Egypt

April 2013: Why'd we go? Who DOESN'T want to go to Egypt? Seriously, it's one of the best trips we've been on (the others are also on the continent of Africa). I think my jaw was on the floor for the majority of the trip. Just mind-blowing. We visited when tensions were getting high, but we didn't really feel unsafe at any point, and we left just in time.

highlights

. Pyramids . Luxor . Mt. Sinai . 

lowlights

. Sharm El Sheikh . Cairo . Overnight Train . Scams .

cairo

We flew into Cairo at around midnight, and weaved through downtown Cairo (which was INSANE) to get to our hotel in Giza. Luckily we had someone arrange a taxi for us. The next day we went to the tour desk at our hotel (Grand Pyramids Hotel...pretty nice, I'd recommend) and arranged a driver to take us up to the pyramids. I HIGHLY recommend arranging a tour or driver. Otherwise you'll have people LITERALLY JUMPING on your taxi as you drive up to the pyramids. Our driver helped us get our tickets, and then passed us off to a "buddy" who would take us around the pyramids. It's all a scam...we just decided to accept it for the sake of convenience. We got on a couple of horses and he took us all around the pyramids and Sphinx. We were even able to go down into a mini pyramid, or burial chamber. That was really cool (but not for you claustrophobes out there). We also climbed in and up the Great Pyramid to the burial chamber. There's not much in the room, but hey, you're in a 4000 year old pyramid! Pretty damn mind-blowing. After the pyramids, our driver tried to take us to a few of his "friends'" businesses (oils, jewelry), but after that we asked him to take us back to the hotel. Be firm with them that you don't want to go to these places, unless of course you're interested, which they will love! That night we hopped on an overnight train to Luxor. SKETCH. The train station is pretty sparse and creepy, and these trains just roll by, no lights in them, open windows, and people crammed in there just staring out at you. Our train was obviously a little better, and we had a private room with bunkbeds. It was tiny, but they served us dinner and at least we had a bed. Trevor was terrified of the turns, squeals, and many stops along the way, so we both didn't get any sleep really. But we made it safe and sound!

luxor

I don't think we really knew what to expect in Luxor, but it was absolutely incredible. We stayed in this great hotel right on the Nile called Piramisa Isis Luxor Resort. It was beautiful with a great pool area and bar, and they had 3 restaurants, but only one was open due to the lack of tourists. It's actually quite sad...Luxor is basically just agriculture and tourism, but with all the unrest happening, they aren't getting many tourists. It felt like we were the only people in that hotel, and it was such a great deal! That first day we relaxed by the pool, and took a sailboat around the Nile (there were many men in old sailboats just waiting for tourists to come and take a ride). So we sailed around, even stepped in the river, and stopped at this banana island, which was really cool. Our guide walked us around it, and then we had a little banana snack before getting back on the boat. The next day we went on a tour booked with Memphis Tours. They were excellent. I think there was a mixup (we waited around a long time that morning and had to call them), so they gave us a free horse-carriage ride that evening through Luxor, which was quite interesting. Anyways, this tour included the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, Karnak Temple, and another temple or two along the way. Our guide was amazing, and everywhere we went was just unbelievably stunning. Do NOT miss Luxor if you take a trip to Egypt. 

Sharm el sheikh

Our last stop was Sharm El Sheikh for some relaxation. And although we stayed at a beautiful hotel on the beach (Hilton Sharm Fayrouz Resort), the last thing we wanted to do was relax after being blown away for the last few days. We couldn't calm down! It was very touristy, and the food was just okay (plenty of options along the beach). We walked down the path along the beach one night, and felt like we'd seen it all. So we went to a tour desk on the beach and looked for something to do. Apparently you can climb up Mt. Sinai! So we booked it for that night (it was an overnight hike), then tried to sleep that day so we wouldn't be too wiped for the hike up (which did not work). Then we put on our warmest clothing (which was not much) and got picked up at our hotel. After driving around in a bus to pick up everyone else from their hotels, we finally made it to the base at around midnight. We then started our climb. It was pitch black, and the two of us had one flashlight to share. Along the way there were some steep drop offs and camels lying on the side. You can choose to ride a camel up part of the way. There were little shacks that we stopped at along the way, which sold chocolate bars and other light snacks to keep you going. We all huddled inside and tried to stay warm for a few minutes and rest. Near the top, the air was getting thinner, and the last bit of it is stairs. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath. And it was absolutely FREEZING at the top. People were up there selling blankets to rent (I jumped right on that scam), and there were shops and some food up there. But you really just go up to watch the sunrise. Which was INCREDIBLE. There is a little church up there which is said to have the stone where Moses wrote the ten commandments on. It was locked and you couldn't go inside. But that sunrise. I could (maybe) do it all again for that. Anyways, after enjoying the sunrise we huddled in a little shop, where a church group was praying (there were a lot of church groups up there), then we started the walk down. This time we took stairs (too dangerous to climb stairs in complete darkness....I get that), which means it took less time as that's the shorter route. It took us a couple hours to get back down to St. Catherine's Monastery, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the oldest working monastery in the world. After resting a bit, we got a tour of the monastery, which is said to have the site of the Burning of the Bush ("the bush" is still there...interpret this how you want). After the tour, we got back on the bus, and they took us to a buffet breakfast before heading back to Sharm. Needless to say, we passed out immediately after we got back that afternoon, and the rest of the trip was a blur. 

food and drink

I love Egyptian food. Try everything. My all time favourite is Kushari. It's a mix of lentils, rice, a few different types of pasta noodles, caramelized onion, some tomato sauce, and a few other ingredients. Pretty random, but it's so delicious. Then you've also got kababs, falafel, and bread. 

stories worth mentioning

1. Our flight over to Egypt was late and hectic, and we were worried about how to get to our hotel when we got there. It just so happens that sitting in front of us on the plane was one of Trevor's students, who was Egyptian, and going home for Spring Break. Turns out, his mom had a hookup. So we got picked up right off the plane, and taken to a lounge while someone else dealt with our passports and visas. So we sat drinking coffee and relaxed. Then they arranged a taxi for us to take to our hotel. That's what you call "wasta" in the Arabic world.

2. While touring around the pyramids on horses, our guide was clearly "experienced" in photography. He took us to all the "spots" and started directing our photos (ex. pretend to grab the top of the pyramid, now kiss, now face the pyramids, and turn around while holding each other). It was super weird and awkward and I definitely didn't look at those photos ever again (although I did add one below).

3. Our free horse carriage ride through Luxor was cool and hilarious. First of all, the horse whip kept whipping people in the back of the head as we rode by. No one seemed to think it weird, and just kept on walking. Then they took us through the Souq (market). If anyone has been to a souq, you know the paths around the shops are very narrow. So our carriage kept knocking into things hanging at every stand. I honestly don't know why and how they took us through there.

more pictures

This was such an incredible trip it was hard to choose which pictures to include, so I've added some down below.