9 – 14 November 2009 Cairo to Aswan
Sudanese visa done – now just the Ethiopian to go. Finding the Ethiopian Embassy was fun. The only indication that it was there was the police box outside painted in the colours of the Ethiopian flag. We knocked on a small hatch on the large gate, were passed a form to complete, passed the completed form, our passports, photographs and cash back through the hatch and were told to “come back tomorrow” – what else. Back at the campsite I worked on the last blog and JC went off to get an oil change – what a palaver. To keep it short – the garage provided the oil, JC provided the filters and the tools, they took the sump plug and main oil filter out and he did the rest right there on the forecourt – and they had the nerve to charge him for it!! That’ll teach him to go to Toyota next time BUT he did manage to get her washed for 2 pounds so she is looking a bit healthier now. Our late entertainment was a supposed trip to Carrefour to stock up on luxuries. After confusing Gloria Garmin – “off route – do a U turn at earliest possible opportunity” – try doing that on the Cairo ring road in the rush hour - we got there – two level parking and we needed to be on the top deck because of the height of the vehicle BUT the only entry was through the lower level - no other parking and before we knew it we were back on the ring road – so much for the goodies – we gave up and went back to get the tent up. Sadly Cairo hasn’t lived up to the romantic images of the old movies – we will both be quite glad to be on our way tomorrow – or maybe we are just not city people.
Success at the Ethiopian embassy and everything was ready for us the following day, so we said goodbye to Helen and Marcus, picked up the Toyota and headed for the Pyramids and the Sphinx which were on our way out. Surprisingly we were allowed to drive onto the site, although we had to wait a while whilst what appeared to be an African delegation, surrounded by heavy security, went through first – lots of police with guns so we just waited patiently.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was completed around 2600 BC and is the oldest and largest pyramid on this site. We didn’t go inside but went around the site taking in the grandness of it and ignoring the usual touts. Even the policemen on camels ask for ‘baksheesh’ if you take their photos. One even looked down his nose and refused our offer of one Egyptian pound – obviously used to dollars or euros.
Just for you Faye.............. The Great Pyramid..... Looking down over Cairo...........
Police everywhere today............ The Sphinx................. and Yes - we were there............
As we wandered towards the Sphinx, a guide opened a gate and pointed to a view which would get both Pyramids and the Sphinx together – more baksheesh – but we did have a laugh with him as he insisted on taking some fun pictures of us.
The pantomime began........................... to produce.................. this.........
this............. and this.... were we on Candid Camera???
From there we headed onto the desert road out of Cairo looking forward to the rest of the trip. Often, on a trip like this, it’s the people you meet along the way that make up for problems or disappointments. In this noisy city, where seemingly everyone wants to sell you something, our memories will include Khaled ( sorry got his name wrong on my last update) who ferried us daily from the campsite to the various embassies and helped us in any way he could. If you are planning an overland trip to Africa he is THE man you need in Cairo – 00200101516784. Then this morning, whilst we were filling up with fuel at Total on Sakkara Road, a smiling young man was a great ambassador for his country. He spoke English, was very polite, chatted to us about the trip and refused “baksheesh”. If he reads this he will know how much we appreciated his open friendliness.
Our route to Luxor took us through the Western Desert which covers over 2.8 million sq kms from the banks of the Nile towards Libya. The Arabs refer to the area as “the land abandoned by God”. The road was just one slab of tarmac through the desert with a couple of Oases en route where we hoped to find camping, water and fuel.
Not a lot of other traffic on this desert road........................................................................
In the desert the sun seemed to set about half an hour later than normal so we were hoping to make our camping place at Bahariyya Oasis before sunset. Thanks to Gloria we made it just about 15 mins after sunset after driving through the dusty maze of narrow streets in the village. At Ahmeds camping our welcome was so much different than what we had experienced so far. Our host greeted us with “Get your tent up, there’s plenty of hot water – have a shower and dinner will be ready in one hour” – luxury. Bad news was no beer – only one left in the fridge and no sign of an “offie” in the desert. At dinner we bumped into the two Dutch guys we had met in the Sudanese embassy earlier in the week, who had the telephone number for the “fixer” at the Aswan ferry – Mr Salah – very important information for us as the ferry only goes once per week and has limited space for vehicles. We also met Karen, Rudolph and their daughter Hannah from Germany. Back in the early 90s Karen had cycled around the Sahara alone – and we all think we are adventurous. The silence of the desert was fantastic after the constant noise of Cairo and we enjoyed our first good nights’ rest for a few days.
After a good breakfast we headed out to look for diesel. At the only two garages in the town we were told “no diesel”. Not to be outdone, JC asked a local in a Toyota pick up and he motioned us to follow him. Off we went through the dusty backs streets and ended up on a long queue with buses, trucks, motorbikes and 4 x 4s all waiting patiently. We decided we could be there all day so with enough fuel for around 300 miles we decided to carry on to the next oasis at Farafra about 160 kms south.
