Salve rapaziada esperta! Mil perdoes, mas essas duas ultimas semanas sem posts foram freneticas. MUITA coisa aconteceu, infeccao alimentar, passeio de scooter, viagens de barco, baladas insanas. Bom, vou tentar dar uma super resumida do meu ultimo post na Siria ate minha jordana que vem ate as Ilhas gregas.
Sai da Siria com os dois chineses/suecos no busao da 5h30. Viagem tranquila sem nenhum fato que valha a pena comentar. No momento em que a fronteira entre a Siria e a Turquia foi cruzada ja senti a diferente entre o Oriente e Ocidente, mesmo que naquela parte da Turquia seja oficialmente o Oriente Medio., mas o alfabeto romano, nivel de organizacao jah era uma tremenda diferenca.
Acabei decidindo ir para Cappadoccia, regiao votada por muitos como a parte da linda da Turquia. Logo que cheguei em Goreme (capital da Cappadoccia) entendi o porque. Com uma formacao rochosa unica, a cidade recebia um ar de conto de fadas, onde a qualquer momento poderia ver elfos, duendes e fadas por entre as montanhas. O interessante eh que as casas eras todas esculpidas no montes e montanhas. Aluguei uma bike no outro dia e visitei toda a cidade.
Jah a noite quando ia pegar o onibus noturno pra ir para Olympus, litoranea famosa por seus albergues de casas na arvore, comecei a ter febre e diarreia. Deus abencoa a pilulas anti diarreia que me segurou as 11h de viagem ateh Olympus.
3 dias totalmente relax se passaram em Olympus, aqui a principal atracao foi o proprio albergue que tinha um bar e uma balada entre seus dominios. Tbm visitei o Monte Chimera, onde no topo entre as crateras gospem fogo.
De Olympus segui para Istambul, finalmente a barreia entre Europa e Asia, cidade de mesquita e igrejas, fusao do Islam e Cristianismo. Cidade de beleza unica. Apos 3 dias taking it easy, fumando narquile, visitando bazares, aprendendo sobre o Islam. Desci pela costa Turca ateh Selcuk, onde pegaria a balsa para Samos na Grecia, por motivos de logistica tive que passar 2 noites na cidade para pegar uma balsa de Samos e de Samos para Mykonos do mesmo dia.
E valeu muito a pena essa pequeno atraso. Acabei ficando no melhor albergue que passei ateh agora. Era uma especie de chacara, como uma enorme piscina, uma pesinhos e um aparelho de supino!!!! Nem precisa dizer que tirei o atraso na malhacao. Mesa de sinuca e ping pong tbm faziam parte do cenario.. O lugar tinha uma atmosfera bem legal, um misto de mochileiros e grupos e familias de ferias. Entre eles Micky, um garotinho de 10 anos de Manchester. Super gente fina e inteligente, jogamos sinuca, ping pong. Primeira vez que conversei bastante com uma crianca cuja lingua inglesa eh a lingua nativa, engracado, eu ficava pensando “Porra, esse muleke de 10 anos fala ingles tao bem ou melhor do que eu! “rs. No meu ultimo dia a noite, quando todo mundo era participando do concurso de sinuca, eu estava indo pro meu quarto pegar alguma coisa que nao me lembro agora, mas quando ele me viu indo embora correu pra mim e disse:
- Are you going to bed?
- No no, Im just going to get something in my room.
- Ah, okay, I thought you were leaving and I wanted to say goodbye.
Muito bonitinho. Ai quando jah era bem tarde e a galera toda bebendo, antes de ele ir pra cama ele veio se despedir de mim e me deu uma abraco! Quase chorei.
Nesse albergue conheci tbm 4 australianas que estava viajando por algum tempo e tinha acadado de vir do Brasil, entre elas Hayley...ah.....uma gracinha, toda meiguinha e gostosa pra cara..... Espero encontra pela europa, pois nossos itinerarios sao bem parecidos.
