A Few Days in Paris - November 1, 2, 3 & 4, 2015 - Part 1

It was a very early morning flight from Cairo to Paris on November 1.  We took a cab from the Cairo Marriott to the airport long before rush hour started.  No issues getting past security and to our gate.  A short wait and we boarded our flight.  Five hours later we were at Charles de Gaulle airport looking for our exit.  Clearing customs, gathering our bags and finding the taxi line took about 2 hours, uck!  Almost an hour ride later, we were at our hotel, The Citadines Suites Louvre in the First Arrondissement, a short block from the Louvre and Rue de Rivoli.  What a lovely find!  We couldn't check in for an hour so we left our luggage and went in search of the Tourist Bureau which was only a few blocks away.  After some discussion, we decided to purchase a Museum Pass there and then walked to the  Big Bus location which we had spied earlier.  There, we purchased a two day Big Bus Pass + River Cruise.  We stopped for a late lunch at the Royal Palais Cafe while we decided what to do until we could check in.  As we wandered about, we found a nice grocery and stocked up on some crusty bread, cheese, salami, yogurt, fruit, milk, cereal, chips and a candy sweet treat.  Oh, we also purchased some cocktail makings!  We were set to go for the next few days.

We returned to our hotel and were able to check in.  What a delightful place!  Stay here when in Paris!!!!  A small boutique hotel it has everything you need.  Our room has a Juliet balcony and another step out balcony.  Furnished with a king size bed and lovely linens it also has a full bath with tub, shower, heated towel rack and big, fluffy towels.  To add to the goodness it also has a small kitchen compete with sink, fridge, dishwasher, dishes, flatware, pots, pans, cook top with a pull out vent fan, microwave and ...... a washer/dryer!  Yippee!!!!!  We had discussed doing laundry since we hadn't done any since we left home and our clothes were ripe (stinky, dusty, gross).  I really didn't want to spend hours searching for a laundromat and trying to figure out how to get our clothes clean.  So, when we saw the machine, oh my, we were delighted!

 Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!  Oh, I was soooooo happy to see this washer/dryer!

A fantastic room!  We could have brekkie here but it was 25 Euros per person, a bit extreme.  However, they have tea goodies everyday from 3 to 6 pm that includes some cakes or pastries, coffee, tea, juice, etc.  They also have an honor bar with just about every libation you can think of.

We immediately got a load of clothes on to wash and then settled in for the evening.  We were bushed and didn't feel like going out.  A nice quiet evening, two loads of laundry and a good night sleep was in order.  A snack of bread, cheese and salami along with a couple of cocktails was just what was needed.  We watched a movie and then fell fast asleep.

Up early the next morning we were ready to begin our exploration of Paris.  We went to the Big Bus center and hopped on the Red Line for a tour that took us all over the center of Paris.  It is a hop on/hop off bus but we decided to ride the entire route and get our bearings.  When the Red Line route was completed, we then caught a Blue Line bus that went up to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur.  We hopped off at the Hard Rock Cafe where we went in for a drink and to purchase some pins (I'm a collector of Hard Rock pins!).  It was a delightful stop for us.

 A pic of Notre Dame from the Big Bus.

 The Obelisk, again from the Big Bus.

 The Arc de Triomphe.

 The Eiffel Tower was shrouded in fog today.

 It was a bit cold and almost wet but we put on our big girl panties and rode the open top of the Big Bus.  While we were having fun, look at the expressions of the folks behind us! Hahahahah!  Oh, like the Babushka look with the scarf?  It kept me warm :-)

 There are a LOT of scooters in Paris.  We found many, many corners loaded with scooters with a few motorcycles thrown in.  We saw everything from Goldwings to Piaggo MP3 scooters!

 Moulin Rouge from the Blue Line Big Bus ride.

 Oh my heck!  There were sex shops everywhere near the Moulin Rouge.

 Sexodrome?  Really?  Really?  Okay then.  We didn't stop here :-)

 We spied these palm trees on a balcony.  Somehow, they seemed out of place here in Paris.

 Some areas had a lot of graffiti.

 Near Gare du Nord, a leaning building.

 More scooters and motorcycles.

 Gare de l'est.

 Holiday Inn :-)  Looked like a nice place in Montmarte.

 Some of the lesser churches had their stained glass windows protected from vandals by heavy screens over all the windows.

 A small garden tucked in amongst the tall buildings.  A city oasis :-)

 Drinks at the Hard Rock.  I started a trend.  I ordered a Mudslide because my throat was scratchy and I needed something smooth.  Then, all of a sudden, the bartender was overwhelmed with orders for Mudslides!  He looked at me and gave me the thumbs up, hahahaha :-)

 Eric enjoyed his Margarita sampler that came with 3 small Margaritas and tortilla chips with some pico de gallo.

