This was sent out this morning by the British Embassy:
20 April 2010
To Whom It May Concern
We know that there are large numbers of British citizens stranded across Egypt from Sharm to Luxor - over 20,000 we estimate. You will all be keen to return home to the UK as soon as is feasible, however pleasant it may be here in Egypt.
The British Government is working hard on a plan to get you home: more information on that plan is set out elsewhere on this web-site. I wanted to let you know that we at the British Embassy here in Egypt are also doing what we can to assist those in need whilst they are stranded. We have been working closely with the Egyptian authorities. We are visiting the airports, speaking regularly to the airline companies, tour operators and travel agents.
The British Government is looking at the option of Spain becoming a Hub very carefully and will make a decision in the next day or so. However, our strong advice is not to travel to Spain but to stay where you are and stay in close contact with your airlines and tour operator.
More advice is set out on this web-site and on the FCO web-site [www.ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk and www.fco.gov.uk] and the FCO has set up a consular emergency contact phone number + 44 207 008 0000 which can provide advice on specific cases.
Please be assured we will continue to provide assistance as necessary and I will ensure that this web-site is up-dated with new information as it becomes available. You should also register on LOCATE to ensure you receive latest updates. You can register by logging on to our website
Please keep yourself updated by checking our websites: www.ukinegypt.fco.gov.uk and www.fco.gov.uk.
Dawn Naughton
HM Consul
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
El Korba Festival 2010
EL KORBA FESTIVAL 2011 - 1ST JULY 2011
The rest of this post refers to the aborted 2010 festival.
STOP PRESS - Latest news is that it's FRIDAY 14th MAY 2010 - will do my best to keep you updated
The rest of this post refers to the aborted 2010 festival.
STOP PRESS - Latest news is that it's FRIDAY 14th MAY 2010 - will do my best to keep you updated
See the Facebook Group now showing FRIDAY 14TH MAY ONLY
The 2010 El Korba Festival Baghdad Street, Heliopolis, Cairo will be held on 15th May.
This is a great fun street festival and here's a blog I wrote about the 2008 one El Korba Festival 2008 blogpost
I have been 2 years in a row now. Unfortunately I will not be able to go to this year's festival as I have other plans.
Enjoy!!
Oh, and by the way, they have a Facebook Group this year you can join!
El Korba 2010 Facebook Group
El Korba Festival 2010
El Korba Carnival 2010
Baghdad Street
Heliopolis
Getting there - you can take the tram from Ramses Train Station (central Cairo) to Roxy (about 20 minutes and 50 pst) and it's around 10 minutes walk.
Thursday, 25 February 2010
PETS: Bringing pets to Cairo.
One Fleeting Glimpse has just made an excellent detailed post on bringing her dog in from the US.
Please note that experiences differ from country to country and it seems that the originating airport is the crucial difference, not the Cairo end.
Bringing in from the US seems a relatively painless challenge:
OFG - Moving your dog to Egypt from US
Bringing in from the UK:
OBC - Bringing cats to Cairo from UK Heathrow
Bringing in from Ireland via Germany:
Expat Focus forum post
If you want an Egyptian 'fixer' at this end "just in case", then several people have used the following for getting pets from the air cargo place (I have NOT personally.)
Quick Cargo
5 Tehran St. Dokki
P.O. Box 415 Dokki
Tel: 35390262/3/4/5
Fax: 35390383
Comments about Quick Cargo from someone who was glad she used them (it might not seem the most glowing review but she wouldn't have her dog without them).
"Quick Cargo was chaotic and very very time consuming. For a start no one seemed to know exactly where to find Quick Cargo and it took a couple of hours asking people and driving round in the taxi before someone caught on to the idea of calling them on the number I kept waving.
There were 2 Quick Cargo-ites Fady and Nagy. Fady rode a motorbike and zoomed off with papers here and there and Nagy rode with us leaping out at different buildings. When they found out the dog was at Heathrow it had already been about 4 or 5 hours since we landed.
Next day we set off again at 4.30pm and got the dog at 8.45pm finally. There were some nasty rows between "helpers" and the Quick Cargo men, as the helpers thought they were over charging me. 280$ plus 1,500 EGL import charge. After a huge to do the import duty was suddenly reduced to 300EGL. I could NOT have managed to get the dog without Quick Cargo so to some extent they had me over a barrel, the import thing is so complicated and my nerves were like strings. I thought (Rover) would be dead, suffocated, starved etc etc but she is fine.
