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EGYPT 1 - ASWAN, ABU SIMBEL, LUXOR & KARNAK, THE WESTERN DESERT, CAIRO AND ALEXANDRIA.
'Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember and remember more than I have seen.'
Benjamin Disraeli
20th March
Once the vehicles were off the barge, we parked in Aswan port to get our carnets stamped, paid $95 each for road tax and received our next instructions which were to go now, by taxi, to the traffic police in town to get our Egyptian number plates, as the vehicles would not be allowed out of the port without them.
We knew from our Dutch friends who had already gone through this lengthy procedure, that the Traffic Police shut at 2 p.m. so when we queried this, the answer was, 'Yes, yes, they are now shut, you will have to go tomorrow!' So we all camped in the car park and could understand why Rielle and Jeroen took one and a half days to get out of the port!
21st March
After 2 taxi trips into town visiting numerous offices and people, the men in our group finally returned in the afternoon armed with Egyptian driving licences and number plates, after having sorted out the registration process and insurance for the vehicles. A mechanic arrived to check all the chassis numbers and the port police checked the new number plates after they had been tied on. We all paid 10 Egyptian pounds for our overnight stay and were finally on our way to find Adams Home for camping, close to the Nile.
Adams Home was an interesting, pale lilac structure with everything built around a large, sandy courtyard, very much in a Moroccan style with cushions on the floor, thick walls and dark, cool rooms. No water however...... inshallah!
We all went into town to the main Corniche el-Nil and had a meal on one of the many large boats, moored permanently on the Nile as restaurants or hotels. There were hundreds of tourists along the Corniche, ourselves included of course. However, we had all been so impressed by the title of 'Free Tourists' given to us and written down on all the forms by the Customs Police at the port, that we decided this sounded much better!
When we returned to Adams Home we found that a tanker had delivered water, showers could be had in the morning after all!
22nd March
We said goodbye to Sandra and Frank today and also Abby and Luke, as they want to move on more quickly through the Western Desert. It has been great travelling with them. Bram and his family also left but Claude and Alain were staying longer.
We plan to return 280 kilometres back south tomorrow with Cissy and Marcel, as we would all like to visit the famous temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, which we had glided past whilst on the barge coming from Sudan.
We have to join a convoy for this journey and so made a visit to the tourist police in town to hand in the required photocopies of our passports and driving licences and book a place on the convoy, leaving from the Unfinished Obelisk south of town at 11 a.m. the next day.
In the afternoon we all hired a small motorboat to visit the Philae Temples. Originally built on Philae Island, these temples have since been dismantled and rebuilt on Agilika Island about 500 metres away, due to Philae Island being submerged after the construction of the High Dam. The Temple of Philae was dedicated to the Goddess Isis who it was said, discovered the heart of her murdered brother on Philae Island. The temples were very interesting with many open doorways allowing beautiful views and breezes from the Nile.
23rd March
We drove to the Unfinished Obelisk today to join the convoy for our journey to Abu Simbel. The convoy consisted of about 50 vehicles, mostly big coaches and mini buses, with an armed guard in the front coach. However, it was impossible to keep up with their speeds on the flat, desert road and we soon lost them shortly after the first check point! This was not a problem however and when we arrived, we camped overnight in the large and sandy parking area close to the temple. We intended to be inside the temple grounds soon after 6 a.m. before all the coaches arrived an hour later, having left Aswan on the 4 a.m. convoy. It was also the best time to catch the early morning sun for photographs.
24th March
The Great Temple of Abu Simbel was discovered by the Swiss explorer Jean-Louis Burkhadt in 1813, quite by chance, when he discovered one of the heads sticking up above the sand. What an amazing find! Just as amazing though, was UNESCO's dedication when cutting up and removing this vast piece of historical architecture higher up the cliff at enormous cost, to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser. It was strange to stand in front of these temples, when not long ago, we had been chugging past them on the barge on our way to Aswan and watching the Sound and Light show! We were in fact, only 40 kilometres away from the Sudanese border again!
