Travels of Dr Stanley
Part 1_Dispatches from India
This journey has been gestating for a long time and finally the day arrived when I boarded my flight to Christchurch and Singapore/Chennai. I dragged Belinda out of bed at 6.00 AM to drive me to the airport. After a quick farewell I was on my way. About 20 hours later I stepped out of the plane at Chennai on a hot muggy night to be greeted by a huge throng of people behind barriers outside the arrivals lounge. There was an air of expectancy about the throng and I was hoping I was not me they were expecting. There was no sign of my taxi man so I hung around outside fending off numerous touts while I waited for hopefully someone to collect me as arranged. Eventually this occurred and we sped off into Chennai to the hotel Pandian where I had booked a room. There was a phenomenal amount of traffic on the road even at this late hour. I was too tired to be scared at our numerous near misses. I think the taxi man was amused! I managed to put my head down at midnight after a long day.
At 7.30 next morning I wandered into the attached restaurant. After breakfast I approached the travel desk and they gave me the address of Kingfisher airlines. I picked up an auto rickshaw outside and headed down to their office and bought a ticket for the next day’s flight to Kochi. Then I was asked by the driver if I would like a tour of Chennai. Later in the morning I set off with Kathir, the taxi man for a three-hour tour of Chennai's sights. This was well worthwhile and we first went to Fort St George which was crowded because of an assembly meeting. There was an enormous crowd waiting to gain entrance there and at the army checkpoint they waved me through. Inside there was not a lot to see apart from very old buildings dating from the British Raj. Next we visited the beach, which had an enormous expanse of sand to the water. It was surprisingly empty. We went to see Santhome, a basilica dedicated to St Thomas. St Thomas was one of Christ's apostles and came to India in 50 AD. He was martyred near here. Next we visited Kapaleeswerar Hindu Temple. This was very large and ornate. I had an Indian guide join me and he was very informative and wanted $20.00 USD for his services at the end of the tour but I settled for 200 IR. Kathir wanted me to let him take me to the airport next day so I agreed to this.
I had a good night’s sleep and decided to leave the overhead fan on and wear my ear plugs as Indian cities are noisy places. Woke to a pale light filtering through the faded curtains and the dawn chorus of beeping horns from the street and coughing and throat clearing in the dark corridor outside. Headed off in my taxi to the airport on frighteningly busy roads with appalling driving habits. There does not seem to be any traffic rules here. To venture onto a pedestrian crossing is suicide. At the airport all went well. I boarded my flight to Kochi and had a pleasant flight. It was smoggy all the way across India. At 30,000 feet it seemed like smoke lay across all the plains. It was a bit clearer on the Western Ghats where there were some impressive sharp peaks covered in forest. Then it was down into the smoggy coastal plain to Kochi. On closer inspection it appeared quite green with lots of palm trees. I took a taxi to the Yuvarani Residency where I was expected. They gave me a lovely room and after a welcome shower I set off to Bolgatty Island on an auto rickshaw where I found the yacht Sahula at anchor. No one was aboard so I headed back to the hotel. Nearby was an internet café and as I was walking back from there I saw a dead rat on the road being picked at by a large crow. Such is India!
Next day I went back to Bolgatty and got dropped off. I called out to someone on the yacht and then David appeared. He motored over to pick me up. Onboard Indian Television was interviewing him, so I kept out of the way till that was over. I met Lorraine Lindsay, a lovely lady and instantly liked her. They had enough of the boat and decided to have a night at Yuvarani. We went over to the Bolgatty Palace Hotel which was luxurious and caught a ferry across to Ernakulam. Glad to reach the hotel in the evening. Its Loraine's last day on the yacht.
Had a very comfortable night at Yuvarani. It is quite ornate with marble staircases and an elaborate restaurant. I met David and Lorraine for breakfast and then we checked out. Reception was very concerned David had left his passport on the yacht and they were required to have a copy of his passport and visa. This is a new requirement since the terrorist attack on Mumbai recently. We left our baggage at the hotel and took a ferry to Cochin. Had a great day there. It had lovely streets and old buildings and fairly quiet. Went to Jew Town but the old synagogue was closed for Sabbath. Lorraine bought a nice shawl. Then we took an auto rickshaw to see the Chinese fishing nets which are huge structures that are raised on a pendulum and a large net dipped into the sea. The catch seemed pretty meager.
We walked around and visited St Francis Church. We had lunch at a little cafe and then it was back to the Sahula.
David had joined the Vasco Da Gama International Yacht Rally from Cochin to Alanya in Turkey mainly because of the convoy through the Gulf of Aden that is pirate infested these days. All the Vasco Da Gama yachties had been invited to a banquet and cultural event for a business group at the Bolgatty Palace Hotel that night and this was sumptuous indeed with hundreds of wealthy Indians in attendance and a very noisy band. But it was a stunning display which we enjoyed. We slept on the yacht that night and boy was it hot and muggy.
Had a good sleep though it was too hot to use even a sheet. I awoke early and it was pleasantly warm. Today 25th January was the start of the Vasco Da Gama rally. They got under way at 1000 hours, a succession of yachts lining out of the harbor with sirens blaring. David and I had gone ashore to see them off and met some of the Kerala yachting folk who were there as well. One of them Major Karunakaran was a friend of Anand Swaroop who I met in Tibet 2 years previous. Anand is a colonel of a regiment of the Indian Army. After they had gone Jolly Thomas and Dr Sudhakaran Jeevan invited us to visit the Kerala Yachting Club camp where they were preparing for national championships of Optimus class yachts. These were for school children and they seemed so keen and a hive of activity there.
We visited the beach and saw some fishing canoes that had been made of a dark wood and sewn together with coconut fiber. Then we were taken to a resort and treated to a sumptuous meal. In the evening when we got back I went off to try to get some washing done unsuccessfully and then did several trips to get water. Managed to drive the dingy without any mishaps. Had another hot night on board.
Next day was spent on preparation for leaving on Tuesday. I went off and got more water and sorted out the laundry for David. We had a trip over to Ernakulam for lunch and visited the internet and then bought some food. I also repaired one of the sails with an awl. What a tedious job! Meanwhile ferries and tourist boats were weaving their way among the many yachts anchored off Bolgatty. In the evening we had supper with Gandel and Stir, a Finnish couple on their yacht.
Tuesday arrived, our departure date. We upped anchor and motored down the channel to the ornate Customs House where we anchored. David went off to visit Thomas, an old friend on another yacht. Then ashore we got through a lot of paper work before we had permission to leave. We finally got under way after lunch and steamed out to sea. There were some ships in the channel but no problems in the passage. Sailed north against a head wind but had to use the motor most of the time. Went through the night and the 4-hour watches were quite tiring.
The following day drifted on in a desultory pattern, hot and muggy and little wind. David decided to go well offshore in the hope of avoiding too many fishing boats and getting more wind. He had a headache and felt unwell so we decided to make for Dilli on 29th for a rest and clean of the hull. I had some great sleeps during my time off watch so felt much better that night. I also had ear plugs which helped a lot. During the night we started angling in towards Dilli and arrived next morning at 7.00 AM. The air pollution is terrible in India and gets worse near shore. I guess its all the wood fires they use. Dilli appeared as a small village among coconut palm trees behind a sandy beach. We anchored and did a clean up. A few fishermen in a traditional canoe like a Viking longship with raised prow visited us and they were disappointed we had no cigarettes or alcohol. In the afternoon I did an email to Belinda and wrote up my diary. We went for a swim off the yacht and David tried to clean the hull. Some young men came out in a canoe and asked if we wanted any fruit. We said ‘yes’ and off they went and later returned with some pineapples, apples and a melon. That night they returned with some coconuts and we invited them for a chocolate drink. The ambiance was tempered when one of the young men asked for a donation for an orphanage in the village. David felt it was a lie but I was not so sure.
Friday morning we left early for the run north to Kalwar. David was keen to start immediately before breakfast and we put out to sea on a lovely windless morning. The coastline was picturesque with a sandy beach stretching north backed with palm trees. We motored the whole way across a millpond sea. We had a large fishing boat come close and offer us a magazine but then wanted “cigarettes and alcohol” in return. When we declined and they asked us for their magazine back! Then another boat came close to collect it and hit us off our port quarter damaging our danboy. On we plod and spent an uneventful night at sea. We did 3 hour watches and when I went below I collapsed into a deep sleep. But after 3 hours I would wake up on cue and resume my watch.
Sunday night we put into Kalwar among lots of shipping. We anchored off a beach in town. Next morning revealed a smoggy, unattractive town or as David described it “bloody awful” or as Stanley said another “penal colony”!! David was keen to leave without going ashore. So off we go out to sea again. And then mercy of mercies, a favorable wind and we bowl along at 6 knots and reach Goa at dusk. Just south is a huge port with at one stage 17 ships either anchored or moving in or out of port. The sun sank into the Arabian Sea in a spectacular way silhouetting the cargo ships at anchor. On we plod racing the dusk into the Mandovi River following behind 2 huge barges. There was lots of shipping so it was very tense. Then we picked up the red navigation lights and found a safe anchorage behind a large casino ship. We dropped anchor and breathed a sigh of relief. There were quite a few garishly lit casino
' Love Boats' steaming past us. There was loud music and people dancing on the upper deck. But this was not unpleasant as at least they were happy and enjoying life! I had a bath on the after deck in the dark and unhappily lost David's shower bottle over the side. It’s good to be here after 6 days at sea.
We awoke to a misty morning and found the yachts anchored near the bridge up river on the right side. We motored up and anchored beside them. Then we went over to see Lo Brust, the commodore of the rally and after that went for a walk in town. Panjim is quite attractive with lots of old Portuguese style houses and narrow streets.
