SUMMARY OF EGYPT

I had an amazing time here ... and I would have to put Egypt up there on my list of top 5 places I have visited (Turkey and Thailand are on the list) ... there is so much to do, that the 9 days I spent here is just “enough to get a taste ... but not enough to eat the whole meal” .... and I know that it is not long before I sail/cruise down the Nile again.
There is so much to do, see, and do .. and what makes it amazing is people ... walking down the streets, alleys, markets, I heard “Welcome” or “Welcome to Egypt” at least 40 times a day ... sometimes 20 times in an hour (like last night walking around Old Cairo) .. and it is genuine, from the heart ... and although I travelled on my own, at no time did I feel lonely ... and felt more welcome than in any other place I have visited.

I had numerous invitations to sit down and drink tea/coffee/hibiscus, which i accepted, and had variety of conversations with people (locals), with different stories to tell:
· Local chief in Aswan village
· Guy who used to be a bouncer in London, now is family-man back here
· Coffee shop owner who lives in Paris (as artist), but comes back to his Cairo home 6 times a year
· Quilt embroider/craftsman who travels to Melbourne for exhibitions every year

I read something in the Lonely Planet which I thought summarized my experience in Egypt ... so instead of re-writing it (Page 68), I thought I’d attach link http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZTJJJ-tuR4MC&pg=PA68&lpg=PA68&dq=hassan+ansah+understanding+lack+of+violent+crimes+in+egypt&source=bl&ots=fAOUw_Kqx5&sig=YdeAnNrufrrYWXevktmk47ztkak&hl=en&ei=rHhQStn3AuTRjAf1w_C2Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1