5 Days in Cairo, Egypt: An Australian Tourists Perspective

The following Hub is a personal account of what happened to us, an Australian married couple, travelling to Cairo, Egypt on a five day tour, in late 2007. Your travel experience and/or expectations are sure to be different to ours, but hopefully you get some insight or help from reading this Hub. Anyway, I hope you enjoy...

When we arrived in Egypt at 2 o’clock in the morning (yes, that’s right, 2 in the morning) nothing could have prepared us for the next three days of culture shock. (Note:- For us it was a huge culture shock. We had just traveled through Western Europe, and were used to strange customs, but this was the first poorer country we had been to. I’d imagine you’d get similar experiences in similar countries.) Maybe we should have realized something earlier when most of the people on the plane (for whom of which we regarded as Egyptians) started cheering and clapping when the planes tyres hit the tarmac. Oh and we tried getting a more respectable time into and out of Egypt but our travel agent assured us that this was the norm.

We had organized five days/four nights of activities in Egypt before we left. This was done through the Flight Centre. From these days and nights, Day 1 was arrival day at 2:00 in the morning. Day 2 (which started from the morning we arrived) was a full day free to catch up on sleep and go to the Khan el-Khalili Markets and buy some souvenirs Day 3 was a full day Pyramid Tour. Day 4 was a full day Egyptian Museum Tour. Day 5 we leave at 1:00 in the morning. So two days were wasted as arrival and departure days and we had to pay for accommodation for these days – but what did we care, we were going to Egypt to see the Pyramids.

So there we were, tired and bleary eyed, following everyone else through the airport corridors. The airport looked large and modern, but dirty. There were people everywhere. We didn’t know what to do so we joined a customs line. I notice a short dumpy man holding a piece of paper with our name on it. We knew we had hotel transfers but didn’t expect to see anyone until we made it through customs and into the baggage collection area. We managed to call him over and you could see the wave of relief wash over his face. He introduced himself as Mohammad and shook our hands.

It was then he started to organize us with great haste. He asked me if we had money for visas. I said I didn’t have any Egyptian Pound and was there anywhere I could withdraw money from. He pointed to an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) at the far wall. I left both Mohammad and my wife together and walked over to the ATM, withdrawing a few hundred Egyptian Pounds. I can’t remember how much I needed for the Visa. I can’t even remember if I was told, I just trusted this guy Mohammad, who I just met. I handed all the money I took out to him and he walked me over to the visa queue. We seemed to push in front of everyone else. He paid the cash I just took out to the visa clerk, I think I got change, and handed me a dodgy looking, half printed piece of paper. This was our visa (i.e an Egyptian government tax).

Mohammad then left us back in the customs line up and said he would meet us on the other side at the baggage collection. It was then we had time to look at our surroundings, as things were very fast paced until now. We noticed women with full black head coverings and their bodies were also wrapped in full black cloth (nothing was exposed, not even their hands). They could see through a slot cut out in the head dress, and even then they wore dark sunglasses. That was weird. We also noticed men dressed in black military clothes, holding machine guns across their chests. There weren’t just a few of them, there were lots of them.

Getting through customs was a three stage process which we’d never experienced in any other country. After you got your passport checked and stamped buy the first man in the customs booth, he passed it to another man sitting behind him who also checked it. Then you were passed your passport through a small chute. After that you took a few steps past the booth and a guard was standing there with a machine gun at his side and asked for your passport. He looked at mine and asked, “Are you from Australia?” in a heavy accent, which I could barely understand him. I was nervous and stuttered out a yes. He handed it back and then we were away.

Or bags didn’t take long to get from the carousel and soon we were with Mohammad outside the airport terminal. I can remember the temperature hit me as soon as we went outside, it was probably 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). We were ushered to a purple mini van and we got into the back. As quickly as we got into the van, we were off down the street. Mohammad sat in the front with the driver and we sat in the back. The mini van was okay looking, it was clean and had air conditioning. It also had curtains.