Today we had arranged to go on an organized tour to the Dogma Game Sanctuary. It took an age for the bus to get there and it was situated well up in the highlands in Goa. However it was really only a zoo though the animals seem well fed. After an hour there we went to the Spice Gardens that were much more interesting and they had lunch ready for us. On the way back to Panjim we visited the Church of St Francis Xavier in old Goa, a most attractive and clean town
We went exploring Panjim the following day and found the market which was very extensive with a huge fish section and a vegetable/fruit section to. We got some nice sweat pastries and later some ice creams. We bought a huge amount of groceries and brought them back to the boat. I changed another $200.00 USD. In the evening we went out to dinner with Stier and Gandel, a Finnish couple and Umberto, a Spaniard solo sailing for 10 years around the globe.
Thursday we got up early to get diesel for the boat and then we went for a long walk up the hill in Panjim to a Hindu temple and then caught a taxi across town to a delicatessen where we got cheese, yoghurt and drinking chocolate. Got a taxi back to the yacht. Later went to a restaurant for dinner and then went to the internet shop. Tomorrow is our last day and we have much to do. I am looking forward to sailing to Oman on Saturday.
Part 2_ Voyage from India to Salalah
We left Goa on Sunday 7th February for Salalah in Oman on what turned out to be a nightmare voyage. The first hint of trouble occurred on the way out of the harbor when the automatic pilot failed. David stopped outside the harbor in a bay to 'clean the hull'. Needless to say the other boats carried on and soon were over the horizon. It was a warm pleasant day and the water was a lot cleaner further out. On we motor/sailed and later hand steered. I felt terrible and was sea sick that night. Later we got enough wind to set the Aries wind vane. The days blurred one into the other. We had a system of watches every 3-4 hours day and night which was exhausting. We had good winds the first few days and sailed along at about 4 knots. One of the things that were quite stressful was reefing down during the night when the winds were strong. I had to hold the yacht into the wind that was not easy to maintain while David struggled with the main sail. Then the wind died and we could not use the Aries and the pain started. This was quite literally an increasing pain in my right scapular region that was a recurrence of a scapular muscle strain I had two years previous when hand steering David's yacht. Nighttime was worse when I had to steer by ships compass that would stick and had an intermittent light in it. The electronic compass was of no use, as it had no working light
Four days out we were becalmed. Morale was low. David and I had a disagreement, the consequence of fatigue and failure of vital equipment on board. We motor sailed day and night for the rest of the crossing making about 4 knots an hour. We did not have enough fuel to reach Oman so we could only hope for favorable winds.
Next day I had a call on the VHF from Lo asking my advice on his Welsh terrier who suddenly went blind. I was not sure what had happened and advised him to call Belinda in New Zealand and ask her to contact our vet for advice. Unfortunately Lo's dog died just after he reached Salalah. It appears he ate some poison in India. Lo was understandably very upset.
It is about 1200 nautical miles (NM) from Goa to Salalah. Many of the yachts did the trip in 10 days but we took 14 days due to the above reasons. Once when we were becalmed and wallowing around the fishing line David had let out behind us wrapped itself around our prop. David had no choice but to dive under the boat to cut it away. It was an exhausting ordeal for him
The days dragged on in a sort of dreamy manner. Fuel became a major issue as David was uncertain how much we had left and slowed the boat down to a snails pace to conserve fuel. My back got much worse so that I could not do hand steering at all. Then we heard on the radio that Invectus 4, one of the rally yachts was in trouble having lost its engine and was drifting in a busy shipping lane where there was a danger of being run over.
Another yacht ‘Christian’ skippered by Barry Christian offered to take fuel out to us. It transpired if we could reach Invectus 4 on our remaining fuel and get their fuel we could tow them in to Salalah and this is what happened. In actual fact we towed them over 80 nautical miles into Salalah.
Part 3_Oman
was a great feeling reaching our destination and we managed to anchor close to shore which was just as well as our dingy outboard died on us and we had to row ashore. We spent several days in Salalah which is a massive port. We were both very tired and had a good sleep. Next day I had a wonderful cold shower in the ablution block on the wharf and went for a walk out of the port area to the Oasis Club where we had a meal that night. I befriended a Canadian man called Peter from the yacht 'Cool Change' who was a mine of information. I also did a trip into town with Kay and Maryanne who are a Swedish couple from another yacht. I managed to provision for the next stage of the trip. Meanwhile David was getting out engineers to fix the outboard engine and the coursemaster.
The following day we went on a tour organized by Grigor who is the crew for Thomas Frank. We set off in a few 4WD to Thumrayt, which is inland over the Jabal Al Qara Mountains on the way to the Empty Quarter. It was a long drive of several hundred kilometers. Our driver was Essa, a gently Omani who had a good sense of humor. We stopped off in the desert to see some Frankincense trees in a wadi.
These are low trees maybe 4-5 meters high with small tough leaves. When the bark is cut there is a red surface that exudes a white gum or resin. In a small town I bought some Bakoors perfume. Frankincense is sold as a gum pellets or as a fine powder. We eventually reached the start of the huge sand dunes and went for a walk up one for a view of an arid desolate plain with sand dunes to the horizon. Then we backtracked to a house where we were served with a delicious meal. Nearby was a dead camel and also two young well cared for camels.
In the afternoon on the way back we visited the Lost City of Ubar but there was little to see apart from a deep hole in the ground under a cliff. Close to Salalah you drop about 2000 feet off the desert plateau to the coastal plain.
The day was such a contrast to the trip so far and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was great to see the fabled Empty Quarter.
The following day I hired a car and spent the morning driving Kay, Maryanne and Ellie into town for shopping. In the afternoon David and I went in again and visited the old souq which was really just some shops where we got some Amourage ( Frankincense perfume) and a turban for myself. We had a huge lunch in an Omani restaurant and found an internet cafe. Three days later we all finally got underway as a convoy of 23 yachts entering ‘Pirate Alley’. This area is notorious for Somali pirate attacks on shipping. We kept the motor on and headed west along the coast and them out to sea. Our Plastimo self steering worked which was a relief. We formed ourselves into a convoy with 4 groups. David was group leader of the rear group. Peter of ‘Cool Change’, which is a small solo yacht was so slow, Lo put him on a tow. The second day out we saw a school of dolphins and closed on the mountainous shore. There was no sign of pirates.
Part 4_ Salalah to Aden
My diary on 27/2/09 records the following impressions_
“ It's dusk now in the Gulf of Aden as we steer towards an orange sunset, some miles off the Yemeni coast. There must be a small town there judging by the number of lights ashore. The moon is a typical Muslim crescent and nearby is a bright planet that I take to be Venus. To our starboard are 7 yachts each with a red bow light. To our port are another 7 yachts with green bow lights. Ahead is a group of yachts with stern white lights. We do not use our masthead lights in case we attract undesirables. On our after deck is a flashing green light as we are a group leader for the rearguard flotilla.
There are 4 flotillas of yachts and we move in a cruciform formation in case of pirate attacks.”
Early on 28th February we reach Nishtun that is about 20 NM from El Mukalla in Yemen. We left at 5 PM for Aden. The trip the rest of the way to Aden went well and we entered the port early in the morning. It is spectacular with craggy mountains on a peninsula. I was desperate to get off for our 5 days here and was packed and off within 1.5 hours of arriving.
Part 5 _ Yemen
We went ashore and David only wanted a free shore pass and I paid $58 USD for a visa. I went across the road and changed $300 USD into 60,000 Yemini rials. I then found Omar who is a shipping agent, well known in the port and asked him to take me into Krater to the Al Wafa hotel. He also took me to the police to get a permit to travel to San'a on the bus for the next day. The hotel was dinghy and the staff unhelpful and spoke no English. The toilet was a squat variety and no toilet paper. I declined the first room and asked for a room with a view (in mime) that they gave me. I then went off and found an internet café nearby. In the cafe I met a young man called Arif who showed me around Krater for the afternoon. We visited the fortress at Sira which had a great view.
Then he took me to see the Aden Tanks or Cisterns which were a series of reservoirs among the craggy hills for collecting water. They were empty as it was years since they had rain. In the evening I took Arif out for a meal. He was a chemical engineer and was on his off days. He could not be more helpful and wanted no money and very kindly lent me his cell phone charger.
Next day Omar collected me at 7 AM and took me to the bus terminus in Sheikh Othman across the causeway. He bought me breakfast there and then I set off on the bus. I was the only westerner on board. There were some women in burkas and one had henna on her fingers. I met a young doctor called Mahmoud Sheikh who took me under his wing and bought me lunch at a stop. We discussed many things and got on well. There were numerous stops at army checkpoints and soldiers singled me out and inspected my papers at these. On arrival in San'a there was no sign of my driver whom Omar contacted so I got another taxi into the old city and found a nice hotel, the Golden Daar Hotel. The manager was a young Pole called Michael and showed me a lovely room on the top of the tower building with a great view of San'a. He then took me up the street to meet Patrick, a Yemini/Czeck man who runs a tour agency. I found him reclining on low Yemini couches which you sort of squat on and he mapped out a tour for me for the next few days. He organized a car and driver to take me to Wahi Dahr, Thulla, Kwakaban and then to Manakha for walking. Manakha at 2250 meters is the trekking centre for the Haraz Mountains. The cost was $190 USD which I thought OK. I also bought a plane ticket back to Aden for 7th, the day before departure of Sahula
Saleh, my driver picked me up at 8.00 AM next day. He had a 4 WD in reasonable order. We drove out to Wadi Dahr that is an Imam’s Palace build on a pinnacle of rock.
It is an amazing place with many stories up steep steps. I met some young Yemini men there who asked me would I pose with them for a photograph.
They were very friendly and hospitable. We then drove up into the hills to Thulla, which is a hilltop village. It was very scenic built under an imposing rock pinnacle but disappointing due to the constant hassling by the locals. I bought a few scarves and jewelry boxes just to keep them happy. Then we drove down the road and Saleh took me into a traditional Yemini restaurant for a meal. Here they do not use cutlery and one mops up food with pieces of chapatti. Some of the locals had Klashnikovs over their shoulders. I dared not take any photos!
