Sunday, February 20, 2005
Marbella
Enjoyed the last day of no working today by missing the bus to Ronda and then just wandering around Marbella. The first 6 photos are the hotel room, requested by Daniel! The others are a sand sculpture at the beach, the main beach at Marbella, and a little street in the old part of town. It's been mid to high 20s today, and very balmy with a lovely sea breeze.... sigh... back to work tomorrow....
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Puerto Banus
Just down the coast a little from Marbella is this rather pretty little town which seems to be populated by the very rich - if the prices (and the yachts and cars) are anything to go by! However Lisa, Sam and I strolled around, Sam and I paddled in the freezing waters of the Mediterranean and we enjoyed a jug of Sangria for lunch. Well it did have lots of fresh fruit in it (top right)! We were intending to go to a market in the bull ring there, but didn't make it in time. Never mind, up early next saturday and we'll get there before we leave for home.
Spain - Marbella
Well a short flight from London then taxi from Malaga and here I am in Marbella! Room very luxurious, however after Paddington what wouldn't be! LOL
Weather is fine and sunny, probably 19 or so degrees, but very clear blue sky. Haven't been out yet, but will do so soon, but this is the only picture so far.
Weather is fine and sunny, probably 19 or so degrees, but very clear blue sky. Haven't been out yet, but will do so soon, but this is the only picture so far.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
London
London college: from top left to right
The Ashes, Lord’s Museum; Regent Street; Eros and Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus; Diagon Alley (Leadenhall Market); Tower Bridge; Big Ben; Houses of Parliament; Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
The Tower of London was said to be the most fearsome of all of the fortifications built by William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings. Its primary function was to provide a base for royal power in the City of London, and a stronghold to which the Royal Family could retreat in times of civil disorder. Henry VIII of course used it as a prison for religious and political prisoners.
London Tower collage: from top left to right
Tower of London from the Thames; Wakefield Tower, throne room; Fusilier’s museum; Waterloo Barracks – Jewel House (where the Crown Jewels are kept - MY GOD!); the next two speak for themselves!; Bloody Tower – Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned here for 13 years, and the two princes were allegedly murdered here; Traitor’s Gate – Prisoners accused of treason, such as Ann Boleyn, passed through here; White Tower – the oldest medieval tower.
The Ashes, Lord’s Museum; Regent Street; Eros and Trocadero, Piccadilly Circus; Diagon Alley (Leadenhall Market); Tower Bridge; Big Ben; Houses of Parliament; Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
The Tower of London was said to be the most fearsome of all of the fortifications built by William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings. Its primary function was to provide a base for royal power in the City of London, and a stronghold to which the Royal Family could retreat in times of civil disorder. Henry VIII of course used it as a prison for religious and political prisoners.
London Tower collage: from top left to right
Tower of London from the Thames; Wakefield Tower, throne room; Fusilier’s museum; Waterloo Barracks – Jewel House (where the Crown Jewels are kept - MY GOD!); the next two speak for themselves!; Bloody Tower – Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned here for 13 years, and the two princes were allegedly murdered here; Traitor’s Gate – Prisoners accused of treason, such as Ann Boleyn, passed through here; White Tower – the oldest medieval tower.
London
Hello all
Here I am in freezing cold London. It's been sunny today, but about 5 degrees, and the sun has no warmth. At least the rain and snow flurries have not eventuated! I have walked all over London today, and seen nearly all that I wanted to see, Tower of London, all sorts of things. I'll try and post some pics soon, but I am currently in an internet cafe, just checking out the facilities. Tomorrow I'll be working most of the day in my room, which is about 3m square at the very most! Bit of a change after the Semiramis Intercontinental!! However it's also nice to be back in a country where people obey the road laws, you aren't in fear of your life crossing the road, and people aren't hassling you all the time to buy something!
Anyway hopefully will post something tomorrow
love
sue
Here I am in freezing cold London. It's been sunny today, but about 5 degrees, and the sun has no warmth. At least the rain and snow flurries have not eventuated! I have walked all over London today, and seen nearly all that I wanted to see, Tower of London, all sorts of things. I'll try and post some pics soon, but I am currently in an internet cafe, just checking out the facilities. Tomorrow I'll be working most of the day in my room, which is about 3m square at the very most! Bit of a change after the Semiramis Intercontinental!! However it's also nice to be back in a country where people obey the road laws, you aren't in fear of your life crossing the road, and people aren't hassling you all the time to buy something!
