Friday, August 14, 2009

Egypt -- Cairo


(---posted by Vi 黃有為 on Aug 14, '09 )

We came here the next morning. Can't wait to take the world most recogniszable icon. Haziness was the heat.

After 3 nights and 3 and a half days in Dubai, we were on a plane to Cairo. The flight was 3pm in the afternoon but the driver insisted in picking us up from the hotel at 11:30am. It was about 20 minutes drive to the airport but "You have to be there 3 hours in advance!" so a day was wasted! We missed out on the indoor skiing field in Emirate Mall! (The malls open at 10am and close at midnight -- talking about long trading hours.) I think the driver/tour leader was pretty happy to get rid of us!! We had problem with the meals arrangement from day one. When the tour was booked, we've paid for 3 meals per day for the whole trip. On the way to the hotel from airport, we found out that his order was different from the one we were given by our travel agent. Almost every day we had to argue about whether meals for that day were covered! All was good at the end.
Back to Egypt, we arrived at Cairo late afternoon. They really took Swine Flu seriously, everyone was held up at arrival to fill in a "follow up" card (why couldn't they hand out the card during the flight so that people could fill them out and just handed back as they walked pass -- I have not idea!) Then a woman worn white lab coat and full face mask stood behind a IR camera waved through the long line of passengers one by one to measure their body temperature. Luckily we were all cleared (Aaron and mum in-laws were still coughing!) One thing stood out was: there were military personnel with machine guns everywhere.
Coming out of the airport, there was a sense of deja vu -- Egypt was like Vietnam! The local swarmed you offering transportation, accommodation...then the streets were narrow, houses was 2 -3 stories high and built wall to wall, street stalls and traffic. The first thing the tour guide said to us was: "In Egypt the traffic law is no laws." Lan joked to her mum said she would feel right at home. Our first dinner at Cairo was Chinese meal! If you have joined a tour to China, you should know: What soup do they serve you? Tomato and egg soup. Well, as it turned the set menu was same where you were in China or Egypt for that matter in Paris or Roma!! The hotel we stayed was all right but you have to pay to use the spa! (Gym was complimentary.)
The main attractions of Cairo are Giza Pyramids, Egyptian museum, Citadel and River Nile cruise. No photograph was allowed in the Museum and we didn't visit the Citadel.

9 comments:

  1. What? You paying US$35 for camel ride?
    My tour covered camel ride and I only paid 5.00 Egyptian Pounds for tips and that's all.
    当地人对游客是很不客气,凡是旅游景点都见一些人张大个口来开大价,去这种地方玩是要讲价的,不要尽信导游呀!

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  2. I had 2 nights on Nile River with the traditional sailing boat 'felucca'. It was great!

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  3. That is the secreat of Egysian construction. Dubai is 21st Century construction must need crane in construction safety code . Chinese in HK need lots of bamboo combine with Circle de Soleil "_" . Thanks for sharing your travel experience with us.

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  4. Children at this age will prefer Mickey's or water activities like your fishing in private boat in 2007.

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  5. Not bars? What a nice guy ^o^

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  6. also the tour guides' bank ^o^

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  7. 澳洲版的三毛 < 撒哈拉的故事 > ?

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  8. Lulu, God forbid! Alcohol serves in the open, opposite a mosque in a Muslim country?

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  9. Sorry, I saw the guy on the background was smoking grass in public, so I thought... Hmm, in that case.... ^o^

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