Next we went up to Kwakaban, another hilltop town. I walked down to Shibam, a descent of about 600-700 feet. The track was in a ravine. After this we drove on to Manakha in the Haraz Mountains. There we had been booked into the Al Hajjarah Hotel which was very nice. Mohamed who ran the place said I would have to take a guide for my walk next day as the police would not agree to me going solo so I said this was OK. I guess this is one way of supporting the local economy. That evening I was treated to a sumptuous meal. After this there was traditional dancing and music for the few other German tourists and myself. In the corner of the room was a pile of old rifles! We all joined in which was great.
Next day, Saleh, Awad, my guide and I set off for Hutayb that is a Bohra Ismailite place of pilgrimage.
This had a small shrine on a pinnacle of rock with a steep stairs up to it. Then we walked to Al Gabel, a hilltop village. It was quite hot and I felt thirsty and weak. This was at a height of 2800 meters. It was most impressive with massive stonewalls build right on top of a mountain. We then dropped off down to another hilltop village called Qahil again spectacularly built right on a cliff.
There was a grand view down to Manakha. I bought Awab a drink here and we set off for a village called Al Ayn. We passed coffee bushes with their berries and also Qat bushes. Qat is a stimulant drug that a lot of Yemini people get by chew the leaves of the Qat tree. I understand it is a big problem in the Yemen. Saleh tried to get me to try some but I steadfastly declined.
Looking down into the valleys, the ones to the south appeared to be quite cultivated but all were a dusty brown colour as the rains were not due till September when apparently all turns green. We got back to Al Hajarah where Saleh was waiting for us with the car. Back at the Hajjarah Hotel, Mohamed had lunch prepared, a most elaborate affair. In farewell he said he considered me a part of his family most sincerely, which was nice. The drive back to San'a was uneventful where I spent another in the Golden Daar. That evening I met Mahmoud, the Yemini doctor and we had a meal and met some of his young colleagues. They were all most impressive young men and a credit to their profession and country.
Next day I got a taxi to the airport and had a job trying to explain to the taxi man in English that I wanted to go to the airport. Then I remembered my cellphone and rang Patrick who explained it to the man. Eventually got there after a harrowing drive. There was heavy security at the airport. I rang Omar to meet me at Aden so all went smoothly back to the port where I met David who had just come ashore for the captains meeting. We went out that night with Thomas for a meal in a traditional restaurant that was delicious though expensive. Next day the 8th March was our departure date and I could see David had a stressful time in my absence.
A Poem on Yemen
From Aden to San'a is a long way
the desert is hot dusty and grey
why do soldiers stop and question me all day
my friend Arif said “ be careful in the north”
of women in burkas with fingers of henna
I see an ancient land of gray mountains
gray hot rocks under an azure sky
we climb higher into the Jabel on stairs
above eagles soar on light airs
we drive through villages of arabesque
past tribesmen in Thoubes with Jamiyas
over the Jabel we cross plains of ruins and sand
the men chew “Qat” I know not for what
I am happy to be here and there is nothing to fear
this is a noble land. This is the land of Yemen.
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
A Poem on the Haraz Mountains of Yemen
O Haraz Mountains! you lofty sentinels
reigning over the Tihama
for eons your mountaintop citadels
have repelled marauding infidels
where once lion and hyena roam
man had made his fortress home
where have all your people gone?
Why do your terraces lie in ruins?
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
Part 6_ Aden to Suakin
The plan was for three yachts to travel together to the Bab El Mendab, Island Fling with Bob and Leonie, Hinewai with Peter and Jean and Sahula. During the night our worst nightmare recurred, our self steering broke! There was a clicking sound and next thing we are doing a 360' circle. All hell broke loose followed by an emotional discussion. I found the stupid compass was sticking and the compass light going out did not help. David did all the steering after this so exhausted himself. Bob suggested we put in to a Yemini village before the Straits to see if we could repair the self steering. We moved in and anchored off a fishing village. We tied up to ‘Island Fling’ and Bob and David pulled apart the Plastimo gear and found a plastic ring had broken in the system. We spent the day there and in the afternoon ‘Island Fling’ and ‘Hinewai’ left. David decided to leave at midnight with no working autopilot. It was going to be a long painful voyage to Hurghada! Morale was very low.
We set off at midnight and all went well. David steered most of the way. We planned to arrive at the dawn and were a bit early as we were flying along with a strong tailwind. The light of Piram Island appeared and we shot into the Small Strait. Then we were through as the wind increased to 30 knots. We turned to port, crossed the shipping lanes bypassing several large ships and a submarine traveling very fast southbound with its coning tower showing. We continued up the Erithrean coast, my first view of Africa! Then we heard on the radio that “Cool Change” had been holed and was sinking. Peter was somewhere to north of us. There was little we could do and Island Fling and Hinewai sped to his rescue. We carried on in big seas and strong winds to Ras Terma and gratefully anchored around the headland among several other yachts. It appeared to be a desolate place with huts perched on a ridge above us. We saw some men in army fatigues and it looked like there was a penal colony there.
We left early and had very pleasant sailing conditions on our way to Marsa Dodo north of us. David got the Aries wind vane working which was great. The wind was about 20 knots and we used the headsail poled out so no issues with gybing with the main as had happened the previous day. The approach to Dudo was very picturesque with volcanic islands and a big round volcano just behind the beach at the anchorage. There were several other yachts in the anchorage including Thomas Frank’s “Nada Brahma”. David had a talk with him on the radio and I could see he now wanted to do an overnight or 2 as suggested by Thomas. This lead to a lively discussion and the end result was that David decided to stick with day sailing, as I was not able to do much steering due to my back injury.
Next day David decided to have a days rest at Dudo and went ashore for a walk. He met some nice fishermen ashore and climbed a volcano. It was blowing up to 30 knots out on the water and it looked risky using the dingy in such conditions so I stayed on board. I washed some clothes and had a sponge bath.
A Poem on Bab El Mandeb
On we race in dead of night
to Bab El Mandeb with its shining light
on Piram Island, guardian of the strait
onboard 'Sahula' we surge forward
as the seas sweep her ever onwards.
dawn reveals angry seas and wind swept waves
we pitch and plunge among spray and spume
as the wind rises and moans in the rigging
on to Ras Terma, a welcome sight
to Erithrea that land of blight
a desert tombolo with a penal colony
a safe haven where we spend the night.
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
We set off early at 5.30 AM in the dark and had a good sail northward to Anfile Bay. The wind blew 20-40 knots and a moderate sea built. We again used the headsail poled out and our average speed was 6 knots. On we plod. David thought we'd be there at 4.00PM but we arrived well after dark at 9.30PM. Coming is was scary among the reefs as the compass malfunctioned again and we were relying solely on the chart plotter and this was difficult to see from the cockpit. All around were reefs that we had to navigate through a 360’ turn in a night as black as hell. It was a scary situation.
Woke up this morning to a placid sea in Anfile Bay. The island was flat and barren and no one was in sight. I saw a turtle at breakfast time. We set off and sailed to Adjuz Island. We had a good wind up to 40 knots and plowed on in big seas. There were some big swells which looked most impressive in the following sea.
We saw two whales during the day and a large pod of pilot whales following us for quite a while. Eventually we arrived at Adjuz to find a collection of our yachts at anchor there. We dropped anchor and had a pleasant night but in the early hours the wind switched to the north and got quite bouncy so we upped anchor during the night and went around to the other side of the island where it was not so rolly.
At 9.30 AM the fleet left and we followed. The wind was 12-15 knots from the north and we had the engine on and motored all the way. We arrived at Shumma Island in the South Massawa Strait which had a lovely anchorage on the eastern side and there were another 10 yachts there. Went shore for a walk which I enjoyed. The island is barren and made of coral. Saw some wading birds like a spoonbill. There was a beacon on the south side of the island. David decided he needed a day off as he was exhausted and I fretted we would miss the rally to Port Ghalib
I sent an email to this effect to Belinda next morning from onboard computer. I was due to meet her at Hurghada in Egypt in 1 April and this had me in a state of anxiety. After David did his radio net he dropped me off ashore. I met Jean and Clive from another yacht and we went and explored the defunct light house. I climbed to top and found it in a bad condition, the central pillar being fractured. Then I wandered off by myself along other side of island and had a few dips in the lukewarm sea and took lots of photos of vegetation and birds. Arrived back at lunchtime and did some cleaning up and washing. David went ashore for a wander by himself.
A Poem on Shumma Island
Shumma Island in the Massawa Strait
a coral island bathed in turquoise seas
its derelict lighthouse that once shone
its saving light now long gone
its desert scrub and flat topped trees
are all that remain in these lonely seas
I walk its rocky spine and golden sand
tomorrow I sail for another land.
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
We left with the German yachts early next day. We motored sailed all the way as the winds were from the north. We had a lively discussion about the deadline issue again and I doggedly told him I would have to leave early to make sure I was in Hurghada to meet Belinda by 1 April. David said he was most unhappy with this. Morale sank even lower due to onboard tension. As we were so far behind the rally schedule I saw I’d have to leave in Sudan, a pariah state whose president had been indicted for genocide in Darfur, not a pleasant prospect. I did not even know if I could get a visa to enter Sudan and fly to Egypt. I’d have to wait till we got to Suakin to find out. We sailed to Khor Nawarat a beautiful bay in the Sudan behind a coral reef with mountains inland.
We had an uneventful sail to Long Island where we anchored.
This is a flat desert island covered in low scrub with flamingos and eagles nesting. In the shallows were numerous small stingrays with iridescent blue spots on their backs. Next day we navigated among reefs in the Subic Channel. We sailed quite close to the shore that gave way to a scrubby plain sloping off to distant mountains. We eventually got into Suakin in the afternoon, a welcome sight.
