Forex - tricky dealings

Currency exchange is a tricky business, no doubt, George Soros and his mates know this as this is how they derive their income from trading in currencies, the more witchcraft and black magic involved, the more money they make.

We were at Dubai airport in the departures area, the flight was to London and then onto Rome six hours later, we were to be spending the next two months travelling around the continent. I had just exchanged my AED for Euro, Noriko preferred USD as she thought she was be receiving a better exchange rate. I didn't have the heart to tell her USDs don't go far in Europe anymore, the Euro is now a stronger currency than the US dollar - as reflected in the exchange rate. Because we exchanged local currency at the same airport dealer, the commission is the same, sure, she gets more dollars in US currency, this is because the USD is currently weaker than the Euro. Not so long ago, the Australian dollar was also valued higher than the US dollar.

From London, we flew different flights to Rome, Noriko arrived two hours earlier than me, she had to wait by herself at the airport, those USDs didn't go far that day.

Hitting the pavement in Rome

It has been a while since I was in Rome last, 2001 I recall. The sights haven't changed much, it doesn't much to me, they have been around for thousands of years at any rate. A major dissapointment struck me when YI looked out the window, no just a small shower, there was pouring rain, however, by 11 am, the showers had cleared and a glorious day awaited.

The distances between the major monuments is short, hitting roam means hitting the pavement, you need to be willing to walk - we were willing.

Walking through the smaller the smaller streets, the Largo di Torre Argentina proved to be exciting set of ruins, no huge like the forum, but at that size, we able to view all.

We were both blown away by the ancient ruins, it is hard to believe, thousands of years ago, at this place, the greatest empire the world had known reigned.

The colosseum is an imposing sight, still largly intact, just visiting the outside was interesting enough. The following day, we planned to tour inside, today was just the warm-up.

The elusive mosque

We walked for hours, today let Noriko decide our sightseeing destination, she wanted to see the Palm Island. I tried to explain, on a horizontal plane, she wouldn't see much detail, ok, off to the next destination. On the map, a large mosque was shown, she wanted to ring see this particular mosque, there was no opportunity to say no.

At 3 pm, this is the mosque we came across, out in the harbour area, a long distance from any significant public transport. This was a non-event, however we trudged on for a number of reasons, a) I like walking, b) I need the exercise and c) we were not spending money. All fairly strong arguements to push on.

As it turns out, this wasn't the mosque she wanted to see, at any rate and when we finally made it back to the transport hub, we drove past the actual mosque - bugger.

The upside is, Noriko was running the show, she got to plan and see her choice of sights, Palm Island was a mistake, however, she had the window seat on the way out of Dubai and saw what she wanted from the air - it turned out for her in the end.

Dubai bus shelters

You don't need to be a finance major to understand it is hot in Dubai, nevertheless, I was still surprised to see air-conditioned bus shelters dotted throughout the Emirates. We were walking around in the midday sun, these shelters provided a degree of respite from the searing temperatures of the Persian Gulf.

I have to admit, this is an excellent idea, the bus system works well, air-conditioned bus shelters just add to the ease of service, we would duck into to cool down throughout the day for 10 or so minutes - a fantastic idea.

Dubai Marina

Our first full day in Dubai saw us hitting the train to visit the numerous sights along the line. Our first stop at Internet City was a complete and utter waste of time, not much for travellers to see, we climbed back on the train disappointed. The next stop to wander around Dubai Marina was more fruitful, this is a beautiful part of Dubai.

The boats moored in the marina, the quality of the architecture,  the ease of movement around ensured this was my favourite day trip. While all the restaurants were open, they were empty, I guess, they really ramp up business in the evening, I have to keep in mind, this was a week day.

There was some amazing architecture located immediately alongside the waterfront, the distances between each section took a little effort, we never hit any of the restaurants or cafés, we just didn't have the budget.