As we made our way along the roads towards our hotel we quickly realized that there were no road rules. This was one thing that spun us out. Cars, buses and taxis were all over the road. There were no lane and people just beeped to let the other car know they were near them. The only way to progress through the traffic was to literally push your car in between other cars, and for that reason most of the cars were all dented in every panel. The black and white taxis that were everywhere looked like they were thirty years old. We guessed our mini van was like a limousine. This was crazy and it was happening at 2 in the morning. (I know I sound like a cracked record, but it was that crazy)

The other thing that you will realize about Egypt is that its people are out to make a dollar. They see you as money, and they think you are loaded. All you have to try to remember is to be firm and say no if you are being hassled into something you don’t want to do or buy. They will even look hurt and upset, but they will soon get over it and try another tack with you to get some more of your money. (Note:- Especially at any markets you wander through)

We first realized that the Egyptians were all about money was with our Tour Manager, Mohammad, who was sitting in the front of the mini van and constantly offering us more tours than we were already booked into. He wanted us to see the ‘Step Pyramids’ some 30km away from Cairo. “These were the first ever Pyramids,” he explained. He wanted us to see the ‘Great Pyramid Light Show’ and he wanted us to do an evening Nile cruse which included a 5 star diner. We were fried. All we wanted to do is get to our hotel and sleep. We thought we’d have no time to do the tours we intended because we’d be too tired to see them. But Mohammad was adamant that we’d have enough time, it seemed he had planned our time in Egypt to the hour.

First of all my wife was getting annoyed, and said no to everything. You could see he was hurt, but we were both tired, had never heard of the things he was talking about. We were driving along in silence for a while, chaos outside. Then my wife and I discussed if we wanted to try the ‘Light Show’ and have a traditional Egyptian dinner (the 5 star dinner). Then we agreed to that and told Mohammad. He said thank you and said we would have to sign on the changes. (Note:- This was a government requirement, that they had to know the movements of every tourist in the country and their itinerary had to be sent to them. Any changes had to be signed for.) So we were going to see the light show and then have dinner in the evening on our free day which was today as it was 3:00 am.

 ...security guards in business suits with hand guns underneath their jackets...

We eventually arrived at our hotel, The Sheraton. It was 5 star accommodation and comprised of two towers with shops underneath the foyer, right beside the NileRiver.

It looked pretty clean and modern. Marble lined the hallways and foyer and there was a large fountain in front of reception. All of this was okay but you just had to pass through metal detectors as you walked in and also past security guards in business suits with hand guns underneath their jackets. (You could see this as a couple looked casual standing outside with their jacket buttons open exposing the guns in their holsters.) We both laughed later in our room as we both noticed an Arab looking fellow go through the metal detector and it beeped. He seemed to get a good going over, while when we passed through the detectors and it beeped we were just told it was okay and to keep going.

After we checked in and left our Tour Manager we headed up to the room. Our bags were being taken up later for us. The room was on a high level, in the Nefertiti Tower, (I think). The room was medium sized with ensuite and a king size bed. It had a thick curtain lining the balcony wall so it was quite dark. This was good for going to sleep although you still heard the beeping of the traffic below. And yes it was about 3:30 in the morning at this time and there was heaps of traffic going past the hotel, all beeping their way along. Soon our bags came up, the porter was looking for a tip, but we didn’t give him one as we were really zapped by now and had forgotten this custom. Oh and make sure you lock your bags in your room as the cleaner might help themselves to a little of your belongings, we were told this was because they get paid poorly. We locked our bags and didn’t have a problem.

We both had a quick look out on the patio before we went to bed. The lights were amazing and the city seemed to be alive. We could see boats going up and down the Nile River, and all the beeping of the traffic below. The smog was pretty thick and the heat was stiff at this hour in the morning. We both went to bed, to get some much jetlagged sleep, ready for tomorrow’s adventure in Egypt.

We woke up well after the buffet breakfast was over around lunch time. Because we had this day free we thought we might adventure out of the hotel. Probably find something to eat. We made it to the front doors and took a look outside. It was hot and steamy. There were guards with machine guns on almost every corner. Rough looking Egyptian men were hanging out of busted assed taxis and were staring at us. It looked too scary so we went back into the hotel lobby. At the time this was the most unassisted and vulnerable we felt especially after being spoilt with help and hints from our Contiki trip.

