[Travel] Europe 2018 | Part 2

Egypt

Really, this blog should technically be titled Europe (& Africa) | Part 2. 

We arrived at the airport, filled out the immigration card and passed through the security with our e-visas. We stopped at duty free for some booze and were on our way. 
PRO TIP: Alcohol will not be easy to come by outside of the airport, so grab something for the hotel if that’s your style!
 
As soon as we stepped outside, it was a total chaos outside of the airport. Since neither myself or my travel companion spoke Arabic, we were standing around like fish out of water until a man approached us and offered to call our host and made sure our shuttle was coming. From my POV it seemed like there were people stationed outside the airport specifically to make sure tourists like ourselves got to where we were going safely (not sure if that is true or if we just got lucky).
 
We found our shuttle driver who didn’t speak any English (thank goodness it was the right car… this could’ve easily been a taken situation considering he didn’t even have one of those signs with our names on them we just had to trust the man who had made the phone call).  Driving in Egypt is easily in my top 5 never going to do again life choices.  scariest driver I’ve ever met, with no traffic laws, speed limits, or roads really. Basically, weaving in and out of other vehicles and avoiding potholes, trash, and people.
 
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[Hotel] 3 Pyramids View Inn
 
May 22- May 25
​3 Star Hotel
$39/night
This hotel was diamond in the rough. They helped to arrange a shuttle (really just a guy with a car, not a shuttle service) from the airport to the hotel. You will definitely need a shuttle, unless you speak Arabic and can communicate to catch a cab outside the airport. The hotel helped us to coordinate a tour-guide/escort and driver AND helped us plan all excursions outside of the hotel.
Note: We were not allowed out of the hotel without an escort. 
Our hotel made us breakfast each day and ordered us dinner from a select menu (which oddly enough included Pizza Hut).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We went to the Pyramids of Giza. We went to a paper shop and a cotton shop. We went to the old capitol city of Memphis. And finally, a Nile River Dinner Cruise. Jon was suckered into buying a $50 coin (that not only got him randomly selected at every airport on the way home, but also turned out to be worth absolutely nothing). I bought a lucky scarab beetle pendent that turned out to give bad luck. The photos and the life experience 10/10 so happy I went (especially with a dude). 10/10 would never go back. I was so uncomfortable the entire trip, no one would talk to me, everyone only talked to Jon, we had to travel through military checkpoints, & were at the complete mercy of our guide and hotel because we didn’t speak the language. 
 
And although I laugh about it now, someone had tried to purchase me from Jon. Not safe or cool or funny. But we made it.
 
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Athens, Greece

Although our visit to Greece was short and sweet. The one thing I will always (NOT) remember is the crazy night life. The clubs were open allll night and the night clubs were…I don’t even remember.    Our airbnb was adorable. They left us wine. And I was able to wash my clothes for the first time all trip in true backpacker fashion.
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Another first, Jon & I got our lift on in a really strange foreign gym. Back & Biceps for me.

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Barcelona, Spain

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The most fun I had in Barcelona was going on one of the Free Walking Tours. Our tour guide was such a story teller, we saw many sites that I wouldn’t have wanted or known to visit on my own. AND a huge bonus of these walking tours is getting to learn about culture & history. Did you know that Barcelona is part of a region called Catalonia. The region of Catalonia has many distinct cultural, language, and political distinctions. You don’t speak Spanish in Barcelona, you speak Catalonian.    

Number one Food to try: Paella 

Number one place to visit is the Sagrada Familia: https://sagradafamilia.org/en/

Barcelona is in the Top 3 favorite places I have visited. And it is on my list to re-visit. 

Paris, France

Paris was the first city Instagram Boy and I went our own ways & I got to explore some of Europe by myself… actually Instagram Boy decided to stay in Paris for one more night when I caught our final flight back to England. 

Eifel Tower

The most important tourist stop in Paris, obviously, the Eifel Tower. Such a bucket-list location to visit. ​I thought Paris was beautiful and contrary to what everyone says, I didn’t think the people were rude. Yes, everyone did their own thing (it wasn’t interactive, and I had to setup my phone for totally shameless selfies) but no one was rude. I would love to visit Paris again, with someone to travel with. 

Bridges and Fountains.

And Lion statues (my European obsession). Crepes were the quintessential French food that I needed to eat in France. Did not disappoint.  

1 backpack. 3 nights spent at the airport. 3 continents. 6 countries. 6 nights in an Airbnb & 15 nights in a hotel. 14 flights. 24 days over 165 miles walked. 18263 miles by plane. And my first international trip under my belt.

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