On the second day of cruising, an officer from the ship called my room as I was preparing to go to the sauna. She told me that I do not have an Egyptian visa which means I cannot go to Egypt.
Here is the entry I wrote after I heard the news:
I just signed a letter of wavier, saying that I will not go on shore Egypt because I do not have a visa for the country.
I tried to brush it off, saying to myself: “I didn’t really want to go anyway.” Then I sat down on my tiny couch and tears came out of my eyes. I think I really do want to go to Egypt.
I can only blame myself. My first research showed that I need a visa but another Google search brought me to the Consulate of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the UK website which said:
Malaysian nationals
Malaysian nationals can stay in Egypt for up to two weeks without a visa. If their stay exceeds two weeks, the usual requirements apply.
Then a document from a Malaysian website said the same that Malaysians do not need a visa and can visit for only 2 weeks.
I really want to go to Egypt. sob.
[A few days later, I was glad to find out that I was right and was able to visit Egypt.]
I put the Egypt visa issue at the back of my head later in the day. I decided that if I cannot go to Egypt, I might as well enjoy myself fully on the ship.
Before the Egypt incident, I had breakfast at the restaurant and met a nice elder couple who I will into multiple times and even share a private tour group later in the future.
There was Italian class on board as well along with print out notes. Do you think greetings alone is enough for me to glide through Italy?
I took a nap and found out later that there were dolphins which followed the ship for a while. I missed watching dolphins!! What a tragedy.
At night, the ship had some “aerial performance” and meet-the-captain session.
[Note from Apr 29: Now that I finally have internet connection, I will be uploading the backlog blog posts.]
Location: Dubai, UAE [Day 3]
Location: Legend of the Seas [Day 1]
I woke up early that morning to pack my bag. I didn’t want to head out into the heat for food so I hibernated in the room.
Packing my bag was much easier than it was before I went on the trip. This is partly contributed by the carry on bag that I could distribute my things in.
Around 12 noon, the speakers from the mosque carried the Friday prayers and the very passionate speech made by the Imam.
Although I told my AirBnB host that I would leave at 12 noon, he wasn’t there. I had to send him a text but he recommended staying later for the prayer crowd to disperse.
So I did. This gave me a chance to plough through book 2 of Song of Ice and Fire, aka Game of Thrones series. But at 1:30pm, I was restless and hungry. If I went on the cruise now, there would be unlimited food waiting for me.
I finally checked out and got a cab to Port Rashid.
When I saw the ship, my heart swelled. It was lovely from afar: a white giant with blue lace trimming. It was just so gorgeous, and I would be staying in there for 15 nights! Imagine that.
Checking in wasn’t smooth sailing. I didn’t print out my SeaSail Pass so I had to fill out some forms.
The employees also told me that I cannot head to Egypt because of visa. I showed them the print out from the embassy, saying that Malaysians do not need a visa. I was allowed in but trouble will follow me.
When I got onboard. I was in awe of everything. The ship was HUGE! I was gawking at everything like the country bumpkin I am. I feasted on the lunch buffet at Windjammer Cafe after I put my things in my room.
I joined a tour of the ship by one of the Cruise Director Staff (meaning entertainment stuff) and got a feel of what the cruise liner has (almost EVERYTHING).
Legend of the Seas facilities
Before we set sail, there was a muster drill where everyone gathered at a location as a drill for safety evacuation. It was the most boring thing on this cruise as everyone stood there doing nothing.
The ship didn’t leave the port until well past 7pm. By that time, I’ve missed my time slot for the proper restaurant so I had dinner in the Windjammer Cafe.
That was Night 1 on the cruise which I will call home for the next 15 days.
One of the best things about the bus in Dubai is the bus stop. Some of the bus stops here are air conditioned! Inside, the temperature is a chilly 22 degrees Celsius.
Bus stop looks like from the front.
Isn’t it just awesome?!
Less awesome is a video of me giving you a tour of the bus stop. I look like I was very very bored. The truth is, it was rather sunny and I couldn’t open my eyes as wide as usual.
Burj Khalifa aka (current) tallest building in the world and that damn dot that won’t go away on my camera lens
I reached Dubai late last night and only got to see lots of street lights and bright signboards.
