Africa Travel - Part 5

Alexandria, Egypt: Digging A Little Deeper

by Troy Herrick

Present day Alexandria is seemingly disconnected from its ancient past. Visitors are drawn here by images of Alexander the Great, and the tempestuous romance between Cleopatra and her lovers Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony. Unfortunately, nothing related to these people remains. Alexander’s tomb has been lost to history and Cleopatra’s palace is now submerged under water somewhere offshore. Even the Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the Great Library of Alexandria were destroyed.

What should a traveler explore when visiting this fascinating city? While a number of the historic sites that you can visit are above ground, you should still dig deeper. Beneath your feet, you find fleeting glimpses of a Ptolemaic-Roman city. After you have seen the light, there are also Byzantine and Mamluk-era ruins to explore above ground. Where should you begin your tour? Why not get into the spirit of adventure at the catacombs.

The Catacombs at Kom al-Shoqafa

The Catacombs at Kom al-Shoqafa, in use from the 2nd to the 4th centuries CE, were discovered in 1900 after a donkey accidentally fell through an access shaft. Fortunately, your entry will be a great deal safer. Descend the spiral staircase down to the first level in a clockwise fashion as it runs around the periphery of a 6-meter wide circular shaft. This shaft may have been used to lower mummies into the catacombs using a rope and pulley.

The rotunda is a circular chamber at the bottom of the stairwell which served as the junction for all three levels of the necropolis. At its center, a 10-meter deep shaft descends to the third level, now closed to the public due to flooding. Just look for a dome set upon 6 pillars over the shaft.

A short distance away is the triclinium or banquet room, approximately 9 meters wide and 8.5 meters long. The dining area is defined by four square sandstone pillars. Carved platforms extend between the columns on three of the four sides. Cushions were placed on top of these platforms and the family reclined around a central table in the company of their deceased relatives.

The name Kom al-Shoqafa translates to “Mound of Shards” because of the discarded pottery fragments found over this site. The family would discard all food containers after having visited this house of the dead.

Returning to the rotunda, descend the stone staircase down to the second level and the Greco-Egyptian temple-like tomb. Carved from the surrounding sandstone, the porch-like pronaos is absolutely stunning with its two columns topped with papyrus, lotus and acanthus leaves. The façade is adorned with a winged solar disc flanked by two falcons. On each side wall, behind the columns, you find a statue set within a recessed area. Presumably these were the owners of the tomb; the husband is on the right and the wife is on the left.

Pass through the doorway flanked by two serpents into the naos or burial chamber. The finely decorated burial chamber houses three sarcophagi recessed into the walls. The lids were carved so that they could not be removed. Mummies were likely inserted from behind by means of a passageway running along the exterior of the tomb.

Exit the naos and walk around to the passageway. Here you find loculi on both sides to accommodate more than 300 mummies. I examined the passageway for any possible openings into the naos sarcophagi through which mummies might have been passed, but I found nothing. When you are finished, return to the rotunda and ascend the spiral staircase back into the light of day. Your next stop is Pompey’s Pillar.

Pompey’s Pillar

Set on top of the Acropolis of Alexandria, Pompey’s Pillar is a 285-tonne column of red granite standing just over 20 meters high. Pompey’s Pillar is actually a misnomer. During the Middle Ages, Crusaders mistakenly believed that the remains of the Roman General Pompey, who was murdered in 48 BCE, had been placed in a container at the top of the column. According to an inscription at the base, this was a Roman triumphal column dedicated to Emperor Diocletian in 297 CE. Diocletian was commemorated for having saved the city from a famine. Nearby is an honor guard consisting of two granite sphinxes.

Our guide, Sherif, indicated that Pompey’s Pillar is all that remains of a colonnade that consisted of 400 columns. This colonnade was part of a Serapeum, an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the god Serapis; Serapis was represented by a sacred bull. The Serapeum, constructed in 280 BCE, remained in use until 391 CE when the early Christians thought that this cult was a lot of bull and leveled the structure. Only two underground passages remain.

The first passageway is the Sanctuary of Serapis. Passing by an altar just outside the entrance, I entered a warm, humid tunnel roughly carved from the soft sandstone. Slowly, slowly, inch by inch, I crept along the dimly lit corridor, noting the irregularly-sized niches carved into the walls. These recesses may have accommodated statues at one time. Finally, I did not see the light at the end of the tunnel, I came face-to-face with a statue of Serapis, a large black basalt bull. This statue is a copy of the original, now housed in the Greco-Roman museum of Alexandria.

After finding your way out of the Sanctuary, enter the nearby underground gallery known as the Daughter Library. This 75-meter long tunnel with rough carved recesses in the walls was believed to house as many as 7,000 papyrus scrolls as overflow from the Great Library of Alexandria. Find your way down the finished white marble stairway and savor your connection with the Great Library of Alexandria. When you are ready, exit the Daughter Library and move on to the first above-ground site at Kom El-Dekka.

