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Express to Alexandria

Rob — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:33:21 +0000

Room 301 at the Metropole

Journey to Alexandria
Feeling smug about avoiding ground transport and taxis, we boarded the Metro for Mubarek and walked into Ramesses Station. King Hotel to platform in 35 mins, carrying light packs and handbags. Train itself took about 2hr 20mins to cover the 200+km, would have been hard to have been one of Napoleon’s troops doing this through the desert on foot. From Iskandreya station we walked down Danial to the beautiful Metropole Hotel, a total joy with fabulous breakfasts, elegant furniture, the antique and slightly vertigo inducing central lift, and our gold gilded room was fit for minor royalty. Everything in the marble bathroom worked, a first for Egypt.

Most time was spent aimlessly wandering, though we did get to the musty catacombs of Kom el shoqafa, Quaitby Fort and the splendid Bibliotheca. We loved Iskandreya, but the “faded glory” cafes in guide books are hopeless and overpriced, best to strike out and find your own.
The 2nd class express was comfortable good value at 29LE, but on our return journey the minor disaster was finding the ticket office in Cairo made a mistake with the date which we didn’t notice at the time, meaning we had to buy duplicates, this slightly took the edge off budget train travel. But got back to Cairo without hassles, we’d like to stay in Alexandria for days longer, weeks, months…

Abdul drives his taxi

Rob — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 08:09:11 +0000

ARRIVING IN CAIRO Wed 4 Feb
The Giza pyramids loomed up on our port side as we landed at Cairo airport joining a mass tourist haj that culminated when we finally reached the Giza site 4 days later. First experience of haggling and touts came with the effort to grab a taxi, finally set off with Abdul whose rate was 60le, a quarter the others. 60Le soon became 70 as we paid his parking fee leaving the airport. His beat-up Peugot local taxi tore through the traffic, rather hairy as the door didn’t close properly, only one ragged seat belt in front. And he was on his mobile phone and giving us a simultaneous commentary, not looking at the traffic.

Traffic lane markings are only there for decoration. Red lights are merely a suggestion to stop in this city of 18 million, most of whom seem to be pedestrians dodging across anywhere.
The King Hotel’s glory days are far behind it. But we like its breakfasts-the foul is delicious! Fava beans, fresh capsicum, tomato, cuke, lemon juice and spices-
and interesting location near markets and what appears a mysterious govt building with comings and goings all night. Another highlight is the watchdog sleeping in a depression on the roof of its owner’s blue car.
With an only slightly weary Barry and Suzanne we set off for our first Cairene walk, determined to beat jet lag by staying awake till dark at least. This took us first to the Opera, a magnificent newish building which far surpasses the Sydney Opera House…we bought tickets to a concert the following night, see later. Also, the great quest for a real cup of coffee was disappointed at the coffee shop here, our first experience of the great Egyptian rip-off, aka being “gypped”. Then on through the centre: Midan Tahrir where we lunched reasonably at the Felfela except the foul was terrible! Another fascinating street was Sharia 26 July in historic Zamalek, fun but ripped off paying five times the price for water, being desperately thirsty.

EGYPTIAN TRAFFIC RULES

Rob — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:17:22 +0000

This may help you when driving in Egypt:

Lane markings: there for decorative purposes only.
Horns: your car is equipped with a horn, so use it constantly.
Red light: You may stop, but only if you feel like it.
Drive on the right is the rule in Egypt, but is largely optional.
Seat belts: must be fastened at all times when approaching a police check point, then release immediately.
Headlights, when driving at night, turn on your headlights occasionally. But keep off most of the time to save power.
Pedestrians: pedestrians have right of way, except when run down and injured or killed.
Mobile phones: you have a mobile phone, so use it, especially when in difficult traffic conditions.
Accidents and collisions: these are an opportunity for a lengthy argument in the middle of the road, and you can legally create a traffic jam.
Taxis provide transport from A to B as well as death-defying thrills. It is not required that the taxi driver watch the road if he is pointing out sights.