Re: Travel/Overseas thread
A little off the beaten track is Egypt. I was there is 1983.
IMO the no.1 destination that I've been to, although it has cost me much of my health over the years.
Highlights:
1. The bus ride down from Taba Beach to Sharm El Shiekh.
On my own, I met up with a group of Alexandrian medical students and a German fellow. We told stories and partied, played soccer on the beach till all hours. Went snorkling along the continental shelf. The sand under the beach goes out for a few metres at a fairly shallow level then drops like a cliff face into the ocean blue. Anyone who drifts out to far and gets caught in the current ends up down the eastern coast of Africa. The fish and rocks were fascinating.
2. Went back with the medical students to Alexandria. Stayed at one of the boy's home. Extremely hospitable. Visited the ancient ruins, looked at a couple of museums, great stuff.
3. Cairo
Amazing, marginally better than Istanbul.
The Citadel is enormous, breathtaking.
The Cairo Museum is the best. I'd thought the British Museum was great, until I saw Cairo's. The complete Tutenkamen and other exhibitions.
Went down, over the river to the Pyramids and Sphinx. Yep they're as great as people say they are.
Highlight, though, was every night going straight after dinner down the the local cafe and ordering, "Chickchuck, Shisha, cafe." (Backgammon board, Water pipe & Turkish coffee.)
One would sit down at 7.30pm and start drinking, playing and smoking. You'd then realize that it was 3pm in the morning.
4. Falucca ride up the Nile to Luxor/Karnak - 3days
Can't tell you the whole story but an empty Evian bottle can be very handy.
Just another one of those memorable rides that I'll remember for only doing once.
5. Stayed in the 3star Akenaten Hotel for $4 per night, incl breakfast.
Drank alot of red tea derived from the petals of a flower whose name currently escapes me.
A long walk but well worth it to see:
The Temple of Hatshepsut,
The Valley of the Kings,
Tutenkamen's Tomb,
then over the river to the Temple of Karnak.
An enormous day.
On my way back, I stopped at a market place, had temporary amnesia, and bought some dates to eat. Within 24hours I'd gone into a deep fever. I was scared of going to see a doctor in Karnak, so I swallowed 1/4 of a water cleaning tablet. If it could clean water, it could clean me.
Came out of the fever after 5 days, extremely week. Slowly made my way back to Cairo.
6. Can't remember what it's called but its name has 3 letters. (This was over 20 years ago.)
Never seen so many camels in the one place. Apparently this was the African capital of used camel markets. More camels than could fill the arena of the MCG. I'll never forget the camels.
Eventually got back to Cairo by train, flew to Athens, then home, straight into Fairfield Hospital. Spent 3 weeks there, Entimoeba Colae. The fevors would be once a week, every week, slowing down to one a month, then longer over a 5 year period.
Certainly affected me since.
That was Egypt. The memories are still with me.
)
