Egypt

Day 1 – 19/10/12

The crossing into Egypt was as chaotic and bureaucratic as anticipated.

Immigration took only 5 minutes. They could not issue a visa there (apparently they did not have the facilities to accept money) so took an innovative step of giving us an entry stamp, but we will need to buy the visa on exit. To get the stamp we had to go through a dark and very dingy office complex to the departures hall. In this area, we also managed to change some money with the ‘changers” and buy an active SIM card.

After this, the post stopped for Friday prayers. Following a 20 min wait, we queued for a customs inspection. In typical Egyptian fashion, this involved many traffic lanes merging into a single lane, people pushing in etc. Fortunately a “facilitator” had decided we were his dinner ticket for the day and quietly attached himself to us. He directed the traffic to make sure we got into the queue. The customs inspection took some time. They hopped into the box and made a complete mess. They also opened most of our doors to have a look inside the cupboards. Then a lot of our bags had to be x-rayed. Avril was concerned with the security of our bags, as they exited the x-ray unit around a corner, so she kept a very keen eye on events.

The rest was very confusing. But it did involve handing over money at regular intervals. The carnet bloke was one of the most obese people Ray had seen and he proved to be a big delay in the process. Some of the offices were exceptionally hard to find in the dark rabbit warren office complex.

Anyway, after ~ 3 hours we had our carnet stamped, new number plates for the vehicle, insurance, a laminated Egyptian card with the vehicle registration details on it.

The facilitator was well worth the UK £ 20 we paid!!!

We then drove to Masa Matruth and arrived just at dark. We stayed at the Beau Site Hotel. Avril negotiated for us to get the residents rate – LE 377. It is a very nice hotel with BEER and a fine dinner (unfortunately Ray managed to get a very bad dose of diarrhoea from the dinner).

Ray driving; 370 km; 9 hrs; N 31⁰ 21’ 44.1’’ E 027⁰ 13’ 16.06’’

Day 2 – 20/10/12

We drove straight to Cairo – and were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the traffic flowed. A number of the very bad intersections we remembered have been replaced by traffic lights etc.

Tony & Jo Pearce had kindly invited us to stay with them, which was fantastic. So we chatted with them and had a beer and a very delicious BBQ dinner.

Avril driving; 449 km; 5 hrs; N 29⁰ 57’ 23.5’’ E 031⁰ 15’ 57.7’’

Day 3 – 21/10/12

Samir, our driver from when we lived in Cairo, had taken leave and rented a car so he could drive us around. Our 1^st chore was to apply for Ethiopian Visas. The address on the internet was incorrect, so it took some  time to find the embassy. When we did, we were a bit late for a same day service.

We then went to the Australian embassy to get a letter for the Sudan visa. This involved us executing a “stat dec” absolving Australia of any involvement in assisting us if we had issues in Sudan. The letter basically said that as Australian Passport Holders, we were Australian citizens! We met one of the staff there, Christine, and had a good natter for a couple of hours.

We then caught up with Dr Mustafa, the BG doctor, had a chat and got his advice on some drugs. Then we went to the pharmacy to get dozycycline for Malaria and Ray’s statins for 5 months.

In the evening we caught up with Dave and Mary Simmonds. They had done the Sudan ferry and most of the route we will do, so we got their advice and GPS tracks etc.

Day 4 – 22/10/12

In the morning Ray took the car for a service. Then Samir drove him back to pick up Avril and to collect our Ethiopia visas at ~ 13:30. Then to the Sudan embassy. However, they only take passports between 09:00 and 13:00, so we missed the day’s window.

It seems to us that Cairo’s traffic is worse than ever and we spent ages in the car. In addition, the air pollution was worse than we remembered.

Day 5– 23/10/12

Another frustrating day. We arrived before the Sudan embassy opened, the doors opened at 09:00, but the staff did not attend until 09:30. TIA. Then, we were told (very rudely) that we could not pick up our passports until tomorrow. This seemed to be at the whim of the visa official. The USA passport holder behind us could collect his at the same day at 14:00, but was charged $150, not the $100 we were charged. There were a couple of Brits there as well, and they did not need Ethiopian visas nor a letter from their embassy.  TIA

Ray went back at 14:00 and managed to see the consular official and the visas were ready, but we can only collect tomorrow. Mmmm, this attitude may explain some of the issues in Sudan. TIA

Ray picked up the car, which seemed to have been given a very decent service. He also purchased a new tyre to replace the new BFGoodrich that had developed a bubble. Very unfortunately only a similar BFGoodrich was available. We will run on the Goodyear  and hope tha itt lasts and keep the new BFGoordich as a spare.

Avril went and visited some of her old stomping places – one of her many tennis clubs where the gatekeeper, the coaches and the ballboys recognised her after an absence of 5 years! Avril claimed that it was because she was a good player and a nice person, while Ray reckons it was because she was a good “tipper”!! Even the greengrocer and the flower-seller remembered her!

We had been investigating the ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa in Sudan. With the Eid period, unfortunately, they had decided not to run the ferry over the holiday period. However, there was an additional ferry on Thursday 1^st November. We spoke to the famous/infamous Mr Salah (01283160926), who apparently now only does the people ferry. He told us that with the Thursday departure we needed to start the departure process very quickly on Tuesday. There was a suggestion that the vehicle ferry may depart on Tuesday. He gave us the number of Mr Rashaad (?) (01090772410) who apparently now organises the vehicle and cargo barge. We called him and spoke to him in both English and Arabic and confirmed that we had a place on the barge for the vehicle and would also be able to get tickets for the passenger ferry, also leaving on the same Thursday (Nov 1^st). We felt quietly confident that things would work out.

Day 6– 24/10/12

Another day of chores. We picked up our passports complete with visas. Ray then went to get the new tyre fitted to the rim, only to find that they had put a 17” tyre in the car rather than the 16” Ray had pointed to. So, another trip into town. Lesson: not enough QA by Ray! The tyre was then put on the rim. Avril sorted out the clothes and cleaned the accommodation module. Then, chores finished, we relaxed.

Ray went for coffee with Nebil Younis, a colleague from BG days. After coffee, Nebil took Ray on a diesel/solar/naptha/gasoil hunting expedition. There is a major shortage of diesel in Egypt. Apparently, cash strapped, they have not paid for recent deliveries and so, the traders and banks have stopped delivering. This has meant that some of the foreign exchange earners e.g. tourism have suffered and some trips etc to Luxor have been cancelled. Folks do not seem to be happy at all with the new government here. Anyway, we found a place that was getting a delivery that night and resolved to go very early the next day.

Tony, Jo and family left for a trip to Singapore and Bangkok, so we were “home alone”. A huge thanks to them. It was very nice to have a luxury pad to return to after the day’s exploits.

Day 7– 25/10/12

It was the start of the Eid holiday and so the roads were not too busy. We returned to the previously identified service station and after queuing for 30 minutes managed to fill our tanks.

