Egypt 2020

DAY 1 - Departed for Egypt

This was our 15th trip with Gate1. Departed for Egypt on overnight flight via Egypt Air. No alcoholic drinks on their flights. We brought our own, which they allowed. There were several sick people on the flight very close to us, especially, the woman behind us, whom the crew called for a doctor to checkout. Pretty annoying, but we didn't catch anything.


DAY 2 - Arrived in Cairo

 Arrived in Cairo and took some pictures on the way to the Marriott. 

Zach lived in Cairo in the mid 80's when he worked at the American Embassy and lived at the Shepheard Hotel. It was Cathy's 1st visit.

Part of the Marriott was once a palace. Now it's decorated for Christmas, which comes January 7th here. Our 2nd Christmas! 

DAY 3 - The Giza Pyramids, Memphis & Sakkara

One the way to Giza, passed many unfinished buildings. Buildings are not taxed until they are completed.

1st visited the Pyramids of Giza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built during the 3rd and 4th dynasties of the Old Kingdom. These monumental undertakings stand as a marvelous testimony to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of the ancient Egyptians.

Went to the Great Pyramid, built for the Pharaoh Khufu,

as well as the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure.

Not far from the Pyramids, we visited the great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary statue with the head of a human and the body of a lion is amazingly carved out of one huge piece of limestone. It may be the most ancient of known structures in Egypt. 

The nose was not blown off by a Napoleon cannon, but was shot off by another group.

Next was Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, founded by King Menes around 3100 BC. It was mostly destroyed by the Persian.

 Now, it is an open-air museum highlighted by a giant statue of Ramses II, 

 and the 2nd largest known sphinx. This one made out of a single piece of alabaster.

We had a armed security guard, military and police escort everywhere we went. We felt very safe.

Lunch was a buffet at a local restaurant. Pretty good Egyptian food!

Sakkara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was only a few minutes away from lunch.

It's the site of hundreds of tombs, serving as the necropolis for the ancient capital, Memphis. We visited the Tomb of Kagemni 1st.

Then we walked to the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, considered to be the oldest pyramid in Egypt. This Pyramid has 6 "steps".

This restored tomb has the oldest known columns in Egypt. Parts have been restored.

In the distance, we could see more pyramids. There are over 130 known pyramids in the country. It is thought that less than half of Egyptian antiquities have been discovered.

End of the day, we visited a carpet school. Amazing work by the young people learning an ancient skill. 

DAY 4 - Flight to Luxor, Temples of Karnak & Luxor and Nile Cruise Embarkation

It's Christmas Eve in Egypt!  

We had to get up at 3am to have breakfast, drive to the airport and catch our early morning flight to Luxor.

We drove directly from the Luxor airport to visit the magnificent Karnak Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating back over 3,000 years.

We marveled at the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 massive sandstone columns. 

 The carvings on the two single piece alabaster obelisks were amazing.

 We did our three laps around the scarab for luck.

Walked around the Sacred Lake and were pretty much astounded by the magnificence of the work completed  at this Temple during 14 dynasties at Karnak.

From there we drove to check-in at our Nile River cruise ship the MS Esplanade. We were able to spend a few minutes on the Sun Deck of the ship before departing for Luxor Temple. Some interesting sights along the way to the Luxor Temple.

At Luxor Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we admired among many other things massive columns, statues and hieroglyphics, and more colossal statues of the great pharaoh Ramses II. 

Ramses II is everywhere!

Original paint.

After exploring this ancient structure during daylight, we were able to be there in the evening and see the Temple  in a "whole new light".

DAY 5 - Luxor West Bank; Valley of the Kings

Merry Christmas from Egypt!

After a 430am wake-up, we flew to Luxor. 

Upon arrival, we went to the Luxor West Bank. On the way to the Valley of the Kings, we saw many hot air balloons flying over the valley.

We began with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of Thebes and admire tombs of ancient Egypt's rulers. Rulers from 18 dynasties over 500 years are buried here. They were all built after the Giza Pyramids.

The 3 tombs we went to are not the best known, like Tut, but had the best preserved hieroglyphics. We 1st visited the tomb of Tausert/Setnakht.

Long passage!

From there we went to Ramses III,

then to Ramses IX.

We also watched some excavation of several sites.

After that we went to an alabaster factory where the work of forming the different pieces was all done by hand. We bought a few small things. Zach had to since it was rock related. 1st souvenir stuff we bought on this trip.

Next, we headed to the Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been restored with help from the Polish government. It's an amazing colonnaded structure surrounded by cliffs and built by Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's famous female ruler.  

