ISRAEL, EGYPT AND ANCIENT TREASURES
This was it, the big one. The one we’d been waiting for, the one we had been looking forward to so much. And it didn’t disappoint. We had a brilliant time. It confirmed, yet again, that one of the things I really like about cruising is its leisurely pace. It is the opposite of cars and traffic with all their rush and noise. Just being on a cruise calms you down. Just being on Equinox cheers you up. It is a superb ship and getting to know it was a pleasure. The passenger flow is easy, despite the ship’s size. They’ve improved ways of managing groups on and off excursions. It all seems effortless. The food was great; we went to many great places; we met many nice people; and the sun shone. What more could you want? We often say a ship is a destination in itself. This is particularly true of Equinox, especially if you like looking at pictures. There are two types of art on board; the for-sale work and the ship’s own artwork in the public areas. The latter is excellent and we found a fine descriptive catalogue in our cabin. I asked if this was free or, if not, could I buy one. It was not free, but later a complimentary copy was delivered to our stateroom. That’s Celebrity style for you and, personally, I can take a lot of it. The tours and excursions we took were superb. To be overwhelmed by the pyramids, how un-cool is that? But they did overwhelm us. And so did the Sphinx. Some people say tourism is ruining the world, damaging the sites by sheer numbers. I’m not sure that’s true. Were the famous places ever empty? I doubt it. I suspect there were as many people thronging Ephesus in its heyday as there are today. We were really moved by Israel, if for no other reason than to see the vast forests of trees in the desert, each one planted by hand. Massada was, for us, perhaps the highlight. It simply reduced us to silence. We loved Turkey. In Athens we were really disappointed to miss seeing the new Museum, but it was Monday, closing day. We should have known. The visit to the Dead Sea was simply amazing. Mind you, certain things can irritate, even on a cruise, especially in hot countries. One of those things is a mild skin condition known as heat rash. This can occur in many places on the human body and we needn’t go in to details. The treatment for this complaint does not include soaking in a warm bath containing water with a 30% concentration of salt. I should have realised that. Instead, I plunged into the sea and almost immediately plunged out again, like one of those missiles that whoosh up from underwater when fired by submarines. There followed a little dance on the beach. This involved upending a chair and scattering clothes, dropping my watch – kindly retrieved by another bather who hadn’t yet been scalded (thank you, Sir, whoever you are) – before setting off in urgent need of a fresh water shower. I was not the only one surprised by the bathing experience. A lady near me walked into the sea backwards, still talking to a friend on the beach. The water had just about reached her knees when the buoyancy lifted her feet from under her and she toppled over backwards with a loud splash and a squawk! From the beach appeared a huge lifeguard who scooped her up and set her vertical. Shaking herself like a dog she said: ‘Where did he come from? He’s gorgeous!’ Other tours were equally superb although, to be honest, I had not anticipated riding a camel. Someone had ticked the box that said I would. I swung myself on to the beast and clung fast to the pommel. Led by a robed youth we set off to places where Google Maps fear to tread. At the end of the outward leg, the adolescent holding the rope stopped, looked at me and said: ‘Tip!’ I said: ‘I’ll tip you when we get back.’ He said: ‘Okay, we gallop!’ Do you remember the music from Indiana Jones: ‘Dun de dur dere, dun der dum?’ Yet another fine mess you-know-who had got me into! Mrs Tick-the-Boxes hadn’t finished yet. She had more fun in store. At Santorini, she signed me up for the Volcano Hot Springs excursion with its disclaimer: ‘Must be able to swim 50 metres in open sea-water.’ I know how her mind works. She thought, he can do that – or not – as the case may be – so tick yes! On the way to the Volcano Hot Springs, surging along on the crowded sailing boat, there was much talk about whether the water would ruin your swimming costume. Mrs Tick-the-Boxes thought it might. She said: ‘That’s why I brought along something old that I’m about to throw away. Him!’ she added, pointing at me. When we dropped anchor, I stood on the gangplank and viewed the distant shore. A shove in the back made up my mind as to whether I would swim or not. But it was worth it. When I finally beached, at the end of a frenzied doggy-paddle, someone covered me with handfuls of sulphurous mud. I mean, who wouldn’t pay good money to have this done to them? Back on Equinox we shared a delightful dinner table most nights with friends old and new. At the end of the cruise, when we finally arrived back at Civitavecchia, we found Celebrity had laid on a dawn spectacular in the shape of a Son et Lumière Show with Extra Big Bang Fireworks and Special Water Effects. I applauded till my hands hurt. Only later, on the plane home, did I learn it was a thunder storm!
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CDC Hackle Sulphur Dun – October 2010 – TPO Fly Of The Month
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Sulphur 6C MD – 1 Tube – Pellet $5.00 Sulphur Skin rash worsened by heat and waterCommon name: Sublimed sulfur DIRECTIONS Adults and children: Dissolve 5 pellets in the mouth 3 times a day until relieved or as directed by a doctor. Active Ingredients Sulphur 3X to 30X – 3C to 30C HPUS Inactive Ingredients Sucrose, lactose The letters HPUS indicate that these ingredients … |
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Sulphur Dun Fly Fishing Fly … |
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Compara Dun – Sulphur Fly Fishing Fly … |
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Sparkle Dun – Sulphur Fly Fishing Fly … |
