Got up and, for an inexplicable reason, decided to walk to the Bank of America on Kasir El Airi! Got refused again. Had breakfast at the Felfela place and realised that we are both fed up with Felfela! Then went on a wild goose chase to investigate the Dahab bus. No, it didn’t depart from Tahrir Square, it departs from Ramses Square. Got on metro and went there. No it didn’t depart from Abbasaya Square, it goes from Ramses Square. Got into shared taxi and went there. Nope! It actually departs from the Sinai terminal! Got a result after walking there from Ramses Square though two English travellers (M & F), who sold us their midnight ticket for only E£20 instead of E£37. The E£17 difference was to cover the cost of the hotel we had booked (even though the Suisse is E£17 between us not each!).

When we reached Abbasaya Square we decided to get a bus back to Ramses Square as it is about 5-6 km. The buses in Cairo are a sight to behold. People storm on insanely - through both doors and even the windows. We asked an Egyptian man which bus we should take and he was very, very helpful. He waited with us until the right bus came and then had a few words with the driver. The next thing we knew we were being helped on to the bus by the conductor in preference to other passengers. We were even directed to a seat (of sorts), a piece of support-railing right up against the filthy windscreen. When we were asked to pay, Olly gave a pound between us. The 2 tickets we got said 10pt (1½p!!) but we had no change. We thought this entirely reasonable as we had been given preferential treatment. However, halfway through the journey the driver said something to the conductor and we were given the 80pt change! And we thought 25pt on the underground was ridiculously cheap!

Ate in the Felfela restaurant after all, had a delicious vegetable casserole with a spicy aubergine side plate on heaps of pitta bread - should have been E£10 but we were massively undercharged so I paid E£6.