Thanks kp and mowmow for your responses. I feel like I am better prepared now.

blithespirit,
The OP may be in Egypt now, but I'm still gathering information and have enjoyed reading your post.

I will be doing the four night cruise. The longer stay in one place for me, the better.

I am also doing the pre-extension to Alexandria and think that it will be a nice way to start the trip. I get tired just reading the daily itinerary of the Egypt trip. I know I'll have to pace myself.

Yours is the second negative comment about the Luxor carriage ride and I think I'll skip that. I would think we could walk around the town and then have an early night. I didn't have much interest in the balloon ride either and reading "broken legs" makes it No interest.

I am going to Abu Simbel but am not sure about the Coptic Cairo tour. Did you have much time in the Khan after the tour? When I was with an OAT tour in Morocco (fabulous) it was like a race walk through the markets until we got to the carpet store. I'm hoping to be able to look for items that I'm interested in the Khan and not be rushed through.

I am bitterly disappointed that the Jordan extension on my trip has been canceled. I called OAT again this week to see if there had been a change but it is definitly off for "lack of interest." It's really hard to believe that from two groups there wouldn't be enough interest in Jordan. There is an opening in November but it is a pre trip extension and a three-night cruise. I also don't want to have my travel companion change her plans because of me; she has no interest in Jordan.

Did you have free time to shop in Alexandria? I'd like to buy a couple of cotton shirts and thought that might be the best opportunity.

Thanks for all the great info.

Don't go to Alex expecting to shop. The shopping is much better in Cairo.

Also, I am not sure what kind of "cotton shirt" you want to buy, but don't get too excited about finding all that great famous Egyptian cotton here. You will find more of it at JC Penneys. As with almost any agricultural product anywhere in the world, the best is exported. This is especially true of the cotton as Egypt has poor dyes and printing processes. The best will be exported to be turned into textiles and some of it makes it's way back, but not usually the best. The Egyptian people generally prefer synthetics as they dry wrinkle free without the use of a dryer, which most can't afford or don't use.
There are a few rip-off cotton t-shirt (mostly) joints out near the pyramids that tout having Egyptian Cotton and sell t-shirts and a few other items, but don't make getting those cotton sheets or shirts a priority, as you can probably find better ones and cheaper ones at JC Penney on sale. I am actually going to bring back cotton fabric this summer to be made into the shirts I like from the states. I expect to find nicer cottons there, if I can find a fabric store.

If you really really really have to have cotton sheets from Egypt, the fabric can be bought off the bolt in queen size widths in the Wikala ebala market behind the World Trade Center, but I suggest you hire a guide to help you get in there and find them. And, do understand that you will need to take the fabric home and sew them into sheets or hire a tailor here to sew them for you...and they probably won't have a fitted bottom sheet.
Or there are some high end shops (one at the First Residence - Four Seasons - Mall) that have nice sheets already made up, but they are expensive.

Finally, there are some shirts here you will find that are made of cotton. They are an over the head type style with long or short sleeves, and generally with some decoration on the front, either machine stitched or hand stitched. They are comfortable and affordable and available at a bajillion shops at the Khan el Khalili in many sizes and colors.

Thanks for that response. Isn't it weird that Egypt is renowned for cotton but people are wearing synthetics. I thought if I could buy a couple of nice cotton shirts (not t-shirts) I could pack less and have something to bring home. Well, it doesn't sound promising.

What fabric are the gjellabas (sp?) made of?

I asked about shopping in Alexandria because I will be with a group and think we'll have more free time in Alex than in Cairo; we will be visiting the Manshiya markets -- any interesting shopping opportunities there?

I won't be looking for sheeting fabric, it would be pretty heavy and I can buy good sheets here at TJ Maxx.

Thanks again.

There's a store called On Safari (fka Safari) which has some nice cotton shirts. There are a number of then around -- if you're staying at the Marriott Gizera (as opposed to the JW Marriott) there's one there. Also there's a woman's clothing store called MM which is on 26th of July Street not far from the Marriott. I bought a couple of nice cotton shirts there. (Actually, I bought one of them in 3 different color combinations -- it's hard to find western clothing here that is good quality.)

