Hotel Delta Kaoud Cairo

... research for this trip, I read that Egyptians expect to be tipped for everything, and it’s so true. I stepped up on someone’s storefront step to take a picture and was asked for a tip by a guy who happened to be standing nearby! And the family who showed me their goat also asked for a tip. However, before I left Cambodia, I got a stack of 50 riel notes to hand out as tips, worth about a penny each. Score.

Hardcore ...

... Egyptian friends that this would happen if Egypt lost, but immediately after the match, the eerie silence in the streets of usually-bustling Cairo calmed me, making me thing that Cairo might stay quiet after all. I was wrong. The anger just needed a gestation period. Last night, as I was coming home from a friend's house across town, my cab driver, hitting severe traffic, told my friends and I that we could make it no further by car. This is very unsafe, he ...

... on their carpets – sometimes five or six kids to one loom, if the carpet was large – and watched in amazement as their nimble fingers flew through their weaving. These kids are paid for their labors, in addition to them learning the craft – but I couldn’t shake the feeling that inappropriate child labor was going on here…

After the carpet school visit, we had time to kill before catching the overnight train to Luxor – so ...

... are expert at lying and cheating. There should be a country song about them to go with Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. The Egyptian hawkers are so aggressive and assertive that they make the Mexican hawkers look comatose by comparison.

We wait to on the rooftop of our hotel for our transport to the train station. Of course, we have some Stella and Meister Max (another sub of Heineken brewery). The view of Cairo is very nice from our vantage ...

... Abu Simbel contains the massive seated carved Pharaohs that look into the sun across the Nile, welcoming the sun god Ra (Hey Ra how are going mate, morning!) I am learning all sorts of Egyptian history and myths. So, one of the myths is that one of the Egyptian gods Osiris marries his sister Isis (apparently the done thing) they then give birth to a beautiful boy who has a Falcon's head, questions surrounding incest do not seem to ...

... out tomorrow morning.

Wednesday we got to meet the professors. My International Relations professor is cool – he’s on the Egyptian Parliament right now and knows tons of stuff about the Middle East. One other professor made me glad I’m not taking his class, because if he can almost put me to sleep during his 2 minute introduction, I can’t imagine sitting through 3 hours of his monotonous tone. The Ancient Egypt professor, who I ...

... called her a liar, and we explained the situation. As we knew, the driver did not have anywhere else to be and did not have a pick up at the airport.

Ines jumped out of the van and ran away still crying. The gang successfully offended their first, but not last, egyptian.

That night we walked around Cairo. Cairo is dead in the middle of the day. It is so hot that no one can be bothered to come out of the airconditioning. It comes alive after sunset and is so ...

... visit the Egyptian Museum with the treasures of King Tutankhamen, it was enclosed in his tomb more than 3,500 years- Transfer to Giza train station for departure by sleeper train to Luxor. Overnight in Sleeper train.

Day 3:

Arrive Luxor train station- Meet & assist- Transfer to hotel- Enjoy an excursion to visit Karnak temple, the ancient Egyptian "Ipet-Isut", the largest ancient ...

... and it was straight to the banks to buy our Egypt visas (stickers) wack them in our passport and through immigration. Our transport was there to welcome us to Egypt with a Salaam! We picked up Craig (another of the tour group) on the way to the Hotel, once we checked in and had showers it was straight to bed in our sort of dodgy hotel (it was pretty much standard as we came to realise in the Middle East / Africa, just different standards to Europe).
Cairo, Egypt dkjohansen

... incredible!



We have had the most amazing 6 weeks. It’s been an incredible trip. We’ve enjoyed writing these for all of you back home. As you might have been able to tell we often trade off writing or add to things the other wrote, and we hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about our trip. We’ve missed everyone and are looking forward to coming home and seeing all of you (though not going back to work!).
Love, Tim & Katie