China - Part 13: Emails from Happy

Happy is Jenny Kwan's friend. She's been recently.

i wish i can go to HKG too... lucky you..

HKG - for clubbing - Beijing and No.9 are hot spots, you can also check out this site for their details - - - http://www.hkclubbing.com/Nightclubs/Hong_Kong_Night_Clubs_and_Discos.html

Beijing Club
2/f, 3/F & 5/F Wellington Place
2-8 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong Tel: 2526-8298

CLUB No.9
Happy Hour:
Monday to Friday / 06:00pm to 09:00pm
Clubbing Hour:
Monday to Saturday / 09:00pm to 05:00am

3/F, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 852 2973 6899
Fax: 852 2973 6799
Email: info@clubno.9.com
Website: www.clubno9.com

Club Cixi
Shop A
G/F On hing Building
1 On Hing Terrace
Central Tel 2286 0333

Shanghai - these are the places to be...

Mse

M2

BABYFACE

or Xin tian di

China - Part 13: Emails from Barbara

I've known Barbara since the 7th grade. We also went to the same high school.

Night life, Beijing is at once coooler and less cool than you'd imagine. It offers a lot of variety and the places can be just as swanky as New York, just with a Chinese twist to it...a dn I don't mean "chinese" as interpreted by lower east side hipsters...but mainland chinese as in slighty over the top, just one too many blingy items, almost russian sort of chinese...you'll see. There is interesting things every night of the week, as there is a really cool chinese indie rock scene, but the bread and butter will be saturday night, As I said, I live right in the expat bar club area and will show you guys around. Though I might skip out on all the touristy things, cuz...jesus... the great wall the 10th time... ;)

As for the list of items, much appreciated, but what I'd really like is if you could just swing b y mom's restaurant in Chinatown and pick up a care package for me. It will include a few girly items but also some books... I AM SOOOOO BOOK STARVED here! Also,if either of you smoke or drink hard alcohol, I suggest picking some up at the duty in USA, BEFORE CHINA, cigarettes and alcohol are cheap here, but many on the market are fake...and this isn't paranoia, just advise. I myself am a big whiskey fan ;)

// after we told her where we're staying

thanks so much guys. Not to be a bummer, but you're pretty out of the city center. Luckily, the taxis are cheap but the traffic can be killer here. You'll have to rely on public transit at peak times, but warning it can and is always very crowded. It makes croded subways in New York seem like deserted islands ;) The tourist stuff, Tianmen and Forbidden city is in the south center of the city. The bars and restaurants for expats are in the east center of the city, where I am located. Your hotel is in the North West. Not a huge deal, but you guys are welcome to crash at mine if we are out too late on Sat.

China - Part 12: Email from Dad

Translated using Google Translate and my Chinese reading skills with some minor editing.

1. It will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to the airport from the hotel in Beijing. You should get there 45 minutes in advance to check-in.

2. It will take about 1 hour to get to the airport from the hotel in Shanghai. You should get there 45 minutes in advance to check-in.

3. Beijing and Shanghai have frequent traffic congestion. You should leave for the airport 3 hours in advance from the hotel.

4. My friend who is picking you up from the airport in Beijing is Mr. Chen. He's about 1.8 meter (5'9") tall, owns a bridal shop and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

5. Mr. Chen will have a mobile phone and travel plans for you when you get to Beijing.

China - Part 10: Email from Wayne

Wayne is an expert when it comes to China. He spent a good amount of time there a couple of years back to study and went on vacation back in May.

Beijing:

Essential Websites:

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/ (use this to look up the spots below)

Food:

Ding Tai Fung - incredible soup dumplings

Horizon in Kerry Center - dimsum

South Beauty - sichuan (in basement of Kerry Center)

Li Qun Kao Ya ($) or Made in China ($$$$$) - peking duck. Both are great, one's a awesome hole in the wall in a hutong the other is in the Hyatt

Best sichuan hotpot (handmade noodle): http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/listings/dining/hotpot/has/hai-di-lao/

some hotspots

Bed, Bar Blu, Suzie Wong, Mix/Vics are going strong and still great places for a night out. Alfa not so much.

Nan Jie - to get completely trashed or to start the night. Mixed drinks start at RMB10, and you can get 12 shooters for RMB100. ridiculous right?

