Prologue - Part 2

Our flight doesn't leave JFK until 5:15 pm, so we had the morning to explore. After sleeping in, we took the subway down to the meat packing district and walked The High Line back up. What a beautiful experience! We saw architecture and buildings we had never seen before. After grabbing some coffee, we are now headed back to JFK. What I enjoy the most about international flight is watching movies made in/about the country we are visiting. So I'm sure the only thing I would want to post about the flight experience is that. [image carousel below has several photos]

Day 1 - Arrival in Egypt

I am loathe to fly business class because I think EVERYONE should be able to fly 10+ hours in (reasonable) comfort without paying $5,000. {If we can send people to the Moon, we should be able to use our tax dollars to provide comfortable travel via bullet trains, planes, etc.} However, while Keith has no such compunction, he agreed that we would fly coach and we bought coach tickets. Then about 10 days before the flight, Egypt Air sent an email asking if we wanted to "bid" on upgrades. So we bid 1/2 of what our coach tickets were - and got upgraded (less than half of the original business class ticket if we had purchased them at the time). Long story short: while it's still not a joy to fly that long, it was definitely a much better experience. So if you're able... until we can get our priorities straight... I recommend.

Upon arrival, we were able to quickly purchase Visas and local currency at the airport before heading to the hotel. The drive was about an hour, and filled with glimpses into Cairo living: apartment complexes, housing communities, people commuting to/from school and job sites (so much construction!). The traffic, like in India, is a thrilling experience. There are lines on the road, but the most important signal is the honk alerting you to the fact that someone is coming over into your "area" (since "lanes" aren't really recognized). As we got off the interstate, the traffic became much more diverse: carts, tuk-tuks, bikes, etc. After many such experiences, I am able to relax and enjoy the skill of our driver - but the first time I encountered this in India, I was in a fetal position in the back seat sending "I love you" texts to my kids. It really is amazing to see how the drivers interact with each other in a system that is all their own.

By the time we arrived at The Mena House (our home for 3 nights), we were exhausted and ready for resting. We showered and took a short(ish) nap, then forced ourselves to get up and acclimate to the new time zone. We stayed on the premises for dinner (outside beside a reflecting pond with the Pyramids in the near distance), and are now ready for a good night's sleep. [image carousel below]

Day 2 - Free Day in Cairo

Cairo - Umm Ad Dunya: Mother of the World
PERCEPTION - Art installation by Tunisian artist eL Seed. "Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes first."
Well, if you have been following me for a while, you know that I *really* wanted to see the PERCEPTION art installation (link above) -- a mural that covers over 50 buildings and honors the sanitation workers of Cairo. However, I cannot find a guide to take me, which means that (for whatever reason) it is not meant for my eyes. And I'll honor that. In the meantime, I'll continue to read about the installation and the other works of eL Seed and the work his is doing.

Instead, we explored Old Cairo and saw remnants of Roman walls, the place where St. George was held and tortured for years, and the Church built over the cave where the holy family stayed when they fled to Egypt. In fact, they stayed in A LOT of places in Egypt.

Below are some photos - but not as many as I wanted to take because OH MY GOD IT WAS HOT. You'll see in one of the photos below that my face was red (and we had been inside a church for about 15 minutes when we took that photo)! However, last night was absolutely pleasant after the sun went down, so now we know why the afternoons are for resting.

[Side note: Keith loves that I keep this blog, but generally doesn't add to it. HOWEVER, he wanted me to make sure everyone knew that there are over 114,000 mosques in Egypt - and that 1,000+ are ANCIENT. Also that the 106,000,000+ residents of Egypt live on only 9% of the land. It's important to him that you all know this.]

