Thousands of books have been written about, and doubtless millions of photographs have been taken of, Egypt. Ancient, mysterious, and eternal, Egypt has captured the imagination of countless travelers. The astonishing aspect of Egypt is that no matter how fertile your imagination may be, seeing Egypt today confounds you as you try to reflect on what it was 6000 years ago. Wandering amid monumental architecture, trying to conceive of a civilization that produced such grandeur, will stagger the most prolific imagination.
Marion and I went to Egypt in March of ‘09. Getting there was uncomfortable, tedious and not an experience that I would care to discuss. The flight on Egypt Air from New York to Cairo was sold out and crowded. The aircraft was dirty and the bathrooms were a disaster from the moment we left the ground and got worse as the flight progressed. I suggest to anyone intending to fly to Egypt, avoid flying Egypt Air. (As an added attraction, there is no alcohol served on board, and midway in the flight you could really use a drink).
Marion and I went to Egypt in March of ‘09. Getting there was uncomfortable, tedious and not an experience that I would care to discuss. The flight on Egypt Air from New York to Cairo was sold out and crowded. The aircraft was dirty and the bathrooms were a disaster from the moment we left the ground and got worse as the flight progressed. I suggest to anyone intending to fly to Egypt, avoid flying Egypt Air. (As an added attraction, there is no alcohol served on board, and midway in the flight you could really use a drink).
The Cairo International Airport is a splendid edifice. Modern in every detail, clean and spacious, it was a welcome sight to us as we left our aircraft. We were met by Hanan Fathy, an Egyptologist, who was our tour guide for the next three weeks. She proved to be indispensable to the success of our trip. We spent the next four days in the ultra-luxurious Cairo Marriott Hotel. From the hotel in the morning we took trips to the Cairo Museum, the Giza Plateau to view the great pyramids and the Sphinx as well as the step pyramid at Sakkara, that being at least 6000 years old.
The Cairo Museum is a large sprawling multi-room structure first built in 1897 and added on since that time. There are 107 halls in the building and it seems like 107 million people in it at any one time. It houses the greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world. A must see are the treasures from Tutankhamen’s tomb, consisting of chariots, furniture, jewelry and the famous solid gold mask. Among his treasures are countless coffins, amulets, household items, toy soldiers and games that he would play when he was alive. On the second floor is the royal mummy room. Here you come face-to-face with some of the great rulers of ancient Egypt. The mummy room contains mummies of 11 kings and queens, the most famous is the mummy of Ramses ll, the great Pharaoh who built the temple’s at Abu Simbel. Passing through the rooms of the Cairo Museum is like walking through 6000 years of history in one building.
The Nile transforms the arid Sahara desolation into a winding carpet of fertility. From Alexandria to the upper reaches of Nubia, the Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt. Absent the Nile there is nothing in Egypt but desert. Consider this statistic: 97% of the land mass in Egypt is desert. The only areas given to cultivation are a short distance on either side of the Nile. The Nile dominated the lives of the ancient Egyptians; life away from the river was unthinkable. The river was a means of transportation and provided bountiful provisions of fish and water fowl. It was along the banks of the Nile that Egyptian civilization came to be. The annual floods of the Nile could be a blessing or a disaster depending upon the river’s behavior. The calendar of the ancient Egyptians was conceived in terms of which take into account the annual flood of the Nile. The flooding of the Nile is controlled today by virtue of the High Dam at Aswan. The dam, built by the Russians in 1960, created lake Nasser, an enormous body of fresh water stretching to the Sudanese border. The hydroelectric power generated at the damn provides electricity for most of Egypt. The lake is teaming with succulent fish and provides a cash catch for the local fishermen. Feluccas, with their triangular sails, can still be seen plying the ancient waterway.