Block 8 - the hottest new club/complex in town

Centro - great jazz lounge in the Kerry Center, one of my fav chill spots in the city.

Q Bar also makes up some of the best cocktails in teh city (rooftop bar too)



Shanghai

Websites:

http://www.smartshanghai.com
http://www.shanghai-eats.com

Food:

Yuxin Sichuan Dish http://yuxin1997.com/
location 1 - 021-52980438
location 2 - 021-63611777

How Way Sichuan's # 64282777 (I think they have 3 locations)

Goto Jiajia Tung Bao by Park Hotel.. across da street is Fry's Dumpling..
eat @ both places. 1 shot. and the chicken is up to you..that's next door to jiajia tung bao on the same street.

Jiajia Tangbao (Near Park Hotel)
Address: 90 Huanghe Lu (by Fengyang Lu)
Phone: 6327 6878

http://www.shanghai-eats.com/portal/1548_0/Jiajia_Tangbao.aspx

Yang's Fry Dumpling
Address: 54 & 60 Wujiang Lu (near Shimen Yi Lu)

Another Locatio is across the street from Jiajia Tangbao @ 90 Huanghe Lu (by Fengyang Lu)

http://www.shanghai-eats.com/portal/1527_0/Yangs_Fry_Dumpling.aspx

Places:

1. Xin Tian Di -- lots of places to drink and stuff, lots of touristy ish too...Ding Tai Fung is there as well.

2. There's a "new" type of xin tian di area that's much cooler...intersection of Taikang Rd and Si Nan Rd. (gotta walk into an alley way and you'll see a bunch of shops begin to appear).

3. Clubs galore!

China - Part 7: Email from Robin

Robin is Ray's little brother:

"Beijing:

Places that u must go: Great Wall of China(长城）, The Imperial Palace/The Forbidden City(故宫），The Summer Palace(颐和园），The Ming Tombs(明十三陵),Tian'anmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace)-->the place that u watch the "flag-raising ceremony", and the Olympics sport fields.
These sceneries should all have tour guide in English, but u'd better study the history of them first before you go.

Shopping and entertainment places: Wangfujing Street(王府井大街), International Trade Centre(国贸), Sohu(建外SOHU), eat roasted duck at 全聚德. You should go to local restaurant instead of eating fast food like KFC as well.
I went to 2 clubs in Beijing but i only rmb one of them is called "8号公馆唐会". Both of them r good, nice music and HOT GIRLS..no kidding lolz..yea i think clubbing in Beijing and Shanghai and Hongkong are all good, only depends on whether u like northern girl or southern girl =P...

ShangHai:
Im not so familiar with Shanghai but here r the places that i recommand:The Bund(外滩)(go there at night time); The other side of The Bund is called PuDong District(浦东区)(people usually come to see the New Shanghai Area), there you can go The Oriental Pearl Tower(东方明珠) and The international trade centre(国贸).
Small towns outside ShangHai are good places to go 2, you can see the "water villages" (Venice of the East).
Go try the Magnetically Levitated Train--It goes to the PuDong Airport.

Shopping: Nanjing Road(南京路), Xujiahui District(徐家汇), eat local food at Temple of ShangHai(城隍庙).
There r lots of clubs and bars in Shanghai as well. Theres a place just like Lan Kwai Fong in Hongkong but i forgot cuz i went there with my frds. Just ask the locals or taxi drivers.

HongKong:
Take the cable car to The Victoria Peak(太平山頂), you may wanna go there in the afternoon so that u can go to the Madame Tussauds and take pics at the peak at night.
Go to the Victoria Harbour(維多利亞港) at Kowloon during night time, Avenue of Stars（星光大道) is beside there
Hong Kong Space Museum(香港太空舘)
Entertainment Parks: Disney's World, Hongkong Ocean Park
Shopping: HongKong is one of the best places for shopping in the world, just like NY.
Names as the subway stations: Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, area around the Harbour City, Causeway Bay.
Club: there r many clubs but most famous ones are on the bar street Lan Kwai Fong(蘭桂坊)"

China - Part 6: Email From Ray

Ray and I only met recently. His mom and my mom were friends in high school. We met when they came down from Toronto for a tour of New York. Ray and his brother Robin have recently been to the cities we're going to

"Here is some of my experience in Beijing & Shanghai:

Beijing to go:

Forbidden City (故宫; Gu Gong) – Imperial Palace of Ming Dynasty (1406 –
1662) and Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). It serves as the political and
ceremonial centre of Chinese government, also as the home of Chinese
Emperors and their family. UNESCO World Heritage. As the largest
collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, it is
a huge museum. You can see the arts and sculptures on the building,
also some priceless jewelleries and art pieces previously owned by the
imperial family. Be prepared to spend a lot of time here.

