Our two-week visit to Egypt in April took us from the hectic traffic of Cairo to ancient sites along the Nile to a mellow beach resort on the Dead Sea. The perfect weather and an infinite variety of scenery enchanted us.

Traveling in the footsteps of Kings, Queens, and a myriad of gods and goddesses was breathtaking. We were constantly amazed by the engineering skills, artistic qualities, and advanced building techniques exhibited by ancient Egyptians. 

Prepared for the Afterlife

In Luxor, we walked down the steep staircase into the tomb of Queen Nefertari–wife of Ramses II–and felt it was freshly painted–even though it was 3,200 years old. Colors leapt off the wall. Vivid images depicting her life and mummification greeted us from every corner.

Between 3,000 and 3,500 years ago, the Kings and Queens of Egypt built elaborate tombs underground to preserve their bodies and store items for the afterlife. These tombs can be found in enormous valleys around Luxor. 

On the surface, they appear as piles of dirt.

The stories of their lives come to life underground. Many pictures show offerings to the gods.

Others show mummification and animals.

The tomb of Seti vibrated with color and images. According to one guidebook, “There are so many that you could spend days in the tomb and still notice new details.” Archeologists are still discovering new tombs and underground communities. 

Temples Grace the Banks of The Nile

We took a three-night Nile cruise on a traditional dahabiya, a wooden boat with 12 passengers and four crew members. We sailed “downriver” from Aswan to Luxor–which was confusing since we were traveling north–but it was against the current, so it’s called “downriver.”

Our boatmates were all compatible, and our guide, Abdula, was knowledgeable and an excellent storyteller. 

Sand Has Helped Preservation

We learned that many of the temples had been covered in sand for centuries, so many of the lower elements were well preserved. This temple at Esna looked like this in 1789. Note the height of the columns.

But now, after excavation, the columns have revealed their true height. In fact, the temple was in a “pit” in the middle of the town.

Workers were in the process of cleaning the ceiling (practically with a toothbrush). They removed black soot and revealed an ornate ceiling.

A Crash Course on Ancient Gods 

We were introduced to the major Egyptian gods in all the temples and tombs. Many tombs featured the god Ra– the god of the sun.

We were fans of the jackal-headed god of mummification, Anubis, and in this painting in Nefertari’s tomb, he looks like he’s smiling (for a job well done!)

The temples of Abu Simbel were built in 1244 BCE to honor Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari.

These temples were moved––piece by piece–in 1968 as they would have been flooded in their original location along the Nile by the building of the Aswan High Dam. It took almost five years, involved about 3,000 workers and cost–in the 1960s–about $42 million. Quite the feat!

Crocodiles

We learned that there used to be crocodiles in the Nile, but they now only live in the upper section of Lake Nassar. One of our boatmates wanted to make sure of this before we took a dip in the Nile! The crocodile god is well preserved at the Kom Ombo Temple, which was split down the middle to honor the two deities: the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus.

Also, in Kom Ombo, we saw mummified crocodiles from 3,000 years ago!

Pyramids 

In Giza, the three main pyramids were visible from the deck of our AirBnB. So, as we munched on our home-cooked breakfast, we looked out in awe. This was one of the best room views we’ve had in our travels. We arrived on the first night of Ramadan, and after sunset, the street buzzed with energy.

While the pyramids appear perfectly formed and symmetrical from a distance, they really are quite jagged and uneven as you approach them. Each stone is enormous.

The pyramids of Giza, Memphis and Saqqara highlight a visit to Cairo. Standing near the oldest pyramid in the world, Saqqara, we were humbled. Built in 2630 BCE, this “step pyramid” was the first attempt at building a pyramid – the techniques evolved over time!

Jan crouched and climbed down to the burial area underneath a nearby pyramid. The workers must have developed back pain building this passageway since it was very low. Other visitors noted that the passageway below the great pyramid of Giza is even more claustrophobic.

Built with approximately 2.3 million bricks (and no glue or mortar), the great pyramid of Giza rises from the earth with symmetry and grace, at least from a distance! The guides claimed that paid artisans instead of slaves built this. It was built during the period 2550 to 2490 BCE. 

