After back-to-back marathons in Spain a few years ago I ventured to Egypt with some friends for a week-long tour with Contiki.
The Great Pyramids of Giza - one of the must see attractions in this beautiful and ancient civilization - marked the first stop of the tour while we were in Cairo.
The first stop of the day involved getting the standard pictures of the Pyramids. We were also able to get up close to them, which allowed us to truly understand the size and beauty of these marvels.
The only slightly disappointing thing was to see how commercialised the site has become, with giant Coca-Cola billboards visible just a couple of hundred metres away.
The second stop at the pyramids is a famous photo location but to get there you have to hike through the desert to nearby dunes. Obviously this seemed a little complicated being in a wheelchair, which traditionally don’t deal too well with the dead dry sand. Fortunately we had the easier option of taking camels.
As with everything in life, nothing will stop me from doing anything, so like the others in the group I was adamant I was going as well. The bus driver offered to drive me to another spot on the route but I was having none of this, so after convincing everyone I would be right to go I headed towards my camel.
I managed to climb onto the camel’s back and then went to pull my chair up, as it had a hook that would hold it on top of the camel. As I went to lift the chair the camel turned around and its jaw just dropped as if to say “you can’t be serious” or “where do you think that chair is going.”
After spending a good five minutes convincing the locals my chair would be fine and would not break I had it safely on the camel’s back. The camel grudgingly agreed to this arrangement and we set of for the hike.
Despite a few dirty looks from my four-legged friend along the way, we made it safely through the trek. Along the way we enjoyed some stunning views over the desert, which I will remember forever.
More stories on Egypt later but for now keep searching the world for your dream.
Where have you travelled to in a wheelchair? What other crazy ideas have you had while travelling the world? Where should I travel to next with my chair? Please feel free to share!
