Enchanting Egypt

Hello my habibis! My beloved and I returned a few days ago from Egypt. This was a first for both us, traveling as far as we did and to a middle eastern country. I think we were both a bit nervous about what to expect, especially given the current state of the world. Nothing prepared us for this experience and I doubt that what I have to say will fully encapsulate the awe that is Egypt.

There are so many wondrous sites to see in Egypt and we explored a lot of them. Here is a list of the places we visited – I think I remembered all of them.

• Egyptian Museum and the (new) Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
• Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphynx of Giza
• Salah El-Din Citadel and Mosque
• Saqqara with the Step Pyramid and Funerary Complex
• Dandara Temple
• Karnak Temple
• Luxor Temple
• Kom Ombo and the Crocodile Museum
• Valley of the Kings – including visiting the tomb of Tutankhamun
• Hatshepsut Temple
• Philae Temple
• Abu Simbel Temples
• Unfinished Obelisk

All the temples are extraordinary in their own way. When you look at the work that was done by these ancient people, you cannot help but to feel humbled and awe-struck. One of the interesting facts we learned was that many of the temples were defaced by conquering Romans and Coptic Christians. The temples in which little damage was done was due to the sand of the Nile River covering it up and thus, protecting the structures. Walking through many of the temples and the tombs at the Valley of the Kings, it felt like walking back in time because of how well-preserved they were. One can’t help but think that in our modern times, what, if anything, will still be standing 3000 to 5000 years from now.

One of the best parts of our trip was our Egyptologist, Hazem. In Egypt, people go to college to become Egyptologists. Hazem’s depth of knowledge about every place we visited was impressive to say the least! He also made it fun and interesting. You can tell how much he loves his country and its history by how passionate he is in sharing his knowledge in the way that he does. He spent a solid two weeks with us and he made every day enjoyable.

Our tour started in Cairo, then we flew to Luxor, where we got on the riverboat on the Nile. I love riverboat cruises for a number of reasons which include going to sleep comfortably in one place and waking up the next day in another. Our crew this time around was an all male crew due to Egyptian culture and religion. Hazem explained this to us prior to us getting on the boat. This did not make a difference to the experience on the boat at all. I think for some it’s easy to get stuck in our own Western standards and expectations, but for me, part of traveling is to set outside what I think is normal and keeping an open-mind to what’s normal in other parts of the world.

There were several times on the boat where we were immersed in Egyptian culture. Almost every meal included Egyptian food and the wine served was all from Egypt. One evening included a performance by Nubian dancers and accompanied by a Nubian band. One of the dancers pulled me out of the audience and led me in a dance which included balancing a stick on my head! Surprising myself and probably everyone else in attendance, I was able to pull it off. On another night, almost everyone came to dinner dressed in their galabeyas – a long “dress” that is worn by both men and women. On another evening, we were treated to a dance by a whirling dervish where he whirled for a solid six minutes. It was truly mesmerizing.

Some of the other place we visited (and spent a lot of money) included an alabaster store, a rug factory, a papyrus store and an aroma therapy store. At the alabaster store, we purchased a pink alabaster vase and some white alabaster goblets. We purchased two small silk rugs for our kitchen at the rug factory. I was able to watch the women do the silk thread work on rugs that they were working on as well as watch one of the men trim by hand the silk threads. I purchased a piece of artwork of Anubis as well as a large sheet of papyrus to attempt to do my own artwork on. At the aroma therapy store, we purchased some essential oils that are supposed to help muscle and bone aches as well as one that is supposed to help with sleep. Also purchased was their secret of the desert aroma to wear as a perfume. All of their scents and essential oils are made from natural sources from Egypt. (Thank you to Hazem for negotiating great prices for us on the alabaster and rugs, specifically!)

One of the evenings, we enjoyed high tea and finger foods at the Cataract Hotel in Aswan. This hotel plays a part in the book by Agatha Christie, A Death on the Nile, as well as the 1978 movie of the same name where part of that movie was filmed. This hotel was absolutely stunning and was built right next to the what had been the first cataract (rapid/waterfall) of the Nile River. That cataract no longer exists due to the building of the Abu Simbel dam to help with the flooding. We were able to enjoy the sunset along with great snacks and coffee.

I could write so much more about Egypt but I want to offer to you this suggestion. If you have ever considered going – please do what you can to go. I feel changed by this travel experience in ways I’ve never felt in any of the other places we have had the privilege to travel to. I was nervous prior to going because it was so different than any place we have been to before. Egypt welcomes tourists and they are proud of their culture and history. They rely on tourist dollars as an essential part of their economy. We never felt unsafe or unwelcomed by any of the people there. In fact, I would argue that many go out of their way to make you feel safe.

Simply put – Egypt is magical.

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