Egypt 2024

---Hurghada with day trip to Cairo, Nile River Cruise and back to Hurghada with Snorkeling event at Sharm El Naga.---

Day 1 - Learning some tips and tricks

We arrived in Hurghada at lunchtime at the hotel. It was not a great hotel, but since we were not planning on staying there long, it was OK. We learned to not only avoid drinking the tap water but also better brush our teeth with bottled water (plastic and single use of course…). Not to eat any salad, or anything else that might have been washed with tap water and not cooked. At the airport we withdrew some cash in local currency - 1 € = 50 Pounds at the time - which came in handy as basically everyone expects Bakshish. With a given tip each day we also saw advanced towel artistry in our hotel room or during our river cruise- swans, elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, hearts, people etc.

The hotels in Hurghada are separated from each other with a fence and security, so it’s not possible to take long beach walks. Outside the hotel, there are only big roads going to the city center- a taxi would be recommended and prices are always negotiable, do it before the ride. Walking was during the complete stay not a pleasant experience - with begging children, people wanting to sell something to you or wanting to change coins to bills (often trying to cheat with the 1-pound coin looking similar to the 2€ coin). 

Now, apart from the interaction with people selling souvenirs, the other things that didn’t help relaxing that much were: fear of getting gastro-intestinal infections (I was lucky!), loud music and animation at the pool, the food at the hotel (mostly), and often non-functioning fitness devices in the gym. Additionally, sellers at the beach for excursions, massage, hair cuts etc. 

The positives at the hotel were: large rooms and tea maker, enough parasols and sunbeds at the beach, and good beer. With some extra tip for the chef we also managed to get some spicy and better flavored food in the evenings.

We met another couple that booked with the same travel agency at day 1 and we had a good time together - plus, we booked the same excursions.

Day 2 - beach and fitness

Not much to report for day 2. We had around 30 degrees Celsius/ 86 Fahrenheit, it was windy in the morning and there was a kite surfing school next to the hotel- nice to observe. I started a new book, used an eSIM to download a Peloton course onto my mobile (internet was extra and relatively expensive at the hotel) and tried to relax the rest of the day (with earplugs during the pool animation events).

Another note on the nice mosque next to the hotel: the mosques are not open for tourists to visit anymore, the Muslims like to keep to themselves. First, we thought it might be due to Ramadan, but travel guides suggest it is the case in general nowadays.

Day 3 - Cairo

We booked a private bus with the other couple to take us to Cairo with a travel guide and 2 drivers, and we started our tour at 3 am… every travel must be requested and approved by the government, so every police check point (and there were many) knew we were coming. 

During Ramadan and on this specific Saturday only the tourists were traveling, it was a public holiday and less traffic was expected.

The larger check point however needed us to wait for all buses that were approved to go to Cairo and we could only go on the highway if all buses were accounted for. The advantage we had then was that the smaller bus could go much faster, so we arrived early- around 8 am in Cairo to go into the Egyptian museum. The Egyptians are currently building a new museum a little outside Cairo near the pyramids, but it is not open yet, though some of the expositions have moved over already. 

It was still a great experience and our tour guide Ahmed made it interesting and fun. We looked at statues over 4,700 years old, discovered Egyptian history, learned about the male and female rulers, the different gods, the various materials used (alabaster, granite, diorite), statues and other objects, mummification, and saw the intact parts and objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Egyptian Museum

After our head was full with information we went to eat on a ship and then visited the Pyramids of Gizeh and the Sphinx. It was very impressive.

City impressions

Pyramids

Before and after all of the sightseeing places, tourists must walk through souvenir shops- again, a bit annoying, and the ‚La, shukran, salam‘ wasn’t always enough- Better to ignore and just walk through - and the best place to do that is next to the tour guide :-). 

We traveled back with the bus, through hills, desert and along the coast, passing once again the various police/ military check points.

At around 9 pm we were back at the hotel.

Day 4- beach again

One more or less relaxing day at the beach and preparing to pack for the Nile river cruise.

Day 5- Travel to Luxor and Karnak Temple

Around 8 am we started our journey through the desert to Qena, then through the city along the canal to Luxor. Luxor has 1.2 m inhabitants and is split by the Nile river into two parts: East =the part of the living and West =the part of the dead. It only rains 2-3 times a year and all the water used comes from the Nile.

After a long drive through the desert, we made a stop where all tourists take a break. There were several shops with souvenirs, the toilet cost 10 pounds. There were women who put little goats on their donkeys and let a child beg for them. After the break, the bus went through mountainous desert to the large town of Quena past a large mosque and lots to see through the windows, then along the canal past sugar cane plantations, simple homes but the balconies beautifully painted with flowers or patterns.

