2005 Spring, Egypt tour

This is a story of delayed travels.

Spring back from Egypt I began to write travels, because things are off and write to the beginning of March. Watched quickly finished, computer suddenly wrong and reloading the results of the system, there is information in the drive c were all gone, I was depressed. Originally, I didn't mind then overridden, but the other day in a USB disk found an unfinished draft, think of or by reason of the memory to modify it, send it out.

2005 Spring, Egypt tour

New year's day just after I and my husband began planning the Spring Festival to go out and good fun for a few days.

Europe is too cold, too warm, after much deliberation, 2 month Egypt's climate is just right, neither hot nor cold, not to mention, there is a place where our longings. January 10, I excitedly to the travel service application, to think that because of the tsunami's sake, this article this is not a hot line was suddenly popular, the tour operators are called the quota is full. Really disappointed, I thought another place, KH travel agency called said, as I seek to Egypt Red Sea 8-day tour of three places, it is very nice, I immediately get to pay for the booking fee of $ 6000.

Next is getting ready for trip, check the weather information, search attractions, check the travel notes, purchase food, suitcases, etc, but a trivial matter, feeling very happy.

8 February, the year of the new year's Eve, after lunch, and I carry a 10-year-old daughter, on mystery and romantic trip to Egypt.

A total trip of eight days, the line for Nanjing-Shanghai-Doha-Cairo-Luxor-Hall all da (Red Sea) – Cairo – Doha — — Shanghai — — Nanjing.

Day 1 (8 February): Nanjing-Shanghai

The strict sense, this day is not a formal part of this journey, but there are travel, you will be one day.

We're casual entertainment, travel requires that all members of the tour to travel on the day of the 9 p.m. to arr. collection. This is going to drive to Shanghai, but considering the return to flight lasted more than ten hours, and then open three and a half hours by car to go home too tired, so take the Nanjing-Shanghai of the Intercity train to Shanghai railway station and then take the "Airport 5-wire" coach, arrived at the Pudong International Airport. To know the airport after the collection, we incorporated a row a total of 18 people, in addition to our family from Nanjing, there are 3 speaker from Wuxi, 3 bits from Suzhou, 9 participants from Shanghai, although they come from different cities, but the next few days, is very pleasant.

Day 2 (9 February): Shanghai-Doha-Cairo

At 0: 35 minutes, we travel by Qatar Airways flight of QR1889 (Airbus A330) took off from the Pudong International Airport, flight 11 hours, local time morning 6: 40 arrive in Qatar's capital Doha (Doha time than Beijing night 5 hours).

In connection with the linking of local tour guide there's something wrong, out of the airport customs, our silly after nearly an hour, only travel bus come meet us. We at Doha almost 3 hours of duration of stay, and casually feel at the downtown of the city of Doha.

Doha is a coastal city.

We first came to the town square, the Persian Gulf clear transparent sea laps coast, water stones visible, I can't help with your fingers dipped in a little water taste them, very salty, but no bitter taste. The square stands the 2006 15th Asian Games mascot--a cute goats. Next we have visited Qatar Royal tame Racecourse, camel market, journey also after the famous Peninsula television — very humble a 5, 6-story building.

14: 15 minutes, we again got on the plane from Doha to fly to Cairo, 3 and a half hours after the Cairo time 16: 40 arrive at Cairo airport (Cairo time than Doha late 1 hour later than 6 hours in Beijing).

A enter the Cairo downtown, we obviously felt here and the gap between China's modern metropolis, city planning disorder are not clean and tidy, the building is old. Road traffic is great, but this is a rare few car intact, traffic lights, pedestrian feel free to cross the road. 18: 30, we finally arrived at the collapse of the hotel, you can have a good rest.

Day 3 (10 February): Cairo

9: 00 am departure from the hotel, the first stop is Egypt National Museum.

