Mother's Day March 21

March 21st is Mother's Day in Egypt. There was a party planned for Nardeen's grandmother, Mounira, for the evening. But generally for Bonnie and I it was a day of relaxing. I worked on this project of course through the day along with labeling pictures so we wouldn't forget where we had been or what we had done. Bonnie went to the market with Susan but unfortunately she didn't take the camera with her.

We all got up late this morning. We were really exhausted from the trip to Sharm and needed some downtime to recover. So needless to say breakfast was late but very enjoyable. Ezzat went to the shop along with Susan and Nardeen had some studying to do. So Bonnie and I were left on our own. Bonnie decided to go to the shop after awhile and I stayed at the flat and worked on the pictures and blog. Once I completed my tasks or should say got tired of working on them I too wandered over to the shop. The shop is a congregating place for the extended family of the Eshak's. One of Nardeen's uncles has a shop right across the street that sells tools and paint. His shop is kind of like a hardware store. This results in members of the families always dropping in at one place or the other. As soon as the word got out that we were at the shop many people dropped by to greet and talk with us. Of course there was always the challenge of language. We speak no Arabic and most of Nardeen's relatives spoke little or no English. We still got along just fine and communicated just fine. The only problem was that it usually took longer than one would expect to get your point across. We talked about the same things we do in this country, relatives, religion, and politics. All were interesting discussions.

Early in he evening we took Susan out to purchase her Mother's Day present. Nardeen and Ezzat got her flowers and a new cell phone. It's really a good thing they took Susan with them to purchase the cell phone because they would have bought her a pink one and she didn't was that color she wanted a silver one. Of course for the rest of the time we were with them I think Nardeen used her mother's cell phone most of the time and I don't think Susan made even one call one it. When her phone rang she knew it was Nardeen or her husband because they were the only ones that had the number.

We closed up the shop at about 10 PM that evening. 10 PM is early to close in Egypt. Often the shops are open until 1 AM or later but then it was Mother's Day and we had a party to go to. When we arrived at Nardeen's grandmother's house we were ushered into the middle of the sitting room so the other present could surround us and talk with us. Even though it was Mother's Day we were treated like guests of honor. There were also two birthdays to celebrate that night. Of course along with all the chatting and fellowship there was food. There was a lot of food. There were certainly many people there but there was enough food to feed many more.

The biggest difficulty we had that day was keeping all of the names straight. I'm not at all sure we did very well that night but we do have pictures of all of these wonderful people and captions so we know who they are. By the time we return to Egypt we will have them straight but of course the whole family wasn't here so there will be more to learn. We both look forward to the experience.

Leaving Sharm March 20

After some leisure time and breakfast it was time to return to Port Faoud. The time here was wonderful because we were with the whole family, Ezzat, Susan, Nardeen, and Ephraim, enjoying the beach and the excellent company. The drive back was just as long as the drive down but somehow didn't seem that way. We took a number of breaks on the way back that we didn't on the way down.

We stopped at a hot spring that ran into the Red Sea. I have no idea what the name of the area was but the water was coming to the surface at the base of a "mountain" and it was hot enough to burn your feet when you stepped in it. There were certainly plenty of people there. When we arrrived there were at least three buses there. All were full of tourists, one had Japanese people, one Canadian, and another from Eastern Europe. All were facinated by the hot springs. Of course they were not comparable to Laird in British Columbia or to Circle Hot Springs or Manley Hot Springs in Alaska but it was an interesting place. There a couple of entrances into the hill where I was told the water comes from but since I didn't have flashlight I didn't venture into the caverns. There was the skeleton of a resort that was begun and then looks like it was abandoned just off the road in this area. Guess the developer ran out of money or decided it wouldn't be viable.

We stopped to stretch or legs and have some tea at the same place we stopped to eat on the way down. The proprietor remembered us and welcomed us with open arms. That's certainly something that would be out of the ordinary in the US but according to our host was not particularly unusual for Egypt.