We had to constantly pass checkpoints, saw children bathing in the canal, men praying. A woman was chewing on sugar cane and waving. Great white egrets, partridges along the canal, carts with donkeys/mules, sometimes sheep, goats or camels. Sometimes cows. Lots of plastic waste at the edge of the canal. 

Ship Solaris II

The Solaris II has spacious rooms, mostly with a balcony- which is kind of unique, even the most luxurious ships from Mövenpick didn’t have balconies. The balcony has one chair with a footrest, but it also fits 1x air lounger (fantastic!). There is a large sun deck with a 20 m pool, sun beds and tables, a small bar, a larger bar next to the reception, and a restaurant. Plus a small souvenir and jewelry shop. No fitness room though.

In total, the ship can take up to 110 guests. We were really lucky only to be 21 people! The crew was larger than our group.

We checked in on the ship, got some lunch buffet (and it was really good, so much better than at the hotel before) and went to the Temple of Karnak in the afternoon. 

The temple was founded 1970 BCE but developed and rebuilt during a long time period by different Pharaos. Most impressive is the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns. 

Karnak Temple 

After the temple we went back to our ship and enjoyed the sunset with a nice Stella beer and chatting with some other passengers. The mosques were decorated with fairy lights. Then dinner and early bed.

Luxor city impressions 

Day 6 - Valley of the Kings and Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut  & Travel from Luxor via Esna to Edfu

No time to sleep in: 5 am breakfast and 6 am departure to the valley of the kings, the cemetery of rulers for around 500 years between the 18th and 20th Dynasty. This is where they found the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. The journey was so nice with sun rising and hot air balloons starting off. We visited 3 tombs, a total of 63 tombs have been found so far, but some essential ones are still unknown. 

Before entering the valley you will find a model of the valley in the visitor center, which showed the extent of the long pathways dug into the rocks. The ‚natural pyramid‘ 450 m above water level = the hill- was supposed to help transition the dead into the afterlife. This is how the priests convinced Pharaos like Tutmosis to choose this area for their tomb. After their death, there was a 70 day mummification period, then they had a service in the mortuary temple, and then the priests took them to the Valley of the Kings to the actual burial, but without anyone else knowing where the final tomb was, and hiding entrances, so nobody would find it.

We started with a truly beautiful tomb of Ramses IV. The hieroglyphs were carved into limestone and colored with Henna and Okra. A long decorated corridor led to the tomb at the end. The walls were full of hieroglyphs, ancestors, gods, animals...and  more. The main gods could be found there: Ra, shown as a falcon, Sobek, the crocodile that helps people to move on or travel, the jackal as the god of the dead...  

The second tomb from Merenptah was similar to the first, very elaborately decorated.

The third tomb we visited was from Ramses the IX - and was incredibly deep, you had to go down the stairs very far and it got warmer at the bottom. Not as ornate, possibly unfinished.

At 8 am we already had 26 degrees Celsius, to become 36 degrees at midday. It felt hotter than it was. Small electronic vehicles brought us back to the visitor center and drivers wanted Bakshish for singing (and singing wasn't good...)

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

We visited the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut after. 

Hatshepsut ruled as a man for 20 years and built the mortuary temple. Many believed she was a man. 

She died 1484 BC - but how? It was investigated in 2008 when we found out she was a woman and died of cancer. The tour guides repeated many times that she saved Egypt 4 times. (suggest to read Wikipedia...)

In 1881, her tomb was found where the mummies of the Valley of the Kings were hidden 43 pieces

In 1890, traces of the temple were first found. Each terrace was built individually, and we try to restore it since over 100 years, but are still not finished. It's the only temple built of limestone.

A little reminding someone of a "Kaffeefahrt" but we had to visit the Alabaster factory/ shop to see how statues are made and be able to buy something. 

Alabaster shop

We also passed the Colossi of Memnon earlier, but this time, got the chance to go out of the bus. The statues of Amenhotep III are placed in front of the ruined temple. They are 17 m tall, and weigh 750 tons each.

Colossi of Memnon

At noon we go back to the ship that takes off to Edfu. The afternoon was free and we enjoyed the sun and changing landscape with people fishing, bathing, homes that look half-done to get tax advantages (they always seem to wanting to build another level on top of them), and birds, animals, sugar cane and banana fields.

We drank cocktails in the evening and danced a little in the bar.

