Epilogue

Kim: The SS Sudan was awesome. I’d recommend this trip to anyone. The Mediterranean and the Red Sea were both beautiful. The pyramids were awe inspiring. The negatives: Summer temperatures in Africa, the constant tipping, days of diarrhea, and the flies all over our food in the Sinai.

Jon: Without a doubt, the best experience was sleeping on the sands between several palm trees, looking up at the stars before falling asleep. The cruise on the Sudan was also great; we were treated like royalty! Snorkeling over the reefs in Sharm el-Sheik was also a great experience. The coral and fish were very colorful. The constant tipping and bargaining for basic necessities does drive you crazy after a while. For a country that derives most of its income from tourism, the constant hassle from vendors and people expecting tips creates an environment where tourists leave with a bad impression of the country. How could you dislike a trip where you bring your wife back several pounds lighter than when she left!

Aerocontact was a great agency to work with. Hussein Fahti tried to work in all of our requests. The guides he supplied were very good. Our main guide Salma Kassem, was the best!

Sheik Mousa at the el-Milga Bedouin Camp set-up a good itinerary based on the time of year we were there. Our guide Ragab was very good.

Day 24 – Long Road Home

We got up for a breakfast of ham and cheese. We had not seen any pig meat since we left the States. Since the Muslims do not eat pork, bacon was really beef bacon and pulled pork sandwiches were pulled lamb. Mmmmm, pork – the Muslims do not know what they are missing!

Once in America, we tried to find the missing box. We met some helpful Delta baggage claim people who tried to find the box. It is now lost in some baggage claim area. Hopefully they will find it soon.

On the last flight, my back was hurting. We only had one seat per side. I loosened my seat belt and leaned over and put my head on the opposite seat. It wasn’t long before the co-pilot came back to see if I was OK. They thought I was sick or dead.

It is good to be home!

Day 23 – London Calling

We were sad to leave Egypt, but were looking forward to getting home. We have been traveling for over three weeks. We have seen so many things, that there is not much else to see!

London was a shock to the body. After 45°C or higher temperatures of Egypt, the 20°C temperatures of London seemed like the middle of winter. We even saw some rain. We have not seen rain in weeks!

We arrive in London after a long plane ride. We had booked a B&B several Tube (subway) stops towards town. We had a ten minute walk to the B&B. There were no signs out front. They had put a note on the door to call them if they didn’t answer the doorbell. We did not have a phone, so we had to go door to door to find someone who had a phone. I finally found a lady who would let me use her phone. When I entered the house, the same odor we smelled in the Red Pyramid greeted me (ammonia). There must have been thousands of cats peeing in that house or she must have had a severe bladder control issue.

After we checked-in, we went downtown. We had planned everything in Egypt, but didn’t really plan anything here. We knew we were getting in late and the sites would be closed or almost closed by the time we got there. We walked around Big Ben and Parliament. We found an old pub for dinner and drinks. They had four ales on pump-engines. I was able to get the two best before we left. They were very good. Kim was amazed to see the big smile on my face after each sip.

We had read about the walking tour for Jack the Ripper from London Walks. Jack the Ripper killed five women in just several months. Each new murder was more gruesome than the last. He usually took some part of the victim home as a trophy. Just as we got there, it started to rain. Luckily, it stopped right before the tour started. Our guide would take us to a sight that had something to do with a murder. As we walked through this part of London, we could see several other Jack the Ripper tours. Most sites, we had to wait or take a different spot because another group beat us to the site. He went through each murder as we walked through London. At the last site, he wanted to talk in a covered narrow alley. However, a homeless guy was sleeping in this spot. When we assembled in another spot, I asked if the homeless guy was victim six.

Day 22 – Long Ride to Cairo

Today was our last full day in Egypt. After breakfast, we loaded up the van and started the long journey to Cairo. We stopped in Marsa Matruh to see Cleopatra’s bath. There isn’t much left, but the tidal pools were nice to walk around.

We made a few stops in el Alamain to see the memorials to the WW II battles that were fought here.

