Abby’s Adventures in Egypt! – A Trip Report

Old Jan 9th, 2010, 08:31 PM
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Abby’s Adventures in Egypt! – A Trip Report

We have just returned from our much-anticipated holiday trip to Egypt. Mr. Abby and I are sad the trip is over but eager to share our adventures with all of you. This was our first trip to the Middle East, and for a number of reasons, we decided early-on that we wanted to travel with a guide rather than attempting the trip on our own. However, we also wanted the flexibility associated with traveling independently, so we opted for a private guide rather than a group trip. Thanks to this forum, we found many highly recommended guides and contacted a number of them regarding our trip. Ultimately, we settled on Ahmed Hamed Yousif ([email protected]) for our trip. We chose Ahmed for several reasons: he was highly recommended on this board; he could offer us “full service” by planning our itinerary, booking all hotels, internal flights, local guides, cruise ships, drivers, airport pickups/drop offs; he was extremely responsive to our emails and was very quick to answer questions; he promised personal, hands-on, attention and services; and the price that he quoted us was extremely reasonable given the services he offered to provide. In addition, we were somewhat late in planning our trip, and due to our work schedules, we had no choice but to travel over the holidays (the highest of the high seasons in Egypt!). If that weren’t enough, I had my heart set on traveling on the Oberoi Philae, a much sought-after luxury Nile cruiser. Ahmed was able to accommodate our schedule and also promised to do everything he could to get us a reservation on the Oberoi Philae as well as securing other 5* accommodations for our trip. As you’ll see from the trip report, Ahmed not only met, but exceeded our expectations. Mr. Abby and I unequivocally and without hesitation recommend Ahmed Hamed Yousif to anyone looking for a private guide in Egypt.

So on to the trip report! We will be posting in several installments, as I fear this will be a looongggg trip report, but highlights include:

** Touring Egypt in flip-flops! (one of the working titles of this trip report was “We went to Egypt while our bags went to France”)
** Aswan from the roof of the motorboat!
** 1 a.m. football in Edfu!
** Our first (and second, and third, and fourth . . .) sheesha!
** Getting mobbed by Egyptian school girls in Karnak!
** The search for the best Koshari in Egypt!

Arrival and Christmas Eve in Cairo

A record storm hit the US East Coast just days before our scheduled departure. For two days in a row Flight 84 from LAX to CAI was cancelled. The Monday before our Wednesday (December 23) departure all of the airports were overloaded from weekend passengers whose flights were cancelled. But by Wednesday the crowds had thinned and two days of sunny weather in LA and NY provided for clear and smooth travel days. Another storm was coming through, but we had made it out through a crack in the clouds.

We had chosen our flight because of the comfortable schedule (Depart at 12:30 pm, arrive at 4:45 pm) and because it was advertised as a continuous flight (84) with no plane change. But when we arrived in NY we not only changed planes, but the new gate was a long was a long way from the arrival gate. We made the flight and none of it seemed to matter, until we found out that it did.

Our “handler” (arranged by Ahmed) met us at the gate and put us in to the immigration line while he went to get our visas. Within a couple minutes he had our visas and we were through the entire process in about 15 minutes. As we waited for our bags it appeared that our luck was strong and that we would be on our way to the hotel without any trouble at all. So we waited. And waited.

We waited until they told us that there were no more bags. Somehow none of our three bags had made it. We had dressed solely to be comfortable on an 18 hour flight in economy class – both of us in flip flops with light and loose pants and shirts. That is all we had.

The Delta agent took our report and made no promises. We shrugged our shoulders and decided to make the best of it. After all, we’re in EGYPT!
After we checked in to the beautiful Marriott Hotel on Zamalek, Ahmed surprised us by arranging dinner for us at a wonderful restaurant in Al Azhar park, where a beautiful table had been reserved for us with a direct view of the Citadel. It was a perfect way to spend our first evening in Cairo – very relaxing and low key, and it was a relief after the long flight not to have to make any decisions about where to go or what to eat.

We were in Cairo. It was Christmas Eve. We had no real shoes and only the shirts on our backs. We had been stripped clean and were ready to begin.

DAY1 – Egyptian Museum and Giza Pyramids

The good thing about having no baggage is that it is easy to get ready in the morning!

