Fortunately, I came across the website of Heidi and Werner. Since they are traveling on the same route that we planned, I take contact with them. The crossing for our MAN to Egypt is scheduled for June 15 from Genoa. Fortunately, Messinal Lines is late. Then we get the following message:

“Hello Verena and Ernst
Please read the post by Jamie Wood on Facebook “overlanding africa”. There are serious problems to handle 4×4’s in Alexandria. Since May 13, everyone is stuck in the harbor.
Best regards, Heidi”

I do not trust my eyes. That can only be a rumor, I think. First, of course, I read the message in the group “Overlandig Africa” from Facebook. Jamie Wood writes:

So, all 4 × 4 vehicles stuck in the port of Alexandria for weeks. This not only means waiting and anxiety when it finally gets going, but also causes immense costs, e.g. Port fees, which can cost several hundred dollars a day, besides hotel costs etc.
I do not trust this thing yet, it could be an isolated case, but pull out all the stops to find out what’s in it. My letter to the Egyptian Customs, to the Egyptian Embassy in Switzerland, to the Egyptian Automobile Club, etc., are all fruitless. I just do not get an answer.

When I read the news from Marcus Barker, who was stopped at the Egyptian southern border and had to stay there for many days until he finally got back to Sudan to ship his vehicle from Port Sudan, I was completely convinced that the History with Egypt must be true.

The story of Marcus Barker continues:

After all, somebody else in Egypt takes pity on us, the port agent of Messina Lines in Alexandria. He confirms that it is currently difficult and tedious to get a permit for Egypt. The authorities he wrote say that they could not name a timeframe for a permit.

We are horrified!

So close to the finish the off? Ship booked and paid – and now? I quarrel – why did not we drive off, blame myself, see no solution. Why right now – they would not have been able to wait. For a while the blankets hit my head, because I would have been very happy about Egypt!As a result, I explore new possibilities and let the shipping agent check further shipping options, but at the same time leave the reservation on the “Jolly Quarzo” open, because there is still some time left, as the Jolly Quarzo will not start until June 21st.

Possibilities of circumnavigation of Egypt

Below I have recorded the possibilities of shipping the vehicle with the omission of Egypt.

I try to clarify the following shipping options:

• The easiest way to ship to Israel and to drive by land via Jordan and transit through Saudi Arabia to Jeddah and the ferry from Jeddah to Port Sudan is prohibited, as you are automatically returned to Islamic countries when you enter Israel (except Jordan).
• Shipping to Aqaba (Jordan) and then transit through Saudi Arabia to Jeddah and the ferry from Jeddah to Port Sudan would have been the most obvious option for me. However, Messina Lines did not want to make an offer for me. There is also a risk of getting stuck in Jordan should Saudi Arabia refuse the transit visa.
• All ships go to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), so why not ship there and then take a ferry across to Port Sudan? I received no response to my inquiries to the Saudi Arabian Consulate. Also our visa agency (AVS Allvisumservice) knew no advice. Shipping to Jeddah costs around CHF 4600, plus the uncertainty of getting a visa to pick up the vehicle at the port of Jeddah was too risky for me. In addition, this variant is not well Planable, since the permit to stay (visa) is difficult to coordinate with the outward flight and the arrival of the ship (delay).
• Direct shipment to Port Sudan. I could not locate a shipment from Southern Europe directly to Port Sudan. The CHF 5600.- shipment from Messina Lines included the reloading of the vehicle in Jeddah to another ship, as Messina does not start Port Sudan directly. Reload our vehicle? How many days will it remain unprotected in the port of Jeddah? – No, that’s out of question. The risk of getting a damaged or robbed vehicle in Port Sudan is too high for me.
• Then there would be the shipment to Djibouti. But on the one hand the agent did not want to give me the price and at the same time I read reports about horrendous harbor fees …

..Good advice is expensive. Despair is spreading.