Who are you?
My name is Graham Raith, and I live and work in Edinburgh. I'm 35 years old, if you must know, married with two cats.

What are you doing in that picture?
I'm in a tent, camping in Glen Coe, Scotland. Being Scotland, it is of course raining, so I'm inside the tent, having a nice refreshing glass of 70/- beer. Life can't all be exotic trips down the Nile, you know!

What else do you do?
I work at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre in Scotland, where I am the Chief Electrician. This basically means I'm responsible for the lighting and sound provision in the theatre, and I work a lot of evenings and long hours. When I do get some spare time, I enjoy tinkering with my Mac, camping, good beer, good food, good company and getting rid of some flab at the gym!

So which bank did you rob to go to Egypt?
Well, none actually. (Honest!) I was as surprised as anybody that we could afford to go. Normally we go to Greece in summer, usually late-booked flight-only to keep the cost down. We're not exactly rolling in money (I'm still struggling along with a 2400 modem) so holidays have to be done within a budget. Last year, though, I had moved jobs to the new Festival Theatre, and as it opened for business in June, a mid-summer holiday was not an option. Deciding on an October break, we thought we'd go somewhere different, and for a laugh looked at cruises on the Nile. Finding a package for under 400 pounds was a very pleasant surprise! In the end, with flights from Manchester, full board, all tours included and taking the flight option to see Abu Simbel, the cost was 500 pounds each. And I have to say, worth every penny! It was the cheapest deal we saw, and there are many much more expensive packages. However, the level of comfort and service was very good, and I don't feel we missed out on anything due to the cheaper price.

Would you go again?
Yes, definitely! There is so much to see, and I don't think you can take it all in the first time. There were quite a few people on our ship who had been on the same cruise before, who said they were picking up stuff they'd missed or forgotten from the first time round. Our dream trip would be something like a week in Cairo, seeing the pyramids and museums, a weeks cruising, a week in the Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan, and a final week at the Red Sea. One day...........

Any advice?
Go soon, before too much damage is done by water erosion. Be careful about "baksheesh". Don't worry too much about the recent reports of anti-tourist violence. If you go on an organised tour, you'll be fine. But definitely go - it's the experience of a lifetime!

How do I get to Egypt?


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