Acabei indo pra cama as 5 da matina nesse dia. Acordei as 7h pra pegar a balsa pra Samos, foi muito hilario, empacotei minhas coisas fui pra fora do albergue e ngm por lah, todo mundo dormindo. “Puts, quem vai me levar pro porto?!” Tinha que estar no porto em 30 min, pensei que tinha que ter avisado na recepcao um dia antes. Sai pelo albergue procurando uma alma viva que pudesse me ajudar. O tempo passando e nada, quando avisto uma tiazinha que trabalhava na cozinha, o problema que ela nao falava ingles, fiquei gesticulando coisas que nem eu entenderia, quando me aparece um tiozinho “ Tanaka? Rafael Tanaka?” Ufa, a compania de turismo pela qual tinha comprado meu tickets jah tinha cuidado de tudo.
20 min dps jah estava no porto, em 3h horinhas jah estaria na Grecia. Viajar de ressaca, dormido apenas 2 horas, de estomago vazio e enjoado no barco nao eh nada agradavel.
Conheci duas brasileiras na balsa, acabamos indo juntos para Mykonos, nesse dia dei uma boa praticada no meu portugues.
Fomos despejados em Mykonos as 4 da matinas, nos juntamos com um americano, um cara gente fina chamado Vesseal. Nos 4 pegamos um taxi ateh o Paradise Beach Camping, apos tentar uns outros 3 taxistas que nao queria levar a gente. (Breve nota, ateh o momento estava totalmente decepcionado com os gregos, o povo chato, sem vontadde nenhuma de ajudar, todo mundo com uma mal vontade). Quando chegamos do Camping por votla das 7 horas. Meus Deus, a balada ainda tava forte, ai comecei a perceber que a Grecia seria divertida. Me lembrou muito de Floripa, fala ai Gabriel!
Montei minha barraca e dps dai nunca mais via as brasileiras, pq elas nao tinham reserva e foram pra outro lugar, o america teve que esperar ateh meio dia pra conseguir um quarto.
Passei o dia praticamente sozinho, o povo de lah era muito anti social, acho que pq eram grande grupos de ferias entao ngm se misturava.
Em apenas um dia em Mykonos muito aconteceu, cortei a sola do meu peh quando estava na agua e pisei num buraco, peguei a scooter no Vesseal pra ir pro centro comprar minhas passagens da balsa e me perdi pela ilha, fiz baladinha sozinha na praia, via um monte de gente se pegando “FORTE” na praia.
Ateh nao foi nada. No outro dia parti para Ios (pouco eu sabia que essa ilha entraria pra historia). Pra variar tive uma tremenda sorte, consegui a ultima cama no albergue Francesco, famoso por sua noites de baladas. No meu quarto, um dormitorio de 3 camas, estava essa criatura que em poucos dias se tornaria um grande amigo, Edware, um ingles de uma cidade pequeninha perto de Cambrigde. A quimica rolou algo que instantaneamente, ele me apresentou um livro que tinha acadado de ler chamado “ The Game”, onde conta a trajetoria de um escritor nerd que se torna o maior pegador da historia, o livro ensinava varias tecnicas pra se tornar irressistivel entre o sexo oposto.
A noite foi longa, bebemos, xavecamos as minas, fizemos amizados com os gregos, dancamos pra caralho, a noite foi boa como vcs podem ver no album do meu orkut.
Nesse dia, ou melhor, noite algo feito por mim desencadearia na maior CAGADA que jah fiz, Nao vou contar aqui, mas se vc ler isso e ficar curioso, me contacte que eu explico tudo direitinho. Mas cada vez que eu penso da vontade de me dar um murro na cara...haha.
Mais duas noites de intensas baladas e dias totalmente relax na piscina ou na praia se passaram, ateh chegar a hora de se despedir de Ios. Ed resolvou mudar seus planos e ir comigo pra Santorini. Mary, uma australiana que conhecemos estava indo pra Santorini no mesmo dia mas em balsas diferentes . Combinamos de procurar um quarto triplo logo que chegarmos na ilha onde Mary se juntaria a nos minutos dps.
Encotramos o Hotel Cristinha, onde uma simpatica mulher (talvez a Cristina do nome) nos recebeu e oferecu um quarto triplo. Fomos pro carro dela mas antes de partir ela disse que estava esperando duas minas que tinham reservado um quarto duplo. Colocamos nossas malas no porta-malas e voltamos pro porto para esperar as garotas que por sorte estavam na mesma balsa que a Mary,
Pra nossa sorte encotramos a Mary e as duas garotas que esperavamos eram Ana e Iza, duas NORUEGUESAS!!! Urru!! Santorini is not gonna be boring after all.
