American Diary - Part 1

MAINE and MASSACHUSETTS On May 12th I arrived safely in the USA on a very comfortable Continental airlines flight into New York then connected to Portland in Maine to be met by Hannah and Arne Klepinger from Yarmouth who kindly offered to be my hosts during this first week of my US tour. If you remember, I met Hannah in 1999 on holiday in Porlock, Somerset. Straight from the airport we dined at Cape Elizabeth at the Lobster Shack, right on the coast with Cornwall some 3000 miles East. My lobster roll was to die for! Slightly jet lagged it was an early night for me once we arrived at the Klepinger home - a pretty pale yellow New England style wooden home set in a wooded street. Sunday was Mother's Day in the US, and the kids (Matthew 11 and Larua 14) both gave their Mom a card and attempted some chores in the garden! Hannah and I set off in the convertible Chevrolet to head up the coast for a 2 day road trip Thelma and Louise style around Mount Desert Island. The journey was very pretty passing amazing scenery and traditional houses just made for the landscape. Lunch was at Belfast, my first taste of 'Steamers' boiled clams and hot butter followed by fried clams - I was clammed up afer that! Arriving on MDI (the island) we found a room overloking the bay at the Wonder Vew Inn - it reminded me of the summer camp in Dirty Dancing! We then spent 2 wonderful days eating great food (traditional Maine fare, lumberjack breakfasts and carbohydrate packed lunches) and exploring the awesome scenery of the Acadia National Park on foot and in the car with the roof down of course! We did do approximately 7 miles of walking too.... including around Jordan Pond (sadly the restaurant was closed so no chanc to eat 'popovers' a kind of filled yorkshire pudding) and along a hiking trail where the carriages go. The park resembles our Lake District, but has more trees and a sense of wildness that we don't have in the UK. We saw unusual birds, deer and evidence of Beavers - I even saw a hummingbird in Hannah's garden before we left. It's a park for the outdoors and activity. It was too early in the season to take advantage of the many things to do, like carriage driving, cycling, climbing, whale watching etc. So instead we made sure that our stomachs experienced the best food, and made the most of the convertible by cruising the quiet roads all around the island. My favourite spot being Otter Cliffs, looking out across the ocean watching the sea birds and lobster boats. I will be going back there again one day. When I do, I'll revisit 'Jeannie's breakfast bar' for a Great Maine Breakfast! On the way home, we called in at Camden to see the clippers in the harbour and had a dose of culture in a museum at Rockland exhibiting Maine artists (good) and some Andy Warhol (crap in my opinion) and had one last meal at (famous in Maine) Moody's diner! Back at the house in Yarmouth Mathew was involved in a school concert, so I went along and it was great! the 4th & 5th grade performed as a band and also sang, and it wasn't at all bad! It was fun to see high school life for real. With Hannah and Arne back at work and the kids at school, I decided to head south to Boston for 2 days of sightseeing. I was there in 2004 with BMC sofware but didn't get chance to explore. On the internet in Hannah's kitchen I booked a Ducktour ride and called to reserve a room a the swanky Park Plaza hotel on arlington street (whci is where I am typing this from!)I took the bus from Portland (watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off on the way - one of my fave films) and jumped on the subway or 'T' to get to my hotel. Once my bags were dumped, I walked into the Boston (Bawston) sunshine, strolled through the public garden and Boston Common to join up with a guided history tour along part of the Freedom Trail. As you will all know, Boston is the home of the 'tea party' which sparked the war of independence and led to the creation of the USA as an independent state. Being British here is a little awkward, but you are treated with good humour (just don't mention taxes). The tour was great and ended at Fanueil Hall, which gave me chance to visit the home of the Massachussets arm of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company - the oldest army regiment in the world. The HAC had it's hadquarters in London at Armoury House where I have been several times as a guest and enjoyed their hospitality. Boston is closely linked in it's history to the British and unlike the rest of the USA has buildings and locations which date back to the 17th century. For this reason it attracts people from all over America. I took the rest of the Freedom Trail my myself, ending up at the site of the Bunker Hill battle between the British and the Bostonians. The tower which marks the spot has 294 steps and I managed them all! The views were worth it happily. It was at this point that the weather changed dramatically and I sheltered in a doorway on a street of very attractive houses down from Bunker Hill. I managed to get a taxi to stop for me and made it in time to join the Duck Tour at 5pm. These amphibous vehicles take you on a tour of the city then drive into the Charles River for a dfferent view. Despite the very torrential rain and lightening, it was fun (if a little cold) and the driver was full of tales and stories to keep us entertained. So, wet and tired I returned to my 'swanky' hotel. I have one more day in Boston to visit some museums and maybe the aquarium, then back to Maine to say goodbye to the Klepingers and on to New York! (PS: apologies for any bad spelling, this hotel keyboard is bad!)