Our driver, Magdey, gets a little goofy when he is tired. He has been singing and “acting” for the last half hour. In tight traffic situations, he has the appropriate amount of road rage. The Egyptians apparently use a lot of hand gestures. He zig-zags through the traffic like Mario Andretti. We would not want to drive here; it takes a lot of skill to navigate without any apparent rules. Before we left Alexandria, Magdey disconnected the device that limits his speed. He told Salma that he would fall asleep with boredom if he had to drive at 100 Km/hr. At some points, we were well over 150 Km/hr.

For our last supper, we went to the Hard Rock Café in the hotel. I promised Kim she could have a burger. It was good to have “American” food for a change. It is not that the food we had been eating was bad; it was good to have something that familiar.

Day 21 – Oracles and Oasis’s

Today we were to see the temples and springs of Siwa. The original settlement in the oasis was Aghurmi. A temple to Amun was built here by the Pharaohs. Alexander the Great visited this temple and was declared a Pharaoh by the priests (they knew how to keep their jobs!). A governor, a hundred or so years ago, decided that he needed the stone of this temple for his residence, so he blew-up the temple and carted off the stones. All that is left is a wall and some fragments. It looks like they are excavating the foundations.

We visited Cleopatra’s Spring. There were two springs. The smaller one was marked as her spring and did look old. The large spring was very deep and clear. There was a small boy swimming in the large spring. He would swim a little and then get out and jump back into the water. If we knew we only had one more sight to see, we would have also gone for a swim.

The last stop was the temple for the Oracle of Siwa. It was here that Alexander the Great consulted the Oracle. It is not known what was said, but it was supposed to have scared him. He came out with a different attitude than when he entered. Supposedly he was told of his death. With-in a year or so of the consultation, he was dead. There is not much left of the temple, but the locals have built their mud-brick houses near the temple. I also had a consultation with the Oracle. She said that I must be able to pick my wife up while standing on one leg. If I could not do it, I must get a new wife!

Salma took us to Old Shali. When the town in Aghurmi was attacked by Bedouin from Libya, the residents decided to build a fortress on top of a hill a few Kilometers away. The houses were made with mud bricks and salt chunks. It was a strong construction method for a place that doesn’t really see any rain. A few years ago, a few freak storms came and weakened the old houses. There is a local project that is trying to restore the old houses. We arrived long before sunset. Kim and Salma left to go shopping while I waited for the sun to set. I met a local teen who spoke good English. We talked for a half hour. He was telling me what it is like to live in Siwa and the changes over the last few years.

I met Kim and Salma on my way home through the market. I had given Kim a lot of money and hoped she hadn’t spent it all. Salma wasn’t helping much by telling her where the best jewelry shops were located. Luckily she didn’t really buy much jewelry!

Day 20 – Siwa Oasis

We awoke early to see the sun rising. When we arrived last night, it was dark and we could not see the area. The beach looked very nice. Kim wanted to take a walk, but there was a problem with the door’s lock last night and all we had was a latch. If both of us went out and the door shut, no one could get into the room. Kim loves to collect beach glass and was in a hurry to look for some. I sat up in the balcony to watch her while she went walking. I remember reading that it is never good for foreign women to walk alone. They could get molested or raped. After a while, I could not see Kim. I started to get concerned. About 40 minutes later, she comes walking into the apartment complex. She did not find any beach glass. Perhaps the Egyptians do not throw their trash out into the environment.

Salma recommended a beach for us to see. It is a valley that empties into the Mediterranean Sea. There were steep walls on either side. You could walk out on a ledge around the base of the cliffs. After we had a few pictures taken of us, people came up and wanted pictures with us. It was like we were movie stars. Salma explained that having your picture taken with foreigners is something to brag about. It shows your friends that you have acquaintances from around the world and that you can speak other languages besides Arabic.

We went back into Marsa Matruh to get Kim’s glasses fixed and to look for another bag. Kim has bought so much stuff, that we have filled our two suitcases and still have stuff leftover. Both Kim and I tried to blend in and look like locals. I think they could see we weren’t. After we hit the market, I spotted some olives. Salma helped me get a small bag for a snack. Whenever she gets a chance, Salma wants us to try local foods. There was a vendor selling a sugarcane drink. It is crushed sugarcane without added water. It looks like a grey, green drink served in a plastic bag. We were hesitant to try it, but it wasn’t bad. It took a few sips before you could get used to the flavor.