Kom El-Dekka

Kom El-Dekka (“Mound of Rubble”) is the site of a Greco-Roman residential community and various amenities. During the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, opulent homes like the Villa of the Birds occupied the area. This home is named for the seven colorful avian floor mosaics that include pigeons, peacocks, quails, parrots and flowers. There is even a panther if you look carefully. This villa has not been completely excavated but you will find traces of a triclinium. Look for the black and white mosaic floor.

What is the value of being middle or upper class without being surrounded by culture and higher education? Set inside a grassy hill, a short distance away from the villa, is the Odeion. Dating to the 2nd century CE, this theatre is believed to have been originally used for concerts rather than plays. Looking down from the side I was struck by the gleaming marble reflecting the mid-day sun.

The Odeion was badly damaged due to an earthquake in 535 CE and then reconstructed during the Byzantine period when it was transformed into a large lecture hall for a university. Perhaps this is why the structure, 33.5 meters in diameter, is shaped like a horseshoe. Looking around along the top edge of the theatre, you find 5 pillars. These are believed to have supported a roof at one time. Thirteen semi-circular tiers of seats accommodated an audience of around 600 people. The front row is carved from red granite; the others are white-gray marble.

This university also had at least 22 smaller classrooms or lecture halls. Each was approximately 5.5 X 11 square meters, with a stepped podium and at least 3 tiers of stone seats. During this period, Alexandria was a center for higher learning, so having a university would make sense. After graduating from this university, it was time to study Mamluk architecture at Fort Qaitbey.

Fort Qaitbey

Fort Qaitbey [Pictured at top – Ed] (pronounced “kite bay”), a Mamluk fortress, was constructed in 1477 CE on the ruins of the Pharos of Alexandria. The Pharos was reduced to rubble due to earthquakes in the 11th century CE and in 1383 CE. Sultan Qaitbey incorporated some of its honey-brown limestone into the fort that bears his name.

The site, roughly 150 X 130 square meters, was protected by an inner and outer wall; the latter has been badly damaged by the sea over time. Four crenelated defensive towers along the outer wall, two of which straddle the main entrance, protect the fort from invaders. If you smile when purchasing your ticket, you might just be able to enter unopposed.

Once inside, you are standing opposite the keep at the far end of the courtyard. This crenelated rectangular keep is three stories high with cylindrical towers at each corner.

Pass through the very solid wooden door and quickly look up at the octagonal opening in the ceiling known as an “oil fall”. From here attackers were provided with a warm welcome of boiling oil. If you make it safely past this point, you are inside the mosque.

This impressive mosque features richly decorated marble mosaic floors and walls and a decorative semi-circular mihrab. A mihrab normally serves to orient the congregation toward Mecca during prayer, but not in this case. The architect was more concerned with the military functionality of the fort rather than proper worship.

This mosque has four iwans. An iwan is a rectangular gallery with walls on three sides; the fourth side is open. These were used for religious teaching.

Climb the stairs to the second floor which consists of rough-cut limestone corridors and many small rooms which possibly served as barracks. The third floor features the Sultan’s iwan. This open-air rectangular room, approximately 4 X 6 square meters, was where the Sultan could meet with visitors. Nearby are two brick ovens for baking bread. While on this floor, take the opportunity to climb one of the defensive towers to enjoy a panoramic view of the area. After completing your guard duty, exit the keep.

A short walk away, I was able to climb the crenelated outer wall, some sections of which are as much as 8 meters high and 2 meters thick. At the top, I found two cannon mounts upon which a cannon could be swiveled to any angle. With this, I focused on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the distance.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a modern reconstruction the Great Library of Alexandria. Built between 1995 and 2002, this storehouse of knowledge holds over 2 million books and employs over 2000 librarians.

The exterior of the library struck me as being a giant “eye” with the curved exterior walls (eyelids) constructed of Aswan granite. The rough-hewn blocks are decorated with ancient languages. The “ocular surface” or roof consists of many glass panels all sloped towards the Mediterranean Sea.

As you walk through the courtyard running along the western periphery of the library, you are greeted by a bust of Alexander the Great. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the interior of the library, but I had the feeling that Alexander was directing me to go south along the Nile and learn more about Egypt. And who would dare to refuse a command like that?

If You Go:

A private tour to Alexandria from Cairo can be part of your Egyptian vacation. I booked my complete vacation package through Egypt’s Best Day Tours.

If you travel to Alexandria independently you will require a taxi to reach the sites.

The Catcombs at Kom al-Shoqafa are located on Tawfikeya Street. Admission is 80 Egyptian Pounds.

Pompey’s Pillar is located on Amoud el Sawary Street. Admission is 80 Egyptian Pounds.

Kom El-Dekka is located on Ismail Mehanna Street. Admission is 80 Egyptian Pounds.

