tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6122926684694024082024-03-13T21:21:51.632+01:002Escapees: Mike AnnanA motorhome journey.
Europe, North Africa, Asia and beyond...
2003 The Arctic Circle
2004 Belarus, Russia and the Baltic States
2006 North Africa and the Middle East
2007 Sicily, Sardinia, Elba and Tuscany
2008 In the footsteps of Marco Polo : The Silk Road
2009/10 Iran, Pakistan, India & Nepal Yes Paris to Kathmandu.Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-13976829505716982322010-10-29T15:41:00.001+02:002010-10-29T15:41:14.232+02:00Germany, Switzerland & Italy<p>Just back home after a month away. First we met up with friends who came on the North Africa & Middle East Trip in 2006 then we went south. First to the Black Forest then to Engelberg and Lucano in Switzerland. Then to Milan and finally the south of France. Antibes, Cannes, St Tropez, Carcassonne and home. Great short trip just what a camper van was made for.</p> Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-73458370876437909562009-10-05T12:22:00.004+02:002009-10-05T12:30:51.218+02:00Paris to KathmanduYes the details are finalised we leave on 5th November, initially heading for Istanbul where we meet up with our small group who will be making this journey.<br /><br />From Turkey its into Iran and then Pakistan where we hope to cross into India on January 1st. So we travel through India for about 2 months visiting Amritsar, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Bangalore, Mahalibalipuram, Nellore, Hyderabad, Sihore, Varanasi, and then onto Kathmandu in Nepal.<br /><br />Sadly it is not possible to enter Tibet so we go back into India for a few weeks before making the return journey through Pakistan and Iran.<br /><br />All being well we will be in Cappadocia in late April and we plan to tour the Turkish Coast for most of May before returning home via the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.<br /><br />For almost daily updates on this fantastic journey you can follow our posts on facebook (Mike Annan) or on twitter (2escapees).Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-25504446810474938062009-08-09T11:39:00.002+02:002009-08-09T11:47:28.951+02:00India & Nepal 2010Well it looks as though this trip will be going. The plan is to meet our small group of travellers in Istanbul in early December 2009. From there eastwards through Iran and Pakistan before entering India, hopefully on New Years Day. So India in about 2 months visiting Amritsar, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Bangalore, Mahalibalipuram, Nellore, Hyderabad, Sihore, Varanasi, and then Kathmandu in Nepal. The return is back into India for another couple of weeks and then Pakistan and home slowly through Iran, Turkey and Greece.<br /><br />InshallahMike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-83938304029489089532009-04-30T10:46:00.001+02:002009-04-30T10:46:17.228+02:00BBC Earth Explorer<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/49ae98f201174dc2/49f96557c3091d0c/49ae98f201174dc2/11edaf75/widget.js"></script>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-87638634197851324042008-10-26T16:19:00.003+01:002008-10-26T16:27:44.254+01:00Beijing or bust!Well we made it! 29,000 kilometers and 18 countries in just under six months. It was fantastic but it is just impossible to summarize the wonders of this trip in a few words. Iran was wonderful, Turkmenistan just like a theme park, Kyrgyzstan was just unexpected and a excellent country to visit, Tash Rabat a very special place. We met some wonderful people and saw some unbelievable sights. China from the Muslim west to Beijing was more than we had expected. Mongolia and the train ride across the Gobi was an experience not to be missed as was Siberia and Kazakhstan.<br />So to spread the word about making a trip of this kind I am going to write a book which hopefully will get published.<br /><br />Bon voyageMike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-13611493596898159472008-05-31T10:19:00.000+02:002008-05-31T10:20:22.370+02:00In the footsteps Of Marco Polo Report 2<w:sdt contentlocked="t" sdtgroup="t" id="89512093"><span style="font-size: 1pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><w:sdtpr></w:sdtPr><w:sdt xpath="/ns0:BlogPostInfo/ns0:PostTitle" docpart="F282DCCA15DD40679D961B32E40C1756" text="t" storeitemid="X_7D90ED9A-3E87-4375-B4E7-1678AF00DF49" title="Post Title" id="89512082"></w:Sdt></span> </w:Sdt><p class="Publishwithline"><br /><w:sdtpr></w:sdtPr></p> <div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(79, 129, 189); border-width: medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 2pt;"> <p class="underline"><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> <p class="PadderBetweenControlandBody"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Samarkand 30<sup>th</sup> May 2008<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We travel not for trafficking alone<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For lust of knowing what should not be known <o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We take the Golden Road to Samarkand<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Whilst it does not seem like it, it was six weeks ago we were in Venice. The ferry to Igoumenista was excellent and having disembarked at 1am and there being no port formalities, not even a passport check, we were quickly on our way to Kalambaka and Meteora. Two days later we past Mount Olympus, shrugged in cloud, and continued past Thessalonika to Asprovalta and finally Alexandroupolis near the Turkish border.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Just three hours beyond the border was Istanbul where we stayed for 4 days in a parking area right in the centre next to the bus station. A tour of the Blue Mosque, Topkapi and the bazaar, where Judith had to buy appropriate clothes for Iran, plus necessary shopping ensued. We left Europe via the Sultan Emit toll bridge and continued to Ankara and onwards to eastern Anatole. Before entering Iran we camped for 2 nights under Mt Ararat and ventured out in a dolmus to see some of the special sites.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Iran was slow to enter with most of the day spent at the border. But once we were there it was totally different to what we had expected. People were very friendly and keen to talk, many speaking excellent English, and even on the roads passing traffic would slow down and wave enthusiastically. Our first stop was at Tabriz and you quickly notice that most cars are old Hillman Hunters in fact that one model of car is said to be responsible for 40% of Iran’s pollution. On the good side a tank full of diesel cost less than 1 euro or 80p but it takes an hour to get to the front of the queue. We continued to Tehran where we camped in a park above the city with great panoramic views. Having visited all the sites we continued south to Esfahan, where many of Iran’s greatest treasures are to be found. From there we headed north across the great salt desert towards the Turkmenistan border.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Entry into this former soviet dictatorship was painfully slow and took most of the day. Bribes had to be paid to various officials to ensure you got the appropriate stamp to move on to the next stage this was of course in addition to the entry fee, diesel tax, compulsory insurance and disinfection charges that had to be paid in US dollars. A lengthy argument took place because some of the group refused to pay the 15$ bribe to the customs officials but they gave in when is time to close the border. Ashgabat must be one of the strangest capitals in the world, more akin to Disneyland with its large marble buildings and gold statues which initially look quite impressive until you get close and see the poor construction and maintenance. It is clearly a country of a few very rich and many very poor. Having driven north to Mary and Merv we stayed an extra day because of visa problems. The Chinese had issued the necessary visas for the entire group but had subsequently decided that we could not enter Tibet Province nor could we travel along the road which was due to carry the Olympic torch. So we now could not enter China until June 30<sup>th</sup> which meant we needed extended visas for Uzbekistan and Krygkzstan so more bureaucracy and fees.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Compared with our two earlier border crossing it was a pleasure to enter Uzbekistan despite the delays and need for more bribes before we could leave Turkmenistan. We are part way through a 3 week stay in this our second former soviet republic. We had a great stay in Buchara and are now in Samarkand which must be one of the real highlights of our trip. Yesterday among other things we visited the site of grave of Daniel which of course had an adjacent Lion’s den; this is a very moderate Muslim country with pork and alcohol widely available.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This posting is short because of problems finding an internet connection that works; a more detailed account will be available later. So for now we continue to swelter in the 35 degrees heat of Samarkand.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A bientot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-20241953515813442582008-04-22T18:07:00.000+02:002008-04-22T18:10:38.227+02:00Home to Venice April 2008<div style="border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(79, 129, 189); border-width: medium medium 1pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 4pt;"> <p class="MsoTitle">In the footsteps of Marco Polo- Part One</p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It is Tuesday 22 April and we are in Venice at Camping Fusina waiting for our ferry to Igoumenista.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">We left home as planned on Wednesday last week and started our journey across France. At first we followed the Loire heading east crossing the swollen river firstly at Saumur and then at Tours and finally at Giens. We stayed the night at an aire de service at Piney which was quiet and easy to find. The following day we continued our journey north east follow the Moselle valley towards Luxembourg. Since we had not passport we hoped the border into Luxembourg was unmanned. We should not have worried because by the state of cleanliness, or total lack of it, the border posts have not been manned for years. We stopped at the first service area to fill up with Diesel because it is cheaper there than anywhere else in Europe at 1.13€ per litre that’s about 90p in UK speak.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">From Luxembourg the border into Germany was equally uneventful, and dirty, and by mid afternoon we were at Hausbay where our passports and Carnet de Passage awaited us. An unexpected surprise was Peter and Sieglinde from Graz in Austria were there so we had a pleasant dinner together. They are hoping to lead a small group to South America this November travelling as far south as Terra del Fuego and north through Argentina, Chile, and finishing at Rio de Janerio where the camping cars will be shipped back to Europe on a RORO ferry. I wonder if we can get back in time from Beijing.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">On Friday we headed south down the German autobahns towards Basel. Just south of Heidelberg a stone decided to create some damage to our windscreen leaving two large potholes and stars. A quick phone call to ADAC and then a free phone call to Carglass meant we had a appointment in Freiberg for the necessary repair to be undertaken an hour later. Carglass accepted our French insurance and repaired both pieces of damage in less than 45 minutes. So we were quickly on our way again and arrived at Eienwaldii in Engelberg, north of Luzern by 1800hrs, in time for a relaxing sauna and steam! Saturday was a day of rest, plus another sauna and steam trying to get rid of some nasty colds we had managed to pick up.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">On Sunday we took the easy route to Venice via the Saint Gotthard tunnel and down to Milan and across to Venice. 500 kilometres and almost all motorway plus the 10.5m (17km) St Gotthard tunnel is free and get you over the Alps in quick time despite the fact that the St Gotthard pass is still closed with snow. Camping Fusina is easy to find and our pitch overlooks the lagoon towards St Marks Square. The site runs an hourly motor launch service to Venice for just 10€ return and a day of sightseeing is just about enough, especially if you take 2 hours to enjoy a leisurely lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Because we want to travel “camping on board” our ferry does not leave till Wednesday at 2pm and we just have to sit here and enjoy the view even if the weather is not particularly good. The trip to Igoumenista takes 23 hours and cost us 226€ for our 7m camper and 2 passengers and we look forward to a pleasant crossing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-58456864876816515642008-03-02T12:28:00.003+01:002008-03-09T11:56:28.049+01:002004 Our Eastern Europe Tour.<h1 style="text-align: justify;">Moscow and the Golden Ring<br /></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">May 1<sup>st</sup> 2004 saw the accession of 10 new states to the European Union and this seemed an ideal time to finalise plans to visit at least four of those together with Russia and Belarus during the summer months. Living in France our journeys throughout Europe are easier than many readers may find, since we can ignore the problems and costs of crossing the English Channel and our standard French insurance covers all the new and old EU states, and all other countries for trips of less than 3 months, without additional costs. Also having been asked to assess campsites in many of these countries, for entry into the Alan Roger’s Guides, we were keen to finalise our trip and to get going. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our idea was to travel through Switzerland, Austria, and to assess new campsites there, and then go through one of the other new members, the Czech Republic, on route. It always seems to take longer to depart then we think, plus we needed to see the postman, le factuer, since he was going to keep all our post for the 14 weeks our journey was to take. Having confirmed with him the arrangements we duly departed. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">By the next afternoon we were queuing at the Swiss Customs Post in the Jura only a few miles from our first nights stop. A quick look at our passports and having asked how much money we had with us we crossed into the only western European country we would visit that wasn’t a EU member. We managed to stop at the Post Office and buy a vignette for the Swiss motorways, which cost 40CHF (£18) for the rest of the year and the period ending 31<sup>st</sup> January the following year. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">D</span><span style="font-size:100%;">uring the next 14 days we stayed at and inspected sites, small and large, for possible entry into the Guides. These sites were in the Jura, Valais and Graubünden Cantons and campers had recommended many of them. As well as looking at the sites we had ample opportunity to visit numerous tourist spots including Neuchatel, Lausanne and St Moritz. In Zermatt we could not resist the ride up the cog railway to Cornergrat.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The first sites we were due to inspect in Austria were in the East Tyrol and Carinthia, so our route would take us first into Austria, then into Italy, before going back into Austria. After World War 1, the southern part of the Tyrol became an autonomous province of Italy. So being geographically isolated from other parts of the Tyrol, the East Tyrol (Ost-Tirol) grew closer to its Carinthian neighbour. We bought a 2-month Austrian vignette a few yards past the manned border crossing at the tourist office. It cost 29€ (£16) and is for vehicles up to 3.5 tons, and you need a vignette for a caravan as well as the towing vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Over 3.5 tons you must purchase a “GO” box which charges a set fee, per km, to a credit card, by prior credit, for every journey you make on an Austrian motorway. The “GO” box is fitted to your windscreen and receives signals from strategically placed transmitters on motorway bridges and signposts. Almost all motor caravans, over 3.5t, would come within category 2 and would be paying € 0.130 per km. At toll tunnels vehicles with a “GO” box have a specific entrance booth and the toll is added to “GO” costs. More information on this system can be found at <a href="http://www.go-maut.at/">www.go-maut.at</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our only problem with the Austrian toll system, having bought the vignette, was having crossed the Europabrücke, the highest road bridge in Europe, before entering the Brenner Pass. A toll of 8€ is payable for vehicles under 3.5T, but the booth attendant looked at our 6.8m A class and asked for the registration papers. Of course this document is in French and shows three weights, 3.15T (empty) 3.5T (maximum) and 5.5T (maximum with trailer). He left the booth to find someone who could decide if our weight was really less than 3.5T. After 15 minutes, he returned non-the wiser and decided to charge the 8€. Apart from that our journey through the Brenner Pass was uneventful, and we were back in Austria later that afternoon. The moral of this lesson is to have a German translation of your registration document for this type of trip.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The next two weeks saw us stay at and inspect numerous campsites in Carinthia, Styria and the Vienna areas. Austrian campsites are excellent, with good facilities, wonderful locations and a very friendly and helpful welcome. One of the best sites we visited was Camping Berghof, on the banks of the Ossiacher See near Villach, which had just about everything as well as a Spar supermarket on site. Although the small site at Bairisch Kolldorf near the Slovakian border in Styria comes a very close second. On route I could not resist a visit to the spa, designed by Hundertwasser, in Blumau, with its very modern design and spa waters at 36<sup>o </sup>C. That was a great and relaxing diversion. So after about 4 weeks we found ourselves in Vienna ready to enter Czech Republic.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We had agreed not to do the tourist bit in the Czech Republic because we really had to get to Poland and would come back to the Czech Republic and Slovakia another year. The trip to Poland was to serve two purposes, firstly to visit and inspect 15 campsites and secondly to meet some German and English travellers for a group trip into Belarus and Russia. With the group we would visit Moscow and the “Golden Ring” before going north to St Petersburg and returning through the Baltic States, where again we would be inspecting campsites. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">After an early morning start we crossed the Czech Republic border close to Poysdorf, on route 7, heading towards Brno. After a couple of kilometres I stopped to buy the necessary motorway vignette at the Shell petrol station. I only had Euros but that presented no problem and I paid 7€ (£4.60) for a 10 day vignette. Strangely this has to be stuck on the right hand side of your windscreen and is valid for vehicles up to 3.5 T. As we approached Olomouc we saw an advert for a soft drink called Semtex and we reminded that not far away is where they mine the real Semtex!