 | Cairo Tourist Traps | Tips 1 - 10 of 154 |  |
If you come with your guide, you will get into the right papyrus shop/institute. When you come alone, check the address below and keep in mind that the Giza shops could be safe for you as they are under inspections and certifications. They wil be more expensive though. The good papyrus shop will give you a quick demonstration show on how to make the papyrus. After it, they will show you the models of papyrus they have. The papyrus with the original painting of Egyptian painters will be extremely expensive, could reach a thousand dollar for the big size!!You may get 10-20US$ for the small ordinary painted papyrus. Take a look around the shop and if you are interested and planning to bring papyrus as the souvenirs from Egypt, this is the good place to buy. Just write the model`s numbers which you are interested on and give to the salesman.Just Be careful : THEY MAY PUSH YOU (YOU MAY NOT EVEN NOTICE IT) INTO BUYING MORE PAPYRUS THAN YOU HAVE PLANNED BEFORE. Do BARGAIN!! Apparently, they won`t let you go without get something in their store, so you may enjoy your bargainings.:-))MAKE SURE THEY WILL GIVE YOU GOOD ROUND BOXES FOR EACH OF YOUR PAPYRUS. It would protect your papyrus on its way home with you. The most popular paintings on the papyrus will be THE JUDGEMENT DAY, LUNAR CALENDER (EGYTIAN`S), THE BUG `GOD OF LUCK`, NEFERTITI, KING TUT, or depend on your fondest memory you have in Egypt.
These pictures taken in GOLDEN EAGLE PAPYRUS, SAKKARA ROAD-Before Ring Road Pyramids-Giza-Egypt.Telp 7719585 |
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Dont be afraid to take photos in Cairo, its not a problem but in the pyramid areas you will notice that if you do take any photos of men on camels then they expect a tip from you. Its good to give them a small tip maybe 1-2 Egyptian Pounds & only give them more if your feeling generous.
You will often here them say "You want photo with the camel" you dont have to have one if you dont want to so just say "La Schukran" which means No thankyou.
Also in the Egyptian Museum you can take photos but make sure you turn off the flash as this is forbidden. Be careful when using a video camera too as you may have to pay tax to use it.
Its always best to ask someone first if you want to take a photo of them with your camera & they love it when they get a small tip. They are very grateful. The Egyptians are proud of there Country & will always help you out when taking photos. |
I was traveling along Cairo by bus with a group of tourists. While making an excursion around Old Cairo as usual we were lack of time to see all its sights. After visiting the Hanging Church, St. George Church of the Greek Orthodox Convent, St Barbara Church, Church of St. George and Abu Serga I was looking forward to see the Church of the Holy Virgin, Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Coptic Museum. But I failed!
Our guide carried us to the souvenir shop and gave free time for shopping. He said we had 15 minutes… But we spent there almost an hour! If I knew I would make my own excursion during this time. But I had to wait for other tourists who wanted to buy souvenirs instead of watching sights. That’s one of the main tourist trap while traveling with a group. |
It is very common that you will find Egyptians giving fives (your hand clapping on a friend's hand). They do this when you or them says something that sounds funny or looks funny. So expect that through out your conversation with an Egyptian he will give you five and another five and another five.
So dont think he is crazy. and ladies, dont think he is trying to hit on you and hold your hand but rather he is showing appreciation to a funny thing you said. Leave a Comment |
When going to most touristic sites you will be followed and surrounded by lots of men offering you to buy their original papyrus papers. It is not an original papyrus they are liers.
If he is offering you a papyrus as an original one tell him No this is not Original and that you are the brother of picaso or leonardo Da vinchi and that you cant be decieved by this.
If you are stuck by his hassle then give him a 3-5 egyptian pounds (less than 1 dollar). and ask him to give you the papyrus.
Dont buy papyrus from the streets cause they are not for real but a sketchy.
There are special places to buy them from. ask you tour operator. Leave a Comment |
At the observation point are a number of salesmen with all the usual heads of Nefertiti, arab head-dresses, shisha pipes, metal pyramids , papyrus, etc.
