A love-hate relationship is a personal relationship involving simultaneous or alternating emotions of love and enmity. This relationship does not have to be of a romantic nature, and may be instead of a sibling one. It may occur when people have completely lost the intimacy within a loving relationship, yet still retain some passion for, or perhaps some commitment to, each other.
The term is used most frequently in psychology, popular writing and journalism. It can be applied to relationships with inanimate objects, or even concepts
Well, I think it can also be applied to Egypt.
Love:
-Sights. Amazing temples, great ruins, tremendous history.
Crazy old monasteries that have been build in 300 AD and are still being used by monks who loved to hear about my trip!!!
-Tourists everywhere. After Sudan where Marc and I spent 6 days talking to each other in Khartoum, it was a relief.
-Diving/Snorkeling in Dahab. One of the best reef coral in the world. Crystal clear water.
-Kitesurfing in Dahab. One of the best spots in the world for learning.
-Egyptians. Very relax and fun to talk to and argue with.
-Road conditions. For the first time since a very long time, nice long paved road.
Hate:
-Sights. Everything around the sights. They build a mosque in the middle of the Luxor temple. Come on.
And when they did good with the pyramids, they lost their sense somewhere along the way.
There is a major string of unfinished buildings dotting the Red Sea coast. The entire coast. Literally hundreds of them. Apparently the gouvernement handed over free land under the condition that the developers build on it within 2 years. They build the structure just to grab the title and are sitting on it.
-Tourists everywhere. Packaged in big tour buses.
Like this women from California who asked us in which country she was right now or these russians all snorkeling in the same spot.
-Diving/Snorkeling in Dahab. Diving with a bunch of tourists in speedo. Coral is melting away as everyone stepping on it.
-Kitesurfind in Dahab. Over a period of 9 days, only one day has proper wind. Apparently unusual for the season.
-Egyptians. They are so relax they put their trash everywhere.
And they will come up with anything to make a buck.
Egyptian driver: You like Egyptian bana?
Marc: What?
Egyptian driver: You want Egyptian baanaa?
Marc: Do I want what?
Egyptian driver: You like Egyptian banaana?
Marc: Egyptian banana? I did not know Egypt has its own kind of banana.
Egyptian driver: Yes, pointing down below in his pant. You like it?
Marc finally realizing: Not really. I think I’ll pass for tonight.
Or the harrassing vendors who overcharged on everything.
Me: I want airtime for 10 pounds. Handing over 20 pounds.
Vendors: Here it is. Give me one pound. Holding a 10 pound bill of change in one hand and the airtime card in the other.
Me: Why one pound?
Vendor: It’s 11 pound.
Me: It says 10 pounds on the card and I asked for a 10 pounds airtime.
Vendor: You owe me 1 pound.
Me: Listen, I don’t have time for this right now, grabbing both the 10 pounds bill and the airtime card from his hands.
And then walking away as he is yelling something in Arabic.
This is an everyday recurrence.
-Road conditions. In some place, they poured down fresh bitumen over several kilometers but they never finished the pavement. Nice coating under the truck.
I guess I could go on forever…visit at own risk and expenses…
next stop Jordan.