<span style=""> </span>Within 4 hours of entering the Czech Republic we were at the border town of Česky Tešin and crossed into Poland with minimal formality. In Poland we planned to initially to inspect 11 campsites and spent the first night at one of the sites in Bielsko Biala. You don’t need a vignette for Poland yet but I have little doubt that will change when all the roads they are building are completed. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The next morning saw us travel the short distance to Oświecim, a name that means very little to most foreigners but its German equivalent, Auschwitz, evokes fear in almost everyone. It was here that the Nazis established their largest concentration and extermination camp. Auschwitz is synonymous with death, cruelty, the annihilation of the Jews and the Holocaust. It is a massive graveyard. No visitor can leave unmoved. The site is now a UNESCO World heritage site.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The next morning we travelled to Wieliczka for a guided tour, in English, of the famous salt mines. It was 2 hours well spent and cost 47Zts (£8) each. Whilst you have to go down over 400 stairs the ride back up in the miners 4 storey lift in total darkness is quite an experience. The mine has been worked for hundreds of years and you descend to the third level 135m (420 feet) during the tour. This is a diversion not to be missed. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So after lunch we made the journey south to Zakopane the Polish winter capital, which is on a par with the best alpine resorts as an upmarket ski resort and is to be home of the winter Olympics in 2006. We camped at a small family site with only 24 pitches just north of the town. While some go hiking in the mountains, we were content to admire the scenery from the windows of a cable car gliding to the summit of Mt Kasprowy Wierch and from the funicular railway ascending Mt Gubalówka. Later in the day we like many other visitors gathered in Krupówki, the town’s central pedestrian area that is lined with cafes, restaurants and numerous souvenir shops. From the campsite you can enjoy views over the tree-clad hills to the west or the snow-capped mountain peaks, all over 2000m, to the south. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our journey around Poland continued for another 18 days, visiting various campsites all, but one, was of good or of excellent quality and many will make in to the Central Europe version of the Alan Roger’s guide to be published in 2005.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Our journey to Belarus and the Russian Federation was really to start in Warsaw, where we were to meet our fellow travellers either at Tesco’s car park or in a local campsite.<span style=""> </span>We had planned to get to Warsaw about 3 days ahead of the trip starting, since that would give us time to get up to date with the washing and ensure the van was it tiptop condition, at least mechanically. Outside it was already quite dirty but it seemed wrong in a country where water is an expensive commodity to “waste” it washing the camper. We spent the last two nights before Warsaw at a lakeside campsite near Kretowiny and then arrived at the Warsaw site as planned.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">A good stop to Tesco’s supermarket, on route, enabled us to stock up. At the campsite and in a few hours all the levels etc had been checked and corrected in our two year old, Mercedes based, Rapido. In reality it only needed oil and screen washer fluid, but at least everything was checked and was OK. The forthcoming four-week journey, would take us to Brest, Minsk, Moscow, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius before arriving back in Poland, a total of a further 5000kms (3125m). Our fellow travellers, German and British, duly arrived over the next two days and we talked about the excitement that was ahead of us all. Fortunately we had been learning some German and we, like everyone else, had CB radio fitted to ensure we kept in touch whilst travelling even when a few kilometres apart. Being a group of 13 campers we had arranged an interpreter to be with us from the Belarus border to St Petersburg. You could not do this trip if you cannot read Russian, speak Russian and deal with the numerous Russian police checkpoints, without permanent help. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Belarus border is some 200 Kilometres from Warsaw and that would take about 4 hours, and our information was that the border formalities could take anything between three and six hours to complete. Fortunately our luck was in, the border formalities took only three hours, the first part is just form filling and bureaucracy, as long as you have the correct visa, and once you have entered Belarus but still not clear of the border formalities you have to pay a transit tax of 16 € and compulsory health insurance of 3 € per person.<span style=""> </span>Border staff were helpful, polite and patient so it was a long but pleasant experience. Once clear of the border, Brest is just 3kms away and we had booked to camp in the Intourist Hotel car park, where electricity is provided, toilets available and because we were quite a large group showers were made available. A Russian Orthodox Priest came to bless the campers for a safe onward journey and we shared the traditional bread and vodka.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We spent a few hours sightseeing in Brest, at the fort and a museum that showed mainly items confiscated at the border, and left the next morning for Minsk. Here we camped just to the west of the town in a former nuclear missile launch site. It is strange to have a missile launcher as a neighbour, as you camp, but the facilities were reasonable and included a restaurant. The campsite had also arranged a day trip for us to see the sights of Minsk with an English-speaking guide. Inevitably we had checked the situation regarding the events of April 25, 1986 when the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded. Although Chernobyl is in the Ukraine, an evil dark wind of that day brought 70% of the Chernobyl radiation into Belarus. Hundreds of thousands of Belo Russians have been moved as a result and a large part of the country is a no-go area and will be until perhaps 2525. So we kept well north of the problem area. Our tour of Minsk was fascinating and our first real chance to met Russians going about their daily chores. The large market hall was really surprising and full of good cheap products. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Russian border is 300 kms from Minsk and again lengthy waits were promised. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Fortunately things went well after what we thought was an initial hiccup, when we were told to follow the HGVs. However within 3 hours all the vehicle formalities were finished. You must have 3<sup>rd</sup> party insurance for Russia and this cost us 2315 RUR (£46.25) and was purchased at the petrol station just before the border, but it could have been purchased from a Dutch company for the same price before we left home. It does not seem possible to get this from either a French or English insurer. Armed with registration documents, Russian insurance documents (2 copies), Passport for the vehicle owner and customs declaration we queued for the payment of 150 RUR (£3). Then we visited the police office, with the same forms, they issue the necessary importation clearance. I was told in Russian that my new camper had already been imported into Russia, through our interpreter I said that was not the case and the officer muttered something about “b***** computers” and signed and sealed the clearance certificate. When we were all ready we drove through, just showing the clearance form, and we were in Russia, no one checked the visas or passports for passengers. But these had to be taken to the nearest police station when we stopped for the night and another fee of 20RUR (£0.40) is payable.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In about 50kms we were in Smolensk where we camped at a campsite with good showers and a small restaurant, which is well signposted off the main road. Our arrival was planned so the moneychangers we already on site offering better rates than the banks for Euros and US Dollars. They were not interested in the slightest in Sterling and that was a problem we found at many banks in smaller towns. Fortunately there were automats in every town we visited so getting Roubles was never a real problem, particularly important because no petrol stations and very few shops accept plastic and cash is therefore essential.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The next day of our journey into the heart of Russia involved a 380kms drive into Moscow (Mockba) where we were to stay at the Danislovski Monastery, the home of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, in our campers.<span style=""> </span>This is a unique arrangement and not generally on offer but it meant that we could spend 3 whole days camping in the centre of Moscow. The 4<sup>th</sup> Moscow ring road, which we had to use, is something of a nightmare, 6 lanes each way and jam-packed, with endless, rusty, huge Lorries whose chassis’s seemed to be going in a different direction to the vehicle, added to the adventure.<span style=""> </span>The use of the CB made sure we were in the right lane and left at the right exit even if we could not see our fellow travellers. The dreaded message “move to lane 2”, when we were in lane 4, came as a shock but it did seem that Russian drivers were as afraid of us as we were of them and gave us room to manoeuvre. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The monastery is only 4 stops on the metro from the city centre so we had ample opportunity to see the sights of Moscow; the Kremlin, Red Square and enjoy a river trip on the Moscow River and an evening visit to the stunning state circus. Plus of course spending what seemed like endless hours bartering for almost every possible souvenir. At Red Square we came across a very strange sight, the square was closed to pedestrians and guarded by police, to permit a political rally by the communist party. Only 15 people were at the rally, which took place in front of Lenin’s tomb, and it just shows the extent of change since the late 1980s. Sadly our visit to Moscow, only too soon, came to an end.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Leaving Moscow is almost as much fun a arriving. We had to use the newly completed 3<sup>rd</sup> ring road to get to the M7. From the Monastery we seemed to go in ever decreasing circles until we were on the ring road. It only has 3 lanes each way and was comparatively quiet; once again CB made sure everyone was in the correct lane and exited as necessary. The continuing M7 turned out to be somewhat of a misnomer; it was just like the Old Kent Road in South London. Constant traffic lights, cavernous potholes, pedestrian crossings, chaos and trolley buses made sure that our loose convoy spread out over some distance. That in itself was not a problem since our route was quite clear and were all heading for Vladimer, and the Golden Gate, the beginning of the Golden Ring. Within 45 minutes we were back in the Russian countryside, the now usual mixture of poor farmland, small hamlets, mixed forests, silver birch trees and a large flat plain. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">From Vladimir our route would takes us around the Golden Ring, through a series of cities and towns in central Russia, which are remarkable for their ancient history and abundance of historical and cultural monuments. The area became the centre of Russia in the 20<sup>th</sup> century after Kiev, the mother of Russian cities, had lost its leading role in political and cultural life. In reality most of the monuments are churches, monasteries or convents that were vandalised by the soviet regime. Many were closed, turned into warehouses or swimming pools or even worse left semi derelict for many years; plus a large section of the ring lies in an area that was a prohibited zone for foreigners for many years. It is only over the last 10 to 15 years that they have been returned to the local and religious communities who have been painstakingly restoring them back to former glory. So for the next 10 days we were destined to visit numerous churches, and other religious establishments, learning much about their history and particularly the Icons and artefacts. Our path would lead to Suzdal, Ivanovo, Privolzhsk, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. We would met many fascinating and interesting people and learn much about the Russians and their lives. The photographs that accompany this article give just a brief view of the many interesting buildings that we saw and the sheer beauty of the internal decorations and Icons that adorn their walls. Whilst at the end you might have information overload, you will certainly leave with a sense of awe, compassion and understanding.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Just south of Kostroma we stopped at a small church that was still undergoing renovation. Along side the church were some fairly poor buildings, although lots of building work at the rear showed that new premises were underway. The smaller buildings were an orphanage run by the sisters with 10 residents of varying age. They were expecting us and happily showed us the church and then invited is to the orphanage for tea and an opportunity to see, and discuss, their work. Like most Russian orphanages they are totally dependent on charitable donations to look after the children in their care. We had, fortunately, been warned about this visit and had stocks of new children’s clothes and medical supplies for their use. The visit was fascinating, thought provoking and a highlight of the trip, however, we left wondering what more we could do to help their work.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Russia in many respects, at least in the rural areas is a third world country, poverty is widespread and the lifestyle has to cope with 6 months of freezing weather, with temperatures down to minus 40, followed by 6 months of a very hot humid climate. It is in everyway a country of extremes.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Whilst generally the roads are bad or even worse, the supply of petrol and diesel seemed initially well organised with service stations regularly placed along the main roads. However we were soon to learn that what you see is not necessarily what you get. Almost everywhere diesel was just over 10 Roubles or 20p a litre, petrol was slightly dearer at about 14 Roubles or 28p it might not be the best quality and probably has limited additives but it never caused us any problems. The real problem with fuel supplies, especially when 13 western motor caravans or cars and caravans arrive is have they got any, 3 of our group needed petrol and the rest needed diesel. Twice the diesel was limited so we had to try again after a few kilometres. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But the real challenge was getting served at all, no garage was prepared to open the pumps and let us fill up as normal. Generally the passenger had to stand at the cash desk with a handful of Roubles or you had to pay in advance. Sometimes this meant you were full before the money ran out and rig behind got a windfall of a few litres, or you still had room left for a bit more in which case you paid some more and the pump was switched on again. Always filling up was a lengthy procedure with delays occurring while the cash desk assured itself that the last customer had paid in full before the next could be served, this was even with our two Russian speaking guides being present and actively running backwards and forwards between pumps and till. If you lucky to be at the head of the queue you had plenty of time for a coffee and a rest while everyone else tried to get the fuel they needed. Most of the group could cope with fuel stops every 600kms (375m) but the 3 petrol vehicles always had to stop sooner, we tried all sorts of combinations to speed the process up but in the end resigned ourselves to the inevitable lengthy halts.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Russian campsites are few and far between and certainly not up to western European standards, in reality many are the car parks of hotels or tourist centres. Elsewhere toilets are basic latrines, with large wooden plank seats, and usually are just a hole in the ground. Most are far from being clean and they do tend to smell, they certainly test your strength if you are forced to use them. In some campsites, that were not fairly modern hotel facilities, no member of the group was brave enough to use the site toilets even to empty their own on-board cassette toilet.<span style=""> </span>Good facilities in your caravan or motor caravan are essential as is a very good water filter if you contemplate using the local water, after boiling, for cooking or drinking rather than carrying a larges supply of bottled water. Despite these problems and challenges are journey continued.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">On route to St Petersburg we had a brief diversion into Novgorod, a fairly large town with a fascinating Kremlin and Sculpture. We all parked easily in a large car park only a few minutes walk from the Kremlin. Keith who was travelling alone with his caravan went walkabout in the town, as normal, but when it got close to our departure time he realised he was not sure of the way back. Speaking no Russian other than please, thank you etc. he approached a taxi driving who instantly seemed to understand where he wanted to be, so in he got and was quickly transported back to where the rest of the group were waiting. Much to Keith’s surprise the taxi driver refused any payment and seemed pleased that he had been able to reunite another driver with his mobile home. The sculpture is another story, it is metal and shows all the Russian heroes and famous people, and during the war the Nazis, cut it into several pieces so that it could be transported to Germany. The Russians saved the day and recaptured this stunning work of art and rebuilt it. The real problem we had was discussing this with our fellow travellers, in the end we decided to follow the John Cleese maxim of “don’t mention the war” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">From Novgorod we continued north to St Petersburg and arrived late afternoon on a Wednesday, the traffic was horrendous. The difference, from our entry to Moscow, is that there are many more western cars in St Petersburg, the majority appearing to be 10 year VW Passats. The city, built by Peter the Great, was built on swampland and spans the River Neva. We had to cross the city centre and the Neva before turning along the quayside for some kilometres to reach the campsite, Hotel Camping Olgino, which is just off the M10 to the north west of the city. The traffic jams just seemed to get worse until we reached a diversion, which having gone around in a circle was going to take us back over the Neva. This was definitely not what we wanted so the whole group was forced to make an illegal left turn at the base of the bridge back onto the quayside. Stunned Russian drivers gazed in amazement at our attics but we did get back on the right road. