Three Corners Sandy Beach

I went to the beach yesterday at the port of Sharm el Shiek..

And I was very glad I did! :)

Swimming and sunbathing in Egypt (√).

The Land of Civilization

Saqqara, Egypt.

The Step Pyramid of Saqqara. The oldest pyramid of them all.

Spoiler Alert: I was right when I thought that the pyramids were located at the middle of the desert but that was thousands of years ago. It was so surprising that they are actually part of the city. And what's also surprising is the KFC and Pizza Hut stores by the gate entrance in front of the Sphinx!

Had some troubles from the Egyptian authorities last time.. Almost got arrested by taking videos on some restricted areas! :( But all's well, they let me go unharmed! Hehe

The Sphinx and The Pyramids of Giza (√)

A Rose-red City, Half as Old as Time

TheTreasury. Petra, Jordan (√)

Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning rock; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans,^[2] it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction.^[2] It lies on the slope of Mount Hor^[3] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Seato the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and aWorld Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die".^[4]*

The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorerJohann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."^[5]*

Priceless!

* courtesy Wikipedia

One Down, Plenty More To Go!

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt (√)

So I just finished my first 7-day cruise onboard Thomson Celebration and I must say, so far so good..

The itinerary is to die for: Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt; Aqaba/Petra, Jordan (overnight); Sokhna/Cairo, Egypt; Safaga/Luxor, Egypt (overnight).

The photo team is awesome. We are currently missing a member but everyone works well with each other. Ferg is my manager, he's English. The other photographers are Ciprian aka Chip/Chippy from Romania and Delfin my paisano.

The work hours are nothing compared to my schedule from my previous ships. I am working for another company now based in the UK, by the way.

Things I love about this ship:

• The size is just right. It used to be the old Noordam and being a Holland America Line (HAL) baby, their ships will always have a special place in my heart.

• The cabin is so spacious. We actually have a couch inside the room plus a fridge.

As usual, no food allowed in the cabin but we're permitted to drink!

• The food is delicious. And we're allowed to eat at the Lido anytime we want. Last night they had an Asian buffet and I almost dropped my tray when I saw some familar Filipino food favorites: vegetable lumpia, maja blanca, turon, fruit salad, enseymada, pansit and champorado! Yum! And they serve this every week! =D

I really think I'll gain some weight here which is not bad because it's part of my plan, to become more huggable when i get back. Wink!

• The atmosphere is very relaxed.

• We can use the passenger gym.

• We are just a phonecall away. Yes, we can be reached in our cabin through IDD! Just hit me if you want the number. :)

• The OB (Officer's Bar) is just a few steps away from my cabin. Always a nice way to end the night with a few beers and catch up with fellow crew members. The OB here is more like a lounge, slightly different from HAL's OB. It's well lit, no jukebox but with a very BIG home theatre TV, still a smoking area with very loud people.

• This is a British ship. So the guests are mostly, if not entirely, British. Except for the Filipinos that work on Deck and Hotel Dept. and the Indonesians at Housekeeping Dept. everyone else from the crew is British; the cast, the entertainment dept. and the officers.

• I love the scones! In the afternoon, I always go up to the Lido for a light snack of scones and some English tea.

• The salary is in British Pounds!

Things I don't necessarily hate but could have been better:

• The internet. There's only one wifi hotspot and it's entirely on the opposite end from where I live. And it's so f*cking slow. :(

I haven't really been out on ports that much except when I have to go on tours. So my next agenda would be to scan the places with wifi zones and I need to hit the beaches soon as well.

I just have to warn you guys that since everything around me is so English, don't be surprised when I get back home with a British accent! LOL

Sawasdee Bangkok!

Bangkok Part 1: The Grand Palace

Our ship docked in the port of Laem Chabang. About 2 hours away from Bangkok and 45 minutes away from Pattaya. We had two days to spare there so we decided to travel to the farthest place first and then come back at night, book a hotel and party the night away in the Pattaya district. We were lucky there's a lot of us in our group so we just split the $150 van rental amongst us and I think I just paid less than 15 bucks for the day trip. You should be aware though that you need to bring extra money for souvenirs, food, entrance tickets etc.

First stop, the magnificent Grand Palace!

Welcome to the Grand Palace!

Grand Palace in Bangkok (√)

If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. *

Restoration going on.

Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.*

Ministry Buliding

Thai Guard.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand, and forms an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.*

Wat Phra Kaew.

Temple ornaments. Wow.

Buddha Bless You.

Devotees.

Rituals

Some kind of Reflection..

Important Note:

A strict dress code applies. The Grand Palace with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no tank tops. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly (a deposit is required).*

The Neptunes. Pants for rent are also available in purple color. LOL.

*courtesy Asia Web Direct

TAKEN

I thought this only happens in the movies..

I was in line at the Cairo International Airport arrival hall, waiting to pass their immigration when one tall Egyptian guy approached me and asked me about the name of my ship..

I answered.

He said, "Come follow me.."

So I did.

Then I saw another guy, he's short, a bit fat, gray hair and talking to someone on the phone.

I approached him because was holding a sign with my name on it. So I excitedly told him, "That's me! That's me!"

He said, "Give me your passport!" and off we went to a special line.

And then he give it to the officer and ordered me to stay put, wait for my passport and meet him outside.

So I did.

After I collected my luggage, he told me again, "Come!"

And I followed him outside. A black car parked in front of us, a dark-skinned twenty something egyptian guy, came out from the driver seat, grabbed my luggage, threw it in the trunk and ordered me to get in. I didn't move. He said, "Let's go!" I looked at the older guy puzzled. Unsure what's going on because I'm not suppose to leave the airport. I have one more flight to my ship! But the older guy opened the door for me, so I went in..

And this is what happened..

I'm still alive by the way.

It turned out I really have to take a car to take my next flight because it's on a different airport!

So I really would like to take my agents for acting so quick and doing their jobs very well. I jumped a lot of lines just to get ahead and check-in first.

They gave me a bit of a fright but I guess this is how the Egyptian Agents handle their most valued clients.

Just like in the movies!