I was in Egypt at the end of November.

Here is the short version:
I was with a group of four friends of mine, and we traveled to Aswan, Luxor, and Cairo in a week. Since you have five days, I would sacrifice Aswan.

In Aswan, we stayed at the New Cataract hotel, which is on the same complex as the Old Cataract. The rooms were 5/10 as far as my personal scale goes, with a beautiful view of the Nile and Elephantine Island. We visited the Temple of Isis on Philae and the Nubian museum while there. These were good starting points, and prepared us well for the majesty of the sites at Luxor. But as I said, if you must shave a couple of days off, then Aswan is it.

In Luxor, we stayed at the Luxor Hilton, which is actually a bit far from the main part of Luxor, and even farther from the bridge that crosses the Nile to get to the west bank, where the Valley of the Kings/Queens, and various other ruins are situated. Go for the Club Rooms, because they are in a separate part of the complex and have a bit more privacy, not to mention full balconies overlooking the Nile. If you are not into Egyptology, then Valleys can be rather boring because there's nothing there in terms of relics, save for the tombs themselves. It's a lot of dirty climbing around and crawling in small spaces to see some heiroglyphics and art on rock walls. That said, however, I found the Valleys very engaging and felt very small, overshadowed by the vast span of history. Also on the west bank are Hatshipsut's temple, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, etc. Not to be missed is Karnak Temple on the east bank. It was the highlight, from a purely egyptology standpoint, of the trip.

Cairo was a big city. In every way. Traffic was horrendous, and the air quality seemed akin to smoking a carton (that's 200 cigarettes) of non-filters per day. The pyramids are a must, simply because you have to go and at least see one of the remaining wonders of the ancient world. I mean, you stand there and realize that these objects have stood for more than 4500 years. It's beyond comprehension. Unless you are a masochist, do not go into the Great Pyramid. There are just too many people and too little space. If you want to go into a pyramid, go into the red pyramid of Dahshur, maybe a half an hour drive from the Giza pyramids. Also, I highly encourage a visit to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum (aka the Egyptian Museum). It is stocked to the ceilings with artifacts. Everything that was taken out of Tutankhamun's tomb is there, but there are also relics from every era of egyptian history up to the Roman era and even the Christian era past that, if I recall correctly. The Citadel is another impressive location not to miss (although we did simply because we ran out of time). We stayed at the Nile Hilton. Again, I think the extra you pay for the executive floor is worth the attention to detail in service. We had rooms overlooking the Nile, from which one is supposedly able to see the Giza Pyramids on a clear day. I surmise that a "clear day" worthy of such conditions has not been seen in Cairo since before the hotel was built; thanks to the ever-present smog.

As far as food goes, we stuck with hotel food except for one meal, at Farfala (sp?) in Cairo. Being a bit paranoid, we stayed away from roadside vendors and the such. But if I had not been traveling with others, I probably would have ventured it at least once. Farfala, by the way, was a tremendously good restaurant and it is unfortunate that we had it on the last day because I think it would have envigorated us to try more egyptian food while we were there.

As far as the people go, I found Egyptians to be extremely friendly. Yes, it's true that from the moment you clear customs you are accosted by throngs of vendors, taxi drivers, children, etc... looking for your money. But keep in mind that the vast majority of these people are genuine, and that they are simply trying to make a living. If you get ripped off, it is because you let yourself get ripped off. Do your research before you enter a negotiation, like with any business transaction, and you will be fine. You will have to learn how to say "no" often. If the driver wants to take you to a perfume factory (they get paid commissions on tourists they bring to these places) and you don't want to go, tell them. They'll keep insisting of course, but just be firm. I often find that westerners, especially Americans, find this persistence annoying. Well, keep in mind that this is their living and their society. Be patient and firm. Also, many people you encounter will insist on bakshish, or tips. Again, tip when you feel you've received a service of value. There will be people who will try to show you the "best" thing to see in a site. If you were planning to get there anyway, I don't see the need for a tip. If they truly do show you something different, then, by all means... Usually a 1 EL (egyptian pound) note is sufficient; there are also 50 piaster notes (half a pound) and even 25 piaster notes. Children in Cairo will hail you as a hero if you give them clicky pens. Bring a bunch with your company logo; that's what I did. Hahaha.

Finally, if you want, one of my friends put up a photolog...
http://communities.msn.com/virelaine...naventryid=121

Enjoy your trip!

[This message has been edited by jet (edited 12-13-2000).]