The surrounding cliffs are also filled with small tombs.

We concluded the day with a stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep II. 

We returned to the ship early afternoon and started our cruise down the Nile.

Apparently, all the river ships start their cruise the same day because there were literally dozens of ships on the River.

 The scenery way beautiful!

"Pirates" tried to board the ship. Actually, vendors trying to sell stuff with a unique way of delivering their products and receiving payment. Throwing thing up while tied to a moving boat and receiving payment same way. It didn't always work. 

 Saw our 1st sunset on the River that night.

DAY 6 - Edfu Temples & Kom Ombo

That morning, we rode a buggy from the ship to the stunning Temple of Horus in Edfu. Interesting how the buggies, motor taxis and cars all share the same roads.

This is the best preserved of all the Egyptian temples with over 90% intact. It was built during the Ptolemaic times and was completed over a 180-year period. No wonder it took so long with hieroglyphics covering almost all of it. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris. 

Single piece of carved granite.

After lunch, we saw some more interesting sights from the ship on our way to our next destination.

In the afternoon, we toured the imposing Greco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Horus, the Sky God and Sobek, the Crocodile God. It was another dark time tour.

 Giving birth.

Then we went to the Crocodile Museum where mummified crocodiles are displayed.

That night on the ship was Egyptian dinner and Galabya Gala. We didn't wear one.

Day 7 - Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple, Felucca Ride and Aswan Market 

This morning, we drove through Aswan, an ancient frontier town, to the spectacular Aswan High Dam and Lake Nassar.

The cataract below the dam.

 The lock.

This engineering miracle when originally constructed in the 1960s by the Egyptians with the help of the Russians. The dam and lake brought an end to the Nile's devastating floods.

Egyptian-Russian High Dam Memorial.

From there we went to Philae Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Since it's on an island, we arrived by motorboat and marveled at the Temple's island location. 

When the High Dam wad built in the 1950s, the Temple was going to be under water, so the Egyptians moved the entire Temple to it's current location in only 4 years. Amazing!

Parts of the Temple were later used by the Christians for services.

Swarm of vendors outside of store.

Lotus flower.

In the afternoon, we went on a Felucca Ride, the traditional non motorized sailboat of Egypt used along the Nile. 

It was fun sailing down the river and catching the breeze while witnessing the beautiful scenery of the Nile Valley. 

Kids on board coming out to Felucca to sing and get tips.

We were experiencing the tranquility of the ride until our Felucca ran aground on some rocks and we were stuck. Then with the wind blowing the sails became tangled.

Our tour manager, Hossam is on the left and our security guard is to his right.

The crew went into the water to try to free the boat, to no avail. It took 2 motorboats to pull the Felucca off the rocks.

Then we had to transfer to one of the motorboats to get us back to the dock. Our one-hour trip lasted almost 2 hours and since the sun was setting it started to get cold, as typical in the desert after the sun goes down.

It was only a short walk back to our river cruiser. Then we rushed to go for a night walk through the Aswan market in order to be back in time for dinner.

 After dinner there was a Nubian show in the lounge.

DAY 8 - Disembarkation from ship and Abu Simbel

Another 430am wake-up. Disembarked from the ship with our bags after breakfast. Then an early morning bus ride, 3.5 hours from Aswan to the mighty Temple of Abu Simbel.

We stopped for a short break at a rest stop in the middle of the desert.

A short while later we passed 2 villages with no people that are part of a project yet to be completed.

Then we crossed the Tusca Canal which comes from Lake Nassar and is part of the same project, as the vacant villages. The project is to grow wheat and other crops in the desert.

Arrived at Abu Simbel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was reclaimed from the flood waters of the Aswan High Dam and totally reconstructed in the present location. It is one of the most recognizable ancient sites in Egypt along with the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx. 

The 2 Temples were carved out of solid rock which makes the reconstruction all the more impressive. 

A coffer dam was built to protect the site from the waters of Lake Nassar. The 2 Temples were cut into 73 thousand pieces with mostly hand saws to reduce damage to the stone. No piece was more than 30 tons. The pieces were stored and the new site was prepared 64 meters higher. The pieces were basically glued back together on the new site.

Outside the Great Temple we admired the colossal standing statues of Ramses II. As part of the authenticity, the piece that were broken we put back precisely in the same broken position.

Inside the Temple.

The key to the Temple door.

From there we proceed to the Temple of Hathor to view the murals with images of the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari. 

