h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A very good entry - I enjoyed this!

Two things.
May I point readers in the direction of A412787 - driving etiquette in Egypt.

Secondly, if you have a trustworthy tour guide and have days to spare without being part of an organised group, tell your guide what you would like to do. When I was there he haggled with an 'English- speaking'(barely) taxi driver for a whole week of inclusive (and exclusive as he was available any time day and night!) service. This included the 'Son et Lumiere' at Luxor, the Museum and a visit to the Queens, Artisans, Princes, Dendera and Abydos sites and a stopover night at Hurgada including a full day out snorkeling. The price quoted included all entrance fees etc, cost around 80 BP for the week and was one the best investments I have ever made. The taxi driver always got us in to the venues without queuing and even provided bottled water.
Just one point - if going to Hurgada remember to pack toilet paper! I expect things are better now, but in 1992 the place, which relied on the 'waterpipe' hygiene system, had frequent and long disconnections!

shazz

Thanks Shazz, I've put a link in the entry to Driving Etiquette.

I only knew about it because I contributed it way back when

shazz

I really enjoyed reading this....brought back lots of memories - some good, some bad (the way memories always are from travellling).


I found the metro system quite an experience....very clean and modern inside (at least it was when I was there in 1995), but with soldiers who held each others' hands whilst casually slinging their guns over their shoulders to keep the hoardes under control...most bizarre. If I rememeber rightly there were televisions on the platforms to keep everyone entertained, and then when the train arrived, there would me a huge bundle of people who seemed to appear out of nowhere who then proceeded to get involved in a rugby tackle-type brawl to get on it, mattering not that there were elderly people in the midst of it all...

OK, got lost in remembrance then.

Great article.

I'm going back soon for the umpteenth time - just another word on the subject of taxi's - be prepared to pay extra for an air conditioned cab (i.e. all four+ windows will have no glass in them) and extra fees on a sliding scale will be payable depending on whether the back seat has an oily rag, an old coat, an old sheet or a hand crocheted blankety/ruggy thing on it.