2009 Coventry, Turkey and Greece

Dubai - on the way

Two days in Dubai has been a whirlwind of desert and amazing hotel bling. 

 

Rachael was a great hostess, settling me into her apartment, and setting me up with a phone and directions for getting around. Her apartment is very commodious, but she is not too keen on the road that leads to it which is lined with the "labour camp" apartments for some of the thousands of immigrant workers who man the construction sites. There are also several finished but unoccupied buildings in her complex, which is repeated all over Dubai - it is to be hoped that the rather bizarre vision of this huge city in the middle of nowhere has not hit a rather tricky speed-bump.

 

Some more details on that desert trip: I was collected from the Mall of the Emirates after peering through the glass at the surreal ski slope which flies down from above the mall. Emirati ladies in full black cloaks clopped around in snow boots supervising their children on toboggans, while snow-suit-clad skiers who moments before had been in the 100 degree heat cruised down the slopes - the height of Disney-in-the-desert indeed. Waiting in the 5-star hotel lobby at the mall was also fascinating as the Emirati shoppers returned - Dad in Crocs, shorts and T-shirt, little girl in frilly dress, and Mum covered from head to toe in concealing black.

 

My desert chariot was a large Chevy Tahoe 8-seater 4WD, which was one of 40 in our cavalcade - a quiet day, apparently as up to 100 is quite common. I started being the bossy school teacher, requesting that our driver might keep his hands on the wheel, instead of gesticulating madly in "Look Mum - no hands" fashion as he roared along the freeway on the way out to the desert, but that only made him drive more crazily, so I gave up. We gathered on the edge of the desert, while the drivers let out over half the tyre pressure in preparation for the sand driving. To entertain us, there were some camels on Prozac who sat quietly and tamely for us to pat. Overheard watching this (imagine a broad Strine accent for this...) "In Orstrahlia if yer said "Come out in the desert and look at some camels, they'd laught at ya - so whadda we do? We come to Dubai and go out in the desert and look at some bloody camels!!!"

 

But then we set off on the most hair-raising thing I've done since the white-water rafting trip on the Kaituna - and even sarier than that.... Our driver was the most push-it-to-the-limit one on the whole tour, I'm sure. We were second in the "train", and if the lead driver did a zig-zag, we had to do an even ziggier-zaggier one, and if he went over the top of a dune with a little bit of air, we had to have twice as much air. Despite my qualms, I think he actually was a pretty skilled driver, as others got stuck or had to be pulled of the top of ridges, but we came throug unscathed. But just imagine leaping up over the top of a dune, then sliding sideways down the other side, leaning over at what seemed like a 45deg angle, then roaring up the other side of the next one - and this went on, with some stops in between, for about an hour and a half!!!  Perhaps like Steve at Pamplona, if I'd known how scary it would be, I wold have said No, but having done it, I'm actually glad I did, if that is not too contradictory.

 

After this, and a fairly non-event desert sunset stop, we arrived at ur camp in the desert, which was very nicely set up with carpets spread over the sand, and even lovely cold beers. Some more of those camels-on-Prozac were provided for riding around in circles, then a lavish Arabic dinner was provided. The belly dancer afterwards was very wiggly and frenetic, but a bit too much Hi-de-Hi, with the tedious obligatory dragging up of unco-ordinated audience members to look silly trying to be belly dancers too, but I daresay it is kind of expected. The nicest part was the turning off of all the lights to let us star-gaze in the desert night - I could just have been left out there doing that all night.

 

Home at 11.30 had arather exhausted me collapsing into bed (after my 5.30am arrival from NZ that morning...).

 

The next day was on the hop-on-hop-off bus, and I saw the amazing proliferation of luxury resort hotels, and up-market shopping centres that seems to be the focus of Dubai, and there are also some "free-trade" zones where businesses can set up with no taxes, so once again, the vision of Dubai may or may not turn out to be what the visionary Sheikh intended.

........ then onto a plane at dawn for Coventry...

 

Rainy England Report

The temperature change has been rather dramatic from Dubai to Coventry - I arrived to a lovely rainy English summer day after the delights of Dubai. The previous rather rushed e-mail was dashed off between zooming around at top speed cramming as much as possible into my two days in Dubai.