Fizemos um tour pela ilha no outro dias com as norueguesas onde visitamos um vulcao, nadamos em alto mar e presenciamos o por do sol de uma vista espetacular.
Pronto, basicamente foi isso que aconteceu nas ultimas duas semanas. No momento estou a caminho de Atenas onde jah deveria estar horas atras, mas a minha balsa foi cancelada e tive q pegar outra.
Para mais detalhes me contacte!!
Fui!
segunda-feira, 31 de agosto de 2009
Country Crossing
Syria had only granted me 3 days to cross the country and 1 day had already been gone. Laura decided to go with me until Aleppo, so our plan for the day would be leaving Damascus in the morning,, going to Homs, where from there we would catch the bus to Hons where the Crac Chevralier castle is then going back to Homs only then heading to Aleppo. Everything worked just fine excepted that we had to catch a taxi from Homs to Hons, but it was totally worth it the castle was absolutely amazing I kept thinking how it would be to play hide and seek there, lots of dark room, secret passages, stairs going up and down.
He managed to reach Aleppo around 6 o’clock cuz right after we got off the taxi he hopped into the bus going to Aleppo.
WE checked in the hostel we rushed to walk in the city since I would be leaving early in the morning. At that point I had spent all my 2000 Syrian pounds , Laura was lending some money until I found and ATM machine. When I finally did the machine said my request could be complete, I tried another one and got the same reply, then I realized the worst had happened, my bank had blocked my card, cuz I’ve withdrawing a lot of money overseas and I didn’t tell them I was going to go away.
On the fourth ATM machine we found there were this guy and a little boy. After talked to him he said he also couldn’t get any money, so maybe it was the ATMs not my card, he started to walk with him in a search for another ATM. It turned he was Syrian but had been leaving in Finland, he was there only to visit his family.
I was so relief when I saw the money coming out that whole in the wall, in the ended the problem was really the other bank not my card.
We had mentioned to Abdu ( the Syrian guy) that we wanted to visit the Citadel, the old part of the city. He said he would go with us but need to pay a little visit to his friend’s shop. Laura and I thought the same thing, “here it goes, now he will want to sell us something from his friend’s shop”. But anyway we decided to try and see.
He just wanted to say hello to his friend and after a couple of minutes we were in a taxi on the way to the citadel. He paid for the taxi, showed us the castle, the bazaar then we stop in a restaurant with a amazing view to the castle for some narguile and tea. He again paid for the bill, I didn’t even try to fight it cuz I know when they want to pay the bill they do. We walked us all the way to the hostel where we said goodbyes. I had to the shower immediately, I was more sticky than honey, sugar and glue mixed together.
We played some cards up on the roof where I met this two half Chinese/ half Swedish guys who were also going to take the bus to Antakya in the next morning so I decided to join them. 4:30am I had to be up, would barely had any more than a couple of hours of sleep.
He managed to reach Aleppo around 6 o’clock cuz right after we got off the taxi he hopped into the bus going to Aleppo.
WE checked in the hostel we rushed to walk in the city since I would be leaving early in the morning. At that point I had spent all my 2000 Syrian pounds , Laura was lending some money until I found and ATM machine. When I finally did the machine said my request could be complete, I tried another one and got the same reply, then I realized the worst had happened, my bank had blocked my card, cuz I’ve withdrawing a lot of money overseas and I didn’t tell them I was going to go away.
On the fourth ATM machine we found there were this guy and a little boy. After talked to him he said he also couldn’t get any money, so maybe it was the ATMs not my card, he started to walk with him in a search for another ATM. It turned he was Syrian but had been leaving in Finland, he was there only to visit his family.
I was so relief when I saw the money coming out that whole in the wall, in the ended the problem was really the other bank not my card.
We had mentioned to Abdu ( the Syrian guy) that we wanted to visit the Citadel, the old part of the city. He said he would go with us but need to pay a little visit to his friend’s shop. Laura and I thought the same thing, “here it goes, now he will want to sell us something from his friend’s shop”. But anyway we decided to try and see.
He just wanted to say hello to his friend and after a couple of minutes we were in a taxi on the way to the citadel. He paid for the taxi, showed us the castle, the bazaar then we stop in a restaurant with a amazing view to the castle for some narguile and tea. He again paid for the bill, I didn’t even try to fight it cuz I know when they want to pay the bill they do. We walked us all the way to the hostel where we said goodbyes. I had to the shower immediately, I was more sticky than honey, sugar and glue mixed together.
