Dahab and the Red Sea

A brake was much needed after all the temples and street hassling. We were told by many people how great Dahab is for its diving and calm atmosphere, so we had long decided to end our Egypt travels in Dahab(located on the Sınaı pennısula). Expecting to only stay 2 or 3 days max we have ended up staying about 5 days. Since being here we have spent our days diving, relaxing at the restaurant lawn chairs, and hanging out with friends.

We did three diving trips-lighthouse, canyon and blue hole. Lighthouse is a site super close to our hostel and to be honest was pretty average for coral and fish. We were told to dive there because it’s a good and easy site to visit plus it’s a way for the dive masters to check our weights since there is so much salt in the red sea your buoyancy is higher. Although we were pretty unimpressed, it was still a fun dive and were lookıng foward to dıvıng at the other, more famous dıve sıtes.

The next day we drove about 15 minutes along the coast to canyon and blue hole. In the morning we dived at canyon which is a long narrow canyon ranging in depth from 18-50m. Most of the coral is dead because of all the tourism, but at the end of the dive we went down into this crack where we saw schools of fish. The canyon was impressive but would have been amazing to see it filled with coral, what a site that would have been. After a lunch break we suited up and walked into blue hole. This dive site is one of Dahab most famous site because of how incredibly blue the water is and how deep it goes, 160m. We started at the blue hole and continued along the cliff to the bells. Again, most of the coral is dead but the site and layout of the cliff is different then other dives.

Just before leaving Egypt, we spent our second to last night hiking up Mt. Sinai which stands 2285m above sea level. We left our hostel at about 10pm and drove two hours to the bottom of Mt. Sinai where we were greeted by a local guide. There are two paths which you can choose from to walk up Mt. Sinai. Our guide took us up Camels Path which is the longer route but much easier to walk in the night time. Although it is night time and very dark we were just two days short of the full moon so it was surprisingly bright out. The hike up takes about 2 hours but with several hours to kill before the sun rises we stopped at the little tea shops along the way and warmed our body’s in the warm huts. Just before arriving to the top, the camel’s path joined up with the Steps of Repentance and we had to walk up about 700 steps before arriving to the top. Once we made it to the top, Heather and I pulled out our sleeping bags and rented a wool blanket to keep ourselves warm. Cuddling trying to keep ourselves warm and out of the wind we rested for about at an hour and half till the sunrise. This hour and half was miserable, we were freezing and our toes were so cold they hurt to move. We started to ask ourselves why we choose to hike Mt. Sinai in the middle of the night, but once the sun started to rise we were so thankful we did. The sky was clear and the sunrise was brilliant, one of the best ones we have seen so far. It was awesome to ımagıne Moses receıvıng the 10 commandments at the top of thıs beautıful mountaın. After we greeted the sun, we gathered with the rest of the group and decided to take the Steps of Repentance down. This path is a bit shorter but tougher on the legs because there are 3750 steps down. These steps were built by a single monk in order to fulfill his pledge of penitence.
Once we arrived at the bottom we all piled back in the van and headed back to Dahab were I gather most everyone like us spent the day sleeping and recovering from our night hike. Although we only had a day or so left we simply relaxed, packed and prepared ourselves for our long travel day to Jerusalem, Israel.

Temples, Temples and more Temples

Before leaving Cairo on our overnight train to Aswan we booked a 5 nights 6 days package tour which would take us to several temples, ride on the Felucca up the Nile and end in Luxor. Excited from just seeing the pyramids and the Egyptian Museum we were super pumped to visit all the famous temples down in the Nile valley.

Our first stop was to Aswan's famous High Dam, which was completed in 1971. The construction of the Dam created Lake Nasser which is the world's largest artificial lake. The construction of the Dam was not cheep or easy since during the building process they noticed the water level rising which then forced the Egyptian government to send out an international plea for financial help to move the surrounding temples to higher ground. The UN and individual governments responded to this plea by funding the $36 million relocation effort. The method which was used to relocate the temples was by simply cutting the temples into pieces and then moves them to higher ground. After learning this I don't know how beneficial it was to create the dam in the first place.

