Travel Reflections from November 10 to December 15, 2007

Upon reflection of my travels thus far, I’ve noted that in Cyprus the things that stood out for me there were the crazy driving and parking, the temperate climate, my first glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea, the wonderful historic and mythical sites and the multitude of different nationalities that have immigrated there. Besides the large influx of Brits, there were many from the eastern European countries and Russia – Bulgaria, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, etc. I’ll always remember my jaunt to the Turkish side as well, crossing ‘no man’s’ land and seeing the magical castle built as part of the mountain. I will also remember the fact that the champagne in France is mostly made from Cyprus grapes. Above all, I will recall some of the wonderful people I met in Limassol and their invitations to return.

In Egypt, I mostly met travellers from all over the world, and there was a huge portion of Russians visiting. There would be whole tour buses of them and amongst the other tourist they did not have a very good reputation…they were known for being greedy, because they would load up their plates at buffets and then not eat much and for being loud, talkative, obnoxious, and rude with little thought for others. In fact, I shared the same opinion after having a bad experience with one couple.

We were returning from Cairo after a very long day and there was some confusion after landing at the airport as to which bus we were to get on to take us back to our hotels. There were always a ring of tour people standing with signs announcing the tour group, and you were supposed to find yours and then be led back to the bus.
(photo on the Nile)
However, in our case, we didn’t actually know who our tour company was (or that we were to find out before we left- nor were we told—I certainly didn’t know the tour company, because it was my first trip away from Sharm and the names on the buses didn’t reflect the company – they just rented buses from wherever). At any rate, we couldn’t locate our tour leader. (He either arrived late or was standing far behind the others and we didn’t see him….he also wasn’t holding up a sign either. Of course, we didn’t know any of this until the ‘incident’ took place.)

The usual scenario was that once we arrived at destinations they would divide us into buses of particular languages, and I was always on an English-speaking bus (though often with people whose first language was something else like Italian or German or something.) A tour guide for your particular language was on the bus and you had to follow him closely. Usually they held up a stick or sign, or something so you could see them.

Throughout the day you came to recognize a few people from your group as you travelled from place to place. We had to try to keep in our same groups and not get lost, amongst so many other groups that would criss-cross your own. We all would pick out the easily identifiable people in our group, like three tall British lads who towered over the rest of us, or the chubby, older Australian couple, or the young couple with nose piercings and weird clothes, etc.


(photo on the Nile)

Once we returned to the airport, total confusion reigned, because there were tons of people on the flight and many tour companies holding up signs. Sometimes like sheep we continued following other people with whom we’d been touring with, but this was a mistake, as those who were on the tour buses with us once we reached our destination, were not necessarily those on our hotel buses, although a few might be. You had to try to recall who had been on the original bus from the hotels (yeah right this was sixteen hours later). My three tall Brit lads had disappeared to take a taxi back to their hotel as they had to attend some special supper, so I couldn’t count on them any more.

So the rest of us tried to find each other, and as it turned out a few people figured out that we were with Sharm Voyage tours. As it happens there were three Sharm Voyage leaders and buses taking people to different groups of hotels, but the two that we found didn’t know anything about our bus when we enquired. Like lost sheep we kept asking various people where we were to go, and all at once this one feisty Russian guy became very angry and began shouting and demanding to know where we were to go. His wife (holding their young daughter) marched right behind him.

He crashed through the group and pushed me aside – at which point I declared – “Don’t push me!” I though he was going to attack me, but he thought better of it, glared and kept going, grabbing the small, young tour leader by the front of his shirt and shaking him, trying to hit him. Another tour leader stepped forward and pushed the Russian fellow off the first guy. The Russian wife stood yelling at the tour people, and several others came to intervene.

All at once our own tour leader appeared at the back of the crowd and when we noticed him, the Russian fellow calmed down enough to follow along, but never apologized for attacking anyone or causing a ruckus. We were all a little shaken by the incident and gave the Russian couple a wide berth. I prayed I would never see them again and I didn’t, though the wife tied into me as I got off the bus, because I was making arrangements with the tour leader about the trip I was to go on to Petra the following morning (five hours away), and her daughter was tired and she wanted to get back to the hotel. I just got off without saying anything to her….she was bigger than me!

