Billybull's travel blogs:
|
|
  | | |
Day 3 - 8 September 2008
Entry 3 of 3 | show all | print this entry |
|
Up at 5 am and took one last look at the wondrous sight of the pyramids looming in the early morning haze before departing for Giza train station. The traffic even at this time of the morning was horrendous. No lanes, road markings, traffic lights etc - just a free for all and a hell of a lot of horn honking. Saw one car drive straight into another on a roundabout. His windscreen smashed, there was glass everywhere but nobody did or said a thing. They just drove off as if nothing had happened! According to our guide, the driving test in Egypt basically consists of reversing through a course of traffic cones and that's about it. Explains a lot!
I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a bit worried about the train journey to Luxor today. I've seen the kind of trains that run in these countries and the Orient Express they ain't. Visions of those trains in India where half the nation seem to be hanging off the sides and roof, crossed my mind. My mind was eased somewhat when Taso informed us we would be travelling 1st class. After all, it was a 10 hour journey. Waiting on the station was entertainment in itself. There were people everywhere and in the midst was a family sat cross legged on the floor eating their breakfast. A train pulled in on the other side of the platform and we watched in amazement as they unloaded luggage and dragged it across the tracks onto the opposite platform. No Elf and Safety here then.
Our train arrived and guess what? Orient Express it wasn't. It was absolutely filthy, we tried peering through the windows to look inside, as it pulled into the station, but they were too filthy to see in. Entered the 'First Class' carriage and it was absolutely vile. The seats were actually very roomy and comfortable but the material was almost black with grime. Soooo glad I had decided to wear my pure white cotton top for the trip! The seats were two on one side of the aisle and a single seat on the other side. Luckily I had a single seat. Two of the guys were in seats at the front of our carriage facing the wall. Their window had been absolutely shattered so they had no view for the whole of the journey. I was lucky, the outer glass of my window had been shattered but they had removed the broken glass so I could admire the view. A mural of some cattle was on the wall in front of the guys, so that was all they had to admire for the whole 10 hours. I felt sure a couple more cows would be added to the mural before we reached Luxor, or at the very least, the existing ones would be coloured in through sheer boredom!
The tracks ran alongside a river for much of the journey and it was good to view the countryside and village life as we passed through. Sue had bought a huge water melon and she shared this out amongst the group, it was delicious and thirst quenching. As the train was so disgustingly dirty, we could only imagine the state of the toilet. We decided to limit any drinking to the minimum to avoid using them for as long as possible. 5 hours into the journey, one of the girls had to go, so she entered the toilet and immediately reeled back, gagging. After coming back and dousing her scarf in perfume and wrapping round her face she went back in. I didn't need to ask what it was like in there, her face told me everything. I spent the next few hours watching endless Egyptian men using the toilet and praying I wouldn't have too. Finally, after 8 hours I could hold out no longer. Scarf doused in perfume I charged into the toilet and nearly threw up. Likening it to an explosion in a chocolate factory may be exaggerating but it was not far off. The floor was covered in newspaper just soaked in urine and other unmentionables. It seems people just went anywhere as long as it was somewhere in the room. I did the quickest wee I've ever done in my life and got out of there. An absolutely hideous experience. If that was 'First Class' I shudder to think what 2nd Class was like.
Finally, 10 hours later we arrived at Luxor station and drove straight to the boat. It was a beautiful 5* vessel called the Domina Emilio. We had fallen lucky here because the small boat we were due to use was still being refurbished so we had been upgraded to this one which boasted a swimming pool and Jacuzzi on the top deck. Couldn't wait to get to my cabin and have a shower. My cabin was beautiful with a huge picture window and fantastic bathroom.
Enjoyed a delicious dinner and a good few glasses of wine before hitting the sack. It had been a tiring day and we had to be up at 3.45 tomorrow. Holiday? More like boot camp!
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries by billybull, from Nile River Valley, Egypt or try a new search. |
| |
| Table of Contents |
| 3. | Day 3 - 8 September 2008 - Luxor, Egypt Nov 19, 2008 (  26 ) |
|
|
|
|
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