In the village....................................we found water............. but didn't fancy the queue for the fuel!!!!!
The road then took us into the Black Desert with towering dark dunes you can see why. Most of the other traffic on the route was desert safari truck with tourists – so you can imagine our vehicle attracted quite a lot of attention. Further South we hit the White Desert National Park with its stunning landscapes of windblown rock formations. We had hoped to camp here but once again, the distance we go is determined by the next stage of our journey. We have to get the ferry across Lake Nasser from Aswan in Egypt to Wadi Halfa in the Sudan. You may remember the problems Micheal Palin had and he had a production team sorting out his travel plan! Well, it only goes on a Monday, allegedly they never confirm whether you are on or not until the last minute and you have to be in Aswan two days before hand to complete all of the necessary documentation. So as is usual over the past few weeks we have to ‘jab on’ and with fuel and plenty of water in 35C we carry on past the White Desert heading for El Kharga and our next Oasis 670kms away
The Black Desert.......................................................................
The White Desert....................................................................
As we entered El Kharga, the police stopped us, as usual but this time they insisted on accompanying us to our campsite – in the car park of a local hotel – and watched in amazement as we erected the roof tent. Whilst we were doing this they asked if we needed an escort to take us to Luxor the following day, when we decline, they asked us to write and sign a disclaimer stating that we were happy to travel unescorted! The next morning they were back again and four of them escorted us out of town – now that’s a first!
The police checks are never ending and with three in only 70kms we began to wonder if we would ever reach Luxor. Same questions every time – “nationality?” “where you go?” “where you stay?” and all of this is logged at each point. Goodness knows what use, if any, they make of the information. All of the police are friendly and some have a few words of English but today, at checkpoint 3, we met the “Joker” lots of English – called John a “Cheeky Monkey” complimented him on his lovely “daughter” – that made up for my usual bad hair day!!! I guess anyone coming through the checkpoints has to be a break for them – sitting out in the middle of nowhere not seeing anyone for hours on end – we keep them entertained if only for a short while.
Not the real thing............ Finally some fuel......... Did we need milk???
Not a bad camping spot............... Some farming for CMC...........
Much to their surprise, we met up with Robert and Anna – they had left Cairo two days before us and had not expected to see us again until we all met up in Aswan – they don’t know JC like we do, do they? He takes no prisoners on the road.
Coming into Luxor, along the banks of the river, life doesn’t seem to have changed much. The single storey adobe houses, without doors or windows, with roofs made of straw and a donkey parked outside reminded me of scenes from the “Bible Stories” we all read as children apart from the electric lights of course.
Some of the homes on the way into Luxor..................................................
Luxor is built around the site of the ancient city of Thebes and is jam packed with ancient monuments. With the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon on the West Bank, the Temple of Luxor and Avenue of Sphinxes in the centre of the town and the fabulous Temple of Karnak just fifteen minutes walk from our camp site we had a lot to pack into our day. We reached the Valley of the Kings around midday in a temperature of 37C. Neither of us particularly wanted to go inside of the tombs – don’t like confined spaces but had hoped to be able to walk through and take some photographs of the site. No chance – no cameras allowed, so we decided to be satisfied with what we could see along the way before returning to the visitors centre to try and get some postcards. Here we had the weirdest police experience so far. There were two entries, one, close to the postcard shop, locked. We tried to enter from the other end but the police wouldn’t let us – no idea why. One of the traders came out and asked what was going on, argued with the police but to no avail and then offered to send a taxi into the next town to get us some post cards!!! –
weird. We gave up trying to understand and headed off to find Reizeky Camp our stop for the night before continuing on our culture trek starting with the Temple of Karnak. This is an absolutely amazing place built around 1298BC and very well looked after, with its towering pillars and sphinxes I was transported to another time. JC as pragmatic as ever, spotted a tall crane and decided that it was all a big trick to keep the tourists happy – only joking!!
The Colossi of Memnon..... On the way to the Valley of the Kings.................
On this bridge over the Nile I had to have police protection just to take this photograph!!!!
At the Temple of Karnak......................................................................No JC they didn't use that crane....
Back at camp other overlanders had arrived and there we met George a lone cyclist from the UK – also heading South for the ferry to Sudan. As we sat around chatting about our various trips and discussing the ways in which we keep in touch with our families, George told us he had simply told his family to “watch the BBC news – if I’m not on there you know I am OK”!!!
We got your first fridge magnet here Faye – haven’t had time to stop and browse anywhere else!!
Next morning, we stocked up at Omar’s Supermarket – a veritable Aladdin’s cave of goodies – not quite Tesco’s but everything we needed. Our planned visit to the Temples in the centre of Luxor was spoiled once again by the usual touts trying to scam us out of money for parking etc etc. They are obviously used to dealing with the thousands of tourists who come in on the Nile Cruises, get on a bus, go to the monuments, buy lots of souvenirs, get on the bus and go back to their ship. They don’t realize how hard a deal they will have to cut to fool JC!!