Fort Qaitbey is located on the end of the breakwater at the east side of the harbor. Admission is 60 Egyptian Pounds.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located at 63 Shar’a Soter.

Full-Day Tour of Historical Alexandria from Cairo Egypt

About the author:

Troy Herrick, a freelance travel writer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines.

Photo credits:

Diane Gagnon, a freelance photographer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. Her photographs have accompanied Troy Herrick’s articles in Live Life Travel, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines.

Egypt Shore Excursion Alexandria Port Shore Excursion Full Day

Zimbabwe: Riding High at Victoria Falls

by Gail Meyer

The elephant was covered with the red mud of Africa and walked with dignity into the clearing. Fortunately we weren’t aware that he was an alpha male who sometimes had a strong streak of independence and had been known to charge. Pomelo, his handler, coaxed him into a kneeling position and Edmundo and I climbed onto his back with me in the middle and Pomelo up front. Once we were comfortably seated, the beast ascended to his full height and suddenly we were on the move.

This elephant africana felt graceful to me rather than lumbering and we were riding high above the scrub where we could watch giraffe graze in the distance. A family of common warthog, with long canine teeth curled over their snouts and tails held strictly vertical, scrambled out of the way. Edmundo and I were on a day safari in Zimbabwe because I needed a holiday before embarking on a volunteer teaching position in Namibia. We had ventured to the town of Victoria Falls and being a person “who rides,” I had to ride an elephant even before visiting the largest waterfall in the world.

The giraffes’ heads were above elephant height and I noticed their mouths turned crooked when they chewed on leaves ripped from lofty branches. They stood with an elegant giraffe aloofness, large ears and straight short horns positioned on proud heads; gold and milk chocolate geometric patterns glistening as the sun illuminated their bodies. We passed by the ugly scavenger marabou storks: black wings, unfeathered heads and necks, pink fleshy pouches under long clappering beaks and a two meter wingspan. Plains zebra babies nuzzled their mums and their bodies radiated black stripes alternating with black shadow stripes on a white background. Greater kudu, a timid antelope with curly horns on the male and prominent ears on the female, gave us a quick look. At the end of the afternoon, our rogue elephant meekly knelt down and we dismounted. Edmundo, who contrary to me is crazy about hugging animals, sat on his knee, fed him maize and molasses tidbits and then embraced his trunk in a gesture of farewell.

Pamusha Lodge had a friendly staff, a manager named Wisdom and a sweet flowery aroma in the tropical garden. A small hotel with simple rooms, I found it casual and welcoming and preferred it to the large hotels that tend to dominate well known tourist sites like Victoria Falls.

“Do you know what kind of tree that is?” I queried Edmundo, as we sipped dark brewed coffee and admired a 50 foot trunk growing through the thatched roof of the restaurant.

“Yes, he replied, it’s a teak tree. Edmundo walked over to take a closer look and came back with a one inch fat frog sitting on his hand. As I admired it from a safe distance, fat frog urinated through his fingers and we both burst out laughing.

“That frog lives in the grass roof,” our waiter Edwin remarked as he cleared away the coffee cups.

“Very cute,” responded Edmundo, gently putting frog back on a low part of the restaurant’s roof. I’ll wash my hands and we’ll swim before dinner.”

The pool felt deliciously cool in the late afternoon heat. A Southern yellow billed hornbill flew overhead. Teak tree blossoms, smelling like honey suckle, floated down from above and Edmundo tucked one into my auburn hair. A short siesta seemed appropriate.

For dinner the waiter brought a delicious grilled Zambezi River bream served with stir fried peppers, onions and carrots plus steamed rice and a spicy mango salsa. While savouring a South African pinot gris, we chatted with a guest from Australia who worked as a nurse for Doctors Without Borders. Kelly had been working in a malnutrition clinic in Nigeria where women give birth to as many as 15 offspring and there is insufficient food. Parents eat first, then the oldest children and starvation is not abnormal for the youngest. Babies were near death when their mother’s brought them to the clinic. Kelly was in Victoria Falls for a few days to de-stress from the tragedy of dying babies in Nigeria before flying home to Australia. Talking to Kelly put into perspective a harsh aspect of African life that most tourists never see. Victoria Falls itself is prosperous because of tourism, but Zimbabwe also has food shortages and extreme poverty, problems made worse under the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe. The Chinese harvest diamonds in Zimbabwe and consequently refused to vote against him at the United Nations. For those of us who love Africa, it’s essential to come to terms with the dichotomy of economics. Some black Africans live a comfortable life but most are always struggling to have a job, to feed their children, to earn enough money for school fees and basic necessities.

