Egypt: Like You've Never Seen Before

While my esteemed colleague, Crankbait, had the pleasure of living in Egypt and was able to experience first hand the daily ins and outs of Egyptian life, I was given a twelve hour express tour of Egypt via the Suez Canal.  My warship passed through the canal transiting to and from the Persian Gulf during my 2011 deployment.

Standing six-hour watch rotations, I really didn't have much time to enjoy the sites. But what I was able to see was quite enjoyable. One thing I noticed immediately was the Egyptian army. There was a soldier standing at attention every 25 yards the entire length of the canal. Some were in pairs, but most of them stood solo out in the heat in full gear, with an AK-47 across their chest. They did have a little shack, but I never saw the soldiers use them. A very well trained force indeed. What they were guarding against was never completely made clear. Perhaps it was to prevent ships from stopping in the canal to offload people or materials. Makes sense. We passed through just before the Muslim Brotherhood debacle. 

At one point, the Suez Canal widened and there was a resort on the shore. I never caught the name, but people were sun bathing and swimming in the canal. There was a barrier net to protect from the shipping lanes. The locals would wave to us as we passed by. Pretty awesome to see some people still like us in that region.  We also passed under the Egyptian-Japanese friendship bridge, which was cool to see. 

The differences between the two sides of the canal was pretty drastic. The west side was populated from beginning to end, while the east was mostly barren desert, with the occasional pipeline or army HQ. Small fishing docks dotted both sides of the canal, but the boats were empty.

I don't post many pictures of myself.  Back when I was pushing 200 lbs and used SH-60 sonar buoys as weights.

The Suez Canal in all of its glory.  This waterway is the most vital transit system of any in the world.

These guys were dedicated.  It was easily over 100 degrees, but they had a job to do.

The Japan-Egypt Friendship Bridge. 

While the Eastern bank was dotted with soldiers every 25 yards, the Western bank had snipers.  I was lucky enough to catch a sniper and his spotter making their way to their post.  

This bridge was pretty awesome.

The resort. I would have loved to spend some time there!

Mt. 508.  One of the two SCAT (Small Caliber Action Team) positions I commanded while on Anzio.  Twin .50 caliber MG's.

Behind the Fallen Iron Curtain: Georgia

The Republic of Georgia-

Georgia was the most economically divided country I visited when I was in the Navy.  But it also had the most potential of any country I've seen.  Foreign investors were really driving the economic growth through out the country and that was most evident in the city of Batumi.  The "tourist" section of Batumi was a great distraction from the quality of life that the true Georgians were living in.  The most visible building was the Sheraton Hotel, a magnificently white skyscraper that drew visitors to that area.  It was right next to the beach, surrounded by beautiful walkways, water features, fancy park benches, public ping pong tables, and a small bamboo forest.  All of this ran parallel to a beautiful wooden walkway on the beach that stretched as far as I could see in both directions down the coast.  Further from the Sheraton (closer to where my ship was moored), the downtown square was the most beautiful section of town.  A massive sculptured water fountain stood in front of the Batumi Theater/Oprah House, which was highlighted with gold painted accents.  Foreign embassy's also made up the nearby streets.  All sorts of modern hotels, restaurants, and office spaces were being built.  I stumbled upon a restaurant in the shape of a wooden sail ship that was facing the beach.  I enjoyed Pear beer and cow tongue in a horse radish sauce.  Quite delicious, actually.  The horizon had beautiful hills and mountains with smaller towns dotting the landscape.  Georgia was just recently recognized as a European nation, and joined the European Union.  They are very proud of this fact, because economic support and opportunities for growth come standard with this recognition. However, just two streets behind the Sheraton Hotel, was the poor Georgia.  The streets literally went from concrete and cobblestone, to sand.  Shacks, shady businesses, poverty, hunger, crime.  I accidentally stumbled into this area with a few friends and we didn't want to stick around.  I refused to bring out my camera because I did not want to get mugged.  The diversity between "first world" and "third world" was truly frightening and very apparent.  I attribute this to the fact that Russia casts a looming shadow over Georgia (as it does all of its former Soviet satellites) and also attacked Georgia in 2008.  The good thing is that these poor regions of Georgia are on the decline.  The economy is growing, and as I explored further into the city (away from the Sheraton), I noticed corporations, small businesses, public transportation, city parks, parking garages, and LOTS of construction!  I know that here in America, all of those things are a given, but in a nation rebuilding from decades of Soviet control and trying to find their own identity, this was a wonderful sight! As I left, I remember telling a friend "This place was great, but I want to return in 10-15 years to see the growth".  I mean that, because Georgia was screaming with economic possibilities and I truly believe the Republic of Georgia could become a social powerhouse in Europe.

Earthquake Relief, Haiti, 2010

I wanted to share a few photographs from my time in Haiti.  We deployed there for the earthquake relief in January 2010.  We offloaded hundreds of tons worth of humanitarian aid (mattresses, rice, water, medical supplies) from American, Mexican, and Colombian warships.  We spent a month in Haiti, doing what we could to help. 

First Time for Everything!

Hello, any and all future followers-

I never believed I would start a blog, but a friend inspired me to start one.  She is a world traveler who loves to share her experiences (follow her at thetravelinggator.blogspot.com).  For quality food critique, along with traveling tips and tricks, she is the best I've seen!

I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself, and what I plan to share in my blog.

I spent four years active duty in the U.S. Navy, stationed in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia.  From 2008-2012 I deployed twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom with Assault Craft Unit 2 (embarked aboard USS Gunston Hall, LSD-44) and as a Logistics Specialist in charge of HSL-46 Det 4 embarked on USS Anzio (CG-68).  I have visited over 30 countries, some better than others, and I will post plenty of pictures with descriptions as I go.   I had an amazing tour of duty, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything.   But when my contract was up in June 2012, we moved back home to Florida.

I am a full time college student now, but I've been an avid motorcyclist for the past ten years.  My father used to be a professional motorcycle racer.  He used to race on Ducati's, Triumph's, and BSA's.  He's retired from the track, but he's always working on motorcycles and making sure his kids know their way around them.  In 2007, my dad bought me a 2006 Suzuki DRZ400, which I currently drive.  I love this motorcycle (plenty of pictures to be posted in the future).  The DRZ will be the featured motorcycle for my blog.  I love the dualsport/enduro/supermotard motorcycle style.

I'm also learning how to cook on a charcoal grill, and I appreciate the occasional cigar, so I'm sure I'll post about those topics as well.

-J