Close up for Egypt trip

After some specific topics about Egypt, I think I have to write a overall experience of the trip. I do not want you to misunderstand and miss the chance to Egypt.

I enjoy the trip. And I think for every trip, the companion of you is very important. That will conclude whether you enjoy the trip or not. I have had very good companions throughout the trip! Thanks again Alice, Sam, Seng Beng and of course not to forget Adam.

However, health issue is also important to decide whether you can enjoy the trip. I was sick, so I was not really have the health to support me for the whole trip. I took a lot of medicine. I finished the whole bag (normal plastic bag that you get from grocery shopping) of medicine that Seng Beng brought there. I was laughing at him, and ended up I am the one who finished it. FINISH IT!

Place....
Egypt is a place where I think still a must go place in my list. And I have got it marked as "visited" now. It is one of the world seven wonder! Some tips for you. You have to go with some preparation, make your study of the country before you go. Learn basic Arabic number character for your easiness when you make payment. Bring along your student ID if you still keep one. It's useful to get half price discount for entrance charges.

And other things about the place, I have mentioned before, the toilet!
You will need maximum 5 days to be in Cairo. not to stay more than that, there is nothing much besides a few must go places:
1) Pyramid
2) Mohamed Ali Mosque
3) Museum
4) Nile River Cruising

If you have more days, try other places like Sham-el Sheikh that we went or Luxor, which we missed out in the plan.


Food....
Do not expect much about the food. Some basic food is available, like Kebab and pita. Always Barbecue food, with very little or no vegetable.

Price....
The price for imported products are very expensive. Products like corn flakes that with selling price of RM 5.99 in Malaysia is selling about RM 20 in Cairo. Potato chips that selling at RM 3.99 in Malaysia worth RM 10 in Egypt. It's ridiculous. And raw eggs!!!! It's about RM 1 for each of them.

Eating out and if it's a dine-in restaurant, you have to pay very high price then. You have to pay for the very expensive service changed, and dine-in charge. Based on our experience, it cost about EP 126 to EP 170 for 2 pax.

Nothing much for shopping. You would not really like the fashion there. Perhaps you might wanna buy some souvenirs. The souvenirs are very very very very expensive. And I think not worth to buy it, especially the souvenirs are printed "Made in China". APA LAR!!!

Peoples....
The classic thing about their peoples is their driving behaviour,which I mentioned in previous blog. And besides that peoples there in Cairo are not that friendly. They always say something bad in Arabic on us. There was once, Alice was mad, she didn't know what did the lady talk about us, so she said it very fiercely to the woman "MAKINSTAWA", which means "non of your business". The woman was shocked, and speechless. We walked away like that.

They didn't know much in English. They are mostly communicate in Arabic. It's very difficult to survive there without knowing how to speak in Arabic.

Some other words that I learn in Arabic are:
1) Ya Lah - Let's go
2) Lah - No
3) Shukran - Thank you

Another classic thing about Egyptian is, they start their day very late, and they end their day very late too. We went out for sight seeing every afternoon after 1pm-2pm. I remembered there was once, Alice said want to bring me for very good Hot Dog. So we gotta wait when Ahmed is free, and another of Sam's friend is free, so we have car to go there. Sam told me to pick me at 10.30pm. I was shocked at first, but I take it, as I know they have late dinner already. But when I was sleeping on the couch and woke up at 10.30pm, they were not there yet. They arrived 11pm, and we arrived restaurant at 11.30pm. I have no appetite to eat at all at that hour. Mr. Seng Beng uncle was tired, he couldn't even join us, he slept early :P

Before I forgot, their breakfast + lunch (our brunch) is at 4pm-5pm. It's also their main meal of the day.

With our observation, we found the peoples there are very fat. And they do not move much. I felt so good to be skinny category there!

Transport....
It's very easy to get taxi in Cairo or Sham-el Sheikh. Taxi in Cairo looked aging. They are old. The only problem with taxi is, they do not understand English. How are you going to tell them where you are heading to. And they do not follow meter in Cairo. You have to negotiate price when you are on taxi.

There is train to the city too. The amazing thing is, there is no map at the ticket counter or anywhere before entering to the station. So, with the limited English that they know, and zero Arabic that we know, we feel lost, and we can't even communicate that lead us can't go out by our own without Sam.

We rented van from Hisham (Sam's second brother) to the tourist spots. It's EP 200/day. It's convenience.

Additional tips to Egypt. You gotta know someone there. You can't backpack there! NO WAY! It's not that safe for backpacker. You can choose to get tour package if you do not have friends there.

We spent very little for this trip. I spent RM 1800 for total exclude airfare. And it's included the expenses I had in Dubai.

Dubai for transit, I found nothing special there. Yes, many rich man. But Makinstawa (non of your business). So what's the point to see people rich? I rather I am the one. It's like little India. And nothing special about Dubai except, the whole place is puzzled by money, and only shopping malls are available. Nothing special in the shopping malls.

If you talked about the Mall of Emirates, there is a ski place in the mall. I rather suggest you to go Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or Switzerland for Ski. Not this place, everything is man-made.

There are many nice building. Yes, but I personally feel building is still a building. It's nothing special. It's just built in different shape and some they purposely make it looks old, which it's still a new one. The famous hotel that I post previously, I found it look like the "TM Building" in KL, Malaysia. Really.....Dubai has no own identity...besides a rich place!

If you like shopping, visit MALAYSIA PLEASE! You got 5 stars hotel at 1 star hotel rate in Dubai! And you have plenty of choice for your shopping experience! With Good FOOD, and CLEAN toilets!