Walk like an Egyptian

Well folks, we're four months behind with our blog!  Eeek!  For September & October (while we were on the Camino and then in London) we didn't have our computer with us so we couldn't access our pictures and then once we finally had our computer we didn't have the internet.  The good news is that we used the first two weeks in November to get drafts of our posts, so now that we have both our computer and the internet at our finger tips we should be able to get you caught up fairly quickly.  Without further ado, we're excited to present to you our Egypt adventure!


While on safari in Kenya we met an awesome couple, Todd & Sonya, who have traveled extensively and were currently living in South Africa.  We asked for recommendations for our third and final country in Africa and, upon discovering what a huge history nerd Brian is & hearing how he took on a monkey in China and survived, they suggested we go to ...(drum roll)... EGYPT.  They said the country was safer than in the past, but tourists were still steering clear and thus we'd basically have the sites to ourselves. So, we took their advice and headed to Egypt after our time with Njenga in Kenya.

During our 10 days in Egypt (July 10-20, 2014) we were in awe of the history & mysteries, annoyed by the hustles and hassles, and reminded that blessings can be curses. 

HISTORY & MYSTERIES

Every single day in Egypt we were visiting places we'd seen and read about in our history books - the Pyramids of Giza, the Nile River, the tomb of King Tut, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple.  It was incredible.  

And it was puzzling.  What our guides told us didn't always make sense.  For example, if the pyramids were built as tombs, why are there no hieroglyphs inside as there are in the other tombs we visited?  I like mysteries and can usually solve 'em, but these ones have me stumped.

HUSTLES & HASSLES

We were frequently told we weren't allowed to take photos.  What this meant in practice however is that we weren't permitted to take a picture without paying a bribe.  It was frustrating to see this hustle going on, especially since flash photography can actually damage some sites.  That was troubling to us.

The hustlers paled in comparison to the hasslers, however.  During our first few days in Egypt, the staff in our hotel warned us about hassles.  We thought they were talking about the bribes to get to take pics.  Wrong.  A hassle is when you agree on a price for something like a carriage ride and then when the ride is over the driver incessantly and meanly demands 10 times as much.  

A BLESSING & A CURSE

While it was pretty amazing to have  monuments and temples all to ourselves, at the same time we knew it came at a steep cost for the people of Egypt and that wasn't easy to stomach.  We saw countless vendor stands completely empty and those still trying to sell their souvenirs were so desperate for business that they were accepting any offers they received.  Following the Arab Spring, tourist numbers in Egypt have plummeted and considering we were there in summer we were seeing the lowest of the already low season.  We hope fortunes are reversed and the curse ends soon.

Papyrus paper!

Our group in front of the Great Pyramid in Giza. Nacho, Anwar, Luz, Kareem, and Mabel were awesome!

You don't realize how the great the Great Pyramid is until you stand next to the stones.  Do you see Brian?

Nacho & us coming out of the Great Pyramid. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside of the main chamber so you'll just have to trust us when we say it looked nothing like other Egyptian tombs we saw -- it was a room made of black stone and there weren't hieroglyphs anywhere!

Steph, Mabel, & Luz learning to walk like Egyptians.

Brian admiring the pyramids.

Steph pretending she's Godzilla.

Some of the mysteries.  Why is the stone grooved like that?  What was this door for? Why does it look like there were once columns around the pyramids?  

The Sphinx!

Some of our favorite pics from Giza.  The ones without Brian and I in them are taken from the roof of our hotel, Pyramids View Inn.

Steph looking at hieroglyphs in a tomb in Saqqara, City of the Dead.

Visiting coptic churches in old Cairo (including the one where Mary & Jesus hid from Herod).  After seeing him everywhere in Ethiopia, we were shocked to see pictures of St. George killing the dragon in Egypt too. 

Posing outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.  Again, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the museum.

Reminders of the recent revolution in downtown Cairo.  The tanks (which remained on with personnel inside) were parked outside of the museum and a couple hundred feet from Tahrir Square.  The burned building, also next to the museum and a couple hundred feet from Tahrir Square, was the headquarters for the National Demographic Party.

View of the Nile from Luxor, Egypt. No crocodiles, just a gringo & a Mexican.

The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt.  No pictures of the tombs were allowed (unless you were willing to pay a bribe), so you'll just have to take us at our word that we survived the curse of King Tut's tomb...

Scenes from the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

The Colossi of Memnon.

Karnak Temple Complex. Karnak is a mix of temples and other buildings. Outside of Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia, Karnak is the second largest ancient religious site in the world.  We especially liked finding the ancient graffiti and all the papyrus reed and lotus flower imagery.  

Luxor Temple (1400 BC).  Our guide told us that this temple, about a 10 minute drive from Karnak, was once part of the Karnak Temple Complex.  Whoa. The ancient road to Luxor Temple was lined with sphinxes and the statue of Ramses II was especially impressive (and Brian's favorite!).  We found the cartouche for Alexander the Great and also remnants from when the temple was occupied by the Roman government. 

Daily life in Egypt.  The largest variety of Kit-Kats we've ever seen. Getting groomed. Watching the World Cup in the middle of the street. Eating olive flavored Lays.