Victoria Falls is 108m high and 1708m wide. We rented green plastic rain capes at the entrance and carried them in the rising morning heat as we walked along stone pathways to get our first glimpse. The Zambezi River, golden with silt and flowing fast because of the rainy season, plunged into the depths of a narrow gorge creating billows of misty spray. Edmundo pulled the rain cape over my head and we shared a moment of euphoria gazing at a golden waterfall descending into wild rapids. As we continued along the walkway the clouds of mist intensified and a magic rainbow appeared. Each viewpoint demanded photos and I removed the zip lock camera protector from under the rain cape and quickly snapped for memories. After completing the circular walk we sat by a shady tree to digest the extraordinary experience. Vervet monkeys frolicked around us and their babies crawled along branches and were groomed by their mothers. As the monkey families leapt from branch to branch, we observed their alert black faces, long tails with a dark-brown tip, and blue male scrotums which provided a bright splash of colour.

Edmundo, as my soul mate, had also become “a person who rides” and now it was a helicopter to experience an aerial view of the Falls. He sat under the glass nose-dome beside Spanda, the South African trained pilot. The gorge was surprisingly narrow and long and looked mystical with its glistening puffs of spray. Spanda beamed when complimented for giving us exceptional vistas. An alluring ultra-light flew lower and closer and I quietly mentioned to Edmundo that we should consider it. The powerful rain-engorged Zambezi River, which divided the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, dropped the 108m to the rapids below. Edmundo and I agreed that our aerial view of the Zambezi River flowing over Victoria Falls, had created twelve minutes of bliss and an absolute adrenaline rush!

“High tea” at Victoria Falls Hotel permitted us to gaze across expansive lawns to the bridge, which was surrounded by mist and another brilliant rainbow. A full teapot arrived, then a three-tiered china plate piled high with delectables: dainty sandwiches, scones, strawberry jam, cream, and cakes made with banana, chocolate and vanilla cake filled with custard.

“Jolly nice,” Edmundo said in his Argentinian accent.

“Yes, indeed,” I replied in my Canadian as we laughed in appreciation.

There was one table of black Africans in a sea of white faces. Fortunately our black waiter knew them and gave them good service. The black faces look uncomfortably nervous but were determined to enjoy the occasion. Most of the white faces pretended the black table was invisible.

In the evening Bob Selinger, a Rotarian from the U.S., joined our table. In his retirement, Bob spends about half the year in Africa doing good works. He was raising money to build 600 bush wheelchairs which would go to four African countries and these would be built by disadvantaged youth in the U.S. He talked about the Rotarians funding a residence for abused women in Zambia; a playground where a USAID merry-go-round could pump water; and a science lab for a Zimbabwean secondary school.

The difference between tourism dollars and what filters down to the man on the street is substantial. We paid $50 each to go to a Boma restaurant where we dined on crocodile tail, warthog, Cape buffalo and stir fried ostrich. Barefoot tribal dancers entertained us with animal themed costumes and the men’s bare torsos gleamed in the spotlight. Women danced opposite the men, sometimes confrontational, sometimes making fun, always seductive. The audience were each given a tall African drum decorated with geometric designs. We could feel the beat and participate. I stood drumming with my hands on the tonal skin and felt extraordinarily joyful.

Edmundo remarked, “You’re dancing with your drum.”

I responded, “Would you like to fly over the Falls in that ultralight tomorrow?”

If You Go:

Majestic Victoria Falls 3 Day Package

Victoria Falls Travel Guide

Victoria Falls Tourism

Guide to Victoria Falls

Half-Day Local Village Tour from Victoria Falls

About the author:

Gail Meyer’s outdoor, travel writing and photos have been published in Canadian newspapers including the Times Colonist, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, and the Gulf Islands Driftwood. She worked for many years as an educational video script writer and professional photographer. Her travel experience, often with a purpose, have been extensive. She taught English in Nicaragua, Galapagos, Malta, Buenos Aires, Tunisia, and Barcelona. Sub-Sahara Africa is a passion and she volunteered in Kenya for an education non-profit, in Uganda for an HIV project and spent three months in Namibia teaching grades 4,5,6,7 and 8 Life Skills. Gail is an inquisitive traveller who strives to gain more understanding of our complex world. To keep the memories alive, she writes about her travels and enjoys sharing her adventures with others.

Photo credits:
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe #1 by Bernard Gagnon under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
Photos #2 – 5 by Gail Meyer

Visiting a Summer Festival Dance in Japan

by Jason Templer

Doe-eyed and powder-faced, the girls march in single file through a wooden hula-hoop, flourishing their Muromachi-style kimonos as camera shots fill the air like a multitudinous flutter of pigeons. Sitting down to perform the rice dance, Reiko peers back at the throng of camera-toting tourists in a wizened look of innocence, as if disapproving the vain Instagram and twitter paparazzos.

Waving straw fans, a kin-blooded group of elders appraise the ceremony with austere silence. The Osaka sun painting yellow splotches on their meditative frown lines. Bandana-headed boys pound the Taiko drums as the first group of flat-hatted girls bow deeply in a circle before Sumiyoshi shrine. Then with the syncopated rhythm of drums and woodblock strikes, they dip down into the earth with invisible plows, performing the first moves of the Sumiyoshi harvest festival dance.

