Check out the photos, and you’ll understand why I’m cutting it short today. 🙂 And thanks to everyone who has commented on yesterday’s post. Really appreciate hearing from you! Stage 4: El Gouna – Safaga (Egypt), 82km Road & traffic condition: Excellent tarmac, just a few rough patches in between where they are fixing the...
Day 3: Losing EFI is like losing your virginity—supposedly
All our Australian and Kiwi riders had bad news yesterday. The South African government decided to impose new visa requirements. The only way for our ANZ riders to obtain the visa is to head down to Khartoum one day earlier than everyone else. That means they’ll lose their EFI status and can’t do anything about that....
Day 2: You’re never too old
When I booked Tour d’Afrique, many people told me: “Yes, maybe you can do it. But I am too old for that sort of stuff.” When I arrived in Cairo, fellow rider Andy from South Africa (around 60) commented on my question whether his son aged 28 would’t have liked to join:  “He’s too young for...
Day 1: It’s never as bad as the media makes us believe
I had expected a difficult day—bad roads, ruthless traffic, lots of harassments as a female cyclist, and so forth. Well, I didn’t find any of that. TDA advised all women to cover our arms and legs while cycling in Muslim countries, and so we all did. They also advised female cyclists to always cycle with...
Our second riders meeting & first Cairo test ride—all set for tomorrow
Today was our second and last riders meeting before the real start of our tour tomorrow. Max and Tallis, our race and tour leaders, briefed us about our schedule for this week and, more importantly, tomorrow—our FIRST BIG DAY. Thanks to TDA’s sponsors, each rider got a box of energy bars, chamois cream, chain lubricant...
Our first riders meeting—let the fun begin!
We’ve had our first official riders meeting this morning, where we met our entire crew and most of the riders who’ve arrived by now. Our crew briefed us about standard procedures, daily schedules, safety measures, and the like. If you would like to know more, please refer to the TDA website and their Tours 101 for all general...
Visiting the Egyptian Museum, and meeting fellow riders and staff
Highlights of my day: Sightseeing with the same tour guide as yesterday—Mr. Charming who makes old stones come alive with his stories. Starting to make new friends—fellow rider Anmei joined me for the tour. Seeing real mummies, the findings from Tutankhamun’s tomb, and lots of ancient yet well-preserved statutes, paintings and other treasures in the Egyptian...
Visiting the pyramids and getting used to Cairo
General impressions out and about in Cairo: Egyptians are very friendly people, and I am feeling totally safe. It seems the security concerns perceived from abroad are highly overrated. Highly professional tourism services and well-trained tour guides that are fun to be with. Donkeys pulling carts, donkeys transporting people, donkeys for tourists—donkeys everywhere! And...
Smooth arrival, slow Internet and freezing temperatures—welcome to Cairo!
Good news first—my arrival couldn’t have been any smoother. As soon as I had stepped off the plane, I already saw my welcome sign! A very friendly local tour agent helped me to quickly obtain my visa and clear through immigration. Within five minutes of landing, my bags were already rolling out. Only the...