Summer Palace (颐和园; Yi He Yuan) – Huge imperial garden of the Qing
Dynasty, UNESCO World Heritage. It declared the Summer Palace "a
masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape
of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as
pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious
ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value." It is a popular tourist
destination but also serves as a recreational park.
Temple of Heave (天坛; Tian Tan) – Built in the same time as the
Forbidden City, this complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming
and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good
harvest. UNESCO World Heritage. Not as big as the previous ones but
definitely worth to go.

The Great Wall in Ba Da Ling (八达岭长城;Ba Da Ling Chang Cheng) – As you
know, the Great Wall is huge, and not the whole Great Wall is opened
to the public, so you can only go to a specific area to see it. Ba Da
Ling is a mountain area near Beijing, and the Great Wall over there is
the one of most famous parts. This part is also a UNESCO World
Heritage. Plan your trip wisely to go there, it's far from the
downtown Beijing.

Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty (明十三陵; Ming Shi San Ling) - The
Ming tombs of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, located about 30
Miles north from Beijing downtown. UNESCO World Heritage. This is one
of best places to see the Chinese imperial tombs. Only 3 of the 13
tombs are excavated and opening to the public. I remember it is not
very far from the Great Wall in Ba Da Ling (not sure though), maybe
you can spend a day to go this two places.

Tian An Men Square (天安门广场; Tian An Men Guang Chang) – One of the
largest squares in the world, symbol of Beijing, even of China. The
world "Tian An Men" means "Gate of Heavenly Peace". Rebuilt in 1650s,
it was the gate of Beijing City, but now it is more like a political
symbol of PRC. Many big historical events happens there since 1400s to
now, including the proclamation of the People's Republic of China by
Mao Zedong on October 1, 1949. There are some museums around the
square, like the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. You can also watch the flag
raising ceremony each morning. The time of the ceremony depends on
what time the sun rises at that day. Please ask hotel staff (even you
don't live in hotel, you can pick any and go ask). Arrive early, it
will be crowed.

The Peking Man World Heritage Site at Zhoukoudian (周口店北京人遗址; Zhou Kou
Dian Bei Jing Ren Yi Zhi) – Not sure if you wanna go there. It is the
site where a first specimens of Homo erectus (an ancient human being),
dubbed Peking Man, was discovered. It is about 30 miles southwest from
Beijing. I have never been to there. It is a UNESCO World Heritage.

Olympic Green (奥林匹克公园; Ao lin Pi Ke Gong Yuan) – You must saw and
heard a lot about it this year…The last time I went to Beijing was 10
years ago…so I have no idea about this new attraction.

Sanlitun(三里屯酒吧街;San Li Tun) – The most famous place for night life,
including the best night clubs. You must go there, maybe every
evening? lol

Beijing to eat:

Peking Roast Duck (北京烤鸭;Bei Jing Kao Ya) – The most famous restaurant
to have the yummy roast duck is called "Quan Ju De" (全聚德). Every
people in Beijing knows it. Because it is so famous now a chain store.
But the quality is still the best of the best. Price is not cheap for
Chinese people, but since you are spending USD it should be good.
http://www.quanjude.com.cn/e_about.html

Fang Shan Fan Zhuang (仿膳饭庄) – I don't know what it is called in
English. Its menu was from the Forbidden City – everything you eat
there was supposed to serve the imperial family, and the first several
chefs worked for the emperor. In my point of view the taste is might
not as good as the fancy restaurants outside, at least it doesn't have
chocolate or sushi or steak…But it is quite a good experience if you
want to know what kind of food the Chinese emperor had every day and
in what environment. The restaurant is located in Beihai Park
(北海公园;Bei Hai Gong Yuan), which is an imperial garden to the northwest
of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Initially built in the 10th century,
it is amongst the largest of Chinese gardens, and contains numerous
historically important structures, palaces and temples. Some stuff in
the restaurant might be very expensive, like shark fins….but even you
don't wanna spend a fortune on it, at least you can have some dessert
or simple food.
It only has Chinese website: http://www.fangshanfanzhuang.com.cn/

