Egypt: Cairo, Giza, Sinai,

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Hi everyone from Luxor where I've got a bit of spare time half way through my tour of Egypt so I'll do a bit of a blog before catching a train later this afternoon to start the Nile Cruise.
Egypt has blown me away. The history here is mind boggling. I'm looking at stuff made by people 4-5000 years ago. What is amazing is that things like rope and cloth and paper look just like what we use today. Also their beautiful art and objects are still beautiful today. The scale of things here is huge as well and it's just hard to imagine how they managed to build pyramids and tombs and temples. I'm in information overload as our tour guide has taught us so much and I'm hoping that later on my photos will jog my memory.
The people of Egypt are extremely helpful and so nice. I feel very safe here and the only hazard at first was getting across the road. The traffic is ultra crazy. Taxis, buses, cars, donkeys, horses, bikes, people......all over the road with NO roadrules that are obvious and everyone toots constantly in a language all of their own. Makes it so so noisy in the city. Took me ages to cross my first road but now I'm a pro and just walk out in front of the cars like everyone else!
The culture here so interesting and it's been great having an Egyptian Tour Guide who can tell us about everything. The food is excellent and so cheap. I always try and eat local food and only pay about NZ$5-10 for a 3 course meal that I can't finish. My favourite drink is fresh lemon and I have at least one a day.
This country doesn't have the wealth I've seen in the others before this but the people are happy and honest.
I loved Mt Sinai and St Catherines which would be a highlight along with the snorkelling in the Red Sea and the trek and overnight in the desert......in fact I've loved the whole lot so far and can't really single anythng out. The variety each day has been huge. Anyway I'll get on to photos now so take care all.
Love Dee

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Photos

Cairo Taxi
There are millions of these on the road!

Cairo bus
When the bus is full you just hang on the outside.

Cairo bike
Pedal with hands. Saw a motorbike with whole family on board...Mum, Dad and 3 kids. No helmets here!

Donkey cart
These little donkeys work so hard. I have a new respect for these amazing little animals.

My nice young taxi driver
That's in front of the NIle just after I'd seen it for the first time in the heart of Cairo.

The driver's 21 year old cousin
She came too because she could speak English. They took me out for the whole afternoon and showed me lots and treated me really well. There's a story to how I met them but that will have to wait. Such nice people!

A felucca on the Nile
Photo taken from the boat that they took me for a private cruise on.

Calesh
They also took me on a calesh ride and for a walk on the corniche and a look at shops before delivering to my next hotel that evening to meet the tour group.

From the bus as we drive out of city to Giza
Everything is brown and dusty where there is no water.

In the green belt
Where there is water the farms grow three crops a year of things like sugarcane, wheat, clover. The line between green and brown is so sharp!

Sphinx with pyramid behind....huge!
How did they build these? I went down into the tomb underneath, weird feeling.

The locals trying to sell their wares to the tourists
They are constantly trying to stop you and bargaining is the norm.

Our bus "Joker" at a tea stop in the desert
This was next day on the way to Sinai.

On top of Mt Sinai before sunrise
This day was magic! The full moon set on one side while we waited. Can you imagine camels silhouetted on a ridge in front of the huge moon...wow! This is me with Mohamed, our really nice tour guide, freezing while we wait.

First kiwis I've met since leaving NZ
This is in a tea house at the top of Mt Sinai. Bernie is a good mate of Rachel Shuker who happens to have taken over my job of Support Coordinator with AFS but that's not all because Rachel's younger sister Jayne flats with my daughtr Emma at Otago Uni....who said it's a small world. He also knows the Zinzans.

Little chapel on top of Mt Sinai
Now daylight.

Comments

[Mary Chandler]

Wow
Dee, You surly had a onderful experience1 Thanks for allowing us on yr trip, it is so interesting. I hope you dont mind I have given the blog of Doha to some of my family to view. THanks Dee

[Susan C.]

Wow!
Wow! Great photos Dee. What an experience. Sounds like you're having a wonderful time. Am most envious. Looking forward to the next instalment. Take care, Susan.

[julie]

Fantastic
Hi DEE, just worked out how to reply. I love getting your blogs. Looks like you're having so much fun. Keep them coming. We're all well here. Need rain though, everything is dry as. Hope you keep well, GO GIRL!!! Love Julie

[Asha]

Wow! Amazing adventure! Keep this up Dee. I always look forward to opening my emails in the morning when I have yours to open!

[Jenny C]

Brings back Memories!
Great photos Dee! Glad you love Egypt as much as we do! You'll love Aswan and the cruise - another side to surprising Egypt. I love the blogs - am addicted to them - keep em coming!

[Jessie Carter]

Wow Dee!!
Hi Dee - looks absolutely fantastic - getting itchy feet everytime I check out your blogs! Looks like you are enjoying a huge range of what that part of the world has to offer. Enjoy! - Jess

[Ros]

Great trip
Dee It looks like a brilliant trip. Keep on enjoyng it.

[ali]

isn't it obvious
that you'll come home and and want to sleep on the beach, have thurs and fri off and smoke lots of pipes and wow about rocks and pyramids, shit, someone has too!!!yeah man give it heaps, we're all good, love from ali

[Anne]

Amazing
Looks amazing Dee, I am sitting here on a friday morning at work you have just given my heart a lift! You are now the seasoned traveller, looking forward to you filling in the stories. Arn't people fantastic on the whole, glad they are great people and that you have meade lots of new friends. Loving the bloggs! Lots of love and best wishes Anne PS going down to Maria's bach this weekend Oh, and am acting HOD again soon as Stacey got AP job! Oh, and Warmsley and Ali get married in September! Hope to go over.

[Charles]

Egypt
Hi Dee I am loving all your pictures - bring back many memories of my time in Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon - very similar experiences (and my night in the Thar Desert in India last year) So glad that things are going well for you. Lots of love Charles

[dan]

wow
By far the best blog i have ever seen mum, beautiful!

[Nancy Rae]

Yipee
Dee, Many thanks for sharing your magical experiences with us. Keep up the good work. Met Asha last night too for the 1st time. Am going to read your previous 2 blogs right now. We were in the South Island for 5 weeks so didnt get a chance to do it them. Keep well

[Abbas]

WOW
Hi, Thank you for sharing your wonderful and amazing pictures. I just returned from my first trip to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Sharm, and I wish I had seen your pictures before. I would have included those places in my trip, your pictures are the next best to being there. Great place. Thanks again