Contending
with Sun and Heat
Hats
and other covering:
Large
brimmed hats that provide not only a head covering but also a certain amount of
shade will come in very handy in the hot Egyptian sun. In addition, women will
be more acceptable when touring old churches and mosques if they are wearing
some sort of head covering. In addition, scarves or other apparel should be
taken along to cover shoulders and arms, and again, or not only important for
visiting religious sites, but also to keep the sun off during treks. In very
hot weather, a cloth hat or scarf that can be soaked will also help keep your
head cool.
"Squeeze
Breeze": this is a water bottle with a sprayer and a battery-operated fan
attached, which is available in such stores as Wal-Mart in the US. If you can
find something like this among the beach toys this summer, pick it up.
Sun
block:
While
sun blocks may be purchased in Egypt, you might prefer to bring your own favourite
brand, but do bring it. We have often, and I wish to emphasise, very often,
seen tourists with painful sunburns after a days-worth of sightseeing.
Sunglasses: Another item that may be purchased in Egypt are sunglasses, but
again, many people will prefer to bring their own. There will be many times
that tourists find themselves in a blaring, sand and desert landscape and there
is nothing better than a good pair of sunglasses, with the highest UV rating
you can find.
Canteen
or water holder:
Staying
hydrated will mean the difference between a comfortable tour and one that might
end with trouble. Most people quickly learn to carry a water bottle with them,
and bottled water is easily accessible. However, lugging around a water bottle
in your hand can be tiresome. It is much better to bring along either a
canteen, or some other utensil that will allow you to carry the water bottle on
your waist or around your shoulder. Fanny packs or backpacks with holders for
water bottles, and for women, even a shoulder bag type of purse will make this
more convenient.
Other
Needs
Very
good, comfortable walking shoes:This is probably one of the first things most people will tell you to bring to Egypt. Most tourists will be doing a considerable amount of walking, and shoes should not be just comfortable, but comfortable to walk long distances. Unlike leather shoes for mountain walks and such, it is also preferable for walking shoes to be breathable and perhaps made of a lightweight nylon or similar fabric. "Tennis shoes" or other sporting type of shoes are good for this. Also, keep in mind that there are a lot of steps in Egypt.
Power
Adapters:
Power
Adapters come in two different varieties. Some electronic equipment have
switches to allow you to change the power input type. For these, a simple wall
adapter is all that is required. However, other electronic devices do not have
such switches and in this case, you not only need a wall adapter, but also a
power converter. Egypt uses 220 volt and plugs are two prong rounded.
Medication:
Of
course, bring your prescription medicine. It will usually be available in
Egyptian drug stores, but it may be called a different name. There is no
problem with bringing prescription medication into Egypt. However, it is also
more convenient to bring your favourite non-prescription medications along.
Though you may find such medication in Egypt, such as heart burn medication and
pain capsules, you may have problems finding your favourite brands. In
addition, many tourists who are a part of an organized tour will be staying in
large hotels, which may lack a complete inventory of such medication, and
trekking out to find a variety of over the counter medications may be
inconvenient. Don’t forget your Imodium. While no one wants to get Tut’s Trot
or Mummy’s Tummy, it may be handy to have some Imodium or other anti-diarrhoeal
with you. The most common bottled water brand, Baraka, contains a little
magnesium and therefore may act as a mild laxative. Another brand to try is
Aqua Siwa bottled water.
Camera:
Most
people are not going to forget to bring their cameras on an Egyptian tour.
However, a couple of things should be pointed out. First, while you may take
pictures as you like from the outside of most monuments, many require that you
do not use a flash when taking pictures inside. If you intend to take pictures
inside tombs, for example, you will need to bring high-speed film. Most people
use ASA800 film, which they push to 1600. For the most part, this requires a
good 35mm SLR camera. In addition, monuments in Egypt are truly monumental, and
tourists will often be disappointed with regular lenses. If possible, a good
wide-angle lens will be nice to bring along. A video camera will also provide
you with nice souvenir footage of your trip, however, keep in mind that filming
inside many of the museums, monuments and tombs is prohibited.
Travel
Alarm:
Sure,
most hotels will give you a wakeup call, but for many, don't count on it. A
travel alarm is perhaps less important on an organized tour, as you will have
people taking care of you. But particularly for the independent traveller, a
travel alarm will come in very handy. It will help make sure that you wake up
when you wish in Egypt.
Guide
Books:
Do
invest in an Egyptian Guide book, such as the "Lonely Planet"
or "Rough Guide" or any number of other good guides. While you may be
on a guided tour, such a book will give you time to orient yourself both before
and after the actual tours to various locations. In addition, foreign printed
guidebooks may be somewhat more expensive in Egypt, even though they are
available. You may also wish to look around once in Egypt for other guidebooks.
An
Extra Bag:
A
bag, preferably soft, which can be crunched up and carried into Egypt in
another bag will be handy for most people. The bag will then be used to carry
back souvenirs. Alternatively, many business people or guests of Egyptians
often bring presents into Egypt, and once emptied, the bag is used to bring
souvenirs back. Again, bags may be easily purchased in Egypt, but are likely to
be less expensive if you buy it at home and bring it to Egypt.
Sewing
Kits:
Some
of the larger hotels, as well as some of the better-equipped smaller hotels may
supply a sewing kit in your room. But don't count on this. Most Egyptian tours
are relatively long, and it is not unusual to lose a button here or there
climbing through tombs and pyramids.
Alcoholic
Beverages:
There
are good suitable beers and wines in Egypt that are highly affordable, and it
is not necessary to bring in such items unless you have a very acute taste for
a particular brand. However, harder alcoholic beverages such as whiskies and
bourbons are maybe extremely difficult to find, and extremely expensive when
you do. You may bring in up to two litres of liquor, and you may buy additional
liquor at a reasonable price at the tax-free shop prior to leaving the airport.
To give you an indication of why you should do this, it is not uncommon to pay
as much or more than $13.00 for a single shot of Jack Daniels, a well-known bourbon.
Cigarettes:
Cigarettes
are not expensive in Egypt. However, you will find only a limited variety of
cigarettes for the most part. For example, Marlboro Lights are readily
available, but not 100s. In fact, not very many "long" cigarettes
are. Further, while you can purchase cigarettes for a price in some of the
better hotels, usually you are getting an Egyptian manufactured cigarette that
is somewhat harsher than the usual variety. Just because you are buying
Marlboro does not make it the same Marlboro that you would buy anywhere else
for example.
Finally,
bring along a good humour and a good attitude. For many, and even those who
have done extensive travelling, Egypt will be very different. You will often
find attitudes more "laid back", time less important and even some of
the Egyptians selling their wares or their services at tourism sites annoying.
Egypt is a place where you learn to let the smaller problems you might
encounter roll off your shoulders, and simply enjoy this, the oldest of all
civilizations.
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