Day 3 - Giza Pyramids, The Sphinx, Saqqara Pyramids

If you have ever gotten lost in any historical fiction set in ancient Egypt, today was the day that will bring it to life. [I'm thinking specifically of Wilbur Smith's THE RIVER GOD and THE SEVENTH SCROLL.] Seeing the last remaining ancient Wonder of the World in person was humbling and amazing. The climb inside to the top, however, was an altogether different adventure. You start out climbing a ramp (about 450 feet/ 50 degree angle) with wooden slats - bent over because it's a rock tunnel. Here's a very important point: The ramp is definitely only big enough for one-way traffic. And yet... we were two steps up this first ramp when we had to stop and move to the side (as much as possible) because people were coming down (hunched over, and some with vertigo were going backwards).

Small airless tunnel - bent over - people struggling to go both up and down. A claustrophobic version of COVID hell. Once we fought our way to the half-way point, the ramp split into 2 parts for a while, then back to 1 for the last section. At the top of the ramp, there is one last tunnel we had to go through to get into the tomb area (which is, thankfully, an open space). After taking a picture, we began the journey down... and this time, WE were the ones impeding the progress of those trying to climb up. Long story short: We were glad we did it, but it's a once-and-done achievement. [Side note from Keith: It was an engineering marvel - from the design and building of the pyramid to the forethought of placing the huge sarcophagus, and then building the chamber around it since there is no way it would have fit in the tunnel.]

From there we went to an overlook where we could see the entire Giza complex, and then we went down to the Sphinx. As we went from site to site, our guide prepared us with the history of what we were going to see so that they came to life as we toured.

After the Sphinx, we drove down to the Saqqara complex. If you haven't seen it already, Netflix has a great documentary about recent discoveries at Saqqara: Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb.

We ended the day with a late lunch at a nearby restaurant, and are now preparing for an early day tomorrow. We leave for Luxor at 3:30 am.

Day 4 - Luxor - Karnak and Luxor Temples

The day began with a 3:30 am transfer to the airport, and we arrived in Luxor at 7:30 am. The contrast between Luxor and Cairo is immediate and stark: Luxor, with a much smaller population, is very green, clean, and orderly. We went straight to the Karnak Temple complex for an amazing tour/lecture by our Upper Egypt guide, Mustafa. He has been studying Egyptology for 5 years, including hieroglyphics, and is now pursuing his Master's degree.

What I needed most today was a dynastic timeline, so I've found one that's easy to read and review before tonight's tour of Luxor.

After Karnak, we had a nice lunch, then checked into the Winter Palace, showered, and fell into bed for long naps.

At 5:30 pm, Mustafa picked us up for our tour of the Luxor Temple. We arrived just as the sun was setting and the air was dry and cool. [Luxor can be toured during the day, but I imagine it would be a miserable experience between the hours of 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. Even in this cooler season, it was HOT today.]

Walking through the colonnades and statues that we've read about in books, studied in college, or seen in movies was enough of a wonder. But to have an Egyptologist describing hieroglyphs and telling us the history was just amazing. And, just to be clear, ALL official guides in Egypt are certified in Egyptology, so no fancy tour is required.

Although the statues of Ramses are prolific and inspiring, my favorite statue was of a king and queen - apparently equal in power. But when you go behind, you see her arm around the king giving him support: the power behind the throne.

Day 5 - Dendera Temple and begin Nile Cruise

Today we visited Dendera Temple, our favorite temple so far. Mustafa picked us up at 7 am and we began the 1-hour drive to Qena through the countryside. THIS is the part of the journey I enjoy: driving along a canal with mutant bougainvillea and oleander overtaking the banks, seeing the villages, the children walking the school, the men sitting at outdoor cafe hookah tables, the women unseen because they’re working their asses off in the background making all of the above possible. All while clutching our seats in amazement at our driver’s skill in avoiding ox driven carts, cement trucks, tuk-tuks, and humans on the road.

Then we arrived at the Temple, which is stunning. My words will never do it justice, so please click on the links here - and see the photos below.

Recurring themes of these temples are the vandalism and theft by Christians and colonizers. As you scroll through the pictures, you’ll see where Christians tried to chip away the hieroglyphics that referred to other gods, and where artifacts have been stolen by governments and put in their own museums. From the Dendera Temple, the most significant artifact is the Dendera Zodiac (currently in the Louvre). In its place is a black metal copy, but the original should be returned.