The enormous Sun Temple of Ramses II had a façade of four, enormous statues of Ramses, to impress those entering Egypt with his power and majesty. Between these were more carved figures of the royal family, including Queen Nefertari, his favourite wife. Along the top of the temple, a row of baboons had been carved to worship the rising sun. On entering this temple, one felt completely dwarfed walking between huge pillars on each side, with more enormous, carved statues of Ramses. Next to the Sun Temple, stood the smaller but still very impressive, rock-hewn temple of Queen Nefertari, the façade once again having massive statues of Ramses and Nefertari, accompanied by smaller figures of their children. We were almost the only ones there and were able to take photographs before the crowds arrived, although the sky was unfortunately overcast. This had certainly been a trip worth making however.
We parted from Cissy and Marcel later in the day, after we had all visited the High Dam (built 6 kilometres upstream from the Aswan Dam) and the giant, lotus blossom shaped tower nearby, built to commemorate Soviet and Egyptian Friendship.
We enjoyed our time in Aswan, which, like most towns, had a new, and an old part but which was graced with the beautiful setting on the Nile. On one side of this river were massive dunes of dark grey rock and yellow ochre sand, reminders of the harsh and endless desert beyond, whilst on the other, fields of emerald green dotted with palms, men and women bending over their work and donkeys waiting patiently for their backs to be piled high with alfalfa or their carts loaded. At the end of a day working in the fields, their owners rode home on them, swinging their sandalled feet in time to the rhythm of their tiny hooves. This amazing river, the world's longest and the backbone of Egypt, carving its way through Africa from its source in Uganda! Whether viewed from the huge Aswan Hanging Bridge or from anywhere on its banks, there was always a glimpse of a felucca gliding by, with an enormous, dazzling, white sail.
The side streets in town, were full of the scent and colour of spices, huge baskets piled high with dates and dried hibiscus flowers used in tea. The pace of life was slow and relaxing. Men in loose jallabiyas sat and drank sweetened tea or coffee in little glasses, deep in conversation or just watched the world go by, whilst the covered women fingered colourful scarves, or lingered over the rows of little glass bottles on shelves, containing many different exotic perfumes. Slabs of Turkish Delight, coated in a sweet, white, floury sugar, coconut ice, nougat set with green pistachio nuts, peanut brittle and honey soaked pastries filled with figs and dates were piled high on trays on stalls that lined the narrow streets.
25th March
We left for Luxor today and were allowed to continue on our own after the first checkpoint along the Nile road, without having to join a convoy.
We took the route via Kom Ombo and Idfu, following the Nile all the way on our left with fields of date palms, mango and banana trees, all intersected with irrigation channels. Sugar cane was also an important crop and it was being harvested and piled high on to tractor-trailers, donkey carts, lorries and even trains. Glimpses of yellow ochre through the palms reminded us yet again, that where the line of green ended, the Western Desert began and went on and on…continuing into the vast Sand Sea and eventually into Libya.
We drove behind an open truck carrying eight camels, all couched and roped down in the back but with their long necks swaying above the bars, watching the world go by with that superior look that only camels can have. Every now and again there would be a slight commotion as one tried to bite another but on the whole, they seemed to be enjoying the ride and appeared very relaxed!
There were many police check points to pass through but without a problem, everyone polite and helpful. We arrived at Rezeiky Camp on the East Bank in Karnak soon after lunch and found Claude and Alain and Cissy and Marcel there also. Rezeiky was a very interesting person to talk to and his campsite to be recommended, the food was also excellent.
We visited the Temples of Karnak built on a gigantic scale and the Luxor Temple standing in the heart of the town.
27th March
We all left Luxor and Karnak today, crossed back over to the Western side of the Nile by a bridge and took the very good, tarmac road that led toward the Western Desert. There were again, numerous check points and an escort through some of the towns. We were never really sure why we had these but the police were always helpful and good humoured and even waited for us on one occasion whilst we stopped and had lunch.
El Kharga had a huge palmeraie, fields full of crops and a date factory, interspersed with beautiful, crescent shaped dunes, perfections in yellow ochre! We pulled off into the desert to camp for the night, as it was still 170 kilometres to the next oasis town of Dakhla. A cold wind was blowing and everyone was in bed early.
28th March
A bitterly cold night, it had been difficult to keep warm. We left our camping place after exploring the desert and finding areas littered with petrified wood and sculptured rocks and stones.
