No, not loading today !

But we have moved closer, now staying in the Maharba Hotel in the middle of Alexandria.

“Yes we have parking !”

No they do not, but the manager kindly removed his car from the front of the hotel so that is where the vehicle is parked. In the main street.

The view from our room and the truck parked in the main street.

Camp 287: Maharba Hotel - Alexandria

Cost:  EL330 ( A$30) incl B’fast

Altitude:  6 metres

Today :  120  Kms.

Kenya to Egypt: 9,670 Kms

Maybe tomorrow we load ?

Tuesday 24th April 2018:

We did wonder why the police were parked next to the vehicle last night.

Now we know !

This morning we see the vehicle was wheel clamped.

Why for security ??...maybe

The hotel has a key so it was off within minutes of us arriving downstairs for checkout.

Our day started waiting for 2 hours at the freight forwarders office, when finally the broker arrived to take me to the port. I felt somewhat excited that the truck will be in the container and we can finally make some forward flight bookings and plans for the next leg of our travels.

At a secondary port entry it took some 3 hours waiting whilst the customs broker ( fixer, they call them here) processed paperwork. I expected to drive inside, but not to be.

Back to the main Port of Alexandria port entry, and than a lengthy security process getting self and the truck through the front gate.

Parked up inside, and the paperwork war starts. From office to office, copious copies of several documents, stamping, double checking and triple signing by different people.

A process for the sake of a process. 

We need one final signature, NO that person has gone home early today because, and now I learn, tomorrow is a public holiday - Sinai Day.

At 5pm I park up the truck inside the port complex and walk away.

Camp 288: Cherry Maryski Hotel - Alexandria

Cost:  US$54/night - incl B’fast

Altitude:  6 metres

Today :  20  Kms.

Kenya to Egypt: 9,690 Kms

Total Africa : 56,152 Kms

Wednesday 25th April 2018:

Sinai Day - a Egyptian national holiday celebrating the return of the Sinai region to Egyptian hands after the Israel War of 1985 (?)

Today we are lazy.

Thursday 26th April 2018:

Caught a taxi to the port to meet the broker.

The system is absolute Bull Shit !.

Spent the day office to office, collecting signatures etc.

Almost got the Carnet signed then they point out the the endorsement of the Carnet in Kenya is not recognised and i will have to go to the Egyptian AA to get a letter.

I state “But it is stamped in at Argeen Border”

“ They made a mistake”

As controlled as I can be, and in simple english, I talk of 2 days on a bus to Cairo, 2 days to get back, for the reason, to get such a letter so Argeen Customs would sign.

Only after a produced an e-mail from the Australian AA to the Kenya AA would they concede some ground.

Finally after walking at least 4kms office to office we drove the vehicle to the container terminal.

Waited outside for another hour for permission, then I cannot believe the stupidity that then took place.

We walked the terminal looking for an empty 40’HC container !

Opening containers to look inside, then back to the office to check out the container number.

“No that is not a Maersk container” so we walk again

That process took over 2 hours.

Finally in the dark at 7pm, I load into a container under the light from my i-Phone.

“Everything will work out in the end, if it has not worked out, then it is not the end”

How true, just when I thought all was completed, we are back at the container terminal office and they have not got a payment receipt for something.

We speed walk to another office, and that guy is totally unhelpful, as with most they are more interested in talking of their phone, facebooking, watching the soccer on the TV etc etc etc.

I know there is a problem and the broker still says the container will be loaded tonight -

TONIGHT IS THE SHIPPING DEADLINE, for sailing on the 30th April.

I am now convinced that they are giving me an ‘Indian reply’.

( In India the answer to every question is YES ! - why, to please you, NO is negative)

I arrive back at the Hotel at 9pm, buggered, and with cramps from the 7+kms I have walked quickly. No lunch, no dinner, but what is worse is Lyn has a gastro issue.

At midnight we are in a Uber to the Alexandria hospital.

The hospital was just great, within minutes of arrival Lyn was on a bed, and moments after the doctor was discussing her symptoms.

Immediately a drip was happening and soon after, blood tests, and an ultrasound.

3 am we were back to the Hotel, with a much better feeling patient.

ps The Uber guy said no charge just ‘Welcome to Egypt and get well’

Friday 27th April 2018:

Today is a holiday ( equal to our Sunday) so no news if the container left.

I will not know for maybe 2 days.

Now at the airport in Alexandria waiting for a flight to Amman Jordan.