And …. whats behind curtain #3?!?!?! It’s a vacation to Egypt!!!!! (((and the crowds go wild)))
Now you’re excited!! Yep, because, if you are looking at the above picture, you think you’re headed to a land of beautiful people in vividly colored clothing that sing and dance and live fantastically care free lives near blue water while musicians entertain them all day long.
(excuse me while I laugh out loud)
ok. I’m better now.
Seriously, I’ve never seen anything in Egypt like those people. Egypt is awesome, but I’m not sure how I would feel if I just showed up here for a vacation. And by that I mean, being a tourist in the most traditional sense. Spending approximately 5- 10 days in a place seeing all the major sights — not knowing anyone. Now that I’ve lived here a while I am certain that every tourist gets continually scammed from the minute they step on the sand. Rest assured that the Americans are the only ones paying to use the luggage carts that the guy in the corner of the airport corralled and said you had to pay 20LE to use. Yeah .. they’re free. The cab driver who takes you to your hotel will charge you 150LE for a ride that he normally charges 70LE for. Then .. you get to your hotel. I’m sure it’s a nice hotel with a concierge. Note that when you ask the concierge for help with something ….. he is calling his buddy and they have made arrangements to split the hefty profits they will make off you. When you go to the Khan or the Pyramids or wherever you are wondering, you will be constantly harassed to buy something or just give money away. Every vendor will charge you three times his normal price. Egypt offers history and culture, but you certainly shouldn’t expect a resort destination that will soothe your soul.
All that being said, if (on the off chance) you were planning a trip to come see me, you would have an awesome time. Why? Because I’m awesome. Ha, no seriously, mostly because I’ve been here long enough to know when I’m getting totally hosed. I might pay more than the Egyptians, but I’m certainly not paying as much as tourists. Not to mention, I have a house that offers a quiet (well, mostly quiet) place to step out of the craziness Egypt offers. Egypt is fun, but it can also be over stimulating. I can also offer you legit Egyptian food courtesy of Rere. I can also plan all your tours …. get the best prices and know the best places to go .. courtesy of the Embassy resources & the fact that I’ve done several of them. I’ll give you a tour of the Khan myself. … if you insist. 😉
Oh, and if I ever find the beautiful people pictured in this post I will be sure you give you info on where they are and how to get there.
Journal Through Cairo 