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You are here: Home / Archives for Destinations / Africa

Leaving Africa

June 8, 2010 By Jillian

Ever since arriving in Ethiopia we’ve been excited to get out of Africa, not that its been bad at all mind you, its just that Africa is difficult. Emotionally, physically and mentally Africa can take it all out of you without you even realizing it. It’s been a pleasure sharing the adventure with others along with way, but frankly we were just exhausted of being in the developing world. I know how that sounds and I realize how lucky we are to be able to leave those difficult situations, but it’s the truth, it was hard. We needed a long break, badly.

Needless to say it wasn’t with heavy hearts that we took the ferry to Jordan. In fact it was with shear excitement for the rest of the journey and perhaps even some anxiety at moving on to another continent that we boarded the much delayed boat. As they ferry motored away from Nuweiba and the Sinai Peninsula at sunset we sat comfortably in the air conditioned lounge playing cards and swapping stories neither of us looking back for one last glimpse.

A week and a half after leaving Africa for good I’m recovered and those dangerous rose colored glasses seem to be on my eyes. Of course we had an amazing time in Africa and I don’t regret going for one minute. More than South America though Africa tested us. It was physically challenging (Mt. Kilimanjaro), emotionally challenging (Ethiopia) and sometimes just downright frustrating (everywhere else), but it was an experience I’d never trade and will never regret.

Our ferry to Jordan left Egypt nearly 5 hours late and by the time we arrived in Aqaba it was well after the last bus to Petra. Some travelers might get annoyed or even angry, but Danny and I just looked at each other and shrugged much as we’ve been doing since arriving on the continent. It was our last chance to say the three letters which have been uttered nearly every day since December: “TIA, this is Africa.”

IF YOU GO: We took the “fast” ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba.  From what we gather delays like this are pretty normal, however there were tons of taxi’s willing to negotiate decent group rates to Wadi Musa (Petra) from the port, even at 11pm!

Filed Under: Africa, Headline, Jordan, Middle East Tagged With: border crossing, transportation, travel

Atop Mt. Sinai

June 7, 2010 By Danny

Hiking Mt Sinai is the sort of thing that manypeople come to Egypt to do. Most people fly to one of Egypt’s expensive coastal cities, book a tour, get on the bus around midnight, arrive sometime before 2am, and with some luck are at the summit with one thousand of their closest friends that they never met before who are all just as tired and cranky as you’d expect them to be…..oh, but the sunrise is spectacular. We decided against that route.

We arrived in the small yet touristy town of St. Catherine’s in the afternoon. This is little town is walking distance from the actual mountain but sees a mere fraction of the traffic the mountain does…since no one wants to sleep here. We were welcomed to town by nice cool air (it might be a desert but it is as high as Denver) along with a Bedouin man who took us rather quickly to his hotel where we quickly made ourselves comfortable as the only guests there. We sat out under the stars,enjoyed a nice Bedouin dinner (which looked surprisingly similar to Italian) and prepared to sleep in rather than waking up at 2am to start our hike…we slept until 10 am.

Doing this hike in the afternoon has three clear benefits from my standpoint. One, you’re awake. Two, you can see things and will enjoy yourself rather than injure yourself. Three, hardly anyone else does it this way. Teaming up with another fellow who arrived at our hotel long after we did we set off around midday to start our hike, passing the usual camel in the road, a couple of fruit stands, and an overpriced souvenir shop.

Arriving at the St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of the mountain we obtained the mandatory guide (in lieu of an entry fee) and started up the long windy trail rather than the steep staircase. On the way we passed 16 overpriced snack shacks but only a handful were open…they really exist for that morning crew. We had the mountain to ourselves the entire 3 hours we hiked.

At the top we were the first to arrive and immediately set to work. First I needed to find to large stones in the shape of tablets. Then, I gave myself a “desert nomad” look using my bandanna and found a suitable place for the photo shoot where I cast myself as Moses. Finally, I posed for the camera with my props approximately 250 times. Most of these photos remain private however, and will be used at a later date.

As far as I can tell, the sunset was just as spectacular as the sunrise would have been except that we were awake to see it so it didn’t feel quite as otherworldly as many who climb in the pre-dawn hours might experience. We went down that mountain rather quickly, and aided by the light of the nearly full moon. We ate well that night and slept even better.