In the pictures, you can see the stunning detail of the hieroglyphics, and the height of the temple. Mustafa is getting his Masters Degree in Egyptian mythology, so he took the time to explain the origin stories and how they were woven into the walls and ceiling. We spent a solid 2.5 hours there, and will never forget it.

Upon our return, we checked-in to the Nile river cruise boat, had lunch, and then I left to explore on my own and visit an ATM. During this time alone, I was scammed… but I’ll save that story for people who actually read this and ask me about it in person :) While I realized what was happening before it got too far along, I was still chagrined - until Keith reminded me that it is better to believe in the good of most people than to be bitter and hardened. And he likes that I still believe.

We ended the evening watching the sunset over the Nile, having dinner, and getting to bed early for our 4:00 am wake-up call tomorrow.

Day 6 - Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor, Valley of the Kings, and Hatshepsut Temple

Keith (in a narrator's voice): "They were having so much fun, and then it killed them."

The day began with a 3:30 am wake-up in order to finish our agenda before it got too hot. We were not successful in that quest. We did, however, have a blast and see amazing history! We started with a balloon ride over the Valley of Kings and several other current archaeological digs, and I highly recommend this activity. It started early, but by 6:30 - as we were finishing - the sun was cranking up real good and we were glad not to be in the 2nd group.

We then went straight to Hatshepsut's Temple [a picture of which was in my childhood Bible labeled "Valley of the Kings" (insert patriarchal insecurity joke here).] She was one of the strongest rulers of the 18th Dynasty, and is quite fascinating to study.

From there we drove around to the Valley of the Kings and explored the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramses V and VI, Ramses the IX, and Ramses III (Keith only saw this last one because it was BROILING hot by now, and each tomb had long lines of people to get in.)

We arrived back at the boat by 12:30 - exhausted, ready for lunch, and happy to have seen what we've seen.

Day 7 - Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples

Today began at 8:30 am with a tour of the Temple of Edfu. To get there, we took a horse-drawn carriage from the docks to the Temple - and once again we loved the glimpses of real life as we went through the streets of the Edfu. This carriage is the main form of transportation, but the streets still had trucks, buses, tuk-tuks, etc. which made intersections quite an adventure.

Due to its distance from the Nile, this temple is one of the best preserved in Egypt and continues the story of Horus getting his revenge on Set for the killing of Osiris. Having Mustafa bring Egyptian mythology to life through these hieroglyphics has been such an educational and delightful aspect of this tour.

We were back in time for lunch on the boat and departure from Edfu to the next stop: Kom Ombo. A note about the ship, the Sonesta Sun Goddess. It has 49 rooms, but I would guess that only about 20 are being used on this cruise. And each family/small group has their Egyptologist with them on the cruise. The guides have their own quarters and sit together at the meals laughing and reconnecting... which I can only imagine would be a blast.

The Temple at Kom Ombo is unique in that it is divided in half to honor two gods: Sobek (crocodile) and Horus. Among its hieroglyphics is a stone that depicts medical tools (or mummification and surgeries), and a calendar of the seasons and where a certain festival was being held at different times and places.

Dinner tonight was a BBQ on the roof of the ship - and although it was 111 degrees yesterday, it seemed a little bit cooler today - and it was downright chilly tonight. So a perfect ending to a beautiful day.

Day 8 - Philae Temple, The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Felucca Boat Ride

The high dam of Aswan is the world's largest embankment dam - not to be confused with something as massive as the Hoover Dam. So while the dam itself wasn't much to see (to us), the story of the geopolitical game-play to get it built was worth the hour's outing.

From there we headed out to visit Philae Temple, which required a boat ride since it's on an island. Absolutely beautiful and worth the time and effort. The Temple has the last known inscription written in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Of course, it has also been vandalized and defaced by early Christians (funny picture in the carousel below).

