egypt: western desert

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I 'planned' my trip to Egypt. Most likely I wasn't thinking too clearly. The reason I say this is because I scheduled a pick up for my second tour to be at 0700 on 1 January. I'm not a fan of partying by any definition, but that's still the one morning a year when most people sleep in. 

Being picked up at 0700 meant having breakfast and getting packed up before then. Let's just say I was tired. And sleepy. And really wishing I'd thought things out a bit better. Oh well, this next week was totally worth any inconvenience. 

The driver was waiting for me in the lobby, right on time. I found out later that when he asked the front desk if I was in the hotel they told him they didn't have anyone by my name. Hmmmm. 

I was so tired that I slept for most of the four hour drive. The seat pretty much laid flat, I was out like a light. I've always been known for heavy sleeping, and sleeping in cars, but I was dead to the world for those hours. 

I woke up just a few minutes before arriving at a town in the western desert of Egypt. I didn't really know where I was, but I figured it was the right place, since the company had arranged my ride. It was, my guide came up to meet me straightaway. It turned out he had just come back from the desert that morning. 

I was sent inside the building to have lunch. I wasn't hungry, (since all I'd done was sleep since breakfast,) but the food was good. I ate everything. There were several dishes, traditional Bedouin food. There was also a plate with a local type of bread, the best comparison I can make is to pita. 

After eating I was happy to go outside to have tea, another Bedouin tradition. Since it was winter, I was cold inside, the sun felt great. 

Not long after tea my guide picked me up and we drove around town, running errands for the tour. He needed to clean his 4x4 vehicle, get more petrol, pick up food, etc... I found the petrol 'station' to be the most interesting part of everything. It definitely was not like a station we think of with pumps outside. This was a small room filled with a couple large tanks filled with I'm not sure what. There were also plastic jugs filled with petrol.

My guide said he wanted two or three of those, so the employee came out with a funnel. He tucked the funnel into the opening of the petrol tank, and slowly poured in the petrol. I could see all kinds of safety issues, but the system works. 

Eventually we returned to pick up my bag, then drove to an area on the outskirts of town. There was a hot spring there, built by the government. Awesome. 

Basically a giant rectangle box made of cement, with sand on the bottom. Hot water came out of a pipe into the tank, and the excess came out a notch cut in the other side. The water was clean as far as I could see. 

I went behind a building (not sure what was inside, it was padlocked closed,) and changed into swimwear. It felt great to be in the warm water. It wasn't hot, but it was warm. 

After hanging out in the water for a little bit, I changed back, and we drove a little further. Not too much later, my guide stopped the truck, and said I should walk around and enjoy the scenery. It was just a peek of what I would get to see over the next week or so.

It was a mountain they called pyramid mountain, and not too far away was what looked like an extinct volcano. Gorgeous. I walked for a while, it would've been easy to go for hours. 

My guide honked the horn, and we went back toward the main road. We picked up another guy from one of the local houses; this turned out to be his assistant Samoca. Somewhere along the main we picked up a British couple, Gill (pronounced Jill) and Chris. They'd signed up for four nights of camping. 

All five of us stayed in the car as Hamada drive into the mountains just outside town. Nothing dramatic, but still awesome. 

I didn't really have any idea what I'd signed myself up for (going with the whole 'hey, I'm going into the western desert and don't know what I will do there mentality) so I was up for anything. 

Gill, Chris, and I walked around while Hamada and Samoca set up camp. We watched sunset, which was pretty. It was right then that I realized we could see a whole lot of stars. Beautiful. It was also a moment when I realized yet again that I should probably buy proper camera equipment (a tripod in this case so I could be sure the camera was standing still.) 

We all sat in the camping area, with a few big and heavy blankets, chatting until dinner was served. By then it was very dark, so I was thankful for the single lightbulb our guide lit using the truck battery. 

Dinner was good (rice and chicken and salad,) and the setup for sleeping came soon after. We didn't go to sleep straightaway, but we were happy to know how it would work. 

