Police, secretservice ( in long black coats), military all over the place so keep your cameras locked up.
Yesterday I went to the pyramides but was
not allowed into the parc because, no bikes allowed. Seen then before but wanted a picture with the Harley.
Hence I went to the Harley shop to by a
local Tshirt with pyramides image on it. Only 1 my size and no sleeves.
I had a taxi driver who I followed so
not to loose the way. Traffic is peculiar to say the least but
I got through. Fear is the worst you can have here. Do like them.
This morning I took off at 08 AM to El
Mynia where I arrived at 13.00 hrs after 350 km.
Of course with many new experiences like
driving on the Nile Corniche. It was hell because of all the people
going to market and the traffic in between.
The engine was near to overheating due to no speed and so no cooling.
Hence I turned off to the Western Desert
road against all advises. It was a treat . Nice large road
and one can fly. Hardly any traffic.
After 100 km stopped at a roadblock and
was put aside. Needed passport.
After 10 minutes they told me that I
would get an escort to El MInya. And truely, one pick up in front of me
and one behind and there we went. I felt like the president himself. They were super friendly and know all important Dutchmen, i.e. Van Basten, Cruyf, Gullit and that' s it.
They say that tomorrow they will escort
me again to Luxor and we start at 08 AM. Curious if they will.
If somewhere someone invented the speedhump it must have been Egypt or did they inherit these also from the British ?
You find them in amazing high frequency and in all sort of shapes, sizes and disrepair. To day I cursed properly because I grounded twice praying and hoping the bike would survive. The lower frame tubes receive the beating and I din't dare to check them yet.
Worst is that they are real donkeys , grey as the tar of the road so you do not see them. At a speed of 100 km that's a challenge and almost a launch from the saddle.
I get more and more cautious for these.
El Minya is known for some troubles so I was warned from many angles . Of course my escort prevented any problem. They even pushed through the traffic with sirenes on till at the hotel.
The hotel is in a backstreet and has got no facilities like resto or bar. This is sometimes an advantage, like now that I must sleep well to take the same beating tomorrow over 500 km to Luxor. Hope to reach it before dark ( at 17.30 )
I want to take the Great Eastern Desert road on the other ( east ) side of the Nile but do not know if the Hermandad will agree. I have my passport so in case they are not there at 8 AM I take off alone.
I will try to make a picture with the escort which they generally fancy and I avoid a detention.
I arrived on Sundaymorning 7th Jan. at 02.30 AM and went straight for the hotel. The rest of the day was for resting.
All the fun started on Mondaymorning around the corner of the hotel at Cargo Village.
I wrote this all down in the afternoon but lost the contents when ,during uploading, there was weak wifi.
Now I just copy what I wrote to the shiipper of the bike.
The bike is out now after 3,5 days.
Incredible what bureacracy must be done
while no one really knows the ever changing rules.
Bikes through the airport is max 7 per
year so they do not have the hang of it.
I cannot make a list of what the sequence
is since it was all done for me but I have ended up with a pile of papers
mostly in Arabic and with at least a hundred signatures and stamps.
We even had to go into downtown yesterday
to validate the Carnet by the Egyptian Automobile club before customs was
prepared to fill it in.
There is no one who knows the entire
process. Sure CFS does not even know but there are guys in the different
deparrtments that can be used and thatÂ’s what we did, or my brewery man did .
He works already 25 years at the airport for all brewery imports and knows
everybody. That helps but upon asking he does not know who can do the
entire process.
I have not seen the other biker but they
told me he is struggling to go through.
I will make a trip to the pyramids to
morrow and the Harley shop and Saturday I go on my way to El Minya at 300
kms along the Nile.
By the way they roughly handled the bike
at decrating at carcustoms and parked it , not on the sidestand, but against a
concrete pole and thereby denting the fueltank. Fortunately no hole in it.
So far for the nervewrecking clearance process. I really have to get back to my senses and I hope that happens quick.
The things I left in the bike panniers and topbox suffered also since all I put in when I delivered the bike was wet due to the heavy rains between Dover and London. The boots and gloves are green . Rest of tools , raingear, fueltanks, are ok.
Fortunately he started immediately. I , of course, worried he would not but I have a new battery, new starter relay and all elctrical systems checked.
I did not take any photos since we were in restricted areas. Did not want to loose my camera or go into detention for a day .
Tomorrow I will make pictures at the pyramids , I hope , and upload these.
