It’s easy to say about Egypt, since most people seem to feel familiar with this country for quite a long time. Egypt, and of course the pyramids, were in our history books, as well as the boy king Tutankhamun.
But my version of of ‘the ideal Egypt’ was quite different. It all started from the story of the ‘Steamship Sudan’, a Nile river cruiser that I discovered from Voyageurs du Monde. Then I discovered the beautiful Luxor. That was the Egypt that I wanted to see. So last year, after my plan to Kenya didn’t convince my companion, we ended up in Egypt.
Like many countries that we visited, Egypt is another ride of an emotional roller coaster. We were awe-struck by the glory of the past of how they built the entire civilization from this barren land. The sunset Felucca ride over the Nile was as magical as it could be, and it was such a great experience to be in the places built like many thousand years ago. I’m happy that I discovered another jigsaw piece to make sense of this world. Are all the Ramses kings linked to the Rama in Ramayana? They even painted the gods in the temples in the same way, with the same colors.
But with that, there’s also poverty, fear, and a lot of hassles, and traffic jam, and the military rule and etc. When there’s the rise, there’s the fall, and I hope that they can recover and get back up soon. Like many places, there’s so much to love and to hate about Egypt and its ok to judge. All you have to do is just go there, see it with your own eyes, and judge it by yourself.
But if you ask me, I would definitely go back. The Steamship Sudan is still waiting for me 🙂
Egypt’s travel tips
1. Egyptian people take the tipping culture seriously. Even for toilets you have to pay. Just be prepared.
2. Uber is available so life gets a lot easier, especially in Cairo.
3. Be sure to check the costs of everything if it’s for one person or not.
4. If you encounter hassles, just ignore them and walk away. Don’t interact.
5. Check the museum opening hours carefully because some might close in the afternoon.
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Memphis Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor The beautiful Luxor Saqqara Hatshepsut Saffron Restaurant Luxor Mummification Museum Street food along the way Textile Museum in Cairo Parrk in Cairo Cairo Museum