I am so grateful to you for suggesting Quick Cargo whatever the cost. I think I would still be looking for the dog now without their help."
VETS IN CAIRO
Blog post I made with names and addresses:
OBC - Vets in Cairo
I have personally used Dr Rania Kashif ("Vets in Practice" - 6th October City and Maadi)
Please note that experiences differ from country to country and it seems that the originating airport is the crucial difference, not the Cairo end.
Bringing in from the US seems a relatively painless challenge:
OFG - Moving your dog to Egypt from US
Bringing in from the UK:
OBC - Bringing cats to Cairo from UK Heathrow
Bringing in from Ireland via Germany:
Expat Focus forum post
If you want an Egyptian 'fixer' at this end "just in case", then several people have used the following for getting pets from the air cargo place (I have NOT personally.)
Quick Cargo
5 Tehran St. Dokki
P.O. Box 415 Dokki
Tel: 35390262/3/4/5
Fax: 35390383
Comments about Quick Cargo from someone who was glad she used them (it might not seem the most glowing review but she wouldn't have her dog without them).
"Quick Cargo was chaotic and very very time consuming. For a start no one seemed to know exactly where to find Quick Cargo and it took a couple of hours asking people and driving round in the taxi before someone caught on to the idea of calling them on the number I kept waving.
There were 2 Quick Cargo-ites Fady and Nagy. Fady rode a motorbike and zoomed off with papers here and there and Nagy rode with us leaping out at different buildings. When they found out the dog was at Heathrow it had already been about 4 or 5 hours since we landed.
Next day we set off again at 4.30pm and got the dog at 8.45pm finally. There were some nasty rows between "helpers" and the Quick Cargo men, as the helpers thought they were over charging me. 280$ plus 1,500 EGL import charge. After a huge to do the import duty was suddenly reduced to 300EGL. I could NOT have managed to get the dog without Quick Cargo so to some extent they had me over a barrel, the import thing is so complicated and my nerves were like strings. I thought (Rover) would be dead, suffocated, starved etc etc but she is fine.
I am so grateful to you for suggesting Quick Cargo whatever the cost. I think I would still be looking for the dog now without their help."
VETS IN CAIRO
Blog post I made with names and addresses:
OBC - Vets in Cairo
I have personally used Dr Rania Kashif ("Vets in Practice" - 6th October City and Maadi)
Friday, 19 February 2010
IMPORTANT - PASSPORT RENEWALS - ALL BRITISH NATIONALS IN EGYPT (AND ANYWHERE ELSE!)
22/2/2010: STOP PRESS: THE BRITISH EMBASSY WEBSITE HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED:
UPDATED BRITISH EMBASSY WEBSITE
And I quote:
I have just been informed tonight (and have been sent a copy of a letter from the British Embassy in Cairo to prove it!) that from 15th APRIL 2010 it will NO LONGER BE POSSIBLE TO RENEW YOUR (FULL VALIDITY) PASSPORT AT THE BRITISH EMBASSY HERE.
AT THE TIME OF WRITING, THIS DOES NOT YET APPEAR ON THE EMBASSY WEBSITE
Update from a source:
"Applications direct to Paris and returned to your overseas address via courier (to be paid for by you of course) if you don't trust the post. Embassy only to get involved in emergencies. This will make it really secure........ go figure.......This was from embassy employee last night."
The sooner this is clarified by the Embassy on their Website the better!
Passport renewals are being consolidated in several countries and apparently ours is to be in Paris.
You can still get it by post but (a) consider how utterly inefficient the postal service here is and (b) how impossibly fussy the new regulations for passports regarding photographs are, this is actually going to be pretty well impossible.
Here are print-screens of the letter.
I have also uploaded the print screens here:
British Embassy passport letter page 1 of 2
British Embassy passport letter page 2 of 2
British Embassy in Cairo Website (Not showing changes as of date of post).
.
UPDATED BRITISH EMBASSY WEBSITE
And I quote:
"The Cost
If you apply for a British passport overseas you can expect to pay:
· For your passport (the fee is the same worldwide).
