David G's Globetrooper News Feed

asegall Egypt has been at the top of my "must see" list since I was a child. Can't wait!

Julie Finally! Another continent and a new adventure! yay!

Todd Hi asegall & Julie, we travelled to Egypt a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Still today we recount stories about the culture and history. The bazaars are just crazy and the food is delicious too. We even raced donkeys over 9km between two villages. Pure, unadulterated fun. Hope you guys like it.

Julie Fun!! I would lOVE that and I'm very excited. :)

Sheila I got the course on Ancient Egypt from these guys. thegreatcourses.com Maybe too late to get it now but holy crap it's sooo good. 48 lectures by world renowned Egyptologist Robert Brier. I'm on #37 & hope to be able to review all 48 before I leave. Google him-you can find some lectures on-line including how to make your own mummy using ancient techniques - he actually did it! Question to those who have been. How much access will we have to getting cash once en route? i.e. ATMs or banks/exchanges. I need to know how much cash to bring. Is US cash ok or do we need Egyptian? rsvp!

asegall todd – that sounds amazing! EXACTLY the kind of adventures i enjoy when traveling. sheila – that course sounds really interesting. might have to check it out post trip.

asegall just in case you haven't booked your flights yet – i found a pretty nice deal on Turkish Airlines out of JFK. they have a "comfort economy" cabin with many of the features of business class (wider seats, more leg room, USB plug-ins, etc.) for not much more than an economy ticket.

Todd Hi Sheila, plenty of access to ATMs. Never had a problem with ATMs anywhere in the world, except maybe rural India or Bolivia. As for US cash, I suspect you're better off with local money. I've never tried to use US (or Australian) dollars in another country. But I'm sure you'd lose on conversion.

Sheila thanks Todd. Is this based on experience in Egypt?

Todd Hi Sheila. Yes, I've spent a few weeks. Absolutely loved it. We travelled from Cairo all the way to Abu Simbel on the Sudanese border.

Money was never a problem and everything is cheap. A falafel sandwich with salad was about 50 cents. Taxis are cheap too. A hot air ballon above the Valley of the Kings was about $75. Probably a bit more now, but cheap nonetheless.

Only real advice I have is to try to be tolerant in the bazaars. At first it will seem like people are being aggressive and your natural instinct may be to snap or avoid them. Our guide told us to just take a breath and go with the flow. Best advice ever. Don't feel pressured and try not to be defensive. Just have fun bargaining and chatting.

Hope you have a blast :)

asegall just curious what camera gear everyone is planning on bringing and if there will be any lens-swapping opportunities. i will have a canon 5D, 24-70mm, 100-400mm and possibly a 70-300mm. anyone bringing a canon 16-35mm or similar wide-angle?

Steve I have a Nikon D80 with 70-300 and 18-55 so no swapping with you unfortunately Aaron.

David G What is the hotel we are meeting at upon arrival in Cairo? How do we get in touch we each other in case for whatever reason we don't find guy with sign at airport?

Steve Hey David, I will be sending out all the hotel names and contact info on Friday. You can e-mail me but I will not have a cell phone. I’ve been doing this for 4 years and never had a problem. My operator has your flight information so if you get delayed they will know and be able to track when you arrive. I arrive after you (7:00 PM) so you will be at the hotel before me anyway. I will also provide the operator’s contact info on Friday in case you did need to contact them upon arrival. Again this is all very doubtful as I have yet to have a problem over the years.