AA15 - End Lyrics

Leaving Caïro on a Saturday morning was probably a good idea, since there was hardly any traffic when the taxi drove me to the Airport. A mere 100Egyptian Pound (11,5€) I was standing where the Egyptian Adventures started. Caïro Airport. Flying back to Belgium brought me back to reality. And here I am, back at work and everything continuing like nothing ever happened.

AA15 - Day 13: Chaotic Cairo

2 more days left. Only two days after two weeks flew by;.Still two days in this overvrowded, but still somewhere charming, maybe even romantic Chaotic Caïro. 22million people is not easy to handle. But in a way in all this chaos people seem to find there way. Getting to there jobs, family, pyramids etc., sometimes kissing, maybe even slightly hitting a car, van or taxi on the way there, but still... there's something about this mass cities, that makes me fall in love of each and everyone of them.

AA15 - Day 10-12: RennesUnion #2 in Adorable Alexandria

It took us a full day of driving from Hurghada back to Caïro. The beautiful sight of the Red Sea on our right side and the desert on our left, made up for most of it though! Blows your mind how so much water cannot change desert into one single tree. Oh sorry, not true. There was one three. During the whole day we actually saw one (not man-planted) tree. I was too surprised to take a picture.  At the end of the day, we were but capable of finding a Spot to eat and hang out at the hotel before I gave up and went to bed. Unfortunately our airconditioning wasn’t working in our room. Luckily we could change to another one where…. it did not work either… Small tip for everyone going to the Middle East: be sure to have a room with working airconditioning, because you’ll miss it most when it’s not there!

A mere four hours of proper sleep later, our alarm clock rang and at 7.30AM we had breakfast at our hotel, Caroline Crillon, which was the same as Day 1’s. Back to our bus for a 3,5hrs ride to Alexandria!

AA15 - Day 8-9: Finding Nemo in Hurghada

The ocean! The Red Sea! So there is still water after all the desert! A recap of Hurghada, capital of Russia in Egypt, where luxurious all-in resorts are standard and snorkling or diving are highly recommended.

AA15 - inbetween

Seeing the ocean after 10days in the Desert makes you realize how small this big world really is. Hurghada-post coming soon, but I wanted to share these with you already...

AA15 - Day 6-7: Luxor, Capital of Ancient Egypt

Arriving in Luxor, we headed straight to our hotel. The Royal House Hotel (not recommended) was located in the southern part of the Eastern Bank of Luxor. A quick shower later, we were all back in the bus, on our way to Karnak Temple, in the center of Luxor.

Panorama shot of Karnak Temple

AA15 - inbetween

Snaps from Luxor, Capital of Ancient Egypt.

1. Karnak Temple
2. Valley of the Kings
3. Hatshepsut Temple

AA15 - Day 4-5: Egypt: a gift of the Nile

Yes, indeed! We sailed the Nile for two whole days!

Panoramashot from the Upper Deck

AA15 - Day 2-3: Welcome to Alaska

Arriving to Aswan by night train at 8AM, we headed straight for our hotel, the Nubile Nile Hotel a block away from the trains station and conveniently situated in the city centre of this hot city. With temperatures rising +40C easily, Aswan is all but Alaska, hence the irony when locals welcome you to Alaska when they see you pass by, huffing and puffing because it's already 35 degrees at 9AM... 

Cheers from Lake Nasser!

AA15 - Invloed van IS op AA15

Short description of my brief contact with the belgian Embassy in Caïro, Egypt after the recent developments in Western Egypt.

Conclusion: Unfortunately we will alter our Route and not go to the Western Desert. Luckily, the alternative route is also looking promising. Keep you posted on that!

_safe travels!

AA15 - inbetween

Quick snaps from amazing Abu Simbel...

Head of a falkon

Head is part of a bigger body, see legs behind as well 

Falkon is only a small part of the huge Abu Simbel Temple of Ramses II

Full view on the temple + me for size comparison

Second temple, erected in dedication of Ramses II's wife and queen

AA15 - Day 1: Giza Necropolis' Pyramids

After a four hour flight from Brussels, I landed in Caïro around 8PM. Be sure to double check your clock, as mine adjusted itself while actually there is no time difference with Belgium during summer. 

Embrasing them, like they embrace history.

AA15 - inbetween

Smallest of Three Pyramids of Giza

Today we went to visit the Pyramids of Giza, as well as the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum. Oh... and I went INSIDE a pyramid.
Hope to be able to write it all down soon. Off to Aswan by night train!

AA15 - inbetween

Arrived safe and sound at the Caroline Crillon Hotel in Giza, Caïro, Egypt.
Exhausted, tomorrow on to discover the Pyramids!

North-African Adventures 2015: #AA15: Day 0

every day is a journey

and the journey itself

we call home


Finally. After over six months since my last proper trip outside of Belgium, the next one has arrived! 


Finishing the biggest project SmartSpotter Belgium ever had, not accidentally lead to me leaving on a two week holidays to Egypt! We aced the project, and I hope that our customers think the same of our services! 


Took me a while to figure out which country would be next on my Travelmap, but Egypt won this times' competition! Moreover, I'll meet up with a long lost friend in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, concluding in a Erasmus Rennesunion#3 for me!


Some people where quite ancious when I told them I'd be travelling to Egypt, part of them being the parents (but hey, you'd expect them to say that) but even some of my colleagues made the remark... I promise to be careful guys! Well... at least when I sleep! To put these people at ease, I dedice to do a fully guided tour around the country. This means that all transport and hotels are booked in advance and we have a proper schedule to hang on to, altough you always get to have proper time to chill out on your own or in smaller groups. I'll be travelling with : Joker, a belgian organisation for adventurous trips, in cooperation with Intrepid, offering the Explore Egypt Trip. As shown on the picture, we will be travelling throughout the centre and west of the country, hopefully without meeting too many tourists, as I always prefer discovering new places with natives, rather than with the regular tour busses around you.


#NAA15

Beneath you can see the, by now, traditional picture of my backpack for yet another trip. I finally managed to get the flags of countries I've visited over the years on my backpack. There are still some missing though... Egypt will be country nr. 31! I will try to blog as often as I can, but need to go now. My plane's about to take off! 


_safe travels!


Traditional picture of all that comes along the trip All necessary info about Egyptian diplomacy etc., can be found here: Belgian Diplomacy for Egypt
Oh, and by the way: #NAA15 stands for North-African Adventures 2015.