When I first came to Egypt I was working as a Tour Leader (that's what the Holiday Reps are called out here). I got to meet many people - some of whom were making a lot of their own arrangements and only using the holiday company for the flights and hotel. Very often this worked well but sometimes something would happen and they would be totally unprepared. Therefore I've come up with this guide. It's biased towards diving but may be useful to non-divers. Certainly, if you are going to undertake any sports here it's worth checking your insurance cover, especially if the sport may result in injuries requiring specialist treatment (e.g. decompression chamber for divers where a basic 3 hour treatment with assessment and aftercare will cost you around £8,000 as a minimum). So read on and if it all goes pear-shaped please don't say "no-one told me"!
So you’ve decided on the Red Sea for some sunshine and, of course, to visit one of the best dive sites in the world. But, before you even think about booking this holiday here are some hints and tips to ensure you do not have any unpleasant surprises after you arrive.
Package Tour or Independent Travel?
Whether you decide to take the easy option and book a package tour, or put your own package together, here are some things to consider:
• Just where EXACTLY is the hotel in relation to where you want to dive. For example, you can book a hotel that the brochure says is in Hurghada to find it’s not in Hurghada town at all. It IS in the Hurghada area, so you can’t complain to the tour operator, but it may be up to 40km away from Hurghada itself. You will still get wonderful diving locally – it’s all brilliant here – but you may find that there is little or nothing to do outside the hotel when you’re not diving and possibly no public transport except the hotel limousine service which can be very expensive.
• Will your tour operator or airline give you an extra luggage allowance for your dive gear? Not all do and those that will are not as generous as they use to be so ask up front. If you are given extra then remember to take proof that you are a certified diver with you to the airport when you check in. You will be asked for this and if you don’t have it then you will have to pay a large amount for excess baggage. It also helps to make sure you have confirmation of the extra luggage allowance in writing and have this with your ticket when you check in.
• Is the transfer from the airport to the hotel included? If you are on a package holiday it will be but if you are traveling independently check it out. Most hotels will offer transfers at very reasonable rates to guests pre-booking accommodation.
Which Dive Centre will you choose?
There are so many dive centres you are spoilt for choice. Just about every hotel has its own “Dive Club”. This competition means you are also likely to find some very good deals. However, beware! Cheapest may not necessarily be best. If you are booking a package holiday you may have the option of pre-booking your diving through your tour operator. This may be the easiest way to book but there are still some things to consider BEFORE parting with any money:
• Check the internet sites for other people’s reviews. If all the reviews are bad, perhaps complaining about poor safety standards and service, then look again and choose another dive centre.
• Where EXACTLY is the dive centre. You need to consider how far away it is from your hotel AND how far away it is from the dive sites you would like to visit. If you have done your research (there are lots of good web sites to get information about dive sites in the Red Sea) you will probably already have a good idea what you want to see. You need to make sure your chosen dive centre is near enough to these sites to make daily diving feasible.
• There is an organization in Hurghada called the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS). Please check out their web site http://www.cdws.travel/ while doing your research. They are responsible for ensuring that all dive centres meet the local standards and legislation. In particular, have a look at their “Blacklist” and make sure your dive centre is not listed here. If it is, then the dive centre is operating illegally and if anything goes wrong you will be on your own. If you are considering booking your diving through your tour operator make sure they tell you which dive centre they use and check them out.
• Before confirming your dive package check exactly what is included. For example, if they are not within walking distance will they provide a transfer. Most do, but you need to know if you have to pay extra for this or whether it’s part of the service. You will also want to eat lunch on the boat and have something to drink during the day. Again, find out if this is included in the dive package price or, if not, how much it’s going to cost you. If you have booked an all inclusive accommodation package will your hotel give you a packed lunch every day to take with you?
• You know what you want to dive and they confirm they visit these sites but are they included as normal dives or do you have to pay a supplement. Most centres will charge an extra supplement for night dives, early morning dives and wreck dives. In addition, all visits to the National Marine Parks incur an extra charge which helps to maintain these areas.
• All divers visiting the Red Sea have to pay a daily environmental tax. It’s not much but over a week it mounts up. Again, check with your dive centre how much tax you have to pay each day and whether or not it’s already included in the price they’ve quoted you or is it extra.
• And then there’s all that equipment you need. Perhaps you’ve decided that persuading your tour operator to let you have an extra allowance is just too much hassle, or perhaps you’ve found that the dive equipment takes the full allowance plus most of the extra you’re allowed so you can’t bring any more than a single change of under clothes, so you’ve decided to rent when you arrive. You’ve taken full advantage of the offers available and have booked “full equipment”. Do ask exactly what is meant by “full equipment”. It’s normally just the basics and will not include a depth gauge, dive timer or torch. Sometimes it does not include a weightbelt (although weight is always included).
• How qualified are you or are you travelling alone? Then, again, check with your chosen dive centre how this might affect the cost. Most dive centres have a minimum number of logged dives below which you have to join their dive guide irrespective of what qualification you have. Similarly, if you are travelling alone and need a buddy they may insist you dive with the guide rather than finding you a buddy from among the other guests. In some centres the services of the dive guide are included in the price but in others there is a charge for guiding. It pays to know in advance. You also need to ask yourself how long is it since your last dive? MOST (not all) dive centres in the Red Sea will insist that you undertake a Scuba Review if you have done less than a certain number of dives and have not dived in the last 6 or 12 months (varies from centre to centre). Be honest with them when you book and make sure it's included in the price. It should only take half a day and some dive centres will let you do this on the boat so that it effectively becomes your check dive. Please don't moan about this - remember that diving is considered a dangerous sport and this enhances your safety as well as the safety of those you will be diving with.
