Slow Train Coming And The Art of Perpetual Travel: Part One.

These are my friends, Sally and Richard.

They are indeed gods of travel.

They've found in the world of traveling what amounts to the Holy Grail, the El Dorado, a state of Nirvana...

They are perpetual travelers.

We first met in the Dahab Hostel (that name keeps popping up) in Cairo back in the day. My first impression was that these folks really had it together. They were really serious travelers who were curious, engaging, adventurous, and knew how to chillax.

Anyway, I hung out with them in Cairo and then eventually bumped into them again out in the real Dahab.

We had long nightly discussions about the dream of perpetual travel.

Sally and Richard had a plan.

They went home to Australia after Egypt and sold all of their worldly possessions and hit the road, forever.

For the past couple of years they've traveled India. Now they're touring SE Asia ever so slowly.

Sal and Richard sitting on the porch of their Malaysian love shack.

Sal posing with "Rubber Man" and condom decorated Xmas Tree in Bangkok, Thailand...

I worship them and their lifestyle.

I'm not worthy...

They're keeping a brilliant blog, Slow Train Coming. Check it out.

the blue list of africa...

Heading north from Sesriem to Swakopmund on the coast, the land was pretty bleak. There weren't many places to stop for gas except for an aptly named place called Solitaire.

The gas station here is famous for it's delish apple strudel. Mmmmm...fresh-out-of-the-oven 10 cm by 25 cm chunk of apple strudel. I looked for strudel in Frankfurt, Germany (waiting for the connecting flight to Jo'burg, SA) only to find out that it originated in Austria. It was ironic that I found it in Namibia (out in the middle of nowhere), a former German colony back in WWI. Anyway, I'm glad I got my studel when I did because shortly after this pic was shot, the "Rollen Hotel", a massive overland truck, rolled into the station. At least 30 German tourists piled out and they went straight for the apple strudel.

The Ultimate African Itinerary.

Recently I received an email from Aubrey (whose thinking of a prolonged 8 month trip through Africa) asking for a top ten list of must see/do's on the "dark" continent. That was a daunting task to say the least. After reviewing my responding list, I don't think I did Africa justice. Here is what I came up with:

1. Egypt. all the big sites in Cairo and along the Nile. if you want to get off the beaten path, i'd get out to siwa oasis in the west. Dahab's ok.
2. Sudan. see as much of this as possible. particularly along the Nile in the north.
3. Ethiopia. If there's only place you want to see that is Ethiopia: Simiens for walking, Lalibela, Gonder, Axum (maybe), Danikil depression (if you can afford it), Harar, Omo Valley, Gambella. you can easily kill a couple of months here. such a beautiful place. Test you mettle as a traveler though. The roads and people will challenge u.
4. Kenya. Definitely head out to Lamu on the coast. Nairobbery is not so bad. Couple of days to re-charge there. Didn't make it to lake turkana. My bad. definitely next time for me. if you make it there, please post the pix.
5. Uganda. Rafting the Nile is a must (here, Zambezi river in Zimbabwe or both). Lake Bunyonyi in the south. Kampala is pretty lively (ie. chaotic), definitely worth a visit. I was going to the north but got side tracked.
6. Rwanda. See the gorillas here. You'll be able to get permits on the spot. Pricey but worth it. Kigali is nice. Lots of genocidal memorials to visit.
7. Tanzania. I climbed Kilimanjaro a long time ago. Don't know if it's worth it anymore. it's nice up there though. Zanzibar is pretty interesting. Good source of photos. Ngorongoro crater is like a zoo (animals and tourists). I really recommend getting out to Kigoma and riding the SS Liemba down Lake Tanganyika.
8. Malawi. Another hangout spot. I'd recommend Senga Bay and Point Maclear if you want to hang out by the Lake. Livingstonia's not bad.
9. Zambia. I wish I spent more time here. Livingstone is a big tourist hangout. I believe that's your base for seeing Victoria Falls. They're pretty nice. But you can't go there without rafting the Zambezi, another must do.
10. Botswana. Expensive place but you must get to Maun and into the Okavango Delta.
11. Namibia. Etosha National Park, Swakopmund/Walvis Bay, and Sossusvlei are the must sees. in fact, if you only go on safari once, i recommend etosha.
12. South Africa. I wish I could spend more time here. Capetown and Johannesburg are nice. Kagaligadi National Park was just brilliant, really wild. The Garden Route is a bit overrated. I'd certainly check out the Otter Route next time. It's a hiking trail along the south coast.
13. Mozambique. Poor poor poor place. Maputo is a must. Pretty vibrant city. Go up to tofo if you're into snorkeling with whale sharks. You don't want to miss Ilha do Mozambique either.