There were five mini mattresses laid out, then covered with a heavy blanket. Then five sleeping bags laid out, and each sleeping bag covered with two more blankets. We were all cold, it was nice to slide into the sleeping bags and feel the weight of the blankets. 

It was also really neat to open my eyes and be able to see so many stars without moving my head! I had also pulled my hoodie over my head, when kept my ears warm. 

The next morning I woke up before everyone else. It was not long before dawn, so I decided to go for a walk. It was really nice to climb up a ridge and scramble along. I got to see the sun rise, and see the light creep across the land. 

I came back to camp in time for breakfast. This was the meal I liked least each day, because it involved sooooo much sugar. I love sugar, but even I want something not made of sugar. 

After a while everything was packed up, tied down to the top of the truck, or put in the back.

Meanwhile Chris and Gill and I brushed our teeth and figured out what we would need to have with us for the morning. We got it all sorted, then Hamada told us the plan. We would follow Samoca down the hills and walk across the land until we reached a salt lake. The salt lake exists only in winter, in summer it is a salt flat. 

We started walking, and kept walking. Samoca knew exactly where he was at all times, and wound his way through the area. 

We got to see palm trees growing, green beans growing, and sun flowers growing. We got to see a donkey and week old puppies. We got to see how irrigation works in the area. Basically, it was awesome. I don't remember how long the walk was, but I remember thinking it takes longer to walk across land than you think it will when looked at from our morning camp. 

Hamada picked us up at the salt lake, and we drove to the canteen where I'd eaten lunch the day before. I was more than happy to eat there again, as I'd liked the food. For Gill and Chris it was a first time. 

We all sorted our things, and left our extra packs there, taking with us only the basics for the next week. I had a camel pak, which is one of the best things I've ever bought. I was able to take a couple t shirts, change of undies, hat, scarf, etc... It made it really easy to go walking every day, with plenty of water. 

We drove for a little while, about 40km I think. At least that is what I remember being told. 

Our first stop was in an area known as the Black desert. Volcanic rock and mountains is everywhere, covered with sand. Beautiful. We were able to walk and climb around for a little while, and enjoy the landscape. It made me think of what I think the moon looks like. 

We hopped back in the truck and drove a bit longer down the road, this time stopping at a place called Crystal Mountain. I have no idea if this name is official, or if it applies to one specific hill or the general area. As soon as we climbed out we could see crystal. Not the clean, clear, Swarovski kind, but rather the kind that has just come out of the ground. You could see how each bit had formed and grown. Beautiful. More climbing and walking around for all of us. 

We all got back in the truck, driving further down the road. 

Sometime during this part of the drive I noticed as we passed the signs saying we were entering White Desert National Park. Everything we could see was gorgeous. Our guide, Hamada, explained to us that what we could see on one side of the truck was currently forbidden area, for political reasons. Since Libya is currently unstable, and there is smuggling (of people and items,) over this border, the Egyptian government is trying to keep people safe. We were sad to learn this, as what we could say was absolutely lovely. 

We hopped out of the truck at what seemed like a random place to me, but obviously wasn't to my guides. 

Hamada told us we would follow Samoca on our walk, he would bring us to our campsite for the night. All three of us were eager for the walk, as we could see a stunning landscape ahead of us. 

I'm not sure, but I think the walk was around two hours. We walked through an incredible area of the world, with all kinds of unique bits (and towers) or rock coming out of the land. We all took heaps and heaps of photos. Not only was the landscape really eye catching, but we got great lighting. The so-called golden light, as well as sunset. AMAZING. 

The sunset was incredible, both in the west and the east. Beautiful colours and layers. Another realization that I need a better camera!

We arrived at our campsite when it was almost completely dark, the timing couldn't have been any better. 

There was another group there as well, with a campsite around 20 meters from ours. It was a group of 6 Indians. They were in Egypt for 10 days, and had decided to come out to the desert for a single night. That means they were in a car for 6-7 hours each way, two days in a row. Not my idea of fun, but also not my trip. Anywho. 

We all sat around a fire together, there was some talk of politics (yes, the rest of the world is VERY aware of the coming presidential transition in the US) and some singing. We ate dinner together as well, which was fun. More good conversation. 

