Personal Experience No 1 - An Indian friend who left Cairo this morning

I SALUTE !!!!

I was in Cairo until today morning - I am touched by what I saw and experienced - never ever before have I seen, heard or read about such a mass scale revolution in such absolute PEACE.

Violent reaction if any was only against police and its property or National Democratic Party (NDP), that too only after the police confronted them. Incidences of looting as reported – were only by criminals who escaped from jails or reportedly orchestered  by the state security to divert the people – not by any section of the public.

At night people secured the neighborhood in total harmony – I had no fear moving along with them at night and organizing tea and cookies for them.

I left Egypt not out of any fear or anxiety – but only because work is stopped – felt very safe at all times.

I saw Egypt as one united nation across all classes, which I shall never forget in my life and I SALUTE all Egyptians for this.

Prayers for you my friends in Egypt,

As most of the world knows by now, Egypt is one of the countries going through civil unrest and upheaval right now.

They say a brutal beating and Facebook, led to Egyptian protests

Robert Fisk, a keen observer of Egypt and its affairs has written an insightful, balanced and informed article on Egypt's day of reckoning

There are solidarity protests and demos all over the US, in UK, Rome and Germany that I have heard of.

A large number of Egyptians are standing up, for their voices and grievances to be heard. There have been sporadic protests each year, isolated incidents, but never on this scale and as sustained as this year.

SMS, Internet, Local TV channels, radio channels have all been shut down. Cell phone coverage is minimal. A Statement from Vodafone, Egypt says "All mobile operators in Egypt have been instructed to suspend services in selected areas. Under Egyptian legislation the authorities have the right to issue such an order and we are obliged to comply with it. The Egyptian authorities will be clarifying the situation in due course."

We are all Khaled Said is a group created on facebook, that I would recommend joining. They are giving the most accurate updates in English that I know of, online.

Not being in Egypt at this time is scarier for me, than if I had been there during these protests. I worry. I worry for my friends. My expat friends, my expat friends married to Egyptians, my Egyptian friends, my students in Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon. Most of them have assured me that they are staying home, especially those with little children, so that they may not be in immediate physical danger.

These are friends I can call up once phone services are back or who will email me when the internet is up and running. But what about all the other people? People I met daily while I lived in Egypt. Someone from the office will give me news of all the office drivers who have ferried me across the city at some time or the other, acted as my translator or interlocutor.

But what about those makwagi boys who brought me my laundry, the grocer boys who came home with deliveries, the lady who squatted on the corner - who could always be trusted to have a supply of limoon and nya nya (lemon & mint), the eish sellers whom I never bought baladi bread from, but whom I always saw as I passed by.

There are so many other people like this in Egypt, that I may not have had a conversation with ever, but who were a part of my life there. I worry for them too.

And all I can do other than worry, is pray for their safety. So I pray for them to be safe, I pray for a quick, peaceful and suitable resolution, I pray for Egypt. That is all I can do, for now. . .

Travelling with a cat/dog/pet from Cairo to Europe

Trailing Grouse has been having problems with her blog, but she wanted me to post this information on my blog to help other people travelling with pets. Below is her experience.

I just read your post about travelling from Cairo with a cat. I just did it to Europe and when I was looking online for information on this, it was difficult to find it in one place. I tried to leave a comment, but it was too long, so am sending you this and perhaps you could post it?

I just travelled to Paris from Cairo with a cat I bought in Egypt. I used Egyptian Mao Rescue Organisation (EMRO) - they deal with all cats, but specifically rescue and adopt Mao cats.

To go to the EU the cat needs
1) a certificate from an EU lab proving it is has rabies antibodies and
2) papers from the Ministry of Agriculture. The certificate, remains valid as long as the animal is annually vaccinated with a record (so you can do this at any time and if you need to leave Egypt suddenly, there is no problem).

Within 6 months to 30 days after vaccination, EMRO takes the cat's blood sample and sends it to a German lab. This sample needs to be taken at least 90 days before departure from Egypt to avoid quarantine in the EU.

Basically, start planning 4 months before departure. The Ministry of Agriculture papers need to be obtained within 10 days before departure. The Ministry is closed on Thursday and Friday. EMRO handled all the paperwork with the Ministry of Agriculture. They have connections there because they do this frequently for cats that are adopted by overseas cat lovers, so know how to get this done quickly.

Air France allow a cat in a soft bag/box with a combined weight of under 5kg in the cabin if pre-booked and it costs US$200 (payable upon check in - our cat was 6.5kg with bag and there wasn't a problem though). It must stay in the soft box the entire time it is in the plane. I bought a cheap soft box on Road 9 that the cat managed to rip the entire side seam just before getting on the plane, so I would recommend buying something really strong (a few people have since highly recommended Sherpa bags).
Kim's Note: I have a Sherpa bag and it is excellent, very strong and supple and ideal if you are taking your pet inside the cabin or to the vet. For longer car journeys and journeys in the luggage compartment, I prefer my hard case IATA approved one.

I bought a lead on a chest harness for my cat a year or so ago and would put the harness on him periodically in the house to get him used to it (giving treats when it was on etc). I kept the harness on him in the travel box and when we had to get him out (security), I attached the lead before bringing him out, just in case he went crazy and tried to flee.

