Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Two weeks in Egypt
Just a quick email to let you all know that Kate and I have arrived back in England safely after spending 2 weeks in Egypt!! I could ramble on for ever about our trip (and you all know that's true), it was the best trip we've been on so far by a mile. We spent a couple of days in Cairo, a few in Aswan, 3 in Luxor, and 3 in Dahab. We also spent 2 days and 2 nights on a felucca sailing the Nile, pulling over on the bank at nights to sleep.
Such an amazing country, I never knew there was so much to do and see there, and some of my favourite parts were bus trips during the day where we would drive through remote villages and were able to see there way of life and the living conditions they have to cope with on a daily basis. The security was full on, armed policeman everywhere you go and each long journey through the desert had to be done in a police convoy for security reasons.
Highlights of the trip for us were:
- Obviously the Pyramids. Got to go inside one of them through a 1m by 90cm shaft extending about 50 metres in, and the camel ride through the desert to the 3rd pyramid was pretty special.
- Abu Simbel. Had to leave at 4:30am to join the police convoy and drive 3 hours through the desert to reach this phenomenal temple by Lake Nasser
- Dinner spent on a Nubian village (Native Egyptians) in the middle of the Nile, a local took us into his house and had his people cook us dinner.
- The 2 days and 2 nights spent on the feluccas, it was paradise!!
- Luxor markets - can't even describe the hassle you get being a tourist!
- We visited an orphanage in Luxor. Adoption is illegal in Egypt, and unwanted kids are abandoned and this place takes them in, feeds and educates them. We stayed for an hour and played with a lot of the young kids.
- Donkey Day! We rode for an hour to The Valley of the Kings (Amazing place), we then climbed up the mountain and rode the donkeys across the ridge looking over the valley which was quite surreal. Then rode them back for another 45 mins. I fell off twice, I'll explain later!
- Dahab. Right on the coast of the Red Sea. Spent 3 days here. Went Scuba Diving in the Red Sea, in the top 10 diving spots in the world. Went down to 8 metres, and also went snorkelling in the Blue Hole which was brilliant. Amazing aquatic life, I was swimming with schools of all types of tropical fish.
- Mt Sinai. Famous for being the mountain Moses came down after God gave him the 10 commandments. Arrived at 1am and hiked during the night and was able to watch a rather impressive sunrise at the peak (which was about -10 degrees, freezing)!!
- The traffic in Cairo. My God, I thought I was going to die so many times, that's right across Egypt really, but especially in Cairo, those that have been know what I'm talking about, they're insane!
We did so many more things and have a heap of great stories but like I said I would be here all day if I were to tell you about them. We had a brilliant time, and were disappointed to have to return, but now we can look forward to New York in a few days time! Hopefully a white Christmas.
Such an amazing country, I never knew there was so much to do and see there, and some of my favourite parts were bus trips during the day where we would drive through remote villages and were able to see there way of life and the living conditions they have to cope with on a daily basis. The security was full on, armed policeman everywhere you go and each long journey through the desert had to be done in a police convoy for security reasons.
Highlights of the trip for us were:
- Obviously the Pyramids. Got to go inside one of them through a 1m by 90cm shaft extending about 50 metres in, and the camel ride through the desert to the 3rd pyramid was pretty special.
- Abu Simbel. Had to leave at 4:30am to join the police convoy and drive 3 hours through the desert to reach this phenomenal temple by Lake Nasser
- Dinner spent on a Nubian village (Native Egyptians) in the middle of the Nile, a local took us into his house and had his people cook us dinner.
- The 2 days and 2 nights spent on the feluccas, it was paradise!!
- Luxor markets - can't even describe the hassle you get being a tourist!
- We visited an orphanage in Luxor. Adoption is illegal in Egypt, and unwanted kids are abandoned and this place takes them in, feeds and educates them. We stayed for an hour and played with a lot of the young kids.
- Donkey Day! We rode for an hour to The Valley of the Kings (Amazing place), we then climbed up the mountain and rode the donkeys across the ridge looking over the valley which was quite surreal. Then rode them back for another 45 mins. I fell off twice, I'll explain later!
- Dahab. Right on the coast of the Red Sea. Spent 3 days here. Went Scuba Diving in the Red Sea, in the top 10 diving spots in the world. Went down to 8 metres, and also went snorkelling in the Blue Hole which was brilliant. Amazing aquatic life, I was swimming with schools of all types of tropical fish.
- Mt Sinai. Famous for being the mountain Moses came down after God gave him the 10 commandments. Arrived at 1am and hiked during the night and was able to watch a rather impressive sunrise at the peak (which was about -10 degrees, freezing)!!
- The traffic in Cairo. My God, I thought I was going to die so many times, that's right across Egypt really, but especially in Cairo, those that have been know what I'm talking about, they're insane!
We did so many more things and have a heap of great stories but like I said I would be here all day if I were to tell you about them. We had a brilliant time, and were disappointed to have to return, but now we can look forward to New York in a few days time! Hopefully a white Christmas.