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The campsite is next to a soviet built conference centre and is perhaps the only western style site we had come across, and it is clearly the only site near St Petersburg. It did have basic facilities, and electricity points, but was somewhat unkempt and a little overgrown, however it was to be our home for 5 nights. The real bonus is that right outside the gates there is a bus stop with a good regular service to the nearby Metro station. So the centre of St Petersburg was less than an hour away and offered lots of tourist opportunities. The Hermitage was something not to miss; my real interest was the display of Rembrandts and Impressionist art. All had been stolen by German troops during the invasion of France and subsequently removed by Soviet troops when they entered Berlin. The inevitable arguments continue, primarily between France and Russia, as to who is the rightful owner. We were told if you spent 1 minute looking at each exhibit you would have to spend 15 years in the Museum. So our half-day tour barely scratched the surface.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Although for me one of the most interesting visits was to the Siege memorial and museum. Leningrad, as it was during the soviet period, was besieged by German troops for some 872 days, and over I.5 million residents died during the siege.<span style=""> </span>However I think I have to concede that the best trip in the City was to Swan Lake performed by the Russian Ballet.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">One day we got into the city centre and caught a hydrofoil to Peterhof, Peter the Great’s Palace some way to the west. Although it was totally destroyed during the war it has been painstakingly and lovingly rebuilt since then and is a popular tourist site and is well worth a day trip. In reality St Petersurg has so much to offer you are spoilt for choice so get a good guidebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Having left St Petersburg, on our last day in Russia, we stopped just before the town of Kingisepp and filled up with fuel. At this garage we spent the last of our roubles on Vodka etc just to ensure we only had what we needed to leave the country and no more. At the border we had to pay a fee of 50 roubles (£1) but that is subject to change so we had a 50-rouble note and some coins left. You cannot leave Russia with Roubles in you possession.</span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Before we arrive at Ivangorod and just before the police control point we had to turn into “park ferme”. As we entered we got a form and here we had to pay the fee and in return we got a stamp on our form. We were then allowed, a few vehicles at a time to proceed towards the border.<span style=""> </span>Through 2 control points and then we joined another queue where one at a time we had to report to the window with all your documents, including especially that customs clearance we got when we entered Russia. As directed we then moved forward and our vehicle was searched. At the next window all passengers presented their passports to the same guard who just inspected the vehicle. When this was completed we drove out of Russia but not yet into Estonia. The Estonian border guards spoke English so a quick look at our passports and we were through.<span style=""> </span>Departure was tinged with a mixture of relief and sadness; it had been a wonderful and fascinating journey. We were already beginning to think about our next trip and the possibility of seeing more of Russia despite the language, poor roads and inadequate camping facilities. Everyone we had met was friendly, helpful and kind and we would miss the daily thrills and challenges.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Our journey was to continue through the Baltic States to Poland where our small group of travellers would say their farewells and continues their journeys home. As I said at the beginning it is not possible to undertake a journey like this on your own, and certainly impossible to camp in Moscow. So we are particularly grateful to Perestroika Tours who had organised the tour so efficiently. If you feel up to the challenge then find out more about their tours at <a href="http://www.mir-tours.de/">www.mir-tours.de</a> <span style=""> </span>You won’t regret it; it will be the journey of a lifetime.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-54555627383375903462008-02-21T18:08:00.023+01:002008-02-21T22:45:00.776+01:00In the Footsteps of Marco Polo<p class="MsoSubtitle"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:18;" >The Silk Road<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >25,000 kms in 6 months, from mid April until October, will see us travel along the famous Silk Road from the Mediterranean to Beijing. Our return journey will be across the Gobi desert in Mongolia and then across Siberia and almost the whole length of the Russian Federation to Moscow. Back in Europe the final leg of this magnificent journey will be through Belarus, Poland and Germany.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73vkYp3rgI/AAAAAAAAAFg/3dXC_haEOuA/s1600-h/France+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73vkYp3rgI/AAAAAAAAAFg/3dXC_haEOuA/s320/France+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169551355663592962" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R72xL4p3rPI/AAAAAAAAADY/l8pgyMEOqpU/s1600-h/France+Map.gif"><br /></a></p><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Our plan is to leave home on the 16<sup>th</sup> April and take a slow drive to the Italian border near Monaco. All being well our first stop will be Auxerre followed by a ride down the Rhone Valley to Aix en Provence. We will camp at Aires de service along this route rather than campsites since this is a routine we have got used to over the last 6 years. This is a journey we have done many times to begin our earlier journeys to North Africa and the Middle East in 2006, and last year when we toured Sicily, Sardinia, Elba and Tuscany, and earlier in 2005 coming back from Romania, Slovenia and Croatia.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73vF4p3rfI/AAAAAAAAAFY/cCgezEBRMyo/s1600-h/Italy+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73vF4p3rfI/AAAAAAAAAFY/cCgezEBRMyo/s320/Italy+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169550831677582834" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >In a day we will drive across northern Italy to Venice, fortunately the motorway across is good but busy and hopefully we will miss the busy periods at Turin and Milan. If our planning has worked we will have a couple of spare days before we catch the ferry to Igoumenista in Greece. This will be the last chance to make sure everything is right with our motorhome and to visit the heart of Venice for some sightseeing and shopping.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >On Wednesday 23 our ferry should leave, we are camping on board so our motorhome is loaded on the deck and we sleep and cook as normal in our own home. The trip takes about 24 hours sailing south through the Adriatic Sea past Albania and docking in the Greek mainland opposite the island of Corfu.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73uzIp3reI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/FHLDJN8Ou34/s1600-h/Greece+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73uzIp3reI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/FHLDJN8Ou34/s320/Greece+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169550509555035618" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >A day’s drive from the port is Meteora, with its famous Monasteries. We have camped here before in 2006 and look forward to a meal in nearby Kalambaka. From there we head for Thessaloniki on route to Alexandropoulos and the Turkish border.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73ukIp3rdI/AAAAAAAAAFI/pwiL7a4DNDw/s1600-h/map-of-turkey.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73ukIp3rdI/AAAAAAAAAFI/pwiL7a4DNDw/s320/map-of-turkey.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169550251856997842" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p><br />Fortunately Istanbul is only about 3 hours drive from the border, and a good campsite can be found near the airport. This is a great base to visit the Souk, the Blue Mosque and from previous experience the restaurants in the Fish Market.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >The Silk Road originally ended at Antioch, now called Antakya, which is on the Mediterranean coast near the border with Syria. We visited there in 2006 after leaving Syria and interestingly it is the place where the followers of Christ were first called Christians even though it is now a Muslim country.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >From Istanbul we leave Europe and continue our eastern trek via Ankara, the capital, to Mount Ararat and the Iran border. We will take the northern route to stay well clear of the Iraqi border and the Kurdish homeland. The snow will have just cleared and the mountain passes should be clear and open. Fortunately we have got used to the endless queues and delays at border crossings and I am sure that entering Iran will be no different even though we have visas and all the correct documentation. We have been warned that attempting to import alcohol or pork is a criminal offence so we will finish any wine we have left. As I write this we have just had 16 photos taken and printed off the 36 pages of application forms for all the visas. The documentation for entering with your own vehicle is endless and when we will be coping with 12 languages and 12 currencies you can appreciate the amusement. The route has buffer days built into avoid problems and that is hopefully enough to cope with delays, extra stops and the poor roads.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73t-Ip3rbI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ekz5LHqEoSY/s1600-h/iran_sm05.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73t-Ip3rbI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ekz5LHqEoSY/s320/iran_sm05.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169549599021968818" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Our journey through Iran takes us to Tabriz and then to the capital Tehran. Here our German friends have arranged for us to camp on the University Campus which gives us ample opportunity to see the sights. From there we go to Esfahan and then Mashhad towards Turkmenistan. Given the relationship Iran has with the “West” this part of our route should be particularly interesting. Someone who did the route a couple of years ago said the Iranians were very friendly and keen to talk to westerners who took the trouble to visit their country. Esfahan is one of the oldest cities in Iran, at least 2500 years old, and was the Persian capital for hundreds of years. I cannot wait to see the Khajou Bridge, which looks quite spectacular, over the large river The Zayandeh-Rood. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >The Silk Road had many routes through the mountains and we will be taking the northern route to avoid Afghanistan. So next stop Turkmenistan and a full day almost certainly spent in a series of windswept compounds as we tackle another border crossing. By now we have been travelling for 5 weeks and the last week of May is approaching.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73tk4p3raI/AAAAAAAAAEw/fJTdiFllIWI/s1600-h/turkmenistan+map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73tk4p3raI/AAAAAAAAAEw/fJTdiFllIWI/s320/turkmenistan+map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169549165230271906" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >We will only be in this country for 4 or 5 days on route to Samarkand but will have time to visit Ashgabat, the capital, Mary and Turkmenabat which is a hub for the Trans-Caspian Railway. This former soviet state will be a real contrast to the Islamic Iran and our 6<sup>th</sup> country and another chance to try and understand the Cyrillic alphabet. The following quote probably sums up this country “the most curious of the Central Asian republics, Turkmenistan resembles an Arab Gulf state without the money. It's the second largest Central Asian country, but four-fifths of it consists of an inhospitable lunar-like desert called the Karakum which conceals unexploited oil and gas deposits.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >We leave Turkmenistan and head towards Bukhara in Uzbekistan.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73tSop3rZI/AAAAAAAAAEo/vPv3kS2hYqU/s1600-h/uzbekistan+map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73tSop3rZI/AAAAAAAAAEo/vPv3kS2hYqU/s320/uzbekistan+map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169548851697659282" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >We are in Uzbekistan for about 10 days so plan to spend time in Samarkand and Tashkent before heading towards Fergana and the Kyrgyzstan border. Samarkand has existed since 700BC and although not in Iran the locals speak Iranian (Farsi). Conquered by almost everyone since Alexander the Great in 329BC it is now a UNESCO World heritage site. Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, now with a population of over 3 million, started as an Oasis on the Chirchik River and was destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1219. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Lonely Planet says that Uzbekistan, in the ancient cradle between the Amu-Darya and Syr-Darya rivers, is the most historically fascinating of the Central Asian republics. Within it are some of the oldest towns in the world, some of the Silk Road's main centres and most of the region's architectural splendours. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Hopefully the border formalities in Kyrgyzstan will only take a few hours but you soon learn to just join the numerous queues.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73s94p3rYI/AAAAAAAAAEg/pNgI78MWC0I/s1600-h/kyrgyzstan+map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73s94p3rYI/AAAAAAAAAEg/pNgI78MWC0I/s320/kyrgyzstan+map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169548495215373698" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >This simplified map of Kyrgyzstan fails to show the mountainous nature of this small central Asian Republic so our route is somewhat circuitous and takes 10 days to get to the Torugart Pass. <span style=""> </span>If the roads are passable we should go through Toktogul, Bishkek, Naryn and At-Bashy before trying the infamous mountain pass into China. The national sport of <em><span style="">kok boru</span></em> resembles an all-out brawl on horseback. All you need is a dead goat and a pony with a death wish. The actual rules are obscure (I'm not sure there are any) but it's <span style=""> </span>got to be exciting to watch - especially when a quick little kid makes off with the headless carcass, hotly pursued by a mass of angry riders.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Kyrgyzstan we have been told is rich in forgotten traditions, friendly people and towering mountains, and one way or another it has a habit of leaving travellers flabbergasted and breathless - and not just from the altitude.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >The <span style="">Torugart Pass,</span> in the Tian Shan Mountain range, rises to an elevation of 3,752 m (12,310 ft) and is totally impassable for 6 months a year. Every place we look it says this border crossing is not open to foreigners but we know it has been done so it should be interesting when we get there. You can never take photographs at borders so this photo of the Chinese border from web is the best we are going to get.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73snIp3rXI/AAAAAAAAAEY/4-WF5eDRpjI/s1600-h/240px-Torugartcrossing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73snIp3rXI/AAAAAAAAAEY/4-WF5eDRpjI/s320/240px-Torugartcrossing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169548104373349746" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >We remain assured that the small border post will not only be open but it will process our entry into the People’s Republic of China. Here we get Chinese number plates and driving licence plus we should meet our Chinese guide because you cannot, as foreigners, drive through China without your official guide. Fortunately as we are a group the costs are shared so it becomes reasonable economical.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73sLIp3rWI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/K9hlOU_IOQk/s1600-h/China+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73sLIp3rWI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/K9hlOU_IOQk/s320/China+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169547623337012578" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >From the border we remain on the Silk Road down to Kashgar, which is still at a height of 1,290m, before turning north east towards Turpan. It sounds simple but we have first to tackle the Taklamakan Desert described as the bleakest place on Earth. This is a cold desert with temperatures falling to -20 during the winter and recently and for the first time it was completely covered in over 1 inch of snow. The Chinese have built a cross-desert highway across the barren landscape so we will just have to find out what that means and how good it is when we get there.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >This photo, of the Taklamakan Desert, makes the Sahara look a piece of cake and not for the feint hearted. With the desert behinds us we reach Turpan and more importantly the Turpan Depression which is the second lowest exposed point on the Earth’s surface, after the Dead Sea which we went to in 2006. At the centre of the basin lies the Moonlight Lake at 155m below sea level.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >By the time we leave Turpan it should be late June and we will have done 10,000 kms. From this point we drive almost directly east for a further 3300 kms towards Xian. The journey to Xian will take over 2 weeks and that will give us plenty of time to visit many interesting sights and sites on route. We will go through Hami, Minghoshan, Jiayuguan, Wuwei, Lanzhou and Tianshui (only recently opened to tourists). Lanzhou at an altitude of 1500m is at the headwater of the Yellow River and is dotted with Parks, Temples and Pagodas just in case we haven’t enough by then. We visited Xian in 1994 and are keen to see how the Chinese have continued the excavation of the Terracotta Army and the Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi. Xian was always seen as the end or indeed the beginning of the Silk Road so from there we tread a new path of our own design. In fact we will take two weeks to do the 1200 kms to Beijing via Luoyang. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >As you would expect the Chinese authorities won’t let us camp in the middle of Beijing so our one week stay there is in a Hotel with our campers parked outside, with 24 hour guards, and plugged into the mains electricity (this is exactly what we had to do in Aswan in Egypt in 2006). I am going to speak to Mercedes Benz this week to see where the local dealer is and ask them to translate “Can you change my oil and filter”. We have visited Beijing before but I am sure we will go again to the Summer Place and the Forbidden City because they were so fascinating.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Driving through Beijing is going to interesting as the population exceeds 17,000,000 and if that song is right there are 9 million bicycles there so it might be a little slow going.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >As we leave Beijing it will be less than a week before the 2008 Olympics begin, but we know all the tickets have been sold already and prices of everything will just go up so time to leave. From Beijing we head North West towards Mongolia going through Datong, Daihai-See and Sisiwang Qi to Erenhot the border town.