• Finally, in the event of an incident what about recompression. Ask how far away they are from recompression facilities and how they would get you there if needed.
Why can’t I do 50m wearing my gloves and my knife?
Whatever your recreational diving qualification at home allows you to do you need to know that diving in the Red Sea is regulated and monitored by the CDWS on behalf of the Red Sea Governorate. At the CDWS site click on Scuba Diving and from the drop down menu select Rules and Regulations. Scrolling down to the bottom of the page you will find the “Rules on Gloves and Knives” and “Depth Limitations”. Please don’t take it out on your poor dive guide when you’re told the dive has to be to a maximum depth of ….. He is taking into account the qualifications and experience of everyone in the group and he is only following guidelines and doing his job. As for those gloves and knives – you really don’t need them in the Red Sea. Why not leave them at home and save a bit a weight, not to mention the problems associated with taking sharp knives anywhere by air these days.
Insurance!
Yes, every article has a boring bit and this is it. Are you insured? I am sure you are already savvy enough to make sure you have travel insurance but what about the diving insurance? If you have booked your diving along with your holiday through your travel agent and bought their travel insurance they will probably tell you it includes diving. However, you need to check WHAT DIVING IS COVERED! Most holiday policies cover SCUBA diving to a maximum depth of 10m with an instructor. If you’re a qualified diver looking to do 30m on the El Mina then this insurance is not much good to you. There are many companies offering specialist insurance for divers. They all offer good cover so really the most important is:
• Make sure you have insurance
• Make sure it covers dives to the depths you expect to be reaching
• Make sure it covers multi-day diving
• Make sure it covers the use of a recompression facility if needed
Now you’ve done your research, asked all the questions, had the answers, made a decision and booked your holiday. All you have to do now is find the patience to wait until your holiday date arrives. For me, that’s always the hardest part – it doesn’t come quickly enough! And finally you arrive – ready for some of the best diving ever in the world with nothing to worry about except the magnificent dives you’ll be doing.
Welcome to the Red Sea – enjoy.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
On the Buses!
Ok. I’ve had a go about taxis and about driving in general in Egypt. It seems like a good idea to round this off with my thoughts on buses here. In this I am speaking from experience. As I no longer work for a travel company, I no longer have a car available so my options are walk, taxi or bus. Taxis we’ve already covered!!!!!
I have used the buses here for local travel around Hurghada and for longer trips such as Cairo (about 7 hours) and Safaga (about 45 minutes).
There are two kinds of buses here. There are the ‘big’ buses run by specialist bus companies. These buses operate the longer popular routes such as from Hurghada to Cairo, Alexandria or Luxor. These tend to be old coaches which still have functioning air conditioning. There are several companies to choose from so you have to research first which one will give you the best value for money and the most convenient travel schedule for your needs. They tend to stop in different places in the destination city as well so you may want to take a more expensive ride if it stops nearer to where you really want to be at the other end. On the long journey they mostly serve you with a ‘doggy bag’ containing cakes or bread and something (don’t get excited – this doesn’t come anywhere near a full mean) and a carton of drink (a very small one!). Some provide water as well. The idea here, just like at home really, is that before travel (anytime from a few weeks ahead to a few minutes ahead) you call in at the office and book and pay for your ticket which you need to keep safely until you get on the bus. They have rules about luggage but you can certainly take at least 1 large case and 1 small case (that would probably pass as hand luggage on an aircraft) with you. Tickets are ‘first come, first served’ so if you leave it until the moment you want to go and you plan to travel at a popular time you might be unlucky. I found this is actually quite a relaxed way to travel as long as you don’t let yourself have nightmares about the general standard of driving (see previous blog). You get a relatively comfortable seat – at least as comfortable as a flight – some light refreshments and you can sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery or not off to sleep.
For between 1/3 and ¼ the cost of these buses you can take your chances on the shared minibus service. These are operated by individuals and there is no chance of pre-booking a ticket. They don’t have a schedule either. Basically, they all operate from a single ‘bus station’ on the outskirts of Hurghada. When you need to travel you make your way there and look for the section where the buses will go to your desired destination. All the destinations are marked but are in ARABIC, so it pays to know what the word looks like in the local lingo. Many of the drivers speak little or no English so it also pays to know what your destination sounds like! Remember, not all place names are the same. For example, Hurghada locally is known as El Gardaka, Alexandria is Iskandria and Cairo is Cahira. Once you’ve found the right area of the bus station you will be directed to a vehicle which will be the next one to leave. There is no set time for it to leave. It will be a Toyota minibus, very old with a rather special and innovative air conditioning system called windows. If you’re lucky the windows will actually work and you will be able to open or close the one nearest you to suit. If you are VERY lucky the door will also work. In winter they travel with the door closed but in summer don’t be surprised to find they tie the door back to be permanently open. This assists with the air conditioning. These vehicles take 14 passengers and you simply wait until it’s full. Once there are 14 of you off you go. There are no rules about luggage but space is very limited and any luggage you take will be placed on top of the vehicle. There is a ‘kind of’ roof rack but nothing is secured in any way and relies on gravity to stay put. If you are in a hurry and want to leave right away the driver will be happy to oblige as long as you pay for all the empty seats. If you want a private journey you have to pay for 14 seats. If there are already 5 people on board (including you) then you pay for 9 seats and so on. These mini-buses are the same ones used for local travel around Hurghada. While they are fine for around town spending 6 or 7 hours in one can be a killer.