We had breakfast at the incredibly large and sumptuous Marriott buffet (I highly recommend the taameya [falafel] and the karkaday [hibiscus] juice). We had offered to bring some hard-to-get items from the United States to Debbie, a frequent contributor to this board (hi Debbie!), and she met us at breakfast. It was fun to meet Debbie, and she was every bit as personable and friendly as she seems on the board.

After breakfast Ahmed met us in the lobby. It was great to finally meet Ahmed after our many email exchanges, and we knew immediately that we would enjoy our time in Cairo with Ahmed. We had asked him to purchase cell phones for us so we could stay in touch while we were there. He presented them to us that morning, complete with his number programmed on speed dial! Our “Bat Phones,” as we called them, proved to be invaluable and worth the relatively insignificant cost.

First on our itinerary was the Egyptian Museum. The museum was only a short distance from the hotel, but the gulf between us and it seemed vast and un-crossable. This was our first daytime experience with Cairo traffic, and I would say that no one from America (even those of us from Los Angeles!) can conceive the chaos that reigns in the streets of Cairo. Lane lines and traffic controls are regarded as loose recommendations, and driving from one place to another is managed as if one is walking through a crowd, moving in to available spaces as they open rather than marching in the defined and ummutable columns of the American roads. Traffic congestion in Cairo takes the form of a crowd with everyone jockeying their way forward, rather than a series of lines.

Amazingly, there seems to be some order in the chaos, and accidents appear to be few and far between. There is really nothing for the passenger to do except relax and marvel at the spectacle. We found ourselves transfixed by the developing scene in front of us, trying to guess at the next move we and the other cars would make.

But whatever craziness reigns with Cairo drivers, it pales in comparison to Cairo pedestrians. There do not appear to be crosswalks, and if there are, they are completely ignored and would be irrelevant anyway because of the lack of traffic controls. There are people everywhere. They are crossing every major street, at any moment there may be a person walking down the road between the lanes – even on the freeways. Our favorite example was during the heaviest rush hour traffic when, in the middle of the freeway, we observed an old man sweeping the freeway shoulder with a straw broom.

When we arrived at the museum, it was our first real experience with the mammoth tourist industry in Egypt. “Tourist Police” with machine guns were everywhere. Buses filled with people streamed in through the checkpoint. Visitors must pass through two metal detectors in order to get in to the museum, three if you come in off the street.

Touts descended upon us immediately as we got out of the car, selling all manner of Egypt-themed trinkets and fake papyrus. The touts are a constant presence in the tourist hot spots of Egypt. Everything they sell is the same, and it is easy to get good prices if you decide that you want something. The only real difficulty to them is that if you show any interest in them or in their goods, they will follow you with shocking persistence. If you make the mistake of showing interest, you must be very firm in order to get rid of them (we found that a stern “la shukran” usually works, followed by ignoring further pleas). As you leave them they will ask if you will buy something from them on your way out. As a matter of politeness, do not promise to do this unless you really think you will. If you tell them you will buy something on your way out they will wait by the gate and you will be shocked when you emerge two hours later to find them there.

We did not expect to love the Egyptian Museum as much as we did. It was early in the trip, and we were not overly excited to be inside a museum with the pyramids and the living city waiting for us outside. But once on the inside we discovered the world of early 20th century Egypt. It is still possible to see the ghost of Howard Carter walking these hallways with the sun streaming through the dust from high-up windows.

We followed Ahmed’s advice and proceeded straight to the King Tut room before the morning crowd had advanced that far, and before our energy for the museum had been sapped by the overwhelming number of other things to look at. We skipped the crowd in the special mummy room and instead looked at the animal mummies. We also really enjoyed the room with the ancient papyrus manuscripts. It turns out that Ahmed used to work in the papyrus industry before becoming a guide, and we really enjoyed listening to him talk about the importance of papyrus to Egyptian culture and history.

After we left the museum, we ran the gauntlet of touts who chased us down with trinkets and fake papyrus. Ahmed seemed concerned to keep them away from us, but more than anything we found them interesting – we had no concerns about feeling pressured to buy anything.

