Egypt 2011
Map from Intrepid Travel
The oldest posts are at the bottom of the page.
October 23rd 2011
A serene moment
I had forgotten to mention in an earlier post, that there was another person staying at our hotel in Luxor (gasp!). His name is Lorenz and he is traveling by motorbike from Holland to Cape Town. Our hotel in Aswan is out of his budget, but we will all be on the same ferry tomorrow.
Speaking of this hotel... I am confused as to how we are staying here. This is an overland trip; budget travel. This hotel is not budget. Most of our hotels have been decent. Since we are in the Middle East and Africa, you can get a lot out of a hotel while paying less than the cost of a good meal in North America. This place was an exception. Our company must have gotten a very good deal because the posted nightly prices are as much as we normally spend in a week.
The rooms are great! The beds are comfy and warm. There is satellite tv (with channels only in French and German). There are glass windows between the showers and the beds, which may be fun if you came as a couple, but is a bit awkward when you are staying with three women.
Anyways, back to Aswan. They have great seafood here. Some of the best food I've had in Egypt. Today we waited to see how the visa situation would pan out. At around 6pm our fearless leaders came back with our visas and a $50 refund! Woohoo! It's off to Sudan we go!
This is my last night in Egypt. Time to move on to the next step of the dream!
Speaking of this hotel... I am confused as to how we are staying here. This is an overland trip; budget travel. This hotel is not budget. Most of our hotels have been decent. Since we are in the Middle East and Africa, you can get a lot out of a hotel while paying less than the cost of a good meal in North America. This place was an exception. Our company must have gotten a very good deal because the posted nightly prices are as much as we normally spend in a week.
The rooms are great! The beds are comfy and warm. There is satellite tv (with channels only in French and German). There are glass windows between the showers and the beds, which may be fun if you came as a couple, but is a bit awkward when you are staying with three women.
Anyways, back to Aswan. They have great seafood here. Some of the best food I've had in Egypt. Today we waited to see how the visa situation would pan out. At around 6pm our fearless leaders came back with our visas and a $50 refund! Woohoo! It's off to Sudan we go!
This is my last night in Egypt. Time to move on to the next step of the dream!
October 22nd 2011
Hello crocodile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Nubians are a group of people who moved here a long time ago from Kenya (way before it was called Kenya). They are much darker skinned than the average Egyptian. They have a traditional village on one of the islands. We spent the day there today.
We enjoyed some sailing time before and after the island. There are several protected areas, in the form of islands, in the middle of the Nile. As a result this is an amazing location for bird watching. There are so many species!
While approaching the islands, people rowed up next to our boat to try and sell us things. Young men swam up and held onto the edge while singing. Even in the middle of the water you cannot avoid the hassle.
The Nubian village is brightly painted. There are animals painted everywhere. We saw live crocodiles (they live in Lake Nasser). You could also buy stuffed crocodiles, which I found to be grotesque. There were lots of people making handmade crafts, including scarves.
We had dinner in a local home. It was so good! We realized that it was our first meal that had been prepared by a woman- all the restaurants we have been to have had a strictly male staff. After dinner our hostess did henna designs.
You can't sail on the Nile after dark, so our ride back was significantly shorter than out ride there. We didn't mind though, since we had a group meeting at 7pm and we were cutting it short! We were supposed to have a visa party to celebrate, since the visas were due to be processed today.
Sadly, that was not the case. Our leader was told by the embassy staff that 'imshalla' (god willing) our visas can be picked up tomorrow. Our truck left on the vehicle ferry two days ago, along with our money and our bags. So hopefully, god is very willing tomorrow.
This is Africa...
We enjoyed some sailing time before and after the island. There are several protected areas, in the form of islands, in the middle of the Nile. As a result this is an amazing location for bird watching. There are so many species!
While approaching the islands, people rowed up next to our boat to try and sell us things. Young men swam up and held onto the edge while singing. Even in the middle of the water you cannot avoid the hassle.
The Nubian village is brightly painted. There are animals painted everywhere. We saw live crocodiles (they live in Lake Nasser). You could also buy stuffed crocodiles, which I found to be grotesque. There were lots of people making handmade crafts, including scarves.
We had dinner in a local home. It was so good! We realized that it was our first meal that had been prepared by a woman- all the restaurants we have been to have had a strictly male staff. After dinner our hostess did henna designs.
You can't sail on the Nile after dark, so our ride back was significantly shorter than out ride there. We didn't mind though, since we had a group meeting at 7pm and we were cutting it short! We were supposed to have a visa party to celebrate, since the visas were due to be processed today.
Sadly, that was not the case. Our leader was told by the embassy staff that 'imshalla' (god willing) our visas can be picked up tomorrow. Our truck left on the vehicle ferry two days ago, along with our money and our bags. So hopefully, god is very willing tomorrow.
This is Africa...
October 21st, 2011
Enjoying a day on the Nile
We have two tour leaders (not to be confused with tour guides; they are here to make sure we don't get too lost or confused, not to make our food for us and take us on day trips). One of them left us a few days ago to go to Aswan. On Monday we are going to Sudan. At this point, less than half the group have Sudanese visas. At every attempt the statement of 'we don't give visas to Americans' rings in our ears. Seeing how the majority of people with Visas are Europeans, I
think Americans is a sweeping generalization for all English speaking white people. With less than five days before we are suppose to depart for Sudan, our tour leader collected our passports, money, and photos and went to Aswan to sort things out at the embassy. We'll see him when
we get to Aswan.
The point of my story (other than to say that Sudanese visas may be the most difficult to obtain!) is that half the people traveling in our truck have no passports with us as we drive from Luxor to Aswan. There are two routes that can be taken. The first follows the Nile and has dozens of police stops. The second goes through the desert and has no police stops, but it does have bandits. With our passport situation, the best plan was to not stop for any pee breaks and drive right through bandit land. Very exciting.
All was going well until we arrived at a surprise police checkpoint about half way along the desert road. The exchange went something like this:
'what country?'
- 'england' (the company is British, so that's our go to answer)
'where?'
- 'london'
'where?'
-'the queen! ... Tea time? .... David Beckham?'
'ah! Yes, yes! David Beckham'
Excellent. It seemed they understood. They asked for our passports and we handed them tover. The guard came back and said:
'Where is David Beckham's passport?'