Ok, I tried my best (I couldn't keep it to ten items). Just too many variables to crunch.

Tell me what you think of the list, 'cause I haven't been everywhere in Africa...

Not wanting to sound corny, I should have wrote, "go and meet the people and feel fortunate everyday that you're in Africa." Well, at least that's how I felt when I was there...

Aubrey is based in Dharamsala, India, right now, hanging out H.H. the Dalai Lama. Check out his blog Ketchup with Aubs for swell pix and stories of his travels.

Cairo, Egypt - These boots were made for walking. That's just what they'll do. Or, that's a wrap!

Ornery beast of the desert on the Saqqara Necropolis...

With every camel comes a tout...

The deed is done. I'm going to Bangkok on the 9th. As always with these things, it happened pretty quickly with the tix.

The tix is for 2315 arriving @ 1155.

I suspect there's gonna be another big culture shock when I arrive.

Africa's been a lot of fun. A lot has been written particularly about the bad times but the good experiences have far outweighed them.

But briefly, I'm very happy with the trip so far.

It's been a great challenge.

I'll certainly remember the people I've met along the way.

It's time to move on...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, July 7/07
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Cairo, Egypt - I can see clearly now but there's still obstacles in the way...

Street scene #2 in Alexandria...

Boy #5 in Alexandria...

Inordinate amounts of time in front of the computer.

I've come to the conclusion that whatever decision I make I will miss out on something.

Don't get me wrong. They are all positive options. Probably the most important consideration is the ability to travel again once back home. Ideally I can go home to recharge my psychological batteries then quickly get back on the road.

Damn the year 1994. Yes, 1994!! The travel bug hit me hard.

I could turn into a wasta. [ed. note: a wasta is one who wanders the globe aimlessly for all eternity.]

How bad could that be?

In other news, I picked up my new eyeglasses. Not bad for USD 43.

Now I can see across the street!

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, July 5/07
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Cairo, Egypt - Mr. Dithers strikes again!!!

Boy #4 in Alexandria.

Fruit Dude #2 in Alexandria.

More research today. More confusion. The number of permutations and combinations on air routes is mind boggling.

Finally bought a new pair of eyeglasses. They are of the plastic moimy variety. It's a new look for me. Sally and Richard were nice enough to act as impartial opticians. Looks like you can teach an old dog new tricks.

More internet work tomorrow. Must analyze the Ryanair world. No that's really exciting...

Must make up my mind.

Soon.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, July 4/07
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Cairo, Egypt - You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille...or Pyramids, Pyramids, Pyramids...

What's a visit to Cairo without seeing the Pyramids of Giza? Well, this time I didn't. But, I did dig up some ancient photos (c. 1994 AD). Thanx to Steve for scanning the slides... Yes, back in archaic times I took slide film pix. Yikes. Btw, that's the Pyramid of Khafre in the back and the Great Sphinx in the foreground.

I can't believe the Great Pyramid just received "honourary" status in the "new" 7 wonders of the world. That's kind of a joke. Just my opinion, but other tourist sites like Petra kind of pale in comparison in both physical and spiritual stature. If you haven't done so, put the pyramids on your bucket list now...

Times are a changing on the plateau. I heard rumours that they put a chainlink fence around the pyramids at Giza. There's your modern day asthetic for you... All in hopes of keeping out the touts (eg. extremely annoying camel toting/perfume shop salesmen such as my friend in the picture above). 3 thoughts come to mind: 1) since my first visit in circa 1994 AD, present day tourists have gone soft, if the authorities in the antiquities think they need protection from the touts; 2) if the antiquities office wants to protect the integrity of the site they should first remove the large population of plastic shopping bags clinging to the sides of one of mankind's greatest architectural wonders; 3) the extremely annoying touts are just trying to make a living. Excluding them will just lower the value of the pyramids in the eyes of Egyptians. You have to get the Egyptian peeps behind the project...

I'm very depressed.

3 hours on the net today and nothing done.

A one way ticket to Seoul is 520 Euros. How can Koreans afford to fly home? Vietnam seems to be alot of work. The 'Stans seem a world away. The Asian route seems like a trip in in itself.

To top it off, Couchsurfing seems clique-ish.

I love this predicament.

