Travelling Simply

Travel recommendations, ideas and observations from two simple travellers

Author: Smita (Page 15 of 21)

A day to remember at Gallipoli, Turkey

24/04/2019 / / 1 Comment

It was a sunny August morning when our group of 16 boarded the bus in Canakkale. There was one last visit to make on our “Turkish Delights” tour. On our final day of the tour, we had a day to remember at Gallipoli, Turkey, paying our respects to those who had fallen here during WWI.

We were returning to Istanbul afterwards and eager to explore more of the captivating city before we flew home. We agree that we were enjoying our visit to Turkey more than we had anticipated.

The bus boarded the ferry to cross the Dardanelles, a narrow strait separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey, the boundary between Europe and Asia. We were on our way to the Gallipoli Peninsula, the scene of the World War I campaign to create a new war front to control the Strait to invade Turkey and attack Germany’s other main ally, Hungary.

The atmosphere on the ferry was jovial; elderly Turkish men sat in groups alongside groups of young school children. We were all headed for the same destination. Both groups kept us entertained with their renditions of patriotic songs and laughter as the ferry swept along in tranquil waters.

Turkish pilgrims on the way to Gallipoli
Turkish pilgrims on the way to Gallipoli
Schoolchildren on the ferry to Gallipoli

The Gallipoli campaign failed with large numbers of allied troops killed or wounded when Turkish troops fought back fiercely to maintain control of their land. About 27,000 French and 115,000 British allied soldiers were killed or wounded.

Our small group consisted mainly of Australians, and our guide, Murat, directed the driver to take us to ANZAC Cove, the scene of a bloody battle between the ANZAC’s (Australian and New Zealand contingent) and the Turkish defenders.

The ANZAC campaign commenced with the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at dawn on 25 April 1915 at ANZAC Cove, ending eight months with troops withdrawn and evacuated after suffering heavy losses. Under fire from the Turkish soldiers almost as soon as they landed, the troops were faced with cliffs covered in gorse-like prickly scrub and bush, which they had to traverse to capture further territory.

The site was calm and peaceful for our arrival. The water lapped gently on the shores of the Cove as we wandered among the gravesites, reflecting on what had been, while Murat provided a commentary on the events of that fateful day. Gazing up at the mountainside, we could only look and wonder at the formidable task the soldiers had been confronted with.

Ataturk tribute to the fallen at Gallipoli
Ataturk’s heartfelt tribute to the fallen at Gallipoli

We paused for some time to read the famous words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a commander at Gallipoli during the 1915 campaign and the founder of modern-day Turkey, who in 1934 wrote a heartfelt tribute to the ANZACs killed at Gallipoli:

“Those heroes who shed their blood and lost their lives! You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehmets to us, where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are at peace. After having lost their lives on this land, they have become our sons as well.”

The bus took the easier route up to the summit to the Lone Pine Cemetery, the scene of the heavy battle between Australian and Turkish troops, which the Australians eventually captured.

Lone Pine cemetery at Gallipoli
Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli

Here we were at the memorial to over 4,000 Australians missing in the ANZAC area of Gallipoli, who have no known graves and the cemetery where 652 Australians are buried. Wandering along the lines of graves, reading the gravestones was a sobering experience.

Gravestone at Lone Pine Cemetery
Gravestone at Lone Pine Cemetery

Back on the bus, we passed the New Zealand memorial at Chunuk Bair and further on to the Turkish memorial and cemetery. The Turks paid a heavy price for their victory at Gallipoli, with an estimated 250,000 soldiers either wounded or killed during the campaign.

Turkish cemetery and memorial at Gallipoli
Turkish cemetery and memorial at Gallipoli

The Gallipoli campaign was one of the worst decisions made by the Allied forces and one that led to the unnecessary demise of thousands of young men. Deaths that could have been avoided.

