# 10 days in Egypt-- Really Impressed !!



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I went to Egypt early this month ( August 2 - 12 ) and was very impressed. I stayed with 3 Egyptian families -- 4 days in Cairo, 3 days in Aswan, and 3 days in Luxor . Egyptians are super friendly people. Of course there are many historical and cultural sites to visit, but I found the most impressive thing in Egypt is the friendliness of its people.

My flight from Kuala Lumpur to Cairo was delayed ..


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I traveled with my Egyptian friend ( he has a driver ) from Cairo to Giza to visit Sakarra Museum. This is the pic taken on the way


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

Is that you in the photo or some random person? Indeed, Arab people are very friendly. Sometimes I ask myself, are the people from my country that friendly?


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

More pictures to come !! Wait..


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

This is a common sight of Egypt-- Papyrus trees lining its streets.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Me in front of the Grand Pyramid-- Khufu-- there are more than 100 pyramids in Egypt but this Khufu ( situated in Giza , 20 km West of central Cairo ) is the largest


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

More to come..


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

The road connecting 3 great pyramids in Giza. 









You can clearly see the 3 great pyramids from this location









Ha ha ha-- but a bit scary-- pay LE 30 ( 20 ringgit ) for a 10-minute ride..









With Mr. Ismail.. the camel owner.. don't look at how he dressed-- his English is perfect !!









Climbing down the Pyramids towards El-Giza , the 3rd largest city in Egypt.









On the way from Giza to Cairo. 









While waiting for taxi I saw this signboard.. Nasr City is the place where most of Cairo's elites live... 









Sixs Star Shopping Mall Cairo -- this pic was taken at 2:00 a.m ( Midnight !!) but you see the crowwwwds !! One surprising fact about Egypt is that most people stay awake and go out at midnight !!









Cairo Metro-- at Hosni Mubarak Station. Very cheap-- 75 piastras per trip. Me and my Egyptian friend Muhammad are bound for Helwan...









Me standing in front of the Nile. The more closer you get to the Nile River, the temperature drops. That's why Egyptian population is concentrated along the river.









6th October bridge-- the longest bridge in the Middle East ???!!









Ramses Square , Cairo. Its the downtown.









That's my dinner-- prepared by my host family. I stayed with them for 3 nights but they don't want their pictures exposed.. Egyptian love Macaroni. Tonight we have Macaroni + Grilled beef + Lubia ( Egyptian-style curry-- sooo tasty ) + Salad ( Tomato and Cucumber are the MUST )


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

*CAIRO to ASWAN by bus --*

On Day 4 I traveled to Aswan by bus. The journey takes 17 hours. Very excellent service.









30 minutes after leaving Cairo. A typical Egyptian highway









We are crossing through the desert









Interesting scenery on the highway 150 km south of Cairo









Cairo Toll gates









The bus made a stop in Hurghada for dinner. There is a waiter in a restaurant who is very interested to know about foreigners and we took our pictures together-









Me in front of the bus to Aswan.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

*in ASWAN*









Upon arrival in Aswan my Egyptian friend Muhammad Sarwat pick me up at the bus terminal. His mom cook this typical Egyptian breakfast for me.. Bread and Falafel .. yummy yummy... 









Abul Hawa mountain in Aswan 









Me with Egyptian friend Muhammad Sarwat in front of Tarbiyah Mosque Aswan









In the afternoon we went to Abul Haul Mountain to visit the Temples of the Nobles.. you can see River Nile and the whole city of Aswan. Temperature is veryyy high-- 44 degrees.. so I always have to use umbrella. 









Muhammad Sarwat --I stayed in his house for 2 nights and we have become very good friends.











From fellouca I saw the famous Aga Khan Temple.









Muhammad Sarwat and I traveled 30 km south to Aswan High Dam, one of the 7 Wonders of the World.


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

Egyptian food looks delicious.


----------



## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Nice thread, most people that travelled to egypt that I came across loved it.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

to Very Controversial,

Yes that's me on the pictures. It took me hours to think whether to expose myselv out but then finally ive made the right decision..

And yes Egyptian food is soo tasty.. especially if you travel faraway from Cairo. Most Egyptian dish are dry, with no sauce or gravy, but still very tasty especially ta'miyah ( falafel )

to Virtual

Yes, of course it seems that all Egyptians have been prepared to receive tourists-- most Egyptians speak English --not a broken slang of English but a perfect one .


----------



## samba_man (Dec 26, 2004)

Great pics...In fact Egypt is an awesome country with lots of history !


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

A small bush in Aswan










With Muhammad Sarwat's mother and sister in Aswan-- they prepared everything and I really enjoyed staying with them for 2 nights.


