P_M

Hello all. I have already posted this report in the Fodorite Lounge since that's where my crazy friends all hang out. But I thought it s/b posted in this forum too so here it is.

BTW, for those who don't know me, I enjoy adding a silly audio trailer to all of my trip reports, sorta like a movie trailer. The trailer I made for this report is a re-make of Steve Martin's song "King Tut." Here it is:

http://www.twango.com/media/briwik.public/briwik.10002

I left for Egypt the day after Thanksgiving and I learned this is a great day for flying. The airline workers told me the airport is always empty on that date, and it’s true. The flights were reasonably on time and uneventful. It was my first time to fly Air France and I was very impressed with their service, food and free wine. I was also impressed that Terminal 2E at CDG is now smoke-free. Sadly, that would be the only smoke-free zone I would find on this adventure but more about that later.

I arrived into Cairo and a rep from the tour company met me at the airport before I went through customs. He helped me get my Egyptian visa, costing $15 then he escorted me through passport control and baggage claim. The drive to the hotel was scary, as was every drive I ever took was in Egypt. It’s scary because Egyptian drivers are insane!! Mind you, I’ve been to about 50 other countries, some of which have nutty drivers but this compares to no other place on earth. I saw no stoplights or stop signs, and why bother when they would be completely disregarded anyway. A road that was meant for 3 lanes will have 6 lanes of traffic because nobody notices or cares if there are lines in the road to separate the lanes. But this is all part of the adventure.

I booked my tour through Egypt Uncovered, which contracts with Lady Egypt Tours. The next morning I met with my group of about 10 people. They were mostly Aussies and British with one Canadian so I was the lone American. The people were lovely and all very experienced travelers. We boarded a mini-van and wove in and out of traffic and made our way to Giza to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx. We had a chance to go into the Second Pyramid, which wasn’t fun but at least I can say I went into a pyramid so I’m glad I did it. The reason it wasn’t fun is the passageway into the pyramid is only about 3 feet high so you have to walk like a hunchback for quite a distance until you get to the center. Once I was in the center I could stand up, but it was SO hot and stuffy in there, I couldn’t stay long. Also, there’s very little to see in there. Of course I had to do the hunchback walk to get out again. But that’s OK, I’ve gone into a pyramid now, so there’s a check off my “things to do” list.

We went on to visit Sakkara and the step pyramid. It was a lot less crowded and there’s a lot more to see at Sakkara than Giza. I have to say that Sakkara seems very underrated compared with Giza, and if I could only revisit one site in Cairo, it would be Sakkara. Later that evening I took a dinner cruise on the Nile. The food was OK but not great, however it was worth it to sit on the deck and watch Cairo go by.

P_M

The next morning we visted the Citadel, then we spent most of the next day at the Egyptian Museum, where I enjoyed and endless display of fascinating Egyptian antiquities. Later that evening we boarded the overnight train to Aswan, which left at 10pm. I had considered upgrading to a sleeper car and once on that train, I was very sorry I didn’t. By not upgrading to the sleeper car I was given a first class seat. But first class in Egypt is nothing like first class in the US or Europe. I was at the front of the car so people kept coming and going past me, slamming the door every time. They were smoking just on the other side of the door and the smoke kept drifting in. As an asthmatic this was very bothersome. There were many thoughtless people around me who were talking loud throughout the night which also kept me awake. They never turn off the lights on the overnight train and a conductor will come around every few hours asking to see your ticket. Additionally the a/c was on full blast so I nearly froze my buns off!! :-<

But wait—there’s more. Let’s talk about the bathroom. OMG, I have never seen anything so disgusting in my life!! I had been warned about the bathrooms on the overnight train so I told myself I would eat or drink nothing during this 15-hour train ride, with the hopes of avoiding the bathroom. Well, around 3am I couldn’t wait any longer, I had to go. I went into the bathroom and saw yellow stuff sloshing around on the floor. Somehow I don’t think it was spilled lemonade. I wanted to hurl, but I did my business as best I could. Quite obviously I would not sit on this toilet. Ladies, I’m sure you all know that squatting over a nasty toilet is difficult even under the best of circumstances, but when you’re on a rocking train, it becomes quite a balancing act. I was so afraid of falling onto that nasty toilet of worse yet, onto the wet floor. amp; Somehow I managed to stay upright, but I vowed never to go back to that bathroom again and I didn't.