We played some cards up on the roof where I met this two half Chinese/ half Swedish guys who were also going to take the bus to Antakya in the next morning so I decided to join them. 4:30am I had to be up, would barely had any more than a couple of hours of sleep.
terça-feira, 21 de julho de 2009
Trying the luck in Syria.
Early in the morning (again) me and Laura were up having our boring included with the price breakfast (again). Got I taxi to the bus station bus the next bus would leave only at 5pm, we couldn’t afford to wait so we negotiated a taxi to take us.
My big dilemma was that technically I can’t get a visa at the border cuz both Brazil and Italy has Syria representative so I should get at the embassy, but I decide to try my luck anyway, the worst that could happen (and that would be very bad) was for me to be sent back to Amman having to buy a 375 US flight ticket from Tel Aviv in Israel to Istanbul.
We passed the border control and headed to the immigration office. Laura and I were in the same situation cuz Australia also has a Syrian embassy. She decide to try first, and apparently the officer didn’t know the fact that Australia had Syrian representative. He told her to go to the cashier, pay 74 U$ and go back there. Unfortunately I didn’t have the same luck, instead he gave me a transit pass which allowed me stay only for 3 days after that I would have to leave no matter what. It turned out just fine cuz I was only going to go to Syria to reach Turkey, and my visa cost me only 10 U$.
We reached the hostel around1pm, so we checked in and went in search food. Middle East cuisine has guaranteed the second spot in my list of favourite foods since I stepped in Egypt. Hummos, Baba ganoush, pita bread ( what in Brazil we call Syrian bread). Funny thing about this bread. The people here eat more pita bread than they breathe air. You can find it in the most odd places, I wouldn’t be surprised if I find a drugstore selling the taco-shaped-like bread.
At night we tried to mingled with the locals having a cup of tea and some narguile. Its was long day and before the clock stroke midnight I was fast asleep in my bed.
My big dilemma was that technically I can’t get a visa at the border cuz both Brazil and Italy has Syria representative so I should get at the embassy, but I decide to try my luck anyway, the worst that could happen (and that would be very bad) was for me to be sent back to Amman having to buy a 375 US flight ticket from Tel Aviv in Israel to Istanbul.
We passed the border control and headed to the immigration office. Laura and I were in the same situation cuz Australia also has a Syrian embassy. She decide to try first, and apparently the officer didn’t know the fact that Australia had Syrian representative. He told her to go to the cashier, pay 74 U$ and go back there. Unfortunately I didn’t have the same luck, instead he gave me a transit pass which allowed me stay only for 3 days after that I would have to leave no matter what. It turned out just fine cuz I was only going to go to Syria to reach Turkey, and my visa cost me only 10 U$.
We reached the hostel around1pm, so we checked in and went in search food. Middle East cuisine has guaranteed the second spot in my list of favourite foods since I stepped in Egypt. Hummos, Baba ganoush, pita bread ( what in Brazil we call Syrian bread). Funny thing about this bread. The people here eat more pita bread than they breathe air. You can find it in the most odd places, I wouldn’t be surprised if I find a drugstore selling the taco-shaped-like bread.
At night we tried to mingled with the locals having a cup of tea and some narguile. Its was long day and before the clock stroke midnight I was fast asleep in my bed.
Bobbing in the Dead Sea
Early in the morning as usual I was up to take the only bus to Amman. Had my boring included inthe price breakfast and got into the bus that leaves everyday from the very hostel I was staying. In the back of the mini bus I sat next to this aussie girl and a big group who seemed to be travelling together. Laura was her name and she was actually by herself by she ended up hooking up with that group which also had been formed of different people travelling together.
When we reached Amman we all decided to go to the same hotel. Laura had plans to go to the dead sea in the same days, and since the only reasons I was in Amman was to go the Dead Sea I decided to join her. In the end we where four, Me, Laura, Fernando ( a Brazilian guy who was part of the group and Hama (an aussie chick who by coincidence was staying in the same hostel and had been on a tour in Egypt with Laura..
After lunch we negotiated I cab to take us to the Dead Sea and back again. 30 JD which in roughly 30 euro, which again was not so bad considering the Dead Sea was more than an hour away from Ammam.