· The cost of sending your application to us (as you would in the UK)
· For the secure return of your passport and documents.
In the next 6 weeks we will publish instructions on how to submit your application and advice on using local courier services."
This seems to confirm that the INDIVIDUAL will be responsible for dealing with the postal side of things.
I have just been informed tonight (and have been sent a copy of a letter from the British Embassy in Cairo to prove it!) that from 15th APRIL 2010 it will NO LONGER BE POSSIBLE TO RENEW YOUR (FULL VALIDITY) PASSPORT AT THE BRITISH EMBASSY HERE.
AT THE TIME OF WRITING, THIS DOES NOT YET APPEAR ON THE EMBASSY WEBSITE
Update from a source:
"Applications direct to Paris and returned to your overseas address via courier (to be paid for by you of course) if you don't trust the post. Embassy only to get involved in emergencies. This will make it really secure........ go figure.......This was from embassy employee last night."
The sooner this is clarified by the Embassy on their Website the better!
Passport renewals are being consolidated in several countries and apparently ours is to be in Paris.
You can still get it by post but (a) consider how utterly inefficient the postal service here is and (b) how impossibly fussy the new regulations for passports regarding photographs are, this is actually going to be pretty well impossible.
Here are print-screens of the letter.
I have also uploaded the print screens here:
British Embassy passport letter page 1 of 2
British Embassy passport letter page 2 of 2
British Embassy in Cairo Website (Not showing changes as of date of post).
.
Friday, 5 February 2010
Souk El Fustat - Where to go to get quality Egyptian gifts
If you want to get some good quality gifts here in Cairo, then I can highly recommend Souk El Fustat (Souq El-Fustat) which I visited for the first time last Saturday.
Within around 10 minutes walk of Coptic Cairo (Mar Girgiz metro), it has space for about 40-50 small shops selling handicrafts, toiletries, lamps, glassware etc.. There is also a cafe there - we didn't try it this time round, maybe next time!
Another miracle is that there is almost no 'tourist hassle' and shopping here is a very calm experience. (The quid pro quo is that there is little room for bargaining though a couple of my companions did manage to squeeze a little with the help of an Egyptian friend!)
To get there, come out of Mar Girgiz metro station (on the Coptic Museum) side. Turn left and keep walking in a straight line! It's on the right hand side of the road, before the recently refurbished Amr Ibn El-A’as mosque.
One of the shops there provides items made by the Zabbuleen (Garbage Collectors) women (read more about the Hay El Zabbuleen in the second half of my post here: St Simon Tanner. I checked with the shop keeper and he told me that the paper goods are made from recycled paper, but that the cloth goods are made from fabric offcuts from the various factories in Cairo.
Here is a good article on the aims behind the Souk El Fustat.
Link to my google map showing the walking route (give it time to load! There will be a thick blue line on it when it's finished!) - click HERE and get it directly via Google Maps so you can play with it!
View Souq El Fustat and Coptic Cairo in a larger map
Within around 10 minutes walk of Coptic Cairo (Mar Girgiz metro), it has space for about 40-50 small shops selling handicrafts, toiletries, lamps, glassware etc.. There is also a cafe there - we didn't try it this time round, maybe next time!
Another miracle is that there is almost no 'tourist hassle' and shopping here is a very calm experience. (The quid pro quo is that there is little room for bargaining though a couple of my companions did manage to squeeze a little with the help of an Egyptian friend!)
To get there, come out of Mar Girgiz metro station (on the Coptic Museum) side. Turn left and keep walking in a straight line! It's on the right hand side of the road, before the recently refurbished Amr Ibn El-A’as mosque.
One of the shops there provides items made by the Zabbuleen (Garbage Collectors) women (read more about the Hay El Zabbuleen in the second half of my post here: St Simon Tanner. I checked with the shop keeper and he told me that the paper goods are made from recycled paper, but that the cloth goods are made from fabric offcuts from the various factories in Cairo.
Here is a good article on the aims behind the Souk El Fustat.
Link to my google map showing the walking route (give it time to load! There will be a thick blue line on it when it's finished!) - click HERE and get it directly via Google Maps so you can play with it!
View Souq El Fustat and Coptic Cairo in a larger map
Monday, 25 January 2010
Cairo Railway Museum
STOP PRESS 29th MARCH 2011 - THE RAILWAY MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED as Ramses Station is undergoing a lot of building work. We were informed that it will probably reopen in a couple of months. I hope so, because it would be a shame to lose this treasure.