My group went to sleep a lot earlier and faster than the Indian group. I found out the next day that they were up until 2 in the morning! 

The next morning I was up again before everyone else. I went for another walk, taking in the sunrise as I walked. Beautiful, and relaxing. 

Breakfast was again full of sugar. Not awful, not fantastic. 

My toes felt a bit off, so I took off my socks and took a look. I was right, my toes didn't look right. Samoca saw my feet (and recognized what he saw,) and called Hamada over to see. Hamada told me my feet were irritated with all the sand.

He gave me some cream to use a couple times a day, and also had some open toed shoes for me to use. I felt like an old man wearing socks with sandals, but oh well. 

We packed everything up again, and I loaded my camelbak with 3L of water. We said goodbye to the Indian group, and started walking. It was another walk where the three of us followed Samoca. Nearly four hours later we arrived at lunch. We were tired by the time we arrived, in a good way. Chris had a watch that measured altitude and temperature, it was interesting to keep track of those as we walked. 

Again, the landscapes we saw were stunning. Again, we all took heaps of photos. It's a good thing the memory card in my camera has a lot of memory. 

Lunch was good, I have no idea why I didn't take any photos of our lunches and dinners during this week. I put more cream on my feet, they were already feeling heaps better. 

While we were sitting around afterward, I figured out how to keep a scarf over my neck while a hat covered my head. The morning walk was amazing, but I'd forgotten suncream, and could feel the results of that mistake. My face was on the shady side the whole time, but it got burnt too. 

Our afternoon walk was a bit shorter, only 75 mins or so. We arrived in another lovely campsite, in time for another fantastic sunset. Being out in the desert really showed me what photographers mean when they refer to late afternoon as having 'golden light.' Awesome. 

With the landscape being what it was, some of the rocks and outcroppings almost looked as if they were on fire with the late afternoon light. 

Dinner that night was good, as were all the dinners we had. 

The routine each day was essentially the same. I woke up before the others and went for a walk just because I could. We would have breakfast and get ready for the day. A three or four hour walk brought us to lunch, after which we would relax for about 30 minutes. 

Another walk of 90-120 minutes in the afternoon usually had us arriving at a new campsite just before a gorgeous sunset. 

I was out in the desert for seven nights. Every day was full of wonderful walking and views and landscapes. It got up to 30C/86F in the sunlight during the day (while only 15C/59F in the shade,) and down to 0C/32F at night. I never really felt hot. I imagine I would've felt baked during the summer.

No, I did not shower, and wore essentially the same clothes the whole time. When I go back, I'll bring a couple more items, just to feel cleaner even though I won't look any better.

I learned a lot about the Bedouin culture, and loved the food. I got to hear Samoca singing traditional songs both as we walked and at our campsites. I was completely disconnected from the rest of the world, which was unnerving and good at the same time. 

On the eighth day we drove back to the oasis town of Bahariya. We had another lunch in the garden of a friend of my guide. It was super windy, so I'm glad we were in a shelter of sorts. If we had been in the desert with all that wind, I would've been crunching a lot of sand while eating.  

After lunch Hamada took us to another local hot spring. This one was hotter than the one we had visited before a week in the desert. It felt really good to be in hot water, wash my hair, and clean off all the grime of a week. My face and hands were sunburnt/irritated by sand, so they burned a bit when in the water. 

We stayed that night in the unfinished hotel owned by Hamada. It felt a little strange to sleep in a bed, and have a western style toilet in the fully sunctuoning bathroom! I did something I rarely do when traveling: I packed everything more than an hour before leaving for the airport. I had to put all the dirty desert clothes in a bag. I fit everything in my bag after organizing everything, which wasn't fast. I was proud of being proactive, because I'm usually a last minute packer. 

We had dinner that night in one of the rooms of the hotel. It was the same type of food I'd been eating the whole time, and since I liked it so much I ate plenty. 

Since I had electricity in my room I ended up going to sleep a few hours later than the entire previous week. I used the light to get caught up on the travel journal I carry with me, it was good to know I wouldn't forget anything. 

