The Old and the New at Alexandria

Since Alexandria was under the Greeks and Romans, you find such historic sites such as Pompey's Pilar ( a granite pillar build in 297 AD to honor Emperor Diocletian) and the Roman Amphitheatre. Impressive also is the Fort of Qaitbay, a fine example of medieval architecture.

A striking contrast to these old structures, is the very modern Biblioteca Alexandrina, which is both a library and cultural center. Its modern design is a refreshing sight amidst the old buildings that surrounds this famous library.

Alexandria Smiles

It is probably in Alexandria where you will find the friendliest Egyptians. The locals here are very warm and always ready to give a smile to foreign tourists. The children would ask for their pictures to be taken. And they take such a delight in viewing their photos on the LCD screen of a digital camera.

French Alexandria

You see a lot of french influence in Alexandria because it was conquered by the French army in 1789. It has a french quarter where old buildings done in french architecture surrounds a wide avenue which has a large open space (used as a park) in the middle reminding you of the main streets of Paris.

The architecture, interior design, and furnishings of Le Metrepole Hotel where we were billeted, were old french. It has gold leafs, sumptuous french furnitures, large bathrooms and high ceilings. The waiters are even dressed in tuxedos, and plates, silverware, and cutlery in its restaurants are of the finest quality. This hotel provided a total french experience in the old days.

Alexandria also boasts of french bakeshops where you can enjoy really good cakes and pastries at very reasonable prices. There are also a lot of sidewalk cafes where the locals sit and enjoy their coffee similar to what you see in Paris.

African Sun, Sea and Sand

Egypt although it is very near the Middle East is actually part of the African continent. Not many people also know that it is a beach and diving destination. The tour that I took brought us to three premier resort destinations in Egypt. These are Ain Sokhna, Hurgada, and Dahab.

The best among these places is Dahab. It has the best diving spots in Egypt and a really good beach which is part of the Red Sea. The clear and clean waters of Dahab is red because of the fine red sand. Dahab is also popular as a windsurfing site.

Unforgettable was the Egyptian massage which I had in one of the resort hotels in the area. It was very soothing and relaxing with Egyptian music played to complete the massage experience.

Mt. Sinai - The Trek Down

I attempted to take a camel ride to go down Mt. Sinai. But it is not a comfortable ride as your crotch constantly hits the saddle grip as the camel descends the mountain. So after a few minutes I decided to do the trek down on foot. It was faster and not really exhausting.

At the foot of Mt. Sinai is the Monastery of St. Katherine. This houses the burning bush through which God is said to have spoken to Moses.

Since it was midday by the time we reached the Monastery, it was so hot that everyone was looking forward to getting on the air conditioned bus for the trip back to our hotel.

Sunrise Over Mt. Sinai

To catch sunrise at Mt. Sinai one has to be at the base by 2am. Its about a 4 hours climb and may be quite difficult. I attempted to do the climb on foot for about 30 minutes but it was really tiring for me so I opted to take a camel ride to the top.

It was a wise decision! I was able to conserve my energy for final 30 minute steep hike in which you have no choice but to do on foot. But the most amazing part was that I was treated to a very relaxing ride with spectacular views and the changing colors of the sky as sunrise approaches. The people who were with me on the tour regretted that they did not take the camel ride and were very envious of how relaxed and fresh I looked when they caught up with me at rest stop where the camel ride ends.

The view of the sunrise at the summit of Mt. Sinai was truly awesome and worth the long and difficult climb.

Cruising the Nile 2

Worth doing on a lazy afternoon is a motorboat cruise on the Nile that takes you to a Nubian Village. On the way to the village you will pass by rocky formations and have a brief stop at an island where you can climb up a hill which is part of the Sahara Desert. Had a good time on this hill, feeling the fine golden desert sand and enjoying the nice views of the adjacent islands.

In the Nubian Village, you will be brought to a typical Nubian house and given the opportunity to hold a snake. The latter was nothing really new because holding a snake is common in Asian tours.

Cruising the Nile 1

One should not miss a boat ride along the Nile River to complete your holiday in Egypt. If your on a tight budget you can take a Felucca boat (Egyptian wooden sail boats) with no facilities but will give you nonetheless a relaxing Nile River experience.

But the better way to travel along the Nile is to take a cruise on a superior class cruise ship. These small ships have first class facilities with nice cabins, swimming pool and other recreational facilities, and buffet meals.

The cruise travels through the Nile and provides scenic views of the Egypt's countryside and small towns, and the Sahara desert. The ship stops in major ancient sites such as Luxor and Edfu.

Karmak Temple

After visiting a lot of truly awesome ancient temples in Egypt, one would think that one has seen enough and will be quite hard to still be impressed. But still I was astonished with the last ancient site that we visited in Egypt, the Karmak Temple.

This is the largest ancient site in the world, and in its 100 hectares you will find colossal statues, gigantic obelisks and monumental pylons.

Karmak Temple was a fitting end to an unforgettable tour of Egypt's truly impressive ancient sites and temples.

Valley of the Kings

A bit of disappointment for me was the Valley of the Kings located in the Theban hills. This ancient burial grounds housed for 500 years (from the 16th to 11th century BC)the tombs for kings and powerful nobles of Egypt.

The mausoleum like structures where the mummies were kept are massive but not impressive. Nevertheless, inside the tombs, the walls decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology are exquisite, colorful, and interesting.

Temple of Hatshepsut

An astonishing sight is the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is dramatically situated in a valley overshadowed by the peak of the mountains of Thebes.

The massive quartzite statues that once guarded the mortuary temple is awe inspiring as they stand virtually alone in a field on the road to the valley of the kings.

What makes a trip to Egypt truly memorable is that it has a lot of truly awesome ancient temples and ruins which are similar, and yet each temple manages to be impressive in its own way at the same time.

Luxor Temple

Another spectacular sight in Egypt is the Temple of Luxor located on the east bank of the River Nile.This temple was initially a place of worship for Christians and then later for Muslims.

Luxor Temple is beautifully lit at night and counts as one of the best places I visited in Egypt.

Awesome Abu Simbel

The most awe inspiring temple in Egypt are the two rock temples of Rameses II in Abu Simbel. It is a long bus trip from Aswan ( about 280 km from Aswan and a more than 3 hour trip). The tour operators also take the necessary security precautions against terrorists. The buses leave in a convoy escorted and guarded by the military. Each bus is also assigned one military personnel who rides with you on the bus.

But the long trip and some reservations about your safety, are amply rewarded with the truly awesome sight of the Abu Simbel temples. What makes the temples even more impressive is the fact these temples were transferred from another sight because of the building of the Aswan High Dam which would have submerged these monuments. Through the efforts of the UNESCO, the temples were transported 180 meters to its present site.

The breathtaking Abu Simbel monuments are definitely a MUST SEE in any visit to Egypt!

Pyramids by Night

Not to be missed during a trip to Egypt is the Light and Sound show at Pyramids of Giza. It is a spectacular performance featuring the ancient history of Egypt using stereophonic sound and laser lights around the majestic Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza.

The show leaves you breathless and wishing for it not to end. It is truly an amazing sight and is definitely one of the my unforgettable experiences in Egypt.