 Awwwwww.....we're such a fun couple, everyone says so!

That pretty much ends our first day in Paris.  We returned to our lovely hotel, had dinner in our room and called it a night.  We set the alarm so tomorrow we can get up at a reasonable hour and get out for more exploration.

Stay tuned for more adventures in Paris!

Cheers,
Cletha

Cross Egypt Challenge - October 31 - November 2, 2015

Our last day is already here!

Last night we had our wrap-up meeting where we applauded the staff for their superb efforts in making the Cross Egypt Challenge happen.  They were simply awesome.  Given the logistics, personalities and bureaucratic red tape, they did a fantastic job.  A well deserved round or two of applause for all of them!

We had the opportunity to provide some written feedback on our experience and we were all given very nice certificates of completion for the Challenge.

We went to bed fairly early last night because today our ride was to start at 5 am.  We had a 4:15 wake-up call so we could have a bit of brekkie before taking off.  The scooters had been re-fueled the day before so all we had to do was put our luggage out front for pick-up, load the scooter with our day packs and line up for take off.

Surprisingly, everyone was ready to go at the appointed time.  We left El Gouna before dawn with a police escort in the lead.  Today, instead of groups 1, 2 and 3, we were split into 6 groups for the entire ride.  Smaller groups for the ride into Cairo seemed appropriate.  The first two groups were the motorcycles and large scooters.  We were in group 4, the second group of scooters with two groups behind us.  For the most part, our group rode well and stayed together.  We were pushing to the finish.  At first, it seemed like we were going very slowly.  I kept looking at the speedo and we were only doing maybe 40 mph/60kph.  At our first stop, I made a comment about the slow pace.  Actually, I said something like it will be next Thursday before we reach Cairo at this pace :-)  One of the leaders heard me and said we needed to go slower because of the wind.

We had a fuel stop every 100 kms and if we pushed it, we might not make the fuel stop.  Well, that made sense.  However, after that particular stop and my comment, all of a sudden, the pace picked up!  Great, I really wanted to get through Cairo before rush hour and dark!

One of our splash and dash fuel stops.  Since our day would be 500 kms, we needed to be quick to fuel and get back on the road.  No time to pee for the ladies today!

For the most part, we rode alongside the Red Sea, a reverse route of our first day.  Two lanes, one in each direction so we rode single file on the right shoulder so cars could easily pass.  The weather was perfect, sunny and clear but not too hot.  We made good time, occasionally playing the Egyptian Hokey Pokey.

Our fuel stops became quite efficient and as soon as the last bike was fueled we were off again.  CEC staff thoughtfully brought water and juice up and down the line of bikes and scooters so that everyone had an opportunity to hydrate at stops.  We still had a police escort but for some reason, it wasn't as strong a presence as before and sometimes cars or other vehicles would get in between the groups of riders.  However, we basically stayed together.

Our longest day on the scooters both in hours and miles.  It was a huge push as we wanted to get to the Pryamids in Giza before 4 pm when the gates would close.  The closer we got to Cairo, the busier the traffic became.  The police did try to keep traffic from us but weren't always successful.  We rode through a rather long stretch of road construction which made me laugh.  The little scooters have little to no suspension but seem to roll over pretty much anything.  Sometimes I was in the front of the pack and other times at the back.  By now, I knew who I was comfortable riding with and who I wanted to stay away from!  The intensity was magnified as we were feeling the time crunch to reach our goal.

We actually pulled over for a quick fuel stop where active road construction was going on.  Obviously, no place for ladies to pee - along the freeway with cars whizzing by and on the other side was machinery and workers.  Gack!  I kinda had to go :-(

Oh well, a splash of gas and we're back on the highway.  The police presence picked up the closer we got to Cairo proper.  I was happy about that as they were able to delay a lot of traffic until we got by.  At one checkpoint we had to crowd together to keep other traffic out of our group.  Unfortunately, one of our riders hit a pile of sand and went down.  In an attempt to avoid the down rider, another rider also went down.  Thankfully, both riders jumped right up, dusted off and climbed back on the scooters!  Oh thank goodness - so close to our finish and no real mishaps the entire trip, only a few lost mufflers and other mechanicals - but no people injuries and we certainly wanted that to last to the finish!

I pretty much had my eyes glued on the rider in front of me as we navigated through Cairo.  We had to ride in very close stagger formation and there simply wasn't much time to avoid any problems if one should occur.  I don't think I've ever been on such high alert, so aware of the situations surrounding me, so cognizant of other riders, road conditions, hazards and peripheral traffic.  I wasn't particularly tight or tense, just extremely aware of everything going on and there was a LOT going on.  And, we were near the end of our 500 kms after a long, warm, intense ride.

