For the summer holiday with the family, Ali decided we would go to Egypt.
It's somewhere her mum had always wanted to go, so she had the idea, that
they could do a cruise on the Nile, and we would meet up with them in
Cairo.
We all flew out on the last day of school (the kids took the day off) and arrived fairly late. As we were landing, it was dark, but I was looking out the window, trying to see the pyramids. I was disappointed coz we were nearly about to land, and I thought I would've seen them from the sky. The plane turned so my side was up higher. Everyone was looking out the windows on the other side, when I looked out my window and saw a pyramid, illuminated on one side by a spotlight. It was so cool!!
We were met by a tour guide, and he quickly organised our visas and got us through airport security. We all got into the van to drive to the hotel we were staying at. On the way, the tour guide was trying to explain some of the site we were going past, and the kids were being really rude and talking over him and wouldn't calm down and behave.
We got to our hotel, which was the Oberoi, right opposite the pyramids of Giza! They were literally right across the road! We went up to our room and were met in the hallway by Ali's parents, who were wearing Egyptian clothes they had got for a dress up night on their cruise.
We spoke to them briefly before going to be because it was already about midnight. We had two rooms, so Rach went in with Ali and Tim, and Sam came in with me.
The next day, Ali had spoken to the guide about a tour. She decided the kids wouldn't really cope with being in the van all day, so it was decided that Tim and Ali's dad would stay at the hotel and have a day by the pool with the kids, while me, Ali and her mum, went on a tour.
We went to the pyramids first, which were amazing! Our tour guide was really cool, and we had a lot of fun there, and learnt a lot of the history and things. And we actually got to stand on the pyramid, which was cool. Although you can only go up so high, coz people used to try and commit suicide of them!
After that we went to the Sphinx. That was so cool, coz I didn't realise where we were going, and all of a sudden it was there!
After that we went to a perfume place, where there was air conditioning, to cool down and relax. Ali and I went out the back and watched a guy do glass blowing. He made a beautiful little bottle, which they then paint.
Then we went into the front of the shop and sat down and had a cool drink. The guy that owned the shop (which was a family business) was really, really nice. We tested some of the perfumes they make, and he explained to us how they make them and things. He also was married to a lady from New Zealand, and his son was born in Brisbane, Australia, near where I live. So we were talking about that and everything.
Ali bought a few perfumes, and then as we went to leave, the guy who owned the shop gave me one of the beautiful glass bottles they make. It was so nice of him, coz I didn't even buy anything! But he was really cool.
After that we went and saw some statues and things. There was a big statue of Rameses, which was really cool. And there were some hieroglyphics and stuff too.
Then we went to see some of the older style pyramids. They were tiered, as opposed to the newer ones that had smoother sides. Ali's mum stayed in the van coz she was getting quite hot.
After that we were supposed to go for lunch, but we were all tired and hot and just wanted to go back to the hotel and have a swim!
But our tour guide insisted on taking us to a 'carpet school' which is a place where they hire kids to go and work and lean how to make carpets. We didn't really want to go, so we didn't stay long before we insisted on leaving.
We went back to the hotel and had a rest and a swim. We had dinner that night at one of the hotel restaurants, and then went to bed, to get some sleep before the next day.
The next day, we got a driver to take us back to the pyramids and the Sphinx so we could show the kids. While they went to the sphinx, I stayed in the car because we had lost one of the tickets, and I had seen it anyway. I was waiting in the car, and Tim came back. It turned out we had needed a ticket for Sam, which we didn't think we did, so Tim said Sam could take his, and came back to the car to wait with me.
We were waiting in the car, and a lady came up to the window with a baby on her shoulders and she was banging on the window and trying to get us to give her money. I just looked away, but I felt so bad. She came around the other side of the car and was doing the same thing. She eventually went away after about 10 minutes. It was horrible, and I felt bad, but like Tim said, if we gave her money, all her friends would be there in an instant!
Then everyone came back, and we went to the Cairo Museum coz Sam wanted to see all the Tutankhamen stuff. We looked around there for a while, before taking the kids back to the hotel to sleep coz they were hot and tired.
The next day, we left quite early to go to the airport, and fly to Sharm El Sheik on the Red Sea, where we were going to stay for the week.
We flew in, and I was really surprised by how rocky and mountainous the landscape was. It was really beautiful though.
Our hotel was the Ritz Carlton, and it was gorgeous!! It was Ali's birthday, and we were joking about having arranged the staff to sing happy birthday to her etc. but when we got there, they had people dressed up and singing to welcome the visitors!
