Travel in Egypt 2007 (Part 5)

This trip has been decided in a time of 24 hours: this year it was decided to make New Year in Spain and in January for a ride from Barcelona to Seville with some friends in Turin and in summer the UK, unfortunately after the feast of the end year we had to return home quickly, having been informed by our neighbor, for a gas leak for which they had to step in the Fire Department, after settling back to our failure was impossible to resume the journey home and find friends who had continued travel alone.
Tina by chance, my wife, Plein Air Act on an ad a couple of campers who was organizing a trip to Egypt, once the phone call, just send the program once the affirmative, and immediately the purchase of maps, guides and news searches on the trip, all in 24 hours.
We are ready ... ... ... ... let's go!!

 

Aswan - 0/5804 - Camping Yekia - sunny

Continued from "EGYPT 2007" PART 4

Luxor - Kamp El Rezeika - 223/6037 - sunny

Departure at 7 in the convoy, File destination to visit the temple complex of Isis on the island of Agilkia to get there you cross the Nile in a boat, the boatman had to change the number of necklaces and jewelry, the women did not let him get away, indeed, almost the assault, the temple is very beautiful and interesting.
Convoy at 14 for return to Luxor
Along the way a truck slows down and they remove us from the convoy, Carlito while trying to overtake is not aware of a hill and catch it in full by a big jump, unfortunately Graziella who was standing, he fell hitting his head and back, once we We stopped: Anel which was in the camper behind us, strives to rescue and manages to dress his wound in the head, sore and scared Graziella fall under his trailer and takes off.
Upon our return to the campsite in Luxor we find partly occupied by a bus with a trailer of Rotel Tours, around forty people are traveling to this hotel and sleep walking in these niches on the trailer, is a way to travel the world in a very economically.
While I am full of diesel, Tina, in a nearby kiosk buy mineral water and Coca-Cola failed to perceive that pays an exaggerated figure, Atef notices it and tries to get him to return the difference, after several discussions and apologizes for withdrawal the behavior of his countrymen.
TIP: do not buy from the shop outside the camp.

Stadium parking - 245/6287 - sunny

Departure at 7 for:
- Dendera to visit the Temple of Hathor
- Abydos to visit the temple of Sethi I and Ramesses II
Today there was a discussion between us during the journey because the tail is elongated and there was too much time between a camper and the other is the usual problem: who is in front does not understand that behind you for traffic, transport to overcome, red lights, who should always get the ones behind the head, running like crazy, but before you keep a regular speed, those behind will never be able to maintain it the right thing would be the daily rotation of the participants, who now stands before passes in the queue tomorrow so we all feel the different positions of the queue.
Once in Sohag you park in a yard in front of a stage, we are in a risk area and there are four police cars that we control, an investor group's impression of so deployment of police and would leave at once, it took much to convince her and calm her.
The problem began when we asked to be able to do some shopping at nearby shops, first time, the police would not, then at our insistence, the police in civilian clothes but armed with submachine gun and a car we were escorted in a marketplace where we were able to purchase food.
All night there was a lot of traffic and the noise did not sleep none, then the knowledge that many armed men in control there was not pleasant.

Asyut - Officer's club - 131/6418 - sunny

First visit of the day was:
- Akhmin with her was of Merit-Amun (beautiful but lonely)
- A Weaving nearby (Tina bought a beautiful tablecloth cheap)
Then Sohag:
- White Monastery
- Red Monastery
The first where a large Orthodox priest explained to us their way of life with prayer and work, the second half where we met some crumbling Italian restorers who worked to bring to light the paintings in the midst of these ruins.
Throughout the tour today we were accompanied by about thirty policemen.
We are guests at Asyut in the officers' club near a sports field, with the prohibition to leave the city, who did so was at your own risk and peril.
This evening, almost all to dinner at the club, did not eat badly, but many have decided not to eat at a local restaurant, best pasta in a nice camper.
To make the water, with a single tap in the services of the restaurant, we had to add all our hoses to get to every camper.