There are no easy ways out.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, July 2/07
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Cairo, Egypt - Ground Day for the last time...

Midan Talaat Harb at night...

Back in the Big City. It's so different here compared to Dahab. So different. So vibrant. So many people. Nobody cares who you are.

[Ed. note: in retrospect, Dahab was beautiful spot. Despite me ragging on a the touts, I had to put the whole situation in perspective. They were just doing their jobs annoyingly well. They were just trying to put food on the table, taking care of their families...and being as annoying as possible at the same time.]

It's nice to be here (despite getting a dumpy room at the Dahab Hostel).

The bus ride today was pretty horrific. Did the whole trip from Dahab to Cairo in one shot. Long day was made longer by the driver tinkering with the entertainment system. For the last 3 hours he put over the PA a ranting cleric who preached about everything under the sun. I think I heard random words like internet, virus, and attack.

I'm dead tired. Here's the plan for tomorrow: 1) check the AUC bookstore for titles, 2) hit the internet, 3) go buy some glasses.

PS. Sally and Richard were on the same bus... Mo' stayed in Dahab. What a wasta... He owes me money...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, July 1/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Good night, and good luck.

My last meal in Dahab. There's a really cheap Egyptian restaurant around the corner from 7Heaven. Here I'm chowing down on cow ankles. Mmmmm...despite the chunks of fat hanging off the protein... Fish here is cheap as well. Notice the lack of eyeglasses... (photo courtesy of Sally.)

Diving here was a bit of a disaster. I could not achieve the depth of 30m that was required to go on to other more interesting dives. Not only was I bumped off of the Canyon/Blue Hole trip but they recommended that I take the peak buoyancy course. I agreed with them that I needed some kind of refresher but I'm wasn't sure whether I wanted to do the course work here.

I think, for the future, that I need to practice more. You know, keep my diving skills up. It would help if I owned some of the equipment as well (eg. fins and mask at least). But, hauling around SCUBA equipment would be impractical to say the least.

I might be headed to Thailand or the Philippines. I'll do some kind of refresher there.

Otherwise, I'm done with Dahab. What a relief. I planned on 5 days here. I spent 17. It's been a slice.

Heading back to Cairo tomorrow. I might head off to Mt. Sinai instead. That was the original plan. I'll sleep on it. I'm outta here for sure.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 30/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Dahab is 3 fourths underwater...

Photo courtesy of Thais.

I'm so exhausted. I did my checkout dive today. Checkout dives are intended for landlubbers like me who have not dove for many, many, many years.

I went with the cheap option, 7Heaven. Wise or not I was gonna find out first hand. I booked the dive and asked for a manual. That's how rusty I was. I spent the next 4 hours burying myself in the text.

The divemaster, Gefer, was Egyptian. He was okay. We had some communication problems with the hand signals. I figured out something really quick. SCUBA diving is not like riding a bike. I used to be an expert (ok, I was good) at controlling buoyancy. It's a combination between breath and using the flotation jacket. Couldn't do it. Frustrating thing was Gefer achieves it primarily with the jacket. You have to have done it to understand the concepts.

Anyway, for most of the time he was just dragging me around. Felt awful.

My breathing rate was pretty high. Gefer ended up giving me his back up regulator. How embarassing was that? I hope tomorrow is better because I was flopping around like a fish today.

Frustration aside, the Lighthouse Reef was pretty spectacular. Just metres offshore the floor just plunges to 30m. Lots of wildlife, especially them spiny-needle covered puffy fishes.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 29/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Getting a life...then a beer.

More Bedouin girls...That's Amira on the left. She burned me good on a bracelet. I hope she puts the money in her burgeoning college fund. By the way, Amira means "princess" in Arabic. (Photo courtesy of Thais.)

Finally did something about the heat today. Went for a dip down at the lagoon by the Hilton. The Red Sea is pretty damn cold compared to the ambient air temperature. So, I had to enter pretty slowly. Once in it's nice.

Nothing new. Constant Mo' versus Dahab conflicts. I think Mo's been here a smidgen too long. The touts are getting personal with their taunting. For example, he was showing some affection towards a girl in front of the locals. Now the touts are harassing him about it. Public display of such behaviour is risque at best. Strange that they act so childishly towards, to them, a complete stranger. Weird.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 27/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Brazil, Brazil, Brazil!!! (and No Chancy Mr. Dancy)

Fru fru drink on a hot day. (Photo courtesy of my good friend, Thais, the Brazillian.)

