There are things that even you do not know if you don´t live them, you can read about it, and watching it by tv or videos,but until you live it you don´t know, and with all the communication that exists we would still be surprised by the new things that we can see in places far from our environment.
In this post and for sure in some next ones I will comment the most curious or different things that a Latin, western girl, can be found in this strange country as it´s Egypt.
It was the year 2009, that for me was a spectacular year, that exactly day for Venezuelans would be father's day, June 2009, when I was leaving London (I was in the UK studying) to go to Luxor.
Egipt Air, here the adventure began, the plane ... the cheapest flight impossible, at that time I did not know what meant flights low cost, I do not have internal photos because I was sorry to show them, It was like a very old bus, deteriorated and without any service on board, only the bathroom, that's why it was so cheap, for many people a flight is a synonym of luxury ... until you use a flight low cost, I feared for my life, but it was too late !!
Praying and crossing my fingers and trying to fall asleep so as not to continue regretting not having even carry on a little bottle of water, we arrived, without any news, the goal was achieved, we were on solid ground !.
I had always heard that in the east it was hot ... and the 42 degrees with which they received us fully confirmed that theory! It was like entering an oven, and after having been in cold England for months, the impact was not normal!
I still try to remember what happened at that airport that everyone was protecting themselves from a disease ... that was a bit ... weird and… intimidating, see it for yourself:
And more weird was when they asked us for the Visa ... Visa ??? .... Which visa?! .... Calm, calm, in that ticket office they sell them, we did not know if we were happy or worried, We paid 10 pounds sterling, and so they stamped my big Visa:
Now, officially in Egypt, already with my feet in that country that I heard so much in the biblical stories since my childhood and was ready to surprise me with its culture, people and realities. And everything started in Luxor, and please forgive me the attack of ignorance I had for that time, I had always thought that the capital of Egypt was Cairo, but no, it's Luxor! I some time say it in case someone think like me ... (it is possible)
And the strange things started to happen ...
At the hotel
Everyone knows that Egypt is a Muslim country, their religion more than a religion is a way of life and is reflected in all environments. The tourist guides that awaited us were a couple of husbands formed of a young Egyptian and a Colombian girl (and that is a very funny and interesting story, someday with the permission of them I will tell you), then returning to the hotel, nor they nor any Muslim or resident of Egypt can enter and not even wait outside any hotel, with the exception of those who work there. They left us in the corner and there they waited for us. The hotels are only for tourists!
Food
I can still feel the smell and the warm breeze that surrounded us when leaving to the street, with the full tummy was ready to see the face of Luxor ... and the sensation of being in another continent, in another culture, in almost another world, it was inevitable.
Luxor (and it is something that did not know) is a very poor city, its only sources of income are tourism and the Nile river, everything turns around the Nile, almost from where you are going to see the Nile, it is a city where You can see animals with loads and people transiting next to the vehicles through the streets, most of those vehicles are old, many children trying to sell things and provide services in the streets. I waited for my 3 friends, from a sunny corner with my eyes I walked the city quickly and from the first moment I knew that many surprises awaited me ... Language, adoration, deal with people, schedules, transports .. This adventure just I was beginning...
This story will continue!...