We had told Ahmed before our trip that we would like to purchase some quality papyrus, so he took us to a place in Giza that sold the real deal rather than banana leaves. They gave an interesting presentation about how papyrus is made and then started with the sales tactics. The bargaining was pitched and we appreciated Ahmed’s relaxed supervision. In general he allowed us to try to take care of ourselves, but he also watched out for us and would step in if it seemed we were about to agree to a price that was too high. In the end we purchased three papyruses that we liked quite a bit and felt that the price we received was fair.

After the papyrus shop we proceeded to the pyramids. Ahmed managed to acquire tickets to go inside the Great Pyramid (even through they were sold out for the day) and we made the physically demanding climb inside. It was a long, crouched climb, and I don’t recommend doing it in flip-flops, if .you can avoid it.

Guides are prohibited from entering many of the sights in Egypt, and it was inside the Great Pyramid that we discovered the “unofficial” Egypt tour guides. Standing inside the burial chamber, out of breath and uncomfortable in the hot darkness, a guard led us to the wall behind the sarcophagus and motioned for us to sit down on the floor and close our eyes. He kicked out a large tour group, and the room was instantly transformed from hot and uncomfortable to heavy with the weight of history and mystery. We sat for a long time and appreciated the fact that it was Christmas Day and we were meditating inside the Great Pyramid. Eventually we were done and ready to leave, and the guard took pictures of us with our blackberry camera (cameras are officially prohibited inside). After he received his sizeable tip, he also took pictures of us inside the Grand Gallery.

After that it was pictures with the rest of the pyramids and typical tourist things. Ahmed noted that it is best to come to the pyramids at the end of the day (as we had done) because the sun is at your back, making for better pictures, the mist/fog has usually worn off, and there are fewer people. As usual, Ahmed was right. It did not seem there could be enough pictures and eventually we struggled to find new ways to compose a picture with a big triangle in the background. We took pictures with our fingers on the tip of the pyramid and kissing the sphinx. We took a short camel ride and more pictures and the ten-year-old who led our camels offered to be our guide for the rest of the trip.

After the pyramids we went for a late lunch at a restaurant in Giza called “Peace.” On Ahmed’s recommendation, we tried the fish, which was delicious. We really enjoyed getting to know Ahmed and learning about his lifelong desire to be a tour guide. He grew up in Giza and still lives in the area, and he has been fascinated by the pyramids his entire life. It’s hard to describe the richness of the experience we were having, chatting with Ahmed over simple yet wonderful food while overlooking the pyramids. Magnificent!

On the way back to the hotel we noted to Ahmed that we had been placed in a “Garden View” room at the Marriott and that the street noise was very loud throughout the night. The Garden View rooms at the Marriott open onto the peaceful garden, but the door to the room faces the busy road that runs around the outside of the hotel. Ahmed succeeded in moving us to a room on the 7th floor of one of the towers (Room 722) – lovely room, lovely view.

One of the delights about being in Zamalek is that you can walk around the area without worrying too much about getting run down by cars. So that night, we took a leisurely stroll and bought a small bunch of carnations for the room.

We concluded our first full day in Egypt with Mezza and Egyptian wine at the patio restaurant at the Marriott (“Egyptian Nights” – prices are not too bad for a hotel, and the food is yummy). We were still wearing the clothes in which we had arrived and still had no shoes. But the day had been filled with incredible wonders and we were in Egypt! What a perfect Christmas Day.
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Old Jan 9th, 2010, 11:04 PM
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Abby, you are a fantastic writer. Your report is so much fun to read.

Thanks for the stuff you brought me, and I look forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

IGNORE THE REST OF THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME RANT ABOUT BANANA LEAF PAPYRUS AGAIN.

I do have to make one comments though that will make me crazy if I don't.... it's about the papyrus. I have searched this city high and low to find "banana leaf" fake papyrus. I thought, I want to see what it looks like, smells like, everything so I can be sure to know it well and save anyone working with me from ever getting stuck with it. Well, if Ahmed has a piece he'd like to share with me, I'd sure like to see it, because it's NOT available to be seen at any shop I've visited. It's always at that illusive shop elsewhere, where you better not buy it, or if you don't pay enough (wink wink) you might get stuck with it.

