In my essay I will be writing about when Michael Palin reaches Africa on day 53.

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Africa

In my essay I will be writing about when Michael Palin reaches Africa on day 53. I will some of his many journeys , and how he uses historic information to make it more interesting. I will be telling you about his train journey and the townships of south Africa. Also moments when palin's writing brings alive for me the strangeness of Africa.

On day 53 Michael was in Port Said going to Cairo, Michael does not seem to happy when they are stopped by officers who unload all of their equipment for examination, he seems a bit fed up because he says '.. we have been through all this for seven hours yesterday and he has the paperwork to prove it'. Palin uses very descriptive language to describe the canal which they drive along side to avoid the busy Ismailia highway. He says its quiet and restful, which you can tell because the way he describes everything. ' kingfishers swoop, butterflies flicker in the reeds and there is not much noise until the wind sets the bulrushes hissing and whispering'. He uses adverbs like 'soundlessly' to put his point across. Day 55 he is in Cairo, he gives me the impression he has been to Cairo before because he says ' Cairo seems more enormous and manic than I ever remember it.'

When he is talking about Cairo he makes he seem a really nice place as he says' there are all sorts of hidden delights' but when he gets to the train station there is a bit of confusion about what platform the train to Luxor is on, whilst he is waiting Michael meets a English couple who are on their honey moon who just cannot take anymore of Cairo.
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The train journey is very ferocious and bumpy as he says' Im awake and hanging on for dear life'. The train pulls up to the station at 5.35am. He gives the tone of excitement because it's the first time in his life that he has been to Luxor before. He goes into description about Luxor station being tastefully monumental in decoration. ' ... tall columns, gilded details on the doors eagle heads and a hieroglyphic design...'

They go on a Nile cruise for the next leg of their journey. 'the Isis' is what their boat is ...

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