Saturday 7 January
Today was our last day of the holiday but we had nearly a full day in Dubai to enjoy. With our latest checkout from the hotel to be 3pm we decided to sightsee and have lunch before coming back to the hotel at 2. The main thing we wanted to see was the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, which we could see right outside our hotel windows. The Burj is a beautiful building. Very stylish with a 3 pointed base and numerous outer floors ending at various points as the building rises. At each of these ending points there are outside terraces. We walked from out hotel to the Burj but came to the wrong door--the one for residents--and were directed by a security guard to the nearby Dubai Mall to buy tickets. The entrance to the Burj is actually through the Mall. I'd say the whole complex area, the Mall, the Burj, the Gold Souk (a building with tourist souvenir shops) and our hotel which also has several high rise apartment buildings were all planned as a whole and built around the dancing fountain. We went to buy our Burj tickets and discovered that all tickets were sold out until Monday! Nothing had prepared us for that. We noticed, however, that people were going up to the desk and seemed to be buying tickets then saw that there were 'immediate' tickets available at 400 Dirhams each. That's like $A100 for each ticket. Well the Burj was only one of two main things I'd planned to do in Dubai so we bought immediate tickets.
The Burj really is an experience not to be missed. The whole entryway to the elevators was full of displays about the building of the tower. It was quite a fascinating coming together of people from all parts of the world and all nationalities to create this structure. The building is over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records:
• Tallest building in the world
• Tallest free-standing structure in the world
• Highest number of stories in the world
• Highest occupied floor in the world
• Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
• Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
• Tallest service elevator in the world
The elevator was also the smoothest elevator I've ever been in. There was no sinking feeling in the stomach as it went up. It was smooth as silk. Only the closing of my ears told me that I was going up. The observation deck--called 'At the Top' is on the 124th floor. There we were able to go outside and view and take photos over Dubai. The floor of the deck is stained wood planking which I thought was unusual. One would expect everything to be concrete in a building like this. Glass panels separated us from the outside but these had gaps in them to allow for photography. Inside the observation area continued around the other side of the building and, of course, there was a gift shop. We bought the photo they took of us before we got in the lift so have a nice memory of our visit.
After going up in the Burj we went back into the Dubai Mall and looked for Arab ties for Paul with no luck. Then we ate lunch at the food court. The Dubai Mall is not only a shopping centre but it is also an entertainment destination. It has an aquarium and an ice skating rink in it. I think Australian Malls should think about doing this as well. They would then compete with each other over more than just shopping.
We went back to our hotel by walking around the lake and got there about 2 but then we found our room cards didn't open the rooms so we had to go back to reception to get new cards. That ate up some of the time we were planning to use for rest and we ended up taking all of the time up to 3pm repacking our bags and checking the rooms for belongings. Just before 3 we called for our bags to be collected as we were going to put them in storage and go out again. The kids were wanting to just sit in the hotel reception, which was a small busy area, for 3 hours before we had to leave. But Paul and I didn't want to do that so we got them to come with us to the Gold Souk to buy last minute souvenirs. We also got ice creams and generally tried to use up the last of our Dirhams. We were sitting eating the ice creams at about 5.05 when suddenly the fountain sprang to life to the accompaniment of opera music. I've just looked it up and we heard Con the Partiro by Andre Boccelli and Sarah Brightman. A beautiful song!
We thought we were lucky to hear that but then as we walked around the lake back to the hotel only 15 minutes later another fountain show came on with Michael Jackson singing Thriller! Wow! We got to the end of the lake closest to our hotel and waited for 6pm when we thought there would be another show. Paul was going to video this one as it would be getting dark and the lights would show up the fountain better. Instead, the show was delayed (we think) as the call to prayer came out. So it was a bit after 6 that the show we filmed came up. Unfortunately, I don't know what music it was as it was nothing recognisable.
We returned to the hotel, collected our bags and took a taxi to the Etihad terminal to board the courtesy bus back to the airport. We were booked on the 7.30 bus for our 10.30m flight. Our bags were actually checked in for the flight at the bus so we didn't have to worry about them again. At the terminal we cleared immigration then looked around at the shops and got something to eat.
Our flight back was relatively eventless, except for me. We had some turbulence as we approached Melbourne airport and I was airsick just as we landed. Welcome home! I guess I did well not being sick the whole trip and once I was sick I felt better so better out than in!