We then drove to Soma Bay, a Red Sea resort area south of Hurgada. There was a mess up with our booking and the reception staff decided that “giving attitude” was the way to resolve this. As you can imagine, this did not go down too well with Ray and he had a wee chat to the manager. A solution was found, but it did leave a sour taste. We found that the Sheraton at Soma Bay was OK, but as they charged us European type rates, it was poor value for money.

On the way we did manage to fill up with diesel once.

Then, we had a chance to relax, with a walk around the resort complex and along the beach.

Avril driving; 507 km; 6 hrs; N 26⁰ 50’ 46.8’’ E 033⁰ 59’ 48.7’’

Day 8– 26/10/12

A relaxing day around the pool, reading and swimming. Dave and Mary Simmonds came to the hotel for a chat and a bit of lunch. On the return to their hotel, they reported that there was diesel back towards Hurgada, so Ray jumped in the car and made a successful dash to fill up the tanks.

Day 9– 27/10/12

We relaxed around the pool in the morning and in the afternoon drove to Luxor. There is no convey anymore, which makes the trip a little easier and more convenient. The drive is mainly through the desert to the Nile and then along a canal for ~ 60 km. The initial stages are along a wadi and are quite spectacular. The drive along the canal gives a good idea of the villages and farming in the Nile valley.  Again, the Eid holiday meant there was not a lot of traffic so we had an easy time.

We found the Rezeiky Camp quickly. On arrival we were informed that there was a group of children (turned out to be ~ 100+!) but the noise should stop at 21:00 or 22:00 latest. We met an American biker (Rob) and had a few cold beers. We then retired and waited for 21:00 or 22:00.

Ray driving; 429 km; 10 hrs; N 32⁰ 48’ 59.3’’ E 012⁰ 22’ 42.6’’

Day 10– 28/10/12

As intimated, we had the night from hell. The children were continually excited/reved up by the organisers. Initially there was a band and later the organisers reverted to a loud hailer/bull horn to ensure maximum noise. The children were organised for games and this seemed to involve even more noise, yelling, stamping, clapping etc. At 23:00 Ray went to have a chat to management and though they sympathised, they did nothing. Then at 23:45, Rob, who had a room at the hotel also had words and successfully removed the loud hailer from the mix. After 00:00 most of the kids went to bed but some ~ 8 yo’s stayed up to 02:00 playing soccer. We will not even mention the chickens and dogs in the compound.

Anyway, having had no sleep and finding out the kids were there for a further couple of days, we managed to get a room in the Luxor Sheraton (but our points balance is now very low!!).

We went for a walk to Luxor temple and had a bite of lunch at a balcony overlooking the temple. We went for a walk along the Cornishe, but the experience was not very pleasant. Every 2 minutes you have to go through the ritual: “Hello. Where are you from? Welcome etc” then comes the inevitable: do you want a felucca, see my shop, horse carriage, taxi, clothes, scarf etc etc etc etc. So, instead of having a nice walk along the Nile, it became an ordeal to just get to a destination. We appreciate they are only trying to make a living and are always polite. It seems that tourist numbers are way down, so that may also give additional pressure. However, there is no recognition of the needs of the tourist, maybe they would just like a quiet stroll. The consequence of this is that most tourists stay in their hotels and are bussed to the sites. They do not want the hassle.

We had heard that some Naptha/diesel/solar/gasoil maybe available from a point under the bridge heading into town. So, we quickly scurried along and managed to get our tanked filled. This was “black market” fuel (from an ordinary pump etc). The cost was LE 1.50 v LE 1.1 normally. Still very cheap.

We then went to the Sheraton, which has been refurbished since last time we were here and sat around the pool sans children’s carnival for the afternoon. In the evening we went to the Karnak sound & light show. The show has changed since our last visit, but we still enjoyed being in the temple complex.

Rezeiky Camp is very basic. Given the African/Arab approach to ablutions, you can imagine the state of the facilities with so many kids. The owners were apologetic, but it would really take a lot to get us to go back.

Avril driving; 429 km; N 32⁰ 48’ 59.3’’ E 012⁰ 22’ 42.6’’

Day 11– 29/10/12

We drove to Aswan. On the way, we visited the Edfu and Kom Ombo temples. We have been to both temples a few times before, but it was still great to wonder at the ancients, their religion and their buildings. The commercial activities, shops etc are kept outside the temple complex, so you can enjoy the temples without hassle. That said, the kids in the car parks are very persistent with their begging and demands – it seems the only way to get rid of them is to be rude from the beginning. It is a pity, but they are very persistent and take any sign of politeness as weakness and a reason to go in harder.

We managed to fill with fuel just before Aswan – a real bonus. Then we went on a recce to ensure we knew where the various offices we would need to visit to organise the car were located in Aswan and the port. We sent texts messages to Mr Salah and Mr Rashaad to let them know we had arrived.

We then went to Adam House, the only place to camp in Aswan. The facilities are very basic. The vehicles camp under some trees ~ 3 – 4 m from the road.

We met Anna (Swedish) and Brian (Zimbabwean) overlanders with a Landcruiser, Rob (RSAer) with a motor bike) and Diarmaid (Irish) and Hannah(Scottish)  who are cycling down the east side. It was wonderful to meet other folks on a similar journey.

They had been waiting variously for up to 2 weeks for the ferry, but had been told it would load the next day. So, we hurriedly packed bags for a few days in Aswan without the vehicle. This all seemed positive.

Ray driving; 429 km; 10 hrs; N 32⁰ 48’ 59.3’’ E 012⁰ 22’ 42.6’’

Day 12– 30/10/12

As you can imagine camping close to the road meant only one thing, traffic noise. Apparently the village is “quiet” and “small”. The traffic was heavier than Bourke St on a Saturday night. Small must be a comparative term? In common with a lot of Egypt, there are also packs of feral dogs (though they seem to have had a culling in Cairo). The dog packs around Adam House looked to have taken up the wolf approach and howled/barked in competition most of the night. The 04:30 call to prayer came from at least 10 mosques in the area and was not the “normal” 5 – 10 minutes but went on for 30+ min.

Soooo, we did not get a lot of sleep.

We wanted to get to the port early and see what the administrative burden and procedures for the vehicle were. We asked at the gate and were told to chat to Mr Mahmoud Idries (01006845201). Mahmoud, an employee of Nile Valley Navigation Co arrived soon after and we chatted. He then went inside to see what the story was. In the meantime, we phoned Mr Salah and he said, we needed to talk to Mr Rashaad. So, when Mahmoud returned, we said we wanted to do this. This meant we needed to get a pass for Ray to enter the port and this involved a LE 10 bribe to the police at the gate – no option. Ray sat with Mr Rashaad for some time whilst they confirmed that Wadi Halfa could accept the vehicle barge and that there was space for our car, Brian’s vehicle and Rob’s motorbike.

Ray then went outside and chatted to the other travellers about the situation. The ferry would not load that day, but we needed to be there early the next day to complete procedures and load the vehicles. 100%.

