I took over 800MB of pictures and video there, but I can't upload here
even 200KB. Ooops :( Whatever, there are plenty of other sites, so here it
goes:
I will refer to items in this image by row number (1-7) and column letter
(a-b), I'm saying so in advance, so please keep your WTFs.
So, let's go. (1a) shows you currency rates from last week so you can
plan your budget, if you're going there any time soon. 2nd thing to
know is that Egypt is a land of monopolies, even toilets look alike
everywhere. That's why cheap local food tastes like sh1t, do not waste
your money for it (1b). 3rd, you'll need transport services. Taxi cab
(2a) will cost you 10..15 EGP per 5km, with minibus (2b) you can get away
with 1..3 EGP.
(3a) shows you what you get in a decent hotel like Domina Coral Bay. Yes I
was there, no it is not biggest hotel in the world (yet), yes they attacked
it last summer. A few other important things to know about this place:
Bad thing is that it is coral bay (3b): you can't just walk into
the water wherever you'd like, there are three or four special entry
points and guardmen with whistles. Good thing is that it is coral bay: you
can swim around with your mask for free. Don't ride a glass-boat btw,
you won't see more than you do on the beach.
There are lots of those damn flowers. Which means irrigation. Which
means goddamn mosquitoes. Be sure to take insecticides/repellents with
you.
Do not buy meals. Not even "breakfast only". You can get
twice more or twice better meals just 7km away, in Naama Bay. This city was
built for tourists and nobody lives there, but there are dozens of decent
restaurants.
Do not buy anything from hotel, or don't be whining when charged
2..5 times more than things cost.
(4a) is what they call "carefully planned interior" - I took
that picture of TV in bathroom mirror while taking a sh1t.
Okay, let me continue. I've already said about (6a) below, so
I'll skip it, though I'd like to say another important thing
about Cairo trips. Don't buy any trip below $40 per seat, or with any
mention of shopping. They will steal more then half of your time to try to
sell you overpriced junk (and if you're there with women, you just
have to buy it). We were given only 1 hour near pyramids, and that
was not even enough to walk around all of them. For those who have no idea,
pyramids are no longer in desert, they are now right inside the city (7a),
surrounded by nice green trees and ugly buildings.
Btw, don't go inside. We only were inside of small satellite pyramid
(7b, 1EGP per person), and it was damn hot there. Like 37°C outside, and
more than 40 inside, so you don't want to know how hot it is inside
big pyramid.
(6b) reflects my overall impression of Cairo. Arabs do not seem to be able
to keep anything clean, if they are not paid for it. They throw wastes and
garbage everywhere, both into strees and the river. Neverless, they catch
quite a tasty fish there (or was I simply too hungry ?).
5th row is about Sinai mountain, allegedly the place where Moses has made
his holy tablets. Quite conveniently, right under the mountain there is
monastery showing burning bush and water
shaft were Moses met his wife, only about 20m apart. Though you can see
those for free, I've seen a few monks equipped with hi-end cell phones
and digital cameras. They sell icons and other junk, and perhaps guides are
paying them, it doesn't really matter, but I do not believe it's
all a happy coincidence.
To sum up, it's not that expensive at all. For me, it was about $1K
for flights, room for two and breakfasts in hotel, plus another $1K for
real food, transport, trips and junk-shopping (this is for 2 weeks and 2
persons). I'm not quite rich, in fact I'm not rich at all. I earn
only $600 per month, and neverless I think it's affordable.
posted by makc on Thursday 30th March 2006, 09:13:49
BACKSHEESH BACKSHEESH. those fucking kids pestered the shit out of me when
i was there. nice country tho. did you get to check out abu simbel? that
was the best bit for me. i personaly found it more impressive than the
pyramids. also i was slightly dissapointed at the sphinx cause it was so
small compaired to everything else. i thought it was gonna be huge but
alas. still its always nice to go to somewhere different and i hope you
enjoyed your time.
I'm back from Egypt, btw
