I have been to Egypt twice and this was my Husbands first trip. We flew here from Tel Aviv on El Al Airlines.
The Nile looks like a snake, as it is not as wide as I had imagined it would be. When the River reaches Khartoum it becomes one River that has two sources, (the Blue Nile from Ethiopia and the White Nile from Lake Victoria in Kenya).
I am very interest in Egyptology as well as Ancient Cultures from around the World.
CAIRO AND THE NILE:
Our trip was a three-day in Cairo. We stayed at the Sheraton El Gezirah Hotel. This is in the center of Cairo that is on an Island surrounded by the Nile, (I stayed here on my first trip as well).
Cairo is a huge City and the traffic is terrible. We were happy that we could walk to the new Opera House and a lot of the Bazaars, (Bazaars are always built in the western part of a City. I don’t know why but I remember the owners of West Edmonton Mall telling me this).
The view from our balcony overlooking the Nile was breathtaking. We could see the bridge that the Architect Eiffel built, (the same Man that built the Eiffel Tower).
Cairo is a blend of the ancient and modern world. It once was the largest City in the World, (I think it’s number 2 or 3 now), and the population is just over 18 million people.
We were here in the spring and it was very hot, (about 40 Cel) and dusty). We had air-conditioned rooms and the heat out side made our room humid. It was also very dusty and a maid had to dust twice a day.
WHAT WE SAW IN CAIRO:
1) The Pyramids are in Giza, (a suburb of Cairo). To reach them we passed through people sleeping on the Streets, Buses overflowing with people, (some were laying on top of the Bus, others were handing on for dear life out side of the bus and the bus was crammed) as well as tin and modern buildings.
There are 3 Pyramids that date back 4, 000 years. The tallest is about 137 meters and our Guide told us that it was made of 2.5 million blocks of stone. I know that many of you believe that during the time of Moses the Jewish people built these Pyramids but that is not true. Farmers and Slaves built them, (there may have been some Jewish Slaves at that time).
Be prepared for the vendors who will try to sell you bottled water, chocolate bars, Camel rides, post cards and plastic pyramids. We just ignored them.
Climbing the Pyramids is not allowed. We took a walk along the narrow shaft leading to the burial chamber of King Cheops that is inside the Great Pyramid. This Pharaoh’s Tomb was a great project for Farmers who were unemployed during the 3 Months when the Nile spills over and floods their land.
We went into the Shops near the Giza Hotel and bought Kartosh’s, (an oval piece of jewelry with a name in Hieroglyphics), for our Children, Grandsons and both of us. We ate at the Hotel and when we were through our Kartoshs were ready.
2) We visited the Egyptian Museum and were amazed to see that the windows are cracked, there’s no air conditioning and the exhibits are dusty.
We forgot about all of that when we reached the exhibits of the burial treasure of King Tutankhamen. His tomb in the Valley of the Kings is the most famous and the smallest.
Its importance lies in the fact that it’s the only one to have never been plundered. The debris from the excavation of the underground chamber of Ramses VI’s pyramid covered the entrance to Tut’s tomb, so it remained concealed for centuries. This was Tutankhamen only claim to fame.
At the end of the day with our shoes covered in Sahara dust and our minds full of historical fact we ate dinner at our Hotel’s Coffee Shop.
3) The next day we visited ’’Old Cairo’’. We walked through the area’s narrow winding Streets to see the 3 Religious areas, (Muslum, Coptic and Jewish).
There are many Mosques, Coptic Christian Churches and a few Synagogues.
The Synagogue we visited was very old and run down, (there are still a few Jews who live in Cairo). An old Man approached us and asked us for a donation for the ’’Building Fund’’. We gave him some money and if there is no fund we hoped he would have a nice meal with his Family.
Most Mosques are open to visitors of all Religions. You must have your arms covered, (I always carry a light shawl), your head covered, (I have a small thin scarf) and remove your shoes before entering. There are paper slip ons if you do not have socks on.
If you visit this area you will remember the mud-baked streets, the locals wearing the traditional cloths of centuries ago and donkeys carrying large bags of produce.
4) The Khan el Khalili Bazaar is a Market in ’’Old Cairo’’ and even if you aren’t planning on buying anything it’s fun to see. If you are buying something be prepared to bargain for it.
In the Market you will find Egyptian cotton Kaftans, (Egyptian cotton feels like silk), beautiful hand woven Carpets, gold and silver jewelry, CD’s and T-shirts.
5) Memphis is close to Cairo, (about 30 kil.) and we went to see the ruins of the ancient City of Memphis.
We found that most of the remains were not spectacular. Memphis was the earliest Capital of Egypt.
There are 2 two ’’Necropolises’’, (burial sites), of the Pharaohs. There is a large statue of Ramses and one of King Ramses.
SOME THOUGHTS:
Cairo was a wonderful place to visit and if you haven’t been there I suggest you visit in the winter when it is cooler.
©LL2002