Anyway hopefully will post something tomorrow
love
sue
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Saturday February 12…
Today we visited the pyramids on the Giza Plateau – first the Great Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops, which is the largest in Egypt and was completed around 2570BC. It’s around 137m high. The second smaller pyramid is the burial place of Khufu’s son Khafre, which still has at the top the limestone casing. It’s 136m high. The third is the pyramid of Menkaure, which is small, only 62mh high! Originally all three were clad in polished white limestone, and they must have gleamed like crystals in the desert. Around the pyramids are several smaller pyramids which are the tombs of Kufu’s wives and sisters. Before the Suez Canal was built, the Nile flowed in front of the pyramids, and the mummy of the pharaoh was brought from the temple to the pyramid in solar barques, which were then buried near the pyramid to transport the pharaoh in the next world.
Next stop was the Sphinx. It was carved from the natural rock at the base of the pyramid of Khafre when they found that the rock could not be removed, and is thought to portray the pharaoh. In Arabic, the Sphinx is known as Abu al-Hol, or the Father of Terror! The nose was hammered off (allegedly) by Napoleon’s soldiers, while the fallen beard was carted off and is now in the British Museum.
After Giza, we went to the pyramids at Saqqara. This is the major cemetery of Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, and was an active burial ground for 3500 years. Old Kingdom pharaohs were buried in the 11 major pyramids of Saqqara, and their subjects in hundreds of smaller tombs in the complex. Most of this was buried in sand until the mid 19th century, and it is slowly being uncovered. Very slowly! The main pyramid is the Step Pyramid of Zoser, which is the oldest pyramid in the world. It was built around 2650BC. Next on to Memphis. Hard to believe now, when it is a dirty, dusty little town, this was once a large, beautiful city filled with palaces, gardens and temples. It’s like stepping back into another world, where donkeys and carts are the main forms of transportation, people still wear traditional dress, and basic agriculture is the main way of life. Oh and trying to flog postcard to tourists! Its cemetery runs for 35km, from Dahshur in the south to Giza in the north. The museum here has a fallen statue of Ramses II, which is truly impressive.
Next stop was the Sphinx. It was carved from the natural rock at the base of the pyramid of Khafre when they found that the rock could not be removed, and is thought to portray the pharaoh. In Arabic, the Sphinx is known as Abu al-Hol, or the Father of Terror! The nose was hammered off (allegedly) by Napoleon’s soldiers, while the fallen beard was carted off and is now in the British Museum.
After Giza, we went to the pyramids at Saqqara. This is the major cemetery of Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, and was an active burial ground for 3500 years. Old Kingdom pharaohs were buried in the 11 major pyramids of Saqqara, and their subjects in hundreds of smaller tombs in the complex. Most of this was buried in sand until the mid 19th century, and it is slowly being uncovered. Very slowly! The main pyramid is the Step Pyramid of Zoser, which is the oldest pyramid in the world. It was built around 2650BC. Next on to Memphis. Hard to believe now, when it is a dirty, dusty little town, this was once a large, beautiful city filled with palaces, gardens and temples. It’s like stepping back into another world, where donkeys and carts are the main forms of transportation, people still wear traditional dress, and basic agriculture is the main way of life. Oh and trying to flog postcard to tourists! Its cemetery runs for 35km, from Dahshur in the south to Giza in the north. The museum here has a fallen statue of Ramses II, which is truly impressive.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
These are examples of parking Cairo style. Will give you some idea of not only parking but driving if you have a look at the condition of the cars. The little boy was selling bread at the Khan al Khalily market... we didn't want to buy any but when I offered him a pound after I took his photo he did the whole affronted thing and asked for two!!! he didn't get it!!!
the spices are fascinating here, bags and bags of them - pity they're covered in flies and customs would have a fit if I tried to bring them back into the country!
the spices are fascinating here, bags and bags of them - pity they're covered in flies and customs would have a fit if I tried to bring them back into the country!
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Cairo day 5
OK well nothing much to report - Nicole and I and several others have been sick - something we ate I suppose. So today was mainly spent sleeping. This is the cafe in which we ate last night - the food was mainly good, although far too much bread. The felafel was yummy, but I don't want to know how they made it.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Cairo Day 3
Sunday … our last day with the freedom to see the sights before knuckling down to some serious database training and the first TIMSS meeting for the 2006 survey! There..do you all feel better now that you know we’ll be working for the next 5 days?? Hmmm? LOL
Today we negotiated a price with the cab driver to take us to the Citadel – set on a limestone spur to the east of the city and home to Egypt’s rulers for about 700 years. Saladin began building the Citadel in 1176 to fortify the city against the Crusaders, then following the overthrow of Saladin’s dynasty, the Mamluks extended the Citadel, adding ‘sumptuous palaces and harems. Sadly there’s not much sign of that now! The Ottomans continued to enlarge the Citadel and then after the removal of the French on 1798 Mohammed Ali restructured it again and added the Turkish style mosque that bears his name. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali dominates the complex.
There is a great view over Cairo out to the pyramids from the front of the mosque, and much of the fortifications are still standing.