This is NOT a country full of rich people that can afford to burn up things that are worth money, and I can show you where they are burning up banana trees after the harvest. As my driver pointed out as well, we wouldn't have bananas in this country if the leaves were that valuable to turn into fake papyrus. They'd be ripping those leaves off so fast the bananas wouldn't have time to grow.

I just want to let people know that papyrus is plentiful and cheap. There is more than enough of it here to not need to use any fake form of it. Don't pay more for a painting on papyrus than what the next store charges for fear of not getting real papyrus.

I'm glad Ahmed supervised your purchases though and you are happy with with you got. The paintings can be beautiful.

And if this shop actually showed you some "banana leaf" papyrus so you could see the difference, tell me where this shop was as I have to see this form myself. THANKS!
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 04:30 AM
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Abbey-One of the reasons I love travel is that it teaches you to be flexible and roll with the punches. The fact that you could shrug off your lost luggage and still have a good time says a lot for you as a traveller, IMO. I am enjoying your report very much. It is bringing back memories of our trip to Egypt. Although we have been many places, Egypt is still one of my favorite trips. Thanks for posting. I am looking forward to the rest of your report.
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 06:14 AM
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Great trip report - looking forward to the next installment.
Sucks to have your luggage go missing but as Shelley said it's great for you that you could go with the flow and not make yourself crazy over it. I don't think I would've handled that as well!
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 07:07 AM
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Thanks all! We'll post the next installment later today.

Debbie, the banana leaf "paranoia" was brought on by me, not Ahmed. I had read online and in guide books that "fake" papyrus was rampant, so I wanted to avoid that. I also wanted to go somewhere that had nice artwork and a lot of variety, so I asked Ahmed to take us to a shop where the quality of the artwork and the quality of the papyrus was good (I think it was called "Golden Eagle" -- it's in Giza). They had some really nice things that seemed to be of much higher quality -- especially in terms of the paintings -- than what you find on the street. The store showed us how papyrus is made, but I don't think they showed us "fake" papyrus, so you may be on to something. Someone should tell the guide books, though, because they're making all the tourists paranoid.
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 11:07 AM
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abby - great report! Looking forward to reading more.....Liz
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 12:44 PM
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Thanks! I'm waiting for the next installment.
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 02:06 PM
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DAY 2 – Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, Khan al Khalili
We had originally planned to spend the morning visiting Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo, and the Khan, with the afternoon dedicated to a trip to Sakkara. Then, on Day 3, we were scheduled to go to Alexandria for a day trip. After observing our (lingering) pace on Day 1, Ahmed wisely encouraged us to reconsider our trip to Alexandria, which involves a lot of time in the car, so we could spend more time in Cairo and dedicate an entire day to the “City” and an entire day to the “Country” (Sakkara and Dashur). As a bonus, we would get an extra day with Ahmed, who had not planned on accompanying us to Alexandria but would be available to take us to Sakkara/Dashur! We agreed this was the best option for us, so we took Alexandria off the itinerary.

With the removal of Alexandria from the itinerary we had more time to explore Cairo at a leisurely pace. On the way to Coptic Cairo Ahmed took us through a vegetable market in one of the less-touristed parts of town. It was a nice glimpse of “real life” in Egypt and a real eye-opener in terms of how people actually live.

After this we visited the Church of Saints Sergius & Bacchus (Abu Serga) , the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and the Hanging Church, all of which were interesting and informative. From there, we strolled through a Coptic cemetery, which was lovely and peaceful. We really enjoyed walking through the Coptic area, with its windy streets and mysterious corridors.

After this we went to the Mosque of Amr Ibn El-Aas, which was originally built in AD 642 and is the oldest mosque in Egypt. This mosque does not seem to be on the regular tourist circuit and was therefore nearly empty. This was our first time in a mosque, and we really enjoyed the experience, even though I had to wear a bright green robe that Mr. Abby said made me look like a martian. Ahmed was very helpful explaining to us the function of a mosque within the community and the practices of its members. These direct insights enhanced our experience and helped to give us some understanding of the place of religion in Egyptian culture.

Following the visit to the mosque we drove around the city generally and drove up Cairo’s “mountain” to see the city from above. Unfortunately the day was very hazy, and we were not able to see much of anything, but it was interesting to see the neighborhood on top of the mountain (lots of huge, castle-like homes). On the way down, Ahmed explained that the quarries we were passing were among the sites from which the stones for the pyramids were quarried. We thought this was fascinating and were surprised that such a thing is not better marked as a tourist destination.

