A Magic Carpet, er Ship ride to Arabia.

[RooFlyer]

That's what cruises are for aren't they for "these" people?

I think they customarily bunk down in the boiler room.

 

[Pushka]

I think they customarily bunk down in the boiler room.

We have made friends with a Boston couple. They stir us because we are on the suite level - except for our cabin and the one next to us. The jetty runners.

 

[RSD]

I was wondering if that was your cruise ship in Safaga the other day - I was there getting some parts we needed. Great report! Going through the canal is always interesting.

Its getting warm now!

 

[RSD]

I hope the visit to Jeddah goes well for you. When I visited it, it was too many years ago to be relevant now, but then it was a very interesting city, although of course I am male and had complete discretion to wander around.

If you go along it, it would be good to see some photos of the sea-side Corniche. Back then there were very many bits of modern sculpture along it, including some I’m certain would not be able to be there today. I wonder what's left?

See pics in posts 1, 10 and 15 here:

A trip (report) down memory lane - Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the 90s!

One of my most favourite trips was one for work to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in 1994. I've just gotten around to getting my 35mm slides scanned (hat tip to flyboyal) and I thought I'd share some of those memories here. It was certainly an unusual trip - actually two, which I'll combine into one...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Just took a look at your TR RooFlyer - the part of Egypt in the Eastern Desert that you toured is the area I am these days. The pieces I've circled in this picture from your report are pieces of Roman amphora from Italy - about 2000 years old give or take - they may have held wine.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just took a look at your TR RooFlyer - the part of Egypt in the Eastern Desert that you toured is the area I am these days. The pieces I've circled in this picture from your report are pieces of Roman amphora from Italy - about 2000 years old give or take - they may have held wine.

I hope pushka doesn't mind a small diversion - @RSD ... may I ask very generally what line you are in and interest in the area?

 

[RSD]

I hope pushka doesn't mind a small diversion - @RSD ... may I ask very generally what line you are in and interest in the area?

30 years ago I was doing some exploratory diving in the area, and stumbled upon what we now know is the oldest shipwreck ever found in the Red Sea - the amphoras have allowed the experts to date it to around somewhere between 10 & 30 AD. It was a Roman merchant vessel that was outbound - probably to India. At the time it wasn't feasible to do anything with the wreck due to its depth vs. the limitations of the diving equipment that maritime archaeologists used back then, but now diving using closed circuit rebreathers with breathing gas mixes including a percentage of helium to control nitrogen narcosis is much more mainstream and last year I was invited to be part of the team to excavate it - it is going to be a long process as even with all of the modern gear a person can only spend 23 minutes actually on the bottom on the wreck per day due to the depth.

 

[Pushka]

I hope pushka doesn't mind a small diversion - @RSD ... may I ask very generally what line you are in and interest in the area?

It helps to fill in the gaps for the incredibly long excursion days and I'm too tired to report I think I need to report on Safaga Pyramids, and yesterday Bethlehem and Jerusalem. @Flashback - we got there!

 

[Pushka]

And a few more travelling through the canal.

 

[RSD]

It helps to fill in the gaps for the incredibly long excursion days and I'm too tired to report I think I need to report on Safaga Pyramids, and yesterday Bethlehem and Jerusalem. @Flashback - we got there!

I hope that you gave the Egyptians hell about the Pyramids like I do!

"So - you are in one of the hottest countries on earth... you decide to build a huge great tourist attraction... so who was the flippin genius that designed it with four sloping sides so that it barely ever creates any shade?"

 

[Pushka]

The pyramids. We knew it was a long drive from the Port to Cairo then Giza Plains. This time we booked a local driver who met us promptly and took us past the buses that had been lined up full, for two hours by now, as they waited for their police escorts. In total about twenty buses left Safaga bound for Alexandria, Giza, And Dhoser pyramids.







There were two police vehicles leading each convey, one in the middle, two at the end. Plus a spare bus. They pulled out before us as the security wouldn't let the car in. A quick exchange of cash and bingo, our car arrived. And we whizzed past the waiting buses.

We had a driver, a guide and a nice car for two and off we went. Trip to Cairo took around two hours. At speed limit of 120 kmh. Not much to see along the way other than security checkpoints.

Some of the houses in Cairo have been chopped off to make land for the freeway. Seems to work.




And then there are these.