Gallebayas are cotton, but check the label; some might have poly in them (one that I purchased did have some of the "twin-sisters" - poly & ester). These come in all lengths, so open them to be sure they're not too long or short for your height. They're also available in short length, around hip-level. And, of course, children's sizes.

Before first going to Egypt a friend who lived in Cairo for years, recommended not buying cotton in colors as the dye wasn't fast and could bleed. Well, they must have improved on the quality, as I didn't have any problem with black or navy.

Like anywhere you travel, often what a country is known for isn't readily available in good quality for locals (to buy in-country) and vice versa (it's not exported). Friend's in Turkey known for towel cloth, shop for their linens (bed & bath) in the US where there are more choices, better quality and prices.

More tips, thanks to you both.

An addition to the comments on towels and sheets. There are some stores which do sell nice Egyptian cotton towels with wonderful embroidery on them.

These are not in the tourist areas like the Khan, but can be found in the more expensive parts of town like Zamalek or at some of the more expensive hotels including those Debbie mentioned. City Stars (not Stars) has a couple that I really like. I can't remember if the prices there are expensive compared to US prices or just expensive compared to general Cairo prices.

I just went back & read the entire post again. Reading some of the comments on OAT about limited time and skipping an evening event or half day tour tour (which, after all, you've already paid for) and going out on your own makes me wonder if OAT was a good fit for these people. If you add up the extra expnenses s that you ended up paying for by deviating from the planned trip & taking a taxi to Valley of the NObles, for example, and considering the money that you've spent for the parts of the trip that you have not done, you might have some extra money to be able to afford a longer trip or a more expensive trip that has the things you want to do.


And I must add that some of the things that Debbie, Sandi and I are suggesting may be better for someone who has more free time than the OAT trip will allow.

I was under the impression that LaVisiteure wanted to visit additional places (i.e. Tombs of the Nobles or Medieval Cairo) in his/her FREE time, not skip something from the paid itinerary. The Coptic Cairo, Evening in Luxor, Giza S&L and Balloon Rides are options not included in the regular itinerary. I agree with Sunshine007 that if one is going to skip a lot of the prepaid group activities, you might not be a candidate for that OAT tour.

Re: Coptic Cairo tour -- While some throughly enjoy the haggling experience, I unfortunately am easily intimidated, and found Khan Khalili extremely stressful and not pleasant at all. We were on our own after lunch for 1.25 hours to shop. I wanted merely to "window shop" and look at all the fascinating stuff, and maybe purchase a souvenir or two, but this is impossible because if you show even the slightest bit of interest, the sellers are all over you like flies... Plus, our OAT guide was so afraid we would get lost she told us to stay on one street only -- advice I ignored without consequence. So, if the things you're looking for aren't in that section, good luck... And never, never accept a "gift" unless you intend to pay for it. Nothing is ever given as a gift.

I chuckle as I remember the man in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings - he was seemingly kind, handing out small pieces of cardboard to be used as a fan in the stifling hot room and darn if I didn't fall for that one! Of course, he expected 20 cent baksheesh (a tip)... Not a big deal, but I smiled at my own naivete.

I should add that as ann_nyc mentioned, your guide has the option of tailoring the schedule to fit the whole group's desires. To avoid the crowds of the morning at the Egyptian museum, our OAT guide opted to take us there at 1 PM where we spent almost 3 hours (with 1 hr on our own) before leaving for the Cairo airport (flight to Aswan.)

There are definitely better opportunities to shop rather than Alex. In fact we didn't shop in Alex at all - being the first stop, no one wanted to shlep stuff all over Egypt. For those interested, you can order a colorful custom t-shirt with the specified name in hieroglyphics for about $15 in the hotel gift shops (Mena and N. Cataract)

One final experience... almost every toilet in Egypt comes equipped with a bidet function - either built-in or as a separate hose. In the Alexandria National Museum, I couldn't find the knob to flush, so I kicked this knob in the back near the floor with my foot... it was the bidet knob... instantly a tremendous gush of water gave me a full-frontal shower from neck to knee! When I screamed, my friend came rushing to help, pushing aside the stall door and SHE got a full-frontal shower... But the clincher was, the bathroom lady had her hand out to collect her 20 cents -- before turning off the water -- as we walked away dripping wet. Anyway, such was my memorable Egypt OAT experience...