Back at Rezeiky Camp...................... in my office.................. Not quite Tesco's nor Beverley Market...........
In the past, most people driving from Luxor to Aswan have had to join a convoy and be escorted by the police. Happily for us this is no longer necessary and the only convoy we joined was with Robert and Anna whom we met just outside of Luxor. The drive along the fertile banks of the Nile was a lovely change from the desert sands with fields of rice, maize, bananas and dates. As it was Friday, the traffic was not so bad. At each village we saw the groups of men going to the mosque. One mosque was so small they had spilled out into the sunshine to pray together. Once again the style and age of the homes surprised me. There were more people riding donkey’s than driving cars. The saddest thing was the amount of rubbish around each settlement and we saw people bringing sacks of rubbish and dumping them at the roadside. Obviously there is not organized collection here. Hundreds of years ago when most of these homes were first built, there would have been no plastic, and everything would have been bio degradable but now it’s just a sea of plastic bags and bottles!! These people may have a poor life by our standards but they all appear to be very happy, always smiling and waving as we pass by.
At last some green......................................................... Always a smile and a wave from people along the way...........
Adams Home Camping was our site for the night and leaving Robert and Anna there we went off into Aswan to sort out where the shipping office was so that we could be there bright and early the following day. The camping was on the banks of the Nile just outside of town but a bit disappointing, it was quite a windy spot. The facilities are all surrounded by a wall which protects them from the wind and there are one or two spots to pitch a tent inside but for travelers ourselves the only option was to park outside in the wind. Considering the number of people in vehicles like ours who come here we found that to be quite surprising and, like others we met the following day, we decided to leave our options open for the next couple of days, particularly as there was no water nor electricity the following morning.
At Adams Home................................. she didn't like it much............
Aswan is Egypt’s most southerly city and sits on the banks of the Nile in a very lovely location. There are, like many places here, two faces of Aswan the one the tourists see along the Corniche and from the windows of the luxury Movenpick hotel on an Island in the Nile and the bustling local life a couple of streets beyond this luxury. We saw experienced both when the “nav” managed to confuse Gloria by inputting the incorrect coordinates and we were “off route” in Aswan as we drove around trying to find the Nile River Valley Shipping Company and Mr Salah.
On the road into Aswan............................................................................. We waited here..................... for the train to cross.................
On Saturday morning we were at Mr Salah’s office bright and early for our appointment at 9am. As well as ourselves and Robert and Anna, there were two other vehicles and a motorbike waiting to ship and we knew that there was one other still to come. Would we all get on board or would any of us have to wait until the following Monday??? We had to wait until the final vehicle arrive before Mr Salah put us out of our misery and confirmed that we would all get on board – celebrations all around!!! We were all ready for a change of country. The rest of the morning five and a half hours was spent sorting out the documentation. With the correct coordinates we all set off in convoy for the “Traffic Court” to obtain a piece of paper which says that the driver has not had any speeding or other vehicle offences recorded during his stay in the country. Expecting a large legal looking building, we thought we had got to the wrong place when we found 2 guys on plastic chairs sitting under a tree who prepared all. Then, as usual, we had to wait for the “main man” to sign the bits of paper. From there we all went together to the Traffic Police where we presented our number plates and papers from the Traffic Court and then finally back to Mr Salah to prove that we had exited the vehicles and finally buy our tickets!!! Because our fridge will be switched off whilst the Toyota is on the barge, we offered chocolate to our new friends. A large bar of cold Cadbury’s chocolate was ecstatically received by Charlie from the UK who has been travelling since beginning of October.
With no campsite for the evening we went off in search of an hotel with good parking and beer. Most of the others were staying in a small place on the Corniche but we needed to sort out the gear in the Toyota and didn’t want to do that on a main street. Well, that’s out excuse for staying in the Basma Hotel overlooking the Nile. A very well deserved luxury after 10 days in the roof tent with air conditioning, hot water, clean sheets, swimming pool, internet, bar, restaurant and fabulous views over Aswan it will certainly do me for a couple of days. Just to get my hair washed properly was a fantastic treat!!!
At the traffic court.................. I lent a hand..................... View from our HOTEL......................................................
As I put this together, JC has gone off to the port with the other drivers to load the vehicle. Goodness knows how long that lot will take him. I’ll let you know that and tell you all about our journey across Lake Nasser in my next update, although I am not sure when that will be – possibly not before we get to Khartoum. If you are getting our SPOT emails, don’t worry if you don’t receive anything for a few more days, we get on the ferry tomorrow, Monday, get into Wadi Halfa Tuesday but don’t get the Toyota in on the barge until Wednesday I believe.
Thanks for your messages keep them coming – especially Kay – what a trip. As I have said many times before, those of us doing this type of travel these days think we are adventurers but, with our big specially prepared vehicles, GPS, Satellite Phones, refrigerators etc etc we are doing nothing compared to the trip that you and your family took. Hope you get to do some more soon.
Next stop Sudan!!