The fist temple we visited was Temple of Isis which was originally built on Philae Island but is now located on Agilkia Island. Isis is a goddess of healer of children and wife of Osiris. It is said that Isis found her husbands heart on Philae after he was dismembered. This thus makes it the most sacred of Isis' homes.
After our afternoon sight visits we joined our Italian friends Omar and Stephano to dinner where we indulged in some falafels, shish kebabs and Egyptian sweets (baklava my favorite). It was early to bed since we had to be up at 3:30 to head out to Abu Simbel which is 297km outside of Aswan and 50 km from the Sudanese boarder.

The great Temple of Abu Simbel is dedicated to the god Ra-Hurakhti and built by Ramses II. However by looking at it you would never guess because four 22m tall statues of Ramses II sit at the entrance of the temple and eight more stands inside. Ramses II also had a temple built for his wife Nefertari which is called Temple of Hathor. The temple is dedicated to Hathor the young goddess of fertility and sky. This temple is one of the only temples in Egypt dedicated to a woman.

With two nights down and three more to go we spent two of the three nights on a felucca. Our felucca ride did not go according to plan which was very disappointing and frustrating but on the upside though the people on the felucca were great. We had so much fun hanging out with Katie, Ben and Simon from England and Veronica from France. Our trip on the Felucca was supposed to take us to Elephant and Kithneer Island which is across the Nile from Aswan. From there we were supposed to sail down to Kom Ombo and have dinner and visit it in the morning. The next day we were expected to sail from Kom Ombo to Edfu and visit Edfu in the morning. Well lets just say we never made it to Kom Ombo by felucca but instead drove to Kom Ombo and then to Edfu and finally to Luxor.

Day one we sailed across the Nile and just sat and watched the sun go down while we asked ourselves why we were not moving. Oh that's because the wind was to strong and the Nile police would come and tell us to dock. B...S....!!!! Right as the sun was setting we sailed for about an hour and then docked till morning. For day two we sailed most of the day but not all the way to Kom Ombo because it's better for our sleep to dock a few km outside where it's quite. Annoyed and frustrated we were left with little to do but enjoy each others company. I however felt myself getting sick with chills and high fever just wanting to be off the felucca. Still feeling sick by day three on the felucca we packed our bags hailed a min bus and all crammed in with other frustrated felucca passengers and visited Kom Ombo and Edfu.

Kom Ombo still standing in its original spot unlike the other two is a series of temples. The temple dates back to the Middle Kingdom and several rulers such as Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy XIII and Caesar Augustus have contributed something to this temple. Various parts of the temple are dedicated to different gods or goddess.

In Edfu we visited the Temple of Horus, whom is the son of Isis and Osiris and is recognized for his hawk head and is known for the guard against evil. This temple took almost 200 years to construct and is one of the last great Egyptian monuments. Several religious festivals were healed in honor of Horus at this temple.

With Kom Ombo and Edfu down we had a fully packed day of temples and valleys in Luxor waiting for us the next day. Exhausted and still getting the chills and fevers we decided to spend two days in Luxor instead of one which ended up breaking up the long sight seeing day. Needing to rest and sleep we took it easy for the night and morning. By the afternoon I managed to get enough strength to visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple.

Karnak Temple is amazing with its intricacy and proportions of pillars. Every major period of Egypt's ancient history is represented in this temple. The temple holds several shrines which are dedicated to the sun god Amun and his family. Another interesting think about Karnak Temple is it still has ancient mud brick scaffoldings which were used to erect the massive walls.

Luxor Temple which is located about five blocks from our wonderful hostel called Oasis, the temple was built around 1380 BCE by Amenhotep III. Other significant pharaohs such as Ramses II to Tutankhamun made there mark as well. Luxor Temple was meant to serve as a love nest for the gods and many couples would spend 24 days and nights in the sanctuary. Currently a Muslim temple is being built inside Luxor Temple.