Come to the Museum to see visitors have been queuing up a lot of teams, the team compared the orderly, approximately a quarter of an hour or so-it's your turn to us. Enter the Museum through 2 road inspection, I Pack within a CCM, Switzerland Saber almost gave me into trouble, it's good to see I compare attendant surface good, release, riddance. The Museum is to prohibit photography and camera, the camera can bring but not shooting, you cannot bring into the camera. Enter the Museum, thousands of years of history of ancient Egypt civilization spread before us, we wander in the time of the river and marvel at more than ten million rich and precious heritage library collection. Although tourism is Egypt's first major pillar industries, but in the face of tourists from China, their reception capacity is obviously still very inadequate. The Egyptian side guide standard really make people afraid to flattered, to say a few sentences full coherence of Chinese, she stumbled after a paragraph, all members of the tour are available at eyes watching her — she didn't understand!, we are more anxious, helpless, had to decide alone, the Museum's exhibits hurriedly Browse again. We are known as Egypt National Museum fragrance of sakaltutan scammon Pharaoh gold masks are galleries stay a long time, and also for tickets to visit the Royal mummies booth (tickets 70 EGP/half-human, students). Guided tours only give us two hours to visit the National Museum, so hurry, and not allowed in the Museum, we too late shexiang finely taste many exhibits, leaving a lot of regrets. I wanted to, if the stroke's seventh day when you have again returned to Cairo in extra time, we must go at once, but this will ultimately failed to materialize.

Lunch

In Cairo, a company called the "Palace" in the restaurant, this is our outing first eaten in a Chinese restaurant. After lunch we visit is located on the southern outskirts of Cairo West Highland, visit world-famous guisane pyramids and the Sphinx. The pyramids and the mysterious pyramid learning books, travel anterior slightly to do about the "homework" can have a more detailed understanding, here I do not more introduced. When I was in a journey of loess to see the history of mankind's greatest wonders, is there not a real sensation, they have many times in my imagination, but it seems I imagine there are a number distant. Daughter has never ever understand why the pyramids are on the album is so magnificent, but her eyes pyramid is grey yellow and sentimental.

Pyramid scenic from time to time Egypt people hold the camel from canvassing, however trap a lot of that is just the actual EGP is take a photograph of a El pounds, you ride on the camel took some photos, he asked for a few EGP.

These people seem to stretch the camel and illegal, from time to time by the tourist police. Distance of three large pyramid not far away there is a relatively high area, where you can take a panoramic view of the three pyramids. I am Mr. photos, a person came to Egypt, enthusiastically in Chinese say "Hello", and Mr. lovingly embraced and, before we respond to himself, he has quickly will own red Plaid Arab scarf solutions, Mr. obstinately and wrapped around the head request a photo, then Nadel smile claims a tip.

The next tour is located at Hough Raju pyramid to the East of the Temple of Shira Halffter, out of the Temple of Shira Halffter, full of the magic colors of Sphinx will appear in front of us.

As a result of many years of dust invasion and the sabotage, Sphinx of facial and body has a different degree of torn and damaged, but the wise eyes still meaningful staring at a distance, as if to portend something.

We will take the night train from 8: 00 to 7: 00 of Luxor, we went to the station.

I am very surprised that the station has no waiting room, all passengers waiting for the train on the platform, according to the local tour guide said that Egypt's train one or two hours are daily, my heart not by groaned. For the month of February, the temperature at night in Cairo or somewhat low, it is estimated that less than 10 ° c, we sat in on the platform of a small café, each person takes 7 EGP, can have a cup of hot tea and a large piece of chocolate. Fairly good luck, only on the day of the train was delayed for more than 10 minutes.

We take a sleeper car, box quite special, there is a small wash-basin, shop is away during the day, only two armchair and a small coffee table, night crew will help you release a spacious and comfortable next to the two shops.

Dinner is provided by the train, the conductor will distribute food to each box — some bad sandwich or something.

