El Andalous - Senzo Night

Bus to Senzo Inauguration!

I think of Mondays over here as “KFC night”. One of the many things we successfully fought for some years ago when complaining about our high maintenance fees was to have a free bus once (originally twice) a week to go to the local shopping mall (where Spinneys, the ‘hypermarket’, is based). The idea was really for us to do our weekly food shop; consequently, they tried to stop it when BestWay opened up locally, but we managed to get the bus kept on in the end.

They (our management, I guess) seem rather reluctant to keep it going because it’s often cancelled with the excuse that the bus has broken down. I used to think that this was just an excuse, but on one occasion the bus did break down just as we arrived, so now I’m not entirely sure. It also gets cancelled if there are less than 7 people. Since the bus only holds 12 people, it’s quite a big ask, and if we have a full bus, there’s never any room for everyone’s shopping. But that’s the rule they’ve decided to enforce. I still interpret it as a basic reluctance to do it for us; it’s not exactly service with a smile (maybe that’s unfair, the guy at reception always smiles when I ask on Sunday to reserve my place).

The bus is surprisingly punctual for Egypt – they really don’t like it if you’re even a minute late to come back (it leaves at 7pm and returns at 9pm). It also used to leave punctually at 7pm, but over time this sometimes delays now to 7.30pm. In the beginning, there used to be large arguments and phone calls back to the manager with people demanding we leave 30 minutes later if we arrive 30 minutes late, but to give credit where it’s due, these days we just ask and the driver agrees.

However, I shouldn’t really complain as it’s great when it’s all working properly. I use it mostly to have my weekly KFC, buy my 5-for-4 special offer on Twix, and have a coffee. Sometimes I need to renew my internet or buy other things, of course. It also gets me out of Sahl Hasheesh and I enjoy wandering around and seeing what new shops have opened. There’s supposed to be a new gym opening that’s attached to Senzo mall. Large billboards outside announce that it’s finally arrived in May 2017, but actually it’s still being built. That’s so Egypt!

You need to remember where the bus parks when you get out, because it’s fairly nondescript. It’s a white minibus and there are tons of these in Egypt; the local buses are like this, and there also seem to be quite a lot on the roads just owned by private people too. There are always three or four of these buses in the car park when we arrive. One week I tried to get on the wrong bus to go back – one of the Russian owners, who I didn’t recognize, grabbed my arm and tried to show me the correct bus, but originally I thought he was someone trying to accost me. It was all a bit embarrassing. That’s what happens when you forget to do the simplest of things!

Anyway, if you’re reading this on a Monday night, I’m probably at the KFC!