Egypt 2007 (Part Two and Part Eight)

Tunisia/Libya Border – Police Parking – 522/1131 - overcast/sun 22°/rain

Follows from "EGYPT 2007" Part Two

Leptis Magna – Camping – 343/1474 – overcast sun overcast

Departure at 6.45, at 7 we were at the Tunisian border, the long bureaucratic procedures begin, made worse by one member of the group who on entering Tunisia presented their identity card and not their passport, they had their passport but to save money hadn't stamped it, on leaving Tunisia, customs must apply a stamp that will be needed for entry into Libya, a stamp they cannot put on the identity card, after a few faxes to the authorities and Luisa's intervention with attempts at bribery, finally after almost 4 hours everything magically gets unblocked.

ADVICE: Pay for your passport stamp and don't use your identity card Once past Tunisian customs on the other side we meet our escort/guide Sofian who in the meantime had already done the various "carnet de passage" procedures with the collection of temporary plates, no longer to be stuck on the outside as last time but one placed in front of the dashboard and the other on the rear window. We set the clock forward by one hour. At 12.30 finally free we leave Libyan customs and settle in the square in front for lunch. In the meantime the camper that was hit last night realises that the damage from the collision is clear, in the dark it couldn't be seen, but unfortunately nothing can be done to charge the damage to the reckless driver.

We set off again in chaotic and disorderly traffic, the infernal bedlam is on the Tripoli ring road, here the drivers are wild, they overtake you on the right and left, but either they're very good or very lucky: their cars have no dents. The landscape is beautiful: palms, sand dunes with small shrubs, all however surrounded by paper and plastic bags, the collected rubbish is piled up at the edges of the villages, then the wind scatters it everywhere. We arrive at Leptis Magna and it's already 8 pm, our guide takes us to a small campsite, where, finally, we find water and then later electricity, Tina can wash a few clothes.

I'm writing this diary when Tony knocks on my door and shows me a bottle of grappa, I never turn down an offer like that and I rush over, glass in hand, to taste this nectar of the gods, we spend the end of the day happily and then off to bed, tomorrow morning there's the visit to the ruins, beautiful and interesting but already seen on the previous trip, so tomorrow morning we'll sleep more than usual.

Sedra (Benghazi) – Shopping Ctr. Parking – 522/1996 – sun 23

For those who wanted to visit the ruins of Leptis Magna the meeting was at 8, we heard them leave, then calmly we got up, coffee and refilling the water tanks, a short stroll around the area, buying bread, when the group returned: departure. Like yesterday, rough and chaotic road, especially when crossing built-up areas, then we continue into a desert area with red earth and small shrubs on a rather boring straight stretch were it not for the overtaking on the right and left by these reckless drivers, after lunch the road surface becomes smoother with fewer potholes, we travel faster. Stop at As Sultan with a visit to the statues of the Philaeni brothers and the remains of an arch with inscriptions from the Fascist era. At 19.30 near Benghazi we ask permission to park near a beach resort still closed, the guards have us settle in a car park of the complex. Tomorrow we go to Tobruk.

Tobruk – Hotel Parking – 628/2624 – sun

Departure at 8, a day of transfer through a barren desert with small bushes, we crossed small towns with speed bumps formed, sometimes, by simple hemp ropes placed on the asphalt, there are numerous checkpoints, each time you have to stop, the guide hands over the list of participants and then we set off again. The filth continues, the plastic bags carried by the wind, are everywhere, what could have been a magnificent landscape turns into an open-air dump, the road has a decent surface with few potholes.

This evening a stop at an important hotel in Tobruk where we were able to fill up with water, but no electricity, after a nice shower almost everyone at a restaurant, looking good but unpretentious where we had a good dinner: a big fish baked in foil with various side dishes, we brought the wine ourselves, all at the modest cost of 27 dinars (16 euros) On the way back everyone singing by the sea led by our famous Alpine soldier "Tony".

Salum – By the sea – 164/2788 - sun

Departure at 8.30, first visit to the cemetery of the German fallen, an imposing square construction with four towers without any windows, in the atrium Tony, with his Alpine cap and me with the Bersaglieri fez, recited a prayer for the fallen, it was a nice very moving gesture, in the large courtyard along the walls with arches the names of the fallen (7,000) written with mosaic tiles. Second visit: to the English and Polish cemetery, much smaller but intimate and well kept, finally to the French cemetery with its Crosses of Lorraine. The Italian one no longer exists because the bodies were moved to Italy long ago. We set off again for the Libyan/Egyptian border, first we get diesel, in Libya it costs less than in Egypt so it's worth filling up even if not necessary.