While visiting these temples we spent our time walking around with our friend Kate whom just finished volunteering with Peace Core in Namibia. Discussing how I was feeling she suggested I get tested for malaria to be on the safe side. Heather and I decided to stop by some pharmacies on the way home to pick up a malaria test kit but since malaria is not common here we were sent to the hospital. Luckily our travel agent friends had plans to meet us for coffee and instead volunteered to take us to the hospital. Our visit was short, brief and interesting, come to find out they don't have the test and sent us to a lab doctor. With Mindu and Ramez by our sides they knew where to go and settled it out for us. I had my blood drawn tested and was expected to return at 10:30pm for my results. Well come to find out I don't have malaria but instead have Pharaohs revenge (travelers diarrhea) from the food on the felucca. Mindu says it happens all the time and laughed at me for not telling him I had diarrhea. But since I had just come from India where malaria is very prominent I thought I had malaria because no one else was sick off the boat. Oh well, it made for a fun adventure and Heather was such a trooper and good care taker.

With east bank down we were left visiting the west bank where the Valley of Kings and Queens are plus the Temple of Hatchebsot and Clossi of Memonon. First stop Valley of Kings has roughly 64 known tombs which were buried in the valley. We visited three of the 64 tombs. First we saw Ramses IV tomb which was used as a Byzantine church. Inside the tomb we saw lots of Coptic graffiti plus paintings which come from the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Gates. Next we visited Ramses IX tomb which features gold figures against a deep blue background. Inside the tomb they found Ramses IX's sarcophagus in a pit beyond the corridor. Finally we ended with Ramses I and his tomb has one of the shortest corridors in the valley which is said to be a reflection of his short rule. Inside his tomb the walls were painted with scenes of Ramses playing with the gods.

Form the valley of Kings we went to the Temple of Hatshepsut which is built in a three tiered form and stands tall against the sheer limestone cliffs in the background. Hatshepsut is the only female ruler to obtain the title of pharaoh after the death of her husband Thutmose II. She is said to have dressed up as a drag at times, which we thought was interesting.

Next to follow was the Valley of Queens which holds the burial place for the wives of the pharaohs and there children. It holds roughly 30 tombs and we visited two, Tomb of Titi and Tomb of Amonherkhepeshef. Inside the Tomb of Amonherkhepeshef laid a desiccated fetus which was displayed in a small case. It was impressive to see it in its perfect fetus form and has been well preserved. Both tombs were similar to the kings yet a bit smaller.

Before returning home after a very long hot morning we stopped to take pictures of the two statues known as Colossi of Memnon. These two magnificently tall statues are the only two things which remain of the largest temple dedicated to Amenhotep III.

Feeling better yet exhausted from all the sites we sat and had lunch before we headed out into the bazaar to do a quick shopping trip. Our shopping trip was short and brief because our bus to Dahab a waited. These past six days have flown by, its amazing to think of all the temples we visited but they have all been unique and one of a kind. However our time in Dahab will be a good break from the ancient Egyptian ruins. Red Sea here we come!!!

Cairo

I arrived at length at Cairo, mother of cities and seat of Pharaoh the tyrant, boundless in multitude of buildings, peerless in beauty and splendor, the meeting-place of comer and goer, the halting-place of feeble and mighty, whose throngs surge as waves of sea.


-Ibn Battuta, 14th Century globetrotter





Flying into Cairo, I was surprised by the vast desert that surronded the huge city. It was a bit shocking to be back on the road again, after a week in England, but was thrilled to see Toriann waiting for me outside of customs. We made our way to a taxi and somehow picked the one taxi driver that had a bone to pick with the security gaurd. After we threw our luggage in trunk, the security gaurd was practically in the car beating on the our driver. The driver was not phased though and drove away, leaving the gaurd, yelling, in the dust. Welcome to Egypt. :)


Honestly, I was so nervous to travel into Egypt. After the hectic, always hasseling, invading your space, crazy traffic of India, I thought Egypt would be even worse. And then two days before we were supposed to arrive, there was the bombing in the tourist market. But, so far, and not to jinx anything, Egypt has been a pleasant surprise. The men can still be assertive and foward, you still feel as if you are always being ripped off and everyone has a shop or expedition that they insist you must visit, but overall, our experience in Cairo was safe, pleasant and incredibly rich with amazing experiences.


