flats in Luxor egypt.

In march 2008 I met Mr Machmood Quite a pleasant man a lovable rogue as he was once called by an ex renter. I do not call con merchants lovable. And this Machmood is a con artist.
the main reason for my moving from this flat with lovely views and in a great place
apart from the dust from the busy building site next door was because the landlord could not tell me the truth. the place is coming down as is all the houses in the immediate area around the new heritage centre, all the story is on http://www.myegypt.co.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=8


Some of the lies I have had to put up with from this man Machmood. and he had the cheek to say " when I ever lie to you Mr Tony." when did he ever say the truth.
first visit to this flat my wife decided that with all the hassle I had with court cases Etc. see
http://justliars.blogspot.com
That this flat was ideal out of the way nice views and peaceful/ but I must have air condition, no problem as he flashed his Lloyds bank visa card I have money.
Then it was I need 1 year rent up front,,,, sorry Mr that is out of the question as I am short of money. so am I he said so we agreed on six months at 1000egp per month and the air con will be in asp. now it seems as soon as possible means as soon as he can afford it,
after a few weeks and the weather was getting hotter and a lot of begging from Mr M , I went out and bought a water cooling system these are big cumbersome units it was great on the roof but I had to leave the door open to cool the flat down the flies also liked my new cooling system in the flat open all hours. I was paying 500 per month rent over 4 months, so I could get my money back but seeing that I had to leave the doors open I decided to get a 3 horse cooling unit with the motor outside and the cooler unit indoors but this was 5.500.egp. and knowing full well my landlord was going to make another sob story I thought I would take it with me when I left.
the water unit and more lies from my landlord Oh Mr Tony my family so hot downstairs
I deed the water cooler no I said this is my cooler for the roof area. I have paid for it, he said,, just about I said and where is my money for the cooler you promised .They never even used the unit it was in the front room and he said twoo much wqater everbody get cold. I said thats what the unit is for keep cool outside area's. He knew its just that He had paid for it and he wanted it.
next thing was I realized the flat got hot because the hottest part of the day the door into the flat and the walls where in the direct sun so I decided that I needed a canopy over that area from the existing canopy that was set obout 6ft from the door , Good Idea Mr Tony,, I said I would buy the material and do it myself . I know just the place to get it he said!
so off we went just 5 minutes after mentioning the subject. the place was where all the carpets and linen came off the cruise boats plastic chairs and sun loungers any thing that may have had a second use.
I bought several good quality lined curtains and had them sewn together to cover a 8x2 meter it cost 300egp plus I bought 2 nice what would have been bed spreads but they made nice curtains in my flat and they where of thick linen material. so was quite happy with my purchase even though i knew My landlord was taking commission from my purchase
next thing was I needed some steel to extend the canopy so the material could sit on top of it, next thing some guy came up to the roof and said mr Machmood wants to make a steel frame and you are to pay . . O'k I thought play along , and asked how much. then the tape measure came out we need this this and this. needs to be strong so so it will cost 100 great was my first reaction. when can you do it? now He said as soon as I get the money, so I went inside got half of it 50 egp and said I give you half now to pay for the steel then another 50 when finished He looked at me as if I was simple in the head and said no I need 100 english.
I will not say what I said to him or Mr Machmood. the piece of material was put under the bed until I got over the shock. and that is where it stayed and is now under the bed in my new flat until I find A use for it . so mr Machmood wanted me to pay heavily for something he knew was coming down in a couple of years. just like the rest of the building this poor sod of a wife built for him, The lies he must have told her,
no wonder she refuses to come here . after finding out the bugger is already married and moved his family in as soon as the place was built.

That was another lie this man said . once I moved in I realized that there had been a scotch person Female living in this flat from all the bits and pieces left in cupboards etc, and asked Mahmoud. . I really do not understand he said we are married a few years now she no come cos I move my family in she knew we are married before, What he means is She refuses to give him any more money until his first wife and siblings move out. Egyptians have a great way of making out nothing is ever there fault...

