St Katherine
Last night we flew from Luxor to Sharm el-Sheikh. At the Luxor international airport, our driver has to turn over his ID in order to take us in, but like so many of the Egyptians taxi drivers (fools with a car and no driving lessons) he does not have one. So instead, he hands over baksheesh and the security guard let’s us through. Everyone can be bought here – I am not kidding. We arrived around midnight and found a cheap motel. We had a 7:30 AM bus to catch. Smarm looks like Las Vegas minus the tall casinos (it has plenty of short ones) and it has beach flavoring since this is the hub of beach fun and internationally famous for its SCUBA diving with the best coral in the world (so I have been told). It’s a bit sad that I have come through a place that would have been a gateway to a week of diving off a boat in the Red Sea according to the original plan until my ear problem came back last year. Oh well, we are not here for gambling, diving or whatever else goes on. We are headed to St Katherine’s Monastery on at Mt Sinai to climb the mountain where Moses received the ten commandments, visit the 6th Century monastery (still operating) and see a descendant of the bush that burned (yes, I am a little skeptical). But now I am sitting out at our nice little buglaow rooms here at Daniela’s Village near the monastery. I am feeling better because we have escaped the relentless heat and the touts. The bare rock mountains that surround this place are bright in the sunshine under a pure blue sky. I need this break because we had to go through another incident with a taxi driver.Our intention was to take the bus to St Katherine, but we decided to take a taxi that offered his services at the bus station. We agreed on the price of 450 which was a 50 more than the bus ticket seller told me it would cost… the total price… in pounds… in Egyptian pounds. The drive was beautiful. Sharm quickly peels away and we were left with sharp barren rock ridges leading down to flat sandy dry riverbeds or wadis. The road curved through each wadi on a nicely paved road. We came across sand dunes, strange rock formations, mesas, small settlements and I saw an oasis in the distance (no mirage). And camels, too! The driver did a great job driving safely on the empty roads and getting us through the many military checkpoints. We arrived in 150 minutes or so. As we are getting out, he brings up dollars. I look and see the keys in the ignition and I almost grab them except I tell myself that this twit will be dealt with in a better way. I tell him I am paying in pounds… Egyptian pounds… as we agreed. He says it is 900 – 450 each. I tell him it is not and that we clearly agreed on 450 TOTAL. I am concerned at this moment because I check the trunk and it is locked as I had suspected. I consider running around to get the keys, but I decide to wait and see because I have dealt enough with these low-lifes. I ask him to open the trunk with a sneer and he does it. Whew! Now I not only know that I know that we agreed to 450 total, but I know he does, too. He says we need to go to the police to let them decide. Oh right, in a country where just about everyone is corrupt or turns a blind eye to it (more likely supports it by contributing to it) I do not think I need to play their little game – In Arabic – Taxi Driver: “Buddy, agree with me on this one by telling these people that taxi rides are always per person and “total” in Egypt means “each”, and I will give you 50 pounds.” Police: “You know the going price for this is 100.” Taxi: “75, my mother is in the hospital…” Police: “Maybe I should inspect your car.” Taxi: “OK, 100.” Then in English – Police: “Kind tourist please pay this driver 900 or we will have to arrest you.”
I tell him to go get the police, we are in the area and quite easy to find. He says 700. Major crack forming in this nit-wit’s side. I tell I am not paying a penny more than 450 which I hand to him. Then he tries to give 50 back and tell me that I owe him 100 (500 total). At some point I tell him that I am a brick wall and that I have been here for two weeks and know all of their stupid business tricks and he is not getting anything else. He points out that he was a good driver. Yes, he did his job. He wants a tip of 50. I tell him that he got his tip because the real price is 400 and we already built the tip right in. (Aside: My peace hearing the wind, feeling the warmth of the sun and hearing children in the distance playing has been broken. Two mosques are now doing their thing. I had a fantasy that St Katherine would be all Coptics and the mosque noise would go away for three days. Fat chance, I can now see a minaret I had missed and it is in the canyon with great accoustics!!!). The the driver is groveling for 20 pounds for a tip. He has me so pissed off that he gets nothing and is forced to drive off with his fair pay.
I am so tired of everyone in a position to take advantage of you, doing just that. Other than our taxi driver for the two days on the west bank near Luxor, I believe everyone has followed through on some BS. I believe the Egyptian society is the low point of my trip. You meet a scumbag once in a while, but I meet multiple of them per day here even when trying to avoid them. This country needs a therapy session. Maybe some massive medications. Certainly a lot of lessons on ethics. The people at the front desk here seemed quite nice. I hope now that we are truly in the “countryside” and that the people will be more decent and sincere. Damn, I don’t even believe my hope.
Tags: Africa, egypt, Travel
vagabondrick
What a bummer – It sounds like you missed a real acoustical experience with the minaret in the canyon. I hope the turns out to be the lowest part of your journeys!