WP-Final-Info

LUGGAGE REGULATIONS. Check the website for all airlines you are flying with.

Luggage regulations for Egypt Air (all flights within Egypt). Note: baggage allowance for flights within Egypt is only 1 checked bag (max wt. = 23 kg/50 lbs).
Baggage Tips from Egypt Air.

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TO MAKE YOUR FLIGHT MORE COMFORTABLE:

Dress in loose fitting clothing that allows you a comfortable range of motion.
Dress in layers, as temperatures can vary.
Bring a neck pillow.
Drink plenty of water before and throughout the flight, as the air is extremely dry. Recommended is one glass of water for every hour in flight.
Get up and walk around the plane periodically; stretch legs, back and arms.
You may want to bring some sort of sleeping pills to help you sleep on the plane. Some people also find that these help with getting to sleep when you first get to Egypt.

WHAT TO BRING:
A number of items have been listed in Getting Ready for Your Trip to Egypt and will not be repeated here.

Watch and travel clock. Because this tour is designed to allow participants free time at the ancient sites, everyone needs to have a watch or other time piece so that we can reconvene at appointed times. An alarm clock could also be handy as the wake-up calls at the hotels are not always reliable (especially important the morning you are flying home).

Kleenex, moist towelettes. Toilet paper can be scarce (except in our hotels), or given out sparingly by washroom attendants. The small packets of Kleenex can be a handy item to have in a number of situations. The sand/dirt/dust that makes up the desert, which is most of Egypt, seems to be most everywhere. Even if you would normally never use a moist towelette you might be surprised how grateful you may feel to use one in the right situation.

Flashlight. It’s good to have a small flashlight with you for when we go into the pyramids. Electricity is not as reliable in Egypt, especially inside the pyramids.

Medicines, vitamins, bug repellent. Bring the medicines you like to use for colds, upset stomach, sleep difficulties or any chronic symptoms you may have. Some people like to bring an antibiotic to counteract "La Tourista" or "Pharaoh’s Revenge" and/or increase the amount of acidophilus/enzymes in their intestinal tract. There are mosquitoes in Egypt.

$1 Bills. It is a good idea to have a supply of $1 bills when traveling. These are handy for tips and small items. The vendors in Egypt are often happy to bargain with you in US dollars, which can help you know how much you are spending. But don’t expect any change back.

Ear plugs. Many experienced travelers like to use these. Being in a different place with unfamiliar sounds can make it harder for some people to rest. The motor sounds on the plane can also be wearing. They will probably give out eye covers on the plane and these packets often include earplugs. But you may want to bring the design that suits you best. There are brands available that are Latex free.

Herbal tea bags, instant coffee. The hot drinks that are available in Egypt are strong black tea (all day) and coffee. There is freshly brewed coffee in the morning for breakfast only. After that your options are Espresso, Turkish, or hot water with Nescafé packets. So if you are a coffee drinker you might want to bring along something superior to Nescafé. If you like herbal teas, bring some tea bags of the flavors you like, as herbal teas are very rarely available.

Tampons, etc. Difficult to find in Egypt. Also note that a long plane ride can upset your cycle and cause your period to come earlier than expected.

Washcloths. If you like to use a wash cloth its best to bring your own. Not all the hotels have them. There are plenty of clean towels – which are changed daily, or more often. One solution is to bring a few old washcloths and leave them behind at each stop. A wet washcloth may not pack well the morning you leave the hotel.

Old pair of glasses. An old pair of glasses would be much better than none at all should you lose or damage your present glasses. You can also bring a copy of your prescription, but who wants to take the time for repairs or waiting for a replacement that is not exactly what you want anyway?

Zip-lock bags in various sizes. These are handy and have a number of uses. You might want to pack a mid-morning snack at breakfast or store those dirty socks in your suitcase or keep anything that might leak (with the different air pressure in the plane’s baggage compartment) from ruining the rest of your luggage… If you have extra zip-locks at the end of the trip you can give them away (our bus drivers* would love to have them). Items like that are rare in Egypt and we all know how handy they can be.