For some of the closer destinations you may be directed to an area where you will find a number of old Peugeot 504s parked up. These are 8-seaters, including the driver, and when you first see them you can’t help wondering how they manage to make it out of the car park let alone to your desired destination. They operate in just the same way – wait until they are full then off you go. Again, if you are in a hurry they will go immediately if you pay for the empty seats. Some have air conditioning but don’t count on it. In some of these even the windows and doors don’t work properly. Even if your window works their may be only 1 window winding handle for everyone so you have to ask the driver to pass it to you if you want to open/close your window. Really, your Egyptian experience isn’t complete until you’ve travelled in one of these. They are the same vehicles you will find working as official airport taxis from Hurghada International Airport although the airport taxis do tend to have fully operational windows and doors.
Whether you end up in a mini bus or a Peugeot have a good look around you. The key word here is 'accessorize'. In fact, more than that. Let’s say accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. They have covers over the dashboard with tassels hanging down, things hanging behind the mirror, air fresheners hanging around (thank goodness), all sorts of mirrors attached all over the place, photos of family in fancy frames stuck on the dashboard or roof and decorated sayings from the Qu’ran all over the place. Some more than others but they all seem to love the accessories.
In either case, mini bus or Peugeot, as a foreigner you will often be asked if you want “special”. By this they are indicating that they will provide a private service just for you and you need to negotiate a price. Beware; this could be more expensive than taking the more comfortable coaches I have talked about earlier.
Getting around Hurghada by bus can be lots of fun. The buses are old Toyota minibuses just like the shared taxis service above. However, they tend to be a bit newer. In fact just recently some very new ones have been appearing on the local bus routes! These are often also accessorized and are run by individuals. Again, there is no schedule but there are plenty of them and they do run 24 hours a day. If you don’t understand Arabic you probably need to take your first couple of bus rides with a local. Many of the drivers either don’t speak English at all or have a very limited amount of English.
There are formal fixed routes for the buses and they have to display their route number. However, some only display this number in Arabic – well actually not in Arabic. It’s one of life’s conundrums that in Europe we use Arabic numbers so it’s an inverted logic that of course they don’t use Arabic numerals in a country where they speak Arabic. Instead they’ve opted for Persian numerals. The only numbers you can rely on that look like Arabic numerals and mean the same are 1 and 9! Fortunately, most of the buses also have the route number in Arabic numerals for you to understand and, in Hurghada at any rate, are colour coded. For example, those buses running route 6 have a grey band and those running route 5 a red band and so on. Be warned, they have NOT translated the destinations and the fares for each destination into English.
Bus travel is extremely cheap – typically about 1/20th the cost of taking a taxi to the same destination. For buses you need to have some very small change available. I’m talking about bus fares from LE0.25 to a maximum of LE3.00 so they won’t thank you for trying to pay with a LE20 note.
You need to tell the driver where you want to go and try to give him the correct fare if possible. Most locals know the fares and can advise you before you get on the bus. The vast majority of bus drivers are honest and will charge you correctly. However there are a few out there who definitely try it on. I’ve seen guests from a hotel get on the bus just outside the hotel. They’ve taken a LE0.50 journey and they’ve been asked to pay €5 each.
The other catch is that if you don’t know where the place is you need to get to you won’t know when to get off the bus. Unless you can make yourself well enough understood with the driver that he knows he needs to tell you when you get there you have to work it out for yourself. Even if he does understand he needs to let you know when you arrive he will most likely forget.
Do allow plenty of time for bus journey compared to other forms of transport. There are proper but stops but don’t be fooled. They are used but they are not the only stops. Generally, as I mentioned before in a previous blog, Egyptians don’t like to walk. So, they get to the nearest point on the bus route and just wait. When they see the bus they signal that they want it to stop. If there are free seats the bus stops and they get on. It’s quite possible that the bus will stop every 10m or 15m for someone new to get on or off. When you want to get off you just call out to the driver who will pull over straight away to let you out.
Driving is, well, driving in Egypt and air conditioning it windows and doors – in summer the door will be fixed open because health and safety is not a common concept in Egypt. There is often a ‘helper’ on board to take fares – usually an older child or a young teen. They don’t use a proper seat once the bus is full but perch anywhere they can. Sometimes, if the door is open they stand on the step and hang on to the roof-rack! During the summer at busy times some of the passengers travel this way too. I have seen buses with up to 3 people hanging on in this way.
This all seems very daunting at first but you do get used to it. Seems normal to me now!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you find this useful.
I have used the buses here for local travel around Hurghada and for longer trips such as Cairo (about 7 hours) and Safaga (about 45 minutes).
There are two kinds of buses here. There are the ‘big’ buses run by specialist bus companies. These buses operate the longer popular routes such as from Hurghada to Cairo, Alexandria or Luxor. These tend to be old coaches which still have functioning air conditioning. There are several companies to choose from so you have to research first which one will give you the best value for money and the most convenient travel schedule for your needs. They tend to stop in different places in the destination city as well so you may want to take a more expensive ride if it stops nearer to where you really want to be at the other end. On the long journey they mostly serve you with a ‘doggy bag’ containing cakes or bread and something (don’t get excited – this doesn’t come anywhere near a full mean) and a carton of drink (a very small one!). Some provide water as well. The idea here, just like at home really, is that before travel (anytime from a few weeks ahead to a few minutes ahead) you call in at the office and book and pay for your ticket which you need to keep safely until you get on the bus. They have rules about luggage but you can certainly take at least 1 large case and 1 small case (that would probably pass as hand luggage on an aircraft) with you. Tickets are ‘first come, first served’ so if you leave it until the moment you want to go and you plan to travel at a popular time you might be unlucky. I found this is actually quite a relaxed way to travel as long as you don’t let yourself have nightmares about the general standard of driving (see previous blog). You get a relatively comfortable seat – at least as comfortable as a flight – some light refreshments and you can sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery or not off to sleep.