oh Mr tony I have so many problems and My son is in collage and all the time I need money. I used to dread the end of the month" rent day " the first lie he said on rent day. Mr tony I need 7 ooo for my sons collage . I know as with all payments here in Egypt money up front Achmed the son was on his final weeks of collage. ..next time was oh Mr tony I need 3000 for going to Cairo. yes on this time he was not lying but he needed the money to go bonk his Scottish Wife who refuses to come here to the home she built, since finding out her husband is married with 4 kids and they live in the new home. wonder if she knows her home is due to be demolished.
Another lie .
I paid 150 per month for fast internet with a company called Td Data (rainbow Net)
the phone line is with Egypt telecom and had a standing charge of 45le per three months rent, I never used the line only for internet so it should be only a standing charge bill after 3 months my internet went off and I started shouting at td Data, who in turn said the line was not paid for. so off I went to egypt telecom to pay the bill 1990 egp they said! how is it that much? you use internet many telephone calls . so off I went to have a word with my lying landlord.
Problem was I had to pay the bill or no internet. and I needed the line number and landlords name to pay the bill. so I thought rather than that I wold buy a g3 internet stick from vodaphone. all was ok until I went over the Quota, I paid 1400 for the unit used it for 2 hours and had a bill for 450 egp so another visit to the vodaphone shop and was told ah yes you have to pay. you used it . bollocks I said and threw the g3 unit on the counter and walked out. like kids vodaphone cut off my mobile until I paid the bill A new mobile card and number is only 10 egp so I have a new no. going on with telephone lies. I traced the telephone lines in the house it went to all the flats the line downstairs was in constant use kids on the net playing games etc then there was the telephone in constant use. soon put an end to that with a direct line to my computer. nothing was said until I got the next quarterly bill of 120le . i need to see the bill Mr machmood . Ah I paid the bill under the table . so i went to the phone company and asked how much the bill for my number , 45le no telephone calls good I said. because I pay 120 to Rainbow net for my Isdl fast internet. and I asked him about why is it more paying under the table ( no receipt )
no such thing I was told by an angry young man all telephone bills payed down stairs in computer no baksheesh , after calming the guy down I explained what happened. and off we went to the nearest computer . machmood has 3 telephone he said and two bills paid in one day, 45le and 75le. so i was duped again. and the reason the last bills were not paid was mahmood thought his home would be demolished before the bills had to be paid.
This guy gets around 5000 egp per month plus money from 2 taxis he owns All the money is direct in his pocket his Scottish wife paid for this building, another lie he told us, he was manager on the railway he even took me to his office in Luxor station and pointed to his name (IN ARABIC) on the door. he is a ticket collector on the train and since I have be in his flat has only worked to my knowledge two days apparently has a problem with his arms needs both as a ticket collector. he needs both to drive his car and has no problem when he puts his hand out for money?? so Egypt rail you are paying good money to a shirker,
there was a lot of lies he told me relating to my court case. he is a relation of the swindler Mohamed Awad, but claims he is not related to such a bad man. he told me in a heated argument his grandmother is the mother of both mothers, so work that one out.
The Argument started because I said mohamed Awads mother Samira used to bring Camel meat for me when I lived in my hotel . Mohamed said ! its easy for them to bring it from Cairo as she was from Zamalec and all her relations still live there and the reason she went to Cairo once a month. I told Machmood I had already found out the real reason she went to Cairo was to pick up the drugs. she as the wife of an Imam and would not get stopped by the police on her return to Luxor,
Rubbish Machmood said" I know she is from My village on the west bank, she is my grandmothers daughter, but smiled at me about the other part. they have a funny way about lying if what you say is true they smile, but if its a lie they soon pull you up about it.
so because his aunt has a bad son they are not related, hum? neither did he tell me His uncle was not an Imam (muslim priest) but a teacher, as I found out from The Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb's nephew. If I knew in the begining of my renting I would have been warry of what I said to him things like why I was taking his other cousin Mustafa the lawyer to court. when two weeks later the lawyer turned up at the first court hearing armed with the english rent contract, thats when I confronted My landlord and asked if he was a relation to the con man Mohamed Awad. OOOH , no Mr Tony never would I be a relation to such a bad man and such a bad family he comes from drug dealers all of them, like Mafia Mr Tony. you know he already come here and threaten me ! Why I have you in my home. I had already told him the reason why I moved from the flat in Karnak after threats to the landlady . Not Mr Awad personally but one of his friends. after finding out My landlord or rather suspecting he was a relation I fed the liar false info then he had the cheek to ask why I lie to him, no lie Mr Machmood Only a white one no understand Mr Tony, ah Good job then isn't it I said.
the last confirmation on my landlord being a hungry money man ( as people would call him)
was A trip I made to the White desert Farafra.
I made arrangements to take a taxi to the White desert Myself and two German Lady friends
one hour before our departure the Taxi driver turned up at my flat with part of an engine the carburetor. saying he can not take us but knows a man who can. so down stairs we trundled to see our nice landlord who on the tip of his tongue said I can get a taxi fir 3 thousand for the three day trip. hmm, I thought full of knowledge is this man , and handed me his telephone where I could haggle the price with the Taxi driver , no deal, so he gave me another taxi driver that could do it for 2 thousand but we had to pay for his food and bed. not negotiable.
ok I said this taxi driver I made the deal with can get another taxi and take us for the thousand he originaly quoted. but He has never been to the desert before.. Not what He said when we wanted a taxi to take us yesterday. and back came the telephone with another taxi driver and the quote was 2 thousand plus keep. I then phoned the ladies who by now where anxiously waiting by the prearranged meeting point. and they agreed the first quote was too low . and off we went. the fun of the trip is on http://mydeserttrip.blogspot.com/
one week after we got back I saw the taxi driver Hamada . (now a friend and my taxi driver.)
why you no use me Mr Tony too bloody expensive I said,, ah" but Mr Tony, Machmood take more than half. I also now now Mr Machmood is the owner of the first taxi the driver Hassan is just one of two driver, and had no right to make a deal without first consulting machmood.
plus his taxi would never have made the round trip. without breaking down. so this mr machmood my friendly lovable rogue made money just by getting up a bit early and phoning a few friends with his problem. most likely cost him a few pounds egp backsheesh. but if he treats a friend as he called me like that I would not like to be his enemy.

