Salaam/Hello from Cairo!
What an unexpected amazing experience in Egypt! So much more than the pyramids and Great Sphinx I had as my key tourist destinations. My Egyptian experience would have ended on Day 1 if I had managed my visit independently. Hahaha! I did have a native Egyptian verify that my tour visited all the key tourist sites - what a welcome endorsement about the destinations visited. Here's a link to my tour itinerary if you're looking for an idea of what you might want to see. The only optional visit I paid for was to visit Abu Simbel.
Thank you for joining me for another week of adventure! How was your week? What one thing did you do that got you out of your comfort zone? Reminder - the discomfort you feel when you leave your comfort zone means you are learning something new!
My Egyptian tour would be an example of me moving completely outside my comfort zone. Being on a tour is the first stretch; being on a Nile cruise ship would be a second stretch, and the last stretch outside my comfort zone would be staying an all inclusive resort. The trifecta of being outside my comfort zone!
I was rewarded for all this discomfort by being with the best possible group of people on a tour ever! They were interesting, engaging, funny, entertaining and brought a sense of family and friendliness unlike anything I've ever experienced on a tour. My heartfelt thanks to the universe for this gift. More about my fellow travelers in the Friends section later in this blog.
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| My fellow travelers |
My biggest tour disappointment was our guide, Ash. I think he's lost his interest and enthusiasm for this job. We had to constantly follow-up with him to get the basic info on our daily itinerary. Some of my fellow travelers spent a day with Peter, Ash's boss, which I think highlighted for them what a dud Ash was. I also think I might have been disappointed on the tour's value if I had paid the full rack price (I had a 50% discount) for the tour.
Egypt is another country low on my list to return to on my own.
You should consider visiting outside of the summer months. While we were in early September, the weather was still hot enough to be uncomfortable (35C/95F and hotter) every day.
Heads up on the content this week. I have shared many more photos this week than 'usual'. You may have to rely on the hyperlinks I've provided for background information on the different sites that these photos were taken at. It's an overwhelming amount of historical information that I'm unable to regurgitate.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
Be prepared for almost everyone you meet in Egypt looking for some type of payment. While this statement is somewhat of an exaggeration, I became discouraged with the number of times I was approached for money. I had a waiter at the all inclusive ask me if I had small Euro notes as we wrapped up our conversation. We were told we could bribe staff at one site in order to take a photo that was otherwise unauthorized.
Travel Update
I'm holding fast to my present itinerary. I continue to be uncertain about my 2027 travel plans other than a desire to be in Japan for three months starting in March.
Travel Maps
Planes, air conditioned buses, motorboats and cruise ships dominate my travel life this week. We traveled around the Cairo area tourist locations in a bus, flew to Aswan in the south, rode around in the bus some more before taking a three night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Back in a bus to travel to Hurghada and Cairo for our final destination.
Egypt: September 5 to September 14, 2026
Giza
'The northernmost and oldest pyramid of the group was built for Khufu (Greek: Cheops), the second king of the 4th dynasty. Called the Great Pyramid, it is the largest pyramid in this area, the length of each side at the base averaging 755.75 feet (230 meters) and its original height being 481.4 feet (147 meters).'
'Khafre (Greek: Chephren), the fourth of the eight kings of the 4th dynasty; the structure measures 707.75 feet (216 meters) on each side and was originally 471 feet (143 meters) high.'
'Menkaure (Greek: Mykerinus), the fifth king of the 4th dynasty; each side measures 356.5 feet (109 meters), and the structure’s completed height was 218 feet (66 meters).'
'To the south of the Great Pyramid near Khafre’s valley temple lies the Great Sphinx. Carved out of limestone, the Sphinx has the facial features of a man but the body of a recumbent lion; it is approximately 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high.'
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'Saqqara is one of the most important cemeteries of Memphis, which was itself one of the most important cities in ancient Egyptian history.'
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| Tomb entrance |
'The very first pyramid that the ancient Egyptians ever built and is the oldest known ancient Egyptian stone structure.'
'The monuments of Philae include many structures dating predominantly to the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC). The most prominent of these is a temple begun by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC), which he dedicated to Isis, the mother of Horus, the god of kingship. A scene in the mammisi, or birth room, where the birth of Horus was celebrated, depicts Isis suckling her son Horus in the marshes.'
We enjoyed a short motorboat ride to reach the island. You'll find many photos from the temple that lack commentary. Welcome to my travel experience where I simply enjoy being in the historic site without trying to learn the historical context. All this information becomes overwhelming and difficult to retain. Besides, what am I going to do with all this historical information???
'The Great Temple of Abu Simbel, in Nubia near Egypt’s southern border, is among the most awe-inspiring monuments of Egypt. The two temples were moved from their original location in 1968 after the Aswan High Dam was built, as it threatened to submerge them.'
We 'enjoyed' a four hour bus ride from our cruise ship to reach these two temples - 5 am departure time! Box breakfast; back to the cruise ship in time for lunch!
