Spring Arrives
For our Spring Break, my good friend Dan and I decided to go to Egypt for eight days. This is an account of our trip.
Day 1
Arrived at Cairo airport early and went directly to see the Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Next we went to Memphis and the step pyramid. We ate a late lunch at an overpriced touristy restaurant and boarded an overnight train for Aswan.
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| Looking down at the tourists from Khufu's Pyramid |
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| Me Posing |
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| Our local guide |
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| In Ruins |
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| Men and their camels |
Side Note
I’ll be honest. I dislike Japanese food. There are few things I enjoy from the odd cuisine, and they are mostly overpriced dishes I have to go out to eat. Thus, when it comes to travel I look forward to sating my palate on foreign treats. Egypt did not disappoint.
Two things in particular I was impressed by were the meats and cheeses. I had veal, mutton, beef skewers and spicy chicken, all of excellent quality. In Japan the meat tends to be fatty and small in portions. As for the Egyptian cheeses, I have no idea what their names were, but they were damned good.
Since the food in Egypt was not expensive Dan and I gorged ourselves on large dishes. Most often the places we ate offered a wide variety of food buffet style. There were also times we had fast food. McDonalds was somewhat of a let down. I was hoping they would have a strange line up on their menu, but aside from the McArabia beef sandwich, it was much like the menu at an American McDonalds. To our delight we also found a Carl’s Jr. in Cairo, and it was also like the ones in America. But that didn't bother us in the slightest. We couldn't eat Carl’s in Japan.
While trying the local cuisine, I abstained from eating anything not sold in a clean and sanitary establishment. I learned my lesson last time I traveled in India. No more diarrhea for me.
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The Sphinx
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| The KFC only 150m from Sphinx entrance |
Day 2
We arrived late in Aswan. We checked in to our cruise ship. A guide picked us up afterwards and drove us to see the Unfinished Obselisk. After that we went to the Aswan Dam and finally the Philae Temple.
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| Above the Aswan Dam |
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| Our guide on the boat ride to the temple |
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| Columns added by the greeks |
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| Inside the temple |
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| Relief work |
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| Philae Temple |
Side Note
Tourism is big business in Egypt. From across the globe, Europeans, Asian, and Americans come with their big hats and sunglasses to see the magnificent wonders of an ancient time. While sightseeing they shell out their cash and typically leave hundreds of dollars poorer than when they arrived. The money adds up and provides a huge boost to the economy. To make sure there are no problems with the system, Egypt has what are called the Tourism Police. These men, dressed in black uniforms and berets, are in all tourist areas. They carry guns, Typically an AK-47 strapped over the shoulder. If things get ugly they might use their firearms, but only if the threat too has a gun. That’s the law. The police fight guns with guns, knives with knives, and fists with fists.
The big worry of course is an act of terrorism. The last time it happened was in 1997 near Luxor at Deir Al-Bahri. A group of Islamic extremists opposed to the government opened fire on tourists killing 58. The entire tourist industry took a slide as a result, and things would not return to normal for four years. But that was before. As for the Egypt of today I got the impression it is very safe.
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| Tourist Police man |
Day 3
We woke up very early to go to Abu Simbel driving through the desert to reach the site. When we returned to Aswan we boarded our cruise ship and sailed north stopping off once to see Kom Ombo Temple.
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| The Sahara |
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| Bus ride to Abu Simbel |
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| 20m high statues of Ramses II |
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| The tourists flocking in |
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| Waiting to get into the temple |
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| Over the Aswan Dam on the way back |
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| The Nile river |
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| On the cruise ship |
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| Passing under a bridge |
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| Nile at sunset |
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| Kom Ombu Temple |
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| Relief work |
Guides are a dime a dozen in Egypt it seems, even if they need to study for four years to become licensed. Many specialize in English tours, but I heard many speaking Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. To their credit few Egyptians ever travel outside the Middle East, so they pick up their language skills locally.
Since Dan and I dealt with six different guides we got an idea of what makes a good one and bad one. A good guide makes the tour interesting, breaking up the monotonous ramblings of Egyptian antiquity for the sake of adding in a few fun stories. These could be personal accounts or even silly jokes.
A good guide also moves at the tourist’s pace, allowing them to see what they want for as long as they want.
A bad guide on the other hand rushes through a site and wont give the tourist time to take pictures. They say they will give free time at the end of the tour for the tourists to look around on their own, but it is just an excuse for them to wait in a shaded area while the tourist must double back through the site to get the pictures they want.
Next, a bad guide does not have a proper command of the language. This can become annoying since the guides tend to talk at length about thins the tourists are unfamiliar with.
Lastly, a bad guide shows their boredom. Sure they have given the tour of Karnak Temple 100 times before, but the tourist is there for the first time and paying good money for their service. The guide should be positive and play off the tourist group to make each experience as unique as possible.
