The most tiring aspect of life in Egypt is having to endure the constant hustling. When you first arrive, they must sense your naivety and big, bright eyes because they seem to descend on you more. Now that I’ve learned to keep my head down, I tend to be left alone.
Although everyone I’ve met has been very friendly, the friendliest people have seemed to be the ones after your wallet. They are always trying to steer you into a shop somewhere, although sometimes innocently (I think). If anyone tries to be extra nice to you here, you can bet they’ll want money in the end.
The hustlers I really resent are the ones trying to con you in some way. They will lie to you about something being closed (whether it’s a museum or pyramid) in order for you to be bundled into their shop and given a hard sell on something. Or you may find yourself being given a “free” tour you never agreed to pay for but one you’ll be expected to give a hefty tip for.
Every tourist I’ve spoken with seems to agree that the area around the Great Pyramids in Giza is the worst. It’s very hard to appreciate the significance of the pyramids when you’re being bugged every few minutes for a donkey, camel, or horse ride, or a tour guide. The other really bad places have been along the Nile in towns like Luxor and Aswan, where you are constantly being asked to take a Felucca (sailboat) ride, a horse and buggy, or a taxi. It’s nice to get inside a museum, temple, or tomb because you’ll usually find a temporary moment of peace and quiet.
Other annoying hustling happens when children run up and ask you for Euros or adults try to charge you a toll for walking through their scenic neighbourhoods. The worst place I found for this was in the beautiful Nubian villages on Elephantine Island in Aswan.
Photography can be difficult because a lot of people will try to demand money if they know they will be in your shot. Market stall owners will try to charge money to let you photograph the front of their stalls. I’ve been trying to sneak telephoto shots as a result.
It all gets a bit taxing, but as I said, I seem to be bothered by hustlers less and less the longer I hang around here. Either that or I’m just noticing it less.