The taxi driver dropped us in a private resort where we could have access to the beach and all its facilities for only “12 JD”, but the place was really nice with a massive swimming pool. Lot of people say that the Dead Sea Water and the mud found deep in the ocean can make wonders with your skin even though the water in made by 70% of pure salt.
Floating in the water like a piece of cork was really couple I had the feeling I was in space, gravity zero. We took some of the cliché pictures of us reading a book while floating and covered our bodies in mud, we were told to be 10 minutes in the sun with the mud so it could do any good. 10 very long minutes I might add. All that salt was making my skin burn like hell but later my skin was softer than a baby’s bottom. I strongly recommend!
In the evening we all had dinner together right before I crumbled in my tent in the rooftop (again).
When we reached Amman we all decided to go to the same hotel. Laura had plans to go to the dead sea in the same days, and since the only reasons I was in Amman was to go the Dead Sea I decided to join her. In the end we where four, Me, Laura, Fernando ( a Brazilian guy who was part of the group and Hama (an aussie chick who by coincidence was staying in the same hostel and had been on a tour in Egypt with Laura..
After lunch we negotiated I cab to take us to the Dead Sea and back again. 30 JD which in roughly 30 euro, which again was not so bad considering the Dead Sea was more than an hour away from Ammam.
The taxi driver dropped us in a private resort where we could have access to the beach and all its facilities for only “12 JD”, but the place was really nice with a massive swimming pool. Lot of people say that the Dead Sea Water and the mud found deep in the ocean can make wonders with your skin even though the water in made by 70% of pure salt.
Floating in the water like a piece of cork was really couple I had the feeling I was in space, gravity zero. We took some of the cliché pictures of us reading a book while floating and covered our bodies in mud, we were told to be 10 minutes in the sun with the mud so it could do any good. 10 very long minutes I might add. All that salt was making my skin burn like hell but later my skin was softer than a baby’s bottom. I strongly recommend!
In the evening we all had dinner together right before I crumbled in my tent in the rooftop (again).
Indiana Jones
Local: on the bus in Antakya in Turkey on the way to Askara.
Time: 10:32
A lot has happened since my last post. For the past year and the half of my life nothing excited happened for months, my life was nothing more than gym, work, home and so on. But now, just yesterday I’ve been in 4 different cities in Syria, why the rush? Later you will understand.
Okay, last time I was about to have a shower to wash off the sands from Wadi Rum. The next day early in the morning in the rooftop of the hostel where me and Marielle spent the day I got my things ready, said good bye to Marielle and headed off to Petra, the rose stone city created by the Nabatean who carved the own homes in the mountains. Petra became considerably famous after the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the last part of the movie was shot in Petra, showing “The Treasuary” a more than 20 metres high palace CARVED into a massive mountain. Its really a mind-blowing piece of art that took more than 25 years to be fully complete. But don’t be fool by the movie cuz the insides of the palace you see in the movie is not what you get in real life, what you find is three massive empty rooms, but even that diminishes the splendour of the Treasury.
Me and two German guys who were also sleeping in the rooftop were the first ones to get to the ticket office in the Petra early in the morning. Venturing through the ancient city just by yourself without the hordes of tourist makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Petra is so big that is impossible to see everything in only one day even though I tried to see the most of it. At one point I found a detour and decided to pick up the trail. The path started to get narrower at the step, until I reached a massive wall made up of big rocks, I could see the top and could stop wondering what the view from there would look like. I dropped my bag to give me more flexibility I started climbing, when I reached the top I found another track. I decided I would keep going cuz eventually I would end up somewhere. Went back to pick up my bag and moved on. After 20 minutes almost crawling I found myself in a cliff, couldn’t go any further. My prize was the relaxing absence of noise. Just the wind and the birds help me to regain my forces after a quick nap.
Back to the tourist trail I headed to the monastery, the I couldn’t reach after facing thousands of endless stones steps up to the highest mountain. When I reached the top I realized the every single step was worth. My jaws had already dropped when I saw “ The Treasury”, But there I was breathless and jawless facing the monastery. Another masterpiece carved into a mountain, that made the treasury look like a doll house. After a couple of minutes in awe I explored some of the amazing views you couldn’t get after climbing thousands of steps.
