Tag: Giza

Egypt, Audley Travel, 22 November to 2 December 2012, placeholder and links

It wasn’t our habit to take a short break this close to Christmas, so we must have been feeling a real need to get away from it all that autumn. We chose Egypt for that time of year, arranging a few days of cultural tourism in Cairo and then a week of R&R in Sahl Hasheesh, near Hurghada. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, politics rarely intervene in our holidays, but the day we flew out to Egypt, this happened. OK, the BBC was a bit melodramatic about it, but even the Grauniad reported it thus.

As our diplomatic guide explained it to us on arrival; “our president has said one or two things that have not gone down too well with some sections of our society. There might be some protests about this over the next few days.”

Occupancy was already down at the Mena House, where they took so kindly to our perseverance that we were upgraded to the Gustav V Adolf Suite on arrival.

Anyway, we enjoyed the benefits of the pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum with very few other tourists to interrupt our enjoyment, which made us feel big.

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Occupancy in Sahi Hasheesh was, if anything, worse (from the resort’s point of view), although at least the atmosphere was less nervous.

I have typed up the stories from this trip in the form of four or five short picture pieces – this one (click here or below) might be a good place to start:

A Short Visit To Egypt, Day One, Pyramids & Stuff, 23 November 2012

You can find the photographs (only about 40 of them) on Flickr here or below:

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Or if you prefer a little slideshow with soundtrack, the same pictures are on YouTube here or below:

Audley travel provide about 80 pages of itinerary and helpful notes – surely a record for any holiday, least of all a short break like this one:

Harris-Itinerary Egypt late 2012 Audley Travel

Audley provided same in a jolly nice ring binder.  My hand-written notes, barely decipherable and therefore perfectly safe in the public domain, are here:

Egypt 22 November to 2 December 2012 Notes

We had a great time in Egypt. It is such as shame that the tourist economy turned so sour, so rapidly for the locals.  We truly felt for them.

A Short Visit To Egypt, Day Three, Giza To Sahi Hasheesh (Near Hurghada), 25 November 2012



The context, summary and links for this short break are contained in the placeholder – click here or below:

Checking out

Here is my log for the third day:

Rise early for breakfast and departure to Hurghada. Event-free journey.

Orientation at Oberoi and arrived at our lovely villa in time for a snack lunch of calamari and kibbehs very nice.

We have a dish of biscuits etc. including some coconut macaroons was Ged doesn’t like. Daisy phones asks for future dishes to leave out coconut as Ged is allergic. Why?

We cannot book tennis court any earlier than 1900, so arranged late dinner in Saffron Indian restaurant.

Daisy does not enjoy floodlit tennis but we do both enjoy Indian meal of Bengal fish curry (nice perch) and chicken Tikka quite spicy but very tasty.

A Short Visit To Egypt, Day Two, The Egyptian Museum & Stuff, 24 November 2012



The context, summary and links for this short break are contained in the placeholder – click here or below:

Here is my log for the second day:

Rose early but Ged suspects will have to cancel trip to museum due to ongoing protests in Tahrir Square.

Light breakfast and a good news – Protest low-key in morning so no problem.

Have some more Hossam Ramzy music to accompany your read:

We see all the main highlights of museum and more – Tutankhamen moon and Akhenaten stuff highlights for us.

We were in a way very fortunate to be visiting the museum at this time. While there were evident signs of the afternoon/evening protests, our driver and guide were able to ferry us to and from the museum without any difficulty and the place was practically deserted, giving us untrammelled access to the wonders of that museum. Janie had been before and had been dreading the crowds a bit. She claims to have seen so much more on our visit as a result.

Comedy mislaying of Muhammad [our driver] (Ged’s fault). Delayed departure slightly but back nice and early for turkey/smoked beef toastie and some Casper/Jardan Du Nil white outside at Alfredos. Bit more atmosphere with a few people.

Time for R&R and amazing dinner at Moghul of Tandoori prawns, chicken Tikka in tomato gravy, yellow daal, pilao with peas and mushrooms and Nan – gift of kulfi and fond farewells to restaurant.

A Short Visit To Egypt, Day One, Pyramids & Stuff, 23 November 2012


The context, summary and links for this short break are contained in the placeholder – click here or below:

Here is my log for the first day:

We rose at eight to realise that someone has built a huge stone monstrosity right in front of our window in the hotel.

Ged was going to complain, as he had paid for a pyramid view, until Daisy explained that the “big eyesore”, as Ged put it, was the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Simple breakfast and then off touring with her guide Mohammed who shows us that Great Pyramid (Khuru) the other big fella (Khafre)…

…and the baby one (Mankaura) “de-de-durrrrr”…

…plus the Khafre temple and also the Sphinx.

Back to hotel sharpish – nice tip cheered driver and guide up.

Got bearings and took a snack lunch of chicken foccaccia and beer at Alfredos by the pool. Hotel almost empty.

Had a good afternoon nap and took dinner at the Moghul restaurant – tried prawns in rich ginger and garlic and coconut gravy, Lamb Rogan Josh, black lentils, pulao Kashmiri style and carrot halwa to finish – so good, we booked again for tomorrow. Tried Ayam white and then switched to Zaman/Jardin Du Nil.

A Short Visit To Egypt, Day Zero, The Journey And Arrival, 22 November 2012

The context, summary and links for this short break are contained in the placeholder – click here or below:

Egypt, Audley Travel, 22 November to 2 December 2012, placeholder and links

Here is my log for the journey and arrival day:

Rose at a civilised hour on Thursday – Ged [i.e. me] feeling a little worse for wear ahead of the journey.

Got through check-in and security at Heathrow terminal three in record time – our flight to Cairo is said to be half full and that middle of the day slot is quiet generally.

In the absence of business class, we sought a classy place to get some refreshment – especially as Egypt Air’s hospitality’s reputation is far from good.

We found Oriel & were nicely looked after there for a couple of hours. Daisy [Janie] had a couple of “glasses of” and a Caesar salad. Ged, feeling a bit ropey still, stuck with water, Diet Coke and eventually some smoked salmon and wine.

Event free flight – We did well to avoid the dreadful smelling food – apart from “Abu Fsai” in front of us and the big unit to our side.

Now’s the time to add some Egyptian music to enhance your reading experience – the great Hossam Ramzy:

We arrived on time, met by Ahmed who whizzed us through the Visa, immigration, baggage collection and customs processes.

Delighted to learn that we’ve been upgraded to a presidential suite on arrival – the King Gustav VI Adolf Suite.

After showering and sorting, took a late dinner of lentil soup followed by chicken kebab (Daisy) and lamb kofte (Ged) with local wine. Daisy like Zaman, Ged liked Jardin Du Nil. Read after trying Zaman first time round.

It was clear after just a few hours in Cairo that the place is “baksheesh central”, so Ged thought he should change some money after dinner at the Mena House’s 24 hours a day bank.

Strangely, the bank seem to be staffed solely by a security guard with very little English. He tried to explain that they had little English money until Ged emphasised with hand and cash waving that we sought small Egyptian money, not small English money.

At a painfully slow pace, our boy counted out our money, until, seemingly complete having counted it twice, he handed it downwards. A tip-toed lean across the counter revealed the actual cashier, who had been sleeping on the floor.

He rose slowly, bleary eyed. He asked in surly tones if we were absolutely sure we wanted all that small money and then counted it all again.

A little offering to the guard and cashier seem to cheer them both up.