The next morning we had the same old sugary breakfast, and I had a few last hours to wander around the property. Around 1130 Hamada drove me out to the main road, where a driver was waiting for me. This new guy drove me all the way to the airport in Cairo. He dropped me off at the wrong terminal, but the terminal I needed was easy to walk to, so it didn't matter. Since I was there four hours ahead of my flight, I got to sit around and wait. And wait. And wait and wait and wait. There was free wifi, which worked intermittently. 

The first flight was fine, then I had hours to kill in the Amman airport in Jordan. When I checked in for the second flight, and was asked whether I wanted an aisle of window, I said whateva was closest to the front. Somehow, that was totally lost in translation, because I got stuck in the middle seat of the last row. To make it worse, one lady tried to put her carryon under the seat in front of my feet. Um, no. Then, the flight attendant said I had to check my bag because it didn't have a cabin baggage tag. Never mind that it wasn't my fault at all. Argh. 

Thank goodness I was able to get off the plane to terminal bus in Kyiv generally in front of the crowd, get through passport control quickly, grab my bag from baggage claim, and hop straight into a taxi to work. 

I will go back to Egypt, and I will go back to the Western Desert. AMAZING. 

egypt: alexandria

When I arranged my tour I made sure it included a visit to the port city of Alexandria. Though not as famous as it once was, I still wanted to see the city.

Tamer and the driver picked me up at 0815 and we started driving. Along the way we stopped to get petrol, and I have to admit I loved the rest stop. There were two reasons to love the rest stop: one, an advert for a product(s) named after me; and two, a branch of a coffee bean shop. I was thrilled, to say the least. Tamer had never heard of Coffee Bean, I told him how much I love the chai lattes from this particular chain. Seeing a CB in the middle of a rest stop in Egypt was definitely not what I expected. When I saw people walking out of another shop with a multicolored drink, I asked Tamer what it was, so I could buy one myself. I didn't need it, since I'd already bought a chai latte, but it was yummy.

We continued the drive, during which I dozed off. (Thank goodness for cup holders in the van!)

Our first stop in Alexandria was a set of catacombs. If I remember correctly, the exact person buried in the individual tomb isn't known, though they do know the general time in which the burial was done. In another area we saw a number of areas where soldiers had been buried in close proximity.

Tamer told me the entire area has not been excavated, but it is unknown if it ever will be, due to the humidity and higher water table of the area. Since Alexandria is on the coast, it has a different climate than the rest of the country. I have no idea if this is true, but it also seemed much more like a small town to me. Less formal.

While we drove to the next stop I took photos through the window of the van. Tamer told me he had told the driver to take the slow route, and go through the 'normal' areas of the city, because he knew I liked to see these areas. I liked them so much that I knew immediately I wanted to come back to the city and walk, walk, walk.

Our next stop was a fortress on the water. I didn't go in the fortress, I was more fascinated by the water itself and all the people around than I was by the fortress. Like everyone else, I was enjoying watching the water crash onto the rocks. I also liked the clouds quickly rolling in, and the way they made a couple photos look better.

While we were here, Tamer pointed out the spot in which one of the ancient seven wonders of the world used to be located. This was the statue of ........., which was said to be big enough that ships sailed between the legs to enter the port. When you see the area you realize just how big the statue must have been.

Our next stop was lunch. It was decent food, with fish and veggies. It was a whole fish, and I didn't love the eyes staring back at me, hee hee. I was able to look out one of the windows to a lovely view of the port.

I walked along a little of the port so I could take photos, just because it was a pretty area. I wanted more time to walk around. Next we stopped at a nearby, tiny shop to get ice cream for dessert.

Our next and last stop of the day was the main reason I'd wanted to come to Alexandria: the library. Obviously, it isn't the ancient library that was once world famous, but it is still totally worth visiting.

The people that designed the modern library took into account the world renown of the ancient library. The front facade has words written in a whole bunch of modern languages, with different alphabets. You go through security to enter the library, and no bags are allowed. The no bag thing was a challenge, as I had to stuff my wallet, camera, and iphone into my pockets.