P_M

When we finally arrived into Aswan it was like a breath of fresh air!! Aswan is a great little city, much nicer than Cairo. The hotel was lovely. I immediately ran to the bathroom, had a shower and scrubbed the “lemonade” off bottom of my shoes. We then visited the Aswan Dam which was OK but a bit of a snoozer. We went on to take a boat ride to the Temple of Philae which was probably my favorite of all temples. Later we visited the Unfinished Obelisk. This is an Obelisk they had started (centuries ago, of course) but found out too late it had a big crack in the granite. It’s very cool because you can climb the hill and see where they carved out the Obelisk before finding the crack and abandoning this project.

The next morning we flew to Abu Simbel which is near the Sudanese border. Abu Simbel has temples with 4 gigantic statues of Ramses. I must say these statues will take your breath away when you see them for the first time. On most Egypt tours Abu Simbel is an optional excursion and it’s quite expensive. However it was well worth it and I’m glad I did it.

Later that day we boarded the Crown Jewel, which is a 5* cruise ship. (“riverboat is a more accurate description, but still quite nice) Mind you, Nile cruise ships aren’t nearly as big as what we’re used to seeing, but it was a great riverboat. The sailing was very smooth and we waved at farmers as we went by. During this cruise we visited temples along the way, such as Komombo, Edfu, and the temples of Luxor and Karnak. We docked in Luxor and stayed there another day and a half.

Coming up next--the best day of the trip!!

P_M

The best day of my trip was this: The next morning I got up at 4am (that’s not the good part) in order to take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. I was so nervous. I had never been in a balloon before, although I had always wanted to do it. I got into the basket with about 15 other people. I was still quite nervous, but then I got distracted by the beautiful sunrise over the Nile. Before I knew it we were up, up and away!! Once in the air it was all so peaceful, so smooth, and so very beautiful!! We flew over some farms and made our way over the Valley of the Kings. We then flew over the HUGE temple of Queen Hatchepsut. It was about a 40-minute ride but the time went so fast I didn’t care if it never ended. When it came time to land it was very smooth, and all of the pilot’s helpers quickly packed up the balloon. Then they brought out the drums and we did the Balloon Dance. (I called it the Balloon Dance as I can’t imagine what other kind of dance you do after ballooning) We all danced with glee to celebrate the ride and a happy smooth landing. \/ Then they gave certificates and T-shirts to all of us. So regarding ballooning, I’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

Later that day we went to the Valley of the Kings, which is another major highlight for me. I went into the tomb of King Tut, which was a lot smaller and less impressive than I had imagined. But it was worth it for one thing, and that is the mummy of King Tut was just put on display to the public for the first time ever. Tut’s mummy was in a glass case inside the tomb. I couldn’t stop staring at him, I’ve been hearing about this guy my entire life. I’m told this is a temporary exhibit so I feel very privileged to have seen him.

We went on to visit the Tomb of Ramses the 6th. If any of you ever go to Egypt, I urge you strongly not to miss this tomb!! This was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. You will walk through this endless tunnel with high ceilings so no hunching over like I did at the pyramid. There are colorful drawings and hieroglyphs all around. I wish I could put it into words but I can’t. You must walk very slowly because there are so many details to all of these drawings and hieroglyphs. Once you finally reach the burial spot, it’s roped off but for a small tip ($1 or so) the guard will let you walk back to the sarcophagus. We visted a few other tombs all of which were interesting, but none compared in any way to this one. We later visited the Valley of the Queens which was nice but not nearly as big or as interesting as the Valley of the Kings.

So if this day wasn’t exciting enough, here’s the icing on the cake: I love watching Egyptian documentaries, and almost every one has a world famous Egyptologist named Dr. Zahi Hawass. Before my trip I had this stupid thought. (I have stupid thoughts often ) I imagined myself at an Egyptian archaeological site and suddenly I see Dr. Hawass. Then I reminded myself what a stupid thought that is. It’s like saying, “I’m going to England, maybe I’ll see Prince William.” Yeah right.