We found a couple of souvenir shops in the downstairs section of the hotel and we had a quick look through them not buying anything. We were starting to notice that the Egyptian men wouldn’t stop staring; this was from the concierge to the floor sweeper. It was getting unnerving. Hadn’t they seen a westerner before?

            We found a small café and ordered a couple of chicken rolls and cokes for about $5 Aussie dollars each. This was apparently expensive because we were at the Sheraton. We sat here for a while, people watching, as it was beside a side entrance to the hotel. It also had a metal detector and guard with gun. We noticed locals coming into the coffee shop to buy whole decorated cakes (must have been for birthdays or something). We decided to go back to sleep for a couple hours before we were to meet our Tour manager for the Pyramid ‘Light Show’.

We took a crazy minivan ride to the Pyramids which were surprisingly close. We were escorted by young male tour manager. He looked attractive for an Egyptian and was probably in his mid twenties.

We were led to an area which had hundred of chairs, facing the Pyramids and Sphinx, but a couple of kilometers away. We sat down and waited for the sun to go down. While this was happening a marching band of men dressed in ancient Egyptian clothes paraded down the isle between the chairs. It was interesting; I didn’t know the bag pipes were of Egyptian origin!

Finally the sun went down and the show started. Imagine the Pyramids and Sphinx being lit up by various colours while a recorded theatrical performance was played over loudspeakers. That was basically it, the recital sounded like something of an old Hollywood movie, like Ben-Hur or The Ten Commandments. It was interesting but dragged a little.

Our second day in Egypt started with our buffet breakfast. The food was good, like a typical western continental breakfast. One funny thing was that a male waiter took too much interest in my wife and asked if she would be back again for tomorrows breakfast. He totally ignored me. We also sat next to a couple of old British women, who were whining the whole time they were sitting there about tickets that one of them had lost.

After breakfast we sat in the lounge area and were met by the tour manager. He led us downstairs to the tour bus, much like the one we arrive to the hotel in (like a minivan). It was here we also me our tour guide. She was also a young Egyptian, in her late twenties. I can’t remember either of their names.

When we got in the minivan we were off down a busy network of streets. It was chaos, but very interesting, something worth seeing for yourself.

Our travel plans were changed on us as the guide suggested we first visit the Egyptian museum for a couple of hours then we visit the Khan el-Khalili Markets and then the Pyramids.

The Egyptian museum was worth the visit, but you need a guide. When we went no cameras were allowed inside, so we had to leave it at the gate. This was disappointing but understandable as the flash photography rapidly aged the artifacts. Unlike the British museum the artifacts were in no particular order and there were not very many display descriptions. This is where our guide was helpful. She took us directly to the main pieces and explained their history. After a couple of hours everything seemed to go over our heads. The highlight of the museum was seeing Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus and death mask. It was beautiful and amazing. The gold and blue stone inlay was awesome. And this is the only king’s tomb which wasn’t raided for its gold. Tutankhamen was not a great leader and was only 19 when he died so you can imagine the gold and treasure the other kings had, especially the ones they built the Pyramids for. Tutankhamen was buried in the Valley of the Kings. (We’d like to go back to Egypt one day and see the Valley of the Kings in Luxor) We didn’t go into see the unwrapped mummy within the museum, it cost extra and didn’t really interest us.

After the show we got back into the minivan and headed off for our 5 star dinner.  The young guide came with us and sat next to our table. The restaurant was interesting. The floor was gritty with sand and the place looked dirty, neat but dirty (if that makes sense). The entire ceiling was a mosaic of shells, this added to the tackiness of the place.  I wasn’t complaining, it was interesting, but you can see how poor they are and how much of a resource water really is.

The dinner was great and we were glad we did it. They brought out a plate of like pita bread and a tray of interesting fillers, from spicy hand rolled sausage and other interesting treats. We were full in no time. While we were waiting for our stomachs to rest the male tour guide wrote our names in Egyptian hieroglyphics and in Arabic on a piece of notepaper!

Soon we were back in our hotel room, still slightly exhausted from the flight in.

