Unlike most travellers to Egypt, atleast from India, we decided not to take the cruise. Some of the top cruises were sold out, plus in general my view was that these Nile cruiseships were not as luxurious as Ocean Liners, and I had heard that food could be a problem.
Day 1: We have an early morning Egypt Air flight to Cairo. It would be the first time I would step on African soil, and the first time Jyoti would be out of Asia.
Egypt Air was a little like Air India: a Govt owned behemoth that should be dismantled, but probably wont happen anytime soon. From Cairo airport, we took a connecting flight to Aswan (the gateway to Nubia, the southern part of Egypt) and checked into the hotel by the evening. There seemed to be few tourists in town: not many people visit Aswan and most of those who do are on the cruiseships. It was probably a good thing as we could experience an evening in a typical small Egyptian town. After asking a few people, we found a roadside eatery selling delicious falafel sandwiches. There was no nightlife to speak of in this sleepy little town and we called it an early day.
Day 2: We wake up an 4 am, in time for the minibus pickup for the trip to Abu Simbel. There is nothing to do or see in Abu Simbel except one thing, but what a magnificent site it is: Two massive rock temples on the banks of Lake Nasser, made in 13th Century BC to commemorate the victory of Pharaoh Ramesses II over Nubia. Since Abu Simbel is located close to the Sudan border, the travel from Aswan happens in a convoy protected by the Army. The drive itself is long (3 hrs+) and enchanting, witnessing the rising sun painting the barren desert of rock and sand in warm hues. We got there at around 8 am, as the statues of Ramses and his wife Neferteri glowed in the morning sun. It was very windy, and we wondered how intact these temples remain, facing the vagaries of nature. We then headed back to Aswan around lunch time and proceeded to the Aswan Dam, one of the crown jewels of Egypt. Built in the 1960s, the Dam has a significant impact on the economy and culture of Egypt.
In the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Philae, situated on an island on the Nile River. The temple was initially located further South, but was then relocated to Aswan. Aesthetically, this was probably the prettiest place we visited in Egypt, as the water around added so much to the charm of the place. Most of the rest of Egypt would rather be described as grand or imposing or awesome.
In the evening, we took a romantic "felluca" cruise on the Nile, a traditional wooden sailing boat, watching the sun go down over the nearby hills. This was time to contemplate the enormity of what we had seen and what lay ahead in store for us for the next few days.
Day 3: Edfu, Kom Ombo, onto Luxor
The car we had booked to take us to Luxor did not show up. We hitched a ride with a group of Americans, who lived in Istanbul and were visiting Egypt for a week. Having lived in NYC for 5 years and visited other parts of the US, I hit it off with the party. Our first stop enroute was the temple of Kom Ombo on the Nile. Part of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile God Sobek, the God of fertility and creator of the world. By now, we have been approached by many locals who first asked us if we were Indian, and then profess to know the Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan personally.
Like a lot of places around the globe which dont have much of a local film industry, seems Indian film stars are quite well liked in Egypt.
The next stop, further downstream on the Nile (the Nile flows south to north, so we were heading downstream as we headed North towards Luxor), was the town of Edfu, which housed the Temple of Horus (the Falcon headed God), the most well preserved of all temples in Egypt.
Once in Luxor, a nice clean city, with plenty of good hotels and restaurants, we first had lunch at a rooftop restaurant (the best hummus I had on the trip, and great coffee) and then headed to the Temple of Luxor during dusk, as the temple was brilliantly lit. It was built in 14th century BC, commissioned by King Amenhotep III, completed by Tutunkhanum and then added to by Ramses II. It was an awe inspiring experiene to walk along the central corridor of the temple, flanked on both sides by huge walls, tall statues and imposing columns and obelisks. After the Luxor visit, we visited a handicrafts emporium and bought some papyrus paintings depicting the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, and the Kings.
