Never before have I visited somewhere and ended up developing a hatred for that place by the time I left. We had originally planned for a 14-16 day stay, covering up and down the Nile as well as west to the desert and the oases. Instead, we left after 8 days. It was unfortunate because Egypt has such an amazing, almost unfathomable history, and it takes time to learn, feel, and absorb it all.
There are many things not to like about Egypt, in particular, Cairo – the extreme air pollution, the out-of-control traffic, the filth, to name a few. But none of these was a showstopper. We had just traveled in China and Vietnam and were no stranger to these classic traits of an overpopulated developing country. What enraged us was the constant and endless touts who would hassle us (and any other tourist) so frequently, to the point that we had to develop an impenetrable wall to prevent any kind of human interaction.
I am not just talking about taxi drivers and store keepers trying to attract your business. Again, three of our four last visited countries – China, Vietnam, and Turkey – are all famous for their relentless street touts. Yet, nothing prepared us for Egypt. The worst were the people inside the paid areas of a museum or a tourist sight who would try to show you something stupid and then demand money afterwards.
I’m furious all over again just writing about Valley of the Kings. After touring the tombs, we hiked up the mountain and crossed to the other side to visit a famous temple. But all along the way, there were these people on the mountain who kept insisting on showing us the way. We had to go another direction in order to lose this guy.
So, two words for Egypt: a disgrace. But Jordan? A lovely, lovely country. But that’s for another day.
Sorry you two were so harassed. I’m glad Jordan offered much more.