Mahmoud also said that a fixer, Kamal would have to arrange to have the court clearance (to say we did not have any traffic infringements) done and have the traffic police come to the port to return our Egyptian car registration and number plates and to have the carnet signed. Also, having read other blogs, we were confident that we could complete the formalities ourselves. But, we did not want to rock the boat so went along with the fixer.

Brian was a little nervous as another fixer, Mohamed Abouda (01225111968) had tried to latch onto them and was now threating that if they did not use/pay him he would make sure their car did not make the barge. Nice!!

We spent the rest of the day doing internet ad having a few beers. 

Day 13– 31/10/12

With the noise, we had another poor night’s sleep. We got to the port early and Mahmoud came to look after us. A group of 3 Finish lads in a Landcruiser also show up. At 09:30 “our” fixer, Kamal showed up. He immediately came across as a buffoon (drunk or high on hasheesh!).  We all paid our LE 10 bribe to be allowed to enter the port.

Mahmoud took the drivers to purchase barge tickets for the vehicles. But, the men selling the tickets needed instructions from their boss, so we waited for him. This boss is a small, blind man who yells aggressively and a lot. After a shouting match between the blind man and Mahmoud, we were allowed to purchase tickets but a Sudanese man was “bumped” from the barge. After paying, we were very confident – given we had tickets, we were on the way.

The drivers returned to the vehicles and as we had barge tickets and port entry passes we were allowed to proceed through the gate. We stopped immediately after the entry gate for a customs inspection. Kamal instructed us to pay LE 40 to the customs official. Given he had pre-agreed this with the official, we had no real choice. The quid pro quo is that we were not searched. The customs man leered at Avril through the window and made some inappropriate comments. He moved onto Brian’s car and found an excuse to extract further funds (they had a fishing knife in their car!). He leered at Anna and again made some very inappropriate remarks and also invaded her personal space. Mmm, Ray thought any more of that and we would have had some very serious words.

We then proceeded to the customs area to get our carnets stamped. The Finish boys took the opportunity to race ahead of everyone (they were the 4^th vehicle in line). They are the 1^st Finish people we have met and this did not go down well. Ray told them their behaviour was inappropriate.

The Carnet stamping man, Mr Hamam (?) then said that the barges would not be loaded until tomorrow, so we had the option of leaving our cars there (LE 30) or coming back tomorrow and completing the paper work. Given we had our tickets, we were confident that tomorrow would be fine and so we all decided to camp another night.

Later that afternoon one of the group received a call from Mahmoud. There was a problem and he needed to see us. So we all gathered at 20:30 (Mahmoud managed to get lost on the way). The barge our vehicle was booked on also needed to have general cargo loaded. Customs had not cleared all the cargo and the Sudanese’s fixer who was to pay for the freight, buggered off for Eid and had not been seen and had not paid. The best guess was Saturday! This was a problem for us as we needed to take the passenger ferry the next day (Thursday) and this would have meant leaving our vehicles at Aswan with no guarantee when they would leave. We debated and argued and it was agreed we would see the port management in the morning to see if we could rent a separate barge or work out any other way to get an earlier departure.

Day 14– 1/11/12

Again another poor night’s sleep, with the added stress of not being certain about our vehicle.

We arrived at the port early and Ray and Rob went to see Mr Rashaad and his boss Mr Fouaad. Mahmoud did the talking, explaining that we could not wait until Saturday for our vehicles to leave and we were looking for a solution. The solution was that we could put our vehicles on another barge that was currently loaded with lentils. However, we needed to shift some of the bags of lentils to make space! We needed to organise some labour to shift the bags. This seemed like a good solution and was endorsed by Mr Rashaad and his boss. We later saw Mr Rashaad on the lentil barge looking over things.

Mahmoud went looking for the labour organiser and we purchased our passenger ferry tickets. To our joy, we had been honoured with 1^st class tickets. This meant our own cabin rather than the deck with the great unwashed! We proceeded through the port gates and onto the carnet man, Mr Hamam. Kamal  insisted we pay Mr Hamam LE 50 to get the carnet signed. This time, Ray objected and Kamal remonstrated. But again, given the time pressure, we were left with little choice. It is clear that Kamal is the facilitator of bribes, so he ensures that we pay the bribes so he ingratiates himself to the officials and gets to continue the corruption.

We then drove to the vehicle loading area. As we had entered Egypt without a visa (no-one to take the fee at the border), Kamal then needed to get us a visa so we could exit. There are no facilities at the port, so he went to the airport, only to find that immigration there was closed (1pm on a workday!). So, he had to go way back into Aswan to get the visas. We had wanted to do this the day before, but Kamal insisted that it was easy and we could do it on the day of departure. Anyway, this was all sorted and we had our immigration exit stamp.

Then we waited and waited. Ray went to find Mahmoud. He was with Mr Fouaad, Mr Rashaad and the blind shouting man. It seemed then that we were to go back to the original barge, but that it would leave 13:00 Friday and arrive in Wadi Halfa 16:00 Saturday. Ray objected, saying how could we have any confidence in yet another arrangement.  All 3 men guaranteed the timing and called Mr Salah who also confirmed.

Ray: never before have I been so consistently and blatantly lied to. 1^st we were meant to leave Tuesday, then 100% Wednesday, then 100% Thursday, then a promise for Friday – time will tell. It is clear that all the people we have been talking to have lied the whole way. This is exceptionally disappointing as we have not struck such systemic dishonesty anywhere else in Africa, or elsewhere for that matter.

What were we to do? Time had run out and we needed to load the cars and board the vehicle ferry.

Putting the cars on the barge involved lots of shouting and instructions from almost everyone in the area. The area available to turn onto the loading ramps was very tight and Ray decided the best way was to do a multi-point turn so that our vehicle was perpendicular to the barge rather than trying to turn onto the ramps. When Avril started her approach, there was again lots of shouting. Time for aggressive Ray. They could ALL shut up and we would do it the way described! Kamal insisted that he should drive the vehicle on. Yeah, not! So, with everyone watching, Avril completed the manoeuvre in immaculate style. The vehicle sat on top of one of the cargo hold covers!

Then, Kamal demanded his payment, the men who shifted the ramps demanded baksheesh, Mahmoud wanted a present. Kamal asked to borrow our phone to make a quick call and used most of the available credit.

The continual harassment did not stop until we were on board. The 1^st class cabin was a filthy, disgusting, dingy “box” that smelt terribly. Avril identified the smell as mould and all this for A$150 – an absolute disgrace!! The toilets were almost unusable before we had even departed! We chatted to our fellow travellers, had a bite to eat, had our Sudanese visas stamped and went to bed.

Day 15– 2/11/12

We have been so sleep deprived that we slept very well. We drifted past Abu Simble and our final glimpse of Egypt.