----------



## IU (Apr 8, 2006)

Nice pictures man,seems you had a lotta fun travelling through Egypt and living with the locals.Did you go to Egypt alone??


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Oh, hi Indiansunite !! Yes, Egyptians in general are very kind-hearted people and yes, I traveled to Egypt alone ( even I cannot speak Arabic ) . I prefer to travel alone because I could have more opportunity to mingle with the locals. Egypt is a very safe country; also within Egyptian society it's culturally a taboo to commit any crime .

The big problem in Egypt is dehydration. Please take note ! In Malaysia (hot and humid ) I usually take 2 litres of water in an ordinary day but in Egypt, you need at least 10 litres !! You will feel thirsty in just 10 minutes after you had a glass of water . So drink plenty of water :cheers:


----------



## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

Great tour , very awesome and interesting and thanks for sharing , more please ! Egypt is indeed an old and magic country , The Giza area is attractive , the Great Pyramids in particular !


----------



## IU (Apr 8, 2006)

> Oh, hi Indiansunite !! Yes, Egyptians in general are very kind-hearted people and yes, I traveled to Egypt alone ( even I cannot speak Arabic ) . I prefer to travel alone because I could have more opportunity to mingle with the locals. Egypt is a very safe country; also within Egyptian society it's culturally a taboo to commit any crime .
> 
> The big problem in Egypt is dehydration. Please take note ! In Malaysia (hot and humid ) I usually take 2 litres of water in an ordinary day but in Egypt, you need at least 10 litres !! You will feel thirsty in just 10 minutes after you had a glass of water . So drink plenty of water



So how did Egypt come to your mind?My parents would never let me travel alone. :gaah: Did you already know someone(Muhammed etc) in Egypt from before or was all the housing decided when you reached Egypt?


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> Great tour , very awesome and interesting and thanks for sharing , more please ! Egypt is indeed an old and magic country , The Giza area is attractive , the Great Pyramids in particular !


Ha ha thanks buddy , but the most wonderful place in Egypt is ASWAN, 900km south of Cairo. There are plenty to do there, and it's very quiet and easier to move around than any other Egyptian towns. But one thing-- Egypt is not as cheap as you might think. A comparison with Malaysia-- price of goods in Egypt is 20% higher. For example a can of Pepsi in Egypt ( LE 2-- 1.5 Ringgit ), bus fare Cairo-Aswan (LE 90--65 Ringgit ).


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> *by Indiansunite*
> So how did Egypt come to your mind?My parents would never let me travel alone. Did you already know someone(Muhammed etc) in Egypt from before or was all the housing decided when you reached Egypt?


I met my Egyptian fren Muhammad in the internet chat. Since then I added him to my Yahoo Messenger and he said hey why don't you come over to Egypt ? He's from Cairo, and then he asked his uncles and aunties in Luxor and Aswan to let me stay in their homes  

And I'm fortunate maybe to have easygoing parents


----------



## IU (Apr 8, 2006)

Skyprince said:


> I met my Egyptian fren Muhammad in the internet chat. Since then I added him to my Yahoo Messenger and he said hey why don't you come over to Egypt ? He's from Cairo, and then he asked his uncles and aunties in Luxor and Aswan to let me stay in their homes


Thats really cool



> And I'm fortunate maybe to have easygoing parents


My parents would allow me to travel to India or England where we know people and relatives alone.But travelling to a country cos i befriended someone and that too in an internet chatroom would be a strict no :nono: .My dad would be laughin at me if I asked him if I can travel alone to some place like Egypt.

Your just one lucky guy!

Cheers :cheers:


----------



## 123hdc (Jun 10, 2006)

that is very nice


----------



## tuga14 (Jul 26, 2006)

nicekay:


----------



## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Ha ha thanks buddy , but the most wonderful place in Egypt is ASWAN, 900km south of Cairo. There are plenty to do there, and it's very quiet and easier to move around than any other Egyptian towns. But one thing-- Egypt is not as cheap as you might think. A comparison with Malaysia-- price of goods in Egypt is 20% higher. For example a can of Pepsi in Egypt ( LE 2-- 1.5 Ringgit ), bus fare Cairo-Aswan (LE 90--65 Ringgit ).


 Hi guy, thanks for your warm reply ! Although I had been to both Egypt and Malaysia , IMO , I do not think the prices in K.L. are cheaper than in Cairo - perhaps I only stolled in the downtown . Have you been back Malaysia or still travel to the rest parts of the globe ? Surely you would take some amazing pics , Sharing with the forumers is really pleasant ! Looking forward to enjoying the pics !