IF YOU GO: Trust us, go and spend a couple of nights in St Catherine’s rather than doing this as an uncomfortable bus trip from Dahab. We stayed at Sheik Sina (owned by Sheik Musa’s son/) and had a found it very comfortable with a lot of options regarding lodging. Getting out the options were a bus to Dahab or a bus to Cairo (where we came from) so we took a cap to Nuweiba in order to continue to Jordan. You can walk to the Monastery and the hike from town without a problem.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Headline, Hike, Middle East Tagged With: desert, hiking, mountains

Mummies, Pyramids and Margarita’s

June 3, 2010 By Jillian

Arriving in Cairo after two long days in the car, we were excited to check into our hotel and grab a drink. A long time ago a fellow blogger told us there was a Chili’s in Cairo and frankly we’ve been dreaming of nothing but a big serving of chips and salsa and an almost-the-size-of-your-head margarita ever since then. It was a schlep into Cairo but the whole time we kept saying, margarita’s tonight! Sitting down to order we looked at the drink menu: slushies, not margarita’s. We were devastated. No margarita’s at Chili’s? Consoling ourselves in fajitas and copious amounts of salsa, the four of us celebrated our arrive to Cairo with some “Jani Water: Red Lion” rum, which as you can imagine was rather unpleasant.

We’ve seen tons of pyramids and temples, but truly the pyramids of Giza are spectacular. As with nearly everything in Egypt, the sheer size of the pyramids is what is most amazing. Although we got to the pyramids early, they were packed with tours so we took the requisite pictures and went straight to the back. Fortunately most tourists stay between the first two pyramids so we had the third all to ourselves. We didn’t pay the extra fee to go climbing in the pyramids, having been advised against it by several travelers, so I can’t tell you what its like to be inside a pyramid, but from the outside I would imagine its rather claustrophobic! Near to the pyramids is the famous sphinx, which sits almost guarding the towering sites. Since it was early though, we passed on the trip to the Pizza Hut across the street where the views of the Sphinx are the best available.

We spent hours at the rather ill designed and laid out Egyptian museum scoping out the treasures of Tutankhamen and more sarcophagus’ than you can shake a stick at. The museum feels more like a cultural warehouse, the hundreds of thousands of artifacts are jammed on shelves mostly without description or explanation. A fascinating exhibit on stolen treasures and destroyed archaeological sites, some destroyed as late as 2004, made us appreciate the problem of conservation and protection. Just an hour in the museum made us realize how Egyptology can be its own discipline.

Cairo itself is chaotic and vibrant and surprisingly hopping late at night. Crossing the street is a bit like playing frogger- you move quickly from lane to lane waiting for a brief break in traffic before jumpingto the next one! Until well after midnight families roam the streets enjoying coffee, ice cream and plenty of window shopping. Lit up like Las Vegas, the main streets are incredibly loud, but we loved being in the city again. Wandering the Khan al Kalili market and getting past the tourist area, we loved the constant commerce around us. Vendors selling spices, jewelry, clothing, shoes, fabrics, no one yelling at us as tourists, rather just shouting at the crowd of customers. Thousands of shops and stalls sold everything from accessories to spices and toys. Being a Muslim country, you can imagine our surprise at the numerous risqué lingerie shops that also lined the streets of central Cairo. Makes you wonder what’s under that chador!

We loved Cairo and would be happy to return to its chaos and color someday. Ultimately Cairo was a sad experience for us as we had to say goodbye to Ali and Campbell who continued on to Alexandria for a ferry to Italy while we continued East to the Sinai. Traveling with them continuously since Nairobi, it was hard to say goodbye to them and be on our own again. We’ll miss Campbell’s comments, Ali’s TIA logic and the trials and tribulations of taking Kaspuurr through the desert or up a mountain. Hopefully it won’t be the last time we travel together!

IF YOU GO: Cairo is a chaotic, amazing, vibrant city, in fact the largest in Africa.  Do see the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids of Giza, but also explore the markets and neighborhoods, which are very rewarding. We went to the pyramids first thing in the morning and took an inexpensive taxi straight there. The Khan al Kalili market is enormous, we went in the evening and snagged some great deals from the vendors.  Remember to keep a sense of humor when negotiating and  don’t feel obligated to buy even if you are invited for tea. Remember that the price if always negotiable especially with a smile and some basic arabic.  Negotiating is part of the game.  Street food in Cairo is plentiful and delicious though be weary of tourists prices and refuse to pay them.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Headline, History & Culture, Middle East Tagged With: capitals, drinking, museums, ruins

Escorted by the Police…

June 2, 2010 By Jillian

“No. No. No,” the officer shouted as we left our hotel. Waving us back into the hotel he yelled something in his radio and motioned for us to wait. Confused, we looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. Five minutes later the officer received a message on his radio and escorted us to dinner. Fully capable of order and eating yummy falafel on our own, the whole situation seemed like overkill.