Lest we forget. It was a day to remember at Gallipoli, Turkey

12 things to know before visiting Egypt

08/04/2019 / / 2 Comments

Fresh off the plane from a visit to Egypt, we conferred with our fellow travellers to put together 12 tips to ensure you enjoy your visit to Egypt.

  1. Egypt has a culture of tipping and everyone expects a tip. Be sure to carry small notes and change at all times.
  2. You will need to purchase an additional ticket at most of the popular tourist attractions if you want to take photos.
  3. An offer by security personnel or attendant at a tourist venue to take photos for you will often result in a request for payment after the photo has been taken.
  4. Dress appropriately, especially if you are a woman. Wearing short skirts and dresses or shorts may encourage harassment.
  5. Expect to be harassed to purchase goods and services. Vendors will not take “no” for an answer and will follow you down the street in the hope of getting a sale. If you do take up the offer or are purchasing in shops and at the markets, remember that bargaining is acceptable.
  6. Be wary of strangers offering assistance who may take you to their friend’s shop instead of your destination.
  7. Asking an Egyptian for directions will not take you to the right place. English is not Egypt’s first language and Egyptian comprehension is limited and often causes misunderstanding.
  8. Avoid carrying bags or backpacks when visiting tourist attractions. It is comforting to know that there are security points through which you need to pass before entering a sight. However, all bags will be required to go through screening leading to long queues at entrances. You will gain entrance quicker if you go “hands-free”.
  9. Do not be surprised to find men working in the service and hospitality, Women do not normally work in these contact industries, especially in Upper Egypt.
  10. It is considered inappropriate for men to have physical contact with women who are unknown to them.
  11. Alcohol is expensive to purchase in hotels and on riverboats and there are few liquor stores where you can purchase your own supply.
  12. Be prepared to pay for using public conveniences. You will be required to pay to gain entry and be provided with two sheets of toilet paper.

Chaos in Cairo

08/04/2019 / / 1 Comment

This is our first visit to Cairo, the Egyptian capital. Our initial impressions were formed through the window of our small shuttle bus from the airport to our downtown hotel. No sign of the Great Pyramids!

The ride was interesting. All types of vehicles manoeuvred randomly with complete disregard for the lane markings. Every passenger on the bus gasped at every near miss and even more so when it looked like we were going to be side-swiped. Our driver drove on unperturbed by the slamming of brakes and vehicles pulling in front of him. No need to use the indicators when a honk of the horn will do. Produce delivery trucks weaved among old Ladas and Fiats (all with dented panels) within centimetres of each other while avoiding the pedestrians casually walking on the motorway.

Spires of the city’s mosques spotted the horizon here and there between multi-storey apartment buildings, some of which were inhabited but looked incomplete. Furnished apartments sat next to open shells and herds of goats wandered about on the top floors of vacant buildings. Families appeared to be living in shacks on rooftops.  With no priority given to adorn the exterior of these buildings, the stark structures stood out everywhere often surrounded by rubble. Cairo resembles a warzone.

  • Apartments in Cairo
    Apartment buildings lined the motorway into central Cairo

Our guide, Amir tells us when we quiz him later that Egyptians do not consider it important to embellish the exterior of their homes. What looked like incomplete shells of homes are apartments that have been purchased by Egyptians as an investment for later use. They will be enclosed and decorated when they are ready to live in them.

Our small group is staying at the Ramses Hilton in downtown Cairo. A labyrinth of roads and flyovers obstruct what were once wonderful views of the River Nile at the entrance and hampers access to the river promenade.

Our guide suggests that we will find it difficult to negotiate the traffic and crowded streets of Cairo and instead may prefer to enjoy the hotel facilities before we commence the official tour the next morning.

However, being used to independent travel and wanting to see more of the city and how people live in this city of nearly 20million people, we hit the streets as soon as we are refreshed.

  • The busy roads of Cairo
    The busy roads along the River Nile and just outside our hotel entrance

It is early evening and peak hour.  Our aim is to cross the maze of roads to walk along the promenade. The easiest way is to tag along with the locals the first few times and by the end of the evening, we are experts.