Well, just as we were leaving the Valley of the Kings, there he was—Dr. Hawass!! I ran to him like a groupie chasing Mick Jagger!! I threw my camera at some stranger and said, “Get a picture of me with him!!!!” I hugged Dr. Hawass and told him how much I love his shows and how he inspired me to come to Egypt. He seemed to love this attention and he posed for 3 pictures with me, as well as other members of my group. Meeting him was a HUGE thrill for me. If you think you know who he is but you’re not sure, here’s a web site w/info:

http://www.guardians.net/hawass/

OK, I know what you are thinking so I’ll say it for you. What a dork P_M must be to get so excited over an Egyptologist. Yeah, I know…

P_M

Our time in Luxor ended so we joined a car convoy and drove to Hurghada which is on the Red Sea. Hurghada looked more like Cancun or Miami Beach than Egypt. It was bright, flashy and everything is new. This is because Hurghada is a newly developed city to be used as a Red Sea resort. As we pulled into Hurghada I noticed immediately that all signs are in Arabic, English and Russian. We learned that Hurghada is popular with Russian tourists for a beach vacation. As this is winter, Hurghada was loaded with Russians escaping the harsh Russian winter.

Sadly we didn’t have much time in Hurghada and the next day we flew to Sharm al Sheik and we were driven to Dahab. Dahab is a very exotic looking town on the Siani Penninsula, still on the Red Sea. You can have a meal while sitting on sofas which are literally at the water’s edge. Just across the Red Sea you can clearly see the Saudi Arabian coastline. Personally I have no desire to visit Saudi Arabia, but I got a huge kick out of being able to see it. Dahab is very unique and it’s the #1 part of Egypt where I would love to return.

OK, here’s the worst day of the trip: The next morning we went back to the water’s edge to have breakfast on the sofas by the Red Sea. This was the only good part of the day. Then we were driven to the ferry dock so we could sail to Jordan. We had heard the ferry was unreliable but we had no idea of what we were in for. We waited hours and hours to board, then we stood in long lines for Egyptian exit customs. The customs building we were in was positively disgusting and those bathrooms made the train look good. The ferry was supposed to leave at 1pm so we would arrive in Aquaba at 2ish. I was looking forward to standing on deck during the ferry ride, but by the time we sailed it was already dark. We never had a chance to eat lunch, and we didn’t dare eat anything from that hideous customs building at the ferry dock.

Once we were on the ferry a very strange thing happened. The ferry had 3 large rooms (called Salons) with chairs and a few sofas. We sat down in Salon #1 at the front of the ferry. Soon a ferry worker came around and told us we are not allowed to sit in Salon #1 because it’s a Muslims only section. There were only a few other white people on the ferry, but he was telling this to all white people. We weren’t happy but we got up and went into Salon #2. We looked around and saw all Muslims. We decided Salon #2 must be a Muslims only section as well so we went into Salon #3. This salon was very small and near the engines so it was loud and cramped. We were quite bothered to think that we must sit in Salon #3 because it was such an unpleasant place.

Pretty soon the captain came by and we asked him where we are supposed to sit. He looked puzzled and told us to sit wherever we want. We explained how that guy (we pointed him out) told us not to sit in Salon #1 because it’s for Muslims only. The captain looked completely bewildered and insisted we can sit wherever we want. He then went to the man who told us to move out of the “Muslims only” section. I don’t understand Arabic but I think this guy was in some hot water with the captain. We went back to Salon #1 and nobody bothered us again.

P_M

We finally docked in Aqaba and met our Jordanian guide. I knew I liked him from the first moment. He is a freelance guide who had been contracted by Egypt Uncovered and he was great. We drove through Aqaba to the Bedouin Camp where we were to spend the night. By the time we arrived it was about 10pm, which of course was many hours later than anticipated due to the ferry delay. They served us dinner but I was so dead tired and sick with the runs I didn’t eat. (more about being sick later) I chose the tent nearest the bathroom, for obvious reasons. These tents were extremely nice and each tent had 2 comfy little bed. It ws like 5* camping. Egypt and Jordan are quite warm in the daytime but Jordan got very cold at night. Of course the tents were not heated and I nearly froze!! Not to mention by this time I had been sick with the runs for a couple of days, so I had to make several 50-foot trips from my tent to the bathroom that night. UGH!! This would have been a really fun night if a) we had arrived on time b) if it weren’t so friggin' cold and c) if I didn’t have the runs!!

The next day we visited Wadi Rum for a jeep safari around the park. I skipped breakfast because I knew there would be no bathrooms on our off-road adventure, and I thought it might be rude to poop in the sand and bury it like a cat using a litter box. Wadi Rum is a national park in Jordan and it reminded me of Zion or Bryce Canyon in the US, but much more impressive. There were so many rock formations, many different colors of rocks, and so many wonders of nature. We were shown writings on walls which were thousands of years old. It’s a very unique place in this world and someday I would like to revisit when I have a few more days for Wadi Rum.