For between 1/3 and ¼ the cost of these buses you can take your chances on the shared minibus service. These are operated by individuals and there is no chance of pre-booking a ticket. They don’t have a schedule either. Basically, they all operate from a single ‘bus station’ on the outskirts of Hurghada. When you need to travel you make your way there and look for the section where the buses will go to your desired destination. All the destinations are marked but are in ARABIC, so it pays to know what the word looks like in the local lingo. Many of the drivers speak little or no English so it also pays to know what your destination sounds like! Remember, not all place names are the same. For example, Hurghada locally is known as El Gardaka, Alexandria is Iskandria and Cairo is Cahira. Once you’ve found the right area of the bus station you will be directed to a vehicle which will be the next one to leave. There is no set time for it to leave. It will be a Toyota minibus, very old with a rather special and innovative air conditioning system called windows. If you’re lucky the windows will actually work and you will be able to open or close the one nearest you to suit. If you are VERY lucky the door will also work. In winter they travel with the door closed but in summer don’t be surprised to find they tie the door back to be permanently open. This assists with the air conditioning. These vehicles take 14 passengers and you simply wait until it’s full. Once there are 14 of you off you go. There are no rules about luggage but space is very limited and any luggage you take will be placed on top of the vehicle. There is a ‘kind of’ roof rack but nothing is secured in any way and relies on gravity to stay put. If you are in a hurry and want to leave right away the driver will be happy to oblige as long as you pay for all the empty seats. If you want a private journey you have to pay for 14 seats. If there are already 5 people on board (including you) then you pay for 9 seats and so on. These mini-buses are the same ones used for local travel around Hurghada. While they are fine for around town spending 6 or 7 hours in one can be a killer.
For some of the closer destinations you may be directed to an area where you will find a number of old Peugeot 504s parked up. These are 8-seaters, including the driver, and when you first see them you can’t help wondering how they manage to make it out of the car park let alone to your desired destination. They operate in just the same way – wait until they are full then off you go. Again, if you are in a hurry they will go immediately if you pay for the empty seats. Some have air conditioning but don’t count on it. In some of these even the windows and doors don’t work properly. Even if your window works their may be only 1 window winding handle for everyone so you have to ask the driver to pass it to you if you want to open/close your window. Really, your Egyptian experience isn’t complete until you’ve travelled in one of these. They are the same vehicles you will find working as official airport taxis from Hurghada International Airport although the airport taxis do tend to have fully operational windows and doors.
Whether you end up in a mini bus or a Peugeot have a good look around you. The key word here is 'accessorize'. In fact, more than that. Let’s say accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. They have covers over the dashboard with tassels hanging down, things hanging behind the mirror, air fresheners hanging around (thank goodness), all sorts of mirrors attached all over the place, photos of family in fancy frames stuck on the dashboard or roof and decorated sayings from the Qu’ran all over the place. Some more than others but they all seem to love the accessories.
In either case, mini bus or Peugeot, as a foreigner you will often be asked if you want “special”. By this they are indicating that they will provide a private service just for you and you need to negotiate a price. Beware; this could be more expensive than taking the more comfortable coaches I have talked about earlier.
Getting around Hurghada by bus can be lots of fun. The buses are old Toyota minibuses just like the shared taxis service above. However, they tend to be a bit newer. In fact just recently some very new ones have been appearing on the local bus routes! These are often also accessorized and are run by individuals. Again, there is no schedule but there are plenty of them and they do run 24 hours a day. If you don’t understand Arabic you probably need to take your first couple of bus rides with a local. Many of the drivers either don’t speak English at all or have a very limited amount of English.
There are formal fixed routes for the buses and they have to display their route number. However, some only display this number in Arabic – well actually not in Arabic. It’s one of life’s conundrums that in Europe we use Arabic numbers so it’s an inverted logic that of course they don’t use Arabic numerals in a country where they speak Arabic. Instead they’ve opted for Persian numerals. The only numbers you can rely on that look like Arabic numerals and mean the same are 1 and 9! Fortunately, most of the buses also have the route number in Arabic numerals for you to understand and, in Hurghada at any rate, are colour coded. For example, those buses running route 6 have a grey band and those running route 5 a red band and so on. Be warned, they have NOT translated the destinations and the fares for each destination into English.
Bus travel is extremely cheap – typically about 1/20th the cost of taking a taxi to the same destination. For buses you need to have some very small change available. I’m talking about bus fares from LE0.25 to a maximum of LE3.00 so they won’t thank you for trying to pay with a LE20 note.
You need to tell the driver where you want to go and try to give him the correct fare if possible. Most locals know the fares and can advise you before you get on the bus. The vast majority of bus drivers are honest and will charge you correctly. However there are a few out there who definitely try it on. I’ve seen guests from a hotel get on the bus just outside the hotel. They’ve taken a LE0.50 journey and they’ve been asked to pay €5 each.
The other catch is that if you don’t know where the place is you need to get to you won’t know when to get off the bus. Unless you can make yourself well enough understood with the driver that he knows he needs to tell you when you get there you have to work it out for yourself. Even if he does understand he needs to let you know when you arrive he will most likely forget.
