Egypt desert tour

We booked a short four day three night tour through the desert, stopping along the way to see the various oases and to spend some time in the sun and sand (no sea though). The "limo" (as it was so coined by our tour organizer) arrived in the morning and we were not surprised to see that it did not quite live up to the expectations of our group. It was new but as far as we were concerned a Honda Accent did not quite seem like a Limo. The "Limo" term seems to be thrown around rather loosely in Egypt. Needless to say we managed to squeeze all of our luggage and the 4 of us in and we were off. What our guide lacked in car room he made up for in being truly a genuine man (not always easy to find in Egypt) full of good humor and lots of knowledge about the area. We left the fertile Nile valley behind and it wasn't long before we were surrounded by rock and sand. On route to our first stop Dahkla oases, we made a stop at the Necropolis of Al-Bagawat. The Necropolis is one of the oldest Christian cemeteries in the world. The mud brick tombs were a haven from the desert sun for pilgrims making the long journey to Mecca. Inside the tombs, ancient paintings depicted bible scenes (which would have been painted only 200 years after there supposed occurrence) and graffiti dates back centuries from the pilgrims as they offered their prayers for safe journey. We reached Dahkla and met Nasser, our guide who took us 4X4ing out into the Desert for some tea while we watched the sun set over the drifting sand dunes. A nights rest in Dahkla and a swim in the slightly warm and a little dodgy hot spring (the men swam but the women chickened out), we pressed on towards Farafra oases where we were to meet up with our White Desert guide. First though was a stop at the town of Al-Qasr. This 500 year old Islamic town is constructed purely of mud and wood! It's current state of repair is simply amazing! Due to the extremely low amount of rain and water in the area these mud brick homes have stood the test of time and a few still continue to be used today. The town is a labyrinth of small narrow streets with low doorways (to keep desert raiders on the horses from riding into town). We pressed on through the desert, stopping for a few photos and making a brief pause to pick up a few million year old fossils left behind when the sea retreated to leave the desert behind. In Farafra we made the switch from car to 4x4 once again and headed out into the White Desert. Wow! What an amazing piece of the world. Out in the miraculous wind swept shapes of white stone and surrounded by a a deafening silence, the White desert will make you feel as though you have traveled to another planet. Our guides prepared for us a typical Bedouin supper and we bunked out under the stars. The following morning we left the White Desert, traveled through the Black desert and finished our tour off in the Oasis of Bahariya.

Pictures:
1- Yes, we did ride on top of the 4x4 vehicle.
2- Sunset watching in Dahkla desert
3- Necropolis of Al-Bagawat (mud brick cemetery)
4- Jeff walking in desert around Dahkla
5- Tea in Dahkla desert
6- Late night hot spring swim
7- Al-Qasr (mud and wood town)
8- Sea of sand
9- Camping out in White desert
10- White desert formations (famous mushroom and chicken)
11- White desert (looks like snow huh?)
12- Walking in Bahariya Oasis

The Christmas Post

Yes Christmas has well passed but when you are in the desert there is no such thing as internet so its time for a little catch up. Christmas passed this year for us with little fanfare but a large amount of cheer. Well, for most of us. One of the crew, I won't say which (although you can guess which one by the pics) was rewarded with a bout of the Pharoah's curse on Christmas day but he remained in high spirits and recovered quickly. The great gift opening was postponed to the evening (giving the ill a chance to recover) and the rest went out for a delicious Christmas lunch. In the evening we ordered in some hot soup and began the exchange. Our little group put together an exchange in which the limit was 20 Egyptian pounds (4 CDN dollars). We picked names a few days earlier and each of us went out to barter and haggle our way into purchasing the best present for the price. It was no easy task although we all discovered that when you have a limit it is amazing just how far prices will drop at the markets. In the end, the presents went on to the Christmas chair to be opened in the morning (see pic of Christmas chair). Everyone did well but the winner for the best prize for buck went to Lisa who haggled a shop vendor from 22$ to 4$ for a little mock Egyptian instrument. If you are to ask Lisa she says she still thinks she over-payed. It was great fun. In addition to our little gifts to each other we were also lucky enough to get some cards and gifts from our family to really make the day special and we would just like to say thank-you for these little things that meant the world to us. Anyways, before we knew it Christmas had come and gone and we were moving on.

