Week 20 - Egypt, the perfect time to visit

Getting into Egypt I knew would be a bit of a challenge. The border crossing from Sudan is recognised as the hardest of all on the east side of Africa to cross, with a reputation for bureaucracy, chaos and time consumption unmatched by any other. I approached it with some fear and trepidation - and at first it seemed justified as attempt one saw me turned away as it was closed for the day. But like most things you fear its bark was worse than its bite; yes there was more bureaucracy than previous borders, there was more chaos but as always there always seemed to be someone to point you in the right direction and help out. The only part of its reputation that was truly valid was the time it takes, seven and a half hours from entry to exit.

Swapping bikes with the border guards

New Egyptian number plates - the first country I've required new plates. Getting these is a large part of the slowness at the border

I've read about the downturn in Egypts tourist industry post 2011 before I arrived here, but you have to see it to understand how severe it is and what impact it has. I've visit monuments which have parking and facilities for fifty coaches to find I'm the lone tourist (ok it was early in the day, but it didn't get much busier later on),  you drive along the banks of the river Nile between Aswan and Luxor and see 100 or more river cruise ships laid up with only a handful still operating,  travel up the Red Sea coast which only a few years ago was booming as the centre of their package tour industry and see 80% of the resorts locked up and closed as well as dozens of new developments apparently abandoned overnight by their builders. The hotel I'm staying in as I write this probably has 150 rooms, at best no more than about 30 are occupied. You have to feel for everyone involved in the industry.

Room with a view - an improvement on last week's hotels

Abandoned hotel - one of very many

And laid up cruise boats

Whilst horrible if your livelihood depends on it, there is of course a massive upside for the tourists, like me, who are here. You can go to some of the world's most famous and magnificent sights, virtually have them to yourself and really appreciate them - and the sights here have easily surpassed my expectations. I had no special knowledge of what was here other than that general understanding of the magnificence of the pharonic era and a vague idea of the grandness of the temples and tombs. When I've seen them, they have blown me away with their size, complexity, quantity and often by their (relative to European monuments of the same era) completeness - I understand now why the Victorian's (the era, not the state!) were so enamoured of the country. Without wanting this to sound like a paid advertisement for the Egyptian Tourist Board, visit if you can, it willnot disappoint and now is the perfect time to visit if you've ever had the inclination or desire.

The Colossus of Menmon - he's a big lad  (and made of a single piece of stone )

It was the amount of colour in the temples and tombs that astounded me. What these places must have looked like in their prime is hard to imagine

Not looking too bad for 3500 years old - Temple of Queen Hatchesput. 

The most magnificent of them all- Karnak Temple - the largest religious building in the world (and because of that almost impossible to photograph and convey the size and splendour )

Part of the reason tourists aren't here of course is that generic fear of harm that terrorism in the region has spread, its of course is totally overblown, as with virtually every country there is much more danger on the roads than any other source. Having said that the police presence here is strong and very much aimed at making sure tourists stay safe / feel safe.  Every monument has a plethora of armed guards (often almost as many of them as tourists and very good for looking after the bike whilst I wander around) and I've had to convoy between some towns, been personally escorted along some roads and been stopped at more checkpoints than I care to remember to have my papers checked (and on occasions been given tea, fruit and water at them).

Most of my guards are twenty year old kids with guns - and like all twenty year olds, show offs 

Part off what I'm sharing the road with

Week 19 -Sun and sand - it must be Sudan.

Politics lies uncomfortably just below the surface of any trip up through Africa but reaching Sudan makes them more prominent. The country is under sanctions for its past support of terrorism and its leader, who came to power by military coup back in 1989, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes of genocide against some of his own people's. To be fair though I should also note that unfortunately in the matter of recent african history Sudan is far from alone in this respect,  several of the other countries I have passed through have skirted very close to being in the same position - whilst the people have been friendly and there is wonderful scenery there are some particularly nasty regimes on this part of continent.

Because of the effect of sanctions old Bedford/Austin/Morris trucks still abound

Travel and photography permit - an essential on top of you visa

The people themselves are incredibly friendly, and after Ethiopia where most prices had to be strongly negotiated down from the "farangi (foriegner)" premium it was lovely to be back to where charging the local price was the norm.