48C today? Piece of cake, my friends.

Met a real wanker today while passing time in Adam's Pub. [Ed. note: Although not the most aesthetic place in Dahab, Adam's certainly sells the cheapest beer. It's a favourite place of mine and all my traveling buds. Half a litre of barley sandwich will set you back a buck and change. Just get on the seawall and keep walking northward. Can't miss it.] Kept repeating the fact that he has nothing against immigrants (in his esteemed NZ). At the same time he kept coming up with examples of how the Chinese and Indians have ruined his homeland.

Re: Chinese. BUDDY!!! HHHHELLLOOO!!! I'M SITTING RIGHT ACROSS THE TABLE FROM YOU. I'M RIGHT HERE!!!

I couldn't get a word in edgewise. So, I got the hell out of there...

Got into another heated discussion with Mo' about WWII (I'm no expert but I do know who won, ha!) and the current situation in Germany (wrt very strict anti-hate laws). According to Mo', too strict. Yikes.

Ok, that's it except for wasta's email. He's expressed some interest in doing the 'stans. Exciting prospect.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 24/07
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Dahab, Egypt - I'm losing focus...without my glasses

This is the "Bowling Alley". It stretches along the Dahabian coast for a few kilometres. Seaside restaurants to the left and hotels and souvenir shops to the right...somewhat reminiscent of MacLeod Trail in my hometown Calgary. Touts everywhere (well, not this early in the morning). Only place in the world (so far) where I can negotiate the price of my breakfast.

It's Xmas every night in Dahab (Photo courtesy of Thais)

Okay, three days without my glasses... It's not killing me yet.

It was cooler today. 43 Celsius above zero. It's suppose to hit 48C this weekend. Not much relief overnight. Last night it must have been at least 30C (the humidity made it unbearable).

Not much today. Found peace and quiet down by the "Islands". It's best to stay away from Dahab and the touts down in what I call the Bowling Alley. They, meaning the touts, seem to have gotten under my skin.

One last thing, I found my soapbox today in its original spot. Yah! [ed. note: this not a hyperbole. amazing how the little things make a difference at this point.] Nearly floored me when it made an unlikely reappearance. I was hoping my glasses would be returned as well. That might take a miracle at this point.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 22/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Looking for the Dahab pawn shop...

A few soldiers of a much larger army of entrepreneurial Bedouin girls. They combine cuteness with the sales acumen of the best used car salesmen to form the most formidable retail force in Dahab. (photo courtesy of Thais)

Bad day. For starters, I forgot my soap box in the showers last night. It's gone... Seems like there's alot of busy fingers in in this hotel. I'm not sure whether it's guests or staff. Maybe both. Who ever it might be they are pretty desperate. I mean what's next? Party hats out of my toiletry bag? I dunno.

I was depressed for most of the day. Not for the soap box but the fact that I'm losing stuff almost daily now (little things add up to a lot).

Not much happened today other than hangin' with Mo and Joey the American Guy. Joey's kind of hilarious. He's a salesman back in the States. He sells pest extermination services door to door in San Diego. Apparently, he thinks Mo' would make an excellent salesman. Not so much in my case. It seems I haven't the personality to close the deal. Ouch, eh?

Had "dinner" with Young and Sandra tonite. Hot!!

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 21/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Dirty, Sexy Snorkeling...

This is the strip of seaside restaurants lining the Red Sea in Dahab. The concept, from my worldly travel experiences, is quite unique. Each restaurant is completely open except for thatched roofs overhead. Lots of xmas lights, Bob Marley tunes, Bedouin kids selling bracelets make for an interesting ambiance. Only downsides were relatively expensive food served and a monopoly on seaside space. For free beach and solitude, head south along the seawall...

First day without eyeglasses in a long time. The last time was in 1994 when I stepped on and crushed my then spectacles in Zanzibar of all places. It was my first trip to Africa and just 3 weeks into a year long trip. Could not get them fixed until I found a optical store in Harare, Zimbabwe, a month later.

[Ed. note: the optical store was not a Lenscrafter's]

I should carry an extra pair on these trips.

Somethings happened today. I know that's shocking...

First, it was a watermelon brekkie with my Aussie friends, Sally and Richard. They're really fun people. They travel somewhere ever year. They've been in Egypt for a couple of months now. I read somewhere that 99 percent of tourists see just 1 percent of the country they visit. Suffice to say, Sally and Richard have seen all of Egypt.

