Pyramids and sand

Trip Start Aug 24, 2008
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Trip End Aug 01, 2009


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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Egypt and King Tut April 11-16, 2009

Way back, when we were in Rarotonga, Cook Islands we found out about Best Way Travel from Elton and Eilsa, and we thought that it would be a good way to see Egypt. Egypt has had trouble off and on for years and has known violence and kidnapping of tourists. We wanted to be safe and so the best way to do that would be to do a guided tour. They would pick us up at the airport, tour us around, and take us back to the airport. It would be easy for us, safe, and we would see the sights as well. Everything was included except some meals.

The hotel we were stationed at was called Pyramid's View Hotel, and was definitely a few steps up in style and service than what we have been used to. The problem with this is that the services also cost more, way more. We needed to book rooms in Istanbul our next stop, and therefore needed to use the internet. The hotel had free wireless, and so we thought it was great that we could do our important business. The wireless was finicky and would not allow access to any email! It was as though it was blocked. We had no choice but to use the internet café in the courtyard which charged 60 Egyptian Pounds($12.00CAD) per hour!!! We were in an out of the way place, though close to the pyramids, it was mostly residential and nothing for services in the more normal price range. The water at the hotel was 10 pounds for 1.5 litres, and out on the street we could buy three of them for 5 pounds, so it cost six times the price at our hotel.

OK, enough bellyaching about the cost. As we drove into town from the airport our guide, Shareef told us many things about our upcoming tour as well as things about the city. He talked about the area we were about to enter being called Giza. Now where have I heard that before? We were very surprised to see all of a sudden, the pyramids right there, very close to us. True to the name of the hotel, we could see the pyramid's from our balconies. They were impressive on the skyline, some days there was a clear view and some days they were not there at all, obliterated by the smog in this city of 20 million. The traffic here is incredible. It is nothing to sit for hours in traffic, no wonder there is such pollution. Shareef told us about the lines on the road which mark the lanes for traffic. He said, "These lines are just decoration, so don't worry when the driver goes all over the road, he is professional!"

Our first job on the first day was to sleep. We had been awake since 1am to catch our 5:30am flight. It seems like we have done a lot of these kinds of flights, but we are used to the routine of sleeping for three or four hours and then getting up to explore the town.

The second day we went to the pyramids which Shareef called a miracle. There is no cement, no chemical to hold the blocks of stone together, and with the many earthquakes in Egypt it is amazing that they have held together all these years. The blocks of stone making up the base were massive, some weighing 14 tonnes! It is very deceiving until you are up close and can see the size of them. We saw the nearby Sphinx, and had a camel ride behind the pyramids. The kids did very well as the camel stood up and rocked them forward and backward straightening their legs from the lying down position.

We ate 'shwarma's' for lunch which is beef or chicken mixed with onion, spices and a few veggies and packed into a bun. It is a local favourite, cheap, and can be seen all around the city. It can be identified by the large vertical skewers of meat turning slowly around with heating elements in behind to cook the outer layers which are shaved off from time to time. We went to the Egyption museum which was a massive display of artifacts, some of which were 4,000 years old. There was a number of rooms dedicated to King Tut who was very young when he died, but whose tomb was found in tact. Most of King Tut's artefacts are in this museum including his very famous head dress. The museum was overwhelming but Shareef's knowledge of archaeology and history helped us to concentrate on the important parts. Luckily for us the belly dancing cruise on the Nile was booked up for tonight, so we were able to go home, we would take the cruise on Tuesday instead.

Our second day started early with a trip to Alexandria, north of Cairo and sitting on the Mediterranean Sea. The scenery between the two cities was filled with sand, interrupted by estates planted with grapes, bananas, or other crops. I was surprised to see that Alexandria was so run down. I don't know what it has looked like in the past but most buildings were in need of repair from cracking, peeling cement. The whole place was shades of brown, the palm trees were dying, brown or dead. I had heard that this city is a very beautiful place, but I did not find it to be. There was a lovely palace belonging to King Farouk who was later kicked out of the country for wasting the peoples money. Many people come to the city to escape the heat, and for this I am sure it would be an oasis. The dry heat of Cairo at 34 degrees was overwhelming for us when we ventured out to find a lunch spot. The water of the Mediterranean looked so wonderful with it's aqua coloured water. Our day went by quickly, and soon we were back on the road to Cairo, and our hotel.

The trip up the Nile with supper and a belly dancing show was a nice treat. The food was good, and I could not imagine trying to move body parts like the dancer did.
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