Sunday, 14 April 2019     Venice to Rome

Venice to Rome

We took a train from Venice to Rome.  This involved dragging our luggage from the hotel to the water bus, then dragging lit again from the pier to the train station.  We’d booked a fast train which was great but there wasn’t enough room to stow our luggage above our seat so it had to be left the entrance to the carriage.  We weren’t the only ones with a problem and luggage had to be stacked on top of each other.  Anyway, the trip went smoothly and just three hours later we arrived at Roma Termini.  Now when you’re in a foreign country it can be stressful trying to work out where you should be.  All I wanted was to get a taxi, get the luggage in the boot and be taken directly to our accommodation.   But a man with a badge reading – Free Information – approached us.  The Earl was all too eager to hand over the decisions to him – He suggested a hop on hop off bus for two days.  “No,” said I,  “We have luggage.  I don’t want to buy a ticket for hop on hop off now.  I want to think about it and perhaps get one tomorrow.”

But he insisted that it would be our cheapest deal and that there would be no problem with the luggage.  Well – dear reader – always listen to you own instincts – This man told us that being a Sunday we would wait ages for a taxi and it would be very expensive.  He led us to the Green Hop on Hop off.  After withdrawing cash I paid 60 euros for two tickets – which I could use for two days, but I really didn’t want to as Rome is an easy city to just use your own two feet to explore,  and had the Earl not insisted I would have run a mile.   We got on the bus which they promised would take us right near our hotel.  NOT SO.  They dropped us and then we had to drag, ask directions, drag some more, ask more questions until half an hour later we arrived stressed and exhausted out our accommodation.   Later I found out that a taxi would have been no more than 15 euros for the two of us!

Upon arrival  we rang the bell and were told to come in.   In the dingy hallway we were confronted by a lift – no indication as to which floor we were to go to.  So I climbed the stairs till I found the B&B.   The Italian ladies could not understand why I was confused, asked if I’d phoned the office – what office?  Is this not where we were supposed to be.  Yes – not to worry – we were in the right place but they didn’t know when to expect us – Well check in is after 2 and it was 3!    Luckily they were there – because we found out in the next three days that they weren’t always!    The place was a dump!  Beware of booking a B&B in Rome.  They can be fine but this one was really basic – It was clean but the bed was old and the cupboard rickety.  But never mind we’re used to camping so in comparison this was luxury and so we just made the most of it.    It included breakfast but I wish it hadn’t as all we got was coffee – excellent – and pre-packed horrible croissants, bread, muffins and jam, none of which was particularly appetizing –  anyway the ladies were sweet and tried to be as helpful as possible so we ended up quite enjoying our three-night stay.

Monday, 15 April 2019 Rome

We took the hop on hop off bus today.  After all we did pay for it!   We visited The Pantheon, checked out the Colosseum and threw a coin into Trevi Fountain. We also got a European sim card so that we could use Google Maps and not get lost!

The Pantheon

Inside The Pantheon

When I got home in the afternoon, I suddenly felt very cold.  There were no extra blankets on the bed so I put Earl’s puffy jacket on and fell asleep.  When I awoke I had a fever of 39 C

Tuesday 16 April 2019 Rome

When I awoke my fever was gone and I felt fine.  We went for a long walk along the river, through the Jewish Quarter and then to the Vatican.  On the way to The Vatican,  a man in a very smart car stopped and called to me.

“Where are you from,”  he asked,  “I recognise your husband.”

We both went to the window and he asked again.  We told him that we were from Cape Town.

He said, “I had an Italian restaurant in Cape Town. ” Foolishly I fed him the name – “Casanova’s?”  I asked.

“Yes, but now I am working for Armani.  I’ve just come from a fashion show.  I’m coming to Cape Town soon for another show.  I want you to do something for me.

“You are an elegant woman – and just the right size – Here is a jacket for you.”    He handed a packaged jacket to me, “I want you to wear it and to tell your friends where you got it. It is free.”

I was immediately suspicious. Then he gave one to The Earl – who was delighted to get a free gift.   “It’s to promote my product,” he said.

I was not happy, “No – I said – We won’t do it.  But The Earl said, “Don’t be silly – it’s a promotion – he wants us show them off when we get home.”

I walked away not wanting to create a scene with my cooperative husband.   Then the crunch came.  He asked The Earl for money for fuel.    Finally he realised what the catch was and gave him back the jackets.

Back at the B&B I did the research and found that this is a huge scam going around – different stories – but all Amani  – and the jackets are fake and ugly!  I wonder how many people get taken in by these scammers.

