(Egypt) Where should I go? Where? For Europe!

[13/12/09~12 (D+834) Egypt/to Luxor] Where should I go? Where? For Europe!

I enter into Africa with a bike on 1st Jan 2013. I want to go out of Africa on 31st Dec 2013. It means I should hurry up to book my flight. But where should I go in Europe at first? Can I finish Egypt trip safely before flying to Europe?

If I cycle around Nile River, I have to face sexual harassment, children throwing stones at me and full of stupid flirting. So, I decide to take a bus from Aswan to Luxor. I though the last station of bus is Luxor. But suddenly a bus driver stops at a small village and tells me I have to get off here. I though Luxor is a very big city. The thing is a driver forgot stopping at Luxor. So I have to take a small mini bus with a bike and many bags.. Awe…….

I found www.agoda.com where I can find a promotion for booking hotel. It is my first time to book the hotel in advance through online. It is only $16 for one night for three starts hotel that I book four nights and paid with paypal. When I arrive in the hotel, I realize something. Although I’ve never stayed on three starts hotel, I am sure this hotel is not three starts hotel!!
But the service is very nice that the manager shows the room and gives me a fruit. They bring me breakfast which is enough food for the morning.
The manager is European, but she moves to Egypt after retire because her dream was to live near the Nile River. She said she fell in love with Egyptian before. But she broke up with him, because he was too machismo that he didn’t like her working.
When I talk to her that Egypt is only country I can’t cycle, she does agreed it.
I ask her how long she will live. She says she doesn’t know but it was her long dream that she wants to live at the next to Nile River as long as she can. Some place which doesn’t mean anything to one, actually that place could mean whole dream of some other one.
Egypt is different from Sudan that I can buy beer. So I buy some beer and some cheap bread for dinner. Long time no see this peace.

I want to spend a new year in the plane. When I had hitchhiked in Canada, I had experience about time changing. Canada is too big that I saw in a car four times time is changing. I had realized that the time is not the important one. It is another social thing. New year, Thanks giving day, Christmas etc..
So I want to book a plane at the end of year.

Many people use skyscanner.com for finding cheap flight. But actually this website is not the best way to book the flight. Usually this website is good for finding and checking cheap way and date. But you should not book the flight through this website, because you have to pay fee for other website which is connected. The best way is to understand the cheap way and date through this website, and then go to the website of airplane and check every date. I find cheaper way and two pieces of luggage free in Saudi Arabia Airline

At first I asked people on my facebook page online.
“Plan for Europe. I don’t book my flight yet. I will do it soon. How do you think about my plan? Three months in Schengen, Three months out of Schengen, then I can get another three months Schengen.
I am sure it would be so cold to cycle. But I do want to see Northern Lights that I can’t start from South Europe. If I go to South Europe, then I can’t go to Northern part. No time for visa.
I will hitchhike to Sweden to see Aurora. I will leave my bike at Denmark.”

Most of people said it is not a smart idea that it will rain every day and I will be wet very day.

So, I edit the route. At this time, the plan is to start from the Southern Europe. I just realize that I can see northern lights in Sep. I know it because I had an experience which I got while staying in the northern Canada.

I can stay only three months in Schengen Area, 26 countries in Europe. If I go out for three months, then I can get another Schengen visa. I must be careful about it not to stay longer than 90 days in Schengen area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

I am totally sure that the plan will be changed while I cycle, because I will get much information. But, there was a big problem that I couldn’t pay the ticket on the website of Saudi Airline. Egypt is kind of a sanction country. I can’t pay Skype and airplane. But I paid hotel on online before! So, it means some is working and some is not.
I tried to use VPN which makes my Ip change to US. I used free VPN such as SoftEther VPN Client Manager, CyberGhost, Hotspot Shield, Open VPN -TAP, PrivateTunnel <- all of them doesn’t work!!! Useless!!
Free VPN

Free VPN  <- I could pay skype through it. But I couldn’t pay it for an airplane still. I have tried paying flight ticket from 9 am to 5 pm. All day!!!!! At the 5 pm, I try expedia.com. Although I have to pay $7 more for fee, I succeed. Oh.. Finally I am going to leave AFRICA! Yeah! I am so happy to leave this continent. As a solo woman cycling in Africa was too much stress.. shame…

Finally I finish a big home work. At the last day in Luxor where is so famous for ruins I go out for touring. Hahaha.
I go to a mummification museum. It is 60 pounds ($9) which is the same price as Nubian Museum, but it is too small and there is only one human mummy. Oh.. But I’ve stayed almost one hour, because I read all of explanation. hahahahaha
It is so funny that the ancient people , 4000 years ago, could make a huge pyramid and mummy, but they couldn’t make electronic or computer. But we, 21c people, could not make mummy which can last for 4000, but we can make the rocket for going to the moon. So funny.. Interesting!