I was wary of Russian people after that and soon discovered people from other nationalities who had similar opinions. I’m sure there are wonderful, gentle Russian people about, but they have bad reputations amongst the travellers in Egypt. I also discovered the Americans had reputations for being rude as well in many countries. Even Tina, the woman who owns a five-star complex in England doesn’t like American travellers, because of their aggressive, rude attitudes. People everywhere assured me Canadians are well thought of, though of course, I know we have our negative moments and our unpopular people as well.

I’m very glad to get away from the Egyptian men….not sure if they like the full-bodied look, older women, or that I’m too friendly or perhaps I’m smiling too much, because I’m happy to be out and about seeing the world. Their aggression was way too over done….they are certainly compassionate, romantic and sensitive men, but I couldn’t stand the phoniness. I guess they do it to get more tips, but it worked the opposite on me. There was one persistent man who worked at the Hilton resort where I stayed. He wanted to take me to Turkey for a week at his expense and he insisted on giving me his e-mail address so we could plan it later, though I have no intention of going anywhere with him…he was only 28. So many of the men were so very young, but that didn’t stop 61 year old Tina who was being whined and dined by a 23 year old. Her body was quite trim and slim, and she certainly dressed in a sexy way, though with too many frills. She tanned so much her skin looked like leather and she looked a little haggard to me. Truly, the young waiter from the bar must have wanted a large tip and was likely to get it too.


The strongest memory I will carry of Egypt will be of the friendly people everywhere, but also of the harassing of these same people/vendors and honking taxi drivers, who never left anyone alone like wasps attacking someone who has stirred up their nest.
When I think of Egypt I will also remember the moon on its side and the starlit nights over the desert and the Sinai Mountains, the severe poverty contrasting with the lush tourist places, the smell of the camels, the horrible traffic in Cairo, the heat of the sun during the day, and the magnificent pyramids, temples and other spectacular structures, the Nile River, and the perfume and papyrus shops.

I’d actually had enough of Egypt by the time I’d left and needed a break from all the hustle and bustle. I was happy to be leaving for what I think of as a more ‘civilized’ country.

Flight to Portugal

December 14, 2007 - Egypt to Portugal

I left my hotel in Sharm el Sheikh at 9:30 pm, taking a taxi instead of the hotel shuttle as it was way cheaper 50 EP instead of 85. I spent a couple of hours in the airport in cold air conditioning, which chilled me through and through. We flew out after midnight to Cairo (a half hour late) and I was to have another two hours wait in Cairo, but as we were late, I had to rush. There was no proper link from one air terminal to the other, so I was directed up a non-working escalator (with the help of someone finally as it was long and steep and my luggage weighed too much by this time- I gave him a good tip), out some back door, along the fringes of a parking lot without any proper route or signs, following another family and into the next Terminal. There someone rushed up to me and asked if I was taking the flight to Lisbon. When I answered in the affirmative he told me to hurry as the flight was boarding and I would miss it.

He rushed me into the terminal, past others waiting in line through the security to the ticket counter, and through the next security and then he disappeared when I tried to find my boarding gate…I asked for directions along the way and ran through the crowds worried that I was missing my flight and not wanting to spend the night in the Egyptian airport. I arrived at the gate to find that the loading area was in darkness. I couldn’t understand how I’d missed my flight when it wasn’t supposed to have left for another hour. A security person, who didn’t speak English, emerged from the gate and motioned me to wait.

Then I noticed another young woman standing nearby. I asked first if she spoke English and then if she was also going to Lisbon. She had been rushed the same way, but had been waiting for a half an hour. We continued standing there until the appropriate boarding time, the first in a line-up of people also travelling to Spain. We were then bussed over to the plane.

There weren’t many of us on the flight, so I had a row of three seats to myself and was able to lay down and sleep for a while. The flight was five hours, but they kept the lights on for quite a while after they served us beverages and then woke us up well before landing time to give us breakfast (a wiener with a moulded fried egg, two buns, some jam, cream cheese, and rice pudding). Once we were finished they turned the lights off again and we were able to go off to sleep (well, try anyway), until it was time to land.