Part 7_Sudan
Suakin is an odd place. There seemed to be some modern port buildings at the entrance and once past them you enter a lagoon with the derelict building of Old Suakin. There are just shells of broken down buildings with a few camels grazing around them.
The main part of Suakin is a collection of shanties and a souq. Once we got to Suakin I told David I was leaving. There were quite a few of the rally yachts at anchor. I met Mohamed, the shipping agent and arranged for a visa and a ticket to Khartoum. That night a group of yachties and myself went ashore and walked down the darkened streets in the souq looking for a restaurant. We came to a sort of plaza and got a traditional meal of chapattis and some sort of unidentified mixture. During the meal a camel wandered out of an alley, took fright and bolted across the road. If Lord Kitchener rode into the square on a camel it would not seem out of place.
Next day Mohamed brought my visa and passport and I set off for Port Sudan 60 kilometers to the north with my luggage and booked into the Maysarah Hotel that looked pleasant enough. The manager seemed surprised to see a Westerner and offered me a special rate and I guess correctly that the place was empty. They gave me a nice room and a lounge overlooking the Red Sea University. Next-door was an internet café so it was very handy. I emailed Debbie in New Zealand and had her book a flight from Khartoum to Cairo for a few days hence.
Next day I went for a walk around the environs that were quite nice and bought some fruit in the local market and then went to the Palace Hotel up the way and found an expensive though fast and air conditioned internet cafe. I was able to change some money into Sudanese Pounds in the hotel reception. I sent off a huge pile of emails and had an easy day. The following day I met a man called Ahmed Tigani who is from Khartoum and said he would give me a ride to the airport and that went well. We flew to Khartoum across Desert Mountains with poor visibility due to sand storm. Khartoum is huge with 10 million people. I had booked a hotel in town but Ahmed said it was not safe there and offered me a luxury apartment in his office building which I was a bit wary of accepting. I insisted on seeing the hotel and on the way in Ahmed said there were 'bad people' milling around the dark streets and I know if an African says that you need to be careful. I had a look at the hotel but did not like it at all so fled back out to the suburbs with Ahmed. I bought some food on the way and was very pleased to stay at the apartment.
After a good sleep I went for a walk and noted the road behind us was in ruins and the shops small but nevertheless well stocked. I found an internet cafe up the road and sorted out some reservations for Cairo. Ahmed asked me to examine his daughter who has some undiagnosed ailment. I met his family in the afternoon and his 4 lovely daughters who were in their 20's. They did not wear burkas and were forthcoming and quite open. They live in a huge fortified house and beautifully furnished inside. In the evening Ahmed invited me to a restaurant for a meal and then drove me around Khartoum. Surprisingly some areas were very wealthy with many fine hotels that would not look out of place in any modern western city. We crossed the Blue and White Niles but as it was dark it was hard to see well.
Another fine day in Khartoum. I went for a walk and then wrote up a report on Ahmed's daughter and headed off to the internet for awhile. Belinda was just about to leave for Abu Dhabi. I still had not sorted out the second hotel in Cairo so rang them and they said they would email me later in the day. In the evening Ahmed invited me to join a gathering of his friends for a sort of communal meal and then drove me across town to visit his relatives and his father. All were very courteous and spoke excellent English. Then we sat out in the courtyard for a talk till quite late when we retired.
Ahmed is an interesting man. He is very business orientated, a devout Muslim and a figure of great authority. He has houses in Egypt and numerous international businesses. He said he liked me and wanted to help in any way which was genuine. He said too if I had any friends coming to Sudan they were welcome to contact him. I said I would try to help his daughter and also give some advice on his medical problems. Tomorrow I fly to Cairo.
Today was Friday so the internet was closed. I went for a walk and then waited till Mohamed came for me. We went by taxi to the airport where there was some confusion as they were not letting early flight people into the departure terminal. Once I had that sorted out it was OK and things went smoothly enough though I paid baksheesh to porters who speeded me through the chaos. It was a relief to get on the plane to Cairo. The flight was uneventful and I arrived on time and managed the formalities well and was met by Asif and taken to the Luna Hotel which is downtown on top of a big building. The room was fine but there was no view and it was quiet.
A Poem on the Sudan
So 'ere's to you Fuzzy-Wuzzy, at your 'ome in the Soudan”
You gave the British battle at a place called Omdurman
So wrote Rudyard Kipling in his poem long ago
in praise of the big black bounding begger and first class fighting man
No more is old Suakin now in ruins and despair
Though the souq remains the same with its donkeys and camel hair
I am now adrift and traveling in these wild and savage lands
I came to Khartoum amid the desert sands
I met these noble people and ate from their plate
It is a privilege to be here. It is my fate
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
Part 8_Egypt
The Luna Hotel is on Talat Harb, a busy street in central Cairo. From the street you go through to a dingy atrium and up a skeletal lift to the top floor that is the hotel. The rest of the building is used for offices and who knows what else. The staff is great and Sameh Moussa, the tour guide there is most helpful and absolutely trustworthy. Despite the mayhem down below it is an oasis of quiet up top. I was badly in need of a rest so next day I did not do much apart from scout the surroundings. I found a cheap internet café around the corner and sent off a pile of emails and then had a hamburger for dinner which was a meager affair. I hit the sack early as I was dead tired. I tried to sort out a hotel in Zamalek, which is a suburb on an island in the Nile, for Belinda. I found an Anglo Book shop and bought a book by Naguib Mahfouz, Egypt's most famous author plus a map of Cairo. When I was down town
Next day I decided to tour the Old City known as Islamic Cairo. It’s about half an hour walk there and I found a wonderful old city to explore. Some of the traders however were very pushy and right in your face. Its best to avoid eye contact and be firm and say “No thanks”. There was a nice souq and I bought a present for Belinda. I probably paid too much for it despite the 30% off the asking price. I saw some gorgeous dresses but later when I showed them to Belinda she was not interested. Then I walked back to hotel and got a pizza for 30 cents on the way plus a can of drink for 2 Egyptian Pounds, a bargain.
In the afternoon I decided to walk to Garden City and check out the first hotel I booked there, the Garden City House Hotel. Just as well as it was dilapidated and I cancelled the reservation. Later I got a ring from the May Fair Hotel who confirmed my reservation there. This should be a nice spot for Belinda.
Today, I sorted out my trip with Sam up the Nile. Then I set off for the Egyptian Museum. It is only a relatively short walk across town. When I got there, I found lots of security and zillions of tourists. Paid my Egy 60 pounds to enter. The museum is interesting but really not my thing. I got waylaid to a shop across the road where I got a free coke but they could not supply the only thing I wanted which was some containers for perfumes. Set off and met a taxi driver called ‘Arafat’ who took me to another shop but they wanted a ridiculous amount for some empty bottles. Then I got waylaid again at the Midan Talaat Harb and taken into a shop and got my 2 perfume bottles. Then I was dragged into the Cairo Inn Hotel which was quite nice and offered a room there for LE 210. It looked OK so maybe a possibility when I get back from up the Nile.
Today I checked out of the Luna hotel and was driven by Arafat over to the May Fair Hotel in Zamalek. It was a lovely place on a quiet street in the diplomatic quarter with a nice balcony where you can have a drink or meal. They gave me a twin room when I had specifically asked for a double ensuite. Then they promised they'd give me a double room next day. It is a much nicer area but still quite busy. I went for a walk. There is free Wi-Fi which was a bonus. I met a nice Australian man called Michael at the hotel and had a good chat with him. He had been running a tourist dhow in Kenya and was on his way back to Australia. We went down the road and had a pizza that night.
Up early and changed rooms to a smaller but double room upstairs which was not as nice. Went for a walk around Zamalek and later Arafat came and took me to the airport to meet Belinda. Her plane was a bit late and she took an hour to come through. It was great to see her and we went back to the May Fair. Next day we walked in to town to see Sam at Luna and pay for trip. Then we went to Khan el Khalili and spent a few hours there and walked back to May Fair. Had a meal out and got lost and had a long walk back to Hotel. Next day we went to Giza and saw the Pyramids and then to Saqqara which was not worth the effort.
There were expensive admission fees to visit them. The pyramids at Giza are stunning and so immense and well worth visiting despite the crowds. Tonight we are off on the train to Aswan.
We caught the train to Aswan at 9.00 PM and everything was well organized with a dinner soon after starting and a comfortable bed. We arrived at 9.00 AM at Aswan and were met and taken to the Nubenile Hotel. We had a tour guide called Emad and frankly I did not entirely trust him. We went on a tour of Philae Temple that is on an island in a Nile lake and this was spectacular. Then we went to see the High Dam which was just another huge dam and for me not very interesting. Went back to hotel and had an early night as due to start at 3.00 AM next morning for Abu Simbel.
Up at 3.00 AM and away at 4.00 AM for a 3 hour drive in a cramped minibus to Abu Simbel. Did not really enjoy trip as I had a cramped seat over a wheel-well. The road out traverses flat desert for several hundred kilometers. We traveled in convoy for security reasons. The temple was spectacular but found the admission kiosk ripped us off 20 pounds for a guide we did not want.
This soured the trip more. Then the toilet attendants wanted money that Belinda ignored. We were back by noon to Aswan and got another room with a double bed but a grotty bathroom. Went for a walk and had a good chat with a man in the soug called Wael Eldaway-Amane who was a lawyer. In the evening B and I went back there to see him and after that we went for a meal across the road. Had a meal of Kouchery which is vegetarian and very nice. Wael walked us back to our hotel.
Today I rang Emad, our tour guide and advised him we did not want a tour and then we set off to the corniche and got a felluca cross to Kitchener's Island where there are botanical gardens. It was a lovely place with lots of flowering shrubs and trees plus lots of white herons. Its quite spectacular and well looked after. We spent an hour there and came back on the felluca. We ended up paying some baksheesh but this was OK as we had a good time.