Adam, Muhammed and ? - these three gentlemen fixed a snapped clutch cable (plus my previously snapped spare) within half an hour for $3.

There was a major change in the environment as I crossed the border to Sudan, from being up in the (relative) cool of the highlands I suddenly found myself down on hot desert plains - for many of the days temperatures in the mid fourties Celsius were the norm, whilst riding I found myself consuming water as fast as the bike drank fuel.

Note to self- stay on tar roads. 

Sand drifting across the highway threatened to block it in places.

Khartoum is an unexpectedly modern city with very an array of flashy government buildings and top end hotels paid for with oil revenues (and oft built by the Chinese, who here, like much of the rest of Africa,  appear to be rapidly building political influence by the provision of infrastructure).

The Acropole Hotel, Khartoum  - gave me two days respite from the heat. 

Lord Kitchener gunboat - used in the capture of Khartoum by the British in the 1890's and now hard aground at the. ...

The flashiest hotel in town, used by Chinese businessmen and politicians - well outside my budget

Not much to look at - the confluence of the Nile, where the Blue Nile from Ethiopia and the White Nile from Uganda come together before heading to Egypt

Heading north it was back out into the desert and one of Sudan's main sights, the Meroe Pyramids -  over thirty grouped in one place. They were a spectacular sight, and I was that days tourist.

Once 30 metres tall- the tops are now missing because of Victorian treasure hunters 

And where there is a tourist, there is quickly someone to try and sell you a souvenir 

Wild camping in the dunes behind the pyramids - the sand storm that raged all night made this quite an experience. 

From there it was more desert highway riding, interspersed with stops at small towns on the side of the river Nile, a river that dominates this country providing a narrow fertile green belt all the way north to the Egyptian border.

Nile side date palm groves 

The flashiest Tuk-Tuk in town

Hotel lobby - the bike often managed. ....

...better accommodation than me (the Hilton it was not)

Week 18 - Salt lakes, coloured rocks and castles.

I continued to follow the tourist circuit of northern Ethiopia this week. The first two days were the second half of the 4 day tour I started last week. These days were spent in the Danikel Depression, the lowest point of the country at 100m below sea level,  and also one of the warmest at 45 degrees when we were there  (and it often passes 50). The pictures tell the story.

Salt Lake stretching as far as off could see (and mandatory army guard)

Workers cutting the salt ready to send to market (a work practice reputedly unchanged for 2500 years) 

Camel train taking the salt to market. 

Where there isn't salt there are various minerals bubbling up through the ground from the volcanic action just below creating these vividly coloured rock formations (and enough acid to dissolve your shoes if you're not careful where you walk)

Our luxury accommodation for the night - a bed under the stars  (well it was a budget tour)

After the tour ended it was back on the road again through beautifully scenery, often finding myself winding up and down a thousand metres or more at a time.

The one problem of being on the road was finding petrol. There are virtually no private cars outside the capital Addis Ababa so most fuel stations are only set up to sell diesel (or gasoil as is called here) to the trucks and buses. To get petrol I found I had to wait until I got to a town large enough to have tuk-tuks for taxis and then negotiate with them to get supplies being sold from cans and bottles.

All filtered through a tea strainer

Ethiopia is a largely Christian country, with has its own very special version of the orthodox church,  which dates back to the fourth or fifth centuary.  My journey took me through the town of Axum one of the most important religious centres.

Inside this chapel is supposed to be the Ark of the Covenant  (a box containing the stone tablets, given to Moses, on which the ten commandments are carved). Why this is now in Ethiopia is a long and not very believable story - but I didnt say that in front of the local believers

Pre Christianity the kings built obelisks just like the Egyptians (and didn't always give them adequate foundations - that's 33m of granite that's come falling down a few hundred years ago)

After Axum it was onto Gondor,  which surprises with a group of stone castles from the 17th centuary which would make any European country proud. Not what one expects.

From here it was onto Sudan, but I'll leave that for next week.