funchal cruise to egypt? part4.

[seabourndt]

mon 21st nov.

today we arrived in safaga,egypt at 1130hrs. as i had not booked any excursions and we were not staying there very long after lunch on deck walked into town. i saw a few people coming back already so wondered what sort of a town we would find. there were only very few shops until you wanted to take a taxi. i wanted to get a phonecard so asked someone and bought a few things. the call to mum only only about 2 mins. then i made my way back to the ship. it was very hot here about 90f. after dinner sat on deck it was a good place to be docked as we could see the ferries. i watched all the people go on board. no show tinight but there was a pub quiz instead. i joined lesley and des we did quite well but did not win it we got 68points.

after saying we would be leaving tonight it was put back until the next night so gave us an option of booking a trip to luxor the next day it would cost $115. so among others i booked it.

tue 22nd nov.

we left very early 6am for the long tour to luxor, aftrer a stop at a refreshment stop, there were hundtreds of busses here. after about 3 hours we arrived in luxor we did a lot of the temples in the "valley of th kings". then had a lunch in a hotel. then off to "karnak temple" a very interesting place. then back to the ship which took over 3hours. got to the ship at 2130hrs. after a lovely late dinner, there was no show. we would not be leaving tonight. los pareguyas were playing tonight but as we were having dinner at that time i missed it.

wed 23rd nov.

another day in safaga, they had arranged a bus shuttle to hurgada an hour away. after getting off the bus at the coffee shop. i joined margaret, lesley and des. we went round the bustling market where we bought a few things before getting a taxi to "sindbad hotel resort". this was an easier place to walk around without being hassled. we went in the resort, no questions were asked if we were staying there? after changing i went snorkalling. unfortujnatly as i don't swim i went too far out and panicked a bit. luckily lesley saved me and did not go so far again. and changing again made our way to town where i had a lunch in "mc donalds". we had asked our taxi driver to pick us up but there was no sign of him. so after going back to the supermarket where all the things being sold dearer in town were much cheaper here. so got another taxi back to hurgada. it took a while before he understood we wanted to go to the old town, but we made it back to the coffee shop eventually for the bus back to the ship. after a french dinner of frogs legs,veal, and tirimisu. we had the captains address in the showlounge. where the captain read out the information that we would be staying in safaga until the 15th dec as the repairs to the port engne would take a lot longer than first thought. we were given the option of leaving the ship, receiving 70% refund and being flown to australia free. or staying on the ship to australia. we had until the new itinarary was made up to decide. the captain did not speak english very well and had problems with some of the passeengers questions. some of these questions were stupit one that most passengers knew the answer to already. i could see the captain did not like this qustion and answer session. after this occasion we did not see that much at all. tonight the show was the magician "duck cameron". he was very good apart from the fact that i saw this same act on the funchal in april.

 

wed 23rd nov.