It was the middle of the night. I shook my husband awake and because I was six months pregnant at the time, I’m sure he thought something was terribly wrong. It wasn’t. I was excited. I couldn’t wait until the next morning to tell him I felt well enough to go on a baby moon. At that point, he got excited. He was happy to see me in good spirits after months of suffering through symptoms of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. He asked where I wanted to go. I took a deep breath, held his hand and unveiled the surprise – Egypt! I was so giddy that I was smiling with my entire face. My husband took one look at me, shook his head and said, “put together an itinerary and a budget and we’ll talk about it.” Little did he know, I had already done so. My spreadsheet was ready with a bare-bones itinerary planned for what would become my favorite travel adventure to date.
Fast forward a few weeks and we’d landed at the Cairo International Airport (remind me to tell you how I convinced my husband in another blog). We endured a lengthly Emirates flight from Los Angeles, but it was glamorous nonetheless. When we struggled to find the Uber that had been ordered for us by a nice student on the plane, we opted for riding with a pricey – and ambitious – taxi driver to our hotel. This driver drove as though he was a stunt double in one of the Fast & Furious series. As he quickly zipped through the congested traffic, I found myself thinking, “Well, you got what you prayed for.” Let me explain. While I was bedridden dealing with severe morning sickness, I made a deal with G-d. I asked that if I could feel a little better, I would never take my good health for granted again and would embark on a trip that I probably would not be able to take once I had a child. My prayer came true in the form of me flying down the streets of Cairo like a bat out of hell in a crazy taxi.
Although night had fallen during the ride, my eyes didn’t need daylight to fall in love with the city. I was mesmerized by the endless honking, the comings and goings of the beautiful people and the perfect marriage of modern and historical architecture. Eventually, we arrived at the Grand Nile Tower, our hotel and the first checkpoint of the trip. Security checked our entire car and instructed us to walk through a metal detector before we could enter the hotel. This experience was common every time we entered any public building in Cairo. After checking into this luxurious hotel that features a stunning outdoor pool amongst an impressive array of amenities; including its own private yacht, my husband and I sat on the balcony and watched the moonlight reflect off of the Nile River below us. It was truly magical.
Day 1
Let me keep it real with you, we are “go with the flow” travelers, that usually work with a skeleton itinerary. With that said, we had no formal plans for our first day in Cairo. We woke up extremely jet lagged and completely missed out on all the popular early morning tours. But our hotel concierge saved us. He connected us with a small tour company that had open spots after other tourists cancelled last minute. We lucked out and ended up on our own private tour with Ibrahim, a doctor turned tour guide who showed us the local’s view of the city. First stop – Old Cairo. That was a history lesson at its finest. We learned so much and even gave Tzedakah at the historic Ben Ezra Synagogue, the believed location of Baby Moses’ discovery. Fun fact – we love visiting synagogues whenever we travel. It always leaves us inspired. Well, except for our synagogue experience in Cuba, but that’s a story for another day. After getting through the congested streets of Cairo (in a much less Fast & Furious fashion, might I add) we were en route to visit The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Oh, the pyramids! “Magnificent” doesn’t even explain how extravagant these structures are. *Cue all alien-related conspiracies.* These monuments are so extravagant, I couldn’t help but relish in their glory. After taking numerous pictures of the Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, it was time to kiss the Great Sphinx of Giza. Seeing the Great Sphinx up close was remarkable. Every detail of its face was striking, because of its immense size and grandeur. We left the greats at Giza and headed to a more familiar great – Kentucky Fried Chicken. Now, hold on, hear me out. Before you snicker at me for eating American fast food in Cairo, know that this particular two-story KFC/Pizza Hut offered a one-of-kind view of the pyramids. The food was comforting and I believe it was totally worth it!
We concluded the day tour by visiting a papyrus and perfume factory. Back at the hotel, we booked our next adventure: a two-day, one-night trip to Aswan and Luxor. This included flight, transportation, meals, four-star accommodations, an English-speaking guide and entrance fees to all locations. Talk about a deal! (Did I mention we love deals)?
