Our first day in Egypt, from the journal I wrote during a trip to the Middle East, Summer, 1964.
[Saturday, August 15, 1964] Plane to Egypt [from Beirut]-- flew over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez(?) Arrived in Cairo with all our money hidden in Tampax tubes, straps of bathing suits, etc. [because of Egyptian governmental monetary restrictions]. Looked for customs and asked the nice man who had just stamped our bags where customs was.
"I
... Into the city by taxi, we were relieved that we had successfully smuggled [young and foolish as we were] our money into Egypt, but almost disappointed with the ease of the operation. We were made to feel at home when we saw on the side of the road a huge stone church
on which there was Armenian writing; but in retrospect, I do believe that the church was abandoned. (Thanks to Kid from Alex, we can all see above that the church was NOT abandoned--picture compliments of the Kid.) Cairo is alive with dark men in long white gowns. . . walked with the porter from BOAC to the hotel (a good 10 minute walk in stifling heat) which, we were soon to discover, would cost us more than a taxi would have -- either that, or we paid the porter more than we should have . . .!
It took us most of the afternoon at the Amman Travel Agency to arrange a trip to Abu Simbel -- which we couldn't arrange because the Nile was flooded -- a small point which nobody had bothered to tell us. However, in good Middle Eastern style, the ticket agent bought us a Coke and finally arranged a trip for us to Alexandria, Luxor (& Aswan?).
No mail at the American Embassy, so we went shopping, in our typical fashion, 'to drown our sorrows, or something'. I bought a lovely necklace and earring set (orange and turquoise stones set in brass, reminiscent of an Egyptian Queen) which I later found in another store for 1/3 the price. [Yes, I know, I'm talking like an American tourist; well, that's exactly what I was, even though it was the '60's!] The other store, by the way, was owned by a very nice man who, after a while realized that we thought he was very nice, because we kept going back -- and (of course) he started raising the prices. Actually, he was responsible for our staying alive a good part of those days in Egypt -- amazing how much nourishment there is in one Coke! [By the way, Cokes were ubiquitous throughout Egypt!] Even a taxi driver bought us Cokes -- the only man who wasn't looking for free sex, money, information or something that we could give him from the good old US of A! This taxi driver was so nice that he even tried to refuse the tip we gave him!
That evening we went to the movies to see BELOVED INFIDEL with all the obvious awkward cuts in it.
Back to the hotel for lemonade and a good night's rest. Next morning to Alexandria . . .
"
... Into the city by taxi, we were relieved that we had successfully smuggled [young and foolish as we were] our money into Egypt, but almost disappointed with the ease of the operation. We were made to feel at home when we saw on the side of the road a huge stone church
It took us most of the afternoon at the Amman Travel Agency to arrange a trip to Abu Simbel -- which we couldn't arrange because the Nile was flooded -- a small point which nobody had bothered to tell us. However, in good Middle Eastern style, the ticket agent bought us a Coke and finally arranged a trip for us to Alexandria, Luxor (& Aswan?).
No mail at the American Embassy, so we went shopping, in our typical fashion, 'to drown our sorrows, or something'. I bought a lovely necklace and earring set (orange and turquoise stones set in brass, reminiscent of an Egyptian Queen) which I later found in another store for 1/3 the price. [Yes, I know, I'm talking like an American tourist; well, that's exactly what I was, even though it was the '60's!] The other store, by the way, was owned by a very nice man who, after a while realized that we thought he was very nice, because we kept going back -- and (of course) he started raising the prices. Actually, he was responsible for our staying alive a good part of those days in Egypt -- amazing how much nourishment there is in one Coke! [By the way, Cokes were ubiquitous throughout Egypt!] Even a taxi driver bought us Cokes -- the only man who wasn't looking for free sex, money, information or something that we could give him from the good old US of A! This taxi driver was so nice that he even tried to refuse the tip we gave him!
That evening we went to the movies to see BELOVED INFIDEL with all the obvious awkward cuts in it.
Beauty is a gift in the young, an achievement in the old. [A quote from BELOVED INFIDEL]We sat on the first floor in the cheapest section of the theater. Young men kept fighting for the seats next to us, until we discovered that our seats were meant to be up in the Loge where the seats were better anyway, and where we would no longer be [and in fact were not] bothered by rambunctious young men.
Back to the hotel for lemonade and a good night's rest. Next morning to Alexandria . . .
N.B. The above entry was taken directly from the journal that I kept (at my father's insistence) during my only trip to the Middle East in the summer of 1964. I'm so thankful that I took the trip when I did, and that I followed my father's advice!
I really enjoyed reading about the experiences of your first couple of days in Egypt. I felt I was there with you, and I loved your creative hiding places . . . but surprised you brought with you a bathing suit . . . I thought women had to be covered!
ReplyDeletewow - the 1960's travel experience - how cool that you kept a journal, and that you can now FIND it!! When I was in Europe for the first time in the mid-60's I sent many, many blue single-sheet "aerograms" back to my then lover. I got the box of them back when we split, but (1) I have no idea where they might be, and (2) the content is probably NOT appropriate for a blog!!
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