My plane arrived in Lisbon as the hint of daybreak beckoned. In the near dark we circled over the city lit like a jewel-encrusted bodice on a black velvet gown. I already knew I would like this country as the twinkling of the lights beckoned and the sun slowly rose through the rest of my travels to Lagoa.

I had another two hour stint in Lisbon before flying to Faro; however this was mostly taken up with two things. One was a very long bus ride through city streets to the local terminal. At one point of this ride, one of my fellow passengers began laughing and pointing at something. I looked back to see what was causing his merriment and saw a piece of lonely luggage lying on the road miles from anywhere. I chuckled too until I looked a little closer. Was that my suitcase?

I couldn’t get a good enough look at it, but it certainly looked like mine. I thought about what was in it and decided not to worry; it was only a bunch of clothes I eventually wanted to get rid of anyway, and if it didn’t arrive, I could go out and buy some new ones with the money they would give me to replace it.

Finally reaching the next terminal I stood for quite a time in the wrong line-up trying to get my boarding pass (which the Egyptian airport people had not given me). The air carrier person didn’t direct me very well from the information kiosk and I need to go across the terminal to a different place, but I didn’t know this until I’d made my way to the beginning of the line up.

Once I got my boarding pass and my bearings for the gate, I found an ATM and managed to get some Euros so I had some local money. And at least, bathrooms in Portugal were an improvement, though security was almost as tight as in Egypt.

I once again went through several security check points, then to the departure gate for Faro, where we were boarded onto a bus again and bussed almost back to where we had started from to board the plane.

The trip was only 40 minutes long and very beautiful with the sun coming out in full force to shine over the sometimes mountainous terrain. There were lovely patchwork fields and rivers and lakes and then the Mediterranean Sea again. The soil seems reddish and lush after the dryness of the Egyptian sands.

Once we landed I was met by a driver in a van, who taxied me to Lagoa and my resort at Carvoeiro.

First Days in Portugal

December 15, 2007 - Saturday

After checking in to the Monte Carvoeiro Clube, I had a quick lunch at the café connected to the resort – a lovely normal tuna sandwich on ciabata bread. I hadn’t been able to get a sandwich in Egypt except dried up stale ones in the airport. (Food everywhere is another whole topic.)

Although I have only just arrived in Portugal, I already know I will remember it as a calming place with wonderful sea and mountain views, and charming villages, modern and vibrant. I’m sure it will be a place of respite where I will enjoy writing and pottering around. At least the suite where I am staying is perfect for these pastimes.

I have a full suite with living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and balcony. I have laundry facilities (an automatic washing machine and a clothes line on the balcony), full cooking capabilities, and everything handy here, like a grocery store, medical centre, drug store, used and new clothing stores, gift shop, a swimming pool, etc. The air is cooler though and I doubt I will be swimming in the pool here, unless we get some warmer days.

I poked around the hotel to see if I could connect to the Internet (they have a computer in the lobby, but the Internet is slower than frozen molasses) and the electrical supply with my laptop, asked about a post office and Internet café, etc. I was given a map by the reception people.

I explored my immediate surroundings, walking down into the narrow winding streets of the village. The map turned out to be hard to follow (as confirmed by others) and I got lost (only a little). I know where the post office is now, but the Internet Café I was told about didn’t exist. I chatted with people on the street and found my way and another Internet café where I can take my laptop and be connected so I can continue uploading blogs.

The walk back to my hotel from the old market at the bottom of the hill is a beautiful one along a stone wall where I can overlook the Atlantic Ocean and the high cliffs with their swirls of colour and jaggedness that proclaims their elegance and power, thwarting sailing ships over the centuries.

I can just see the sea from my balcony too. The sunset over the Atlantic Ocean in the softest blue and pink pastels I’ve ever seen, like gauzy fairy princess dresses or soft glowing candles melding into the water.

