Sterling Slumps: Travellers' Travails

With the British pound plummeting to the point where:

£1 = 1Euro = $1US = Y100

where can British travellers go without bankrupting themselves? Well, the British tourist board and trying to get people to stay at home, to boost the economy but for those who want to leave Blighty, I have a few suggestions.

For countries whose currency hasn't shot up against the pound, try ones which have had a civil war - Kenya, had its hotels shot up - India, had a bigger financial meltdown - Iceland, or have inflation of 230M % - Zimbabwe.

Egypt:: Diving Dahab

I've had a cold and a cough for the last few weeks, even before leaving London. I didn't want to dive as having my ears explode when unable to equalise or having a coughing fit at 18m depth is not much fun. Today is the last day we spend at the coast in Dahab, so as I got through breakfast without coughing, I decided to risk it. I phoned up the dive company and they said I could fit in 2 dives if i was quick.

I sauntered along the road to downtown Dahab and flagged down a Jeep.
I arrived at the dive centre and prepared for a refresher dive as I hadn't dived since January 2007 at the Great Barrier Reef. We entered the Lighthouse and refreshed some skills. We swam further and saw some coral and fish but not as spectacular a display as the time I snorkelled at the Blue Hole.

For the second dive, we went to Banner Fish Bay and we saw a blue trigger fish, a giant puffer fish, a scorpian devil fish, and a cornet fish. They were interesting but the quantity of fish was far lower than the Blue Hole. Towards the end of the dive, my ears started popping and I couldn't equalise properly.

After getting out of the water, I felt weak and my ears were suffering. Now, I have to face an 8 hour overnight bus journey back to Cairo, followed my a full day of market, museum and mosque visits.

Egypt: Snorkelling at the Blue Hole

We travelled in pickup trucks for 10 min from our hotel to the Blue Hole. I got my snorkelling gear on and clambered down some rickety wooden steps. I swam out a few metres and could see coral at a depth of about 30 cm but most of it was dead.

I swam out 30m further to find live coral and hundreds of fish. Alas, till I do the PADI Advanced Open Water Naturalist course, I can't name them but can only describe them as orange, black and purple with yellow fishnet stockings.

There were divers below me. One had 2 air tanks on his back and was carrying 2 others. He obviously wanted to stay down there for hours. I could see why.

The water was especially salty, giving me a lot of buoyancy, even without a wet suit. I floated still for many minutes at a time. I swam over the reef and encountered choppier waves so I swam back to the calmer side.

After an hour I got out and rested on an ottoman. There was a row of shacks with low-slung chairs with cushions as well as a waiter service for food and drink.

In the evening, I went out with some of the tour group to see Chelsea draw against West Ham inside a restaurant that looked like a beached ship. We grabbed a BOGOF meal deal and I had noodles.

Egypt: Luxor to Dahab

The 13hr bus journey started at 10pm and we settled down to watch Tropic Thunder, not a funny film. I got about 4 hr sleep, until we stopped at a service station to get a drink and use the toilets.

We reached the Dahab Paradise hotel at 11am and it looked picturesque from the front. Each room had a balcony that overlooked a pool surrounded by palm trees, with the Red Sea in the background. However, on entering the rooms, the luxury ended, they didn't have a fridge or a TV. The hotel was one of many dropped in front of the cliff side.

I walked towards the centre of Dahab and encountered wandering camels and goats as well as a decaying cat. Unlike Hurghada, we were back to half-built and decaying buildings, amongst rubbish-strewn streets. Only the mosque looked well-built.

In the afternoon we met up with the ferry group and they looked green. Most of them were sick as their ferry was small as was flung from side to side and up and down on the choppy seas. The bus was a much more comfortable option in the end.

In the evening, we got minivans into the centre of Dahab and ate at the El Capone restaurant. I had my first Egyptian fish. It was like cod and baked in tin foil and vegetables. It was very tasty and I was glad to get some cooked vegetables as I had been avoiding unpeeled fruit and salad vegetables that might have been washed in tap water. Apparently, the water does not have bacteria that makes foreigners ill but lots of chlorine that they are not used to. So, they get sick when they drink the equivalent of swimming pool water. The food was good and we were giving a free starter of garlic bread and dips as well as a free desert of chocolate cake and tea. Some people tried the shisha but I did not.

We went back to the hotel by getting a taxi. As there were 5 of us, a pickup truck was found and 4 of us set in the sun deck.

Egypt: Balloon Ride

The tour company offered a sunrise balloon ride over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings for an eye watering EGP600. So, T & E checked out the tour companies lining one of Luxor's streets and found the same package for only EGP250. I wondered what would be missing but was convinced by those 2 to sign up.