So that was our trip. I'm still in the process of uploading photos. I have a couple of more 'impression' posts to add as well.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Day of Play
Friday 6 January 2012
Today we started our day with the complimentary breakfast provided by the hotel as a compensation for the room mix-up. Jarrah was thrilled to see real pancakes rather than the thin crepes we’d had in Egypt AND maple syrup. A wonderful spread was provided including baked beans for the first time on our trip. We ate then went back to our rooms to prepare for our day at the Wild Wadi Waterpark!
Since Friday is the first day of the weekend in the UAE and the Metro doesn’t run in the morning our transport options were restricted. So we hopped a taxi to the waterpark and got there just as the doors were opening. The security procedures at the entrance included a bag check and any sort of food or drink including water bottles were prohibited so we were stripped of our supplies which were put in storage until our departure. That’s one way they can guarantee good sales at the food stalls. We changed then Paul and the kids headed off on one of the water rides while I found a spot to lay down. Over the course of the day everyone had their fill of rides. Jade even went off on a ride by herself. Paul walked part way up to the super high slide then had second thoughts and walked back down. I stood for a while at the bottom watching people come down at lightning speed. I can’t imagine trusting myself to speeds like that. Later in the day I got my camera and walked up to the tower to take photos.
To kill some time and also to treat myself (since the others were enjoying the rides) I paid to have a fish pedicure. After paying 50 Durhams (about $A18) I was instructed to rinse my feet then I went up on a platform next to a U-shaped fish tank and told to sit and dangle my feet in the water. Before my feet even touched the water, swarms of fish from all over the tank congregated right below my danging feet. It was creepy. Then as my heels entered the water I felt the ticklish feeling of fish feeding on my dead skin cells. It took me a while to get my feet fully in and I did a bit of screaming and covering my eyes. I could barely look down at my feet covered with fish. The treatment lasted for 15 minutes and when I took my feet out I felt my legs and they were silky smooth and lovely. I know there are concerns about the cleanliness of this process but I would have no hesitation on that count about having it again.
I then went in the wave pool and had a bob around before settling on the lounger in the shade. All around me, in fact all over the park, I could hear Russian being spoken. There sure seem to be a lot of Russian tourists in the Middle East. There were also a number of Muslim tourists with the women wearing extremely modest swimsuits and there were a few Indians too.
We met for lunch and had hot dogs and fries except for Jarrah who had a burger. Talk about local fare! By then it was getting a bit chilly and Paul and I were wanting to call it a day. But the kids wanted to have 2 or 3 more rides so they and Paul had another go at the rides while I went and changed.
It really was a pretty nice day. Wild Wadi has different rides to those on the Gold Coast. The WW rides are longer and set out in a series of stages with opt-out points and directional choices along their length. Each ride is therefore more than one ride, unlike in Australia. The park is smaller than other parks but it is quite nice. Just outside the park is the 6 or 7 star hotel shaped like a sail, the Burj Arab. People were taking photos of it when we left the park and I took a couple from the top of the slide in the park.
We had to queue for a taxi outside the park and it probably took us 15 minutes or so before our turn came up. There were gypsy cabs but we refused to take them.
Back at the hotel Jarrah & I cooked dinner trying to use up some of the food we’d bought the day before. We ate, watched and photographed the dancing fountain (and Paul videoed it) then had an early night.
Today we started our day with the complimentary breakfast provided by the hotel as a compensation for the room mix-up. Jarrah was thrilled to see real pancakes rather than the thin crepes we’d had in Egypt AND maple syrup. A wonderful spread was provided including baked beans for the first time on our trip. We ate then went back to our rooms to prepare for our day at the Wild Wadi Waterpark!
Since Friday is the first day of the weekend in the UAE and the Metro doesn’t run in the morning our transport options were restricted. So we hopped a taxi to the waterpark and got there just as the doors were opening. The security procedures at the entrance included a bag check and any sort of food or drink including water bottles were prohibited so we were stripped of our supplies which were put in storage until our departure. That’s one way they can guarantee good sales at the food stalls. We changed then Paul and the kids headed off on one of the water rides while I found a spot to lay down. Over the course of the day everyone had their fill of rides. Jade even went off on a ride by herself. Paul walked part way up to the super high slide then had second thoughts and walked back down. I stood for a while at the bottom watching people come down at lightning speed. I can’t imagine trusting myself to speeds like that. Later in the day I got my camera and walked up to the tower to take photos.
