Egypt

Itinerary

• 2 days, including Christmas day, in Cairo visiting pyramids, markets and the Egyptian museum.
• Flight down to Aswan and visit to Abu Simbel.
• 2 days relaxing on the Nile on the Felucca.
• Road trip to Luxor and it's incredible history.
• Relaxation in Dahab.

Senses & memories

Smells

• Amonia in the centre of the 5000 year old Step pyramid
• Freshly baked aish / pita bread

Sounds

• Wheelers and dealers on cheap mobile phones
• Blond girls being heckled
• Wailing prayer call broadcast across Cairo's neighbourhoods
• Nile wash from cruise boats gently lapping the felucca
• Novelty of white tourists: "Hello"
• Jest of street vendors
• "Bakesh", nothing is for free
• Relentless tooting of car horns

Visions

• Rubbish dumped along canals
• Dusty cars being fixed in the middle of the road
• Shisha, moustaches, thick coffee, street corners
• Unfinished buildings
• White shark sails of the feluccas
• Dusty weathered sandals
• Staring white eyes
• Predictable blue sky
• Rainbows of colour metres off shore at the Blue Hole
• Sunset glow over craggy ranges in Sinai
• Calloused prayer foreheads

Memories

• Real life being played out on the street
• Token transport checks
• Mr Falafel's dinner for 40p
• One price for Egyptians, any price for tourists
• Smart, prepared salesman: respect
• Hard labour
• Genuine smiles

Feel

• Warm sand, warm sun
• Crunchy aish bread
• Testosterone fuelled drivers: fear.
• Just being pretty bloody lucky.
  

Cairo

Aswan & Abu Simbel


Felucca trip

Luxor & around

Dahab, Mt Sinai & the Red sea