We woke at 4:30am and were waiting in the hotel reception at 5am. There were people from the tour group waiting for the official balloon ride pickup there, also. We were picked up about 15 min later and taken on a 1 min bus ride to the Nile, whereupon we had a coffee and a cake for breakfast. Then we had a 1 min crossing across the Nile and got into another bus to get to the balloon launchsite. We arrived around 6am. We were in a patch of earth, surrounded by about 4 other balloons being lit up by orange glows from the gas burners. Each balloon was tied with a rope to a minivan to stop it taking off prematurely. One of them had members of the official tour company booking.

The 4 balloons took off but we were still waiting. We had to get airborne soon as sunrise was at 6:30am. At 6:20am, we climbed into the basket at the bottom of our balloon and it was then inflated. We took off 5 minutes later.

We ascended to 1600 ft and could see the fields and farms of Luxor. We could also see Hatchepsut's Temple and the Valley of the Kings. In the distance, the rising sun illuminated the mountains with a yellow tinge. There were about 10 other balloons around us, both above & below.

The intense heat over the burners singed a passenger's hairspray and I had to shield my camera to protect it. Someone else's ears popped as we drifted higher.

After 45 min, it was time to land. Our pilot told us we might have a soft landing, which would be an Egyptian one or a rough one, which would be an American one. We got into our brace positions by grabbing onto the internal rope handles and squatting.

As we hit the ground, we were dragged along it for a while but slowed as the ground grew grabbed onto the balloon. We clambered out of the balloon just before new passengers got in. We travelled back to the hotel by minivan and boat and got a t-shirt, as well.

Egypt: Karnak & Luxor Temples

We visited 2 temples close to our hotel in Luxor. Karnak temple was dedicated to the worship of Amon and it's the largest temple in the world. It's area could encompass at least 4 Notre Dames. It had 134 22m columns and no roof but still had skylights.

Luxor Temple was a 10 min walk from the hotel and the last one we would see on this tour. It was built by Amon Hotemp and had an example of Egyptian porn, with the portrayal of a sperm, even though at the time, the Egyptians had no way of seeing them. This is a mystery alongside their ability to build the pyramids and cut certain stones without diamond.

In the evening, we had a 4hr bus journey from Luxor to Hurghada. There, instead of the crumbling and half-built buildings of Luxor & Aswan, was a modern American-style mall. We picked up food for our dinner and the following day's breakfast. Some went to the Golden Arches.

One group opted to upgrade to a hotel stay in Hurghada followed by a 3hr ferry trip to Sharm-El-Sheik and then a short bus ride to Dahab, our eventual destination. I didn't one to pay another EGP400 so I resigned myself to a 13hr bus journey the long way round, NE and then Se to Dahab.

Egypt: Valley of the Kings & Hatchepsut Temple

Today, we went to the Valley of the Kings. I explored the tombs of Tut Moses 3. After a long climb up steps and down steps into a boiling cave, I came across hieroglyphics, that looked as if they had been drawn on stone with felt-tip pens. The tomb of Sety 2 was more impressive. The hieroglyphics were carved on the walls and their original colours of red and blue could still be seen. There was a mirror beneath the sarcophagus, which showed the statue on the bottom of the sarcohagus lid.

Then, we went to Hatchepsut Temple's. This was a few minutes drive from the Valley of the Kings and was in resonable condition. Queen Hatchepsut built the temple and pretended to be a man by wearing a beard. She claimed to be the offspring of a god and was both male and female. However, during her son's reign, he destroyed part of his mother's temple.

We also went donkey riding. It seemed I was on the verge of falling off but I managed to stay on. The donkeys liked overtaking and undertaking each other and squeezing into non-existent gaps left by their friends. I learnt that pulling on the right rope could make the animal go right. However, stopping was beyond it. Fortunately, the owners stopped the donkeys with a shout. It was fun, once I got used to having my legs splayed out wide.

In the afternoon, I and 2 others booked a balloon trip over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Our tour company wanted EGP600 but we found a company in town charing only EGP250. I know our tour company makes a profit but to charge more than double is ridiculous. We will be flying tomorrow. Let's hope we don't come down with a bang on a budget.

Egypt: Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples / Luxor

Today, we visited the Kom Ombo Temple. It had a couple of mummified crocodiles, which were worshipped as gods.

Then, we went tot he Edfu Temple, which was dedicated to the worship of Horus. Both had hieroglyphics but some were damaged. Edfu had characters depicting medical instruments.

In the afternoon, we travelled to Luxor. Y told us the hawkers were more persistent and more sexist. I went to the market and was hassled by a guy trying to sell me his jacket for 10 minutes. He followed me down the road. Another guy was trying to assist him then he tried to chase him away. Finally, he told me he was carriage driver 41 asked for money for chasing the jacket seller away.

There were fewer spice merchants in Luxor, compared to Aswan and more clothes sellers. There were also lots of people selling fruit & vegetables and some selling meat.

