Finally online, our pictures of Egypt. A lot of ancient ruins, temples, a lot a lot of hyroglyfs, a few piramids and some pictures of the river Nile including proof that I swam in the Nile.

In the end we did not really select the best pictures but posted almost all pictures we had. Don’t freak out if you suddenly notice we posted around 700 pictures.

Egypt proved to be a very impressive place. It is incredible to see the constructions they made 5000 years ago. Huge temples and gigantic pyramids and at the same time precious jewelry with incredibly small details. If make you think twice about the world of ‘progress’ in which we are living.

We started of with a boat cruise over the Nile. A very nice adventure but with a very busy schedule. A lot of days (I was unable to sleep a lot) we got up before sunrise to go on an excursion to visit yet another piece of history. It was nice to see hieroglyphs had been carved in almost all the stones. All around 3000 to 5000 years old, joined here and there by names and dates of about 100 or 200 years old. ‘Piet was here 1843’. I was able to restrain myself and did not add my name to this part of history.

After the cruise we spend a few days in Cairo. The city was very very crowded. There are more people living in Cairo than it the entire Netherlands. In the city center it is always busy. You can clearly notice that the local Muslims don’t really have a positive attitude towards non-Muslims and tourists. Especially girls and woman suffer because of this. They get regular pinches in the ass and get touched at every occasion by the hairy Muslims. As a tourist you should not return the favor with a totally covered Muslima because then they cut of your hands (or so they say).

It was quite an experience! We planned on a lot of excursions from the start, and this was maybe overdoing it a little. A lot of excursions were really very nice, but there were a lot where commerce was clearly on the mind of the Egyptians.

If you get the chance you should definitely visit Egypt. However, if you don’t like chicken and rice be warned because there seems to be little other food available. We made around 700 pictures which I’ll have to look through, so be patient.

We finally booked our holiday. We both have three weeks off from the 19th of September till the 12th of October. The first week we’ll go and visit Egypt. The other two weeks are still without plan… we’ll see what we’ll do.

Our itinerary for Egypt is posted below. It is a babelfish translation of the Spanish page with the holiday outline, so there will be some errors, but the main idea should be clear.

Basically the plan involves four days on a cruise across the Nile. Visit some places and slowly get used to the tremendous heat and the bugs (although bugs are a part of everyday life in Spain), and afterwards we have three days in the capital. We are planning on a trip to Abu Simbel, a nice village and we’re considering an evening out dining and enjoying a belly-dance. Just one month more to prepare ourselves and then were going to experience Egypt. I’m already looking forward to it.

Day 1 MADRID – LUXOR
Monday

Presentation in the airport 2 hours before the exit of the special flight. Invoicing in the counter of the company that corresponds and exit with Luxor destiny. Arrival and procedure of the visa in the airport (34 € by person to pay directly). Transfer to the motor-ship of category selected by the client to initiate the cruise by the Nile. Accomodation in the staterooms. Lodging on board.

Day 2 LUXOR – ESNA
Tuesday

Breakfast and visits of the Necrópolis de Tebas, visiting the famous Valley of the Kings, the temple of medinet Habu de Rameses III, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossuses of Memnon, that kept the entrance to the funeral temple from King Amenophis III, visit of the Temples of Karnak and Luxor that form the monumental but important set of Egypt. After the visit, return to the motor-ship. Lunch and to the estimated time beginning of the passage. Dinner and lodging on board.

Day 3 ESNA – EDFU – KOM OMBO
Wednesday

Breakfast and arrival to Edfu, we will visit in caleche the Temple of Edfu, the God of head of Hawk Horus, who this considered the best one conserved of Egypt, besides being the second greatest one of the country. Of return to the boat, – we will sail by late, we will visit the temple dedicated to the Gods Haroeris, of head of sparrowhawk and Sobek, God with crocodile head. Said temples it consists of double entrances, door and altar; in Kom Ombo, also we will be able to contemplate the Nilometro, used by old the Egyptians to measure the level of waters of the river. Boarding in the motor-ship and lunch. To the estimated time, the passage will be started again towards Aswan. Dinner and night on board.

Day 4 ASWAN
Thursday

Breakfast in the boat. The city of Aswan, is about 900 kilometers of the city of Cairo; located the Tropic of Cancer in the heat of. Visit of the high prey, an incredible engineer installation that retains waters of the Nile river, creating the Nasser lake, later, visits of the red granite quarry, where is the famous Unfinished Obelisk, of 41 meters of height, and where we will be able to observe the ingenious procedure used by old the Egyptians for the extraction of the granite blocks. Return to the motor-ship to take the lunch. In the evening, a stroll by the river will be realized in the typical boats of fishermen met like “falucas”. Return to the motor-ship. Dinner and lodging on board.

Day 5 ASWAN – Cairo
Friday

Breakfast and visits optional the impressive temple of Abu Simbel (in airplane or by highway), carved in the western cliff of the desert by Rameses II in century XII before Christ, with dedicated statues the God Amon Ra of 20 meters of height; and the temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the Hathor goddess; after the visit, return to take the airplane to Cairo. Arrival to the airport of Cairo and transfer to the hotel of the selected category. Lodging.

Day 6 Cairo
Saturday

Breakfast in the hotel. Optional visit to the museum of Egyptian Art. In the evening, the visit from noon will be realized to the esplanade of Pyramids of Gizeh, magnificent monumental set considered one of the seven wonders of the old world that correspond to Pharaohs Keops, Kefren and Micerinos as well as enigmatic of human head and the body of lion. Lodging.

Day 7 Cairo
Sunday

Breakfast in the hotel and free day at the disposal of the clients. We can realise some of the facultative visits that to us our representatives will propose like for example: complete day to visit monuments and the library of Alexandria, Memphis and Sakara, the Citadel of Saladino, the Mosques of sultanes Hassan and Rifai or the Bazaar of Khan the Khalili. (Optional Excursions). Lodging in the hotel.

Day 8 Cairo – MADRID
Monday

Breakfast and collection in the hotel to the been suitable hour. Transfer to the international airport of Cairo to embark in special flight with destiny Barcelona or Madrid. Steps of invoicing and boarding.