The oasis town of Al Dakhla was between Mut and Al-Qasr, a peaceful and relaxing place with fertile, cultivated areas dotted between sand dunes and date palms. To the north it was dominated by a spectacular wall of rock and sand, that changed colour depending on the light and time of day. We visited the old town of Mut, now in ruins but giving a wonderful view from the top of the hill, across the town and out to the desert beyond.
The ancient Islamic town of Al-Qasr was more interesting however and we were taken through its sand-filled, narrow alleyways by a guide. Some of the mud brick buildings had been partially restored, enabling us to enter their cool rooms with thick walls, shuttered windows and huge, split palm trunks with woven matting, across the ceilings. We climbed some steps to look out across the crumbling, old town to the new buildings beyond, to the tops of palm trees and pigeon towers and on to the distant wall of sand and rock. We entered the ancient mosque with its distinctive minaret, where sunlight slanted in through the open windows, revealing the old lintels above the doors with carved inscriptions from the Koran.
Back out in the streets, men in large-brimmed, straw hats trotted by on donkeys, sitting between huge, woven baskets full of alfalfa. The little shops were well stocked and the young, veiled girls behind the counters were delightful, welcoming us inside with lovely smiles and trying their best to help us in English, whereas we wanted to try out our Arabic!
In those last few hours of late afternoon sunshine, a wonderful time for photographs, we drove to the top of a hill that looked across magnificent, ochre dunes to that sculptured wall of rock and sand, where the sun was casting sharp, blue shadows against the stark, white and yellow of the sand. Below us, we could see the barely used sand track that led to the next oasis town of Farafra, approx 300 kilometres away via the desert route and which we were all hoping to try tomorrow. We had heard differing reports about its condition but we also knew that we had to find a way of getting up and over the escarpment.
Whilst the others stayed on the hill for the night, Bill and I camped at the Beir Elgabal Camp at the foot of the ridge, 5 kilometres off the main road between Al-Qasr and Mut, very isolated and peaceful. Run by Bedouin, we were given the use of a bathroom for a hot shower and had an excellent meal, chatting to the only other traveller staying there from Germany, who was biking around the Western Desert area before returning to Cairo and flying home.
29th March
We returned early to meet the others, to find that Marcel had become bogged down in deep sand whilst descending a steep dune from their overnight camping spot. Using 3 pairs of sand ladders, we slowly got him out on to harder sand and we were on our way to Farafra, hopefully via the desert route.
We all managed the areas of deep sand until the piste wound round to begin the climb over the ridge and all tracks disappeared. We parked at the bottom and investigated on foot but the rocks soon changed to deep drifts blown by recent, strong winds, followed by a high dune. Our climb was going to be long and steep and it was obvious that no one had taken this route from the south for some time. We all decided that we were not going to be able to continue with our loaded vehicles either, unless we were prepared to spend hours using the sand ladders to get each vehicle to the top. Disappointed, we turned back and continued on the tarmac.
As a large lorry passed us travelling very fast, we heard a bang but were relieved to find that the windscreen had not been cracked. A short while later however, water began spraying on the windscreen, the temperature had soared and on investigating, we found a small stone neatly wedged between the radiator grill and most of our water gone! We waited for the engine to cool and then Bill used some resin to repair the hole temporarily, gradually adding more water to the tank from our spare water containers.
At Farafra we camped by the hot springs next to the very attractive Aqua Sun Hotel, where once again, we were given a bathroom to use. It was Claude's birthday and we celebrated with wine and pancakes….very French!
30th March
We said our goodbyes to the others today, as we wanted to try and get the radiator fixed at the next oasis town of Bahariya, about 200 kilometres from Farafra. Being Friday however, everywhere was very quiet and most places were closed, so we headed for Ahmed's Camp just outside of the town. No water in the camping block so we were given a bathroom to use in one of the rooms where the water was also very erratic and cold! I think we will have to find the hot springs again! The Bahariya Oases are famous for their palm trees, olives, apricots, rice and corn as well as having many migrant birds.
31st March
We have decided to return and visit The White Desert today that we have heard so much about, it would be so disappointing to miss this when we were so close. Bill has added more resin around the hole in the radiator and it seems to be holding.
