Pre-revolutionary Egypt
May 23.2009
All the hassle with the passport behind. The ticket was taken from Pegas Touristik. We are going
through Moscow. Train 13 branded left Chelyabinsk exactly on schedule . . In
Zlatoust in a compartment (reserved seat) sat a man who reached for beer. By oneself
drank two nipples, when he fell asleep, he snored. I managed to sleep for 5 hours. Bashkiria
I remember the more well-groomed villages. The city of Ufa itself (station) is not for me
I liked it: cubic buildings in black and yellow. In front of the station some
wastelands. Sunset that day was in front of Chebarkul, a huge bright red disk
the sun was setting below the horizon. It is comfortable in the car, at first it was cool, under
morning undressed.
May 24.2009
Ufa-Abdulino-Samara
Forest plantations along almost the entire length of the road with traces of fire, I think
This is how railroad workers clean up. Lilac blooms very violently. Where are the wilds
apple trees - white color falls on the burnt earth like snow. In Samara to our car
a boy jumped in (mixed up 13 with 14 train) will get off only in Syzran. machinists
agreed that his things would be waiting for him at the Abdulino station. There are already cherry trees in the orchards
faded. At st. Zvezda offer smoked asp for 150 rubles. They didn’t take it.
want to drink. The uncle turned out to be a "spelunker" tourist. Drinking beer again. At night
gotta go to sleep first! The soil turned red. Funny station names
"Shed-Gear", "Push". Our "tourist" again poked around and sat, pecking stupidly
nose. Went out at the station took 2 more bottles of beer, opened did not drink on all compartments
worth the smell of beer and vobla.
May 25.2009
At 6:00 am we arrived in Moscow. The conductor did not turn on the air conditioner for almost the entire
road. And upon arrival, she yelled like crazy so that everyone would sit in their own
places to stop. All buildings are fenced, along the way to the Kazansky railway station are painted
in lime and green colors. To kill time, we took the subway to the station
"Okhotny Ryad" left the Historical Museum and walked around the Kremlin in 40 minutes
taking pictures along the way. Then we went down to the metro and went to the "River Station", there
got on the 851 express And got to the terminal "C" he was in front of
Sheremetyevo-1. The express journey took about 20 minutes. In the right corner of the terminal
there is a booth of our tour operator. We walked through the kiosks - everything is more expensive at about 2
times, but there are no exorbitant prices. Before sending to our tour operator lined up
huge tail. You have to think: 4 flights for 120 people. He issued papers
asking only the last name so everyone had time. To passport control and customs
everywhere the same queue. But they passed quickly. Bought 2 bottles from duty free
(1 brought back). We boarded the Boeing on the take-off again, a queue of 4 planes !!!
There will always be a queue at airports. Moreover, the Russians get on the plane for 10-15
minutes!? . The Boeing takes off from the ground in a matter of seconds. The cloud cover was
Turkey itself and the Black Sea, we did not see anything. Saw only big mountains
covered with salt and beyond them the Mediterranean Sea. Then the Suez Canal appeared and
distant Cairo. The Red Sea flashed by and now we are landing in Sharm El Sheikh.
Sat down VERY quickly. Two huge new Russians who got drunk yelled “Hurrah!!! ”
Just not with them in the same hotel. These apparently will ferment without drying out.
Filled in some blue questionnaires, two Arabs spent email. thermometer us
ear temperature. Filled out pink forms, bought a visa for 15
bucks. Filled out white papers. Visas before passport control themselves pasted on
Page 6 with the number outside (our guy suggested) We put on an entry visa
stamp. Met our guy guy Kostya from TO having learned that our Sheraton hotel
Resort "said our bus" 9 "For the luggage drove 1 buck.
After 20 minutes, they brought me to the reception desk (I drove the wrong one twice)
at the reception, two of our guides Dzhanysh and Yana pretend to be dead tired of
tourists. Concerned
to drive in their excursions. As it became clear later, they were knocking to the Arabs whom and
how to turn. After they began to move in, my clumsy but English rescued
the language was settled in a bungalow on the 2nd floor and with 2 sleeping beds. Room + bathroom
40 meters, balcony, bed, sofa, int. wardrobe with safe, TV, bar with
refrigerator, coffee table, dressing table, table with mirror and shelves
for shoes, bedside tables with lamps, a washbasin with a dressing table, a toilet bowl, a bidet,
shower, balcony, floor tiles. Went down for dinner. The buffet was lost at first,
didn't know what to take. You don't know what it is or how it's made. Later took
a spoon and first tried it. Fruits give: green melon, watermelon (we have it
called fodder), wood peaches. Apples all the time
gave only once elongated such good taste. Assortment of cakes and
I was pleased with the cakes. From juices like Yupi pineapple and orange,
chilled. Tea bags in coffee teapots are real ground and very
delicious milk. From alcohol, white wine is sour, red wine is bitter,
whiskey, rum, vodka, dry champagne. The first 5 days they drank rum + cola + ice. Then
gin tonic with orange juice. After dinner, we went to bed - tired
affects. The air conditioner is VERY VERY GOOD! Everything in the room is included
just insert the key tag into a special groove of a special switch.
