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Published: February 23rd 2007
Perfection!
The Ancient Egyptians weren'r half bad huh? This is the First pyramid.Egypt has stolen my heart! The people, the food, the hospitlity, the temples, pyramids and tombs! Everywhere is exciting and I find myself really happy to be here, like really happy to be here! For those who dont know, I have joined a tour group here in eygpt for 3 weeks and have had such a good time.
From where I left off, I arrived with my expectations blown to shreds. Cairo is much cleaner that what i thought it would be, plus the people are much nicer than I expected, and its organised (except for the traffic) and the Falafels are to die for, mmmmmm! Not to mention Koshery (rice, pasta, chick peas, and tomato based sauce)!
The Egyptian Museum is mind blowing, all the artifacts, the history, the size, the wealth. It was almost hard to believe that all these statues, jewelry, tombs, games, painting etc were made so long ago without the modern tools we have today. I was almost angry at myself for not giving credit to the ancient Egyptians for their intelligence prior to my trip, but I learnt a lot and have a greater respect to the people who built or formed some of
Sufi Dancer!
Basically, they spin REALLY fast and their colorfull skirt goes up! the best monuments in the world! It kind of feels like, if they could do all this, nearly 3000-4000 years ago, are the people living today falling behind? should we be futher developed than we are today?
My other visits in Cairo included Coptic Cairo, Mohammed Ali Mosque, Khan-al Khalili market, the perfumery, not forgetting to mention, GIZA! Its really weird, when you are sitting at home looking through books, surfing the internet, or watching the TV, you see these places all over the world and make a promise to yourself to visit them one day. Then when you get there, its almost sureal, standing in front of something that for years you had seen pictures of. Thats how I felt with the Pyramids of Giza! The 3 Pyramids in total are perfect in construction, angles, planning etc. Contrary to popular belief, studies discovered the workers who built them, or any tomb/temple for that matter, were not slaves, but loyal, paid servants of the King or Queen, and were often burried next to the tombs themselves when their time passed! I entered the second Pyramid, swatting and walking down the 1mX1m wide pathway, then going up another one to reach
Spices! Spices! Spices
Unfortunately i dont need any of them, but they smell so good! the tomb! The air was very thick and hot, my quads were burning from swatting and walking up and down! Plus we were all worried that the older guide infront of us would struggle and fall back on us! I also visited the Saqqara pyramids, before arriving at a rest house where we ate and waited untill we had to board the overnight train to Aswan! The train wasn´t that bad, the seats reclined, the toilets were ok, and then the snoring started! Lucky i had my ear plugs handy!
Aswan was great, got to visit the Old and High dam! Philae Temple, and spend a lovely peacefull evening strolling along Aswan Market! NOT! If you dont like being pestered and harassed, maybe you should work on your patience skills prior to visiting good old Aswasn Market! Those who have been to Egypt before will smile and maybe laugh as I explain this too familiar situation! As you enter, everyone, and I mean everyone, wants your business, or at least you wife/girlfriend with many offerings of Camels for the Girls. By the way, I only got offered 20 Camels, it was like the bullet to the heart! First i
Lone Donkey
Sunset at Saqqara Pyramids walked along with another Australian couple, Tim and Katherine, the comments came "Oh, you are lucky man, 2 beautiful women with you, how many camels for one of them" etc etc etc. The Men run out from their shops to intercept you on the street to get you to buy from them, and I mean EVERY SHOP did this, but for some, the ones who didn't i made the effort to have a look! No Girl likes to be pestered when she shops! I liked to call it "The Gauntlet". I walked up and down with the others, then I walked back on my own! If i thought the comments were bad when I was with others, they were 50 times worse when I was on my own! I had my hood on my head, looked at the floor most of the time, and my arms crossed. I'd had enough half way along, and had to turn back, but the worst thing was, to get out, I had to endure it all again! I never felt unsafe, and yeah it was annoying, but thats how they make money, by intimidation! It was like a game, some of the remembered me
Saqqara Pyramids
This one is King Zoser's step Pyramid, its the worlds earliest stone monument! from when I walked past before and were waiting for me on the way back, smiling, preparing their assult. I had enough by the end! The attention was nice, but wore thin very quickly!
The next morning was an early rise for the flight to Abu Simbel! It was built by King Ramses II into the rock face near the waters of Lake Nassr, and includes 2 Temples, one for him and one for Queen Nefertari! My limited vocabulary and poor writing skills couldn´t possibly describe Abu Simbel and do it justice! When I returned back to Aswan, the preparing began for the Felucca trip! I have to admit, sailing up the nile on a boat like they used to years ago was pretty cool! The crew were excellent and we keep outselves entertained for hours, the iPod´s and speakers came out too, for a little bit of boogying and loads of beer drinking. There is also the fact that once you urinate in front of each other on the banks of the nile, the groups bonding intensified!(There was NO toilet on the felucca). At the end of our 2 days/2 nights on the felucca, we all needed a
Happy Man!
