Egypt Journal 5/2007
The flight to Egypt was fairly uneventful. We had to shuttle between Newark airport and JFK. That was a little hairy. I am glad we had six hours between flights since it took us 2 ½ hours to get between airports. I had a good seat on the International flight from New York to Cairo on Egypt Air. LOTS of leg room but I still was not able to sleep so I arrived exhausted. After getting to Cairo our Tour Compay had a representative meet us. He got us through customs quickly and to our hotel. It was a wild ride through Cairo, reminded me of Istanbul but not quite as bad or scary. Still it was quite an experience for Mona and Kelly. I think in America it would qualify as a thrill ride like a combination of Bumper Cars and a Roller Coaster. Three to four cars across on a two lane road. I don’t know why they even bother to paint the stripes in the road. No one pays any attention t o them any way. Cairo is a busy and bustling city with lots of cars and a poor infrastructure for roads. I think the population of Cairo is 23 million but don’t quote me on that. The city is a lot dirtier than I expected. Not just the sand and dirt from a desert environment but lots of trash and rubbish laying around. I did notice some feeble attempts at street cleaning but they were with hand held brooms. The poverty here is very evident as is the wealth of some people.
The Hotel is beautiful and I have a great room. Large with a queen size bed, a couch, desk and dresser. A nice large TV with a ton of channels in at least 6 languages and a large balcony over looking the garden. The bathroom is beautifully appointed with a large tub/shower combination, marble counters and good lighting. There are at least six restaurants and a couple of night clubs here in the hotel. The pool and garden areas are large and beautifully landscaped. So far the staff has been excellent.
After getting to my room, a quick shower and other absolutions gave me enough energy to make it down to the patio area for lunch and a couple of beers. Very nice! Did I mention that the weather here is fantastic this time of year. Sunny with a nice cooling breeze, perfect for walking and touring some of the city on foot. After lunch, Kelly and I made a quick run across the road to take a look and some pictures of the river Nile. Looks better than the Mississippi but not much. Then it was back to the room for me for some well deserved sleep. Twelve hours later it was my first full day.
Day 1
Up early for the breakfast. Fabulous buffet with lots of choices. Then it was off to accomplish the first of my goals in coming to Egypt. Kelly and I wanted to play a round of golf under the Pyramids. We made tee times for 9 am at the Mena House Golf course. Mona decided to accompany us and act as the official photographer. We arrange for Limo service to the course which turned out to be very reasonable. Remember the comments on the traffic, well it gets even more interesting when you are riding in a new Mercedes limo. We arrived at the hotel safely, always amazing in this traffic. By the way, if you think that driving here is crazy you should try being a pedestrian and crossing a street. Talk about taking your life into your own hands.
We arrived at the course and were quite surprised by it. It was a small 9 hole course without much of a Club House. No carts, only walking. Thank goodness you were given a Cady, otherwise I would not have made it for 18 holes having to carry my clubs with my bad knees. The Cadies were nice and mine in particular was trying to be very helpful giving me tips on my swing. Actually he was very good and offered advice that was very helpful. Despite the nature of the course, we had a good time and got several pictures of us golf club in hand with the great Pyramid of Giza in the background. Kelly played his usual good game and I got to see a lot more of the Golf Course than he did. Mona followed us around snapping pictures but enjoyed the morning and the exercise. After playing it was back to the hotel. I spent the rest of the day lo unging about the hotel. Lunch on the patio, a nap, read a little from my book on Egypt , another nap and then it was time for dinner. We decided on the Egyptian Nights Restaurant here in the Hotel. Lots of exotic choices. After dinner it was off for a little walk to help exercise off some of the calories. Then it was back to the room for bed time and resting up for another day.
Day 2
Slept in this morning but made the 9am meeting time with Mona and Kelly. A couple cups of coffee and a piece of Chocolate Cake and I was ready to go. We decided to do the Egyptian Museum today on our own. It was a 15 minute walk from the hotel along the Nile. We took our time getting there and I snapped some interesting pictures. Finding the entrance to the Museum turned out to be a little bit of a trick. Got to see some interesting scenery finding it. We knew the museum would be part of our tour but we noticed that we would be spending very little time there and it is a BIG museum and we wanted to see it all. We even opted for doing it without a guide. Not sure if it was a mistake or not but I definitely recommend that you buy a book explaining the exhibits before going in. A lot of them are jusr numbered with no explanation cards and lots don’t even have that. Then the ones that do have cards look like they were typed up in the 1920′s or 30′s when they were discovered. The exhibits could use some serious work. I understand that a new museum is being built and that it will be much larger and partially out doors. It sounds like it will be fantastic. We ended up practically running through the place but we did get to see everything but the royal mummies, that was an extra entrance fee. Unfortunately we didn’t know that till we were in the museum. Maybe next trip.