Oh goodness. We might never get out of here!
Contrary to expectations, we did manage to get through the police stop. We arrived in Aswan shortly after that. It's a great city, lined with cruise ships, horse carriages and feluccas.
The felucca is a special sailboat that the Nile is famous for. We hired one and sailed around our area this afternoon. It was a great ride! There were tons of little islands; so much to see! A relaxing end to a long morning!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
think Americans is a sweeping generalization for all English speaking white people. With less than five days before we are suppose to depart for Sudan, our tour leader collected our passports, money, and photos and went to Aswan to sort things out at the embassy. We'll see him when
we get to Aswan.
The point of my story (other than to say that Sudanese visas may be the most difficult to obtain!) is that half the people traveling in our truck have no passports with us as we drive from Luxor to Aswan. There are two routes that can be taken. The first follows the Nile and has dozens of police stops. The second goes through the desert and has no police stops, but it does have bandits. With our passport situation, the best plan was to not stop for any pee breaks and drive right through bandit land. Very exciting.
All was going well until we arrived at a surprise police checkpoint about half way along the desert road. The exchange went something like this:
'what country?'
- 'england' (the company is British, so that's our go to answer)
'where?'
- 'london'
'where?'
-'the queen! ... Tea time? .... David Beckham?'
'ah! Yes, yes! David Beckham'
Excellent. It seemed they understood. They asked for our passports and we handed them tover. The guard came back and said:
'Where is David Beckham's passport?'
Oh goodness. We might never get out of here!
Contrary to expectations, we did manage to get through the police stop. We arrived in Aswan shortly after that. It's a great city, lined with cruise ships, horse carriages and feluccas.
The felucca is a special sailboat that the Nile is famous for. We hired one and sailed around our area this afternoon. It was a great ride! There were tons of little islands; so much to see! A relaxing end to a long morning!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 20th 2011
I am definitely a novelty!
A full sized reconstruction of the Valley of the Kings is being planned. The idea is to close the original version to everyone but high paying visitors in an attempt to preserve the area. So, better go visit the real deal while you still can! Until then, a selection of tombs is open at any given time. We visited the three best preserved tombs available today.
The most famous tomb, that of Tutankhamen costs extra to visit. We didn't bother to go. It is completely undecorated and is the smallest tomb in the area. As Tutankhamen only served as pharaoh for two years before his surprising death, there wasn't time for a proper tomb to be built for him. It is only famous as it was the second last tomb to be found in the area, and the most intact tomb ever found. That is to say, it was the only one that still had any treasure in it. Sadly, all the treasure is now in various museums, so the tomb is a small, empty, undecorated room.
The tombs that we visited were great! The artwork was so well preserved. Most of it was still colored with it's original paint, something that we rarely saw at the pyramids in Cairo. They had some really cool designs. My favorite was a three headed snake with legs and wings. The pharaoh had it drawn on his tomb walls so that it would protect him in the after life. If I was going to need protection a three headed winged snake would be it for sure!
The pyramids are very impressive from the outside, but plain inside. The Valley of the Kings looks like nothing from the outside, but the insides are remarkable. I much prefer the Valley of the Kings. It might actually be my favorite thing in Egypt (well, since I joined this trip in Cairo anyways). You're not allowed to bring cameras in, so you'll have to use your imaginations!
Next, we went to an alabaster factory. They take the rock and carve it into various statues, crockery, and toys. The items were great to look at, but far to heavy to ever consider bringing home.
On the opposite side of the mountain edging the Valley of the Kings is the Temple of Hatshepsut. It is giant! She ruled Ancient Egypt as a man, sending her stepson on a long quest to keep him away from the throne. She died of diabetes (how cool is it that they can tell that from mummies!) and her stepson then took over. He defaced her tomb and temple out of anger that the throne was kept from him for so long.
Finally, we took a boat trip across the Nile to get back to the east side where we were staying. In ancient Egypt they believed that the east bank was for the living and the west was for Goethe Rad. This is why all the tombs are on the west side. They also believed that every night one of the gods ate the sun, putting it to rest for night. They did not have a concept of the sun circling the earth. Instead they believed that a new sun was created every morning. Since they lacked the scientific perspective that we now have, the Ancient Egyptians used the idea of gods to explain the unexplainable.
My favorite stories are of the scarab and the jackal. The Egyptians named the jackal, The God of Mummification because the jackals were always the first animals to find the mummies once they had been buried. The Ancient Egyptians hoped that by putting images of the jackals on the walls the jackals would be happy and wouldn't eat the mummies. The scarab rolls dung and sand into giant balls. They are unisexual and deposit their eggs into the ball. The Ancient Egyptians watched this and came to the conclusion that the Scarab was re-creating itself from nothing. So, they made him a god and his image represents the sunrise.
The ride across the Nile was nice. It was shocking to see all the docked boats though, more than I had noticed the first time we had crossed. The Nile is cleaner, wider, and deeper here than in Cairo. I like it!
The funniest part of the day was when a large group of school girls came up to me at the temple. They all wanted a picture with me. I must have had my picture taken at least 30 times. I must be a really funny looking novelty based on how interested they were! The most interesting part was that the girls all ignored my travel companions and focused their attention on having photos taken with me. My group seems convinced that it was my hair color and age- who knows!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
The most famous tomb, that of Tutankhamen costs extra to visit. We didn't bother to go. It is completely undecorated and is the smallest tomb in the area. As Tutankhamen only served as pharaoh for two years before his surprising death, there wasn't time for a proper tomb to be built for him. It is only famous as it was the second last tomb to be found in the area, and the most intact tomb ever found. That is to say, it was the only one that still had any treasure in it. Sadly, all the treasure is now in various museums, so the tomb is a small, empty, undecorated room.
The tombs that we visited were great! The artwork was so well preserved. Most of it was still colored with it's original paint, something that we rarely saw at the pyramids in Cairo. They had some really cool designs. My favorite was a three headed snake with legs and wings. The pharaoh had it drawn on his tomb walls so that it would protect him in the after life. If I was going to need protection a three headed winged snake would be it for sure!
The pyramids are very impressive from the outside, but plain inside. The Valley of the Kings looks like nothing from the outside, but the insides are remarkable. I much prefer the Valley of the Kings. It might actually be my favorite thing in Egypt (well, since I joined this trip in Cairo anyways). You're not allowed to bring cameras in, so you'll have to use your imaginations!
