Back home again in good company

Last Saturday evening my son Tomas picked me up from the airport at around 10pm. Instead bringing me home directly, he wanted to show me our company's new office and showroom with all the facilities. I was quite impressed. Then afterwards having left my luggage home, I found my thirsty throut in company of other young ones in my favorit pub "Kiiski". Soon Illuusia came to me and wanted to introduce her boy friend to me. They then left but my namesake Matti,35, a gallery owner asked me to join their company to play something. The other two were Nina and Kaisa, both 20 and very pretty too, of course. Around 3am we were talking if we should continue the party at my place but one of the girls wanted to retire, and I must say that after a long flight I was pretty tired too, and we departed.

Luxor, Suez, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan

On Saturday,March 14. our charter flight of 200 passengers arrived to the modern airport of Sharm El Sheikh at Red Sea to start cruising with the nostalgic ( built 1960)and only passenger ship m/s Kristina Regina under Finnish flag on international waters.That was my fift time on board of this vessel.
During the night our ship sailed to Safaga, from where three busses took us very early next morning for a four hours ride to Luxor. The bus trip was very interesting with very changing landscapes and traditionally dressed bedouins with camels and donkeys.But most interesting of course were The Valley of the Kings,where we visited three amazing tombs of Pharaos, all Ramseses no:s I,VI and IX, I think, built about 3500 years ago. After Queen Hatsepsuts restored Terrace temple we crossed the Nile with small boats to have a very good lunch at five star Steigenberger Hotel at 3pm. Then later we visited for two hours the incredible, huge Karnak Temple built also around 1500 B.C. Back aboard at 9.30 for cold beers and late dinner.
Next day we were already in Aqaba, Jordan, from were most passengers went for another long trip to Petra. I had been there with my family and some friends already 10 years ago, when only a few tourists visited it. Instead I did study Aqaba, where at Ali Baba Restaurant I had an exellent lamb lunch and a beer 0.5l. The lunch did cost around 5 euros as well as the beer too.
On Thursday we arrived to city of Suez, where I had a tour with a taxi to find a place where I could pay my lunch with credit card, because I did not like to change money, and in this city they seemed not to understand euros. Finally after some funny situationes we found Hotel Green House, where my cards were accepted. The lunch buffet there was'nt special but my assistant waitress, maybe 20 years old, was the most beautiful woman I have seen for years. Unfortunately she did not understand a word of English, but her black eyes and her disarming smiles,when she looked at me, made my day. When I was leaving, she very charmfully waved her hand and again with the dream smile.I could not understand how it was possible in this ugly city, that there would exist a great beauty like her.
On Friday we were back in Sharm El Sheikh, which is a typical uninteresting, new city, since 1980 for tourists. 70% of them were Russians, and many of them long-legged, high-heeled ones, a joy for understanding eye. The life aboard was easy and pleasant even that nothing special happened to be mentioned.

Looking forward for a cruise at Red Sea

The couple of last weeks have been very funny and full of joy. I have spent my time with several attractive ladies, which I have met in my favourite bars. No romances but happy evenings. I especially like to mention Illuusia,29, a very pretty graphicer, photographer and model, who mentioned by the way, that her mother should suit for me very well.We met in the afternoon last Friday, and I walked her home here in the neighborhood around 1 am at night. I have not met Liisa lately. She seems to be busy with other things, and there is no room for me.
Now on coming Saturday I'll be flying to Sharm El Sheikh, at Red Sea to start a cruise
with the "Kristina Regina", where I had an unforgetable romance almost two years ago.

Trying to remember your own memories and looking for the future

I today started to read my blog the first time ever, since I started to write those lines a couple of years ago. First of all, I am sorry of making many errors or mistakes of using incorrect words or expressions or whatever. But I practically never did study English , I just picked it up sometimes after the college, in my young travelling years or later in business life. The same way I got my knowledge of German and Spanish.
Anyhow thinking backwards, due this blog, those beautiful memories of two years ago, with a short romance with an attractive young lady, Kaisa, gave me some, later, bittersweet momemts, I'll never forget.
However I am used to meet ladies time after time, I do like. As I am, I like, but never knowing,if involved for shorter or longer time.
As you, my readers know, I met her,Liisa, in New Year's Eve at Storyville Jazz Club here in Helsinki.
Yes,my target is Liisa,I have mentioned her name before. She is a beautiful black haired lady, who is absolutely careful considering our relationship. She has heard some stories of me, which might not be wrong, but ancienct. She is a difficult fortress, but I like to be the conqistador.