Once I got into the library I just wandered around and took photos when it seemed like a good idea. The modern library is beautifully designed, with books in many different languages. I saw a lot of Arabic, English, and French in particular.
It would've been fun to try to research a specific topic while in there, and look around in that way. There is a pretty extensive rare books collection, I wish I'd had time to look through that.
The modern library is actually used by students, most of the tables and computers were filled with students. I discovered there is free wifi, which was fun. I was able to send messages to my parents telling them I was in the library of Alexandria!

After this, we drove back to Cairo for the evening of New Years Eve. I definitely want to come back to Alexandria to explore more of 'normal' life in the city.

egypt: cairo

Cairo. The capital of a country, the capital of an empire. Just hearing the name always makes one think of the pyramids, ancient times, the Sphinx, etc... Normally I visit a capital city first in a trip, but this time it was the 4^th big city of my trip. I was excited to finally see some of the biggest sights for which the country is known.

My flight landed in the morning, and I got to see a familiar place when I exited into the arrivals hall. Islam, the tour manager who had picked me up when I first arrived in the country again picked me up. He took me to a car and driver, and they took me to the same hotel in which I'd stayed the first night in the country. We were still in the morning, so there was some doubt as to whether I'd be able to check in that early. Thankfully, Islam made it happen. After two straight mornings of waking up quite early it was nice to be able to crash on a nice bed for a few hours.

Tamar (who had taken the very loooooong night train back to Cairo) met me at the hotel a few hours later.

He was with a driver who stayed with us for the rest of my time in Cairo. There is definitely an advantage to having the same people with you throughout a tour. By this point Tamer knew me and what I was looking for in each place we went. The driver figured out (very quickly) that I like to take pictures of regular life, in addition to the big sights of the city.

Our first stop was the fortress that overlooks the city. The citadel was built by Saladin who is generally viewed as the founder of modern Egypt. Ironically enough, he was an Ottoman, and the Ottoman Empire was not thrilled that he wanted to separate off and rule a country.

Tamer had a ticket in his pocket so we didn't have to wait in a queue, yay! I looked at the ticket price, it was actually quite cheap.

We walked until we got to the mosque named for Mohamed, which is the main reason visitors come to the fortress. Tamer told me the mosque was modeled after the Ayah Sofia in Istanbul. It didn't seem as big, but it was definitely impressive. We approached from the back, it was the only way I was able to get the whole building in a photo. Along the outside there are arches allowing you to walk next to the exterior, I was dumbfounded by all the carving in the stone. Very intricate, absolutely lively. At the same time, I could also see just how dirty it is. The mosque is in dire need of a wash. It is amazing now, it would be then way it was originally if it were clean.

We entered the mosque compound, which starts with a courtyard in the front.

In the middle of the courtyard was the water area where Muslims should wash their hands and feet before praying in the mosque. Sadly, the water spigots are in terrible shape. People have left rubbish there, including cigarette butts. Yuck.

On top of one wall of the front courtyard was a small clock tower surrounded by scaffolding. Tamer said it had been a gift from France, but had been broken when it arrived. For whateva reason, it has never been fixed.

We took off our shoes, as you're supposed to do when entering a mosque. There are different places you can put them, including a windowsill.

The inside of the mosque is just as awesome as the inside. The ceiling has been painted, with intricate and colorful patterns, I stared straight up for a while. This was another place I could see where the mosque would benefit with a proper cleaning. I know it would be difficult and time consuming, but I really hope it happens.

There are several chandeliers and sets of lights, adding to the atmosphere. While I looked around Tamer pointed out the entry to the madrasa (Islamic school) that is on an upper level of the mosque. Madrasas have a negative stereotype because of the current world view of many people, but I would say they are no different from any religious school.

Tamer also pointed out the tomb of Mohamed, which is in one corner of the mosque. It is painted gold, and you cam see through the 'screen' sides to see the actual tomb. When I say Mohamed I am referring to the former leader of Egypt, not the Prophet.

It is definitely worth sitting on the floor and thinking good thoughts for a few minutes, regardless of your faith, or lack thereof.