Next, we went to an alabaster factory. They take the rock and carve it into various statues, crockery, and toys. The items were great to look at, but far to heavy to ever consider bringing home.
On the opposite side of the mountain edging the Valley of the Kings is the Temple of Hatshepsut. It is giant! She ruled Ancient Egypt as a man, sending her stepson on a long quest to keep him away from the throne. She died of diabetes (how cool is it that they can tell that from mummies!) and her stepson then took over. He defaced her tomb and temple out of anger that the throne was kept from him for so long.
Finally, we took a boat trip across the Nile to get back to the east side where we were staying. In ancient Egypt they believed that the east bank was for the living and the west was for Goethe Rad. This is why all the tombs are on the west side. They also believed that every night one of the gods ate the sun, putting it to rest for night. They did not have a concept of the sun circling the earth. Instead they believed that a new sun was created every morning. Since they lacked the scientific perspective that we now have, the Ancient Egyptians used the idea of gods to explain the unexplainable.
My favorite stories are of the scarab and the jackal. The Egyptians named the jackal, The God of Mummification because the jackals were always the first animals to find the mummies once they had been buried. The Ancient Egyptians hoped that by putting images of the jackals on the walls the jackals would be happy and wouldn't eat the mummies. The scarab rolls dung and sand into giant balls. They are unisexual and deposit their eggs into the ball. The Ancient Egyptians watched this and came to the conclusion that the Scarab was re-creating itself from nothing. So, they made him a god and his image represents the sunrise.
The ride across the Nile was nice. It was shocking to see all the docked boats though, more than I had noticed the first time we had crossed. The Nile is cleaner, wider, and deeper here than in Cairo. I like it!
The funniest part of the day was when a large group of school girls came up to me at the temple. They all wanted a picture with me. I must have had my picture taken at least 30 times. I must be a really funny looking novelty based on how interested they were! The most interesting part was that the girls all ignored my travel companions and focused their attention on having photos taken with me. My group seems convinced that it was my hair color and age- who knows!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 19th, 2011
Hieroglyphs in Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple is the main tourist attraction in the heart of Luxor. It was created as a temple to service the Gods. Interestingly, it was not built all at once. Various pharaohs built different sections. Despite this, the temple flows well and is an interesting visit.
The men selling souvenirs hustle hard. Really hard. Maybe it's the lack of tourists or maybe they always hustle this hard, but it's exhausting. It's my only real complaint about Egypt; if you're not being sexually harassed than you're being harassed into buying something. The sad part is there are a lot of cute things. I'm even tempted to buy some of them. However, the prospect of being hustled endlessly if I even show the vaguest interest eliminates all interest in purchasing. They need a new sales technique.
Our hotel is about a 30 minute walk from the downtown area. When we decided to head out for dinner walking through the dark streets of Luxor seemed uninviting, so we took the local form of transport- buses.
These are not your typical city buses. They are vans, without doors, that have four rows of four seats each. You hop on and off as you see fit for the price of 8 cents. Hopping on was easy enough, but as soon as we entered the bus every Egyptian got off. Oh well, must be a coincidence. On the way home the exact same thing happened. Now I'm less convinced that it wasn't a purposeful attempt to get away from us. If I hadn't showered right before dinner I might have been worried that we smelled...
The men selling souvenirs hustle hard. Really hard. Maybe it's the lack of tourists or maybe they always hustle this hard, but it's exhausting. It's my only real complaint about Egypt; if you're not being sexually harassed than you're being harassed into buying something. The sad part is there are a lot of cute things. I'm even tempted to buy some of them. However, the prospect of being hustled endlessly if I even show the vaguest interest eliminates all interest in purchasing. They need a new sales technique.
Our hotel is about a 30 minute walk from the downtown area. When we decided to head out for dinner walking through the dark streets of Luxor seemed uninviting, so we took the local form of transport- buses.
These are not your typical city buses. They are vans, without doors, that have four rows of four seats each. You hop on and off as you see fit for the price of 8 cents. Hopping on was easy enough, but as soon as we entered the bus every Egyptian got off. Oh well, must be a coincidence. On the way home the exact same thing happened. Now I'm less convinced that it wasn't a purposeful attempt to get away from us. If I hadn't showered right before dinner I might have been worried that we smelled...
October 18th 2011
Footprints...
Zoom! Today we drove from the last Oasis to Luxor. The drive was long, but the scenery was very nice. The desert is full of surprises!
Luxor is much cleaner and more touristy than Cairo. However, there is still barely no one here! There are thousands of cruise ships (they would be dwarfed in comparison to any NCL ship, but are much larger than a ferry) sitting in port. They would normally be packed full of tourists taking a Nile Cruise. 90% of Luxor's income comes from tourism. This is certainly not a successful year for them. However, if you're looking for the opportunity to experience Egypt in a way that would rarely be possible (no tourists, anywhere!) then it's time to book your trip. November to January has the best temperatures (not 40 degrees each day ). Come on people, make your move!
Luxor is much cleaner and more touristy than Cairo. However, there is still barely no one here! There are thousands of cruise ships (they would be dwarfed in comparison to any NCL ship, but are much larger than a ferry) sitting in port. They would normally be packed full of tourists taking a Nile Cruise. 90% of Luxor's income comes from tourism. This is certainly not a successful year for them. However, if you're looking for the opportunity to experience Egypt in a way that would rarely be possible (no tourists, anywhere!) then it's time to book your trip. November to January has the best temperatures (not 40 degrees each day ). Come on people, make your move!
October 17th 2011
Baby camels are so cute!!
Day 18,
Leaving our bush camp was bittersweet. It was one of my top three favorite places I've stayed so far (behind the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan and the Red Sea Beach camp in Egypt). However, a promise of better things to come was given, so we have to move on.
The promise panned out. There are four main oasis between Cairo and Luxor (by between I actually mean a big detouring loop into the desert; check out the map at the top of the page for a better idea). We visited them all, but are only staying in two. This is oasis number two. Daklara oasis is the biggest of the four oasis, but it is also the least visited since it juts way out into the desert. It was totally worth the journey.
