Beyond the Saddle ....Cairo to Cape Town - End of day 5.....A long hard one today...

End of day 5.....A long hard one today...

Beyond the Saddle ....Cairo to Cape Town

Howard Fairbank

Wed 17 Jan 2007 13:23

End of day 5.....A long hard one today...40km climb from the Red Sea up over the mountain pass, and through to the real desert, then 100km through the desert to our campsite about 70km from Luxor...not quite in the middle of nowhere but almost...its a intermediate water pump station.....pumping water from the Nile through to the towns on the Gulf of Suez...basically the direction I have just come.

Scenery today was quite dramatic through the pass, then quite boring desert, with the occassional wonderful dune formation and wind sculptured buttresses.

Luxor tomorrow, and a well earned day off on friday!

Blog Entries

2007

Jun 2007

Thu 14 Jun 19:36
- Finish in Cape Town Newsletter Part 2 of 2
Wed 13 Jun 19:57
- Cape Town The finish.......Newsletter Part 1of 2

Apr 2007

Sat 21 Apr 04:44
Tue 17 Apr 23:16
- #13. Two capital cities, four countries visited, a 50 year birthday, Victoria Falls in flood and then a big tour decision made...
Fri 13 Apr 13:10
- Just SW of Chomo
Thu 12 Apr 12:07
- 30km south west of Mazabuka
Wed 11 Apr 20:59
- In Lusaka.....
Sun 8 Apr 15:58
- Luangwa..Can see Mocambique
Sat 7 Apr 15:00
- A Place called Minga....340km from Lilongwe
Fri 6 Apr 12:12
- #12. Iringa to Lilongwe - Some inside realities and maybe a different perspective...
Tue 3 Apr 20:20
- Kasunga... Great cycle and a surprisingly great town!
Mon 2 Apr 14:13
- Camping on a school soccer field.....
- Camping on a school soccer field.....
Sun 1 Apr 18:36
- Back to reality....Mzouza

Mar 2007

Sat 31 Mar 14:44
- Absconded for a few days!
Wed 28 Mar 17:54
- Mbeya....Last night in Tanzania
Tue 27 Mar 17:23
- Approaching Mbeya
- Back on Bloggs again!
Mon 26 Mar 16:27
- #11. Nairobi to Iringa...Going it alone and really feeling the Africa of my boyhood dreams!
Mon 19 Mar 12:43
- The first day after Arusha break.......
Thu 15 Mar 13:44
- Kilimanjaro gives a small present!
Wed 14 Mar 14:05
- Kilimanjaro in sight!
Tue 13 Mar 09:26
- #10. Still Alive! Two most amazing weeks yet...Yarabello to Nairobi.
Sun 11 Mar 21:59
- Arrived in Nairobi...End of a huge section!
Sat 10 Mar 20:26
- A really wonderful 1st day in Northern hemisphere...90km to Nairobi!
Fri 9 Mar 21:51
- Mt Kenya and last night in the northern Hemisphere...
Thu 8 Mar 17:37
- The official Meltdown DONE!
Wed 7 Mar 17:51
- Another tough Meltdown day......but less than 1 degree to the equator!
Tue 6 Mar 16:30
- Another 100km closer to Nairobi.....
Sun 4 Mar 16:25
- Wow.....a tough day today...Tuskers deserved!
Sat 3 Mar 17:10
- Really the Middle of Nowhere!
Fri 2 Mar 13:07
- 1st day of Meltdown gone well!
Thu 1 Mar 13:18
- Just crossed into Kenya...!

Feb 2007

Wed 28 Feb 13:44
- 80km from Kenya.....
- #9. Addis Ababa to Yarabello...The Rift Valley and People Overload!
Mon 26 Feb 17:03
- From Yarabella......
Sun 25 Feb 14:57
- Quite a tough day today.....back up to 2300m
Sat 24 Feb 16:29
- 20km from Dila.....away from the Lakes...but not the kids
Fri 23 Feb 16:20
- Lake Longana ....again on the water's edge!
Thu 22 Feb 16:48
- At the water edge on Lake Koka
- #8. Gondar to Addis Ababa... Cycling in Heaven!
Tue 20 Feb 15:58
- Arrived in Addis Ababa....Section 2 complete...Very Satisfying!
Mon 19 Feb 16:54
- At Debre Libanos.....120km to Addis
Sun 18 Feb 17:00
- Down and Up...now on the south rim of Blue Nile Gorge
Sat 17 Feb 14:59
- Almost on the rim of the Blue Nile Gorge
Fri 16 Feb 16:38
- Closer to the Blue Nile gorge
Thu 15 Feb 18:26
- Valentine's day off...Not really!
Tue 13 Feb 15:14
- Back on the Road...Lake Tana in sight!
Mon 12 Feb 19:53
- #7. Ethiopia...What a dramatic change! ...Lots of cycling too!
Sat 10 Feb 23:11
- The toughest day yet....
Fri 9 Feb 16:47
- Ethiopia...just across the border but a whole new world!
Thu 8 Feb 17:05
- Into Ethiopia...but just...what a change too!
Wed 7 Feb 17:14
- A REAL fast day...with help....!
Tue 6 Feb 17:51
- El Fau.....a long hot day...but satisfying!
Mon 5 Feb 17:07
- An uninspiring Sudan...but 147km in the bag!
Sun 4 Feb 23:07
- #6. Into Khartoum with Pomp and Ceremony - The end of Section 1... 2000km behind me!
Sat 3 Feb 18:52
- Finally arrive in chaotic Khartoum!
Fri 2 Feb 17:00
- Khartoum...I can almost see it...
Thu 1 Feb 17:07
- Left the Nile, crossing the Sahara to Khartoum

