Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sinbad Luxor Egypt

 7/3/10  23.30
Drunk and incapable of adding up a bill,  or so the owners of Sinbad's Caffe shop think .
all the electric was off in the Luxor Hotel this included the rented areas  such as my favorite bar Hamees coffee shop,  who honestly  said sorry Mr Tony no food and no water pipe tonight as all the electricity is off. OK I thought will try next door the sinbad 's,       oh yes , we are still open!    do you have wine and the bubble pipe ?  why not this is a coffee shop!  OK how much is a bottle of wine?  60 egp . bit more than Hamees my wife said,
 ah! but we are open and for food!  OK,   seeing it was Pam's last night in Luxor, and I did not want any hassle not our fault the lecy was off in the area,  and it was quite a nice evening everything was lit by candlelight. but as all good things they come to an end.
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. no blaring lights on the area, the temple looked fantastic all lit up,   how it was a few years ago  when I first came here in 2002,   before they changed the whole area and put these football stadium lights up that glare in your camera when a photo is taken..



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We  quite enjoyed the evening out  and the ambiance of the place,    something I had not done in a long time actually enjoying Egypt the weather was absolutely fantastic and could not wish for a nicer evening to spend together , I had  two sishas and ordered 2 bottles of wine. adding up mentally what we where spending as going along  . we knew there would be added tax etc,  and me being me thought  OK we are spending money  so what!   its a nice evening and Pam for the first time in the month is quite relaxed.   when we were ready to leave I asked for the bill. but not wanting to make a fuss or spoil the evening,   the bill was under 200 so I did not query it,  paid and left.
When we got back to the flat,  our flat is only a  few hundred meters away,  I was ready for bed,   but then Pam  said ,   you made of money or what?   I asked what do you mean,  and she gave me the bill,    it did not really  sink in for both of us , until we got back home and read the bill how much we where overcharged.
the bill should have been  126Egp+tax  I60 .60  we had a bill for 194.00.   why are we complaining about 34 Egp.   if they do that with all their customers  who want a nice evening out cos its the last night in Egypt   and nobody is to complain look how much they make.  the waiters get 10 egp per shift, and the customer gives the tips even though 14 % is service charge and 10% tax. the waiters see none of the money only what we give in backsheesh, (tips)    so tomorrow we make a stand,    if I did that tonight  it would be  Oh look at him he is drunk,    and off with him to the Jail,  even though these are Muslim owners selling beer,  they think nothing of phoning their brother  police man.  about the guy who has been drinking in their cafe and causing a fuss over being over charged.    bloody infidels drinking in Egypt,      but what will we do without their  money they say!   they just do not get  that people enjoy going out for  a drink.. even though half the Muslim  men are alcoholics and drink  stuff that we will not touch, oozo  most family's here have a problem with a male alcoholic.   everything behind closed doors. ( or a brown paper bag)
 Any way I enjoyed my evening   a bottle of good Wine and I am still blogging. tell it how it is,  that's me and bollocks to the rest. if they do not like the truth well that is there problem.  and 16.00 tomorrow I will cause a stir in  Sin bads ,  focusing on being conned.
so you folks coming to Egypt Hamees is still the best place to have a beer and a good meal and not get ripped off, ( when the lecy is on)   shall put photos on tomorrow as shots do not come out well in the dark.                     and that even being a bit inebriated  is the best spelling in quite a while without my word perfect on,
good night...

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Any more of this wine I will be asleep. 
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Sinbads in the day time and after all the sorry's.   but it was dark and the boy make a mistake.  no need to be angry  we give you your money back.  I let Pam deal with it,  because she knew that if I dealt with it  somebody will be very angry.     when we went back to sinbads  we where pointed in the direction of the manager.   I had already been conned by this guy 2 years ago  and warned him then,    problem is here in Egypt  they make so many dodgy deals  they have to close shop  and always start up again under another name.  this particular guy owns a few taxi,s and small food outlets like the breakfast bars.  and keeps his face out of the business until he is asked for by an Irate customer who threatens  that he will be going to the tourist police.  anyway Pam got her money back.  and said its ok,    we know you all do it  bit this time you did not get away with it.   

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Hamees  is in the next garden to  Sinbads,     in Hamees  stella beer is 8 le and the wine is 50le  per bottle plus taxes, the food is also very good and reasonably priced. only once have I complained in all the 4 years I have been eating and drinking there.  the beer was warm,   because they where that busy in the summer the fridge could not cope with the volume. so they got another fridge. and that curred the problem./
some of the hotels and boats charge  35le  for beer and up to 180 for obolisk wine.

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