We
got to the train station with plenty of time this morning. We got a boxed
breakfast to take with us…Spencer was fasting so I got double for the ride.
Once
again we got hassled at the train station. For some reason we are either not
allowed to take the third class train or they just don’t think as white
foreigners that we should. Either way, many different people told us that the
train we were to take back to Luxor was at one platform, where as all the
“locals” where getting another train that was defiantly third class (you can
tell the third class from first class because the third class has window’s open
and it is filthy and the first class has the window’s closed because it has
AC). Spencer kept asking different people for the train for Luxor. He got some
not very straight answers. I finally convinced him to go over to the other
platforms and ask the people on the train where it was going because all the
policemen guys kept telling us different things. Sure enough that was the third
class train to Luxor. We grabbed our bags and took the
stairs to other platform to try and catch the train. A policeman who had
previously told us that that wasn’t the train asked us where we were going, we
just kept walking.
When
we got on the train people confirmed this was the third class train to Luxor.
That Policeman followed us and told us to follow him to another car. We weren’t
quite sure what was going on. I think they don’t want us taking the train
because then we pay less and first class is more expensive…..I don’t know the
reason, but I was sure angry at this point. I felt like we kept being lied too…but
maybe we don’t know the whole picture….We haven’t seen any other “white men” on
the third class train…Maybe they didn’t want us to g on it because they thought
we were too good for it?? I am not sure….but like I said, I was sure angry that
they kept lying to us… or at least that is what I thought..maybe we weren't suppose to take the third class....but anyways, no body would give us a straight answer..so that is what made me aggravated…
The
train ride took about 3-4 hours. It was hot, and the wind coming from the
window felt like I was standing under and exhaust pipe, it didn’t even bring
that much relief…I did buy some bananas from a guy who walks up and down the
train cars selling them ( along with many other men selling items).. this was
the first time I felt like I wasn’t cheated.. I got about 10 small bananas for
1Eyptian Pound which is only 16cents CAD.
When
we got off the train that same man who met us on the mini bus taxi the first
time we came to Luxor was outside the train. He seems to have a tourist radar
or something. Anyways, we went to the hostel he owns. It is only $8/night! We
spent some time in our room until we ventured out in the evening for some food
(Spencer was done fasting now). We walked along the streets. We bought some
bread, chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber and dessert and took it back to our
hotel roof to eat it….however, we only got lost for about 30min and walked in
circles trying to find the side street to the hotel not realizing we were on
the wrong main street. Our street was parallel to that one…We finally find our
place and went up to eat our dinner!
We
spent the rest of the evening watching Tin Tin on the laptop and eating our
dessert.
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