| EGYPT 1 - 9 December 2007 |
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| Who doesn't know all about ancient Egypt? I'm pretty sure alll of you so I won't do my usual spiel about the country's history or the must see sights! I will say however, that Egypt lived up to every expectation that I ever had. I loved it, the amazing temples and the pyramids!!!!! We spent 9 days touring the country and seeing the main sites, learning about ancient Egypt. We started in Cairo and visited the Giza Plateau. I had always imagined that the Pyramids and Sphinx were out in the middle of the desert, but they are literally right by Cairo, you turn around and can see all the buildings just down below! Though I was awe-struck by the pyramids, I have to say I was slightly disappointed - and some of the temples were more impressive to me. I ended up sick by the second day, vomitting, and had to endure our first journey on an overnight train feeling like crap. We travelled from Cairo to Aswan (14 hour journey) and it wasn't pleasant, especially compared with the overnight train I took in Russia. But we survived! After Aswan we travelled to Luxor on a 5 star cruise ship, which was just perfect. We stopped along the way to view more temples along the river. Then after exploring Aswan it was back on the train (only 10 hours this time!) to Cairo for a short city tour and to visit the Cairo Museum before heading home. I can't recommend Egypt enough, and hopefully my pictures will go some way to showing just how amazing it was! |
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| Egypt isn't Egypt without these 3. The Pyramids of Giza, Cairo. You can see the buildings just in the distance, the city is so close to the Plateau. |
| Sphinxy-boy and the Gret Pyramid, Giza Plateau |
| The big boy himself |
| Cool Pyramid pics. I just loved them. |
| Camels! We kept getting hassled for a ride, but declined. Kinda wish I had ridden one now though. |
| The step Pyramid of Zoser, the first pyramid, and in fact the first stone building built in history. |
| The delightful toilet on the overnight train. The door wouldn't even close properly. I can;t even begin to describe the smell, and it doesn't include the bin, which has paper covered in "number 2" spilling onto the floor |
| On the approach to the Temple of Philae dedicated the the Goddess Isis. So serene, and this is where it started to feel more like ancient Egypt, as Cairo was so busy and touristy. |
| Me and the temple in the background |
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| PHILAE Can you believe they moved it bit by bit to this island? When the Aswan Dam was built it flooded the temple so they moved the whole thing to another island in the lake. |
| Sunrise over the desert. On our way to Abu Simbel. We had to get up for 4am to catch the armoured convoy across the desert! |
| ABU SIMBEL But the early morning start was well worth it! My favourite site so far. The amazing statue of King Ramsses. Inside, the entire temple is oainted with scenes of his battle against the Nubians. Amazing! |
| ABU SIMBEL The Queens temple. For the first time in history, a temple was built for a woman. |
| Standing with King Rameses |
| EDFU TEMPLE. Dedicated to the Falcon god Horus |
| EDFU TEMPLE |
| EDFU Carvings and hieroglyphs on the walls of Edfu. The faces have beenb scratched off. When the Christians came they wanted to obliterate the "pagan" gods. |
| THE NILE Early morning, another cruise ship, exactly like ours |
| KARNAK TEMPLE Sphinx Avenue. Karnak was the most important temple in Egypt, and has seen many different Pharoahs all of whom have added to it. Rameses was the most prolific builder. This avenue used to lead all the way to Luxor temple. |
| LUXOR. The striking face of a Pharoah. |
| KARNAK. Me posing in the columned hall. Many films were filmed here: Death on the Nile, James Bond, Indiana Jones |
| KARNAK Some of the amazing columns in the Hypostyle hall and hieroglyphs. That's all paint that you can see up there - it's still there after all this time! |
| TEMPLE OF HATCHEPSUT A really cool step temple built by ancient Egy[ts only female Pharoah (Cleopatra was actually Greek). Built into the sheer rock face and surrounded by desert. |
| VALLEY OF THE KINGS Outside Tut's tomb. Currently his mummy is on display down there. Only his head and his little toes are visible, but wowo what a site! All black sin, and tufts of hair clinging on! The walls are all painted with scenes from the book of the dead. |
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| CAIRO Visiting one of the oldest mosques in Cairo. The ablution fountain in the background |
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| COLOSSI OF MEMNON These statues are the only remaining parts of a temple at the Valley of the Kings |
| KOM OMBO Dedicated the Sobek, the crocodile god. Amazing paint work on the temple roof. |
| KOM OMBO Mummified crocodile at the temple! |
| CAIRO The mosque of Mohammed Ali (not the boxer!) |
| CAIRO A boy carries a massive tray of bread in the main market of Khan El Khallili Bazaar, Cairo |