Egypt

08-September-2024

Sharm-El-Sheikh

This year, my company VDX.TV decided to hold our semi-annual engineering summit at the Grand Rotana Hotel in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt. It is located on the shore of the Red Sea, about 500 kilometers from Cairo.

The hotel is situated on the east coast, making the sunrise spectacular. There was a small hill on the other side, which made the sunrise even more beautiful.

The hotel was amazing. Its private beach had incredible coral formations—the best I have seen in Egypt.

The official meetings were held from Monday, the 9th, to Sunday, the 13th. It was a packed schedule, but it wasn’t too boring. I spent most of my free time talking with others and had a great time during the summit.

Egypt Trip

14-September-2024 – 20th-September-2024

Once the summit was over, I decided to extend my trip to visit the ruins of ancient Egypt. However, my trip started with a boat ride to a coral reef for snorkeling and diving. I call it Day -1 (minus one), as it was arranged by my office.

Day -1

The destination for the boat trip was about two hours away by boat. The place was filled with boats, resembling a floating village.

We did scuba diving and snorkeling, followed by lunch. Snorkeling was a bit difficult as the gear was mostly defective. However, I still enjoyed the experience.

After lunch, the boat took us to another snorkeling spot. This second location was amazing, with plenty of colorful fish and corals.

At the end of the day, we visited the local town. The entire town is like a mall, with all kinds of shops and stores.

Day 0

Our flight to Cairo was scheduled for the night of the next day (Sunday, 15th September), so we had a free day. We booked a package trip to the famous Blue Hole in Dahab. The package included short ATV rides, a camel ride, snorkeling at the Blue Hole (snorkeling gear was extra), and a visit to the Coloured Canyon.

I enjoyed both the ATV and camel rides.

However, the Blue Hole was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t snorkel, as there weren’t many corals to see. While the hole itself was prominent, it wasn’t as impressive as we had imagined. Since me and few others didn’t go snorkeling, our guide took us to a higher vantage point where we could take fantastic photos.

After the visit to the Blue Hole, we headed to the Coloured Canyon. I’m not sure about its history, but the canyon was an incredible sight. Although it was very hot, I wished we could have spent more time there. I did manage to take plenty of beautiful photos.

After the trip, we returned to the hotel. I had already checked out in the morning, so I took a shower at the gym and had a quick dinner before we headed to the airport for our flight to Cairo.

Day 1

We hired a trip planner, Mr. Omar (+201005433269), from Luxor. He arranged our entire trip, from airport pickup to airport drop-off. However, he did not arrange the hotel for Sunday night, so we booked a hotel in Giza, assuming we would visit the Pyramids first. However, our guide had other plans, and we went to the Egyptian Museum instead.

Egyptian Museum

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, or Egyptian Museum, is the oldest museum in Egypt. A true Egyptian tour begins with a visit to the Egyptian Museum.

The museum is filled with ancient Egyptian artifacts like stone and wooden sculptures, sarcophagi, Sphinxes, wall art, scripts, papyri, and much more. It didn’t make sense to capture too many pictures since most of them are readily available on the internet. So, I took minimal photos and enjoyed the tour. While most parts of the museum allow photography, the room with the Funerary Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun has a strict no-photo policy. I accidentally took a picture there, and they politely asked me to delete it. Overall, the trip to the museum was fantastic.

The Perfume Shop, Hibiscus Tea, and Koshari

After visiting the Egyptian Museum, our guide took us to a perfume shop to store our luggage. Since we hadn’t had breakfast yet, they also arranged it for us.

In Egyptian tradition, they offer a welcome drink—either coffee, Hibiscus tea, or a cold drink. The perfume shop followed this tradition. This was the first time I had Hibiscus tea, and I loved it.

They also served us Koshari for breakfast (we paid for it), which is a staple food in Egypt. It was really tasty, but it was far more than we could manage for breakfast, so we were full for the rest of the day.

Since it was a perfume shop, they gave us a demonstration of their perfumes. However, the perfumes were extremely expensive, so we politely declined and left for the Pyramids.