I did not sedate the cat, although he was highly stressed (shy cat and doesn't like strangers - not good in an airport) because I heard that if some customs officials see a dopey cat/animal, they are required to retain them to confirm it is sedated and not sick. This is particularly a problem if animal is in the pressurised hold and there is a connecting flight, because the airport vets see the animal without you and need to sign off before putting it on the next flight.

Incidentally, EMRO send cats all over the world, so are quite brushed up on what paperwork is required in different countries so could be helpful for non-EU destinations.

It's rather long, sorry, but it was so hard to piece together all the information online and would just like to save other people from the stress I had at an already stressful time!

Bests,
TG.

Thanks TG for providing all this information.

Travelling with a cat/dog/pet on a transatlantic flight

Asn most of my readers know or have guessed we moved out of Egypt awhile ago. We travelled with our cat whom we adopted in Egypt. So I am often asked by my friends about the requirementsfor flying with pets.Here is a short synopsis.

In the last year and a half, I've made 2 trips with our cat, one was from Cairo to Dubai and then from Dubai to India.

Everyone (vets, online travel sites, professional agenices that help with animal relocations) I checked with, heavily recommended that she not be sedated. I think it would have been better if I had sedated myself on the first trip, I was a nervous wreck until I had her back in my arms! Comparatively on her 2nd flight, I wasn't worried at all, because she came off perfectly fine at the end of the first trip.

My cat hates being in a moving vehicle. She is a Turkish Angora, large (5+kilos) and stubborn. But she adapts very easily. So how a cat reacts to the travel and new location is very personality dependent.

Most airlines will not allow you to carry a snub nosed cat, because of air pressure, they do not allow certain breeds. Persians are one such breed that are not allowed (it could be different for Europe and America, but Middle East and Indian subcontinent airlines don't allow snub nosed cats or dogs)

Some airlines will allow you to carry pets as hand luggage (but you have to get prior permission) We had to put her as accompanied pet and in the luggage section on both flights. Emirates airlines has a seperate section for pets on board their aircraft, but they go in as cargo. UAE insists that pets come in as cargo, no matter which Emirate you land in (their vets are stationed at the cargo village and all pets have to come into UAE as cargo except throughbred falcons)


If your pet has to go in as cargo from Egypt, then you will have to go to the cargo village near the Cairo airport. Talk to them at least 10 days before travel. They will tell you all the paperwork they need from their side. A little baksheesh in the right hands will smoothen the process considerably.

How much money? I'm not too sure. My husbands office sent the guy in charge of handling government agencies with me and he spoke fluent Arabic and paid whatever was needed. An Emirates airline pilot friend spoke to the Emirates cargo chief in UAE who called the Emirates cargo head in Egypt to smoothen things and he kept calling the guy until we were all safely on board. (International wasta works too :) ) so we didnt have to pay the Emirates cargo guys in Egypt anything.


You also have to check what are the requirements at your port of arrival. And keep those papers ready too. Its different for each country.

When we travelled out of Egypt, they just wanted a bill of health and her vaccine card at the Egypt airport cargo village and the permission slip from the UAE that would allow her entry there. Getting the permission slip from the UAE was a whole other nightmare, including her blood being sent to Germany for checking if the rabies vaccine administered in Egypt was genuine and had enough antibodies.


Basically you need to
1. Have your cats vaccinations and medication up-to-date
2. Check online for requirements at port of arrival. - get those papers ready
3. Talk to people at the cargo village or the airline you are flying for their requirements

Get all these papers in order.

 In the end, everything at the Egypt end can be "managed"! Worry mainly about the destination requirements.

When I flew from Cairo to Dubai. Our cat had to travel as cargo (UAE reqt). Egypt Cargo wanted her there 5 hours before departure (becuase their doctor also had to examine her and other requirements) We had to pick her up at the cargo village in Dubai, a couple of hours after the flight landed (they gave us a call when she was ready - doctors check etc)

When I flew from Dubai to India, we carried her with us as luggage to the regular check-in area and someone took her from us at the check-in counter and carried her to the loading area. In India, we asked an attendant at the baggage carousel, who went outside and brought her in and gave her to us at the baggage section.

I knew a lady in Egypt who regularly carried her 2 tiny dogs (chihuahua size) as hand luggage when she travelled to Europe and back. The dogs had European passports and she used to fly business class.
So its very country and airline dependant. Check how it works in the country you are travelling to.

We asked the flight stewards to check that she had been loaded on both flights as we were on the same flight. They have a method of doing it, if you ask them before they shut the airline doors. It was a huge relief to us to know she had been loaded and the flight was less stressful after that.

When I flew Dubai to Delhi. I just took her with us 2 hours before departure to the regular check-in in Dubai. If you have to do this in Cairo, you may want to drape a shawl/stole over her cage. The noise and smells can stress your cat/dog out.

