Re: Experiences in Jerusalem

On 29 Sep 2003 00:23:57 -0700, ?ystein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Well, some stories from visitors (I will not even mention that no
>private initiative tourist business will think of taking no as an
>answer):
>
>-People situated inside the pyramids, ask you to follow them because
>they want to show you something. Then they ask you for money in order
>to not leave you inside the labyrinth.
>
>-Visitors report about men hiding in the dark touch female tourists
>legs as they pass
>
>-Tourist in the areas of the pyramids report that when they paid
>locals for a trip on the back of a camel, they made up lots of extra
>payments that they din't told them about in front, includig food for
>the camel. The guide also enjoyed touching the female tourist on parts
>of the body that he 'accidently' came near because he was siting
>behind her on the camel.
>
>If you don't care about such things or the situation has improved go.
>If you don't think it is worth it, don't. The situation isn't anything
>close to this any other place than in the area of th4e pyramids.

I think I can safely say that none of those who have responded to you so
far have encountered hassles of that scale at the pyramids.  I certainly
haven't.  I traveled all over Egypt last spring.  I encountered a
multitude of minor nuisances.  The Giza plateau seemed honest, almost to
a fault, by Egyptian standards.

I went inside the Great Pyramid on my second pass through Cairo.  I 
missed some things on the first pass.  I would have liked to have 
entered some of the side chambers.  At most of Egypt's ancient sites, a
little baksheesh is all that is required to enter a locked room.  That 
is probably why they are locked.  But, in this case, the guards didn't 
seem interested.

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