Bike the Nile

Day 1

We all arrived safe and sound on Saturday. We are all very excited! For a lot of people this is their first cycle ride! We arrived quite late into Cairo and everyone was quite tired. The traffic to the hotel was terrible and the drivers drove like crazy!

On Sunday, we had a morning trip to the pyramids and it was really surreal, seeing them after hearing about them so much. We went into one with a massive high ceiling pyramid through a tunnel on all fours and then we went onto see the Sphinx. We had lunch at a lovely seafood place. A lot of people bought paintings to take home.

 We then went onto the museum which was absolutely massive with a two-hour guided tour. We saw Tutankhamun and then went to the market, which was chaotic! We grabbed some dinner at a hotel and then we took the evening flight to Luxor, which is so much more quieter and beautiful than Cairo!

We then took a transfer to our boat and people started getting excited about cycling the next day!

Today is Monday morning and are about to have our bike fitting. We will start cycling  this afternoon and will keep you updated!

By the way, Keith has just found out that the team he coaches has won the local football league so congratulations to them!

Day 2

We all had a really good breakfast. We got onto the boats in the dark when we couldn't see the Nile or surrounding area so  it was great to wake up and see the riverbank in the morning. It was already quite warm and hazy. We travelled down the Nile and came to a lock, which we were meant to go through and start cycling on the other side but we arrived there 3 minutes too late before they closed it off for lunch and we were hanging out there for a while and had to postpone the cycle ride. Our ground handler rang a few people and the lock opened for us so we were finally able to go through. 

 Janet: This is not Mongolia! I'm actually having fun! Mind you, cycling hasn't started yet...

Caroline, Louise and Abbie: Being ourselves and relaxing on the boat before going cycling and our teeth haven't worn out yet!

Anne: Not cycling yet, enjoying ourselves.

Afternoon: Marianne led the warm up on top deck and then we got our bikes ready for our first afternoon of cycling. We cycled through really stunning green palm trees and sugar-caned fields and all the children came waving. There were donkeys on the road and animals and cows in the field. Everyone did really great and they all finished. We only did 52 kilometres today. Lucy got sugar cane leaves thrown at her! Then we came back, had a lovely dinner on the boat. Most of us went to bed early as there was an early morning wake up call the next day.

Day 3

Today was a 5.40 wake up call and we were all on our bikes by 7 o'clock. It was warm even that early on in the day. Mel managed to cycle into one of our escort police cars and ended up through the window on top of the driver, which he was quite surprised about.

After that we managed to set off safely. We cycled out the town and out into the desert. It was quite a contrast to the greenery of the day before. The desert landscape was spectacular, a bit like a scene from Star Wars. Every now and again you came across square patches of green that was quite odd to see. Today was extremely tough as it got so hot so quickly and there was no shade. Everyone was covering themselves in water to cool down. It got to about 40 degrees, maybe even more, by about 10.30-11 o'clock, which really took its toll on people. By lunchtime it was so hot that a few people had to jump on the van. We had a much needed two-hour lunch break in a huge tent next to the Nile. Some people had a snooze and a dip in the Nile. Doctor Nick stripped off to his underpants and jumped in. 

We got up to leave at 3pm and cycled on down an endless road through the desert in this 40 degree heat. Inspite of the heat, everyone was really great and had their spirits up. At  the last stop before the end of the ride we met a German guy who had been cycling for the last four and a half months -  he said that today was the worst day of his ride so far....just to put how difficult the challenge is into perspective!

 All the group did the last leg down to the Nile. We then took a small launch across the river to our boat, which was really spectacular. We had a bit of onboard entertainment with tamborines and singing. Bob and Janet were dancing in the middle of the boat. We went back to our boat for dinner and some of us went to the Aswan market to look for outfits for our fancy dress party on Saturday.

Day 4

Another early start. Everyone is feeling a bit sore after the epic day yesterday.

On our bikes by 7 o’clock. We cycled through Aswan to the water, took a small boat across to an island to visit a temple and we had great views over the water and the plants and trees running along the side.

Then we cycled to the low dam. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cycle across the dam as we planned because the security was quite tight. We hopped in a van and drove the 4km across the dam and we visited a big monument signifying Russia and Egypt uniting and then we went and visited the upper dam.

After this we cycled back down through the busy streets of Aswan back to the boat for a barbecue on the top deck.

Day 5

Today was the longest day of the cycle ride at 122km, so everyone was a bit apprehensive especially as they had already spent so much time in the saddle already!  We had a very early start with a wake up call at 5:30am!  All a bit of a shock to the system!  We were on the bikes by 6am.  It was quite cool outside which was a bit of a novelty considering the blazing heat of Tuesday but we knew it wouldn't last long!  It was a beautiful morning, the sun was rising and there was a hazy mist over the fields.  We were heading northbound on the east bank of the river.

