Out of the Desert

After five days in the desert we have arrived in Luxor. It’s hardly surprising that more than 90% of the population live on less than 10% of the land when you contrast the unending sand and rock of the desert with the lush green of the banks of the Nile. Having not seen a tree for five days as we cycled east from Cairo, down the Red Sea to Hurghada and then back east towards Luxor, it was wonderful to encounter the bright greens of the fields as we arrived back at the Nile.

Part of the beauty of travel by bike is that you get to see the landscape change progressively – there was no progression with this though, from desert to green in an instant.

Road through the desert

Road beside the River Nile

The change in landscape bought a huge change in people and roads – once we hit the green stuff, we were no longer alone on the road, from riding three abreast and occasionally seeing a passing truck, now we were joined by donkeys pulling carts laden high with sugar cane and trucks filled with donkeys; tuk tuks , pick ups and hundreds of children. Having met very few Egyptians as we travelled through the desert, we were now surrounded by the jumping and shouting of every child we passed, craving a wave. Cycling along the Nile was a little like Groundhog Day as there were no real villages as such, just a never-ending line of houses and fields along the banks; the excited children chorusing ‘Hello!’ was marvellous, but made for very tired arms as we had to wave for 60km – we now know why the Royal Family wave so reservedly.