Day 2
We began the day with a 5 am trip to the airport. We were still jet-lagged, but excited about our one hour flight to Luxor. To my surprise, early mornings at this airport were more chaotic than the buzzing streets. Picture it: confused tourists desperately trying not to miss their flights, congested conveyer belts packed to the brim with luggage and intertwining lines that appeared to have no beginnings or ends. In this complete pandemonium, we managed to find seats and do what we do best, people watch. Before long, we were flying over the cyan blue waters of the Nile River that snaked through the vast beige sea of sand. When we landed, we were met with a breeze of unpolluted air and the bright smile of our tour guide, Youla. Youla was the first and only woman guide that we had during our trip. She was also a total boss babe. Hearing how she runs her own tour business was truly inspirational. Although we were on a tight schedule, she took care of me by stopping for multiple bathroom and snack breaks. Starting off in the West Bank, we visited the Valley of the Kings and numerous tombs including the Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Tomb of Ramses III, and even King Tutankhamen (Tut), which was closed, unfortunately.
I realize I’m the one who chose to write a blog about this, but words truly cannot describe that experience. It was beyond exhilarating to walk through the narrow and sometimes steep tombs and view hieroglyphics that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. The vibrant colors and extreme detail used in describing the lives of pharaohs was awe-inspiring. Shortly after visiting the tombs, we shopped at an alabaster factory, then headed off to have a traditional Egyptian lunch at Africa Restaurant, a fun rooftop spot that overlooked the Nile River. With our tummies full and happy, we made our way onto a traditional wooden sailing boat called a felucca and crossed over the famous Nile River to the ancient city of Thebes, thus beginning our adventure in the East Bank.
The Karnak Temple Complex was our first stop and this open air museum did not disappoint. I felt like an ant walking amongst the massive pillars that filled this temple for the gods. As we made our way around this vast complex, Youla suddenly stopped and pointed to the Scarab Statue. She asked if we wanted good luck. “Of course!” I exclaimed, and off I went, waddling around the statue three times as instructed. Feeling super lucky, we headed off to our last destination for the day, The Temple of Luxor.
Let me just say, our minds were completely blown. The stones of the temple glowed as the sun set in the distance. The hieroglyphics were centuries-old, yet vibrant enough to have been created days prior. The newly-excavated sites and larger-than-life architecture were inspiring. A gleeful buzz ran through my entire body. Thrilled, yet tired, we continued on, eventually arriving at the Luxor Railway Station. That gleeful buzz I just mentioned? Yeah, this is the point at which it wore off. I remember asking aloud,
What have I gotten myself into ?!
The train was a complete madhouse. People were running to and from packed train carts; some even crossed the gap to reach the opposite platform. Even though our train didn’t arrive on time, my anxiety sure did. The once-cluttered platform began to thin, leaving us feeling isolated amongst closed vendor stands. The train finally did arrive, albeit two hours later. It was packed with travelers who looked just as drained as I felt. Unsure which cabin to enter and afraid to miss the last train to our destination, we crammed ourselves into a hot train cart and sat in the only grimy seats available. I’m not sure if it was the hormones, finally getting hit with travel fatigue, or the filthy conditions of our cabin, but all I remember was tears that streamed down my face and would not stop. This followed the anxiety attack sparked by my claustrophobia and germaphobia spiking all at once. While that three hour, middle of the night journey to Aswan felt like a train ride from hell, my husband and I still laugh about it to this day. We primarily chuckle at the fact that he fell asleep and I stayed awake, wide eyed and flinching at every sound. Finally, we arrived at the Aswan train stop and hopped in a taxi to our hotel. We dozed off to the fading sounds of Arabic techno music. If we hadn’t been so tired, I’m sure we would’ve raved in our dreams.
