Egyptian Dreams

[isisinacrisis]

I just discovered that my godmother is going to Egypt next year. Without me.

That woman shattered my dreams by doing this. She knew damn well I want-no, NEED, to go to Egypt asap. I dropped huge hints all the time. But no! She decides now to go with her friend instead! Not her god-daughter who has been with since birth! Who she has treated like an actual daughter, with all the love of a mother.

Everyone I know seems to have gone, or is going, to Egypt. Friends, acquaintances, relatives. Now the second-closest woman in my life other than my mum is going. And I'm the only one who's actually the most interested in Egypt out of all of them! She was never even remotely interested in Egypt in the beginning anyway!

She said she'd do anything for me. She said she'd take me to Egypt if she ever went. But now, she robbed me of my greatest wish, and I will never forgive her for it.

(And she'll probably think it is crap too, knowing her. She'll complain about the food, the heat, the people, the accommodation, the whole tourism industry there, even the antiquities themselves. She'll probably tell me it's not worth the expensive sum of money it will cost her to go. She'll discourage me from going, I'm sure. But I won't hear a word of it.)

</pms hijack>
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[Claire]

I know how you feel!! BELIEVE ME!!! everyone i no is goin... its not fair
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[xman]

If she would really react that way you're better not going with her. You'd just have a bad time trying to have a good time. When she tells you it's not worth it, say "thank-you" and that you'll incorporate that information into your future plans.

X
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[isisinacrisis]

I don't quite understand what you mean xman-I'd just be happy to go to Egypt, no matter who I'm with. So I think it would be worth it because I'd be happy no matter what!

And for the matter, this has now been resolved-she can't take me, but that's simply because it clashes with my university term.
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[kmt_sesh]

I'm the jonny-come-lately for this discussion, but I don't visit the Travel forum too often. I've never been to Egypt and so it's depressing to read about everyone else's adventures there.

Okay, that's not true. But seeing as how I've never been there, I don't think I have much to contribute in this particular forum, but I do drop in now and then.

Quite the bummer, isisinacrisis. And it seems like you are the one who gave your god-mother the idea to begin with. You would have been the ideal tour guide and companion for her, too. In fact, you probably would have made it a positive experience for her. I hope it works out for her in the end. Out of all of the many, many, many people who have told me of their trips to Egypt, not one ever regretted going. Not one had a negative experience worth mentioning. Well, there were the many cases of rectal rockets from drinking the water, but that's something you more or less expect to risk when visiting an underdeveloped country.

I'll tell you what everyone else has always told me, friend: one day, you will get to Egypt!
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[kennethhirst]

just read your letter,isisinacrisiss,and kmt-sesh,never been to( egypt) dont despare,you will get there and when you do it will open up an whole new world,i have been twice (lucky ME) but a word of advice for you get all the nessasery injections and take plenty of stomach pills,i took a trip on a falluca thats asmall boat with a sail i am sure you have seen pictures of them,well i was offered a cup of tea on board,that was ok,then he brought out the cups and saucers all very nice,the water was boiled the tea made and friendly chatted we away so then he took the cups leand over the side of the boat and proceeded to wash the cups in the nile,it was then i began to wonder how long have i got --dont go without going to see rameses temple at abu-simbel,if you take the nile cruise you will start at luxor sail to edfu horus temple then to komombo sobeks and haroies temple then onto ISIS temple at philea and then on to aswan to see the unfinished obolisk oo hatshepsut,from there as sugested take the plane to abu-simbel you can take the bus ithink it takes 4hours
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[kmt_sesh]

[Sesen]

Apparently 90% of travellers to Egypt get the Tut trotts but both Mum and I never had problems for the whole time.
Two of the best ways to avoid putting a dampener on your holiday.

Do not drink, brush your teeth or swallow any of the tap water. Only sealed bottled water. That includes fruit and veges that are washed in tap water, and drinks (ice cubes also) mixed with tap water.