Luxor Egypt, Taxi

On arriving in Egypt no matter where. the first tour even Taxi you take .will get you inside one of the papyrus or alabaster outlets. with walls and shelves draped with the things on offer. and in these outlets the guy who gets you there be it your nice friendly tour guide or taxi driver, you will be paying up to 70% more on your purchase you will ask your guide what do you think about the price in return the guide has a margin of (depends on how greedy he is or the dollar sign IE the expensive hotel you are staying at) so will say offer him so and so, you being proud that you have dropped the price will agree to the purchase your guide gets his money after you have left usually says I left something in the shop. (on purpose) his fee depends on the commission he or she has been offered to get the tourist to the shop. every other stall in the the local market sells papyrus. but here outside of my home, Every day I see the hassle outside the temple of Luxor this guy usually looks for a lone tourist
the hassle usually lasts until he gets a purchase, the victim buys just to be got rid of the toe rag,
'
She says no and turns away . but he has decided to hassle ,with most of the other guys one no is enough but not this one
.
She then heads towards what she thinks is the safety barrier where the tourist police are sitting in the shelter
but then realizes there is more of them (toe rags) and decides to turn back and head back where she started from. if this guy has a sell he has no commission to pay only a backhander . the police look like they are only there as a show ?
'

Taxi drivers this story applies to most of the Luxor Egypt Taxi drivers

After my walk about this morning I happened to read this in a local mag, Luxor TimesIt does not say how bloody obnoxious these buggers are and it also does not say that 99% all do the same thing.but most of this problem stems from a greedy council who give out a taxi license to anyone who can pay 5000 le per year for a license. making a total of 2500 taxis here in luxor all looking for money from the tourist, that is the ones who brave going walkabout in Luxor. the tour companies have also added to this hunger for money all the hotels tell the guests on arrival not to trust the Egyptians and offer their own limos or private minibus / busses to do the tours most have their own limos one small hotel has 10 new limos. I say limos all they are is cheap made in china or Korea cars in black. plus one top of the range Bmw for the more wealthy customers. this also applies to the calash and felucca sail boats that all have to be licensed. be wary not all the callashes are therefore not insured against accident check the license no on the rear, some hide it to stop you reporting the license no to the police after you find out you have been conned. click on the photos to read

I beat Luxor Times to the horse and carriage con first blogged in 6/12/ 2009
These the drivers of the horse and carriage are the most obnoxious of all the people in Luxor even worse then the taxi drivers. for the most only half of the 500 or so that have recently moved from other places in Egypt have no License they are supposed to be a cheap form of transport for the locals and therefore do not need a license. but the police take their share of the carriage drivers income and its ok. until one loses a wheel or gets bumped by a tourist bus . then the tourist passengers realize that they have no insurance. so sorry says the driver and the police. and the poor horse is put under arrest and taken to the police station where the driver will be fined, if he has no money he and the horse will stay in custody until the money is raised.
so the police come off quite well by not letting these guys have a license, there is a reason and an answer to everything here. lies maybe but it is an answer and a reason.