To kill some time and also to treat myself (since the others were enjoying the rides) I paid to have a fish pedicure. After paying 50 Durhams (about $A18) I was instructed to rinse my feet then I went up on a platform next to a U-shaped fish tank and told to sit and dangle my feet in the water. Before my feet even touched the water, swarms of fish from all over the tank congregated right below my danging feet. It was creepy. Then as my heels entered the water I felt the ticklish feeling of fish feeding on my dead skin cells. It took me a while to get my feet fully in and I did a bit of screaming and covering my eyes. I could barely look down at my feet covered with fish. The treatment lasted for 15 minutes and when I took my feet out I felt my legs and they were silky smooth and lovely. I know there are concerns about the cleanliness of this process but I would have no hesitation on that count about having it again.
I then went in the wave pool and had a bob around before settling on the lounger in the shade. All around me, in fact all over the park, I could hear Russian being spoken. There sure seem to be a lot of Russian tourists in the Middle East. There were also a number of Muslim tourists with the women wearing extremely modest swimsuits and there were a few Indians too.
We met for lunch and had hot dogs and fries except for Jarrah who had a burger. Talk about local fare! By then it was getting a bit chilly and Paul and I were wanting to call it a day. But the kids wanted to have 2 or 3 more rides so they and Paul had another go at the rides while I went and changed.
It really was a pretty nice day. Wild Wadi has different rides to those on the Gold Coast. The WW rides are longer and set out in a series of stages with opt-out points and directional choices along their length. Each ride is therefore more than one ride, unlike in Australia. The park is smaller than other parks but it is quite nice. Just outside the park is the 6 or 7 star hotel shaped like a sail, the Burj Arab. People were taking photos of it when we left the park and I took a couple from the top of the slide in the park.
We had to queue for a taxi outside the park and it probably took us 15 minutes or so before our turn came up. There were gypsy cabs but we refused to take them.
Back at the hotel Jarrah & I cooked dinner trying to use up some of the food we’d bought the day before. We ate, watched and photographed the dancing fountain (and Paul videoed it) then had an early night.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Jade's Birthday and the trip to Abu Dhabi--Dubai
Thursday 5 January
Today is Jade's birthday! and, thanks to our middle of the night flight, she was awake for more of it than usual. Jade has been absolutely counting down the days and hours until her birthday. We knew that it was mainly going to be a day of travelling and I tried to impress on her that this was a glamorous (rather than boring) way to spend her birthday! But with no cake, presents or party I only partly succeeded.
The day actually started just after 11pm Wednesday night when we were woken up by the early arrival of Mohammad, who had come to take us to the airport for our 3.40am flight to Abu Dhabi. We were all packed and just had to put on our travelling clothes and squeeze the last bits and pieces in--as usual these were our myriad lot of adaptor plugs and charger cords. What would we do without all of our gadgets!
Our trip to the airport was smooth as there wasn't much traffic at night. We took the elevated highway through the main part of Cairo to the Western outskirts of the city. This time our departure was from one of the modern terminals--whew! Mohammad took us to the check-in counter and told us where we had to go after that then bade us good-bye. We checked in, cleared immigration then hit the shops to use up our remaining Egyptian money on last minute bargains. We also bought some refreshments at the coffee place right by the entrance to our gate--Gate 8. Everything at Cairo airport is on the ground level as they bus you out to the planes. When our gate opened we went through the security detectors at the gate then sat in the waiting area until our bus arrived. Paul was disappointed that he hadn't been able to find an Egyptian tie during our whole trip and we still hoped to find one with an Arab theme at least in Dubai. Because we had time to waste I went up to one of the airline staff, pointed to his tie, and asked him how to say it in Arabic. It was approximately something like kravate--like the word cravat--not surprising really when you consider that ties are an item of Western clothing so Arabic has evidently absorbed a Western word for it.
We waited and waited all pretty awake considering it was 2-3am and watched all of the young children also waiting for our flight. Oh, no! Another flight full of screamers!
We bussed out to the plane finally and settled in for the flight. There were no blindfolds or blankets at first but everyone began to get blankets out of the overhead compartments because the plane was pretty chilly. It was a fairly non-eventful flight. We all tried to sleep a bit.
We arrived at Abu Dhabi just after 9am local time,cleared customs and grabbed our bags. It was just about 10am by the time we got out into the main part of the terminal and, although we knew we had to wait until 1:30 for the Etihad bus to Dubai we still walked out to check out where the bus would be. Then we returned to the airport and found some comfortable armchairs at a Starbucks. We got drinks and snacks and sat to pass the time again. At least Abu Dhabi has free wireless internet!
