Narrow streets, quinissential Spanish white walled houses, graeat views of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada, and finding a lost friend.
The Alhambra Revisited
My return to the Alhambra, this time on a guided tour. Very much busier but still a marvel.
The Journey From Malaga to Granada
Southern Spain has a good road network so I covered a lot of ground on the first morning. An interesting detour into the hills and then a return to the freeway. I even got up to see the snows of the Sierra Nevada before arriving in Granada.
The Journey From Hell
I knew that I had a long journey ahead of me, but I did not anticipate a 28 hour journey. Dubai was fog bound, which meant an unscheduled stop in Muscat to re-fuel.
This delay resulted in hours at Dubai airport, hours on the ground in a faulty A380, and arrival at London Heathrow instead of London Gatwick.
A Trip to Koh Chang
Two old men in an even older USA Army jeep. What could possible go wrong ?
We decided to tour this island paradise in an old jeep which dated back to the beginning of the Vietnam war. No handbrake, no 4WD, barely a dashboard, no seatbelts and questionable brakes. A bit like a Top Gear Special.
We drove from the North West to the South East and Back.
Windfarms in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chaiyaphum
Interesting couple of days on the road. Hot and hard work but fruitful.
A Trip to Abu Dhabi
On my way to the UK I decided to stop off at Abu Dhabi. Convenient for flights and I had a few adventures in mind.
First was the journey itself, followed by a trip to the Louvre, a spin around the Yas Marina F1 Circuit, and a desert adventure in a 4×4 Landcruiser.
The Maeklong Railway Market
If you are ever travelling to Hua Hin, Cha am or beyond, the Maeklong Railway Market is worth a stop. Close to the expressway and also the floating markets at Amphawa and Damnoen Saduak, a visit to the Railway Market is am impressive experience.
Health and Safety Executives in many parts of the world would be horrified by a market which is literally on an operating railway line. When a train passes by (on my visit it arrived at 11.10am), the market traders clear everything and the trains pass through. Very impressive.
A Night in Nairobi and then Out to the Maasai Mara
The Fairmont the Norfolk was a touch of luxury and old colonial stuyle.
The Journey to Nairobi
Uneventful Journey to the Airport Which was Packed When I Arrived
Not sure if there is a Pilgrimage or something but the ace was teeming with Indonesians or similar.
Found the Iounge and then a weird walk to the airplane. The gate was deserted and I think they had rounded up all if the economy passengers and shunted them off first.
I was fortunate to have a window seat, and an empty seat next to me. All looked good for an overnight flight to Addis Ababa. For the trip to work without jetlag it was essential that I slept on this opening flight.
Pleasant Layover at Addis Ababa
The lounge was spectacular
Impressive MRO facility and Ethiopian Airlines seem to have got their act together
Addis Ababa to Nairobi
What a dump Nairobi is. Airport a shambles, roads unfinished and people milling around everywhere. Just what I expected. Dusty. No traffic lights !
Watched the F1 and slept for close on 12 hours which overcame any jetlag.
This Blog has only recently been created (march 2023) and is based on my journal entries at the time that I made the trip.
Sad to say I was not impressed by Nairobi, but it was only ever a staging post for the journey to the Maasai Mara.