I love you and I miss you.
Give your mum a smooch and tell her I'll see you both on Friday.
lots of love
Meemam
xxxx
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day 9 - Luxor
If this photo is crappy it is because I chose not to bring a camera with me to Egypt this time, thus any photos are from my phone. Oh yes, I am THAT professional.
So we survived El Minya and two nights in their only 4 star hotel, and from what I can tell only habitable hotel, and it was crap. The hotel that is. Our guide gave me the option of a room in the main building or a room in a garden chalet so, being a selfish git, I chose the garden chalet option. I've stayed in a couple of hotel garden chalets in Egypt and without fail they have been roomy, in beautiful surroundings, big comfy beds and nice bathrooms. In El Minya the garden chalet resembled a 1950s prefab in a Stephen King version of "Hi-De-Hi".
The exterior decor came in two shades - bloodstain red or H-block poo-stripe yellow/brown; I was allocated poo-stripe. Once I had managed to force the door open, using a combination of room key and my shoulder, I was immediately assaulted with a vivid aroma of damp and camel dung. I should also mention that positioned reassuringly outside my room door was one of those smash the glass fire alarms with the glass conveniently pre-smashed. The bathroom consisted of a shower delinated by a 2-3cm high cement basin edge, which combined nicely with a shower curtain that stopped roughly 30cm above ground level. Upon attempting to use the shower I discovered that the shower-head and shower-hose were not entirely connected, resulting in a simultaneous downward and sideways jet of water, and that the water temperature was a little fickle.
Did I mention that the garden chalet was at the rear of the hotel garden and only about 3m from a wall separating us from El Minya's main thoroughfare? First night a car did some astounding backfiring at 3.45am, second night Egypt won an international football match.
But the bed was comfortable, if a little short.
Now we're in Luxor and I have a room in the main building. It's lovely.
Oh, and we spent 7 hours in Luxor and Karnak temples today. Wonderful!
Tomorrow it's tomb time! My favourite.
Adios!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Guess what I'm supposed to be doing?
yep, it's a free day on the tour and I am "working".
Well, I do have the research books open at the right pages and a pen on the desk, so as far as I'm concerned I am working. I don't have the distraction of making myself cups of tea, but I may just phone room service for some coffee.
Okay, coffee ordered, back to blogging (I have a 24 hour wireless access card).
As the tour goes, so far so good. Our guide, Ramy, is very young (probably about 28, but seems young to me), very tall and VERY pretty, so all the ladies in the group are very happy, and he seems happy enough to defer to me and let me boss everyone around, which is making me power-crazed and happy, so as I said, so far so good.
The only real drawback is the weather; freezing fog in the mornings, which clears around 9.30/10am, but it's still pretty hazy. The one big advantage of this is that the city is completely hidden in the groups photos of the giza pyramid complex, aside from that it's a pain in the arse. But, it's our last day in Cairo and hopefully the weather will be good as we travel further south.
In 3 days we've managed an entire day at the Egyptian Museum (unheard of amongst the guides), Step pyramid, Bent pyramid, Red pyramid, Giza pyramids, Hetepheres pyramid, one mastaba tomb, boat museum, Sphinx, Khafre valley temple. Not bad. having said that my legs are screwed from clambering arse-backwards down a 90cm high, 62m long descending chicken run into the Red Pyramid. And then back up again. On the plus side, it doesn't smell half as bad as it used to.
Right, off to do some work now. Will try to blog again once I am back online, maybe in a couple of days!
Well, I do have the research books open at the right pages and a pen on the desk, so as far as I'm concerned I am working. I don't have the distraction of making myself cups of tea, but I may just phone room service for some coffee.
Okay, coffee ordered, back to blogging (I have a 24 hour wireless access card).
As the tour goes, so far so good. Our guide, Ramy, is very young (probably about 28, but seems young to me), very tall and VERY pretty, so all the ladies in the group are very happy, and he seems happy enough to defer to me and let me boss everyone around, which is making me power-crazed and happy, so as I said, so far so good.
The only real drawback is the weather; freezing fog in the mornings, which clears around 9.30/10am, but it's still pretty hazy. The one big advantage of this is that the city is completely hidden in the groups photos of the giza pyramid complex, aside from that it's a pain in the arse. But, it's our last day in Cairo and hopefully the weather will be good as we travel further south.
In 3 days we've managed an entire day at the Egyptian Museum (unheard of amongst the guides), Step pyramid, Bent pyramid, Red pyramid, Giza pyramids, Hetepheres pyramid, one mastaba tomb, boat museum, Sphinx, Khafre valley temple. Not bad. having said that my legs are screwed from clambering arse-backwards down a 90cm high, 62m long descending chicken run into the Red Pyramid. And then back up again. On the plus side, it doesn't smell half as bad as it used to.
Right, off to do some work now. Will try to blog again once I am back online, maybe in a couple of days!
Egypt 2010...
Jan 6th - Day 1 – Giza
Dear Benja,
Well, made it here in one piece; full of aeroplane meals and with a brain stuffed with in-flight entertainment (top tips = 9 – very intriguing Tim Burton producer animation, Wanted – Angelina Jolie needs to eat more pies) and somewhat hazy due to having only slept for 3 hours in almost 48hrs. The floor is a bit spinney and I feel as if I am on a ship, but otherwise good.
Tour group have been taken to duty free shop, have wandered a little aimlessly through downtown Cairo on a busy afternoon, no one got themselves run over, I’ve got the hang of the microphone on the bus and have already been given 3 free bottles of water. Go me!
Oh, and we’ve also seen some big pointy things on the desert edge. Pyramids I think they’re called.
Off to the museum tomorrow. Now it’s time for a room service meal, a bug spray of the room and some intensive sleeping.
Look after your mum for me (give her a big smooch) and give Gertie a pat.
I ‘m sending you hugs and cuddles,
Your memam
xxxx
Dear Benja,
Well, made it here in one piece; full of aeroplane meals and with a brain stuffed with in-flight entertainment (top tips = 9 – very intriguing Tim Burton producer animation, Wanted – Angelina Jolie needs to eat more pies) and somewhat hazy due to having only slept for 3 hours in almost 48hrs. The floor is a bit spinney and I feel as if I am on a ship, but otherwise good.
Tour group have been taken to duty free shop, have wandered a little aimlessly through downtown Cairo on a busy afternoon, no one got themselves run over, I’ve got the hang of the microphone on the bus and have already been given 3 free bottles of water. Go me!
Oh, and we’ve also seen some big pointy things on the desert edge. Pyramids I think they’re called.
Off to the museum tomorrow. Now it’s time for a room service meal, a bug spray of the room and some intensive sleeping.
Look after your mum for me (give her a big smooch) and give Gertie a pat.
I ‘m sending you hugs and cuddles,
Your memam
xxxx
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