Our first full day in Cairo, we arranged a private driver to take us to the great pyramids of Giza. We were driven straight to the 'Office of horse and camel to pyramids trip', where we met Mahmoud, a friendly Egyptian man who after much haggeling led us onto the pyramid grounds on Moses and MickeyMouse, our camels for the day. We spent about 3 hours wandering the huge area that surronds the 9 pyramids. There are 3 main pyramids, built for 3 pharaohs from the 4th dynasty-Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus. The three were a son-grandson trio who ruled in the 26th century BCE. The surronding six smaller pyramids were built for the wives and children of the pharoahs, and all 9 of the pyramids contain its own funery complex. When one of the rulers died, the mummified body was brought across the Nile by boat and placed to rest in the scared center of the pyramid. After taking in the immenseness of the pyramids, we climbed off Moses and Mickey, and entered into the largest of the pyrmids. It was largely disapointing, way too hot and claustraphobic, and steep. The small tunnel down into the pyramid led you to a small room, and then another tunnel back up into another small room. The rooms were all empty and although it was cool to be inside, that was about it. Everything from the pyramids had been removed and was now in the Egypt museum.


Next we rode to the nearby Sphinx. The Sphinx was so much smaller than I imagined, even though it is 80 mt long and 22 mt high. He looks pretty friendly, even with his missing nose and ear (which are in the British museum). The identity of the Sphinx is still debated, but Egyptian folklore says that he is half-human, half-tiger who protects the pyramids from theives....however, if that is his purpose, he seems to have done a pretty average job.


After completing our tour of the pyramids, we realized that riding a camel was not the most comfortable thing in the world, and realized we were both sore and stiff. But, no time to rest, we headed off with our driver to our next destination-Saqqara.


Saqqara is the home of the famous Step Pyramid of Zoser I. Built in 2630 BCE, it is the worlds oldest funerary momument and the inspiration for the pyramids. It was designed by the innovative architect Imhotep, who was not satisfied with a simple rectaungular design, but instead went with a stacked, layered look. The pyramid seemed to be under a lot of construction and about half of it was blocked off. Toriann and I decided to hike around to the back to take a look though and once out of sight of the gaurds was invited into the blocked off area by a local 'guide' He rushed us past the fence and down the stairs into the base of the pyramid (which is certainly not open for visitors!!) He then led us to see the statue of King Zoser I, hidden from visitor as well by construction barricades and a large stone with a small peep hole. It was amazing to see, so happy to break the rules, which we normally never do :), and see another side of Saqqara.


After Saqqara, we made our way back to the pyramids for a late lunch and then another camel ride to the top of a sandy hill to watch the sunset over the pyramids. It was a bit painful to get back on the camel, but we mastered the crazy camel gallop. Mahmoud, our friendly host, provided us with tea, sheesha, and a marriage propousal for Toriann, including 17 camels, 2 horses and 2 kilos of fruits. It was tempting for T, but since he already had 3 wives, she decided to say no...(she would rather have the first wife position). juuust kidding.


The next day we spent enjoying Cairo and the Egyptian museum. We had amazing coffee at one of Cairos famous coffee shops before spending a solid 3 or 4 hours in the museum. The museum is immense, one of the worlds greatest collection of artifacts, although the display is very average. According to Lonely Planet, the museum holds over 100k artifacts and if you spent 1 minute looking at each display, it would take you over nine months to work your way through the museum. Toriann and I loved the Tutankhaumans room and the jewelry rooms.


Our afternoon in Cairo was spent wondering around Islamic Cairo, visiting the Wikala mosques and the great bazaar of Khan al-Khalili.


Exhausted from walking so much of the city, we had a quick dinner at our favorite Fafafel place and headed to the train station for our overnight train to the south of Egypt-first stop Aswan.