Well, I am writing this so that indicates that I have survived my first full day in Egypt.
We organised through Tommy (see previous blog) a day trip to Saqqarah. Its the necropolis close to Cairo and has the first pyramid ever built; the Step Pyramid but I am getting ahead of myself.
We turn up to Tommy's office and confirm that we want to go to Saqqarah.. No worries he says. He is up on all the Aussie lingo to make us feel at home.
So off we go. Its was like pressing the Start button on "Crazy Taxi: The Game" Wisdom or a kindly, saintly voice advised both of us (Jo and me) to sit in the back seat. What happened in the next 20 mins must have scored us top points and bonuses as our driver deftly dodged donkeys, dogs, pedestrians (we noticed a distinct lack of traffic lights... EVERYWHERE), cars, motor cycles and everything else that found its way onto the bitumen. Calling them roads here is being totally unkind to dirt tracks back home.
We see a black and white car whizz from left to right in front of us, and then dodge it again as it abruptly stops for someone who seems hell bent on crossing the road. Our taxi picks up more speed and begins to perform the same manouvres. Left to right in front of the bus, then right to left to dodge the donkey, hit the brakes to swerve around the pedestrians (women and children) then ecselerates to make it around a truck before it swerves in front of us to avoid a car. I would have thought the constant yelling, squealing and stream of "Oh Nos" coming from his back seat may have alerted him to our distress. He turns and tells us that we don't need seat belts in the back seat (they are firmly locked into place) only in the front. 8-/
On the way to Saqqarah, he decides that we need to stop at a Papyrus Shop, a jewely shop, a carpet shop and a restaurant... hmmm.. Jo and I look at each other thinking the other has requested this. No, we haven't, I think the shop owners must belong to Tommy in some way shape or form!!
We dutifully go into each shop, look around and walk out. Thank you for the lovely stop over... can we go to Saqqarah now. Of course he says as he pulls into the next shop!
To cut a long story short, we actually did get to Saqqarah in the end, saw the Step Pyramid, got fleeced by some dude that put he filthy scarf on my head for a photo opportunity (all I could think of was the cooties that I was about to catch), took us around the inside of a pyramid pointing at a fish and saying, look fish! Our unofficial tour guide took 5LE off us before letting us out. Live and learn.
Rating for that trip: 8/10.
It was a really good day!
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