Shanghai to go:

The Bund (外滩; Wai Tan) – Around the 1910's Shanghai was the largest
and most developed city in the Far East, even much better than Tokyo
and Hong Kong. Lots of foreign companies and government agencies were
set up around the bund, including consulates and banks of Russia, USA,
France and Britain….etc. Today those western buildings are still
there, and become the most expensive stores and clubs, it is the most
important tourist attraction of Shanghai. The Bund looks great at
night, don't miss it. You can either walk along the street, or see it
far from the other side of Huang Pu Jiang (Huang Pu River).

Yuyuan Garden (豫园; Yu Yuan) – Another must go in Shanghai, it was a
private garden first built in 1560s. You can see some traditional
Chinese building there, and have great Shanghai snacks like Soup
Dumpling (aka: Xiao Long Bao or小笼包)。 Yuyuan Garden sells great snacks
in the food court, while there is another famous old restaurant
inside. I remember you said you like Xiao Long Bao right? Make sure go
to a store called Nan Xiang Man Tou Dian (南翔馒头店, see the picture
attached), I remember it is close to the entrance of Yuyuan Garden.
Ask people around you if you can't find, every Shanghainese knows it.

Xin Tian Di (新天地) – Popular entertainment district of Shanghai,
modern night clubs and restaurants.

Oriental Pearl Tower （东方明珠电视塔; Dong Fang Ming Zhu） & Jin Mao Tower
(金茂大厦; Jin Mao Da Sha) – Highest towers and buildings in the Lu Ja Zui
financial district. Both of them have observation decks. I heard that
the new Shanghai World Financial Center (环球金融中心; Huan Qiu Jin Rong
Zhong Xin) is opened recently, if it is, that's the highest one.

Maglev Train (磁悬浮; Ci Xuan Fu) – the first commercial high-speed
maglev line in the world, and maybe it's the only one. It starts from
Longyang Road subway station to Pudong International Airport. the line
operates daily between 06:45–21:30, a one-way ticket cost ¥50
(US$7.00), or ¥40 ($5.60) for those passengers holding a receipt or
proof of an airline ticket purchase. A round-trip return ticket cost
¥80 ($11.20) and VIP tickets cost double the standard fee. The service
operates once every 15 minutes.

In normal operation, the speed and journey time vary depending upon
the time of day.
Daytime hours 06:45–08:30 08:30–17:00 17:00–21:30
Journey time 8:10 minutes 7:20 minutes 8:10 minutes
Maximum speed 300 km/h (190 mph) 431 km/h (268 mph) 300 km/h (190 mph)

Note: the maglev train is not the only way getting out of the airport.
It is just between the from Longyang Road subway station to Pudong
International Airport. Longyang Road subway station is still quite far
away from the city center. Here is options from Pudong Airport to the
city center ( I might be wrong since I don't leave in Shanghai but I
have been to there several times):
1. Taxi, the fastest and easiest way, around 20-30 USD.
2. Pudong Airport (maglev) - Longyang Road subway station (subway ) –
city center
3. Pudong Airport (bus) - Longyang Road subway station (subway ) –
city center,$3 USD total, cheapest way but slowest
4. Pudong Airport (bus) - city center, I took it before but I forgot
the schedule and where the destinations are.

That's all I know about Beijing and Shanghai. Hope it help. Feel free
to ask me more questions!"

China - Part 5: Email from Lori

Lori and I go way back. We're practically family: Chao, Zhao, 1 letter off, same in Chinese.
She's been working in China, writing for the WSJ for the past 3-4 years.

