Blogs from Giza, Lower Egypt, Egypt, Africa

So, despite the lovely view and the potential of fireworks (of which our neighbours were proving plenty), we didn’t quite manage midnight…but set an alarm for 5 mins before. The hotels and houses in front let off a few…not the Opera House but not too shabby. We decided on a lazy morning to give Beeb some more recovery time, and then headed in to Khan El Kahlili for some lunch. Another delicious serving of juices and some tasty chocolate filled things gave us some energy for perfume buying and general wandering. But there’s only so many conversations one can have about ‘best price’ before it becomes overwhelming, so we jumped in an Uber and headed to the Egyptian Museum. It’s in a state of flux as the new museum in Giza is “opening” but no one ... read more

Another bucket list day today. Up early and off to the pyramids to beat the crowds. First thing was to go into the Great Pyramid of Cheops circa 2700 BC. Phenomenal! It was an achievement to go all the way into the burial chamber. Initially I had a bit of a panic and turned back but then recovered and went all the way. It’s quite steep, quite low in parts, hot and the ramp inside is narrow. We spent a few hours walking around the site and going to the Sphinx. Later we stopped for lunch: Koshary then on the the Egyptian Museum where Tutankhamen's burial mask and sarcophagus are. There are also many thousands of other pieces and although the museum is old in style it is still makes for an amazing visit.... read more

17 nov De sa voix monotone, Eslam du Freedom Hotel me présente Mohammed, lui qui fumait déjà dans sa voiture à mon arrivée. Le jeune chauffeur travaille habituellement 6 jours par semaine pour l'agence, mais m'avoue rapidement qu'il en travaille plutôt 7 depuis la reprise du tourisme en Égypte. ''Many tourists now?'' que je lui demande alors. ''No. I need the money, qu'il me répondra. No work in Covid time'' Sans attendre, Mohammed actionne la voiture, tire une bouffée de sa cigarette et puis, sur un coup d'accélérateur, nous injecte dans l'horrible trafic du Caire. Tour Privé: le chauffeur m'amènera aux trois sites des Pyramides dans la capitale aujourd'hui (Sakkara, Dashur et Giza) ''No Group Tour because of Covid'' que m'avait bien spécifié Eslam du Freedom Hotel (je croirai que c'est pour faire travailler plus de ... read more

Our first morning in Cairo, we had the first of what turned out to be daily incredibly early wake up calls. The reasoning was twofold. First, it would avoid the worst heat of the day and, second, it was supposed to give us a head start on the heavier crowds. It succeeded on the first account, but on the second it seemed to fail miserably. We always seemed to arrive at the most crowded time, and everyone seemed to leave around the same time. After a couple of experienced I began to wish we'd set out a little bit later and have some time to ourselves at the monuments. We were told that the main season hadn't started yet. I hate to think what it is like in the middle of the heavy tourist season. Anyway, ... read more

15:08, quelque part sur le Nil entre Louxor & Assouan. La caresse du vent vient éclipser l'étreinte du soleil. Je suis heureux. Cela fait maintenant trois jours passés sur la terre des pharaons, à réaliser un énième rêve de gosse: partir à la découverte de l'Égypte , pays qui m'a fasciné depuis tout petit. Pour découvrir ce pays qui reste potentiellement risqué, j'ai préféré ne pas partir à l'aventure tout seul avec mon sac à travers le désert, mais suis passé par le biais d'un groupe à travers un voyage organisé. Ca m'inquiète un peu parce que j'ai toujours voyagé en mode backpacker, et avec ce voyage organisé, je risque de perdre le degré de liberté et de flexibilité que le voyage en solo permet. Mais attendons un peu avant de sauter directement au bilan. Apres ... read more