It can be challenging to find active celebrants of cultural heritage in a country brimming with high-tech electro gadgets, cars, and robots – a tech junkie’s utopia. But as policemen wielding mini light sabers herd me into the siphoned viewing areas of one of Japan’s summer throwback festivals, my hopes of witnessing authentic local traditions are realized.

Donning a Spiderman hat from Osaka’s Universal Studios, I crop out the outstretched forearms of iPhones and cameras to capture photos of the anachronistic dance.

The warbling hum of seated monks on the backstage of Sumiyoshi shrine’s cypress wood floors leaves me oddly enchanted. The ceremony makes me think of old school teachers haranguing students on correct behavior; but the kids aren’t coaxed by singing lectures nor monkish divinity, they continue skipping and clapping as if never returning from playground recess.

The Shinto priests croon their incantations like a chorus of exotic birds, some of the monks whistling through bamboo flutes that give off the airy overtone of meditating in a peaceful temple garden. Wearing oversized green night gowns, thin ballooned pants, and black pouch hats, I imagine the monks are like divine parakeets, flying to the heavens in inflatable pajamas, and singing their prayers to Sumiyoshi Sanjin – one of the three deities of Shinto religion in Japan. In the dusty foreground of the shrine, the paddle-clapping girls chant and clap like playing a game of ring-around-the rosy tethered to an imaginary maypole, and keeping in perfect rhythm with the drummer boys.

No doubt the melodious effect of this quirky ensemble is blessing for a propitious harvest, one marked by youthful vitality and elderly wisdom.

Peace-fingering me in a yellow-flowered kimono, I meet Reiko as one of the dance performers, a high-school student from the Kansai area of Japan. “It’s fun to dance in summer with friends and family.” She says, fanning a plastic-Mickey Mouse fan over the runnels of sweat trickling down her powder-caked face.

We eat kakigori (shaved ice) in a teeming plaza of Vendors and tourists near Sumiyoshi shrine. Reiko goes on to tell me the folk legend of the harvest dance tradition, known as dengaku. Reputedly, empress Jungu, a Japanese empress from the early 3rd century AD, prepared for an invasion of Korea. The legendary queen, born from parents with mouthful-pronouncing names (Okinaganosukunenomiko and Kazurakinotakanukahime) dispatched young female rice planters to Sumiyoshi shrine to plant rice – thus to covet her war campaign as an auspicious event with divine favor. After receiving seeds from the main temple sanctuary, they walk to a sacred field. The seeds cultivated on this holy soil are given to farmers so that when the seeds sprout, the crops are harvested as magical grains of rice, believed to have power from Sumiyoshi Sanjin.

Warned by an oracle, the empress instructed the temple’s architect named Tamomi no Sukune, to enshrine the Shinto god before eventually immortalizing herself there.

Touted as one of the greatest summer festivals in Osaka city, Sumiyoshi festival is held over four days and congregates at the Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine or (Sumiyoshi Taisha). The Shinto temple garners an ancient reputation for being one of the oldest in Japan, only third to the Ise and Izumo shrines.

As a signature of its popularity, the temple brandishes a roofed hip-knob or okichigi, a samurai-crossed wooden centerpiece over five horizontal billets of timber. Without using a plethora of gaudy religious ornaments, the use of woodwork evokes a certain warrior attitude and simplistic charm – an aesthetic background for spiritual warriors like Empress jingu to meet and receive blessings for future battles.

Worshipped as the headquarters for 2,000 of Japan’s Sumiyoshi shrines, Sumiyoshi Taisha enshrines Sumiyoshi Sanjin as not only a god of harvest, but a protector of land, sea, and patron of waka, a Japanese style of poetry that implements 31 syllables in comparison to haiku’s truncated 17 syllable form. Holding her hand to hide her mirth, Reiko fails to suppress a schoolgirl giggle. “At some Sumiyoshi temples men bathe in the rice water.” According to folklore myth, a crane dropped the first seed, which sprouted as a rice-deity at Izu shrine. To honor this humble beginning, naked men climb down into the flooded farm field and jump and splash like skinny-dipping in a giant mud bath.

Ostensibly, the purpose isn’t just to create a full-monty like spectacle but to divine answers from a symbolic deity; a giant pole standing in the field, representing Sumiyoshi Sanjin, falls down at a certain side of the rice field (maybe due to the pool’s build-up of testosterone or from an all-together masculine pull) which answers fortune-telling questions for local villagers.

After a monk’s closing speech, the performers march back in procession through the city streets. “Walking through the Chinowa (a ring of straw) is good luck” says Reiko. “I want to do well on tests and go to a good university.”