As per usual, we are the only people at the hotel. The hotel has a personal hot springs (which meant no Egyptian men could kick us ladies out). We spent a good amount of the afternoon soaking. The hole that the water came from seemed to go down forever! It was warm, which was surprisingly refreshing given the extremely hot temperature outside.
In the afternoon a jeep came to collect us. They took us into the desert where a herd of camels were waiting for us. Camels have a reputation for being mean- really mean. The idea of walking into a group of 30 camels seemed daunting. We were told to choose our camels. I choose a cute white camel. Mounting up on the camel was surprisingly frightening. The way they stand up makes you feel like you are going to be pitched off the front, then pitched off the back, before you settle in the middle. It didn't take long before I realized that I was much higher up than anyone else in my group. It was a unique experience; being so short, I rarely (if ever) experience the sensation of being taller than anyone. It turns out that I had chosen the only male in the group. He was the father of all the babies in the group and the partner of all the other camels. I would choose the only alpha male in the group...
Speaking of baby camels, they are so adorable! They are dainty and sweet. As we rode through the desert the babies kept close by, often rubbing up against their parents (and by default us as riders). After a short time I ceased being surprised when a baby came nibbling on my pants. Overall, they did not live up to their mean reputation. They seemed more interested in licking us than spitting. Oh, but there was one exception. On more than one occasion my camel became unhappy that anyone was in front of him. Being the big strong man he was, he took a chunk out of the backside of the offender. I guess that's why you don't mess with the man of the herd!
Oh, and camels have really pretty eyelashes. Like, the kind most woman would die for. Lucky camels!
Leaving our bush camp was bittersweet. It was one of my top three favorite places I've stayed so far (behind the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan and the Red Sea Beach camp in Egypt). However, a promise of better things to come was given, so we have to move on.
The promise panned out. There are four main oasis between Cairo and Luxor (by between I actually mean a big detouring loop into the desert; check out the map at the top of the page for a better idea). We visited them all, but are only staying in two. This is oasis number two. Daklara oasis is the biggest of the four oasis, but it is also the least visited since it juts way out into the desert. It was totally worth the journey.
As per usual, we are the only people at the hotel. The hotel has a personal hot springs (which meant no Egyptian men could kick us ladies out). We spent a good amount of the afternoon soaking. The hole that the water came from seemed to go down forever! It was warm, which was surprisingly refreshing given the extremely hot temperature outside.
In the afternoon a jeep came to collect us. They took us into the desert where a herd of camels were waiting for us. Camels have a reputation for being mean- really mean. The idea of walking into a group of 30 camels seemed daunting. We were told to choose our camels. I choose a cute white camel. Mounting up on the camel was surprisingly frightening. The way they stand up makes you feel like you are going to be pitched off the front, then pitched off the back, before you settle in the middle. It didn't take long before I realized that I was much higher up than anyone else in my group. It was a unique experience; being so short, I rarely (if ever) experience the sensation of being taller than anyone. It turns out that I had chosen the only male in the group. He was the father of all the babies in the group and the partner of all the other camels. I would choose the only alpha male in the group...
Speaking of baby camels, they are so adorable! They are dainty and sweet. As we rode through the desert the babies kept close by, often rubbing up against their parents (and by default us as riders). After a short time I ceased being surprised when a baby came nibbling on my pants. Overall, they did not live up to their mean reputation. They seemed more interested in licking us than spitting. Oh, but there was one exception. On more than one occasion my camel became unhappy that anyone was in front of him. Being the big strong man he was, he took a chunk out of the backside of the offender. I guess that's why you don't mess with the man of the herd!
Oh, and camels have really pretty eyelashes. Like, the kind most woman would die for. Lucky camels!
October 16th 2011
White Desert National Park map
The white desert is stunning. There is no the way to describe it. It comes out nowhere, the landscape changing from rocky sand to white chalky stones. My favorite area was the mushroom shaped protrusions that stood erect in the ground. We bush camped in this area, setting up our tents and cooking supplies in the middle of the desert.
On the way to our camp we stopped at a site called Crystal Mountain. When we parked I wondered why we were bothering to stop at all. It looked like a rock with a hole in the middle- hardly interesting compared to the other things we had been doing. However, upon closer inspection the rock was completely different than expected. The entire formation is made out of Quartz crystals. The sand around the area is also crystalized. Very cool! It is shaped like a meteor- I have my suspicions that it may be Superman's house.
We had to make sure to lock everything away before going to bed. As soon as we disappeared into the tents the foxes came out. From the sounds of their cries, they really enjoyed our leftover dinner.
A note on bush camping. Not having a shower is a pain, but doable. Not having a toilet is more of a pain. When peeing one only has to find a suitable rock and do the deed. However, more solid waste needs to be buried. Needless to say, when you walk away from camp carrying a shovel, everyone knows where you're going.
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
On the way to our camp we stopped at a site called Crystal Mountain. When we parked I wondered why we were bothering to stop at all. It looked like a rock with a hole in the middle- hardly interesting compared to the other things we had been doing. However, upon closer inspection the rock was completely different than expected. The entire formation is made out of Quartz crystals. The sand around the area is also crystalized. Very cool! It is shaped like a meteor- I have my suspicions that it may be Superman's house.
We had to make sure to lock everything away before going to bed. As soon as we disappeared into the tents the foxes came out. From the sounds of their cries, they really enjoyed our leftover dinner.
A note on bush camping. Not having a shower is a pain, but doable. Not having a toilet is more of a pain. When peeing one only has to find a suitable rock and do the deed. However, more solid waste needs to be buried. Needless to say, when you walk away from camp carrying a shovel, everyone knows where you're going.
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 15th, 2011
Baharia Oasis
The flies are driving me nuts. If you sit in the shade they are all over you. If you go in the sun, there are no flies, but the 40 degree weather really fries you. At this point, becoming a human grilled cheese seems like the more desirable option. The only thing more annoying than the flies, are the local men. You can't swat them to make them leave you alone. I guess it doesn't pay to be the youngest and blondest member on the trip.
Now, onto the good. Today we left Cairo and drove to the Baharia Oasis. I can see how people think oasis are mirages; they seem to come out of no where. Driving along the desert the sand seems to go on forever. Then, a huge group of palm trees just seems to appear. The landscape changes instantly. The oasis are much bigger than I had expected. Entire towns are based in them. Certainly not the image of a few palm trees around a watering hole that I had in mind.