Back to the hotel again to rest up for the first big day of the official tour. Got in another little nap. Iced my knees down and did a little more reading on the balcony of my room. Then I decided to start his journal so that I wouldn’t forget anything and could possibly offer some helpful tips to others traveling to this exotic land.
Day 3
Up early to get ready to meet the Tour people. Had our breakfast and then met the guides in the lobby of the hotel. From there we marched to the meeting room in Egyptian Night and they gave us a highlight of the rest of our trip. We were divided into two groups (the Habibi and the Pharos) which consisted of about 32 or 33 people each. Mona, Kelly and I were in the Pharos group and Mohammed was our guide. Of course the guide for the other group was Mohamed also (A different one). After the meeting we divided up and were loaded onto two buses and off we went for the first part of our tour.
First we went to the Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque where Mohamed gave us a history lesson on the place. Of course I took plenty of pictures and only partially paid attention to what he was saying. The place was spectacular and had a commandi ng view of the city. It was a pity that the sky was so smoggy and cloudy. It definitely limited the view on this day. On the way there we passed a pace he called the city of the dead. Apparently it is a VERY old Cemetery and it is made up of houses. Each house is owned by a family and they are expected to bury their dead in the house they own. That is interesting enough but there is a twist to the story. Apparently since Cairo is getting so crowded, the families are renting out the dwellings. Then when there is a death in the family, the people occupying the house have to clear out until the funeral and burial are completed. On the way there we also passed the quarry where the stone was mined to build the Pyramids.
Then it was back to the Cairo Museum again only this time with our guide. He took us through several rooms, explaining the different Dynasties, how their art work and building styles changed, finishing up with the King Tut exhibit. All in all I learned some things from him that I did not know before and he pointed out some important pieces that I had missed on my first pass through the Museum. So it was well worth the trip there again.
Back to the Hotel and a late lunch, then it was off to the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids of Giza. It was very nice. Omar Shariff did most of the voice over and the lights were colorful and spectacular. The music during the show was perfect. Before the show started there was an Egyptian marching band in costume playing the bag pipes, they also played on our way out. It was almost 11pm when we got back to the Hotel and I was tired. Tomorrow the real tour starts.
Day 4
Up early to check out of the Hotel and fly to Luxor. There were a couple of discrepancies on my bill which the tour people quickly straightened out and it was on to the buses and to the airport for out flight to Luxor and to board out Cruise ship. We breezed through airport security thanks to our tour guides and we boarded a nice large Jet which was full. The flight was uneventful and very quick. I think it only took about 45 minutes till we landed. Then it was all about gathering up our luggage, getting through security again, loading up the buses and off we went. Our flight to Luxor had been delayed from the start so we went straight to the Temple of Karnak of the God Amun Re’ for our first of many visits to Ancient Temples. Amun Re’ was the creator God in Egyptian mythology.
It was here at Karnak where he created himself, all things and then all living things. He was t he creator of the Universe and the guarantor of its survival for his son Pharaoh. What a spectacular place. It is one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. The statues, the hieroglyphics, the columns, the size of the place was almost overpowering. It really cannot be described, you just have to see it. Pictures and TV do not give it the justice it deserves.
After the Temple it was off to board our Cruise ship. WOW, another great surprise. The rooms are large and well appointed. All cabins are on the outside and you get a huge window which opens to gaze on the banks of the Nile as you cruise. Up on deck is a nice wading/dipping pool to help cool you off from the heat. It didn’t take us long to end up on the deck taking in the scenery and the sun. I have to admit that one of the most pleasurable parts of this trip was cruising on the Nile and watching everyday Egyptian life pass you by. They are a hard working people.
A nice dinner on board and it was off to bed as the ship cruised to Dendara for another tour site.
Day 5
I guess early mornings are a way of life on board these ships. Breakfast was 7 – 8 and then we were off to Dendara by bus. Dendara is a beautiful Temple dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess Hathor, one of the few temples that has the roof still remaining. The colors of the painted columns and hieroglyphs are still in amazingly good condition.After touring the inside of the temple we were taken to the roof where 6 small sanctuaries dedicated to the God Osiris still stand. Another place so awe inspiring that there really are no words that can express the feeling of actually being there. To actually be able to walk the path that the High Priests did to the inner most sanctum of the Goddess was amazing.