The Sinai Desert once again seemed opressive. Looking at the rugged mountains and the barren sand and dunes was like looking at a landscape out of a science fiction novel. There was some vegatation between the coastline and mountains but it was sparse. Small shrubs grew on little "piles" of sand. It was hard to determine if the little piles of sand caused the shrubs to take root or the piles were formed when the sand swirled around a shrub that gained a foolhold in the barren landscape. I'm sure someone must have studied that and come to some conclusion but it's interesting to contemplate. As we moved north toward the Suez Canal the wind picked up and was blowing sand across the roadway. It reminded me of a windy winter day in Alaska with snow blowing across the highway it looked exactly the same except for the color. Oh yeah, it was a lot warmer, too.

As we moved north another change took place. The east side of the roadway looked lush and green with orchards, grain fields, and banana plantations. The thing that had changed was the amount of water. The rainfall hadn't increased but the land on the east side of the roadway was irrigated. It's amazing what water can do to the desert. It there was any doubt about what was lacking in the normal landscape all you had to do was look to the west side of the road. There was no irrigation and the desert prevailed.

One of the manmade wonders that is part of the Sinai is the Peace Bridge over the Suez Canal. This bridge was a joint construction effort between the Egyptian government and Japan. The Japanese designed the bridge and constructed the suspension portion of the brige and the Egyptian government contructed the approaches to the suspension bridge. It is a very beautiful structure. Another great feature of the bridge is that after you cross it you only have one hour to go to get to Port Faoud. It was a long drive and a tiring day.

More on Sharm el-Sheikh

On Thursday we took time to tour a beautiful new church that is nearing completion in Sharm. There are already a couple of mosques in the two but this will be the first church for Christians to worship in. There is an attached "hotel" for people serving the church and for visitors to rent. There is also a small complex of shops and food vendors to help supplement the income of the congregation in Sharm. There is a sanctuary completed in the basement of the church and the main worship area is still under construction but it will be wonderful when it is completed. All of the floors are tile or stone and the walls that are not painted with murals or covered with stained glass are all stucco.

Supposedly the mother of the richest man in Egypt, oddly enough he is a Christian, is constructing the church. I think there is supposed to be some type of endowment fund for maintenance but don't know for sure. There certainly won't be any cost for heat. There may be some for cooling some of the areas in the church though. Even though it was only spring here the temperatures were already reaching into the 80s F during the day, though it was still cooling off substantially during the evenings.

We stayed at the Gafy Resort run by Days Inn while we were in Sharm. It was certainly the nicest Days Inn I ever stayed at. Two meal a day were included in the price of the rooms, breakfast and dinner. All of the meals were served buffet style. The cuisine was varied and even included some Egyptian foods. In general the food was good but nothing to write home about. Wednesday's evening meal was better tasting than Thursday's. Why? I have no idea, but it was.

Travel to Sharm el-Sheikh March 18

It seems that time travels much faster than we ever could. As I make this entry it is Sunday the day before we leave for home. It has been a wonderful trip and a wonderful experience. Sharm el-Sheikh is the Riviera of Egypt, the Las Vegas of the United States. Most of the Egyptians we talk with about Sharm are in love with it. It actually was very nice, plush, decadent. For Egyptians it is an escape from their everyday lives. It's very similar for Alaskans as a trip to Vegas to be warm, gamble, and party. I don't think that there is gambling in Sharm though. For me the trip through the Sinai was a very important part of our "escape" to Sharm. Unfortunately the escape took 7 hours by car each way. The people we rode with were fun. Parts of the ride were interesting. Overall it seemed long.

The Sinai is an amazing place. It is the place Moses wandered with the Jewish people for more than forty years and then because of his sins for the rest of his life. A very dry mountainous desert that actually was able to support millions of people with the help of God. The Sinai is a land of extremes. Temperatures get to 120 F during the summer and as low at 20 F in the winter with snow on the desert mountains. With less than an inch of precipitation annually it is one of the driest regions in the world. It is only populated on the edges near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.

From the tourism standpoint this coast is one of the most spectacular diving areas in the world. Unfortunately neither my wife or I dive or snorkel. We had a great time here regardless because of the people we were with. Our stay in Sharm was very nice. We did go for a short ride in a "glass bottom" boat that had a small well to accommodate about two people to take pictures of the reef and the life around the reef. This may not have been the best choice but it was the one made. We enjoyed the ride and had a good time. Pictures for this trip will be included in multiple albums on Picasa but they may not be uploaded until Wednesday after we arrive at home.

