If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#32
|
|||
|
|||
"Big_B" wrote in message ... "Tashi" wrote in message news:nCf2e.842003$6l.78146@pd7tw2no... Good health and high spirits! some info for you. $1.00 US = approx 5.8 Egp Everything in Egypt is cheap comparitively.. you can buy cheap souvieners or expensive ones the trick is to Bargain....and bargain well. Don't haggle over a dollar though, keep in mind these people make hardly a thing. general rule.. if they say for example: $300 for something it is usually good to start the price at like $75 or so.. usually 1/3-1/4 of what they are asking. Wow?! 1/4 od a price! Good. This I will remember. (keep in mind, the mashed beans they serve for lunch, dinner *foul madas* is usually a breakfast dish for Egyptians). Oh.... I think I'll pass on beans for breakfast. --many shop keepers will order tea for you and talk for awhile before you strike up a bargain. They will do this no matter what am I buying!? I mean, they won't order tea if I'm buying souvenirs worth just 10 dollars? They'll probably give you tea even if you buy nothing. They may look a little disapointed if you don't buy anything, but, Egyptian hospitality is just that. LEARN THESE WORDS: LA=NO SHUKRAN=THANK YOU Wait... Do I pronounce this LA infront of No Shukran or it's just No Shukran? La means "no", Shukran means "thank you". There is another correct word for "no thank you", but, everyone will understand what you mean if you say "la shukran". NEVER SHAKE OR EAT OUT OF A COMMON BOWL WITH YOUR LEFT HAND. O.k. Just what is a common bowl? Plate?! Dish?.... This about shaking hamds with your left hand is inpolite everywhere in the world. This I know. It's unlikely you will come accross this, but, you may find you have a common plate of bread or falafal that you help yourself from. These were some of the prices when I was there. However you should look to see if these attractions are covered in your tour. Usually they are. Yeah. I have very similar attractions list on my tour. I stayed at the Pharaohs Hotel CAIRO Citadel Of Salah Al-Din--20LE The Egyptian Museum--20LE The Royal Mummies Hall--40LE The Cairo Tower--30LE Scarabee Papyrus (where they sell Papyrus paper) Can be pricey.. I bought around 5 pcs at a price of 138 LE (these prices are set) The Third Pyramid, Giza--10LE Giza Pyramids--20LE Well, thease prices seem reasonable. ASWAN Train to Aswan from Cairo. 14HRS 69LE. checked out the market, the dam and just hung out for a couple of days exploring. ASWAN sells the cheapest Sheesha's. 14 hours!? Than God for sleeping carts. ) What is Sheesha? TAKE THE TIME AND THE $ TO FLY TO ABU SIMBLE.. WORTH IT. At that time it was I think about $100 to fly there. 200 PT. for local fees 400 PT for Guide fees at Abu Simble temple 30LE Abu Simbel Two Temples What is PT, ant what is LE? I thought LE was Egyptian pound, but now.... Stayed at the WINDSOR HOTEL in Luxor. Eat at local places, try the pigeon--usually in a cage as soon as you enter the restaurant. So it's fresh, then? ) (Many *touts will be around to show you things.. if you follow one do pay them a dollar or something.. that is usually how they make their $) They are not out to rob you. O.k. Good to know this. I usually tend not to trust people who try to "drag" you off the main street.... Don't be too green. You will quite probably find that someone in the street invites you to drink tea with them after you halve walked down the street chatting happily with them thinking what a nice man. You often end up in a perfume shop drinking tea and after a while the hard sell starts. This can even happen to experienced visitors although you do get to recognise them after a while. I have had a few arguments with these guys after refusing to buy something after being tricked into their shop. Once away from tourist areas you will experience true Egyptian hospitality as compared to the sham hospitality of those that make their living on tourists...as in most places. To go to Hurghada you have to go by Convo... No ship route cause it's through the desert. Hurghada is a huge tourist area so expect to pay more, there are many clubs and restaurants etc.. take the time to go on a side trip into the eastern desert. while there find a unique store called the MEYA MEYA. It is the only place I found that sells nice unique souviners that are not the typical tourist trash souvieners. The owner of the store is called Sam very nice guy.. O.k. So a trip to east sahara, meya meya store... I know we have an option to go to east sahara so I will defenetly use this option. Don't be fooled by people who *lead you to someones store, sometimes the store can be good.. these people get commisions to get people to the store... can be an interesting experience. By interesting expirience, you mean something positive, right? Like interesting shops and stuff? Not necessarily, just interesting as compared to nice. In restaurants/souks... Make sure that YOU break the seal on the water bottle... refuse it if it is already opened.. they like to refill the bottle with local water in some places. O.k. Good to know. Can I get something if I drink (I know it's bad) local water? You will see many public water sources, taps coming out of steel tanks by roadsides, urns by the side of the road. All those sources are prety safe, I've never had trouble with them. Tap water should be avoided though. It's probably safe in Cairo, but, it tastes disgusting and is heavily chlorinated in High Season When ordering food you can look at what someone else is eating and say "I want that".. That is very uneuropean, but I'll try it.... http://touregypt.net/recipes/ Thanks for the link. Very useful. Do try foods at markets and bazaars.. just use your common sense, if the guy who is handling your food is picking his nose or has very bad hygiene skip O.k. it.. make sure though that ALL food is throughly cooked, boiled. How do I know if the food I buy in the bazaar is cooked, boiled.....? If it's grilled and burned it is probably well cooked. I must admit I've eaten in all sorts of places in Egypt right down to spit and sawdust cafes and have only ever had an upset stomach when eating in what looked like a high class resaaurant serving Western food. Oranges, bananas, mangos good choices.. nuts, cheese, figs etc. also good. O.k. So Fruits that can be peeled off are all o.k., everything else try to skip. most of all relax and have fun, explore and don't take things too seriously... realize that these people are all trying to make a living, not to rip you off.. well not always!! Tourism is the leading job for most and some people are degraded to handing out toilet paper to tourists as a job!! So I should leave my suspicion that everyone will try to rip me off at home? No, just reduce it to "there will be some people who try to rip me off" If you want superior service in hotels.. tip your cleaning person generously.. I gave her $10 for 3days and I got my clothes washed, dryed ironed, chocolates, flowers, fancy towels all made up in the shapes of animals and shells. Impressive! All this for 10 dollars! Did you give her this the first day when you came to the hotel? Also,, tip the Person you want to tip IN PERSON Don't give the $ to the manager or someone... the person who you want to get the $ won't get it usually. O.k. I'll try to remember all this. Tip the waiters in high class places better than ones in low class places. There is a reason for this, the ones in low class places normaly get paid relatively well while the ones in high class places get paid a pitance and tend to rely on tips (baksheesh). Also tip well the nice lady (or gent) that tends the toilets keeping them clean, showing you to a nice well kept one, gives you soap and tissues to clean yourself...they do not normally get paid anything and some pay the owner to let them do the job. Thanks a lot for this post(s). You have been extreamlly helpfull. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Egypt Travel Guide | Memo | Cruises | 1 | September 22nd, 2004 06:52 PM |
Egypt Travel Guide | Memo | Air travel | 0 | September 22nd, 2004 12:29 PM |
Egypt Travel Guide information | Memo | Latin America | 0 | September 22nd, 2004 12:26 PM |
Egypt Travel Guide information | Memo | Asia | 0 | September 22nd, 2004 12:26 PM |
Egypt Travel Guide information | Memo | Europe | 0 | September 22nd, 2004 12:25 PM |