Marlene and Wim left, I had packed our bags and a little later Hans got home together with Hafez, 30 minutes later we reached the airport. 

Hafez and Hans, waiting for boarding.

This time our hotel was situated in Heliopolis district, we staid at the Fairmont hotel, from the 28th u.i. 30th of October. Basem joined us later.

Day 1: Next morning we had breakfast together, the men were getting ready for business and I prepared myself for another trip again to visit some pyramids.
At the hotel reception I asked for a taxi, I liked it better than the tour guide the first time. They told the driver where to take me and I agreed about the price and off I went.

The taxi driver was a kind and friendly man and stopped everywhere I wanted to and brought me to the Pyramids of Cheops.

Once we got there there was another papyrus shop where they wanted me to come and look at the papyrus paintings. For sure there were some nice pieces, but I decided to buy anything again, I just wanted to spent my time visiting interesting places.

So they asked me whether I preferred to go by camel or horse. This came as a big surprise, I told them I wanted to go to the pyramids by car or foot, but they told me cars couldn’t come that far and by foot it was too far. They advised me to go by camel, as the camels were better and could go everywhere. I was hesitating, because I didn’t trust them, I knew they were trying to get money from me, as much as they possibly could.

They convinced me there was no other way to get there so I chose the camel. First I had to bargain as the owner of the camel was asking too much money, of course, but finally we got to an agreement. So I got on the back of the camel heading for the pyramids with the guide leading the camel by foot.

But after a while I asked him if he was going to walk the whole way, but he said that he was going to sit in front of me on the same camel….. ggrrrrrr. I didn’t like that at all, but at that stage, what could I do…

On our way to the pyramids there were horses standing waiting for customers, but these horses looked aweful, big wounds on their backs from the saddles and some of them so very, very skinny. The horse you see here is not even that much hurt as the ones I saw later. Tears almost came up in my eyes, it was so sad to see these poor animals with big, open wounds. I told my guide I was very shocked and he just simply said it was from the saddles….. Somehow I wanted to do something, but what?? Anyway I tried to push away the sad feelings, I knew I could not do anything about that.

             
                                        Pyramid of Cheops
    

I was very lucky, the light was really beautiful, and the pyramids were impressive. I stepped of the camel for a while to have a closer look, at the other side the camel was waiting for me to move further.

And this was ‘my’ camel, she was really sweet, she cuddled like a dog
   

After 1,5 hour we returned to the papyrus shop, where my taxidriver was waitingfor me. The other men, from the shop, persisted on trying to sell me apapyrus, but I convinced them I was not interested in buying, evenafter dropping the price a lot I told them I was not interested. But they really dropped the price a lot…
I became a bit irritated at the point where they kept on trying and Iinsisted to leave. Then the guide came back to me asking for a tip, Igave him like Aed 10/- and he said it was not enough, because the moneyI paid before was not for him, but for the owner of the camels. Then Ireally got angry, I pulled the money out of his hand and told him toleave.
The taxidriver saw my angry face and I told him to leave immediately.
Here in the picture is the big boss, looking so poor and sad, but he absolutely is not. He wanted me to take his picture and afterwards he asked me money for it, but I ignored him completely.

When we sat in the car the driver apologized, but I was really upset,because they were his friends and that is what they do with tourists inEgypt, they bring you to shops hoping that you will buy something andthey get commission out of that and I told him before I was notinterested in shops.
    

So we drove towards the City of the dead, along the way taking some photos of the area we were driving through. I had heard earlier it is allowed to drive through the suburb and I told the taxidriver to get me there. This time he told me he could bring me to a tomb where his friends are living, but that they do expect me to pay something, that was fine with me, after all this time he informed me and gave me a choice.   

A very friendly lady, who lived in the tomb of a wealthy Italian family, showed me around, unfortunately communication was not possible, she only spoke arabic. It was unbelievable, living on and next to graves…

Next he brought me to Khan El Khalili, I had been there the first time in August, but I didn’t see all of it, so I went back to walk a different route.

I spent about two hours strolling through the narrow streets of Khan El Khalili and the taxidriver drove me back to the hotel in Heliopolis. Before we started I agreed about a price with the driver, but I gave him some tip and he was not satisfied with the tip either. That really p….. me off and I took it back from him too. I was so fed up with these people. Specially because I booked this taxi via the hotel, where I asked for the fixed price incl. the driver.

Partly I can understand that, I mean, they see all these wealthy tourists spending money which they might not be able to afford themselves, but it would be so nice for once they just try to be sincere. And I am not a person who shows off with money, besides being a tourist and having a camera stuffed away in a bag.   If they wouldn’t be acting like this I would be giving them something myself instead, but the way those people are handling tourists is not a good advertisement for Cairo. Even when you know it already, it is very disappointing and it makes me handling them in an unfriendly way.
    
At first they are all so friendly and kind, but in the end they all want more money. The same happened with my guide at the pyramids, he warned me not to talk to anybody over there, because they were all trying to get money from you (which I had already experienced before), he was so kind trying to win my trust (allthough I kept distant with everybody) and eventually they are not satisfied with what you want to give them, besides what you already paid them before. I just simply grab it back and they don’t get anything.

Luckily the Egyptians we know here in Dubai are not like that, it seems only to be happening in tourist areas, but still….             

In general I had a very good day, I was happy with what I have seen and after I came back in the hotel I took a shower and went to the bar for a nice glass of wine.
Seemingly in Egypt they know Haloween as well, probably for the Expats and tourists of course, the barmen were dressed up and the entire pub was decorated, very funny.
I was sitting in the bar a few hours, enjoyed reading and drinking untill Hans and Basem arrived.
Together we had some food and all went back to our rooms as we were all had a tiring day.

Day 2: There was a tough day lying ahead for the men and they needed to visit a plant on the way to Alexandria, a few hours away from the hotel.
After out breakfast I went down to the hotel reception again and asked them for another taxi, but a different one this time and I explained what happened the other day. They were not happily surprised and promissed me to talk to the driver.

Anyway they arranged me another driver, I asked for the price incl. his fare and drove off, heading for the Memphis tombs of Ramses II.
      

                     
                                               Al Maadi

On our way we passed Al Maadi, a more wealthy district and also the socalled ‘illegal’ city of Cairo. We could not stop for photos, so the photos were made while driving on the highway, but this is the illegal city, where people build their houses without permits. Initially this area was meant for agriculture.

                                                                
                                                               From this man I bought some
                                                               delicious fruit.
                  

Click on the thumbnail to have a good look at this
picture, isn’t it groce???
    
      

The Memphis tombs of Ramses the II, it was interesting, specially the huge statue of Ramses II.
   

I spent there about 45 minutes, I like to see these ancient statues, but somehow I like to go there were tourists are not going
So I strolled around the area just outside the museum and bumped into more greater things

               
          
               
               Even this little girl, living in a tiny village, who posed
               for me, wanted money.
             

On our way back to Cairo city we passed Al Maadi and the City of the dead again.

               
               
               
    
               
             Ladies in the City of the dead making flower bouquets

               
                                     Palace of Baron Empain.

                                     
                                               The laundry

               And the beautiful flowers in the gardens of our hotel.