10.5.09

Hassle starting in Cairo 3, Camel ride scam



This time around, I was determined to have a feel about the pyramids rather than 'yes, they are huge!' only.

Well, wow!, it's really emornous, look at the sizxe of the rocks!


Lots of local tourists there as well.


Among those, there was a group of boys coming to me to take photos with me.

Taking a while to take photos with all their cameras one by one, I felt like some sort of celebrity, lol.
I wasn't the only foreigner nor far eastern woman there, but I guess the top i was wearing was slightly revealing for them.
It didn't worry me or Pete who was proudly taking photo of me with the boys himself.

You can see a little bit on the bottom left corner which would've covered the pyramids completely with.

It must've been really impressive to see shiney huge things those days.

It was allowed to climb so most people were up there having a rest and picnic.

Felt quite priviledged to be there doing all that things but couldn't stop thinking ' Is it really okay to let people on The only surviving seven wonders of the world?'.

Ruby, who was not very impressed by the sight of the pyramids, started to hassle me impatiently.

'Mummy, I want a camel ride'.
Well, I fell off the camel right here 10 years ago, so I really want to avoid camel ride if I can help it.
But I must be a mother after all, I was being led by Ruby to the camel owners.

There were many camel/horse touts around so I agreed to pay 20LE for two camel rides to take a family photos woth 3 pyramids.


After all the negotiation with the boy, the camel owner suddenly appeared and started re-negotiation.

It's 20le to go just there, but it's 100le if we go right around the pyramids and sphinx as well.

Annoyed so i was getting off the camel but he put the price down to 80 so I insisted on 50.

When I saw his hat with Korean writing on, I mentioned that I was a Korean, he suddely dropped the price down to 50 saying he loves Koreans.
He told me to give the boys baksisi(tip) afterwards so I agreed thinking 5le should be enough.
I paid him with a 100 pounds note and he gave me change with a 50 piaster note not 50 pounds(100 piasters=1 pound).
It was my first day and i weren't to know the differences, so I happily enjoyed the views around the pyramids on the camel back.

Got a family photo at least.


Let's enjoy the view putting everything else behind.

Ellie must've been quite nervous on the camel hoding onto Pete so tight,
but the girls never said a word about being scared but enjoyed thoroughly.

I still had this funny feeling about the camel rid but the girls and Pete seemed happy enough.

We were resting when I found that I got ripped off!
I couldn't do nothing about it but Pete wasn't sure what we could do about it.
But the fact that he mentioned Korean to give us supposedly special price pissed me right off!

So I went back in search of the camel owner and the boy called Samir showing the photos of them on my camera. but they looked a bit worried and said that they are not there any more.

Saw a tourist police passing by so asked him about these people. He told me to follow him and one of the camel owners quickly told me that he was going to pay me back with 50 LE instead.
I insisted on following the police and he tried to persuade me saying that the camel owner won't be able to work here any more. well, too bad!
A dozen of camel owners were following us and the policeman let one of them negotiate with me.
He we on the phone with the camel owner who ripped me off and asked how much I want back.
so I said 80 and he gave me that money.
The policeman said 'it's okay now, so are you happy with the police?'.
I guess they are on the same side after all.

Lost will to enjoy this magnificant view not knowing when we will be back.


I thought it was it for the day but the taxi driver when we were waiting for the bus to catch said,

'why are you not taking a taxi instead, you've got young children!'
It sounded accusing of being irresponsivle parents but there were a few Egyptian families with young kids waiting for a bus.
Why does it make us bad parents when the other Egpytians do it on a daily basis?


Bus wasn't coming for a while so Pete hailed another taxi.

He asked 20 to the El Giza station so I stepped in saying 10!
He agreed and we got on the taxi but he asked 20 when we arrived.

He was saying 'Do you speak Arabic? I said 20, not 10!'

I couldn't be asked any more so told hime to take us to the police station.
He let us off with 10LE.

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