*Things to give away in Egypt. If you have any spare baseball caps, the bus drivers and porters love them. Also men’s shirts and pants, jeans, jackets, children’s clothing and baby clothes, and everyone loves American Tshirts (but please don’t bring anything that says anything sexual or slandering). The knee-high stockings are something you can give the women. Chocolate and nuts are expensive in Egypt, so a good gift. Also ballpoint pens.

DO NOT BRING:

Alcoholic beverages (except from the duty free shops), illegal drugs, pornography or books which the Islamic government might find objectionable. Thank you.

Ruth Shilling and All One World accept no responsibility for anything illegal or damaging that travelers may do, bring or participate in.

Valuables. Do not put money or anything valuable in the suitcases you check. Leave valuable jewelry at home. Stealing is almost unheard of in Egypt, but what if you leave it behind at the hotel? Why let trying to find that favorite ring that dropped behind the bedside table slow you down? And who would want to pay duty upon returning home on something you already own? (Unlikely that you still have the sales slip to prove where you bought it.)

INFORMATION about MONEY:

How much money to bring:
Most everything has been included in the price of the tour. Other possible expenditures not paid for by All One World:

Spending money. It is hard to estimate how much you will be convinced that you need various souvenirs by the enterprising street vendors and shop keepers. This is not a shopping-oriented tour. Around $500 is a suggestion if you only want some inexpensive items to remind you of your trip (as well as the expenses listed below).

More about souvenirs under "Luggage" in Getting Ready for Your Trip to Egypt.

Other Beverages and Desserts. We will provide you with bottled water. We carry a few cases of water with us on the bus, You do not have to pay for the water we provide. You will need to pay for your other beverages (other than water) with lunches and dinners. Desserts are also not included. At breakfast coffee, tea and juice are included (no cost).

Phone calls. From your hotel room: this can be quite expensive if you talk for long. If people from home call you it is less expensive, so you may want to work this out with people at home before leaving.

Optional activities that you do not need to decide about ahead of time. You just make the decision on the day they occur or the day before.

Sound & Light Shows: Karnak Temple and Giza Pyramids. Cost: about $30 each
Optional balloon ride over the West Bank of Luxor at sunrise. Cost about $120-140.
There is an additional fee of 70 LE (about $12 US) for King Tut's tomb (this is included in some tours)
The Mummy Room at the Cairo Museum. There is a special room with some of the famous mummies. Cost: 100 LE (about $17 US). The Animal Mummy Room is free. (The Royal Mummy Room is included in some tours)

Tips/Baksheesh. You do not need to tip the many people that will be serving us as a group, such as the porters, housekeeping staff, cruise boat staff, waiters, bus drivers, security men, temple guards, etc. However, there will be baksheesh ("share the wealth") expected for services done for you personally.

Baksheesh example: Washroom attendants. They will expect, even demand, that you pay them 1 Egyptian Pound each time you use the facilities. 1 Egyptian Pound is now about 11¢ US.

The tip for our Egyptian Egyptologist Tour Guide is not included in your tour price. The minimum expected amount for any tour guide in Egypt is $5 pp/day. However, because our guides are Egyptologists of a higher standard, we would suggest $8-10 pp/day, depending on how you feel about the service you have received. Tips are given by each individual person (not one tip for the whole group) at the end of the tour, usually in an envelope with a thank-you note. Of course, if you are not happy, you should not give a tip at all.

Other tips/gifts. If you decide you would like to give something to one of the people working with us (for example, a bus driver) as a personal gift from you (this is not expected or required), you can check with Ruth as to what the comfortable amounts might be.

See longer explanation below, Tipping and the Egyptian Hierarchy.

Cameras. Fees. There is a fee for video cameras (~ $17 per site) that you pay at some temples. Some temples also charge for tripods (example: Luxor Temple).
*Please note that the throw away cameras are very expensive in Egypt.

Meals. Please see itinerary for explanation about which meals are included in your tour. There are usually 2 main meals provided per day, depending on our sightseeing schedule. There is a large buffet breakfast each morning at the hotels and then one other large meal, often a late lunch or dinner. Most people find they do not need another full meal each day. The hotels have snack bars and room service.

