My Fellow Travelers Take Over

When I go on group tours, I like to give others on the trip the last word.  If you’ve been reading the blog, you pretty much know my thoughts.  

I sent four questions to the group of 23 fellow travelers to let them share their thoughts.  It’s always fun reading different perspectives.  By the way, if the formatting is a little rough on this post, it’s because of all the copying and pasting from different email formats.  

The four questions are:

1.       Ranked first, second, and third, what were your three favorite activities/sites we did/went to? Briefly, why for each? 

2. What surprised you most about Egypt?

3. What is one thing you learned you will never forget?

4. If you were telling friends one place to definitely go in Egypt, where would it be –  and briefly why?

Question 1:   Ranked first, second, and third, what were your three favorite activities/sites we did/went to? Briefly, why for each?

Brien & Teri: 1st- Abu Simbel- amazing what was built so many years ago, and equally amazing that it could be successfully moved so perfectly. 

2nd- the pyramids- That is what got us there initially and the climb into the middle of the pyramid was quite an experience. 

3rd- The Valley of the Kings- the elaborateness (is that a word?) of the tombs and the vibrancy of the colors were awesome.

Ellen: Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza and climbing up the Pyramid of Khufu although my quads were screaming at me for several days afterwards. Why? It’s one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and I wasn’t sure I would ever see them.  

Valley of the Kings- Even though they were denuded of their riches (except Tut), the paintings and hieroglyphic texts which guided the pharaohs to the next life were remarkably preserved. 

Abu Simbel- I didn’t know anything about it until preparing for the trip. The temple is both colossal and beautiful. It’s almost unfathomable that it was cut out of the sandstone of a cliff. Visually, it was one of my most memorable places we visited. I don’t think I would have totally appreciated the engineering efforts to relocate the complex to higher ground without seeing the movie.

Susan:  A.  The Giza Pyramids and complex. Their age, size and the enormity of the surrounding area, still to be excavated. The colorful camels helped too.

B.  Abu Simbel and Lake Nasser. The beauty of the salvaged momuments and the mere fact that they could be dismantled and reassembled, blew my mind. 

C.  Valley of the Kings and Queens. The interiors of the tombs were so gorgeous.

David: I think the most memorable experience I had was at the Giza pyramids and specifically the camel ride. It was only the second day on our journey, and somehow, when the group of us got on our various camels, the guy who was leading my camel as well as Mark M’s was at the front of the pack. At one point he said that my camel was one of the best behaved and he let go of the guide rope,  and the camel went off on its own with me on its back. Once I overcame my fear that the camel would gallop away, I experienced a few minutes of awe staring at the three mammoth pyramids while on top of a camel without another person in sight. A Lawrence of Arabia type moment that I will never forget.

 My second favorite activity from the trip was the balloon ride. The early morning trip across the Nile was an adventure, and observing  from varied heights the valleys of the kings and queens, various temples,  and the green farmland of the Nile valley abruptly ending in desolate desert on each side just amazing. 

 My third favorite experience was the lunch at the Egyptian farmers’ place. The food was delicious, and hearing the stories of himself and his family was very interesting. I also enjoyed his demonstration of furniture making from palm leaves and the pottery spinning demo.  

Neil: Giza, the great pyramids, the sphinx and camel riding. An absolutely incredible first day in Egypt.

Abu Simbel – stunning work that defies description.

Valley of the Kings – had no expectations going here and the topography blew        me away as much as the tombs.

Linda: 1.  My absolute favorite site is the Giza Pyramids.  I have seen pictures of them but it was a thrill to see them in person.  I marvel at the construction and the overall appearance.  It is not surprising that it is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

2.  My second favorite is the visit to the Valley of the Kings and Queens .  The Ramseses VI is  incredibly detailed and beautiful - walls, and ceilings covered with paintings and carvings and the sarcophagus .One could spend days in there. The tombs of the Queens were not as elaborate but they were amazing as well.

3.  My third favorite is Abu Simbel.  It  is hard to believe that these magnificent temples were removed as blocks from one location  and transported to another location to preserve them from harm from the waters of Lake Nasser.  Thank heavens they were!

Mo: 1. It’s really hard to choose a top site or activity but, that being said, I would pick Abu Simbel. Maybe because it was the first site we saw on our trip South but the sheer magnificence of the Temple of Ramses II and Queen        Nefertari and the story of its 1968 move from a site that was to be inundated by the construction of the Aswan High Dam contribute to its fascination for me.

2. Luxor and environs are a very close second with the Luxor Temple, Karnak, the Luxor Museum and all the sites on the West Bank (is that cheating?).  There is so much there to see that the days spent there were very rich. 

(Mo asks if that is cheating.  Brief delay while we go upstairs to the replay booth.  Referee over his mic: We'll allow it!  Crowd goes crazy cheering!  Play-by-play announcer: She's really got the Mo-mentum now!)  (Writer is quite satisfied with himself.)

3.The Valley of the Kings/Queens gave us an opportunity to visit the actual tombs of Ramses III, Ramses V-VI, and Seti I with their iconic painted wall reliefs. Fabulous.

—Honorable Mention was the Tomb of Kagemni outside Cairo with its wonderful naturalistic reliefs of animals, aquatic life, and human activity. (Blogger note: Adding an honorable mention IS cheating, but I’m going to allow it because I loved that Tomb as well.  If Mo had picked something I didn’t like, I would have whacked it like I was Jimmy Conway and it was a participant in the Lufthansa heist of 1978.)

