This report is actually being written by me, George the travelling bear and Mascot for Bales Worldwide.  I have been on a journey with the Roving Ambassador on her first assignment and though I say so myself I have been indispensable.  She says so.

She told me that she has written over 50 pages in her journal so now it is my turn to do some work.  She said that I may as well make myself useful.

I noticed one thing to start with. I travelled unseen in her overnight bag but once we arrived in Egypt she carried me around with her and introduced me to all her friends.   She also took many pictures of me so now I may be famous.

Our first date was having lunch with a dear friend of hers called Dorry and I must say they seemed to be on very good terms.  She was delighted when his daughter Mena also joined them for lunch at an open air restaurant called Andreas, where she had been many times in the past.   To my mind they spent a long time reminiscing about the old days.  

Our first official date was on the second evening of our arrival in the  Mena House where we were also staying.  There were actually two small groups, one for the Zahra  and one for the Nesma and they had been doing the Cairo sightseeing before joining the dahabiyyas, one in Aswan and one in Luxor.

We were there to greet them when they arrived.  We had part of the Bar portioned off for us and unfortunately, so far as she was concerned, they all sat down.  It is much more difficult to talk to everyone  when there may be only one or two seats left.  So she spoke to two separate people then decided to stand up to speak to everyone and gave them a short run down about the company from the beginning.   They listened and I was watching them to see if they were interested.  They did seem to be.

We then had to rush off to join another group at the Jolie Ville, nineteen on the EGNB tour who had Nevene as their guide, so she was able to renew  acquaintanceship with her, a very popular guide.  Again they were sitting at three different tables so this time we joined each one in turn.   They were a happy group and looking forward to their cruise on the Nile Beauty.   Tam. who I understand is Bales representative  in Egypt was with us at both Receptions and they did remember to sign for the drinks and close the bar before they left each place!

We then returned to the Mena House, which is her favourite hotel in Egypt and had a light meal at the Khan el Khalili  Restaurant.  Now this is a point of difference between us.   I, like all bears, have a very hearty appetite and she has a poor one.  Therefore she finishes her meal before I am half way through mine  and calls for the bill.  Really annoying.

On the next day we had another evening function, this time the EGNR tour with only nine passengers and with a new Guest Lecturer, a Dr.Penelope Wilson , who was getting on well with all the passengers and the tour guide Hani, whom she  met for the first time and was impressed with his enthusiasm.   We had a most convivial evening with the group before returning to the Mena House.  Another meagre supper.  I do not know if I will last out at this rate.

The next morning, 18th November, she went to see the people who own the dahabiyyas Beryl and Tarek and had a good discussion with them. I was left behind! Not good enough now ?

She arrived back and tried to see Mr Sanjiv Malhotra, the General Manager of the hotel but he was very tied up and telephoned her to apologise.  At least she had the opportunity to thank him for his hospitality in giving us such a lovely suite. Then we spoke to Alaa the lobby manager  about the Garden Rooms and he took us to see them.  She was very amused as he had a car ready to drive her down, yet she always takes walks down to that area and around the gardens. She had had the privilege of seeing the mock up rooms before the work started so did have an idea what to expect. They are good and much larger as the too big balconies have been reduced in size.   She does not think we have any complaints about this hotel, excerpt perhaps not always having a Pyramid view when this is  requested.

Thank goodness she has now decided to have some lunch at a café called the Oasis beside the swimming pool .  Personally I would not have called it lunch but I am getting used to being starved.

Tam and her friend Dorry join us at the Floating Restaurant Le Pasha where we meet the EGG group.  What a funny name! We met them at the bottom of the staircase and went straight to a long table, where Dorry, Tam and she intersperse between the guests .  I was placed in the place of honour in the  centre of the table and introduced to the guests.  That`s more like it and I was able to eat more food in that position, thank goodness. They were a lovely lively group and really enjoying themselves. They were such a jolly lot that we wished we were travelling with them   When they boarded the coach she got in after them to say howl much we had enjoyed being in their company and how sorry we were in not being able to cruise with them.

She has just reminded me to say that before we went into Cairo we visited the small group of three on the EGEE tour who were staying at the Oasis Hotel.

So small that I know she was worried that the couple travelling with the single would not get on together all the time.  They were OK when we met them but this combination can be difficult. We dropped Dorry at his flat and they both looked a little sad.  I did not know why after such a good meal.

