A trip (report) down memory lane - Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the 90s!

[RooFlyer]

We wended our way down to Najran, a Saudi town close to both the border with Yemen to the south and the great 'empty quarter' to the east.

Approaching it we went through stricter and stricter security checks (ie getting close to the Yemen border) - we had a letter (in fact several letters) from the Minerals Ministry which (we were told) 'guaranteed us clearance into Najran' but a couple times it seemed touch-and-go.

Najran is a historic trade centre and was occupied by the Romans on their way south. It was somewhat independent into the 20th century, aligned to the Yemini king but ultimately joined the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1934.

I loved the architecture of the area. As we went sought, we gradually got exposed to 'classic' Yemeni buildings, such as the tall, mud brick look-out towers which became defensive forts when the bad guys came by:









Unfortunately due to the numerous and sometimes lengthy security stops en route we didn't get to look around the town very much. But we liked what we saw:

 

[RooFlyer]

A last look at Saudi before we head across to Egypt.

We went shopping in Najran and came across this guy. Much friendlier than he looks, tried very hard with his English. I bought 4 of his woven bowls and today they are still prominent on the bookcase at home.






I've dug out two other souvenirs I got in Saudi.

A solid gold ring (you buy it by the gram in the souk) and an inscribed silver plated plate (it needs a clean!).






Onto Egypt, a different experience altogether!

 

[love_the_life]

Gorgeous bowls and the colours have held up well. Thanks for the TR (or the part so far) - it's a very different part of the world though some places you went would be well off limits for travel now I think.

 

[snabbu]

What an amazing experience, keep going RF! I really like the feeling the old slides give the report, more character for sure.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks!

Onto Egypt. As before, we did 2 trips which I'll combine into one. On the first trip, we only visited Cairo - the university, government departments, some accountants and law firms (to get the investment climate and rules). This was my first trip (ie including Saudi) to a non western country and it was a huge contrast to Saudi - much poorer, the buildings decrepit, seething masses of people. We were a bit apprehensive. There had been lethal attacks on tourists a couple of times the year before and just a few months before we arrived, a Nile cruiser had been fired on, killing a tourist. There were several more attacks in areas we had been in the months following our visit.

So even back then we had to be a bit cautious - I remember we always avoided the street where the AMEX building was and crossed the road so as not to walk past anything that said 'American'.

Egypt of course had some substantial gold deposits - the Pharaohs didn't get where they were just by trading and they had ample supplies of slaves!! We learned that the gold mines had shut in the 1950s, after Nasser's nationalisation of the industry. The present government's want of foreign investment to re-start mining and some judicious gift-giving (all legit!! mainly books) saw us promised an escorted 4WD tour into the 'Eastern Desert' between the Nile and the Red Sea south of Luxor for our second trip. We couldn't wait, although the Australian Ambassador was a bit toey about us heading 'out bush'.

I loved Cairo - once I got used to the maniacal driving and the seemingly suicidal pedestrians. I realised that the vehicles never really got fast enough to do a lot of damage and the thing was to force yourself not to worry. We had to cross town a number of times for meetings and we saw a lot that the tourists probably didn't see much of. Pity I didn't take more pictures, but this was the age of 35mm slides, and each had to count!

Cairo back street:




Friendly soldiers on patrol:




Cairo traffic




This guy knew a sale when he saw one. I was under strict instructions from my then present squeeze to bring back rose water ...




And of course, when you are in Cairo, even on business, thoughts turn to ....

 

[Major]

Amazing photos.

I really enjoyed our time in Egypt about 5 years ago and look forward to your photos away from the tourist areas

 

[RooFlyer]

People are welcome to post their current photos of the places I'm going to put up, for 'then-and-now' comparison .

We stayed at the Marriott - which I see is still the Marriott - on Zamalek Island, next to the Gezira Sporting Club.




These were NOT our bags!




View of mosque and Cairo Tower:



Some of the sporting areas next door:

 

[scaredeycat]

Fabulous trip report. I can relate to your comment that every slide had to count. How the world has changed.
Can you remember how many SCs you earned?☺

 

[RooFlyer]

Fabulous trip report. I can relate to your comment that every slide had to count. How the world has changed.
Can you remember how many SCs you earned?☺

Not a hope . I think it was actually Thai we flew to and from the region.

My travel colleague desperately wanted to film the pyramids at dawn (well before the gates open). But how? We asked the concierge at the Marriott and of course it was 'no problem' ... for a modest fee, paid to some-one he knows, who would lead us through a gap in the wall, evading the guards. What could possibly go wrong?

So up well before "sparra's" and in one of the hotel cars out to the pyramids, where we were dropped off about a km from the entrance, along the road that bounds the pyramids area. There out of the shadows (well, would have been shadows if it wasn't pitch black) came our guide. We arranged to be picked up in a couple of hours and followed our guide.

Sure enough, through a break in the brick wall that separates the pyramids area from the city skirting 'a guard house' and soon we were walking across the sands, still in the dark, following our guide. This is the approx. path we took:



On a small rise, we took our sunrise shots. But then it turned interesting. As we were ready to head out, our 'guide' gave his pitch. Basically, unless we gave him a lot more money, he would leave us there, "stranded". We would be trapped inside the grounds and arrested by the guards when they arrive. We were in a desert area, maybe 800m from where we came through the wall in the dawn gloom.