Port Faoud March 17

This was pretty much a recovery day. We slept in. We did laundry. We hung out at the shop. Nardeen's relatives often drop in, especially when someone they would like to meet, that's Bonnie, was there. We had a wonderful, relaxing day. That evening we got our things ready to go to Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula. Nardeen has told us over and over again that this is the most wonderful place in Egypt. On Wednesday and Thursday were will find out if she is correct. Bonnie accompanied Susan to the market to purchase things for lunch. Fish (caught that morning) were bought then taken to the smoker to be picked up later. Yams were picked up and taken to Susan's mother's house where they were raised up to the apartment in a basket on a rope. The yams were cleaned then lowered back down. Susan then tried to find a vendor that would smoke the yams but was unsuccessful. So the yams ended up being baked in the over. They were part of dessert. It was an enlightening experience for Bonnie but unfortunately she didn't take the camera with her. You don't always have to go to the market though to get the fixin's for your meals. Sometimes the market comes to you. Vendors are continually moving up and down the streets plying their wares. You can find everything from vegetables to propane on the street. If you know what you want, have a rope and a basket you don't even have to go down in the street to make the purchase. These two westerners found it all quite amazing.

I spent quite a bit of time this day updating this document and trying to get pictures uploaded to the Internet. The uploading part is often very slow.

Cairo Museum March 16

On Monday we had a leisurely morning. We had breakfast with Samai and David, very tasty. Then we passed some time waiting for Ezzat to take Nardeen to the bus station. She had to be home for a lesson. Bonnie and Samai had a good time even though they didn't speak the same language. David and I played foosball and did some Internet stuff while we were waiting. We had a wonderful time this morning and will miss these folks.

When Ezzat returned we were off to the Cairo Museum. We took the Metro across town and it certainly was a lot faster than driving. When you ride the Metro, if you are a male, you need to be careful not to get on woman's car. There are cars on the train where men are not allowed. If you you get in the wrong car it will cost you 10 EGP and a bunch of hassel even if you are a tourist. Not many foreigners ride the Metro as the signs for everything are almost all in Arabic. So unless you have an escort and would like an adventure don't use the Metro. I couldn't find an "official" Metro website but there is one with a map and some other information that looks useful here.

The museum is quite wonderful, amazing, spectacular. There are just no words to describe what we saw in the short time we were there. The two guide books we purchased at home said to allow two days for the museum but I could have probably spent more than that and we were only in there for three hours. Pictures are not allowed inside the museum. You must check your camera at the gate after you pay your admission (60 EGP for tourists). There is free will payment for this service but something is expected. You will be scanned for security purposes at least twice. There used to be a secondary charge to see the Tutankhamun exhibit but that is no long the case or wasn't when we were there. All of it is worth more than triple the admission price even for a few hours. Next time we return to Egypt I personally will spend much more time in this place. The young lady that accompanied us was an exchange student in Anchorage three years ago, Aya Abdelaziz. She is a wonderful young lady and we are so happy we could meet here family and spend time with them.

Cairo Evening March 15

We did meet up with Ephriam, Nardeen' brother, and went with him to McDonald's for a meal. That was the first time I had been to McDonald's in months and I had to go to Cairo to do it. This was our first time to meet Ephriam and he is a really enjoyable young man. He is going to medical engineering school in Cairo. And he is a very busy man. Will have some pictures of him Sharm el-Sheikh.

After we left Ephriam we tried to find an Apple store in Cairo to see it they could help with the charging problem we were having. After some time chasing around we finally found the place. The store is called Appleline and they were quite helpful. Now if only the internet was stable that would be great.

When we were finished with the computer we walked to the waterfront, the Nile River. There our host took us on an hour long felluca cruise. This was a very enjoyable activity. In hussle-bussle Cairo just sitting an relaxing, taking in the sights along the river was a wonderful experience. It was one thing that day that was relaxing and fun at the same time.

We had a wonderful time this full day in Cairo and there was much more to see. But more on that later.