Back in the hostel I had an amazing all you can eat Bedouin barbecue, smoked some arguile and watched Indiana Jones and the Last crusade which the hostel plays non stop every single day of the week.
Time: 10:32
A lot has happened since my last post. For the past year and the half of my life nothing excited happened for months, my life was nothing more than gym, work, home and so on. But now, just yesterday I’ve been in 4 different cities in Syria, why the rush? Later you will understand.
Okay, last time I was about to have a shower to wash off the sands from Wadi Rum. The next day early in the morning in the rooftop of the hostel where me and Marielle spent the day I got my things ready, said good bye to Marielle and headed off to Petra, the rose stone city created by the Nabatean who carved the own homes in the mountains. Petra became considerably famous after the blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the last part of the movie was shot in Petra, showing “The Treasuary” a more than 20 metres high palace CARVED into a massive mountain. Its really a mind-blowing piece of art that took more than 25 years to be fully complete. But don’t be fool by the movie cuz the insides of the palace you see in the movie is not what you get in real life, what you find is three massive empty rooms, but even that diminishes the splendour of the Treasury.
Me and two German guys who were also sleeping in the rooftop were the first ones to get to the ticket office in the Petra early in the morning. Venturing through the ancient city just by yourself without the hordes of tourist makes the experience much more enjoyable.
Petra is so big that is impossible to see everything in only one day even though I tried to see the most of it. At one point I found a detour and decided to pick up the trail. The path started to get narrower at the step, until I reached a massive wall made up of big rocks, I could see the top and could stop wondering what the view from there would look like. I dropped my bag to give me more flexibility I started climbing, when I reached the top I found another track. I decided I would keep going cuz eventually I would end up somewhere. Went back to pick up my bag and moved on. After 20 minutes almost crawling I found myself in a cliff, couldn’t go any further. My prize was the relaxing absence of noise. Just the wind and the birds help me to regain my forces after a quick nap.
Back to the tourist trail I headed to the monastery, the I couldn’t reach after facing thousands of endless stones steps up to the highest mountain. When I reached the top I realized the every single step was worth. My jaws had already dropped when I saw “ The Treasury”, But there I was breathless and jawless facing the monastery. Another masterpiece carved into a mountain, that made the treasury look like a doll house. After a couple of minutes in awe I explored some of the amazing views you couldn’t get after climbing thousands of steps.
Back in the hostel I had an amazing all you can eat Bedouin barbecue, smoked some arguile and watched Indiana Jones and the Last crusade which the hostel plays non stop every single day of the week.
Head Sanded
Head Sanded
Place: At the Valentine hostel in Petra sitting in the lounge.
Time: 12:15 local time
After the sun cooled down a bit Hali got our camels ready to go. For our luck its wasn’t a really hot day, even so I was prepared, wearing my gallapea and my Arafat ( sort of a man dress who covers pretty much your whole body and a bandana who covers all the rest) we headed to the desert. After around half an hour on the Camel we were totally emerged in the desert scenery, but not that stereotype version of desert with miles of sand and endless dunes that go until your sight can reach. Instead we had lots of mountain carved by millions of years of cutting glass wind filling the background. On the way to the camp we stopped at a sand dune which alone was worth the trip. Every step you take your legs can be buried almost all the way to the knees. Not to mention the colossal effort that takes only to only a couple of meters up the dune,
We also got the see some Nabateans inscription painted in my mounts, all well as the Lawrence’s house used on the movie.
The camp wasn’t nothing fancy, actually just a couple of mattresses and pillows in a tent. Our bags were already there waiting for us cuz they came by jeep that takes only 20 minutes to reach the site unlike the slow-paced camels that make all the muscle of your butt endure almost 3 hours of pain.
I finally got a chance to place with my Frisbee, while we watch the sun go to bed in between the mountains.
The sun left the picture andthe most amazing army of stars crowded the sky leaving barely any room left. Unfortunately was impossible to take any picture so you guys have any idea what I’m talking about, that’s when Marielle said that the best things in life can’t be capture in a picture, which if you think about its kind of true.
I was so starving when he reached the camp, that when I realized that our last meal had been in the hotel in Aqaba, BREAKFAST!! And it was already 21h o’clock. We had some pitta bread and baba ganoush, ( what we call Syrian bread in Brazil, and eggplant puree) and of course, tea.