Jan 2007

Wed 31 Jan 17:53
- Now i feel the REAL Sahara.....
Tue 30 Jan 20:56
- A fast and interesting day in the desert!
- #5. Sudan...huge challenges and rewards...a world away from Egypt!
Sun 28 Jan 20:39
- Finally at Dongola...and oohh!
Sat 27 Jan 21:41
- 4O K, North of Argo, Nubian Desert Sudan....
Fri 26 Jan 21:04
- Campsite on the Nile, 20:20.739N 30:23.622E
Thu 25 Jan 20:58
- Just South of Akosha, Sudan 20:56.126N 30:38.007E
- #4. Goodbye to Egypt, crossing the Tropic line and Sudan beckons!
Wed 24 Jan 21:14
- In the desert south of Wadi Halfa 21:27.233N 31:07.889E
Mon 22 Jan 19:42
- Embarking the ferry has been a very interesting experience...
Sun 21 Jan 18:24
- a teenager threw a boulder at me from an apartment as I rode by...
Sat 20 Jan 18:41
- 90 km ahead of us so we can get to Aswan to meet the ferry...
- #3. Safaga (Red Sea) to Luxor...blessed again!
Thu 18 Jan 06:34
- What a change in scenery...
Wed 17 Jan 16:44
- #2. The first four days...Cairo to Safaga. Savouring Egypt's present!
- End of day 5.....A long hard one today...
Tue 16 Jan 14:54
- Great ride again....downwind.....
Mon 15 Jan 14:46
- ...140km further down the west bank of the Gulf of Suez...
Sun 14 Jan 14:41
- ...somewhere in the middle of the eastern desert...
Sat 13 Jan 14:40
- End of the first day!!
Fri 12 Jan 19:50
- #1. From the Swiss Alps to the Pyramids of Egypt

End of day 5.....A long hard one today...

Blog Entries

Thu 14 Jun 19:36

Wed 13 Jun 19:57

Sat 21 Apr 04:44

Tue 17 Apr 23:16

Fri 13 Apr 13:10

Thu 12 Apr 12:07

Wed 11 Apr 20:59

Sun 8 Apr 15:58

Sat 7 Apr 15:00

Fri 6 Apr 12:12

Tue 3 Apr 20:20

Mon 2 Apr 14:13

Sun 1 Apr 18:36

Sat 31 Mar 14:44

Wed 28 Mar 17:54

Tue 27 Mar 17:23

Mon 26 Mar 16:27

Mon 19 Mar 12:43

Thu 15 Mar 13:44

Wed 14 Mar 14:05

Tue 13 Mar 09:26

Sun 11 Mar 21:59

Sat 10 Mar 20:26

Fri 9 Mar 21:51

Thu 8 Mar 17:37

Wed 7 Mar 17:51

Tue 6 Mar 16:30

Sun 4 Mar 16:25

Sat 3 Mar 17:10

Fri 2 Mar 13:07

Thu 1 Mar 13:18

Wed 28 Feb 13:44

Mon 26 Feb 17:03

Sun 25 Feb 14:57

Sat 24 Feb 16:29

Fri 23 Feb 16:20

Thu 22 Feb 16:48

Tue 20 Feb 15:58

Mon 19 Feb 16:54

Sun 18 Feb 17:00

Sat 17 Feb 14:59

Fri 16 Feb 16:38

Thu 15 Feb 18:26

Tue 13 Feb 15:14

Mon 12 Feb 19:53

Sat 10 Feb 23:11

Fri 9 Feb 16:47

Thu 8 Feb 17:05

Wed 7 Feb 17:14

Tue 6 Feb 17:51

Mon 5 Feb 17:07

Sun 4 Feb 23:07

Sat 3 Feb 18:52

Fri 2 Feb 17:00

Thu 1 Feb 17:07

Wed 31 Jan 17:53

Tue 30 Jan 20:56

Sun 28 Jan 20:39

Sat 27 Jan 21:41

Fri 26 Jan 21:04

Thu 25 Jan 20:58

Wed 24 Jan 21:14

Mon 22 Jan 19:42

Sun 21 Jan 18:24

Sat 20 Jan 18:41

Thu 18 Jan 06:34

Wed 17 Jan 16:44

Tue 16 Jan 14:54

Mon 15 Jan 14:46

Sun 14 Jan 14:41

Sat 13 Jan 14:40

Fri 12 Jan 19:50