First impressions of Dubai

Walking up the gangway into the Dubai International Airport, I immediately noticed the modern facilities at this premier arab airport. The mix of people patiently waiting in line at immigration represented a regional blend of cultures, while our line was slow, it was worth the opportunity to casually observe people. Catching the airport taxi was easy and reasonably priced, Noriko had pre-booked a hotel near Al Rigga - this looked like a reasonably exciting area of Dubai.

Wandering around the streets late afternoon not long before dusk was interesting, it appearing the area was coming to life, there were no sights to view, just the chance to observe the locals at play. The afternoon call to prayer had wafted out over the airways, the sky was just starting to turn pink, the setting of the sun appeared to echo the rhythmic chant.

Having made numerous diving trips to the Philippines over the years, I immediately the recognised the Philippine facial features forming the majority of the South East Asians wandering around Al Rigga, I even heard the odd siggi po and salamet spoken. So too did the number of Indian nationals stand out, mixed in are big numbers of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankans. I noticed a number of North Africans wearing both traditional muslim garments and suits.

Caucasians milled around mostly in suits and business attire, presumably directly from the financial district. Then there was the tourists, that is mostly whites like myself getting around in casual attire, I'm guessing central European, based on the accents. I recognised a small number of Chinese women, based on their clothing, I am guessing tourists as well.

If I use the term middle eastern appearance, that is really people with darker complections getting around in well fitting suits, traditional arab attire and casual clothes. I am unable to distinguish exactly what country they hail from, mostly Gulf countries, I suppose. I am also guessing most of these guys are involved in high finance as we took the train through the financial districts and most seemed to be working on deals of some sort.

Dubai is a highly functional city, to me, it feels like a soulless city, people are here working, no doubt saving money but I get the feeling, when their contracts expire, they won't be hanging around. The public transport system is flawless, train stations were clean, well organised and construction was of high quality. There are two lines, a red and green line, we went to the end of the green line - Creek, there wasn't much for us to do there, more of a construction site.

Busses are working major routes from train stations, the roads are well constructed, the traffic flows easily on six lane freeways, toll road signs abound although we never much ventured out on the roads, just the view from the train. I couldn't believe it, the bus stations were air-conditioned, we were abe to use our one-day rail pass on the busses. The red line runs underground in some areas, Al Rigga where we were before ending up well above the traffic heading down towards the marina.

There was still construction going on everywhere, I have read this has abated from the peak, to my eye, there is still plenty going on and I guess this accounts for the majority of the Philippino and Indian populations. I also noticed mostly Philippino women occupied many of the retail positions in the shops, I was trying to determine if other South East Asian countries are represented in occupations here, I really couldn't pick any other nationalities.

There is space, plenty of space, I noticed from the train, buildings are located along the major roads, in some areas, there is vacant land behind the first row of buildings, down the financial district, some gaps between buildings preparing to be built out.
Four days is enough here, a tight budget ensured cheap activities, I can't see myself coming back here anytime soon unless on another stopover. This was my first time, I was interested to see what it was all about and will look to another destination in the future.

Flying over Muscat

The benefit of modern entertainment systems on aircraft means you know exactly where you are at all times. As I peered out of the window towards the Gulf of Oman, I viewed the Arabic city from 40,000 feet. Quickly glancing back to the flight path displayed on the screen, I was able to identify the city as Muscat as we flew over Oman heading towards our destination, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. I wondered about the life there, the struggles of the ordinary people, their hopes and aspirations and their happiness levels. The city looked interesting from the air, I rued my missed opportunity to visit this city. I am interested in visiting more of the middle east, the interesting cultures dating back to ancient times, the buildings and the famed arab hospitality.

Sydney to Dubai

It was an amazing flight from Sydney to Dubai, after spending the night at Sydney international airport, no sleep was had. Stepping onto the A380, I quickly understood the flight was basically empty, this was going to be an excellent 14 hour ride. I was seated by myself on an outside row, no one in either the rows ahead or behind. Noriko was seated up front in a different seat, finally wandering down before push back to accompany me.

