Back home in Switzerland, I visited one of our neighbours, a lovely Egyptian lady in her eighties. When she was young, she met a Swiss man in Kairo and followed him to his homeland. I gave her an account of our holiday, and she was surprised I felt exposed in the café square. Why would I? I explained that local women were always covered up and that I had stood out. In reply, she went to get a photo album with pictures of her youth. They showed young girls and ladies in white sleeveless dresses and later in capri pants, the fashion of the 1960s. However, she confirmed that her choice to marry a foreigner from Europe was motivated by the already then old-fashioned views of the local bachelors.
Nevertheless, I’ll happily go back to Egypt for several reasons. If you live in Europe and you crave some warmth in winter, Egypt is one of the closer places to go to. Also, I was impressed by the friendliness and customer service the hotel staff offered. After only one day, the waiters remembered how we liked our coffee and what we drank with the meals or upstairs in the lobby. They were always busy but took the time to chat a little with us when we were up for it.
I talked to a friend the other day and she and her girlfriend used Uber to get around – even without a local SIM card. They travelled from Hurghada to Luxor and back that way, no problem. Also the local busses seem to not be as uncomfortable as described.
There are many more things I want to see and there. Ah and of course I want to complete my PADI course as soon as possible. 😎