Egypt Summary

Disappointingly, after DRC, we found Egypt to be the worst country of the trip so far. We had been warned that people had lost respect for the police but did not appreciate how this would translate into chaos on the roads. Drivers show no consideration for anyone else, drive on the wrong side of the road etc.

We found no one with a kind word for the new government. The lack of diesel being just one of the most obvious issues.

Aswan is without doubt the most corrupt border crossing we have been through (remember, Egypt is country no.33!). It is totally endemic and with everyone demanding bribes, it is hard to move unless you pay.

Most disturbing was the continual lying by the Nile Valley Navigation Co staff at all levels. Never before have we struck such aberrant behaviours. The road from Aswan to Wadi Halfa, complete with border crossing, was completed some time ago. There are 2 theories why it is not open; either the ferry company staff want to continue to get income or the new president wants to get credit for the construction. The blogs talk romantically of going through this ferry & barge ordeal as a rite of passage and that when they have gone, something great will be lost. Maybe for the masochists, but for Avril & Ray, we would much prefer a low stress road to Sudan.

For Egypt and their people, it would seem they have entered a downward spiral and it will be very tough for them to get out of it.

Aswan for Overlanders

In general we found Aswan port to be the most corrupt customs post of our journey.

The Nile Valley Navigation Company is the most incompetent, disorganised, dishonest and unethical organisation we have ever been involved in (and those who know Ray’s background will appreciate that this is quite a statement).

Mr Salah (01283160926) appears to now only handle the passenger ferry. He will refer you to Mr Rashaad for the vehicle barge. Mr Salah will only issue a passenger ticket when your vehicle is on the barge. This is easily done on the day of departure.

We only managed to get Mr Rashaad (01090772410) to answer his phone once (from Cairo to confirm a vehicle booking). Hence, it is a problem to contact him and make arrangements. In addition, his English is basic (but better than my non-existent Arabic!), so it is difficult to have a complex conversation.

The easy way would seem to be to contact Mr Mahmoud Idris (01006845201). He speaks good English and can make contact and organise for you to see Mr Rashaad. Getting to see the right person and confirming a booking and schedule are the biggest uncertainties.

To obtain a ticket for the barge requires the approval of the blind shouting man. We could not work out is position/role, but you need him to approve your vehicle ticket.

You do not need a fixer. The procedure is very straight forward (the blog “gapyear4x4” gives clear directions on all the steps, directions to offices etc):

·         Court  Clearance to confirm no traffic violations,

·         return the number plates, vehicle registration card/licence and pink copy of the vehicle ticket to the police

·         go to the port and clear customs

·         Drive down the road a bit and get the carnet stamped.

·         Proceed to a holding area

·         Load the vehicle

The fixer Kamal (01005322669) who assisted us is a buffoon. He facilitates/perpetuates the corrupt system of bribes with the Customs people.

The fixer Mohamed Abouda (01225111968) seems to be a very nasty piece of work. He tried threats, standover tactics, intimidation etc to try and extract funds from Brian & Anna. He lied to the bikers, Rob & Rick.

The main problems seem to be:

·         getting in touch with the right person to get barge space for a vehicle transfer

·         sorting out the schedule and accurate times/dates for the vehicle barge

·         The systemic customs corruption and the lies told by the Nile Valley Navigation Company staff regarding vehicle transfer.

A strong warning must be given about the Nile Valley Navigation Company people. Whilst you must deal with them, you cannot believe them. So, whilst they may give assurances, times, dates etc this should all be taken with a huge degree of scepticism. Sad, but true. 

Libya

Day 1– 15/10/12

Clearly it is still not normal for western/foreigners to enter Libya overland. Still, our business visas passed muster! There were some questions about our sponsor, so we showed the email from Libya travel with the details and all that passed quickly.

Getting the carnet stamped was another matter. Maybe we should not have bothered. Still, after a bit of a wait it was completed, unfortunately the customs officer took both the entry and exit portion. So we will see what happens on exit.

We had read about the Libyan drivers, but nothing could prepare you for the actual event. There is a divided road, 4 lane highway from the border. That did not stop folks driving on the wrong side! They drive super fast and only need 1 mm to squeeze past a slightly slower vehicle in a passing manoeuvre. That 1 mm includes allowing for the oncoming traffic to break hard and swerve to avoid a fatal crash. Actually, they are probably not as good as  they think they are, as along the road side there were a great number of burnt out wrecks.

We decided to stay at Sabratha for the night. We asked directions from a chap at the side of the road and he brought a fluent English speaker – very broad Irish accent! They shut their shop and jumped in their car to show us the way. Then at the well known Roman site we asked about accommodation.  This chap also hopped into his car to show us the way. He was the curator of the site. The Youth Hostel appeared to be closed. We went to another hotel, but could not find any staff to show us a room, so with the assistance of our guide, we went on to another hotel. Avril checked this out, but it definitely did not pass her scrutiny. So, unfortunately we had to go for the 5 star resort down the road – bugger. The Hotel Tellel Complex was very nice. It cost Dinar 180 for dinner, bed & breakfast. 

The beach looked quite solid and folks a little more adventurous than us could well camp nearby.

Ray driving; 429 km; 10 hrs; N 32⁰ 48’ 59.3’’ E 012⁰ 22’ 42.6’’Day 1– 15/10/12

Day  2– 16/10/12

Find a Bank. Roman ruins. After a leisurely breakfast, we filled up the main fuel tank in the car. As promised it was A$ 0.10/l! The manager of the hotel had told us there was an ATM in town. And so there was, in fact a few ATMs and a very nice man went out of his way to guide us (via car) to the various places. Unfortunately, none would accept our credit card. So, we went in search of a bank to change money, but they do not seem to do that in Libya. So, we went searching for a money changer – but no luck. So we gave up and went to visit the Sabratha Roman ruins.

The ruins are very impressive and as the guide book says, the location on the coast adds to the appeal. The theatre is exceptional and the mausoleum notable. Most of the site it yet to be excavated, but there are still a lot of temples, columns, mosaics etc that kept us occupied for a couple of hours.

We then drove to Tripoli, searching for banks along the way. We stopped at a number of banks, but none had operating ATMs or could change money. We (OK, Ray) were starting to worry a little. Then, Amen bank to the rescue. They had a number of operating ATMs and a few vehicles with mobile ATMs. Unfortunately, the machine snapped one of Ray’s cards, but we managed to get it out and withdraw with another card (lesson: you can never have too many cards). We withdrew the money just before the start of the Tripoli ring road, so we avoided the city center and used the ring road all the way to the east of the city. We can accurately report that the city drivers are as bad as the country drivers. Very scary, the speed and overtaking manoeuvres.

We stopped on the way to fill the reserve tank. After filling, Ray had a senior moment and left the key on the pump – and only found out much later. Fortunately, we have a spare (lesson: you can never have too many keys).