<br /></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73rO4p3rUI/AAAAAAAAAEA/7WfcLPVbFog/s1600-h/Mongolia+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73rO4p3rUI/AAAAAAAAAEA/7WfcLPVbFog/s320/Mongolia+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169546588249894210" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >We enter Mongolia on 31 July (day 110). Almost immediately we are in the Gobi Desert and the roads there are so bad we have to put our camper on a flat bed train and spend two days crossing the desert.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73r3Ip3rVI/AAAAAAAAAEI/HnjpwlVfDaE/s1600-h/CHINA_II_MONGOL___06_512%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R73r3Ip3rVI/AAAAAAAAAEI/HnjpwlVfDaE/s320/CHINA_II_MONGOL___06_512%5B1%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169547279739628882" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >This photo was taken by a friend who joined a Perestroika group to do this trip and everyone just lives and sleeps in the van for the 3 day journey. When we detrain we are in Ulaanbaatar the capital of Mongolia.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Due to its high elevation (1350m), relatively high latitude, and location hundreds of kilometres from any coast, Ulaanbaatar is the coldest national capital in the world with brief, warm summers and long, very cold and dry winters. It has an average annual temperature of -1.3 °C (29.7 °F). <span style=""> </span>I get the impression there is little sightseeing opportunity but am sure the shops and restaurants have much to offer. We leave the capital and head for the Russian border at Sukhbaatar.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R720eop3rSI/AAAAAAAAADw/WizjTGRB3K0/s1600-h/Russia+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R720eop3rSI/AAAAAAAAADw/WizjTGRB3K0/s320/Russia+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169486385693306146" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Having entered Russia before from Belarus in 2004 we know what to expect, we will have our visa but need Russian Insurance for the van and the essential vignette. Then they move you from compound to compound and having finally searched the vehicle and stamped everything we are free to leave.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >The first town we encounter is Irkutsk near Lake Baikal, said to be the deepest in the world, and from there we have a 7,000 kms drive to Moscow across Siberia. Winters here start quite early so we are planning to be in Moscow by the second week of September so that we get the “best” of the weather. Our journey across Siberia will take us to Tajset, Krasnojrsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Golischmanovo, Kurgan, Miass and Kazan. From there we enter Europe and the Volga basin and take the final road to Nishnj Novogrod and Moscow. Judith has found the names of all these places in Russian and armed with our 3€ Russian road atlas, printed totally in the Cyrillic alphabet, we should be able to find the route without too many diversions. It is going to take almost a month to cross Siberia so we have lots of time to look at what, if anything, there is too see. We just got two books of this part of the trip to read so I am sure when the time comes we will have quite a bit planned but at the moment it seems to be a long way off.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >After a couple of days in Moscow we head for Smolensk and the border with Belarus. The exit from Russia is likely to be just as lengthy and boring with the usual searches. <span style=""> </span>Of course we stop at the very last place to fill with diesel and spend our last roubles because you technically can’t take them out of the country.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R720JYp3rRI/AAAAAAAAADo/Xh2RCYAZ4WY/s1600-h/Belarus+map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R720JYp3rRI/AAAAAAAAADo/Xh2RCYAZ4WY/s320/Belarus+map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169486020621085970" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >Entry into Belarus from previous experience is quite quick, only a couple of hours, once we have paid the compulsory contribution to the state health system. From the border we go to Minsk and if I am right we will camp in a small wood where there is a soviet missile launcher facing west. When I asked last time we were there the only answer I could get was “Berlin 7 minutes!” Belarus still suffers badly from the Chernobyl disaster with many people dying every year from radiation illness; indeed a large part of the country is still unoccupied. We move on to Brest where I hope we can meet a friend, Sergey, who was our guide in 2004, before crossing the border into Poland and back into the European Union.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R72zw4p3rQI/AAAAAAAAADg/lXZMzg2w85s/s1600-h/Poland+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_L5Z6fIcdBFc/R72zw4p3rQI/AAAAAAAAADg/lXZMzg2w85s/s320/Poland+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169485599714290946" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" >In a couple of hours we will be in Warsaw having driven at least 25,000 kms in 156 days. If all goes well we will be home in early October.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-52652536022384263332008-02-13T15:13:00.000+01:002008-02-13T15:14:09.611+01:002007 Sardina & Sicily<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Destination Sicily & Sardinia<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">During May & June 2007 my wife, Judith, and I had the ideal opportunity to explore <st1:state st="on">Sicily</st1:State> and <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place> as we had been asked by the Alan Rogers Guides to act as campsite assessors for their 2008 guides. The Alan Rogers standards are high so we were delighted to explore these two islands hopefully to the benefit of campers who use the guides in forthcoming years.<span style=""> </span>The plan was to visit all existing listed sites and inspect new sites that had come to the attention of the Alan Roger’s team, and this involved visiting every part of these two beautiful islands.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our journey to <st1:state st="on">Sicily</st1:State> took us across <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region>, where we used the “aires de service” for our nights’ stop, and down <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>. We stopped in <st1:city st="on">Florence</st1:City> (Camping Michelangelo), <st1:city st="on">Rome</st1:City> (Roma Flash) and <st1:city st="on">Naples</st1:City> (Camping Vulcano Solfatara) and drove onwards to Villa San Giovanni where we caught the ferry to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Messina</st1:place></st1:City>. I must mention particularly the site near <st1:city st="on">Naples</st1:City>, Camping Vulcano Solfatara, it is actually in <st1:city st="on">Pozzuoli</st1:City>, and accessed direct from the tangenziale avoiding the need to go into <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Naples</st1:place></st1:City>. Now it might sound like a diversion but believe me it is well worth it because you will find yourself camping in the crater of a live and active volcano. The final drive is virtually all autostradas, mainly without tolls, and involves driving through some wonderful countryside and national parks. There are endless opportunities to buy ferry tickets from the autostrada service areas but we waited till we arrived at the port. In fact it took less than 20 minutes for us to buy the ticket (31€ for Camper and two passengers) and board the next ferry which left immediately. The short crossing to Messina takes about 40 minutes across the narrow Straits where there are plans to build the world’s longest suspension bridge, although the numerous technical problems of building in a highly volcanic area still have to be solved.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For many people the first mention of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sicily</st1:place></st1:State> brings to mind the Mafia or the La Societa Onorata (The Honoured Society) as they preferred to be called. There is little doubt they are still quite active on the island but the average tourist will see or hear nothing to cause concern from the endless friendly and helpful people that you will meet everyday. <st1:state st="on">Sicily</st1:State> was for many years an integral part of Magna <st1:country-region st="on">Greece</st1:country-region> but it was subsequently invaded by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Saracens, and the <st1:city st="on">Normans</st1:City> and as one local explained to us the people have absorbed all of these cultures and this adds to the richness of modern day <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sicily</st1:place></st1:State>. <span style=""> </span>By the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup> century the island was on its figurative knees. Emigration was draining the island of millions of its inhabitants, aided by the collapse of the sulphur mining industry; and the 1908 earthquake which left <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Messina</st1:place></st1:City> in ruins and 84,000 people dead and thousands homeless.<span style=""> </span>With unemployment currently more like 30% and the average wage half that of northern Italy Sicily is one of the poorest Italian regions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As you leave the port there are signs for two campsites, both are good, but if you want to stay a few days, and recharge your batteries, then I would suggest Il Peloritano at Rodia. It is easy to find on the SS113 and is just 30kms (18 miles) from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Messina</st1:place></st1:City>. Patrizia Mowdello, the owner, will make you more than welcome and ensure you stay is pleasant and peaceful. The new swimming pool and sunbathing terrace are part of the continuing improvements being undertaken at this site; excursions to the Aeolian Islands are possible as is a trip, on public transport, to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Messina</st1:place></st1:City>.<span style=""> </span>Full details of this and other sites I am going to suggest will be found in the 2008 Alan Roger’s Italy Guide (www.alanrogers.com).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our onward journey was to take us on a clockwise trip around the Island and as we wanted to visit Mount Etna and hopefully <st1:city st="on">Taormina</st1:City> we planned to stay a few nights at Camping Jonio on the northern outskirts of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Catania</st1:place></st1:City> accessed easily from the SS114. This is not the most attractive of sites but its location and good facilities make it popular. Pitches are small and many under cane screens but eight have a private WC/Shower and sink alongside, but this is quite small and basic. <st1:city st="on">Taormina</st1:City> is mid way between <st1:city st="on">Messina</st1:City> and <st1:city st="on">Catania</st1:City> and is spectacularly located on a terrace of Monte Tauro, dominating the sea with views of Mount Etna – it is difficult to exaggerate the charms of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Taormina</st1:City>, <st1:state st="on">Sicily</st1:State></st1:place>’s glitziest resort.<span style=""> </span>Full details of this, and other sites, and a useful plan can be found in the Lonely Planet guide to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sicily</st1:place></st1:State> (ISBN 1-74059-684-6). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mount Etna (3323m) is the island’s most prominent landmark and <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>’s largest active volcano. Since 1987 the volcano and its slopes have been part of a national park and the effects of this extraordinary volcano should never be underestimated. <span style=""> </span>The daily bus link from Catania leaves the central station at 7.55am and takes you to Rifugio Sapienza (1923m) where you can catch the Funivia dell’Etna cable car (23€) to a height of 2500m. From the cable car you can attempt the long walk (4 hours return) to the authorised crater area, but ensure you wear sensible footwear, alternatively you can join one of the many guided tours. Guided tours can also be arranged direct from the campsite by the helpful site staff and these range from 30€ to 100€ per person depending on what you want. Just remember that the latest eruption was in 2002 and this swept away a huge swathe of the ancient pine forests and the mountain is constantly covered in clouds of condensation where the heat of the lava clashes with the cold mountain air. Visit <a href="http://www.etnaonline.it/">www.etnaonline.it</a> to obtain more upto date information. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our continuing journey took us south, past the petrochemical industry that has taken over the coastline between <st1:city st="on">Augusta</st1:City> and <st1:city st="on">Syracuse</st1:City>, to Avola where we found one of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sicily</st1:place></st1:State>’s hidden gems, Camping Sabbiadoro, easy to find off the SS115.<span style=""> </span>The Alia family have developed a truly beautiful campsite with over 100 different species of trees and flowers and direct access to a sandy beach and good facilities. As we arrived a party was underway to celebrate the natural produce of the area and Ricotta cheese was being made in a large copper pot. We were invited to join in the festivities and drink local wine and eat local cuisine, plus we had fresh Ricotta straight from the pot: it was delicious!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After a night’s rest we continued to Punta Braccetto, south of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ragusa</st1:place></st1:City>, to find another new site for the guide. Camping Scarabeo, owned by Angela di Modica, it is everything I could have hoped for: fantastic location, an excellent welcome, an attractive well planned site and exceptional facilities. Each camper gets the key to their own locked WC compartment which has a wash basin and the ample hot showers are for communal use. The site has direct access to a good large sandy beach and the turquoise sea was very inviting and warm. The is no restaurant or shop on site but this is not a problem as a small restaurant/pizzeria is just 200m down the road, on the beach, and bar and bakers is even closer, and the ice cream vendor and fresh fish sales-van visit and park in the middle of the site. By the way, the ice cream was great and as I sit here and write this article the fish have just been cleaned and the BBQ is almost hot enough! <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Well having eaten the fish, and got out of the washing up, it seems an appropriate moment to mention Sicilian cuisine. Sicilians aren’t big on antipasta so you can concentrate on the prima plati and secondi plati. I particularly liked Pasta alla Norma with its rich combination of tomatoes, aubergine and salted ricotta which was named in tribute to the composer of Norma, Vincenzo Bellini. Another particular favourite was Pesce Spada alla Messinese, swordfish done in a way only the Sicilians could perfect; truly mouth-watering. I hope to find, during the next week, somewhere with coniglio all’agrodolce on the menu, sweet and sour rabbit in a sauce flavoured with garlic, olive oil, onions, bay leaves and rosemary. If that doesn’t entice you here then you could try one of excellent pizzas, the problem there is pizza at home will never be the same. Enough of food, the ice cream man will be here soon and I want to try the Granita a drink made of crushed ice and fruit juice or if you prefer with coffee and fresh whipped cream. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A very short diversion took us to the Mercedes Benz dealer in Modica, who had ordered a new motor for the air-con fan, this was fitted in 15 minutes and we were back on our way. We stayed the next night near <st1:city st="on">Agrigento</st1:City> so we could visit the Valle dei Templi, the <st1:placename st="on">Doric</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Temples</st1:PlaceType> and ruined city walls of the ancient Greek city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Akragas</st1:place></st1:City>. This UNESCO World Heritage listed site is <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sicily</st1:place></st1:State>’s premier attraction and on every tourist trip. The five Doric Temples are sited on a ridge and were designed to be visible from all around and a beacon to homecoming sailors. They are well worth a visit but don’t think about taking your motorhome or caravan with you. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We rely on GPS navigation for planning our journeys and the computer said the shortest route for the remaining sites was first to travel north, across the middle of the island and then continue anticlockwise to finish at Trapani for the ferry to Sardinia which we had already booked a few days earlier. So we set off on that route and were glad we did because we saw so much of the central region and drove on good roads all the way across Our next stop was near Finale on the north coast were we stayed at Camping Rais Gerbi a truly excellent site and although it is cut almost in half by the coastal railway line it makes up for that which excellent pitches and facilities. The view we had for breakfast was truly magnificent.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A short way west along the autostrada is <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Palermo</st1:City></st1:place>, which has no bypass so we spent some time in traffic through this busy city. It is hard to describe Italian traffic and driving, there just aren’t enough adjectives. Granny with a one year old on her lap letting him steer, scooterist on the wrong side talking on their mobile phones, double, treble or quadruple parking; yes its all there in a typical day.<span style=""> </span>We eventually got through though and got used to the habit of forming 5 lanes on a 3 lane road at every set of traffic lights and we were soon on route to San Vito lo Capo and the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro. Here the El Bahira camp-site was quite pleasant although there are two many static caravans for my liking and the showers could be better. But it does give a opportunity to explore this promontory and the national park where the coastline is a haven for the rare Bonelli eagle along with 40 other species of bird and 700 plant varieties, some unique to this coastline. For sun worshippers the site’s pool and rocky beach supplements the sandy beach at San Vito, just 3kms away.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With just two days left on this beautiful island we had 2 sites to visit before catching the weekly ferry from <st1:city st="on">Trapani</st1:City> to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cagliari</st1:place></st1:City>. The ferry leaves at 9.00pm and arrives at 8.30am the following day, only on Tuesday’s during May and unfortunately there is no “camping on board” on this ship so you have to choose between a cabin and an airline type seat for this journey. Our trip cost 279 Euros for a 7m camper and a cabin for two passengers. