Why spent 7 months in the Middle East? Why the Caucasus? Iran, Syria and Israel, Armenia and Turkey. So many contrasts! In Georgia we were even surprised by the war. An itinerary full of conflicts and full of religiously charged countries. But also a region full of art treasures and spectacular nature. Ultimately, this is … Continue reading “Backpacking trip Middle East and Caucasus 2008”
In Aswan, I bob around on a felucca on the Nile or watch the boats glide past the green islands, round granite rocks and the desert in the background. Meanwhile, there are some boats that have some kind of logo on the sail. One boat, for example, seems to belong to an American fast food … Continue reading “Via Aswan and Luxor to Leipzig…”
In the White Desert near Farafra, one feels transferred into a painting by Dali. Everywhere you look, wondrously shaped knobs of white chalk lime. With imagination you can find faces, animals, flames, tables and more. You don’t even need imagination to see the mushrooms. Sometimes the ground looks like snowdrifts, which look especially crazy when … Continue reading “White Desert”
The Islamic old city of Cairo is a wondrous collection of domes, minarets, market alleys, fountain houses; most of them in dusty brownish-grey colour. In between, a dense throng of market criers, porters, shoppers and tourists. The most beautiful buildings were built by the Mamluks. These were originally soldier-slaves, Turks bought by the Middle Eastern … Continue reading “Cairo”
Where else do you see more donkey carts rumbling along the road than cars? The oasis of Siwa is still far remote from everything, even though there are now street lamps that look as if they had strayed here from Paris. A thicket of date palms, two large salt lakes and in the background the … Continue reading “Oasis of Siwa”
Deep blue water full of coral reefs, with reddish granite mountains towering behind. So beautiful that this is the third time I’ve come to this coast. In places, the granite rocks are criss-crossed by swarms of black dykes like a zebra pattern. Nuweiba is almost deserted, the camps and restaurants are empty and the few … Continue reading “Sinai”