A Poem on Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel on the Nile
A temple built by Pharaoh
surrounded by desert sand
and hot gray hills
Tour guides like Judas sheep
lead flocks of guiless tourists
to toilet attendants
who gather like birds of prey
feeding on carrion
Stone Pharaohs sit impassively
gazing towards the Nile
while tourists gawk and
temple guards collect baksheesh
Where has the solemnity gone?
Why is my heart sad?
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
Next day we joined a tour to Elephantine Island though we had not booked for this. There is a Nubian Village there and we were invited in to a house and treated to a cup of tea and then shown around the village. In the afternoon we set off on our felluca trip.
We sailed a few kilometers down river and pulled in to spend the night just downstream of a big bridge. Our captain was called Ata and the deck hand Mohamed. The meals were very good. We slept on the deck that was fine. We had a late start next day and only went a short distance before putting in to camp. The scenery was very picturesque with heavily wooded river bank of date palms and other trees. I went for a nice walk by myself next morning along the river banks. Then we sailed across the river and that was it. We went by minibus to Kom Ombo but we decided not to pay the entrance fee as you could see a lot from outside. The next temple was at Edfu which we went to see. It was most impressive.
Next we traveled on to Luxor and booked in to the Royal House Hotel that was the best yet. They had a swimming pool on the roof. We met Michael the Australian. He warned us about the trip on the East Bank which had gone badly. Our guide was Ahmed who seemed quite friendly. The following day we were ready at 7.30PM but there was nothing but confusion and poor organization of the tour. Eventually we got to the West Bank temples. The temple of Hatshepsut was a disappointment and crowded with tourists. Next we went to the Valley of the Kings and some of these underground tombs were interesting. Lastly we went to the Valley of the Queens but we could not be bothered seeing them. Instead I went off to talk to the shopkeepers who were quite friendly. We decided not to join the tour of the East bank tomorrow and just to do it by ourselves.
We made a late start and after checking out we walked to Luxor temple and as there was a lot to see from outside we did not pay to enter it. There was a lovely walk along the cornishe to Karnak Temple that took about 45 minutes to reach though we were walking very slowly. This was the most impressive temple in Egypt that we saw.
There was an excellent display centre and loads to see once we entered. There was a row of sphinxes and a Hypostyle hall of gigantic columns and several oblisks. We spent a few hours there and then walked back to our hotel taking a 'caleche' ride on the way to an emporium. In the evening Ahmed came and took us to the train station and we had a comfortable journey back to Cairo. We got a taxi back to the Luna Hotel. Met Sam who is organizing bus tickets to Nuweiba tomorrow. We are booked into a camp there.
The Felucca
The felucca glides on the placid waters of the Nile
It tacks back and forth, mile after mile
past banks of date palms and verdant green
as the falah toil unseen
With its graceful lines and bone white sail
it catches the wind and tells a tale
from Abu Simbel to Karnak
of Pharaoh's temples and tombs
I sing this song
as I sail along
on waters which swirl and boil
on their way to northern seas
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
You look. No hassle
“You look. No hassle” he said.
“Just looking. Take your time” another said
“Hello, hello. Where you from” from yet another
“Aotearoa” our reply
“Aotearoa, good country. Number one”
Minutes later from the shadows of the souq
“What you want. I have everything you want”
“Nothing” we rejoined to the disembowled voice in the shadows
“I haf nothing! For cheap” he replies
“Hello,hello. You take present for free”
Now what do I say to that!
“ I haf ze best price. Only for you dis cheap my brudder”
“ I know you. You my brudder”
“ No shukran” in a flat tone I say
“Maybe later” he says hopefully
“Maybe. Ma'a salaama” from us.
( Dialogue from an Egyptian souq)
We are taken by taxi to the new bus station in Cairo. This is surprisingly well organized. We board our bus and take off for Nuweiba passing under the Suez Canal (little to see) and then straight across the Sinai Desert to Taba, the frontier crossing to Israel and then back down the coast to Nuweiba. Arrived at the Fayrouza Village that was quite nice with a basic hut for us. We had an expensive meal there that night. Next day we did not do much and I checked out the town. Met a Bedouin guide and went to his home for a traditional drink to discuss a trip to Jebel Musa. His price seemed a tad expensive. We went for a swim in the afternoon. The following day I took a taxi to the port 9 kilometers away and found out details of the ferry to Aqaba. I also met a man there who said he could take us to Santa Katherina for a reasonable charge so I said that would be fine. Later that day I found a French woman, Maree Plessis and her daughter who said they would be keen to join us. This reduced the cost to us.
We set off at 8.PM that day to Santa Katherina in the dark and started climbing at 10PM with a Bedouin guide called 'Salamma'. There was B and I plus the 3 French ladies. This went fine and we reached the hut just below the summit at midnight. It was freezing cold and windy so we stayed in a Bedouin hut sleeping on benches till 4.30PM when we set off for the summit to greet false dawn.
There were quite a few people on top around the stone church that sits there. The views were superlative. We went up by an easy trail called the Camel Route and we descended by the Steps of Repentance. Got back to St Katherine’s Monastery at 10AM that was closed for the day and drove home.
Gebel Musa
In the land of Egypt long ago
when the Israelites fled from Pharaoh
led by an old gray haired man with a staff
who parted the Red Sea like chaff
and marched to Gebel Musa, Mt Sinai
where Moses spoke to El Sheddai
and received tablets of rock
with ten commandments for his flock
then led them across the desert sand
to the promised land.
It is cold,windy and dark
as I climb the Camel path
to the steps of Repentance
where in a bedouin residence
we await the dawn
as the pilgrims flow by
under a night sky.
The sun slowly arrives
casting a warm alpenglow
on the red rocks
The moment has come
my pilgrimage is done
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
I organized a trip the next day to the Colored canyon, not far from Nuweiba with a local Bedouin. He had a small jeep and the French ladies, Belinda and myself squeezed into the back of it. The guide did not seem that friendly and I was unsure what to make of him. We drove up a spectacular canyon on a sealed road and then turned right onto a sandy track that went up a long valley hemmed in by dry arid mountains to a sort of mini Grand Canyon. Here we disembarked. Belinda went off to the lady’s toilet and we grabbed by an Arab in it much to his misfortune. Belinda is not to be trifled with and she threw him into a wall and stormed off. The rest was less daunting as we went off down this narrow canyon for a two-hour walk. At the end we climbed up to some huts where the jeep was waiting.
Part 9_ Jordan
We were ready next day to leave for the port in Nuweiba but there was a delay in the taxi arriving so did not get away till 9.30PM. We got our tickets and eventually got on the boat but it did not leave till 2.30 PM. It took ages to get to Aqaba and then there was more delay till we got through customs. It was 9.00 PM before we got to the hotel. We shot out and had a meal in a restaurant as we were starving. Next day we went for a walk and found a man called Abdullah who runs a tourist agency and who was asleep and snoring in his office. We patiently sat down and waited till he woke up much to his embarrassment. Abdullah was very helpful and got me a Sims card for my cellphone and then he arranged for a driver to take us to Wadi Musa next day.
We were not aware that there was an hour difference between Egypt and Jordan so we were not ready in time for our taxi, embarrassing! Set off for Wadi Musa. The air was dusty so the views were not the best. We eventually arrived at our hotel Moussa-Springs which was OK but not flash. Went for a walk and a meal. Outside was a spring of clear water coursing down the gutter and later we found that it was reputedly the spring where Moses struck the rock and produced water for the Israelites.
We set off by taxi early today to Petra. The entrance fee was a steep 26 Jordanian Rilas (JD) each but well worth it. We walked through the Siq that is a slot canyon over 1.5 kilometer long to the Treasury building.
It was most impressive. Then we carried on down another canyon to the right and climbed up a series of old staircases cut into the rock to the top of Jebel al-Khubtha maybe 700-800 feet above where there were great views all around. We made our way back to the Treasury building way below us with ant sized people crowding around. We could not find an easy way down the vertical cliffs so headed off in another direction where we found a magnificent staircase built up the steep cliffs to the top of the Jebel. By lunchtime it was really too hot to do much more so we set off back to Moussa Springs. We had a nice meal back at the hotel.
Our second day at Petra and we strode through the Siq to the Treasury and instead turn left and climb up the little used steps at the head of the valley to a plateau where we pick up a path leading up Jebel Madhbah to the Alter of Sacrifice where there were two obelisks. We then descended a series of steps to valley to the west where there were numerous tombs including one to the Roman Soldier. This came out in a plain and we crossed it to street of the Columns. We got a drink at a restaurant near there and then walked back through the Siq. B was exhausted and we did a few things in town and got a taxi up the hill to the hotel.
Petra
Petra red city of stone
built by Nabatheans and Rome
near Wadi Musa Moses struck rock
and gave a spring to his flock
A narrow canyon, the Siq
leads to the Treasury
where Pharaoh collected usury.
Dizzy stairs climb the rock faces
to tombs and temples and hidden places
Bedouin spread their wares
before uninterested tourists
who gawk and chatter on cellphones.
A fat woman rolls by
on an overburdened camel.
We climb a hidden stairs
away from the noise and useless wares
to a place of sacrifice in the sky
marked by an obelisk on high
( from Dr Stanley's Travels in the Middle East)
Next day we got our taxi to Dana Nature Reserve. The village is on a promontory overlooking the valley and our hotel was very basic. I went for a walk in the afternoon across the valley. A track led across the hillside over a dried up creek to a cliffy hillside with lots of wild flowers. The Reserve is a deep valley off an escarpment with cliffs on both side running off to the west towards the Jordan. That night we had a sumptuous meal though it was a bit late at 8.00PM. After it we went for a walk and there were numerous towns light up on the plains below us to the west. The following day we did a walk down into the valley and it was pretty boring. B was somewhat indignant so we stopped in a wadi and I went for a wander up side canyon hoping to find a pool of spring water but alas none to be found. The wild flowers were beautiful. On the return we went off the road and made our way up a small stream. The nature reserve is really not very exciting but the jewel of Jordan’s conservation estate.
