Going Off The Map (Full Episode) | Egypt with the World's Greatest Explorer | National Geographic

JOSEPH: It's very steep Ran... this is spooky. RANULPH: All ok? JOSEPH: Oh! It's getting very dark now! There's no more light. I'm Joseph Fiennes, and I'm in Egypt for a unique adventure. As an actor, I've been lucky to play a series of fascinating characters. ANNOUNCER: Emmy nominee for Handmaid's Tale, Joseph Fiennes. Now I'm here with a man whose story is more extraordinary than any role I could play, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. He's the world's greatest living explorer, and he's my cousin. Known to me as Ran. We hardly know each other, partly because he's always been away exploring, but I've grown up with stories of cousin Ran's remarkable exploits. REPORTER (over TV): He will not come face to face with another human being for 70 days. JOSEPH: From walking unaided to the North Pole. To leading the first surface expedition to have circumnavigated the globe via both poles. REPORTER (over TV): The man the Guinness Book of records called 'The Greatest Living Explorer.' JOSEPH: Driving himself to extremes. RANULPH: I got frostbite in the Arctic and my late wife said well why not cut them off. That's the fingertips. JOSEPH: One of Ran's first expeditions was a daring journey following the longest river on earth: the Nile. And now 50 years later I have a chance to fulfil a childhood dream, as he takes me back to Egypt to retrace his historic trip. I'd like to test myself to really push myself to certain levels and limits to see where my cut off point is. A bump here! On this challenge of a lifetime I'm keen to find out what drives Ran to push himself to the limit. And whether I've got what it takes to cut it in his world. It's really, very narrow. Eat your heart out Indiana Jones. This is kind of scary. So join me as I take on Egypt with The World's Greatest Explorer. On the first leg of our attempt to follow Ran's original journey from Alexandria to Abu Simbel. RANULPH: Right Joe, give it hell. Go it, go it, go it! JOSEPH: I got a good dose of adrenalin fueled expedition life... It does raise my anxiety levels. Came face to face with Egypt's deadliest creatures. Woah! Don't make him angry! And have started to understand what's driven my cousin to dedicate his life to extraordinary adventures. RANULPH: My boys said we were called Fiend Force, that was what we were called. and we were sent on special missions. JOSEPH: On this second leg we're heading for the Red Sea, via Luxor and again Ran's keen to challenge me. He wants to see how I hold up in a fight. Sends me off-roading on my own across a mountainous desert. And tests how I cope crawling through the tombs of the great pyramid. Oh my word! But first we have to get out of the capital city, and one of our two vehicles, a vintage green Land Rover is missing a vital piece of equipment, a car horn. I appreciate this might not be top of the explorer shopping list. But driving through Cairo's notoriously lethal traffic is the last place you want to be without one. Thousands are killed or injured here in car accidents each year. RANULPH: We're now on the wrong side of the road and in what I can only describe as a situation of chaotic traffic. If you live in Cairo, you become through practice-makes-perfect easing your way through this sort of stuff. JOSEPH: Seems sensible at this point to use the car with a horn to do the shopping. RANULPH: How's the needle on the petrol gauge? JOSEPH: We've got a couple of minutes before we run dry on this road. I'll quickly Google 95 in Arabic, cause that's the quality of petrol we need. RANULPH: 95 in Arabic? Khamsa wa-tis'un JOSEPH: Every moment Ran surprises me. This time with the Arabic he picked up from his days as a soldier in the Middle East. (speaking Arabic). JOSEPH: He speaks what he calls a cockney Oman-ish classic Arabic. JOSEPH: Thanks to Ran's haggling skills, we end up with just what we need. To stand next to him at a shop and see him purchasing a horn for a car, I feel rather proud that there's a member of my family who speaks Arabic. So, buying a car horn is one thing to do when you're in Cairo. But there's