I get LOADS of questions, from friends, family and total strangers who have found my blog and are coming to Egypt. Most of the questions run in the same veins, so I am posting an edited version of what Jack lovingly refers to as “THE MANIFESTO”.
Hopefully, this will help answer some of the most common questions that people have about the logistics of coming to, and functioning in, Cairo. So here we go…
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– Visas – If you get your visas before you leave the states, it will be easier for you. The visas can be purchased (in USD) upon arrival. Friends and travel agencies can, however, book you a “Greeter”/”Expediter”/”Fixer” to get you thru customs and immigration. This process is much quicker if you have visas already. You do not HAVE to get the tourist visas before you come, it just makes arrival MUCH easier.
If you get them in the States (and probably here too) they will ask for an address of “Friends or Relatives”. If you are coming to visit me and Jack, e-mail for our street address, all others, use your hotel address.
A note on “customs” as it is. We did not even notice it the first time we arrived. We walked thru a little gate with a man standing next to it. He and the “greeter” exchanged *Salem aleykum’s* (greetings) and we were off.
“THAT was customs??” was our comment to each other.
So if you are thinking of bringing things (or if we’ve asked) there is very little that is *haram* (forbidden) other than religious proselytizing paraphernalia or “Unsavory media materials” if you know what I mean. Believe it or not, alcohol and pork are ok to bring in.
– Alcohol – Although it is possible to buy *Egyptian made* beer, wine and liquor, the only place in the country you can buy non-Egyptian is at duty-free (or at the embassy PX – which we do not have access to).
One terminal has duty-free inside customs (Terminal 1), one has it outside (Terminal 2). If you do not buy at the airport duty-free on the day of arrival, you can still go to a couple of locations in Cairo, but your duty-free allowance is less (3 bottles per person instead of 4).
– Vaccines – Egypt does not require any special vaccinations for entry. As long as you are
generally up to date on your regular medical needs, you won’t need anything extra.
– Money – Just like so many other countries, your ATM cards will work at most machines here. There is no need to get Egyptian Pounds before coming.
Travelers checks will be more hassle than they are worth. You’ll have to pay to get them
and most Egyptians don’t know what they are and won’t accept them, except in large, Western hotel chains.
– Clothing – This is always tough. The “winter” here is very mild and dry, but at night a sweater or fleece is nice. The wind picks up in the evenings and it can get ALL THE WAY down to 8 or 10C (45 to 50F)!!!
The “spring” (March/April) is the “Khamseen” (sandstorm) season. The daytime highs can reach 18 to 20C but may only hover around 12 to 15C. If the storm comes in the temp skyrockets, the sky turns orange and it will be 1 to 3 hours before you really want to go outside. Being outside during a khamseen is NOT a good thing.
The flip side is that sometimes even winter days can get up to 25C (75F). And that is just in Cairo. If traveling to Upper Egypt, which is much warmer than Cairo (*averaging* about 75F during the day in January), lighter clothing is needed. Layering items are really helpful.
All that said, bring light to medium weight long pants or skirts/dresses, as they are much better accepted than shorts. Shorts are really ONLY seen on tourists in heavily touristed areas, and even then, most of the shorts reach to or near the knees. You are much better off leaving shorts at home.
Short sleeve or lighter long sleeve shirts will probably get a lot of use – they can be worn alone or layered depending on the weather. Women should avoid sleeveless or midriff-bearing shirts, and skirts above the knee. This is a conservative country, you already stick out as a tourist, you don’t need to look like you are “advertising” for extra attention.
Bring a sweater or fleece and a wind breaker. It really doesn’t rain here, so rain gear and umbrellas are a waste of time and space.
Shoes need to be sturdy and good for LOTS of walking. Sandals are ok, but your feet will be REALLY NASTY by the end of the day. I wear my sandals pretty regularly in Cairo, but for going to the Pyramids at Giza, the valley of the Kings or even a LONG walk along the Nile, I choose closed shoes with good support. Again, the daily temps in Cairo vary widely, so closed shoes may be more practical.