Day 4 (11 February): Luxor-Hall all da

At 4: 30 train crew is to call early, we are drifting up wash, hurriedly took the train to provide breakfast.

More than 5 points, the train arrives at the famous ancient Egypt-Luxor.

Day not too bright, the guide takes us to a hotel, hotel lobby, take a rest.

7: 30 or so, we set off to King Valley. Through the green of the Valley, we have entered a greenery "lonely valleys – King Valley. King Valley has unearthed the tomb of a total of 62, a famous figure of Mongolian King, Losartan card also passages. We visited the Valley of the Kings 3, Tomb, 3, Tomb similar, is a long walk to the tourist, Tomb in deep passages neither Center nor funerary, original endless treasure had been sacked, stand thief only by walk along the beautiful fresco, still attracts thousands of tourists ...

Leave the King Valley, we come to Al otsep Sudal Queen Temple – a city built by limestone and mosaic in great Cliff walls on three layer architecture.

17 November 1997, there has been a very scary scene, 58 foreign tourists to hostile Egypt religious armed personnel.

We're going to Karnak Temple on their way through the door and farmers in the midst of the idol, wilderness, two superior door Nong Idol sitting there alone, no other surrounding scenery, we spend ten minutes left a shadow.

To be honest, when I came to the Karnak Temple, the heart of awesome even more than to see the great pyramid.

That's one big towering over the gate, a hundred root base.more giant stone pillar, Rameses II of giant statues, by block of granite manufactured almost 30 metres high, otsep Sudal Queen Obelisk, and building walls and stone carved on a beautiful wall and so on, let me is amazing, the world's largest temple complex, it is three to four thousand years ago in ancient Egypt human wisdom and hard-working, and a knowledge of human design and construction of the greatest works.

On the morning of the last tour scenic Temple of Luxor, Luxor is the Temple of Karnak architectural style and is close to God, not only is the scale and the latter.

Lunch at the Hilton Hotel in Luxor, Egypt in the second piece of Chinese food, and also the trip the most authentic meal lunch, tastes very good.

The hotel is located in the Nile, the crystal-clear water of the Nile with eerie blue, who slowly cruise on the River pass to see the deck of the tourists comfortable lying on the beach chairs enjoying the afternoon sun, let me good health.

After lunch, we took the bus up to the Hall all seaside resorts.

After a night of tossing and morning train hard Lawton, everyone was very tired, drove out soon 昏昏 sleep. When I awoke, I found the car has been driven in the Hall all da seaside Boulevard. One way to see all the linhai resort, aquamarine, many different styles of beautiful small house in the Woods in the Green Woods, a pleasant sight. 5 o'clock in the afternoon, we finally arrived at the collapse of binMuseum-the Hilton long beach resort.

Day 5 (12 February): Hall all da (Red Sea, the eastern desert)

This day trip is free time.

Egypt in February are the coldest season of compares the cold water, not suitable for swimming or snorkeling, and other items, the group have decided or collective action, morning by glass boat Sea tourism browsable afternoon in-depth experience in the eastern desert Bedouin tribes wandering life.

9 am or so, we proceeded to board a beautiful cruise ships, cruise Visual differences with General cruise nothing, as part of the underwater hull, is to use transparent material.

Shipping line to the sea depths, tourists can batch next to the cabin, glass-like transparency of ornamental marine hull, bizarre coral reefs and colorful tropical fish, so the ship also called glass boat.

Return from the sea, in the town of a small restaurant simply used the lunch-Arab-style fast food, it is no taste, Miss lunch Ah.

After lunch we sail 3 Toyota off-road jeep, the depth to the vast desert. Along the way, one carrying his cameras of the Arabs have been sitting in a jeep on the top of our action filmed all the way. This is what journalists in the interview, but local tourism income-generating projects, the day after the end of the trip, they will put the system in good CDs to sell for you.

The road over a small sand dunes, the arrangements for a smooth, Sandy project.

