Legendary Sights of Egypt in Eight Days

Egypt was not originally on our radar for this trip. From Malta we had planned to go to Sicily. The weather in southern Italy was looking grim, so ten days before departure we made a 180 and decided to head to Egypt.

Normally we are independent travellers, doing our own planning and logistics. With only ten days to get organized, we opted for a private guided tour. It was a fast and furious itinerary, hitting the legendary sites of ancient Egypt in only eight days.

Cairo and the Great Pyramids

We started in Cairo, a city of over 20 million people. The first thing we noticed was that driving is a death defying sport. Trying to cross a street was next to impossible. Two lane streets became multiple lanes and there was the occasional genius driving their tuk-tuk against motorway traffic in order to escape a traffic ticket. Mixed in with the traffic madness were tiny bedraggled donkeys pulling large unstable loads; stray dogs patrolled most streets. The call for prayer competed with the sound of impatient drivers laying on their horns. It was a scene from another era and added to the ambience of a new adventure. 

The tour started with the evening Sound & Light Show at the pyramids. There was seating for about 5,000. There was no more than 300 people the night we attended. According to our guide, before Covid all of the seats would be full for six shows per night. The next morning the Pyramids were no more crowded. We were glad to be able to see Egypt without the crowds.

Day two started with a cup of mint tea at the 700-year-old El Fishawi teahouse in the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. It was early morning so the Bazaar was nearly deserted, the calm broken only by two waiters at the next teahouse having a fistfight. Our guide quickly hustled us off to the nearby Islamic neighbourhood to explore ancient mosques and see the old streets come to life.

Our Cairo experience wrapped up at the Egyptian Museum. Except for King Tut’s 110 kg solid gold coffin, most of the flagship items have been moved to a new state-of-the-art museum. Only the “second-tier” items remain. Those so-called second-tier artifacts would be a star attraction at any other museum in the world.

The Nile

Four a.m. the next morning we were enroute to Cairo airport for a flight to Aswan. The first stop in Aswan was the High Dam. The dam is heavily guarded by the army. No cameras are allowed. Curiously they allow photos with cell phones. Apparently they haven’t seen Apple’s ads for the iPhone 13.

From Aswan we took a relaxing three day cruise down the Nile. We were hesitant to cruise. To minimize the risks we splurged on a cabin with a balcony so we could stay in the open air and avoid too many people. (We were the most anti-social cruisers ever.) Sitting on the balcony watching life unfold along the Nile was a welcome change from the noise and chaos of the city.

The days were punctuated with trips to temples along the banks of the Nile. In our Malta post we commented how little unknowledgeable people (like us) understand and appreciate archaeological ruins. Not so this time. Our guide was great. Instead of dry historical facts, he regaled us with stories of the sex lives of the mythological Gods worshipped by the ancient people, and soap-opera like tales of the Kings and Queens of Egypt. A lot more fun – and memorable.

Luxor

The Great Pyramids of Giza may be Egypt’s most iconic attraction, but Luxor is the real star. Three thousand years ago Thebes (as Luxor was then known) was the capital of Egypt. Every King and Queen tried to outdo their predecessor with bigger and more elaborate temples and tombs. Temples for the living on the east bank of the Nile; tombs for the afterlife on the west bank.

A highlight of the trip was a sunrise balloon ride over the the Valley of Kings, where lavishly adorned tombs for the Kings (and two Queens) were dug into the mountains. There are 64 tombs, but only a few are open to the public. The most famous tomb is King Tut’s. As awe-inspiring as it is, it is the least impressive of the tombs. King Tut died as a teenager before his tomb could be properly prepared. Most tombs are much larger and more elaborate. It is surreal to see the colourful painted rock walls still as vibrant as if they were just painted yesterday.

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