Well, another wonderful Silversea Cruise is in the books... our 6th with Silversea. And what a journey it was! We repeated an Istanbul to Athens itinerary that we did with Seabourn Cruise Line in 2001... just 7 weeks after 9/11. Not knowing if our travel agency would survive the aftermath of 9/11, (Our 4th quarter sales that year was a 'negative'... we sold little and refunded much of what had been sold that summer.) this journey was not exactly comfortable for us... most of it became a blur very quickly. (To put our nervousness on that first trip in perspective, the bombing in Afghanistan began as we sat in the World Club lounge waiting to depart for Istanbul!)
So this "do-over" was almost like a first time! Actually, this itinerary included two very interesting new port stops for us... Haifa, Israel and Alexandria, Egypt.
Adding to the intrigue, we sailed to Haifa from Limosol, Cypress - the very route taken by that ship that the Israeli Security Force intercepted last summer... the supposed "relief supply" ship that turned out to be terrorists smuggling arms to Gaza!
Arriving Haifa, we experienced Israeli security measures as officials came aboard to interview every single passenger - even those who would not be disembarking - before allowing anyone off. Our day trip to Jerusalem was one of the most meaningful days we've ever spent. More on that next time.
Our next stop would be in Egypt and we learned that if one has an Israeli stamp in their Passport they will not be allowed into Egypt - ever, not just on that trip. As result, Israel stamps a separate, unattached page.
Sometimes, your travels are intriguing in that you learn how awful certain places in the world can be. Enter Egypt! I've been in some pretty scurvy places in my 40 years of traveling, but Alexandria, Egypt is the dirtiest city (3 million people crowded into a shoe box!) we've ever seen. Garbage lined the streets everywhere. Filth reined supreme!
Our long day trip through Cairo (not as disgusting as Alexandria, but close) to the Pyramids and The Sphinx was less than comfortable - but seeing those sites is a must... truly awesome! Each tour bus had an armed security guard on board. And the buses stayed together in caravan mode. We were on the bus for 4 hours without a rest stop because they don't dare stop and let tourists roam. The bus had a "restroom" but you wouldn't want to go in it until it would become an "emergency"!
After seeing the sights and riding camels, we stopped at a shop in Cairo. During the stop, the armed guards stood outside the bus with rifle in breach position... so comforting!!!
Our cruise ended in Athens which has, on previous visits, not been among our favorite cities. This time, after a day in Egypt, Athens seemed like a garden spot. We enjoyed Athens much more than ever before.
Despite these comments, I would heartily recommend this experience to anyone!
Cheers,
Dick
Destination Weddings are the hottest trend in the country... and they now account for almost one fourth of all weddings! WOW!
