Day 11: Journeys End. Both Mickey and the hotel reception were on the ball this morning, giving me my early wake up call within a couple of minutes of each other. There was not much to pack into my rucksack as I had done this last night, and as always on a trip when it's time to go home I just wanted to get to the airport as quickly as possible, rather than hang about kicking my heels waiting for the off. I suppose it was about twenty past four when I went downstairs to the reception desk in order to settle my bill. The receptionist told me the taxi was already waiting outside for me, and furthermore, this taxi had been ordered through the hotel and they knew how much it cost, so I was not to pay him anymore than twenty pounds for the trip, regardless of how much he asked for. "OK I'll bear that in my" I told him as I grabbed my rucksack ready for the off. "Are you not having your breakfast before you go?" asked the receptionist. "The restaurant is not open yet," I said. "No problem Sir, you have paid for your meal, so you must have it," he said, directing me to go and take a seat. The receptionist disappeared into the kitchen area, and a few minutes later a sleepy looking waiter arrived with a selection of fresh foods for me to pick my way through! This was a great service, and if I am ever in Cairo again I'll certainly stay at this hotel I thought to myself. I was at the airport just before 5 a.m. with two hours still to kill after checking in for my flight to Paris. With a few Egyptian pounds still in my pocket I looked around the duty free shops, ending up buying a few tacky bits and pieces to remind me of my time spent in Egypt. The rest of the time gave me a chance to reflect on what I had done and seen while here in the land of the Pharaohs, a time in which I had encountered some fantastic sights, and some not so fantastic. Putting the trip into an overall perspective, the good things far outweighed the bad, and it I was a trip that I was glad to have undertaken. I can definitely say that I had learnt and seen a lot to do with the Pharonic past of this country, but not only that, I had also been given a good insight into the modern day Egypt. I had seen and experienced it's efforts to preserve it's past, while at the same time bringing itself up to speed with the rest of the world in modern day terms. On reflection I knew it had been a good trip, and one, which I could take, pleasure from, but now it was time to return home, which was also something to look forward to. They say that all good stories have to end somewhere, and while this may not be a good story, this is where it ends, for now at least. Thanks for taking the time to read it, and I hope you got a small insight into Egypt through the eyes of a lone traveller. I know I got something out of the whole experience. Vince. |