I have been dying to visit this museum for many moons, and finally, at the start of an extended day out on Saturday, myself and two friends (also female - surprise :D ) decided to visit the Railways Museum situated at Ramses Station (Cairo's main station).
This is one of Cairo's more quirky museums (as is the Agricultural Museum which I must revisit one day, it being almost 5 years since my last visit.) a little off the usual tourist track. If you like trains and other mechanical things, then allow around an hour for a visit - it can be done in less, we actually thought we would be in there for around 20 minutes but were pleasantly surprised!
The entrance to the Museum is halfway down Platform 1 from the main station concourse. Admission is currently 10LE Saturday through Thursday (closed Monday I believe) and 20LE on Fridays.
The opening hours are currently 0800 - 1400. However, this appears to vary sometimes, so maybe aim for 0900 at the earliest. (Some sources say it is open in the afternoon as well but I was certainly not given this impression at any time!)
A catalogue is available, I think it cost me 8LE but I wasn't really paying attention. Visitors are allowed to take a maximum of 3 photographs. I am wishing I had taken the trouble to read the catalogue while there, but actually our time was limited. I shall certainly be making another visit at some point.
The railways in Egypt have an interesting history, George Stephenson himself having been involved in the initial construction in the 1850s. Heavy British influence is evident in the exhibits from the number of items stamped with the names of British manufacturers from the Golden Age of manufacturing.
The museum is on two levels and we went upstairs first. The museum manager and guide are both female. The guide accompanied us on and off for our visit.
The photo shows a shot across the whole first (second for US) floor. There are a variety of exhibits, mainly to do with the railways but also some other transportation-related exhibits. We spent a good half an hour up there peering at everything. There is a scale model of the former Royal train which the guide informs us parts are still used by the President and most of it is in the railway workshops.
Downstairs, there are larger exhibits including the Khedivial engine built in 1862 for Saied Basha and a cut-away diesel engine.
This photograph shows the view across the ground (first US) floor of the museum from the Khedivial engine.
I asked permission from the Manager to take the guide's photo next to the engine and explained I would be posting it on the internet.
Our guide, Madam Nahed El Katteb, has been working at the museum for 20 years. She graduated with a philosophy degree from Zagazig University. Her father was a railway worker and she inherited his love of trains and so chose to join the railways for her career. The day we went was her 18th wedding anniversary!
After inspecting everything and looking at the model layout (awaiting repair), we were taken to the Annex.
This small side building contains one main exhibit, a six-wheeled coupled goods engine supplied by Stephensons between 1865 and 1868. There are a number of other smaller exhibits, signal lanterns and so on in there as well.
This is a fascinating little museum dating back to 1933 and definitely worth a visit.
Egyptian National Railways Museum Page
Egyptian National Railways Wiki page
Other search terms:
railway museum Cairo
Ramses Station museum
Rameses railway museum
Cairo train museum
Egypt railway museum
Egypt train museum
Railway museum Egypt
Train museum Egypt
train museum Cairo
I have been dying to visit this museum for many moons, and finally, at the start of an extended day out on Saturday, myself and two friends (also female - surprise :D ) decided to visit the Railways Museum situated at Ramses Station (Cairo's main station).
This is one of Cairo's more quirky museums (as is the Agricultural Museum which I must revisit one day, it being almost 5 years since my last visit.) a little off the usual tourist track. If you like trains and other mechanical things, then allow around an hour for a visit - it can be done in less, we actually thought we would be in there for around 20 minutes but were pleasantly surprised!
The entrance to the Museum is halfway down Platform 1 from the main station concourse. Admission is currently 10LE Saturday through Thursday (closed Monday I believe) and 20LE on Fridays.
The opening hours are currently 0800 - 1400. However, this appears to vary sometimes, so maybe aim for 0900 at the earliest. (Some sources say it is open in the afternoon as well but I was certainly not given this impression at any time!)
A catalogue is available, I think it cost me 8LE but I wasn't really paying attention. Visitors are allowed to take a maximum of 3 photographs. I am wishing I had taken the trouble to read the catalogue while there, but actually our time was limited. I shall certainly be making another visit at some point.