Bring a bathing suit if you are visiting other areas and staying at hotels. Many of the pools here are heated in the winter and quite balmy in the summer.
Hats – REGARDLESS of when you visit, hats are necessary. I _know_ few of us usually wear hats, but…
The sun will be pretty strong, and ESPECIALLY for kids, or blondes, or those not used to sun (Seattlites!), a hat will offer good protection. I also usually have a bunch of scarfs, or ask women to bring one for head covering if you go into a mosque. In most mosques, it is minimally polite and often required for women to cover their heads. Mosques also usually require you to remove your shoes – so assume that your socks will get filthy.
– Meds – BRING IMMODIUM and/or Pepto. Mummy tummy is no fun. We will try to steer you away from foods that are very likely to upset your digestive tract (lettuce and strawberries are the BIGGEST culprits), but everyone is different. Any other meds, just make sure that they are in marked prescription bottles – to be safe.
Antibiotics, Valium, naproxene are easy to get here, all without prescription. Sleep aids, strong pain meds (Vicodin etc) are not possible here.
We arrived in Cairo with “emergency” doses of Cipro – just in case. Thus far *touch wood* we have not used them. Some people feel better traveling with it, some don’t care – you make the call.
– Food – There is LOADS of good food here, but if you are very particular about certain things, or have dietary restrictions you may be in trouble. Pork products are VERY rare here, as it is a Muslim country. There are some places that one can get ham or bacon, if one is REALLY in need. Otherwise many of the foods that you are used to at home can be found (in some approximation) here. All the western fast food chains operate here!
– Sights – DO YOUR RESEARCH. Almost everyone has certain things that they feel they MUST do. Look stuff up, make lists, plan itineraries. Places like Dahshur, Sakara and Giza are close to Cairo, and can be done in a taxi or thru one of the “Hotel tours” that run every day. Other things like the bazaar (Khan el Khalili) are open every day and night so they are possible to fit in any time. The museums and churches/mosques have very particular hours, so get to know them so that you can plan. There is always going to be more to do here than you will have time for. TRUST ME – I’ve been here for a year and a half and there are things I still haven’t done.
– Backpack/Bag – you WILL want some sort of small backpack/bookbag or tote to carry
with you. You will nearly always be carrying a wallet, camera, tissues (not all bathrooms
have paper), water, snacks. Make sure it is comfortable for all day – Jack and I really like our Camelback backpack cuz the water is integrated.
– A note about beggars – they are everywhere. They do not tend to be too aggressive,
but they can be a bit disconcerting initially. You will see lots of them and they can be VERY destitute, often women and small children. It is difficult for Westerners who haven’t experienced it before.
– Appliances – if you have electric anything, you are better off to leave it at home if possible. Things like electric shavers hair dryers etc. are a pain to get to work, and the 220V may fry them. That being said, there are power strips and surge protectors for things like rechargeable camera batteries. Make sure that you have the appropriate adapter – two, narrow round pins. Dunno if you are thinking of bringing your cell phone (unlikely to work here), but I’d suggest that if you need to be connected until you leave
the States and as soon as you get back, bring them and just leave them turned off here.
Cameras – some places (inside the Giza Pyramids) do not allow cameras, however the VAST MAJORITY of places do, they may just ask you not to use flash. If you have extra memory cards for your cameras it is a good idea to bring them. IF you find the kind of memory you need while you are here, you are going to pay DEARLY for it. Bring it from home, even if it seems like overkill.
We enjoy photography. We fairly regularly fill gigabytes of memory cards when we go places. We take pictures on the idea that “They are digital, take lots, it costs nothing”. So we fill cards and then delete later.
If you have a camera that requires proprietary software or connections bring them, there are places that can download and burn to CD any pictures that you take, IF you are comfortable with them handling your memory and memories.
Buying electronic stuff here (memory cards for cameras, computer cables, camera gear) is abysmally difficult, so bring what you need.
That is probably enough information overload for now. If you have other questions, or things that I haven’t addressed, please ASK.