My recent return to Egypt, and specifically the Sinai, brought back many memories from way way back 30 years ago when as a young adventurous youth I traveled, worked & hitchhiked my way through the middle east and Africa. You have this invincible belief in your early twenties when the lack of any deep thought about your actions tends to be interpreted as adventurous in later years 😂.
Image source: Apple Maps/Garmin Dive App
The desert itself has remained as timeless and life threatening ( not forgetting beautiful) as ever but there have been pockets of development here that blew my mind when I think back to how it was in the early 90’s.
Access to cash was extremely difficult even in some towns as the few ATMs in foreign lands weren’t always so ready to be helpful, and they were quite few and far between in Israel and Egypt back then. This led to having to carry larger amounts of cash than would really be deemed safe to carry really as it was necessary to have on you at all times. Accommodations,food, transportation, all of these would need to be a cash transaction in these remote areas.
I remember while in Eritrea meeting a group of lads who had driven through eastern europe, Turkey, middle east and were headed down through Africa and they had money being wired to them at different stages on the route to avoid having to carry all that was needed for their journey. I didn’t have that luxury or network back in the day and all my wealth was stowed under my armpit in a shoulder holster style wallet that was more than once mistaken for weaponry under my shirt. I suppose I looked the sort.
Fast forward 30 years and I was now seeing what in many ways was a modern day oasis in the desert. Cash machines. Equally as important as water in many ways as you are completely screwed without cash in many places here. I wonder what Lawrence of Arabia would have made of seeing an ATM while riding his camel through the desert. Even today it made for an odd juxtaposition to see this unfold before my eyes. A mirage? Nope it was real alright!
And I was almost as grateful in many ways to see it and make use of it. Of course I wasn’t staggering, stumbling and crawling towards it in desperate need of water to wet my cracked and dry lips………
but I did need to pay for my beers later😛
