So the 0550 wakeup call was entirely too early today. After a big breakfast we piled back onto our bus and headed to the Cairo airport to catch another flight. The whole airport process was relatively painless and the flight to Sharm El Sheikh was only about an hour.
Sharm El Sheikh is part of Egypt but located in Asia. It’s a Mediterranean feeling here and evidently it’s a large tourist area for Russians and the British in addition to the Middle Easterners. While it’s a nice area, the day started out with a little disappointment. Our hotel was supposed to be a beachside Marriott Resort but it turns out that there are two Marriott hotels and one is across the street from the beach… guess which one we were booked in…..
So the inconvenience of not being on the beach wasn’t the only trouble… we had been booked in the very last building in the back of the resort and the accommodations were not quite up to expectations. After a day of shopping the junk shops and some pool time the hotel did move us to decent rooms. After moving I got cleaned up and headed out to dinner at an Italian place over on the beach.
That was about it for the day,,, tomorrow is going to be a beach day and then we are headed out on the bus for Mount Sinai around 10:00 at night to hike to the top and see the sunrise and St. Catherine’s Monastery. I’m not so sure about that whole deal but since this will be my only chance to do all of that stuff I’ll go with the flow. I’m still loving Egypt and the people
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Cairo - Day 2
Ok,,, the 0600 wake-up call came entirely too early. I was exhausted but here I am and I’ll deal with being tired once I return to Djibouti. Another huge breakfast at the Marriott with most anything a person could want. Back to the bus and off we went again.
The first stop of the day was the Citadel which was a city fortress. It also contains Mohammad Ali’s mosque. I got tricked into a photo opportunity by the Tourism Police who invited me behind some ropes and then of course the smile and extended hand to accept a tip came out….. I had to laugh again and gave up a couple of bucks. Evidently the incomes of Egyptians are not all that great so it appears they make the best of every opportunity to make a dollar or pound or other currency.
Back on the road we went and headed from Cairo to Giza, a short commute. Seeing the pyramids was a great experience and going into one was something to remember as well. There really wasn’t much to it but I can check that box that I’ve done it now. So three pyramids, a camel ride and seeing the Sphinx was another good portion of the day.
From the pyramids we went to a typical open-air Egyptian restaurant that was much like a tapas restaurant with several small plates and flat bread and then half of a char grilled rotisserie chicken. The food was good and I have been trying local flavors and enjoying them… I even ate beets at lunch and some meat and rice thing in a grape leaf. I’m not certain I’d order them again but they were interesting.
We were supposed to go to a coffee/tea house for an afternoon tea but I looked at my watch and told the tour guide we needed to get to the Museum of Antiquities instead of stopping for coffee. Our person from Camp told the tour guide and I’m not so sure the tour guide was happy since it appears there is a pretty good kick-back plan going on here. Anyway, we skipped the coffee/tea and got to the Museum and had about two hours there. Most of King Tut’s artifacts were on display as well as a lot of other artifacts. It was like an Indiana Jones/Mummy day but in real life instead of the Hollywood big screen version.
After getting back I found myself back at the pool/fitness center complex then met up with Taylor for some quick shopping then a bite to eat for dinner. Now I was all ready to sit down at the hotel and get something of a local flavor but T had it in his mind to go out and get something American…. So where do we end up???? One of my least favorite restaurants, which can be attributed to Pearl Harbor incidents, Chili’s. I have to say that place is garbage even in Egypt. I won’t be eating that garbage again while on vacation when there are different things to try… I need a little more adventure than a chain restaurant.
So that takes us up to midnight. I’ve finished packing since tomorrow is another early wakeup. Heading to the airport for an early flight around 0900 to Sharm el Sheik in the Southern Sinai area on the Red Sea. I know everyone has been concerned about me over in this deployment but don’t be worried, I’m managing to get by. There’s a great breeze out on my 16th floor balcony overlooking the Nile and a constant stream of traffic 24 hours a day and a constant honking of horns,,,, like it helps that traffic to blow the horn. I’ll enjoy this beautiful weather because I know this time next week I’ll be sweating buckets in my DCU’s again.
The first stop of the day was the Citadel which was a city fortress. It also contains Mohammad Ali’s mosque. I got tricked into a photo opportunity by the Tourism Police who invited me behind some ropes and then of course the smile and extended hand to accept a tip came out….. I had to laugh again and gave up a couple of bucks. Evidently the incomes of Egyptians are not all that great so it appears they make the best of every opportunity to make a dollar or pound or other currency.
Back on the road we went and headed from Cairo to Giza, a short commute. Seeing the pyramids was a great experience and going into one was something to remember as well. There really wasn’t much to it but I can check that box that I’ve done it now. So three pyramids, a camel ride and seeing the Sphinx was another good portion of the day.