She notes that the festival starts with a purification shower on Umi no hi (Sea Day July 3rd) and climaxes around the end of July known as Nagoshi Harai Shinji, where starry-eyed fortune-seekers not only duck their heads through for good luck, but to purify oneself of negative energies.

If You Go:

You can travel to the Otaue rice harvest festival on June 14th in Osaka. Please visit www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/festival/otauericeplanting.html

You can also attend the summer matsuri festival on Marine Day in Japan (July 16th or the third Monday of July) and from July 30th to August 1st.

The festival location is about 3 minute walk from Sumiyoshi Taisha Station on the Nankai Dentetsu line coming from Shin-Imamiya station. Or you can get off at Sumiyoshihigashi Station by taking the Nankai Koya line on the Nankai Electric Railway in Osaka city.

About the author:
Jason is an aspiring free-lance writer who has pitched his tent abroad in Czech Republic, Korea, and Japan, empowering youth and consulting foreign businesses and governments on English language skills and professional development. In his spare time, he finds time to write, energizing his synapses with quirky travel memoirs and budget-roughing misadventures, believing his endless vagabonding is on a fruitful quest for authenticity.

Image credits:

17th Century Festival at Sumiyoshi Shrine (detail), Japan, Edo period, 17th century, anonymous handscroll, ink, color and gold on paper, Honolulu Museum of Art by Unknown author / Public domain

All photos by Jason Templer, jasonw4770@yahoo.com

Cape Town South Africa

Top Historical Places And Monuments You Can Visit

by William Taylor

If you are passionate about history and about learning more about other countries’ heritage, your visit to Cape Town will offer you a lot of opportunities to explore the vibrant past of the city. You can either go on an organized tour or create your own itinerary to visit some of the exquisite historical buildings and museums of Cape Town.

The city itself is an open museum, with national parks, mountain tops and scenery that will you breathless. Table Mountain in particular, is Cape Town’s “watcher”. The view of the bustling metropolis is outstanding from the top. As for historical places, avid travelers might want to cross off the following from the list:

1. South African Museum

A good place to start is the South African Museum, which focuses on the anthropological, geological and marine life of the continent. Their collection includes thousands of objects, some of them dating 120.000 years back. You will be able to admire fascinating rock art and stone tools, traditional costumes from centuries ago and objects from the everyday life of the people living here thousands of years ago. The museum also holds animal specimens, like 700-million years insect fossils, whale skeletons and depictions of dinosaurs that once inhabited the South African plains.

2. Bo Kaap

You will be mesmerized at the sight of this neighborhood in Cape Town, as all the houses are brightly colored in contrasting shades of yellow, fuchsia, green, blue and many more, making this area a breathtaking sight and wonderful destination. The romantic cobbled stone streets date back to the 18thcentury, making Bo Kaap one of the oldest residential areas in the South African city. The residents of Bo Kaap are the descendants of slaves that were brought here by the Dutch; after their emancipation in 1795, they formed this community and settled in this incredible place of amazing historical meaning.

3. Castle of Good Hope

Not only a destination for the history buffs, Castle of Good Hope is a top historical site to explore when visiting Cape Town. This is the oldest surviving building in South Africa and after its restoration in the ‘80s it is considered one of the best preserved examples of DEIC (Dutch East India Company) architecture in the world. Not only the Castle of Good Hope provides an insight on the country’s colonial past, it also hosts numerous art and photography exhibitions for the tourists and locals, being an active cultural site.

4. District Six Museum

District Six is a former residential area of Cape Town that used to be a lively community of former slaves of all ethnicities and races. In 1966, during the apartheid era, the district was declared a whites-only area and more than 60,000 of its inhabitants were forcibly removed, on the counts that it is a crime ridden district that has no chance of improvement. In 1994 the District Six museum came into being, as a reminder of the lively community that once thrived here. The museum has a map of the district depicted on its floor and several formal residents had written notes on the places where they used to live. It’s an emotional experience and it will teach you more the struggling past of this wonderful country.

5. Houses of Parliament

This impressive historic building has been the seat of the National Parliament since 1910 and it opens its gates for tourists each year when the Parliament is in session (first part of the year). Be sure to book a visit in advance if you’re traveling from another country and get informed about any closed doors events. You can admire over 4,000 artworks collected by the gallery of the House of Parliament and enjoy a walk around the premises. The guided tours are free of charge and you can also book tours for groups of up to 25 people.

If You Go:

Cape Town is outstanding from all points of view. There are lots of other monuments, museums and places of interest travelers can visit. Most of them reveal valuable information about South Africa’s culture, customs and traditions. Make sure to check out the ones above, and you’ll learn to value the places and the people of the city even more.

Cape Town City Tour: Culture and Community Projects

About the author:
William Taylor is a traveling freak who has traveled many destinations around the world. He also loves writing about his traveling experiences and the places he has explored.

