Leaving Nuweiba, we cycle west to St. Catherine. This time there is no headwind, but lots of climbing. The 3 boys refill our blood sugar with some excellent Chai on the pass.
We spend the first night in a very windy place, sleeping very little. The scenery changes from rocky to sandy throughout the next 3 days until we reach St. Catherine, a touristic place. Almost a little bit to much after 3 days in the desert.
The downhill through Wadi Feiran to the Gulf of Suez is a wonderful birthday present to Chantal. Driving aside without traffic is marvelous! Stopping at an oasis for water fill-up and you will stay there overnight! Ramadan the owner doesn't take a no as an answer, so we sleep surrounded by green plants (50m from the road, fearing the trucks might run through our tent each time one passes closeby!). Taking photos of him an Hussein is ok, but his daughter is not to be photographed. "Then every man will look at her...NO!" Other countries, other customs. We try to respect them.
Cycling up the Gulf of Suez we are spoiled with a tailwind... that turns into a head wind the next day. Accordingly, we make only a few kilometers. Taking a shortcut doesn't help. The winds don't let themselves be fooled!
In Ras El Sudr there is a little restaurant that makes delicious vegetarian food! We stay for two days.
Fearing headwinds we take the road to Ahmad Hamdi Tunnel (under the Suez Channel). Tailwinds make us fly there! It's fabulous!
Finaly we are on the African continent!
The headwinds make our efforts to reach Cairo seem vain. We pedal hard, but make no distance! It's quite frustrating. Adding some strenuous encounters with the army does not help either... And: the only road to be cycled is the highway with LOTS of traffic!
In Heliopolis we stop for a break and ... are invited for tea made on a life threatening water heater! A wonderful encounter that balances the headwinds we just had.
We fly, the road is finally going down to Cairo fearing the worst of traffic and driver behavior in that 22 million Megapole! Nothing to be afraid of. The rule goes: the one hitting is the one in fault. So everyone is driving very defensively (which is not the same as cautiously!), making it very, very nice to enter this BIG city! Or as Chantal says: "jez han ig gnue! jez isch es mir o gliich!" and off she goes into the traffic!
We are in Cairo, one of the biggest cities and do feel very much at ease!
Ahlan wa sahlan!
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| 3 boys running a coffee shop after school |
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| downhill into the inland of Sinai |
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| Leopard in sun? |
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| café romantique |
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| bakery in St. Catherine |
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| the mornings are chilly - welcome dear sun! |
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| collecting wood |
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| incredible what is still driving around |
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| an oasis to sleep in Wadi Feiran |
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| Ramadan - farmer of the oasis (we were not allowed to take a picture of his daughter) |
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| Hussein |
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| driving up along the Gulf of Suez to Suez |
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| we seem to be quite interesting (and felt like in a zoo! at the other side of the cage) |
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| camping place |
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| Gottesanbeterin (in English?) |
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| never drink and drive! |
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| let it be light |
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| tea for two - don't touch anything, here! |
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| Chantal: "Now, I don't care anymore either! I WILL DRIVE!" |
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