Egypt Epilogue

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Last night in Egypt.. so what are my feelings about this country?

Firstly, overwhelming history and culture.. the ruins are already so impressive.. just imagine Egypt in its hay days.. but that's the past.. what about the future? Will Egypt continue to grow into a strong nation as it was before during the pharaonic age? Suez canal.. tourism resources... hope good things come out of these.. and get distributed to the people...

it's really tough to trade with arabic people.. they're shrewd... they're aggressive.. they always want to get more out of you... dealing with them involves a lot of negotiation.. can get quite tiring.. i hope sudan and ethiopia will be more straight forward..

The number of people asking for baksheesh.. it's really very sad to see this.. from little kids.. to temple guardsmen.. to the police.. asking for baksheesh is becoming a culture.. a bad culture.. a culture of begging.. is asking for baksheesh something egyptians are proud of?? This kid came up to me while i was smoking chicha at an ahwa.. tried to sell me some arabic newspaper.. hhaa.. i can't read arabic! buy for what? and then he asked for baksheesh openly... WTF? aren't you selling newspaper? Why are you begging? really sad to see this.. man operating felucca, asked me to give him my phone.. man doing horse ride, asked me to give him my watch.. policeman at Giza, asked me to give him my pen..

I'm getting a little tired of old temples.. of hieroglyphs... haha.. actually, i think i'm getting tired of being a tourist.. going for this sight.. going for that sight.. it's quite tiring.. i guess the more you read, the more you know where to go.. the more you want to go.. i'm glad my next leg of the trip will be less sight-seeing.. just travel.. and see the people.. the culture.. glad my Africa on Shoestring doesn't say much on sights.. Looking forward to the rides on top of pickups on top of the cargoes in sudan..

When i went out without my camera bag just now.. i felt so free.. just walk.. and soak in the atmosphere.. was glad i was done with the temples at abu simbel in an hour.. and had another hour to just sit there and enjoy the lake breeze.. looking at the temple facades.. at the philae island.. just sitting down at the cafe.. watching the Nile..

Oh well. end of my tourist leg.. but no where else can i get the tourist luxury but in Egypt.. safe to walk around at night.. just wander.. my guard will have to be up the minute i get on the ferry tomorrow.. my guard had been low in Egypt.. kena ketoked more than a few times becos i was too trusting of people.. not good.. never know what's going to happen.. so starting tomorrow.. no more tourist mode..

This is Johan Phoea signing off from Egypt.. Tourist mode off.. Traveller mode on..

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Comments

[Psycho]

Baksheesh...
Hmm.... I think the Egyptian are being very polite to actually ask instead of just thrusting themselves at you. Maybe they are recipocrating your trust in people by asking you nicely? It is nice to hear that my friend can let his guard down and still remain an anal virgin. Are you sure that they are asking for baksheesh? Maybe they are asking for "backside" but pronounced it as baksheesh due to their arabic accent? ;-)

[bud]

Very good read so far ...
... two thumbs up!!! Got the dam photo?

[Bud]

Your view on Egypt is consistent with others
... now I remember Stephanie Sun also had a bad encounter in Egypt, he guides kept asking for more and even threatened her entourage with guns. Perhaps you should have spoken to her before you left ....

[mel]

gulp!
erm, been a week yeah? Sudan internet usage only 0.9%!!

[AH CHEW]

WHY?
Ah why so long never write? You in Sudan?

[Chivalry]

Nah..
if it's 'backside' i'd most probably have said "yes pls..".. =)

[Chivalry]

No damn dam photo
Cannot take photo.. classified under military strategic building..

[Chivalry]

Mine not as bad lah..
Mine no guns.. but they are just damn bluddy knn irritating.. if you get angry, which i believe steph sun's crew did, and be rude or shout at them... they can get more rough than you i reckon.. sometimes, tourist touts really spoil a country's image..

[Chivalry]

In Khatroum now
Yep.. took me a week to travel down the Nile to Sudan's capital, Khartoum.. they have internet cafes along the way.. but i was either camping out in the wild or sleeping over at somebody's home.. so no internet opportunities..