After exiting the mosque (I forgot my shoes the first time i walked out, I had to run back in,) we went to an overlook where I could see a lot of Cairo. We got there at exactly the right time, as the call to prayer started from all the mosques we could see. Just like in Luxor, I found it amazing to hear all the different minarets playing the call at the same time. Since each mosque has a slightly different tempo and wording, it is chaotic but awesome.

We walked back to the van and started off for our next sight. We wound through various streets (traffic in Cairo is never efficient,) to get to an area known as Coptic Cairo. Most of this area is pedestrian, our van was only able to go so far.

Tamer and I walked to what is known as the Hanging Church. It has this name because it is hanging over what used to be a Roman fortress. The story says that Mary and Joseph hid under the church for a short while when they were on the run. Inside the church we got to see the steps leading down to the hiding area, but that was it. You're not allowed to go into that area, even though this crypt is the reason there is now a church in this place.

Tamer said the church was supposed to resemble a boat, but I didn't see it. He said he didn't see it either, but that is the official line.

The interior of the church is Greek Catholic, which makes me think of a mix between Roman Catholic and Orthodox, at least in terms of how the church looks. There were pews in which to sit, with an iconostasis at the front. Most of the interior was wood, with marble in a few places. I think there was inlaid ivory in some of the woodcarving. Beautiful.

After this church I went back to my hotel. We stopped for shwarma sandwiches along the way, which were yummy, and cheap. It was rush hour by that time, meaning traffic was even worse.

We were on the ring road, which barely moves during rush hour. (Traffic doesn't move much during this time, no matter what road you're driving.) It would drive me nuts to have to deal with that traffic on a daily basis.

I sat in the lobby of my hotel for a while, trying to use the free wifi, but it was so awful that I gave up.

The next morning I took full advantage of the buffet breakfast included in my room price. There was even more food than I'd had on my cruise boat! Giving me the option of eating as much as I can is not a smart thing, as I will always take you up on the challenge. 

Tamer found me at 0815 and tried to help me schedule a massage in the spa for the evening. Unfortunately that didn't work. The person who schedules the massages didn't come in until 0900, so Tamer gave them his number and asked for a call.

They called just after we got to the parkplatz of our first sight of the day. First they offered an opening at 1400 which made me wonder about their business model. Why would a tourist want a massage in the middle of the afternoon? That's when tourists should be out seeing the city. Tamer was able to set me up for 1800, much better.

Our first stop of the day was the pyramids of Giza. You know, THE reason people come to Egypt. The picture that pops into your head when you hear the name of Egypt is usually these pyramids, or something associated with them.

As we got near the entrance I noticed a tour group exiting a bus, each of them with their luggage. It seemed strange to me to bring a suitcase with you when you're visiting the pyramids, Tamer said they were probably heading straight to the airport afterward.

Tamer pulled another ticket out of his pocket (only 80 Egyptian pounds!!) and after going through security we were in the area. Its a big area, we actually got back in the van and drove to get to the 'starting' point.

Since we were visiting in the early morning, the first (and biggest,) pyramid of the complex was backlit by the sun. This is what is known as the Grand Pyramid, it was built for the pharaoh known as Cheops. The name of course is not pronounced the way it looks to American English speakers. There is a special ticket you can buy that will allow you to go into the pyramid, but I didn't have much interest in that. The tunnels are small, and it is a tight area. There is a queue of people, you don't really get much chance to stop and look at what little is in the pyramid. Since the pyramids were obvious burial places, they were looted relatively quickly, no matter how hard the engineers tried to hide the entrances.

Most of the stones used to build the pyramids were really big and heavy. Even though didn't go into this pyramid I climbed up a few rows of stones, just because I could. You're not allowed to climb up to the top, otherwise I would've done that.

The second pyramid is smaller than the first, but is built higher up so it looks like it is the same size. This one was built for the pharaoh known as Kefrin. (I think. Again, it is not pronounced as an American English speaker would expect.) I took more photos of this pyramid, even though it generally looked the same as the first.