We stopped for some fruit, vegetables and water in a little shop where the guy corrected our Arabic pronunciation and was keen to teach us some new words to use when shopping. We also stopped for diesel, where Bill began chatting to two Bedouin guides filling up their Toyota, before also heading off for the White Desert with three French ladies! They suggested we followed them, as they would be able to take us to places that we would be unable to find ourselves. By a strange coincidence, Alaa turned out to be a mechanic who specialised in radiators and although he was unable to help us with a new one at short notice, he showed Bill where to buy anti-freeze, which we had also of course lost with the water. They were all planning to camp at a tiny, remote oasis in the desert tonight and asked if we would like to join them. Such typical and generous Bedouin hospitality! As it turned out it must have been fate that we all met up, as we were also going to be able to help them out later on!
We followed Alaa and Ragab (his driver) into the Black Desert, sombre and sinister with outcrops and rocky hills covered in black rocks, looking like giant coal heaps and the desert floor strewn with black gravel. Further on we pulled in at some rocks known as the Crystal Mountain, to discover many crystals embedded in the rock, glinting in the sun. We then turned off into the desert where we discovered an amazing, surreal and serene landscape of pristine sand and weathered rocks. A little further on we stopped to pick up small, shiny pieces of black lava, twisted into unusual shapes, some like 3-dimensional flowers.
We suddenly realised that Ragab had stopped ahead of us and had a problem with his vehicle. The men tinkered under the bonnet and Bill was sure it was the fuel pump. We were not going to be able to continue until a new one could be obtained and so Alaa decided to ring his father. We were about 15 kilometres into the desert and he was unable to get a signal, so we used our satellite phone. His father would bring a new fuel pump but it would be some time before he would reach us. Alaa arranged a meeting place with his father on the phone and set off on foot on his own. We all settled down in the desert for a long wait!
We laid some rugs down on the sand and all had lunch, Ragab generously insisting that we shared their food. Mijo, Eliette and Francine (the French ladies) were all lovely, full of laughter and fun and shrugging off the breakdown. Mijo and Eliette entertained us all with some French songs and then asked Ragab if he also liked to sing. Without any hesitation or inhibitions he began, his voice sounding strong and haunting and very beautiful, whilst sitting there in such a remote and quiet place. I wished I could have recorded it.
We were suddenly aware that the hot wind had changed direction, bringing with it rasping sand, the sun disappeared and the sky turned a threatening yellow, it was amazing how quickly everything could change! We hastily cleared away and shut ourselves in the vehicles as the sand swirled around us, we could barely see the rocks now to our left.
Alaa returned alone after a nightmare battle against the wind and sand, only a Bedouin could have found his way back again in the middle of a raging sandstorm! We used the satellite phone again to ring his father. Yes, he was on his way, but it was dark when he finally arrived with one of Alaa's nephews.
The new pump was fitted by torchlight, the Toyota sounded strong again and we were on our way to find the oasis to camp for the night. Alaa's father led the way in his vehicle, weaving through the desert over low dunes, rocks and deep sand, without any tracks to follow, only headlights picking out the way, although the wind was at last beginning to subside and the air to clear. It amazed us how the Bedouin knew the desert like the back of their hand and we eventually arrived safely at a small oasis with a cluster of palm trees on raised ground and a small spring further down.
By the time we had parked in the shelter of some large palms and put up our tent, Ragab and Alaa had hung up some large and beautiful drapes, similar to those that we had seen adorning the sweet stalls in the back streets of Luxor. They were hung on a simple, wooden frame, tucked back amongst the palm trees. A low table had been set down with a dish of oranges and bananas and colourful mattresses were on the ground for us all to recline on. The portable stove was on and Ragab was already preparing a meal, which he insisted that Bill and I shared with them. A wonderful meal that included plates of rice topped with chicken, bowls of salad and Arabic bread, all served on a large tray. The view out to the desert from our shelter was becoming much clearer, it was all quite magical. There were no buildings there and no other people, just our small group sipping mint tea in small glasses after our delicious meal. Ragab was an excellent cook! Alaa spotted a desert fox not far from where we were sitting and in the morning we could clearly see his footprints. Alaa's father left after tea had been drunk and we sat and enjoyed the quiet, the stars and the vastness, before turning in for the night.
1st April
A peaceful night and a beautiful, clear morning that revealed an escarpment of rock and sand behind the oasis, stretching away into the distance. Whilst Alaa and Ragab packed everything away, returning the oasis to a simple cluster of whispering palms, as if the magic of yesterday evening had never existed, we washed the dishes in the water from the underground spring and explored a nearby cave.
