<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Egypt Travel - gluten free Before going to Egypt, I asked for suggestions from the Celiac list on traveling gluten free in Egypt and promised a report on return. Several good suggestions were received, both on what to seek and what to avoid. There were several warnings against drinking tap water in Egypt. This was not hard to avoid because many sidewalk shops sell good bottled water. A woman who goes to Egypt each year suggested getting a hot plate and a pan to use to make Betty Hagman's rice scones. Several people warned that electricity in Egypt is 220v like most of the rest of the world rather than 110v as we have in the US. I looked into buying a converter so I could bring my own hot plate. Radio Shack has one for $35. I decided to buy a pan and a hot plate in Egypt, and donate them to someone before I left. At a small shop on a side street in Cairo, a hot plate cost just 55 Egyptian pounds, that is about $16.50 US. The pan and the hot plate together cost less than the converter would have in the US, and I didn't have to pack them. Rice flour was available at a "supermarket" in Zamalek, and I made rice cereal for breakfast. It was a life saver because breakfast in most hotels was a wheat roll and an egg. Starting the day with good rice cereal and an egg was a good foundation for the rest of the day. Rice was also available in better restaurants in most cities. Warning - the rice sold in many sidewalk shops contained a noodle that looked like it was made of wheat. I did not try it. Perhaps the best suggestion came from a person who said, "Regardless of how careful you are, you will get diarrhea at least once on the trip. The culture of intestinal bacteria in Egypt is different than we are used to. Do yourself a favor. Introduce the new culture into your intestines right away. Get diarrhea, let it run and enjoy the rest of your trip." That was the best advice I could have received. I bought falafel and salad from a small shop the first day, had slight diarrhea for two days, and was not bothered during the rest of the trip. The woman who suggested the hot plate also suggested Tammia (tomMEa). There are several types of Tammia. The best known is falafel, a small patty made of garbanzo beans and spices. Another variety is made of garbanzos, potato flour and an egg. All of the Tammia I ate was entirely gluten free and tasted great. It was a mainstay of my eating during the stay because it is available from shops in nearly all cities. Even though Tammia is tasty and gluten free, it is deep fried. Two weeks was as long as I would want to have deep fried food in my daily diet. The vegetables in Egypt are wonderful. The rich soil grows large great-tasting veggies good for making stir fry on the hot plate. Another thing I found in only Cairo is carrot juice. Several shops on a main street that goes past the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities sold wonderfully sweet carrot juice for one pound Egyptian, about 30 cents for a mug. The trip went very well. It was easier to avoid gluten than I had imagined. There were things that were harder to avoid such as cigarette smoke. Most adult male Egyptians smoke - usually American cigarettes. Even in nonsmoking rooms, it was difficult to keep smoke out because smokers occupied adjoining rooms. In spite of our instructions, the travel agent did not get us a non-smoking room on the cruise. That was very difficult. The windows did not open and the room seemed to recirculate smoky air. Both my wife and I developed sidestream-smokers cough from three nights there. Cairo also burns garbage along the railroad track. So there is often a hazy smoke over the city. The Egyptian people are delightful for the most part. Ninety-nine per cent of the Egyptian people are loving and very sociable. However, English speaking tourist sharks roam about looking for tourists to gouge. They love to bargain, and if you show any interest in their wares they will sell it very cheap rather than lose a sale. It is best not to go with them. If you have no interest, we found that a persistent, "NO, thank you" would eventually discourage even the most determined sidewalk salesman. A taxi is a good way to travel except many taxi drivers do not speak English. In addition, there is a high illiteracy rate in Egypt, possibly as high as 70%. More than once we went to a different destination than we intended because the taxi driver did not understand. If in doubt, it is best to have someone write your destination in Arabic on a slip of paper. Show the slip to someone who can read Arabic and have them tell the taxi driver where to go. Traffic is horrendous in Cairo as in most of Egypt. It is not unusual for drivers to pass directly into oncoming traffic. Oncoming drivers pull right to permit three or four lanes of traffic on a wide two lane road. In summary, with vigilance I was able to travel gluten free in Egypt. For the most part the Egyptian people were very enjoyable. The temples were amazing. The trip was well worth any discomfort we endured. I unhesitatingly recommend it to anyone interested in the religion of the ancient Egyptians. Please contact me if you have questions. John Hempstead [log in to unmask]