Just before 1.30 we went outside again to the bus stop and got on the bus to Dubai. There was only us and two other groups of people so the bus was very empty. A staff member came around and gave each of us a free bottle of water. That was nice. I spent the hour and 20 minute ride looking out the window at all the sand.
In Dubai the bus arrived at what appeared to be a small car park behind a building. There was no terminal or facilities there but luckily there were a few taxis around. We grabbed a cab which had a boot spacious enough to fit our 4 suitcases and it was only a short 15 minute or so ride to our hotel--the Ramada Downtown Dubai, which I had booked on the internet.
We arrived just after 3.30 and immediately had a problem. We were supposed to have two adjacent rooms with a single door and entryway into them. But someone on the staff had given one of our rooms to someone else. A phone call from reception was met with a very hostile guest who refused to change rooms so we could have what we booked. In the end we got the two rooms we booked but on different floors. Paul and Jade were on the 16th floor and Jarrah and I on the 13th floor. What made it even more inconvenient was that neither of the rooms had been cleaned. We were told that the room on the 13th floor was clean so we went up there to wait for the other room to be cleaned. Except when we got there it wasn't clean. So we went up to the 16th floor and that also wasn't clean. So we had to sit out in the hallway waiting with our bags after having travelled all night and waiting for hours for our bus at Abu Dhabi airport. Finally both rooms were ready. They were beautiful, both with views of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) and the dancing fountain below it. It really was an excellent hotel in a great position.
Jarrah and I went downstairs to the supermarket (Spinney's) in the building next door and bought food to make for dinner while Paul and Jade rested. We started cooking on the 16th floor but then moved down to the 13th floor which had a larger kitchen and dining area. We were lucky no one caught us in the lift holding a cooking pot of boiling water!!!!!! We would have gotten some strange looks if we had!
Our day was capped off by our excellent view of several shows of the dancing fountain which had about a 3 minute display every half hour on the hour and half hour. We couldn't really hear the music but the fountains were wonderful in themselves. We love a free show!
Today is Jade's birthday! and, thanks to our middle of the night flight, she was awake for more of it than usual. Jade has been absolutely counting down the days and hours until her birthday. We knew that it was mainly going to be a day of travelling and I tried to impress on her that this was a glamorous (rather than boring) way to spend her birthday! But with no cake, presents or party I only partly succeeded.
The day actually started just after 11pm Wednesday night when we were woken up by the early arrival of Mohammad, who had come to take us to the airport for our 3.40am flight to Abu Dhabi. We were all packed and just had to put on our travelling clothes and squeeze the last bits and pieces in--as usual these were our myriad lot of adaptor plugs and charger cords. What would we do without all of our gadgets!
Our trip to the airport was smooth as there wasn't much traffic at night. We took the elevated highway through the main part of Cairo to the Western outskirts of the city. This time our departure was from one of the modern terminals--whew! Mohammad took us to the check-in counter and told us where we had to go after that then bade us good-bye. We checked in, cleared immigration then hit the shops to use up our remaining Egyptian money on last minute bargains. We also bought some refreshments at the coffee place right by the entrance to our gate--Gate 8. Everything at Cairo airport is on the ground level as they bus you out to the planes. When our gate opened we went through the security detectors at the gate then sat in the waiting area until our bus arrived. Paul was disappointed that he hadn't been able to find an Egyptian tie during our whole trip and we still hoped to find one with an Arab theme at least in Dubai. Because we had time to waste I went up to one of the airline staff, pointed to his tie, and asked him how to say it in Arabic. It was approximately something like kravate--like the word cravat--not surprising really when you consider that ties are an item of Western clothing so Arabic has evidently absorbed a Western word for it.
We waited and waited all pretty awake considering it was 2-3am and watched all of the young children also waiting for our flight. Oh, no! Another flight full of screamers!
We bussed out to the plane finally and settled in for the flight. There were no blindfolds or blankets at first but everyone began to get blankets out of the overhead compartments because the plane was pretty chilly. It was a fairly non-eventful flight. We all tried to sleep a bit.
We arrived at Abu Dhabi just after 9am local time,cleared customs and grabbed our bags. It was just about 10am by the time we got out into the main part of the terminal and, although we knew we had to wait until 1:30 for the Etihad bus to Dubai we still walked out to check out where the bus would be. Then we returned to the airport and found some comfortable armchairs at a Starbucks. We got drinks and snacks and sat to pass the time again. At least Abu Dhabi has free wireless internet!