blithespirit- I don't get the feeling you are really complaining about the backsheesh issues you described in your post, but I just want to make some comments about them -

First, I applaud the guy that was handing out fans and asking for a tip. How clever is that? I hope those that took them, did tip him nicely. I don't know how old the guy was, but you indicated he wasn't a boy, and I think if the guy needed money, which obviously he did, he came up with a clever plan to make some. Reuseable fans, and more than that, he was probably recycling to make the fan material. What more would you want? This guy has little, to no, income from any other job, yet he finds a need, and provides a service/good that tourists can pay him for. Why would you expect him to do that for free? Hey, if my tourism gig doesn't work, I may be out at the pyramids handing out fans next. It's a brilliant idea.

Next the bathroom gals/guys may not do much, but I will stand behind them all the way (99% of the time) just because they got off their ass and came to the bathroom, if for nothing else. It's not like they have a lot of choices here for ways to make money, or like Egypt gives away a check every month for those that can apply and waddle out to the mail box during Doctor Phil/Days of Our Lives/Jepardy commercials. There are places in this world where we have to pay something like 25 cents to even get into the toilet before using it, so giving someone 17 cents (1 Egyptian Pound) for the priviledge, and helping her/him feed his/her family should be something we are a little happy to do.

Hope I didn't lecture too much. Just feel the need to remind people that the meaning of the word "backsheesh" is "spread the wealth", and that is all it is. I hate to say it, but mostly it's only the big tour company owners that are here asking for more money that already have a lot of money. The poor bathroom people are most likely not rich.

Debbie - not a lecture at all!!! I've wanted to say something similar for a LONG time, but just never found an eloquent way of doing it. You did a great job of expressing exactly how I feel!

+1 on the baksheesh. I think its great to help people who are helping themselves and 1 Egyptian pound will not break the bank for anyone. If you approach it with a smile and don't think they are trying to take advantage, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Each time I visit Egypt I am impressed with Egyptian ingenuity and have met the most interesting people just by being friendly, polite and open to conversation. At Dashur, the attendant loaned me a flashlight. When I came up I handed it back to him with 2 pounds (he didn't have to ask) and was rewarded with a wonderful smile. I sat and talked to him for a bit while waiting for my traveling companion to come up. It was a wonderful encounter.

Regarding negotiating in the market, just have fun with it! The vendors expect you to negotiate. If you just want to look, just look. If you shake your head, smile, say "la shokran" (no thank you) and just keep looking, they get it. It is just a different culture. If you can get over the difference and have fun with it, you'll have a great time!

Casual Cairo.

I didn't think Blithespirit was complaining either. And you weren't lecturing, it was a good post. I laughed when I first read about the man handing out cardboard for fans. I agree with you completely about his creativity and I'd be happy to pay him. Ditto for the women spending their time in bathrooms handing out toilet paper.

<<Reading some of the comments on OAT about limited time and skipping an evening event or half day tour (which, after all, you've already paid for) and going out on your own makes me wonder if OAT was a good fit for these people.>>

Sunshine, I don't intend to skip the events I've paid for. One of the features that I like about OAT is their offerings of "optional tours." Sound & Light at Giza, Luxor by night, Coptic Cairo and the morning balloon ride are all optional and have extra fees, so anyone who is not interested would have that time free to do as they wish.

I have done "all inclusive" group tours and noticed that almost everyone skips something sometime, if not just to get away the "group" to do their own thing at least once, than to rest from a full itinerary, so I prefer OAT's options.

While we're discussing this issue...

First off, there is massive unemployment here. Those who have little or no education and no skills have few options if any options. As said above, they are showing ingenuity and a willingness to work.

You would be shocked at how little people have. It may be 17 cents for you, but for the locals it can be oranges or tangerines -- in short a better diet.

I love these people. They provide me with a much needed service with a smile. Would you like to stand in a smelly bathroom and hand out kleenex to people, who are often grumpy or rude?

What if they weren't there and you forgot your toilet tissue? Frankly there were times when I would have paid $100 US for some toilet tissue.

