Sunday 25/5 Cairo

We slept in a bit the next morning. We got our bags packed up and then waited downstairs on the comfy couches for the transfer bus to the re-alocated joining hotel, the Swiss Inn hotel.

On the bus we met a few Top Deck people also going from our hotel to the other, and some coming straight from the airport. Did some chatting, made some friends. When we arrived at the hotel, we put our stuff down and then took a walk with two girls who were on the bus with us, to go find some lunch (any form of food) down the street. What the hotel made up in niceties and comfort, it lacked in location. Nothing to be found for about 20 minutes walking one way and then back again.

We eventually decided just to go to the hotel restaurant and pay that bit extra, and get some food. The food wasnt bad. We all had lasagne (before hearing that we should be wary of pasta because of how much water it contains!).

We settled back up in the room for a couple hours to clear our camera cards and charge electrical equipment, and then headed down to the tour briefing at about 8pm. Our specific tour group has 12 people although we join the other groups for most of the tour. The mix is a few singles, few couples, Australians, Kiwis, Canadians and American.

Our tour leaders name is Rafik, Egyption-born but whos been living between there and Australia over the last 17 or so years. Half of his time he does this tour leader thing and the other half he works as a pilot for some charter companies and Egypt Air. Very cool (arent all pilots?).

Rafik gave us some info sheets and a run-down of the itinerary plus all the important info about the culture and the people (as in: how to deal with taxis, people on the street trying to sell stuff, currencies, etc). He also warned us about the water here which is heavily chlorinated and so it could upset peoples digestion. There was a list of nasty gastro symptoms concerning the worst-case reactions to it. He said to avoid pasta and lettuce as they are both washed in tap water, and that if you are fine after a couple days then you probably wont have a problem. He also said he usually got about 20% of his tour group getting ill from the water during the tour!

Afterward the meeting Rafik took us all to find an ATM and a shop where we could grab provisions for the next day. When we got back we headed up to the room, packed our backpacks and went to sleep.