Karnak is the most famous temple in Egypt that I must visit! The temple is so huge that it takes longer to tour. But I didn’t go there directly. Why did I go to the local market? I don’t know. Haha.

I just hang around in the market. Actually I like to walk at the local place IF they don’t flirt at me. It is sorry that there are not many tourists that many shops are closed because of unstable politic situation.

They play some board game. I just stand beside them to watch. An elder guy gives me to have seat. It seems they put the stuff at the same number. But it looks that they are going to fight soon. I’ve heard that Egyptian’s accent is too strong as if they are fighting.

This is Kushari which is an Egyptian dish of rice, lentils and other mixed together. They give me a tomato sauce and some hot sauce separately.

I’ve heard from other person who lives in Sudan that Egypt is much cheaper and nicer. I want to buy some pants before going to Europe which is too expensive place. But I couldn’t find cheap and nice one. When I get to Karnak temple, it is already 4 pm. I am too late, but tomorrow I have to leave. Entrance fee is 80 pounds ($12).

A local guy follows me and says he will guide me. So I hire him, but he explains only 20 minutes and is gone. Um….. Anyway it is better to listen something about the history.

Sacred animal

Karnak temple is built in BC 2000, and most of pharaohs (king) add their temple more in Karnak that it is being built for 1500 years. That’s why Karnak temple is the biggest temple in the world.

Some of them still keeps the color. Pharaoh is worship a god.

There is a famous woman king in the history of ancient Egypt history. Her name is Hatshepsut. This obelisk is built by her.

A giant scarab beetle is situated near to the Sacred Lake.

Karnak is worse destroyed than Abu simbel.

The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of Thebes and its changing role in the culture. The term Karnak often is understood as being the Precinct of Amun-Re

It is well-kept that its color is so beautiful.

Horus and Thoth(Gods) are anointing Queen Hatshepsut with the Ankh, key of life.
About twenty years after her death her stepson Tuthmosis III undertook steps to eliminate all traces of her, smashing statues, and defacing inscriptions.

This is built after Ptolemaic period.

Karnak temple’s wall carving makes me so curious about their history. I wish I have so much enough time to understand many things of them.

I like this carving so much that it looks they love each other deeply. I saw it when I was at Abu Simbel.

There are much different kind of statue and carving, because it has been built for 1500 YEARS!!!

Pharaoh is attacking enemy in the war.

It is destroyed too much.

I make some mistake that I didn’t know there are more ruins at the right side.

Now I understand everything. When I finished touring at the end of temple, I though the temple is not big. But it is my misunderstanding. It is big, but I didn’t know that there is the right side.

It is already dark. Oh.. I do want to see more. I am so curious!!!!!

I like this kind of carving such as bird’s wing. There are so many ruins that they are still working to restore it. They are discovering with this kind of way and put it all together later.

Today is too cold that I don’t want to come again in the night for watching Light show. It is said that today is the coldest day in 102 years. Am I lucky? Hahaha.

I was looking for information of Light show, but I couldn’t find it on online. So, I take the picture for somebody who might look for it. The price around 100 pounds ($12)

When I posted about a bad experience of sexual harassment on facebook page, many Egyptians apologized to me via private message and comment. I feel so sorry to them. I didn’t want to blame all of them. Just I want to blame the people who treats me badly.
I come to the hotel and am being ready to go back to Aswan. Why come back? Because I am invited to Egyptian cycling trip for four days. But from Aswan to Luxor, cycling will be only two days.
Yeah, it is much better anyway to try anything I can do it. I had posted on many Egyptians cycling club on facebook to look for finding people who can cycle with me, because I cannot cycle alone as a solo woman around Nile River in Egypt. And then GBI Egypt cycling team contacts to me and invite me to their trip. What a good chance! Thanks!

It is time to cycle. Let’s try!