My Internet cafe time is running out, so a quick update on the UK bit. I am in a pleasant guest-house and have done a day trip to Warwick Castle today, and am off to Stratford tomorrow. Monday, I will do Coventry properly, but it seems a very pleasant town, with its beautiful cathedral. Then there will be the real purpose of the trip, the conference, for the next three days.

 

Love to all from the rainy (actually it is sunny now) Midlands....

 

English Heatwave 

The Brits are all in a tizzy because we are getting some HOT WEATHER!!!. The BBC News has had special segments on how to keep cool and which medical service to phone if it all gets too much!!! Experts are advising on drinking lots of fluids, and sprinkling the bed sheets with water to keep cool at night - one needs a little lie down to contemplate it all - it's amazing when summer actually brings some summer weather ....

 

Warwick Castle on Saturday was an excellent day out with lots of grand battlements and weighty suits of armour, and the usual "Biggest ever Trebuchet show at 11.30" followed by the "Birds of Prey Show" at 12.30. They do this sort of thing very well, plus the Castle is now owned by the Madame Tussaud's company, so one is not quite sure which of the period dress characters scattered around the castle is real or not. Amazing to think one family used to own this. Warwick is a pretty town, but I noted quite  few shops for rent, so the economic situation is being felt everywhere.

 

Stratford-upon-Avon was as to be expected, full of happy-snappy tourists (including me) looking at all the places where Shakespeare "might" or "could possibly" or "perhaps" did things, because of course, very little is actually known of his life, but they have to make a tourist experience of it. I am very glad I had read Bill Bryson's biography beforehand, as it identified how little we know, and how much is myth. Never mind, it was worth seeing, there was plenty of pretty English countryside to see from the train, and I got a bargain pair of Birkenstock's "On Sale", so that made the day worthwhile anyway.

 

I have just done the modern Coventry Cathedral which is very dramatic, but I rather preferred the beautiful half-bombed-out remains of the old cathedral next door, with the Blitz fortunately leaving the fabulous spire untouched. Next stop is the Coventry Transport Museum, then it is home to swot up on my presentation for tomorrow, and to meet my panel for the Round-Table discussion who are arriving this evening - quite a change of mental gears.

 

Must go and sprinkle water over myself, and prepare for heat exhaustion .....

 

 Next day......

The conference is nearly over, and I have mental indigestion, and there is nothing of that you want ot hear about!!!!!. Last night we had a fabulous trip to Stratford-on-Avon to a performance of As You Like It which was just fantastic.

 

 I leave at dawn tomorrow for Istanbul, so should have something interesting to report from there.......

 

Turkish Delight

Sorry - I'm sure everyone does that deadline...

(- excuse the battle wıth the Turkısh keyboard!!!! made worse by beıng on my second-best paır of glasses after dopıly leavıng them ın the bus at Luton Aırport as I staggered off half-asleep! /&%+^''!!!??) 

 

My most pleasant ıntro to Turkey was standıng ın lıne wıth the Brıts and Aussıes and others to pay for my vısa ınto Turkey, to be greeted wıth a huge grın and 'Oh, New Zealand!!! No vısa, no pay!!! So ıt seems we have a specıal relatıonshıp beyond the Gallıpolı days.

 

I,m collapsed ın a lıttle heap at a Turkısh ınternet cafe after two days of frenetıc sıghtseeıng around Istanbul, preparıng for the pılgrımage trıp to Gallopolı early tomorrow mornıng. There ıs defınıtely that feelıng of half Europe/ half Asıa about the cıty of 13 mıllıon people, most of whom seem to be on the road at any gıven tıme, equıpped wıth a horn that has magıcal powers to shıft oncomıng traffıc out of your way.

 

Yesterday I dıd battle at the Grand Bazaar, beıng offered such delıghts as Chanel No 5 at $10 a very genıune bottle and my choıce of several mıllıon pashmınas, blue evıl-eye ornaments or heaps of actually very genuıne 24carat gold whıch the Turks take very serıously. They even tested the pearls for me wıth a flame, but I resısted the temptaton to buy. The Spıce Market really dıd have heaps of amazıng lokıng spıces, plus a much more ınterestıng range of Turkısh Delıghts than I have ever seen exported. My favourıte ıs a semı-sweet one wıth chopped pıstachıos ın ıt, rolled ın coconut.

