Tuesday, July 10, 2007

when things go wrong

The girls have been here for two weeks and a bit now and the non beautiful highlights of the trip are

1)The girls arrived a day earlier then I had planned for and where stranded in luxor airport (which by the way is so much cheaper and you can fly directly from Manchester airport only takes 5hours)

2) The travel agent messed up my ticket changing my surname to HUSSEIN but I still managed to fly from Aswan to cairo as Nhussein domestic flight eh…am not sure how I feel about that, or how save these domestic flights are especially as people who are not who they claim to be can board, but I was grateful I made it to cairo.

3) A taxi driver tryed to drop us of on street corner in Cairo at 2am because we wouldn’t go to his overly priced hotel. His reasoning was that he was going home to his wife the little ******** and to his thinking it was okay to leave a group of females on a deserted street corner. I have never felt so angry in my life and the brother knows about it the little…..

4) Katrina, Asia and I where in a taxi when a man threw what looked like a piece of rubbish into Asia’s window. The girls start shouting at him when Asia unravels the piece of paper and we realise it’s his mobile number and name…MEN!

5)Katrina and Amina lost their digital cameras so we went to the police to report it, then the consulate only to be told they need 350 L.E to translate each statement and verify it. I wonder just how helpful they would be in a real emergency. Pathetic

6)Three of the girls got mild food poisoning (from a kofta sandwich), I stayed with them and we all missed Mount Sinai poor loves.

7) Some of us missed the train to Alex and had to catch the Superjet which although is rather luxurious simply doesn’t give you enough room, take the train every time.

8)In Luxor Sarah (aka newbie) called my name and within second the whole market was chanting my name…weird I tell you.

9) A group of the girls got locked in a hotel room, the handle broke and they where stranded. All this happened on our first night of arrive and the hotel staff had to break the handle and get the girls to throw down the key from the 7floor.

10) I had a mini breakdown in the first week where I walked of and left the girls in a market in Aswan because I couldn’t handle so many differing voice and the indecisions and simply taking so many into account. Talk about need to be reintroduced to society. I wondered around Aswan to re-centreJ

11) Beenish had her phone stolen 2hours before leaving for the airport!

5 comments:

NATIVE said...

phew that was a cardio work out!

Anonymous said...

Salaam Aliakom Nm How are your friends (your patients now) doing? Alf salamah insha-lalah.

Mount is always here the important thing is that you ladies are healthy and shouting when a danger (especially men’s danger.) :’)

Beware of where you eat in Cairo...
Several years ago I ate “Kofta” in decent restaurant and got dysentery.
It was awful experience. I guess it was mixed some kind of spice when making which is used to spice it up a little pit.

You don't want to get dysentery in Egypt. First you'll be treated as if you just have a case of regular "traveler’s diarrhea". After you are nearly dying of pain, then your doctor will realize it is something more...

and the most shocking part of the food poisoning nightmare is when you get sick in daylight... There are no doctors at the hospitals because most of the Egyptian doctors are professors at the universities or they a part time job too.
About the Taxi driver Egyptians are more into the people, in other words they are not task oriented.
Did your friend really got throw a paper with mobile number by the Egyptian man, damn I think you should ask the Egyptian embassy in London for apology?
About the camera and mobile, hmm well thank Allah that was it, you know things could rescaled sometimes till it gets worst
What a trip! Right?

Hey did you hear about the modern Seven Wonders of the World, well guess what, the Pyramids isn’t one of it! That is not fare because the Great Pyramids of Giza, is the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, and had already achieved wondrous status.
ps. If you complain about tight time and grabbing a bowl of “kosheri” or quick kofta sandwich is weird to you after what happen you may tray easy to cook “laxoox” sometime I can right down easy to follow steps. lol

Anonymous said...

My head is spinning once more at the events. I cannot believe that cab driver! One thing I can't stand is how aggressive vendors (and just about everyone) can be in Egypt.

Ever The Idealist said...

lol NM cant wait to hear these stories live from you. i want all the animation that goes with it too . see sat IA

NM said...

Tell me about it, but the fantastic moments have far outnumbered the no so lovely moment so alhamdulilah still loving the place and had a fantastic time...count down to "the return"