May 26.2009
We got acquainted with the guys from the Volgograd region Sergey and Olga. Came on
resort reception by 10-00 and waiting for guides. Turned out I had to go to the main building
receptionist The guides grimaced in pain for Armageddon.
It turned out to be impossible to catch inspiration again, but just to do your job
It's unbearable. But as they say, they don't hang out with the offended. The guys and I decided
visit the store Lena and Olya had to buy coral slippers, and Lena also
sun hat. We went in, began to bargain, as a result, I dropped 6 bucks from 3 things.
Slippers bought for 5 hat for 6. Then immediately on the sea there are 3 points on the shore,
where cards are exchanged for towels and many umbrellas; an iron frame and a roof made of
cane. But the sun loungers are on wheels and can be dragged around the umbrella in any
direction. Sunblock 30 units helped a lot, and with the help of a sunbed
browned on all sides. Now about the sea, the water is VERY salty. Out of habit
severely burns eyes and nose, it seems that it will be impossible to swim, but over time
you get used to it. The temperature is very comfortable 26 degrees. Lots and lots of fish
different, basic: nautilus, groupers, tangs, bats and ball fish. When
the beach of our hotel ends, the beach of the Hyatt Regency hotel begins there in private
the property was bought by bin Laden's brother. His villa is constantly guarded.
Apparently Hercule Poirot, along with Dr. Watson, they are tired to hell. And
when they see people with video equipment, they begin to make a lot of noise. Evening in Maine
there was a performance of an Egyptian boy continuously spinning scarves, tambourines, ribbons.
10 minutes continuously. He folded the tambourines into different figures 3-4-5-6-7. Something
a cross between a circus and dervish dances. Then an Egyptian girl came out
dance belly dance. Of course, I'm not an expert, but nothing but youth in
did not notice the dance. The local Arabs nearly swallowed their tongues. It's nothing for us
produced no effect. And we're walking around the territory to restore
mood, smoothly went to the rooms.
May 27.2009
In the morning we played tennis with the guys. And went to rest on the sea.
Some guests lie by the pools (Come to the sea and swim in
swimming pool?! ) But to be fair, more than half of them are with children, so
that they might have a reason. Each pool has its own free bar. AT
13-00 took 35 bucks for a parachute ride. A boat came for us, took us to
neighboring base to the bay. They put two young instructors in another boat
Arab girl aged 15-17. There are 4 Russians, 3 Italians on the boat. Before as
hook up to the parachute handed out swimming vests with broken buckles TB-not
eshkin cat! Flight safety is complete, I don’t know how to twitch in order to
fall out. When everyone flew in for 10 minutes, they began to return next to our land
joy swam a flock of dolphins. They brought us up and dropped us off right at the hotel
After we decided to swim on our own and without a pontoon. I'll tell you right now that it's useless. They went there holding on
holding hands and staggering under the waves, the very transition from the reef to the depth is a dangerous occupation
some corals are too sharp. Somehow they slowly went there, but they began to return
to return, Lena was knocked down by an oncoming wave, and she cut her hand with corals and
leg. Immediately a school of fish swam to the blood. On the beach at the counter where they give out
towels, smeared scratches with iodine. They decided not to seek adventure anymore and
enter from the pontoon and swim along the reef until you get bored. Especially since at low tide
sea urchins climb out into the crevices with their poisonous needles. Then a funny thing happened
case: swimming with a mask, I see that a small moray eel is overtaking me along the bottom 50-60
see A girl is swimming towards me with a guy, she shakes my hand and screams how
I thought "I'm Lena, I'm Lena!!! ". I sailed a little and in total confusion
answered "I'm Zhenya?! ". And then it dawned on me that she was shouting "Moray eel, moray eel! ".
