Report by Christine Keen
This trip to Egypt consisted of nine days with so much more than cycling. There were 5 consecutive days of cycling covering a total of 408 km (approx. 300 miles). A group of 32 participants have so far raised £102,000 (to date) for the British heart Foundation to spend on research and treatment for heart disease. I am very grateful to Spokes for their donation of £200 towards my sponsorship.
Initially we flew to Cairo, meeting each other, the BHF representative & the tour doctor at Heathrow airport. Arriving in the late evening we went by coach to the rather opulent Zoser Partner Hotel.
The plan was to spend the first night & following day in Cairo then fly to Luxor & meet the boat that we would live on for the rest of the tour. Cycling would begin on day 3 & with ourselves & the boat following the Nile south we would meet up each evening. The mileage each day varied from approx. 30 miles (2 half cycling days) to a maximum of 79 miles. We cycled south from Luxor. This part of Egypt is agricultural and comprises of many small holdings; the ground is very fertile most of the soil being deposited by the Nile before the Aswan dam was built. I was surprised to see tomatoes being picked & donkeys weighed down with carrots, testament to the wonders of irrigation in such a hot country. We cycled through or moored in the small towns of Esna, Edfu, Aswan, and Kom Ombo. Being afloat does mean some changes to schedule & opportunities to view shore life & other boats, when the boat arrived at Esna we had to queue to go through the lock & there was no opportunity to see the temple at Kom Ombo before dark as there was some negotiation before we could moor, this gave us the opportunity to relax & watch the sunset.
Initially we cycled on the West bank & then crossed the Nile on small boats to meet up with our boat at Aswan, Egypt’s southern-most city on the east bank of the Nile. The route was flat with the odd incline but at Aswan we cycled through the town to the low dam & then up to the high dam, a wonderful climb which I thoroughly enjoyed. The world famous dam provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt. Cycling along the high dam we were able to gaze across Lake Nassar, the huge reservoir created when it was built. The high dam created a 30% increase in the cultivable land in Egypt, and raised the water table as far away as Algeria. Egypt is noted for it’s birdlife and we saw a variety of birds including kingfishers and egrets. Most of the route was close to the Nile, apart from when we went into the desert. The farming techniques were almost biblical, with oxen everywhere ploughing and turning wheels. There is poverty but our regular guide told us that no one starves in Egypt.
After a day sightseeing in Cairo we took an early evening internal flight to Luxor.
After a short coach ride we were on the quayside & clambering through 2 boats to reach ours, named Ninfeadu, our ‘home’ for the rest of the trip.
The Boat
The boat was very luxurious, & I think most of us were surprised at how comfortable & modern it was with all the facilities you wanted but didn’t necessarily expect to find, the staff were very helpful, smiled a lot, possibly to compensate for their lack of English & were handy at plumbing too. I rather dreaded a small claustrophobic cabin lacking in fresh air but was delighted to find it much more roomy, stable & comfortable. The boat had 3 decks with the cabins on the bottom deck, a large reception area and a dining room. The first deck had a bar, lounge & dance floor and shop. The top deck had plenty of sun loungers, a Jacuzzi & plunge pool. The bikes were stored here too & we were all fitted & kitted out for cycling here on the first morning on board. After one of the half days cycling we returned to the boat for lunch on the top deck & then literally lounged in the sun, not quite warm enough for the water however, whilst we sailed to Kom Ombo.
The organisation and management of this trip by the British Heart Foundation was excellent. Beforehand there was regular communication about training, sponsorship, preparation and advice on all aspects such as health and hygiene of being in Egypt. Everyday we were briefed by Emma from the British Heart Foundation, the tour manager and the doctor. The doctor who accompanied us & cycled introduced himself to everyone individually at the airport & gave us regular briefings & reminders particularly about drinking plenty of water. Hygiene was very important, washing taps before you washed your hands & if possible using elbows for taps and doors. Interestingly about 8 out of every 10 tourists to Egypt will get ill at some point in their trip & this definitely applied to our group, however most were well again within a day or so. The local guide & our very cheerful support crew in Egypt were also fantastic, from fixing the bikes, to preparing meals, to guiding us on the road, and handing out water. A truck full of armed police accompanied us all the time we were on the road & stopped the traffic at busy junctions.
We expected the temperature to be up to 30C but I would say that it was mostly less maybe 26-27F. The heat is dry and I found it fine for cycling, we always carried sunscreen & were encouraged to re-apply it regularly. My proper ‘breathable’ cycling tops weren’t really necessary, most people just wore ordinary t-shirts & this was fine.
Generally the further the day’s mileage the earlier we started cycling. This proved to be a good plan. We were often on the bikes by 7.30 when it was cold & the early morning mist lent a surreal feel.
