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 17552 Egypt Tips.34958 Egypt Photos.1 Egypt Videos. Egypt Pages by coceng
| Page Views: 1,328 Last Visit to Egypt: April, 2005 | The Land Of Baksheeh; The Land Of "La, Shukran" ! by coceng - last update: Jul 14, 2005 |
EURO TRIP 2001
EURO TRIP 2002
EURO TRIP 2003
EURO TRIP 2004
MIDDLE EAST TRIP 2005:
LEBANON
SYRIA
JORDAN
EGYPT
April 2005 :
In Malaysia, we called Egypt as Mesir.
The Pyramids in Egypt, of course ! That's how I got to know Egypt in the first place...
I said, "La, Shukran !" so many times, everyday of my life when I was around Egypt !
I said it so many times even after coming back these words are still ringing in my ears !
I got hassled the first second I landed in Egypt ! It was in Nuweiba Port.
The taxi drivers...
Managed to secure a service taxi to Dahab. Again, got conned ! I wanted to see the beach & was taken to the one far far away !
On the same day, at 11 pm...Up Mt. Sinai !
3 hours, walking up in the dark, thank God I had a torch !
Reaching the top to see people of all ages, from 1000 nationalities were already there & more following behind me just to see the sun rises.
Almost no money left, people paid for my fares to reach Cairo !
Met up with Pat & the second I shook his hand I knew I would be safe in his company.
Cairo is amazing ! Like it a lot !
Although my wallet was picked by the camel guy at Giza. Giza is a hassle zone !
Then night sleeper train to Aswan.
Laidback...again got hassled !
A base for us to see Temples Of Abu Simbel, Philae Island, Kom Ombo & Edfu. Felucca ride, nice...only for the sceneries around looking at the shores.
Morning train to Luxor.
Got hassled ALL THE TIMES !
I couldn't take anymore when I yelled at a felucca hassler & we even exchanged the F-word for a few minutes !
Theban Necropolis is amazing, too big for my strength !
Got caught when I took photos in one of the tombs; Paid the fine for a measly USD 2; It's more like baksheeh than a fine !
Got invited for a tea by the taxi driver...
Omar took us for a nice felucca ride & Alaa was showing his property !
Missed the train back to Cairo (it was full !), hence had to take the flight !
Reaching Cairo just in time for a check in & taking the flight home; Slept on the whole journey back...
Practise these words when you are going to Egypt :
La = No
Shukran = Thank You
La Shukran = No, thank you.
What is a 'baksheeh' ?
It's like a tip given to somebody (normally people working at the tourist sites NOT everyday people on the streets or at the bus/train stations) who helps you.
It's not compulsory...It's just to show them how rich you are !
You only get hassled in the touristy areas whereas in other areas, people don't even care about you !
You take a photo of a camel, the owner wants a baksheeh.
If you take a photo of a policeman, he wants a baksheeh too.
A guard showing Queen Neferttiti naked, carved on the walls, he too wants baksheeh.
A guard showing a sex scene on the ancient wall, give him a baksheeh !
How much the baksheeh that we can give them ?
Well, roughly about 2 USD or less !
Egypt is hot ! Even in April...Sometimes it's boiling hot !
Public transports are pretty cheap.
Taxi drivers will con you till you are dried out ! I'm telling ya !
Bring lots of wateranywhere around Egypt.
Wear loose clothes if you want to walk.
Take many group tours as you like as this could save you energy but not necessarily your money !
1 week (like I did) is NOT enough to discover Egypt.
Come here as often as you like !
Get hassled as much as you would like to & listening to the hasslers said, "Money Go, Money Come !"
Meaning you spend your money & you can earn them back !
True ?
Oh, another word that you can also carry with you when moving around Egypt :
BARGAIN. Everything !
Real Hard !
You might have a much cheaper trip than mine ! |
| My Itineraries Around Egypt... |
MY ITINERARIES...
21st April (Thursday) : Today is a busy busy day ! In the morning I was in Petra, then to Aqaba (both in Jordan); Then fast ferry crossing to Nuweiba in Egypt. Hurrying up to Dahab; Got conned in asking the taxi driver to take me to the nearest beach & at night, took a service taxi to St. Katherine Monastery !
Climbed up Mt. Sinai ! Enough for just 2 hours resting, not even to sleep, not even to close my tired eyes.
22nd April (Friday) : Still on Mt. Sinai, watching the sunset with a thousand people felt good; As it by watching the sunset it would cleanse our souls or something to that effect anyway...Went down the mountains, realised that money was tight ! money was running really low...Money was kaput ...! Thinking that I should hitchhike to Cairo ! Would anybody help me ? Please Help Me ! from 6 am to 9 am, I was miserable ! I thought my trip (no, not my life...) has ended. Yep ! That bad !
Then, along came an Arab plus 4 of Indians guys (working in Cairo) also waiting the bus to Cairo & I told them my problem. The Indian guy said, "You follow us !". Took a service bus to Suez. Good that I amange to passing under the Suez canal !
Then, a bus to Cairo ! Hussein accompanied me to Hilton Hotel where Pat was waiting (after I left a message to him that I would meet him right away ! Couldn't remember now whether I told him about my money problem...Maybe he knew ?).
Thanked Hussein & I was in the comfort of Hilton Hotel right away ! Swanky dinner, swanky atmosphere & swanky bedroom, with ah-so-comfortable bed & swanky hot shower !
We even had the time to go up The Cairo Tower but it was so hazy that all my night photos on that night were so blurry...
