Travelling in Egypt

Many people wonder whether it is safe to travel in Egypt. The answer is, It all depends. For the most part we have found Egyptians to be friendly, courteous, helpful and honest. The exceptions are government officials and the police, who are often obstructive and unhelpful, and people in tourist centres, some of whom have become corrupted and greedy. Until recently we always stayed in the Shepherd's Hotel in Cairo, but a couple of years ago there was a spate of thefts from our rooms and we now stay elsewhere.

There have been several high-profile incidents of terrorism in Egypt. Native Coptic Christians are routinely discriminated against and persecuted in Egypt, but visitors do not usually suffer. However a recent upsurge in Islamic fundamentalism, coupled with a rise in mass tourism, has led to some unfortunate incidents. I have no patience with the sort of tourist who insists on getting drunk in a country where alcohol is prohibited by law and religion, or who goes out in the streets in a revealing dress where most women are covered from head to toe. (I have even seen a German woman sunbathing topless on the open deck of a river boat only feet away from women in full hijab!) Unfortunately, fundamentalists of all types are people of very limited intelligence and the Egyptian ones seemed to think that shooting a lot of old Greek women or firing at random at passing cruise ships is to strike a mighty blow for Islam.

The result surprised them. We westerners are an odd lot and for some inexplicable reason we do not line up like ducks in a shooting gallery to be killed. We all stayed away from Egypt after the Luxor attack and suddenly all those Egyptians who depended on tourism for a living were out of work. Guides, souvenir salesmen, hotel waiters, the lot, found themselves with no income. Mad mullahs, foaming at the mouth with righteous hatred, discovered that the donations on which they depended dried up and their congregations, instead of murmuring admiring praises, were now blaming them for the national disaster.

A month or so later there was a meek little apology from the terrorists who promised not to attack tourists in future, a promise which they have, so far, kept. (Of course, they continue to murder Copts, but such minor pecadillos are easily overlooked by a kindly government who doesn't want to be too hard on the boys.) In addition, there is no telling what might happen to a lonely tourist who strayed into a terrorist stronghold, so the heartland of the fanaticism - places like Assiut - are better left alone.

Tough security measures mean that you are probably safer as a tourist in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan than you would be in, say, New York. The majority of Egyptians do not support terrorism and will give you a hearty welcome. Please reciprocate by showing respect for their religion and culture. If you really cannot live without alcohol or pork, please stay at home. If you really must walk around half naked, do it in Bermuda.

All shopkeepers in Egypt will ask far more than the selling price of their goods. This, I want to emphasise, is not dishonesty. It is the traditional way of doing business in the east. Bargaining is a battle of wits between buyer and seller and can be an enjoyable game for those who understand its rules. Personally, I hate it and so, I think, do most Westerners. However do at least try to bargain: if you simply pay the asking price you will be regarded with contempt as a gullible fool. This is one reason why Americans - who usually either pay the asking price or get bad-tempered when trying to bargain - are so universally despised.

Do not hire a car in Egypt. It is not wise to venture out alone into the country areas and it is even more foolish to try to drive in the cities. Red lights, policemen with whistles and oncoming fully-laden petrol tankers are all irrelevancies which your true Egyptian will ignore in his determination to drive as fast as possible while smoking a cigarette with one hand, using his mobile phone with the second and gesticulating with the third. Wheels, brakes and indicator lights are optional extras on an Egyptian car, but a loud horn is a necessity and I have not yet worked out why a special Egyptian car is not sold, modified so that the horn comes on as soon as you turn on the ignition.

Taxis, on the other hand, are pretty cheap and prices can be negotiated by the hour or day if you desire. The drivers are friendly and helpful and so long as you keep your eyes firmly closed, this is the most convenient and relaxing way to travel.

For the traveller on a budget, the train is the cheapest way to travel between Upper and Lower Egypt. Security is pretty good and if you can afford first class, comfort isn't bad either. Things begin to deteriorate in second class, with overcrowding commonplace and a reserved seat simply means that you pay extra and still end up standing in the aisle.

EgyptAir is probably the best way to travel between cities, quick and relatively inexpensive. The only drawbacks are the company's tendency to cancel flights and/or lose your reservation. Its approach to maintenance is also somewhat sketchy and I can a ssure you that the interest of a flight is vastly increased by the view out the window of a loose nut revolving slowly in the engine mounting. However this is Egypt, and if it is written that you are to die today, then Death will find you, whether in an aeroplane or a taxi.

In the major tourist centres, the water from the tap is pretty safe. I have read horrendous reports of the things to be found in Cairo water - and then come back and read similar horrific reports regarding London water. Those who wish to be extra safe can purchase bottled water, but I have never enquired too closely into the source of all this bottled stuff. I suspect it is a tap in someone's back garden, supplied by the same water mains that supply your hotel bedroom.

Never eat anything that is not piping hot or which you have not washed and peeled yourself. Lettuce salad or pastries that have been sitting on a fly-riddled shelf for several hours are a sure route to a swift bout of Pharaoh's Revenge.

Most shops and hotels will accept credit cards. For things like taxis and tips you will need cash, and the most convenient way of obtaining it is one of the near ubiquitous ATMs, available in all major cities. Traveller's cheques used to be a good idea but following some large frauds it is now difficult to get these changed. Dollars are readily accepted everywhere, other currencies less so. Do not be tempted to use touts in the street. Their rates may be attractive, but they will almost certainly cheat you in some way.

Which brings me to that other use for ready cash - bribes. I think we would all agree that paying a bribe in order to do something wrong is out of the question. However there are two situations where the matter is not so clear. Is giving a guard a sum of money in order to have him remove a barrier or unlock a gate a bribe or a tip? And what if the rule you wish to break is merely bureaucratic nonsense that would not apply in any civilised country? Is it acceptable to attempt to circumvent such a rule?

Everyone has to make up their own minds. Personally I think it would be wrong to bribe a guard to allow you to steal an antiquity, but not wrong to bribe a guard to allow you to take a photograph of the object. It would be wrong to pay to enter somewhere that is normally out of bounds to the public, but not wrong to pay to have a tourist site opened during the siesta period. A purist will say that any bribery is wrong. On the other hand, guards are paid so poorly that a tip can make a substantial addition to their well-being and it is not unknown for them to invent restrictions solely to provoke the giving of a tip!

I like Egypt, despite its contradictions. I like walking around the streets at night without the fear of being attacked by drunks or mugged by drug addicts. I dislike having to bargain for everything. I enjoy the friendly smiles of the handsome men and beautiful women. I deplore the oppression of women (including barbarous female circumcision). I love the ancient ruins and the history. I detest the petty rules and restrictions dreamed up by red-tape-mad bureaucrats, chief of whom is the obnoxious, publicity hungry Zahi Hawass. I heartily recommend that you come to Egypt and see it for yourself.