Travel in Egypt 2007 (Part 7)

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!!

 

Ain Sokhna - beach - 429/7837 - sunny / cloudy

Continued from "Egypt 2007" Part Six

Cairo - MISR Travel parking - 147/7984 - sunny

At 8, it starts at a time in Cairo, the weather is nice we almost sorry to leave the beach, Daniel has had a bath in cold water, unfortunately a new trouble looms, you hear a strange noise in the motor home, like a mermaid there stop and open the porthole and I note that the TV antenna bends considerably SuperBruno believes is causing the noise, and to dismantle it, then you notice that the porthole is the hinge screws are loose and immediately tighten and fixed continue carrying SuperBruno, the noise continues, another stop of the group, open the hood we find that the air intake tube is not attached to the pipe and the gasket of the filter does not exist, it is consumed, with the tape adhesive will substitute what has been lost, again initially resents the whistle which will then decrease, SuperBruno has remedied the fault.
Back at the parking lot MISR we configured differently, comb and not parked on the sides as before, we do not understand why!
The women immediately to shopping in nearby shops, there are all: dall'ortolano, the butcher, the fishmonger and all'ortolano are certainly not the stores of our house, dirt and lack of hygiene rough, but we AMUCHINA Save.
In the afternoon visit by bus to the Egyptian Museum, very interesting, among the many things that Aiman explains and shows us, there is the treasure of Tutankhamen's tomb: it is an objective reality fabulous wealth of objects, jewelry and furniture is fantastic is a must, unfortunately you can not take pictures inside the museum.
The next visit was at the bazaars of Cairo, for two hours we ran in these streets full of local folklore, with insistent vendors offering us very poor product.

Cairo - MISR Travel parking - 0/7984 - sunny

Today busy day of visits:
- The Citadel with the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Mosque of Hassan
- Mosque of Ibn Tulun
- Blue Mosque in the old city of narrow streets and rubble
- A shop in endangered
- Mausoleum of Ibn Barquq
- Mosque of Qaitbey
At lunch the restaurant Soiree similar to Luxor, we ate good Western, leaving the usual pitfalls of guide: visit shop floor perfumery, the women here are crazy, they bought everything and more, We lost almost two hours, with the complaints of those who, like me, interested in Cairo and the essences which we later found were imported from India, in fact, a carrier was unloading the boxes and we have found the source.
Another stop is not provided in a glass factory, again buying glasses, bottles and lamps.
Finally the visit to the City of the Dead, a cemetery inhabited by the living, poor people living among the tombs, in absolute filth.
Aiman, as usual, was very thorough in the explanations, although it has in him an extreme nationalism.
Today we have seen several mosques, in all we have removed their shoes mandatory but none asked women to wear the veil, as has happened in other countries, it was able to film or photograph, no matter where it was noted el'immondizia carelessness, have all their architectural beauty, but have nothing to do with those seen in Iran with their beautiful pottery, the colors and especially the cleaning.

Cairo - MISR Travel parking - 0/7984 - sunny

Before leaving for the various excursions, head Luisa has collected € 15 for motorhomes up to our guide as extra compensation for his services, Tony has prepared a nice letter of thanks and to reading the surly Aiman was moved and thanked by un'abbraccio all members of the group.
Today was the birthday of Emmanuel, no celebrations.
Minibus at 9, go to:
- Mausoleum of Al-Ghouri
- Coptic Museum
- The Hanging Church
- Monastery and Church of San Giorgio
- Ben Ezra Synagogue, very nice but you can not photograph
- Roman Towers
- The Souq al-Fustat Misr al-Qadima Gate
- Rione Al-Qahira
- House of al-Suhaym
- Mausoleum of Al-ghouri
- Mosque of Al-Azhar
I must say that mosques are seen today were more satisfactory than that of yesterday, were clean, were seen many renovations and were more frequently, the old town is presented as un'aglomerato of old houses with dirt roads with unfinished excavations everywhere Here, too, with all the difficulties of the case, the cars whizzing to a crazy pace. Some of the group was delighted to this view, arguing that this is the real Egypt, this is the true people of Cairo, I have seen only the poor people living precariously without any help from the state, some reduced to asking the 'charity, I am ashamed to be there with my camera from 1000 € and I could not take many photos, thinking of offending the dignity of these people.
After the visit to the nth mosque falls from a supermarket to get provisions, for all large expenses in anticipation of a few days of pure transfer for the return to Libya.
This evening final preparations: full of water and discharge of gray water, tomorrow we start at 6 am to avoid the chaotic traffic of Cairo.

