Cairo sensory input

Sometimes sensory input other than through the 10.1" screen and the headphones is necessary.

I had a great day of sensory input yesterday riding the big old Egyptian buses and the metro and mooching around the ancient market streets full of traditional spices, oils, fruits and modern Chinese cheapo rubbish! All the mosque azzans going of at slightly different times! Cacophony! Such contrasts!

I bussed and metroed up to the city from my home and met my friends at Orabi metro.  We walked over to Turgoman to check some bus details, then along to a koshari and pasta joint for a fine repast.  Decisions made, we returned to Turgoman for yours truly to purchase a ticket for a night bus for my next cross-Egypt journey (for my first post-revolution 'adventure'!) before repairing to Ramses for train details and ticket purchasing for my friends' onward journeys.

After that, we taxied over to Khan El Khalili and partook of liquid refreshment of the chai variety at an qwha where one of my friends was known to the proprietor and sadly found out that a trip to Tanta to meet a Sufi master was to be held on Friday but she was leaving Cairo on Thursday.  My friends went for a visit to Al Husseiny mosque but I didn't accompany them as I have been before and let's just say didn't feel I needed to repeat the experience.  It was right on prayer time so one of my friends stayed for that.

We then took a very long walk back through the Tentmakers' area, back through to Attaba where my friends were staying - checked the net to see if there was any music at Makan that night, but there wasn't.  Off to Talaat Harb and the touristy but nice Falfelas for tameya, omlette, and other things I can't remember the name of.

Back down the Talaat Harb to Tahrir where I descended to the metro and continued my homeward -journey.

We saw some people gathered on the central roundabout at Tahrir but nothing untoward appeared to be happening.  If we hadn't known about the tragic incidents of Sunday, as three foreigner-women, we wouldn't have 'guessed'.  We didn't pick up any bad atmospheres at all.  One man who had given us directions at one point asked us if we felt safe in Cairo, and we did.

If you are in Cairo, just play a bit safe, keep away from any obvious demonstrations or random large gatherings of people.  We didn't go into the Khan El Khalili itself, but there were tourists around including one coach load of people who looked as if they were all about 90 years old and none of them looked alarmed about anything (such as can be detected through a bus-window anyway!)

10th-11th October 2011: Curfew 2am to 7am introduced

Following today's incidents where at least 19 people have been killed and 150 injured in clashes between protestors and  authorities in the Maspero/Tahrir area, a curfew has been announced tonight from 2am to 7am.

I am not clear of the extent of it, but it's probably safest to assume that it applies generally until it becomes more clear.
Apparently the curfew will apply to Tahrir up to Abbasiya.
Live updates on the situation from this link:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/503384

Egyptian phone number changes - more information

If you are calling or texting someone from an Egyptian phone, they will receive the call or message for now, BUT contact information is lost so they will not know who is calling or who is texting (unless they have edited all their contacts).
PLEASE SIGN TEXTS WITH YOUR NAME SO THEY KNOW WHO IT IS FROM!

The tools for changes that I have seen mentioned so far all expect you to have some kind of smart phone.  For those of us with plain simple phones, I'm not sure if there are any automatic tools.  I will keep my eyes open and let you know!

5th-6th October 2011: Don't forget, Egyptian mobile phone numbers are changing overnight, expect some blips in service!


"Egypt's 76 million mobile phone users can expect a temporary blip in services Thursday morning when caller numbers are revised in a drive to meet surging demand. The changes, due to take place in the early hours of 6 October, will make every Egyptian mobile phone number 11 digits in length. The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has warned of a potential disruption to all mobile services between the hours of 3am and 6am, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours.


http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/23423.aspx


Refer to this post for further info:  http://oldbagofcairo.blogspot.com/2011/09/egyptian-mobile-phone-numbers-changing.html


This probably also means that those of us using USB dongly things for our internets might get some problems too!


The phone providers are probably going to supply you with tools to change the numbers automatically from 6th October, so don't panic into changing them all manually just yet!

Clipp cream redux

Way back in the mists of time, I blogged about Clipp cream which I found useful as a mosquito repellent!  It's also a really good moisturizer for feet and hands in my humble opinion.  It is silicon-based and lemon scented just so you know in case either of those are not good news for you.

Since then, I have had a small but steady stream of inquiries about where to obtain this fabelled product - normally from people who have been given some by visitors at some point. But narry a supplier could be found on the internet.

Now, however, thanks to a reader in the US, I have been put in touch with a small company based in the US called  Derma Beauty  who can supply this cream.  Please note that it is a very small company with the personal touch so orders may take a little while to dispatch, but Salam says she is happy to supply international orders and if the relevant purchasing links on her site don't work, please email her.

The cream obviously costs more if you buy it via Salam as she has to import it.  I have been unable to track down any other supplier in the whole world!

I haven't used the company myself, but 'a satisfied reader' has.

Egyptian mobile phone numbers changing from October 6th 2011

Update 7th October 2011: If you are calling or texting someone from an Egyptian phone, they will receive the call or message for now, BUT contact information is lost so they will not know who is calling or who is texting (unless they have edited all their contacts).
PLEASE SIGN TEXTS WITH YOUR NAME SO THEY KNOW WHO IT IS FROM!

New mobile phone numbers will be 11 digits long, up from 10 at present.
There will be a 4 month overlap period when you can use the old and new formats.

Egyptian mobile phone numbers to change from 6th October 2011

Etisalat 

Current 10 digit numbers, which all start 01, will take an extra 1. They will now begin 011

Current 11 digit numbers, which all start 0152, will change the 5 to a 1. They will now begin 0112

Mobinil

Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 2. They will now begin 012

Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0150, will replace the 5 with a 2. They will begin 0120

Vodafone 

Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 0. They will now start 010

Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0151, will replace 5 with 0. They will start 0101

Pictorial display of the changes:

I saw this on Facebook, but I don't know the original source of this graphic.  If the originator contacts me, I will be happy to make due reference.

The phone providers are probably going to supply you with tools to change the numbers automatically from 6th October, so don't panic into changing them all manually just yet!

Important entry visa news - now you see it now you don't

11TH SEPTEMBER 2011:  STOP PRESS - EGYPTIAN CABINET REVERSES THIS DECISION!

Changes to Tourism Visa Suspended

Changes to visa regulations suspended

Changes to tourist visa revoked


So let me see, yesterday I received an email from the British Embassy saying:


" We have spoken to the Immigration Ministry today, who tell us that it is not correct that you can no longer buy visas on entry.  They tell us that they have no new instructions and that nothing has changed."

Yet, it was in fact true, the decision had been made, but following the hue and cry has been reversed.

One is shaking one's head and tutting!

NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION BELOW IS NO LONGER (WELL TODAY ANYWAY!) RELEVANT!!!

Independent travellers to Egypt please note:

In the pipeline - visitors to be required to get visas before entering Egypt not on arrival

Please be aware if you are planning to visit Egypt and get an entry visa upon arrival at the airport, it is reported that this is likely to change.

According to this link:

Egypt requiring tourists to get visas in advance

this may kick in as early as NEXT WEEK.  Be advised especially if you are planning to travel here very soon.