As the plane slowly rumbled down the taxiway, the sun was just rising above the Pacific Ocean, hailing from the west coast, a sun rise over the ocean is an event to be witnessed wide awake. While I wished to grab a shot out of the window, the use of electronic equipment was still not allowed and I missed the photo opportunity climbing over the metropolis of Sydney, the darkness of the water, the streets and buildings lit and the redness of the sky marking the approaching day.

We would be chasing the daylight, despite being in the air for fourteen odd hours landing approximately two thirty in the afternoon. We were able to sleep as long as we wanted, I kept my watch on Sydney time actually losing track of time as the window shades were down the whole time. This was the best long haul flight I have ever undertaken, I thought the flight from Perth was empty, this exceeded my expectations, the top deck of the aircraft was not only empty, it was roped off so I couldn't even wander upstairs for a look.

Sydney stop-over - heading in the wrong direction

Who would have thought it was both simpler and easier to fly east on a Boeing 767 from Perth to Sydney. Then boarding the west bound flight from Sydney to Dubai with an Emirates/Qantas A380 code-share flight - economies of mass, I suppose. This will be my first time on the big airbus, I imagine it will be quite an experience, I have seen them from afar, at Singapore Changi airport, the twin level boarding lounge, now I will be getting my first chance to see this state of the art aircraft in flight.

Arriving at Sydney domestic terminal at 8.30 pm, the place seemed ok. After catching a bus to the international terminal, the place was closed down and shut up by 9 pm on a Saturday night. We were actually kicked out of the building at 11 pm and had to sleep in a secured room outside of the main terminal. This is Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, the highest populated city in the country and we were shut out by some over zealous security guards flexing their new found authority - not the image Sydney would want to portray.

Even Perth airport is run better than this, who would have guessed.

The ancient ruins of Hierapolis

Reminiscing past Turkish travels, the ancient ruins of Hierapolis are an outstanding city near the cotton fortress of Pumukkale, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The city is believed to be founded as a thermal spa around about the 2nd century BC and rebuilt on numerous occasions after devastating earthquakes leveled this and other cities of the era. Natural disasters really caused havoc in this region, some cities were abandoned after such cataclysmic natural events whilst others were repeatedly rebuilt. 

The Greek style theatre is cut into a hill slope, as I am lead to believe, the Greeks utilised the ground for structural support whilst the Romans designed and built free standing structures. Needless to say, this is an amazing structure excavated - you just don't see such antiquities in my country of origin. A trip to the old world is a life experience not to be forgotten.

The travertine terraces of Pamukkale

The Byzantine city of Hierapolis flourished during Roman times; built on top of the formation known as white castle; hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascaded down the terraces. This was an amazing day trip, I enjoyed many places and saw so many interesting sites, Pamukkale is one that really stuck in my mind. I never kept any records of such trips and as my memory fades, I struggle to remember the sites I visited.

The mineral rich water emerging from the natural spring flows down to the the travertine terraces depositing calcium carbonate on the cascades. This was an amazing natural occurrence built on a former Roman site, for a guy from the new world - this place is sensational.

Cleopatra's Swimming Pool

I was backpacking solo through Turkey a number of years back, I saw a whole bunch of images of Cleopatra's Swimming Pool in Pamukkale - I knew I had to go.

I first backpacked through Turkey in 1997 for only two weeks, I was in London about to finish off my six month trip and return home but was unable to get a flight on British Airways for two weeks. I looked at the specials BA had on offer, I had the choice between Boston and Turkey - I made the right decision. My memory is starting to fade but I know I returned two years later in 1999 so I reckon it was then I visited Pamukkale. I remember I was catching buses all around the place and I arrived late in the day. I had my togs with me and swam amongst the fallen Roman columns in the natural spring water, I recall clearly placing my eyes close to the water's edge and viewing the water bubble and fizz - that was special.

