Cruising the Nile

We are cruising the Nile for the next four days. We begin this journey in Luxor with a visit to Valley of the Kings and the Karnak and Luxor Temples. We are stopping in Edfu to see the Temple of Horus, going through the locks in Esna, a quick stop at the Kom Ombo Temple, and then we end in Aswan.

Photos from Hatshepsut and Valley of the Kings...

Pyramids

Just a quick post...we visited the pyramids!!

Egypt Museum & City Sights

Today, our first stop was the Egyptian Museum. This is one of the most visited places in Egypt and contains thousands of artifacts. Our tour guide for the day, Zezo, told us the history on a numer of specific pieces…but nowhere near a majority of the items. We saw sarcophagi, statues, sculptures, papyrus, and the highlight…the King Tut exhibit. (We also saw a famous actress touring with a guide and her mom (Gina Gerschon)).

The museum is amazing. The size of the sculptures is sometimes enormous and sometimes tiny (the only one of Cheops is 7.5 cm tall). King Tut’s mask and burial coffins were beautiful. There were tons and tons of burial coffins, an overwhelming amount. Some of them were wood with minimal writing, others were full of artwork, and some were gilded with gold.

The photos included here are the outside of the museum, no cameras are allowed inside.

We left the museum and headed to the Citadel. The Mohammed Ali Mosque is the large mosque within the Citadal walls. It is very large, heavily visiting by tourists, and the interior was very interesting. You can see the numerous domes as seen from the outside; the interior ceiling is painted a dark green that looks black and contains designs. At the top of each of the four pillars, there is a circle containing some Arabic writing. From the ceiling, hangs a large chandelier and ‘rings’ of lights that resemble candle lighting. This mosque is one that allows non-muslims to enter, but you must follow tradition and remove your shoes.

We then went to Old or Coptic Cairo. Here we visited two Christian churches; the Hanging Church and Church of St. George. Our guide explained that only about 20% of the people in Cairo are Christian.

Shopping at the Khan al-Khalili

Our first day in Cairo, Deb and I were on our own. We slept in (of course), had breakfast at the buffet, and then caught a taxi to the market…called the Khan al-Khalili.

This place is amazing…streets and streets and alleys of shops, storefronts, vendors, kids selling in the alleys…everything. Friday is a prayer day, and there was a large mosque at the entrance to the market. There were a number of men praying and the loud speakers were broadcasting the prayers for all to hear. The large posts in the front of the mosque open into coverings similar to a patio umbrella (see the photo).

When you first enter the market, it gives you a false idea of the street…that it is pretty open and walking seems okay. As you get deeper into the market and the smaller alleys, you feel like one of the cars…bumper to bumper and pushing to get through. It is very important to watch for carts, so your toes do not get run over. The market provides an opportunity to buy anything! We tried to buy some local items and things that would make good gifts. We bought scarves, wooded boxes, papyrus art, and some practical items…a simm card for the cell phone and water. The people all try to get you to buy from them; I think they know we will pay more than the locals. It is customary to bargain or haggle over the price. We did pretty good, but still know we are paying more that the locals.

The experience is amazing, but definitely overwhelming.

We got a taxi back to the hotel, relaxed for a while, and then had dinner. The restaurants in the hotel provide American type food, so we had steak and shrimp for dinner. Tea and coffee are very common here, and very good. Deb enjoyed a glass of red wine, as it is not something she gets in Libya.

Arriving in Cairo

I arrived at the Cairo airport around 7:30 at night. My tour guide was right there when I got off the plane and was so helpful in getting my visa and through customs. We had a driver waiting and it was off to the streets of Cairo. I had been warned that this was a big city and that traffic was bad, but the statement and living through it are two different things. The roads are packed with cars, buses, trucks, pedestrians, livestock, and more. Some streets have striping for the lanes, but it is more of a recommendation and lanes are not actually used. Driving involves weaving in and out of cars and getting where you need to go in whatever manner it takes. People drive with one hand on the wheel and the other alternates from the highbeams to the horn…flashing and honking are common place, with an occasional blinker used. Pedestrians cross anywhere and everywhere with little care for the cars or the speed; it seems pretty dangerous, but eveyone does it, the men, the women, and the kids. Our American ways of four to a car and seatbelts, does not apply. You see four, five, six people to a car, kids sitting on moms’ lap, backseat and front. Donkeys pull food carts. Horses pull carriages. Families ride motorcycles…yes, even a family of four. Bumper to bumper cars is a daily occurrence. Arriving at the hotel was a happy event.

Cairo via Paris

I am off to Egypt to meet Deb and go sightseeing. My layover is in Paris...so here I sit at the airport, updating this blog. The weather here is cold and rainy and 2 degress (C that is). I'm expecting Cairo to be about 75 degrees F...so big change from one city to the next.
Looking forward to a great trip. If we have internet access, I will update the blog and try to include some photos.