After that we went on foot to the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, which is regarded as one of the finest pieces of early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It’s huge, and one of the earliest hospitals was included inside the mosque, built to combat cholera. There are four floors above the main level, which housed scholars who attended schools within the walls of the mosque.
Leaving there we headed by taxi to Coptic Cairo, past the Northern Cemetery, which is also known as the City of the Dead. This is not only a cemetery, but also a place for the living. In Egypt even the humblest family tombs were designed to include a room where visitors could stay overnight, and from the 14th century, people have lived in houses above the tombs. There’s water, gas and electricity available, and apparently there’s a police station and a post office (there you go Michael, how’s THAT for a posting!).
Coptic Cairo is the Christian part of Cairo, although there are still mosques there too. The main entrance is between the remains of the two round towers of Babylon’s western gate, built by the Emporer Trajan in AD 98. We visited the Hanging Church, which was built on top of the Water Gate of Roman Babylon in about the 7th century. Also in the complex is the Church of St Sergius, which is built over a cave in which Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus were purported took shelter after they fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s persecution (kill all the first born boys). All very interesting!
We then caught the metro back to Opera station, which was surprisingly clean and easy. The first two carriages are women only, so we took advantage of that and avoided the tightly pack remaining carriages like the plague! Well there’s got to be some advantage to being a second-class citizen! The women are generally very friendly, and smile broadly when you catch their eye!
Opera station brought us to the vicinity of the Cairo Tower, which we ascended in a lift. The tower was built in 1961, and resembles a 185m high wickerwork tube. The height is equivalent to that of a 60 story building, and at the top there’s a platform to look at the views. Lucky I’ve conquered my fear of heights, and could happily stand near the edge and look down at the Nile! There’s a strange revolving cafeteria at the top where we stopped and had a drink and admired the 360 degree views of Cairo. Finally we walked back to the hotel and put our feet up for a couple of hours until the Reception at 7pm. Now it’s work for the next 5 days, then a trip to the Pyramids at Giza, the Saqqara Pyramids (which includes the Step Pyramid of Zoser), a pharonic village, and then finally a boat trip/dinner down the Nile! So there may be nothing much now until Saturday – but you never can tell what surprises are around the corner!!
The photos in the collage are, from the top left:
Looking over the Nile to the pyramids
From the Citadel – over Cairo to the pyramids
Mosque of Mohammed Ali
Inside the mosque
Domes of the mosque
Mosque of An-Nair Mohammed
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan
Mirror of St George slaying the dragon, Coptic Cairo
Hanging Church, Coptic Cairo
Inside the Hanging Church
Cairo Tower
Views over Cairo from the tower, and Sue in the revolving restaurant
Classic car (typical of those in Cairo)
Doors in a convent in Coptic Cairo
Today we negotiated a price with the cab driver to take us to the Citadel – set on a limestone spur to the east of the city and home to Egypt’s rulers for about 700 years. Saladin began building the Citadel in 1176 to fortify the city against the Crusaders, then following the overthrow of Saladin’s dynasty, the Mamluks extended the Citadel, adding ‘sumptuous palaces and harems. Sadly there’s not much sign of that now! The Ottomans continued to enlarge the Citadel and then after the removal of the French on 1798 Mohammed Ali restructured it again and added the Turkish style mosque that bears his name. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali dominates the complex.
There is a great view over Cairo out to the pyramids from the front of the mosque, and much of the fortifications are still standing.
After that we went on foot to the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, which is regarded as one of the finest pieces of early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It’s huge, and one of the earliest hospitals was included inside the mosque, built to combat cholera. There are four floors above the main level, which housed scholars who attended schools within the walls of the mosque.
Leaving there we headed by taxi to Coptic Cairo, past the Northern Cemetery, which is also known as the City of the Dead. This is not only a cemetery, but also a place for the living. In Egypt even the humblest family tombs were designed to include a room where visitors could stay overnight, and from the 14th century, people have lived in houses above the tombs. There’s water, gas and electricity available, and apparently there’s a police station and a post office (there you go Michael, how’s THAT for a posting!).
Coptic Cairo is the Christian part of Cairo, although there are still mosques there too. The main entrance is between the remains of the two round towers of Babylon’s western gate, built by the Emporer Trajan in AD 98. We visited the Hanging Church, which was built on top of the Water Gate of Roman Babylon in about the 7th century. Also in the complex is the Church of St Sergius, which is built over a cave in which Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus were purported took shelter after they fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s persecution (kill all the first born boys). All very interesting!
We then caught the metro back to Opera station, which was surprisingly clean and easy. The first two carriages are women only, so we took advantage of that and avoided the tightly pack remaining carriages like the plague! Well there’s got to be some advantage to being a second-class citizen! The women are generally very friendly, and smile broadly when you catch their eye!