Luxor, Egypt

We arrived in Luxor (to a little snow on the ground thanks to the Mercure hotel) two days before Christmas and the ladies ran the gauntlet of hotels to secure us a nice little place just off the main street. The price was good, the rooms were clean and they even hooked us up with some WiFi to enjoy some family time on Christmas day. Things were turning out good. We hit the streets of Luxor immediatly and found ourselves once again wandering ancinet columns and statues, marveling at the history of the great Pharoahs. Luxor has been a destination for tourism since the idea of tourism began. Even during the Greek and Roman periods, people from all over known world flock to Luxor to marvel at the sights. The temples around Luxor are actually comprised of three different areas. There was Luxor, Karnack to the north of Luxor and across the river on the west bank Thebes or what the ancient Egyptians called Wasset. The first day tours took us to the Temple of Karnack and the Temple of Luxor. Build primarily by Ramses II and Amenhotep III, the temple of Luxor is thought to be not only a temple but also the location of a great festival lasting anywhere from 11 to 22 days(depeding on who was the Pharoah at that time) at which the king or Pharoah was transformed into a divine being. The temple at Karnack may lie mostly in ruin yet the sheer size of the compound and structures that remain make it one of the most impressive sights in Luxor. Built during the height of the diety Amun Ra, the temple is the largest temple complex ever build by man and is the achievment of many generations of Pharoahs and labourers. Its construction continued right up to the time of Alexander the Great where it ground to a halt, never to be fully completed. The first Pylon standing 33m high was the largest of the Pylons of the temple yet never reached its proposed height. The second day in Luxor we were awoke to the delight of morning prayer at 4am. As it turned out, the hotel happened to be in a prime location to receive prayer at high decibels, making it almost impossible not to miss. It was Christmas morning! We jumped up and ran to the Christmas chair to see what was left underneath! (this will all be made clear in the next special edition Christmas blog) We spent the day taking it easy on Christmas and the following day made the trip to the west bank to finish our tour of Luxor. We hit up the valley of the kings, the tombs of the nobles, the impressive (thought totally rebuilt) temple of Hatshepsut who was one of the most famous and important female phaoroahs of all times and finished with a stroll through Medinet Habu built by Ramses III. Each sight was unique and wonderful in its own right though some of the more popular were packed with tourists. Several hours later and all templed out we retreated to our hotel to organize our next move. Into the desert we go!


Pics
1 - is that snow?
2 - Temple of Luxor
3 - Gates of Karnack
4 - wandering the pillar in Karnack
5 - Jeff takes a little soccer break with some locals
6 - Gates of Medinet Habu
7 - Koshiary (a pasta, rice, lentil Egyptian fast food type dish) at a restautant. Delish!
8 - Temple of Hatshepsut carved out of the cliffs
9 - Produce in the market, Yams anyone?

Nile Cruisin': From Aswan to Luxor

Yes its true, the super tour hit it up royal style! Well not exactly, but after some early mornings and late night (and absolutely brutal) bus rides we decided to cruise up from Aswan to Luxor on one of the many boats on the Nile. It was definitely a good choice. The Nile cuts its way through the desert of Egypt creating a lush trail of palms, sugarcane plantations, banana trees and all kinds of tropical vegetation. Watching the banks slip by the open patio door to your room as you bask in the sun could not be more soothing or truly relaxing. Of course, throw in some stops at ancient temples along the way and the luxury of being free from the many scams and hassles of the cities and its not hard to see why this is the preferred method of transport through Egypt. The crew did its best to bring a little Christmas atmosphere to the ship with some Christmas decor and a truly hilarious nativity scene in the lobby (had to take a photo). We played cards, chatted with our French table-mates in the dining hall, and simply marveled at the amazing life giving force of the Nile. We really had a great time and were sad to see it come to an end.

pic 1 - watching the banks slip by
pic 2 - cruise ship lobby
pic 3 - Dahabiya (old Nile riverboat)on the Nile
pic 4 - Ancient boat of Amun Ra
pic 5 - a local fisher
pic 6 - watching sunset on the Nile
pic 7 - banks of the Nile
pic 8 - poolside on deck
pic 9 - the nativity (pretty sweet)

Aswan, Egypt

The morning of our last day in Aswan we moved from our hotel to our cruise boat. Yes that's right, cruising on the Nile. However, before departing Aswan some of the team made a quick trip over to the Nubian Village on Elephantine Island to catch a glimpse of the culture of this distinctly unique group of Egyptians. In ancient times, the lands of southern Egypt were continually fought over between the Egyptians in the north and Nubian in the south. The Nubian population was eventually conquered by the Egyptians but was allowed to live in the area under a Royal Viser of the Pharaoh. For years this lasted and gradually, customs and beliefs were exchanged and the populations slowly blended together to make a single Egyptian state. At the same time, Nubian villages and people continued on with their own styles and traditions in southern Egypt even to this day, giving a unique flare and diverse culture to the south. In the 1960's, a plan was proposed to build a massive damn across the Nile, providing Egypt with power and harnessing the Nile for irrigation. As a result, large areas of land south of the damn would be flooded creating the body of water known as lake Nasser, the largest artificially made lake in the world. However, living in the area above the damn happened to be a large population of Nubian Egyptians as well as hundreds of archeological sights rich in cultural and historical history of the ancient life in this distinct region. Temples like the ones at Abu Simbel and Philae were saved but many sights were lost forever beneath the flooding banks of the Nile. Thousands of Nubian Egyptians were displaced and forced to make new villages. The world responded with support as many different countries helped to preserve these people by aiding in the move of villages and documenting and saving as many of the ancient treasures as could be found. In the end however, much of this history lies beneath the waters of Lake Nasser. The Nubian Village in Aswan is an example of a new village created by displaced Nubians from the flooded region. You can catch the ferry to the village on Elephantine island and wander these unique streets on your own or have a friendly Nubian guide gladly take you through his home village (as we did). The village has remained true to its traditional roots with houses made and painted in colorful Nubian style and narrow twisting streets passing by outdoor ovens and small gardens. Henna on the walls of the homes record events such as marriages and no cars on the island give the village an incredible sense of peace and tranquility. It was a very unique and rewarding experience.

