Through customs, it was difficult to avoid saying 'thank you' instead of 'shockran'. We took our bags to the Kulula counter and checked in, then took advantage of the available half hour to have a Wimpy breakfast (Fiona had Latte - wasn't super impressed).
Ted from Seaview Tours arrived to pick us up at the red post box at the airport and took us home to Lifa who had looked after our house and animals in our absence. All was well at home and little had changed in our absence. Now to prepare for the arrival of Fiona's folks the following day, catch up one-mails an accept that life was going to slowly get back to normal.
We are very grateful to all those people that made our holiday possible - particularly Marilyn Franklin and Andy Wood for keeping an eye on our place while we were away but especially Lifa for looking after the animals, the house and the guests that we had for the flat over Christmas.
Looking back (now at the end of February), it is hard to believe that only a couple of months ago we were busy deciding what we would do in Egypt the next day. For me, this trip brought together many things.
It helped to explain much of the confusion that we experience with our religious beliefs although not really explaining why there is so much fighting over religion. It seems that certainly most of the religions which originated in this area are based on much the same premise but looked at in a different way. Once you take away the attempts by sects to over analyse the words written by people (which are after all only interpretations of how they see things around them regardless of whether or not they actually have superhuman guidance), there is so much connection between the religions that there should be little reason to attack one or the other because of its different interpretation. It seems to me (and maybe I'm being just a little too simplistic) that the Moslems, Christians and Jews - and dare I go as far as to include the Pharaohs - all worshiped and are connected to the same God.
In much the same way, it is not possible to see the people of Egypt as an homogeneous mass. While there are many similarities, it is a country that now and historically has had to compromise within itself to remain viable. Everything depends on the Nile and what happens to the Nile effects everyone. Thus when you build a dam at Aswan to provide power, the fisherman lose their living because the fish no longer complete their life cycle. What happens at the top the Nile effects all those below it.
Finally the big question for me is why it is that a country with this huge population has managed to become so successful with so few resources. Yes there is poverty but those who have do share with those who do not - even if that only means buying a 1 pound tissue from them. The point is that the beggars (the real ones anyway) don't beg - they still sell things, however small. Everyone makes an effort to make money (even if this means ripping off gullible tourists) and they don't appear to expect handouts.
I do believe that a large part of this can be put down to the Moslem religion and the fact that there is very little alcohol (never thought you'd hear me say that did you!). Not that they are without vices - smoking is rampant, but when they are down and out, it does not appear that the Egyptians turn to alcohol to 'solve' their problems.
There is one last item that I feel sets the country apart. This is the price of petrol - 1.85 pounds per litre or around R2. This has a radical effect on the cost of food because transport is cheap and this extends to the service industries (taxis and hotels). If food is cheap, you need less money to survive and although salaries are low you do not have a starving population. With services cheap (as long as you don't have too many violent demonstrations), you ultimately will attract tourists. Along with this, the regulatory environment is far more suited to a population that needs to encourage business. There may well be some laws about trading on the pavement, but if these exist they are not widely applied. Yes, it does mean that in busy markets you end up having to dodge cars in the road, but at least every last citizen is given the opportunity to make money without having to worry about having his stall taken away by the police. South Africa could learn much by making major changes to these two simple rules. Take away taxes on petrol and keep electricity costs low, remove restrictions on trade - particularly for the street traders.
I hope that this blog has given you the urge to visit this wonderful country and there is a whole huge area that we still have to visit. We will definitely be going back again one day to see the Sinai, the Western Deserts and the Nile Delta!!
So the day had finally arrived and after going down for a standard (non- Egyptian) breakfast, it was back to the room to pack our bags for safekeeping at the hotel. We confirmed the cost of a taxi with Abraham to ensure that we have as close as soon as possible to the correct amount of cash. We were aware of the fact that converting Egyptian LE back to dollars would not be beneficial!
We then headed out past Khan Khalili to the Northern Ciy of the Dead. The road took us past the markets to the main highway that leads out to the airport. People and taxis were frenetic and the highway was jam packed. Fortunately there was a pedestrian bridge corssing the main highway which also provided for good photo opportunities. Coming down the other side,of the bridge was like being in another city. Al was quiet with few people around. Each of the grave sites was walled and most of them were locked. We walked on the narrow roads between high walls with metal gates that allow you to view the generally mundane head stones.
As we continued, we branched off the road into an open (not locked) site and walked between the eiry stones as well as the occasional house where people have built homes on the grave sites. We wandered aimlessly for about an hour, stopping at the odd mausoleum, most of which were locked. Nothing was in anything other than arabic, so most of the time we weren't sure exactly where we were. For this first time on our trip it may have been useful to have a guide - but there were none to be found.
Making our way across the cemetery, we stopped at a walled garden with a Mausoleum before finding our way to a mosque. A man approached us (as regularly happens in Egypt) and lead us in using broken english, he explained that people in the area made the beautiful stain-glass winows. Then to our surprise, he went off to pray. At that moment, another man appeared who we realized was the caretaker. When we left we gave him a tip.
After this, the original man appeared to confirm that we had in fact given the caretaker a tip. He then headed back to what was clearly his shop by the mosque. Looking closer, there was glass blowing taking place at the back of his shop. We beconed him again and asked if we could watch. It was one of these amazing experiences when you travel. He showed us a magazine with an article written in French. It turned out that glass blowing ws a family tradition and it was his family tradition and it was his family that was responsible for the stain-glass windows. We watched the glass blower produce a jug and and a watering jug ad then of course had to buy something. We settled on a vinegar jug with a spout and glass coiled around it (40LE). He also directed us to the next mausoleum that was listed in our guide book.
Totally awed by the experience we had just had, we walked on to see Sultan Barsbby's Mausoleum and the large mausoleum of Sultan Barquq which doubled as a mosque with minarettes and a large open area (we had finally worked out where we were). After this, we decided to make our way back. We did this, passing one or two smaller mausoleums and found the road that lead back to the foot bridge.
After crossing the bridge, we realized that we would need to feed the beast before heading back so we found some street food from a couple of small shops on the sidewalk to keep us going.
On the way back, we let the children take a last look at the market and traced the previous nights steps to the spice market to buy some chilli spice. We got back at around 3 (transport leaving at 8). First went out to buy Lauren's tea (she was determined that the Egyptian tea was far better than anything in South Africa) then back to drop this off and out for a last fruit salad, back for a shower, change of clothes, last pack and out for some food.
We decided on cusherie - quick and cheap (by this time cash was short). We were back and ready to go by around 7.30
After some tea and a discussion about religion with Mohamed, we went down with him to wait for the minivan. The traffic was still frantic and it took another 20 minutes or so standing on the road waiting. Every now and again, passengers and drivers of the slowly passing cars would strike up a conversation with us or Guy or Lauren. The taxi finally arrived and it was a fairly run down minivan but more than adequate for our needs. At first he went on the highway but then turned off to what seemed to be back streets and then back on to another highway. All along the way there were traffic jams and hooting. A final goodbye to an amazing city!
We were dropped off at the airport and we went to what seemed to be the ticket counters through a bag checking X-ray machine. This was before large baggage had been put through which was a little strange. They stopped me because I had bottles in my bag (one was the empty Egyptian whisky bottle and the other a bottle of wine). The man then made a big deal of 'allowing me to go ahead' He probably wanted some backsheesh but I had no intention of satisfying his needs. We found the ticket counter and checked our bags through. Then we found the departure area (to get into it we had to give up our bottle of water and some scissors that guy had brought. Before long we wre through and up in the air back to South Africa.
The trip back was painless and when 6am came around and people started moving I felt that I had had at least some sleep.