As I recall, the pool was empty and I swam around alone - now, that was a truly amazing experience.  

Flashpacking - upmarket backpackers

The days of backpackers struggling to get by seems to have past, I first noticed this about 10 to 12 years ago when scores of Swiss backers toured Perth sporting laptop computers, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets. The Swiss are an affluent bunch, leading the way in flashpacking and poshpacking, they can even access their Swiss bank accounts online these days. I recall, most Swiss kept their Swiss phones whilst also purchasing a local Australian phone and number - a backpacker with two phones wasn't just a novelty back then, it was standard fare.

Since then, mini-laptops, tablets and smartphones are not only holding sway, they are replacing the laptop as the tool of choice, who goes backpacking with a laptop computer anymore? The computing power of most tablets exceeds most people's requirements for functionality, the 7" Samsung Galaxy or iPad mini provide more than sufficient features with instant free WiFi connectivity in so many places.

Music, camera, video, photo editing, word processing, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations are available to even the poorest of backpackers - these are just the basic features.

Then there are, of course, apps for everything so you have up-to-date currency converters, news feeds, destination information and schedules such as bus, train and ferry timetables - they can even be translated into your language of choice now.

Even the traditional SLR camera is being replaced with high definition digital compacts, with the high quality cameras now embedded into tablets and smartphones - would I lug around my digital SLR these days for backpacking jaunts? Not a chance with today's options, why carry that extra weight and bulk?

Backpacking is certainly changing, these days you download Skype to your device and you have telephone connections with images for instant communications. Social media with networks in Facebook, Google+, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Messenger, Skype and Flickr keeping people connected. No longer do you have to pre-arrange meet a person at a given place at a specific time, no more notes left on hostel noticeboards - if they weren't there, that was it, you missed your chance to catch up with them.

From my old backpacking jaunts in the 90s - I don't even have photographs. There were no digital cameras back then, you had to carry rolls of film all safely tucked into your backpack, they had a usable date of about six months before they needed to be developed - I just never bothered. The only photographs I have are from other people taking snaps and mailing via standard postage to my home address - even then, I have just a couple of these.

I did go backpacking in the early 2000s, it wasn't just the early to mid 90s. I did take my mobile phone and camera from then onwards so I do have albums of photographs from that point.

I have had budget holidays since then, but since I have maintained full time employment since the mid 2000s, they have generally been no longer than two weeks, I get the feeling my upcoming trip will be totally different to what I am used to.

Capoliveri

The village of Capoliveri on the Italian island of Elba is an interesting nightlife centre during the summer months, the main boardwalk is usually milling with people wandering around. I took this photograph late in the season after declining numbers left the village a virtual ghost town. Elba is bursting with activity during the hectic summer months, tourists from western Europe drive down through Italy on-route for their sun drenched break.

Cruising around the island, there is plenty to do, I was spending a fair amount of time a little further down the track in Morcone, a small beach with a couple of restaurants and dive shops.

Capoliveri itself is a picturesque village with all the facilities to sustain a pretty good holiday. The cost of accommodation is outrageous, fortunately, I never needed to pay for digs on my couple of trips.

Morcone - Italy

I reckon it has been about ten years since I have headed across to Morcone, a small beachside village near Capoliveri on the Italian island of Elba. The main attraction of Morcone is the small strip of beach nestled between smallish rocky cliffs.

An absolute hotspot for sun worshipping European tourists generally driving across the continent, through Italy and boarding the ferry from the port city of Piombino to Portoferraio for a short one hour journey. My last trip from Zurich to Milan on an overnight train saw nothing but hassles resulting in a missed connection, fights, struggles and sleeping at some out of the way regional train station I have no idea where.
I won't be going back to Elba anytime soon, accommodation is absolutely outrageous and I think I could find better beaches elsewhere in Italy.