Leaving Luxor

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04-10-08

Leaving the Nile this morning we joined the security convoy to travel 4 hours across the desert to the Red Sea city of Hurghada. The convoy is made up of cars, buses and vans which travel together with Police vehicles manned by police and security people with semi-automatic weapons. The convoy gathers at the starting point, each vehicle being security checked. Once underway the convoy moves very quickly past numerous intersections manned by more police and military personal. There is a short rest stop half way, then it's back on the road till you reach Hurghada. At this end security checks are done again to ensure all vehicles are accounted for.
All the places we have been we have felt safe, as there is is large number of police, Tourist Police as they are called. You can't go anywhere and not be in site of a police or security officer, they are everywhere.
In Cairo we even had one of the police escort us on a short trip to a little grocery store, as we wanted to get some drinks. A local showed us where the shop was and the police officer escorted us there, and back to the hotel. This was maybe prompted by the fact that a group of German tourists were kidnapped and held for ransom, the day we arrived in Cairo.
We arrived at our Hotel by the Red Sea and settled in for an afternoon with a swim in the numerous pools. All drinks included, CHEERS.

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