The following day Salah returned and drove us north and down to the Dead Sea far below and then on to the Wadi Mujib Reserve where we did the trip up the canyon to a waterfall.
There was a bit of swimming and climbing on ropes. A waterfall blocks the canyon and it’s a bit of a struggle just to get that far. I fractured a rib somehow climbing up ropes over an overhanging boulder! After this we went to the Amman Beach Resort on the Dead Sea where we had a swim and a buffet lunch that was delicious. The water’s high salinity does not allow you to sink so you just bob about on the surface. It’s an unusual sensation.
In the afternoon we drove on to Mt Nebo where Moses died and it was most interesting with a Franciscan monastery on top and a very well presented interpretation centre. There were lots of trees around it and there was a great air of peace surrounding the place. Then we drove on the Madaba to visit a craft centre making mosaics and then to the Madaba Hotel, a somewhat dilapidated pension
Part 10_ Israel
Next day we got a taxi to the King Hussein Bridge, after a protracted discussion on the fare. We spent about 3 hours queuing up with a large number of Palestinians getting through the Israeli formalities and then we got a minibus to Jerusalem. The city is stunning and we found our Palestinian hostel near the Damascus Gate. It was called the ‘New Palm’ and was quite nice with very helpful staff especially Sam.
In the afternoon we found an ATM and got out some sheckels and also got a cellphone sorted with an Israeli Sims card.
Next day we did a free tour of the Old City with a lovely Israeli woman called Yael, that was excellent. This took 3.5 hours and covered Armenian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish areas. We saw the Cardo and the Wailing Wall. Then we went back to the New Palm Hostel and later went out for a nice walk in the Old City. The following day we went for a walk on the ramparts and made our way to the Mount of Olives where there is a fine view back to the Old City.
We had a nice lunch there and briefly talked to an anaesthetist who told us Alan Kerr from Auckland was due to visit his hospital shortly for a 2 month visit for paediatric cardiology. That evening our Israeli friends Misha, Asia and Garrick came and picked us up. They live miles away not far from Ben Gurion airport in the 'Territories' in a nice house on top of a hill surrounded by nice terracotta roofed houses and gardens. That night we went to Tel Aviv to their kayaking base where Inna had been out kayaking and I gave my presentation. I was caught unprepared for this and I only had my Birthday Presentation on a Flash Drive but I think it went down OK.
In the morning the kids took us to see their school. Misha had gone off to do a ropes course. Later in the day Inna, Asia, Garrick and we went to a forest not far away and walked up a hill to a cliff where the ropes course was in progress. I met Boris, Misha's cousin and his wife Veronica also called Nikki. She went off with me to do some climbing. Unfortunately I had only crocks so could no do any climbing and seconded her. Nikki had a serious fall years ago and nearly died. She is a lovely person. In the evening we were invited by Roman Polonski, a Russian-Israeli TV producer and professional musician to a dinner that was excellent. Afterwards he played us a song on his guitar.
On Thursday we went with Misha to the coast and went for a paddle for an hour. The kayaks were rudderless, narrow beam and very tippy in the 1 metre sea. I was not too happy and glad to get back ashore without capsizing. Also my rib was quite sore from the fracture I suffered when we went to Wadi Mujib. In the evening we went to a very large supermarket to have a meal. There was an armed guard on the door in case of suicide bombers. Misha insisted on paying.
On Friday Misha left early to give instruction to some club members at the beach. We went down later but there was not enough time to go for a paddle. Instead we went for a walk. After that we went tandem paraponting with Zyiki on the cliffs south of Tel Aviv.
Next day we made a late start to go rock climbing. I was pretty hopeless as my shoes were not suitable nor had I rock climbed for over 6 months!! In the evening Misha and Inna left us back to Jerusalem where we had a reservation at the New Palm Hostel.
On Sunday we caught a bus across town to see Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial. It is situated on top of a wooded mountain and is very moving with displays of the period, the foundation of the modern state of Israel. We got a bus back and near the Jaffa gate. I went to a money changer there who overcharged me off when I got cash out on his ATM. One has to be careful in Jerusalem! We hoped to get a tour to Lake Tiberias but it did not go the next day.
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem, a Holocaust memorial
in the City of David, Yerushalayim
A testimony by survivors of the Shoah
A triumph of the human spirit
I see the Hall of names
hidden in the mountain over a deep pit,
the despair of the death march
to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Belzec,
the suffering, the emaciated, the dead,
the Righteous among the nations,
the faces of the Nazi militaries, cruel and soulless,
the Nuremberg trials and Adolph Eichman.
At the end of the prism is light and hope
bursting forth from the sky
high over Yerushalayim
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
Today we awoke after a poor nights sleep being kept awake by someone doing wheelies outside during the night. We went on the paid tour this time and got out previous guide, Yael. She was a lively, knowledgeable young Israeli woman who had a degree in archeology and was so enthusiastic about her work. We visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre and saw its various holy places and then went to the Ethiopian Church and on to the Dome of the Rock. After this we went to the Zion Gate and visited the room of the Last Supper. It was a most inspirational tour. After this B and I went down the hill from the Zion Gate to visit Oscar Schindler’s grave but the cemetery was locked. We went back to the New Palm Hostel and Sam had arranged a better room for us. We met a very nice Hong Kong couple called Olive and ? who had spent nearly a year here learning ancient Hebrew. They were Christians and wanted to learn from the old testament in its original form.
Jerusalem
Yerushalayim, City of Kings
built by David, millenia ago
Solomon in the first temple
placed the Arc of the Covenant
in the Most Holy of Holies
The dark shadow of Babylon, the Arc now gone
the second temple raised by Nehemiah
Adonai carrying a cross on the Via Dolorosa
and Titus's legions fulfilling the prophesy
Hasidic Jews chant at the Wailing Wall
I wade Hezekiahs Tunnel to the Pool of Shiloam
From the Mount of Olives I see all
the old city with dazzyling white walls
and the Dome of the Rock in the sky.
Pilgrims and tourists flock to
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
over the stone of Golgotha and Calvary
Hasidic Jews and Armenian priests
walk side by side in harmony
Arab traders line the street
from Damascus Gate to the Cardo
An Ethopian priest walks past
Israeli soldiers with shouldered weapons
Below the rampart walls the Latin Patriarchiate
and the Hurva Synagogue rising from the ashes
Yerushalayim, most holy city
of ethereal purity
The promise of the Messiah.
( from Dr Stanley’s Travels in the Middle East )
History of Jerusalem:
Jerusalem was founded by King David after he amalgamated the 12 tribes of Israel and wanted to find a neutral place to build a capital. Since he was a man of war he could not build it himself so his son Solomon built it about 3000 years ago. There are 4 quarters in present day Jerusalem, the Christian, Jewish, Armenian and Muslim quarters. In 325 AD the Roman Empire adopted Christianity under the auspices of the Empress Helen and her son Constantine.
The church of the Holy Sepulchre is built on the site of Golgotha where Christ was crucified. It is believed to be the centre of the world. The church is shared by Coptics, Greek Orthodox, Catholics and Ethiopians who each have turns in various shrines within the complex. Interestingly it's a Muslim family who have the key to the church and who lock it up every night and open it in the morning. This has occurred for many generations. The church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times and the present one is from the Crusader era. The Ethiopian Church is similar to the Coptic Church of Egypt.
The first temple was built by Solomon on Mt Moriah who placed in it the Arc of the Covenant that contained the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Babylonians who took the Jews to Babylon destroyed it. The Arc of the Covenant disappeared before the destruction of the first temple and no one knows where it went to this day. The Persians conquered the Babylonians and let the Jews return to Jerusalem who rebuilt the second temple in 515 BC. Herod the Great, the de facto Roman overlord covered Mt Moriah with a level platform.
In the 6th century Mohamed received revelations from God from the Archangel Gabriel. These formed the basis of the 'Quran'. It is believed that Mohamed ascended to heaven from a rock under the Dome of the Rock that was built in 691 AD. In 1967 the Israelites conquered all of Jerusalem and decided not to build a 3rd temple. The Wailing Wall is the actual foundation of the original Temple of David.
The next day we did the Ramparts walk from the Jaffa Gate to the gate on the northern wall. From here we walked to the City of David and met some workmen who offered us some of their lunch of cooked barley/grain. When we came to the City of David we paid to walk Hezekiah's Tunnel. This was cut in the year 701 BC to bring water inside the walls of the city in the face of a Assyrian siege.
Foot notes:
Yerushalayim is Jewish name for Jerusalem
King David founded Jerusalem and his son Solomon built the first temple
on Mt Moriah.
The Arc of the Covenant was given by God to Moses on Mt Sinai ( Jebel Musa)
The Babylonians destroyed the first temple and took the Jews away to Babylon in 500BC.
King Nehemiah rebuilt the temple in 300 BC
Adonai, El Shaddai are Jewish names for Christ. He carried his cross to the Hill of Calvary on the Via Dolorosa.
Wise King Hezekiah built a tunnel in the eight century BC to direct the waters of Gihon Spring into the Pool of Shiloam within the city walls in preparation for an Asyrrian siege. The water continues to this day.
Titus led an army of Roman Legions to destroy Jerusalem utterly in 70AD. Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would be completely destroyed and there would not be a stone left upon a stone.
The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemene face the Old City and the Dome of the Rock where legend has it Mohamed ascended to heaven.
The Latin Patriarchiate is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Jerusalem and is very extensive.
The Hurva Synagogue was destroyed in the War of independence in 1948 and is being rebuilt.
Empress Helen and her son Constantine built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the 4th century AD on the site of Golgotha and the Hill of Calvary where Christ was crucified.
