Part 3 of our world tour wrapped up in Egypt, home to the world’s first great civilization and our first country on the African continent.
Upon arrival, we obtained a visa ($25 per person). Our main mode of transportation was private cars and Uber because they provided the easiest and most affordable way to get around.
Lastly, the currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound (not to be confused with the British pound) with the conversion rate roughly $1 USD to 16 Egyptian pounds.
We visited the country during the off-season. The fall air had cooled the dessert to a nice 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and comfortable 70 degrees at night.
Cairo
Thanks to an amazing program thoughtfully put together by our hosts, we saw the city of Cairo and the surrounding areas in the best way possible. Most of the tourists come to Egypt to see the pyramids and the Nile river. However, our tour began in a not-so-touristy section called “Garbage City.” The place is home to over 260,000 coptic Christians who live every day in the largest human recycling and garbage disposal center. Deep in the back of the largest Garbage City is an even more astounding site. As you get further into the city and against the mountain, you find a coptic Church.
The Church of Zabbaleen is the sight of Saint Simon's monastery. The Church has grown from a low seating capacity of only a few thousand 50 years ago to a large capacity of 20,000 seats carved into the mountain side for weekly masses. Visiting the city and the church was an eye-opening experience because it made us keenly aware of the trash crisis and the invaluable contribution that the dwellers of the Garbage City perform every day!
Afterward, we drove to the old town of Cairo where we visited three temples - Christian, Jewish, and Muslim - within 1 km of each other. We first visited the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, before making our way over to the Coptic Museum and Churches of Egyptian Christians, before lastly visiting Ben Ezra Synagogue. The history and the bond between the temples is very fascinating and should not be missed.
Then, we made our way to the heart of Cairo - the Nile river. Sitting on its banks is the Egyptian Museum that houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The museum is large and can be overwhelming but we hired an amazing guide to lead us through the museum and share the history of ancient Egypt.
The museum had everything from the smallest scarab to large tombs of King Tut and everything in between. My personal favorites were having the opportunity to see the mummy of Pharaoh King Ramsey II. He was the Pharaoh who chased Moses to the Red Sea. Another highlight of the museum is the collection from Pharaoh King Tut. What is most amazing about his collection is the shear amount of spectacular artifacts recovered from his tomb.
While on the Nile, we took the elevator up the tallest building in the city, the Cairo Tower, for dinner during the sunset. As we ate, we watched the sun setting over the three triangular structures far in the distance.
The Pyramids
The next day we started by visiting the Sakkara Pyramid, one of the smaller structures that predates the Giza pyramids. The Sakkara Pyramid has a step design similar to the Aztec pyramids, making you wonder if there was a connection between those civilizations.
Sakkara was less touristy and therefore offered us an opportunity to walk around freely, venturing in crypts and tombs.
In the nearby textile school we learned about the Egyptian carpet making process and about the quality of Egyptian cotton. The craftsmanship of the carpet makers is unparalleled and made out visit well worth it.
We arrived at the Pyramids of Giza in the afternoon. The tallest one was the Great Pyramid of Giza built for Pharaoh Khufu. In fact, it was the tallest structure in the world until the mid-1800’s. It is mind-boggling to think that this pyramid is 5000 years old and is still here today!
Next to Khufu’s pyramid sits his son’s Khafre pyramid, which is slightly smaller out of respect but still reaches almost 450 feet in the air. The pyramid is guarded by its own Sphinx.
There is a scenic lookout place in front of the pyramids, where we enjoyed a photo shoot and a camel ride.
As the sun was setting, we drove to the Mena House Hotel, just a stones-throw from the pyramids. The hotel was one of the first in Egypt and served various historical purposes throughout the years. We had a delicious dinner with a view of the world’s only standing ancient wonder as a background.
The night light show brought the pyramids alive. The story of the pyramids unraveled in front of us with the lasers, music, and narration. We sat in awe pondering about our own short time on earth and the impact we can leave.
Red Sea
It was time for some R&R. There was no better way to do that but visit the Red Sea, where we swam aplenty, sunbathed in warm autumn sun, and collected seashells.
Mut Shakkran to Egypt and to our gracious hosts, the Bohnackers, for this humbling and transformational journey across time and dessert!
Bonus - Cologne
We made sure to fit in a long layover in Cologne to visit our good friend Micha and the city on the Rhine. The weather was a little colder and the sky a little more cloudy, but that didn't stop us from enjoying our final stop in Germany.
We spent one day walking in the woods, away from people and technology, and another day, exploring the streets and shops of Cologne. We had the chance to climb the 500 plus stairs up the Cologne Dom church steeple. It sits at more than 500 ft and surprises you with the amount of detail and craftsmanship that went into its design.
Danke Micha and our journey Part 3 as we prepare for the Americas….
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