Leaving for North America

It's Thursday evening on the 10th May and I'm a little bit tipsy from a Gin & Tonic! Thanks to our Queen (Gawd bless 'er) our American cousins are warmed up to receive their next high profile British visitor - My bags are packed and tomorrow I say goodbye to Kipper, my parents and Devon for 2 months of travelling across America. My bags are full of all sorts of kit - probably too much stuff - being the type of person to 'over pack' it's been hard to limit myself. I'm prepared for hot weather, rain, cold nights, hiking, riding, rafting, boating, swimming and spending hours on a bus! I'll keep in touch via this blog, so check back regularly for updates. Today we learned that by the time I get back Tony Blair will no longer be Prime Minister. You may like to know that on the 27th June when he leaves office I shall be on a horse in Montana, and you may well hear me 'Yeehah' in celebration from across the pond! I'm not sure Gordon Brown is going tobe any better, so while the UK sorts itself out and William Haig gets his act together to challenge for Prime Minister (he will be back I'm sure) I plan to spend a very short time in England before going to Australia and New Zealand - I may even stay there long enough for a Tory government to take over! So, in the meantime, keep smiling, keep reading my blog and I'll do my best to entertain you from across the Atlantic. Have a nice day! K

GO WEST to AMERICA & CANADA !

On May 12th I'll leave Blighty for a 70 day trip across the vast and varied continent of North America. My itinerary has been meticulously planned and will therefore no doubt go wrong almost from the start, but in theory this is where and when I shall be travelling: May 12th - May 18th MAINE & MASSACHUSETTS Portland, Yarmouth, Bar Harbour & Boston Staying with my friend Hannah after many years of promising to visit, I'm finally doing it! May 19th & 20th NEW YORK NEW YORK Empire State, Central Park, Macy's, Statue of Liberty etc... I'm going to be a real tourist on one of those bus thingies that goes around the city May 20th - June 16th GO WEST! 28 days to cross America East to West from New York to Los Angeles. This road trip in a mini van throws together a bunch of people who will have never met - until now. Now doubt after 28 days of camping we'll all be good friends! The trip takes us to historical, natural and 'unnatural' places of interest! New York, Niagara Falls, The Great Lakes, Chicago, Milkwaukee, the Great American Prairie, Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Devil's Tower (as seen in Close Encounters of the Third Kind - one of my favourite movies), into the wild west and Buffalo Bill country, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Salt Lake City, Great Salt Flats, Reno, Mono Lake, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Joshua National Park, Los Angeles. www.suntrek.com Trek 411 'Go West' June 17th - June 23rd WASHINGTON - SEATTLE After a short flight up the west coast, I'll be ready for some free time by myself in this city famous for coffee, grunge, Frasier and being sleepless...... although hopefully I will have a proper bed for the first time in a month and will get lots of lovely sleep! June 24th - July 2nd MONTANA Cowgirl ranchin' "You can see what man made from the seat of an automobile, but the best way to see what God made is from the back of a horse" (Charles M Russell) Enough said. This has been an ambition for as long as I can remember, I may decide to stay in Montana and never leave........ www.sweetgrassranch.com July 3rd - July 10th CANADA - Calgary Visiting my newest friend from my Egypt trip - 'Edmundo el dentisto' who lives in Calgary. I'll be hoping to make use of my new cowgirl skills and join in with the annual Calgary Stampede Rodeo festivities as well as seeing all that Calgary has to offer. July 11th-July 21st CANADIAN ROCKIES A 10 day sightseeing, hiking, canoeing, white water rafting riding, relaxing, eating & drinking tour around British Columbia and Alberta. Starting in Kamloops, Mount Revelstoke, Glacier National Park, Yoho National Park, Golden, Kicking Horse Valley, Emerald Lake, Takakkaw Falls, Banff, Mineral Hot Springs, Lake Louise, Bow River, Borgeau Lake, Icefields Parkway, Peyto Lake, Saskatchewan Glacier, Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park, Whistler Mountain, Mount Edith Cavell, Angel Glacier, Mount Robson (highest peak in the Rockies at 3954m) cross the Camelsfoot Range, Fraser River, Vancouver and back into the USA ending in Seattle. www.footloose.com a lodging trek called 'Canadian Rockies' July 21st - HOME TO ENGLAND August in Devon and Cornwall to enjoy the beaches, surfing & barbecues. Then packing my bags again for a 6 month trip DOWN UNDER!