El Fayum - Summer residential military camp - 380/6798 - cloudy

7 am all ready for departure, the police escort arrived with 40 minutes late.
First visit to the necropolis of Tell and the marl, to visit three tombs, to go and leave the camper with a small and rickety ferry across the river, waiting for a bus that will take us 40 years ago, on a dusty track, the base of a mountain, up a steep trail begins a visit to the tombs: the first is dark, not light, we can glimpse something of the various inscriptions and depictions, the second and third, illuminated, are beautiful: they have the column, and the representations very nice, the last Christian times was transformed into a chapel, unfortunately can not be photographed
In return, we visit the ruins of a temple restorers Germans are bringing to light the remains.
We reach the necropolis of Beni Hassam at 15, lunch and then visited four graves, Tina and I are tired and do not go, also forego the visit.
He resumed the trip to El Fayum, the road traffic across many countries, although the police that leads us, you can not be grouped, cars and trucks are stuck in the column so crazy and criminal, has avoided ' incident dozens of times, it's dark, they travel only with the sidelights, some do not even have those, they are without lights, is a constant danger, on the way you see incidents of all kinds, but they fearlessly run like crazy.
We arrive at 21.30, all very tense and angry, to travel in the dark in this infernal traffic has troubled souls, Tony first rails against the guides who, in his opinion, would have us stop in an area to supply ' nightfall, Atef defends himself that he could not do anything when there un'itinerario told the police, we must respect that and you can not change, I tried to intervene to pacify the spirits, defending the guides who do nothing but their duty and counseling in the future to shorten the visits and leave in time to arrive before dark, head Luisa has been very good at doing the program but can not and could not foresee the unexpected, see the arrival of the police in delay or the continuation of a visit.
The resting place for the night, is before a holiday resort for soldiers in a salt lake, very beautiful, we are on a bridge in this structure, very quiet, but far from the city, police with about 10 men will be vigilant throughout the night.

El Fayum - Summer residential military camp - 0/6798 - sunny

7 am ready for departure, change of program, there are two buses available to us, the ride will not be built today with our camper, but sitting comfortably with the two media, it was decided that at noon we have lunch packed for not waste time returning to the camper.
Our campers are to be moved, not to be annoying during the day, in a parking lot side, they are being returned to the deck at night.
It starts not with our campers, with two buses, then we will see that the road was not suited to our means, a trail of dusty dirt and stones.
First visit to Wadi Hitan (the Valley of the Whales) protected area recently opened to tourists, the mountains are eroded by the wind as in Cappadocia, have a yellow and gray, the paths are lined by a visit to the curb stones you can not get over, you can not collect fossils, there are rocks and stones of various kinds, the remains of whales and turtles are well defined and photogenic, have more than 4 million years.
The visit lasted longer than expected, so the ruins of Karanis jump, we are still close to the camper and all believe they can dine on our media ... ... ... ... you can not '... .... Police were notified that we had lunch in town and so you must do, we can not change, this is very ridiculous, but this is not protection: a bureaucracy.
A siren, the police van takes us to town, passing in front of our camper, where in addition to visit an old water wheel, change money in the bank, in a restaurant eating a sandwich, in addition to ours, some take the pigeon filling for which takes over an hour to cook, this delay will make us jump more visits planned.
Before returning you visit the pyramid of Amenemhat III of Senuseret obelisk, then stop at a market for various supplies, purchase of tomatoes and cucumbers with common stock that then Chief Luisa split diligently.
18 hours back to our means taking up the position on the bridge and not in the swamp where they were moved this morning, hours reasonable, it can take a shower and eat quietly without problems, the outburst last night was served, not so much to Tony, But my mind that the program may include, where possible, a further visit, but if you do not respect the curfew, you can take away: as it happened today.

Continue on "EGYPT 2007" PART SIX