It seems that some tour guides are working on a commission basis… I guess that is why they can be quite persistent as far as the souvenir shops are concerned. I can’t say for sure about my tour guide and she was wonderful in every way but I just got that feeling. In my case, it turned out for the best for the reason I mentioned in my previous post but also because she took me to places that sold top quality stuff. So, if I were to advise anyone else on their trip to Egypt and their visit to souvenir shops, I ‘d say go along with it if the tour guide insists and then decide once you have seen the items in question. If they don’t look good, don’t buy.
Generally speaking, Egyptians are very polite. I was pleasantly surprised. You might say they seem like that because they need tourism to boost their economy. Well, no. Even though it is true they do their best to attract tourists to their shops & restaurants, the feeling I got is that the kindness is authentic.
The only people who may be rude occasionally are those working for the police. Security is very tight everywhere you go and if you don’t immediately comply with all the rules & regulations, you might find yourself exchanging a few harsh words{I know I did!}.
As I was planning my trip, people who’d already been to Egypt would make unkind comments about the dirty streets and questionable restaurant kitchen hygiene. They all warned me against eating salads and raw food in general. Well, I did cause I don’t enjoy my food without salad. And yeah, I did feel sick & raised a temparature for a couple of days. But it was nothing serious and if I were to go back to Egypt today, I ‘d still order salad with my meal.