Egypt Part 1 - CAIRO, THE SPHINX & THE PYRAMIDS

I'm back home in blighty after a very thrilling, varied and tiring 23 day tour in Egypt. Egypt is a land of contrasts, surprises and wonderment and it's really hard to convey the experience, but I'll do my very best and hope you find it interesting and not too wordy! I am writing a full journal which contains much more detail and references to the history behind the places I visited, but for the blog I'll aim to keep it bite sized and jovial! If you are a glutten for punishment and want the full unabridged version then drop me a line on email and I'll be sure to send you a copy (PDF or Word doc.) when finished - I warn you, that I'm only on day three and already at 4,500 words! (My email address is gkirsty @hotmail.com by the way) Let me begin my report with a review of the actual trip: NILE & BEYOND with Tour Operator: EXPLORE! www.explore.com 2400 Egyptian miles travelled over land, mountains, sea, river & desert Week One: Cairo, Pyramids,, Sphinx, Eyptian Museum, The Islamic Quarter, Suez, Mount Sinai, Dahab, Ras Mohammed, Red Sea Snorkelling. Week Two: Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Aswan, Lake Nasser & the High Dam, Philae, Abu Simbel, 3 days Sailing on the Nile, Hot Air Balloon, Luxor Museum, Valley of the Workers. Week Three: Western Desert, Kharga Oasis, Dakhla Oasis, Farafra Oasis, Bahariya Oasis including Camel Trek to Bedouin Camp, Off Road tour of the White Desert and overnight Camp, return to Cairo. DAY ONE - FRIDAY FEB 23rd So, on Friday February 23rd I set off for Heathrow with help from my good friend Debbie who dropped me at the airport. At midnight I arrived at Cairo airport and my fears about the hassle I might face getting a visa, making it through immigration and collecting my baggage were unfounded as the tour company had arranged for me to be met and transported to the hotel. I travelled alone but met up with another Brit in the arrivals hall- a nice man called Wayne - who was on a different Explore tour but had a free day on Saturday like me so we arranged to meet in the morning and explore the city together. On arrival at my hotel - The Caroline Carillion Hotel, Mohandessin, Cairo - I was greeted with a glass of orange (a nice custom) I was excited to be in Cairo, and amazed to have survived the taxi ride! (Cairo has to be one of the scariest places to drive). After taking in the panoramic view and absorbing the atmosphere, lights, sounds and smells of this 24 hour city, I was ready to sleep. The noise from car horns did keep me awake most of the night however and before too long it was 7am and time to get dressed to meet Wayne. We spent an enjoyable day visiting the Islamic Cairo including The Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque and the Khan Al Khalili market. The citadel was built on high ground in the 13th century as a massive fortification against Crusaders. the Mohamed Ali Mosque is the largest building here and a landmark of the city dating from the 19th Century - built using the limestone outer layer (now obviously missing) from the Great Pyramid it is also known for its alabaster ceiling. The Khan Al Khalili market is everything you expect from a Souk - spices, cottons, souvenirs, tacky rubbish, silver and gold with plenty of 'pro-active sales techniques' (otherwise known as hassle) from the traders. I didn't buy anything! It was quite tiring so a brief stop for tea allowed time to watch the people go by before saying farewell and returning to our hotels. That night I met our tour leader called Wael, and 2 travelling companions - Tim from Melbourne and Ed from Calgary. the three of us had supper locally and an early night before a busy day at Giza on Sunday. DAY TWO SATURDAY FEB 25TH Early breakfast with the rest of our group (16 in total). Jan & Alan, Dereck, Celie & John, Chas & Sue, Mark & Karen, Katherine, Anna, Pam & Alan. Plus me, Tim & Ed. A mini bus took us to Giza, west of Cairo collecting our guide for the day en route. His name was Tariq and his enthusiasm for Egyptology was infectious. He gave us a good background to ancient Egypt before showing us around the pyramids and sphinx at Giza and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo itself. There is so much to learn and I find it all fascinating! The Pyramids at Giza. Brief intro - Built between 2600 BC and 2400 there are 3 main pyramids at Giza - the biggest is the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) which stand 137m high containing 2.5 million blocks of limestone - the tallest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower. It's the only remaining