----------



## Giorgio (Oct 9, 2004)

can you climb the pyramid?


----------



## JustHorace (Dec 17, 2005)

How old are you anyway, Skyprince? Just curious since you look too young to travel alone. Anyway, nice pictures. I, for sure, would love to go to Egypt someday!


----------



## TYW (Sep 11, 2002)

Great pics, Skyprince!!

Egypt looks interesting. Would love to have a visit if i can...


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

cosmoManila said:


> How old are you anyway, Skyprince? Just curious since you look too young to travel alone. Anyway, nice pictures. I, for sure, would love to go to Egypt someday!


I also wanted to ask the same thing but i forgot.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> *by Cmoonflyer*
> Hi guy, thanks for your warm reply ! Although I had been to both Egypt and Malaysia , IMO , I do not think the prices in K.L. are cheaper than in Cairo - perhaps I only stolled in the downtown . Have you been back Malaysia or still travel to the rest parts of the globe ? Surely you would take some amazing pics , Sharing with the forumers is really pleasant ! Looking forward to enjoying the pics !


Cmoon, I'm back in Malaysia , in fact I returned with only 30 Ringgit in hands.. my budget was very very tight and I had to save a lot during my stay in Egypt as I only brought approx. 800 ringgit to be spent there. I didn't do shopping, travel by Al-Arabiyya ( cheap microbus ) as much as I could, eat in the street stalls etc. Mmm.. KL is a bit cheaper than Cairo.. e.g. in KL you can find good-quality sandals at 10 Ringgit but in Egypt the cheapest might be 20 Ringgit. The same goes for transportation, food etc. but only accommodation is a lil bit cheaper. Where have you been in Egypt ? 



> *by Giorgos*
> can you climb the pyramid?


Of course you can. There are 110 pyramids in Egypt, but the biggest 3 pyramids + The Sphinx are located in Giza, 20 km from Cairo. You can get into the pyramids too, but you have to pay 35 LE. To ride on the camel, you need another 30 LE. Very cheap I think 




> *by Cosmo Manila*
> How old are you anyway, Skyprince? Just curious since you look too young to travel alone. Anyway, nice pictures. I, for sure, would love to go to Egypt someday!


In fact one Slovenian couple and another Dutch couple inside the train also said the same thing... "you look so young to travel alone" ...anyway I'm 21 y.old .


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

Are you working or your parents paid for the trip?


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I use my scholarship money  I've made a lot of savings ( 3 years ) to make this trip.


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

^^ Lucky rich guy. Middle East is a great place. I believe that the Middle East is underrated.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Im not a rich guy.. I love backpack so I have to save a lot of money for several years.


----------



## _Gaucho__ (May 21, 2006)

Wow amazing pics ! It seems that you'll never forget this trip . I so want to go to Egypt one day , it's a very unique country with a lot of history of one of the most successful empires on world's history !


----------



## Effer (Jun 9, 2005)

Very nice pictures!


----------



## CrazyCanuck (Oct 9, 2004)

Egypt does look amazing, those are some awesome pics. You do look rather young, I thought you were maybe 13-14, but if you are 21 then traveling that fra would be ok.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> *by Crazy Canuck *You do look rather young, I thought you were maybe 13-14, but if you are 21 then traveling that fra would be ok.


I also wonder why all my foreign frens told me the same.. Egypt is the 3rd country I've visited in the Middle East after Oman and UAE and I love them very very much ! Next will be Yemen


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

So your goal is to visit all of the countries in the ME?


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Yea i'm looking 4 it, Yemen will be next, followed by Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi, and Oman again. Having travelled to all continents across the globe In my opinion ME is the best place to visit , Arab people know a lot about different cultures and their hospitality is unbeatable.


----------



## Very Controversial (Dec 4, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Yea i'm looking 4 it, *Yemen* will be next, followed by Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi, and Oman again. Having travelled to all continents across the globe In my opinion ME is the best place to visit , Arab people know a lot about different cultures and their hospitality is unbeatable.


Middle East is a great place. Take many photos of Yemen so we can see the hidden beauty of this nation.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Hey hey hey... more pictures..


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

It's me !


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

River Nile seen from Le Meridien Hotel, Luxor.









Me in Karnak Temple, Luxor









Karnak Temple, Luxor


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I stayed for 3 nights with my host-family in Luxor. They breed donkeys !!


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Egypt is really a wonderful mixture of East and West. It is located in the middle of 3 continents -- Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Talk to any Egyptians and you will be surprised they know everything about your country.


----------



## alsen (Jan 20, 2006)

nice pictures, dude.

btw,hg nampak lebih kurus lah.asal tak ajak.teringin nak p sana.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Ha ha ha actually Im on a diet. 

