Sunday, March 29, 2009

Cairo, Egypt

Upon arrival in Cairo I was shocked to find that a plane with 52 rows of people would not have a jet way. We were forced to exit the plane via a rolling stairway and then board buses to the terminal.

One of the things I had worried about on this trip was the fact that I did not get my visa in advance. We were told that we could get this at the airport but that at times the lines were very long. I was afraid that I would be the only one without a visa and be stuck in line and my group would leave without me.Fortunately this was not the case. In fact, there was no one inline. I just walked up to the window, paid my $15.00 and I was on my way.

Our luggage was collected and we were given tags with our hotel room numbers on them to place on our bags. We breezed through customs and met one of two guides named Mona. We boarded a small tour bus, complete with security guard for the one hour trip from the airport to our hotel. The sights along the way were very interesting as always when visiting a new place. We passed mosques, carts piled high with carrots and watermelons drawn by donkeys, and men riding camels right down the street. At one point, Mona said to look to the right and just then the great pyramids came into view. It was really a spectacular sight. Our hotel, Le Meridien is right at the base of these structures.

During the ride, Mona told us the dos and don'ts. We should not drink tap water or any fresh fruits or vegetables. It's o.k. to wear shorts except on the day that we visit the mosque. We were told the conversion rate for Egyptian pounds to the dollar and that we would need some small coins to eave as tips when visiting public restrooms.

Upon arrival at our gorgeous hotel we met the other guide, Salah. He will actually be my guide. We were given a few hours to rest and freshen up before meeting in the lobby for a briefing and then dinner.

My room is very, very nice and I was excited to see that there was Internet in my room until I discovered that there is a charge for using it at a whopping $30.00 per day or $5.00 for 15 minutes. We will be here for 3 nights and I decided to get the 24 hours on the first day and then in 15 minute increments on future days.

The first thing I did was plug in my Magic Jack and call Pat. It wasn't even 6 a.m. in Phoenix but he didn't mind. I was afraid that if I lay down to take a nap that I would not want to get up so instead I took a shower and packed my day bag for our excursions tomorrow.

Before our meeting I went down to the lobby and took a few photos, looked at the gift shop and watched a man pour colored sand into bottles making designs of camels and the pyramids. At sundown there was an elaborate ceremony in the lobby where four young men came down the steps and lit candles on a table that held beautiful flower arrangements.

Just before the meeting, my guide gave me my pin for being a frequent traveler. I have amassed quite a few of these. During our briefing I enjoyed a local beer called "Stella". Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. We are leaving at 7:30 a.m. and returning at 10:00 p.m.

After the meeting we had a buffet dinner and everything was delicious. Other than the yogurt and croissant I had on the plane this morning, I had not had anything to eat.

I had the chance to introduce myself to my fellow travelers but to tell you the truth I am just too tired tonight to remember all of their names.