After breakfast, and reunited with my hat, I set off for the ISIC card office to get an International Student Identification Card which gives 50% off most site entry fees. I took a taxi from outside Sindbads (I did not know that this was a world-famous watering hole - it looked too scruffy so I did not visit it.) I directed the taxi to the last known location of the ISIC office, somewhere near Emelio Hotel. After asking around for maybe half an hour we were directed to a travel agent just behind the Egotel. I produced all my documentation, copies were made, and I received my first ISIC card. In retrospect I paid at least 50% over the odds (commission presumably to my driver) but at the time I knew no better.
It was now time for the Thomson's Welcome Meeting. This was to be held at the Steigenburger Hotel and coach transfers were to be provided. In the end about a dozen of us clubbed together and took 3 taxis on the understanding that Thomson's would pay on arrival. So we missed the first half of the meeting, including the obligatory glass og karkady. Expensive tours were offered, and we were advised against leaving the hotels except as part of a tour group. Of course this last bit I totally ignored, although I didn't go far from the hotel in the evening. I don't have a record of how I spent the rest of that day - perhaps at Luxor Museum?