Picturesque walk next to The Tiber

The Vatican

Later that afternoon I once again got an attack of cold shivers and my fever shot up to 39!   Uh oh – what will I do.   It’s travel day tomorrow.

Friday, 12 April 2019 Venice

Sadly we disembarked The Costa Victoria today.   For the next six days we would be on our own in Italy – three days in Venice and three in Rome.

It was pretty daunting finding ourselves surrounded by water and not quite knowing how we were going to get to our next destination. We thought we’d just hop on a bus or taxi – and we did – but not the type we’re used to – this one went on the water!   For just €11, including luggage, we travelled on The Grand Canal to San Zaccaria boat pier.  What an awesome experience.  It was just a short walk from there to Hotel Bisanzio where we were to stay for two nights.   Our room was not ready so we dropped our luggage and then went for a long walk and also had a coffee and snack at one of the restaurants.

Later in the afternoon after checking in, the Earl had a nap in our very comfortable room and I went for a walk to Piazza San Marco on my own.

On my way back as I passed a restaurant I heard my name called – it was my Mauritian friend having a late lunch with her hubby and nephew who was on his Spring break from university in Paris.   I joined them for a coffee and chat.  Then suddenly my friend yelled – there’s our ship – and sure enough the Costa Victoria cruised by in the Grand Canal!

We weren’t hungry after having had lunch so we did not go out for supper.

Saturday, 13 April 2019 Venice

This morning’s breakfast was excellent.  We helped ourselves to fruit, yogurt, various cold meats and cheeses and delicious croissants.   The coffee, too, was excellent.

I wanted The Earl to experience a Gondola ride but he simply was not interested.  There were many available but at an exorbitant fee of €80 and no sharing with other couples was allowed!  So instead we took the hop on hop off water bus and visited Murano and Burano for a fraction of the price.

The island of Murano is famous for it’s glass making.  As we have both seen glass blowing demonstrations before we did not wait in the queue to watch yet another one.  We browsed the shops and I bought some necklaces.

Burano is famous for its lace and embroidery.  I could have spent a small fortune there but my darling husband restrained me.

We were away the whole day and it was so much more worth it than a Gondola ride!

In the evening we went out for a lovely Italian dinner.

Wednesday, 10 April 2019 Dubrovnic

So today we arrived in Dubrovnik. We had to take the tender boat to go ashore. The weather is still chilly but the sun was shining.  We did a very interesting walking tour of the city but had to don rain ponchos at the end as it started raining. Val and I stayed a bit longer to shop and explore but I didn’t want Earl to stay out in the cold so he went back on the tender boat.  We only stayed an hour longer.

Walking Tour of the City

Clock Tower

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Looking down on our ship and an island

So beautiful

We were also taken to a demonstration of how they make jewelry from coral.  The coral used regrows very quickly but is difficult to retrieve as it grows at a great depth.

Thursday, 11 April 2019 Omis and Split

The weather improved today.  We had the most awesome guide who did the city walk in both Omis and Split.  An awesome boat trip was included from Omis.  Just when I was wondering when it would end as it became chilly and I was hungry, a secluded restaurant appeared out of nowhere! It was here that we had lunch and afterwards took the bus back to Split and the ship.

On the boat at Omis

Amazing rocky mountains in the background

Omis

Fishing hut on the bank

Comfortable fishing chair

The Restaurant Appears

Arriving at The Restaurant

Delicious Traditional Croatian Food and Wine was served

Lovely entertainment

The guests were serenaded

The walking tour of Split was interesting.  The main feature is Diocletian’s Palace. It was built as a retirement home for the Roman Emperor, Diocletian in the fourth century AD.

A sort of mall has been incorporated into the remains of the palace, beautifully blending the old with the new.

Only one of the twelve sphinxes brought to Split after Diocletian suppressed a rebellion in Egypt in 297 AD.  Only one  remains and stands at the Peristyle.

It is made of black granite and dates back to Pharaoh Tuthosis III who lived between 1479 and 1425.  The vessel in her hands is meant for offerings.

The Port of Split

Monday, 08 April 2019 Olympia

The Earl was still not feeling well so decided have a rest day on board ship today.  So I went ashore with Val. We decided not to visit the archaeological site but to rather spend our limited  time shopping!  In all the places we have visited so far I have not been at all interested in the ‘stuff’ on sale at the touristy places.   But Greece was different – there were lovely things to tempt the savvy shopper.   Perhaps it’s because of my Greek heritage that attracted me to the clothes, the jewelry and the confectionery.   Laurie (my daughter) is a definite throwback to her Greek roots and could pass as a Greek Goddess any day of the week.   I really wanted to get her something that showed where she originated.