The oasis that we stopped at has tons of hot springs around it. They jet out into little concrete basins that have been constructed. Sadly, a woman can only go in them if no men want in. I was kicked out when a grumpy old man with a beard decided that he wanted a bath. It was nice while it lasts though!
A funny story for the day. Today, two people lost all their money and one lost her passport. All in the span of about two hours. You'll likely be surprised to know that I was not one of those people.
Camping in a desert oasis... Yup, still living the dream!
Now, onto the good. Today we left Cairo and drove to the Baharia Oasis. I can see how people think oasis are mirages; they seem to come out of no where. Driving along the desert the sand seems to go on forever. Then, a huge group of palm trees just seems to appear. The landscape changes instantly. The oasis are much bigger than I had expected. Entire towns are based in them. Certainly not the image of a few palm trees around a watering hole that I had in mind.
The oasis that we stopped at has tons of hot springs around it. They jet out into little concrete basins that have been constructed. Sadly, a woman can only go in them if no men want in. I was kicked out when a grumpy old man with a beard decided that he wanted a bath. It was nice while it lasts though!
A funny story for the day. Today, two people lost all their money and one lost her passport. All in the span of about two hours. You'll likely be surprised to know that I was not one of those people.
Camping in a desert oasis... Yup, still living the dream!
October 14th, 2011
My transportation!
Today was the first day that we saw our overland truck. It is huge!! In has everything we will need for our transcontinental trip across Africa, well, hopefully anyways!
We started driving through Cairo when two things occurred to me. Firstly, 90% of the building are unfinished. They have a half finished floor at the top of them. They are otherwise clearly habited buildings. Weird. Must be some sort of tax reason... Must do some research!
Secondly, most of the windows on the buildings are all different colors and materials. I am pretty sure that when you move into a new building it is a B.Y.O.W. scenario; Bring your own windows. It certainly makes for a neat way to decorate the otherwise drab buildings.
We went to three pyramid sites, Sakara, Memphis, and the more famous Giza Pyramids. They were each used in different eras of Egyptian history. Going into the pyramids is actually quite bizarre. You decent down a very narrow and short (and if I find it short then it must be really short) shaft into a narrow and low ceilinged room. There are a series of other shafts leading to additional rooms, depending on the complexity of the pyramid. They are very humid and give even those individuals who do not experience claustrophobia an uncomfortable feeling. Such was the idea, it was hoped that tomb robbers would be scared off. It rarely worked though, as most of the tombs that have been found have been almost completely stripped of their contents. Never the less, it was still a cool experience to go into the tombs and see how they were constructed. A word of advice- go while you're still young! The trip up and down the shafts were quite difficult for the majority of my group because you have to be hunched over so much.
The Sphinx was also really neat. It is huge and carved out of one piece of solid stone. It's features are still relatively well intact, which is amazing considering it is out in the open to the elements.
That's two of the New Wonders of the World seen! I really am living the dream!
We started driving through Cairo when two things occurred to me. Firstly, 90% of the building are unfinished. They have a half finished floor at the top of them. They are otherwise clearly habited buildings. Weird. Must be some sort of tax reason... Must do some research!
Secondly, most of the windows on the buildings are all different colors and materials. I am pretty sure that when you move into a new building it is a B.Y.O.W. scenario; Bring your own windows. It certainly makes for a neat way to decorate the otherwise drab buildings.
We went to three pyramid sites, Sakara, Memphis, and the more famous Giza Pyramids. They were each used in different eras of Egyptian history. Going into the pyramids is actually quite bizarre. You decent down a very narrow and short (and if I find it short then it must be really short) shaft into a narrow and low ceilinged room. There are a series of other shafts leading to additional rooms, depending on the complexity of the pyramid. They are very humid and give even those individuals who do not experience claustrophobia an uncomfortable feeling. Such was the idea, it was hoped that tomb robbers would be scared off. It rarely worked though, as most of the tombs that have been found have been almost completely stripped of their contents. Never the less, it was still a cool experience to go into the tombs and see how they were constructed. A word of advice- go while you're still young! The trip up and down the shafts were quite difficult for the majority of my group because you have to be hunched over so much.
The Sphinx was also really neat. It is huge and carved out of one piece of solid stone. It's features are still relatively well intact, which is amazing considering it is out in the open to the elements.
That's two of the New Wonders of the World seen! I really am living the dream!
October 13th, 2011
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Finally! I feel like I've been in Cairo for ages, and today, I finally went to the Egyptian Museum. The reviews I found online say it's very disorganized, however, recent renovations have brought major changes. Most items are labeled in French, English, and Arabic. There are zillions of artifacts, far more than you could ever expect to see in one day. Therefore, I focused on the remains of King Tut's tomb (the most intact tomb ever found) and the ancient Egyptian jewelry section. Very satisfying! It really helps to hire one of the guides or to have a good grasp on Egyptian history before heading in. Otherwise, it can be difficult to understand the full concepts and value of the pieces. The Egyptian Museum was the first time since I left Canada that I saw a good amount of tourists. There were tons of groups, speaking all different languages. There was also a lot of skin, people were wearing much less clothing than I'd realized that I'd grown accustomed to over the last three weeks.
Sadly, I lost my own group at some point, having got distracted by a gold chair. I had been trying to figure out how I could have my own pyramid filled with treasures and didn't notice my group leaving- oops! Thankfully, the museum was a block from our hotel, so I walked back. It was lunch time and I was going to go to a local sandwich place, but when I got back to the hotel to drop off my camera, the employees insisted I eat with them instead. It's was such an interesting contrast. Amid all the people trying so hard to hustle you in order to make a dollar, there are also people who genuinely want to share their culture with you. The difficult part is in differentiating between the two.
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
Sadly, I lost my own group at some point, having got distracted by a gold chair. I had been trying to figure out how I could have my own pyramid filled with treasures and didn't notice my group leaving- oops! Thankfully, the museum was a block from our hotel, so I walked back. It was lunch time and I was going to go to a local sandwich place, but when I got back to the hotel to drop off my camera, the employees insisted I eat with them instead. It's was such an interesting contrast. Amid all the people trying so hard to hustle you in order to make a dollar, there are also people who genuinely want to share their culture with you. The difficult part is in differentiating between the two.
