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We flew to Cairo from Budapest with Egypt Air and had no hassles. We arrived at Cairo airport and forked out the $15USD for a visa. Whilst gathering our luggage, a well-dressed gentleman in a suit asking if we wanted a taxi immediately harangued Bryan. Bryan accepted. We were taken outside, quite some distance from the official taxi stand and quite some distance from the other travellers. I got nervous. Mum started to interrogate the man on my behalf who tried to reassure me. He was clearly lying when a beat up car that was missing a window and a taxi sign showed up. I spent the journey clenching the door handle and trying to memorise my travel insurance policy number. We arrived safe and suitably ripped off by the driver. But the drama of the evening did not finish there.
After being greeted by our tour operator (we travelled with Geckos travel) I made my way to my room where I met my room buddy Debra from Australia. At approximately 11pm I received a phone call from my tour operator, he told me that ‘my parents were being robbed, and that I needed to come down as I might
be in time to save them.’ I scrambled for clothes and Deb agreed to come with me, we met the tour operator who told Deb that I’d be okay with him…so she retreated back to the room. The tour operator didn’t come with me and instead gave me directions of where he thought Mum and Bryan were being robbed. So I was thrusted out into Cairo in the middle of the night…by myself. I adopted my ‘camo-kitty’ persona and stormed into the night with clenched fists ready to flatten any zealous Egyptian that crossed my path.
Meanwhile, Mum and Bryan returned to the hotel and visited my room to find that I wasn’t there. Deb informed Mum of the entire story, a then very unimpressed mother stormed down the stairs and almost pinned the operator to the wall demanding to know where her daughter had gone and why he hadn’t joined me. After 20mins of launching myself at Cairo I gave in and returned to a very relieved mother. I returned to my room where I managed to successfully lock myself in the bathroom and poor Deb had to wedge the door open. Not a good start to my
Egypt experience.
The next day we were given a guided tour of Cairo and the full horror of my Cairo experience was realised. Cairo is quite possibly my version of hell on earth. Besides the grandeur of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, this city is a cesspit of decomposing rubbish and animals; the vermin locals glare at you like a cash cow and are desperate for the opportunity to rip you off; and the transport system swells with badly maintained motor vehicles (usually with numerous children swinging off them), donkeys, horses, carriages and child beggars trying to enter the vehicle. All of this operates with minimum co-ordination, maximum noise and overall discomfort.
We visited the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Both of which was very impressive and as expected had tourist crowds but not to the extent that it detracted from the experience. I decided to go inside the Great Pyramid, this proved to be quite the journey, the pathway inside being extraordinarily narrow and steep, I climbed doubled over the entire journey. Unfortunately after a painful and sweaty journey you reach the opening that reveals absolutely nothing…no tomb, no mummy, no jewels…Indiana Jones has a lot to
answer for, my sense of adventure well and truly shot.
We then went for a snack at a rather obscene roadside restaurant, where Bryan witnessed our guide for the day take a back hander for taking us there. We then went to a Papyrus gallery and watched how the first written form was created in ancient times. There were several artworks for sale, but we later found out that the tour company in return typically receives 50% commission on all sales in return for taking the tour to that particular gallery.
Lastly we visited the National Museum of Egypt. The museum is huge and boasts the mummies, Tutankhamen’s tombs and treasures and several other ancient treasures. But my ultimate delight was watching Asian tourists…I counted 4 Asian’s wearing raincoats!! Raincoats in Egypt…c’mon. I think the Egypt museum should consider making Asian tourists a permanent exhibition as evidence of a modern Egypt. The museum was very crowded and I did feel the museum could have done more with their exhibits given the amazing treasures they have to work with.
We also had a day in Cairo on our return journey. It apparently only rains 2 days a year
in Cairo and I was there for one of them…maybe my criticism of Asian tourists was unwarranted?!? I also finally lost my temper with rude Egyptians who thought it was a great idea to poke lasers at certain parts of other women’s bodies and at the men’s heads. My noise attracted the attention of the Tourism Police who actually sorted it out.
I never want to come back to Cairo again. It was truly the worst city I have ever visited being dirty, dangerous, transport and mobility is impossible (we had to get a taxi to cross the road as it was just too dangerous) and there is always someone trying to rip you off. On a positive note, it wasn’t overly expensive with the NZD exchange rate and no one tried to actually steal my money rather they prefer the challenge of trying to con me.
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Heather
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Your Egypt photos were great! Your trip sounds so fantastic, but I'm sorry to hear that you didn't leave with a good impression of Cairo. If you want to share any of your experiences from there, either good or bad, with fellow travelers, let us know! Eric and I are enjoying your posts very much! Heather :) dirty-hippies.blogspot.com