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| King Ramesses II temple - rear view |
King Ramesses II (the Great)
'It was cut into the living rock by King Ramesses II (the Great) of the Nineteenth Dynasty, around 1264 BC. The temple is most well known for the four imposing seated colossal statues that dominate its façade. One of these collapsed because of an ancient earthquake, and its fragments can still be seen on the ground.'
Small Temple
'Is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s Great Royal Wife, Queen Nefertari. On the façade of the Small Temple, her colossi are the same size as those of her husband, a very rare example of such display.'
'The city’s temple is dedicated to two deities: the crocodile god Sobek, and the falcon god Har wer (Horus the Elder). The temple has a unique design. Because it is dedicated to two gods, it has two parallel axial passages running through its columned halls, terminating in two sanctuaries, one for each. The southern axis (on the right) is Sobek’s, and the northern (on the left) Harwer’s.'
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| Temple entrance |
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| The stone changes color as the sun sets. |
Nile Cruise
We spent three nights cruising the Nile. We boarded the ship in Aswan, then made our way to Luxor. Our sailing included navigating a lock and sailing over a dam wall. We also had vendors throw their wares in a bag onto the ship from the shoreline. Potential customers would sort through what was in the bad, negotiate a price, take the purchase, put their money into the bag and throw the bag back to the vendor. New age commerce!
BTW - while I may be the last person you ask about a cruise experience, I thought our cruise ship was mediocre at best. You get what you pay for...
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| Our Cruise Ship |
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| Nile shoreline |
'Like most ancient Egyptian temples, the Great Temple of Amun is built on an east–west axis. Ancient Egyptian temples were models of the cosmos, and this layout meant that they mirrored the sun god’s trajectory through the sky. Exceptionally, however, it also possesses a north–south axis, which orients it towards another temple, the abode of Amenemopet known today as Luxor Temple. This was a different version of Amun specific to south Luxor. Karnak and Luxor Temple were linked by a processional way lined with sphinxes. This was used in one of the most important celebrations of the ancient Egyptian calendar, the Opet Festival.'
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'Luxor Temple, Ipet-resyt “Southern Sanctuary” to the ancient Egyptians, was so called because of its location within ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). It is located around three kilometers to the south of Karnak Temple, to which it was once linked with a processional way bordered with sphinxes. The oldest evidence for this temple dates to the Eighteenth Dynasty (c.1550–1295 BC).
Ipet-resyt, unlike most other ancient Egyptian temples, is not laid out on an east-west axis, but is oriented towards Karnak. This is because Luxor Temple was the main venue for one the most important of ancient Egyptian religious celebrations, when the cult images of Amun, his wife Mut, and their son, the lunar god Khonsu, were taken from their temples in Karnak, and transported in a grand procession to Luxor Temple so they could visit the god that resides there, Amenemopet. This was the Opet Festival.'
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| Avenue of Sphinxes - about 2.7 km long |
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| Avenue of Sphinxes - about 2.7 km long |
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| Evening sun plus lighting |
'The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) are two large stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis. They have stood since 1350 BC, and were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists.'
'The rulers of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt’s prosperous New Kingdom (c.1550–1069 BC) were buried in a desolate dry river valley across the river from the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor), hence its modern name of the Valley of the Kings.'
Our entrance fee gave us access to three tombs. I visiting two tombs as Ramses IV was known as the best of the tombs our ticket allowed us to visit. The second tomb I visited, Ramses III, was far less impressive.
Ramses III
Ramses IV
Enroute to Valley of the Queens
A few photos to illustrate the stark landscape in what was a remote area of Egypt in ancient times.
The cliffside openings were homes during ancient times.
'Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became pharaoh, built a magnificent temple at Deir al-Bahari, on the west back of Luxor. It lies directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple, the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Hatshepsut’s temple, Djeser-djeseru “the Holy of Holies” was designed by the chief steward of Amun, Senenmut.'
Hurghada to Cairo
We had a two night stay at an all-inclusive resort near the end of our tour. Unfortunately, I strongly dislike all inclusive resorts so the expense and surroundings were wasted on me. I would have been happier bringing the tour to an earlier end and saving my time and money for something I found more worthwhile.
Red Sea
A few Red Sea photos for your viewing pleasure.
Mountains
A few photos to illustrate the dramatic Saharan Desert landscapes you experience as you travel throughout Egypt.
Where Arab Spring started in Egypt.
Welcome to the world's largest archeological museum! I'll assure you visiting the museum is worth the 1500 Egyptian Pounds entrance fee. The museum is brilliantly laid out with unencumbered displays, lots of room to move about and English language descriptions. Everything about the building and its exhibits is both engaging and overwhelming. My suggestion, if your itinerary and budget has the flexibility, is to visit the museum twice - before you visit the various Egyptian sites and after you visit the sites. My visit brought a sense of closure to everything I had seen and an appreciation for how much more there was to see.
I encourage you to explore the museum through its website by clicking on the link above.
Entrance
Your museum visit starts as you approach the museum's entrance. The Hanging Obelisk, the museum's sheer size and its entrance design capture your attention and your imagination.
