Thoughts as we leave Egypt…

About Egypt

I’ve been blown away by how beautiful the history is. At up to 5,000 years old, it’s very impressive what’s survived. The colours that have withstood the test of time are outstanding. Beautiful murals with red, yellow, black, green, blue — as if painted yesterday.

I forgot how in some societies, the men do all the jobs. Whilst it’s not that conservative as a country, women tend to be home makers. You sometimes see women doing jobs, but rarely. The uprising in 2011 had a massive impact on the economy, and it seems like a real struggle there nowadays. The country relies on tourism, so covid really hit Egypt hard. One of our tour guides went working on the fields during those times. Inflation is crazy high, and there is no government backstop or assistance, so for those on the breadline it’s really tough. Perhaps that’s why it’s become a culture of ‘tourist tipping’ for everything. On the one hand it can be annoying, you’re not sure if someone is being kind or speaking to you for a tip. Equally it’s each to their own in Egypt so I do understand.

One time we were waiting for our Uber. Internet was patchy so we couldn’t pull up the details. A dude in a taxi drove up and said yes I’m your Uber. Obvs he wasn’t in the end! Then he proceeded to charge a crazy high amount. It felt so dishonest and I’m afraid I stuck it to him. But equally he’s trying to get by in a society where it’s hard to get the tourist dollar.

Then on the other side of the coin, people were so kind. Just gorgeous with the kids — waving, shouting Mo Salah to Henry in his footy top. We spent two days with our guide Ra in Luxor who treated us like family, going above and beyond. Getting the kids treats, giving them postcards, inviting us into his home. Lovely.

About our trip, nearly two weeks in…

Learnings…I forgot how backpacking means you wear one outfit for days on end, and the dirt and dust gets into your hair, nails, clothes and everything else!

Also remembering that most backpacker guesthouses are a bit basic and make me grateful for our cotton sleeping bag liners! I forgot about the joy of a money belt with your worldly cash/cards gently stewing against your nether parts! I’m personally learning to lean in and leave my princessey ways at home.

It’s hard to stay healthy food wise — I’ve mostly stayed veggie to attempt to be healthier!

But the biggest, and best learning is that we love love love the experience of backpacking. We feel like we are in our 20s but with awesome people with us (the kids), and a few more wrinkles. It’s good to encourage them to lean in too. Sometimes Charlotte says she’d prefer a beach holiday (!), other times she says it’s the best experience in the world.