a slightly bigger attraction, the Pyramids. When Ran came here 50 years ago, his team was on a really tight schedule because many of them were serving in the military. RANULPH: We looked into it and saw if it could be done in army leave time, if we could do it at that time, we might be able to arrive at the top, Alexandria, on the delta, go all the way down through Egypt. JOSEPH: With time running out before he returned to army duties, there was no chance to explore the pyramids. In fact he only caught a brief glimpse of them as his expedition team sped through Cairo at night. Oh look at that, can I slow down a bit? Look, look at that. RANULPH: You can see at least four of them from here. JOSEPH: Oops, sorry Ran! Thank you, thank you. RANULPH: It's ok, I'll do it. JOSEPH: Dodgy driving, but maybe forgivable. after all, it is one of the Wonders of the World. The largest, or "great" Pyramid, was built by the pharaoh Khufu and was the tallest building on Earth for 3,500 years. Wow! RANULPH: What a place to be. JOSEPH: Shukraan. I'm a bit worried this is going to blow us all away. We've managed to arrange the near impossible. RANULPH: They're defeating me these, these fingers. JOSEPH: You're there. Camping out next to the pyramids overnight. In the shadow of a wonder of the world, with the world's greatest explorer, Are we in a good position here, what do you think, wind wise? RANULPH: The view is superb. JOSEPH: Not bad, is it? Definitely a moment to share with the family. How many can you count, there are quite a few pyramids. CHILD (over phone): Can you hear me? JOSEPH: Yeah, I can hear you but I can't see you. It's nearly midnight but instead of going to bed, Ran has a surprise for me. DR ASHRAF: Hello! JOSEPH: Would you like a cup of tea? Please sit down. Organized with the help of the custodian of the pyramid, Dr. Ashraf. Is this an elaborate joke? DR ASHRAF: Believe it or not. This is not a joke, ok. You will have access to go inside the pyramid. RANULPH: Being with Joe to see the pyramids was made immensely better by surprising him by the director of the pyramid saying we're gonna make special permission for you to go right inside at night. You'll have your little cousin with you. JOSEPH: Phew! Thank you very much, that is a chance of a lifetime! Ran is always pushing himself physically and mentally, and I'm happy to be pushed. I mean let's face it, he's swung it for me to spend a night inside one of the most impressive buildings on earth. A godfather of mine worked out that if you put all the blocks of all the pyramids together in one line, they would go around France, is that true? DR ASHRAF: It's true, and the weight of the blocks are about 2 tons, and some blocks are about 60 tons. RANULPH: 300 meters. DR ASHRAF: Yes. JOSEPH: At Ran's request, Dr. Ashraf has chosen three special chambers for us to explore, each with its own secrets and physical demands. JOSEPH: Thank you. RANULPH: I've always been fascinated by ruins all over the world. And I would like Joe to experience something like this. JOSEPH: We have five hours to explore what I'm guessing is a labyrinth of challenges, in the dark. And I love the fact we're getting instructions with a pen and a scrap of paper. Are you ready? RANULPH: Totally. JOSEPH: Ok. There was no way into the pyramid until grave robbers hacked their way through its solid stone exterior centuries ago. I'm feeling this powerful pull, there is some kind of energy. RANULPH: Your exploration instinct is good. JOSEPH: The first chamber can only be accessed through a rather uninviting tunnel. Look at that Ran. RANULPH: Incredible. JOSEPH: It's 90 feet below the great pyramid. And Ran has kindly given me the honor of tackling it on my own. I think he might be secretly be enjoying all this. JOSEPH: The descent into the subterranean chamber is somewhat tricky. It's very steep Ran. This is spooky. That's not going to hold me back though. JOSEPH: It's getting very dark now. Ok, this is kind of scary. Actually, it's not scary at all. It's kind of brilliant It's 5-feet high in here. I'm hunched over and can't see properly what's ahead. I wonder what the Arabic for chiropractor is. Areas that look like