At one of the shops I asked the assistant if I could connect to his internet, take a photo of a dress and send it to my daughter to see if she would like me to get it for her.  He agreed.  “How old is your daughter, he asked.  “Thirty nine,”  I replied.  “I am also 39”  said he.  “Are you married,” I asked.  “No”

“Well,” I joked, “I am looking for a nice Greek boy for her. Perhaps you should meet!” He grinned , looking just a tad interested.   His mother eyed suspiciously from behind the cash desk.

Then I what’s app called Lolz, told her to look at the photo of the Greek Toga style dress and then said, “I have a lovely Greek man your age here – Speak to him.”

Playing along  she replied coyly, “Hi, I’m Lauren.”

“Hello,” he said, “I am waiting for you here!”   ‘

We all, including Mama, had a good giggle  – and yes – I bought the dress and another for myself!

Lolz liked the blue one

Red for me.

At the next shop the assistant was very keen to sell me something for another daughter.  “The man next door offered to marry my youngest, ”  I said, “What can you offer?”

“Unfortunately” he said,  “I am already married but I can give you a big discount!” – so he too made a sale!

Val and I really enjoyed our shopping and it was rather fun having a girls day out.

The ship left port at 4 pm so it was only a short day at this lovely island.

Tuesday, 09 April 2019 Corfu

So today we docked at Corfu island at 07:00.   Earl felt better and came up to breakfast with me.   He also decided to join Val and me on an exploration of Corfu Town.   We walked to the terminus and then caught a bus into town.   We had a really lovely morning and spent too much money.

There were a few cruise ships docked near us

A narrow shopping street

In the afternoon Earl decided not to do the “Easy Tour of Corfu”   So Val once again came along with me.  It was a lovely tour but I did not take many photographs!

Kanoni and Mouse Island

The bus let us off a the top the hill in Kanoni. From there we had lovely views of the church of Vlacherna, the sea and Pontikonissi or Mouse Island.

Pnotikonissi was the ship of the legendary King Ulysses.  It was wrecked during a terrible storm and the God, Poseidon turned his boat into this green rock island.

We also stopped at a distillery and saw a video on how the made cumquat liquors and sweets.   I bought some gifts there too.

Sunday, 07 April 2019 – Santorini

We disembarked with the tender boats at 9 am and then did a bus tour to the Mount of Prophet Elijah and The Akrotiri archaeological site The weather was not great but it was still stunning.

On the tender boat

Beautiful Spring Flora

Sign pointing us to the monastery – but we didn’t really have enough time to explore

Stunning views from the top of the mountain

We had an excellent guide telling us all about the Akrotiri site.

The first people that lived at this site were Late Neolithic – 4000 BC.  It was an early Aegean port during the Bronze Age.  It is amazing that so early on in history this civilization had elaborate drainage systems and multi-storey buildings.

Akrotiri was destroyed by The Theran Volcanic Eruption in about 1627 BC.  The volcanic ash preserved the remains of frescoes and other works of art.  Excavation is still ongoing.

Our guide at Akrotiri

What a view!

The architecture  – awesome

We popped into a restaurant and paid too much money for coffee but the view was worth it.

Costa Victoria waiting patiently

Indescribably Beautiful

Tender Boats waiting for us

Going down in the cable car – That’s Tom next to me.

Imagine living here!

The colours are mainly blue and white

The Earl – always happy on water

Yes – It was fantastic

The cable cars go up and down all day

IF you don’t use the cable car – you can walk up or down that windy path!

Many people on Costa Victoria have been infected with the Ship’s Bug – dubbed the Costa Cough!   The Earl seems to be going down with it and went straight to bed after dinner this evening.

Saturday, 06 April 2019 Crete

Being of Greek ancestry, I was really looking forward to The Islands.   Cyprus was superb so what would Crete be like?   Not disappointing at all but the weather had turned wet and cold.

Our bus took us on a scenic drive and our guide Dimitra was amazing.  She is an archaeologist with a PhD and her favourite topic is Greek Mythology.   I thoroughly enjoyed the stories she related.

The archaeological site of Knossos is the largest Bronze Age site on Crete and is believed to be Europe’s oldest city.   There was human settlement there as early as The Neolithic Period, 7000 years BC.

