Take a #field_trip through Egypt and back in time!
Went on an amazing trip to Egypt, which included a cruise on the Nile. Egypt was the #1 place on my list, since I've kept a list. Unforgettable experiences! This was our itinerary.
First stop was Giza and the pyramids. Just spectacular in person. On one side it's desert, but on the other is the dirty, dusty, loud city. Have you seen the Pizza Hut pics?
Lots of tourist there, of course, but our guide said the numbers hadn't quite yet recovered (this was November 2018) to what they were before the revolution in 2011. Wonder if this place is deserted now.
The scale is hard to grasp in far-away photos. Each stone is almost as tall as a person. They say 2Mil+ stones make up the great pyramid (aka Pyramid of Khufu or Cheops).
The Sphinx in its full glory. Did you know it has a tail? Typically you see the front view.
We went inside the great pyramid! It is quite the climb and the tunnels are narrow (like trouble fitting two girls with wide hips going in opposite direction). At the top is a tall chamber with an empty sarcophagus. There are no hieroglyphs or markings of any kind.
Our hotel was the Mena House in Giza, right at the foot of the pyramids. It was so incredible drawing back the curtains to see this sight. However, this hotel hosts a LOT of weddings, parties, etc., so Friday and Saturday is extremely loud, late into the night.
We did a Cairo city tour as well. Got to visit a few mosques and churches. Reference material at the mosque. Any woman entering must have a head covering and everyone's shoes are removed at the door.
This is the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, located in the Cidatel of Cairo. We were there just in time to hear the mid-day call for prayer. Being at the highest point in Cairo, we could hear calls from all over the city. This just took my breath away.
A traditional (and super cheap) meal for lunch. This is kushari/y: rice, pasta, chickpeas, and lentils. Tomato sauce and hot oil, if that strikes your fancy. Yummy!
A little bit of city life. This dude's balance was on point!
At another meal we enjoyed some kebab and aish, the Egyptian version of a pita the man above was transporting.
Some beautiful sights in the middle of Cairo. Traffic here is insane. No regard to lanes, street signs, signals, people. It's just chaos. Crossing the street as a pedestrian is like an extreme sport.
A must on my list was a visit to Khan El Khalili, the enormous bazaar. One of those hanging lamps came home with me. Of course, when it needs to be turned off/on, we yell "AZIZ, LIGHT!!!"
This city scape is from Aswan, where tourists are transported in horse-drawn carriages.
Raise the roof! We made it to the museum. So many incredible artifacts are jam-packed into this space. There is a new Grand Egyptian Museum being constructed, with plans to open in 2020.
So many cool papyri that are either great stories, honey-do lists, or somewhere in-between.
Beautiful alabaster canopic jars that were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.
And this priceless artifact: Tutankhamun's death mask.
On to the Nile cruise. Flew down from Cairo to Luxor. Another option is to take the overnight train. In my area, the first cases of COVID19 were a couple that brought it back from a Nile cruise!
My dudes! These guys were hilarious. They rowed up to the cruise ship, tied off, and started hawking their wares. Mostly touristy clothes, table cloths, and such. They would negotiate price, then throw the item up onto the deck. Crew would collect money and hand off. They knew many languages.
Beautiful scenery. Many little sail boats (feluccas).
We took a ride on one to visit a Nubian village. The contrast between water, greenery on shore, and the sand dunes is amazing.
This is where the Nubian village mayor entertains his guests. We were served tea and some history.
Little crocodile babies are held in tanks until a little older. We didn't see any in the part of the Nile we cruised. Reportedly they're on the other side of the large dam in Aswan.
Bright and early wake up call for a sunrise balloon ride over Valley of the Kings.
Some heavy machinery there!
Loved watching the scenery go by. Children on the ground followed the balloons to their landing site, hoping to get some treats or cash.
Another stunning contrast between the Nile, fertile land, and desert.
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, who was a female pharaoh. All the depictions of her were styled to look like a man though.
The widely recognized symbol of the ankh = life.
Hieroglyphs at the temple in Karnak. What story do they tell?
The great Hypostyle Hall at the Karnak complex. Our awesome tour guide (Egyptian Robin Williams) explained some of the symbolism.
Cats everywhere. This one was such a ham.
Obelisks everywhere!
The Luxor temple is great to see at night!
Another perspective of the massive hieroglyphics and reliefs carved into the temples.
Uh, this wifi must be down .. not getting a signal.
Temple at Edfu on the west bank of the Nile. It is one of the best preserved. After a few temples, they just all blend together though.
