Day 17 - Boat across Nile, West Bank, DHL Shipping, Luxor Market, Train to Cairo

Mubarak is here! VERY tight security on the streets. All streets baracaded. Ended up taking a boat across the Nile to the West Bank.

At the dock on the other side, I had the only accident of the whole trip. I slipped on a low stone step with sand covering it and sprained my wrist. Fortuanately I had a wrist brace with me, but it was annoying. But better than at the first of the trip.

After I got home, I purchased an ankle support to travel with as well. The fall made me think of other things I might need in my medical kit when I travel.

My Medical Kit

Here is what I usualy travel with:

-At least one course of general antibiotic for lungs, skin, urinary, etc. and one course of dairrhea medication for amoebic dysentary.

Imodium, pain killers, throat lozenges, tea tree oil or other antiseptic, band aids, rehydration salts, sting ease, +30 sunscreen, mosquito repellant, saline nose spray, antihistamine tabs and nose spray.

Before I leave for Egypt I make sure that my tetenus, cholera, polio, and hepatitis immunities are up to date, and I always have a yearly flu shot.

Egypt is so dry and the flights are so dry, you are a great target for any colds or flu going around. AND I KEEP MYSELF HYDRATED with bottled water, even use it to brush my teeth. The water in Egypt cities is safe out of the tap, but there are tummy bugs that you are not used to in it. You would eventually get used to it, but you don't have the time on a short vacation! Just buy the bottled water!

This was the first trip that I got the "stomach bug", but the Imodium took care of the symptoms and just to be sure I took the prescription medication on the last day that I was there. Last trip we both got colds or allergies. Annoying, but the pyramids are worth it!

Anyway, I had to pick up some of the things I had made and we did that.

Shipping by DHL

Later in the day we were able to drive back to the hotel where I picked up some things to be shipped by DHL. They were packed and inspected well by the local office, but I would never do it again!!

It seemed like a good idea at the time because I was not coming straight back to Australia, I was going on around the world through the US. The extra weight in the luggage seemed oppressive and I thought I would get charged almost an equal amount in excess weight charges.

I didn't ship anything of great value, but I did include a brass box. I think this was my undoing, because it showed up on the X-rays, and the box, everthing in it, and some other things were missing when the box got to Australia.

Fortunately none of the really important things were taken (my Horus phone holder, for example), but it should have been safe. I certainly paid enough!

DHL claims that no one recorded taking anything out of the box (Duh!..), are doing a "warehouse search" for the items they didn't record being taken out of the box. I had pictures of all items, as they were bought as souvenir examples for the SuzieManley.com website article on the souvenir makers. So I don't know what DHL will do. So far they are "working on it", I will update this diary to tell you the results.

Update: DHL could not find the items, therefore they processed a claim, but that was only for the actual value of the items, and of course they could not be replaced, and were special to me.

In DHL's defense, your luggage is not even safe! We had another metal item (a Christmas Tree Ornament) taken from our bags on United flights from Las Vegas to San Francisco.

I didn't even bother to report the luggage theft, as I didn't have pictures of the item, although I do have the receipt!

I think now that "security" is very high and everything is X-rayed and luggage locks are fair game or designed to be opened for inspection, nothing metal is safe in checked luggage. Certainly do not pack cameras or laptops in your checked luggage. Well, enough of this rant.

Walk Through Luxor Market

After taking the things by DHL, Hossam and I walked through the Luxor market. We stopped by a shop that had all the older stock and local colonial antiques.

Thousands of Vintage Souvenirs

Also we visited a shop that has everything in it. Good quality, more like a department store. This the place you should go for belly dancing belts and Bedouin jewelery. Beautiful rugs as well.

Boshra Center

From one of the tables along the market street,I bought a very interesting new style box that uses papyrus paintings as a laquered decoration. Look for these when you are in the market.

There was a great papyrus shop that had the latest innovation in papyrus scenes. There were the usual tomb scenes, but there were also wonderful replicas of the prints of David Roberts. You can get a great screensaver of Egypt of David Roberts at PixelParadox.com.

Papyrus in Original Papyrus

And finally, at the end of Market street, where the through road divides the market, we bought copy watches, and visited a shop that had lovely silver and glass.

Silver at Geris Bazaar

Then it was on to the train to go to Cairo! Hossam and his wife were traveling from the same station to meet his parents in the country, so he saw me onto the carriage.

The station was thronged with the soldiers who had guarded the streets while Mubarak was here. They were waiting in orderly groups for special trains, and were quite a spectacle as they moved out and raced to get seats.

Once I was on the train, the carriage concierge kindly found a little jar of Tiger Balm for my wrist, and I had a good night's sleep and was met in Cairo and returned to my hotel by the same courier service that met me at the airport.

Take a Deluxe Tour of  Egyptian Historic Sites and Museums

Edfu and Esna| Medinet Habu | Tombs at Luxor | Deir el Bahri
Ramesseum | Abydos - Dendera | Giza Pyramids | Saqqara | Abu Simbel
Bent Pyramid | Ancient Pyramid Names | Sphinx | Giza Excavations and Tombs

Luxor Temple | Karnak | Luxor Museum | Cairo  Museum | Tutankamun's Tomb
Grand Egyptian Museum at Cairo