We then headed off further into the desert, accelerating over low dunes and stopping to view strange, lunar landscapes. We pulled up to explore another cave and to climb a rocky outcrop, from where we could see hundreds of rocks resembling stunted growths, stretching away to the horizon. From there, we drove between strange formations of dazzling, white rock, outlined against a bright, blue sky. The White Desert..... what an amazing place!
Ragab insisted that everyone returned to his house for lunch as his mother was preparing food for everyone. We sat on cushions on the floor and had a large tray brought to us, with little dishes of delicious beef, rice and vegetables cooked in a sauce, followed by mint tea.
Eliette, Francine and Mijo were then collected by a minibus for their journey back to Cairo, where they all worked for the NGO.
Bill and I walked through the date palm gardens behind Ragab's house, with small fields of crops full of birdsong, whilst he unloaded the Toyota with Alaa. A group of little boys followed us and showed us the apricot trees full of fruit, green and hard but this didn't seem to deter them from eating them!
Alaa then insisted that we should drive to his house and meet his family, such lovely, gentle people, who gave us tea again with cake and peanuts. Beautiful Laila, (Alaa's sister) who enjoyed painting and taught Computer Science at a local school, quiet Soad, Alaa's wife and their shy little girl Haneen. Alaa's mother Raya had a lovely smile and had obviously passed this on to her daughters Laila and Kariman.
Alaa and Ragab then took us in the Toyota to show us the various hot springs, the oases with their dense rows of date palms and the crumbling remains of the 'English Castle' built high on a barren, rocky hill, from where we had wonderful views across the desert. Finally, to a hot spring where the men jumped in and washed, soaping fibres pulled from the trunk of a palm tree, which acted as a perfect loofah! We then returned to Alaa's house where once again, with true Bedouin hospitality, more food was brought for us to share. Alaa showed Bill his very old guns that he and his father once used for shooting trips into the desert, hunting gazelle.
We returned to Ahmed's Camp after dark, where we discovered another Land Rover parked with a rooftop tent. Kirstine and Kevin from Denmark were our neighbours and they were travelling south in their Landy.
2nd April
We went into town to buy presents for Ragab's mother and Alaa's family and then called at Alaa's house, where we found him working on the Toyota with his father. We were given tea and I sat on the floor with Haneen drawing simple pictures with the English word for her to copy. When Reda (Alaa's nephew) arrived home from school, we played marbles in the back yard and he showed me his two puppies, the little mud-brick houses for the hens and turkeys, the banana and date trees and the dates drying in tins up on the flat roof. Once again we were invited to eat before we left, plates of rice with lentils and bowls of tomato and cucumber salad. Such kind and generous hospitality from a family we will always remember and hope one day to visit again. Laila gave us one of her paintings of a Bedouin woman and we promised to send Reda and Haneen some books when we reached Cairo.
We returned once more to Ahmed's Camp where we spent the evening talking to Osman, a safari guide for desert trips. He showed us some interesting fossils and stones that he had found in the Egyptian desert near the border with Libya.
4th April
We left for Cairo today after saying goodbye to Kirstine and Kevin. We both hope you have a wonderful time and manage to make your dream of working and studying with the animals in the wild, come true!
Into Cairo and the Salma Motel for camping was proving difficult to find with an incorrect GPS co-ordinate. We found ourselves in the nightmare traffic somewhere in old Cairo and had a slight prang with a taxi. However, after a lot of hand gesticulating, we were waved on by the exasperated taxi driver, when it was obvious that we could not understand what each other were saying!
Rubbish and filth littered the streets, goats scavenged amongst it and black smoke choked the air from burning piles of it. We followed the canal, which was also filthy with banks of sludge and garbage piled along its length. Donkey and horse-drawn carts weaved their way through the narrow streets amongst the people, traffic and blaring horns, whilst huge, black cattle with massive horns that resembled wild buffalo, shuffled their way through the dust with necks stretched low.