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sardinia<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our journey to Sardinia, by ferry from <st1:city st="on">Trapani</st1:City> to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cagliari</st1:place></st1:City>, was more plain sailing than it was smooth. We sailed on the Tirrenia ship Flaminia on it’s once a week regular voyage. Boarding starts at 7pm with the ship set to sail at 9pm and you are destined to arrive at 8.30 the next morning. First, loading of numerous tankers and HGVs takes priority, followed by the coaches of elderly Italians and then cars and any campers that are making the trip. So it was about 8.15 before we got towards the front of the queue and could see why boarding was taking so long, the ramp was like a ski-slope with a violent kink in the middle so every vehicle was going very slowly to avoid the risk of grounding. We watched carefully and took the slalom approach going at an angle to begin with and then straightening up for the second longer slope. In the end it was no problem and we were soon heading towards our booked cabin. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We docked at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cagliari</st1:place></st1:City> about 1 hour late, and unloading was as slow as our previous experience with everyone taking time to negotiate the downwards slopes and flat middle section of the ramp. We were quickly out of the port, no customs or formalities, and on our way southwest towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Pula</st1:place></st1:City> on good roads. I soon realised that Sardinians seem a lot slower behind the wheel than their Sicilian cousins, no mad overtaking and a much calmer pace. We spent our first night near Chia at a pleasant site that was not supposed to be open for another few days but it was however already well occupied.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The next day we headed towards San Antioco, a much smaller island in the far south west corner and quickly drove the 12kms on this island to Camping Tonnara located in the beautiful Cala Sapone bay. This is a delightful site with most pitches having views of the small bay and sandy beach to which the site has direct access. It has a restaurant selling excellent fish dishes between April and September, and its only downfall is that its “drinking” water is bought in by tanker and is not really what you would want to drink. So you have to rely on bottled water for drinking, the site supply is fine for cooking, washing and cleaning but you would be wise not to try to fill your tank here, in fact try to arrive with your tank full. This minor problem should not put you off what is an excellent campsite in an idyllic location.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sardinia is about 270 miles long by about 90 miles wide and has had a similar lengthy history to Sicily, with the added factor that is was conquered by the Spanish and occupied for over 300 years before being ceded to the Austrians, so inevitably it is very different to Sicily. For many the nuraghe (stone tower) builders embodied the seeds of a nation, the integrity of which has long since been guarded by the shepherds of Barbagia. Astonishingly, millions of euros designated by the EU for Sardinian developments were withdrawn not - because of any shady dealing but because <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place> failed to spend the money!<span style=""> </span>The island’s new president, Internet billionaire Renato Soru, is determined to make changes; he built his global company, Tiscali, by uniting the small fragmented European telecom and internet service providers and obviously hopes he can perform the same magic on <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our journey took us from the south west to the south east, but not before we had visited Carbonia, a city built by Mussolini in 1938. It has retained its Fascist town planning and architectural conception but has long since lost its principal raison d’etre of being the capital of the Sardinian coal industry. The south east coast is the home of many campsites and we were to visit three along the Costa Rei before venturing north towards the Parco Nazionale del Golfo Gennargentu and Siniscola, where we would again cross the island to the west coast. Here we could continue a clockwise trip to <span style=""> </span>Olbia in the north east, near where the Aga Khan and a group of his friends bought a 10km (6 mile) stretch of coast line to create Costa Smeralda. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On the Costa Rei the small campsite, Capo Ferrato, was particularly nice, it accepts camping cheques, and has good deals in the low season and it is close to the new SS125 and runs along an excellent beach. During June and September they run short courses entitled “Discovering Sardinia - Gastronomy and Culture” which sounded very interesting and great fun. Don’t forget to try the Mirto, a liqueur made from the leaves and berries of the myrtle plant. After a very wet Sunday; our drive on the Monday took us through the <st1:placename st="on">Gennargentu</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">National Park</st1:PlaceType> some 146,000 acres of the wildest and most mountainous landscape in <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>Over about 35 kms we climbed from sea level to 1021m (3100 feet) and enjoyed some breathtaking views along the well graded SS125 which runs through the park. The SS125 is in fact the Orientale Sarda road that was hewn out of rock by Piedmontese coal merchants during the mid 1800s. These “foreigners” carved a road through remote mountain valleys and felled trees that were sent to the mainland. The deforestation that resulted has proved irreversible. During this drive we saw a few snakes, all non poisonous in <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place>, and goats, cattle and pigs all in the middle of the road at various points. The steady descent takes you down to Dorgali when the road follows the coast to Siniscola.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Before we reached Siniscola we stopped to assess a couple of campsites near Arbatax, a busy ferry port, with regular connections to the mainland. But for me most importantly it is the terminus of the Trenino Verdi, a narrow gauge railway that goes south to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cagliari</st1:place></st1:City>. The five hour trip on hard wooden benches traverses some wonderful countryside and spectacular views but unfortunately you cannot make the return journey the same day. I still cannot understand why my wife said whatever the question was the answer is “no”!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As you drive along the generally quiet roads you begin to notice a few things. In the past <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place> had a reputation for kidnapping, but what we noticed in many places was the fact that road-signs were riddled with bullet holes or punctured by a shotgun cartridge. Clearly a pastime for locals but not one that worried us as we always felt safe and secure.<span style=""> </span>The second thing, and perhaps more worrying if you don’t think ahead is that many petrol stations close between 12.30 and 15.30 each day and few are open Saturday afternoons and Sundays. We even found a couple that would only sell diesel to Lorries and not campers or cars, so don’t let you tank get too empty.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In Budoni, a bustling seaside town north of Siniscola, we stayed at the Pedra E Cupa campsite which had good facilities and pitches and access to a beautiful quiet beach. The day after we headed south west to look at a somewhat unusual site, for the Alan Roger’s guides, an Agrituristica near to Nuoro.<span style=""> </span>Recommended by a reader this very small site, only 9 pitches, is part of a large organic farm owned by Giovanni di Costa. I am sure Azienda Agrituristica Costiolu will find its way into the 2008 guides and will be visited by many looking for a quiet resting place high up in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Barbagian</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Mountains</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our journey continued south west to Oristano and then we followed the coast north to Alghero via the interesting town of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Bosa</st1:place></st1:City>. Alghero known to the Spanish as little <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Barcelona</st1:City></st1:place>, has a distinct Catalan flavour and we enjoyed an excellent lunch at a restaurant, overlooking the marina, in the old town before travelling some 15kms to the Torre del Porticciolo campsite. This good site has access, via a flight of stone steps, to a small sandy bay overlooked by a large stone tower currently being renovated.<span style=""> </span>With Alghero airport, just 15 minutes drive away, served by many budget airlines this site is finding increased trade in the low season for its small timber chalets and good bungalows. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After visiting Porto Torres, known to the Romans as Turris Libisonis, where I managed to get a haircut, we continued north east along the coast to Valledoria and Camping Le Foce where we spent a very pleasant weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This excellent site offers kayaks to rent, bird-watching boat trips along the river and a shuttle boat service to a remote white sandy beach. The site accepts camping cheques right through to early July so offers excellent value for low season campers. At the site we enjoyed some typical Sardinian cuisine I had <i style="">Malloreddus</i>, gnocchi like dumplings served with fresh tomato sauce and minced sausage. And we could not resist the <i style="">Sebadas</i>, fritters stuffed with cheese and lemon peel, then fried and served with local honey. Judith had tried the <i style="">Buccinis</i>, a type of mollusc and the <i style="">Arselle</i>, clams, with <i style="">Cozze</i>, mussels, in Alghero and we had bought some <i style="">Porceddu</i>, roast suckling pig in a supermarket and that made an excellent lunch on the road one day.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We had also enjoyed the local red (Cannonau) and white (Vermentino) wine and bought some Mirto and Lemoncello to take home as a lasting memory of a magical stay in <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place>. With a little over a week to go our route continued north east towards Santa Teresa di Gallura where we visited for a few hours the campsite Baia Blu Le Tortuga. This is a truly excellent site, a good mixture of pitches, great facilities and new sanitary blocks that were a couple of days off completion. The site also offered fully serviced pitches and private bathrooms to rent and had a great private beach. They accept the ACSI card so camping in low season is just 14€ (less than £10) per night. We would have happily stayed here but had already decided to spend a few days on the Costa Smeralda.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">On route to Camping Villaggio Isuledda, north of Gannigioni, we stopped to explore another Nuraghe. In fact there are over 7,000 of these distinctive truncated stone cones in <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place> and little is known about the civilisation that created them and flourished here between 1800 and 500 BC. Having also looked at the small adjoining museum we left for our campsite which is located on the west side of the gulf de Arzachena looking towards the Maddalena archipelago. This group of seven islands, between Sardinia and <st1:place st="on">Corsica</st1:place>, in the straits of Bonifacio, was listed as a marine reserve of international status in 1997 and no trip here is complete without a visit to Caprera where Guiseppe Garibaldi lived and is buried. The strange thing about this spectacular national park is that it is also the home to various <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> nuclear submarines under a NATO agreement ratified in 1972. We were told there are now over a 1,000 <st1:country-region st="on">US</st1:country-region> personnel on the small <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">island</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:placename st="on">San Stefano</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> much to the annoyance of locals and Friends of the Earth. In 2003 there was a near disastrous incident when the atomic submarine <st1:city st="on">Hartford</st1:City> became stranded on a sandbank and in 2005 more controversy hit the papers when it was discovered that the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">USA</st1:country-region></st1:place> wants to treble the size of its base here.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Isuledda is a great campsite, our pitch is on a small promontory, almost entirely surrounded by the turquoise sea, and as I sit and finish this article the dolphins are swimming across the gulf enjoying the warmth of the sun and the refreshing breeze. The site has excellent facilities and offers diving, windsurfing and sailing plus you can hire boats, cars, cycles and scooters.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our return journey <span style=""> </span>from Olbia to Civitavecchia, north of Rome, takes 5 hours on the Tirrenia vessel Nuraghe, departing at 12 noon, at a cost of 239€. From there our trip continues through <st1:state st="on">Tuscany</st1:State> towards home, our 4 week stay in <st1:place st="on">Sardinia</st1:place> was delightful and we are already planning to return.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Bon Voyage. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-74566768727463492882008-02-10T14:08:00.000+01:002008-02-10T14:18:38.520+01:002006 Jordan and Syria<p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><st1:country-region st="on"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></b></st1:country-region><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Part 3 of this Journey<br /></st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The nine hour voyage from Nuweiba, in <st1:country-region st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>, to Aqaba across the <st1:place st="on">Gulf of Aqaba</st1:place> was tedious. The ex Danish Ferry was very old and seemed to go exceptionally slowly and the ship was very crowded although not full of vehicles. We had booked our passage in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:City> and there we had to pay in US dollars a total of 237$ (260€ or about £190) for our camper and two passengers. We soon decided to lash out the 10€ (65 E£) for a cabin and had a good rest. When the ship eventually docked it was already dark and fortunately the formalities took only about 90 minutes. Our group had a visa but we had to pay diesel duty, compulsory third party insurance and a passport fee which totalled 208 Jordanian Dinar (260€, £142), before we left the port. Fortunately the campsite at Aqaba is just a few minutes down the coast towards the Saudi Arabian border so we got there quickly for our 2 night stay. The site offers an open sandy field facing the sea, electricity, water and a small WC/Shower block (but we chose not to use that).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning we found out we had to put our clocks on another hour because of Jordan Summer Time which is CET + 1 hour. We soon caught a bus from outside the site into Aqaba at a cost of 0.5JD (0.55€, £0.37) and enjoyed a new shopping experience, no more being hassled to “come into my shop”, a good lunch at Ali Baba’s Restaurant and we met Radif who was an extra in the film Lawrence of Arabia and could not wait to show us his memorabilia. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are three ways north from Aqaba, The Dead Sea road, the desert road and the King’s Highway. Initially we took the desert road to Wadi Rum, having made a brief diversion to the local Safeway supermarket. The Fiat that had first broken down was having major problems again and was seeking help in Aqaba but when it caught us up it had developed a major diesel leak.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spent a day exploring the wonders of Wadi Rum in some Bedouin Jeeps, plus we enjoyed a great walk and some fantastic bird watching seeing especially the Egyptian Vulture launching off the high cliff faces. It is in places like this that motorhomes are unbeatable, camped right in the heart of Wadi Rum at the edge of the small Bedouin village surround by the most magnificent scenery you could ask for. How else could you cook kippers and poached eggs for breakfast in this location? (Sadly they were the last from our small freezer!).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next day we planned to drive the 125kms (80m) to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Petra</st1:place></st1:City> along the Kings highway but first there was the problem of the Fiat that just would not go for more than a few seconds. Eventually it was agreed that the large MAN based motorhome in the group would tow him to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amman</st1:place></st1:City> a distance of 300kms (190m) with another smaller camper acting as tail end Charlie. We then left along the King’s Highway, so called because Moses sought permission to use this route for his passage from <st1:country-region st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region>, to the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Jordan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, from the local Kings. It is a marvellous route rising to 1700m with great views across the rift valley towards <st1:country-region st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> and the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Negev</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Desert</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. We saw eagles and falcons as we stopped to let a large flock of sheep pass by along the narrow road and were soon in Wadi Musa the town above <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Petra</st1:place></st1:City>. It was great not to have the police either present or constantly stopping us and recording our registration details which had become the norm in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Here we camped in the car park of a small hotel and were able to use the showers and toilets that were provided especially for campers at the same level. Built into the side of a cliff we were at level 0 and reception was on Floor 6 but that did not distract from the good Turkish bath and the Internet point that was available. The tow vehicles eventually caught up with us having left the Fiat in an <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amman</st1:place></st1:City> garage.