wonder of the ancient world still standing - despite the outer casing of limestone being nicked by Mohamed Ali to build his Mosque!. The second biggest is the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) which still retains some of the limestone covering on it's cap (it looks bigger than the others because it stands on higher ground). The third is the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus) which has 3 well preserved Pyramids for his Queens on one side. There are many, many other burial tombs and smaller pyramids on the site and we didn't have time to explore them all. I took the opportunity along with the group to visit INSIDE the Pyramid of Khafre to the inner burial chamber of the Pharaoh. although his bdy was not found, it contains the red granite sarchophagus of the King - whcih strangely is too large for the tunnels you crawl through to get to it - so how exactly did they get it there? I don't know! The journey into the burial chamber is tricky and not very pleasant - you shuffle sideways with your body bent double at the waist and head bowed down a stuffy, dark tunnel which descends at 45 degrees nose to bum in a line of tourists. You then come into a short corridoor with a higher ceiling before entering another claustrophobic and cramped tunnel which this time goes up at 45degrees! At the end of this is a short corridoor again which leads into the burial chamber. At this point I was relieved to stand up straight and walk around although the air was incredibly stale, sweaty and sickly to breathe in. The only feature was the sarcophagus - the walls were blank except for 'Giovanni Belzoni March 2 1881' an inscription to mark the discovery of the chamber by the italian archeologist - left there by himself. I spent only a few mninutes inside, and it was hard to imagine the vast weight of stone above and around you, and the conditions the workers endured by candle light with no modern machinery to build this tomb and bring the King to this place. The return to daylight and fresh air was a big relief but I was very pleased to have made the journey. After taking some scenic landscape photos of the pyramids we headed to the Sphinx. This famous statue is part of the Pyramid complex for Pharaoh Khafre. The head is allegedly the image of Khafre it was carved from a block of stone left after limestone was quarried for the building of his adjacent Valley Temple - and all connected to the Pyramid by the Causeway. The Valley Temple is where the King would have been mummified after being brought here by boat from the Nile nearby (thhe river was much closer in those days) before his journey into his burial chamber inside the pyramid. This temple is made of red granite from Aswan - and I was able to visit the quarry later in my tour. The pyramids and sphinx are better than I was led to believe. The area is not as commercial as some might say, and the overall atmosphere on that day was perfect - if a little crowded. I can recommend it for a visit! We had a brief stop at a nearby papyrus museum and shop with a packed lunch of falafel before heading back into Cairo for the Egyptian Museum. This was a highlight for me as I was itching to see the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Like many people I have long been fascinated by the story of Howard Carter and recently learned more about the discovery and life of the boy king. I was not disappointed! Our guide Tariq did an excellent job of showing us the key exhibits inside and left us to roam by ourselves. I paid the extra money to see the mummies of some of the most famous Pharoahs including Ramses II - another King I had become more familiar with before my trip. Well worth the small expense, but left me feeling slightly ill at ease that these ancient bodies had been removed from their sacred tombs to this very undignified place under lights inside a glass case - gawped at by tourists from every corner of the globe. It seemed wrong. The Tutankhamen wing was fabulous - the gold treasures leave you speechless and the quantity and size of the vast array of different possessions buried with him is hard to believe - just how did they get it all inside his small tomb? I understand that some of this collection is coming to London this summer - BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!!! you won't be disappointed! We returned to our hotel and later had a group dinner in the Islamic area near where I had lunch and afternoon tea - the menu was Egyptian pancakes! Not bad at all. After that we wandered the Souk again and stopped for drinks in a small bar where I tried my first sheesha pipe! This was a brilliant day and a fantastic start to my trip.