By more luck than judgement, we eventually found the camping ground and met another English couple there, Clare and Graham also with a Landy, driving south. The ablution block was clean and we were promised hot showers. The mosque close by was so loud however, that it was almost impossible to hold a conversation and the two guard dogs barked continually, so we imagined we were in for a disturbed night and an early awakening with the mosque. We must have been so tired however from the long, hot drive from Bahariya, that we heard nothing until we woke around 7 a.m.
5th April
The camping was fine and near to the Pyramids but situated quite a way from the centre of Cairo, so we decided it was time to treat ourselves to a hotel. This was easier said than done however, especially as we wanted safe parking for Moby and this was difficult to find, unless one's pocket could reach the luxury of the 5 star hotels, which ours could not!
It took us the whole morning to find our way through the chaotic traffic and streets of Cairo. Driving here has to be experienced before you can believe how bad it is! We then spent most of the afternoon trying to find tiny Sharia Alfie Street in Downtown Cairo, where the Windsor Hotel was situated. This was an older, 3 star hotel with a lot of history and mentioned in our guide book. Built at the turn of the century as the baths for the Egyptian Royal Family, it then served for many years as a Colonial British Officers Club, before becoming a hotel. It has been featured in several Egyptian International films and has had some famous people staying in its rooms, including Michael Palin when he was filming the TV series 'Around the World in 80 Days.' The manager could not have been more helpful and even moved his car so that we could park Moby right outside the front entrance of the hotel, where there was a guard 24 hours a day.
6th April
We walked to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, easily recognised by its deep, rose colour and large dome. It had a staggering number of displays from the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, the Late Period and the Greco-Roman period. On the 2nd floor however, was the wonderful Tutankhamun Exhibition, full of priceless artefacts that were found enclosed in his burial chamber. So much gold and beautiful craftwork, it was simply mind blowing and of course, the highlight was the gold mask of Tutankhamun. Nobody should miss a visit to this amazing museum!
7th April
We chose books in Arabic for Haneen and Reda and posted them, hoping they would arrive safely in Bahariya. We then sat and had a shwarma and mint tea in a little back street, feeding two beautiful cats. One of them had learned to get attention by gently tapping your leg and then staring unblinking, longing for a kind word and a morsel of food.
Later we took a taxi to Islamic Cairo, to the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammed Ali. The taxi was just about holding together but the smell suggested that the exhaust might have been missing! Taxi drivers here would make excellent rally or racing drivers. The way they manoeuvre at great speed, wending their way through the people, donkey carts and traffic was incredible and nail biting!
The Citadel of Cairo was begun by Salah el Din (Saladin) in the 12th century but most of the buildings and gateways seen on our way to the top were built during the Ottoman era or later.
The grand, Turkish style Mosque of Muhammed Ali was built in the 19th century. The mosque's many domes were all elaborately decorated when looking up from the inside, the enormous interior also having massive, alabaster pillars, well worn carpets covering the floor and illuminated by huge chandeliers. Outside from the fortress parapet, there was a wonderful view across Cairo and down below to the two huge mosques that stood almost touching each other, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan and the Rifai Mosque which contained the tombs of Sheik Ali al-Rifai, King Fouad, his mother the last Shah of Iran and King Farouk of Egypt.
From the Citadel we took another, more sedate taxi to the Khan el-Khalili quarter and its incredible bazaars, where everything imaginable was sold amongst the labyrinth of alleyways. It is impossible not to get carried along with the colour, smells and sounds, where, tucked away in their workshops, craftsmen could be seen carving out in brass and copper and other precious metals, sewing leather goods or skilfully using camel bone, wood and mother of pearl to make beautiful boxes. Business has continued here since the Middle Ages. Fishawi's, the famous café off one of the many passageways, was full of tourists, so we sat next door and paid an exorbitant price for mint tea and felafel wrapped in bread. A busy day!
9th April
We walked to the Nile today where many local people were relaxing, as it was a public holiday and then over the bridge to visit the Cairo Tower, a 187 metre modern structure, that had a viewing platform, café and a revolving restaurant. We noticed however, that scaffolding had been erected, a good half of what looked like the viewing platform was missing and the gardens below looked very neglected, so we expected to find it closed. We were both amazed to find it open to the public with lifts taking you up to the viewing platform on the 16th floor, the parts sealed off where the floor was missing! The view, if you were able to shut your mind to the safety aspect, was spectacular however. Roads teeming with traffic and of course the Nile, with its many bridges, stretched far away into the distance, whilst towering, modern buildings and leafy suburbs gradually merged with a mass of brown, mud brick buildings and low rise flats in the poorer areas, to the desert beyond. We could just see the Citadel and Muhammed Ali Mosque in the far distance.