Day 7 - Edfu Horus Temple,  Kom Ombo Temple and Aswan

On day 7, we took the tour bus to the Horus Temple. Many tourists use the numerous carriages, but the horses are skinny and are chased over the asphalt at a gallop... so we used the bus so as not to encourage this. We were intercepted by traders, children when leaving the ship, some fellow travelers bought bracelets. 

The bus journey was short, the impressions many. Garbage everywhere, debris, the smell of burning and the air is dirty. The city is very poor and can't hide it.

City Edfu

At the temple, we had to go through the obligatory street of traders again, but as said earlier, the best strategy was to ignore it.

The temple was impressive. Very large, wooden doors were opened every day, but normal people were only allowed in once a year. 

The Horus Temple is overall the best preserved temple in Egypt. Horus = falcon, old Egyptians believed the falcon was able to connect with the sky. The temple was built between 237 and 57 BC. 

Falcon mummies were also found but unfortunately not presented for tourists. They found many documents, 64 recipes, vases, statues...

Bee eaters and swallows are nesting in the rocks next to the temple.

Journey on the Nile

Flying traders in small boats came close to the large ships and threw their stuff in plastic bags to us, when agreeing to a price, you can put the money in the bag and throw it back or leave the item in the bag if you don't like it.

We saw many decorated buildings for Ramadan, balconies were often individually painted (looked like a small oasis within ugly buildings), many cruise ships were lying at anchor next to each other. When going off the ship you sometimes had to cross the lobbies of several other ships.

After another journey with the ship, in the town of Kom Ombo, we walked to the temple, it was right at the jetty with many ships. We watched the sunset during our visit as we were strolling through the perfectly symmetrical design of the temple. The temple was built for 2 gods: Sobek and Haroeris.

For Sobek there are many mummified crocodiles in the temple.

Kom Ombo Temple

Priests listened to the prayers of the kings (holes everywhere) and tried to fulfill them to consolidate their power. 

Statues were illuminated with sunlight via mirrors. Both gods could be seen illuminated from the Nile.

Day 8 - Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam, Perfumes, skipping the city tour for an afternoon on the ship

The unfinished Obelisk was supposed to be 42 m high and to enable the connection to the sky it had to be in one piece. But it broke..

Obelisk

Aswan High Dam

Aswan City

Evening: Belly dance and dervish dances 

Day 9 - Abu Simbel & Felukke in Aswan

Journey from Aswan to Abu Simbel

Sunrise and cultivation of the desert

Abu Simbel

Sailing with a Felukke in Aswan

Sunset on the ship

Day 10 - Freetime (skipped another tour to botanic garden and Nubic village) from Aswan to Esna

no program, sun and air mattress in the pool, unfortunately blown away by the wind later on the return journey (super windy)

Beer on deck before dinner

Egyptian evening, finally okra... 

Egyptian music and German Schlager

Day 11- Esna to Luxor: Luxor Temple and Papyrus

Luxor temple

Video with background prayer from the active mosque in the temple

Sphinx Allee

Almost 3,000 m long the Sphinx Allee is the connection between Luxor and Karnak temples.

Luxor

Papyrus

Interesting how papyrus is made. Dark papyrus is soaked in water for longer to remove the sugar. Unfortunately you can't buy postcards. The motives are not that pretty, there are some images where colors are illuminated at night (nice for kids), but we only bought the plain papyrus sheet for Frank to show at school.

Day 12 - Back to the hotel and beach

We drive quickly from police check point with rifles and soldiers to the next. Checks by people in civil, or we are waved on by undercover people? Ramses says the government/military know exactly when we are where, the copy of our passports goes everywhere, a permit is obtained for every transfer.

Lots of TucTucs and donkey carts on the road, trucks, small vans.

The canal is full of rubbish, but people are taking out water anyway (for animals? For themselves?)

Children drive donkey carts, sometimes even cars.

A few things are also sold on the side of the road. Watermelons and vegetables.

It smells burnt, fields are being burned to prepare for the next crop.

Stray dogs gnaw on the carcass of a cow. In Quina, past a beautiful mosque and onto the highway.

Day 13 - Snorkeling at Sharm El Naga

Underwater images and videos were taken with my phone protected by a transparent plastic case that you can buy for a low price online. The only downside is that the camera trigger will not work very often under water, so the videos were better: start the video above the water, snorkel and shoot and then stop again above water when finished.

Videos (moray eel and fishes)

Day 14 - Beach

Day 15 - Beach and Flight back

- The End -