The journey has started!

After 6 days and about 740 kms of cycling, we have arrived in Luxor, Egypt. Our journey on 2 wheels began last Saturday, January 14 when we left Cairo and pedalled 136 km that day. For the most part the roads have been in pretty good shape and with the exception of day 5, reasonably flat. We have had a police escort for most of the way, which is nice, but the police car, usually with 4 men in it sometimes will follow at close distance for a long way. Not convenient when you need to use the bathroom!

There is a group of 44 riders, all very friendly and supportive. Already we have learned a lot about each other, which is inevitable when we are camping, eating, and everything else in very close quarters

Day 5 had a 56 km climb – yikes! Not too steep but relentless. The lunch truck was a welcome sight. We were promised a long downhill after that, but it was negated by strong cross and head winds. It was a very tough day.

That paled in comparison to yesterday, when, after leaving the lunch truck, we cycled through villages where most cyclists were pelted with rocks by kids, as well as hit by sugar cane sticks. I had chosen to go off on my own and it was a little terrifying, especially when at one point I saw a kid down the road break a beer bottle and wave it threateningly at me. Not a good feeling being by myself! Evidently this the Egyptian kids’ post revolution way of greeting tourists. When we leave here I’ll make sure to ride with some big guys! Still, I guess this is a good warm up for Ethiopia where rocks thrown at cyclists is the norm.

But it’s all good so far. Today is a very welcome rest day, then tomorrow we leave here on route to Aswan, where we’ll take the ferry & cross the Nile into Sudan.

I’m hoping to post some photos soon – just have to figure out how to do it. The internet is quite slow so it takes awhile to send a photo – haven’t been successful so far, but I hope to sort that out soon

Stay tuned!