From the pyramids we went to a typical open-air Egyptian restaurant that was much like a tapas restaurant with several small plates and flat bread and then half of a char grilled rotisserie chicken. The food was good and I have been trying local flavors and enjoying them… I even ate beets at lunch and some meat and rice thing in a grape leaf. I’m not certain I’d order them again but they were interesting.
We were supposed to go to a coffee/tea house for an afternoon tea but I looked at my watch and told the tour guide we needed to get to the Museum of Antiquities instead of stopping for coffee. Our person from Camp told the tour guide and I’m not so sure the tour guide was happy since it appears there is a pretty good kick-back plan going on here. Anyway, we skipped the coffee/tea and got to the Museum and had about two hours there. Most of King Tut’s artifacts were on display as well as a lot of other artifacts. It was like an Indiana Jones/Mummy day but in real life instead of the Hollywood big screen version.
After getting back I found myself back at the pool/fitness center complex then met up with Taylor for some quick shopping then a bite to eat for dinner. Now I was all ready to sit down at the hotel and get something of a local flavor but T had it in his mind to go out and get something American…. So where do we end up???? One of my least favorite restaurants, which can be attributed to Pearl Harbor incidents, Chili’s. I have to say that place is garbage even in Egypt. I won’t be eating that garbage again while on vacation when there are different things to try… I need a little more adventure than a chain restaurant.
So that takes us up to midnight. I’ve finished packing since tomorrow is another early wakeup. Heading to the airport for an early flight around 0900 to Sharm el Sheik in the Southern Sinai area on the Red Sea. I know everyone has been concerned about me over in this deployment but don’t be worried, I’m managing to get by. There’s a great breeze out on my 16th floor balcony overlooking the Nile and a constant stream of traffic 24 hours a day and a constant honking of horns,,,, like it helps that traffic to blow the horn. I’ll enjoy this beautiful weather because I know this time next week I’ll be sweating buckets in my DCU’s again.
Cairo
Ok,,, the 0600 wake-up call came entirely too early. I was exhausted but here I am and I’ll deal with being tired once I return to Djibouti. Another huge breakfast at the Marriott with most anything a person could want. Back to the bus and off we went again.
The first stop of the day was the Citadel which was a city fortress. It also contains Mohammad Ali’s mosque. I got tricked into a photo opportunity by the Tourism Police who invited me behind some ropes and then of course the smile and extended hand to accept a tip came out….. I had to laugh again and gave up a couple of bucks. Evidently the incomes of Egyptians are not all that great so it appears they make the best of every opportunity to make a dollar or pound or other currency.
Back on the road we went and headed from Cairo to Giza, a short commute. Seeing the pyramids was a great experience and going into one was something to remember as well. There really wasn’t much to it but I can check that box that I’ve done it now. So three pyramids, a camel ride and seeing the Sphinx was another good portion of the day.
From the pyramids we went to a typical open-air Egyptian restaurant that was much like a tapas restaurant with several small plates and flat bread and then half of a char grilled rotisserie chicken. The food was good and I have been trying local flavors and enjoying them… I even ate beets at lunch and some meat and rice thing in a grape leaf. I’m not certain I’d order them again but they were interesting.
We were supposed to go to a coffee/tea house for an afternoon tea but I looked at my watch and told the tour guide we needed to get to the Museum of Antiquities instead of stopping for coffee. Our person from Camp told the tour guide and I’m not so sure the tour guide was happy since it appears there is a pretty good kick-back plan going on here. Anyway, we skipped the coffee/tea and got to the Museum and had about two hours there. Most of King Tut’s artifacts were on display as well as a lot of other artifacts. It was like an Indiana Jones/Mummy day but in real life instead of the Hollywood big screen version.
After getting back I found myself back at the pool/fitness center complex then met up with Taylor for some quick shopping then a bite to eat for dinner. Now I was all ready to sit down at the hotel and get something of a local flavor but T had it in his mind to go out and get something American…. So where do we end up???? One of my least favorite restaurants, which can be attributed to Pearl Harbor incidents, Chili’s. I have to say that place is garbage even in Egypt. I won’t be eating that garbage again while on vacation when there are different things to try… I need a little more adventure than a chain restaurant.
So that takes us up to midnight. I’ve finished packing since tomorrow is another early wakeup. Heading to the airport for an early flight around 0900 to Sharm el Sheik in the Southern Sinai area on the Red Sea. I know everyone has been concerned about me over in this deployment but don’t be worried, I’m managing to get by. There’s a great breeze out on my 16th floor balcony overlooking the Nile and a constant stream of traffic 24 hours a day and a constant honking of horns,,,, like it helps that traffic to blow the horn. I’ll enjoy this beautiful weather because I know this time next week I’ll be sweating buckets in my DCU’s again.