Oh, I did get to see the inside of the airport and it was modern and clean. (I even feel that it’s surpassing Changi Airpot in WOW! factor.)
Back to the day’s activities. In the morning, I allowed myself to sleep in a little more because I slept quite late last night (a combination of a late flight and excitement).
First stop was Dubai Museum. From the outside, the museum looked tiny. But on the inside, it’s quite spacious because they have most of their galleries underground.
The underground museum part reminded me very much of National Museum of Singapore. In fact, a lot of Dubai reminds me of Singapore. I even think that Dubai is Singapore on steroids.
After the museum, it was back under the sun. I walked aimlessly and found one of the airconditioned bus stops. Unfortunately, the air conditioning of that particular stop was broken and I sat in the heat but sheltered.
Bus C07 came. I took a bus to nowhere (to Dubai Healthcare City, to be more precise). On the bus, the driver asked me where I was going. I told him I didn’t know where I was going. I think that confused him a little.
We chat a little about Malaysia and how many petroleum companies from Malaysia have set up business in Sudan where the driver came from.
Dubai buses are a wonderful escape from the heat. The air conditioning was so powerful that I could hear the wind blowing from the vents.
Besides the nice cool air, the buses are great to see what Dubai looks like. Some parts of the metro are underground so it’s not as good a choice.
Lunch was at a Filipino place I spotted when the bus drove by. My bottle of 500ml water cost me about S$0.60. Yikes!
After lunch, I decided to head to Dubai Mall because I have no idea where else to go.
From the metro, it’s a long walk to Dubai Mall but I didn’t have to worry about the heat because they had this passage connecting the metro to the mall.
The mall was crazy big and just plain crazy. Some of the touristy sides were like Resorts World Sentosa but 10 times more expensive and perfumed.
I saw a humungous aquarium, a gigantic indoor waterfall (more like water trickling down the wall), a gigiantic indoor ice skating rink.
Dubai Mall’s layout also reminded me of Singapore because the escalators are positioned awkwardly. I suspect the architects for Vivocity had a go at Dubai Mall too.
After walking aimlessly around and getting a not-so-cheap local SIM, I sat at a not-so-cheap coffee place (there is no such thing as cheap in the mall). There, I tried to finish Game of Thrones which I have been taking too much time to read.
Before 6:00 p.m., I went to sit outside to wait for the fountain show to start. This show is the top attraction on Tripadvisor for Dubai so I just had to find out how good it is.
Turns out, it’s very good. But it’s better to see the show after the sun sets. I saw two performances while the sun was still out and they were alright.
After the show, it was time to head back. I think I’m staying in Mobile Phone Accessory Land because there are just too many mobile phone accessories stores around.
I’m writing this post in the airport’s Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. My plane leaves for Dubai at 6:25pm.
Quick summary of today: I watched Inglorious Basterds well into midnight. In the morning, I went back to the “hotel” I ate yesterday. They didn’t have hopper or khottu roti in the morning so I settled with something that looked a little like mee siam.
It was pouring when I left the hotel. I wanted to take the train to Katuyanaka but the train person said the next carriage wouldn’t be until 2:30pm and suggested that I take the bus.
By the time I switched to the bus from Colombo Fort to Airport, the rain had stopped and the air was cool. I like this sort of weather although clothes will take forever to dry.
The bus passed by familiar sights I saw on my first day. I’m most interested in the Christian shrines that dot the road. I know that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country so it was surprising to see Mary hold a baby Jesus by the roadside.
I have mixed feelings about Sri Lanka. I dislike the touts and the crazy heat. But I like the curious children (“Where are you from?”), yummy food (Khottu, I love you!!) and cheap travels. It’ll probably take me a few days to digest and share my views of the country.
[Heat stroke on Friday meant more sleep and no posts. But here it is, a day late.]
My hostel lady recommend that I visit Sigiriya on Friday since the weekend was the New Year holiday when buses are not as frequent.
I woke up at 6:00 am for my tuk tuk. It only came at about 7:00 am and charged me an extra 100 rupees (~S$1.00) as he came because of hostel lady’s call. It’s pretty ironic since I could have caught any other tuk tuk during that time.
Anyway! At the bus station, I was pointed to a general location at the upper right corner for the bus to Sigiriya. The conductor for another bus said the Sigiriya bus leaves at 7:30 am and pointed in the general direction of a roofed building.
So I waited and waited. Finally, a man came up and asked if I was heading to Sigiriya. He guided me to the right bus.
On the bus, a family of four’s two young girls giggled at me and pointed me to their dad. Later at Dambulla station, the father came over and talked about the Temple of Tooth and his family (wife’s from Sigiriya while he’s from Kandy). He also gave me an ice cream. Thanks kind Kandyan man!
Ice cream from kind Kandyan father
The bus was quite empty when we started our journey. However, it got pretty crowded soon.
It took about 3 hours for me to get to Sigiriya. The conductor told me to hop off at the unpaved road leading to the rock castle. Unfortunately, that was the exit and I had to trek for about 10 minutes to the ticket counter.
There was a small stream by the road where I washed my feet. The stream turned out to feed into the moat. How cool is that.
Near the gates, a man asked if I was going to climb the rock. I ignored him because he felt like a tout. Instead, I asked the security lady where to buy the tickets. She pointed to somewhere further down. As I walked to the ticket area, the man said: “You have to buy your ticket first.” Hello sir, that is just what I’m doing.
In case the tout was following me, I headed to the public toilet. Outside the ladies, there were two men lurking. That’s not good news.
Turns out, the man was holding some tissue to try to scam people into paying him for his “service”. I used my own supply instead and was indignant when he dared hold out his palm–with a 50 rupee note on top.
The ticket for Sigiriya is slightly more expensive compared with Anuradhapura. US$30 but it’s worth 10 times better than Anuradhapura.
The walk to the castle on the rock is gruelling, especially in the heat. I ended up with heat stroke later in the day.
Sights of Sigiriya
A quick summary of The Rock. Cool rock. Not so cool weather. Very few left of half-naked-half-cloud-clad fairies (used to be 500 but were vandalized). View from top of rock amazing. Going up and down not so great.
Stairs of Sigiriya
After the visit to The Rock, I haggled a tuk tuk ride to Dambulla (from 300 to 150 rupees). At Dambulla, everyone gawked at the Chinese tourist (that’s me!). Brave ones come up and suggest a tuk tuk ride to Dambulla (that would be crazy money, no thank you).
The bus to Dambulla came. I gave 100 rupees to the conductor who didn’t give me any change back. (Hey! That ride should be less than 30 rupees.) Maybe that’s the universe’s way of getting me to pay the difference of my tuk-tuk haggling.
After lunch, it was time for the bus. The sun was crazy hot but I had to stand by the road for the buses that head to Kandy. An air-conditioned bus zipped past. A bus packed to the brim with people stopped. I didn’t want to be squeezed like a sardine so I waited.
The guy who pointed me to the site to wait for Kandy-bound bus told me that all buses will be packed as it’s the new year. I sucked it up and boarded the next Kandy bus.
Luckily, I had a standing space right in front of the front row. I stood there, holding on to the railings for one and a half hour, all the while trying not to fall on the passenger.
Nearer to Kandy, a lady told me to sit at the seat which she “reserved”. I demurred but she insisted. She dropped off a few stops afterwards and I am forever grateful.
However the passenger next to me thought the area around my hip bone was an elbow rest and decided to put his elbow there for the entire trip. This wasn’t as bad as having someone’s crotch on my shoulder during my ride to Mihintale.
The bus finally rolled into Kandy at about 7:00pm. I caught a 200 rupee tuk-tuk (I seem to remember things involving money) back to the hostel.
I didn’t have an appetite as my head was throbbing from the heat. After a few tumblers of tea, I went to bed at 8:30pm.
[Summary: Went to Sigiriya. Ate first pain killer of the trip.]
Guesthouse owner in Anuradhapura brought me to the old bus stand on a tuk tuk this morning. I was stuffed into the back of an airconditioned minibus.
During the 4-hour ride to Kandy, I juggled balancing my large backpack on my left thigh, my messenger bag and small bag on my right thigh and the head of the passenger next to me on my shoulder. Now I am prepared to become a sardine in a tin in my next life.
When I first got into Kandy, I had a great shock. There were so many buses, noise and people!
I got back into Kandy’s center after checking into my hostel and got another shock. There were so many people on the streets. I think I almost hyperventilated from the crowd.