Later we continued on to Wadi Moussa, which is the town where Petra is. We stayed at the Crown Plaza which is literally a block away from the entrance to Petra. For those who are unfamiliar, Petra is an ancient city where the buildings are all carved into multi-colored cliffs. We arrived in the late afternoon so that evening we did a tour called Petra by Candlelight. This is kinda self-explanatory, we saw parts of the park by candlelight. It was a spooky walk but I mean that in the best possible way. It was spooky because I realized this is how Petra was seen by people who walked there thousands of years ago, and that made it very exciting. It was almost like the spirits of those people were there to welcome us.

The next day I was still sick so I skipped breakfast again, as bathrooms are not plentiful at Petra. Once we were inside Petra again I just couldn’t believe all I was seeing. Everywhere I looked there were ancient homes and businesses all carved into these huge rocks. The rocks had so many different colors one would swear they are painted. But I kid you not, these were all natural colors. The colors were mostly shades of red, but we also saw yellow, blue and off whites. And as the sun changed positions throughout the day, the rock colors seemed to change along with it. When the group went back to the hotel I stayed behind and did more hiking on my own in order to explore a few out-of-the way places. Petra is like no other place on earth and I hope everyone reading this will have a chance to see it someday.

P_M

The next day we drove to Mt. Nebo, which is believed to be the site where Moses died and was buried. From Nebo you can see the Dead Sea and Israel. It is believed this is where Moses looked upon the Promised Land, but because of his sin he knew he wouldn’t get there so he died on Mr. Nebo. We also visited the Castle of Kerak, then Madaba, which has a mosaic map that’s believed to be the oldest map of this region. We went on to the 5* Cham hotel in Amman. Unlike Egypt, when the Jordanians call a hotel 5* they aren’t kidding, this place was gorgeous!!

The next day we visited the Roman ruins at Jerash. These ruins are very well preserved and you’ll know you are in a Roman city. Our tour guide pointed out the ruins of the cathedral where Jesus turned water into wine. I didn’t know that was in Jerash but what a great surprise it was to see that!! We went on to the Dead Sea where we all had a swim. As some of you know I visited the Dead Sea in February from the Israeli side. So in 2007 I was fortunate enough to have TWO dips on the Dead Sea, from two different sides. The water was chilly but bearable. Swimming in the Dead Sea is so cool because it’s like the water wants to spit you out. You body will float whether you want it to our not, and it takes quite some effort to keep your feet underwater.

From there we went back to the hotel in Amman. Most members of the group were flying home the next morning but I had to take a red-eye leaving at 2am. I showered, dried my swimsuit and sadly packed for my trip home. I said goodbye to my new friends around 11pm then off to the airport.

Stay tuned, more to come.

P_M

I debated as to whether or not to include so much detail about getting sick. I decided to add this chapter in case it will help anyone else who gets sick in Egypt.

Getting sick: As mentioned above, I think I got sick in Egypt because of unsanitary conditions. I never drank tap water or ate fresh fruit or veggies that could be washed in tap water. Also I never brushed my teeth in tap water, yet somehow I still got sick, several times.

I was OK the first few days of the trip but then I had a bad day of nausea. I went to a pharmacy for about $2 I bought some anti-nausea pills. By the end of the day the nausea was gone. Then a day or so later I got a really bad case of diarherrea (or the runs, as I call it) and that lasted for 3 days. I even thought of changing my screen name from P_M to B_M!! This was so bad I skipped a lot of meals and when I did eat, it was always bland stuff I didn’t like. By the time we got to Jordan I had become so miserable from skipping meals to avoid bathroom runs, I finally went to the hotel gift shop to buy medicine, as no pharmacy was nearby. I told the clerk my problem and he said he would call a pharmacy in town and have medicine delivered to the hotel. I expected this service to cost me a kidney but the price was surprisingly reasonable. My meds arrived in 30 minutes and I don’t know what was in that stuff, but from that point forward I was cured of the runs!!

A few days later I developed the sniffles, probably due to the cooler weather in Jordan. I bought decongestants and felt better. Then on the last night of the trip I had the most awful, burning sore throat I’ve had in years!! By then we had moved to Amman where a pharmacy was just across the street from our hotel so I went there and bought antibiotics. I took a couple of those and got relief almost immediately. But when I got home the soreness returned so I went to the doctor and tested positive for strep throat.

