Comments on: Five Days in the Valley of the Kings http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/ Unconventional Strategies for Life, Work, and Travel Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:26:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Robyn http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3165 Robyn Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:44:09 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3165 What a great post! You may not be a travel writer, Chris, but your prose remains engaging and gives one a feel of immediacy. I envy you your trip to Egypt. Seeing the Great Pyramids and the Cairo Museum has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I hope to make my dream come true within the next 3 years and will remember you when I am finally there. What a great post! You may not be a travel writer, Chris, but your prose remains engaging and gives one a feel of immediacy.

I envy you your trip to Egypt. Seeing the Great Pyramids and the Cairo Museum has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I hope to make my dream come true within the next 3 years and will remember you when I am finally there.

]]> By: Ken http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3137 Ken Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:44:27 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3137 Ramadan observance is an interesting legal issue in most Middle Eastern countries. In most cases, westerners are not required to observe Ramadan customs, but there are some countries, like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where you can still get into a bit of trouble for publically breaking Ramadan, even if you are a non-Muslim westerner. In more observant countries you are usually safe eating in western hotels and restaurants, but you probably shouldn't walk down the street smoking and eating a Big Mac. Ramadan observance is an interesting legal issue in most Middle Eastern countries. In most cases, westerners are not required to observe Ramadan customs, but there are some countries, like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where you can still get into a bit of trouble for publically breaking Ramadan, even if you are a non-Muslim westerner. In more observant countries you are usually safe eating in western hotels and restaurants, but you probably shouldn’t walk down the street smoking and eating a Big Mac.

]]> By: Jess http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3132 Jess Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:48:16 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3132 This was super entertaining. Thanks!! A distant dream of mine is to visit Cairo, see where so much began. Its interesting that the people there talk about our politics. You had me smiling. :D And CONGRATS on your 100th country!! I'm so glad youv'e done it. That's basically all I have to say. :P Thanks again for writing consistantly. This was super entertaining.
Thanks!!

A distant dream of mine is to visit Cairo, see where so much began.

Its interesting that the people there talk about our politics. You had me smiling. :D

And CONGRATS on your 100th country!! I’m so glad youv’e done it.

That’s basically all I have to say. :P

Thanks again for writing consistantly.

]]> By: The Global Traveller http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3126 The Global Traveller Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:30:55 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3126 Hustlers are a bane in several countries. Dealing with them is universal (almost). Well done on 100th country visited. Hustlers are a bane in several countries. Dealing with them is universal (almost). Well done on 100th country visited.

]]> By: kazari http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3125 kazari Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:53:54 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3125 On dealing with the hassle... we found the cyclo men and postcard sellers in Ho Chi Minh city to be particularly, umm, persistent. My favourite tack is to smile, get eye contact, and say 'No thankyou, Not today'. Sometimes over and over. But after a couple of days in the same spot, the cyclo drivers would see me and laugh and say 'not today!! not for her!' When I finally got a ride with one, he was ultra-friendly and chatty. It was lovely. But I think the smile, and being definite at the same time, is the best approach. I've always wanted to go to sri lanka - i'm looking forward to your next post! On dealing with the hassle…
we found the cyclo men and postcard sellers in Ho Chi Minh city to be particularly, umm, persistent.
My favourite tack is to smile, get eye contact, and say ‘No thankyou, Not today’. Sometimes over and over. But after a couple of days in the same spot, the cyclo drivers would see me and laugh and say ‘not today!! not for her!’
When I finally got a ride with one, he was ultra-friendly and chatty. It was lovely. But I think the smile, and being definite at the same time, is the best approach.

I’ve always wanted to go to sri lanka – i’m looking forward to your next post!

]]> By: Donna http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3124 Donna Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:50:35 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3124 Congrats on your 100th country Chris! I'd love to see that international taxi driver version of Meet the Press. "He choose beautiful woman to be president with him! Zara Pullom." LOL! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Sri Lanka. Donna @ <a href="http://www.bootsnall.com/" rel="nofollow">BootsnAll</a> Congrats on your 100th country Chris! I’d love to see that international taxi driver version of Meet the Press. “He choose beautiful woman to be president with him! Zara Pullom.” LOL! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in Sri Lanka.
Donna @ BootsnAll

]]> By: crashsystems http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3122 crashsystems Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:17:45 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3122 When I was in Cairo three years ago, it also was during Ramadan. It was certainly an interesting experience. At one point two of my fellow travelers and I were eating lunch in a McDonald's (not my idea!), and we were the only customers. We felt bad about eating in front of the staff, who of course were fasting, so we made sure to sit at the far end of the room. Later that same trip, I was was in Aswan, taking a walk along the Nile near sunset, intending to take some pictures. After about the fifth person trying to get me onto their sail boat, I decided that I would pretend that I did not speak any European language. After a few baffled Egyptians failed to pry my money out of my pocket, a little boy decided he would try, in Russian (the language I was pretending to speak). I laughed in spite of the frustration. When I was in Cairo three years ago, it also was during Ramadan. It was certainly an interesting experience. At one point two of my fellow travelers and I were eating lunch in a McDonald’s (not my idea!), and we were the only customers. We felt bad about eating in front of the staff, who of course were fasting, so we made sure to sit at the far end of the room.

Later that same trip, I was was in Aswan, taking a walk along the Nile near sunset, intending to take some pictures. After about the fifth person trying to get me onto their sail boat, I decided that I would pretend that I did not speak any European language. After a few baffled Egyptians failed to pry my money out of my pocket, a little boy decided he would try, in Russian (the language I was pretending to speak). I laughed in spite of the frustration.

]]> By: Robert Bruce http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3121 Robert Bruce Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:54:34 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3121 No idea why you like to go so much (traveler I ain't), but cool to see it here. Take care brother. No idea why you like to go so much (traveler I ain’t), but cool to see it here. Take care brother.

]]> By: Heather http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/five-days-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/comment-page-1/#comment-3118 Heather Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:18:35 +0000 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/?p=640#comment-3118 I was in Egypt 7 years ago, for my honeymoon. It was the first time I'd visited a non-western country, and it was overwhelming! But if you think the hustlers are bad in Cairo, try Luxor.... We learned some Arabic before going, but now all I remember is "la, shukran!" We found there and elsewhere that the most helpful and nicest people are the schoolkids - has this been your experience? My main memories of the pyramids at Giza are talking to all the schoolkids who were there on field-trips. Some of them had clearly been told to find tourists and practice their English. That was fun. :-) They had a paper of questions they read out to us, and we were delighted to find we all liked pizza and kushari. I was in Egypt 7 years ago, for my honeymoon. It was the first time I’d visited a non-western country, and it was overwhelming! But if you think the hustlers are bad in Cairo, try Luxor…. We learned some Arabic before going, but now all I remember is “la, shukran!” We found there and elsewhere that the most helpful and nicest people are the schoolkids – has this been your experience? My main memories of the pyramids at Giza are talking to all the schoolkids who were there on field-trips. Some of them had clearly been told to find tourists and practice their English. That was fun. :-) They had a paper of questions they read out to us, and we were delighted to find we all liked pizza and kushari.

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