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 12th, 2011
Today's the day! The first official day of my new tour. I went to the meeting room and met my whole group! Everyone seems relatively normal, which is important since we'll all be living closely together for the next two months...
We had an orientation meeting and then moved into our new rooms. The group went for a tour of downtown Cairo and then had dinner together. The meals came a few at a time over a hour long period. Our leaders taught us a saying to use when things just don't seem to be going as expected: 'this is Africa'.
Looks like this is the beginning of next part of living the dream!
We had an orientation meeting and then moved into our new rooms. The group went for a tour of downtown Cairo and then had dinner together. The meals came a few at a time over a hour long period. Our leaders taught us a saying to use when things just don't seem to be going as expected: 'this is Africa'.
Looks like this is the beginning of next part of living the dream!
October 11th, 2011
Today was hot. More hot than the normal 40 degree days. Oh, and my thighs hurt, like really hurt! Maybe riding Arabian horses is more difficult than I originally thought.... My body really needs some TLC. We decided a quiet day was needed so, off to the pool. The day was as simple as that- sitting by the pool, enjoying life.
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 10th, 2011
Arabian horse, 19 hands tall!!!!!!!!
Have you ever wondered where the trains go after the last stop? Well, read on and you'll find out!
We had planned to go ride horses at sunrise in the desert, but after the events of last night, the area was on curfew until 7am. Oh well, new plan! We went down to the subway and bought tickets to go to Giza (17cents- I love this place!). The waiting area for the Metro was packed with people. It was hot, uncomfortable, and loud. As the train arrived my American friend Beth and I entered a car. It was filled with women. Definitely the biggest group of well-dressed women I've ever seen in a casual setting. We were sitting in the ladies car! It was clean, air-conditioned, with tons of seating; a stark contrast to the men's car next door. I think this is an innovation that North America should seriously consider...
We took a cab from the metro station to the riding stables. It is a street filled with stables. Many horses were outside waiting. It was so sad, I've never seen such scrawny horses before, never mind so many in one places. Horses don't look good with their bones protruding...
Thankfully, our stable had well cared for horses. The horses were big, really big. They were certainly much healthier than their neighbors. My horse was named Lilly. When I was given her reins I was told that she was 'hot'. I thought they meant physically, turns out it was hot tempered. I had to hold her back the entire time to prevent her from running.
These were not your typical walk in a line horses. They wanted nothing more than to run around the desert at a gallop. And they sure did! It was exhilarating! We rode out of Cairo passing close by the pyramids. It was the ideal first glance at them. After an afternoon of riding our legs hurt terribly!
The signs in the metro are mostly in Arabic, making the way home a bit of a guessing game. Turns out, we made the wrong guess! After a few stops we realized that everyone had gotten off the train. Too bad our realization came a few seconds too late! The doors were locked and the train was speeding in the opposite direction. There was an emergency alarm, but it was locked in a glass box, with no way to break in. Finally, the train came to a dead stop for a few minutes. Just as we made our peace with being stuck in the metro forever, the train started heading back the way it came from. Short answer: after the train gets to the end of the tracks it turns around and goes back to where it came from. The poor thing doesn't even get a rest!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
We had planned to go ride horses at sunrise in the desert, but after the events of last night, the area was on curfew until 7am. Oh well, new plan! We went down to the subway and bought tickets to go to Giza (17cents- I love this place!). The waiting area for the Metro was packed with people. It was hot, uncomfortable, and loud. As the train arrived my American friend Beth and I entered a car. It was filled with women. Definitely the biggest group of well-dressed women I've ever seen in a casual setting. We were sitting in the ladies car! It was clean, air-conditioned, with tons of seating; a stark contrast to the men's car next door. I think this is an innovation that North America should seriously consider...
We took a cab from the metro station to the riding stables. It is a street filled with stables. Many horses were outside waiting. It was so sad, I've never seen such scrawny horses before, never mind so many in one places. Horses don't look good with their bones protruding...
Thankfully, our stable had well cared for horses. The horses were big, really big. They were certainly much healthier than their neighbors. My horse was named Lilly. When I was given her reins I was told that she was 'hot'. I thought they meant physically, turns out it was hot tempered. I had to hold her back the entire time to prevent her from running.
These were not your typical walk in a line horses. They wanted nothing more than to run around the desert at a gallop. And they sure did! It was exhilarating! We rode out of Cairo passing close by the pyramids. It was the ideal first glance at them. After an afternoon of riding our legs hurt terribly!
The signs in the metro are mostly in Arabic, making the way home a bit of a guessing game. Turns out, we made the wrong guess! After a few stops we realized that everyone had gotten off the train. Too bad our realization came a few seconds too late! The doors were locked and the train was speeding in the opposite direction. There was an emergency alarm, but it was locked in a glass box, with no way to break in. Finally, the train came to a dead stop for a few minutes. Just as we made our peace with being stuck in the metro forever, the train started heading back the way it came from. Short answer: after the train gets to the end of the tracks it turns around and goes back to where it came from. The poor thing doesn't even get a rest!
Living the dream folks, just living the dream!
October 9th, 2011
This morning I met two lovely Americans, Beth and Betsy. They will be joining me in the next part of my trip. We headed to the Kali al-Kalili market; the best market in Cairo. It is divided into several sections, including a tourist market, local market and slice market. We decided to go the more authentic route and hired a guide to take us through the local Egyptian market.
We traveled through the market, acquiring various souvenirs as we moved along. The local market (more casually known as the Egyptian Market) is where the items are hand crafted for sale in the tourist markets. Vendors in that area buy items in bulk from the Egyptian vendors to sell across the street to the tourists. However, most of the items have two qualities- tourist quality and local quality. The tourist items look nice, but when compared to the items that are crafted by the same individuals for sale to locals, the difference in quality is substantial. Ironically, the prices are quite similar even when the materials differ vastly. In a jewelry box crafting area we met a man who makes boxes for the tourist market using plastic and glass. He makes the same designs on his authentic boxes, using ebony, camel bone and mother of pearl. Side by side, the difference is unmissable. However, as he explained to us, 'tourists just want stuff to bring home, they don't care about the quality'. Hmmm... Maybe he is onto something there...