Cairo Zoo March 15

The Cairo Zoo is not much compared to the many of the zoos that people of the US are used to. In general cages are small and there is little resemblance to natural areas. There are a few exhibit that show the animals in a similar habitat to the native one but generally the animals are in cages like US zoos in the middle of the 20th century. At the elephant exhibit there are two Indian elephants that are trained well and people are allowed to pose with them. We didn't avail ourselves of this opportunity. There was a camel in the same exhibit that was trained. Carrots were put on the heads and shoulders of watchers for the camel to remove. It was very cute. People were even allowed to "feed" a black bear that was on exhibit, very scary. The zoo was interesting place to "kill" some time but probably could have been bypassed without missing a key attraction. For more zoo pictures click the link on the left above the slide shows.

Back in Cairo March 15

Sunday was to be a full day. First riding camels to the Pyramids and Sphinx. Next stopping and browsing through the Cairo Zoo. And lastly this day a felluca cruise on the Nile. By the time we got to Giza, made arrangements with some folks to get camel rides, paid, etc. I was pretty much recovered from the Mummy's Revenge which was quite fortunate. After you leave the "stable" restrooms are non-existent. Be sure to keep that in mind if you ever do this.

Our host negotiated the fees for the trip which turned out to be quite reasonable. After starting out at 2000 EGP the "final" price was 500 EGP (less than $100) for the four of us with three camels for two hours. Actually I was quite amazed it was that cheep. So we got on the camels and went about 50 meters into the trip and then they tried to change the deal. Many cross words were exchanged that I could not understand and did not really know that they had tried to change the deal until after we were underway again. Bonnie asked me what was going on and I told her my suspicions that turned out to be true. There will be more on this issues later in the story.

The actual trip was quite pleasant. Our "guides" (they were actually wranglers for the camels) were pleasant and tried to be helpful when they could. They also were eager to take pictures for us but their composition and mechanical skills with the camera were very lacking. Especially since they were using cameras all the time and many different varieties of them. Their job was to keep the customer happy, as happy as possible. They asked all the time if we were happy and that got to be very annoying.

The trip as I said was pleasant. Camels are not. They yell (roar) a lot. They have definite methane problems that seem to linger even when the wind is blowing and I don't mean their wind. You could easily end up on your head when they get up and go down. They are also very wide. I am still paying for their wideness 3 days later.

Now the rest of the story, on the way out our host, Ezzat, told me specifically not to give them any money because he had taken care of everything. On the way back in they made a specific effort to get the two parties, Ezzat and Nardeen, and Bonnie and I, separated so we would not be able to hear the other's conversations. They then started milking us for a tip. Playing on sympathy, guilt whatever they thought would work. Now if I had negotiated the deal it would have been better for them, but they had agreed on a price. My host told me not to give them money and they, the handlers, were not happy with me when I told them to talk with Ezzat. They were angry with me and my wife was getting angry with me because she would have layed out cash for a "tip". She is afflicted with a huge guilt problem. Anyway they weren't happy at with me at the end of the ride and they weren't very happy with Ezzat even though he did give them a nice tip, they didn't think it was big enough. It certainly was interesting in more ways than I would have at first expected.

After the camel ride, seeing the pyramids, and arguing over the gratuity they still tried to sell more stuff. Lotus oil, perfume was the next on the agenda. It was over-priced and didn't really smell good to me. We got out of that with our wallets intact. Then they tried to sell us over-price parchment stuff. I couldn't talk Bonnie out of that so we paid three times what these things were worth of one that looked okay but irked me because it was so expensive. The part that got me the worst was the guy that told me to smile as he picked my pocket. So beware of the camel or horseback ride to the pyramids. I would do it again but would have only enough money for what I thought was a fair price and nothing extra.

Alexandria March 14

Along with the library on March 14 we went to King Faruk's castle. He died in 1952 shortly after Egypt got it formal independence from the UK. The castle does not look like a castle in the mid evil sense of the word or a castle that would expect to see in the British Isles. It is quite handsome and the grounds are stunning. I'm sure they would be even better in the summer or at least when the weather is a little warmer. This building is still used by the current president of Egypt Mohamed Hosni Mubarak as a retreat house similar to the US President's Camp David. There is a quite extensive park around the castle and castle grounds that I would assume is closed when Mubarak is in residence.

