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An 1869 Royal Hunting Lodge & a Camel RideEgypt, Part 9
(by Patti Day-Miller - July 26, 2010)
I dont know how all forty of us managed to be ready to leave the ship at 5:15 a.m. that morning, but no one was late—at least not late enough to cause a problem! Our flight was uneventful, except for the chorus of coughing—by now several on our tour were having respiratory problems. It didnt seem to slow us down much, however.
Since we arrived in Cairo before check-in time at our Giza hotel, Ibrihim took us to an official papyrus shop where we saw the process of turning this reed-like plant of Egypt into paper-like sheets, and many brought beautiful pieces of art there. (Mark and Debbie from Ohio were especially pleased, since they knew exactly on which wall their treasure would hang.) Many of the street vendors sell what they say is papyrus, but is actually a banana leaf, which is why it is necessary to go to an official shop to get the real thing.
Check-in at our 5-star Hotel Sofitel Le Sphinx (yes, we had a view of the pyramids from our hotel grounds, but not from our room window) took longer than our other check-ins, but by 1 p.m. we were headed to our rooms, and had agreed to meet Jessie and Ryan for lunch at 1:30. Ryan wanted to eat by the pool, which was fine with us. (We sat under big umbrellas and out of the sun.) But unfortunately our food was not served until past 2:30, and by the time we finished eating, Jessie was keenly aware that her foot was sore and swollen, plus it was really heating up (100º that afternoon) and so they decided not to share a taxi and go into Cairo (anywhere from 40 min. to an hour ride, depending on traffic). The pool was looking pretty good to Dave by then, too, and it was after 3 p.m. at that point. So, no exploring of Cairo that afternoon. We agreed to meet them for a drink and then dinner that evening.
I dont remember when or where I read about the Mena House Hotel, but I had, and I had jotted down a note on our tour itinerary for that day sometime before we left California. I asked for a map of the area at the hotel registration desk, and noticed Mena House was on it and not too far from our hotel. So, when the four of met in the hotel lobby, I suggested taking a taxi there and having a drink in their lounge, and off we went.
It was a very short ride (maybe five minutes), but a very dramatic one, as at the stoplight, a little girl (she looked to be six or seven years old) approached our cab driver requesting alms, which he quickly gave her, and she blessed, thanking him and Allah. Heart-wrenching memory. Then also along the very short drive, our driver had to swerve (thankfully we were in the right turn lane) to avoid hitting a small group of men. When he did that, one of the men jumped out in front of our cab, and went around to the cab drivers window and asked for a cigarette, and the driver again quickly complied with the request. We thought for a few seconds that we were about to be robbed!
Soon after that we arrived at our destination. Oh, my word! The Mena House, which sits literally at the foot of the Great Pyramid, was built in 1869 as a royal hunting lodge and converted into a luxury hotel in 1880. Its grounds now include lush gardens, a swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course as well as riding stables filled with both horses and camels. But it is the Arabesque interior that makes one swoon (yes, even my husband). Brass tables, marble floors, beautifully carved wooden archways, exquisite lighting fixtures and carpets, and floor-to-ceiling windows with a close-up view of the Great One. ‘Twas an over-the-top opulent setting for a glass of wine before dinner. (It features three restaurants, as well, but we didnt think our budget would allow dining there.)
When we left, we asked the doorman to get us a taxi to Felfela, a restaurant suggested by our guide and one of Jessies friends who had traveled to Giza, which was a few blocks from our hotel, but the doorman said, You dont need a cab. Its close enough to walk there. So, off we trekked, now in the darkness of night, but with ample streetlights.
The walk was not scary, until we realized that we were on the wrong side of the 6-lane road, with non-stop traffic moving along between 40-50 mph, and the restaurant (and our hotel) was on the other. (The traffic light was beyond the restaurant.) Seeing our dilemma a man appeared, jumped out into the traffic (there were no breaks in the traffic where we could have ran across those lanes), holding up his arms, and the traffic stopped, and we scurried to the median. Then he repeated his action again, and soon we were safely on the other side of the 6-lane road. We gave him hearty tips. I can still feel my rapid heartbeat, as we hurriedly crossed in front of all that traffic, which was thankfully halted by a stranger.
This is probably a good time to explain tipping in Egypt, since its not like tipping in any other country to which weve traveled. Its called baksheesh, and its more than just a reward for extra services rendered. Because salaries and wages are so very much lower than in our country, baksheesh is an essential means of supplementing income. Egyptians themselves dole out baksheesh, too, even for little things like receiving their mail or just to ensure that they get the freshest produce at the market, or to be shown their seats at the movies. If a guard in a museum, temple or tomb points out something special, one is expected to tip.
There is someone in every public restroom (both men & womens) expecting baksheesh. (Youll receive no toilet tissue without it.) And in our drive from Hurghada to Luxor, we had one restroom stop, where I had no Egyptian money on me, and I offered two American quarters. The attendant would not accept that (even though my 50 cents was worth more than twice as much as the usual Egyptian coin that most people were giving), and would not let me enter. Thankfully, one of our tour-mates came to my bladders rescue with a coin the attendant recognized.
In any event, Im quite sure that the man who helped us cross 6 lanes of fast-moving traffic was expecting baksheesh. I dont know what the other couple gave him, but I gave him two American dollars. (Those are accepted, just not American coins.) We didnt find Felfela until after we ended up eating at another restaurant that night, and after dining, we then walked back to our hotel for a nightcap in the lounge before retiring. We werent facing an early wake-up call the next morning, since the schedule for that day called for us to leave the hotel at 7:45.
After another nice breakfast buffet, we boarded our bus and headed for the pyramids. En route there, Ibrihim said this was the place to get our once-in-a-lifetime camel ride, and many of us did just that, including Dave and I. (The rides are about 15 minutes in length.) Im not a horse rider; so, this was an entirely new experience for me.
The camel man helps one mount the beast when it is kneeling; so, thats good. But then when the camel rises, the rider is thrust both way forward and then way backward. That is not so good, but it is doable—barely. Once the camel rises, you realize just how long their legs are and just how high off the ground you are! Our first few steps were down a little hill, and I didnt like that at all, but once we were on level ground, I did enjoy the ride. And at one point the camel men brought Dave and my camel close together; so, we could pose for a photo with the pyramids in the background. I know it sounds touristy, but it was fun! And like Ibrihim said, It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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