If you like fresh mouth-watering seafood and find yourself in Cairo... go here and arrive hungry:
Kadoura Seafood Restaurant - King of Alexandria
Cairo 66 Gameat El Ddoal El Arabia St, El mohandsein
Tel: 33350622 / 37608660 / 37608665
Walking in, the smell of fresh fish is overwhelming... that's because it's on display and you choose what you want and how you want it done. Get some fish... get some grilled jumbo shrimp... choose a table on the top floor - away from the smell and generally lovely. Try everything they bring - spicy tomato slices, fabulous tahini and hummus... but for god's sake, save room for the amazing fruits de mer that's on its way to you from the kitchens.
For the vegetarians
Arabs love meat... but there are a few wonderful veggie dishes to look out for:
kosharee - a dish of spaghetti, macaroni, rice, chickpeas, lentils, crispy fried onions and tomato sauce
falafel - you've probably had it before... this Middle Eastern classic has gone worldwide
Bevvies:
Any decent restaurant will have fresh juices. Mango, strawberry, etc... liquefied and placed in a glass for your enjoyment... Heaven.
Coffee fans... don't settle for Nescafé and kindly request a Turkish stove-top brew. Then be prepared for the STRONG dark ambrosia.
Oct 7, 2008
Aug 12, 2008
Turkey Travel Planner
There is a man named Tom Brosnahan who's written over 40 guidebooks and has a deep-seated love for tea and fez hats in his heart. And if you are at all curious about what you could see, do, how much it'll cost and even how to get married in Turkey... no kidding... I invite you to his online guide to Turkey at http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/
Time and again, browsing some info during my 3 weeks in Türkiye, I was redirected to his amazing database of regional information, maps, transport info, photographs...
Check it out!
Time and again, browsing some info during my 3 weeks in Türkiye, I was redirected to his amazing database of regional information, maps, transport info, photographs...
Check it out!
The Man in Seat Sixty-One . . .
In our fast-paced immediate-gratification society, one of my personal joys of traversing the globe is being comfortably seated on a train, preferably with a window seat, listening to that rhythmic knocking against the rails and watching the landscape roll by...
It's amazing how far you can get around the world without flying. If you don't believe me, check out Seat 61 - one man's hobby turned into a glorious database on train travel, complete with ship connections. You'll never have to take off your shoes at an airport security station again. Unless you like that sort of thing.
It's amazing how far you can get around the world without flying. If you don't believe me, check out Seat 61 - one man's hobby turned into a glorious database on train travel, complete with ship connections. You'll never have to take off your shoes at an airport security station again. Unless you like that sort of thing.
Aug 9, 2008
Český Krumlov: Egon Schiele Art Centrum
The Egon Schiele Art Centrum is a fantastic maze-like old building that's just as much fun to roam around as sampling its exhibitions of art.
Named after the prominent unconventional artist of Czech and Austrian descent whose heart was devoted to the beauty of Český Krumlov, the gallery contains a permanent collection of Schiele's work.
The 2008 exhibits, in time for the Summer Olympics and all the political controversy, dedicate a large portion of the space to images, philosophy and customs of China. There is a fantastic tongue-in-cheek solo exhibit by young Chinese multi-media artist Yonghua Tian who creates the perfect nationalistic emblem, dogma and inspirational instructions using his own stylized image as the central logo driving the brave new world.
Named after the prominent unconventional artist of Czech and Austrian descent whose heart was devoted to the beauty of Český Krumlov, the gallery contains a permanent collection of Schiele's work.
The 2008 exhibits, in time for the Summer Olympics and all the political controversy, dedicate a large portion of the space to images, philosophy and customs of China. There is a fantastic tongue-in-cheek solo exhibit by young Chinese multi-media artist Yonghua Tian who creates the perfect nationalistic emblem, dogma and inspirational instructions using his own stylized image as the central logo driving the brave new world.
Český Krumlov: Dilettante's Hangout
dil·et·tante [dil-i-tahnt, dil-i-tahnt, -tahn-tey, -tan-tee]
ɪˌtɑnt, –noun
| 1. | a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler. |
| 2. | a lover of an art or science, esp. of a fine art. |
| 3. | of or pertaining to dilettantes. |
Such is the chosen identity of Matya Dio, self-proclaimed painter, experimental novelist and lover of caffeine. Besides being an interesting woman, she runs a small guesthouse in the charming little town of Český Krumlov and the place is appointed as you might expect from a young, funky artist with an eye for details and a passion for colour.
