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Diary - Egypt - The Sinai to Cairo (18th May to 25th May)
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| After all the stories you hear about the hassle and effort at the Egyptian border we started this leg being very sceptical and wary. However as we left the boat in the scorching heat of the afternoon, we were met by Ashraf, the friendly Tourist Policeman and he took it from there. Simply going between half a dozen different offices to complete the required red tape and bureaucracy would have been painful if left alone, instead it was easy, if not expensive at 1300 Egyptian pounds (£150). The Ferry is US$360. Katie and Jackie (we made the journey across with Bob and Jackie) were left by the vehicles, coffee and biscuit in hand they had a few simple tasks, showing the fire extinguishers and chassis number, whilst intimidating customs by being women. Thankfully after all the excitement we found camp only 30 minutes north of port. |
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| The next day proved another abrupt introduction to the excessive restrictions, all in the name of safety, that the Egyptian Police and government impose on travelling. We set of early planning on visiting the Coloured Canyon, only to find out at the first police checkpoint (which are everywhere) that we needed a permit to travel along the main road! As we were trying to work this out the Swiss couple returned down our intended route and explained the problem. Instead we turned and followed them towards the St Katherine monastery, stopping on route to find the ‘little coloured canyon’ which we either didn’t find or was simply disappointing. Still the adventure was good and it was nice to do something rather than just camp with them. We ended at the Fox Camp where we simply did nothing… again! Our favourite kind of afternoon, but when the heat of the day arrives now it gets unbearable. |
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| Thinking we would be clever by getting to the monastery early and miss the rush was simply a false concept as when we arrived ten minutes after it opened, it was stuffed full of people. Unfortunately the monastery is small, or at least the area that is accessible is, so having so many people there destroys any solitude that you would expect to find from such a place. So seeing lots of Indian people desperate to rip off a piece from the ‘Burning Bush’ just makes you realise that sometimes people get a little too fanatical about religious symbols rather than simply appreciating them for what and where they are. |
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| Heading south, on the same road as the day before because we were declined a pass for a different route, saying we needed a Bedouin guide, we arrived at Dahab. This small diving resort town, compared to what was to come, had a nice chilled out vibe to it and we simply milled around, taking our chance for some Red Sea snorkelling. Unfortunately after failing to find somewhere to camp here or even further south around Sharm-El-Sheik we had a last minute dash to a campsite we knew existed in the Ras Mohammed National Park. Having skipped all resort areas in Turkey, we were amazed to see how expensive hotels and mass tourism, like Sharm-El-Sheik, can make a place seem so un-appealing, like an upmarket Blackpool! |
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| It is a bit of a shock to the system when you get to camp and are greeted by several Army men, all waving big machine guns at you. However once in camp our travelling companions were all setup along with another British couple, John and Linda who have the mutts nuts of camper vans (or rather tucks), if the six foot wide bed was not enough it was even complete with dish washer. |
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| Looking around at the Ras Mohammed National Park as you drive around you would be let off if you thought nothing off it, simply a bit more sand and dust. However it is what lies beneath the water that makes the nature park stand out above all others. We have both fallen in love we bopping around, head down in water staring at the wonderful colours and sights of coral reefs. Katie was certainly not subtle when it came to grabbing my attention, by repeatedly ripping my arm off. I could never tell if this was to show me something pretty or because she was worried a massive fish was headed for her, mouth open and looking hungry. However swimming along with a vertical drop at the edge of the coral that vanishes into the deep blue sea below is daunting and does mean that big fish do visit. |
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| On our journey north to Cairo we planned an overnight stop half way to break the eight hour drive into manageable pieces. Having set up camp in a rather unused and dirty campsite, we decided to have an early night only to receive a text from Jackie and Bob that they tried to stay at the camp the night before, but were surround by Army who said they couldn’t stay as the beach was used for drug smuggling! However our choices were limited as it was dark and we knew of nowhere else we could stay without a three hour drive. So we decided that out of sight was out of mind and as we had already been on the site for several hours we headed for bed with the hope that if we don’t see anything it should be ok. With only a few odd whistles coming from varying directions during the night we had a peaceful nights sleep, thankfully. |
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| Our time in Cairo has been spent like many overland travellers: getting visas, stocking up on things, servicing the vehicle and completing any other jobs that are needed. Unfortunately this does get in the way of simply being a tourist in Cairo and enjoying the place, if you can see through the dust, traffic, millions of people and the noise of the city. It is a crazy place mixed with the wealthy and those living in complete squalor, one in a luxury Jaguar the other using a donkey and cart. The Embassy also seem to match with their countries, the British is of course nice and orderly, whilst the Sudanese embassy is small, dingy and requires you to push your way to the front in order to be served. |
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| We have managed some time to look around and found the Egyptian Museum fascinating. It was not as big as we had expected, but certainly filled full of lots of fascinating objects, all giving of a dusty aroma that makes you feel like you have ventured somewhere rarely seen. The highlight and most interesting is the Tutankhamen exhibition, the lengths and efforts that people used to go to during the Pharaoh dynasty to bury them was simply astonishing, the Pyramids are testimony to that, but every little detail is beautiful on it’s own. We even ended up spending as much time outside the museum as we did in it as we got chatting to Mody, a student Egyptologist. |
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| They say travel is only glamorous in retrospect and this is certainly true; for all the amazing sites, wonderful people and life fulfilling experiences it is not all glamour and glitz. The constant flies and mosquitoes (both who bite!), the disgusting toilets, sun burn, the feeling of being repeatedly lost and even the heat that zaps your energy limiting what you can do, certainly keeps you under the realisation that travel is uncomfortable. But hey, it’s still better than working and we love it no matter how much we itch! |
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| Nuweibi Camp Spot |
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| Rock Hole |
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| St Katherine Monastery |
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| Katie Snorkelling |
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| Wild Shower (Warning!) |
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| Ras Mohammed |
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| Steve Snorkelling |
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| Shallow Fish |
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| Fancy Gateway |
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