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I know that the 2009/2010 winter was particularly harsh for pretty much all of the northern hemisphere, so I’m not expecting great pity, but in Slovenia it was really long and really cold. I would pass the Abanka building on Slovenska cesta most mornings at 6am and the temperature was often as low as -14C. I appreciate that other places get colder but I have spent the last few winters in South America or Africa so I really wasn’t accustomed to it. The snow, even in Ljubljana, was a metre deep at its greatest. Again, I know that other places receive more than that but I’ve come to realise that I’m very much a hot weather person. Worst of all was the never-ending dreary fog. We didn’t see sunlight and the temperature didn’t get into the positive seemingly for months.
One morning while cycling past the aforementioned building, I looked up and noticed that the temperature read -4C.
“That’s not too bad” I said to myself.
I suddenly realised that when you can convince yourself that -4C is not too bad it’s time for a holiday. So I finished my class, went home and immediately booked a return flight to
The Step Pyramid of Zoser, Saqqara, near Cairo
Built in 2650BC, this is Egypt's oldest pyramid and indeed the world's oldest stone monument.
You would have thought then that my taxi driver would have heard of it. Egypt.
The reasons for selecting Egypt were not just because it was the closest, hottest place, although this was the main one.
The second reason was the temples and pyramids. Inexplicably, Egyptian history has never fascinated me the way that some ancient civilizations have. However, its significance is such that I was still highly interested in visiting.
The third reason was the diving. The Red Sea is Europe’s closest tropical sea and I had become bored of divers worldwide telling me:
“You are from Europe and you haven’t been to the Red Sea?! You really must, it’s sooooo amazing.”
So I went.
It turned out that not only were my three motives completely justified as, if not better than, anticipated, but there were also two unexpected bonuses.
Motive 1: Despite being February, it was hot. Well over 30C in Luxor and the south, just under 30C on the Sinai coast. Perfect.
Motive 2: I mentioned my previous lack of enthusiasm for Egyptology; that soon changed. The temples, particularly the carvings, were incredible. The quality and colour of the paintings within the tombs were staggering given the age (over 3500 years). My guides swore
that they haven’t been touched up because they look like they were drawn last week.
I appreciate that you can get “templed out” if you try and see too many too quickly; often because many of the guides overload you with dates and pharaonic family histories and talk you through every single decorated scene. My solution was to wander off, sit, and take it in. You don’t need to decipher every single hieroglyph to appreciate a place.
Motive 3: I’m happy to report that the diving really is as good as everyone makes out. The sea is warm, clear, calm, stuffed with brightly coloured fish and blessed with pretty and abundant corals. And then there are the wrecks. The SS Thistlegorm is particularly noteworthy. Put yourself 30 metres below the surface in the dark hold of a World War II supply ship surrounded by unexploded tank shells, rifles and venomous lion fish; buoyancy control has never been so easy.
Then there were the two unexpected bonuses, namely; the food and the people.
I had not heard great things about Egyptian cuisine. Probably because most people that I know who have visited the country have stayed in
all inclusive resorts and thus have maintained a very westernized diet. These people warned me that the food would definitely give me a dicky stomach while I had no such issues by exclusively eating where the locals ate. Buffet food that has been sitting out all day versus freshly made fare; there’s no contest really. The food is cheap, healthy, tasty and different. I really liked it.
The people: True, many people expect to be tipped for the tiniest service and at the entrances and exits of the temples you are hounded by hawkers:
“Hello, where are you from?”
“Japan.”
“Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?”
“Scotland.”
“Hallooo, och aye the noo.”
“Russia.”
“Dobro utro, Kak poyvajete”
I got around all this by telling them I was from Slovenia, not a complete lie, I do live there. While their linguistically adept brains scrolled in vain through the well rehearsed sales pitches I could make my escape.
But away from the temples, your average man on the street (and unfortunately I do mean “man” on the street, it isn’t easy to chat to local women) is warm, open and very generous. While eating falafel stuffed pitas I was regularly invited to
join a table of gents who were all highly interested in where I was from, why I was there and who was my football team. I timed the visit well, Egypt had just won the African Nations Cup, a tournament that I had watched start to finish. The ability to quote the names of their top goal scorers quickly ingratiated me into any group. Tea was ordered, a shisha was brought and I was never allowed to pay a penny.
So if you want a cheap week in the sun; go to Egypt. If you want a cheap week of great diving; go to Egypt. If you want to see some of the world’s greatest historical treasures; go to Egypt. But please try to get away from the resorts and the tours because this country has a lot more to offer.
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