All Aboard the Camels

We rode on camels named Bob Marley and Cassanova to get from the Pyramids Panoramic Viewpoint to the Sphinx. The camel boy Khalid was quite adept at silly cell phone photos.

As we loaded up to ride the camels, we were quite surprised to run into a good friend from Ketchum.

Yes, it is a small world!

“Tombs” of a Different Type

We ventured off the beaten tourist path to the Valley of The Whales. We witnessed fossilized whale bones – from 37 to 41 million years ago. Recently discovered, these 400+ fossils provide scientists with accurate evolutionary records of how four-legged, land-dwelling mammals transformed into relatives of whales who lived in the sea. Fascinating.

On the way back to Cairo, our car had a flat tire in the middle of the desert. We learned that our driver’s tire wrench was the wrong size (!), and although he had a spare tire, he didn’t have a jack. So, we had to wait a while for another car to stop and help us.

The other driver was very helpful and had the proper equipment. Since we were going to the airport for our flight to Aswan, our driver used his “Formula 1” driving skills to maneuver through the incredible Cairo traffic to get us to our plane on time. With constant lane-switching, horn honking, and total avoidance of lane lines, this traffic reminded us of driving in Lagos, Nigeria. Not for the faint-hearted! We made it to the airport with time to spare. We even had a cappuccino while we waited for the plane.

Egypt is a Popular Destination

As compared with Oman, Egypt is definitely on the tourist radar. Although we tried to visit sites early or late in the day, there were buses with tourists from around the world at most locations. Many guides carried flags; the guests had headsets providing English, Spanish, German, Chinese, or French commentary. We often had to jostle between the crowds to avoid losing one another.

Like us, many people had delayed previous trips from 2020 due to Covid. Egypt suffered during the lockdown, but now it’s on the rise and welcomes guests from everywhere.

Taking the Plunge in the Red Sea

After our two-week holiday of intense touring and temple-ing (?), we took a three-day break in Dahab, a laid-back beach resort at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula near Sharm el Shiekh. Interestingly, the most common tourists in Dahab are Israelis, as it is only a six-hour drive from Tel Aviv. This resort is just across the Gulf of Aqaba from Saudi Arabia.

Snorkeling revealed beautiful coral and diverse schools of fish. The water was warm, and the visibility was stunning. This was a different type of temple — under the water!

We snorkeled in Blue Hole, Egypt, one of the world’s five most famous blue holes. It is majestic from the water, boasts a total depth of 94 m (300 feet) and is on the “bucket list” for snorkelers and free divers. It is close to shore and looks impressive, even from land. This map showed us our snorkeling route.

Ancient Icons and Manuscripts Wrap up Our Trip

On our last day, we drove to Mt Sinai and visited the Monastery of St Catherine, a Greek Orthodox sanctuary. Built in the 6th century, this is one of the oldest continuously used monasteries in the world.

The icon museum held beautiful art from the 6th through 13th centuries, and we were blown away by the paintings that almost looked contemporary. Who knew these masterpieces had been preserved in this remote location?

We paid tribute to the location of the burning bush, where God spoke to Moses. This is a site revered by Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Our guide, Solomon, was from a local Bedouin village where his family has lived for generations. He noted that St Catherine’s had survived intact for all these years because it garnered religious respect from many conquering entities over the centuries. Unfortunately, the Egyptian government tourist agency is developing a huge tourist resort just down the valley from the Monastery, which ruins the view and sits between the traditional Beduin community and the Monastery.

Abundance of Sites

We now understand how archeologists and Egypt scholars can spend lifetimes uncovering hidden treasures in the sand. Our two-week trip barely dented the surface, but these highlights were incredible. Walking among history dating back thousands of years was a very moving experience that we recommend to all. 

When we returned to SF, we were amused that the 4/3 Time Magazine issue featured the Giza Pyramids on the cover, with the article “The World’s Greatest Places.”

We must agree!

Note: Apologies for the late submission of this post. Since we returned from Egypt, we have switched our California base from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Moving is always an adventure.