Yalla yalla to Egypt! (Egypt)

Member Name: ~*pink-pilgrim*~

Product:	Egypt
Date:	24/08/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cultural experience - lots to do - STUNNING

Disadvantages: so hot!

INTRODUCTION
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I will never forget studying Ancient Egypt in year 3 of school. I was an enthusiastic 7 year old with a passion for history. I remember returning home begging my mum to buy some straw and let me dig up the garden so that I could make mud bricks like the Ancient Egyptians did. I loved learning about the gruesome mummification and the kings and queens. When I trained to be a teacher Egypt was the one topic I looked forward to teaching. It was only wise therefore that when we were planning our wedding and honeymoon we went somewhere as inspiring as Egypt. I was very lucky that my now husband had a life-long dream to visit Egypt and had researched the history well. We chose our hotel in Luxor and planned to stay a fortnight at the Maritime Jolie Ville, however 2 hours before driving to the travel agents to book our dream honeymoon we decided that a cruise on the River Nile for 7 nights would be an experience of a lifetime.

The wedding was fast approaching and news of Swine Flu was mentioned daily, on our arrival at Luxor Airport we were rather scared when we saw airport staff wandering around with masks on. We were taken to a door with 8 large queues. Unfortunately being a military airport holiday reps were not allowed into the airport. With the hysteria about Swine Flu and lack of explanation the customs staff with swabs, thermometers and guns was a scary welcome but when we had survived the medical assessment and purchased the entry visa we had to go through customs. It was safe to say our first hour in Egypt was not the most pleasant. Driving through the streets of Egypt I was shocked to see the small mud houses and apartments with no roofs, the shops with no doors and the driving standards. I was a little overwhelmed by the poverty and presence of armed police on the streets. We arrived at our cruise ship in a secure private docking bay, and I started to feel a little more secure. During our evening meal I spotted two armed police guards walking through the boat brandishing a machine gun and a shot gun, surprisingly however it made us feel quite safe as they were there to protect the tourists.

The cruise down the Nile overnight was rather surreal and an experience I would thoroughly recommend. We awoke in the morning in Esna and met with our First Choice rep, we decided to sign up to the full package that week enabling us to see most of Upper Egypt (Luxor - Aswan).


EXCURSIONS
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Our first excursion that day took us to Edfu Temple dedicated to the Falcon headed god Horus and was built over a 180-year period from 237 BC to 57 BC. This was our first temple of the week and I was blown away at the information given to us by our amazing Egyptologist. I was stunned by the carved images and hieroglyphics, many of these were defaced by early Christians who did not believe in the Egyptian history. Walking around the courtyard, the narrow corridors and standing at the shrine I felt so overwhelmed - the experience will be one to remember forever.

Going back to our ship that evening I felt immense excitement for the rest of the week. The next day we visited the unique temple of Kom Ombo this temple is considered 'unique' because of its 'double' design. There are two courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms for two gods. On the southern side there is the temple dedicated to crocodile god Sobek and the Northern is for falcon god Horus. Our Egyptologist showed us the calendar, surgical carvings and phallic symbols making the history really exciting. I would certainly recommend a visit to Kom Ombo and walk along the Nile to really appreciate the beauty of Kom Ombo temple.

We sailed further up river to Aswan, here we stopped for a sail on a felucca (a tall sailed boat), after a few Egyptian songs and purchasing some Nubian souvenirs we wandered back to our boat. Unfortunately the weather had been quite poor and the rain was consistently pouring all afternoon. Later that evening a small group from the cruise ship visited Philae temple for the Sound and Light show. Philae temple is situated on an island; it was relocated after the Aswan high dam was built. It is dedicated to the Goddess Isis. The light and sound show explained the story of Isis and her brother and husband Osiris and his evil brother Seth. We later returned to Philae temple the next day in the sunshine making the contract between dramatic moon-lit paths and shadows with the sunlight more spectacular.

We continued to sail visiting temples, monuments and sights along the way. Every morning we awoke in a different place to sunlight pouring through the windows. Each evening we sat on the top deck watching the scenery pas, the sunset was a spectacular sight every night. We could sit for up to an hour watching the hot sun set on the horizon and listen to the sounds around the Nile. The gentle breeze was enough to keep us cool and despite warnings we never saw a mosquito or experienced a bite however we know we were lucky as many others on the cruise boat had been bitten.