From the Museum we left for the Markets. This was an experience in itself. Our guide told us not to buy anything from the markets as most of the things are make from cheap materials and are made in China. The gold will rust and the papyrus will fall apart she said. She told us she would take us to a shop where it was government regulated and everything for sale in it was made in Egypt. She told us to wander around and meet her back at a café style shop. We walked around the markets, sort of like one city block in size. Nearly every shop owner (and they were all men) came out and tried to sell us something. We didn’t go into a shop as most of their wares were on the footpath. One shop owner said, “Tell me your name, why wont you tell me your name?” another said, “You are very lucky man, buy a gift for your beautiful wife,” We looked away at one stage as it was getting annoying with all the begging. We both glanced down at a stray kitten which looked a bit mangy and one shop owner said, “one dollar for the cat.” We both laughed.

We made it back to the shop in one piece and our guide and tour manager were sitting down. They asked if we smoked the traditional pipe and we said no. They asked if we would try it and we agreed. So out came the pipe and water canister. It was sort of like a fancy bong. The essence burnt over a cone and you drew the smoke through water via a mouth pipe. It was different, because the essence was like a cinnamon and apple flavour. We aren’t smokers and we coughed. The young tour manager seemed to like it and we watch him toke it back. We noticed his eyes getting glassy and watery. It had no drug affects, must have been the smoke.

From here we went to the Pyramids, these were amazing up close. There were a lot of tourists climbing all around them. Our guide suggested we go down inside to the burial chamber of the second pyramid, not the Great Pyramid. This was because you paid more to go inside the Great Pyramid and it was exactly the same inside.

So we queued up for the second Pyramid, it’s the one with limestone still at its peak. We heard the same two British tourists we sat beside at breakfast whining about the heat and if it was going to be safe to go down into the tunnel. Our guide stayed outside and waited on the steps for us to return, you could see she was bored. The climb down into the Pyramid was quite cramped and the tunnel was probably 1.2 meters (4 ft) high all the way. You had to stoop over holding onto a handrail, looking ahead of yourself, all the while passing people returning and walking down a makeshift plank with rungs nailed to it. If you are claustrophobic it will be a challenge for you. I kept thinking if there was an earthquake and the tomb closed we’d all be dead, squashed like mortar between the huge boulders. The cramped conditions and heat kept bringing me back to reality; these Pyramids have been here for thousands of years and weren’t going anywhere.

We finally made it to the centre chamber where the king was buried. It wasn’t as good as I imagined. Although the tunnel made way for a large chamber that was probably 4 meters (13 ft) high, buy 4 meters (13 ft) wide and 10 meters (33 ft) long, that’s all it was. There were no hieroglyphics on the wall, no artifacts, nothing. It was like being in a concrete tank with one small entrance/exit. A lot of people were sitting around; I don’t know if they were catching their breath as the heat was quite stiff, even this far underground, or they were trying to absorb some Egyptian aura? We turned around and made our way out.

Back outside our guide welcomed us again and asked if we were interested in a camel ride. My wife was quite adamant that she didn’t want to go on one, I coaxed her into it saying something like, “you’re in Egypt, you have to go on a camel ride, it’s something you have to do.” Our guide said she would try to negotiate a good price for us as some of them try to rip you off. We ended up finding a couple of camel riders at the side of the Pyramid, their master ensured our guide we would be looked after.

The camels were a little bit scary, they were growling at their handlers and their handlers growled back at them. The camels seemed poorly looked after as my wife said her camel had ticks crawling over it. My poor camel had its number carved out of its skin so it would scar up instead of being branded like a cow. The handlers were young men and we each sat behind them on top of the camel. It was quite high, and for me it was too close to the handler for my comfort. There wasn’t much to hold onto so my legs clamped as tight as I could to the side of the camel. The handlers told us we would go out into the desert and we would be able to get a photo of all three pyramids in one shot. We agreed as we were in their hand anyhow on top of a camel, what else could we say? It was a slow pace (I was worried about a gallop that didn’t happen, luckily) and we eventually made it out far enough to take a photo. This was the photo I was after, it was awesome. We got off the camels out here and the handlers gave us head dress to put on and we performed a couple of posses in front of the Pyramids. My wife noted how well one of the handlers operated our camera, better than she could (he must have played with thousands of tourists cameras).