The railways in Egypt have an interesting history, George Stephenson himself having been involved in the initial construction in the 1850s. Heavy British influence is evident in the exhibits from the number of items stamped with the names of British manufacturers from the Golden Age of manufacturing.
The museum is on two levels and we went upstairs first. The museum manager and guide are both female. The guide accompanied us on and off for our visit.
The photo shows a shot across the whole first (second for US) floor. There are a variety of exhibits, mainly to do with the railways but also some other transportation-related exhibits. We spent a good half an hour up there peering at everything. There is a scale model of the former Royal train which the guide informs us parts are still used by the President and most of it is in the railway workshops.
Downstairs, there are larger exhibits including the Khedivial engine built in 1862 for Saied Basha and a cut-away diesel engine.
I asked permission from the Manager to take the guide's photo next to the engine and explained I would be posting it on the internet.
Our guide, Madam Nahed El Katteb, has been working at the museum for 20 years. She graduated with a philosophy degree from Zagazig University. Her father was a railway worker and she inherited his love of trains and so chose to join the railways for her career. The day we went was her 18th wedding anniversary!After inspecting everything and looking at the model layout (awaiting repair), we were taken to the Annex.
This small side building contains one main exhibit, a six-wheeled coupled goods engine supplied by Stephensons between 1865 and 1868. There are a number of other smaller exhibits, signal lanterns and so on in there as well.
This is a fascinating little museum dating back to 1933 and definitely worth a visit.
Egyptian National Railways Museum Page
Egyptian National Railways Wiki page
Other search terms:
railway museum Cairo
Ramses Station museum
Rameses railway museum
Cairo train museum
Egypt railway museum
Egypt train museum
Railway museum Egypt
Train museum Egypt
train museum Cairo
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Collecting an Item Delivered Airfreight to Cairo Airport
This dates back to retrieving my piano in December 2007 so may have altered since - I doubt it however!
I was contacted on the Tuesday afternoon following my arrival to say the goods had arrived.
I asked a couple of friends if they could come to the Airport with me so we went there on Thursday by car (you need to travel round the airport so a car makes it easier).
You will need your passport, you will need lots of money - take loads of 5LE notes for the tips, overestimate how much you need, I was caught VERY short at the end and couldn't pay any tip to the truck men unfortunately. If the customs manager had valued my piano more, then I would have been well and truly stuck.
The place you need to go to is near the Airmall building (NB this no longer exists - it was near Terminal 1 I think) - we had to go first to a cargo offices building which was blue and had eg British Airways World Cargo, Rock It (company which imported mine) etc etc to finish paperwork (220LE for this). Once you have got the papers you need to collect the goods and you will need Mr Fixit (these guys hang around outside and will approach you as soon as you get out of the car at the blue offices).
Things to note:
(1) You can hire pick up trucks at the airport to take your stuff home. The truck I hired was 120LE from Airport to 6th October with 2 men driving it. We didn't need a very big one for the piano.
(2) You can NOT be accompanied by a friend into the cargo area. You could try to do it on your own, but I paid a Mr Fixit - agreed price was 250LE and I ended up paying 350LE (there were two of them). I will put up the names and phone numbers of Mohamed and Ahmed the Mr Fixits I used later when I get them.
(3) You will need to buy:
permits for you and Mr Fixit - 7LE each.
tips for in the warehouse - going rate is 5LE - but for the two men who helped crate it all back up after customs had finished, 10LE each.
Warehousing fees, I had to pay 110LE because it was in the warehouse an extra day.
(3) WOOD IS A PROBLEM. You need to make sure that if you are sending wooden stuff, the box is marked with the IPCC mark - I have taken a photo and will upload another day. I still had to wait for the Agricultural Ministry person to OK my crate (20LE) even with that stamp. Some poor chap was standing in the warehouse looking like his time had come because he was bringing in a load of pictures in wooden frames.
(4) Your crate will be opened and stuff scattered everywhere by customs. If you have any vital screws, bolts etc (like I have with the piano) I advise you to take them separately (which I did! I bought them in my handluggage!) - you will never see them again otherwise!
(5) My piano was x-rayed which involved another truck, it nearly falling off, etc.
(6) There are about 100 signatures and stamps to be sought - this is why you need Mr Fixit.