The Nile transforms the arid Sahara desolation into a winding carpet of fertility. From Alexandria to the upper reaches of Nubia, the Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt. Absent the Nile there is nothing in Egypt but desert. Consider this statistic: 97% of the land mass in Egypt is desert. The only areas given to cultivation are a short distance on either side of the Nile. The Nile dominated the lives of the ancient Egyptians; life away from the river was unthinkable. The river was a means of transportation and provided bountiful provisions of fish and water fowl. It was along the banks of the Nile that Egyptian civilization came to be. The annual floods of the Nile could be a blessing or a disaster depending upon the river’s behavior. The calendar of the ancient Egyptians was conceived in terms of which take into account the annual flood of the Nile. The flooding of the Nile is controlled today by virtue of the High Dam at Aswan. The dam, built by the Russians in 1960, created lake Nasser, an enormous body of fresh water stretching to the Sudanese border. The hydroelectric power generated at the damn provides electricity for most of Egypt. The lake is teaming with succulent fish and provides a cash catch for the local fishermen. Feluccas, with their triangular sails, can still be seen plying the ancient waterway.
Most of us grew up looking in National Geographic at pictures of the great Pyramids and the Sphinx. As you step off the bus and see the Pyramids for the first time, the realization of the immensity of the structure and the time and effort it took to produce it leaves you speechless. All you hear from people around you are murmurs and you find yourself murmuring the same way. You also notice the heat, which at that time of the year was scorching.
The Giza plateau is treeless and barren, not a spot of shade to be found. The pyramids rise from the desert and gaze down as if to say “You, little man, will pass on, but I will be here forever.” The pyramids of Khufu, Khephren, and Menkaure constitute the plan of the Giza necropolis. Standing 480 feet tall, the pyramid of Khufu (also known as Cheops) is the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing. The pyramid covers an area of one square acre; the blocks of limestone and granite are huge and weigh several tons each. Originally, the entire surface was covered with alabaster and would shine in the sunlight. Over the centuries, the facing alabaster stones have been taken down and the Pyramids were used as a quarry by the people.
Of course there is also the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, carved almost entirely in one piece. Greek mythology holds that the Sphinx is an enigmatic creature given to killing those who could not answer her riddles. When Napoleon first saw the monument it was covered in sand up to its neck. It has been excavated revealing chambers at its base; little is known of the purpose of the monument.
The Giza plateau is treeless and barren, not a spot of shade to be found. The pyramids rise from the desert and gaze down as if to say “You, little man, will pass on, but I will be here forever.” The pyramids of Khufu, Khephren, and Menkaure constitute the plan of the Giza necropolis. Standing 480 feet tall, the pyramid of Khufu (also known as Cheops) is the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing. The pyramid covers an area of one square acre; the blocks of limestone and granite are huge and weigh several tons each. Originally, the entire surface was covered with alabaster and would shine in the sunlight. Over the centuries, the facing alabaster stones have been taken down and the Pyramids were used as a quarry by the people.
Of course there is also the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, carved almost entirely in one piece. Greek mythology holds that the Sphinx is an enigmatic creature given to killing those who could not answer her riddles. When Napoleon first saw the monument it was covered in sand up to its neck. It has been excavated revealing chambers at its base; little is known of the purpose of the monument.
The pyramid was the burial chamber for Pharaoh and one can still climb one quarter of the way up and enter the burial chamber. I did it when I was there years ago years ago and much younger. It is just a series of passageways leading to the center of the pyramid. All of the funerary articles and treasures of the Pharaoh have long since been removed. At the base of the great pyramid are five “boat pits” which were discovered in 1982. The boats found in them were perfectly preserved funerary boats used to ferry Pharaoh’s mummy across the Nile and then were buried at the foot of the pyramid for his use in the afterlife. Seeing the “Solar Barque” was one of the highlights of the visit to the pyramids.
I couldn’t resist it; I took a ride on a camel. She was a scroungy beast and the boy leading her was dirtier than she was. It was a hoot and brought back memories of a camel ride many years ago that left me with an infestation of fleas that took three days to get rid of. Thankfully, after a thorough scrubbing when I returned to the hotel, I was vermin free.
The step pyramid at Sakkara is one of the oldest known pyramids and rises in a series of steps rather than a smooth surface on each side. It is crumbling and can only be viewed from a distance. Visitors are no longer allowed into the structure.
After taking in the sites of Cairo and the surrounding countryside, lunching at the Mena House under the shadow of the pyramid, savoring a delicious dinner prepared for us by a local family under the supervision of our tour guide, being spoiled by the palatial surroundings and the opulence of the Cairo Marriott, one morning we went to the airport and boarded a flight to Aswan, 982 KM up the Nile.
CHARLIE & MARION IN EGYPT
Mmmmmmmmmm.........Fresh Baked Bread