Just one night away from Cairo and the completion of our Capetown to Cairo overland adventure, we were annoyed at the constant police escort we seemed unable to shake driving from Luxor to Cairo. A few years ago foreigners were required to travel this route in convoy, but to our surprise that system has been downgraded to individual police escorts. Clearly the Egyptian government felt it necessary to protect us, but from what? No explanation was given on why two police cars, one in front of us and one behind, and eight officers had to escort us through Asiyut, nor why we weren’t able to leave them behind anywhere. For nearly the entire journey we had at least one police vehicle in front of us leading the way or a plain clothed (but armed!) officer seated in our front seat. It was strange, uncomfortable and frankly attracted a lot more attention than we would have on our own.

Arriving in Cairo we subtly inquired about the police escort. According to the guys at our Cairo hotel, the area from Luxor to Cairo is the center of Islamic Fundamentalism in Egypt. This may be true, but walking through the market in Asyut, even with our armed escort, we attracted only curious and positive attention. Several teenage girls in chadors approached me and in excellent English asked my name, where I was from and where I was going. They seemed very excited to meet me and welcomed me to their city. It was the exact opposite of feeling threatened. Other Egyptians at our hotel in Cairo gave us various theories on why we needed such a heavy escort, none of which we were able to validate.

Perhaps its better that we don’t know the danger we were in. We never felt unsafe or threatened anywhere in Egypt even stopping in villages along the Luxor to Cairo route. Without a doubt the Egyptian police were extremely professional and polite, going so far as to refuse baksheesh (tips). Well ok, one group of officers did repeatedly request we stop for coffee or tea and when we finally relented, they drank as well, so mostly without baksheesh. Given that the government felt their presence was necessary we appreciated their company, but would have rather known what we were getting ourselves into.  We never felt unsafe in Egypt, but having the police escort made us wonder what we had missed.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Headline, Middle East Tagged With: police, safety

Luxor: Valley of the Tourist

June 1, 2010 By Jillian

Not yet templed out, we ventured further down the Nile to Luxor. If you’ve seen pictures of ancient Egypt, you’ve seen pictures of the temples and tombs of Luxor. Feeling like true tourists (did I mention we still sprung for the air conditioned room), we booked a Luxor sites tour and found ourselves shuttled around in a mini-bus from Valley of the Kings to Valley of the Queens and Hapshepsut’s Temple. After being alone at the sites in Sudan, this suddenly felt like Disney World- lines, pushy guides, tour buses, crowd control, tram rides from the entrance gate to the main attraction, and $8 Gatorade. I loved it.

The sites in Sudan were wonderful because of the solitude and the complete lack of tourist kitsch. In Egypt, especially Luxor, the sites were impressive because of their sheer size. Karnak Temple was simply breath taking because of its size. Row after row of 20 meter columns completely covered in carved stories of the Egyptian gods. Valley of the Kings, the ancient burial site with over 60 tombs, was a cemetery of who’s who among Egypt’s Pharaoh’s, including Tutankhamen. The tombs at Valley of the Kings, no pictures allowed, were worth a visit because the decorations are still vibrantly colored. Blues, greens, yellows and reds all made from natural dyes vividly depict scenes from the King’s life and his transfer to paradise. Small chapels off the main corridors had scenes of daily life in ancient Egypt, from growing crops to weights and measures. Aged several thousands of years, the paintings in the tombs really brought to life ancient Egypt despite the somewhat conveyor belt of tourists feel.

Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous sites in Luxor, and had it not been on the tour we probably would have wanted to skip Valley of the Queens. After the crush of tour buses at Valley of the Kings, I was shocked at the almost deserted nature at Valley of the Queens. We shared the entire site with only one other group- a couple. Granted there isn’t as much to see at Valley of the Queens- at the time of our visit only two tombs were open and the famous and supposedly most incredible tomb of Nefertari costs a whopping $5,000 to visit according to our tour guide.

The first tomb (Tomb of Titi) was in pretty terrible shape and didn’t really excite us at all. Fortunately the Tomb of Amunherkhepshef, a prince who died as a teen, was better. And by better I mean, wow. It was the best preserved tomb we had seen all day. The brightly colored reliefs depicted Amunherkhepshef’s father King Ramses III introducing his son to various Egyptian gods, and transferring him to the afterlife. The reliefs were by far the most vivid we have ever, their colors were so bright I asked the tour guide several times if they had been restored. Unfortunately, a grotesque mummified five month old fetus sat in the first room of the tomb, which was a little weird.

All in all Luxor was touristy, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s just something about being in a busy downtown and looking up to see Luxor Temple right in the middle of it all that just makes you say, cool!

IF YOU GO: Visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the huge tour groups and awful sun. All the budget hotels downtown offer very affordable packaged tours which will cut down transportation hassles and time for just a few dollars. At the time of our visit the train stations refused to sell anything but a first class overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor ($60 per person), however we heard rumors that if managed to board the second class train and bought your ticket on board they didn’t kick you off.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Headline, Middle East Tagged With: ruins, wondersoftheworld

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