For some reason, our room wasn't ready, so we all went up to Ali's parents room to wait. The kids were restless, so Ali and Tim took them to the pool, and I stayed in Ali's parents' room and read.
We finally got our room and I went down with the bags and met Ali, Tim and the kids there. We again, had two rooms. Originally Rach was in with Tim and Ali (with a king size bed), and Sam and I were in the room with two double beds, having a bed each. However, after a few days, both the kids ended up sharing a bed in my room.
Now, while that is kinda my job, I was annoyed. The kids would refuse to sleep and would be talking and laughing and mucking around until about 2am. And Ali and Tim had the connecting door closed, so they got sleep, but I didn't. Luckily, the kids ended up having trouble sleeping in the afternoon, which Ali and Tim wanted them to do so they didn't fall asleep during dinner (which ended up happing a few times), but it worked out better for me coz I got to actually sleep at night!
Our week there was fantastic. I spent a lot of time in the room reading, while everyone else was at the pool. It was good coz I got to have quiet time alone!
One of the funniest places we went, was this place not too far from the hotel. It was really pretty with all decorated Indian style towers and things. But it was really weird inside. You went through the entrance, where there were three 'vertically challenged' people (that tried to grab my ankles!), a man on stilts (that tried to walk in front of me!) and five ladies in bridal dresses (don't have a clue why!). It was weird, and we didn't bother to go in to the proper bit because it was just a belly dancing thing or something, and we didn't really want to pay to see it. But the place was really beautiful.
We also got to go snorkelling. Now, even though I don't live too far from the Great Barrier Reef (although too far for a day trip... maybe 5 hours away... I don't really know), I hadn't been snorkelling before. Well in year 6 I had an aquatic camp, and I was supposed to snorkel, but I was SO cold. I got in the water, which was freezing, and I asked to sit in the boat. So I didn't really get to snorkel. Anyway, I LOVED it. I really want to go to the Barrier Reef now!
It was so cool! We went to three different locations, and it was so beautiful. The second location was really cool. It was like a drop off and while we were snorkelling, there were divers there and I could see them going down beneath me. It was so amazing!!
Apart from that, we just did a lot of relaxing and enjoying the summer weather (which England was seriously lacking in!).
The hotel staff were fantastic, and we got used to having regular people serve us and things. It was so much fun! And a great experience!
We all flew out on the last day of school (the kids took the day off) and arrived fairly late. As we were landing, it was dark, but I was looking out the window, trying to see the pyramids. I was disappointed coz we were nearly about to land, and I thought I would've seen them from the sky. The plane turned so my side was up higher. Everyone was looking out the windows on the other side, when I looked out my window and saw a pyramid, illuminated on one side by a spotlight. It was so cool!!
We were met by a tour guide, and he quickly organised our visas and got us through airport security. We all got into the van to drive to the hotel we were staying at. On the way, the tour guide was trying to explain some of the site we were going past, and the kids were being really rude and talking over him and wouldn't calm down and behave.
We got to our hotel, which was the Oberoi, right opposite the pyramids of Giza! They were literally right across the road! We went up to our room and were met in the hallway by Ali's parents, who were wearing Egyptian clothes they had got for a dress up night on their cruise.
We spoke to them briefly before going to be because it was already about midnight. We had two rooms, so Rach went in with Ali and Tim, and Sam came in with me.
The next day, Ali had spoken to the guide about a tour. She decided the kids wouldn't really cope with being in the van all day, so it was decided that Tim and Ali's dad would stay at the hotel and have a day by the pool with the kids, while me, Ali and her mum, went on a tour.
We went to the pyramids first, which were amazing! Our tour guide was really cool, and we had a lot of fun there, and learnt a lot of the history and things. And we actually got to stand on the pyramid, which was cool. Although you can only go up so high, coz people used to try and commit suicide of them!
After that we went to the Sphinx. That was so cool, coz I didn't realise where we were going, and all of a sudden it was there!
After that we went to a perfume place, where there was air conditioning, to cool down and relax. Ali and I went out the back and watched a guy do glass blowing. He made a beautiful little bottle, which they then paint.
Then we went into the front of the shop and sat down and had a cool drink. The guy that owned the shop (which was a family business) was really, really nice. We tested some of the perfumes they make, and he explained to us how they make them and things. He also was married to a lady from New Zealand, and his son was born in Brisbane, Australia, near where I live. So we were talking about that and everything.