23rd April (Saturday) : Woke up early & Pat insisted that I should take a taxi to see Giza Pyramids.
Got conned there as my wallet was picked by the camel guy. Entered the 2nd tomb. The Spinx is SMALLER than I thought ! Took a metro back to Hilton, with a help of a nice Cairene girl called Nourmi.
24th April (Sunday) : Went to The Egyptian Museum in the morning; 2 hours in there. Afternoon to The Citadel & Mohammad's Mosque. Next was Cities Of The Dead, great to be able to see The Hanging Church ! At 8.30 pm, took the sleepr train to Aswan !
25th April (Monday) : Arrived in Aswan at about 9.30 am...walked to Isis Hotel amidst the hassles !
Went to Philae Island at 12 pm...& rested in the evening.
26th April (Tuesday) : Had to wake up at about 2.30 am to take the convoy to
Temples Of Abu Simbel ! Reached there at about 6.30 am. At 11.30 am, we were back to Aswan. In the afternoon, went to Elephantine Island, Nubian Museum; Met Hamdi & Serro, who took us on the felucca circling Elephantine Island ! The sunset sceneries were just so so nice !
In the evening, he met us again, telling us that the price to Kom Ombo & Edfu would be EP300 & Pat accepted that.
27th April (Wednesday) : Woke up at 6 am & the convoy started at 8 am.
First to Kom Ombo then to Edfu.
We had our own car (with a driver, of course) & by 12 pm, we finished the sights of these 2 temples !
The driver said that if we didn't want to wait for the convoy (which would be from Luxor), we could pay a policeman EP40 & he would accompany us safely back to Aswan. We said, "Okay !". |
Reaching Aswan, we went to the train station right away & asking for the train ticket to Luxor & was told that we could buy the ticket on the train at 7.30 am the following morning...
28th April (Thursday) : Morning train to Luxor & reached there at about 11 am. Taxi to Luxor Hilton, nice hotel...! Walked to Karnak Temple as it's near to our hotel & the sun was blazing hot ! So, we explored Karnak Temple first before getting to know Luxor Town...
Took a horse carriage back to the hotel. Called Alaa & he suggested that we should meet after seeing Luxor Temple. I had a good time capturing the night photos around Luxor Temple but Pat was kinda grumpy as his camera couldn't did him justice in capturing the lights around the temple. Met up with Alaa...& a good dinner with him. Taxi back to the hotel. There's a black-out at Luxor Hotel ! (smile).
29th April (Friday) : On this day, we planned to see Theban Necropolis ! Huge areas with Valley Of The Kings, Valley Of The Queens, Valley Of The Tombs & on the way (walking) we even managed to see The Colossi Of Memnon...
It was at The Valley Of The Tombs where I was caught taking some photos inside the tomb ! The fine was just USD 2, paid to the guard. Ho-hum.
We also invited to the taxi driver's home, sipping tea.
met up with Omar (Alaa's friend) who took us all on his boat to Alaa's very own nice property, which is somewhere around The Thebes Valley. Amazing chalet house just overlooking The Nile. It's for rent, of course...
Ask Alaa.
Omar sent us back by his boat to the Luxor Town's shore & we hurried up to the train station. Were told for the following day that all the train tickets to Cairo were SOLD OUT ! Oh no ! How am I supposed to reach Cairo for my flight back home for the following day ?!
30th April (Saturday) : Pat suggested flying to Cairo from Luxor & the last flight was at 10.30 pm on the same day & arriving Cairo about 1 hour later. We secured the flight tickets at The Egypt Air Office in Luxor instead of at the hotel, where we would be ripped of for sure ! So, 1 whole day, we chilled out; Taking things slowly...buying some souvenirs etc etc. At about 9 pm, a taxi took us to the Luxor Airport & we took the flight.
Arrived in Cairo about 11.30 pm & we scrambled to the International Departures right away ! Pat was with me all the times, thanks Pat !
1st May (Sunday) : My homeward bound flight departed at about 1.30 am although it was supposed to be departed at 12.30 am...3/4 of the 8 hours journey home, I was sleeping !
Only had the time to watch the in-flight movie, Meet The Fockers ! Boring...I never like anything by Ben Stiller !...Or Adam Sandler for that matter !
Well, you can see some photos from my journey home on this page...
Enjoy ! |
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| Pros: | "Seeing The Pharoah World With Our Own Eyes Is A Dream Fulfilled In A Lifetime !" | | Cons: | "Hasle ! Hassle ! And More Hassle !" | | In A Nutshell: | "Come To Egypt Once In A Lifetime !" |
coceng's Egypt Travel Tips
 Comments for coceng about Egypt | | | | |
AkramSalem Sun Aug 14, 2005 15:00 UTC
Excuse me , You think that the middle east can't be a home for u .. Well , About Egypt I am pretty sure that everyone is honoured to belong to this old country that was built before all those developed countries were known | Geisha_Girl Fri Jul 1, 2005 14:29 UTC
Ah, I see we were both on the same continent together. Of course you can smell my perfume from where you are, dear Arnaud, I slathered tons of it on! It's a fantastic scent called, EAU DE DEET! ;-)) (I feel like Cleopatra when viewing your pixxx!) ~RoXXXy | dr.firas Fri May 20, 2005 07:53 UTC
Anwar dear will be back soon to have a look, was and still soooo busy Hugs :-))) welcome back! | Arkeolog Thu May 12, 2005 11:32 UTC
yeah i know this word from my egypt trip. I learned that in egypt; everthing needs bakhheesh :) anyway beautiful pages for a beautiful counrty |
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