EGYPT

Cairo - Giza

We arrived in Cairo on Monday October 22nd in the afternoon, one day before the start of the tour.  The trip was eventless which is what I like and we were greeted at the airport by Tauck personnel who ensured that our entry in the country would be made without issue, and it was.  We were staying at the very historic Mena House hotel in Giza.  Imagine our surprise when we open the curtains in our room and were faced with a unbelievable view on the Great Pyramid of Cheops on the Giza Plateau. On our free day our tour director arranged for a friend of his, a taxi driver, to escort us to the Giza plateau which allowed me to take plenty of pictures of the pyramids and the Sphinx.  While we would be coming there the next day, it gave us the opportunity to explore the plateau to our satisfaction and at our own speed. On the Tuesday night, we had the opportunity to have dinner with my cousin and his better half who are currently working at a private school in Cairo.

We spent the next day on the plateau accompanied by a great guide.  His name is Amer and he specialized in Egyptology.  He would end up accompanying us all the time we were in Cairo and he was very knowledgeable.  That day, was also the first time we met with the group we would be traveling with for the next two weeks.  They say that first impressions are always telling.  Well, the first impression was in fact very telling and the next two weeks were very enjoyable.  It would be a great group to travel with in the Middle East.

The Giza plateau is without a doubt one of the most incredible piece of real estate on the face of this earth.  From the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which is made up of 2,500,000 blocks of 2 tons, to the Sphinx which was sculpted in the bedrock, one can only observe with awe these marvelous monuments of ancient civilization and be caught with an eerie feeling of going back in time.

The next day was spent visiting Coptic (Egyptian) Cairo.  In Coptic Cairo we visited one of the most famous churches in Cairo, the Church of St. Sergius.   We also visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue which is also painted with history.  A well behind the synagogue is purported to be the site where Moses was picked up to be rescued.   Our visit to the Mosque of ar-Rifai was also extremely interesting as Amer spent about 20 minutes explaining to us some aspects of the prayer service and the 5 pillars of Islam.  It was very educational and extremely appreciated by all.  We then went on to visit some of the tombs residing in the mosque like the tomb of King Farouk, the last king of Egypt and the tomb of the former shah of Iran.

That night we had another opportunity to have dinner with my cousin and his spouse.  It’s hard to explain the feeling you get from meeting close relatives so far away from home. We had another great evening.


To view a slideshow of Giza and Cairo click on the following link:

Giza & Cairo Photo Album

Abu Simbel & Aswan

That night I didn’t go to bed because we had to pack as we were leaving the hotel at 4 AM to take a private plain to Abu Simbel to continue our tour in southern Egypt.  We got to the Abu Simbel temples around 8:30 AM and already there were 50-75 tourist buses. 

The Abu Simbel temples would not be there for us to admire without the help of UNESCO as they would have been flooded when the High Dam in Aswan was constructed in the 60s to further control the floods of the Nile.  Instead the temples were moved 700 feet back and 215 feet higher from the original location.  To accomplish this feat the temples which had been built in a cliff were cut in large blocks, none heavier than 20-30 tons and moved to higher grounds.  The 807 blocks of the Great Temple and the 235 blocks of the smaller Nefertari temple were cut by handsaw.

As you get to the site, you approach the temples from the back and it’s not until you make it around the artificial mountain that you realize just what kind of feat has been accomplished.  The site is just incredible and you realize at that point what would have been lost to the world if the temples had not been moved.  What a site…while the exterior is pretty impressive, the interior of the temples is well preserved and it really is our first exposure to the hieroglyphs of Egypt as we had not been inside any structures on the Giza Plateau.

We left Abu Simbel for Aswan.  To get there we had a three hour drive through the Sahara desert. Sand, sand, sand…  In Aswan, we stopped on the High Dam for a photo op and then proceeded to the harbor to board our Nile cruise ship, the Nile Adventurer where we would spend the next three nights cruising the Nile on our way to Luxor.  Before leaving Aswan we visited another relocated temple, the Philae Temple.  The temple was bathed by sunset light which gave it very interesting hue.


To view a slideshow of Abu Simbel and Aswan click on the following link:

Abu Simbel & Aswan Photo Album

The Nile

The next day we woke up in Kom Ombo and visited the temple where again we saw a very impressive structure and saw our first mummified crocodile.  It apparently was customary to mummify animals in Ancient Egypt, a fact confirmed by our visit of the mummified animals’ room inside the museum in Cairo.  Our tour director then arranged a visit to an outlet where we had a chance to experience smoking a Shisha (water) pipe.  The whole experience was very interesting since I had really inhaled smoke on purpose in over 26 years.  I convinced myself that after the smog in Cairo, I really wasn’t causing to much EXTRA damage to my lungs…From there we embarked on the Nile Adventurer and cruised the Nile to Edfu where we visited the Temple of Horus, a large temple displaying some pretty impressive architecture.  We then sailed to Luxor.  That night on the ship we had an Arabian night dinner where everyone was dressed up in traditional Egyptian garbs.  Yes I did find a galabeya large enough to fit me…


To view a slideshow of the Nile and its temples click on the following link:

Nile Photo Album

Luxor

We started the day with a bang by visiting the Temple of Karnak…rows of sphinxes, obelisks and huge columns define this majestic site.  The site is not all dug up as a large part of the temple lies under the city.  Efforts continue to be made to excavate the site as city dwellers are being relocated to achieve the purpose.  The visit in the morning was only a start to a great day.  Late in the afternoon, just before sunset, we leave the ship to embark on a horse and carriage ride to Luxor Temple for a night visit of the temple that was simply magnificent and unforgettable.  After this visit, one can only reflect on the fact that Egypt appears to be a land that never stops giving.  No matter how impressive a site has been to visit, the next one offers new and interesting surprises.