Dilettante's Hangout is in a perfect location for exploring the Old Town, which is well worth exploring. The guesthouse consists of the sub-terranean Buddha Suite and the main-floor Nirvana Boudoir. There is a handy kitchen, lounge with books, guitars and a fireplace and a patio with seats and a hammock. Both suites accommodate 2 comfortably and the going rate is less than $70 CAD/night, as of summer 2008.
Aug 7, 2008
Prague: Clear Head Restaurant
Vegetarians and foodies rejoice!! Lehká Hlava, translated into English as Clear Head, is a fantastic eatery designed to tantalize all the senses. From the ambient cozy decor to the dishes and beverages concocted by culinary genius, I might just come back to Prague so I live in the same city as this restaurant.
All-vegetarian and vegan offerings loaded with flavour seem to take the best of world cuisines, creating a United Nations of meal options that come smitting you with the colourful presentation before the first bite. Unusual drinks like birch juice and Mayan chocolatl promise you'll never have to order the same thing twice. All the veggie gourmet delights like tempeh, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts, fresh herbs and grains like bulgur, couscous and buckwheat are here. And the menu even promises that all englightened beings eat free!
All-vegetarian and vegan offerings loaded with flavour seem to take the best of world cuisines, creating a United Nations of meal options that come smitting you with the colourful presentation before the first bite. Unusual drinks like birch juice and Mayan chocolatl promise you'll never have to order the same thing twice. All the veggie gourmet delights like tempeh, avocado, goat cheese, walnuts, fresh herbs and grains like bulgur, couscous and buckwheat are here. And the menu even promises that all englightened beings eat free!
Aug 6, 2008
Prague: Club Cross
I bet you ain't seen nothin' like this before! Cross Club is a flourishing night venue that draws patrons for its music, its Art Sundays but most of all... its wildly unique decor. A wall made of computer parts seems to communicate with its subtle light display. Countless rotating, moving surfaces with blinking lights are like cogs and wheels in a giant machine created by a skilled mechanic cum fervent visionary. Past this apocalyptic set-up you climb metal steps to the second level of seating and observe the crowd, the moving display above your table, occasionally remarking for the umpteenth time: "Wow, man..." to your friends. It takes a few laps around this flashing tangle of passages and niches to orient yourself between the main performance rooms, the huge outdoor patio and the rest.
Entry often free!
Entry often free!
Aug 5, 2008
Hungary: Orange Ways
Linking about 25 European destinations with their bright orange buses plying the routes, Orange Ways is Hungarian bus coach company and their prices are a steal. We got from Budapest to Prague for about $30 CAD and that was way below the cost of the train.
The seats are comfortable, they show movies, the friendly stewardess explains there is a tiny toilet cubicle (use for #1 ONLY!) and you can get coffee or hot chocolate spit out from an automated machine but I don't recommend either.
Our 7am departure meant we had to know exactly where the bus leaves from but with Google Maps it's an easy world to navigate in our modern times.
Safe journeys!
The seats are comfortable, they show movies, the friendly stewardess explains there is a tiny toilet cubicle (use for #1 ONLY!) and you can get coffee or hot chocolate spit out from an automated machine but I don't recommend either.
Our 7am departure meant we had to know exactly where the bus leaves from but with Google Maps it's an easy world to navigate in our modern times.
Safe journeys!
Aug 4, 2008
Budapest: Helena Guesthouse
We got off our overnight train in Budapest around 7am, figuring it was early enough in the day that we could find a place to sleep, leaving it up to fate. Sure enough, we were approached by a few people and decided to take up sweet wrinkled Helena on her offer of a bed in one of her two accommodations.
She has private apartments (~30Euro) on offer, but were living cheap and opted for the 6 Euro dorm beds in Helena Guesthouse, which shares its name with both Helena and her daughter.
The pros:
Super-affordable (~$10 CAD) single non-bunk beds, free Internet access and kitchen, clean bathroom, good location. They'll store your luggage, let you wash your clothes and give you a free map of the city. 24-hour access.
The cons:
Well, I just want to be honest here. The family lives in the front room/foyer with a loft, where the TV is on around the clock and someone is smoking on the couch while watching it. They are very good about closing the door to the guest rooms, so it's not smoky where you are sleeping. But I had a sense of walking through their living room every time I came and went and it broke my heart to watch these ladies ruin their lungs and skin chain-smoking all day long. One of the sons lives in the room adjoining the kitchen, so again... I just felt like I was intruding a bit, cooking my rice listening to awful North American music he was downloading. Some of the dishes in the kitchen I washed before using.
