My venture

So....As promised im gonna write about our day in Istanbul...but again...i might keep u in a little bit more of a suspense by only telling u about half of the day....reason being....cause i have a lot to say and many pics....so i think the blog would be too long if i write it all into one...and now u thinking...if i wouldnt explain for sooooooo long and just get to the point then maybe i could have fitted all info and all pics into one blog....but then my response would be...how much fun would that be...me just telling u about facts...then you might as well go read a fact sheet on Istanbul....hmmmmm.....anyway...let me get started now.... We woke up around 8....had some breakfast....and some excellent strong coffee.....then decided to get dressed and get going....yes....cold in Istanbul so def dress warm....jeans....long shirt...jersey....jacket....takkies....and ready i was.....we took the tram....that was a debate....kim wanted the tram...his excuse was we need to try for the experi...

So....Piraeus and Izmir.....well not much to tell..but....they def do deserve a mention....i mean i musnt become bored of them now that i have seen them a couple of times....Piraeus however i decided to just go to the terminal...didnt have that much time off...so why rush around.....terminal has some good wifi and of course Kim and i r in need to buy chocolate...so where better than duty free....large slab of black lindt choc with almonds and a large toblerone...its a new one...blue packaging...Crunchy almonds...nice...but...the black toblerone is def better.....in the terminal i had a long face time chat to my mom....nice to catch up a little......and no stress about bad connection Izmir.....i had a date with Dina to chat on face time at 9:30.... So off i went to find some internet and good tea....was gonna have coffee but had a good morning coffee....so tea was what i actually felt like....i found a little coffee shop near the nut shop....how convenient....here is a pic.....of my te...

So....my news....at 21:00 the captain announced that we will not be going to Ashdod, Israel but we will stay overnight in Haifa, Israel.....hmmmmm...interesting cause the Jerusalem and Dead sea tours all are from Ashdod....now what.....simple....well....so to say....all tours will depart 2hrs earlier and they will take place as planned.....next day Haifa....as normal.....unfortunately in Haifa i could not go outside....but nevermind.....gym and some good lunch at the Garden cafe....see the positive side....lunch on the terrace in the sun with no guests.....peaceful....day progressed good....however....during the evening the situaion in Israel got worse rather than better and the tours to Tel Aviv had to be cancelled...yes....almost a given seeing that a bomb landed just south of Tel Aviv.....of course everyone was anxious to know whether tours would go to the dead sea and Jerusalem....man i hoped they would not be cancelled....could you imagine guests....i mean there is guests that di...

Hmmmm....i guess an update is required....so...the last two egypts are finally over....and no...i couldnt or better said didnt want to go out....we all know what i think of port said....and i was off till 12.... No way i was gonna get up early and rush out.....for what....to see dirt and rubbish....i think my time was better spent sleeping in....going to gym...much more rewarding.....and the same said for alexandria....again....the library i have seen and museums....im not the museum type person.....so sleeping in and gym it was again until shift started.....nice enough in port said i had straight shift until 19:30 and then i was done.....how nice.....long day though cause the ship was dead...all people going off to explore the pyramids.....and then alexandria i only started work again lunch time until 6 and then again at 9pm for 2 hrs, so when i was off at 6.....a nice dinner at Le Bistro it was.....and u know how much i like that restaurant.....starters it was scallops, yes, probabl...

So....this cruise started off with a very lazy morning in rome...so good...only started work at 11.... Thats the positive with afternoon shift.....so lazy in bed....enjoying coffee....just relaxing and feeling very refreshed for the start of a new cruise....off to alanya, limassol, israel and egypt again......but first....two sea days....embarkation was quite hectic..had a huge german tour group who were very late and so we waited an extra hour before sailing....yes...normally german people are so in time....well these definitely are not going with the majority....oh well....the two following sea days...very relaxing mornings....again starting around 12, of course that means working till like 1am with a 3hr break....but as i said...at least get to sleep in....do some gym and you know what catch up on emails and relax....actually every now and again...enjoyable.... After not going out two days before rome, not going out in rome and not going out for the next two sea days....yes...we ca...

Finally....well....actually i cant say i had to wait long...its only the second time we were in egypt....but after this egypt, only one more time...so it was really tight whether or not i would see the pyramids...and trust me...egypt is not a place i would go on holiday to...so it was now or never that i was going to see the pyramids...and you know what...yes, it is a once in a life time thing...literally and figuratively.....it was impressive to see but also once seen..i dont think ill need to go there again....so lets talk a little about my actual day.... I got up around 4:30... Yes AM...cause my shift was from 5 until 7....then time to change, eat some breakfast and head to the meeting point for the excursion...i chose to be an escort on a passenger tour rather than the crew tour cause i wanted to not only see the pyramids but also go to the museum to see the tombs and the gold mask....so around 8:30 we finally departed, you see the group that has chosen this excursion consisted of...

So.....Rome....so cold....i had gangway duty from 6 until 10am (work started at 5am)...and man it was raining....windy....and no....i did not have a jacket....so u can only imagine how cold i was....when i was off at 10....i had a very hot shower....stood in the shower for long...trying to get some heat back...that was miserable.....but why concentrate on the miserable.....Alessio...a friend who i met on the ship and lives in Rome brought mozzarella for me....so damn....i was in heaven....some good olive oil, coarse salt, salty cracks and mozzarella....wot more could i want.....heat....and hmmmmm.....nuts.....well...those ill buy in Izmir....chocolates....still have....so food wise....and just food wise....nothing else actually...wait maybe some camembert and gruyere....damn....i think im hungry.....let me go and eat now...... So....lets chat a little about my three port days...so..first Katakolon....not a new port....def had enough free time to do something....lunch...def yes....and ...

I could tell you about our last two ports.....both in egypt.....port said and alexandria...but i think i might leave that....hmmmm...thats because in one word, almost, i could describe...dirty..filthy....sis.....but now ill go into a little bit more detail...cause i guess Alexandria deserves it....so the first port was port said.......wow.....it was dirty...and the men are pigs...Wow....we were all told not to eat outside cause its so dirty that u can easily get gi....something that could make u vomit and diahoria......and then it gets transmitted so quickly that an outbreak could happen on the ship....what a joke....so best not to eat anything...and def not veg, fruit, salad etc...BUT HONESTLY... Id rather eat nothing at all....so its was filthy....the only nice thing was the one mosque....for those they have money...But for absoloutely nothing else....very sad....beach dirty as hell also....hmmmmmm......here is a pic of mosque and beach Other than that...nothing worth mentioning...