【Travel】Adventures in Egypt (Part 1)

The Egypt chapter, delayed for half a year, is finally here... Taking parents and a three-year-old child to Egypt seemed difficult, but I never imagined it would be this difficult. Having seen too many scams, and to prevent myself from falling for a different trick every day, I went into full alert mode upon arriving at Cairo Airport. The high tension caused me to forget to take my passport when getting a SIM card. What's even scarier is that I exited the country just like that... Finally getting into the pre-booked airport transfer car, halfway there I remembered my passport and asked the driver to turn back. Eventually, with the help of the airport police, I got my passport back. They were very efficient and didn't even ask for a tip! This allowed me to lower my guard a bit. After a day of travel, we finally arrived at the hotel. The hotel was chosen in the Zamalek district. Later, our guide told us that this area is Cairo's "old money" district. The guide's exact words were, "If your parents live here, it means your family is very wealthy." Many embassies are located here, making it relatively safe, and I highly recommend everyone to stay here. In the evening, we took a taxi to a restaurant about a kilometer away for dinner. Too lazy to download inDrive, and wanting to support a domestic app, I used Didi International for a ride. The trip there went smoothly. However, on the way back, the Didi driver kept talking on the phone and suddenly asked us to get out halfway. Since I don't understand Arabic, I didn't know what he was saying, but I guessed he forgot to confirm the ride after picking us up, so the system hadn't started charging. In the end, we had no choice but to get out and navigate our way back on foot. My already exhausted body suffered another blow, and my travel mood was already half gone. We booked a three-day itinerary. Because we were traveling with elderly parents and a child, the itinerary was designed to be relaxed, with two days in Cairo and one day in Alexandria. The guide meticulously arranged a suitable route for us. Day 1️⃣ Cairo Morning hotel pickup, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (new museum) in the morning, and the Pyramids and Sphinx in the afternoon. Day 2️⃣ Cairo Visit Old Cairo, Saladin Citadel 🏰, and the Hanging Church in the morning, then Khan el-Khalili Market in the afternoon. Day 3️⃣ Alexandria Day Trip Visit Qaitbay Citadel and Pompey's Pillar, then return to Cairo and drop off at the hotel. Believe me, when traveling with elderly parents and children, don't try to check off every single place. Just focus on the places everyone wants to visit the most, and that's enough. For us, listening to the guide introduce the real lives of Egyptians and understanding the history and culture of this country was more interesting. Our guide was Egyptian, but her Chinese was excellent, so communication was completely barrier-free. Out of curiosity, we kept asking questions along the way, and Shali patiently answered all of them, explaining cultural differences. She herself is a PhD in Literature from Cairo University, and she taught herself Chinese, which truly subverted my perception of Muslim women. Every day, she was afraid we would be scammed, so she stayed close to us, strictly forbidding us from buying overpriced goods in tourist areas, and even watched us bargain. She loves her country very much and also hates those Egyptians who scam tourists. She constantly strived to improve our travel experience, hoping we would have a better impression of Egypt. She treated us to the most authentic "local meals" in Egypt and bought us what she considered the best ice cream. The three-day trip was relaxed and enjoyable, receiving unanimous praise from my family.