Finally, we exited off the freeway and onto surface roads where the police were even more helpful in getting us through traffic in one huge group.  After a checkpoint where Police dogs came through the ranks of scooters and motorcycles, we were allowed to go forward as one large group to the Pyramids. It was magical.  It was only our group as all other tourists had been sent out.  The press was there to capture our finish ride.  We were given very special status and allowed to ride around the back side of the Pyramids where tourists are not allowed.

 My honey, #16 was happy to complete the Cross Egypt Challenge.

 I'm all smiles as I realize we've reached the finish!  Nine days on a scooter crossing Egypt.  What an experience!

 Whew!  I'm tired :-)

 Everyone was excited.  Riding into the Pyramids as a group, we encountered some pavement, some sand, lots of rocks and more hazards to avoid.

 LOL, part of the Taiwanese group.  They were big on taking pictures and almost always laughing!

A view of the Pyramids very few get to experience personally.  It was truly an awesome feeling to ride to the back side.  The sun was low on the horizon and it would be dark shortly.  We made it just in time.  It was the pinnacle of our nine day Cross Egypt Challenge!  Hooray :-)

After our all too brief celebration at the Pyramids, it was back on the scooters to the finish hotel.  Again we had good police escort and managed to reach the finish hotel without incident.  We then had to get our scooters inspected for damage and turn in our keys before we were set loose.  We had no damage to report and once we were set free, we grabbed a cab and headed to the Cairo Marriott where we had stated this adventure days before.

It was a nice place to finish.  We did get a lot of very strange looks as we entered the lobby of this very fine hotel.  We were kind of stinky, definitely dusty and very tired.  Both wearing our green sleeves, toting our backpacks, helmets and pulling our wheeled carry-on bags, we were an odd looking pair for sure :-)  We quickly checked in and found our lovely room.  A quick shower and off to Harry's Bar for drinks and dinner completed our day.  Oh, that bed looked sooooooo inviting.

Off to dreamland only to be awakened by the shrill scream of the alarm at 4 am.  Yup, another early day but no scooters to ride.  Only a taxi ride to the airport where we caught our flight to Paris where we will spend a few days before the long slog home.

Stay tuned for the Paris installment :-)  Thanks so much for following along with us.  This has indeed been a great adventure.  When we get home, we'll post an Epilogue with more photos.  Until then...

Cheers,
Cletha

Cross Egypt Challenge - October 28, 29 & 30, 2015

October 28, 2015

Today, October 28, was a rest day with no excursions planned.  We went to bed early and slept in late – much needed rest.  Our day was spent doing nothing which was delightful.  We were able to get on the internet for a brief period but, alas, I was unable to fully update the blog.  For lunch, we decided to skip the buffet and ordered a cheeseburger at the bar.  Good decision!  Our burger was a bit different than what we’re used to at home but it was delish and was served with French fries.  We split the sandwich and felt quite satisfied.

Tonight was the big Cross Egypt Challenge 5^th Anniversary Gala dinner.  As usual, we waited and waited and waited.  Dinner was supposed to be at 7:30 but it was much closer to 9:30 before we ate.  However, we did have a beautiful setting on the hotel lawn next to the Nile River.  The moon was almost full creating a lovely glow on the water.  There was a group of Egyptian musicians meandering their way around the various tables as they played traditional music.  Before dinner was served, we were graced with the presence of the Mayor of Luxor himself who spoke to us welcoming us and telling us he and his town were delighted we chose to visit Luxor.  Following speeches we were set loose on the buffet and BBQ.  Dinner didn’t take long and we headed to bed as tomorrow would be an early day for riding.

October 29, 2015

Our 4:45 am alarm came way too early but we jumped up, eager to see what the day would bring.  Our bags were quickly packed and we slogged our way to the hotel lobby to drop off the luggage and grab some brekkie.  In line to fuel up the scooters and then finally, we’re off!  Where were we off to you might ask….well, we were off to Marsa Alam where some of the peeps would be scuba diving or snorkeling.   Marsa Alam has been a secret Mecca for divers for many years, but only recently has become more widely known.  Some of the divers in our group were very excited to check this box off their bucket list of life long dives.  All of us were to “camp” for the night.

Our ride today took us onto a lovely, curvy road.  Although the pavement was bad, no horrendous, in part, it was still a very fun ride!  I spied a camel carcass alongside the road – it was BIG! And ugly J  We also passed two herds of wild camels.  The first we’ve seen since Cairo.  Very cool.

We have mostly been traveling at around 80-90 kph today.  When we hit the bad pavement portions, of course we slowed down.  However, you would be tootling along at a good clip and then all of a sudden the pavement went from pretty decent to oh my heck!  We were doing the Egyptian version of the Hokey Pokey.  Left arm out, left arm in, right leg out, right leg in, hahahahha.  We had our road signs down pat and were using them voraciously.  I literally laughed out loud in my helmet watching those in front of me hokey pokey with their legs and arms pointing out various road hazards.  I think we missed most of them and those we hit weren’t serious enough to stop anyone.