The first stop of the day was the Citadel which was a city fortress. It also contains Mohammad Ali’s mosque. I got tricked into a photo opportunity by the Tourism Police who invited me behind some ropes and then of course the smile and extended hand to accept a tip came out….. I had to laugh again and gave up a couple of bucks. Evidently the incomes of Egyptians are not all that great so it appears they make the best of every opportunity to make a dollar or pound or other currency.
Back on the road we went and headed from Cairo to Giza, a short commute. Seeing the pyramids was a great experience and going into one was something to remember as well. There really wasn’t much to it but I can check that box that I’ve done it now. So three pyramids, a camel ride and seeing the Sphinx was another good portion of the day.
From the pyramids we went to a typical open-air Egyptian restaurant that was much like a tapas restaurant with several small plates and flat bread and then half of a char grilled rotisserie chicken. The food was good and I have been trying local flavors and enjoying them… I even ate beets at lunch and some meat and rice thing in a grape leaf. I’m not certain I’d order them again but they were interesting.
We were supposed to go to a coffee/tea house for an afternoon tea but I looked at my watch and told the tour guide we needed to get to the Museum of Antiquities instead of stopping for coffee. Our person from Camp told the tour guide and I’m not so sure the tour guide was happy since it appears there is a pretty good kick-back plan going on here. Anyway, we skipped the coffee/tea and got to the Museum and had about two hours there. Most of King Tut’s artifacts were on display as well as a lot of other artifacts. It was like an Indiana Jones/Mummy day but in real life instead of the Hollywood big screen version.
After getting back I found myself back at the pool/fitness center complex then met up with Taylor for some quick shopping then a bite to eat for dinner. Now I was all ready to sit down at the hotel and get something of a local flavor but T had it in his mind to go out and get something American…. So where do we end up???? One of my least favorite restaurants, which can be attributed to Pearl Harbor incidents, Chili’s. I have to say that place is garbage even in Egypt. I won’t be eating that garbage again while on vacation when there are different things to try… I need a little more adventure than a chain restaurant.
So that takes us up to midnight. I’ve finished packing since tomorrow is another early wakeup. Heading to the airport for an early flight around 0900 to Sharm el Sheik in the Southern Sinai area on the Red Sea. I know everyone has been concerned about me over in this deployment but don’t be worried, I’m managing to get by. There’s a great breeze out on my 16th floor balcony overlooking the Nile and a constant stream of traffic 24 hours a day and a constant honking of horns,,,, like it helps that traffic to blow the horn. I’ll enjoy this beautiful weather because I know this time next week I’ll be sweating buckets in my DCU’s again.
Made it to Cairo
So we rolled into to Cairo on Monday morning and got taken to the hotel. We had a little while to get settled so most of the folks went to shower or nap but I made my way to the pool and fitness center for a little sun and pool time after a late breakfast. After everyone had gotten settled and cleaned up we met and headed out into Cairo. Our first stop was the papyrus factory where I picked up a couple of pieces of Egyptian art.
The next stop was the Bazaar and that was an adventure. The tour guide told us we would only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to shop and you know that wasn’t enough time for anyone. So off I went with my battle buddy and we managed pretty well but ended up separated at one point halfway through the shopping. The salesmanship of the vendors is pretty good and I’m sure they’re used to hooking the tourists….. I enjoyed the haggling experience and spent too much but I had fun in the process of bargaining.
So evidently when you have bags demonstrating you are a purchaser the intensity of the sales pitches picks up. My second vendor even went as far as to walk me to his friend who had even “more special” stuff. I know I overpaid but it was a fun experience to do the shopping with the vendors who were just trying to make a living so it was worth paying too much for some souvenirs.
So the tour guide says 1 hour 15 minutes and you know that I’m pushing that to the last minute…. Big mistake! So I find the minaret of the Mosque and head back toward the bus where we’re supposed to be meeting. Of course in the process, I was getting molested all the way by vendors trying to make that sale before a customer escapes. Well I look at the bus and it starts pulling away… Please don’t ask what words got mouthed and I hope nobody could read my lips…. I did manage to catch them before they left.
The Security detail saw me and stopped the bus however it turns out the guides didn’t bother to do a head count. Needless to say head counts started after that. My roommate did note my absence and he told me that bus wasn’t leaving the area without me on it… Thanks Battle Buddy… I’m glad someone was paying attention.