Anyway, they'll eventually return to Oz, work like dogs for the winter, and then take off again.

Today's breakfast topic of conversation: how to wipe your bum sans TP!

They had bought a whole watermelon fresh off the cart. I stuffed myself silly.

In the afternoon, I went snorkeling with Mo. On the way to the rental shop we met up with Joey the American and Sarah, a chick from Cowtown, of all places! Her last known address was in Lake Bonavista.

They were on their way to The Islands (sounds like a hot Brooke Shields movie, eh?), a reef that was a 30 minute walk south of Dahab. Turned out to be a great choice. The reef was 50 metres offshore. It was shallow at first (up to my knees), then the bottom just dropped off. I mean just dropped off like a cliff. The depth at first was at least 30 metres. Crystal clear waters. The most colourful corals (brain, branched, fan-like) lined the craggy wall. Schools of the most colourful fish swam about, weaving in and out of the coral. Funny, as I swam along, a pack of tetras followed me.

Had me a little stoked for a SCUBA dive...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 20/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Mr. Magoo goes to Dahab...

Dahab is like living in a soap opera.

Today has been particularly frustrating. While taking a shower this morning someone stole my eyeglasses. I had left them, inadvertently, by the sink. Why would anyone take my glasses? They were unique. I needed them! They were vital to my daily life! This last stunt is like tripping granny while she's crossing the street...then giving her a kick to the head just to make sure she's down for the count...

I got to get outta here soon. Here's the plan. Brekkie with Richard and Sally (Man's gotta eat! Am I right...?). Then a bit of snorkeling off the lighthouse. Afterward, find a SCUBA outfit. Do the dives then get the hell out of this place.

Bumming around is not good. Dahab is NOT Egypt (or is it?). In fact, some of the people around here are pretty nasty. I've seen traveler enclaves like Dahab in places like Bangkok and Kathmandu. But, in those places the stress level between locals and tourists was never this high. The Dahab touts are relentless.

PS. I've played my last game of backgammon.

[Ed. notes: Before I get any hate comments, I must say I had a pretty awful day that day. OK, I snapped. So, give me break...]

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 19/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Losing my bookmark in the Book of Life.

This marks one month in Egypt. I never thought I'd be here for such a long time. Usually I would have had the itch to move on by now. But, I'm in Dahab.

My review of what I've done so far in my time here: nothin'. Absolutely nothin'.

We did manage to play beach volleyball a couple of days ago. We chipped in to buy a cheap ball. A couple of locals joined in. Fun had by all.

Last night was good. Met a pretty hot Korean girl at the hotel. She was born in Seoul but raised in Brazil of all places. Her folks moved the family there when Korea was a mere shadow of it's present super economic self. Here's the bonus: she's a SCUBA diving instructor. She's interesting...

The boys are heading down to the foam-dispensing discos of Sharm tonite. Dunno why but I'm thinking of giving it a miss and just hanging out...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 17/07
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Dahab, Egypt - Chillin' and the Zen of analytical calculus...

The Sea of Aqaba - The Islands just south of Dahab...

First complete day. Sunny and hot. Not much to do unless you dive. I'm trying to chill out. A tougher feat to achieve than you think. Here's are a few reasons why. 1) 7Heaven is not on the beach. So, guests have to hangout elsewhere. 2) Dahab lacks a beach close by. The closest spot is not exactly a sandy beach (but more gravel-like). The ocean front in town is dominated by restaurants. A big mistake in my opinion. 3) Harassment by restaurant touts. Really annoying. 4) Hangout spots are not free (or I feel somewhat uncomfortable sitting down when I haven't bought anything). I should be more like Jason. He has no qualms about walking into some of this places and playing Scrabble for hours on end. Now he's one cool cucumber, eh.

Perhaps I should be a little less analytical and chillax.

Tomorrow: Beach volleyball, maybe. We just have to find a volleyball.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 15/07
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Dahab, Egypt - After surviving the bubonic plague in Cairo, where do you plan on going? I'm going to Disneyland!!

Mountains to the west of Dahab, Egypt...

Finally here.

Arrived after a grueling bus ride yesterday. Glad I took the 0715 bus though. I awoke from dozing off just in time to witness the bus going under the Suez Canal. It was surprisingly narrow. When we popped out of the other side of the tunnel, it appeared as if dozens of humongous container ships were floating in the heat waves pouring off the hot desert sand. Much of the segment from Suez to Sharm El-Sheik was pretty bleak. Flat desert, rimmed in the distant horizon with jagged mountain ranges to the east and the white-capped turquoise blue waters of the Gulf of Suez to the west.

