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25 - 26 October : Camels in Cairo

2- Days in Cairo with Memphis

Trippin'.
A city of millions-- 14 million, or 16, no one really knows-- it's chaotic traffic, people and overall rhythm of the city is overwhelming and intimidating to any first time visitors. Cairo has a lot to offer, but not without discretion. Come prepared, preferably with a local guide at all times, and you'll find Cairo to be a historical milestone achievement. It's beauty and charm is a product of its history, but can sometimes be lost amidst the hundreds of taxi scammers and souvenier sellers aggressively vying for your attention (and wallets).

We booked a 2- days tour with Memphis which includes transportation to and from Alexandria along with accommodations in Cairo, museum entry tickets and a personal guide. Truth be told, now that we've done it, I'd highly recommend 1- day in Cairo (and 1- day in Alexandria for Cruisers). It's a lot to take in even for experienced travelers. To call Cairo filthy is an understatement, but what can you say about a city that has been around for over two- thousand years?! We were blessed to have a local guide with us during our 2- days stay. And while we witnessed tourist after tourist getting ripped off and mobbed by camel riders and souvenir sellers, we managed to walk through without a single stare. I even saw one man physically taking a camera off another tourists' neck! Ridiculous I know, but now you know too. On constant alert is how I felt and that was with a guide. Having a guide not only saved us from getting ripped off and mugged, but it's always better to have someone tell you the history rather than reading it out of a book. Although, we did wish our guide spoke better English. His was quite limited compared to some other guides we ran into throughout the city. Oh well, can't believe we went to Egypt! How many can say that?!

More Photos.

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