From there we drove to a spot called the panoramic overlook. From this area you can see the greatest number of pyramids at one time. I loved it, but did not love the electric box that kept showing up in my photo. Argh. I tried to hide it behind a camel, but it only sort of worked. This area is full of men who are constantly trying to get you to buy a camel ride. Ive ridden a camel previously, otherwise I probably would've forked over the money.

From there we started to drive back out of the pyramid area, until I asked the driver to stop. I finally found a place to get a photo of me with the pyramids, without anyone else, and without vehicles in the background.

I had Tamer join me for a photo, which is good for his business. Even though it is a desert, it was easy to find rocks to stack up and prop up the camera.

Our next stop was the Sphinx. This is probably the second image that pops into the head of anyone thinking of Egypt. We had to walk through a set of souvenir stalls and show our tickets again in order to get close to the Sphinx. We also had to walk through the temple that was built in order to prepare the body of the pharaoh before it was entombed. As I understand it, this temple was built to be used just once. Wow, what a waste.

Each pyramid has one of these embalming temples, each built to be used just once. Marble floors and columns in each of these temples!

The Sphinx was exactly what I expected it to be. Up close it is impossible not to notice that the nose is missing. When French soldiers were fighting here they broke the nose on purpose. Argh. Somehow they thought breaking the nose would cause Egyptian people to change their beliefs and faiths, which had evolved over thousands of years.

After the Sphinx we left this area, and Tamer picked up some fresh baked bread. I wasn't hungry, but YUM. We also stopped at a nearby store so I could buy postcards.

Our next stop was a papyrus store. Papyrus is the 'paper' on which everything Egyptian was written. It is made from the lotus plant. It is basically soaked in water, cut, pressed, woven, and left to dry over a period of time. I ended up buying a couple pictures, not that I needed them.

The next sight was not particularly close. I dozed off in the van, I do this regularly. After driving all the way to an area of the city known as Sakkara, I got to see the pyramids of Zoser. These pyramids are usually known as step pyramids, because the walls aren't smooth; they're literally built in steps. These pyramids were the first pyramids built, before architects and engineers completely understood how this building style works.

The stones are limestone, and most of them have collapsed on themselves. When these pyramids were built, they were built over the tombs of the pharaoh, the later pyramids have the tombs in the middle of the pyramids.

The pyramid of Zoser has scaffolding around it. Archaeologists are fixing the pyramid so it doesn't continue to collapse. One of the pyramids in the area has already collapsed.

Tamer told me a bit about Zoser, and the festival he held in his honour every three years. It was ten days long, and everyone was invited. Tamer took a photo of me in the location where Zoser's throne would've been.

Also in the area of the step pyramids was a set of tombs of the upper level ministers and such. Each tomb had several rooms, all of which were covered with hieroglyphics on the walls. Those tombs definitely weren't shabby, but were not nearly as grand as any of the pyramids. These tombs weren't cheap, and still required a lot of labor to build.

I saw a few camels sitting around, their owners were hoping for visitors to take a ride. Again, I skipped that option. There were far fewer camels and men here, I don't think nearly as many people come to these pyramids. I don't know why, since these were the first pyramids, and in my mind, that makes them more impressive in some ways.

Our next stop was the well known Egyptian museum. It has a really big collection, not nearly all of which is on display. Tamer told me that if you spend just one minute looking at every item on display you'll spend a ridiculous amount of time in the museum. Needless to say, I didn't look at everything.

There are heaps of sarcophagi on display, many of them painted with gorgeous designs. There were even a few painted on the inside. There was a replica of the Rosetta stone on display, the real one is in London. (I think.) This stone is what helped archaeologists figure out the language of hieroglyphics, as it is written in more than one language.

You can pay extra to visit a room filled with mummies. I opted to skip that.

There were numerous statues, Tamer told me what the different position of each statue means.

The most fascinating (to me) items were those associated with the tomb of the young pharaoh known as King Tut, or King Tutankhamen. Some of the sandals he were can be seen, both 'casual' and fancy. There are a few of the thrones on which he sat, even his embalming table. Another set of his objects were the canopic jars that once held the organs removed from his body before it was put into his sarcophagus.