Having different kind of feelings

Last Sunday afternoon we had a memorial name's gathering day of my late ex-wife, and the mother of my sons, because a good friend of her's happened to have just the same name with her. That was her's, not my idea,to invite former family friends to have a party. I did agree. The feelings at the Sevilla restaurant in Hotel Pasila seemed soon to be not too good. We were 15 persons but after one and half hour much less. For me it was a bitter and unpleasant situation, at the same time a bad but and as always a normal venue to be arguing with my brother about some ancient things after too many drinks. Things, I even suppose to know or not.
There are so many issues I tried to work in my head during last days, and which seemed not to work. Especially not with Liisa. But I am happy, I have such old friends like Heidi calling me with her worries, and warm words even not knowing that I might be unhappy. Am I, I do not be so sure at all1

Peaceful life in Helsinki

The time goes by. It's already over two months since I returned from South America.
I spent the Christmas at home with my son Tomas and my dog Viki (Victor),on the Boxing Day we had a small 66th birthday party of an old friend Vesa , and on the New Year eve I was celebrating at my favourite places Elite restaurant and Storyville Jazz Club.
Just when leaving Storyville in the wee hours of the morning, I met two charmant ladies
Eija and Liisa. Eija I know already for years, she once was married with a good friend of mine, but Liisa I had met only once before for a short while some months earlier.
On a happy mood we started to chat, and I then walked her home just a corner away from my place. A couple a days later we had a dinner in a good Mamma Rosa restaurant and soon thereafter another one in a tiny Italian place called Coma. Well, we have spent by now quite a lot time together. This might develope into a deep friendship, if not more.
Very much depends on her thoughts and decissions. We'll see.

Goodbye Cartagena!

In a couple of hours I´ll be flying to Panama City for one night before leaving South America tomorrow morning via Newark and Copenhagen back home to Helsinki.
I always was very interested in Caribean pirates,privateers and buccaneers in 16th - 18th centuries.
Already in school at 16, I got the best number of the class, when translating a pirate story from English into Finnish. Normally I was not at all among the best.
I have by now visited all those important harbours from where the cargo of gold, silver and emeralds was transported by Spanish ships to Europe. Cartagena, Portobelo, Panama Viejo, Havanna and Nassau were those ports, only Port Royal, the real nest of the pirates in Jamaica, a Sodoma and Gomorra, I did not visit. The reason is, that it was totally destroyed by a strong earthquake in early 18th century, and was mostly sunken in the sea.
Yesterday I once more went to the historical part of the city, and at corner of a park an old nearly teethless man wanted to know my origin. After hearing Finlandia,
he happily said Suomi ( Finland in Finnish )and continued with Kotka, Turku and Helsinki, ports he had visited many times. He also added that he did work at famous Finnish passenger ship, the late Finnjet, which did sail between Finland and Germany. He only wanted to warn me of those Cuban Cohiba cigars, sold on the streets, that these are fake.
I then visited Hard Rock Cafe to say goodbye to my sweet little friend Lisseth.
She had bought a present for me, a nice souvenier to remember, her and Cartagena.
We were talking a lot again, I ate and had some drinks. When I was leaving I got a big warm hug from her.
I then decided to go to Cafe del Mar, which is a nice place on the city wall. There was a soft breeze, and in the darkness of the evening I enjoyed the sea on the other side and the Christmas lights of the city on the other. A young handsome couple wanted to take some photos, and I offered to take pictures of them together. They then asked me to join their company. He was Columbiano, Gerrardo 28, and she was French, Lucie 23. They did live in Paris together, but visiting his home country.
We had a good time together, more than two hours, before they got hungry. I adviced them to go to Hard Rocks Cafe, which they did not know. We departed, I then had a night cap at the terrace of my hotel before retireing.
So. this is my last message from South America at least this time. next time Ill be at home again.