The moon was nowhere to be seen which made the desert almost pitch black, but that didn’t stop us to go for a walk in the black desert, we laid in the middle of the dune counting shooting stars when we had the amazing idea of sleeping right there with the stars as our roof. We grabbed some blankets for the tent cuz it can get very cold during the night in the night especially cuz we were in a high place.
That was the most memorable experience so far in my trip, as I type I still got sand deep down in my scalp, butt crack, ears. It was so windy during the night that we were almost buried in sand by the morning.
We woke up at 5 to see the sunrise and cuz our bus to Petra was schedule to 8h30. While we were preparing the breakfast me, in my starvation as usual went straight to the pitta bread, something ready to be eaten. But where was it? We looked everywhere but couldn’t find it only to realized that the desert foxes had stolen it after we saw the footprints on the sand. Motherfuckers!! So we had to go back to the village and finish our breakfast there.
A quick ride brought us to Wadi Musa where the bus driver recommended this hostel where we are at the moment. Marielle went after a ATM to get the money to pay me since here card was blocked in Aqaba. But bad news were ahead, the whole city was out of internet and all the ATMs were out of service. Poor little girl, she had only today to see Petra and didn’t even have money to pay for the entrance, neither did I, so couldn’t help even myself. Now I’m going to have to stay one more night here since the bus to Amman leaves only in the morning..
Now I need to have a shower to get rid of have of the desert off my scalp.
Salamaleico!
Place: At the Valentine hostel in Petra sitting in the lounge.
Time: 12:15 local time
After the sun cooled down a bit Hali got our camels ready to go. For our luck its wasn’t a really hot day, even so I was prepared, wearing my gallapea and my Arafat ( sort of a man dress who covers pretty much your whole body and a bandana who covers all the rest) we headed to the desert. After around half an hour on the Camel we were totally emerged in the desert scenery, but not that stereotype version of desert with miles of sand and endless dunes that go until your sight can reach. Instead we had lots of mountain carved by millions of years of cutting glass wind filling the background. On the way to the camp we stopped at a sand dune which alone was worth the trip. Every step you take your legs can be buried almost all the way to the knees. Not to mention the colossal effort that takes only to only a couple of meters up the dune,
We also got the see some Nabateans inscription painted in my mounts, all well as the Lawrence’s house used on the movie.
The camp wasn’t nothing fancy, actually just a couple of mattresses and pillows in a tent. Our bags were already there waiting for us cuz they came by jeep that takes only 20 minutes to reach the site unlike the slow-paced camels that make all the muscle of your butt endure almost 3 hours of pain.
I finally got a chance to place with my Frisbee, while we watch the sun go to bed in between the mountains.
The sun left the picture andthe most amazing army of stars crowded the sky leaving barely any room left. Unfortunately was impossible to take any picture so you guys have any idea what I’m talking about, that’s when Marielle said that the best things in life can’t be capture in a picture, which if you think about its kind of true.
I was so starving when he reached the camp, that when I realized that our last meal had been in the hotel in Aqaba, BREAKFAST!! And it was already 21h o’clock. We had some pitta bread and baba ganoush, ( what we call Syrian bread in Brazil, and eggplant puree) and of course, tea.
The moon was nowhere to be seen which made the desert almost pitch black, but that didn’t stop us to go for a walk in the black desert, we laid in the middle of the dune counting shooting stars when we had the amazing idea of sleeping right there with the stars as our roof. We grabbed some blankets for the tent cuz it can get very cold during the night in the night especially cuz we were in a high place.
That was the most memorable experience so far in my trip, as I type I still got sand deep down in my scalp, butt crack, ears. It was so windy during the night that we were almost buried in sand by the morning.
We woke up at 5 to see the sunrise and cuz our bus to Petra was schedule to 8h30. While we were preparing the breakfast me, in my starvation as usual went straight to the pitta bread, something ready to be eaten. But where was it? We looked everywhere but couldn’t find it only to realized that the desert foxes had stolen it after we saw the footprints on the sand. Motherfuckers!! So we had to go back to the village and finish our breakfast there.
A quick ride brought us to Wadi Musa where the bus driver recommended this hostel where we are at the moment. Marielle went after a ATM to get the money to pay me since here card was blocked in Aqaba. But bad news were ahead, the whole city was out of internet and all the ATMs were out of service. Poor little girl, she had only today to see Petra and didn’t even have money to pay for the entrance, neither did I, so couldn’t help even myself. Now I’m going to have to stay one more night here since the bus to Amman leaves only in the morning..
