Egypt 2007 (Part Five)

Assuan – 0/5804 – Camping Yekia – sole

CONTINUES FROM "EGYPT 2007" PART FOUR

Luxor – Kamp El Rezeika - 223/6037 – sole

Departure at 7 in convoy, destination File for the visit to the Temple Complex of Isis on the island of Agilkia, to get there we cross the Nile on a motorboat, just for a change the boatman has necklaces and various trinkets: the women don't let him get away, in fact, they almost assault him, the temple is very beautiful and interesting. Convoy at 14:00 for the return to Luxor Along the road a truck slows us down and we get separated from the convoy, Carlito while trying to overtake it doesn't notice a bump and takes it head-on making a big jump, unfortunately Graziella who was standing, falls and hits her head and back, we stopped immediately: Anelì who was in the camper behind us, hurries to help and manages to medicate the wound on her head, in pain and frightened Graziella goes back into her camper and we set off again.

On our return to the campsite in Luxor we find it partially occupied by a coach with trailer from Rotel Tour, about forty people traveling in this mobile hotel and sleeping in these berths on the trailer, it's a way of traveling the world very cheaply. While I fill up with diesel, Tina, at a nearby kiosk buys some mineral water and Coca Cola not realizing she's paying an outrageous amount, Atef notices and tries to get the difference refunded to her, after various arguments he gives up and apologizes for the behavior of his countryman. ADVICE: don't buy from the shop outside the campsite.

Parcheggio Stadio – 245/6287– sole

Departure at 7 for: - Dendera for the visit to the temple of Hathor - Abydos for the visit to the temples of Seti I and Ramesses II Today there was an argument among us because during the journey the line got longer and there was too much gap between one camper and another, it's the usual problem: those in front don't understand that behind, whether because of traffic, vehicles to overtake, red lights, those behind always have to catch up with those at the front driving like crazy, even if in front a regular speed is maintained, those behind can NEVER maintain it, the fairest thing would be the daily rotation of participants, those in front today go to the back tomorrow, so that everyone experiences the various positions in the line.

Once we arrive in Sohag we park in a square in front of a stadium, we're in a risky area and there are four police cars watching us, one participant in the group is alarmed by so much police deployment and would like to set off immediately, it took a lot to convince her and calm her down. The problem arose when we asked to be able to shop at some nearby stores, at first the police didn't want us to, then after our insistence, some plainclothes policemen but armed with submachine guns together with a car escorted us to a small market where we could buy food products. All night there was a lot of traffic and the noise kept everyone from sleeping, and then knowing that many armed men were watching us wasn't pleasant.

Asyut – Circolo ufficiali – 131/6418 – sole

The first visit of the day was: - Akhmin with its statue of Merit-Amun (beautiful but lonely) - A Weaving Mill nearby (Tina bought a beautiful tablecloth at a low price) Then in Sohag: - White Monastery - Red Monastery The first very large where an Orthodox priest explained to us their way of living with prayer and work, the second half in ruins where we met some Italian restorers who were working to bring to light some paintings amid these ruins. Throughout today's tour we were accompanied by about thirty policemen. In Asyut we're hosted in the officers' club near a sports field, with the prohibition to go out into the city, those who did so did it at their own risk. Tonight almost everyone at dinner at the club, the food wasn't bad, but, many have decided not to eat anymore in the local restaurants, better a nice plate of pasta in the camper.

To get water, with a single tap in the restaurant's restrooms, we had to add all our hoses to be able to reach every camper.

El Fayum – luogo di villeggiatura estiva per militari – 380/6798 – coperto

At 7 everyone ready for departure, the escort police arrived 40 minutes late. First visit to the necropolis of Tell el-Amarna, three tombs are visited, to get there we leave the campers and cross the river with a small and ramshackle ferry, waiting for us is a bus from 40 years ago that will take us, on a dusty track, to the base of a mountain, up a steep path we begin the visit to the tombs: the first is dark, not illuminated, you can barely make out something of the various inscriptions and depictions, the second and third, illuminated, are beautiful: they have colonnades and very beautiful depictions, the last one in Christian times was transformed into a chapel, unfortunately you can't photograph it On the way back, we visit the remains of a temple whose remains German restorers are bringing back to light.

We reach the necropolis of Beni Hassan at 15:00, we have lunch and then visit four tombs, Tina and I are tired and don't go, others also give up the visit. We resume the journey to El Fayum, the road is busy we cross many towns, even though we have the police clearing the way, we can't stay grouped together, cars and vans slip into the column in a daring and criminal way, accidents have been avoided dozens of times, it's dark, they drive only with their side lights, some don't even have those, they're with lights off, it's a constant danger, along the way you see accidents of every kind, but they, undeterred, race like madmen.

We arrive at 21:30, everyone very tense and angry, traveling in the dark in this hellish traffic has agitated everyone's spirits, Tony is the first to lash out against the guides who, in his opinion, should have made us stop at a service area at dusk, Atef defends himself saying he couldn't do anything: when there's a route declared to the police, you have to respect it and can't change it, I tried to intervene to pacify the spirits, defending the guides who do nothing but their duty and advising in the future to shorten the visits and leave on time to arrive before dark, Chief Luisa was very good at making the program, but she can't and couldn't foresee the unforeseen, see the police arriving late or a visit taking longer.

The stopping place for tonight is in front of a holiday resort for military personnel, on a salt lake, very beautiful, we're on a bridge connecting to this facility, a very quiet place, but, far from the city, the police with about 10 men will watch all night.

El Fayum – Luogo estivo militare – 0/6798 – sole

At 7 ready for departure, change of program, there are two vans at our disposal, today's tour will not be done with our campers but, comfortably seated, with the two vehicles, it's decided that at noon we'll have a packed lunch, so as not to waste time returning to the campers. Our campers must be moved, so as not to be in the way during the day, to a side parking lot, we'll bring them back onto the bridge in the evening. We set off, instead of with our campers, with two vans, we'll see later that the road was certainly not suitable for our vehicles, a dusty track of packed earth and stones.

First visit to Wadi Hitan (the valley of the whales) a protected area recently opened to tourists, the mountains are eroded by wind as in Cappadocia, they have a yellow and gray color, the visiting paths are delimited by a curb of stones that you can't cross, you can't collect fossils, there are stones and rocks of various kinds, the remains of whales and turtles are well delimited and much photographed, they are more than 4 million years old. The visit lasted longer than expected, therefore the ruins of Karanis are skipped, we're still near the campers and everyone thinks they can have lunch on our vehicles…………YOU CAN'T……. the police were notified that we would have lunch in the city and so it must be done, you can't change, all this is very ridiculous, this isn't protection but: a bureaucratic complication.

With sirens blaring the police van escorts us into the city, passing in front of our campers, where besides visiting an old water wheel, we change some money at a bank, in a restaurant we eat some sandwiches, in addition to ours, some take the stuffed pigeon which takes over an hour to cook, this delay will make us skip other visits on the program. Before returning we visit the pyramid of Amenemhat III and the obelisk of Senusret, then a stop at a market for various supplies, buying tomatoes and cucumbers with the common fund which Chief Luisa will then diligently divide up.

At 18:00 return to our vehicles resuming the position on the bridge and not in the mud where they had been moved this morning, now a reasonable time, you can take a shower calmly and have lunch without problems, last night's outburst served its purpose, not so much Tony's, but my observation that to the program you can add, if possible, a further visit, but if the return time is not respected, it can be removed: as happened today.

CONTINUES on "EGYPT 2007" PART SIX