crypts down here. The first chamber I enter is also the most mystifying. It's thought it was left unfinished by the architects of the pyramid, but no one knows why. Precision of the corner. The rock and the flat ceiling is just sublime. Ok, I better zip back up again. This is classic Ran. He's convinced me to venture down under one of the biggest tombs on earth on my own. RANULPH: Can you hear me? JOSEPH: Coming up. Bit of a climb. I'm finding it difficult to pace myself in here. There's a lot of adrenalin, and not much air. But we've got to push on. RANULPH: We've gone down that way, we are now going up that one there. RANULPH: Ok? The Queen's Chamber JOSEPH: The Queen's chamber. The Queen's chamber is normally off limits, and is only accessible by crawling through a 130-foot long passage. I'm exhausted, not surprising with the humidity and lack of oxygen. But not 74-year-old Ran. He's just getting started. Hidden chambers and tunnels, just a regular day at the office for my cousin. Ran, I'm in awe of your condition because I am sweating buckets. I remember when I first met him. He went, 'Joe, I want you to know I do the shuffle.' I soon worked out, that rather like the tortoise and the hare, his surviving the conditions that he has has taught him to pace himself. You can almost stand up. RANULPH: Yep, got it. JOSEPH: Good? RANULPH: Yep. JOSEPH: This is the Queen's chamber. Wow, Ran, this is amazing. The Queen's chamber is thought to have housed a life size statue of the Pharaoh. Despite being one of the most intensely studied areas of the great pyramid there are still thought to be hidden treasures behind these granite walls. Look at this, look at the chisel marks. Exploring one of the wonders of the world in the dead of night is thrilling, but now we've only got an hour left to reach our final goal, the King's chamber. Look at that, Ran. RANULPH: Spooky entrance, you never know what's next. JOSEPH: The King's chamber is the largest and most prestigious. Oh my word. Built into the center of the great pyramid, this space is over 11,000 cubic feet. It's so cool against the heat. It was once full of treasure but all that remains today is a red granite sarcophagus where Pharaoh Khufu himself would have been laid to rest. In one word, describe the feeling of being in the heart of the big pyramid. RANULPH: In one word, awestruck. JOSEPH: Awestruck? RANULPH: Yeah. JOSEPH: Sadly, it's time to leave. After five exhilarating hours we emerge to a spectacular Cairo dawn. Wow, look at that, Ran. RANULPH: Wow, that is beautiful. Look at that. JOSEPH: That was incredible. What an experience. RANULPH: Lovely, lovely place. JOSEPH: There's a part of me that wants to go back in. RANULPH: On we go. Come on then. JOSEPH: I don't want to leave it somehow, it's pulling me back in. 5:30 in the morning, after spending a night in one of the most glorious wonders of the world. It's kind of, it's all a little bit surreal to tell you the truth. I guess it's every boys' dream, isn't it, to connect with an explorer and go off together down the Nile and jump into a pyramid for the night. You know why Cleopatra needed a psychiatrist don't you? Because she was the Queen of 'De-Nile.' RANULPH: Right, Queen of De-Nile. JOSEPH: Sorry. RANULPH: I sometimes miss yours, but that one I got. JOSEPH: We head south with the pyramids in the rear view mirror. To retrace Ran's Egyptian expedition. Next stop, Luxor. RANULPH: If you want to remember how it was in the days when you could feel every bump, these Defenders are totally reliable. JOSEPH: Oh, don't do it. Please don't do it! To get to Luxor, we're going to cross the Nile via ferry. We've got almost an hour to make it to the nearest port which is only 25 miles away. But to get there we have to drive through the El Minya province. It's an area that's become a target for terrorist attacks which is why we're constantly negotiating our way through police checkpoints. CHRIS (over radio): Chris to Joe? JOSEPH: Oop, hello. Uh, Joe, to Chris. Hello? JOSEPH: Police checkpoints were also a problem for Ran's expedition 50 years ago because Egypt was then in the middle of a war with Israel. Two years before he arrived, the