It was the most impressive site in all Egypt. Cannot tell that it was ever moved except for the hill that was built to cover it. It looks like it has always been there. It was well worth the 7 hour bus ride!

Before our return to Aswan, we had lunch at a local resort restaurant.

After that we did the 3.5 hour trip back to Aswan on the same road. At the same rest stop, we saw mirages on both sides of the road.

Back in Aswan, we rode the ferry, the only way, to our Mövenpick Hotel. Beautiful hotel and view from our room. Only problem, we checked-in at 5 pm and had to leave at 6am in the morning.

Stella Beer.

DAY 9 - Flight to Cairo and Coptic Cairo

This morning, after another early wake-up, we transferred to the airport for our flight back to Cairo.

Driving from the airport to Old Town we saw City of the Dead,

Roman Aqueduct,

truck with at least 15 people in bed,

and other interesting sights.

 

In Old Town, we walked to Abu Serga, known formally as Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church. This place has great significance as it is believed to be the spot where the Holy Family spent time during their journey in Egypt.

Saw the well the Holy Family used,

the actual floor they walked on,

and the cavern where they stayed for at least 3 months while they were in hiding.

 

Then we continued towards Ben Ezra synagogue, which is the reputed location of Moses' discovery as a baby. The hinge is a Masuza which is symbol at the entrance to Jewish Synagogues.

 

A footprint of Moses is encased underneath the granite alter in front.

In all of Egypt there are only 18 synagogues and 2 thousand Jewish families.

The door to Old Town.

Then we visited the famed Hanging Church, a place of Orthodox worship and one of the oldest churches in Egypt. The church’s roof is built of timber to resemble the interior of Noah’s Ark. It's called the Hanging Church because it has no foundation and is literally built into the wall of the fortress.

Later in the afternoon we arrived at our Marriott hotel. 

Then we walked to the  614 ft. tall Cairo Tower and rode the elevator to the top. The elevator only holds 8 or 9 people at a time including the operator. It's been the tallest structure in Egypt and North Africa for over 50 years.

 

DAY 10 - Cairo City Tour

On the way to the Citadel we passed some interesting sights, including Tahrir Square where the Arab Spring in 2011 in Egypt revolved around.

Toured the Saladin Citadel and Muhammed Ali Mosque. The Citadel is a medieval fortress in the center of Cairo. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its expansive views of the city, now contains museums and mosques. 

A catapult from Crusader days.

The Muhammad Ali Mosque.

Repairing a clock that never worked.

We visited Muhammed Ali Mosque outside and inside. Most of the Mosque is alabaster.

Mosque ceiling.

Stairs Iman climbs to read from Quran.

City view on hazy day.

Two other mosques side-by-side.

Palace of King. Under renovation, not open to public.

From there headed to the Egyptian Museum, a neoclassical style building located in Tahrir Square.

The museum houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. We thought the French and British stole a lot from the Egyptians, but, nothing compared to what is here. It would takes weeks to see everything in the Museum.

Ancient Felucca.

So many statues.

Saw so much. The Yuya and Thuya display was very interesting, included face masks, burial urns, chariot, mummies and ssarcophagus.

So many divines of the gods.

 

The King Tut display was amazing. The gold Sarcophagus were displayed in separate room that allowed no photos. The display of the other artifacts removed from his tomb was equally amazing. 

Tut's gold sarcophagus was within a sarcophagus,

 within a sarcophagus,

 within a sarcophagus,

 within a sarcophagus,

 within a sarcophagus,

within a sarcophagus,

All had to be disassemble, removed from his tomb, transported to the Museum and then reassembled.

Sarcophagus here, there and everywhere.

 Poor man sarcophagus.

 So many mummies.

Single piece Sycamore.

This statue is diorite which can only be cut with laser or diamond. Hmmm?

 This is original colors!

 

Check the eyes.

This small piece is the only known artifact from the great pyramid of Khufu.

The new museum is supposed to open in November this year. There is so much to be transported to the new museum this year. Seems like an almost impossible task to happen this year or even in the next 3 or 4 years.

After all that, we went to Carlo's Restaurant on the River and by far had the best meal of our trip.

Last walk along the River. We always felt safe walking by ourselves.

DAY 11, Monday - Depart Egypt

Long travel day home. Trip seemed twice as long as trip over. Had some excitement mid-flight, when a fight broke out between three women over seats, then 2 men joined in. The flight attendants calmed things down. Egypt air has nice new aircraft, Boeing 787, but there service is lacking. We were home before midnight. 

Another amazing Gate1 trip with an fantastic tour manager, Hossam!