Do allow plenty of time for bus journey compared to other forms of transport. There are proper but stops but don’t be fooled. They are used but they are not the only stops. Generally, as I mentioned before in a previous blog, Egyptians don’t like to walk. So, they get to the nearest point on the bus route and just wait. When they see the bus they signal that they want it to stop. If there are free seats the bus stops and they get on. It’s quite possible that the bus will stop every 10m or 15m for someone new to get on or off. When you want to get off you just call out to the driver who will pull over straight away to let you out.
Driving is, well, driving in Egypt and air conditioning it windows and doors – in summer the door will be fixed open because health and safety is not a common concept in Egypt. There is often a ‘helper’ on board to take fares – usually an older child or a young teen. They don’t use a proper seat once the bus is full but perch anywhere they can. Sometimes, if the door is open they stand on the step and hang on to the roof-rack! During the summer at busy times some of the passengers travel this way too. I have seen buses with up to 3 people hanging on in this way.
This all seems very daunting at first but you do get used to it. Seems normal to me now!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you find this useful.
Monday, 18 January 2010
Driving in Egypt - Your Wits or Your Life
Driving in Egypt
Following on from my diatribe about the taxis in Hurghada it struck me I had rather a lot of thoughts about driving here in general.
If you are from Europe or North America you will already know that tour operators DO NOT RECOMMEND car hire in Egypt. Sometimes you sit at home after you’ve booked your holiday and wonder why. You think it surely can’t be that bad.
When I first came to Egypt I was working as a Tour Leader/Holiday Rep for a British holiday company. It was made clear to me at the beginning that I would have to drive. I looked after 6 hotels – 3 in Hurghada and 3 in El Gouna. I had to travel twice a day from the southern end of Hurghada to the northern end of El Gouna, a distance of about 55 km. Obviously, walking was not an option and the bus service was not reliable enough. Hence I was given a car. Before I came it was stressed to me that arriving and then changing my mind about driving would not be permitted.
I have to say, I really wondered what all the fuss was about. I am English and am used to certain ‘rules of the road’ being obeyed by all (or at least 90%) at home. However, I have driven in many countries where British people generally consider the standard of driving to be a little less than desirable. I had just completed 6 months on the Greek island of Lesvos where I had also had to drive around 140 km per day. The driving there was crazy enough – surely Egypt couldn’t be any worse.
After nearly 21/2 years I have to admit I am now undecided whether or not it’s worse, but it’s certainly very different. My first impressions were that driving here was like a cross between go-karting and dodgems with no rules.
There IS a driving test that has to be passed before you get a driving licence. However, it is nowhere near as thorough as the test in Europe. Here you are asked a couple of very simple questions about the rules of the road (yes, there are actually rules and they are written down somewhere but you’d never guess from observing the way drivers behave here). This is a verbal test. If you answer correctly you get to do the practical straight away. For the practical you go to a disused piece of tarmac where you find half a dozen traffic cones spaced out in a straight line. You have to drive forward slaloming between the cones. Once you reach the end you have to put the car into reverse gear and do the same coming back. As long as you don’t knock any of the cones over you walk away with your driving licence. That said, if you know the right people and don’t mind making sure they’re alright you can get your licence without ever being inside a car. A couple of my friends have licences and have never driven!
It’s also necessary to understand how things work on the roads here once you have the licence. Here’s a quick guide:
In theory speed limits do exist here. There are periodic checks by police who operate hidden cameras along popular main roads where speeding is predominant (usually not the inner city where it poses more of a threat though). You can tell when they are doing this because somehow word gets out and everyone is crawling along. The fine is quite expensive (only the equivalent of around 15GBP/$12US but if you only earn 200GBP a month it’s a lot) so most people do try and avoid getting caught. Some go to extreme measures to avoid the fine. Typically, there is a roadblock about 1km down the road from the hidden camera. The camera transmits your licence plate to the police at this roadblock. However, nothing is saved. If you never arrive at the roadblock you effectively get away with it. The police know this and are very clever about where they set the traps and roadblocks (no turn offs between one and the other). I have seen people get stuck in the desert trying to avoid the fine. They realize they’ve been spotted and turn off the road attempting to go round the roadblock over the sand hills. Those lucky enough to have a 4x4 usually make it but the saloon cars don’t! You need to realize here that Hurghada sits right on the edge of the desert and is effectively a town built on an area of reclaimed desert. Speed can be a particular problem in the inner city. In the main streets here it is not unusual to find cars and buses travelling at speeds of around 120kmh. It is rare to find speed controls in these areas.
Everyone in Egypt has to be first – or at least they drive as though they do. Many of the roads in Hurghada, even in quiet residential areas, are effectively ‘dual carriageways’ with a barrier (a very high kerb) down the middle of the road. There is space for two lanes, sometimes 3. Drivers here have no hesitation in hurtling at breakneck speed up behind other vehicles and squeezing through the gaps effectively creating 3 or 4 lanes of moving traffic.
The problem with this system is that there have to be u-turn areas because you are not able to simply come to the end of the road and turn left (driving is on the right here). So, even if your destination is to the left you have to turn right. You then need to seek out the u-turn to change direction. Egyptians are impatient and worried about the cost of fuel (less than 1/10th the cost in the UK) so always like to take the shortest route. They feel able to ignore the nicety of following the direction of flow. They WILL turn left and go against the flow to find a u-turn opening where they will rejoin the correct side of the carriageway. Fines for this are very heavy but I have never heard of anyone being caught even though everyone does this.