Carol: 1. Abu Simbel.  The massive statues of Ramesses II were amazing.  I have seen them in photos and movies, but in person it was amazing. They blew my mind

2.  The Giza Pyramids. Since a child, I have wanted to see them.  The first look was everything I had hoped.  Being able to climb to the top of the Great Pyramid was an achievement - I have a little bit of claustrophobia.  I just put my head down and went!

3. The funerary temple of Hatshepsut - it is so dramatic and visual. Loved walking around it.

Georgene: 1.  Abu Simbel—Besides being so breathtaking it was massive and the engineering feat of moving them was unbelievably interesting. 2. Giza Pyramids—just incredible and walking inside was a highlight. 3. Valley of the Kings—Incredible and super surprised by the condition of the tombs with incredible painted pictures and hieroglyphs. 

Mary: Rameses VI tomb in Valley of the Kings -- While not containing as much "loot" as King Tut's tomb, I feel this was the most impressive tomb, and best preserved. Why a tomb as my top choice?  I think it encapsulates so much of ancient Egyptian culture.

Great Pyramid -- Because it is "the" great pyramid and so, so close to Cairo.

King Tut tomb -- Its renown was totally backed up by the reality!  

Question 2: What surprised you most about Egypt?

Carol: How old Egypt really is.

Mary: The city of Cairo.  It was much more of a third world city than expected.

Linda: It is hard to believe how revered the kings and pharaohs of ancient Egypt were. They seemed worshiped like gods and religious spirits.

Georgene: The devotion of the Egyptian people to save their historic structures/monuments and to what extent they will go to saving them.  

Neil: Was not all that surprised by the chaotic nature of Egypt, but was shocked at how little the country is doing to protect its ancient national treasures from deterioration. Not sure our grandchildren will be able to appreciate Egypt as much as we did if that doesn’t change.

Brien & Teri: All the rubble in Cairo

Mo: What surprised me most about Egypt was the depth of its history.  Sure, I knew a reasonable amount about the dynasties but really did not understand how far back the history went and how layered this history is from Nubian dominance to multiple Egyptian dynasties to Greek influences and Roman rule.  Naturally, preserving the empire and expanding its borders involved pretty constant battles fought by men who had no choice but to obey the pharaoh.  What’s not a surprise is that those millions are not represented in the murals seen in Egypt’s monuments.

David: The most surprising thing in Egypt for me was the madness of traffic in Cairo.  23 million people in the city without a stop signs, traffic lights, or road markings! 

Ellen: People were so friendly (hawkers were annoying but friendly).  The pyramids were ancient to ancient Egyptians.  The colors of temples and tombs, etc wall paintings that were so well preserved.  The importance of the Nile River for  Egyptian civilization – both ancient and modern but how narrow it is.  Women in ancient Egypt had significant rights and particularly with regards to property.

Susan: The great variety of food. I brought home an extra five pounds of it!

Question 3: What is one thing you learned you will never forget?

Mo: That real artistic naturalism existed in Egypt in the 3rd century BCE, long      before it was seen anywhere else in the world.  

Carol: Ramesses II was the Pharaoh!  He understood power and politics!

Susan: How similar the issues of power were with the ancients to those of our own day.

Georgene: The idea of how the inundation of the Nile was so crucial to the Egyptian people and their livelihood and health.   In addition learning that the Nile flows from South to North. 

Mary: My biggest takeaway overall was the incredible advancement of the Egyptian civilization, which continued to be seen every day, on every visit.

Ellen: At my age, I have to be cautious about assuming I won’t forget that one thing. However, I was most struck by the architectural impact of Ramesses II dynasty. 

Neil: Ramses II understood the importance of branding and name identification better than most. He was ahead of his time.

Brien & Teri: That countries can actually cooperate together as in moving Abu Simbel.

David: I will never forget the crazy story of the ancient Egyptian gods - Set, Osiris, Nephtys, Isis and her baby Horus - conceived by the union of Isis with a totally chopped up Osiris.

Linda: I learned many things but I will not forget that crocodiles  were revered and feared and kings were believed to inhabit them - hence they were preserved and mummified.  I think that’s the story I was told at the Crocodile museum . If not true , it’s a good story anyway!  (Editor's Note: It's a great story!)

Question 4:  If you were telling friends one place to definitely go in Egypt, where would it be – and briefly why?

Ellen: I don’t think I can answer this question. If you are lucky enough to visit        Egypt, see whatever you can see. Seeing one place will never put it into proper historical, cultural, dynastic or theological context. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse.

Carol: Tough question - I think it is a toss up between Cairo/Great Pyramids and Lake Nasser and all the temples which were moved.

Brien & Teri: Abu Simbel for reasons above, and I know they will go to the pyramids anyway.

David: The one place that I would tell people to include on a planned trip to Egypt would be the cruise on lake Nasser. The quietness, solitude and barren landscape land cast a contemplative, almost spiritual, feeling to those three days. Moreover, Abu Simbel and the other temples that have been raised (to higher ground) were stunning.

Linda: That is an impossible question! There are soooooo many places to go and sites to see. But  I would have to say  don’t miss the  Giza Pyramids-breathtaking.

Mary: Abu Simbal.  While not my top favorite (see #1), it was an impressive site and may not be on everyone's list of "what to do in Egypt".  

Georgene: Ok Glen that is impossible to answer.  I’ll pick a city to visit and that is Luxor.  

Susan: Probably the trip across the desert to see Abu Simbel, and the juxtaposition with Lake Nasser.

Mo: I’d advise going to Luxor for all the riches in the immediate area, the beauty of the Nile along its banks, and the fine museum collection.

Neil: Giza – the pyramids are just the tip of the iceberg of attractions in Egypt, but they are nonetheless the must-see attraction.