Back from Egypt, on my way to Jordan

I know, I know, I am getting sloppy when it comes to updating this blog (as my dear readers keep reminding me of – something I like, because it shows that this is not only writing therapy). The excuse is the usual one – I have been traveling extensively, and been busy updating the MSN-blog (after all, I get paid to write that one, and I always try my best to do a good job). Do not hesitate to take a look there. I know it is in Swedish, but I post a lot of photos too, and they speak an international language.

So, last time I posted here, I was still in Cairo. From there, we (me and my dear Femke) ventured out in the Western Desert, visiting the beautiful Desert Oasis of Bahariya. Here, we met up with Jahia and Muhammed from Desert Ship Safaris, and continued by 4x4 Toyota Land cruiser straight out in the desert. First stop was the Black Desert, then Crystal Mountain. Both were OK, but not that spectacular (remember, both of us have become something of desert connoisseurs).

But next, we drove off road into the area called Agabat, and here, the landscape was simply stunning (see the photo with Femke and Muhammed, sitting on a sand dune in a perfect arched vault of white lime stone).
Further on, we had lunch in the shade of a palm tree in the perfect little Tintin-esque oasis of Ein Al-Wadi.

The night was spent under the stars in the otherworldly White desert, a lunar landscape of red sand and Dali-designed (it looks like it at least) splendidly white and weird rock formations. The full moon gave it an even more eerie look, topped up with the surprising and beautiful meeting with a little desert fox.

The adventure continued with a long drive via the Farafra Oasis to the very special fortified clay village of El-Kasr, in the Dakhla oasis. We stayed here (in a rather nice place called the Desert Lodge Resort) and discovered for a few days, before committing to the last long ride through the desert to Luxor.

In Luxor, we spoiled ourselves by staying at the very comfortable Club Med, highly enjoying their excellent food and soothing pool, all of it just next to the Nile. Of course we looked at lots of temples and statues from the Pharaonic time, but the real highlight was doing a balloon ride at dawn over the temples, desert and fields of the Western shore of the Nile. And sailing a felucca at sunset on the same eternal river.

The end of our trip saw us back in Cairo, where Femke put in an astonishing finish by visiting 15 or so different shops, spread out over this mega city. I countered with visiting a number of bars (although by far not as many), all in the name of research – what else?

You can find lots of photos from the Egypt trip here.

Now, I am back in Jerusalem again. Did I say that I quitted my job at ANERA?

On Friday, Femke’s parents are coming to visit us. The plan is to pick them up at the airport and then drive directly to Aqaba in Jordan for some snorkeling. Saturday evening, we are going to the famed (and rightly so) rock city of Petra. Then we’ll see.

Nostalgic in Cairo

Hello, back again. I am afraid I have been extremely busy lately, and neglected my private blog somewhat. Also, my travel blog for MSN takes a lot of time.

As usual, I have been doing a bit of traveling. Last week, I visited the big travel fair TUR in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was great to be back in the city where I once studied, and also fun to meet old and new friends in the travel business, and editors from the major Swedish travel magazines. Managed to sell a few nice stories that will keep me busy this summer. About what? Can’t say yet, but it is going to be fun.

I also met two old friends from University over a beer at the friendly Polish restaurant Kraków. It’s funny how little we change over the years – we agreed on that we were pretty much the same persons as when we studied together, more than 15 years ago.

Friday, I took the train to Stockholm and stayed over at Lotta and Per. Lotta used to work in Jerusalem, so that is were we met. Both of them are really nice and generous persons, and Lotta and her always cheery mood is dearly missed in Jerusalem.
Anna, another Swedish friend in Jerusalem, was also visiting Stockholm and staying at Lotta’s place, so we went out for dinner the four of us. I really enjoy keeping up contact with good friends like this, I find it a pleasure but also important. When you live an international life on the move, it is far too easy to loose contact with people, even if they are important for you.

Saturday saw me attending the Swedish Paragliding Association's annual meeting. I am the editor of their magazine Hypoxia (which I very much enjoy producing) but I have not been able to meet the board before. So this was a most fortunate occasion. The meeting was held in conjunction with a big adventure fair, where most of the Swedish diving industry exhibited. So I could say hello to a few old colleagues and friends from my diving years while there.

In the evening, I went to my favored Stockholm drinking venue, the Czech pub/restaurant Soldaten Svejk. Their beer is poured with utmost care and love, and of the very best quality. The food is recommendable as well, if you like the heavy cuisine of central Europe (which I do).
My old University friend (and nowadays customer – he asked me to write the travel blog for MSN) and regular Svejk-company showed up as well, nowadays a somewhat rare event since he lives on an island in the Mediterranean right now. Later on, Maxson, another friend from the University of Journalism, joined us for a glass or two. Fun!

I called it a day rather early, which was wise, considering I had to go up at four the next morning to go to the airport. Sunday was a looong travel day for me. First a flight from Stockholm to Vienna. Then another flight to Tel Aviv.
In Tel Aviv, the Israelis managed to call in 13 staff members just to arrange for my transfer between flights (something that is normally done without any staff at all other airports in the world). It took them an hour to figure out that I was not going to blow up any planes this time either. I mean, they check me in and out every time they see me at the airport outside Tel Aviv, which is very often. Paranoia is a strong understatement when it comes to them.
Anyway, in the end, they let me enter the airports waiting lounge, where I sat for more than three hours, before it was time to board my flight to Cairo. Landing there late in the evening, I took a taxi to the fancy Cairo Marriott Hotel on an island in the Nile.

So here I am, in Cairo again. There is a nostalgic feeling in the air when I walk the narrow and crowded alleys of the souk – I visited Cairo three times in the 90’s, but have not been back since. Most of it is exactly the same. Maybe the buildings are slightly crumbling somewhat more, maybe the traffic is a notch worse. But the same kind of wrinkly old seen-it-all men sit at the corner cafés, smoking their shishas (water pipes) and sipping their tea.
I like it.