Told on the shore all laughed for a long time! In the evening we decided to go to a concert
"professional dancers" Our animators came out from the beach and began to dance
and confused in movements. They left without checking. Our animators have a mood in
mostly depressed, they are 20-22 years old and cannot get an adult audience.
May 28.2009
We spent the day swimming and looking at corals and fish. The guys went to
Israel. We spent the whole day at the beach. Fish do not repeat in shape and
color. In every swim you see new ones. Corals green, yellow, red,
blue. Although they seem soft, they are still sharp and hard. We decided to swim
away. They sailed well there - drove the waves, and stood back in one place,
rowing and not approaching. I was very cold because I was waiting for Lena. And to her
the waves were not easy to deal with. She didn't want to hold on to me. But for 10
centimeters floated to the pontoon.
It's great to lie then in the 40 degree heat, drink a cocktail. On the beach us
served in 3 bars. We rarely went for lunch, in the bar at 15-30 they give potatoes
fries with hamburger. So all without departing from the cash register. There are 3 toilets and 5 washrooms
4 souls each. Lena has already got used to the mask and also enjoys underwater
the world. Our animators are constantly gathering people, but we decided to relax on this
day, and succeeded. Local Arabs learned a number of Russian jokes. (How are you? …. )
One even read Pushkin by heart. We have such a cunning bartender at the pool
Hashshem (Sasha for Rasha! . As he himself says) Does his family live in Luxor? ! They have in
mostly family in Cairo. All the men work in the hotel - maids, waiters,
security guards, animators, guides, at the reception, cooks. And as we understood at the hotel
the staff is not aggressive, well-trained. By conversation, they understand who is in front of them
greet in the appropriate language. They start out of ignorance, usually with
Russian. I liked to pester them later, pretending that you don’t understand yet
everyone will not be sorted out, and then you say hello in Arabic.
May 29.2009
The guys came from Israel, all in good impressions. Guide them after the border
he got a crest, and he wetted the crusts. Only their legs were swollen and
swam. One way trip 8 hours! But it was interesting. Played on the beach
water, and what is cheaper is floating. They took 3 more T-shirts for 5 bucks and a plate for
8. Then if we brought down the price of goods more than 35%, the Arabs became
aggressive. They tried to invite us to the local museum, assuring us that there are
mummies of the pharaohs, but we did not believe. There was a Sinai Tour office in the city, where vouchers
cheaper than a hotel. Israel 100 (210 hotel), St. Catherine + mountain
Moses 30 (40 hotel), etc. We took the second one tomorrow. The bus did not return
wait for us two minutes went by taxi. Agreed for 4 bucks, gave 5 change
bombed clamped down as a matter of course. I'm already angry at such impudence,
but they didn't spoil their mood. Basically, the city is designed just for spending
money, given what the Arabs can provide. Life begins to boil
numerous cafes from 21-00 to 2-00.
The minibus arrived exactly on time 22-40, and took us to the big bass. By
I barely understood Russian on the bus. But when moved to Bas this guide is free
spoke Russian and English. Our group consisted of about 20 Russians and 10
Italians. They all gathered around 24-00.
May 31.2009
I have a serious shortcoming: I cannot sleep sitting up. The road takes 3-00
hours. On the way we stopped in Dahab "Golden Beach" in the toilet, and went to the store
icons. Our guide assured us that the icons in the monastery were “fake”. Eventually
It turned out that the prices in the store are 2 times higher. They tried to sell me a magnet
for 15 Euro. Another scammer. At 3-00 we were brought to the place, searched and given out
by flashlight. We took LED lights with us and did not drag anything in our hands.
Dawn should be met on the mountain at 6-00, the path up the serpentine is 6 km. + 750
steps carved by a vow by one of the monks. We are the glowing caterpillar
climbed the trail up the hill. Such haste was needed. To weed out the weak and
rip them off for the Camel. Bedouins stand all over the road and walk in a file
behind each group advertising "Camel, camel, karasho! " Camels are skinny all in
sore and smelly. They followed us up the steps, advertising at the end
lost voice. When the camels run out, the Bedouins start offering their
hands - "Help". Their hands are even dirtier than camels. No matter how you met
dawn we are at the top. Here for the first time I turned off the fotik. The very moment
dawn turned out blurry. Back the guide offered a choice of 750 +3000 steps
or the old way. We chose the old one and made the right decision. More climbers need
take into account that the stones are polished 1000 feet and sprinkled with a thin layer of sand. Not
holds any shoes. A sleepless night and climbing contributes. Lena on
descent sprained her finger. But we were able to go. By 8-00 (Why?! ) Monastery
opens at 9-00 went down to the gate. During the tour, the camera turned off again
in the royal crypt and in the icon store. The energy is definitely there. At
Bedouins bought souvenirs 2 marble eggs - for a dollar, an icon in the store 15 E, 3
rings for 3 E, book 4 E. At 11-00 we were taken to have breakfast in a Bedouin restaurant.