A few hours into our ride, one of the riders in front of me pulled off to the side of the road.  His muffler was dragging!  No surprise, we were hitting a ton of bumps J  Fortunately, both Eric and I had no issues, however, I have noticed my windscreen is now starting to vibrate when at idle.  Those rough roads take their toll!

A few photos of a lunch stop.  Notice the lack of a place for the ladies to pee!  I'm amazed at how barren the desert is here.  Not a bit of vegetation, nothing but dirt and sand and rocks.

As we reached our destination for the day, we took a dirt road off the highway for maybe 1 km and what did we come upon?  A camp….a camel camp, (wadi ca’mel)….a camel camp with a camel racetrack….and an open air restaurant (buffet & bbq)….and a LOT of small REI or similar tents set up in the dirt with more being set up as we parked and unloaded luggage, etc.  Hmmmmm…..a building with two toilets and two showers and lots of tents with a second building, about the same some distance away with similar amenities.  Think primitive camping with pretty much zero facilities, not even a bush or a sand dune to go take care of business.  Now, remember we were a party of 70 riders and additional staff – so say maybe 100 peeps.  We weren’t the only peeps there.  Other similar tents were set up for other parties along with a number of Bedouin tents off on the hillside.  So, now we have “camping” for at least 150 peeps with limited facilities. Sound like fun?  Yup, it didn’t sound like fun to me either.

We found some shade while we waited a bit before we were assigned a tent.  We were given a tent, complete with two thick camping pad/cushions, but no shade for any of the tents.  There had been talk of solar power for charging, which had been described in a manner that made many of us wonder that the tents would each have this.  That was not the case.  Nowhere to sit except the tents.  The Red Sea beach was not visible but we were told it was only a 200 meter walk!  (other folks told us it was a looooong 200 meters)  They let us know the camel races started at 3, which they did.  The organizers did tell us a night of camping was in store for us, but not really to what degree, We were told about the camping night after we had signed up and paid for 4 or 5 star hotels every night.  Just to say, our expectations were not quite what this stop turned out to be.

When we entered the camp, we were told that all transactions had to be done in their camp currency which they called Guyoots (spelled phonetically, not correctly).  You could purchase a Guyoot which equaled one Guyoot for five Egyptian pounds.  Guyoots were used to purchase food, water and who knows what else!  We found out later that if you had Guyoots left over they would not buy them back.  Hahahaha, we were smart enough to not purchase any Guyoots ;-)

We had been on the scooters for the usual day in the hot sun and all of us were ready for a good shower, a cocktail or beer and an enjoyable afternoon.  A three person REI type tent on the dirt was not especially welcomed by all of us.  For those not doing the diving/snorkeling, it was an empty afternoon. The Characters of Egypt Festival showcased different Bedouin customs and had many things to see.  The festival did go on later than some stayed up for. 

 LOL, camels in the background!

 Tent city, Egypt :-)

 This is where the Camel Camp meals were served.

A Bedouin tent on the hillside.

October 30, 2015

We again were up before 5 am and fueling the bikes prior to brekkie.  The day’s ride was to El Gouna, just north of Hurghada along the Red Sea.  El Gouna is a walled city that was created much from scratch in the 1990's by an Egyptian multi-billionaire as a spot for wealthy Egyptians to relax and play, but has also been getting more western tours in the last few years.  Created from scratch as a resort city, it has everything you might expect, and more.  Though a little dated now, it is very well established and run.

An uneventful but fun scooter ride.  Not too hot today - just pleasant.  We have a beautiful room here at the Rihana Resort, part of The Three Corners hotel and resort holdings, which had all the required amenities.  Our ride today, again along the Red Sea, with stunning scenic views, went without mishap except for a minor wrong turn that was quickly corrected and one more muffler departing another scooter.  For the most part, everyone rode well today and we were all happy to get to our hotel shortly after noon.  

Of note was that we fueled upon arrival, to "steal some time from the next day".  Along that line, we also were informed that we would start 15 minutes early for wake up call and attempt to hit the road at 0500 in the morning for our last day's ride into Cairo.

 A fuel and rest stop along the Red Sea.

 Our little scooters!

 What's this?  Some vegetation in the desert?  We did spy bits of green growing here and there along the Red Sea.

 The view from our room tonight.

It was a very nice place!

Everyone pretty much called it a night as soon as the sun set and we finished dinner.  Tomorrow is our last day and will be our longest day, about 500 kilometers.  We will be riding through Cairo to Giza for a big finish of the Cross Egypt Challenge at the Pyramids!  Stay tuned for details.

Cheers for now,

Cletha