Author archive
30 October 2019
Dolmabahce Palace After breakfast, I took the tram to Dolmabahce Palace. This palace had been on my radar since my first visit 27 years ago. But having seen a few opulent palaces through the years, in fell down my priority list. But now, I have done and repeated many things in Istanbul, so it’s popped […]
29 October 2019
Leaving Sharm I got to Sharm el Sheikh airport just after midnight. With my departure at 0340 I expected check-in to open at 0040. A queue had built up and airport security started checking documents to enter the check-in area. I then realised it was for the Pegasus flight to Istanbul. I had a short […]
28 October 2019
I thought I deserved a sleep-in but I woked at 0600 despite the blackout curtains being drawn tightly. I lazed around till 0715 when I hit the gym. My flight to Istanbul leaves at 0340 tomorrow morning and I have a 1200 check-out and 2345 departure from the hotel for the airport. After the gym […]
27 October 2019
I finished my second day of diving at Sharm today. It was the beautiful reef fish here 15 years ago that prompted me to take up diving 5 years later. It’s like a full circle that I’ve returned now to try diving in Sharm. But after 10 years of diving in SE Asia, I think […]
27 October 2019
Today is my second day of diving with Desert Rose Diving, going to Ras Mohammed. I was picked up at 0830 but one diver was five minutes late. Then he had forgotten to bring his passport along. Going back to get it, he found that his card had stopped working. We left the hotel 25 […]
26 October 2019
Today I dive Tiran (the Strait and the Island) with Desert Rose Diving. It started with a pickup at 0830 from my hotel and a drive to Shark;s Bay about 30 mins away, near the airport. We waited for our boat “Dahab” to get its turn at the jetty before boarding around 0930. There was […]
25 October 2019
Resort holiday, for a change Despite getting in after midnight, I was up around 0700. I went for the very good buffet breakfast downstairs before exploring the resort. I don’t normally stay in such luxury, but there is a story behind this one. This time last year, I had to accept a cold damp room […]
24 October 2019
Killing time Today I fly to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt at 2120. I have time to kill after checkout till the flight. So it made sense for me to use my nice room to the max, till check-out. Since Istanbul is now quite familiar to me, it isn’t a wasted day in the marvellous […]
23 October 2019
Leaving Sulaymaniyah for Istanbul Shah organised a driver to take me to the airport between 0030 and 0100. He turned up fine, to my relief, and I was dropped off at the airport at 0100, which was 2h30 prior to my 0330 flight. There as an initial security screening in a container-like shed at the […]
22 October 2019
Museum fail Having done more than what I had intended yesterday, I’m relatively free today. My plan had been to go to Amna Suraka and the Museum today. But now, I only have the latter to attend to. I walked to the Museum getting there around 0940. The opening time is 0900. While it was […]