More Observations on Egypt
By Larry Johnson on December 7, 2009 at 7:29 PM in Current Affairs
Tourism is alive and well in Egypt, in part because it is not terribly expensive once you get there. For example, my tour cost $675 for a week of activity, which included visiting the Pyramids in Giza, touring the National Museum and taking a four day cruise down the Nile on a upscale river boat. Your biggest cost is the plane ticket (and if you are young, flying coach can be fairly reasonable) and you may have to take a filthy train ride (though I’m told by friends who have taken the genuine sleeper car that it is clean and tolerable).
I was surprised at the number of tourists swarming over the various sites. Chinese, Europeans, South Americans and us. This tells me the global economy is not frozen. And you quickly learn that tourism is the big business for Egypt. The Egyptian government has deployed a visible force of Tourist Police at all of the sites. They are sending a strong message that they will protect the visitors and the sites. People are employed driving buses of all sizes, working in hotels and on river boats and selling chotskies at all of the tourist sites. Look at the crowd in this picture:
Then there are the river boats.
When our travel companions first broached the concept of the river tour I had my doubts. I imagined a leaky tub reeking of diesel fuel. Boy, was I wrong. The Egyptian river cruise ships are on par with any cruise liner plying the Caribbean. Well appointed rooms, courteous staff and tasty food. Then you get the added pleasure of sitting on the deck watching Egypt slip by as you head down the river towards Cairo. Here are a couple of happy snaps:
Not everyone serving tourists is prospering. I do think some of the upscale places, such as the JW Marriott, are feeling the pinch (my wife and I peeled away from our paid tour and spent two days there). The upscale restaurants at the hotel were virtually empty. We ate at JW Steakhouse and a Lebanese restaurant and 90% of the tables were empty.
I would like to introduce you to Mia, owner of the Boomerang (a hotel in Luxor). During my train ride from hell (the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan) we had the pleasure of meeting a dark haired, cute Aussie of Italian parents who had married a Nubian Egyptian (how’s that for being a walking United Nations?). Mia was going car-to-car trying to drum up interest in her hotel, which she and her husband had just opened in Luxor. (Her website is www.boomerangluxor.com.) She understood that backpackers on the overnight train would be ready for a clean room and hot shower.
Mia came to our aid when an irate porter was trying to shake us down to pay for a breakfast we had already paid for in our fare. When the tourist police showed up she helped bridge the language gap and explained in flawless Arabic that we did not owe anyone any money. Mia’s place is not a five star Ritz Carlton. However, it is a neat, clean hotel that budget conscious travelers will enjoy.
Egypt has made significant strides economically over the last five years. I traveled to Cairo with Pat Lang in September 2003. Cairo is still dirty and crowded but is sprouting new apartment buildings, housing developments and new freeways. There is an emerging middle class and the country, despite daunting odds, is offering a better vibe.
And one last word, “Thanks Mia!”
by Ronald Scott
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