More Q's

Q. How you funded getting your carnet, especially with Egypt's huge mark-up?

A. Lucky for me, Paul sold his house so we left money in the bank as a guarantee. It’s a stupid amount of money and this is exactly why people end up avoiding crossing Egypt. The only other option is taking out insurance of 10% of the value and then you get some of the money back at the end. Best to discuss options with the RAC as the details change all the time.

Q. Bike clothing (best gear for hot weather countries, suppliers etc.)?

A. I guess it’s all personal preference at the end of the day. I think Gortex is the best way to go. It dries quickly and lasts well. I won’t give suppliers any time on my blogsite but you can look at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ and ask other people what they used.

Q. Visas, and your suggestions?

A. British passport holders can look at their home office website for information about each country. SA passport holders – well, we can’t. There is no central information for us so you have to call the varoius embassies to get the latest info.

Q. The crossing of Aswan…

A. Is quite an experience. Check out my blog entries in September 2006 as that gives some info on Egypt and crossing to Sudan. It’s entirely possible but try to email ahead to make a booking.