You walk like an Egyptian….

Egyptian Pyramids

Yeah tell me something I don’t already know.

No, I’m not talking to the 80’s hit by The Bangles. I haven’t quite lost my head like that yet. Though….No no I haven’t lost my head like that at all.

Who was I talking to? Well just about every Egyptian man who lined the streets of Luxor desperate to get hold of me or catch my attention.

I’m not being vain. Believe me. The last think I wanted was to catch their eye. It was just something they did! To everyone!

What am I talking about? Well I’m talking about my trip around the world last year, that landed me in Egypt for two weeks. I went from Cairo to Aswan to Luxor and back to Cairo again.

It was an incredible trip that I did by train. Have you ever woken-up to see the Nile drift by you? I didn’t think so. It’s stunning.

Which is why you should book to go NOW! Don’t delay. Why? Well for one reason the CTravel agency in Bermuda can get you a great deal.

In fact if you book by December 31st you can received a discount of as much as $700 on a ten day trip through Egypt! Four of those days will be on a boat.

Need I say more? Well you’d be traveling the same route I did. But unlike the backpacker I was, you will travel from Cairo and along the Nile, in the company of distinguished Egyptologists, who will happily explain both modern and ancient Egypt.

Visit bazaars alive with color and fragrant spices, and gain an appreciation for Egypt’s unique diversity. And the best part? Sailing along the Nile on the 47-guest Salacia.

So make sure you contact CTravel today to book your discounted tour of Egypt.

Or do your cultural tendencies lean toward the musical kind? Perhaps a little Jazz will lighten your day? How about for nine days?

Jazz Cruise

Yep well through the company My Escapades and CTravel, you could be sailing with 80 Jazz greats for nine days!

With the likes of Johnny Mandel, James Moody, Wycliffe Gordon, Jeff Hamilton, Jon Gordon, Freddy Cole, Shelly Berg, and Ernie Adams to name a few.

Imagine listening to the soothing sounds of Jazz while navigating through the Caribbean! From Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, San Juan, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay, you’ll have an amazing time for the price of just $2,599 per person.

The best part for Bermudians is that price includes flights from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale to begin the trip. With the introduction of WestJet that’s an easy and cheap connection to make!

Or are you looking for something more hardcore? Maybe a trip up and down the world? How about from Cape

Rome

Town, South Africa to Rome, Italy?!

Well Princess Cruises through CTravel are offering a cruise in April next year that costs only $5,499 per person and is 26 days!

How cool would that be? It would be.

You’d be taken to Namibia, Ghana, Senegal, Togo and then to Spain, France and of course Italy!

And the price starts at just $5,999 per person for the 26-day cruise!

Of course I’m missing some of the countries in the list, but you wouldn’t when you travel in style with Princess Cruise lines!

So make sure you enjoy your holidays now, book your holidays for later and of course come back tomorrow for more Robyn’s Wanderings!

“You walk like an Egyptian” – Traveling as a solo female

Where's my travel buddy?

It’s Monday, which means…..well if you haven’t caught-on yet it’s when my weekly column makes its way into The Royal Gazette’s pages as Rock Fever.

What is it this week? What else? Traveling Solo as a Female. Here it is:

“You walk like an Egyptian.”

My eyes rolled.

“Hey .. hey … you walk like an Egyptian. Where are you from? Are you married?”

This is not a new rendition of The Bangles’ 1980s hit. Nope. This was the soundtrack for my walk from the Karnak Temple (the largest religious complex in the world) back to my hostel in Luxor, Egypt.

My ring quickly moved from my middle finger to my empty “ring” finger.

“Yes. Yes I am. I am going back to my husband now,” I said, but my crooner persisted tripping over himself to follow.

“Where is he? Where are you from? Do you want a tour?”

“NO. I am married. Good-bye.”

I hadn’t told my travel buddy, but he was now with me till death did us part so I could navigate my way out of a possible threatening situation. So women out there looking for a ring on your finger? Try the Egyptian marriage route.

