Monday 6th November
I landed in Egypt and was driven to the Ramses Hilton hotel right on the Nile River. I went up to my room with the bell boy who took me to the balcony of my room (I managed to get a presidential suite because all the regular rooms were booked) and asked if I could see the pyramids. I looked out at the city covered with a thick cloud of haze and though 'you've got to be kidding me...', but after a few looks, I squealed in delight when I spotted silhuettes of the pyramids in the distance.
I met up with the rest of the group and we decided to spend our first day exploring ourselves. I went with Elizabeth (Liz) to the Cairo Museum and spent a few hours there. We met with everyone else in the evening and went to see the Pyramids Sound & Light show. It was absolutely freezing out in the desert! Afterwards we all warmed up over delicious Egyptian cuisine at a nearby restaurant.
Tuesday 7th November
We set out today to see the pyramids of Giza: Kefren, Cheops (largest), and Mykerinus. We visited the Sphinx nearby and I went on a camel ride! It was a bit bumpy and I felt like the camel was lurching about but soon got the hang of it.
We visited a carpet school where there were young children learning how to craft carpets. Then onto Saqqara where we saw the step pyramid of Zoser. In the above collage you can see me standing next to a little pile of stones...I name that the 'miniature pyramid of Saz'.
Back at the hotel that night, Liz, Gillian and I had dinner at the Maharaja Restaurant. Delicious Indian cuisine =)
Wednesday 8th November
We went to the Cairo Museum and only had a few hours to browse. Luckily, Liz and I had covered alot when we went on our first day during our free time. We were unfortunately rushing through alot of the exhibits but we made sure we took our time in some of the more popular ones ie Tutankhamun.
We also visited the palace of Mohamed Ali (??) and the citadel of Salah-al-Din. Beautiful mosque. Afterwards, we ventured through some of the markets in Cairo where we were hassled at as tourists often are. It must have been amusing for the locals to see a group of foreign women wandering around on their own.
That evening we took the sleeping train to Aswan.
Thursday 9th November
Arriving in Aswan, we went directly to the jetty and hired a boat to take us down the river to the magnificent Philae Temple. We then headed back and reached our cruise ship - the Mirage 1. We had most meals onboard the ship and it was buffet style. For breakfasts I would enjoy the cold meats, cheese, bread and fruits. For lunch and dinner I would always start with a bowl of soup (the chef made the most fantastic soups!!!) and then have a few serves of the hot foods, then finish off with one or two more bowls of soup while everyone else had dessert. Liz and I always had a bottle of red wine waiting for us in the bar and the waiters learned quickly that we enjoyed a glass (or two) with every meal.
That night we enjoyed dinner in one of the local Egyptian's homes. Their family was so welcoming to us and their daughters shy and inquisitive. We headed back to the boat very content.
Friday 10th November
We had to get up at 4am to catch a plane to see the temple of Abu Simbel in Nubia. The temple of Hathor was next. We drove to see the Nile Dam and then flew back to Aswan. After lunch we went sailing on a felucca to visit a Nubian village down the Nile River.
Saturday 11th November
We rode in horse carriages to visit the temple of Edfu. We then returned to our cruise ship and spent the afternoon waiting to pass through the loch at Esna before we went to our cabins to get ready for 'Egyptian Night'. We rocked up to dinner wearing our traditional Egyptian cotton galabyas. The buffet consisted of traditional Egyptian dishes and all the cruise staff were dressed in their comfy attire that they normally wear at home. Festivities continued into the bar and lounge area upstairs where we were entertained with some traditional Egyptian music and dancing.
Sunday 12th November
We arrived in Luxor overnight on our cruise ship and in the morning we visited the Karnak temple and spent most of our day there because it is such a huge temple. There is the Giant Scarab Beetle here and the legend is that if you want children, you walk around it a certain number of times and make your wish.
At night we saw the Luxor Temple bathed in lights. If you looked up at the columns bathed in the warm red/orange glow from the lights, you could almost imagine yourself back in the past, standing in the open courtyard and looking up at the stars.
After dinner Liz and I headed to the bar for a night cap =P
Monday 13th November
We got up early (yet again) and sailed across the Nile in a boat named 'Golden Boat' to where we would embark our hot air balloon ride. The views were magnificent as we rose into the air just while the sun was rising in the distance. Absolutely breathtaking views. It was also heartbreaking to see the locals living in poverty when our balloon flew low enough for us to wave to the children.
to be continued...
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