We do have traffic lights here. These are actually well designed and have a countdown visible to drivers. When the light goes green there is a green counter counting down the time until the light will be red. Then there is a red counter until it goes green. I’m sure you get the picture. However, you need to understand these are not meant to be obeyed. They are only part of the street decoration. Most traffic lights also have a pedestrian light. Just like Europe, if it’s red you are not supposed to cross. Here you cross when it goes BLUE. But, in the same way that drivers ignore the lights, so do the pedestrians. Crossing the road here can be quite hazardous and requires particular vigilance (as a Tour Leader I once had to attend hospital to see a guest who was crossing the main tourist shopping street and was knocked over by a car!). Once you get the hang of it, though, you are usually able to weave a path through the fast-moving traffic.
In Hurghada the lights are mostly placed at roundabouts. This is another area where rules apply but are not followed. This can make negotiating a roundabout very confusing. I found the best method was just to concentrate on where I wanted to go and to go for it!
Driving is on the right but overtaking can be on either side. If a vehicle is in front of you and you want to pass it you check out which side has the wider gap and simply speed up and pass through it. Also, driving is on the right but if the road is more than one carriageway wide drivers tend to stay wherever they like (after all, Egypt is proud of being a free country). They even sit very often right in the middle, neither in the left-hand nor the right-hand lane, allowing vehicles to pass them on both sides at once. I suppose this could be thought of as being considerate to other road users.
There are some controls for the car that are also used differently here.
Horns are an absolute must and are used continually. If you were to disconnect someone’s horn they simply wouldn’t be able to drive. Horns are sounded whenever there is anyone or anything within visual distance. They sound the horns at traffic, pedestrians, anything at all that moves. Even, if there is no hazard involved the horn still has to be exercised in case it gets fat and becomes unfit for purpose. They have the horns customized to play songs and catchy tunes.
In contrast, lights are an optional extra. They are not always used at night. Some drivers, though these are very few, do use dipped headlights at night. A few more use sidelights. However, the great majority of drivers within city limits drive around at night with no lights at all. This means they can use the lights alongside the horn when they want you to know they are around. Crossing the roads at night can be a problem because you can’t properly see some of the cars that don’t have their lights on until they flash and beep at you.
Indicators are required but not to show that you wish to turn. They are mostly used only in 4-way mode when slowing down. Drivers here have to slow down often because most of the roads have ‘sleeping policemen’ embedded in them. I’m sure this is because the authorities know what the standard of driving is really like and want to slow people down a bit. It works to a limited extent. However, slowing down means using the 4-way warning lights. At least this does make sense and is useful if you are the one behind.
So, it’s easy really. Just get used to the idea that everyone is living in a free country and doing exactly as they want on the roads and join in. You’ll soon get the hang of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OR perhaps better to think again and decide NOT to hire the car after all.
Oh, and if you DO decide to hire that car, remember the road is also shared with donkey-drawn vehicles and free-roaming goats in certain areas of town. They, of course, have complete right of way.
Following on from my diatribe about the taxis in Hurghada it struck me I had rather a lot of thoughts about driving here in general.
If you are from Europe or North America you will already know that tour operators DO NOT RECOMMEND car hire in Egypt. Sometimes you sit at home after you’ve booked your holiday and wonder why. You think it surely can’t be that bad.
When I first came to Egypt I was working as a Tour Leader/Holiday Rep for a British holiday company. It was made clear to me at the beginning that I would have to drive. I looked after 6 hotels – 3 in Hurghada and 3 in El Gouna. I had to travel twice a day from the southern end of Hurghada to the northern end of El Gouna, a distance of about 55 km. Obviously, walking was not an option and the bus service was not reliable enough. Hence I was given a car. Before I came it was stressed to me that arriving and then changing my mind about driving would not be permitted.
I have to say, I really wondered what all the fuss was about. I am English and am used to certain ‘rules of the road’ being obeyed by all (or at least 90%) at home. However, I have driven in many countries where British people generally consider the standard of driving to be a little less than desirable. I had just completed 6 months on the Greek island of Lesvos where I had also had to drive around 140 km per day. The driving there was crazy enough – surely Egypt couldn’t be any worse.
After nearly 21/2 years I have to admit I am now undecided whether or not it’s worse, but it’s certainly very different. My first impressions were that driving here was like a cross between go-karting and dodgems with no rules.
There IS a driving test that has to be passed before you get a driving licence. However, it is nowhere near as thorough as the test in Europe. Here you are asked a couple of very simple questions about the rules of the road (yes, there are actually rules and they are written down somewhere but you’d never guess from observing the way drivers behave here). This is a verbal test. If you answer correctly you get to do the practical straight away. For the practical you go to a disused piece of tarmac where you find half a dozen traffic cones spaced out in a straight line. You have to drive forward slaloming between the cones. Once you reach the end you have to put the car into reverse gear and do the same coming back. As long as you don’t knock any of the cones over you walk away with your driving licence. That said, if you know the right people and don’t mind making sure they’re alright you can get your licence without ever being inside a car. A couple of my friends have licences and have never driven!
It’s also necessary to understand how things work on the roads here once you have the licence. Here’s a quick guide:
In theory speed limits do exist here. There are periodic checks by police who operate hidden cameras along popular main roads where speeding is predominant (usually not the inner city where it poses more of a threat though). You can tell when they are doing this because somehow word gets out and everyone is crawling along. The fine is quite expensive (only the equivalent of around 15GBP/$12US but if you only earn 200GBP a month it’s a lot) so most people do try and avoid getting caught. Some go to extreme measures to avoid the fine. Typically, there is a roadblock about 1km down the road from the hidden camera. The camera transmits your licence plate to the police at this roadblock. However, nothing is saved. If you never arrive at the roadblock you effectively get away with it. The police know this and are very clever about where they set the traps and roadblocks (no turn offs between one and the other). I have seen people get stuck in the desert trying to avoid the fine. They realize they’ve been spotted and turn off the road attempting to go round the roadblock over the sand hills. Those lucky enough to have a 4x4 usually make it but the saloon cars don’t! You need to realize here that Hurghada sits right on the edge of the desert and is effectively a town built on an area of reclaimed desert. Speed can be a particular problem in the inner city. In the main streets here it is not unusual to find cars and buses travelling at speeds of around 120kmh. It is rare to find speed controls in these areas.
