Blogs from Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa - page 114

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Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo September 17th 2002

Day One - Getting here From a chilly September morning in the UK to a "warm" 40C in Cairo - it was a long day gett ing here. The flights were all ok (even if the first one did leave Heathrow at 6.30am and we got up way earlier than that!) and got us safely to a hot and dusty Cairo. The ride from the airport to the hostel, by a driver / car organised by the hostel as part of a 'deal', was kind of fast and hair-raising. Horns blared non-stop...lane markings are ignored as is anyone else who may be in the space you want to occupy...three lane roads mean at least five lanes of cars...and as for speed limits, what an alien idea! Still, we got to the hostel and we given a ... read more
The Great Pyramid of Cheops and the Pyramid of Chephren
Mounted police!
The Sphinx

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo September 14th 2002

Egypt is an Islamic country, something which is sometimes difficult to reconcile with the Western understanding of this ancient land of heiroglyphics, Phaorahs, and pyramids... It's also a very Christian country, with a historical connection to the Judeo-Christian tradition and a strong Coptic community. Copts are Orthodox Christians not dissimilar to Russian, Greek and Serbian Orthodox Churches... We quickly discovered the Egyptians to be a gregarious and friendly people, who absolutely adore children and were bemused by the fact we'd left our four at home on this trip... Cairo is a city to experience just in walking around the streets, interacting with the everyday Cairenes who live there. Full of contradictions you see BMW's next to donket carts, policemen with kalishikovs and military uniform next to boy on bicycles with massive baskets of bread on their ... read more
Antique grafiti
Kefren Burial Chamber
Coptic Cairo alleyway

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo September 11th 2002

My first adventure overseas, 10 years after I was due to leave Australia I finally made it through the International Terminal at Perth and into a new understanding of the world... I had meant to go to the UK the month I finished highschool, but then postponed to work and earn some money. Then I went to University (just one year - then I'll take off before finishing), then I got involved in politics, then marriage and children and divorce... Finally, with a new partner, I was going to travel. I'd travelled a lot in Australia, even worked in Parliament House Canberra, but it was a deep desire to experience "the other" (as my anthropology professor had explained it), that drove me, and to this day drives me. I'm a migration agent now, and I help ... read more

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo July 2nd 2001

So the other day we woke up early and went to the Hilton for breakfast. After that we went across the street to the Cairo Museum. On the way there (during the 30 second walk), it was the first time I saw the tourist police. They were carrying machine guns, so it was a little weird. The museum was pretty crowded, but that didn't bother me too much. Only when a tour group of about 30 Europeans stood around points of interest for 10 minutes at a time. It took us quite a long time to look around the first level. There was so much to see, but yet, it was so disorganised. I was impressed with everything though. We went up to the second level, and it was pretty much dedicated to King Tutankhamen's treasure's. ... read more
The Step Pyramid
Middle East 2001 035
Middle East 2001 037

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo June 30th 2001

It was only a few hours flight from Dubai, to Egypt. The airport wasnt so great. When we were landing I saw a lot of rubbish just beside the runways, and people just all over the place. When we got to the terminal, I was kinda shocked to see an airport of this standard.... I guess it was my first taste of the good old culture shock. The airport pretty much looked like an old bathroom that had never been cleaned before. When we were going through passport control, I was a little confused. It seemed some of the richer local men found it okay to cut in front of like 30 people at a time. I was so pissed, but hey, I wasnt in Melbourne anymore. Anyways, David and I found our bags easily, but ... read more

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo January 10th 2001

Egypt and Israel December 27, 2000 - January 8, 2001 Wed/Thu 12/27-28/00 Egypt is a country that has created a present as fascinating as its past, so when we had an opportunity to visit friends who were living in Cairo, Brian, Bill, and I eagerly planned a trip that would also include visiting relatives who had recently moved to Israel. We flew from Houston to London Gatwick, where we had an eight-hour layover, so we took the tube into London's Piccadilly Circus. A five-hour flight brought us to Cairo around 11 p.m. Our friends had arranged for a “meet and assist,” who whisked us through all administrative red tape & visas, and soon we were out the door and met by Kasey, Bruce, and their driver Mustafa. En route to their home in Maadi, a suburb ... read more
Prayer time near the Giza pyramids
Giza
St. Sergius in Coptic Cairo

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo January 16th 1998

Spent a week in Cairo, teaching and installing. very bizarre experience... read more

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo June 3rd 1996

Just out of Israel, we changed buses and drove towards Cairo.Our new Globus Tour Director took over from David (sob.....) and her first encounter with Steven was not very pleasant. As she led us to our bus with a cracked windshield on the right corner, Steven joked if she caused that crack. She was a little bit on the chubby side and didn't receive the joke, and the laughs it drew, very kindly. For that reason, I will not be mentioning her name here. After all, she was indeed a very competent guide. Maybe just a little too sensitive. The Best Hotel Ever The Hotel Mena Oberoi in Cairo, Egypt stunned us back to our senses. In a five star luxury way! We are indeed in Egypt.........as the luxury hotel was located right smack in an ... read more
Giza Pyramids
Scaling the Pyramids
Camel Ride in Egypt

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo December 25th 1981

Christmas in Egypt 1953 Christmas and the Muslim holiday of Id al Adha occurred at approximately the same time, providing enough time off that I could plan a trip to fulfill my long time wish to see the pyramids. By this time, I had a new roommate. Caroline had arrived from Beirut, where she had been teaching in the American school. She was an American who had studied in an Egyptian university. When Carolyn learned I was going to Egypt, she insisted upon giving me a letter of introduction to her Egyptian friend, Soroya, a fellow student in the university who was now married and teaching in a Cairo university. After I arrived in Cairo, had checked into my hotel, and made arrangements for the following day, I called Soroya, expecting to squeeze in a visit ... read more

Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt » Cairo January 4th 1979

4 January 1979 Thursday. We had an interesting flight from Bangkok. We were seated in the last row, so the seats wouldn't lean back, and on an overnight flight that makes sleeping even harder. Some of the passengers were also interesting. There was a Jewish doctor and his wife from New York. He had many non-traditional solutions to our medical problems. For an upset stomach he recommended putting our stomach over the back of the seat and bouncing up and down. Anyway, we arrived in Cairo about 9 am, and took a taxi to our hotel. It was supposed to be a good hotel, but the elevator didn’t work and there were other maintenance issues. Just the month before that elevator had fallen and killed a number of Russians who were in it. Linda was too ... read more
Front of the Egyptian Museum
Fountain with papyrus in front of the Egyptian Museum
Bob and Linda on camels at Giza Pyramids




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