Down off the mountain we briefly visited the City of the Dead. Ahmed seemed reluctant to take us there because it is definitely not a touristy area, but he was very responsive to our request to see some of the less-touristed areas and thought we might enjoy a brief visit. He was right. It was fascinating to see this HUGE area where the living and the dead co-exist. Truly amazing. It is not just the ancient Egyptians that have an interesting relationship to their dead. The emphasis on care of the dead continues today. Also of interest to us is the relationship between these practices and the industry back home dedicated to embalming and grooming our dead before sealing them inside posh coffins.

After that it was on to the Khan al Khalili, where our number one priority was to buy a cartouche. Ahemd took us to Gouzlan, which was a quick and easy experience. The purchase made, we wandered aimlessly for a bit and Ahmed tried to keep us from spending all of our money on unnecessary things. He took us to an area “upstairs” where artisans were making goods for the shopkeepers downstairs. Particularly fascinating was watching the artisans making furniture inlaid with mother of pearl – was it possible to fit a dining room set into our checked luggage? – and it was great to get to experience this part of the Khan without any pressure to buy anything.

We took a break for some tea at El Fishawy and had a really nice chat with Ahmed. He was always so open and gracious with us (even though we peppered him with questions – he said we “squeezed his head like a lemon”), and we really enjoyed his company. We talked a lot about his passion for his work and also about his family and life in general. We were fascinated to learn about things like health care and other social issues in Egypt.

Ahmed took us back out to Giza for a late lunch at Caviar (another great pyramid view) and to take us to a shop with fixed prices where we could buy some clothes (we were going on 3 days wearing the same clothes, and it was getting a little old).

The shopping experience was one of our favorites of the trip. The salespeople were extremely attentive, the prices were fixed and reasonable and the clothes were fantastic. We both bought cool Egyptian-looking things that will also be wearable back home. The shop was called “Funky Brothers,” of all things. They didn’t sell shoes, so we remained in flip flops.

On the way back to the hotel we told Ahmed that we were going back to the Islamic Area that night to see the Whirling Dervishes at the Wikala al-Ghouri. Ahmed said he would provide us with a driver but then got worried that we would not be able to find it, or that we wouldn’t get in (he knew, as we would later find out, that it gets VERY crowded), so he insisted on going with us to make sure we got in.

There are no tickets to the Whirling Dervishes. There is no admission price and it is first come first served. We arrived an hour before the show started and just as the doors were opening, and there was a line at the door all the way down the block. Perhaps not surprisingly, the line served no purpose, as many newcomers were simply crowding at the door. There was a lot of pushing to get in, but somehow we made it. Ahmed left when he was sure we were in and told us to call the driver when the show was over. The performance itself was terrific, and we highly recommend the experience, but be aware that there are no guarantees in terms of getting in. Once all the seats are full, they turn everyone else away. There were lots of people who waited for over an hour and never got in.

It was late when we got back to the Marriott, so we ate leftover mezza from the night before and tried to get information about the bags. Delta was unhelpful and we gave up. We had a little bit more clothing, were still in flip-flops, and felt that we understood a little bit more about the people that we had come to visit. It was another perfect day!
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 02:49 PM
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Abby97

I love your report! I feel like I am still there! I am nervous about posting mine since yours is so well written! Guess I better get started! Thanks for a terrific read!
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 08:31 PM
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I am really enjoying your reports. Keep them coming. Your writing is excellent. We are booked to go there in October 2010.
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 09:45 PM
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Loving the report Abby. You probably thought you were in heaven when you got to put on the "green martian outfit"... you probably enjoyed seeing yourself in a different colour.