On leaving Libya we hurry quickly: we hand back the temporary plates and with fewer procedures in less than an hour we are free, in the meantime we've had lunch and removed the CB because in Egypt its use is forbidden, unfortunately at Egyptian customs things get complicated: besides the various documents they want to see the chassis and engine numbers, fortunately I with the Iveco, others with Fiat and Ford, we requested the necessary data which aren't written on the registration document, they hand us new plates to place over ours, after so many bureaucratic delays we left customs at 18.00, the last person who stops us before the last gate is an officer: I hand him the passports, he refuses them and extends his right hand, we shake hands and he says "welcome"……… this is a good sign of hospitality.

We meet our escorts, they are: Aiman: will be our official guide Atef: Group leader, also a guide Ghead: Our escort who will handle the paperwork Hamed: The driver of the off-road vehicle Plus a plainclothes policeman who will change in each region A police car with 2 to 5 armed men who will follow us everywhere It's late now we head towards the border town that will host us for the night, we arrive from the top of a hill, we see it at sunset: a bay with calm sea and lit-up houses……….. very beautiful, unfortunately I can't stop to take a few photos. At the gates of the town we stop on a beach, our guide forbids us to move: not to go to the sea and not to go into town, as it's a border town movement is very limited, the police would stop us immediately, besides the guards there's a pack of semi-wild dogs roaming around that don't inspire much confidence, we refit the CBs.

Continues in "Egypt 2007" Part Three

Marsa Matruh – Parking along the sea – 502/8486 – sunny/cloudy

Continued from "Egypt 2007" Part Seven

Departure at 6, traffic still light, we leave Cairo without problems; Atef isn't in the guides' car, he didn't even say goodbye when he left us: he was very rude. After filling up with diesel, we arrive at El Natrun for the visit to the Coptic monastery of Bishoy, beautiful and interesting, explained and described by a monk in Arabic and translated by Aiman; we noticed that the monk would have preferred to speak in English with one of us rather than have to depend on a Muslim. The visits in Egypt are over; now we head toward the border, we stop for the night at Marsa Matruh, along the sea near Rommel beach where we stopped on the way there; our guides initially had suggested for the night a dirt lot full of garbage on the outskirts of town; at our objections they immediately opted for this place.

Now Tina and some others have taken two taxis and gone into town; my foot still hurts, it's better not to strain it except for interesting things or visits; I just hope she doesn't spend too much.

Tobruk (Libya) – Hotel Parking - 378/8864 – cloudy/rain/sandstorm.

Last night I got lucky, Tina spent nothing, she didn't find what she was looking for. Departure at 8, heading for Saloum; without rushing we reached the Egyptian/Libyan border at noon; Ghead had arrived earlier to prepare the documents needed for customs clearance; anyway, to leave Egypt and enter Libya, where Sofian was waiting for us, it took 3.30 hours. At customs we met another group of Italians, 12 campers, doing the same tour as us with the same guides; some of us knew a few participants in the other group and they greeted each other through a fence separating the entrance and exit from Egypt. While we waited, something very ridiculous happened: we campers, climbing over mountains of garbage, went to a dumpster, empty, to deposit our waste; many people watched us smiling; I hope we set them an example.

Finally free of the Egyptian police, escorted by Sofian and a single policeman, we headed toward Tobruk; for the night's stop we stayed at the hotel that hosted us on the way there. In recent days a discussion had arisen between the crews of the campers that were at the back and those that were in the front positions; those behind were accused of slowing down the trip and of not being able to keep the group together. I (no. 6) reiterated several times that due to the elastic effect: those at the back can't keep the pace of the first one, there's always something holding you back and to catch up with the group you have to drive faster than the first one, with the risks that entails. My proposal, as I had done on other trips, was to alternate: today's first will be tomorrow's last, so that everyone understands in turn what it means to be in front and to be behind and behaves accordingly.

Leader Luisa talked about it with a few people, asking only for opinions; the no. 2 crew, annoyed, on their own initiative, at yesterday's departure placed themselves at the back; today the no. 3 crew placed themselves behind no. 2; Leader Luisa took care to point out that this was not done on her orders but through the arbitrary initiative of the two crews; in fact all this is no longer of any use, traffic is almost nonexistent and being behind or in front changes nothing; anyway, the whole thing was a spark that set off an argument between me and Tina, who had proposed rotating the positions, and no. 2's wife; I hope it ends here so as not to break the good harmony that had reigned until now, also because I don't want to argue with Super Bruno, her husband, a person I greatly respect, not for what he has done to help me or others but for the person he is in himself.