Or failing that, experience it as a travel tip for solo females: wear a ring on your “ring” finger. Unfortunately in a number of cultures women are still not respected unless they have a man by their side. So fake it and wear a ring on your finger to deter possible suitors.

Women, like at home, have to be more wary than men when travelling (hence this week’s column), BUT … and this is a big but that you would not get from sitting on the couch at home – don’t let it discourage you from travelling solo.

One of the questions I always got when I returned from travelling around the world last year, was: “Were you ever scared?” And the answer is: “No.” I took precautions and honestly sometimes, no often, travelling as a female was actually easier. Women are less threatening than men. That means both men and women travellers are more likely to trust a female before they would trust a man. And if you think I am being biased … well just ask a Swede I met in Argentina. He complained during an hour-long hike about how hard it was to be a single man travelling. Perhaps being male wasn’t his only problem, but he had a point. A single man is a danger for women and therefore limits the pool of travellers to meet.

Solo in Argentina

So friends are easier for women to make, even ones we don’t want, which is why in Egypt where even the wedding ring doesn’t discourage a Bangles crooner tip two is: duck into a shop. I did and it was a fair trade shop run by women. A scarf, ring and empty wallet later, my harasser left and I continued to walk back to the hostel.

Tip three: failing a fair trade shop try a hotel and tell the people working there what the problem is. Nowhere in the world will a woman be told to get out or not taken care of. That’s the beauty of our sex too!

But beauty is not always something you want to advertise, which leads me to tip four: dress conservatively. This applied for me in India, the Middle East and some places in Asia (i.e. Vietnam), but it could be anywhere if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself. In Egypt the men salivated over the buses of Russian tourists. Why? Because the women walked around in short-shorts, bathing-suit tops and heels in the middle of Cairo. Equivalent? Women walking through Hamilton topless. Can you see how this would cause problems? So dress appropriately no matter how hot it may be. Loose dresses and light pants will help.

But don’t think that because you have dressed appropriately you lose your tenacity! So tip five is: appear confident wherever you are even when lost (insert man joke and not asking directions). In Chiang Mai, Thailand I decided to walk to a temple outside of the walled city. I got lost, but I didn’t let on. If I needed time to think I would pretend to cross the road and I eventually found a park. I stopped and could casually take a map out to figure out where I was. Never show weakness, because someone preying on women will notice.

Which makes it easier if you are with someone. Tip six: stay in hostels, preferably dorms, and relax in the inevitable social area to meet other travellers. While a dorm room means you have to worry about your bag it also means you are not alone and nothing worse can happen.

But if you’re not a hostel person nor do you want to stay in a dorm then tip seven is: join activities where you will meet other people. I met a great travel buddy while trading spring rolls over a Thai cooking class. It helps to have someone who will worry if you don’t come back at night.

Which leads to eight: women, unfortunately, we are the anti-vampires. When the sun sets we should ensure we have a way home if we are not already home. Once I didn’t adhere to this rule and I kicked myself the entire walk through Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was fine, but you never know. Take a cab or ensure you are with friends to go home with when it starts getting dark.

Cusco at night....not the safest place for single females to wander

But number nine: never let a man into your room (or lady man as one hostel door instructed me in Chiang Mai). This is obvious, but too often, I think, overlooked.

Most importantly, though, after all this advice is tip ten: to trust your instincts. I know this sounds ridiculous, but as women we have spent years honing our sixth sense so use it! Be smart, listen to Jiminy Cricket (your conscience) and enjoy your travels.

I know most of the travel experts/writers out there seem to be men, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out there and do it too. And it doesn’t have to be the Eat, Pray, Love scenario (i.e. a woman going to find herself and finds a soulmate). I did it. I survived a year that saw trekking up Machu Picchu, camping in Thailand and kayaking in Vietnam. I didn’t find Prince Charming, but I loved it.