Cairo - 21st & 22nd January 2006

I am writing this while sitting on the bathroom floor of our hotel room in Cairo. It is approximately midday (none of the many and varied watches that Fletch has purchased over the past month are working, so I don’t actually know the time) and Fletch is sound asleep, so I’m trying not to disturb him. Our room here is like a cave – it is pitch black and very quiet. We’ve had some very noisy hotel rooms over the past few weeks, making this a pleasant change.

Our tour officially finished this morning at breakfast, although in reality it finished yesterday when the train pulled into Cairo. In many respects it is a relief to be off the tour. Some of the people were very draining to be around, so it is nice to have some space from them.

The train ride from Luxor was fairly uneventful, the only highlight being that the three most annoying people on our tour were ‘accidentally’ given tickets for a different train. With them dispatched, the trip was peaceful and we both managed to nap along the way. The train went quite slowly due to very heavy fog – so heavy that we couldn’t see the opposite bank of the Nile. However, we only arrived about an hour later than scheduled, so no major hassles.

Our first order of business when we arrived at the hotel was to sort out our washing – everything smells of either camels or dust, so we couldn’t put it off any longer. Having dispensed the clothes to the laundry, we headed to downtown Cairo to find something to eat.

There is very little to see in downtown. So we wandered back to Dokki (the suburb we are staying in) and went to the Sheraton for lunch. It was lovely to sit in their lounge and enjoy some respite from the constant noise of Egypt. It is difficult to describe in words the cacophony that is a constant companion in this country. The situation is compounded by the ever-present hawker, who just will not take ‘no thank-you’ for an answer. It is tiring to say ‘no thank-you’ all day long and it is unpleasant having people walking just a step behind you all the time. To sit by a fountain in the Sheraton, eating sumptuous Italian food, was a very agreeable way to pass the afternoon.

Last night we rejoined the group for a farewell dinner with our tour leader. He took us into the main bazaar in Cairo, the name of which I don’t know how to spell but is said something like ‘Kalid Kalily’. We walked though the bazaar for a while and then went to a restaurant in the bazaar for dinner. Later still, we went to a pub for a few drinks and some dancing. It was around 2am when we came back to the hotel.

A few hours have passed. Fletch finally woke up and we went out for a stroll. Along the way, Fletch got a shave and we got led on several journeys by people trying to get us into their shops. We were looking for specific café that we read about in the newspaper, but couldn’t find it anywhere (no thanks to the people who deliberately misdirected us). In the end we gave in and caught a taxi. Even the taxi got lost, but finally we arrived. Chocofolie awaited us :)

This café has free wireless internet and a whole host of delicious chocolate offerings. Once we’ve finished up here, we’re going to go back and pack in preparation for our journey to London tomorrow. We’ll be in Germany on Tuesday, so you can look forward to lots of interesting stories, and the Jakobs can look forward to having us there in person! We’re very excited, see you soon!!

Fletch’s tips for new travellers

Trains in Egypt are non-smoking. This means that the smokers congregate at the vestibules at each end of the carriage to enjoy a cigarette. You may find yourself seated next to the door leading to the vestibule. Egyptians seem constitutionally incapable of closing a door after themselves. Resist the temptation to ask of the latest miscreant, “Where you born in a tent?”. The slightly hurt and confused Bedouin may indeed reply, “Yes”.