Marsa Matruh - seaside parking - 502/8486 - sunny / cloudy

6 am departure, traffic still quiet, we leave Cairo without problems, the machinery of the guides there Atef, not even said goodbye when he left us: he was very rude.
After diesel, you get to El Natrun to visit the monastery of Bishoy Coptic beauty and appeal explained and described by a Monaco in Arabic and translated by Aiman, we found that Monaco would have preferred to speak English with any of us and not to depend on a Muslim.
The visits were completed in Egypt now goes to the border, you stop for the night at Marsa Matruh, along the sea near the beach where we stopped Rommel in the going, our guides in the first place we had been proposed for the night a barren field full of dirt on the outskirts of the city, our representations have been chosen for this place.
Now Tina with other took two taxis and went to town, still hurts the foot is better than the effort if not for things or interesting visits, I just hope we do not spend too much.

Tobruk (Libya) - Hotel parking - 378/8864 - cloudy / rainy / sandstorm

Yesterday evening I was fine, and Tina has not spent anything, did not find what you wanted.
Departure at 8 direction Saloum border Egyptian / Libyan without running we arrived at noon, Ghead had come first to prepare the documents necessary to pass customs, but not for out of Egypt and into Libya, where we expect Sofian, there are took 3.30 hours.
At Customs, we crossed another company of Italians, 12 campers, carrying out our own with our own tour guides, some of us knew some of the other group participants and were greeted by a grid that divided the entry el ' from Egypt.
As expected thing happened very ridiculous that we campers: climbing over mountains of garbage we were in a bin, empty, to deposit our garbage, many people watched us, smiling, I hope it is their example.
Finally free of the Egyptian police, escorted by Sofian and a single policeman we headed towards Tobruk, as we stopped overnight at the hotel that has hosted the first leg.
In recent days had led to discussion among the crews of campers who were in the queue and those who were among the first places, those behind were accused of slowing down lap and was unable to keep a tight group, I (No. 6) I stated several times that for elastic effect: those behind can not keep the pace of the first, there's always un'impedimento you slow down and return to the group you run over the speed of the first, and the risk that goes with it, my proposal, as I had done in other trips, it was of alternatives: the first of today, tomorrow will be the last, so that everyone understands what it means to be rolling in front and staying behind and act accordingly. Cape Luisa has talked with some people asking for advice only, the crew No. 2 annoyed at its discretion, at the start of yesterday was spent in the queue, now the No. 3 team has put in behind the No. 2, Cape Louise was keen to point out that this was not done by his order for an initiative but arbitrary two crews, in fact this is no longer needed, the traffic is almost zero and being behind or in front does not change anything, however, all was a spark that blew up a discussion between me and Tina, we proposed that the rotation of posts and the wife of No. 2, which I hope ends here not to break the harmony that had prevailed so far, even I do not want to quarrel with Super Bruno, the husband, the person that I admire very much, not for what he did to help me or to others, but for the person herself.
During the trip in Libya we have stumbled into a storm of sand and water, the fog was worse, a side wind moved the camper, the windshield was dirty water mixed with sand, afraid to run the wipers that could scratch the glass, then spray so much water I decided to make them work, fortunately, everything went better giving me a chance to see the road, then over the sand around the water clean, making it clear visibility.

Continue on "Egypt 2007" Part Eight