Back in the coach a short distance to jump on a boat for a mini cruise along the Nile. It's absolutely huge and the only one in the world that flows south to north (or nouth to sorth as Lissa keeps saying). Our destination was the Hard Rock Cafe so we had high hopes of a good meal.
Our boat captain was racing another boat to get to the landing spot first, somehow the other guy got in first. Our captain wasn't impressed so there was the usual animated exchange, then he put our boat into a spin so he was hovering in the area, ready to go in when the space was free. As the docked captain backed out, the boats did and amazing dance revolving around each other just inches apart, bow to stern then port to starboard (didn't know I was such a salty sea dog eh?). It was either brilliant or lucky, but it was impressive anyway. Then we heard an almighty CRUNCH and everyone was jolted forward... Ok so they must have been lucky I thought, but then we looked behind to see a third boat had come upon us and crashed into the back of our boat. If we thought our captain was annoyed with the first guy... I thought he was going to jump on his boat and make him walk the plank on the end of a pointy sword.
Amazingly as the tirade continued, Captain Rams-a-Lot carried on heading for the dock and beat us to it! We were left circling again for a few minutes until he chugged away, then we landed and disembarked.
A short walk later and we were in the HRC. It was a buffet lunch but bizarrely there was nothing from the usual HRC menu, it was almost like eating at the hotel. Hugely disappointing!! It was included in the price so we helped ourselves making the best of it. One girl was so disgusted she ordered from the normal menu and paid extra... I wish we'd done that too. The waitress then tried to sell us a drink for £10 (drinks weren't included in the paid for element of the meal) and you could keep the Hurricane glass it was served in. I'd already got one from Rome and Sharm (earlier this week) so didn't want another. We ordered plain cokes and then heard the Brummies on the next table arguing with the staff about being charged £10 for a beer... It pays to listen and double check what they are saying to you, as they will politely sell you the shirt off your own back, and then ask for a tip, in the nicest possible way of course. :-)
Sam bought her HRC badge as she's now collecting them (she has two now - which means we have to go back to Rome just to get a HRC badge... I'm not arguing cos it's been my favourite holiday ever until we came here, now I'm split between the two!!). We went back outside for some pics of some very tall buildings so Sam could use her new wide angle lens (a birthday pressie). If you get in on the edge of a wide angle lens, you look really odd as everything is distorted a bit lol.
Back on the coach & off to The Papyrus Institute to learn how they made papyrus and used it. Fascinating stuff if you're into that sort of thing. I've always wanted a proper papyrus picture, so we bought one depicting a story of the judgement of the kings by Osiris in the afterlife. Their heart is weighed against something (sorry memory fails me) and if it's heavier, they fail the test and their heart is eaten by a weird dog like creature (possibly Set but could be totally wrong on that - and I have no internet connection to check these things). We bought another pic of the various interesting locations in Egypt & their significance, we then got one for free, but again the character name evades me. Our purchases meant we were last on the bus, which always sends Sam into a panic, but the guide was sat falling asleep in a chair in the corner of the room, as he'd only had two hours sleep the night before.
More in Part 4...
Bye for now!
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