And the the best piece of advice I read before going was to take handwipes and use them every time before you eat. Their money is filthy, everything is grimy so washing your hands before eating was easy to remember.

Both of my golden rules I let slip a little after the first month but by then I was used to the different food, climate etc. Still never felt sick at all.
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I enter as a hawk, I come out as a benu bird in the morning.-- Pert em-Hru, ch. 13

[kmt_sesh]

[Sesen]

Nope I never ate fresh (well what they call fresh, lol) anything from the street vendors just snack bars to take away with me. They are packaged and sealed.
I know that people really like to taste the street sellers delights as a way of experiencing the local culture, and thats great, but its the quickest way to the agony of the Luxor Leap (the loos that is, and god help anyone looking for a public toilet in a hurry ).

So I never ate the salads or any fruit I didn't peel myself (loads of oranges and bananas, and so very sweet), even if we were at a good hotel. At the markets there is also a great selection of nuts, something I go mad over and used to take bags of them with me alot when heading off somewhere. Yep I'm a nutter

One thing I was warned about too with buying fruit at the markets was the habit of the sellers injecting water (ie tap water) into the fruit to keep up the moisture levels in the hot sun and make the fruit look nice and fresh for longer. Aside from the tap water - the thought of some old needle.....

It seems that some of the ex-pats who live there do drink the tap water as their stomaches get accustomed to the chlorine over time but some still stick to bottled water - it is very cheap after all.
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Priestess of Hathor, Superior of the Harem of Min, dedicated to Maat, beloved of Seshat and Nekhbet.
I enter as a hawk, I come out as a benu bird in the morning.-- Pert em-Hru, ch. 13

[kennethhirst]

could not agree with you more SESEN
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[Osiris II]

One of the best investments I've ever made was the purchase of an incredible, small, water filter before one of my first trips to Egypt. As I say, it is very small and easy to pack. Every night, I would fill the basin in the bathroom with tap water, and using my filter, would suck up tap water and tranfer it to a plastic bottle I always had with me. Sucking up the tap water forced it through a filter before it was expelled into the bottle--so I had an unlimited supply of bottled water!
Using a bit of common sense is basic to helping the system get by with such a change in diet. I am always very careful to NEVER eat anything that has any type of liquid--soups, drinks with ice, etc. I avoid salads--lettuce is washed in tap water. Tea is o.k. The water is boiled.
I've never heard that about injecting water into fruit and veggies, sesen, but it seems correct--have to stop eating fruit there! I always thought things I could peel (bananas, oranges) were o.k.
I never get anything to eat from a street vendor. Some of the things look really good--but some of it looks like sure poison!
Of couse, the longer you are there the less the food adversly affects you. On my last trip I was ther over a month, and the last week could eat practically anything!
With a little common sense, it's quite easy to get along all right digestive-wise in Egypt.

[isisinacrisis]

I think it's because the bacteria in Egyptian water supplies is different to, say, the American or British water supplies (plus it's probably not as clean), I mean, even in places like Italy, believe it or not, even though it is probably more hygenic, the tap water can make you ill when you first arrive. I learnt this the hard way after drinking bottled water with ice when I was in Sorrento. Next day I was SICK...the evil 24 hour bug had struck. You do get used to it after the initial shock though...but washing dishes in the Nile! That's terrible...I've heard of some people who like to dip their toes and fingers in the Nile when on a cruise-I sure hope they wash their hands/feet afterwards! If I ever go to Egypt I'd bring one of those antibacterial gels that don't need to be washed off.
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<---Check out my av-I made it myself

[Sesen]

OsirisII wrote:

[Osiris II]

That was one of my main objectives too, sesen. To stop such unlimited use (and litter) of plastic bottles. I remember almost every place I went to see the gloriour ruins of an ancient society--I'd always see a litter of plastic bottles! It became a favorite joke--I could always tell something interesting was close by, there'd be bottles tossed around!