Apr 26, 2013

Notes From Cairo

Nobuko left Nepal a couple of days ago and is now in Cairo. This is what she has to say.

Hi! I arrived in Cairo today. Staying at the apartment of a couch-surfing host. What a place! It’s kind of quiet, surprisingly. But perhaps, other areas of the city are more crowded and noisy.
The airport was quiet and almost dead as well, with only my prime time flight coming in at 1 pm.

But the locals are fun loving and enjoy using a soft greediness, wrapped in humorous jokes that I could not help but to laugh and give in a little!! Women, on the back of motorcycles noticing me sitting in a taxi and cracking a big smile and waving with a loud “hello!!” Even women, fully clothed  in Muslim black attire complete with hijab headscarves walk into a local bar and …(gulp), not only drinking, but also smoking cigarettes! An unbelievable and unacceptable sight if this had taken place in India. I was  shocked. But in a ticklish, giddy, comradely way.

(Note: Before passing through Nepal to come to Egypt, Nobuko spent some time again in India)

What stands out here is the good and hearty sense of humor people possess, which is proudly and happily displayed with a big grin or a wink. It’s contagious. And its a good thing. Since I have turned into such a hardened and cold bitch, I welcome their easy and  fun loving attitude to melt me back into my natural outgoing, open self.

I like this shift  in my outlook. I feel that  I can finish my trip in a good way.
Tomorrow I’m viewing the pyramids!

All Gizah Pyramids

All Gizah Pyramids

(Photo credit: Wikipedia.file.All_Gizah_Pyramids)

I went ahead and got a preview of what Nobuko is going to see today.

Wonder what she has to say about Egyptian street vendors based on this excerpt:

“You can’t walk down here at all. It can’t be a short cut because you get stopped every few seconds.” [moves aside to let an elderly woman pass] “See? I bet she left the house when she was 10!”

— Karl Pilkington, travel host of “An Idiot Abroad”

Apr 22, 2012

Oberursel Altstadt

As dusk was setting, we were on our way to the guest house/restaurant Zum Schwanen. As always, we have to approach this Altstadt area on foot as there is no parking out front any of these buildings.

Oberursel Altstadt

View from the Marktplatz towards St. Ursula Kirche with the guest house Zum Hirsch (to the deer) on the left.

Gasthaus "Zum Schwanen" in Oberursel

 

Weathervanes in Oberursel

The church tower carries a weather vane, which is typically the Wetterhahn (German: rooster). This neighboring house has one sitting on the roof top, but I would hope this is only for decorative purposes and put up by the owner himself.

The old saying jemandem den roten Hahn aufs Dach setzen (to place the red rooster on s.o.’s roof) means this person wishes to burn down the house. Usually someone else’s.

Apr 22, 2012

Review for K-haus Gwanghwamun in Seoul, Korea

On our way to Japan, we visited Seoul for two days and booked K-haus Gwanghwamun in northern Seoul for our accommodation.

Prior to our departure, we got a few personal mails from the manager with directions and other useful information.

The little privately-run hotel lies on the outskirts and it was not easy to find. The usual 10-minute walk from the bus stop took us close to 45 minutes all the while asking for directions. We had the Korean address and not even the taxi driver nor shop assistants were able to direct us. While looking lost standing at a corner, we were approached by helpful Koreans several times. One of them was able to direct us to the place. The best landmark to point out for future reference would be the Czech Republic Embassy which is on the same road. The Czech Republic Embassy is listed on most maps.

The location itself is perfect though. Surrounded by consulates and embassies, it is in a very quiet corner of Seoul. Walking up the street  towards the guest house, you can see the mountains in the back.

The guest house is very clean and the manager was most accommodating in our needs. When we walked in, she already had a caller’s message waiting for me as well.

Our room with three beds was average size. Our shower equipment was very simple – a handheld shower head in front of the bathroom sink. But it worked nicely.

The breakfast on offer is basic (beverage, coffee and toast), so we ventured out to one of the many cafés lining the streets of Seoul for a more culinary experience.

The Airport Limousine bus service to northern Seoul is KRW 10.000 per person. On the way back to the airport, we took a taxi (orange colored, stating Interpretation Taxi on its side) which cost us KRW 50.500 (about US$ 44,–). Very affordable.

Last, but not least. My daughter left her plush animal behind, and Mrs. Lee, the manager, has been most helpful in trying to get it to Germany. She went way beyond her calling on that one.

You can visit K – haus Gwanghwamun on Booking.com for more information.

K-haus Gwanghwamun in Seoul, Korea

When I go back to Seoul, I will definitely book K-haus again. It is clean, quiet, shows good management, and is reasonably priced.

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