Well it’s been a while since I’ve written on my blog, so here’s the latest from my travel in the Middle East. More to come soon.
In November I decided to go to Southern Egypt to visit the Valley of the tombs and the various temples from Luxor to Aswan. I choose to do this via a Nile Cruise as this was the most common and easiest way to see everything. I wasn’t disappointed. However there was some drama, which occurred before I had even left for Egypt.
The airline I flew with (Kuwait Airways) emailed to say they were canceling all flights into Luxor just two weeks before the trip. The following day I then received an email saying they were now flying into Sohag (a new airport about a 3 hour drive away). In a few more days I received another email to say that the time of the return flight was now 5 hours earlier, meaning I would not be able to make it back in time after the completion of my tour. So I had to rebook on another airline at a much higher price, and got offered a small refund for cancelling the return flight and some money for the extra travel cost of getting to Luxor. After numerous emails, phone calls and visits to the head office I got my refund, but the experience meant that I will not be flying with that airline again. That was not quite the end of my troubles though. When I got to this new airport they did not have visa servicing so rather than getting a visa on arrival I had to wait in this area of the airport for over an hour while they decided whether I was able to enter the country or not. Finally my guide was able to help and said that we could pick one up in Luxor when we got there. Whew! All that aside I had a great trip.
After I got into Luxor I checked into my boat (5 star cruise ship but more like a 3/4 star N.Z. hotel). Certainly better than the accommodation I am used to. I visited the Luxor temple at night with my guide Mansour. The following day to conclude my Luxor segment I was taken to the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Queen Hatchepsut’s temple and Karnak temple. The temples were huge, especially Karnak temple, the largest in Egypt, taking 1300 years to build! Both built in the period 1400 BC. You could walk around them for hours and still not see everything. My guide was very helpful and was able to tell me about the meaning of the different symbols and purposes of the temples. He was also useful in giving me price guides for items in the shops and from street vendors, as bargaining comes in very handy.
The valley of the Queens and Kings were also a highlight, but unfortunately you were not able to take photos inside. I guess this would have slowed down the line of visitors, and perhaps the light of the cameras may have damaged the wall inscriptions. It’s amazing that the colour is still present after thousands of years, and learning about the stories that the images tell. I managed to buy a collection of photographs from one of the street sellers that covered the main tombs, including the tomb of Queen Nefertari. This tomb is one people were now not allowed to go in unless with special permission or a large cheque book. Arguably it is the most impressive tomb of them all.
Back on the boat, which had a top deck with a pool and sun loungers. Included in the cost of the trip were all meals. All buffet so many trips could be taken and were. I varied my time between my cabin and the top deck, but it was hard to socialize with others as most were older German or Russian tourists. I did meet up with a Canadian guy who lived in Qatar, and had his parents over on holiday. We all ate together and had drinks at night, but they had different guides to me. The following morning we made our way to Edfu.
At Edfu I traveled by horse and carriage with a western couple who lived in Saudi Arabia. There we went to see the temple dedicated to the falcon god Horus. Another impressive temple with slightly different features. This was built between 237 to 57 BC and is known as the best preserved temple in Egypt. A different guide was there to meet us, however it was very crowded and squashy inside so I was actually glad when we had seen everything there and it was time to go. All the ships worked on a similar schedule so you found the same people at each place.
After lunch we then sailed to Kom Ombo to see … another temple. This one dedicated to the crocodile god and to a form of the falcon god Horus. This one had a sacred well and a small pool nearby used to raise sacred crocodiles. Again a different guide, who had a lot of knowledge on the site and pointed out the interesting features. After this it was back on the boat for dinner then sailing to Aswan.
Aswan is a really nice city where up to 50 cruise ships dock. This made it crowded with tourists, but with many places to see, meant that everyone was well spread out. Aswan is famous for its building of the high dam. The dam dramatically changed the landscape of the region and caused many areas to become underwater, including temples. With the help of UNESCO these were cut and reassembled on dry land above the level of the water. When you see the size of the temples it is astonishing to think how it was done.
Also in Aswan I visited the unfinished Obelisk, and the Philae Temple (reached by a small ferry). Both sites were certainly worth seeing and gave more of an opportunity to see the landscape of the region. To finish the Aswan section of the trip off I also had a felucca boat sailing around the Aswan Islands. These boats powered by the wind are controlled by skilled teenagers, when they are finished their schooling years, or on weekends/holidays.
My last day of the trip involved a 3:30am start! I travelled via minivan to Abu Simbel. The two temples are considered to be the masterpiece of ancient Egypt that reflect the glory and grandeur of the new kingdom. Built by King Rameses II in 1300BC. The drive was crazy as the buses and minivans travel at over 120km/h on these uneven roads. They even pass each other going up to 140km/h in the process. So I was not surprised to hear about accidents in the area, including a crash that killed 8 American tourists on the 26th of December. After the trip it was another 3 hours back, then onto a train for 3 more hours, and then onto a plane for 2 hours before finally getting back. What a day, but what a trip. Action packed but with plenty of time relaxing. All up the tour cost around $600US so very good value for money as it included everything except entry tickets, souvenirs and tipping, another $200 or so. Just a reminder; everyone expects a tip in Egypt. Just make sure you look online to see what is expected.
Many people think of Egypt as just the pyramids, but in Cairo itself there are churches, mosques, the museum, carpet schools, papyrus factories, markets to explore and more. Also make sure that you get down south, as there is so much more to see and all very different. I guess the best way to see Egypt would be to fly into Cairo and spend 3 to 4 days there. Fly down to Luxor and take a 4-5 day cruise up the Nile River to Aswan and then drive to Abu Simbel. You can also cruise to Abu Simbel from Aswan but it costs quite a lot and takes 3 more days. After Abu Simbel you can fly from there or from Aswan to Cairo. Alternatively you could take the train back in an overnight sleeper. All up about 10-12 days.
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