countries were engaged in another bloody conflict along Egypt's borders. RANULPH: We had been forbidden to go to Egypt by the ministry of defense, but the letter telling us we couldn't go arrived after we'd already got there. JOSEPH: Today few outsiders drive through here and with good reason. Last year, 28 people were killed in an ISIS attack just a few miles from where we're driving now. RANULPH: Now, 50 years later, we find the same situation of the police or army checkpoints lead to not being able to predict what you can or cannot do on your hoped for schedule. It was a plus and minus having the police with you. Each time you get to a new village, you have to change the police escort. Some of them were very nice and helpful; others had their own slowness's. JOSEPH: Joe to Chris? JOSEPH: After a 30-minute wait, the local police finally let us continue our journey. With only a few minutes to get to the ferry before it leaves, our film crew don't even have time to get back into their vehicle. Do you want to jump on the back or yeah? MOHAMED: I'll jump here, yeah. JOSEPH: We're only 45 minutes late for our departure. RANULPH: Yes. MOHAMED: Yeah, but we will be there before sunset. JOSEPH: We have to reach Luxor before dark. It's too dangerous to drive there at night. JOSEPH: Ok, here we go. Do you think I can drive onto this? Here we go. RANULPH: I tell you if we had had this it would have saved us so much time and trouble in 1969. JOSEPH: Boarding the ferry on Ran's original expedition was a far tougher process. The flimsy ramps almost buckled under the weight of his cars. And they only just managed to fit their trailers on. Officially all aboard the Nile. Who knows how to pack them in? To give me a taste of what it's like organizing these kinds of logistics, Ran puts me in charge of squeezing our cars, and our police escort vehicles, on board as quickly as possible. World's greatest explorer? Maybe not. World's greatest parking attendant? Perhaps. For all the stories of the Nile, it's nice to finally be on it. The world's longest river. Here we are. This is the lifeblood of the country. RANULPH: Absolutely. JOSEPH: 95% of Egyptians live within the Nile basin. Its waters have sustained civilizations for 5,000 years. No wonder then that in ancient myths the Nile was considered a manifestation of the God Hapi, who blessed the land with abundance. With all the security risks, I guess they don't get many passengers like us. We're considered such a novelty that we're invited onto the bridge. RANULPH: Right, so that one is speed. FERRYMAN: Suraa. JOSEPH: Suraa. FERRYMAN: Battaria. JOSEPH: Battaria. FERRYMAN: Zeit. JOSEPH: Ah, okay. FERRYMAN: Speed, oil, the pressure. JOSEPH: And that's it? Ran has driven everything from tanks to boats. I wonder if I'll be better at steering this vessel than I am the vintage defender? RANULPH: Have a go on that. JOSEPH: Ok, let's have a go. Ah there's a bit of a current but we have to go this direction. I have to take a second. This is lovely driving. This is a dream come true. How long have you been ferryman? JOSEPH: 34 years on the Nile? MOHAMED: His father was working as the same, a commander of the big boats like that, so that's why he... JOSEPH: Wow, so you're following footsteps of your father? His father drove tanks and he himself became a tank commander! Shukran. Thing is, if you look at the water too long... RANULPH: The water, yep. JOSEPH: You go see-Nile. RANULPH: Very good! Do these things just suddenly come to you? JOSEPH: I can't help it! So Ran, I'm just going to have a look at the map. We'll soon be arriving on the other side of the Nile, so our focus returns to getting to Luxor before dark. Ran's original map from 50 years ago is a useful addition to keep us on track. RANULPH: And we're going to Luxor, which is where? JOSEPH: Here. it's quite a long drive. JOSEPH: It's a long drive. If all goes according to plan, the police have been really heavy with security. Thankfully it appears things come off boats easier than they go on. And we're soon on our way again. It feels like if I had an impression back home before I left off to join you on this trip of Egypt, this would be it. We