From the sea to the desert

Yasser took us on a 2 hour trip around Cairo as he tried to find the quickest way out through the weekend traffic all with the same intentions.

We saw many other parts of Cairo we had missed before, it turns out some off it is a lot nicer. Before the revolution apparently the rubbish wasn’t such a problem and traffic was better controlled by the police who have vanished now.

2 hours later up good highway towards Alexandria and then Marina slightly to the west, left us in refreshingly cooler air flowing in of the med.

Marina is a different world of gated communities set by the sea and artificial lakes. Here the well to do of Egypt come to relax in the clean well maintained beaches and the vast choice of western restaurants and coffee shops. Big American pickup trucks tear around and there are countless speed boats burning fuel. Everyone dressed in shorts, t-shirts and bikinis its definitely a million miles away from the rest of Egypt we have seen.

So a couple of days relaxing here were very plesant and refreshing change of pace from cairo. Yassers family made us very welcome with some big feasts, the evenings spent relaxing in the open air coffe shops with the smell of various shisha until the early hours.

Back to Cairo and after another night we had enough and finally headed out for the desert, the bit I had been looking forward to!

First desert camp

Another feast

 Following the loop west out of cario we spent the first night camped hidden between some rocky outcrops in the black desert I think. The silence was encompassing. A large moon rose and left the night almost as well lit as day.

Back on the tarmac we headed to the white desert and then turned off the road for a couple of days driving through the windblown rocks and shifting sands.
Finding the oasis here was perfect, they appeared from a distance as couple of palm trees isolated in a sea of sand and rock, just they way you see it in the movies.

Wind hewn rock of the white desert

Whilst our route wasnt hundreds of miles into a sea of sand it was still remote enough and we didnt see another livign thing other than a dung beetle and of course the flies which apear from nowhere. Of course I had skimped on a guide and whilst attempting to get back onto the tar we overshot our intended route and had to exit through the rocky plateau, using the large sand dunes that had formed over some areas to make our way up.

There were of course trace of older tracks in the harder areas leading to the sand but so i was sure there would be some way out. But of course they could have been made by lighter 4x4s for fun or experinced dessert guides. Still the heavy defender with mud tyres (everyone says the worst for sand) made it over only having to take a few runs in some places where we bogged down.

Stuck in soft sand, it had to happen eventually

Dropping the tyre pressures meant we got over most stuff with ease, i was pleased, it thought she might struggle a lot more. Im sure i will get well and truly stuck somewhere now.

Up

Down

After messing about off road in the desert we returned to the highway, a helpfull man in Farafra got us more Deisel with no queuing from the "emergency" supply, its cost us twice as much but at £0.20 GBP we are still happy at how cheap it was and definately worth it not to wait hours.

The tar highway that leads through the desert is constantly being overrun by the sands blowing across the road, also annoyingly in your face meaning a hot drive with the window up.

Stopping for the night in we met a family of farmers who treated us to much tea and a good meal. The follwing morning we decided to join what looked like a short queue for fuel, 2.5 hours later we got away after much pushing shoving and fights to get to the pumps. Paid the going rate though of £0.11 GBP per litre.


A message from Tadhg and Bob the Irish lads informed us they were still waiting for the ferry to sudan, it now being 7 days late, we diverted from our planned stop in luxour hoping to catch this one with them as we didnt fancy staying around for the 2nd revolution which was planned for the 30th. A late nigt drive with all the perils of unlit cars, bikes, donkeys and pedestrians ensued and the many unmarked speed humps which have probably done more wear than offroading has!

A aircon hotel awaited which was heaven. Much rushing about the next day to get visas etc... ensued.
We were hoping to get the sat barge for our car, we neednt have worried. Its Sun now and there is still no confirmed departure date, in fact it looks more likely our fixer will be able to organise the road permit and we will go that way on Tue hopefully.

It has given us a chance to have a few beers with some other overlanders heading north. A norwegian couple and another brit. Neither had had a speedy transit across lake nasser though.

The Irish and us have moved to a cheaper apartment overlooking the nile near the Aswan dam. Its away from the city center which we though may be wise as today is the day for the new revolution. Already there have been clashes and deaths in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said. We are hoping all will remain calm here until we depart.

It has character including the extension lead with two wires you just ram into the plug socket! Safe.