Almost at Giza we passed the GEM. No one knows when it will open

 

[RSD]

The GEM opening... hmm... soon... someday... maybe...

 

[Pushka]

We arrive at the Pyramids a few minutes later. It was busy with tourists. We opted not to walk into one. Just wanted to look around and absorb. Never thought we would actually get here.

At first I found it underwhelming, too many expectations I guess. But this was looking at the first Pyramid only. As we walked around the perspective helped to understand the magnificence of the structures.
This is Khufu Pyramid, the Father, the highest (tallest pyramid)

The original opening.






Then his sons Pyramid which is smaller, but more strategically placed on higher ground. All the while the guide was explaining the supporting structures that lay in ruin. Khafre pyramid.

 

[Pushka]

I don't think we even looked at the third pyramid other than as a comparison at the place called the Panorama. Spectacular.










It was only around 30c today so actually pleasant. And around 10 am. But so many tourists.

 

[Pushka]

I wanted to ride a camel in the Pyramids. I've ridden them in Uluṟu, and Dubai. For some reason the guide asked one of his mates who had just popped two other tourists on the most beautiful camels, beautiful faces and small. There was one left. A gnarly angry large one. Yep. So he was in a hurry to get going for the tpurists. I had just swung my leg over and he got the damn thing up so almost a face plant as I wasn't ready for the backwards forwards movements. Just before the damn camel had tried to bite its owner and was growling. MrP was videoing it. It's hilarious. But I got through that.

A still taken from the Video. I see now where dragons come from. I'm the brown hat.



And so off we went. Then the owner handed the camel over to the young boy to take photos using my phone. Well, when you are riding a camel with the pyramids in the background you don't need fancy effects do you. The child picked up a rock and covered part of the phone taking the photo. WT? He gave me back the phone and all I could see was me on the camel and this rock either obscuring my face or a few inches above my hands. On those I could change the photo (live on iPhone) so the technique 'worked' if that was your thing, but you could see the child's finger holding the rock. Sigh. Another WT? I gave him back the phone and said "Lose The Rock". He took a couple more photos but thank goodness Mr P had followed me over the dunes and was snapping away.

I mean really, who wants this!




Just get the pyramids!

This camel just enjoyed creating dust storms.

 

[Pushka]

So more of me on the Camel.



And favourite shot of the day. MrP effort

 

[Pushka]

All up we spent about 90 minutes there and I had forgotten all about the Sphinx! I learnt later the Viking Shore Excursion dropped people off at the centre, told them where the toilets were, queues yada yada, and our PERfect friend said she just got out of the loo, went to take a picture and she was told to get back on the bus! . She was also on the three hour wait to be cancelled Snorkelling trip. She refused to do so and spent five minutes taking photos.

 

[Pushka]

The Sphinx. As we drove around to the site we could see how the pyramids lined up with the Sphinx but that didn't get captured so much whilst walking. I didn't take many photos of it.




Our driver and guide were so well coordinated that as soon as we exited any site, the car would pull up next to us to get in. This was despite the fact that the car parks were insanely busy with scores of buses. It was so easy. And cheaper than a Viking bus.

 

[Pushka]

Our next stop was to have lunch at a local restaurant. I had grilled chicken with the usual humus, falafel etc and it was delicious. However I didn't eat that much as I was recovering from a stomach upset two days earlier (Suez Canal) and I was rather dosed up on Gastro Stop which I might add, is the wonder drug.
Our private tour was arranged according to what we wanted. The ships tours were supposed to go to the Egyptian Museum, but they didn't! I didn't want to go either so we asked for an hour long sail on a felucca. Which was wonderful. All sail not motor. So relaxing.

This is a felucca.

 

[Pushka]

So back to this stupid photo.


Ive not seen one done like this before at the Pyramids. It's not necessary.. Cue Insta. I and @VPS follow Dennis who is a local and excellent TA who does great videos of his travels. He too is in Egypt. 10 minutes after I posted my stupid pic, Dennis posts this one.




I dunno. It's not rocking it for me.

 

[Pushka]

We avoided this in Port Said by booking a private car and getting away and back before they arrived. The buses had to stay in a convoy the whole 12 hours and cars were not allowed to move in between the buses.

But we did have this security all the time at the Port. There was a market next to the ship and the line of soldiers stayed there the whole day.





And a Fire Truck.