Egypt is a far cry from Rome or Paris. A lot of my friends had recommended I see it.

The travel agencies offers are really price competitive nowadays. The trip to Egypt was the first one I bought in a travel agency. I acted upon the advisement of  some of my friends who had been suggesting doing that.

Despite that fact that I prefer individually-organized trips, I settled on this package tour.

We headed for Sharm El Sheikh, resort-town, located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. We landed at a small airport located on the desert. Then we got on a coach to get to our hotel, about 20 minutes away from the airport. The town lies right in the heart of the desert. It is flanked by two watchtowers packed with the military to protect the tourists.

I was pretty surprised by the beautiful hotel buildings. They resemble fortresses or Egyptian-style castles. I was impressed how clean and in order the town was.

Egyptians are true traders. You have the impression that venders are everywhere, all around you. They try to talk you into buying souvenirs from Egypt.

There are many advantages as far as staying in Egypt is concerned.  For example, you can be sure of hot and sunny weather, good food, interesting offers to do, like scuba diving, or watching the sea bottom via a see-through glass ship floor etc.

I was most of all impressed by Cairo. The city dazzled me with its diversity, and size. There are almost 7 million people there. What is interesting, there are 15 million people living in the Cairo urban agglomeration.

The clash between the poor and the rich is clearly visible. I talked to the guys from the hotel service and I know that the hotel personnel salary is about $15 a month. When in Cairo, it’s worth visiting the Cairo Museum, Muhammad Ali Mosque, or the Cairo Citadel.  

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is waiting for the tourists to visit in nearby Giza. Camel-riding is a “must” for every visitor there. The pleasure ride is going to cost you about $20. This is surely be an unforgettable experience.

There are two more pyramids nearby worthy of attention, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, or the Sphinx.

Although the trip to Cairo was to be a typically touristy one, it turned out to be really illuminating for me. It made me realize how different this country was from any of the European we know.