Africa Overland My Personal Journey

By Gary Cooper

A personal account of a 6 month journey overland from Cairo to Cape Town using mainly land transport. It covers some background history of the country or location as well the journey events. Traveling down from Cairo, Sudan, Uganda [stopping off to see the Gorillas and experience White water rafting on the Nile], Kenya [with a side trip to Congo Brazzaville and the encounter with the Rebels ]then onto Tanzania and experience of the many National parks and the climb of Mt Kilimanjaro before heading across Zambia to Victoria Falls.Then through Botswana and South Africa, ending up at the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gary Cooper
• Release date: Feb 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463675656

Book preview

Chapter 1

Day 1 The Beginning – Egypt

The final checks of my limited luggage, had I packed everything? I collated the essentials for such a trip. Mosquito net, light sleeping bag although it was more of a large pillow case, just in case I was caught out and had to sleep somewhere of debateable cleanliness. Small first aid kit, climbing equipment for Mt Kilimanjaro (I knew I would regret having to lug that so far when it wouldn’t even be useful; who needs a 4 season coat and sleeping bag in the Sudan!)

I had managed to vacuum pack a lot of the climb kit so it took up less space yet it was a rucksack of its own. I wouldn’t even be able to leave it at the airports for picking up as I would be overlanding. Still needs must. I packed good underwear, strange what we think we need but wasn’t so sure what impact all the laundry would have on cheap local clothes. A couple of smartish outfits as I knew I would like to meet up with friends and party. Couldn’t go in flip flops and shorts.

Tech was the next problem, I wanted to capture as much on video and film as possible plus have some emergency communications kit should the worst happen in Sudan or Congo. I had my mobile and a satellite phone making sure I kept the antenna separate from the phone so to avoid suspicious officials who may see me as an oddity and anything out of the ordinary is normally deemed a threat. Who was I spying for etc etc. I had two passports, one for daily use the other for emergencies and kept in a secret compartment along with some spare dollar in the rucksack.

I would be away for quite a long time so was nervous I had forgotten something but came to the conclusion I was not travelling far off the beaten track and could always buy items I had forgotten or if it was specialist get them shipped out. Money was not so much an issue as I had a good idea of which locations demanded the use of cash and the ease of being able to obtain it. The use of bank cards greatly helped compared to the days of the ubiquitous travellers’ cheque.

Ding dong, the taxi had arrived. Oh well, time to go, what I did not have I did not have. I left with enough time to relax at the airport. I did not like rushing even though I had already checked in online and secured my seat.

My last motorway journey for a long time. Arriving at Heathrow I deposited my luggage with the British Airways desk and cheekily asked if there were any upgrades available. Usual response from them – denied. I usually flew with Emirates but did not fancy the longer round trip via Dubai even though I could probably wangle an upgrade with them, seeing I was a frequent flyer. That trip would have been 6-7 hours to Dubai, wait for the connection then another few hours flying. Instead it was 5 hours with BA.

Boarding now, time to get settled, sit back and relax.

My flight was coming to an end, morning was breaking, sunrise over Cairo. The instructions for trays away, seats upright, clear the exits came across the tannoy. This is the fussy part of the journey; we all hate being treated like naughty schoolkids at the end of a coach trip. The stewardess seeing that you were clearing your foot well but hassling you to turn off the IPAD, put your seat upright and my mind turns off to the blah blah blah…. How many people ever survive a crash landing? I duly complied, concerned that the purser’s eyes would burn a hole in my head if I did not.

Out of the window was the dusty, sprawling form of Cairo opening out beneath us as we banked to line up with the runway.

Welcome to Cairo as we touched down and taxi to the gate. Now the chaos begins, people jumping up, rushing to get their bags down while the plane was moving, lockers opening, stewardesses running up and down telling people sit down, remain seated, we have not arrived at the gate.

British Airways were particularly pushy, safety safety, do this do that, hated it.

The gate was looming fast, the battle continued, then all of a sudden the brakes went on, people went flying, luggage crashed out of the overhead lockers, some of the passengers falling about like participants of a pin ball game. The smug ‘told you all to sit down’ look of the stewardess made me smile.

Cruelly, I thought it was quite funny, the rush to get all their items down, then to have to sit and wait while the more forward passengers disembarked one by one as if exiting the Ark, made the rush futile.

My turn came to shuffle, to join the conga. The exit door loomed large, finally my first footstep of the trip landed in Egypt. New smells and sounds. Some destinations smell the same every time you arrive, a familiar welcoming slap to the senses of ‘Good to see you again, remember where you are?’