A leisurely stroll with a tube of hot roasted peanuts picked up from a street vendor on the way brings us to 6 October Bridge to have a look at the vista up and down the river. The bridge is crowded with other tourists just like us admiring the scenery. On the way we have been accosted by Egyptian men trying to sell us boat rides on the river, asking us where we are going and offering to take us. We have read that it is pertinent not to take up these offers in case we end up purchasing an authentic handmade carpet which we have no intention of buying. This theme, we find follows us around most of Egypt. We fend off these helpful Egyptians as tactfully as possible.

  • Tahrir Square, Cairo
    We successfully dodged the traffic to cross Tahrir Square

The walk continues to Tahrir Square, another episode of dashing across roads but provides the perfect opportunity to observe the people of Cairo. Groups of young people (mostly young males) linger around the square watching cars chaotically manoeuvre themselves around the roundabout. The shopping street, Talaat Harb is laden with families out in the cold evening and eating out at simple eating houses. Eager to try Egyptian cuisine, we’re on the lookout for a suitable venue. Nothing stands out, there doesn’t seem to be any traditional restaurants visible.

We had checked online for recommendations before leaving the hotel. Café Riche is recommended by both TripAdvisor and our trusty DK Eyewitness travel guide. Dating back to the early 1900’s, the café was a meeting place for literary groups and intellectuals, as well as revolutionaries. The dark wood panelling, bookshelves and tables scattered with books and newspapers and the dimmed lighting complete with a smattering of guests emits a beautiful ambience. The menu, however, is not what we are looking for.

A little further along we reach a Talaat Harb Square. Nothing extraordinary here until we cast our eyes upwards. We are greeted with architectural magnificence, remnants of British rule in Egypt. Ornate balconies and shuttered windows look aged and neglected however, add character and elegance to the square.

  • Talaat Harb
    Evening time along historic Talaat Harb

We join the Egyptians to eat in a simple and clean chain restaurant, GAD filled with young couples, families and male work colleagues sharing a vast array of dishes – shawarma with dips, salads, Egyptian style pizzas and more. We are the only foreigners. It seems that others have taken the advice not to venture out solo.

Tired but satisfied to have made the choice to leave the hotel, we decide it is time to wander back. This time, it is along the narrow streets and back lanes where the heart of the city beats. We find auto-mechanics working away fixing up old Ladas and Fiats under dim lamps and streetlights. Cars are not thrown on the scrap heap so readily here. They are recycled.

  • Backstreets of Cairo
    The backstreets of Cairo

We do not feel threatened or worried about our safety on the way. Armed with the art of crossing the still busy roads of Cairo, we arrive back into the comfort of our hotel. A comfort that not all Egyptians have.

 It has been an enlightening first day in Egypt.

Planning a visit to Egypt. Here are our tips to ensure you enjoy your time there.

Weddings around the World

23/03/2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s the simple moments that make travel so enjoyable.

One of our joys is observing people from different countries, how they live their lives and what makes their lives different from ours. When the opportunity arises, we engage to ask questions and reciprocate when they enquire about our lives at home. There is nothing more pleasurable than staying in neighbourhoods, enjoying a cup of coffee with the locals and dining at the local restaurants for the authentic experience.

We also love walking through the local markets to observe neighbours catching up with each other as they do their daily shopping. And, we take notice of families in their neighbourhoods, individuals sitting on their doorsteps watching passers-by like us or gossiping with neighbours who stop to stay “hello”.

One of the highlights of our travels is coming across a wedding celebration on our strolls around town. We often come across happy gatherings while wandering through backstreets, or as occurred in Rome, find guests who unwittingly assist us in finding what we had set out to see.