The next morning, we left the ship to cross to the West Bank of the Nile to visit the mortuary sites, which by the way were always set up on the west bank of the river where the sun sets.  The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the workers village, Hatshepsut Temple and Habu Temple made for a great morning visit.  What sealed it for me was entering King Tut’s tomb.  At the time of our visit, the mummy of King Tut was still in the sarcophagus which is very impressive.  The mummy was removed from the coffin to be stored in a temperature controlled casing only one week after our visit.  I guess we are one of the last groups to ever see the sarcophagus as it contained the mummy.  The only draw back to that is that we didn’t really see the mummy.  When standing in front of such an artifact as Tut’s sarcophagus, one can only reflect of where we fit in history.  The next morning we embark on the private plane that brings us back to Cairo where we will spend some time in the museum to admire Tut’s treasure found in the tomb.


To view a slideshow of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings click on the following link:

Luxor & Valley of the Kings Photo Album

Cairo - Saqqara

Upon arriving in Cairo, we immediately head for Cairo’s Egyptian Museum where we get to see the treasures of King Tut Ankh Amun.  One can only stand in awe when looking at the gold death mask of King Tut which weighs 11 kilograms (~ 25 pounds).  The inner coffin is pretty impressive as well with 100 kilograms (~250 pounds) of pure gold. 

The next morning we head for Saqqara where we visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser.  We also penetrate inside a pyramid for the first time.  The trek inside the Pyramid of Titi is not easy.  To get to the burial chamber one has to navigate a corridor 80 feet in length and about 4 feet in height.

The next day we leave Egypt for Jordan.  All I can say about the last 10 days is that Egypt is a must see.  Added to the large number of world wonders one gets to see, the hospitality of the Egyptian people is second to none.  Egypt is a destination that definitely makes my list of recommended places to see.


To view a slideshow of Cairo and Saqqara click on the following link:


Saqqara & Cairo Photo Album

JORDAN

Amman-Bethany

After a travel day to get to Amman, our first full day of visits in Amman brings us in the Holy Land to Bethany on the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.  The River Jordan is the natural border between Israel and Jordan.  At some point during our visit, in the narrowest part of the river we stand no more than 50-100 feet of Israel.  After Bethany we head to Mount Nebo where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land but could not enter.  It is also the presumed site of his death and burial.   The vistas at the top of Mount Nebo (2500 feet over the valley) are simply incredible.  Not a bad way to start the day.

When end up in Madaba for a beautiful lunch.  From there we drove a few hours to the ultimate destination of the Jordan portion of the trip: the Lost City of Petra.


To view a slideshow of Amman and Bethany click on the following link:

Bethany and Amman Photo Album

Petra

After visiting all the great sites in Egypt, it’s hard to imagine that you will find another place on earth that will come to exemplify the capabilities and accomplishments of people living in ancient times; and then you walk into the ancient site of the Lost City of Petra.  Words cannot describe the beauty; one really has to be standing in the middle of it to really appreciate what one is seeing.  The red color of the sandstone mountains in which the City was carved bring an eerie sensation as you walk through the water erosion shaped Siq (passage) on your way to the Treasury.  As the very narrow passageway opens up on the Treasury court, you can only stand amazed in front of the structure and wonder what else could be more impressive than that structure on the Petra site and then you continue the visit.

After lunch a few of us (11 out of 32) embark on the quest for the wholly grail: the Monastery.  To get there, one has to climb more than a thousand steps competing with donkeys climbing the mountain carrying passengers on the way to the top.  Our tour director warns us that the donkey tour is not safe and after seeing them in action I feel a whole lot better about making the decision to walk to the top.  If the trip up looks terrifying, I can only imagine what the trip down must feel like.  Unfortunately for me, it means that it will be a long arduous trek which will take me more than an hour and leave Monique wondering if I will make it to the top, let alone come back down.  I make it to the top with about 25 pounds (2 cameras, one large lens, a few bottles of water) of extra baggage.  What was waiting for me up there made the excursion worth it.  I was awe struck by the Monastery…took the shots…But like the Everest, if you go up you must come down before darkness.  The trek down was easier although you have to be careful with every step to make sure you don’t slip on donkey doo doo…Once at the bottom I still had 1.5 hours of walking to make it back to the hotel on a day where the temperature is hovering at 30 degrees Celsius (85F-90F).  We made it back at the hotel for 4PM (7.5 hours after heading for the site).  I bypassed the room and headed directly for the bar where I enjoyed the 2 coldest beers I have ever tasted…What a day!

In the evening we visited the house of a Bedouin for coffee and tea.  The owner of the house, greeted all 32 of us and shared his hospitality with us in an exchange of questions and answers.  That was a beautiful experience that I’m pretty convinced would never happen in North America.  Just imagine 32 people you’ve never met get off a bus and come into your living room to ask you all sort of questions about you, your family, your customs…dream on!  We then head out for dinner at a nice restaurant where we are entertained by a troop of Bedouin sword dancers.


To view aslideshow of Petra click on the following link:

Petra Photo Album

Dead Sea