Part11_ England
Next day we got the shuttle nearby to the airport and caught our flight to London. We flew British Midland and had the most comfortable flight and best seats we've ever had on a flight probably because we were put by mistake in business class. When we arrived at Heathrow it was straight through and it only took less then 30 minutes. Our taxi man was waiting and we were whisked to Court Lane in Dulwich astonishing Theresa, my cousin who was not expecting us for hours. It was great to see her again after 18 years.
As we were a few weeks ahead of schedule I had been researching destinations somewhere in the Mediterranean where we could spend a few weeks. At first I looked at the Dolomites but it was too early in the season to contemplate Via Ferratas. Then I remembered the GR 20 route in Corsica and May seemed like a good time to do that. As Belinda is not big on mountain climbing any more I hunted down a kayaking option in Sardinia. We went into London on the subway and went straight to Stanfords where I got a guide book and a map to the GR20 route in Corsica and also a guide to Sardinia. Then we went down the street and found a whole lot of mountaineering stores and bought a large pack, boots for Belinda, insulite map, socks and a Trangia stove. Back to Dulwich to spent most of the evening talking to Phil and Theresa. I rang Judith of Locations Sardinia and booked 2 kayaks for when we arrive plus arranged a pickup at Alghero.
Dulwich
Jerusalem to Dulwich is a world away
The weather now cool, cloudy and grey
At Heathrow everything is fast and fine
and we're through ahead of time
The Dulwich minibab is a welcome sight
We ordered in advance as it’s late at night
Dulwich in the City of London
Home of Phil and Theresa, my cousin
With its leafy parks and quiet lanes
We enjoy the ambience and springtime rains
At Dulwich College “The James Caird”
Shackleton's boat, The Southern Ocean spared
on it's epic voyage to South Georgia
At Theresa's we watch episodes of “Father Ted”
and the Craggie Island parish, before bed
Lisa the Kiwi nanny we meet
and Ianthe, named after a Westland street
And then our journey takes us away
Thanks to Phil and Theresa for a wonderful stay
Got the news today that Emily our new doctor at our medical centre in New Zealand was leaving in July. I was most disappointed. I did an internet search and booked a Thomson flight from Calvi to London on 24th. In the evening we went for a walk in Dulwich Park that was very nice with lots of deciduous trees in bloom.
The disadvantages with budget airlines are that they leave at most inconvenient times and from far flung airports. Ryanair was no exception. We got a taxi in the early morning at 2.30 AM from Court St to Stansted airport. It was a very long journey and cost a fortune. It was also very busy there and we eventually got our flight arriving at Alghero airport in Sardinia at 9.50AM. No frills on Ryanair. We were met by Judith Osborne of Locations Sardinia and taken to Olbio, her base. She is a nice Christian lady. She took us to a cafe en route and then to a supermarket where we got some supplies, then to her house. Mike, her husband was in the UK having surgery to his leg. We sorted out the kayaks that were in a sorry state and needed some repairs. We had dinner with her and Nicholas, a nice Italian schoolteacher and a nice Brazilian man. We loaded the kayaks on her van ready for next morning.
Part 12_Sardinia
On 13th May we were up early and had a breakfast of pastries and coffee. I got some money out of an ATM (Eur 250) and then Judith dropped us off on Glofo di Cugnana. Without further ado we kayaked out to Isola Soffi and Isola Moritorio.
These islands are a few kilometers offshore and made of pink granite. Strong SE winds came up so we stayed on the island. We decided not to leave in the evening even though the wind dropped. We pitched the tent and the wind flapped it all night. My insulite mat was too thin to be useful and my pillow was my life jacket (useless). Eventually I gave up and crawled out of the tent and slept beside a nearby rock. At least I was not keeping Belinda awake by my fidgeting
We awoke at dawn to a better day. The wind had dropped and the sea was flat so we decided to set off at 0600 for a red cliff on the coast to the north of us. There were lots of expensive houses along the coast one of which belonged to that famous philanderer Silvio Berlusconi, as we kayaked north in perfect conditions. We rounded a cape at the northeast coast of Sardinia and had breakfast on an island called Isolo delle Bisce. There was a bit of a sea running in the strait and the waves were with us so we sped along. After this we crossed the sea to Isolo Caprera to the west. The east coast of this large island is deserted and mountainous and was about 10 kilometers away. We stopped at a lovely deserted cove with white sand running into a turquoise sea and had a swim in the surprisingly cold water. We set off again around P. lera where we pulled in to a nice cove marred a bit by rubbish and boiled a pan of water for Irish Coffee and lunch. As it was still early we decided to kayak across to Isola Maddelena and rounded the northwest cape to camp at P. Marginetto.
We went for a walk on the hill above our campsite and found an old military gun turret made of granite slabs.
We awoke to another beautiful day and set off south along the west coast of Isola Maddelena. Rounding the SW corner we re-entered civilization with lots of houses and then a large port. This was busy with lots of ferries coming across from Palau. We circumnavigated a small island to the east that had a submarine base on it and some soldiers there warned us off. We stopped for lunch on the coast east of Palau and then carried on to the campground where Judith eventually met us. She drove us to Santa Theresa de Gallura where we found a ferry just about to depart to Bonifacio so it was a rush to board it in time. By now it was raining and we reached the other side at 6.00 PM. There I left Belinda at the terminal and went off and found a hotel for the night for us as I had not had a chance to book anything in advance. We were given a tiny room in the Hotel du Roy D'Aragon and it cost a small fortune at Eur 88.00
Part 13_ Corsica
We were up early to catch the Eurocorse bus to Ajaccio. It was a nice day and a good ride across maquis covered coastal hills. Once we reached Ajaccio I parked Belinda in the bus terminus while I went off to get money, a pack, some food and tickets for the train to Vizzavona which is up in the central Corsican Mountains. We boarded a modern flash train in the evening and set off but had not gone far when it broke down. After a while they sent a replacement one, the previous model and we reached Vizzavona as the rain started. B was not happy at the prospect of walking in the rain but it stopped shortly afterwards and we set off up the lovely “Cascade des Anglais”. This was a nice forest of Corsican and Laricio pines and beech trees. About 1000' up we set up camp on a nice grassy bench beside the path. Mighty Monte d'Oru loomed overhead.
We set off next morning. B got very excited by a black and yellow salamander she saw and photographed. We continued up to the ridge and met snow. B hissed at one stage “ I hate this” to which I was mute.
Once on the ridge she perked up and then we were descending to the Refuge de L'Onda where we met some nice people. As it was still early we continued down valley to the Bergeries de Tolla that were closed being too early in the season. The bergeries sit in a meadow surrounded by huge straight Corsican Pines with stunning views back to Monte d'Oru. We climbed further up the valley to camp in the forest with a view to the head.
Next morning B set off first while I packed. At the head of the valley the route swings around to the left up a staircase of rocks to the Bergeries de Gialgo again closed. We carried on to reach Refuge de Petra Piana at the snowline. The hut was fine and the toilet was closed with a pile of poo on the doorstep!!
We had breakfast and then set off climbing up the Stazzanelli where we saw an eagle high up in the sky. Eventually we reached the Bocca Renosa and from there descended to a bench above the Lac du Melo and Lac du Capitellu.
This is a vast cirque of snowy peaks. We reached a ridge further on which curved to the right and I expected the route to descend to the valley floor to the left and was aghast to find it went right up steep snowfields to the “Breche de Capitellu”. It was a relief to reach this as I was kicking steps into a steep snow slope without crampons or ice axes. Belinda followed unhappily using a stick for an ice axe. Then it was a steep descent down a snow covered slope and lower down a flooded valley to the Refuge de Manganu where we camped.
The next day (19th May) was easy as we headed across a grassy plain with cattle grazing and up a gradually rising valley to Lac du Ninu. It was covered in snow and very wet from snow melt. Then it was a climb to the Bocca a Reta (pass) with a long descent to Hotel Castel di Vergio.
On and on it went and B was in a bad mood so I went off and found a nice camping spot beside a creek in the forest. Next morning it did not take long to reach Hotel Castel di Vergio where we got ice creams. Then we went onto the Mar a Mar Norde route and set off east to Albertacce. At first this was fine and well marked in the forest but later it disappeared and we got 'lost'. We set off cross country and reached the road and tramped along this to Albertacce where we stayed at Gite Albertacce arriving at the same time as a nice Danish couple on their honeymoon, Pernille Munkholm and Christian Jensen. We were given a
4 bedroom dormitory at a cost of Eur 15 PP. Albertacce is quiet and peaceful and is in a valley above a nice lake. I organized a taxi next day to take the Danes and us to Corte.
Next morning a van collected us and several others around town and took us to Corte which is a stunning town with large mountains to the west and a citadal on a rock tower above the town. We stayed at the U Sognu campground that cost us Eur 15.50 and camped on a lovely terrace overlooking the town. We went for a walk and climbed up to the Citadel where the university is situated. There were nationalist slogans on the walls that were good to see. The Corsicans have a history of being overrun by neighboring European powers such as the Genoese and later the French and have maintained their independence aspirations. They have a secret society similar to the IRA and have assassinated French officials and blown up undesirable developments in the past. Their most famous son was Napoleon Bonaparte but he had little interest in Corsica. In 1755 Paoli, Pasquale, another famous Corsican established an independent Corsica for a few years. His capital was at Corte. He governed with wide powers, and respected the constitution. Material prosperity, public order, and education were greatly furthered. In 1769 the French invaded and he fled to England, His statue adorns many squares in the Corsican towns.
The bus took us along to a town next day where we caught the train to Ile Rousse that is a seaside town just north of Calvi. I went off and found a great deal for an apartment at Hotel Restaurant Grillon. The hotel was closed and they put us in a nearby apartment for Eur 38/night. We went for a walk to the Genoese Tower and lighthouse and then had a swim near our accommodation. The train took us into Calvi and I found a reasonable deal for accommodation at Hotel Bel Omba (Eur 55). After dinner we went for a walk at the Citadel that is magnificent with stunning architecture.