The Palace of Knossos was the ceremonial and political centre of The Minoan Civilization.

Arthur Evans, an English archaeologist unearthed the palace in modern times. Clay and stone incised spools and whorls were dug up and indicate that cloth making took place in the very early years.

Interesting animal and human figurines were also found.  The nude females had exaggerated breasts and buttocks which is believed to be associated with the worship of the Neolithic Mother Goddess.  Most figurines were to do with religion.

The first Cretan palaces were built after 2000 BC in the early Middle Minoan period. The palace of Knossos was the largest.  Pithoi or large storage jars of up to five feet tall were used for all kinds of storage in those days.

The palace had bathrooms, toilets and a drainage system.

Greek Mythology tells that King Minos lived in a palace at Knossos. In this tale he had Daedalus build a large maze in which to contain his son who was the scary Minotaur – half bull, half man.

Minos’s daughter, Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and helped him navigate the labyrinth by giving him a ball of thread to mark his way and find his way back.  He killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians back out of the labyrinth.

The church of Panagia Kera was also very interesting and intriguing how the artists of the times brought in things that were affecting them at that time into their interpretation of the biblical stories.

During our free time in Krista we sat at a lake-side restaurant and had some genuine Greek food for lunch – well we shared a Moussaka and Earl ordered a Margarita Pizza and I had a couple of slices of that.   Even in Greece they serve everything with fries!  I found that disappointing.

Lake Voulismeni – once believed to be bottomless but is not at all.

Thursday 4 April 2019 – Cyprus

As we cruised into Limassol Cyprus this morning we saw that The Queen Mary II had overtaken us in the night and was already docked.

Our first impression of Cyprus was a good one.  It was a beautiful Spring Day and we took photos from the deck as we cruised in.

Our bus left just before 9:00  and we had both Italian and English speaking passengers with a guide for each language group.   The English Speakers had George who was just awesome.  He spoke clearly and slowly and gave us a constant flow of information on the agriculture, nature, birds and history of the island as we travelled the scenic route to Paphos.

Greek mythology is fascinating and we certainly learned a great deal about the gods and goddesses on this trip.   A story that captured our imagination was the birth of Aphrodite – Goddess of love and fertility.   There is a camel shaped rock at her birthplace in the sea and if a maiden wants to be more beautiful, she will be if she swims around the rock, three times, in the nude at full moon!

The Birthplace of Aphrodite – Come on girls – do that swim!

We also visited the Paphos Archeological park to see the Kings’ Tombs and the Paphos Mosaics.

The underground tombs date back to the fourth, fifth and sixth century BC.   They are carved out of solid rock.  No kings are actually buried here as no kings resided there.  In the fourth century Cyprus was under Persian Rule and later under Egyptian rule.  Some of the tombs feature Doric Columns.

The floor mosaic archaeological site was fascinating. Elite homes and palaces were decorated with mosaics depicting every day life and stories about the gods.   The mosaics are from houses of different eras between the second and fourth centuries AD, thus covering the Hellenistic period until the Byzantine period.

Many houses and mosaics were destroyed over the centuries but five houses can be seen a Paphos.

The spring flowers in the park were also really beautiful

We then had free time and The Earl and I walked along the waterfront and then had coffee at a local pavement café.   Cyprus s truly amazing.  It would be great to spend a whole week here.

Wednesday, 03 April 2019 The Suez Canal

I woke up several times during the night and looked out of the porthole.  The Queen Mary was right next to us also waiting to enter the canal.   We weren’t moving for some time. In the morning I heard Earl get up and he went on deck to take photos. I could see through the porthole that we were in the Suez.

I got up and showered and when Earl came back we went to have an early breakfast.  Val joined us. On and off for the rest of the day we were on Deck 11 watching the different stages of our passage through the Canal.  It was very interesting.

We felt so important to be ahead of Queen Mary II

The Earl and Val having a buffet breakfast on eleventh level stern deck.

Transiting through the canal is not supposed to be the most exciting  part of the cruise. But in spite of the limited things to see along the way I was super excited to be there at all.  I remember The Six Day War and learning about the importance of the canal at school. I never dreamed that I would actually see it in real life.   Most parts are very narrow and the strip of water is in the middle of the desert and that is actually beautiful in itself.
Officially every ship has to use 4 pilots for the transit, although often less are used depending on the transit.

Stark beauty of the desert

Fishing in the canal

A settlement on the banks of the canal

As we approached the Peace Bridge – this train whistled at us.