Day 4: Luxor
An action packed day (reasons later). We had booked a daytrip to the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. The Valley of the Kings is essentially a collection of tombs of various Egyptian Pharaohs. When you reach the site, all you first see is barren slopes. It is impossible to anticipate what is in store, as you enter a tomb and are enthralled by the finesse and color of 3000+ year old paintings on the wall and the ceilings. This is when it struck me that color was an integral part of Egyptian culture, which provided a much needed contrast to the barren desert. The paintings depict all kinds of Egyptian themes: the various Gods and Goddesses, Kings and Queens, death and the afterlife, birds, animals and fish etc. The corridors were long and deep and there was a lot of dust, but it certainly was a once in a lifetime experience.
As we were exiting one of the tombs, Jyoti twisted her foot. It was nasty. She would hobble through the rest of the trip. At one point, it crossed my mind to head back to India. But this was our honeymoon, she wasnt going to entertain that thought.
The next stop was Queen Hatshepshut temple, the only female Pharaoh in Egypt's history. This is where a good part of the song in "Singh is King" was shot. I had to explore the nooks and corners of this place alone as Jyoti could go only so far with her bad foot. After the temple, we visited the Valley of Queens, which has similar tombs but smaller and not se well preserved, and then the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Amenhotep III, built 3,500 years back.
Once back in Luxor, we headed to the Karnak Temple Complex, a vast mix of temples, chapels, pylons and other structures. It is the largest ancient religious site in the world. There was an overload of the tall, the huge, the heavy.. The temple was added to by various Pharaohs, for close to 1500 years. Unfortunately Jyoti couldnt see much of it.
In the evening, we decided to head to a rooftop bar. The problem: a place that was well recommended had no elevator. So I had to carry Jyoti in my arms for four flights of narrow steps. As we reached the top, the guys who had given us a ride to Luxor were having drinks, and I got a round of applause from them for the feat! We had a really good evening with these guys: they were all talented and very well traveled and had great stories to tell. Some of the guys had been to India or would be visiting soon, so there was a lot to talk about that as well. Later in the evening, we boarded the Abela Egypt, a luxury train from Luxor to Cairo. It really wasnt too luxurious and not much cheaper than a flight, makes sense to take it only if convenient.
Day 5: Cairo, the Pyramids
As the Abela express chugged Cairo in the am, we wondered how much we would be able to explore the city given Jyoti's injury. As with anyone visiting Egypt, the number one priority was to see the pyramids at Giza, the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world (more than 4500 years old) and we wanted to visit them on camelback. We had the hotel arrange everything for us: we took a cab to the camel camp, and then headed to the majestic, massive pyramids, three of them towering over some smaller ones: Khufu (the largest), Khafre (a touch smaller) and Menkaure (quite modest, comparatively speaking). Khufu is about 140 metres tall, weighs 5.9 million tonnes, its volume is 2.5 million cubic metres and is made up of 2.3 million blocks. If almost every superlative was applicable to a structure, it would be this. Its not pretty, its just a simple shape made of stone. There is no carving, no color, no gardens around it, its just a breathtaking masterpiece of engineering.
The camels could take us only so close to the pyramids, after which we had to walk over quite uneven ground. So I had to take Jyoti in my arms: it made for a good picture opportunity with these massive structures in the background.
The thing about these Egyptian monuments is that there really is no connection between ancient Egypt and modern Egypt: different religion, different culture. If you visit Istanbul, Bangkok, Agra or Rome, you see a continuity between the past and the present: none of that here. Cairo was in fact a dull city: we couldnt quite figure out why the houses were not painted from the outside, all cars looked more than 20 years old and traffic was bad. We were to go for a dinner cruise on the Nile that evening, but got stuck in traffic and had to head back to the hotel.
Day 6: Egyptian Museum, Khan-el-Khalili market, Nile Cruise
There was no way Jyoti could have walked around in the museum, so we did the next best thing and got her a wheelchair. There was so much to see and admire, but we decided to concentrate only on the Tutankhanum collection, the largest assimilation of objects every buried with a monarch, and arguably the richest archaeological find of all time. It wasnt that he was the greatest Pharaoh: in fact he died young and didnt get much of a shot at greatness. But just as plunderers in the medieval world destroyed many of the tombs at Luxor, his tomb was buried deep and escaped ravage.
