Luxor on the Nile

From Port Ghalib we make a land trip to Luxor on the Nile, the old Thebe where the rich pharaoh's have held their court for a long time and have built enormous and luxurious temples. On the east bank of the Nile we find the extraordinary temple complex of Karnak with sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Thebean gods and the greater glory of the pharaohs. A confusing but interesting and impressive experience. Luxor temple is in the heart of the modern town itself, a graceful monument with impressive statues and relief's on the walls. In the evening we return to Karnak for a sound and light show about the history of Thebe.

The river Nile still is very important for Egypt and the Egyptians as a means of goods traffic by water, irrigation of land to grow food and to carry the tourists to the historic places. Many cruise ships are moored in three rows along the quays and also small Nile barges with triangle, latin rig, sail are waiting daily for their passengers. While all the bustling life is taking place on the east bank, the pharaohs also made their extensive preparations for a pleasant after life, and they understand this should be on the west bank, the place where the sun is going down and where they can expect a next life. In the then uncultivated area they had made hidden underground well decorated corridors and chambers with food and richness's, and their tombs. Many graves have been found and restored as in the 'Valley of the Kings'.

At the foot of dramatic rugged limestone cliffs that rise nearly 300 m above the desert plain lies the temple of Queen Hatshepsut that blends in beautifully with the cliffs from which it is partially cut. Nice views from there over the Nile valley, the only 5% of the land of Egypt that can be used to grow food. There we see green plants and light coloured farmhouses with people working on the land. The papyrus plant that also grows along the Nile is the basis for making rough sheets of paper. The alabast is another treasure of nature from which craftsmen make fine vases and plates.

Slideshow Luxor

Port Ghalib marina complex

The first real harbour along the coast of Egypt is Port Ghalib. This is a very modern and new complex with apartments, hotels, big palm trees, restaurants, a 'souks' with souvenir shops and a marina under construction. The first super yachts are anchored already (Mediterranean style, stern to), most of them owned and operated by dive companies with all-in dive tours. After Malaysia this is the first time we have ample fresh water, so we clean Alexandra thoroughly and flush all the sand and dust away (for as long as it lasts).

We have a pleasant stay here and frequent and interesting meetings with the other yachties. We also get to know Diny and Peter van Eijk from the Netherlands, who enjoy a holiday here to meet their son Arjan and his friend Florian on the Dutch yacht 'Pegasus' who are sailing a special trip around the world. They don't succeed to catch up together because of too strong northerlies against 'Pegasus'. See: https://www.speakersacademy.com/nl/spreker/florian-dirkse/

Slideshow PortGhalib

Islands, reefs and marsa's in Sudan

Sailing along the coast of Sudan is easily done in day trips with every time another island, reef or marsa to drop the anchor for a quiet night. But every now and then we have force 6 winds from the north and then you have to stay a bit longer on the anchorage before going on. In Sanganeb reef it is good to snorkel and we find a wreck with beautiful corals and heaps of small fish around. The brick lighthouse on the south tip of the reef is a conspicuous structure and a beacon for the cargo ships to Port Sudan.

A marsa (or sharm or khor) is an inlet from the sea into the land, a sort of lagoon of inner lake with a rather small entrance between two reefs. These are beautiful anchorages sheltered from sea and swell, but not protected from the wind because the land around, mostly desert, is usually low. They are special as we can see in marsa Fijab, marsa Arakiya, khor El Marob (deep and impressive to enter, you are anchored in the middle of the desert with just one camel on the shore) and marsa Umbeila, close to the (unofficial) border with Egypt. Marsa Umbeila is not that big and we can easy land the dinghy to make a walk on the beach, we discover a nomad graveyard, or see a bit more of the hills in the desert. There is a birthday party of one of the yachties in an abandoned cave on the beach. In the evening a dugong (sea cow) is grazing on the grass in the bay and we also spot a turtle.

On top of that there is excellent snorkeling and diving on the reefs in the entrance of the marsa: nicely coloured coral, big fans and a lot of smaller and bigger fish, an underwater paradise, even a bit better than the nearby Elba reef. After a few days we have to go on and we sail and motor sail another night to Dolphin reef where we can swim almost daily with a pot of dolphins (very special). Behind Abu Galawa reef we find another protected anchorage against the northerlies and there is again very fine diving.

Slideshow CoastSudan

Suakin in Sudan

Within a few days we are in Khor Nawarat in south Sudan, a beautiful reef with good anchorages, and from there it is a pleasant sail along the coast and through Shubuk channel to reach the (small) port of Suakin. The anchorage for the yachts is next to the 'old city' and in passing by 'old Suakin' we get the impression that an earthquake has taken place: a few battered minarets tower above the rubble of ruins and damaged buildings. A great photo opportunity!

In the 'new' city of Suakin the houses don't look so much better, although quite some people seem to live here. We imagine ourselves in the decor of an Arabic film: men walk in long white robes with brown or black sleeveless vests, most of them wear a turban. Also some women on the streets, well wrapped up, but not only in black, there are red and pink garments and one or two ladies with a printed shawl. The men sit on the verandas of their neglected houses or walk in pairs. Most transport of sacks and iron water tanks is done by donkey and donkey carts. Only at the end of the main street, past the small and busy market, there is the parking place with workshops, small restaurants, busses, taxi's and tuk-tuk's. It s really a shame the people don't allow us to take pictures of them: they start screaming and walk away as soon as we take our camera in our hand, because also they have a sharp eye on us, of course!