Camel/horse man at Giza, trying very hard to get us to have a ride. shower and some sleep, but not before some quick stop off to Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples before we hit Luxor!
Luxor was a bit annoying due to the hassling and harassment by shop owners, taxi drivers and Horse buggy drivers! I was only there for a day and would have loved to stay longer and get out of the "Tourist" area, but oh well! The main attraction in Luxor is the West bank, where, wait for it......... The Valley of the Kings, Queens and Al-Deir Al-Bahari is situated! I have to admit, I was really excited when i got there, and I had the opportunity to enter 3 tombs! Some were very elaborate and long/deep, one was very small, hinting that they must have to finish it very quickly! The paintings and colours on the wall are so bright and detailed and still remain after more than 2000 years, Shariff, my guide, said that ancient Egyptians built things to last, and last they have! How would they have known all those years ago that if they covered the paintings in egg white and other things, it would preserve the picture? Phenominal huh? Anyway, the Valley of the Kings, Queens
Mohammed Ali Mosque
No, not the boxer!I had to walk around barefoot cause i wore thongs, on cold alabaster.. brrr! and Queen Hatshepsuts Temple were another of my highlights in Egypt. Get there if you can!
Australia day came and went very quickly, I visited Karnak temple with an Australian flag around my neck and all the Aussies on the bus gave a heart fell rendition of the National Anthem! Karnak was beautiful, over one hundred pillars made part of the biggest temple complex in the world, Karnak actually has 3 main temples built at different stages by different Kings or Queens! I could have walked around for hours and hours but my 18 hour bus ride to Dahab was awaiting, and honestly, it wasn´t that bad!
I was so nice to get some sun! Most of the time on the trip it was sunny,but not warm enough for swimming. I LOVED DAHAB! It is such a laid back and relaxed place, people are friendly, food is good and the diving is excellent. I completed my open water and advanced course with the best diving centre in some spectacular reefs and diving spots. The variety of fish and coral ensured every dive was interesting, I never got bored, especially when I hyperventilated and panicked when I could´t get the water
In the Mosque
Such a beautiful, detailed roof, chandeliers, and ME! out of my mask! Yes, looking back it was stupid, but I learnt how easy it is to use up your air when you do it and I felt like the biggest idiot at the time! I have heaps of photos of my dives, but I wont bore you with them!
Apart from diving, and snorkelling I also climbed Moses Mountian in Sinai! We left at 10pm to begin the overnight hike up the bloody freezing mountain! It was agony, I whinged so much some of you would be glad you weren´t there! After an agonising 2 or so hours up, I wardmed up with hot chocolate and began another climb to the site where the best views of sunrise awaits. I froze my tits off! I had my sleeping bag plus a matress, plus a blanket and i shivered so much my back was aching. But the best part was I lost ALL my photos from Moses mountain, all that agony and i have NO photos to show for it. So I have decided I will just have to do it again one day! The sunrise was spectacular and I have the memories in my head, but im still
Khan-al Khalili Market
For all your jewellry, Shisha, lighting, and souveneir needs! angry at myself for not checking the disk before I deleted the photo´s off my camera. I promised myself I wasn´t going to be one of those idiots, but unfortunately I slipped up!
I had 2 interesting incidents with wandering hands and persistant pestering by males in Dahab, one by some guys on the street who kept grabbing my ass one night, and another a taxi driver who kept touching my leg and asking to kiss me! Although these situations were uncomfortable, it would never stop me from visiting again, and I never felt unsafe either. It is unfortunate that it happened, but some Egyptian men think western women are easy or at lest more easy than Egyptian women! There is a lot of sexual tension in Egypt! so be prepared!
I have no problem confiding that after I was dropped off at the airport and went though immigration, I cryed my eyes out! I didn´t want to go, I had such a good time and met so many interesting and fanatastic people, I was devistated that my time had come an end! I also cryed on the plane too! I know, im pathetic! Thanks to all the people who
My kind of Heaven!
Perfumery! ahhh, the guy that owned this supplies oils to many big designers. made my visit to Egypt the best ever, the fellow tourists, the locals, and all the staff at "On the Go" tours! I highly recommend "On the Go" in Egypt, everything went smoothly and nothing was ever too much trouble!
Egypt, I will be back one day!
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Jem
non-member comment
I can see why
I can see why u love Egypt!! It is amazing, the pics don't even look real. Something out of a hollywood set!!!! No wonder Brandon Lee did The Mummy!!! So good to have an update Lozz, please take care and lookafter yourself. You look great!!! :)