Here's the very soft sand and very fine, we were down from the dunes, unhappy, even 50 or 60-year-old senior citizen also seems back to childhood. Some have experienced more than one hour by car, we came to a small village. There is no Tsarist aquatic plants, nor large vegetation, only a few rows of simple thatched House and a depth of 30 meters of water wells, look very bleak. The guide said in the depths of the desert, water will be inhabited by Bedouin, is living this way. We listen to the guide describes the Bedouin life habits, batch riding camels to not far away from the foot around in a circle, a group of local housewife look, try to do hands-on with camel dung for fuel burn a pie.

Desert temperatures really change fast, sunset fading, we feel a slight chill.

Local tour guides we participated in their fire party and then returns the gou, where we listen to, there is cold, windy, moonless uninhabited, case back on the road ... That is not afraid to think! we urging hastily took dinner — some roast meat, vegetables and just 10% of the slice of seared, quickly on the return journey.

Day 6 (2): Hall the da-Cairo

On the morning of this day remains the free time, we sleep didn't get up to 8 o'clock.

Had breakfast, along the garden path within the resort, we take a walk to the beach beach. Beach umbrella a handle handle wooden umbrellas, umbrella under arrange many beach chairs, perhaps too early, it is probably the water is too cold in the morning, there is little a beach bathers. Here the beach and not thin, but still the crystal-clear sea, there is no a little a little sediment mobilization, no debris, no wonder the phytoplankton in the Red Sea is known as the world's cleanest waters really lives up to its name. Daughter on the beach playing happily, sleep sleeping hammocks, playing swing, from time to time by reading about himself: "I'd like to go swimming, if able to swim. "Yeah, stand in such clear, so that the blue of the sea, to repress a into her embrace compulsion. However the sea really cool, I take off my shoes and bare feet into the sea, and the sea had just a touch.

11: 00 in the morning, we took a bus to leave the resort is ready to return to Cairo.

Car first by security staff escort not far from the resort to a place to stop, the guide said that Egypt Government to fully guarantee the security of foreign tourists, will send armed police escorts visitors to return to Cairo on the whole, therefore, all day from the Hall up to travel to Cairo team are here to set, and then set off together. These words are not even by me a few moments of tension. To noon 12: 00, large and small coaches gathered a total of 10 vehicles, charge ammunition armed police were two police cars, one car after driving a car, televised evinces a direction to Cairo. The Hall is about $ 670 kilometres from Cairo, highway Basic is the Red Sea Riviera and built on the right side of the road is enchanted by waving the moondown road on the left is the eastern desert, very long loess. This road is not sealed motorways, but because of the outback, in addition to our fleet, almost no past vehicle, so the speed remained at 100 km/h. After a 7-hour long bumpy, we finally arrived at 7: 00 arrive in Cairo, at this point we had a very solid feel. ，

We rush to lay down their luggage to the hotel, you immediately get to participate in the Nile River tour.

Night of the Sphinx and the day it is a world of difference, compared to the fascinating light covers the markets of messy, cruise gently along the Nile, the beauty of the Strait, we stood aside and enjoy a buffet dinner, enjoy a boat on the famous circle dance and belly dancing show. Charme of iguana are warm and intimate, inviting tourists tourists dance before. Some come from European countries and the participation of the visitors were relatively strong, but Asia's guests are introverted.

7 days (14 February): Cairo, Doha

This morning's tour destination is Saladin in Expatica • Ali mosque, in Egypt the last office visit.

Saladin have nearly a thousand years of history, the Castle has a military museum, mosques, Hele Palace and many other attractions worth visiting, Expatica • Ali mosque is one of the most famous one, temple roof with Egypt's highest Xuan Li Tower, there is a marble fountain in the courtyard, the temple has a giant chandelier and Nowrooz • Ali marble coffin, and so on.