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Duly rested we were ready to explore the wonders of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Petra</st1:City></st1:place>. The hotel minibus took us down through the village to the ticket office and we walked through the canyon towards the first sight of this Nabataean treasure. Built it is thought in the 6<sup>th</sup> century BC it is quite awe inspiring and you quickly get used to the vendors of horse, camel and donkey rides. As we progressed through the valley beyond a small boy on a donkey appeared alongside us. “What’s your name?” he asked my wife, “Judith” she replied. “I am Fariq” he said and then looked at me and said “And you are Michael”. Now no one calls me Michael, only my mother and I had nothing showing my name. So how did he know? We tried asking but he just smiled and said “I am a Bedouin”. After some weeks I have still not solved this fascinating puzzle. Fariq reappeared later that day and told us all about his family and put us on the correct path for some mosaics in a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Byzantine</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, he never once tried to sell us a donkey ride or souvenir and for a 9 year old he spoke perfect English.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a truly fascinating, puzzling and tiring day we returned to our hotel for a good nights sleep. The following day I spent some time checking our vehicle; oil, water, tyres, batteries etc. before enjoying another long Turkish bath. The news about the Fiat was encouraging a new diesel pump had been fitted and the leak cured. After a day of comparative rest we continued along the King’s Highway towards the Christian town of <st1:city st="on">Madhaba</st1:City> where the town centre <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">church</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:placename st="on">St George</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> welcomed us in there car park and we had a great dinner in the Haret Jdoudna restaurant in the town. St Georges is the home of a fascinating mosaic showing the known world about 2000 years ago, orientated to the east from the <st1:place st="on">Mediterranean</st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From Madhaba we went the short ride to <st1:placetype st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:placename st="on">Nebo</st1:PlaceName>, where Moses is said to have seen <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region> for the first time. <st1:placetype st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:placename st="on">Nebo</st1:PlaceName> is at 1200m and you have fascinating views of the <st1:placename st="on">Jordan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">Valley</st1:PlaceName> and the <st1:place st="on">Dead Sea</st1:place>. We then descended from 1200m to minus 400m to the banks of the <st1:place st="on">Dead Sea</st1:place> in just a matter of minutes. We had swum in the Dead Sea a few years ago, when we visited <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>, which was fortunate because this time we didn’t try to repeat the experience as it was cold with a strong wind blowing. After a night camped on the banks of this salty lake we made the steep climb up to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Amman</st1:place></st1:City> which we had to cross to get to the German sponsored school where we were to stay for a few nights. As we entered the school the first sign across the large landscaped gardens was to the metalwork shop but it directed you to the “Forgery Training Department” this was just one of many interesting translations we came across on our journey. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on">Amman</st1:City> is situated on the site of the earlier city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Philadelphia</st1:place></st1:City> and, like so many, built on seven hills. We had a fascinating day touring the capital with its impressive mosque and citadel before heading further north to Jerash. Jerash is an old <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Roman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placename st="on">City</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> that is well preserved and we enjoyed some interesting entertainment when the locals put on a chariot race, and some Roman Army manoeuvres in the Roman Hippodrome. With the commentary in English it was a real piece of theatre and light hearted fun. Unfortunately the campsite was some distance from town but we soon found a friendly taxi driver who was a fountain of knowledge and reasonably priced. He took us to a large family restaurant for Sunday lunch which was packed full of locals and as they did not have any menus in English or German we had what everyone else was having and that turned out to be a truly memorable meal.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From Jerash we drove north to the Syrian border on the road to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Damascus</st1:place></st1:City>. Getting out of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region> was fairly simple but time consuming and cost 15JDs (18€) after we fought off the locals who just pushed in at every opportunity. Having driven the 5kms across no mans land, covered with olive and cedar trees and some well armed soldiers, we reached the Syrian border. The formalities took just over 3 hours and diesel tax was 83€ per week or part week, our original plan was to stay 9 days but that was quickly changed to save the second 83€ payment. Diesel in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place> was 7S£ per litre (0.11€ or £0.07) but we soon realised that the pumps were not particularly accurate and that was not to our advantage. The campsite at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Damascus</st1:place></st1:City> was not easy to find and that lead to an interesting tour in itself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on">Damascus</st1:City>, said to be the oldest city in the world, was wonderful, we toured the souk and ventured in to the best ice cream shop in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>, or so our guide book told us. It was great, meeting the locals (there must have been at least 250 people inside) and trying the ice cream and rice pudding. Then we tried a tea shop before visiting other parts of the souk buying things we realised we could not live without or so I was told! Of course we did not miss the obligatory visit to the citadel and mosque.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on">Damascus</st1:City> behind us and we were driving east, through boring never ending desert, the signs kept saying <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City>. Our lunch time stop saw us next to a worried looking driver who was delivering tanks (water) to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The worrying thing was he wished us luck. When we got to the sign that read <st1:city st="on">Baghdad</st1:City> 100kms (63m) we turned north towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Palmyra</st1:place></st1:City> our next stop. Here we camped alongside the Roman ruins in the car park of the Zenobia Hotel. The guardian took it upon himself to wash all the camper vans, whether you wanted it or not and wanted 3€ (£2), the state mine was in after 12 weeks travelling it was well worth it. We spent the next day walking around the ruins, and the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">temple</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:placename st="on">Baal</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, and the old city which was a great experience and worth the journey. Here we met a young Swiss couple who had shipped their Land Rover to <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region> and then had driven through <st1:country-region st="on">Pakistan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on">Turkey</st1:country-region> to get into <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>, their stories were fascinating.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Already thinking about a trip to <st1:country-region st="on">India</st1:country-region> we drove west from <st1:city st="on">Palmyra</st1:City> towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Homs</st1:place></st1:City>. The desert was just as bleak but as the Syrians had recently withdrawn a large Army from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> we soon realised where all the hardware and troops were now stationed. When we stopped for coffee the police were on us within minutes, but after a friendly chat we finished our coffee and proceeded to Krak des Chevaliers, a Teutonic Knight’s Castle built between the 11<sup>th</sup> and 13<sup>th</sup> centuries. We spent a few hours climbing up the highest parts and wandering down all the inner areas of this historic monument. It was strange to think that Richard the Lionheart walked on these ramparts during the crusades. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From Krak we descended down to the valley below and drove north to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Allepo</st1:City>, <st1:country-region st="on">Syria</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s biggest city. In fact we stayed some 20kms west of the city in a small village campsite next to a mosque. We got a bus into <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aleppo</st1:place></st1:City> so that we could visit the famous citadel, and of course the mosque, and spend a few pennies in the souk which is allegedly the world’s largest. We stayed in town for the evening to sample Syrian cuisine in a famous restaurant and this meant we had to get a taxi back to the campsite at about 11.30. The price was fine but the taxi driver’s driving was an absolute nightmare, we came across a three car pile up and said if they drive like this guy it is no wonder there aren’t more accidents. Anyway we got back and prepared to set off the next morning for the Turkish border some 26kms away.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the border the most important thing was to get our carnet stamped showing our exit date so that we could get our cash deposit back. Unfortunately the border was chaotic and we were forced to join a queue of dozens of trucks. Nothing was moving and talking to a few of the drivers it was clear that it would take them 5 days to get through to Turkey because of problems caused to normal trade routes by the Iraq war. We were then told that unless we moved quickly we would be trapped for 3 days as the exit was being closed. The only thing was to try the other way and go through the other entry gates, this seemed to work but the narrow road through the 8kms of no mans land turned out to be a double queue of trucks, some trying to leave and others trying to enter. There gap between the trucks was just a few inches and it seemed impossible to make any headway.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However a few smiles and hand gestures and hey presto a small gap opened and we started the drive of a lifetime, if the wing mirrors could get through then so could the rest of our van. Truck driver’s who were going to be there for up to 5 days anyway were most co-operative, and most moved just enough for us to pass. When we reached the point where the driver had disappeared we were forced to head for the small hard shoulder, ensuring the we did not fall into the ditch, then we got back into the middle “lane” again. When we thought we nearly had the problem solved we met, head on, a group of Australians doing exactly the same thing after some heated negotiations they pulled in between two trucks so that we could pass. After nearly 2 hours we made it to the Turkish frontier. Inside <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Turkey</st1:place></st1:country-region> there was a queue nearly 12kms long of parked trucks of every description waiting to join the 5 day queue.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whilst this was not the end of our trip it is the end of this story. We thoroughly enjoyed the 5 months that the whole trip took and would encourage others to do the same magical circle through North Africa and the <st1:place st="on">Middle East</st1:place>.</p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-3515399082393749152008-02-10T13:51:00.000+01:002008-02-10T14:06:47.081+01:002006 Eqypt The land of the Pharaohs<p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><span style=""> </span><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Part 2 of our Journey</st1:place></st1:country-region> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Entry into <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> could at best be described as boring. We spent many hours in a variety of windswept compounds completing all the necessary formalities. Departure from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> took only 90 minutes and involved returning the Libyan number plates and ensuring the carnet de passage was correctly stamped recording our departure. On the Egyptian side we had to get Egyptian number plates, driving licence (in Arabic of course and showing the new registration number), passport stamps and carnet de passage duly recorded. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There was an interesting interval when they needed to see the chassis number on the vehicle; fortunately they knew exactly where it was so a quick turn of the front wheels duly exposed the number. Then they needed to see the engine number, neither we nor they knew where that was so a length of wire was strung around the engine and sealed with an official lead seal duly stamped. We assumed this was to ensure we did not sell the engine whilst in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region></st1:place>. We were told that there would be big problems if this wire was cut or damaged, however when the next official arrived he realised that all engines in the convoy had been sealed with the same number so he gave up that exercise, we still have the wire wrapped around the engine as a souvenir.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Having fitted the new plates and duly armed with our new Egyptian driving licence and our correctly stamped passport and carnet we entered <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> after about 6 hours complete with a police escort of two policemen and four armed soldiers. Entry fees totalled 263.50 E£ (£26) and our escort took us to our first camping place near Sidi Barani which was on the parking lot at the rear of a Tamoil service station. Not the best site for our first night in the Land of the Pharaohs but the small restaurant did serve a tasty meal. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our armed escort spent the night in the same place and we were soon to get used to having them around even though the personalities changed daily the old blue Chevrolet pick-up was never going to be far away. We spent 30 magical days touring around <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> and would have stayed longer but we were told a fee of at least 100€ would be pay be payable for each day over 30. On the plus side diesel was readily available at about 0.62 E£ per litre so filling cost only about 4.30€ (£2.75).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the first day our lunch stop saw us at Marsa Matruh on the Mediterranean coast and we had the opportunity to shop to our hearts content in the various small shops and enjoy a hot meat pie baked by the friendly local butcher. The afternoon saw us continue our journey across the flat, barren landscape to <st1:place st="on">El Alamein</st1:place>. There were few cars on the road and the roads themselves were reasonable once you allow for the continuous potholes and speed bumps. Having visited the Italian War Memorial we camped that night at the German War Memorial where the local Bedouin in charge gave us water and electricity. The following morning we spent a couple of hours at the <st1:placename st="on">El Alamein</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> and the <st1:placetype st="on">Commonwealth</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">War</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Cemetery</st1:placetype> before joining the new toll motorway towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>. An overnight diversion into the <st1:place st="on">Qattara Depression</st1:place>, some 40 metres below sea level, enabled us to spend the night at Wadi Natrun alongside a Coptic Monastery, where we enjoyed a fascinating guided tour conducted by one of the monks.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning was interesting, our police escort vehicle had a flat tyre and they had no spare or the means to remove the wheel, it also had water pouring out of the radiator but that was the least of their problems. With our group’s help the wheel was removed and the vehicle left on a jack. Clearly they were not going to be with us for a while, so we continued our journey to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> but it was not long before another escort vehicle came alongside. Just before <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city> and having paid the 4E£ (£0.40) toll we thought we had seen our first mirage a large Carrefour supermarket! But there it was and 2 hours saw us replenish our stock cupboard which was getting a little bare after 7 weeks of travelling.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The second mirage was to follow quite soon, as we entered Greater Cairo and trying to get around a chaotic roundabout there on our right was the Pyramid of Kheops, unbelievable and a tantalising glimpse of what was to follow over the next few days. Not wishing to oversell themselves our campsite was described as “alongside a polluted open sewer and infested by rats and wild dogs”; here we were to spend the next 5 nights. Still it could have been worse and life was just about tolerable even if the mosquitoes did bite with a vengeance. <span style=""> </span>Over the next few days we would spend hours at the <st1:placename st="on">Cairo</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Museum</st1:placetype>, the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the stepped Pyramids at Saqqara, the Cairo Citadel and at the Son et Lumiere at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Giza</st1:place></st1:city>. Hopefully my photos at flickr.com will go someway to adequately convey the awe and wonder of these great sites.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With some sadness, and itching bites, we said goodbye to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Cairo</st1:city></st1:place> and headed out into the western desert for the next 5 days. The western desert came as a sharp contrast to the chaos of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cairo</st1:place></st1:city>, firstly there was little or no traffic and the roads got progressively worse; more bumps, more potholes and less tarmac. The other contrast was our permanent police escort did not follow us and we were left to our own devices. Firstly the desert was scrubland at times, and especially near any settlement, strewn with rubbish. The predominate flower of the desert here was the plastic bag, black, white and sometimes stripped blue; they stuck to anything and everything. To our right on our southern journey lay the great sand sea and slowly any sign of vegetation disappeared and rock and sand formed the entire landscape. After 250 miles we reached the Oasis Bahariya and camped at Ahmed’s Safari camp, fortunately it had showers and shade which had come to be the most important luxuries. We had gone past the stage of looking for good toilets and used our on-board Thetford all the time, and always found somewhere to empty the contents even if at times it was to fertilise a small piece of the desert. Our Zog was an essential piece of kit since it obviated the need for chemicals and thus we did not pollute the environment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a short drive, the next day, we were in the black desert, then the crystal desert, and finally the white desert, where we ventured off road and camped wild. The desert sunset was quite spectacular as was the clear black sky that revealed the universe in all its glory. Wild camping off road is not without risk, we followed some local guides to a safe spot and apart from generating clouds of white sand we were fortunate not to have any problems. The following days would see us at Oasis Dakhla and Oasis Kharga where our night’s campsite varied from a Bedouin settlement to the car park of a 2000 year old burial ground. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In every village you go, no matter how quiet it appears, if we stop there is soon a gaggle of youngsters all asking our name and where we are from? In one village we stopped for some fruit and as always the children arrived, one boy aged about 10 years old had a smart fairly new bike and we asked him his name. “Mohammed” he said in reply and he asked if we wanted to buy any of his souvenirs, mainly hand made baskets etc. As we were looking a young girl about 4 years old arrived with a nice basket. We asked the price and she looked at Mohammed, “Ten” he said. So I asked her and she said “Hamsa”, that’s the Arabic for five. She followed me to our camper and I paid her ten after all, she then went back down the road and gave Mohammed the money. I think that young man will go places.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real delight for me came the as we were crossing the desert towards Oasis Kharga, a solar eclipse. Perfect in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> but 90% where we were and we stopped at a small desert café to enjoy the spectacle. The locals seemed totally disinterested but the local children soon gathered. We showed them the eclipse through out special glasses and they soon disappeared. But they quickly returned with school books and showed us the moon titled in Arabic and English. Great excitement followed as they saw the eclipse progress and even the older customers got involved. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However our journey had to continue and we progressed through a series of Police and Army checkpoints, which had become a regular feature with our vehicle numbers always being recorded, towards <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Luxor</st1:place></st1:city>. About 20kms out we were stopped by the police and then escorted at 80kph by them to the campsite in the town centre. Every side road and bridge was blocked by local militia ( a sort of Arab Dad’s Army armed with rifles) and locals just stood and watched as we sped towards the magical city of ancient Thebes. Here we camped in walking distance of the Karnak and <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Luxor</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Temples</st1:placetype></st1:place> in a small “campsite” which was really the bricked enclosure in front of a cheap hotel. However it had water, showers and a bar/restaurant so all was not bad. Our sightseeing included the <st1:city st="on">Temples</st1:city>, the Valley of the Kings and the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Hatshepsut</st1:placename></st1:place> plus the chance to visit the other local museums. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After two exhausting days our journey was to continue to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aswan</st1:place></st1:city>. But now the convoys were under much stricter police control. Every tourist vehicle, minibus, coach or camper had to be in a certain place by 7.45 to join the 8am convoy. Lots of police/army vehicles would now accompany us at 90kph the whole way (130m) to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aswan</st1:place></st1:city>. We were allowed a short diversion into Edfu, to see the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Horus</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place> but only with police presence and prior approval. In <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aswan</st1:place></st1:city>, and anywhere nearby, you are not allowed to sleep in you mobile home, so we stayed in a hotel with our vans parked outside. Here like many other places on this trip we made sure we ticked off another few visits from “1000 things to see before you die” by having drinks on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile. Inevitably we also visited the Aswan Dams, the <st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Isis</st1:placename> and had a Felucca trip on the <st1:place st="on">Nile</st1:place> in addition to enjoying the luxuries of a modern hotel, including getting all our laundry done.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another tourist convoy took us south of the Tropic of Cancer to <st1:place st="on">Abu Simbel</st1:place> (200m). Camped overlooking <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Nasser</st1:placename> we had ample opportunity to visit the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Temple</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Ramses II</st1:placename></st1:place> and see the sound and light show in the evening. But the following day saw us crossing again the same blank desert landscape in police convoy to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Aswan</st1:place></st1:city> where our hotel awaited us for a second brief stay. The following day the police convoy which included about 15 coaches and countless minibuses and taxis escorted us back to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Luxor</st1:place></st1:city> and our familiar brick compound.<span style=""> </span>After a nights rest we were really looking forward to another tourist convoy, this time it took us to Port Safaga on the <st1:place st="on">Red Sea</st1:place> coast, a distance of 270 miles, and was probably the longest convoy yet. About half way the whole thing stopped at a desert café, where all the coach and minibus passengers piled into a small coffee shop. Fortunately we could brew our own and enjoy a quiet few minutes before the mad rush started again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In Port Safaga, having duly filled up with diesel, we stopped at a small campsite situated right on the beach. After a days rest we felt fit to face the journey north to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Suez</st1:place></st1:city>, once again without police escort. This trip was going to prove to be the start of a series of problems faced by some of our fellow travellers. By mid morning one of the Fiat based vehicles had broken down, dirty diesel was the diagnosis and emptying the fuel tank and cleaning the diesel pump only offered a temporary cure. We all eventually arrived in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Suez</st1:place></st1:city> and stayed in the town centre camped in the garden of the Youth Hostel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The following morning we went through the tunnel under the Suez Canal and left Africa and entered <st1:place st="on">Asia</st1:place> and the Sinai. Our trip through <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> was beginning to come to an end since we had to leave on day 30 at all costs. After a stay in Sharm el Sheik we headed towards St Katherine’s Monastery and <st1:place st="on">Mount Sinai</st1:place>, but on the way we stopped for lunch at Dahab. Dahab was to be the location of a serious terrorist attack a few days later in which many people were killed or injured.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our campsite near St Katherine’s was the local football pitch, which put paid to a local match, but again another Fiat based vehicle suffered from dirty diesel and was left with another vehicle in the baking Sinai desert. Trying to tow a 3500kg vehicle even with a bigger motorhome was not going to be easy and was abandoned when the tow vehicle constantly overheated. As we prepared to leave St Katherine’s the next morning the “broken down” vehicle appeared having had its diesel pumped cleaned and another electrical problem resolved. The tourist police were helpful but this camper faced a long and lonely night in the desert if it was not for the assistance offered by one of our group. We heard a few days later of a lone Dutch motorhomer who was found in the same place who, having stopped, died sat at the wheel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To leave <st1:country-region st="on">Egypt</st1:country-region> we had to get to the <st1:placetype st="on">Port</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Nuweiba</st1:placename> to catch the ferry to Aqaba in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The short land journey is not possible since it means entering <st1:country-region st="on">Israel</st1:country-region> and we would then be prohibited from entering <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Syria</st1:place></st1:country-region>. After a day on the beach we duly presented ourselves at the port on our 30<sup>th</sup> day in this magnificent country. Of course we needed about 3 hours to clear all the formalities before boarding the recycled Danish ferry. We had to return our Egyptian number plates and driving licence, and most important get our carnet de passage stamped recording our departure. They did insist on checking our chassis numbers again but no one came to inspect the wire around the engine, so I could have sold my engine after all! That wire and the small lead seal will be one of enduring memories of this fascinating journey and our entry into <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Jordan</st1:place></st1:country-region>, some 9 hours later, will be in the third and final part of our story.</p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-24332997233824315422008-02-10T11:17:00.000+01:002008-02-10T14:08:49.387+01:002006 North Africa and the Middle East<p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><br /><st1:place st="on"></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;">Part One – <st1:country-region st="on">Tunisia</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A 12 week adventure, with a motorhome, through Italy, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey ending in Greece needs tremendous planning and preparation. Not only do you need to ensure that your vehicle is fit for the voyage but you need to obtain documents not normally needed for most motorhome journeys. An International Driving Licence and International Vehicle Registration Document are perhaps the easiest as both are available from the RAC and AA. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For us the most problematic document was the Carnet de Passage that is needed for most of the countries that we would be travelling through. This simple document avoids the necessity to pay import duty for the temporary importation of a vehicle. This too is available from the RAC but it is costly; our 4 year old Rapido is worth at least £25,000 so the RAC asked for a bank guarantee or insurance cover of £125,000 since we were going through <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> on this trip. The insurance cover costs £12,500 and only half is repaid if no claim is made against the carnet, a bank guarantee proved impossible for us. Fortunately ADAC, the German automobile club came to our rescue, they provided the carnet for a cash deposit of 15,000€ (£10,000) and the full amount was repaid at the end of the trip and they charged only 154€ (£100) for the service. They have no problem providing carnets for foreign registered vehicles.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next hurdle is the question of visas. <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> in particular is almost impossible for most motor-homers as you need an official invite and to be accompanied during your entire stay. Here our old friends at Perestroika Tours in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> had the solution and we joined their international tour for this journey.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The final problem and almost insoluble for most <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place> motorhome owners is insurance for the whole journey. Our camper is registered in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">France</st1:place></st1:country-region> and naturally has French insurance which covers fully comprehensively many of the countries automatically and any other country for up to 90 days so for us it was not a problem. You need to check with your insurers early in the planning process. It is possible to buy third party cover at the borders, where cover is not provided by your insurers, and sometimes this is compulsory even when you are covered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From the vehicle viewpoint, and having experienced this journey ourselves in the spring of 2006, I would ensure your tyres are good and the valves have been renewed. Also despite what your service schedule might say have the oils in the engine, gearbox and rear transmission changed, also have new oil, air and fuel filters fitted and carry spares. Good brakes and suspension are also essential as they will be tested to the limit. Over this 5 month trip the problems encountered by our small group, fuel pump/filter problems, punctures and tyre valve problems, could in the main have been avoided if prior servicing had been completed including the points made above. The other problems we had perhaps could not have been foreseen nor avoided and were electronic in nature not helped I am sure by the holes, bumps and poor roads encountered almost everywhere. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Although our journey really started in <st1:city st="on">Florence</st1:city> and we spent 8 days travelling to <st1:city st="on">Palermo</st1:city> in <st1:state st="on">Sicily</st1:state>, this first part of our story will cover <st1:country-region st="on">Tunisia</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region>. For our 7 metre camper and two passengers the ferry from <st1:city st="on">Palermo</st1:city> to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunis</st1:place></st1:state> cost 264€ (£180). The voyage takes 11 hours and you need to add at least 4 hours for the formalities at both ends. For us the crossing was very rough and many of our group suffered sea sickness, as did many other passengers, so perhaps a cabin would be a good additional investment.<span style=""> </span>Having filled in 4 forms; 1 for each passenger, another for the driver and 1 for the camper we braced ourselves for arrival in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunis</st1:place></st1:state>. Fortunately the formalities were speedy and efficient and the staff polite and helpful. Just avoid the many touts who want to help you for a fee. Once out of the port <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunis</st1:place></st1:state> is just 15kms away and a large car park provided a safe and comfortable overnight venue. We stayed in this car park for 2 nights so had plenty of time to visit the Medina in Tunis and catch the train to Sidi Bou Said, about 20kms to the northeast of the capital. The tourist police came 2 or 3 times to the car park to check we were alright and had no problems.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next day we started our journey south, initially heading for Kairouan. A perfectly timed coffee break saw us along side the remains of a 90km Roman aqueduct that originally served <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carthage</st1:place></st1:city> with fresh spring water. Substantial parts of the aqueduct remain and it is well worth the stop. By now we had begun to wonder why most vehicles toot twice when they were near us; but it was just the Tunisians saying hello, nice to see you, so we relaxed and waved back. A perfect lunch break found us at Thuburbo Majus and the remains of a spectacular Roman city and after a pleasant afternoon drive we camped that night in the car park of the Hotel Continental in Kairouan. Fortunately Tunisian roads are generally good and fairly quiet particularly the further south you go and diesel is cheap at 0.64 Dinah per litre (0.40€ or 28p). However further south petrol stations are few and far between and even those shown on maps may not be open so we kept topped up to avoid problems.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next few days saw us at Tozeur, Douz, Matmata and many other places on route. Everywhere we were well received by the Tunisians and although the campsites are not of western European standards they are adequate and generally clean. In Tozeur we camped for 2 nights at the campsite Beaux Reves (beautiful dreams) so had time to take a 4 x 4 trip out into the desert and the mountains close to the Algerian border. The following day’s drive across the causeway that dissects the Chott El Jerid, <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>’s largest salt lake, was stunning with mirages in every direction. Even in late February temperatures were above 20 degrees and the days mainly sunny with clear blue skies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were able to visit on our way the location used in the original Star Wars film and fans will recognise the name Tataouine from the film, which is a village in southern <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region> but a planet in Star Wars.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On our last day in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region> we made an early start for the Libyan border as we knew the formalities would take some hours to complete. Departure from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region> was comparatively quick taking not much more than an hour then the fun began. Whilst still technically in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region> every camper in our small convoy was subjected to a search by a Libyan Customs Officer and a non-uniformed official who literally emptied every cupboard and storage space in every vehicle looking for alcohol. Of course we all had some and this was placed in a visible position when they moved to the next vehicle. The alcohol police, as they became dubbed, were extremely thorough and missed nothing, we had heard that in earlier years the “pork police” had been similarly effective. The uniformed official told us we were in serious trouble and the matter would be reported. This process took almost 4 hours to complete and in the end they confiscated half of our drink, generally the really good stuff, and left us the rest. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We then proceeded, duly chastened, to another area where our passports were processed, our carnets stamped and checked, and our Libyan number plates issued. Various fees were payable even though we had our visas in place. We also obtained our compulsory third party insurance. Total costs were not far short of 200€ (£138). We were comforted by the fact that this was just a practice run for the far more lengthy process that we would endure at the Egyptian border later in our journey. In the end we entered <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> just as dusk arrived and were faced with an 80 kilometre drive, led by our Libyan minders, who would be with us for the next 11 days. Just before Sabratta, where we were due to camp, we entered a small town. It was like going back forty years, shops were open and the traffic chaotic, it was like we had joined a stock-car race with numerous semi derelict cars chasing each other around the cramped narrow roads. Fortunately our first night’s parking place, alongside the youth hostel, was not far away.