Laundry service. There is laundry service at the hotels and on cruises (usually cheaper on the cruise boats than in the hotels). It is pretty pricey as compared with the cost of other things. A shirt will likely be $2.50 - $3.00, pants about $3.50. Pressing-only is about $2.30 for a blouse. Laundry can be finished in the evening if in the morning you leave it in a designated bag in your hotel room. Or you can have it done over night. Remember, someone is benefiting from your business, and it is hard to get work in Egypt. They do a nice job and it is very convenient.

Other INFORMATION:

220 AC Electrical current, TWO ROUND PLUGS. If you are going to use electrical appliances you may need two different things.

1) a transformer which changes current from 220 AC to 110 AC (only for appliances that are not international, like a curling iron).
2) a plug adapter that attaches your two flat prongs into an outlet with two round prongs. This is all you will need for digital cameras, tablets, and laptops.

You can discern if the charger needs a converter by looking at it to see what it says. For example the battery charger for my SONY camera says on the back: INPUT: ~ 100v-240v

This means that it will accept both the current in the outlets in the US (110) and Europe and Egypt (220). I do not need a converter for this battery charger. However, I do need an adapter for 220V (usually described as Europe). You can get them at Radio Shack.

The Radio Shack model for the adapter you need is: "Adapter Plug – B." On the internet they call it: "Foreign Adapter Plug for Continental Europe" Model: PBC-1, Catalog #: 273-1447

Also be aware that the outlets in Egypt are recessed into the wall, so a flat box with plugs (the way many converters look) will not fit into them. You need to add the plug adapter to the converter.

Low Carb. Bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, dairy products, sugar and beans make up a large portion of the local diet. Many foods are fried. Meat is available, but not the variety or quality that you may be accustomed to. We will be able to get European/American type foods at the hotels, but not so much in the local restaurants.

Vegetarians. No tofu in Egypt. I may have seen a veggie burger once on a menu. Bring something to supplement the vegetables and carbohydrates you will get. Beans are a traditional breakfast food, so are always available for breakfast. You may want to bring a protein powder to make a shake out of. If you eat eggs you will not have any trouble finding things you want to eat. As someone who has been a non-meat eater myself, I will do what I can to have non-meat options available.

Swimming. The hotels and the cruise boat have pools. Pools are not heated.

Time difference. Egypt is 7 hours ahead of New York. So at noon in New York it is 7:00 in the evening in Egypt. At 9:00 in the evening in New York it is 4:00 in the morning in Egypt (not a good time to call Ruth’s cell phone).

California is 10 hours behind Cairo. At 8:00 in the morning in Egypt it is 10:00 PM the night before in California. 8:00 PM the night before in Hawaii. The UK is 2 hours behind Cairo. You can be available 24/7 to people at home. See the contact sheet for more about Ruth’s cell phone (they call them "mobiles") in Egypt. From USA dial: 011-20-100-618-0963.

Metal detectors. You will be going through a number of metal detectors. If you like to carry a pen knife don’t wear it on your person or put it in the carry-on, putting it in the suitcase you check is fine. For the convenience of not being held up by additional searches, the less metal you are wearing the better. You will have to take off your shoes at JFK. They will also tell you to take off any coats or sweaters you are wearing and put them through the scanner.

You will not be allowed to bring bottles of water with you through the check point going to the gate. Liquids that are carried on should be in bottles 3 oz. or less and placed in a 1-quart sized ziplock bag. See: TSA regulations at: http://www.tsa.gov/311/

You can purchase bottled water and drinks near the gate, after going through the check point, and carry these onto the plane.

SUGGESTIONS:

Carry-on.* Put anything you feel you don’t want to live without, or that is essential, into your carry-on. This may include medicines, vitamins, toiletries you are unable to purchase in Egypt, tampons, contact lens solutions, phone numbers, keys…

Also include:

a change of underwear, clean shirt and toothbrush, in case your luggage is delayed (at least with all the heightened security nowadays, it is unlikely that they will lose it).
Trail mix or snacks.
$1 Bills for tips, luggage cart, small items, snacks.

Photo-copy of your passport.

Travel pillow.
Remedy for motion sickness if this ever affects you. Sleeping aid.
Your camera, tablet, iPad, laptop.