Everyone in Egypt has to be first – or at least they drive as though they do. Many of the roads in Hurghada, even in quiet residential areas, are effectively ‘dual carriageways’ with a barrier (a very high kerb) down the middle of the road. There is space for two lanes, sometimes 3. Drivers here have no hesitation in hurtling at breakneck speed up behind other vehicles and squeezing through the gaps effectively creating 3 or 4 lanes of moving traffic.
The problem with this system is that there have to be u-turn areas because you are not able to simply come to the end of the road and turn left (driving is on the right here). So, even if your destination is to the left you have to turn right. You then need to seek out the u-turn to change direction. Egyptians are impatient and worried about the cost of fuel (less than 1/10th the cost in the UK) so always like to take the shortest route. They feel able to ignore the nicety of following the direction of flow. They WILL turn left and go against the flow to find a u-turn opening where they will rejoin the correct side of the carriageway. Fines for this are very heavy but I have never heard of anyone being caught even though everyone does this.
We do have traffic lights here. These are actually well designed and have a countdown visible to drivers. When the light goes green there is a green counter counting down the time until the light will be red. Then there is a red counter until it goes green. I’m sure you get the picture. However, you need to understand these are not meant to be obeyed. They are only part of the street decoration. Most traffic lights also have a pedestrian light. Just like Europe, if it’s red you are not supposed to cross. Here you cross when it goes BLUE. But, in the same way that drivers ignore the lights, so do the pedestrians. Crossing the road here can be quite hazardous and requires particular vigilance (as a Tour Leader I once had to attend hospital to see a guest who was crossing the main tourist shopping street and was knocked over by a car!). Once you get the hang of it, though, you are usually able to weave a path through the fast-moving traffic.
In Hurghada the lights are mostly placed at roundabouts. This is another area where rules apply but are not followed. This can make negotiating a roundabout very confusing. I found the best method was just to concentrate on where I wanted to go and to go for it!
Driving is on the right but overtaking can be on either side. If a vehicle is in front of you and you want to pass it you check out which side has the wider gap and simply speed up and pass through it. Also, driving is on the right but if the road is more than one carriageway wide drivers tend to stay wherever they like (after all, Egypt is proud of being a free country). They even sit very often right in the middle, neither in the left-hand nor the right-hand lane, allowing vehicles to pass them on both sides at once. I suppose this could be thought of as being considerate to other road users.
There are some controls for the car that are also used differently here.
Horns are an absolute must and are used continually. If you were to disconnect someone’s horn they simply wouldn’t be able to drive. Horns are sounded whenever there is anyone or anything within visual distance. They sound the horns at traffic, pedestrians, anything at all that moves. Even, if there is no hazard involved the horn still has to be exercised in case it gets fat and becomes unfit for purpose. They have the horns customized to play songs and catchy tunes.
In contrast, lights are an optional extra. They are not always used at night. Some drivers, though these are very few, do use dipped headlights at night. A few more use sidelights. However, the great majority of drivers within city limits drive around at night with no lights at all. This means they can use the lights alongside the horn when they want you to know they are around. Crossing the roads at night can be a problem because you can’t properly see some of the cars that don’t have their lights on until they flash and beep at you.
Indicators are required but not to show that you wish to turn. They are mostly used only in 4-way mode when slowing down. Drivers here have to slow down often because most of the roads have ‘sleeping policemen’ embedded in them. I’m sure this is because the authorities know what the standard of driving is really like and want to slow people down a bit. It works to a limited extent. However, slowing down means using the 4-way warning lights. At least this does make sense and is useful if you are the one behind.
So, it’s easy really. Just get used to the idea that everyone is living in a free country and doing exactly as they want on the roads and join in. You’ll soon get the hang of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OR perhaps better to think again and decide NOT to hire the car after all.
Oh, and if you DO decide to hire that car, remember the road is also shared with donkey-drawn vehicles and free-roaming goats in certain areas of town. They, of course, have complete right of way.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Taxis - Love them or hate them!!
I was on my way home from work yesterday when I decided I've had just about enough of the taxi drivers here.
In order to understand you need to know that I am English and I live in Hurghada, Egypt. It's also important to realise that work is only a 10-15 minute walk away from my home so I hardly need transport to get there and back. The walk each day is good for me.
Anyway, the behaviour of the taxi drivers here is absolutely appalling. If they spot that you are not Egyptian (although they sometimes behave the same way with Egyptians if they think they are rich) they slow right down and try to come alongside you. As they approach they beep their horns several times. If you are waiting to cross the road they stop right in front of you so you have to walk round them. If you are waiting for a bus and the bus is coming they stop right in front of the bus so the bus cannot see you signalling for it to stop and pick you up.
In short, they are just very obstructive and rude.
I think this is because most Egyptian people don't seem to like to walk anywhere. They seem to think it strange when European visitors DO walk. An Egyptian would rather take a taxi any day.
