Egypt

A part of pyramids tour Cairo wasn’t a place I’ll hang out for more than two idle days. It need time to copy up with locals who take every one as a typical tourist no matter how you may try to avoid it. It was a good time to explore a bit history on this mother of civilization though I find out late I was badly reaped off but it was worth it.

The countdown comes close as I met my fellow stuffs who are simply representing the entire world, shake hands with early arrive rides, diner, Stella (the popular beer which will cost you enough to find it as it considered as “haramu”, forbidden or so) with daily minor tasks all these make the 5 days in the five stars resort pass fast than I was expecting.

My experience in Cairo might make a book so let me keep it on my diary and if I’ll happen to have a chance to publish it when I’m old it will be my pension for me. But few things is Egyptian are specific breed which in order to copy up with them you need some time with lots of patient. They don’t drink but they smoke badly. How they drive is only gods knows. Food is what it will always remand you Egypt their variety, tasty and cheap.
Though tourism have been here for almost 500 years ago few bother themselves to educate themselves more particular in teams of communication. Usually they will bomb you with normal questions You’re name?, Where from? Then Want to see pyramids? Horse, Camel, Donkey ride? Perfume and papyrus are items which they will try to sell you indirectly.
The long waited day 15 Jan final is here probably the largest group of tourist every attempt to cross the legendary continent, Africa. The long queue of 102 cyclists set of from Cataract Pyramids Resort heavily protected by police we maneuver our way to great pyramids of Giza. The open ceremony was brief since it was cold riders take photos, paparazzi try to did what the can. I wonder how they will have to put it so ordinary people will understand the concept behind people crossing Africa on two wheels. Reasonable amount of time was spent on convoy getting out of Cairo though before dark every rider make 134km, that was good begin! As some of riders I happened to chart with such Ethiopian couple this was their longest distance on bike.
It is first desert camp everyone is happy to open the tent for the first time and make most of it on the vast desert space. That was not the end of surprise, James; the cook has great hot soup followed by amazing dinner. The fun thing about TDA no matter how many riders or how strong they might be but always after dinner around 7:30pm the whole camp is quiet. Every one wants to save energy for next day. The next day was long day 167km and the fact that everyone was still tense just to show the legendary continent how best she or he is. In that day there was no much discussion as no one has interest of talk about it.
We are in the Red Sea though it is blue so the days are just desert and sea. It is bit boring but racers they just to finish their day, those who are in good in meditation enjoy the emptiness of desert with plenty of air and those who cannot take more than they can afford their support vehicle to fetch them.
It goes slow when you’re on the last minutes of your day and consider it for 115days but in the actual sense days are passing and the tour become more fun. That was among of the comment of the days, the night passed at Safaga town; the camp was on the Red Sea beach so the time to get shower and cold bears.
The day from Safaga was just the continue of African bounty as we left the beach go through the mountain range. It was real pleasant cycling as the gentle climb road meander through the overhanging rocks. We pass the night at the police check point anyways we do have police with us everyday. It may surprise how tourists security it big issue here but as I say before they also don’t even speak English apart of not having ideal what is tourism by the ways we feel secure in the desert.
The rotation of working up dismantle your tent breakfast jump on bike stop for lunch then pitch tent diner and crush, it might be bit tire some of other if not all; “rest day seem like a holiday in the vacation” one of the rider told me. It is a rest day in Laxour among of the accident town in the upper Egypt. In this particular time riders take time to recover from routine, being conventional tourists by visiting Kings & Queens valley, temples, etc.