Our final stop for the day was the exceptional Leptis Magna ruins. For once the World Heritage stamp meant something. The ruins are vast with much still in place. This was the home town of local boy, Septimius Severus, made good – all the way to Emperor. So, lots had been done to make the city impressive. The Arch of Septimius Severus at the entrance just being a taste of the great ruins: baths, nymphaeum, colonnaded street, forum (old and new), Severan Basilica, more temples, churches, arches, an amphitheatre etc. we wandered around for a few hours – no one else was at the site.

We camped at a clearly marked place to camp, with ordinary facilities near the entrance to the ruins.

Avril driving; 223 km; N 32⁰ 37’ 54.2’’ E 014⁰ 17’ 23.6’’

Day 3– 17/10/12

A very long day. The Libyan love affair with octane and cars did not end until the early hours of the morning; hence we had a very poor sleep. We got up early to start our long drive.

The landscape in southern Tunisia and in Libya is quite flat and uninteresting to monotonous. So, the drive is a bit of a task. The Libyan drivers kept us very focussed on the road – driving is akin to a session in a simulator with all sorts of obstacles etc appearing in weird locations. A hard aspect for us was to predict passing distances with the oncoming traffic approaching at + 160 km/hr. The roads are in fairly good nick; however an interesting obstacle is the complex arrangement of single and dual carriage ways. At times we needed to drive on the “wrong” side of the dual carriage way, but it was not clear when this was necessary/appropriate. In general, we just followed the vehicles in front.

There were many road blocks and we were stopped a few times. On one occasion the young militiaman was a bit agro. The local Libyans quickly came to our aid and we passed on quickly.

There is not too much evidence of the war, apart from the large number of armoured vehicles along the road -those at the road blocks presumable as trophies. Some of the others show the impact of an air strike on a vehicle – best not to be in the vehicle we would guess.

We arrived in Benghazi on dusk and with no assistance found our way to the recommended hotel, only to find it was full. They directed us to sister hotel, Juliana Hotel, a couple of hundred meters down the road but it also was full. We asked the chaps at the desk to assist and ring another hotel in town. They started to do this, but did not want us to go into the middle of town, so gave us a suite at a reduced rate, LD 220, still expensive but it was late.

Along the way today we noticed that the rear, right tyre had developed a bubble on the outside. We nursed it to the hotel and after check-in Ray changed the tyre. Still this is very annoying, a new tyre! This is the 2^nd time that BFGoodrich tyres have done this on our vehicle. No other tyre has done it.

Ray driving; 882 km; 11 hrs; N 32⁰ 05’ 03.5’’ E 020⁰ 02’ 46.1’’

Day 4– 18/10/12

After getting a bit bamboozled by Benghazi traffic, we made our way to Cyrene. Some of the journey was marked green on the Michelin map. There were some small, rolling hills, but maybe the green was out of sympathy as these were only non flat bits we have seen thus far.

Cyrene was originally a Greek city before the Romans took it over. It is a vast site and justly rates a World Heritage stamp. We spent a couple of hours wandering the site – again we were the only tourists on the site. We are a bit “Romaned out”, so probably did not give the site its full due. We did look at the all the ruins mentioned in the guide book, but this site probably needs much more.

From Cyrene we drove to the sea. The drive from Appoloninana/Marsa Susah to Darman along the ocean was wonderful and fully deserved its Michelin green. We had a nice picnic overlooking the ocean. Along the way we needed to ask directions; an English speaker seeing we were asking questions, drove out of his way to check we were alright.

Then we drove to Tobruk, stopping at the Knightsbridge Commonwealth Cemetery to honour the soldiers there.

We stayed at the Al Masira hotel (LD 135) the best in town apparently. Again, we found the place with the help of folks we asked on the road.

Avril driving;   485 km; 9 hrs; N 32⁰ 04’ 20.1’’ E 023⁰ 58’ 03.4’’

Day 5– 19/10/12

A disappointing start to the day. When Ray went out to start packing he found that the 2 side doors of the accommodation box had been forced. Fortunately only a torch and 2 (new) BBQ lighters were stolen. Still, this is the 1^st time our vehicle had been targeted. AND, we parked beside the security hut to try and be safe.

On the way out of town we visited the Tobruk War Cemetery. This is the main Australian cemetery. It is always sobering to visit a war cemetery and reflect on the sacrifices made and the grief and sorrow of those left behind. Whilst the cemetery is in quite good nick, it was in need of some gardening and there was litter around.

We then drove to the Libyan border. Immigration was competed in less than 60 secs. Getting the Carnet stamped took 60 min! This is probably because they had not seen one before and did not have the stamp at the outgoing border post.

Libya Summary

The Libyans we met were friendly and super generous. They invariably went out of their way to assist us in any way. That said, they are the world’s worst drivers, total maniacs.

We did not feel there were any security issues and we always felt safe. However, we stayed in hotels or secure areas at night and did not wander after dark. This added to the cost. It would have been possible to camp in a number of places, if we had have been assured of the security situation.

Folks in Tunisia had been concerned about the availability of fresh food in Libya, so we had stocked up in advance. This was not needed. There were excellent fruit & veg markets across Libya.

We saw the main tourist sites in the north in the time we had. However, if the reported security situation was not so bad, we would have probably spent a few days more. There are some wonderful beaches and coast. The security situation prevented a trip to the desert in the south. The roads on the route we took were in good condition.

We obtained business visas at Tunis with the assistance of Jill at contact@libyatravelandtours.com. There was a mix up with fax/reference numbers for Avril’s visa. That took a couple of days to sort out. With the correct reference number, it is a straight forward process and takes 1 – 2 hours. Note, the application form needs to be completed in Arabic.

Libya seems to have a proper functioning economy, with civic works underway, clean and well presented shops (including diet coke and beer in some places). Apart from the destroyed armoured vehicles and tanks beside the road, there is little in any evidence of the conflict. After the drivers, litter is a huge problem.

Tunisia

Day 1 – 9/10/12

Crossing into Tunisia took a bit of time. We managed to get our visa on entry, but did not realise until later they had only given us 7 days. We had to explain about the carnet to the Tunisia customs people, but they were OK with it and after a bit of time stamped us in. We had to pay €20 for 8 days car insurance.

Then, the real delay started. A film crew was on site to film the customs entrance process and we could not proceed until they had finished. The poor folks in the 2 vehicles in front of us got a real working over; 100% inspection. Fortunately the customs chap who had assisted us got us through without too much fuss.

The pleasant drive continued, though we noticed almost immediately that the road condition was not as good as Algeria and that the volume of rubbish was much greater, which is a pity. It was not like that in the past.

We drove through to Bizerte where we had booked a hotel room for the night. We then made a side trip to Cape Blanc, the most northerly point in Africa. We have been to the most southerly point, Cape Agullus, some time ago. When we were in the west we did not think of this, so will not be able to complete the east – west.

Ray driving; N 37⁰ 17’ 42.9’’ E 009⁰ 52’ 18.7’’

Day 2 – 10/10/12

We got up early to try and get to the Libyan embassy in Tunis early. Unfortunately there were bridge works on the way out of Bizerte, with only one lane operating. So we were delayed ~ 20 min.