By taxi we visit the bigger town of Port Sudan, a ride of about an hour on a good bitumen road through the desert. Near Suakin still some neighbourhoods with wooden and corrugated iron hovels, often near a little bit more 'luxury' small mosque, but further on areas with only sand and every now and then some shrub, some camels and one or two people with donkeys. Sudan is an African country with quite dark people and a lot of Arabic influences because of immigration from other Red Sea area's. In the market in Port Sudan the salesmen do their best on the presentation of the fruits and veggies.

Slideshow Suakin

Asmara in Eritrea

Eritrea means 'land on the Red Sea' and from the port of Massawa it is more than a 3 hour trip with a local minibus over a bitumen road with the higher we get the more hairpin curves and spectacular views! After the third and last 'checkpoint' where our temporary visa are inspected, we run on 2 km height and under dark grey clouds into the capital Asmara at around 5 p.m. Walking through town to our 'pensione' it strikes how clean the streets are. Around this time a lot of people are on their way and we see most of them wear long pants and jackets or jumpers. The difference in temperature with Massawa in the evening is 15-30 degrees and we welcome the 15-30 degrees Celsius after the months of tropical heat.

Eritrea has been a colony of Italy and under the influence of the Italians from ca. 1850 to 1940. Especially in the main street, a wide boulevard with large and tall palm trees on both sides, you imagine yourself in Rome in the 1920-30's. Men in costumes, sometimes with heads, Art Deco buildings, terraces where you can get espresso, capuccino and all kinds of pastry, fashion shops and italian restaurants with pasta, pizza, fish, etc. This is 'little Roma' in Africa with African prices, very cheap! And dark people of course. Daily at 5 p.m. all people come to this boulevard to walk and talk, have a drink and bite, and hear the gossip. Young boys sell chewing gum, cigarettes, toothpicks, tissues and coins with the head of Mussolini ...!

Halfway the main boulevard is a magnificent cathedral, with traditional furnishing, and with a bell tower that we went up by over a hundred steps. At the schoolyard next to the cathedral the young children have their playtime and they wear white aprons with sleeves over their own clothes, in a very old-fashioned catholic and Italian way!

Very modern is a reasonably well organized recycle 'junk yard', a collection place for old iron, old wood, barrels, drums, cans, etc. etc. with around the yard many workshops where people are hammering, sawing, beating, welding. From the oildrums the bottoms are removed and then they make small oilsquirts from it. Also we saw 'new' ovens, soupladdles and heaps of reasonably sorted parts, screws, bolts, rods, you name it. An active recycle market from which we in Europe can follow their example.

On Sundays the steamtrain rides the route that the Italians have laid out and build and that is restored about 10 years ago. It's a great experience with tremendous views over valleys, villages, the railway itself with some 20 tunnels and viaducts along the road. The trip takes from 08.00 till 13.00 hours. During the ride we have to stop several times to load coals and water, while the passengers get Eritrean coffee burned, grinded and brewed in the traditional way.

Slideshow Asmara

Red Sea

On March 7th in the early morning we sail through the Strait of Bab el Mandeb, the southern access to the Red Sea. There is a brisk SE wind of 20-25 knots (force 6 Beaufort) and soon we surf over the waves that get higher all the time. Our speed increases as the wind is tightening and we feel: this is spectacular sailing! Although we are disappointed that the colour of the Red Sea waters didn't change. Our first anchorage we find behind an island in the Bay of Assab, the former main port of Eritrea. The winds keep blowing and there are too many waves to go ashore and explore the new continent. Next days are with a same wind from same direction and we make good progress with anchorages in between, that are protected against the big swells but we hear the wind howl through the rigging all the time. We follow the interesting coastline of south Eritrea with dark (volcanic?) hills covered with thin layers of almost white sand.

On Friday morning around 11.00 o'clock we see a sort of brownish red curtain along the coast and the wind is getting more hot and more dry. Very slowly the brown-red cloud is approaching and passing, we feel a light tingle on our face, arms and legs. When the fog has disappeared, we find a reddish layer of dust and fine sand on the deck, on the sails and everywhere on Alexandra. All around us fine red dust has been descended on the waves as well and we are sailing in a red glow, in a Red Red Sea. The port Massawa in Eritrea has suffered a lot from the war with neighbouring Ethiopia that the coastal areas with harbours to the Red Sea claims as part of Ethiopia and not as an independent state. Many (previous interesting) buildings are probably irreparable destroyed.

Slideshow RedSea

Aden in Yemen

For the last leg in the Gulf of Aden we have a good wind and hardly any traffic. On February 26th we anchor in front of Aden town just in time to hear from the several mosques the call for the Friday prayers. Aden is not really a clean city and that also applies for the harbour where ocean going ships unload containers and refuel with diesel. The south of Yemen has been a colony of England (Aden has its own 'Big Ben'), the north has been occupied by the Turks. Since the independence of the Republic and the going together of north and south Yemen in 1991, both area's don't get on very well. This has resulted in riots in 1994 and that threat is still there.

Large parts of the city are build against the bare volcanic hills. We are happy to have a good guide and driver and we make a tour to the impressive water reservoirs. After a heavy rainfall of five hours they are now filled up for one third. The waterworks have been build probably during the Ottoman era (before 1800). Near the fish market the fleet of fishing boats has just entered and there is a choice of everything. In 'Arab town' it is always busy and crowded. Most of the transport of the merchandise is still done by cart and camel. On several of the public buildings we see a portrait of the president, de flag of Yemen is red-white-black.

Slideshow Aden