Day 5 - update

---

19/10/08 - still in cairo
Ok, so a mixed bad of events so far good and bad! Here's a brief run down...
So i met another guy called Mariwan (coincidentally, he tokes!) who informed me id been ripped off by the travel agent. He helped me get my money back and go to a better one where i got a better deal. Details of the trip later...
Anyway, i have hung out with mariwan and he's a good guy, but i have discovered both he and Ali are 'hustlers' who take you to shops etc and ensure you pay slightly over the odds and get a commission! Have over spent a bit but i have also learned how to avoid this now. All part of the experience!

Anyway, the other day i went to the legendary pyramids of Giza, thus finally completing my only real fullfillable childhood dream, and im not ashamed to admit it brought a tear to my eye!!! They are truly amazing, and when i finally get round to putting some pictures up, they really cant convey their greatness!!

On a darker note, that night i (stupidly) ended up walking through a dark empty park, where i was bloody mugged!! Luckily there was no violence, he grabbed me and (in Arabic) demanded money, i handed over what i had (about 40 quid) and left unharmed! Its a shame because with that and the hustlers i feel i should be cautious of the people of Cairo, even the (i believe) genuinely good ones! But again, a learning experience!

So anyway, as for the rest of Cairo, i have seen the ancient Islamic Citadel, with its beautiful mosques, walls and museums, and the Oldest Bazaar in the world, Khan al-Khalili, a wicked place which is full of traders of all crafts and sooo many people! Then today i saw the Egyptian Museum, crammed full of ancient antiquities and artifacts! Too much for one day, but i made sure i saw the famous solid gold headdress and sarcophagi of Tutankhamen, and the haunting and unforgettable sight of their collection of mummies, including Ramses II. Amazing!

So tomorrow i begin my tour of the rest of Egypt. Cant wait for some peace and quiet, cairo is wonderful, but 5 days is enough for now. In a nutshell, i will be visiting the western desert oases and camping out in the sand, then to the eastern resort of Dahab for a week of relaxing and diving perhaps, then a train to Aswan in the south followed by 2 nights on a Felucca on the nile, leading to my last few days in Luxor where i'll see the legendary valley of the kings etc...

Hope everyone is well, still missing you all! More news soon!!

---