STILL A LITTLE SURREAL!
Friday's ride with the Cairo Cycling Club was a 120 KM ride. Actually I rode 20 KM to the meeting place and then we rode 100 KM. While there is nothing significant about that it was an interesting ride and got me thinking about where I am and how lucky I am to be doing weekly rides like this.
We were joined this week by the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. While normally I don't get very excited about these kinds of things, what I found interesting was watching the look on his face while we were deciding where to ride. It went something like this:
Fred: 'Where to today guys?'
Brent: 'Why don't we do the Sakkara-Dashur ride!?'
Ambassador: "Where do I go in case I get lost?'
Brent: 'We will head out and cross over the Nile River on the Moneeb Bridge. From there you will be able to see the Giza Pyramids in the distance. Stay on that road until it ends at the Giza Pyramids. At the end of the road turn left where you will see the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. Ride along that road, keeping the Step Pyramid on your right until you see the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dashur. There is a little road side stop just past these pyramids where we will turn around.'
Ambassador: 'You guys are joking right?!? That sounds like a Discovery Channel Documentary!'
We regularily ride past the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. We ride past 3 of the most famous pyramid fields and the most studied pyramids in the world. We ride through rural villages where children run out of their houses that have no running water to wave to us and say hello. We ride by farmers working in their fields by hand. We ride by men hauling produce to town in donkey carts and people transporting palm fronds on camels.
These rides are amazingly enjoyable but often we just ride. On Friday's ride I also tried to take as much of it in as I could. It is still a little surreal that I am here doing this...especially when I think I came from a small community (150 ppl) on the prairies of Canada where it was wheat fields as far as the eye can see.
Friday the ride seemed a little more enjoyable than most days. On your next ride try and take in as much as you can...enjoy what's out there to experience and if you ever get the chance to travel to Egypt, bring you bike and get in touch with the Cairo Cycling Club. A great group of people that will take you on experience as much as a ride.
Friday's ride with the Cairo Cycling Club was a 120 KM ride. Actually I rode 20 KM to the meeting place and then we rode 100 KM. While there is nothing significant about that it was an interesting ride and got me thinking about where I am and how lucky I am to be doing weekly rides like this.
We were joined this week by the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. While normally I don't get very excited about these kinds of things, what I found interesting was watching the look on his face while we were deciding where to ride. It went something like this:
Fred: 'Where to today guys?'
Brent: 'Why don't we do the Sakkara-Dashur ride!?'
Ambassador: "Where do I go in case I get lost?'
Brent: 'We will head out and cross over the Nile River on the Moneeb Bridge. From there you will be able to see the Giza Pyramids in the distance. Stay on that road until it ends at the Giza Pyramids. At the end of the road turn left where you will see the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. Ride along that road, keeping the Step Pyramid on your right until you see the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dashur. There is a little road side stop just past these pyramids where we will turn around.'
Ambassador: 'You guys are joking right?!? That sounds like a Discovery Channel Documentary!'
We regularily ride past the only remaining wonder of the ancient world. We ride past 3 of the most famous pyramid fields and the most studied pyramids in the world. We ride through rural villages where children run out of their houses that have no running water to wave to us and say hello. We ride by farmers working in their fields by hand. We ride by men hauling produce to town in donkey carts and people transporting palm fronds on camels.
These rides are amazingly enjoyable but often we just ride. On Friday's ride I also tried to take as much of it in as I could. It is still a little surreal that I am here doing this...especially when I think I came from a small community (150 ppl) on the prairies of Canada where it was wheat fields as far as the eye can see.
Friday the ride seemed a little more enjoyable than most days. On your next ride try and take in as much as you can...enjoy what's out there to experience and if you ever get the chance to travel to Egypt, bring you bike and get in touch with the Cairo Cycling Club. A great group of people that will take you on experience as much as a ride.
posted by Brawn of the Oasis at 10:26 AM
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