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">During our 11 days in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> we would travel along the Mediterranean coast, because driving through the interior of this magnificent country is mostly only possible with 4x4 vehicles. This gave us plenty of time to visit the former Roman “league of the three cities” or tri-polis: Sabratta, <st1:city st="on">Leptis Magna</st1:city> and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tripoli</st1:place></st1:city>. <st1:city st="on">Leptis Magna</st1:city>, a UNESCO listed site was particularly spectacular and camping in car-park No 1 gave us ample time to explore and the chance to take a bus trip to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Tripoli</st1:city></st1:place>, which is rather calm and quiet compared to other capitals.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is quite apparent that most Libyans enjoy a good lifestyle and we were welcomed where ever we went. Indeed the people we met were kind, helpful and generous and it took us a couple of days to realise that when we bought bread and payment was refused just what was happening. Bread in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> is subsidised and we were buying such small quantities that payment was declined. <span style=""> </span>However we experienced the same phenomena when we tried to buy some flowers, the shopkeeper asked where we were from and then said “welcome, please the flowers are a gift” Now I could just see that happening in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> to a foreign visitor!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The second half of our trip across <st1:country-region st="on">Libya</st1:country-region> saw us visiting Sirte, Ajdabiya, Tolmetha and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Cyrene</st1:place></st1:city> before heading to Tobruk. We stopped at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Commonwealth</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">War</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Cemetery</st1:placetype></st1:place> just before Acroma, 20 kms east of Tobruk, and were shown the graves of 2 holders of the VC and that of the only women, an army nurse, to be buried there. We spent our last night in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> camped alongside the German War Memorial high above Tobruk, having driven through this bustling town. With all the road signs in Arabic we quickly devised a way of finding the route we needed, Benghazi became “snake and W” because that is just what the end of the word looked like, but with our eyes trained to read left to right we were of course reading the end of the word first; still the system seemed to work. <span style=""> </span>Generally the roads were good although large potholes, speed bumps and wayward manhole covers caused a real and ever present problem.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We took a diversion one day to visit the magnificent engineering project called the <st1:placename st="on">Great</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Manmade</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">River</st1:placetype> which is pumping millions of gallons of water each day from deep in the <st1:place st="on">Sahara</st1:place> to the many populated towns on the Mediterranean coast. Permission was easily obtained from the local officials for this extra trip and we could see for ourselves this outstanding achievement. On the same day we met another sandstorm but this time with an extra twist, a simultaneous heavy shower, which left thick mud clinging to almost every exposed and unexposed part of the vehicle; so don’t try this trip if you like to have a clean motorhome. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Campsites in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Libya</st1:place></st1:country-region> are non-existent but museum car parks, youth hostels and Scout HQs were very welcoming resting places and sometimes were even able to provide electricity and a very welcome shower. Diesel is readily available and is less than in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, 0.08€ or 6 pence a litre, but unless you are happy to wade in deep stagnant diesel a supply of disposal overshoes is essential when filling up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">An early start to the Egyptian border is essential since the formalities on both sides can easily take 8 to 10 hours and requires patience and tolerance. The last 140 kms in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tunisia</st1:place></st1:country-region> were through barren, flat and uninteresting desert and we were at the border shortly after 8am where we joined the first of many queues. Entry into <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> will be covered in the next part of our story.</p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612292668469402408.post-46418070273655902322008-02-09T17:44:00.000+01:002008-02-09T17:52:28.421+01:002003 The Arctic Circle.... our first real trip<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -63pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size:16;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Arctic Road</span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -99pt;"><b><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -99pt;"><b><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">What many of us call Lapland and the North Cape, the most northerly point in Europe, must be one the top ten challenges for all motor caravanners.<span style=""> </span>Crossing the Artic Circle, for the first time is a truly magical event, as you enter the land of the midnight sun.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Having driven North through Finland, from Helsinki, we crossed the magic line just north of Rovaniemi. Here you will find the Santa Claus Village and Post Office.<span style=""> </span>This point, 66<sup>O</sup> 33” 07’, is further north than just about anywhere, and is further east than Athens at 25<sup>O</sup> East. Most people, like us, will travel during June & July when the weather is at its “best”, with daytime temperatures between 16 & 20C and the lowest temperatures between 8 & 11C. During the winter minus 45C is not uncommon and the sun doesn’t shine at all for some weeks. The summer months also benefit from the midnight sun during June & July, but have the disadvantage that you will not get the chance to see the Northern Lights and from midsummer’s day the mosquitoes are at there worst. However whatever the weather you will find the Finnish Campsites to be of a very high standard with all the facilities you could want and more. </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">At Rovaniemi we camped at Ounaskoski Camping, right on the banks of the Kemijoki River, and only 15 minutes walk from the town centre and the Artikum Museum. Even though half of the museum was closed for rebuilding it was still worth a visit, the multimedia show in particular was excellent. And it only cost 4€ (£2.80) each. We camped there for 2 nights at a cost of 20€ (£14.20) per night including electricity. The price includes hot showers in a warm air conditioned block and use of the sauna. The Kemijoki, Finland’s largest river, is a deep brown colour and offers numerous opportunities for sightseeing by boat. We just had to visit the Santa Claus Post Office, as we headed north, to buy the grandchildren a special Christmas treat, a personal letter from the man himself delivered in mid December. We also filled up with diesel and it was still only costing 0.77€ (£0.54) a litre.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">We were in no particular hurry and had planned to visit a few sites on the route to North Cape from Rovaniemi. The trip is about 700kms, or 450 miles, and we were going to take 4 or 5 days. Between Rovaniemi and Sodankyla we had planned to visit the Lampivaaran Jalokivitunturi, Amethyst Mountain. The main road north, the 4 (E75), is excellent, only two lanes but quite, flat and peaceful. Rather than go via Kemijarvi we hoped to get to the amethyst mine from the 972 at Torvinen. Sadly the 972 is unmade and full of potholes, we gave up after 2kms and returned to the 4. Fortunately a little way north there is another road to Luosto, where the mine is, this was made up and presented no problems. Well until we reached a T-junction with the 972 after about 15kms, where we were back on the unmade road and very heavy lorries with trailers were going in both directions at a very brisk pace. So we gave up again and never did see the mine. Perhaps the alternative route would have been better but somehow I doubt it, at some point you had to travel down a very poor unmade road.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">So despite that minor disappointment we camped at Camping Sodankyla Nilimella, which is only 1km from the centre of Sodankyla, which they call the municipality of the stars. The Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory constantly surveys the earth’s magnetic field and the cosmic radio noise. In addition the upper atmosphere is radar sounded and earthquakes are measured using seismic recordings. It is also the home of the Sodankyla Light Infantry Brigade, the Finnish version of the SAS, which specialises in survival in cold climates, with temperatures of –50C in the winter they have certainly found a good home.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The campsite is only open for June, July & August but has good facilities in two blocks including saunas. On June 9<sup>th</sup> only 5 pitches were in use so there was plenty of space. Right behind reception are some good-sized pitches, clearly marked with hedges that have 10amp electricity.<span style=""> </span>The somewhat unusual feature of this site is that it is split into two by a small, lightly trafficked public road. That did not present a problem and the night, with electricity and hot showers, cost 16€ (£11.20). Although you have to turn off the main road into the town on the 5 (E63) it is very easy to find and well signposted.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The next day we wanted to visit the Tankavaaran kansainvalinen Kultamuseo, the gold prospectors museum. Fortunately Tankavaaran is right on the 4 (E75) about 96kms north of Sodankyla on the way to Ivalo. Before arriving there we stopped to buy some fresh smoked from one of the many smokeries in route. A whole smoked brook trout cost 7.20€ (£5.10). Visiting the gold mine turned out to be a double whammy, as it is at the entrance to one of Lapland’s many national parks.<span style=""> </span>So getting our priorities right we first went into the national park, where the smoked trout and salad made an excellent lunch. We then visited the National park centre and spent some time at the exhibition. The park offers many way marked walks of varying length and excellent opportunities to see the wildlife of the area.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">So a bit later than planned we made the short trip to the Gold mine and the museum. The entrance fee of 10.50€ (£7.35) includes the cost of gold panning. The museum includes exhibits and relics from all the world’s gold fields and buildings from various countries showing the way prospecting developed. The displays were very good only to be surpassed by the gold panning experience. First you collect a pair of Wellington boots and then sit on a plank in ice cold water, thick with mud, about one foot deep. The prospector then brings the pan loaded with gold laden soil. A quick demonstration of the technique is followed by about 15 minutes of panning. At the end I had 4 spots of gold each the size of a pinhead! Still I was successful.<span style=""> </span>I was assured that each year at least one lucky visitor walks away with a nugget.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Having warmed up at the adjacent fire we continued onwards towards Ivalo. More by luck than planning we stopped for the night at Ukonjarvi Camping just 11kms north of Ivalo.<span style=""> </span>The site at the southern tip of Lake Inari is within a thin birch and pine forest. The pitches are excellent, many have electricity and the site has all the facilities you will want including 2 saunas. We booked the sauna at 12.50€ (£8.75) for one hour and enjoyed the heat and subsequent benefits. As it was our wedding anniversary we went to the sites restaurant for a treat. Fully licensed and only two minutes walk from our serviced pitch what more could we ask. I opted for the draught beer, Lapin Kulta, and we both had the reindeer casserole. It was great!</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The next morning we set off, a little later than normal, towards Inari where we planned to visit the Sami Museum.<span style=""> </span>If you are tempted to buy souvenirs along the route wait till you get to Inari, the centre of Sami culture. But first we visited the Inari Lake scenic viewpoint that is only 2kms from the campsite, despite the 1:5 climb the view and small exhibition was very worthwhile. The display includes photos of a rogue Russian cruise missile that crashed on the frozen lake Inari one winter, the old USSR being only 45kms away. Back on the route we stopped at the Bears Cave but fortunately the stairs were being rebuilt and access was not available. </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">We arrived at Inari just before lunch and looked at the various Sami souvenir shops. Suitable laden we had a light lunch at the Kioski that also houses the air taxi. Just as you leave Inari you will find Siida, the Sami Culture and Northern Lapland Nature Centre. Allow at least 2 hours for this visit, the indoor displays are among the best we have seen and the outdoor exhibits well worth the walk. The centre has created a fascinating information package focusing on the indigenous Sami people and the Northern seasons. You will leave the centre much wiser and fascinated by what surrounds you.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The journey to the Norwegian border continues northwards via the 4(E75) and then along the 92. The later road is a little narrower and undulates across some comparatively uninteresting countryside. The birch and pine trees are now smaller and much less impressive. Only the sighting of various wild reindeer herds breaks the journey. After 80kms you arrive at Karigasniemi, the border town where we camped at the Tenorinne campsite. Turn left just before the border and the site is on the left, along side the Karasjakka River. The fee of 16€ (£11.20) includes electricity and hot showers in a heated block. A kitchen and sauna are also available and the site is quite and reasonable mosquito free. Our logic for stopping here was it left an easy day’s journey to NordKapp of about 222kms (137 miles). </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The next morning we thought our journey would begin with customs and passport checks, we forgot that Norway was not a member of the EU. To get here we had gone through 7 countries and had not stopped at any borders. This was going to prove to be a novelty. Well we were in for a surprise, as the border crossing is not permanently manned, so we just drove through the nothing to declare channel and that was it, quite an anticlimax. </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">The first town you arrive at in Norway is Karasjok; you’ll find a bank, with cash dispenser, just ahead of the roundabout, and a few petrol stations, a supermarket and coffee shop. The next section of the E6, which is signposted Alta, takes you to Lakselv. Along this road is a section restricted for foreigners, it is clearly marked and military police patrol the area and there were helicopters buzzing around all along the valley. By now the landscape has changed dramatically, with snow capped cloud-covered mountains on both sides and almost no trees. </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">At Lakesekv you are at the base of the Porsangen Fjord, a large inlet of the Artic Ocean. From here the E6 hugs the coast of the fjord, as I drove along I was thinking I must mention that this road is a bit narrow in places especially at bridges. Locals seem to drift around bends using the whole road and don’t give much space to oncoming vehicles when coming out from side roads; the numerous skid marks are testimony to the problem. Then, at a bridge, there were two not very happy car owners filling in their constat amiable as a result of a not too serious coming together. Excitement over we continued north enjoying the dramatic ever-changing scenery of the fjord. Weather sweeps in from the Artic at a tremendous speed and we had, snow, hail, sleet and rain at various times. Large lumps of ice formed on the windscreen at one point.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Just north of Russenes you go through a 3kms long, dark, winding, narrow tunnel. We entered it from bright sunshine, so it took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, and exited into another snowstorm. Shortly after Kafjord you enter the NordKapp tunnel. Almost 7kms long, the first 3kms being a steep descent, but at least it is wider and well lit. It is interesting to think at the half waypoint that the Artic Ocean is directly above you.<span style=""> </span>The toll was 445Kr<span style=""> </span>(£40) for a 6m campervan and driver and 46Kr (£4.15) for each extra passenger, payable by cash or credit card at the NorthKapp side.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">We had emailed ahead to the Kirkeporten Campsite, the most northerly campsite in the world, so that we had a pitch with electricity. This was a simple but unnecessary precaution as the site was very quite. We have certainly found the laptop computer, with Internet access through a mobile phone, to be a great asset on this trip. </p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Kirkeporten as its name suggests is a church and small fishing port in the village of Skarsvag that has about a dozen houses, and is constantly lashed by the harsh artic weather. Despite the weather we donned our two layer anoraks and climbed the hill behind the site to see NordKapp. From the top, which is not what it seems from the site, you can see the Vikings Horn, a large rock that is at NordKapp. We also spent the afternoon at NordKapp itself viewing the exhibition and the supervideo film show. Both were excellent and we inevitably spent some time in the souvenir shop. It is a bit pricey to visit NordKapp, 185Kr (£16.65) per person but this includes 2 nights camping. But the mid-afternoon temperature was 0 degrees Centigrade and that is in the 2<sup>nd</sup> week of June. Plus you also only get passing glimpses of the Cape itself as it appears, for a few minutes, through the swirls of clouds and have to walk bent to combat the ferocious wind. However it is a sight not to be missed!</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent">Now we can justifiably display the NordKapp sign on the back of the Camper and claim membership of the Order of Bluenosed Caravanners.</p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoBodyTextIndent"><o:p> </o:p></p>Mike & Glohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180608058947309273noreply@blogger.com