Living the Dream Solo Around the World Trip

[schalk vd merwe]

Stranded in Egypt. They don’t want to allow me to the other side of the Suez Canal as a suicide bomber blew himself up 2 weeks ago in the Sanai on a motor cycle. So I cannot get to Israel to catch my ferrie and all ferries to and from Egypt have been cancelled due to the political problems in the country. Will try and make a plan tomorrow.

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Have completed this leg of the trip but cannot get out of Egypt as per above post. They are very nervous of me and the army guys are always pointing automatic rifles at me at these hundreds of road blocks across the country. I think they always think that I am a possible suicide bomber with all my luggage.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Wow, please then no sudden movements, do everything as if you are in a extra go slow mode.

Be carefull.

 

[Xpat]

Egypt wasn't my favourite place, but it seem to went down the drain since.

Wouldn't cheap local sourced open face helmet help a bit with the checkpoints? When people can see your face, they may feel a bit more relaxed (not completely, but if the situation is tense, every bit counts).

 

[TVB]

Ai to Schalk, daar is altyd stories met die Egiptenare......ek vertrou als sal binnekort uitgesorteer wees. Sterkte man!

 

[T Rex]

Sterkte Schalk.

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Wow, please then no sudden movements, do everything as if you are in a extra go slow mode.

Be carefull.

Don't worry I have gone through hundreds of these road blocks by now. Body langue is everything. See you in Dec.

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Sterkte Schalk.

Dankie

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Egypt wasn't my favourite place, but it seem to went down the drain since.

Wouldn't cheap local sourced open face helmet help a bit with the checkpoints? When people can see your face, they may feel a bit more relaxed (not completely, but if the situation is tense, every bit counts).

Don't worry after hundreds of these road blocks I got it under control

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Ai to Schalk, daar is altyd stories met die Egiptenare......ek vertrou als sal binnekort uitgesorteer wees. Sterkte man!

Dankie man dinge kom klaar reg

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Update 22/07/2015
So from Hurghada I took the road north. By now I have done about 2500km of various deserts. I found it a little more bearable as I move north as the sun is on its way south towards the Equator (South Africa summer is on its way) and I am north of The Tropic of Cancer and slowly moving away from the sun.  I made it in one day from Hurghada to Cairo which is basically in a desert. Entering Cairo from the East with the Sun directly in my eyes and I only ask directions once and was on my way again and as I came close to the end of the Hi way I saw the Pyramids of Giza. I thought maybe I will make it before sun set but somebody next to the road said sorry closed it will be open again by the following day at 8am. So I looked for a hotel and found one nearby and my room on the 8th floor was overlooking the Pyramids. The room had no air con and I slept with the door open. The next morning I woke up at 5.30am and while lying in bed there were the Pyramids right in front of me, a better view than that you would not find. After breakfast I rode my bike to the Pyramids in the hope that I would be able to take a photo of the bike with the Pyramids in the back ground. At the gate they allowed buses and mini buses and cars into the ground but told me that I could not go in with the bike. I even spoke to a high ranking officer in the army but they would not give any reason. I was upset but later when I heard the full story I understood. So I went back to the hotel and loaded my bike and I was off to the Suez Canal tunnel in the hope that I could cross into the Sanai Desert towards Elat in Israel. About 50km before the tunnel there were a road block again, one of hundreds since in Egypt. I was almost past them when they shouted that I must stop. As usual soldiers with automatic rifles with two magazines each was circling me with their finger on the trigger. The commander of the group told me to get off my bike. I had to move the bike even closer to them in order to have the side stand lower than the bike otherwise the bike would fall over. I think this made them even more nervous. They wanted to see my passport, my bikes papers my driver’s licence, my international drivers licence (first time ever).  I eventually told the guy in charge “you know you are treating me badly I could have been your father”. He then apologized and asks me if I want water or a cold drink and he even wanted to know if I need money. They also gave me a telephone number for emergencies. The conversation then changed and like at most other road blocks we cracked a couple of jokes and again I was off. While driving through the town just south of the channel I saw a whole lot of bikers together and turned around. Some of them were local while some was from Cairo. They invited me to join them for lunch and off we went to a restaurant. Only there did I hear why the army is so nervous about bikers as a suicide bomber on a bike detonated a bomb in the Sinai desert killing himself and some Egyptian soldiers. Then all of a sudden it made it clear to me the reason for their refusal at the Pyramids and their nervousness at all the roadblocks as with my large baggage on the back I suppose it looks pretty suspicious. The bikers also told me that the army would not allow me through the Suez tunnel. After lunch come sunset I started to look for a hotel. There were thousands of people in the streets as it was a public holiday the last day of three days holiday after Ramadan. I was driving up and down looking for a cheap hotel and the traffic was just chaotic. Everyone was hooting and a taxi or car would come and sit right on my tail all the time. O yes and I forgot to mention previously that since in Sudan and Egypt one million two hundred and fifty five thousand people indicated that my head light was on. On my bike there is no off switch and the head light comes on the moment you start the bike. So now I also know why they show me as they drive with their light off even at night. On most cars only half the lights work in any way and the other half just don’t switch it on in town. At 8pm that night I only found a hotel and it was also not that cheap. The next day I left to go and try my luck at the tunnel which run under the Suez 30km from there and just as the bikers warned me they would not allow me through even if I wanted to go South away from the Sinai Desert towards Sharm el Sheik. So that means no ferry from Israel to Italy as you have to cross this part to get to Elat in Israel and from there to Ashdod where the ferry leaves for Italy. On the internet it states clearly that all ferries from Egypt are suspended due to the political situation here. That also explains why there are hardly any tourist lower down in places like Luxor and Abu Simbel and even in Kenya the overland truck business has come to a standstill. In Luxor I was the only person in the whole hotel and the staff there told me that 5 years ago the place was full and even the yard was full with overland 4x4 trucks for tourist. I then had no option but to carry on to Port Said on the Mediterranean. On the way I filled petrol and I was supposed to get one Egyptian pound change and the petrol attendant just kept it. Then further on I bought a coke at a road side type of spaza shop and only after I opened the coke the guy told me he had no change. Even though this would not make me poorer it makes me cross and I know they take a chance. It is just a principle thing with me so I started to phone the number that the army guy gave me the previous day and while dialing I told the guy I am phoning the police. All of a sudden he found change and I was on my way again. A little further on I was approaching an army jeep with two soldiers on the back. Only when I was getting closer did I see two automatic guns taking dead rest at me and I immediately backed off. I remember 5 years ago when my son and I rode with two bikes to the equator we met an ex recce in Malawi from RSA who from time to time used to do security work in Iraq and they used to just shoot anybody who would drive to close to their military vehicle. So this military jeep in front of me was going too slow and I wanted to pass so I first waved at them and when they waved back I gassed it passed them. So here I am on the Mediterranean Sea in the city of Port Said trying to get a boat across to Italy even if it is a cargo ship and I have to sleep on deck on my self-inflating mattress. Will see what happens today.

 

[schalk vd merwe]

On the way to Cairo from Hurghada

 

[schalk vd merwe]

The Pyramids, photos taken from my hotel

 

[schalk vd merwe]

They would not allow my bike any closer to the Pyramids

 

[schalk vd merwe]

Again the Pyramids from the street in front of the hotel.

 

[schalk vd merwe]

The bikers that I met

 

[schalk vd merwe]

A very long bridge on the way to Port Said.

 

[Casting from Turd]

Awesome  :thumleft:

 

[subie]

Respect Schalk  :thumleft:
I think I would enjoy such a ride but there is no way I would be able to "deal" with the people at all.

 

[Frannarossi]

Baie cool :thumleft: