THE GREAT SPHINX

The Sphinx is a historic enigma that has captured the imagination of millions throughout the ages and has sparked countless of theories on his history and what he represents. Lying at the edge of the Giza Plateau with his stony stare, the Sphinx has stood watch for over 4 millennia.

Sphinx with the Pyramid of Khafre

HISTORY

I have read countless of articles and research papers and watched hours of documentaries on the Sphinx each one presenting interesting geological and archaeological theories concerning the age of the statue and which of the pharaohs he represents. Unlike other monuments from Ancient Egypt, the Sphinx does not contain identifying inscriptions nor are there carvings on nearby temples and tombs about the construction of the statue. 

It should be noted that the word Sphinx is not Egyptian - it is of Greek origin referencing the mythological creature with the head of a woman, body of a lion, and wings of an eagle. Also, the Sphinx at Giza is just one of the many sphinxes found throughout the historical sites in Egypt. Some sphinxes have the head of a man wearing the nemes, royal headdress, while others have the head of a ram, associating with the god Amun. Furthermore, there are sphinxes that were sculpted with the image of Queen Hatshepsut. 

Ram headed sphinxes at Karnak Temple

The Sphinx is the largest monolithic statue in the world and it is located at the eastern edge of the Giza Plateau. It lies in a quarry which the Ancient Egyptians mined to obtain limestone blocks for building projects around the plateau. The Sphinx itself is carved from one piece of stone, not built block by block like the pyramids, and contains pigment residue which indicates that the statue was painted in vibrant colors during ancient times. Similar to other monuments constructed in Ancient Egypt, the Sphinx is accompanied by temples - one built in the Old Kingdom and the second during the New Kingdom - and several smaller structures. Also, there are three passages into or under it with one of the three being the Tomb of Osiris discovered 95 feet underground behind the Sphinx. 

Between the paws of the Sphinx, one finds the Dream Stele of Thutmose IV, pharaoh during the 18th dynasty. These tablets, carved of pink granite, tell the story of how Thutmose became a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. The story explains how the Sphinx spoke to Thutmose in a dream asking the prince to remove the sands that had buried its body through the years and in return, the Sphinx will make Thutmose a Pharaoh. Thutmose did uncover the Sphinx and eventually became king. 

Sphinx with the Dream Stele (noted by arrow)

HOW OLD?

While it is generally accepted amongst most scholars that the Sphinx was constructed during the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom, there are those that believe the statue predates the Ancient Egyptian civilization. Some geologists believe the Sphinx is much older when taking into account factors such as the type of fossils comprising the limestone and erosion patterns on the statue. Those that argue in favor of a 4th dynasty time frame state that the stones used for Khafre’s pyramid are the same as the one that constitutes the Sphinx plus the technical skills applied to the construction of the Sphinx mirrors the skills seen in statues from that period. 

WHICH PHARAOH?

This is another question as old as time, who does the Sphinx represent? Some scholars theorize that the Sphinx represents the Pharaoh Khafre while others believe the statue was built to honor his father, the Pharaoh Khufu. Those who say Khafre cite reasons such as the location of his pyramid and valley temple in relation to the statue and the facial similarities when one compares statues of the pharaoh to the Sphinx’s face. Yet, some believe that the Sphinx bares a stronger resemblance to Khufu and that the monument was built by the Pharaoh Djedefre as an honor to his father. 

FAST FACTS

Body:  Height - 66 ft; Length - 240 ft, Width - 63 is ft

Parts of the uraeus (sacred cobra), the nose, and ritual beard are missing as well as the eyes.  

The Sphinx lies facing east.

Towards the left of the picture, you can see the tail of the Sphinx.

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VISITING THE SPHINX 

The Sphinx lies at the eastern boundary of the Pyramid complex in the shadows of Khafre’s pyramid. To visit the Sphinx, you need to purchase the ticket that provides admission to the complex. During your visit, you will first walk past a market with several vendors then enter one of the temples. The walk through the temple is very short and soon you are standing before the Sphinx. On my first visit, the crowds were few which provided the opportunity to take plenty of pictures and to enjoy the view of the Sphinx and Pyramids. Unfortunately, in my recent visit, the crowds felt like what one experiences when exiting an arena after a sporting event. As we approached the Sphinx, there was barely room to walk and I had a tough time taking decent pictures of the statue because of the crazy amount of people. Egypt needs to implement crowd control by limiting how many people are inside the Sphinx complex at any given time because it is definitely not an enjoyable visit when you are squeezing your way through a horde of tourists in an attempt to capture a picture. 

NOTE  For those not interested in purchasing a ticket to the Pyramid complex or do not wish to hassle with large crowds, there are several locations outside the complex that provide a good view of the Sphinx. Also, adjacent to the complex are two restaurants that have a second floor with wonderful views of the Pyramids and Sphinx. 

Picture taken inside the bus driving towards the entrance.

TRAVELING TO EGYPT: TALE OF TWO TOURS

My two trips to Egypt were via tour companies; first trip was through Contiki and the second trip was with Trafalgar. Both companies contract Spring Tours to run the tour in Egypt. I chose to visit Egypt with a tour group for a number of reason but mainly because of the language barrier and the perks that come with having a tour guide. My first visit to Egypt was not that enjoyable but the second was near perfect. The first trip definitely provided a lot of lessons learned on international travel, selecting tour companies, and visiting Egypt. 

This post will provide a general overview of the three companies along with information and tips on planning a trip to Egypt and selecting a tour company. In future posts, I will provide more detailed information, with pictures, on my hotels, cruise, meals, flights, etc. 

BASICS

Contiki is geared towards young adults, many whom have a limited budget, therefore most tours are what one considers a ‘budget’ tour where transportation and accommodations are very basic.  Trafalgar on the other hand caters to older adults who have a greater disposable income and prefer 4 to 5 star hotels and ships, nicer restaurants, and more sites and activities included in the tour. 

Except for the Nile Cruise, there are stark contrasts between my tours with Contiki and Trafalgar in regards to the lodging, roundtrip transportation to southern Egypt, restaurants, tour guide, and overall experience.  

ITINERARIES

There are many companies that offer tours of Egypt so the best way to start the selection process is by reviewing itineraries. And this can be an overwhelming task if you are not familiar with Egypt and know what are some of the must see sites. 

How to best select a tour? 

Length and Type of Tour - I have seen tours of Egypt range from 7 days to 1 month. It all depends on how much you want to see, if you want free time or prefer a packed schedule, and if you will be visiting just one region or the whole country. Egypt is a large country with tons of wonderful sites and activities.

Contiki, Trafalgar, and many other companies provide ‘overview’ tours where you visit several cities seeing the most important and popular sites, i.e. the Pyramids at Giza, temples of Luxor and Karnak, etc. My 12 day Trafalgar tour included a lot of the standard sites plus visits to Memphis and the temples in Dendera and Philae. The visit to Dendera was one of the main reasons why I selected Trafalgar since in my search for a tour company, I found none that included that stop. 

For those that enjoy water activities (i.e., snorkeling, diving, etc.), there are tours that include Hurghada, a Red Sea resort town, or you can plan a trip to Sharm El-Sheikh, another popular resort town in the Sinai Peninsula. If you are into adventures, some tours offer trips into the desert visiting sites like the Bahariya Oasis and Farafra, location of the famous White Desert. 

My 8 day trip with Contiki covered several cities throughout Egypt and had a “rushed” feel to it. The tour covered a lot of sites and activities in just 7 days and provided minimal free time at the sites or on the cruise. The Trafalgar trip I selected was 12 days of which 9 were for sightseeing and 1 was for spending a day relaxing on the Nile cruise. Since it was a longer tour, we had more free time, especially on the Nile cruise, extra time to spend at certain sites, and more flexibility to do extra activities like visiting a beautiful local market in Aswan.  

NOTE The number of days listed usually includes one or two travel days so a 7 day trip may only include 5 days of sites and activities. One lesson I learned on the first trip is to arrive a day early to give yourself time to adjust to the time change and to get some rest after those long international flights. 

2018 Trip - Map of Archaeological Sites in Egypt (Egyptian Museum)

Price - It is important to see what is included in the price when it comes to sites, activities, and meals. 

Contiki offers a very inexpensive tour, currently priced at $1,319 per their site; however, as you look through the itinerary one notices that most activities are an additional price. When I took the Contiki tour in 2010, the temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu and the Temples of Luxor and Karnak were all included but now they are listed as optional tours. The Trafalgar tour costs more, I paid $2,750 for the 12 day tour, but it includes 18 sites that require admission tickets. And on this trip, one activity that I thought was optional, the Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids, turned out to be an included item on the tour. The extra activities I paid for totaled about $20 - ticket to enter Menkaure’s pyramid, admission to the Solar Boat Museum, a camera pass for the Egyptian Museum, and admission to the Royal Mummy Hall. Some of my tour mates paid to enter King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings; however, I did that during my first trip not the second.  

One major site that doesn’t seem to be included in any tour is the trip to Abu Simbel. The optional tour is a bit more expensive since it includes roundtrip airfare and shuttle to/from the temples. This trip I paid $295 and in 2010, I paid $264. (I prepared detailed expense reports for both trips.) In a future post I will write more about Abu Simbel and why I highly recommend people do not skip this tour. 

Aside from included sites and activities, meals are a major expense of any trip. Fortunately, it appears as though most Egypt tours include the majority of meals. During the Contiki tour, I paid for 2 meals and in this recent trip, I paid for 3 at an average of $8 per meal. Egypt is a very inexpensive destination so you can get delicious meals without going bankrupt. I still advise to look carefully at the itinerary to see how many and what type of meals are included.

2018 Trip Site Tickets

Activities - Some tours include activities such as cooking classes, shopping excursions, visits to local towns, and/or water activities (i.e. diving). In the Contiki tour, we were dragged to several markets and stores, many that proved to not be interesting and a waste of time. Fortunately, during the Trafalgar tour, we spent considerably less time shopping. On both tours we visited the Isis 2 papyrus museum and store in Luxor which was very interesting in that the store manager held a demonstration on how to make papyrus paper and we could purchase authentic papyrus paintings. I have purchased 3 paintings from that store and all have been high quality and worth the money. Contiki and Trafalgar both offer the option of visiting a local village. The visit is interesting but a bit pricey for the short amount of time you actually spend walking around and seeing inside a village home. I noticed that Contiki no longer lists this as an optional tour since it is now part of the regular tour.

Papyrus painting purchased in 2010
(pic taken at angle to avoid reflection)

When selecting a tour, not only comb through the itinerary looking for extra activities but visit travel sites like TripAdvisor to see what other “surprises” you may encounter during your tour. You have limited time in Egypt so last thing you want is being dragged to an essential oils store and spending 30 minutes listening to the history of essential oils followed by 30 minutes of a sales person chasing you around the store to buy low quality, expensive oils. And no, that is not an exaggeration. That is what happened during my 2010 trip while in Aswan. 

The infamous essential
oils that smell horrible! 

NOTE Be warned that some of the stores you are taken to while on tour are specifically geared towards tourists so prices tend to be higher and your tour guide may be receiving a commission on sales. During my last trip, since we had free time, I asked Tarek if we could visit a market in Aswan and he took us a wonderful local market that had all sorts of food stalls and little stores. When in Egypt, talk to your tour guide to see if visits to local markets and stores can be arranged instead of the usual tourist traps.

HOTELS 

The stark contrast in hotels used by Contiki compared to those selected by Trafalgar is one of the important reasons tourists need to do their research before selecting a tour company. I understand Contiki is a budget tour so I wasn’t expecting a deluxe luxury hotel; however, security was lacking and the services provided were very basic. And it just wasn’t the hotel, the area around the hotel was dark and generally void of people and traffic in the evening. I am not a hotel snob - just need a clean bed and bathroom, decent service, and a sense of security - and unfortunately, the hotel felt short in those regards. During my trip last to Egypt, a Spring Tours representative informed me that Contiki no longer uses the Victoria Hotel. 

Trafalgar selects hotels that tend to be rated four or five stars and provide an array of amenities. The first hotel on this recent trip was Le Meridien in Giza which was a definite improvement to my stay at the Victoria Hotel. I had three very wonderful evenings at Le Meridien. The hotel was secure, staff was real courteous, general areas, rooms, and bathrooms were all clean, and the food provided by the restaurant was exceptional. Le Meridien also had a bank, gift stores, spa, and pool. The second hotel was the Ramses Hilton in Downtown Cairo. I had some issues with this hotel, particularly the dirty room and rude front desk staff, but the hotel was secure, had a decent breakfast, a good restaurant for dinner, and a bank and ATM. I only stayed one night at the Ramses Hilton. 

So yes the Trafalgar tours are a bit more expensive but you get what you pay for and lodging in Egypt is something you don’t want to skimp on. I found that having a restaurant, bank, and ATM on site are priceless amenities. Why the bank and ATM? The ATM for currency exchange and the bank to break large bills into smaller denominations, which are very useful for tipping and for purchasing souvenirs at the sites. 

On a later post, I will provide a detailed review of Le Meridien and the Ramses Hilton. 

CRUISE

My Nile cruises have taken place on board the MS Norma and the MS Medea with both providing exceptional service and meals. The MS Medea was a more luxurious ship, elegant lobby and beautiful wood paneling in the hallways, contained fewer cabins (59 cabins/suites per Spring Tour’s website), and provided a small gym and library. On the MS Norma and MS Medea, all meals were included plus there was tea time in the afternoons on the upper deck. Both cruises hosted an Egyptian party where guests dressed up in belly dancing outfits and galabayas and another evening, had a Whirling Dervish and belly dancer. 

For those seeking a unique experience, Spring Tours offers trips on the S/S Karim which is a steamboat dating from the early 1900s. Another unique experience is traveling the Nile aboard a ‘dahabiya’ which are smaller boats powered by two sails. Several tour companies offer excursions aboard a ‘dahabiya’.  

When looking for the perfect trip to Egypt, do research on which type of Nile cruise boat is used by the tour company. Companies that contract with Spring Tours seem to use the MS boats, such as the MS Medea, which were perfect for me but may not be a good fit for another.

NOTE The MS line does not have elevators so you need to be able to climb stairs to reach the lobby, dining area, and upper deck. If you have mobility issues, I suggest you reach out to your tour company to find out if the Nile cruise will have elevators and ramps.

2010 Trip: Picture taken while cruising Nile

TRANSPORTATION 

For both my trips, Contiki and Trafalgar contracted with Spring Tours to provide the airport transfer shuttles and tour buses. Spring Tours does an excellent job maintaining their fleet - all shuttles and buses are super clean inside and out. The drivers are excellent and super courteous. On my last trip, we had two individuals with mobility issues and some of the drivers went the extra mile to help them on and off the busses. I did use the bus bathroom once and it was clean and fully stocked with toilet paper and paper towels. 

The biggest difference between Contiki and Trafalgar is that Contiki tours travel to southern Egypt aboard a sleeper train whereas Trafalgar uses EgyptAir. That sleeper train was quite the adventure and on my 2010 trip, we spent two nights on board what I call a nightmare on wheels. The rooms were extremely small and did not provide a closet or storage area for the luggages, the bathrooms were questionable (just one per car), and our tour guide warned us not to eat the dinner and just eat the bread and jam for breakfast. I am very glad I chose Trafalgar because flying to/from Luxor is definitely worth the cost even though airport security can sometimes be a hassle. At least EgyptAir provides delicious guava juice and cookies!! 

In neither of my trips did I use public transportation - taxi, train, or tuk-tuk. There are tons of taxis in Egypt and during my first trip, some of my tour mates used taxis to get around before the start of the tour. Since I haven’t used public transportation I can’t give personal feedback but I have read that the key to success with taxis is to select one with a meter and to determine a fare before accepting a ride. I have also read in articles that UBER is now available in Egypt so that is an alternative to taxis.   

Tuk-Tuk in Giza.

PYRAMIDS AT GIZA

I have now seen the Pyramids twice and I still struggle to find the words to best describe them. Words simply cannot do justice to the magnificence of those three mighty stone tombs reaching to the sky. 

October 2010 - Picture Taken During a Camel Ride

NOTE When I use the term "the Pyramids" I am referring to the 3 pyramids belonging to Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. This post will solely be about the Pyramids and the Solar Boat Museum. I will discuss the Sphinx in a future post.

HISTORY

Pyramid building in Ancient Egypt began during the 3rd dynasty in the Old Kingdom with King Djoser's Step Pyramid and continued into the 4th dynasty starting with King Snefru's Bent Pyramid. These first pyramids are located in the cities of Dahshur and Saqqara near the ancient capital of Memphis. The golden age of pyramid building reached a high point - literally and figuratively - with the construction of the three major pyramids at Giza. The first pyramid to be built was the Great Pyramid of Khufu (circa 2560 BC) followed by those of his son Khafre (circa 2520 BC) and grandson Menkaure (circa 2490 BC). Most pyramids were part of a complex that included chapels, walls, additional tombs, and funerary boats. In Giza, some of the additional tombs are the smaller pyramids for the queens. 

Contrary to believe, the pyramids were not built by slaves or aliens. They were built by the Ancient Egyptians themselves, some whom were seasonal workers. In Ancient times, before the Nile was controlled by dams, the river would flood agricultural land several months of the year. During these floods, Egyptians would travel to Giza and other cities to work on various building projects. They lived in worker villages where they were provided meals and medical care. 

Recent excavations have discovered funerary boats alongside some tombs with the largest, most complete belonging to Khufu. These boats served the kings in the afterlife as they sailed across the heavens with the sun god Ra.

FAST FACTS

*Numbers from National Geographics and Britannica* 

Khufu’s Pyramid: The pyramid was originally about 481 ft high but today it stands at approximately 450 ft in height. It contains an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons.  

Khafre’s Pyramid: This pyramid was originally approximately 471 ft high. It is the only pyramid in Giza that still has sections of the limestone casing intact. 

October 2010 - Picture showing the limestone casing on
Khafre's Pyramid (picture taken inside the bus hence the glare)

Menkaure’s Pyramid: The smallest of the three pyramids, it had an approximate height of 218 ft in ancient times. 

Khufu's Solar Boat: The boat measures 144 ft long and was buried in 1,224 pieces. 

January 2018 - Khufu's Solar Boat
Photo Credit: Alicia D. - Trip Tour Mate

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VISITING THE PYRAMIDS 

The Pyramids are the last remaining of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and the chance to visit structures over 4,000 years old is rare opportunity. Most everyone has seen pictures or videos of the Pyramids and some know their basic history but few have the opportunity to touch these majestic tombs. It is quite the experience being able to walk around the Pyramids, climb their stones, and enter their chambers. Nothing prepares you for the sheer size of the limestone blocks and the realization that they were built with simple equipment. 

But the Pyramids are not the only source of amazement at Giza. Unfortunately, the area around the Pyramids is notorious for the crazy amount of touts and men selling camel and carriage rides. Almost every tourist site in Egypt has touts; however, they are generally contained to one area, mainly the exit. In Giza, they surround you like the 11th plague of Egypt and your visit sort of becomes an obstacle course of avoiding touts, dodging horse carriages, and jumping over animal poop. The issue has not gone unnoticed as recent news articles outline proposed action plans by the Egyptian government to alleviate these matters. Most recently, Egyptian Streets, a great source of information on all things Egypt, posted that the government plans to build a visitor center, limit touts to a market area, and implement controls on the men selling camel and horse carriage rides. 

NOTE I recommend visiting the Pyramids with a tour group or reputable tour guide since they can assist in purchasing tickets, escort you through the complex while sharing the history of the site, and most important, help you deal with the touts. On my last visit, our tour guide Tarek did a phenomenal job keeping most of the touts away from the group which contributed to a more peaceful and relaxing visit. 

In my two visits to Giza, I have: 1) climbed the stones of Khufu’s and Khafre’s pyramids 2) entered the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure 3) ridden a camel and survived (1st visit) 4) visited the Solar Boat Museum (2nd visit) 5) taken hundreds of pictures. 

WHAT TO DO AND TIPS

The Giza Plateau consists of sandy, uneven terrain and hills with the occasional mound of animal poop; therefore, definitely wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. I would also suggest sunglasses or glasses as a means of eye protection against the sand especially on windy days. And sunscreen or a hat may be a good thing to wear on your visit. 

Pictures and videos are allowed outside of the Pyramids but you are not allowed to take a camera inside. In the Solar Boat Museum, you can purchase a ‘camera ticket’ along with the 'admissions ticket’. My tour mate purchased a camera ticket and offered to share the pictures so I skipped buying the ticket this visit. 

When you visit the Pyramids, you need to purchase a ticket to enter the complex which includes admission to see the Sphinx. With this ticket, you can walk around and take pictures to your heart’s content and also touch and climb the pyramids. I found climbing the pyramid of Khafre to be a bit easier since there were “steps”. 

NOTE In my research of Egypt tours, most include the ticket to the complex in the tour price. 

On my first trip, I did ride a camel and fortunately, that was organized via the tour company. The camel and horse carriage rides are not regulated so vendors can charge you whatever price and best of all, take you into the desert for a nice photo opportunity of the Pyramids and then demand additional money for the return trip. Even Tarek joked about this during the trip saying that if we were interested in a camel ride, he will arrange it for us and not to accept a camel ride from anyone since we may wind up in Libya. I understand that for some the camel ride is part of their bucket list so before you travel to Egypt visit sites like TripAdvisor for detailed tips and try to hire a guide. When in Giza dealing with the camel vendors, be stern when haggling and don’t be afraid to say no and walk away. 

October 2010 - Casanova the Camel and I 

EXTRA TICKETS 

If you wish to enter the Pyramids, you will need to purchase an additional ticket with each pyramid being a different price. Also, not all three pyramids are open at the same time. During my first visit, we had the choice of visiting either Khufu’s or Khafre’s pyramid and the second visit we had the choice of Khufu’s or Menkaure’s. 

NOTE The Pyramid chambers are empty so you will not find mummies or other items inside. You just enter the pyramids for the sheer awesomeness of being inside a giant tomb that is over 4,000 years old. I’ve done it twice and both times I have been equally fascinated. Since all the pyramids are empty inside, it’s basically the same experience regardless of which one you enter. When I visited Khafre's pyramid, it was just one chamber. Menkaure’s pyramid on the other hand had several chambers so you spent more time walking around and more time feeling the awesomeness of being inside one of the pyramids. 

Be warned that if you have mobility issues or are really claustrophobic then entering the Pyramids may not be a good choice. In Menkaure’s pyramid, one had to walk down a steep wooden ramp while crouching since the roof is low. Once inside, it is easy to walk around but the climb in and out is a bit of a work out. It was the same way in Khafre’s pyramid. 

The Solar Boat Museum is also extra but I highly recommend it. Along with the boat, the museum contains several exhibits and the opportunity to view part of the pit where it was found. There were no crowds in the museum so my tour mates and I were able to enjoy a leisure walk around the boat admiring the fine craftsmanship and intricate details while being amazed that a wooden boat has survived 4,000 plus years in almost perfect condition. 

When you arrive at the museum, you will be given these blue shoe covers to slip on over your shoes. Overall, I didn’t have too much of an issue except when going up and down the stairs since they didn’t provide much traction.

January 2018 - Tickets for the Pyramid Complex, Menkaure's Pyramid,
and Solar Boat Museum. Based on current exchange rates (02/08/18) the
extra tickets cost $3.40 for Menkaure's Pyramid and $4.53 for the Museum. 

WHY EGYPT?

I cannot pinpoint the moment or item that got me interested in Ancient Egypt but it has become my biggest passion. I once thought of pursuing a career in Egyptology but given the limited job opportunities, I decided to leave my passion for Egypt as a hobby instead of a career. Over the years, I have spent countless of hours reading books and watching documentaries on Ancient Egypt trying to learn as much as possible and most recently, I have been learning how to read hieroglyphs. During my last trip to Egypt, the tour guide was amazed at how much I knew about Ancient Egypt. 

As of 2010, I just had a passion for Ancient Egypt but that changed after spending one week visiting Egypt. I now had a passion for both Ancient and Modern Egypt. That passion was further fueled during the January 2018 trip which lasted 2 weeks and included a lot of wonderful drives and walks throughout Lower and Upper Egypt. In those two weeks, I had the opportunity to traverse hundreds of miles through cities and rural areas taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Egypt. There was a 7 year gap between my first and second trip to Egypt but I am hoping to return in two or three years. 

Egypt is a beautiful country with an interesting history, fascinating culture, and wonderful people. It is a country of many contrasts which adds to its beauty. There is the large and crowded Cairo to the north and the smaller, more peaceful towns to the south. The Nile is palette of blue hues accentuated by green palm fronds and the bright yellows, reds, and pinks of flowers. The streets, lined with simple brown and beige home and stores, come to live with vibrant fruit stalls and the sounds of Egyptian music. Driving through Luxor, you have the clash of the old with the new - one side of the road contains the temples, the other has stores and restaurants. In Giza, you have the sandy colored pyramids reaching out to the clear, bright blue sky. And nothing can be more beautiful and amazing like sailing the Nile on a felucca (sailboat). 

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This passion for Egypt has led me to amass a collection of books and souvenirs that I now have a mini museum in my apartment. Souvenirs include Saharan sand, papyrus paintings (3), Nubian dolls, belly dancing outfit, post cards, soda bottles/cans, and much more. The picture shows just some of the books and items I own associated with Egypt. All I am missing is a sarcophagus and a mummy! 

                               

                                    

WHY TEMPLES, TOMBS, TOUTS?

I chose the title based on three things most tourists to Egypt encounter: temples, tombs, and touts. 

So you are wondering, what is a tout? A tout is essentially a vendor and in Egypt they are as plentiful as the sands of the Sahara. At most sites, the touts can be found towards the exits but in other places, like the Giza Plateau, they will follow you everywhere. In my most recent trip, I fortunately did not have any issues with the touts and most left me alone when I said "la shokran" (no thank you). I will write more about touts in a future post. 

As for temples and tombs, those are among the most amazing sites one can experience. In this blog, I will be writing about the various temples and tombs one can find in Egypt. 

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Temples, Tombs, and Touts will be about my second trip to Egypt and I have decided to adopt a different format to the posts of this blog. My last trip, I developed a blog that read more like a diary which, while interesting to me, contained a myriad of minor details that I'm sure cured the insomnia of my readers. This time around, I aim to focus on education and information. When discussing the various sites, I will provide some history, share pictures, and provide touring tips and lessons learned based on my two trips to Egypt. I will share stories and tips on tour companies, Nile cruise ships, hotels, flights, etc. And I will share interesting news concerning the many recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt. If my readers have any questions, email me and I will feature them in special Q&A posts. 

I hope you will enjoy reading my posts and I look forward to your questions and comments!