View from the citadel to the mosques Sultan Hassan & Rifai
This time I decided to write up something while still on the trip. Otherwise it really is postponed all the time.
I am working on a project in Egypt for a year now, and on my last visit, I decided I definitely need to do some sightseeing finally. It does not seem to work very well with business trips, if you always need to return home on the weekends for private reasons.
Cairo
View from the citadel to the mosques Sultan Hassan & Rifai
View from the citadel
25.6.99
Friday evening, after a major delay of our plane, we finally arrived
in Cairo at about 1:30 am. It was about 3:00 am when they finally let us
out of the passport control. And this was despite the fact that we had
been in the beginning of the queue. (Anyway, try to sit as much in the
front as possible in the plane, and run whenever they let you out. The
passport queue is no place to be in the end, it goes very slowly).
When we got out of the airport, we did not have a clue where to stay, as the youth hostel was already closed. So we decided to go with one of those taxis which were offering to take us to a hotel they were praising. The taxi was 30 Egyptian Pounds, but actually you could go cheaper by bargaining (perhaps 20 ?). The hotel room we got to was very very simple. Two beds with used sheets, a drawer, and a cabinet. We managed to get some clean sheets, and just ignored the mosquitoes while going to sleep. The next morning, we decided to go to another hotel, one of those we had found on the internet. While checking out, we were offered to continue to stay there, and only pay 25 Egyptian Pounds for two people including breakfast instead of the 40 we had agreed previously (1 USD = 3.416 EGP).
Anyway, we decided to try our luck in the next place, a good idea. We
paid 70 EGP for two people including breakfast, but we had a decent room
with air-conditioning, bathroom, and no mosquitoes in return!
The hotel: El Nile Zamalek Hotel, Zamalek, Cairo
On that day, we also went to the pyramids.
Pyramids
The sphinx at the pyramids (click to enlarge)
The great pyramid at Giza - Khufu (Cheops) pyramid.
The sphinx.
On the road away from the piramids
Piramids & sphinx
Nearly all taxi drivers can speak more or less English, so there is actually no problem of communication. However, there is a very big problem the government should (I think) tackle by education campaigns:
Everywhere, many people (all taxi drivers without exception, for example) try to make money on you. You are constantly bugged for money and tips ("bakshish"), and you are also cheated unashamedly.
The best method not to get cheated by taxi drivers is:
- Get a city map.
- Ask one of the locals in a non-touristic place (ex: any boutique,
etc. where no tourists would normally shop) for the price to go to a target
you select from the map.
- Check the price by asking another person for the same distance.
- Keep this price as a reference, and judge the price you would pay
by looking on your map.
Unfortunately the taxi-meters in the cars do not work at all, or they show so little/outdated prices, that nobody, not even the locals stick to it. So you have only the reference I mentioned above.
Some prices within Cairo:
From Khan el Khalili (Bazaar) to Zamalek: 5-6 EGP (according
to traffic situation)
From Zamalek to Mohandssin: 2 EGP
Two methods of paying the taxi:
1 - Prepare the money so that you do not need to get any change, because
most probably you will not manage to get any (you can never have enough
"1 EGP" notes with you)
- While getting out, just give that money to the driver,
and get out.
Pro: You will always pay the correct price
Con: The driver may get out and shout that he wants
more money
2 - Agree beforehand on the amount to pay. Important: Always bargain before getting in the car. Say the price you think its true. If he does not agree, just walk away. Either he will reduce the price so that you agree, or you try your luck with the next taxi which will stop immediately.
Pro: No stress that the driver will be dissatisfied
(in fact, it still happens some times)
Con: You generally pay more than a local would do
Public transport in Cairo is very very cheap, but it is not very nice for females with European look, so I generally took the taxi, which was also very reasonable.
The underground is also a convenient transportation means, but it does not go everywhere.
Alexandria
Nevin (me) in Alexandria.
Taylan smelling perfumes in a Cairo shop. You can get all kinds of perfumes
(faked & cheap) like Cacharel,Dior, etc.
Taylan & Nevin in Alexandria, view on the city
from the castle
At the pyramids
At the citadel in Cairo
Finally caught sticking out my tongue!
Taylan in the garden of the Egyptian museum.
Camel ride at the piramids
Camel ride at the piramids