Egypt - Following the Nile

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Cairo to Aswan

So it's Sunday 3 Jan and I'm in Aswan, waiting to catch the ferry tomorrow to Wadi Halfa in the Sudan. The bike is already on another barge which (hopefully!) left yesterday and providing it doesn't sink should arrive in Wadi Halfa with us on Tuesday, although nobody can guarentee when either the passenger or vehicle ferry will get to Wadi Halfa. Insha'Allah it will get there... Insha'Allah on Tuesday :D

Should be good fun though. I have a deck class ticket which apparently entitles me to the scrum of securing a spot on the deck with I dunno how many other people and spending 24 hours or more up on top in the sunshine and then under the stars. I have my little travel hammock with me and am hoping to get a corner spot where I can rig it up. Fingers crossed.

Aswan is an alright place to spend a fe days. I got in on Thursday around midday from Luxor... Well let me start in Cairo.

Deciding that I didn't really fancy traveling on Xmas day, I stuck around in Cairo until Saturday and hung out with a very sound guy I met at the hotel I was staying at. We found a local bar on Xmas eve for a few beers and wandered around Cairo to checkout some of the markets. I'm not really sure about Cairo. I think I actually liked it more than I would like to admit... but I won't admit to that. It's a mental kind of place and just seems to go on forever with noise and traffic and people and dust. In December it was warm in the day and cool but not cold at night. It must be unbearable in full summer.

On Xmas day I went to see the national museum (which was excellent) and the pyramids (which were ok I guess, but just way too many people and touts and filth). Seeing King Tut's gold mask at the museum was really good. It is IMPRESSIVE. Pitty you can't take pics in there. The pyramids were more of a tick off the list than anything else. I would love to wander around there with fewer people, and without being constantly accosted by people wanting to get you on their smelly camel or horse or to sell you some awful mini-sphinx desk oranament. Shrug... I went, tried to be carried away by the wonder of it all, failed, and went back to my hotel.

On Saturday I put in the longest day yet on my bike, perhaps trying to put as much distance between myself and Cairo as possible: 400km - 8.5 hours in the saddle - and spent the night in a Nile-side town called Asyut. Nothing to report really. The hotel was cheap and dirty and right above a cafe but I was so tired I slept right through the noise and was on the road early the next day to Luxor.

Luxor is a pretty, chilled, very tourist orientated town right on the East bank of the Nile. I stayed there for 4 days, just relaxing, seeing some of the sights, servicing the bike, drinking beer and chilling with some other travellers. It was a good few days but somehow I managed to pick up a really nasty chest infection which I am still trying to shake off and which had me in bed for New Years at 10pm.

Ok, this is going to be cut short. I've gotta rush and tomorrow am leaving early for the Sudan where I doubt I'll have much access to the net until Khartoum at the earliest. I hope everyone is well and wish you all a fantastic 2010. Will update again when I can 😊

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Comments

[anne]

2010
Hi Chris - thanks for the update. What a way to mark the new year!You seem to be having a fantastic time - meeting some interesting people, experiencing so many different countries. Great photos too! Safe "onward journey"! Anne ps thanks for sending the cards too Grannie - she really enjoys them!