 

Dınner was wıth the fırst meetıng wıth my tour group over on the Asıan sıde of the harbour ın an upmarket area called Taksım whıch ıs quıte glıtzy, and rather a contrast to the tradıtıonal Sultanahmet area ın the centre of the cıty. The group ıs a mıx of ages wıth a preponderance of Kıwıs and Aussıes and a couple of others. We are 25 at the moment, but the group wıll splıt ın two once we reach Kusadası, wıth my group goıng off to the Greek Islands, whle the other half contınues around Turkey.

 

Thıs mornıng we began the tour ın earnest, wıth 3 hours at the beautıful Topkapı palace admırıng the wonderful lıfe ıf the sultans of bygone days, and the slıghtly less wonderfl lıfe of the ladıes of the harem, and the sultan,s brothers whom he often kept caged ın the harem so they would not murder hım to usurp the throne - lots of brotherly love goıng on, apparently. THE aya SOFIA WAS nest whıch has an ınterestıng splıt personalıty as a prevıous Chrıstıan cathedral converted to a mosque when the Ottomans took power. Ataturk decreed that ıt was to be returned to ıts dual personalıty and ıs now a museum sıte ın whıch the plastered-over Chrıstıan ıcon mosaıcs have been partıally re-exposed so that ıt ıs now half Islamıc decoratıons, and half Chrıstıan art such as the ubıquıtous Vırgın May and Baby Jesus ın golden mosaıc - quıte beautıful. It was apparently the fourth largest Chrıstıan church after St Peter,s, the Duomo and St Paul,s. Next was the Blue Mosque on the other sıde of the square, buılt as a statement of Istanbul's place ın Islam - covered heads etc was the rule - and ıt ıs magnıfıcent also. The fınal sıte of the day was the amazıng underground Basılıca Cısterns buılt ın Roman tımes to supply water to the cıty from the aqueducts they buılt across the 17 mıles from the closest water supply. The cısterns were lost for centurıes untıl somone ınvestıgated how locals could dıg holes and drop down buckets to collect water whıch often contaıned fısh!!!

 

After all of thıs heads were spınnıng a bıt, so İ plan a quıet evenıng before brıngıng out the tıssue pack for the Gallıpolı trıp tomorrow - ıt was most fortuıtous that I had just dıscovered that Uncle Bert was there before goıng on to the Western Front, so he ıs one of the lucky ones that survıved. We then travel down the coast to Troy, Pergamum and Ephesus, then off to the Greek Islands so the traveloue wıll contınue from there.....

 

Off for another kebab 

 

Greek Islands

Rather a lack of internet cafes to keep the up-dates going, I'm sorry...

 

Well I am the only member of the tour group up and around this morning, having just been to the last 1.5 hours of a 3-hour Greek Orthodox Sunday service - people can wander in and out, and mainly come for the last hour!!!!

We are on Ios which is a "party isalnd with dozens of clubs and bars that come to life after midnight - hence the sleeping tour party. Surprisingly I did not participate in last night's activities at the "Slammer Bar" whcih entail knocking back Tequila Slammers whilst wearing a hemet which then gets "slammed" with a large metal object!!! I took off to bed before such delights.....

We had a fabulous time on Santorini with the camera being given a maximum workout on the beautiful white houses falling down the hillsides to the sea - well not quite falling, but almost appearing to be so. The poor donkeys were also much photographed. We are off to Mykonos today, but I may do a repeat of K&D's Acopolis experience, and miss Delos, as it seems to be closed on Mondays!!&^%$#@!!!!
Temperatures are in teh hgh 30s so much rushing from shade to shade each day.

Internet cafe charges about to run out again - so love to all......

 

Athens, Athens

Arriving on the Acropolis is one of those "Haven't I been here before???" moments like first seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty or St Peter's Square - we have seen so many photos that it seems like they are old friends. After the hedonism of the Greek Islands I am about to immerse myself in some serious antiquities for the next few days.

 

Next day .....

The head is spinning with an overdose of Athenian antiquity - beautifully enhanced last night by a Mendelssohn performance of the Athenian State Orchestra in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on the Acropolis - built to seat 6,000-7,000 so it wasn't quite full, in a beautiful warm Athenian evening. Dinner was taken in a lovely restaurant looking up to the Acropolis.Today was the Museum of the Acropolis, and tomorrow is the National Archaeological Museum before leaping on the 11.00pm plane home - see you all soon ....... Dinner tonight will be in e street cafes of Monistiraki which don't really get going until about 11.00pm so I may be a bit hungry by then.