*This may change if the carry-on regulations are changed.
Luggage regulations for Egypt Air. Note: baggage allowance for flights within Egypt is only 1 checked bag (max wt. = 23 kg/50 lbs).

Money pouch under your clothes (put through scanner at security checkpoint) should contain your

Passport.
Credit card / ATM card.
Cash.

Locks for your suitcases. As stated above, theft is very unlikely in Egypt. But if you keep your luggage locked while in your hotel room it will eliminate the idea that something was stolen (when you cannot find something you thought was in your suitcase).

Plastic bottles. Squeeze some air out of plastic bottles of lotion or other liquids. The changing air pressure can cause leakage. Put inside a ziplock bag.

Pack the weekend before leaving. It always seems that before leaving for Egypt many of my friends and family feel they need to speak with me one last time. I can forget to factor those additional 8-10 phone calls into my schedule the day before I leave. Or there may be something unexpected that has to be taken care of (like when my heater broke the day before leaving), i.e., you may not have time to pack the last day before leaving. Something else may come up.

Other advantages to packing ahead of time:

You will probably remember things you forgot to pack at first.
You can weigh your suitcase and find out ahead of time that you might need to take less or change which suitcase you're using. Check the airline you are traveling with for regulations.
It means you don't end up staying up all night packing the night before you leave. Better to start off the trip well rested.

Wear old clothes and leave them behind. One married couple that came on one of our tours had read somewhere about a practical way to save on packing space. (They even managed to put everything in their carry-on's and not have any baggage to check!) They wore clothes that they were ready to part with, and after wearing the clothes left them at the hotel. The clothes probably found new homes with Egyptians who didn't have the multitude of clothes that we in the USA do. The couple left notes saying the clothes were not left behind by mistake. That's one way to leave room for souvenirs! Some of our travelers even bring a whole suitcase of things to give away. It’s a wonderful feeling to give where it is appreciated.

Postcards, addresses. A convenient way to bring your addresses for postcards is to put the addresses onto mailing labels. These can then just be stuck onto the postcards.

Jet lag. See below for an anti-jet-lag diet from the US State Department. If you can plan a few days of rest when you get back, that may be helpful. If you are able to sleep on the plane that will also be helpful. You may want to experiment with different sleeping aids before leaving – both to help you sleep on the plane and to establish the new sleeping pattern when you arrive in Egypt or return home.

The flight from NY to Egypt is about 10½ hours. From Cairo back to USA it is about 12¼ hours (flying against the wind).

See the Anti-Jet-Lag diet below.

Tipping and the Egyptian Hierarchy

There are some basic differences in the world view of the people we will be having contact with in Egypt and the people we have contact with at home. One major difference for Americans is that in the US there is a lot of emphasis on nondiscrimination, equal-opportunity, not being prejudiced, etc. This comes from an American ideology about equality.

Egypt is not like that. The Egyptian society is based on the view of the world as a hierarchy, like a pyramid. There are those at the top and people at each level going down, like the natural world where each group of animals has its hierarchy or "pecking order." People in Egypt know where they fit into the pyramid and live their lives accordingly.

In the Islamic way of life people receive from those above them and are expected to take care of those immediately below them on the pyramid. Each year Moslems are supposed to give a portion of their profits away – the first choice being to someone in their family who needs money. If no one is in need, then they should give it to a neighbor that is in need. In other words, they give to someone close to them on the pyramid. That person will in turn give to someone below them. That next person will in turn give to someone below them, etc.

So people are always receiving and giving, receiving and giving. There is a lot of pleasure and good feeling throughout these interactions.

Being generous and honorable are traits that are highly valued, and one can be generous and honorable/respected regardless of where a person is on the pyramid.

We, as foreigners are entering into the Egyptian world when we come to Egypt. We cannot expect people in Egypt to act like they believe in equality. The bus driver will not be comfortable if you ask him to come sit with us at lunch. If you would like to have a pleasant interaction with him, he WILL be happy to receive a tip or gift from you. You can be sure that he will be sharing anything he receives with his family and others that he is helping. See also: Things to give away in Egypt.