Near the end of the cruise we were geared up for some serious sight-seeing knowing that the Temple of Karnak, Luxor Temple and the whole of the West Bank had been saved for the last two days. The weather was starting to get hotter everyday and at this point I was dreading the many excursions that were being crammed into two days. In one day we managed to visit Luxor and Karnak temples. Our Egyptologist was amazing but really these places warrant a lot longer than the two hours we spent there. Luxor is nicely located in the middle of the Souk (market).

On the last day of our cruise we visited the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, an alabaster workshop and the Colossi of Mnemon. We also took a camel around the West Bank of the Nile visiting local villages and meeting some of the local people. We found this an amazing experience as we could see a part of Egypt that otherwise would have been hidden.

Our honeymoon did not end there and as we were booked into the Maritim Jolie Ville for a week of relaxation we were glad that we had done the cruise and seen everything in the first week. There was one place we had not seen and a place I had always wanted to go and this was starting to upset me. Due to poor advice from First Choice and a terrible exchange rate the £1500 we had exchanged before our holiday had not gone far at all and we had about £150 to last us all week. Desperate to see the pyramids I admitted that we would have to return to see them at a later date, with First Choice charging over £200 per person for a trip to Cairo we realised this dream would have to wait. Whilst at the pool I mentioned this in passing to a couple who had been on the cruise with us and they explained that for 70 Egyptian Pounds each they were going to Cairo by train. They explained that a first class ticket on the tourist sleeper train to Cairo was the best option. We realised that although it would take 9 hours there and 9 hours back and was hardly our idea of fun it was a dream we had and we were determined to go.

At 7pm we left the comfort of our hotel and caught a taxi to the train station. Walking past armed guards we felt quite intimidated but we were excited and could not wait for the trip. In 36 hours we would be back in Luxor. We walked onto the platform, to see a train with bullet holes and livestock fly past. There were guards at all doors with people lying on sandbags and bin bags. It was then we realised that the train had been delayed by 3 hours. We found a lovely little bar down a back street and for the first time in Egypt we were charged a fair price. We soon realsied that by visiting the back street bars, shops and restaurants its possible to save so much money compared to El Souk and tourist spots.

The train journey was horrible at one point I sat up and wanted to cry despite having our own cabin we had guards walking in waking us from our slumber to check tickets, locals waking us to ask permission to sleep on our floor or others trying to move us out so they could use the cabin. He noise of the train was deafening and the rickety track shook us from side to side. We arrived in Cairo with stiff necks, red eyes and desperate for food. Outside the station we were mobbed by taxi drivers. After haggling for the best price we jumped in a taxi asking to be taken to the Pyramids. About 10 minutes into the journey we were taken down a narrow alley and told to take a camel the rest of the way. It was clear that this was a scam and after refusing to get out we were taken to Mina House - Hotel Oberoy at the foot of the pyramids. We walked up the steep incline and stopped outside the entrance. After paying our 150 Egyptian Pounds per person we entered. The rest seemed to be a blur - sure the sights were breath-taking but so was the heat. We were mobbed by tour guides desperate to take our money and followed by horse and carriage workers wanting us to take a ride. We knew we had to watch our money so decided to walk around at our own pace taking pictures. I was impressed at the sheer size of each pyramid but was slowly getting very annoyed with locals trying to grab us for a ride on a camel, horse and carriage or to buy postcards. At the top we stopped to admire the views before being stopped again to buy postcards. A polite "la la" sufficed and we were alone again for about 3 minutes before being asked to take a camel 10 yards to the great pyramid. We were getting quite fed up and could see the Sphinx so decided to wander down the hill for photos on the way down we were shocked to see the familiar site of KFC, it was so surreal to see Pizza Hut and KFC so close to the pyramids.

After several hours in and around Giza we hopped on a train back to our comfortable hotel bed in Luxor. We had enjoyed our visit to the Pyramids but this was mainly so we could say "We have been to the Pyramids at Giza" more than anything else. I am glad I have seen them before they build too many fast food outlets or destroy the landscape too much.