"hola, been crazy busy and realized just now i never responded to this. so u'll be here 11/7-12 then?

i know of a very decent hotel that's a good price. but if u wanna splurge there are some cool hotels with courtyards and stuff on the fancy side. (by fancy in beijing i mean nowhere close to the prices in ny.)

i say yes, def do the touristy stuff, but get it all done in 2 days so u can do other stuff. think: day tour of all the major spots in the city i.e. forbidden city etc., then half to one day at a cool more remote part of the wall. as cool as the touristy stuff can be, it's only one aspect of the city, and not what makes the city so cool. plus, you'll hate china if all you see is country-looking domestic tourists oohing and aahing at concrete slabs. :)

and get dinner with me a few times so i can take you to get some good minority food that isn't in the US yet. (they do it well in BJ, not in SH. In SH, get southern food i.e. shanghainese, macanese, taiwanese, etc.)

and the peking duck question will inevitably come up--don't go to quanjude no matter what anyone says, even if they lived in beijing ten years ago and all their old people-friends out here say it's the best. it's the oldest chain in the country, so people who either think you're an idiot tourist or who are too unsophisticated to know any better will steer you toward it. but anyone who actually likes food here knows there are at least 3 restos that make duck way better. (sorry, pet peeve of mine)

when u get here, pick up a free copy of That's Beijing. it's like Time Out NY, except for expats (it's in English) and has lots of listings."

// addium 1
You're staying on the west side of town ... not insanely far, but with traffic can be a hassle to meet up. There are some fun old Beijing style restos out there, which are good for a one-time experience, but all the really yummy food is on the east side. but the subways are decent and the cabs are cheap.

// addium 2
btw, for duck I really like Da Dong at Nanxincang, which is close to my office so let me take you there whenever you're free. they need reservations, though, so let me know.

but I also definitely recommend you try out provincial/minority foods which are done much better in Beijing than Shanghai (if they're done in Shanghai at all), and which you won't find anywhere in the U.S. (Guizhou, Xinjiang, Yunnan, etc.) The Sichuan food is also way better here than NY.

for hot pot, there's shabu shabu which is good but boring since you can get it in NY, but the good stuff is the hot/sour hot pot; there are a couple of really good places around the city you should try, but without me because I can't eat spicy stuff.

Egypt - Part 7: Random Not In The Books Questions

The guidebooks tell you a lot but I always have random questions that they never answer.
Once again, Sarah picked up the slacks:
Her replies in blue.

any pointers in haggling is also appreciated. i may have gotten rusty.

As I was saying, offer half of what they suggest. They'll make all kinds of sounds like what you said is so outrageously low that they can't even believe their ears. Act nonchalant, no matter how badly you want it, keep a straight poker face and say nothing. After approximately 10-15 seconds, the bartering will begin. They'll offer something close to what their original offer was, and you can say something like, "Yeah, well..I don't really like it anyway." Start to find problems with it. It's scratched. It looks too old. It's plastic. I saw one down the road for only ___ pounds. Things like that. You can come up on your price obviously, but take it slow. It's a cultural thing - they're not used to someone just walking in and buying something without haggling. There's a certain amount of respect that you gain by following the process. Not that that matters.

big OH! what should i be wearing?

Long pants and t-shirts are fine. Tank tops - NO. Shorts - NO. You'll see other people wearing them, but it's highly frowned upon. If you're traveling with a woman, make sure her legs are covered at all times. T-shirts are okay for her, but long sleeved shirts are better. No need to cover her head - they accept that Westerners don't do that.

Depending on where you're staying and what you're doing, you might actually get cold from time to time because of the A/C. Bring a light jacket or sweatshirt of some kind you can wear around your waist. (Sorry - if you're at the beach - especially El Gouna - then you'll be fine wearing shorts, tank tops, swim suits, etc.)

are sneakers ok to hike around these places or should i wear some kind of boots to keep the sand out? (i imagine it to be sand everywhere)

Sneakers are fine. Anything that's comfy. It will only be sandy by the pyramids and in the Valley of the Kings. And the beach.

are jeans too hot? khakis? linen?

Totally up to you. Any are fine, but jeans will be really hot. Taxis aren't air-conditioned, so you'll sweat your butt off. Literally. I think they have a new company that's operating there now that has nicer taxis, so maybe you'll luck out. But be prepared to lose some water weight!

thanks again!

No problem - let me know if you have more questions. I'll be more than happy to help if I can. We had a lot of visitors while we lived there, and each time it was a trying experience for them when they went out on their own. Just be prepared to be hassled quite a bit. It wasn't uncommon for children to follow us for BLOCKS AND BLOCKS or even grab my hair or attach themselves to my leg and not let go. The poverty there is high and rampant. Most people live on less than $25 a month. They see foreigners and they equate them with dollar signs.