Pyramids and Sphinx

The Pyramids and the Sphinx are the most iconic artifacts to visit in Egypt. Until now, I had only seen them in pictures, but in reality, they were just as magnificent as I had imagined. The pyramids are built on a high plateau, far above the Nile’s water level. The large pyramid consists of millions of individual stones, each likely weighing several tons. The sheer size of these stones is mind-blowing.

Pyramids

The Pyramids are basically tombs for pharaohs and kings. However, they never share a pyramid with others. So, they built two other smaller pyramids for their wives and daughters. In total, there are nine pyramids. However, the smaller pyramids are almost gone. Pharaohs have also built tombs near the Pyramids. These weren’t pyramids, so they are just ruins.

As all the Pyramids are tombs, there are ways to go inside them. Our guide told us not to go inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, but to go inside the smaller pyramid instead. We took his advice. The experience was awesome. We had to go down through a narrow corridor where we could barely stand. The tomb was located at a depth. While the experience was fantastic, it was very suffocating.

Sphynx

Our next destination was the Great Sphynx of Giza. A Sphynx is a mythical creature one can read about on Wikipedia.

Our first view of the Great Sphynx of Giza was from the road from the pyramids to the Sphynx. The Great Sphynx of Giza is the largest Sphynx ever found. It is still in its original location near the pyramids and very close to the River Nile. According to our guide, the River Nile used to come up to the front feet of the Sphynx.

Nowadays, the way to the Great Sphynx of Giza is through the Inn. Sphynx are solid, and there is no way to go inside.

Our trip at Giza ends here. We headed towards the bus stop as we took a bus from Cairo to Luxor.

The bus journey to Luxor

It was a 9.5-hour journey in a Mercedes Benz luxury bus. We started at 5:30 PM and reached by 3 AM. The bus stopped multiple times for food and restrooms.

Day 2: Luxor

We reached Luxor 1 hour earlier than we anticipated at 3:00 AM. So, our tour guide put us on our cruise to freshen up and rest. However, it was very short, as we had to start our next adventure around 5 AM in the Morning.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Our next adventure was to watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon. So, the balloon ride started when the sun was about to rise.

As the name suggests, it is a hot air balloon. A huge balloon filled with hot air lifts people up into the air. It is very hard to imagine the size of the balloon even after seeing it with my own eyes. It required well-coordinated help from many people to inflate the balloon.

Once the balloons are inflated and the baskets are up, it is time to hop into the basket and enjoy the ride.

Initially, it was a bumpy ride, but pretty soon we were high in the sky, and nothing from the ground could stop our movements.

Slowly we gained enough altitude to see the other side of the Nile where the sun was about to rise. It was beautiful to see the sun rising from the hills.

The sunrise is over. It is time to glide and find a suitable spot to land. While the balloon is maneuverable, it is neither easy nor precise. A little wind can ruin several minutes of course correction. So, we glided over the crops to find a suitable spot while avoiding the high voltage electric wires. However, this was the captain’s concern. We were enjoying the view for as long as possible.

Finally, we found a suitable spot and came down. However, the precise spot was being selected by the ground crew. They pulled the balloon while we were floating a few feet above the ground, then landed softly in the chosen spot.

Our balloon ride finally came to an end. However, we were still excited from the experience.

After baloon ride, we were to go to the Valley of the Kings. However, we haven’t yet had breakfast. So, our guide arraged sandwiches with local hand made bread.

Valley of the Kings

We headed towards the Valley of the Kings. It is a valley which contains underground tomb of kings and faraos. This tombs are more recent than the Pyramids of Giza.

As the mummies along with treasure in the Pyramids were being stolen, the kings decided to hide their mummies along with their treasures for afterlife. So, they have carved the limestone hills and placed the tomb inside.

So far we have found total 34 tombs. However, only 9 of the tombs are currently open for public. The entrance ticket allows to visit any 3 tomb. However, we managed to visit 2, 6, 8, and 11 tombs. The tombs are filled with paitings and sculptures. It is very hard to capture the beauty while being a tourist. However I took a few photos.