Day 3
The next day, we woke up to a terrifying ringing. Turns out, that’s just how the hotel does wake up calls. Half asleep, I hurriedly got my swollen feet out of bed and into the shower. We had just thirty minutes to meet our guide in the lobby. Shockingly, Ammon our tour guide for Aswan and his driver arrived 15 minutes prior to our agreed upon 6 am pick up time. They were cheerful, drinking tea, and had a brown bag full of goodies to greet us. The assortment of various fruits, pastries, potato chips, and fruit juice within the bag were meant to tide us over during our three hour drive through the Libyan Desert to visit Abul Simbel. Overlooking the calming turquoise waters of the Aswan High Dam reservoir below, The Great Temple of Rameses II and the small temple of Queen Nefertari and goddess Hathor stood before us. Again, I was amazed. But it wasn’t until I visited Queen Nefertari’s tomb that I felt that glee rise within me again. It was incredible to see that this queen had her own temple – apparently this had only occurred once before in Ancient Egyptian history.
After grabbing some ice cream and a few snacks at the gift shop, we made our way back to Aswan, quickly stopping to see the Aswan High Dam. Next, we had the most dramatic temple entrance experience of our trip. It started with our guide chartering a small motorboat that took us through the Nile River to a lavish green island with a picturesque temple nestled atop it. This gorgeous site was the Philae Temple, devoted to the goddess Isis. Shortly after exploring the temple, I found a little spot to sit down, lie in the sun and take in the magnificent surroundings. But we couldn’t bask too long – we didn’t want to miss our flights back to Cairo. So, we opted to skip lunch and visit the Unfinished Obelisk within the Aswan granite quarry instead. We learned that this was the place where many of the obelisks and granite used in ancient templates originated. Concluding our Aswan adventure, we jetted to the airport, checked in, found wifi and booked our hotel for the night in Cairo. We finally had a few minutes to relax as we waited for our plane to arrive.
Day 4 & 5
Honestly, the last two days in Cairo were a blur. We were exhausted from our previous hectic adventures. We stayed at the Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir, which was conveniently located near all of Cairo’s top attractions. I took full advantage of their awesome amenities, especially the room service and fabulous morning breakfast set up. After catching up on some much needed rest, we visited the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar. There, I felt like I walked into another dimension where time – and, to my husband’s dismay, money – were of no importance. I wanted to buy everything while walking through the windy and sometimes narrow cobblestone streets of the bazaar. To this day, I vividly remember the delightful aromas of herbs and spices, the feeling of soft Egyptian cotton on my fingertips and the sound of merchants encouraging passersby to visit their stalls. We spent over four hours in Khan el-Khalili viewing all types of antiques, spices and jewelry shops. My favorite purchases were my antique silver Hamsa necklaces and this gorgeous scarab collar necklace that inspired my Egyptian Goddess makeup look here. We finished the day with a Thanksgiving dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Cairo which I’ll have to patron again the next time I visit.
Waking up to our last day in Cairo was bittersweet for me, as I had become acclimated to the buzz of the city. After breakfast, we walked over to The Egyptian Museum to view the treasures from the tombs. Since we had visited the tombs first, we had a better understanding of where the items came from. All of the museum’s treasures, including Tutankhamen, were astonishing to view in person, especially after studying them in my various art history classes in college.
Later, we took a taxi to visit the stunning Alabaster Mosque. This grand mosque and its mammoth minarets cannot be missed – they are historical gems and absolutely gorgeous. While it served as the perfect location to get a 360 degree view of Cairo before we left, it was also the perfect spot to recount the adventurous five days that had seemingly passed so quickly. We absolutely loved exploring the inviting country and all of its mystical and historic sites. Looking at my baby bump and the pyramids in the distance, I couldn’t have been more pleased with my baby moon destination.
En route to the airport, zipping through the bustling traffic and rhythmic sounds of honking that we’d become too accustomed to, we watched the sun begin to set and talked about what to expect on the second leg of our trip. This time, we were headed to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan!
xx,
Nice one
Perfect
Wow, this is wonderful