Well another holiday and another trip. Egypt was fantastic -so much to see and do besides the pyramids, which I wasn’t aware of. I had five days and was based in downtown Cairo. Three of the days were filled with activities on a private tour I booked. Had a driver, tour guide, accommodation and all transfers sorted before I left so no worries. All at a very reasonable price – around $600NZ, although this didn’t cover admission – another $200 or so. The slightly budget motel had only 15 rooms, therefore I got to socialise in the evenings with the other guests and owners. The motel also had breakfast included, but bread, jam and yoghurt doesn’t quite fill me up.
Cairo’s streets are madness. Three lanes turn into four as vehicles weave between each other, although I saw no accidents and it flowed amazingly well. The majority of the cars are small and very old (20-30years) – Fiat 1300’s, Pergoet 206’s and Lada’s which suit the type of driving of squeezing into tight spots. Surprisingly the streets weren’t full of people as I expected despite being right across from the Cairo museum in downtown. Maybe it was due to the ash cloud disruptions as even the tourist spots I visited were quieter than normal. I felt very safe the whole time as there were tourist police everywhere, and metal detectors at all the major sites. It was like being at the airport.
On the second day (first full day) I visited the pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara, as well as other stops on the way. Memphis was my first stop and the place was founded around 3,100 BC, At the site were Egyptian monuments, including an impressive 10 metre long limestone statue of King Ramses the 2nd. After that it was off to Sakkara, the place of the Bent Pyramid. This was the first building to take the pyramid form. There was also site where ceremonial acts were held. Next we stopped at a carpet school – a place where orphan children are taught to weave carpet in order to make a living. There are around 20 of these schools and was an amazing experience. The work was incredible with some carpets taking up to a year to complete and costing upwards of $25 000! The last stop for the day was at Giza – the sight of the famous three pyramids. They are so impressive and really make you wonder – HOW! Spent about an hour wandering around the site, hearing the guide tell about the myths and thought facts about them and then went inside the Great Pyramid. It was very cramped walking up to the burial chamber but worth the treck just to be inside the last remaining ancient wonders of the world.
The following day I was up and away by 6am heading up to Alexandria. There wasn’t much to see on the way but the seaside city itself was great – named after Alexander the Great. In the township were the catacombs of Kom El – Shokafa. These roman catacombs are underground down a spiral staircase in three tiers at a depth of 100 feet, and date from late first and early second century A.D. They are basically like a morgue where bodies of mummies were stored. After this we stopped at Pompeii’s pillar which was erected in 297 A.D in memory of the Roman Emperor. Next stop was the Alexandria Library – the biggest library in Africa. It was also a museum with many exhibits to see. We had an amazing seafood lunch, with fish cooked in a range of spices plus a seafood soup. Lastly I had a swim in the Mediterranean. The water was warm but no waves.
On my last full day I went across the road to the Egyptian Museum. What an amazing place. So much to see and so little time – 4 hours. Thousands of items, some still in fright containers with nowhere to go. The Tutankhamen Room was great as was the Mummies room, despite costing an extra $25 to enter. After that it was off to The Coptic Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, the first mosque built in Egypt and the Mohammad Ali mosque at the Citadel. These are Cairo’s lesser known attractions(compared with the Pyramids) but where so much history and culture stand. I also visited the Khan El Khalili bazaar to get a few last minute purchases.
Lastly I went to the Papyrus Institute – where they use the Papyrus plant to make a paper like material. This is very tough and can be screwed up or have water poured over it and still maintain its form. It is then painted with Egyptian designs or scenes of Egypt. I couldn’t resist buying a few of these to hang on my walls.
Well that’s about it – tried to make it brief but very hard to do. So much to see and do and so much more I could have done. I plan to go to the southern end of Egypt next year and visit the sites around Luxor and Aswan. One quarter left of school so the countdown is on until I return home for a couple of months. Bye for now.
