Intrepid traveller... Catching up in Cairo

Ending a tour and farewelling the individuals with whom you've travelled - both the ones you liked and the ones you're giddy to see the back of - is the perfect time to reflect on the type of person you are. After four weeks missioning across the Middle East, it's confirmed: I'm temperamental.

I've been happy (riding a camel), sad (continually battling thieves), excited (diving the Red Sea) and petrified (squealing from the back seat when our 'Speed Racer' drivers rally raced across deserts). I've been patient with some locals and hissed at others (notably the ones who pinched my arse or were obviously picturing me naked); been blown away at the wonder of ancient ruins and bored stiff by others. Yes, I'm temperamental. But at least when I rest my head each night, I manage to see the funny side of life. And travelling in this region, you need to.

Sunrise as the moon sets on Sinai

Our group arrived in Cairo on Thursday afternoon, utterly sleep deprived, having left Dahab at midnight to start the climb of Mt Sinai at 2am. Neither of us religious, Boyfriend and I struggled emotionally and physically with the 6 kilometre hike. Rocky, dusty terrain, herds of smelly camels and their equally smelly Bedouin owners pimping their rides were just the beginning. My tired eyes bulged and the higher we climbed the colder it got until at the summit I lost feeling in my fingers and toes altogether. And even then it wasn't over. Having climbed for just under 3 hours we still had to wait an hour for sunrise - apparently a must-see in Egypt.

Must-see for some (at least 1,000 tourists, mostly senior citizens, joined us, while daily visitors average 3,000 during peak season), but jaded Christians that we are Boyfriend and I merely grumbled. After all, it's not even the 'real' Mt Sinai - that one's over in Saudi Arabia, along with Islam's Mecca - and the sun rises every day, doesn't it? Yes, I'm a totally ungrateful traveller.

After what seemed an eternity, the sun rose enough to warrent us to sigh, "Ahhh," and begin our trek back down the mountain. With the sun came the blazing heat, more grumbles and a dire need to pee. At the bottom I searched for a toilet only to be rudely shocked with a bowl full of used tampons and faeces, for which I paid ₤2 for the privilege.

From there our van drove westwards 8 hours - via the Suez Canal - into Cairo. From middle-of-nowhere to middle-of-mayhem, Cairo is one busy city. Full of dusty streets, falling down buildings next to half-built highrises and 18-odd million people, the city's one saving grace is its proximity to the pyramids.

With a local guide, on Friday, we saddled up camels and rode across the sand dunes until we were right up close. Finally something spectacular. More than four and a half thousand years old, the Great Pyramid of Giza is truly a world wonder. And while theories abound about the details of their construction, when you stand dwarfed by each pyramid's sheer size and magnificence, imagining near-naked, ancient workmen quarrying huge limestone bricks and piling them one by one, makes you appreciate just how easy life is now.

Like the millions before us, Boyfriend snapped me 'kissing' the Sphinx. We crawled into the sweaty depths of the Second Pyramid and even checked out Cheops' Solar Boat. Today we visited the Egyptian Museum to see Tutankhamun's gold bust and other tomb relics. Unsurprisingly the other 120,000 ancient Egyptian items on display are arranged in Arabic-disorder, most without labels and almost all without dates. Nearly two hours later we emerged into the sunshine, mummied-out and hungry.

Now we find ourselves preparing for our flight to Abu Dhabi. In the chaotic Khan el-Khalili Bazaar we bought a bigger carry-on bag to unload some of the weight from our checked baggage: sadly Etihad's limits severly restrict consummate consumers like myself. And in the land of the burkha, I doubt I can smile my way out of an extra 10 kilos!