On our last day in Egypt we were sad to be going home but were ready. We had the most perfect honeymoon and would love to go back one day but two weeks for us was more than enough. Our last week was so relaxing but we couldn't wait to get back to normality. The landscape, sights, sounds, smells and heat makes Egypt a unique country and we were glad we had chosen to take our honeymoon is such a spectacular place.

EGYPT IN GENERAL
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Visa
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For entry to Egypt a visa is required, we were advised to take 15 US Dollars however the cashiers took pounds and Euros as well. Do make sure you see the Travco people as many tour operators were taking a cut of the money and charging more. We did not have to worry about the Visa until we were on the plane. We were given a form to fill out by the aircraft crew and we kept this in our passports until we arrived. We were then given the exit Visa form on our coach back to the airport.

Weather
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We travelled to Egypt in may and the temperature was unbearable enough, I cannot imagine the heat in the months of July - September. Do take plenty of sun cream and drink plenty of water. I got bad sunburn on one day but for the rest of the holiday I used light, airy, long-sleeved tops to prevent sun burn. A hat and comfy shoes are also a must. On three of the days we had heavy rain and strong gales but the temperature was still warm. We made the mistake of taking 2 travel fans in our luggage and these were not needed as all rooms were air-conditioned.

Clothes and traditions
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I wore long sleeved kaftans and linen trousers mainly for protection from the sun but also to respect local beliefs. On the cruise ship there were no rules about clothing but we were asked to cover up shoulders and legs when we left the boat to show respect to the locals people.

Money
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When we travelled out to Egypt the exchange rate was 6.2 but it can vary between 5 and 11. We were told by First Choice that we should change up all money before we go however whilst were were out there we noticed that most places take GBP, USD and Euros so we could have saved over £400 by leaving our money until we arrived in Egypt. The value of the GBP is very high in Egypt and on our cruise boat they were exchanging 1GBP to 9.7 Egyptian Pounds (LE).

Shopping
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Everywhere we went the Souk (market) was a bustling hive of activity. The smells of spices, Shisha Pipes and leather was strong. It's almost impossible to walk down the market without some form of 'hassle'. Haggling is a major part of shopping in Egypt, never pay the first price quoted. Our guide explained that if you can drop the price by 25% with no problems its possible to get another 50% off. At the beginning of the fortnight the hassle was quite intimidating but on our last day we spend a good 3 hours shopping and managed to buy many great items. On our return home we have realised that the silver cartouche was infact fake and that the silk scarf was not silk but we live and learn. Shopping in Egypt is not for the faint hearted but and experience that can be enjoyable with the correct attitude.

Travel around Egypt
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Train - the train was OK for long distance travel but if you plan to go across the country then a plane is probably the best way to do this. The cost was reasonable and conditions were Ok. We were not impressed with the cleanliness of the toilets and the cabins were uncomfortable. On our return journey from Cairo to Luxor we had reclining seats and these were certainly more appropriate than the cabin seats.

Taxi - taxis are relatively easy to use, they all wait at tourist areas such as the market, hotels and on the bank of the Nile next to cruise boat moorings. Again haggling is a major part of travelling by taxi its possible to get between 25% - 50% off the fare. Riding in a taxi is another experience in itself, there seems to be no real system of driving yet we never witnessed an accident so beeping at anyone in the way, swerving in and out of pedestrians, bikes and donkeys or driving on both sides of the road must work. A trip will cost anywhere between 5 and 20LE (10p-£3)

Horse and Carriage - these are a lovely ride and in some towns the horses are cared for very well. The locals refer to these as 'Ferraris' these can cost anywhere between 20 and 50LE. (£3-£7)

Many hotels however provide free bus/boat shuttle services to El Souk.

CONCLUSION
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We had the most perfect honeymoon in Egypt and really miss the place. We hope to go back one day however we will probably go to Sharm El Sheik as it appears to be more geared towards tourists looking to relax or partake in recreational activities. Luxor however was full of culture and will be a place we remember for the rest of our lives.

Summary: Visit this marvellous country before fast food outlets and tourism ruins it!