Cape Town - 10/1/12 - Epilogue

   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!!