Better Beyond Cairo

Michelle and Craig’s thoughts:

Happy Halloween!!!

We are now at the end of our Egypt trip and it is time to reflect on our adventure in this country. Since leaving Cairo, the trip has been more relaxing. It started in the small village of Abu Simbel, where there were very few vendors and touts to harass us, and visiting the sites at a quiet time was a bonus. Then we went to Aswan and stayed at the Pyramisa Isis Island hotel which was a fantastic getaway from the hustle and bustle in the city. We had two days of relaxation by the pool and no early wake ups in order to visit a site (it’s always better to see the outdoor sites in the early morning or mid-afternoon to escape the heat and beating sun or try to). We always made sure we had down time in our trips to recover from baking in the sun all day. Being on the island was a wonderful treat and the people on the island were very nice and welcoming. When we wanted to do a little adventure in the city, we hopped on the complimentary hotel shuttle boat back to the main land. The ride itself on the Nile river was also a nice journey.

In Aswan, we visited the Aswan and High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae.
After two days of being lazy, we started our Nile Cruise excursion. We booked a 4days/3nights Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. We stopped at Kom Ombo and Edfu along the way. Our boat was called M/S Nile Dolphin, a 5 star deluxe cruise. It was a lovely boat and the staff were very attentive. The food from breakfast to dinner was scrumptious! No weight loss here!!! We had two guides during this time. We had Ali on the first two days and then Maria on the last days. They were very nice and informative.

As we sat in the sun deck and watched the scenery float by, we couldn’t help but imagine us being Pharaohs or Queens watching the lush vegetation with the harsh desert as its background and having servants asking if we needed anything. Yeah, dream on! Cruising on the Nile was magical and it was exciting to experience the sense of living history.

Our first stop along the Nile was Kom Ombo where we visited the Temple of Kom Ombo. The temple is dedicated to two gods- the falcon god, Horus and the crocodile god, Sobek. This is where we started to understand the meanings of the hieroglyphics, other than the ones from the guide books. The stories on the walls were amazing. We took plenty of pictures of the hieroglyphics!!

The next stop was Edfu where we visited the Temple of Horus. It is the largest and best preserved Ptolemaic temple in Egypt. The great thing about this visit was that we did it in the evening. The atmosphere was mystical. Spotlights on imposing structures and columns gave it a different life than the other temples we saw. It was breathtaking. Totally enjoyed the site!

The following morning we were in Luxor. Maria toured us around the Valley of Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon. The Valley of Kings is a burial ground for the pharaohs in the limestone hills. This is where Tutankhamun’s tomb was found. The paintings in the chambers and tombs were stunning. We were very grateful for Maria in explaining the symbolic meanings of the paintings. It is amazing to see the great lengths they used to assist the pharaohs in the afterlife. Unfortunately, since last November, photography in the area is not allowed. This was because, as in Cairo, the guards were demanding money to take pictures in the tombs. Maria said that there were so many complaints of the harassment that they imposed a no-photo ban in the area. It’s too bad that they can’t control the harassment, especially from a country that relies on tourism.

Hatshepsut Temple is huge and mind-boggling. Imbedded in the hills, it was very impressive.
In Luxor, we visited the Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. As all the temples we saw, they were both amazing to visit.

Oops, can’t write now because we have to rush off to the airport!!! Off to Tanzania!

Love,
Michelle and Craig