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Thank you for your email, and for remembering my birthday, which I enjoyed very much. I hope this is going to be a very prosperous and happy year for all of you.
The trip was really great!
In Cairo, some days were quite long, because there is a lot packed into each day. We found it incredibly interesting - there is so much history, you actually need double the time so that you can really absorb everything you see and are told. It would probably be a good idea to carry a little notebook so that afterwards you can remember a bit more of the detail.
The traffic in Cairo is absolutely chaotic, and it can take 45 minutes to drive 3km! Driving around cities like Cairo and Alexandria is an education on its own - the saying is that to be a driver in Egypt you need three things - a good hooter, good brakes and darn good luck. The drivers are a law unto themselves - no traffic signs are obeyed, including red lights. Bus drivers make u-turns (by going backwards and forwards 20 times) against oncoming traffic, almost all the cars drive without lights at night, donkey carts and goats share the road with cars and busses, a family of five packed onto a small scooter, all without helmets, is a familiar sight and when pedestrians cross the road, cars and busses simply swerve or slow down. There is no road rage whatsoever, people are patient and considerate.
The Ramses Hilton is very well located and our room on the fourth floor had a lovely view of the Nile. By South African standards I don't believe it would rate as a five star hotel. The foyer is very attractive, and the restaurants we ate at are excellent, but the rooms and bathrooms could definitely be cleaner. We got back one day after the day's outing to find that our room had not even been cleaned. I also found that, because there are no restrictions against smoking inside, the room smelt of stale smoke.
Our reception at the hotel was a bit disappointing - we arrived at about 6am and were taken directly to the hotel. When we got there, we were told that our rooms would only be ready by 12 at the earliest (normally only 2pm). We sat and stood around in the lobby aimlessly until 11am, when we were taken to the museum. By then we were far too tired to take in everything at the museum. I completely understand that rooms have to be prepared, but it might be a good idea if people are given a place to sit down comfortably, and at least offered some refreshment. You can imagine - you feel tired and grubby, you don't know the place, and you're standing around like a lost soul!
The New Years eve gala dinner was quite good, but we waited about 40 minutes for everyone in our group to be seated - they had to move another group first, then shuffle some tables around to seat us. I got the impression that they weren't prepared for us at all, because they kept on consulting their lists, but couldn't find our names. If I had to rate it, including the entertainment (belly dancer and some other traditional dancing), I would say it was a bit amateurish. Please don't think I'm complaining, we still had a lovely evening.
We enjoyed the cruise tremendously. Luxor is very different from Cairo - it's much smaller, has only about half a million inhabitants, and is a typical holiday destination. The sights were also fabulous, and because the pace was slower than in Cairo, we were all relaxed, and it felt more like a holiday.
The Nile Ritz, our cruiser, was lovely. The cabins were a bit small, obviously, but well appointed and much cleaner than the hotel. In fact, the cabins were cleaned twice a day. The food was good and the staff excellent. Of course, alcoholic drinks are ridiculously expensive (being a Muslim country, I suppose). Overall, we loved the cruise experience. There was a cocktail evening, which was very nice, and a traditional evening where we all got dressed up, and we had loads of fun. At the end of the cruise we were taken by boat to see the botanical gardens and the elephantine islands
- very chilled, and a super way to end the tour.
I just want to make a point about the cruise. All of us were under the impression that we would have a 4 day cruise on the Nile, which is not the case. Although you are on board for 4 days, 2 days are spent moored in Luxor. Some cruisers were moored on the West Bank, which is on the town side, and people could get off and go into town. We were on the East Bank, so we couldn't do that. Of course, a lot of the sights are in Luxor, and you need that time there, but then it should be made clear that only 2 days are spent actually cruising. As it stands it's a bit misleading.
Our tour leader, Gigi, is brilliant. She is very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot from her beside the general blah-blah. She was extremely well organized and made sure all our needs were catered for. For example, she arranged for us to go on a hot air balloon and took us to ride camels. Unfortunately one woman had her bag stolen on the last day, and tried to imply that it was somehow Gigi's fault, because she had 'rushed' them, but that is absolute rubbish. She couldn't have been more accommodating. A guy called Hashim met us at the airport, and saw us off again. He was also very helpful.
Shopping in Egypt is an experience that I personally hated. The traders in the markets are aggressive and they don't leave you alone for one second. Nev and I went to one market, hated it because people are like flies around you, and didn't go to another one. Gigi arranged visits to a whole range of factories / shops: for carpets, alabaster, leather, papyrus, perfume, kartouches, and cotton. She did this so that everyone could buy what they wanted without being harassed, but there is no shop in Egypt where you don't feel swamped and under pressure. Some of the group felt that she probably got a kick-back from the places she took us to, and a few believed that you could get far better deals from the markets, if you were prepared to haggle. In fact, quite a few people bought stuff from the markets at far lower prices. Gigi warned us that people often buy inferior stuff there. So, who knows what the real story is?
We were also very fortunate to be with a great group of people. We've even swopped contact details with some of them.
Overall, an absolutely wonderful experience, which I highly recommend. Thank you so much for arranging it for us.
So there - you asked for a 'few comments' and got an essay - sorry if it's a bit ott.
Kind Regards,
Lyn
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