Most people in Egypt are paid a pittance compared to the rest of the western world, so they are only trying to make a living.
Bargain. Inevitably you will get the price down considerably, and take it as all part of the holiday fun.
Today [27 May 2005] I got 3 large metal model pyramids for 25 E Pounds,; he originally began at 40E pounds. I don't think I was ripped off, because last year I was with someone at Khan el Khalili who was happy to pay 19 E pounds for the smaller models. The little boy I bought them for was over the moon, and that compensates for any extra profit the salesman made.
Try somewhere else away from the tourist sites. Many smaller shops will have similar things, and as the economy is not very good these days may be prepared to sell at a lower price just to make a sale. Leave a Comment |
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A man kissing another man on the cheeks in the street is common cause this is the way Egyptian men greet each others. The strange thing is a man kissing a lady hi or goodbye. Some of my foreign friends asked me weather i am a gay and i was completly surprised cause i am not, they told me why do you keep kissing your men friends.
Dont fall into this trap.
As a man , expect that if you meet with another man and had a conversation and met again, he might kiss you . so dont panic as this is the way he is expressing frienship and kindness. But dont get used to this habit cause it gets irritating especially when it is hot. Leave a Comment |
Egypt is a beautifull country with billion amazing sites to visit, from Gizah pyramids to Abu SImbel temple and so on.
Whatever you are visiting, you will be stressed by street seller,m trying to sell you a lot of stuff.
Do not buy those things there! The costs are definitely bloody higher then the same stuff in the market, so avoid to buy anything there! Leave a Comment |
The Egyptians both make and break Cairo for the visitor. On the one hand, the majority of Cairenes are a wonderful and fascinating group of people, cheerful, helpful in everyway and make great conversation…but that is when they’re not angling for baksheesh or trying to sell you something!!!
I swear the concept of sales and marketing had to originate in Cairo, because the locals can get even the shrewdest and most well traveled foreigner’s attention long enough to get the opening lines of their sales pitch out. Naturally the most annoying scam artists work the tourist sites….Gizeh, Saqqara, the Egyptian Museum all the places you want to go and simply gaze in bewilderment, the silence (and your attention) broken by “Where you from, my fren…England, España, français, United States???” “How ‘bout a camel ride…my fren…Egyptian price today for my fren…only twenty-five LE… I take you to see tomb of Akhethotep…my fren…nice camel ride.” Be wary, the camel ride “into” the desert will probably cost you less than the camel ride “back” to civilization…
So, how do you discern the difference between the good Cairenes and those that are annoy….perhaps the best way is to listen carefully to their opening salutation…If they say “Salaam” with a smile, then your probably alright, but if their opening line is “Hello, my fren” followed with an even bigger smile, then you’d better quicken your pace before you are ushered into a store for tea….because that’s where the heavy sales pitches are made and the next thing you know you’ve bought fake papyrus or one of those stupid toy camels stuffed with sawdust…
Oh, one last thing, don’t even try to throw the hawkers off your trail by speaking a “foreign” language…it’s futile….these dudes know their opening sales lines in a variety of languages and will only come back with a response in the same “foreign” language. I tried to habla the espanol out of a situation in the Khan one day only to find that my Egyptian counterpart spoke better Spanish, much better Spanish… Leave a Comment |
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We stopped at a locally known lookout point to take some spectacular pics of the Pyramids when a very old and innocent-looking Egyptian man wandered up to my Mum. He gestured to ask if she wanted him in a pic with her and, in her innocent delight, she said yes and he posed beside her.
Next thing, before she had a chance to object, he unwound some dirty bangades and wrapped them around my Mum's head.
"Hey!" I thought "This guy is trying to make a Mummy of my Mammy. She was a bit upset and nervous at this point and I could see that she was bothered by the dirty headdress.
The trick from the old guys point of view was that he would not take the bandages off her unless she gave him money, and he would not leave without his bandages.
I handed him some money, he demanded more, but our guide intervened and he took his bandages away.
It was a really unpleasant experience though - if I were Mum I'd still be scratching my head.
Watch out for the locals wandering the Pyramids - most of them are up to some scam. Leave a Comment |
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