ON a sunny morning in November, I found myself sitting on the pillion seat of a stationary brand new Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide in Egypt. We were part of a group of ten Harleys that were heading from Port Ghalib on the Red Sea to Luxor on the River Nile, but there were two ways to get there. Our back up truck and fuel supply had already headed off in one direction but the police escort had decided to take us in the other. As we waited for the dilemma to be resolved, a mini van whizzed passed us with the rear door wide open and suitcases and soft bags were flying out onto the road; they belonged to us! Our Egyptian adventure had begun. By the time the bags had been re-loaded, the route issue had been resolved and we set off northwards in staggered, group riding formation. Eight of the bikes were the 2009 range of Harley-Davidson touring bikes: a Heritage Softail, 3 Road Kings, 3 Street Glides and the imposing Ultra Classic Electra Glide, specifically designed for touring with a pillion rider in maximum comfort. This impressive range of chrome and steel is about lifestyle and we were off on a “Nile Cruise” with a difference: on wheels instead of on water. As the only female guest and non-rider in our group, I was allocated the pillion seat that I am sure Queen Nefatari, the beautiful and favorite wife of Rameses II, would have chosen. The Ultra Classic has armchair-like comfort and you can sit back and enjoy the scenery while being massaged by the renowned Harley-Davidson engine vibration. We started from the brand new resort of Port Ghalib, owned and built by Kuwaitis. It has grown out of the empty desert over four years and the 5* (plus!) Palace Hotel is managed by the Intercontinental Group. If you want a peaceful getaway with superb service, swimming pools that are like elaborate lagoons (one is heated) and a chance to dive in an unspoilt section of the Red Sea, this is a new destination to try. As with many Middle Eastern gatherings, our group was a diverse mix of nationalities: British, American, Kenyan, German, Belgian, Palestinian, South African and our Egyptian hosts. For the first 100 kms our route took us on a two-way road running alongside the Red Sea in the east, with barren desert and hills in the west. We passed numerous new and isolated tourist developments on the way, with glamorous names like “Utopia”. We then headed west to ride through the range of rugged hills. The road twisted and turned for about 60 kms, giving the riders the challenge that they all love. The big tourers took the hills effortlessly. By now, the riders had all switched bikes so that they could eventually test ride the full range and I had risked trying out the pillion of the Heritage Softail. While it had a reasonably comfortable seat and quite a good backrest, I decided this perch was definitely not for me. Cleopatra would not have been impressed if Mark Anthony had shown up on anything less than the Ultra Classic! After the mountains came a stretch of pristine, flat rocky desert with big distant hills and it was hard to imagine any greenery anywhere in Egypt. And then we arrived in Qift and a wide canal that ran beside the bourganvillea lined road for 55kms to Luxor. On either side of us the desert had been transformed into rich farmland as far as the eye could see. Sugar cane seems to be the main crop and farming techniques are little changed from the days of the great Pharaohs. Although we passed the occasional tractor, manual labor is still visibly the main form of cultivation. On our state-of-the-art Harleys, we passed men and boys riding on donkeys, and donkey carts loaded with sugar cane, and the die-hard 504 Peugeot station wagons, old trucks & other random vehicles. Finally, we rode into Luxor, once the ancient city of Thebes, with its chaotic traffic of Victoria horse-drawn carriages, donkey carts, mopeds, small motorbikes, bicycles, cars, enormous coaches and now our ten rumbling Harley-Davidsons, all vying for space. By the time the bikes pulled up on the edge of the massive ruins of the Luxor Temple, the Harleys had worked their magic: a bond had formed between us all after sharing a long and scenic journey on arguably the best touring bikes in the business. No one was complaining of a sore rear-end and everyone was complimentary about the new and more rigid frames, the ABS brakes, wider rear tyres for better handling, cruise control on all but the Electra Glide Standard, and a one inch larger front wheel on the Road Kings. During the ride, we had a larger than life character as our leader, riding his own 2008 Anniversary Road King. Sharif Begermi is the Director of the Cairo HOG (Harley Owners Group) and he kept us all in order, ensuring that we left on time from each rest stop by hollering a countdown: “FIVE MINUTES!”, then “THREE MINUTES! GET ON YOUR BIKES!” Part of touring is also sightseeing, so in the evening we went to the Sound & Light Show at the 4000 year old Temple of Amon at Karnak. Built over a period of 2000 years, this is an ancient ruin that everyone should resolve to see before they die, if only to see the magnificent hypostyle hall. This was built by Seti I and Rameses II and has a forest of 134 immense sandstone pillars, all carved with hieroglyphics. Egypt still has very visible armed Tourist Security and frequent chicane road blocks, all testimony to the horrendous attack by Islamic militants on tourists at the temple of Hatshepsut in 1997. Along with agriculture, tourism is Egypt's most important industry and they don't want it happening again. Throughout much of our journey to and from Luxor, we had a police escort. After a night at the Karnak Sofitel, with its beautiful gardens and swimming pool on the east bank of the River Nile, in our pack of ten growling metal beasts we headed west over the bridge to ride to the Valley of the Kings. If those ancient Pharaohs – especially the great Ramases II – could have heard that sound, they would probably have done what King Abdullah of Jordan has done and buy a whole selection of Harleys. We took the same route back to Port Ghalib and by this time everyone had “claimed” their favourite bike and there was no more swapping. Another day of clear blue skies, perfect biking weather, and by now a strong sense of camaraderie between people who two days ago had been total strangers accompanied us back to Port Ghalib. The poetry of leaning into the corners as the road wound its way through the mountains in the afternoon sunshine, followed by the ride along the coast in the setting sun made a great end to our 870 km “Nile Cruise”. Indji Ghattas, the young Egyptian woman who is the General Manager of Harley-Davidson Cairo and rides her own Springer Softail, is planning to market organised motorcycling cruises in Egypt in 2009. Getting there: Saudi Arabian Airlines and Egypt Air have frequent daily direct flights to Cairo from Riyadh & Jeddah. Cairo to Marsa Alam: Egypt Air operates one flight daily, except Fridays. Cairo to Luxor: Egypt Air operates frequent flights to and from Luxor. Port Ghalib Palace Hotel: email: [email protected] Google: Port Ghalib for details of all the activities. Karnak Sofitel: Full details available on Internet. Tourist Visas: Many (including British) can get Tourist Visas for US$15 on arrival. In some tourist areas you don't need a Visa if you are staying in the one place. Check your own visa requirements before departure. __