The cruise ship stopped again in Edfu. We got off and toured the temple. Then we continued on our way to Luxor spending most of the day on the cruise ship. We walked around Luxor and booked a side trip on a hot air balloon.
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| Riding to Edfu Temple |
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| Still some paint on the walls |
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| Light permeates the chamber |
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| Entrance to Edfu Temple |
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| Back to the boat |
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| Along the Nile |
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| Taking in the sights |
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| A shot from the boat |
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| Kids playing in Luxor |
Side Note
The river Nile is the longest in the world. It spans half the African continent from its two confluences in Ethiopia and Kenya up to the Mediterranean. In 1971 the Egyptian government completed the Aswan Dam which finally put end to sometimes erratic floods and provided a reliable source of hydroelectric power.
Dan and I took a Nile cruise northbound from Aswan to Luxor. Along the way there was little to see. The Nile has a strip of greenery having its banks covered in palm trees and fields, but beyond that there is only sand. Occasionally, a town will pass by with a few houses and buildings.
In Luxor, Dan and I were determined to swim in the Nile. We asked our local guide where we could go, but she only laughed at us thinking we were joking. “No one swims in the Nile,” she said. Undeterred we set out to find a way.
The west bank of the Nile--the side we were on--was taken up mostly by hotels, boat docks and a commercial port. To swim we knew we would have to cross to the east bank. We paid a man 5 Egyptian Pounds to ferry us across in his tourist boat. The east side was completely rural. Fields, cows, donkeys, camels and farmers made up the landscape. We paralleled the shore looking for a spot until we came to a group of boys playing soccer. They were barefoot, sun burnt and riddled with mosquito bites. One even had the flower like mark of a bad case of ringworm right on his chest.
Dan and I played soccer with the boys. When we tired we removed our shirts and went wading in to the river. A thick layer of black mush covered the river bed and loads of reeds were poking up everywhere. I went in up to my neck, posed for a few pictures and splashed water around like an idiot. It wasn’t much, but I swam in the river Nile. How many people can say they've done that?
Me in the Nile (courtesy of Dan)
Day 5
We got up early to take a hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Then we had breakfast and our guide met us and showed us Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Dan and I went back to the hotel and then went to swim in the Nile river. That night we met up with the guide for dinner. She brought a friend and we talked.
Readying the hot air balloon
Everyone getting in
Me going up
Other balloons and the sunrise
The Valley of the Kings
Temple ruins below
A temple
A house and farm
The Sahara
After landing
Karnak Temple
Column
Obelsik
Kids touring the temple
Relief work overhead
Walls in decay
Hieroglyphics
Ram sphinxes lining the entrance
Luxor Temple
Our Luxor Guide explaining the images to Dan
A narrow corridor
Temple columns
The entrance
A statue of Ramses II
Side Note
Islam to me is a very restricting religion. From what I saw in Egypt it didn’t seem so bad though. Not when compared to other places like Saudia Arabia. Still Egyptian Muslims must pray 5 times a day. They don't eat pork or drink alcohol either. And for the celebration of Ramadan, it’s no food or water during daylight hours for a month.
The religion of course also has a strong influence over the local culture. The women and men when they date never become intimate, at least not until marriage. And the whole reason for dating is to get married, so it’s a very serious matter, and both people involved have the long term in mind.
In Luxor, our guide Shueshu explained this to me. She also seemed to be giving me a vibe. It started when she told me I could be an actor.
“Really?” I said.
“Yes, you have good face,” she said. “And me. What do you think?”
I looked her over. She had deep set hazel eyes, high cheekbones with a round, slightly upward pointing nose. From the first time I saw her, I thought the woman attractive. “I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t see your hair.” Sheushu was wearing a hijab headscarf, and only her face was exposed.
“Here, look.” She pulled out her cellphone and showed me pictures of herself in regular street clothes without the hijab. “Pretty yes?”
“Yeah. You are pretty.” She smiled shly and changed the topic.
Later Shueshu accompanied us to our hotel. She said she would meet us the following morning to take us to the Valley of the Kings, but before she left I asked her what there was to do at night in Luxor. She made a few suggestions. I then asked if she would be willing to accompany us.
And so it was that we met at 8pm in front of the McDonalds next to Luxor Temple.
Shueshu broght a friend named Nagla, a girl who also worked as a guide. Since Dan and I had no grasp of the local scene we let the girls take us out to a restaurant.
We ordered and ate beef skewers. While Dan and I were busy stuffing our faces, the two girls whispered to one another in Egyptian, constantly giggling. Though they were both 25, it was like being seated with a pair of 15 year olds who had never been out with guys before.
So we got to discussing dating. The girls both said they never dated before nor even kissed or danced with a man who was not family. Shueshu said a man had once shown interest in her, but her mother dissaproved of him and any relationship, so nothing came of it.
"I didn't like him anyhow," Shueshu said. "He was a officer. He try to act too strong. Too much like policeman, even when not working."
