More than often I have read that the quality and variation of food is of a lower standard than most deserving travellers are accustomed too but here on the Avenues del Puerta a number of small free standing cafes on the cornice have set up just where the tourist buses disgorge their occupants…

Wherever in Havana – you are never far from the music. Well that is in the Vieja, the old original part now with Unesco heritage status. Early in the morning the mood is lighter and faster and by four in the afternoon, post siesta it is warming up. People, music, the tastes in the air take off from 4pm. The guide books recommend sauntering through the streets when it is close to dusk. I concur.

The first impression of the hotel is of a huge twenty storey concrete block imposing itself high above the district. This concrete edifice to the fifties warms with the large two storey mural across the imposing entrance looking like it was completed by the local college on a community help scheme.

I had assumed it was still a myth that the old Chevvies, Pontiacs and Buicks of the 50’s would be around still but I was pleasantly surprised to see them in evidence albeit most were taxis and some in better condition than others. Now my recognition of car types from the 50’s is relatively limited purely as I wasn’t around, not to appreciate them at my age anyway, Dad never owned one of them and lastly I am not really interested in cars of this era.

I hadn’t intended to write a journal on this break as I assumed I would be too busy on a short break. What’s happened on this trip has become a bit of a surprise.

What struck me the most is the complexities of the people and their acceptance of the norm..

Last day out in the country with the car, so its best to make the most of it. The intention is to get round Nizwa again, Al Hamra, Wadi Ghul, Jebel Shams and Bahla.

Nizwa is alive and buzzing, being the old capital and its location. Many people travel in from the villages and neighbouring towns for its services.

With a very detailed itinerary planned I am going back into the western Hajar mountains and this time stopping off overnight outside Nizwa. The aim is to visit the old fortified villages up through the Sumail Pass and then onto Bahla after attempting to get up onto Jebel Shams. Pack a jumper its going to get cooler certainly up high at the top of the highest point in Oman.

What a quiet peaceful day with little planned – leisurely day out in Old Muscat or Muttrah.

The Grand Mosque lies down by the main highway. A huge dome and towering minaret are part of the complex. White marble has been used throughout the site and in the main Mosque building is one of the largest carpets ever made, weighing 21 tons.

Prepared with my picnic I “head west, always feels like west. Down to the Grand Mosque roundabout and then out towards Seeb. The highway peels off to Nizeva while rest continues to Sohar. This must be the nearest part of the highway complex as it heads towards and into the mountains. The sun is still awakening and the colours are still bright at this time.

The intention is to complete the Rustaq loop as its known, take in the forts and just have a leisurely drive today.

Muscat is located in the lee of the mountains and apart from tracks the main highway always exits towards Seeb. Even if you want to go in the opposite direction its this way out of town.

The road out of Muscat to the north west is clear and moving and taking the main highway to Nizwa I discover it to be in excellent condition – almost Autobahn like, except for the speed cameras every kilometre. Initially I was expecting Oman to be an arid desert full of oil pumps; but it’s rich with some amazing sights.

That’s going to be cold then? Africa, that’s a change! Where exactly is that? Caribbean! So Muscat could be cold, near Moscow, Africa or even that Caribbean Island mistakenly made for Mustique.

Surprisingly very few people had any knowledge of Muscat’s location and that it’s within Oman.

I have saved the visit to the Lana Temple to the last day – don’t ask me why. Visit www.lanatemple.com.cn I think you’ll find everything you need to know.

Although fortunately I arrived whilst all the monks were chanting in a ceremony within one of the temples, the rest is very similar to other temples I have visited.

Lost in translation!! In the scene where Bill Murray is drinking and listening to the band, it’s just like that with a cello, sax, piano and drums. The real jazz quartet – “nice”. And now joining them is a high heeled slim vocalist. She is so deft with the rhythm. For this is brunch on a Sunday in the Intercontinental. I cannot quite make out what she is singing; it’s the hotel version of a pub singer and they will probably require applause.

The smog is the worst to date and I am sure it impacts everyone. In the lounge last night I heard four or five people coughing. I too have that all too familiar feeling with the tightening of the chest.

