. . . . First of all Cairo Airport pretty much sucks. People where fighting with the Immigration people and then with the check in people in the domestic terminal…. Just seemed crazy with people yelling and screaming in Arabic and then later in German. So after and hour delay in Cairo I finally get to Luxor. I have the taxi drop me off on a street corner and I head to my backpackers budget hotel.

..........Once I arrive I go and see a somewhat shabby looking room, but I was tired and I just wanted a place to crash since it was late. Before I could find out the price the owner of the hotel sits down with me and interviews me to decide how much to charge me. I wasn't able to get a VISA issued in Saudi for Egypt in my Irish Passport (my Saudi VISA is in the US one) so instantly I am deemed as a very rich person (you must show the passport to check in the hotel). Then I decide to tell him I am living in Saudi (purpose of this is to give the impression I am familiar with Arab culture and he can't rip me off). Big mistake.

.........So after he charges me a bit more than the guidebook said for the room, it has AC and toilet (oh it was 5 bucks instead of $2 for a night, so I wasn't bothered). We start discussing about seeing the monuments, so I work out a day tour in an AC van for 20 bucks and that includes admission to the Valley of the Kings, Queens, Hetashput Temple and a boat ride across the Nile. I also agree to pay an extra 25 dollars to see King Tuts and Queen Nefeerti's Tomb, that is the price from the Egypt Ticket office so I have no problem with it. They only let about 150 people see these places a day so I figure I should do it. The reason I tell you all this is because the next day, the owner of the hotel eats breakfast with me and then takes me to the ATM and stuff. Then when the tour bus shows up and he introduces me as the American living in Saudi and they start calling me Sheikh and kissing my hand and stuff, like I am a millionaire.

...The bad thing with all this is once they think you have a lot of money they start charging three and four times the price for a regular person. So I started to realize my mistake and just refuse all the packages the guy try to setup for me throughout the day. I really didn't have time for a desert/oasis trip to Cairo via Land Cruiser or head to southern Egypt and see more temples via 4x4. Even thou it may be worth it one day and it cost only 200 bucks for a three day two night trip all inclusive.

.........After the tour was over I checked out of my slime ball hotel that wasn't cleaned and the place was starting to smell like shit and check into a 3 star French hotel and life is back to normal. The place was real dirty and the food made me sick, also they didn't clean it when I was out all day, the shower only dripped water, and it was real loud at night outside. The hotel staff was flipping out and was demanding all sorts of answers and I just said I wanted to leave. I have never had such a hard time.

So after this I went to the Bazaar to see what was for sale. Everyone is trying to drag you in there store and asking you where you are from. I said Ireland some times and then one time, only one time, I said US and the whole place started yelling America, America….. and please come give me your dollars. It was crazy to have half a street Market calling for the American. So I basically walked away very fast and never returned. Spent that night at Luxor temple and it was really cool. Pics should be ready soon.

........... Next day I rented a bicycle and headed to Karnak Temple. That was awesome, the temple complex was almost 2 sq KM and the tour groups only went to the beginning so I spent three hours there. I went to one of the back temples and bribed a guard to let me in a locked door in the back of the temple. I was climbing through fallen down walls and went into some underground chambers and had to jump over some huge wholes. I ended up covered in dust from head to toe and was so happy. The place was full of bats and stuff was real cool, but not good for pictures. I felt like Indiana Jones for a little while.

.. Later that day I went to the end of town via bike and the Army had it closed off. Basically since the 1997 massacre in Luxor there is Machine Gun armed soldiers everywhere. They are really concerned about the tourism industry getting hurt and the people starving from lack of tourists. The place is really really poor. I not realizing this, go through like 4 road blocks via bike and end up outside of town. I wasn't sure which way to go out of town, so I ask the guard and he escorted me to English speaking one who told me exit was forbidden. Funny thing I already made it past all the check points and then I came back and they tell me. So I headed back the other way and found some non-tourist areas and chilled with the locals and spoke Arabic with them and ate Falafels and Tea for 40 cents. Where it would cost me 2 dollars in town. But my 40 cents was still double the price for locals….. I found out later, too funny.

.. I didn't realize how much Arabic I learned in Saudi till I actually had to use it outside the tourist areas. And when I used it in the Tourist areas people didn't bother me to buy stuff, it was amazing. So later that night I went to the only Irish Bar in town. I get in and there is a Gunniness tap there and I am so happy haven't had one since I was in London in like 4 months ago. Turns out it is just for display. The place has a family of Egyptians in there and has no Irish Music or anything. Oh well, they had Bob Marley. So they all asked me questions about the pending war and indirect questions to figure out how rich I am, it was funny yet a bit boring. They have nothing against America at all, just worried about the tourists not coming and they have any business.

