A lot of people stare at us while we wait on the platform. While I’m dressed modestly I’m still the only woman I can see with my hair uncovered.
And we’re covered in bags.
Valuables in fanny pack around one shoulder, small backpack in front, and huge pack on back. We’re sweating and we’re waiting.
A few weeks ago we missed our train from Madrid to Toledo. We we’re racing around the train station, running down stairs, going through metal detectors, and flying by platforms only to be told our train was leaving.
We’ve learned our lesson.
People stare at us.
People offer us things.
And people try to help.
The trick about the offer for help is that often people ask for a tip after, so we shake our heads, nod people off and wait.
But like I said we stand out so staff start coming up to us, and policemen outfitted with guns, check our tickets, assure us we’re in the right spot and move on.
When the train comes there’s a surge forward. And the staff member that’s helping us urges us on. Eventually we make our way into Car 1, Bed 13 and 14.
I’ve never been on a sleeper train. And as I stared out the window at 2am I asked myself, how does one sleep on a sleeper train?
We leave Cairo at 7:45pm and travel down Egypt. Our attendant brings us meals, and opens up our beds for us and somewhere between 2am and 6am I manage to tune out the noises and the shakes and the turns and I fall asleep.
When the sun rises we get all the views we read about. Lush scenery, animals along the Nile, farms overflowing, workers harvesting.
At 9:30am we arrive in Aswan.
Is the sleeper train worth it? At $84 a person (note Egyptians pay ~$20) it isn’t cheap, but that includes housing, transit, and two meals. And it’s certainly an experience. From waiting on the platform, to seeing the views go by, to using the toilet which empties directly onto the tracks.
We’re on our Nile Cruise now. A bit of a splurge (since we touched down in Africa we’ve drastically lowered our daily expenses) but truly an amazing experience. 3 nights from Aswan to Luxor. Sights, food, amazing views.
We head back to Cairo tomorrow, but on a plane—not the sleeper train.