The best thing about him is that he's in the basement. The waiter there is a huge and black ebony.
It was better to take dry rations from your restaurant. But where to go. On the reverse
There was only one stop on the way, at a Bedouin cafe. We didn't even go out.
When we arrived, there was a goat on the table. When they rounded up protesting to everyone
Dissatisfied with her appearance, she left. As soon as they began to board the bus from
flew out of nowhere and perched back in the shade on the table. So interesting around
cafes are two brand new foreign cars. And the family sleeps with goats under a canopy right there. And
there are no other visitors.
They came to the hotel for 2 hours, slept and with the guys ordered a bathyscaphe for 45
bucks. We were driven in a passenger car through the whole city to the bay. They bought a map of fish
Red Sea for 4 bucks. About 50 people enter the bathyscaphe. Guides sit nearby
talk about fish. Photos due to glass are poor in color. For
photos of fish you can buy a soap box 10-15 bucks. Or in Naama Bay Kodak store,
where 3 local pounds photo. We returned to the hotel at Luka's and booked a trip to Cairo for
55 bucks. This time, Luka didn’t even take an advance payment - he trusts.
The first time instead of the promised 24-00 minibus came at 23-30! Before and after
time was always kept exactly. They gathered people in Bas until 2-00. What I can't
sleeping sitting is my biggest disadvantage. But I looked all over the road. Along the road goes
2-3 power lines and there are cell towers with solar panels. Before
the Suez Canal are two tall towers of lighthouses with white-green color after
100 miles. If they weren’t such a miser and changed tires on time, it wouldn’t be
scary. What can I say among the bus drivers there are no random people. At 8:00 we
divided into groups. In Russian we were given a guide Timur. Such a dense Arab with
bulging eyes chattering very briskly. Handed over cameras with his help and
went to the museum. He has the highest self-conceit: both the Nile is the longest river in the world, and
a two-story museum, the second in the world, and chess, and a folding bed, and golf, and hockey, and
the boomerang, and diapers, and the reusable condom were invented by the Egyptians. But
He spoke well and exactly 1 hour. Then he gave himself time to walk around and
take pictures in front of the museum. Then he tore off 7 bucks each and took him on a boat along
Nilu to the restaurant. The food was tasty, but all the dishes were peppered and drinks for
separate fee. Then they were taken to the pyramids. There are no Bedouins on the pyramids
rescue climbed until he began to yell at them. It is not possible to pull with a few
The police also take pictures of the sides for money and make sure that the Bedouins are not beaten.
They began to bypass the pyramid of Cheops, the old bow-legged Bedouin pulled out a whistle and
whistles at our backs. Involuntarily you turn around: policemen with machine guns. I was out
himself and this whistle would find its place. Lena calmed down. Behind the Bedouin Pyramid
they swindle the people: they constantly smear paint on the fences and give them for money
napkins. Then we drove a little more to the Sphinx. Then we were taken to the store
papyri and an oil shop. We took a set of therapeutic oils 6 pieces of 100 mg two
lamps and some other gift bottles for 100 bucks. Tickets to us our Timur
everywhere gave already with torn off control. The way back was even more difficult for me.
all the time passed out only for 5 minutes.
Rested and recovered on the beach. If you're going to have a good rest, then my
advice stay at the hotel. And the kitchen and rest are provided to you in accordance with
stars. Entertainment on the beach animators do a lot and for every taste. Himself
you need to be in a good mood and everything will be fine.
Finally, a few Arabic words
Salam alaikum - alaikum assalam hello - hello
goodbye masalami
Athos please
Sabah el khir good morning
Shekr en thank you
Messe el hir good evening
Tezbe ala khir good night
Komotem is fine
Allah Allah get out of here
We rested and prepared for the return trip. Another observation: what do you leave
maids tip that nothing changes.
The tour operator Pegas Touristik fulfilled his obligations. And there are no questions about it.