It just occurred to me that on this trip I did more shopping in pharmacies than any other type of store.

P_M

Good things about Egypt: History, history and history!! Egypt is off the scale if you love ancient history. Where else in the world can you walk into a 4,000 year old building and it’s still in good shape? Do you think our buildings will be here in 4,000 years? Of course not. Also Egypt is cheap, and I mean CHEAP!! I couldn’t believe how far the dollar will go there, even with this crummy exchange rate. Egypt is a great place for anyone looking for a bargain. And most Egyptian are very friendly and welcoming.

Bad things about Egypt: Egypt is dirty, and that’s probably why I kept getting sick. Cigarette smoke is everywhere with no restrictions. Another bad thing is the vendors are very pushy, which really puts me off buying anything. And the harassment from the men, OMG don’t even ask how many times a day I got hit on!! But at my age I should be glad for that.

Overall impressions of Jordan: The best thing about Jordan was the people. I’ve never been to a country before where so many strangers approached me on the street to thank me for visiting their country. Jordan is a nicer, cleaner and better organized country than Egypt. Jordanians drive a bit fast but they are sane and the obey lines in the road and traffic rules, for the most part. Crossing the street in Egypt is more dangerous than playing Russian Roulette, but in Jordan it was OK. Jordanian vendors are not terribly pushy and men never hit on me. My only complaint about Jordan is the cigarette smoke, it was almost as bad as in Egypt.

P_M

Despite all of my crazy ailments this was a great trip and I’m glad I went. If I had to get sick, Egypt and Jordan are good places to get sick because you can buy so many meds over the counter and they are very cheap, so that’s where my glass is half full. I’m very glad I went to Egypt, it was a thrill to finally see that country in depth. If I ever go to Egypt again I will stock up on heavy-duty, extra strength Immodium and bring a cork to put between my buns. Would I return to Jordan?? YES, YES, YES in a heartbeat!!

Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year to all!!

THE END

sandi

Great report. Thanks so much.
Dr. Hawass! Lucky you. Lucky me too!

I met him about 8/yrs ago during a presentation at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, where they have a very large Egyptian exhibit. A place I like to visit often to simply sit at the Temple of Dendur for contemplation in this big noisy city.

The man is a delight and his enthusiasm for what he does rubs off on people. He does have groupies and I'm glad to say I'm one of them.

P_M

Thanks sandi, it's good to know I'm not alone in being a Hawass groupie. I also admire his enthusiasm about his work. He is a great man.

directions

P_M, thanks so much for your great and funny report. I wish you did a lot more traveling and writing.

Write a book on your travels one day it will be a best seller.

I learned some things and laughed at some things, you're good.

Donna

P_M

Thank you Donna, you are so very kind.

Louise

So enjoyed your trip details. I do have to get to Petra some day. Just wanted to mention for people going - I was told not to bother taking any medications as they know best what to give for sickness. Boy, it sure worked for me - I got sick in the a.m. just after breakfast on the Nile river cruise with everything happening both ends. I thought I was going to miss the Valley of the Kings and Queens but the Captain of the boat gave me medicines and had me off in an hour with no problems.

matnikstym

Excellent report again P_M! Great fun reading! Does your husband not like to travel? Thanks for the laughs!

P_M

Hello again and thank you all for reading.

Louise, you are right about buying meds there. The stuff I brought from home did nothing, but the pills I got in Jordan did the trick and saved my butt. (Quite literally)

Mat, my husband likes to travel but not nearly as much as I do. We do some traveling together but his leave time is more limited than mine so that's why I sometimes go alone.

althom1122

P_M - loved your report! Thanks so much for all the colorful detail. (And thanks for providing the link for me over on the LA board. I had looked for it using your screen name, but there were so many postings, I gave up!)
Karen

teacherCanada

Hi P_M

Loved reading about your adventures. We'll be travelling on a similar itinerary in March 2009 with about 40 students aged 15 -18.

Do you remember the name of the hot air balloon company or how you made the connection. It would be an interesting option if we were able to get permission from parents.

thanks

tC

P_M

Thank you althom.

Hello teacherCanada. The company was called Magic Horizon Balloons. I hope you and your students will be able to do this, it was fabulous. Maybe you can get a group rate. ;-)

http://www.magic-horizon.com/