The first of the Egyptian bureaucratic ceremonies to be navigated is on the horizon. You can see the newcomers to the country, we need a visa, where are the forms for immigration? Where to get the visa? Normally after having been in the queue for ages someone then informs you that you cannot get the visa at the window, you have to go back and follow ABC… Helpful!!

I duly filled my form, bought my visa stamps and greeted my first Egyptian. It appeared reasonably quiet outside, the lull before the storm and the impending rush of the touts.

Pushing my way past the initial wave I sought out the taxi queue. A few words of Arabic

Sabah al Kher, bi kam attazkara li Gezira,

the price negotiated I jumped in. Luggage aboard off we set. The road out of the airport was fairly clear which seemed a good thing at the time. The driver obviously was excited about the vision of the open road before him, so he increased his speed steadily until he must have imagined he was participating in the Abu Dhabi F1, without the skills to move at high speed.

In and out of the traffic that was starting to build as we hit the edges of town. He must think the car goes faster or becomes invincible the more he bashes his horn. He does it at passing cars, cars on the side of the road, cars ready to turn onto the road and on many occasions he must have seen ghost cars as I could just not determine what on earth he was signalling at. Three lane roads were ignored and where there was a space someone would edge into it; the road effectively became a 6 lane highway. I should have sat in the back and been blindfolded. My brakes and knuckles were ruined by the time we reached Midan Tahrir, the massive roundabout near the Egyptian Museum and close to the hotel. I could see the circular hotel now, near the famous Cairo Tower and view of the Citadel in the far distance.

One good aspect of the journey into the city is that you can see many relics of the past intermingled with the modernity of Cairo. Quite exciting especially for the first time visitor.

We came to a halt outside the hotel, the Sheraton el Gezira, a grand hotel but small enough to be personal. Now came the friendly welcome –

Ahlan wa Sahlan

Ahlan bik

Kayfa Haalak

Kwais il hamdu lilah

and my relief at arriving in one piece. The rumours about Egyptian drivers wasn’t far from the mark.

Checked in and I was awarded a high up room looking down the Nile and towards the fountain and out of the window I could just make out the majesty of the Pyramids on the horizon. As it was early I thought I would grab a shower and have a quick snooze before braving the bustling streets of Cairo.

On this trip it would not be a case of just getting from point to point, I would have to take time out and see some of the sights and experience the local environment. The budget would not be restricted as this is the opportunity to investigate as many things as possible in the time constraints set.

What to do this afternoon? A short walk to the Cairo Tower and a visit to the top to see the views of the massive city. I wanted to walk along the river road after having a wander on Galaa Bridge. It was the perfect spot to have 360 panoramic views of Cairo and especially near dusk. Down from the noise of the bridge the road runs along the Gzira Island lined by leafy trees and offering an odd calmness in this chaotic city. Many cars are parked along the road under the trees and most are covered in the light desert dust.

Walking past the sports club, an environment left over from the colonial days, a lot of high end cars pass ready to enjoy the evenings’ events. These areas away from the main throngs are an oasis of peace Egypt style, still a residual noise but bearable. Upon reaching the Tower, there were very few people around so the viewpoints were unchallenged. Up here you can see all over. The Pyramids, up towards Alexandria or over to the Citadel. The sun sets slowly on the horizon, the whole sky burning slowly covered in a blanket of dust haze which reduces the effect of the sun. The sounds of the traffic blend with the sound of the call to prayer. I look over to the Pyramids slowly disappearing into the fudge. If you stayed late and the light show was on, I was wondering how it would look from here.

Back to the bridge and onto the hotel. The bridge appeared to be a popular place for romance amongst younger Egyptians. An odd choice to the European eye, there must be quieter spots. The view down the river at sunset, light shimmering off it holds its own type of romance to the youngsters of this conservative country.

Day 2 Cairo.

Today was an early rise to the sounds of the call to prayer and the incessant sound of the car horn. I have never known such a noisy city, continually active. Over to the Egyptian Museum this morning to learn a bit about the history of the Pharaohs prior to visiting them and further afield.

A light breakfast out on the balcony looking over the Nile. The sun has only been up an hour or so ready for the new day. Grab my book, get the lift down to the lobby and say good morning to the concierge who was there last night. Some of those hotel workers have long shifts!

Where are you going?

I’m off to the museum today

Do you need a taxi?

No I’m braving the walk

Hopefully we will see you later

Inshallah

Inshallah he said and laughed.