During out tour we also visited a pickling factory and a bakery. However, the most interesting stop of all was to a printing press. Walking around the room I came to the realization of what the pages being printed and stacked around me were. There was no mistaking the Koran. Now, that's an experience not many people can say they have had while shopping!
On our way home we bought Swarmas (nothing like a 15 cent sandwich to end the day on a high note).
Still just living the dream!
We traveled through the market, acquiring various souvenirs as we moved along. The local market (more casually known as the Egyptian Market) is where the items are hand crafted for sale in the tourist markets. Vendors in that area buy items in bulk from the Egyptian vendors to sell across the street to the tourists. However, most of the items have two qualities- tourist quality and local quality. The tourist items look nice, but when compared to the items that are crafted by the same individuals for sale to locals, the difference in quality is substantial. Ironically, the prices are quite similar even when the materials differ vastly. In a jewelry box crafting area we met a man who makes boxes for the tourist market using plastic and glass. He makes the same designs on his authentic boxes, using ebony, camel bone and mother of pearl. Side by side, the difference is unmissable. However, as he explained to us, 'tourists just want stuff to bring home, they don't care about the quality'. Hmmm... Maybe he is onto something there...
During out tour we also visited a pickling factory and a bakery. However, the most interesting stop of all was to a printing press. Walking around the room I came to the realization of what the pages being printed and stacked around me were. There was no mistaking the Koran. Now, that's an experience not many people can say they have had while shopping!
On our way home we bought Swarmas (nothing like a 15 cent sandwich to end the day on a high note).
Still just living the dream!
October 9th, 2011
Peaceful protest requires military response
First, a few thoughts on the drama that ensued tonight.
My hotel is located on Tahrir Square. As in the exact location of the riot. There was no better view of the action than from my 9th floor balcony. Peaceful protests were going on all morning, but by the evening things were getting more tense. Since the local reports of what occurred vary from the global ones, I will let you each come to your own conclusions as to the who and why of the situation. All that is important is that the military was present to keep the protest peaceful, but when someone decided to shoot into the crowd, things changed pretty quickly. The military scared people out the square to try and defuse the situation and arrested those who threatened further violence (and potentially a few unlucky people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time as well- the police vans were pretty full). A few police cars were lit on fire and the most dramatic part of the riot lasted about 15 minutes. I can promise you the stories of 'violence erupting all over Cairo' was a great over exaggeration. The whole thing happened in a circle significantly smaller than a football field.
Deadly protests and a city of 25 million people on a curfew until the morning. We're not in Canada anymore folks.
My hotel is located on Tahrir Square. As in the exact location of the riot. There was no better view of the action than from my 9th floor balcony. Peaceful protests were going on all morning, but by the evening things were getting more tense. Since the local reports of what occurred vary from the global ones, I will let you each come to your own conclusions as to the who and why of the situation. All that is important is that the military was present to keep the protest peaceful, but when someone decided to shoot into the crowd, things changed pretty quickly. The military scared people out the square to try and defuse the situation and arrested those who threatened further violence (and potentially a few unlucky people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time as well- the police vans were pretty full). A few police cars were lit on fire and the most dramatic part of the riot lasted about 15 minutes. I can promise you the stories of 'violence erupting all over Cairo' was a great over exaggeration. The whole thing happened in a circle significantly smaller than a football field.
Deadly protests and a city of 25 million people on a curfew until the morning. We're not in Canada anymore folks.
October 8th 2011
Just living the dream folks!
Today we drove across the Suez Canal. This means that I've officially left Asia and am now in Africa! Welcome to the land of lions, giraffes, and pyramids! Or... from what I can see outside my window as we drive... A whole lot of sand.
Since the revolution early this year, Egypt is a militarized state until the new government comes into power. Due to this, there are tons of checkpoints along the road. They are mostly run by 18 year old boys completing their mandatory military service. All I kept thinking was, if the tank blocking our way doesn't encourage everyone to take their passport out quickly, then the giant guns sure will!
Our hotel is right in the middle of downtown Cairo. Three words about sum it up Cairo- loud, crowded, and dirty. Very, very dirty. There are 25 million people living in Cairo and it shows. Thankfully, the food here is great, the Nile is pretty, and the people are kind, so it makes up for all the chaos. That being said, this is the first place that I've visited that I wouldn't be happy to live in forever.
As is usual on my trip, there isn't a cloud in the sky. The 38 degree weather feels hotter now that I’m in a very crowded city with very little humidity.
Tonight is my last night with my current tour group. I’ll be in Cairo on my own (actually one of the ladies on my next tour has already arrived and we are meeting up tomorrow) before I meet up with my over landing crew on Tuesday.
Since the revolution early this year, Egypt is a militarized state until the new government comes into power. Due to this, there are tons of checkpoints along the road. They are mostly run by 18 year old boys completing their mandatory military service. All I kept thinking was, if the tank blocking our way doesn't encourage everyone to take their passport out quickly, then the giant guns sure will!
Our hotel is right in the middle of downtown Cairo. Three words about sum it up Cairo- loud, crowded, and dirty. Very, very dirty. There are 25 million people living in Cairo and it shows. Thankfully, the food here is great, the Nile is pretty, and the people are kind, so it makes up for all the chaos. That being said, this is the first place that I've visited that I wouldn't be happy to live in forever.
As is usual on my trip, there isn't a cloud in the sky. The 38 degree weather feels hotter now that I’m in a very crowded city with very little humidity.
Tonight is my last night with my current tour group. I’ll be in Cairo on my own (actually one of the ladies on my next tour has already arrived and we are meeting up tomorrow) before I meet up with my over landing crew on Tuesday.
October 7th 2011
3750 stairs- oh boy!
Ouch! My feet hurt!
Today we went to the small town of St.Catherine, in the Sinai Peninsula. It seems to exist for the sole purpose of creating hotels for visitors to stay in while visiting the famed sights in the area
Here's a brief history: Moses came to the area with his people. He saw a burning bush (which is green and lovely in my photos), which told him to go to the top of the biggest mountain in Egypt to receive the Ten Commandments. Lucky for him, it was right next to the bush. Not so luckily, it was a long way back to the valley below!
Today, there are two ways up to the top of the mountain. You can either take a 2 hour camel right up a gently sloping trail or follow in the footsteps of Moses and hike right up the mountain. I thought if Moses could do it in his sandals then it should be no big deal. Wrong.
