We started our journey in South Africa, then up to East Africa, and now we're at the top of the continent in North Africa (via a slight detour to the UAE). Our time in Egypt was a pre arranged tour, so we were met in Cairo airport by a representative who ushered us through all the entrance and customs formalities. Despite all the security police, xray and metal detectors buzzing off, they just wave you through without a second look. Our hotel was in Giza, 30ks from the airport on the west side of the Nile, 7ks past Cairo, and the trip there was a death defying 1.5 hours. Bumper to bumper traffic all crisscrossing and cutting each other off, absolutely no order, no traffic control, cars, trucks, busses with people hanging off picking up and dropping off in the middle of the road, donkeys pulling carts, people young and old with babies all crossing whenever, wherever because there aren't any pedestrian crosswalks nor do they have the right of way.
At night, many vehicles don't even turn on their headlights to "save the battery" and horns are used to indicate your intentions, not turn signals. Needless to say it was also very very noisy amongst all the confusion. At one point I asked our driver, Iman, exactly how many lanes there actually are, he jokingly replied " as many as we like, the lines are just for decoration". Not far from the truth because we also heard from a US expat living here for the past 15 years was that the "white lines were something the British left and the Egyptians don't know what they mean". I also asked Iman what a double flashing light meant, his reply "broken". Well at least they have a sense of humor to help you get through it.
So this was our introduction to Cairo, a city of 22 million (80 million in the country) where cars are dilapidated all honking at the same time. Speeding is rarely an issue because everything is at a crawl pace, but should you get a ticket it can easily be dismissed by giving the cop a tip. We also witnessed a parking enforcement official stop and put one of those wheel lock devices on three cars, as he was finished some guy ran out of a shop, handed him a business card and a few bills and before we knew it all three cars had their locks removed. On top of the road chaos, in some areas garbage is strewn everywhere, apparently by those who choose to not pay the monthly fee for garbage collection. Homes and shops are clean on the inside, they just sweep everything including garbage onto the street in what looks like not having any pride in their city. It may appear on the surface that it is a lawless country, but actually, crime is minimal despite 40% unemployment. Egypt is a poor country and people just accept their way of life, but for foreigners coming from 'orderly' countries it's mind boggling. No such thing a qeueing either, everyone just jostles for position. In the grocery store, I lost my place in line with people butting in and there was an actual tug of war episode that we witnessed when a clerk brought out a case of Pepsi. All of a sudden we heard this yelling, and screaming that we thought was a fight in the middle of the store but was a mob of shoppers practically attacking the clerk, ripping open the box all clamering for their one 5-pack allotment that we guess must have been on sale. They were shoving and pushing, screaming at eachother and pulling cans out of the arms of others. When the case was empty, everyone went back to shopping as calm as could be!
During the few days we had in the Cairo area, driver Iman and guide Rashia, took us on a couple tours. The Egyptian Museum was extremely interesting with over 250,000 exhibits. The entombing and burial process was really fascinating as well as the countless Tut Ankh Amen artifacts found within his tomb. Ancient Egyptians were buried with all their possessions from household items to jewels to chariots because they believed they would need them for when they returned in the afterlife. As far as is known, none have yet to return!
Down the street from our hotel were the famous 5000 yr old Giza Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos which, oddly enough, really didn't appear that massive at all at 142 meters high. But none the less impressive just by the sheer volume and the work involved in their creation, which apparently took 20 years of working 6 months per year by farmers who were able to leave their crops during certain times. Being claustrophobic, Roy passed up on the chance to enter a tomb so I went on my own. The narrow, one person downhill ramp was only 4 feet high so for 150 steps you walked hunched over. The further I descended the more the air had become stale and humid and I started to feel my dislike of closed-in spaces getting the better of me. The after 150 steps, I reached the bottom where it opened up just enough to stand up and regain composure before having to walk an uphill ramp for about another 150 steps again hunched over, before reaching the tomb opening. The deeper I went the more humid and heavy the air got to the point it crossed my mind to turn around, but at ¾ the way, I was closer to the tomb than the exit so I persevered. Once there, space opened up to a large room with high ceilings that could easily hold 100 people. There was only one other couple in the room sitting on the edge of the empty granite coffin, but after one quick look around I decided to high tail it out of there as the dense humid air and the thought of no windows or escape was starting to take its toll on me. Back downhill hunched over I go, a few second break, then uphill all the way with the air now becoming fresher with every step. By the time I got out I looked as though I had just come out of a steam bath and was never so happy to breathe fresh air and see the light of day.
After a few gimicky photos with over a thousand other tourists all doing the same (we've never seen so many tour buses), Rashia took us to a papyrus paper making art store and another curio shop where naturally, I didn't leave empty handed. It was only later that we were advised not to buy at the locations guides take you to because they get a commission on the sale. Too bad we found this out after we gave her a hefty 'baksheesh' (tip) for spending the day with us. Tipping in general has become a real sore point with us, everywhere you turn everyone expects a 'baksheesh', but we really don't know what amount is appropriate. Especially on prepaid tours, how much to tip the driver and tour guide, who incidentally, is licensed by means of a 4 year program in ancient history of Egypt, Greece and Rome, archeology plus two foreign languages. On a large tour bus everyone chips in a few bucks netting the guide up to as much as $100, but in our circumstance it was just the two of us. Certainly isn't fair to give her $5 considering she spent 8 hours with us, but on the other hand, we shouldn't have to make up for the fact that there aren't others on board. Unfortunately we never did get this sorted out.
We also had the adventure of taking an 8pm sleeper train for the 12 hour trip to the city of Aswan situated on the east bank of the Nile River, 1000ks south of Cairo, to embark upon a 3 day northbound cruise to Luxor. Although our car is posted as being First Class, it isn't VIA or CN quality by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to the regular coach train that looked like a cattle car with broken windows, I guess it was an upgrade of sorts. Unlike Kenya where smoking in public is forbidden, everyone in Egypt smokes wherever they please. No havens for the non smokers what so ever, which I found unbearable at times. The seats and window in our berth looked like they hadn't ever been cleaned, in conjunction with the smell of smoke waffling down the corridor and into our berth, had me wishing I'd brought a mask, disinfectant wipes and a sleeping bag fearing what the bunks would look like. Since there wasn't a dining car, the airline style dinner was served in our berth and afterwards the steward folded down our bunks, which quite surprisingly, were made up with crisp white linen. Wow, at least something appeared clean.
When we arrived in Aswan, we had the day to ourselves while the boat was waiting for other passengers to arrive throughout the day, so we hopped on one of the many tourist 'caliches' (horse and buggy) for an hour tour around Aswan. Whip cracking 22 yr old Thomas and a pregnant Cinderella, skillfully maneuvered us around the streets with kids following us like the Pied Piper, with hands stretched out for money. Until arriving in Egypt we hadn't experienced begging to this extent because in East Africa begging is frowned upon and not to be acknowledged in order to discourage the practice. But here, they sure prey upon the tourists like little vultures. Even at the train station, they grab your bag despite protests then demand a certain amount in payment. In small change we only had the equivalent of $4 and this guy wanted $5 because the one bag he hoisted up onto his shoulders was very heavy. Yes, we agreed, but it's also has wheels which he didn't realize, and since we only have $4 that's all he got for a service we didn't want in the first place! He was not happy at all.
The Nile cruise was quite interesting, with no less than 400 boats going up and down the Nile at one time, each having about 30 – 40 staterooms, dining, bar and pool etc, but certainly not typical cruise ship quality, but quite comfortable and clean, and of course smoky! We spent three nights onboard with several stops for guided tours; Aswan's High Dam, built by the Russians, it took 11 years using profits from Suez canal shipping rights and was completed in 1971; via a small boat we went to the west bank to the Philae Temple of Isis that, because the dam raised the water level by 40 feet, was under water for 9 years before being raised in 1980. Aside from a water line having left its mark, it was nothing compared to the devastation caused by looters, rock scavengers and the defacing of carvings through transition periods of Greek and Roman rulers.
The Nile River is 6,666 ks long, starts its northbound journey from Lake Victoria in central Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It's quite narrow, only about 1k across in the area we covered, with the bank lushly fringed with date palms, sandy dunes beyond and sporadic settlements and developed towns popping up periodically. Really very very picturesque and quite the tranquil ride. We stopped in Kom Ombo to tour the temple of the same name built in the Ptolemaic period of 4th century BC, that was more of a ruin than anything, due to typical destruction.
Our first night on board we got a chance to meet some of the passengers while sailing to Edfu to dock for the night. We ended up bonding with four women from South Africa, Hans, a German/South African man and a couple from Windsor Ontario with their teenage daughter. First time in our travels that we were actually with people around our own age so social butterfly Roy was in his glory. Next morning everyone took off for another temple tour in Edfu but I stayed behind with a nasty sore throat and the beginnings of a head cold that ended up knocking me out for pretty much the whole day and night. I got up briefly to see us go through the locks and take some pictures but that was about it. Roy was on his own for dinner and the costume dance party that followed, where he and Hans danced the night away with the four women.
