Wednesday, Sept. 22
We managed to catch a bit of sleep on the 4 ½ hour flight to Cairo where we landed in the wee hours of the morning. Although a lot of people get their Egyptian visas at the airport, we were glad to have ours as we cleared immigration quickly and were welcomed by an Insight rep. who loaded us in a van with a few other passengers and whisked us to the palatial Cairo Marriot. We felt very special checking into the same hotel that Agatha Christie patronized when she was writing “Death on the Nile.” (several hotels in Egypt make the same claim, so I assume she travelled around) The hotel was built in the time of the launching of the Suez Canal to house dignitaries and nobility attending the great event.
After only a few hours to enjoy the sumptuous Egyptian cotton sheets on our bed, we had to gobble a quick breakfast and meet our tour guide and group. The Insight Rep and our tour guide Abdu briefed us on how the tour would operate and gave us important tips on such things as money, tipping and bargaining. We were assured that Egyptians consider haggling for merchandise to be a way of life; to be savoured not shied away from. I am not sure we all felt comforted by that.
First outing was to the highest part of the City, where the Citadel and Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque (Alabaster Mosque) perch. The drive there was a fascinating and somewhat frightening adventure – fascinating to see the street life of a very old part of Cairo from the vantage point of a bus; frightening due to the crazy driving techniques that are necessary for drivers to survive and reach their destinations in this slightly crazy city. Inside the mosque, once we had removed our shoes and were checked for modesty (covered shoulders and knees) the group settled on the carpeted floor as Abdu briefed us on the features of the mosque and the basics of the Muslim beliefs.
Next, stop was the Egyptian Museum, a treasure trove of Ancient Egyptian artefacts. Abdu gave us a short, but thorough briefing on the important moments of history as we viewed monumental statues, inscriptions, sarcophagi and of course the magnificent Tutankhamun collection. Of course, it’s impossible to appreciate, examine or digest even a fraction of what is housed in the museum, but Abdu is very knowledgeable and took time to give us a chronological introduction to the ancient culture. In our free time, before returning to the hotel, Peter and I chose the option of visiting the Mummy Rooms, where we were immediately in the royal presence of the great Ramesses II and the well preserved mummy of Sety I. There are two rooms of neatly displayed mummies. It might be strange to be so fascinated by these ancient bodies, but there is something both profound and endearing about them and that’s not even considering the great stories and lessons they tell.
Back at the hotel, we lounged at the pool, where the service was exquisite. I believe the next two things we did were eat a light lunch and soon after a light supper. Back with the group, we were bussed to the Pyramids for the Sound & Light show. It was already quite dark when we arrived and my first impression was one of total awe – to be at last in the sight of the pyramids with the sphinx crouching close by. However, in my humble opinion the show dispels the magic, demeans the majestic monuments and frankly, is pretty hokey. It is however, good for the local economy and the neighbourhood dogs added a good sound track.
The adventure has got off to a great beginning. So much to see – and we have hardly started.
We managed to catch a bit of sleep on the 4 ½ hour flight to Cairo where we landed in the wee hours of the morning. Although a lot of people get their Egyptian visas at the airport, we were glad to have ours as we cleared immigration quickly and were welcomed by an Insight rep. who loaded us in a van with a few other passengers and whisked us to the palatial Cairo Marriot. We felt very special checking into the same hotel that Agatha Christie patronized when she was writing “Death on the Nile.” (several hotels in Egypt make the same claim, so I assume she travelled around) The hotel was built in the time of the launching of the Suez Canal to house dignitaries and nobility attending the great event.
After only a few hours to enjoy the sumptuous Egyptian cotton sheets on our bed, we had to gobble a quick breakfast and meet our tour guide and group. The Insight Rep and our tour guide Abdu briefed us on how the tour would operate and gave us important tips on such things as money, tipping and bargaining. We were assured that Egyptians consider haggling for merchandise to be a way of life; to be savoured not shied away from. I am not sure we all felt comforted by that.
First outing was to the highest part of the City, where the Citadel and Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque (Alabaster Mosque) perch. The drive there was a fascinating and somewhat frightening adventure – fascinating to see the street life of a very old part of Cairo from the vantage point of a bus; frightening due to the crazy driving techniques that are necessary for drivers to survive and reach their destinations in this slightly crazy city. Inside the mosque, once we had removed our shoes and were checked for modesty (covered shoulders and knees) the group settled on the carpeted floor as Abdu briefed us on the features of the mosque and the basics of the Muslim beliefs.
Next, stop was the Egyptian Museum, a treasure trove of Ancient Egyptian artefacts. Abdu gave us a short, but thorough briefing on the important moments of history as we viewed monumental statues, inscriptions, sarcophagi and of course the magnificent Tutankhamun collection. Of course, it’s impossible to appreciate, examine or digest even a fraction of what is housed in the museum, but Abdu is very knowledgeable and took time to give us a chronological introduction to the ancient culture. In our free time, before returning to the hotel, Peter and I chose the option of visiting the Mummy Rooms, where we were immediately in the royal presence of the great Ramesses II and the well preserved mummy of Sety I. There are two rooms of neatly displayed mummies. It might be strange to be so fascinated by these ancient bodies, but there is something both profound and endearing about them and that’s not even considering the great stories and lessons they tell.
Back at the hotel, we lounged at the pool, where the service was exquisite. I believe the next two things we did were eat a light lunch and soon after a light supper. Back with the group, we were bussed to the Pyramids for the Sound & Light show. It was already quite dark when we arrived and my first impression was one of total awe – to be at last in the sight of the pyramids with the sphinx crouching close by. However, in my humble opinion the show dispels the magic, demeans the majestic monuments and frankly, is pretty hokey. It is however, good for the local economy and the neighbourhood dogs added a good sound track.
The adventure has got off to a great beginning. So much to see – and we have hardly started.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures. Feedback and comments are very welcome.