Egyptians being Egyptians wanted to stick their fingers into my cats cage and touch her at the cargo village (she's long haired and pure white) that really stressed her out. If you have a dog, I don't think you have to worry much. My friend who flew out with her 2 german shepherds from Cairo called it the parting of the red sea phenomenon when she took her dogs into the airport :)

So relax, but check for your destination reqts. Autralia, Europe (except Switzerland) and the Middle East are quite tough.

Photo Essays of Cairo Monuments

Hey everyone, I know I haven't updated my blog for ages. I've just been dealing with a lot and blogging has had to take a backseat for awhile.

A friend of mine recently visited Cairo and his pictures are far more evocative than my words. He has captured images that seemed new to me, even though I have visited each place so often. I'm sure you will enjoy them too.

Here are the links to his photo essays with a sample photo for each as a teaser.
Sayyidna al Hussein Mosque


Bayt al Suhaymi


Fishawy Cafe and Khan el Khalili


Madrasa-Khanqah of Sultan Barquq


Al Azhar Mosque and Around


Citadel of Saladin


Al Aqmar Mosque


The Silksellers Street


Sabeel Kuttab of Kathkuda


Sharia al Muizz li Din Allah


Shops along Sharia al Muizz li Din Allah


Madrasa and Mausoleum of Sultan Qualawun


Sultan al Mu'ayyad Mosque


Bab Zuwayla


Out and About in Cairo


The Thousand Minarets of Cairo


View from BD's Hotel Room

All the pictures in this post are from Bhaskar's Photo Blog He owns the copyright on all these pictures. Please do not republish his pictures without checking with him/giving him credit.

Egypt extends Emergency Rule by another 2 years

Egypt has been under emergency rule for almost 30 years. It has just been extended for another 2.

I shall say no more on this topic.

Links to newspaper articles on the issue:

On the BBC

On the LA Times

Saudis own over 600,000 flats in Egypt

Come Summer, and the influx of Saudis into Egypt begins.

As a naive expat 4.5 years ago, I had thought that the start of summer would mean the end of the tourist season and the price of all touristy stuff especially at the Khan would go down.

Quite the opposite, the Saudis stream into the country, raising rental rates (when searching for company guesthouses, we were told by a lot of landlords/landladies that they would rent the apartment for 10 months and then if we wanted it for the summer months, we would have to either pay the higher price or vacate the apartment)

As Arabic speakers, they pay local rates for entry into all museums and tourist locations, but the taxi drivers can spot them a mile away and will triple the price when you ask, if he can spy a Saudi family hunting down a taxi in the distance.

Shopping seems to be their favourite past-time and prices of touristy stuff in the Khan and clothes etc in the local markets are jacked up.

They often take over entire hotel floors if not the entire hotel for themselves and their retinue. When we were hunting for conference venues a couple of years ago, we were told by some hotels like the Move n Pick that they were completely booked up for the whole summer by a Saudi Prince and his extended family.

Todays news report in the Arab News says that Saudis own over 600,000 flats in Egypt. 60% in Cairo, 20% in Alexandria, 10% in North Coast resorts and the rest across the country. This does not take into account the number of Saudis who rent apartments or book hotel rooms.

What do you think, is the influx good or bad for Egypt?

Egypt's hash crisis?

I wouldn't think that lack of availability of an illegal substance could be termed a crisis. But this writer seems to think so and has a perspective on the issue.

Max Strasser on The Faster Times

He sums his article up by saying "Life is difficult for most people here. Let them get stoned." - and that's not in the Biblical/Quranical sense :)

Egyptian T-shirts

A lot of visitors to Egypt actively look to pick up t-shirts that can be identified as Egyptian. As souvenirs, as a keepsake, or as a reminder that "I was here!".

Yet, a lot of them go back empty handed. There are cheap t-shirts available all over the khan, but they mostly focus on generic Pharonic prints and designs and most of the time, the printing/embroidery quality isn't even good. So once you are back home, and the shopping euphoria has abated, you find that you can barely wear them to the beach a couple of times before discarding them or using them as rags.

There are very very few options available if one is looking for custom t-shirts with Arabic script for example or humor tshirts.

There are the occasional stores like Zafir in Zamalek and slim pickings at Oum al Dunia, Fair Trade Center and the store at All Saints Cathedral.

I was just thinking, that it would make so much sense for a couple of smart locals to get together and produce Egypt tshirts in a variety of colours, prints, designs and cuts. There is such a large market for it (especially given the volume of tourism), that has been left largely untapped.

Any takers?

Expat Focus awards this blog - Recommended Website for Egypt

Close on the heels of the the last recognition this blog got, I have now received another excellent piece of news.

The Expat Focus Website has given this blog, the award of "Recommended Website for Egypt"

Their website states that:

The Expat Focus Recommended Website Award is only given to outstanding expat websites which meet the following minimum criteria:

- Usefulness: Whether it's a fact packed, well known expat portal or a small personal blog, the website provides information which others moving to or living in a foreign country would find useful.
 
- Integrity: We only recommend honest, responsible sites. We will not recommend any site which would be in breach of our own Acceptable Use Policy

- Activity: Sites which are updated frequently or have active forums.

- Free: We do not recommend sites which require paid subscriptions or membership fees.

You can see that this particular blog has been awarded here.

Again thank you so much to each and everyone of my readers.