We arrived at our last stop in Luxor the next morning and with the head feeling better I joined in on the tour to the Valley of the Kings, the in-mountain tombs of several Ramses. Originally, pyramids were built as the final resting place, but the custom was stopped because not only did it take too long to build but, also the high profile location made them subject to tomb robbers, knowing they were packed with worldly possessions for the afterlife. So, the ancient Egyptians decided to hide their Kings, deep into secret mountain side locations with the entrances covered over to prevent detection. The problem is, that the locations were so secret they didn't leave maps behind hence the continued discovery though at times, purely accidental.
After the tour we said goodbye to our new friends, some of whom were staying onboard continuing up the Nile and others, like us, taking the night train back to Cairo. We weren't leaving until the next night and our package included one night in a hotel with a morning tour of Luxor and the temple of Karnak, the largest in Egypt. The Lotus hotel was supposedly 4 star, but like the First Class train, the Egyptian grading system is way off international standards. Luxor is a lovely city, 2.5 million people, well organized, very clean and with real traffic control to the extent of LED countdown signals. Hotel operations are really archaic though, no one handles cash, not even front reception or the poolside restaurant/bar, you give them a bill and they have to walk over to some obscure office in the depths of the hotel to make change. It takes forever to receive or pay for anything and the level of service is quite substandard.
While waiting for our night train we ventured out into one of the side streets to eat for fear we'd miss the train if we ordered anything at the hotel. All the signs were in Arabic so we had no idea what to expect but we ventured into one place to discover it was more a pool hall/hooka piping hang out that appeared to display a menu, so we asked for something small, like soup and salad. Well the guy ran out the door and returned with a tray full of food, rice, two meat dishes, soup and two salads, enough to feed six. Where he went to get it we have no idea, but we often notice people coming and going down the street with food. Almost like there is a central kitchen somewhere.
Our train ride back to Cairo was uneventful, although we did discover a club car this time only because the sign posted in our berth promoting it wasn't scratched out like the one on the way there. I popped in ever so briefly, wading through the cloud of smoke only long enough to tell Roy I was taking the top bunk this time. Aside from his hooka pipe experiment in Dubai, he's been smoke free for the entire trip, but I thought for sure he'd break down either on the cruise with the girls who smoked like a chimney or in the train club car, but credit to him, he didn't break down. The pressure to smoke is immense, since liquor is taboo amongst the Muslims (80% of the population) accepting an offer to smoke is considered being socially gracious.
Having a day to ourselves we decided to check out a golf course not far from our hotel near the Pyramids. The Mena House Course is Egypt's oldest at 117 years old and was quite cheap relatively speaking but a bit of a cow pasture due to the fact that watering is done by hand and it's about to close down to undergo a complete makeover. During a beer break after the first 9, we sat with an American, Glen, whose been working here for the past 15 years. Although we didn't, most people take a caddy along and when he decided to join us for the back 9, he put his caddy with me. That was quite the treat to have someone coach, fetch balls, carry and pass clubs to me not to mention his undivided attention. What a difference in my game for the extra $15, wish we had that offered at home.
Our last tour with Imen & Rashia was up to Alexandria, 180 ks north of Cairo right on the Mediterranean. It was close to a 3 hour drive along what is called the Desert Route, which was primarily an industrial area now turning commercial with outlet malls and proposed gated golf communities. Alexandria is situated on Qait Bay, is home to 5 million, is the gateway to Europe and was home to Alexander the Great (hence the name), his granddaughter Queen Cleopatra, and her beloved Mark Anthony. We really liked the city and would have loved to have added it as a stopover before heading to Greece, but little did I know at the time of booking it was such a great destination. The Roman Theater was awesome as well as the outdoor museum of artifacts from an underwater ruin accidently discovered in the bay by a scuba diver only 15 years ago. The historical double walled Qaitbay Fort and mosque overlooking the harbor entrance and Alexandria offered a fabulous panoramic view and was a wonderful way to end our sightseeing time in Egypt and a memorable seven weeks in Africa..
Positives: Really different cultures, great weather, very interesting sightseeing, geography, wild kingdom
Negatives: Roads in East Africa, service, in-your-face merchants, food, tipping (even to use a public toilet), locals staring at us all the time like we have 2 heads, garbage
Next and last: Greece
Til then
KnR
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