Luxor

London

Calleches - East Bank only

A calleche is a horse drawn cab.  They are often quite decorative, well maintained and pulled by a healthy horse.  Some unfortunately are not so well kept and are pulled by emaciated horses that have been severely neglected.  When you tackle the owners about the state of the horses, they invariable tell you that the horse is thin because it has just had a baby.  This is rubbish.  The horse is thin because it has been starved.

A calleche is a horse-drawn decorative carriage

Although the main trade for the calleches comes from tourists, they are used extensively by the local population.  In the early morning, it is common to see them acting as school 'buses' and over-flowing with children.  Generally, the cost of a short journey on a calleche is 3 LE although tourists would be expected to pay 5 LE.

Some drivers will try and take you to a Papyrus Museum.  They will tell you that there will be no charge for the service.  This is not true.  The 'papyrus museum' is a euphemism for shop from which they receive at least 50% commission on anything that you might buy.  The drivers often get angry when you do not buy anything and that is when the arguments about the cost of the journey and his wasted time start.  Just tell him that you do not want to go to there and to take you where you really wanted to go.

I think that if you want to be taken around town and shown its sights, then 20 LE per carriage (not per person) is a generous payment for the service.  Please do not use a calleche that has an unhealthy horse pulling it.  Eventually the message will get through to its owner that if he expects trade then he should look after his horses better.

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