Next Feb. I plan to cover Oman and Yemen, so if you are interested... why dont u join me ?


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

You see, I got serious sunburn after returning from Egypt !

I had been using SK-2 Facial Cleansing Gel, Facial Whitie Wash for almost a year.. but all destroyed by the 10-days spent in Egypt :gaah:


----------



## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

Lol !


----------



## alsen (Jan 20, 2006)

Skyprince said:


> Next Feb. I plan to cover Oman and Yemen, so if you are interested... why dont u join me ?


wow,i'd love to but i have so many thing to do lah.恥ずかしいけど、免許を取らなきゃ.
btw,thx


----------



## SEAfan (Feb 13, 2006)

Thank you, Skyprince!  That was a beautiful way to share your trip with us.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> Thank you, Skyprince! That was a beautiful way to share your trip with us.


Oh yes, I think Egypt is very special because its the country that produced the greatest Scientists and Mathematicians in the past. 

Education is a very high priority in Egyptian society, and Egypt has many scientists, researches, etc. the highest number of professionals per capita in the Arab world. But frankly saying, Egyptian people want to industrialize and to become first world society but their leadership has done nothing to improve Egyptian economy.


----------



## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Oh yes, I think Egypt is very special because its the country that produced the greatest Scientists and Mathematicians in the past.
> 
> Education is a very high priority in Egyptian society, and Egypt has many scientists, researches, etc. the highest number of professionals per capita in the Arab world. But frankly saying, Egyptian people want to industrialize and to become first world society but their leadership has done nothing to improve Egyptian economy.


Nothing? Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak possesses high prestige in the world , I think he is a great and wise leader !


----------



## ahmed007 (Jul 10, 2006)

:rofl:


cmoonflyer said:


> Nothing? Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak possesses high prestige in the world , I think he is a great and wise leader !


i think he is old and need to retire.:rofl:


----------



## forrestcat (Apr 21, 2006)

Nice pics skyprince, I felt like I was there.

My mom went to Egypt to promote UniKL there and got an Indonesian student from Al-Azhar Uni as guide.She says Egypt is a wonderful country with wonderful people.She says not to think all Egyptians are religious due to their conservative clothing,but they are actually very open,my mom's guide who's from Al-Azhar Universeven took her to a belly dance dinner :| .My mom says she'd return to Egypy as a rel tourist instead on an off station job,and hopefully I'll follow along.The only negative thing about Egypt is the drivers and the traffic there which is like a roller coaster ride.

BTW Skyprince,how do u get to stay with locals? Is it a home stay program or did u know alot of Egyptian friends?


----------



## ahmed007 (Jul 10, 2006)

*is you serious*



forrestcat said:


> my mom's guide who's from Al-Azhar Universeven took her to a belly dance dinner


is you serious, in arab culture that is very bad news, thats just like trying to cheat god or something. thats like a monk with 10 girlfriends in islam. thats why most arabs don't like egyptians they are nice only to tourists, i was their for 3 years and they used to throw tomatos at africans because they are dark skined, they are cheater and thats why all other arab nations don't like them.


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> is you serious, in arab culture that is very bad news, thats just like trying to cheat god or something. thats like a monk with 10 girlfriends in islam. thats why most arabs don't like egyptians they are nice only to tourists, i was their for 3 years and they used to throw tomatos at africans because they are dark skined, they are cheater and thats why all other arab nations don't like them.


Hey Sudanese guy ! Are you from Khartoum ? Well, responding to your comment don`t forget about the fact that 10% Egyptians are Christians, and their culture is not similar to Muslims. And I dont think Egyptians discriminate Africans; I met lots of Sudanese guys on the streets and they said they like Egypt very much and plan to move there.




> BTW Skyprince,how do u get to stay with locals? Is it a home stay program or did u know alot of Egyptian friends?


I have an Egyptian penpal whom I met in the chat and he asked me to come and stay in his home in Cairo. Then he sent me to his aunt`s homes in Luxor and Aswan where I spent the rest of my trip/ 




> Nothing? Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak possesses high prestige in the world , I think he is a great and wise leader !


Egyptian economy has stagnated since he took power in 1981 and per-capita income slipped resulted in mass poverty and healthcare issues. 

That`s why Mahathir Mohammad is sooo famous among Egyptians. Both Mahathir and Mubarak took power in 1981; Mahathir brings his country up while Mubarak impoverished his people.


----------



## F-ian (Oct 29, 2005)

Nice! BTW you need to eat More! ^^


----------



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

> Nice! BTW you need to eat More!


Whaaaaaaaat ?? I think average Malaysians are underweight like me.


----------