Karnak Village

After visiting the Valley of the Kings, our guide took us to Karnak Village where artisans make things from alabaster stone. We managed to reduce the price to 10% of the asking price.

Karnak Temple

Our next destination was Karnak Temple. It is located in the heart of Luxor. The original temple was massive and built on a very large area. It also had a direct connection to river Nile. Currently only a few parts of the original temple is open for visit.

The entrance of the temple has several Sphynx most of which are destroyed.

After the entrance it has a open area. Here we have multiple pillers standing about 10mtr high and 2mtr widths. Like all other temple, all the walls are full of painting and carving. It also has two obelix standing there.

We left Karnak Temple around 1PM. We had to pay Mr. Omar for our trip and also catch the cruise. We did not visit the Luxor Temple. However, I took a few photos from the car. The photos aren’t very good.

Experience on the Cruise

Even though we checked in at cruise at 3:40am, we were only there for an hour before heading for balloon ride.

After visiting Karnak Temple, we rushed back to the cruise. It was almost lunch time and we were very tired. So, we had our lunch and went to sleep. The lunch was fantastic. Many different kind of salad, vegetables and deserts were there.

I woke up after sleeping for few hours. I saw some local people trying to sell saris through the window.

In the afternoon I went up to the sundeck to watch our ship crossing a dam. The dam was small. However, process was same as the Panama Canal lock. But only one stage. It was a interesting surprise.

In the evening, the sunset from the dock was breathtaking.

There was another surprise waiting for us in the evening. There was a free cocktail party. The party was well decorated and had nice separation between alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktails. However, they both look the same.

The deck was even more prettier at night.

It was also a full moon.

We reached Edfu town around 10:30pm and docked there for the night.

Day 3: Edfu & Kom Ombo

On Wednesday morning, we received a wake-up call from the ship. After having breakfast on the ship, we went out. Our tour guide was already waiting for us. He took us to the Temple of Edfu using a horse-drawn cart.

The town itself is quite simple and ordinary. It is very similar to towns in India. In fact, they have Indian Auto Rickshaws for public transport, which are imported from India.

Edfu Temple

The Temple of Edfu is the second largest temple in Egypt after the Karnak Temple. It is also the best-preserved temple so far. Interestingly, it is located on the west side of the river Nile, which is peculiar since ancient Egyptians believed that the west side of the Nile River was the land of death. However, this particular temple was built by the Greeks after they occupied Egypt.

The Temple of Edfu is a temple of revenge and victory. Essentially, God Horus took revenge for his mother Isis against Set. The story is interesting, and it becomes even more fascinating with the wall paintings. The entire temple is rich in symbolism, just like everything else in ancient Egypt.

The temple was built by ten different kings, from [Ptolemy III Euergetes][ptolemni3] to Ptolemy XII Auletes. The outside paintings and carvings depict the 12th king Ptolemy XII Auletes.

The temple begins with a common area where the general public could present their offerings to the god. It is surrounded by three walls, leading to the holy part of the temple. These three walls also have 32 stone pillars, similar to the Karnak Temple. These 32 pillars represent the 30 priests, the high priest, and the king.

The holy part of the temple is primarily made up of pillars with very tall ceilings. At the end of the holy area, there is a sacred space where Horus resided. The high priest or the king would present their offerings to the god three times a day. They would not turn their backs on the god, so they would walk backward while leaving.

I enjoyed this temple the most. The guide was awesome and very knowledgeable. He told us the mythological story, which somewhat matches the movie Gods of Egypt.

A New Member in Our Room

After the visit to the Temple of Edfu, we returned to the ship. When we entered the ship, there was a surprise waiting for us.

Kom Ombo Temple

Our next stop was the Temple of Kom Ombo. The temple is situated on the west bank of the river Nile. Our ship literally docked at the foot of the temple.

The temple’s original entrance no longer exists, as one of the pillars from the entrance gate fell into the Nile due to erosion and earthquakes.

The Temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to two gods: Sobek and Haroeris. It was built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom. The entire temple is divided into two sections for the two gods.

The temple also contains a festive calendar, which provides information about the offerings to be made to the gods on specific days of the month in particular seasons.