Egypt Part 2 - SUEZ & SINAI

DAY THREE MONDAY FEB 26th We left Cairo and boarded a comfortable bus soon after dawn headed for Suez and the Sinai Peninsular. On our way out of Cairo we stopped to visit the tomb of President Anwar Saddat who was assasinated in 1981, also site of a tomb in rememberance of the unknown soldier. A word here about the National service in Egypt. This is compulsory and men are either posted to Tourist Police duties (guarding monuments and temples), Military Police (road checkpoints and other armed duties) or full military duties. It's clear that many Tourist police regard their work as a necessary bore to be endured but not with any attempt to hide their feelings! Those guarding this spot were dressed in ridiculous costumes which kept blowing about in the wind - one poor bloke had his face covered by the headress he wore and I had to turn away for as i was giggling so much! The skyline of Cairo is mixed up with modern high rise hotels and offices and low level brick housing - often of low quality and built by the residents themselves. It is a massively sprawling city of over 16 million people - we were told that 4 million live along just one street. It is a city of poverty too, and this is evident on every street where Mercedes cars mingle with battered ancient taxis and wagons pulled by donkeys carrying fruit and crops from the agricultural fields which spread out from the Nile. The traffic moves well (or at least it did on that Monday) and the roads are reasonably well maintained, but frankly you would have to be mad to drive there. Everyone ignores the lanes, and drives in a criss cross manner using the horn to move people out of their way - it's mad, scary but somehow entertaining! As you leave Cairo's suburbs, the terrain quickly changes from suburban density to low lying green strips where crops are cultivated to the edge of the barren sands of the desert. The rest of the journey to Suez was largely featureless. The Suez Tunnel was opened in 1869 and designed by a Frenchman Ferdinand de Lessops. It took 10 years and 25000 men to build the 100mile long cutting linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea creating a shipping channel between Europe and the East. You can still see the ships moving through the desert - quite wierd. There is plenty of political history here, which you can read about yourselves! Wael gave a brief and interesting talk on the history before we moved on into Sinai via the road tunnel underneath the canal. Once into Sinai we took the coast road with occasional views of the Red Sea and distant mountains in the West. Sinai is the Eastern most part of Egypt and sparsely populated. It fell into Israeli occupation in the middle of last century and Egypt reclaimed the territory in 1979 but maintains a visible military presence along it's borders. We were accompanied at all times by a police guard (with a gun). During our time in Sinai we became used to the regular police checkpoints along the roads and the site of bored looking (but efficient) police officers! Sinai is mountainous with desert canyons and hiddden valleys carved from the sea millions of years ago and eroded by the wind and sand. The coastal areas are desolate but have long sandy beaches and amazing coral reefs which become the focus of tourism the further south you go towards Sharm el Sheik. Our itinerary kept us off the tourist trail in the main,thankfully. SWIMMING IN THE RED SEA! After 4 hours in the bus we stopped for lunch at a very pleasant hotel and beach restaurant called 'Moon Bay' on the Red sea Coast. By now we had covered about 400 miles and the break was much needed. A brief dip in the sea to cool off followed by lunch on the beach and a short rest and we were back on the bus again for our long drive South East towards our overnight stop at St Catherine's Monastery. This section of the drive became interesting as we turned inland and climbed into the Sinai mountains through 'Wadis' (valleys) fillled with Bedouin villages and Date Palms. We learned that this region once the heartland of Bedouin life and culture centred around camels, date palms and the desert is now altering due to tourism. The Bedouin are now looking to tourists to earn money and are losing the