(7) MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL the tax you pay is 40% of the value of the goods. Now, this is an art not a science. MAKE SURE that any paperwork you have giving the insurance value of your object is NOT available - it only serves to confuse. The manager of customs decided the value of my piano was about 2800LE so I had to pay 40% of that as the tax/customs fee. Mr Fixits will probably go through your box and make sure this is the case.
(8) The whole process from arrival at the airport to leaving took around 3 hours. I saw many people in the building in a bad state because their goods were packed in cardboard, the boxes were broken, the goods were damaged, etc etc. Get a decent freight company.
I used Allfreight - allfreight.co.uk
(9) Your friends waiting for you - there is a cafe outside, exactly opposite the customs gate but it is apparently very smokey and lots of workmen. Its probably better to go to the cafe in the Airmall which is more comfortable (except it no longer exists!).
About the wood.
Freight companies use either wood crates or cardboard boxes to ship your items and the wood that these crates are built with have to be approved too. I heard that one crate was not even opened as it did not have the correct stamp on it from the country of origin stating it was free from termites etc. Apparently from a source certain European countries refused Egyptian wooden crates at theEeuropean destination so Egypt followed suit and now need an agriculture seal of approval to ensure entry to Egypt.
Then once they are happy you have the crate seal of approval they can then open the crate to examine contents. If the crate does not have the seal it is immediately returned to point of origin.
If you have wooden items IN the box then you have to have these separately checked and X rayed and tested by agriculture experts, like wooden frames, ornaments, wooden boxes, pencils etc..
Opposite the customs security gate there is a cafeteria, very smoky and dirty, and on either side 2 car parks. You should be able to find a space. The top car park is where the lorries and pick ups sit waiting on customers. It is just a 1 minute walk from the customs gate and opposite. Approach any of the drivers and negotiate a price. They have trucks and pick ups of all sizes available.
I would advise not to hire a truck from outside the airport until you are sure you have customs clearance.
The 'Mr Fixits' are vital. Dont think you can do it alone , you can't even if you speak arabic. They know exactly the routine and exactly which desks to go to.
They will approach you as you draw up outside the 'blue freight offices'.
They are worth every penny.
Number of the fix it guys Ahmed and Ahmed
0122501786
Yes, the wood stamp was for the crates too, not just the contents. The certificate was 20LE. There wasn't any baksheesh for that bit, a very official looking woman in uniform from the Agricultural ministry came and prodded and poked everything before issuing the certificate.
I think my crate was actually opened and contents inspected before the crate was approved - its a bit of a blur - all I remember is tons of paper (packing materials etc) all over the warehouse!
Cargo agents in Cairo
If you want to contact an agent here in Cairo before you move, especially if you have no Egyptian person able or willing to assist you, it may be worth contacting these guys:
Quick Cargo
5 Tehran St. Dokki
P.O. Box 415 Dokki
Tel: 35390262/3/4/5
Fax: 35390383
I have NOT used them, and the only people I know who HAVE used them have used them for collecting pets at the airport which are normally shipped cargo. Those that have used them say they are worth the money because of the hassle they save you.
I was contacted on the Tuesday afternoon following my arrival to say the goods had arrived.
I asked a couple of friends if they could come to the Airport with me so we went there on Thursday by car (you need to travel round the airport so a car makes it easier).
You will need your passport, you will need lots of money - take loads of 5LE notes for the tips, overestimate how much you need, I was caught VERY short at the end and couldn't pay any tip to the truck men unfortunately. If the customs manager had valued my piano more, then I would have been well and truly stuck.
The place you need to go to is near the Airmall building (NB this no longer exists - it was near Terminal 1 I think) - we had to go first to a cargo offices building which was blue and had eg British Airways World Cargo, Rock It (company which imported mine) etc etc to finish paperwork (220LE for this). Once you have got the papers you need to collect the goods and you will need Mr Fixit (these guys hang around outside and will approach you as soon as you get out of the car at the blue offices).
Things to note:
(1) You can hire pick up trucks at the airport to take your stuff home. The truck I hired was 120LE from Airport to 6th October with 2 men driving it. We didn't need a very big one for the piano.
