Back in the real world

Well, i've finally made it to Luxor with a huge sigh of relief. Don't get me wrong, i have been having a fantastic time but it has definitely been a hard 4 days.

We piled into two four wheel drives at the crack of dawn in Cairo and headed out into the Western Desert for a bit of fun. It was everything i didn't expect.

The 4wd's weren't flash but they were reliable which was a relief. The first hour of driving was fun with all of us excited about the trip ahead but soon after it was out with the ipods and kicking back watching the desert go by. We drove through a few Oasis's which were definitely not what i expected. Just like the movies I pictured beautiful palm trees surrounding a large body of water in the middle of a sand dunes as far as the eye can see but instead i was met with dirty dusty streets chockers full of donkeys, cows, beeping trucks, dirty kids and rubbish mountains that would put any tip in sydney to shame. It was interesting to say the least watching the life of the Egyptians but i was constantly worried about picking up some air borne disease with no cure known yet to man. I had pictures of lying in a pee stained hospital bed sharing a dirty syringe with my gangrene neighbour in the next bed.

We picked up an armed police officer who rode in our 4wd's with us as security. We nicknamed him Donatello after the teenage mutant ninja turtle as he was always keen to show us ladies his stick swinging skills. He also confided in one of the girls that 'he likes to use weights'. He alsoc got the nickname Captain Highpants and Chopper to which none of them he understood. Every 100kms or so we passed through police check points and they would peer in our windows with big dirty toothy grins. It was a little unnerving though to see so many machine guns and i wondered at times if it was Egypt or Iraq.

Aside from that, the deserts were picturesque. We drove through the black desert, the white desert and finally stayed in the mushroom desert the first night. When we arrived there was a massive sand storm and it looked unlikely that we were going to stay. Once the sun set though, the wind completely died down and we pulled out a sleeping bags and slept under the stars.

Boy - o boy was it cold. It was like nothing i have ever experienced before. 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants, pyjama bottoms, then track pants. Two long sleeved t-shirts, one thermal top, one fleece jacket and a woollen jumper. One beany and pair of gloves. Yep, i was still cold. It has been like this for the past four nights!!!!

As for toilets?? Find your favourite rock, a wad of toilet paper and be one with nature. On the third night i was really crook and very panicky. It's not really the place you want to have an upset belly. Any slight rumbling and i was popping Imodium like my life depended on it...which in my opinion it did.

I read back and it kinda sounds like a dodgy trip but it has been absolutely amazing. The foxes come at night and steal our food (and our shoes if your not careful) and the Bedouin people we have been travelling with rock on! Each night they play drums around the fire and we sing, clap dance and act like gooses which i seem very capable of doing.

And it IS all true about the sand, it really does get into every crevice of the body but crazily enough you get used to it and almost enjoy it....almost.

OH we also went swimming in natural springs that were as hot as a bath tub but made you bright orange. In our bright orange colour we then jumped on camels and rode to a new camp. So not only were we orange but we smelt like camel. With no make-up, no showering, i don't get much sexier than this!

Today has been pretty crap with lots of little things going wrong for me. To name a few, I have hurt my foot jumping off the back of a truck then arrived at the hotel to have no toilet or running shower. THEN went for a walk and got followed by a guy. *sigh* but i guess these things happen. It was better in the afternoon with a horse and carriage ride to the Karnak temple. Tomorrow we ride poor malnourished donkeys into the Valley of the kings.

Hopefully i will have a few photos again soon but they want to charge me my first born to get my photos copied to disk so i will try at another place soon.

I'm missing my bed, shower, Luke, shower, cats, shower, toilet, shower, and shower but would not change this experience for the world.