I thought initially there is no way that I can write about Egypt now. More and more people are questioning whether it is a safe travel destination. The plane crash in Sinai isn't the first time terrorism has rocked this country, specifically the tourism trade that supports thousands of Egyptians.
But, then I changed my mind. Of course I will write about our time in Egypt. It was one of the most incredible weeks of my life. I will not let fear keep me from traveling and I will not let terrorists keep me from sharing some photographs and stories of our time there. The last thing I want to do is offend anyone, but I think writing about Egypt is the right thing to do, especially in this situation. So, on to our next stop.
We started the day in Hurghada, then took a flight to Cairo to visit the Egyptian Museum and the Great Pyramids. The end of our whirlwind day involved another flight on EgyptAir to Upper Egypt and the city of Luxor.
Egypt Tours Portal arranged dinner and the a horse carriage ride for us that evening. After a quick check in to the hotel we were whisked away to dinner. You can imagine that we were both exhausted at this point. Then, when I saw how skinny the horse was, we almost declined the carriage ride back to the hotel.
I'm glad that we didn't. It was the most surreal experience, but I wouldn't have missed it. We were taken through the streets of the local neighborhood market. There wasn't a tourist in sight. Everyone was just going about their daily life. It was slightly embarrassing for the two of us to be barging through sitting in the back in this carriage. We couldn't have been more out of place, but it was so interesting to just see regular life happening.
The next day it was up early to be meet our guide for another full day exploring Ancient Egypt. Luxor has a completely different feel from Cairo, smaller and greener. It is the site of the ancient city of Thebes and is known as "the world's greatest open air museum." It is home of the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hetshepsut and Karnak, all of which we visited (more on that later this week).
What a vibrant and welcoming city. You may recognize the paddle boat below, the Sudan, from the old movie Death on the Nile.
In between site visits we had an incredible lunch on the rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Nile. You know how you often have those travel days were there are lulls in your energy level or your moods? Maybe there's grumpiness or moments where you really just want to be taking a nap. No? Just me?
Well, this is not what we experienced at all on this day. We were both so thrilled to be soaking everything in. We were relaxed and energetic, there was not one moment that wasn't fulfilling and exciting. I'm sure the Turkish coffee helped with our energy levels. I love this stuff. It's thick and grainy, almost chocolaty and packs a powerful punch.
I think the reason we both were enjoying it so much, is that there was so much to see and experience. It was travel at its best, where you feel awake and alive, inspired to soak in everything. It also had to do with the comfortable pace and our tour guide. We had booked a private tour so we weren't fighting with anyone else's agenda for the day.
After lunch we took a boat back across the Nile. I even got to drive for a bit. Someday I want to go back and sail on a Felucca. They are gorgeous skimming along the water on the breeze.
Luxor is a beautiful city and definitely deserves a stay longer than just 24 hours. But that 24 hours was jam-packed with some amazing sites.
Egypt is someplace that deserves more than just one week and there is certainly more to see than just the Red Sea resorts. I could have just driven around for days taking it all in.
The best thing about Egypt is the people. Everyone that we came into contact with was open and friendly. Sure most of them wanted to sell us something, but what's wrong with that? We're tourist. (I just can't get caught up in that whole tourist vs traveler debate.) The tourism industry which supports so many families has taken such a huge hit in recent years. We were thanked over and over for visiting the country and told repeatedly to come back and bring our friends.
I found Egypt to be magical. I've said over and over that it changed me, but I still haven't figured out just how and I obviously struggle with how to communicate that. There is just something really special in Egypt. Maybe there is some ancient magic that permeates a place that is full of such incredible ancient relics and writings.
Maybe it's the magic of a people that have such a rich heritage dating back thousands of years, the keepers of these magnificent treasures. All I know is that there is something magical about this place.
A massive thank you to our guides, Egyptologists and drivers from Egypt Tours Portal. We paid £265 per person for our private two-day tour which included pick up and drop off at our hotel in Hurghada, private drivers (with AC) and knowledgeable guides, flights to both Cairo and Luxor, one night hotel stay, admission to the sites and attractions, breakfast, lunches, water and soft drinks. We could not have been better taken care of over those two days. We felt extremely safe and were able to enjoy our time without worries.
After we booked our tour we did let them know that we have a travel blog and they were kind enough to add in the dinner and carriage ride in Luxor which isn't normally part of the tour. Obviously, we highly recommend them and found their services to be worth every penny.
Have you been to Egypt? Can you please help me put into words why it's such a special place?
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