The Castle is right on the White Sea (Mediterranean Sea for non-Egyptians). The sea was angry this day, not too angry though. It was quite cool 55 F with a north wind blowing off the sea. The wind was very wicked. Once you get chilled on a windy, overcast day you stay chilled until you get into some heated shelter.

I was also struck with the Mummy's Revenge the afternoon of the 14th and through the next day which made the sight seeing and traveling difficult at best. But I did not let is stop our journey.

People are Everything

The place we stayed in Cairo was the Aunt and Uncle of Nardeen. Samia Awad and her family made us feel at home the whole time we were with them. Bonnie and I wish to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their love and hospitality. We felt a part of their family and had wonderful evenings talking with them even though our languages are very different. We shared many meals and joys and laughter with them and they will always be with us no matter where we travel. The Egyptian people are well represented by the two families we have been associated with and we look forward to showing them the same hospitality if ever they come to our home to visit in the USA. Thank the Lord for people who love others unconditionally.

Al Qahira, March 13

On Friday Nardeen, Ezzat, Bonnie, and Don "jumped" in the car for a trip to Cairo and Alexandria. The trip is about 2.5 hours from Port Faoud to Cairo, about 200 kilometers. The trip starts with a ferry ride across the Suez Canal. Most trips from Port Faoud start that way because it's basically an island in the Suez Canal. The canal has an entry and exit channels on the north end. This was an addition to the original canal design and Port Faoud is on the created island.

The destination for today is Al Qahira the Egyptian name for Cairo. Cairo's city population is about 6.7 million with 17.3 million in the surrounding area (Wikipedia). It's the largest city on the continent of Africa and the city proper is the 15th largest in the world. The trip goes through the fertile farmland of the Nile river valley with many communities "sprouting" up along the roadside to take advantage of the proximity to the northern end of the Suez Canal and Cairo. The major attraction along the way between Port Said/Port Faoud and Cairo is the Mubarak Peace Bridge. This beautiful structure was built with the cooperation of Japan who did the major engineering work and the construction of the center span of the bridge. The bridge spans the Suez Canal and connects the western mainland with the Sinai Peninsula without having ferry traffic in the middle of the canal. Unfortunately the pictures do not do justice to the bridge.

The first sign the you are getting close to Cairo is the increase in traffic. The traffic is staggering in this city. There seems to be little or no traffic control. It resembles organized chaos if there is such a thing. Unfortunately photos from the ground do nothing to show what I'm talking about. You really have to experience this traffic to believe that it could be so chaotic. 17 million people use a lot of cars, buses, taxis and trucks. They all seem to be on the streets at the same time and yet the side streets are completely parked full. Where all of the vehicles go and come from is a mystery. One of the highest points is Cairo is the Citadel. It sits atop a hill and has panoramic views of all areas of the city. There are structures that people live in as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately I neglected to take any pictures of the outside before we entered and really had no good vantage point to shot from when we left. The link to an appropriate place on the web will have to do the job. In some places even as the upper floors of a building are falling down people are still living in the lower floors. It is an amazing city.

There are many museums inside the Citadel of Cairo but unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures so I have none. Many of the military things in the museums are amazing and if you are into that kind of stuff you should definitely take in the Citadel while you are in Cairo.

There are also two mosques in the Citadel. They are amazing inside and out and I do have a few pics of them that will be up on my photo site in Google. Since Egypt's population is about 90% Muslim you can imagine that there are many mosques in the country but you have no real idea until you are there seeing the minarets shooting skyward like a forest of giant redwoods. That is an amazing thing as well.

Much of the rest of the population of Egypt is Christian and they have many beautiful and huge churches as well. I am always amazed at the pageantry that is display in the churches of the "Old World". We went to a church in Cairo called the Church on the Mountain by the general Christian population. It seats over 15,000 people. I don't know where transport for all of those people would park but it is an amazing place. It's really a composition of a number of churches. We were able to get into 5 of them on this day and they were all very different.