(2) You can NOT be accompanied by a friend into the cargo area. You could try to do it on your own, but I paid a Mr Fixit - agreed price was 250LE and I ended up paying 350LE (there were two of them). I will put up the names and phone numbers of Mohamed and Ahmed the Mr Fixits I used later when I get them.
(3) You will need to buy:
permits for you and Mr Fixit - 7LE each.
tips for in the warehouse - going rate is 5LE - but for the two men who helped crate it all back up after customs had finished, 10LE each.
Warehousing fees, I had to pay 110LE because it was in the warehouse an extra day.
(3) WOOD IS A PROBLEM. You need to make sure that if you are sending wooden stuff, the box is marked with the IPCC mark - I have taken a photo and will upload another day. I still had to wait for the Agricultural Ministry person to OK my crate (20LE) even with that stamp. Some poor chap was standing in the warehouse looking like his time had come because he was bringing in a load of pictures in wooden frames.
(4) Your crate will be opened and stuff scattered everywhere by customs. If you have any vital screws, bolts etc (like I have with the piano) I advise you to take them separately (which I did! I bought them in my handluggage!) - you will never see them again otherwise!
(5) My piano was x-rayed which involved another truck, it nearly falling off, etc.
(6) There are about 100 signatures and stamps to be sought - this is why you need Mr Fixit.
(7) MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL the tax you pay is 40% of the value of the goods. Now, this is an art not a science. MAKE SURE that any paperwork you have giving the insurance value of your object is NOT available - it only serves to confuse. The manager of customs decided the value of my piano was about 2800LE so I had to pay 40% of that as the tax/customs fee. Mr Fixits will probably go through your box and make sure this is the case.
(8) The whole process from arrival at the airport to leaving took around 3 hours. I saw many people in the building in a bad state because their goods were packed in cardboard, the boxes were broken, the goods were damaged, etc etc. Get a decent freight company.
I used Allfreight - allfreight.co.uk
(9) Your friends waiting for you - there is a cafe outside, exactly opposite the customs gate but it is apparently very smokey and lots of workmen. Its probably better to go to the cafe in the Airmall which is more comfortable (except it no longer exists!).
About the wood.
Freight companies use either wood crates or cardboard boxes to ship your items and the wood that these crates are built with have to be approved too. I heard that one crate was not even opened as it did not have the correct stamp on it from the country of origin stating it was free from termites etc. Apparently from a source certain European countries refused Egyptian wooden crates at theEeuropean destination so Egypt followed suit and now need an agriculture seal of approval to ensure entry to Egypt.
Then once they are happy you have the crate seal of approval they can then open the crate to examine contents. If the crate does not have the seal it is immediately returned to point of origin.
If you have wooden items IN the box then you have to have these separately checked and X rayed and tested by agriculture experts, like wooden frames, ornaments, wooden boxes, pencils etc..
Opposite the customs security gate there is a cafeteria, very smoky and dirty, and on either side 2 car parks. You should be able to find a space. The top car park is where the lorries and pick ups sit waiting on customers. It is just a 1 minute walk from the customs gate and opposite. Approach any of the drivers and negotiate a price. They have trucks and pick ups of all sizes available.
I would advise not to hire a truck from outside the airport until you are sure you have customs clearance.
The 'Mr Fixits' are vital. Dont think you can do it alone , you can't even if you speak arabic. They know exactly the routine and exactly which desks to go to.
They will approach you as you draw up outside the 'blue freight offices'.
They are worth every penny.
Number of the fix it guys Ahmed and Ahmed
0122501786
Yes, the wood stamp was for the crates too, not just the contents. The certificate was 20LE. There wasn't any baksheesh for that bit, a very official looking woman in uniform from the Agricultural ministry came and prodded and poked everything before issuing the certificate.
I think my crate was actually opened and contents inspected before the crate was approved - its a bit of a blur - all I remember is tons of paper (packing materials etc) all over the warehouse!
Cargo agents in Cairo
If you want to contact an agent here in Cairo before you move, especially if you have no Egyptian person able or willing to assist you, it may be worth contacting these guys:
Quick Cargo
5 Tehran St. Dokki
P.O. Box 415 Dokki
Tel: 35390262/3/4/5
Fax: 35390383
I have NOT used them, and the only people I know who HAVE used them have used them for collecting pets at the airport which are normally shipped cargo. Those that have used them say they are worth the money because of the hassle they save you.
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