I wanted to surprise the group with a glowing description of my tour of Egypt and Jordan, alas- not to be. My wife, Ans and I have been planning and reading for a couple of months for an Overseas Adventure Tour of Egypt and Jordan. Tuesday the 11th we flew to NYC to be sure we would not miss our plane the next day (Ana had missed a plane to India previously despite a 6 hour layover and is gun-shy). We stayed in a motel near Kennedy airport. Apparently (we are not sure) Ana was bitten on her left index finger while we were there and developed an infection. The finger started to swell at 6PM while were waiting to board the EgyptAir flight. A couple of hours later she was shivering violently and throwing up. I spent most of the night scavenging for barf bags.

Upon our arrival and registering at the hotel we went to a near-by hospital-- we were treated promptly but primarily for an allergic reaction. By the next morning, the finger and the hand were both swollen and the finger was turning black. As the tour group was leaving for the pyramids, we were on our way to the Anglo American Hospital. We were met immediately by the senior surgeon, who told us that, since Ana had eaten breakfast, we would have to return the next morning in a fasting condition (needed for general anesthesia). We rejoined the tour and got to see the Cheops Boat Museum and the Sphinx. However, Ana was sinking rapidly and we returned to the hotel instead of continuing to lunch and Sakkara :-(.

Next day, Ana was operated on-- back to the hotel. Next two days, tour goes to "Spiritual Cairo" and the Museum. Ana and I Anglo-American hospital, and back to hotel. We flew back and arrived at 2AM Austin time. We now have a series of appointments with hand and plastic surgeons.

What we got was a good tour of Cairo hospitals and the kind of mad driving in town as out taxi did the kamikase back and forth to the hospital. The people at OAT were phenomenal in helping us through the process. Our surgeon was amazingly friendly, competent, and approachable. We got his cell phone number the first day and his email address the last day. The cost, which our travel insurance will reimburse, was inexpensive, and the lack of bureaucratic paperwork and delays was quite a contrast with what we faced today. The paperwork, forms, wallet biopsy and changing the bandage took more time than the entire operation with general anesthesia took in Cairo and probably will cost more.

Look Ma I went to Egypt and all I got was this lousy bandage

Bernard