I guess as we found out via some email from concerned friends - we haven't blogged in quite awhile. The reason being life is pretty tame here in Singapore and it just doesn't seem to lend itself to the type of stories we shared from Cambodia and the Du. That being said, we just came back from an adventure in Egypt, Jordan and Dubai so are ready to tell some tales...
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| daily traffic |
After a medical emergency on-board our plane and consequently an unintended but rather pleasant overnight stopover in Dubai due to the missed connections, we arrived in Cairo. It is bustling, chaotic, dirty and crowded. People wander across the freeways to get a lift from cars and buses. There is a feeling of anticipation as they await the elections this June and also a sense of being "on hold" as to what the future will bring. For sure, there is a steep decline in tourists numbers and so we were "popular" and well touted. There is also a bit of concern for Americans (what have we done now) - so when we were recognized as Americans due to our passports, we were provided with an armed escort in our cars/vans etc. Truly, a large man in a suit with a machine gun in a side holster. We really didn't feel as if we needed it but hey - they seem to know a lot more about what is going on than we did...
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| bridge over the Nile |
After our first night in Cairo (the sound and light show at the pyramids was surprisingly good), we flew to Aswan to begin our Nile Cruise. The cruise boat was lovely and it was a great way to see how life has been going on along the edges of the river for centuries. There were some pretty cool temples and stuff too. The hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings was amazing.
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| School |
During one stop on the cruise we went to a Nubian village - here we are in a school that they have built so their kids don't have to walk 2 hours each way to the local Egyptian school. The Nubians are an important part of the Egyptian culture and a tie with some of the rest of Africa. The people we met were very friendly, well traveled and like to have fun - see the picture below - yes, that is an alligator on Simon's shoulder. A pet from one of the homes we visited. They had a large one too but well...
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| Alligator Baby |
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| Magical Mud from the Dead Sea |
| I | | After leaving the cruise we drove through the Sinai desert to a place called Taba. We had to travel in a convoy as the Bedouins had "kidnapped" some tourists a while back and "held" them in their tents, serving them tea and then releasing them unharmed, but it was a gesture to make sure the new government doesn't forget about them as the country moves forward. We then got up very early and took a ferry to Jordan. Our driver picked us up and took us to the Dead Sea. It is wild - you can't sink if you try. | | | | | | |
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From there we had a lovely drive down the King's Highway towards Petra. We stopped for a sunset a a local coffee shop...
Nothing else around for miles. The next day it was on to Petra - better than we expected, ancient, awesome, only 1% uncovered right now. If you get a chance it is a "must-see" in my book. Jordan also seemed more peaceful (they are) and more organized than Egypt. The king is highly revered and respected and seems to do the right things for his people and country. I would like to go back someday and see more of the country - two days didn't do it justice at all.
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| Simon's Pyramid |
After our brief time in Jordan we returned to Taba for a night and then it was back to Cairo to see the famous pyramids that we missed the first time. It is an awesome sight and the fact that the city is right up next to them is quite remarkable. We then had an extra day and so took an adventure. We got a hotel taxi (said we were Australian to avoid the bodyguard) and went out to Saqqaro, Memphis and Dahshur. We went to "closed" pyramids where the only people there were policemen. For a small fee (paid to the said policeman) we were allowed to climb up the pyramids, go down inside one and generally have the place to ourselves. It was incredible and such a rare chance to see the area without hordes of people.
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| Scarf from our police man friend |
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| Our taxi driver's village |
We finished off the adventure day with lunch at our taxi driver's house. Seeing his village was a real glimpse into the way people live in Egypt every day. His family was lovely and the food was very basic and good.
It was a great adventure and we would happily recommend our tour company - Memphis Tours - if you want to go. We were met, driven and guided by great people and the tour was catered to exactly what we asked for. We had our own cars, good guides and nice accommodation. As you know, we aren't really tour people but we didn't want to miss anything and this was so different from the big bus/guide with a flag tour. Definitely worth a try.
Until next time (I bet you are saying not sure I missed these long winded blogs!) Take care and hope to see you sometime soon!