are really out in the sticks here. RANULPH: We're right on the edge now of Ulu. JOSEPH: I am here, not to only retrace his steps through Egypt, but to connect with him and who he is and his heritage, and also to glean and learn from him. So Ran, what side of the Nile are we on, East or West? RANULPH: East side. JOSEPH: If you woke up suddenly and you were told you were on the red planet of Mars, you might believe them. RANULPH: Except for the pylons. JOSEPH: Minus the pylons. RANULPH: My profession basically is leading and organizing and planning expeditions. And its stressful and it means you don't appreciate the artistic loveliness of places. Very often you don't want beauty because beauty brings problems. You just want boring whiteness. JOSEPH: We've made it to Luxor. When Ran was here before he had a bit of an issue. He was arrested on suspicion of being an Israeli spy. RANULPH: They arrested us in a village near Luxor. There was a war between the Egyptian and the Israelis at that time and the Nile was the reserve defense line. JOSEPH: In 1969, the Nile was considered to be strategic territory in the conflict. The fact that Ran's expedition team had an 18-foot map of the region was something of a red flag for the police. RANULPH: So they were on their edge, and you can understand it wouldn't be good having foreigners going up the Nile. JOSEPH: After interrogating him and thoroughly examining his equipment, Ran was released. But his 1969 adventures caught the eye of more than just the local police. RANULPH: The main reason for us attempting this expedition was to celebrate the great age of Nile exploration of the 1860s. JOSEPH: The expedition kick-started Ran's explorer career. It put him firmly on the world stage. And on his return to the UK, even Hollywood came calling. RANULPH: I got short listed for James Bond in 1970, believe it or not. But one of the other five got the job. JOSEPH: And that bloke was Roger Moore, whose iconic scenes in The Spy who Loved Me were shot at this temple here in Luxor where I am now. And for the next hour, I'm not an actor, not an explorer, just a tourist. This is my guide, scholar, historian and security man. You can tell by his arms, that's the security. Luxor was part of Egypt's ancient capital, known as Thebes. The temple was built in honor of King Amon, and his wife and son. You wouldn't call it modest, but then again, he wasn't just any old god. He was King of the Gods. Quality of artistry is phenomenal. This would have been a spectacular place to come and visit, which it still is. While I've been doing my tourist thing, Ran's been prepping my next challenge. This is Tahtib. An ancient martial art that requires opponents to swing four-foot sticks at each other's heads. And Ran's just told me that I'm up next against one of Egypt's leading experts, oh what fun! JOSEPH: This lethal ancient martial art dates back to at least 2500 BC. Originally, the aim was to use these long canes to land a deadly headshot but thankfully Tahtib is now more of a fiercely competitive, and hopefully not so deadly, local sport. JOSEPH: An honor to meet you. And I can't wait to try it. MOHAMED: You must be learned first. RANULPH: Beauty before age? JOSEPH: Radwan Mansour, our host is a Tahtib expert, and he talks me through the basics. Ran may be able to call upon his training in Special Ops. But there are one or two moves I learned at the Royal Shakespeare Company that I think I might just deploy. I really felt that man of 24, 25, that was here 50 years ago, beaming. There was fire in his eyes. It was brilliant. From Pyramids to Tahtib, he's unstoppable. So for Ran, I don't think age will ever stop him. RANULPH: Thank you very much. JOSEPH: You did so well there. After the fighting, I want to share some of Ran's past with our host Radwan. So we show some footage of my cousin the 25 year old explorer in his prime. This is 50 years ago, so this is before we were born. That's you there, always with your top off Ran. Is that it? Was that goodbye? MOHAMED: This is miracle to see you while you are 25 years in this picture and while you are sitting beside you at the same time. JOSEPH: You can't come to Egypt and