Port Said, Egypt March 12

This day was a pretty leisurely day. We toured two churches and went to a monument in Port Said. We also went to a wonderful little park in Port Faoud called Elmontaza.

The churches were very beautiful and all I could think of was how much it would cost to maintain them. The ceilings in general in all of the churches and mosques we have been in are spectacular.

The monument, Elmasala, honors the people who died during the construction of the Suez Canal. It has relief sculptures around the base of the history of the canal. The steps lead up to the obelisk that was erected to their memory with the Egyptian Eagle on the from of the structure. I'm sure it is much better looking when the fountain and reflecting pools have water in them. It was still very nice.

The park for me was the highlight of the day. We had a nice relaxing stroll and the spring flowering shrubs were beginning to bloom. Families were enjoying the mild weather with picnic lunches and athletic games. And of course there were little children that are always a joy for both Bonnie and I to watch. Elmontaza commemorates one of the battles between Egypt, France, and England for Egypt to gain and retain control of the Suez Canal. This is an interesting story by itself and would be interesting to compare the Egyptian, French, and British versions of the "liberation" of the canal. All-in-all a very pleasant and relaxing day.

Alexandria Library Mar 14

This is a short entry from the Library in Alexandria, Egypt actually using one of their computers. The library is truly amazing both inside and out. A reading room that will accomodate 2000 persons sitting and reading. I have no idea how many computers there are but many. There is a printing press that will allow you to select a book from the library online, print it (up to 500 pages) in twenty minutes then send it to your via Fedex. At least that's it's capability. The library is still working out some copyright issues with publishers but they are very close. Getting here was an adventure but then that is another story and will post that later.

The library is also working on a project to create an archive of all web pages since 1995. Truly an amazing undertaking. Of course it probably won't really include all web pages because the "filter" on the web monitoring software won't let me access gmail for some reason.

Since I'm have difficulties get my laptop to charge I thought I would take advantage of this time and the availability of a machine to post a quick update. I will add a couple of pictures when I next get a chance.

London to Cairo

Tuesday, March 10 was essentially a travel day. Late yesterday we got most things packed up and ready to go. We had to be at the airport at 11 AM so there was not chance to go to St. Paul's as we would have liked. We got up early this morning so we could finish packing and get directions to go the the airport. We we already to go by 8 AM essentially so I sat down to put some updates on this document and Bonnie snapped a few pics of me doing that and some pictures of the garden across from the hotel. This task (updating the blog) takes much longer than I thought it would. Uploading pictures takes longer than I thought it would, everything takes longer than I thought it would.

At about 9:30 we left for Victoria Station and purchased a tube ticket to Paddington Station. Turns out it would have probably been cheaper and easier to take the bus to Paddington but that's ancient history now. We negotiated the tube just fine and then boarded a train for Heathrow at about 10:20 AM. Already had the return ticket on the train so went that way instead of another. The train ride was smooth and uneventful. Got checked in at the Egypt Air counter and proceeded to look through duty free stuff. We didn't find anything we couldn't live without. We moseyed along in the terminal, got something to eat, and read for sometime before the gate was posted for our flight. Went to the gate and boarded shortly thereafter. The service on Egypt Air was wonderful but the movie was boring. Dosed, read, listened to music and arrived in Cairo at about 8:25 PM. Egyptian Customs was not difficult and we pickup our bags without waiting long for them. As we walked out of baggage claim Nardeen and her family as well as Aya and her mom were waiting for us. We had a short very nice reunion and then went to the car for the trip to Port Fouad. The trip was about 2.5 hrs and 200 KM. We stopped for Egyptian fast food (KFC) on the way. We were really tired when we arrived but still talked for a while before we all crashed (about 3 AM).

Monday in London

Monday was a day of learning experiences. We bought tickets on the Big Red Bus. My suggestion is that you not do this if ever you go to London. I'm sure others would say that it was wonderful but it is an expensive way to get commentary as you move through the city. The travel time is extensive because you can't move from route to route as there is basically only one. You can't go direct to anywhere. My suggestion is that you take the tube or regular surface transport instead of the Big Red Bus or the other line that does the same unless you want the commentary.

