Be a true...tourist for a change! Egypt recap 2010

Do you promise yourself each year - this time I will spend my holidays somewhere amazing and different? Thailand? Borneo? Tanzania? Anywhere, as far as it is original and cool. All the media we watch, all the blogs we read and our more less good friends from work define what "cool" should mean to you.

"Go to X, it's the end of the world, but the views are great, hotels are cheap and there are millions of tourist attractions out there" - they say.

But do you really want to end up like gazillions of tourists in the world - lying by the hotel's swimming pool, sunbathing and drinking beer most of the day just to go back to your home and tell your friends "I've been to this cool and fancy X-city/country"....?

If, like I, you are a true traveler and you'd rather stay home than be just one of those tourist, try to.....well, BE ONE for a change, even if it's just once in a lifetime!

I believe, that a true traveler is eager to discover the world as it is. And, like it or not, it is a tourist-dominated place.

Together with Mario, we have decided to try and be those tourists, lying by a swimming pool all day long :) We went to Egypt with a tour agency to find out how it is to be a tourist not a traveler.

***

Don't get me wrong - I love Egypt - it blew my mind since I was little. At that time I was dreaming about Pharaon, his pyramids, crossing the Sahara Desert on a camel's back.

But nowadays, Egypt became this all-tourist, 5-star hotel, one big resort for people from all over the world who have enough money to come and visit it and buy some "golden" souvenirs on a market, but not enough zest to leave their beautiful hotels and explore the unknown life of true Egypt.

It may sound bitter, but that's just how the life works, where business and money rule.

Anyway, with Mario, we discovered the Egypt a little bit differently. OK, we did stay in 5-star hotel with All-inclusive, but also there were some surprises on the way....

1. Polish President's plane crush - that news has reached us just as we landed in Hurghada and it shadowed are trip since then
2. Volcano's explosion in Iceland - that made us stay in Hurghada a whole week longer than we planned
3. Making friends with Hotel Receptionist - Wayer - took care of us and showed a non-tourist side of Hurghada

Looking at this now, I think it really was an amazing trip and I need to admit it, there even where some moments I felt like the Pharaon is close, watching us when we enter his ancient, mysterious world...

Temple of Hatshepsut in the back and us as tourists :)




Ancient painting - so fresh yet so old...

Monumental columns in Luxor Temple

Obelisk

The entrance to the temple

A Nile River cruise - here by the river, the time has stopped...

Colossi of Memnon

...and back to sunbathing :)

Hurghada is like a never-ending market place


Mario - making some friends

With Wayer, who helped us survive the time
of waiting to go back home

More pictures available in the album on the right hand side. Enjoy!

A Spanish fairly tale in the heart of Costa del Sol (part 1)

In the south of Spanish Andalucia, in the heart of Costa del Sol, there is a beautiful city of Málaga. The sun is shining there nearly 320 days in the year, where you can do whatever you dream of - swimming, sunbathing, climbing, ballooning, etc... sounds like a fairy tale?

Welcome to Eden...

Well, it should be, because it truly is a wonderful, magical place, full of Spanish taste, Spanish flavours and finally unique Spanish culture. And it is not only paella (a traditional Spanish dish with rice, seafood or chicken) that makes Málaga so tasty. Rather, it is the atmosphere of Spanish history and tradition surrounding you from every corner.

Calle Molina Lario

There are places like Alcazaba, Tearto Romano, Castillo de Gibralfaro, or Plaza de la Constitución, where you can actually feel the spirit of old , romantic times of love and wars,of Arabic rule in this burned of Sun region of Spain.

La Cathedral - La Manquita

Palacio Episcopal

Mario and I could not miss an opportunity like that to once again feel the beating heart of Spain, the country of Picasso, Sangria and fantastic weather!

Teatro Romano

We spent in Andlucia 7 wonderful days visiting those historic places, admiring Málaga and its surroundings, but most importantly - relaxing after hard-working year in the UK.

M&M in the Alcazaba (an Arabic castle with towers)

Absolutely amazing feeling!
Strongly recommended!