Opera station brought us to the vicinity of the Cairo Tower, which we ascended in a lift. The tower was built in 1961, and resembles a 185m high wickerwork tube. The height is equivalent to that of a 60 story building, and at the top there’s a platform to look at the views. Lucky I’ve conquered my fear of heights, and could happily stand near the edge and look down at the Nile! There’s a strange revolving cafeteria at the top where we stopped and had a drink and admired the 360 degree views of Cairo. Finally we walked back to the hotel and put our feet up for a couple of hours until the Reception at 7pm. Now it’s work for the next 5 days, then a trip to the Pyramids at Giza, the Saqqara Pyramids (which includes the Step Pyramid of Zoser), a pharonic village, and then finally a boat trip/dinner down the Nile! So there may be nothing much now until Saturday – but you never can tell what surprises are around the corner!!
The photos in the collage are, from the top left:
Looking over the Nile to the pyramids
From the Citadel – over Cairo to the pyramids
Mosque of Mohammed Ali
Inside the mosque
Domes of the mosque
Mosque of An-Nair Mohammed
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan
Mirror of St George slaying the dragon, Coptic Cairo
Hanging Church, Coptic Cairo
Inside the Hanging Church
Cairo Tower
Views over Cairo from the tower, and Sue in the revolving restaurant
Classic car (typical of those in Cairo)
Doors in a convent in Coptic Cairo
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Day 2 Cairo
Well, we thought we were tired yesterday – that’s nothing compared to today! After sleeping well, we had breakfast and then four of us, Nicole and me, and Fiona and Anthony from NZ, headed off downtown to explore Khan Al-Khalili market. After a strenuous argument with the taxi driver over the price, and then another over where we actually wanted to go (he insisted that we did NOT want to go to Khan Al-Khalili, we got to the Al-Azhar Mosque, founded in 970AD. After having a guided tour through the mosque (free, but baksheesh- or the almost compulsory tipping – of about 40 Egyptian pounds), we left and outside a man told us to go in another direction to have a look at a school… so suckers that we were, we went that way, and then he offered to show us the way. Well warning lights should have been flashing at this point, but of we went, round and round the backstreets of Cairo into places that we would probably have never have gone to. It took several hours and a visit to a ‘factory’ where we watched two men making the inlays on jewellery boxes- absolutely beautiful painstaking intricate work, cutting tiny pieces of mother of pearl by hand and then placing each into a pattern. And yes, we did buy some things, after a great deal of haggling over the prices and growing frustration on our part. We finally got back onto a main road after more baksheesh, and with the help of a police officer, found our way back to Khan Al-Khalili. There is so much there to see, with whole sections devoted to perfumes, jewellery, spices and so forth, that I think we will go back another day when we’re not so tired!
Friday, February 04, 2005
Day 1 Cairo
Well it's the end (nearly) of a totally exhausting day. It's 6.30 pm here, which is 3.30am Melbourne time,which goes part of the way towards explaining why I am so tired!
We arrived at Cairo airport this morning to be assaulted by taxi drivers touting for business. We argued the price down from 65 pounds to 44 pounds, or about $11. WOW! Anyway the drive in was scintillating.. speeds between 80 and 100 kph the whole way pretty much, with lots of tooting of the horn and flashing of the lights when people got in his way! Rooms are nice, and mine has a balcony with a great view of the Nile. The smog is pretty amazing, so visibility doesn't extend to the pyramids!
Nicole and I ventured out after having showers and unpacking, and we were taken in hand by Ali, who assured us that the Egyptian Museum was closed as it's Friday,and that we should instead come to his shop where he would make us a nice cup of Egytpian tea and show us his art work.. Oh and his sister was getting married tomorrow so anything he sold would go to her.> What a scam, but we eventually escaped and went to the museum, which was NOT closed! I am already tiring of taxi drivers, they are so pushy, and of people trying to sell me papyrus on the street, so tomorrow's trip to the souks should be fun, or I might just snap!
We arrived at Cairo airport this morning to be assaulted by taxi drivers touting for business. We argued the price down from 65 pounds to 44 pounds, or about $11. WOW! Anyway the drive in was scintillating.. speeds between 80 and 100 kph the whole way pretty much, with lots of tooting of the horn and flashing of the lights when people got in his way! Rooms are nice, and mine has a balcony with a great view of the Nile. The smog is pretty amazing, so visibility doesn't extend to the pyramids!
Nicole and I ventured out after having showers and unpacking, and we were taken in hand by Ali, who assured us that the Egyptian Museum was closed as it's Friday,and that we should instead come to his shop where he would make us a nice cup of Egytpian tea and show us his art work.. Oh and his sister was getting married tomorrow so anything he sold would go to her.> What a scam, but we eventually escaped and went to the museum, which was NOT closed! I am already tiring of taxi drivers, they are so pushy, and of people trying to sell me papyrus on the street, so tomorrow's trip to the souks should be fun, or I might just snap!
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