April 7, 2006
London: Ready for the off

In a few hours I’ll be leaving an overcast south London for Cairo and embarking on a three week overland adventure through Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey. It’s a tour run by Intrepid, an Australian company which specialises in ‘adventure tours’ and I’ll be travelling with 11 other unknowns and a tour guide.

A quick run-down of the itinerary that should see us properly exhausted by the end:

From Cairo we travel to St Katherine’s monastery at Mount Sinai and then to Nuweiba on the Red Sea. From there we take a ferry to Aqaba in Jordan before travelling to Petra. Then it’s Madaba, Amman and across the border to Damascus in Syria. From the city’s souks we head north to Aleppo stopping at Crac de Chevaliers and its Crusade era fort, Hama and Palmyra. Cross the border into Turkey and long journey to Ihlara valley and Cappadocia before ending up in Istanbul on April 29.

So that’s the brief and never having been on a self-titled ‘adventure tour’ I’m not entirely sure what to expect, not just from these Middle Eastern countries, dripping with a history and culture that I’ve always wanted experience, or from my fellow travellers. Will we be a bunch of late-20somethings looking for a quick hit of a different culture and another burst of care-free back-packing or middle-aged classicists and go-for-it grannies? I’m in the former group, by the way. Anyway, time will tell and I’ve got to finish packing.

April 8, 2006
One night in Cairo

Just back from a helter-skelter taxi ride through Cairo - an experience in itself. It was a dash across town to see a sound and light show of the pyramids and sphinx - pure 1970s tourist entertainment, but the only chance I'd have to see them before we leave tomorrow for Sinai.

We just made it. Inexplicable traffic jams where no-one moves for 40 minutes, drivers turn off their engines and smoke fags, followed by Wacky Races-style charges down the road when space does open up. When there it's a hilariously hammy voicing of the history of the pyramids, Nefertiti etc to illuminated pink, green and orange pyramids. Despite the kitsch they are still an impressive sight.

As for the rest of the group...

We are six Canadians, three Australians, two Norwegians and me. Most over 60. The Canadian contingent are all friends from home and were all on the last tour that finished this morning with couple Greg and Robin plus Ellen, the Australians.

Perhaps understandably some were dozing off during Bruce the tour leader's welcome talk, having just 'done' Egypt in eight days. After an afternoon spent wandering around the old Coptic area of Cairo with a local guide most have probably gone for an early night - we leave tomorrow at 6am.

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