The bus was tolerably comfortable. The bus was never really full until we picked up victims of a mechanically challenged bus along the way.

Sharm, from a distance, considering it's top ranking as a tourist resort, was nothing to write home about: an highly exposed, sunbaked, sea pounded, cluster of homogeneous condo units. From there I and two other vagabounds switched buses for Dahab. Suffice to say, the scenery the remaining way turned dramatic. Close by jagged beige mountains jutted impressively from the base of the surrounding desert. The monochrome of the coastal monoliths was disrupted by ubiquitous, funky, striking bands of olive green rock.

Dahab appears to be a full on tourist town. There are two primary streets. I guess you can't even call one of them a street. More like a sea wall. A pedestrian, cobblestoned walk sandwiched by a strip of open air restaurants adjacent to the sea and another strip of even more restaurants and souvenir shops. Other than the locals running the businesses and an omnipresent army of motley-dressed, pre-pubescent Bedouin girls selling home crafted bracelets, there were few tourists other than large flocks of sunburned Russians, hippie-ish Japanese and groovy Koreans. Light all of this at night and you get the UN of all Disneylands.

I'm staying at the 7Heaven in a two dullah hut (15 LE). Nice. Cheap as borscht (hope the Russians don't find out about this place). I thought I'd be on the beach (like in Thailand) but I'll take this roof top locale.

This is the most touristy place I've stayed at. Not my style but I'll give it an honest try for a few days.

It's a small world... Re-united with Jason (from Siwa), Robert/Mohammed (German), and Matt (the American from Sudan). It's nice to see everyone. Mohammed seems to be a changed man. Effervescent, if I may use that word to describe a man. He's been here for 5 days now. He says this place is un-real. I'll certainly agree with him on that observation.


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Marker points to the legendary 7Heaven Hotel. Huts on top of the roof were 15 LE. Real cheap. Each hut is equipped with a fan. Good ventilation during the night but brutally hot during the day. Who hides in their room during the day when the Sea of Aqaba beckons from metres away? Anyway, "normal" concrete based rooms available. Hang on to your glasses in the showers. I'll explain in a later post... Diving lessons/trips available. Check for better quality elsewhere.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 12/07
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Cairo, Egypt - The world is my oyster... only if I can get outta Egypt...

Alexandria, Egypt - Laaaddddieeeees!!!

Fairly busy morning. Two important metro trips (I love the subway!). First trip was to the Syrian Embassy. Nice visa guy there but he couldn't produce a visa for me. Apparently, only Egyptians and resident foreigners qualify for such a privilege. I wish I had known that 10 months ago when I was still at home. So, the overland route to Asia was out of the question.

[Ed. note: My American friend Rob, whom I met in Siwa, was able to obtain a Syrian visa at the border between Syria and Jordan. So, don't give up. Just go to the border.]

The second metro trip was to the southern suburb of Maadi. There I found, right by the metro station, the legendary Egypt Panorama Tours. According to LP, they are the cream of the crop when it came to reliable travel agencies (that's not difficult considering the snake oil travel agents in Midan Tahrir). The guy at Panorama was very helpful. Well, at least not snarky. Seems like the most economical way home (or at least the most direct way) was Cairo to Montreal. Then from there I'd buy a WestJet ticket for YYC.

Interesting... For 90 bucks more I can buy a ticket for Bangkok, Thailand then overland via Cambodia/Vietnam to HK. I can visit my friend Wasta and book a ticket home from there.

You'd think the right decision was a no brainer...

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 11/07
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Cairo, Egypt - Ken Follett, chicken, and rice...

The Fonz of Alexandria

I've got to get out of here. NOW! The temperature has dropped, thank god. But this inactivity is killing me. I swear my brain is leaking out my ears. Managed to add to the bookshelf (aka my backpack). Another trip to the book market netted another Ken Follett masterpiece, A Place Called Freedom. Should be a page-turner considering the last Follett tome, White Out, I read. Trashy novels I tell you. No intricate, multi-layered, time travel plots or even character development to be found here my friends, yet very entertaining. I'm very desperate for reading material. This one should last me a couple of days in Dahab, if that.

I must be better today. I went out for roast chicken/rice/soup/salad tonight. It was so nice to break the ta'maaya/kushary routine.

Out of Canuckistan: A travel blog, June 11/07
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