Hello from Alcazaba

Malaga city centre with a view on the city's gardens

Mario in the Plaza de la Merced

millions of shells tempting to collect them

ah, wonderful!

Ayuntamiento de Malaga - City Hall

hiding from burning Sun in Mario's flower hat

Spanish people are absolutely crazy about the food - cooking it, preparing but mostly - eating it. Just watch 'Cook's tour of Spain' (Channel 4) to get the idea of how stubborn and knowledgeable Spaniards can be when it goes to cooking.
Jamon is one of the dishes you just need to try when traveling to Andalucia! and forget about the price!

Jamon - a traditional delicates made of ham -
you can only find it in Spain and Portugal

Next on our tour was Jardin Botanico - a unique garden full of exotic trees and flowers from all over the world. It's worth seeing it, even though you need to travel about 20 minutes from the city centre (after taking bus nr 2 towards Sant Jose).
But don't worry - there are always nice Malagian people ready to help and discuss (argue!) the right way of travel.

Mario in the Jardin Botanico - a fantastic garden of Malaga

Una fresa - a strawberry... absolutely gorgeous!

Wild thing!

Speaking about the food before, Sardinas are one of those dishes you need to try! Ask for 'a la plancha' version and you will get one of those below:....

Perfection of taste!

Sardinas - small fishes but big feast

But don't have any doubts - Spain is all about the beaches (playas) to! Even though this year the weather is crazy (as a nice lady told us in our hostel, Las Acacias), we were blessed with a wonderful Sun and wish you that too!

M&M happy and positive as always

found it myself..you can as well!

La Mer...

waiting for waves

larger than life and as sweet as love...strawberries in Spain

Malaga is now aspiring to the role of the European city of 2016 Year.

click for more info

Therefore, some cultural events are taking place in the city, like the I Week of Cultures (below):

I Semana de las Culturas - Peruvian singer

a Bolivian dancing group

Now, tell me, how possibly can you not love Spain?!....

Feet's stomp in London

Being a traveler differs from being a tourist, as this first person counts on his or her ability to become a part of the destination place. In simple words that involves the willingness and necessity to explore new places, people, cultures...everything that is part of this particular place.

In a metropolitan and multicultural city like London, apparently what counts the most are: good, strong, well-trained leg muscles, as well as possession of Oyster card (opens the doors to the cheap transport in London).

Together with Tung and Mario, I was discovering London: its beauty in the Sun, which we 'brought' just for this special weekend; its fast-going life and millions of people passing by every minute.

Just the two of us, Mario and me, we discovered the 'crown' of London's monuments.
Thanks to Tung, our great friend and irreplaceable guide, this trip also enabled us to explore multicultural side of the city.

London has opened, therefore, its culinary mysteries in front of us offering us the Chinese restaurant in the middle of Chinatown serving marvelous duck and jasmine tea; brilliant Mohitos in Brazilian restaurant 'Guanabara' or typical British breakfast with fried bacon, scrambled eggs, toasts and tomatoes.


Another dream of mine came true, as we managed to see the musical here - 'Stomp', which fantastically represents this journey, but also refers to the every-day-use things, such as box of matches or the sink, that under a great use of artists, can become unbelievably amazing part of an instrument.

That was great time I had with Mario and Tung!
London is truly fantastic and has a lot to offer....try yourself and just for a second leave the beaten track and become a traveler!

Buckingham Palace - the residence of the Queen

me and the London Eye in the background

Mario amazed by the Ducks' Parade
St. James Park

The Westminster Abbey Cathedral

Big Ben in the 'shadow' of the Queen's crown

The House of Parliament

Trafalgar Square

later that night...
M&M in the Chinatown

2nd Day - exploring London's art

in Tung's job (and they don't pay him for sitting there)
:)

St. Paul's Cathedral

pure love :*

Borough Market
just about to taste the Ostrich sandwich

Tower Bridge and our own M&M bridge

wondering where to go now
Tower of London behind us

Mario the Royal Guard

bebemos y bailamos a Guanabara :)

small rehearsal before the Stomp musical

leaving London with great memories and stories to tell

* I want to thank here Tung for some great photos (some of them on this blog)