We took the Big Red Bus to the Tower of London. This was a very nice place. We got to see the Crown Jewels but you won't unless you go there because photography is prohibited. The tower really is a moated fort with a keep inside. The moat is no longer in operation. The keep is no longer used except as a tourist attraction and is in the middle of renovation. There are still guards housed at the "fort" to guard the Crown Jewels which are kept in a vault that you walk through to view them. My personal opinion would be that if you have to bypass something the Tower of London would probably be something to take off you list. The Tower Bridge is a much better use of your time and money. St. Paul's Cathedral would have been much better I'm sure and we passed that by to go to the Tower, an error in judgment. Westminster Abbey was closed on Monday because it was Commonwealth Day and Queen Elizabeth and a host of dignitaries were attending a Commonwealth Day event there.

From the Tower we took a cruise back to Westminster Bridge to try to get to St. Paul's before they closed. We arrived with only about 25 minutes to see this huge structure. Decided we could probably come back in the morning but we never were able to make it.

I did get a couple of cool shots of Parliament and the clock tower known as Big Ben and will get them posted.

Sunday in London

Sunday was a very busy day. We began with breakfast at the hotel. It was very good and we were starving after going to be so early. Our initial outing today was to go to the town of Westminster. It is in London but that's what the area is called. The tube we needed to take to Westminster was closed for new track so we took the surface transport, a double decker bus, to Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is closed for tours on Sunday and Monday so we didn't get into the abbey but it sure is beautiful from the outside. On the grounds with the abbey is St. Margaret's Church which is also quite large and beautiful. We will have to come again to get inside of these churches.

On the opposite side of the street from Westminster Abbey is the clock tower known as Big Ben (that's really the bell inside the tower) and the Houses of Parliament. The building are both stunning and probably the most recognized landmarks in all of London. The Parliament building is closed on Sundays and there are only tours of the clock tower in the summer. Non-British citizens must apply for entry to Parliament building through their respective embassy or consulate.

From here we crossed Westminster Bridge and took a spectacular ride on the Eye of London. The morning was bright and sunny and we had a wonderful view of much of London as we took the half hour circular journey that was probably the highlight of the whole trip. It is worth every penny of the admission fee which is more than I can say for many of the attractions. We bought our tickets and walked right on but in the summer (high season) that may not be the case. You can get advance tickets on the web for the Eye. Pictures are posted in an album on Picasa or soon will be. We met a local man and his son on the Eye and they recommended that we take a river cruise down to Greenwich.

From the Eye of London we went to the London Aquarium. The place is under construction so the tickets were half price but much of it was not available for viewing. Should be really cool after Easter when they get it all done. We still enjoyed the time we spent in the exhibit.

We did take the river cruise and it too was well worth the price. We just should have done it in the morning so we could have spent the day in Greenwich instead of just a few hours. Not many pictures from the cruise as we just sat back, listened and enjoyed the trip down river. The captain of the boat did a running commentary as we went down the Thames. It was humorous, informative, and very enjoyable. When we left the boat we walked into Greenwich and poked around a little and had lunch. After lunch we went up the hill to the National Observatory. It just happens to lie on the Prime Meridian. This is obviously where Greeenwich Mean Time come from. Book have been written on the significance of time in the world of navigation so I won't dwell on it here. Movements of the moon and stars were also charted an studied at this observatory. I could have spent a whole day just in this one location. They have a wonderful planetarium here that I had no time to see.

The cruise back up to Westminster Pier was very pleasant and quiet, no commentary going up river. When we left the boat we made our way back to the hotel. We cooled our jets for a little time and then went to an English Tavern for dinner on the recommendation of our receptionist. The atmosphere was quaint and the food was excellent as was the wine.

Saturday in London

After we left our stuff at the hotel, we got directions to Buckingham Palace. We went there after a couple of wrong turns. We were going to watch the "changing of the guard". We got there more than an hour early so we walked around in Green Park. The park is quite beautiful. The daffodils were blooming as well a crocuses here and there. Most of the trees are still leafless though. Bought a 6 oz cup of coffee for 1.5 GBP, it was very good. Took some pics of the palace the fountain out front and misc and sundry other things. When the changing of the guard stated one would hardly know if they were paying attention. It turns out that it's an approximately 45 minute ceremony that is really pretty boring except for when the band played. They were quite good and we enjoyed that. The weather was quite cool and we were both chilled when the ceremony was over. And of course we were tired when it started.