The Temple of Heaven is the south east of the city, surrounded by parks and like all Beijing attractions it’s accessible by the third ring road.

What an auspicious date, maybe that’s why I slept in – not sure whether to rest and have a day about the hotel.

Panda’s – they are an odd animal and as the zoo is literally ten minutes away by taxi I might as well go and see. As far as the weather, it’s smoggy again with low cloud and visibility a couple of hundred metres.

We are off northeast heading towards Mutianyu Great Wall with Liu driving, having organised this the previous day with the concierge.

A major new highway has been opened less than 20 days. As it’s a toll road very few cars are using it so our route is unhindered and smooth, so I am able to catch a short nap.

I am determined to get round the Palace Museum or commonly known as the Forbidden City until it was opened up to the public. When it was founded in 1406 by one of the dynasties it was built upon, added and amended through all the dynastic changes.

It is central to Beijing smack in the middle with two main entrances…

Last night I awoke at midnight and the construction was still going on where they are doing the ground works about a block away. Working 24/7 with lights at night and heavy construction equipment they were still going this morning when I woke.

The tourist map gives no scale so the walk about today became a marathon.

OK I have closed it twice and its popped open every time I have lifted it. What the blazes have I bought?

Even discover the bell-boy trying to re-close the case at the lift as it’s opened again. Now for that famous pink plastic string to hold it together, even this can’t stop it opening at the Maglev train.

Not an early start but who cares. Get the old eggs benedict in and then head down to the old area, which has been painstakingly upgraded, renovated, cleaned, spruced – it’s had the Covent Garden treatment. Too clean and precise to give any real feeling for the area. Not my cup of tea, in fact couldn’t get one even though I sat upstairs in the teashop for forty minutes.

There’s a Starbucks everywhere, hot on the heels of a McDonalds everywhere. Now you can’t be lost if you find a Starbucks – the Little Chef of new millennium. Even the staff, colleagues, …..or whatever they prefer to be called have phoney Harvard accents or maybe that’s where they end up.

There are places to start the discovery tour but some can’t beat the sitting down to a bowl of ten boiled sheep’s eyes.

After a morning around Yua Yuan gardens and the old city I fancied some nourishment. The road side cafes and takeaway stalls were heaving so I headed up the road away from the manic thousands out celebrating autumn day.

13.7 million people live in the sprawl of Shanghai, which is why it seemed that the car from the airport was taking hours.

First impressions are usually right, so they say. I am not sure what to make of this city having only arrived a few hours ago and only ventured a few blocks from the hotel.

A little outing today up to the Topkapi Palace, which is closed so I end up by the Basilla Cistern – no queues so I will have a look in there.

It’s cavernous. This huge underground cathedral with its hundreds of columns and brick roof is filled with water a couple of feet deep. The suspended walkway goes through the columns and covers all the nooks and crannies.

It’s a late start, as I didn’t get to bed that early, just couldn’t sleep. Under no pressure I head down to the fish market. Must explain how the markets and areas work. In fact it’s the same in most of the Muslim countries. Where they talk about a souk or bazaar, it’s where those items are sold. Like the spice bazaar in Istanbul where all the stalls and shops primarily sell spices, all competing with one another – same as the Gold Souk in Dubai.

Typical tourist waiting in reception for the tour to commence. This is made up of two half day tours with the morning being a tour up the Bosporus stopping half way and a mini bus back to town.

It’s Sunday and everywhere is packed. Even the short walk around the new mosque with its disgusting pigeons seems tedious. It’s just to kill the time until the ferry departs at 10.30.

The light is just a feint orange glow rising over the Asian side of Istanbul. The orangey flow is reflecting slightly in the Bosporus – so the river looks golden.

Today I have witnessed some amazing respect from a young lad about seven who ran up to a middle age man and grabbed his hand, kissed it and raised it to his forehead.

My view from the room overlooks the northern part of the Bosporus and the Bosporus Bridge. It’s quite an engineering feat as huge ocean going tankers are moving effortlessly at quite a speed up and down from the Black Sea. Across the water is Asia – seems odd that you can stand in one continent and gaze upon another.