Visit the finished

Expatica • Ali mosque is at noon, because of the way, almost no shopping opportunities, sightseeing are strongly requested to Khan • Khalili Bazaar purchase some souvenirs. Because in a hurry, only grudgingly agreed to guide our poor 20 minutes to shopping, we hurry to bak solicited some perfume bottle, a brass art plate and an Arab hand drum, was urged to leave.

Tour guides and drivers for fear the delayed flight, in the afternoon with a midday transformed let's eat lunch, together with the team's repeated insistence that they agreed to take us to the restaurant for lunch, let us eat in Egypt to the third piece of Chinese food.

Hurried out after lunch, we bid farewell to say goodbye to Egypt, Cairo, on a return journey.

Aircraft in Cairo time 15: 00 take-off from the airport, 2 hours and a half flight arrives at Doha. Doha Airport spent more than four hours later, we boarded the plane again to Shanghai direction. After eight hours of flying, February 14, 1: 00 p.m., the aircraft firmly landed at the airport. Sightseeing in airport friendly farewell, end 8 wonderful days trip to Egypt, their return to their home.

Friendly reminder:

As is with the group travel, travel on I didn't worry about, know that it was not much.

The following information may be on to Egypt's visitors have a little help.

Diet: a comparison of Chinese restaurant in Egypt, we exit after a total of only ate 3 good Chinese food, Western food other are buffet meal, train, airplane, box lunch and dinner.

Buffet on little white rice, usually fried rice, added some know what spices, strange is not good. The first two days we are able to deal with, then it is no appetite, straight regret not in the country take more delicious. Therefore, it is recommended that visitors gastrointestinal comparison critical to bring some at room temperature in the State of a saved vacuum packing of food, such as salted duck gizzard with chicken, beef, gravy, and so on. What's hot pickled mustard tuber is also indispensable, there are sightseeing with chilli sauce, is also very popular.

Appliances: the hotel does not provide hot drinks, like to drink hot tea for tourists to bring electric kettle.

Egypt's outlet is two feet round Sockets and domestic electrical plugs do not match, if you have more electrical appliances such as mobile phones, digital cameras, camcorders, etc. to charge it, preferably in advance from domestic supermarkets buy two power converter with, hotels although may borrow, compare costs and uncomplicated. I see the use of converters on JAPAN "to" SYSTEM, directly to the waiter.

Shopping: general feeling of souvenir production enough to Egypt, fake also.

For example some statuette or anything, and not with natural stone hand-carved, which is some kind of powder material worth. There are also so-called shell veneer crafts, nor is it really the shell veneer, but with a layer of the shell pattern paper later coloured varnish, purchase needed careful screening. Papyrus is relatively unique souvenirs, making beautiful pieces can be chosen. A piece of A4 paper size of papyrus art, in the shop price is around us $ 10-12, street hawkers Department takes only 1 dollar to buy, the price difference, production levels also vary greatly, the poor quality of papyrus art is not a hand-drawn and is printed, it looks quite rough. I'm a Houseware Nanjing shop also see Papyrus art sale, A4 paper size of a picture can buy 300 yuan (about $ 40), and even in Egypt's shop to buy it cheap and significance.

Climate: temperatures of 2 month Egypt generally more appropriate, we are located 6 — during a minimum temperature of 8 ° c, maximum temperature 17-20 ° c, a sweater and a heavy coat Basic can, desert noon hot just wear a shirt, sooner or later it is cold, the temperature difference is large.

Currency: guesthouse or bank dollar convertibility 5.8 EGP, multiple swap point EGP zero banknotes is very necessary, almost all of the washroom to accept tips, each a EGP or EGP.

In Luxor's Valley of the King, I saw many European tourists because there is no change and paid in euro per person for a tip. Egypt National Museum, the Royal mummies booth at the box office only EGP, want to visit for tourists it is best to be prepared well enough in advance of the EGP, a museum does not have Exchange Office, we were pretty rapidly, thanks to an unknown kind guide for-give us more than 200 only EGP resolve the problem.