I’ve changed currency and languages again and my way of thinking and understanding has been altered yet again too. Where I had to come to terms with spending what seemed like a large amount of 35 Egyptian Pounds on a hamburger, I now have to go to refrain from thinking that 3 Euros for a tuna sandwich is really cheap. One can easily become miserly when the number seems higher and be extravagant when it is lower, yet they might both be similar in Canadian dollars.

The nuances in the Portuguese language are quite different from the inflections of Arabic, so one listens in a different way. Luckily Portuguese is similar to Spanish in many cases and I can understand some of what is being said to me, though my faltering Mexican Spanish words and phrases are different yet again.

I spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening making myself at home, doing some hand laundry, shopping for food for supper and watching a little TV. I can get a few British and a couple of American channels here, so can watch shows I’m a little familiar with, even though they are a season behind North America (just as they were in Egypt). (At least I’m not watching old Gunsmoke episodes, like I had to in Cyprus where I stayed.) I still don’t get any Canadian news, so have no idea what’s going on in my home part of the world. Perhaps someone will let me know if something significant happens, like if Regina still exists…..

The time difference from Canada is less here, only six hours as opposed to the eight in Cyprus and Egypt. This makes it a little easier to make phone calls if necessary. For the most part, I will be staying put in and around my suite, writing, finishing my online course, relaxing, etc. so probably won’t post any blogs for a few days, unless something noteworthy happens or occurs to me…..

Personal Reflections

Sunday, December 16, 2007

The time is going very quickly for me as I travel…sometimes I lose track of what date or day it really is and I have no context of what it’s like in Saskatchewan. I vaguely hear about a very cold temperature back home and quickly dismiss it before it sinks in, grateful to be in warmer temperatures myself, but not wishing to remember the cold winter others are still facing.

I’ve seen so very much in the last month that it is sometimes overwhelming, but I keep writing my blog to try and capture as much as I can about an environment so that I can remember it all later….and of course, I am happy to share my experiences with others who care to read of my personal journey.

I’m being totally selfish—no not selfish, but doing things just for myself—and it’s a strange thing after being/feeling so responsible for my son and others, my house, the bills, maintenance, and my job, etc., for so many years, All I have to worry about now is what I’m going to do and see each day and basic survival needs like where am I staying and what/where am I going to eat and what will it cost. (A part of me still worries about my son and I’m sure I always will, after all I am a mother still, and happy to be, but that worry is changing too to something else though I can’t describe it yet. After all he’s grown up now and can take care of himself....I don’t need to be there to help him with everything, but rather be a sounding board and offer guidance when I am asked….I must remember this…being away from him is very good for me and for him too, I hope.)

I’ve planned the accommodation part of my journey until the end of December, so I’m fine there, though I must think of what I am doing after Spain. I may stay longer in Spain as it’s one of those places I’ve always wanted to go and I’ve always wanted to have a Spanish villa. Though I want to see Italy and Greece too, and all the other countries in Europe as well. My passport pages are not filled up with stamps yet…..

I can start teaching in China at the beginning of March, but must confirm this soon, and then I must decide what to do for January and February, if I accept that teaching position. Perhaps I will continue touring Europe and then be ready to do Asia when I get to China. I’m not feeling ready to be committed to something yet, especially so far in the future, but the job in China is a great opportunity and only for three months to start, though it can continue for longer, I believe. I am grateful to have been chosen to go there and for the experience it will give me.

There are still a few loose ends that I am tying up from home that are linked to my documentary making and books, but those are quickly disappearing too, as I have to decline invitations for readings and screenings for special occasions that will be taking place at the beginning of 2008. It’s only with a twinge of regret that I decline as I am so far removed from that life now. The invitations are still a great honour, but I can’t go backwards to the same thing I was doing before I left….it’s time for me to move on to other things. Besides I’m thousands of miles away and not likely to return for a while yet.

I am making some kind of transition from my old life into a new one, though I’m still not sure what shape that will take yet. I’m still so thrilled at being able to travel and see countries that I’ve only dreamed of seeing. It hasn’t totally sunk in yet that I don’t have a job or home to come back to anymore, though of course, I know I can always come back to Regina/Saskatchewan/Canada and find both again any time.