Although we thought we had put it behind us on Tuesday, we did cycle through some desert again today and past another cattle graveyard!  As the morning progressed the wind really started to pick up.  We came to our first uphill of the day which went on and on up a windy path and everytime you thought it would go down it carried on up.  The wind became really strong making it all the more difficult - even the downhills were hard and people found they had to change down gears to tackle them.

The wind carried on relentlessly all day so we were constantly battling with it, being blown across the road sometimes!  We cycled through a lot of villages and again the children went mad when they saw us, running towards us screaming and waving madly.

By the time we came to our lunch stop at 12pm we had already cycled 70km!  We stopped for lunch in a small courtyard but it was over all too quickly and then we were back on our bikes back out into the wind.

We cycled through more desert interspersed with palm trees, fields of crops and sugar cane and villages.  There was heavy traffic thundering past so everyone had to be very careful.

 Everyone cycled in groups and learnt the art of slip streaming to tackle the wind.  Keith was a star and stayed ahead of his group most of the time taking the full force of the wind.

We had another break mid afternoon in a small cafe where they were selling ice cream.  Apparently the owner always yells, ice cream, at the top of his voice constantly so our leader told him that the whole group was deaf so they wouldn't hear anything.  So instead he made licking gestures with the ice creams which was very funny!

The homeward straight was very beautiful with a canal running down one side and fields stretching out down the other with the Nile in the distance.  We cycled back to the boat in good time and everyone had a well earned rest and some food. 

Everyone did so well and really pushed themselves to the limit so should be really proud of themselves because it was such a tough long day.

Day 6

Today was the last day of cycling and there was mixed feeling in the group.  Happy that there would be no more cycling after today but sad that it would mean the challenge was over.

We were on the bikes by 7am and set off towards the Valley of the Kings.  The road was flat and stretched out along a canal, it was all very picturesque.  We cycled through villages, past trucks piled high with sugar cane and saw people working the fields. 

We stopped for lunch at about 12 at a small place on the side of the road.  After lunch came a 12 km uphill stretch up to the Valley of the Kings in the midday sun.  It was tough struggle made worse by a mirage effect that appeared to show the road going downhill when in fact it only ever went up!  We battled on through the heat and finally made it to the entrance to the Valley of the Kings.  We left the bikes and went for a tour of three of the tombs led by a very knowledgeable guide who had been at university for 6 years studying Egyptology.   The tombs were a lot more colourful and intricate than inside the pyramids.

After the tour we went back to the bikes for the last downhill stretch to the finish line.  When we got there we heard some really bad news.   One of the local staff, Mido, who had been so friendly and encouraging throughout the trip had borrowed the doctors to bike to go for a little ride and had lost control going down a hill and had crashed into an iron gate and broken his shoulder so had to be taken to hospital.  Everyone  was shocked by the news but had to get back on their bikes for the last section.

The homeward stretch was downhill towards  the Nile.  Everyone got on their bikes, even those with injuries, so we could all finish together.  We stopped a regrouped a little before the finish so that we could all cross together.  Those that had been at the back now came to the front to lead the way.  Everyone whizzed downhill towards  the Nile, rounded a bend and there saw the finish line in front of them decorated with balloons.  There was a mexican wave of whoops and cheers as each person came round the corner to see the finish.  As everyone crossed the line there was lots of celebrations and the sparkling wine flowed!   There were lots of hugs, photos being taken - it was all very emotional as it had been such  a tough week and now it was all over. 

When the celebrations had died down people went back to the boat and all that was left were empty bikes lying on the road.   The celebrations continued  on the boat.

 Everyone felt so proud of what they had achieved during the week, overcoming all the obstacles thrown at them.  It was one determined group and everyone had really pulled together and helped each other throughout the challenge.

Day 7

Today was a  well earned free day.  Some people got up very early to go for a hot air balloon ride which was absolutely amazing.  Others went to the market, visited the Valley of the Queens or went on a boat ride down the Nile.

In the evening we had the celebration meal where everyone dressed up along the Egyptian theme.  Everyone looked great!  After the meal there was a belly dancer and most people joined her on the dance floor to give it a go.  It was fun evening and a fantastic way to end such a great week.  Lots of people stayed up as we had to leave the boat at 3am to catch the 5am flight back to Cairo.

Keith, Norman, Abbie and Louise were staying on so when it was time to leave we bid them farewell. 

Day 8

Everyone was extremely tired on the flight home so most people slept.  Soon we were back at Heathrow where it had all began saying goodbye to one another.  The week had flown by.  It had been a week of highs and lows but everyone really enjoyed it and were sorry it was all over. 

Everyone achieved so much during the week and it was truely a fantastic experience for everyone.