10th April
We left today for Alexandria after having thoroughly enjoyed Cairo and being absorbed into its chaotic and noisy atmosphere. Crossing a road was life threatening and driving in the dense traffic even worse, Moby now had 2 slight paint grazes but we survived! Taxis and minibuses were the worst, cutting in and out, pulling in and stopping for passengers without any warning, police whistles and horns never seemed to stop blowing, there appeared to be no rules and no one could wait a second. Cars were parked bumper-to-bumper, handbrakes off so that they could be pushed out of the way! The people however, were warm and friendly, many called out greetings and welcomed us to Cairo, or simply stopped to talk or help us find our way if we looked lost. We really wished we could have stayed longer, there was still so much to see!
Getting out of Cairo of course was quite a challenge, to take one wrong turn, which happened frequently, would take you into a maze of streets that once again, became a matter of guess work to escape from!
The desert road to Alexandria however, was fast tarmac and very monotonous but as we finally arrived along the Corniche next to the Mediterranean, the late afternoon sun was illuminating the many colours of the numerous fishing boats in the harbour and the rows of tall, colonial buildings on the huge, graceful curve of waterfront road that swept around the coast in front of us. With no known camping, we searched for a reasonable hotel with safe parking for Moby again but this became very difficult and very time consuming.
It was getting late and very cold, especially in the wind coming off the sea, when we finally opted for the Windsor Palace Hotel on the Corniche, more than we wanted to pay but there was safe, 24 hour guarded parking, a short distance from the hotel. Only 3 rooms left and we were offered the Omar Sherif Suite for the price of a double room! We were told that Omar Sherif had actually stayed in this room for 2 months! What unexpected luxury with even our bath mat folded into a fan and scattered with flower petals! We pulled the amazing drapes across the balcony windows as it was now dark and turned on the heating rather than the air conditioning! The local staff in the hotel were delightful and very helpful and the food very good.
11th April
I had a hair dryer in the bathroom to dry my hair this morning instead of having to wait for the sun. The view from our balcony was beautiful, taking in both sides of the bay, the sea looking incredibly blue this morning. We were completely spoilt by the buffet breakfast, it was amazing, with so much to choose from.
We took a taxi to the Libyan Embassy to apply for our visas and were invited into a room for tea, given a beautiful book and some brochures about Libya and Bill was presented with a copy of Gaddifi's famous Little Green Book. An extremely helpful man said a transit visa would take about 4 days to obtain and he would try and get us one for 10 days, which would then give us time to visit places in Libya, instead of having to rush through. No, we did not need a guide and he would send a telegram today to Tripoli, inshallah! We were amazed at such VIP treatment, especially as all other overlanders that we had spoken to had said that visas for Libya were only issued for a period of 5 days, which only gave time for a very fast journey along the main coast road and that an expensive guide was also needed for the journey. Some people we knew had even been refused a visa. So things looked very hopeful and we would be keeping our fingers crossed. Meanwhile we decided to visit the Suez Canal and Sinai whilst waiting.
12th April
We said our goodbyes to the hotel staff and collected Moby, the elderly Egyptian guard in the car park giving him a few final polishes as we approached, after having washed and looked after him. We had been able to have peace of mind during our stay and he was very happy with his tip!
We found the road to take us back to Cairo and stopped at a roadside restaurant for a break, where we met Sasha and Richard from the UK travelling south after Cairo, on an old, Royal Enfield motorbike.
We decided to stay overnight at Salma Camping again in Cairo and met up with Sasha and Richard once more. We had only been there for a short while however, when the sky darkened, the wind got up, blowing sheets of sand across the yard, followed by rain and thunder rumbling in the distance. Just the start we needed to get us back into camping after our few nights of luxury in a hotel room! We then discovered that the motor on the water pump on our filter system was no longer working, so it would be bottled water from now on. The wind, rain and dark clouds, all fortunately quickly cleared and in contrast, a huge ball of orange, slid slowly down behind the pyramids which we could see from our camping spot, presenting us with a perfect sunset!
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