After the King Tut collection, I went to the mummy room (Jyoti skipped it considering a sordid affair) which quite justifiably, had a seperate entrance fee. Quite amazing how to see how well (comparatively speaking) the bodies have been maintained. One is surprised to realize that these people were small in stature.
We then headed to the Khan-el-khalili market. Prospect of shopping gave Jyoti a burst of energy in her tired legs. Very touristy, haggling over prices a must, but great to just stroll around and look at things for sale: carpets, chandeliers, sculpture, alabaster, jewellery, leather, you name it, they got it. We bought a stone carved bust of a Pharaoh, as well as a set of four Canopic jars. (The Canopic jars, each having a lid as the head of one of the minor funerary deities known as the Four Sons of Horus, were used as containers to hold the internal organs of the deceased who was going to be mummified.
This evening we managed to reach our cruise ship on time. There was good entertainment on board: a live band, some belly dancing, whirling dervishes. But we spent more time on the upper deck enjoying the banks of the Nile. How central the river is to this land!! It made me think of the importance of Ganga in India, though there are other big rivers in India too who are revered.
Day 7: Alexandria
Time to leave the Egyptian monuments behind and explore a bit of Greece and Rome. The road from Egypt to Alexandria was very different from the others: there was a lot more vegetation, as one moved away from the Saharan desert and closer to the Mediterranean. Alexandria, founded in 4th Century BC, was the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt. Its lighthouse was one of the wonders of the ancient world, and its library the largest of the ancient world.
We first headed to the Roman Catacombs, also known as Kom al-Shofaqa, consisting of a multi level labyrinth, reached via a large spiral staircase, and featuring dozens of chambers adorned with pillars and statues. This was probably my first introduction to Roman architecture, and I soon made trips to Turkey and then Italy. We then headed to Pompeii;s pillar, a Roman triumphal column. It is about 100 feet tall and its shaft is made of a single piece of granite.
Our next stop was the Citadel of Qaitbay, situated at one end of the crescent shaped shore hugging the Mediterranean. The Citadel was about 500 years old and in good condition, but it was its location on the Mediterranean that made it a must visit place. The view from there was very similar to what you would get of the Queens's necklace from Nariman point, albeit with not so tall a skyline. As we then drove along the shore, I noticed one very important difference: the road was lined with lots of restaurants overlooking the sea. This is where Mumbai really hasnt capitalized: very few places to dine by the sea. We werent going to miss this opportunity, and we had a lazy late lunch before heading back to Cairo in the evening.
Days 8-11, Sharm el-Shaikh
The next morning we took a flight to Sharm el Shaikh, Egypt's best known beach resort in the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea, more particularly on the Gulf of Aqaba. We were staying at Sharks Bay Umbi diving village, located right on a small private beach. We were living in a Bedouin hut, and the deck provided a perfect view of the beach and the nearby Tiran Island. The hotel had its own house reef, full of colorful fishes, and a great beachside bar and restaurant. There was another beachside eating joint in the adjacent hotel, and we had all our lazy meals for these few days between these places: a lot of tahini and babbaganoush, some pizza and pasta, and a lot of different kinds of breads, some pretty close to the Naan back home.
Besides snorkeling a lot in the house reef, we made a snorkeling day trip which took us to nearby interesting places on the Gulf. One of the evenings, we did the ATV desert safari: it was awesome fun driving through the sandy desert, covered in the traditional headgear wrapped around all of the face but the eyes to avoid the sand. During the evening, we visited a local Bedouin encampment, where a lot of curios were on sale.
For New Year eve, we were at the beachside bar, providing us a glimpse of the live entertainment that the hotel had organized close by. It was a memorable way to ring in the new year: a nice bottle of wine by the beach, traditional middle eastern music and good food.
Notwithstanding Jyoti's injury, the trip still ended being great fun. It also ignited the passion in both of us to travel a lot more in the next few months, and explore more countries and cultures.
