Jordan

Another day on the Mediterranean Sea with more lectures. On Nov 2 is a sightseeing trip of “Alexandria” in EGYPT with visit of the new and modern library built near the place where the old one once stood. In the afternoon, Minerva II. sails east to Port Said. Very early in the morning on Nov 3 I leave on a full day bus tour to see “Coptic and Moslem Cairo.” All buses from the ship going to Cairo are in one colon with military escort. In Cairo we visit the Citadel with its Mohamed Ali Mosque. Then several other mosques followed by Coptic Christian churches and one synagogue. When returning back to our ship at Port Said, our bus goes alone and without military escort. When passing near the Suez Canal at night we see fully lit ships sailing through it.
Next day morning Minerva II. is going through “Suez Canal” from Mediterranean to Red Sea. On Nov 5 our ship is moored in Egyptian Red Sea port Safaga. Today I take a bus trip to “Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.” The following day most of the passengers change and I have to switch to another cabin. It’s almost the same but it does not have balcony. On Nov 7 I take a second trip from Safaga to “Luxor, Habu Temple and the cemetery of Nobles.” During both trips the buses drove in a colon with military escort. At night Minerva II. sailes from Safaga to the Egyptian resort Sharm El Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula. I go for a trip to “St. Catherine’s Monastery.”
On Nov 9 our ship is in Aqaba, JORDAN and most passengers including me are heading on buses to the famous “Petra,” an ancient capital of Nabateans. Next three days are on the Red Sea.
On Nov 13 Minerva II. is at the pier in Djibouti City in DJIBOUTI. I take a tour of the city with stops at “camel and then regular market.” During next 4 days our ship leaves the Red Sea and rounds the Horn of Africa. Sailing is filled with interesting lectures.
On Nov 18 the ship puts anchor near the island of Lamu in KENYA. There is a sightseeing tour of the town once built by Arab merchants. Next 3 days Minerva II. is mooring in the largest Kenyan harbor Mombasa. Again a part of passengers leave the ship and new come on board. I change my cabin. While here I take several trips: “Mombasa City Tour,” “Haller Park Nature Trail,” full day “Simba Hills National Reserve” and full day “Tsavo Jeep Safari.”
On Nov 22 our ship anchors near the harbor of the island of ZANZIBAR which is part of TANZANIA. In the morning tour of “Zanzibar Town’ (called Stone Town) and afternoon “Jozani Forest” with Red Colobus monkeys. Then there is a day on the Indian Ocean.
On Nov 24 Minerva II. anchors of the island of MAYOTTE which is department of France. Mayotte is one of 4 Comoros Islands, but the other 3 form an independent state. I take a bus tour of the island.
Between Nov 25 and Nov 30 the ship makes stops on MADAGASCAR in places: Mahajanga, Nosy Be, Antsiranana and Toamasina. On the island we see the famous lemurs, chameleons and several species of baobab trees among others. I visit the “Ampijoroa Nature Reserve.” In Antsiranana we see British and French cemeteries. It is the only place where British and Vichy French fought each other during WWII.
After another day on the Indian Ocean Minerva II. lands in Pointe des Galets on the island of REUNION which is a department of France. I take a full day island drive.
Between Dec 3 and Dec 5 we are visiting MAURITIUS. Minerva II. has mooring in Port Louis which is the capital of this independent island. Again some passengers leave the ship and some come on board here. I am getting another cabin. Mauritius is a beautiful tropical island where I take number of trips. The first is “Black River Gorges Hike,” the other is “Sugar World Museum & Botanical Gardens,” then full day tour to “Ile aux Aigrettes” and the last “Casela Nature Park.” Then we spend a day on the ocean again.
On Dec 7 we are back in Toamasina, MADAGASCAR. Then along the eastern shore south and on Dec 9 the ship puts anchor at Taolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) where full day bus tour to “Berenty Reserve” with more species of lemurs.
After 2 days sailing on the Indian Ocean Minerva II. lands at the pier in Richards Bay in SOUTH AFRICA. On Dec 12 morning I take a trip to “St. Lucia Wetlands” and in the afternoon to “Hluhluwe Game Reserve.” The following day the ship is in Durban. In the morning a sightseeing tour of the city and in the afternoon is a trip to Pietermaritzburg. Then a day on the ocean before Minerva II. moors in Port Elizabeth. In the morning bus trip to “Addo Elephant Park” with 260 elephants and sightseeing of the city after lunch. During night the ship sails to Mossel Bay. From here is a bus and train trip called “Choo Tjoe Train” to Knysna Lagoon. At last on Dec 17 Minerva II. reaches Cape Town. In the morning I visit the “Robben Island,” where Mandela was held and in the afternoon I take the “City Tour & Table Mountain,” where I have been already twice before.
On Dec 18 before noon I leave on charter with Monarch Airlines and after 12 hour flight the plane lands in London Gatwick in UNITED KINGDOM late at night. A bus takes me to Heathrow Airport and after midnight, Dec 19, I am in Hotel Ibis. In the afternoon I fly to Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC. I spend Christmas in my sister’s house. We do also a day visit of Chrudim. On Dec 27 I leave Prague and with another night in Ibis hotel near London Heathrow I continue on flights via New York to Los Angeles where before midnight on Dec 28. I rent a car and drive home to Vista where at 3:30 AM on Dec 29 after 70 days traveling.