Going on with the Drivers I did not have a photo of the the number plate. so At 1.30 I decided I need some groceries and I will get a photo at the same time, kill two birds with one stone so to speak. I caught the Microbus to town 1/2 an egp 18 of them for 1 English pound. and got off the other side of the Luxor Temple because that is where My shopping was taking me this day For my favorite meat "Smoked ham " pork is hard to get her since the silly Egyptian Health authority decided to kull all the pigs in Egypt. you can all guess why. when the chicken flue was here and still is . they hid the hens on the roof and that is where they have stayed just for the hens safety not to be killed before its time to go in the pot. not so easy to keep a pig on the roof. mind you if it was ok for a muslim to eat the meat they would be kept on the roof out of sight of the authorities. If the Christians tried it they would soon get reported by his Muslim neighbor.
they keep sheep and goats on the roof so why not a little piggy. but thats the way it is here.
going back to my Ham. none in Until tomorrow so I ended up buying walnuts anton the shop owner knows I like walnuts , and said I know its early for Christmas Mr Tony but they are real nice and fresh as he was opening the sack. and I could smell the fresh aroma of the walnut.
so I bought 1 lilo. and already I have hade five . the temptation got to much as I was uploading tonights skywatchegypt photos. ( easily tempted me especially where food is concerned)
But there is enough for me in 1 kilo - & for xmas only 1 month to go. and tomorrow I will have ham sitting in the fridge tempting the hell out of me, that also is for xmas, does not stand much of a chance being in the fridge for a month. never Mind there is always Chicken available from one of the roof top farms. and no worries about ploughing through snow and Ice to get there. lucky ol me,


As I left the grocery store I was spotted by a new carriage driver who braved the oncoming traffic up a one way street to get my attention, I had already spotted him before I even went in the shop. knowing full well he will be there as I leave. carriage mr. no thank you:
Maybe later. no thank you: and proceeded the whole 1/2 kilometer to my next stop
with! you know how much, I do not know where they have got this from but they are all at it the sail boat touts, the taxi drivers even had the shoe shine boy saying you know how much,
they think if they hassle enough maybe they will get a fare, even though I have been here now for almost 7 years I still get hassle even the ones who have seen me before and had arguments with but on no thank you is enough and they remember the man who got angry one day before,
I was on my way to Hamees restaurant, one reason a few days ago at that time of day I say the Arabian warbler in one of the trees over the cafe seats. and the other for refreshment a cool glass of beer. I was not dissapointed the arabian warbler turned up about 20 minutes after I got seated. and all through my time in the cafe the stupid carriage driver had also stopped as i got the camera ready to shot the bird the carriage driver put his hand up no photo he shouted . as soon as I took the photo he was gone . and so was the bird.
five minutes later the bird was back. and thankfully without the driver.
on leaving the cafe I was spotted again by the driver usually I can pick a microbus up from this point but I needed to go along the front whats known as the Nile cornish, to you who have not been to egypt its the promonade along the Nile all towns and villages on the Nile have one, some nothing more than a dirt track but its the village cornish. funny enough the places that have a sea front do not call it a cornish just the road name apart from Alexandria. we have two seas the Mediterranean and the red sea. even the village on Lake Qarun has a cornish. I have mentioned this because most of these carriages and drivers are from these areas no money there now they all have these little three wheeler phut phuts and of course no tourists to rip off. The towns with temples along the nile such as Edfu and Isna; Comombo tourists now see doing a Nile cruise. all in price busses are put on to take the tourist to see the temples along the way only three carriages remain in Edfu, the temple there is about 5 kilometer from the cruise berth. so here we are in the largest open air museum in the world and all of these drivers need our money 500 carriages 250 felluca sail boats another 150 motor boats 2500 Taxis, limousines growing in number every day the busier the hotels get the more limos they have keeping the business to themselves. about 2000 buses includes mini and micro buses.
here we have a very heated argument over a tourist this one driver had followed a woman tourist for a few hundred yards, even though she wanted to take a carriage ride she did not like the hassle from this one guy and decided to go on another carriage just to get away from him. then this blazing row started telling the woman she had no right to do such a thing. the woman got off the carriage and walked into hamees where I had the story and these obnoxious people where still arguing outside right in front of the temple. poor woman was almost in tears. no sign of the tourist police when we need one not that anything would be done about it anyway. I often see these arguments turning into fisticuffs or rather stave fights. just as this ended a taxi came up the wrong way and hit a motorcyclist . as I always say the donkeys have more sense than the drivers, one of the scams with all these people is everything today is you know how much, next breath, 5pounds. now they have your attention and now is the time to be on your guard. as soon as they get you on board its, thats only to so and so or they will say one hour. then as you alight its, Whats this five genine I said 5 pounds thats 50 genine. even the taxis try this one. one just related to the carriages is never give them one hundred genine note,
it looks similar to 10 genine , as quick as a flash its swapped for 10 and unless you are certain you only have 100 notes or the note number. they will get away with it. they will even try it with a fifty piesta note. thats half of a genine. to us sometimes its not worth the hassle arguing over what is 5 £, to them its half a months wage for the labourers.