All photos by William Taylor

Morocco: Medinas, Minarets and Mountains

by Elizabeth von Pier

Marrakech was our first stop in Morocco. Founded in 1062 and known as the “ochre city” for the color of the buildings and walls in the old Arab section, we entered the city on wide boulevards teeming with traffic, chain hotels, modern white stucco buildings and palm trees. I felt disappointed; we could have been somewhere in Florida. But then we passed through the old city walls and a park where camels were sitting in a shady grove. People strolled the streets wearing their traditional jellabiyas and “calls to prayer” were coming from loudspeakers on the minarets of the mosques. This was Morocco!

We were staying in a riad, and this one turned out to be a destination in itself. A “riad” is a traditional Moroccan house, located within the ancient medina and designed around a central courtyard, pool or fountain, and garden. The owners had purchased several adjoining houses and combined them so that there are two courtyards and 26 guest rooms, several sitting rooms, two restaurants, a jazz bar, and a spa. The hotelier gave us a tour and showed us to a lovely room which faced the pool and inner courtyard. As I stood on the balcony, I looked out over rooftops of the old city and a minaret a short distance away. Down below was a pool, trees, potted plants, tables covered with white tablecloths, pierced pendant lanterns, and lovely tile work. Each morning at dawn, we were awakened to the “call to prayer” from the mosque. A traditional afternoon tea is offered in the courtyard each day, and we enjoyed typically Moroccan mint tea served with an assortment of tiny cookies. It felt like something out of “Arabian Nights”.

Within walking distance of the riad is the Majorelle Garden, a botanical and landscape garden that was created in the 1920’s by French painter Jacques Majorelle. It is a fantastical delight and beautiful to behold. Special shades of bold cobalt blue are used in the gardens and on the buildings, walkways and pergolas, and are a stunning accent to the greens of the cacti, palm trees, bamboo, bougainvilleas, and ferns. Neglected after the painter’s death in 1962, the property was later restored by fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent who bought the garden and used it as his residence. After he died in 2008, his ashes were scattered in the garden and a memorial was built in his honor.

At the top of our “must see” list was a visit to the old tannery that processes hides using a method that is almost one thousand years old. Hides of cows, camels, sheep and goats are soaked for three days in stone vessels containing a mixture of pigeon droppings, limestone, water and salt. The limestone helps to remove the hair and the acid in the pigeon droppings softens the hides. We watched workers standing waist high in this mixture as they removed the skins for the next step in the process, scraping away the excess hair fibers and fat. Then the hides are moved to stone vats containing dyes of many colors where they sit until they are finally ready to be placed out in the sun to dry. At this point, they are sold to the craftsmen who will make them into an assortment of leather products you can buy in the souk. The smell in the tannery was offensive and our guide Mohammed gave each of us a bouquet of mint to hold under our noses as we watched the process.

The “souk” is the commercial quarter of the medina and we went there to experience the activity and to bargain for some souvenirs. Colorful stalls line the alleyways, selling everything from carpets to clothing, scarves, jewelry, leather products, olives and housewares. We were on a quest to find a decorative tagine like the ones used on our riad’s breakfast buffet for fruits, nuts and pastries. Mohammed patiently took us from stall to stall until my sister finally found one to bring back home with her. There are no set prices in the souk so she had to use her bargaining skills. It can get rather tense as the seller dramatically tells the buyer that she is “killing” him with the low price she is offering. But in the end, she prevailed and took home a beautiful tagine to use for entertaining in the Moroccan style.

We expected to engage in this type of buying and selling process in the souk. But we did not expect the tactics used on the street to capture the attention of the unsuspecting tourist. Men posing as workers in our riad who had the day off said they recognized us from the riad and shared important information about a special shop a couple of streets away. A co-conspirator “happened” to overhear the conversation and offered to show us the way. We started to follow, but then thought better of it. A sign on the wall in the riad warned about these tactics, but we had not noticed it. And to think we almost fell for it! We probably won’t see these “actors” on the big screen anytime soon, but their performance and timing was so well executed that I feel they deserve every dirham of their commissions.

There also was an interesting specialty shop in the souk where three Berber women were laboriously extracting oil from the nuts of the argan tree to make food products and cosmetics. Argan trees are endemic to Morocco and the oil that is extracted is very precious and has many health benefits. A salesman let us sample some of their special products, and we filled our baskets with gifts for people back home. There was no bargaining here because supposedly this is the only place where the skin products are pure and the oils used for cooking are not diluted.

Leaving the souk, we entered the beating heart of the city, Place Jemaa El Fna, which dates from the 12th century and was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001. This is a large square inside the walled city, lined with restaurants and shops and the setting for performances by snake charmers, musicians, storytellers, fortune-tellers, henna artists, monkey performers, acrobats, and transvestite dancers. It indeed is an assortment of fantastic sights and smells of Moroccan folklore. One photo here will cost you ten dirham.