not visit the Red Sea, or at least I can't. So that's our next stop. It's a chance for me to take Ran somewhere he hasn't been, despite all his adventures in the Middle East. But to get there we have to cross the mountainous, and very hot, Wadi Gemal desert. Amazing how this texture changes from black to brown to yellow. It's a lunar safari. Crossing the Wadi Gemal desert will be the biggest test yet of my off-road driving skills. Oops, bumpy, sorry. Ran knows all about dealing with these kind of driving conditions from his 1969 expedition. RANULPH: In countryside with just desert on both sides that's where our real serious problems began completely stuck in soft sand. JOSEPH: It's hard to imagine how anyone could survive for long in this desolate desert. We're off the map. RANULPH: And there's nothing. JOSEPH: No name, no place. It's 250 miles to the Red Sea across this searing sand, so we'll have to stop and camp somewhere, and that has its own dangers. Hammock or tent? RANULPH: I would say tent. I mean obviously if you are closer to the ground there's a faint chance of crawlie-wawlies but um... JOSEPH: That's true. RANULPH: But tents have probably got zips to keep them out. JOSEPH: I think a tent sounds more tenting... The only place we can camp overnight is on land that's protected by people who've made this place their home, the Bedouin. Ran called upon their help while engaged in military missions RANULPH: I got to know the Bedouin very well. We could go on patrol for 300 miles in desert. JOSEPH: Did you understand the navigation that the Bedouin use at night time using the stars? RANULPH: Yes, you look to see where the north pole star is. You then find a constellation that you recognize which is in the right direction, and for five or 10 minutes because the stars are moving, go for it. JOSEPH: Clearly the Bedouin will help us on our way, but first we need to find them. JOSEPH: Look at that Ran. RANULPH: Oh, yes. JOSEPH: Oh my word this is beautiful. RANULPH: Quite something. JOSEPH: 220 miles into our drive across the Wadi Gemal desert to the Red Sea, we arrive at the Bedouin camp, our stop for the night. Let's camp. Thank you for allowing us to come to your special place. It's beautiful. Our Bedouin host, Mohamed Gad, explains that we might have some unwelcome guests joining us tonight. JOSEPH: Desert foxes are here? GAD: Yes. RANULPH: But no snakes? JOSEPH: Maybe we'll get the camp ready before the sun goes down. GAD: Yes, yes. JOSEPH: With wild animals roaming around the desert, I'm not entirely comfortable with camping on the ground, so I decide to sleep somewhere a little safer. presidential suite up here. RANULPH: Ah, look that's not very wide is it Joe? JOSEPH: It's not very wide. RANULPH: No. Are you happy trying it out? JOSEPH: I'm undecided, but I'm going to sleep on it. RANULPH: Ah right! Got it, got it, slow but sure. JOSEPH: There are 4 million Bedouin, but only 5% of them still live in the desert. They've called Wadi Gemal their home for 4,500 years. And during that time they have fought off everyone from pharaohs and Romans to the British Empire. It's a real honor to spend the night here. That's not too bad. Night, night, cuz! The following morning we sit down for a traditional Bedouin breakfast and map out our route to the Red Sea. Ran has decided to turn the final part of our drive into a race. Me versus the World's Greatest Explorer. And to make it really interesting I'll be in the classic car driving across tougher, tire-ripping terrain. Although my route is slightly shorter, Ran will be driving a newer vehicle on much smoother roads. Only the Bedouin know their way around this desert, so they'll be our guides. Shall we do a bet who gets there first? RANULPH: Yeah, 20 quid! To which point, the sea? JOSEPH: To the point of the sea. RANULPH: Well all I can say, Joe, is good luck! JOSEPH: May the best team win! RANULPH: Yeah and I would hope to see you again at some point! Ok, good. JOSEPH: Good car. You know that 20 quid? You don't want to take it down to 10, do you? Next stop, the Red Sea, hopefully. Maps and GPS are no use in this unforgiving desert, but with my Bedouin guide next to me, I think I