01246 270000

Cycling the Nile

Egypt was an amazing experience, a country of extreme contrasts from the vibrant extravagant colours of the cultivated fertile strip by the Nile to the utter nothingness of the desert. Cycling through bleached rock and sand in blistering heat was awesome. The villagers on the edge of the desert still live very much as they did in the time of the pharaohs baking bricks from mud and cultivating with oxen, incongruously electric cables run through the villages carrying power to other countries as the Aswan dam generates so much power that the Egyptians sell abroad.

Theo our cycle guide had warned us that we would be the yearly entertainment for the village children who would undoubtedly be very excited. Their excitement was a bit more than we had bargained for , shouting "hello", "what your name" was acceptable but throwing sticks and stones, running alongside trying to poke sugar cane into our spokes, pulling at our tee-shirts and shoving each other into our path was challenging especially as we had pot holes, sand, camels, oxen, donkeys and dogs to contend with too.

Cairo is a huge city of some 20 million inhabitants with all mod cons and hi -tec facilities where dual carriage way joins sand track , air conditioned coaches run past family groups cooking a meal on the pavement as dusk falls and beaks the Ramadan fasting. We had an emotional welcome from Befrienders Cairo when we gave them a cheque to cover the next 45 months rent.

Our support group were excellent, the armed guards never left us , Princess Eman the cruiser that was home for the week sailed serenely down the Nile and provided lunch each day where ever we were and a comfortable bed at night.

All in all an unforgettable experience in an exciting country

By Liz, Ex Director of Chesterfield Samaritans