Crete

Still sorting and uploading pics... Kamares is a Venetian house dependency restored with natural materials situated in the heart of the preservable village of Maheri, in an area of a rare natural beauty, scattered with historical and prehistorical monuments. It combines traditional architecture with modern facilities.

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The complex is located among organic hanging gardens. It is composed of five stone apartments, a villa and a large swimming pool, with a total capacity of 20 beds. It is situated at a distance of 30 km airport of Chania, at 23 km from the city of Chania, at 6 km from the ancient city of Aptera and at 5 km from the coast of Kalyves.

Elafonisi

Elafonisi is one of the most well-known beaches not only in Crete but also entire Greece as I learned. A famous summer hotspot with a strange morphology and a stunning, beige dust like sand. Located at the western part of Hania the area offers two adjacent beaches that are connected to the small peninsula right opposite them with a sandy pice of land, the place is a heaven. The sand has taken its exceptional pink-beige hue from broken shells, while the wide area is a shelter for endangered careta-careta turtles. 

Frangokastello

Frangokastello is the location of a castle and scattered settlement on the south coast of Crete which was built by the Venetians in 1371-74 as a garrison to impose order on the rebellious Sfakia region, to deter pirates, and to protect Venetian nobles and their properties. Orthi Ammos is a sandy oasis app. 10min walk at the road from Frangokastelo to the east. Orthi Ammos is partially protected from south winds and has beautiful turquoise waters, the sand dunes and the overall unspoiled scenery made swimming merely unforgettable!

Back in town...

“Viel zu spät begreifen viele die versäumten Lebensziele:Freude, Schönheit der Natur, Gesundheit, Reisen und Kultur, Darum, Mensch, sei zeitig weise! Höchste Zeit ist’s! Reise, reise! ”

— Wilhelm Busch, 1832-1908

Paradise...

“Hab’ die ganze Welt geseh’n, von Singapur bis Aberdeen. Wenn ihr mich fragt, wo’s am schönsten war, dann sag ich: Sansibar!”

— Achim Reichel

Zanzibar

Off to Zanzibar

Starting last part of our trip: Going east... Finally we left our second home in Arusha with first bus in the morning (starting at 6:00 am *argh*) and headed east to Zanzibar. Since everything seemed to be somehow related to Mt Kilimanjaro, we decided to take the Kilimanjaro Express although Dar Express goes at similar schedule and same price which was 30.000 TSH.

Whole trip took about 10h for us from Arusha via Moshi to Dar with half an hour of break in between...not counting 1.5h unplanned stop right after having lunch where our bus driver had to repair the brakes *hehe*. Actually we hoped for last ferry to Zanzibar around 16:00 but this was out of sight after last stop.

Thanks to Alexia we already had a B&B recommendation in Dar es Salaam, the Jambo Inn Hotel which was reasonable, in direct walking distance to the ferry landing, has a restaurant and most imortant had a free room.

Kilimanjaro via Machame route...

Juli and I made it again! Without having seen any mountain before (ok, I did climb up to 150m on famous Bungsberg in SH when I was a child ;-)) we did successfully reach Uhuru Peak - the highest point in Africa at 5.895m.

Decision for particular route

We actually started out in Tanzania without having agreed which route we wanna go. I was aware of several different routes but since I did not have any experience my only pre-requisites were:

• route needs to provide chance to properly acclimatize,
• route needs to be possible w/o extensive climbing experience.

Juliane was in favor of Shira/Lemosho route; I considered Machame route - both with a minimum of a 6-day hike in order to acclimatize and both routes not being #1 route chosen by everybody (which is Marangu aka Coca-Cola-Route).

Not telling yet that the rangers also sold Coca-Cola for 4$ each at Barafu camp ;-)...

In the end there was no discussion since we met two french guys in our hotel: Jean-Christophe and Damien already had decided & booked a tour with Tanzania Summit Adventures for 6-day Machame route hike. So, we simply jumped in, made a quick decision and joined them - and it was best that could have happened to us!

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp (3033m)

Sulley, our guide, picked us up at the Meru House Inn in a Landcruiser, and about an hour later we arrived at the Machame Gate. We met our assistant guide Nadya and the rest of the support crew: Total 17 people for the four of us. Guide, 2 assistant guides, cook, 13 porters. These are positions of status. Paperwork at the Gate took over an hour and Juli's famous credit card once again saved our the trip.

Finally we are on our way, up through the rain forest. After we walked for hours through the montane rainforest, characterized by dense vegetation, a muddy trail and short sections of steep climbs, we never got a view of the top. But finally, it's there: Around early afternoon we arrive at Machame Hut and got a glimpse to the peak.

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp (3837m)

The second day continues through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorlands. Picturesque hanging mosses often cover trees and offer an ethereal quality to the landscape. The day finishes with Shira Camp, which is on a small plateau in the high moorlands, and features views of Kibo in the northwest and Mount Meru towards the east. White necked ravens can be seen throughout the day. There is also a set of small caves a short walk from the campsite known as the Shira Caves.

Day 3: Shira Camp via Lava Tower (4637m) to Barranco Camp (3976m)

The third day starts in the moorlands and moves into alpine desert, with fewer trees and more rocks. The highest point is the base of the Lava Tower, after which the trail descends into the Barranco Valley. More vegetation is present in this zone, especially the area just before the campsite. This area is called the 'Garden of the Senecias' which features many of the huge senecio plants. Shorter lobelia plants are also present.

Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp (4673m)

The fourth day starts with the ascent of the Barranco Wall, which is considered a scramble in climbing terms. The top of the Wall has attractive vistas of Kibo and the surrounding landscape. The trail continues with many up and down sections across small streams and rivulets. It follows the path up and across a rocky zone, finishing at the high camp Barafu. Very little vegetation can be found on the inhospitable terrain. A field of sedimentary rocks litters the ground like many broken mirrors.

Day 5: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak (5895m) and descending to Mweka Camp (3068m)

We attempted the summit on the very early morning of the 6th day (around midnight). It took us about 6 hours to ascend. The full moon made the headtorch unnecessary and the night ascent a beautiful experience. The first milestone was Stella Point (5.685 m), which is on the crater rim. Following Stella Point, the trail continues for another 30 mins to the summit - Uhuru Peak.

The descent back to Barafu took roughly 4 hours. We 'scree slided' down the slope, which entails skidding/running down the loose gravel at medium speed. Then we took a short brake at Barafu and continued downwards through the alpine desert and ensuing moorlands to Mweka Camp.

Day 6: Descending to Mweka Gate and back to Arusha

Final day has trekkers continue through the montane forest to Mweka Gate. Troops of black-and-white colobus monkeys can often be seen in the dense growth.

The Big 5

Tanzania

First 24h in Tanzania, just arrived and already off to a Safari with 4 incredible days somewhere in Africa...this is a nice start and basics as I learned :-) "The phrase Big Five [...] refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size [...]" - from Wikipedia

Brainstorming

Where to go? Night again, some red wine and a chat...ending up in weird brainstorming about possible places to travel to in 2011.

• Qingzang railway

The Qingzang railway is a high-altitude railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China. The total length of Qingzang railway is 1956 km: 815 km section between Xining and Golmud and 1142 km section between Golmud and Lhasa.

• Lhasa / Tibet

Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining.

• Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash (Elevation: 6,638 m (21,778 ft)) is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet. It is considered off limits to climbers in deference to Buddhist and Hindu beliefs; Pilgrims of several religions believe that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot is a holy ritual that will bring good fortune. The path around Mount Kailash is 52 km (32 mi) long.

• Bhutan / Paro Airport:

Paro Airport (IATA: PBH, ICAO: VQPR) is the only international airport of Bhutan. The airport  sits at an altitude of 7,300 feet (2,200 m) and is renowned as one of the world's most scary airport: "[...] only eight pilots in the world are qualified to fly into Paro [...]"

Holiday!

Finally made it: Although my holiday started officially last Wednesday, we were still facing some open topics which needed to be solved. As always. But does not matter anymore, critical stuff is done - way to go, yeah! So, time to organize some presents...which is most likely even more stress on last days compared to any working issue I had in past 3 months :-)

Cycling the Cabot Trail

Juli and I made it and survived the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada :-). Wondering what this is? Well, Alexander Graham Bell described it perfectly:

“I have travelled the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.”

The Cabot Trail

The Cabot Trail is a highway and scenic roadway in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island. The route measures 298 km in length and completes a loop around the northern tip of the island.

It is passing along and through the scenic Cape Breton Highlands: the northern section of the Cabot Trail passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the western and eastern sections follow the rugged coastline, providing spectacular views of the ocean and the southwestern section passes through the Margaree River valley before passing along Bras d'Or Lake.

Clockwise or counterclockwise? Counterclockwise!

Since neither Juli nor I have had any experience with cycling before, we split our tour into 5 days having a 6th day as a fallback. But even for me, as living mostly from coffee & cigarettes for years now :-(, 5 days worked out perfect  - and we still had lots of time to do stops in between, check some smaller hiking trails, do whale watching or simply enjoy the landscape (which you should really, really do).

Cabot Trail Day 1

Cabot Trail Day 2

Cabot Trail Day 3

Cabot Trail Day 4

Cabot Trail Day 5

If you are planning something similar, check Brian Hedney's page on "Cycling the Cabot Trail" which was of great help to us upfront! The following links consist of my mini diary, some GPS info (yes, I like my gadgets ;-)) plus pictures, pictures and even more pictures.

Last but not least: Some places special to us...

Although friendliness and feeling welcome was the main tenor for all places & people in Cape Breton, some places I will remember a tiny little bit more. Can't really say why, but here they are:

Restaurant "Flavor": Actually not on the Cabot Trail but in Sydney where I rented my bike for the tour. Gordon and Bev from the Colby House B&B recommended it and I can only agree: We had a very delicious dinner at the Flavor!

The Maven Gypsy B&B: This was our first evening out on the road after cycling 62km...so, we were not sure what we could expect. But Christine & Devin made our day! If you are ever around Wreck Cove make sure you stay (at least) a night  and enjoy their hospitality.

Restaurant "Rusty Anchor": Having left North Mountain behind us on Day 3, we arrived in Pleasant Bay and really needed dinner. Elizabeth, our host at The Poplar B&B, recommended it and we enjoyed a scenic sunset as well as fresh seafood in all kind of variations.

"The Red Shoe Pub": On our last day back to Antigonish we drove by Mabou late in the evening. Not only serving delicious food and good beer...Monday night also spontaneous fiddling by people from Mabou as we coincidently learned. If you go there, try Monday night!

Day 5 on Cabot Trail: Cheticamp – Baddeck

Some basics: 87,08km distance, Altitude difference 162m, Duration 5:26h (incl. stops) Biking005 [maptype=G_PHYSICAL_MAP]

Alternate route via Margaree, Hunters Mountain last 'hill', then off to Baddeck...longest tour with 80km but done on less than 5h. Staying in Telegraph House in Baddeck, Pizza & beer at night.

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