Cairo & Luxor, Egypt


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Africa » Egypt » Lower Egypt
August 13th 2012
Published: August 15th 2012
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Egypt has always been my number one place to visit in the world and I am so glad we decided to go regardless of the travel advise from the government. As well as achieving that life long dream of visiting the pyramids and learning about the ancient history of the place, it was also a cultural eye opener like no other country we have visited before. Believe me when I say that you may not ever get the same experience anywhere else in the world. It really is unique in itself. So with Egypt being a third world country we had certain ideas about what it may be like, but no amount of research can really prepare you for the things you see whist you are there.

Don’t get me wrong, there were a few selected people (namely our guides) who really welcomed us and tried to ensure that we received the best possible treatment whilst we were here. But others….. Well you can really see how much the people struggle. Not all foreigners are welcomed with opened arms, and to be honest, as a woman you seem to get a lot of unwanted attention. And I was one of the most covered up western women there J Naturally you would assume that people have the common courtesy and respect of another’s country and culture to try their best to abide by their practices. Ha! Everywhere you look really there are scantily dressed foreign women. I was so ashamed. You would think they would have the decency to cover up a little. Being an Islamic nation the difference in culture, religion (or lack of in our case) and diversity is not only interesting but surprising.

Anyway enough of my religious ranting, Egypt overall was a truly exceptional experience! And I think anyone with enough common sense and street smarts can safely visit the country without any issues regardless of the Australian Governments advice of reconsidering the need to travel there. And where do I start?! The Pyramids of Giza- are absolutely huge, much bigger than what I expected. They are still in such great condition; the Egyptians were very smart people. And when they built their temples and tombs, they built them to last. The pyramids are made of limestone. The ‘great’ pyramid stands the largest at 230m high. The outer shells are coming away, revealing the extensive block work. Some 2 million blocks are used in the process…. Egypt actually has over 120 pyramids; some people say they are still plenty yet to be discovered. We visited the Sakkara Pyramid, the very first ever built (as far as what has been found) and this one has needed some restoration, understandably. We visited the tomb next to the pyramid of King Zoser, miraculously the hieroglyphics are still in remarkable condition, and some stone carved images still exhibit color. AMAZING! Throughout the tomb our guide pointed out the storyline to the pictures and symbols. Whilst a lot of the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics represent stories of the afterlife, this tomb in particular reflected the Egyptians daily life. Simple things such as hunting, fishing, agriculture and laboring work. Even pictures depicting animals, mainly those of the Great Nile River. We got to go inside one of the pyramids which was so exciting. Usually there are tons of people at things like this and it’s stuffy, crammed and noisy but we were taken to a site that had literally no one there and it was awesome. We got to see a pharaohs sarcophagus (the chest they are put in once mummified) and the intricate detailed work of the katoush (the personalized stamp of the pharaoh) To get inside the pyramid you are led underground down this dusty, steep and narrow passage way, you literally have to bend right down and pretty much crawl to get through. Inside you have the beautiful high ceiling and absolutely no natural light, so they use these dimly lit led lights for you to see the work. INCREDIBLE! Then there is the wonderful Sphinx. The giant, crouching mythical creature made out of limestone. With the body of a lion and the head of a human J Remarkable.

Then we caught the train from Cairo to Aswan. We had a sleeping cabin which was very ‘cozy’ J was quite an experience, and after a 14 hour long ride we were happy to reach our destination. Aswan is known for its High Dam, built in 1970. Used for its control over the flooding of the Nile and irrigation purposes. It is huge! It is also the reason why there are no longer crocodiles in the Nile. We also visited the ancient ‘unfinished’ obelisk made from granite. Once finished this would have been the largest known obelisk in Egypt, however because the stonework was not ‘perfect’ (by specifications given by pharaohs) it was abandoned. Around the site you can still see the handy work carried out by the tradesmen, the stone cuttings and tracks and the obelisk itself.

Then it was time to board our boat to begin our cruise down the great River Nile heading for Luxor. The cruise boat was beautiful… Modern and spacious rooms with all the necessary amenities. Equipped with a pool and sun lounge area on the upper deck and the other 3 levels comprised of suites, bars and lounge areas. The most luxurious place we have had to stay our whole trip J So of course making important stops along the way, starting with Komombo. Visiting the temple there dedicated to the crocodile god and the sun god. The carvings again were amazing. This is also where the current Egyptians discovered the ancient Egyptian calendar used for the seasons. This was extremely interesting! Then it was time to sail to Edfu. Here we have the temple on the west side of the Nile dedicated to Horus. All the temples and monuments that we visited were extraordinary, each different to one another but beautiful and interesting in their own ways. The stand out for me was most probably the Valley of the Kings. It is where all the past pharaohs of ancient Egypt were buried in their tombs. These days they have it open to the public to explore. It’s mysterious, exciting and inciting! From the stone carvings on the walls to the different rooms leading off one another like a maze. It really is something else. It of course holds the most famous tomb of all, King Tutankhamen’s tomb. The tomb built in 1320 BC that was found 90 years ago still intact with all the Kings treasures along with his mummified body and golden mask! Nowadays the tomb is empty. The museum now holds these artifacts of course to help preserve them as best as possible. I did get to see them the day before we left. Along with a lot of other interesting pieces….

So the Nile itself cannot be easily described. Its most probably best described as an oasis in the desert. Complete with high palm trees along the banks and small villages that depend on its water for agricultural purposes. It was quite funny (and sometimes annoying) the amount of hassle you get when you try and enter some of the bazaars of the towns. You have to understand, these people are dependent on you r business and with the amount of competition they have, it’s no wonder that sometimes they can be very forceful. Even though the areas are so rich with history and ancient sites, the country is still relatively poor and you can see this by the amount of poverty on the streets. It is sad to think that a country that relies so much on tourism is now in a major downturn due to the revolutions. I hope that people begin to see Egypt for what it really is rather than being worried about what others say when they haven’t even been here! Don’t get me wrong. There were times that we felt unease in certain places, especially for a woman to use the metro service (this was quite an experience) but overall I would say that it is relatively safe and especially with any kind of tour, you can’t go wrong… We opted for a private tour. It suited our needs just perfect and we didn’t have to worry about waiting around for others (which can be sooooo frustrating) along with getting the most personalized service.

We sat in cafes and watched the people smoking the waterpipes, ate their local foods namely: shawerma, konafa, falafels and hibiscus juice… Yummmm. We used their chaotic means of public transport which included horse and cart and also a minivan that collects around 15 different people going in the one direction, who almost sit on top of one another and jump out when it is still moving. Lol. We took a felucca sail boat down the calm Nile, along with the craziest of crazy captain and skipper, we had a great laugh! We also did the most unbelievable hot air balloon ride whilst the sun rose over the Valley of the Kings and the beautiful Luxor and west bank. Truly magical and breathtaking views.

Oh and we were lucky enough to be there during Ramadan, so the celebrations at night were in full force. The Muslims worldwide recognize this full month as a month of fasting and prayer. While fasting from dawn until sunset (last meal at 3.30am and first at 6.45pm) Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids and sexual relations. Now this can be extremely difficult for them, especially if they must still work in the 45 degree heat of the day. We are talking no fluids what so ever. I felt so bad as I complained about the heat whilst I drank my ice cold water….. But the Egyptian Muslims are resilient. And as soon as the sun goes down they are back to the norm.

So eventually the trip to Egypt came to an end. Much to my disappointment it was time to leave, we could have very easily spent another month at least!!

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