Tourist mental notes are observations that are priceless, that stick with you long after the trip is over - sort of like a sweet aftertaste. So here goes my list of notes. Also, I've put down my list favourite things to do in Egypt at the bottom.
1. First impression of Cairo happens when you are about to land - The whole city looks like its being excavated from the sand. It looks ancient and reverent. Actually the ancientness of the land permeates through whole of Egypt and it feels special to see sights that are older than time itself.
2. Egypt is a well oiled tourist machinery.The moment you land, chances are you'll find yourself in the warm embrace of your tourist guide who'll not only pick you up from the airport but will also chaperon you around all the sites.Yes, they will even accompany you to the sound and light show, because for some reason, they think you are not capable of comprehending a sound and light show without their "insights."
Well you may think that you could do without a guided tour, but sorry, you'll go crying back to a tourist agency because the entire tourist machinery is so strong that it is quite difficult to get around without one.
3. Egyptians love football. You will see it and hear it everywhere and whenever Football is on, the former is way more important than you, the tourist. So if your tour guide disappears to see a match. Suck it!
4. Seeing Cairo brought me flashbacks of the "English Patient." Both, the book and the movie. When we visited the museum of antiquities, with its giant marble staircases, I could imagine the place being the capital of excitement thanks to all the excavations. Yeah those archaeologists really dug Egypt. (pun intended)
5. That ancient Egyptians obsessed over their afterlife clearly can be gleaned after your visit to the Great pyramids. Surely, anybody who spends 20 years to plan life after death, deserves to be called obsessive. We also learned that ancient Egyptians packed their tombs with gold, clothes and furniture. Yes, furniture!!
6. Egyptians love Indians. Atleast, they say they do or it might be a tactic to get your money by making you feel you're special because you're Indian. When they see you, their Pavlovian response is "Amitabh Bachan." I. Have. No. Idea. Why. Everywhere we went, when traders/cab drivers/policemen saw us, they said "Amitabh Bachan." I dunno what that dude did, but he has mesmerized them Egyptians and they actually do get mad when you tell them that Amitabh Bachan is Old. like really Old. and is peddling AAA batteries on TV.
7. They may love Indians but they love bargaining even more. and boy are they stellar at that or what. I thought I was the master bargainer, but Egyptian traders made me work so hard for every item, that at the end I would have given anything to not bargain. So here's how the S.O.P went:
First they'll quote you an outrageous price - this is primarily to see what your counter offer is. Then you haggle. Then they'll halt the proceedings by offering you tea. Then they ask you questions on awkward topics like dating scene in India and premarital sex while you're drinking tea. You choke on the aforementioned tea and nearly die. You contemplate that a 30 Egyptian pound scarf is not worth dying over and so you halt proceedings, tell the trader that you agree to his price and walk out. with a scalded tongue. and ego. and scarf.
8. NO scarf is worth dying over. One should never have an ego about things when one is bargaining. Helps you walk away easily. Biggest lesson learned.
9. Don't take a Negotiations class in B-school. Bargaining in a souk will teach you that
10. Egyptians hate miserly tippers. Everybody here expects a tip for something or the other. The bulk of my expense was spent in tips. So I pulled the student card and explained why I'm a miserly tipper. So now they hate students more than miserly tippers.
11. My favourite memory is hearing the call to prayers. Its a sound so reverent, that it makes you pause and reflect.
12. Egypt has so many sites and so much history but one gets the feeling that there is not much pride in that history. Most Egyptians view the Pharoanic sites as a part of their pagan history and have sadly distanced themselves from it, given that it goes against Islamic tenets.
13. My other favourite memory was cruising down the Nile, docking at villages, visiting magnificent, ancient ruins and getting a history lesson. As a history buff, there is no bigger treat than Egypt.
14. I still can't fathom how erudite and knowledgeable ancient Egyptians were to build the things that they did and to leave the legacy that they did. Makes you realise that the human race is capable of great things if it puts its mind to it.
15. The single biggest reason I love travel is the insight it provides into people's lives. By eating the food they eat, learning about the lives they lead, their pet peeves and must do's, you get an exquisite peek into a life that you may never lead, but one that sure looks like a lot of fun.
My Favourite Things to do in Egypt:
1. Climbing inside the great pyramid of Giza.
2. Seeing the Christian quarter of old Cairo. Cairo infact has numerous ancient churches and it was quite revealing to see both Islam and Christianity co-exist in Egypt.
3. Seeing the original copy of "The Psalms" at the Coptic museum. This was a seminal moment for me as the book of psalms is my favourite biblical text.
4. Drinking Mint Tea and eating Kusheri, a yummy rice dish at the 14th Century Khan-El-Khalili Souk Market.
5. Visiting the Aswan High dam in Aswan. The dam is a construction marvel.
6. Visiting the Philae temple behind the Aswan dam. The Temple was carefully restored, piece by piece, on an island, after the original site was submerged due to the building of the dam.
7. Cruising down the Nile and stopping at small villages to visit ancient ruins. My favourite site has to be the magnificent EDFU temple. My jaws dropped when I first saw the 140 mts high entrance.
8. The valley of the Kings in Luxor and the magnificent paintings inside the tombs, including king Tutan Khamen.
9. Exploring the huge site of the Karnak temple at Luxor. It was the most important temple in ancient times and is a must visit for everybody.
10. Bargaining in Egyptian souks - taking in the myriad colours and scents
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