Just before 1.30 we went outside again to the bus stop and got on the bus to Dubai. There was only us and two other groups of people so the bus was very empty. A staff member came around and gave each of us a free bottle of water. That was nice. I spent the hour and 20 minute ride looking out the window at all the sand.
In Dubai the bus arrived at what appeared to be a small car park behind a building. There was no terminal or facilities there but luckily there were a few taxis around. We grabbed a cab which had a boot spacious enough to fit our 4 suitcases and it was only a short 15 minute or so ride to our hotel--the Ramada Downtown Dubai, which I had booked on the internet.
We arrived just after 3.30 and immediately had a problem. We were supposed to have two adjacent rooms with a single door and entryway into them. But someone on the staff had given one of our rooms to someone else. A phone call from reception was met with a very hostile guest who refused to change rooms so we could have what we booked. In the end we got the two rooms we booked but on different floors. Paul and Jade were on the 16th floor and Jarrah and I on the 13th floor. What made it even more inconvenient was that neither of the rooms had been cleaned. We were told that the room on the 13th floor was clean so we went up there to wait for the other room to be cleaned. Except when we got there it wasn't clean. So we went up to the 16th floor and that also wasn't clean. So we had to sit out in the hallway waiting with our bags after having travelled all night and waiting for hours for our bus at Abu Dhabi airport. Finally both rooms were ready. They were beautiful, both with views of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world) and the dancing fountain below it. It really was an excellent hotel in a great position.
Jarrah and I went downstairs to the supermarket (Spinney's) in the building next door and bought food to make for dinner while Paul and Jade rested. We started cooking on the 16th floor but then moved down to the 13th floor which had a larger kitchen and dining area. We were lucky no one caught us in the lift holding a cooking pot of boiling water!!!!!! We would have gotten some strange looks if we had!
Our day was capped off by our excellent view of several shows of the dancing fountain which had about a 3 minute display every half hour on the hour and half hour. We couldn't really hear the music but the fountains were wonderful in themselves. We love a free show!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Last Day in Cairo
Wednesday January 4 2012
Our last day in Cairo. We were scheduled only for a visit to the bazaar for last minute shopping but arranged with Ahmed to visit The Citadel, a walled fortress situated on a hill overlooking Cairo. We left the hotel at 9am and went via a roundabout route to the Citadel. I haven't written much about driving in Cairo. Well it is an experience. Cars and trucks drive all over the road ignoring any lane markings. People cross the road, even multi-lane highways, wherever they want. Vendors with coffee carts set up impromptu coffee shops on the outer lanes of highways and roads. And the roads are so full of traffic that they are stretched to capacity and beyond. Even more strangely, it is often impossible to make a left turn on main roads so that cars are forced to drive way beyond where they want to go in order to do an allowed U-turn (where the central concrete barrier is not present) and then drive back to make their turn. Our drive to the Citadel involved all of this type of driving and so it took a long time to get there.
Once we arrived Ahmed told us about the history of the complex including the arrival of the Arabs in Egypt in about 600AD. Throughout the trip we've been learning about the history of Egypt and how it has been a land occupied by a string of invaders for over 2000 years. I can't begin to recite them in order but they included the Persians, the Greeks, The French and British, the Turks and the Arabs. It's funny to realise that they Egyptians, whom we now think of as Arabs, originally were a different people. The Ancient Egyptians, of course, weren't Arabs. Now, of course, the people of Egypt consider themselves Arabs.We visited two mosques--both not used for worship anymore. The second mosque was very large, made of white marble (which is very dirty and desperately needs a sandblasting) and the floor was fully covered with many Persian style carpets. Ahmed gave us a very personal insight into Islam and both explained and showed us how Muslims worship in the mosque. I really appreciated him speaking so openly about his religion and I think this gave me a better understanding about Islam.
We took some photos outside within the complex then returned to the van for the drive to the bazaar for shopping. All of us had some last minute souvenirs in mind and we shopped hard to get them. Poor Paul is still looking for an Egyptian style tie which he hasn't been able to find anywhere. After shopping we were supposed to go directly back to the hotel but as it was lunch time we asked for more time to eat at one of the many cafes just outside the bazaar. While we were eating we were visited by a number of street cats. I will write more about them in a separate post.