The Last Word:
I don't know that you could pay less for a central place to stay and it's completely safe for you and your stuff. I'd say if you're looking for a cheap bed, this is it. If you're looking for a hostel with an atmosphere... although you'll meet fellow travellers here, this is not in my top places to re-visit.
She has private apartments (~30Euro) on offer, but were living cheap and opted for the 6 Euro dorm beds in Helena Guesthouse, which shares its name with both Helena and her daughter.
The pros:
Super-affordable (~$10 CAD) single non-bunk beds, free Internet access and kitchen, clean bathroom, good location. They'll store your luggage, let you wash your clothes and give you a free map of the city. 24-hour access.
The cons:
Well, I just want to be honest here. The family lives in the front room/foyer with a loft, where the TV is on around the clock and someone is smoking on the couch while watching it. They are very good about closing the door to the guest rooms, so it's not smoky where you are sleeping. But I had a sense of walking through their living room every time I came and went and it broke my heart to watch these ladies ruin their lungs and skin chain-smoking all day long. One of the sons lives in the room adjoining the kitchen, so again... I just felt like I was intruding a bit, cooking my rice listening to awful North American music he was downloading. Some of the dishes in the kitchen I washed before using.
The Last Word:
I don't know that you could pay less for a central place to stay and it's completely safe for you and your stuff. I'd say if you're looking for a cheap bed, this is it. If you're looking for a hostel with an atmosphere... although you'll meet fellow travellers here, this is not in my top places to re-visit.
Jul 9, 2008
Mediterranean Coast: Kabak Valley
Kabak Valley (the Valley of Squash!) is a hidden little gem on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey where the waters are azure and the tourists flock by the hundreds to resort towns the like of Ölüdeniz. For your sanity, please avoid the latter unless you're looking for small Britain with a more favourable climate as endless sandwich boards proudly proclaim they will get you bangers and mash and you can pay in GBP. Why? You're in Turkey, sillies!
From the lovely town of Fethiye take a dolmuş (a mini-van that is a shared taxi, a Turkish specialty for getting around) from the bus depot. A few hours of winding cliff-hugging roads and voilá - you are at the end of the line, the sleepy tiny village of Kabak. There is a guesthouse or two here on top of the hill but you are a long way from the beach down below, beckoning with its gentle surf and white sand. So here is my suggestion.
Pay the dolmuş driver the nominal fee for getting you here safely despite his careening speeds past the long drops to the valley floor. Disembarking, note the small bushel of signs for accommodation, jeep transportation, etc. marking the start of the climb down to the ocean. Also etch in your mind the second café/shop combination to the right of the signs - this is the place to stock up on ice-cream bars, beer and miscellaneous items to carry to your camp haven below. They also serve fantastic and cheap gözleme with ayran (that's a stuffed flat-bread and savoury yogurt drink respectively) and sell local honey and crafts.
Now you are ready to hoist your belongings as comfortably as possible and start the descent to the valley below. You'll be walking along a part of the Lycian Way, a fabulous trekking route that echoes of long-gone civilizations that once thrived along this rocky coast. This walk will get your heart pumping for the views as well as the steep angle you are navigating, but it couldn't be more worth it.
There are several camps that have sprung up in the valley. One of the pioneers is Reflections Camp and I adore this eco-lodge with its calm tranquil magic. Started by Chris who is American and currently run by a beautiful Turkish couple, they endeavour to recycle everything possible, provide refills of potable water to reduce consumption of plastic bottles, remove all their trash from the valley and are continually improving their lush natural oasis of wooden bungalows and tent platforms while pouring on the famous Turkish hospitality. Breakfast and dinner are divine buffets served on the communal terrace with luscious views, candles and backpackers mingling their stories and accents between bites and praise of the food. Lunch is extra, but we loved the reward of gözleme and ayran after a long climb to the valley's rim, to break up all that lying around on the beach.
Mmmm... the Valley of Squash... save this gem for your favourite people who will treat it with respect.
From the lovely town of Fethiye take a dolmuş (a mini-van that is a shared taxi, a Turkish specialty for getting around) from the bus depot. A few hours of winding cliff-hugging roads and voilá - you are at the end of the line, the sleepy tiny village of Kabak. There is a guesthouse or two here on top of the hill but you are a long way from the beach down below, beckoning with its gentle surf and white sand. So here is my suggestion.