On the way into Tunis we got stuck in a major traffic situation. There is probably too much traffic for the road system; however the situation does not seem to be helped by the driving habits of the local folks. In order to maintain optionality, drivers try to occupy as many lanes as possible. To a large degree this is done by sitting in on a lane marker. To counter this, other people form additional lanes. So, if the “freeway” has 3 lanes they will try and make 5 lanes, squeezing in between other vehicles. Then, there are the lane changers, like flies trying to move in and out of any space, or perceived space in order to get one car further advanced. Then, Avril’s biggest hate; those who use an exit lane or such to get to the front of a line and then make their way into the traffic flow. The police assist the traffic confusion/congestion by ignoring the engineered traffic signals and deciding to direct against red lights etc. The police do not seem to have much of an impact, as drivers will turn against their hand signals and just wave as they break the law.

With some sense of irony or maybe just plain sarcasm, the GPS asked; “do you want to swap to pedestrian mode”.

We managed to get to the Libyan embassy. Unlike in previous times we have visited Tunis, there is a lot of army around the streets in Tunis. We asked the soldiers in front of the British Council if we could park there and they let us – which was very helpful.

Access to the Libyan embassy is via 3 steps to a barred window. In front of the steps there was a reasonably large crowd, and in African style, queuing is not a natural instinct. However, Avril soon had them sorted out. When we got to the window - it turned out that Ray’s visa was waiting, but not Avril’s. Bugger. So, after some liaison with the folks in Tripoli who organised the visas (US$400 per person plus 45 dinars each!!), we decided to get Ray’s and they would work on Avril’s overnight. More queuing to get to ask for Ray’s visa. Then it took some time to get the folks in the embassy to understand that we only wanted Ray’s visa. After completing the form in English and handing it in, we were told it had to be in Arabic!  A helpful chap, also queuing, completed the form in Arabic for us. Then, we queued again to hand the form in. Finally + 4 hours later, much of it in the sun, Ray had his visa. In addition we had made some new friends and Avril had at least got some African people to understand that when western people are about, queuing should be practiced!!

We the managed to find our way to the Kasbah to meet up with Steve (our nephew) and his family. Virginie is undertaking research in Tunis for her PhD. We had a nice lunch and went to have a look at where they are staying. They have 2 children – Nina (5) and Eliot (7 months) who are both very cute and well-behaved ( their parents and grandparents will be reading this!!).

Then we found our way to Sidi Bou Said. Mike & Caroline Rees (head of the local BG operations) had kindly asked us to stay. They have a marvellous house with pool etc. We had a very pleasant evening chatting over a delicious dinner and a few beers. Thanks.

Avril driving; N 36⁰ 52’ 12.4’’ E 010⁰ 20’ 74.7’’

Day 3 – 11/10/12

After a good sleep in and practising patience, we got word from the agency in Tripoli that Avril’s visa should be available at the Libyan Embassy. Apparently the Tripoli agency had sent us an incorrect reference/fax number. So, we quickly grabbed a taxi and arranged for Steve (nephew) to join us there and translate our visa application into Arabic. Unfortunately we got there a tad late. The folks at the window were very apologetic, but the visa section closed an hour earlier this day.

We went back to Steve’s place for a bit to eat and then a visit to a shopping centre with his family and also to buy Nina a belated birthday present. It is always wonderful to spend time with family.

Day 4 – 12/10/12

We got an early lift into the city with Mike (who is always early to work!) and then on to the embassy. We wanted to be 1^st in line to avoid queuing and hence miss the time bell again -  we managed to achieve that KPI. Again, the folks in the window were helpful. When it looked like the visa section could not find Avril’s fax, the chap from the window grabbed her passport and went upstairs to search for it himself. The fax was there and some comparatively short time later we had Avril’s visa.

We offered the window man some cash as a thankyou, but he rejected this.

We then spent the rest of the day catching up on chores, emails etc.

Day 5 – 13/10/12

 A very lazy day. We caught up with Steve, Virginie, Nina & Eliot for the afternoon. In the evening we went to a very nice restaurant with Mike & Caroline and their “other” guests, Fiona and Ben.  With the menu, wine list and fashions, you would not have thought we were in a Muslim country.

Day 6 – 14/10/12

Mike got up to make us breakfast and then we were on our way. He had kindly arranged for us to stay at the BG village near Sfax. We were lucky to catch up with Paul Bartlett, a work colleague of Ray’s from days past.

We drove into Sfax for a quick look see, actually to find the Carrefour supermarket. The fruit & veg were not the best! We then had dinner (and a few beers) with Paul and some of his workmates in the dining-room, while watching English soccer and rugby!

Avril driving; 449 km; 5 hrs; N 34⁰ 40’ 49.8’’ E 010⁰ 38’ 52.2’’

Day 7– 15/10/12

We got up very early and made the border in ~ 5 hours; 315 km. The road post Sfax is tar, but has seen better days.

Ben Guerdane, the town nearest the border has a real wild west feel. Black- market fuel is openly on sale (from Libya where is costs $ 0.10/l), there were people on the road waving wads of money (we changed the last of our Tunisia Dinars and some UK £), the stalls along the road had a very temporary look about them etc.

The exit from Tunisia was completed without any real delay. Customs wanted to know about our declaration for camera, computer, but we were not required to fill one in on entry.

Tunisia Summary

We were very fortunate to stay with Mike and Caroline, many thanks. It was also great to catch up with family.

We had travelled around Tunisia in the past, so really did not feel the need to revisit sights etc.

Chatting to folks seemed to reveal that the revolution is still a work in progress. We were disappointed to see the level of litter - this is a downward step for the country. Still, Tunisia remains a very low hassle country and super easy to travel around.

Algeria

Day 1 – 28/9/12

After a very smooth Mediterranean crossing we arrived in Oran either on time at 07:00 or 1 hour later at 08:00. We were thoroughly confused by the time zone and much to Avril’s chagrin, got up an hour early. Turns out it is the same as UK summer time.

Algerian immigration was completed very quickly at the vehicle on the docks. One of the Immigration officials took us into his care and got everything done poste haste. Customs took a bit longer. We may well have been the 1^st Australian registered vehicle to enter Algeria/Oran in a long time. Also, they normally deal with the French style “Carte Griese” (?). We have a Carnet de Passage and this took some time to work through the various officials. The good news is that everyone was trying to be helpful and they were all friendly: apologising for the delay as they got the paperwork in order. All in all the whole process was less than 2 hours, so well below our longest wait.

Given all the security and other warnings about Algeria, we decided to be very cautious and organised a guide to accompany us all the way. Our guide, Safia was in the customs hall ensuring that there were no problems. We then checked into the Sheraton hotel (points!) and set out on a city tour. The views from the mountain overlooking the city were spectacular. We saw the main civil and religious buildings and passed by the WWII Operation Torch landing areas. We had delicious paella for lunch – the chef said it was due to the fresh fish. This area had been occupied by Spain for some time a few hundred years ago and they have kept the paella tradition alive.