actually might be in with a chance of beating Ran. RANULPH: Looking at the satnav you'd just end up god knows. You certainly wouldn't be where you thought you were. So having a local Bedouin in the car is just such a huge, you know they go like that if you can't understand whether they're saying go right at the mountain and left at the bypass or whatever. But they point just like that so where you get a divergence of the tracks you go off that way, no question asked. YUSEF: Yamin. RANULPH: Shukraan. YUSEF: Yallah khouch Shemal. RANULPH: Yusef doesn't want to say Yasar which is to the left, he definitely wants to say North and South, so I'm having to listen to Shamal and Janoub, Ganoub which I'm not used to. JOSEPH: If we carry on doing these cut throughs we'll beat him! My temperamental old car has other ideas. Hot? Water? It's no fun fixing a leaky car radiator in the 100-degree sun, and I'm desperate not to lose any more ground in our race to the Red Sea. It's certainly not helping me that I can't actually figure out how to close the bonnet. JOSEPH: As we race towards the Red Sea I'm pretty sure Ran has an easier ride in his more modern car. That radiator has lost us a good 5 minutes. Let's try and catch it up! Yalla Beena! No more stopping! I know how this will sound, but I've definitely got the harder route here. I reckon Ran's got it easy. Are you bored senseless with comfort, computers, and air conditioning, over? RANULPH: It's just lovely. JOSEPH: Yes, but don't you feel you've lost contact with the spirit that once drove you? RANULPH: No, I'm letting my cousin enjoy all that for the moment. JOSEPH: Here, you have to think, you have to feel, you have to have contact with the earth. Aye! Ok, I'm in the red, so I'm going to have to stop again. A dodgy radiator is not exactly what you need when you're racing against the world's greatest explorer! And of course Ran can't resist rubbing it in! RANULPH: Sea you on the beach. JOSEPH: Quick, quick, we've got to get to the beach! RANULPH: Ah, yes! Yusef, that's them! Yeah, I'm not gonna let Joe get away with this one, we're going to go a little bit faster! YUSEF: Ok. JOSEPH: Not overheating! Good girl! Where's the finish point, over? RANULPH: Looks as though it might be soon. JOSEPH: Oh, what? And Ran might seem avuncular and calm, but underneath is the cold competitive killer. Come on, baby, come on! We can do it! RANULPH: Oh, Joe! Looks like you're going to get there first! JOSEPH: I think you're right! I think the old girl has it! Fiend two to the finish line. I think Ran might have taken his foot off the gas there, but a win's a win! Oh, wow! Look at that sea there! Wooo! Guess what I've got here? This is official. RANULPH: You wait, it'll be the first to touch the blue line. JOSEPH: Oh, and then it'll be the first to swim to Oman! RANULPH: Yemen. JOSEPH: Yemen. It was lovely to come from that dry desert, unforgiving landscape, to this sort of almost looked like a mirage, this beautiful, cool water, and then jumping in and going for a swim was just sheer delight. I really felt again that man of 24, 25, that was here 50 years ago, beaming and connecting with this trip. RANULPH: I've never really bothered to get to know family, so it's very interesting meeting someone of your own blood. This has given me opportunity to not just go down Nile and try and remember 50 years ago and see what's changed, but getting side trips to things that you've always wished is just great. Actually seeing Red Sea, having spent so much time just on the other side, Oman, is just great. JOSEPH: It's been invaluable this trip looking back and here we are, look at the sea, and it feels like end of trip but we have another week to go. And on the final leg of our Egyptian expedition... We witness the wonder and splendor of Abu Simbel's ancient temple. I'm having a little bit of an out of body experience. I have to rely on my own unique method of camping. People might laugh at me up here, but creepy-crawlies tend not to climb up metal. And my off road driving skills are put to the ultimate test. Know what, I think it might blow. It's going to blow. Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.