Natacha's travel adventures

Africa, here I come! (Just be patient, I'll get there in about 36 hours!)

Yay!

enjoyprepaid.com

Basically, to place the call, you only need the [1] local access number, your [2] PIN code and the [3] number that you wish to call.

Spain local access #:

Spain Toll Free Access Numbers
Allowed Access (Payphones, Mobiles, Hotels)
3rd column is (Additional Rate Per Minute)

900-804-442 Land Lines $0.04
800-007-164 Land Lines $0.04
900-804-442 Payphones $0.10
800-007-164 Payphones $0.11
900-804-442 Mobiles $0.28
800-007-164 Mobiles $0.38

Spain Local Access Numbers
Madrid (91)829-2868
Madrid (91)788-9564 $0.02 (Additional Rate Per Minute)
Sevilla (95)4327-398
Malaga (951)19-0113
National 902-007-287
National (fixed & payphones)
901-667-838
National (mobiles)
901-667-838 $0.05

Italy local access #:

Italy Toll Free Access Numbers
Allowed Access (Payphones, Mobiles, Hotels)
3rd column is (Additional Rate Per Minute)

800-979-361 Land Lines $0.06
800-786-054 $0.10
800-979-361 Payphones $0.18
800-979-361 Mobiles $0.38

Italy Local Access Numbers

Rome (06)9926-8346
Rome (06)45210-8063 $0.02
Venice (041)862-0723
Florence (055)398-0532
Naples (081)1973-5752

Africa = Egypt local access #:

EGYPT Egypt National 022-364-0083
NEED TO DIAL CARRIER CODE "300" (After entering the access number, please wait for the long tone and dial 300 in order to be prompted for the PIN. Service does NOT work from rotary phones!) Certain Payphones or Hotels may restrict access or require additional charges for access to toll free numbers. When dialing from outside Cairo, please use 02-364-0083. When inside Cairo, please dial 364-0083.

Ethiopia local access #: none

THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER TO CALL:
watchguard.citi: collect: 614-823-5161

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For train tickets and schedules:

In Spain, use RENFE

In Egypt, use sleeping trains ABELA

Here are direct links to the weather forecast of the sites I'll visit during my trip (all in Celsius, click on the English link to see them in Fahrenheit)

In Ethiopia

Lalibela

Addis Abeba

In Egypt

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Cairo

Luxor

Aswan

Abu Simbel

In Spain

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Madrid

Seville

Granada

Malaga

Toledo

In Italy

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Rome

Naples?

Florence?

Venice?

On Wednesday May 28, after traveling for 36 hours and arriving to Addis Abeba (Ethiopia) at 3:30am, I'll be doing immigration and then I'll jump on a plane once more (thrice actually) at 7:10am to go to Lalibela (with stops in Mek'ele and Aksum).
If you are wondering about all these airports, check out this cool map of the main Ethiopian airports. Interestingly, they forgot Lalibela!

Here is information of these amazing architecture achievements:

Lalibela rock-carved churches:
The Western group are the churches I definitely want to see (most likely on Thursday, so I'll be better rested after so much traveling!!):

Bet Giorgis,
Beta Medhane Alem,
Beta Maryam,
Beta Golgotha

The most spectacular church is Bet Giorgis (St. George's), In the "Northern Group" across the main road from St. George, the most notable church is Beta Medhane Alem home to the Lalibela Cross and believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world. Linked to it is Beta Maryam (St. Mary's), possibly the oldest of the churches.

Next to Beta Maryam is Beta Golgotha, known for its artwork which includes life-sized carvings of saints on the walls. It is also home to the tomb of King Lalibela, over which stands a gold-draped Ark. The Western group is completed by the Selassie Chapel and the Tomb of Adam.

The "Eastern Group" includes:

* Bete Amanuel (possibly the former royal chapel);
* Bete Merkorios (which may be a former prison);
* Bete Abba Libanos; and
* Bete Gabriel-Rufael (possibly a former royal palace), linked to a religious bakery.

Farther afield lie the monastery of Ashetan Maryam and Yimrehane Kristos church (possibly from the 11th century).

Very cool!

Alitalia's traveler ToolKit

It combines a currency converter, a weather forecast and local time zone in one page, NICE!

Drawback, you can only see one-at-a-time results and it's not available for all currencies or cities.

The currency converter I'm using all the time is: XE, it shows Ethiopian Birr, Egyptian Pounds and of course, Euros.

For time zones, I use: worldclock

From Hartford, Connecticut:

6 hours difference with Madrid/Rome (ahead)
Hartford 4pm - Madrid 10pm

7 hours difference with Ethiopia/Egypt (ahead)
Hartford 4pm - Cairo 11pm

I have never been this scared and excited at the same time. Its not a real fear, more a realization of where I am and where I'm going.

My dad always emphasizes the importance of seeing the world and learning about different cultures. I feel I am following his steps now and like the Valkyries, I'm riding these winged horses (airplanes) to foreign and exotic lands...

There is so much to plan for a trip this scale, I wish I had more time after classes ended, but I was too busy with grading and wrapping up things for the semester.

Friday May 23rd was an amazing but crazy day, with so much to do... At school, I met for 4 hours (3.5 presenting and brainstorming) with the team of Engineers without borders for the Abheypur project It was awesome, they were thrilled with my students' projects. I'm very proud of the results, they all did a great job and it will be very hard to choose one for implementation. Anyhow, this meeting consumed most of my time and energy.

Regarding my actual trip...

Tomasz, one of my students, helped me get a affordable ride from to JFK from New Britain (there is a funny story behind it, the company was about to charge me USD 20 extra for not being Polish but Tom intervened and I'll get to travel for USD 46, thanks Tomasz!!!)

Then, it was all the pain of getting the travelers cheques from AAA. It's good to be a member and not pay a % fee, but it was a real hassle. I wasted an hour on Thursday and I was very stressed until I had the envelope in my hands.

Planning the trip... I'm not done yet, I'm only half way. I bought most of the things (and too many other things) I needed at REI, that place is devilish! I'm so addicted! Almost everything I'll have/wear/carry, I got it from there. Become a member, they are an amazing company!

I'll be posting bits of information as I have some time or need to express my anxiety... bear with me.

I apologize for the Spanish-speaking readers (para mis padres y amigos, ya les traducire todas las anecdotas con lujo de detalles!).

Over 'n' out!

Leaving New York on 26 May 2008,
direct flight to Madrid, Spain, then another stop in Cairo, Egypt to go to:

• ** Destination: Ethiopia [Addis Abeba and Lalibela]

Arriving: 28 May 2008
Departing: 04 June 2008

for Meklit & Mesay's wedding

• ** Destination: Egypt [Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel]

Arriving: 04 June 2008
Departing: 13 June 2008

Just for leisure, my dream trip (not well planned I admit) to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel... still, so exciting!

• ** Destination: Spain [Madrid, Sevilla, Granada and Toledo]

Arriving: 13 June 2008
Departing: 25 June 2008

Madrid, Sevilla, Granada and Toledo, for Juanjo and Willow's wedding.

• ** Destination: Italy [Rome, maybe Florence or Naples]

Arriving: 18 June 2008
Departing: 21 June 2008

to visit Paula Simonetti for her birthday...and go back to that amazing city to get to see the Sistine Chapel (this time I will!)

I will post my whereabouts whenever I have access to this medium.

Thanks for checking!

Natacha

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

I believe it's true, the Universe will always help those who have the courage to follow their dreams!