After touring the site it was back onto the bus and back to the ship to return to Luxor so that we could visit the Temple of Luxor. Arriving in Luxor we took Horse and Carriage rides to the Temple itself. It was a nice way to see downtown Luxor and the ride took about twenty minutes. Arriving late in the evening, a perfect time for photography. This Temple was built and added to by a succession of Pharaohs, all dedicating the site to the God Amun. It was connected to the Karnak Temple by a walkway that was 1 ½ miles long and lined with Ram headed Sphinxes. Very impressive. This Temple has not been completely excavated yet since there is a Mosque in the center of the complex. Work has also had to be done on the site to drain ground water away since the building of the Aswan Dam. This place was also beyond words.
Then it was back to the ship for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow will be a full day of stuff.
Day 6
Up early for breakfast again. Then it was off to the Valley of the Kings to see a few Pharonic burial tombs. It gets hot here early (surprise, surprise dummy you’re in the Sahara). Arriving by bus we were ushered into the Valley by our guide. He gave us a great talk and suggested the three tombs that we should see. Apparently due to the number of tourists and the damage that can be done by having huge numbers of people visit a tomb, they are closing them on a rotating basis. So depending on the time of year that you are here, will determine which of the tombs are available for you to visit. A ticket will get you into three tombs. We paid extra and got to go into Tutankamen’s Tomb as a fourth choice. We also saw Ramses I, III and IV. The wall paintings were beyond belief. The colors were intact and the scenes depicting the life of the Pharaoh in the afterlife were amazing. King Tut’s Tomb was very small compared to t he others but his Mummy has been returned to the tomb so we can say we hung out with King Tut for awhile.
From the Valley of the Kings we boarded the bus and headed for the Temple of Hatshepsut. On the way we stopped at a Onyx factory. We were given a demonstration of how the jars are made here in Egypt. Did I already comment on how hard working these guys are? I made a few buys here at the shop. Some statues of several Gods and a few other trinkets for me.
Back on the bus and a few Egyptian pounds lighter, we made our way to the Temple of Hatshepsut. This place was carved out of the mountain side and was to be a temple to honor the Goddess Hathor and funerary of the Pharoah Hatshepsut. The good part of this story is that Hatshepsut was a woman. She conjoled the High Priests at that time into giving her the “Divine” right to rule Egypt even though she was a woman. She wore the fake beard like the other Pharaohs and in the statues of her, you can tell that it is a woman’s face with the regalia of a Pharaoh. Once again the temple was a masterpiece of engineering and demonstrated her intelligence as a ruler.
After spending some time visiting Hatshepsut’s Temple we boarded the bus to visit the Colossi of Memnon. These were not really statues of Memnon but of Amenhotep III the grandson of Hatsepshut. They were all that remained of a Temple complex that was built by him as a Funerary Temple. When the Greeks and Roman first came to visit this site, you could hear one of the statues crying or calling out. They thought the statues were of Memnon (the guy slain by Achilles in the Trojan War and son of the dawn Goddess Eos). They thought that the sound was Memnon calling out to his mother and that the dew was her tears from the loss of her son. The complex is almost completely gone. Partially from the flooding of the Nile in ancient times and partially from other Pharoahs taking structures from it and adding them to their own temples. After stopping here for some photo shots, we went back to the ship to set sail for Edfu.
Setting sail for Edfu we set a leisurely pace on the Nile. It was another beautiful afternoon but as usual very very warm. A few beers and some lounging and the next thing you knew we were at the locks preceding Edfu. Here boats containing two to three people approached the ship trying to sell their wares. People on the ship had a grand time haggling with them and tossing samples back and forth until a product and price was settled on. There must have been fifteen to twenty boats next to the ship, the oarsmen rowing their hearts out to keep up with the ship. It was quite an event and the one that I think the people on the boat enjoyed the most. After all sales (well maybe not all) were finalized. It was through the locks and on to Edfu to dock for the night.
Day 7
We arrived in Edfu in the middle of the night. I was awake very early today. I went up to the sun deck and took some pictures of the sunrise on the Nile. Then after breakfast it was back on the bus to visit the Temple. Here at Edfu is the Temple of Horus, one of the best preserved Temples in all of Egypt. It was started by Ptolemy III and finished almost 200 years later by Ptolemy XII, the father of our Famous Cleopatra (she was the seventh). I have to admit that approaching the massive temple edifice was breath taking. Walking through the temple you could not help but imagine the feelings this structure inspired in the Priests wand worshipers. The inner sanctum was still intact, the place where the golden statue of the God Horus was kept between ceremonies. Here celebrations were held every year. One the “Feast of the Beautiful Meeting”.&n bsp; Horus of Edfu and Hathor of Dendara were brought together amid great celebration and the “Annual Festival of Victory” to celebrate the defeat of Seth by Horus. After the tour it was back to the ship and set sail again for Kom Ombo.