Egypt II
many magic locations unvisited yet ...Route: Cairo - Luxor (wanted 2 move north and south along the river Nile....) - Hurgada - Cairo
Egypt got strange 2nd time, end of the year o19, and after 20 years on road over months, I could not take and stand it any more when I could not reach places like Asyut on big bus or Mallawi, Aswan in the south of Luxor.
The railway station had also not big cews (Luxor) but it looked they wanted me stopping from moving forward as I planned and envisioned. Having breaks on way near the headblasting and most magnificant ruins and sites of the old Pharao times have much in peto and some 2-3 hrs resting in the shade near some magnificant ruins would have been great.
detail at Medinet Habu
People are nice and wear also western dresses, pants, long pants, jackets and women more or less all kind of headscarfs, also without. They speak not the best of english if at all, but you need to know whom you ask and for what the some speak good english. So as not being able to reach locations along the river Nile from south I decided to leave via Hurgada.
Where I passed practically all hot and palace stile looking places during my angry nighthike from the busstation, over rumble and dirt places, and now blocked the way to the coast from inland.
Hatshepsut temple
The MPolo travel guide book was also more about restaurants, beaches, pubs and Oasis with fantasies if not the very important burning bush from Sinai, its attached map was Ok. Not to miss El Alamein by the guide book and some names of a general of that time today for good drinks in restes near the generals beach ...
Taxi drivers in the outer regions often wear the long onepiece white dress. But more of that in Oman, and nobody can ride a horse or camel in that piece of cloth, but cardriving possible so. Most wear western dresses and are quite friendly volks, often sit togather the mornings smoking Shishas or having tea or cofee in Cairo.
Climate: Usually hot and dry as typical for desert countries.
Health: Take some sun protection during summers and in the megacities areas, probably some breath protection along main highways as well known from japanese tourists in Europe. Deserts blow different into megacities.
Savety: I got not into big troubles even as I crawled over ugly rumble hipes and half built areas near Hurgada, close to the coast. In bigger cities it should not be different as in other huge cities. Washington, Karachi or Chicago should be more dangerouse in areas than Cairo. Along the river Nile, I got no closer look at the security situation, but at the hight of Luxor which was excellent.
Oman
Route: Muscat - Northeastern coastal tips (near Shangrila and Hill resorts) - Qurryat - Wadi Ash Shab - SUR - Khuwair junction area (the idea was for Oryx reserve, arabian last Leopard Nat park and flatwater zones along the mideastern coast south of Sur 4 Birdwatching) - Muscat bayOn Oman I can not elaborate much because I do not understand such lands.
Where in half an hour during morning 20 cars come for a plastic bag as looking something like a breakfast served from a small nice Bistro not far from the mega lanes and Khuwair junction. I told them in the drive in Bistro they are best competitors with MDnlds.
Oman stretches from 17' to 26' degree latitude North that comes to 900 km from North to South.
During my stay the shades often pointed the same direction from morning anywhere around Muscat,
... to India ... the mega work and construction force in Oman and I got the idea that they tried to keep the Muscat inner bayline with restes and shopping facilities in shade allday long from morning. Poinitng to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh allday then. Big flocks of birds also looked a bid disturbed by that over days. Check your own shade, or of masts and cars.
And I can tell you, Nobody corrupts my Shade rolex ! In Goa that happened only short moments during march.
The Collins Mini Atlas (2006 edit) mentions 2.4 mio Omanians, with the foreign workforce it gets maybe to 3.6 mio ... and they get carried around in proper small busses as well.
In 2 weeks I spent 5 nights on beaches and in rocks, 3 nights on beach and 2 in the rocks, quite nice, once not far from Shangrila village (visited as alien). Expanses get kept undisclosed. Room prices start from 35 $ .... usually more to 20 OMRial
Not far from Shangrila village and the hill resorts
The one act I really liked as a good reaction was when I told the slim omani streetcats "... Nomore Chlorchicken ..." and the next day there were 4 fullsize rose-chicken in the sea of Muscat bay.
Climate, savety, health: Looked all nice and clean along the many highways in the north, take some sun protection here and then in case you are a paleface
Last day of 2019 there came two nice big turtles (video) in the clear bay for a while - too much !
Egypt I Tried locations from way Oman Egypt Nature obs Home
fine