Around the World with John and Frank
In and around World
We grabbed the opportunity to be part of the maiden voyage of a Oceania Cruise ship, the Nautica, sailing on a 24 night cruise from Athens to Singapore. We had been to Egypt, but not to any of the other ports of call. It also intrigued us to travel through the Mid East, skirting areas that are so often in the news. I also had always wanted to traverse the Suez Canal.
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler FAZ
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1
We started here in our hometown
After returning from Key West the afternoon of the 25th, where we were for Thanksgiving week,our trip began with an overnight flight to London on... Continue reading »
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Connecting in London
We love London - but didn't see it this time! Continue reading » -
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The Cruise began here
We arranged to fly into Athens a day before ship embarked. We had arranged, over the internet, to be picked up at the airp... Continue reading »
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Port Said and a quick trip to Cairo.
After a day at sea, we arrived early on the 30th in Port Said, the gateway to Cairo. The cruise ship offered a number of tours for each port of call.... Continue reading » -
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Through the Canal
The canal is narrow, so throughout the transit you see Egypt on your right (Starboard!) and the Sinai desert on the left (Port). Continue reading » -
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The Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple
Safaga is the port access to Luxor. As in Cairo, our visit required a three hour bus ride - first through desert terrain, and then, as we approached... Continue reading » -
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Cruising the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea
The next five days were spent at sea, as we traveled around Saudi Arabia, by Somalia, along side Yemen, and into Oman. Ship board activities, includi... Continue reading » -
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A typical Arab city.
Muscat was a low key visit that allowed us to sample the arab life style, visiting a mosque, the local palace, and souks (markets). The city itself w... Continue reading » -
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A modern Arab city flaunting it's wealth.
This city has a split personality; some very traditional and old sections, including large souks (markets), each dedicated to certain products; gold,... Continue reading » -
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On the way to Bombay
Crossing the Arabian Sea proved to be the roughest part of the voyage, though it was by no means uncomfortable. Again, much to do on board to keep us... Continue reading » -
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A day in Mumbai (Bombay)
Just like films have always pictured it...teeming with people, dirty and dusty, beggars every where. The clash of the new and the old was everywhere.... Continue reading » -
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Another side of India.
Cochin, a more traditional city, gave us a whole different feel for India - like traveling back in time. Great shopping, friendly people - and no beg... Continue reading » -
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Cruising the Indian Ocean and the Andaman Sea
The weather began getting much warmer and more humid as we moved closer to the equator. Still spectacular days and relatively calm nights. Continue reading » -
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A taste of Thailand
We had been looking forward to visiting Thailand, and Phuket was more than we could have hoped for. A beautiful island with spectacular beaches (even... Continue reading » -
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Steaming toward Singapore
Our last day at sea. Time to say good bye to new friends and look forward to our return to reality. Continue reading » -
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A brief lay over as we continued on to North America
No time to visit - just passing through. (We had stayed in Hong Kong about a year and half ago, for several days, and loved it!) Continue reading » -
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We fell in love with this place!
A guide met us as we disembarked to lead us on a private tour of this city-state. She was the best guide we have ever had, and we covered all the hig... Continue reading » -
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Again, just passing through!
No time to think...just had to get psyched for our red eye to Philly. Continue reading » -
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Home at last!
We arrived back home around 8:30 AM on the day we started - thanks to crossing the international dateline. We had spent 27 hours on flights/lay overs... Continue reading »
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