traditions of living in close harmony with their surrounding natural environment. Modern brick buildings provided for schools and housing spoil the landscape and I can't help but feel that the old way of living must be better - even it it means that people like us do not visit the area any more. By dusk we were at a height of 1500m and found our hotel nestling between two giant peaks. We were all bracing ourselves for meeting up at 2am to climb Mount Sinai, so a brief supper and early night were advised. DAY FOUR - TUESDAY FEB 27th I've never done a climb in the middle of the night and saw this as a taste of things to come when I attempt Kilimanjaro! We all managed to meet the bus at 2am which drove the short distance to the start point near the Monastery. I wasn't prepared to see so many others on the climb, there must have been hundreds so once we were through the police checkpoint (even the police were up at 3am) and onto the path we had a trail of walkers in front and behind wearing or carrying torches making a chain of lights all the way up the mountain. We had a 700m climb to the summit to see the sunrise and were blessed with a clear sky filled with stars. All the way up you are offered camels by the Bedouin as an alternative to walking, and along the route are small huts offering hot tea and chocolate to keep your strength up and keep you warm. The huts were snug and warm and a welcome break from the dropping temperatures outside. I can't describe how surreal it feels to walk in the dark along a rubble path which you know is fairly high and close to the edge, with camels and Bedouin appearing out of nowhere almost bumping into you, and the sound of muffled conversations coming from above and below. I tried not to look up as I knew the sight of those torches so far away and so high would affect my determination so I kept my head down and kept putting one foot in front of the other. Sooner than expected we were at The Steps - the final ascent to the summit. More like bolders than actual steps, there are over 700 and it was fairly tough reaching the top. The summit itself is not flat, but rather a range of jagged peaks with sloping stoney areas for sitting on to watch the sunrise. There is a short final ascent to the very top point and the small chapel, but before we tackled that, we rested in one of the summit huts for tea and to hire a warm camel wool blanket to keep us warm until sunrise. Up to the summit at 6am and finding a seating spot wasn't easy so I stood. So many people and jostling that I'm amazed no-one gets pushed over the edge! By 6.20am the sun appeared and the colours on the mountain changed from cool blues, to purple, pink, orange and gold. It was spectacular even prompting a group nearby to sing! With the sunlight upon us it was clear just how high we were and how precarious our position! Once the crowds had cleared I sat on the edge looking down to the next level below and photographed my feet. It was high, not sure how high a drop exactly though. This is the spot where Moses received the Ten Commandments, and despite being atheist, I admit to feeling something special sat up there in the early morning sun. Coming down was easier and by 9am we were eating breakfast in our hotel. After a shower we headed back to the Monastery to have a look around. One of the oldest religious sites in the world it also houses the descendant of the Burning Bush - grown from the root of the original plant. This is a religious attraction and spiritual place for many who took the chance to touch the branches and stand in prayer. Back on the bus, our destination was DAHAB, on the Eastern coast of Sinai. We arrived early afternoon at our hotel 'Danielle' on the beach in an otherwise remote area. We passed acheckpoint which has to be the best job in Egypt - the policeman was under an umbrella with a cool box just yards from the lapping waves on the beach in front of him! I think we were the only people he saw that day. The afternoon was free for much needed R&R so I sat by the pool and wrote some notes, eating french fries and drinking coke! In the evening we had a lovely meal in a fish restaurant on the beach in Dahab, before another earlyish night in advance of our desert jeep safari the next day.