The street opposite my flat always crashes here between the idiots racing to get first to one of the cruise tourists.The safest way to travel here is the Little overworked donkey. they have more sense than all of them + they are allowed to go anywhere they wish to travel. they get arrested sometimes and have a 2 or 3 day rest outside the police station. some have a nice life especially the older farmers they know this is there bread and butter. unless they wish to carry the load.I love the way they ride these little fellows. no saddle just a rug and a piece of string . Yalla bina. Lets go.


The nearest thing I have seen to xmas yet this on the front of a microbus and yes the driver is Muslim well they do share xmas because it makes for a happy feast.
The grape vine growing on one of the villas by the main hotels

They never show prices on the tour boards. first question where are you staying , the price answer depends on the star of the hotel you are staying at.

This leaflet is being plastered all over the town make of it what you will I have.

Nagaa Hamady, Murdered or killed

These are a few photos of the video I have from the hospital scene. just to prove I have the video all three! two of the hospital and one of A young man being helped from the scene after being shot in the face with a rubber bullet.

shots taken from pause on my computer screen.

7/2/10. A woman came up to me in the street today and asked if I was Mr Tony Myegypt nothing more was said as she gave me a kingston digital traveler stick. I have just been watching the videos that was taken in secret of the shootings in NAGAA HAMADY, Egypt it shows a young man covered in blood been walked out of the area of gunshot wounds , then there are clips of people covered in blood lying on tables and the floors of the hospital I have to get my translator to see these then I will put them on my blog via you tube ,And facebook,

The video is about this story from the shootings one month ago.

Six Coptic Christians have been killed and ten people wounded in a drive-by shooting in front of a church in southern Egypt.


The attack was staged at midnight on the Coptic Christmas eve.

The five Copts were leaving Mary Gergis Church in the city of Nagaa Hamady after the service when a dark car pulled up in front of the building and unknown assailants opened fire.

Security sources say two Muslims passing the church were also injured.

Christians account for about ten per cent of Egypt's majority-Muslim population of roughly 80 million. Sectarian violence is rare, but religious disputes over issues including land or women occasionally erupt.

Nagaa Hamady is about 40 miles from Luxor, the biggest city in the relatively underdeveloped south of the country. Security around churches is usually increased around Christmas and other religious holidays to prevent sectarian violence.

Medical sources at Qena General Hospital say two of the ten were critically injured. All had gunshot wounds. the video shows at least 5 people died from gunshot wounds in the hospital.

the video I have proves the lies saying the cop was shot dead outside the church the off duty policeman was shot in a taxi.... the taxi was stopped by the three gunmen the Muslim was told to get out of the car then they opened fire on the 2 Christians and the cop who was mistaken for a christian, another man tells how the shooting incident car was driven around with no registration no cop stopped them then they sporadically shot at Cristian on two occasions before they shot at the people outside of the Church. most of the injuries were of men being shot mostly in the upper part of the body. the cops are supposed to shot the lower body in a riot situation. while one of the witnesses was speaking tear gas exploded behind him.

In my case it Clearly shows the lies of this Guvornate when Christians are involved with disputes in the courts. its not so much about corruption but bringing the Muslim lawyer Mustafa Athea to Justice. and how this court is protecting him.