Egypt 1.0 -Arrival-

We arrived at airport around 12pm and there was a long queue for Egypt airline check in counter.

As usual, there were people who pretended they know the people in front and jumped queue. Jumping queue is their way of life?

The Egyptian guy in front of me started to act friendly, not typical for their kind to start a conversation with an Asian male. I was bored so I started to talk trash with him but I knew he was not of good intention.

These guys are going back for Raya thus they bring a lot of stuffs. After few minutes of chatting, the fox started to show its tail. He begged me to carry a bag for him. NAH! Not in my entire life better be careful than be sorry.

He was checking in the counter next to mine, I read the weight of his bags were 52KG and that's 22KG of excess weight. Officially, it’s Dhs50 per KG, and for 22KG that is Dhs1100.

His luggage weight didn't surprise me but he started to argue with the counter staff that it shouldn't be that expensive. Shouting and arguing are part of their life?

He succeeded as the airline staff agreed to lower the penalty to dhs300. Written laws and regulation doesn't seem to be "effective" for these people.

The flight was full as expected, but I didn't expect to see passengers bringing in five feet tall plants into the cabin. Those plants are way over the acceptable size for hand luggage. Is there a set of rules for these people and another set for us?

Those weren’t my concern after all, as I am not sitting beside those plants but I am amazed by these people ignorance of the rules.

We were sited in the central rows, in front of us there were two babies which cried almost none stop for the whole journey. Eight of us were well prepared indeed; Ipods, Mp3 players, Gameboy and PSP saved the day for us.

There were some strong smelly feet perfumes coming from a seat behind us, for the whole flight we have to endure these smelly feet. Maybe he/she was getting us ready for Egypt smell.

Then out of the blue come an idiot, he started to play his broken sounds hand phone sound loudly. The bad song continues for few minutes, and then a guy on the other side shouted at him in Arabic. Argument erupted in Arabic (not sure what were they fighting over but I guess is over the music). 5minutes later, things calm down and the music stopped.

I took all my dissatisfactions of the flight as lessons to prepare me for the real Egypt. When I thought I am ready for Egypt then come another free lesson, the Food! Air foods are usually edible but this really tops all the bad food I ever took.

The chicken was hard and cold, the bread as well and the only stuff that pass through my digesting system is the Juice box drink.

After 3.5hours flight, we touched down at Cairo International Airport at 5.30pm (Egypt time) and proceed to immigration. There was a Visa Counter but as to my knowledge, Msian & Hong Kong do not need a visa to enter Egypt.

No harm in asking, so I asked the visa counter guy and he told me all nationality need visa. We didn't believe him, so I called Jess (for she just been to Egypt last mth) but she didn't answer the call.

So Lian sms-ed our tour guide S0oha and she replied yes. Since the visa counter guy and our tour guide also said we need a visa, we bought the visa for USD 15 each.

Right after we bought the visa, Jess called back and said we don't need to. Errrrrrr, bad timing! We passed through immigration without showing that VISA.

There go my first USD15 to Egypt, I have heard a lot of bad stories about Egypt from Lonely Planet, Online website and friends’ words but I didn’t expect to experience it so fast. No hard feelings at all because I am well prepared for it.

While waiting for our luggage with the packed crowds of happy homecoming citizen, I learn a lot about communication in Egypt. Men enjoy shouting, they can communicate with friends in the opposite corner 20 meters away through God given loud speakers regardless if there is anyone there.

Was it that they were too happy for coming home for Raya? Or maybe it’s their culture? Not for me to judge, I am just there to learn.

I was impressed with Cairo international airport. Cairo International Airport has a modern outlook, very contradicting with the shouting citizen and chaos queuing inside the immigration. We waited for our luggage from 6pm to 7pm, very long wait for an airport that only handle a single flight during that period. Maybe due to the Break-Fast (buka puasa) on 6pm that slowed down the unloading process, understandable la!

We got out from the arrival hall and there was this plump lady holding a card “Lillian”. LOL! It’s Lian who arranged the whole tour and the only knowledge I know about this tour is that we are going to Egypt, nothing more. I never read the itinerary, timing and etc, more like a blind tour for me.

Nothing did I know that S0oha is actually the CEO of the tour company we engaged. I didn’t know and I didn’t care, all I did was pay!

Egypt is one of the countries with the cheapest petrol, RM0.50 per litre but their cars are junks. Our tour van is alright but it’s a bit tight for 8 of us plus a driver and a fat tour guide.

In the van S0oha started to introduce Cairo as a city where you can see building of different era. From the brand new airport to 7000years old structures, in between there are buildings of different colonial times, British and French played a major part of Cairo development.

Then in the van, we paid S0oha, the extra 500euro x 8person = 4000 euro and adding the 10% advance 400euro we paid her, that’s 4400 euro. After she received our money, she started to be arrogant! Cheekily she teased Lillian, which she intended to cancel the tour after receiving so many enquiry emails from Lillian.

She is the most arrogant tour guide I ever met! Lian got her contact through internet not through friends’ recommendation so trusting a person we know through internet is stupid! Of because we would request as much information as possible before we paid the 10% deposit. For me, even the 10% is a gamble with so many conman lurking in the net.

What if there is no one to pick us up from airport? Then our holiday will be a very bad experience la! I don’t like her but I wont show her pix in my blog because she still need to cari makan LOL! But she the most knowledgeable tour guide among the five tour guides I had.
But since we met her, at least everything is okay. LOL!

According to s0oha, Cairo Airport located on the East Bank of Nile River (City of Life) and our Hotel, Sofitel Hotel on the West Bank (City of Death). In ancient Egypt, City of Life was where all the castles, schools, hospital and houses were, City of Death was where the Pyramids are build.

Sofitel Hotel is right next to the pyramid, so we will be able to see the Pyramid from our hotel. KEkeke, very excited le. But when reach our hotel around 7pm, its night so we didn’t mange to see the pyramid but with the ongoing Light & Sound Shows of the Pyramid going on, we still get a glimpse of it.

S0oha strongly discourage us from going out that night as she wanted us to be ready by 7am tomorrow morning. I understand her concern, as Cairo traffic are not for the weak hearted.

The hotel facilities are quite alright; it is a 5stars hotel as we have been advice by some “Yim Jim friends that anything less than 5stars are not “Stay able”!

There are many replicas of ancient relics inside the hotel but this chairs stand out the most. I didn’t bring my boots, if not I sure will tried out being “chat hai” on a pharaoh chair.

Lian burned her hand when she accidentally put her hand on this stupid lighting. Who would install such hot lighting on a table? Stylish? But dangerous la!


At the Le Sphinx Roof Top, a restaurant on roof top hotel. the Pyramid is visible... but only glimpse! Since is so dark!

Can see? The Pyramid between the Palm Tree and the Street light!

This is a clearer pix of the pyramid, from Sams0n l0r! The one holding the same weapon as mine E450 in the above pix!


We had our Dinner at Romeo & Juliet restaurant inside the hotel! Why does Egypt with incomparable history need to take an Italian name for a restaurant? Never the less we enjoyed our meal, pasta & pizza definitely better than any Arab food. Arab foods are always grill… grills… grillssssssssss! Very “Yit hei”!

First time using Egyptian Pound is not easy using different currency! One Egyptian Pound = 0.75 Dirhams = Ringgit Malaysia 0.60!

We had a good night sleep for the beds are super comfortable and we didn’t get enough rest inside the airplane with so many disturbances. Money$ well spend till this point!