Categories
Africa Egypt Travel

Walk like a Wayfarer Part Three: the Gals Explore Egypt!

At the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, near Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The day the tour spent in Luxor was one of the days I was most looking forward to since we were going to the Valley of the Kings. New Kingdom pharaohs had their tombs cut into the rock there (Luxor was called Thebes before). I believe over sixty tombs have been discovered. Unfortunately, most of the tombs were robbed long ago, with a major exception being King Tut’s tomb, which was discovered much later. Your entrance fee comes with admission to three different tombs. We were able to purchase optional excursions to go to King Tutankhamun’s (or Tut’s) tomb, as well as Ramses VI’s (which was amazing!). Ramses VI’s is the most beautiful tomb, since much of the paint was been preserved and the colors are vibrant and striking. His tomb is pretty large with a winding stairway that leads you into the tomb. The tomb was started by Ramses V and then completed by Ramses VI. The paintings in the tomb are well preserved, and emphasize astronomical scenes, and images from the Books of Day, Night, and the Heavens (respectively).

At the Valley of Kings in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
King Tut’s Mummy on Display at the Valley of Kings in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

You can also go to King Tut’s tomb, which I still recommend seeing since his mummy is there and the frescoes are also well preserved. The tomb is much smaller, but was hidden from grave robbers (though it was still opened after being sealed). It was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and the contents are at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The murals show Tut meting Osiris and Nut in the afterlife. Another painting shows mourners carrying Tut to his tomb. There is also a painting where Tut is surrounded by Anubis and Hathor, both holding Ankhs. The colors are also quite vibrant and beautiful. Plus no visit to Egypt is complete without visiting Tut’s tomb, so it is an optional definitely worth taking.

King Tut’s Tomb at the Valley of Kings in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
At the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

One of my bucket list items was to see the Temple of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh’s mortuary who reigned in the eighteenth dynasty. It is close to the Valley of Kings, and located beneath the cliffs of Deir-el-Bahari. Her temple is dedicated to the god Amun. Hatshepsut’s temple is unlike any ancient Egyptian structure, and resembles a more classical style with its colonnaded terraces. The sculptures in the temple tell the story of her divine right to rule as pharaoh, since she was a woman, Hatshepsut had to justify her reign. Sadly, many of her sculptures were destroyed by her stepson Thutmose III after she died since she prevented him from ruling. There used to be an Avenue of Sphinxes that led to the temple, but there is just one sphinx of Hatshepsut left. The temple is also aligned to the winter solstice, which highlights various elements like the statue of Osiris (I’m sure it is busy there during this event). The temple is breathtaking and a must visit site if you are in Luxor!

At the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

Hatshepsut herself was the second woman to become pharaoh. Hatshepsut was the daughter, sister, and wife of a king. She married Thutmose II, and after carrying a daughter, could have no more children. It is believed that she ruled over twenty years as pharaoh, and is considered to be the first great female rulers. She had a prosperous and successful reign with a long era of peace. Ever since I read about her in high school, I have wanted to visit her temple, and am grateful to have had this experience.

Lunch with a local family in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
Delicous eggplant dish made by a local family in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

Following the temple, we stopped at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues of Amenhotep III, which are not in great shape. The pharaoh’s temple was there, and little remains of it. The stop was brief and then we were on our way. After that we had lunch with a local family again. Our host was a teacher, and his wife made us a delicious meal. I really enjoyed the babaganoush, fried eggplant, and mixed veggies. We got back to our resort later in the afternoon, so we sat by the pool and decompressed by reading. Later, my sister and I had some wine at the roof top bar, with a beautiful view of the sun setting on the Nile. Such an amazing day!

At the Temple of Karnak in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The next day it was off to the Temple of Karnak, which is a massive complex of temples and buildings in Luxor.  Construction began in the Middle Kingdom and went all the way into the Ptolemaic era; around thirty different pharaohs contributed to this religious complex. Karnak was the center of religious life in Ancient Egypt, and part of the city of Thebes back then. The Great Hypostyle Hall is one of the most beautiful parts of the temple, which was built during Queen Hatshepsut’s reign. It is over 50,000 square feet and has 134 columns. Our guide gave us a couple hours to explore after taking us around. The Temple of Karnak is a massive structure and absolutely beautiful, and I believe it is one of the most visited sites in Egypt.

The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
Kristina found the fertility God Amunmeen at Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The next stop was the Luxor Temple, which was constructed around 14000 BCE, and is dedicated to kingship; some believe that is where the pharaohs were crowned. The temple has colossal statues of Ramses II at the front gate. There is a processional colonnade of Amenhotep III, and sun court dedicated to him as well. There is also an avenue of sphinxes there that would have connected Karnak to Luxor long ago. This temple is also worth checking out when in Luxor.

At Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

Later that day we enjoyed a delicious meal at a restaurant in downtown Luxor. I tried a camel burger, which was surprisingly good, and had my favorite beverage in Egypt, mint lemonade. Our guide Mike bought the group some handmade camels as a good bye gift, and for being a great group. I thought this was very sweet, and have my camel displayed in order to remind me of the trip. After our delicious meal, we went back to the hotel to relax by the pool, and then have a glass of wine at the rooftop bar again.

At the Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The next day we were up early to go through airport security shenanigans once again to fly back to Cairo. Our guide actually saved us from being taken by security to have our stuff searched. That is why I recommend taking a tour; you have someone that is local and speaks the language to look out for you. As a woman you are also incredibly vulnerable in a country where women don’t have many rights. It was a short flight back to Cairo, but took up most of the morning. The group offered an optional excursion to see the earliest pyramids in Memphis and Saqqara, but it was pretty expensive and the group only had time to have a quick, light lunch. Since we barely had breakfast, my sister and I wanted a more substantial meal, and to have an easier pace since it was our last day in the country.

Even camels enjoy mint lemonade, in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

 We had lunch back at the Hotel Mercure where we originally stayed at in Cairo, and ended up hiring a driver to take us to Coptic Cairo in order to see some of the oldest churches in the world. In order to enter the area, you have to go through a metal detector and have your bags scanned. Our driver didn’t enter, but told us to meet him at the front at a specific time. The Hanging Church is one of the most famous churches, which was built in the 3rd or 4th centuries. There are some beautiful mosaics in the courtyard. The holy family allegedly stayed in the area when fleeing Herod, and you can visit the site where churches were built in commemoration: Saints Sergius and Bacchus Churches. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is also in the area, which was built in the 12th century. St. George’s Church is quite beautiful as well. You can wash your hands at St. George’s well where the blessing of the water led to miracles. Since all the churches are close, you can easily visit them all. There is also a Coptic Museum, which has some important artwork from the church. The churches are beautiful and worth seeing, but since my sister and I were alone, we felt vulnerable since we would be followed when walking (I had a boy touch my back when I was taking a picture in a church) so we dedicated to go back to the hotel, and relax the rest of the day.

At Hanging Church in Cairo, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
At St. George’s Church in Cairo, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

We had dinner with our group at the hotel, and said farewell to everyone. We thanked our amazing guide Mike for looking out and taking care of us all during the trip. We had a very early flight to Amman, Jordan the next day. We scheduled a cab to pick us up at 3:30am to take us to the airport (we were stopped by police, but thankfully let go to continue on to the airport). Thankfully, the airport was uneventful and we were able to fly out of the country with no issues.

With our guide Mike in Cairo, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

I had an amazing time in Egypt with G Adventures, and really liked our group (the fact that it was small was great). I was happy to leave Egypt since it is a difficult place to be a woman, and you have to go everywhere with a male escort if you are not wearing a headscarf and very conservative clothes. The trip really opened my eyes, and gave me a deep sense of gratitude for my circumstances. Egypt has always been a bucket list place for me to visit due to my love of ancient Egyptian culture so I am glad to have accomplished that goal.

Sunset from Hotel Mercure in Luxor, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

My next post will be about our time in Jordan, which is the last part of our trip; so stay tuned for more exciting adventures! Also, let me know if you have any suggestions. If you like my Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.

St. George’s Well in Cairo, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.
Categories
Africa Cairo Egypt Travel

Walk like a Wayfarer: the Gals Explore Egypt!

The Wayfaring Gals at the Great Sphinx of Giza, in Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The Wayfaring Gals decided to go to Egypt with G Adventures since it was the tour that offered the most excursions my sister and I wanted to see. We also did not want to take the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan since we heard horror stories. This trip had airline travel through Egypt, saving us time to see more. I also had to see the Temple of Hatshepsut (a female pharaoh), and Abu Simbel was included (which is normally an expensive optional that runs from $300 and up). G Adventures Egypt Upgraded is more expensive than the normal Egyptian tour since it has better accommodations, airline travel, and more included excursions (though not all are). I also like that G’s maximum group size is fourteen so you are not waiting for masses of people to get on and off buses. Flight to and from the country is not included either. I definitely recommend a tour if you are a woman traveling to Egypt and even then to go with a man. My sister and I could not go anywhere alone without being harassed by the men. It was very annoying. We dressed conservatively as well, but our guide said it didn’t matter because we were not wearing veils. Egypt is not a safe place for women traveling by themselves.