When the tomb of King Tut was found, archaeologists opened a big fancy box. Then they opened another fancy box inside the first. This kept going until they finally opened the sarcophagus of King Tut, which was layers deep. (I think.) On the face of the young king (he died when he was just ......,) was an incredible death mask, which is also on display.

There is a special room dedicated to the death mask and treasure found in the tomb of Tutankhamen, you're not supposed to take photos in this room.

I didn't, but was surprised at the number of people doing so. I don't know if their tour guides didn't tell them or they missed the obvious signs, or whether they didn't care about any of it. The jewelry is impressive, and the death mask is stunning. When you see all of this (and know that even more is in a museum in London,) you realize just how amazing it was when archaeologists found this tomb. I wonder if there are still any tombs to be found, and if so, how many.

I looked at things that caught my eye, and walked past plenty more.

The exit to the museum is not at the same place as the entrance. I got a little lost trying to figure out where to find the exit, hee hee. Getting out to the front courtyard means going through the museum shop, of course. You can buy a copy of just about any item found in the museum in this shop, including the canopic jars. Though I can appreciate the artistry of the jars, it seems a bit morbid to me to buy jars meant to hold your innards after you die!

From there Tamer and the driver took me home, stopping for shwarma sandwiches for me along the way.

I got back to the hotel in time to change and speed down to the spa for my massage. The room was colder than I would've liked, but the massage felt really good.

I wandered the hotel lobby, trying to use the wifi, which was still awful. I spent waaay too much time just staring at my phone, waiting for it to do something. Someone in the management chain saw me, and could tell that I was frustrated, and asked me how my hotel was staying. I said everything was great except for the free wifi, which was awful. Too make a long story short, I found out there was a paid option, which would allow me to have wifi in my room. I was more than happy to sign up for that. Egypt is not one of those countries with free wifi everywhere. A huge part of me wishes the prices of hotels would just go up a few dollars and the hotel could install wifi everywhere. 

The next morning was my pick up for a day trip to Alexandria, read that post if you're curious.

We returned to Cairo in time for the evening traffic jam. The driver dropped us off at the famous city market, then went home to his family. This was now close to New Year's Eve, and you could tell the city was starting to get ready for the festivities.

Tamer and I walked through the market, which was crazy busy. As famous as it is, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before, so I wasn't at all interested in buying anything. Walking with Tamer was much easier than walking alone, I didn't have to deal with nearly as many of the vendors calling out to me to buy something.

Tamer showed me the shop owned by one member of his family, I didn't have the desire to buy a hookah. (Tamer knew this, he didn't expect me to buy something.) He also showed me the madrasa he had attended when he was younger, and the house his family still owns in the area. He said no one lives in the home anymore, and it costs too much to take care of it properly.

We stopped and had a drink at one of the cafes, I had sahlab. I can never get enough of the stuff!

Eventually, Tamer called a taxi to take me back to the hotel. Traffic was awful, so it took some time to arrive, and moved even slower in the traffic back toward the hotel. I got back to the hotel and said my goodbyes to Tamer.

He is a great tour guide, and when I go back to Egypt I will definitely get in touch with him again.

I changed into a dress and went to the area where the hotel was having a New Years Eve party. My table was quite close to the stage, and was waaaay too close to the speakers. At times I could feel my body vibrating with the bass.

The buffet set out for the party was incredible, it was set out in several different rooms! Each time I thought I'd seen all that was available I turned a corner and found more. Dessert was a full room, how awesome is that?!? I ate, a lot. Then I went back to get more. As with any buffet, I skipped the pasta and rice and 'filler' foods, and went straight for protein options. Some produce too, as I needed that as well.

I went to bed before the midnight countdown, as I was tired, and have never cared for these countdowns or festivities. Though I enjoyed the food, the next time I do this I won't let the tour company require me to buy a ticket to a party like this, as in my mind it is a waste of money.

The next morning I got up early enough for one last go at the breakfast buffet, it was worth it. YUM. I was running a little behind, but the driver arranged to pick me up at the hotel for my next adventure was still there, phew.

I will definitely come back!