The next day we had to get up at 4am and I was very grouchy about this so she shut me in her bag again.  So I just continued sleeping and I cannot tell you much about arriving in Luxor except we were met by a man called Joseph   whom she already knew.  At last I  was taken out of the bag so I could enjoy the car ride over a long bridge to a place called the West Bank.  We went to a hotel called  Al Moudira, a smaller hotel with a very large garden, which suited me well but she says was like a maze and kept losing herself, even to walk to the swimming pool from her room.  Why did she not consult me about the route?   

All the rooms are decorated differently here and we had a nice large one with the shower leading off it. Two very deep steps down which gave her a little difficulty not having long legs  but she managed and really enjoyed the shower which had an inlaid picture behind it.  There was a door through to a room  with the washbasin and lavatory which was just as well.

In the evening we were collected by this man called Joseph and went back across the bridge to a jolly nice boat called the Philae, where we met a jolly nice crowd on our Egypt Philae Cruise tour.  We had a lot of fun with them round the long table.  Their guide was called Dahlia and they all praised her a lot ,deservedly so. There was certainly a lot to eat for which I was thankful.

We were sorry to leave this group who made a fuss over me which was very pleasant.  But Joseph had come to fetch us back to Al Moudira.

Now we had a day of leisure (nice job she has) and we stayed on the West Bank enjoying the facilities at Al Moudira.

The following morning we had another group to see on the Zahra though she had been briefed that it was going to be the Nesma.  Maleesh! You see I am already learning some Arabic.  I bet no one has ever met an Arabic speaking teddy bear before, thought I have recently been told about a bear called

Mohamed who probably does! By the way Maleesh means Never Mind.

Before the Zahra we went to see  a charming honeymoon couple who were staying at the Winter Palace and had a drink in the bar with them.  What Joseph had not told her was that they were joining the Nesma later, where she would meet them at any rate.  The boat from the Zahra is sent to fetch us.  Another awful embarkation walkway but she did not know if  this is the one they normally use.  Across the Nile to the Zahra , up the `ladder` and on to the roof and step on board. No problem.  Manager Tamer and Guide Wael waiting to greet us on board 

She enjoyed being on the Zahra again and we met the group of ten on deck, whom we had actually met in Cairo right at the beginning.  They now knew why she was so enthusiastic about the Zahra and all agreed with her and they were all very content and convivial.  Dinner – all five courses of it – whoopee – was served in the salon at two tables.  A great evening.

She brought a bottle each of gin and vodka and handed them over at the bar.  Unfortunately they did not bring their own spirits up on deck to share but presumably drank their own bottles in their cabins.  Not so convivial in this way as the very first group.   In fact they were all drinking wine as the aperitif, Presumably as it is free of charge.   She was later told by Ahmed at Aswan that they keep having to bring in more supplies of wine!

We were taken back to the hotel by a driver this time.  It took about twenty minutes as we were already on the West Bank.   She finished her packing as we were going to be picked up at 6am.  She actually set her alarm for 4.30 though the call was not until 5pm and that is the time that I will get up !

Joseph was waiting for us and we set off immediately to the airport. This makes her reminisce about the very small old airport, but she thinks this one is most impressive. 

We had time for a coffee on her free voucher and she put me on the table. The nice waiter really liked me and stroked me so she let me give him his tip !

A short flight and we are the only ones in business class.  Here we are met by her friend Ahmed who always looks after her most considerately when she is in Aswan.  So this time I was introduced to Ahmed who was very polite and shook hands with me.

We drive into the town and take the hotel ferry over to Elephantine Island where a nice lady called Mary comes outside to greet us and says `Welcome home`.  What a nice welcome.  She is a little disappointed as she was hoping to have a villa here and had been telling me about them but was told they were all being renovated so she had a corner room with two balconies on the 4^th floor which is the top floor. I thought it a lovely room but she, who also saw the mock up at the beginning, thought it was too masculine.  Wide brown lines on the fawn carpet and overlarge freize design.  But when she considered that this was after all a complimentary room she settled in for her mainly holiday here.  

In the foyer she much admired the pale marble floor and the full length windows all round letting in the light …. But not  the replacements for the old settees and armchairs.  These are  square with wide seats all the way round and an upright in the centre for no purpose as it is too far back (for her anyway) to lean against.  Everyone has to sit on the edge of the seats.  Not comfortable at all, but perhaps that is deliberate! I heard her tell the new Manager so when she met up with him and  -  he agreed with her.  As did the Sales Director from Movenpick whom she met later.  There is still a great deal more renovation to do but the pool  should be open this week.  As Martin has just returned after an overnight visit and was taken all over the hotel, he will no doubt have already reported on the  progress of the renovations.  She told me to put this in !

