16th - 17th June 2006 - Cairo

Posted at 5:08 AM, Sunday, June 18, 2006

This visit also exceeded expectations. 

From the moment we boarded the line of coaches in the military compound and realised it would be a bit different to any previous tour. 

The convoy of coaches left at 0600, escorted front and rear by police motorbikes and armed soldiers hanging out of open utility vehicles.  Each coach was also carrying two machine gun armed plain clothed officers. 

As we wheeled out of Port Said we were stunned to see all road crossings were manned by police – and all the traffic was halted to let us speed by.  I guess this is normal here to make tourists feel safer – but for us it was a new experience.

The trip took over two hours and we arrived barging our way with sirens wailing through the sprawling outskirts and into central Cairo.  The trip down was at times alongside the Suez Canal – and seemed odd seeing the continual procession of large ships dwarfing the low mud houses along the canal banks.  The west bank we drove on was cultivated and irrigated from the canal.  The east bank was desert.

Cairo itself was as busy as expected.  Lots of plastic rubbish everywhere – maybe dirtiest city I’ve ever visited.  Passed by an area known the City of the Dead where the walls of houses have been built to contain the graves of relatives – but few have roofs and internal fittings.  Lots of servants apparently living alongside the grave sites – and it stretched for miles.

The Giza Pyramids were our first stop and one can’t help being impressed.  We even paid our 20 Egyptian Pounds and crawled down long dark and airless corridors to visit the central chamber in one of them.  No cameras were allowed but I took a photo right in the heart of it using my mobile phone.  If anyone knows how to get it from my mobile to my computer - let me know!

Here we are in front of the largest of the three Pyramids on the Giza plateau.

And here is a shot of just two of the police and army cars that escorted us here.

Lots of hawkers – all pretty pushy – and all selling rubbishy items.  They are kept in line by local Tourism and Antiquities police – here are a couple whose job it is to chase off un-authorised horse and camel ride salesmen!

Here is a shot of Sue in front of both Giza Pyramids and Sphinx.

Spent the afternoon exploring the Egyptian Museum – no photos allowed here also.  They jumped on anyone who pulled out a mobile so I did not chance my luck.  The displays – including King Tutank Hamuds (note the new way I've learnt to spell it) relics – were awesome.

Before the Hotel they dropped us all off on the NIle to take a short Felucca trip out and back.  Good fun as we all reverted to racers when on the water.  Not sure what Ali our skiipper thought as we all clambered up to windward to try and help him overtake the other Feluccas - but he seemed to get the message and we were almost the first back.

The hotel they’d chosen could not have been better placed – the Meridien right opposite the Pyramids.  Nice bit of lux with super pool where one could float around and get served by white coated waiters.  Just what the doctor ordered.

The second day in Cairo saw us visit the Sultan Ali Mosque where we learnt a lot more about Islam.  Here’s Sue again taking a lesson from the Koran on the floor of the mosque.

Ended up visiting a large souke but nothing really worth buying – full of touristy stuff – then off we went on our return journey with sirens wailing.

All in all a fantastic experience – and a real bonus is we seem to have got away with minimal tummy upsets!

Today is a free day to explore Port Said a bit more – then a formal reception / dinner tonight – and off back to Herzlya in Israel tomorrow.  It is there the rally officially ends, but its highly likely we’ll not head back to Turkey immediately – maybe we’ll book a trip over to Jordan and see places like Petra whilst we can.

I had my new foredeck awning expanded to cover more deck area.  Great service from this little shop.  If anyone wants a super value canvas awning the guys given me his email and can make up from plans - as said - less then half a european price and easily shipped via UPS.

Take care all

JOHN and SUE