Reflecting on Egypt

We have wanted to visit Egypt and cruise the Nile for several years now. We got close just before the pandemic, but that put the trip on hold until 2023. In addition, there has always been instability in the region, many times centered on Egypt. This time we got within weeks of our trip when the Gaza War began on October 7th.

Initially we just kept our eyes on the situation to see where it would lead. As we all know it just got worse, so as we approached our trip we had to make a decision. Many trips were being cancelled and we were able to rebook our hotel rooms in Luxor and Cairo at lower rates. In the end we decided to go since the bulk of our trip was going to be several hundreds miles from Gaza, with only 2 1/2 days in Cairo. We hedged our bets there by hiring a driver rather than our original plan of using taxis or Uber/Careem.

Now that we’ve been, and spent 11 days in Egypt, we can tell you that we never once felt unsafe or threatened while there. People we met and interacted with were smiling and kind and very friendly. This despite some grinding poverty everywhere we traveled. But that experience only confirmed our choice to go there and spend freely. We also were glad to have made the choice to be on the Nour El Nil cruise since they only employ Egyptians and source food and supplies from villages along the way. So don’t be afraid, go to Egypt. Naturally be sensible as you would anywhere else, but don’t rule it out because it seems challenging.

Some fun and interesting things along the way follow below.

At the entrance to every historical site we visited a sign like the one below was posted. Every single blog we had read before our trip gave the advice to figure out what you wanted to see and that you must pay for every entrance fee in cash – absolutely no cards accepted.

So one of the first things we did on arrival was get cash at an ATM and lots of it. The reality was that every single ticket window had the most helpful person working at it and in no case was cash accepted – CARDS ONLY. So if you go, still figure out what you want to see so that you maximize your visit, but you can pay for entrance fees with cards. However, you’ll still want cash, in small bills, for the practice of baksheesh.

Baksheesh is the practice of tipping but dialed up. It seemed like everything was possible with a little baksheesh. In most cases it was so nominal that there was no reason to even fret about, just pay it. Especially when you realize the median income in Egypt is $258 per month. That LE50 in baksheesh (less than $2) is meaningful. So the LE100 I handed this fellow for his picture was well worth it.

Baksheesh played a large role in our visit to the Duty Free shop in the Luxor Airport. Imported liquor in Egypt is expensive when you can get it. There are no actual liquor stores, although liquor is available at hotels and resorts. But a mixed drink with imported vodka or gin was about $25-28 a drink. Imported wine was $100+ a bottle. On the other hand, Egyptian vodka (rumored to cause blindness!) was about $5 a drink which lead us to become acquainted with Mr. Khayyam.

At a very friendly price of about $8 per bottle, and honestly not as bad as you would expect. Don’t be afraid. Also the vodka blindness turned out not to be true, our friendly bartender, Ahmed, at the Hilton Luxor squashed that rumor for us.

Nevertheless, we wanted to bring our own vodka onboard the five day cruise and the only place you can buy it in Luxor is at the Egyptair Duty Free shop at the airport.

So back to the airport we went in order to pay a visit to the Duty Free shop. In order to get there we had to talk our way past the military police stationed at the doors, then get escorted through security and past a secret door into a corridor that opened out in front of the store. Our escort earned himself some baksheesh. We bought our Absolut for $15 a bottle (plus additional baksheesh for the sales person).

Seemed like a hassle at the time but it was all so worth it while sitting on the deck of the cruise with a delicious cocktail.

One morning the deck did double duty as a yoga studio via Zoom from an instructor in Gibraltar.

This was our cabin on the cruise. We were right at water level, with two windows that would open. You could sit there with your feet up on the windowsill and watch Egypt float by.

Who knew they grew bananas in Egypt? But they do! Over 1 million metric tons of bananas annually. They seemed smaller and a little starchier than the bananas we get in the U.S. but perhaps that was because they were organic. It was just surprising to see these growing in the desert environment albeit along the Nile.

Like in Cappodocia, balloons were rising early in the morning for a ride over the Nile. A beautiful sight from the ground!

Here is Mohammed our Egyptologist. He was with us at every cruise stop along our way up the Nile.

Cairo traffic was a beast, here it is at 9pm on a Monday night. Not as debilitating as Istanbul traffic (that will make you just give up), but still fierce. We learned that lanes are just a suggestion and that you need to figure out how to share the road with a variety of vehicles and people. It was alarming how frequently people were running across expressways. But wow was the energy is Cairo amazing, a very dynamic place that we hope to revisit!

This gentleman was taking inventory at the Egyptian Museum. Yes, with a pen and a ledger. Incredible.

Once again we were nearly in the news. None other than Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his entourage arrived at our hotel in Cairo just as we were heading out for a day of sightseeing.

We really hoped you enjoyed following along during our trip to Egypt, we certainly enjoyed the trip!

Mark your calendars for May 2024 when we return to this part of the world on our trip to Greece and Jordan. Until then, love and peace from Alex and Jeff.