On the way back my handler commented on how he liked my shoes, and that’s when the funny business began. My handler slowed the ride down quite a bit until he stopped halfway back to the Pyramids. My wife seemed to be off in the distance somewhere. My handler asked for a good tip because he was paid very little by his master. I said okay, fearing for god knows what. When I think back to the situation it was all harmless, but I was out in the desert with this strange guy on top of a tall camel. I searched my wallet for 10 Egyptian pounds (about $2.50 Aussie) and he asked if I could do better. Quite the cheek I thought. I parted with 50 Egyptian pound (at the time I was beginning to feel duped but it was only about $12.50 Aussie). He kept saying you can take it back if you want and are you happy, are you happy with that. I kept saying it was okay. My wife knew something happened and I gave her signals to what had happened.

When we got back the master started to negotiate a price in front of our guide, asking for 250.00 Egyptian pound each (about $60 Aussie each). She was annoyed because she thought this was a rip off, and we eventually got it down to about $80 Aussie dollars total) It’s a lot for a short camel ride in the desert but I guess it was something we wont forget.

Even though we could see the Sphinx from the Pyramids we took the minivan and drove around to see it. It stood halfway out of the earth and sort of sat in a pit. Apparently it has been buried a few times by sand storms. It didn’t seem as big as I’d imagine but was quite unique how it was carved out of a single piece of limestone.

On the way back to our hotel and virtually across the road from the Sphinx we stopped off at the Hard Rock Cairo, which was only a shop and not a restaurant or bar, to get a shot glass. Our guide told us this was the only place to get one as most Egyptians don’t drink alcohol. A little further down the road we asked to stop the minivan to get a drink from a shop. The tour manager went with me and did the talking. We got a cold can of coke and a cold bottle of water all for 50 cents Australian! Things are cheaper outside the main hotels but you just have to be careful walking around.

We were then taken to the government regulated souvenir shop. We bought an Alabaster vase and miniature Tutankhamen death mask. The stone vase was quite heavy and we had to carry it all through Athens and the Greek Isles. My wife thought about getting a gold necklace charm which had her name stamped in Egyptian hieroglyphics, but she decided not to. We spent a fair bit of time in the shop, all the while our tour manager and guide waited patiently for us.

Next stop was to a papyrus shop. I wasn’t thinking much of it but when we arrived we were surprised. Inside we met a shop assistant named Mohammad who showed us how papyrus was made and explained some of the history behind the works. It all looked great. We liked the traditional Egyptian stories depicted in paintings and we bought one called “Weighing of the Heart.” It’s a story of where a king’s heart is weighed before he is put into the Pyramid tomb. If his heart is lighter than a feather than he was an honest man and a good ruler and he gets to go to heaven. (That’s the shortened version of the story) They also threw in a couple of small papyrus pieces for us, one was a scene of love for a king and his queen and one was a traditional calendar. While we waited an artist wrote our names and wedding date on the scene of love, in Egyptian hieroglyphics and Arabic.

From the papyrus shop our guide took us to an Egyptian cotton shop. Here there were sheets and towels etc for sale. The prices were quite expensive and we decided not to stay here long. We were getting really tired and asked to go back to the hotel.

We had dinner at the hotel that night, the same chicken roll dinner from the downstairs café.

The next day, after breakfast, we met up with our female guide and went to the Citadel. If we had of known we would see the Egyptian museum, Pyramids, Sphinx and markets in one day than we probably could have done more. My wife was especially annoyed that we didn’t go on a Nile cruise.

At the Citadel our guide explained to us all about its history and the Muslim religion. It was a time of fasting for her and she told us that normally she would have to pray and ‘wash’ during pray quite a few times per day. Because she was with us she only prayed in the morning and evening. She was still fasting though.