The time at the Bazaar/Market was rushed because we had a dinner cruise to get to in the evening. So back to the hotel, a quick change and back out the door to dinner. In addition to our security detail there was another one there since the Prime Minister of Kenya was having dinner right next to us. As far as the dinner was I have to rank it as good for dinner cruise food. It was a variety of dishes on a salad type of bar for the first course with vegetables, hummus, and different salads and then the basic chicken, veal or fish for dinner choices. Dessert was something like a spumoni ice cream.
So after the main course was served, the boat headed down the Nile for the cruise and some nice views of the city and other boats. During the cruise there was a Turkish male dancer who I think actually may have been a whirling dirbish. After that there were a couple of belly dancers so the entertainment lasted until the boat returned. So after dinner we returned to the hotel which is a nice 5 star Marriott which the main part used to be a palace. Hit a couple of the shops and then the health club before racking out. I’m sure that the next day will come all too early at 0600.
To sum it up, I love Cairo and could actually see myself living here. The food is great, the weather is great and apart from the language barrier I can’t find much that I don’t like. The language barrier isn’t too terribly bad here in Cairo however since it’s such a tourist spot and they’re glad to take my American money or any other currency for that matter.
The next stop was the Bazaar and that was an adventure. The tour guide told us we would only have 1 hour and 15 minutes to shop and you know that wasn’t enough time for anyone. So off I went with my battle buddy and we managed pretty well but ended up separated at one point halfway through the shopping. The salesmanship of the vendors is pretty good and I’m sure they’re used to hooking the tourists….. I enjoyed the haggling experience and spent too much but I had fun in the process of bargaining.
So evidently when you have bags demonstrating you are a purchaser the intensity of the sales pitches picks up. My second vendor even went as far as to walk me to his friend who had even “more special” stuff. I know I overpaid but it was a fun experience to do the shopping with the vendors who were just trying to make a living so it was worth paying too much for some souvenirs.
So the tour guide says 1 hour 15 minutes and you know that I’m pushing that to the last minute…. Big mistake! So I find the minaret of the Mosque and head back toward the bus where we’re supposed to be meeting. Of course in the process, I was getting molested all the way by vendors trying to make that sale before a customer escapes. Well I look at the bus and it starts pulling away… Please don’t ask what words got mouthed and I hope nobody could read my lips…. I did manage to catch them before they left.
The Security detail saw me and stopped the bus however it turns out the guides didn’t bother to do a head count. Needless to say head counts started after that. My roommate did note my absence and he told me that bus wasn’t leaving the area without me on it… Thanks Battle Buddy… I’m glad someone was paying attention.
The time at the Bazaar/Market was rushed because we had a dinner cruise to get to in the evening. So back to the hotel, a quick change and back out the door to dinner. In addition to our security detail there was another one there since the Prime Minister of Kenya was having dinner right next to us. As far as the dinner was I have to rank it as good for dinner cruise food. It was a variety of dishes on a salad type of bar for the first course with vegetables, hummus, and different salads and then the basic chicken, veal or fish for dinner choices. Dessert was something like a spumoni ice cream.
So after the main course was served, the boat headed down the Nile for the cruise and some nice views of the city and other boats. During the cruise there was a Turkish male dancer who I think actually may have been a whirling dirbish. After that there were a couple of belly dancers so the entertainment lasted until the boat returned. So after dinner we returned to the hotel which is a nice 5 star Marriott which the main part used to be a palace. Hit a couple of the shops and then the health club before racking out. I’m sure that the next day will come all too early at 0600.
To sum it up, I love Cairo and could actually see myself living here. The food is great, the weather is great and apart from the language barrier I can’t find much that I don’t like. The language barrier isn’t too terribly bad here in Cairo however since it’s such a tourist spot and they’re glad to take my American money or any other currency for that matter.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sitting in Dubai
Finally made it out of Djibouti and sitting in the airport. Had some middle eastern food and have no idea what it was,,, probably some kind of lamb and chicken but who knows.... Headed off to the Dubai Mall to kill some time before heading to Cairo. Pictures are on the page of the largest aquarium.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
It finally looked like Africa on Sunday
So on Sunday we loaded up and headed off toward Somalia. Before you get to Somalia there's an animal refuge that supports African wildlife. The refuge has baboons, ostrich, cheetahs, an eagle, a falcon, wild asses, gazelles, turtles, a zebra and some other cats.
The landscape is free from trash and looks more like I would expect the country to be. I never thought I'd be inclined to stick my hand in a cheetah's fence but they were like big housecats. It was good to get away from the base and see something a little more authentic over here.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Still behind on posting..
Last Friday we made it off base to the Kempenski for a night. It was a welcomed break from the routine and a good night to let off some frustration and eat some non-institutional food. Hopefully it'll happen again soon.... but the big rumor is that drinking out in Djibouti is now going to be prohibited,,, it'll be curious to see how well that instruction gets followed.
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