At the Pyramids of Giza, in Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The first night we flew in we did not feel like doing anything but showering and sleeping since we had a ten hour flight to Amman, and then transferred to Cairo. A guide from G Adventures met us at the airport to help us navigate visas (you can buy one beforehand or at the airport), and he suggested how much currency to change over. The exchange rate is pretty good with American dollars. In hindsight I would have taken out more since not a lot of places take credit card in Egypt, and there are fees with taking money out of foreign ATMs. We were then taken to our hotel, the Mercure Sphinx in Giza where we just enjoyed our rest.

Kissing the Great Sphinx at Giza, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

The next day we were up bright and early to visit the pyramids of Giza. The tour started at the pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest one. The pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that are still standing. It is believed that construction began around 2560 BC during the fourth dynasty when Khufu was pharaoh. Our guide Mike gave us information regarding the history of this particular pyramid and pharaoh, and then let us wander around. We didn’t know we couldn’t walk around so were bombarded by men trying to sell us things, take pictures of us, and ask to be in our photos. By the way, don’t let anyone take a picture of you since they’ll want money and won’t return your phone (it’s a scam). We met up with a guy from our group, Lucas, who walked around the pyramid with us. It was much more peaceful when you left the front, and the men didn’t approach us as much (just to try to sell us something and not ask for our hands in marriage).

Camel Ride Time in Egypt! -Photo by Maria A.M.

On the next stop, our guide arranged for us to go for a camel ride. You don’t realize how high up you are until you are on one. They are mean too…mine kept biting the blanket on my sister’s camel. We rode the camels to where we had a good view of the pyramids. The other two pyramids are of Khafre and Menkaure (the smallest of the three main pyramids). Khafre’s complex also consists of the Great Sphinx of Giza as well, which is thought to represent the pharaoh himself. I found the Sphinx to be amazing and loved how you see the pyramids behind the mythical creature. The pyramids are probably one of the most amazing sites I have seen…words and pictures do not do them justice!

At the Papyrus Shop in Cairo -Photo by Maria A.M.

After a busy morning, we ate lunch at a restaurant our guide took us to. I loved the babaganoush (type of dip made from eggplant) and kofta (type of meatball). I really loved lemonade with mint, which I drank whenever I could in Egypt. It’s so refreshing! Afterwards, we stopped at a Papyrus shop, which is a government regulated shop so the goods are authentic and prices cannot be manipulated. I wanted to get something that is not available at home and unique to the country. I bought a piece with Ramses II offering lotus flowers to the Goddess Isis, while my sister bought one with the sky goddess Nut.

A treasure picked up in the Papyrus Shop in Cairo, Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

After lunch we drove to the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great, founded in 360 AD, which is between Cairo and Alexandria. The crypt of St John the Baptist was also discovered at the monastery. We had a monk give us tour of the monastery, pointing out the highlights and significant artifacts. The Christian churches in Egypt are now guarded by the police and army due to the damage done after the revolutions.  This was a beautiful, peaceful place and a perfect way to end a busy day.

At the Monastery of Saint Macarius, in Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.

Afterwards, we checked into our hotel in Alexandria and after such a busy day all I wanted was some R&R. This hotel had the best wifi since you could even have it in your room. Most hotels in Egypt only have wifi in the lobby and it’s not good. My sister has an international phone that is unlocked so she bought a sim card and hot spotted me. My recommendation is that you travel with an unlocked phone so you can do that since the wifi is not good in Egypt. I am going to skip over our day in Alexandria for the sake of the length of this post, and that I don’t think it is a needed place to visit when in Egypt.

The Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo -Photo by Maria A.M.

The next day we went back to Cairo to visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which has an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. I have been a huge fan of ancient Egyptian history and mythology, so it was an amazing experience to see some of the treasures from my books in person. A new museum is being built that will be bigger and better organized so a lot of artifacts were moved there already. I would have loved to see the new museum, but it was still an enjoyable experience to see the old one. The new museum will be much better organized and catalogued.

I really enjoyed the exhibit dedicated to Tutankhamun (King Tut), where you can view the objects found in his tomb. Our guide pointed out a bust of Queen Hatshepsut, where I couldn’t resist doing my Rosie the Riveter pose. The museum has statues of the pharaohs that built the pyramids of Giza: Khufu, Menkaure, and Khafre. There is also a section devoted to the controversial pharaoh Akhenaten who was married to the famous Nefertiti. You can spend hours getting lost in this museum; it’s definitely a must see when in Cairo! No visit to Cairo is complete without seeing this museum!

Doing my best Rosie the Riveter at the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo -Photo by Maria A.M.
Our guide Mike showing us a statue of a scribe that is also on Egyptian currency, at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo -Photo by Maria A.M.

My next post will be about Aswan in southern Egypt so stay tuned for more exciting adventures! Also, let me know if you have any suggestions. If you like my Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.

At the Monastery of Saint Macarius, in Egypt -Photo by Maria A.M.