Travel office: Swan Hellenic
Who took part: 4 sets of passengers on Minerva II.

On Mar 23 we enter SYRIA at Bosra, one time a capital of Roman Province Arabia having many relics of its long history. That way we started a 13 day trip through this second country of our journey. We continue to capital of Syria Damascus spending two days sightseeing the 4 million people city with its souqs (markets), Uwayyad mosque, tomb of Saladine etc. On Mar 26 we drive north visiting Maalula, one of the villages still speaking Aramaic, the language of Christ. Then continuing to the ruins of Roman city of Apamea, from there to Hama with its gigantic waterwheels and to Homs for overnight.

From Homs eastward into the center of the Syrian Desert to a treasure among the Middle Eastern ancient cities to Palmyra with roots going to the 2 millennium BC. Day and half is devoted to its exploration. From Palmyra we drive farther east to Deir ez-Zur on Euphrates River and south of it, close to Iraqi border, we visit excavations of Mari dating back 5000 years and Seleucids Dura Europos from 280 BC. After that we drive through Raqqa to Lake Assad and the second largest city of Syria Aleppo. Full two days we are sightseeing this exceptional city with its citadel, mosques and probably the most interesting old souq (market) I have ever seen. By now it is clear to us that there is no city or town in Syria without a statue of Hafez Assad, father of the present president Bashir Assad.

On Apr 2 we are leaving Aleppo in southwestern direction over the mountains to visit Saladin Castle (built by Crusaders), the port of Lattakia and excavation of Ugarit (the first alphabet came from there). Driving south along the Mediterranean Sea we enter Tartus and spend night in Safita. After visiting probably the most famous Crusaders Castle “Krak de Chevaliers,” we return to Damascus.

Though it was not on the original itinerary we decided to make a day trip from Damascus to Baalbek in Lebanon. On Apr 4 we entered LEBANON west of Damascus. Our minibus drove against the flow of some 15 thousands of Syrian soldiers which were just leaving Lebanon after number of years stay. But as we continued through Bekaa Valley north to Baalbek the flow of Syrian soldiers change to a trickle. Nothing distracted us while sightseeing the gigantic temple ruins built by Romans. It was more than one earthquake which destroyed this place. Before the day was over we were back in Damascus.

The following evening I flew from Damascus via Cairo and Frankfurt to Los Angeles and in a rented car drove home to Vista where Apr 6 in the afternoon.

Travel office: Adventures Abroad – a Canadian travel company

Who took part: In Jordan there were 13 travelers and a leader / guide.
In Syria and Lebanon there were 7 travelers and the same leader / guide (Syrian).