Egypt 2007 (Part Six)

The story · 5 days

This trip was decided in the space of 24 hours: this year we had decided to spend New Year's Eve in Spain and in January do a tour from Barcelona to Seville with some friends from Turin, and in the summer Great Britain; unfortunately after the New Year's party we had to rush home, alerted by our neighbour, because of a gas leak that required the Fire Brigade to intervene; on our return, after fixing the fault, it was impossible to resume the original trip and rejoin the friends who had continued the journey on their own. By chance Tina, my wife, reads in Plein Air an advert from a couple of campers who were organising a trip to Egypt, immediately the phone call, immediately the programme sent, immediately the affirmative reply and straight away the purchase of maps, guides and research of information about the trip, all in 24 hours. We're ready………… off we go!!!!

Day 121 Mar 2007

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

Continued from "Egypt 2007" Part Six

Khufu's wooden solar boat displayed inside the Giza museum

Day 222 Mar 2007

Il Cairo – Parcheggio MISR Travel – 170/6968 – Coperto

Everyone ready to leave, the vehicle with the guides arrives 20 minutes late. Visits planned today at Giza - Pyramid of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos - Solar Boat Museum - Tomb of Seshemnufer - The Sphinx At Dahshur: - Red Pyramid where we entered a tunnel just over a metre high and 65 metres long, descending until we reached the two chambers where the sarcophagus was, it was beautiful, tiring and at the same time impressive, anyone who suffers from claustrophobia like Tina who didn't come, had better not go in, I struggled more than the others because my foot hurt more than usual.

At Saqqara: - Step Pyramid - Funerary Complex of Djoser Getting into Cairo was absolute chaos, here drivers have no rules, there's no right of way, the law of the strongest or the craftiest prevails, staying in contact with whoever is ahead of you so as not to lose sight of them was a survival contest, we risked contact with other vehicles several times, luckily nothing happened; once we finally arrived at the parking lot of MISR Travel, our agency, they had us go into a small courtyard enclosed by coloured tarps, very close to one another, the only good thing: water and electricity, beyond the fabric barrier you can see numerous company buses, since as well as a travel agency, it owns buses and petrol stations, we're in an industrial area, there don't seem to be any shops nearby, as usual we're confined to a cramped space, with no chance of contact with the people.

The tension of today's traffic combined with the many visits made has given me a slight headache, I take an aspirin and go straight to bed.

Tourists enter the limestone enclosure wall of Djoser's funerary complex at Saqqara

Day 323 Mar 2007

Santa Caterina – 440/7408 - Parcheggio Monastero – Coperto pioggerellina

Departure at 9 o'clock, given the many kilometres to cover it's a bit late, yesterday the guides, being from Cairo, went home to see their wives and children again, so this morning we couldn't ask them to arrive earlier. Almost quiet exit from Cairo, today is Friday, a holiday for Muslims. At Suez we went through a tunnel about 2 km long, nice, modern and fast. In Sinai you drive along a beautiful road built by the Israelis during the occupation after the Six-Day War, along the way we encountered, first a strong crosswind that pushed the campers off the road, it was hard to hold the steering wheel, then sand was added, a real ghibli, we'll definitely have to clean the air filters. The mountains are a unique spectacle, the kilometres travelled so far have been worth it, the colours: from yellow to brown, from pink to purple, are fantastic. In the last kilometres it started to drizzle.

Arrived at the parking area near the sanctuary, we gather to decide what to do tonight, some decide to leave with a local guide to climb Mount Sinai, departure at 1.30 am, a route of about 3 hours along a path and a staircase carved into the rock, you could use camels for the path only, but it's not known whether they'll be available, I'm opting out, my foot has been hurting a bit over the last few days, anyway I wouldn't have gone and the view of the sunrise from the summit is at risk of bad weather, Tina is opting out too, this route is not for people unprepared for the mountains. What made me angry, but which I had already thought about for some time, is that tomorrow evening we won't be at the sea as per the programme, but halfway there, so there won't be a full day of rest on the beach but only half.

It stands to reason that those who go up the mountain and don't sleep tonight won't be able to do another 450 km tomorrow, I had pointed all this out at Capo Luisa from the very start, and the answer I got was that it was tough luck for whoever wanted to do the excursion. I'm starting to realise that maybe Tony is right to complain: the programme is too intense and the changes aren't managed democratically by the group but by a few people.

Colorful layered sandstone mountains in the Sinai desert, sparse shrubs in front

Day 424 Mar 2007

Santa Caterina – 0/7408 – Parcheggio Monastero – Coperto-piove

Tonight the parking area filled up with buses carrying hundreds of people, all pilgrims who then went up Mount Sinai, preceded by 11 of us who, in a minibus, were transported to near the sanctuary, where the path that would take them to the top began. At 8.30 the same minibus came to pick up the 7 remaining, me and Tina included, to take us too to the monastery where the others, already back down, were waiting for us, with faces haggard from exhaustion, both from the fatigue and from the crowd of people going up, someone didn't make it to the end and stopped along the path. Unfortunately this effort was in vain because, due to the bad weather, they didn't see the sun rise, a spectacle so highly praised by the guides. All together we visited the sanctuary, amid a crowd of people from all over the world: Koreans, Russians and 800 Nigerians.

Visit to the sanctuary with the Bedouin guide with Aiman translating, small and crowded, looked after by Greek Orthodox monks from Mount Athos, the museum visit was optional, almost all of us went back in the minibus, the others caught up with us at the parking area shortly after. Since we couldn't leave straight away, as per the programme, because those who had gone up the mountain certainly couldn't drive 450 km without first resting for a few hours, and since the police didn't allow us to stop for the night halfway, the departure was postponed to tomorrow morning at 6, unfortunately the much-longed-for seaside holiday is shrinking. This afternoon, while the others rested, I tidied up the hold, Tina did some cleaning inside the camper, and I also removed and cleaned the air filter which was clogged with sand. It's evening and it's raining.

Pilgrims descend the steps toward Saint Catherine's Monastery, red stone walls

Day 525 Mar 2007

Ain Sokhna – Spiaggia – 429/7837 – Sole/coperto

Departure at 6, we want to be at the sea early, trying to make up for the half day lost, we descend and see the mountains in all their colours again in a different light, it's a spectacle you're happy to see again. We arrive at the sea, absolute disappointment, we had been promised a parking spot in a holiday village: we find ourselves on a beach full of stones and rubbish with villas under construction behind us, it's simply a building site, after our complaints, Ghead finds us a better solution nearby, still by the sea with already-built villas behind us, after a short meeting we decide to set off again tomorrow morning for Cairo. Alberto, the sea lover, puts on his swimming costume and throws himself into the sea, I envy him but the water is too cold and I don't dare imitate him.

In the evening a group dinner is organised, it's dark, it's cold, but undeterred, defying the bad weather, we line up the little tables and put out everything and more.

CONTINUED IN "EGYPT 2007" Part Seven