If you don't hire a taxi for a full day and just try to brave it, then find out from the hotel personnel how much it should cost to get to your destination. The taxis are very strange there. People just know how much it costs to go from Point A to Point B. No one discusses price before getting in the car (despite what the travel guides might say), and you certainly don't discuss it when you get there. You just know how much it is, get out of the car and give the money to the driver THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW once you're completely out of the car. I know it sounds weird, but if you do it that way, the driver will assume that you know what you're doing. That's the Egyptian way. It can be a real bitch, so it's probably easier to just hire someone to drive you around for the day, wait for you, answer your questions, etc.

Like I said, let me know if you've got any more questions!

Sarah

Egypt - Part 6: Itinerary Feedback

I hustled to get my itinerary down so I can get some feedback from Sarah.
After flipping through the guidebook about 9000 times, I nailed down the wheres and whens.

Sarah's replies in blue, to my first itinerary*...

day 1 - cairo: arrive around 11 - museum, night market, walk around

This is a good plan. Will he have a car waiting for him at the airport? It's INSANE if he doesn't, and it's enough to make a visitor want to turn right around and get back on the plane. Also, when he comes through customs, he will need to go to one of the little booths and get TWO STAMPS before his passport can be processed. No one will tell him - it's as if they want to torture tourists. But you have to go pay for these stamps (try to use Egyptian Pounds if he's got them), and then you go wait in the line. It was normal for us to spend an hour to an hour and a half just to get to baggage claim. Cairo is the epitome of disorganization.

day 2 - cairo: pyramids, camels (i plan to smoke a cuban while riding a camel)

Definitely do the camel ride and definitely smoke the cuban! You can get them all over, but any nice hotel is a sure bet. Beware at the pyramids that he should try to get there as early as possible. I think they open up around 7:15 or 7:30am? Something like that. The lines get long, and often times there's a guy at the front of each pyramid trying to charge money. The only fee you have to pay is when you go through the main gate. Enjoy the view of Pizza Hut and McDonalds at the bottom of the Sphynx.

day 3 - cairo: (not sure what), night train to luxor

This would be the day to do whatever you haven't managed to do yet. Traffic can be bad, so things take a little longer. There are lots of lines, and the exhaustion level can be really high. Don't feel bad if you just want to head to the Four Seasons and down a few martinis.

As far as the train goes, buy First Class tickets, but don't be surprised when it's less than what you hoped for. You should be able to get tickets for less than $15 a piece, and the ride takes about 9 hours.

day 4 - luxor: valley of the kings

Get up early. There are boats that leave regularly, and once you get to the other side of the river you'll need to hire a car/driver to drive you to the actually valley. They'll be all over harrassing you to no end. Act as if you know what you're doing, even if you don't. People will seriously try to charge you massive amounts of money for next to nothing. There are other sites around there as well (The Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut (sp??)). When you're in the Valley of the Kings, pay the extra money to go down into the different chambers. They have package deals for this (you'll see what I mean when you get there). It's definitely worth it. There are some really cool ones.

day 5 - luxor: (not sure what)

Karnak Temple is what you want to do on this day. Or night. I only went there at night and did this huge light show tour. It was really cool - not just looking, but in temperature as well. It's a short taxi ride down the road from Luxor. There are also lots of restaurants and little bars in this city.

day 6 - hurghada: early bus to hurghada or other beach city along red sea coast, do water stuff?

The bus to Hurghada is crowded and dirty and smelly - I took it actually the opposite way (Hurghada to Luxor). But it's cheap and gets you there, as long as you don't mind the random Egyptian falling asleep and drooling on your shoulder. Hurghada itself is a crappy little seaside town that's full of nasty, sweaty Germans and tons of Russians on vacation package getaways. That's the downside. The upside is that there's some decent snorkeling, tons of bars with cheap beer and a lot more English spoken. Hotels are pretty cheap, but nothing to write home about. If you're looking for something a bit more remote, there are a ton of other spots on the coast to visit. Let me know if you are interested, and I'll give you some names. These places won't have anywhere to go out to - maybe a restaurant or two, but you'll have a beach to yourself and lots of privacy.

