Giza Pyramids
Egypt is a "tourist trail" for sure, but in very few places in the world can you reach out and touch things that were carved or painted over 3000 years ago. The antiquities here are simply amazing - like nothing else on this planet.
My journey started in Cairo - the Oman Air from Muscat taking us across Saudi and the Sinai to the Gulf of Suez and into the metropolis of some 18 million people. Customs was relatively easy, however you do need to buy a visa/tax stamp on your way in at the visa/tax windows. You then present the stamp to the customs officials who dutifully stamp it and your in. Outside the airport is the usual clamoring of taxi drivers for your business - note that they pay a parking entry fee to get there so clearly negotiate the price to your destination including the parking fee and don't fall for the old trick of trying to get this tacked on when your in transit.
Traffic in Cairo is quite a sight, as is "running the gauntlet" to cross the road. If you watch the locals do it its not too crazy, but Im amazed more people dont get wiped out on the streets of Cairo. Perhaps they do.
First stop for anyone visiting Cairo has to be the Great Pyramids of course. You can take tours, but Id encourage people to get a taxi out there and just do it yourself. The tour guides arent really worth it - your guidebook will probably tell you more. One key thing to try and get is the entry ticket to the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid (Khufu/Cheops). If you want a good glimpse of what this is like watch the "Long Way Down" DVD with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman - Charlie even lays down into the remnants of the sarcophagus (which seems a little sacrilegious to me, but its been done many many times). The wonder of this is how they managed to make the seams of these huge blocks of granite flawlessly fit together. Standing in the middle of the Great Pyramid in a tomb of marble, utterly silent, is like being transported to another planet (aka. Contact - the movie - remember the scene in the vehicle where it was totally silent with no frame of reference).
The surrounds of the Great Pyramid are full of guys with camels or headscarves or tshirts for sale. If you want to part with some of your coin and sit on a camel or take a ride, go for it, but beware the usual hassles of having to pay more to actually get off the camels, or extra for photographs, etc. When in doubt, or argument, just walk away. There are tourist police everywhere in these antiquity sites (look for the plain clothes ones also - carrying the Egyptian equivalent of Uzis), so your really not in danger. I did have one guy tell me he was a criminal and would cut my throat after I refused his tshirt offer - I laughed it off but if you feel hassled just yell for a tourist police and theyll flee pretty quickly. If you are a smoker, definately offer a cig to the uniformed guys - they sweat it out all day and while they cant take money a cigarette will make them immensely happy.
Camel Boy
The Great Pyramid
The Giza complex also houses the smaller pyramids and the Sphinx, including an iconic spot for photographs. Further out from Giza is the Sakkara complex - although to be honest if youve seen Giza this location will be somewhat disappointing. Relatively close to Sakkara is the Memphis location - including a huge laying down statue of Ramses which is the highlight here. Both are worth seeing if you have the time and the means, but if you cant dont beat yourself up as youll be seeing a lot of these types of things in Luxor or at the Egyptian Museum.
Ramses statue at Memphis with Sleeping Guard
One thing you should absolutely try in Cairo is koshery. Its a pasta dish (like macaroni), with spices, and lentils, onions and rice. Its deliciously simple, and definitely my pick for the best traveler meal in Egypt. You should also try Charwarma - a gyro like pita stuffed with meat and salad available in most Arab countries.
A must see in Cairo central is the Egyptian Museum. This was an easy walk from the Hilton Hotel where I chose to stay (redeeming points is fun) - but if your elsewhere in Cairo just take a taxi. The museum houses the Death Mask of Tutankhamun along with his sarcophagai, along with a massive number of antiquities from the Pharaonic times. A lot of the antiquities from the Valley of the Kings reside here having been removed from the burial chambers there, so it provides you with context before heading south to Luxor. The condition and exquisiteness of these artifacts is breathtaking.
Another must see in Cairo are the Mosques. I visited three of them - Sultan Hassan, Ibn Tulun and Al Azhar. They all all impressive in their own ways, with Ibn Tulun UNESCO World Heritage listed. You can read about what these Mosques look like on the net, but Ill tell you the basic process of entering here. Entering a mosque is like entering a church in the West, albeit you have to remove your shoes (or place a cover over them) - this cover or a place to store your shoes is provided at the entrance and staffed by mosque attendants. Its customary to tip them when you leave - EGY$1 is sufficient. Also customary is for women to cover their heads, so bring a scarf you can use as a head cover with you. Once you are in your free to walk around - and in fact look for mosque attendants who make some money o the side by providing you access to the minarets (you can bargain with them also - they wanted $20 per person for two of us to ascend, we went up for $10 each (Egyptian dollars)). The views from the minarets are worth it - the panorama of the chaos that is Cairo will be on full display for you. Try counting satellite dishes ....
Al Azhar Mosque
View from the Minarets
Al Azhar was my favorite - for the expanses of marble that greeting you in the main courtyard, and the fact that it is within walking distance of the Khan el-Khalili souq. The souq (or bazaar) is a maze of shops selling all sorts of apparel, jewelry, souvenirs, etc. Any visit to a major Arabian town should include a visit to the souq, and its well worth spending time talking to the shop owners and asking them about their business and lives. They will open up to you a lot more if you engage them rather than see them as an annoyance trying to sell you something, and in most cases will show you the things of value that can be had, rather than the cheaper stuff they are trying to flog to tourists. Ive spend many hours in souqs talking with the shopkeepers, telling them about my country and asking them about theirs. Those moments are the ones youll remember as much as the tourist sites you visit.
Khan el-Khalili from the Minaret of Al Azhar
The train to Luxor was next. Details on that to follow in the next posting.
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