Abby, how much was the cell phone?
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Old Jan 10th, 2010, 09:47 PM
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I planned to take 3 bags - 2 with clothes and 1 emptyish for purchases (yeah). I thought I'd put a bit of everything in all cases, as opposed to "my case" or "my husbands case" so that if one case was lost we'd both still have underwear and clothes in the other! Great plan until I read your story!!!! Surely the odds are low that all 3 of MY bags get lost like yours!! I've been lucky, I've never had a bag misplaced or late!
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 02:43 AM
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Based on recommendation from Abby97 (she emailed us about her lost baggage knowing we were leaving four days after her...thanks Abby97)... we took one bag each and one carry on between the three of us with essentials; meds, change of clothes, etc. None of our bags were full so we had plenty of room for purchases!
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 07:41 AM
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excellent reporting!
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 12:14 PM
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MissGreen - I think (hope!!!) the odds are incredibly low that you'd lose all the bags like we did. There were two other people with lost bags on our flight, and each of them were missing only one bag. Still, just to be safe, I think it's best to keep essentials and a change of clothes in the carry-on. I am kicking myself for not doing that!

Days 3 and 4 will be posted later today. The rest of the installments will be much shorter, I think, for those wondering if they'll ever be able to wade through the long report.

I should note, too, that Mr. Abby has contributed heavily to this report, and most of the nicely-written segments are written by him, so he deserves the credit for that.
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 12:25 PM
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MissGreen - Sorry, I forgot to answer your question about the phones! The phones were $75 each, including SIM card and pre-paid minutes.
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 03:13 PM
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I have contacted Ahmed on the email address above a couple of times without a reply. Do you know of any other email address or the name of his company?
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 03:29 PM
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CT_Ladies -- Ahmed is an independent tour guide, and the email I posted above is the best way to reach him. Because he is out touring nearly every day, it sometimes takes him a little while to respond. I know that when we were there, he had several back-to-back families touring with him. I'm sure he will contact you soon.
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Old Jan 11th, 2010, 06:54 PM
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DAY 3 – Into the Countryside: Sakkara and Dashur

Today we escaped the madness of Cairo and headed to the countryside. The drive through the farms and palm groves was beautiful.

The first stop was the red pyramid in Dashur. As with many other monuments in Egypt, it seemed odd in that we simply drove up to the base, stopped the car and there we were. It seems like there should be more ceremony to visiting a monument that is thousands of years old.

Unlike the pyramids at Giza, there are hardly any tourists at Dashur. We felt like we had the place all to ourselves. We climbed down into the red pyramid, which was similar to the climb into the Great Pyramid. The inside of the red pyramid was interesting, but we were overwhelmed with an ammonia smell and spent only a few minutes inside.

Outside there was much picture taking (including three tourist police who encouraged us to take their pictures -- we saved our money and declined), and then we were off to Sakkara and the Step Pyramid.

They are doing a fair amount of restoration at the step pyramid, which prompted a discussion about what level of restoration is “appropriate” for these magnificent monuments. Should the work be limited to what is necessary to keep them as they are today, or should they be restored to their original condition? As we would discover in Upper Egypt, there are very few (if any) monuments that have not undergone some level of restoration. Many of the monuments in Egypt were built over a long period of time by successive generations who each made their own distinctive mark – shouldn’t we be participants in that ongoing evolution? Mr. Abby and I debated this as we gazed at the oldest pyramid in Egypt.

From there, Ahmed took us for a late lunch at a place that I think was called Sakkara Restaurant. As usual, we feasted on excellent mezza and grilled meats, and I enjoyed a beer (Sakkara . . . my favorite!).

That night, we had planned on dining at Abu el Sid, but we had received word that our bags were due to arrive and that we should be at the hotel when they arrived. It was explained to us that the bag delivery people know that if the guest is not present when the bag is delivered, that there will be no tip, and so they will avoid delivering the bag unless they are able to confirm that the guest is present to receive it. So we ordered room service (mezza and wine, of course) and waited.

We also said our “goodbyes” to Ahmed, as we weren’t sure whether we would see him again. After three days of touring with Ahmed, we had come to consider him a friend, and we were sad to be leaving his company. We could understand why so many people speak so highly of him here on the board. In addition to being an excellent guide, he has an easy way about him and is very pleasant to spend time with. He is very responsive and flexible and does everything within his power to make sure that you are having a great trip and your needs are being met. Each of the days that he toured with us, he allowed us to go at our own pace and never pressured us in any way to do (or not do) anything. As we came to find out, Ahmed did not stop working for us when we left Cairo. He made sure the rest of the trip was just as seamless as our time in Cairo.