  • A wedding in Rome
    Guests gather for a wedding in Rome

There was the pleasure and honour in being invited to be part of a simple and happy wedding celebration in a back alley in Istanbul as we walked back to our hotel after doing a little last minute shopping. We’ve stood with other tourists outside the Basilica we were about to enter in the Tuscan town of Arezzo to watch a bride arrive at her wedding on the back of a Vespa and experienced the simple happiness of families as they gather to toast happy couples as they emerge one after the other from the Registry Office at the town hall in Nuremberg. The highest privilege of all is when the happy couple takes time away from their festivities to pose of our camera. There have been many such occasions.

  • Italian bride arrives on a Vespa
    Our daring Italian bride made an entrance arriving on the back of a Vespa
  • Outside the Nuremberg Registry Office
    A happy couple releasing doves outside the Nuremberg Registry Office in the city’s main square, Hauptmarkt

We are looking forward to sharing some of our favourite shots taken over the years in the coming weeks on our social media pages. Join us for “Wedding Wednesdays” by following on our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram, or click on the links on the right-hand side of this post).

We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy reminiscing as we share.

  • Stylish Parisian newlyweds posing in the Jardin des Tuileries
    Stylish Parisian newlyweds posing in front of the Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel by the Jardin des Tuileries

Running the gauntlet in Edfu

08/03/2019 / / 0 Comments

Our riverboat docked in the dead of night, only a short loud burst of Egyptian voices announcing our arrival.

Drawing back the curtains for his first glimpse of Edfu when we awaken, He is greeted with a view inside the cabin of another ship’s cabin!

It is not until we go up to the top deck that we see that our riverboat is sandwiched between two others and many others are docked up and downstream in a similar fashion.

Edfu is chaotic in the mornings. For a short two hours, business is booming as tourists like us from up to 100 riverboats flood the town.

Horse and carriage drivers and motorised rickshaw operators crowd the roads hustling for business, older men ply the docks selling water or cigarettes, and young unkempt boys work the crowds selling string bracelets and knick-knacks. They should be in school.

Business on Edfu riverfront
Horse and carriage drivers ready to take visitors to Edfu temple

The carriage drivers are doing a roaring trade as tourists fresh off the boat indulge in the novelty. Four of our fellow travellers board the last available carriage. Some trepidation while we remaining four take the less popular mode of transport, the auto rickshaw.

Our rickshaw driver darts in and out, maneuvring between other rickshaws, horse carriages and cars on the road while we take in the scenes of daily life playing around us.

The Temple of Edfu is not far and we arrive into the mayhem of passengers from up to 100 riverboats scrambling to enter the temple complex combined with running a gauntlet of market stalls and their owners (all selling similar products) conveniently placed at the entrance.

We’ve all learnt over the past few days that if you don’t wish to purchase anything the best way to not be harassed is to keep your head down on the way through. Do not make eye contact! If you slow down to admire an item or show any interest at all it is an indication that you are ready to buy. There is the alternative, as He often does and that is, point to another in your travel group and say they are interested.

We successfully run the gauntlet and after some pushing and shoving at the ticket gate (most tourists are from the civilised world), we enter. The remains of the Temple indicate that it was a masterpiece of Egyptian architecture and archaeological expertise.

The temple, sacred to God Horus, the falcon god dating back to 237BC was buried under sand and silt for 2000 years. It is the largest and best preserved Ptolemaic temple in Egypt.

Two granite statues of the falcon god flank the entrance to a courtyard of colonnades leading further into a chapel and surrounding rooms dedicated to gods. The striking feature is that all the walls of the complex are heavily etched and inscribed with myths. Little of the colour that would have ornamented the drawings remain and we can only imagine the magnificence of what was.

Edfu temple courtyard

A couple of hours later and we are ready to run the gauntlet again. Vendors accost us again as we leave trying to sell their trinkets, scarves and replicas. Our guide tells us to keep walking. Exiting the complex we are back in the street melee to try and find our transport back to the boat.

Safely back on board, we reflect on our visit. He and his fellow travel mate have come up with a business plan. With alcohol onboard our riverboat four times the price offshore, they maintain that Edfu’s economy will benefit greatly by selling alcohol at the docks and in front of the main attractions.

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