Just back from a 2 week holiday in Egypt. Had a great time. Did all the touristy things: visited the Pyramids at Gisa, Explored Cairo, cruised the Nile, saw Aswan, Luxor and the the Valleys of the Kings and Queens; Snorkelled in the Red Sea and tried my hand again at board sailing - I was better than expected - it helps to have a low centre of gravity! The Eqyptian people are very hospitable, although the pressure for tips and mock outrage when one tries to negotiate any commercial transaction can at first be overwhelming. Suffered "upset stomach" for most of the 2 weeks, even though we thought we were being cautious about what we ate. My girlfriend has not yet recovered from this, even though we are now almost a week home. I was taking antibiotics following a dental proceedure. I think this helped my recovery. We stayed in the Cairo hotel used by Python, Michael Palin in his BBC "Round the World" programme. In fact we stayed in the very room he occupied. The staff at the Windsor were excellent, especially Front-of-House Manager, Aryan. Great assistance too from Amigo Tours - the handsome Ahmed (my girlfriend insists!) and Friday (which doesn't sound very Egyptian to me).
It was great to have the invaluable local knowledge and good humour of our new London-based Eqyptian friend, Sam.