The Koutoubia Mosque with its 254 foot high minaret is a landmark and symbol of the city. We were just outside the mosque when the “call to prayer” came from the loudspeakers above. Not far away is the Bahia Palace, a masterpiece of Moroccan architecture with its brilliant mosaics, carved woodwork and gorgeous marbles. Like most Arab palaces, it contains charming and tranquil gardens, beautiful patios and rooms richly decorated with tiles. And we visited the tombs of the Saâdi rulers which date back to the 16th century but were only discovered and restored around 1917. These tombs shelter the bodies of about 60 Saadian sultans and their families and are an outstanding example of Moorish tilework and art.

Leaving Marrakech two days later, we transferred to a four-wheel drive vehicle for our trip over the High Atlas Mountains via the Tizin Tichka Pass. Our destination was Ouarzazate, five hours away. Mohammed expertly navigated the vehicle around hairpin turns and over narrow roads that came within inches of steep drop-offs into canyons below. Besides the scenery, the sights we saw along the way are memorable. Donkeys loaded with meat, produce and wheat were led by jellabiya-clad men to village markets high in these mountains. We passed caves used by the Bedouins, nomadic tribes who live mainly in the desert but use the caves when crossing the mountains on their camels. We caught a glimpse of a road worker pausing for prayer on an outcrop of the mountain. And we saw stork nests, shepherds tending their flocks, and tiny villages made out of sandstone and hay that blend into the color of the hillsides on which they are built. No matter how small the village, there’s always a mosque with its minaret towering above everything.

Ouarzazate, nicknamed “the door of the (Sahara) Desert”, was built as a garrison and administrative center by the French, but today it serves as the Hollywood of the Kingdom. This is where “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Jesus of Nazareth”, “Gladiator”, “Indiana Jones” and many other films were made. While it is in a lovely setting, the town itself is somewhat tacky. There are several movie studios that you can tour and new housing developments are springing up in the otherwise beautiful landscape.

There are some interesting and beautiful casbahs nearby that have also been the setting for movies. Mohammed led us through the old rooms of the Kasbah de Taourirt and the alleyways of the more famous Ait Benhaddou, both sandstone in color and very picturesque. They show how tribes lived and protected themselves in former times. The pathways into Ait Benhaddou are filled with shops and artisans working at their crafts. A woman sitting on her stoop invited us to see her home. She showed us her “old” kitchen with its bee-hive oven, her “modern” kitchen with its fifties-style sink and tile backsplash, and a small room open to the sky where the sheep were housed in very tight quarters. The living room was full of carpets that she supposedly made herself and would sell for a good price. So the tip we gave her was really for the privilege of visiting her shop. Fooled again!

Leaving casbah Ait Benhaddou, we drove for miles through the foothills of the mountains and the rolling sand hills of the desert and started to wonder where we could possibly be staying for the night. Hopefully not in a Bedouin tent! But when we finally came upon our riad, we drove through a large sandstone arch and entered a typical Moroccan courtyard, set in an oasis with palm trees and beautiful plantings around a central pool and fountain. You’d never expect to find a place like this here in such a remote location. But it does make sense—a Frenchman opened it to cater to the movie industry.

In order to get to Casablanca, our next and final destination, we had to drive back over the High Atlas Mountains. Casablanca is very busy and teeming with traffic but it has a beautiful new mosque. Hassan II is one of the world’s largest and it was built over six years from “contributions” made by every family in in the city. We also drove by and took photos of Rick’s Café made famous by the film “Casablanca”, and toured the medina with its maze-like streets that are almost impossible to navigate in a car. Everywhere in Casablanca, the driving was terrifying, partly because people play “chicken” as they maneuver in and out of traffic. Unfortunately for us, Mohammed was very good at playing “chicken”.

The Islamic month of Ramadan had just started and Mohammed had fasted all that day as we made the long journey from Ouarzazate. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and increased devotion and worship which is observed as a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. So early that evening, we arrived at the hotel very hungry after the long drive and had to wait until the sun set for food to be served. We were the first ones in the restaurant when the sun hit the horizon!

If You Go:

♦ Riad in Marrakech, La Maison Arabe in the Medina
♦ Riad in Ouarzazate, Riad Ksar Ighnda
♦ Hotel in Casablanca, Sofitel Tour Blanche

About the author:
Elizabeth von Pier is a retired banker and photojournalist who travels extensively throughout the world. In her retirement, she has written and published articles in travelmag.co.uk, WAVE Journey, Travel Thru History and hackwriters.com. Ms. von Pier lives in Hingham, Massachusetts.

First photo by danyloz2002 from Pixabay
All other photos are by Elizbeth von Pier:
Minaret
Majorelle Garden
Tannery worker
Tagines
Women extracting argan oil
Snake charmers in Place Jemaa El Fna
Village in High Atlas Mountains
Movie studio

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