Our last site of the morning was the Unfinished Obelisk, which was originally ordered by Hatshepsut around 1475 BCE but was abandoned after a crack was found. What makes it unique is that modern historians can see how ancient work was completed.

At sunset we went out for our felucca ride on the Nile River. This traditional sailboat provided the perfect breathe-deep-and-relax ending to our day.

Day 9 - Abu Simbel & Nefertari Temples

It is a little after midnight here in Cairo, and today was a loooong day. We left the boat at 7 am and drove 3.5 hours down to Abu Simbel (you might recognize the temples here from movies like "Death on the Nile," etc). As we were driving south, we entered the Nubian part of southern Egypt. It was desert as far as the eye could see, but the government is trying to bring water to the land (from Lake Nasser - the largest man-made lake on Earth) to make it fertile so as to attract citizens to live there. They've even already built housing (which will remain empty until services are there)!

The Abu Simbel & Nefertari Temples, and the story of their removal from 65 meters below to the current location (due to the flooding that would be caused by the High Aswan Dam) are stunning. Here is a link describing what had to occur since the temples were built into the mountain.

After spending about an hour at the temple complex, we drove back to Aswan and spent about an hour at a cafe waiting for our airport escort. The Aswan airport is segregated (women and men go through different screening areas), and it's just a reminder that fundamentalism (of every religion) attempts to control women, and fixates on sex.

We have now arrived at our final hotel in Cairo for the next two nights... and we are exhausted!

[So far only one photo has uploaded, so I'll have to add the others tomorrow.]

Day 10 - Grand Egyptian Museum and the Alabaster Mosque of Muhamed Ali

Not going to lie... it was hard to get out of bed this morning. But since it was our last day, we managed to succeed. We first went to the Alabaster Mosque and Saladin Citadel. Situated on a high hill, it had the best panoramic views of Cairo. And from this vantage point, the call to prayer at Noon was a melodic cacophony coming from all the mosques in the city. There are two mosques on this site, and my favorite one was the older Al-Nasir Mosque (1335 AD). When it was built, they used columns from all over, one of which even had a cross carved into it. At one point, we all got along (at least better than we do today).

Our last visit was to the Egyptian Museum. While the antiquities inside are breath-taking, the museum itself was quite a disappointment. The display cases are old (but not THAT old), and it was hot and humid inside. It needs a modern face-lift of both the building and the displays. I am so glad, however, that we saved the museum for last because we understood a lot of what we saw there today much better due to our education this past week.

Final Notes & Reminders for Next Time

This was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime trip, but if we ever return (and since there's so much of the world to see, that's doubtful), below are notes:

1. Absolutely have guides and drivers for every step of the way. Arrange them on your own or through a travel company, but trying to get an Uber - or even cross the street - just isn't worth the risk.

2. Save the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for last so that when you see the busts and statues you will already know their backstory.

3. The Egyptian economy is tourism based, with layers and layers of "helpers" who are tipped. For example, just to get to the airport, we had a driver, a guide that goes with you to the airport, a guide that meets you at the airport and gets you through security, and at least 1 baggage handler on both ends of that trip (yes - even with simple carry-on luggage). Don't be annoyed by it; instead, see it as an opportunity to share the wealth.

4. Bring $1,000 cash with you, and convert it to c. e£20,000 Egyptian pounds before you exit the Cairo airport. Get mostly e£50s, e£100s and e£200s. Yes, you can get money from ATMs but finding a working ATM and getting the denominations we needed for tipping was a bit of a hassle. You will tip for EVERYTHING (see above, plus bathroom attendants, and anyone who offers you any assistance at all). The guide books will tell you that e£1 is enough for a bathroom attendant - but e£1 = $0.05, and I would rather give e£20 ($1) to help a local woman out. e£50 = $2.50, so we used those for baggage transfers, etc. The rest of the tipping was based on what we would tip the same person in the United States. If we would give a taxi/Uber driver a $10 for driving us to the airport in the U.S., we gave the Egyptian driver e£200.

5. Overall, we are grateful to have made the trip and see this part of the world.