Ha! He didn't count on us being 2 geologists rather than a couple of (say) elderly Americans who may have caved to his demand. Once we made sure of he was actually trying to shake us down, we laughed at him and simply walked off. Of course we knew exactly where we were, and exactly how we would get back. He came after us, saying we would be arrested, but we told him to nick off, and headed for the next high point to take more photos. He took off somewhere and we walked back, through the wall (no guards ), met our ride back to town and had breakfast at the Marriott. I think we saw 3 other ones or twos getting an 'unofficial' early tour, one on a camel!!

Here's the sun rising over Cairo, looking east








And of course, those pyramids. Now I wasn't a terrific night photographer then (or now), and this is a med res scan of a 35mm slide, so isn't as good as it might be:

 

[RooFlyer]

More pics from our early morning visit.

One of the other infiltrators:



Pyramid of Menkaure with its three satellite pyramids (only one is actually a pyramid). Thought to date abt 2600BC



Sphinx (date unknown) and the Great Pyramid, the latter dating to abt 2,600 BC and the only Wonder of the Ancient World to remain reasonably intact.



Great Pyramid with Valley temple of Menkaure in mid ground and Coptic Christian cemetery in foreground




And one of my all time favourite pics. I have an enlargement of this on my wall and happy to say the sharpness and colours remain intact!

 

[RooFlyer]

There's not really too much about the pyramids that hasn't been photographed a zillion times, so here are a few ones to add to the total before we move one:




The original limestone facing of the pyramids is almost gone, leaving rough, eroding blocks:




Which in detail look like this:



The Sphinx of course is endlessly fascinating

 

[RooFlyer]

Back in Cairo and we were up Cairo Tower (post #27) like rats up a drainpipe ...

The sporting fields on the island, and the Marriott is the pink towers in the right middle distance:



Doing a sort of pan around to the right, facing downtown and the east :







Building on the right is another hotel/casino

 

[RooFlyer]

Does anyone have modern versions?

 

[RooFlyer]

The Egyptian Museum was a magnet.

First from the Cairo Tower



You know who these guys are:





After Cairo we flew to Luxor (entry point for the Valley of the Kings ) to start the field part of our trip. We did the clockwise loop thus, over a couple of days:

(Map changed)

 

[RooFlyer]

We were driven in 2 4WD by the Egyptian mines department, with a geo to show us around.

There had been a number of terrorist attacks in Egypt in the year prior to our arrival and it was a 'very bad tourist season'. This was highlighted by all the Nile Cruisers moored alongside at Luxor.



Around the Nile are irrigation channels and its all very lush:



As soon as you get away from the river, not so much!!



The wildlife were plentiful:



And well catered for.

 

[LadyC]

Some great photos RooFlyer!

 

[Buzzard]

What a fabulous TR RooFlyer. You are a lucky man.

 

[samiam]

Absolutely fantastic write-up RooFlyer - what a great memory for detail you have.

I love the 'authenticity' of your original (scanned) images - they convey something that a digital image (with valencia filter) just can't replicate... for me, a little like listening to vinyl vs. a clean digital track.

Big thumbs up.

 

[RooFlyer]

What a fabulous TR RooFlyer. You are a lucky man.

Yes, I have been . but stand by for some of the accommodation options below!

Absolutely fantastic write-up RooFlyer - what a great memory for detail you have.

I love the 'authenticity' of your original (scanned) images - they convey something that a digital image (with valencia filter) just can't replicate... for me, a little like listening to vinyl vs. a clean digital track.

Big thumbs up.

Thanks!


We crossed the eastern desert relatively easily and hit the Red Sea at Safaga (I had to change the map above a bit - I'd forgotten about Safaga). I think its a popular dive centre now but back then it was a market town and we bought flat bread and some fruit for lunch as we turned south.

Eventually we turned up a dry wadi and ground on for another hour or so, getting bogged a couple of times in the loose sand. We stopped and looked at some gold gougings on one of the hillside and some remains of what looked like buildings, or foundations.






Our geologist explained that the workings were dug by slaves and the ruins dated from Roman times :shock: Unfortunately I can't find many of my pics from this site.

A bit further on we came across some more recent buildings (1950s) and one of the ubiquitous local 'guides' was present (baksheesh required).




We continued driving up the wadi and stopped where there were more workings and some more signs of habituation. These, we were told, were Pharonic. Unusual word, and I didn't understand it at first. then - Oh! From the time of the Pharaohs - about 4,000 years ago. :shock: :shock: :shock:



As we walked about, we found the heaps where the gold ores were processed - by hand, by more slaves. There was lots of this sort of stuff - pottery (age could be anytime, really) - and grinding stones. Now they were amazing. This one is granite. They were everywhere; when they were worn out, they were just tossed aside.

 

[RooFlyer]

More grinding stones:






Future logistical problem. You can see the line of pits/workings (gold reef) across near the top of this hill. Rather unfortunate that some-one has thought the view was good and built their house on top of it.




We stopped here for afternoon tea. Hot as Hades but apparently it was good PR to meet some more locals (baksheesh required). Our accommodation that night wasn't much better - I kid you not! Strewth it got cold!