pic - 1 moving
pic - 2 Nubian woman's shop
pic - 3 walking the Nile strip
pic - 4 Feluca boats on the Nile
pic - 5 arriving at the Nubian village
pic - 6 color and henna in the Nubian village
pic- 7 Umm, taking history seriously in the museum

Abu Simbel & Philae, Egypt

We arrived in Aswan and spent the rest of the day finding accommodation, recuperating from the bus ride and booking a tour for the following day to the temples at Abu Simbel, deep in the south of Egypt near the borders of Sudan. Traveling to Abu Simbel on your own is virtually impossible as there is only one bus to catch at 4 am in the morning on which only 4 foreign passengers are allowed. Anyone else hoping to see these incredible temples must book a tour or organize a private car. Every tour bus and car then gather at 4 am and depart Aswan under police escort for Abu Simbel. We arose from our slumber at 2:45am and boarded our bus at 3:15. After travelling around to pick up the rest of the group we met the escort and began the three hour voyage south, catching as much sleep as we could. Some of you may call this crazy, rising up at 3 in the morning to catch a bus to look at some ancient buildings, but rest assured, the 3000 year old Great Temple of Ramses II and Temple of Hathor are worth every minute of sleep lost. The colossal statues of Ramses tower above you as you make your way in to the depths of the great tomb. The walls are covered in ancient Hieroglyphics depicting the fighting prowess of this mighty Pharaoh as he tramples over his enemies, slaughtering them in front of the gods. In the sacred sanctuary in the back of the temple sits Ramses amidst a triad of gods, Ra-Horakhty (also known as Horus), Amun, and Ptah who were the main divinities of the period. The temple is aligned in such a way that every year, on the 22nd day of the months of Oct. and Feb., the first rays of the rising sun penetrated the sanctuary to illuminate Ramses and two of the three gods of the triad. The third god, Ptah, is never illuminated as he is connected to the underworld. The temple is truly a testament of the amazing life of Ramses the II who lived till he was 90 years old and ruled as Pharaoh for 66 years! Next to the Great Temple sits the temple of Hathor fronted by six ten meter high statues of Ramses and his queen Nefertiti. This much smaller temple dedicated to the queen and the god Hathor itself is almost worth the trip although dwarfed by the Great Temple. Almost equally incredible to the splendor of these temples is the feat of engineering that was performed to save them. After being lost to the world for centuries, these temples were rediscovered by chance in 1813 by the Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt as he happened across the heads of one of the giant statues of Ramses poking out of the sand dunes lining the Nile river. With the Nile waters flooding the temples year after year and new plans for a High Damn on the Nile threatening to bury this treasure for ever, plans were drawn up to painstakingly cut, dismantle and rebuild these temples on higher ground. The project brought the best teams from 5 different countries, took 4 years and cost over 40 millions dollars US! After wandering around the temples and marveling at the Hieroglyphics for a while we hopped back on the bus and headed under police escort to Philae, another temple that was taken a part and rebuilt in in order to be saved from being lost forever beneath the flooding Nile. The temple was rebuilt on an island which you must negotiate for a boat to take you to. Although lacking the wow power of the Great Temple of Ramses II the temples at Philae have a very interesting history. This was the last sanctuaries of the Egyptian gods as Egypt fell under the power of the Romans and Christianity began to make its mark on this part of the world. Worshipers came from many lands to visit this temple dedicated to Isis before is was finally closed down in the 6th century AD by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It was the last Pagan temple to exist in all the Mediterranean world.

Pics 1,2,3 in and around the Great Temple
Pic 4 the Temple of Hathor
Pic 5 Arriving at Philae
Pic 6 Kiosk of Trajan ("Pharaohs Bed") at Philae
Pic 7 some wildlife on the Nile (can you name bird?)