In the departure hall at Alicante, Ray had been chatting to an Algerian chap, who then assisted us in filling in the paperwork and chatting to immigration in Oran etc. Kadia was a resistance fighter during the fight for independence and proudly showed us a newspaper article written about him. He invited us to his home for tea and we were delighted to go there in the afternoon. His daughter had prepared some lovely sweets to go with tea. Interestingly his son- in-law is the instructor for the pilot instructors in the Algerian airforce. But his passion is to somehow organise a team of pilots and planes to fight major bush fires around the globe.

Sheraton Hotel: N 49⁰ 52’ 55.2’’ E 004⁰ 46’ 32.1’’

Day 2 – 29/9/12

After a casual start to the day we headed to Tipasa. We elected to take the coastal route and it was a great decision. We had a very good drive along some amazing coastal scenery. The road hugs the coast and we were fortunate with the weather and had a brilliant, deep azure/turquoise Mediterranean Sea on our left all the way. The mountains come to the sea in the latter part of the drive and the road is very reminiscent of the Great Ocean Road (without the 12 Apostles) but much longer.

There were many security checks along the way, but we were only stopped twice. And, the officer apologised for delaying us – very courteous.

Saturday seemed to be wedding day. We passed or were intermingled with a number of weddings along the way. The public part of the event consisted of a convoy of cars, the lead car elaborately decorated. Follow-on cars make as much noise as possible and delay any through traffic!

Did we mention, diesel is ~ A$ 0.15/l. Dinner was some lovely, fresh, BBQ fish.

Ray driving; 354 km; 9 hrs; Hotel Torquoise (€ 50 and was pleasant and clean). N 36⁰ 35’ 33.2’’ E 002⁰ 27’ 01.8’’. Today marked our last day of the trip in the west. From now on we should be east of Greenwich.

Day 3 – 30/9/12

In the morning we had a look at the Tipasa Roman ruins. They are well sited on the coast. There is still a lot of excavation to be carried out. Entrance was only $ 0.40, so it is hard to see how they can maintain the site. We drove along the coast, visiting the tomb of Juba II & Cleopatra (daughter of Mark Anthony &  Cleopatra I) on the way to Algiers.

We booked into the Sheraton (points again) and went into central Algiers and looked at the Kasbah.  In the past this was partially destroyed by the French and what is left has not yet been renovated. A couple of palaces/riads have been restored and they are quite stunning.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the catholic Basilica which has recently been renovated.

Avril driving; 62 km; 2 hrs; N 36⁰ 45’ 45.2’’ E 002⁰ 52’ 30.7’’

Day 4 – 1/10/12

Our guide got stuck in the terrible traffic, so we go a latish start. Algiers seems to have a reasonable freeway system, but now, it seems that the volume of traffic in peak times is way too much. We stopped off for breakfast at a fuel station and the kind folks changed the TV station to English. Again, very courteous.

We headed out of Algiers on a newish, well designed and built 6- lane freeway. This took us through a fertile valley that appeared to be a fold in the Altas Mountains, to Bouria. We then headed south over the mountain foothills, through a wheat-growing area and into an arid region. Our objective for the day was Bou Saada. Along the way we made a detour to visit Beni Hamaad, the site of the capital of a 10^th century dynasty capital city. Unfortunately all that remains today is some columns and the minaret of the mosque (apparently the Moors and Marrakech based their minarets on this one).

Overnight was at Hotel Kerdada (€ 41)

Ray driving; 433 km; 8 hrs; N 35⁰ 12’ 39.8’’ E 004⁰ 11’ 01.8’’

Day 5 – 2/10/12

In the morning we were greeted by a number of policemen.  As events transpired, we travelled in convoy (just for us) and had a police escort all day. It was well organised and when we exited a district, the new district police were waiting for us.

In the morning, we had a quick tour of Bou Saada including the Ferrero mills (unfortunately there is very little remaining) and the museum of the French artist Nasreddine Dinet (he was based in this town). We left town with sirens wailing and the road cleared for us.

On the way to Ghardaia we visited the Zaouia El Hamel. Apparently over 70% of Algeria’s clerics are trained at this mosque/college. They can get students to memorise the Koran in less than 9 months!

We also visited the Zaccar Neolithic (?) rock art site.

We arrived in Ghardaia late in the day and in need of a bit of rest. We stayed at a traditional house, the “Hotel” Enteg (€ 30)

Avril driving; 447 km; 12.5 hrs; N 32⁰ 27’ 39.8’’ E 003⁰ 41’ 11.0’’

Day 6 – 3/10/12

We spent the day in the M’Zat valley. The community there is based on 5 walled/fortified towns. We visited the oldest, El Ateuf. The towns are built on hills, with the mosque at the highest point and the rest of the complex cascading downhill from there. The effect is rather like a mini Kasbah/Medina, with houses built together in a complex set of streets. In order to preserve privacy, one door in not allowed to be opposite another door. To all accounts they have preserved their traditional social structure with the elders making decisions etc. In addition, through a system of giving, the poor are looked after by the community. 

The folks here are renowned for being very conservative. The women wear white; a flowing under dress and a long head scarf/veil that extend to ~ their knees. They close the front of the head dress. Married women only show one eye through a small triangle in the scarf. The unmarried women can show all their face.

The blokes wear pants like the Thai fishermen pants, but with pleats.

In the afternoon we visited the irrigation/water distribution system which is based on a system of tunnels. One’s water allocation is based on the number of date trees in one’s garden.

Day 7 – 4/10/12

Again we had a police escort the whole way. And, again, the changes between police areas were basically seamless. We spent the day driving to El Oued via Ouargla and Touggourt. The drive is through typically Saharan landscape. Initially we drove through a windswept stony plain. South of El Oued the landscape changed to an erg, but without big dunes. There are a couple of impressive dune sets outside El Oued. Unfortunately a local business has decided to commercialise the area and “beautify” the dunes by adding statues of gazelles on the dune tops. But really, the scenery was not spectacular; rather we got a small idea of the vast, immenseness of the Sahara.

We attempted to have a picnic with our police escort outside Ouargla, near a palm grove. Unfortunately the flies were in plague proportions. Apparently this is due to the dates being ready to harvest. We have noticed since we left the north that the flies have been very bad. Anyway, the picnic was not all that pleasant and we will think of this when complaining about Australian flies in the future.

At El Oud we visited the Zouaia Tidjania. Algeria has started to collect and catalogue its old Koranic books and they are stored here. The dome of the mosque is UNESCO listed, more for its double skin construction than the painting . We spent some time in the mosque listening to some very restful chanting of Koran verses. The school has an academic bent and is trying to ensure a moderate version of Islam is propagated and that non-Muslims understand the non-violent and non-discriminatory nature of Islam.

The temperature, even as the northern hemisphere goes into autumn was hot. It peaked in the high 30s. The fridge in the cab comes in particularly useful at time such as these.