At about 12.45 we returned to the hotel to re-pack our bags and have a rest. We also had arranged with Ahmed to take him out to dinner before we left Egypt. We met up with him at 5.45 and walked out to the road in front of the hotel to try and flag down a cab because booking a cab through the hotel would have cost around 170 Egyptian pounds (LE) compared to hailing a cab for about 20LE! The hotel is on the main highway to Alexandria and the traffic is heavy and fast moving with few cabs. It took us about 10 minutes to get a cab but we were very lucky as the guy who stopped held up traffic in his lane and was furiously beeped by the cars behind him. We went to a shopping centre and ate at a food court. This was a very different sort of place to all of the other places we've seen in Egypt. Other than our hotels I think this is the cleanest public space we've been in for two weeks. With 40% of Egypt poor, and shopping centres like this built for the small middle class, this is a privileged space and not one for the masses.
We are very sad to be leaving Ahmed who during our tour became like a member of our family. We plan to keep in touch with him.
We rested again at the hotel after dinner. We had arranged to be picked up at midnight. (Our flight out is at 3.40 AM!) But Mohammad, the same guide who met us on arrival, came early to pick us up and we ended up leaving at 11.30.
Our last day in Cairo. We were scheduled only for a visit to the bazaar for last minute shopping but arranged with Ahmed to visit The Citadel, a walled fortress situated on a hill overlooking Cairo. We left the hotel at 9am and went via a roundabout route to the Citadel. I haven't written much about driving in Cairo. Well it is an experience. Cars and trucks drive all over the road ignoring any lane markings. People cross the road, even multi-lane highways, wherever they want. Vendors with coffee carts set up impromptu coffee shops on the outer lanes of highways and roads. And the roads are so full of traffic that they are stretched to capacity and beyond. Even more strangely, it is often impossible to make a left turn on main roads so that cars are forced to drive way beyond where they want to go in order to do an allowed U-turn (where the central concrete barrier is not present) and then drive back to make their turn. Our drive to the Citadel involved all of this type of driving and so it took a long time to get there.
Once we arrived Ahmed told us about the history of the complex including the arrival of the Arabs in Egypt in about 600AD. Throughout the trip we've been learning about the history of Egypt and how it has been a land occupied by a string of invaders for over 2000 years. I can't begin to recite them in order but they included the Persians, the Greeks, The French and British, the Turks and the Arabs. It's funny to realise that they Egyptians, whom we now think of as Arabs, originally were a different people. The Ancient Egyptians, of course, weren't Arabs. Now, of course, the people of Egypt consider themselves Arabs.We visited two mosques--both not used for worship anymore. The second mosque was very large, made of white marble (which is very dirty and desperately needs a sandblasting) and the floor was fully covered with many Persian style carpets. Ahmed gave us a very personal insight into Islam and both explained and showed us how Muslims worship in the mosque. I really appreciated him speaking so openly about his religion and I think this gave me a better understanding about Islam.
We took some photos outside within the complex then returned to the van for the drive to the bazaar for shopping. All of us had some last minute souvenirs in mind and we shopped hard to get them. Poor Paul is still looking for an Egyptian style tie which he hasn't been able to find anywhere. After shopping we were supposed to go directly back to the hotel but as it was lunch time we asked for more time to eat at one of the many cafes just outside the bazaar. While we were eating we were visited by a number of street cats. I will write more about them in a separate post.
At about 12.45 we returned to the hotel to re-pack our bags and have a rest. We also had arranged with Ahmed to take him out to dinner before we left Egypt. We met up with him at 5.45 and walked out to the road in front of the hotel to try and flag down a cab because booking a cab through the hotel would have cost around 170 Egyptian pounds (LE) compared to hailing a cab for about 20LE! The hotel is on the main highway to Alexandria and the traffic is heavy and fast moving with few cabs. It took us about 10 minutes to get a cab but we were very lucky as the guy who stopped held up traffic in his lane and was furiously beeped by the cars behind him. We went to a shopping centre and ate at a food court. This was a very different sort of place to all of the other places we've seen in Egypt. Other than our hotels I think this is the cleanest public space we've been in for two weeks. With 40% of Egypt poor, and shopping centres like this built for the small middle class, this is a privileged space and not one for the masses.
We are very sad to be leaving Ahmed who during our tour became like a member of our family. We plan to keep in touch with him.
