Afrika, Afrika, Afrika

(English and photographs below)

Middag!

Ek en die KLR is in Egipte.

Toe ek die grenslyn oorgesteek het, was dit kompleet of dinge in plek begin val het, Wat het my oortuig dat ek terug in Afrika was?

– Direk na die grens is ek vir die eerste keer tee aangebied, gratis.

– Almal was vriendelik.

– Ek moes nege fotostate by die vyfster Hilton hotel in Taba laat maak. Koste: Gratis!

– Terwyl ek op die fotostate gewag het, het een personeellid aan sy kollegas sjokolades uitgedeel. Ook ek het een gekry. Die rede? Sy suster het getrou.

– In die doeanegebou was daar daar drie kantore: Een vir doeane, een vir versekering, een vir die verkeerspolisie. Binne 90 minute het ek alles gehad, doeaneklaring, versekering, nuwe nommerplate (verpligtend vir Egipte) en ‘n gelamineerde lisensieskyfie. Afrika my hartskontinent!

Ek het gisteraand langs die Rooi See oornag. Dit was ‘n sprokie. Die water was so helder ek kon verskeie vissie gesit en dophou het. Eendag wil ek nog by die Rooi See gaan vakansie hou en snorkel.

In Egipte is daar baie polisie padblokkades. By nie een is ek nie vriendelik ontvang en met ‘n “Welcome to Egypt” begroet nie.

Ek is terug op die kontinent wat ek “huis” noem.

Die laaste bewys vir my dat dinge na normaal besig is om terug te keer, is my sonbril. Ek het die hoeveelste een in my lewe gebreek. Ek kan net nie ‘n sonbril hou nie, dis hoekom ek deesdae die goedkoopte koop. Die een was al oud, drie en ‘n half weke om presies te wees.

Ek gaan nou die KLR Kairo toe neem, en dan moet ek Egipte verlaat en weer terugkom sodat ek in my paspoort met geen Israelse stempel, ‘n binnekomsstempel kan kry.

Dit gaan goed met my en die KLR.

Groete!

Rooisee: Hier wil ek kom vakansie hou / Red Sea: I would love to come back and spend some time here, without the KLR!

Ek het lank voor sonop vanoggend begin ry. Net na sonop het ek die eerste kameel van die toer gesien / I started riding long before sunrise this morning. Just after sunrise I saw the first camel of my tour.

Dis waarvan drome (en nagmerries) gemaak is / The stuff dreams (and nightmares) are made of.

English

Good afternoon!

The KLR and I are in Egypt.

Yesterday morning as I crossed the border I suddenly felt at home. Everything felt so familiar, and suddenly there was a system that functioned.

Why did I feel at home?

– Just after the border I was offered tea for the first time, for free.

– All the officials were friendly.

–  I had to make nine photocopies at the five start Hilton in Taba. Cost: For free!

– While waiting at the Hilton one of the staff members offered his colleagues chocolates, to me as well. The reason: His sister got married.

– In the customs building there were three offices: One for customs, one for insurance, one for the traffic police. Within 90 minutes everything had been done. I had the customs clearance, the prescribed insurance, and the new number plates for the KLR and a laminated license disc.

I spent the night last night at the Red Sea at Taba. It was a fairy tale setting, with the water so clear and blue I’ve never seen before. For a long time I sat and watched the fish swimming around. I would love to return one day for a snorkeling holiday (without the KLR)

While travelling in Egypt one is stopped at road blocks by the police quite often. It impressed my time and again how friendly they are. Today each time I was greetd with a “Welcome to Egypt!”

I am back on the continent that I call my “home”.

The last proof that things are returning to normal is my pair of sunglasses. I broke it this morning. I do not manage to keep a pair of sunglasses for long. That is why I go for the cheapest. This were actually quite old, a full three and a half weeks!

I am going to take the KLR to Cairo and then I have to leave Egypt for a few days so that I can get an entry stamp in my passport, in which there are no Israel stamps.

Now for the rest of Africa!

Regards to all of you!