Two Day Whirlwind Tour (part 2)

The pool at the hotel was a definite bust as the bottom was dirty and we just weren't feeling it.  After a tiresome van ride, bogus shop tour and quicky museum trip, we just wanted to kick back Egyptian style.  Our tour guide had a hard time understanding that we wanted to see the nightlife and just hang out, but we ended up calling it a night after a dinner at the hotel.  We woke up early the next morning to a breakfast buffet where I had quite a few cups of coffee with some milk.  More on that later.  We headed straight to the Pyramids at Giza where we had a chance to ride some camels and even race a little bit.  The pyramids were definitely quite an awesome sight.  You really don't get to realize them in all their glory because of how fast the tour is and I guess it's safe to say that I'm still amazed that I even got to check them out.  I do have to admit though that it is a one time show.  I'm not going to be aching to go back anytime soon.  Maybe it was the heat or just the general mess but maybe with a bunch of other people on a 1 week Egyptian safari to Alexandria and the rest of the Nile might be worthwhile.  Here are a few pictures below.     

We also got to check out the Sphinx and we posed with some really provactive stances, but it all didn't work out because we lost a camera on the way home from Eilat to Tel Aviv later that week. 

After the Sphinx, we check out a Protestant Church, Jewish Temple and a Muslim Mosque.  Went to a jewelry store to check out some Egyptian gold, headed to some cotton place and went to a place where they sell perfumes.  I started to get a light headache by the time we were all said and done in the perfume shop due to the overwhelming amount of aromas in the closed room. 

We caught some lunch at a Shawarma (gyro type thing) place alongside the road (I wouldn't recommend <-- more on that later) and then made out way to the last stop which was an open market plaza.  We got a quick chance to tour around but we ended up not buying anything.  I saw some great replica watches, but when it came down to it, I didn't think that I would wear anything.  We got back on the bus where I started to really feel dehydrated and sick and headed back to Eilat.  That night is when I just started hurting.  To say the least, I was on the toilet every other hour throughout the next few days.  =(  I couldn't pinpoint on whether it was the milk in the morning or the fastfood place that we dined at for lunch or maybe just the overall shock, but I didn't eat (or was scared to eat) for the following two days.  I couldn't even get myself to go snorkeling or diving in the Red Sea.  I just about called it quits.  I did get better on the day prior to us leaving as we stayed at the Hilton Queen of Sheeba Resort!  That was awesome. 

Two Day Whirlwind Tour (part 1)

Waking up at 5:00AM after a goodnight of just hanging out in a Cancun Spring Break like scene, we got ready and headed downstairs to a cab waiting to take us to the Israel / Egypt Border.  Once there, we proceeded to clear one side onto the other without any problem but once we were at the Egyptian side, our passports did not contain the proper visas to go to Cairo.  They sent us back in a midst of confusion, as we really couldn't communicate.  Walking back to the Israeli side, the guards called us back as the tour ambassador showed up with the proper papers to process us through.  I got a cool looking Egyptian Visa, boarded up a minivan like vehicle and took off.  It was the three of us, Bobby, Donna and myself along with our bus driver, and a personal guard strapped with a H&K Full Automatic MP5. 

The 5 hour journey began.  I couldn't sleep for most of the ride due to the weak suspension of the vehicle coupled with the badly paved roads, but eventually we ended up meeting our tour guide at the Egyptian Museum in Downtown Cairo.  There really wasn't that much to see as we crossed the Sinai Peninsula.  Just barren desert, random construction sites as grand canyon like geography.

We had a good lunch and got to know our personal tour guide asking him a handful of questions.  We then proceeded to the Egyptian Museum where he loaded us up with knowledge of everything that was contained in that building.  It was albeit overwhelming / wrong timing especially after a 5 hour van ride.  Structuring it in a different order might have been better.  Also having us rush on the decision to take part in either a Dinner on the Nile River Cruise, Laser Light Show at the Pyramids or Camel riding at Sunset didn't go well with us.  We decided to not add anymore expenses to the already $360 tour + $60 for border crossing fee that we incurred earlier that morning and call it a night with dinner at the hotel.  It definitely wasn't a 4 star place as we were told but it would have to do.