We rested again at the hotel after dinner. We had arranged to be picked up at midnight. (Our flight out is at 3.40 AM!) But Mohammad, the same guide who met us on arrival, came early to pick us up and we ended up leaving at 11.30.
Return to Cairo
Tuesday 3 January
Today we returned to Cairo travelling by mini-van. We left Hurghada at 10 and drove north along the Red Sea coast for 3 hours before stopping for a leg stretch and lunch at a roadside cafe. As we travelled I kept looking out at the deep blue of the sea expecting to see many ships lining up to enter the Suez Canal. For the most part I was disappointed because firstly the Red Sea is wider than I expected. We never saw any land on the other side, not even Sinai when we got far enough north. Secondly we didn't travel close enough to the entrance to the canal partly because the road that goes close to the canal is in bad condition and secondly because we turned off north easterly towards Cairo. I did see a couple of oil tankers riding high and empty and we also saw many oil rigs just off the coast.
The other interesting sight we saw was hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines turning. I've never seen so many wind turbines in one place. Back in Australia the farmers complain that the turbines make too much noise. Here with them sitting in the sandy desert there was no one to complain.
We entered Cairo from the north and got back to our hotel--The Oasis where it all started--about 4.30pm. Jade was very happy to see her pussy cat friends--the strays who live at the hotel. She is so fond of them that she has named them. One of her favourites is a tortoiseshell cat who has a bad left eye. She has named this one Shelly. It is hard to resist all of these cute kitties roaming all over the place and the more we see of them the more we get concerned about their welfare. Jade has decided she wants to do something for the stray cats of Egypt.
Because our eating options are limited when we're at the Oasis--there is absolutely nothing else around--we are a captive audience--we ate at their Italian restaurant up on the first floor. The food was plentiful and delicious and not expensive either.
Today we returned to Cairo travelling by mini-van. We left Hurghada at 10 and drove north along the Red Sea coast for 3 hours before stopping for a leg stretch and lunch at a roadside cafe. As we travelled I kept looking out at the deep blue of the sea expecting to see many ships lining up to enter the Suez Canal. For the most part I was disappointed because firstly the Red Sea is wider than I expected. We never saw any land on the other side, not even Sinai when we got far enough north. Secondly we didn't travel close enough to the entrance to the canal partly because the road that goes close to the canal is in bad condition and secondly because we turned off north easterly towards Cairo. I did see a couple of oil tankers riding high and empty and we also saw many oil rigs just off the coast.
The other interesting sight we saw was hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines turning. I've never seen so many wind turbines in one place. Back in Australia the farmers complain that the turbines make too much noise. Here with them sitting in the sandy desert there was no one to complain.
We entered Cairo from the north and got back to our hotel--The Oasis where it all started--about 4.30pm. Jade was very happy to see her pussy cat friends--the strays who live at the hotel. She is so fond of them that she has named them. One of her favourites is a tortoiseshell cat who has a bad left eye. She has named this one Shelly. It is hard to resist all of these cute kitties roaming all over the place and the more we see of them the more we get concerned about their welfare. Jade has decided she wants to do something for the stray cats of Egypt.
Because our eating options are limited when we're at the Oasis--there is absolutely nothing else around--we are a captive audience--we ate at their Italian restaurant up on the first floor. The food was plentiful and delicious and not expensive either.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Lazy Day
Monday 2 January
Today I decided not to go on the snorkelling trip because I get seasick. I hummed and haahed about this last night and again in the morning. I feel guilty not going along on the trip but I'm glad the kids at least get to go. They and Paul don't suffer from my malady so they're OK sloshing around in a boat at anchor at sea eating a buffet lunch. I can't imagine anything worse!
I rested and caught this blog up and watched TV. In the afternoon I felt guilty for sitting inside most of the day so I took a book and went down and sat in a sunchair on the beach.
In the evening we took a taxi back to the shopping area and had a lovely meal then taxiied back to the hotel. I don't think I wrote about the shopping area yesterday. It is absolutely overwhelming with the main street full of shops and side streets everywhere also full of shops selling tourist items. We have seen more variety of items here compared to other places including brass statues and engraved plates the sort of which I recall seeing in other North African countries on my last trip to this area in 1980. There are also lots of hookah pipes and bottles with coloured sand depicting Egyptian scenes--pyramids and camels, etc.
The hotel is full of Russians and Germans with a few French. I haven't heard any English tourists and Australians and Americans are virtually unheard of in this area. It's too bad the water is too cold for swimming.
