease.

Odessa FELT like the Ukraine– dark, cold, rainy, and very Eastern Bloc. I could easily imagine we were still in the USSR. Where was James Bond, I ask you?? We had a funny tour guide who told us jokes that I think are only funny if you are Ukrainian. She was very proud of her city and country, and it was odd to hear her say such things as we looked at dank, depressing buildings. The country has obviously had a difficult time, so at least I felt like we were helping a bit by offering our tourism and money.

We toured an Orthodox church, which was really neat to see, as it is so different from any churches we had seen up to this point. It was sort of a combination of a mosque and a Catholic church, as best as I can describe it. The next stop was a small art museum, which appalled me with the poor conditions. The pictures were in no way protected or preserved! It was a stark reminder that this city has a long way to go.

Lunch was nice, though I must say that Ukrainian food is not my favorite. It wasn’t bad, just kind of boring. And it was WAY too early in the day for me to face a plate of caviar and a glass of vodka! But we did eat borscht, which you have to admit, is a really cool word. It’s underwhelming pink soup, but the name is cool! We had the usual panoramic tour (code for driving through the city to our next stop), where we saw several brides, as it was the big wedding day of the week. The Prime Minister and the President of Ukraine were in Odessa to celebrate the grand reopening of their opera house, so many streets were closed and we were unable to enter the opera house. Originally we were supposed to see the Ukraine Ballet, which I was stoked to see, but due to the visit of dignitaries, we were sent to a different theater to see a musical performance.  

Traffic was so backed up that the performance started over an hour late, so we had intermission champagne and then a show with no intermission! Smart cruise directors– ply the impatient people with alcohol! We spent time with the couples from Canada, which kept us entertained, along with a group of really giggly women who had apparently drunk everyone’s untouched vodkas at lunch. The show itself was just fantastic and full of music that I recognized. Andy and I discussed later on that much of our initial exposure to such classical pieces was thanks to old Looney Tunes cartoons! We sat there listening to the orchestra while in our heads we saw Elmer Fudd and friends.

The rest of our day was the usual– nap, consume calories at the irresistable poolside taco bar, raputurously do laundry in real washers and dryers, and play on the ship.

Varna, Bulgaria

As I had not slept and no longer had anything resembling food in me, I unfortunately had to opt out on this day. Thankfully, Andy was able to get my excursion ticket refunded and enjoy his day while I nibbled at Saltines and freaked out over the fact that I still had 10 days on this ship.

I apparently picked the perfect day to miss, as the weather was icky (might explain the rocky night on board) and Andy spent a graym drizzly day in Varna. He did meet up with two lovely couples from Canada (brothers and their wives) and we ended up spending a lot of our ship time and excursions with them.

Andy took in a museum, church choir (which he said was really great), lunch with ethnic dancing (so mad I missed that!), and a petrified forest. It was a short excursion, so Andy was back in the early afternoon. We spent some more time on the ship, but he was on his own for dinner, as I wasn’t up to facing a room full of food smells just yet. It was very sweet, as many of the ship crew asked me the next day how I was feeling.

Not the most interesting post, I know, but it was a relaxing day and we knew we had to rest up for some serious adventures still to come. And, it’s really fun to people watch on the ship– there was scary makeup lady, constantly drunk gold digger lady, bad dancing man, cute dancing couple, inappropriately loud group from New Jersey….