I organized a taxi for next morning to Calvi airport. We took a Thompson flight back to London next day. We flew into London in the morning and caught the trains and buses out to Dulwich to Theresas. They cooked us a nice dinner and then saw another episode of “Fr Ted”!!
The GR 20
Vizavonna, a Corsican town
at the start of the Grand Randonne Vingt ( GR20)
We arrive late on the train
during a shower of rain
In the “Cascade des Anglais”
a forest path leads to Monte d'Oru
over the pass to Refuge de L'Onda
“ I hate this” Belinda cries
I look away with a sigh
We camp in the Corsican Pines
We struggle upward to Refuge Petra Piana
an eagle soars over the ridge
as we climb snow on the Stazzanelli
Far below the frozen lakes
of Lac de Melo and Capitellu
Far above us steep snow
to a pass, “The Breche de Capitellu”
up snow slopes steps I kick
Belinda follows carefully with a stick
From the Refuge de Manganu
a gentle valley walk
to Lac de Ninu, the most beautiful of lakes
over another pass, the Bocca A Reta
we descend to Hotel Castel di Vergio
Belinda walks slowly with blistered feet
We camp in the forest with little to eat
On our last day we plod down valley
to rest at last at Gite Albertacce
( from Dr Stanley's travels in Corsica)
Part 14_ Scotland
On 25th May we went for a walk to Dulwich College where Sir Ernest Shackleton had been a pupil and where his boat the “James Caird” is preserved. The James Caird is a 23-foot (7 m) whaleboat in which Shackleton Frank Worsley and four companions made the epic open boat voyage of 800 miles (1,480 km) from Elephant Island 500 miles (800 km) south of Cape Horn to South Georgia during the Antarctic winter of 1916.
Next day we set off early for Heathrow and caught our flight to Edinburgh where Franks was waiting. He said the weather was coming good and we needed to start next day for Knoydart. It was a nice drive there thought it was misty and raining typically 'dreak' Scottish weather. We drove to Loch Hourn and walked in to Barrisdale and camped. I noticed the barometric pressure rising with the promise of good weather. We awoke to a nice sunny day and set off for Coire Dhorrcail and up the Druim a Choire Odhair to Lachar Bheinn at 1020 metres. It was beautifully clear with views to Rhum and Eigg and the Cuilllins on Skye. Below was Loch Hourn. We descended to Mam Barrisdale and back to camp. After a hot chocholate we set off for Gleann Unndalain and camped at 435 metres under Sgurr a Choire-bheithe that misses out on being a Munro by less than 2 metres!! It was cold and cloudy but the views were terrific from the summit especially towards Loch Quoich.
We descended to our packs and then set off for Luinne Bheinn ( 939M). This was a slow grind and the weather was improving all the time with fabulous views. We summitted it and then left our packs between it and Meall Buidhe and climbed this peak. After we retrieved our packs we dropped down to the River Carnack and camped just up from a large waterfall under Ben Aden. I had a swim and a nice camp there.
Next morning we started up Ben Aden from our campsite and made our way up the Norhtwest ridge. We saw a red fox and some deer on the climb. The mountain is 889 meters so only a Corbet! It was a lovely sunny warm day with little wind. I was feeling quite tired. Once over it we descended to the col between it and Sgurr na Ciche (1040 metres) where I had a swim in a lochan.
In the evening we climbed Sgurr na Ciche and camped on the way to Garbh Chioch Mhor. It was a nice camp on a grassy terrace.
Next day it was an easy day to the top of Garbh Chioch Mhor ( 1013m) and a pleasant ridge walk along to Garbh Chioch Bheag ( 968m). Then there was a big drop off to a pass at 733m and a climb over Sgurr nan Coireachan ( 953m)
Once over this we sidled around “ An Eag” to a col connecting this to Shugg Cos na Bhreachd Laoidh. I stopped here and had a wash while Frank climbed the peak. We then sidled around to the col at 662 metres and over Sgurr Beg and Sgurr Mhor ( 1003m).
We dropped down to the col between it and Sgurr an Fluain where we left our packs while we climbed the far peak. I inadvertantly left a walking pole on the summit so had to climb it twice. After this climb we headed to the valley seeing a large herd of deer and numerous flowers on the descent.
Had a comfortable camp in the valley and next day visited the Kinbreak Bothy. It was a two story old building and had a trapdoor into a loft which was clean with a table and couch but no bunks or beds just the floor for sleeping on. We climbed Allt a Chinn Bhric and I stopped on the col while Frank climbed 2 Corbets on either side. After the first one we had lunch and I went on down while Frank got the second one. Belinda arrived later at the road end.
That night we camped at Kingshouse and next day we did a traverse of the Aonach Eagach Ridge.
This is an iconic Scottish Ridge walk. We started at the eastern end and traversed some steep pinnacles and dropped off the western end down a very steep track beside Clachaig Gully directly to the pub below. Belinda had gone sea kayaking and was waiting for us there. We drove back to Edinburgh that night. A few days later set off for Franks and Liz's new house at Strathpfeffer, north of Aberdeen. Then we continued on to Ullapool where we camped in the large campground by the sea. There was a big crowd there.
The following day Frank and I took off to climb “An Tallach”. It was a nice ridge walk between two Munros with some interesting pinnacles in between. There was a cold northerly wind and the views were very good. We drove back to Ullapool and met Belinda who had been kayaking and carried on to Torridon where we camped. On 8th we did a traverse of Liathach, a lovely mountain again with two Munros. There was some scrambling along the ridge. B went for a paddle in the loch and as she was not there when we got back so we walked to the hotel across the Loch for a drink. In the evening when B got back we drove to Glenbrittle and stayed in the Johnstone's cottage.
On 9th we set off for the Cuillins. We went up to a col to the east of Sgurr Alastair which we climbed and then along to Sgurr Mhic Choinnach. Past this we had a rockclimb onto a peak up a nice crack and roof. We continued along to the Inaccessible Pinnacle where we did 2 pitches of rock climbing to the summit. Then it was an abseil off and a walk along to Sgurr na Banachdich and a descent down awful scree to the valley. We 'collected' 4 Munros on this effort.
We had a rest day at Glenbrittle tidying up the cottage before setting off for the “Old Man of Storr”. B was fascinated by this rock pinnacle and took lots of photos of it. We also decided it would be too expensive to visit Dublin so cancelled that idea. We sent an email to Rowena in Norway and Babs in Sweden about visiting them soon. We drove over to Glencoe and camped. The following day Frank and I climbed the Curtain Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mhor, another Scottish classic.
This was a delightful rock climb which we soloed and then made our way along to the second Munro. Following this we descended down valley to meet Belinda and then drove back to Edinburgh.
We spent a few days in East Castle Road and made some decisions about our next move. B had enough of our climbing so we looked at the option of heading over to Norway and Sweden. Rowena was keen for us to come across but we had no reply from Babs. We did some costings on flights and accommodation and decided it was all too expensive. That left only two options_ heading back to Skye for some more kayaking or heading away earlier than 28th. I tried to arrange an early departure but we hit a snag with Belinda's flight so decided to hire a car and head back to Skye. We hired a small car and set off for Oban and stayed first night with Donald Scobie an old friend who used to work with me in Canada. He is a surgeon at the hospital in Oban and lives at Bendereloch on 20 acres where the rabbits have a great time judging by the number we saw!!
Then we drove up to Skye and met Morag and Gordon Brown who run ‘Skyakadventures’ and went out to dinner with them and their children. They sorted out some kayaks and gear for us and let us use her house at Kyleakin.
The weather was grey, cool and showery. Sea kayaking did not look too inviting when we arrived.
Friday was wet again so we spent the day at the house and went for a drive to the coop store at Kyle of Lochalish. I sorted out photos on my computer and used the Wi-Fi at Saucy Lucy's cafe nearby. Saturday dawned fine so we set off on a trip in the kayaks. Belinda slipped off the steps down the sea wall and onto the kayak she was carrying and fractured some ribs. Undeterred, we set off under the bridge of Skye and saw lots of seals on the small islands just north of the bridge and then struck out for Longay where we stopped for lunch. Then it was on around Scalpay. The wind came away approaching Eyre Point. It was a long haul back via Coalas Scalpay and on to Pabsay where we stopped for a breather and then on to the bridge and Kyleakin. I guessed we kayaked about 35 kilometres yesterday and my back felt quite sore as the foot rests are a bit tight even at maximal extent. B was in a lot of pain at night so I went off to the other bedroom.
British kayaks do not have rudders though sometimes have a skeg and are in my opinion are a poor design. I reckon our Kiwi kayaks are far superior. There must be something about the British psyche that ignores the simple fact rudder are a great idea in windy weather. It’s the same handicap that cost Captain Scott his life when man hauling his sledges to the South Pole while Amundsen was using dog teams.
Another day we did another paddle up the coast for a few hours but we were still sore so turned back early.
We said our goodbyes to Gordon and Morag and went down to Berderloch to revisit Donald again. Next day we drive down to Durham to visit John Sinclair and his family before heading back to drop off the car in Edinburgh.
Then it was down to Heathrow where I thankfully boarded my flight to New Zealand and Belinda hers to Washington to visit her sister.
Acknowledgments: To Belinda for sharing our Middle East and European adventures with me. To David of 'Sahula" for all the good times. To all the many wonderful people I had the privilege to meet in India, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, London, Edinburgh and Skye. My special thanks Mahmoud Sheikh in Yemen, Admad Tigani in Khartoum, Sameh Moussa in Cairo. Wael Eldawly in Aswan, Misah and Inna Hoichman in Israel, Phil and Theresa in London, Frank and Liz Johnstone in Edinburgh, Donald Scobie in Oban and Gordon and Morag Brown in Skye.
Stanley Mulvany
Invercargill
New Zealand
