The past couple of days have been spent running round Athens sorting out transport. I had hoped to catch a boat across to Egypt. Unfortunately there are no passenger ferries running this trip. I hunted around the port and did find a cargo ship that was making the journey - depite my best efforts of chatt up lines and seamanship (puddling around the inlet at Burnham Overy Staithe in a borrowed Topper when I was 10) they didn't even want me as crew.
The result is that the bike and I are flying. I'm not quite sure how flying with a bike will work out but I'm sure its a damn sight quicker than the other option of cycling round through Turkey and the Middle East.
When I first started plotting the trip I did consider this but its a bloody long detour and I don't really have the time or inclination to do it. My theory was that I would use the England to Greece leg to get fit and make sure everything is in order for Africa. It is the Cairo to Cape Town leg that really excites me. I've also managed to squeeze in the usual Athens tourist hotspots and sightseeing trail - pretty interesting and will keep the Mother happy. I've put some more photos up if your interested.
Having travelled into the center of Athens by bike I've been reminded how little fun it is cycling in big cities. Give me the countryside any day. The traffic here is pretty manic and I seem to have real ability of getting lost in cities. The bigger the city the more lost I seem to get - God help me in Cairo.
The plan from here is to kick around in Cairo for a few days sorting out my Sudanese Visa and checking out those Pyramids before heading south down the Nile. I'm not quite sure how its all going to go. From what I've read the southern part of Egypt is a restricted zone and foreigners are only allowed to travel between towns in police convoys. I suspect they will either make me jump on board a truck, assign me my own body guards (could be fun but will piss me off after a while) or leave me be to potter about on my own steam.
All the best
Gx