Today I decided not to go on the snorkelling trip because I get seasick. I hummed and haahed about this last night and again in the morning. I feel guilty not going along on the trip but I'm glad the kids at least get to go. They and Paul don't suffer from my malady so they're OK sloshing around in a boat at anchor at sea eating a buffet lunch. I can't imagine anything worse!
I rested and caught this blog up and watched TV. In the afternoon I felt guilty for sitting inside most of the day so I took a book and went down and sat in a sunchair on the beach.
In the evening we took a taxi back to the shopping area and had a lovely meal then taxiied back to the hotel. I don't think I wrote about the shopping area yesterday. It is absolutely overwhelming with the main street full of shops and side streets everywhere also full of shops selling tourist items. We have seen more variety of items here compared to other places including brass statues and engraved plates the sort of which I recall seeing in other North African countries on my last trip to this area in 1980. There are also lots of hookah pipes and bottles with coloured sand depicting Egyptian scenes--pyramids and camels, etc.
The hotel is full of Russians and Germans with a few French. I haven't heard any English tourists and Australians and Americans are virtually unheard of in this area. It's too bad the water is too cold for swimming.
Jade's Impressions So Far
The first day in Egypt not including the day that we flew was pretty good. I got to go inside a pyramid which was pretty cool!! When Ahmed tells us about some of the history, I don't really listen because it's kind of hard for me to concentrate on a lot of things at once especially about history because there are words that I don't know the meaning of. I got to see a Sphinx and pyramids and I fot to see historic stuff in the museum. There was a mummy room and I didn't know if I would be scared or not. I went in and I didn't like what I saw. It was really scary. Jarrah said that one of the queens was obece but I looked at her mummy and it was really thin.
The next day was the overnight train. It was pretty good especially when I got to go up the ladder to get onto my bed. It was pretty small but yeah. The food wasn't as great as I thought it woud be. Later in the afternoon we went on a felucca boat on the Nile. That was fun.
The camel day has been one of my favourites. We got to go on a camel and there were four camels but three owners. My camel, Flower and mum's camel, Lulu had the same owner. Jarrah had a camel called Cuckoo and dad's one was something like Zizzy. I got to ride Flower all by myself with only the guy helping her a bit and hitting her to go faster. When we went down a hill, mum's was tied onto mine and she didn't want to go fast so the guy let mine go so I went fast.
I really enjoyed the Nile cruise. I was with dad and it was fun!!!! The meals were really good especially as it was a buffet and there was dessert after lunch AND dinner!! :)
Other things were ok.
The Red Sea boat today was alright. I slept on the way to the snorkelling area. We hired flippers and 2 snorkels for Jarrah and I. Jarrah went in nearly straight away and got someone to fix his snorkel. We could choose if we wanted life jackets and Jarrah and I got one. He was off looking at fish and coral while I was hanging onto the life ring shivering and chattering. I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to go look at fish and coral because I love animals and nature and thins in water. I was really upset about that. When we were moving, we saw a dolphin!!!!!!
These are my (Jade's) impressions on the trip to Egypt so far.
The next day was the overnight train. It was pretty good especially when I got to go up the ladder to get onto my bed. It was pretty small but yeah. The food wasn't as great as I thought it woud be. Later in the afternoon we went on a felucca boat on the Nile. That was fun.
The camel day has been one of my favourites. We got to go on a camel and there were four camels but three owners. My camel, Flower and mum's camel, Lulu had the same owner. Jarrah had a camel called Cuckoo and dad's one was something like Zizzy. I got to ride Flower all by myself with only the guy helping her a bit and hitting her to go faster. When we went down a hill, mum's was tied onto mine and she didn't want to go fast so the guy let mine go so I went fast.
I really enjoyed the Nile cruise. I was with dad and it was fun!!!! The meals were really good especially as it was a buffet and there was dessert after lunch AND dinner!! :)
Other things were ok.
The Red Sea boat today was alright. I slept on the way to the snorkelling area. We hired flippers and 2 snorkels for Jarrah and I. Jarrah went in nearly straight away and got someone to fix his snorkel. We could choose if we wanted life jackets and Jarrah and I got one. He was off looking at fish and coral while I was hanging onto the life ring shivering and chattering. I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to go look at fish and coral because I love animals and nature and thins in water. I was really upset about that. When we were moving, we saw a dolphin!!!!!!
These are my (Jade's) impressions on the trip to Egypt so far.
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