I was getting hungry so I went to a local fast-food chain outlet. They sold pizzas, fried chicken and filled baguettes. Most of these last had chicken or meatballs and cost over EGP20 but I found something for only EGP7.50 - fried liver. I had some and it was tasty, with green peppers.

In the evening, we went for dinner and I chose stuffed pigeon for its novelty value. Yes, it does taste like a fattier chicken and there was more rice than pigeon meat in the dish.

Egypt: felucca cruise

Today, we had a mostly free day in Aswan. In the evening, we went for a 1hr long felucca cruise. The felucca has no engines and no toilets - so I didn't opt for a 2-day cruise on one. It was pleasant for a short time and in the middle, one of the sailors laid out his wares, trying to hawk jewellery, boxes and statues.

The group is made up of mainly Aussies and Kiwis, most of whom are travelling as couples. There are a few Brits and some brother/sister and sisters travelling together. There are a few single people, too.

In the evening, we went to a restaurant and I had a lamb kebab, which was kebab meat, served with French fries - not in a pitta bread. Afterwards, I walked back through the market, amongst stalls with multi-coloured spices, including saffron.

Egypt: Aswan

After a reasonable night's sleep, we arrived in Aswan after 17 hours. This hotel had a pool. We went to the Philae Temple by boat. The Temple was dedicated to the god Iris. This was very impressive as it had walls filled with hieroglyphics. The temple was actually moved block by block in the 1970s otherwise it would have been flooded after the Aswan Dam was built.

We saw the dam but it didn't look too impressive from where we stood. It was paid for by nationalising the Suez Canal.

Then, it was time for another shop visit, where we were showed how papyrus was made and invitied to buy pictures and pieces with our name written in hieroglyphics.

In the evening, we went by boat to a Nubian dinner, held in a community centre. It was cooked by families and comprised fried chicken, a vegatable & potato stew, tahini, beef in pastry and soup. It was pleasant. Then, there was the entertainment. First, there was a band with a tambourine. The dancers were all men and they danced with banners. Then, they danced with sticks. Finally, they grabbed members of the audience to dance with a stick. At the end, a man in a grass skirt shouted at people to get them to join him and he shouted random phrases, which they tried to repeat - they didn't always succed. Then, he got lots of people up to dance a conga-type routine around the room. The enterntainment was a bit cheap and relied on the audience too much but at least it didn't take too long.

Egypt: Pyramids

Today, we went be coach to see the Pyramids. First up was the Saqqara stepped pyramid. Then there was the Titi Pyramid. We could go inside and had to bend double to stagger over to the burial chamber. There was very little to see inside.

Then, we went to the 3 great pyramids of Giza. There were impressive on the outside and we were told that there was little to see on the inside and it was going to cost 50% more again to get inside so I didn't bother.

We were all shocked by the camel drivers coming up to us and asking to take photos / go on a camel ride. It all starts with an innocuous conversation about where you are from etc.

We went to lunch at a buffet restaurant and then went on to a perfume shop, where you could get any big-brand perfume replicated at a discount. The tour company has built in a number of these shop visits. No doubt they get a cut of each sale.

In the evening we went back to the hotel. I thought it would be located in downtown Cairo but was actually in the countryside, somewhere near Giza. I had dinner at the hotel. Our guide, Y, recommened the grilled chicken and the burger but not the lasagne, so I had the former. It came cold and I was told it was the weather. I sent it back and got one that was positively glowing and had a couple of bread rolls thrown in.

We prepared for our 13 hr overnight train journey 1000 km south to Aswan. Or maybe it would take 17 hours. Y said that the food on the train might be dodgy so he would take us to a supermarket to get breakfast. We pitched up at a Shell petrol station shop and we bundled bags of cakes and cookies for for our morning meal.

We waited at the station and had to let 2 trains go by without boarding. I had no idea where they were going. Finally, we got on. I was sharing a compartment with 5 others. The seats reclined a bit but the compartment had no door. No stop the corridor light disturbing us, we pulled on our purloined airline masks. We were interrupted throughout the night by tea & coffee venders zooming throught the corridor.

Egypt Exploration.

I am off to Egypt today. To save on the hassle of organising transport as the sights are spread around, I'm booked on a package tour that will be full of Aussies & Kiwis.

I booked a flight with Egypt Air Lines because it went direct, didn't have too early or late departures or arrivals and was cheaper. And it showed. They had a 777 but with a terrible configuration. There were small flip down TVs and they showed Mamma Mia. Not so bad but it was a Japanese dub with Arabic subs. Fortunately or unfortunately, the songs were left in the original English.

The food was just as bad. I had the choice of squid or beef and chose the latter. The rice was hard and black. It stuck to the train. The beef had dried out and was tasteless. However, the tahini was chilled but tasty.

When I asked for a beer, I was shot a dirty look - they obviously don't carry booze on account of the fact that most Egyptians don't drink.

However, I was impressed with their business class marketing. It's known as Horus class. Nice to be treated as a god rather than a mortal.