Probably from Chigwell, but the torment has started. There is always someone on the travel that you hope won’t be on the plane, in your hotel or the transit vehicles.

Moaning that they have already been through one lot of security checks and cannot see the sense of this additional one.

It’s now the eve of travel, settling bills, tips and packing.

Always a mixed time especially as I have gotten to quite like this relaxed atmosphere in the hotel.

FIN

Word has got round the hotel that I am long staying and occasionally I tip!! Now it seems that every employee of the hotel is being extremely polite.

The laundry man came back again to check that the laundry was to my satisfaction. The housekeeper for the first time came by and asked whether I was happy with all the work he had done.

It’s Boxing Day, cold ham, cold meats, pickles (that haven’t been out of the cupboard since last year) and major indigestion. Missed all that and had a club sandwich instead.

There is nothing to report today as I stayed all day by the pool, where thankfully it warmed up and that meant the bloody flies came out.

The problem with going to bed early on Xmas Eve is you wake up very early. This time though there are no stockings or packages.

After getting back to sleep for a few more hours I’m done and dusted and in reception for 9.00.

Let’s say that today is a day off. Well I have done little or nothing and just spent it by the pool, reading the last few chapters of the early days of Julius Caesar. I wonder how far into Egypt he ventured as Cleopatra was based in Alexandria.

At dinner this evening Santa appeared with a few gifts for the kids and some party hats.

Today I move from the Semiramis to the pyramids resort. I have booked a car as at least there is some sort of comfort and safety in using the hotel cars. What I didn’t expect is for the driver to start offering a cheap trip around the pyramids before I get to the hotel. That really has got my hacklers up and eventually I had to be quite rude and demand we went straight to the hotel.

I’m having coffee and a slice of cake whilst crossing the Nile at Luxor in a Feluka and its only 05.30a.m. So what more adventures are we set for: the mini buses on the east bank of the Nile take us off to an open field where desert almost meets arable land.

The basket will take 20 persons and we have an English pilot, somewhat re-assuring…

The flight from Cairo to Luxor was only an hour and as some disembarked the others stayed on waiting for the onward leg to Aswan.

I am still early as I arrive at the Winter Palace, Sofitel Hotel just after 08.00am. The early start at four thirty will take its toll later and it did.

I organised an eleven o’clock start with Ahmed to take me on another trip. However he phoned late the previous evening and now has a tour organised in the morning so we have agreed to meet at 3p.m. on the 2nd floor of the hotel so he and I need not pay the exorbitant commission.

Off with Ahmed the guide and Mohammed the driver after arranging a private tour with the concierge.

Now I am wondering where the hell I will end up as I wanted to see the Old City, Citadel and parts of Islamic Cairo and now I have Ahmed asking me where I would like to go.

The view of the Nile is impressive, looking north I can see the island and the edge of the modern city, looking south the garden area with affluent housing and east in the distance I can see the pyramids. It is about a week’s journey from here as I am not expected until next Friday.

Water is central to Cairo and even though its 125 miles south of the Mediterranean the people and influences give the impression that we are at the coast. El Nile Corniche runs along the west banks of the Nile as it slips gracefully with a purpose splitting Cairo.

It is only in the last 100 years that the east bank has become so populated now with 18 million in its city.

Packed and ready to go I hand Mohammed Mazan a tip, he’s very good with his bowing and appreciation and no different to the tip I left Mohammed the driver. The driver has such a wonderful wide smile and is without so warm and friendly. Although I never got close up front I can imagine his driving and smiling. We have had no close encounter, near misses and he always slows for the pot holes and ramps to the point you never feel them.

I would love to have slept through to our required alarm call but at 5.30 in the morning the fire alarm goes off for a minute or so. It was probably seconds. I leapt out of bed landing into the hotel slippers through my pyjama trousers like a Wallace & Grommet cartoon. Nobody is moving in the corridor and the alarms have ceased so I return to bed.

Out of Zlitern Hotel, down the four floors two flights of steps and only slightly out of breath. How the guides etc know that the lift will be out of order and not get repaired beats me. Packed on the coach we are heading back to Leptis but before we hit the main sites we detour to see the amphitheatre, circus and port.