On the way to Siwa, we drove into a sand storm. It reminded us of a white-out in winter. It was one of the few times we saw our driver slow down. It didn’t last long, but it was interesting to see it.

We both slept on the way to Siwa and missed a lot of the desert. However, we were both awake when we drove into the depression. Siwa Oasis is situated in a large depression in the desert. This depression is below sea level. Siwa is at the bottom and the water pools in its lakes and springs. Thousands of years ago before there was a shift in the earth’s axis, all of northern Africa was a lush savanna. After the shift in the Earth’s axis, the savanna dried up and turned to desert.

Even though we had read about the size of Siwa, it was still amazing to see the size of the oasis. As we got into town, it was evident that this was not a typical tourist destination. Only in the core down-town location could you see tourist shops. Our hotel was the Siwa Safari Paradise Resort. It was situated down a dusty back alley. We thought that our driver had made a wrong turn. The signs out in front were dusty and faded. After our time in the Sinai, I was afraid that Kim would be very unhappy in anything other than a 5-star hotel. Once through the gate, my fears were gone. It was like a tropical paradise inside. Our room was not exactly swanky, but it was still nice. Since we were here during the off-season, the pool was closed. However, the manager said we could go in. It was refreshing and for two days we had a private pool.

Salma asked us if we wanted to go to a small café to watch the sun set. We were keen to get a few good pictures. It really wasn’t a typical café. There were some chairs and tables at the water’s edge. It was very beautiful.

Day 19 – Alexandria and the Mediterranean Coast

We were on our way to Alexandria very early, so we could have a full day here. Last time I was here, we only toured the catacombs and were dropped in a local market. At one point, we came across a truck hauling tomatoes. The driver said if you can grab some, they are yours. Our driver tried, but couldn’t get one. One of the passengers reached up and grabbed two and passed them to our driver. The driving here can still be daunting.

We started with a park and palace that belonged to the last king of Egypt, King Farouk. We could not tour his palace, because it is for the president and visiting dignitaries. The beaches were packed with locals. The beaches looked nice and I wish we would have had time for a swim.

We then went to the Library of Alexandria. Luckily Salma gave us some information before we went in for the tour. Our library guide only showed us the layout of the library and the library Web Site. I actually thing we may look at it when we get home.

Our next stop was Fort Qaitbey. It is supposed to be built on the foundations of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. An earthquake in antiquity brought down the lighthouse. It is another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. The museum that used to house the remains of Napoleon’s fleet that was destroyed by the British moved a few years ago. It would have been nice to see it.
























Our last stop was the Greco-Roman catacombs. Driving from the main road next to the beach to the catacombs was like navigating a crazy maze. Or a better analogy would be a drunken rat in a maze. We had no idea what direction we were going. The catacombs were tucked into a poor-looking residential area. In fact, we could not drive up the street to the catacombs, because a house had started to fall down and there was debris in the street. Once in the catacombs, we were led into several tombs. One was decorated with Egyptian gods and motifs. Even we recognized some of the mistakes that the artist made in representing some of the gods. The Greeks really didn’t know what the gods were and tried to make their version of how they should look.

We had an emergency on the way to Marsa Matruh. We got a flat tire. It took over an hour to get it changed and a replacement tire. Most of the time was bargaining for the tire. Our driver had to leave the facility several times before they settled on a price.

We were supposed to stay in Cairo tonight and then drive to Siwa tomorrow morning. It didn’t make sense, so Salma found a cheap summer flat for $20 a night. It is nothing special, but it will save us about six hours tomorrow morning. The woman that greeted us was very friendly; so many people along the way have asked us to think of them as family. She had picked us fresh flowers and supplied us with a bottle of Sprite and water. We are on the fifth floor and there is an elevator. However, it doesn’t work. As we started up the steps, it reminded me of the TV show, The Big Bang Theory. I suspect we are the only foreigners in this area. We are living like the locals who vacation in this area!

At the club/restaurant/non-alcoholic bar next door, there was very loud Arabic music blaring. We were hoping it would end so we could get some sleep. We had noticed that the locals like to stay awake very late. They do not drink alcohol, so Jon does not see the point of being out late!