After the changing of the guard we walked or somehow else got down to the area where London Bridge crosses the Thames River. London Bridge has been in the same relative location for over 2000 years. It was first constructed by the Romans for access to the city from the south and east. Not really pretty or anything but has been there for a long time. Took a few pics along the way. We crossed the bridge and ended up at the London Fire Monument. It's a couple of hundred feet tall and costs 9 GBP to walk up, we didn't. We do have some pics though.

From here we went to the Tower of London but decided not to go in because it was late in the day and wanted to have plenty of time there. So we went and did the Tower Bridge tour instead. Most people think the Tower Bridge is London Bridge because of the song London Bridge is Falling Down but that is not the case. It's the last "draw bridge" on the Thames. So talk boats can go no farther up river than London Bridge because it doesn't raise. Tower bridge has been in use for over a century and until 1972 the bridge was raised and lowered by coal fired boilers working the hydraulic systems. In '72 they replaced the boilers with electricity. The bridge is still operational today. The lower section for the roadway is the part that opens. The upper section has two pedestrian walks.

From the tower bridge we made our way back to the hotel. It was about 4:30 PM and we were really tired. We took the tube and had an interesting journey. We went the wrong way on a train at least once and moving from train to train was a challenge until you got a few things figured out. Once we got back to the hotel, checked in, dropped our bags in the room. We went and got something to eat. We were so tired we don't even remember what we had but it filled a void. Got back to the hotel and pretty much crashed. I got up at 1 AM thinking it was morning took a shower and then went back to bed. Slept in on Sunday, 'til about 8 AM.

Heathrow to London and Hotel

After clearing UK customs and picking up our bag we were off to find a way to our hotel. We began looking for transport at about 7:30 AM. Everything went very smoothly. A taxi would cost between 60 and 70 GBP for the trip. We elected to use the Heathrow Express instead. You can purchase a 30 day pass for 32 GBP so we did. Yes we were only going to be there 3 + days but it was cheaper than purchasing a one-way twice. Seems silly but the trains are designed for residence not infrequent travelers. So we get the train from Heathrow to Paddington Station in London. Paddington station is a railway and subway station. We were directed to take the subway to Victoria Station where we would be able to get specific directions to our hotel. Having never ridden on the London tube (subway) or any other tube for that matter we were a little overwhelmed. We stopped a lot of people, asked a lot of questions, consulted maps, and finally made it to Victoria Station. Victoria Station is a little city all to itself and was very quiet compared to Monday morning when we went there.

All of the transport tickets were taken care of with credit card or you can use a debit card. No cash changed hands. Speaking of cash, you can change money at the airport (Heathrow) or at most any of the tube stations in London. So just bring US dollars and exchange when you get here it's cheaper. For the tube tickets we purchased three day passes (18.4 GBP) for each of us. These are good for the surface buses as well as the tube. Surface buses are easy to use as is the tube. If you don't know just ask. Everyone has been very helpful. Just don't be in a hurry to get anywhere your first couple of days here as it takes some getting used to.

Weather Satuday morning was cool (45 F) and overcast. Got to the hotel about 9 AM on Saturday morning. Checked in, check email, stowed luggage in the luggage room and off we went to see some of London.

Seattle to London

March 6 and 7

This potion of the trip was really very uneventful. Of course that is quite wonderful actually. The trip from Seattle to New York left on time and arrived at JFK in New York about 15 minutes early. We had two hours plus a little in New York before our connection to London. Walked around some and had a bite to eat at the airport. Boarding for London was on time as well as the departure. As we walked back to our seats in economy we moved through first-class and business-class and envied the spacious surroundings. Of course you must be willing to pay for these accommodations and we weren't. And besides we actually arrived in London before they did because the landing gears in midship touch down first. We arrived in London on time after having dinner on the plane, three movies, and a snack for breakfast. Quite a change from domestic flights. Customs was no problem and then off to the tube. More to report after we go to dinner. Updates have been late because the hotel has been having difficulty with their internet.