___So I went off to the Karnak Light show which was kinda lame and jam packed with tourists from the Nile Cruise ships. So next day I had to get up at 5am to head to Cairo, so I didn't drink more than three beers that night. I got to my hotel Pension Roma no problem. Cairo has some awesome architecture. I had to take an ancient elevator to the 4th floor of the building in the downtown and the place was 1920's deco with hardwood floors and all. It felt like I was staying in someone's former house. There no one bothered me or interviewed me just 5 dollars for the room and that was it.

The city is basically a husling, bustling Metropolis similar to NYC. It has everything and all types of people. It is very beautiful and yet at the same time very dirty and conjested with traffic and pollution. It is hard to truly describe it with words and is a must see place. I went out on the street and hired a guide/taxi to take me around town. 25 bucks for the day like 8 hours and free lunch. Told him straight up no scams, tourist shops, etc, just sight seeing. So he goes with me and gets me my supplies for the day, cash, water, and film real cheap. Looks good so far until…… he takes me to a camel shop where they close the door and put a Spinks head behind it and start going over outrageously expensive pyramid tours and stuff. I basically said nothing and when he was done I got up and walked out the door. I tell the driver I want outta here and do what all the other people do. Pay 4 dollars to see the Pyramids and if I want rent a camel or horse for 3 dollars and hour not $125 an hour per the camel shop. So I get to do that see the Spinks, all the Pyramids and I went inside the Big one Khufa that was on TV the other day. It was defiantly awesome. It was funny with all the camel jockeys trying to get you on there rides and kids selling stuff. If the people bother you, you just tell the tourist police and they take them away. I saw it happen which is cool.

So then I went for my free lunch…. It is in a perfume shop. He tells me I don't have to buy anything. As soon as I go in I tell him I am just about ready to walk away and get another Taxi. He says that no one will bother me it is just lunch. He was right nothing was mentioned about perfume and I ate and left. He then took me to Coptic Cairo which is the Egyptian Christians, he drops me off a few blocks away cause of the Army Checkpoints and I guess they don't let cars on the road.

I walk over and see a big door and people start telling me the place is closed and to follow them to a museum… ack so I know this is a scam. I go to the police to ask them where to go, they don't speak English, then all these Taxis drivers start running to help me…. I lose my mind and go back to my driver who is sleeping in the car. I tell him he must take me to the place; I am paying him good money and should have door to door service. He then put his head down and walked me to the churches. (I did tell him if he did a good job he could take me to the airport the next day, but that all depended on today) So far he sucked. I almost never get mad but these guys will take full advantage of you if you are too nice. I even told him I am starting to hate Egypt. I was pretty pissed with him. So I saw many old churches from the Days of King George and stuff, it was kinda like Orthodox Churches and had some awesome Architecture. Some where underground too.

.... When I was done I came back to the Taxi smiling cause I wasn't going to let this guy ruin my day. I then went to the Islamic Quarter and saw the Citical and some Mosques. This was the best part of Egypt I thought because I never really saw Architecture of this style. I think I would go back to explore that area again, it was better than Saudi. All the ancient Mosque areas in Saudi are forbidden for Christians. Ok I am a bit long winded…. Nothing else happened that day cept met up with one of the Turner guys from the Cairo Office and went for some real Egyptian food called Fuul and then hung out by the Nile. I was so shot after my 5 am start and trekking all over Cairo that I went to bed at 10pm…… sober….

.....Next day I hired another guide and he was straight up was only 15 dollars for the day and took me to the Egyptian Museum, where I saw the Mummy Room and King Tuts Treasures. The place is amazing… could go back there again also. Then I went to a highly recommended place for lunch called the Cairo Cellar on the island in the middle of Nile. Got to have Calamari and Turkish coffee with whiskey… was awesome. Then I went off to the massive Cairo Bazaar, Khan Al Kahill…. They had everything there and I told them I was a poor Irish boy and that I need the poor people's prices versus the Rich American or English mans price and they complied, but it was real hard bargaining. So over all I had a goodtime, saw the most amazing temples, battled with Taxi's and Merchants, ate real Egyptian food, hung with Egyptians, lounged by the pool in Luxor, visited King Tuts tomb and the Pyramids. I didn't plan on seeing so much, figured I would sleep in a little bit due to late nights of partying but… it was better this way. I get to see alot of stuff without being rushed at all. It seemed I always had so much time. Ok if you made it this far I congratulate you.

This is basically my journal of my trip that I am sharing with you guys. So I hope you enjoy it. Pictures will come soon; I have to do some computer lightening since flash photographs are banned in most places. Please ask any questions you may have…….. Mas Selama, Brian