Egypt
Gezira Island

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    • Day 20

      Cairo - first active day of tour

      October 11, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      Yesterday was officially day 1, when we all arrived here, and had a welcome dinner, but today was the first active day. We have found that there are 10 other people in our group - we had thought we were a separate group on our own, but the others are fine - Australians - and no problems! Six had come on from a Jordan tour, and the other 4 are just friends…very easy and no ghastly people!! So last night after dinner we were told to assemble at 7.15 in the foyer to start the day! This is to avoid crowds and heat (though we still certainly had crowds) and a bit daunting to the new arrivals after 24 hours of travel…but everyone made it and we had an amazing day.

      Just riding in our bus in the chaotic Cairo traffic is an experience…cars going in many directions, donkeys and horse carts, people strolling through to cross the road….our first stop was Sakkara where the step pyramid is - the oldest pyramid - and Memphis, the original capital of Egypt, where there is a museum with enormous statues of Ramses II.

      Lunch at a restaurant near Sakkara, good, but I just ate the meze which was yum…and we also paid a visit to a carpet making school, where they are keeping the tradition going of making the carpets - cotton, wool or silk. Then the afternoon’s activity was the Giza pyramids and the sphinx. Millions of people of course, but they are all so extraordinary and enormous, that it is a wonder however often you see them….our guide is good, entertaining and knowledgeable and good to be with. He will be with us for the whole tour, not just Cairo.

      It was fairly hot as the day wore on, but now cool in the evening…very pleasant. We met at 7pm with Amr’s friends (Amr and Hesham) and it was lovely to see them…had a drink and little dinner…no one was over hungry and the travellers needed another good night’s sleep…I have left the 2 Amrs talking, as I feel quite ready for bed too, even though my Apple Watch is not satisfied…it doesn’t appreciate trudging on the sand and uneven surfaces round the pyramids etc…! Anyway, all is very good….and tomorrow we don’t start till 8.15 !!
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    • Day 15

      To Cairo

      July 14, 2017 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 95 °F

      Today was primarily a travel day. We woke up at 6 after only 5 short hours of sleep from the night before. We said our goodbyes to the other divers over breakfast and then took off on our 3 hour transfer to Hurghada airport. The Red Sea was in view almost the whole drive; other than that, there were multiple unfinished buildings that sporadically dotted the desert landscape.

      While there are lanes on Egyptian roads, they're regarded only as suggestions. Our driver spent a lot of time driving in the left lane, and only cutting over to the right lane to avoid oncoming traffic. Fortunately the van's ceilings were high because he rarely slowed for bumps which would send us up in our seats. Nico's phone once flew out of his hand on one such bump. Needless to say, we didn't get to catch up on sleep on the drive.

      When we arrived at the airport, we said goodbye to our fellow diving friends from Denmark and Germany who were dropped off at the international terminal before we were taken to the other terminal. Our terminal was eerily quiet (it was the same one we arrived in) with only a few airport staff and security lingering around. To our surprise, we were denied entry and told that we needed to go to the other terminal by taxi. When we pointed to a sign that read "Free shuttle bus between terminals" he shook his head no and said "taxi!"

      We proceeded to the lower level where we found a taxi driver who wanted to charge us 20€ to get back to the other terminal. As we were walking away, we haggled a lower price down to $5, but it was still too much for the distance. We would have walked, but there was no easy pedestrian access (perhaps by design - taxi drivers need work) and in the 40C heat, it wouldn't have been pleasant. Once aboard the plane, we fell fast asleep on the short flight to Cairo.

      Our drive to the hotel in Cairo was just as exciting, or possibly more so, than the drive earlier that morning because of the additional traffic and lack of lane compliance. We fit between spaces that didn't seem possible and somehow made it safely to the hotel. It reminded us of the taxi ride in Jakarta and we were happy to have arrived at our cocoon in the chaotic city. We had a great view over the Nile river from our room.

      We ventured a short distance out of the hotel for dinner at a quaint little pasta shop in the 26th of July district. Crossing the street was a fun challenge. We also noticed several youths riding bikes without a front tire. It was an early bedtime for an early tour start to see the pyramids the next day.
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    • Day 2

      The price we pay..

      March 5, 2020 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

      The trouble with living in Australia is just that whenever we want to travel overseas it is just sooo far away that it takes a full day of travelling to get to your destination. The long haul from Australia to Dubai at around 14 hours is not fun, particularly in cattle class (oops, economy) and one day we may splurge and buy business class. Having said that, this was our Best. Flight. Ever! No, we didn't get bumped up to business, but the plane was only half full so Brad and I had a full row (centre aisle - 4 seats) which meant we could stretch out. Brad will say that I took over half his side too and you know what...it's all true! Anyway, we at least managed to get some sleep for a change.

      Arrived in Cairo around lunchtime. Met up with some of our our group- meet the rest tomorrow. Staying at the Marriott in the downtown area of Cairo. Early night as we have a tour booked for the morning (separate from the group tour which doesn't officially start until tomorrow night.) No photos yet but Brad will be onto it from tomorrow.

      (PS. Thank you to those that have read my blog and made a comment. Can I ask that if you write a comment from the Find Penguins page, could you put your name as well because I have a couple of comments that I do not know who wrote them,)
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    • Day 19

      Arrived in Cairo

      October 10, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

      This will be a short entry, and I have no photos…Amr said he took some at dinner (we should have done one of the whole group). ..but Amr is now asleep, and I will be soon! But we have all arrived and assembled in Cairo. Our exit from Rome was one of the least painful through security ever, and it was an easy 3 hour flight. And arrival into Cairo was very different from memories of arriving even in 2006. They have been busy building and improving infrastructure, and the arrivals hall was modern and easy - not the zoo we remember in former trips. And a tour guide from Bunniks met us as we walked from the plane, (they are allowed inside!) and escorted us through the hoops, and then we were driven to this very beautiful hotel. All the Australian contingent arrived today too…one drama was that Robin lost her passport in Dubai…it was finally found on the plane, had fallen out of her bag, but meanwhile she couldn’t board the connecting flight…so kind Evie stayed as moral support, and when it was finally found they were put on the next flight to Cairo…phew…what an almost disaster…Sally and John, and Angela had gone on as planned…they are all knackered of course, but we met for dinner, and of course Omnia who is joining us for the tour! Peter and Louise arrived yesterday to give themselves a day to adjust! Tomorrow is a day at the pyramids- Giza and Sakkara…so should have lost of photos and more info.Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Jazīrat az Zamālik, Jazirat az Zamalik, Gezira, Gezira Island, ‏الجزيرة, , Île de Gezira

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