When we arrived in Egypt from Sudan, one is struck by two "details" as big as the nose on two faces and, to paraphrase Panoramix, what nose! On the one hand, the quality of hotels and meals skyrocketing, while prices remain equal to those of Sudan, and would even tend to decrease. On the other hand, relations with the people wickedly complicated. To this, we see a central explanation (such as the nose, Compass Figure (style)): mass tourism. We have already mentioned our dismay face alignments floating hotels in Aswan, then we will not drive the nail, even if it would give us the illusion that the nail in question could result in the liner sly water supply that would help nail, I mean pouring ... Uh, finally, in short ... But even in this budget section, we longed to emphasize that mass tourism, it offers weary travelers an imperious and imperial feeling of rest, with good beds, private bathrooms and not deprived of cleanliness, food varied, a hot shower on tap and fresh air to the air conditioning without running water after drinking, this mass tourism, therefore, the fact remains the scourge that we found in Bali and who multiplied found here, probably because there is still more massive (close to Europe) and even earlier (do not forget that Agatha Christie had in person on holidays). 
So is the usual thing: when a bus costs 1 Egyptian Pound (EP) per person and note that this is the case in all central cities we visited, the Receiver ad 10 or 15, when a grocer saw us back several days later, he raises its prices over the days, when approaching a tourist site, souvenir sellers and drivers of horse-drawn carriages do not we let go, etc., etc.. We will not list them, but you'll understand: it gets on the system. At this point we have not had the courage to stop at Luxor, despite the wonders that the site seems to promise.
The worst part is that the other Egyptians who are not working in the tourism industry, are adorable! Invitations to drink tea fuse, and it seems to be back in Sudan. After all, do not we been told, one day, it is in fact one and the same people ? As a result, the country becomes an interesting paradox: great people but not much to see in some places and sites elsewhere but exceptional people with execrable dollars instead of eyes. Not easy to draw a satisfactory route there!
To oversimplify, saying that Egypt is a desert, crossed from south to north through the Nile river-god who creates for centuries a rich life. Today, parallel to the river, there are towns, roads, railway. And, of course, countless pharaonic ruins that attract the ferocious hordes in shorts. 
For the pharaohs had already understood the trick: no Nile, no hello. The problem is that these remains are so numerous that it is hard to find cities where the feet of tourists have never laid hands. Then we, what we did is that we chose not too well known sites, to enjoy relative peace in our daily lives: the tombs of the nobles in Aswan (25 E per person), the extraordinary temple of Edfu (60 E per person), the inevitable Pyramids of Giza (60 E per person), the National Museum in Cairo, fascinating (60 E per person), the disappointing Museum of Modern Art in Cairo (30 EP per person). It has already feasted with all that! You can find a price list of other sites by clicking here , it is not quite up to date, but it gives an order of magnitude. Note that all sites show prices official, printed clearly on the tickets. So there, at least, no mess.
To move around the country, we always took the train, a model of punctuality and comfort. We took the tickets the day before, at the counter, and it was as simple as salam aleikoum. The third class, not air conditioned, said Indonesian trains, with smoking, its street vendors, beggars and its family atmosphere. In October, we found that the air conditioning was not justified, and we have done in this class trips Aswan-Edfu (10 E per person, 2 hours) and Edfu, Assiut (17.50 E per person 6 hours). However, we opted for the second class for journeys Assiut-Cairo (40 E per person 6 hours), Cairo-Alexandria (40 E per person, 4 hours) and Alexandria, Ismailia (30 E per person 3 hours) to enjoy a slightly better comfort, with reclining seats a little more mellow. 
The passing landscape through the windows is rather monotonous, as being aware of the vast flat plains carved by wide rivers. We took the bus only once, between Ismailia and Nuweiba (Sinai) for the exorbitant price of 90 E per person, a sobering experience, as the bus, which leaves only Ismailia 22h (one bus per day), left two hours late, falling down in the middle of night. Fortunately, we were picked up by a bus right, we did arrive around 6am.
As for hotels, always with private bathrooms, they were quality and price variables in Aswan, we paid 70 for a double EP with impeccable conditioning and hearty breakfast Egyptian (El Safa Hotel, near the station , with nice people) in Edfu EP 40 for a double room shabby and dirty, with no sheets and wheezy fan changed (near the temple) in Assiut EP 100 for a double correct (El Hossein hotel near the station); Cairo EP 120 for a double room "vintage" style great-aunt nice, with air conditioning (not needed in this season), breakfast Egyptian rather thin, and unfortunately a little invasive, a small colony of cockroaches (Happy Dreams Hotel, near Central Station) in Alexandria for EP 150 nice double room with balcony and breakfast (we do not remember the name but it was still not far from the station, a neighborhood a bit noisy). We were stunned to see that Double beds are not available in Egypt, or at least not in the hotels we have visited, which reinforces our impression that marital relations are not very funky, here. Sheriff, met with our editor friend in Cairo, showed stunned to learn that our rare disagreements are resolved torque always through dialogue. 
He also expressed great surprise when we told him we were doing joint account, and it was not uncommon in France: in Egypt, he told us, is the man who provides for family needs (rent, food, fuel ...), even if the wife works too. However, numerous contacts and travels in Europe had already been made aware of these features!
But back to the hotel, we were faced with a law Assiut Egypt who is killed in tourist areas: an unmarried couple have no right to sleep in the same room. The receptionist's first hotel where we got asked to see our marriage certificate, seeing that I was not wearing the same name as Jeremiah. In fact, it is forbidden for a woman to a hotel room with a man who is not her family (husband, father, brother). Sheriff told us later that the bride and groom Egyptian receive immediately a kind of small card stating that they are a couple official and legitimate. And then it's like our Carte Vitale, they always keep them. The laws are considerably relaxed for tourists, but in areas that attract almost no foreigners, they reappear with their swords of bronze. At Ismailia, before being hosted by our friend Foad, we even heard that a hotel was full, while the reception table sported a collection of keys clearly indicating that at least twenty rooms were Free. But people are a bit fussy about the law, and especially religion, may be show defiant in the face of dreadful miscreants to deviant mores.
In the end, it was felt that this country is crossed by many ailments. Religion shows itself everywhere, with absurd calls to prayer initiated by speakers themselves hoarse and crackling five times a day, as if the contest was the one who shouts the loudest. At 4:30 am, awakened by the muezzin overzealous, I could not help but think of Orwell telescreens was invented in 1984 . 
He also seemed that Islam knows hard in Egypt a success that I had not noticed ten years ago: I do not remember seeing so many women wearing full black veil claim they raise the fingertips when they eat out. As for the other sails, they are certainly all colors, but they do reveal that the oval face, masking hair, ears, neck, shoulder and neck. Only the Christian who often bear a prominent cross pendant, seem not to allow themselves to cover their heads. The discomfort is palpable when looking at gender relations. The story of the marriage certificate summarized perfectly: outside marriage, men and women do not attend. This causes many young disarray terrible, because those who lack the means to go to university (where they would be less subject to heavy eyes) or the Internet to flirt on MSN, or a family known for enjoying an arranged marriage waiting desperately for a sign from heaven find their soul mate. We were stunned to hear a young age tell us that since he has a girlfriend, it does not meet the girls who put to the floor without a male escort.
All this gives the impression that Egypt is a country where they live, what thousands of tourists who pass may not have unaware. Moreover, mass tourism, focused exclusively on the ruins of palaces, tombs and ancient temples, modern Egyptians must give the sad impression that, basically, nobody cares about them or their lifestyle.
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