As the Citadel was on top of a hill you could get an overall view of Cairo. It was massive. You could even see the Pyramids in the distance through the haze and smog. Our guide told us that buildings are not finished, (that is reinforcement bars are still poking through the roof and windows are not put in) because the owner of the building doesn’t have to pay rates/taxes if it isn’t finished. This is why Cairo looks like a bit of shambles. You could also see “The City of the Dead” where people are living in amongst and on top of the cemetery of Cairo. A family of a deceased person rents out the gravesite for the poor to live on top of. We were told that the population of Cairo is around 20 million (which is also the population of Australia).

From the Citadel we visited some of the oldest Catholic and Jewish Churches in Cairo, and possibly the world. One of them was called “The Hanging Church” because it was about 10 meters off the ground. The ceiling of the church was modeled off Noah’s Ark and when you looked up it did appear like the hull of a boat.

This day was a lot more relaxing than yesterday and we had a lot of free time. By lunchtime we were back at the hotel. This was probably a good thing because we decided to get some sleep before our flight at 2:00 in the morning.

When we left the tour manager, guide and driver we were asked to tip them all buy our guide. I felt guilty as they spent a couple of days with us and all I had in my wallet was 100 Egyptian pound for the driver and 50 Egyptian pound each for the guide and guide and manager. She said it was okay, but I could tell it wasn’t (especially after I knew I’d given that camel handler 50 Egyptian pound for nothing).

Anyhow after we left them we went back to the café for yet another chicken roll meal. I decided to get a large thick shake, because it was out last day in Egypt and they seemed cheap. This is something I recommend you don’t do as I’ll explain later. Stay away from dairy products in Egypt as they are not homogenized or pasteurized.

We tried going to sleep, it was hard during the day but we probably got a couple of hours. When we woke we met another manager downstairs and he took us to the airport. All the way he kept saying, “you’re time here is too short, next time you come you will have to have dinner with my family, come to my house.” We just agreed with everything he said to keep him amused. We said goodbye to him at the airport and I slipped him a 50 Egyptian pound. I noticed a twinkle in his eye.

In lining up to get to the check in counter we awoke our inner Egyptian. They line up like they drive. They push in from the sides. They push their carts into your legs. They do this all while not making eye contact with you. This was giving me the shits. We became like a local and forced people out of the way by jamming our cart into them.

I was starting to feel sick. I was getting annoyed by the pushing and the heat. My thick shake was starting to kick inside my stomach. I had to sit down while my wife lined up. Once we got through the check in we had to negotiate customs. I was getting worse.

We had to fill out an exit card and we make our way to the counter which had quite a few pens on it. A cleaner stuck out her hand and offered me her pen, “how generous,” I thought. After filling out our cards I gave her back the pen. She rubbed her fingers together and muttered something. “Great, a tip I thought,” and gave her what I thought was 1 Egyptian Pound (25c Australian) but it was 10 Egyptian Pound ($2.50 Australian – I could have bought the pen)

My guts was churning more, and I started to pace. The cleaning lady with the pen and the pushing queue was starting to wear thin on me. I started muttering obscenities, and my wife quieted me down because we hadn’t made it through customs yet.

We finally got through customs and we walked past all the duty free shopping. We couldn’t tell you if you get really cheap stuff here because I felt so sick and I needed something to drink we passed it all. At the end of a long hallway was a cafeteria. I bought a soft drink and water, noticing all the water bottles were filled at different levels (quite the quality control). I downed the drinks quickly because I somehow started to feel dehydrated.

We were waiting for what seemed forever and my stomach couldn’t hold on anymore. I decided to go to the toilet to help relieve the pain. When I got in there a cleaner was mopping the floor. “One moment,” he said. I looked down and saw that the toilet was a hole in the floor. I couldn’t squat feeling this sick and I muttered, “Don’t bother,” as I left feeling worse than ever. I bet the cleaner still misses his tip from me.

Our flight was called and we moved to the departure lounge. I couldn’t wait anymore as I started to get hot flushes and sweats. I looked for a planter box, but there was only a cigarette tray against a wall. I knelt down and almost filled it up with vomit. I didn’t care that everyone was watching me.  My stomach didn’t stop there because on the plane I filled a couple of sick bags.

Although my last few hours in Egypt were not the best, we can happily say visiting Egypt was one of the most amazing adventures we have ever experienced and we’d recommend visiting Cairo to anyone.