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Do have a power adaptor for your laptop, if you need to plug it in? There's that whole voltage difference thing between the US and Europe. Not sure about Egypt.
New Orleans is groovy, but watch your wallet. I have no recall on when Mardi Gras is, but my bouncer-sense sez don't be there; it's a fucking mess. In Egypt, maybe consider a package tour on one of the boats that goes down the Nile - Cairo to Abu Simbel - sort of covers the whole shebang. Watch out for baksheesh-seekers, especially at ruins...guys who'll offer to show you something you're not supposed to see, then expect payment. In the center of Cairo, near the Museum and the Hilton, there's a great sweet shop called Gropies. If you're staying in the center of Cairo, consider going out really earlier in the morning if you're going to see the Pyramids...it's a pretty long drive, and the traffic gets dodgy pretty quick. There's a place called the Minar House that right out by the Pyramids, but it's ultra-swank; I only got to stay there because my dad was a guest lecturer for university for a couple of days. And whatever you do, take a bottle of water - a big one - with you everywhere. The air is so dry you have no clue how fast you get dehydrated. The local bottled water is called "Baraka" and is just fine.
In Rome, there's a really neat hotel that's just at the top of the Spanish Steps. A great place to hang out in the open air and people-watch. If you want to get into the Vatican and see the Cappela Sistina, get up really really early. The tourists passage through the Vatican is like a cattle run, and the lines can get ridiculous. See San Petro in Vinculo, which if I recall correctly, is where Michelangelo's Pieta and Moses are kept. Then go to Florence. If you're feeling swank, there's a posh hotel called The Hermitage that's perfectly situated in the central, old portion of Florence - you could piss out your window onto the Ponte Vecchio. If my memory doesn't fail me, go to Santa Croce - it's where all of the famous Italians, except Verdi (who was Milanese) was buried. And walk through all of the plazas with statues by Bernini and Cherubini. And remember that there is always time for gelato. |
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