Shueshu said her mother would like me though. She wanted to take Dan and I over to her house for lunch the next day so everyone could meet. I said sure. But it never happened. After she showed us around the Valley of the Kings the next morning she had to rush away to meet another tour group. What a shame. It would have been interesting to see the inside of an Egyptian home.
Day 6
Went to see the Valley of the Kings on foot, Deir Al-Bahri and the Valley of the Queens. We next killed time around Luxor temple and met a group of Nubians from Aswan. Around 10pm we caught our overnight train back to Cairo.
Relief work at Hatshepsut temple
The temple
Posing with guards
Hatshepsut Temple in Deir el Bahari
Shops on the way out
Shopping street in Luxor
Luxor Temple at night
At the train station
The Nubian people are an ethnic race that historically lived in the areas that is currently the southern part of Egypt and northern Sudan. For centuries they warred with the ancient Egyptians, ultimately losing a great deal of their territory to the Kingdom of Egypt. But the Nubians maintained their culture and even built pyramids of their own and though their creations never equaled those of the Egyptians in scope and scale they were more prolific in number.
In modern times when the Aswan Dam was built the area to the south of the dam was flooded creating Lake Nasser, the second largest man made lake in the world. As a result, the Nubians who lived along the Nile River were forced to relocate. Many moved to cities like Aswan where they had difficulty finding work and were looked down upon by ethnic Egyptians.
Dan and I met a group of Nubians in Luxor who were visiting the city on a field trip to see the temples. They were junior high school students and very friendly. We had an excellent time chatting with them. They asked us all manner of silly questions and posed with us in pictures. I even picked a few of them up and spun them around WWE style. I don't know what it is with me but I have a knack for getting along with kids. I guess I’m just like one at heart.
Me with the Nubian students
After arriving in Cairo we checked in to our rather nice four star hotel. Then our guide took us to Old Cairo. We toured an old Christian church and a Jewish Synagogue. Then we went to the Muhammed Ali mosque. For lunch we ate at Carls Jr. Dan and I were both surprised to find one in Egypt. The burgers were good. Lastly we checked out the Cairo Egyptian Museum.
Ruins in Old Cairo
Painting from the time of Christianity in Egypt
A Greek Church
Back alley
A dome outside the Muhammed Ali Mosque
A chandelier inside the mosque
From the outside
Side Note
Ancient Egyptian history is obscenely long and covers over 4,000 years of human civilization, numerous religions, languages and foreign occupants. Somehow they managed to cram 150,000 artifacts representing said history in to one building, the Cairo Egyptian Museum.
Our knowledgeable guide Mona led us through the main corridors explaining random pieces. The highlight of the tour came when we visited the part containing what was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb. There was ancient jewelry, furniture, pots, weapons, papyrus scrolls and statues. However, everything paled in comparison to the golden sarcophagus and mask of Tutankhamen. Both were of an incalculable value, culturally and monetarily. Other highlights we saw included mummified animals, large alabaster sphinxes, carved tablets and exceptional papyrus artwork.
Jokingly I told Mona I wanted to take a piece home as a soveigner. When I asked her why nothing had a price tag she gawked, thinking I was serious. I then asked her how much the statue in front of us was.
“It’s not for sale,” she said.
“Sure it is. Anything has a price. And I can probably bargain with the museum and get it for 200 Egyptian Pounds.”
“You are kidding yes?”
“Of course I am.”
A wave of relief spread across her face.
After visiting the museum I would place it third on my ranking of super worldly museums beneath the National Palace Museum in Taiwan and the Louvre in Paris.
Day 8
We woke up early had a nice breakfast and caught our flight home.
Side Note
Over the winter holidays I went to India for two weeks. Curiously, many Indians mistook me for a local. I never before thought I looked Indian but I left the country thinking otherwise.
In Egypt it was much the same. Some locals looked at me and asked me if I was Egyptian. One of my guides joked that if I could master a few lines of Egyptian I could get in to all the sites at the dirt cheap Egyptian price. I tried to take him up on the suggestion, but he thought better of it and refused saying it would be dishonest. Too bad. The Entrance fees were high—ten to twenty dollars a sight. And we visited over a dozen of them.
By the end of the trip I was thinking I should have got in to acting. I could have been a versatile actor, cast in a large variety of ethnic roles. Kind of like Egyptian actor Omar Sharif was. People tell me I have a strong resemblance of him too. I don't know though. You tell me.
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| The Man, the Myth, the Legend--Mr. Sharif |
In Conclusion
Egypt is a great place to visit. It has no lack of things to see. There are plenty of unique ruins and antiquities not found elsewhere in the world. That being the case, I really do wish I had more time to explore the country. We did a tour package so Dan and I were constantly rushed from one place to another to keep pace with our itinerary. But it was completely worth it. I highly recommend visiting Egypt for anyone who has yet to go there.
Dan and I. Travelers extraordinaire