They also believe that all Europeans and Eastern Block visitors are rich. As this is a tourist area in a third world country I suppose that most of the time they might be right. Surely visitors from the first and second worlds (whatever they are - but if you have a third world it stands to reason there have to be first and second worlds) have more. It is true there is abject poverty here with no State help but when they talk about what money the tourists have they only see the numbers. They don't realise the cost of living is so very much higher elsewhere and the money doesn't go very far - in fact many tourists here save hard to afford the holiday.
If you do actually want a taxi the bad behaviour does not stop once you get in the car. They have meters and by law here are supposed to use them and charge you the fare shown for the taxi (NOT per person) in local currency. However, many run round all day with the meter running even while empty - this makes it difficult to know if they are looking for a fare because the hire light is out!! In this case when you get to the destination they will charge you the amount on the meter but, unless you were very observant when you got into the taxi, it will already have had 4 or 5 times your actually fare clocked up to you are paying way over the odds. If the meter is not already on and you ask them to start it running they will tell you it's broken and that there is a fixed charge for your journey. You now have to negotiate a reasonable price for your ride and you will certainly end up paying more than the correct rate.
And don't get me talking about the way they drive - I'll save that for another day. Suffice to say here that it's a good idea to have made peace with your God before you get in the vehicle.
I just wish they would learn some manners. Perhaps it wouldn't be too difficult for them to run empty with the meter off so you know they are for hire. It would be nick if they didn't toot their horns at you all the time - where I was brought up that was considered to be extremely rude! And, of course, it would be great if they would let you cross the road without stopping in your path; or not try to prevent you getting the public bus. I know I'm dreaming but we're all entitled to a fantasy from time to time.
One thought - if anyone has experience of driving here you will understand if I ask the question, "can they still drive if you disconnect the horn". Maybe more another time when I have a gripe about driving here in general.
At least that's one thing off my chest!!
In order to understand you need to know that I am English and I live in Hurghada, Egypt. It's also important to realise that work is only a 10-15 minute walk away from my home so I hardly need transport to get there and back. The walk each day is good for me.
Anyway, the behaviour of the taxi drivers here is absolutely appalling. If they spot that you are not Egyptian (although they sometimes behave the same way with Egyptians if they think they are rich) they slow right down and try to come alongside you. As they approach they beep their horns several times. If you are waiting to cross the road they stop right in front of you so you have to walk round them. If you are waiting for a bus and the bus is coming they stop right in front of the bus so the bus cannot see you signalling for it to stop and pick you up.
In short, they are just very obstructive and rude.
I think this is because most Egyptian people don't seem to like to walk anywhere. They seem to think it strange when European visitors DO walk. An Egyptian would rather take a taxi any day.
They also believe that all Europeans and Eastern Block visitors are rich. As this is a tourist area in a third world country I suppose that most of the time they might be right. Surely visitors from the first and second worlds (whatever they are - but if you have a third world it stands to reason there have to be first and second worlds) have more. It is true there is abject poverty here with no State help but when they talk about what money the tourists have they only see the numbers. They don't realise the cost of living is so very much higher elsewhere and the money doesn't go very far - in fact many tourists here save hard to afford the holiday.
If you do actually want a taxi the bad behaviour does not stop once you get in the car. They have meters and by law here are supposed to use them and charge you the fare shown for the taxi (NOT per person) in local currency. However, many run round all day with the meter running even while empty - this makes it difficult to know if they are looking for a fare because the hire light is out!! In this case when you get to the destination they will charge you the amount on the meter but, unless you were very observant when you got into the taxi, it will already have had 4 or 5 times your actually fare clocked up to you are paying way over the odds. If the meter is not already on and you ask them to start it running they will tell you it's broken and that there is a fixed charge for your journey. You now have to negotiate a reasonable price for your ride and you will certainly end up paying more than the correct rate.
And don't get me talking about the way they drive - I'll save that for another day. Suffice to say here that it's a good idea to have made peace with your God before you get in the vehicle.
I just wish they would learn some manners. Perhaps it wouldn't be too difficult for them to run empty with the meter off so you know they are for hire. It would be nick if they didn't toot their horns at you all the time - where I was brought up that was considered to be extremely rude! And, of course, it would be great if they would let you cross the road without stopping in your path; or not try to prevent you getting the public bus. I know I'm dreaming but we're all entitled to a fantasy from time to time.
One thought - if anyone has experience of driving here you will understand if I ask the question, "can they still drive if you disconnect the horn". Maybe more another time when I have a gripe about driving here in general.
At least that's one thing off my chest!!
Sunday, 3 January 2010
Zoo World
Have been playing the Zoo World game through Facebook. When I started I never thought it would catch on. I have accepted a lot of new friends who can be my zookeepers and we've started chats and messaging outside the zoo game. Seems to be fun but I admit I'm getting addicted. I wonder if you can get therapy to withdraw from computer games!!
More musings tomorrow.
More musings tomorrow.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Getting Started
This is my first ever blog. I never even commented on anyone else's before. I've tried keeping diaries in the past. I always seem to be able to keep them going for about a month before there's a gap of several years. I'll just have to see how this goes.
Anyway, this is a good place to get things off my chest (metaphorically speaking) - a place I can come to and write about all those things that annoy me to death like never finding a policeman when I need one then seeing hundreds when I don't.
I suppose I'm doing this for myself really - a personal blog. So, please excuse me if I bore you to death. If I amuse you then I'm really happy.
Thank you for visiting.
Anyway, this is a good place to get things off my chest (metaphorically speaking) - a place I can come to and write about all those things that annoy me to death like never finding a policeman when I need one then seeing hundreds when I don't.
I suppose I'm doing this for myself really - a personal blog. So, please excuse me if I bore you to death. If I amuse you then I'm really happy.
Thank you for visiting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
