But wait, there's more: Jordan

Apart from wanting to visit, our trip to Sinai was also to use up a few days.

A South African couple, with a 4WD, we met at Wadi Halfa and on the ferry had invited us to join them crossing Libya to Tunisia. Then we could fly Tunis to Madrid - it would have been great to go all the way to Morocco then just hop across the Straits of Gibraltar to Spain, but Algeria is a no-go zone, and its border with Morocco is closed.

Traveling across Libya is not straight forward. It can only be done with a guide who travels with you, in one of your vehicles - there was to be three vehicles in convoy. You are permitted a 'Transit Visa' for this type of visit. But enough time to cross, and see the Roman ruins, Tripoli etc. The visas are a bureaucratic struggle, car registration tricky, etc etc. Apparently, the South Africans had a contact/guide lined up to get all the formalities processed. We submitted all our passport details in readiness for the visa.

The South Africans stayed in Aswan finalising all their Egyptian vehicle formalities - they needed some extra paperwork from South Africa. We went ahead, planning to meet up in Cairo on September 7.

We kept in email contact. Then one day, while staying in Dahab, we received a terse email saying 'No go. All too hard. Ferrying the 4WD Cairo to Morocco'. That's that. Ah well. Bit disappointing, but we are in no position to feel down beat. It was just an extra to an already unbelievable trip.

Plan B. In Dahab, we are close to Jordan, so with the opportunity we'll cross the border (after crossing Gulf of Aqaba!) and take a look at the wonders of Petra. Man, this could continue for ages, but no...

We've now booked airfares to Madrid for 14 September. So after Jordan, we'll make our way back to Cairo, see the pyramids, the Sphinx, and a couple of days on the Mediterranean at Alexandria.

Not such a bad option, what do you reckon?


Max
aka Mad