Just north of Hurghada about 45 minutes (I think) is El Gouna. It's a cute little town with some nicer, more western places to eat and hang out. It's where our mom worked, and I would definitely recommend it for a day or two. You can hang out on relatively uncrowded beaches, but there's still a bit of life going on - a nice compromise. There are boats that you can take out for the day or 1/2 day for snorkeling or diving. We did a day long snorkeling trip for about $75 per person, and it was incredible.

day 7 - hurghada: relax then afternoon bus to cairo or alexendria

These bus trips generally take around 6-7 hours, depending on which one you're on. They're nicer than the other kind. You'll have more room and maybe even be lucky enough to watch a ridiculously long Egyptian movie. If you're thinking of doing the Alex segment, then try to take a bus straight there.

day 8 - alexendria: day trip

Alex is a neat town - it's pretty-ish and definitely the most modern. The library there is worth seeing - it's new and modern, but it's on the same site and the original, famous one that was destroyed. There's some good seafood joints right along the boardwalk area, and there are some decent bars around. It's fun for about a day, so if you arrive the night before, that should be good. Take the afternoon train/bus back to Cairo, treat yourself to a night out on the town

day 9 - fly out of cairo (11am)

is this a good itinerary? nothing is solid except the flight in and out of cairo.
im totally open to suggestions.

Definitely a good itinerary! It can get stressful finding things out. Most signs are only in Arabic, and you end up acting out or miming a lot of things. The people there speak very aggressively to one another (or so it seems). It's just their way. They're very non-violent actually, but it looks like things are about to erupt all the time. They're just loud/close-talkers. The prices for most in stores are not set in stone. Usually the shop-keeper will ask you what you want to pay for it. I always hated that because I never really knew what the going price was. Don't answer them. Let them dictate a price, and then cut it in half NO MATTER HOW LOW IT MIGHT SEEM TO YOU.


*After reading this, gim was quick to let me know that I added an extra day. We're not leaving on a Friday night like I had hope to because there simply weren't any flights out. Revision to come.

Egypt Part 4 - Advice From Annie's Mom

More solid advice...

“This one is from my mom. She lived there for a few months, but has visited many times. She's very spiritual and into the temples and gods - if you want more info on that let me know, I can ask.... but I don't know where to start. "Many suggestions to make, but wonder if he has plans to cruise the Nile, or wants to explore the country stem to stern? I highly recommend taking the overnight trip from Cairo to Luxor with a sleeping car. Luxor is a MUST, and going by train gives you a wonderful experience, getting you there safely and in a town where you can walk or take a calish (horse drawn buggy) everywhere you want to go. Shopping wise it's the only Egyptian town that sells those wonderful, beautiful woven blankets. So don't search for them in Cairo, they all come from Luxor. I also encourage him to get out his bargaining skills. We must know how to negotiate with an Arab. If he needs help in that area I'll be happy to tell him my technique. Alexandria is also a must, being just a 2 hour bus ride from Cairo. The city doubles in volume in the summer, and really comes alive. When is he going? If it's prior to summer, many specials exist, but the town and harbour are truly worth the day trip. The museum there is also great." My sister obviously knows quite a bit more about the nightlife and ins-and-outs of it. She lived there for 3 years, and like I said, didn't enjoy the people very much. If you have any questions though, let me know. My mom and sis have been all over the world and know the value of getting inside info - they are happy to answer any questions! Hope this helps!

Luxor and Alexandria - check!

Shameful Shit: Lonely Planet Writer Admits To Fabricating Guide Book

"Shameful shit fellas...Shameful Shit." - Clay Davis, The Wire

Lonely Planet Writer Admits To Fabricating Guide Book Based On Info From Girlfriend

From Consumerist.com: "Who needs to actually travel in order to write guide books? Not Thomas Kohnstamm.

From Reuters:

The Sunday Telegraph said Kohnstamm also claims in his new book "Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?" that he accepted free travel, contravening company policy.

He said in one case he had not even visited the country he wrote about.

"They didn't pay me enough to go to Colombia. I wrote the book in San Francisco. I got the information from a chick I was dating — an intern at the Colombian consulate," the newspaper quoted Kohnstamm as saying."