Roads & other hazards
I had anticipated that the condition of the roads would be poor and there were some loose surfaces and potholes but overall they were better than I expected. The mountain bikes were probably better in the sand than a road bike would be and I was surprised at how difficult it is to peddle in just a relatively light covering of sand. Day 4 of cycling was probably my favorite, we woke at 5.30, although some of us on one side of the boat had probably been wakened by the call to prayer from the Mosque, this was generally between 4 & 4.30 am. I now think of it as something quintessentially Egyptian & wish I had a recording in case anyone I should ever have awful neighbours. The ride took us winding upward towards a Nubian village and was spectacular as we were now on the edge of the desert, with lush green fertility on one side of the road & a rock & sand landscape on the other. The colours & contrasts were striking. There were a couple of small hills & sandy descent with a few inches at the bottom, at least two people came off, hitting the sand too quickly or simply braking too hard. One girl sustained a fractured collarbone but carried on cycling for the rest of the trip, despite being in pain. The stoicism of injured & unwell cyclists was a characteristic of the group. There were train lines criss-crossing the road and these needed to be crossed at the right speed & angle, again there were some accidents. Our yellow-jersed road crew often marked these hazards for us. One of the rest breaks was in a Nubian house, actually several whitewashed buildings in a compound. We had fresh mint tea & looked around, plates hung from the ceiling which had been a method of storing food, away from animals & mugs hung on the wall made from 7-up cans. Some of the crew demonstrated the sheesh pipe.
Cycling in a relatively large group can
be problematic in that obstacles and hazards are hidden by the people
in front. Sometimes there were warnings of potholes but I prefered to
look ahead and anticipate myself. We were encouraged to keep in small
groups but this is difficult for stronger cyclists and anyone who
likes to sing their favourite Planxty cycling song. There was one
windy day and the tour manager encouraged us to try slip streaming.
This can work well if the group are well-matched for speed and
ability, I did this behind one of the stronger cyclists, however he
had a tendency to cycle too far out to the left for me &
preferring to stay in what I judged to be a safer road position, I
was often positioned midway between the front pair. Some of the
others did seem to benefit from this tactic though.
Other hazards consisted of people and other vehicles. Every passing vehicle sounded its horn for every cyclist, regardless of gender. We had been told in advance that we must have our knees & shoulders covered whilst cycling as Egypt is a Muslim country. This is especially important in the South where we were going. However the tour manager then decided that we could relax this somewhat, although in practice most of us stayed relatively covered up, I think that we would have received lots of attention whatever we were wearing. Drivers passed close to cyclists, rarely slowing down. Our crew often acted as barriers between other vehicles and us without which the roads would have been a much ‘hairier’ experience. Most Egyptians want to wave shout or greet you in some way, the children often asked our names or said ‘money’! Children also like to slap passing cyclists and occasionally throw stones.
I have to mention Egyptian donkeys who must be the most attractive in the world and could all star in nativity plays. They were a source of constant amusement and joking in the group, second only to pubic toilets. One cyclist managed to cycle into a donkey but luckily the long eared beast was unharmed. They were everywhere carrying people & all manner of lush produce, as a former veterinary nurse I was pleased to note that they looked quite well looked after, certainly better than the horses we saw.
All-important to cyclists this was plentiful on the trip. Every 15-20 km we had a break for water & food. The crew wore disposable gloves & we all used wipes/ hand wash before eating. There were always bananas, dates, oranges and nuts. For lunch on the road we always had a hot meal prepared by the crew from the boat. Egypt is a good place to be vegetarian & there were vegetarian specialities such as falafel, hummus, baba ganoush and the traditional Ful medames, made with mashed fava beans, onion, garlic, lemon. There was plenty of eggs, cheese, protein for breakfast, always fresh fruit salad and special dishes included vermicelli pasta cooked with sugar & milk, almost ambrosia & much appreciated by me. Pomegranates were in season & we had them in some form every day.
There were many visits and trips, all optional & often with English speaking guides. Highlights were the Temple at Karnak & Philae island where the remains have wonderful hieroglyphics. In some places there are attempts at proper conservation.
Pyramids at Giza
Cairo Museum
The museum is vast & busy with guided tours but a must I would say as there are real treasures inside including many artifacts from Tutankamoon, including some dazzlingly delicate jewelry and some ancient mummified animals. In contrast the museum at Luxor is modern & spacious and was walkable from the quayside.
Balloon ride
This seems to be a popular thing to do, especially or possibly only in the early morning. It was a real highlight, and not to be missed in my opinion. The ascent and descent was slow, steady and calm as there was no wind, it was also very quiet & sounds drifted up from the ground. Our balloon operator managed to rotate the basket so that everyone can see the whole panorama we saw the Collossus of Memnon and the valley of the Kings, the Nile with accompanying mist and again the contrast between agriculture and desert.
There is so much more I could say about this trip but I’ll save that for my cycling memoirs when I finally have to hang up my cycle clips in 50 years time. I would definitely recommend this tour, for anyone who was moderately fit & wanted to combine this with the chance to get a real taste & experience of Egypt. Happily I didn’t fall off, or get ill at all although I did have a sore throat on the return flight & subsequent cold once home, & for several days I slept like a winning contestant in a sleeping challenge. Please contact me for any more information/details or to see any more of the 300 plus photo’s from the trip (on CD). The group, who bonded really well, has planned a reunion for April 2007 and a team entry for the London to Brighton cycle.
Chris Keen