Safink-sees, sprawling bazaars and marriage proposals.

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How many camel?? For you; we marry. How many camel?

The question on the lips of nearly every Egyptian man I have met in the last week. Uttered between exclamations of 'beautiful eyes' and assurances of help that turn to pleading and finally harrassing. The Caleche drivers (horse with a carriage behind) are by far the worst and will promise riches, glory and undying affection if you'll just get on their cart - all for less than five pounds! (about one australian dollar).

Culture shock isn't really as shocking as one is led to believe. Once you've gotten past the fact that everyone is nice here and will do anything (on the assumption that, once they've assisted you, you will then pay them baksheesh - which is a tip or a bribe depending on who you're giving it to) and that the only way to get out of this is to either ignore or outright refuse the more ridiculous offers of assistance (i.e being shown to your seat on a train, even though you already know where it is; opening the door at a fast-food restaurant or even being whisked into a mosque that you thought was the entrance to an ancient temple.) things run smoothly.

I'm in Cairo now and have sucessfully managed to barter with more than one Egyptian in the many sprawling, often confusing, Souks and Bazaars that spring up in the cracks between buildings, towns and even road blocks. Of course, my best bargaining occurs in situations where I can't actually afford something I've looked at and, as a result, I am genuinely insisting that I can't pay the price they are asking for - even the price they probably aren't... however such situations sometimes end in the final price offered being so low that I just have to buy it. This is why, even though I have ten kilos more luggage than I should have had to begin with, I managed to collect a bedouin galabaiya (crazy traditional dress or sorts) on my first day in Egypt (Luxor) and found, on the third day, (this time in Aswan) a beautiful silver bracelet.

I've already managed to visit a good number of Ancient sites and temples (I started in Upper Egpyt - which is down the bottom - Luxor (Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Hatshepsut's Temple), Aswan, then boat back to Luxor taking in the ancient sites of Kom Ombo and Edfu on the way, then up to Cairo (Pyramids of Giza)). The temple complex at Karnak (near Luxor - which just so happens to be the Ancient city of Thebes, though it took me two days in Luxor - looking for directions to Thebes - to discover this!) is by far the most impressive. 23 metre high columns (topped by giant mushrooms), towering obelisks in perfect condition, surrounded by crumbling walls, coptic graffiti and carvings with scratched of faces and hands fit together so perfectly that, even though it's the middle of the day (sweltering heat) and you're surrounded by tourists, there's still something awe-inspiring about it.

The Sphinx isn't quite as impressive as I had imagined (though from behind it also looks like a giant mushroom - theme, maybe?). I couldn't quite see the fuss over the famous Sphinx gaze. It just looked like a haphazard, ruined pile with a head, staring off in some fixed direction. Maybe I was just put off by the hoardes of tourists, touters and whatnot; trying to sell cheap plastics pyramids, postcards and photos with them (or me - which was even stranger). The Pyramids themselves were quite amazing - though the best view of them was actually from the third floor window of a Pizza Hut restaurant across the road (seemed to give a better perspective of their enormity). Our photos from there are an amusing mixture of strange and new - three giant pyramids with a Pizza Hut sticker 'floating' in the sky between them.

Tomorrow I head off to Alexandria; to visit the great (rebuilt) Library of Alexandria - which should prove interesting. So far, all has run smoothly and, inshallah, this good fortune shall continue!

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Comments

[Noelene]

Sounds like life is very interesting for you at the moment. I like the photos of you in Egypt.

[chiaki]

Is this Auntie Noelene? - I had a lot of fun in Egypt but Jordan is even more amazing!