(Inshallah is a term wide spread across the Middle East – if God wills it! Is the meaning)

Off I went up the road by the bridge and along to Midan Tahrir. There were many people going about their duties, most going to work and no-one was really interested in me and trying to sell me anything. The trek across Tahrir was fraught with danger. When do I cross? Do I run? Do I wait for the lights? When is it safe? Take a step back and watch the locals for a while learning how they crossed the road. In essence they generally walked and with the flick of the hand by the waist, almost hushed cars to pass behind. You have to be there to get the knack.

Time to try it, heart pumping, stepping off the kerb and must admit, near a local for moral support, low and behold I negotiated the traffic, keeping a constant eye on the incoming missiles. Safely to the centre. This time much more slick, a breeze, I was getting the hang of this, confidence was growing. I was getting brave.

Once I had crossed I relaxed and looked at the museum. Its orangey coating gave an unimpressive exterior, not reflecting the history within its walls. Go early or you could get caught in the large queues of tourists as the group tours arrive. Ticket purchased I joined the short security check.

The bag check. A good rummage in people’s rucksacks, the authorities could not afford for a bomb to be placed here and it would be such a terrible act if someone did and destroyed artefacts that belong to the world.

Check tickets again, through the metal detector nearer the entrance and finally in to Aladdin’s cave. Once inside it opened up like a Tardis, it was deceptive from the outside. It made it a little more eerie being fairly empty due to the timing of the day. The lighting was not so good and you could quite easily spend a long time here. A lot of the exhibits would be from the places on my itinerary while in Egypt.

Days would be needed to see every exhibit and I had decided to only spend this one here. My priorities were:

Tutankhamun Galleries

Old Kingdom Rooms

Amarna Rooms

Royal Mummy Rooms

Royal Tombs of Tanis

Graeco – Roman Mummies.

A remarkable and chaotic museum with many exhibits unmarked or in sub-standard cases. The real highlights were:

The Statue of Khafre

The Royal Mummies – see the faces of the dead, the perfectly wrapped mummies and the wounds of the dead. Quite a frightening sight for the timid.

The Death Mask of Tutankhamun and the unfinished head of Nefertiti.

By the end of the day it felt like my legs were going to fall off and I had already walked to Cape Town. Back to the hotel for a well-earned rest and to review all I had seen.

Day 3 Cairo

Another breakfast in the cool of the morning out on the balcony. Not many other people sat outside as they preferred the sterile air conditioned inside. My fruit, yogurt and omelette for breakfast would keep me going for the morning.

Downstairs to the doorman and his normal greeting

Sabah al Kher, Izzayak

Kwayyis il hamdu lilah my usual reply.

Taxi

Min fadlak

ayna

Khan al Khalili

ok

Taxi to the Khan al Khalili bazaar. We turned the same way off the island onto Midan Tahrir and the next junction after joining the riverside road and the Intercontinental Hotel. Traffic was bearable and the driver did not speak any English so I sat quietly in the back looking at the sights. There were a number of horse drawn buggies lined up along this road with their white covers. They were the same as those you used to see in the Westerns with the exception that the horses these guys used were not healthy looking. They were gathered here to pick up the tourist trade from the hotels in the street. It wasn’t a very romantic ride being surrounded by noisy traffic and what would they actually take you to see? It did not appeal to me but I’m sure there were plenty who would.

We turned onto the elevated road that took us around 4 floors up in height to look over the various parts of the city. This, 3 lane each side, road was rammed but still people tried to squeeze into the smallest gap. Progress was painfully slow until the turn off and onto a normal road that lead to the square outside the bazaar. The driver dropped me off and I stood and looked at this ancient site. How many people and what had happened over the centuries here? The alleyways within must be able to tell many stories.

So now to wander them, The Grand Bazaar. Even though it is a tourist trap, highly focused on the bussed in groups, the market is still a trade site for thousands of locals. The smells of the spice alleys, the noise and hubbub of daily life. Dodging the carts of deliveries, the constant badgering of touts and

hey mister you want to look my shop?.

A wonderful place to lose yourself. That dusty bustling noisy but simply hypnotic site was the place to buy all your tat. Scores of cheap Chinese imports, clothes and all manner of goods.

The one place I was told to visit was Fishawis Coffee House. Probably the oldest Ahwa in the city and the most celebrated. An intriguing place to watch the world go by, both locals and tourist alike.

Here is the place to take in the apple shisha or coffee. Seated in the alleyway you can look back into the Café and see the reflections from the huge hung mirrors. It is reported to have been open continually since 1773 except during Ramadan.

While seated in the ‘public gallery’ the whole of the Khan seems to come by and want to sell you all manner of things. Entertainment in itself.

After the break, back to wandering, some bartering over some saffron bikam? (how much?) and trinkets, I headed back to