People on the banks of the canal cheered and waved as we passed through.  It was really rather festive.

An exciting part of the trip was cruising under the Mumberak Peace Bridge also known as The Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge and the Al Salam Peace Bridge.  It crosses at El-Qantara and it links the continents of Africa and Asia.

Oh my word – the bridge has a 70m clearance – will we make it!

Scary!  It doesn’t look like we’ll make it!

So far so good?

Now that’s close!

No problem for the tug!

Patiently waiting to cross

El-Qantara

At 4 we entered the Mediterranean Sea.

Here are some facts about the Suez Canal that I found here.

• Suez Canal opened to traffic in November 1869
• It was built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps using Egyptian forced labour; an estimated 120,000 workers died during construction
• It stretches 192km (120 miles) between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
• It is 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point
• By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe’s oil passed through the canal
• The waterway closed 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened 1975
• About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today
• Receipts from the canal July 2005 to May 2006 totalled $3,246m
• In 2005, 18,193 vessels passed through the canal

The fact about The Six Day War fascinates me the most as I remember this being a big thing for South Africa.  It meant that ships had to sail around the Cape again which was good for our economy!

I knew that fourteen ships had been stranded in the Suez for eight years but never knew what happened to them during that time.  A little research on the internet brought up a wonderful story about those amazing sailors.   The following is a paraphrase from this website

The Six Day War resulted in the Suez Canal being closed for eight years. Fourteen foreign cargo ships (British, American, German, Swedish, Bulgarian, Polish and Czechoslovakian) were trapped in The Bitter Lake for all that time.

These ships clustered together in the middle of the lake and created a sort of ‘country’ of their own.   They called themselves “The Yellow Fleet” because of the yellow sand that blew from the banks and settled on the ships.   There was little to do but clean and maintain their ships and move about aimlessly to keep the engines tuned.

Each ship had its separate function – The Polish freighter was the post office.  The British organised soccer matches.  One ship was the hospital and another a movie theatre.

There was only one woman among the crews!

There was nothing for it but to create activities to pass the time.  One of things they did was water ski on a surfboard pulled by a life boat!

They also played Bingo and a lot of sport!

The Tokyo Olympics did not go uncelebrated. They had their own mini-Olympics which Poland won.

Christmas saw them installing a floating Christmas tree lowered a piano onto a small boat, which roved around the lake and serenaded each ship.

The Yellow Fleet dubbed themselves the “Great Bitter Lake Association” and made special badges. They even had a club tie.

In 1975, they were finally able to disband and return to their homelands. But by that point, the crew had learned that, no matter your circumstances, home is truly where you make it.

Monday 1 April 2019 Aqaba, Jordan – Petra Comfort Tour

We did not have to go through customs in Jordan so our meeting time was at a respectable 8:!5 am and we were in our bus by 8:45.

As we disembarked we saw that our neighbouring ship was the Queen Mary!   I wondered what it would be like to cruise on her!

What a stunning trip this was.   Our Jordanian guide was amazing. She had a wonderful sense of humour and had us chuckling on several occasions.  She spoke excellent English and the tour was entirely in English.  It was a two-hour drive to Petra but we stopped half way for a break at a visitors’ centre.   The souvenirs and things on sale were very expensive.  And it was freezing!  I kept my cardigan and fleece on for the entire trip.

Petra was voted the seventh New Wonder of The World in 2007.   It became one of the most visited archaeological sites after the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.  This is where Indiana Jones finds the Holy Grail and the world was introduced to the beautiful, ancient city of Petra.   At that time nobody at all lived in the area but once it became a tourist attraction a huge town grew up around it.  Everybody living there makes their living out of tourism.

For those who can’t or won’t walk – a chariot is available for hire – you can also go on horse back or on a donkey.  This is one of the ways the locals make a living.

Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Empire.  They had control of the Spice Road which gave them great prosperity.  The Spice Road was the main caravan trading route that brought spices, incense, and textiles from Arabia, Africa, and India to the West.

How clever the Nabateans were to carve their tombs, theatre, shops and houses out of the rose coloured rock.  It was so well hidden that nobody would guess there was anything there.  This is where the merchants left their families in safety when they travelled to trade with other countries.   Mainly it was a city where the dead were buried in tombs and where they went to the theatre.  Shops were carved into the mountain so that goods could be sold to the theatre goers.   The homes were only used as a safe haven when the men were not around to protect their families from invaders.

Dressed up for the tourists – these Bedouins take a break

Al-Khazneh also known as The Treasury is a temple carved into sandstone rock.   The Nabatean king, Aretas IV is believed to buried here.   It is also believed that treasures are buried here.