During the journey in Libya we ran into a storm of sand and water; it was worse than fog, a side wind pushed the campers, the windshield was dirty with sand mixed with water; I was afraid to use the windshield wipers because they might scratch the glass; then, as so much water was spraying, I decided to use them; fortunately everything went fine and it allowed me to see the road; then, once the sand stopped, the water cleaned everything, making visibility clear.

Apollonia – Excavation site parking – 288/9152 – sunny/cloudy

Departure at 7; the two rebels return to their positions, everything goes back to the way it was, better that way. First stop for a visit to Oasr Libiya; a few km away are the ruins of two Byzantine basilicas, the first with its beautiful columns still intact, the second half-destroyed; from this position you can see the sea, rough today, breaking against the cliffs, a wonderful sight. Second visit to Apollonia, the maritime port of Cyrene; the visit was brief because the site isn't very extensive; back at the campers, parked in the parking area of the archaeological site, we had lunch.

Visit to Cyrene, about a three-hour walk going downhill from the top to the temple of Apollo and then back up along the road flanking the archaeological site; at the entrance the ticket office was closed so we went in without paying, but when we reached the campers the little man, who had been praying when we entered, intercepted us and collected what was due (3 dinars each plus 10 to be able to take photographs).

Sultan – 753/9905 – Museum Parking – cloudy rain

Long transfer day, too many kilometres, there was also a squabble between us and no. 9 who was acting as sweeper: delayed by various overtaking manoeuvres, I had fallen behind the group and he, over the CB, urged me to speed up, I was already going over 110, my vehicle weighed down with spare fuel and full tanks isn't very fast and besides in this chaotic traffic good sense dictates not making risky overtakes, Tina answered him rudely, I was sorry about all this, I was comforted by the thought that others in the group agreed with me. We are parked at the museum we visited on the way there.

Tripoli – 511/10416 – Parcheggio nella Piazza verde – pioggia/sole

It rained all night, departure at 7.30, heavy traffic, a wavy road full of potholes, after hitting a pothole head-on Gino hears a noise at the front wheel: at first he thought he had a puncture then found that all the tyres were intact, he carried on, but, the noise continued, another stop, another check, having verified there was no damage we set off again, the noise had vanished: it was probably a stone that had got lodged inside the wheel and then came loose or was ground up. After the lunch stop another 100 km and we arrived at the Green Square in Tripoli, stopping at the car park of a big hotel, already used on a previous visit to Libya some years ago, a brief visit to the souk and back to the camper, my foot still hurts and has swollen up quite a bit.

Metameur – 300/10716 – Parcheggio privato – coperto/sole

Departure at 7, we go to Sabratha with its Roman ruins, many in the group visit this very interesting site, we have already seen it and we rest, Tina takes the opportunity to buy some carpets in a small shop where the seller speaks excellent Italian having spent several years in Italy. We set off again at 15.00, during the journey, unfortunately, a stone thrown, I can't say whether by a person or a car, broke the corner window of my windscreen: I heard a bang and a cloud of splinters hit me in the face, luckily I had my sunglasses on and they didn't hit my eyes, by radio Tina alerted Luisa who stopped the convoy, Luciano and Tony immediately rushed over and with transparent adhesive tape and, for reinforcement, silver and brown tape, they covered the hole, so we could set off again without problems, it would have been much worse if the windowhit had been the central one.

We stop in a small but picturesque village, on a little hill, and at the top of the village we park in the courtyard of a very old building typical of the area, where we find water and an electrical hook-up. In the evening we celebrate Angela's and Emanuele's birthdays, the latter had his a few days ago, but there hadn't been an opportunity to celebrate it: with the last bottles of wine and prosecco, a panettone, some elaborate Pavesini biscuits and dried fruit, and the inevitable filming by our cameraman Luciano, we spent the evening in good spirits; Carlito recited a poem of his dedicated to all of us, in a playful tone he gave us a gift in rhyme, as a good Tuscan he was a fine reciter; Tony, with Gino and Rita supervising the literary part and Silvana the graphics, presented his work on parchment, listing the stages of our fabulous journey.

Continues on "Egypt 2007" Part Nine