<click to return to main page>
April 11, 2000
Valley of the Kings...
Hectic morning. I woke up around 6AM to get an early start, and do some banking. However none of the machines are working. I travel to several sites, on other sides of the town, using my last few Egyptian Pounds (LE's). I end up having to walk back to where I started (since I ran out of money) and wait for Thomas Cook to open. I see an AMEX office across the way and decide to cash some traveller's cheques in there. 2 hours plus, just to get some frickin' money. Geez, it's gonna be a long day.
I take the local ferry over to the west bank. I meet some tourists from Holland (Bart & Yvonne) and we share a taxi from the ferry to the ticket office. They have student cards and they agree to buy me 1/2 price tickets for my sites. Cool.
The valley of the King's is sweltering. The tombs are neat, but hot and humid (some of them). The two that I wanted to see are closed for renovations. That sucks. I didn't bother with Tut because they wanted extra for that, and from what I heard, it wasn't a big deal.
I leave, not totally impressed, but I suspect the heat had a lot to do with it. At the front gates, I run into an American from L.A. who was trying to see what he could buy for a $6 bill. I tell him about Canadian Tire money.
I find a cab and head over to the Ramasseum. But first I go to the snack bar. After a cold soda pop, I walk to the entrance. I receive the usual banter about "Canada Dry" when I answer where I'm from. Also, there's the question about my being Japanese, and they can't understand how I can be from Canada. Filipino, dammit, Filipino!!!!
After checking out the ruins, I realize that there are no cabs around, and I gotta figure out how to get back to the ferries. I ask at the restaurant and one of them agrees to take me back -- via dirtbike. Woo-hoo, giddyup!!! We zoom down to the docks, and the ride was cool. Well, that's my tourist stuff for the day...back to the hotel patio to chill out.
I order a Stella and talk to John & Rebecca (Australia) and I think I'm supposed to meet them at 6pm tomorrow to go to Luxor temple, but I can't remember. They go shopping, I go take a nap.
Later on, I decide to explore the town. I find an internet cafe and send out a post. Check out the Raptors, and hear about the 3game winning streak and Vince's first triple double. Oh yeah, I'm freakin out and people are looking at me funny.
I leave, and walk down the street and talk to Neil and Sinae, who I had seen earlier in the internet place. They've been travelling since Israel, and they tell me what a kibbutz is. I've heard of them but didn't know what they were.
We go to an outdoor patio on a very busy street. I get a 1/2 chicken with rice and it's okay, but the chicken is very dry. Neil is feeling sick, and we exchange poop stories as I continue eating. It's hilarious.
We take a long walk to King's Head pub and I see the guy that owe's me LE50 for pool from the previous day. Some local who thought he was Fonzie. Suckered him with the oldest pool trick, and he didn't even pay. What a punk! I play him, but not really into it. I sewer the 8 ball on purpose, cuz he was boring me and I wanted to leave. We walk back to town, and I make "cat in heat" noises, and we hear a steady wave of responses to my calls. Even a few locals start looking for cats.
At the next midan, we split, and arrange to meet for lunch the next day.
***
1:30 AM
Ready to go to sleep, but somehow feel bad that I haven't spoken to any "real" locals. Most that you meet are trying to sell you something. I'm sure real ones exist, but most contact is with the "baksheesh" driven types. I go to sleep.