Later that night, one of our bags did, in fact, arrive. But two were still missing . . .

DAY 4 – Flight to Aswan, Overnight in Aswan

We left early for the airport in the hopes that we could somehow locate the remainder of our missing baggage. Good thing we did . . . miraculously, with the help of our “handler” and A LOT a baksheesh, we got our bags. Luckily Ahmed had taught us well and so we knew to flash the baksheesh up front, but give none of it out until the desired services had been performed to our satisfaction. With the help of a very motivated airport employee our bags skipped through all manner of administrative hoops (including immigration!) JUST IN TIME for us to turn around and re-check them for the flight to Aswan! All we could do was wave goodbye to our wayward bags and hope that they would be in Aswan, Insha’Allah!

We just loved Cairo and were sad to leave, but we were excited to see other parts of the country, and we knew that we would have two free days in Cairo at the end of the trip.

The flight to Aswan was uneventful (other than the diet coke that the flight attendant spilled all over Mr. Abby – now we really needed our bags!). It was amazing to look down from the plane and see miles and miles of sand, with a narrow strip of bright green slicing through it, and the Nile running down the middle.

We were met at the airport by another Ahmed-arranged “handler” who helped with our luggage (our luggage! It arrived!) and escorted us to our van, where our local guide, Hazem (also arranged through Ahmed), was waiting for us. Hazem is a native of Abydos and would be accompanying us throughout Upper Egypt.

From the airport, we went immediately to Philae Temple (we asked to skip the High Dam). The trip by motorboat to the temple was just fantastic – what a great way to approach the temple! We marveled at the natural beauty of this stretch of the Nile. Lots of birds, rocks, and islands; clear air and blue skies; sparkling water and giant temples rising majestically before us. Could this actually be real??? We could have spent all day at the temple; it was breathtaking. I think it was a benefit to be there in the afternoon, after the morning crowds has dissipated.

After a wonderful trip to Philae, we checked into the Movenpick Hotel on Elephantine Island. I have one word for this hotel and more specifically, for our room (room 401): WOW. The hotel itself is in a fantastic location, and our room had to be one of the best in the hotel. We had two balconies – one that looked south over one of the Nubian Villages on the island, and another that looked east over the Nile with a view of all of Aswan. We had not specifically asked Ahmed for a Nile view room, but he had “secretly” given us this upgrade, and it was marvelous.

We had a drink at the Movenpick bar (360-degree views from the 13th floor), then went back to our room to freshen up for dinner. While there, the evening call to prayer rang out over Aswan. It was magical. We loved the call to prayer, and this particular occurrence was one of the highlights of the trip. We can understand now why the call to prayer has been called, “one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.”

For dinner, Hazem took us (via motorboat) to a Nubian restaurant called . . . wait for it . . . “Nubian Restaurant.” Mr. Abby had a chicken tagine that was pretty good, but my beef tagine was to die for! After dinner, we walked briefly through the tourist souk but had an early night since we needed to be up at 2:45 (ugh!) the next morning for our convoy to Abu Simbel.

We had fresh clothes, shoes (!) and a new hotel room. We felt like we were on a second vacation!
abby97 is offline  
Old Jan 12th, 2010, 11:52 AM
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abby97,

I'm particularly interested in the part of your trip report where you described being picked up at the Aswan airport by your handler and then touring Philae Temple.

My husband and I leave for Egypt in about three weeks, and we have a 4-hour layover in Aswan (en route from Abu Simbel to Cairo). Rather than spending it at the Aswan airport, we hope to see one of the big things in Aswan--Philae Temple, or the dam, or the obelisk (in that order of preference). Do you think 4 hours is enough time to deplane, catch a cab (or have a guide pick us up, if we can pre-arrange one), take the motorboat to/from Philae Temple, and get back through airport security? We will already have our boarding passes/seat assignments, and we won't have any luggage other than one small carry-on backpack, but we will still need to go back through security to board our flight to Cairo (on Egypt Air).

What do you think? Is our plan too risky? I posted this same question a few months ago, but at that time my layover was only 3 hours (due to a recent schedule change, it's now 4 hours). I think two people responded and felt that it was a bit too tight time-wise, but now we have an extra hour.

Thanks in advance.
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