Our hotel, Hotel Souf (€ 40) was interesting. It was built in the socialist style and you could recognise the same design as in Vietnam. More interesting though, were the young ladies in very revealing modern dress. MMmmm.

Ray driving; 477 km; 4 hrs; N 33⁰ 21’ 36.9’’ E 006⁰ 51’ 44.4’’

Day 8 – 5/10/12

We started the day visiting one of the palmeries in El Oued. With our police escort we get to run all the red lights and take priority through roundabouts and road blocks! We then drove to Batna. Initially the road is in the desert and at Mendi, along the way, there are salt lakes. The salt is mined and apparently the lakes get and retain sufficient water in winter to act as a stop on the bird migration route from Europe.

We stopped off at a petrol station for a convenience break and Ray went to the cafeteria to get a baguette. The folks there would not accept money for the bread, quite generous.

With the consent of our escort we drove through the middle of the Massif de L’Aures, instead of taking the main road. The route is green on the Michelin map and worth the acclamation. The scenery was superb, with a broad valley cut in the middle by a deep gorge. This was most spectacular at Rhoufi. The gorge has sheer sides here, the bottom is covered with palms and half way up the cliff face there are deserted houses.

We arrived early at Batna. Our guide was quite sick so after we checked into the Hotel Hazem (€ 71, including dinner) we went for a walk around the local area. Icecream for Avril and some fruit.

Avril driving; 383 km; 7 hrs; N 35⁰ 33’ 22.9’’ E 006⁰ 10’ 44.0’’

Day 9 – 6/10/12

A Roman day. Again our police escort was on time and at 08:00 we set off for the Timgad ruins. On the outskirts of Batna you pass by the ruins of Lambaesis, the Roman military camp. Timgad is an extensive site. It has all the typical characteristics of a Roman town, however not many of the great structures have survived. Ray found the “sweet spot” in the theatre (not hard as it was marked) and we found the “advertising” on the market stalls interesting (the 1^st time we have seen this?).

Next we drove to the Royal Mausoleum of the (a) Numidian: Medracen. This massive structure, a cylinder surmounted by a cone, was the model for Cleopatra & Juba’s tomb near Tipassa.

Our final stop for the day were the impressive Roman ruins at Djemila. Though smaller than Timgad, a lot more of the site is intact and includes a long road colonnade, temple, baths, victory gate etc.

The museum on the site has an incredible collection of mosaics. Our resident mosaic critic/connoisseur (Avril), thinks they may be better than those in the Bardot Museum in Tunisia, the benchmark up to this point. But she will double check when we visit Tunis in a few days! We were again surprised at the very low level of the entry fee, $ 0.40, to get into the sites.

The scenery along the way made the drive very interesting. We travelled along/through large hills, with some long vistas from the high points. This area has been known for its wheat since Roman times and the farmers were out busily preparing for their winter crops.

We finally drove to the very busy town of Setif. The original hotel that had been booked did not have secure parking, so our guide decided to change to one that did. With our police escort, it was a simple matter to get there! Hotel Hidhab (€ 55. The most expensive hotel so far and a little worse for wear and a bit dirty). We walked into town for a nice dinner at a kebab café.

Ray driving; 285 km; 4 hrs; N 36⁰ 11’ 37.1’’ E 005⁰ 24’ 31.8’’

Day 10 – 7/10/12

Museums. We began the day with a walk to the Setif Museum. The main attraction is the mosaic of the legend of Bacchus. Suffice to say, our resident mosaic critic/connoisseur says this is the best she has seen. It is truly extraordinary, with very small pieces and the different colours and shades making it more like a painting. There was an interesting collection of Roman artefacts. The resident manager showed us around and a couple of students, keen to practice their English, assisted.

We then took the freeway to Constantine, the 3^rd largest city in Algeria. The river Rhumel makes a very deep gash through the hills here and in the past the city has made use of this in its defence. The deep chasm means the city relies on bridges and we saw most of them; from the remains of the Roman bridge (built on older constructions) to the modern French- built. We visited the spectacular Emir Abelkader Mosque, opened in 1992 and then the local museum, which again had an enviable collection of Roman artefacts.

Our local police escort did well to guide us through the complex local streets and Avril did a marvellous job not hitting anything in the ancient, narrow streets. To thank the police, we had a bite of lunch with them.

We then drove to  Annaba, on the sea. The El Mouna Hotel (€ 40)

Avril driving; 286 km; 9 hrs; N 36⁰ 55’ 10.4’’ E 007⁰ 45’ 49.3’’

Day 11 – 8/10/12

A restful day. We visited the local museum, with the now familiar mosaics and collection of Roman remains and the adjacent ruins of Hippo Regis. The “highlight” here is St Augustine’s Basilica. St Augustine was a local lad who learnt his philosophy and theology here before becoming a preacher and proceeding to higher things in Rome. We went for a drive through the hills surrounding Annaba, with great views of the cost and surrounding area.

We then had a lazy afternoon.

Day 12 – 9/10/12

We set off at 08:00 with our police escort for the Tunisian border. Again, the drive along the north highway was very pleasant, with hills and some fantastic seascapes.

We reached the border after 2 hours and crossed into Tunisia with a minimum of fuss.

Algeria Summary

We found the Algerians to be unfailingly courteous, considerate and generous. Quite often people would shout a greeting as we drove through towns etc. There also seems to be a good smattering of English spoken throughout the country. The police would always try to chat and folks in the street, shops etc would have a quick natter.

After pleasantries are exchanged and we have a bit of a chat, talk would often turns to the West’s view of Islam. Overwhelmingly there is a sense of frustration (definitely not anger) at what they perceive is the West’s (unfortunately, read USA)  inability to understand what they believe is the true nature of Islam.

As mentioned, we decided to take a local guide. This seems to be essential  i.e. independent overland travel (with your own vehicle) would be difficult without a guide. Our route needed to be communicated with the police and where deemed appropriate, by the police, an escort was arranged.

Currently there are no campgrounds in Algeria so we were “forced” to stay in hotels. If we had have asked or planned in advance, it may have been possible to camp in the grounds of one or two of the hotels. Given the police escort and the reported security situation, bush camping does not seem to be an option in the areas we travelled to. All this meant that Algeria is an expensive place for Overlanders.

At no point did we feel threatened or was there a security or safety issue. This could have been due to the police escort, but we did not feel any issues when walking around cities at night.

A big thanks to the Algerian police. Travelling in convoy could have been tedious and painful. However, the police were super helpful and flexible, adjusting their arrangements to suit any change in our plans. We never had to wait for them to arrive at a change-over point etc. 

The roads generally are in good condition, however there is a large volume of traffic which can make going slow. Also, Algeria must take 1^st prize for the number of traffic bumps.

The big negative, as with the rest of Africa, is the rubbish left everywhere.

We hope to return and visit the desert areas in the south of Algeria. These are still considered too risky for independent overlander travel