So the best way to function in this Egyptian world (we are not going to change it) is to play our part in it gracefully. Where do we fall on the pyramid? We are higher than anyone who will be serving us during our visit – which will be just about everyone we have contact with. There will be a tremendous amount of Baksheesh (meaning: "share the wealth") or tipping going on – from the extra few LE (Egyptian pounds) our guide will give the person who sells the entrance fee tickets, to the receptionist at the hotel, to the policemen, bell captains, housekeeping staff, waiters, and bus drivers…. the list is long. For your convenience these tips have been included in your tour fee. So, remember, you do not need to tip anyone who is serving us as a group – like the bell captain that delivers our bags to the rooms.

However, if you have someone do something for you personally, like using the public toilets or having your picture taken by one of the guards at a temple, then you will be expected to tip them. The usual tip is 1 LE (both for if you take their picture or if they use your camera to take yours).

The other tips you might want to give would be to someone from our staff that you feel you would like to have a nice connection with – someone you want to show some personal appreciation to. The way relationships are established and solidified in Egypt is by giving gifts. I usually have one whole suitcase filled with gifts when I arrive in Egypt. Relationships will be nourished through the giving of those gifts and lots of enjoyment will be had by all.

Ruth can give you guidance on the proper amounts to tip people. The tip amounts match where the people fall on the pyramid. If you tip too low then it is an insult. For example, the tip for our Egyptologist guide at the end of a 14-day tour should be $110-140 per person. Less than that would be an insult (if you do not feel that you want to give this, it would be better not to give anything at all). If you want to give something to our body guard, he would be happy to receive $5 (or 30 LE) – or more, of course! When I give out pens to the officers that escort us, I have to be careful that the men with a higher rank get a better quality pen, not the same type pen that the people serving below him get. If I do not give him a better pen, he is insulted. You see how it works. Also see the Tipping Guide.

I encourage everyone to realize that different cultures have different ideologies and beliefs. It can be interesting and enlarging to see the world through the eyes of other people. If we hold on to our ideas about how things "ought to be" and say that others are wrong, it can blind us to the riches that we both can receive.

ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY - Anti-Jet-Lag Diet

The Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet is helping travelers quickly adjust their bodies internal clocks to new time zones. It is also being used to speed the adjustment of shiftworkers to periodically rotating work hours. The diet was developed by Dr. Charles F. Ehret of Argonne’s Division of Biological and Medical Research as an application of his fundamental studies of the daily biological rhythms of animals. Argonne National Laboratory is one of the U. S. State Dept. of Energy’s major centers of research in energy and the fundamental sciences.

Argonne Nat’l Lab., 9700 So. Cass Ave., Argonne, IL 60439 http://www.antijetlagdiet.com/faqs.asp

1. DETERMINE THE BREAKFAST TIME at the destination on day of arrival. Egypt is 7 hours ahead of EST.

2. FEAST-FAST-FEAST-FAST on home time. Start three days before departure day.

Day one, FEAST; eat heartily with high-protein breakfast and lunch and a high carbohydrate dinner. No coffee except between 3 and 5 pm.

Day two, FAST; on light meals of salads, light soups, fruits and juices. Again, no coffee except between 3 and 5 pm.

Day three, FEAST again.

Day four, departure day, FAST; if you drink caffeinated beverages, take them in the morning when traveling east (to Egypt). Going west you may fast only a half day.

3. BREAK FINAL FAST at destination breakfast time. No alcohol on plane. If flight is long enough, sleep until normal breakfast time at destination, but no later. Wake up and FEAST on high-protein breakfast. Stay awake, active. Continue day’s meals according to meal times at destination.

What to eat:

FEAST on high-protein breakfasts and lunches to stimulate the body’s active cycle. Suitable meals include steak, eggs, hamburgers, high-protein cereals, green beans.

FEAST on high-carbohydrate suppers to stimulate sleep. These include spaghetti and other pastas (but no meatballs), crepes (no meat filling), potatoes, other starchy vegetables and sweet desserts.

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FAST days help deplete the liver’s store of carbohydrates and prepare the body’s clock for resetting. Suitable foods include fruit, light soups, broths, skimpy salads, unbuttered toast, half pieces of bread. Keep calories and carbohydrates to a minimum.