I spent many hours on the 8th in the evening and 9th in the morning looking for some items

for my Uganda trip, should have brought my sleeping bag from the UK, not exactly a camping

nation here.

My flight to Cairo is fractionally more expensive but sonsiderably shorter than the train

ride. we are driven onto the tarmac and returned to wait in the boarding hall in Luxor due

to mitlitary training at the air port, delay almost 2 hours. I tidy up my luggage and get

rid of some brochures I was carrying. My luggage is only 11Kg and I am allowed to take it in

as hand luggage which means ofcourse that the pocket knife in the backpack and my deodorant

spray get confiscated but not 1.5 litre water!

I meet Karima who works for libyan tourism and lectures all over, a visit to an associate of

hers lands us in Ferohs hotel, rip off, annoyed with myself, they are relentlyss and no pity

for tired tourists.

In the morning although under some time pressure since I need stuff and want to see Cairo

museum we spent a few hours taxi shuttling from hotel to hotel and we settle her in

something 25% cheaper and nicer too. I felt I should help, without her I couldnt have found

all the things I needed in Cairo, including taking a minibus ride which was an experience in

itself.
I have bought sterile syringes, swimwear, waterless handwash, thick socks ( that I forgot to

bring despite reminders from Joseph).

I learn quite a bit about some of my trust issues, old wounds heal slowly if ever.

By now I am ready to leave Cairo, sick of the relentlessness of pace, beeping cars and

having to watch every interaction, you get so ripped off sometimes you can feel yourself

being skinned alive.

Taxis - white: metered generally newer, better driven and polite drivers. Black and white:

clapped out cars, sometimes even private cars, hard luck stories from the drivers, poorly

driven, at least 30% more expensive despite the mind-numbing haggling. Generally though

despite the busy traffic, taxis are qutie efficient form of transport. Sometimes I wish they

would get on with what they are supposed to do like take you to areas with lots of hotes

instead of their chatter and opinions.