Pay the dolmuş driver the nominal fee for getting you here safely despite his careening speeds past the long drops to the valley floor. Disembarking, note the small bushel of signs for accommodation, jeep transportation, etc. marking the start of the climb down to the ocean. Also etch in your mind the second café/shop combination to the right of the signs - this is the place to stock up on ice-cream bars, beer and miscellaneous items to carry to your camp haven below. They also serve fantastic and cheap gözleme with ayran (that's a stuffed flat-bread and savoury yogurt drink respectively) and sell local honey and crafts.Now you are ready to hoist your belongings as comfortably as possible and start the descent to the valley below. You'll be walking along a part of the Lycian Way, a fabulous trekking route that echoes of long-gone civilizations that once thrived along this rocky coast. This walk will get your heart pumping for the views as well as the steep angle you are navigating, but it couldn't be more worth it.
There are several camps that have sprung up in the valley. One of the pioneers is Reflections Camp and I adore this eco-lodge with its calm tranquil magic. Started by Chris who is American and currently run by a beautiful Turkish couple, they endeavour to recycle everything possible, provide refills of potable water to reduce consumption of plastic bottles, remove all their trash from the valley and are continually improving their lush natural oasis of wooden bungalows and tent platforms while pouring on the famous Turkish hospitality. Breakfast and dinner are divine buffets served on the communal terrace with luscious views, candles and backpackers mingling their stories and accents between bites and praise of the food. Lunch is extra, but we loved the reward of gözleme and ayran after a long climb to the valley's rim, to break up all that lying around on the beach.
Mmmm... the Valley of Squash... save this gem for your favourite people who will treat it with respect.
Jul 8, 2008
Fethiye: Onur Pension
Wikipedia tells me that Fethiye is a [lovely] city in the Muğla Province in the Aegean region of Turkey with about 68,000 inhabitants. Water sports beach fun in the bay, rock-hewn tombs in the hillsides, the edge of the Tourus mountain chain.
I highly recommend the Tuesday morning farmers' market.
Also great was Onur Pension owned by Muzo, a former teacher who's got an endless smile and chatter and good prices for his rooms. At present there's no website, so contact him here:
onurpension@hotmail.com
+90 0 532 795 19 22 mobile
+90 0 252 612 62 62 office
I highly recommend the Tuesday morning farmers' market.
Also great was Onur Pension owned by Muzo, a former teacher who's got an endless smile and chatter and good prices for his rooms. At present there's no website, so contact him here:
onurpension@hotmail.com
+90 0 532 795 19 22 mobile
+90 0 252 612 62 62 office
Jun 9, 2008
Olympos, Çıralı and Chimaera
If you've heard of the ruins of Olympos in Turkey, then you've probably heard of Olympos tree houses. This area is also where people come to do a nocturnal visit to Fire on the Mountain. Mount Chimaera is pock-marked with small holes from which flames leap out due to exiting gases spontaneously combusting upon mixing with air. (it's true!!) In ancient times these flames spawned the myth of the fire-breathing monster Chimaera and in more recent centuries running contests were held starting at the very top of the break-neck steep slope.
Along the coast the order of appearance is Olympos treehouse hostels, Olympos ruins, the small village of Çıralı and then the road winds along to the mountain. Many backpackers stay in the treehouse party enclaves and we heard Bayram's has a fun, bustling atmosphere. However, we were looking for something a little more... grown-up and local.
We certainly got rewarded for our efforts. After an uncomfortable 4km walk along the shifting beach pebbles, we arrived at the entrance to Çıralı marked with a zillion signs for pensions (guesthouses). This is where Turks go to vacation by the sea-side. I offered to do the leg-work going from one place to another in the hot sun because this very day Rich was celebrating his birthday and so deserved to relax with our bags in the shade underneath the forest of signs. In fact, this proved to be the best method for landing a bed for the night as pension owners looking for guests approached Rich and even discussed amongst themselves who had the best deal.
We ended up staying with Mehmet at Nur Pansiyon who couldn't have been a better host. He gave us a killer deal (it was still the off-season), made fantastic coffee and food (do NOT miss his offers of cooking multi-course meals to spoil your taste buds!) and generally made us feel like friends in a home away from home. Superemely good luck put us there just 2 weeks after his cat had adorable kittens! I mean, they were adorable!
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| From Meow |
If you want to relax and have some peaceful days... you can't beat Çıralı with its calm beach, nearby ruins and the mystery of Chimaera flames. And the best part, Mehmet's hospitality!
NUR Pansiyon
Mehmet Karakuş
nur_pansiyon@hotmail.com
0.242.825.72.61 Office
0.538.576.32.93 Mobile
Mehmet Karakuş
nur_pansiyon@hotmail.com
0.242.825.72.61 Office
0.538.576.32.93 Mobile
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