3750 steps, not including the numerous rocky outcrops. With an average of 30 stairs per storey in a building, that's the same as walking up a 125 story building. It is appropriately named the 3750 stairs of repentance. Taking the more adventurous route seemed even less of a good idea as we looked down the mountainside from about 500 stairs up. There were hundreds of camel riders taking the easier path and no one, not one person, aside from our little group of three, taking the stairs up.
We finally saw other humans again as we got to the top of the mountain- just in time for sunset. There was a group of Jewish Canadians at the top, who were praying as the sun went down. The only thing at the top of the mountain was a tiny church. I took a video from the top, which I will post once I have better internet access.
After the sun went down it was time to head down again. Walking down a rocky mountain in the dark is much harder then I expected. Without any serious injuries, we made it back to the bottom and straight into our beds for a good nights sleep!
Living the dream, folks, just living the dream.
Today we went to the small town of St.Catherine, in the Sinai Peninsula. It seems to exist for the sole purpose of creating hotels for visitors to stay in while visiting the famed sights in the area
Here's a brief history: Moses came to the area with his people. He saw a burning bush (which is green and lovely in my photos), which told him to go to the top of the biggest mountain in Egypt to receive the Ten Commandments. Lucky for him, it was right next to the bush. Not so luckily, it was a long way back to the valley below!
Today, there are two ways up to the top of the mountain. You can either take a 2 hour camel right up a gently sloping trail or follow in the footsteps of Moses and hike right up the mountain. I thought if Moses could do it in his sandals then it should be no big deal. Wrong.
3750 steps, not including the numerous rocky outcrops. With an average of 30 stairs per storey in a building, that's the same as walking up a 125 story building. It is appropriately named the 3750 stairs of repentance. Taking the more adventurous route seemed even less of a good idea as we looked down the mountainside from about 500 stairs up. There were hundreds of camel riders taking the easier path and no one, not one person, aside from our little group of three, taking the stairs up.
We finally saw other humans again as we got to the top of the mountain- just in time for sunset. There was a group of Jewish Canadians at the top, who were praying as the sun went down. The only thing at the top of the mountain was a tiny church. I took a video from the top, which I will post once I have better internet access.
After the sun went down it was time to head down again. Walking down a rocky mountain in the dark is much harder then I expected. Without any serious injuries, we made it back to the bottom and straight into our beds for a good nights sleep!
Living the dream, folks, just living the dream.
October 6th 2011
Can you name the signs?
Now, this is paradise. Welcome to Egypt! You'd be hard pressed to convince me that there is a better place then where I am right now. Sawa Beach Camp at the Red Sea rivals any resort I've stayed at and for a fraction of the cost. I got up at 5:30am (like most days here... Yes, I know... hard to believe) and got some great photos of the sunrise.
During the morning, my friend Mark and I went to a local diving club. We were required to sign up for an introductory course since we didn't have our dive licenses (I took my dive license in Cuba last year but I didn’t bring the certificate with me). The dive was supposed to last 30 minutes and allow us to swim to a depth of 6 meters, but it didn't take long to convince our teachers otherwise. After demonstrating that we knew how to work our dive equipment they let us go where ever we liked underwater. There were only 4 of us, Mark, the two teachers, and me. I lead the group from coral to coral, to a final depth of 22 meters-whoa! It was the best diving I've ever experienced. There were thousands of small and medium sized fish, of every color imaginable. There were even some huge fish swimming in the deeper areas. We saw a puffer fish the size of my head, which then blew himself up to twice that size. There were tons of rays sitting on the bottom and even some needle fish (my favourite!). The colors were bright and the water was so clear! It couldn't have been better.
On the way back to the dive school, our teacher treated us to some sugarcane juice, which we got to make ourselves. It was so good even though the green color was a bit off putting!!!
When we got back to our beach home another group of seven people had arrived. It was the perfect number for a game of volleyball! With more than half of the players coming from countries where they had never played volleyball before, it was quite the game! We played until the sunset and we could no longer see the ball.
Dinner was a traditional Middle Eastern meal, with one large rice, meat and veggie platter which we all shared. We had ordered it early in the morning, so it had slow cooked all day. It was awesome! One of the best meals so far!
Woo! This sure is awesome! It's hard to explain the feeling I get here. Perhaps a mix of a relaxing Caribbean vacation with the best view I've ever seen. The water is so turquoise it hardly seemed real.
We leave here tomorrow morning- time to start planning my next trip back! I certainly wouldn't be leaving here if I had the option.
Living the dream, folks, just living the dream.
During the morning, my friend Mark and I went to a local diving club. We were required to sign up for an introductory course since we didn't have our dive licenses (I took my dive license in Cuba last year but I didn’t bring the certificate with me). The dive was supposed to last 30 minutes and allow us to swim to a depth of 6 meters, but it didn't take long to convince our teachers otherwise. After demonstrating that we knew how to work our dive equipment they let us go where ever we liked underwater. There were only 4 of us, Mark, the two teachers, and me. I lead the group from coral to coral, to a final depth of 22 meters-whoa! It was the best diving I've ever experienced. There were thousands of small and medium sized fish, of every color imaginable. There were even some huge fish swimming in the deeper areas. We saw a puffer fish the size of my head, which then blew himself up to twice that size. There were tons of rays sitting on the bottom and even some needle fish (my favourite!). The colors were bright and the water was so clear! It couldn't have been better.
On the way back to the dive school, our teacher treated us to some sugarcane juice, which we got to make ourselves. It was so good even though the green color was a bit off putting!!!
When we got back to our beach home another group of seven people had arrived. It was the perfect number for a game of volleyball! With more than half of the players coming from countries where they had never played volleyball before, it was quite the game! We played until the sunset and we could no longer see the ball.
Dinner was a traditional Middle Eastern meal, with one large rice, meat and veggie platter which we all shared. We had ordered it early in the morning, so it had slow cooked all day. It was awesome! One of the best meals so far!
Woo! This sure is awesome! It's hard to explain the feeling I get here. Perhaps a mix of a relaxing Caribbean vacation with the best view I've ever seen. The water is so turquoise it hardly seemed real.
We leave here tomorrow morning- time to start planning my next trip back! I certainly wouldn't be leaving here if I had the option.
Living the dream, folks, just living the dream.
