„Tour Guiding is communication“ – an Interview [English]

Disclaimer: This is not the original post, just the translation into English. To see the original version, please go to this post (in German).

In Egypt we met a lot of friendly people. The general impression was very positive. In this blog post I would like to introduce our guide, Moscheira, which accompanied and organized three tours. At the same time, it is a little advertisement for her, of course, but it is not paid.
I decided to make an interview with Moscheira for my blog, because I think that she is a special guide and a kind person with many interesting stories to tell.

The opinions in the interview are of course opinions of my interview partner.

All the pictures are from Mosheira, the people accompanying her are people, she was guiding in Egypt, I dont’t know them.

Interview with Mosheria

1. Introduction

For the beginning, could you tell us something about you? This part I would like to keep it open for you. (Something like the heritage, important stations of your life …).

Mosheira: „I am Mosheira, I am 50 years. My background is learning the English language and literature. I was travelling to Canada, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, USA, UK, Oman, Abou Dhabi, Turkey, Athens.

In the year 1996 I have accomplished my teacher graduation diploma. Since 2017 I am working as a tour guide. For that I had to accomplish my 2-year diploma, 1 year on-site-training and 5 exams. It included Greek history, Egyptian, roman and islamic history. 10 years ago I did an exchange program with the Institute of Archeology.
I am living in Cairo, I was born 36 kilometers away, Cairo, I am a venturer, coming from a rural area.“

2. Actuality

How are you doing these days?

Mosheira: „Now we have summer, so there are like every year only few tourists. At the moment I am writing my PHD thesis for the University of Helwen.“

3. About the PHD

What is the topic of your PHD?

Mosheira: „The topic of my PHD is the Heritage and site management. The question is, how to create a management plan? And the impact of the climatic change on the sites. How to manage museums?“

4. Work as Egyptologyst

Beside your work as a travel guide you are also an Egyptologist. Could you tell us something about that?

Mosheira: „As I said before, summer time is hard for the tourist guides in Egypt. Many, June and July, august, only in september the new tourist are coming, the peak is in november, dezember.
5. What about the conflict of interest on the excavation areas?
Interesting was for me the situation in Sakkara, as you told us, you can’t work on an archeological site, because you are also working as a travel guide. How is this regulation working?
Tour guides are not allowed to work on the site, because we have conflict of interest. Tour guides are in Egypt a security job, sensitive, we are also not allowed to work as a teacher.“

6. An Anecdote

What was the funniest situation on one of your tours?

Mosheira: „One Child from the USA, Remy, had a nice situation in the cavern church: a Polish designer created the children area. Remy was playing for a long time that afternoon. Then his father said zp him, sorry, I don’t have any more money for you to play. Then Remy asked directly the man, who worked there and was looking with sweet, sad eyes. So the man gave him 30 more minutes for free.“

7. Bad experience

Was there one bad experience, you would like to share? Was there a way to avoid it?

Mosheira: „When I started the job. The logistics where not clear. At 3 p.m. we finished the pyramids. We came at 3:55 p.m. at the museum. It was too late, so now I doubled the time. I try to choose the places which are close to each other. And to cone to the meeting point very early.
There are different expectations from different nationalities and age. Some people don’t smile and give any expressions. So sometimes it is difficult to understand, what the person is feeling about the situation.
I ask now my customers directly, what do you expect and what you like to learn today. I try to personalize. Bringing sun cream, sunglasses, drinking water just for any case … Adapting and changing story to nationality,
My idea is: Guiding is communication. Go back with the memory, not the information.“

8. Only three days in Egypt

What would you recommend somebody, who only has 3 days for visiting Egypt?

Mosheira: „My advice is to choose a good guide, make reservation for one day. Start very early. Be at 7 a.m. at the pyramid. All the places are closing at 5 pm, starting evacuation a 4,30 pm. Eat a quick sandwich, not 1 hour eating. Work on the logistics. Say at the beginning to the tour guide, if you are not interested in shopping. Ask the guide to be slower, if necessary. If you like the guide, book him again or ask for another guide.
Some interesting places are the Black Pyramid, the Djoser pyramid, the Pyramids in Gizeh. Middle pyramid is under restauration. The pyramids area is going to be changed, more busses, more shelters. From 5. July on, there is going to be a shuttle train, GEM, Pyramids and Red pyramid will be easier to reach.“

9. Favorite site in Egypt

What is your favorite site or a place to visit in Egypt?

Mosheira: „My favorite Site is Tell el-Amarna. It was Echnatons capital, before he died mysteriously. It was a capital of Egypt, that lasted 17 years. Paintings in the tombs are for the people from Syria. Not many people from Egypt obeyed him, people from Syria came there. The people took everything, except the symbol of the god Aton.
The revolution of the people meant, you can rebel. A priest wrote on his tomb of Teje the new religion. Chapter 153 of the book of David.“

10. Safety

Some people asked us about the safety on the streets and. We felt all the time safe and had no problems with the food or water. But what can you say about that?

Mosheira: „We also had some questions about the situation of the woman rights in Egypt. We personally had almost no bad experiences. Could you tell us something about that? And what about the poverty of some people?
Woman alone not on some places like the pyramids of Gizeh. When there are more than 5 people on the guiding tour, I must give information to the security, more than 12 – a car with the security has to accompanying us.“

11. Poverty in Egypt

What can you tell us about that? We saw some poor people on the streets in Egypt.

Mosheira: „There are poor people, but everybody is responsible for their own luck. It is getting better. People are trying to overcome it. What makes you to go from poverty to higher level is education. You must work on yourself. They are no homeless people in Egypt; some poor people are living in the grave of their family. Only after 1952 Egyptians are allowed to own land. It was an revolution, big change, from having nothing.“

12. Few personal words

Would you like to address few personal words to the reader of the blog article?

Mosheira: „If you are coming to Egypt, go at least one day to Cairo. Take a guide, who can adjust to your wishes. Tell him if you like more information. Go to Alexandria. Greek-Roman, end it at the market. Go to Al-Minya, don’t stay in Giseh too long in a pyramid area. Especially not for the girls. Old Cairo with Islamic Cairo is also interessting. Oldest monasteries in Egypt between Cairo and Alexandria. Al Fayoum is amazing, Luxor is also great place to visit.“

And for the end: „Come and visit Egypt, there are many secrets waiting to be revealed.“

Contact

Where can we find you in the Internet and how is the easiest way to book you for some guided adventures?

Thank you, dear Moshy for the interview and the guiding around Cairo, Gizeh an Al Fayoum.

Copyrights for the pictures

All the photographs are the copyright of Mosheira Aboghalia

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