(via consumerist.com)

- Always a good idea to get info from more than 1 source.

Egypt - Part 3: Advice from Sarah (Annie's Sister)

It turns out my friend Annie's sister, Sarah, spent 3 years working in Cairo.
No guidebook can beat solid advice from someone who's lived there (especially because of stuff like this).

“Oh Jesus - tell him to get his money back!! hahaha

Do you know where he'll be?

If he's in Cairo, here are some spots:

• Khan el Khalili - supposedly the world's oldest souk (shopping bazaar). Prepare to be hassled and ripped off, although there are tons of cool things to buy. HAGGLE HARD.
• City of the Dead - mind-blowingly huge area of graveyards
• the Citadel - this area is really beautiful, and it overlooks the city. On a good day he might have about 20 feet of visibility.
• Falucca ride on the Nile - these are sailboats that take people out on the Nile. Pack some beers, food, whatever and prepare to pay about $5 a person. Again, haggle. The boats are generally rented on an hourly basis, and they hold up to about 20 people comfortably.
• Sequoia - restaurant/bar in Zamalek (area I used to live in). It's on the northern-most tip of the island and has bar-none the best shisha anywhere I've ever tasted in the world. As of two years ago it was quite the Egyptian trendy spot - dress a little nicer.
• Egyptian Museum - this place has some of the coolest crap ever, and it's hard to believe that it's housed in such a shitty manner. King Tut is in here. Totally worth it. I think it costs about $10 to get in.
• the Pyramids (of course) - they're about a 20-25 minute drive south of Cairo. Your friend will have a better time if he hires a driver for a day (or more, depending on how many days he's planning on being in Cairo). Otherwise he'll be harrassed to no end. Taxis there don't have meters, no one speaks English and it can get really intimidating for someone who doesn' t know how much it actually costs to get around. Definitely have the hotel hook him up with a car service or a taxi driver that will work for him and only him for the duration. Prepare to pay about $30-40 a day (although he can no doubt get it for cheaper if he wants to haggle).
• At the pyramids, expect to be mobbed by Egyptians trying to put things in your hand and then refuse to take them back (unless you give them money for them). They will pull on you, follow you around incessantly, constantly asking for 'bakshish" - a tip, trying to give you directions, act as if they want to pose for a picture with you and then NEVER leave you alone (until you pay them).
• Drinking - there are some bars here and there, and there are a few late-night prostitution places that taxi drivers will know about. Basically it's a very strict Muslim country, and alcohol is forbidden for Muslims. So..that being said, bars are for either the wealthy Christian Egyptians or the foreigners. Big hotels are stocked full, and Zamalek (the island in the middle of the Nile) has several bars:
• Bars/restaurants in Zamalek: La Bodega - this is a nicer, upscale restaurant in an old building. I loved going here. It's not for the backpacker type - definitely a little nicer, but it's a great getaway from Cairo. Good service, outstanding food (not Egyptian). There's also a good bar that's just about a block away from here called Deals. Anyone at the restaurant will know where it is. About five or six blocks from there is another pub called Pub 28. It's loud and smokey, but a great place to get wasted. There's also a place called the Sand Bar (might be harder to find, and it might not be open anymore) as well as the place I mentioned before - Sequoia.

BEST ADVICE - ignore the people. There are some great Egyptians out there, but the ones that he is most likely to encounter will by trying their hardest to rip him off in some way or another. I know it sounds extreme, but believe me....I have been all over the world, and I've never seen anything as bad as this. It's a real shame because there are some absolutely incredible things to see in this country. The people certainly take a lot away from that.

If he goes down south to Luxor and the surrounding areas, then he should be prepared for all of the above, but at a higher price. It's hotter down south, so try to do any tours either early in the morning or in the late afternoon/evening. There are lots of night-tours and stuff like that. It's just too damn hot during the day. I was fine because I was climatized, but Keri get heat stroke. hahaha.

If I think of any more cool stuff I'll let you know. Depending on how long he's going to be there, there are even more side trips he can do: the White Dessert, going to the coast, up north to Alexandria, etc. Forward this on to him, and if he's got any questions let me know. Honestly, there are so many fucked up things about visiting there that the more information he's got, the better off he'll be. It's definitely high-stress travel.

Later!

S