For those with the stamina to read these reports please forgive the continuity as some of it was written on-the-go hoping to be able to post it as we went but this was not possible. So… rewinding a day or three to pickup where we left off………
Report from Tobruk
Over the last couple of days we have been concentrating on the sightseeing aspects of the Nile Trial.
To bring car matters up to date we previously reported that the Cook's Vauxhall had not arrived in Benghazi. Well, as expected, they did duly reach the hotel and even in time for dinner to be served. The problem had been with the wheel bearings that had probably been run with too little grease. It's likely that the car had never undertaken such a long single journey in the previous 80 years of its life and without sufficient lubrication the bearings had become over stressed. There were also difficulties finding a correct sized spanner to dismantle the bearings but after locating suitable tools the bearings were repacked and we're happy to report that the Cooks safely reached Sousa at the end of Day Seven but that was not the end of their worries. On the road to Tobruk the axle noise became more of a clunk so once again the Vauxhall axle is receiving attention in the hotel car park. The axle pinion is badly chipped but there is little that can be done other than careful cleaning and reassembly with a hope and a prayer that the car will reach Cairo under its own power.
Day Seven was a relatively short run of less than 300kms but packed with places to see. The first rally checkpoint was at Tolmata with an interesting museum and a small tea room for refreshments set among an expansive and sparsely excavated site. Beneath every footstep around this ancient city one could stoop down to pickup fragments of brightly coloured ceramic or carved pieces of stone.
From Tolmata a short run took us to Qsar Libya where a small museum houses a very fine collection of Byzantine mosaics. Beautiful images of exotic animals, buildings and other scenes including the Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria are depicted in some 50 mosaic panels. There was more to come after another 60kms when our route reached the next control point at Cyrene. On the way to Cyrene we took a short detour through a valley to see the caves from where Omar al-Mukhtar, a hero of the Libyan resistance, organised his rebels before being captured and executed by the Italians in 1931.
Cyrene is outstanding. Quoting from the guide books... The ancient city of Cyrene is one of the undoubted highlights of any visit to Libya... and impressive it certainly is, as much as anything for the spectacular setting on several levels stretching from top to bottom on its hillside location. The head guide we met on arrival has been a custodian and worked at this World Heritage Site for over forty years. He told that only a tiny proportion has been excavated and recalled his early years when much was being done but little has been changed in recent years.
A final 20kms run to Susa took us to our overnight hotel on the harbourside next to site of the ancient Greek city of Apolonia. Crews who still had the strength for more sightseeing quickly checked in before taking on this final site of the day. Others with less stamina relaxed a little knowing they could tick off Apolonia at the start of Day Eight sets off on the road to Tobruk.In rally terms the only major work being done in the car park was another change of shock absorbers on the MkII Jaguar. This time a pair of Nissan Navara shocks were replacing the ones fitted a couple of days to try and prevent the suspension bottoming out.
A large crowd of friendly and interested locals turned out to see the remarkable array of classic rally cars arranged around the harbour. One of our guides came back from an evening visit to the local mosque reporting the experience of unusual chatter among the assembled worshipers. Rather than the normal discussions on aspects of the Koran today's talk among the elders was exclusively of rally cars as much as 100 years old that were in their midst.
During a very excellent dinner Kim Bannister thanked the core members of our hard working and very excellent Libyan hosts headed by Nuri Lamin for their hospitality during our time in Libya. We have one more night here before crossing into Egypt but tomorrow our group is split between two hotels so this opportunity was taken to applaud the Libyan team and offer some small gifts of rally memorabilia.
Day Eight was our final full day in Libya. With just over 200 kms to cover there was a late start so crew could take time to stroll among the Apolonia ruins before leaving Susa. A short and uneventful run took us to the day's final checkpoint at the beautifully maintained Knightsbridge war cemetery. A few reflective moments could be taken among the 3649 graves of soldiers from many nations. Tobruk was the scene of some of the most important battles of WWII and there are many war cemeteries around the town.
As the only large hotel in town is undergoing a major rebuild we are split between three hotels here so the rally has a slightly disjointed feel tonight. Without doubt we'll all meet up again at the border on what will be another day when we just have to 'go with the flow' hoping for a straightforward crossing into Egypt.
Report from Marsa Matruh, Egypt
It's the end of Day Nine. The exit from Libya worked like clockwork and we were through the formalities and saying goodbye to our Libyan helpers in no time at all. Somewhat later we made it into Egypt and reached the meeting place on the beach where our Egyptian hosts were waiting to greet us. The welcome party included several Egyptian classic car enthusiasts who will be joining us with their cars for the rest of the rally. We are expecting more to join us when we reach Cairo tomorrow.
Fortunately we had not arranged any test sections today so once we were on the road from the border it was a matter of ticking off a couple of hundred kilometres to reach the hotel and the welcome sight of a beer or two. We were escorted on our way by a variety of vehicles with blue lights flashing and sirens wailing causing lots of local interest and making for a speedy journey.
There is a party atmosphere in the air tonight. The whole street outside the hotel has been closed off to park our cars and a special welcome show is under way. Beer and wine sales are doing well and the display of loud music and energetic dancing is being watched by many of the crews. Outside in the car park the sweep mechanics have been busy changing a head gasket on the MG SA of Harry and Catherine Hickling. The Cook's Vauxhall arrived here without further problems after its Tobruk axle rebuild.
At 8am tomorrow it's back to business with two timed sections planned during a long day on the road to Cairo. Day Eleven, the day after we reach Cairo, is a very welcome day off……. the first since we left Tunis. There will be time to take in the Pyramids and all the other sites of Egypt's great capital city or maybe a day of relaxation with time to get the laundry done.