Interior/Stairway to Exhibits
Everything in this museum is larger than life. You are greeted with a huge statue of Ramses as soon as you enter the museum. The architect created this extraordinary space that is both welcoming and overpowering. You have an early sense of the magnitude of the experience you are about to have. The staircase to the exhibition halls is a walk through history before you arrive at the 'main show'.
Exhibits
These artifacts give you a true feel of walking through the breadth of Egyptian history. What a showcase of a nation's history in one building.
King Tut
If I recall correctly, there are over 5400 gold artifacts in the King Tut Exhibit. A true spectacle beyond anything else I've ever witnessed!
Sunrise & Sunset
The early start on a few days of our tour meant I had the blessing of witnessing the sunrise. I was also blessed to occasionally have a hotel room that faced the west so I could witness the sun setting. The experience of watching the sun set while at an Egyptian historic site that dates back over 3,000 years is akin to connecting with the universe on a spiritual level.
September 7 - Sunset
September 8 - Sunrise
Sunset- September 8
Sunrise - September 9
Sunset - September 9
Sunrise - September 10
Sunrise - September 11
Sunrise - September 12
Friends
I was blessed with the most extraordinary travel companions on my
Egyptian tour. The brief commentary I share below is but a small snippet of what I experienced with them on this tour. This group of wonderful people are all larger than life in my world! My apologies in advance for any inaccuracies in my recollections below.
My Awesome Fellow Tour Travellers
My fellow travellers were the best overall group of people I've had the privilege of traveling with to date. Everyone was kind, considerate, and totally committed to having a great time, both individually and as a group.
Ken and Rajani are from Columbus, Ohio who were originally from Nepal. We had an instant connection. Ken is a retired university professor with multiple awards for his contribution in the education field. He also completed his master's degree in New Brunswick way back when! Rajani is a retired nutritionist who uses her YouTube channel (
Rajani's Delicious Recipes Yoga and Meditation) to spread happiness with her recipes. Her personal objective is to spread Happiness, Peace and Posterity around the world through healthy eating, yoga and meditation. Early in the trip, Ken adopted me as his younger bigger brother so I have a new family to visit.
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My fellow travelers - try to find me in this photo
I may have had an unsettled relationship with
our tour guide 🤣🤣 |
Their daughter Charisma and her husband, Adrian were also on our tour. This had to be the best dressed couple I've met in a long time. Happy people who made our trip that much more enjoyable. Charisma is a therapist and Adrian is a lawyer. They distinguished themselves in how they cared for and assisted her parents Ken and Rajani throughout the trip. All of us parents pray to have children like this! 🙏
Kerry and Jamee were living in San Diego. Kerry was in the process of returning to Chicago, their home city, to complete an 18 month sonographer certificate program. Jamee worked in a management position for a pharmaceutical company. Both women are kind, generous and thoughtful individuals as well as ardent shoppers. We witnessed Jamee's generosity as she gave money to local children throughout our tour.
Steve and Stuart are a couple from Australia's Gold Coast, an area I had visited in May. Both men had part-time corporate roles as well as running their own private companies. They are well seasoned world travelers with stories to share from most parts of the world. I also remember them referring to their online antique business. They had a real gift in speaking with people; supportive, always listening to learn more and ask further questions to keep the conversation interesting and engaging.
Joanne and Paul are a couple from Sydney, Australia who were in the midst of a four month tour with Turkey as their next destination. Joanne is a retired nurse with an extensive history of caring for patients from a practitioner and management perspective. You know, I never did find out about Paul's back story. - shame on me! They are kind, thoughtful and considerate travel companions. Joanne took the extra effort to ensure I had the appropriate information so I could participate in our tour's final get together before we went our separate ways. This gesture of support from Joanne is what creates long lasting memories for me.
My Fellow Canadian Traveller
I'm delighted to introduce Bernard, a fellow Canadian traveller who I met at the airport. Bernard was booked on an ExPat Egyptian Tour which is a sister company to Timeless Tours, the tour company I was using. Bernard had experienced the additional drama of missing a connecting flight because of the recent violent storm/tornado that happened in the Toronto area. We spent a little extra time at the airport on arrival to ensure Bernard had a flight home as his missing a connection meant the remainder of his ticket was cancelled.
Bernard and I had a chance to talk frequently throughout our week in Egypt as our tour schedules and hotel stays overlapped repeatedly!
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Enjoying lunch at Gravity - our all-inclusive
hotel in Hurghada |
Next Week
Turkish Airlines will fly me from Cairo's Sphinx International Airport to Toronto's Pearson Airport via Istanbul on Monday morning with an expected arrival time of 20:15 (8:15 pm) on Monday evening. I'm staying at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Mississauga until October 2 when I head to Eau Claire, Wisconsin via Minneapolis International Airport. My pace of life slows dramatically for the next 18 nights. Primary focus in on catching up with friends and attending to personal stuff like visiting the dentist, getting my eyes checked, and having my Achilles tendon injury looked at.
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