Whilst we were in Aswan we called on two boats which we use, the Nile Romance and the Radamis to look over them.    On both  we bumped into clients whom we had seen before.  At the Radames we saw the group of three from the Wonders of Ancient Egypt tour having lunch, not looking too happy.  The man was poorly and she was told by the ship manager afterwards that he had spent too much time in the sun imbibing ice cold beers.  He had been warned but would take no notice.  The lone girl did not look at us with a broad smile. More with a scowl and said we would be hearing from her with a list of points.

She  thinks she had been right to be concerned about this small group.  This was the only place we were not greeted with a smile.  We also went to see the Cataract, for the last time before the renovations and met up with Hani from the Eastmar office.  Later on in our stay we went to see the new Royal Lotus which is quite luxurious.

As usual she much enjoyed her  holiday at the Movenpick even though it was not her  old favourite the Aswan Oberoi.  One has to adapt to change and, after all, the staff are the same, which makes all the difference. Even had she felt inclined she would not have been able to swim as still the pool was not quite ready.  Chairs, tables and loungers were set out facing the Nile on the right hand side lawn (coming out from the back door of the hotel)  and one was looked after there just as well.

She did take a felucca  sail. Without me! She said it was really lovely, which rubbed salt into my wound.  I was so upset that I turned my back on her when she was sitting on her balcony.  I  just  looked through the bars watching all the feluccas sailing up and down and nursed my grievance.  But she did take me when she went to Ahmed`s home in the village next door to the hotel to meet his two little boys.  They really liked me and did not want me to leave.  I don`t think they minded so much about her ! 

I also met with Martin, her colleague from the office in Dorking who had come over to Aswan with Tam  to try to solve a problem (challenge) we have with the Nile Beauty specifically.  She took my photo with him and you will see it later on.   

Our last day was the best ever sunwise and we really relaxed.  This time she took me with her for her fifth massage and took a photo of me being massaged by Mamdour. I bet you can`t wait to see all the pictures of me in Egypt.   I think I am beginning to like it as much as she does.

In the evening we went across by ferry to see our Egypt Discovery group on the Nile Beauty  (a very familiar boat to her).  We meet the group for drinks in the bar and this time everyone is standing, which does make it easier to mix.  She did not know but the boat give everyone a welcome cocktail on the first night, so the drinks were not courtesy of Bales.  As we were having  dinner with them she hosted the wine instead for which they were all appreciative.

Another enthusiastic group and happy to have Nevene as their guide. So it is the second time I have met her and I really liked her.  A good evening for me as I am sitting on the table and there is plenty of food, so I will not return home starving after all.

Next day, we returned to the Mena House for our final night in Egypt.

We are both sad to leave and have to come down to earth when we arrive back.  But first we have our final group evening with the EGNN and the EGNZ  at the Mamluk Bar of Mena House.  Coming back full circle.

Sadly everything did not go smoothly this time.  As usual she followed her schedule which  indicated the party was from 6.30 to 7.30pm.  We went down at 6.25 and to her horror there was already a group in the place portioned to Bales.  On enquiring from the head waiter she found out that it WAS Bales.  What had happened. She went straight up to them and apologised, saying she thought she was early but that they appeared to be even earlier.   Then sat down between two of the passengers and chatted.  During the conversation one man showed her his invitation which stated 5.45 – 6.45 pm.

How embarrassing this was.  In addition Tam had rung her earlier to say that he was caught up in traffic.  Mubarak had gone through and when that happens the roads around are closed much  earlier and are not opened again for about another half hour.  There is nothing anyone can do as there is never any warning (on account of security) of when he is going to travel.  Tam eventually arrived just after the last guest had departed.  Frustratiing is not strong enough a word to describe how we all felt.   But then when she had the account, she nearly fainted, it came to over double any of the others had.

In our absence the waiter, quite rightly, had gone around the guests who all had gin and tonics, with either a repeat or some ventured into the hotel cocktails.  No wonder they were all so happy when we finally appeared !!

We did see some of them the next morning as they were leaving for the Pyramids, thankfully none were nursing sore heads and all were smiling still.

She is reasonably happy with her first assignment and we are looking forward to our plans for next time.

PS   She has read through this and tells me that it is not polite to call someone `she` all the time.  But what do I call her?  Molly is too familiar for me and Mrs Bales too formal for a travelling companion.  So where do I go from here?

And where do we go from here.  Next assignment please.

About Molly Bales

Other articles by Molly Bales

Molly Hammond, later to become Mrs Bales, joined the company as George’s secretary in May 1948. Mrs Bales is now the Life President of the company and our present MD Mandy Nickerson is the daughter of George and Molly Bales.