It was a long and winding path of a 1.2km to reach The Treasury.  The ground from the entrance to the canyon was very uneven and had loose stones which require care to negotiate.   But once in the canyon it was better.   However, horse chariots raced through the crowds  and you had to be alert to the drivers’  whistles and shouts of out of the way!

Entering the canyon

A fig tree growing out of the rock

Ancient dam wall

Modern dam wall

Often the Gods were carved without a head

First glimpse of The Treasury from the canyon

Boggles the mind

The Treasury

Camels waiting for riders

The Theatre

Shops for the theatre goers

On the way home the bus over heated and we had to stop in a safe place to see what could be done.  The Earl helped the driver to hold the bonnet up and check the radiator.  Yes – indeed it was boiling hot and bone dry.  After filling it with several bottles of water we were back on the road.  Heidi, our English Speaking Tour consultant was with us and phoned the ship to report that we might be late.  Sailing time was 7 PM and we needed to be all aboard by 6:30.  But we made it back just after 6!

Sunday, 31 March, 2019

Timna Park and Underwater Observatory

We had to be up very early this morning as most of the ship needed to be seen through customs at the Port of Eilat.

It was a matter of hurry up and wait as we were called in groups to disembark the ship!  Our tour brief said to wear ‘good shoes and light clothing.’  But the weather had turned cold  and I didn’t want to freeze.   I decided the best was to wear jeans and a t-shirt and to take a cardigan and fleece.  I am so glad I did as it was freezing in the Timna Valley!

Once through customs at around 8:30 we set off in a bus with our Israeli guide who spoke English.  A Costa Staff member interpreted in Italian.   Our guide was amazing and gave us plenty of interesting information as we travelled  the 30 km to Timna Park.

The area is rich in copper ore and has been mined since 5000 years BC.  The mines were possibly part of the Kingdom of Edom and were worked by the Edomites who according to The Old Testament were the enemy of The Israelites.   The Israelites and Nabataeans also mined copper right through to the first and second centuries AD.

Copper was used to make beautiful ornaments and also for stone cutting.

Seen from the bus en route to Timna Park

The Goddess indicating the route to the mining sites

The Earl taking a break

A chat of some sort caught my attention

Copper-rich rock

After seeing where the copper rich area was we went to the Smelting Camp.

Ruin of an ancient workshop

Ancient smelting furnace

Copper ore in the rock

An interesting Geological phenomenon  was the mushroom rock caused by wind erosion.

We also visited  Solomon’s Pillars, natural structures that were formed by water erosion through fractures in the cliff.

In the 1930s an American archaeologist, Nelson Glueck suggested that the pillars were related to King Solomon having been in the area and thus he gave them his name.  There is, however, no evidence that this is true, but excavation in the area began after his discovery.

Solomon’s Pillars

At the base of Solomon’s Pillars, a small Egyptian temple dedicated to Hathor, Goddess of mining, was excavated.  We visited a shrine and saw rock carvings of Ramses III with Hathor at the top of some steps, carved into the stone.    I climbed the steps with a few other fit members of our group and the view from up their was worth it.

Shrine to the Egyptian Goddess, Hathor

Climbing the stairs was not for the fainthearted. 

The Rock Drawings

The second part of the tour was to the Underwater observatory where it was a lot warmer.   The only complaint about this tour was that we did not have enough time at the Underwater observatory and Aquarium!   It was simply awesome!

The photos do not do justice to the underwater observatory but seeing the coral and fish in their natural habitat was an amazing experience.   I could have stayed there for hours.

The aquarium was great too but not unlike the ones in Cape Town and Sydney.   However, more time there would have been great too.

When we got back to the docks we got straight onto a shuttle bus with an Australian woman, Judy who we met at the observatory.   The bus dropped us at the Hayam mall in Eilat.  Our first stop was at the Pharmacy where we bought some just in case cold remedies and Vitamin C as half the passengers on board are coughing and spluttering and there’s no medication available in the ship’s shops.

We then went to have lunch at a mall restaurant.  Earl and Judy had Tuna Salad – absolutely awesome and I had a traditional dish made with eggplant and cheese and a spicy sauce.  It was served with a generous green salad with extra olives on the side.  It also came with a huge bread roll which I’d asked to be left off.  Earl also declined bread but Judy didn’t.  They got that part of the order mixed up so I gave her my roll.  The food was expensive but worth every shekel!