Kandy is pretty. The view of the hill side from the diner near my hostel is fabuous (lower left). The lake next to the Temple of the Golden Tooth is peaceful and calm. The air is a lot cooler than Anuradhapura which is great since I sweat buckets every night there.
Despite all the good things, it’s business as usual as every one tried to sell the Chinese person on the street everything they have. I got so fed up that I even accidentally ignored an official temple employee because he shouted, “Madam! Madam!”
I remember that touts weren’t so bad in Indonesia but maybe it’s because I’m travelling with another person so it was better.
One day, I might just carry out my plan and talk to an invisible person next to me. Hope the touts get freaked out by the crazy Chinese tourist. That’ll show them.
You would think that after I have 3G on my phone, I would stop getting lost? Nope, I got plenty lost today too.
Good news is that I’ve probably cycled an extra 5km everyday so I will return home fit and lean.
Back to today’s programing. I decided to visit the real Sacred City of Anuradhapura. This means buying an entrance ticket, instead of cycling into the sites that do not require a ticket.
Unfortunately, the ticket was 3,125 rupees. That’s US$25, according to their exchange rate. I only prepared 2,500 rupees (based on SGD conversions) for the ticket and didn’t bring much extra.
I managed to pay for my pricey ticket which was only checked 3 times at rather boring sites. If I had followed the advice of a travel blogger and cycled in without a ticket, I would be 3k rupees richer and can have 19 sets of curry and rice plus papaya juice.
The sun was unbearably hot. I rode the bicycle with an improvised riding hood made out of my purple pashmina and a safety pin. I look like purple Casper, floating on the village roads of Anuradhapura.
It’s rather a miracle that I have not passed out from the sun.
I brought along a 1.5-liter bottle of drinking water (60 rupees) and a tumbler of coffee from the morning.
I also brought along three bananas, two of which were conjoined. I snacked on the banana for a temporary sugar rush while sightseeing in the heat.
The best part about today’s visit was my cycling. Even though I got lost many times, it’s fun to be able to set my own visit times. I saw a lot of tourists on tours who got off to take photos and zoomed to the next site. Or maybe I’m having a case of sour grapes.
I am proud to say that I have a good sense of direction. However, this skill turns out wonky whenever I travel. I would walk the opposite direction of what is the real destination and will have to walk back a long way after I realize my mistake.
Today was no different. The guest house owner gave me simple directions to Anuradhapura sacred city–turn left at police station and go straight.
I hesitated when I reached the “go straight” part. I took a left and ended up in a very different part of the sacred city. The sign taunted me as it showed “Sacred City 3km”. I was only 1km away previously.
I took a break and got a big bottle of cold water at an eatery. I asked for the right direction and cycled hard.
As I cycled, I realized that the left side of the road was a lot higher and I suspected it was one of the ancient water reservoirs.
Jackpot! Next to the bank was a large lake. The view was gorgeous and made my stupid directional mistakes worth the trouble.
View of Tissa Wewa
I cycled on the bank. At one of the trees, I saw what I thought was an arm dangling. I have an overactive imagination and immediately thought that a child was murdered and parts of its body thrown in different places.
It turned out to be a man sleeping in the tree. Although I’m not too sure if he will ever wake up.
I also manage to sneak into one of the sites: Ranmasu Uyana.
The rock pools were fun. If I have a house, it would be awesome to have pools made out of rocks–as long as mold doesn’t cling to it.
Ranmasu Uyana
[Today’s summary: Got very very lost. Bought 3G package to stop getting lost. Napped. Took bus to Mihintale. Missed stop at Mihintale, walked half an hour. Didn’t got up Mihintale. Came back to Anuradhapura before sunset. Ate Chinese at Casserole Restaurant.]
Missed the 1:45pm train from Colombo to Anuradhapura by 15 minutes (or 30 minutes if you count the time it takes to elbow myself to the ticket counter).
Reached the ancient capital late at about 9:00pm. Guest house has one hidden electrical plug in my room.
At some stops, a little person in the front carriage would blow bubbles. I didn’t manage to catch any of the bubbles on film but it was a nice distraction from the same old view.
[Today’s summary: Missed train. Bought Kandy-Colombo train tickets. Took 4 hour 40 minutes ride to Anuradhapura. Guest house’s Wi-Fi wonky.]
YQtravelling 