There is a well on the temple grounds. People used to collect water from the well into a small tank. There was also a hospital behind the temple. According to our guide, ancient Egyptians performed surgeries as well.

The temple also has a rich mythological story. However, I can’t recall it completely. I did take many photos there, and those photos turned out great.

The Crocodile Museum

There is a modern Crocodile Mummy Museum beside the Temple of Kom Ombo. It contains several crocodile mummies.

Our day ends here. We returned to the ship and headed for Aswan.

Day 4

Our Day 4 started very early as we checked out of the cruise at 4 a.m. and began our journey to the Temple of Abu Simbel, which is about 200 km south of Aswan. Since it was a long journey, we stopped at a spot during sunrise and got a fantastic view of the sun rising in the desert.

Abu Simbel

The Abu Simbel temple is situated beside Lake Nasser. Lake Nasser was formed when the Aswan High Dam was built on the river Nile. Essentially, the Aswan High Dam created a 500 km long lake, of which Lake Nasser is a part.

The Abu Simbel site consists of two massive rock-cut temples. The temples are dedicated to the great king Ramesses II and his wife Nefertari. The entrance to both temples features four colossal statues, with the great temple having larger statues.

The interiors have multiple chambers and pillars. All the walls and ceilings are adorned with paintings and carvings.

The original temple was well below the current water level at Lake Nasser. UNESCO moved the entire temple to higher ground. In fact, UNESCO has saved several such temples by relocating them.

We finished our tour of Abu Simbel a little early. After Abu Simbel, we went to the Temple of Philae.

Temple of Philae

The Temple of Philae is situated just beside the Aswan Low Dam on an island. Therefore, one needs to take a ferry to reach the temple.

It is another temple that was submerged in water after the first dam was built. They moved the entire temple stone by stone to higher ground. Although they did a great job, it is not perfect, as the chosen high ground is smaller than the original site. They had to squeeze the temple, which resulted in a poor layout where walls are placed directly in front of other walls.

New Fake Nubian Village

The Nubians lived south of the old dam. However, they had to move to the north of it as the original village got flooded. Now, the entire village is dependent on tourism. They also keep crocodiles as an exhibition.

Everyone in my group loved this village. They even petted the crocodiles for photos. However, I hated this place. Everything about this village feels fake and serves only one purpose: to milk the tourists. Every brick, design, and street is there to lure visitors. It feels more like a market than a village.

I also dislike the idea of petting crocodiles. They aren’t really pets; they’re just showpieces for tourists. The villagers keep those crocodiles in extremely confined spaces where they can’t even stretch. When they give a crocodile to a tourist, they tie its jaws so it can’t bite. It was so cruel. I didn’t pet it.

Aswan

After visiting the Nubian village, we went to a restaurant near the Aswan railway station. We left our bags there and visited the local market after having some lunch.

The Sleeping Train

We arrived at the station almost 45 minutes before departure. The train was there, so we boarded it.

The train was a big disappointment. The cabin is really small for the price, and it is well below standard. A three-tier AC train in India is way better than this.

While the train was quite dirty and they did not provide any towels, the bed was clean, and we slept very well. The next morning, we woke up pretty late and started preparing ourselves for deboarding at El-Giza Station. The train was running on time.

Day 5

We arrived in Cairo on time and deboarded at El-Giza Station. As always, our guide was ready at the station with a car. After freshening up a bit, we started our sightseeing.

Museum of Civilization

Our first destination was the Musée de la civilisation, otherwise known as the Museum of Civilizations. It is a newly built museum showcasing the evolution of Egyptian civilization starting from about 35,000 BC. However, the highlight of this museum is its collection of mummies.

The Musée de la civilisation has a vast collection of mummies that are arranged chronologically. While the experience is awesome, no photography is allowed inside this place.

Cairo Citadel

Our next destination was the Cairo Citadel, or Citadel of Saladin. It is relatively modern and primarily serves as an administrative building. It features a large mosque, and I took several photos.

After the Citadel, we headed to the local market for some shopping. Everyone bought some souvenirs and enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere. We ended our day by heading back to our hotel for dinner.