Ali bought a few perfumes, and then as we went to leave, the guy who owned the shop gave me one of the beautiful glass bottles they make. It was so nice of him, coz I didn't even buy anything! But he was really cool.
After that we went and saw some statues and things. There was a big statue of Rameses, which was really cool. And there were some hieroglyphics and stuff too.
Then we went to see some of the older style pyramids. They were tiered, as opposed to the newer ones that had smoother sides. Ali's mum stayed in the van coz she was getting quite hot.
After that we were supposed to go for lunch, but we were all tired and hot and just wanted to go back to the hotel and have a swim!
But our tour guide insisted on taking us to a 'carpet school' which is a place where they hire kids to go and work and lean how to make carpets. We didn't really want to go, so we didn't stay long before we insisted on leaving.
We went back to the hotel and had a rest and a swim. We had dinner that night at one of the hotel restaurants, and then went to bed, to get some sleep before the next day.
The next day, we got a driver to take us back to the pyramids and the Sphinx so we could show the kids. While they went to the sphinx, I stayed in the car because we had lost one of the tickets, and I had seen it anyway. I was waiting in the car, and Tim came back. It turned out we had needed a ticket for Sam, which we didn't think we did, so Tim said Sam could take his, and came back to the car to wait with me.
We were waiting in the car, and a lady came up to the window with a baby on her shoulders and she was banging on the window and trying to get us to give her money. I just looked away, but I felt so bad. She came around the other side of the car and was doing the same thing. She eventually went away after about 10 minutes. It was horrible, and I felt bad, but like Tim said, if we gave her money, all her friends would be there in an instant!
Then everyone came back, and we went to the Cairo Museum coz Sam wanted to see all the Tutankhamen stuff. We looked around there for a while, before taking the kids back to the hotel to sleep coz they were hot and tired.
The next day, we left quite early to go to the airport, and fly to Sharm El Sheik on the Red Sea, where we were going to stay for the week.
We flew in, and I was really surprised by how rocky and mountainous the landscape was. It was really beautiful though.
Our hotel was the Ritz Carlton, and it was gorgeous!! It was Ali's birthday, and we were joking about having arranged the staff to sing happy birthday to her etc. but when we got there, they had people dressed up and singing to welcome the visitors!
For some reason, our room wasn't ready, so we all went up to Ali's parents room to wait. The kids were restless, so Ali and Tim took them to the pool, and I stayed in Ali's parents' room and read.
We finally got our room and I went down with the bags and met Ali, Tim and the kids there. We again, had two rooms. Originally Rach was in with Tim and Ali (with a king size bed), and Sam and I were in the room with two double beds, having a bed each. However, after a few days, both the kids ended up sharing a bed in my room.
Now, while that is kinda my job, I was annoyed. The kids would refuse to sleep and would be talking and laughing and mucking around until about 2am. And Ali and Tim had the connecting door closed, so they got sleep, but I didn't. Luckily, the kids ended up having trouble sleeping in the afternoon, which Ali and Tim wanted them to do so they didn't fall asleep during dinner (which ended up happing a few times), but it worked out better for me coz I got to actually sleep at night!
Our week there was fantastic. I spent a lot of time in the room reading, while everyone else was at the pool. It was good coz I got to have quiet time alone!
One of the funniest places we went, was this place not too far from the hotel. It was really pretty with all decorated Indian style towers and things. But it was really weird inside. You went through the entrance, where there were three 'vertically challenged' people (that tried to grab my ankles!), a man on stilts (that tried to walk in front of me!) and five ladies in bridal dresses (don't have a clue why!). It was weird, and we didn't bother to go in to the proper bit because it was just a belly dancing thing or something, and we didn't really want to pay to see it. But the place was really beautiful.
We also got to go snorkelling. Now, even though I don't live too far from the Great Barrier Reef (although too far for a day trip... maybe 5 hours away... I don't really know), I hadn't been snorkelling before. Well in year 6 I had an aquatic camp, and I was supposed to snorkel, but I was SO cold. I got in the water, which was freezing, and I asked to sit in the boat. So I didn't really get to snorkel. Anyway, I LOVED it. I really want to go to the Barrier Reef now!
It was so cool! We went to three different locations, and it was so beautiful. The second location was really cool. It was like a drop off and while we were snorkelling, there were divers there and I could see them going down beneath me. It was so amazing!!
Apart from that, we just did a lot of relaxing and enjoying the summer weather (which England was seriously lacking in!).
The hotel staff were fantastic, and we got used to having regular people serve us and things. It was so much fun! And a great experience!