Now I need to have a shower to get rid of have of the desert off my scalp.
Salamaleico!
the Bedouins
Place: in a bedouin village in the middle of Wadi Rum desert
Time: 12:46 July 15th
What was supposed to be an hour ferry ride to aqaba turned out to be the most excruciating trip ever. The ferry, meant to arrive at Aqaba at 5pm docked at the port around 10 o’clock. Its was too late to try to get a bus to Wadi Rum so Marielle and me decided to spent the night in Aqaba. Us and the Danish couple were the only ones who didn’t give the passport to the official to collect the visa so when we were leaving the boat the police collected ours. We were dropped off the the middle of the port with no signs were to go at this point all the other tourist had disappeared, its was only Marielle and me wandering through the docks. Every now and then we passed by some Jordanians sitting around having tea and smoking who pointed the right direction to us. After a unpleasant 10 minutes stroll we found out that we had missed the shuttle to the Arrival building. We sat there for a while until I went to the immigration office to ask about our passports, there was no signs of our passports and we started to get worried cuz the Canadians and Americans already had their passports there. The officers were really nice and said they were going to check and told us to wait for a while.
After a couple of minutes the Danish couple walks in also looking for theirs, but right after comes one of the police officers who were in the boat with all ours passports telling us to follow him. When we were in his office the other guy who I had asked about the passports came to check if we were okay. They were the nicest police I had ever met in my life, actually all Jordanians so far were really sweet. After we got ours visas sorted we got a cab and headed to the Hotel, and finally I had a long hot watered showered.
In the morning after breakfast we head to the bus station but the bus to Wadi Rum it was going to leave only and 1pm so instead of wait 3 hours the took I cab for 15 JD.
At this moment I sitting in a Bedouin village wait for the sun calm down a bit so we can go for a Camel ride through the desert. The funny thing is that our is in a book of a famous Dutch writer who travelled around Syria and Jordan and wrote a book about, he was only 12 back then and the even more impressive is that his grandfather played a small rolled in the movie Lawrence of Arabia!! How cool is that!!
Now if you excuse Im going to show some card trick to the Bedouin kid who sitting right next to me attempting to make a rock disappear in his hand.
Time: 12:46 July 15th
What was supposed to be an hour ferry ride to aqaba turned out to be the most excruciating trip ever. The ferry, meant to arrive at Aqaba at 5pm docked at the port around 10 o’clock. Its was too late to try to get a bus to Wadi Rum so Marielle and me decided to spent the night in Aqaba. Us and the Danish couple were the only ones who didn’t give the passport to the official to collect the visa so when we were leaving the boat the police collected ours. We were dropped off the the middle of the port with no signs were to go at this point all the other tourist had disappeared, its was only Marielle and me wandering through the docks. Every now and then we passed by some Jordanians sitting around having tea and smoking who pointed the right direction to us. After a unpleasant 10 minutes stroll we found out that we had missed the shuttle to the Arrival building. We sat there for a while until I went to the immigration office to ask about our passports, there was no signs of our passports and we started to get worried cuz the Canadians and Americans already had their passports there. The officers were really nice and said they were going to check and told us to wait for a while.
After a couple of minutes the Danish couple walks in also looking for theirs, but right after comes one of the police officers who were in the boat with all ours passports telling us to follow him. When we were in his office the other guy who I had asked about the passports came to check if we were okay. They were the nicest police I had ever met in my life, actually all Jordanians so far were really sweet. After we got ours visas sorted we got a cab and headed to the Hotel, and finally I had a long hot watered showered.
In the morning after breakfast we head to the bus station but the bus to Wadi Rum it was going to leave only and 1pm so instead of wait 3 hours the took I cab for 15 JD.
At this moment I sitting in a Bedouin village wait for the sun calm down a bit so we can go for a Camel ride through the desert. The funny thing is that our is in a book of a famous Dutch writer who travelled around Syria and Jordan and wrote a book about, he was only 12 back then and the even more impressive is that his grandfather played a small rolled in the movie Lawrence of Arabia!! How cool is that!!
Now if you excuse Im going to show some card trick to the Bedouin kid who sitting right next to me attempting to make a rock disappear in his hand.
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