I even give money to the elderly gentlemen and women who ask for money -- even if they haven't performed a service. The smile and blessing that they give me are worth far more to me than the couple pounds I give them.

Since this is a county where the vast majority of the people are Moslem, you can be assured that the money will not be wasted on intoxication via drinking or drugs, unlike, say, the people who stand in downtown Seattle looking for some money.

Here's a little anecdote. I was about 4 blocks away from home when my sandal broke. As I was hobbling back to my home, a few people stopped their journeys and pantomimed how to get to the closest shoe repair man. The young woman who works at the laungry insisted that she lend me her shoes for the return journey. Can you imagine Americans doing either of those things?

Sunshine -

You used "Seattle" in your last post. Are you from Seattle? I am. Where are you here in Cairo? I'm in Heliopolis.

CasualCairodetours

Debbie, see email from Carpoh007.

Carolyn

Hello all,
I just had a couple of comments...
If you do the 3 night cruise from Luxor towards Aswan, you don't take a bus to Esna. We boarded the Hathor in Luxor, had lunch, then started cruising. The bus is used if the Esna lock is closed. The closure dates are available on the web site and in the brochure. You'd take the bus on that stretch no matter which direction you were going.

The 4 night cruise isn't any longer, but you spend an extra night on the boat instead of a hotel in town. It would be my choice. The boat was much nicer than any of the hotels.

If you're really craving American fast-food, McD's DELIVERS in Egypt! You'll have to go to the hotel gate or front desk to pick it up. My daughter made me take a pic on my cell phone and sms it to her friends. Sounds like a business opportunity that could take off here... If you buy a "meal" in Luxor, they are giving out pastel glass Coca Cola glasses. They were a hot "trade commodity" on the street. Trade one for a horse& buggy ride back to the hotel

There are tombs of the nobles in both Luxor and Aswan. The tombs in Aswan are on the hill with a high ramp/stairway going up to them. The ones in Luxor are out by the VOK. I think the Luxor complex is bigger. We went to the pool instead, turned out to be a really nice afternoon. It was vacation after all.

Sorry, but I disagree about the bathroom situation. I grew up in Europe, have traveled to every continent and I'm very accustomed to paying an attendant to use the bathroom. Usually, however, the attendant keeps the bathrooms clean, and hands you some TP and a towel for your hands. Many of the attendants in Egypt did nothing but sit there with their hand out (the other often holding their cell phone to their ear). The bathrooms were some of the filthiest I have ever seen and smelled like outhouses on a 110degree day. No TP offered or available if we asked. I gave them the baksheesh without complaint, but I'll have to admit I resented the entire situation. I would have paid a lot more to pee in a place that didn't nauseate me. The attendants who had figured this out were suitably rewarded.

We never went anywhere without our tissue or TP pack, hand cleaner, and a towelette wipe. My daughter thought a clothespin for our nose would have been a good addition to our "potty kit."

Be sure when you hand out baksheesh not to give out quarters. They are worthless in Egypt. We exchanged about 10$ worth of quarters for bills for various people. You'll only spend about 20-30$ on baksheesh your whole trip, so it's not a big deal.

Sorry for the misinformation regarding the bus ride from Luxor to Esna. I'm aware the locks are closed the first two weeks of June and December. It's just that as we were disembarking the Hathor in Luxor the morning of March 21, 2007 we jokingly told a crewman we were going to sneak back for lunch that day and he said they were leaving soon for Esna to pick up the next OAT group. When I asked how the next group was getting to Esna, he said by bus... maybe he was joking with me, too.

mowmow......EVERYONE delivers in Egypt! Groceries/markets, pharmacies, restaurants, fast food. We frequently ordered McDs, Hardees, KFC, Quiznos, Chilis, as well as chinese, thai, indian, etc! Sometimes I would make tacos for dinner and have Chili's deliver tortilla chips and salsa!

Gee .....I MISS that!

I've had one latte delivered. And there's a rumor that one Cairene actually had one cigarette delivered!

Okay Sunshine - mabye the delivery thing is only in Maadi....but geez I LOVED it!!!!! Would give anything to have the sort of service here in Baku!!!